Ettie's approach likely would be telegraphed to Josh far ahead of time. Namely, due to the fact that as the pack neared Mauville, a chorus of distant howls could be heard - each howl distinct in its own way, as if from a different species of pokemon from one another. Safe to say, Ettie's pack was growing at a steady rate - and one could only wonder how large it'll become, in the coming new year. Given the different kind of canid pokemon that existed out there, it was very well possible that her pack would become something fearsome to behold, if she included each and every species!

But, that was besides the point of today. Today wasn't about Ettie's pack - no, instead, it was about Josh's. With this being one of the few windows of time in which Josh nor Shawn had to worry about challengers coming in by the dozen, it was the perfect time for her to properly meet Josh's pokemon, and spend a little bit of time getting to know them!

And safe to say, as Ettie neared the Gym, she'd be met with quite the sight - a number of flying pokemon, including some dragon-pokemon, flying about through the skies above. The sight had the young wildchild grinning from ear to ear with excitement, as she ran on ahead of the pack - stepping into the Gym proper. And as soon as she saw Josh - "Friend..!" - she wasted no time in practically leaping at him, wrapping her arms around him in a big hug! "How-is? How-Shawn? How-pack?" She wanted to check up on everyone!

Not far behind, Ettie's pack would approach - Anne glancing to Josh, and giving a gentle chuff in greeting. She wasn't wholly sure of how she felt about him - not yet - but Ettie's growing bond with him certainly helped in getting her to warm up to him as well. She couldn't help but cast a warm yet amused glance at Ettie as well though, watching as her adoptive sibling chattered away with excitement.

The familiar howl of canids was a sign that Josh's expected guest, Ettie , had arrived outside the side gate typically used for deliveries. Of course. It would be very Ettie-like to not use the front door. He wasn't going to turn her down, though. Bouncing toward the gate in the saddle of his newest companion, Basil the Leafeon, Josh greeted the young girl with a wave, opening the rear gate for her to enter.

"Great you could make it, Ettie!" Josh answered with a smile. This was the first time he had ever had his entire Gym lineup out of their Poké Balls at the same time. The maintenance workers on the far side of the Gym sure didn't appreciate the cacophony of Pokémon cries from the...what was it now, fifty-plus Pokémon at the Gym? Had Josh really caught this many Pokémon during his six-month stay in Hoenn? It was going to get indefinitely longer, though; he had applied for Hoennian citizenship not too long ago.

Josh was impressed at how fit Ettie was; Basil was having difficulty maintaining his balance while his rider's friend was clinging to him. "Hey, watch it! Basil's gonna fall!" It was too late; the leap had disrupted Josh's balance, nearly knocking him out of the saddle. All six of Josh's other large, saddle-wearing Eeveelutions laughed at Basil's expense. Even the normally moody Inky, the Glaceon, was in good spirits. Basil, of course, didn't find it too funny.

"Shawn's not going to be available, sadly; he's supervising my maintenance crew. We're getting the Gym ready for the rush after the new year starts." Basil slowly walked in front of the other six, who were lined up as though their photo was being taken. The Eeveelutions were quite large; though some would be a tighter fit for Josh, as indicated by how much of their backs their saddles covered, it was evident all seven of them were bred to be almost the maximum size that their species' genetics would possibly allow. That or they were former Alphas captured from within Space-Time Distortions.

"I know you wanted to see my entire pack, and I wasn't joking when I said we would need to make an entire day out of it. These seven, some of which you might know, are Basil, the one beneath me," he gently pat the Leafeon's head, then introduced his other six, each sounding cries quite a bit lower-pitched than typical for their species. The Sylveon's cry in particular would be unsettling. "The others are Blinky, Clyde, Janus, Kamuy, Inky, and Pinky," he introduced the Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Glaceon, and Sylveon, in that order. "I'm still trying to find a Vaporeon that's this big. As you can imagine, they're quite rare. Even if you can find a breeder with one, they're really expensive." The six surrounded Ettie, looking like they wanted to play with her. "Wow, Inky must be in a good mood. He's usually not playful like this."

