A Pokemon fan has recreated the Squirtle Squad in their pixel art style, similar to the in-game graphics from Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. The Squirtle Squad debuted in the Pokemon anime series in an episode titled “Here Comes the Squirtle Squad” in 1998, and have been fan favorites ever since.
The episode was the last in a brief three episode arc in which Ash caught the three original starter Pokemon, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and then finally Squirtle. Ash’s Squirtle was also originally the leader of the Squirtle Squad, which consisted of Squirtles abandoned by their owners. Famous for their sunglasses and the comical juxtaposition of cute Squirtles playing pranks and stealing, the Squirtle Squad has gained a place on the internet as the go-to example of a cool gang. They're so beloved that it has recently been announced that the Squirtle Squad will soon return to the anime.
Pokemon fan addyxiii mentioned the return of the Squirtle Squad in their Reddit post saying that there is no better time to recreate the iconic episode than just as Pokemon announced that the Squirtle Squad is returning to the anime. Their recreation is quite spectacular; a Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire era style pixel art rendition of Ash and the gang first meeting the Squirtle Squad, with wild Pokemon around in the wilderness, while Team Rocket float above in their Meowth hot air balloon. One commenter posted to say that they wished for Pokemon to release a game that looks that good, and given that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players were not happy about the graphics as well as the bugs, it’s not hard to see why.
Even though Pokemon games have been in 3D for quite some time, for many people the series has connotations of crisp pixel art, which is why artistic fans often enjoy recreating Pokemon in a classic sprite style, such as one Scarlet and Violet fan that created Gen 5 sprites for future paradox Pokemon.
Of course, some fans are eager to see the Pokemon franchise step up to current generation standards, with one fan even recreating N's Castle from Pokemon Black and White in Unreal Engine 5. For most, it seems as though a big draw to Pokemon is the aspect of nostalgia as well as cute and interesting monster design, which is why the Squirtle Squad are a perfect representation of the franchise as a whole for these fans.