Ash's Squirtle
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Ash's Squirtle (Japanese: サトシのゼニガメ Satoshi's Zenigame) was Ash's sixth Pokémon.
History
Kanto
Squirtle used to be the leader of a gang known as the Squirtle Squad, a group of rogue Squirtle who were deserted by their Trainers. Meowth managed to befriend the Squirtle Squad by convincing them that Jessie and James were his pets. The Squirtle Squad then captured Ash, Misty and Brock so they could take Pikachu back to Meowth. Ash managed to convince the Squirtle Squad to let him free to get a Super Potion for Pikachu, who was badly injured after an earlier encounter with a Goldeen. The Squirtle Squad agreed to let Ash go to town to buy a Super Potion, but if he didn't return by noon the next day, they threatened to dye Misty's hair purple (in the original, they threatened to kill her).
When Ash got back with the Super Potion, Team Rocket began bombing the Squirtle Squad after they received Pikachu. Ash, Misty and Brock ran to hide in the Squirtle Squad's cave; however, when Ash noticed that the leader was stuck on his shell, he went back to save it, shielding Squirtle's body with his own. Dazed and with more bombs en route, Ash told Squirtle to save itself. So touched by Ash's loyalty, Squirtle burst into tears, summoned enormous strength, and carried Ash to the safety of the cave. Squirtle then defeated Team Rocket with Water Gun. However, Team Rocket's bombs had started a forest fire, which the Squirtle Squad worked together to put out. After putting out the fire, Officer Jenny appointed the Squirtle Squad as the official fire fighters of the town. The leader of the Squirtle Squad preferred to join Ash on his journey rather than fight fires alongside his group, as it wanted to repay Ash for saving his life during the bombing.
During its time with Ash, Squirtle became one of Ash's three most trustworthy Pokémon, next to Bulbasaur and Pikachu, and it was used very often. It was first used in battle to repel Team Rocket Grunts aboard the St. Anne, joining a group of other Squirtle to use Water Gun on the Grunts. Squirtle's Water type and ability to swim helped Ash in a few choice circumstances, notably the escape from St. Anne in Pokémon Shipwreck. In Tentacool & Tentacruel, Zubat carried Squirtle into battle with the giant Tentacruel, but they were easily swatted aside by a giant tentacle. In Pokémon Scent-sation!, it helped Misty's Water Pokémon fight the fire at Celadon Gym.
It served as Pikachu's 'steed' when the group competed in a race in Ash's place (Ash having taken Lara Laramie's place on Ponyta). The two were at a significant disadvantage due to Squirtle's short legs and Pikachu's comparative weight, but in a way this helped as they managed to escape the Electrode Selfdestructing. They made ground when they reached the water stage, putting them in the top four with Ash, Misty and Dario. However, intervention from Team Rocket forced a battle, and the two were put out of the running by a Glare attack from Arbok.
In The Kangaskhan Kid, Squirtle learned Skull Bash. In Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon, Squirtle desperately tried to stop a fuse from detonating explosives, but failed and this resulted in Pikachu, Ash and Team Rocket being trapped underground with hostile Prehistoric Pokémon. Only Squirtle was rescued from the rubble by Misty and Brock. It then did its best to rescue its Trainer.
In Beach Blank-Out Blastoise, Squirtle was instrumental in helping rescue a colony of Squirtle, Wartortle and a Blastoise from Jigglypuff. In The Misty Mermaid, it was revealed to know Tackle whilst battling Arbok.
Squirtle's Gym Battle debut came late and its Kanto Gym record was two losses, the first to Blaine's Ninetales in Riddle Me This, who Ash believed would be disadvantaged against Squirtle. Ninetales' Fire Spin completely overpowered Water Gun and took Squirtle down in one hit. It was then sent out to fight the fire in Volcanic Panic to cool off Geodude, Onix and Pikachu with water as they dammed the volcano. The second loss was against Giovanni's Machamp, under control of Jessie in The Battle of the Badge. Squirtle took damage from Machamp's Karate Chop, leading to electric shocks blasting Ash. The battle was ended when Giovanni's Pokémon defected and Team Rocket was sent blasting off.
In Mewtwo Strikes Back, Squirtle was used to battle Raymond's Machamp and defeated it with BubbleBeam. On New Island, Bulbasaur and Squirtle attempted to resist capture by Mewtwo, using its Water Gun to keep the Balls at bay. Ash recalled both Pokémon to safety, but both were cloned when Squirtle's Ball was captured itself. Squirtle fought viciously against its clone, but found itself overwhelmed. It wept when Ash was petrified by Mewtwo and Mew, its tears helping in his restoration.