Even if Ettie was now hanging onto Josh like a komala, there was the silver lining in that - given her small size - she was relatively light. Once the inertia of her initial leap had passed and one found their balance, she wasn't too hard to carry - even if it was a bit awkward, having two people in a saddle meant for one. But, that didn't bother Ettie. She'd simply affectionately nuzzle her cheek against Josh with a happy hum, before unwrapping herself to hop back down - giggling alongside the fellow eeveelutions. "Friends fine~!" She spoke with a hue somewhere between cheeky or teasing, smiling to the gym leader. "Josh strong! Josh-friend strong! Can handle!"

It was safe to say that Ettie was pretty comfortable around Josh by now, even if it hadn't been too hard for him to really befriend her in the first place. It was a shame to hear that Shawn wasn't here, though - he seemed pretty nice, too!

But, for the time being, there was something equally exciting to see - namely, the Eeveelutions that Josh kept. Though Ettie already knew most of them from when the two of them first met, there was a new face in the form of Basil, the leafeon. Ettie smiled warmly as she nodded and looked each of the eeveelutions over. "Happy to meet! Am Ettie!" She'd introduce herself to the eeveelutions in turn. It was curious, seeing so many pokemon that looked almost similar - yet different - all in the same place. It almost made her think of the different forms of lycanroc, really! Were they the same way?

Though speaking of lycanrocs, Ettie had her own pack to introduce, too! Not only were there seven canid pokemon following close behind her, but also a honchkrow and murkrow roosting nearby. "Ettie pack grow!" She mentioned proudly to Josh - "Ettie in-tro-duce!" turning around to gesture towards and indicate each pokemon.

"Josh know Anne! And Duchess! And Princess! And Ruffian!" Ettie began - gesturing to the four in question. Duchess and Princess were already approaching to sniff and investigate the eeveelutions - the little electrike in particular wagging her tail like no tomorrow. Anne would remain at Ettie's side meanwhile, and Ruffian seemed more occupied with trading playful nips with one of his packmates.

Which, she'd indicate the packmate in question next - the Maschiff that she had met with Josh. "Is Rascal! Rascal sometimes nervous. But less-nervous with Ruffian!" Indeed, Ruffian and Rascal would continue to nip eachother... Until Rascal decided to jump right into the lillipup, as they began wrestling and playbiting each other!

Then there was a braixen, who was quietly hanging back - just watching the other pokemon around her, particularly the ones flying above. "Is Haru! Shy, but thinks lots! Smart!" Upon being indicated, Haru would blink - jolted from her thoughts - but would give them a gentle wave.

And then there was a houndour, large like Anne, and cutting an intimidating demeanor with the scars on her hide. But despite that, she had a gentle look in her eyes, as she watched Ruffian and Rascal play. "Is Barbara! Looks scary, but very nice!" Ettie paused for a second, thoughtful, before adding "Think... Barbara not-feel hurt? Is why scars?"

However, there was one more packmate Ettie had to introduce. Pulling out a pokeball, she'd let out a seel, who blinked and observed his surroundings with curiousity. "Is Pago!" She spoke - reaching down to pet him on the head, being mindful of the horn. "Pago swim-good, but walk-slow. Rests when no-water!" She explained, smiling warmly up to Josh.

But last but not least were the two corvids - which Ettie pointed up to. "Astus big, Adrea small!" She indicated, watching as the honchkrow and murkrow both appeared to be having some form of discussion. Astus looked to be annoyed, bickering at Adrea - but the murkrow just snickered in response, chattering back something that had Astus croak in annoyed surprise! It was hard to say what they were talking about, but Ettie giggled at the interactions nonetheless. "Astus see-, uhm... Serious! Adrea silly!"

Though with that, Ettie smiled to Josh and his pokemon, mentioning "Pack make Ettie happy! Many friends!"

