Ecruteak City Gym Leader: Morty

Name: Morty
Moniker: The Mystic Seer of the Future
Region: Johto
Role: Leader of the Ecruteak City Gym and distributor of the Fog Badge
Type Specialty: Ghost


BACKGROUND

Ecruteak City has always been a place revered for its spiritual connections and ancient history in the Johto region; here, a disastrous event shook the city to its core centuries ago and is still a major part of the city today. This connection to the past is a wonderful thing to people like Morty, who look to the past for influence in the future and have a knack for communicating with the spirits of the universe. Morty has always been fascinated with the legends of Tin Tower and Brass Tower in the area, and although the Brass Tower is nothing more than a charred remnant of what it used to be, Tin Tower (now simply referred to as the Bell Tower) remains and has served on occasion as the nesting grounds of the legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh. Hoping to appease the legendary creature and meet it in the future, Morty took up the position of Gym Leader in Ecruteak City and has been serving his post for years now, battling constantly in the hopes of someday being granted the ability to meet Ho-Oh in person. Morty is a gruff and somewhat self-centered individual that cares little about the feelings of others and wishes only to battle to prove that he is strong. Interestingly enough, this has had the adverse effect of what he intended, as he is regularly denied access to the Bell Tower by the few monks left around, as it is their duty to protect the sacred structure from intruders that wish to prove their dominance by force. Despite these setbacks, Morty has continued his pursuit of the legendary bird and visits the outside of the tower regularly. It is said by some that Morty has managed to learn how to see into the future and uses this ability as a way of ensuring his dominance over others, but a lack of true psychic powers means that these predictions are little more than foggy at best. Morty is a determined fighter that will rarely ever give up in battle without a fight; considering his specialty in the Ghost-type, this makes opponents looking to earn a Fog Badge prime targets for the effects of fear, an emotion that Morty's Pokémon and he himself exude on a constant basis.


BATTLE STRATEGIES

Morty is a bit of a defensive/tactical fighter when it comes to battle, as most of his Pokémon only know a few different attacks that can actually deal direct damage. Morty prefers to use the frightening powers of the Ghost-type as his sole force of power in battle; though this limits him in regards to the actions he can take, it also makes him difficult to defeat without brute force, as his Pokémon can easily isolate and torture a single opponent slowly and painfully until they finally give up and faint. Morty is a bit of a trickster in battle and gladly uses every single legal action he can, regardless of whether or not it is actually fair, to win his battles with style and indomitable malice. Even so, though, Morty is a fair player and will occasionally give others a shot at his Pokémon just to see how powerful his fighters are defensively, which can potentially backfire in the right cases. This does not mean that he should be taken lightly, though, as Morty is a highly-experienced fighter and can more than make a mark on any opponent foolish enough to get close enough to his Pokémon to allow him to launch devastating status effects accurately and efficiently.


PRIMARY POKEMON

Gengar #1: While Morty usually has two Gengar in his team, revisions to his battle strategy have limited him to only one of the two, choosing the stronger of the two to work with in professional combat. In battle, this spectral fiend can quickly prove to be a nightmare, as it can deal incredible damage to opponents with its Shadow Ball, Focus Blast, Giga Drain, Thunderbolt, Sludge Bomb and Dark Pulse attacks from afar. If it gets the chance to, this fiend will also heckle its target with Mean Look and Sucker Punch moves and use its Confuse Ray and Hypnosis techniques to Confuse the opposition or put it to Sleep, granting Gengar some extra time to deal a lot of damage. While the Sitrus and Petaya berries, Focus Sash and Wide Lens items it carries often are of great help in battle, this fiend is still weak against physical assaults and can be taken down with a powerful close-quarters combatant if pushed to edge.

Mismagius: Morty's Mismagius is not built for offense at all but instead enjoys using tactical moves to effectively isolate and destroy the opposition in one fell swoop. Although it is armed with Astonish, Shadow Ball and Power Gem attacks for emergency situations, this creature will generally rely on its Mean Look, Will-O-Wisp and Confuse Ray techniques to incapacitate the opposition and keep it from being switched out. Once this is done, Mismagius will use its Perish Song technique to set a permanent counter against the opposition and effectively ensure that, even if it must sacrifice itself, it will take down an opponent in the end without even trying (though it can still survive for a considerable amount of time with its Sitrus and Kasib berries).

