A/N: Chapter 9 mankey's level updated/ changed from 15 to 9. as he he is a newborn may be a month old.
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The forest swallowed us whole the moment we stepped past the barricades.
Except… this time was different.
This time, I wasn't streaming from my phone or a GoPro strapped to my chest.
This time, my "camera" followed us from above — a compact military-grade reconnaissance drone, its rotors whisper-quiet as it glided through the treetops.
Operated by Ritu Jain.
"Drone feed is live," she said, tapping her tablet. "Audio stable, visuals stable. Chat already at sixty thousand viewers."
"Sixty WHAT?" I choked.
Ritu didn't look up. "It jumped the moment they saw Beedrill in the thumbnail. Public is addicted to danger, apparently."
Mankey snorted like typical humans.
Somewhere behind us, Mama muttered, "Beta, don't do anything stupid. Your mother will kill me before any Pokémon can."
I sighed and faced the drone.
"Okay everyone… welcome back."
The chat instantly flooded:
[NEW STREAM NEW STREAM LET'S GOOO]
[BRO WHAT IS THAT CAMERA ANGLE???]
[WHY IS THE FOOTAGE SO SMOOTH??]
[IS THAT A DRONE?? IN A FOREST??]
"Yep," I said, walking under the green canopy. "Today's livestream is coming from a military drone. Much safer than me holding a phone while something tries to bite me."
Behind me, Captain Kabir gave a disapproving grunt.
"Prefer if nothing tries to bite anyone today, sir."
"Same here."
The drone angled sideways, capturing the entire team marching behind me in a loose triangle formation:
Yashwant "Mama" KadamCaptain Kabir SethiMeera IyerRohan DeshpandeDr. Kavya SharmaLt. Arjun SinghCpl. Imran QureshiRitu JainBhavesh MoreTanisha Kulkarni
Ten people — the first ever Pokémon Department Field Team.
Viewers went feral:
[WE HAVE A REAL TEAM NOW OMG]
[MILITARY + POLICE + FOREST + FIRE???]
[THIS IS INDIA'S AVENGERS]
[WHO IS THE GIRL WITH THE TABLET?? SHE'S OP]
[WHY DOES THE MONKEY LOOK LIKE HE WANTS TO FIGHT THE DRONE]
Mankey glared at the drone as if trying to figure out how to punch something flying ten meters up.
I cleared my throat.
"For everyone watching — these people behind me? They're the first human team officially trained to work with Pokémon. The Mumbai Pokémon Department is real, and this is our first mission."
Chat lost its mind.
[POKÉMON DEPARTMENT???]
[SO GOVT IS WORKING WITH HIM???]
[17-YEAR-OLD LEADING A JOINT FORCE??? INDIA IS DIFFERENT]
[POKÉMON COP UNIT LET'S GOOOO]
"And," I continued calmly, "today is special. We're not looking for battles. Or exploration. We're following Beedrill."
The drone dipped lower and shifted focus onto the yellow-black Pokémon hovering ahead of us, leading the way with slow, deliberate movements.
Chat immediately panicked:
[BRO WHY FOLLOW THAT THING]
[NOPE NOPE NOPE THIS IS WHERE I DRAW THE LINE]
[BEEDRILL = TERROR]
[IS THAT THE SAME ONE THAT ATTACKED PEOPLE YESTERDAY??]
"Yes," I said. "This is the Beedrill from yesterday's incident. He was injured, but we healed him. Now he's taking us to meet his queen."
Mama hissed under his breath.
"Stop saying it like that, you'll give people heart attacks."
But it was too late.
Chat:
[QUEEN???]
[THERE ARE MORE OF THESE???]
[WHY IS HE SO CASUAL ABOUT THIS]
"Listen up," I said firmly, turning serious.
"Beedrill are NOT friendly. They are territorial Pokémon. Meaning if you enter their land without permission, they WILL attack. Yesterday's incident? People wandered into their territory recklessly. That's why they were stung."
The forest grew quieter.
Beedrill paused ahead of us, buzzing lightly — almost urging us to keep pace.
