Squirtle Is Not a Water Soul Beast

Chapter 050: Squirtle Is Not a Water Soul Beast

The Seven Treasure Support Trial Team had not fought very beautifully.

That was the truth.

They did not have the budding coordination of Shrek, nor did they possess the dazzling edge of the Spirit Hall Golden Generation the moment they made a move. Most of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's young disciples were used to standing behind stronger people. Once they reached the Yellow Wind Ridge Approach, with their soul skills suppressed and their physical abilities offering no advantage, the yellow wind threw them into disorder almost immediately.

But they did not fall apart.

The female disciple held the Wind-Calming Lamp. Though her steps were slow, she never forgot Ning Rongrong's reminder. The lamp could not be held too high, or the wind would consume all its light; nor could it be lowered too much, or her teammates would lose sight of its position. All the way, she called out wind gaps, soft sand, and retreat routes. Her voice nearly went hoarse before she led the team past the first low wall.

The evaluation was not high.

[Seven Treasure Support Trial Team: Yellow Wind Ridge Approach, first section, incomplete.]

[Team evaluation: The lamp remained steady.]

[Tip: The team lacks offensive power. The Lantern Bearer's judgment was effective and can be reviewed.]

When the failure notice appeared, several young Seven Treasure disciples looked rather upset.

But Ning Fengzhi did not blame them.

Looking at the words "The lamp remained steady," he nodded slightly instead.

"Enough."

The female disciple removed the Synchronized Headband, her eyes slightly red.

"Sect Master, we didn't make it through."

"I saw."

"Then why is it enough?"

Ning Fengzhi said, "Because before this, you didn't even know where you failed. Now, at least you know that the lamp did not falter. What failed was the offense and protection ahead of it."

His words left several Seven Treasure disciples silent.

Chen Xin added one more sentence.

"A failure that can be reviewed is worth more than a muddled victory."

The female disciple lowered her head, but her fingers slowly clenched.

Lin Chuan flipped through the reservation book at the side.

"Next, Pokémon test."

Everyone in the shop immediately turned their attention back.

By order, it was precisely the Seven Treasure female disciple's turn.

She had just emerged from her failure in Yellow Wind Ridge, her face still carrying the exhaustion of wind and sand. Under normal circumstances, she should have rested, but when she heard the words "Pokémon test," her eyes still lit up.

Ning Fengzhi looked at her.

"Still trying?"

The female disciple did not hesitate.

"Yes."

Lin Chuan handed her the Synchronized Headband.

"Remember, a Pokémon is not a tool to make up for your failure in Yellow Wind Ridge."

The female disciple froze for a moment, then nodded seriously.

"I understand."

She sat down at the station.

The screen lit up, and the sunny grassland appeared once more.

[Welcome to the Pokémon World.]

[Please register your identity as a new Trainer.]

[Please choose your starting partner.]

The three silhouettes were still there.

Bulbasaur.

Charmander.

Squirtle.

Many people in the shop instinctively looked at her. Zhou Ping had chosen Bulbasaur, Ma Hongjun had chosen Charmander, and now their gazes naturally fell upon Squirtle.

The female disciple looked for a long time.

Charmander was brilliant, Bulbasaur was steady, while Squirtle seemed to lie somewhere between the two. It carried a small shell on its back. Its eyes were not fierce, yet it gave off the reassuring feeling that it could weather wind and rain simply by retreating into its shell.

She said softly, "I choose Squirtle."

The little blue turtle opened its eyes and looked up at her.

[Starting partner confirmed: Squirtle.]

[Type: Water.]

[Category: Tiny Turtle Pokémon.]

[New Trainer registration complete.]

"Water type."

Ning Fengzhi repeated it quietly.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had seen Water-type soul masters before, and they had also seen water Soul Beasts. Yet Squirtle still felt different. It did not possess the heaviness accumulated by a Soul Beast's age, nor did it have the Soul Power fluctuations of a released Martial Soul. It simply stood there with its shell on its back and blinked.

Yan stared at the screen and could not help saying, "Can that little thing fight?"

Ma Hongjun immediately found a chance to strike back.

"You didn't think Pidgey could do much when you first saw it either."

Yan snorted but said nothing more.

The female disciple did not rush into the grass.

She first tried speaking to Squirtle.

"Let's take it slow first, all right?"

Squirtle looked up at her and let out a cry.

Zhou Ping's eyes lit up as he watched from the side.

He was a new Trainer too, and he knew just how reassuring that response was.

The female disciple led Squirtle forward. Before long, the grass rustled, and a little green worm crawled out from behind the leaves. It had tiny antennae atop its head, and its body was made up of one segment after another. It even looked somewhat clumsy.

A Pokédex prompt appeared.

[Caterpie.]

[Type: Bug.]

[Category: Worm Pokémon.]

