(Colonel B. K. Rawat's POV)
Colonel B. K. Rawat ended the satellite call with Aakash and stared at the silent screen for a long moment.
Evolution stones.Red-white spherical items—Poké Balls—already appearing in the wild.And only one week before the rest of the world caught up.
The boy had just dropped a goddamn nuclear bomb on Indian strategic planning.
Rawat rubbed his face hard.
"…This Patil boy," he muttered. "He's going to age me ten years in one week."
But he wasn't angry.
He was excited.
And terrified.
He reached for the hotline.
"Major Singh," he said when the line picked up, "wake the Directorate team. All of them. Evolution stones and anomalous red-white devices—classification is now TOP PRIORITY / RED. I want procurement, tracking, and containment units deployed immediately across the country."
"Yes sir!"
"And Major—quietly. No press leaks."
He ended the call, stood, and pulled up the field reports on his secured tablet. The Pokémon Department prototype under Aakash had already provided unprecedented intel.
He reread the last part of the boy's instructions:
"I'll explain their global function in a week on stream.For now, you have one week to trade as many as you can before everyone learns how important they are."
That sentence alone could shift the world's balance of power.
South Block, New Delhi
Rawat stood in the underground conference hall, facing ministers, scientists, and security advisors.
Everyone looked exhausted. Everyone looked frightened.
Good. They understood.
The Home Secretary spoke first.
"Colonel Rawat, your report says India has already confirmed the multiple 'pocket ecosystems' and pokemon living in it from across the country. List them."
Rawat clicked a remote.
A digital map of India lit up.
Pokémon-active zones detected so far:
Aarey Forest, Mumbai – 12+ sub-biomes mapped, including Growlithe, Beedrill, Miltank, Pidgey, Tangela
Sundarbans, West Bengal – water-types, grass-types; dangerous currents
Assam Forest Region – Beedrill presence, early reports of Heracross
Western Ghats – Oddish, Paras line, rumored Scyther sightings
Rajasthan Desert Fringes – Sandshrew, Cacnea-like creature
Himalayan Foothills – Swinub, Snover
Goa Coastal Line – Tentacool swarms
(Pokemon names gathered by comparing pokemon characteristics with pokedex entries)
And more pouring in by the minute.
"We've… we've shut all these zones to the public. Correct?"
"Yes," Rawat confirmed. "Following Patil's warning. People wandering blindly inside will die. We've already recovered injured civilians from Aarey alone."
He continued.
"India needs mapping before access, not the other way around. Patil's team has proven that even newborn Pokémon can overwhelm untrained adults."
"About this… 'evolution stone' matter," the Science Advisor cut in nervously. "Colonel, the items the boy described—do they truly grant evolution?"
Rawat nodded grimly.
"He identified a Fire Stone and a Water Stone today. He confirmed their effects."
Panic rippled across the room.
Rawat raised a hand.
"I advise immediate field teams to gather samples before other countries understand what these objects mean. "
Everyone understood.
National Security Advisor Menon leaned forward. "And these… red-white spheres?"
Rawat took a breath.
"Patil believes they will allow Pokémon-human coexistence in urban areas without chaos."
Gasps.
Stunned silence.
"Are they weapons?" someone whispered.
"No," Rawat said. "At least I don't think so. He will explain the mechanics tomorrow publicly. Before that happens—India must secure all that exist within our borders."
He tapped the table.
"One week. That was the grace period he gave."
No one spoke.
Many were furious a kid not even an adult yet was giving them a grace period. What kind of joke is this?
"Very well. What does he want from us?"
Rawat straightened his notes.
"Two things."
"Aakash wants a shop with a large basement near Aarey."
Menon blinked. "A business?"
"Yes. Registered under Patil Corp."
"And employees?"
"He wants two normal civilian staff. No special qualifications. Just good manners and sales ability."
Menon nodded slowly.
"That we can do by morning."
Rawat continued:
"The second request… is highly sensitive."
Menon leaned closer.
"Go on."
"He wants us to begin a joint government venture, 49–51 share split. Government holds 49."
Menon's eyes widened. "He wants majority control?"
Rawat nodded."And he wants us to gather top blacksmiths, craftsmen, technicians, and engineers."
"All vetted," Menon murmured.
"Strictly vetted," Rawat confirmed. "He says nothing about the project can leak."
Menon rubbed his temples.
"He hasn't told you what we'll manufacture?"
"No. Says he'll reveal after his stream tomorrow. But sir… whatever he's planning, the world will want it."
Menon paused, thinking deeply.
