Now, I'm going to be honest with you, dear readers: I'm hugely biased toward Squirtle and its following evolutions! Can you blame me? Squirtle is adorable, Wartortle is cool while still claiming some of that cute charm, and Blastoise is a tank! 

As far as evolutionary lines go, this one has a lot to offer. But, as always, I promise to do my best to be fair and just in my analysis. 

So let's dive into it! 

(Did you catch my pun?)

Type Factor: 

Unlike the last two Pokémon we've reviewed, Squirtle's line does not have any type combination. Some people might see this as a downside, but remember that Charizard's type combination wasn't all that helpful in terms of typing advantages. 

Although the lack of combination means that there are no extra protections against weaknesses or added advantages over other types, it also avoids the possibility of burdening Squirtle with extra weaknesses. It's a simple, constant amount of advantages and disadvantages to account for. Basically, Squirtle's simplicity can be seen as an advantage all of its own!

Design Factor: 

What I love most about Squirtle's evolutionary design is that no matter what stage it is in, it manages to look cool at a cucumber in all of them. Squirtle's cuteness is front and center, but behind it is a hint of cool confidence that reminds me of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

With Wartortle, the coolness comes into greater view while still maintaining an air of cuteness with the tufts on its head and the swirls on its tail. When it fully evolves into Blastoise, the cool factor is in plain view for all to see. I mean, come on—it has GUNS on its BODY. Does it get much cooler than that?

Lore Factor: 

Admittedly, there isn't much interesting said in Squirtle's Pokédex entry. But Wartortle's is a whole other story. 

According to the Pokédex, Wartortle can live up to ten thousand years! Whether or not this is just a myth or is actually factual is debatable, but it nevertheless provides us with some really interesting lore! 

As for Blastoise, the Pokédex states that it can shoot powerful jets of water straight through solid steel. Overall, the Pokédex suggests that this evolutionary line is impressive enough to warrant mythos of longevity and strong enough to deserve it.

Stats Factor: 

I said it once and I'll say it again: Blastoise is a tank. 

The strongest stats your Blastoise will have will be special defense, closely followed by defense. Its attack and special attack stats aren't as powerful as I would like, and its speed isn't very commendable. But with a strong move set, Blastoise's solid defense will make it a formidable foe.

Evolutionary Factor: 

I think this evolutionary line does a good job shaking things up while still remaining dependable. Although it doesn't have the clear diversity that Charizard's does, each stage is still new enough to warrant surprise. 

Plus, in my opinion, Squirtle's line doesn't need to change much to be interesting. What makes the Pokémon so compelling is that it sticks to its cool composure while still undergoing significant change.

Conclusion: 

So, how was I? Was I too biased? You can't blame me for praising this Pokémon when it obviously has so much to commend! 

There's a reason the anime featured the Squirtle Squad, after all. The creators themselves recognized the sheer cool attitude this evolutionary line emanates. So if you need a teammate that is going to keep things cool while getting the job done, Squirtle is the choice for you. 

To my fellow researchers:

What are your thoughts on Squirtle? Compared to the other two Kanto starter Pokémon, how do you think Squirtle matches up? Does it compete well with Bulbasaur and Charmander, or does it leave things left to be desired? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!