A rustle from the bushes caught Anne's attention - her ears pricking up, as her gaze turned towards the foliage that surrounded the clearing by the entrance. It was clear to see that she was no longer alone here - a braixen emerging from the leaves, and briefly brushing themself off. Slowly, carefully, they'd gaze at their surroundings - but as soon as their eyes fell upon Anne, they'd jolt in surprise, as if a rattata who had stumbled upon an ekans.

Anne, however, would express no aggression towards the visitor. Instead, her eyes lit up with interest as she chuffed a greeting - gesturing with her head to invite the braixen over. Canid pokemon - even if the braixen was not of the variety that she was familiar with - were stronger, and safer, in numbers. And on top of such, Ettie was sure to be happy to meet a new potential friend once she woke up.

Which, the fox pokemon was somewhat uncertain at first... But seeing no hostilities or deciet in the lycanroc's eyes, they'd accept the invitation - sitting down nearby. The braixen's body language read of uncertainty and nervousness - they knew they were a bit of an odd one out in this equation, and yet the notion of a friendly face was a welcome one.

It did not take long though, for the rest of the pack to begin stirring. First came Princess, who would give the braixen a gentle 'whuff' in greeting as she settled down next to Anne. Then there was Duchess, whose greeting was far more energetic - a happy yip as she ran up to investigate the braixen.

The wild fox would blink owlishly at this - clearly caught off guard by the enthusiastic greeting, but... Slowly, as if unsure as to whether this was the right response, they'd reach out to pat Duchess on the head.

(The electrike, in response, began vibrating happily.)

But finally, Ettie would step out - Ruffian still groggy and half-asleep in her arms. "Hello pack," She'd greet with a warm smile - briefly sharing a nuzzle with Anne as they neared one another. "Ettie wanna eat. Pack wanna eat?" She'd question as she sat down - pulling out her bag to pass out food... At least, until she noticed that they had a visitor, a braixen.

Ettie's eyes lit up curiously at the sight of the vulpine pokemon. "Oh - Hello! Friend!" She greeted, smiling and waving. "Wanna eat, friend?"

The notion of food certainly got the braixen's attention - ears pricking, eyes drifting to the bag. When had been the last time they ate...?

The clear interest the fire-type displayed was enough of an answer for Ettie - and giggling, she'd take the time to pull out some of the food she had stashed in her bag. Some of it was rations that she had picked up in Fortree - dried meat, crackers, hard cheese, and the like - as well as some pokefood. But there was also a number of things such as fruits and berries that she had gathered in her journey. Sure, perhaps they were a little overripe by now - but there wasn't anything wrong with any of the food, otherwise.

Ettie took the time to pass the food out between the pack - attentive to each individual's needs. "Here, pack. Eat good!" They'd probably need to go hunting later today to help supplement it - but for now, this would be plenty to help fill their bellies. And to the braixen, she'd offer a couple of fruits and some jerky - smiling warmly. "Friend eat good!"

The braixen blinked at the offer - but in watching the other pokemon eating... Slowly, carefully, they'd accept it - setting the food on their lap and taking a bite of one of the fruits.

This brightened Ettie's smile, and she'd sit back and nibble on some cheese - leaning on her side against Anne's own, with a happy hum. "Food good. Eating with pack make food good-er!" She spoke to the Braixen. "Friend come with pack? Eat with pack lots! Play with pack lots! Explore lots!"

In agreement, Duchess would yip, her tail wagging eagerly. More friends was good! That meant more pokemon she'd get to play and run and hide-and-seek and run and race with! What else did a pokemon need in life, really?

Anne, meanwhile, would turn a calmer gaze upon the braixen, and give a gentle chuff. It was their choice, whether to come with - but they would otherwise be a welcome addition to the pack, if they so chose.

Catching Befriending Braixen!

Curiosity had grabbed Ettie's attention, with all the chatter from the other people around her - chatter about things she didn't entirely understand. Whilst the pack was still working on their own snowboy, Ettie would wander off to look amongst the other snowboys that had been built here, and the people who were mingling amongst one another. In particular, the chatter of a few young adults would catch the young girl's attention.

"What are you guys hoping for this year?" Spoke up one, as they worked together to put together the bottom of a Snowboy.

"Knowing my family, I'll probably be getting socks or a sweater - probably gonna need 'em, with the weather." Spoke the second, chuckling.

