Sunlight filtered through the clouds onto the road leading to Vermilion City. Ash tugged at the brim of his cap, gazing at the faint outline of the town visible in the distance. "We should be able to reach that town and rest before dark today," he said to his companions.
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu happily jumped off Ash's shoulder, its golden electric sacs sparkling in the sunlight.
Xiao You tidied her wind-blown hair, narrowing her eyes. "Strange, why is the town so quiet at this hour? I can't even see any cooking smoke."
"It's certainly unusual," Brock said, stroking his chin. As the oldest member of the group, he always noticed details. "Look, at those graffiti on the walls of those buildings."
As they drew closer, the trio saw the town's abnormality—almost every building's wall was covered in colorful graffiti. Some were messy lines, others were crooked Pokémon patterns. Even more bizarre, the streets were deserted, and shop doors and windows were tightly shut, as if the entire town had been abandoned.
"What… what's going on?" Xiao You exclaimed, covering her mouth in surprise.
Pikachu's ears perked up alertly. "Be careful, I sense Pokémon activity nearby."
"Let's go to the Pokémon Center and ask Joy," Ash suggested, cautiously looking around. He could feel several pairs of eyes watching them from the shadows.
The glass door of the Pokémon Center was also covered in graffiti. As they pushed it open, a crisp chime sounded. Joy was frowning as she organized medicines, and she visibly relaxed when she saw them enter.
"Hello, Trainers. It's good to see you, though now isn't a good time…" Joy forced a smile.
"Joy, what happened in town? Why is everyone hiding indoors?" Ash asked, getting straight to the point before Brock could flirt.
Joy sighed. "It's Squirtle… seven abandoned Squirtle formed the 'Squirtle Squad' and have been causing destruction and mischief in town. The residents are all terrified."
"Abandoned Pokémon?" Ash clenched his fist, a flicker of anger in his eyes. "How can a Trainer treat his partners like that?"
Just then, a deafening explosion came from the east side of town, and the entire building shook. Joy's face turned pale. "What happened now?"
The four rushed out of the Pokémon Center, only to see thick smoke rising from the eastern sky. Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder. "It's a fire! And it's spreading!"
In the distance, three familiar figures were frantically trying to put out the chaos they themselves had created.
"It's Team Rocket!" Xiao You exclaimed.
"If you ask us so honestly!"
"We will mercifully tell you!"
"To prevent the world from being destroyed!"
"To protect the peace of the world!"
"We are the evil of love and truth!"
"The cute and charming villainous characters!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"We are Team Rocket, soaring through the galaxy!"
"A white hole, a white tomorrow awaits us!"
"That's right, Meowth!"
After the trio finished their pose, Jessie stomped her foot in exasperation. "It's all your fault, you two idiots! Why did the bomb explode early?!"
James argued weakly, "It was clearly Meowth's timer that was faulty!"
Meowth jumped up. "You yourselves said you wanted to create a big commotion to Attract Pikachu!"
Their argument was interrupted by a sudden gust of wind. The wind fanned the flames, and the fire rapidly spread, threatening to engulf nearby residential houses.
"No time for them!" Ash quickly decided. "We must put out the fire first! Joy, please organize the residents' evacuation!"
Joy nodded and immediately ran to the broadcast room. Ash turned to his companions. "Call out all Pokémon that can help!"
"Understood!" Brock and Xiao You replied simultaneously.
Red lights flashed one after another, and Charmander, Bulbasaur, Beldum, Pidgey, Lucario, Kirlia, Geodude, Onix, Zubat, and other Pokémon appeared in the open space.
"Listen up, everyone!" Ash shouted loudly. "The town is on fire, we need all fire-extinguishing moves! Pikachu, use Surf! Charmander, control the flames from spreading! Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip to move flammable objects away!"
The Pokémon quickly sprang into action. Pikachu jumped to a high spot, its cheek pouches glowing with electricity, summoning a giant wave to douse the flames; two Bulbasaur extended their thick Vine Whips, dragging burning wood blocks away from the residential area; Onix used its massive body to create a firebreak around the blaze… Ash looked around and found the fire was still too large. "This isn't enough…" he muttered to himself, touching the Splash Plate hanging inside his clothes.
"Pika Pika (Ash, what are you doing)!" Pikachu noticed his movements.
"We need more water," Ash replied curtly, then quickly ran into an empty alley. After confirming no one was around, he took out the Splash Plate, and a blue glow swirled in his palm.
"In the name of Arceus, I call upon pure water…"
The Plate emitted a dazzling blue light that shot straight into the sky. Almost instantly, the previously clear sky became overcast with dark clouds, and large raindrops poured down.
The rain was not ordinary rain, but special raindrops imbued with Water-type energy. They hissed as they hit the flames, and the fire visibly diminished at a rapid pace.
Ash put away the Plate, his face somewhat pale. Each use of the Plate's power consumed a great deal of stamina, but he couldn't rest, immediately returning to the fire to continue directing the rescue.
"There's a Pokémon trapped under a wooden board over there!" Xiao You shouted, pointing to the edge of the fire.
Ash rushed over without a word, the scorching air burning his skin, but he ignored it. He lifted the burning wooden board, revealing a trembling Sentret underneath.
"It's okay, I'll get you out." Ash gently comforted, carefully holding the Sentret in his arms and rushing out of the dangerous area to hand it to the arriving Chansey.
