Pokémon HGSS#10: Legend Of The Brass Tower
After Jonathan and Beatrice watched the Kimono Sisters perform The Legend of the Brass Tower at the Ecruteak Dance Theater, Zuki invited them both to stay the night at her house.
“You sure that’s alright?” Jonathan asked.
“Yeah no problem. We have some spare rooms that you can stay in,” Zuki explained.
So Jonathan and Beatrice stayed the night with Zuki and her sisters. There was a buzz of energy after the show between the sisters and they stayed up for hours talking with one another and snacking. Both Jonathan and Beatrice enjoyed talking to them, but eventually the long day caught up with them. Naoko, the Early Bird of the family and trainer of Espeon, retired first and then Jonathan and Beatrice went to bed.
“Goodnight, Bea,” Jonathan said before retiring to his room.
“Goodnight, Jonathan,” Beatrice gave him a wave before she went to her room.
Jonathan had a dreamless sleep and woke up rather early in the morning. There was a small, constant poke on his face that woke him up.
“Huh, what?” Jonathan’s eyes opened.
“Togepi?”
His vision was completely obscured by some kind of white, oval shape.
He sat up and the shape rolled backwards onto his lap.
“Togepi!”
The thing sitting on Jonathan’s lap kind of looked like the Pokémon Egg that Professor Elm had given him before leaving New Bark Town. However it now had small, stubby arms and legs protruding from the egg’s shell as well as a spiky head sticking out of the egg’s top.
“Oh my gosh. What are you?” Jonathan asked it.
“Pi! Pi!”
It wiggled its little arms and seemed to giggle.
“I guess you’re what was in that Pokémon Egg, huh?” Jonathan asked it.
“Togepi!” It replied.
“Togepi. Ok yeah I can remember that,” Jonathan said with a laugh.
Then Togepi let out a yawn.
“Yeah I know it’s pretty early,” Jonathan said. “Why don’t we try to go find some breakfast.”
Jonathan got out of bed and picked up Togepi in his arms before heading out towards the common area.
There in the kitchen was Naoko and her Espeon. They were cooking some kind of breakfast meat as well as making pancakes.
“Good morning,” Naoko said.
“Good morning,” Jonathan said.
“Togepi!”
“Oh my gosh. That’s such a cute Pokémon you have there,” Naoko said leaning down to look at Togepi.
“It must have hatched from my Pokémon Egg during the night,” Jonathan said. “It woke me up this morning so I came out here looking for some breakfast.”
“Well you’re in luck, because breakfast is almost ready. The rest of my sisters should be out here shortly. Except Zuki. She always the last one to bed and that last one awake in the morning. You won’t see her until this afternoon,” Naoko said.
“Yeah Zuki mentioned that she is a bit of a night Noctowl just like Umbreon and that you are an early Pidgey just like Espeon.”
“Yeah Pokémon and Trainers seemed to take on qualities of one another. Espeon and I like to get up early in the morning and enjoy the sunrise before going on a walk around Ecruteak City. It’s very serene and peaceful in the morning before everyone wakes. Plus it gives us a chance to head to the Dance Theater and practice one-on-one without anyone else there to make fun of us if we mess up.”
Espeon sat over the by the window sunning itself and its two-pronged tails seemed to wage back and forth.
“It’s a beautiful Pokémon,” Jonathan said. “And all of you are wonderful performers.”
“Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Naoko said with a smile.
“Good morning.”
Jonathan turned to see Beatrice standing in the doorway.
“Good morning,” Both Jonathan and Naoko said.
Eventually all of the Kimono Sisters came up with their respective Eeveelution, minus Zuki and Umbreon, and ate the breakfast that Naoko had prepared. It was some of the most delicious food that Beatrice and Jonathan had ever had. Jonathan and Beatrice spent the morning talking about their experience in Ecruteak City and Beatrice informed the others about Silver and Team Rocket’s presence in the city. All the sisters voiced their concerns and told them that they would be on the lookout for any suspicious people hanging out in Ecruteak City. The sisters also spent some time holding Togepi. All the women, including Beatrice, absolutely loved Togepi and thought it was the cutest Pokémon.
“Hey Jonathan, you were going to challenge the Gym Leader in town, right?” Sayo, the Jolteon Sister, asked.
“Yes I was,” Jonathan said. “Why?”
“Well you could do that while Zuki is asleep. You should get back before she wakes up,” Sayo said.
“Yeah I guess I could do that,” Jonathan said. “I’ll just take Togepi over to the Gym -”
“What? Jonathan, you can’t take this little Pokémon over to a scary, Ghost Pokémon Gym,” Beatrice said bouncing Togepi on her knee like a baby.
“I can’t?”
“Of course not. This little Togepi can’t battle and those Ghost-Type Pokémon will just scare it,” Beatrice said. “Why don’t I watch it while you head over to battle the Gym Leader.”
“Yeah alright, that makes sense,” Jonathan nodded.
