It was cold out here, amidst the snow - normally for Ettie, a day like this would be spent snuggled up to her packmates in a temporary den. But it was safe to say, that the little wildchild was enthused by all of the festivities going on. Not only was Mauville City all decorated in shiny pretty things in every color, but there was so much going on outside as well - so many people playing!

Giggling with glee, Ettie would put the finishing touches on something she had been working on as she rode along, perched atop Anne's back. The mischievous child may or may not have swiped a particularly sparkly and colorful garland from someplace, and had now wrapped it around the rock spikes that made up Anne's mane - a rather goofy look to say that least. "Find more later! Make Anne pretty!" Ettie chirped eagerly - imagining how Anne might look with a whole lion's mane of garlands!

The lycanroc in question didn't appear wholly amused by this - though she was content to tolerate her sister's shenanigans. As long as it all made Ettie happy in the end.

But sliding down from Anne's back, Ettie would watch what everyone else was up to - namely, in rolling up balls of snow! But why was that, she wondered? It seemed that they were trying to make something, and well... Maybe she could try making one, too! "Let's do that!" Ettie suggested to her packmates - gesturing towards the people making their snowboys.

Duchess was already down - barking excitedly as she began nosing at the snow, to try and get one started. However, it didn't seem that the Electrike was succeeding at much - only managing to make her nose cold, which started a slight sneezing fit.

Princess had the better idea of it - starting by gathering up the snow into a snowball, and beginning to roll it along to add more onto it, slowly but surely.

Ettie caught on quick - and as the snowball started getting bigger, she would lend a hand - giggling happily as she joined in pushing it along. They would make a great snowboy in no time!

(Not sure if necessary, but CW for pokemon hunting pokemon?)

Continuing on through the open canyon - heading northwards - Ettie's next encounter would not be far. She could spy a waving tail poking out of some grass - long, black, with a tufted end. As soon as she and Anne noticed it, they'd come to a stop - curious to watch what was going on.

Which, upon closer inspection, Ettie could see that it was some feline pokemon - one with black fur and red markings. The little litten appeared to be on a hunt, slowly stalking after something unseen just beyond the foliage. Whatever her target was, the prowling fire-type would stalk closer, closer, bit by bit... Before suddenly pouncing, leaping just out of sight!

Amidst the sound of squawks, Ettie watched as a small flock of taillow scattered into the air - taking flight to escape what would otherwise be their hunter. However, a single panicked cry - that was then suddenly cut off - would imply that the litten had indeed succeeded in its hunt. Curiosity had Ettie hopping down from Anne's back to step closer and investigate - peering through the foliage.

Much as she suspected, she'd be met with the sight of the litten, standing proudly over her latest catch. However, when the feline tried to partake in her meal, she'd find herself with a mouthful of feathers - causing her to spit and splutter in distaste. Clearly, the litten was unfamiliar with hunting bird pokemon. Which, Ettie's pack didn't tend to hunt them much - but they did sometimes make good practice, for young Rockruffs still learning. As a result, the young wildchild had a better idea of what to do.

Slowly, carefully, Ettie would step through the foliage to approach. She stayed low to the ground to make herself appear smaller, and making a soft half-chuff half-bark, all to avoid spooking the litten too badly. "Ettie help?"

Which, the litten did end up startling a little - jolting back from her meal, and letting out a hiss at Ettie. But, the wildchild would remain where she was - bringing herself lower to the ground, and repeating in response, "Ettie help?"

The feline appeared skeptical at this offer - but did not stop Ettie as she carefully took the taillow, watching as the wildchild diligently plucked off the feathers, one by one. It wasn't the most pleasant work, to have to handle a dead body and get blood on her fingers; but it wasn't as if she was necessarily squeamish about the death of prey, either. She knew it happened - she'd seen it happen - and a few times, it happened at her hands. It was simply a part of life that she was adjusted to - that for one to eat, something else (be it plant or beast,) had to die.

Of the feathers, Ettie would keep the largest and most intact of them - surely they'd have a use - but the smaller feathers, and the ones broken in the struggle that had surely ensued between bird and cat, would be set aside and discarded. And with a bit of time, Ettie would finish - offering back the plucked taillow. "Here, friend."

