"Why did you set a trap for us? This should be our first meeting, right?" Ash asked, frowning.
"Squirtle, Squirtle! Humans are all bad!"
The leader snapped, and in the next instant, the five Squirtle darted away into the brush.
Ash didn't give chase. Instead, he turned toward the city gates ahead. "Those Squirtle really dislike humans. Judging from the way they set up traps, they must have been living here for a while. Let's head into town and find out more."
Misty and Brock exchanged surprised looks, then turned those looks on him.
"What? Did I say something wrong?" Ash asked, puzzled.
Misty shook her head, folding her arms. "No. What you said was right… that's exactly the problem. I didn't expect you of all people to figure it out. You're usually so clueless outside of battles."
"Hey!"
Ash scowled while Misty smirked. Their bickering carried them into the city, where they soon found Officer Jenny.
Sure enough, Jenny confirmed that this same group of Squirtle had a "glorious record" in the area. Abandoned by their former Trainers, the leader, distinguished by his unique sunglasses, had gathered the others together. Fueled by resentment toward humans, they caused trouble in town regularly, to the dismay of the residents.
The revelation made the three travelers glance at each other in disbelief.
Another abandoned Pokémon. And not just any Pokémon, another of the Kanto starters.
Ash clenched his fists, silently fuming.
'How could anyone abandon them?' The Squirtle Squad weren't weak. Even at a glance, their aptitudes were above average. The leader especially was top-tier within his species, with multiple A-rank stats and an arsenal of skills.
And yet someone had still discarded him as "worthless."
Ash grit his teeth. 'What's wrong with those Trainers? Even if they had trouble raising them, abandoning them like this is unforgivable.'
"So they don't have Trainers now, right?" Ash asked suddenly, his voice firm. "That means I can catch them?"
Jenny nodded. "Of course. But there's a condition, you'll need their approval. If you force the capture in battle, they might never obey."
"That's fine," Ash said with confidence. "Winning them over is what I do best. Right, Pikachu?"
"Pika!" Pikachu chirped, thumping his chest.
Jenny smiled faintly. "Then it's all up to you."
For most Trainers, battling was the only way. But Ash already had plenty of experience winning Pokémon through trust and emotion. Pikachu had chosen him from the start, Ralts bonded with him the moment she hatched, Bulbasaur was persuaded by his conviction, and Charmander was moved by his actions. Only Caterpie and Pidgeotto had been caught through conventional battles.
When it came to earning Pokémon's loyalty, Ash had his own method.
That evening, after stocking up on food and supplies, Ash and Brock borrowed the town's kitchen to prepare a batch of Squirtle food. Brock carefully balanced the flavors while Ash added his own touches. Between the two of them, the food was guaranteed to suit the taste of any Squirtle, unless they had truly unusual preferences.
Ash looked down at the steaming bowls of Pokémon food, determination blazing in his eyes. "The way to a Pokémon's heart is through its stomach. First food, then trust… that's the formula for victory."
By the time they were done preparing, night had already fallen. Finding Pokémon in the dark might have been difficult for anyone else.
But Ash wasn't just anyone. With his Aura, tracking them down would be no problem at all.
When Ash first encountered the Squirtle, their Auras had already imprinted themselves into his mind. As long as they were within fifty miles, there was no way they could escape his detection.
The moment he unfolded his Aura again, the world around him flickered into focus within his mind's eye. A few seconds later, Ash's eyes snapped open, his expression shifting drastically.
"Hurry, Team Rocket's found the Squirtle!"
"Huh?!" Misty gasped.
"They're here again?!" Brock clenched his fists.
Ash didn't waste time explaining. In one burst of speed, he sprinted out of the restaurant, Misty and Brock scrambling to keep up. Pikachu and Ralts bounced on his shoulders as they dashed into the open fields outside town.
What greeted them was chaos.
The Squirtle Squad had gathered in the grass, glaring up at a massive Team Rocket robot. Three of the smaller Squirtle were already injured. Their leader, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses, stood defiantly in front of his squad, but his face betrayed the frustration and despair boiling inside.
"You dare set traps for us?" Jessie's voice rang from within the cockpit. "Today you're coming with us to the boss as lucky turtles!"
James's voice followed. "Yeah! You've gone too far this time!"
Meowth yanked at the controls. "Let's snatch these pests and be done with it, meow!"
The robot's giant claw came crashing down. The lead Squirtle spat a desperate Water Gun, but the stream splashed uselessly against solid steel. Against a machine like this, they were helpless.
The Squirtle leader bit his lip. He'd known that one day his squad would anger someone too strong for them to handle. Still, he had to stand his ground, for his teammates' pride, and to vent the pain of being abandoned. But who would ever come to save troublemakers like them?
