A Brionne was swimming in the ocean nearby, along with a Fomantis that was soaking in the warm sun while Toki was resting underneath a beach umbrella. He adjusted his glasses a little as he heard a small commotion. When he sat up and looked around, he saw the familiar wild child from when he was first assigned his post. With fully evolved Pokemon, no less. She must have been working hard. The Lucario was no shock. Her sweet and kind demeanor and excellent skill with communicating with Pokemon likely made it simple for her to befriend them.

He stood up and walked over "Okay, okay. What seems to be the problem here, everyone?" He asked, and spotted one of them holding a sunscreen bottle. "...Ah. I see." He sighed a little and attempted to stop the whole chase before it got out of hand. "Ettie, it's good to see you, but you really should get some sunscreen put on...your skin's very pale, and very sensitive to sunlight...you'll burn very easily and trust me when I say sunburns aren't fun. You'll spend days with really sensitive skin that's going to start peeling. So could you hold still for a bit and put some on? It doesn't even have to be that much. Just a small layer over anything exposed."

Toki scratched the back of his head and sighed. "I need to learn how to talk without lecturing. It's a bad habit." He said, embarrassed. "It's good to see you and your Pokemon are doing well as usual." Toki smiled. Azura surfed along the water and happily barked as she hopped over to Ettie to greet her. "Looks like she's happy to see you, too!"

Ettie made an audible half-squeak half-yelp as she was scooped up - clearly not expecting someone to have caught her. Yet, when she saw who it was, the little wildchild's eyes lit up. "Toki-friend! Hello!" She chirped happily, wiggling in his arms. "Chase fun! Toki-friend chase with?" She hadn't expected to run into a friend here - maybe he and his pack could play with them!

... Though, even for as wild and pokemon-like Ettie tended to be, there was something very human in the pout she made when he told her that she needed sunscreen. "Sunscreen smell-weird. Feel-weird. And is cold!" She spoke petulantly, her cheeks puffing.

But, Toki had a good point - her albinism meant that she was very susceptible to sunburn, especially in such an open area during such a sunny day. Haru, being psychic-type, would impress this fact upon Ettie to back up Toki - hoping that maybe having another human to help explain this to the wildchild would get her to listen.

Which, thankfully, she did - even if reluctantly. "Okayyy...." Getting sunburn probably wasn't worth it if even Toki said it wasn't fun - though the idea of putting on sunscreen still didn't seem all too pleasant to Ettie. She didn't like the feeling of it on her skin, and she didn't like the smell of it - though the cold was more temporary. But all the same, she held still once set back down - letting Anat put some sunscreen on her face, neck, and arms.

And with Azura's approach, Ettie's displeasure towards the sunscreen would be quickly forgotten - the child's eyes lighting up. "Friend! Hello!" She yipped, eagerly dropping into a wiggly playbow and giving Azura a couple of happy barks. Playtime? Playtime! "Friend grown! Ettie happy to see!"

At the sound of barks, it seemed that the rest of the pack was beginning to gradually wander in this direction. Anat and Haru, meanwhile, would give Toki thankful glances and nods - they had been chasing her down for a hot minute, before he stepped in.

Toki sighed, yet smiled as Ettie led him around in a bit of a chase before he and the Pokemon managed to catch up with her. Her pout was understandable. He knew many, especially tourists visiting Alola for the first time, who weren't used to the feel of sunscreen. Thankfully, she would relent and allow the sunscreen to be applied. "See? Not so bad. So how've you been? I've been adjusting to my post in Fortree pretty well, mostly taking on small jobs. It's been slow going, but what about you?"

Ettie would see Azura and immediately go to greet the now evolved Pokemon. Azura posed proudly, showing off her new looks with a happy twirl for Ettie. She let out a happy bark afterwards, glad to see a friend!

Toki nodded at the two Pokemon who were looking after Ettie. Judging from their reactions, it seemed she was a handful even to her Pokemon sometimes. Given her tendency to run into shenanigans headfirst, it didn't really surprise him, though he was glad she had responsible, smart Pokemon able to look after her.

