Calling his friend Hale up, Jared quickly apologizes for forgetting to let him know about his next match.

Ignoring that, Hale changes the topic with concern in his voice, "I saw your match before this one... and watched you get carted away on a stretcher, why did you flip out like that?"

"I have my reasons..."

"Alright, well, I'm sure you do."

Hale seems like a good friend to have... I really don't want him to distance himself from me if he thinks I did that for no good reason... but I just met him, I don't know him well enough yet to readily risk giving up my advantage.

Pausing to recall what Jared had said at the beginning of the call, Hale continues "About what you said earlier, don't worry about it my man, I was already feeling a bit dun for the day, and headed home, I'm making dinner now! good to hear you're still in it, can't wait to see your next one!"

.

Asking the red ribboned guard that led him here for a small favor, he is then escorted to the small repurposed medical ward.

People watch him stumble past, the bloody hospital gown was too eye-catching, but Jared felt too tired and painful to feel self-conscious.

Gastly notices, however, and laughs.

Not even knowing what Gastly was laughing about in his exhaustion, Jared just grunted in agreement.

.

Jared gathered his old clothes from the small medical ward, and put them on before heading home, they were kind enough to wash and dry them when he was first brought in, so he was quite thankful.

Feeling like the dead, he reaches the door of the building and then told Gastly to possess him, however, Gastly had refused, stating that he'd return home after dark.

Too tired to argue, he clumsily struggles to make his way home, only getting there after two hours because he kept having to stop and rest.

.

Turning the key he spies Kai sleeping, then whispers, "Well, I'm back later than I said, hope he didn't feel worried" too exhausted to make food, he gets a little water, then pushes Kai over to make room on the mattress, before going straight to sleep.

.

Pain is the first emotion as he gets up, and the first smell is that of boiling rice.

Kai handed over a bowl of rice, as Jared lays in bed.

"You look more beaten up than me, what happened to you?"

"Ah, Kai, I had a little accident at the tournament is all, I'll be fine."

Taking a seat on the corner of the mattress, with a bowl of rice, Kai asks with interest, "how? did the glass break?"

"Ah, no, I was participating"

Almost dropping the bowl in surprise, Kai excitedly shouts, "You got a pokemon?!"

Jared remarks with a laugh, "Yeah I do, by the way... thanks for not kicking my doors hinges out and running away with my stuff."

"I wouldn't..." Kai's eyes go wide then looks down.

"Ah, I was just kidding,"

Kai's eyes shine, "Can I see your pokemon?"

Phasing through the wall, Gastly flies straight through Kai, with a ghostly wail,

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Were the last words of a fainted Kai, the bowl of rice dropped as he fell.

Well... luckily the bowls are wooden, I can't afford to replace them.

Jared glares at the ceiling, where Gastly usually haunts, "Ah... Gastly did you need to do that,"

Gastly mentally scoffs, "Hrmph, tell me why you brought him here, and maybe I won't do it again."

Looking away Jared trails off in thought, "I..." , "just thought he looked pitiful."

With a snort, Gastly disappears.

Filling a cup of water, Jared splashes it on Kai's face when his words fail to rouse him.

Eyes wide, and dripping with a bit of water, Kai looks around fearfully, "Where? What? what was that thing?"

"Sorry about that Kai, my partner pulled a little prank on you..."

"It was your pokemon?, Kai was still shaken.

"Yes" trailing his eyes to the ceiling, Jared then continues in a louder tone, "Say, Gastly, he's going to live with us for a little while, can you give him a proper greeting?"

"I'm hungry human, give me more negative energy"

Jared shakes his head, "That's not what I asked Gastly."

"Shut up human, I'm not your pet to show off"

Kai looks around with confusion, then tentatively asks, "Who are you talking to?"

Looking at Kai, Jared replies, "Gastly" then turns back to the ceiling with narrowed eyes, "And he's a bit moody right now."

Bending down to unhook the phone off the charger, Jared winces from the pain and notes his match will be in two hours.

"I gotta head out again Kai, same deal as before, I can lock you in, or you can go out."

"I'll go out..."

Jared frowns, "Do you still have any friends around here to play with?"

"Yes," Kai, looked away.

"Alright, but be careful, you don't have a phone so I can't let you know when I'll return, but I should be back before dark," Shaking his head Jared sighs, "I would bring you with me, but I have no money to buy a ticket."

.

"Ah, Kale, it's Jared, how's it going?"

"Hey Jared how's it going my man, I'd love to chat, but I'm at work, I was gonna come watch for another day, but I decided to return to work early."

"Er yeah, sorry to bother ya, I'll talk to you later?"

"Yeah, yeah! let me know how the matches go!"

With a slight smile, Jared hangs up.

Gastly questions him, "Why keep calling him?"

Still tired, Jared dodges the question, "How about first telling me why you are so grumpy, don't tell me it's because you couldn't find your way back and had to search all night?"

A flustered Gastly retorts in Jared's mind, "NO I ... I WAS..."

Scratching his head, Jared interrupts him, saving Gastly from trying to complete the sentence, "I've never had many friends Gastly, and I'm new to this world, every time I talk with him I learn something new"

.

Walking through the Tapu Research Lab doors, a few people seem to recognize Jared's presence and begin recording him with their phones, while some others just whisper while sneaking glances.

"That's the guy with the Gastly right?"

"Yeah, I'd recognize him anywhere, that's the freak that wore the blood-soaked hospital gown, and beat himself up."

"Record him, maybe he'll go crazy again!"

"You're a famous human," Gloated Gastly.

Ignoring the remark, Jared picks an empty spot to stand, as he fiddles with his phone.

He searched through the news website Hale had directed him to, so he could watch a few videos, but keeps getting interrupted when a few people keep coming up to him to ask if he's the *Gastly guy.*

Shooing them away with some quick answers, Jared finds out his phone can't even watch videos, so he just sighs, and puts it back in his pocket.

Looking around, he finds even more people had shown up from upstairs and started recording him with the others.

"Ok, the trainers I understand, but why do people keep coming down from the elevators to spy on me?" Jared knits his brows, "Am I really that interesting? Don't they have anything better to do? They could be using their tickets to watch a match right now..."

In Jared's mind, Gastly roars with laughter, "They are my fans human, they were too impressed with my strength, you should be thankful to me, Human! hahah"

Jared just shakes his head and occupies his time by looking around idly, he soon notices a group of people surrounding someone who doesn't appear to appreciate the attention either, but he just glances past.

As if noticing Jared's gaze scroll over him, Kekoa looks over, but Jared had already looked away. As if it were planned, Kekoa narrows his eyes and begins walking over.

The two crowds merge and watch excitedly.

With the same hungry eyes, the shorter youth looks up to meet Jared's gaze after stopping a few meters away, Jared had noticed the commotion in the crowd, and instinctively turned around with a blank look when he spotted the child.

(Why is this little kid staring at me... oh maybe he's lost and is too shy to ask for help?)

Jared's bad memory fails to remember, or perhaps the situation was too strange, and his previous injuries are at fault, so he defaults to assuming it's a lost kid. He crouches down to meet the kid's eye level to try to make him feel more comfortable, then kindly asks, "Er... are you lost, kid? do you need me to help you find your parents?"