#pokemongoguide

How to Get Your Buddy Excited in Pokémon GO Without Using a Poffin

The Buddy System is one of the most rewarding features in Pokémon GO. By interacting with your buddy Pokémon throughout the day, you can earn hearts, unlock useful bonuses, and eventually reach Best Buddy status.

Many trainers use Poffins to instantly make their buddy excited, but did you know that you can achieve the same result completely free?

In this guide, we'll explain how the Buddy Excitement system works, how Affection Points are earned, and the fastest way to get your buddy excited without spending a single Poffin.

What Is Buddy Excitement?

When your buddy becomes excited, it enters a special mood state that provides two major benefits:

Double the number of hearts you can earn that day

Half the walking distance required to earn buddy candy

For trainers working toward Best Buddy Pokémon or farming buddy candy, reaching excited status can be incredibly valuable.

Understanding Affection Points

Every interaction with your buddy grants Affection Points (AP). As you accumulate these points, your buddy's mood improves.

Once you reach 32 Affection Points, your buddy becomes excited.

The key is consistently performing interactions throughout the day.

Activities That Earn Affection Points

Walk 2 km – 4 AP

Walking is one of the most efficient ways to increase your buddy's mood. Every 2 kilometers walked with your buddy earns 4 Affection Points.

Feed a Treat – 2 AP

Giving berries to your buddy when its hunger meter is low grants 2 Affection Points.

Play Together – 2 AP

Rub and interact with your buddy in AR mode until it reacts happily.

Complete a Battle – 2 AP

You can earn points by battling with your buddy in:

Gyms

Raids

Team GO Rocket battles

Trainer Battles (PvP)

Team Leader battles

Take a Snapshot – 2 AP

Simply take a photo of your buddy Pokémon.

Visit a New PokéStop or Gym – 2 AP

Spinning a location that your buddy hasn't previously visited can earn additional Affection Points.

Open a Buddy Gift – 4 AP

As your friendship level increases, your buddy may bring gifts. Opening one provides 4 Affection Points.

Visit an Interesting Location – 4 AP

Certain locations discovered by your buddy can award additional points.

Understanding the 30-Minute Cooldown

Most buddy interactions can only award Affection Points once every 30 minutes.

For example:

Feed your buddy

Play together

Take a snapshot

Complete a battle

After earning points from these activities, you'll need to wait roughly 30 minutes before repeating them for additional Affection Points.

Walking is the exception. As long as you continue covering distance, you can keep earning points through walking.

Fastest Free Method to Get an Excited Buddy

A simple routine can help you reach excited status without a Poffin.

Round 1

Feed your buddy

Play together

Take a snapshot

Complete a battle

This gives you 8 Affection Points.

Wait 30 Minutes

Continue walking with your buddy during this time.

Round 2

Repeat the same interactions:

Feed

Play

Snapshot

Battle

You gain another 8 points.

Continue Throughout the Day

After several cycles, combined with walking distance and any bonus interactions such as gifts or new locations, you'll reach the 32 Affection Point threshold needed for excitement.

See this method to get your Pokemon GO buddy excited in action:

Why You Should Use This Method

Many trainers save their Poffins for special events, Community Days, GO Fest, or rare Pokémon.

Learning how to trigger excitement naturally offers several advantages:

Saves premium items

Helps earn more hearts every day

Speeds up Best Buddy progress

Increases candy farming efficiency

Works with any buddy Pokémon

Final Thoughts

Getting your buddy excited without a Poffin requires a little consistency, but it's completely free and surprisingly easy once you understand how Affection Points work.

By feeding your buddy, taking snapshots, battling, walking, and repeating interactions every 30 minutes, you can regularly reach Excited status and maximize your buddy rewards.

If you're working toward Best Buddy Pokémon, mastering this system is one of the most useful tricks every Pokémon GO trainer should know.

How to Get Bottle Caps in Pokémon GO and Why They Might Be the Most Valuable Item in the Game

For nearly a decade, Pokémon GO trainers have been chasing perfect Pokémon.

Whether it's a Legendary from raids, a Shiny caught during an event, or a rare Mythical Pokémon, getting those coveted 100% IVs has always been a matter of luck. You either got lucky, or you didn't.

But now, Pokémon GO has finally introduced a way to improve a Pokémon's IVs after you've already caught it: Bottle Caps and Hyper Training.

If you've been hearing players talk about Gold Bottle Caps and wondering what all the excitement is about, here's everything you need to know.

What Are Bottle Caps?

Bottle Caps are special items used for Hyper Training.

Hyper Training allows you to increase a Pokémon's Individual Values (IVs), which are the hidden stats that determine Attack, Defense, and HP.

Before Bottle Caps existed, a Pokémon's IVs were fixed forever. A 98% Pokémon would always be a 98%, and a 14/15/15 Legendary would always be one point short of perfection.

Bottle Caps change that.

