Julian, clearly using the Dream Machine for the first time, tightly gripped the Lunar Feather, feeling somewhat nervous. He glanced at Kalia beside him, hesitating to speak.
Seeming to notice Julian's expression, Kalia smiled and reassured him, "Just close your eyes and relax. When you open them again, you'll be in the Dream World. There's nothing to worry about."
"Okay, okay."
Nodding, Julian closed his eyes. Just as he thought he couldn't fall asleep, Professor Evergreen activated the Dream Machine. Suddenly, a wave of drowsiness overcame Julian, and before he knew it, he drifted off into deep slumber.
***
Dream World, Small Hut.
Regaining consciousness, Julian opened his eyes and found himself inside a dimly lit small hut. The surroundings appeared worn-out and desolate.
At that moment, Kalia's voice echoed, "I've heard Professor Evergreen say that the Dream World is essentially a reflection of the real world. Therefore, this hut corresponds to the location of Rhine City's research institute. Let's first familiarize ourselves with the environment here."
Neither Julian nor Kalia could frequently enter the Dream World, so their Pokemon were still in their initial states. To swiftly locate the little Zapdos, they needed to find the corresponding ruins of Rhine City within the dream realm and head in that direction.
Upon entering the Dream World, their first task was naturally to leave the hut, determine their bearings, and allow their Pokemon to grow stronger. Once more powerful, they could consider venturing further afield.
During her first visit to the Dream World, Kalia had been startled by a Gastly, but now she remained unfazed. The Lunar Feather provided some defense in this realm, protecting Trainers from harm caused by local Pokemon.
"Let's go outside."
Quickly, they stepped outside into the dim sky and hazy surroundings, feeling a sense of oppression.
The Dream World lacks sunlight, resulting in very few Grass-type Pokémon due to their inability to perform photosynthesis, making it difficult for them to survive here.
The entire Dream World exudes an atmosphere devoid of vitality, with the resident Pokémon often exhibiting aggressive tendencies.
However, Kalia's captured Torchic was an exception; such timid and weak Torchics are exceptionally rare within the Dream World.
"Release your Pokémon now. The Dream World can be dangerous, especially if attacked by multiple Pokémon. The Lunar Feather will continuously deplete under such circumstances, and once it runs out, we'll be in trouble," Kalia warned.
During her previous visit, Kalia had used a partially damaged Lunar Feather provided by Professor Evergreen. This time, she possessed a complete one, sensing that it could sustain her for over a day in this realm.
"Understood. So, what should we do now?" Julian asked, noticing the six Poké Balls on his person - four containing his Pokémon and two pink Dream Balls.
As Julian released his four Pokémon, he was taken aback when they landed. Unaware of the Dream World's mechanics, he didn't realize that upon their first entry, Pokémon would revert to their initial state.
"What's happening? All my Pokémon have become weaker," Julian questioned, puzzled. He had planned to use Charizard with Kalia to search for the little Zapdos directly, but now, with his Pokémon reverted to their base forms, it seemed impractical.
"How can we find the little Zapdos like this? Rhine City is quite far from Ruins City in reality; even ten Lunar Feathers wouldn't suffice if we rely solely on walking or non-flying Pokémon."
Kalia explained, "Yes, since you've never entered the Dream World before, your Pokémon will return to their starting states and need to grow anew. However, any growth achieved here will positively affect your real-world Pokémon as well." With that, she also released her four Pokémon and continued elaborating to Julian.
"My Pokémon are the same, at their most basic stages. I've only entered once myself, and my Torchic was actually caught within the Dream World."
Julian suddenly asked, "Are you sure all your Pokémon are in their initial states? Then what about your Charizard?"
Kalia paused and explained, "He should still be a Charmander, look..."
After releasing her Poké Balls, Kalia had continued conversing with Julian without paying attention to them. However, upon his reminder, she turned with confusion.
She was utterly stunned by what she saw.
A towering Charizard stood behind her, its massive frame gazing down, flames erupting from its mouth - unmistakably her own Charizard.
Rubbing her eyes, Kalia glanced at her other Pokémon: Treecko, Torchic, and Vulpix, all remaining in their initial forms. Only Charmander had transformed into a Charizard.
"What happened?" Kalia was bewildered; how could her Charizard bypass the Dream World's influence and appear fully evolved during her second visit?
Lian noticed Kalia's surprise but remained unfazed. Instead, he pondered whether little Zapdos should be arriving soon, as directing it here would save time rather than searching for it elsewhere.
The Lunar Feathers were scarce, and he wanted Kalia to explore more of the Dream World. With only two feathers, they could last at most three days, which wasn't much time.
***
In another part of the Dream World:
"Is that really a Zapdos? I can't believe the Dream World has such a legendary Pokémon, and it's still in its weaker stage! If we capture it, we'll hit the jackpot!" exclaimed one excited young boy, riding a Flying-type Pokémon while chasing after a yellow Zapdos soaring in the sky.
There were two boys and one girl; if Kalia were present, she would have noticed their distinct accents. Although understandable, their dialect was not from either the Ellie or Sebas regions.
Zapdos bore some injuries but followed Lian's instructions, flying towards the cabin's direction.
However, along the way, Zapdos encountered three human Trainers who instantly pursued it upon sighting the legendary Pokémon.
After a brief battle, Zapdos realized it couldn't overpower them and had no choice but to exert all its speed to escape from these Trainers.
While Zapdos maintained decent speed, the opponents' Flying-type Pokémon were notably faster, yet they didn't rush to close the gap immediately.
"I never thought we'd encounter a Zapdos in the Dream World. Oh, how I wish to capture it—it's a legendary Pokémon!" said a delicate-looking girl softly, addressing her companions.
"No problem, Ziya," replied one of the boys confidently. "Once I defeat it, you just throw a Dream Ball."
"Thank you, Big Bro Karl ." The girl named Ziya's eyes sparkled with delight, and she gently pecked the boy on the cheek as a gesture of appreciation.