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"Why not capture it?" Aila suggested. "Troublesome as it is, the thing has willfully sought us out where others have retreated into the shadows. That speaks well of its courage and curiosity, if nothing else."

The ghost-type drifted about with an unseen spin. An Absol, was it? Its trainer was more frightening, indiscriminately sending out the disaster pokemon for the kill. As long as it remained in its ghastly, invisible form, however, there was no need to fear. As if to taunt the humans and pokemon, the shadow feigned an attack with a brief burst of Psywave, aimed wherever it would strike.

Fleur was getting tired of chasing Shuppet. Running wasn't so much fun when you were doing it constantly, and in veritable circles no less. She noticed out of the corner of her eye as Faleen thrashed around at the unseen offender and as the sudden discharge of psychic energy exploded from midair. Something strange was going on over there. Something strange was going on around Fleur's human. The Bulbasaur bounded over to see what was the matter and protect her trainer if need be.

"Then I believe I shall," Aila announced, taking an empty pokeball from her belt. She had been on the lookout for a ghost type for some time, believing their kind to be valuable tools in her trade. The fact that the thing was being such a menace to them already bade well to that end. "Fleur, to me." The Bulbasaur was at her side in moments, skidding to a halt with an expression of staunch determination. "It would behoove you to cover your lower face," the girl warned as she heeded her own advice. "Sleep Powder."

Fleur's response to the command was automatic, a cloud of spores erupting from her bulb and swirling around the party like a flurry of snow. Invisible did not equate to intangible, and the ghost pokemon suffered the attacks drowsing effects, drifting towards the ground and revealing itself as a Misdreavus with a distinct coloration. It was resilient, however, and woke shortly after, lashing out at anything and everything with Astonish, shrieking all the while.

Aila used the Misdreavus' tantrum as a cover for her own attack, commanding a Razor Leaf from her Bulbasaur. Fleur responded accordingly, a flurry of bladed leaves cutting a number of small lacerations on the distracted ghost's being.

"Is that sufficient...?" Aila had never caught a pokemon before, and while the foe seemed to have reached a weakened state, she was unsure of whether or not it was enough to seize the ghost as her own. It was worth the chance, she supposed, and so she tossed the empty ball.

The Misdreavus had seen its comrades fall similarly in the past. Humans would come, their pokemon would make a general mess of things, and then one of the town's pokemon residents would disappear, never to return. It still had the strength to fight, yet it chose against it. Chances were that this human would return to more of her kind, giving the ghost the perfect opportunity to exact revenge on her vanished comrades' behalf. But it would not go so easily, that much was assured. The screech pokemon swiftly broke free of the ball, sending it bouncing back towards the trainer's feet.

Aila narrowed her eyes, kneeling to retrieve the ball. What was the threshold, then...?

Aila hummed thoughtfully. If it was a matter of will to fight... "Sweet Scent." The honey-sweet odor wafted through the air, originating from Fleur's bulb. If she could impact the pokemon's reaction time, she would not have to worry as much about contending with its intangible tendencies. Easier to strike, easier to damage, easier to capture.

The Misdreavus was lulled by the fragrance; she was already feeling the Sweet Scent's effects. It noticed Shuppet's interest and regarded him through half-lidded eyes, fighting away the invisible mire that slowed its movements and muddled its mind.

"Another Razor Leaf," Aila requested, "and withhold nothing." The whirlwind of emerald came once more as Fleur's only reply, and the Misdreavus, drunk from the previous Sweet Scent, could not muster the strength to dodge. The attack struck its mark, and it staggered backwards, turning its gaze from Shuppet to regard the human that dared to behave with such hostility.

"Dreeeaa," it sighed, surrendering itself to whatever fate may come. Aila noticed the change in demeanor and took it as an opportunity to make a second attempt at capture. A flick of her wrist found the Misdreavus in the device, struggling against it only briefly before the ball became still. This time the ghost did not reemerge, and Aila approached and retrieved it from the ground, staring at the pokeball in quiet contemplation.

All in all, it was a relatively smooth capture for her first.

"Thank you," she replied as she organized her mental notes so that she could record them as physical notes upon returning to base. Debilitating moves such as Sleep Powder and Sweet Scent were effective in slowing or altogether immobilizing the enemy, it was important to attack with more force than seemed necessary, a pokeball was not always successful on its first attempt but did allow for future attempts... All learned knowledge was filed away neatly in a manner she would be able to recall it quickly when necessary.

The Bulbasaur rubbed her head with a vine sheepishly at the praise, though she was feeling rather proud at her success.

"Perhaps it would be better to return before they become too daring?" she suggested. Fleur's Sleep Powder could take care of just about any unwelcome intrusion, and Aila imagined that Absol was nothing to bat an eye at either. The less people discovered lying unconscious on the ground the next day, the less suspicion would be brought on the two strangers who appeared the previous night.

Aila nodded; it would probably be a good idea to heal the Misdreavus and acquaint herself with it as soon as possible. Fleur had taken to her willingly and without opposition, but she could not imagine that the ghost pokemon would do the same after putting up such resistance.

The dark van came into view as they approached, and the prospects of being back in the base soon were lulling. The thought of the drive that would convey them back, however, was not nearly as pleasant. The Bulbasaur at Aila's side gave a wide yawn as the rush of battle left her, and her human opted to return the seed pokemon to its ball for the night.