Get Stronger by Pleasing Pokémon? Who Needs to Be a Trainer!

Pokémon: Squirtle

Gender: Female

Ability: Torrent

Potential: Blue Tier

IVs: HP (18), Attack (20), Special Attack (21), Defense (25), Special Defense (24), Speed (16)

Level Range: 5–8

Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Withdraw

Description: A Squirtle bubbling over with resentment, who seems to be questioning whether it chose the wrong Trainer. The mere thought of waking up this early every day is enough to make it spiral into despair…

Friendship: 20 (You let it sleep in)

Happiness: -15 (Even among Pokémon, differences exist. It’s pretty envious of Snivy right now.)

Looking at Squirtle’s information, Lin Feng’s expression grew increasingly strange.

Good grief.

Who knew it had such an active inner life…

”Yeah, yeah! They’re both starter Pokémon. Even though Water types are weak against Grass, I believe that under my brilliant, unparalleled command, my Squirtle can definitely beat… well, at least tie with your Snivy!”

Qin Shu clenched her small fists, radiating pure confidence.

”Uh… alright then?”

Lin Feng figured it was probably time to knock some reality into her.

Both were starter Pokémon, true enough.

But she needed to understand that even among starter Pokémon, there could be a world of difference.

Come on.

There was a ten-level gap between them, plus a type advantage.

If his Snivy couldn’t win, Lin Feng would honestly start worrying there was something seriously wrong with it.

The two of them quickly headed out to the cobblestone path outside.

Since both Pokémon were low-level starters, their moves didn’t yet cause significant damage to the environment. Any open space would do for a battle.

”Squirtle, this is our very first battle! We have to give it our all and show our true colors. Only then can we do well in the Baby Cup tournament, understand?”

All the way there, Qin Shu kept giving Squirtle enthusiastic pep talks.

Squirtle’s reaction, however, was rather fascinating.

She stared fixedly at Snivy, her large, sparkly anime eyes shimmering with silent pleading.

”Squirtle, squirtle…” (Where did you find a Trainer like yours? Can you help me find one too?)

Snivy: …

Snivy hadn’t expected this Squirtle to be such a comedic character…

She merely rolled her eyes, then glided coolly back to Lin Feng’s side.

Nothing highlights the difference between people like a side-by-side comparison.

That human girl truly seemed a bit silly and not terribly bright.

By contrast, Lin Feng seemed far more reliable.

Thinking this, Snivy couldn’t help the faint upward curve at the corner of her mouth.

On the cobblestone path, the two trainers took their positions.

”Ready?”

Prompted by Qin Shu’s eager, fiery question, Lin Feng gave a small nod.

”Okay, let’s go! Squirtle, use Tackle!”

Squirtle’s expression grew serious. Although she grumbled a lot, she still obeyed her Trainer’s commands.

At Qin Shu’s shout, Squirtle lowered her head and charged at Snivy, her smooth, glossy dome of a head shining under the morning sun.

To be fair, all that jogging had definitely improved Squirtle’s speed a bit.

It would’ve been even better if she’d actually lifted her head to see where she was going.

Lin Feng truly couldn’t understand why Squirtle refused to raise her head while using Tackle.

Snivy merely watched the incoming attack with calm, indifferent eyes.

”Uh… Snivy, go easy on her, okay?”

Seeing Snivy standing utterly motionless beside him, Lin Feng couldn’t help trying to rein her in a little.

”Sni sni…” (As you wish…)

Snivy spread her tiny hands in a what-can-you-do gesture, clearly unconcerned.

”Alright then. Snivy, use Vine Whip!”

Lin Feng flicked his fingers forward, suddenly feeling a surge of excitement.

Though he’d watched countless Pokémon battles in his life, it was still a special thrill to actually command one himself.

”Sni sni…”

Snivy’s amber eyes sparkled mischievously as she looked at Squirtle barreling toward her, head still buried low. She almost wanted to laugh.

With the lightest sidestep, Snivy let Squirtle rush past her completely, not even realizing she’d missed her target entirely and was drifting farther and farther away.

It wasn’t until two vines snapped out and landed at her feet that Squirtle finally realized something was wrong and tried to dodge.

But by then, the momentum was too much to overcome.

Bang!

Squirtle’s forehead slammed into the cobblestones with a sharp, echoing crack, making Lin Feng involuntarily click his tongue in sympathy.

The sound was so crisp…

It almost gave the illusion that ”a good sound means a good skull.”

”Sni sni…”

Snivy rubbed her own forehead with a tiny paw, suddenly understanding how these two had ended up together…

The kind of Trainer you are determines the kind of Pokémon you have!

”Squirtle!?”

On the other side, Qin Shu shouted in alarm as she watched Squirtle crash to the ground, sprawled out on the cobblestones. ”The battle’s just started! Get up, hang in there!”

”Squirtle… squirtle…”

Squirtle, rubbing the growing bump on her forehead, staggered to her feet in a daze. She blinked around and realized there was no one in front of her except Lin Feng. For a moment, she couldn’t even figure out where Snivy had gone.

It took Lin Feng quietly pointing behind her and Qin Shu’s frantic shouting, ”Behind you! She’s behind you, and there’s a Vine Whip!” for Squirtle to finally come to her senses and spin around.

But by then, Snivy’s vines were already less than ten centimeters away. Without any suspense, they wrapped tightly around Squirtle’s body and lifted her clean off the ground.

No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free from Snivy’s grasp.

After swinging Squirtle around in circles, Snivy finally hurled her across the path. Then she shot a dry look at Lin Feng.

Why was her Trainer helping the opponent during a battle…

”Ahem. I just… wanted her to get a little experience, you know?” Lin Feng coughed awkwardly to cover his embarrassment.

Although, in hindsight, he wasn’t sure the experience had really helped.

On the other side, Squirtle crashed heavily into the ground again and lay there, stunned for a long while.

She simply couldn’t understand how Snivy had somehow ended up behind her mid-battle.

”Are you okay, Squirtle?”

Qin Shu rushed over to check on her Pokémon, her face full of concern.

”Squirtle, squirtle…” Squirtle started to say she was fine, but the words trailed off, and she suddenly put on a pitiful look instead. ”Squirtle, squirtle…” (I’m out of energy…)

Ever-trusting Qin Shu didn’t pick up on Squirtle’s little act. Instead, she just looked regretful and then turned wide, shining eyes toward Snivy.

Snivy was amazing. No wonder she was Lin Feng’s Pokémon!

Lin Feng walked over with Snivy in tow. ”So, we’re calling it off?”

Squirtle might be a new Pokémon, but she shouldn’t be completely knocked out just from a couple of throws. Lin Feng came closer to check on her condition.

”Squirtle says she’s out of stamina,” Qin Shu said with a helpless expression.

Lin Feng was momentarily taken aback.

Squirtle actually still looked perfectly lively.

Then realization dawned on him, and a wry smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

”Brother Feng! How did I do just now? Was I okay?”

Qin Shu couldn’t resist lifting her head to ask, her eyes sparkling with hope, clearly yearning for some praise.

”Hmm… not bad… though next time, maybe have Squirtle lift her head when she’s using Tackle,” Lin Feng replied thoughtfully.