Laik's Pokemon Adventure #1

 “Laik,” A distant voice called out to him. “Laik, come on, it’s time to get up, you dolt. You’ll be late!” 
Darkness receded, giving way to a room dimly lit by the warm glow of the vertical slice of light that stretched out blurrily before him.
The young wolf stretched out his arms, then his legs, stretching his limbs and muscles and stirring them all from the night’s rest. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, the identity of the figure that called his name came into view. A maned wolf, leggy in stature with golden eyes.
“Professor Oak isn’t going to hold any of the best Pokémon for you if you just fritter away your morning in bed.” She said before suddenly slamming the bedroom door, knocking a framed poster of a Charizard off the wall.
“…where and how…” He said as he looked around the bedroom. Walls covered in brown wood paneling with black vertical stripes running down them. Lined with various types of Pokémon memorabilia, Toys were scattered all over the floor, and dozens of magazines in varying states of quality lay open, torn, crumpled and some showing water damage.

“WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF POKEMON, YOUNG LAIK.”

A voice. Not the same one that woke him up. This one was a male. 

“DON’T TRY TO THINK TOO HARD ABOUT THIS. YOU HAVE BEEN HERE ON THIS WORLD BEFORE.”

The little wolf Mobian shot up out of bed, looking through the room with the hope—and fear—of finding the source of the disembodied voice!

“YOUR VERY OWN ADVENTURE IS ABOUT TO BEGIN. FULL OF EXCITEMENT, NEW AND FAMILIAR FACES, AND A MAGNIFICENT WORLD FILLED WITH NEVERENDING WONDER… JUST PLAY ALONG, OKAY?”

The invisible presence vanished, leaving the room in that ominous early morning blue glow. 
A knock at the door, and the maned wolf returned: “Laik, I swear to Arceus if you don’t get a move on—“
“H-hey, hold up! What…” The wolf climbed out of bed, but still felt weighed down as if the blanket had somehow wrapped itself around his body like a candy wrapper! “What time am I supposed to be there, and who put these clothes on me?!”
“WHERE am I supposed to be?!”

The wolf looked himself up and down in the mirror. Mobians, males at least, didn’t normally wear clothes, thus giving him that impression of being a candy bar wrapped in foil whenever he did have to don the cloth. This outfit, though, was honestly pretty nice.
Laik had stopped to glance at his reflection in the babbling creek that ran just off the beaten path near his apparent home. Several large birds flew overhead. Big enough to be hawks, but flocking together like sparrows. They seemed harmless enough, apparently, and none of the other people walking the path had reacted to them.
Laik pulled the zipper together on his sleeveless hoodie, then tucked his hands into his pockets. That felt even worse, he thought as he quickly undid the zipper on the blue hoodie, trimmed in bright yellow.
“I re-heal-ly don’t like wearing clothes…”
“Why are you talking to yourself?” Another voice, from up the hill.

Laik turned to face the mysterious figure, looming over him, their identity obscured by the rising sun.
“And why don’t you like to wear clothes? Are you a sort of nudist or something?” The feminine voice added. 
Shielding his eyes, their identity came into light! “Amy? Amy Rose?” He asked, uncertainty lacing his tone.
“Yes? Do I know you?” The pink hedgehog replied. She had on a pair of light blue jeans with flared legs and a two-tone red tank top with red trim. At her hip were three red and grey spheres.
“I… I guess you don’t, but I—“ 
“JUST PLAY ALONG, OKAY?” The voice echoed from the wolf Mobian’s memory.
“Ah, no. You don’t, I just… I’m a friend of a friend, is all.” The worst lie ever.
“Ooookay… Well, anyway, I assume you’re heading for Professor Oak’s place, right?” The pink hedgehog asked, unclipping a small sphere from her hip. “Does that mean you’re going to be a Pokémon trainer, too?”
The wolf thought on it. This was different from his usual experiences; Other Mobians didn’t appear, at least willingly, on his crossworlds excursions. Nor were they as implemented as Amy Rose of all people was right now.

“That’s where I was headed, yeah. You going, too?” He replied, returning to the road. 
The pink hedgehog shook her head, “Nah, I became a Pokémon trainer years ago. The girl waved her hand across the Poké Balls at her hip. A flash of light later, the pokeball she had held in her hand opened up, releasing the creature inside.
“-tisse!” The creature whispered as its form came into sight. Standing almost as tall as a Mobian, it was bird-like, covered in purple and pink feathers, with pale blue-white flesh and a beak-like protrusion on its face.
“This is my partner Pokémon, Aromatisse. Her nickname is Felicia. Say hello!”
Laik raised a hand and waved, “Hello, Feli—“
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Amy growled. The Aromatisse bowed its head in greeting before being dismissed. “Anyway. You should probably get going to the laboratory before all the good starter Pokémon are chosen. Good luck, new guy!” The pink hedgehog yelled as she bounded away, waving.
“Thanks, I think.”

A short walk up a hill later, the sight of Laik’s destination came into view, like something out of his own world, futuristic in appearance with rounded, silvery roofing and orange, plastic-looking tiles on top. The door slid open as people funneled into the building three at a time; Mobian and human alike, young and old.
Laik scratched his head through the black flatcap atop his crown, his tuft of brown head fur protruding out like a dark cloud of chocolate cotton candy. 
Vans parked alongside the road, news crews piling out, filming the lively scene before them. PNN. Delphox News. Galar Broadcasting Company. National news sources, from the looks of it, Delphox News aside. Laik scratched his head again, wondering where that opinion had suddenly come from.

Joining the crowd at the “Line Starts Here” sign, Laik was ushered into a group with two others by what he could only assume were the professor’s aides.
“You got here just in time,” The bespectacled woman remarked as she printed off a ticket and handed it to Laik, who looked at her quizzically.
The other aid had taken the velvet rope and pulled it across to meet the other bar. Then he turned to the other people who were just arriving, speaking into his microphone, he said, “I have bad news, everyone. Our quota for this month has been met, but the good professor has shared with me that we will be taking more applicants next month, on the second Saturday.”
“Thank you all for coming out and showing your love for Pokémon and the professor’s work,” the woman added, “We look forward to seeing you all next month!” 
The ticker running across the front of the laboratory turned from “Now Taking Applications” to “No Further Applicants!” along with the date and time for the next sign-up period.

The news vans stuck around, taking B-roll footage for their own programs as well as footage to share with local affiliates. Multiple cameras, including the weird people from Delphox News in the black outfits getting far too close with the cameras for Laik’s liking.
Finally, after what felt like an awkward eternity with the silent human child and the gull Mobian that wouldn’t shut up the entire time about legendary bird Pokémon, it was Laik’s group’s turn to see the professor as he stepped up first, leading the group into the air-conditioned interior of the laboratory.

“Greetings, young trainers,” An older human man said, waving and smiling warmly as the trio approached him. “Your Pokémon adventures begin today.”