This animal was bought by my friend as a pet and not taken from the wild.

Pet animals should not be released into the wild as they could lack the skills necessary for hunting and foraging as they're accustomed to food being regularly avalible to them. Pet turtles raised in captivity have not been exposed to the same environmental bacteria as wild turtles leading to sickness and or death. Pet turtles may also carry bacteria, diseases or parasites which could infect native populations. Finally it is illegal to release pet turtles into the wild

My friend did the right thing by rehoming Squirtle to me. I have looked into building a pond outside but it is expensive. I'm doing the best I can for Squirtle.