[VIEWERS' POV – LIVESTREAM]
The moment Aakash said:
"From here on, the mountain path won't be streamed. Ritu will continue the livestream on the plateau."
…the chat imploded.
Chat:
[??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE LEAVING]
[RITU IS GREAT BUT WE WANT AAKASH POV AGAIN]
[PUT THE CAMERA ON PIDGEOTTO—SIR—SIR COME BACK]
But Aakash was already gone, riding uphill with Mama and Captain Sethi.
Ritu watched the dust settle on the path he disappeared through… then shrugged.
"Well, chat, looks like it's just you and me now," she said, adjusting the drone.
Chat grumbled more:
[BETRAYAL]
[UNFOLLOWED—JK][RITU YOU GOT THIS]
[GIVE US POKEMON CONTENT SO WE FORGIVE]
Ritu ignored their tantrum and turned the camera toward the plateau.
"Alright chat… welcome to Fight Club for Pokémon. Let's begin the tour."
As she moved the drone around, the audience got a full view of the brutal, disciplined regime:
Dozens of Machop were:
• Punching rocks
• Chopping boulders clean in half
• Lifting stones overhead
• Throwing them into the air like volleyballs
• Catching them with perfect footwork
To Ritu and the viewers, it looked like chaos.
Chat:
[WHAT MOVE WAS THAT ROCK THROW??]
[WHY ARE THEY DOING GYM WORKOUTS AT 12PM]
[SOMEONE HELP THE ROCK THEY PUNCHED ITS GONE]
Ritu turned the drone toward another group.
Pairs of Machop were grappling—locking arms, practicing throws, slamming each other into the dirt.
"Ah—chat—this is their wrestling practice. Aakash mentioned fighting-types develop muscle control through close combat drills."
Chat:
[THEY'RE LITERALLY DOING WWE MOVES]
[IS THAT A SUPLEX??]
[MACHOP SAID: TODAY I BECOME MACHOKE]
At the edge of the plateau was a strange squad:
• Some Machop flexing
• Some striking dramatic bodybuilding poses
• Some staring silently into each other's eyes
• Two sitting in meditation
• Machoke adjusting everyone's posture like a yoga teacher
Ritu blinked.
"Ooookay… this is new."
Chat went wild:
[WHY ARE THEY POSING LIKE JOJO CHARACTERS]
[IS THIS A CULT]
[THE STARE-DOWN IS SO INTENSE IM SCARED]
Ritu smirked.
"Well, chat, this part I can explain."
She paused the drone, excited.
Aakash had created a Move Encyclopedia beta module for PokeDex app and shared it with the team—even though he hadn't published it yet.
He had warned them:
"Learn the status moves especially. They decide half the battle."
Ritu finally had something she could explain without messing up.
She pointed at a pair of Machop making extremely aggressive eye contact.
"That move is Leer. It's a debuff—they lower the enemy's guard by intimidating."
Chat:
[THEY LOOK LIKE THEY'RE ABOUT TO KISS][NO WONDER MY DEFENSE WOULD DROP I'D RUN]
She pointed at the flexing group.
"That is Bulk Up—it increases strength and durability."
Chat:
[OH THEY BUILT DIFFERENT][MACHOP BULKING UP IS TERRIFYING]
She pointed at the meditating ones.
"That one is Meditate—increases their focus and striking power."
One Machop inhaled… exhaled… radiating quiet calm.
"Well done—"
Ritu froze mid-sentence.
"…Wait. What the—?"
She zoomed in.
There.
Sitting among the meditating Machop…
Mankey.
Aakash's Mankey.
Cross-legged.
Eyes closed.
Breathing deeply.
In conversation with a Machoke—who was teaching him the movement.
"M-Mankey!?" she hissed.
Chat exploded:
[MANKEY???]
[WHAT IS HE DOING THERE WHY IS HE IN YOGA CLASS]
[BRO WENT TO A DIFFERENT ARC]
Mankey nodded thoughtfully… stood up…
…and walked—not to meditate more—but toward the FLEXING GROUP.
He looked determined to BULK UP.
"Mankey!" Ritu ran up to him "What are you doing here?! Why didn't you go with Aakash?"
Mankey blinked at her.
"Man… key." (Obviously. I stayed to train.)
He pulled his arm free and continued toward the posing Machoke instructor like a student approaching a master.
Ritu just stood there, stunned.
Chat:
[MANKEY HAS HIS OWN TRAINING ARCS LMAOOOO]
[HE SAID: AAKASH IS NOT THE ONLY MAIN CHARACTER]
Ritu shook her head and returned to the drone.
"Anyway… as I was saying…"
Arjun's Second Match
After nearly 20 minutes, Arjun stood up again—Rhyhorn at his side—and marched forward.
He chose a younger Machoke this time.
Ritu scanned the movements in silence.
Machoke (Lv. 28)Rhyhorn (Lv. 28)
The battle began.
