Pokemon GO fans discover an Easter Egg added to the game in the buddy system update that sees Pikachu jumping on the player's shoulder after walking 10km.

By now, it's no secret that the next update for Pokemon GO will add the buddy system feature to the game. For the uninitiated, the buddy system will allow trainers to select one Pokemon at a time to serve as their companion as they walk around and play the game, as a way to earn extra candy to power up and evolve that Pokemon. When it comes to Pikachu, though, players will have another reason to walk with it besides collecting more candy.

When players first start walking with Pikachu in Pokemon GO, it will simply walk beside them, like most of the other Pokemon in the game. However, if a player manages to walk a distance of 10km with the same Pikachu, it will jump on the shoulder of the player's in-game avatar. This amusing Easter Egg is a reference to the anime, echoing the close relationship between series hero Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu.

Those that would like to test out the Pikachu Easter Egg for themselves probably can't at the moment, unfortunately. Even though the buddy system update for Pokemon GO was supposed to start rolling out a couple of days ago, only a select few have actually received it. Once the update becomes available to a wider audience, more should be able to test this new Pikachu buddy system trick for themselves.

This isn't the first time Pokemon GO has referenced the Pokemon TV series. In fact, the manner in which players can control Eevee's evolution is also a nod to the anime. There are likely other Easter Eggs hidden in Pokemon GO that reference the anime series as well, which is no surprise considering its popularity with franchise fans. With undiscovered Easter Eggs still remaining in Pokemon GO, it seems as though fans of the game have some searching to do.

When the buddy system update does become widely available, it will be interesting to see if there are any other Easter Eggs related to the new gameplay feature. To that end, one has to imagine that other future Pokemon GO updates will also have their own Easter Eggs. So when Pokemon trading is finally added to the game, for example, expect Easter Eggs that may involve some Pokemon evolving from trading as they do in the main series.

Regardless of future updates, the buddy system update for Pokemon GO is next in line, and should be available to fans before too much longer. Keep an eye on the Apple App Store and Google Play to get the next update for Pokemon GO as soon as possible, and try this neat Pikachu Easter Egg out for yourself.

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Pokemon GO is available now for iOS and Android mobile devices.

Source: TheSilphRoad