Niantic Labs has released the latest Pokémon GO update which allows players to take their virtual pet out on the road as they play. The Buddy Pokémon is the first major inclusion to the game, which became a global phenomenon in the first month of its release.

With the new update, players can choose one specific Pokémon to symbolically walk alongside them as they walk in the real world, and in doing so, they earn evolution candy for each step taken. The game developer said picking a favorite Pokémon to become a buddy would open extraordinary in-game rewards and experiences.

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"Buddy Pokémon will appear alongside your trainer avatar on your profile screen, adding helpful bonuses such as awarding candy for walking together," Niantic said. "You'll also have the ability to change your buddy Pokémon at any time."

For a player to be sure that Pikachu is his best buddy, the monster would appear in the trainer's avatar page. The chosen buddy is not visible on the in-game map.

The new update hinders the use of "rooted" Android devices as a way of eliminating cheating. It also adds support for the Pokémon GO Plus app - a clip-on pedometer that counts steps and alerts players when a Pokémon is nearby.

Niantic Labs CEO John Hanke announced that Pokémon GO would work on the Apple Watch, and now some experts are wondering what the point of the Pokémon GO Plus app is. Part of the code of the new Android app suggests that a similar app is being developed for the Apple Watch.