The vegetation was dense, glowing faintly with green light.
The once perilous forest no longer posed any threat to Sato.
Sitting atop Hydreigon's sturdy back, Sato guided their direction while also admiring the beauty of the forest.
Under the pressure radiating from Hydreigon, only the strange fireflies within the forest were still fluttering about unaffected. The other Pokémon had long since fled far away.
"This is it!"
Looking at the pitch-black swamp ahead, Sato waved and summoned Gengar from the shadows.
"Go take a look."
"Gen~"
Gengar slowly sank into the swamp and floated back up not long after, nodding slightly at Sato.
"Let's go down together."
This time, Gengar directly unfolded a massive Spatial Barrier, enveloping Sato, Hydreigon, and itself.
After passing through the gravitational inversion, Sato returned to this secret space after so many years…
The fireflies were even more numerous and radiant than outside, and those green-glowing Pokémon that had once vanished were now reappearing.
'A milky-white Arbok like Belle shouldn't show up again, right?'
Sato speculated inwardly. Perhaps another "Belle" Pokémon would appear.
Going deeper, Sato advanced recklessly and quickly. No Pokémon dared to approach them.
Soon, Sato arrived at the very place where he had once battled Belle, the Arbok.
Out of a sense of resting in peace, Sato had casually instructed Pupitar to bury the shiny Arbok back then, so there were no traces of battle in the area.
After carefully scouting the surroundings again, Sato didn't find the slightest sign of any new potential leader Pokémon.
"Gengar, go check underwater. Be sure to scout for any spatial fluctuations."
Sato walked to the edge of the underground pool and gave a soft command.
Back when they first came, Gengar didn't have such powerful abilities. Aside from discovering the special Relic Crown that opened the Reverse World, they had found nothing else.
But this time…
Splash~
Gengar suddenly burst out of the water in its physical form, eyes gleaming gold!
Clearly, it had found something.
Sato's heart lifted with joy. Just as he was about to ask for details, the entire underground pool began glowing with a soft green light, and it was only growing stronger.
It wasn't over yet!
At the center of the pool, a small vortex formed, gradually expanding outward. Yet the water level didn't drop at all.
"Gen~Gengen!"
"…A massive underground space below?"
Through synchronized resonance, Sato instantly understood exactly what Gengar meant.
Gengar nodded seriously. Its normally laid-back demeanor now conveyed a rare sense of urgency; it wanted to go down immediately.
"Steady. Activate the Spatial Barrier before going."
As Sato finished speaking, Gengar had already completed the Spatial Barrier, enveloping all three of them before diving straight into the vortex.
Inside the vortex, all Sato could see through the Spatial Barrier was dazzling green light, so bright it forced him to squint just to get a vague sense of his surroundings.
Thankfully, the tunnel was short. Within seconds, the trio had emerged on the other side.
Bluish-green mountains, emerald waters, pale green skies, deep green earth...
Everywhere he looked… green!
"Gen!"
Before Sato could fully adjust, Gengar seemed to have already discovered something and called out for him to follow.
Sato patted Hydreigon beneath him, signaling it to immediately follow.
Gengar moved swiftly, forcing Hydreigon to accelerate just to keep up. The scenery on both sides blurred as it flew by. All green, without exception.
"Hy…"
Hydreigon suddenly let out a cry, signaling Sato to look ahead.
"That is…" Sato widened his eyes, staring at the glowing object slowly rotating between two mountains in the distance.
A transparent crown emitting a faint green glow…
It was a Domain core!
In an instant, Sato understood. He was in a Domain space.
However, it seemed the Domain's owner had already left or died. The Domain core now floated here independently, as if waiting for an heir.
'Does Gengar want this Domain…?' Watching Gengar flying ahead without even turning back, Sato wondered instinctively.
He didn't stop it, simply watched quietly as Gengar flew toward the Domain core.
Finally, Gengar reached the Domain core, close enough to touch it.
Then, it turned to look at Sato.
Sato's expression didn't change, but a wave of relief washed through him as he sat atop Hydreigon, now hovering steadily in front of the Domain.
"Gengar, do you have the ability to inherit this Domain, or do you want to inherit it?"
Sato asked directly, but Gengar only nodded, then shook its head.
"You can, but don't want to?"
Gengar didn't respond immediately. It just turned to glance at the Domain core again, then let out a soft call toward Sato.
Understanding its intent, Sato raised his right hand and tossed out a Poké Ball.
Gardevoir appeared beside Sato, casting a surprised glance around at the surroundings and the glowing green Domain.
"…You two actually found another Domain space!"
"Gardevoir, can you identify what Domain this is?" Sato asked only after she finished marveling.
"No. Just from appearance, Domains can't be identified. You either inherit the Domain or are informed directly by its previous owner."
"Gen~Gen!"
Gengar kept pressing, but Gardevoir still shook her head.
"Gengi. Inheriting a Domain isn't child's play. Once inherited, it's extremely difficult to separate from it."
At this point, Gardevoir instinctively looked at Sato. And sure enough, Sato was staring at her.
"So back then… how did you discard your Domain?"
Gardevoir was silent for a while before answering.
"I condensed all Domain power within myself, then devolved into my Starter form to grow anew. Finally, I found a Pokémon of the same or higher 'tier' who could absorb the Domain, and let them lead the Domain's removal."
"…Removal?"
"Yes, removal. A Domain bearer can only be separated from it by death or by removal."
Gardevoir spoke lightly, but neither Sato nor Gengar thought it was an easy process.
Back then, Gardevoir's Slumber Domain could be absorbed by Darkrai only because it perfectly resonated with its Nightmare Domain.
But this green-glowing Domain had no known compatibility. Who knew what would happen if one inherited it and then regretted it. What Legendary Pokémon could even help?
And that was assuming one could even find such a Pokémon…
Sato looked at Gengar. Sure enough, it was hesitating too.
"If the Domain is calling to you, it must mean there's strong compatibility between you and it.
Inheriting a Domain will definitely make you stronger. But how you grow stronger, in which aspect, and by how much… all of that is unknown.
Gengar, whether or not you accept this Domain is up to you. I'll respect your decision."
After Sato spoke, Gengar looked even more conflicted. It turned to Gardevoir, hoping to get more information about Domains.