And speaking of packs and happiness, it appeared the Eeveelutions were in a good mood - for a number of them wanted to play! As they came in close, Ettie blinked, before giggling - reaching up to pet them one by one. So they were feeling playful, huh? "Ehehe - Ettie-pack and Josh-pack play!" She agreed with a nod, turning back towards Anne. "Anne play-with?"

Anne glanced to Ettie in turn - and though the lycanroc was trying to put on more serious airs, there was still a hue of amusement to it all. Chuffing gently, she'd gently bunt against Ettie's side - to which Ettie would gently scritch her on the muzzle, giggling. Around human strangers, she wouldn't be interested in playing in lieu of keeping an eye on them - to make sure they didn't try anything funny. But she was warming up to Josh a little - and was willing to let her attentions drift away from him, to instead play with everyone.

Just as long as the maintenance workers didn't get too close.

It was a bit awkward, but Ettie was small enough that both of them could fit in Basil's saddle. The Leafeon was startled at first, but started bounding around with the two of them aboard, his strong strides catching even Josh a little off guard. He seemed like a good distance runner, able to hold QUICK ATTACK chains for a long time. He stopped the Leafeon long enough to Ettie to say hello to the rest of them and introduce her own squad. "You want a run on any of them as we go along the concourse, you're welcome to do so!"

Out of the new additions to Ettie's pack, Haru, Barbara, and Pago caught the Leader's attention the most. "Haru reminds me of this hidden palace near the Fiery Path. I never thought I would see fire and ice coexist. One of these days I'll have to share that story with you, perhaps over lunch." Of course, he was referring to the Mirage Palace tucked in the corner of the Fiery Path near Mount Chimney. There was no way he could justifiably take Ettie there; it was far too dangerous. "I'll need to show you Komainu and Ulysses. Barbara and Pago will evolve into Pokémon that look a lot like them when they grow up."

Whichever, if any, of the Eeveelutions Ettie picked to hop aboard, the others would be content to be at play with her pack. Kamuy and Inky in particular would be more into a bit rougher play, while the others except Janus would be more into chasing each other down. Janus, though, was reserved, lost in thought and wouldn't be as responsive to Ettie's Pokémon other than Haru.

Once the wild child had made her decision, Josh and Basil would lead the way away from the Main Sector into Sector 1, where many of the longer overland courses were at. Most prominent were the rest of Josh's electric ride Pokémon: a Manectric, shiny Luxray, Boltund, and Zebstrika. "These four are some of the fastest Pokémon I have. Saber, Blitz, Crash, and Raiden," Josh introduced the Pokémon, who responded with crackle-filled cries, electricity arcing among their legs. All four of them looked like they could reach fantastic sprinting speeds, especially the Manectric. His saddle, crafted in the likeness of Raikou's thundercloud, made him stand out even among the rest of the Leader's large squad. Every single one of them ranged from slightly shorter to slightly taller than a human, without regard to typical sizes for their species. The Mauville Leader truly was born in the saddle, wasn't he?

Ettie was initially caught off guard by being taken for a ride. She initially had intended to hop off, to avoid burdening Josh and Basil too much - but before she knew it, the leafeon was bounding about without a care in the world! Ettie made a surprised little squeal as she hung on tighter to Josh - but soon began laughing with joy at the rush of the wind around them with each Quick Attack! Was this what it'd feel like, when she'd get to ride on an evolved Duchess? She couldn't wait - she'd show Josh just how fast her packmate could get, in no time!

As Josh extended the offer for Ettie to be allowed to give any of his steeds a try though, Ettie nodded in acknowledgement. She didn't know if there were any that she absolutely had to ride now - she just enjoyed riding along with Josh in general! But it was, nonetheless good to know in the event that one of his pokemon did click with her.

