No, they aren't an indication of anything pf the sort. They are an indication that there are vanity pets in the game, not of any business model. Yoshida already said *very* clearly and multiple times that the game is not going to be free to play. As a matter of fact we already have the official monthly fees nicely listed.
There are plenty games in which vanity pets are acquired through in-game means, so there's no reason whatsoever to believe that vanity pets in this game are an indication of the implementation of a cash shop.
Nah, it's not the "friend". Posting history often brings enlightenment on the nature of a thread.