Morty

Personal Information
Name: Sparrow
Age: 18+
Personal Journal: showsparrow
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Current Character(s): Tails, Irene, Jiminy Cricket, Gabriel and Nautica!

Character Information
Character Name: Morty
Fandom: Pokemon (Game canon)


Character History:

Well, one thing that's clear about the multiverse is that it sure does love its different iterations of Earth. One of said Earths, in this instance, is a planet where instead of such a clean divide between people and nature? People actually co-exist with creatures bearing amazing elemental powers and mental prowess that are called Pokemon, or rather, pocket monsters. They're called this because trainers who hope to work with a Pokemon partner can actually go out and capture a Pokemon in a miniature ball capsule, so as to... be able to hold them in their pocket. Yeah, see what they did, there? Anywhoo, apparently for many centuries humans and Pokemon have gotten along, sometimes with Pokemon battling at the command of their human trainers, while other humans opt to either keep Pokemon as pets or to study them and try to figure out their secrets. Pokemon are pretty amazing creatures, after all, able to evolve into higher lifeforms within just a few weeks with enough training and under the helm of a skilled enough trainer.

Of course, this world's got its fair share of troubles just like any other. There have been wars utilizing Pokemon as weapons that have torn apart regions, there are criminal syndicates and overall horrible people that seek to use Pokemon as battle tools for their own means, and of course Pokemon, like people, aren't perfect. Sometimes Pokemon might fight amongst themselves, and if they happen to be powerful enough, their powers clashing have been known to cause natural disasters and even tragedies for humanity and Pokemon alike.

That would be where Ecruteak City comes in. In the Johto region, Ecruteak City was among the older settlements where Pokemon were highly revered, and the connection between humans and Pokemon was considered nothing short of utterly sacred. In this city there stood two towers, the bell tower to the east, and the brass tower to the west. Both were constructed to revere a pair of legendary birds by the names of Ho-oh and Lugia. During a brief time of hard conflict in the region, the brass tower was burned down in a fire that trapped and killed three Pokemon inside. Lugia fled its now burned tower, while Ho-oh, after giving new life to the three killed Pokemon (Entei, Raikou and Suicune, respectively) flew off in search of a trainer that was pure of heart. It was Morty's ancestors that tended to those towers, communing with the legendary Pokemon uptop while maintaining harmony among the citizens of Ecruteak City.

Ecruteak City being thus a bit more traditional than others around Johto, Morty was raised with a sense of discipline and duty to his ancestral line. And with Ecruteak specializing in ancient legends, this is also where Morty thus learned a passion for history, mythology, and perhaps even the supernatural. Morty became known around the city as The Mystic Seer of the Future, as he developed gifts to see glimpses of the future as well as supernatural things that other people couldn't. Along the way of his studies to take on the role of Ecruteak Gym Leader, Morty befriended Eusine, who also had quite the passion for history and legendary Pokemon. Namely Suicune. Morty, in turn, found himself seeking the answers as to why Ho-oh had yet to return before learning that Ho-oh would only appear to a truly powerful trainer that was connected to their Pokemon.

After seeing a vague shadow of a person appearing before Ho-oh and believing that he was the chosen one? He trained with nothing short of utter diligence in his gym, desperate to reach a level worthy of Ho-oh's presence. He truly believed himself to be Ho-oh's chosen one, and even after attaining official status as a gym leader, he focused on understanding only the history of his town and becoming stronger.

What Morty didn't expect, of course, was a kid showing up to kinda sorta change everything.

The kid first showed up while Morty and Eusine were on a bit of an expedition in the burned down brass tower, where the three legendary beasts had gathered. Eusine wanted to get close to Suicune, while Morty sought a deeper understanding of the legend behind Raikou, Entei and Suicune, and figured that a close encounter might be the best way. The beasts fled when the kid intruded, and Morty returned to the gym to take the kid's challenge. Despite his best efforts, he lost. And it was in that loss that Morty detected a great strength inside this child, and realized that for how certain he'd been to that point, he had interpreted his vision all wrong. The vague shadow standing before Ho-oh wasn't him, after all. It was none other than the challenger who just defeated him.

