By the time we reached the Pidgey nest, the sky was turning a soft orange-pink. The forest light dimmed into warm pockets between the branches, and the air smelled faintly of berries and apricorn sap.
I pointed at a relatively open patch under a cluster of tall fruit trees.
"Set up tents here," I instructed.
The team nodded and moved efficiently.
Tanisha and Meera began staking the tents.
Arjun and Imran cleared stones and checked for burrows.
Ritu guided the drone to land nearby, turning off its engines for the night.
Above us, the baby Pidgey returned to their home—small nests woven from leaves and bark high up on the thick branches. They chirped from above as the forest settled.
I lifted my hand to end the stream.
"Alright everyone, we're calling it a da—"
FWIP!
A sudden rush of wings swept past my face.
All the Pidgey swooped down, hovering in front of me with exaggerated effort as if carrying something heavy.
Then—plop plop plop—they dropped their gifts at my and Pidgeotto's feet.
Everyone froze.
Even chat went silent.
A small pile had formed:
✔ Red Apricorns
✔ Fangs — white, sharp, excellent condition → could be refined into Razor Fangs
✔ Two small crystals with a warm orange glow → unmistakably Fire Stones
✔ One crystal with a gentle blue light → Water Stone
✔ Two strange rocky shapes → shaped almost like tiny crowns… King's Rocks
✔ And lastly… two Poké Balls.
Actual, physical Poké Balls.
My breath stopped.
Poké Balls weren't supposed to exist naturally here yet.But these… these were old. Weathered. Possibly from another fragment of the Pokémon world that merged.
Chat exploded:
[Pidgey TRIBUTE OFFERING 😂]
[Pidgeotto QUEEN ARC??]
I knelt, gently gathering the items and placing them into my bag.
"Thank you," I said, bowing slightly.
Pidgey puffed up with pride.
Then I pulled few handful of berries from my pouch and placed them on the ground.
The Pidgey glanced up at Pidgeotto.
She gave a regal nod like a mafia boss giving permission.
Only then did the tiny flock swoop down, grab the berries, and rush back up to their nests.
Satisfied, Pidgeotto hopped closer, nuzzled my cheek once, then flew up to find a comfortable branch to sleep on—her new "queen's perch."
I smiled.
She earned it today.
As I turned back to check tent progress, I noticed a round blue bundle of vines following exactly one inch behind my heel—Tangela.
Oh right.
I never introduced him to the chat.
I lifted him slightly toward the drone.
"This little guy is Tangela. Pure Grass-type. Very shy, very vine-y, and easily bullied if alone. We rescued him earlier from a Pidgey misunderstanding."
Chat spammed hearts.
[HI LITTLE SPAGHETTI MONSTER]
[TANGELA SUPREMACY LET'S GO]
[SWEET BLUE NOODLE BOI]
I laughed, ended the stream properly this time, and shut the drone down.
With the stream off, it was time to feed everyone.
I wasn't making anything fancy tonight—just a quick mix.
I arranged 9 small bowls:
Pidgeotto
Mankey
Kadam's Growlithe
Tanisha's Growlithe
Four Pichu
Tangela
I filled each bowl with cut berries, a bit of forest fruit, and Miltank milk.
Four tiny Pichu squeaked happily, nearly vibrating out of their fur.
Growlithe ate with polite enthusiasm.
Pidgeotto pecked delicately—like a noble.
Mankey inhaled his food like a blender with no lid.
I then filled two much larger bowls with Miltank milk and whistled.
"Pidgey! Milk time!"
A waterfall of fluttering wings descended as dozens of baby Pidgey swarmed down to sip from the bowls, chirping excitedly.
The team stared like they were watching a wildlife documentary live.
I gathered fallen branches and stacked them neatly.
"Growlithe—tiny Ember."
Two soft puffs of flame ignited the bonfire perfectly.
Warm light filled the campsite as everyone finished setting their tents.
The team sat around the fire, opening their MREs and eating slowly, the mood calm and peaceful.
For the first time today… there was silence.
A good, warm kind of silence.
After dinner, the team started discussing shifts.
Tanisha: "Sir, I can take first watch—"
Arjun: "No, I'll do it, I'm used to field nights—"
Imran: "Should have at least two awake—"
I raised a hand.
"Stop."
They blinked at me.
"No watch duty tonight."
