Morty

Morty (Japanese: マツバ Matsuba) is the Gym Leader of Ecruteak City's Gym, known officially as the Ecruteak Gym. He hands out the to s who defeat him. He specializes in.

In the games
Morty appears in, where he is the fourth Gym Leader to be encountered. A user of the Ghost type, Morty is known as "The Mystic Seer of the Future". Morty is a follower of legendary Pokémon, and trains in Ecruteak so he may be able to see the rainbow bird. He is friends with Eusine.

The body of Morty's Gym is a dark pit. Trainers appear to float over it, standing on an invisible floor. Some Trainers are scared away by the ghosts within the Gym. A challenger able to navigate along the invisible floor can safely reach Morty and challenge him. Once defeated, he will yield the, and.

Morty does not spend all of his time in Ecruteak Gym. In, , he will join Eusine in the Burned Tower where they study the legendary Pokémon , , and. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, he will also take Mondays and Tuesdays off once initially defeated to visit Bellchime Trail. Here, he will give his Pokégear phone number to the player. If called on Tuesday night, Morty will arrange to travel to the Fighting Dojo in Saffron City for a rematch with a stronger team of Pokémon.

Morty's outfit changed drastically between Generations II and IV. The artwork released with Gold and Silver showed him wearing mainly blue. This design was carried through into the anime and manga. However, his outfit was completely changed for HeartGold and SoulSilver: Morty now dons clothes of black and purple, like many of the Pokémon in his possession. Morty has shoulder-length golden-blond hair that is kept away from his face by a wide headband that matches his scarf.

Morty also appears in Pokémon Stadium 2's Johto Gym Leader Castle. Due to the small amount of Ghost-type Pokémon that existed in Generation II, the majority of his team consists of Pokémon of other types.





Gym battle




Rematch




Pokémon World Tournament
Morty uses three of these Pokémon in Single Battles, four in Double and Rotation Battles, and all six in Triple Battles. Morty will always lead with his signature Pokémon,.

Johto Leaders Tournament




Type Expert/World Leaders Tournament




Round 1




Round 2




Burned Tower
 * "Ecruteak's Gym Leader has to study what are said to be the legendary Pokémon--,  and . Eusine is here, so I've decided to investigate the Tower with him."

Ecruteak Gym
 * Before battle
 * "Good of you to have come. Here, in Ecruteak</sc>, Pokémon</sc> have been revered. It's said that legendary Pokémon</sc> will appear to the truly powerful trainers./It's said that will come down to appear before a truly powerful trainer. I believed that tale, so I have secretly trained here all my life. As a result, I can now see what others cannot. Just a bit more... With a little more, I could see a future in which I meet the Pokémon</sc> of rainbow colors. You're going to help me reach that level!"


 * Being defeated
 * "I'm not good enough yet... All right. This Badge</sc> is yours."


 * After being defeated
 * "With the </sc>, Pokémon</sc> up to L50 will obey you. Also, Pokémon</sc> that know </sc> will be able to use that move anytime. I want you to have this too."
 * "It's </sc>. It causes damage and may reduce Spcl.Def</sc>. Use it if it appeals to you."
 * "I see... Your journey has taken you to far-away places. And you have witnessed much more than me. I envy you for that..."

Burned Tower
 * "My name is Morty. I am Ecruteak's Gym Leader. Because my old friend is here on the trail of Suicune</sc>, I decided to investigate the Burned Tower. Ecruteak has a legend about these legendary Pokémon: Suicune, Entei</sc>, and Raikou</sc>. As the Gym Leader of Ecruteak, I must have a proper understanding of it."

Ecruteak Gym
 * Before battle
 * "It's good of you to have come. Here in Ecruteak, Pokémon have long been revered. It's said that a rainbow-hued Pokémon will come down to appear before a truly powerful Trainer. I believed that tale, so I have secretly trained here all my life. As a result, I can now see what others cannot. I see a shadow of the person who will make the Pokémon appear. I believe that person is me! You're going to help me reach that level!"


 * After sending out last Pokémon
 * "No, it's not over yet--not yet! I still believe we can do it!"


 * When last Pokémon is at critical health
 * "We've got more discipline than anyone else!"


 * Being defeated
 * "How is this possible..."


