Pokémon Go’s upcoming Buddy Pokémon feature looks like all we’ve ever wanted

The rumored Buddy Pokémon feature is officially coming to Pokémon Go later this fall, Niantic confirmed. An update will allow trainers to partner up with a favorite Pokémon to go out on walks, collect candies and forge a lifelong bond.

Buddy Pokémon can be any of the monsters in a trainer’s collection, Niantic said in a blog post, from the tiny Charmander to the gigantic, recently emboldened Snorlax. They’ll appear standing alongside a trainer’s avatar on the profile screen, proving just how much smaller or bigger a Pokémon is to the average human.

Screens and early details confirm information recently published by data-miners, who found code for the new feature within Pokémon Go’s latest version. Niantic hasn’t done much more than corroborate these programmers’ findings, but players now have something to look forward to later this fall.

That is, other than the Pokémon Go Plus peripheral, set to hit retail later this month. Delayed from a summer release, the accessory will allow players to catch Pokémon without pulling out their smartphones.