Ettie had never ridden a Mantine before - though was it like riding on Zeit with his large size, or on one of the Primarinas or Dewgongs? It was a novel and curious thought - with her favoring canid pokemon, it was one she hadn't been able to explore until now...

... But, no better time to try than now, really! Let's go!

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's and Anne's gazes both fell upon Arthur, as he entered the field. Though he may not speak the same tongue of barks and growls that Anne might, the two both recognized him as the leader that he was. That when he entered the field, they were no longer fighting a group of great beasts, but a multi-limbed single. It was also curious, the Sygna Suit - the way that Navy and Arthur, in a way, became one as well.

But, that also raised a question: Navy had one more dragon. What would that beast be, the second it hit the field..?

... No matter. Though Anne would put a pin in the question as she filed it away in the back of her mind, what mattered most was working off of what she knew here and now. Which, was the challenge of a dragon. As Arthur circled her, she circled him in turn - an orbit.

There is a moment, where Zeit and Anat both look prepared to join in this fight. But Anne looks to them and nods in the direction of the other dragons - prompting them to back down and turn their attentions elsewhere - before turning her gaze back to Arthur. This was not their fight. This would be hers.

Ettie, familiar enough with the Kommo-o species, knew that Anne as-is was at a bit of a disadvantage. To remedy this, she digs out her Tera Orb, and activates the beauteous glow within!

A deep red hue covers Anne's hide, as she becomes Fire-type; the colors mixing with that of her azure hide, to become a violet-obsidian color. And with this, she charges forward - ready to meet Arthur's challenge, as she strikes forth with her Tough Claws-enhanced Play Rough..!

With Grendel's evasion, Zeit and Anat both decide to bide their time with a more supportive approach. Anat tops off the Arcanine (or at least close as possible to it) with another Heal Pulse, whilst Zeit throws his head back in a Howl to encourage his packmates!

Meanwhile, there is Princess and Graci. As the Smokescreen spreads outwards, the Granbull becomes lost amidst the murk - expression twisting into a snarl as she charges about with a rather Scary Face for any sign of Leviathan.

Graci, however, has a different plan. Riding the winds of her prior Tailwind, she swoops down into the smoke - and begins to absorb as much of it as she can within herself, the petals adorning her neck darkening all the whilst. And when those petals become an ebon-black...

... She releases the energy that has been building within her in a Seed Flare, attempting to figure out where Leviathan is hiding and strike at it all at once!

TLDR: Lycanroc accepts the challenge - teras into Fire and attacks Kommo-o with a Tough Claws enhanced Play Rough. Whilst Dragonite is playing evasive, Arcanine Howls to support everyone, and Lucario tops his health off with another Heal Pulse. Granbull loses track of Kingdra and is looking around with a frustrated Scary Face. Shaymin uses Seed Flare to clean as much of the smokescreen as she can and convert it into an energy blast, in hopes of revealing and striking at Kingdra all at once.

Navy

As her other four packmates got into position, Ettie and Anne would make themselves known with a pair of sharp barks - likely to get Mille's and Yuan's attentions as they approached, emerging from the undergrowth.

It would likely be a strange sight, the small child riding atop the quite-large Lycanroc's back, with a Doublade sheathed at the small of her back. Her gaze was sharp and assessing as she looked the duo and their pokemon over, one hand gripping at one of the spikes of Anne's mane, and the other in a readied position to draw Scarlet.

Were this any other situation, Ettie would perhaps be a bit gentler in her approach, a bit kinder. It is not within her nature to immediately be suspicious of other human beings, after all. But in seeing the pearls in the Grimmsnarl's arms, her eyes narrow. "Not yours." She stated simply. Her gaze casts across the whole group. "Drop pearls, or Ettie hunts."

As if to punctuate Ettie's demands, Anne growls, lips curling back to show her teeth.

Yuan Wright Fenelle Miller

The Jangmo-o was a fascinating sight, Ettie visibly perking up as Shin came out. Smiling bright, she'd make a happy "Yip!" of her own in greeting! New friends was always great, and the wildchild's reception was warm as can be!

