Indigo League, Episode 12: “Here Comes the Squirtle Squad”

Season 1, Episode 12, Original Air Date: June 17, 1997 (JP),  September 23, 1998 (US)

We start off with flashbacks to Bulbasaur and Charmander being captured, after which we see Ash walking with a spring in his step, humming the background music. Then, they fall in a hole in the ground!

The Squirtle Squad laughs at them, four of them wearing John Lennon glasses; and their leader wearing Kamina glasses a solid decade before anyone knew who Kamina was.

Pikachu stares down the leader of the Squirtle Squad as an oddly similar song to Ennio Morricone's theme from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" plays in the background.

Officer Jenny comes in, and Ash says she looks familiar. That's because they're a whole bunch of relatives that are all named Jenny. Jenny says the Squirtle Squad don't have trainers, and they like to cause trouble.

Team Rocket looks at Ash's Pikachu, and James and Meowth are hungry, which gets them a fan to the face. Jessie asks if she's the only one that thinks conquest is more important than lunchtime, Jessie does admit she is hungry, but the Squirtle Squad confronts Team Rocket and Meowth says they want their food. Team Rocket steps forward to battle and they fall into another hole!

Jessie offers them to help catch Pikachu, but Meowth says they won't trust humans. Meowth says that Jessie and James belong to him. Meowth insists they need to keep up the act until they have their trust.

We cut to Misty fishing by the riverbank while Ash and Brock rest. She says she caught something, and Squirtle squirts them all with Water Gun! Pikachu tries to shock Squirtle, but since everyone is still all wet, he gets them instead! Squirtle then ducks into its shell and knocks Pikachu into the water! Goldeen starts bouncing in the water, and Pikachu tries to swim away, but he isn't fast enough and gets a Horn Attack to the rear! 

As we get to the Who's That Pokémon segment, I will note that Squirtle was the first Pokémon I ever started with in Pokémon Blue.

Everyone is taken to a cave and tied to a rock, Meowth teases Ash with his tail, and Ash, not amused, bites Meowth's tail! Ash then tries to tell the Squirtle Squad that Meowth is deceiving them, but Meowth says that humans can't be trusted! Brock says that Pikachu is in critical condition, and they have to do something! Brock says they need to treat Pikachu with a Super Potion, and Ash pleads to go into town to get it from the Poké Mart, saying Pikachu will be in big trouble if he doesn't!

Squirtle refuses, with Meowth saying they're only trying to escape. Ash gives them his word that he will return once he gets the medicine, but Meowth and the Squirtle still aren't convinced. Eventually, they are convinced. Meowth gives him till high noon tomorrow, or they'll dye Misty's hair purple. Decidedly tamer than the Japanese version, where they threatened to kill her. Next!

Ash dashes off to get the medicine, and crossing an old bridge, his leg goes right through one of the boards! The bridge breaks and he falls into the river below! This is really breaking out all the adventure film cliches, isn't it? Then, a Goldeen gives him a Horn Attack to the rear! Ash reaches the shop, and Gary then hits him with the door! That's actually become a minor internet meme, with that scene getting used often in fan videos and .gif pictures.

Misty and Brock encourage Pikachu to hang in there as night falls, and Meowth wonders where Jessie and James are. The next day, Jessie and James are robbing the store with ice guns! Now let's Schumacher this puppy!

Ash gets the Super Potion, and Officer Jenny gives him a lift back to the cave, but the broken bridge costs them some time. Elsewhere, Team Rocket is preparing flash bombs to scare the Squirtle Squad and take Pikachu in the confusion. Ash reaches the spot, but everyone is gone! Ash rushes outside the cave where everyone is, and takes the Super Potion, spraying Pikachu with it.

Team Rocket starts throwing bombs from the balloon, and Meowth takes Pikachu up the ladder! Everyone heads back to the cave, but the lead Squirtle has fallen over! Ash asks Squirtle if he's all right, and Squirtle nods in approval. Squirtle then hoists Ash overhead and gets him to safety as more bombs fall!

Ash then tells Squirtle to use Water Gun, which pops their balloon, and Ash rescues Pikachu as he falls and catches him! The Squirtle Squad put out the fire together, and they are appointed the town firefighters! We close on the head Squirtle following Ash and joining him on his journey.

"Here Comes the Squirtle Squad" was a solid episode to end this arc. While it has aged, it does offer good animation and a good story. It definitely helped incubate my liking for Squirtle, and I definitely recommend watching it. That's all for now. Later.