How to Play With Your Buddy in Pokemon GO
By Samuel Basel

How to play with your buddy in Pokemon GO is a new and important skill to learn following Niantic's most recent update known as the Pokemon GO Buddy Adventure. Here is how to play with your favorite Pokemon in the game.
We’re excited to announce that Trainers and their #PokemonGOBuddy will soon have more ways to connect, interact, and explore the world.
— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) December 17, 2019
It’s time for another adventure, Trainers. A Buddy Adventure. ? https://t.co/yQdhgwU8t1 pic.twitter.com/fZRm7UAwZO
How to Play With Your Pokemon GO Buddy
The Buddy System has been updated so that it closely resembles the current leveling format of the Friends system. In this system, the more gifts, trades, and battles you send and conduct with your friends increases your friendship level, unlocking new tasks and activities you can do with each other.
There are several ways to interact with your buddy, expanding upon the previous system of just walking and earning candies. While walking with your buddy will still increase your bond level, you will now be able to play with them in AR mode, petting them and feeding them berries. This seems to be an idea borrowed from Pokemon Lets Go Pikachu and Eevee on the switch, in which players are able to interact on a one on one level with your starter Pokemon.
Increasing the bond level with your buddy unlocks several new features, including increasing its base CP, aid during catch encounters, and new items.