Into Oblivion

A Hallowe'en Special oneshot by Niet

It was early afternoon on October 31st. A Luxray mother gently nudged her child awake from his nap. "Come on, Sutaa-bō," she said. "Time to wake up, or you'll miss the fun." The little Shinx mumbled and kicked in his sleep, finally waking and opening his eyes. He smiled at his mother. "Hi," he said, his voice a quiet squeak. His mother groomed his fur a little, straightening it. "I'll be waiting downstairs," she said. "Don't be long, now." Once she was gone, he rolled to his paws and stretched, giving a big yawn that ended with the most adorable squeak. He hopped on to his bedroom table, looking into the mirror. "Tonight's my first Hallowe'en..." he whispered to himself. He smiled in anticipation of the night, and glanced at his clock to see how much time he had before his friends would show up. "Huh... that's odd..." His clock had stopped. That wouldn't be odd for a traditional clock, but for a digital one? Unusual, certainly. The display was a little glitchy too, as it read 13/12/13 31:10:13. He nudged the clock, buzzing it with a weak spark, and the clock returned to normal: 31/10/13 13:12:13, and the seconds counted as they should. Satisfied, the Shinx jumped down to the floor again and headed downstairs. There he found his father, a Floatzel. He had travelled from a distant land far to the west, simply as a bet to his friends that he could cross an ocean alone. Then he met a beautiful Luxray and decided he'd rather stay with her than go back and collect his winnings. The Shinx jumped right into his father's arms, startling him, but he caught his son and laughed. "Hi Dad!" the child squeaked. "Hello, Star," his father replied. The Floatzel used his free hand to pet Star, lightly scratching behind his ear and causing him to purr loudly and give a soft mew of satisfaction. "You'll make him fall asleep again at that rate, Suima-kun," Star's mother said as she came out of the kitchen. "He pounced on me," Swimmer replied, laughing, as he gently let Star down to the floor. "You know that's no excuse. You need to help him with his costume." Star smiled at that. He didn't know what his costume was, but his parents had been talking about it and commenting on how good it was. He hoped they were right, he wanted to have the best costume out of all of his friends! That would make him leader for the night, so he knew there'd be some competition. His father went upstairs briefly, returning with a carefully-folded pile of black cloth. "Okay, Star," he said, putting it down and kneeling next to the Shinx. "Let's see how well it fits." Ten minutes later, Star was overjoyed. His parents had made him a Shiny Umbreon costume. It fit really well, and when he looked at himself in the mirror only his golden eyes revealed who he really was. Well, that and his head shape, but that didn't matter. The costume was beautiful. "It's amazing!" he squeaked happily. "If you think that's amazing, check this out," his father said as he turned off the lights. "Whooooa..." Star mumbled as his costume lit up, the blue rings glowing brightly and illuminating the surrounding area. "Awesome, and practical," Star's mother commented. "No matter how dark it gets outside, you can find your way home safely, using the light from your rings." "So cool..." the Shinx squeaked as he turned to try and look at his costume's tail. Swimmer flicked the light switch on again, but instead of the light gently glowing, it sparked bright and blew out. The family was startled, especially Star, who gave off a blinding flash of his own in his panic. He bolted, but only succeeded in blindly crashing into his mother, who lay down and curled around him protectively to calm him down. There was a giggle of laughter, and a Rotom emerged from the lightbulb. "Gotcha!" it said in its electric voice, before zooming to the switch to turn it off and on again. This time, the room was lit as it should be, and the Rotom zipped out of the house. "So it begins," Swimmer commented with a laugh. "You okay, Star?" "Uh... Uh-huh..." the Shinx mumbled as he slowly uncurled from the shivering ball he had been in. His mother nuzzled him. "You're gonna have to be strong if you want to be team leader out there, Sutaa-bō." "I know," he replied, getting back on his paws. "I just wasn't ready. But I will be tonight!" Just then there was a knock at the door. Again, Star squeaked in surprise and flashed his fur, before calming down by himself. "Sutaa!" called a voice from outside. "You ready to go? We're all waiting for you!" "Sounds like your friends are even more eager than you to get started with the fun," Swimmer said. "Make sure you stay with them, Star. Hallowe'en can be a lot of fun in groups, but being alone is not safe." "I promise," Star replied. "I'll be sure to always be with someone else." "Good. And don't be out too late, okay? You don't want to wear yourself out, you've got school next, and you don't want to mess up your sleeping pattern by staying up all night." "I know, I know... Can I go now?" he asked, pawing at the floor. Swimmer laughed at his son's eagerness. "Okay, off you go. I'll see you later, Star." "See you later, Dad! And you, Mom! Thank you both for the costume!" His mother smiled at him. "Be safe, Sutaa-bō," she said as he ran past her. Star fired off a spark at the door handle, triggering a switch to open the door. Outside were his friends, all dressed up in their costumes. First there was Moon, the one who had called. He was a Poochyena, dressed with spikes and red paint to look like a sort of bloodthirsty monster. Behind him was Hasty, a Munchlax covered in orange paint and a brown wig to look like a Pumpkaboo. And next to Hasty was a Combusken named Kasai. He was the oldest of the group, with two Hallowe'ens under his belt compared to one each for Moon and Hasty, and of course Star's zero. His costume consisted of a black elastic fabric over his head, trailing red streamers. It didn't make immediate sense, but Star realised that once it went dark it would look like he had lost his head. Clever. All three were in immediate awe of Star's costume, though. His Shiny Umbreon outfit was far better than any of their costumes. "That's..." mumbled Moon. "... amazing..." continued Hasty. "You should be team leader for sure!" Kasai wasn't as impressed, though. "It is a great costume, but the rule is you have to make it yourself. That means I'm leader." Star's ears flopped at hearing that. He didn't know about that rule... "Come on, Kasai," Moon argued. "Does it matter who made it? He has the best costume, he should be leader." "Rules are rules, no way around it." "But --!" "It's okay, Moon," Star mumbled. "I... I don't think I could be a good leader this year anyway." Moon tried to argue a little more, but didn't get anywhere. Kasai was leader, and that was final. With