Oh what, an update?
Also, I got a ridiculous amount of reviews last chapter; it's unreal (for me at least). Thanks everyone for their praise, suggestions, etc. Sorry for making you all wait so long for a new chapter. I hope no one has high expectations for this, because I'm not very good at this whole horror thing...
But without further ado, here it is!

Mismagius, the Magical Pokemon
Its cries sound like incantations. Those hearing it are tormented by headaches and hallucinations.
- Diamond Version

#8 – Real Illusion

Dawn stared at the single badge nestled in the velvet cloth that lined her case, polishing her recently obtained Coal Badge for the umpteenth time in the past hour. Even though she had defeated Roark a few days ago, Dawn was still on a victory-high and was ready for more. After all, she was just a beginning Trainer, and the first taste of a win was always the sweetest.

Dawn was now standing in front of the looming trees that comprised Eterna Forest. The path before her was overgrown, the plentiful trees encroaching on the walking area. Light was swallowed up by the darkness, making it next to impossible to peer into the forest's depths.

Still, nothing would stop her from fighting her way through Eterna Forest. She has rivals she had to surpass after all. Her childhood friend Barry had the same goal as her – to conquer the Sinnoh League.

Without giving it a second though, Dawn charged into the pitch-blackness of the forest. The sky was obscured by the canopy of leaves, no light filtering through. She released her trusty Piplup from its Pokeball. The little blue penguin clung to her side, cowering in fear as they made their way deeper. Dawn continued to trek through the dense forest, pink boots getting tangled in the tall grass and underbrush.

Suddenly, it began to get very foggy, a thick mist drifting unsettlingly around her.

"I can't see anything Piplup, can you?"

The blue penguin gave a small chirp and shuddered, clinging closer to Dawn's leg like it hoped in could melt into it. Despite the mist, Dawn trudged on. In the distance, she thought she heard a quiet cackling, and a rhythmic chant of some sort. It sent chills through her spine, and left a disconcerting feeling deep in her gut.

'I'm probably just psyching myself out,' Dawn though, in an attempt to reassure herself. But the chanting only got louder and she began to feel her head pound.

The blunette whipped around, hoping to locate the source of the sound. She had no luck though, as the only thing around her was the dense fog. Straining her eyes to see past the curtain of fog, Dawn was shocked to see it suddenly dissipating. As quickly as it came, the fog vanished, thinning out and leaving Dawn in foreign territory. She was no longer lost in Eterna Forest; instead she was in the center of an arena of some sort, a crowd of cheering people surrounding her. Dawn could only blink, dazed. The booming words she heard next did not help to alleviate her confusion.

"We now present to you, Dawn, the new Champion of Sinnoh!"

The crowd burst into wild applause as the Champion Cynthia (or former Champion, if Dawn had heard correctly) took Dawn's hand and raised it to the audience. The stadium erupted with noise once more.

"This can't be happening!" Dawn managed to exclaim above the din of the noise. "I'm just a beginning trainer!"

"Nonsense!" Cynthia replied. "Don't be so modest. You're Champion of Sinnoh now, and I give you permission to gloat." The blonde winked.

She then looked into the distance, out to the far end of the battle field. Someone was approaching; a spiky head of blond hair and a lime green scarf were discernable, even at a distance.

"…Well it appears as though you already have a challenger," Cynthia said, not taking her eyes off the blond boy.

Dawn's azure eyes widened. "Barry?" she said incredulously. Her childhood friend and rival marched up to her confidently, pointing a finger.

"I told you I would catch up with you sooner or later! And this time Dawn, I won't lose!"

The blunette looked up, hoping for advice from Cynthia, but the former Champion had vanished, and had taken position as referee on the sidelines. Without any other warning Cynthia announced, "Let the match begin!"

The world before Dawn seemed to swirl, and the battle was over as soon as it started. Barry was kneeling at her feet, whimpering. "Please, make it easy."

"What?" Dawn stammered. "Make what easy?"

"…J-just get it over with quickly."

Dawn looked down, and in her hands was a sword, its silver tip glinting in the sunlight.

"You heard him Dawn, just do it."

She glanced back up, to see Cynthia towering over her, neck twisted grotesquely and a demonized smile on her face.

"Do what? I don't understand…"

"You know the rules. Anyone that faces the Champion and loses...must face death at the hands of their defeater." At this, Barry let out a choking sob.

"W-what, no! I could never! Barry's my friend; that's just crazy!"

The next thing Dawn knew, Cynthia and the other Elites, as well as their Pokemon had her surrounded, pressing closer with each instant.

"Do it, do it, do it."

"Please, no, stop!"

"Just do it Dawn," she heard Barry scream.

It was just too overwhelming – the deranged Elites, the cries, the chants….especially the chants. The incessant repetition of, 'do it, do it' brought Dawn to her knees, hands clasped over her ears.

"This can't be real, this can't be real," she kept repeating. "There's no way this can be real. You just got your first badge, and this isn't possible." The more she managed to shut out the noise, the more logically she was able to think.

"None of this is real!"

Dawn shouted at the top of her lungs, hoping the realization would rid her of the hallucinations, much like it seemed to work in the movies.

But they were still there, closing in.

"Do it, do it. Finish him."

'No, no, there has to be another way out. I refuse to hurt Barry even if it means…'

Dawn glanced at the sword shining at her knees, tossing around an idea.

'This is just a dream…or hallucination…or something, right? That means it won't hurt, I hope… The shock might be enough to wake my real body up. As Barry would say, 'it's just crazy enough to work'…'

She took one last look at the Elites and the Pokemon around her, and Barry laying before her, before tightening her grip on the sword's hilt. Taking a deep breath, Dawn squeezed her eyes shut before plunging the sword deep into her gut.

The blunette gasped at the world around her swirled once again. The forest reappeared before her, yet in a thick haze…despite the fact the fog was gone.

Instead of feeling the relief of returning to real life, all Dawn felt was a strange warmth on her torso…and pain. Excruciating pain. The sword in her hands had been replaced by a sharpened stick, but was still located in the same place – her intestines.

Dawn coughed, blood splattering on the ground before her and dripping out of the corners of her mouth. Through her hazy vision, Dawn could see her Piplup in front of her, clearly panicking with no idea how to help its trainer. She coughed once more, blood spilling further from her mouth and the wound in her torso. She was losing blood – and consciousness – fast.
Falling to her knees, Dawn's vision got blurry with every passing second. Yet despite the deafening of her senses, she could hear a sound coming from above her… A terrible cackling. With the last of her sight, Dawn was able to see a ghostly Pokemon, one that resembled a witch, floating in the air. It let out one last, satisfied cackle before disappearing into the trees.

And Dawn, with her final breath, let out a sad, "Goodbye, Piplup," before disappearing from the world of the living.

Oh, tormenting canon characters, how fun it is.
I can't decide whether or not I like this chapter. I'm kind of eh about it until the end. I hope you all like it though...
Anyway, reviews would be lovely; they let me know whether I should put in the effort in updating this fic, haha.
Up next will probably be…Gorebyss. Or Murkrow. Or Hypno. Hmmm. Depends on which one I actually finish first.

TRO out!