Only two days later, Sam strode into Ecruteak Gym with his head held high. That job with Muk gave both him and Redi a surprise bonus, and with his share, he bought something he’d been waiting on—a belt to keep his Pokéballs.

His entire team was now magnetically clipped to his waist, where they could easily be retrieved or send themselves out. It was a small change, but it made him feel closer to a real Pokémon Trainer.

So, when Sam met Morty on the field of his Gym, he didn’t feel any nerves, only excitement.

“Finally ready to take me on, huh? You should know I’m not going to go easy on you,” Morty said.

“Don’t expect you to,” Sam replied, adjusting his belt with a smirk. “I’m going to earn this badge. Just wait until you see what we can do!”

Redi cheered from the stands. Teddiursa howled his support. Sam briefly waved at them before focusing back on his opponent. Morty pushed back his hair and chuckled.

“No sense in waiting. Ref?”

At the side of the field, a woman wearing a purple sweatshirt nodded before going over the rules.

“This will be a battle between Challenger Samuel and Gym Leader Morty. Each trainer will use up to three Pokémon, with the Challenger having two switches to use at his discretion. The battle will end once one trainer has no more Pokémon able to fight. Standard League rules apply,” the referee called out. “Please, send out your Pokémon!”

Sam and Morty both threw a Pokéball forward. Hitting the field were two members of the same species—Gastly and Gastly.

Morty grinned.

“Oh? Using your newest catch so soon?”

Sam didn’t reply. While back-and-forths were fun, he couldn’t allow himself to get distracted. He had to win. A single look to the referee told her he was ready, and Morty nodded to do the same.

Two flags swished. The referee swung her arms.

“Begin!”

Sam’s challenge against his second Gym finally began.

“Start with Confuse Ray! Circle it like with Muk!” Sam shouted.

“Hypnosis, easy!” Morty countered confidently.

Purple mist coiled around the two ghostly Pokémon as both Sam’s Gastly and Morty’s Gastly immediately locked eyes. A faint blue glow appeared for Hypnosis while a sickly grey beam connected the two Pokémon. Unfortunately, Morty’s Pokémon had more experience and therefore acted faster. The Hypnosis landed before the Confuse Ray could truly take effect.

Gastly drifted to the battlefield floor, where he closed his eyes in slumber.

“That strategy might have worked against someone else, but your Gastly is young. He doesn’t have the speed necessary to be faster than mine!” Morty said. He pointed at his chin with a thumb and grinned.

Sam grumbled as he returned his Pokémon. Gastly wasn’t out of the battle, but being put to sleep meant he would be unable to avoid any follow-up attacks. One of Sam’s two switches was used up, but now he would have a Pokémon that could actually fight.

“Mankey!” he shouted.

Mankey’s ability, Vital Spirit, would prevent the effects of Hypnosis.

“Confuse Ray,” Morty ordered.

“Assurance!” Sam replied.

Mankey bounded forward on all fours to rush over to Gastly. He leaped into the air right when the Confuse Ray struck him between the eyes. While confused, the arc of his leap meant he sailed right into the immobile Gastly. His Assurance still struck, and he immediately snapped out of confusion.

“Finish it off!” Sam called out.

Dark Type energy disrupted the opposing Gastly’s spiritual form, and it hit the ground right as Mankey landed next to it. Morty shouted for it to attack, but Mankey had spent the past several days sparring with Gastly and knew how the species could act.

He side-stepped the Lick and landed one last Assurance to finish it off.

“Clever,” Morty said, returning his Pokémon. “You prepared for me by having your Mankey train against your Gastly.”

...Okay, I might have technically done that, but it wasn’t to prepare for this battle. I just thought Mankey and Gastly made good partners.

Morty grabbed a new Pokéball at his waist to send out the second member of his team. Appearing on the field was a familiar individual—Morty’s Misdreavus. Sam had witnessed its win against Victor’s Murkrow last week.

That experience informed Sam of a powerful combination within its moveset—Will-O-Wisp and Hex. He didn’t wait to return Mankey, aware of how a Will-O-Wisp’s burn could cripple the Fighting Type’s attacks.

“Good. Few trainers learn the importance of knowing when to switch, this early in their careers,” Morty said, nodding. “Pulling Mankey back was a smart choice. Maintaining a proper match-up is crucial if you want to win.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Sam saw Redi wince, though he was unsure why.

Sam chose his next Pokémon carefully—though, it wasn’t like he had much to think about between the battle-ready Cyndaquil and the currently-asleep Gastly. Cyndaquil’s Fire Type meant she couldn’t be burned with Will-O-Wisp. Sending her out, her mere presence stopped any combination with Hex.

“Get close and Leer!” Sam shouted the second the battle resumed.

“Hex. Stay at range,” Morty countered.

Misdreavus was a fast Pokémon, even faster than Gastly. It floated away from Cyndaquil with ease, and Cyndaquil’s tiny legs desperately carried her after it. Red pearls around Misdreavus’s neck glowed with an unearthly light as it glanced over its shoulder, seemingly amused. Ghostly flames appeared around its head before they rushed down to jab at Cyndaquil.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

She cried out but did not succumb to the attack. She had no prior wounds for the move to dig into. She chased, ever so slowly narrowing the space between them. When she got close, she lowered her head and unleashed a hateful glare.

