As the Farfetch'd lunges out of the grass, Naomi's 'Tai is already moving! It's enough to save the Dratini from being jabbed full on with the mysteriously sharp leaves of the Farfetch'd's leek. He sustains only a scratch as Naomi calls out,<span style="color: #6495ED">"Watch out, it could be poisonous!"</span>He sighs mentally. His trainer tries to be encouraging, but sometimes her advice is a little late. He doesn't wait for orders of any kind, and just lets loose a Thunderwave.<br/><br/>It catches the Duck Pokemon, making it twitch and stumble, but doesn't stop the foe as it dives into the tall grass to the left. There's rustlling movement where the Farfetch'd dove into the grass, and more movement right ahead of Dratini.<span style="color: #6495ED">"Do you see it? Where is it?"</span>Naomi calls out, looking around as 'Tai responds with a muttered<span style="color: #6495ED">"Ti,"</span>commenting to himself on Naomi's powers of observation. Instead of trying to attack either spot, the Dratini sways in place, summoning an icy cool mist around them.<br/><br/>The reduced visibility is enough to throw off the Farfetch'd as it lunges at Dratini from the grass on the left. The misjudged leap leaves it standing in the open, and 'Tai takes advantage of that! He lashes out, snake-like, and quickly coils around the Duck, binding its wings and squeezing tight. He calls out,<span style="color: #6495ED">"Dratini!"</span>with his successful attack. Naomi looks to the now leek-less Farfetch'd, and encourages her companion,<span style="color: #6495ED">"Nicely caught! Keep hold of it, don't let it claw you!"</span>Acting on a hunch, she darts toward the other patch of grass that had moved.<br/><br/>Even wrapped and being squeezed, the Farfetch'd refuses to give up. It somehow finds leverage enough to hop up and fall on the ground, jarring itself a little, but leaving Dratini bruised. The two Pokemon roll back and forth, 'Tai trying to unnerve the crazed Duck Pokemon with disturbing looks, but they seem to have no effect. If anything, the Farfetch'd struggles harder when it spots Naomi holding its leek!<br/><br/><span style="color: #6495ED">"I got it!"</span>Naomi holds the vegetable up in triumph by the root.<span style="color: #6495ED">"If you'll let yourself be captured, you'll get this back!"</span>She taps a pokeball with the leek.<br/><br/>'Tai winces and squeezes the now enraged Farfetch'd tighter, trying to drive the breath from the wrapped foe's lungs before it could get free and attack his trainer. The Dratini had grown up with his companion. He'd learned alongside her. He'd observed human ways and had come to understand human language. He knew what she was offering, but this was a wild Pokemon, not like the ones from more 'civilized' areas with a greater human population. It wouldn't understand.<br/><br/>Finally, Naomi catches on. Her tone of voice changes, becoming more commanding.<span style="color: #6495ED">"Tai! Pull!"</span>Now this was a manuever Dratini understood. The Farfetch'd was a bird, and the manuver meant release and push away, then hit with a Thunderwave. They'd practiced with dummy targets and thrown objects before, and as Naomi sent the leek flying into the air, 'Tai rapidly unwrapped from the Farfetch'd.<br/><br/>It didn't work quite as they'd practiced. Instead of trying to recover the leek its life depended on, the Farfetch'd turned on Dratini and tackled him, bruising him further. 'Tai was suffering now, with all the aches and pains the struggle had inflicted on him, but the dragon-type still launched the Thunderwave.<br/><br/>This time, the attack catches the Farfetch'd full on, making it fall in place and jitter as the electrical surge interferes with its limb muscles. The paralysis sets in just before Naomi flings a pokeball at it. It opens on contact and bathes the Duck Pokemon in the capture beam, and snaps shut, falling to the ground and rocking in place.<br/><br/>Once. Twice. Three times. Then the sparkle and glow of a successful capture.<br/><br/>Naomi rushes over and snatchs the pokeball up, securing it quickly. But it's her companion that her attention is on. She kneels next to her 'Tai, stroking his head as she looks him over. He's gone limp and is breathing heavily.<span style="color: #6495ED">"'Tai, are you badly hurt? Do you need to return to your pokeball?"</span><br/><br/>Normally, he'd enjoy the sight, since Naomi is unintentionally giving him a perfect view up her skirt, but he just can't spare the energy for more than a momentary look.<span style="color: #6495ED">"Dra. Tini."</span><br/><br/><span style="color: #6495ED">"Oh... I'm sorry, I... we'll.. I'll.. I'll figure something out, okay? Maybe we'll come across a berry patch... until then, just, just rest, okay?"</span>Naomi holds out 'Tai's pokeball towards him, and he taps the button with his nose. The familiar flash draws him in.<br/><br/>Naomi rubs her eyes, taking a deep breath. And then she fetches the leek the Farfetch'd was holding, recovering it from the short grass where it was thrown. Within a few moments, she's stored it with the Farfetch'd as she trudges back towards Eleyna.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>