By the time Mankey placed his tiny hand in mine, the shadows across the pasture had grown long. Sunlight filtered through the treetops at a low angle—warm, golden, unmistakably late afternoon.
I checked the time.
4:58 PM.
"…Already evening? Damn. I planned a day trip, not an overnight adventure."
Pidgeotto chirped, shaking off leftover dust from the battle.The two Eevee trotted beside me, occasionally bumping into my leg, their soft tails brushing my hand.Mankey marched ahead with his chest puffed out, acting like he had just conquered the entire Aarey forest.
The forest behind us rustled with unseen creatures. The Tauros herd seemed to settle down. The Miltank mooed softly one last time before fading into the tree line.
It was time to head back.
The route home was long, winding, and strangely quiet.More than once, I heard distant rustling—shuffling leaves, heavy footfalls, faint cries of Pokémon I didn't recognize.
But every time Pidgeotto tilted her head sharply, I shook mine.
"No. We're not checking that. Not today."
The chat agreed for once:
[BRO DON'T GET GREEDY]
[U HAVE 3 NEW TEAM MEMBERS AND WANT MORE??]
[LEAVE BEFORE NIGHT CREATURES COME OUT]
And they were right.
I had three new partners.
And a family waiting for me.
Wandering into danger now would be stupid.
So I continued walking—alert but not reckless.
With about half an hour to go before reaching the edge of the forest, things felt… peaceful.The Eevee stuck close.Mankey swung from low branches, occasionally flexing at the camera.Pidgeotto soared overhead, scouting the route.
I tapped the mic.
"So… let's talk."
Chat perked up instantly:
[SERIOUS TIME??]
[WHAT NOW??]
[MANKEY IS DOING PARKOUR IN THE BACKGROUND LOL]
I smiled at that.
"I want to address something important. Today—you saw Pokémon being gentle, playful, curious. You saw them acting like families. Like protectors. Like… like normal animals."
The comments slowed to a thoughtful pace.
"But you also saw them fight. You saw Pidgeotto, Growlithe, Mankey. Pokémon have power. Real power. Enough to hurt humans if they're scared or threatened."
I paused, choosing my words.
"Pokémon aren't evil. They're not demons. They're not monsters. If you treat them like companions… partners… they can be your sword, your shield, your emotional support. And for the world—your industry, your agriculture, your medicine—Pokémon will change everything."
The chat filled with:
[WHAT KIND OF INDUSTRIES??]
[CAN THEY REALLY HELP WITH JOBS??]
[BRO IS TALKING LIKE A MINISTER]
I kept walking.
"We'll talk about that soon. But not today."
Branches snapped behind us.Mankey turned, cracked his knuckles—then relaxed when the noise faded.Good boy.
About 15 minutes from the forest edge, I decided it was time.
"Okay everyone," I said gently, "I know people from other countries are watching too. Governments. Military. Scientists. Maybe even people who see Pokémon as threats."
The chat froze.
"So tell me—what do humans fight wars over? What causes conflict between nations?"
Answers flooded instantly:
[Honestly? Land. People kill each other over borders every generation.]
[Resources bro. Water, minerals, everything. My dad works in government hydro dept. It's ALWAYS about resources.]
[Fuel. Don't even pretend oil wars didn't happen. Whole countries burned for petrol.]
[People hate each other. Simple. Some countries look at others like enemies from birth.]
[Revenge. Old grudges that never die. My grandparents still talk about the partition like it happened yesterday.]
[Power. Someone always wants to be number one.]
[Supremacy complexes. My country thinks it's better than everyone else.]
[Sometimes leaders just… want war. For ego. The people don't even get a choice.]
[Religion causes half the conflicts too, let's be real.]
[Not religion—people USING religion.]
[True true true]
[Basically humans suck lmao]
Someone even typed:
[Pokémon gonna watch us and think "wow they're worse than wild Mankey"]
Another replied:
[Bro a Mankey has more self-control than most politicians]
I nodded slowly.
"You're right. But most major wars—most conflicts—are about three main things:
Livable land. Resources. Fuel.
And then the harder things:
Hatred. Anger. Supremacy."
I stepped over a fallen branch, careful not to disturb a line of tiny gray bugs marching across it.
"The last three? We can't fix those overnight. That's humanity. That's history. That's ego."
I paused.
"But the first three? With Pokémon, we can solve them."
Chat exploded again:
[HOW??]
[WHAT DO YOU MEAN??]
[EXPLAIN PLEASE]
I kept my voice calm but firm.
"Earth is expanding. Pokémon worlds are merging into ours. That means new land—fertile, untouched, abundant. Resources? Some Pokémon literally create resources. Some grow food. Some produce energy. Fuel? Fire types, electric types, water types—they can revolutionize everything from power plants to agriculture."
Pidgeotto landed on my shoulder, as if backing me up.
"I promise I'll explain all of this in the coming days. How each Pokémon can help humanity. How we can build a world where conflict becomes unnecessary."
The chat was a storm of reactions:
[BRO TRYING TO ACHIEVE WORLD PEACE WITH AN APP AND A BIRD]
[NO FR HE'S RIGHT THO]
[THIS IS BIGGER THAN WE THOUGHT]
[IS HE BECOMING A LEADER??]
[WORLD GOVT WATCHING RN PROBABLY SWEATING]
I chuckled lightly.