Someone in the shop instinctively frowned.

"A Bug type?"

"You can catch that too?"

"It looks way too weak, doesn't it?"

Yet the female disciple did not laugh.

She had just failed in Yellow Wind Ridge. More than anyone, she understood what it felt like to be seen as the "weak position." Lantern Bearers had once been regarded as burdens, and support-type soul masters were often seen as people who needed protection. Yet Yellow Wind Ridge had taught her that being weak did not mean being useless.

Caterpie's appearance seemed to strike straight at her heart.

It did not have Pidgey's lightness, Charmander's eye-catching brilliance, or Pikachu's Quick Attack that had made the entire shop rise to its feet. Yet when it looked up at Squirtle, it did not retreat just because it was small. The thin strand of silk it spat out even slowed Squirtle's steps for a moment.

Being weak did not mean having no place.

She looked at Squirtle.

"Don't hurt it too badly. Try Tackle."

Squirtle kicked off with all four limbs and charged at Caterpie. Caterpie reacted slowly and was sent rolling half a circle, but it quickly crawled back up. It opened its mouth and spat out a strand of silk that stuck near Squirtle's feet, immediately slowing its movements.

The shop fell silent.

"That Bug can control speed?"

Grandmaster immediately wrote down, "Bug type, String Shot, restricts movement."

The female disciple's eyes brightened even more.

She did not rush to defeat Caterpie. Instead, she had Squirtle retreat half a step before using Tackle again. Once Caterpie's stamina had dropped, she took out a Poké Ball. Her hand trembled slightly, but she was nowhere near as flustered as Zhou Ping had been his first time.

She knew why she wanted to catch it.

Not because it was strong.

But because it showed her something support-types knew well: not standing at the very front, not dealing the most dazzling damage, yet making the opponent slow down at a crucial moment and letting allies steady themselves. Such value was often obscured by the brilliance of assault-type soul masters on the Douluo Continent, but in the Pokémon Pokédex, it was clearly listed as type, category, and move performance.

The Poké Ball fell.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Ding.

[Caterpie has been caught.]

A wave of quiet exclamations rose in the shop.

Not because Caterpie looked imposing, but because it had shown everyone in the most direct way that a Pokémon's value was not determined solely by how strong it looked.

The female disciple looked at the Poké Ball and said softly, "So even the small ones can be useful."

Ning Fengzhi's expression softened slightly when he heard that.

She was talking about Caterpie.

And herself.

When it came time to choose for Real-World Transfer, the female disciple hesitated for a long time.

Caterpie was new, and its silk was useful too. But Squirtle was her starting partner and had accompanied her through her first battle. In the end, she chose Squirtle.

[Real-World Transfer registration: Squirtle.]

[Trainer: Member of the Seven Treasure Support Trial Team.]

[Transfer confirmed.]

A red light descended.

Squirtle appeared on the floor of the Grand Dao Internet Cafe.

Its first reaction was not to attack, but to shrink its neck back. Then it poked its head out from its shell and looked at the female disciple. She crouched down and cautiously extended her hand. Squirtle hesitated for a moment before lightly pressing its forehead against her palm.

The shop fell silent again.

Chen Xin looked at the little blue turtle and said blandly, "It is not a water Soul Beast."

Ning Fengzhi nodded.

"Nor is it a Water-type Martial Soul."

The female disciple said softly, "It's Squirtle."

Her voice was not loud, yet it made Lin Chuan glance at her.

She was right.

It was not anyone's substitute, not anyone's tool, nor was it some new variation of an old term from the Douluo system.

It was Squirtle.

As if it understood its name, Squirtle rubbed against the female disciple's palm again. Its shell was not large, but it gave off a very dependable feeling. The Seven Treasure disciples watched it, and a hard-to-describe envy suddenly rose within them.

This was not a Soul Beast guard.

It was not protection arranged by sect elders.

This was the partner she had chosen herself.

Lin Chuan wrote the second entry on the Trainer Registration Board.

[Second: Member of the Seven Treasure Support Trial Team.]

[Registered Pokémon: Squirtle, Caterpie.]

[Real-World Transfer: Squirtle.]

Ma Hongjun watched with burning envy.

"How come all of you can bring one out while I'm empty-handed?"

Ning Rongrong showed no mercy.

"Because you scared Pikachu away."

Ma Hongjun clutched his chest.

"Don't remind me."

Just as laughter began to rise in the shop, Squirtle suddenly turned its head toward the Pidgey on Zhou Ping's shoulder.

Pidgey tilted its head at Squirtle too.

Bird and turtle looked at each other for a moment. Pidgey gave a soft cry.

Squirtle blinked and cried back.

At that moment, everyone realized something else.

The Pokémon brought into the Douluo world could do more than interact with their Trainers.

They could get to know one another too.