At the question, Ettie would tilt her head a little - before shaking her head. "Ettie don't know." She spoke honestly, with a little shrug. All she'd really been doing was wandering - and it worked for her thus far... But how much further was there to go, she wondered? "Friend don't know, either?"

But, in the meantime, she'd glance between the two - before offering "Is hurt? Is hungry? Ettie can help, or share." If they were just as lost as she and her pack were, then she might as well try to give some aid where she could, right?

Prompts Completed: 7 (Offering Aid)
Prompts Done:

SPOILER: Click to show

Icicles, Ghosts, Snow, Jumpscare, White, Fond Memory, Offering Aid

Checkpoints Completed: 1

Jack Napier

With the danger no more, Ettie takes this as an opportunity to rest - taking shelter with Anne and Anat both under an overhang. Sharing in the warmth of her packmates, fingers idly tracing along the pokeballs that she holds close... She realizes just how far the pack had come, ever since those first days setting out on one's lonesome alongside Anne.

There is a certain warmth, to it all. She had a good pack. A strong pack. And a den to come home to, once she found her way out of here.

The distant sounds of crunching snow would soon draw her attention though - and she would glance up to see Jack Napier and his Absol both!

"Hello!" Ettie called, with a wave of her arm. "Am friend! Rest with pack?"

Anat, glancing up as well, would wave to the duo - though Anne simply watched with a quiet stare.

Prompts Completed: 6 (Fond Memory)
Prompts Done:

SPOILER: Click to show

Icicles, Ghosts, Snow, Jumpscare, White, Fond Memory

Checkpoints Completed: 1

Jack Napier

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD SECRET SANTA APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] MALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] OVERCOAT
[attr="class","wildtabox"]DRAGON CLAW	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]HEADBUTT
[attr="class","wildtabox"]BIDE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]DRAGON DANCE
[attr="class","wildtabox"]DRAGON CHEER	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]CELEBRATE

[attr="class","wildtag"] freya morningstar

[attr="class","wildnote"] Merry Christmas, this Hakamo-o has Water Tera!

On top of the Hakamo-o above, I'd like to offer you a gacha from El Sunderland - Goodra/Dragalge/Duraludon - and another from Makoto Kurumi - Dracozolt/Flygon/Flapple. Let me know below which ones you'd like!

As Ettie got her reading, the approach of another person - SIO SOTÍ - would catch her attention... Or perhaps more accurately, what caught her attention was the Smeargle that tailed after them! A canine! A species that she was familiar with, in fact, given that she had Yip!

Smiling brightly, Ettie turned to face Quill, with a bright smile. She'd crouch a little bit to be eye level with the beagle, and would give a couple friendly yips in greeting! "Hello! Friend!" She'd add on, asking "Friend enjoying, too?"

Haru and Anat both would glance over to watch this exchange; and the Lucario in particular would give a gentle, fond, smile at Ettie's shenanigans. She truly was a pup at heart.

Ettie smiled bright as Josh Devlin confirmed her initial question - and with a brief happy wiggle, the little pup exclaimed "Then Happy Birthday, Josh!" with a happy giggle. This was already feeling like fun, honestly..! Were all birthday parties sorta like this? It was really fun!

Andrea Vaneau 's approach and question were somewhat puzzling, though. The pup would glance to her with a tilted head, asking "Imitating?" What did she mean by that...?

(Anne would just sigh a little; the Lycanroc wasn't wholly sure what Andrea's deal was, but she knew it was leagues different from Ettie's own...)

Elise Calcifet , though, was given a warm smile. "Friend!" She chirped, coming up to give the ambassador a warm hug, humming happily. And glancing up to Elise, she'd ask "Elise enjoy party?"

But, then came the mention of Aleph - and though Ettie blinked at first... Her eyes lit with recognition. Josh had one of those strange chimeric pokemon too - but his was a bit more rebellious, like say, Ruffian, from the child's understanding. Her understanding also included the possibility of Aleph being territorial - and she was quick to nod. "Ettie understand,"

Thus, she'd turn to Orion - her hand lightly stroking along the anxious Type: Null's shoulder. "Is okay," She spoke softly as she dug through her bag for his ball. "Friend want rest?" She had noticed he was appearing pretty anxious, with so many strangers around - though it was sometimes a bit hard to read him, with the helmet on.

Orion made a rumbling whine, a sound that might translate to a 'yes please'.

Thus, Ettie would give him one last gentle pet, before returning him to his ball. She'd then glance back to Josh with a warm smile, asking "Is okay?" This way, noone had to worry about a potential squabble breaking out.

Josh Devlin Elise Calcifet Andrea Vaneau

But as it turned out, the path ahead was frought with more danger than she had initially expected, when the howls and whispers about her seemed to grow all the louder. In this place of old and forgotten resting places, the ghosts here seemed all the more hostile..!

Anne would quickly bristle with the rising danger - teeth bared as she growled, protectively hovering near Ettie. Zeit whined a bit - unsure...