 * After being defeated
 * "I don't think our potentials are so different. But you seem to have something more than that... So be it. This Badge is yours. By having the Fog Badge, Pokémon up to Lv. 50, including traded Pokémon, will obey you. Also, Pokémon will be able to use Surf."


 * "Here is another thing... I want you to have this, too. It's Shadow Ball. It causes damage and may reduce Special Defense. Use it if it appeals to you."


 * "I get it... The person the Kimono Girls were talking about must be you... Never mind. You should be strong enough to go across the sea. When you go west and then south, you'll reach Olivine City. Why don't you head for it?"

Fighting Dojo
 * Before battle
 * "I was just talking about you... Let's battle!"


 * After being defeated
 * "I've lost again... You may have something more than just strength."

Bellchime Trail
 * On Fridays:
 * "Hi, it's you! How about taking a picture with me as a memento?"
 * Yes: "All right! Come and stand next to me. Mmmm... This is a pretty good picture!"
 * No: "I understand... you must be busy with things."

Pokégear Registering (Bellchime Trail)
 * ''"The legendary Pokemon did not choose me... But that does not mean that I have lost out on my future. I will continue my training until I discover a new future for me. Say, do you want to be part of my training?
 * Yes: "Give me a call on Tuesday night if you want a battle!"
 * No: "Oh... That's a shame..."
 * "So, will you be part of my training?"

Pokégear Phone
 * Calling him:
 * "Hello... What's going on? I'm doing great. There are stronger Gym Leaders than me out there. They're all waiting to cheer you on!"
 * "Hello... What's going on? I'm doing great. That’s right... If we were to have another battle, then we’d need to do it when I’m free, like on Tuesday nights. Give me a call then."
 * "Hello... What's going on? I'm doing great. I’m competely free today. Why don’t we have a battle?"
 * Yes: "All right! Do you know where the Fighting Dojo is in Saffron City? I’ll be waiting there."
 * No: "I see... Well, you’ve got your own plans as well, I understand."
 * "Huh? I can’t hear you very well. We must have a bad connection. Try calling again from somewhere else!"


 * Morty calling the player:
 * "This is Morty! How are you doing? You know, I once saw Entei. I mean like up close. It was amazing. Entei looked me in the eyes. I'll never forget its eyes. It was like it could see right through me, down into the depths of my heart..."
 * "This is Morty! How are you doing? The legendary Pokémon: Suicune, Entei, and Raikou--which do you like best? Unlike Eusine, I don’t really have any interest in Suicune. So I’d have to say Entei... But I can’t leave out Raikou... Hmm... Guess I can’t make up my mind."
 * "This is Morty! How are you doing? How have you been? Anything interesting happening? I’m doing the same as usual, just my regular Gym Leader duties. There haven’t been any really strong Trainers here since you came through. Seems like you’re one of those genius Trainers you seldom meet. Ha ha ha! I don’t mean to flatter you!"
 * "This is Morty! How are you doing? Hey, didn’t we make plans to meet at the Fighting Dojo in Saffron City? I remembered! You didn’t forget, did you?"

Pokémon World Tournament
 * Before battle (first round)
 * "You're going to help me reach the next level in my training!"


 * Before battle (second round)
 * "Fighting against stronger foes is also my training! You're going to help me reach the next level in my training."


 * Before battle (final round)
 * "My training is to meet a rainbow-hued Pokémon. You're going to help me reach the next level in my training!"


 * Being defeated
 * "How is this possible..."


 * If the player is defeated
 * "I moved...one step ahead again."


 * After being defeated
 * "I don't think our potentials are so different. But you seem to have something... Something more than that..."


 * After winning
 * "I saw something again... If I fight with you next time, I will be able to see something new again... I look forward to it."


 * In the lobby, after the tournament
 * "I'm desperate to know the secret of your strength. If I unlock the secret, my dream to see the legendary Pokémon may come true! Excuse me. I got ahead of myself. Congratulations on your victory."

Pokémon Puzzle Challenge

 * Easy
 * "Welcome. This will be a good match."
 * "You're awesome! It was a great match."


 * Normal
 * "Welcome. Will my training pay off?"
 * "I still need more training. Good match. Thank you."


 * Hard
 * "Welcome. The time to test the fruits of my training has come."
 * "It's still not enough. This battle will help me with my future training."