that determined, the group of friends headed up the road, towards the town centre. Swimmer watched the group from the window, and kept watching until they turned a corner and were out of sight. He remembered his first Hallowe'en, and how much fun he'd had with his friends. Now he was a parent, his job was to sit at home and give out treats to the children who came by. It was still fun, just seeing the different costumes and watching everyone else enjoying the night. He turned away from the window. "Tora?" he called, heading into the kitchen. "Not here... Tora?" There weren't any other rooms downstairs, so she must be up above. The Floatzel called again as he climbed the staircase. "Tora... where are you?" Still no answer. Reaching the top, Swimmer immediately noticed a light from Star's room. The other rooms were all dark. "Tora?" he asked, pushing Star's door open. The light was coming from Star's clock. It was again stuck and glitched, so he went and tapped it a few times until it jumped back to normal. Still... no sign of the Luxray. Swimmer turned to leave the room, when the clock - the room's only light source - fizzled out. With the blinds still closed from Star's nap, the room was cast in pitch blackness. "Tora!" he called, fumbling for the light switch. He didn't need to find it, as a new light bloomed from behind him. This one was purple, casting eerie shadows around the room. Swimmer span sharply to see what the source was. "TOR--!" Kasai's group joined a number of others in the town square. There were at least a hundred children here, all in disguise, but Star was proud to notice that none of them were even close to the one he was wearing. He could hear praising comments from the children they passed by, and he was really happy to have parents who would make him a costume like this. He would have had a very hard time of it by himself. There was much chatter among the large group as they waited for the first event to start. "Come on..." Hasty mumbled. "I want treats already..." Moon laughed. "If you fill up too soon, you'll be falling asleep before we get anywhere. Remember last year, you fell asleep halfway through and I had to bring you home before going to the last event." Star tilted his head. "You took him home, then went to the event alone...?" "Yeah, it was the fireworks. Apparently they get better every year, and they're already really good." "But... Mom said... it's dangerous to go alone..." "Take this how you want, but sometimes parents just say things to scare us into behaving. Now, if you leave town by yourself, then that would be dangerous, but inside? It's fine, there's nothing to worry about." "O- Okay," Star said, not really convinced. Some time passed, until the sun was starting to set. The street lights started to flicker on, but in place of the normal lights there were purple flames. The Chandelure revealed themselves, floating around the square and letting off will-o-wisps until the entire area was surrounded by floating light-blue orbs of fire. "Welcome, children," said one of them as he descended from above, in the middle of the square. "We have prepared a special night for all of you. Each group is to choose a wisp, and follow it wherever it goes. Do not lose sight of it, and be careful not to follow the wrong one, or your prize will elude you. And of course, you know what prize is waiting for you tonight. "Yes! Food!" Hasty said loudly. The Chandelure laughed a little. "That's right, a nice little stash of treats awaits each group, but should they fail in their task... the group may be lost, down dark alleyways, where no light shines... and ghosts lurking in the shadows, waiting to spirit you away to the next world! Beware, children, if you become lost... then you will lose... your soul..." As he said that, his flames burst brighter, flaring around him, then dissipated. They left nothing, as the Chandelure and the others around the square disappeared, leaving the wisps and a spooky laughter. Kasai didn't seem fazed by the ominous story. "Come on, let's get going. If we hurry, we might even be able to snatch another team's treasure." "Isn't that... unfair?" Star asked. "I mean, I wouldn't be happy if another team took my treats..." "That's how it works, Sutaa," Moon replied. "The team with the most treats at the end of the night wins. If there were no stealing, then everyone would win. The idea is to do well in the events, and steal from other teams to claim victory." "Oh, I get it," Star said, smiling now. "But that also means we need to do well just to stop other teams from stealing our prizes." "Exactly," Kasai concluded. "Which is why we need to get going. We're already falling behind." "Lead the way, Kasai!" Hasty said. "Take me to the food!" Half of the wisps were already gone by the time Star and his friends made it to the edge of the square. Kasai quickly chose one, and it started leading them away. Immediately it turned from the main road into an alley. Its light cast flickering shadows, but thanks to Star's costume and its glowing rings the darkness was much more manageable. With Kasai leading, Star second, and Moon and Hasty in the rear, everyone benefited from the costume's light. Unfortunately it seemed the Chandelure had thought of that, as the wisp turned to lead the group into a narrower path between two buildings, and the path was filled with a black haze. The wisp could still be seen, but as the group advanced Star's light became less and less useful. In fact there came a point where it became a hindrance, as the light reflected from the haze, making it impossible to see anything. All Star could see was light blue, everywhere, and the wisp ahead of him. He followed, figuring he would see Kasai before bumping into him. Finally, he emerged from the haze. "What..." he muttered. The wisp hovered ahead, staying still for now. But Kasai wasn't there any more. Star looked back. Was he maybe still in the haze? Star wasn't able to see much, he could have easily walked past the Combusken without realising. "Kasai?" he called. "Moon? Hasty?" he added, as it had been a few moments and they hadn't emerged despite being right behind him before. "It would seem you are lost, little one..." a deep voice spoke. "Wh- What? No! I'm not lost! The wisp is right... there?" In the time spent looking back at the haze, the wisp had vanished. "You lost the wisp, Star... For that, you must pay the price. Your soul belongs to us now..." "Kasai!" Star called again. "Moon! ... Hasty... Anyone! Where are you?" Surely, another group must be nearby. They could hear him, and would come find him, right? "Too late, Star. You have already crossed into our world. There is no way back, and even if someone comes to help you... they too will become lost." "But perhaps it is not so bad," said a second voice. "To lose is to find... And you certainly