In All Fired Up!, it bravely leapt to Ash's aid against Team Rocket by jumping on Jessie's face in an attempt to rescue the Great Torch, having already saved Team Rocket from fire. Ash relied on Squirtle to battle Mandi in Round One - Begin!, but his powerful Kingler took the sweep and Squirtle was unnecessary. However, it won Ash's second round by defeating a Nidorino, revealing its ability to use Withdraw to absorb the Nidorino's Tackle, and then rolled across the rocky battlefield. It rolled up a rock pillar to become airborne and hit Nidorino with Water Gun. This was followed up with Skull Bash and won the battle for Ash.
In Friend and Foe Alike, Squirtle was sent out to battle Ritchie's Butterfree, Happy. However, it was easily put to sleep by Sleep Powder and Ash lost the round.
Orange Islands
Squirtle was used more prominently in the Orange Island Gyms, first in competition against Cissy's Seadra in Fit to be Tide. Both Pokémon had to shoot cans with Water Gun, but when they hit the final can at the same time, the match resulted in a draw.
In Naval Maneuvers, it joined Bulbasaur, Pikachu and Ash in steering the ice sled down the mountain, resulting in a win for Ash. It was also sent out to battle a wild Snorlax in the next episode, but was flattened by Body Slam, having done completely nothing. In The Mandarin Island Mis-Match, it defeated a Trainer's Persian with Skull Bash, but was defeated by a single Take Down from the Trainer's Tauros.
One of Squirtle's most notable battles and its only Gym Battle win was in Misty Meets Her Match. Earlier in the episode, it helped Pikachu and Bulbasaur destroy the targets, before coming out third against Rudy's Starmie. Its powerful Water Gun managed to match Squirtle's, and Rudy's music allowed Starmie to dance away from Squirtle's moves and then use Thunderbolt to knock Squirtle into submission. With encouragement from Misty, Squirtle propelled itself away from Thunderbolt and whilst using Withdraw, learned Hydro Pump to become airborne and hit Starmie hard. Closing the battle with Skull Bash, Ash wins the battle and his third Orange Island Gym Badge.
In The Pokémon Water War!, Squirtle attempted to rescue a warehouse on fire, but when the fire spread, it needed rescuing itself by Captain Aiden and Team Wartortle. This shot Squirtle's confidence as a firefighter and Ash pleaded with Aiden to allow Squirtle to train with his team for a short period. However, they fell into a Team Rocket trap and were captured, but Squirtle's thinking allowed the group to escape: they flooded the cabin to allow mobility, and then trick Meowth into cutting the nets, before blasting Team Rocket away. Squirtle then joins the effort at a burning apartment and halts the fire, saving the day.
In Hello, Pummelo!, Squirtle was sent against Drake's Onix, who managed to evade Water Gun with Dig, and then caught Squirtle with Bind. However, Squirtle broke free with a Withdraw/Hydro Pump combination, then hit Onix with Skull Bash to knock it out. In the next episode, it fought Dragonite, only for its Hydro Pump to be countered by Dragonite's Water Gun. Squirtle was able to use Withdraw in time to evade most of the following Thunderbolt, but was still badly hurt. Squirtle used BubbleBeam to hit Dragonite dead-on, but this was the only successful attack and it was beaten by a slam from Dragonite's tail. Pikachu went on to defeat the exhausted Dragonite and Squirtle earned a place in the Orange Islands Hall of Fame.
Johto
During Ash's travels in Johto, it competed in an event called the Fire and Rescue Grand Prix, a firefighting competition for water Pokémon. As luck would have it, one of the teams was the Squirtle Squad, but they were confused without their leader. Ash's Squirtle led the Squirtle Squad to win the Grand Prix, and at the end of the episode Squirtle returned to the Squirtle Squad because Ash felt that the old gang needed Squirtle more than he did. It said goodbye to its friends and Bulbasaur extends a vine to its long-time friend, shaking solemnly.
It returned briefly to battle in the Silver Conference, after Kingler was badly injured by a group of renegade Voltorb. It joined Totodile and Phanpy against the Fire-type trainer Macy. It was Ash's last Pokémon, faced with an advantaged Electabuzz. However, Squirtle proved much faster and managed to hit Electabuzz with a series of Water Guns before it could launch any Electric-type moves. A Skull Bash was enough to knock out Electabuzz and even up the match for Ash, leaving just Quilava left. Squirtle used an explosion of moves to cover a stealthy Water Gun, but was hit and knocked on its back by Quilava. As Macy went in for the knock out, Squirtle used Hydro Pump to hit Quilava with water and its own body, sealing victory for Ash.
In the next episode, Squirtle and Bulbasaur rekindle their friendship, but Squirtle starts a fight with Jackson's Azumarill and Meganium. Bulbasaur attempts to restrain its hotheaded companion, but ends up becoming angry at Meganium and Azumarill when they play dirty and trip it over. Squirtle stayed around to watch Ash's Silver Conference battles, and then left in Johto Photo Finish!
Hoenn
While Squirtle made no appearances during the Hoenn arc of the Advanced Generation series, it did make an appearance, along with the rest of the Squirtle Squad, in Of Meowth and Pokémon (Part 2). Squirtle and two other members of the Squirtle Squad ambushed Smoochum and attacked her with a Water Gun, sending her flying.