The Leer seemed to shock Misdreavus. The Pokémon looked like it was having fun. There was something about the anger in Cyndaquil’s gaze that made Misdreavus stumble in the air for the slightest of moments, and that brief delay was enough to let Cyndaquil catch up.

“Flame Wheel!”

She jumped, pulling herself in, and flames wrapped around her body.

“Psywave!” Morty ordered.

A wiggling wave of Psychic Type energy left the central, largest red pearl.

Both attacks struck, with Cyndaquil slamming into Misdreavus the same instant the wave pulsed through her. The two Pokémon were knocked back—Misdreavus staying in the air, and Cyndaquil landing on the ground—before they righted themselves to continue the battle, now standing off instead of engaging in a chase.

“...Spite,” Morty ordered.

Sam held back a grimace—Spite was a good way to exhaust a foe.

An echoing growl left Misdreavus’s mouth, and Cyndaquil briefly tinted red. Faint wisps of energy drifted out of her, but she refused to quit just yet.

One more exchange was all that was needed. Two more moves were called out.

“Hex!”

“Ember!”

Orange-red and deep purple flames rushed at both Pokémon. Misdreavus was hit by an onslaught of fire while Cyndaquil suffered from spiritual energy digging into her. However, Cyndaquil had the advantage: she’d been training Blaze.

Ember roared out of Cyndaquil, consuming Misdreavus in a patchwork inferno. Misdreavus’s Hex seared into her fur, but she managed to withstand the Ghost Type’s final attack. Two cries rang out—one in victory, one in defeat. Misdreavus slumped to the ground.

Redi cheered.

“Two Pokémon, two faints! Just one more and you win!”

Sam grinned, rubbing his nose before leaning forward to ensure he’d keep his focus. Sure, Gastly was still asleep, but both Mankey and Cyndaquil were still conscious, and Morty was down to the last member of his team.

Three to one. I like those odds.

He kept a close eye on Morty as the Gym Leader returned Misdreavus to his waist.

But, rather than unclipping a Pokéball from his belt, Morty changed his plan and reached into his pocket. The Pokéball he pulled out wasn’t the classic red-and-white but a sphere with an upper half that was primarily blue. He hummed as he looked over the Great Ball before glancing back to Sam and the field itself.

“Haunter,” Morty said.

Sam’s eyes widened. He watched as the evolution of Gastly hit the field.

Haunter retained Gastly’s purple tint, but its body was far more physical than a sphere surrounded by gas. Spikes ran down its back while a grin stretched across its face. Though still a rather compact Pokémon, it was a powerful opponent for only a second Gym Badge battle. Two clawed hands floated at the sides of the Haunter’s head, promising a sharp retaliation to anything that got close.

Malevolent eyes took in Cyndaquil as she breathed heavily from her previous injuries. Her flames might have been brighter than ever, but the Ghost Type grinned in excitement, as if it were looking at easy prey.

“Night Shade!” Morty ordered.

Sam hastily called for Ember, knowing that Cyndaquil had no chance to run and that he had no legal switches remaining.

It was fast—faster than Cyndaquil. Her back blazed with all of her might, only barely managing to strike the Haunter right when it got close. An aura of darkness proceeded to surround them, the space twisting with shadows. Cyndaquil cried out. Haunter cackled. Only a second later, the Night Shade faded, and Cyndaquil was on her side, unconscious and curled into a ball.

Sam returned her, frowning.

“You did a good job,” he whispered.

The Haunter retreated, moving higher up into the air while turning its gaze to Sam. As if to taunt, it brought a hand to its mouth, where it ran its clawed fingers over its tongue.

You think this battle is easy, huh? You really think you can beat the rest of my team?

Sam’s immediate thought was to send out Mankey and have the primate punch Haunter in its smug face. That was just Redi rubbing off on him, though. His team wasn’t built around that same raw power. He would need to apply his own strategy if he wanted to win.

Taking a breath to center himself, Sam quickly went over what he knew. Haunter was the evolution of Gastly, but the species still had the same relative frailty. Most Ghost Types—at least the ones common to Indigo—tended to be weak to physical moves. His initial thought was correct in that Mankey would be key to taking Haunter out, but he had a feeling Haunter wouldn’t give away more than one successful hit.

Hm.

Sam eyed the floating Ghost Type once more.

Assurance is more effective when the target has recently taken damage, isn’t it?

Will-O-Wisp might not have been an option—not only was Cyndaquil fainted, she hadn’t figured out the move yet—but Sam did have one way to inflict an ongoing, damaging effect. Deciding on a specific strategy, instead of sending out Mankey, he sent the sole other member of his team.

“Gastly!”

He was asleep, which risked this strategy, but sleep didn’t technically mean Gastly was out of fight.

“Wake up, please!”

