He knew that Falkner would be angry, but he didn't knew that he would be this angry. Morty believed that it wasn't important, but Falkner and, he assumed, his Pokémon thought differently. Morty was punished by the Sages and kept quiet about it. That was one of the points that made Falkner angry. The other point was that Morty agreed with the Sages about the reason of the punishment.
Falkner thought that he was getting through Morty, but what the Sages said or thought was true. He doesn't even know why Morty was beaten up again because Morty only said 'I deserved it.' It was making Falkner so angry and not only him, but the Ghost-Pokémon too. Falkner didn't spoke to Morty after that. He just completely ignored him. Maybe that would make Morty see his mistakes. He loved the Ecruteak City Gym Leader, but he just had to do something about his attitude. Falkner had the full support of the Ghost-Pokémon too, so he hoped that Morty soon would just give in.
It was 2 days later that he heard a knock on the door and he saw Morty. He let him in and saw him standing in the living room. He looked with a pained look at Falkner and then began to speak.
"What's wrong with you? Why aren't you just telling what's wrong? You even use my Pokémon against me! Why aren't you just shouting at me and telling what I'm doing wrong!" Said Morty loudly with unshed tears in his eyes. He didn't want to fight with Falkner anymore. He just wanted everything to be back to normal and the cold shoulder wasn't helping.
"What's wrong with me? You are acting like you deserve what the Sages are doing to you! Shouldn't be what I say be more important then the Sages?! Shouldn't it be what I think or do be more important then what they say or do? Are you stupid Morty? Are you that blind that they enjoy hurting you? Are you so incredibly stupid that you can't even see that your Pokémon agree with me! Just… don't come in here until you have the answers to those questions. I'm done Morty, really. I thought that was getting through you Mort. I thought you finally would fight them, but you don't. You even believe them! I told you that I was going to help you, but that is impossible. You don't want to be helped, so just leave." Said Falkner angry.
"Please Falk, I'm sorry. I… I just… Don't be angry… It just… just-" Morty stopped speaking and began to cry silently. "They are the closest what I have to family. I… I grew up with them. Please try and understand Falkner. Please!"
"What am I then? Am I not some kind of family? Aren't your Pokémon some kind of family? Are we not helping you without beating you up? Do you like it to be beaten up Morty? Do I need to beat you up to so that you would understand?" Said Falkner on a very cold tone. Probably as cold as the Ice Path.
"You are my lover! More that family, just like my Pokémon!" Said Morty loudly.
"Oh okay so you just enjoy to be beaten up then. Is that the reason why you listen to the Sages? Because you love to be hurt by them, love to feel pain?" Answered the Violet City Gym Leader.
"No! I don't know okay! I don't like the pain! Don't ever say that again!" Said the blonde Gym Leader desperately.
"Oh really? Then why are you keep telling me that you deserve it? Do you enjoy it then that they pull rank on you? That they show you who is the boss? Maybe I need to show you who is the boss in this relationship?" Said Falkner still angry. He never was on the top, but he didn't mind it. He would show Morty who was the Seme in their relationship.
"Because I did deserve it! They don't pull rank they just punish me for things that I did wrong." Said Morty clearly, but he kept quiet about their relationship. Was Morty that stupid that they were pulling rank by hurting him?
"What did you do wrong then?" Was all that the blue haired male asked.
"I lost to another trainer. I failed the people in Ecruteak by losing from a mere trainer and because of that I'm not able to retrieve Ho-Oh. So I believe that I really deserve i-" He was stopped by a slap in the face and a fuming Falkner.
"If you are telling me that you deserved it, then I will hit you so hard that you will wonder what happened. They punished you for that! Are you stupid Morty? No wait don't answer. You are a Gym leader, we are meant to lose sometimes! So the stronger trainer can continue and go to the Pokémon League! Damn you! Think with that head of yours!" Shouted Falkner angry. He was done with it and it seemed that Morty finally did listen to him.
"You are right Falkner. We Gym leaders are meant to help the trainers to be strong enough for the Pokémon League. I'm sorry." Said Morty while looking with impassive eyes at Falkner, who didn't saw it in his anger.
"Well I be damned. You just actually listened to me. You really need to be hit to listen do you? Hmm… Morty look at me…" Falkner grabbed Morty's face and turned it to him and sighed. He didn't like the look that he saw. He kissed the Ghost trainer who immediately kissed back. It was a short kiss, but a kiss nonetheless.
"I don't want to lose you Falk. Please, I am really sorry and I did not mean it like that!" Pleaded Morty.
"Then for once in your life, listen to me and not to them. They are enjoying the pain they give you. Stop accepting it Morty and fight against it. Show them that you are not someone who is just there to be beaten up. Just don't say such a stupid things anymore okay?" Said Falkner now a little calmer.
