It’s lovely to take a walk with a good friend on a sunny day. It’s even better when the good friend in question is a cute and cuddly Pokemon (or an ugly and spiky one, I’m not judging you). While the walk could be considered its own reward, though, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to get the most you possibly can out of these walks. Here are the top 10 best tips for completing a 1 KM Buddy Challenge in Pokemon Go.
Top 10 Best Tips for Completing 1 KM Buddy Challenge in Pokemon Go
Maximizing your time with your Buddy in Pokemon Go isn’t just about picking a Pokemon and walking around with it. It’s also about planning a route, taking safety precautions, and being mindful of your surroundings. Generally speaking, you’ll want to remember these things:
- Pick a low-impact Pokemon
- Remember to actually set them as your Buddy
- Have a few extra Pokemon ready
- Periodically play with your Buddy
- Make sure you’ve got a cell signal
- Wear comfortable clothes
- Plan a safe and accessible route
- Check the weather
- Bring water
- Plan pit stops
Related: Pokemon Go Promo Codes
Pick a Low-Impact Pokemon
Pokemon are divided up into four different categories based on how long of a walk they need in order to yield Candy. These categories are 1 KM, 3 KM, 5 KM, and 20 KM. Ideally, you should pick a 1 KM Pokemon so you don’t overburden yourself. 1 KM Pokemon are all simple, first-evolution-tier ones like Caterpie, Zubat, Pidgey, Emolga, and Poochyena.
Remember to Set Your Buddy
Don’t forget to actually set a Pokemon as your Buddy before you go out walking. Just tap on your Trainer Portrait on the main screen, tap the Choose Buddy button (it looks like a couple of smiley faces), and choose the Pokemon you want to take with you. Their picture should appear next to yours on the main screen.
Have Extra Pokemon Ready
In the event you either undershoot the distance of your route or just want to keep walking after your first Pokemon is tuckered out, make sure you’ve got another 1 KM Pokemon waiting in the wings that you can switch to and keep the walk going.
Periodically Play with Your Buddy
As you walk with your Buddy, you can tap on their portrait and the Play button to pal around with them. They’ll appear in your AR camera, where you can play with them and feed them snacks. Feeding a Pokemon a Poffin cuts the distance they need to walk to yield candy in half, so keep one on hand if you need to lessen your trip for whatever reason.
Make Sure You’ve Got a Cell Signal
Make sure that, when you leave the house, your smartphone has a strong and consistent mobile signal. Pokemon Go is an online game, after all; if you accidentally wander into a dead zone and lose your signal, you won’t be able to play the game.
Wear Comfortable Clothes
1 KM is a little over half a mile, for those of you who don’t deal in metrics. It’s a decently-long walk, so make sure you’re wearing comfortable, breathable, and season-appropriate clothes. I can tell you from experience that getting stuck outside on a hot day in cargo pants is absolutely miserable.
Plan a Safe and Accessible Route
Use a map app like Google Maps to plan out your route, ideally to a particular destination. This is easier if you live in a city, as you can target some kind of business or landmark. Make sure that your route doesn’t pass through any dangerous or restricted areas, too.
Check the Weather
Before you leave the house, make sure to check the immediate weather forecast. You’ll want to know about temperatures, rain chances, and allergy indexes. If it doesn’t look safe to take a prolonged walk, don’t risk it.
Bring Water
Make sure you’ve got a bottle of clean drinking water on your person to keep yourself going. This is especially important on hot days, as you don’t want to risk overheating.
Plan Pit Stops
If you’re planning on taking multiple walks, or you just don’t walk around that much, make sure you’ve got time and locations to take a seat and catch your breath. These are good times to play with your Pokemon. Even if you’re not going that far, you’ll still have to walk back to get home, and you don’t want to exhaust yourself.
With proper preparation, taking walks with your Buddy in Pokemon Go is a fun way to get out of the house and get some fresh air, all while raking in the Candy and Buddy Hearts.