But with the introductions, it seemed that Josh took interest with some of Ettie's pokemon. "Fiery Path?" Ettie questioned, tilting her head - she'd not heard of that place before, let alone been anywhere that might've fit that title. Was it some sort of, say, fiery canyon? Or maybe the aftermath of some rampaging fire-type or a forest fire. She'd seen a forest fire, once, when she was small - bright and blazing and with choking smoke. She never figured out what had started it - but it had forced her pack to move to a new territory, which was what had brought them to the deep wilds around 119 in the first place.

The mentions of Komainu and Ulysses, though, would make Ettie perk up curiously. "Oooh, okay!" She chirped, nodding brightly. Granted, the idea was that Ettie would get to meet Josh's entire pack - so she'd meet them anyways - but getting to see another Houndoom and the form that Pago would eventually take sounded like fun!

Ettie would end up continuing to hitchhike with Josh and Basil though, the pack playing with the Eeveelutions as they moved on to head into the rest of the Gym proper. And here, at one of the first of the Sectors that made up the Gym, Ettie was greeted with the sight of a number of Josh's electric types - including a familiar face! "Saber-friend! Hello!" Ettie greeted with a happy wave towards the Manectric, recognizing him from when Josh had rode the electric hound across the sands in the desert.

Hopping down from Basil's saddle, Ettie would approach to investigate each of the electric-types one by one, smiling warmly as she pet them. "Friends good!" She chirped - and though all four got plenty of attention from the young girl, it was safe to say that she was especially enthused over the two canids of the group. Glancing to Saber in particular though, a curious hue crossed her expression. Gesturing to Saber's saddle, she'd ask the manectric "Can ride?"

Given that Saber was a Manectric - which was what Duchess would evolve into - Ettie figured that she could get an idea of what it'd be like to ride on Duchess, by riding on Saber! But, seeing the saddle that Saber wore, Ettie tilted her head a little - inquisitive. "What-is?" She asked Josh, pointing towards the decorative elements of the saddle. Most of the other saddles lacked the same distinctness - was it because Saber was the packleader alongside Josh, like for her and Anne?

As the two bounded along on Basil's back, the Leafeon a bit of a rough ride as he entered and left a QUICK ATTACK chain, Josh elaborated about the Mirage Palace's location. "It's a heated canyon near Lavaridge Town, north of here. You want fire Pokémon, there's no better place to go. Many of my fire Pokémon are from there."

As Ettie greeted Josh's electric Pokémon, some of which may have accidentally given the young lady a shock, he started to go over the Gym's history. "Mauville Gym has a storied history to it. It has a reputation of being one of the toughest Gyms in Hoenn, if not the very toughest. I've got huge shoes to fill to keep the gym's dynasty going. The last Gym Leader here, John Sullivan , was a war hero." While he was unaware, all three of Mauville's previous Gym Leaders also had close relationships with legendary Pokémon. If he knew, that would make him even more excited that he chose the centrally-located city over Rustboro when given the chance.

Saber seemed happy to see Ettie, giving her a quick nuzzle. When asked if Ettie could hop on, the Manectric nodded, barked, and crouched down. Upon seeing this, Josh switched over to one of his own electric-types: Blitz, his Luxray. They were racing rivals, and could both use the very fastest move Josh had at his beck and call: the Z-Move, HYPERSONIC PLASMA CHARGE. Of course, he couldn't expose Ettie to that level of speed. It was enough of a struggle for the Leader to control. Without the experience he had, Ettie could get seriously hurt!

The thundercloud-shaped saddle Saber wore seemed to pique her interest. "Have you heard of the legendary Pokémon Raikou?" Josh asked, his voice becoming a little more tense than it was before.

Ettie wasn't bothered by the static from the electric-types, safe to say. Even if her hands sometimes jolted or flinched a little from the faint shocks, it was all by pure reflex - and otherwise, she ran her fingers through their fur undaunted as she gave each pokemon a proper greeting and some attention. With how often Ettie handled and played and snuggled with Duchess - which, her Static meant that electricity built up in her fur on the regular - the young wildchild had plenty of time to get used to the things that came with interacting with electric pokemon.

