Ettie pauses for a second, thinking over Dorian's question once the Capsakid had been taken care of. Though she nods, she's visibly considering it - namely, how to explain it to him. "Ettie... See Sharpedo." She murmured, crouching down, and taking a stick to draw - sketching lines into the ground beneath them. "Ve-lu-sha? Ni-heel-eggo?"

One by one, she draws the pokemon she saw in Ultra Deep Sea - the drifting Nihilego, one of whom that had stung and poisoned her. The swarm of corrupted Sharpedo and Veluza that had chased her and her friends through the tunnels of that strange place. Though she's definitely no professional artist, she has a surprisingly careful hand for the doodles - definitely a step above a children's drawings.

(Almost subconsciously, she reaches up to scratch the side of her neck where she had been stung - a faint mark from it lingering on the skin, even after she had been treated for nihilego toxin. A brief sense of unease flickers across her expression - though she doesn't express it out loud.)

It seemed that someone else was joining in her work, though. Dorian would likely notice first as the Smeargle came up and started coloring in the doodles. Ettie, however, took a second to notice the normal-type; but when she did, she glanced up to the Smeargle and giggled happily. "Hello! Friend!" She greeted the Smeargle. "Like draw-ing?"

Ettie would proceed to become a bit sidetracked from the subject of Ultra Deep Sea - starting to draw with the Smeargle, humming happily all the whilst.

As Ettie took in this explanation, she nodded with surprising amounts of consideration for Dorian's words - even if she wasn't wholly sure what he meant by import initially. "Ettie see ugly-dangerous before. Or... Ettie think see before?" She shrugs. "Is not fun." She mused out loud, thinking to places like Ultra Deep Sea. "Big predators. Lots predators." Even if it had been in the haze of nihilego toxins, she remembered the chase of the Sharpedo and Veluza swarm in bits and pieces.

(And in a place as harsh as Dorian described, the pokemon there were likely equally harsh.)

She also remembered the hunt, her addled mind had desired. And perhaps it wasn't the best thoughts to be mulling over, when the Capsakid made its appearance. Cause as the little grass-type proved to be hostile, Ettie - snapped from her thoughts and startled - glanced to snarl at the intruding wild pokemon, lips curled to bare her teeth.

And as she became agitated, the pack seemed to reflect it - suddenly standing to attention and seeming prepared to act, the second they heard Ettie snarl.

But, Dorian caught it - and with that, things began to settle back down. Ettie exhaled softly as her shoulders drooped back down to a relaxed position, and she gave him a cheery little smile - as if she hadn't become a little wolf but moments ago. "Friend making lots-friends!" She chirped with a smile. Certainly, she had gotten to add some pokemon to her own pack too - but there was still something to be said about the number of pokemon they were meeting and taking in!

The organ was cracked - at least, as far as anyone could tell. Even Scarlet seemed convinced and satisfied enough with the attack that Retnauh landed against it - the doublade quiet.

In this quiet, Ettie seemed to return to the forefront, the wildchild blinking softly as she took in her surroundings. "Is... Is okay, now?" She asked - glancing to the others. "No more... Pear-a-noya?"

Anne certainly felt a normal level of paranoia - but that was to say that she would be unnerved regardless of whether this organ was still active or not. She gave a growl at the cracked object, but remained close to Ettie's side - licking the top of the wildchild's head briefly in what appeared to be equal parts a display of affection, and a self-soothing mechanism.

This got a soft giggle from the wildchild, as she reached up to pet Anne's mane in turn. Though, given that there didn't appear to be anything else to be found, Ettie returned Scarlet to their sheathes for the time being and settled atop Aurien's back. "We leave..?" She asked - glancing to the others for their thoughts.

They could always continue exploring a little longer - but they had already seen a lot down here, if you asked her.

Indeed, Ettie's 'mother' was Anne's mother as well - there was a reason why they regarded eachother as siblings, after all.

But on the subject of regions, Ettie tilted her head a little. "Ettie... Not-know Orre," She commented, making a thoughtful hum. She kinda-sorta knew about... Galar? And Johto? But not Orre.... "What-is?" She asked, tilting her head the other way like the puzzled puppy that she was. What was it like?

