Far out at sea from Cerulean City, a fishing boat was slowly sailing forward.
With the sea breeze brushing against his face, Xia You and his three Pokémon leaned against the deck, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.
Warm sunlight poured down on them, making their bodies feel lazy and comfortable, to the point that none of them wanted to move.
Unfortunately, if not for the strong fishy smell constantly rising from the boat, this trip might have been even more relaxing and enjoyable.
After more than an hour of sailing, the fishing boat finally stopped near a small island.
The weather-beaten captain walked out of the cabin and said to Xia You,
"Young man, this is the place you're looking for. We'll continue sailing south into the deep sea. When we return tonight, we'll come pick you up. Good luck!"
After thanking him, Xia You jumped off the boat, watched it leave, and then turned to observe the small island.
The island was densely covered with trees, lush and green. At its center stood a lone mountain, with shrubs growing neatly along its slopes. From a distance, it resembled the shell of a giant turtle.
Blastoise Island—a place said not to exist on any map. Only the Pokémon living there and the most experienced fishermen knew its exact location.
As its name suggested, this island was home to a Blastoise, along with a large population of its unevolved forms—Wartortle and Squirtle.
To reach this place, Xia You had searched the docks for a long time, asking countless people before finally finding someone willing to take him out to sea.
However, his target was not the Blastoise.
Crossing the sandy shore and entering the forest, Xia You soon spotted a group of playful Squirtle and Wartortle. He took out his phone and snapped several photos, planning to send them to Professor Cerise. Unfortunately, there was no signal, so he could only put it off for later.
After observing them for a while, Xia You suddenly leaped forward and landed right in front of the group.
Startled by his sudden appearance, the Squirtle and Wartortle froze. Instead of fleeing, they stared at him curiously.
"Very good," Xia You said. "Pokémon, I'm looking for companions to challenge the League. Is there anyone among you who wants to leave this island and travel with me?"
In this world, most Pokémon could understand human speech to some extent.
After hearing his words, the Squirtle and Wartortle glanced at one another but showed no reaction. Only one Squirtle—perhaps out of curiosity or mischief—stepped forward.
"Squirtle! Squirtle!"
"You're quite brave," Xia You smiled. "Then let's battle. If I win, you'll become my partner."
As that Squirtle stepped forward, the others instinctively cleared a space.
Xia You took out his Pokédex and aimed it at the blue Pokémon.
Pokédex:
"Beep. Squirtle, Water-type, Tiny Turtle Pokémon. It excels at Water-type attacks and protects itself with a hard shell. When facing enemies, it can launch powerful Water Gun attacks."
Waving his hand, Xia You said,
"Bulbasaur, this battle is yours!"
"Bulbasaur! Bulbasaur!"
Bulbasaur stepped forward and stood directly in front of Squirtle.
Once both Pokémon were ready, Xia You gave the order.
"Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!"
Two vines shot out from Bulbasaur's bud, lashing toward Squirtle. However, Squirtle remained calm. Just before the attack landed, it suddenly withdrew, pulling its head and limbs completely into its shell.
Thud! Thud!
Despite Vine Whip being a Grass-type move, Squirtle endured it with its sturdy shell, taking only minor damage.
As it emerged, a stream of water burst from its mouth.
"Water Gun!"
"Bulbasaur, dodge!"
Although the command came in time, Bulbasaur was still splashed across half its body as it dodged.
"Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed!"
A seed shot out from the bud, but as it flew toward Squirtle, Squirtle released a large cloud of bubbles, dispersing the attack midair.
Seeing this, Xia You couldn't help but praise it.
"Not bad. For a wild Pokémon, you've got skills."
"Squirtle! Squirtle!"
Xia You pointed forward.
"Bulbasaur, continue with Vine Whip!"
Once again, the vines lashed out, and once again Squirtle used Withdraw, hiding inside its shell.
But this time, Xia You didn't stop there.
"Bulbasaur—wrap it up!"
Instead of retracting, the vines tightened, coiling layer after layer around Squirtle's shell.
"Squirtle!?"
Squirtle panicked, trying to stick its head out, but every opening was sealed. No matter how hard it struggled, it couldn't move.
"This is what you call getting caught in your own trap," Xia You said with a smile.
"Lift it up—and let it experience the pendulum!"
Under Xia You's command, Bulbasaur hoisted Squirtle high into the air and smashed it down onto the ground.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
When no sound came from inside the shell, Xia You waved his hand, and Bulbasaur released its grip.
Seeing Squirtle lying upside down on the ground, motionless and silent, Xia You took out a Poké Ball and threw it.
A flash of red light.
The Poké Ball didn't even shake.
Capture successful.
The fourth Pokémon—obtained!
However, before Xia You could celebrate, a thunderous roar echoed in the distance. The ground began to tremble violently.
From the sound alone, it was clear that an extremely powerful Pokémon was approaching.
The battle had clearly alarmed the Blastoise of the island. Before the fishing boat returned, Xia You needed to hide immediately.
"Bulbasaur, come back! The wind's picking up—we need to leave now!"
…
Days later, when Xia You finally stepped back onto land, he found himself once again on the streets of Cerulean City.
After resting overnight at the Pokémon Center, Xia You—now with four Pokémon—set out toward Pewter City.
In his free time, he sent all the photos he had taken on Blastoise Island to Professor Cerise.
As a special research investigator for the Cerise Research Institute, his visit and documentation of the island's ecosystem could be considered a perfect completion of his mission.
However, just as Xia You was about to leave Cerulean City, a tall boy with green hair and a backpack suddenly blocked his path.
"Hey, you—wait a second!"
"Will you accept my challenge?!"