 * Super Hard
 * "Welcome. The time has come to test the fruits of my training."
 * "It's still not enough. But I still feel good after a good match."


 * Intense
 * "Welcome. The time has come to test the fruits of my training."
 * "It's still not enough. But I like a good match."

Pokémon Stadium 2

 * Before battle
 * "Whether you choose to believe or not, mystic power does exist."
 * "You can bear witness to the fruits of my training."
 * "You must make your soul one with that of Pokémon</sc>. Can you do this?"


 * Sending out a Pokémon
 * "<Pokémon>!"


 * Recalling a Pokémon
 * "Back, <Pokémon>!"


 * Own Pokémon faints
 * "...argh..."


 * Player's Pokémon faints


 * Own Pokémon lands a critical hit
 * "...Critical hit."


 * Player's Pokémon lands a critical hit
 * "...Critical hit?"


 * Successfully the player's Pokémon
 * "That's so-so."


 * Successfully ing the player's Pokémon
 * "There."


 * Successfully the player's Pokémon
 * "Yes, excellent."


 * Successfully ing the player's Pokémon
 * "That's good."


 * Own Pokémon being hurt by a


 * If the player is defeated
 * "Fufufu..."


 * After being defeated
 * "That's how to do it. I look forward to seeing you become even stronger."
 * "That's good. The Pokémon</sc> look happy, too."
 * "I lost, I have to redo my training."


 * After winning
 * "How unfortunate. But it's not enough."
 * "If the trainer isn't focused, his <sc>Pokémon</sc> can't concentrate, either."
 * "In addition to strengthening your <sc>Pokémon</sc>'s moves, you must also strengthen your own soul."


 * If the battle ended in a draw
 * "Let's try that one more time."


 * If the player runs from the battle
 * "What are you intending to do?"

In the anime
Morty's family has lived in Ecruteak City for centuries. He teaches classes on s at the Ecruteak Gym, and his students also have the privilege of watching him  challengers.

Morty debuted in A Ghost of a Chance. and met him after they mistakenly went to the Burned Tower, thinking it was the Gym. Its resident Ghost Pokémon had created an illusion of fire to scare the s away, but Morty settled them down and introduced himself as the Gym Leader. He told them about the legend of and the two towers of Ecruteak. When Ash claimed he had seen Ho-Oh, Morty didn't believe him. Later, when kidnapped  and, he used his powerful  to stop them.

In From Ghost to Ghost, Ash and Morty had their Gym battle. Ash was able to defeat him by relying on his 's newly-learned and  to weaken Morty's Ghost Pokémon. After Morty was defeated, he said he now believed that Ash may very well have seen Ho-Oh, given the great spirit he showed.

Ash and his friends passed through Ecruteak on their way to Mahogany Town in For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll!. They caught up with Morty and his close friend Eusine, after the Tin Tower's Crystal Bells were stolen by Team Rocket. Morty witnessed arriving on the scene and sending the trio blasting off.

Morty appeared during a flashback in Why? Wynaut!. He later reappeared alongside Whitney in another flashback in Bagged Then Tagged!, where it was revealed that 's next Gym challenge was supposed to be one of them.

Character
Morty is generally calm. He is also knowledgeable about the legends surrounding Ecruteak City and. Aside from Ghost Pokemon being his specialty, Morty also communicates with them and is great friends with the Ghost-types that live in the Burned Tower. Morty is a strategic battler. He utilizes trickery like to prevent a challenger from recalling their Pokémon from the match, which is otherwise a guaranteed privilege in all League Gyms. The Ghost-type's invisibility and type immunity to Pokémon works in Morty's favor. He also knows that most Ghost Pokémon lack physical power, and relies on disabling his opponent by confusing or frightening them.

Pokémon
This listing is of Morty's Pokémon in the Pokémon anime.

Morty debuts in Misdreavus Misgivings, where he helps a young girl find her missing. After helping her locate it, Morty is informed that Suicune had awakened while he was away from Ecruteak City. He immediately leaves to go search for Suicune, only to find that Suicune has already found him. They do battle, but Suicune eventually tries to escape. Suicune attempts to escape back into the village Morty was in, only to be paralyzed by 's. Morty uses this chance to throw a Great Ball at Suicune, only to find out that it was an illusion and that he is trapped in Suicune's. The attack reflects the Thunderbolt back onto, defeating it and making Suicune the victor. Afterward, Morty reports his loss to his friend, Eusine.

