They had tried using the Pokedex. Its light flickered feebly and went dark, and not even Pikachu could recharge it. They had tried using the map. No matter how Brock turned it, neither the forest nor their path showed up anywhere on it. They had tried using the compass. It spun in aimless circles. They had tried keeping the sun over their right shoulder. The tree branches blotted out the light, and now, the sun had set.

A glowing full moon illuminated just enough of the forest to make every shadow look alive and hungry. The trees moaned as wind whipped through their branches violently enough to sway their trunks. The path shrunk before their feet, twisting and winding and so narrow that branches brushed their shoulders as they walked past.

Misty shivered as yet another branch caressed her neck. "This is too creepy. We should set up camp."

"These woods are too thick to set up tents," Brock pointed out. "And there's no telling what might be in woods like these. We haven't seen a single Pokemon for miles."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Misty asked. "No horrible bugs."

"It means Pokemon are avoiding this area for a reason," Brock grimly replied.

Misty and Ash both gulped. "Well, what if we had our Pokemon chop down these trees?" Ash asked. "Then we could make a massive bonfire."

Brock hummed to himself. "We might have to. Let's try going a bit further first. It looks like the trees thin out ahead."

The trio trudged on a little further down the winding path. Across a sharp turn, the forest suddenly opened up, revealing a large wooden mansion in the middle of a moonlit clearing. Sconces on either side of the entryway stood unlit, with oil-soaked kindling waiting for a stray spark.

"Yes!" Misty cried. "Thank goodness, an actual roof over our heads!"

"Nuh-uh, no way." Ash made chopping motions with his arms. "We are not spending the night in the obviously haunted mansion."

"Oh come on, Ash, we can handle a few ghosts. You have Noctowl, right?"

"Yeah, because being able to see the ghosts out for your blood makes it so much better, doesn't it Misty?"

"It can't hurt to check it out," Brock said. "We can take a quick peek, and if we see something suspicious, we leave right away. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a great way to get stuck in a haunted mansion."

"They might have food in their pantry we could use."

On cue, Ash's stomach noisily grumbled. Misty smirked as Ash glumly reconsidered the mansion.

"Fine. But if we see so much as a single ghost, we're leaving. Got it?"

"Right."

The steps creaked beneath their feet as they ascended the porch and approached the front door. Brock rapped loudly on the door and shouted, "Hello! Is anyone in there?"

They waited for a reply, but the abandoned mansion remained quiet. Brock tried the door, and it easily swung open.

"Oh great," Ash said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "The door's wide open. That's not suspicious at all."

"There isn't even a bolt." Brock showed the smooth edge of the door. "The mansion can't be locked."

"That's what the ghosts want us to think, but I'm not falling for it!" Ash unslung his backpack and propped the door open with it. "There. Now we can't get locked inside."

"What's stopping a ghost from moving the backpack?" Misty asked snidely.

Ash went pale and shoved himself into the doorframe. "Nope. Nuh-uh. I'm not getting caught, you hear me?"

"Ash, how about you let Noctowl check this place out before running away?"

Grumbling under his breath, Ash took out the pokeball. Noctowl appeared in a flash and idly surveyed the room.

"Noctowl, use Foresight."

Noctowl's gaze swept across the mansion's foyer. The grand staircase, the varnished floors, carved chandeliers, and walls of wooden planks all remained unchanged. Noctowl settled on Ash's shoulder and chirped at him.

"Guess it's clear," Ash said unhappily.

"See, I told you! Now let's find some beds!"

"And the kitchen," Brock added. "Food first."

With flashlights out and Pokemon at the ready, the trio picked a door at random. Brock's eyes lit up the moment he saw inside it.

"Wow, look at this kitchen! It's gorgeous!"

Wood countertops, wooden floors, pots and pans of sturdy oak, and a sink with a wooden hand pump. Ash eyed it skeptically. "Hey, why is the stove made of wood too? Wouldn't it catch on fire?"

Brock opened it. The inside was glossy black. "Looks like it was carbonized. Treated with heat like this, it doesn't burn except at really high temperatures." He slapped it shut, dusted his hands, and contentedly examined the kitchen. "You two go on ahead, alright? I'll whip us up something to eat."

The next room Ash and Misty checked had a large swimming pool. Though the floors and siding were all wood, none of the planks showed the slightest sign of warping or age despite the clear water sitting in the pool.

