Kanto Starters III: Squirtle

bills-pokedex:

Squirtle
The Tiny Turtle Pokémon
Type: Water
Official Registration #: 7
Entry: One of three pokémon traditionally offered to new trainers at the beginning of their journeys in Kanto. As the most defensive of the three starters, squirtle is born with a shell that hardens to a rock-hard consistency as it grows older. It also has the ability to retract its softer head and limbs into this shell in order to protect itself as it uses its array of bubble- and water-jet-based attacks. That having been said, one of the most common questions posed about squirtle is “what does it look like without its shell,” and in order to answer all of them in one fell swoop, the writer would like to remind the general internet that a squirtle’s shell is actually an adapted ribcage and thus, a squirtle without its shell would look rather unfortunate.

Wartortle
The Turtle Pokémon
Type: Water
Official Registration #: 8
Entry: The evolved form of squirtle, by battle experience. Legend has it that healthy wartortle may live up to 10,000 years. This, of course, is not true; rather, it is a euphemism for two things. First, it refers to the wartortle’s resilience, particularly in the case of its shell. Upon evolution, a wartortle’s shell hardens and continues to harden, and much of wartortle’s battle style hinges on the use of its shell as both its armor and its shield. A battle-experienced wartortle will always sport a plethora of scratches across its rock-hard shell. As for the second point to the legend, it simply refers to humans’ inability to tell reptilian pokémon apart, as well as the wartortle’s general apathy towards being confused with its abundance of cousins and blood relatives.

Blastoise
The Shellfish Pokémon
Type: Water
Official Registration #: 9
Entry: The evolved form of wartortle, by battle experience. Blastoise tend to be extremely proud of its muscular bulk and water cannons, to the point where much of its battle techniques hinge on either throwing its weight at an opponent or drowning them with high-powered jets of water. When it comes to the latter, its aim is deadly accurate, and a well-trained blastoise is capable of shooting a target up to 160 feet away. Additionally, despite the fact that they lose their feather-like ears upon evolution, it should be noted that blastoise generally have excellent hearing. For example, if a blastoise whose trainer happens to be a researcher’s grandson is standing more than soccer field’s length away from said grandson right at the moment that another researcher advises him on specialized diets for blastoise that no longer participate in battling circuits, that young, well-meaning researcher should be aware that he can still be shot with a Hydro Pump from halfway across the laboratory’s preserve.

Mega Blastoise
The Shellfish Pokémon
Type: Water
Official Registration #: 9+
Entry: The advanced form of blastoise, via blastoisinite. Upon mega evolution, this pokémon gains a considerable boost in power, largely due to the addition of a massive, third cannon jutting out of its shell. It should be noted that this cannon exists strictly to add firepower to this pokémon’s arsenal, enabling it to use the hidden ability Mega Launcher, and not because the entire species is “overcompensating for something.”

okay so.. wow i never thought i would have this problem. due to a… incident in my childhood im absolutely terrified of the water and most water types. well… i recently rescued a baby squirtle that was seprated from its family and was being attacked by another pokemon.. well now squirtle has imprinted on me and while i know it can walk on land and all that… but what do i do about its water needs? i have a pool and things i can take him.. help?

That may be all you need to do, anonymous. Give it a pool and let it do the rest, that is. A squirtle will know by instinct how to swim, as well as how to use its basic water-type moves, so you won’t need to teach it yourself. You can simply place it in the same vicinity as the pool, and it will know what to do.

What’s more important, though, is your fear of water-types. Your fear of water may resolve itself over time through exposure therapy (that is, the longer you care for your squirtle, the more you’ll be able to tolerate water), but the problem is that you won’t be able to receive that exposure therapy unless you’re certain you can handle your squirtle. It sounds like this squirtle is among the water-types you can handle, certainly, but nonetheless, think hard about whether or not this is something you can do. If the answer is no, then it’s far better for the both of you psychologically if you rehome it.

Rehoming may be a tricky process for a pokémon so young (one that’s imprinted on you, no less), so it must be done carefully. First, find a reputable foster pokémon organization that will help you find a foster trainer. The caretakers in this shelter must be as caring and attentive as possible, as surrounding your squirtle with caring people will make the transition easier. Next, once a foster trainer is found, work with them for the first week in order to establish a relationship between your squirtle and its new (temporary) trainer. (If one isn’t found and you must rehome your squirtle immediately, simply work with the staff of the shelter instead.) Lessen your presence little by little over time until the squirtle is comfortable without you in sight.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to place your squirtle in a shelter or a new home, train yourself to tolerate your squirtle’s presence, perhaps through exposure therapy as well. If you have a partner or someone who shares your home with you, ask them to help you care for your squirtle, but make it a point to spend a period of time each day with it. If you live alone, simply have it play in the pool or a bathtub as much as possible, then interact with it when you need to care for it. (As a note, yes, it’s young, so you will have to spend time with it. Furthermore, you need to remain calm during these moments, as any indication that you’re afraid of your squirtle will have adverse psychological effects on it. I highly recommend meditating before attempting to interact with your squirtle in order to calm yourself.) During these time periods, do something fun to engage with your squirtle: a game, a bit of (non-water-based) training, exercise, and so forth. Increase the amount of time you spend with your squirtle each day until you get used to its presence enough to feel comfortable around it.

As a note, this may not completely cure your fear of water-types in general, but at the very least, growing used or even close to a single water-type may help you handle brief interactions with others. If you wish to rid yourself completely of your fear of water-types, you’ll need to confront both your past traumas and the fear itself. Professional therapy may be a good idea.