So there was a history to Mauville Gym - particularly over it having been one of the toughest gyms around? Ettie would listen closely as Josh spoke of it, her head cocked as she mulled over the notion of what a particularly difficult gym would look like. Lots of big tough pokemon, she supposed...? Or really tricky challenges? Probably ones that included stuff like reading - Ettie still struggled at that sort of thing, honestly... But, she also couldn't help but wonder... "Is Josh-Gym hard?" Ettie pondered out loud, albeit to noone in particular.

In addition to that, the mention of some person - John - would make Ettie's eyes light up in curiosity. "War hero? What-mean? How-is?" She asked glancing away from the pokemon to look at Josh. What was a war hero? What did this John do to be considered one? She had a vague idea of what 'hero' might mean - she was pretty sure it meant someone who was good, or something like that - but that was about it!

With Saber's consent though (and a nuzzle that made Ettie giggle,) the wildchild would waste no time in hopping up into the saddle - continuing to gently stroke the manectric's neck as she got settled. "Ettie wanna race, when Duchess-big." She'd muse to Saber, as if having a conversation with the electric-type, adding "Ettie-Duchess fast, Josh-Saber fast, fun!"

Though, it seemed that the mention of the saddle would bring up something else - namely, a pokemon named Raikou. The tension in the Josh's voice would make uncertainty flicker across Ettie's face though - did she ask something wrong? Quietly, she shook her head no - she hadn't ever heard of Raikou before, let alone anything about any pokemon who were legendary.

Ettie's experience with her Electrike was showing; despite the static, it seemed she was adapting to the Manectric well. Seemingly unaffected by the many sparks that flew from the back of his neck as she pet the electric wolf, she seemed to be better at controlling Josh's Pokémon with shifts in her body weight rather than pulling on his reins. It made sense; she had probably never seen riding gear before until meeting Josh.

If she didn't understand the concept of a war hero, then the concept of an Avatar would overwhelm Ettie, Josh thought. He would try to keep it as simple as possible. "How do I explain this in simple terms..." he mused, metaphorically scratching his head as Josh's Pokémon continued to bound along the concourse leading to Sector 2, which housed some of the Gym's aquatic courses. There were still land courses, but they all contained retractable bridges to allow the rivers and channels to be raced upon when a challenger came with an aquatic water-type that could not move on land.

"The League has this task force of people with superhuman powers, and they're Hoenn's main line of defense if something region-altering, or even world-altering, threatened Hoenn," Josh did his best to explain Doug's heroics as simply as he could. "To get on the task force, you have to garner the favor of a legendary Pokémon. Both Doug and the Gym Leader before him, Katherine Fairburne , are both on that task force. And now she's on the Elite Four, too. Mauville Gym has historically been one of the sticking points for Hoenn's Gym Challenge. Lots of trainers give up when they get here and lose."

Ettie seemed quite excited to be on the Manectric, who seemed to want to show the young girl his explosive acceleration. Electricity arced among his four paws as though he was ready to leap off the starting line at the most important race of the season. She seemed to have a look of confusion on her face when Josh mentioned Raikou. "It's a Johtonian legend, and a Pokémon I had chased for over twelve years. It's, as far as I know, the fastest Pokémon on land." A tear rolled down his eye with the word "had". His meeting with kyle lopez , then going out to Ecruteak City with CIAN MAHER and ghost fireheart , gave him confirmation that his chase was over. The only way his chase would resume is if another Raikou started roaming Hoenn, or somewhere else he could easily get to. "Unfortunately, Raikou is no more. He died protecting Kanto during a terrible war."

