Squirtle is a Water-type Pokémon introduced in Generation I.
It evolves into Wartortle starting at level 16, who evolves into Blastoise starting at level 36.
Squirtle is a light blue bipedal turtle with its most notable feature being the hard shell on its back. This shell forms and hardens on its back after birth. It could perhaps be distantly related to some other turtle-like Pokémon, such as Torkoal and Turtwig, but Squirtle seems to only be closely related to its evolutions.
Squirtle's shell is an extremely helpful defensive tool. It can withdraw into the shell to block physical attacks. Its smooth, hard shell and head also aid it in other ways, such as minimizing its resistance in water to increase its swimming speed, and allowing it to launch attacks like Rapid Spin and Skull Bash.
Squirtle is a natural-born swimmer. However, due to its size, it's easier for it to transport something small (like a Pikachu) than to carry its Trainer.
Its jaws may not look like much, but they are strong enough that a Squirtle can learn to use a Bite attack.
Squirtle's tail resembles a squirrel's tail, which allows it to use moves such as Tail Whip and Aqua Tail.
Squirtle can spray water from its mouth. At first, it may only be able to spray foam and bubbles, but with time it can learn to spray water jets like Water Gun and Hydro Pump. If it withdraws, it can still spray water out the holes in its shell.
It can also be easily taught Ice-type moves like Ice Beam and Blizzard.
Squirtle are scarce in the wild. Most are domestic Pokémon, raised to be distributed as starters by Professor Oak. As such, they are regarded as well-behaved Pokémon. They are not regarded as the easiest or hardest for a Trainer to raise, since they are not as mild-mannered and easy as Bulbasaur but they are not as rash and hard as Charmander and its evolutions.
They are very loyal to their groups, but they get along better with other Pokémon than with humans, and can sometimes have a bit of an attitude towards humans. It is far from uncommon for them to start or join larger groups, such as the Squirtle Squad in Here Comes the Squirtle Squad and a civilization of Squirtle and its evolutions in Beach Blank-Out Blastoise.
Squirtle are scarce in the wild. Sometimes they can be found living on secluded islands in the ocean or swimming in the rivers of deep canyons, but their chief habitat seems to be small freshwater ponds and lakes. Overall they are found far more often in urban settings, usually in the ownership of Trainers. Kanto is the most likely place to find them.