The quick answer
Pet companions, combat Companion Assists and Homestead Retainers are separate systems. Pets focus on care and Bond, assists help in supported encounters, and Retainers perform Homestead jobs. Decide which function you want before following an unlock guide or spending resources.
On this page
Start with the feature you want to use
For a pet, finish the Companion introduction and open the Companion Page. For help in a boss encounter, inspect that encounter’s assistance options. For a worker, open Homestead recruitment and Dispatch. These are separate starting points, even when all three are casually called companions.
On the pet page, select the animal you want to manage before reading its Bond, needs and available interactions. The selected pet’s page is the useful reference; another pet appearing beside you in the world is not evidence that you are editing the same entry.
Which companion system are you looking for?
| System | What you want | Where to investigate |
|---|---|---|
| Pet companions | A cat or goose to accompany and interact with you | The Companion introduction and pet menu. |
| Companion Assists | An NPC ally for a supported combat encounter | The encounter’s assistance options. |
| Homestead Retainers | A worker for production or other home tasks | Homestead recruitment and Dispatch. |
The same everyday word can appear in guides for all three. A pet Bond guide will not explain a boss summon, and a combat-assist unlock will not staff your brewery. Check the feature name before committing to a long quest route.
Start the pet system through Whiskered Trouble
Whiskered Trouble is the exploration quest associated with the first cat companion. Its route uses Thousand-Buddha Vale in Qinghe’s Sundara Land, a chase challenge, the Wildspeaker and a cat-specific step. Track the quest and complete its final Companion-page interaction rather than leaving after the chase.
If the quest is absent, inspect its current prerequisites in Quest. Some older pet guides describe another server’s introduction or use different landmark names. Follow the route shown for your character rather than treating every translated instruction as identical.
- Complete the Cloud Top Chase and the conversations at the temple.
- Choose an available cat and finish its required task.
- Follow the summon/photo tutorial and open the Companion Page.
- Claim the introductory reward; check that the quest has actually completed before leaving.
Care and Bond are the main pet loop
The official Companion introduction describes playing, talking, sharing meals and taking photos, with interactions affecting well-being and Bond. Growing that relationship unlocks further interactions and rewards. Check the selected companion’s needs and available actions rather than assuming every animal responds in the same way.
Our recommendation is to keep this a short routine attached to a session you already enjoy. Inspect the pet, address an obvious need and try a newly unlocked interaction. There is no reason to turn a companion you chose for enjoyment into a checklist that overwhelms the rest of the game.
Use combat assistance for a specific problem
Supported boss encounters can offer Companion Assists through an assistance signpost. Review the available NPC and any displayed cost before summoning. The ally acts independently, so observe how its presence changes targeting and the openings you can use.
Choose help for a reason: reducing pressure while you learn, creating space to recover or supporting an encounter you find difficult. Do not assume a summon removes the need to understand the dangerous mechanic. Keep practising the response that will matter if the ally is no longer available.
Retainers belong to your Homestead plan
For workers, inspect recruitment requirements and job suitability in the Homestead interface. A character or animal recruited for production should be evaluated by the task you need done, not by the combat or pet advice attached to a similar name.
When something is not working, return to the matching system: Bond and care for pets, encounter eligibility for assists, and skills or assignments for Retainers. This is faster than changing unrelated equipment or repeating the wrong unlock quest.
Complete one pet session from selection to reward
- Confirm the introductory quest has completed, including its Companion Page step.
- Open the pet’s entry and read the available interactions.
- Use the summon option when available and confirm which companion is active.
- Try an appropriate care or play interaction and inspect the result.
- Check whether a Bond milestone or introductory reward is ready to claim.
- Return to the pet page when deciding what interaction to try next.
Learning one companion’s loop is enough for the first session. You do not need to pursue every animal or interaction before returning to the main story.
Use the right screen when a companion action is unavailable
| Problem | Where to investigate |
|---|---|
| Finished the chase but no completed pet unlock | The remaining quest interaction and Companion Page reward. |
| Cannot use a particular pet interaction | The selected pet’s Bond, needs and that action’s requirement. |
| Cannot summon an NPC for a boss | The encounter’s assistance eligibility and available NPCs. |
| A recruited worker does nothing at home | Dispatch, suitable skills and the production assignment. |
| A cat did not improve your combat setup | Pet interactions are a different system from combat development. |
For any unavailable action, inspect its own requirement before repeating an unrelated quest. A Bond problem, an encounter restriction and a worker assignment are not interchangeable unlock failures.
A worked example: choosing help for a difficult boss
Suppose you want an ally to create breathing room during a difficult fight. Open the encounter’s assistance option and inspect the eligible NPC and displayed cost. Raising your pet’s Bond is not the route to activating that combat assist.
After summoning, watch how targeting and safe openings change. Keep practising the dangerous attack yourself so the attempt teaches you something useful. Once the fight is over, pet care and Homestead work can be resumed through their own screens.
What to read next
Common questions
Does a pet automatically become a boss-fight summon?
Do not assume so. Pet companionship and combat Companion Assists have separate interfaces and rules. Use the encounter’s assistance options to see what combat help is available.
Is Animal Whisperer the same as unlocking a pet?
No. Animal Whisperer is an exploration skill associated with talking to certain animals. The Companion system has its own introduction and pet-management menu; a conversation skill does not by itself recruit a pet or a Homestead worker.
Sources & verification
Source research is separate from in-game testing. Recommendations are identified as editorial advice.