Still, Morty didn't allow that to tear him down. After seeing Ho-oh hadn't chosen him after all, he decided to train until he found a new future for himself. Heck, he even kept in touch with the kid so that they could train together in rematches, so, if there was any resentment on Morty's end it couldn't have been that bad. Morty knew that the kid held great potential, and considering that said kid went on to defeat Johto's own Elite 4, well, turns out he was right on the money. Somewhere along that line, watching the plucky young challenger rise up through the ranks and after a few rematches, Morty decided that perhaps he should continue his quest to become stronger by partaking in a regional tournament...

....and that would be when he Woke.


Character Personality:

Morty is seen in the games to hold quite a bit of confidence in his strength, as most gym leaders do. But while he's confident, and while he's certainly passionate about what he does, he's never really brash about the power he has. Unlike a good lot of trainers out there, he doesn't actively brag about how strong his team is, or the time he's spent training to reach his level. You don't see him promising to break down the player with his team. You don't see him telling the player that they don't have a chance, or even telling them that they're going to lose. In fact, when he's not being polite or formal with those he talks to, Morty is actually pretty chill. As a gym leader and a person, Morty is typically calm, self-assured, and of course he knows what he's doing in a Pokemon battle. Sure, his confidence may manifest as determination (even when he's losing), but still, he's no proud braggart.

He's also a bit surprising in some aspects. Given his normally laid back attitude, he might come off as if he's not quite serious or even as a little lazy, for example, but in actuality he implements a surprising amount of discipline to make himself and his Pokemon stronger. Despite that discipline, he also knows that there are still stronger trainers than him out there. Morty even acknowledges in the games that as knowledgeable as he is about the legends of Ecruteak City, he still has a lot to learn and perceives it as his duty as a gym leader to understand said legends more clearly. And when he loses to the player, he quite readily concedes that the player simply has a sort of strength that he's lacking. Morty knows that he's tougher than the average bear, but on the whole, he's got a pretty realistic view of where he lies on the scale. And it's safe to say that any overconfidence he may have had when he thought for sure he was Ho-oh's chosen one was knocked down a couple pegs after his defeat at the hands of the player.

That being said, with Ecruteak being a bit more of a traditional scene? Morty himself is a bit more traditional and holds to more conservative values. He's reserved and takes to modesty. He values hard work, even sometimes at the expense of further socializing. His concept of right and wrong is a bit more solidly drawn than most people's, and like his ancestors, he believes very strongly in the sacred bond between humans and nature. He also has utmost loyalty to his city and the people in it, and he genuinely cares for the well-being of its citizens. Morty is nothing if not respectful to newcomers that he meets and he's polite to his elders, even if they're the ones who are under HIS wing in learning how to use ghost types. The player will notice that the citizens have nothing but good things to say about Morty, and this as well as his tendency to leave the gym to tend to the bell tower's trails point to him being an active member of his community.

When the player takes time to interact with Morty more, they'll actually find an optimistic, cheerful person in him, too. There may be somewhat of a stereotype that ghost trainers are supposed to obsess over darkness and shadows, or be as cold and imposing as the ghosts they train, but Morty is kind of the opposite. When Pokegear phone numbers are exchanged, many of Morty's conversations with the player are often messages of encouragement or even friendly questions. Morty tells the player that there are other gym leaders besides himself waiting to cheer them on, he asks the player which legendary Pokemon is their favorite, he even recounts a story to the player about having seen Entei up close. Having trained in his gym for most of his life has led to him being a bit on the quiet or introverted side, but he certainly doesn't mean to come off as cold or reclusive with his behavioral patterns. Morty is just a practical optimist that, thanks to being a bit of a homebody, might struggle a little with interactions.

