Both Routes 36 and 37 took several days to traverse, and the two youngsters used the long trek
to train their Pokémon and formulate strategies for the upcoming Ecruteak Gym. Quilava spent their training sessions working on his newly-learned Dig, usually pairing with Graveler despite the Rock-type's weakness to the move. The improvised training sessions also saw Pidgey finally evolve into Pidgeotto, with the transformation coming during a battle with Jen's Zubat. James had scanned his newly-evolved Flying-type, and knew that he could work the Bird Pokémon into his battle plans.
The gate to Ecruteak City came into view the next evening. Jen had heard stories about the old city, particularly its two towers. James wasn't that interested in the folklore surrounding Ecruteak; at the moment, all he was concerned about was his upcoming Gym battle, but Jen convinced him to check out the towers after they finished the Ecruteak Gym. They entered the city and checked into the Pokémon Centre, and James immediately made a beeline for the door so they could hit the Gym.
“James, hold it!” Jen wasn't about to let him run off that easily. “Can we at least relax for an hour? We've been on the go for weeks now, and Nurse Joy told you to slow it down. Remember Quilava?” James stopped and remembered Quilava's illness; the thought sobered him, and he conceded the point.
“Alright, we'll rest up for a bit, then we've gotta hit the Gym. I'm so fired up about this one I can barely sit still.”
“That's how you always are, whether you have a Gym battle or not. You need to learn to chill out once in a while.” Quilava growled in agreement; he liked the punishing pace as much as James did, but it felt nice to stop and take things easier on occasion. Yawning, the Fire-type closed his eyes and waited for his master to call him for their battle.
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An hour and a half later, they were walking over to the Ecruteak Gym. Mobs of tourists, almost as large as they'd seen in Goldenrod, made their way through the city streets, and it took a lot of effort for the youngsters and Quilava to stick together. Old buildings lined the road, adding to the city's quiet, antiquated atmosphere. James knew the city was even older than Violet, and he saw similarities to his hometown as they walked towards their destination.
The Ecruteak Gym wasn't dissimilar from the other buildings in the city, with a sloping roof that came to a sharp point at the top. Various torches hung outside the double doors, unlit in the mid-afternoon sunshine. As they entered, Jen noticed the various tributes to Ghost Pokémon scratched on the walls, fitting given the nature of the Gym. A young man with blond hair stood a ways off, contemplating one of these carvings. His long violet scarf looked ragged towards the end, which was tipped with red, and his headband was the same colour.
“Strange,” he murmured to himself as the youngsters approached. “The portents in the carvings aren't usually this pronounced...unless I'm reading them wrongly...”
“Um, sir?” Jen piped up, jerking the young man from his contemplation.
“Huh? Who's there...?” He looked at Jen and grinned, his earlier behaviour forgotten. “Oh, hey there. I assume you're here for a challenge?”
“Well, not exactly. My friend here wants to go first.” James stepped forward with Quilava, who eyed the young man warily.
“Ah, I see. Welcome to the Ecruteak Gym. My name is Morty, and I'm the leader here. I specialize in Ghost-type Pokémon, so be prepared.”
“I'm James from Violet City, and this is my traveling partner Jennifer.” When Quilava growled, James added quickly, “And this is my buddy Quilava.”
“Good to meet you all. So, shall we get this going? I'm eager to see your skill in battle.”
“Let's do it,” James answered, and they headed inward to the battlefield.
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The main battle area was dimly lit, and shadows criscrossed one another by the faint torchlight. James felt an instant chill; this place was no better than a cave. Quilava stood by his side, calming his nerves a little. It wouldn't do to show any fear in front of Morty; maintaining a front was important. Jen watched from the stands, knowing the conditions would be affecting James pretty badly right now. Hopefully, he could power through that, but she was still concerned for him.
A judge stepped into a circle of torchlight and began the usual pre-battle sermon.
“Attention! This Gym Battle between Morty the Ecruteak Gym Leader and James the challenger from Violet City will now begin!
James Enfield
A: ★★
D: ★
S: ★★
Morty
A: ★★
D: ★
S: ★★
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The prize for victory is a Fog Badge! Each trainer may use three Pokémon, and the battle will be over when all three Pokémon on either side are unable to continue. In addition, only the challenger is permitted to substitute during battle. Trainers ready?”
“Set to battle,” Morty called out, his expression half-hidden by shadow. “How about you, James?”