The Litten approached slowly, gingerly - as if expecting a trap from this offer. But no attacks occured, no grabbing hands came her way. Without anyone to stop her, she was able to safely accept the bird back - picking it up in her mouth, before turning tail; disappearing into the undergrowth with something far more palatable than a mouthful of feathers.

Ettie, meanwhile, would watch that disappearing tail with a gentle smile - wiping her hands clean on her pants, carefully storing the feathers she decided to keep away in a little bag, and turning her attentions back to Anne and the rest of the pack. "Okay! Ettie done!" She called, as she climbed back onto the lycanroc's back. "Let's go!"

Skipping the Litten

Anne, being the 'packleader' alongside Ettie, would take point in the patrol - leading Princess, Duchess, and Ruffian in an almost fanned-out formation as they took to sniffing about for any signs of the intruders. Thus far, they hadn't found anything suspicious - just traces from local harmless pokemon, such as a couple of shed feathers from a taillow, or wild berry pits from a zigzagoon. Certainly, they were potential pest pokemon for crops - not that Anne cared about that - but they otherwise weren't any real threat to a wooloo herd, which was the important thing.

Glancing up to the sky - and at the slowly dipping sun, soon to disappear behind the canopy of trees beyond - Anne couldn't help a soft rumble of discontent. The second that night properly fell, she was sure that the threatening pack - whatever it may be - would begin prowling and closing in on the pen. And if they weren't prepared, they wouldn't be able to protect the wooloo. The lycanroc would turn her attentions to Spot - and would briefly bark, asking him if he sensed anything.

But, regardless of whether the Lucario had any more of a lead than they did, it seemed that someone would find something. Namely, a low and unenthusiastic 'whuuff' from Princess - which drew Anne's attention to where the snubbull was gesturing towards a bush. At first glance, there didn't seem anything unusual - but as Anne stepped closer...

... The scent of an unfamiliar pokemon was here. Faint, but nonetheless present. And on top of that, there were tufts of fur - deep black flecked with strands of yellow - caught on a pointy branch. Anne wasn't sure what pokemon it might've belonged to - the yellow meant it surely wasn't something like a mightyena. But perhaps Spot's packleader - Trainer, her mind corrected - would know? The lycanroc trusted in Julia's counsel. Biting down on a portion of the branch, Anne would break away the part that the fur was stuck to - passing it to Duchess, with a barked command to bring it to Julia.

The young electrike yipped in affirmative - carefully taking the broken branch. Immediately on the move, she squeezed under the fence to get into the pen, before sprinting away to deliver it.

Meanwhile though, Ettie's communal bleating would come to a pause at Julia's approach. Blinking up at the older woman, Ettie would beam brightly. "Yup!" She agreed, turning her attention back to the wooloo, and reaching out to pat them on the head. "Is friend!"

The wooloo, in turn, would bleat in soft contentment - nuzzling against Ettie's palm.

Ettie giggled at this, getting up from her position on her stomach, to instead sit on the grass. "Wooloo soft. Wooloo round! Wooloo friends!" She spoke to Julia, openly sharing her thoughts even as she continued watching the wooloo she was petting. "Ettie likes!" Though wooloo weren't necessarily canids, their herd dynamic appealed to Ettie in almost the same way - they had their big ol' family, much like a pack of canid pokemon!

But, Ettie now glanced about - at the fence surrounding the pen. "But... Pen not safe. Wooloo stuck, predators not-stuck. Easy prey..." Ettie spoke, a hue of concern to her tone. It wouldn't be hard for predators to make their way into the pen by digging, jumping, or just breaking though. Whereas the wooloo, with their preferred form of locomotion being rolling around, wouldn't need a particularly tall fence to stop them. They were basically cornered here, Ettie noted. "... Ettie protect wooloo. Pack protect wooloo!"

And it would be about now, that Duchess arrived - the little Electrike letting out muffled barks, past the short branch in her mouth. Startled by the barking, the wooloo that Ettie had been petting would bleat in surprise, before rolling away - but the young wildchild was more focused on her packmate. "What have, Duchess?" Ettie questioned, cocking her head as Duchess handed over the branch - which, tangled in a few budding pointy twigs at the end, were tufts of fur.

Ettie tilted her head a little as she tried to identify the fur, but... She didn't have much of a clue, what sort of pokemon it'd belong to. "Fur?" Ettie prompted Julia, holding up the branch to the ranger. Maybe she would have a better time identifying the fur?

