Morning of Day 8
I woke before sunrise.
Not because I set an alarm.Not because of excitement.
But because something heavy was sitting on my chest.
"Ghh—Pidgeo—"
A newly evolved Pidgeotto blinked down at me with bright, intelligent amber eyes, head feathers fluttering slightly. Her body was warm, comforting… and crushing my lungs.
"Can you—maybe—not sit on me first thing in the morning?"
She chirped happily and hopped off, landing gracefully on the floor.Light. Agile. Beautiful.
My first partner.
My first real step into this new world.
And today… it was time to introduce her to the rest of my family.
I inhaled deeply, picked her up gently, and walked toward the living room.
Dad was sipping tea.Mom was cutting vegetables for breakfast.Sagar was half-asleep on the sofa, hugging a pillow like a sloth.
I cleared my throat.
"So… I have something to show you."
They turned.
And froze.
Pidgeotto puffed up proudly, spreading her wings wide like she was posing for her debut photoshoot.
Mom screamed.Dad jumped out of his chair.Sagar dropped his pillow.
"What is THAT?!" Mom squeaked."A—A bird?! No, not a bird—what bird looks like that!?" Dad shouted."BRO YOU HAVE A DRAGON??" Sagar yelled.
Pidgeotto chirped, insulted.
I raised my hands.
"Relax! Relax! She's not dangerous!"
Mom hid behind Dad.Dad hid behind a dining chair.Sagar hid behind nobody — he was too fascinated to step away.
"She's a Pokémon," I said calmly. "One of the creatures appearing worldwide."
"POKE-MON?" Mom repeated like she was trying to pronounce a slur.
"Yes. And her name is Pidgeotto. She won't hurt you. I promise."
Dad frowned skeptically. "How do you know?"
"She… trusted me. I helped her when she was injured."
Pidgeotto very helpfully hopped forward and nuzzled Dad's leg.
Dad stiffened.
Mom squeaked.
Sagar gasped.
"Oh my god it's SO SOFT—"
He lunged forward and hugged her like a teddy bear.
Pidgeotto flapped her wings helplessly, letting out a confused chirp.
"Sagar—gentle! She just evolved!"
"I CAN'T HELP IT SHE'S SO FLUFFY!"
Mom slowly peeked out from behind Dad.
"…She… does look soft."
Pidgeotto puffed up proudly.
Dad finally removed the dining chair shield.
"Fine. Fine. If she is safe… then she is welcome."
Mom nodded reluctantly. "But she doesn't poop inside the house."
I laughed.Pidgeotto chirped indignantly.
Baby steps.
Once everyone calmed down, I pulled out my phone.
"I made something. An app. I call it… Pokédex."
I sent the link to our family group.Mom, Dad, and Sagar installed it immediately.
Mom squinted at her screen. "This helps identify these… things?"
"Yes. Their habits, behavior, danger ratings."
Dad nodded. "Smart. People need this."
Sagar grabbed my shoulder. "BRO. Can I have one?! A Pokémon?"
I grinned. "Soon. But only when we find one that chooses you."
His eyes sparkled. "I'm gonna get the cutest pokemon."
Pidgeotto glared at him, offended.
"Or—or a Pidgeotto!" he corrected quickly.
She puffed her feathers proudly.
Breakfast finished. Mom packed me snacks "just in case." Dad gave the classic Indian dad advice: "Don't do anything stupid." Sagar begged me to bring back a Pokémon for him.
And Pidgeotto perched on my shoulder as I headed toward the door.
"I'll be exploring the outskirts of the new forest near Aarey Colony," I told them honestly.
Mom looked terrified, but nodded. Dad looked worried, but trusted me. Sagar yelled, "RECORD EVERYTHING!"
That was the plan.
On the Way — Going Live
Mumbai's roads were a mix of chaos and curiosity. People stared at the newly merged forest — dark green, towering, alien.
Some trees were over 30 meters tall. Some had blue leaves. Some glowed faintly.
The forest looked both beautiful… and dangerous.
I set up my phone.
"Alright… let's start the stream."
I pressed LIVE on NewTube.
Live Stream Title: Pokémon Exploration: Friends or Foe — Live from Mumbai Forest
The viewer count started at 0.Then 3.Then 12.Then 203.Then 1,200.
The world was hungry for answers.
"Hello everyone," I began, trying not to sound nervous. "My name is Aakash, and this is my partner—Pidgeotto."
She posed majestically on my shoulder.
Chat exploded.
OMG THAT'S THE BIRD FROM STREAMS!!
BRO CAREFUL THEY CAN KILL YOU
she's so cute omg
what is a po-ke-mo-n???
TURN BACK YOU FOOL
I smiled.
"Relax. Pokémon aren't inherently evil. They don't attack without reason. I'll be showing you some harmless ones… and warning you about dangerous ones."
The messages slowed. People listened.
This was good.
This was the first step to calming the world.
Arriving at the Forest Edge
As I walked, the system suddenly chimed:
[Host's Adventure Begins][Initializing System Reward…]
I stopped dead.
"What… reward?"
A massive wave of information slammed into my mind.
Schematics. Blueprints. Technologies.
Pokéballs. Healing machines. Potions. Status restorers. Energy conversion modules. Portable incubators. Berry processors. Blenders. Capture safety limiters. Wildlife beacons. Medical scanners.
Everything from the Pokémon world.
All of it.
My head spun as if I'd downloaded an entire library.
I dropped to one knee, clutching my skull.
Pidgeotto flapped her wings anxiously.
The livestream chat went insane.
BRO???ARE YOU DYING??IS THAT FOREST CURSED??GET OUT OF THERE!!WHAT IS HAPPENING??
I breathed slowly. Pain faded. Clarity returned.
And the system spoke again:
[Crafting Module: Locked]
[Unlock Conditions:
Popularize Pokémon knowledge among 10 million people
Stabilize Pokémon–Human relations within your state]
I exhaled.
"So I need to spread awareness… and help keep peace."
Pidgeotto chirped firmly, as if saying, We can do this.
I smiled.
"Yeah. We will."
I looked ahead — at the massive new forest stretching into the horizon.
New rules. New dangers. New beginnings.
I took my first step forward.
"A small step for mankind," I murmured.
"But the first of many for us."
The livestream exploded with excitement.
And my journey truly began.