“I'm ready!” James took a deep breath as he steeled himself for battle. It was time to go for his fourth badge.
“Very well then. Battle begin!”
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“Haunter, let's go!” Morty's first Pokéball revealed a dark purple Pokémon with large eyes and a set of sharp, pointed teeth. Its hands were disconnected from its body, and it wagged its tongue in an attempt to indimidate its opponent. James held back a shudder as he threw his Pokéball, his arm shaking.
“Gastly's evolved form. Come on out, Graveler!” The Rock-type assumed his usual calm stance, watching Haunter carefully. Haunter tried the same trick he had on James, but Graveler simply stood, unimpressed with the display. “Graveler, use Defense Curl!”
“Haunter, use Night Shade!” Haunter's glowing eyes turned red, and it fired a black beam of energy at Graveler. The Rock-type simply took the hit with no visible damage apparent.
“Alright, Rollout!” Graveler rolled up and hurtled at Haunter, ready to deliver a punishing hit.
“Dodge, Haunter!” Haunter ducked out of the way, floating effortlessly to the right as Graveler flew through the air.
“What?” James couldn't believe it; he'd never seen Graveler miss like that. “Alright, see how you like this! Magnitude, Graveler!” James remembered that his Gastly was partly a Poison-type, and so its evolved form would have the same weaknesses to Ground-type moves.
“Haunter, get ready!” The attack shook the Gym, but Haunter simply laughed, causing James to step back in terror. The move had failed! “Sorry, James. Because of its Levitate ability, Haunter's not going to be hurt by any Ground-type moves. I'm afraid you've come up short.”
“No, we haven't! Graveler, Rollout again!” Graveler charged again, and Haunter once again floated away.
“Alright, I think we're ready to mount our main attack.” Morty's grin was made even more frightening by the flickering torchlight, and James now closed his eyes, overcome by his surroundings. “Haunter, it's time! Use Hypnosis!” Haunter used its hands to form a black circle, which it pushed towards Graveler. Graveler took the move head-on and closed his eyes, succumbing to the sleep-inducing attack. “Now, Dream Eater!”
“Graveler, wake up, quick!” James thought he knew what was coming, and he didn't like it. Haunter created a shadow of itself, which flew through Graveler's body. The Rock-type shuddered, but remained locked in slumber. “Graveler!”
“Alright, Haunter, finish this up! One more Dream Eater should do it!” Haunter repeated his attack, and when it finished, Graveler's eyes opened, only to reveal the dazed look associated with a knockout.
“Graveler is unable to battle! Haunter is the winner!”
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“No way!” Jen watched helplessly as Graveler went down. She could tell the conditions were making James lose his nerve, and the quick defeat of one of his more powerful Pokémon, especially without landing a hit, wasn't going to help matters. “That Haunter's scary, and it really tore through Graveler. James needs to calm down quick, or he's gonna lose this one.”
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“Graveler, return!” James' voice shook as he recalled the Rock Pokémon. He took a long, deep breath and let it out, trying to calm himself down. He hadn't been prepared for this; Ghosts were tricky, but he thought they would be a straightforward challenge. As he took out his second Pokéball, he felt Quilava nudge his leg.
“What's up, buddy?” Quilava pointed to the battlefield, his meaning clear. “You're gonna have to wait, pal. I've got a plan.” James tossed the Pokéball, fighting to stop his arm from shaking. “Pidgeotto, let's go!” The bird that emerged had red plumage on her head and alternating red and yellow tail feathers. Her wings were much wider than her previous form's, but her sharp eyes maintained their characteristic look of disdain. James trusted her sharp eyes to keep Haunter in her sights, and hoped she could take the ghost down.
“A Normal-type.” Morty was aware that any Ghost-type moves he used wouldn't work on Pidgeotto, but Haunter had enough techniques to trouble the bird. “Okay, Haunter, let's get this going! Use Hypnosis!”
“Dodge, Pidgeotto!” Pidgeotto spread her wings and glided above the black rings that flew towards her. “Alright, now use Wing Attack!” The resultant strike knocked Haunter back further than James anticipated. Pidgeotto rocketed towards the Ghost-type and slammed her wing into it again, causing more damage.
“Haunter, get out of there!” If there was one thing Morty knew about Ghost-types, it was that they weren't the most resilient. Even a few hits could knock Haunter out, and Morty wasn't keen on letting that happen.