Misty squealed at the sight of it. "Oh, this is perfect! I'm so dirty and sweaty from all that hiking. Get out so I can get changed."

"Misty. Haunted mansion, remember? Don't you think this is a tiny bit suspicious?"

"Noctowl doesn't see anything wrong with it, right?"

Noctowl gave a confused hoot. Ash crossed his arms and said, "Rule number one of haunted mansions, no splitting up."

"Then what about Brock, huh?"

Ash flinched. "Oh no. Brock!"

"Right here!" Brock swept into the room with wooden plates loaded with onigiri. "The pantry had some leftover rice and pickled plums. Perfect for a snack."

Ash picked one up and sniffed it. "How'd you cook the rice so fast?"

"The wood is super dry, got a fire going very quickly."

"See, Ash, everything's fine. Why don't you two look for rooms while I wash up?"

Ash rolled his eyes. "Fine, but don't come crying to me if a ghost gets you!"

Ash stomped off, and Brock trailed closely after him. On a whim, Ash tried the first door he came across. It opened into a trophy room.

"Wow, neat!" Ash held up one of the gleaming metal trophies. Pikachu on his shoulder checked his reflection and made funny faces on its curved surface.

"Hey, check this one out!" Brock handed him a plaque. Ash gawked as he saw himself, with his whole team, posing with Drake at the Orange Islands.

"How did this get here?" Ash asked. "Brock, did you-"

When Ash turned to look, he came face to face with another trophy. It had his name on it, declaring him the winner of the Johto conference, along with a list of his Pokemon.

"But hold on, I didn't do this yet."

Ash tried to leave. A trophy for the Hoenn league blocked his way. Everywhere Ash turned, he saw yet another trophy for yet another region. He shoved them out of the way, waded through medals and ribbons towards the door. Professor Oak and his mom stood proudly by the exit. "Oh Ash, you did it!" his mom said. "You're the Pokemon master!"

"I - I am?" Ash asked.

"Of course you are!" Oak said. "You completed the Pokedex and beat all the leagues."

"But - that's not what being a Pokemon master is."

Brock looked confused. "Isn't it? How do you not know what you want?"

Ash fought back against the visions overwhelming him. To the owl perched on his shoulder, he shouted, "Noctowl, Foresight!"

Noctowl swept its gaze across the room. The medals turned to leaves, the trophies carved branches. Oak and Delia were wooden statues, puppeted by strands of ivy, their eyes aglow with crimson light. The moment Noctowl unveiled them, the puppets shrieked and charged at Ash. Pikachu lit them both up with a thunderbolt, reducing them to charred splinters.

"Nice work Ash!" Ash yelped and turned to see Brock standing behind him. "I almost got caught in that too."

"Yeah, I - wait a minute. Noctowl!"

Noctowl gazed at him, but the unveiled mannequin moved faster. It grabbed for Ash's belt, but Ash threw it off with a knee to its chest.

"Air cutter!"

The moment the blades of wind severed the ivy strands, the puppet fell limply to the floor. Ash leaned against a wall, huffing and panting.

"I knew it!" Ash shouted. "Haunted mansion! Wait 'til I rub it in - oh no! Brock! Misty!"

Ash sprinted out the door, only to run head-first into a wooden wall. Groaning, Ash rubbed his nose and scowled at the obstacle. "Oh no you don't." He threw a pokeball. "Totodile, Skull Smash!"

The crocodile lowered its head and charged. The wood fell in a shower of splinters as it ran through, burying it under a pile of wood. After a moment, Totodile popped out and waddled back to Ash.

Running back to the main hall, Ash threw open the door to the kitchen. Brock stood by the stove, stirring a wooden pot full of leaves and twigs. Mannequins stood in a ring around him, and roots dug into his arms. As Ash watched, Brock grew wrinkled and feeble, gray creeping into his hair and his back stooping low.

"Chikorita, Razor Leaf!"

Color returned to Brock's face as the roots turned to dust. He fell against the counter and gawked at the mannequins. "Forrest? But, they were just-"

"Haunted mansion!" Ash shouted as he dragged Brock along. "Told you so! Now we need to find Misty!"

Brock grimly nodded and called out his Zubat. The bat barely had time to get its bearings when a mannequin leapt from the ceiling, tackling it to the floor. Noctowl blew it away, and Pikachu fried it for good measure.

"Zubat, help us find Misty!"

The bat squeaked and darted off. Noctowl flew after it. As everyone else ran out the door after them, Misty's scream filled the mansion.

