Stopped by the doorbell

Your broken from your decision making by the door bell. You quickly turned off your....toy, and make your way downstairs to see a surprising sight. Professor Oak with a solemn smile on his face, as one of his rarely seen Pokemon Cleo (Abra) floating at shoulder hight beside him looking at your Charmander trying to comfort a crying.....

"Squirtle!? What are you..? were is Blue?"

Squirtle is crying as your Charmander and mom try to console him while I walk up to Oak for answers.

"Sigh. It would seem that after losing to you, Blue decided to go catch a Rattata and Pidgey, before returning to my lab, tossing Squirtle (in his ball) to me and said; Keep it I don't need it anymore."

This floored you. The idea.....the very notion, that someone would just ABANDON there STARTER like that was unheard of. There first partner the one you forge your first bonds with. You had heard countless stories of up-and-coming champions and interviews from just-now-became champions that there starter was there best friend and the one that's been with them to the end. To throw them away after getting a few new pokemon was just....wrong.

You silently took a seat next to Squirtle and gave him a big hug, Charmander joining by hugging his back

"After he left I got Cleo hear to read his mind with his OK to find out what was going on. And you can guess I wasn't happy with this. But The most important thing was finding out what Squirtle wanted so again with Cleo's help I asked what he would like to do. He wanted to see if YOU and your Charmander would like to take him with you on your journey."

You were surprised at this. I mean sure he knew you for about as much time as he knew Blue, but a Pokemon WANTING to be with a new trainer after being abandoned. As you continued to hug Squirtle you were reminded of something Blue said a while back:

"oh please. Don't you know you should never name your Pokemon you'll just get attached to them, and then when they get killed you'll be upset."

You dry your eyes as you look the Pokemon in his big round ones

"I'd be honored to be your pokemon trainer Tank, what do you think Ace?"

"Tank" smiled broadly at your acceptance and giving him my name, who gave "Ace" a smile too, who was jumping up and down happy to be given a name too. You spared a glance from the two dancing in a circle holding hands as you look back at prof Oak.

"Don't take this the Wrong Way, Professor but your Grandson is an asshole. If he did this to his starter then what's to say he won't do this to every pokemon he gets when he loses?"

I half regretted saying that because as Oak sighed he seemed to age ten years for a moment, before standing straighter and gaining a steely glint in his eyes.

"Sadly there is nothing technically wrong with releasing your pokemon, but the context does put this in a pretty morally gray area. So....sigh. I'm going to have to send out an observation warning to every pokecenter, police precinct, and gym in the region, to look in on Blue. If any of them spot or are reported to that my grandson has been abusing his pokemon. he will lose his license, and will be charged at the fullest extent of the law. I'm hoping that this was simply a rash and instantly regretted decision on his part, and he will seek to do better with what he has now. But such actions have consequences, which is why I felt Squirtle here shouldn't suffer just because his previous owner was....an asshole as you put it."

As hands you Squirtle's ball you make a vow to yourself;

'No matter what happens or were you may go, you partners will be there with you.'