Sableye: This relatively unassuming creature actually has a decent selection of powerful attacks on its side that can make it a bit harder to handle than one would initially think. Aside from using a Fake Out attack to cost the opposition the chance to move initially, Sableye is armed with Ice Punch, Brick Break, Ominous Wind, Foul Play and Sucker Punch attacks to help deal with any opponent that may try to score a super-effective hit in battle. Sableye is not really built to last and is only moderately fast, but if used properly in combination with moves such as Recover and Calm Mind and a held Ganlon berry, this beast can still prove to be a bit of an issue if an opponent is relatively weak in terms of offense and/or defense.

Dusknoir: Morty's Dusknoir is not as powerful as many would believe but is still a considerable threat in battle as a result of its impressive defensive stats. Dusknoir is a one-man army that can effectively wear the opposition down and rapidly deplete their stamina by combining its Substitute and Pain Split techniques to create havoc on the opposing side while using a Will-O-Wisp technique to inflict a damaging Burn condition and its Payback attack to repay even a small amount of damage with a powerful strike. If forced on the offensive, this creature will rely on its Shadow Sneak, Fire Punch, Shadow Punch, Bulldoze and Thunder Punch attacks to deal damage while periodically using a Protect technique to keep it safe from harm. Dusknoir is pretty easy to take care of if attacked aggressively early-on, but if this cannot be done, most trainers will have a very hard time surviving against the creature's defensive onslaught for very long (especially since it is always holding either Leftovers or a Sitrus berry for emergency rations).

Banette: This odd doll might not seem like a serious threat to many and is only relatively powerful in terms of combat potential, but it can still prove to be a pain if not dealt with swiftly. In terms of offense, this possessed toy will utilize Shadow Claw, Sucker Punch and Gunk Shot attacks to deal damage in battle and will willingly attack without any concern for its own safety. While this seems like a detriment to most, this works perfectly for Morty's Banette, as placing itself in the danger zone allows it to make the most of its Will-O-Wisp, Curse and Destiny Bond techniques. This might not make the creature anything more than a walking time bomb, but with items such as a Dark Gem or a Liechi berry at its side, this nonetheless makes the self-sacrificial monster an opponent worth eliminating with due haste.

Froslass: This icy being might not have the defenses needed to last very long in battle, but this is of little concern to Morty's Froslass as it is ultimately used only to score an easy win at the expense of its own energy. In battle, this creature will rely on Ice Beam (potentially powered up by a held Ice Gem), Thunderbolt and Shadow Ball attacks to deal damage while occasionally holding back and using moves like Thunder Wave and Confuse Ray to cripple the opposition. This is only a front for its real purpose, however, which is taking the opposition down with it; this combination works perfectly in the case of its Destiny Bond technique, as a held Focus Sash can help this fiend survive an initial blow before taking down the opposition in a sinister embrace. As such, it is advised that great caution be made in battling this fiend, lest it take down one of your best fighters down with it in the end.

Chandelure: This fiendish poltergeist is more than a fancy piece of decoration and is definitely the most devastating offensive fighter on Morty's team. Armed with a Life Orb to amplify its power, this monster will rely on its Energy Ball, Overheat, Shadow Ball and Psychic attacks to deal immense damage to anything that gets in its way. Unfortunately, there is little else to this specimen that makes it a danger, but its impressive special offenses are more than enough to make it a top priority to take down in battle.

Cofagrigus: While it might not have the offensive power to make much of a dent in most opponents, Cofagrigus is a defensive beast that can certainly take quite a bit of punishment and manipulate the opposition into an easy win. This specter will generally rely on a combination of Will-O-Wisp and Curse techniques to raise its stats and inflict devastating status conditions on the opposition while hiding behind its Protect technique and launching Shadow Ball attacks from afar. The fact that this beast is also holding Leftovers means that it can certainly last for a while, so unless one can quickly take out this monster with a strong special attack, it is unlikely that a victory will be easily secured once this phantom gets going.

