I woke up earlier than usual—barely 6:50 AM—but somehow still ended up being the last person awake.
The moment I stepped out of my tent, I froze.
The entire team—already packed—already geared—already checking supplies
…while I was rubbing sleep out of my eyes.
Even the Pokémon were awake.
Great. I had officially become the least responsible adult in the forest.
I stretched and called out,
"Good morning, everyone."
A chorus of replies greeted me:
"Morning, sir!"
"Good morning, Aakash!"
And Mama, with his usual affection:
"Look who finally decided to join the living."
"…Good morning to you too," I muttered.
I set my bag down and started making breakfast for the Pokémon—the same simple recipe as last night:
Berries chopped and mixed with chilled Miltank milk.
The moment the smell spread:
• Mankey sprinted over, fists vibrating
• The two Growlithe barked excitedly
• Pidgeotto glided down proudly
• The baby Pidgey flock perched above, chirping impatiently
• The four Pichu formed a tiny queue like disciplined children
• Tangela shuffled closer and stopped at my feet like a blue toddler waiting politely
I placed bowls on the ground—eight in total—and the Pokémon dug in happily.
Next, I poured the remaining milk into metal cups for my team.
"Fresh Miltank milk," I announced.
The team accepted their cups gratefully. Even Captain Kabir's stoic expression softened.
After finishing my own cup, I took out my phone and opened the satellite map synced through the military drone.
Our location blinked on the screen.
To the north:
A large freshwater lake—clear blue—surrounded by thick forest
And further beyond:
A waterfall cutting through rocky cliffs
Behind that waterfall was three hills—the end of this Pokémon zone, according to earlier scans.
"We can reach the lake by 8.30 AM…" I murmured."…and the mountain boundary before afternoon."
I slipped the phone back into my pocket and turned around to check on the team.
They were… efficient.
Kadam was doing final safety checks on ropes and kits.Sethi was counting supply packs.Ritu was running diagnostics on the drone.Meera and Kavya were sorting medicinal herbs and berries.Bhavesh and Arjun were mapping potential routes.Tanisha was syncing emergency beacons.
And the Pokémon?
They were having the time of their lives.
Mankey and the younger Growlithe were locked in a playful battle—Mankey hopping on tree roots with gymnast precision while Growlithe lunged forward in fiery bursts.
A few meters away, Pidgeotto was sparring with Mama's Growlithe—but slowing her moves deliberately.
Every wingbeat, every feint, every turn… was just slow enough for the Pidgey flock perched above to follow and learn.
Their little heads bobbed in unison, eyes sparkling with awe.
Meanwhile:
• The four Pichu were playing tag, occasionally shocking each other by mistake• Tangela sat next to me obediently, vines curled neatly like a well-behaved child
The peaceful scene warmed my chest…
…but also hit me with a sudden realization.
A cold one.
I already had three Pokémon.
Pidgeotto.
Mankey.
Pichu.
And I hadn't trained any of them properly.
Sure, Pidgeotto was strong.
Sure, they followed me.
But strength without training?
Bond without discipline?
Potential without growth?
That was negligence.
My negligence.
Spreading Pokémon knowledge to the world was important—yes.
But I couldn't ignore my own partners.
Their futures depended on me.
Their strength would protect me… and countless others.
I clenched my fists slightly.
"It's my responsibility," I whispered.
"To make them stronger. To guide them."
With a new resolve burning in my chest, I reached into my bag and pulled out one of the Poké Balls from yesterday.
Smooth. Red and white. Artificial. A relic of another world.
The moment my fingers wrapped around it, something inside me shifted.
Responsibility. Purpose. Direction.
I looked toward the sparring ground where Pidgeotto was mid-battle, gracefully dodging Mama's Growlithe's Ember.
"Ritu," I called.
She jogged over, already tapping her tablet. "Starting the drone feed?"
"Yes. We begin today with something important."
"Going live in three… two… one…"
The drone hummed upward.
The view count exploded instantly:
10,00018,00026,00035,000…and climbing absurdly fast.
Chat burst to life:
[HE'S LIVE HE'S LIVE]
[GOOD MORNING SIR TRAINER]
[WHAT'S IN HIS HAND??]
[PATIL BHAI WHAT ARE YOU HOLDING]
I motioned toward Pidgeotto.
"Finish your battle quickly."
As if she'd been waiting for the command, Pidgeotto pumped her wings and delivered a perfect Gust-Feint combo, sending Growlithe tumbling back gently. She chirped as if saying good job, kid, before landing beside me.
I turned to the camera.
"Hello everyone. I know most of you are excited for another day of exploration, new Pokémon, and whatever chaos this forest throws at us."
Chat:
[YESSS LETS GOOOO]
[NEW POKEMON PLS]
[BATTLE BATTLE BATTLE]
"But," I continued, raising the Poké Ball slightly, "before anything else… I want to show you something."