"Hang on Misty!" Ash shouted. "We're coming!"

Ash caught sight of Noctowl's tail feathers rounding a corner when more mannequins darted from the halls. They clambered over the walls like lizards, heads twisting at unnatural angles and shrieking like misshapen wooden instruments.

Brock called out his Geodude, and Ash sent Totodile and Chikorita to support them while he kept running after Noctowl.

When he passed through a doorway, a pile of leaves fell on his head. He felt Pikachu's weight shift off his shoulder, and Ash reflexively grabbed for him. Something tugged against his grip for just a moment, but once his fingers got firmly around Pikachu's ear, the tugging ceased.

When the leaves cleared, Pikachu sternly glared at Ash while he held him up by an ear.

"Sorry, Pikachu, but I was worried the ghosts would get you. I think they almost did."

Pikachu shivered and climbed back up his arm. Ash kept going, until he hit a patch of floor so slick his feet slid out from under him. His hat went flying, but Pikachu clung to his shoulder to tightly his claws dug into Ash's skin.

"Gah, I'm alright." Ash rubbed his back, glared at the slippery floor, and slowly inched his way across. When they finally made it through, Misty shrieked, ran around the corner, and barreled into them. Ash, Pikachu, and Misty all went sliding while mannequins darted nimbly over the frictionless floor.

Ash nearly fumbled the pokeball, but he got it off his belt and pointed it. "Cyndaquil, ember!"

Cyndaquil popped out and peppered the mannequins with fire. The puppets lit up as though they were doused in kerosene, and smoke billowed out of them in huge clouds that filled the entire hallway. Ash clung tight to Cyndaquil and Pikachu as the smoke blocked his vision. Misty grabbed him in blind panic, loosening his arm enough that Cyndaquil tumbled from his grasp.

"Cyndaquil!"

They hit a rough patch of floor. Ash charged back into smoke, but Cyndaquil slid out, sneezing at all the smoke.

"Phew. Thought they got you too, buddy." Ash looked around. "Hey wait, weren't Noctowl and Zubat with you?"

As if the question summoned them, a whirlwind blew away the smoke. Noctowl and Zubat swooped down, taking a perch on each of Ash's shoulders.

"Right, that's everyone. Let's get back to Brock, and stay together this time!"

Ash made his way cautiously through the mansion, but the way back proved quiet. He hoped it meant the house had run out of tricks for them.

Following the path back to the parlor, they found Brock applying potions to Totodile and Geodude. "The mannequins can use grass-type attacks," Brock warned them. I'm not sure if we're dealing with a whole group of Pokemon or just one."

"Well, I'm not about to find out." Ash strode over to the front door and firmly kicked it. It swung open without resistance. "Freedom! So long, stupid creepy mansion!"

Misty took a step off the porch. The moment her foot left the woden boards, her skin and clothes lost all color. A puppet, missing its ivy strands and glowing eyes, collapsed in a wooden heap at Ash's feet. Brock and Ash both gaped at the lifeless puppet.

"They still have Misty," Ash said.

"The mansion must have tricked us into leaving without her. We should-"

Brock suddenly cut off. Ash looked over at him and asked, "Brock? Something wrong?"

"We need to leave. Now."

Ash glared at Brock. "Without Misty? Are you crazy? We need to save her!"

"Turn around, and look up."

Huffing angrily, Ash looked back, then up. And up. And up. And up.

The wooden mansion was but a hollow cut into the trunk of a massive tree. Its branches sprawled against the night sky, plucking out the stars with its shadowy bark. Towards the top, where the trunk spread out into a sky-devouring canopy, two giant, glowing eyes stared balefully down upon the two trainers. The opening where the mansion sat twisted into a rictal grin. Jagged wedges of bark pointed down over the porch like teeth. Around the massive tree, the forest in its shadow was aglow with a sea of crimson lights, each a pair of eyes watching the trainers.

"We need to call the Rangers," Brock said.

"That will take too long!"

"If we go in there, we're not coming out, and nobody will know about this. We need to warn somebody."

Ash clenched his fists. "Fine, go then. I'm going in."

"Ash, no."

"What? You call the Rangers, and I'll save Misty. Once I get her out, the Rangers can deal with that."

"Ash, I can't leave you here."

"You didn't have any problem leaving Misty here."

Brock heaved a long sigh. "Fine. I guess if it comes to it, Onix can smash our way out. But please, we need to be careful."