Best of luck, anonymous!

I recently adopted a squirtle, and in preparation for his arrival got a lot of toys and I have a big pool for him to be comfortable in, but when I brought him home I found out he’s scared of water! He’s a water type that hates water and I’m not sure how to help him?

Well, that’s certainly unusual, but it sometimes happens when a water-type faces trauma or neglect in relation to water. For example, if an amphibious pokémon such as squirtle had been kept in a tank with no dry area for them to climb on top of or if the tank itself was never cleaned, then a young squirtle may adopt a strong aversion to water because it associates water with that past trauma.

For this reason, it’s important to treat the trauma in addition to acclimating your squirtle to his natural environment. Always start slow and employ an ample amount of positive reinforcement and affection. Begin by socializing with your squirtle. Spend as much time as possible with him, and give him as much gentleness as he can tolerate. Offer physical affection and soft tones of voice, as well as the toys and treats he can take without being exposed to water. As always, be very aware of his body language and if he shows any sign of stress (stiffening, withdrawing partway into his shell, looking at you with a glazed expression), disengage and try a different method of affection. Trauma and stress in pokémon rarely come with just one symptom—as in, water may not be the only thing that will trigger your squirtle’s anxiety. Your squirtle might also have an aversion to certain types of human contact, so it’s important to be observant as you interact with your pokémon.

When it comes to water, meanwhile, you will still need to give him a water bottle either way, as allowing him to avoid all forms of it may induce dehydration. At first, you may be able to work with him. Hold him in one arm and give him the bottle with the other, just as you would if you were feeding a baby. Offer verbal encouragement whenever he accepts the bottle, and reinforce the act with a treat when he’s done. Continue doing this until he seems comfortable enough to drink from the bottle or from a dish without your assistance.

Bathing your squirtle may be trickier, but this is also vital, not only because it will help him adjust to water again but also because it will keep his skin from drying and cracking. (Dry, cracked squirtle skin can become infected rather easily, so it’s not an ideal state of being for your pokémon.) You can help your squirtle by filling a shallow tub or your bathroom sink with water while he’s outside the room. Then, bring him in and continue to hold him as you let him see the sink or tub. Dampen a cloth or sponge in the sink with your free hand and wring it out as best as you can, then use it to moisten part of your squirtle’s skin. After this, slowly and carefully lower your squirtle into the bath and begin bathing him. All the while, continue offering verbal encouragement to soothe your squirtle and help him accept being exposed to water. After a few weeks of this, you can move him to a larger tub (or your own bathtub). Once he becomes acclimated to this, you can move on to filling the tub while he’s present to help him get used to running water. Once he gets used to this, you may allow him to bathe himself (either in your presence or quite literally by himself, depending on his comfort level), and once you pass this stage, you may move him to the pool.

As one would expect, though, always let your squirtle lead: let him decide when he’s ready for each new step. Likewise, be as supportive and loving as possible, and keep in mind that even if you help him with his fear of water, he may still need plenty of emotional care from you. However, although this may be an unexpected challenge for you, raising a pokémon that requires a deeper level of emotional care than others is ultimately rewarding, as it enables you and your pokémon to cultivate a unique bond that you might not develop with any other training experience.

Best of luck, anonymous.

Kanto Starters III: Squirtle

Squirtle
The Tiny Turtle Pokémon
Type: Water
Official Registration #: 7
Entry: One of three pokémon traditionally offered to new trainers at the beginning of their journeys in Kanto. As the most defensive of the three starters, squirtle is born with a shell that hardens to a rock-hard consistency as it grows older. It also has the ability to retract its softer head and limbs into this shell in order to protect itself as it uses its array of bubble- and water-jet-based attacks. That having been said, one of the most common questions posed about squirtle is “what does it look like without its shell,” and in order to answer all of them in one fell swoop, the writer would like to remind the general internet that a squirtle’s shell is actually an adapted ribcage and thus, a squirtle without its shell would look rather unfortunate.

Wartortle
The Turtle Pokémon
Type: Water
Official Registration #: 8
Entry: The evolved form of squirtle, by battle experience. Legend has it that healthy wartortle may live up to 10,000 years. This, of course, is not true; rather, it is a euphemism for two things. First, it refers to the wartortle’s resilience, particularly in the case of its shell. Upon evolution, a wartortle’s shell hardens and continues to harden, and much of wartortle’s battle style hinges on the use of its shell as both its armor and its shield. A battle-experienced wartortle will always sport a plethora of scratches across its rock-hard shell. As for the second point to the legend, it simply refers to humans’ inability to tell reptilian pokémon apart, as well as the wartortle’s general apathy towards being confused with its abundance of cousins and blood relatives.

Blastoise
The Shellfish Pokémon
Type: Water
Official Registration #: 9
Entry: The evolved form of wartortle, by battle experience. Blastoise tend to be extremely proud of its muscular bulk and water cannons, to the point where much of its battle techniques hinge on either throwing its weight at an opponent or drowning them with high-powered jets of water. When it comes to the latter, its aim is deadly accurate, and a well-trained blastoise is capable of shooting a target up to 160 feet away. Additionally, despite the fact that they lose their feather-like ears upon evolution, it should be noted that blastoise generally have excellent hearing. For example, if a blastoise whose trainer happens to be a researcher’s grandson is standing more than soccer field’s length away from said grandson right at the moment that another researcher advises him on specialized diets for blastoise that no longer participate in battling circuits, that young, well-meaning researcher should be aware that he can still be shot with a Hydro Pump from halfway across the laboratory’s preserve.