Meanwhile though, the pack would have to doubletake when they noticed a Snubbull amongst them. It was as if another Princess had shown up - or at least, a younger Princess, given that the true Princess was a Granbull by now. But no, this one was a male - and perhaps a bit bigger than Princess was back then. Anat, however, was content to welcome him into the pack in Anne's stead, given the Lycanroc being more focused upon Dorian.

Catching Snubbull
Present Pokemon:

SPOILER: Click to show

dorian westcliff

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.

Ettie didn't tend to dive all that often - given that 90% of her pack were more land or air based. But for the handful of water pokemon she had, it never hurt to let them have some fun in the waters below!

Gripping to Cassie's shoulders with a rebreather on, the two would descend downwards - Pago, Penny, and Aurien following after, to enjoy the deep waters. What might they find, down here...?

So... You threw a ball at the target, and if you hit, you get dunked in water? In theory, it didn't seem like falling into water like that would be fun - in experience, that usually ended up with water up your nose! Which wasn't pleasant! But if someone could expect or anticipate it, then well... Perhaps she could see the appeal?

Glancing to the woman on the seat, then the target, Ettie would decide to throw a ball with all her might, grinning brightly. Perhaps she'd be the one to dethrone Elisabeth Fiorelli ?

The illusions and hallucinations were wearing down on them - but with Ettie seeing through Scarlet's eyes, the wildchild was undaunted. In fact, for the most part, it was the Doublade puppeting her body along - the wildchild content to allow her this control. She didn't like some of the things that she saw, when she allowed herself to be aware of her own senses.

The organ would be met with deep unease by the pack. It certainly beat like a heart, and it looked as though it was pumping something - but... The shape was not right. Even Ettie knew the intended shape of a heart. You didn't hunt, and not know the shape of your prey's innards.

Nikita would suggest touching it - and Johanna was willing to volunteer for this. But, the hallucinations seemed to grow all the stronger with the proximity, if the sounds and tension that came from the gym leader were of any indication. Delle and Anne both were quick to join in pulling Johanna away alongside Shadow - and Cassie would come close to check in on her, the shiny Primarina making soft and concerned little whistles.

Ettie - or more accurately Scarlet - would step forward, however. The child raised a blade - and without hesitation, struck at the heart with a resounding Sacred Sword, as if attempting to slay it! But, the blade glanced off - bouncing off of the surface of the organ, and sending the two stumbling back. With it came the sights of broken twisted bodies - sights that were surely a retaliation of sorts, and that Scarlet would hide away from Ettie, to spare her it.

Once they regained their footing though, Scarlet would 'speak' through Ettie's lips, musing "Too touuuugh, a shaaaame~" with a limp tilt of her head to the side. But glancing to the other two, Scarlet watched - wondering if the other two had any other ideas.

Nikita Sokolov , Johanna Joy

The concept of wishes was a curious one for Ettie. Certainly, she has her desires - things that she wants, and will work towards. But the idea of writing those desires down, in the hopes that they'll just happen... It seems a little odd to her. Why not go out and make these things happen? Sure, it's not easy, but the alternative is just waiting around and hoping, right?

Though, then again, there's only so much you can do at once. Maybe that was why people made wishes - so that they could focus on other things, in the meantime?

In any case - though Ettie was (kind of) trying to learn to read and write, she decided to instead convey her wish in drawings. Little simple ones - ones of a strong pack, a cozy den, plenty of food and water... Alongside, Mina watches - the Rockruff tilting her head briefly as she glances to the wish in Ettie's hands, and the ones that others were hanging.

... Though, before the wildchild knows it, she's drawn a bird pokemon amongst the crudely drawn wolves - one that is familiar, yet not. A sense of melancholy suddenly hits her, the grief that she had almost forgotten seeping back in.

Quietly, she pins the her wish alongside the others already hung up - and with a gentle nuzzle from Anne, she wanders back to the rest of the festival...

