WHAT WAS ONCE HISTORY [MORTY]

[noel]

[atrb=border,0,bTable]so tell me stories from ages ago [/style] Despite living so close, it had been a long time since Noel had been to Ecruteak. Too long, he realized as he stared up at the Bell Tower. Even it had been lost to the war in a sense - still standing, but emptied of near everything that made it what it was. Though, having been converted to a radio tower, there was probably more activity in it than ever before, it felt like an empty husk to him. But that’s the price of war, right? A cool wind blew throughout the city, and Noel pulled his jacket tighter around him. There was little purpose in hanging around here - the average citizen couldn’t get in the tower anyways. And he certainly wasn’t about to risk his life for a glimpse inside. Well, not today at least. Besides that, the sun was setting, and although the curfew here wasn’t as strict as he had seen it elsewhere, Noel felt nervous in this Lux city since it was so close to the war front. He reached in his pocket and touched his identification card as if to reassure himself. And so, his brief optimism in this war-torn region was drowned out by the radio signals which now replaced history. With a half-hearted shrug he continued on down the street towards the Brass Tower, kicking a rock as he went along. Noel entertained the thought of how the towers would have looked at sunset. He imagined the fading light finding its way through the holes in the ceiling and the sides of the Brass Tower - or what was left of it, at the very least. And that was very little indeed. Something caught his eye as he walked. In the grass between the two towers a small object rested in the waning light, and, his curiosity making him oblivious to any sort of restrictions that might be on the area, Noel went towards it. He crouched down in front of the object and picked it up, running a finger along the side of what looked like an ornate wing, though whatever color might have been there had long since faded to a dusty brown. Half of it had broken off somewhere, but the small statue was still recognizable as a bird. Though normally he would be ecstatic about finding a discarded relic, a part of him actually wanted to leave it where it was, as a last part of its ancestral home. Noel turned it over in his hand while he pondered what to do, looking closely at the details of the feathers on the head. It might be broken and faded, but it was still quite beautiful. tag noel and morty ▪ words 451 ▪ notes the past still lives on - falconer made by katya

[nomnom]

The young Gym Leader walked through the winding streets of Ecruteak, chest heavy with nostalgia. He still couldn’t fully accept that fact that the Ecruteak he once knew and loved was no longer. Gone were the kids playing in the streets, gone where the bakers screaming their wares, and gone were sanctity of the two towers. Now forever altered by the Lux regime. He knew that sacrifices had to be made, but sometimes he felt like his city sacrificed too much already. Sure he should be grateful that it wasn’t destroyed in the war, but he wondered if it would be better off destroyed than losing it’s essence. Which was why Morty was grateful to those few citizens that remained in Ecruteak. And even more grateful that a couple of them sold food. Otherwise he wouldn’t be eating a bag of cookies. Now that would have made the situation sadder.

So as the young Gym Leader walked through the winding streets of Ecruteak, chest heavy with nostalgia, he was munching through a bag of cookies. Yum. Morty began thinking what he could do now. Training in the militia was boring, he exhausted his arsenal of pranks, and there weren’t any challengers coming to his Gym anymore. All that was left was to laze around until Lux needed him again.

He was walking past one of the many deserted neighborhoods of Ecruteak when the shadows suddenly began to move before materializing into Yoma, his Banette. The pokemon rushed to his master’s side and began pulling him towards the direction of the Bell Tower. Obviously something was interesting there, because that was the only reason his pokemon will call for him. He allowed his ghosts to roam Ecruteak as an unwanted police force, mostly to ensure that Lux soldiers stopped their machismo brawls and didn’t harass the remaining residents since there were no longer criminals to apprehend. But he also told them to fetch him when something weird, strange, or interesting happened in the city. And apparently there was something happening by the Bell Tower.

While being led by his pokemon, Morty allowed his psychic powers to take effect, instantly sending his ‘sight’ to the Bell Tower. There he saw a young man loitering around said building, a man Morty never saw before. He certainly didn’t look like a Lux soldier and there are so few Ecruteak civilians left the Leader made it a point to memorize their faces, and he didn’t look anything like those faces. Highly suspicious. By the time the Gym Leader reached the scene, the man was holding what looked like a relic.