However, the third would notice Ettie's presence - and he'd smile, gesturing to invite her over. "Hey kiddo, do you got any holiday wishes?"

Ettie cocked her head. "Wish?" She asked - blinking a bit. What did that mean?

"Ya know," The first person spoke up once more. "What are you hoping to get this year? Any toys, or games?"

What did Ettie hope to find..? The wildchild would consider the question for a few long seconds - humming to herself, before settling upon... "Ettie want big pack!"

A couple of the trio would glance to each other, faintly puzzled - both at the response, and her manner of speech. "Like... A new backpack?" Asked the third person.

Which, Ettie shook her head - and instead pointed back to where her pokemon were still rolling the snowball along. (In fact, it was looking pretty decent sized, wasn't it? She should probably help direct them soon.) "Pack!" She supplied with a bright smile. "More pack! More friends!"

The second individual smiled at this, nodding. "Heck yeah, you can't go wrong with more friends." He agreed.

Ettie grinned and nodded at this, before turning back around - returning to her packs' side, resuming work on the snowboy.

The Eeveelutions' fast approach was met as a pleasant surprise - Ettie's pack regarding Josh's pokemon with equal amounts of curiosity. Who were they? What were they like?

Duchess, to say the least, was absolutely enthused over the whole matter - the electrike bouncing and yipping amongst the larger Eeveelutions, running circles around them with utter joy. Friends! Friends! Playtime!

Princess was a bit more subdued in her reactions - but she was friendly all the same, simply humming contentedly as she sniffed at the nearest Eeveelution - Clyde. Briefly, the Snubbull's attention would drift - glancing over towards a cacturne that was watching them from afar. Though, she'd soon look back to the Eeveelutions, letting out a soft and lazy 'whuff' of greeting.

Ruffian, meanwhile, was a little more feisty - letting out excited little 'rrrrruff!'s as he nipped at Janus' ankles, as if trying to goad the espeon into roughhousing with him. No matter how much bigger or stronger they might be, the littlest lillipup was always ready to throw down.

Anne, however, would initially be paying more attention to Josh as Blinky neared - the lycanroc's eyes narrowed with suspicion. A larger and stronger pack, with another human at the lead. What would Josh's angle here be, Anne wondered?

As if noticing Anne's demeanor though, Ettie smiled down at the wolf - gently patting her on the neck, just between a couple of the rock spikes that made up her mane. "Calm, Anne. Is okay!" She spoke gently - this group seemed plenty friendly. And in response to Josh's compliment, she'd smile to him - responding "Friend has nice pack!"

Anne couldn't help a slight huff - she had no way to tell if it was truly okay, as Ettie said. But, it wasn't as though Josh had taken any undue actions or shown any ill will yet. Yet. Thus, she would turn her attentions to Blinky and Inky - letting out a gentle chuff in greeting to them, as she sniffed them in turn.

With the pokemon mingling amongst each other now, things looked to be plenty peaceful. "Who friend? Am Ettie!" Ettie would introduce herself to Josh - once more wiggling like a happy Granbull in lieu of wagging a nonexistent tail. She'd reach down a hand to pet Blinky - scritching the Jolteon behind the ear. She could note how the fur felt wiry and stiff - and she figured that it likely wouldn't be a good idea to pet against the grain, to avoid getting poked.

Skipping Cacturne

Josh Devlin

Slowly, surely, the sun would crest over the horizon - another day rising upon Hoenn, and by extension Route 111. Early morning frost that clung to fallen leaves and stone sparkled and glinted in the growing light, existing within that brief window before the sun's warmth potentially melted it away. Wild pokemon of the diurnal variety began to stir, awakening to the sounds of birdsong from taillow and the like.

Of the pack, Anne would be the first to awaken - the lycanroc stretching out her front legs and yawning widely. They were still curled up in a half-tangled pile within the cave that a ponyta-rapidash herd had led them to the evening before - and though the air was a bit nippy, the cave itself was surprisingly protected from the worst of the cold. (Though, of course, the snuggle pile that they were in likely helped.)

Slowly, carefully, Anne extracted herself from the pile - nudging her nose under Ettie's head, so as to gently lay her down. It wouldn't do, to have her sister hit her head on the hard ground - not when she was sleeping so soundly. Though the young girl would half-stir, mumbling something unintelligible, Ettie would simply roll over the slightest bit - cushioning her arm under her head, and drifting back to sleep like nothing had happened.

