The atmosphere inside the clearing was thick—warm, reverent, expectant.
Arcanine, the gigantic fire guardian, sat like a living statue of flame and muscle. His mane rippled softly with heat waves. His eyes glowed amber beneath the sunlight.
I turned slightly toward the drone camera.
"This," I said quietly, "is an Arcanine… the evolved form of Growlithe."
Chat erupted instantly:
[HE'S HUGE OMG]
[HOW DID HE GET SO TALL??]
[DID HE EAT PROTEIN POWDER FOR 10 YEARS]
I raised a hand.
"Normally, a fully grown Arcanine stands around 1.9 meters at the shoulder."
Ritu zoomed the drone slightly above Arcanine, giving the world a size comparison.
"But this one… is 2.3 meters. Taller. Broader. Stronger. Much stronger."
The team exchanged uneasy looks.
Captain Kabir whispered, "This is no ordinary Pokémon."
I nodded.
"He might be what they call an Overlord Species."
More question marks exploded in chat.
[OVERLORD??]
[WHAT DOES THAT MEAN]
[RAID BOSS??]
"Let me explain," I said gently. "Sometimes in the wild, a Pokémon is born… different. Bigger. Smarter. More powerful. They naturally become leaders or guardians. Arcanine here is one of those."
Arcanine's ears twitched, acknowledging my words with calm pride.
I approached him slowly—not out of fear, but respect.
Pidgeotto stayed perched silently on a branch, watching.Mankey stood beside my leg, tail bristling with awe.
When I stood before the Fire King, I pulled out what little was left of the Pokémon energy pellets I'd made earlier, and a small portion of Beedrill honey.
"I offer this as gratitude for welcoming us," I said softly.
Arcanine leaned down.
Not aggressively.
Deliberately.
He sniffed the food—deep, powerful breaths—then lifted his head and ate with slow, regal motions.No excitement.No greed.No shift in expression.
Just quiet acknowledgment and acceptance.
Even after tasting the honey, he showed no emotional reaction—but his mane glowed slightly brighter afterward.
Mama murmured, "Brat… this one has royal manners."
Chat:
[HE EATS LIKE A KING]
[SO REGAL WTH]
[FIRE LION GOD TAKES NO JOY IN MORTAL SNACKS]
When Arcanine finished, he exhaled—low and resonant.
A soft roar, almost like a question.
Ritu adjusted audio.
"That roar," she whispered, "It sounds… like he's asking something?"
I nodded.
"He wants to know why we're here."
I turned and gestured for my team to step closer.
"These people," I said, "are the first batch of human trainers. They protect Mumbai. They protect the forest. They protect the future."
The Fire King listened silently.
"They need partners. Pokémon who will stand beside them, not as tools… but as comrades."
I lowered my head respectfully.
"And your tribe, Arcanine… your Growlithe… are legendary companions. Brave. Loyal. Perfect for law enforcement. So I ask…"
I bowed slightly deeper.
"…is there any Growlithe willing to join them?"
A hush fell over the clearing.
The chat froze.
The forest froze.
Even the wind felt like it paused.
Arcanine's gaze sharpened—deep amber eyes reflecting centuries of instinct, memory, inherited rules of old bonds with humans.
He wasn't confused.
He understood.
Pokémon didn't need language.
Some knowledge flowed in their blood—old instincts passed down, remnants of a world where humans and Pokémon worked side by side.
He stood gracefully.
Then lifted his head—
and unleashed a roar that shook leaves from branches.
Growlithe burst from the shadows, more than before—maybe thirty this time—rushing into a semicircle around the Fire King.
Arcanine barked sharply, repeatedly, giving orders in the language of flame and loyalty.
The older Growlithe hesitated.
They glanced at each other.
Their eyes said it all:
Protect the tribe.Stay with family.Guard the den.
They stepped back.
The young ones?
They trembled—caught between fear of the unknown and the instinct to grow stronger.
For a moment… none stepped forward.
Until—
Two familiar small Growlithe walked out of the line.
The same two younglings we saw earlier, training together in the forest.
One was proud, tail straight, head high.
The other more cautious, but with eyes burning with determination.
Arcanine lowered his giant head toward them both—touching their foreheads gently with his nose.
Approval.
Blessing.
Then he stepped aside, motioning them toward us.
My entire team watched in stunned silence.
I opened the system in my mind.
[Scan]
Twin blue screens appeared.
Growlithe – Male
Level: 16
Ability:Intimidate
Strong, disciplined, instinctively protective. Fiercely loyal.
Growlithe – Male
Level: 9
Ability:Flash Fire
Energetic, eager to learn, excellent growth potential. Still a young pup.
I exhaled.
"They're perfect."
The team stared in awe.
The drone zoomed out.
Chat went wild.
[THE FIRST OFFICIAL PARTNERS LET'S GOOO]
[TWO BABY FIRE DOGS READY FOR DUTY]
[FLASH FIRE?? THAT'S INSANE POTENTIAL OMG]
The Fire King stepped back, watching silently.
These two Growlithe had made their choice.
