You’re staring at that Eevee. Or maybe it’s a Feebas. You’ve got the candy, but the evolve button is just… missing. Or it's locked behind a weird silhouette. It's frustrating. Pokemon GO doesn't always play fair when it tells you how to fill your Pokedex. The truth is, the pokemon go buddy to evolve mechanic is one of the most misunderstood systems in the game because Niantic hides the requirements in tiny sub-menus or expects you to just "know" through trial and error.
Walking is the core of the game. We all know that. But sticking a Pokemon in your buddy slot isn't just about earning a candy every 3 or 5 kilometers. For a specific subset of monsters, it’s a legal requirement for metamorphosis. If you don't do it, they stay in their basic form forever. Period.
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The Distance Bottleneck: More Than Just Miles
Let’s talk about the heavy hitters first. Feebas is the classic example. You can’t just throw 100 candies at it and expect a Milotic. You have to walk it 20km. That’s non-negotiable. But here is where people mess up: they swap the buddy out at 19.9km to help a different Pokemon, thinking the progress "saves" in a way that triggers the evolution later. It doesn't. You need that specific Feebas to hit the mark while it’s actively your buddy.
It gets weirder with the Hisuian forms and the newer Paldean additions. Take Pawmo. You want a Pawmot? You’re walking 25km. No shortcuts. No Rare Candies will bypass that physical requirement.
Why Adventure Sync Is Your Best Friend (And Your Worst Enemy)
Adventure Sync is supposed to track your steps while the app is closed. It’s a lifesaver for the pokemon go buddy to evolve grind. But honestly? It breaks. A lot. I’ve seen players pace around their living rooms for an hour only to realize their "battery saver" mode killed the tracking. To ensure your evolution progress actually registers, you need to check that the "Interacted With" heart isn't the only thing updating. Check the total distance on the Pokemon’s individual stat page.
If the number there doesn't match the evolution requirement bar, the game won't let you click the button. Simple as that.
It’s Not Just Walking: The "Task" Era
Niantic got bored of just making us walk. Now, they want us to perform. This is where the pokemon go buddy to evolve system gets genuinely annoying for casual players.
Take Primeape. To get Annihilape—which is a beast in the Master League, by the way—you don't just walk. You have to defeat 30 Ghost or Psychic-type Pokemon while Primeape is your buddy. You don't even have to use Primeape in the fight! You can just have it sitting in your pocket while you smash Team GO Rocket grunts or battle a friend. But if you forget to set it as your buddy before the fight starts? Zero progress. Total waste of time.
The Galarian Evolution Headache
Galarian Farfetch’d is another one that trips people up. You need 10 Excellent throws.
- Does it have to be in a row? No.
- Does it have to be the same species? No.
- Does the Farfetch'd need to be on the map walking with you? Yes.
That’s the nuance. There is a difference between a Pokemon being your "Buddy" (in the slot) and being "on the map" (fed with berries). Most evolution tasks only require them to be in the buddy slot, but some players find that having them on the map helps with sync lag.
Eevee: The Original Buddy Puzzle
We can't talk about a pokemon go buddy to evolve without mentioning the Eeveelutions. While the "name trick" (Rainer, Sparky, etc.) works once per account, it’s a one-and-done deal. After that, you are at the mercy of the buddy system.
For Espeon and Umbreon, the rules are strict:
- Walk 10km.
- Earn 2 candies.
- Evolve during the Day (Espeon) or Night (Umbreon).
If you see a question mark on the evolve button, do not press it. If you’ve met the requirements, the silhouette of the specific Eeveelution will appear. If it’s still a question mark, you haven’t walked far enough or your GPS thinks it’s dusk when the game thinks it’s day. It’s finicky. Sylveon is even more demanding, requiring 70 Buddy Hearts. You can’t just walk; you have to play, take snapshots, and visit new places. It's a grind, but a Pixel-perfect Sylveon is worth the effort for anyone serious about the Great League.
Hidden Mechanics: The "Swap Out" Penalty
A lot of experts don't mention this, but swapping your buddy can sometimes reset "per session" trackers. While total distance is generally safe, specific tasks like "Catch 50 Pokemon with this buddy" can occasionally glitch if you swap them out mid-task. It is always safer to pick a "Project Pokemon" and stick with them until the evolution is complete.
The Mega Energy Connection
Sometimes, the pokemon go buddy to evolve focus shifts after the evolution is done. Once you have Mega Evolved a Beedrill or a Charizard once, walking that species as your buddy generates Mega Energy. This is the only way to farm Mega Energy outside of raids. If you're a free-to-play player, this isn't just a tip; it's the entire meta. You should always have a "Mega candidate" in your buddy rotation to keep your energy reserves high for Primal Kyogre or Groudon events.
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Specific Requirements Reference
- Pancham: Catch 32 Dark-type Pokemon while it's your buddy.
- Qwilfish (Hisuian): Win 10 Raids. This is a massive resource sink if you aren't using your daily free pass.
- Sliggoo (into Goodra): This one is tricky. It's not a buddy task, but people often think it is. You just need rain or a Rainy Lure. However, walking it for the 100 candies is usually why it ends up in the buddy slot anyway.
- Charcadet: This is the new nightmare. You need to defeat 30 Psychic-types for Armarouge or 30 Ghost-types for Ceruledge.
Optimizing Your Route
If you’re trying to knock out a pokemon go buddy to evolve requirement fast, don't just walk in circles. The game pings your location every minute or so and draws a straight line between the points. If you walk in a small circle, the displacement is zero. You get zero credit. Walk in long, straight lines.
Use Poffins wisely. A Poffin doubles the hearts you earn and halves the distance required for candy. If you have a 20km requirement like Feebas, a Poffin doesn't technically reduce the "20km" requirement task, but it does get you the candies twice as fast, which you'll need for the final evolution anyway.
Actionable Strategy for Evolution Success
Stop guessing if you've met the criteria. Open your buddy screen and scroll down to the "Evolve" section. There is a tiny arrow next to the requirement. Click it. It will show you a progress bar.
Immediate Next Steps:
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- Audit your storage: Tag every Pokemon that has a "Buddy" requirement so you don't accidentally transfer them or forget why you're keeping that 0-star Galarian Yamask (you need to win 10 raids with it, by the way).
- Sync your health app: Ensure Google Fit or Apple Health has "High Accuracy" turned on. If your phone kills background processes, your pokemon go buddy to evolve progress will stall.
- Target Grunts: If you're doing a combat-based evolution (like Primeape or Charcadet), find a Team GO Rocket takeover event. It’s the fastest way to find the specific types you need to defeat without burning Raid Passes.
- Check the Silhouette: Never, ever hit "Evolve" if the button shows a question mark. If you are expecting a specific form and it’s not showing the silhouette, restart your app. GPS drift is the number one killer of Umbreon/Espeon evolutions.
The system is designed to make you bond with your Pokemon, but it's really a test of patience and technical troubleshooting. Keep your phone in your pocket, walk straight lines, and always, always check that the silhouette matches your goal before you spend those hard-earned candies.