Ettie had a large pack. Which, in turn, meant a lot of mouths to feed. And in turn, required a large territory to support them. Ettie had her ways of managing things; preserving and storing surplus food, cultivating berry trees wherever possible, and the like. One could compare how she managed her territory almost as if it were one giant farm, the pack's prey the livestock and the foliage equal parts the livestock feed and the crops.

Which was to say, that she'd certainly understand how Hitoshi felt in feeding his own pokemon, not that she even knew he was in the area yet.

Yet, however, would be the key word. As Ettie was with a patrolling party - sitting atop the back of her Hisuian Arcanine, Zeit - when the canines would come to a stop, ears pricking at the distant sounds of buzzing and the like! And not far behind the noises, was the sight of a Dracozolt and their trainer on the run, from an agitated swarm of Beedrill!

Ettie, however, was quick to direct her packmates. "Protect!"

Her Stoutland, Ruffian, readily took the lead - intervening and letting loose a Roar so as to scare the beedrill off! Anat and Kiki both would Copycat this - resulting in a thundering chorus that would hopefully make the swarm reconsider their chase!

Kouji Matsubara

It was quick work handling the swarm, all things considered; and Ettie lets out a sigh of relief as the danger passes. She really didn't want to deal with her or her pack getting stung, it was a pain both literally and figuratively.

But, as Kouji Kouma introduces himself, Ettie perks up and glances in his direction. "Hello!" She chirped with a smile. "Am Ettie! Happy to meet, Friend!"

Though a few of the packmembers were indifferent or otherwise standoffish, there were just as many who shared in Ettie's friendliness. Zeit's tail wagged as he approached them with a happy 'Boof!', laying down so that she could slide down from his back safely. Kiki, meanwhile, would curiously sniff at the human and Dracozolt both - whilst the Lucario, Anat, would give a gentle nod in greeting.

"Ettie patrolling with packmates. What friend doing?" Ettie asked, tilting her head a bit as she looked to the mish-mashed reptile with clear curiosity.

Kouji Matsubara

"Mhmm!" Ettie nodded in response to Kouma's question. "Ettie has big pack! Ettie loves pack!" She chirps, visibly proud of herself as she scritches Zeit's head. When one had numbers, you had nothing to fear.

The mention of his Dracozolt's diet, though, would bring her attention right back to the dinosaur. Ettie looks the beast up and down; the beak makes her think of her flock, her Honchkrow and Corviknight, but... "What eat?" She asks, glancing briefly to Kouma once more. "Is pack-territory, can help!"

She knew where all the food-rich spots were in her pack's territory; and she knew better than to plunder them for everything they had, so there was often some food to spare. Especially when it was just one pokemon that needed a good meal, big eater or no!

Anne would give Ettie a somewhat skeptical glance - the Lycanroc wasn't exactly pleased at letting the stranger hang around for longer than necessary... But there was only so much she could do, to persuade the wildchild otherwise.

Kouji Matsubara

Meat and berries? That was easy! Ettie smiled bright, and nodded. "Can hunt with!" She offered with a smile, adding "Hunt, and gather! Lots berries!" Which was to say, that even if they are unable to catch something big and meaty for the Dracozolt, there'd still be plenty of berries in the woods for the pseudo-theropod. The pack made well sure of that, for themselves and the prey alike.

The question of the pack, however, would be an interesting one - one that had Ettie hum, as she wondered the best way to answer. "Ettie gather pack!" She'd soon decide with a smile, as she hopped back onto Anne's back, to lead the group towards some prime hunting grounds.

"Anne is sister. Grow with! Leave old-pack with, to make new-pack." She'd explain all the whilst, petting the Lycanroc's mane to indicate her. The two were, for all intents and purposes, of the same litter; Anne having been born around the same time that Ettie had been taken in by her adoptive Lycanroc family. "Is leader, like Ettie leader."

"Ruffian, in Mauville - was stray." Ettie gestured to the Stoutland in question. He was but a tiny Lillipup then, alongside two other canids she had adopted from Mauville - ones who were presently back at the den.

"Zeit, Ettie hatch! Big puppy!" She then added with a giggle, gesturing to the Arcanine. Zeit's tail wagged as he bounded alongside the patrol-party-turned-hunting-party. "Zeit tumbled lots, when puppy, but never hurt." His Rock Head meant that more often than not, if he crashed into something, he wouldn't feel a thing.

"Anat, Ettie not-find. Anat find Ettie!" She gestures to the Lucario now. Anat had simply shown up one day - and had found something that she liked in the pack, when it was still small and growing, still finding a den to call their own. "Anat smart. Is leader when Ettie or sister can't."

"Kiki, from 1-0-1! Was scared, cause lots fire-pokemon - but Ettie share food, and invite!" Ettie sounded out the route numbers individually - one, zero, one - as she gestured to the Leafeon. Now that he had had time to settle in, he was a more mellow pack member for sure.

But finally, Ettie takes a second to think as her fingers drift over Scarlet's crossed scabbards, where they are strapped to the small of her back. "Scarlet... From Border." She speaks simply, thinking to her time in that limbo. "Old. Was bored - wanted play-fight. So Ettie help play-fight. Now friends!"

Though, this then raised a question in Ettie's head - she glanced to Kouma, and gestured to his Dracozolt, asking "How meet?" She wanted to get to know them, too!

Kouji Matsubara

Ettie smiled and nodded as Kouma introduced his friend proper. "Draco-zolt good packmate, for Kouma-friend!" She'd declare; to be so eager to protect Kouma even when they'd just met, it was hard for Ettie to view him any other way! Pack helped pack - it was a simple way of life, and one that Ettie felt that not enough people embraced. You had nothing to worry about when you had your pack at your side, after all - and your packmates had no need to worry, knowing that you're there.

(Sure, perhaps in the case of the Garchomp swarm, they weren't quite able to cover for each other in a fight... But was still the fact that they were probably able to help each other, in getting away in the first place!)

Nonetheless, it seemed that Dracozolt's attempt to catch prey didn't quite go to plan! As he slammed into the tree, the Stantler that he spied would almost instantly turn tail and run - disappearing into the underbrush.

Anat would come up to help pull Dracozolt out of the tree, and let out a sigh - lightly patting the dinosaur as if to say 'easy there, sport'.

Ettie's eyes, though, were locked upon the direction that the Stantler fled in. "... We chase, or find new prey?" She'd question Kouma, her voice having dropped into something more serious, focused.

Either option was equally valid to her - no matter how far the Stantler got, as long as it left a trail, Ettie was confident in her ability to keep up. It was the question of whether one wanted to hope that they could stay on the Stantler's trail, or whether one wanted to hunt for some other prey to ambush instead...

... But it was safe to say that her train of thought had shifted from that of a happy stray puppy, to that of a wolf.

Kouji Matsubara