"Well, I kinda, sorta figuered that out already, but it's alright anyway. What I would like to know is about the tournement, after a tour of the tower first...that is, if I get to go."

((Sorry. Was having lunch.))

((I guess it's time skipping time. Gryph, can you post about the tower? It is your creation after all. ^^; ))

Cassius had once seen a picture of the bellsprout tower in the Jhoto region, and despite the incompletion of the Fortree temple he saw quite a few similarities between the two. The pagoda stretched up above the treetops, looking almost like a strange sort of tree its self as its green roofs and brown "trunk" blended into the foresty setting. In front of the temple was a large stone statue, unpolished and carved roughly to look like a group of forest pokemon all gathered around a very small version of the temple.

"So?" said the gym leader. "What do you think?"

"It's really beautiful." Sidney had her head tilted back, amazed with how tall they could build buildings now. "You can barely see the top."

"It's not complete yet," she told them, thrilled by the group's excitement. "But everything is going to be just fine now that the King of the Dead himself is here."

"The King of the Dead?" Sidney asked. "Wait. That was the character in your story, wasn't it?" She was looking at Cassius now. "So he really exists?"

Winona looked at the ghost as well, her expression changing very quickly. It was almost as if she was saying, 'What? She doesn't know?'

"Oh, boy," Ginger sighed, her paw on her forehead.

Mike couldn't help but put on an "Oohh..busted!" look on his face. "Either the King of The Dead is coming..or he's already here, right next to me...although I already had my suspicions, escpecially when Pandora kinda blurted it out."

"I was trying to tell you back at the pokemon center" said Cassius, drooping a little. "When you asked if the stories were about me, you were right." He hesitated, then looked back up at Sidney and Michael. His eyes had changed from their usual purple to blood red, and their faint glow could be seen despite the bright sunshine overhead.

"I wonder if she'll flip him over her shoulder again" muttered Pandora, hiding a little behind Ginger. "He's never really told a human like this before…"

Sidney looked shocked at first, almost frightened. She didn

Mike was barely shocked, since he mostly knew the truth, but if he told Sidney that, she probably be mad at him as well. "I...don't think she took it well...", Mike stuttered. "Hopefully, she'll be alright."

Cassius closed his eyes- he'd expected that to happen, on some level. He wasn't human, not even close, and he'd spend the last several days pretending… what, that he was a normal trainer? He didn't even like trainers, he'd spent most of his afterlife avoiding them. It served him right, really; just another reminder of who, and what, he really was. The ghost trainer said nothing to Michael, Ginger or any of the others, but just continued walking towards the temple. After all, he had a job to do.

"I think I'd better stay back here" muttered Pandora. "He's gonna need some 'alone time' to brood."

((So who are we going with? Cassius and Winona or Ginger and Pandora? And what's Michael gonna do now? xX;; ))

((Well, I was thinking my character was about to participate in the tournment, unless that was later in the RP, or go up in the tower, even though Cassius probably didn't want him to anyway .))

((Why not do both, and Michael can choose one group or the other to follow? Or we could follow just the group Mike follows...

Edit: The tournament is during the festival, so it starts the next day game-time.))

((Ok, the tourney starts tomorrow game-time, and right now my character is going up to the tower against Cassius' wishes. Or something like that.))

Winona used a smart move by saying nothing about what had just occurred and worsening the already chaotic situation. "Just watch your step. We haven't exactly finished cleaning up yet."

"Oh, this is greeeat." Ginger heaved a heavy sigh, shaking her head. "Sidney's the maddest I've ever seen her...if you don't count the time I hit you with a Shadow Ball. Mister Ghost is looking like he just got done watching a depressing drama film. And I'm so frustrated that I feel like my brain is going haywire!" She tried to calm herself, taking several deep breaths. "Maybe we should go find her..."

Mike took a deep sigh, "I'm going up there, wheather anyone of you...or Cassius...want me to." Taken a few quick steps, then breakig into a run, entering the tower. "I don't care if he really is a Haunter, he saved my life, and Sidney's, so he's still my friend in my book.", he said quietly to himself.

