At this moment, Cain finally used the system to scan his Pokémon's data one by one and observe the growth they had achieved after their previous battles.
Both Swampert and Politoed had fought hard, but only Swampert managed to level up, reaching level 38.
Gengar and Drapion had also engaged in a considerable number of battles, allowing them to level up as well, reaching level 49 and positioning themselves at the peak of the advanced level.
However, neither Slowking nor Florges showed any progress in their levels, as the opponents they faced were not particularly strong.
Slowking had taken on more of a spectator role, letting his teammates fight, while Florges had completely dedicated herself to caring for Swampert and Politoed, almost like their babysitter.
Nevertheless, it was precisely thanks to Florges' presence that Swampert and Politoed were able to fight so freely.
Now that Politoed had evolved from a Poliwhirl and Cain had captured a Horsea with the Swift Swim ability, he was ready to leave Lake Verity.
This lake had brought him a lot of luck.
However, just as Cain was about to leave, a rift suddenly opened in space above the lake's surface, and from it emerged an Unown.
The three symbols on Cain's wrist emitted a sudden heat, warning him of the Unown's presence, prompting him to turn and notice the Pokémon.
The spatial rift was right above the water's surface.
Cain frowned as he observed the Unown.
"Is that the letter 'C'?"
The symbol representing this Unown was indeed the letter "C." In contrast, the symbols on Cain's wrist were the letters 'A,' 'D,' and 'Z.'
It was unclear why this Unown had appeared there. Cain had already discarded the idea of attempting to capture Unown, as conventional Poké Balls didn't work on them. Only a higher-level Poké Ball could be effective, and Cain didn't have any available.
If an Unown wished to be captured by Cain, it would do so on its own, attaching itself to his wrist just as the previous three had. That was why Cain didn't make much effort to capture them.
However, this Unown's behavior was... strange.
"Do you want me to follow you?" Cain asked, a hint of uncertainty on his face.
Not only did this Unown seem unafraid of him, but it also showed no interest in the three companions attached to Cain's wrist. It simply signaled for Cain to follow.
Through the spatial opening behind the Unown, Cain could vaguely glimpse something.
It looked like... an island?
An island located in an alternate space?
Cain quickly thought of the continents that Dialga and Palkia, the legendary Pokémon, had created within alternate spaces.
However, according to inscriptions on the cave walls near Celestic Town, that mysterious continent they created wasn't far from there. In contrast, Cain was now at Lake Verity, and it would take him more than two days of flying at full speed to reach Celestic Town.
Though he hesitated for a moment, Cain ultimately decided to follow the Unown.
It wasn't that Cain particularly trusted the Unown, but he had come to the conclusion that they didn't seem to wish him harm. Ever since the three Unown had attached themselves to his wrist, luck had never stopped smiling on him.
First, Marshtomp's evolution, then finding the Porygon he had been searching for, the advancement of his psychic abilities to an intermediate level, Politoed's evolution, and on top of that, capturing a high-quality Horsea.
Cain was convinced that Unown could be his lucky Pokémon.
Moreover, Cain could now perceive danger more clearly thanks to his intermediate-level psychic abilities. The place this Unown pointed to did not give him any clear sense of danger.
More importantly, the three Unown on his wrist had never shown hostile intentions. If they truly wanted to harm him, they would have done so already.
The symbols on his wrist seemed to agree that he should follow the new Unown.
After some thought, Cain remembered that there were four days left until the third round of the Sinnoh Tournament, and if he was lucky, his battle could be scheduled in five or six days.
He recalled all his Pokémon except for Slowking and began walking toward the lake's surface.
Thanks to his psychic abilities, Cain could now sustain himself in the air for a limited time.
Sometimes, it was worth showing off a little.
Upon reaching the Unown and the spatial rift, Cain extended his right hand. A thin layer of psychic energy covered his palm, allowing him to grasp the rift.
He was literally holding a spatial rupture in his hands.
The sensation... was strange, to say the least.
"So I have some talent for manipulating space, which allows me to hold a rift like this," Cain thought.
Suddenly, the three symbols on his wrist glowed, and the rift expanded just enough for Cain to enter.
After Cain stepped through the rift, it quickly closed behind him without a trace.
Inside, Cain discovered that the "small island" he had seen was not as small as it appeared. Its surface was larger than that of Lake Verity.
The Unown shaped like the letter "C" floated near Cain, guiding him and Slowking toward the island.
The alternate space was an incredibly mysterious place. If he had to describe it, he could compare it to a massive interdimensional space, though not as small as the term suggests.
In the vast multiverse, the Pokémon world was just one among many, created by Arceus, the Pokémon creator.
Dialga and Palkia had also created a continent within such a space, though an incomplete one, while Giratina, the lord of the Distortion World, inhabited an alternate world that had once been as functional as the Pokémon world—until it was devastated.
It was unclear whether Giratina had caused this destruction, but it was known that it had always attempted to invade the Pokémon world, continuously being stopped by Arceus.
Within minutes, Cain and Slowking arrived at the island.
Although it was in an alternate space, the island was not much different from an ordinary one. There were tall trees, dense bushes, and... Pokémon tracks!
The Unown floated behind Cain, gently pushing him toward the island's interior.
"I get it, Unown. No need to push me. I also want to explore this place and find out what it is," Cain replied, intrigued.
Despite the gray mist surrounding the area, the island had a warm and bright feel, as if the sunlight from Lake Verity was somehow filtering in.
"Could this be the alternate space where Uxie resides? Maybe that connection to Lake Verity is the source of this light?" Cain couldn't help but formulate this hypothesis, which became more plausible the more he thought about it.
The island, with its flora and fauna, had a complete ecosystem, similar to Mythical Island.
(End of Chapter)