Tōkan laughs. "Sorry, I'm sure it must've been awful, but look, you got Nigel now and everything worked out great."

"True enough! Do you know what Gym you're going for first? I'm kind of inclined to try for the Knuckle Badge - I know going for the easy type match-up won't keep me on my toes, but I've only got one 'mon yet, and I'd rather sweep my first big match than lose it..."

"I don't have specific plans yet." Or nonspecific ones. Any plans, really. Charmander throws him an odd look and he blocks its sight of his face with a hand.

"...do you have, you know, a general compass heading?"

"Not as such."

"Want to come along with me?"

Score!

"I'd love to!"

Charmander makes a snorting noise and Tōkan pushes its face away. It nips at his hand but he pulls it away fast enough to not actually be bitten.

Score!

"Let's head out, then. No time like the present."

"Yosh!"

He starts marching, placing a hand behind Charmander's head to pull him along (Charmander immediately swats that hand away before following somewhat sullenly).

Edmund carries Nigel on his shoulders. 

"So," he says, "um... do you have any siblings?"

"Yeah! I have an older sister, she started her journey last year. How 'bout you?"

"I've got three, two older one younger - Peter is a Gym Leader in Johto, Susan is off at university, and Lucy is waiting impatiently for her journey to start as must we all."

"—huh! Gym Leader in the family, fancy."

And that's when an Abra suddenly appears right in front of Charmander, causing the latter to jump two feet back and hiss, going on all fours with its legs held long and taut and its tail stretched up into the air, the flame at its tip twice as large as it was a moment before.

Nigel leaps down from Edmund's back and stands in front of him, horns glowing.

The Abra ignores Nigel entirely and keeps staring at Charmander, but Tōkan just laughs and bends down to grab it under the arms and place it on his head. It nests down on it—it's rather small, even for an Abra—and crosses its legs before turning to stare at Edmund and Nigel now.

"Edmund, Nigel, Charmander, this is Sako. Sako, these are Edmund, Nigel, and Charmander."

Charmander... relaxes, some, lowering its tail and pulling itself back up to its hindlegs, and watches Abra suspiciously.

"- oh. Hello, Sako."

Nigel's horns stop glowing, and he tilts his head curiously. "Raa?"

"I met her a year ago in the woods and then I was so charming she decided to start following me around."

Sako scratches one of her ears and yawns. Charmander is still watching her but the wariness is slowly draining from it.

"...huh. A head start!"

"Kind of! We didn't train much. Also she doesn't have a Pokéball because I did not want to have to hide it from my mother who would've absolutely disapproved. Speaking of which," and he grabs one of his empty balls and offers it to Sako.

She peers at it with an Abra's usual squint and doesn't do anything immediately. "You can still sit on my head even if you're assigned to a Pokéball, you know." Which does seem to be the worry she was feeling because after that she noses the button and accepts going into the ball.

Speaking of which: Nigel, back on shoulders.

"I wonder if I should catch a second 'mon to keep up... I'm leaning no, I should get to know Nigel better first."

"I definitely need to get to know Charmander and figure out how to win its heart."

It makes another little pah sound at that, sounding distinctly amused.

"Well, yes, but you've got an Abra already... I need to stop thinking like it's a contest. We'll all end up where we're supposed to."

Nigel rubs Edmund's head. Edmund sighs. "Thank you Nigel."

"So, why a Ralts?"

"...I'm... pretty sure I'm going to end up strongly Fairy-type. And a Gardevoir is a strong 'mon with a lot of type coverage."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense. I am going to try to aim."