Chapter Fourteen - The Mysterious Gaia!

August 11th, 2022

Pokémon Laboratory, Jay Town, Asture Region

Raine knew that one of the other researchers was investigating legendary Pokémon around the World and when he approached the older man, Chibs, he practically leapt out of his skin in excitement.

"Of course, my notes on Gaia are around here somewhere," the balding, liver spotted man said, digging through stacks and stacks of papers that topped his little space in the corner of the lab. "Just gotta dig through all of this Johto nonsense. Have you heard much about these legendary dogs?"

"I'm afraid not, Chibs," Raine said, nearly matching Chibs' level of enthusiasm. "You'll have to tell me once we have a look at what you know about Gaia."

Suddenly Chibs stopped rifling through the papers and plonked himself back down onto his stool. "What am I even looking through here for? It's all up here in my head. But where to begin?"

"Do you know where we would find Gaia?" Raine prompted, dragging over a wheeled stool from an adjacent, unoccupied table. "Is it definitely in Asture?"

"She," Chibs corrected, using his hand for emphasis. "Gaia is a female Pokémon. And yes, she is guaranteed to be somewhere in the Asture Region."

"How can you be so certain? Has anybody ever actually seen her?"

"There are countless reports of sightings over the past several centuries. Last one that crossed my desk was from six years ago. Deep in Finch Forest a little girl was apparently saved from a fire and returned to Blackbird Villa by Gaia. Most sightings centre around Finch Forest. Obviously no one has gotten a good look at her and details are very contradictory between accounts. I spent many of my years hiking through Finch Forest trying to sight her for myself, but I was never that fortunate. What makes you so interested all of a sudden, Raine? I've been trying to share my research with the lot of you for quite some time."

"I need to find her," Raine said, with no explanation why he hadn't talked more about Pokémon with the rather intense older researcher. "There are nefarious people on the hunt for her."

"Aren't there always?"

"Yes, but now more than ever. I need to keep her safe from their grasp."

"Do you intend to capture her?"

"If that's what it takes, then yes."

Chibs tsked and shook his head. "You cannot capture Gaia, Raine. Gaia is life and nature. She cannot be controlled by Man. She must be free to protect us and to grow new life. I will not tell you any more. Please leave me alone now."

Chibs' sudden change of attitude gave Raine whiplash, but he got up and walked away. He had received his direction, Finch Forest. Although he didn't know how he would possibly find her if the Gaia specialist himself couldn't locate her after years of searching.

Raine took the long way out of the lab so that he didn't go anywhere near Professor Sakura's office. Eventually they would name a replacement to take over and someone would have to go in there and clean out his personal effects. But that was a long way off in his mind. They had to hold a funeral before any of that anyway. Another thing that everyone was putting on hold, especially as they mourned the loss of their homes and Pokemon. Raine hadn't even stopped to consider that he no longer had a house. He just had to keep moving.

He was already packed and ready for a journey, but he had to at least tell somebody where he was heading and what he was up to. So he headed for the Gym in the hopes of finding Mirella. She was in the Gym, just not in the capacity as a Gym Leader, but as a regular citizen who had lost everything. Even though Team Omni hadn't stolen all of her Pokémon like they had with everyone else, they had maimed her Zangoose and that was potentially worse.

"Hi, Mirella," Raine said, standing beside her makeshift bed. A simple camping stretcher with a thin blanket and pillow that came out of storage for this kind of emergency. "I was hoping to find you here."

"Raine," she said softly, the usual light and confidence lacking in her voice.

There was nothing else forthcoming and Raine wasn't exactly sure how to continue. "I'm going on a mission to Finch Forest to find Gaia, the legendary Pokémon," he said, blurting it all out at once. "I just needed someone to know where to find me if I don't return."

"You're going alone?" She looked him in the eyes with a dead eyed glare and he felt shivers. Was that how he had looked since Professor Sakura was taken away?

"Everyone else is off hunting down Team Omni. It's now or never for me to find and protect Gaia. I can't wait for more help to arrive."

Mirella groaned loudly as she struggled to her feet. "You're an idiot. I'm coming with you."

"But…"

"But nothing. Someone has to watch your back."

"Thank you, I suppose," Raine said warmly. "I'm not expecting a fight, but it will be good to have some company."

"I'll tell the residents that I'm leaving again, so they know what to tell Team Omni if they return. I hate to leave them unprotected, but as long as the other Gym Leaders are out there hunting them down they shouldn't come back here and cause any further destruction."

Raine grabbed Mirella's backpack that was still sitting untouched from when she had returned earlier in the day and headed outside to wait for her.

Chibs was shuffling down the main street straight towards him. "Raine, I'm glad I found you before you went off on your fool's errand."

"Yes, Chibs?" Raine asked, resting Mirella's pack on the ground and adjusting his own that was sitting uncomfortably on his shoulders.

"Please don't try to capture Gaia. I understand that you have the need to find and protect her, but don't make her submit to a trainer. She is practically a God."

"If I don't do this, Chibs, Team Omni will and they will use her for destruction. This is the only way to ensure she remains on the side of good."

"Don't you hear me? She's a God. She cannot be tainted by Man."

"What do you think that I will do to her?" Raine asked, desperately trying to understand the man. "I only have the purest of intentions."

"That's how it always starts," Chibs said sadly, "but never how it ends. I will say this just one last time. If you find her please leave her be."

"I will consider it, but only if Team Omni has been located and defeated before I find her."

"That is all I can ask." Chibs turned on his heels and hobbled away.

"Ready to go?" Mirella asked, coming to stand beside Raine.

"As ready as I'll ever be."