Niantic Labs and The Pokemon Company are currently working on a new feature that’s called the Buddy Pokemon.
You will be able to pick your favourite Pokemon from your collection and become best friends with them, allowing you to earn in-game rewards. For example, walking with a Buddy Pokemon will award the player with additional Candy.
Additionally, the profile screen will showcase the player’s Buddy Pokemon alongside their Trainer avatar. The selected Buddy Pokemon can be swapped out for a different Pokemon from the player’s collection at any time.
We are not sure whether or not a Buddy Pokemon will help you catch other Pokemon but Niantic has promised that the buddy system will go live soon.