the only issue with making it a pet would mean a party of 8 can become "16" (just like a party of 8 summoners/scholars but chocobos actually get exp) and smn/sch cannot use their egis/fairys along side a companion due to the pet feature. If they could, then 24 man team destroying fates or super chocobo farming in s. shroud lol

the solution is to just code it that they still take up a party slot but are ignored when q'd up for df.