"I have a bad feeling about this..."
"Me too..."
James and Jessie, sitting in the cockpit, looked at the flickering sparks, with cold sweat beginning to form on their foreheads.
Judging by their extensive experience, the flickering sparks just now probably meant that the central core of this robot had been destroyed.
In layman's terms... it's going to explode!
"Boom!!"
As expected, the robot indeed exploded. The Team Rocket trio shouted about that frustrating feeling while flying directly into outer space (exaggeration.jpg).
Watching Team Rocket once again turn into a twinkle in the sky, Ash couldn't help but shake his head: "Why don't these three ever learn? No matter how many times they fight me, they never win, but they keep coming back to bother us relentlessly."
Speaking of which, the Team Rocket trio is really tough!
Saying they got blasted into outer space might be an exaggeration, but they do get blasted away for hundreds or even thousands of meters every time.
And yet, every time we see them, they're completely unharmed, without broken arms or legs. Their physical resilience is truly extraordinary, maybe they're the real human Pokemons?
"Perhaps their personality is a bit like yours, Ash." Misty chimed in, leading the Squirtle squad forward after Team Rocket had been defeated.
"How so?" Ash pouted, a bit unhappy with Misty comparing him to Team Rocket.
"You never know, you all seem equally stubborn~," Brock added, walking up with a chuckle.
Ash's personality was clearly displayed in their daily lives, whether it was a failed cooking attempt or failing to train a skill, Ash never knew the meaning of giving up. He persevered until he succeeded.
This stubbornness indeed bore some resemblance to Team Rocket.
Upon hearing this, Ash's head was full of black lines and he decided not to argue with Misty and Brock.
He picked up an injured Squirtle with one hand and said to the Squirtle leader, "Let's go, let's get them treated. Although it's a minor injury, it's not good to delay."
"Squirtle..." The Squirtle leader scratched his head awkwardly upon hearing this.
He was concerned about whether the townspeople would still be willing to treat them after they had caused so much trouble earlier.
"Don't worry, they won't mind it much, and it was just a little prank. Just don't do such things in the future," Ash said as he took the lead.
Ralts also used Telekinesis to lift an injured Squirtle, following along with its short legs.
The remaining Squirtle, not too badly injured, exchanged glances with the leader and quickly caught up with Ash.
...
At the town's Pokemon Center—
"Alright, they're fine now, just make sure they get plenty of rest," Miss Joy said with a smile, leading out the three mostly recovered Squirtles.
The three little ones happily reunited with their leader, and after a brief exchange, they all simultaneously looked at Ash and the others.
"Squirtle, squirtle!" Humans, we owe you our lives; if you need anything from us, just say the word!
The Squirtle leader patted his chest, speaking with a sense of loyalty.
As he spoke, he gestured with his hands and feet, afraid Ash wouldn't understand him.
But Ash just waved his hand with a smile and said, "It was just a small favor. If it's possible... could I become your Trainer? Whether it's battling or any other challenge you want me to undertake, anything is fine, as long as you accept me!"
Ash had never thought of leveraging this favor. Interaction with Team Rocket and the Squirtle squad wasn't in his plans; he initially thought to use tasty food and his genuine heart to sway and persuade the Squirtle to battle him, hoping to win it over.
He wasn't confident about it, due to the likely deep-seated trauma from being abandoned by a Trainer; however, with Team Rocket's interference, things seemed to have simplified...
Squirtle paused as he listened to Ash, and a few seconds later, he removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of big, watery eyes.
At last, Ash understood why Squirtle wore sunglasses; without them, he really didn't have an aggressive look.
Without sunglasses, he couldn't possibly carry the aura of a mafia boss; no matter how much chaos he caused, he wouldn't have any intimidating presence, and would likely just be shrugged off with a smile...
The Squirtle, having taken off his sunglasses, patted his shell while saying "Squirtle squirtle." Even without translation, Misty and Brock understood that Squirtle was choosing to go with Ash!
This meant that Ash had captured another of the Three Starter, completing Kanto's Three Starter! His luck... it's unbeatable.
And after hearing Squirtle's words, Ash made a strange face, which, translated into human words, went like this: "With this life I owe to you, I entrust it entirely to you."
This scenario, how is it so similar to Charmander... No, not just Charmander, Bulbasaur was similar too.
Thinking it over, the capture of these Three Starter, with two thanks to Team Rocket's help and another thanks to a scoundrel's intervention, led to him being able to capture all three Pokemons without needing to battle.