And now…
It was up to the humans to prove worthy.
The clearing buzzed with tension.
Two young Growlithe now stood before us—tails trembling, eyes bright, waiting for what came next.
My team began whispering amongst themselves.
Meera leaned toward Kabir. "Sir, I think… it should be you and Inspector Kadam."
Bhavesh nodded. "Most experienced. Makes sense."
Even chat agreed:
[LET THE VETERANS GO FIRST][KADAM UNCLE + CAPTAIN = PERFECT MATCH][THESE TWO SHOULD GET FIRE DOGS FIRST FR]
Captain Kabir took a small breath, stepping forward.
"I agree. Inspector Kadam and I should—"
"Mama! Tanisha! Come forward."
My voice cut through the clearing.
Everyone froze.
Both Mama and Tanisha looked equally startled.
"Me?""Sir… me?"
The rest of the team blinked, confused.
Not Kabir?Not Meera?
Why Tanisha?
But no one questioned me out loud.
They trusted me enough to wait.
Mama stepped forward with reluctant dignity.Tanisha followed with nervous energy.
The drone dipped lower, capturing everything.
Chat exploded:
[TANISHA??? PLOT TWIST][NOT THE CAPTAIN??!][WHY HER?? WHAT DOES AAKASH PLAN TO DO??][TRUST THE PROTAG HE SEES EVERYTHING]
I was kneeling beside the two Growlithe—one older, level-headed, the other young and bright-eyed.
I placed a reassuring hand on each pup's head.
"These will be your trainers in the future," I told them softly. "If you choose them."
I guided Mama toward the older Growlithe.
"Mama… this one is for you."
Mama glanced at me, then kneeled slowly before the Level 16 Growlithe.
The fire pup sniffed him once—
—and leaned forward to headbutt his palm.
Mama's face softened, just a little.
Behind him, my team stared in shock.
"Sir… it accepted him immediately."
"Of course it did," someone whispered. "He's basically built with loyalty vibes."
Next, I guided Tanisha toward the younger Growlithe.
"Tanisha. You… are for him."
She knelt hesitantly.
"You… you want to be partners?"
The young Growlithe sniffed her glove, pawed at it—
Then wagged its tail and licked her hand.
Tanisha gasped, eyes wide, almost tearing up.
"He likes me…"
The team exchanged glances—stunned, confused, and impressed.
Captain Sethi leaned toward Meera."…Patil chose her on purpose."
Meera nodded.
"He wants one young trainer to grow with a young Pokémon. Perfect synergy."
Behind me, Arcanine rumbled deeply.
A warning-groan.
I blinked and turned.
"What's wrong?"
Arcanine's eyes narrowed slightly.The meaning snapped into place instantly.
"Oh…"I exhaled. "You didn't give your approval yet."
The entire clearing tensed.
Even chat held its breath:
[WAIT HE DIDN'T APPROVE???][OH SHIT FIRE KING ISN'T DONE][RUN AAKASH RUN][SMACKDOWN INCOMING]
I bowed respectfully again.
"Arcanine… we'll be in the forest for three days. After three days, we will return."
I pointed toward Mama and Tanisha.
"If these Growlithe haven't bonded with them… they can come back home. No force. No pressure."
Arcanine closed his eyes.Considered.Listened to instinct.
Then—
A deep, rumbling growl of approval.
The tension dissolved like smoke.
Mama exhaled loudly.
"Brat… one day you're going to get me killed."
I smirked.
"But not today."
The drone zoomed in on the new pairs.
I clapped once.
"Okay! Mama, Tanisha—introduce your Growlithe to the rest of the team. Talk to them, pet them, let them know you're part of a pack."
They nodded quickly.
Mama stood in front of the older Growlithe.Tanisha crouched beside the younger one, smiling shyly as it sniffed her boots.
Meanwhile, I motioned quietly to Ritu.
She blinked, then nodded knowingly.
The drone drifted up and focused on the group—capturing every precious moment.
I turned back to Arcanine.
There was one more thing I needed to know.
"Arcanine… how did you evolve?"
Growlithe didn't just evolve on their own.They needed something very specific.
A Fire Stone.
"Was there… a mine nearby? A source? Something in this forest?"
The Fire King shook his head.
His answer wasn't words—yet I understood instantly.
A volcano.
A Fire Stone deposit born from ancient magma.
But not here.
There was a volcano in the old world—the Pokémon side of the merge—near your tribe before you arrived.
That was your source.
My heart sank slightly.
No Fire Stone mine nearby.
So evolution for other Growlithe wouldn't be easy.
But I nodded respectfully.
"Thank you. That's all I needed to know."
Arcanine rumbled once more, standing tall, watching over his entire tribe.
I turned to my team.
"Alright everyone. We're leaving."
Mama stroked his Growlithe proudly.Tanisha clutched hers with a tender smile.
Pidgeotto swooped overhead, letting out a triumphant cry.Mankey punched the air excitedly—new recruits found.
The drone captured our departure.
And just like that…
India's first official trainer partnerships had begun.