The tunnel abruptly came to an end, and from it emerged a dark shadow.
Rumble!
Gravel splintered like raindrops, and the colossal figure blocked out the sun, radiating the cold light of Rock.
"Roar——!!"
Onix, with a lengthy Rock horn atop its head, stood tall, its eyes filled with bloodshot rage as it let out a furious roar!
This nearly ten-meter behemoth loomed large, and the imposing presence of the massive Rock was oppressive.
Grandma Wu appeared unperturbed, as if this were an everyday occurrence.
Luke sighed deeply. He was well aware of the martial nature of the Pokémon at the Magic University Breeding House. The competitive atmosphere and rigorous breeding programs here contributed to their fierce combat abilities.
But...
Why did Squirtle seem so carefree?
Luke instinctively lowered his head and glanced at the Dive Ball in his hand, his expression growing curious.
Grandma Wu patted Luke's shoulder, snapping him out of his reverie.
"Alright, no time to dawdle. Show Grandma what you and Squirtle can do in the field!"
Luke raised his head, gazing at the formidable Onix, and clenched his teeth.
"Go for it, Squirtle!"
This was Luke's first field battle, and he couldn't help feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation. But the moment he realized the opponent was an Onix, his mood soured.
As Luke threw the Dive Ball, Squirtle gracefully leaped to the top of a tree, quickly seizing the advantageous position.
However, as it landed, the sunglasses almost fell off. Panicked, Squirtle tried to catch them, but instead lost its balance and tumbled to the ground, face-first in the mud.
"uirt~ (๑`▽´๑)۶"
Covered in dirt, Squirtle triumphantly waved the sunglasses it had managed to save, signaling that Luke's gift was unharmed.
Luke was torn between laughter and tears. After nearly faceplanting in the mud, was Squirtle really more concerned about the sunglasses?
Onix, on the other hand, was stunned momentarily. It stared at Squirtle before bursting into hearty laughter and unleashing a deafening roar.
"Roar roar—"
In that moment, Squirtle's eyes gleamed with a hidden intelligence, a crafty shift from naivety to cunning.
When Luke issued the command, Squirtle acted swiftly in unison.
"Squirtle, use Water Gun!"
Opening its gaping maw, Squirtle gathered and formed a thick stream of water that surged into a powerful column, slamming into Onix.
"Hoo——!" Onix was sent hurtling back by the force of the Water Gun, splashing water everywhere and letting out a pained roar.
Luke was left dumbfounded.
What was this supposed to be, a Water Gun?
The torrential water column roared thunderously as Squirtle's eyes gleamed, spraying the massive Onix. Almost half of Onix's body was exposed to the forceful current, and it roared in agony as it was nearly obliterated by the Water Gun!
Luke stood frozen in place, his eyes wide.
If not for Onix's Characteristic Trait making it particularly resilient to damage, that Water Gun would have finished it in seconds!
What in the world was going on with this Squirtle?
Why did its Water Gun exhibit the power of Hydro Pump?
"Roar–!" Onix desperately burrowed underground and Dig-dug away as if fleeing.
The courtyard was left in disarray, and the chirping of birds gradually filled the air, returning tranquility to the surroundings.
Grandma Wu nodded with satisfaction. "This child possesses an innate talent for powerful moves. Even though it's labeled as Water Gun, it incorporates the techniques of Water Pulse, making it quite formidable."
Luke was still lost in thought about the recent battle, his expression filled with bewilderment.
"But Grandma, it doesn't seem like Squirtle has mastered Water Pulse yet..."
"Sooner or later, it will!" Grandma smiled and patted Luke's shoulder reassuringly.
Luke was left bewildered.
As he recalled Squirtle's performance, he couldn't help but notice the unusual traits it exhibited. The moves it used, such as Water Gun and Haunter's Will-O-Wisp, didn't match its Hereditary Ability.
What kind of special Aura-related innate talent did it possess?
Could the system's Pokédex not detect these unique talents?
[Ding——The Pokédex cannot detect Pokémon's special innate talents other than moves; please identify them on your own.]
Luke gazed up at the sky, a single tear escaping from his eye.
System, are you conspiring against me again?
Seeing Luke, who had been so emotionally moved that he shed a tear, he couldn't help but feel amused.
Squirtle adjusted his sunglasses and slowly raised his thumb.
Being a Water Type Pokémon, it made sense for Water Gun to have the power of Hydro Pump, right? Even though I haven't evolved yet, defeating an Onix in seconds is something a regular Pokémon should be able to do, right?
At the same time, Squirtle's eyes sparkled with warmth. This was its first battle, yet it felt moved. It seemed that this Trainer was truly worthy of following. The outside world was perilous, and in order to repay Luke, it was determined to work hard and become stronger.
With that, the matter was settled. Luke left the Breeding House in a daze, with Squirtle following behind, still wearing its sunglasses and nodding in approval. Grandma Wu waved goodbye and called out to them, "Feel free to visit often!"
Squirtle also waved its small paw and replied, "uirt~ (￣▽￣)／!"
Seeing this, Zhai Wenyao patted Luke's shoulder and said, "Luke, you don't have to be so polite. You earned this!"
Luke forced a smile and nodded. He then turned to Squirtle and said with a faint smile, "uirt~?"
Luke had a feeling that Squirtle and his other two Pokémon might have some common interests, now that they were going to share a home.
"No matter what," Luke said as he shook Squirtle's paw, "Let's take care of each other from now on!"
Squirtle hesitated for a moment, but it felt a warm connection with Luke. The bonds formed between people and Pokémon were indeed wonderful.
Taking off its sunglasses, Squirtle blinked its large purple eyes and scratched its head, inwardly feeling a sense of anticipation for the new environment, new companions, and new "family."
"uirt~ (⁄⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄⁄)⁄"
Luke and Squirtle boarded the bus back home. During the ride, Squirtle sat in the child's seat, fidgeting a little restlessly. While it had a cautious personality, Luke had been assured by Grandma Wu that Squirtle had just been born.
Luke sighed, "I hope their common interests don't involve house demolition!"
Haunter heard their footsteps approaching and eagerly opened the door. Eevee also rushed out, wagging its tail, and curiously looked at Squirtle as it stood behind Luke. Squirtle tilted its head, curious as well.
"vui~?"
"These two are your big brother and second sister," Luke explained.
Squirtle scratched its head and extended its small paw, saying, "uirt~? (￣▽￣)/"
Haunter suddenly widened its eyes, as if it had found a kindred spirit. "jie jie~! (￣▽￣)/"
Eevee inspected Squirtle's shell and nodded in contemplation, then turned to the side and giggled.
Squirtle extended its paw to greet Haunter and Eevee, and suddenly, to Luke's astonishment, it opened its mouth wide and unleashed a Water Gun at each of them, displaying impressive power.
Haunter and Eevee were left flabbergasted.
Haunter & Eevee: (⊙ˍ⊙)
"uirt~!" Squirtle placed its hands on its hips and nodded in satisfaction. It seemed that these two Pokémon weren't Ditto or Zorua in disguise.
Luke's expression changed, and Haunter burst into laughter, but Eevee's face turned dark, emitting fiery anger and a faint mist above its head.
"vui~! (╬▔皿▔)╯"
Above Squirtle's head, a big sign read 'Danger'!