Satisfied, Anne took this as a chance to briefly slip away - heading just outside of the cave, to look out over the surrounding area. The herd appeared to have already moved on, and things were peacefully quiet - save for the natural sounds of the wilderness, sounds that made Anne feel at home.

For all the comforts of civilized life that she'd seen in brief snippets from wandering with Ettie, the towns and cities that humans gathered in were either much too quiet, or much too loud. The absence of birdsong and insect pokemon stridulating in some places sometimes made her feel as though she were being stalked by a great predator. Yet on the flip-side, the cars and chatter and hordes of footsteps in others felt like a wild stampede. Out here, even if the conditions were harsher, they were familiar.

And sometimes, what you knew and could understand was far better than what you didn't.

The building warmth of the sun was comforting to the lycanroc, however - and she'd allow her thoughts to drift off, as she settled down at the mouth of the cave. Enjoying the feel of the sunlight against her fur, she'd gaze at her surroundings with half-lidded eyes - standing guard diligently in case any pokemon wandered by, even if she felt comfortable and relaxed.

Bit by bit, the ball of snow would be rolled along - growing bigger and bigger by the second. Although as Ettie and Princess worked together to push it, a yip from Duchess drew their attentions over. In the Electrike's mouth, there appeared to be a scarf - and the little pup's tail wagged with obvious joy at having retrieved it... Not that anyone in the pack - excluding perhaps Duchess - knew where it came from!

Still, this would look cool on a snowboy! "Good Duchess!" Ettie praised happily - accepting the scarf, and loosely draping it around her shoulders for the time being.

Something else would come to draw Ettie's attention though - namely, chatter amongst a few other people. Something about Darmanitans, and.... Yetis? What was a yeti? Were the Darmanitans - whatever they were - yetis? She could see a few pokemon she'd never seen before who seemed to be looking over the different snowboys with an appraising gaze, but... The wildchild didn't exactly get it. "... Huhm."

Maybe if she kept listening in on people as she worked, she'd figure more out? There was a lot she didn't know, about this... Hoo-lee-day stuff.

Ettie had been able to see so many new pokemon here thus far - and safe to say, it was all just so exciting...! Maybe she'd have to stay here a couple days, just to see what else this route (and perhaps the desert up north?) had to offer! But, the pack's wanderings for today were not done with - at least not yet. The sun might've been starting to set, but it was not quite nighttime yet!

Especially not when another sight would eventually draw the pack's attention - a small herd of ponyta, led by a rapidash, rushing on past them! Excited by the sight, Duchess was already off - yipping with delight as she tried to keep up with the herd. Ettie couldn't help a laugh at this - reaching down to bring Princess up onto her lap, before nudging Anne with her heel. "Lets go! We run!"

And they were off - the pack running to see if they could keep up with the herd. Duchess certainly could, with her sheer speed - and with the seemingly boundless energy, she'd probably be at this for a bit! Though Anne and Ruffian both had to push themselves a little bit to not fall too far behind - both due to the lycanroc in question favoring endurance and strength over speed, and due to the lillipup in question just having short legs.

Ettie, however, couldn't help but squeal and laugh in delight as they moved, one hand holding tight onto one of Anne's spikes and the opposite arm wrapped around Princess, to ensure the Snubbull didn't fall off. "Is fun! Right Princess?"

Princess, in response, would simply hum - seeming content to just sit here and enjoy the ride, over having to try and toddle after. She liked seeing Duchess having so much fun, though - so that was pretty worth it, too.

Meanwhile, the herd was surprisingly untroubled by a pack of canines following after. Was it because of Ettie being there, implying that these were not wild pokemon? Or was it because of the odd composition of the pack, or the fact that they weren't in any typical hunting formations? It was hard to say - but either way, it seemed that a few of the equine pokemon enjoyed the prospect of an impromptu race. A couple of ponyta would fall in line alongside the pack, snorting and whinnying in delight at the fun of getting to run with new people.

And Ettie, in turn, would greet them with bright smiles. "Hello, friends!" She'd call - adding "Running fun! Pack runs with!" Duchess confirmed this with a few yips of her own, tail wagging as she slowed down a hair just to match the new pace being set.

Much of Route 111 would pass in an almost-blur, foliage and the brief sights of other local pokemon whipping by. Yet, the excitement of this race would have Ettie's heart beating in delight - it mimicked the thrill of a hunt, minus the inevitable grisly or empty-stomached ends it typically came with.

