Pokemon Buddy System Confirmed, Trading Mentioned in Terms of Service

We recently suggested the possibility of a buddy system in Pokémon Go.

Well, now it's confirmed!

Niantic still hasn't given a definite release date, but they've said it's "right around the corner." It really will be something to look forward to; as mentioned in our previous article, this will bring a breath of fresh air to the virtual reality mobile game app.

Walking, one of the key points of the game, is now more rewarding without the randomness involved in hunting for specific Pokémon. It also brings about a sense of accomplishment based on effort that will yield tangible results. For the more avid fans, this will counter the frustration of the game's previous lack of concrete results by giving a sense of fulfillment once they've gathered enough to candy to evolve their favorite Pokémon. And hey, it's good exercise!

Pokemon Go Hub has also released a tier list for the candies generated by specific Pokémon. Their top 5 is as follows: Charmeleon, Grimer, Dragonair, Kadabra and Wartortle. That means that these Pokémon are the most efficient to use as buddies, given their spawn rarity and the distance it takes to get candies from them.

But the good news isn't over, yet! Again, according to Pokemon Go Hub, Trading may come as early as fall! Given their previous datamining, they've gathered some lines of code that hint at the possibility of having the trading feature in game.

Their post also goes into more detail about their speculation, which includes positing that the trading system is primarily to keep the player base alive while incoming colder temperatures reduce gamers' willingness to go walking. Another hopeful guess is that the Tracker will be implemented right before trading, to encourage a last ditch attempt at hunting before the weather interferes.

There's even someone who looked over the game's Terms of Service and found this little gem. It's basically a punishment clause for being in possession of unlawfully acquired "Trading Items", amongst other stipulations. Still! It's heartening to see this possibility being very close to coming true.

Like the Buddy System, the Trading feature will add a new dimension to the game. That feature has been present since the very beginning, from the old infrared trading with GameBoys, up to the more modern trading done with current DS and 3DS games. Currently, it doesn't seem that gym battling is enough of an anchor with regards to peer to peer interaction.

However, with the Trading feature on the horizon, the setting up for a classic endgame for most multiplayer games is near: Player vs Player, or PvP. It will probably take some time, but hey, what better way to know who the very best is, right?