The Candy XL system is getting a quality of life update as part of GBL Season 7 & The Season of Legends, we will look at who to target in the coming events for best buddy and XL candy. Before we dive into which options for each league, we are going to do a quick review of how you can gain hearts to level your Pokémon to best buddy.

 

**UPDATE**

 

Niantic has announced the XL Rework will rollout later in the month rather than the first.

 

 
 
 

Best Buddy Basics

 

Ways to gain hearts

 

(Poffins and “excited” mood x2 the amount)

 

***Gain 3 hearts

 

- Walk (2km per heart)

 

- Give Treat

 

- Battle Together (GBL, Friends, Team Leaders, etc etc)

 

- Gift from Pokémon

 

***Gain 1 heart

 

- Play

 

- Snapshot

 

- Visit new stop.

 
 
 

You will need to earn a total of 300 hearts to get 1 Pokémon to best buddy. You can swap your buddy up to 20 times a day which then allows you to level up with 21 different Pokémon if you wanted to.

 
 
 

Now that we know how many hearts are needed and how to get them, let's look at which Pokémon is recommended to get to best buddy for each league. We will sort them into 3 categories of eligible Pokémon for each league based on a factor: CP, movesets, typings and bulk. Pokémon will be categorized by Top (do this first if you have them), Spice (do this after the top mons but in some metas these have play) and lastly the Trash Can (don’t worry about these mons at all).

 
 

Great League Best Buddy Options

 

Top

Spice

 

Castform (Rainy), Pawniard, Poliwhirl, Tirtouga, Dusclops, Growlithe, Machop, A.Geodude, Slowpoke, Farfetchd, Exeggcute, Ledian, Smoochum, Magby, Lombre, Nuzleaf, Clamperl, Staravia, Drifloon, Bonsly, Mantyke, Palpitoad, Dwebble, Scraggy, Lileep

 
 
 

Trash Can

 

 

K.Sandshrew, Nidorina, Oddish, K.Geodude, Doduo, Gastly, Koffing, Snubbull, Teddiursa, Houndour, Phanpy, Elekid, Loudred, Aron, Spoink, Spinda, Trapinch, Vibrava, Cacnea, Corphish, Buneary, Roggenrola, Timburr, Swadloon, Frillish, Axew, Espurr

 

 

Ultra League Best Buddy Options

 

 

Top

Spice

 

Steelix, Pidgeot, K.Raichu, Lanturn, Sudowoodo, Forretress, Mantine, Hitmontop, Hitmonchan, Pelipper, Wailord, Whiscash, Cradily, Bronzong, Probopass, Frosslass, Serperior, Alomomola, U.Stunfisk, Dewgong, Seaking, Blastoise, Noctowl, Primeape, Gastrodon, Bellossom, Skuntank, Whmisicott

 
 
 

Trash Can

 

Venomoth, Electrode, Seadra, Mr Mime, Xatu, Sunflora, Qwilfish, Sneasel, Stanler, Lairon,

 

Sharpedo, Camerupt, Torkoal, Chimecho, Glalie, Gurdurr, Cofagrigus, Cinccino, Amoongus, Fraxure, Meowstic

 

Master League Best Buddy Options