And this time—
Arjun didn't panic.
Rhyhorn responded faster.
Their timing synced.
Arjun learned to wait… to observe… not shout random commands.
He even landed several solid Horn Attacks.
Chat was hype:
[ARJUN CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT ARC]
[HE LEARNED SOMETHING OMG]
[OUR BOY IS GROWING]
But the Machoke still won—graceful footwork, perfect strikes, disciplined counters.
Rhyhorn fell.
Arjun knelt, fed Oran berries to both Rhyhorn and Machoke.
Then marched toward the referee Machoke—the older one—and bowed.
"Sir… any advice?"
The Machoke crossed his arms and gave a full 5-minute lecture:
• Stance reading• Punch trajectories• Foot placement timing• Anticipation drills
Chat:
[COACH MACHOKE 🔥🔥🔥🔥]
[BEST TEACHER IN THE WORLD]
[ARJUN YOU BETTER PASS THIS CLASS]
The Third Match – Machop (Lv. 26)
This one was close.
Very close.
Rhyhorn improved dramatically.
Arjun didn't shout—he commanded calmly. Rhyhorn adapted.
But Machop won with a precise chop and grappling takedown.
Arjun sighed, fed berries again, and took mental notes.
Chat:
[SO CLOSE]
[ARJUN ALMOST HAD HIM]
[THIS IS GREAT TRAINING]
The Fourth Match – Machop (Lv. 25)
Arjun inhaled.
Exhaled.
Rhyhorn stomped the ground—ready.
The younger Machop tightened its fists.
The battle began.
And for the first time—
Arjun commanded like a real trainer.
He timed Mud-Slaps perfectly.
Dodged two grapples.
Controlled spacing.
Then—Horn Attack at the right angle—
Machop hit the dirt.
Defeated.
Rhyhorn stood tall.
Silence.
Then—
Arjun walked forward.
Offered Machop an Oran berry.
Then raised his fist.
"Let's grow stronger together. Partner?"
Machop stared at him.
Eyes sharp.
Determined.
Then—
Fist bump.
Chat exploded:
[WE HAVE A NEW DUO LETS GOO]
[ARJUN GOT HIS FIRST FIGHTING TYPE]
[MACHOP X ARJUN ARC COMING]
[THEY LOOK SO GOOD TOGETHER IM CRYING]
Ritu smiled softly.
"Nice work, Arjun."
Everything felt peaceful.
Everything felt safe.
Until—
GGRRRRROOOOUUUNNNDDDD—!!!
The earth shook violently.
Not a small tremor.
A full quake.
Dust rained from the cliffs.
Several Machop stumbled.Geodude dropped the rock they were lifting.Even the Machoke supervising group turned sharply—faces twitching.
Ritu grabbed the drone.
"What—what was that?!"
Chat exploded instantly:
[WHY IS THE SCREEN SHAKING???][EARTHQUAKE? EARTHQUAKE?][RITU RUN—RUN NOW][THAT WAS NOT NORMAL]
Arjun felt his stomach drop.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
He didn't wait.
He sprinted toward the tunnel Aakash had entered earlier.
"Arjun!?" Ritu called after him.
But even before Arjun moved—
Mankey was already gone.
The moment the ground shook, Mankey's fur bristled, eyes widened—and he bolted toward the mine.
He was faster than Arjun.Faster than Ritu.Faster than reason.
A blur of martial-arts fury.
"M-Mankey wait!!" Ritu yelled.
But he didn't even hear her.
He wasn't running out of fear.
He was running because Aakash was in danger.
Ritu mounted her Rhyhorn, clinging to its rocky plates.
"GO! FOLLOW THEM!"
She galloped after Arjun and Mankey, drone jerking wildly behind her.
Chat was losing its mind:
[RHYHORN CANT OUTRUN MANKEY LMAOOO][BUT WHY IS MANKEY SO FAST][DID SOMETHING HAPPEN TO AAKASH—HELLO??][THIS FEELS LIKE A SEASON FINALE]
As they reached the mine entrance…
Three figures emerged slowly from the shadows.
Aakash.Mama.Captain Sethi—holding an Aron in his arms.
Behind them:
Three Rhyhorn escorting the group defensively.
Aakash stepped into the light.
He looked calm.Too calm.
That only made it scarier.
The moment Mankey saw him—
He launched himself forward like a furry missile.
"Aaakash!!"
He hit Aakash's chest so hard the drone shook.
Aakash staggered, instinctively catching him.
"Mankey—hey—easy—"
The Pokémon clung tighter, shaking slightly, checking his face, tapping his cheeks like a worried toddler making sure his parent was alive.
Arjun arrived next, panting.
"Sir—sir—are you okay?! What happened?! The whole mountain shook!"
Ritu slid down from Rhyhorn, eyes wide, breath trembling.
"We saw the quake on stream. What was that?!"
The three Rhyhorn behind Aakash snorted, still on high alert, staring back into the cave.
