(Leo POV)
The first thing Leo noticed was the wind.
For what felt like hours, the narrow tunnel had carried nothing except the stale scent of stone, earth, and the faint metallic traces left behind by Dragon-type energy. Every step forward had been accompanied by the possibility that their strange Jangmo-o guide had either misunderstood their intentions or was leading them somewhere considerably worse.
Then the air changed.
Cool wind swept through the passage ahead, carrying unfamiliar scents with it.
Grass.
Water.
Flowers.
And something else Leo couldn't immediately identify.
He stopped walking.
Saphira nearly floated directly into the back of his head before swerving around him.
"Mew?"
Princess glanced up from beside his leg, while Kitsfrost raised its head and sniffed the air.
Leo smiled.
"Outside."
The battered Jangmo-o standing several meters ahead turned toward them.
For the first time since entering the tunnel, the little Dragon looked almost relaxed.
It chirped once before continuing forward.
Leo followed.
The tunnel gradually widened until the darkness ahead became a faint circle of daylight. With every step, the distant opening expanded, and the oppressive weight that seemed permanently attached to Dragon Fall slowly began to disappear.
Then they stepped outside.
Leo immediately stopped again.
Behind them stood one of the colossal mountains making up Dragon Fall, its peak disappearing into the clouds far overhead. The tunnel entrance itself was hidden beneath thick vines and several massive stone formations, making it nearly impossible to notice unless someone already knew where to look.
Ahead of them stretched open wilderness.
Not another mountain wall.
Not another valley filled with territorial Dragons.
Just seemingly endless land.
Leo released a long breath.
"We're out."
Princess dropped onto the grass.
"Snivy..."
Leo looked down.
"Yeah."
She didn't move.
"I know."
Kitsfrost simply collapsed beside her.
Saphira lasted another three seconds before dropping onto Leo's head.
"Mew."
"You barely walked."
"Mew."
"Floating doesn't count."
Saphira slapped his forehead with her tail.
Leo ignored her.
His eyes returned to the landscape.
For the first time since their escape began, there wasn't an immediate Dragon-type trying to chase, threaten, challenge, eat, capture, or otherwise inconvenience them.
That alone felt suspicious.
Leo slowly turned toward Jangmo-o.
The little Dragon stood near the hidden tunnel entrance.
"You're not coming?"
Jangmo-o shook its head.
Leo had expected as much.
Whatever reason it had for helping them, its home was still somewhere inside Dragon Fall.
Leo crouched.
"Thank you."
Jangmo-o stared at him.
"You didn't have to help us."
The Dragon's eyes briefly shifted toward Princess.
Then toward Saphira.
Finally, it looked back at Leo.
Leo smiled.
"I'll take that as your reason."
Jangmo-o huffed.
Leo extended his fist.
The little Dragon stared at it suspiciously before eventually striking its armored forehead lightly against his knuckles.
"Good luck."
"Jang."
With that, Jangmo-o turned around.
Several seconds later, it disappeared into the tunnel.
Leo watched until even the sound of its footsteps faded.
Princess sat up.
"Snivy?"
"No."
Leo stood.
"I don't think that's the last time we'll see it either."
Princess narrowed her eyes.
Leo shrugged.
"Call it a feeling."
Saphira floated down from his head.
"Mew."
"Your feelings don't count."
"Mew!"
Leo started walking before she could attack him again.
They needed distance.
Escaping Dragon Fall didn't mean they were safe.
The mountain range was still behind them, and if any of the larger Dragon tribes realized how they had escaped, there was nothing preventing them from searching beyond its borders.
Fortunately, the landscape ahead offered considerably more options than the mountains had.
Unfortunately...
Leo had absolutely no idea where they were going.
He reached into his bag and pulled out the information he had gathered before this journey began.
Dragon Domain.
Dragon Fall.
The surrounding territory.
His eyes eventually stopped over one particular name.
"The Wild Lands."
Princess looked up.
"Snivy?"
"That's what this entire region outside Dragon Fall is called."
Saphira floated closer.
Leo continued reading.
Apparently, the name wasn't simply because the place lacked civilization.
The Wild Lands were unusual even by Pokémon standards.
Various forms of Type Energy constantly flowed through the territory, occasionally overlapping, dispersing, strengthening, or shifting entirely depending on conditions Leo's information didn't fully explain.
Fire Energy could dominate one region for several weeks before suddenly weakening.
Water Energy might then spread through the same location.
Grass, Ground, Electric, Psychic, Fairy...
Practically anything was possible.
Leo lowered the information.
"So basically, the entire region has elemental mood swings."
Princess blinked.
"Snivy."
"That's what I read."
Saphira looked interested.
Kitsfrost looked considerably less so.
Leo smiled.
"Come on."
They started walking.
The Wild Lands waited ahead.
For the first several hours, very little changed.
Dragon Fall remained visible behind them no matter how far they traveled, the massive mountain range dominating the horizon like an enormous wall.
