He just….dropped them

Walking through the scrub following machop and Meowth who is still slightly limping even after heal pulse treatment we come out to a small valley-type setting made from what I can best describe as brown stone with plenty of open-air stalagmites of differing sizes scattered throughout the small grass less valley, but what catches my eye is it seems to be kinda wriggling and due to it being night time it takes me a few seconds to actually catch on to what I'm seeing…..snakes…. lots and lots of snakes….

I think I stumbled onto some sort of ekans breeding ground…..there had to be a good 100 or more ekans down there, all of varying sizes, from small, just hatched, to full grown….no arboks though….I suppose that would explain why those snakes were so aggressive and persistent….maybe it's breeding season for these scaly assholes?

"BAHHHAHHHH!!!"

There was a loud bleating coming from directly below us, I managed to lean over the edge after scooching onto my stomach, much to the panic of all my mon…well except Slowpoke, he was as calm and dopey as ever …but I did notice a slight glimmer of psychic power wrap around me legs so I guess that's his way of telling me to be careful…

Looking down I saw where the loud and desperate cries were coming from only to see some sort of pink bipedal cow passed out on its side, bleeding pretty bad from multiple puncture wounds and looking to be heavily poisoned, its breath was ragged and looked to be clinging onto life with only fumes left in the tank…

And standing in front of it was a smallish goat like Pokémon with what looked like shrubbery for a mane, brown fur, and what looks to be two smallish horns stretching toward the sides of its head, fending off a group of over 10 ekans and holding his own….kinda….he was bleeding all over and also heavily poisoned but even still it stood proudly, smashing its head into any snake coming within its range with its head glowing a dull white….probably headbutt…

My first question would be….why would a skiddo and miltank be out here in the middle of nowhere? I know that there is a pretty big ranch on the outer south side of viridian maybe 3-4 hours out of the city….but from there to here walking or whatever? It would take days if you didn't wander through the city….and I doubt these two did…

I knew they had a batch or two of miltank and a big stock of tauros, even a few buffalant for exotic meats…but I didn't know they had skiddo? It would have had to come from there right?…. well I suppose it doesn't matter now

The second and big question is….do I want a skiddo and miltank? And if I'm honest with myself…..then yes….yes, I do, gogoat would make a pretty solid mount when I become a trainer because fuck walking everywhere and not to mention it's a pretty beasty Pokémon in a brawl if set up right….and miltank? Well she would just be a solid support mon, especially with heal bell and milk drink….I know miltank aren't really battlers, normally due to their passive and timid nature but I'm sure I can get around that.

Now the last question stands…how do I get them out?….they are directly below me with about a 25-foot drop so….I mean….I'm definitely not jumping down there…I don't care if it was a baby mewtwo I'm just straight up not jumping into a pit of snakes….but I reckon it shouldn't be too hard…

I pull out two pokeballs from my inner jacket and un-shrink them before turning to machop and whispering…

"Hey buddy, think you could hit those two down there with these?"

Machop has been throwing rocks lately…mainly under my direction trying to learn "rock throw", I had no idea how to teach it so I just figured I'd try it for the sake of it….turned out to be a bust, throwing rocks is indeed not actually "rock throw" so I gave up on that….but machop was crazy accurate with his throws though…pretty much never missed….

I turn to Slowpoke

"Can you take hold of these and yank em back up if they catch 'em?"

Slowpoke just looks at the balls for a second before his eyes flash pinkish and turns to me and nods

"Alright fellas, we got one shot at this…. if for any reason machop missed we are fucking off out of here, I'm not sticking around to see if those were the only 8 arbok here, and I'm definitely not too keen on finding out just how many of the scaly little pricks are in that pit…so Slowpoke you've been a bit of an MVP tonight and I need you to make one last play….once you yank those balls back to us you need to get us out of here asap buddy, a lot is riding on you.."

Slowpoke just responds with a head tilt and a "slooow?" But I knew he knew what was up, opportunity comes to those that act so without waiting I slowly and quietly hoist myself up and hand over the two pokeballs to machop who proceeded to lean over the lips edge slightly….I've been practicing my throwing accuracy lately but I'm still total dog shit, but I forget sometimes I'm still like 10 years old so I have to give cut myself some slack..

"BAAHHHHAHHHH!"

Skiddo slams another ekans away with a painful-sounding thud before finally buckling at the knees ready to keel over…machop instead of actually throwing the balls…just leans over the edge slightly, aims, and proceeds to just….drop them…..one in each hand, both at the same time…

At this point I can't actually see what's going on down below from standing back up, I pick up my looted duffel bags and wait as there was a brief moment of silence….well besides the joyful "ekans!" And hissing coming from down below from their "prey" finally falling….but suddenly I hear the distinct sound of a pop and an electrical hiss after a brief reddish light shines over the small quarry.

And all of a sudden 2 pokeballs fly up over the cliff racing toward me, I managed to catch one but they both came too fast and the 2nd brained me with a *DONK* before it was swiftly caught by machop…fuck that hurt….and the catch seemed successful if the apocalyptically angry hissing and "EKANSSSS!?" Coming from below the cliff was an indication….But then again maybe I accidentally caught two ekans? Well, machop caught them technically but whatever, hopefully when I check em out once I get out of here it will be a skiddo and miltank….

The angry hissing and cries seemed to be getting closer and closer, and we were all standing here waiting for Slowpoke to get his shit together….