Ettie gets up - at least partly - and goes into a playbow before the Jangmo-o. She makes playful and welcoming canine noises - little sharp huffs and faux-sneezes - and bounces and wiggles in place, every bit the body language of a friendly and enthusiastic pup! "Friend! Hello! We play?"

It seemed the new pokemon had drawn the attention of a few other pack members as well, curious gazes glancing on over. Even the cuddly Yamper - still in Koji's lap - blinked a bit, as she looked to the dragon. How would Shin react to Ettie's attempts at friendship?

CELEBRATING FREEDOM

character's curry entry

[break]
thread summary: After the events of Prismatic Penitentiary, Cassandra Kubrick visits Ettie's den in the mountainous terrain of the Route 115/116/Meteor Falls area, where she gets to mingle with some of Ettie's packmates and share cake with the group.[break]

why is it important?: The two had met during Prismatic - and though the stressors and difficulties of prison may make it hard to truly bond, the two were able to find friendship in one another. With them now being free, Cass is able to fulfill her promise to Ettie to share some cake - giving them an opportunity to bond further, and to touch bases on where they are (mentally/physically/situationally) after the events of Prismatic. Safe to say, Ettie's social butterfly nature means she's more than happy to be a good friend to Cass - who is more than welcome to visit the den again any time.

Lack of berries was not a problem for the cuddly Yamper, who was simply happy to have close contact with a friend. She melted into the touches, her tiny tail a-wagging with simple joy.

However, one of the Yampers seemed to be in a more exciteable mood - gently nipping, and trying to pull at Koji's sleeve to invite him to play!

Ettie, noting this, would be happy to play interference. "Friend tired, let rest." She gently chided with a giggle, reaching out to scritch one of the Yampers - before suggesting "Play with brother?"

Which did the trick - the playful Yamper would turn towards the calmer one, play-bowing to him instead. The calmer Yamper would accept the invitation, their attentions redirected to one another as they played together.

Which allowed for Ettie and Koji to continue speaking to one another; and as he mentioned new packmates, the wildchild's eyes lit up. "Yes! Wanna see! New friends good!" She chirped, wiggling in place eagerly, body language that was similar to how a dog with a too-short tail might wiggle. "Who is?"

Would the summer be hotter? That was a good question, but... "Ettie don't know." The wildchild mused out loud. She couldn't remember the summers being significantly different in the same way these recent winters have been, but... She wouldn't discount the possibility of this summer being different, either. Who knows what may happen?

Instead, she'd glance to Cass, smiling a bit as the other mentioned future visits. "Sure!" She chirped with a happy wiggle, giggling bright. "Pack will remember. Even when not-here, can visit!" Any friend of Ettie's was welcome; really, most people were welcome here within reason! But of course, Ettie couldn't guarantee she'd always be here.

Even if for the time being she felt attached to her den, for that sense of safety, she was still a free spirit at heart. But there'd still be a spot for Cass here, regardless of whether Ettie was home or not.

As Cassandra relaxed amongst the pack though, many of the pokemon present would - in turn - settle in to simply mingle. To share in eachothers' presences, to enjoy good food as a community. Because as the social creatures that they are, what was better than communal meals like this?

Ettie notices Cass' gaze on her - and in turn, she glances over to the older girl, and carefully lays down next to her with a warm smile, mirroring her. The other's words only serve to make her smile all the brighter, meanwhile. "Am happy to meet Cass-friend, too." She responds, affectionate and genuine.

Hopefully, even if the two met in less than kindly circumstances, the future would be all the brighter between the two of them.

Ettie takes a second to think. "Winters cold. Colder than before." She speaks. Between things like Kyurem and the Tera Crystals, it seemed like each winter was becoming colder than the last. It made her wonder, how the next winter would go. Though, that was a ways away, and Ettie had time to prepare.

So instead of worry, Ettie simply smiles and nods, adding "Den good. Is warm, when cold." It helped to have fire-types to help provide warmth for the pack.

