The Poké Ball trembled once in my palm—warm, faintly humming—before I pressed the button again.
Click.
A burst of red light shot out and materialized into Pidgeotto before me, wings flaring proudly, chest puffed with satisfaction.
She shook her feathers, stretched once, then looked at me expectantly.
I gently rested a hand on her head.
"Was it comfortable?"
"Pid-geoo!"A bright, happy chirp—clear as day.
Good. That was the most important part.
I turned back toward the drone, raising my voice for the stream.
"As you all saw… this civilization from the Pokémon world had achieved tremendous technological progress. The Poké Ball is one of their earliest—and most essential—inventions."
Chat immediately began spiraling:
[EARLIEST???? WHAT DO YOU MEAN EARLIEST]
[THERE ARE MORE ADVANCED THINGS THAN THIS???]
[INDIA PLS SLOW DOWN MY HEART RATE]
[SIR YOU JUST TELEPORTED A BIRD WHAT EARLY TECH ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT]
I continued before they combusted.
"A Poké Ball can safely hold any Pokémon who accepts you as their partner… or one you defeat in battle."
I lifted the device slightly.
"If a Pokémon resists, they can break out of the ball. So you can't just trap anything you want. Consent or victory—those are the rules."
Chat slowed.
Then exploded even harder.
[CONSENT SYSTEM??? THAT'S GOOD]
[OKAY MORALLY CORRECT BUT I'M STILL CONFUSED]
[CAN A GYMKHANNA PIGEON BREAK OUT TOO??]
[SO THEY ARE ALIVE INSIDE?? SAFE??]
[THIS IS SO MUCH INFORMATION TOO FAST]
"Well," I said, brushing my hands together, "that's it for the demonstration."
I pointed forward.
"Let's continue our journey."
The chat went nuclear.
[WHAT DO YOU MEAN "MOVE ON"??]
[BRO YOU JUST SHOWED ALIEN STORAGE TECH AND WANT TO WALK AWAY]
[HELLO SIR COME BACK AND EXPLAIN]
[I HAVEN'T PROCESSED ANYTHING SINCE SHE TURNED INTO RED LIGHT]
[SIR YOU DROPPED AN ENTIRE LORE BOMB AND SAID 'ANYWAY']
[Aakash Patil you cannot just INVENT NORMALCY]
Even my team stared at me like I had casually announced I discovered time travel.
Mama rubbed his forehead. "Brat, stop acting like this is normal breakfast conversation."
I shrugged. "It will be normal soon."
His soul left his body.
Behind me, Pidgeotto gave a confident cry and spread her wings, ready to lead the way.
I slung my pack over my shoulder, checked the route on the tablet again, and gestured ahead.
"We'll reach the lake in about an hour. Stay alert."
______________________________________________________________
The forest around us thinned gradually—trees shrinking, sunlight growing brighter, the air turning cooler and fresher.
After about an hour of walking, the dense canopy finally gave way.
And then…
We stepped out into an open world.
A breathtaking lakeside scene unfolded before us.
Crystal-clear water shimmered under the morning sun. Mist drifted above the surface like silk. The distant waterfall crashed down from rocky cliffs, feeding the enormous lake with roaring energy.
And the Pokémon—
They were everywhere.
"Whoa…" Tanisha whispered.
Even Captain Sethi, stoic as ever, paused.
I raised my hand to stop the team from moving closer.
"Everyone stay calm. Take in the sight slowly. And don't make sudden sounds."
The drone drifted upward, capturing a wide panoramic view.
Chat exploded instantly:
[WHAT IS THIS PLACE OMG][LAKE LEVEL POKEMON???][SO BEAUTIFUL WTF INDIA IS BLESSED][THE WATER IS SO CLEAR??]
I exhaled softly.
Then I pointed toward the water.
"Let me introduce some of the Pokémon here."
A group of Staryu hovered just above the lake surface—spinning gently in the air before firing short bursts of Water Gun to propel themselves upward, then diving back into the lake like flying discs.
A red gem in their center pulsed softly, reflecting sunlight like a heartbeat.
"These are Staryu—pure Water-type Pokémon," I explained."They might look like sea stars, but they're extremely fast and agile. That gem in the middle is their core—it glows brighter when they're healthy."
Chat:
[WHY ARE THEY FLYING][THEY SHOOT WATER TO LAUNCH THEMSELVES? THAT'S SO COOL][THE GEM IS SO PRETTY OMG]
On the shore lay several Slowpoke, blissfully unaware of the world.
One stared at the lake.
One stared at the sky.
One stared at absolutely nothing.
"Slowpoke," I said, smiling. "Water/Psychic type. Not dangerous… not aggressive… just extremely slow."
A Slowpoke blinked once. Thought. Blinked again.
"They often forget what they're doing mid-action. But they're harmless and very friendly."
Chat:
[ME AS A POKEMON]
[SLOWPOKE ENERGY]
[THEY ARE SO CUTE BUT SO DUMB I LOVE THEM]
A short distance away, a massive Slowbro slept beside a rock, arms resting on its belly, tail dipped casually in the water.
A Shellder was clamped onto its tail, forming the second stage of its evolution.
"This one is Slowbro," I said. "It evolves when a Shellder bites its tail. They become partners—Slowpoke gains strength, Shellder gains food."
Chat:
[EVOLUTION BY BITE LMFAO][THEY JUST… STAY LIKE THAT??][THAT LOOKS COMFY NGHHH]
I pointed at the lake where dozens of orange fish weakly flopped in the water.
