We walked deeper into the forest, the canopy thickening overhead, sunlight filtering down in thin golden beams. The drone hummed quietly above us, broadcasting everything to tens of thousands of fascinated (and terrified) viewers.
Mankey swung from branch to branch beside me, brimming with energy after the honey.Pidgeotto occasionally circled overhead, dropping berries into my bag for later.
The team was alert, quiet, disciplined.
Then—
Thud!
A sharp cry!
Snarl—!
We froze instantly.
Captain Kabir raised two fingers. "Contact. Close."
Meera and Bhavesh instinctively reached for their pistols.
I hissed, "Don't draw. Not yet."
Everyone halted. The drone focused ahead.
Another snarl echoed through the brush, followed by the sound of paws scraping against the dirt.
I whispered, "Forward. Slow. Stay low."
We moved through the trees like shadows.
And then we saw it.
A small clearing.
A young Growlithe—smaller than the one I fought yesterday—was facing off against a cornered Rattata. The rodent Pokémon looked terrified, scrambling to escape.
But standing behind it…
Was the same Growlithe from yesterday.
Tail raised. Eyes sharp. Stance calm.
At its feet lay several Oran Berries.
The younger Growlithe lunged and—Thwip!Thwack!Rattata rolled, squeaked, and finally collapsed, panting heavily.
The young Growlithe gave a tiny proud bark.
The older Growlithe stepped forward. Slowly. Gently.
Instead of attacking…
It nudged the Oran Berries toward Rattata.
The trembling mouse sniffed them, then quickly grabbed them and scurried off into the undergrowth.
The team behind me stared, stunned.
Even the chat went silent—then exploded:
[WAIT WHAT??]
[DID HE JUST FEED HIS OPPONENT??]
[THE FIRE DOGS HAVE HONOR???]
[IS THIS TRAINING??]
[WHOLESOME KING]
I stepped out from behind the trees.
Immediately—
Both Growlithe snapped alert, fur bristling.
Captain Kabir stiffened. "Careful."
But then…
The older Growlithe's ears perked.
It blinked.
Then trotted toward me with a happy, rumbling bark—recognition clear in its eyes.
I smiled and crouched down.
"Hey, buddy. Good to see you too."
He bumped his head against my hand warmly.
The younger Growlithe peeked from behind him, cautious but curious, sniffing the air around me and my bag.
I looked at the older one. "Your brother?"
Growlithe barked once—affirmative.
I understood immediately.
"He's training him. Teaching him how to fight. And how to show mercy afterward."
The team listened closely.
Kavya whispered, "Their social behavior is… incredibly structured."
Mama muttered, "Better morals than half the politicians."
The younger Growlithe puffed his chest after hearing that, clearly proud.
I took out a small portion of berry-based Pokémon food and offered it to both.
The older one sniffed it first—recognizing the scent from yesterday—then nudged his brother forward to try it.
The young Growlithe ate with sparkly eyes, tail waving like crazy.
The older one followed, more composed.
After they finished, I placed my palm gently on the older Growlithe's head.
"I need your help. Can you take us to your tribe?"
The older Growlithe hesitated.
For the first time, his expression wasn't confident—it was conflicted.
Growlithe tribes were territorial. Protective. And bringing humans might be seen as a threat.
But then he looked up at me.
At Pidgeotto perched proudly on a branch.
At Mankey cracking his knuckles excitedly (though unnecessarily).
At my team, standing calmly behind me.
Finally, he looked back at me—eyes steady.
A long breath.
Then he nodded.
Slow. Firm. Trusting.
The chat went wild:
[THE FIRE DOG TRUSTS HIM]
[GROWLITHE LEADING THE WAY!!!]
[WE GOING TO THE TRIBE?? THIS IS HUGE!!]
[AKASH PATTIL IS THE DOG WHISPERER]
I stood and bowed my head lightly.
"Thank you."
The older Growlithe turned, gave a sharp bark to his brother, and both began trotting forward—tails high, steps confident.
I signaled to the team.
"Stay close. Stay calm. No sudden movements. Growlithe tribes are proud, strong, and incredibly protective."
Pidgeotto took flight to scout ahead.
Mankey hopped onto my shoulder, watching the fire pups with great interest.
Growlithe led us deeper into the forest.
The trees grew taller—older—until we stepped into a region where the air felt thicker, almost sacred. The drone zoomed out, giving our viewers a sweeping aerial shot of towering redwoods piercing the sky.
Then…
We stepped into a clearing.
The ground was soft with pine needles. Sunlight streamed in golden shafts.
