Pokemon Buddy in Pokemon GO is Official!

It's official! Niantic just announced that you will soon be able to pick a favorite or "buddy" Pokemon just like Ash Ketchum's Pikachu in Pokemon GO.

Hi everyone,

It’s been a busy summer and, in addition to battling bots and fixing bugs, we’ve also been busy working on some new features for our Pokémon GO Trainers. As you know, we recently released the new Pokémon Appraisal feature, which helps Trainers identify which Pokémon has the most potential for battle. Today we wanted to let you know about a new feature for the game that is just around the corner.

The next addition to Pokémon GO will be Buddy Pokémon. You will be able to pick your favorite Pokémon from your collection to become your buddy, opening up unique in-game rewards and experiences. Buddy Pokémon will appear alongside your Trainer avatar on your profile screen, adding helpful bonuses such as awarding Candy for walking together. You’ll also have the ability to change your Buddy Pokémon at any time.

We’ve got a lot more in the works this fall. Stay tuned here for all the details.

Thanks,
The Pokémon GO Development Team

Source