“Plus that will give us a chance to play with it some more,” Kuni, the Vaporeon Sister, said.
“Be careful while battling Morty,” Miki, the Flareon Sister said. “He has powerful Ghost-Type Pokémon that are unaffected by Normal-Type Moves and Fighting-Type Moves. You’ll want to use Dark-Type Moves or other Ghost-Type Moves.”
“Thanks for the advice,” Jonathan said. “I’ll see you all soon.”
“Good luck!” All of the Kimono Sisters and Beatrice waved goodbye as Jonathan left to go challenge the Ecruteak Gym Leader, Morty.”
It was just a quick walk over to the Ecruteak Gym. It looked similar to the other Pokémon Gyms Jonathan had been to, but this one looked much older and had a more traditional look which matched with the rest of Ecruteak City’s aesthetic.
Jonathan gave a knock on the door before entering. The place was dark with a small bit of fog floating above the ground. There were lit candles along the walls with a large chandelier of candles hanging above the battlefield. The ceiling was obscured so it looked like it was floating on its own.
“Hello? Anyone here?” Jonathan called out into the void of the Gym.
A man stepped out the back of the Gym and lights lit up around the edges of the Gym.
“Hello there, you must be here to challenge me to a Gym Battle,” He said.
“Yes…yes I am. My name is Jonathan and I’m here to challenge you to a battle,” Jonathan said. “How did you know that?”
The man pointed to his forehead.
“I am a bit of a clairvoyant. It allows me to peer into the future,” He said. “Plus my good friend, Eusine, stopped by yesterday and told me of a boy stopped by the Brass Tower and that it was likely you would stop by to challenge me to a battle.”
“You must be Morty, then, the Ghost-Type Gym Leader,” Jonathan said.
“Indeed I am. I am Morty, the Ecruteak Gym Leader. The seer of the future. The trainer of Ghost-Type Pokémon. I am also someone who believes in the legends of the rainbow-hued Pokémon known as Ho-Oh that will reveal itself to a truly powerful Pokémon Trainer. I have trainer here in Ecruteak all my life all of my life which has lead to my connection to the spirits here and has resulted in my abilities to see what others cannot. I see a shadow of a person who will make the Pokémon appear. I believe that person will be me. But maybe you think that you will be that person.”
“I…I guess I haven’t thought about it,” Jonathan said.
“Humble. I like that. Well I guess this battle will be one that determines who is closer to that fate,” Morty said.
“Yeah sure, I guess,” Jonathan said.
“Are you ready for a battle against my Ghost-Type Pokémon?” Morty asked.
“I’m ready,” Jonathan nodded.
“Alright, let’s get this thing started,” Morty said with a sly smile. “Go, Haunter!”
Out of the darkness emerged a purple mass of energy and two disembodied hands.
“Haunter! Haunter!”
“Holy crap. Was that thing here the whole time?” Jonathan asked.
“The spirits are all around us,” Morty said.
“Good to know,” Jonathan said. “Well let me send out my Pokémon. Go, Scyther!”
Scyther emerged from its Pokéball with a red light.
“Scyther!”
“Hmmm….a Bug-Type Pokémon versus my Ghost-Types. Interesting,” Morty said.
“Don’t let him underestimate you, Scyther. Use Fury Cutter!”
Scyther flew forward with its blades exposed and swiped at Haunter.
“Haunter, dodge and use Shadow Punch!”
Haunter dodged out of the way of Scyther’s blade and countered with one of its ghostly hands coming forward and slamming into the side of Scyther.
“Haunter!” It laughed.
“Scyther, use Wing Attack!”
Scyther then took to the air flapping its large, bug wings and flew forward. This time, Scyther slammed its body into Haunter.
“Haunter, use Hypnosis,” Morty yelled.
“Haunter! Haunter!”
Haunter quickly moved in front of Scyther and made eye contact. Then it’s eyes began to spin in a hypnotic motion. Scyther swayed back and forth and then fell back onto the ground, fully asleep.
“No, Scyther!”
“You have to watch out for Ghost-Type Pokémon. They like to play tricks,” Morty said. “Now, Haunter. Use Dream Eater.”
Haunter swirled around Scyther and let out another laugh. It opened its mouth and purple energy drained from Scyther’s body.
“Dream Eater?” Jonathan asked.
“Yes. It’s a Psychic-Type move that allows the user to feed on the dreams of sleeping Pokémon and it heals the user,” Morty explained. “A powerful move that preys on sleeping Pokémon in order to heal itself.”
Jonathan clenched his teeth. There was no way he was going to win like this. He needed to change up his strategy to defeat Morty.
“Return Scyther,” Jonathan said reaching out the Pokéball and Scyther returned in a flash of red light.
“Giving up already?” Morty asked.
“I’m not done yet,” Jonathan said. “Let’s go, Quilava!”
The fire-breathing Pokémon lept from its Pokéball onto the mist-covered battlefield.
“Quilava!”
“A Quilava. Quite interesting,” Morty said.