The way down the cliffside was somewhat of a precarious descent - and it was one with multiple trips at points, with Anne having to help ferry the pack down trickier drops. But as they reached the bottom without incident, Ettie was eager to start examining everything she saw. The plants seemed different here, the earth beneath her feet felt different, even the air that filled her lungs felt different! Indeed, this place looked to be completely different from the biomes of 119 that she was familiar with!

But it wasn't just the differences in the landscape or climate that had caught Ettie's attention. Indeed, even the pokemon were different here - something that Ettie quickly noticed, when she caught sight of a distant group of Rhyhorn.

It was a relatively small herd all things considered - granted, perhaps a canyon like this wasn't made to support large gatherings of creatures anyhow. They were gathered towards the opposite side of the canyon, idly grazing at the grass and bushes that they could find. Nothing exciting, but it also meant they were in no rush to leave or in the midst of, say, stampeding.

Curiosity piqued, Ettie got low to the ground and prowled closer - making a point to remain downwind of the herd. She had no intentions of hunting or otherwise messing with them, but she also didn't want them to notice or be spooked by the pack. She just wanted to observe them in their natural state, just like this. "Come - slow, quiet." Wanting the pack to get in on the inaction, Ettie would whisper to them - gesturing them over as she sat down amongst some bushes.

Duchess was more than happy to settle down in Ettie's lap, whilst Princess and Ruffian were at either side - the former snuggling up to her. Anne, meanwhile, laid down on the opposite side from Ruffian - a content hue on the Lycanroc's expression.

Safe to say, Duchess and Anne both found observing the Rhyhorns to be fun - even if Duchess was wiggling in place a bit, as though she were raring to move. (Much like Ettie, Duchess had a hard time holding still - albeit perhaps to a greater degree.) Princess, however, looked more interested in getting a bit of shut-eye - yawning widely as she got comfy. And on the flipside, you had Ruffian - who grumbled, expressing some form of discontent.

Whatever it was that Ruffian said, it became clear that Anne disapproved. She would make a brief rumble in her throat in response, as she placed her paw on Ruffian's back, pushing him down into a seated position. Their gazes met for a few long moments - Ruffian clearly unhappy at being told to sit down... But the lillipup would break eye contact first, grumbling once more to himself as he settled down.

Ettie couldn't help a soft giggle at this - reaching down to pet Ruffian. "Is okay," She whispered to him, to placate the grumpy pup. "We play-fight lots later!"

With that, the pack would settle down - watching the rhyhorn herd milling about and grazing. Whilst observing the herd though, Ettie couldn't help but note the different sizes of horns that the individuals had. What were the horns for? Were they there for protection, like one's claws and fangs? Or were the horns there for something else - like display? Though Ettie lacked the vocabulary to properly word out these thoughts in her head, it was definitely something she'd have to ask Julia about, next time they run into her...

But, before too long, one of the rhyhorn - a decently large specimen - would notice the pack's presence. Turning to face them, the rhyhorn would snort - swinging his head, and stomping at the ground with a single hoof. Whether this was some sort of dominance or threat display, it was - nonetheless - a clear warning that it was time to leave. And it was a warning that Ettie would heed.

"Let's go-" Ettie barked to the rest of the pack with a bit of urgency - taking a moment to rouse Princess from her sleep, before moving on. She didn't want to see if the herd was as tough as it looked, to say the least!

Skipping the Rhyhorn

Wandering west was, to say the least, pretty interesting for little Ettie. For most of the trip - starting roughly somewhere in 119 and heading through the lowlands to the direct north of Mauville - Ettie would find herself amongst the familiar rainforests she called home. Which meant trees, bushes, and more trees - with the humid climate that Anne never was really fond of to match. But, the further west the pack wandered, the drier the air felt. The further west they moved, the fewer the trees and bushes.

Eventually, they'd find themselves being able to see the blue sky and mountains beyond the trees, as the forest thinned out into rocky plains. It felt colder out here than back towards the east - though Ettie would pull her jacket a little tighter around herself to make up for it. She was not deterred by the temperature - not when there was something new out here, just beyond!

And indeed, she'd soon find herself at the edge of a cliff - and looking down, she'd be met with the sight of a temperate canyon with sparse foliage - a little oasis almost, given the desert that Ettie could spy off in the northern horizon. This must've been Route 111!

