Chapter 1: The Tower on the Cliff

Benji can't help but smile at Robin's comment. It's simply too true. He himself is sweaty from walking, even though he's no longer wearing his hoodie. Yash tried to complain about losing his spot, but the weather is just too warm for that and he was forced to accept just riding in Benji's satchel, his little head out as he sleeps.

As Robin mentions the Skiddo, Benji turns to his companion. "Oh, do you think we can ride those?" he asks, looking at the pokémon. "Nah, they are small. I cont' think I could force them to carry me... Unless they are used to it?" He shrugs. "Either way, we can see if we can get one of those if you guys want."

The Skiddo, as a group, don't seem too bothered by you coming closer, and most of them simply continue grazing. A couple of take more notice, some moving away from you, though they don't seem spooked as such, some looking up at you in curiosity, though none approach you.

Most of the Skiddo don't respond to your words, and continue grazing, but a handful of them slowly move closer, sniffing the air cautiously. They still keep their distance, however, and seem ready to bolt on a dime.

Six of the Skiddo finally approach you, four of which you quickly identify as female. After some subtle finagling, you're left with just these four doelings, two of which seem to favour the salty treat, and two the spicy. Two of the Skiddo are sticking pretty close together, one of them constantly nuzzling into the slightly larger one, though they prefer opposite food. The other two keep to them self, both having a certain sense of aloofness to them, even as they sniff your food.

The pair quickly drift off, and while you try your best, you can't manage to keep both of the remaining Skiddo's attention, and one of them eventually stomps off with a bleated huff, leaving you with just one, though it costs you the entirety of the snack to keep it tempted.

At your words, the Skiddo's stance changes. You're not entirely sure what you said, or if it interpreted something you said oddly, but it seems the Skiddo is intent on a fight.

The Skiddo emerges in the now familiar flood of red light, looking less upset after the process of capturing, though she still doesn't looked thrilled. The immediate offer of food does help, however. She immediately digs in and starts nursing some wounds, giving you the chance to better appreciate her physique.

Compared to the Skiddo kept in the low lands, the breeds more common in Kalos and other regions, Mountain Skiddo are stockier, with a bit more bulk to them, coming mostly from rocky ridges growing along the length of the body. The leavy mane consists of needles, like a pine or spruce, rather than the herby leaves the regular breed has, and contains some small rock spikes jutting out of the green. The horns too, have stone ridges running along the outside, curling with the horns. The front hooves have a stone spur growing out in front of them, like a climbers axe, the point of which is level with the hoof's bottom.

This Skiddo shows some wear, as if she is accustomed to getting into scrapes, and is a bit thinner than the rest of the herd, who as a whole don't seem to be too moved by the excitement your fight has caused, and which is slowly moving away from you guys.

Benji watches Robin's interactions with the skiddo, quiet but anxious. He isn't sure the small pokémon would actually be a valid means of transportation, but Robin seems interested enough and, honestly, they are kinda cute. Unsurprisingly, given Robin's charisma, they manage to convince one of the pokémon to join her team, though to be fair, Benji almost brought Maha when the skiddo reared for a fight.

He watches as Robin tends to their new companion, and after they are done, he claps them in the back. "Good work, but I think Aubrey is the one who'll be riding her today, isn't it?" he asks with a smile. "But don't be asking for forgiveness, we're here for that, right? Having more companions is definitely not gonna hurt."

You spend some time collecting flowers and herbs, taking some care to preserve them, before heading further on your journey. As the sun starts lowering, the meadow starts making way for craggy rock once more, and you spent about two hours traversing more stony paths before dusk starts to come in. You know the next prepared Rest Stop is at least an hour more walking, and dusk will have turned to night well before you reach it. As you contemplate your options as a group, Benji spots a small pile of rubble to the side of the path, a bit further ahead. Following the trail upward, he sees a small opening in the mountain wall.