A grunt of pain leaves her as she's slammed to the ground, broken and bruised ribs flaring with a new pain.

Hands and ankles bound tight, blindfold over her eyes, she snarls much like a rabid dog might at any movement she can sense. Blood sticks in her teeth.

The champion of Kanto has fallen.

"Curiosity." For the immediate, for why she was here in this office, right now, with John Sullivan. Unlike FERNANDO SILPH who was public knowledge, other than fleeting rumors, which might not have even been true, she was curious what the supposed Kanto Gym Leader is Mauville was like. Deeper down, squirming and ugly, if she had recognized him from Kanto's takeover.... it would not have ended well for anyone. Thankfully, neither of them had to worry about that.

The next series of questions was harder to explain so she took her time, tried to parse together what she could.

"I was kept as a trophy." It was the simplest way to describe it, exactly where she had been and what she had been up to. She wasn't the only high-profile Kantonian to be kept like a prize just perhaps the one that Rocket had made sure everyone thought was a goner. "There are spies inside of Rocket, from what I could gather- they got me out. Took me to Johto to recover." She wondered if they were okay, the men and women who risked their lives for her.

"After I was mostly recovered, I took a plane." Her lips quirked up a bit, for a moment, a crumb dry humor leaking into her. It was quickly snuffed out.

"Rocket will pay for what they did to us." As for her reasoning. Even if Calliope was more broken than before and not as she was, the pure rage and steel from her war efforts, the brave war hero that backed her people, it had never been taken from her in her captivity. If anything, Rocket had only forged her into something deadlier. Something they would learn the regret.

Her lips twitched, once, as if her face couldn't decide to pull into a smile or a grimace before smoothing back out. If John Sullivan thought it out, pulled from his memories of TV appearances he might be able to see where her old self could overlap with who she was now. It wasn't so far fetched to imagine.

Stepping forward, Calliope pulled out one of the spare seats and sat down before she spoke again.

"Many people think that, yes."

More a confirmation than a denial but not a direct one. Crossing her hands delicately in her lap, Calliope would keep her eyes on him, calm if not a bit empty.

"You're so young. You must be very skilled to have already become a Gym Leader." For a moment, her chest would puff up with something like pride. Kantonian excellence. Then it would be gone, muted again, only something soft and wistful left in her eye.

Stepping inside, Calliope kept her gaze unwavering on John Sullivan. When he stood and introduced himself, her hand was offered to shake; her right hand, mostly untouched, as she had found that people didn't like the oddly smooth skin of the scarring on her left. Her face was stoic but not unkind as she took the other in.

"I apologize for disturbing you. I heard rumors you were from Kanto." Her own voice was smooth and warm, kept soft and low, with a surprisingly gentle cadence. There was no fear or shyness there, just a quiet grace in spite of her appearance. The hint of her own Celadon twang was present, something she didn't bother to hide or try and smooth over.

"Calliope. Lovely to meet you, Captain Douglas."

When the Ponyta lifted it's head from grazing, Calliope stopped still in her tracks. Perfect. She pointed Prism at the wild pokemon. The Wooper waddled forward on his short legs before taking a deep breath. A stream of water shot from her mouth, the force knocking her back and soaking the Ponyta.

The Ponyta whinnied and reared on his hind legs. When it did this, Calliope flung a pokeball at the horse pokemon. Excellent.

CATCHING

A tired eye scanned the high grass, watching as the tough and waxy strands shifted in the breeze. She caught yellow shifting between the blades, a Scraggy that was minding it's business as it passed by. Pausing, Calliope considered the pokemon. Fighting and Dark would be useful. Yet, she felt not attachment to this particular pokemon. No real desire to raise it. It wasn't special to her.

So, she shifted, allowed the Scraggy to pass without bothering it, then continued deeper into the wilderness.

SKIPPING

Camp Winstrate had clearly been in some disrepair. That was not what Calliope cared for, however. Her eye would catch on the clean walkways, the patches eves of roofs, the waxy shine of new tents, sturdy training materials in the distance. Camp Winstrate was more than it's past, was recovering, was becoming better than whatever it's before had been and was being ushered into an era of new. This place was being cared for. That is what caught her attention.

Yet Calliope was not here to admire the Camp itself. She was here on a personal mission. The rumor was abound that the Gym Leader of this city, who based in this facility, was from Kanto. She wanted to see if it was true or not. If it was, to perhaps have a chat with someone more familiar. Johto had been kind to her but it was not her home.

The gentleman at the front gate had been polite about her appearance. When told she was here to talk and tour and not battle, had allowed her inside. This was a place for training so she would need to keep out of the way, was warned, but she knew enough to be respectful. It could have also been that she cowed him a bit- even back when her and her home had been whole she had been known to be a bit intense.

After a few minutes of watching a young woman demolishing an Ariados with her own Gasiliopod in battle, Calliope moved to find the main office. Hovering outside the door, she hesitated only a moment to feel a bit of remorse; it's not like she had been invited or told anyone she was coming. That only lasted for a second, though, before she gave three, firm knocks.

Now to see if she would be welcome.

John Sullivan

Given the look of her, some might expect for Calliope to be afraid of fire.

Maybe she once was. Now she understood that a flame would always burn inside her chest, hot and angry; there was no semblance of sense in fearing herself. The rocky outcropping of Lavaridge Town reminded her of Cinnabar- craggy and hard to traverse where humans hadn't laid claim with settlements. That had always been one of her favorite spots.

Prism traveled next to her, the Wooper's short legs barely keeping up with her longer strides. While covered in scars, Johto had been good to her in the recovery department. She no longer had to worry about weak muscles or malnutrition and her physical recovery had went well. Aside from the scars, she was... okay. Enough.

An empty pokeball was clutched tight in hand as she moved.

FIGHTING/FIRE

primary

17 Pokeball
3 Incense
2 Rainbow Shard
2 Sparkling Dust

2 Ability Capsule
1 Form Change

2 Free Evolution
2 Type 1 Evolution
2 Type 2 Evolution
1 Type 3 Evolution
1 Legendary Candy

4 Level Tutor
2 TM/TR Tutor
1 Move Tutor
2 Egg Tutor

1 Starf Berry

1 Mega Stone