spiritdew: well, this is going alright. don't you just hate wirter's block?! ::sigh:: hope you enjoy it.

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Chapter 4, Capture

Abby was warm and the sun stung like darts against her eyes. She rolled over, trying to stay away from the heat overhead. Next to her, Girafa rested peacefully under shade just big enough for herself. Ashamed, Abby pried open her eyes and slowly rose. There was a soft hum of insects all around her and cotton floated around in the air.

Abby leaned over and poked Girafa who seemed just as groggy as her trainer. Abby's throat was parched and she hadn't eaten in over 12 hours. She pulled out a package of sushi and began searching for water. There was a creek lined with trees not far from where she slept. Anxiously, she approached the creek and began shoveling water into her mouth.

Satisfied, she leaned back on her hands and scanned the area. There was rustle of leaves and a soft twitter. Abby jerked her head to see where the noise came from. A branch moved and when she looked closely at it, she noticed two tiny brown talons secured around the limb. Abby reached into her pack and cautiously pulled out a PokŽBall. She pushed the center button silently to enlarge it.

She crept quietly into the brush so as not to be seen then checked

for Girafa. "Girafa! Tackle the tree!" She felt the ground quake a bit

and soon she saw a blur leap out of the brush, over the creek and into the tree. Abby used her sharp eye to see through the falling leaves and track the Pidgey. As soon as she spotted it, it flew out of the tree and disappeared from sight.

Abby remained still, crouched with the PokŽBall grasped in her palm. Her heat was beating fast and her plan of attack started to fade. Suddenly she heard an echo of cries and what sounded like a mass of birds flap their wings. There was a swarm of Pidgey heading back to the meadow and each one had anger buried in their eyes. The leaderÑthe original Pidgey in the treeÑswooped down and headed toward Abby, Just as it was nearing, Girafa pounced across her field of vision and took the bird down. Abby quickly ran over to the pokŽmon and threw the ball with gathered force. "PokŽBall go!

The ball engulfed the bird in a spray of white light. It tipped back

and forth and the center button blinked red. Moments passed when it ceased and an closing tone sounded. Abby picked up the ball and gazed at it intently recalling when she first held Girafa's PokŽBall. "Went to PokŽSchool for a reason, " Abby said pleased.

Abby beckoned Girafa with a whistle and walked back tot where she had awaken. She leaned up against the trunk and crossed her arms, looking out among the tops of the trees. An image flashed in her mind; the boy. The boy she had encountered that morning intrigued her. There must have been a reason why he was in that tree at that time. How did he know her and her journey and what she seeked? Did he know anything about Leen? What was it he had flown away on?

It surprised her, her memory. This morning she had been exhausted and yet she seemed to remember everything about him. Although he hadn't said much, there was something about him that triggered Abby's senses.

Abby wept. She didn't tend to be emotional but right now, she felt so alone and lost. Tears trickled down her cheek and beaded in her eyes. She wished it to stop but the more she wished, the more she cried. She didn't know when she'd be home. She didn't know when she'd ever seen Leen. And lately, everything was shrouded in mystery. All she had was her pokŽmon.

Girafa came near to her and nudged her head into Abby's legs. Abby slid down the trunk and held onto Girafa. The boy was right; she need courage and hope. But it all felt so far from reach now.