August 6th, 2022
Pokémon Research Laboratory, Jay Town, Asture Region
Raine stopped tearing Professor Sakura's office apart for a moment and surveyed the damage. Desperation and anger had caused him to ruin the well designed chaos that the Professor had kept his space in. No matter where he looked he couldn't locate the box that should have held the four remaining Pokédexes. The longer his search went on the angrier and sadder he became.
"Where did you put them, Professor?" Raine asked, dropping into the office chair and spinning in a slow circle. "I need to work out what else they can do. What will those Team Omni thugs do with them other than the obvious?" He suddenly started bawling and slammed an angry fist on the desk. "Why did you have to go? I need you."
"Raine?" a gentle voice announced from the doorway. "Is this a bad time?"
"Oh, Mirella," Raine said, embarrassingly trying to wipe away his tears. "No, come in. I'm just trying to find where he hid the Pokédexes."
"Oh," Mirella said, about to take a step into the room but halting and leaning into the doorframe meekly. "I wanted to avoid any mention of them. But I needed to come and thank you again for trying so hard to stop Team Omni from taking me yesterday. Who knows where I would have ended up if it wasn't for you and the Professor."
"I just did what anyone should have done."
"Well no one else stepped up. So I'm thanking you for what you did."
"They're going to come back for you, you know. I don't think that Jay Town or perhaps even the Asture Region is safe for you anymore."
"I know," Mirella conceded softly. "I just don't know where else to go and if I can abandon everyone after what we've been through. Besides, what will happen to my family's Gym? And how will the town recover from the lost economy if it closes?"
"We can work that out," Raine said. "You need to look after yourself. Go and hide somewhere abroad."
"What will you do here?"
"The town will rebuild. But I have to hunt down Team Omni." Raine slammed his fist on the desktop again and Mirella jumped. "I will not stand by and let them get away with this."
"I shouldn't hide at all then," Mirella said and lunged into the office with energy. "I should come with you. You're going to need all the help you can get. No offence."
"Really? I never even thought to ask, considering they want to mete out some level of revenge on you for what your father apparently did."
"Of course I'll help. I'm not scared of those punks. No matter what they did to us with just one Pokémon. I'm assuming it will take some effort to take them down."
"I have a plan for that when we find them and having you along is going to make that so much easier."
"What plan?"
"We need to recruit the best trainers we can find," Raine said. "I think the Gym Leaders fit the bill."
"You know we don't even have to go anywhere to get them, right?" Mirella said excitedly. "All I have to do is send them a message or video call them from the Pokémon Centre."
"I didn't know that you had some kind of secret alliance of Gym Leaders. That will make things so much easier, thank you. Can you get them all to come here or should we meet up with them wherever we find Team Omni hiding out?"
"I think it would be much safer to gather here before we go searching for Team Omni. But I don't know that we can just shut down all of the Gyms at once."
"Do you think all seven of them will be willing to close their doors for this?"
"Everyone loved and respected Professor Sakura," Mirella said sadly. "They will do whatever it takes to stop Team Omni before they can cause any more damage. Even if that means stopping anyone from being able to earn any Gym Badges for a while."
"So with the nine of us that should be enough to face any challenge that Team Omni can throw at us," Raine said. "Or should we try and get the Elite Four and the Champion to help out too. Or perhaps just a bunch of trainers who have completed their journeys and reached Victory Road?"
"Let's just focus on recruiting the Gym Leaders for now. Surely we don't need any more assistance than that. If we do, we will explore other options."
"I wish I was going to be more helpful," Raine said, rubbing his forehead and dropping his gaze. "I feel like I'm just going to get in the way. Should I stay here instead and try to fill the void that Professor Sakura's death has made?"
"Is that really what you want? Because I'm not going to lie, this isn't going to be a walk in the park. If you aren't ready to risk your life to bring them to justice you need to stay behind."
Raine thought quietly for a moment and then sighed loudly. "I don't know what to do. Replacing the Professor seems impossible. I know that I'm not ready for that just yet. Besides, I'm not even certain that I'm the right person for the job."
"You've been preparing for it for your whole life haven't you? I'm sure the Professor would have said that you're ready to take on the responsibility."
"You're right, but I think it might be too early for someone to take the mantle. The Asture Region can wait a little longer before it needs a new Professor. I'm going to come with you and face Team Omni. No matter how risky or stupid that decision might be."
"I don't think that it's a bad choice," Mirella said. "You'll find your purpose in coming along. Even if it is just to get some more worldly experience before accepting that the job is yours."
"I know that you're just saying that to be kind," Raine admitted both to himself and to Mirella. "I'm going to get in the way and when that happens I need you to tell me to stand down or get out of the way. I can willingly accept that Buizel and I can't hold a flame to you and the other Gym Leaders."
"We all have to get experience in some way or another," Mirella shrugged, "but rest assured one of us will tell you to back off if you're only in the way or likely to get harmed. Now, I had better get to the Pokémon Centre and start reaching out."
"Thank you again for this," Raine said, getting out of the chair to see Mirella out of the office. They were halfway to the door when Raine saw that there was a small wooden shelf above the door frame. Sitting on it was the cardboard box that surely contained the Pokédexes. His attention was immediately off of Mirella as she walked away through the lab and he said, "There you are, you sneaky thing."