Ash didn't respond. Instead, he walked back up the porch. Each step creaked loudly as he passed under the jagged bark teeth. A putrid gust of air wafted from the door, as though the mansion was breathing out. Ash steeled himself and shoved the door open.

The rooms were gone. In place of a grand parlor, with its many doors and its grand staircase, was a single hallway, leading to an empty staircase that descended into darkness.

Brock took one look inside and gulped. "Ash, I know I'm a hypocrite for saying this now, but this is the exact horror movie situation where everyone dies horribly at the bottom."

Ash took a torch from the entryway, lit it, stepped inside. Brock hesitated, waiting by the doorway, until he saw Ash descending down the steps, and raced to join him.

Each step echoed dully, reverberating around the walls of the stairways like a thousand phantom pitter-patters of marionettes chasing after them. The torches in their hands cast flickering shadows. Out of the corners of their eyes, red flashes blinked at them. Brock flinched and looked back, breathing out each time he got startled by a shadow, but Ash kept his eyes firmly towards the bottom of the staircase.

As they went deeper, their torches grew dimmer and dimmer. Ash hefted Cyndaquil in his arms and asked, "Think you can give us a light, buddy?"

Cyndaquil strained and flared its flames, but even its fire couldn't dispel the preternatural gloom pervading the stairwell. Even Pikachu tried, and though the light of its sparks chased away the shadows for a while, eventually, even Pikachu's light faltered before the stairwell's darkness.

As all light disappeared, leaving Ash and Brock in total darkness, a new light shone from the bottom. A faint red glow, like a light from underneath a doorway, beckoned them lower and lower. Ash and Brock wordlessly readied pokeballs and ran the rest of the way. The light grew brighter and brighter, casting the walls in crimson shadow. Veins in the wooden walls almost appeared to pulse in the flickering shadows, as though a massive heart pumped blood through them. A ferrous stench of old blood, mingling with the earthy smell of a freshly dug grave, wafted up from the bottom.

Ash and Brock stumbled when the staircase abruptly stopped. Once they caught their footing, they looked up. The narrow stairwell opened up to a massive chasm. Thick roots dangled from the ceiling like nooses. Drops of liquid fell from them and splashed into crimson pools.

Brock wordlessly called out his Onix and Geodude. Ash ran forward, with his Pokemon following at his heels.

"Misty!" Ash shouted. "Where are you?"

"Not so loud," Brock hissed. "We could get attacked at any-"

The walls shifted. Roots wriggled and broke free of the dirt, rising languidly into the air like serpents. Onix roared and slapped its tail on the ground, and the other Pokemon raised their own cries.

"-moment," Brock finished resignedly.

Ash glared up at the roots and shouted, "Where is Misty? What did you do to her?"

A deep, booming cackle shook the cavern walls. Ash winced and covered his ears, but with his eyes still open, he saw a clump of roots hoist Misty in front of him. The roots dug deep into her chest, pulsing as they drained her of life. As Ash watched, a fresh shoot sprouted from her neck. Misty shrunk, skin pulled taut over her skull and collarbone, as the shoot thickened and sprouted leaves.

"Get that thing out of her!" Ash bellowed. "Noctowl, use quick attack!"

Noctowl stared silently at Ash. Taken aback, Ash asked, "Noctowl?"

Another clump of roots came forward. Trapped in their embrace, Noctowl hung limply as another shoot sprouted from their back. More clumps brought out Totodile and Cyndaquil, each limp, lifeless, and withered.

The illusions flaked away like old paint. Two marionettes pounced on Chikorita and Pikachu, pinning them against the ground while roots wrapped around them. A winged marionette dove at Ash, tangling them both in the puppet's strings.

As Ash struggled against the ground, he felt a sharp sting in his wrists and ankles, then the world faded to black.

Ash bolted up in his bed. Gasping for air, Ash checked his wrists and ankles. Not a mark lingered on them, but he could still feel a phantom pain lingering in his limbs.

When he tiredly shuffled out of the bedroom, Brock cheerfully greeted him as he flipped eggs onto a plate. "Morning Ash? Sleep well?"

"No. Had a nightmare."

"The ghost house again?" Brock asked. "Yeah, I got that one a few days back. I still can't believe Charizard got us out of there."

Ash struggled to remember. He only came down with five Pokemon, didn't he? Charizard was still at Charicific Valley. "How did Charizard know we were in trouble?"