However, not every member of the pack could run forever. Despite his best efforts, Ruffian would be the first to tucker out - his little legs simply not being made for these sorts of runs yet. (Perhaps one day, when he evolved into a herdier, he'd be able to better show off.) Noticing this, Anne would slow down just long enough for Ettie to scoop Ruffian up, and bring him onto her lap next to Princess.

And not long after, Duchess would begin to tire too - with how much she liked to go as fast as possible, she truly was the definition of a good time, not a long time. She wouldn't need Ettie to scoop her up, however - instead just managing to leap and scramble her way onto Anne's back, behind the young wildchild.

Carrying the weight of the three pups in addition to Ettie would ultimately slow Anne down a little - but being the practically horse-sized wolf that she was, she could manage it. She still had the stamina to keep going, even if she wasn't as fast as Duchess - and the herd seemed keen on going at it for just a little while longer, even making a point to match Anne's pace. In fact, they even seemed to be trying to... Lead the pack somewhere?

Anne cocked her head a bit at this - not sure of what the ponyta-rapidash herd wanted to show them - but she was willing to follow them a little further. Which, the run would eventually come to an end as they were led down a winding path, through the foliage, to their destination; a small cave, one set into the side of the cliff. The rapidash that led the herd would gesture with their head at it, snorting gently.

Ettie and Anne shared a glance - but as the pack moved towards the entrance, they'd note that it was abandoned. Sure, the smells of pokemon having used this place in the past lingered about - but these smells were faint, stale. Obviously not from regular inhabitants. Did the herd lead them to a safe place to sleep? Certainly, the herd seemed willing to stick around and rest - the ponyta taking to grazing at the grass in the area, as the rapidash kept watch; so it must've been pretty safe here...

A yawn from Duchess - soon joined by a yawn from Princess - would help them decide to settle down here for the night. If the cave was long-abandoned, then it'd make for good shelter from the elements - and after such a long day finished off by that race, it was safe to say that the pack was tuckered out.

Thus, they'd file in one by one - Anne finding a far corner to curl up in, whilst Ettie and the other pups curled up in a pile against the lycanroc. "Night-night, Anne," The young wildchild would nuzzle her cheek against Anne's own, as she let her eyes drift closed - soothed by the sounds of her packmates' breathing, and the sound of Anne's heartbeat from where her ear was pressed against the wolf's side. "Night-night, pack..."

Today was a good day - and tomorrow, she would be sure to try and see what else this route might have to offer...

Skipping the Ponyta, so ending the thread here-

Day 11 - Day 12 - Day 13 - Day 14 - Day 15 - Day 16 - Day 17 - Day 18 - Day 19 - Day 20 - Day 21 - Day 22 - Day 23 - Day 24 - Day 25

It was cold out here, amidst the snow - normally for Ettie, a day like this would be spent snuggled up to her packmates in a temporary den. But it was safe to say, that the little wildchild was enthused by all of the festivities going on. Not only was Mauville City all decorated in shiny pretty things in every color, but there was so much going on outside as well - so many people playing!

Giggling with glee, Ettie would put the finishing touches on something she had been working on as she rode along, perched atop Anne's back. The mischievous child may or may not have swiped a particularly sparkly and colorful garland from someplace, and had now wrapped it around the rock spikes that made up Anne's mane - a rather goofy look to say that least. "Find more later! Make Anne pretty!" Ettie chirped eagerly - imagining how Anne might look with a whole lion's mane of garlands!

The lycanroc in question didn't appear wholly amused by this - though she was content to tolerate her sister's shenanigans. As long as it all made Ettie happy in the end.

But sliding down from Anne's back, Ettie would watch what everyone else was up to - namely, in rolling up balls of snow! But why was that, she wondered? It seemed that they were trying to make something, and well... Maybe she could try making one, too! "Let's do that!" Ettie suggested to her packmates - gesturing towards the people making their snowboys.

Duchess was already down - barking excitedly as she began nosing at the snow, to try and get one started. However, it didn't seem that the Electrike was succeeding at much - only managing to make her nose cold, which started a slight sneezing fit.

Princess had the better idea of it - starting by gathering up the snow into a snowball, and beginning to roll it along to add more onto it, slowly but surely.

