The world appeared to sense that Halloween was here. All of the brilliant green leaves of the surrounding forest had turned to a multicolored array of oranges, yellows, and reds. The chilly autumn air rolled across Berry Falls, blowing the fallen leaves across his beautiful ranch. Dozens of jack-o’-lanterns, filled with succulent sweets that took most of the day to make, were hidden about the ranch, ready for the night's festivities.

Currently, Ethan was standing in his room standing in front of a mirror, inspecting his costume. A pair of bluejeans, running shoes, a black undershirt, a blue vest with white sleeves, and an and an all too familiar red and white hat with a green stylized L. He was Ash Ketchum, at least for the day. He’d told his pokemon that he was going to be a ‘big-league battler’, and he wasn’t lying.

Happy with his attire, Ethan smiled and exited his room, then the house, arriving and the eager and excited group of dressed up pokemon gathered near the Oddish.

Pachirisu chittered and talked animatedly with Chatot, who sung a catchy tune in response. His white and blue friend had one of the simplest costumes, a pair of overly large fake pointed teeth that attached to his normally bucktooth maw. Trailing down his mouth, a puree of Cherri berries made up the ‘blood of his victims’. He was a little vampire for the day, and he was excited about searching all the nooks and crannies of the ranch for treats.

Chatot had a much more elaborate costume. With plenty of fabric, time, and effort, a wonderful outfit came into being. With a peg leg, a large black tricorne adorned with a skull and crossbones, and a fake toy sword attached to her hip, Chatot was the spitting image of a pirate’s first mate.

Shuckle stood near them next to Smeargle. His berry bud listened in on the conversation, but he was a little too fearful to join in. His bright red shell had been painted over with the help of the resident painter, becoming a blaring orange. Instead of a yellow noodly body, he instead was brown all over, becoming a perfect pumpkin pal.

Smeargle kept looking down with an inquisitive eye, occasionally using his orange-tipped tail to shore up the areas where red peeked through the paint. He was dressed in a black and orange robe, with the stereotypical pointed hat all self-respecting wizards and mages across the world wore tonight.

Ralts had a gaudy red and white dress on and a cheap plastic silver crown on top of her head. She stood above all others on the patio, looking down her nose at the peasants down below as Munchlax pretended to make food with a pile of berries off to the side. He was dressed up in a chef’s outfit, tall white hat and cross buttoned jacket and all.

Ethan went over onto the patio and used his old phone to throw on some Halloween music to play over the speakers set up around the ‘party zone’. Soon enough, Micheal Jackson’s Thriller blasted out around the gathered pokemon, gathering their attention.

“Okay! Tonight, I have hidden a bunch of Jack-O’-Lanterns around the ranch, filled with tasty treats and sweets! Some might require teamwork to find! Only take a handful of whats within, so that the others may come along and find the same one for a reward later!” Ethan announced, to the growing excitement of the pokemon.

“There’s none in the surrounding forest, so don’t bother looking there. If any of the wild pokemon want to join in, do your best to explain what you’re doing and let them know they’re free to join! Now, you have twenty minutes to find as many as you can! Time starts…. Now!” Ethan smirked as the pokemon all froze for a second, then burst off outwards towards different areas.

—---------------------------------------------

“Let's go to the berry fields! I bet there’s a few jack… jack-o’-things there! If any are buried, I can dig them up! If any are up high, you can Psychic them down!” Shuckle said as he trudged forward, leading the way to his favorite place with Smeargle by his side.

“That’s a good plan. You and Pachirisu are the experts in those fields, and we all know he's gonna argue with Chatot over nothing, just wasting time.” Smeargle replied, making sure his hat was in the proper place.

As the duo traversed the field of berry trees, the spooky music faded as they grew further and further away. Hundreds of wax candles had been lit by Ethan earlier, causing the entire ranch to be thrown into a dimly lit, eerie and creepy atmosphere.

They searched high and low for a minute or two before seeing a more well-lit area off at the very end of the field, near Ethan’s veggies and fruits. Shuckle wasted no time in wriggling himself forwards with a gummy smile at the light. After closing the distance, he found himself at the spot where he and Munchlax had buried every single berry they could find to create a super tree! Beside the small gray sapling sprouting up from the earth, a jack-o’-lantern, looking just like his costume, grinned at him with its jagged mouth and eyes. On top of the carved pumpkin, a small basket of sweets just asked to be taken.

“Smear! Smear! I found one!” He shouted as he wriggled his limbs and glanced back, only to find himself all alone. His smile quickly faded as a chill ran up his spine. The music was gone, too far away from Ethan’s home to make it this far, the chilly air and the dim lights in the black of night made him fearful.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

But this was still the ranch… he was safe here. He wriggled forward, grasping a handful of sweets and treats, before grabbing a little extra for Smeargle. With arms full, he checked his surroundings, before heading back to drop off his haul.

“Eheeeheeeheeeee!”