Cassius stepped carefully over the construction debris littering the front steps, adjusting instantly to the relative darkness of the temple by causing his eyes to glow again. No reason to hide it now, after all. He was what he was, even if that made him a freak to both humans and pokemon. He ignored both Winona and Michael- they were humans, potential enemies should they choose to attack. Nothing more.

"If you're sure she won't try and eat us or anything, sure" said Pandora. "I'm a little worried about leaving Cass alone, though- I hope he's not going over that whole 'I'm accepted by no one' routine again…"

Mike, kept running for a short while, but then slowed to a brisk walk as to not fall or crash, which he had already done twice this adventure. He maganged, through the dark room, to see Cassius up not far ahead.

The gym leader noticed Michael, but didn't shout at him to get out. He was with Cassius after all. "One man designed all these statues. He came all the way from Violet City, Johto to help us out."

----------

"Oh, really? How does that work exactly?"

But there was no time for Pandora explain, because Slick decided to drop from the sky again. "Geez. What happened? I saw Sidney marching of in a huff awhile ago."

"Oh, did you? Good, 'cause we need to find her."

"Why should I tell you where she went? You're her best friend. You probably have a good idea where she is without my help."

"She's going home?"

"Bingo!"

Cassius nodded, looking around at the statues with a blank expression on his face, similar to the "possessed" look he'd honed down to a fine art over the years for use in gym battles, only a little less frightening. He tried to concentrate on how he was going to purify the building, but he had a few other matters on his mind.

- - - - - - - - - -

"Dunno if that's such a good thing" muttered Pandora, "if her parents are involved in organizing the festival, they probably already know about Cass… ah well, better go find her and convince her he's not an evil bloodthirsty demon out to eat the souls of the innocent. If we can convince you of his innocence, how hard can Sidney be?"

"Excuse me," Winona said loudly, trying to get Michael's attention. "But you shouldn't trail so far behind. You might get lost and the workers won't be too happy with you for wandering around the tower and being a distraction."

----------

"There's only one problem," Ginger told the ghost. "She doesn't understand Pokemon speak. We can 'haunter' and 'absol' her all we want and she won't be convinced." She looked back at the ghost Pokemon doll still riding on her back. "Hmm."

Mike was pretty deep into the tower already, but could still barely make out what Winona shouted. It didn't matter to him that much though, since he was within sight of Cassius, trying to follow him, slowly and quietly, hoping Cassuis didn't notice him.

Cassius turned his head to stare at Michael for a moment with his glowing red eyes. It wasn't a glare, exactly, but it had roughly the same meaning; I'm brooding, thanks for the sentiment, but go away immediately or I'll sink deeper into melodramatic depression.

----------

"Jeez, where's the walking translator when you need him" said Pandora, thinking. "Oh, I've got it! I could possess her!" he said cheerily. "Then I could explain how Cassius is really a nice guy, and how ghosts like him only possess really evil people like, uh… maybe I need to think through my argument a little more."

Mike came out of hiding, "Look Cassius, ghost or not, you saved my life, and Sidney's; you're our friend. You keep thinking your alone, but your not, you've got me and Sidney by your side."

((Gotta go for today.))

((Winona's with Cassius, Sneaky_Sneasel. She's showing him around.))

Winona knew Cassius was distracted, so she tried her best to snap him out of it. "Would you like to see the top of the tower then?" She waved to Michael. "And what about you?"

----------

"Possess her and you'll have these claws for lunch." She spread them out for Pandora to see. "But, uh...that's actually crazy enough to work. But let's use that as a last resort. I have a better idea." She grabbed the doll's arm with her teeth, offering it to Pandora. "You could give her this. Maybe she'll think he's appologizing. If that doesn't work, then maybe you should wait for her to fall asleep...and you could tell her in a dream. She'll be less mad that way."

Cassius nodded to Winona, ignoring the young trainer. Sidney certainly didn't seem to agree with him, anyhow. Secretly, however, he felt just a little better thanks to the electric trainer's little talk.

- - - - - - -

"Actually, I'm not sure I could even get in while she's conscious, so that might not be such a bad idea" said Pandora, "we'll try the doll thing, though, and maybe if she brings it up her parents could do the talking for us. We really should have brought Maiden along- she's studying illusions."