Captain Sethi frowned. "Sir… this is wilderness. We don't know the threats."
I smiled slightly.
"Trust me. I've got it covered."
Because:
Pidgeotto would sense any aerial movement.
Growlithe had night vision and sharp hearing.
Mankey slept light—anything moves, he wakes.
Tangela spread vines around my tent unconsciously.
And Pidgey—thirty of them—were sleeping above us like a living alarm system.
And truthfully… I had another method entirely.
Before going to my tent, I walked over to Captain Sethi.
"Captain, can I borrow the satellite phone? Need to report something."
He handed it over immediately, puzzled.
I stepped away from the fire, dialed the secure line, and waited.
"Colonel Rawat speaking."
"Sir, this is Aakash. We need to talk—privately."
A brief silence.
"Understood. Tell me everything."
"Yes, sir. you saw the offering pile?"
A hard exhale.
"That orange stone… that blue one… and those strange balls. What are they?"
I didn't waste time.
"Colonel, the orange crystal is a Fire Stone. The blue one is a Water Stone. They're called evolution stones."
Silence.
Then:
"…Evolution… stones?"
"They trigger controlled evolution in certain Pokémon. No radiation, no mutation, no danger. Pure biological metamorphosis."
The line went dead quiet.
Then Rawat spoke again, voice lowered.
"Aakash… this is not normal information. Not something the world should know yet. This must be kept confidential until we understand the implications. You can't reveal this publicly."
I closed my eyes.
And shook my head.
"No, sir. I can't do that."
Rawat's voice sharpened.
"Aakash—"
"Colonel," I said firmly, "my blessing wasn't given to hoard knowledge. It's meant to guide people. Help them survive. If I hide evolution stones while humans walk blind among Pokémon, people will die."
Rawat inhaled sharply, conflicted.
"But if the world knows about these stones, international powers will rush for them. Wars, black markets, smuggling—"
"I know," I interrupted softly. "That's why I'm giving India a one-week advantage."
Rawat froze.
"One week…?"
"Yes. You have seven days, Colonel. Trade, barter, purchase—collect as many stones as possible before I reveal them publicly on stream."
Rawat's tone shifted from resistance to startling clarity.
"…You're giving us a head start."
"Yes. But after that, the world must know. Hiding evolution stones is too dangerous. If only a few countries know, the imbalance will lead to geopolitical chaos."
Rawat exhaled, a long, tired breath.
"I understand. I don't like it… but I understand. We'll begin procurement tonight."
"Good."
I wasn't done.
"Second—those red-and-white marble-sized balls the Pidgey brought? If any appear in India, secure them immediately."
Rawat asked, "What are they?"
"They're a technology essential for controlling long-term coexistence between humans and Pokémon. Publicly beneficial. I'll reveal their purpose tomorrow on stream."
The colonel went silent.
"…And is this revelation also unavoidable?"
"Yes," I said without hesitation. "Pokémon integration into human cities will be impossible without these items being publicly known and widely distributed."
Rawat, to his credit, understood immediately.
"These 'balls' will be the backbone of Pokémon civilization, won't they?"
I nodded even though he couldn't see me.
"Yes. They'll change everything."
He didn't speak for almost ten seconds.
Then:
"…Very well. The military will begin acquisition tonight. And we'll quietly scan the country for any of those red-white objects."
"Good," I said. "Now I have two more requests."
"I'm listening."
"I need a shop near Aarey. Ground floor plus one. Large basement warehouse. Register it as a Pokémon shop under Patil Corp."
"Consider it done."
"And second—assemble a team. Master blacksmiths. Craftsmen. Metalworkers. Reliable technicians and engineers. Strict vetting. No leaks."
Rawat's voice went low.
"A manufacturing project?"
"Yes."
"And the share split?"
"49 government, 51 Patil Corp."
Rawat chuckled lightly.
"You've thought this through."
I didn't smile back.
"I have to."
A silence passed—heavy, but respectful.
"…I'll get started tonight," Rawat said. "You'll have what you asked for by the time you exit the forest."
"Thank you, Colonel. Good night."
"Good night, son. You've done more for this nation in a week than most people do in a lifetime."
I ended the call.
Stepped outside into the cool forest wind.
Then returned to my tent, Tangela curling around my pillow and two Pichu crawling onto my chest.
Tomorrow would change the world.