After the duo crossed into Sector 2, Josh dismounted Blitz and walked toward the spot where one of his river courses was at its widest. With a whistle, several of Josh's aquatic Pokémon surfaced: a Sharpedo, a Kingdra, a Dewgong, a Lanturn, a Swampert, and a Greninja. "Snacker, Keiga, Ulysses, Illumina, Torvie, and Winky," he introduced the Pokémon, the Sharpedo flailing in the water as though he was already tired of simply floating next to the other Pokémon. Keiga floated away from Snacker, impressively swimming backwards. "They're my partners for marine rescues and aquatic races." The giant frog's riding gear in particular looked extremely unusual, her saddle more concave than the others' and narrower to accommodate her thin body. Being designed for her swimming and running stroke when traveling at high speeds, it looked a little uncomfortable to sit in when the Pokémon was getting up to speed. "Up for a swim?" he asked the wild child.

Indeed - even if Ettie used the reins as a way to make sure she stayed secure on Saber's back, she had a very different method of directing other pokemon. With Anne, Ettie would sometimes use the rock spikes of her mane as 'handlebars' to gently steer the lycanroc when need be - but in the case of Saber, who didn't have them, she instead would use gentle pressure from her hands against the sides of his neck and his shoulders to direct him.

But really, she was perfectly happy to let Saber lead the way - trusting in the manectric's judgement, and not wanting to feel like she was bossing around a pokemon who she wasn't a packleader to.

And as they moved along - towards what looked to be a more aquatic sector within the Gym - Josh mulled over the questions that Ettie posed regarding war-heroes. Ettie cocked her head in a curious fashion as he mused out loud - and in that moment, she had a pretty good idea of how complex this subject was likely going to be. Which was to say: oh boy, she was going to do a learn today.

Ettie had no clue what 'superhuman' meant - besides she supposed humans who were super in some way? 'Task force' was a little confusing at first for her, too. But she, at the very least, was able to understand the gist of what Josh was trying to explain - nodding along as he spoke. She understood that if something bad ever happened to a large part of Hoenn, or even the world as a whole, that there was a group of people who were dedicated to stopping it. And that some of the previous Gym Leaders who once worked here were members of this task force, too! Because they had gotten the attention of a 'legendary Pokemon'...

... Which, that prompted a question from Ettie. "What... Is 'legendary'? What-make legendary? What-make not-legendary?" She'd ask, glancing to Saber. What separated a legendary pokemon from one who wasn't legendary? "Is strong? Leader?"

Saber's enthusiasm and speed were plenty enjoyed by Ettie though, prompting giggles and whoops of joy from the young wildchild. This may have been faster than what she was usually used to, but she seemed to take to it like a champ - adjusting her position in the saddle to adapt as she allowed the manectric to go as fast as he pleased. She was going to have to get used to one day riding on Duchess' back one way or another, after all!

Though, the talk of Raikou itself was curious; a pokemon from Johto legend, that was known as being one of - if not the - fastest land pokemon around? Ettie could scarcely imagine how fast that must be, considering her having seen how fast that Saber could get at his fastest with his Z-Move. But, to hear that Raikou had perished... Ettie frowned gently, sympathetically, but nodded in understanding. She supposed that would make Raikou a war-hero, too, right...?

Upon entering Sector 2 proper, Ettie would remain on Saber's back for the time being as Josh introduced the different aquatic pokemon that he had - each one coming in a variety of shapes (and personalities, too, given Snacker's temper tantrum!) "Hello! Friends!" Ettie greeted the water-types with a wave, smiling brightly. They looked pretty neat - and much like Josh said, Ulysses seemed quite curious to her. So that was what Pago would grow up into?

At the offer to go for a swim, Ettie glanced to Josh, before nodding. "Ok!" She chirped in agreement - getting off of Saber's back, and patting the manectric on the shoulder. "Good Saber! Thank you for ride!" She spoke praisingly, before glancing over to Ulysses - approaching the Dewgong. She crouched down at the water's edge, extending a hand for Ulysses to sniff, as she asked him for permission "Can-ride, Ulysses?"

Saber had understood Ettie's commands; while they were different, they were similar enough to Josh tugging at his reins that he understood and obeyed her. The Manectric, while he was at his best with Josh, had adapted to every single one of his Gym Trainers. Most of his Pokémon, though not all, would be adept at racing with just about anyone in the saddle. There were still a few untrustworthy holdouts, but most of them were Pokémon fairly new to the Gym.