The talk of school was met with a cock of Ettie's head, though, a bit quizzical. School was meant to teach, right? Did Cass' words mean that it didn't actually teach as well as it was meant to?

Nonetheless, as Cassandra playfully chides Ettie for how enthusiastically she was stabbing the cake, the wildchild giggles back and nods understandingly. She uses the fork to shove a bit of cake into her mouth - and the next time she brings the fork down, it's a bit more gently. But, as she swallows down her first mouthful, she grins brightly. "Is tasty!" She chirps!

Sounds of agreement rise from the surrounding packmates who are partaking in the cake; one couldn't go wrong with fresh berries, after all.

Cassandra Kubrick

Ettie giggles softly, nodding understandingly. Yeah, the trek through their territory was tough sometimes, especially for people not used to hiking. "Sit! Rest! Safe with pack." She directs Koji, gesturing to invite him to sit with her. He could just take it easy, here - he was a welcome visitor!

As far as how she's been, though... Truth was that there's been a lot that'd gone on, since the two last met. Though, a good bit of it were things that Ettie was not the most comfortable disclosing. Instead, she'd simply smile, mentioning "Good! New packmates! Lots prey 'n lots berries in territory!" It was the time of year where food was becoming plentiful, a prime time for her to replenish the preserved food stocks.

As the two spoke though, there were those who were plenty happy to see Koji. A trio of Yamper would run up, tails a-wagging; two were particularly enthusiastic, one of them even attempting to climb up into his lap! A familiar Lucario - Anat - would also come to sit with the two humans, giving him a smile and nod in greeting.

Ettie giggles at this, and smiles to Koji. "How Koji-pack?" She asks; wondering about his own pokemon.

The earth rumbles and tremors, but Princess snarls as she keeps her fangs sunk into Smaug; hanging on tight and letting the frost take hold, until the great dragon goes unconscious.

Above, Graci is spared the chaos - and as Princess lets go of Smaug to straighten up, she drifts low to alight on the Granbull's shoulders. That was one down - but there were still foes aplenty to worry about.

For example, there was that of Leviathan. The Kingdra's Hydro Pump shot across the battlefield, slamming into Zeit's shoulder. He yelps audibly, falling over from the force of the strike with a THUD - though the prior Morning Sun has saved him from a complete KO. That wasn't to say he was in good shape, however, given his swaying as he pushed himself back up to his feet.

Ruffian, meanwhile, was having a bad time of his own. The Stoutland's strategy boiled down to recklessly charging headfirst; something that was difficult to follow through on, the second your opponent fell back to attack from range. As Nameless disengages, Ruffian attempts to chase, but it's a mistake - as he is but met with dragonfire.

And with all the damage accumulated from his reckless style, it doesn't take much before he collapses, unable to keep fighting.

Ettie takes a second to dig a pokeball out of her bag, to recall him and let him rest. Though she doesn't use them often, it's moments like this where the little capsules are useful to her.

But more on her mind, is the fight at hand - and what comes next. She glances to Anat. She glances to Anne. There is a quiet consensus found amongst the three - and Ettie nods. "Go."

Anat moves first, and she is quick to go to Zeit's side. Her paws glow with a Heal Pulse to ease the Arcanine's wounds, quickly bringing him back to fighting condition.

Anne, however, follows after - and as the packleader, she is quick to coordinate her pack, bringing them together as she throws back her head in an echoing howl!

Call of the Pack
the user lets out a rallying cry in the form of a powerful howl, empowering nearby pokemon, and clearing negative effects such as taunt, sleep, confusion, or infatuation.

At their leader's call, the pack perks up one by one - and emboldened, they are ready to quickly get to work.

Graci leads the way, the winds bending to her beck and call as she takes flight with a Tailwind - helping her pack along. And spotting Leviathan as she ascended, the Shaymin would bark - drawing Princess' attention!

Using the speed offered by Tailwind, Princess would charge to close the distance between herself and the sniper - ready to use a Play Rough if she can get close enough!

