'PokÃ©mon GO' new patch updates 2016: Buddy PokÃ©mon confirmed; next patch to come out in September

Emmanuelle Espiritu Monday, September 05, 2016

Children wearing hats of a Pokemon character, Pikachu, play Pokemon Go during a gathering to celebrate 'Pokemon Day' in Mexico City, Mexico August 21, 2016. | Reuters/Carlos Jasso

"PokÃ©mon GO" is about to get more exciting with an upcoming September update.

Fans of the game will be happy to know that Niantic has just confirmed the rumored Buddy PokÃ©mon feature that data miners have previously uncovered in the latest version's root directory. This additional treat is expected to revive interest in the game after a significant drop in its daily users was reported by Ars Technica in August.

According to Niantic's teaser announcement, a trainer can choose one PokÃ©mon to serve as his Buddy PokÃ©mon. A Buddy PokÃ©mon is a PokÃ©mon that can walk alongside the trainer much like Pikachu does with Ash Ketchum in the anime.

Walking a Buddy PokÃ©mon earns both experience points as well as other in-game rewards like candies for the PokÃ©mon's evolution. The Buddy PokÃ©mon will also appear on the profile page alongside the trainers. Trainers can also change their Buddy PokÃ©mon at any point in time. These are all in accordance to earlier speculations posted on Reddit based on codes data mined from the games current version.

Mobipicker reported that other upcoming features may include a player-to-player trading system, the introduction of three new types of Incense that can attract specific types of PokÃ©mon, and the arrival of the much awaited Legendary PokÃ©mon.

The upcoming patch is also believed to include Generation 2 PokÃ©mon, according to YouTuber and mobile gamer iChase, which could add 100 new PokÃ©mon species to catch on the PokÃ©dex. The new update could also feature 86 new moves and a new game mechanic wherein trainers can breed their PokÃ©mon, hatch eggs into baby PokÃ©mon, and consequently nurture their baby PokÃ©mon into adulthood.

Moreover, trainers are advised to save their candies because Niantic may also add new evolution lines for PokÃ©mon species like Slowpoke, Onyx, and Horsea, among others. Eevee's light and dark evolutions, Espeon and Umbreon respectively, could also arrive with the upcoming update.

According to reports, if Niantic follows its presumed routine of releasing an update every other week, trainers can expect the next "PokÃ©mon GO" update sometime in the first week of September, quite possibly on Sept. 5.

Aside from the Buddy PokÃ©mon, all other features mentioned here are mere speculations based on codes data mined by "PokÃ©mon GO" players, and Niantic has yet to release an official statement about them.