The blue light remained for three minutes before slowly fading away.
The Ralts egg now had a light blue line on its surface.
When Cain used the system again to scan the Ralts egg, he discovered that something new had appeared in the "Held Item" section: Azelf's Blessing.
As a legendary Psychic-type Pokémon, Azelf possessed the ability to bless other Pokémon of the same type. However, using this ability left it in a temporary state of weakness.
Cain could clearly tell that Azelf seemed exhausted, barely able to keep its eyes open and swaying in the air.
After yawning, it waved goodbye to Cain and returned to the center of the lake, lying once again on that pink cloud. It stretched lazily and resumed its slumber.
At that moment, Alakazam approached and made a courteous gesture to indicate that Cain should leave.
Almost imperceptibly, upon seeing the Ralts egg in Cain's hands, a flash of envy crossed its gaze.
As the god of willpower, Azelf's blessing didn't grant direct or obvious growth, but it significantly enhanced the willpower of the Pokémon who received it.
Willpower is something hard to measure, but at times, it can be the deciding factor in achieving great things.
Cain didn't linger there any longer. Azelf had already gone back to sleep, so staying served no purpose. However, he did have certain questions about the interaction between the Unown and Azelf.
Alakazam waved the spoon it held, channeling its psychic energy to envelop Cain and his Pokémon, and in an instant, they were transported back to the place they had been earlier.
The Spoink that had previously lain on the ground was no longer there.
Holding the Ralts egg, Cain began walking back. Along the way, he encountered no more Pokémon. He extended his psychic energy toward his wrist, attempting to communicate with the Unown.
Azelf had mentioned that what the Unown were looking for was in the continent of time and space. Did that refer to the continent created by Dialga and Palkia?
Moreover, Azelf had warned him to be careful. Evidently, that continent was much more dangerous than where he was now.
The main problem was that Cain didn't know where that continent was or how to get there.
The four Unown appeared in Cain's mind and formed a series of words:
"Looking for something lost and came to ask Azelf for directions?" Cain read what the Unown had said and couldn't help but feel frustrated.
All this just to ask for directions?
Besides... couldn't they do it themselves? Why did they have to come find him?
Now he had four symbols that looked like tattoos on his wrist—something he still wasn't used to.
"You say you have a solution so I won't feel uncomfortable with you anymore?" Cain was puzzled as he read this.
How would they fix that?
Then, just as Cain was preparing to leave the island, another Unown appeared in the alternate space.
Without hesitation, it launched itself toward Cain's wrist, joining the others.
Again, a message appeared in his mind:
"Four are uncomfortable? Then let's be five."
"..."
Cain brought a hand to his forehead, feeling like he'd been getting too many headaches lately.
Divine logic...
Still, he had to admit that the arrival of the fifth Unown seemed to have slightly accelerated his ability to develop psychic skills.
Even though the increase was barely noticeable, it was much faster than if he were relying solely on his own meditation.
When he reached the edge of the island, Cain stepped into the alternate space, as if an invisible bridge lay beneath his feet.
Then, he extended his right hand downward and opened a rift in space, stepping through it directly.
Now that Cain had five Unown with him, he began to wonder whether all the Unown would eventually join him.
Would he become some kind of humanoid Pokémon?
In the alternate space, another Unown appeared, this time shaped like an exclamation mark with narrowed eyes.
It observed the place where Cain had vanished, a glint of contemplation in its gaze.
After lingering there for a moment, it too disappeared.
Cain didn't notice this, as he was busy communicating with the Unown already with him.
They explained that they had been searching for something for a long time without success, and that Azelf might know where to find it. That's why they had brought him here.
When Cain asked why they couldn't do it themselves, the answer was that they simply weren't capable.
Even though they offered many explanations, their words were hard to understand. Cain often had trouble following the Unown's manner of speaking.
In short, to find what they were searching for, they needed the help of a human. And they had chosen Cain because their leader, the main Unown, had designated him.
Azelf owed them a favor, so it agreed to bless the Ralts egg. With that, the debt between the Unown and Azelf was settled.
The Unown confirmed that what they were looking for was indeed on the continent created by Dialga and Palkia.
However, they also warned him that he wasn't ready to go there yet.
Neither his own power nor that of the Unown was enough at the moment.
Only when Cain could withstand the presence of at least twenty Unown would he be able to traverse the alternate space to that land.
The Unown were appearing little by little to help Cain become familiar with their abilities and energy.
In the meantime, they would allow Cain to use their powers as a form of gratitude, hoping that in the future, he would help them recover what they were searching for.
Cain didn't reject the idea.
On one hand, the Unown were providing him with numerous benefits, and there didn't seem to be any negative consequences.
On the other, Cain had always been interested in ancient ruins and unknown lands.
Those places, explored by few or never before visited, might contain valuable treasures or resources to strengthen his Pokémon.
The trip to Azelf's Island of Willpower had been a very fruitful experience, quickly enhancing the strength of his Pokémon and allowing Slowking to learn special psychic energy techniques.
However, Cain knew that Dialga and Palkia wouldn't be as accessible as Azelf.
He would need to make sure he was strong enough—at least able to escape if necessary—before venturing to the islands of time and space.
Upon exiting the alternate space, Cain took a deep breath of the fresh air around him.
"Slowking, let's go," Cain said.
In an instant, they vanished through teleportation.
As Cain departed, he had one last thought:
He felt that a new door was opening in this world.
(End of chapter)