Sethi hugged the Aron tightly.
Mama exhaled like a man who had aged five years in an hour.
Ritu looked at all three adults.
Their expressions told a story even before Aakash spoke.
Aakash's POV
My fingers were still trembling.
I curled them into a fist so no one noticed.
I wasn't scared of battles.
I wasn't scared of Pokémon.
But this…
Aggron.
Level 50+.
A monster.
A king.
A walking fortress of steel and fury.
If it had decided to continue the charge…
If Aron's siblings hadn't intervened…
We would have been crushed inside that cave.
Buried alive.
I took a slow breath, stroking Mankey's fur as he clung to me, sniffing my clothes to check for injuries.
"It's okay," I whispered. "We're all okay."
But my heart disagreed.
That Aggron—
The ruler of the entire mountain.
Unchallenged.
Untouchable.
I didn't have the nerves to approach it again.Mining rights? Cooperation? No.
Not right now.
Not with that level of power.
For the first time since entering this Pokémon world…
I felt small.
I exhaled sharply only after we stepped out into the open air.
Ritu, Arjun, Machoke, Machop, even some Geodude watched from afar.
Mankey finally relaxed enough to drop down, though he stayed close to my leg like a shadow.
I forced a smile.
"So… anything interesting happen while I was gone?"
Mankey's eyes lit up.
He jumped in front of me, puffing his chest proudly.
"Man-key!!"
He performed a perfect Bulk Up stance—muscles tightening, aura swelling.
Then he sat cross-legged and demonstrated a shaky little Meditate pose.
I blinked.
"You learned Bulk Up? And Meditate basics?"
He nodded furiously.
Arjun stepped forward, smiling despite the fear lingering behind his eyes.
"Sir… also… I caught a partner."
He gestured.
A determined Machop walked up beside him—bruised, but proud.
"Machop!" it barked, posing confidently.
I grinned.
"Well done, Arjun."
Inside the cave, a monster lurked.
But here?
On this plateau?
My people had grown.
Stronger.
Wiser.
Closer.
I ruffled Mankey's head. "Show me what else you learned?"
And for a brief moment…
The fear of Aggron faded.
We had survived.
We had grown.
And the mountain had acknowledged our strength—even if only a little.
_____________________________________________________________________________
After checking the time on my tablet, I exhaled.
We had been through way too much in a single morning.
"Alright everyone," I said, clapping my hands once. "Rest up. Have lunch. We're stopping here for a while."
The team visibly relaxed.
Even the Pokémon slumped down in the shade.
Today, unlike previous days, we had no Miltank milk.
No honey.
No fancy ingredients.
Just the remaining berries packed in our bags.
I crouched and opened every backpack, pulling out all the leftover berry portions.
"Keep some aside for healing," I instructed, sorting the freshest and most potent ones into a separate pouch.
The rest—every last scrap—I mixed into Pokémon bowls.
Nine bowls lined up like a makeshift buffet.
The remaining berries formed a modest pile.
I carried that pile to the Machoke instructor and the training Machop.
They looked surprised.
"Machoke?""Machop?"
"This is thank-you food," I said. "For helping Arjun. For teaching Mankey. And for keeping them safe."
Machoke gave a deep nod—a warrior's acknowledgment.
Machop saluted cutely.
The berries were gone in seconds.
__________________________________________________________________________________
A soft whine came from behind me.
Mama's Growlithe sat with his ears drooping, tail flat on the ground.
Mama knelt beside him, gently rubbing the pup's neck.
"Hey… you did good. You didn't run. You didn't panic."
Growlithe whined deeper, eyes sad.
He felt useless.
Because in the mine, against Aggron, he could do nothing.
I walked over and sat beside them.
"You know," I said, scratching Growlithe lightly, "strength isn't just about fighting the biggest thing in the room. Sometimes it's about knowing when NOT to fight."
Growlithe looked up at me, unsure.
"You protected us. You listened to Mama. That's also strength."
Growlithe blinked, tail lifting just a little.
"Don't worry," I added. "You'll get much stronger."
The pup leaned against Mama, comforted at least a bit.
Introducing Aron
Captain Sethi approached then, holding the tiny steel Pokémon like a baby robot.
"Sir," he said, "should I… introduce him to the team?"
I nodded. "Come on."
The others gathered around.
"This," I announced, "is Aron—the one Sethi bonded with."
Aron puffed up proudly—even though he still looked like an angry metal potato.
Chat would've gone wild seeing him.
But—
I glanced at the drone hovering silently.
Time to close shop.
"We're taking a break now," I said to the camera. "No lunch stream. Everyone needs rest."
Ritu nodded and tapped her tablet.
The drone light blinked once—
STREAM OFFLINE
Silence.
Only the sounds of Pokémon eating and distant Machop punches echoed across the plateau.
I let myself relax for the first time since Aggron appeared.
Lunch wasn't glamorous.
But it was peaceful.
And right now, that was enough.