have something... someone to find." "You have my friends? Let them go! Let me go!" "Oh no, your friends are fine. Sort of. Kasai's trying to follow the wisp, but Moon and Hasty, they want to go back and look for you." A shadow took form in front of Star, and he could see the three friends arguing. "Forget the wisp," Moon said. "Sutaa is back there somewhere, we have to find him!" "How'd he even manage to get lost with that costume of his anyway?" Kasai replied. "He'll be fine, the ghosts won't go after him, not with that light. Now come on, or we'll lose the treats." "I don't care about the treats!" Hasty argued. "We can't just leave Star on his own!" Star smiled. Hasty cared about him more than food, and that meant a lot. "I'm here!" Star shouted, running towards the figures. "Look, I'm here..." However, in spite of his running, his friends remained the same distance away. "You cannot return, Star. You are among us now. It's ironic that your glowing costume, intended to protect you from the night, instead blinded you in the haze and made you lose your way. Come now. The next world awaits." "No! You can't take me! I want to go back!" "Even if you could go back... you would find your way but lose so much..." "What could I lose that's important enough to stay here?" "You're not the only one we have captured tonight... Sutaa-bō..." The voice changed from its booming volume to a softer, gentler voice. One Star recognised immediately. "Mom? Mom, is that you?" "It's me, Sutaa-bō. Everything's okay. Come, follow my voice, and everything will be fine." The Shinx was reassured by her voice, and he obeyed, following the sound of his mother's voice. "Come, my child..." the voice guided Star, until he saw a light ahead, the first light he had seen in this dark world. "You're almost there, Sutaa-bō. The light will guide you back to our world. Come..." "I'm coming, Mom! Wait for me!" He ran, closing the distance to the light and his freedom. "No!" another voice spoke. It was another that Star recognised. "Dad?" the Shinx squeaked, stopped sharply and falling over. "Star, my son... the spirits are tricking you! If you reach that light --" "Silence," said the first spirit voice, cutting off Swimmer. "Sutaa-bō, the spirits are closing in on you... hurry, come closer..." "No, Star! Run away!" The Shinx panicked, taking a step towards the light, then one away, swaying back and forth between the two. He didn't know who to listen to! And all the while the voices urged him one way or the other. "I don't know!" Star cried out, collapsing to the ground. "Help me!" This time, at last, his cry for help was answered. A dazzling yellow light bloomed, and from it came a majestic Pokémon. She had piercing red eyes, glowing brightly in the darkness, and her nine flowing tails curled behind her as she approached the young Shinx. Star looked up at her nervously, shying from her stare. The Ninetales turned to face the light, and gave a sharp howl. "What are you thinking?" she snarled in the direction of the light. "This little one is far too young to be here. You know it is not his time!" "Of course we know that, why do you think we've been leading him? He still has his will to live, we cannot drag him here, he must come himself..." "Why him? There are plenty of spirits passing on to this world every day. Lives that have been lived, filled with memories." "You wouldn't understand... it is the young, they are so full of potential... the energy of the life they could have lived... it sustains us, far better than the lives that have been lived." With a bark, the Ninetales released a powerful jet of flame at the light. "You have a responsibility! A sacred task given to you by the Creator. You are abusing your powers, and I am here to stop you!" "When a child dies, should we not guide it to our world?" "This child did not die! He has no place here. Release him. Now." "... We have no control over his will. Take him. If that's what he wants." The light faded, the only source now was the Shinx's costume and a soft radiating aura from the fox. She nuzzled Star, who shivered in fear. "Wh- What did it mean... if it's what I want...? Why would I not want it?" "They have no control over your mind, because you haven't died. So their only way to take you is to trick you into not going back." "Is that why they imitated my mother's voice?" "... Yes. They knew you would trust her without question, and used that to guide you right into their trap." "But what about Dad? I heard his voice too, he was telling me not to follow the light." The Ninetales looked away for a moment. "Come on, let's get you out of here." Star followed the Ninetales, back the way he had come. He asked about his father a few times, but the fox remained silent. Finally, they were back where Star had entered the spirit world. The Ninetales let out of a howl, and a spinning ring of fire formed just ahead. Inside, Star could see his friends, still there and searching for him. The Shinx started towards them, but he shivered and stopped. "Why... Why won't you tell me about Dad's voice...?" he asked one more time. This time, the fox sighed. "In this place... to lose is to find, and to find is to lose. The spirits... they..." "They what? What did they do?" "They have taken your parents. If you find your friends... you lose your parents. And if you find your parents, you lose your friends. You must choose, Star." The Shinx squeaked, shivering. "No... no no no... that can't be true! You can bring them back too!" "I'm sorry, Star... they have already passed to the next world. I cannot save them." Star looked back at his friends, who seemed to have just given up their search as they were leaving. He looked at the Ninetales, who averted her gaze, unable to face the child. "Take me to them..." Star said. "I... I want to be with my parents," he decided. "You have your whole life ahead of you, Star. It... It is natural for our parents to leave us behind. You can reunite with them after you've lived your life in all its --" "No. My parents are my life. Without them... no. Take me to them... Please..." The Ninetales met his eyes, and saw the decision in them. She nodded, closing the fire ring. "You know... A long time ago... I was taken from my parents. I wanted to go back, I did everything I could to return, back to the world of the living. I stayed here, at the border, and I was able to be close to them. I found happiness in watching them being alive. But... when their time came, that is when I lost them. They passed on, but because of my actions... I could not follow. You are giving up the rest of your life to find your parents again. Perhaps that is best." Star gave a nod as he followed the Ninetales to the next world. He was losing his friends... but even in life friends come and go. His parents, though... he would find them, and be with them forever.

