Best Buddy Pokémon GO: How to Earn Hearts & Become Best Buddy
You log into Pokémon GO and notice your buddy is still far from earning its Best Buddy ribbon. You have fed it Berries, taken snapshots, walked together, and battled alongside it, yet the heart meter still moves slowly.
The challenge is not simply putting in more effort. It is knowing which daily activities earn the most hearts, how to trigger an Excited Mood, and which Pokemon deserves your long-term investment. After all, the right buddy can help with Candy collection, raids, Master League battles, and future Mega Evolution plans.
This guide explains how the Buddy system works, every reliable way to earn hearts, and the fastest routine for reaching Best Buddy status without turning it into a daily chore.
Part 1. What Is Best Buddy in Pokémon GO?
Best Buddy is the highest Buddy Level you can reach with an individual Pokémon in Pokémon GO. You increase your Buddy Level by selecting a Pokémon as your buddy and earning Affection Hearts through daily interactions.
You can earn hearts by walking, feeding, playing, battling, taking snapshots, visiting new places, following Routes, and completing certain bonus activities together. The “Today’s Activities” section on the Buddy Profile screen shows which hearts are still available. Grey hearts represent available activities, while pink hearts show the hearts you have already earned.
Pokémon GO has four Buddy Levels:
- Good Buddy — 1 cumulative heart: Your buddy can appear beside you on the map after you fill its hunger meter with Berries or a Poffin. You can also view its current Mood on the Buddy Profile screen.
- Great Buddy — 70 cumulative hearts: Your buddy unlocks Catch Assist, giving it a chance to knock a deflected Poké Ball back toward a wild Pokémon. It may also bring you Presents containing useful items such as Berries and Potions.
- Ultra Buddy — 150 cumulative hearts: Your buddy may bring collectible Souvenirs and point out nearby PokéStops it finds interesting. Visiting an indicated location can provide bonus items and an additional Affection Heart.
- Best Buddy — 300 cumulative hearts: Your Pokémon receives a Best Buddy Ribbon and a CP Boost. The CP Boost only applies while that Pokémon is selected as your active buddy.
Part 2. Best Buddy Level Benefits: Why It’s Worth It
Reaching Best Buddy takes patience. However, the rewards can make your daily interactions more meaningful, especially when you choose the right Pokémon.
- Useful CP Boost: Your Best Buddy gets a CP boost only while it is your currently selected buddy. This extra strength can help during difficult raids and close PvP matchups.
- Best Buddy Ribbon: The ribbon stays with your Pokémon permanently. It shows that you completed the full 300-heart journey together.
- Catch Assist: Once you reach Great Buddy, your Pokémon may knock back a Poké Ball when a wild Pokémon swats it away. Catch Assist does not guarantee a catch. Still, it can save an excellent throw from being wasted.
- Presents and Souvenirs: Great Buddies can bring Presents, while Ultra Buddies can find Souvenirs. These rewards add personality to your daily buddy routine.
- Interesting Locations: At the Ultra Buddy level, your Pokémon can identify locations that may offer extra items. This feature gives you another reason to check your buddy screen regularly.
Part 3. Top Pokémon Picks to Make Your Best Buddy
Choosing the right buddy matters because every heart should move you toward a real goal. Some Pokémon deserve the Best Buddy boost for raids, some for Master League, and some because they need a lot of Candy to evolve or power up. The smartest choice is the one you will actually keep as your active buddy.
1. Raid powerhouses and Primal or Mega candidates
When you’re building a raid team, the smartest buddy choice is usually a Pokémon that already delivers serious damage. That way, every heart you earn supports a teammate that can help you win more battles with less effort.
Mewtwo
Mewtwo is one of the strongest raid attackers you can buddy. Its huge Psychic-type damage makes it valuable against Fighting- and Poison-type bosses, and it still feels useful in plenty of other battles. If you already use Mewtwo often, the Best Buddy boost adds even more value to an already powerful Pokémon.
Rayquaza
Rayquaza is a top-tier Best Buddy choice because it brings enormous raid power and long-term value. Its Dragon and Flying typing makes it useful against many tough opponents, especially Dragon types. If you already rely on Rayquaza in raids, the Best Buddy boost gives it a little extra edge in battles that come down to a few points.
Garchomp
Garchomp is a strong Ground- and Dragon-type Pokémon that fits many raid teams. It can hit hard against Electric, Fire, Poison, Rock, and Steel opponents. The Best Buddy boost is useful here because Garchomp already has excellent all-around value. If you walk one for Candy while building friendship, the grind feels extra rewarding.