The answer to Ettie's question was... complex. Very complex, and one Josh didn't fully understand the answer to, despite taking dual credit courses at Ecruteak University to understand more about them. "They're Pokémon species that are so rare that very little is known about them. A lot of them have powers that are well beyond the capabilities of common Pokémon, some of them going as far to be world-altering. Cosmos-altering, even. Some of them... some, there may only be one of in the world."

Saber sensing Ettie's joy, electricity surged beneath his paws as he nodded, beckoning the wild child to hold on tight. "Hey, be careful!" Josh warned--but it was too late. The yellow and blue Pokémon dashed along the concourse in a QUICK ATTACK that may have caused Ettie's peripheral vision to blur.

Saber loved the affection, sounding an adorable whimper of approval after Ettie hoped off. "Make sure to rest your hands on the ground to discharge any static you've built up before going into the water," Josh advised. "Water and electricity don't exactly mix, after all."

The Dewgong let out a cry upon being selected, flicking his tail to turn around and splashing Ettie by mistake. He swam as close to the bank as possible without beaching himself, exposing his saddle and allowing her to drop onto it when she was ready. Josh would join Ettie in the water, too, similarly dropping into the saddle of the giant, blue frog. This would be his first time on the Greninja while she was swimming, and expected her to be just as wildly fast as on land. Snacker looked upset at not being chosen, blasting AQUA JET out of his rear to try to get Josh's attention. "After him, Winky!" Josh commanded, squeezing her sides to goad her into the swift speeds her species was known for.

Ettie's expression was one of awe as Josh spoke of legendary pokemon. She could barely imagine how strong such pokemon might be, to manage the supposed feats that Josh mentioned they were capable of - of changing the world, or even the 'cosmos', whatever that was. That there was only one in existence for some species though, well, Ettie couldn't help a gentle frown. "Sounds... Lonely," She spoke thoughtfully - idly running her fingers through Saber's fur as she mulled it over.

But before long, her expression turned to a smile, as she stated "Ettie wanna meet. Make-friends. Then not-lonely!" Sure, maybe it wasn't the same as being able to surround yourself with those like yourself, but having a friend or packmates around helped keep the loneliness away!

Saber appeared to be getting ideas, though. The only warning Ettie would have to this was the Manectric's beckon, and Josh's call, before the lightning-wolf was suddenly off! Her giggles and whoops initially turned into a startled squeal as he sprinted down the concourse with a Quick Attack - the wildchild having to hold on for dear life, to avoid being thrown off from inertia! The wind blowing past them and the bright lights rushing by, it was almost too much for her - she could barely keep her eyes open...

... And yet, despite that, as the surprise faded - it gave way into pure delight. Ettie's laughter drowned out only by the sounds of the wind rushing around them as she adjusted her position - a hand pulling her goggles down over her eyes, so that she could properly see what was ahead. This was so fast - faster than she'd ever been! It made her heart beat hard in her chest, the excitement of it all being almost akin to the thrill of the hunt - and these feelings demanded that they make themselves known.

Throwing back her head, Ettie would let out a whooping howl of delight, for as long as her little lungs could handle.

But, sadly, it couldn't last forever. Ettie took well to the high speeds, but she was still unused to going so fast (briefly swaying on her legs as she got down from Saber's back,) and Josh wanted to make the switch to his aquatic pokemon. As Saber whined from her praise though, the young girl smiled warmly - gently tilting her forehead against the Manectric's, as she ran her fingers through his fur one last time. "Ettie wanna run-fast again, later." She promised Saber - adding "Was lots-fun!"

Following Josh's instructions though, the transition from land to water would be made - Ettie crouching down and making sure to discharge any static lingering in her clothes and hair. Ulysses splashing her would be met with a surprised - but happy - giggle, and she'd waste no time in dropping down into the Dewgong's saddle. As she got situated, she'd run her fingers along the smooth and dense fur that would keep him warm in colder waters - not unlike Pago's, though that wasn't a surprise, given Seels and Dewgongs being in the same 'family'.