"I don't know if I can manage that Falkner. I am used to it, so I can't fight against it. I learned what happened when I fight back and I didn't like it. So can't I just accept it and try to ignore it later? Would that make you happier?" Asked Morty quietly and Falkner shook his head.
"No Morty. That will not even help you because you would believe their lies. You are too easy for them to manipulate. I don't know if I can take this any longer. I mean you keep ending up hurting yourself." Said Falkner while shaking his head. Morty looked at Falkner and slowly tears fell from his eyes.
"Does this mean you are breaking up? That we are over?" He asked quietly, but clear enough to hear. He shook his head as Falkner nodded.
"No! Please Falkner. I will try, just give me time! I will listen to you, I will try and fight back again. I… Just don't leave me! Not you…" Said Morty panicked.
"You had enough time to try. I can not do this anymore Morty. I can't see you getting hurt over and over again. I just can't sit, tend your wounds and not doing anything. I can't do it anymore. I am sorry, but I can't help you with this Mort." Said Falkner while he walked away, leaving Morty alone with his Ghost Pokémon. Falkner stood behind the door looking at the Ghost Leader. Who stood up defeated and walked away with his head hanging. Falkner turned around and slid down the door and cried a little. In the end this would only end up hurting them both and now he could try and ignore the damage.
It was quiet for 2 weeks. No Ghost Pokémon or Morty. Morty didn't pick up his Pokégear or let hear anything about him. Falkner was getting worried and decided to check everything in Ecruteak City. When he came there he walked to the Gym, but there was a note that said it was closed for the time being. This made Falkner a little bit uncomfortable as Morty never closed the Gym without a reason. He walked to Morty's house, only to find it locked. He looked around and saw a loose piece of stone and pulled it out. There was the reserve key. It was nice to know that Morty didn't changed in that perspective.
He walked inside and saw that there was no one inside. At least it looked like no one was inside. He walked further towards Morty's room. He rattled the door and found that it was locked. He didn't saw anything to open it. He knocked on the door and he heard a groan. Like someone inside was in pain or terrible tired.
"Morty, open up. It's Falkner."
Falkner didn't heard any reaction except the noise of a pained groan. He rattled the door once again and then thought of the fact that the door could be locked from the outside. He looked around and didn't saw a key lying around. He then looked through the house and found a little key in one of the drawers in the living room. He walked back and try to use it. To no avail.
"Gengaar!" Falkner jumped a little as Gengar suddenly hugged him. Falkner gave him a quick hug back and then asked a few things.
" Gengar, do you know where the key is? So yes can you get him for me?" He saw Gengar nod 2 times and disappear. Not 10 minutes later he returned. It seemed that he was quite shaken up as if someone is after him or something.
"Thank you Gengar!" Falkner got the key and opened the door. What he saw inside shook him to his core. He saw Morty, badly wounded against the wall. His whole room in a mess as if a tornado went through it. Almost everything was broken. Falkner decided that the broken things were not the most important. He hurried to Morty and try to let him stand up. He tried to get Morty outside and call out his Pidgeot.
"Pidgeot can you bring us both to Violet City? Please say yes!" Needless to be said. Falkner was happy when Pidgeot nodded. He tried, with the help of Gengar, to get Morty on Pidgeot's back and then got on the Pokémon himself. They flew back to Falkner's house where they helped to get Morty inside. They hurried to his bedroom and asked the Pokémon to get some medical supplies from the bathroom and a basket of water from the kitchen. While the Pokémon did they parts, Falkner began to undress Morty. Morty was covered in bruises and wounds. It made Falkner wonder about what happened in Ecruteak to make Morty wounded this badly.
The Pokémon came back with the necessary things and Falkner began to work on his ex-lover. He saw a Mismagius and a Drifloon coming inside with Gengar. They stood behind Morty and kept a close eye on Falkner. The Bird trainer tried to ignore them and just worked on the wounds. In a hour Falkner was done with the blonde male and walked to the bathroom to wash his hands and then to the kitchen to throw the things away. After that he came back with some food and water for if Morty woke up. He saw Gengar, Mismagius and Drifloon sitting next to Morty.
The blue haired male remembered Gengar and the new Drifloon, but he couldn't place the Mismagius. For now he would let it pass. He saw that the Pokémon were trying to wake Morty up and it seemed that it worked as Morty began to shift in his sleep. They kept nudging him until their master woke up. Morty tried to sit up only to groan and slowly let himself fall down again. The Pokémon on the other hand were ecstatic as their trainer woke up and was still alive.
