Thanks for replying again, Charles. 
I now have a rough idea of the direction the story is going, but I'm really flexible to what will actually happen. I just kind of write as I go. On that note, it's finally time for Damian to begin his journey!
Chapter 5
Watery Hands
You're made of water, I'm made of sand
The sun had barely risen when Damian woke up. He wasn't sure how long he had been sleeping, but it felt like he dreamed a hundred different things. There was a clock on the wall, which read 6:15.
It was now the last Saturday of April, at least he was led to believe. It had been a full day since he arrived here in this peculiar Earth called Kanto. The sound of birds chirping was reminiscent of home, but he could swear the birds here spoke to one another in their own language. He wondered whether the birds of his Earth could speak to one another as well. He had only heard noise until today; now, he could hear communication.
Damian's stomach let out a low roar. He realized that he hadn't used the restroom in an entire day. Looking around the large laboratory, he finally noticed a small room in one corner. He began to stand, but something small was in his lap, and it was stirring. It was Squirtle.
He had forgotten about Squirtle until now, and he finally remembered that today he would set off on a journey home, but had a long way to go. There was much to do to get ready for today. Squirtle began to stretch her rubbery, watery hands, pulling out of her shell and yawning with a raspy voice. Damian picked Squirtle up and placed her beside himself on the sofa, then stretched himself as he finally stood.
Damian made his way over to the bathroom and was nearly surprised to see there were ordinary toilets here. He sat on the porcelain throne and realized it had been a long time since he last sat on a toilet and wasn't using his cell phone.
His cell phone... Professor Oak still has it! Could I use the phone to contact home??
Damian wrapped up his business and stood in front of the ivory sink bowl, placing his hands underneath cold water. After soaping and rinsing, he splashed his face with water, surprised that his face wasn't dirty. Joy had cleaned him up well. He gazed at his reflection in the mirror. He needed to shave his neck beard, and his dreads were unkempt, several locks displaced from their usual ponytail. Stretching again, Damian let his braids fall from the ponytail. His head felt lighter. He noticed that he needed to braid his dreads closer to his scalp again; they had been growing out. But who in this strange land called Kanto knew how to manage dreadlocks?
He was still wearing his Silversun Pickups shirt. He questioned whether anyone here knew what the Silversun Pickups were. He wondered what kind of music was popular here, or even existed here. Damian was so full of questions. He wanted to know everything.
Leaving the restroom, Damian noticed that Squirtle was once again asleep. Scratching his lower side, Damian noticed there was something small and round attached to his belt loop. That's right, Squirtle's Poké Ball, thought Damian. He considered calling Squirtle back into her Poké Ball, but thought she looked comfortable and should get all the rest she could. Today was a big day for the both of them, and Squirtle would also need to be ready.
Damian noticed that on the small dining table, there was a small red calculator-like object. His Pokédex was there. He sat at the table, picking up the device and examining it more closely. It had several buttons that he had never used. He began to explore the Pokédex's capabilities. It could be muted like a cell phone; it could also recall information on Pokémon that he had analyzed with it in the past. There were only two entries in the Pokédex. The device was able to tell him where he could find Chansey in the wild; he was a little disappointed that he wasn't going to travel towards the city called Fuchsia to visit the nature park there. Squirtle apparently no longer had a wild habitat anymore; they must be close to extinction. He learned that there were different types of Pokémon and that Squirtle was a Water-type. Chansey was called a Normal-type.
A familiar smell slowly overtook Damian's senses. It reminded him of breakfast... Turning around, he saw that Professor Oak was awake and frying up bacon and eggs. "Oh! Good morning," said the Professor. "I saw that you were studying, which is exactly what you should be doing this morning."
"Good morning," Damian said, standing up and stretching his back again. "Professor, before I travel today, I have a few more questions that I need to ask."
"Ask away, and if you'd like a cup of coffee, there is some in the French press," said the Professor.
Damian thought about what he wanted to ask first. He wasn't the biggest fan of coffee, but as he grew older, he had learned to enjoy a fresh cup in the morning, especially on exam days. He reached for a plain enamel mug and put one sugar and one cream in, pouring himself a serving of coffee.
"I was wondering," Damian began.
"Oh, no need to worry, Damian," the Professor said, interrupting his inquiry. "As part of my stores, I have plenty of clothes for travelers. You should have a week's worth packed in your parcel."
"Well, thanks!" Damian said, appreciating that he wouldn't need to wander a mysterious countryside for weeks in his favorite shirt. "But, Professor, what I really wanted to know is where the device that Nurse Joy recovered has gone. The thing in my pocket."
"Oh!" said the Professor. "I put it in your parcel as well. I figured you wouldn't want to travel without it, since it comes from your home. Unfortunately, I couldn't get it to turn on, and I don't have a wire that connects to it."
Damian was surprised that in this world full of technological marvels, there were no cellular phones. "Professor, if you were to want an electronic device to work, but didn't have access to any batteries or a wire that could charge it, what would you do?"