“Get after it, Pidgeotto! Wing Attack once more!” Pidgeotto's strike caused Haunter to shrink back, cowed by the physical assault. “Now Gust! Blow it away!”
“No! Haunter, use Hypnosis!” Haunter couldn't even get the attack away; Pidgeotto's wind attack blew it down to the floor, where it didn't move.
“Haunter is unable to battle! Pidgeotto is the winner!”
“Yeah! Way to take it down, Pidgeotto!” James felt himself relax a little after beating Haunter. Only two Pokémon remained before he could get out of this place, but it wouldn't be easy.
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“I must say, I'm impressed.” Morty called from across the Gym. “To come back from a defeat by blowing Haunter away? Your Pidgeotto is something to behold.” He took out another Pokéball and held it out. “But you're not beating my next Pokémon! Misdreavus, let's go!” This next opponent looked more solid than Haunter, and its glowing red eyes, along with the gems around its neck, made it stand out in the gloom. From the stand, Jen trained her Pokédex on the red glow.
“Misdreavus, the Screech Pokémon.” the device announced. “This Pokémon likes to startle people by pulling their hair or shrieking in the darkness.”
James looked over at Pidgeotto, who was already glaring at Misdreavus. The Ghost-type's red glow would make it an easy target, and James knew Pidgeotto could do it.
“Alright, Pidgeotto, let's get after it! Wing Attack!”
“Misdreavus, Confuse Ray!” The Screech Pokémon waited for Pidgeotto to approach, then shone an eerie violet light directly into her eyes. Pidgeotto managed to land a hit, but the light sent her reeling away, looking back and forth wildly.
“No, Pidgeotto!” James knew that the confusion would cause a lot of problems, and the only real way to shake it off was recalling her. Before he could raise the Pokéball to do so, though, Morty called out yet another move.
“Mean Look!” Pidgeotto was surrounded by a pair of black circlets which faded once they hit. The red light from James' Pokéball dissipated as soon as it appeared; Pidgeotto was stuck in battle until she was taken down or beat Misdreavus.
“Pidgeotto!” The bird thrashed wildly in midair, unaware of what was going on around her. James started to panic; he couldn't call her back, and even though Misdreavus' attacks might not have an effect, he had to hope Pidgeotto shook off the confusion.
“Alright, Misdreavus, Perish Song!” James held his ears as Misdreavus unleashed a piercing, shrieking cry that shook the Gym. Morty grinned when the noise ended. “It may cost me Misdreavus, but I'm willing to take the risk. With Perish Song, Misdreavus and Pidgeotto will both go down in less than a minute. I suggest you try to attack now.”
“You bet we will! Pidgeotto, use Wing Attack!” Pidgeotto looked at him with wide eyes, but she raced at Misdreavus and slapped it with her wing. “Alright, Gust attack!”
“Psywave!” Misdreavus let off a wave of blue energy that distorted the air around it. The move didn't do much to Pidgeotto, but the stress of the attack did snap Pidgeotto out of her confusion. The bird narrowed her eyes and raced at Misdreavus once again, ready to finish it off. The move slammed Misdreavus to the floor, and Pidgeotto's body was surrounded in a black light as Perish Song took effect. Both Pokémon lay on the ground, finished for the day.
“Both Pidgeotto and Misdreavus are unable to battle! This round is a draw!”
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“No way!” Jen couldn't believe Morty's strategy; it seemed callous to sacrifice one of his own Pokémon. “He's confident that he can win this fight...” She looked at James. “It's one on one now. I only hope Quilava can pull this off.”
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“James, it's time for our final battle. Who're you going to call?” James grinned and turned to his Fire-type.
“Quilava, you're up, pal.” Quilava ran out onto the field, igniting his fire vents in a show of defiance. James' nerves calmed as he watched the Fire-type; he had been waiting for this battle, and he wouldn't let his trainer down. “Let's finish this up, Morty! I'm ready to win that Fog Badge!”
“You won't find it easy, James. Gengar, let's go!” Morty tossed his final Pokéball out onto the field. The ghost that emerged had glowing red eyes and a wide, toothy grin, and it floated a few feet off the ground as it stared at its opponents. As soon as it appeared, James felt the room grow colder, as if Gengar could suck the heat out of a room just by being there. He took out his Pokédex to scan this new opponent.
“Gengar, the Shadow Pokémon, and the final evolved form of Gastly. Its body acts as a heat sink, dropping the temperature around it by up to ten degrees. To frighten people, it imitates their shadow and then jumps at them when they notice.” James shivered, and not just from the cold; Gengar sounded like a scary proposition. Quilava reacted to the cold by intensifying the flames on his head and tail, determined not to let the Ghost-type beat him.