This scene was clearly observed by seven pairs of eyes hiding in the shadows. The leading Squirtle leader watched Ash's figure moving back and forth through the fire with a complex gaze.
"Squirtle (Boss, that human… he's saving Pokémon)," a Squirtle whispered.
"Squirtle (Hmph, just putting on a show)," the leader said, but his eyes never left Ash.
When the fire was finally brought under control, everyone was exhausted. Team Rocket had slipped away at some point, leaving the mess for others to clean up. Ash collapsed on the ground, soaked and covered in soot.
Joy brought Chansey to check everyone and every Pokémon for injuries. "Thank you all so much. Without your help, the entire town might have been lost."
"It's what we should do," Brock said gently, wiping the hot, rock-hard skin of Onix that had been scorched by the fire.
Ash noticed several Squirtle secretly watching from nearby. He stood up and slowly walked over. The Squirtle retreated warily, only the leader remained still.
"Are you all okay? Are you injured?" Ash squatted down, meeting the Squirtle leader's gaze.
The Squirtle leader's eyes widened in surprise. "You… you can understand us?"
Ash nodded, touching the azure flute around his neck. "Yes. I heard you were abandoned by your Trainer, and I'm sorry that happened."
The leader's expression changed from surprise to anger. "Humans are all liars! They said they'd help us get stronger, but then they abandoned us on the roadside because we evolved too slowly!" The other Squirtle also gathered around, their eyes flashing with grievance and anger.
"Not all humans are like that," Ash said seriously. "Look at today, everyone is trying to protect this town, including you—I noticed you were helping to put out the fire too."
The Squirtle looked at each other. The leader lowered his head. "…We just didn't want to see Pokémon get hurt. The fire was caused by humans we hate, but the Pokémon are innocent."
Ash smiled. "That shows you have good hearts. Why retaliate with pranks? That will only make more innocent people suffer."
The leader was silent for a long time, then suddenly looked up and met Ash's eyes. "Your Pokémon… they are strong, and they seem happy. I want to know if you are truly different."
It took a few steps back and assumed a battle stance. "Battle me! If I lose, I'm willing to become your Pokémon; if I win… you have to help us teach those Trainers who abandoned us a lesson!"
Ash stood up, his expression serious. "I accept the battle, but the conditions must change. If I win, you become my partner; if I lose, I will help you find Trainers who are willing to treat you sincerely—but not by retaliating."
The Squirtle leader thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Deal!"
"Ash, are you going to battle it?" Xiao You walked over, asking curiously.
"Yes, this is an important battle." Ash turned to Bulbasaur. "Are you ready?"
"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur confidently stepped forward, full of fighting spirit.
The battle unfolded in the town square, with residents peeking out of windows to watch. The Squirtle leader launched the first attack: "Water Gun!"
A powerful jet of water shot directly at Bulbasaur, who nimbly jumped aside, simultaneously extending Vine Whip to entangle Squirtle's ankle.
"Don't underestimate me!" Squirtle spun violently, using the edge of its shell to cut the Vine Whip. "Rapid Spin!"
Bulbasaur was forced to retreat repeatedly, but its eyes remained firm. Ash shouted, "Bulbasaur, prepare Solar Beam!"
"What? On such a cloudy day?" The Squirtle leader scoffed, preparing to attack again.
However, it didn't notice that Ash quietly held the Splash Plate in his pocket. A barely perceptible blue light flashed, the clouds in the sky parted slightly, and a ray of sunlight shone directly on the flower bud on Bulbasaur's back.
"Now!" Ash waved his hand.
A dazzling beam of energy shot from Bulbasaur's back. The Squirtle leader had no time to dodge and was hit head-on, sliding several meters away. It struggled to stand up but eventually fell.
Ash immediately ran over and took out a Potion to treat it. "That was an excellent battle, you're truly strong."
The Squirtle leader weakly opened its eyes. "You… you cheated. That sunlight just now…"
Ash lowered his voice. "Yes, I used a little trick. But that's because I want you to be my partner, not because I want to win." He looked at Squirtle sincerely. "I want to prove to you that not all humans are untrustworthy."
The Squirtle leader gazed at Ash for a long time, finally sighing and showing a relieved smile. "…I lost. As agreed, I will become your Pokémon."
Ash took out a Poké Ball and gently touched Squirtle's forehead. A red light flashed, and after a few shakes, the Poké Ball made a "ding" sound.
"That's great!" Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder, cheering.
Just then, Jenny arrived on her motorcycle. After understanding what had happened, she looked at the remaining six Squirtle. "Would you like to join the town's fire department? We need brave Water-type Pokémon like you."
The Squirtle looked at each other, then unanimously nodded in agreement. They put on the special firefighter hats provided by Jenny, looking imposing.
As the sun set, Ash and his companions bid farewell to the town and continued their journey. The newly caught Squirtle stood beside Ash, looking back at its former companions.
"Don't worry about them," Ash patted Squirtle's shell. "They found a new purpose. And you, you will embark on a new adventure with us."
Squirtle nodded, its eyes sparkling with anticipation. "I'm looking forward to it… Trainer."
Pikachu smiled and said, "Welcome to the team, new friend!"
The group walked away laughing, with the town dyed red by the sunset behind them, and the Squirtle fire brigade standing at the fire station entrance, waving goodbye. A new bond had just begun.