Happy Hallowe'en to you as well, Niet! Even though it isn't Halloween quite yet down in the Americas. What a touching and spooky story- perfect for Hallowe'en!

My PFQ notifier went off as I read the part about the lights turning off. Oh, how it scared the life out of me, during early morning, and reading a story. xD

I finished listening to the music and left the tab open and out of nowhere it started up a again scaring me. Not to mention my friend sent me a text and it gave me the notification. Loved the story, loved the music and love the lavender town tune you enabled.

Very nicely written. It was such a sweet story. :) Also the Lavender Town music was a very nice touch. :D Though it's not quite Halloween in the America's, Happy Halloween! ^^

O.o You should seriously go make a section in the forums called "Niet's Awesome Stories," honestly! This was awesome, and I'm surprised a Munchlax wanted its friend more than food. xD

Niet, your Pokémon short stories are formidable themselves... They're great reads and this one is no exception. I loved the emphasis on the darker side of pokemon, since there are so many creepy/morbid Pokédex entries that hardly receive due attention. I would have liked to have more dialogue/rivalry or some sort of discussion amongst the Trick or Treaters and clarity as to what the ghosts/spectres were, since it was all a bit hazy. I'm definitely curious for what's next and even a little excited about the winter holidays' potential. c: Great job!

Happy Halloween from Washington State! What a fantastic story! Very well written!!!!!

Wow, perfect! Niet, you should totally continue this story and the other one shot you made. You have great potential here sir. Among the story the Halloween background skin is awesome. It made me think my phone glitched up hehe ^^ keep writing Niet, I want to read more.

Great story Niet! I love the new theme but is there a way to use it with out the music playing in the background?