I woke up before sunrise.
For a moment, I lay still, staring at the ceiling, listening to the quiet rhythm of the villa. No emergency alerts. No Pokémon growls. No distant rotors or convoys.
Just a rare, fragile calm.
It wouldn't last.
I sat up, stretched, and reached for my tablet.
The first thing that loaded was the Mumbai Camp Overview.
Fifteen camps.
Each one marked with a small green icon along the city's perimeter and outer districts—strategically placed at the entrances of mid-level zones and near a few stabilized large zones.
Each camp housed approximately 500 students.
That meant 7,500 trainees in Mumbai alone. Many had to go to nearby cities for camps.
I exhaled slowly.
This wasn't a trial run anymore.
This was the real thing.
I scrolled down.
Dropout requests: Minimal
pre-course test results: within range.
Better than expected.
Still, numbers on a screen meant nothing without seeing the ground reality.
I swung my legs off the bed.
"Alright," I muttered. "Let's see how ready we really are."
By the time I finished breakfast, I was already mentally sorting the day.
Mumbai this week.
Next week: Pune, Nashik, Thane, Palghar.
After that, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Kolhapur.
And beyond that…
I shook my head.
It was impossible for one person to personally inspect nearly 2,000 camps across Maharashtra.
Which was exactly why I wasn't doing this alone.
The system was finally standing on its own feet.
Team Assignments
I pulled up the internal command layout.
Captain Sethi
Currently stationed near the volcanic island off Mumbai's coast.
Primary task:
Strike Squad training
Controlled Houndour bonding
High-risk suppression readiness
The island was brutal—but perfect. Anyone who survived training there would never panic in a normal zone again.
Mama Kadam
Overseeing law enforcement integration.
Police units.
Rapid response teams.
Urban Pokémon deployment.
Growlithe and Arcanine units were already operational in three districts.
Crime reports had dropped sharply.
Not because of fear.
Because criminals now knew they wouldn't outrun fire.
Tanisha
Disaster relief division.
Flood response simulations.
Earthquake drills.
Beast/pokemon tide evacuation protocols.
Her teams trained with Pokémon that specialized in endurance, detection, and rescue—not combat.
She took this role personally.
Too many people had died in disasters before Pokémon arrived and during first week of their arrival.
She wasn't letting that happen again.
Imran & Kavya
Aarey Intensive Course Camp.
The most important camp of all.
Aarey wasn't just a zone—it was a symbol.
Stabilized.
Integrated.
Alive.
They handled theory classes, Pokémon handling basics, and first-contact protocols. Chansey supervised medical training personally.
No better place to teach restraint.
Aarey was supposed to be the camp where most promising students trained and from next year. It will be place to train elites passing 10th. before academy enrollments.
Though world doesn't work that way, India doesn't work that way. when politicians and businessmen heard Aarey was a place for elite. Politicians started pulling strings for their children. businessmen started currying favors with politicians and military personnel.
At the end of all this out of 500 students, 300 were from connections.
I didn't push it. That's just way of the world. Talents makes you shine. Connections give you the oppurtunity. Just as I had done for my friends and family.
The Rest of the Team
Split into pairs and small units.
Each assigned clusters of camps across Maharashtra.
Their job wasn't enforcement.
It was observation.
Preparation checks.
Instructor evaluations.
Student mental readiness.
Pokémon welfare audits.
And most importantly—
Identifying early warning signs.
Fear.
Overconfidence.
Recklessness.
Those three things destroyed trainers faster than any Pokémon.
I marked seven camps on the Mumbai map.
The ones closest to mid-level zone entrances.
And Aarey.
The ones where students could hear Pokémon at night.
Where they could smell the forest.
Where the line between theory and reality felt thin.
These camps told the truth.
If discipline held there, it would hold anywhere.
I stepped into the backyard, letting the early morning air settle around me.
The Tangela rustled softly along the fence line, vines lazily shifting as sunlight filtered through the trees. Pidgeot stood near the open space, wings tucked neatly, eyes sharp and alert even at rest. Everything felt… ready.
Chansey was already waiting.
She had her pouch secured, posture upright, expression calm and professional. One look at her and anyone would understand—this wasn't just a Pokémon coming along, this was a medic reporting for duty.
"Are you ready for today?" I said, adjusting my jacket.
Chansey nodded immediately.
"Chansey."
Then—
"Happi!"
A small body slammed gently into my leg.
I looked down.
Happiny stood there with her hands on her hips, stone gleaming faintly, cheeks puffed out in unmistakable protest. Her eyes flicked between me and Chansey, then back to me.
She already knew.
"No," I said softly but firmly.
She stomped once.
"Happi."
I knelt down in front of her so we were at eye level.
"Today's camps are crowded," I explained. "Too many people. Too many unfamiliar Pokémon. Too much noise."
She frowned.
"And," I added gently, "you pushed yourself too hard yesterday."
That made her hesitate.
I softened my tone. "You did amazing. But healing takes strength—and rest. If you don't rest, you won't grow."
She looked down at her stone.
Then back up at me.
Still pouting.
I smiled and leaned closer. "Besides… your friends are coming today."