"I'm not trying to be anything. I'm just someone who got a second chance. Someone who wants to prevent a disaster."
And right then, through the thinning trees—
A strip of road appeared.
I had reached the edge of the forest.
"Well… that's it for today."
I raised my hand to wave.
"Thank you for joining me, everyone. We met new friends, built new bonds, and learned a lot."
The chat begged:
[NOOO DON'T END]
[WE WANT MORE]
[SHOW MOM'S REACTION WHEN YOU BRING 3 POKEMON HOME]
I sighed, smiling.
"Sorry, guys. Stream ends here."
I tapped the screen.
Livestream Ended.
The forest faded.The screen went black.
And I took my first step back out of the forest
Stepping out of the forest should've been a relief.
Instead, I froze.
The clearing that had been silent in the morning was now a full-blown operations zone.
Barricades ran in a clean semicircle about fifteen meters from the forest edge.Police tape.Sandbag firing positions.High-powered floodlights ready to activate.Dozens of officers and soldiers moved in a coordinated formation.
It looked like the entrance to a disaster site.Or a war front.
Two tents stood near the middle:A large green command tent and a white medical tent.
Pidgeotto stiffened on my shoulder.Mankey's tail bristled.The Eevee pressed close to my legs.
Yeah… they sensed the tension too.
Just then, two figures walked out of the command tent—one in Mumbai Police uniform, the other in military camouflage.
And the moment I saw the police officer—
My breath caught.
"MAMA!?"
Police Inspector Yashwant Kadam—my mother's brother—stopped mid-step.
Then his eyes widened.
"You rascal!"
Before I could react, he marched forward and pulled me into a tight hug.
"Do you have any idea," he said, smacking the back of my head lightly, "how much commotion you caused today?! My phone hasn't stopped ringing!"
I scratched my head awkwardly.
"Hehehe… surprise?"
Mama Kadam glared but his lip twitched.
Behind him, the military officer remained still, analyzing me with calm eyes.
"Mama," I said quickly, "who's that?"
Inspector Kadam turned and gestured.
"This," he said, "is Captain Kabir Sethi, 5th Rapid Response Battalion. Good friend. He's the reason half the army here didn't fire by accident."
Captain Sethi stepped forward, offering a firm handshake.
Up close, he looked every bit the soldier—tall, lean, sharp eyes that missed nothing.
"Aakash," he said, "you handled yourself well in the forest. Better than many trained scouts. Your livestream helped us understand more than you know."
My stomach dropped.
Oh god. The military watched my stream.
Sethi smirked as if reading my thoughts.
"Don't worry. Nobody wants to arrest you. If anything… your actions probably saved a few soldiers' lives today."
Mama Kadam grunted.
"Your Pidgeotto scared two constables so much they almost ran home."
I winced.
"Sorry."
He sighed. "Come. Seniors want to talk."
Inside the Command Tent
The moment I entered, the noise hit me:
Radios crackling.Keyboards tapping.Officers shouting coordinates.Laptop screens showing thermal scans of the forest.Maps pinned across tables with colored markers.
This wasn't a police booth.
This was a battlefield headquarters.
At the center sat two men over a command table.
The first I recognized immediately.
Deputy Police Commissioner Amar Sawant.One of Mumbai's most respected officers… and a veteran of the 26/11 attack.I had met him once at Mama's house years ago—he was intense but kind.
The second was a broad-shouldered, heavily decorated army officer—the type whose presence filled the whole tent.
The name tag read:
Colonel B. K. Rawat
His uniform carried more medals than I could count.The kind of man who had seen war, survived it, and still got up every morning for more.
When they saw me, both stood.
DCP Sawant smiled faintly.
"Beta Aakash. Good to see you again."
Colonel Rawat gave a respectful nod.
"A very good evening, son."
I swallowed.
"Good… evening, sir."
DCP Sawant gestured toward an empty seat.
"Sit. We have a lot to discuss."
I sat down, Eevee climbing into my lap like emotional support plush toys.Mankey hopped onto the back of my chair, scanning every person suspiciously.Pidgeotto stood behind me, feathers raised ever so slightly—protective.
Everyone in the tent stared at my team with varying levels of awe and caution.
Mama Kadam leaned down and whispered:
"Control your monkey. He looks like he wants to punch a colonel."
I whispered back:
"He always looks like that."
DCP Sawant didn't waste time.
"Aakash… today your livestream reached every major intelligence agency in the world. We have reports from Delhi, Washington, Beijing, Tokyo… Everyone is watching."
My stomach tightened.
Mama Kadam placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.
Colonel Rawat leaned forward, fingers steepled.
"You have knowledge about these creatures—Pokémon—that no one on Earth should logically possess."
I felt sweat gather on my palms.
He continued, voice low:
"And yet… everything you said matched the behavior we observed today.The creatures responded to you with trust.They listened.They did not attack."
Pidgeotto gave a proud chirp, as if saying obviously.
Rawat's eyes flicked to her, unreadable.
"We need to understand, son. Where did this knowledge come from? How far does it go? And… what are your intentions?"
The air grew heavy.
Even the tent noise faded.
This was it.
The real conversation.
Not the stream.Not the jokes.Not the exploration.
The first meeting between a future Trainer—and the people responsible for India's safety.