Pokemon GO Buddy Update released: APK download, chart, dates

The Pokemon GO Buddy Update is live – but not for everyone all at once. Updates are being blasted out in waves for Android users, while the iOS population – for iPhone and iPad – needs to wait just a bit longer. Today we've had our first look at and play with the Pokemon GO Buddy Update, and we've got a bit of a hands-on and first impressions to share. We've also got directions for those trainers that wish to get their hands on the Pokemon GO Buddy Update as fast as possible. Downloads are indeed available if users know where to look.

In this update, the user is able to assign a single Pokemon to themselves as a Buddy Pokemon. SEE: Buddy Pokemon "sorting" list explained When this is done, the type of Pokemon assigns that Pokemon as one of several sorts of Buddy. There's one for Medium, one for Large, another for Flying, and one for Shoulder.

The "Small" category doesn't exist because it's split between Shoulder and Medium. You won't see these sorting categories written anywhere in the game – they're all in the code.

What they mean is more apparent.

If a Pokemon like Caterpie is assigned, it'll sit on the user's shoulder. If Gyarados is assigned, it'll sit nearby the user – it's Large.

Flying Pokemon fly to the upper-left of the user, and all others sit or stand by the feet of the user.

Above are several shots of Buddy Pokemon switching screens. Each time a Buddy Pokemon is switched in, another must be switched out.

Below are several examples of different sorts of Buddy Pokemon – Flying, Large, Medium, and Shoulder-sized.

Each Buddy Pokemon has their own rate of candy-generating, generating a single Pokemon Candy per however-many kilometers.

Above is a fully spreadsheet containing every Pokemon currently active in Pokemon GO along with the kilometers required to generate a single Pokemon Candy. Each Pokemon generates a candy according to their own type.

Android users can head to this APK Mirror link to pick up the latest version of Pokemon GO. That version will deliver Buddy Pokemon usability to whoever downloads and loads it, tout de suite!

See our @TeamPokemonGO Twitter portal for more information on the game, updates, tricks, and other oddities!