Her eyes widened instantly.
"…Happi?"
"Apoorv. Piplup. Arpit. Neha. Their Pokémon too."
The pout vanished.
Happiny straightened, eyes shining.
"Happi! Happi!"
"I need you to help them feel comfortable here," I continued. "Show them around. Play with them. Make this place feel safe."
She nodded so hard she almost lost her balance.
I chuckled. "Can you do that?"
"Happi!"
She threw her arms around my neck in a quick hug, then immediately turned and waddled off with sudden purpose—already planning something, no doubt.
Chansey watched the whole exchange with a small smile.
"She'll be fine," I said, standing. "And so will they."
As if on cue—
Beep.
A soft notification chimed in my ear.
Front Gate Alert: Visitors Arrived
Names scrolled briefly across my vision.
ApoorvArpitNeha
I glanced toward the front of the villa.
"Right on time," I murmured.
Chansey adjusted her pouch once more, already shifting into work mode.
"Let's go," I said.
Ahead of us, the gate opened.
The car rolled in slowly through the front gate.
Apoorv was driving, one hand on the wheel, the other braced on the window as Piplup stood with her head proudly sticking out, chest puffed as if she owned the road. Beside her, Arpit's Poochyena did the same—ears flapping wildly in the wind, tongue lolling out in pure excitement.
Neha leaned back in her seat, calm as always, while her Spearow perched on the headrest, feathers ruffling as it watched the villa grounds with sharp, curious eyes.
Before the car had even fully stopped—
"Happi!"
Happiny charged forward like a tiny cannonball.
She didn't slow down. She didn't hesitate. She ran straight up to the car, waved enthusiastically, and the moment the doors opened, she was surrounded by familiar faces.
Piplup hopped down immediately, flippers slapping the stone path as she spun once in place, chirping happily. Poochyena bounded out next, tail wagging so hard it nearly knocked itself over. Spearow swooped down and circled once before landing nearby, alert but clearly relieved.
Happiny clapped, then grabbed Piplup's flipper and tugged her toward the garden.
"Happi! Happi!"
Piplup chirped back, instantly responding, and the two took off together. Poochyena followed without question. Spearow hesitated half a second—then joined them, curiosity winning.
The Tangela rustled in greeting.
A Rhyhorn snorted lazily from the far side of the yard.
Even the Mightyena guards lifted their heads briefly before settling again.
The villa felt alive.
I walked up to the three of them as they stepped out of the car.
"Are you guys ready for the camp?" I asked.
Apoorv nodded immediately, jaw set.Arpit took a breath, then nodded more firmly than before.Neha gave a single, decisive nod.
They were all assigned to Aarey Camp.
Exactly where they needed to be.
"Alright," I said. "Then listen carefully. Your Pokémon will stay here for the next month."
That landed harder than expected.
Piplup paused mid-run and looked back.
Poochyena's tail slowed.
Spearow tilted its head sharply.
Apoorv blinked. "All of them?"
"Yes," I replied. "You'll see them during supervised sessions—but they won't be sleeping with you. You need to learn without leaning on them every second."
There was a moment of silence.
Then Apoorv knelt.
Piplup waddled back immediately, pressing her forehead against his chest.
"I'll be back," he said softly. "Okay?"
Piplup hesitated… then nodded.
Arpit crouched next, resting his hand on Poochyena's head. The Pokémon leaned into it without a sound.
Neha didn't speak at all—she simply held out her hand. Spearow hopped onto it, touched its beak gently to her fingers, then lifted off and landed beside Happiny.
Goodbyes finished quickly.
No drama.
No tears.
Just understanding.
They straightened up, shouldered their bags, and headed back toward the car that would take them to the camp entrance.
Before they left, I called out once.
"You'll be tired. You'll doubt yourselves. And you'll want to quit at least once."
They stopped.
"Don't," I said calmly.
All three nodded.
The car pulled away.
I turned back to the yard.
"Happiny," I called.
She looked up immediately, flanked by Piplup and Poochyena.
"Introduce them to the zone," I said. "Show them the residents. Make them feel at home."
Her eyes lit up.
"Happi!"
She took charge instantly—dragging Piplup toward the berry grove, Poochyena toward the training space, and chirping excitedly at Spearow to follow.
Chansey watched them go, hands folded, expression thoughtful.
"They'll be fine," I said.
She nodded.
I checked the time.
Ten minutes.
I recalled my Pokémon one by one—Grookey's evolved rhythm echoing faintly as he returned, Pikachu leaping onto my shoulder at the last moment before choosing to stay back with Happiny instead.
I stepped into the open field and whistled sharply.
A shadow crossed the ground.
Pidgeot descended in a controlled spiral, wings folding as he landed beside me, massive frame steady and calm. He lowered himself instinctively, allowing me to climb onto his back.
I settled in, fingers gripping feathers that felt more like steel-reinforced silk.
"Let's go," I said.
Pidgeot launched.
The villa shrank beneath us as we rose, the forest stretching outward, Aarey visible in the distance—alive, breathing, waiting.
The Intensive Course was about to begin.
And so was the next test of everything we'd built.
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