The land immediately surrounding it was strangely barren.
Grass existed, but it grew sparsely.
The trees were smaller.
Even the air still carried faint traces of Dragon-type energy.
Unsurprisingly, most of the Pokémon they encountered were Dragon-types or species commonly found near rocky mountains.
Several Noibat watched them from a distant cliff.
A lone Axew appeared briefly between two groups of stones before immediately disappearing again.
They spotted what Leo believed was a Druddigon sleeping beneath an overhang and wisely chose another route.
Nothing attacked.
That alone improved everyone's mood considerably.
By midday, the environment began changing.
The grass grew taller.
Trees appeared more frequently.
Small streams cut through the landscape.
And the Pokémon slowly became more varied.
The first sign came when a flock of Starly passed overhead.
Leo stopped.
He stared upward.
Princess followed his gaze.
"Snivy?"
Leo smiled.
"Nothing."
After spending so long surrounded almost exclusively by Dragons, seeing an ordinary flock of Flying-types felt strangely refreshing.
Twenty minutes later, they spotted several Sentret.
Then a pair of Bunnelby.
Then several Bug-types scattered through the taller grass.
Leo began noticing something else.
The Dragon Energy was weakening.
Not disappearing.
Just becoming less dominant.
Other energies were starting to appear beneath it.
Grass was easiest to recognize.
Ground came next.
There were faint pockets of Flying Energy moving through the air, while Water Energy gathered more heavily around streams.
The farther they traveled from Dragon Fall, the more complicated the surrounding energy became.
Leo could feel it even without intentionally searching.
Princess definitely noticed.
The Snivy occasionally stopped walking and tilted her head toward seemingly empty areas.
Kitsfrost did the same.
Saphira seemed completely fascinated.
She drifted from side to side, occasionally reaching toward invisible currents that only she seemed able to perceive clearly.
Leo watched her.
"Don't touch anything strange."
Saphira immediately reached farther.
"Saphira."
She froze.
Slowly, the Mew turned toward him.
Leo pointed at his eyes.
"I know you."
Saphira withdrew her paw.
Princess snorted.
They continued onward.
Several hours later, they encountered the first obvious energy fluctuation.
The forest changed without warning.
One moment, the trees surrounding them were ordinary.
The next, nearly every leaf within sight carried faint sparks of electricity.
Leo stopped.
Princess stopped.
Kitsfrost stopped.
Saphira flew directly into the nearest tree.
A spark exploded against her face.
"MEEW!"
Leo stared.
Princess stared.
Kitsfrost stared.
Saphira slowly floated backward.
Her fur stood in every direction.
Leo covered his mouth.
Princess failed completely.
"Snivy! Snivy!"
Saphira's eyes narrowed.
Princess immediately ran.
The next several minutes became significantly less peaceful.
Leo eventually managed to separate them.
Mostly.
Princess hid behind him while Saphira floated several meters away, glaring.
"You touched the strange thing."
"Mew."
"I specifically told you not to."
"Mew!"
Leo looked at the tree.
Electricity crawled harmlessly across several branches.
Interestingly, the tree itself hadn't changed species.
The surrounding energy had simply saturated it.
Leo reached toward one leaf but stopped before making contact.
He wasn't Saphira.
He could learn from examples.
Several unfamiliar cries echoed through the forest.
Leo turned.
Small yellow shapes moved between the trees.
"Pikachu?"
One appeared briefly.
Then another.
Soon several Pikachu could be seen moving through the electrically charged section of forest.
A few Emolga glided between branches farther above.
Leo's interest immediately increased.
"So that's how it works."
Princess peeked around his leg.
"Snivy?"
"The energy attracts Pokémon that benefit from it."
Or perhaps it caused them to migrate whenever a compatible region appeared.
That would explain some of the information he had read.
The Wild Lands weren't divided into permanent elemental territories.
Their ecosystems moved.
Shifted.
Changed.
Today, this forest might belong largely to Electric-types.
A month from now, it could become dominated by Grass or Bug Pokémon.
Leo smiled.
"That could get complicated."
Saphira finally stopped glaring at Princess.
"Mew."
"Yes."
Leo looked around.
"And useful."
They remained near the Electric region for several hours.
Not because Leo intended to capture anything.
He simply wanted to observe.
Wild Pokémon behaved differently here.
The Pikachu didn't seem overly territorial.
A few became curious enough to approach from a distance, though none came particularly close.
One Emolga followed the group for nearly ten minutes before losing interest.
By evening, Leo decided they had traveled far enough.
They established a temporary camp near the edge of the charged forest.
Dragon Fall remained visible behind them.
But now it seemed smaller.
That was enough.
Night in the Wild Lands was louder than Leo expected.
Not dangerous.
Just alive.
Bug Pokémon chirped from the trees.
Flying-types occasionally passed overhead.
Something splashed repeatedly in a nearby stream.
Princess slept near Leo's side.