But optimistic as Morty might be, his psychic seer abilities have also left him a huge believer in fate. This belief doesn't really grind at him or take away from his passions, though. He can take life as it comes and work his way around the bumps that might catch him off-guard. Despite it being his absolute dream that he would be Ho-oh's chosen one, for example, he gracefully accepts the fact that he simply isn't when the player proves that he interpreted his vision all wrong. Instead of giving up or getting angry, he decides instead to train hard until he can gain a new destiny for himself. And as for the player, who very well goes on to capture Ho-oh? Morty harbors no hard feelings or resentment whatsoever. In fact, when the player engages him on Bellchime Trail after the events, Morty cheerfully proposes that he and the player exchange Pokegear numbers so that they can keep in touch. He also proposes that they take a picture together as a memento. If that's not being a damn good sport, then frankly, I don't know what is. The point is that Morty doesn't give up or roll over just because things don't go his way. Having his life dream taken from him wasn't enough to keep him down, and that speaks leagues of his determination and his ability to gracefully accept a pitfall when it comes for him, even in spite of his confidence. This ties directly back into his belief in fate; everything happens for a reason, and it's up to you to make something of it.

Being a ghost-type specialist, of course, Morty also has a certain reverence for the concept of death as well as departed spirits. While he would rather be alive for as long as he's fated to be, of course, death doesn't really scare Morty and neither do ghosts. Spirits are just another part of life, same as every other stranger you meet. Sooo yeah, don't be surprised to find Morty just nonchalantly speaking about hauntings or meetings with dead people, and don't mind him getting friendly with any wandering spirits unless they seem to be wayward or in need of help that he'll gladly offer. He's said to be a clairvoyant as well as a seer of the future, after all, so Morty pretty much lets concepts like death and mortality roll off his back. He's been communing with ghosts for most of his life, so, what's the point in fussing over the inevitable? So long as you live life to the fullest, the end can't scar you or break you when it eventually comes.

Seeing as how ghost Pokemon are known for their mischievous personalities, that isn't to say Morty doesn't match his preferred type well. His entire gym consists of narrow paths set over a portal that whips you back to the start if you lose your footing and fall. Said narrow paths are set in fog. In the dark. With only a few dimly lit torches to light your way, so, good luck. While Morty's sense of humor might not be as malicious as a ghost Pokemon can be, well, there's definitely some mild trolling to be had, there. And Morty isn't much in the way of being all gravely serious or all business like say, Falkner or Pryce.

Being a gym leader who respects his elders, partakes in his community, and is polite if not somewhat awkward with newcomers? It can safely be said that Morty resides rightly on the good end of the moral spectrum. He strives to be ethical, fair, and to do the right thing. It can safely be said that Morty cares deeply for Pokemon and the bond between Pokemon and humans as greatly as his ancestors did. He also cares greatly for people, striving to do right by them and act as respectful as he can. Even if his fixations on history and mythology or his reverent talk of death and the dead might be just a tad on the unintentionally creepy side, still, Morty tries his best and for the most part it's good enough for the people of his city. He's a good person at heart, able to gracefully accept the odd bump in his path, determined enough to persevere in the face of defeat, and even able to cheer on those who surpass him in strength.

He will concede that he has a lot to learn, but then, that's what living your life to the fullest before fate steps in is all about.


Powers and Abilities:

Mystic: Morty has been communing and training with ghosts almost literally his entire life. As such, he's become able to see things that other people can't. He can see the future, though if this ability isn't lost completely in Nautilus, then Morty would only be able to see pieces of a character's CANON future, and that would be with discussed OOC permission, of course. And being a medium also means that he can see and talk with the spirits of the dead. And to Morty, speaking with ghosts or even channeling them is totally no big deal. So, you know, that's fun!

My Pokemon, Let Me Show You Them: Morty has a team of Pokemon that he keeps on hand, just like anyone else in the Pokemon world. I imagine that he won't be receiving his Pokemon all at once, as much as one at a time over the duration of his stay in Nautilus, but I've compiled them here to make for a final list. His team consists of the following:

Gengar: His signature Pokemon, and pretty much one of his best friends if not his very best friend. Has the ability to mimic people's shadows, and as a gengar, is mischievous by nature. Moveset consists of: shadow ball, hypnosis, focus blast and dark pulse.

