Luke smiled. "Ma'am, I'll take this Squirtle."
Granny Ellis nodded silently, a flicker of reluctance crossing her face — though her respect for Luke's judgment climbed even higher. Out of every starter here, he picked out the genuinely best one on pure instinct.
Not even that plain shell could fool him.
Granny Ellis leaned on her cane, studying Squirtle, and slowly closed her eyes.
In an environment this competitive, Squirtle's ability to stay so relaxed traced directly back to raw natural gift. Aura talent. Every living thing carried some trace of Aura in theory. Genuine resonance with it, though, was extraordinarily rare.
This particular Squirtle's gift came down to bloodline — its father was the Old Principal's own Clawitzer. That Clawitzer's signature ability, Mega Launcher, combined with masterful use of Aura Sphere, had carried the Old Principal to an actual Eastern League Conference championship in his own day.
Aura Sphere itself wasn't a heritable move, so it wouldn't naturally appear on this Squirtle's list. Even so, the raw Aura talent behind it had passed down cleanly, making this particular Squirtle functionally unmatched anywhere else in the Breeding House.
If it ever mastered Mega Evolution down the line, Mega Blastoise's own Mega Launcher stacked on top of that innate gift... even Granny Ellis genuinely couldn't picture the ceiling on that combination.
But the offer had already been made. And honestly, picking this particular Squirtle spoke volumes about Luke's real eye for talent.
"Well. That settles it," Granny Ellis said, sighing with a small smile, shaking her head. "You picked it, which means your judgment's earned this one fair and square."
Luke smiled slightly. Not exactly. Surrounded by all these overachievers, he'd deliberately gone hunting for the most mediocre option available — and felt genuinely proud of the find.
Of course I nailed it, Luke thought to himself.
"That said, you'll still need to earn its trust yourself," Granny Ellis said, tapping her cane. "If the Pokémon doesn't approve of you, none of this matters."
Luke nodded, genuinely aligned with her philosophy here. For someone with zero interest in battling or research, the emotional bond was really the entire point of catching a Pokémon in the first place.
"Don't worry," Luke said, smiling with confidence. "It'll approve of me just fine."
Trainer and Pokémon shared a natural resonance, after all. Teacher Luke, a committed slacker by philosophy, and a Squirtle that slept through the daylight hours — it was practically fate.
Two peas in a pod.
Luke pulled off his sunglasses and shoes, rolled up his pant legs, and waded into the cool stream. Squirtle, still tucked in its shell, had already absorbed the entire preceding exchange through Aura, a flicker of resignation crossing its eyes.
So many Trainers have come and gone over the years. And this is where I finally get found out.
Luke held back a laugh, coughing lightly. "I think we're a lot alike."
"Same goals, same general direction in life."
"I've already got two great ones at home — a handful sometimes, sure — but with you joining, I think we'll all get along just fine."
Luke felt genuinely thrilled internally. This is the ultimate lazy pick. A Squirtle with zero inherited talent, no risk of backstabbing me the way the others did.I refuse to believe a house turtle could possibly wreck the apartment.
The stream murmured softly, moss clinging to the bluestone, the shell on the rock staying perfectly still.
Luke understood, on some level, that leaving the Breeding House represented a real decision for Squirtle. Staying meant an easy, coasting existence indefinitely. Becoming someone's actual partner meant something else entirely.
But the longer Luke sat with the thought, the more at peace he felt.
This really is a kindred spirit.
Luke smiled. "With you around, I think our shared dream's about to come true pretty soon."
______________________________
Aura carried Luke's genuine sincerity straight through to Squirtle, who felt none of the usual hesitation — just quiet anticipation building toward officially joining.
Squirtle sat with the thought for a long moment. This world is dangerous enough as it is.I only wish to survive quietly through these chaotic times — no interest in fame, no interest in glory among lords and champions.
It had originally planned to stay hidden here until naturally evolving into Blastoise on its own terms. But Luke's sincerity was hard to ignore.
After an internal struggle, Squirtle finally let out a small sigh. So be it. Every hermit eventually steps back into the world.Could be worse — a Trainer this driven, with this sharp an eye, is a reasonable partner to accept.
Squirtle slowly poked its head out of the shell, glanced at Luke, and gave a calm, deliberate nod.
"Squirtle (￣^￣)!"
Purely on the strength of this kindness, I'll help make your championship dream a reality.
Luke smiled. A genuine meeting of kindred spirits — the classic tale of two souls finding each other across a crowd.
Granny Ellis nodded, quietly impressed. Even Squirtle had approved of him. Luke's resolve to keep pushing forward is clearly the real deal.
______________________________
Luke had already given Eevee a silk scarf. Haunter's gift had been — well, essentially a study guide, Blue's Breeding Manual. For Squirtle, he'd prepared the Black Glasses.
Squirtle took the sunglasses curiously, first scanning them with Aura to rule out anything explosive or suspiciously Poké Ball-shaped, then nodded, satisfied.
Not quite the classic triangular shape, but Squirtle still managed to look thoroughly intimidating wearing them regardless.
"Squirtle ヾ(■_■)"
Squirtle adjusted the glasses and gave Luke a firm nod.
Granny Ellis laughed. "That means you're cleared to actually catch it now!"
Luke pulled out several Poké Balls — a Premier Ball, a standard red-and-white, and a Dive Ball. Squirtle pointed straight at the Dive Ball, gave a thumbs-up, and grinned.
That one, obviously.
A Water-type through a Dive Ball did make natural sense. Luke smiled, picked it up, and tossed it.
Squirtle bent dramatically to one side and dodged the incoming ball entirely.
The Dive Ball missed clean, rolling off with a soft thud.
Luke and Granny Ellis: ???
Dead silence settled over the field.
Squirtle: ▽ Dammit, that was pure instinct, I swear.
Sheepish, it scurried after the fallen ball, poked the release switch itself, and dissolved into a beam of red light straight into it.
Luke wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead, muttering, "...I have a feeling this one might not be the sharpest tool in the shed."
Granny Ellis chuckled. "Strong, sure. Just a little simple."
Well, it wouldn't be much of a hidden gem otherwise, would it.
That reflexive dodge had genuinely startled Luke for a second. Granny Ellis's follow-up put him right back at ease, though.
"Strength doesn't matter much to me," Luke laughed. "As long as it's a little simple, that works perfectly."
A simpleton and a scoundrel.Squirtle. You really are exactly what I've been looking for.
Luke picked the Dive Ball back up off the ground and, with a slightly childish flourish, gave it a squeeze.
"Squirtle. Get ☆ Daze!"
Before he could finish the line, the ground lurched beneath him.
RUMBLE!
A massive tremor tore through the area, a long tunnel bulging out from the base of a distant mountain, debris flying as something massive tore through the earth at terrifying speed.
"Ma'am, what is THAT," Luke said, expression shifting sharply.
Granny Ellis, unbothered, just smiled. "That's the local Onix pack — mating season. Happens every few days like clockwork."
"Ma'am, are you SURE that's something to stay this calm about?!"
"Nothing to worry about. Just send Squirtle in to handle it."
Luke froze. Then, slowly, the implication landed.
A cold sweat broke across his forehead.
This Squirtle... can actually go toe-to-toe with an Onix?!