... But Ettie, reaching down to pet the little Growlithe, would switch him out - instead bringing out Adraea in his stead.

Wolf and crow glanced to one another - and though the Honchkrow was normally the mischievous sort... It only took a glance for the dark-type to realize the situation.

And thus, when Anne threw her head back in a Howl, Adraea was quick to throw the first punch - a Sucker Punch (70), in fact! And with the enemies on the back foot, Anne snarled - a vicious Stone Edge (100) rising from the earth to send them reeling back!

It was clear that Adraea had no interest in being shown up, though; engaging in a bit of Foul Play (95) to further bamboozle the spirits.

But, things were tricky; as though the group were able to fight their way past, the ghosts pursued still, and spirits were not beholden to limits such as the thick snow or stamina.

It was when Ettie felt one of her pokeballs jolt, that she realized there was a potential answer. Switching Adraea out, Anat would come forth - the Lucario standing tall, wreathed in the faintest glow of aura.

And it was through aura that she would work to soothe the spirits, applying it in a calming Heal Pulse. In the wake of this aura, the howling quieted, the whispers softened...

... And before Ettie knew it, her ears were met with only the sound of the wind rustling the trees.

Open to interactions =w=
Prompts Completed: 5 (Ghosts)
Checkpoints Completed: 1 (Completed Prompts)

Prompts Done:

SPOILER: Click to show

Icicles, Ghosts, Snow, Jumpscare, White

But, the snow wasn't the only thing that Ettie appreciated in her attempts to ignore that ever-present sense of unease. There were also the icicles that gleamed above, clinging to the branches of the trees. They glittered in the limited light, alongside the sparklling snow...

Ettie let out a soft exhale, finding herself a bit more centered, in appreciating the scenery. And perhaps it was a good thing, too - as off in the distance, she could see something different from the trees and the like. But it was hard to tell what it was quite yet...

Open to interactions =w=
Prompts Completed: 4 (Icicles)
Checkpoints Completed: N/A

Buying:
- x2 Level Tutor (80 PD)
- - Water Route Hakamo-o learns Dragon Dance and Dragon Claw

- x1 TM/TR (60 PD)
- - Water Route Hakamo-o learns Dragon Cheer, forgets Leer

Total - 140 PD

For the most part, Ettie had been keeping to the edges of the party - simply too dazzled by all the sights and sounds. The lights, the decor, the different outfits... She was just so enthralled by every little sight!

And the presence of the tablets was no different. Everyone was beginning to gather around them - and it made the little pup wonder, what was going on over there?

Her curiosity was piqued enough for her to approach - likely appearing the odd one out, given she wasn't dressed at all for a holiday party, and flanked by a Lucario and a Delphox, both of whom were here to make sure that she didn't get into too much trouble.

Each of the tablets would end up being examined by Ettie, with all of her inquisitiveness - but perhaps the one that drew to her the most would be the Duraludon. She couldn't read the descriptions given, or the dates, but well...

... Even if she didn't wholly know what her true birthday was, April 5th was the day that Julia Davis had first found her in the wilds, and began befriending her. And in a way, that was a birthday enough to her.

She also took notice of people direction questions to another woman - questions about stuff like love, and money, and the like... She wasn't wholly sure what these questions were about - but after a little mental suggestion from Haru, Ettie would approach Niola to ask "Ettie want-know... Family, please?"

TLDR/NOTES:
- Ettie has been here awhile now, she was just keeping to the edges of the party cause easily distracted.
- She does not fit in at all. This puppy is in her usual outdoors-wandering outfit of 'whatever fits' and 'old leather jacket + goggles', and is tailed by Anat the Lucario + Haru the Delphox
- Is drawn in by everyone gathered by the tablets + Niola, begins investigating.
- (Remiel Calcifet ) Ettie is a Duraludon and asks Niola about Family.

One thing that Ettie could see as a silver lining, at the very least, was all of the snow painting the world white. Certainly, it took a bit of adjustment for her to adapt to the ever-colder winters that Hoenn was experiencing; finding ways to bundle up, to find more food, and to keep her packmates warm as well, for instance.

But once those hurdles had been surmounted, Ettie found that she fucking loved snow. It could range from soft, fluffy, and fun to just bulldoze through and throw about... To something sturdier, that she could crunch and shape into stuff like snowmen!

And indeed - when there weren't scary ghosts about, Ettie was happy to play at the snow as they trekked along, to keep her mind off of things...

Open to interactions =w=
Prompts Completed: 3 (White)
Checkpoints Completed: N/A

The deeper Ettie and her pack tread into the maze, the more they felt uneased. Was it the unnatural way the forest felt laid out, amongst the tombstones scattered about? Was it the simple fact that they'd been wandering with seemingly no true direction?

Or was it the strange whispers, that seemed to echo from every distant corner, with no clear source?

Ettie shuddered a bit, at the cold breeze that heralded another whisper. She was safe, for sure, but it made this place no less unsettling...

Open to interactions =w=
Prompts Completed: 2 (Whispers)
Checkpoints Completed: N/A