"Where are we guys?" Said Morty with a barely audible voice. Falkner answered the question before the Ghost Pokémon could speak.
"You are at my place and now you are awake, I want to know what happened there." He saw Morty looking at him and once again tried to sit up. This time he managed only with a lot of pain. The 4th Gym leader looked at him with a grimace.
"I did what you wanted of me Falkner. I fought back." Said Morty darkly and Falkner noticed that the Pokémon moved back. "Are you happy with the result Falkner. Are you happy with what I did for you. I wanted you back and you said that it was impossible as you couldn't see how they kept hurting me. Well you were right in one part and that is that they enjoy hurting me." Said Morty while looking down and Falkner noticed that he was exactly like one of his Ghost Pokémon. He was scary when he needed it.
"I… I did not know Mort. I did not know that they would hurt you even more. I had no clue, I thought… well more hoped that they would see that you were not a plaything. A thing that they could beat up. I didn't know." Said Falkner clearly and a little bit desperate. He didn't know what Morty could do like he was now. He kept looking at Morty who didn't looked at him.
"I know you didn't know. I just had to tell you. I tried Falk, but I can't. The only thing I can do is try to ignore him and hope that me or someone else will retrieve Ho-Oh very soon. There is nothing else I can do or can I?" Said Morty calmly.
"You can try and not return to that place again. Violet City is close to Ecruteak City. You can stay here and be with me. Not getting beaten up." Tried Falkner, but he knew that it was impossible. That Morty needed to go back to his hometown.
"I can't Falkner. I'm the Gym Leader from Ecruteak City. I need to go back there soon. I would love to stay here especially with you, but like I said I need to go back. I'm sorry Falkner." Said Morty while looking at Falkner. Then Morty tried to stand only to sit down again, forced by his Pokémon. Falkner sighed and sat next to Morty. He suddenly heard Morty speaking.
"I won't come here and bother you again. You were right. I'm hurting to much so I understand. I'm sorry for the way I reacted last time. It just is… ehm.. I ehm.. You are the only one, Falkner, were I feel save around. The only one who was there in the times I needed it. And maybe you were right about some other things too… I don't know."
"I was right about what?" Falkner said and he heard Morty laugh quietly.
"That all that you heard? Damn and here I thought you always listened to me."
"Just tell me were I was right about." Said Falkner with a grin while he slightly poked Morty.
"Well you were right about the Sages. They do enjoy hurting me. They also enjoy pulling rank on me, that they are the boss and I'm not. And that I should've listen more to you then to them. What more… Ehm let's see. Oh yes that one too."Then Morty stopped talking knowing that the 1st Leader would be curious.
"And which one is that?" He heard the Bird Trainer say.
"That maybe if we were still together, you indeed should have been the leader in our relationship. You're were right. I enjoy that someone is pulling rank on me, but it should been only one person who does it and then I end up really quickly with your name in my head. It's the same when you hit me. It doesn't hurt but I enjoy it because I know that I made you care enough to get angry. Those stupid things make me happy."Said Morty with a smile.
"And I'm also the one who can keep up with you." Answered Falkner with a slight blush on his face. Then he saw the Ghost Pokémon again and the Mismagius he couldn't place. Morty could it seems as they both laughed a lot about nothing. "Since when do you have a Mismagius. You never had one." Blurted Falkner out and the Ghost Pokémon as well as Morty laughed.
"You don't even recognize her? Well that hurts doesn't it Mismagius." Mismagius nodded in her way and ignored Falkner. "That is Misdreavus, Falkner. She touched a Dusk stone and tadaa here is Mismagius." Said Morty while Mismagius twirled around like she was showing herself off. Falkner smiled he had to admit that he did miss this. He looked at Morty who was really laughing. Not the fake laugh, but a real one and Falkner liked that. Then the Ghost Pokémon left. Morty said there were going to get some Berry's in the hope that Morty would heal faster. After that Morty and Falkner sat alone. No Pokémon, no obligations, only a strong longing like you see something you can't touch. Well Falkner who normally obey the rules didn't obeyed them this time. He looked at Morty and touched his face and turned him to that they were looking at each other. He then began to kiss Morty in the most sensual way he knew. It was a slow kiss, but it held all the feelings that they had for each other. Then Morty pulled back and shook his head as if to banish some things.
"What is wrong Mort?" Asked the Bird trainer and the blonde looked at him.
"I can't do this Falkner. I can't do this with knowing that it would be for one night. I can't and I am sorry for it, but it doesn't feel right then." Said Morty with his eyes shut and trying to calm himself. "I'm serious about the fact that I won't come here anymore. I can't hurt you more then I am already doing. So please don't do this Falkner as I know that I won't be able to stop it."