He walked back to his beach umbrella and towel and sat back down. He gazed out towards the waves and closed his eyes in quiet contemplation. It's been a little while since he had a chance to actually relax. There was still a lot that weighed on his mind with the Ultra Space incidents, but he knew he still had a lot of growing to do.

Though Ettie continued to pout over the sunscreen fuss, her eyes lit up once more as Toki started conversation. "Ettie good!" She chirped, rocking on her heels. "Ettie look-for, uhm, per-ma-nent den! Cause pack big!" Indeed, the number of pokemon under Ettie's care seems to have grown a good amount - judging by the distant pack's approach - and that was only talking about the pokemon that were out of their pokeballs. It was about time that this nomadic pack find a place to settle down.

Toki, though, seemed to have settled in Fortree nicely. "Toki-friend-good is good! Have den?" She asked with a smile, adding "Fortree-dens funny. In trees, like flock!" It was neat, too, though - she liked sightseeing from the bridges that strung between the treetops.

As Azura twirled about, Ettie would perk up - before giggling and doing a twirl of her own! "Azura-friend play with pack?" She'd suggest to the Brionne, gesturing out towards where some of her pokemon were playing in the water.

Indeed, Duchess was chasing Ruffian and Duke the Jolteon amongst where the waves were washing up, the two electric-types barking to one another. Princess followed behind - keeping an eye on her adoptive sibling - whilst Rascal seemed to want to join in, but was shying away from the larger waves (which was ironic, considering she was now a Mabosstiff!) A couple of Primarina and Dewgong - Aurien and Cassie, and Pago and Penny, respectively - were swimming through the shallows together.

Whilst the others were up to shenanigans though, Anne, Barbara, and Mina the Rockruff seemed to prefer to stay out of the water completely; the latter two simply watching the pack and sunbathing, whilst the larger Lycanroc kept an eye on Ettie from afar.

Toki would not be alone in relaxation, though. Now that Ettie was sunscreen'd and ready to be set loose, it appeared that Haru and Anat both would sit with him - the Delphox content to stay in the sunshine, whilst the Lucario lingered in the shade of the umbrella. Relaxation might not have been the duo's sole intentions though - as Anat would glance to Toki, and made a gentle 'rrruff', her head tilting with an inquisitive look, as if knowing that something had him bothered.

Lucario were sensitive to the emotions of others, after all.

Toki nodded at Ettie's plans "Finally deciding to settle down somewhere, huh? Well Rangers should have benefits, and the base program should still be going on..." He mused, hoping he wasn't just saying things. "You and your pack definitely deserve a good place to call home, so let me know if you need me to put in a good word, alright?"

"Yeah! I have a home there, but I haven't set up a base anywhere quite yet..." He scratched his chin slightly. "Not entirely sure where I want to set it up, but a place away from home to relax in solitude or with friends would be great."

Azura happily observed the other Pokemon, though stared at the Primarina in awe. She got into the shallows before swimming along while greeting the other Pokemon, careful to avoid splashing Rascal. She did however bark happily and tried to coax them into coming a little further to enjoy the tide with the others. Stick close to the others and they'll be just fine! Afterwards, she swam towards the Primarina and swam alongside them, barking to get their attention.

Toki could tell the other Pokemon were concerned about him. Those two had their own ways of understanding human emotions. "You two can tell something's up, huh? There's a lot going on in Hoenn lately...things that could really affect the world at large. Do me a favor and keep fighting alongside Ettie, alright..?"

Ettie blinked, initially puzzled at what Toki was talking about. "Be-ne-fits?" She mused in turn, seeming to give Toki's suggestions some actual thought. But, shaking her head a little, she continued "Ettie... not-need human home. Ettie want pokemon home - den!" It was what she grew up with - and it'd be all that the pack would need, right? Just a nice den close to some water and food sources, maybe one that she can easily keep hidden or protected.

Of course, to find such a den would be difficult - but she wasn't too worried about it.

Toki seemed to be considering his own personal den away from Fortree, though - and Ettie hummed thoughtfully. "Den need water, for Azura." She stated - considering Toki's pokemon a surprising amount. "And sun, for Malik! Lota might-like, too..." She trailed off with a hum here, looking to Toki's pokemon. Was she considering what sort of pokemon den would accomodate them?