The chat froze.
Then exploded.
[WHAT IS THAT]
[RED BALL???]
[AAAA IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS???]
[HE FOUND A WEAPON???]
[DO NOT PRESS THE BUTTON CHILD]
I held the Poké Ball up to the drone, letting the red-and-white sphere fill the screen.
"You all remember this, right? One of the items Pidgey offered me yesterday."
The chat hit maximum confusion mode:
[THEY BROUGHT THAT???]
[PIGEYS GOT SHINY TREASURE LMAO]
[WHAT IS THAT ITEM??]
"This," I said slowly, "is the key to human–Pokémon coexistence. Especially in cities. Especially long term."
Silence.
Even the scrolling comments slowed, unsure.
"The other items Pidgey brought were naturally occurring—fangs, crystals, stones. But this ball…" I turned it over. "…is not natural. It is an artificial device from the Pokémon world."
Chat:
[WHAT DO YOU MEAN ARTIFICIAL]
[SO HUMANS EXISTED THERE???]
[ALIEN TECHNOLOGY???]
[THIS IS HUGE BRO]
"This proves one thing," I said. "Even though no ruins or structures have appeared on Earth yet… somewhere out there, in their world or its past, existed a human or humanoid species capable of invention."
Shock rippled through the comments:
[WORLD LORE DROPPED OMG]
[AAKASH YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THAT]
[EXPLAIN PROPERLY HELLO???]
"And according to my calculations," I continued, "the locations containing technology or human-made structures will not appear on Earth for at least one more year."
Team members looked at me sharply.
Chat exploded:
[ONE YEAR??]
[WE HAVE TIME???]
[THANK GOD NOT EVERYTHING DROPS AT ONCE]
"And Pokémon zone emergence has slowed already. It will slow further after one month."
Relief spread through the world.
"But," I raised the Poké Ball again, "let's return to this."
I rotated it in my palm.
"These balls were likely found by Pidgey elders long, long ago. And kept in the nest. They're worn enough to suggest they've been lying around for years."
I focused on the drone.
"So please do NOT go hunting for these. There are barely any in the wild."
Chat:
[WHY WOULD WE HUNT FOR IT]
[WHAT'S THE USE OF THAT BALL]
"What does it even DO??"
I smiled.
"These are called Poké Balls."
I clicked the button.
Click.
The ball expanded from golf-ball size to full size.
Gasps filled chat.
I double-clicked—minimizing it again—then expanded it once more.
Chat detonated:
[THAT'S SO COOL OMG]
[SCI-FI ENERGY CAPSULE]
[WHAT IS THIS MAGIC???]
[SHUT UP AND EXPLAINNNNN]
"Poké Balls," I said clearly, "allow Pokémon to travel safely with their trainers. Some Pokémon are too big for houses. Some live in water. Some would be impossible to bring into cities."
The team listened with wide eyes.
"Poké Balls solve all that. They allow Pokémon to accompany us—without chaos."
Then I turned to Pidgeotto.
She stood tall. Chest puffed with pride.
"Pidgeotto… I've been with you from the moment you arrived on Earth."
She chirped softly.
"You chose to follow me. To protect me. To fight beside me."
Her eyes brightened.
"So today, I want to ask you formally."
I extended my arm fully, Poké Ball in hand.
"Will you do me the honor… of becoming my partner officially?"
Pidgeotto let out a trembling, emotional cry.
"Pidgeoooo…"
She fluttered forward, eyes shining, and gently tapped the Poké Ball button with her beak.
CLICK!
A burst of red light shot out—
wrapped around her—
pulled her in—
and the ball snapped shut.
It shook once.
Twice.
…click.
Locked.
Quiet.
Still.
In my hand.
I stared at the Poké Ball, emotions choking my throat.
My first official partner.
The chat absolutely detonated:
[WHAT JUST HAPPENED??]
[WHY DID SHE TURN INTO RED LIGHT???]
[BRO WHAT DID HE DO— DID HE KILL HER??]
[SHE DISAPPEARED INTO THE BALL??? IS SHE ALIVE??]
[WHAT IS THAT DEVICE?? HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE??]
[INDIA EXPLAIN PLEASE]
[IS PIDGEOTTO OKAY??]
[THIS LOOKS LIKE TELEPORTATION TECHNOLOGY WTF]
[STOP SMILING AAKASH EXPLAIN TO US NORMAL HUMANS]
[THE BALL JUST SWALLOWED A LIVING CREATURE WHAT]
Behind me, the Pokémon clapped—literally—and the team finally snapped out of their trance and applauded.
Mankey punched the air like he claimed victory.Growlithe barked happily.Tangela waved vines excitedly.Even the Pichu squeaked in celebration.
I held the Poké Ball to my chest.
"Welcome to the team… officially."