Author's Note: Hey everyone, sorry for the long delay with this chapter especially after what happened in the last few chapters. See, I was working on a new Wicked story called Boy and Beast and I was spending most of my time working on the first two chapters so I didn't get a chance to work on the chapter I was supposed to work on for The Thing. So, as an early Christmas gift for all you wonderful people, I present to you Chapter 8 of The Thing. I promise, as soon as I finish working on the second chapter of Boy and Beast, I will work on the unfinished of The Thing I was supposed to published before this!

thor94: Uh, I wouldn't call it a ritual.

Juster of Rivia: It's great to see you again! Thank you and I hope you enjoy this chapter!


Things were silent amongst the group of friends, Bonnie didn't even make a sound since she understood the seriousness of the situation. No one dare themselves to speak up for fear of making things worse than they already are. They just continue to sit in silence, despite the never-ending stillness beginning to feel a little unbearable.

As they continue to sit in silence, it made the siblings realize how they could hear everything in the environment around them. The memories of the corpses they found have eventually made its way back into their minds and now they're more anxious than ever. A single noise will probably make them panic on the spot. The worse part is that they have forgotten to tell Serena about what's been happening inside this household. But a part of them wonders if telling her that Ash was right about the Manor this whole time would only make her guilt worse.

Soft sounds of footsteps coming from the stairs immediately caught their attention. They turn their heads, expecting to see Ash but instead see a despondent Pikachu and a discouraged Greninja making their way down the steps. The looks on their faces instantly told them how things had just gone with their raven-haired friend.

"Let me guess, he's not gonna come down?" Clemont asked once the two Pokémon have finally made their way over to them on the couch. The two shook their heads, confirming the young genius's question. Pikachu hops onto Bonnie's lap and lets himself rest there, letting the soft rubs Bonnie is giving him on his back to soothe his troubles. He needs it after that whole mess.

Clemont sighs, afraid that this might happen. He turns back to the girls. "Well, I guess the only thing we can do is turn in for the night. It's getting late, anyway. Ash will probably come out and talk things out tomorrow."

Him using the word "probably" didn't really make her feel any better. That will just be giving the possible scenario of Ash never coming down at all and she will have to live with the guilt of what she has done forever. However, Serena tried to stay positive. Maybe Ash will eventually calm down and come out of the hole he had dug himself into. Hopefully, willing to listen to what she has to say.


Ash really thought he understood pain. He had been roasted by Flamethrowers more times than he could count. He had been electrocuted at least the same amount of times. He had endured many Pokémon moves and was still able to find the strength to stand up despite the throbbing pain that coursed throughout his body. Even the time where he had almost froze to death back in Unova, where his whole body had been stung with the icy, bitter coldness while it rendered him rigid on the ground as the frost slowly began to kill him.

But that was nothing compared to the hidden feelings Serena's words had brought back when he was just a little boy.

That pain he's currently feeling, he had almost forgotten what it felt like. It has been so long since the last time he felt it. Once the pain had taken over, Ash instantly remembered it. It was as if someone had stabbed him multiple times in the heart before grabbing it and slowly began to crush it until it was just an empty mess. Added that to all the stress he's been feeling inside this household, the pain had grown ten times worse than what he felt as a kid.

Thankfully, after his whole episodes, the pain eventually died down from agonizing torture to a throbbing ache. It was still there and it still hurt, but at least he could endure it for a little while longer. He's just glad that he isn't throwing a tantrum anymore.

It didn't change the fact that his entire room hasn't suffered from his frenzy.

Everything was a mess. All the relics inside the room were broken into multiple pieces that they surround the bed in a dangerous trap, so if someone were to try and walk on this floor, they would suffer from multiple scraps on their feet. Laying right on top the of the broken shards are the torn curtains from the windows. The walls that had been keeping his rage contained are now covered in bumps and holes that are about the size of Ash's fists. Oh, wait...

Even the bed was a mess. A pillow had been thrown across the room a little while ago. The sheets had almost been nearly ripped apart due to his stress and sudden urge to grip them as tight as he could. Now, the ancient sheets are now wrinkled beyond imagination. Even now as Ash laid on his bed facing the ceiling with dull eyes, his grip continues to remain vigorous on the sheets that are still being crush by his hands on each side. If he noticed his hands were cramping up from all the strain, he didn't seem to care.