Jellicent: This creature might not have much in the way of versatility behind its moves, but it is still a beast that can last a while in battle as a result of its large HP reserves. In battle, this creature will generally choose to stay far away from the opposition and strike from afar with Ominous Wind and Water Spout (powered up by its held Water Gem) attacks while striking with a Night Shade attack if its special attributes are called for. This monster can be taken down with a strong super-effective attack as long as one is using a strong offensive fighter, but it is nonetheless noted that its ability to utilize a Recover technique can nonetheless make it much more difficult to defeat in a quick fashion, allowing it to draw the battle out in regards to time and better utilize its Water Spout attack in turn.


RESERVE POKEMON

Gengar #2: While it might not be powerful enough to be regularly included in Morty’s main team of fighters, this fiend can still be a problem to any opponent that cannot deal with its exceptional trickery in battle. This monster will generally start battle off by acting as a strong heckler, putting the opposition at a severe disadvantage through a combination of its Curse, Mean Look and Substitute techniques before lashing out from afar with Night Shade, Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt attacks, additionally relying on a Sucker Punch attack to deal with any offensive sweepers it comes across. Despite its power, a strong fighter can still take this creature down easily, but a word of caution is nonetheless given, as this fiend may try to take down your Pokémon with its devastating Destiny Bond technique if you are not careful about how you inflict damage on it.

Drifblim: Although it might be different in terms of stats and abilities from the average Ghost-type, Morty's Drifblim is effectively set up exactly to take advantage of its unique attributes to the fullest. In battle, this creature will rely on Thunderbolt and Shadow Ball attacks to strike from afar while using a Substitute technique to keep it relatively healthy and a Destiny Bond technique in case something goes wrong. Although it might not be capable of taking much in the way of direct damage, this creature is armed with a Sitrus berry for protection; aside from helping it recover some energy in the thick of battle, this item will activate Drifblim's Unburden Ability once eaten, in turn making it very difficult to ever get the first strike on it in battle.

Haunter: While decently powerful in its own right, this specter is still a bit of an easy target for experienced trainers in most cases. This creature will generally rely on its Hypnosis technique to put the opposition to Sleep before attacking with Nightmare and Dream Eater moves, occasionally relying on its Curse technique if desperate times call for it. This monster can definitely be a bit of a heckler, but its inability to deal direct damage can nonetheless put in in a bind and make it easy for a strong offensive sweeper to take down in a hurry.

Gastly: This fiend is not strong enough to be a serious threat in most cases but can still be a bit of a problem for younger trainers. With only a weak Lick attack to rely on in battle for direct damage, this creature will instead prefer to heckle the opposition into submission, striking with Curse, Mean Look and Spite techniques as its primary force of danger. Thankfully, the defenses of the creature make it fairly weak and an easy target for even Pokémon that only have moderate offenses.


OVERALL DIFFICULTY: 1/5

Morty is a powerful trainer to be sure and his use of status conditions and tactical moves are very advanced for a trainer his age, but this is still not enough to make him very difficult to defeat. Outside of a few moves here and there, Morty has very little in the way of defense against Ghost and Dark-type attacks and is thus highly susceptible to extreme damage if attacked forcefully with either type in battle. Morty has done a good job of turning his team into a strong tactical group, but each member is only able to make much use of its powers by itself and it is difficult for Morty to really compound the effects of two or more Pokémon on a single opponent. This makes it a bit easier to pull off simple combinations like Substitute and Pain Split, but it also leaves his defenses open to assault. Morty has been training for a long time now and is certainly not a Gym Leader to be disrespected or underestimated for his talents on the battlefield, but until he learns to manage his defenses a bit better, there is very little that he can do when facing an aggressive fighter with strong Ghost and Dark-type attacks on their side.


REWARDS FOR DEFEAT

Defeating Morty will allow trainers to have the Fog Badge, one of eight badges found within the Johto region. In addition, trainers will receive a TM that contains the Shadow Ball attack, a decent special attack that can deal considerable damage to a target while potentially lowering their Special Defense stat in the process, leaving them open to taking increased damage from further special attacks.

Professor Wormwood