Brock shrugged. "Instincts, I guess. But hey, at least we all made it out okay."

"We did?"

Another door opened, and Misty walked, out, still wearing pajamas, yawning and stretching her arms. Ash gawked at her neck, incredulous that not a mark remained of that tree growing from there. "What?" Misty snapped. "Is something wrong with my hair?"

"How are you alive?"

Misty crossed her arms. "What is that supposed to mean? Do I really look that bad?"

Brock went over to her and murmured, "He had the nightmare again."

Misty's expression softened. She came over and wrapped him in a hug. "Oh Ash. I'm right here."

Ash immediately felt weird. He wriggled out of it and said, "Misty, hugging me? Guess I really am dead."

Misty smacked him on the head. "There. Is that better?"

"Alright, jeez, cut it out." Ash sat down and wolfed down a huge scoop of eggs. "So," he asked, mouth full, "Where to next?"

"The Silver Conference, of course. You have a League to win."

"I do?"

"Silly Ash, of course you do!" Misty said. "Pidgeot came back for it, don't you remember?"

Ash frowned in confusion. "But wasn't Pidgeot watching the Pidgey? Who's going to protect them?"

"And you have all your other Pokemon too. Charizard and Kingler, Snorlax and Muk, and Venusaur too."

"Venusaur?" Ash checked for his pokeballs, but his belt was gone. "I thought he didn't want to evolve."

Brock looked taken aback. "But how else are you going to win the league? Even Pikachu evolved."

"Rai-rai!"

Ash's stomach plummeted. He slowly turned and saw a Raichu leaving his bedroom. The pose, the attitude, everything told him it was his Pikachu, but the body was all wrong.

Ash leapt from his chair and shook the table hard enough to rattle the plates. "No. This isn't right. Pikachu wouldn't."

"Ash?" Misty asked. "What's wrong?"

"No! I know what this is. It's that stupid ghost house!"

"Ash, calm down," Brock said. "I'll call Nurse Joy. Just lie down and relax."

"No! No I won't!" Ash looked up and shouted, with all his might, "Pikachu, thunderbolt!"

The lights dimmed in the kitchen. Brock, Misty, and Raichu all faded into smoke. The smoke wafted together, forming a vaguely tree-like shape with crimson eyes. "Oh Ash," it crooned in a soft, wooden voice. "This could've been gentle and painless. You just had to ruin it."

"Let me out! Give me my friends back!"

The shadow chortled. "Oh Ash. Your friends are right here with you. And you'll all be together for the rest of eternity. Isn't that what you want?"

"I want them to be happy, no matter what. Pikachu!"

"Pikachu can't hear them. None of them can." The shadow swept closer, looming into Ash's face. "No one is coming to save you."

"Pikachu…" Ash felt himself weakening. "Thunderbolt. Please."

"Just a little more. Don't worry, you'll enjoy your new life."

"Pikachu…"

As Ash felt his vision fading and his mind slipping away, a sharp jolt of electricity raced through him. The vision vanished, and Ash saw the cavern beneath the mansion once more. Electricity raced through the roots, frying them to dust. Ash fell to the pool beneath him, getting soaked in the red liquid, but he charged towards Pikachu. The electric rodent clutched at the roots, preventing them from wriggling away, as they pumped every volt of electricity they had into the tree.

One by one, Brock, Misty, and all their Pokemon fell free from the roots. Brock recovered first, checking Misty for a pulse and sighing in relief when he found it. Chikorita and Totodile blinked awake next and tried nudging Cyndaquil and Noctowl awake.

As the electricity climbed higher, the tree shrieked. "How? How are you even doing that? You should all be mine!"

"Keep going Pikachu!" Ash shouted. "Finish it off!"

"No, I won't let you! They're mine! Mine! You're all mine!"

Pikachu's eyes snapped open. It glared up at the tree. With one final cry, it sent a massive bolt of thunder upward. The ground shattered, raining dirt and wood splinters across the cavern. As the bolt traveled upward, the wooden trunk fractured. Branches split apart, and the crimson leaves burned to a crisp. The Trevenant's glowing eyes widened in panic, and its roots flailed wildly, trying to smack Pikachu away.

With one final push from Pikachu, the Trevenant exploded. A ghostly aura burst out from its shattered remains, slamming through everyone like a concussive blast. Once it had passed, Ash sat back up and flexed his hands and feet, as if trying to convince himself he was still alive.