Excited, the pack would carefully make their way down to the bottom of the canyon - eyes peeled for whatever pokemon or other such sights this place might have on offer...

---

Wooloo were a curious little pokemon. Round and roly-poly, these cervine pokemon made for livestock that had quickly found themselves a welcome and common sight amongst the farms of Hoenn. Their wool was tough and soft, they were cute companions to have around, there wasn't really anything bad you could say about having a little Wooloo buddy...

... But at the same time, much like other sorts of livestock, the notions of predators and thieves were a very real threat to them.

Which is what brought Ettie and her pack - alongside a certain Julia Davis - to a farm not far from Mauville, at the southern portions of Route 119. After the sightings of four-legged creatures lurking just beyond the pens one night - not that the farmhand who sighted them could properly identify these intruders in the dark - the farm had sent out a call for aid. Someone to help protect these Wooloo whilst upgrades were made to the fences, and perhaps to even chase off the threat...

"Mehhhhh~.." "Mehhhhhh!"

... And it was safe to say, that Ettie was sold on these little sheep. Anne and the rest of the pack had taken to patrolling outside the pens - sniffing around for any signs of the intruding pokemon. But Ettie, at the moment, was laying on her stomach - making level eye contact with a curious Wooloo, who was doing the same.

"Mehhhhh~" Whenever the Wooloo bleated...

"Mehhhh!" ... Ettie would bleat back, trying to mimic the sound (even if she bleated with more energy than the Wooloo did.)

There were no braincells to be had between either being - sheep and wildchild alike were on the same exact wavelength - no thoughts, head empty. It seemed like they were ready to remain like this for a good while, too, unless someone or something comes along to snap Ettie out of this little reverie...

---

Julia Davis

As it turned out, when most pokemon were not keen on showing up and potentially having to deal with your entire pack, the remaining wild pokemon you saw typically came in one of two categories.

The first category consisted of pokemon who were looking for a fight. It had been near one of the many ponds that made up Route 120 - just beyond the trees and undergrowth - that the sound of splashing water caught Ettie's and Anne's attention. Initially, Ettie was curious - hopping down from Anne's back to creep forward, and take a peek at what was making all that noise; it sounded as though it was something big..!

... But, in all of her curiosity, Ettie would end up face-to-face with a Crawdaunt, and an aggressive one at that, given the roar he'd let off!

"Yeep!" Ettie yelped, visibly startled. Following instinct, she'd be scrambling up onto Anne's back - the Lycanroc in question already bristling and growling threateningly.

They had little time to react before the crustacean was charging however, swinging his claws in every direction. One claw would smack into Duchess, the Electrike yelping as she was sent tumbling - letting loose a burst of electricity purely on instinct, that had the Crawdaunt flinching back and stiffening. The other pack, however, would manage to move back and away from the other flailing limb.

Ettie and Anne were quick to move to their packmate's side - Ettie hopping down, to check on the little Electrike. "Is okay, Duchess??" At a glance, it seemed that she wasn't all that hurt - the Electrike shaking herself off as she got up onto her paws - though the strike was sure to bruise in the morning.

But, with Duchess having been struck... A low SNARL rose up from Princess - the Snubbull bristling with rage at Duchess being hurt, alongside the fight-happy Ruffian already sizing up this opponent. One after the other, the duo would charge at the larger Dark-type, flinging themselves at him in a pair of Play Rough's!

Safe to say, it was possible that the Crawdaunt did not know what he was getting into, in confronting the pack. However, he was undaunted (hah) all the same - letting loose a hissing roar, as soon as he managed to shake off the two pups.

"Princess! Ruffian!" Ettie called - running over and scooping up the two pups in either arm, even as they were raring up to move right back into the fray. "Let's go!" Sure, they could try to fight the Crawdaunt - but it looked like a nasty specimen to say the least, and it wasn't smart to get into needless fights in the wild if one could help it. Nor was it worth hunting, either - Crawdaunts overall being utterly unappetizing.

Thus, the pack beat a hasty retreat - turning away and bolting for it as quickly as they could. Not that they had to move all that quickly, given a Crawdaunt's naturally slow speed and them favoring the water. The sounds of stomping and crashing behind them would quickly grow distant - and before long, they would find themselves surrounded by the natural sounds of the woods once more, prompting them to slow and come to a stop.