Azura's approach to the group of pinnipeds would be met positively - the two dewgongs giving her a curious glance, as she barked to the primarina duo! Aurien and Cassie both perked up at the sight of kin, though - the latter giving a soft and melodic whistle in greeting, whereas the former would say hello with more bombastic-sounding barks! All four water-types would gather around Azura to check her out with friendly sniffs, eager to get to know her.

Anat and Haru both considered Toki's words for a few moments - before nodding mutually. Although, the Delphox seemed equal parts humorous and exasperated when she conveyed the image of both Ettie, and a magnet - expressing the fact that the wildchild was a magnet for trouble. Anat concurred with a sigh and a smile.

That's right, Ettie had only really lived with Pokemon for as long as she could remember. Sure she was fine living how she was, but would she always be? She was a mystery to him, and part of him couldn't help but worry for her future wellbeing if she didn't eventually acclimate fully to being with other humans. Still, it was an issue he wasn't equipped to deal with and he didn't want to upset her, so he let the issue drop.

Ettie did, however, consider an important location not just for Toki, but his Pokemon. A sunny place near some water. A riverbed or a beach like this would be a good pick. A lake would satisfy a lot of needs, though with fire types he would have to be careful. "I'm thinking a riverbed locale or a lake...just got to make sure my fire types don't pose a hazard or are uncomfortable with where they are..."

He remembered Alola...and a particular member of a local, completely unnamed gang that he used to run with. One of them was a girl named Plumeria, who had a Salazzle like he does now. They liked basking in the sun, so a place with nice open sunlight and some rocks...he had a lot to consider. "Do you have any suggestions, Ettie? It's hard to find a location that'll please them all.."

Azura felt a sense of peace with the Pokemon that inspected her. She bounded around and happily barked with them. She lost her mother so early on in her life, but seeing the Primarinas brought this closure to her she didn't know she needed.

Toki looked at the two Pokemon communicating with him. All he did was chuckle and nod, not repeating what they were conveying directly.

"River or lake good!" Ettie agreed with a happy nod. "River good hunting. Lake lots space!" Of course, Toki probably didn't hunt like Ettie sometimes did - she noticed that other humans tended to have mixed thoughts on it all. But she also thought it was important to keep all the important resources in mind!

"Fire... No-worry, if-have water." Be it water-types or just a water source in general, that should be enough to help prevent any accidents with fire-types, right? She had Barbara and Haru around, and there was no problem there, after all!

Else... "Beach good, too! Water taste bad, though." She added, making a 'blech' expression as she did. Salt, as it turned out, did not taste good in excess. "Lots sun, for Malik, too!"

But as far as the question of a specific location went though... Ettie hummed. "Ettie not sure... Try ask pack?" She suggested, gesturing to his pokemon. "Let pack give ideas!" This would be their home in the end, too, so they should have some input on what they wanted from this future den!

Cassie whistled happily to Azura and briefly nuzzled her, the shiny Primarina being more than happy to befriend the Brionne. Swimming a short distance away, she gave a little melodic bark to invite Azura to play with the group - and Aurien would concur with an excited bark of his own!

The two Dewgong were equally interested in this newcomer - though Pago seemed a bit more easygoing about it, just giving a happy hum as he regarded her. Penny, meanwhile, preened under any attention cast her direction - seeming a bit more on the vain side, even if she was indeed curious of Azura.

A lakeside would probably be the most peaceful, at least in his opinion, and Ettie had a good point that water types could help in the event there was an accident with a fire type. He nodded, and would consider his options later on.

He crossed his arms a bit and chuckled when Ettie mentioned the water at the beach tasting bad "Ocean water is full of salt, which makes it undrinkable. Even if you could stomach it all it would do is make you sick and not really hydrate you at all." He explained.

Ettie would suggest taking into consideration what his Pokemon would want or need. He looked over at Azura, who was adoring her time with the Primarina, then to Malik, who took in the warm sun and rested peacefully. "Maybe a beach would be for the best...it reminds me of home, and Azura being able to explore her species' habitat would probably do wonders for her. She lost her mom by the time I met her, so seeing your Primarinas have probably helped her heal in a way she didn't know she needed."