I continued:
"So today's mission is diplomacy. To talk. To explain to their colony that humans don't want war."
Even on the drone footage, the tension was obvious.
Rohan whispered, "Sir, how many Beedrill do you think we'll meet?"
I glanced at him.
"Do you want the comforting lie or the terrifying truth?"
"…the lie."
"At most ten."
"And the truth?"
I exhaled.
"Fifty to a hundred."
Rohan immediately regretted asking.
Chat agreed:
[NOPE. END STREAM.]
[I WOULD RATHER FIGHT A TAUROS THAN A SWARM OF BEEDRILL]
[MANKILLA INTRO MUSIC STARTS PLAYING]
I held up a hand.
"But don't worry — we're not walking in there uninvited. Our friend here will vouch for us."
Beedrill glanced back at us, then continued forward with a steady hum.
The forest grew darker.
Denser.
Buzzing sounds began echoing faintly — not threatening, but present.
My team tensed instinctively.
Even Pidgeotto, usually calm, lowered her body slightly and spread her wings halfway — ready to shield me if needed.
Mankey was trembling.
Not in fear.
In excitement.
I whispered, "Not now, buddy. This is not the time to punch strangers."
He reluctantly lowered his fists.
The drone feed zoomed ahead — focusing on a narrow path lined with thick trees covered in sticky, silk-like residue.
Beedrill turned toward it…
…and pointed its stinger forward.
An invitation.
I swallowed hard.
"Alright everyone," I said, stepping forward.
"Stream, stay with us. Team, stay close."
My pulse quickened.
My steps grew slow.
Beedrill hovered just ahead — a silent guide into unknown territory.
I took a breath.
And led the first human Pokémon team…
Into the Beedrill hive.
A rustle.
Then dozens of Weedle peeked from branches above — small orange worm Pokémon with poisonous stingers on their heads.
Mankey tensed, fists raising.
"No," I warned quietly. "They're just watching."
I raised a hand to the drone.
"Everyone watching—this is Weedle. Poison-type Pokémon. Very common in forest biomes."
Chat erupted:
[CUTE BUT DEADLY??][WHY DOES IT HAVE A SPIKE ON ITS HEAD BRO][THAT THING LOOKS LIKE IT WILL STAB ME]
I nodded grimly.
"Weedle look harmless, but their horn injects venom strong enough to paralyze a person. Avoid touching them. Avoid touching anything that might be their nest."
Even the officers stepped a little farther from the trunks.
As we continued forward, the forest grew quieter.
Until—
The drone light hit something golden.
A cluster of Kakuna, hanging like cocoons from low branches. Their hardened shells gleamed like metal, completely still except for a faint internal pulse of life.
Ritu zoomed in.
The chat lost it:
[WHY IS IT STARING WITHOUT EYES][IS IT ALIVE??][THAT LOOKS LIKE AN ALIEN EGG CHAMBER]
I lowered my voice.
"These are Kakuna. They're in metamorphosis. Inside them, Weedle are evolving into Beedrill. When they hatch, they'll be extremely fast and extremely protective."
Mama whispered behind me,
"That thing looks like it'd hatch and chase me for fun."
I didn't disagree.
"To everyone watching—Kakuna are high risk. They don't move now, but if they sense their colony threatened, they'll call Beedrill instantly."
Chat:
[I'M SCARED BUT ALSO FASCINATED][THESE ARE LIKE COCOON SOLDIERS][BEE ARMY TRAINING Grounds?!]
Then the forest opened…And we saw them.
Dozens.
Maybe hundreds.
A full Beedrill swarm, circling a massive tree with a honeycomb-like structure grown around its trunk like an organic fortress.
Every member of my team froze.
Captain Sethi whispered, "This… is a military base. A flying one."
Even the drone trembled a little.
The escorting Beedrill buzzed a pattern, and the entire swarm parted, creating a path.
I exhaled slowly.
"Stay behind me. No sudden moves."
Mama muttered,
"Brat, if I get stung, tell your aunt I love her."
At the base of the giant hive-tree stood a Beedrill larger than all the others — wings broader, stingers polished like obsidian.