Lucario
Lucario is a favorite for both raids and PvP because of its strong Fighting-type pressure. It works especially well against Rock, Steel, Ice, Dark, and Normal opponents. If you use Lucario often, the Best Buddy boost is worth chasing. You are not just powering up a Pokémon. You are investing in one that can stay useful across many battles.
Groudon
Groudon is one of the smartest Best Buddy investments because it brings serious Ground-type power to raids. It belongs to the Primal Reversion group. You can rely on it against Electric, Fire, Poison, Rock, and Steel opponents. Since Groudon already performs well in many battle situations, the extra Best Buddy boost gives it a stronger edge when every point of damage matters. It’s a solid choice for long-term value.
Kyogre
Kyogre also belongs in the Primal Reversion group. Like Groudon, it does not Mega Evolve. Instead, Primal Kyogre gives you a massive Water-type threat for raids. Since Water attackers are always useful against Fire-, Ground-, and Rock-type bosses, Kyogre makes a strong Best Buddy project. It is a safe pick when you want power with long-term value.
2. Master League PvP staples
Master League is where stat edges can decide close matchups. A Best Buddy boost can matter most when your Pokémon already has strong bulk, strong typing, or important mirror-match pressure.
Dialga
Dialga is one of the most famous Master League Pokémon for a reason. Its Dragon/Steel typing gives it many useful resistances and strong overall pressure. When you keep Dialga as your active buddy, the Best Buddy boost can help in mirror fights and other close battles. It remains a classic choice for serious PvP players.
Zacian
Zacian brings strong Fairy-type pressure and flexible coverage to Master League. It can threaten Dragons while also keeping Dark and Fighting types in check. If you use Zacian often, making it your Best Buddy is a smart way to squeeze more value out of every battle. It is the kind of Pokémon that rewards careful investment.
Giratina (Origin Forme)
Giratina (Origin Forme) has long been a respected Master League option. Its Ghost/Dragon typing gives it strong staying power and useful resistances. The Best Buddy boost can help it keep pace in tougher matchups and make its statline feel even cleaner. If you like bulky, tricky Pokémon, this one deserves attention.
Solgaleo
Solgaleo is a rare Psychic/Steel Pokémon with a unique role in Master League. Its typing lets it resist many attacks that would trouble softer Pokémon. Because it is not as common as other picks, building it as a Best Buddy feels special too. You get a practical boost and a strong long-term project in one package.
Ho-Oh
Ho-Oh offers bulk, coverage, and steady pressure in Master League. Its Fire/Flying typing gives it useful matchups against several common threats. The Best Buddy boost can help it survive key moments that decide a battle. If you already rely on Ho-Oh, pushing it to Best Buddy is a sensible upgrade.
3. Candy-hungry evolution projects
Some Pokémon are worth the buddy grind because they need a lot of Candy. In these cases, the Buddy system gives you steady progress while you work toward a stronger final evolution.
Riolu
Riolu evolves into Lucario, which is already one of the most useful Fighting-types in Pokémon GO. Since Riolu can be hard to find, walking it as your buddy makes the Candy grind easier. Every heart you collect will translate directly into lasting team value with this buddy pick.
Gible
Gible evolves into Garchomp, a Pokémon with excellent raid value and strong overall utility. Because Gible is not always easy to stockpile, buddy walking helps you build its Candy over time. Rare wild encounters feel far more meaningful when you slowly nurture them into a top‑tier powerhouse through buddy distance.
Noibat
Noibat needs a large amount of Candy before it becomes Noivern. That makes the evolution path feel slow if you rely on catches alone. Making Noibat your buddy gives you a simple way to keep progress moving. This setup lets you chip away at its hefty candy requirement at your own relaxed pace.
Axew
Axew evolves into Haxorus, a Dragon-type Pokémon with solid attacking value. Since Axew is rare for many players, every bit of Candy matters. Walking it as your buddy helps you stay consistent while you work toward a strong final form. It is a good pick if you like earning progress the slow, reliable way.
Larvitar
Larvitar evolves into Tyranitar, which remains useful in raids and certain battle formats. Because Tyranitar takes a decent amount of Candy to build well, Larvitar can become a rewarding buddy project. If you want a Pokémon that still pays off later, this one fits nicely.
Deino
Deino evolves into Hydreigon, a strong Dark/Dragon attacker. It usually takes patience to gather enough Candy for full evolution and power-ups. Walking Deino as your buddy keeps the grind moving while you earn hearts at the same time. That makes it a sensible choice for patient players.
Part 4. How to Get Best Buddy in Pokémon GO
You need 300 Affection Hearts to reach Best Buddy status. The most efficient method is to complete several buddy activities each day. Each category has its own daily heart limit, which resets at midnight local time.