Morty later arrives in Ecruteak City, only to be immediately attacked by an injured Lt. Surge. Surge asks Morty if he can use his clairvoyance to find the of the  he found since they had fought the Masked Man and survived. Although not happy with being threatened at first, Morty accepts Lt. Surge's request.

Later, Morty and the other Johto Gym Leaders travel to the Indigo Plateau to have an exhibition match against the Kanto Gym Leaders for the Pokémon League. For his battle, Morty is paired up against Lt. Surge and is the fourth battle out of eight. During the battle, Lt. Surge manages to easily gain the upper hand, but Morty uses his Pokémon's abilities to manipulate energy and disable moves to make it even. Eventually the battle ends in a tie after Morty uses to have both their Pokémon faint.

When Team Rocket attacks the League, Morty works with the other Gym Leaders to drive them back. The attack turns out to be a trap to get the Gym Leaders away from the stadium while the Masked Man wreaks havoc by trapping them on the Magnet Train. With the power of, Lt. Surge manages to get everyone back to the stadium to help find the Masked Man's true identity. After the final battle had finished, Morty and the other Gym Leaders returned to their normal jobs at their Gyms. Due to the new rule about Gym Badges allowing Trainers to go to the Pokémon League finals unconditionally, the Gym Leaders had more challenges.

Morty is asked by Eusine to help look for the Plates that Team Rocket is searching for. Since he was only told that Silver was a young man with a Pokédex, Morty accidentally mistakes for Silver when they meet at Ecruteak City. Gold takes the opportunity to ask Morty to use his clairvoyance to search for Lance, who had gone missing. When Silver arrives at the Ecruteak Gym, he is attacked by Falkner, Chuck, and Bugsy, who were asked to guard the Gym for Morty due to repeated attackers demanding Morty use his powers for them. After explaining the situation, the three Gym Leaders let Silver in. After Morty finishes up Gold's request, Silver arrives, cluing Morty into the mistake he made. Before they can continue, appears and destroys most of the Gym in one attack.

Morty and the others survive the attack, but are greatly exhausted from the chaos it caused. Before Silver leaves, he asks Morty to use his clairvoyance to locate the thirteen remaining Plates in Johto. Morty does so, but immediately collapses due to an image of the Plates being superimposed over Arceus's silhouette. Morty manages to give Silver an image of the Plates' locations, but is too exhausted to help due to him spreading his ability on so many different places. When Silver leaves, Morty wishes him luck.

Character
Morty has the ability of clairvoyance, which allows him to locate items for other people, making him a natural version of the Itemfinder. Although he can find many things, he is only able to find things for other people and is unable to locate certain Legendary Pokémon such as or.

Pokémon
This listing is for Morty's Pokémon in the Pokémon Adventures manga.

In the Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys manga
Morty first appears in The Legendary Pokémon telling Gold about the legendary beasts of Johto. Later, he attends the grand reopening of MooMoo Farm and then a month-long conference in Kanto the day after. Since he will be busy, he is unable to battle Gold and tells him to take the for free. Gold refuses and follows Morty to a Pokémon Tournament hosted by him. Gold wins the tournament but Morty still couldn't battle Gold as it is past sunset. As a result, Morty gives Gold the Fog Badge for doing a good job and promises to have an official battle for it with Gold someday.

In the Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure manga
Morty appeared in The Revived Team Rocket!!.

In the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga
Morty makes an appearance in The Legendary Ho-oh!! of the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga.

In the TCG
This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Morty or his Pokémon in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Trivia

 * Morty's Japanese Leader title is.
 * Morty is the only male expert.
 * In Ken Sugimori's early drafts, Morty was referred to as Enoki (エノキ), which is also the Japanese name of the . In one legend, foxes would gather under this tree on the and form  known as the .
 * In a possible conversation with the player over the Pokégear, Morty mentions, but the game text is not in all capital letters.
 * Morty appears as an opponent in Pokémon Puzzle Challenge. He uses a to battle.
 * In For Ho-Oh The Bells Toll!, Morty calls the Bell Tower by its Generation IV name, making him the only character to do so prior to Generation IV.