"Now that playtime's over, care to tell me what all you found out about Lucifer?" Sidney asked, offering a hand to the gym leader. "Oh, and how's your head?"

"Then I demand a rematch," Rex declared. "I'll prove to Ginger how tough I am by defeating you."

"Good luck with that," the Medicham said, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

((Edit: Last post of the day. Ja.))

"Thanks" said Cassius, accepting the hand and getting to his feet. He didn't say a think about his head, but he did hold one hand up to it to inspect the bruise. That was going to be there for awhile…

"Lucifer was taken from his home as a child, captured by a human, and abused to make him evolve and battle. Not surprisingly, he's lost all faith in humans, and even other pokemon" he said. "He's… he's very angry, with everything, for what he's lost, and what's been done to him."

Pandora, who was about to make a witty remark to Rex, was silent after that.

"That's...what I was afriad of," Sidney admitted, crossing her arms. "So it really is hopeless, isn't it? Do you think I should take him home or wait for a change of heart?"

((Short, but I'll be late for school if I don't leave now.))

"Well, it's possible he could learn to trust humans again, but for Pandora and the others, it took them over a decade. Taking him home may be the best way to prove that not all trainers are horrible people, short of finding his old trainer and wreaking horrible eternal vengeance- which may not be a viable option for you" he replied, completely serious about it all.

"From what his old trainer told me, he was born in the mountains of Johto, so it'll be awhile before I can set him free. That, or I could hand him over to a reliable trainer from that region and have them do it. Only problem is it's hard to find a trustworthy trainer who you've just met."

Lulu moved up next to Cassius, tugging on his sleeve while looking up at him. "Tell her what I'm saying. Lucifer seems to dislike everyone but his own species. Maybe if he could find someone of his own kind..."

"Lulu suggests finding another tyranitar for him to interact with- he seems to hate everyone but his own kind" said Cassius, translating for her. As he spoke, his eyes were fading from red back to their usual violet, which seemed to be a compromise between the body's natural blue and his natural red.

((Geh, that's like two lines about his eyes changing colour- he's such a Mary Sue ))

((Hehe. I don't have a problem with it. I like it when eyes change colors. I think only my demon character can do it.))

"That's going to be a little difficult, I think," Sidney replied, gaze turned towards the sky. "Well, we have more urgent matters to worry about. Purifying that tower for instance. Lu, you ready?" The Medicham nodded, returning to her pokeball. "Come on, Rex!" The Mightyena had found a wild Pikachu and was now chasing it around the clearing, snapping at its heels. But he was returned to his pokeball before he could catch the little rat...or get electrocuted, the yellow Pokemon disappearing into the forest.

Cassius looked up at the sky, judging by the sun that he probably had about three hours until sunset. "We'd better get going then" he said, hoping for a chance to rest a little before the ceremony. He pulled a potion bottle out of his bag, unscrewing the spray bottle top and taking a sip. The vile liquid was too bitter even for him, but it did help his headache.

"Come out, Abina. We need you again." The dragon reappeared, looking well rested after her few minutes inside her ball. "So will I be able to watch you work?" she asked, Abina lowering her head so Sidney could climb on. "Or is it strictly prohibited that anyone else be inside the tower during the process? And do you need to rest first? If you don't already have a place in mind, you can relax at my house."

"I think Winona probably has a free room somewhere in her gym, but thank you for the offer" he replied. "I don't know exactly what she has planned for the ceremony, but I'm sure she'd let you watch if you're interested, and don't mind a malevolent spirit or two." He climbed on after the trainer after returning his team to their respective pokeballs.

((Whee. Time skip.))

Abina dropped them off near the entrance to the tower. Along the way, Sidney almost tied her scarf into a knot to prevent it from smacking the trainer riding behind her. She jumped off the dragons back, then turned back to Cassius, her hair very jumbled and her headband almost falling down over her eyes. "I guess this it. I'll see you before the ceremony, I guess."

"Geez, you guys took forever." Ginger was waiting by the steps, looking very bored. "I've been waiting for ages. I knew I should've come along."

"I'll meet you back here at sunset, then?" replied Cassius, also dismounting. His hair, despite being tossed about by the wind, still fell in neat haunteresque spikes. "Haunt haunt haunter haunt, haunter, haunter haunt haunter haunt haunter, haunt haunt haunter haunt. (And don't feel bad Ginger, maybe next time I fight Sidney she'll take you along)" he added.

"WHAT?!" That really got Ginger fuming. "He left his body and you fought him without me?! But...I...what...I was...ACK! How could you?! I missed my only chance to battle Mister Ghost!"