"Pikachu, IRON TAIL!!"
"Pika...CHU!!"
In a flash of silver, Pikachu launched from Ash's shoulder. His tail gleamed like polished steel as it collided with the robot's claw.
BOOM!
Metal screeched, sparks flew, and the entire palm was sent spiraling into the dirt, dented with a perfect crescent from Pikachu's tail.
Ash ran straight to the Squirtle Squad. "Are you all right?" he asked, genuine concern in his voice.
The leader froze. He knew this boy, the one he had pranked earlier. Why… why would he help them now?
Ash turned his glare on Team Rocket. "I let you off last time. And now you're back again? Haven't you had enough?!"
"Don't blame us, brat!" Jessie shrieked, popping out of a hatch. "We weren't even after you today!"
James jabbed a finger. "Exactly! We're the victims this time! Why don't you ask what those Squirtle did to us?!"
Meowth flailed at the controls. "This is legit revenge, meow! Step aside or we'll bag your Pikachu too!"
Ash glanced back at the Squirtle Squad, then faced the trio with steady eyes. "Your 'victimhood' is just falling into their pranks. That's all they were, pranks. They didn't deserve this. I'll apologize on their behalf."
"If apologies worked, there'd be no need for the police!" Jessie snapped before diving back into the cockpit. The robot lurched forward once again.
Ash spread his arms wide in front of the Squirtle. "It's alright. We'll protect you. Misty, Brock, take care of the injured ones!"
"Got it!"
"Leave it to us!"
Misty released Starmie while Brock called out Graveler, both Pokémon forming a protective wall around the injured Squirtle.
Ash then crouched down to meet the leader's hidden gaze, his voice firm but warm. "Squirtle. I know you were abandoned and grew to hate humans. But not all of us are heartless. Lend me your strength. Let's protect your squad, together!"
The leader's sunglasses glinted. For a heartbeat, he hesitated. Then he gave a sharp nod.
"Squirtle!!"
"Perfect! Squirtle, use Water Gun!
Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"Squirtle!"
"Pika…CHUUU!!"
Squirtle dashed forward, blasting a steady stream of water straight at the robot's chassis. It wasn't powerful enough on its own, barely more than a tickle to the steel giant.
"But if you add Pikachu's Thunderbolt… it's different!"
"Pika...CHU!!"
Golden electricity burst from Pikachu's body, threading itself into Squirtle's pressurized Water Gun. In midair, the streams merged into a dazzling torrent of water wrapped in lightning.
The result, an improvised Hydro-Electric Cannon!
The combined attack carried far greater force and piercing power than a Water Gun alone, requiring perfect timing between water flow and electricity. Yet even in their very first cooperation, Pikachu and Squirtle displayed an uncanny synergy.
The robot's fist slammed forward, heavy as a boulder, the air whistling from its speed.
"SSSHHHZZZ!!"
The Hydro-Electric Cannon met the steel fist head-on, locking in a brief stalemate. Then, with a blinding surge, the torrent of lightning-charged water tore through the metal, punching a gaping hole straight through the robot's arm.
Inside, Jessie, James, and Meowth nearly popped their eyes out.
"Impossible! Our robot isn't made of paper!!" Jessie shrieked.
"Even with Pikachu and that turtle, they shouldn't have busted an arm this easily!" James wailed.
Meowth's eyes narrowed, catching sight of Ash behind his Pokémon. The boy's hand was raised, faint blue light pulsing from his palm.
"It's that brat! He juiced the attack somehow!"
Ash didn't deny it. His Aura shimmered faintly across his fingertips, feeding into the combo without Squirtle ever noticing.
He called out, voice brimming with conviction: "This is your strength, Squirtle! Don't doubt yourself just because some Trainer abandoned you. Your potential surpasses any Squirtle out there! For your squad, finish them! Use Skull Bash!''
The words struck home. Squirtle's sunglasses gleamed as his eyes sharpened. "Squirtle!!"
He kicked off the ground, body launching like a bullet, head aimed squarely at the robot's cockpit.
Behind him, Ash focused his Aura tighter still, compressing it into a bead of blue light no larger than a marble.
"FWOOOSH!!"
Together, Squirtle's Skull Bash and the Aura Sphere slammed into the cockpit. Metal shrieked as a smoking hole ripped open in the robot's chest, sparking wildly.
Jessie and James yelped, diving aside as debris rained around them.
Meowth howled, "Sheesh, the whole thing's gonna blow!!"
Through the smoking breach, faint arcs of electricity crawled across the robot's frame. The machine groaned under its own weight, teetering on collapse.