And there it stood:
A massive redwood tree, easily older than any building in Mumbai.Its trunk was hollowed—naturally or by Pokémon—forming a huge cave-like entrance.
The first thing that hit us was the smell:
Warm earth.
Crackling embers.
Faint traces of burnt wood and wildflowers.
A fire-type den.
Mankey clung to my shoulder, tense with excitement.Pidgeotto hovered above, scanning the surroundings like a sentinel.
I stepped forward—
Crunch.
One leaf.
Just one.
But that was enough.
Because on that sound…
The forest woke up.
Fwoosh—
Shadows moved.
One moment the clearing was empty.
The next—
Nearly twenty Growlithe appeared around us in a perfect circle.
Silent.
Coordinated.
Not attacking—but ready.
The team froze.
Captain Kabir whispered, "Where… did they come from?"
Rohan squeaked, "Sir… we're surrounded. Completely surrounded."
Even Mama inhaled sharply. "These little dogs are better than my entire anti-terror squad."
Chat detonated:
[WHERE DID THEY COME FROM??]
[LITERALLY NINJA DOGS]
[THESE DOGS COULD SOLO HALF THE ARMY OMG]
[INDIA IS SAVED WE HAVE FIRE DOG PATROLLERS]
I raised both hands calmly.
"It's okay," I said softly. "They're not attacking. They're assessing."
Every Growlithe stared exclusively at the two brothers leading us.
Eyes sharp.Tails still.No growling, no aggression—just instinctual discipline.
That was when Captain Sethi realized something:
This wasn't just a pack.
This was a military unit.
Trained by nature.
Led by something strong.
The older Growlithe stepped forward, chest puffed, and let out a deep, sharp bark toward the entrance of the hollowed redwood.
A pause.
Silence.
Then—
Thoom.
The ground vibrated.
Not violently… but with weight.
Something heavy stepped inside the redwood cave.
The chat went quiet.
Every officer stiffened.
Mankey stood frozen.
Pidgeotto landed silently behind me.
I held my breath.
Then—
A massive shape emerged from the shadows.
An Arcanine.
Not just any Arcanine.
A… giant.
He stepped into the light, and the world seemed to shrink around him.
Flaming orange fur with black stripes flowing like living fire.
A mane of white and gold, thick and majestic.
Eyes wise, intelligent, but fierce.
Height?
At least 2.3 meters.Taller than me by far.Taller than most humans.
The chat erupted into absolute chaos:
[THAT'S NOT AN DOG THAT'S A LION KING]
[2.3 METERS?? HELLO???]
[THE DOG GOD HAS ARRIVED]
[INDIA'S FIRST LEGENDARY-LOOKING POKÉMON???]
[EARTH JUST GOT A FIRE LION OMG]
Even Captain Kabir whispered, barely audible:
"…this thing could wrestle a tiger… and win."
Mama muttered, "Brat… if this one gets angry, we run. You understand?"
I swallowed hard.
But the Arcanine didn't roar.
He didn't growl.
He simply stood… observing.
Regal.
Proud.
Commanding.
The two Growlithe brothers barked softly—reporting, it seemed.
The Arcanine lowered his head slightly. Not submission. Recognition.
Acceptance.
I slowly stepped forward, heart pounding.
"Thank you… for allowing us here," I said quietly.
The Arcanine's eyes softened.Then he inhaled once—deep.
Evaluating me.
Recognizing my scent.
Recognizing Pidgeotto.
Recognizing the young Mankey on my shoulder.
Recognizing the two brothers beside him.
Then… a gentle rumbling sound.
A soft, warm, approving huff.
Not threat.
Welcome.
For the first time in hours, my team exhaled.
Captain Kabir murmured, "This… is unbelievable."
Ritu whispered into her mic, "Chat is spamming heart emojis and fire icons. They've fallen in love."
Mama leaned close. "Brat… don't mess this up."
I didn't plan to.
The Arcanine stepped forward, towering over me.
When he looked down, I felt an instinctive urge to bow—but I held firm and stood respectfully straight.
Then, slowly…
Arcanine touched his forehead against mine.
A sign of trust.
A sign of acknowledgement.
The viewers lost their collective minds:
[HE JUST HEADBOOPED THE HUMAN]
[THE BIG FIRE DOG ACCEPTED HIM]
[THE FIRST FIRE-GUARDIAN OF INDIA]
[THIS IS SOME ANIME MAIN CHARACTER MOMENT OMG]
I stepped back gently and inhaled shakily.
"…Alright," I murmured to the team.
"Let's begin learning about the Fire Tribes."
The Arcanine took a seat, watching us calmly.
And for the first time…
We weren't observers.
We were honored guests.