After achieving ten consecutive victories, the compatibility between Tauros and Ash surprisingly rose to 238 points. Of course, they still had a long way to go before forming a true bond.
Currently, Heracross had been temporarily retained by Professor Oak for further research. Ash naturally didn't refuse the professor's request—after all, he knew how much valuable data Heracross could provide for scientific studies.
Originally, Ash had planned to travel a while longer with Tauros.
But by coincidence, they happened to notice a large battle arena on the outskirts of the town—where, to his surprise, a Firefighting Grand Prix was currently being held.
So, Ash traded back Squirtle. As for whether Squirtle would stay after this, he intended to leave that decision to Squirtle itself.
Ash had always respected the choices of his Pokémon. If Squirtle felt its place was with its former comrades, then Ash would honor that choice.
"Hey, isn't that Ash?" Just as he received Squirtle and arrived at the competition grounds, Ash ran into a familiar face.
"Mr. Aidan?"
The man, accompanied by five Wartortles, gave a crisp salute. "Long time no see, how've you been?"
Ash and Pikachu quickly returned the gesture. "Doing great!"
These Wartortles had sharp eyes and strong physiques—they looked like top-tier Pokémon.
They were the proud members of the Wartortle Squad, an elite Pokémon firefighting team. Mr. Aidan was their captain.
Back when Ash first encountered Squirtle, it had led four other rebellious Squirtles, forming a notorious gang that loved to prank and cause trouble.
Eventually, Ash's Squirtle chose to follow him, while the other four joined Officer Jenny and formed a local firefighting team known as the Squirtle Squad.
Clearly, Aidan had brought his team here to participate in the Firefighting Grand Prix. The competition was packed with powerhouses—there were teams like the Poliwrath Squad, Vaporeon Team, Golduck Force, and many more.
Ash turned around and immediately spotted another familiar figure—Officer Jenny, leading the Squirtle Squad.
"Squirtle, it's your time to shine!"
Ash summoned Squirtle, and it instantly noticed its old friends. It dashed over to greet them.
They high-fived using their tails in a playful but synchronized way—their bond was still strong.
"The Firefighting Grand Prix is finally beginning! This is a tournament for Pokémon firefighting squads from all over, competing in teams of four for the championship!"
"The first round is the fire extinguishing event!"
At both ends of the arena, wooden houses had been set up. As the round began, the houses suddenly erupted into flames—clearly triggered by some mechanism hidden under the stage.
"Our first match is between the Grimer Squad and the debuting Squirtle Squad!"
Ash and Squirtle sat in the coach's corner, observing the scene. But the expressions of the four Squirtles looked nervous and uneasy—it was hard not to worry about their performance.
"Calm down, everyone! Just give it your best like you always do!" Officer Jenny encouraged them, but it was clear her words weren't having much effect.
Though these Squirtles were well-trained and performed admirably during local fire emergencies, this was different.
They had never faced a public competition like this, under the gaze of a massive crowd.
Sure enough, when the wooden house burst into flames and the match officially began, the Grimer Squad immediately moved into action, using sludge to smother the fire.
But the Squirtle Squad? They couldn't even aim their Water Guns properly—the pressure and spread were all over the place, making their efforts ineffective.
In contrast, the Grimer Squad wasn't even composed of Water-types, yet they moved with perfect coordination and rhythm. The flames on their side were quickly dying down.
"What are you all doing?! Focus your water attacks on one point!" Officer Jenny shouted anxiously, but her voice didn't reach them. The Squirtles were simply too overwhelmed—their inexperience in real-time competitions was showing.
Squirtle, sitting beside Ash, was practically pulling its own ears in frustration. It was seething!
Ash patted its head. "Go, Squirtle. They need you right now."
Squirtle turned to look at Ash, its eyes uncertain—as if weighing a decision. But moments later, it nodded firmly and dashed off.
Instead of speaking to the other Squirtles immediately, it marched straight up to Officer Jenny—and blasted her in the face with a Water Gun!
Oh. My. Arceus.
Officer Jenny, standing there in her full uniform, now had water dripping down her face...
"Squirtle! What do you think you're doing?!"
She was about to scold it—until she saw the serious, unwavering look in Squirtle's eyes. Then it hit her.
The panic of the Squirtles wasn't just their own fault—it was because of her. Even though she tried to appear calm on the outside, her internal nervousness had seeped through. The Squirtles had picked up on it.
This Officer Jenny was still young—she wasn't nearly as experienced as the one Ash met back in Squirtle's Hometown.
Taking a deep breath, she looked at Squirtle. "Thank you, Squirtle. Please… lend me your strength."
Squirtle nodded and finally turned to its four old teammates.
"Squirtle! Squirtle! Squirtle-ka!"
But even Squirtle's voice wasn't getting through to them.
So, Squirtle blasted them with Water Guns as well—not helping with the fire, so it wasn't counted as a foul.
The drenched Squirtles finally snapped out of it and turned to face their leader.
"Squirtle! Squirtle-ka! Squirtle!"
With Squirtle by their side, the squad finally regained its composure. Just as Squirtle had predicted, their fear had stemmed from sensing Officer Jenny's unease.
This was the true power of a Trainer—or a leader—in the heat of battle.
Don't be fooled into thinking a Trainer's only job is to shout commands from the sidelines.
Ash had long since learned to keep his composure, no matter the situation. Because in battle, his Pokémon needed him to be their anchor.
With renewed confidence, the Squirtle Squad launched a unified Water Gun attack. The streams were strong and focused—and the flames started to die down quickly.
Fortunately, their opponents—the Grimer Squad—weren't especially fast at putting out fires. This gave the Squirtle Squad just enough time to catch up!
Eventually, before the Grimer Squad could fully extinguish the flames by surrounding the last embers with their gooey bodies to cut off oxygen, the Squirtles managed to douse the fire completely.
"Match over! The Squirtle Squad wins!"
A comeback victory! The five Squirtles huddled together in celebration. This was the power of a true leader.
But as the cheers died down, Ash's Squirtle turned to face its four old friends.
"Squirtle-ka Squirtle! Squirtle!"
Then, it looked toward Officer Jenny.
She knelt down beside it. "Squirtle, don't worry. I'll make sure they finish the tournament. They'll become the best firefighting Pokémon you've ever seen!"
Squirtle nodded. Then, it turned and confidently walked back to Ash.
"Squirtle?"
Ash tilted his head, unsure of what Squirtle was doing—when suddenly, Squirtle's entire body lit up with a radiant glow!
It had been holding back its evolution for a long time. Its power and level had already surpassed the requirements for Hydro Pump—this evolution was the eruption of its long-suppressed potential!
The light of evolution shone brilliantly, and the newly evolved Wartortle stood proud and strong—standing nearly 1.2 meters tall.
Compared to Charmeleon's rushed and underwhelming evolution back then, this was on a whole other level!
Wartortle: 190/215