Squirtle is a small Pokémon that resembles a light blue turtle. While it typically walks on its two short legs, it has been shown to run on all fours in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It has large brown eyes and a slightly hooked upper lip. Each of its hands and feet have three pointed digits. The end of its long tail curls inward. Its body is encased by a tough shell that forms and hardens after birth. This shell is brown on the top, pale yellow on the bottom, and has a thick white ridge between the two halves.
Squirtle's shell is a useful tool. It can withdraw into the shell for protection or for sleeping, and its grooved, rounded shape helps to reduce water resistance when this Pokémon swims. Squirtle can spray foamy water from its mouth with great accuracy. Squirtle is scarce in the wild, although it can be found around small ponds and lakes.The anime has shown that it can be found living on secluded islands with other members of its evolutionary line.
The first real Squirtle appeared in Here Comes the Squirtle Squad. The Squirtle Squad were a gang of rogue Squirtle who were deserted by their Trainers. Ash befriended and captured their leader, while the rest of them became a firefighting group. Squirtle stayed with Ash until The Fire-ring Squad!, when it returned to the Squirtle Squad.
Squirtle was mentioned in the first episode of the anime, Pokémon - I Choose You!, as one of the three starter Pokémon new Trainers in Pallet Town can choose from. Ash dreamed of owning one, and it was his first choice for his starter Pokémon. However, when he arrived at Oak's lab, he found out it was too late, as another Trainer who started the same day had already taken it. It was shown battling and defeating Samurai's Metapod.
It wasn't until The Ties that Bind that it was revealed that the Trainer who took Squirtle was none other than Gary Oak, Ash's rival. By then, it had already evolved into a Blastoise.
In Journey to the Starting Line, a set of the three Kanto starter Pokémon in which a boy named Gilbert was supposed to choose from as his starting Pokémon were scared off by Ash's Tauros. Professor Oak, Tracey, Delia, and Gilbert had to split up and find the three missing Pokémon. Squirtle was the second one found. The Tiny Turtle Pokémon was stuck in a tree that was hanging over a cliff. Ash's Bulbasaur managed to catch the Squirtle before it could fall off the cliff.
Two Squirtle appeared in Battle Aboard the St. Anne. One was under the ownership of a Gentleman while the other was under the ownership of an unnamed Trainer.
Squirtle. This Tiny Turtle Pokémon draws its long neck into its shell to launch incredible waterattacks with amazing range and accuracy. The blasts can be quite powerful.
Ash's Squirtle has been featured in the manga The Electric Tale of Pikachu. It first appears in the chapter You Gotta Have Friends. Squirtle's capture is not shown in the manga, it is simply stated when it appears from its Poké Ball that "Ash has been busy since the last comic".
A Squirtle is a supporting character in the Magical Pokémon Journey manga. He first appears in the chapter Christmas Wishes. Squirtle admires Almond and refers to him as his "big brother".
Squirtle also has five sisters which appear in The Five Sisters of Squirtle. Two of his sisters are also Squirtle, twins named Kamee and Kameyo.
Green stole a Squirtle from Professor Oak, which she nicknamed Blasty. It has since evolved into Wartortle and then Blastoise more quickly than the others, possibly due to her innate talent in evolving Pokémon, as acknowledged by the Masked Man.
Green's Blastoise is never shown in its Squirtle form in the manga (save the contents page of the third volume and a picture Professor Oak had of Blue stealing it from his lab). Its first appearance, as a Wartortle, is in Wartortle Wars, returning as a Blastoise in Zap, Zap, Zapdos.
Squirtle is seen on the stage Pokéfloats and is the first Pokéfloat to appear. Play begins on its head and arms until it slowly leaves off the bottom of the screen. After traveling through all the Pokéfloats, the screen will be empty for a few seconds before Squirtle pops up and the cycle begins again.
Trophy information
Retreating into its shell and spitting water at its foes is Squirtle's trademark response to danger. It's one of the three Pokémon that Trainers can receive from Professor Oak in Pokémon Red and Blue. Squirtle evolves into Wartortle and then Blastoise, ramping up its water powers with each evolution.
Squirtle is a playable Pokémon used by the Pokémon Trainer. It can use Waterfall to recover from falls as well as Withdraw, in which case it retreats to its shell and shoots water from the back of it propelling him forwards. It also uses Water Gun to push enemies with a stream of water. Squirtle is a lightweight and uses various attacks using its shell and Water-type moves to combat its foes. It uses Hydro Pump in the Pokémon Trainer's Final Smash, Triple Finish.
"A Tiny Turtle Pokémon. In times of danger, it pulls its arms and legs inside its shell to protect from enemy attacks. When it conceals its neck, it also shoots a powerful stream of water from its mouth. Its shell not only protects its body, but also reduces water friction when in the water. When leveled up, it evolves into Wartortle."
Squirtle returns as a trophy in the 3DS version of the game.
Trophy information
NA: At the start of their Pokémon adventures, many aspiring trainers visit Professor Oak to choose one of three starter Pokémon. Squirtle's always a popular choice, what with it being so gosh-darn adorable. When it's in danger, though, it withdraws into its shell and spits a high-pressure burst of water—a bit less adorable.
PAL: At the start of their Pokémon adventures, many aspiring trainers visit Professor Oak to choose one of three starter Pokémon. Squirtle's always a popular choice, what with him being so flipping adorable. When it's in danger, though, it withdraws into its shell and spits a high-pressure burst of water, which isn't quite so adorable.
Squirtle's shell is not merely used for protection. The shell's rounded shape and the grooves on its surface help minimize resistance in water, enabling this Pokémon to swim at high speeds.
Its shell is not just for protection. Its rounded shape and the grooves on its surface minimize resistance in water, enabling Squirtle to swim at high speeds.
Squirtle’s shell is not merely used for protection. The shell’s rounded shape and the grooves on its surface help minimize resistance in water, enabling this Pokémon to swim at high speeds.
Niue released a one-dollar coin featuring Squirtle as part of a commemorative promotion for the Pokémon franchise, with Squirtle on one side and the nation's coat of arms on the other.
As a species, Squirtle has been trained most frequently of all the Kantostarter Pokémon by major anime Trainers, with Ash, May, and Gary each owning one.
In version 1.0 of FireRed and LeafGreen Squirtle is listed as the "Tiny Pokémon" in its Pokédex entry. This could be due to a programming oversight or a glitch, as this is fixed in later versions of the game.
Squirtle is a combination of squirt (to spray or little, tiny) and turtle, for its turtle-like appearance.
Zenigame is the Japanese word 銭亀 (pond turtle). According to Pokémon Black and White's television program PokéQuiz, "'Zeni' is an old-fashioned word for money. Squirtle's shells look like old coins, so that's how they got their name!"
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
For other sprites and images, please see Squirtle images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