The haunting, faintly echoing laugh of a child chilled him to his core. Treats fell, Withdraw flared, and a scream tore through his throat!

—------------------------

"Dearest companion, I find myself in need of your most peculiar talent. You see, somewhere in this grand domain lies a hidden trove of the finest treats imaginable. I require one with the keenest nose, a sniffer most superb, to help me uncover these delights." Ralts said, throwing out her hands in a grand gesture as she twirled to face Munchlax.

“I eat, I don’t… have a sniffer?” The rotund chef replied, questioning. He wasn’t even sure what a sniffer was.

"Might I, with all royal decorum, implore you to engage in a rather... how shall I say... canine pursuit? Yes, yes! Just a delicate sniff here and there should suffice. Surely, the faintest of scents will lead you to our treasure, given your… proclivities."

Ralts waited… and waited… staring expectantly at the utterly confused chef before she gave up and sighed. “I want you to smell the treats. I doubt you stumble your way onto all the food you find.”

Munchlax’s confusion faded away and a giant smile plastered itself on his face. “Oh! You should have just asked!”

Ralts slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she reigned in her anger. They stood next to the speaker, blasting out that Bring Me To Life song that Ethan listened to occasionally. Yes… he just couldn’t hear her over the sounds… that was it.

Munchlax sniffed and sniffed, sticking his nose in the air before he looked down at the wood. “Below us!” He yelled, eager for treats!

“Good, my chef! Let us feast!” Ralts said, simpler for her companion to follow along with—Err, hear over the music.

They both bopped down the stairs, then ducked under the thin beams of wood that held up the patio, finding the glowing carved pumpkin hidden right beneath their nose. A basket full of candy was right next to it, the glow of the jack-o’-lantern sending a warm glow across their prize.

Ralts’ eyes glowed a bright pink as she tried to use her mind to levitate some of the candy, but she still wasn’t capable of the feat. “Munchlax, go gather our prize! Remember to leave some for the others. I’ll tell Ethan if you take too much.”

“embraceing the role of a tattletale…”

“Did you say something?” Ralts glared, armed crossed.

“No…” Munchlax, murmured as he scrunched up their treats.

“Eheeeheeeheeee!”

Ralts’ head snapped towards the nearby forest. “The distorted have come!”

—--------------------------------

“You just pick me up, then we fly across the ranch looking for the pumpkins.” Pachirisu said, arms crossed.

“I can’t pick you up when I have this wood leg thing! I’d drop you if I just used my one foot!” Chatot chided back, not thrilled with the plan.

“Oh? Too weak to pick me up with a singular foot? No wonder you get the left…” Pachirisu said dismissively, not even deigning to look at Chatot anymore.

“I’ll Boomburst you into oblivion. Ethan isn’t here to set down rules to protect you anymore!” Chatot snapped, flaring out her wings.

“Oh yeah!? OH YEAH?! How about we head on over to the fields and settle this once and for all! Or are you too scared?!”

“Let’s go!” Chatot finished, flying off through the air off towards the battlegrounds. Pachi darted forth, following along on the ground, eyes pinned up above at her traveling form as he weaved through the ranch.

As he arrived at the training field, he found Chatot on the ground, in front of a glowing pumpkin and a basket of treats. Next to the basket, a small note card was leaned up against it. Thoughts of battle were forgotten. Pachi joined her side and looked at the card. He couldn’t read, but Chatot could.

“What does it say?” He asked.

“Oh? Need my help now do you?” She bit back, but ended up relenting. She looked dejected as she read the note. “Pachirisu, Chatot, today is not a night for fighting. I know you battle in secret. Eat the candy and apologize to one another. Love, Ethan.”

They both fidgeted, looking over their shoulder to see if they’d been spotted. Pachirisu, obviously being the better pokemon of the duo, spoke first. “Sorry. You’re not weak. I just didn’t like my plan not being used…”

“I’m sorry for the threats… Let’s eat some candy.”

As they reached and grabbed their bounty of sweet treats, a chilling laugh echoed around them.

“Eeeheeheeehee.”

—------------------

“Annnd, that’s time.” Ethan said quietly to himself as she stood at the gate to the meadow. He turned down the music from his phone, cupped his hands to his mouth, and shouted outwards. “TIME’S UP! COME ON BACK!”

It took about thirty seconds before startled screams and shouts announced the arrival of his costumed friends and family scampering back with faces full of fear and despair! Following up behind each of the groups was an identical pokemon. With a ghostly body, glowing red eyes, and a head of wood, three Phantumps surged after the scared witless pokemon. They were making eerie laughs and ‘Woooooos” as they swooped down low to pick up the occasional bit of candy dropped from his fleeing friends.

“AHHHHH ETHAN! THEY’VE FINALLY COME!” Ralts screamed into his mind as she blinked forward rapidly, falling down through the air after each mini-teleport.

He winced at seeing the crying and fearful faces of his friends.

Maybe… Maybe he should have warned them of his hired actors.