The Queen.
She hovered forward, wings thrumming with controlled power.
I bowed slightly — not subservient, just respectful.
"Thank you for letting us come."
A refined buzz answered — not aggressive, but cautious.
The drone hovered overhead, viewers glued to their screens.
[QUEEN BEE???][LOOK AT HER SIZE WTF][SHE COULD ONE-SHOT A HUMAN][BRO BE CAREFUL PLEASE]
I stepped forward.
"We came to talk, not fight."
The Queen lowered her stinger in acknowledgement.
Behind me, my team looked like statues.
I explained slowly, "Humans don't want to enter your territory by mistake. Your colony doesn't want to sting humans by mistake. So let's make borders."
The Queen tilted her head.
I pointed to my team.
"They will spray markings around your land. Yellow paint. A border."
The Queen let out a soft buzz — permission granted.
I nodded at the team.
"Pairs of two. Quietly. Follow the escort Beedrill. Mark everything."
Captain Sethi barked orders, and soon eight officers, in pairs, were walking the perimeter with spray cans.
Leaving me… with Mama and Ritu.
Ritu whispered into her mic,
"Chat is losing their minds. Some saying diplomacy speedrun, some calling this first alien treaty."
Mama whispered,
"Beta… be careful. This looks peaceful but one wrong step and you'll be kabab."
I pulled out the pouch of food pellets I made last night.
"These are energy pellets. Safe. Nutritious. Made from berries."
The Queen sniffed — wary.
I placed one gently on a leaf and stepped back.
She approached cautiously… tasted it… buzzed in surprise.
Then took two more.
A good sign.
Next thing I knew, a few Beedrill began gathering closer — curious.
After a moment, the Queen buzzed something deeper — a signal.
Two Beedrill flew into the hive-tree and returned with a thick, golden slab dripping honey.
They placed it gently at my feet.
About enough to fill a 500ml bottle.
I blinked.
Then smiled.
"Thank you. This is… a gift?"
She nodded.
I rubbed the back of my neck.
"In the future… if you have extra honey… would you like to trade? More food for more honey?"
A pause.
Then a deliberately soft buzz.
Agreement.
I bowed again.
"Once a week, I'll send someone. No humans will enter your territory uninvited."
Ritu whispered loudly,
"CHAT IS LOSING THEIR MINDS. INDIA JUST GOT ITS FIRST TRADE AGREEMENT WITH ALIEN BEES."
Mama wiped his forehead.
"I can't believe I'm watching my sister's son negotiate with a queen bee."
One by one, the pairs returned from marking the territory.
Even they looked stunned.
"Sir," Arjun said, "the Beedrill escorted us like trained soldiers."
"Sir," Imran added, "not a single one tried to sting us."
Mama muttered, "Because my nephew made friends with their queen somehow."
The Queen Beedrill buzzed loudly — not aggressive, but dismissing us politely.
Time to leave.
I bowed one last time.
"We'll honor the boundary. Thank you."
Then I motioned to the team.
"Let's head out. Slowly."
As we walked back and the hive disappeared behind the trees, Ritu whispered:
"Aakash… do you realize what just happened?"
I exhaled.
"We just formed the first human-Pokémon alliance."
It was almost comical — ten trained officers, plus one police inspector and a military captain… all sighing like they'd just escaped a lion's den.
Mama wiped his forehead dramatically.
"Brat… if all missions are like this, I'm retiring tomorrow."
Ritu whispered, "Chat numbers crossed eighty thousand. They all thought we were going to die."
I was about to answer when a shadow swooped overhead.
Pidgeotto.
She dove down gracefully, landing in front of me with a proud chirp — but her eyes weren't on me.
They were on my bag.
At the same time, Mankey hopped down from the branch he'd been pretending not to be nervous on… and immediately crouched in front of my backpack like a tiger stalking prey.
The team froze.
Captain Kabir raised an eyebrow. "Patil… why do your Pokémon look like they're about to rob you?"