His whole episode had been strenuous. His entire body, except for his hands, no longer wanted to move anymore. His brain didn't seem functional anymore. He knew he couldn't sob or cry anymore, but there's still tears rolling down his eyes and staining the bed. Maybe that's the pain taking over his body actions since his brain is probably just as drained out as he is. Yeah, sorry pal, he imagined his brain talking to him. I'm beaten, so someone else has to take over.

He decided to let himself think to ignore the pain for a moment. However, his pain made him immediately think about Serena's words again. No matter what, that pain will always find a way to keep making him miserable.

Why did Serena have to say that to him? Why did she do it? More importantly, why did Serena had to be one to say all of that? If it were anybody else, he would actually want to stay angry at them. It would be so much easier for him to deal with the pain the way. But, no. Serena, the girl he'd always have strange feelings over, was the one that reminded him of his guilt. With Serena, things have become more complicated. He didn't want to stay mad at Serena, a part of him knew that it wasn't her fault for screaming at him, he was the one that started it when he finally let this place get to him. But his pain wouldn't let him let go. No matter what he feels, Serena's words will always hurt him.

He doesn't even know if he should forgive her.

Ash sniffed. Whatever he wanted to admit it or not, but Clemont was right. He couldn't stay here forever. He'll eventually have to come down when he gets hungry, especially since he hardly ate anything from the moment he arrived in this household. Maybe he'll patch things up with Pikachu and the siblings for the way he treated them when they were only trying to help him.

But then that would mean facing Serena.

He sighed. Why did his father have to leave him?

Ding

Ding

His eyes widen. Not because of the old grandfather that's ringing outside in the hallway, signaling midnight. It was this strange sensation that spread over his body the moment the first ring came. There was no warmth or coldness coming from it, but it did make his entire being stiffen. It was like somebody was using Psychic on him.

Wait...

Ash tries to move his arms. Immediate dread begins to course through his veins when he realized he couldn't move. Instead of expecting his arms to shift slightly, a devastating amount of pressure is suddenly pressed on them. It hurt to move, but he still tried. The only thing that kept changing is the pressure that seems to be doing anything it can to be painful for him. Even when he tried his other appendages, the pressure just keeps coming back worse than the last.

When the pressure became unbearable, Ash opened his mouth to let out one of his most agonizing screams.

Only to realize no sound came out.

He was trapped on his bed, unable to move or speak.

Somebody, help... Ash begged in his mind, his inner voice sounding small as if he was actually talking. He closed his eyes, unable to handle all the stress he's feeling. Anybody... Please... Pikachu... Bonnie... Clemont... S-Serena... Greninja-

His eyes popped open. Greninja! How could he have forgotten about their mind links?

Greninja!


Clemont looked up when the old grandfather began ringing. The two hands are placed over the roman numeral version of twelve. It's midnight. They've been awake all the day and everything happened before they could fully process it. Realizing how late it was, Clemont takes out his Pokéballs. "Alright everyone, return." With that, all of Clemont's Pokémon, except for Dedenne, have been recalled.

Serena did the same thing with her own Pokémon, before turning to Ash's Pokémon. "Don't worry, guys," she said. "We brought Ash's backpack down here with us in case he was gonna come down and eat. But, after that," she didn't want to say it. "Ash isn't going to come down for a while, so we'll call all of you out when he does."

They all, minus Pikachu, nodded. While a part of them wishes they could have done more for their trainer, they knew that this is something for Ash to figure out on his own. So, one by one, the Pokémon are recalled into their Pokéballs by their trainer's friend. It kept going until it reached the Ninja Pokémon. Greninja was peacefully waiting to be recalled.

Greninja!

Greninja's eyes popped open when they were previous closed. Was that-?

Greninja!

Before the children could even blink, Greninja is already charging up the stairs faster than the speed of light.

"Greninja?!" Dumbfounded by the Pokémon's strange behavior, the three of them hurried right after him, followed by the unrecalled Pokémon. However, it might take a certain genius a while to get up those stairs.


Greninja, help! Ash continues to beg inside his mind while he continues to try and fight off the pressure that's keeping him down on the bed. He wasn't sure if the Ninja Pokémon was getting the message across, so he kept on calling out. The pressure is now beyond unbearable and he couldn't take it anymore. Please, help-!