"What she so upset about?" Sidney asked the gym leader. The Absol looked ready to have an emotional breakdown, and she wanted to know why. "Were we really gone that long?"

"I was just paying her back for several days worth of taunting" admitted Cassius in the same 'I'm innocent, really!' tone Pandora used when confessing, "Haunter haunt haunt, haunt haunter haunt haunt haunter haunter (Lucky for you, Rex was there to face me instead)" he added to Ginger. "If I need to speak to Lucifer like that again, though, you might want to bring Ginger along. But I'd better get going- I need to find Winona before the ceremony."

"Kay. Sunset it is." Sidney gave him a small wave, turning to leave.

"Peh. Fine, I'll beat you later, Senior Fantasma," Ginger warned, pointing a claw at Cassius. "Hey, I like that. Senior Fantasma! It's got a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"Come on, Ginger!" Sidney called, already standing by the spiral stairs.

"Coming, coming!"

((My turn to time skip ))

Cassius returned at sunset, well rested and feeling a lot better. His head had been taken care of via a few potions and herbs, and never had he been so thankful for a simple but filling dinner. He'd changed his attire as well- although his travel clothes were rather formal for a traveling trainer. He arrived at the temple in a lavender yukata with a gastly and nightshade flower pattern, carrying a hanging incense tray.

Not too much later, Mike arrived at the temple as well, running as fast as he coul, with Cal right behind him.

"Hurry up! You're going to miss the ceremony!", Mike shouted. "And I gotta introduce you to my friends!"

Ginger was the first to appear, her white coat glistening gold in the evening sun. "Aha! What'd I tell you? He is a cross-dresser! Just look at that tacky dress!"

Sidney arrived shortly after the Absol. Her attire had had a revamp as well, from her all white ninja outfit to a very contemporary floral dress. "Wow. You look really good in that." Ginger made an abrupt coughing sound. "Eh, sorry. I wasn't going to bring her along, but she made such a fuss. If you think she'll be in the way she can wait outside."

"Nuh-uh! I won't be a distraction. Honest," Ginger argued, sounding like a little kid. "Sure, I can't disappear like you can, but you still won't even know I'm there."

"I haven't worn a dress in years," the young woman informed him, appearing uncomfortable. "I'm such a tomboy."

"It's been awhile since I had to wear anything formal, too" he replied, then switched to pokemon-speak "and you, Ginger, need to get out more if you can't recognize a men's yukata when you see one"

"Drat, you beat me to it" said Pandora, floating up from the shadows where he'd been doddling. "It's no fair if you get to taunt the darkling all the time. Speaking of which, d'ya think you could convince Sidney that humans are only allowed to come along if their pokemon wear large pink bows?"

"Just try it, ghost!" Ginger spat, shooting Pandora a warning look.

"This'll be interesting." Sidney smiled, waving at Michael when she saw him running up. "Got everything you need?"

"I think so, yes" replied Cassius, "all we need now is Winona to start."

"Oooh, or maybe one of those baby bonnet things!" said Pandora, grinning. "Or even just a big red clown nose, that'd be easier to fit over that freaky horn-ear-head-whatever-it-is."

"Hey!", he shouted sevreal times, before tripping yet again, this time on the staris to the temple.

He slowly got up, saying, "I'd like ya to meet a new friend of mine, say hello to...nobody?", he said the last word as he turned around, seeing his new friend Cal, nowhere in his sight. "Oh well, I'm sure he's around here somewhere. I'm sure he hasn't forgotten we're partners in the 2 vs. 2 tourney tomorrow."

"Do you honestly want to start this ceremony off on a bad note?" the Absol asked, nudging Pandora with her head blade.

"Oh, right. The tournament." Sidney had almost forgotten all about it. "Wait. You've got a partner already?" she asked, sounding shocked. She didn't mean to come across as rude, it was just that she realized she didn't have one. "Cass, are you allowed to compete in the tournament when you're a gym leader?" It was obvious what she was asking. Although, if the ghost trainer refused being her partner she'd probably consider entering alone.

"You mean, that you did want to be partners with me? I thought you and Cassius were...or at least I just assumed...oh, now I don't know who to pick! I mean, I just met Cal, but he's a really nice guy, but you're cool too, and I've been with you longer, if only by a few days...but then I did promise him...I don't know!"

"Actually, I'm, ah, on the panel of judges" the gymleader replied, "so I don't think I'll be eligible to compete. There's an individual competition too, though."

((Edit: yay, short post award!))