Mismagius: Its cries are actually incantations that can give listeners headaches and hallucinations, so, that's fun! Moveset consists of: shadow ball, power gem, pain split, and perish song.

Banette: A cute little demented puppet-Pokemon that tries to cast curses by sticking voodoo pins in its plushie body. For the sake of the game, these curses will generally not work. Moveset consists of: shadow claw, sucker punch, curse and will-o-wisp.

Dusknoir: A creepy as hell cyclops Pokemon that's said to guide departed spirits to other worlds. For the sake of the game, we'll just say that Dusknoir can see and interact with dead spirits. Moveset consists of: shadow punch, thunderpunch, bulldoze, and pain split.

Sableye: A little shadowy Pokemon that looks like a gremlin, likes being by itself, and eats gemstones. No, I'm not kidding. Moveset consists of: ominous wind, foul play, calm mind and recover.

Froslass: A ghost/ice Pokemon that's capable of blowing ice breath as low as 60 below zero. Pretty sweet temperament otherwise, though. Moveset consists of: confuse ray, thunderbolt, ice beam, and shadow ball.

A few basic descriptions of these moves may be in order, although for the most part, many of them are exactly what it says on the tin. Thunderbolt is a lightningbolt attack, thunderpunch is a punch that utilizes electricity, shadow ball is a ball of dark shadow energy that strikes an opponent, confuse ray is... well, a ray that confuses opponents, while hypnosis puts a target to sleep. Most techniques that require clarification are available to be looked up on the Pokemon wiki as needed.

Morty, for his part, will be extremely reluctant to send his Pokemon into a fight against any actual Wakened. In his mind, it simply wouldn't be ethical. He would be worried for the person trying to take on his ghosts (unnecessary as that fear may be in the case of Wakened, but using Pokemon violently against people is a pretty huge no-no in the Pokemon world). Still, any fights between Morty's Pokemon and Wakened will essentially go the same way it would for any other fight with an NPC creature and would be discussed beforehand. If anything requires further hammering out, I'm game!


Samples

Network:

[When the feed opens, what you get is... a pair of looming red eyes, staring straight at you from darkness. When the camera inches back just a bit, you get to see the toothy hints of a huge grin that can only be described as impish. That's almost literally it. Just a pair of gleaming red eyes and a grin that could leave a Cheshire cat yowling with its hackles up.]

Gengar? Did you find it?

[That's a new voice. Young, male, and to the point, not coming from that unnervingly grinning mouth. Those eyes do shift to someone off-screen, though.]

Gengar!

You did? Ah, there it is. Here, try not to smudge the screen too much, Gengar.

Gengar, gengar!

[The device is taken up by a pair of slender hands, and that's when we get to see our speaker at last. It's a lanky young man, early to mid twenties, blonde hair tousled over a purple headband. What might strike most viewers however are the eyes, bright purple, looking a little dark underneath. This young man doesn't make much practice of healthy sleeping habits, but he doesn't seem too bothered by it.

In fact, he's smiling.]

Hello?

Guess I'm only just now finding out about this global network thing. Did my Gear download another update without me noticing? Ha, ha, seems I'm not too quick on all this tech stuff! But Whitney did say I needed to get more in touch, try to socialize before I turn into more of a...

...Anyway! My name is Morty.

Um, so...

[A pause. Yeah this is awkward, how do you conversation.]

So, how are all of you doing? We've been working hard at the gym, here. Just tending to my regular duties, but things do get kind of dull from time to time. If anyone wants to be a part of our training, I'm always up for a battle when I'm free!

[That's when you may notice that grinning face from before has a form after all. It's... a little spiky black shadow monster, tiptoeing five feet tall, standing proudly not too far from the young man.]

Gengar, gengar!

We'll take on any new challengers. But if you just want to talk about... things, I guess that's fair, too.

[CLICK. Because what is a decent closing, good job Morty.]


Third Person:

Morty had been warned, quite adamantly, about the western district.

