By the time Mama[1] Kadam's jeep rolled to a stop below our apartment building, the sky had turned a deep indigo. The first stars peeked out between drifting purple-lit clouds — remnants of another merging terrain over the Arabian Sea.
My bag was heavier.My shoulders carried more than Pidgeotto.And my heart…
…my heart felt like it was carrying the fate of a city.
I climbed out of the jeep.
Two Eevee hopped down beside me.Mankey leapt onto my back like a backpack with anger issues.Pidgeotto glided down silently, landing on the compound wall.
Mama Kadam locked the jeep and smirked.
"Ready, beta?"
I swallowed hard.
"Honestly? Not at all."
He laughed and slapped my shoulder.
"Too late now."
Before I could even knock—
The door flung open.
My mother stood there, expression shifting between:
shock
relief
panic
emotional meltdown
and motherly anger
All within half a second.
"AAKASH!"
She grabbed me, hugged me, then checked my arms for injuries, then hugged me again.
My father appeared behind her, glasses crooked.
"Are you hurt? Are you okay? Did anything bite you? Sting you? Crush you? Burn you?"
I tried to speak.
"I'm fine, I'm—"
Then both Eevee stepped forward.
Two soft "Vee…" sounds echoed in the hallway.
The effect was instant.
My mother gasped, hands flying to her mouth.
"Ohhhh my god… ohhhh LOOK AT THEM! LOOK AT THEIR EYES! THEY'RE SO CUTE—AAKASH WHAT—HOW—WHEN—"
My father blinked.
"These are… the fox creatures from the stream?"
Both Eevee walked up to him and nuzzled his leg.
He made a sound I had never heard in my life — something between a squeak and a gasp.
"A-are they safe?"
"They're for you, Dad," I said softly. "For you and Mom."
My mother froze mid-swoon.
"For… us?"
"Yes," I nodded. "They chose you."
She burst into tears instantly.
"THEY CHOSE US!? SAGAR, BRING A BLANKET! TWO BLANKETS! AND MILK! AND BISCUITS! AND—AND—OH GOD WE NEED A BED FOR THEM!"
Sagar peeked out of his room with his phone raised, already recording.
"Mom is evolving."
I glared. "Stop recording, idiot."
"Never."
While my parents were busy melting over the Eevee, Mankey hopped off my back and strutted into the living room like he owned the place.
Sagar pointed.
"Is that the monkey from the fight?"
Mankey thumped his chest proudly.
My father gulped."Does… does he bite?"
"Only when provoked," I said.
"Don't provoke him!" my mother shouted immediately.
"Who said I was going to provoke him!?" my father shouted back.
Mankey, sensing dominance being discussed, leapt onto the sofa and struck a gladiator pose.
Sagar burst out laughing.
"Bhai, he's going to beat Dad."
"Over my dead body—" my father began.
Mankey made eye contact with him.
Father went silent.
Immediately.
Mama Kadam walked in behind me and clapped his hands loudly.
"All right! Everyone calm down before someone dies!"
My parents paused.
Sagar kept recording.Mankey flexed harder.
Mama sighed.
"Listen. Your son didn't just wander around the forest today. He helped our people. He healed eight civilians and soldiers. He saved a Beedrill we accidentally shot. And the government just recruited him to lead a Pokémon department."
Both my parents froze.
My father blinked.
"My… my son is… in the government?"
My mother whispered:
"My son is… a leader?"
Mankey nodded approvingly.
I rubbed my forehead.
"Ma… Baba… it's not like that. It's just a small team—"
"It's not small," Mama interrupted. "Colonel Rawat approved ten officers to train under him tomorrow."
Sagar dropped his phone.
"BRO YOU'RE MAKING A SQUAD?!"
I groaned.
"Please stop shouting—"
My father sat down, overwhelmed.
"My son… going into the forest with monsters… leading military personnel… Why couldn't you become software engineer like a normal boy…"
"I technically am!" I protested.
Mother wiped her tears and glared at me in full mother-mode.
"You didn't tell me you were fighting fire dogs!"
"I kept the stream link in the group chat, Ma!"
"You think I had TIME TO WATCH YOUR NONSENSE when my child was in the JUNGLE?!"
The room went silent.
Mankey slowly raised a hand and pointed at me as if saying, Yeah, that one's on you.
One of the Eevee hopped into my mother's arms.
The other gently climbed into my father's lap.
Instant mood reset.
My mother melted into a puddle.
My father's soul left his body from cuteness overload.
"Aakash… beta…" he whispered emotionally. "They're warm."
"And soft!" my mother cried.
"And they chose you both," I said. "They trust you."
My parents hugged their Eevee tighter.
Mankey crossed his arms, offended he didn't get cuddles, until Sagar scratched his head.
Mankey immediately softened.
We all sat in the living room — Pokémon and humans — a brand-new family dynamic forming.
I explained everything:
the consultant role
the Dadar woodland and villa
the new Pokémon Department
my three conditions
tomorrow's training mission
the life-saving berries
the Beedrill incident
the first human-Pokémon rescue operations
My parents listened silently, holding their Eevee like newborns.
My father finally spoke.
"Beta… will it be dangerous?"
"Yes," I said honestly. "But not if we do it right."
My mother whispered, "Then… teach us too."
I looked up.
"Ma?"
She nodded fiercely.
"If you can train police and military… you can train US. We want to know how to live with these babies safely."
My father nodded firmly.
"And how to protect you when you go out there."
My chest tightened.
For a moment, I had no words.
Pidgeotto hopped closer and nudged my cheek. Mankey thumped my back playfully. Both Eevee curled up at my parents' feet.
After dinner — after the chaos, after the crying, after the Eevee cuddles and Dad nearly fainting — I finally dragged myself into my room.
I closed the door gently.
