After defeating the wild Yanmega, Cain had already gained a good understanding of this space's environment.
A place that had gone a long time without contact with the Pokémon world, where everything was a pure natural ecosystem.
Due to the absence of human intervention, Pokémon with incredibly high levels could be found.
Of course, there were also some at lower levels.
But compared to the outside Pokémon world, in this space it was much more common to encounter high-level, powerful Pokémon.
In an environment completely ruled by survival of the fittest, those who had managed to survive until now had to possess formidable strength or belong to a solid and powerful group.
After taking care of that Yanmega, Cain didn't stop. Together with his Pokémon, he continued deeper into the forest.
He was prepared, so he wasn't surprised to encounter increasingly stronger Pokémon.
It was unclear how large this space was or how many people had entered.
However, the random teleportation mechanism had likely greatly increased Steven and Phoebe's chances of survival.
Judging by their growth rate, they probably already had Elite-level strength, or at least something close to it. At the very least, they should have one or two Pokémon of that level.
What worried Cain the most was their lack of outdoor survival experience.
Steven might be better—he didn't go out much, but he wasn't a total novice. He had basic skills for surviving in the wild.
The one who truly concerned him was Phoebe: a complete beginner.
If by bad luck she were to fall into a trap or enemy ambush at a critical moment, her life could be in danger.
Thinking about that, Cain picked up the pace.
He didn't expect to find them immediately, but he did want to explore more ground and better understand this space.
Or even run into an enemy. That way, he could confirm which faction had attacked Wattson and begin preparing with a stronger foundation.
However, after an entire day of walking, Cain saw no signs of other humans.
All he encountered were wild Pokémon.
He defeated countless of them. In the end, he even had to call on Politoed and Swampert to join the fights. With four Pokémon battling, they could barely hold back the waves.
Even so, the intense battles were bearing fruit.
Aggron, who had been stuck at the peak of the Advanced level, finally broke through that barrier and ascended to the Quasi-Elite level after a day of combat.
Although it appeared he had only gained one level, his power increased drastically.
With that, all the Pokémon on his second team—except for Pupitar, whom Cain had ordered to stay put and consolidate his power—had now reached the Quasi-Elite level.
That meant the plan he had set in motion was progressing perfectly.
As night fell, since it was his first day inside the forest, he decided to look for a relatively safe place to camp.
But since the mysterious space still allowed him to use the Unown's secret power, he chose to directly open an entrance to a subspace high up in a tree.
Currently, Cain was carrying too many Pokémon with him, so preparing dinner wasn't easy.
Aside from some emergency rations he carried for direct consumption, he had to improvise, gather ingredients, and cook on the spot.
And it wasn't like his Pokémon minded. It had been a while since they had all gathered to share a meal.
From veterans like Honchkrow, Slowking, and Gengar, to the newer ones like Bagon, Horsea, and Ralts.
It was rare to have them all together.
That's why, even while exploring an unknown place, Cain didn't feel alone. He had his Pokémon, and that gave him great confidence.
After eating, no training was done.
It was the first day in this mysterious space, so he chose to conserve energy. Who knew what might happen tomorrow?
Both the Elite-level Pokémon like Honchkrow and the younger ones like Ralts received the same order—to rest for the night.
Cain took all his Pokémon into the subspace created by the Unown and completely sealed the entrance.
Unless someone also had the Unown's secret power, it would be impossible to locate their hiding place.
However, shortly after Cain and his Pokémon disappeared into the tree, two people arrived at the place where they had dined.
A man and a woman.
One of them approached the spot where Cain had buried the fire's embers and stuck a finger into the ground.
He felt the residual heat of the ashes.
The scent of grilled meat still lingered in the air.
"Looks like the smoke we saw earlier was real," the man said. "Someone was here recently. But who? One of ours? One of them? Or maybe someone from the League?"
The woman, with a serious expression, scanned the area in every direction.
"I never imagined that upon entering this space we'd all end up separated. Just finding you was already extremely difficult. And we still have no idea how big this place is," the woman said gravely.
"This space involves too many things. Who knows how many years it's been sealed. It's normal that we have no information," added the man. "We only came in here to retrieve that item the other group has."
The woman frowned, a trace of regret on her face.
"What happened with Wattson... I imagine the Hoenn League must be completely enraged right now. I don't know if it was really worth causing all this over a single item."
"We don't have decision-making power," the man replied. "Whatever the outcome, those at the top will take responsibility. We just need to regroup with our people as soon as possible and eliminate all the League rats hiding in here."
"If we don't, it'll be a huge problem."
"Do you think the League has already sent people? If they block the exit, we really will become savages."
"Don't think about that. Better scan the area. The fire's still warm, and the smell of food hasn't faded. They can't have gone far," the man said, scanning the surroundings again.
"Understood," the woman replied with a slight nod.
Both disappeared without a trace.
Meanwhile, inside the subspace, Cain had no idea what was happening outside.
He hadn't slept at all the previous night in order to reach Slateport City quickly.
Two days and one night had already passed. Even someone with psychic powers would be exhausted after going through something so intense.
So now, together with his Pokémon, Cain slept deeply.
The absolute safety of the subspace allowed them to fully relax and rest.
(End of chapter)