I named my character by his Japanese name, Hibiki. My rival, I named him Silver. As for my Pokémon, I never really find myself naming them nicknames. I like my Pokémon to be called what they are. I want my Gyarados to be called Gyarados, I want my Abra to be called Abra, etc. I find it so much easier to navigate to the one I want to use that way, despite their sprite being beside them. Besides, when I do nickname them, I often forget what they are anyway...