Ettie caught on quick - and as the snowball started getting bigger, she would lend a hand - giggling happily as she joined in pushing it along. They would make a great snowboy in no time!

(Not sure if necessary, but CW for pokemon hunting pokemon?)

Continuing on through the open canyon - heading northwards - Ettie's next encounter would not be far. She could spy a waving tail poking out of some grass - long, black, with a tufted end. As soon as she and Anne noticed it, they'd come to a stop - curious to watch what was going on.

Which, upon closer inspection, Ettie could see that it was some feline pokemon - one with black fur and red markings. The little litten appeared to be on a hunt, slowly stalking after something unseen just beyond the foliage. Whatever her target was, the prowling fire-type would stalk closer, closer, bit by bit... Before suddenly pouncing, leaping just out of sight!

Amidst the sound of squawks, Ettie watched as a small flock of taillow scattered into the air - taking flight to escape what would otherwise be their hunter. However, a single panicked cry - that was then suddenly cut off - would imply that the litten had indeed succeeded in its hunt. Curiosity had Ettie hopping down from Anne's back to step closer and investigate - peering through the foliage.

Much as she suspected, she'd be met with the sight of the litten, standing proudly over her latest catch. However, when the feline tried to partake in her meal, she'd find herself with a mouthful of feathers - causing her to spit and splutter in distaste. Clearly, the litten was unfamiliar with hunting bird pokemon. Which, Ettie's pack didn't tend to hunt them much - but they did sometimes make good practice, for young Rockruffs still learning. As a result, the young wildchild had a better idea of what to do.

Slowly, carefully, Ettie would step through the foliage to approach. She stayed low to the ground to make herself appear smaller, and making a soft half-chuff half-bark, all to avoid spooking the litten too badly. "Ettie help?"

Which, the litten did end up startling a little - jolting back from her meal, and letting out a hiss at Ettie. But, the wildchild would remain where she was - bringing herself lower to the ground, and repeating in response, "Ettie help?"

The feline appeared skeptical at this offer - but did not stop Ettie as she carefully took the taillow, watching as the wildchild diligently plucked off the feathers, one by one. It wasn't the most pleasant work, to have to handle a dead body and get blood on her fingers; but it wasn't as if she was necessarily squeamish about the death of prey, either. She knew it happened - she'd seen it happen - and a few times, it happened at her hands. It was simply a part of life that she was adjusted to - that for one to eat, something else (be it plant or beast,) had to die.

Of the feathers, Ettie would keep the largest and most intact of them - surely they'd have a use - but the smaller feathers, and the ones broken in the struggle that had surely ensued between bird and cat, would be set aside and discarded. And with a bit of time, Ettie would finish - offering back the plucked taillow. "Here, friend."

The Litten approached slowly, gingerly - as if expecting a trap from this offer. But no attacks occured, no grabbing hands came her way. Without anyone to stop her, she was able to safely accept the bird back - picking it up in her mouth, before turning tail; disappearing into the undergrowth with something far more palatable than a mouthful of feathers.

Ettie, meanwhile, would watch that disappearing tail with a gentle smile - wiping her hands clean on her pants, carefully storing the feathers she decided to keep away in a little bag, and turning her attentions back to Anne and the rest of the pack. "Okay! Ettie done!" She called, as she climbed back onto the lycanroc's back. "Let's go!"

Skipping the Litten

Anne, being the 'packleader' alongside Ettie, would take point in the patrol - leading Princess, Duchess, and Ruffian in an almost fanned-out formation as they took to sniffing about for any signs of the intruders. Thus far, they hadn't found anything suspicious - just traces from local harmless pokemon, such as a couple of shed feathers from a taillow, or wild berry pits from a zigzagoon. Certainly, they were potential pest pokemon for crops - not that Anne cared about that - but they otherwise weren't any real threat to a wooloo herd, which was the important thing.

Glancing up to the sky - and at the slowly dipping sun, soon to disappear behind the canopy of trees beyond - Anne couldn't help a soft rumble of discontent. The second that night properly fell, she was sure that the threatening pack - whatever it may be - would begin prowling and closing in on the pen. And if they weren't prepared, they wouldn't be able to protect the wooloo. The lycanroc would turn her attentions to Spot - and would briefly bark, asking him if he sensed anything.

But, regardless of whether the Lucario had any more of a lead than they did, it seemed that someone would find something. Namely, a low and unenthusiastic 'whuuff' from Princess - which drew Anne's attention to where the snubbull was gesturing towards a bush. At first glance, there didn't seem anything unusual - but as Anne stepped closer...