Kanto Battle Frontier
Squirtle can be called upon at any time. In Gathering the Gang of Four!, it returned to help Ash with his final battle against Brandon, meeting May's Squirtle. In Pace - The Final Frontier!, it took on Brandon's Ninjask. Squirtle's Rapid Spin deflected Aerial Ace, but Ninjask gained the upper hand by stalling Squirtle with Double Team and hitting with Aerial Ace whilst Squirtle blasted through the afterimages. Squirtle managed to escape Sandstorm with Hydro Pump, but is blinded by Sand-Attack to the eyes, leaving it exposed to Ninjask's attacks. It listens for Ninjask, but Hydro Pump misses. However, the water clears Squirtle's eyes and it Skull Bashes Ninjask dead-on, knocking it out of the battle.
Solrock came out next, but Squirtle's moves were all dodged or blocked by Psychic moves. A missed Rapid Spin saw Squirtle crash into the wall, and it was flattened by SolarBeam, causing it to lose the match. After the battle was won, Squirtle returned to the Squirtle Squad, where it still remains.
Personality and characteristics
Squirtle is one of Ash's most trustworthy Pokémon, but is by no means perfect. Compared especially with its closest friend, the very serious Bulbasaur, it comes across as immature and mischievous, particularly during its time with the Squirtle Squad where it led the team to commit various pranks and so on, and how it embarrassed itself trying to intimidate a Snubbull in Pikachu's Vacation. However, through its travels with Ash it matured considerably, and its behaviour when it reunited with its Squad later on had a noticeable difference.
Mature or not, Squirtle is shown to be a born leader and prefers to wear sunglasses occasionally, donning them when investigating Jigglypuff's presence on the island in Beach Blank-Out Blastoise and when it competed against Team Wartortle to prove itself, its fire-fighting spirit hurt by its inability to put out the fire that Team Wartortle had extinguished.
Moves used
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In the games
A Squirtle is given to the player in Pokémon Yellow (which is highly based on the anime) by Officer Jenny in Vermilion City after the player has defeated Lt. Surge and earned the Thunder Badge.
Pokémon Yellow
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In the manga
In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga
Ash owns a Squirtle in the manga series The Electric Tale of Pikachu. It first appears in the chapter You Gotta Have Friends, though its capture is not shown, it is merely stated that "Ash has been busy since the last comic". Squirtle is first seen when a lonely Ash decides to play with his other Pokémon while Pikachu is off playing another group of Pikachu. Squirtle gets into a fight with Fearow while Ash is attacked by his other two Pokémon.
Squirtle was used in the second round of the 88th Pokémon League tournament and helped win the second round. In the fifth round, Squirtle was used to battle Ritchie's Happy. The two fought hard but the match ended in a tie when Happy was knocked out and Squirtle was put to sleep.
In The Orange Islands, Squirtle was used to drive away a group of wild Krabby that were terrorizing a wild Lapras.
Squirtle appeared again in You Bet Your Wife where Ash decided to use it in a dance competition in his Gym battle against Rudy. Squirtle simply retreated into its shell and rolled around to dance. Later, it was used to battle Rudy's Starmie in the third round of their three-on-three battle. Despite Starmie having powerful Electric-type attacks and the ability to latch onto Squirtle tightly, Squirtle managed to turn the battle around by tossing Starmie off with Hydro Pump and finishing it off with Skull Bash, winning the match for Ash in the process.
In Ash vs. Gary, Squirtle was used to send a Poké Ball flying towards a Slowpoke that Ash and Gary were competing to capture. Squirtle's Hydro Pump proved successful, allowing Ash to capture the Slowpoke first.
Moves used
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Trivia
- Ash originally wanted Squirtle as his starter Pokémon, but Professor Oak told him it was taken by a Trainer who was not late.
- Squirtle is the only member of Ash's original team of six (Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeot, Bulbasaur, Charizard, and itself) to neither evolve nor indicate any refusal to.
- Squirtle is the first of Ash's Pokémon to have been being placed in a Poké Ball off-screen, the other being Lapras.
- Despite being one of Ash's main battling Pokémon, it was only used in three gym battles, two of which it lost in one hit.
- Squirtle's Skull Bash, similar to Charizard's Seismic Toss, appears to be its trademark finishing move, using it to finish nearly every major battle it has fought in.
- Squirtle's gender was hinted at in the Japanese version of Island of the Giant Pokémon. In the subtitles, it refers to itself as おれ ore, which is a pronoun normally used by males, also used by characters such as Ash, Brock and James in the Japanese version.
- Squirtle is the first Pokémon belonging to Ash to have a signature item. The others are Sceptile and Krookodile.
- Squirtle is the only Pokémon that Ash has that has a job.
Related articles
- For more information on this Pokémon's species, see Squirtle.
- Squirtle Squad
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This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation. |