“Who are you,” he asked, Banette hovering over his shoulder

[/justify]

[noel]

[atrb=border,0,bTable]yet were its making good, for this- [/style] Having been so focused on what was in his hand, Noel didn’t hear any footsteps behind him or any indication that someone else was near. So unsurprisingly, he was startled when he heard a voice. The trainer jolted upright, attempting to stand up, but he only managed to trip over his own feet in his haste. He scrambled backwards, eyes wide, as a child might look when caught doing something wrong. After a few seconds he managed to calm himself down, and out of the initial surprise. More carefully this time, Noel stood up, relieved to find the relic was still in his hand and that he hadn’t dropped it somewhere when he was startled. For a moment he studied the person with the Banette who had spoken to him. The two people looked to be around the same age, though Noel knew he probably appeared a lot less composed. “Ah... I’m Noel.” He replied, while looking at his surroundings for the first time. He had wandered in between the towers, and for all he knew the area could be restricted to civilians. Oops. Did he see any signs saying such? Noel couldn’t remember. “I’m from Azalea. But I wanted to come see the towers since I haven’t been here in years...” His voice trailed off, and he knew it was a bad explanation, even though it was true. “I guess a lot has changed.” It was an understatement, and also rather redundant to say. Obviously a lot had changed. Noel sighed and looked at the small statue in his hand. Oh yeah. The statue. “Um... I saw this in the grass and it looked interesting so I... picked it up?” He blinked, realizing how stupid he must sound, and tentatively held out the small bird-like relic for the other person to see. tag noel and morty ▪ words 309 ▪ notes lay of leithian - j.r.r. tolkien made by katya

[nomnom]

Yoma snickered at the man’s flustered reactions while Morty let out a grin. Whoever this man was, it seemed obvious he was no enemy spy.

“Noel from Azalea,” he repeated, rolling the familiar city’s name on his tongue. It was the city of his Bugsy, the Gym Leader who specialized in bugs. And, if Morty recalled correctly, the man who turned his beautiful childhood playground, the burned down Brass Tower, into a Lux hospital. A bitter taste found it’s way into Morty’s mouth. If Lux was going to tarnish the sanctity of an important piece of Johto literature, the least they could have done was allow him to do it. And Bugsy, not even a speck of remorse for what he did to the tower while his city was allowed to remain untouched. But Morty swallowed the bitterness down, chanting ‘sacrifices must be made’ in his head. It will all be worth it once Lux defeats Nox. At least he hopes so.

Morty walked past Noel and touched the side of the Bell Tower, wondering how many other people looked up and marveled at its beauty. “Yes,” he said, almost too soft to hear, “much has changed.” The other man sighed and the Gym Leader turned back around to face, just in time to hear the explanation as to why Noel had a relic on his hands. Found it on the grass? It was probably the movers, they must have dropped it when they transferred some of the sacred artifacts of the towers to some safe bunker somewhere. He couldn’t have stolen it because the only ones left were too large to move. “Yoma, please fetch it for me.” The Banette, who was still hovering my Morty’s shoulder, quickly sped towards Noel, snatched the tiny bird from his hands and returned to his master’s side. Morty took the relic from Yoma examined it. It was Lugia. Morty didn’t like Lugia. This piece could be smelted into a nail for all he cared. The psychic tossed the piece back to Noel “You can keep it.”

The Leader placed his hands on his hips and began to pepper the man with questions. “So, Noel. When did you arrive? How long has it been before you visited Ecruteak? What made you wanna visit now? Have we ever battled before? Do you have any interesting ghost pokemon? Do you have any ghost stories? Oh yeah…and I guess I should ask for your ID but I honestly don’t care.”