Kitsfrost had curled into a ball nearby.
Saphira floated several inches above his chest, apparently deciding gravity no longer deserved her respect.
Leo stared upward.
The stars were unfamiliar.
He had noticed that before, but there hadn't been much time to appreciate it.
Less than two days.
That thought returned unexpectedly.
He had entered this universe less than two days ago.
Somehow, within that time, he had already become involved with things that probably should have taken months to encounter.
Leo sighed.
"I'm blaming Dad."
Saphira opened one eye.
"Mew?"
"Nothing."
She closed it again.
Leo smiled.
He eventually fell asleep.
Morning brought another change.
The electricity was gone.
Leo stood near the same tree Saphira had touched the previous day.
No sparks.
No charge.
Nothing.
The leaves looked completely ordinary.
Princess poked one.
"Snivy?"
Leo looked around.
The Pikachu were gone.
So were the Emolga.
Instead, several Caterpie moved slowly across nearby branches.
A Butterfree passed overhead.
Saphira touched the tree.
Nothing happened.
She looked offended.
Leo laughed.
"Now you want it to shock you?"
"Mew."
"I don't understand you."
Princess nodded firmly.
Saphira glared at both of them.
They broke camp soon afterward.
The second day revealed considerably more of what made the Wild Lands unusual.
As Dragon Fall shrank behind them, the variety of Pokémon steadily increased.
They passed through a meadow filled with Oddish, Budew, and several Deerling.
Later, they crossed a shallow river where Wooper and Poliwag rested along the banks.
A school of Magikarp scattered when Kitsfrost approached too closely.
Leo looked at the water.
"I'm almost disappointed."
Princess gave him a suspicious look.
"I expected at least one of them to somehow be absurdly powerful."
"Snivy."
"What?"
She kept staring.
Leo sighed.
"Fine."
He continued walking.
Around midday, the Grass Energy surrounding them abruptly weakened.
Heat replaced it.
The temperature rose several degrees within minutes.
Dry patches appeared across the landscape.
Leo felt Fire Energy gathering ahead.
Soon they began encountering different Pokémon.
Growlithe.
Litleo.
Several Fletchinder.
A group of Numel wandered across a distant hill.
The transition wasn't perfectly divided.
That was what fascinated Leo most.
Grass-types didn't simply disappear because Fire Energy became stronger.
Some remained.
Normal-types continued moving through both regions.
Flying-types crossed between them freely.
The elemental fluctuations influenced the environment without completely controlling it.
The farther they traveled, the more blended everything became.
By afternoon, Leo stopped trying to predict which Pokémon they would encounter next.
A Psyduck appeared beside a pond.
Ten minutes later, they saw a Machop carrying a massive stone.
Then a pair of Ralts disappeared the instant they realized Leo had noticed them.
Several kilometers later, a Magnemite floated inexplicably above an empty field.
Leo stared at it.
The Magnemite stared back.
Neither moved.
Eventually, Princess tugged his pants.
"Right."
Leo continued walking.
The Magnemite continued floating.
Leo decided some questions could wait.
Near sunset, Dragon Fall finally disappeared.
Leo noticed when they reached the top of a wide hill.
He turned around.
Nothing.
No enormous mountains.
No distant peaks.
No circular wall surrounding the Dragon Domain.
For the first time since entering that territory, Dragon Fall was completely gone from sight.
Saphira floated beside him.
Princess climbed onto the hill.
Kitsfrost stood quietly nearby.
Leo stared at the empty horizon behind them.
"We actually made it."
Princess smiled.
"Snivy."
Leo crouched beside her.
"No Dragonite chasing us."
"Snivy."
"No Garchomp."
"Snivy."
"No Dragapult."
Saphira raised one paw.
"Mew."
Leo looked at her.
"And no mysterious moon fairies."
Princess blinked.
Leo paused.
"Actually, forget I said that."
The breeze shifted.
Leo turned forward.
The Wild Lands stretched beneath them.
Forests.
Rivers.
Grasslands.
Rocky valleys.
Distant patches of terrain that looked completely different despite sitting relatively close together.
Even from here, Leo could sense numerous forms of Type Energy moving across the region.
Some were weak.
Some were strong.
Several were interacting in ways he didn't understand.
And everywhere those energies gathered...
Pokémon followed.
Leo smiled.
Dragon Fall had been an obstacle.
The Wild Lands were something different.
They were unexplored.
Unpredictable.
And unlike the Dragon Domain, nothing here seemed interested in deciding where he was allowed to go.
At least...
Not yet.
Leo adjusted his bag.
"We'll camp somewhere lower tonight."
Princess nodded.
Saphira floated ahead.
Kitsfrost followed.
Leo took one final glance backward before joining them.
The Dragon Domain was behind them now.
Ahead, the Wild Lands continued farther than he could see.
And judging by the steadily changing currents of elemental energy surrounding them...
Things were only going to become stranger from here.