For more than a quarter of a decade, the Pokemon series has delighted fans with its ever-expanding selection of collectible creatures. These days there are around a thousand of them, but it all started with just three. Bulbasaur, Charmander and the turtle inspired Pokemon, Squirtle.
This was the choice that players of the original games were faced with and it’s one that could have a drastic impact on how difficult their playthough would be. Not only did those who opted for Squirtle typically have an easier time of things, but they also got to learn a bit more about one of the most fascinating Pokemon in the series.
10 Its Name Differs From Region To Region
While those who play the games in English have come to know the Pokemon as Squirtle, players in other parts of the world know it by a few different monikers. In Germany, for example, Squirtle is known as ‘Schiggy’ (based on the German word for turtle) while in France it’s called ‘Carapuce’ (a fusion of the French words for shell and cute). The differences are just as pronounced in Asia as well.
The Korean name for the Pokemon, ‘Kkobugi’ (꼬부기), is a fusion of the words ‘kid’ (‘kkoma’) and ‘turtle’ (‘geobugi’) while the Cantonese (‘Gihtneihgwai’) and Mandarin (‘Jienigui’) names are also turtle related. In Japanese language versions of Pokemon, Squirtle is called ‘Zenigame’ (ゼニガメ), which is the name of a Japanese pond turtle that was itself named after an Edo Period currency known as Zeni.
9 Squirtle Dollars Are A Real Thing
While the likes of Disney and Universal have been putting their characters on currency for decades now, they’re typically only accepted within their respective theme parks. Unlike Mickey and co though, the $1 coins that Squirtle appears on are actually considered legal tender. Well. On the island of Niue, anyway.
The small island country began minting its own coins back in 1966 with many pop culture icons having featured on the currency over the years since. 20,000 Squirtle dollars were minted in 2001 as part of a special Pokemon set. Its official value is tied to the New Zealand dollar, although due to their scarcity, the coins typically exchange hands for significantly more.
8 Ash Originally Wanted A Squirtle As His Starter Pokemon In The Anime
Ash and his beloved Pikachu have had some wild adventures together and developed a heartwarming bond that has delighted millions of viewers over the years. That could all have been very different though had Ash not broken his alarm clock the night before going to collect his very first Pokemon.
Without a functioning alarm clock, the would be trainer overslept and arrived at Professor Oak’s lab too late to nab his chosen starter Pokemon.As a result, Gary ended up choosing Squirtle and Ash was forced to take the only Pokemon that Oak had left. The rest, as they say, is history.
7 It’s The Most Common Gen 1 Starter In The Anime
As well as Gary, there are several other trainers in the Pokemon anime with a Squirtle in their teams. May and Tierno are perhaps the most notable, but there are quite a few random trainers and gym leaders as well. The most memorable Squirtles in the anime are undoubtedly the Squirtle Squad though.
Its by helping out this team of firefighting Pokemon that Ash was finally able to get a Squirtle of his very own, although the pair are no longer traveling together. Ash’s Squirtle returned to the Squirtle Squad during the Johto arc, but he still makes the occasional guest appearance from time to time.
6 It’s Also The Most Effective Against Gym Leaders In Gen 1 Games
It’s easy to see why Ash was so desperate to get his hands on a Squirtle, as it’s statistically the most useful of the three gen 1 starter Pokemon. Charmander and Bulbasaur do have their advantages, but those hoping to defeat the Elite Four and become a Pokemon master would be far better off choosing Squirtle instead.
Of the 27 gym gym leader Pokemon that players come up against, Squirtle is supper effective against 12. In comparison, Bulbasaur is strong against nine while Charmander has the edge over just four. Things do get a little closer once the Elite Four are taken into account, but Squirtle still comes out on top more often than his fellow starters.
5 It Lost Its Signature Move
During the early days of Pokemon, Squirtle and its evolutionary line had strong links with the move Skull Bash. They were the only Pokemon able to learn the move naturally in gen 1 and were shown using it on multiple occasions during the anime as well. Sadly, however, the move is no longer a Squirtle specific one.
Since gen 2, it’s been possible to acquire the move through breeding and subsequent generations have added more Pokemon that can learn the move by leveling up. Just to rub salt in the wound, Charizard, Pichu and Pikachu can all use the move in Smash Bros. games while Squirtle cannot. Given that it’s possible for Squirtle to drown in the series though, Smash probably shouldn’t be taken as canon.
4 There Are Far More Male Squirtles Than Females
As is the case with both of the other gen 1 starter Pokemon, the ratio of male to female Squirtles is 7:1. Thankfully, this isn’t really a problem when it comes to breeding Squirtles as they belong to both the Monster and Water 1 egg groups. It is a little unrealistic for a terrapin inspired Pokemon though.
The figures vary from place to place, but most seem to be in agreement that there are significantly more female terrapins than there are males. That said, it’s difficult to come up with a precise estimate given that there are so many different external variables that can determine a turtle’s gender.
3 It Starts Life With A Soft Shell
While the team over at Game Freak may not have paid too much attention to real world gender ratios when designing Squirtle, they did get a lot of other things right. One of these is the Pokemon’s shell, which, according to Squirtle’s Pokedex entry in Pokemon Gold, starts out soft before eventually becoming incredibly resilient.
This trait is in keeping with many real world species of turtle, including the zenigame from which the Pokemon inherited its Japanese name. Squirtle is quite a bit larger than this pond-dwelling species though, measuring in at around two and a half times the size of the average zenigame.
2 Its Shell May Have Been Inspired By The Super Mario Series
It’s not at all uncommon for there to be crossover between Nintendo games, particularly when it comes to Mario. Enemies from the Mushroom Kingdom have shown up in Hyrule on several past occasions while images of the Italian plumber himself have appeared in the Metroid Prime trilogy.
With this in mind, it doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch that the similarities between Squirtle’s shell and that of a Koopa Trooper are more than just a coincidence. These likenesses seem all the more obvious when looking at the shiny form of Squirtle, which has a green shell that is incredibly reminiscent of the one belonging to the iconic Mario enemy.
1 The Squirtle Evolutionary Line Is Based On Asian Mythology
According to certain Pokedex entries for Wartortle, it’s possible for the Pokemon to live for up to ten thousand years; far longer than a regular turtle. This is because the Squirtle evolutionary line takes a lot of its inspiration from a mythological turtle known as the Minogame (蓑亀).
According to Japanese folklore, the creatures can also live for up to ten thousand years and are often depicted with similar tails to Squirtle and Wartortle. This is said to be the result of seaweed sticking to their shells throughout their abnormally long lives. There may also be some connection to the four heavenly beasts of Chinese mythology; one of which is also a turtle with a ten thousand year life span.
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