A breath of cold air made Ash ceased his struggle. His blood freezes when he recognized where he felt this familiar chillness before. It was in the hallway before he and Serena got into that fight.

Thankfully, Ash's pupils weren't frozen like the rest of his body so he was able to move them around despite his head's stillness. However, he almost wished he couldn't move them once he sees the source of the chill.

A black mist, the same black mist that tried to do, whatever it wanted to do with him, is standing over him on the right side of his bed like a menacing killer enjoying the suffering of their victims before plunging a knife at them. Ash's heart instantly drops the moment he lay eyes on it, a familiar feeling of dread is now flooding his insides once again. Why is it here, now? Did it want to choke him like all those ghost girls? But even if it did, why would it want too? It's not even one of the marked victims, as far as he could tell. So why would-?

Ash couldn't think further as the black mist floats over him, shrouding his vision in a complete blanket of darkness.


The three of them couldn't understand why the Ninja Pokémon left in such a hurry. One minute he was peacefully awaiting his recall, then he's now running down the halls like his life depended on it. They were beginning to wonder if something happened when they noticed the direction Greninja is going. He's heading straight for Ash's room.

Greninja didn't know what had happened. Ash sounded completely desperate calling out to him, not to mention he sounded like he was in an immense amount of pain. He didn't know what was happening, but knowing that his trainer is in pain is enough to tell him that he's in serious trouble. Greninja could already see the door in his sights but stops in cold sweat once he fully realized what he just saw.

The children found themselves stopping when they see the Ninja Pokémon ceased his run as if something has paralyzed him. While Clemont took this moment to collapse onto the ground to catch his breath, the girls took the moment to talk to Greninja. "Greninja, why did you-?"

Serena cut herself off when her eyes trail off to why Greninja is staring at the door, her blood freezing along with every fiber of her being. Noticing their friend freezing, the siblings and Pokémon took a look at the thing themselves before their breaths hitch.

The door was wrapped in hundreds of strands of black string. Upon standing right beside Greninja, they realized with a sickening feeling that what's tangling door wasn't a hundred of strands of black string but a hundred of strands of black hair. The greasy shine from possibly old oil on the locks is what gave it away since not even string could shine like.

"I-Is that hair?!" Bonnie trembled at the sickening sight as she grabs onto Serena's legs and moved her head away so she didn't have to look at the door anymore.

Clemont had eventually stood up again and his now right beside the girls. "I don't remember Ash's door being wrapped in hair the last time Bonnie and I were here!"

Before Serena could make her own comment, a noise from behind the door stopped her. They wait in silence so they could fully make out of what they were hearing. After a few moments, they could make out gurgling sounds that sound like someone is trying to suffocate someone else. But the only person that they know is in there is Ash, then that would mean...

"Ash!" Forgetting about everything that happened, Serena let her concern for Ash's wellbeing take over and she charged straight at the door. Serena believed that the force from her collision would somehow break apart the ancient locks around the door, but she only ended up slamming her arm against with it doing nothing.

Serena winced when she felt her arm burn from doing all of that, but she ignored it as she cradles her arm and steps back. "It's bolted shut!"

"Could we try ripping it off?" Bonnie asked.

"Bonnie, there has to be at least a hundred of hair on that door!" Clemont shouts at her in a near-panic tone. "Even if we did, we probably won't make it to Ash in time!"

Before the humans could say anything else, Greninja and Pikachu each took a step towards the door with determined faces. Seeing that they're planning something, the children took a few steps back to avoid getting hit by the attacks. When Greninja's arm began to glow and Pikachu's tail began to turn to iron, the instantly recognized them as Cut and Iron Tail. Together, the two Pokémon brought their attacks down on the door.

Hundreds of black hair came falling down on the ground like feathers. It would have been beautiful if it weren't for the situation they were in.

"Thanks, you two!" Serena gives them a quick moment of gratitude before she heads over to the door and yanks it open. She immediately runs into the room. "Ash-!"

Serena stopped in her tracks. It wasn't because of the pieces of glass that are getting into her foot on the ground. It wasn't the entire state of the room that got her attention, either.

On the messy beds, there was no one upon it. She could see some tiny black splotches on the pillow, but she didn't pay much attention to it. She kept her gaze on the body print against the bed, indicating that someone was previously on the bed before something happened. The only person that she could think that was on the bed was the boy she hurt most.

Ash was gone.


Merry Christmas or have a good day everyone!