The chat spammed:
[WHAT DO THEY WANT??][BAG RAID INCOMING][DID HE PACK SNACKS FOR THEM??][MONKEY ABOUT TO LOOT THE BAG]
I sighed.
Not now, guys. I'll make lunch soon."
Pidgeotto's feathers puffed in disappointment.
Mankey smacked my boot lightly, insisting.
"Soon," I repeated, pointing to the ground. "Sit."
To everyone's shock…
Both Pokémon sat obediently.
Captain Kabir blinked. "You… trained them to SIT?"
"I didn't. They're just hungry."
More confusion from the team.
So I explained:
"I'm going to make Pokémon food. SPECIAL Pokémon food."
Mama crossed his arms."Brat, what exactly is inside that special food?"
'Something I remembered from the knowledge I got.' I said inwardly.
I opened my bag and gently pulled out the half-eaten golden honeycomb the Queen Beedrill had gifted earlier inside the hive.
The sweet scent drifted into the air.
Pidgeotto chirped eagerly.
Mankey's pupils dilated like he'd found enlightenment.
The team recoiled with a mix of awe and fear.
"T-That's…" Meera whispered.
"Yes," I confirmed."Beedrill honeycomb. The same one the Queen gave me earlier."
The drone zoomed in dramatically as the sunlight hit the honeycomb.
Chat detonated instantly:
[OMG WE SAW THIS EARLIER][THE QUEEN'S HONEY][LOOKS LIKE LIQUID GOLD][BRO THAT'S TREASURE][IF MONKEY EATS THAT WILL HE GO SUPER SAIYAN]
I turned serious.
"Everyone watching — Beedrill honey is one of the most nutrient-dense substances in the Pokémon world. It boosts energy, recovery, and growth. Pokémon LOVE it."
Mankey nodded vigorously like YES YES LOVE IT GIVE IT.
Pidgeotto gently tapped the honeycomb with her beak.
Even the team leaned in, fascinated.
I knelt on the ground and carefully removed the large slab of golden honeycomb the Queen had gifted us. Even untouched, it glowed under sunlight—thick, rich, fragrant.
Carefully, slowly, I scraped the surface and funneled the golden honey into an empty 500 ml bottle.
It filled up perfectly.
Warm.
Aromatic.
Pure.
The chat lost their minds:
[THAT LOOKS ILLEGALY GOOD]
[I CAN SMELL IT THROUGH THE SCREEN OMG]
[POKÉMON HONEY EXPORTS WHEN?? INDIA COOKING]
There was still a little honey left in the comb—soft pockets of golden sweetness clinging to the wax.
I broke a small section off.
Mankey's eyes widened like he had just witnessed divine intervention.
"Okay, buddy," I said, laughing. "Just a little."
He snatched it happily, gobbling it down and vibrating with joy.
His tail puffed up like a bottlebrush.
Pidgeotto chirped impatiently.
"I didn't forget you. Hold on."
She chirped proudly and flew off into the trees to gather lunch ingredients.
Then I turned to my human team.
"Here," I said, passing the remaining bits on a leaf platter. "Try some."
Every single one of them hesitated.
Mama squinted. "Are you sure this won't… mutate me?"
"Just taste it."
One by one, they each took a small dab.
Captain Sethi's eyes widened sharply.
"…this is better than any honey I've ever tasted."
Meera blinked. "It's warm… how is it warm?"
Kavya looked like she was analyzing the flavor profile on a molecular level.
Rohan froze stiff for three seconds, then whispered, "Sir… I think I just saw god."
Tanisha carefully licked her portion and smiled. "This could feed hospitals."
Even Imran, the medic, nodded. "Nutrient density is insane. No wonder Pokémon love it."
Chat immediately went ballistic:
[INDIA ABOUT TO START A HONEY EMPIRE]
[WE NEED THIS IN STORES]
I stood up.
"Alright team. let's move deeper. There's more forest to map today."
Mankey already hopped ahead excitedly.
Pidgeotto flew off to collect berries for lunch berries.
My team adjusted their packs and equipment.
Chat steadied as the drone followed above.
And together…
We kept walking into the heart of Aarey's new Pokémon world.