A smile tried to twitch onto her lips when she spotted John Sullivan. Her expressions were always very minor, so the small quirk was a lot for her. It made her happy to see that Doug could smile so open and freely.

"I just came for a little while." It was sweet that Doug was worried about her. She didn't want to impose on the young man, figuring he needed his time. Weren't festivals like this meant for young love?

Idly opening one of her pockets, she shifted so that Doug could see the small nestling of pokeballs inside. When she had first visited, she only had the one she was gifted. Even if they weren't many, she felt accomplished with what she had done so far. "I've been testing my new partners."

"Have you been well?"

Calliope vs Doug

Hi mom

Unfortunately for the youth, any attempts at 'young love' were on hold while the object of his affections was far, far away and out of Hoenn. He couldn't say he fully lamented her absence, though-

Hoenn was a shit-show.

The youth leaned over and grinned as the woman showcased her row of pokemon, smiling wide.

"Been busy, then!" He said with a delighted tone as his Butterfree moved to settle atop his hat once again, peering over and cooing at the many pokeball in the woman's pockets.

So many friends to make!

"Ya know how it is in Hoenn- never a boring day." The youth said to her question as he raised his arms and shrugged, snorting. "Have an ongoing bet goin' on with the rest of the Gym Leaders 'bout who's gonna win the tourney."

He chuckled, scratching his cheek.

"Bet on my lil' students, but it's looking like Mr. Silph's got it in the bag so far." His efforts to upend the bet entirely by winning himself had been sabotaged by his own duties; more than once he had been pulled out of Slateport throughout the week to deal with issues cropping up around and within Mauville.

"I'm fine, though! Just might've to fork up the money for the next Gym Leaders' meet up." A much less daunting task these days, after receiving his first Gym Leader paycheck.

"... Or shave my head." A much, much worse thing to look forward to.

"That does sound rather intense." Looking back, she could fondly remember such bets between herself the rest of the Elite Four. While she never got to interact with the Gym Leaders as much, their duties differed after all, she knew of such things happening. They were precious memories from friends she wasn't sure were still around.

Seeing the Butterfree, Callie plucked one of the pokeballs from it's place, releasing the butterfly pokemon's counterpart- a Beedrill hummed in the air, wings flapping as she assessed John Sullivan and his pokemon.

"You have students?" Which is what stuck out to Callie the most, out of all of that. Something pleased settled in her chest at the thought. "What sorts of things do you teach them?"

---

beedrill - female - swarm - twin needle, poison jab, fell stinger, endeavor, pursuit, agility

Calliope vs Doug

Hi mom

"Yeah! We might've let things get away from us there. So much for responsible adults, huh?" He said with a chuckle, his hand coming together behind his head as he leaned back.

Never in a million years would he have expected such a bet to come from FERNANDO SILPH, but that just showed how little he truly knew the man.

He looked up at the Beedrill as she came out of her pokeball, a smile appearing over his lips as his butterfree's wings fluttered in delight.

A new friend appeared. And she looked to be less of a dick than Sphectra!

Doug held out his hand to the Beedrill, even as he replied.

"Yes! Only one of 'em is really my student- guess ya could say I'm just lookin' out after the other one." He said, wondering if he should offer to officially become Eris' mentor. He would probably have to meet her guardians before that.

"Well, Hideo Kino's blind; when we met, really, it was all our dastard little plan to get 'im out of his parents' collar." He said with a chuckle, thinking back to their first meeting. "I've taught 'im some survival, some battling basics... But really, he's a bright kid who would've probably figured it all out on his own. The one thing he needed was the freedom to grow."

His smile grew sad as he went to talk about Eris.

"As for Eris Halla... I guess I'm trying to teach her that she's worth it."

"Sometimes people forget that things like 'blindness' are just barriers, not stops." Callie had seen many people with 'disabilities' do great things in her time.

"You're a good person, Doug." Said to him a second time, and Callie meant it just as much as she did the first. The boy was sweet. Stepping back, she loosely motioned for her Beedrill to take spot.

"I haven't had a chance to train her very much... I might win against a Gym Leader's pokemon." But she didn't seem bothered, just amused.

John Sullivan

Calliope vs Doug

Hi mom

He flushed hard at the praise. He didn't deserve it, but it still made him happy to hear it from her.

"Thank you." He said simply, cheeks flushed for a moment before he shook his head, grinning at her.

"I'll trust yer commands to make up for it, and take it seriously! Let's begin!" Doug said as he swept his arm across the air.

"Alright, Irys! Let's take this seriously from the word go! Hit'em with Psybeam!"

The Psybeam hits and it stings (ha).

"Poison Jab."

John Sullivan's attack has barely finished when she commands. Beedrill isn't the well oiled machine her old pokemon are, though. Despite the speed, there is a half a second before it reacts; the bee flitting closer and trying to hit with a poison tipped stinger.

Calliope vs Doug

Hi mom

Speed is not Irys specialty, but she's well versed in fighting beedrills; Sphectra is her regular sparring partner. Nonetheless, even as she attempts to weave through the jabs, lascerations are left over her scales from far too close swings.

"Quiver Dance outta there!" Doug ordered with a sweep of his arm, and she responded with a powerful flap of her wings that sent her body hurtling back.

Twisting her body, she pirouetted elegantly as she performed a downward slope, gliding just over the sand before a second flap sent her flying back in high in the air.

---

Irys used Quiver Dance!

Callie hums at the graceful movement.

"Pursuit."

She's quick to order, the Beedrill picking up speed to try and stay close, lash out. Callie doesn't give any quarter, precise and quick in her commands.

If only her pokemon were as well trained as she was. While the Beedrill listens, it's not as quick like before. She does pursue but she loses a bit of ground.

John Sullivan

Calliope vs Doug

Hi mom

"Air slash! Keep her off yer tail!" Ordered the youth in turn as Irys squealed in a mild panic, watching the Beedrill give rapid chase after her.

Turning around midflight, the butterfree swung her wings wildly, her back meeting the sand and sliding over it as blades of wind were sent hurtling towards her fellow bug, attempting to cut her chase short!

---

Irys used Air Slash!

"Twin needle!"

The Beedrill attempted to slam her duel tipped stingers into the Butterfree but was buffeted by the Air Slash. It pushed her back and made catching up hard, widening the gap further. Callie's brow had narrowed, mentally different scenarios in her mind as she tried to think her way out of this...

John Sullivan

Calliope vs Doug

Hi mom

Doug could more or less see the disconnect before his eyes; the lack of training Calliope Marks had mentioned earlier was much clearer now than before.

He wondered how badly would things be going for him if the Beedrill was as well trained as the Champion was used to.

Thoughts for later. His Butterfree had managed to push back the Beedrill, now it was time to keep it away- and off the air. His next trick was a rare one for a Butterfree-!

"Electroweb!" ordered the youth, his Butterfree reeling back her head until it touched the sand beneath her before shooting it forward, spitting out a mass of electrified, sticky webbing at her opponent as she came for her!

'Dod-"

But it was too late, the sticky, electrifying web pinning the Beedrill to the ground. She shivered with a paralysis, this plus the earlier attacks finally making her lose steam.

Callie clicked her tongue but called her pokemon back to her pokeball.

"I can see where I'll need to train with her more. Thank you, Doug."

John Sullivan