Morty, known as Matsuba in the Japanese version of Pokémon, serves as the Gym Leader of Ecruteak City's Gym, officially recognized as the Ecruteak Gym. He awards the Fog Badge to trainers who manage to defeat him. A young man specializing in Ghost-type Pokémon, Morty is both enigmatic and skilled.
In the anime series, Morty makes appearances in three episodes: "A Ghost of a Chance," "From Ghost to Ghost," and "For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll!" Known for teaching classes on training Ghost-types, he leverages his knowledge that most Ghosts possess limited physical power by disorienting or frightening opponents instead.
Ash, Misty, and Brock first encounter Morty when they mistakenly visit the Burned Tower, mistaking it for the Gym. Morty's Ghost Pokémon had created an illusion of fire to scare off intruders, but he calmed them down and introduced himself as the Gym Leader. He shared tales about Ho-Oh and Ecruteak's two towers, expressing skepticism over Ash's claim of seeing Ho-Oh. When Team Rocket kidnapped Pikachu and Togepi, Morty intervened with his powerful Gengar to thwart their plan.
The following day saw Ash challenging Morty at the Gym. By utilizing Noctowl's Foresight ability to weaken Morty's Ghost Pokémon, making them susceptible to Normal attacks, Ash emerged victorious. After the battle, Morty expressed newfound belief in Ash possibly having seen Ho-Oh, impressed by Ash's spirit.
Upon Ash and friends' return to Ecruteak en route to Mahogany Town, it was revealed that Morty shares a close bond with Eusine due to their mutual interest in rare legendary Pokémon. In "Bagged Then Tagged!", Morty briefly appeared alongside Whitney, hinting at Lyra's upcoming Gym challenge involving one of them.
In the manga "Pokémon Adventures," Morty possesses natural Itemfinder-like abilities, using psychic powers to locate lost items and Pokémon. His clairvoyant abilities allow distant viewing, though he missed Ecruteak's earthquake attack by Team Rocket. He later contributed to the city's reconstruction. Morty dreams of witnessing Ho-Oh someday, whose immense power disrupts his abilities. Another elusive target was Suicune, which he attempted to find on Eusine's behalf.
Morty's first significant appearance occurred after locating a Girafarig for a woman and hearing about Suicune's awakening from a radio broadcast. Encountering a mist filled with Gastly and Misdreavus, Morty quickly sensed and tracked down Suicune. Though seemingly paralyzed by Gastly's Thunderbolt, Suicune outsmarted Morty. Upon throwing a Great Ball, Suicune utilized Mirror Coat, paralyzing Misdreavus instead. Morty then contacted Eusine about encountering Suicune and joined the chase.
