In the end, Cain wasn't sure if Kommo-o had truly understood what he had said.
Very naturally, he suggested, "How about, once we're done with our mission, you come with us? Maybe I can help you find your kin. Although I might occasionally need your help. We could consider it a mutual cooperation, how about that?"
Kommo-o nodded almost automatically, still not fully understanding.
Cain continued, "Then how about coming to our camp with us for now? In the meantime, you could teach Shelgon a few things."
Kommo-o nodded again, his expression a bit thoughtful.
"Alright then!" Cain said with resolve. "Seems like we won't be able to continue the battle today, so let's head back for now. Tomorrow we'll look for those Combee and their Vespiquen."
With that, he ordered the three Skuntank to pull his makeshift chair and return to camp.
Kommo-o remained in the same spot, nodding repeatedly.
It wasn't until a few seconds later that he realized Cain and the others were already far ahead.
Huh?
Had he just agreed to something important without realizing it?
Smack!
Shelgon kicked one of Kommo-o's foot scales and then confidently walked ahead to catch up with Cain.
Follow us!
Kommo-o scratched his head instinctively, looking confused.
What was that foggy feeling in his mind?
But his body obeyed, and he quickly followed Cain's group.
When Cain heard footsteps behind him and the sound of scales rubbing together, he couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.
At his side, Slowking struck a solemn pose, wearing an expression of utter indifference.
Another poor Pokémon...
When they arrived at camp with Kommo-o, all the Pokémon there were immediately startled.
However, after Slowking explained what had happened, everyone understood the situation.
Cain, with his limited mobility, couldn't prepare any special meals. He could only offer Kommo-o some leftover Pokéblocks that Bagon hadn't eaten.
And surprisingly, Kommo-o fell in love with them from the very first bite.
He lay down in a corner of the camp, with a large bowl of Pokéblocks in front of him, munching contentedly while watching Cain's Pokémon train.
Perhaps not wanting to freeload after being fed, he occasionally pointed out mistakes during training—especially with Shelgon and Blaziken.
Both shared similar types with him, so his comments were more frequent and detailed. But even the other Pokémon received an occasional tip.
With his extensive battle experience, just a few of his observations were enough to make a difference.
What truly surprised Kommo-o was the quality of Cain's team.
Especially Tyranitar.
In him, Kommo-o saw a talent that not even he could match.
If he had to choose someone from Cain's group who had the potential to catch up to him, it would be Shelgon, who had just evolved that very day.
Kommo-o didn't quite understand why, but maybe it was the natural feeling of every "father"—not wanting his own "child" to be surpassed by others. Thus, his dedication to Shelgon kept growing.
It wasn't that he was being biased, it was just that with Tyranitar, there wasn't much he could contribute, while with Shelgon, he could teach him everything.
From the side, Kommo-o occasionally roared, precisely guiding Shelgon's training. Shelgon trained with more focus and effort than ever before.
Even back when he was Bagon, he had already been one of the hardest workers on Cain's team. Now, as Shelgon, with Kommo-o's help and the training techniques Cain had learned from Drake, his chances of catching up to Tyranitar in the future didn't seem far-fetched.
Moreover, Kommo-o might even be able to heal Shelgon's emotional wounds.
With a pseudo-legendary, Champion-level Pokémon residing in the camp, Cain felt that his base was now one of the safest places in the entire region.
He closed his eyes with a smile.
In just a few days of being incapacitated, he already felt the frustration of not being able to move freely.
He needed to find some way to speed up his recovery.
At the very least, recover his psychic powers.
Ever since he emerged from the dimensional passage, that red-blue energy sphere Lugia had left in his mind had been completely absorbed.
But he still had no idea how much his psychic power had increased.
He tried again to summon his powers, but the force that once flowed freely now seemed completely sealed.
Not a single crack, not even a sliver.
He still couldn't use it.
Cain opened his eyes in resignation.
"What the hell happened in there? What got into the Unown? I just wanted to absorb psychic energy—why did they add spatial energy too?" he muttered in frustration.
Ever since the Unown had attached themselves to him, they had never harmed him. On the contrary, they had always silently helped him improve his abilities.
Most likely, they had simply sensed something unusual and acted on instinct. There were no bad intentions.
Cain was just venting—he didn't really blame them.
"Spatial energy?"
"Spatial energy...?"
Cain began repeating the term quietly, as if it had gotten stuck in his mind.
Spatial barrier? Spatial cut?
Perception of spatial energy? Sensitivity?
A string of concepts began racing through his mind.
"What if my psychic powers are completely blocked because they absorbed too much spatial energy?" Cain thought.
It was worth trying something he had been holding back on.
"Slowking, come here for a moment," Cain called.
He was talking with Kirlia, but upon hearing Cain, he immediately teleported to his side.
Kirlia followed as well, imitating her master.
Both of them knew how to use the move Teleport in very similar ways.
"Slowking, try extending your psychic power into my mind. Use spatial energy like when you use the move Teleport, and try to make a small hole in that barrier in my brain," Cain instructed.
They had tried this before, when Cain couldn't use his power. Slowking could penetrate the barrier, but they didn't know what consequences that might have for Cain. Back then, his brain tissue still hadn't healed, and any sudden movement could have made things worse.
Now that his body was more recovered, they could try again.
Slowking, though hesitant for a moment, agreed and directed his psychic energy into Cain's mind.
The energy, transformed into a fine spinning needle, slowly approached that inner barrier under the watchful eyes of Cain, Slowking, and Kirlia.
(End of chapter)