[/justify]

[noel]

[atrb=border,0,bTable]knowing the threats in a world of regrets [/style] Noel flinched slightly when the Banette moved towards him, and then cautiously dropped his hands to his sides when the pokemon snatched the small bird. He didn’t particularly fear ghost-types, but any pokemon which sped so quickly towards him was likely to be unnerving. When the other man examined the relic, Noel began searching his pocket for his identification card, figuring that he would need it. Sad times when people had to carry these around, he thought. It was one of the first signs to him that something was terribly wrong with this new system. But he put that out of his mind for now. Noel was unsure of what to do, and still nervous that he would be in trouble. Whoever this was, it was likely someone of power or high status. He shuffled his feet and shivered with another breeze while his gaze naturally travelled up the Bell Tower. If it looked so magnificent form down here, Noel could only imagine what the view would be from the top. Though, he had a feeling going up and being able to see the battleground that was formerly a ranch would just sadden him. What did that mean then? That he just wanted to tell himself the war didn’t exist, or that he wanted to avoid it as much as he possibly could? Avoid. Ignore. Escape? Noel barely caught the relic as it was tossed back to him, abruptly bringing his thoughts back to reality, and his face lit up as it had when he first found it. “R-really? Thank you.” He said as he took off his backpack and placed the bird-like figure in it. While kneeling on the grass he zipped up his backpack, then stood back up and wondered if he should get going. All the questions, however, caught him off-guard. “I... I just got here today. The last time I was here was when I was... fifteen? Sixteen? Around then.” Noel paused. Why did he decide to come back now? He put a hand to his chin, thinking. “With the war, I was worried about the state of the towers. There really isn’t anything I could do if something happened to them, but... I’m glad they’re still standing as I remember them, at least.” Now, looking back, Noel seriously regretted never going in the Bell Tower when he had the chance - even if he wouldn’t have been allowed to go to the top anyways. “I don’t think we’ve battled, no. And I don’t have any ghost pokemon, but I like them, and...” At the thought of stories, his face lit up again. “Oh, I have some ghost stories. I’ve been to Mt. Pyre in Hoenn, as well as the Celestial Tower in Unova. And the Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town before it...” Noel’s voice trailed off as he looked at the Bell Tower. “...got turned into a radio tower.” tag noel and morty ▪ words 495 ▪ notes velatum - serenity made by katya

[nomnom]

Morty smiled. He liked Noel already. Not only was he concerned about the well being of the towers, landmarks that Morty loved with all his heart, but he also liked ghost pokemon. Morty loved meeting like that. Most people fear the ghosts for their general creepiness while others use them for the fact that they can phase through solid walls. Morty, on the other-hand, loved them for their feisty attitudes and the fact that they were the ones that raised him during childhood. In fact most of his team of pokemon were the ones he played with the most during his younger years. They grew up together, and hopefully, Morty will die with them by his deathbed. And even more hopefully, he’ll become a ghost pokemon and play with them until the end of times.

The Leader nodded at his stories, both amused and saddened as he remembered that Ecruteak’s ghost towers weren’t the only ones modernized by the war. If he disliked Lux just a little bit more, he might attack them for what they did to the homes of ghost pokemon. But Morty always made sure they had a home to stay. He made sure none of them were harmed and relocated into an equally creepy place. Some have even taken up residence in Ecruteak and became part of secret army of ghost pokemon. “Yeah...it can’t be helped I guess.” The mood suddenly became heavy, so to lighten it up, Morty draped his arm over the man’s shoulders.

“Loosen up, I won’t bite. You already got into my good books with your concern over the towers, and your likings for ghost pokemon, that’s very important. Oh yes! I haven’t introduced myself! I am Morty Yurei, of the Ecruteak Yureis, a clairvoyant ghost-specialist, Sentinel of Lux and more importantly Leader of the Ecruteak Gym!” he said with a smile, other hand making exaggerated sweeps in the air. And while he spoke Banette made equally exaggerated gestures in the air, she was laughing but her laughs always sounded like children’s screams. “Oh yes, and that’s Yoma, my Banette.” Banette went right up to his face and smiled. Master and pokemon can get hyper together, just how they worked. “If you really want to look at the towers again, you should really want to look in the inside.”