"Those are Magikarp. Weak in battle—very weak. But extremely resilient. Given time and patience, they evolve into one of the strongest Water-type Pokémon in existence."
At the water's edge stood several Bellsprout, bowing slightly with their thin stalk bodies. Beside them, larger Weepinbell hung from branches like oversized pitcher plants.
"These are Grass-types. Bellsprout and Weepinbell. They're peaceful unless threatened, but both can fire acid or vines for defense."
Chat:
[I LOVE THE LITTLE BOWING PLANTS][THE BIG ONES LOOK LIKE THEY EAT PEOPLE HELP][GRASS TYPE GANG RISE]
Finally, I pointed toward soft pink shapes drifting in the air like balloons.
"Hoppip. Grass/Flying. Very light—almost weightless. They float with the wind and always stay in groups."
One Hoppip drifted by overhead, carried lazily by the breeze.
Chat:
[AIRFLOW PINK BALL][THEY LOOK LIKE COTTON CANDY][I WANT TEN]
The entire lake felt peaceful. Alive. Harmonious.
"This," I said softly, "is what Pokémon coexistence can look like."
My voice was swallowed by the sound of the waterfall, the chirping of Pidgey overhead, and the gentle hum of Staryu spinning through the air.
But the world heard it.
The team heard it.
And chat reacted with quiet awe:
[This is… beautiful]
[For once I'm not scared]
[India is experiencing something magical]
[I want to protect this place]
I nodded to myself.
"Alright team," I said, stepping forward, "let's go meet them up close."
_________________________________________________________________________
Imran blinked at me as if I'd spoken in another language.
"You… want me to pick up a Slowpoke?"
"Yes," I said, pointing toward a shaded spot near the lake. "Bring one over there. We'll set up camp beside that opening."
"Won't it attack?"
I shook my head. "Slowpoke barely react to anything. They forget what they're doing midway."
Imran muttered something about fate and dopey Pokémon but still walked cautiously toward the herd.
Meanwhile, I approached the lake with several empty bottles.
The water was crystal clear. Perfect for refilling supplies.
I knelt down—
SPLASH!
A blur of blue shot upward.
A Poliwhirl leapt straight out of the lake, fist cocked back, spiraling directly toward my face.
"Whoa—!"
Before I could even dodge, a blur of brown feathers intercepted.
WHAM!
Pidgeotto slammed Poliwhirl with a Wing Attack, knocking it off course—but only barely.
Poliwhirl skidded back, shook itself, and glared with determined eyes.
That thing was strong.
My system flickered:
Poliwhirl — Level 28
"Great," I muttered. "Stronger than expected."
Poliwhirl didn't wait. It charged forward again, fists glowing with Fighting-type energy.
I snapped into command mode instantly.
"Pidgeotto—Gust!"
She beat her wings hard, sending a spiraling burst of wind toward Poliwhirl. The water-type staggered but kept running.
"Tilt left! Wing Attack!"
She darted sideways, wings glowing white, slamming into Poliwhirl's flank.
This time the impact was solid—but the frog still didn't drop.
It was fast.
And stubborn.
Poliwhirl lunged, landing a glancing punch that sent Pidgeotto skidding across the grass.
"Mankey, stay back!" I warned, since he was already flexing.
Pidgeotto's eyes narrowed. She flared her wings once—then shot upward.
"Finish it!"
She vanished into a blinding streak of light.
WHOOSH—CRACK!
Pidgeotto descended like a lightning arrow. Poliwhirl took the hit full force and was blasted backward across the dirt—straight into a lounging Slowpoke.
The impact jolted the poor pink creature awake.
"...Slow?"
Then, without processing what happened, Slowpoke's eyes glowed softly.
A wave of warm, sparkly energy washed over the battlefield—
Heal Pulse.
My eyes widened.
"You can do that?!"
Pidgeotto's bruises faded instantly.
Even Poliwhirl blinked in surprise, fully healed but now airborne—because Pidgeotto launched the finishing strike the moment it tried to stand.
Another clean Aerial Ace.
Poliwhirl flew straight back into the lake with a loud SPLOOSH.
I stared at Pidgeotto, stunned.
"You… learned Aerial Ace? Already?"
She puffed her chest, proud and glowing.
Behind us, Imran hurried over, holding the dozy Slowpoke that had just used Heal Pulse.
"Aakash," he said, panting, "I'll take this one."
He stared at Slowpoke with something close to awe.
"As a medic… this move… it's invaluable."
I nodded approvingly.
"Great choice. Heal Pulse can save lives. Take it to camp. Talk to it. Bond with it."
Imran blinked.
"How do I bond with—"
"Slowpoke forgets everything in ten seconds. So you'll have to reintroduce yourself repeatedly until it sticks."
Slowpoke stared at him blankly.
"…Slow?"
Imran exhaled. "Understood. Let's… begin."
He walked off, cradling Slowpoke like a confused pink potato.
I checked Pidgeotto's stats on my system.
Pidgeotto — Level 25
That made me freeze.
No.
Not just her.
I quickly checked the others:
Mankey — Level 13
Mama's Growlithe — Level 20
Tanisha's Growlithe — Level 13
Pichu (x4) — Level 9
Their levels had skyrocketed.
Good food.
Good sleep.
Pure forest battles.
And constant-friendly sparring.
It all contributed.
I exhaled slowly.
"I need to make training plans for all of them…"
Because at this rate:
My team wasn't just surviving.
They were evolving—fast.