But he couldn't help it. A bleak red sky, rivers of mercury, the eerie and broken silhouettes of half-finished Cybertronian buildings? While Morty favored the south, himself, the west was a land heavily marbled with dark intrigue for its eerie landscape and that unsettling quiet. And when he'd found Fazbear's Fright? Anyone who knew Morty could likely bet on where he'd gone in a practical beeline.

The young leader could sense a bloodied, violent mingle of twisted emotions hanging off nearly every surface. Like the stink of cigarettes, it lingered stubbornly in every niche and fiber. It hung like a disease. Morty knew within a heartbeat that the place had been haunted, most definitely, and that the acts preceding this haunting had been unspeakable. Not even the beauty of death that Morty typically beheld in the natural cycle could excuse this. He could feel his temples throb, lightly, and he shut a pair of violet eyes against the encroaching darkness that lied just ahead. It was meant to be some sort of carnival attraction, one of those haunted house numbers, but it was a labyrinth that buried long concealed secrets of murders that had gone too long unpunished.

It made him sick to his core.

He opened his eyes, slowly. "I'm sorry," he said aloud. "It wasn't really my place to intrude." He was speaking to the faint impressions of very young spirits, possibly children. Three... no. Four, or possibly five. They weren't actually here to be counted, of course, but their emotions had left indentations well enough to make for a very well done imitation.

Sighing, he backed out of the attraction. Perhaps that castle he'd caught sight of a while back would provide him something else to think about.

This city was beyond the strangest place he'd ever ended up, astral walking or not. And there was plenty that Morty missed already, from the towering angles of Ecruteak's towers to the familiar scent of chimney smoke. He missed the echo of his footfalls along the walkway of Bellchime Trail. Gengar had loved making a mess of the red and gold leaves that he'd sweep up in the autumn season, but Morty supposed he would come to miss that extra work, too. Most painfully, he missed Gengar. He missed the chilly mist and the embrace of the darkness in his gym, he missed the rest of his Pokemon, and he wondered how they could all possibly get along in their own way while he was stranded in this bout of seeming madness.

But seeming was the keyword, here.

Morty was very much a believer in a method to the madness. Everything happened for a reason, that had been what his parents would tell him. The timeline, the universe, fate, it demanded these things and sent them to try people for reasons that humans simply couldn't understand. So he very much believed, in his heart of hearts, that the universe knew in its grand gestures what it was doing a heck of a lot better than he did. The inherent mystery in that stirred his curiosity just enough that he wanted to keep exploring, at least.

Homesick or not.

But this is where he had ended up, and nothing he did could change it. And if he died while doing so, then obviously fate had planned it accordingly for him. Others here professed that they were free here, truly free, but Morty had to disagree, there. Fate was never that easily thwarted. It was an agree-to-disagree thing, and he understood well enough that most people didn't particularly like the idea. Philosophical implications were reason enough to end a conversation, Morty supposed, and he never held it against any of them for their protests. Manifesting one's destiny was likely quite an attractive selling point for a nexus between various worlds ruled by laws that no longer applied here.

Keeping his brisk pace, he tried his hand once more at this "Bending" that the guides had spoken of. A slight furrow of his brows and a blink of will were all that betrayed his efforts, and within a few seconds, a rainbow-hued feather running the length of his hand appeared right there in his slender fingers.

At that, he couldn't help but smile. It was ironic, bittersweet, but Morty wasn't surprised in the least.

"Either fate has just twined us together, or..." He shrugged, holding the feather up to an idle wind. "Maybe I just have a weird sense of humor. Could be either or." Likely the latter. And this whole 'talking-to-himself' thing kind of had to stop, unless he wanted his new neighbors to think of him as the neighborhood weirdo. Assuming they hadn't, already.

He smiled up at the red sky on his way to Hang Castle.

"Guess we'll have to see what it has in mind," he said, referring to that always fickle Fate that seemed to be throwing quite a few curve balls at him, lately. He let it roll over him with graceful nonchalance, as per usual.

After all, it was fate, and you couldn't very well fight that.