[/justify]

[noel]

[atrb=border,0,bTable]listen, crowd, I'll tell you everything [/style] Noel stiffened a bit at the touch, but he quickly relaxed and gave a meek smile. He hadn't even realized his shoulders were still tensed up. “Nice to meet you, Morty.” His words were genuine - Noel couldn't remember the last time he had had such a friendly conversation. People weren't rude to him very often, but he figured the closer a particular town was to the war front, the less likely it was that the residents would be open and friendly. Maybe it was the stress. Many people couldn't just leave their homes and go somewhere else as Noel could, since they held a certain attachment to the land that they lived on which he had never felt. While Morty spoke, Noel watched the gym leader’s hand motions, amused that the Banette was making similar gestures. It reminded him a little bit of his Kirlia, who would often dance around when they walked together. He inwardly cringed a bit at the words “Sentinel of Lux,” but he put it out of his mind. Noel wasn't going to let anything else get ruined by a difference of factions. “And hello to you too!” He exclaimed, smiling again as the Banette went up to his face. From what he had seen, pokemon and trainer both seemed very alike. “I would love to go in the towers. Is... is that possible? I could, um... tell you about the time I went to Mt. Pyre while we walk up.” His voice almost sounded incredulous. Noel didn't believe he would ever get to go all the way inside, even under normal circumstances. He remembered, vaguely, how beautiful the path leading up to Bell Tower was while under the autumn leaves, and hoped that it was still unchanged. tag noel and morty ▪ words 300 ▪ notes a past and future secret - blind guardian made by katya

[nomnom]

Morty was relieved to feel the other man’s soldiers relax. He didn’t like it when people were so tensed up around him, especially in his city. The air within his city was filled with tension thanks to all the stern-faced, no-nonsense men and women being brought in so he made do with everyone else who visited his beloved city. Plus the man liked the towers: Ecruteak was Noel’s new home for all Morty cared. Yoma didn’t seem to dislike the man as well. But Yoma liked everyone, except children. The Banette was still sore from the little girl or boy that threw her away.

The Gym Leader smiled inwardly at Noel’s request to visit the towers. He was waiting for that. And he knew just how to respond. Morty pulled away from the man and began pacing the ground before them, Yoma watching her master with wide, open eyes. The Leader made sure to show worry, doubt, and hesitation in his face, just enough to unhinge Noel a little. Morty would allow his newfound companion access into the towers, of course. Nobody in the city could make him do otherwise. The man loved showing off the towers as if it was his own him. And Noel had ghost stories!

“Both towers are currently off limits to everyone except authorized personnel, of which you are obviously not part. For me disobey the rules could cause anarchy in the city.” Said the Leader, staring straight into the eyes of Noel. “So, Noel, the only question I have is…which tower do you want to visit first?” Morty broke into a grin. Rules. As if Morty cared a lot for the rules. If all of Johto’s Gym Leader were like that then the Johto League would be as boring and stale as the Lux militia. And Morty was the only one keeping the city from being overwhelmed by stale and boring.

[/justify]

[noel]

[atrb=border,0,bTable]of secrets kept, strength like a tower [/style] While Morty paced, Noel glanced away nervously, somewhat at a loss of what to do. If he persisted, he figured he would get in trouble, but Arceus, did he want to go into those towers. Or if nothing else, at least glance inside. Perhaps it was a strange thing to wish, but he wasn’t really one to care. Strange or crazy would be a compliment to him, in fact. He found himself picturing the legendary beasts, as he called them. The story of how they were caught in the burned tower had always been one of his favorites as a child, and that certainly hadn’t changed over the years. How desperately he wished to see them, at least once in his lifetime, unlikely as it would be. And sometimes, years ago in school, he would just have a book of their legends hidden under his desk and he would read and reread it. That was probably the reason he did poorly in math, looking back. His mind was wandering, but when Morty looked him in the eye, it snapped back to reality. Noel looked down at the ground, averting his gaze, and prepared for a tongue-lashing or whatever might come. Suddenly he felt like a child - an uncomfortable feeling that he had never particularly enjoyed, even as a child. So, the other mans full response caught him off guard to say the least. He seemed to be good at doing that, Noel thought. “W-well... How about the Bell Tower?” The traveller said sheepishly, his voice tentative although a smile was spreading wide on his face. tag noel and morty ▪ words 268 ▪ notes sorry this took so long D: lay of leithian - j.r.r. tolkien made by katya