There are currently two versions:

Silver Bottle Cap

Improves one selected stat.

Gold Bottle Cap

Improves all three stats.

Can potentially turn a Pokémon into a perfect 100% IV Pokémon.

Needless to say, trainers were excited when these items were announced.

How Do You Get Bottle Caps?

This is the difficult part.

Bottle Caps are incredibly rare.

They aren't available from PokéStops, Gifts, Research Breakthroughs, raids, or regular gameplay rewards.

Instead, they have been distributed through special events and GO Pass rewards.

At the moment, Niantic appears to be treating Bottle Caps as premium, limited items rather than something players can farm regularly.

Because of this, many trainers are saving their Bottle Caps until they're absolutely sure which Pokémon deserves them.

How Does Hyper Training Work?

Once you obtain a Bottle Cap, you can begin Hyper Training on an eligible Pokémon.

However, there are a few requirements:

The Pokémon must be at least a Good Buddy.

Shadow Pokémon cannot be Hyper Trained.

After activating Hyper Training, you'll receive a series of objectives that must be completed while using that Pokémon.

These tasks may involve:

Walking with your buddy

Battling

Spinning PokéStops

Participating in raids

Other gameplay activities

Instead of instantly increasing stats, Hyper Training encourages players to spend time with the Pokémon they choose.

It's actually a pretty fitting system for Pokémon GO's long-term progression philosophy.

Which Pokémon Should Get a Bottle Cap?

Because Bottle Caps are so rare, most trainers agree that they shouldn't be wasted on common Pokémon.

Some of the best choices include:

Mythical Pokémon

Pokémon like Mew, Shaymin, Victini, Diancie, and Zarude are often available only once per account.

If you received poor IVs, Hyper Training may be your only chance to improve them.

Shiny Legendaries

Many players have a favorite shiny Legendary that isn't quite perfect.

A Bottle Cap can help make that Pokémon both rare and powerful.

Lucky Pokémon

Lucky Pokémon require less Stardust to power up, making them excellent long-term investments.

Special Event Pokémon

GO Fest backgrounds, location cards, and other unique collectibles become even more valuable when paired with improved stats.

Is Hyper Training Worth It?

For casual players, maybe not.

For dedicated trainers, absolutely.

Pokémon GO has always been heavily influenced by luck. Hyper Training introduces a new layer of progression that rewards commitment rather than pure chance.

Instead of endlessly chasing another version of your favorite Pokémon, you can now invest in the one you already have.

That shiny Legendary you've had for years?

That Mythical Pokémon from a special research story?

That Lucky trade from a close friend?

They can finally become stronger than ever before.

Final Thoughts

Bottle Caps may be one of the rarest items ever introduced to Pokémon GO, but they're also one of the most exciting.

For the first time in the game's history, trainers have a way to improve Pokémon that were once considered permanently imperfect.

Whether you're saving your Bottle Cap for a Mythical Pokémon, a favorite shiny, or a treasured Lucky trade, choosing the right target will likely be one of the biggest decisions you'll make in Pokémon GO.

And honestly?

Getting Started:

Choose an email (note: verification is not required, you just have to put in your email’s password when signing up!)

Customise your character out of three main colour scheme options: red, blue yellow (note: this cannot be changed as of update 0.29.0)

Choosing A Pokemon

The professor of Pokemon Go, Professor Willow will prompt you to select one of the three Kanto starters:

✧  Charmander (fire) ✧  Bulbasaur (grass) ✧  Squirtle (water).

Unlike the original Pokemon games, it doesn’t actually matter which one you pick as all three are available throughout the game as catchable Pokemon.

Catching Pokemon

In order to catch Pokemon, it is important for you to check the map on your phone!

Nearby Pokemon are displayed as piles of grass/leaves rustling onscreen.

In order to be able to catch them, the player has to walk close to them until the Pokemon’s sprite appears on screen. When this happens, tap on that pokemon!

The player will then be able to look through their phone’s camera at the real world where the wild Pokemon they are about to catch will be displayed. In order to catch this Pokemon, you will have to flick your pokeballs to try and catch it.

Pokeballs at the bottom of the screen have to be swiped up towards the Pokemon you are trying to catch!

(note: this is a similar mechanic to the “basketball game” on facebook messenger) 

So that you don’t waste Pokeballs, try to aim your throws so that the Pokeball will hit the Pokemon on the head!

Additional information on catching Pokemon:

The distance between you and Pokemon within your area is displayed on the bottom right underneath the sprites/silhouettes of nearby Pokemon. 

          ✧ Single footprint: Pokemon is very close by           ✧ Two footprints: Pokemon is close, but you will have to walk to find it           ✧ Three footprints: Pokemon is further away (approx 100 meters away)

Some Pokemon (like zubat and pidgeotto) will try to dodge the Pokeballs you throw at them, so time carefully and try to aim well!

I will post a guide on specific locations and special conditions for catching certain pokemon!