It was only a few seconds but it felt like an eternity and just as the first ekans somehow made it up the cliff face there was a low hum and the scenery suddenly changed to the road between the abandoned zone and viridian city…. I looked around and saw we all made it just fine…

I take a seat for a moment just letting everything just wash over me for a second and take a breath….I look around and see my mons all looked a little out of it….especially Slowpoke….the guy has been run ragged tonight, constantly holding our now dead prisoner so he didn't move or make a sound, constant teleports, healing, and support…the dude was a trooper and he's earned some rest….but no just yet.

I saw that miltank and it looked like it was on death's door and while a pokeball did leave a Pokémon is semi-stasis I wasn't willing to risk it…but I wasn't sure which ball it was in but I guess it doesn't matter I'll have to heal both anyways so I turn to the crew…

"Alright gang huddle up, I know it's been a long night and I will admit walking blindly into an "untamed" pokemon zone was probably one of the stupidest things I've done but we came out pretty good….we're on the home stretch now, I'll heal up these mons, we'll bury these bags and then were heading home for the night….so I don't know how that skiddo is gonna react, it shouldn't get aggressive but just keep an eye on it just in case yeah?"

A brief round of tired nods is all it took for me to release the first pokeball, the one that didn't probably grant me a possible concussion. And with a pop hiss and whitish energy a rather large form came into form laying on the ground udders up…..thank Christ it's the cow first….

Without much fanfare, I dig through my….fanny pack….I keep most of my goodies while I'm stealing shit nowadays apparently and pull out an antidote…I keep a burn heal, antidote, paralyze heal, and a potion on me at all times just in case…

Miltank looks like she's been through a war, blood all over her fur with what are clearly snake fang puncture marks covering her body, breathing raggedly while half her body is a sickly purplish hue…

I kneel down and poor half an antidote into her mouth, it's a drinkable not a spray in this world….so yeah….and pretty quickly her purplish hue starts to fade and Slowpoke starts cranking out heal pulse after heal pulse as her wounds start closing and her breathing evens out a tad…now comes the part I REALLY hate about healing pokemon who are poisoned….

"Guys help me roll her onto her side."

Machop walks over and helps me roll her over on her side as she starts heaving

"HRRRP….HHRRRP…BBBLLLLRRR"

A small fountain of blackish purple liquid is ejected out of thankfully the top end of the still-living cow Pokemon, it's a 50/50 shot at where the poison is ejected….both are gross….her breathing evens out even more and she no longer looks like she's in pain….but I doubt she's gonna wake up tonight….truth be told I SHOULD bring her to a Pokémon center…but I don't think I should just yet, if she somehow gets worse or has any conditions I will but for now, this should bring her back on her feet with some rest and a healthy amount of food…

I leave her out just to make sure the skiddo doesn't lose its shit, it's seemed very protective of this cow so hopefully, once it sees that miltank and itself or out of danger it might be willing to talk…

Machop hands me the 2nd ball and with another pop hiss and almost blinding light in the darkness a big goat takes form on its knees, well big is subjective….I'm still 10 so everything is big to me… skiddo was still holding onto consciousness and very alert, and when it spots me it looks ready to charge, almost frothing at the mouth with rage…

"Woah Woah there big fella you're out of that snake pit and miltank is just fine…."

I point behind him for him to check and see miltank still covered in dry blood…but the wounds were closed and it wasn't showing any signs of poison anymore….which calmed the shrub goat down greatly….almost too much as it fell to the side, still awake but clearly in a large amount of pain….

"Alright big man here drink this, it will get that nasty poison outa ya, and my buddy Slowpoke here will heal you up some….I got a question for ya after you're feelin a bit better"

While already on his side, with great reluctance it takes the rest of the antidote and it wasn't even 20 seconds before it started heaving as well….

With Slowpoke working him over with a heal pulse barrage he seemed to start getting some of his strength back….and I noticed the rage in its eyes was starting to die down…. Probably a good time to ask him to sign up with team Gideon while the gratitude is still fresh…

"Listen, mate…..I'm putting together some Pokémon to train and become stronger, one day I'm going to be a trainer and I was hoping you wouldn't mind jumping on board with that?"

When I mentioned training to become stronger he shot up almost face to face with me and when I mentioned I was going to become a trainer I could almost see his eyes sparkle….seems like the little dude enjoys conflict…

"I take that as a yes?"

He couldn't nod quick enough, seemly elated to become a trainers Pokémon….I haven't heard much about this species due to it being a non-kanto pokemon, but from what I remember they were a pretty chill group of goats…maybe this guy is an outlier? Well doesn't matter now I guess…..I haven't mentioned he's going to be a mount as well…but we'll deal with that after we get a little more solid footing…

"Also big man, I was hoping miltank could join up with us as well. Would you be good with that?"

His face changed a bit as I saw a bit of reluctance and hesitation from the question…

"Not really as a battler…more as a support…you know….healing, and helping me out with stuff…."

He seemed a bit better when I mentioned miltank not having to battle, seems there's a story there…but that's for another time.

Well, not even mention he doesn't really have a say in it, I was just running it by him…it's more up to miltank but more myself… but hopefully it doesn't come to that….

And with that settled I returned both new mons to their balls to get some rest, and already having enough I walked up behind one of the trees near the road and have machop shovel out a 4-foot hole with his hands as Meowth was still a bit tender…I doubled wrapped the silph co space bags with two plastic bags and sealed it with electrical tape to keep any moisture out and buried em with machop placing a decent-sized bolder over it and giving it a quick punch to leave a fist print to mark it….I'll remember where it is, it's just in case and with that Slowpoke teleported us home….I was just done with today….