Brock groaned and leaned against Onix. "Next time, we're calling the rangers."

"We're all alive, aren't we?"

Chikorita's and Totodile's frantic cries made Ash run over. Cyndaquil and Noctowl were limp and lifeless, and a hand over their chests found no heartbeat.

"No, I-" Ash sank to his knees. "I came to get you guys. We beat that ghost. So why? Why aren't you waking up?"

Brock came over and put a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Ash-"

Ash swatted it away. "No! Not after all we went through. I can't-"

Purple fire ignited with a quiet hiss from Cyndaquil's back. As Ash watched, a white light suffused them, and a moment later, a sleepy-eyed, purple fire Quilava nuzzled Ash's chest.

"Wow, Cynda- no, Quilava, you evolved!"

Brock gaped at the new evolution. "Uh, Ash? I'm pretty sure that's not what a Quilava's supposed to look like."

"Who cares?" He checked Noctowl over. "Come on, please evolve too."

Brock clenched his jaw. "Ash, Noctowl don't evolve. I - I'm sorry."

"Who says he can't? Right Quilava?"

Quilava looked Noctowl over. It grabbed Noctowl by the neck and raced back upstairs.

"Wait! Quilava!" Ash bolted after him, followed closely by Brock and the Pokemon, with Onix carrying Misty. There were far fewer stairs going back to the surface, and the last stretch of stairs were buried under Trevenant splinters. Once Ash broke through, he found Quilava waiting before the forest, with Noctowl lying before them.

As Ash ran up to them, the forest lit up with a thousand glowing eyes. Ash froze. His breath caught as the trees stirred and closed in around the group.

"Stay away from them!" Ash shouted. "I'm warning you!"

"You freed us," the trees whispered. "We've been here so long. I had forgotten what the sun felt like. We are indebted to you." The sentiment was echoed in a thousand voices, lost in a tumult of gratitude and joy. Ash shouted over them, "Is there anything you can do for Noctowl?"

The trees parted. From their midst, a lone Phantump drifted forward, hands nervously rubbing together and warily meeting Ash's eye. As the Phantump came closer, Ash noticed feather-like patterns in the bark. Two curved branches sprouted at the top, like Noctowl's feathery horns, and its roots dragged behind it in a fan-tail shape.

"Noctowl?" Ash asked breathlessly. "That's you, isn't it?"

The Phantump nodded and regarded its former body. With a nudge from Quilava, it dug its roots into the limp avian body. Ash started forward, but a low growl from Quilava stopped him short.

As the Phantump dug itself inside, the body changed. Green plumage sprouted in a hood over its head, its wings grew long, stiff feathers, and its whole body stretched upward. With a flash of white, the transformation competed, and Decidueye's eyes blinked open.

Ash gasped with joy and wrapped his arms around the Pokemon. Decidueye chirped quietly and returned the hug. When they parted, Ash looked over at the living forest and asked, "What about you guys? What are you going to do now?"

"Live well, Ash," the trees said. "And good luck on your journey."

As the sun rose, the lights in their eyes faded. The trees shrunk in on themselves, until all that remained was dead, gnarled wood. After a few minutes walking past them, the landscape opened up onto a view of Ecruteak City.

"So," Ash said, "Next time, you're going to listen when I say we shouldn't go into the obviously haunted house, right?"

Both Brock and Misty glared at him, and Ash burst out laughing. Soon, everyone, people and Pokemon alike, laughed as the sun and the sight of civilization warmed their hearts.

And in the shadows of the dead trees they had left behind, amidst the wreckage of the carved mansion, a lone root stirred and buried itself in the soil.

A/N: wrote this for a Halloween competition, then quickly realized that there was no way this was going to fit in the four-page limit. And I was right. This was a 12 page monster. So, I hacked its limbs off and remade it into more of a campfire story/cautionary tale sort of deal. Didn't win, but had a very respectable number of votes, so I'll take it. I'll probably post that later too.

There were three prompts I could have chosen from: haunted house, the trees are out to get you, and there's an impostor among us. I, uh, had trouble deciding. :P

This originally had a much darker ending. I wanted it to be a mystery, that the whole 'Ash's Pokemon got swapped out without him knowing deal' culminated in him thinking he had won, only for the ending to imply that the giant Trevenant got him. Decided against it and did the whole deus ex machina Ash calling Pikachu deal. I think I like it this way better.

Welp, that's it out of me. Happy Halloween, and stuff yourselves sick on candy.