[nomnom]

Morty enjoyed watching Noel’s expressions shift from anxiety to amazement. That fun innocence in Noel’s face was a breath of fresh air from the stoic, sour faces of the soldiers in Ecruteak. “The Bell Tower,” repeated the Leader “An excellent choice.” A far choice, though. The duo was just a few feet from the Burned Tower while it’s sister needed a little bit of travel. Morty didn’t mind, though. He liked walking through the streets of his city. It was nice to delve into its peace and serenity – ignoring the militia base – when most of his present life involved fighting and murder. “The Bell Tower is a little bit to the west though. We could walk it. In the meantime, I’d love to hear some of those ghost stories!”

The Gym Leader led the way, making sure to the take the routes he was certain had a scarcity for soldiers. It meant taking a longer path towards the Bell Tower, but he wasn’t in the mood to let the soldiers question his companions.

Hope you don't mind the short post.

[noel]

Noel followed at Morty's side, albeit more meekly. He didn't question the route they were taking, even though it was a longer one, since he figured there was a reason for it. Instead, the man nodded, searching his mind for a story to tell. He never thought that he was much of a poet, or very good with words in any sort of medium, but the least he could do was make an effort. Especially if he was getting to see the inside of the tower.

"Well - " he began, gathering his thoughts. "It's said that long before people came in great numbers to the Hoenn region, Mt. Pyre was a place that the spirits of Pokemon gathered to meet the sky after they passed away." Noel paused, and looked behind him at the Burned Tower. Being in Lux territory still unnerved him a little.

"Now one day, there was a lonely little ghost of a Vulpix who had died. It didn't want to pass on, and tried to return to the grass to play with it's friends like it used to do. But the Vulpix found that none of his friends could see him, no matter how fast he ran or how loud he yelled. So for decades he tarried, halfway between life and death where only the other ghost pokemon were aware of his existence.

"But eventually, when he got tired of lingering, he tried to pass into the next life, only to find that he had waited too long that he couldn't. Without a home, the Vulpix cried out three times for someone to help him, and to his surprise there was an answer. 'Just as ye have thrice called, thrice shall I answer.' But it is said that this voice was merely a Shuppet, come to trick lonely souls and feed off of desperation and darkness as they do. 'Go, go, go, haunt the ones who are responsible for your death, and bring to me their terror.' Without hesitation, the Vulpix agreed, and did what was asked of him. But after he haunted the victims, the Shuppet had already disappeared, having fed off of the emotions. So the Vulpix was left behind, and still to this day searches for the one who tricked him."

Noel couldn't remember the last time he had told the story, and hoped he didn't mess anything up. He looked to the sky, trying to recall where he had first heard it, or read it. It was one of his favorites as a child.

[nomnom]

All Gym Leaders have probably done extensive research on their type specialty in order to maximize their pokemon’s abilities. Morty was no different. Part of this research was to learn the many stories of ghost pokemon across the world. He believed that these stories could help him understand the behavioral patterns of ghost pokemon – specifically ghost pokemon with closer ties to their previous lives. It was one of these stories, in fact, that he found his Yamask. Which is why a story about the Vulpix of Mt. Pyre was something he was familiar with – both it and some of it’s derivatives. But still, hearing it from another mouth felt like hearing a whole new story. It’s because when people tell a tale they in avertedly give different emotions.

When Noel was done, Morty clapped his hands. “Thanks for sharing!” he said, just as the duo reached the Bell Tower. Though its doors were still open to the public it was clear that few people have entered the building in a while. The soldiers found no need to visit and Morty usually enters through the rooftop entrances. “And welcome to the Bell Tower. The legendary place where Ho-Oh was said to have resided.” Morty felt like a tourist guide and he didn’t dislike it.

The Gym Leader pushed through the door, revealing a dusty room filled with antiquities. Light streamed from the windows and wherever they walked forced a small cloud of dust to rise in the air. “I named one of my Gengars in respect to this tower. It was one of my childhood playgrounds. Well, go on, explore and I shall follow. There are still some ghost pokemon lurking around but none would bother us. Most are my friends and those that aren’t are afraid of me.”