The amazing researchers on TheSilphRoad have reported that Pikachu starts of as a regular Buddy Pokemon that stands next to you, but after you walk 10 KM with it, it turns into a Shoulder Buddy! 🙂
A sweet addition to the Buddy System indeed, but only Cosmetic. Pikachu doesn’t get stronger, it doesn’t evolve into Raichu and it certainly doesn’t battle a flock of Sparrows. Maybe in the next patch!
Here are some other Easter Egg ideas that are currently in research:
- Walk every Pokemon to acquire 1 candy for each one (credit: /u/merlinpatt )
- Walk a certain Pokemon (Helix?) (credit: /u/Xaytsr )
- Accumulate a certain amount of km (and perhaps with a certain Pokemon?) (credit: /u/MzRed )
- Walk a Pokemon of each type and acquire one candy for each (credit: /u/virtualvishwam )
- Finding a Pokémon related to the one you’re walking (credit: /u/zanos119 )
- Walking overlooked Pokemon, such as Pidgey, Rattata, etc (credit: /u/Crompee01 )
- Walk all the starter Pokemon and acquire 1 candy for each one
- Walk Snorlax, Lapras, and Dragonite and acquire 1 candy for each one
- Walk certain Pokemon in a certain order for one candy each
- Acquire one candy of every kind available through walking a Pokemon