“Okay, then, Quilava, let's beat this thing! Flame Wheel!” Quilava wrapped his body in fire, then jumped at Gengar, ready to strike.
“Gengar, drop into the shadows!” Gengar's eyes glowed, but the rest of its body seemed to disappear in the gloom. Quilava's flaming body shot past his target, and he growled angrily as he landed.
“Alright, Quilava, stay calm! Use Flamethrower!” The attack illuminated part of the area, but didn't come anywhere near Gengar. “Don't give up! Flamethrower again!”
“Gengar, Shadow Punch!” Quilava was hit with an attack from his left, knocking him off his feet. He let out a burst of fire in retaliation, but Gengar was already gone.
“Quilava, hang in there!” Fighting an enemy he couldn't see was hard; the only thing he could see was the glow of Gengar's eyes...the eyes! “Quilava, aim for the red glow and use Flamethrower!”
“Not happening! Gengar, Shadow Punch!” Another strike knocked Quilava over again, and no flames came forth. “Now, Shadow Punch once more!”
“Quilava, Flame Wheel!” This time, Quilava's attack hit home, knocking Gengar's Shadow Punch away and causing some minor damage to the ghost. “Alright, you've got it on the run! Flame Wheel again!”
“Shadow Punch!” Quilava took the hit head-on, and he tried to scorch the area from which the attack came. This went on for a while, Gengar launching one Shadow Punch after the next with Quilava trying in vain to strike back. James' nerves were on edge as he watched his friend take hit after hit. Quilava would fight to the end, but James hated seeing him get pummeled like this.
“Quilava, stay strong!” Quilava growled defiantly, but James could tell his strength was waning. Gengar landed another Shadow Punch, and he dropped to the floor, breathing hard. “No, Quilava!” At that moment, the flames on Quilava's body intensified, bathing the entire room in a harsh red glow. Quilava's eyes shone a dark orange, and the light from his fire instantly showed Gengar's position. “What's up with Quilava now?”
“That, James, is your Quilava's special ability, Blaze. When its vitality becomes low, Blaze powers up its Fire-type moves.”
“All right!” James knew it wasn't the best situation, but he also knew that the intensity of the flames would help Quilava see Gengar, making it easier to hit. “Okay, Quilava, let's get going! Use Flamethrower!” The resultant fire looked even hotter than before, and it traveled so quickly that Gengar couldn't evade. It shrank back from the scorching flames, and glared at Quilava with its glowing eyes.
“I didn't want to have to resort to this, but I've got no other option. Gengar, Shadow Ball!” Gengar fired a black ball of energy teeming with purple sparks at Quilava, who launched another Flamethrower to stop it. “Shadow Punch!”
“Flamethrower!” The fire slammed into Gengar, knocking it onto the ground, temporarily winded. James' chance had come. “Alright, Flame Wheel! End this!” Quilava's body became a torpedo of hot, orange fire as it rocketed towards Gengar. The Shadow Pokémon could do nothing to stop Quilava from hammering into it, knocking it out at last. Quilava roared triumphantly as his flames calmed, and the room reassumed its semi-darkness.
“Gengar is unable to battle and Quilava's the winner! Therefore, the winner is James from Violet City!” James ran out onto the battlefield and hugged his starter, relieved that the battle was finally over. Morty recalled Gengar and took a moment to observe his challenger.
“He overcame his fear and beat us. I'm impressed. He really is a strong trainer.” Morty walked over to James, who was still congratulating Quilava on his victory. “James, you really stuck this one out. Congratulations.”
“Thanks, Morty.” James saw the lights in the Gym come on, lighting up the building. “It wasn't easy; see, I'm not such a fan of dark places, as much as I hate to admit it.”
“Well, you battled admirably. And here's your prize.” The small, purplish badge Morty handed James was shaped like a ghost with two slanted white eyes. James took the badge and stared at it for a moment; this one had been a tough one to earn. Jen came down from the stands and tapped James on the shoulder, giggling as he jumped.
“Way to go, James. You may not like the dark, but you battled well.”
“Thanks, Jen. It's your turn tomorrow, so you'd better be ready. Morty's not easy to beat.”
“We'll do it, no problem!” The two youngsters laughed, then headed out of the Gym to rest.