Thunder rolled across the sky.
Heavy rain slammed against the town relentlessly, water pouring from rooftops and flooding the stone streets below. The storm had arrived during the middle of the night and showed no signs of stopping.
Inside the hotel room, Alex stood near the window silently watching the storm.
Something felt wrong.
More wrong than usual.
Behind him, Violet sat on her bed half awake, wrapped in a blanket while glaring at the weather outside.
"...I hate rain."
Alex didn't answer immediately.
His eyes kept scanning the streets below.
Empty.
Mostly.
But not completely.
A few figures still moved through the storm wearing long coats and hoods, disappearing quickly between buildings.
The town felt nervous today.
Like everybody was waiting for something.
A knock echoed against the door.
Instantly, Alex's hand moved toward a Poké Ball.
Violet noticed immediately and sat upright.
Another knock.
Three slow hits.
Alex approached carefully.
No sound outside.
No breathing.
Nothing.
He opened the door slightly.
An old man stood there soaked by the rain, holding a folded newspaper beneath his arm.
"The owner asked me to deliver this," the man muttered before leaving immediately.
Alex closed the door and unfolded the paper.
The front page immediately caught his attention.
MULTIPLE LEAGUE OUTPOSTS ATTACKED OVERNIGHT
Suspected involvement:
Team Eclipse.
Confirmed casualties:
12.
Several officers missing.
Witnesses describe coordinated assaults using Ghost and Dark-type Pokémon under severe storm conditions.
Violet walked closer slowly.
"...They're escalating fast."
Alex kept reading silently.
Then his eyes narrowed.
One line stood out immediately.
Possible Eclipse movement detected near Emberhollow forest sectors.
Silence filled the room.
Then thunder exploded outside.
Violet looked toward Alex.
"...You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"...Yeah."
If Team Eclipse was operating near the forest—
Then the abandoned house wasn't random.
The Gengar wasn't random either.
Something connected them.
Alex folded the newspaper slowly.
"We're going back."
Violet blinked.
"...Right now?"
"Before the trail disappears."
She stared at the storm outside.
"...You know normal people don't go into haunted forests during thunderstorms."
"We stopped being normal a while ago."
"True"
Thirty minutes later—
They were moving through the forest again.
Rain hammered the trees endlessly while mud clung to their boots with every step.
Visibility was terrible.
The forest looked completely different under the storm.
Darker.
Alive.
Lightning illuminated the trees in brief violent flashes.
Their Pokémon stayed outside their Poké Balls this time.
Riolu moved ahead carefully, sensing disturbances through the rain.
Meanwhile Ceruledge walked silently beside Alex, blue flames hissing slightly against the water.
Violet wiped rainwater from her eyes.
"I seriously hate this."
"well deal with it"
"...Was that sarcasm?"
"...Maybe."
That actually surprised her enough to laugh slightly.
Then—
Riolu stopped instantly.
Its posture changed.
Alert.
Danger.
Alex reacted immediately.
"Positions."
Everyone moved instantly.
Then lightning flashed.
And for a split second—
Figures appeared between the trees.
Black robes.
Silver masks.
Gone the next second.
Violet's expression darkened.
"...Team Eclipse."
No response came from the forest.
Only rain.
Alex's eyes moved carefully.
"They're surrounding us."
Then—
Shadow Ball.
"DOWN!"
The attack exploded against a nearby tree violently, sending wood fragments everywhere.
Three masked figures emerged from the storm.
Then two more.
Five total.
None spoke.
One stepped forward slowly.
A distorted voice echoed beneath the mask.
"...The outsiders found the house."
Alex's grip tightened around his Poké Ball.
"So it belongs to you."
"No."
The figure tilted its head slightly.
"...It belongs to him."
The atmosphere immediately became colder.
Then all five members released Pokémon simultaneously.
Murkrow Haunter Houndoom Umbreon another Haunter
Rain exploded around them as tension snapped instantly.
"Battle formation!" Alex shouted.
Everything moved at once.
The first Haunter lunged forward through the rain laughing wildly.
"Ceruledge intercept!"
Blue flames erupted violently.
Night Slash collided against Shadow Punch midair, creating a shockwave through the rain itself.
Meanwhile Murkrow dove from above toward Violet.
"Sneasel!"
Sneasel leaped upward instantly, claws colliding against wings as both Pokémon crashed through wet branches.
Alex's mind moved rapidly.
Too many enemies.
Bad terrain.
Ghost-types empowered by darkness and storm conditions.
The Eclipse members weren't random thugs.
They were coordinated.
One masked trainer suddenly raised a hand.
"Use Confuse Ray."
Both Haunter attacked together.
Purple light spread through the battlefield.
"Zorua, illusions now!"
Zorua created multiple false copies across the forest instantly, disrupting the targeting.
But the enemy adapted quickly.
Too quickly.
"They've fought illusion users before," Alex realized immediately.
Then pain exploded across his side.
The old wound.
A sudden movement.
The Umbreon had slipped through unnoticed and slammed directly into him with Quick Attack.
Alex staggered backward into the mud.
"Alex!" Violet shouted.
"I'm fine!"
Lie.
But functional.
Barely.
The masked leader suddenly pointed toward Alex.
"...He's the dangerous one. Focus him."
Every enemy shifted instantly.
Alex's eyes narrowed.
Trained.
Disciplined.
This wasn't Rocket.
These people fought like extremists.
Not criminals.
Then thunder exploded overhead.
And in that white flash.
Alex saw something terrifying.
More figures watching from deeper in the forest.
Not five.
More.
Many more.
"...We're leaving," Alex muttered instantly.
Violet looked shocked.
"What?!"
"We can't win this."
And she immediately understood.
That alone showed how dangerous the situation was.
Because Alex never retreated lightly.
"Toxicroak! Smokescreen!"
Dark smoke mixed with heavy rain instantly.
"Grovyle, cut the trees!"
Leaf Blade flashed violently.
Several weakened trees crashed down between both groups.
"Move!" Alex shouted.
The entire team retreated instantly through the storm.
Behind them, Team Eclipse pursued without hesitation.
Shadow Balls exploded through the forest.
Rainwater erupted everywhere.
Branches shattered.
Mud splashed beneath every desperate step.
The chase became chaos.
Then—
Riolu suddenly stopped.
Aura detection.
Something ahead.
Too late.
A massive shape emerged from the rain itself.
Red eyes.
Purple body.
Huge grin.
Another Gengar.
But this one—
This one was enormous.
Larger than normal.
And unlike the last one—
Its eyes were intelligent.
The Eclipse members immediately stopped behind them.
Not fearful.
Respectful.
One masked figure lowered their head slightly.
"...The Guardian."
The giant Gengar stared directly at Alex.
Then smiled wider.
Alex felt cold instantly.
Not physical cold.
Instinctive fear.
Predator recognition.
And then.
The Gengar spoke.
Not aloud.
Inside his head.
"You returned."
Silence consumed the storm.
Even the rain suddenly felt distant.
Alex slowly tightened his grip around his Poké Ball.
The Gengar's grin widened further.
And somewhere behind him.
Violet whispered quietly:
"...What the hell is that thing?"