Once both riders were situated though, it seemed that Josh's Sharpedo - Snacker - had decided to be a show off, Aqua Jet-ing off through the waters! As Josh and Winky gave chase, Ettie would giggle and nudge Ulysses forwards - saying "We chase, too!" with a bright smile. How fast would the Dewgong be, compared to the others, she wondered?

Ettie was quite the unbridled optimist. It was a trait Josh wished he could have more of, and one he certainly had when he first came to Hoenn. All of that started to crumble after his Cyberchase Hell, seeing the Beast of his dreams dead. The more he thought about it, though, why would a future show a dead Raikou when the Raikou that he knew had been dead for years before that? "Trust me, making friends with a legendary Pokémon is not something you want to do without serious consideration," Josh gently warned Ettie. "Being friends with a legendary Pokémon, at least here, will put you in constant danger. I've been around enough people who have that bond. They're almost always at war, it seems. And war is a hell you don't deserve to go through."

As the dynamic duo hopped on Josh's aquatic Pokémon, ready to tear through the rivers and canals winding through the Racing Grounds, Josh smiled at Ettie's enthusiasm and adaptability. "You'll get the chance when you come to my Gym with Duchess! When she grows up, I promise you: you'll get a Manectric race you won't forget."

At Josh's command, the giant frog ran along the riverbank, the rider grunting from how rough her gallop was at slow speeds. Once she was up to speed, she ran off the bank and into the water, the amphibian swimming almost as fast as she was running before. She was able to keep up with Snacker despite not knowing how to AQUA JET. He would need to do some research into what the Greninja could do.

The strong nudge was all Ulysses needed to start flicking his tail wildly, powerfully displacing the water behind her in an AQUA JET of his own. While he ultimately wanted to catch up to Snacker and Winky, which was the reason for setting the pace of the chase as "fast", he did let Ettie rein the Dewgong in whatever direction she desired.

Danger, and war? Ettie frowned gently, thinking it all over - but... Shaking her head, she'd smile. "Is okay! Pack protects pack." She responded simply - and perhaps a little cryptically. She was confident in her packmates, and they were confident in her - she wouldn't let them get hurt, and they wouldn't let her get hurt, either. As long as they worked together - especially if whatever legendaries she befriended became her packmates - then well, she believed in their culminative ability to make it through whatever may come their way okay.

And really, it was hard to remain worried about much at the promise of a race! "Ettie excited! Duchess excited, too!" She'd giggle and nod, clearly looking forward to when that day may come. The notion of it had gotten Duchess worked up, too, ever since the desert meet-up - the pup seeming to have zoomies on top of her zoomies nowadays!

But for now, the focus would be more upon the watery course - the trio swimming along in an impromptu little race! Ettie would briefly have to wipe some of the water off of her goggles - which were still pulled down - to properly see, but she was giggling happily all the same as she hung on to the reins. This was pretty fast, too - and there was a different sort of inertia to swimming through the waters compared to riding atop Saber's back, even if the rush was all the same.

But, glancing down to Ulysses, she'd stroke her hand against his neck and smiled - leaning down to murmur in his ear (as if telling him a secret, to hide from Josh,) "No-worry, Ettie trust friend. Go fast as happy!" She had a feeling that Josh would get all worried, if he heard her basically telling his pokemon to go as fast as they were happy to - but Ettie wasn't a newborn pup, and she was happy to put her trust in Ulysses. She was getting confident in whether she could handle high speeds, from being able to stay on Saber's back during his Quick Attack!

In the distance though, above the sounds of splashing, there was a faint hum in the air - a sound that Ettie couldn't quite put her finger on. It made her think a bit of beedrill, which was slightly unnerving - but she wasn't truly nervous. Josh likely wouldn't keep around a pokemon who was truly hostile, right?