Wild Dolliv are only captured in specific areas within Paldea, but this is a matter of conservation and law, not of distribution; in this day and age, wandering Dolliv can be found almost anywhere in the wilderness. Much as humans travel in the hope of becoming great pokemon trainers, Dolliv journey into the unknown, in hopes both of seeing the wilderness and of finding a spot where they can blossom into brilliant Arboliva.
Traditionally, Dolliv would go into places in Paldea with no humans around, but traditionally those places were also plentiful and easy to locate. Sadly, this is no longer the case; in this era, pokemon trainers and treasure hunters comb even the most remote corners of the region, searching for magic shards and Gimmighoul coins and powerful wild pokemon, while the march of industry spreads machinery and pollution to areas that long lay beyond human interest.
In recent years, Dolliv have been sighted not only in remote parts of Kalos, near its southern border, but elsewhere in what remains of wilderness in Mediterranean Europe and North Africa – stray members of this species may have even rafted over to Galar or Unova. However, outside of Paldea, they are often mistaken for shrubs; in one highly publicized incident, a trainer even tried to cut one with their Scyther before the pokemon fled.
Many people are surprised to learn that Arboliva has only been considered a protector of nature for about the last two centuries, and that medieval and early modern accounts are simply unaware of the aspect of that fully evolved pokemon. Then again, it is only in recent times that Dolliv have had to work hard and travel far to find solitude, and it is that effort which turns wherever they root themselves into a sanctuary worth protecting.
