Best Buddy Pokémon GO status is reached after earning 300 Affection hearts with the same Buddy Pokémon. The relationship does not decay, so every heart is permanent progress toward the Best Buddy CP Boost and Best Buddy Ribbon even if the journey takes several weeks.
Buddy level requirements
The Buddy progression uses four main relationship milestones.
| Buddy level | Total hearts required |
|---|---|
| Good Buddy | 1 |
| Great Buddy | 70 |
| Ultra Buddy | 150 |
| Best Buddy | 300 |
Best Buddy Pokémon GO therefore requires long-term interaction rather than one special item or one walking challenge.
Earn hearts every day
Open the Buddy page and use the Today’s Activities list.
Regular heart sources include walking together, giving your Buddy treats, playing together, battling together, taking a snapshot and visiting a new place.
Best Buddy Pokémon GO progress is fastest when you collect several categories during one routine instead of only walking for one or two hearts a day.
Bonus hearts can also appear from Gifts, Souvenirs or other Buddy interactions.
Keep your Buddy on the map
Feed enough Berries to fill the hunger meter and your Buddy appears beside you on the map.
Several activities depend on the Buddy actively adventuring with you.
If the hunger meter empties, feed it again before continuing a long walk.
Best Buddy Pokémon GO grinding feels much slower when walking distance is being logged but the Buddy is not properly active for the relevant heart categories.
Use Excited mood to double heart opportunities
Excited is the highest Buddy mood.
While a Buddy is Excited, most daily heart categories display double heart slots, allowing significantly more Affection progress that day. The Candy walking distance is also reduced while the mood remains active.
A Poffin can make the Buddy Excited immediately, but repeated normal interactions can also reach the mood without spending a Poffin.
Best Buddy Pokémon GO progress accelerates dramatically on days when Excited is maintained.
Battle hearts are easy to stack
Your Buddy can earn battle hearts from eligible Gym, Raid, Team GO Rocket or Trainer Battles while it is adventuring with you.
It does not need to deal the finishing blow.
For Best Buddy Pokémon GO routines, putting the Buddy in a team and completing convenient battles is usually easier than waiting for a specific rare encounter.
Use safe battles rather than wasting resources on content you cannot comfortably clear.
Great and Ultra Buddy perks
Great Buddy unlocks Catch Assist and Presents.
Ultra Buddy adds Souvenirs and the ability to point out interesting nearby locations.
These intermediate perks make the Best Buddy Pokémon GO journey useful before the final 300-heart target is reached.
Catch Assist in particular can occasionally rescue a Poké Ball that a wild Pokémon bats back at you.
You do not need 300 hearts in one streak
There is no requirement to keep the same Pokémon selected for 300 consecutive days or to avoid switching Buddies. Hearts already earned remain attached to that relationship.
This makes the long grind much easier to fit around evolution tasks, Candy walking and temporary event Buddies without sacrificing months of progress.
What Best Buddy gives you
Best Buddy unlocks a Best Buddy Ribbon and CP Boost.
The CP Boost applies while that Pokémon is currently set as your Buddy, making it stronger in Gyms, Raids, Team GO Rocket battles and Trainer Battles.
The boost does not stay active if you switch to another Buddy.
Best Buddy Pokémon GO is therefore most useful on Pokémon you actually plan to keep active for difficult battles.
Can you switch Buddies and keep progress?
Yes. Buddy Level progress does not disappear when you switch.
You can work on several Pokémon over time and return to an older Buddy with its existing hearts and level intact.
That makes Best Buddy Pokémon GO goals flexible, although only the currently selected Best Buddy receives its CP Boost.
Fast practical routine
Feed your Buddy, play with it, take a snapshot, complete available battles, walk with it and spin a new PokéStop when practical. Repeat interactions through the day if you are trying to reach Excited mood.
Do not burn out trying to force 300 hearts in the shortest possible calendar time.
Best Buddy Pokémon GO is permanent collection progress. A consistent daily routine will eventually produce the Ribbon and CP Boost without turning every walk into a spreadsheet.
Official site: Pokémon GO