"…A boy who negotiates with Arcanine, signs treaties with Beedrill, and casually requests a blacksmith corps?"
Rawat cracked a smile.
"He's not normal, sir. But he's ours."
Menon nodded.
"Alright. Begin recruitment. Pull lists from DRDO, ISRO precision teams, and defense workshop archives. All must sign high-level secrecy agreements."
"Understood."
Rawat added:
"He wants it ready by the time he leaves the forest."
Menon choked.
"That's four days."
"I know, sir."
Menon stared blankly at his screen.
"What is this boy's problem with government timeframes?"
India's Overnight Movements
Rawat stood and issued orders to multiple departments:
✔ Geological Survey teams scanned for similar elemental crystal signatures across India.✔ Forest Departments cordoned Pokémon-rich zones.✔ Army and NDRF teams mapped new Pokémon habitats.✔ Local police updated threat level reports.✔ Research divisions documented every evolution stone discovered.
By 1:00 AM, the first report arrived:
Fire Stone discovered in Nagpur outskirts.Leaf Stone discovered near Dehradun valleys.Thunder energy spike near Meghalaya.Unidentified metal ore cluster in newly discovered volcanic island in the arabian sea near mumbai.
The entire ministry was in chaos—but controlled chaos.
Menon's final instructions were concise:
"Colonel… until the boy speaks, everything stays secret."
"Yes, sir."
"And those red-white balls?"
Rawat shook his head.
"He refused to tell me their purpose. Said they must be known globally later."
Menon's voice dropped.
"That alone scares me."
Rawat agreed.
"If the boy thinks they can stabilize human–Pokémon coexistence… then we must trust his judgment."
Menon's tone softened.
"…Take care of him, Colonel. He is, whether we like it or not, the most important civilian in the country."
Rawat allowed himself a rare smile.
"I'll keep him alive. But between you and me, sir—he's doing a better job protecting us than we are protecting him."
_________________________________________________
Rural India housed some of the world's finest traditional metalworkers—masters of forging, shaping, tempering, and carving. Their skills had survived centuries.
Now, at 1:40 AM, they were being awakened by local officers:
Renowned Damascus steel forgers from Rajasthan
Tribal metal artisans from Bastar
Expert bell metal crafters from Odisha
All received the same message:
"Report to nearest military base by sunrise. Bring your tools. Highest confidentiality."
Confusion and suspicion ran high, but the summons bore the national seal.None dared refuse.
Next, they contacted the master craftsmen:
Miniature artisans who worked on watch parts
Jewel setters accustomed to microscopic precision
Traditional toy-makers with experience in hollow structures
Every single one of them was handed a document stamped:
National ******** ********* ProjectSecrecy Level: Top Secret
Many of them had never seen the inside of a police station—now they were being escorted by SUVs with flashing lights.
Engineers and Assembly-Line Designers
This group was the most crucial.
Colonel Rawat needed people capable of:
Designing mass-production systems
Creating conveyor-line automation
Handling precision cutting and stamping
Integrating old craftsmanship with modern machinery
So calls went out to:
✔ Senior manufacturing engineers from Tata, Mahindra, Kirloskar✔ Retired DRDO workshop specialists✔ ISRO mechanical fabrication teams✔ IIT-level robotic assembly experts✔ CNC machine programmers✔ High-precision tool-and-die makers
Each was told:
"You are being drafted for the highest-priority technology program in India.You will be informed of details after security clearance."
Most were half asleep, stunned, or convinced it was a prank.But when black SUVs showed up at their gates, shock turned into silent obedience.
At 3:00 AM, the first groups began arriving at designated military facilities.
Every artisan, engineer, and craftsman underwent:
Criminal background checks
Social media deep scans
Financial audits
Family history verification
Multi-level interviews with intelligence officers
Confidentiality agreement with penalties bordering on wartime laws
A Military colonel walked past rows of bewildered recruits, all clutching their toolkits, waiting for instructions they weren't allowed to ask about.
The colonel announced loudly:
"You have been chosen to build something for India's future.You will learn the details tommorow evening, for now rest and recover.Until then, no phones, no messages, no outside contact."
No one argued.
Pokémon had arrived.And every one of them felt that something world-changing was about to begin.
_________________________________________________________
The head of R&D approached Rawat.
"Sir, what do we call this operation?"
Rawat thought for a second.
Aakash's request echoed again:
"Blacksmiths, craftsmen, engineers… production… secrecy…cohabitation...."
He nodded.
"Name it Operation Harmony Forge."