Zeit, meanwhile, turned his focuses to the two winged foes before him. With a howl, he sent down another Rock Slide, looking to finish Nameless and force Grendel down!

TLDR: Granbull toughs it out through the Earthquake, Shaymin avoids by virtue of Flying. Stoutland is KO'd by Flamethrower, Arcanine is badly damaged by Hydro Pump but barely standing.

Lycanroc and Lucario join the fight - Lucario healing Arcanine with Heal Pulse and Lycanroc using the Z-Move Call of the Pack to empower her pack. Shaymin pitches in with a Tailwind and spots Kingdra, pointing him out to Granbull. Granbull charges in his direction (and if able to get close enough in time, uses Play Rough.) Finally, Arcanine uses Rock Slide to try and finish Salamence and strike Dragonite.

Navy

It was an odd group, to be sure - a couple of Mightyena and a Poochyena on their own wasn't out there, but the presence of a rather distinctive shiny Manectric and shiny Midnight Lycanroc threw a wrench in just how ordinary the group was.

The Manectric - Duchess - perked up as a familiar voice called to the group. Her tail wagged at the sight of Koji, and she'd bark to him before leading the group off. This way, friend! This way!

The Lycanroc - Ebon - glances back every so often as the group moves. Though he is not as familiar with Koji, he trusts in the rest of the pack's intuition here, and makes occasional stops to ensure that Koji can keep up.

Up a well-traveled path, one patterned with pawprints layered upon pawprints of varying sizes, and the rare hoofprints and shoeprints. Along a cliffside, where a small group of Honchkrow and Corviknights roost on the ridges above - watching...

... All to a large clearing in front of a den, one nestled into a nook in the cliffside, the entrance of said den covered by a heavy fur curtain to keep out the elements. In this clearing, more of the pack is present, canids of every shape and size just about. Some familiar, some not.

But most notable among the familiar, is a young girl. Pale skin, pale hair, bright red eyes - giggling and laughing with glee as she playwrestles with a Smeargle. Occasionally, her teeth snap at the air like a playing dog's would, and she yips and barks amidst her laughter; echoing the Smeargle's own joyful sounds.

However, it doesn't take long for her to realize they have a visitor. Ettie blinks, as she notices Koji out of the corner of her eye - and disengaging from her playbuddy, she rolls over into a seated criss-cross position. "Oh, hello!" Ettie chirps, clearly happy to see a familiar sight. "Friend! How-is?"

It'd been awhile, but Ettie still recognized Koji; and any friend was welcome here.

Letting Cass tour more of the den would definitely be fun, and Ettie would nod in response; but it'd have to wait until after cake, for sure. Cake was important! Cause it was food! And yummy! She wanted to make sure that everyone would have a chance to

As the conversation shifted though, Ettie thought over Cass's questions. "Pack find den... When winter start!" She chirped, taking a second to think back to when they had settled in here. It had been before the first snows, if she recalled correctly - but it had still been pretty cold...

... Though, as far as school went... "Ettie see schools... But not try." She confessed. "Ettie likes moving. Schools... Not lots-move. Read-write also hurt head..." She was too much of a free spirit to wanna sit down for as long as school seemed to last. And trying to learn more reading and writing was often the furthest thing from her mind, when there were other things she found more important to attend to.

And it seemed that there were similar important things that kept Cass from sticking around, too. The mention of the prison makes Ettie's expression flicker some negative emotion - but it's quick to disappear as she pushes those churning feelings back down. She didn't need to think of the bad memories.

Instead, she focused more on the second half of Cass' words. Which, Ettie didn't understand what Cass meant by a helicopter, but she still nodded sympathetically, musing "Safe with home pack, at least."

Dermot's enthusiasm was met with a gentle laugh from Ettie - who accepts the fork. She kinda knows how to use them! Even if that amounted to her practically stabbing her own share of the cake with it, with the gusto she puts into using the fork. See, this was much more enjoyable than worrying about the things that happened before!

She just needed to not think about it... It was over now, anyways, right? It wouldn't happen again...

Cassandra Kubrick