... The scent of an unfamiliar pokemon was here. Faint, but nonetheless present. And on top of that, there were tufts of fur - deep black flecked with strands of yellow - caught on a pointy branch. Anne wasn't sure what pokemon it might've belonged to - the yellow meant it surely wasn't something like a mightyena. But perhaps Spot's packleader - Trainer, her mind corrected - would know? The lycanroc trusted in Julia's counsel. Biting down on a portion of the branch, Anne would break away the part that the fur was stuck to - passing it to Duchess, with a barked command to bring it to Julia.

The young electrike yipped in affirmative - carefully taking the broken branch. Immediately on the move, she squeezed under the fence to get into the pen, before sprinting away to deliver it.

Meanwhile though, Ettie's communal bleating would come to a pause at Julia's approach. Blinking up at the older woman, Ettie would beam brightly. "Yup!" She agreed, turning her attention back to the wooloo, and reaching out to pat them on the head. "Is friend!"

The wooloo, in turn, would bleat in soft contentment - nuzzling against Ettie's palm.

Ettie giggled at this, getting up from her position on her stomach, to instead sit on the grass. "Wooloo soft. Wooloo round! Wooloo friends!" She spoke to Julia, openly sharing her thoughts even as she continued watching the wooloo she was petting. "Ettie likes!" Though wooloo weren't necessarily canids, their herd dynamic appealed to Ettie in almost the same way - they had their big ol' family, much like a pack of canid pokemon!

But, Ettie now glanced about - at the fence surrounding the pen. "But... Pen not safe. Wooloo stuck, predators not-stuck. Easy prey..." Ettie spoke, a hue of concern to her tone. It wouldn't be hard for predators to make their way into the pen by digging, jumping, or just breaking though. Whereas the wooloo, with their preferred form of locomotion being rolling around, wouldn't need a particularly tall fence to stop them. They were basically cornered here, Ettie noted. "... Ettie protect wooloo. Pack protect wooloo!"

And it would be about now, that Duchess arrived - the little Electrike letting out muffled barks, past the short branch in her mouth. Startled by the barking, the wooloo that Ettie had been petting would bleat in surprise, before rolling away - but the young wildchild was more focused on her packmate. "What have, Duchess?" Ettie questioned, cocking her head as Duchess handed over the branch - which, tangled in a few budding pointy twigs at the end, were tufts of fur.

Ettie tilted her head a little as she tried to identify the fur, but... She didn't have much of a clue, what sort of pokemon it'd belong to. "Fur?" Ettie prompted Julia, holding up the branch to the ranger. Maybe she would have a better time identifying the fur?

The way down the cliffside was somewhat of a precarious descent - and it was one with multiple trips at points, with Anne having to help ferry the pack down trickier drops. But as they reached the bottom without incident, Ettie was eager to start examining everything she saw. The plants seemed different here, the earth beneath her feet felt different, even the air that filled her lungs felt different! Indeed, this place looked to be completely different from the biomes of 119 that she was familiar with!

But it wasn't just the differences in the landscape or climate that had caught Ettie's attention. Indeed, even the pokemon were different here - something that Ettie quickly noticed, when she caught sight of a distant group of Rhyhorn.

It was a relatively small herd all things considered - granted, perhaps a canyon like this wasn't made to support large gatherings of creatures anyhow. They were gathered towards the opposite side of the canyon, idly grazing at the grass and bushes that they could find. Nothing exciting, but it also meant they were in no rush to leave or in the midst of, say, stampeding.

Curiosity piqued, Ettie got low to the ground and prowled closer - making a point to remain downwind of the herd. She had no intentions of hunting or otherwise messing with them, but she also didn't want them to notice or be spooked by the pack. She just wanted to observe them in their natural state, just like this. "Come - slow, quiet." Wanting the pack to get in on the inaction, Ettie would whisper to them - gesturing them over as she sat down amongst some bushes.

Duchess was more than happy to settle down in Ettie's lap, whilst Princess and Ruffian were at either side - the former snuggling up to her. Anne, meanwhile, laid down on the opposite side from Ruffian - a content hue on the Lycanroc's expression.

