They finally reached the other side of the magma zone and arrived at the cave entrance.
The size of the cave was even a bit smaller than Cain had imagined.
Just large enough for a Quilava to pass through easily, but for Cain to enter, it would be quite difficult.
Just as Cain was about to reach out to explore the inside of the cave, the five characters on his right wrist suddenly began to flash.
A line of text appeared in his mind.
"Is there a strange space here?" Cain murmured to himself as he read the words.
That meant the place Quilava had entered wasn't actually this visible cave on the surface, but rather it had accessed a strange space.
A mysterious space inside Mt. Chimney?
Furthermore, according to the information transmitted by the Unown, this space didn't seem to be an alternate dimension, but rather an independent space, something similar to the interior zones of Mt. Pyre.
A place... that normally cannot be reached or touched.
Cain extended his right hand again, touching the wall in front of him. The moment the letters on his wrist glowed, he felt no barrier and his hand passed right through.
However, using his left hand without channeling any energy, he only touched a solid rock wall.
The Pokémon world was truly full of strange spaces like this.
Every place Cain went seemed to hide one of these mysteries.
Without further hesitation, he decided to enter with his Pokémon to take a look. If it turned out to be a small place, he'd explore it quickly and then leave, as what he was searching for could be inside.
On the other hand, if the place was larger than expected, then perhaps there could be more interesting things to discover.
Maybe even some valuable resources hidden within.
Once he made up his mind, Cain acted without delay. Even if he only managed to catch a few Cyndaquil or Quilava, it would already be worth it.
As for how Quilava was able to pass through this membrane, Cain wasn't sure, but he supposed it was because these Pokémon belonged to that space. After leaving, they could simply re-enter.
After all, the small hole at the cave's entrance was so narrow it clearly didn't lead to a real tunnel.
That day, Cain had already caught a Magmortar with the Flame Body ability, an excellent Pokémon for egg incubation. If he wanted to experiment with breeding high-quality starters, a Quilava would also be a good option.
Although the final form of Quilava's evolutionary line didn't stand out much among other starters, and Johto's starters in general weren't particularly distinctive, they were still starters — and that had value.
They shouldn't be underestimated.
With his Pokémon and under the Unown's guidance, Cain passed through the strange space.
It was like going through a dry, invisible film. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a vast desert stretching as far as the eye could see.
There were a few rocky mountain ranges scattered around, but no signs of green vegetation.
It was an entirely desolate space.
Perhaps this space had originally been full of life and resources, but over time, the lack of connection to the outside world had turned it into a wasteland.
Cain leaned more toward this second theory.
After all, no Pokémon would intentionally create a space just to turn it into a desert. Even desert-dwelling Pokémon needed water sources to survive.
Cain assumed the most scarce resource in this space was, without a doubt, water.
He asked Slowking to place a psychic marker in the area and then began walking into the desert.
From where he stood, it looked like another world. He couldn't see any boundaries, and not even the place where he had entered was visible without the help of the Unown.
The landscape consisted only of sand and scattered piles of rocks of various sizes.
Cain didn't plan to explore the entire space. Capturing a few Cyndaquil or Quilava would be enough.
In the sand, he could see Quilava footprints. However, while following those tracks, Cain noticed something else.
Human footprints?
He stopped, surprised to see those marks.
There were clear signs of human boots, though slightly faded.
Had others been here before?
And not too long ago.
This space had no wind or sun, meaning the sand didn't shift and the footprints could remain intact for quite a while.
However, any activity like a Quilava moving could partially erase these tracks.
Even though they were a bit blurred, the boot prints were unmistakable.
If this had just been a strange space that hadn't been visited in centuries, Cain wouldn't have been very interested. But human footprints changed everything.
"System, analyze these footprints and record them to determine more details," Cain ordered.
"Analysis complete. Based on the remaining footprints, it is estimated that at least ten people were here," the system reported.
Cain narrowed his eyes at this information.
Ten or more people entering a place like this... Could it be Team Magma?
Team Magma's headquarters weren't far from Mt. Chimney. The Alliance didn't know this, but Cain did. Still, it wasn't the right time yet to face Team Magma directly.
However, it seemed they couldn't stay quiet, always seeking attention.
"Could this space have something to do with Groudon?" Cain immediately wondered.
If Team Magma had sent that many people here, it was surely related to Groudon.
Cain couldn't help but feel intrigued.
In the past, his lack of power made him avoid such matters, but now, with his growing strength, he felt more confident in exploring and taking risks.
Team Magma's leader, Maxie, wasn't as cunning a strategist as Giovanni. Though powerful, Maxie didn't inspire the same respect or fear as Giovanni.
Cain still remembered how Giovanni could face a fully evolved Mewtwo directly — a level of power that placed Giovanni among the strongest in the world.
Maxie, on the other hand, was probably only slightly stronger than an Elite Four member, or about the same level.
Moreover, Team Magma was still a growing organization, still lurking in the shadows.
"Interesting... But first let's see if there's a Cyndaquil nest here," Cain murmured with a slight smile.
(End of Chapter)