Pokémon Go trainers will have the opportunity to start comparing the mobile game to the classic Nintendo games very soon.

A Friends Feature

Pokémon Go developer Niantic Labs and the Pokémon Company announced an exciting new edition to the video game on Monday, June 18. The latest update will include a feature that will allow Pokémon trainers the opportunity to trade with their friends. The new friends' feature will let trainers see their friends' progress throughout the game and keep an eye on what types of Pokémon they captured.

Players can add trainers to their friends' list once they give them their Trainer Code. There are four friendship levels throughout the game. The friendship levels are Best Friend, Good Friend, Great Friend, and Ultra Friend. Each of the friendship levels comes with various perks such as attaining items during gym raids and an increase in attack power during gym battles.

Building Up Friendship Levels

Players must build up their friendship levels to receive perks. It would take one day to become good friends and a week to achieve the great friend title. Meanwhile, it will take longer for players to become ultra and best friends as it would respectively take users 30 and 90 days to reach the two categories. Pokémon Go developers noted that the players' friends limit is currently set at 200.

Trainers can build their friendship levels by trading Pokémon with each other. Once friends are close enough, they could begin the trading process. Trainers must be at Level 10 to conduct any trading, while they must be at the Great Friend or Best Friend levels to trade shiny or legendary Pokémon. Niantic Lab officials exclusively told Tech Times that they have been working on trading component since the game was released two years ago.

"We want to make sure that we got things right," said Kristen Koa, a Niantic Labs lead software engineer to Polygon.

Pokémon News

Nintendo will release several new Pokémon games for the Nintendo Switch. Both Let's Go Pikachu! and Let's Go Eevee! is expected to include a controller called the Poke Ball Plus. This item will not only come with the legendary psychic Pokémon Mew, but it would allow players to use the Pokémon to start their Kanto journey. The Poke Ball Plus is $50, but players can pay for both the remote and either game for $100. 

Niantic Labs announced that several Kanto Pokémon would receive their Alola region forms. When the video game developer released the announcement, they had several creatures covered in black silhouettes. Some media outlets spoiled the report by pointing out some of the Pokémon that were featured including Diglett, Exeggutor, and Meowth.

It also announced several worldwide events that will take place this summer. Niantic Labs will host Pokémon Go Fest at Lincoln Park in Chicago from July 14 to July 15. There would also be two Safari Zone inspired events at Westfalenpark in Dortmund, Germany and in Yokosuka, Japan.