Chapter 92: Brass Tower and Tin Tower, Battle against Morty
A few days later, Ryan, Ruby, and Rosa finally arrived by plane in the historic city of Ecruteak City.
Ruby pointed to the tall Tin Tower and said, "The Ecruteak Gym is right next to it. Should I go check it out first?"
"No, let's go to the Brass Tower first. I'm a little interested in the place where the three legendary beasts were resurrected," Ryan said.
"It's been so long, what can we find?" Rosa asked curiously.
"Anyway, let's go check it out. If we don't find anything, we can just treat it as sightseeing," Ryan said, then headed northwest. Ruby and the others followed, as it would be interesting to see that legendary place.
"The Brass Tower is located in the northwest of Ecruteak City. It was originally called the Tin Tower, and it was paired with the current Tin Tower. However, it was destroyed in a fire 150 years ago. Now only the ground and basement levels remain," Ruby explained to Ryan and Rosa as they walked. Ruby, after all, was born in the Johto region and was well-versed in its history.
"Legend has it that Lugia once inhabited this place, but when the Brass Tower collapsed, Lugia flew away, never to be found. Three unknown Pokémon perished in the fire, and it was Ho-Oh who resurrected them," Ruby explained.
"But the people at the time didn't understand, believing Ho-Oh to be a monster possessing power beyond life and death. They attacked Ho-Oh and tried to drive it away. This hurt Ho-Oh, and it too flew away. It's said that Ho-Oh seeks those with pure hearts, and only when people truly learn to coexist peacefully will it return. And the three legendary beasts are Ho-Oh's messengers, watching over the world for it," Ruby explained.
The three of them arrived at the Brass Tower. Entering the dilapidated structure, Ryan instantly felt the attention of unseen presences. Ryan remembered that this place was known to be inhabited by Ghost-type Pokémon, so he immediately said, "Don't bother us. We're just here to take a look and will be leaving soon."
"Ryan, who are you talking to?" Rosa asked, confused by Ryan's sudden words.
"This is the territory of Ghost-type Pokémon. Our entry has disturbed them, and they were hostile to us just now. That's why I spoke to them. It's not a big deal, but it's better to avoid trouble if possible," Ryan said.
The cold gaze around him disappeared. Ryan had his Pokédex scan the burnt tower. It seemed that nothing significant was left.
Ryan shook his head and said, "Let's go. There's really nothing left."
With that, he led the way out of the burnt tower. Ruby and Rosa exchanged a glance, then followed him.
Ryan and his friends arrived at the Ecruteak Gym. Once inside, they saw Morty teaching some children. Ryan said, "Excuse me, I'm Ryan from Pallet Town. I'm here to challenge the Ecruteak Gym."
Morty gestured for Ryan and the others to wait while he continued explaining the advantages of Ghost-type Pokémon to the children. Only after he finished did Morty address Ryan, "Hello, Ryan, right? Do you mind if these kids watch our match?"
"No problem at all," Ryan said.
Morty nodded and gestured to the waiting referee, who immediately announced, "Next up, Ryan from Pallet Town will face Morty, the Ecruteak Gym Leader. Each trainer will use three Pokémon. The match ends when one trainer's Pokémon are unable to battle. Only the challenger may substitute Pokémon. The match begins!"
"Then, my first Pokémon is Gastly!" Morty sent out his Gastly.
"Go, Blissey." Ryan sent out his Blissey. "Blissey, Hail!"
Blissey instantly launched a ball of energy into the air. Dark clouds gathered in the room, and snowflakes began to fall.
Morty frowned and said, "That's quite rude to use indoors. Gastly, Hypnosis!"
"I can't help it. My Blissey can't see through invisibility, but in hail weather, your Gastly will be affected to some extent, and its ability to phase will be hindered. Close your eyes, Blissey, use Blizzard!" Ryan said.
Gastly tried to hypnotize Blissey, but since Blissey closed its eyes, the hypnosis had no effect. Then Blissey opened its mouth and launched a powerful blizzard at Gastly. Gastly was completely unable to resist and was frozen solid, losing its ability to fight.
"Return, Gastly. Go, Haunter." Morty immediately sent out his Haunter. Seeing Ryan having Blissey use Soft-Boiled to recover its health, Morty immediately declared, "Curse, then Pain Split!"
Haunter's speed was incredible, and it immediately cast Curse. A dark shadow enveloped Blissey, causing Blissey to grimace in pain. In that brief moment of vulnerability, Haunter's Pain Split took effect. While Blissey's health was fully restored, it effectively restored Haunter's health while Blissey lost nearly half of its own.
Ryan frowned, "Another Blizzard!"
Ryan also owned a Gengar, so he knew just how troublesome Ghost-type Pokémon could be. While he could recall his Pokémon to break the curse, Ryan was certain that Haunter would instantly use Mean Look to prevent Blissey from escaping.
Blissey exhaled an icy breath, once again unleashing a powerful blizzard upon Haunter. Haunter didn't even attempt to dodge, taking the attack head-on. After withstanding the blizzard, it used Pain Split again. Then, the curse's power activated, knocking Blissey out directly.
Ryan slapped his forehead, "I was careless. I already have a Gengar, and I forgot about this tactic. Return, Blissey. Go, Tyranitar!"
As Tyranitar entered the battle, a fierce sandstorm suddenly swirled, neutralizing the hail. Like a tyrant of sand, its roar frightened many of the children.
"Tyranitar, Dark Pulse!" Ryan shouted.
"Haunter, Destiny Bond!" Morty exclaimed immediately, watching the approaching Dark Pulse.
"Protect!" Ryan said calmly.
Tyranitar's Dark Pulse struck Haunter directly, and the subsequent Destiny Bond was blocked by Protect, instantly knocking out Haunter.
"Return, Haunter. Gengar, let's go!" Morty called out. "Get close and use Hypnosis!"
Gengar teleported and instantly appeared before Tyranitar, its eyes gleaming with a strange light, its hands weaving as it cast its hypnotic spell.
"Close your eyes, use Shadow Claw to grab Gengar, then use Crunch!" Ryan said.
Tyranitar instantly closed its eyes to avoid the hypnosis, and shadow claws formed on its hands. Morty immediately ordered Gengar to retreat, but he probably didn't know that Ryan had a special bond with his Pokémon. While the bond wouldn't enhance Tyranitar much, simple telepathic communication was still possible.
Using this connection, Tyranitar lunged forward to grab one of Gengar's arms, then bit down with a devastating Crunch, dealing massive damage and instantly knocking it out!
"Well, I lost," Morty said with resignation. "Ghost-type Pokémon are mysterious, but their low HP and defense are indeed a major weakness."
Even after losing, Morty continued to teach the children. From this, you could see that Morty was indeed a qualified instructor.
Ryan also received the badge from Morty. He held it up and gave Ruby and Rosa a peace sign, saying with a smile, "I got the Fog Badge!"
(End of Chapter)
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