1. Feed your buddy: Give your buddy enough Berries to fill its hunger meter and bring it onto the map. Your buddy must be on the map for walking, battling, visiting new places, and following Routes.
2. Walk together: Walk while your buddy is on the map to earn hearts. Walking the required distance can also earn Buddy Candy.
3. Play together: Open the Buddy Profile, tap “Play,” and pet your Pokémon until it reacts happily.
4. Take a snapshot: Photograph your buddy through the Buddy screen to earn a quick daily heart.
5. Battle together: Put your buddy in a Gym battle, raid, Team GO Rocket battle, or Trainer Battle. Your buddy needs to be on the map for this activity.
6. Visit a new place: Spin a PokéStop or Gym that you have not visited before while your buddy is active. Unvisited locations usually have a white ring around them.
7. Follow a Route: Keep your buddy on the map while completing a Route to earn another heart.
8. Use a Poffin: A Poffin fills the hunger meter, immediately creates the Excited mood, and awards the maximum treat hearts. Excited buddies can earn double the daily heart limit from most activities and require half the walking distance to find Candy.
You can also reach the Excited mood without using a Poffin. Feed, play, battle, walk, and take snapshots with your buddy regularly—ideally about every 30 minutes. Since buddy mood decreases over time, continue interacting throughout the day to maintain the Excited mood.
The Shortcut to Get Best Buddy in Pokémon GO with MocPOGO🔥
Earning hearts every day takes time, especially the walking and PokéStop visits. If you don’t have hours to spend outdoors, MocPOGO can take care of the heavy lifting. It’s a GPS location tool that runs on your phone or computer, letting you simulate movement and reach PokéStop-dense areas without leaving home. For Best Buddy grinding, that means steady walking hearts, easy new-place visits, and a reliable way to gather Berries for feeding, all without being limited by your local surroundings.
168,282 people have downloaded it.
- Automatically simulate buddy walking to earn daily walking hearts.
- Create multi‑spot routes to collect multiple buddy hearts in one run.
- Scan nearby raids and gyms to find convenient battle opportunities.
- Newly released Native Mode: spoof iOS location without modded apps for all LBS apps safely.
- Teleport to PokéStop clusters to gather berries for buddy feeding.
- Multi-device control for up to 15 devices.
- Support the latest iOS 27/Android 17.
How to Get Best Buddy Fast with MocPOGO
Step 1 Download and launch MocPOGO on your Windows PC, then select General Mode from the main interface.
Step 2 Connect your device and then select iOS or Android.
Step 3 Choose Multi-Spot mode and map out a route through an area with plenty of PokéStops. Hit Go and open Pokémon GO. Your avatar will start walking the route, racking up walking hearts and spinning new PokéStops along the way.
Part 5. FAQs About Best Buddy Pokémon GO
Reaching Best Buddy can feel a little confusing at first. With so many heart activities and daily limits involved, it’s normal to wonder what matters most and how the progress really works. Let’s clear up the most common doubts.
Q1. How long does it take to reach Best Buddy?
You need 300 Affection Hearts to reach Best Buddy status. If you earn around 10 hearts per day, it takes about 30 days. Using a Poffin to reach Excited mood can double your daily hearts, cutting the time to roughly 15 days.
Q2. Does the Best Buddy CP boost work in raids and PvP?
Yes, the CP boost can apply in battles when the Pokémon is your active buddy. You must keep that Best Buddy selected for the boost to remain available.
Q3. Can a Pokémon lose Best Buddy status?
No, your Pokémon keeps its Best Buddy status and ribbon after earning 300 hearts. However, the CP boost only applies when that Pokémon is currently assigned as your buddy.
Q4. How many Best Buddies can you have at once?
You can earn Best Buddy status with multiple Pokémon over time. Still, only one Pokémon can be your active buddy at a time, so only that buddy receives the active CP boost.
Q5. Does swapping buddies reset your hearts for the day?
No, switching buddies does not erase hearts that you already earned. Each Pokémon keeps its own friendship progress, although daily heart limits still apply to each active buddy routine.
Conclusion
Best Buddy status in Pokémon GO is easier when you treat it like a daily routine instead of a huge challenge. Feed your buddy, walk together, take snapshots, play in AR mode, battle, and visit new PokéStops whenever possible. Choose a Pokemon that supports your raid team, Master League lineup, Mega Evolution plans, or Candy goals. That way, every heart brings a real benefit.
At the end of the day, if you want a more efficient way to manage your buddy routine, MocPOGO Location Changer is a practical option to consider. It simulates walking, connects you to more PokéStops, and keeps your buddy tasks on track. Try MocPOGO today and start earning those Best Buddy hearts faster!