"I'd find an Electric Pokémon and try that way," the Professor replied.
"There are Pokémon that are electric?"
"Oh, yes," said the Professor. "There are several types of Pokémon. Psychic-types, Fire-types, Electric-types, even Dragon-types. You'll have to use your Pokédex to learn more about them, but you should know that Squirtle won't do well in a fight against an Electric-type."
Damian thought about the implication of battling a dragon with his little Squirtle. He silently hoped he would never encounter a dragon on the way to finding the Moon Stone. "Professor, what else should I beware of? Squirtle is young, and I don't think she can face a dragon on her own."
"There aren't any dragons anywhere close to here, and by the time you encounter one, I'm sure Squirtle will be much stronger," said the Professor. "Squirtle won't do well against Dragon-type Pokémon, or Electric or Grass-types. She'll be fine with Fire-types, and she should be able to hold her own against any Ground or Rock Pokémon you meet. Most of the others are an even match, although Ice-types will be at a disadvantage if they face Squirtle."
Ice. Ground. Rock. Fire. There seemed to be endless kinds of Pokémon, but Professor Oak had said there were only about 100. Damian swore to himself that he would try his best to never put Squirtle in a situation where she would have to face off against a dragon.
It was time for breakfast. Squirtle had finally woken up, making her way over to where Damian was sitting and making herself comfortable on a dining chair. Professor Oak brought over some bacon and scrambled eggs, a small plate of kibbles for Squirtle. Damian noted that Squirtle kibbles resembled chocolate truffles. He asked if all Pokémon ate different kinds of food. The professor assured him that most kinds of Pokémon he would meet on the way to Mt. Moon would eat the same kibbles.
Once breakfast was finished, Professor Oak put the plates on a nearby counter and began to show Damian how the Pokédex can function as an identification device. He explained the concept of using Poké Balls to catch Pokémon, and that Damian should expand his arsenal of Pokémon so that he would be able to handle any type of threat he should meet on his journey.
When the conversation turned to the subject of facing off against another trainers, Damian listened intently, searching his mind for any types of strategy. He didn't want to waste his time being pushed around by other trainers. He learned that when you win a battle, it is customary to receive money from your opponent and vice-versa. When Damian asked how much money, the Professor told him to give what he can. Finally, the Professor explained that while you can use potion items to cure and heal Squirtle and other Pokémon, they benefit greatly from resting at a Pokémon Center. Damian was also cautioned that Squirtle doesn't have infinite energy and, if she is pushed too hard, she will be unable to fight, leaving Damian to face any threats alone.
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It was 8 a.m., and for the first time, Damian stepped outside of Professor Oak's laboratory. His body felt heavy from the full backpack, but he was grateful for the change of clothes. Squirtle was in her Poké Ball, presumably taking a nap again; the Squirtle was very young, after all, and required a fair amount of sleep.
The town was much bigger than Damian had thought, yet there were few buildings. It was rather rural, with grassy hills and distant woodlands. There were a few people scurrying about on their errands; a few folks seemed to be on their way to work. It seemed like an ordinary suburb, except there were no cars here.
"Damian, if you need anything, you can always call me from the nearest Pokémon Center," Professor Oak said. "Please, do not hesitate to ask me for anything."
"Alright," said Damian.
"You should also keep one thing in mind. You can only have six Pokémon at the most with you at any time. Any Pokémon that you catch after six are teleported back to my office. You'll have to call me from a telephone if you want to switch them out. The switching will happen electronically and pretty much instantly."
"Got it... So which way do I go from here?" asked Damian.
The Professor pointed to a road that led away from town. "This road is called Route 1. You can follow it straight north into Viridian City. It's about a day's journey."
Damian glanced quickly at the map, then looked up at the road. He nodded to the Professor. "Listen, Professor, thank you so much for all you've done for me," said Damian. He held out his hand, and the Professor shook it. Damian was doubly surprised; for one, he didn't expect the gesture of shaking hands to be culturally present in Kanto; for another, he was impressed at the Professor's strong grip. It was hard to tell through his lab coat that the Professor was a well-built man.
"I wish you the best of luck on your journey," the Professor said, breaking his grip on Damian's hand. "If you need anything at all, call me immediately. I'll be waiting to hear from you when you arrive at Viridian City."
Damian nodded his head again, thanking the Professor one last time. From here on out, he was on his own, and it would be contingent on both his wits and his ability to control Squirtle to get himself to Viridian City. Even though it was just a day's journey, the road would be filled with mysterious creatures the likes of which Damian had never even heard of.
Waving farewell, Damian approached the road north. There was a break in a white picket fence that signified that this was the path through the grasslands. The way back home.
"Alright, Squirtle," Damian said, putting his hand on the Poké Ball on his waist. "We have a long day ahead of us..."
Re: Culture Wars (Wild CHAPTER 2 appeared)
Originally Posted by Magmar
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