"Whew..." Ettie sighed to herself, as she finally set down Princess and Ruffian - the latter appearing annoyed, at having been pulled away from the fight. But, Ettie would pat them both on the heads with a warm smile. "Good Princess! Good Ruffian! Protecting pack!" She praised - which Princess would accept with a content hum, and seemed to help stroke Ruffian's ego enough for him to relax and let the unfinished fight pass.

As Ettie took the time to reassess their situation now - glancing around, to see where they'd ended up. Obviously, it was still Route 120 - and it definitely was quieter here, than... Actually, scratch it being quiet. Distantly, there was the sound of footsteps and a voice - the sound coming from somewhere beyond the foliage, and gradually coming closer. Ettie moved to investigate - but Anne, knowing better, would come alongside; the duo peering out past the bushes...

... To see what looked to be a pack of pokemon - with a human riding astride one of them. They moved in a disciplined formation - one that painted the picture of a fellow pack of canid pokemon, moving like a well-oiled machine. And given that these weren't wild pokemon... Perhaps they were more likely to be friends!

Thus, Ettie would step out into view, waving an arm with a bright and cheery smile. "Hello! Friends!" She called, letting out a yip of excitement afterwards. In fact, even some of her body language was like that of an excited canid - wiggling in place like a happy Granbull might.

All the while, the rest of the pack would emerge - Anne staying right next to Ettie, whilst the other pups would curiously regard Josh's group. Of the four, Duchess was more than happy to give a greeting of her own... Or multiple - the little Electrike making excited yips of hellos and other such greetings, as she approached them with eager little bounces.

---

Josh Devlin

If there was one thing that Ettie had to say about the world beyond her home pack's territory, it was likely that there was Lots of Lots. There were lots of pokemon, lots of people, lots of sights and sounds and smells... And also lots of walking. Around every corner, there was seemingly something new to be found - be it a new person to befriend, a new pokemon to try and add to her pack, or even simply new locales to explore and examine.

And yet, even after having wandered as much as she has (which was to say, she felt like she'd been doing a lot of wandering up to now!) it felt so boggling, that it felt like there was so much left to see. That it felt like she had - thus far - only been able to explore a small sliver of what made up the entirety of Hoenn. She had seen the map Julia had shown her, once - and though it looked really really small on the image, in reality Hoenn was really really big!

But despite it all, Ettie wasn't discouraged (even if thinking about the sheer scale of it all made her head hurt a little.) In fact, she was only further excited - because for Hoenn to be so big, it meant there was going to be so much to see, so much to do!

"Friends! Lets go!" Ettie called encouragingly, as she rode through the lush undergrowth of Route 120 astride Anne. At the large Lycanroc's heels, Duchess, Ruffian, and Princess dutifully followed after - Duchess especially giving a yip of affirmative. The pack was quite eager (for the most part, given Princess' lazy nature) to see what the area had to offer, even if for varying reasons. On the other hand, it was somewhat humid - something that Anne couldn't help a slight grumble at - but spirits were high nonetheless, it being overall nice and cool with the shifting of the seasons.

So far, there weren't any pokemon catching Ettie's eye - in fact, most seemed content to stay well out of the pack's way, likely due to Anne's presence. But maybe - just maybe - they'd find a new friend (be it pokemon or human) somewhere out here?

---

Josh Devlin

Google Sheet

Specializing in canine pokemon, it's safe to say that wherever Ettie goes, her pack is sure to follow. And indeed, when someone says pack, they mean every single pokemon that she owns. A sure sign of her presence in the area at night will often be the baying howls of multiple different species of canid pokemon, all as one. Another variety of pokemon that she tends to surround herself with are corvids, mainly the Corviknight and Honchkrow families.

She does not understand the concept of personal computers enough to want to store away excess pokemon - at best allowing them to rest in their pokeballs if they so desire - nor does she typically need to. Between having a den for those in reserve to call home, and the cooperative and nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle that Ettie and her pack lead when on the move, she is able to fulfill their needs perfectly fine.

Even that being said though, it isn't unusual for her to have a large number of canids and/or corvids following alongside her, moving from place to place. She rarely ever lingers long when traveling; save for if a packmate or flockmate is too ill or injured to be safely moved.