Ettie smiled brightly, nodding at Dorian's comment about 120. Certainly, it could get pretty rainy out there - which, it was kinda funny how much Anne disliked the rain. It wasn't even necessarily a Rock-type thing, as the rest of the pack didn't mind it nearly as much; Anne just didn't like having wet fur.

But, the question of their mother would make both siblings perk up. "Mom is packleader! Big Lycanroc, like Anne!" She began, reaching up to ruffle at Anne's mane. "Is... Se-ri-ous. Very Serious. But protect Ettie-Anne, teach lots! Teach siblings! Teach with family!" Ettie grinned brightly with this. The pups of the pack were a sort of communal responsibility; though the parents usually took point, everyone pitched in. Even Ettie did, for her younger siblings!

A couple of barks would draw Ettie's attention though - and glancing over, she saw Duchess and Duke greeting a wild Furfrou! The two electric-types seemed to be trying to invite him to play - though he appeared a bit more on the unsure side, looking around with a hint of nervousness. Anat's approach seemed to help smooth things over - the Lucario's more relaxed approached putting him at ease.

Ettie smiled brightly, approaching to join in the mingling - happy to see another new potential packmate. But as she did, she glanced over to Dorian, asking "Is Friend from Hoenn?" with a tilt of her head.

Catching Furfrou
Present Pokemon:

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dorian westcliff

There was a lot of terms that Elise used that were new to Ettie - things such as what the Skeleton was, or what a tapestry was. Yet, it seemed as though she comprehended at least the gist of what the princess had to say - nodding along with visible curiosity. The darkest hour... Understanding the passage of time was still a bit tricky, but she understood that it made up part of a whole day, which was a lot more comprehensible for her.

Was it only the 'darkest hour' rather than a day, because of Zacian and Zamazenta protecting everyone? "Zash-i-an, Zam-ma-zent-a... Fight alone?" Ettie questioned, tilting her head. "Or have-pack?"

But there was the mention of the royal family - some sort of pack? - and remembering Elise's prior words, Ettie glanced over. "Elise-friend is... Royal Family? Can-show?" She asked, smiling brightly and bouncing in place. "Ettie want-see! Know more!" It seemed that Ettie might not fully comprehend just how far away Galar was from Hoenn, though.

Anne would give Ettie a look that was somewhere between that of amusement, exasperation, and fondness - before making a soft sigh, the large dusk Lycanroc shaking her head.

Though Ettie was still in an odd state of mourning - one where she did not even seem to wholly understand the source of her grief - the pack shared in the interest she had showed in Zacian and Zamazenta. If the chance was there that there was still some form of trail to follow, some way to track down even the smallest hint of either legendary beast...

... Well, Madame was determined to reveal it.

The female wasted no time in taking control of the search - barking commands to direct the other canids present. All the while, she took point in leading the charge - breathing deeply as she attempted to sniff out even the smallest trace of the duo with Odor Sleuth.

Her prey wouldn't escape her notice for long...

maverick noah ryder, Josh Dragomir, Elise Calcifet, lam logan, Navy

Much like with the Bayleef, it seemed that Ettie's concern was immediately up on Smoochie Duckie, the moment that he had been struck by the Morgrem. Once the fairy-type was sent scrambling (which, the fire also spooked a wild Lurantis,) she would carefully come close to check where Duckie had been struck - and Anat would come close as well, the Lucario offering a Heal Pulse to him.

The wildchild seemed to be quite attentive, to the status of the pokemon around her - as any good pack leader should be.

But, as Dorian told Ettie his age, she'd glance to him and nod. So he was older than her! Thirty, that was... Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen - she was visibly counting to herself, if the little gestures she made were of indication. That was like... Two Etties old!

But, the question of where Ettie came from had her perking up. "Oh - 1-2-0! Grew up with Mom-pack!" She spoke happily, feeling a warm fuzzy feeling over thinking about her original pack. How were they, she wondered? Perhaps she'd visit sometime! And show Mom how big her pack was now! "Very deep. Not-see humans, until... Meet-Julia Davis !" Julia was another person she'd ought to visit, it'd been a minute.

Skipping
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dorian westcliff