When the battle resumed, Haunter began to confidently drift down to where Gastly was asleep on the floor. It didn’t bother rushing, and Morty didn’t correct that behavior.

“Please, Gastly!” Sam continued. “You’re our key to victory! I need you to wake up and use Confuse Ray!”

He poured his desperation into his voice. He continued to shout.

Seconds passed. Haunter arrived.

“Dream Eater,” Morty said, almost sounding a little sad about it, too.

Haunter stretched open its mouth, widening it far past what should have been normal. Claws inched forward to grab onto Gastly, but Sam called out one final time.

“Please!”

Gastly snapped open his eyes, and Sam had to resist immediately putting his hands on his face. The Ghost Type was having fun with it; apparently, he had woken up alongside the first call.

Immediately rushing into action after his “prank,” Gastly moved back and shot a grey beam between Haunter’s eyes. The Pokémon was caught by the Confuse Ray, but it reflexively reacted with a Night Shade.

Unfortunately, Gastly was caught within it and couldn’t match up to the power of his evolved form.

Except, that was what Sam wanted.

“Return!”

While Sam was out of switches, he could still recall his Pokémon. However, whoever he returned wouldn’t be allowed to be sent back out into the fight.

With Gastly effectively fainted, Sam immediately tossed forward Mankey’s Pokéball. The monkey hit the field as Haunter continued its Night Shade.

However, with its confusion, the move wasn’t as purely offensive as it otherwise had been. Its own attack was damaging it thanks to the condition Gastly had inflicted on it.

“Now, Assurance!”

Mankey jumped right into the attack without hesitating. The Night Shade twisted around him, but it wasn’t enough to faint him outright.

A single Assurance shattered the Haunter’s grin. The attack caught it within its own pain and crumpled its face inwards. Assurance was named well—the move “assured” the effect of any previous damage its target had taken.

The Dark Type move came out twice as effective as it would have otherwise. Haunter was sent spiraling to the floor from the super effective damage. It didn’t rise—it didn’t phase through, either—and the Night Shade faded away.

Mankey stood, panting, but he remained upright while his opponent remained unmoving on the ground.

“Haunter is unable to battle. Gym Leader Morty has no more Pokémon remaining. Challenger Samuel wins!”

Sam had to let the referee’s voice settle in before he could properly react. Letting out the breath he was holding, he threw an arm up into the air.

“We did it!”

Taking out that Haunter required the effort of his entire team.

Cyndaquil to inflict a bit of initial damage with her Blaze-boosted Ember.

Gastly to confuse the Haunter and ensure it was suffering damage over time.

Then, Mankey, to take advantage of that confusion and unleash a powerful, super effective, melee strike.

All of that combined meant Sam’s team had not only beat an evolved Pokémon, but they had won against their second Gym.

“We did it,” he repeated, whispering the phrase under his breath.

Both Redi and Teddiursa were absolutely screaming from the stands, and Mankey hopped over to reach Sam and clamber up to hang on his back.

As Haunter was returned, Sam and Morty both stepped onto the field. They moved to meet in the center, where the two of them shook hands.

“Congratulations, Sam,” Morty said. “You beat me. You’ve earned your second Gym Badge.”

Sam could only nod, dazed at his own success, as Morty pocketed Haunter’s Great Ball and retrieved a metal pin.

“The Fog Badge is yours. By possessing it, you have proof that you’ve beaten my Gym. Not just that, but...”

Morty leaned closer to Sam to whisper, keeping his voice low so that no one else could listen in.

“When you pass over your ID to the receptionist to collect your cash reward, he’ll be adding a mark to your card’s upper-right corner. That mark will signify you as someone able to handle real-life ghosts. Usually those jobs are reserved for trainers with five or six-star teams, but Pokémon Center nurses will judge whether or not you can handle it. Welcome to an exclusive club!”

He pulled back, smiling at Sam while Sam blinked at him in surprise.

“But I—”

“Most of the time, you can fight them off as if it were just a Pokémon battle,” Morty said, pushing past any comments or complaints Sam was about to give. “Beware of illusions, remember what you’ve read, and keep an eye out for any clues about why they’re still around, alright?”

Sam glanced down at the badge he held—a simple, purple representation of an amorphous spirit. Clutching it in his hand, he looked back up and locked eyes with Morty.

“Got it. Thank you. I won’t let you down.”

Morty patted him on the shoulder and wished him luck. Sam returned to the Gym’s front lobby, passed over his ID to be marked, and stepped back outside to reunite with Redi.

“That battle was amazing! Man, just wait ‘til I take on Morty. That’ll be my... Huh. My seventh badge.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Sam said.

He gazed at his trainer ID and the mark on the corner of it. It resembled the Fog Badge, just pixilated and with hands.

“So, what’s next? You know that I’m putting Ecruteak Gym off for now,” Redi said.

“You already know the answer,” Sam replied.

Redi grinned, placing her arms behind her head and staring up at the clear skies.

“Yup! Goldenrod City is just a trip south, and there, we’ll take on its Gym and collect our next badge!”