He watched as Azura swam alongside the other Pokemon, singing along and overall having a wonderful time with them all. Toki rubbed at his eyes a little, sighing happily as he watched. "Seeing that makes me happier than anything."

So salt made water bad? Ettie hummed and nodded, although she tilted her head a little. "... Why salt-food?" She questioned, thinking to things like crackers and pretzels. If salt wasn't good for you, wouldn't it be bad to have on food, then? But the food she had that she knew had salt tasted fine, too! So... Maybe it was something else?

But, it sounded like a beach would be Toki's choice - to which Ettie nodded. "Ettie want den, like home." She agreed with his reasoning - before glancing to Azura, watching her playing amongst the pack, adding "Azura having like-home good! Friends good! Family good!" To lose one's family is sad... But, having others by your side usually helped make it a little better! And if her pack helped in that regard, then all the better!

Though it was mainly the water-types mingling in the deeper waters, a certain someone would decide to make herself known. Duchess would make a splash as she leapt into the water, the Manectric barking happily, doggy-paddling to see what Azura and the others were up to. The group would bark amongst themselves in happy chitchat, as Duchess came up to nuzzle Azura.

Ettie giggled at the sight, before smiling and nodding over to Toki. "Ettie happy, when pack happy!" She chirped. "Packleaders care about pack!"

Though, the wildchild's attention shifts - and reaching up, she takes one of Toki's hands in both of her own. "Toki-friend play, with pack?" She asked, lightly tugging as she tries to guide him towards the other canids and other such pokemon playing.

Toki wasn't qualified in explaining the intricacies of chemistry to Ettie to describe the difference between saltwater and the salt they use for seasoning. Though he tried to at least say...something that was close enough "Salt and water just don't really mix in a way that makes it safe for consumption. I'm not a chemist, so I can't really explain exactly why it is the way it is. Salt on food though, that's a different story. It's interesting that way, since not only does it make some food taste better, it actually works really well in preserving food. Too much salt is bad for you though, as is...well, too much of any food, really."

"I really do miss home sometimes...it doesn't help that I've always struggled to meet and interact with new people." Toki said with a sigh as he looked out at the horizon. "Being out here, trying to be a ranger? It's what I want to do but I can't just keep sitting on the sidelines. I should make a place for myself that reminds me of home. Remind me of where I came from and what I want to do. My Pokemon really appreciate the traveling too, so I definitely want to do that for them."

Azura was having the time of her life interacting with the Pokemon around her. Ettie then took Toki's hand and urged him to play with them all, too. "Oh who am I to say no right now? Sure thing. Azura!" He called out as the Brionne dove into his arms. He laughed and hugged her before letting her jump back into the water.

So... It was about quantity - and something about water itself - that decided whether salt was good or not? Ettie would take a second to mull over the explanation that Toki gave, before smiling up to him and nodding. "Okay!" She chirped. The mention of 'preserving' food seemed interesting, too... "Maybe... Ettie-find salt?" She mused out loud to herself, visibly thoughtful. Preserving meant things lasted longer, right..?

The little wildchild seemed to click with Toki's laments about missing home, though - though she might not perfectly understand what he meant. "Leaving home-pack... Exciting. But scary." Ettie muses empathetically. You didn't have the safety net of your pack anymore - not unless you decided to return - and it didn't sound like returning would be as easy of an option for Toki, was it theoretically would be for Ettie. "Like-home den good. Feel-safe, feel-comfy!"

With Toki joining in the play though, he'd be warmly welcomed amongst the pack. Cassie whistles cheerily as she briefly circles around Azura, before the Primarina playfully splashes Toki with her tail! She makes an inviting gesture with this - as if to try and encourage Toki into a little splashfight.

Ettie giggles at the sight, and she wastes no time in joining in - jumping into the water, and getting caught in Aurien's arms in the process. "Ehehehe! Play-lots - then help-find good-den!" She was happy to lend a hand - she was looking for good den locations for her own pack, too, after all.