The house was quiet.
Pidgeotto nuzzled my cheek once, chirped softly, then spread her wings and flew out onto the balcony. She perched on the old banyan tree behind our building — her usual roost now — settling her feathers for the night.
Mankey, on the other hand, barely made it two steps into the room before collapsing face-first onto the soft spare mattress I dragged in earlier.
He snored like an idling auto-rickshaw.
I stared at him, exhausted.
Honestly, I wanted to flop onto my bed and pass out instantly.
But I couldn't.
Not tonight.
Too much had happened.
And even more was coming tomorrow.
So I sat at my computer desk, turned on the monitor, and connected my phone.
A folder opened:
"Forest Exploration — Day 1"146 images. 39 short videos.
"Let's get to work," I muttered.
Updating the Pokédex
I began organizing all the footage.
Then I started creating new entries — typing descriptions, behavior notes, danger levels, recommended handling guidelines.
Pokémon Sighted Today (Updated List)
1. Pidgey2. Pidgeotto3. Caterpie4. Metapod5. Butterfree (heard, not seen)6. Growlithe7. Miltank8. Mankey9. Eevee10. Pichu11. Rattata12. Ponyta13. Rapidash14. Tauros15. Beedrill
Fifteen species in one day.More than most research expeditions saw in a year — if research even existed yet.
I added clear pictures where possible:
Pidgeotto mid-wing attack
Caterpie holding an Oran Berry
The glowing Metapod cluster
Growlithe mid-charge
Miltank feeding the baby Pokémon
Eevee cuddling my mom
Mankey glaring like a criminal mugshot
The distant shadow of Rapidash
The Tauros herd behind the grass
A low-res photo of the injured Beedrill (blurred for sensitivity)
Then, with a groan, I opened national news channels, social media feeds, and global livestream snippets.
New Pokémon sightings had erupted across the world today.
Images and videos of:
Spearow flocks near Pune
Krabby scuttling out of Juhu beach
A Slowpoke napping in Goa
A Bellsprout garden in Kerala
A confused Psyduck standing in Chandigarh traffic
A swarm of Zubat emerging from a Bihar cave
A lone Onix sighted near a quarry in Rajasthan (unclear if real)
I added nearly 100 new entries — incomplete, many with "image pending," some with blurry screenshots — but enough for people to understand what might appear around them.
The Pokédex count ticked upward.
198 species.Almost 200.
By the time I finished, the clock read 2:12 AM.
My eyes burned.
My shoulders ached.
But the Pokédex was richer than ever.
I closed the laptop and lay on my bed.
Mankey murmured in his sleep.
Pidgeotto whistled from the banyan tree.
Tomorrow, I would choose the first partners for the first human Pokémon squad.
Which Pokémon would suit which officer?
Which ones were safe?
Which ones were too dangerous?
The questions swirled around me like a storm.
Slowly, sleep crept in.
But the world wasn't sleeping.
**Early Morning — Audience POV
"Who Is This Boy Leading Mumbai?"**
At 7:04 AM, the whole city buzzed.
Phones vibrated.Notifications flooded screens.Screenshots spread like wildfire.
News anchors everywhere appeared on every channel:
"Breaking News: Government announces formation of Mumbai Pokémon Department.""Lead consultant: 17-year-old Aakash Patil.""Teenager behind viral livestream to guide law enforcement in handling Pokémon.""Military confirms cooperation with Aakash after yesterday's incident."
Clips from his livestream played nonstop:
Him feeding Caterpie
Him calming Pidgeotto
The Growlithe battle
Miltank feeding baby Pokémon
The Eevee choosing him
The moment Mankey took his hand
Everywhere the same reactions:
India (General Public)
"A CHILD? He's just a boy!""But he's the only one who knows what he's doing.""Bro saved people yesterday. Let him work.""He treats them like real animals, not demons.""My kid wants to be like him now.""The Eevee picking his parents made me CRY."
Parents Across India
"If my son brought home two fox creatures… I would faint.""He explained everything so calmly. My daughter is obsessed now.""Is he adopting police officers next?""He better keep himself safe."
Mumbai Police WhatsApp Groups
"So we're working with a teenager now?""Did you SEE how that Growlithe behaved with him?""If he can train us, I'm listening.""I want first pick of fire dog."
Indian Military Internal Chat (Leaked)
"Colonel Rawat approved the formation.""This boy has healing abilities.""Beedrill trusted him.""…He may be the key to preventing conflict."
International Reactions
USA:
"This kid might be the only Pokémon expert on Earth.""Monitor India's developments closely."
Japan:
"This is either destiny… or madness."
China:
"Extract knowledge if possible. Observe the boy carefully."
Europe:
"Peaceful cooperation seems possible if guided correctly."
Middle East:
"Energy-based Pokémon could change everything."
Religious Groups:Some called him "touched by divine forces."Others called him "a demon child inviting chaos."
Online communities debated nonstop, splitting into camps:
Team Aakash ("He's our chance for peaceful human-Pokémon coexistence")
Team Fear ("A child shouldn't lead anything; these creatures are dangerous")
Team Meme ("Mankey 2025 Powerlifting Champion")
Team EeveeMom ("Adorable fox angels bless this house")
Meanwhile… in Aakash's Home
His father read the news headline and nearly dropped his tea.His mother clutched her Eevee like a toddler.
Sagar woke Aakash by banging on the door.
"BRO. WAKE UP. YOU'RE ON EVERY NEWS CHANNEL. YOU'RE BASICALLY A SUPERHERO NOW."
Aakash groaned into his pillow.
"…five more minutes."
But the world wasn't going to wait.
Mumbai wasn't going to wait.
And neither were the ten officers arriving soon for training.
The true beginning of his role as the first Pokémon Trainer of India…was about to start.
[1] uncle in marathi