The Storm From Nowhere

The sky is a deepest, darkest black, lit only by the light of the far away moon. All around, as far as the eye can see, dense forest surrounds, through which no person could see anything but the leaves behind. A cold chill permeates the air, and for some unknown reason, the whole location gives of the feeling of being… otherworldly. Disconnected from any other location, existing in its own bubble – a bubble that gives off an unnervingly creepy aura.

In the centre of this bubble lies a building. A sizeable chateau, of a type of construction from a bygone era, its towering presence commanding attention. Cobwebs in every corner and faded glass give the impression of a place left abandoned for a long time, yet while obvious signs of wear exist in the creaking, the building does not seem to have fallen into disrepair. A simple clean-up and a few minor fixes could easily bring it back into use for a new generation, even if the presence of porch lights with candles outside hint at a likely lack of modern luxuries.

All of a sudden, the empty sky turns cloudy. The clouds thicken quickly and soon no trace of the black background is visible behind the sheet of clouds – clouds which, even in the darkness of the night, still appear ominously grey. Seconds later, the first drop of water hits the ground… then another, and many others quickly follow. From a still chill, the weather has suddenly turned into an intense rain, which only falls faster as time goes on.

As the rain reaches its peak, a loud rumble permeates the space. Suddenly, a bolt of electricity hits the ground with a loud CRASH, lightning striking a seemingly innocent spot in the grassy grounds around the building. More bolts follow, each bringing with it a similarly loud noise and a bright flash, but never appearing to harm the building around which the rain continues to fall.

In this stormy, dark, desolate location, a shadow stands upon the roof. It watches over the storm with a devilish glee to its face. In the darkness of the night, this shadow would be impossible to see were any mortal eye ever to cast a gaze in this barren location that it calls home. Yet the shadow becomes aware it is being watched; and, as it turns around, a mist builds up, before forming itself into two distinct shapes – one, a round, smiling face surrounded by formless gas; another, a larger, spikier head whose form seems to drag behind itself.

“Is Master Jinji enjoying himself?”

The shadow laughs, as he recognises the forms in front of him as two of the many Ghosts that, along with himself, call this area home. Gastly and Haunter, in their youthful curiousity, have come to watch the Gengar they refer to as their “master” as he demonstrates his superior Ghostly power.

“Kekeh, what do you think brothers?”, the Gengar enquires. “Rain Dance plus Thunder makes for a very convincing storm, don’t you think?”

“It really makes for an atmosphere!” The Haunter replies.

The Gastly, meanwhile, is filled with awe. “How do you make the Thunder so loud and so frequent?”, it asks.

“You’ll soon learn how to create the perfect storms yourself, once you have harnessed your energies and gained strength as I have”, the shadow responds. Then, with a thrust of the arm, another bolt shoots from the sky, hitting the pathway in front of the mansion’s entrance in a bright flash.

The three Ghosts laugh as his Ghostly energies allow the storm to continue for many hours.