“Quilava and I have been together since the beginning and we’re going to win here today. Isn’t that right, Quilava?
“Quilava!” It nodded.
“Haunter, use Shadow Punch!” Morty shouted.
Haunter’s disembodied fist flew forward covered in shadow.
“Dodge it, and use Ember!”
Quilava leaped out of the way and the pass flew by without contact. Then Quilava unleashed a blast of fire dispersing the mist and covering Haunter’s body. As Quilava landed, the fist came back and slammed into the back of Quilava sending it tumbling.
“You have to watch out for Shadow Fist. It always hits its target,” Morty said with a laugh.
“Don’t give up, Quilava. Use Ember again!”
Quilava picked itself up off the ground and unleashed another blast of fire from its mouth. Again, Haunter was hit with the flames and flew back behind Morty.
“That’s alright, Haunter,” Morty said. “You’ve done enough. Time for my strongest Pokémon. Come forth, Gengar.”
The mist in the center of the battlefield spread out and a large shadow emerged from the ground. Then the shadow began to change form and another purple mass emerged.
“Gengar. The final evolution of the Ghost-Type Pokémon Gastly and evolved form of Haunter,” Morty explained. “It’s a shadow Pokémon that’s able to blend into the darkness and surprise unsuspecting Pokémon.”
“Gengar!” It said with a smile as it floating above the ground.
“We can handle it,” Jonathan shouted.
“We shall see,” Morty said. “Gengar and I are well trained. We prepare for situations just like this.”
“Bring it on, Morty,” Jonathan said.
“I like your fighting spirit,” Morty said. “Go, Gengar. Use Shadow Ball!”
Gengar put its hands together and a swirling mass of dark energy emerged from its body. Then it unleashed the ball which flew towards Quilava.
“Quilava, use Quick Attack to dodge it!”
Quilava leaped out of the way of the ball of shadow which slammed into the ground behind it, barely getting out of the way at time.
“Shadow Ball again,” Morty demanded.
Gengar continued to unleashed Shadow Ball after Shadow Ball as Quilava ran around the Pokémon Gym. Quilava was fast, but Gengar matched his speed. Every time Quilava dodged a Shadow Ball, another one was on its tail. After a flew hit the ground, Gengar stopped for a second before releasing another ball of black shadow. The Shadow Ball slammed into Quilava knocking it back as it slid across the ground.
“Great shot, Gengar,” Morty cheered. “Don’t let up. Use Shadow Ball!”
Gengar prepared another Shadow Ball attack.
“Quilava. Quick. We have to counter-attack. Use Ember!”
Quilava’s flames grew large on its head and back as it unleashed another stream of fire from its mouth. Gengar unleashed the Shadow Ball which slammed into the fire and it seemed to consume one another.
“Quilava, use Flame Wheel!”
Quilava ran forward as fire began to spread from its head and it began to cover its entire body. Flames swirled around it from head to toe as it leaped into the air and slammed into Gengar. The fire erupted and Gengar was knocked back. It seemed to slam into the Gym Floor and laid at the feet of Morty.
Quilava landed back on its feet breathing heavily. It was barely hanging on there. Gengar shook itself and began to rise again.
Morty held out an arm in front of Gengar.
“That is enough, Gengar,” Morty said.
“What?” Jonathan asked.
“It is obvious to me that you are a very dedicated trainer and you care deeply about your Pokémon. We are very much alike in that way. I don’t think our potentials are so different. But you seem to have something more…that I’m having trouble to define. I think our destinies are intertwined. Hopefully it will also lead to the legendary Pokémon of Ecruteak City returning one day,” Morty said
“Well thank you, Morty. I appreciate it,” Jonathan said.
“Here is the Gym Badge you have earned,” Morty said walking forward. He proceeded to put a metalic badge into Jonathan’s hand. “This is the Fog Badge. A testament to this battle as well as our connected destinies. I know I will see you again, Jonathan.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Jonathan said grasping the Fog Badge.
“However neither of us are strong enough yet,” Morty said. “I suggest you head towards Olivine City. It is a major port city here in Johto which leads to the ocean. There is also a famous Lighthouse that the Steel-Type Gym Leader, Jasmine takes care of. She is a truly tough challenger. Defeating her will be a truly difficult test.”
“Thank you for the advice,” Jonathan said.
“Good luck on your journey, Jonathan. Don’t forget to learn from our pasts. The spirits are all around us. We just have to look for them,” Morty said as his two Ghost-Type Pokémon flanked each side of him.
“I’ll try to keep that in mind,” Jonathan said with a slight laugh before saying his goodbye.
Jonathan left the Ecruteak Gym with the Fog Badge in hand and made his way back towards the Kimono Sister’s house to meet up with Beatrice and Togepi.
Header Photo Credit to Toivoshi on DeviantArt
https://www.deviantart.com/toivoshi/art/Morty-484522936
All photos of Pokemon and related content used were taken from Bulbapedia
https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Main_Page
Allen The Writer 