However, it was easily put to sleep by Sleep Powder and Ash lost the round. In Friend and Foe Alike, Squirtle was sent out to battle Ritchie's Butterfree, nicknamed Happy. However, it won Ash's second round by using Skull Bash to defeat a Nidorino in Fire and Ice after it revealed its ability to use Withdraw to absorb the Nidorino's Tackle. In Round One - Begin!, Ash relied on Squirtle to battle Mandi, but his powerful Kingler took the sweep and Squirtle was unnecessary. Squirtle took damage from Machamp's Karate Chop, but the battle was ended when Giovanni's Pokémon defected and Team Rocket was sent blasting off.Īsh used Squirtle during his Indigo Plateau Conference.
The second loss was against Giovanni's Machamp, under the control of Jessie in The Battle of the Badge. In Volcanic Panic, it was then sent out to fight the fire to cool off Onix, Geodude, and Pikachu with water as they dammed the volcano. Ninetales' Fire Spin completely overpowered Water Gun and took Squirtle down in one hit. 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. Squirtle landing the knockout blow in the second round of the Indigo League, with its signature finisher, Skull Bash
It donned his signature black sunglasses and bolstered morale amongst the other Turtle Pokémon. In Beach Blank-Out Blastoise, Squirtle was instrumental in helping rescue a colony of Squirtle, Wartortle, and a Blastoise from Jigglypuff and later Team Rocket. In The March of the Exeggutor Squad, it was used in an attempt to con magician Melvin into believing Ash was able to magically control water and fire with the use of a box that inside contained Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander, but the three Pokémon began to fight and ruined the trick. Only Squirtle was rescued from the rubble by Misty and Brock. This resulted in Ash, Pikachu, and Team Rocket being trapped underground with hostile Prehistoric Pokémon. In Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon, Squirtle tried to stop a fuse from detonating explosives but failed. However, Team Rocket intervened, provoking a battle, and the two were incapacitated by Arbok's Glare. Despite their significant disadvantage due to Squirtle's short legs and Pikachu's weight, they reached the water stage, putting them in the top four with Ash, Misty, and Dario. In The Flame Pokémon-athon!, Squirtle served as Pikachu's partner during the Big P Pokémon Race, while Ash took Lara Laramie's place and used her Ponyta. Squirtle bearing Pikachu across the water Squirtle's Water type and ability to swim helped Ash a few times, notably during the escape from St. After being accepted, Squirtle ran into Ash's arms, as the Trainer declared he had caught a Squirtle.ĭuring its time with Ash, Squirtle became one of Ash's three most trustworthy Pokémon, next to Pikachu and Bulbasaur, and it was used often. The leader, however, 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. Once it was extinguished, Officer Jenny appointed the Squirtle Squad as the official town firefighters. However, Team Rocket's bombs had started a forest fire, which the Squirtle Squad worked together to put out. Touched by Ash's loyalty, Squirtle tearfully carried Ash to the cave and then defeated Team Rocket with Water Gun. Dazed and with more bombs en route, Ash told Squirtle to save itself. The group ran for cover inside the Squirtle Squad's cave however, when Ash noticed that the leader was stuck on his shell, he rushed in and shielded Squirtle's body with his own. When Ash got back with the Super Potion, Team Rocket betrayed the Squirtle Squad and began bombing them after they captured Pikachu. Squirtle saving Ash, after Ash had done the same The Squirtle Squad allowed Ash to go, but they threatened to execute Misty (bleach her hair in the English dub) if he didn't return by the next day.
Ash managed to convince the Squirtle Squad to free him and allow him to get a Super Potion for Pikachu, who was badly injured after an earlier encounter with a Goldeen. On Meowth's orders, the Squirtle Squad captured Ash and his friends so they could take Pikachu back to Meowth. Meowth managed to befriend the Squirtle Squad by convincing them that Jessie and James were his pets. Squirtle first appeared in Here Comes the Squirtle Squad as the leader of a gang known as the Squirtle Squad, a group of rogue Squirtle who were deserted by their Trainers.
In the anime History Original series Kanto