Just thinking about it was already exciting.
How far could a Tyranitar like this ultimately go? Could it break through the limits of ordinary Pokémon and rise to the level of a Legendary Pokémon?
Before, that was something Cain did not even dare to imagine, nothing more than a theoretical fantasy. But now, Tyranitar had shown him that this possibility was real.
Moreover, just like with Salamence, Cain noticed that certain special patterns had also appeared on Tyranitar's body. They were small and faint; if Cain had not been standing right beside it and observing carefully, they would have gone completely unnoticed.
In fact, those patterns had already appeared some time ago, when Tyranitar used the move Precipice Blades and the red "Ω" symbol shone on its abdomen.
At the time, Cain had thought it was simply due to the energy of Groudon that it had absorbed.
But now, there seemed to be something different.
After consuming the three shells, those patterns became even more active. Aside from the "Ω" symbol on its abdomen, the other patterns on its body were very different: they seemed unique, yet at the same time bore a certain resemblance to those of Salamence.
Regarding these patterns, Cain felt that he truly needed to study them carefully. Without a doubt, there was something special and valuable to be discovered in them.
He patted Tyranitar on the arm again to congratulate it on its growth.
No matter what, whether a level 88 Tyranitar could break through the second barrier of the Champion level after Mega Evolving was still an unknown.
But Cain could no longer afford to continue wasting time there.
After such a long time, he began to feel that something was wrong.
Or rather, it was far too wrong. The spatial stone he carried still had not reacted, when according to the time calculations, this trial should already have been close to ending.
The continent's spatial blockade could close at any moment during those two days. The League would never wait until the very last days to summon them back; there were too many variables, and they always left at least ten days of leeway.
But those ten days had already passed long ago. In fact, only two or three days remained. If it had not been for waiting for Tyranitar to completely digest the shells, Cain would have already left.
"I hope it's not what I'm thinking...," Cain murmured.
After recalling his Pokémon, he used teleportation to appear beside the barrier. Upon sensing that familiar yet strange fluctuation of energy within it, Cain knew that, thanks to the ability of the question-mark Unown, he could freely open and close that barrier without any restriction.
With a simple wave of his hand, a door appeared in front of him.
It was truly ironic. Back then, the Sacred Church had expended enormous effort—from Giratina's Reverse Scale to gathering six Pokémon of different attributes—just to try to open that barrier, and in the end they had not even succeeded. And now, he could enter and exit with a simple movement.
He stepped outside the barrier and observed the state of the peak of the continent's central mountain, which had been completely devastated. The time and space energy of Dialga and Palkia still lingered in the air.
"I don't know whether Marcus managed to survive that time," Cain said to himself.
Suddenly, his expression changed drastically.
"It's gone! All the auras have disappeared... no! It's not that they disappeared, it's that I can no longer perceive them. The spatial blockade has closed!" Cain exclaimed, his eyes filled with shock and a hint of confusion.
The continent's space was sealed once more. Even with his reinforced psychic power, Cain could no longer extend his perception any farther, nor could he use teleportation.
Everything had returned to how it was when he first arrived.
That meant Cain could no longer do as the members of the Sacred Church did—tearing open space to leave and find their way back to the Pokémon world.
Now, the only way to return was through the League's spatial teleportation device.
But... if the League did not respond to the spatial stone, then he would have absolutely no means of returning. And if a few more days passed and the space sealed completely, then not even the League would be able to bring him back!
"Salamence!" Cain shouted softly.
Whoosh!
A blue silhouette shot out from behind Cain. With a leap, Cain mounted Salamence's back, and they flew straight toward the Aura Valley where they had lived before.
If Steven and the others had not yet returned, there would be no problem. But if they had already left... then the situation would be extremely awkward. Cain did not know the way back!
Moreover, each activation of the teleportation device came at an enormous cost. Cain believed that his importance was enough for them to activate it one more time, but if it had already been used more than once...
"Faster! Salamence, Mega Evolve!"
A Key Stone appeared in Cain's hand and fused directly with Salamence's Salamencite, activating its Mega Evolution.
The Mega Evolution completed instantly, turning it into Mega Salamence, whose speed increased once again.
It broke the sound barrier, and even after that it continued to accelerate!
A distance that would normally have taken a great deal of time was crossed at top speed in an instant.
But sometimes, arriving faster does not mean it is a good thing.
When Cain saw that the valley, once filled with tents, was completely empty, a feeling of melancholy washed over his heart.
"It seems that... I can't go back," Cain said blankly, feeling a genuine loss of direction for the first time.
If he had known that Steven and the others had left more than a month ago, who knew what he would have felt.
Nevertheless, although Steven and his group had left, the Togekiss to whom Cain had made a promise had not gone, since their Poké Balls were still in Cain's possession, and they could not take them away.
Moreover, Steven and the others did not even know about the promise Cain had made to Togekiss.
With a bitter smile on his face, Cain descended into the Aura Valley atop Salamence, which had already canceled its Mega Evolution.
After landing, he sat down directly on a rock by the lake. For the moment, he had no clear solution.
Salamence also sensed that Cain was not in the best mood, so it quietly stayed by his side without making a sound.
But just as Cain continued turning the situation over in his mind, the "question mark" symbol on the back of his wrist began to glow.
At the same time, Cain felt his consciousness being connected. It was the first time the Unown had communicated with him via telepathy.
A mechanical voice echoed in his mind. Every time Cain heard it, he felt that the Unown did not seem like a purely organic life-form, but rather some kind of mechanical creature.
Yet a mechanical creature should not possess such a special ability.
At that very moment, Cain's eyes lit up.
"If that's the case... then there's a lot of room to maneuver!"
(End of chapter)