Chapter 4: A World Unknown

The night air had grown colder, sending a damp chill across Alex's slick, amphibian skin. He shivered instinctively, his small, webbed fingers pressing into the damp earth beneath him. It was strange how quickly he was adapting to his new senses—the way he could feel the moisture in the air, how his body reacted to the environment without him even thinking about it.

Still, no matter how his body had changed, his mind was still human. And right now, his mind was screaming at him to find shelter.

He had already spent too much time out in the open. Sleeping on exposed ground wasn't safe, and every rustle in the undergrowth, every gust of wind through the leaves, made his nerves fray even further. He needed to find someplace secure before exhaustion got the best of him.

Then—

A massive shadow swept across the ground.

Alex's heart stopped.

He instinctively froze, his small body pressing low against the dirt. The air shifted, and a powerful gust sent a ripple through the grass around him.

Slowly, he lifted his gaze to the sky.

A huge bird soared overhead, its wings cutting through the night with terrifying silence. The moonlight barely illuminated its broad silhouette, but Alex could make out its powerful form. Its talons curled beneath its body, and its curved beak gleamed faintly under the stars.

His stomach twisted.

Fearow.

It had to be a Fearow. A massive, deadly, territorial predator. A Pokémon known for hunting small creatures like him.

Fear spiked through his chest, adrenaline burning through his limbs.

Move. Move. MOVE!

He bolted.

His powerful legs, still unfamiliar but now responding purely on instinct, launched him toward the nearest hiding spot. He spotted a rocky outcrop nearby—a thick, moss-covered boulder with a narrow crevice beneath it.

Without hesitation, he leaped.

His small body barely fit into the gap, but he squeezed himself inside, pressing flat against the cool earth. His breath came in shallow gasps as he forced himself to remain still.

Seconds passed.

Then—

A deafening whoosh of air as the bird passed overhead again.

Alex clenched his jaw, willing himself not to move, not to breathe too loudly.

Silence.

Cautiously, he peeked out from his hiding spot.

The bird had landed on a thick tree branch not too far away. Its talons dug into the bark with ease, its head swiveling as if scanning the area.

Alex watched it carefully, his heartbeat still hammering in his chest.

Then—his eyes adjusted, and the longer he stared, the more something felt… off.

That wasn't a Fearow.

Fearows had long, pointed beaks and a scraggly, almost vulture-like frame. But this bird…

Its body was bulkier, its wings shaped differently. It had a curved beak—almost like a raptor's. And then there was the sheer size of it.

Even for a big bird, this thing was massive.

A creeping sense of unease curled in his gut.

That wasn't a Fearow. That wasn't any Pokémon he recognized.

His mind started racing.

What… What is that?

Was this a new Pokémon? Some regional variant he had never seen before? A legendary?

Or…

A much darker thought entered his mind.

Is this even the Pokémon world at all?

A sharp chill ran through his small body.

That didn't make sense. It had to be the Pokémon world. He had woken up as a Froakie, hadn't he? That wasn't normal. That was Pokémon logic.

But then… why was there a normal hawk? Pokémon didn't have real animals. He had played the games, watched the shows, even read the lore. In the Pokémon world, creatures like Pidgeot, Staraptor, or Braviary filled the role of birds of prey.

So what the hell was that thing?

The more he thought about it, the worse the answer seemed.

Either this was still the Pokémon world, and this thing was an undiscovered species…

Or it wasn't the Pokémon world at all.

Both possibilities made his stomach turn.

If this was a Pokémon world with new Pokémon, it meant there were creatures out there that had never been documented, never been seen before. It meant his knowledge was useless. It meant he had no idea what could be lurking in the darkness, waiting for an easy meal.

And if this wasn't the Pokémon world…

That meant he was in an entirely different, unfamiliar reality.

A reality where even the smallest details—like the food chain—were unknown to him.

His breathing grew uneven. He suddenly felt smaller than he already was.

A creeping sense of loneliness crept into his chest.

He had already been struggling with the fact that he was alone—no humans, no Pokémon, no sign of civilization anywhere. But before, he had at least thought he understood where he was.

Now, he wasn't even sure of that.

His small fingers curled against the dirt.

He needed answers.

If this was the Pokémon world, then he needed to find proof. Find a town, find Pokémon he actually recognized. Something to confirm that this was still the reality he thought he had ended up in.

And if it wasn't…

A shudder ran through his body. He didn't even know what he would do.

The bird—whatever it was—gave a piercing cry before spreading its enormous wings. A powerful gust swept through the trees as it took off, disappearing into the night sky.

Alex remained hidden, waiting for several minutes to be sure it was gone.

Finally, he let out a shaky breath.

He wasn't safe. He wasn't even sure where he was.

But one thing was certain—he needed to figure out the truth.

Because right now, the uncertainty was far more terrifying than the world itself.