Safe to say, Duchess and Anne both found observing the Rhyhorns to be fun - even if Duchess was wiggling in place a bit, as though she were raring to move. (Much like Ettie, Duchess had a hard time holding still - albeit perhaps to a greater degree.) Princess, however, looked more interested in getting a bit of shut-eye - yawning widely as she got comfy. And on the flipside, you had Ruffian - who grumbled, expressing some form of discontent.

Whatever it was that Ruffian said, it became clear that Anne disapproved. She would make a brief rumble in her throat in response, as she placed her paw on Ruffian's back, pushing him down into a seated position. Their gazes met for a few long moments - Ruffian clearly unhappy at being told to sit down... But the lillipup would break eye contact first, grumbling once more to himself as he settled down.

Ettie couldn't help a soft giggle at this - reaching down to pet Ruffian. "Is okay," She whispered to him, to placate the grumpy pup. "We play-fight lots later!"

With that, the pack would settle down - watching the rhyhorn herd milling about and grazing. Whilst observing the herd though, Ettie couldn't help but note the different sizes of horns that the individuals had. What were the horns for? Were they there for protection, like one's claws and fangs? Or were the horns there for something else - like display? Though Ettie lacked the vocabulary to properly word out these thoughts in her head, it was definitely something she'd have to ask Julia about, next time they run into her...

But, before too long, one of the rhyhorn - a decently large specimen - would notice the pack's presence. Turning to face them, the rhyhorn would snort - swinging his head, and stomping at the ground with a single hoof. Whether this was some sort of dominance or threat display, it was - nonetheless - a clear warning that it was time to leave. And it was a warning that Ettie would heed.

"Let's go-" Ettie barked to the rest of the pack with a bit of urgency - taking a moment to rouse Princess from her sleep, before moving on. She didn't want to see if the herd was as tough as it looked, to say the least!

Skipping the Rhyhorn

Wandering west was, to say the least, pretty interesting for little Ettie. For most of the trip - starting roughly somewhere in 119 and heading through the lowlands to the direct north of Mauville - Ettie would find herself amongst the familiar rainforests she called home. Which meant trees, bushes, and more trees - with the humid climate that Anne never was really fond of to match. But, the further west the pack wandered, the drier the air felt. The further west they moved, the fewer the trees and bushes.

Eventually, they'd find themselves being able to see the blue sky and mountains beyond the trees, as the forest thinned out into rocky plains. It felt colder out here than back towards the east - though Ettie would pull her jacket a little tighter around herself to make up for it. She was not deterred by the temperature - not when there was something new out here, just beyond!

And indeed, she'd soon find herself at the edge of a cliff - and looking down, she'd be met with the sight of a temperate canyon with sparse foliage - a little oasis almost, given the desert that Ettie could spy off in the northern horizon. This must've been Route 111!

Excited, the pack would carefully make their way down to the bottom of the canyon - eyes peeled for whatever pokemon or other such sights this place might have on offer...

---

Wooloo were a curious little pokemon. Round and roly-poly, these cervine pokemon made for livestock that had quickly found themselves a welcome and common sight amongst the farms of Hoenn. Their wool was tough and soft, they were cute companions to have around, there wasn't really anything bad you could say about having a little Wooloo buddy...

... But at the same time, much like other sorts of livestock, the notions of predators and thieves were a very real threat to them.

Which is what brought Ettie and her pack - alongside a certain Julia Davis - to a farm not far from Mauville, at the southern portions of Route 119. After the sightings of four-legged creatures lurking just beyond the pens one night - not that the farmhand who sighted them could properly identify these intruders in the dark - the farm had sent out a call for aid. Someone to help protect these Wooloo whilst upgrades were made to the fences, and perhaps to even chase off the threat...

"Mehhhhh~.." "Mehhhhhh!"

... And it was safe to say, that Ettie was sold on these little sheep. Anne and the rest of the pack had taken to patrolling outside the pens - sniffing around for any signs of the intruding pokemon. But Ettie, at the moment, was laying on her stomach - making level eye contact with a curious Wooloo, who was doing the same.

"Mehhhhh~" Whenever the Wooloo bleated...

"Mehhhh!" ... Ettie would bleat back, trying to mimic the sound (even if she bleated with more energy than the Wooloo did.)

There were no braincells to be had between either being - sheep and wildchild alike were on the same exact wavelength - no thoughts, head empty. It seemed like they were ready to remain like this for a good while, too, unless someone or something comes along to snap Ettie out of this little reverie...

---

Julia Davis