=Author's Note= There were never enough psychic trainers in the game...or the show. I always thought they were as tough as nails, and I hated going into the Saffron Gym. What better way, then, to kick off the new adventures of Ash & Crew? I hope you enjoy reading it. Comments are strongly suggested and highly appreciated. =Legal Disclaimer= Pok‚mon, its characters, locations and all other associated literary and fictitious holdings are not owned by me. Any legal action taken against me will probably cost more than it would result in, so I wouldn't waste my time or my money if I were you. BadgeQuest #2 Psychic Psurprise "Passengers may now disembark from the boat. We hope that you have enjoyed your trip with the Polywhirl, and wish you a good stay on Medulla Isle." the cheery voice of the Captain came through the intercom. Brock was the first to get off, carrying his bags. "Boy, nothing like the good ol' sea air to cure what ails you." He drew in a lung full, savoring the salty air. Misty nodded, not far behind. "I always love a good boat ride." She heaved her bags down onto the deck; Misty was not a light traveler. Pikachu ran up and jumped up on the bags excitedly, trying to get a better view. Ash moaned and stumbled out onto the docks. "Oh, man, that was a rough ride." He wiped his mouth and dropped his bags. He still felt a little queasy, but his stomach was beginning to right itself. "I hate boats. Should've ridden Lapras." Misty chuckled. "Looks like Mr. Adventure here got a little seasick." "No, I got really seasick." Brock slapped Ash on the back. "It's okay, it happens to the best of us." "Especially land lubbers." Misty winked. Ash would have shot something back, but he felt too awful. "Let's just find a hotel to stay in...I'll yell at you later." Picking up his bags, he led them off the docks and into the city. It had been fairly easy to beat the gym leader on Motang. A Fire gym was no match for Wartortle and his powerful Water attacks. He wasn't sure what type of gym it was here. Dexter would know, thanks to his new Global Information program. He hadn't even used Dexter since getting it back from the Professor. Ash had asked the aging Pok‚mon scientist for a total upgrade; maybe there were other improvements. He pulled the red palmtop computer from his jacket's pocket and flipped it open. Immediately, the device said, "Hello Ash. How are you?" in its unique synthesized voice. Something was strange, though; it sounded almost...cheery? "Huh?" Ash stared at the machine. It had never done that before. "What's wrong, Ash?" Brock asked. "Something's up with Dexter..." he said, puzzled. "Nothing is 'up' with me, Ash. I was simply upgraded. New, improved, and better then ever!" the machine insisted. Now all three of them stared at it. Dexter had never talked back to him before. In fact, Dexter wasn't supposed to be able to talk back at all. "Let's call the Professor." Ash said. * * * After they had gotten a pair of Motel rooms (it wouldn't have been proper for a lady to dwell in a man's room, as Misty had put it), Ash had put in a call to Professor Oak's lab. It was getting late, but the scientist was always there. "Hello, Ash!" Oak's face beamed through the videophone's monitor. "Hi Professor." "How's your journey going so far Ash? Have you collected any new badges?" "I got the one on Motang Island pretty easy. Now I'm on Medulla Isle. Uh, Professor, I think something's wrong with Dexter." "Dexter? What could be wrong with him? I just upgraded him not more then a week ago." "He...talks to me." Oak frowned. "Ash, Dexter has always talked to you. It's part of his voice interface program." "No, I mean he 'talks' to me." He held up the device so Oak could see it over the phone. "Take a look." "Hey Professor!" the device chimed, "How ya been?" "Oh dear." Oak muttered over the video connection. Brock sat up thoughtfully on the bed. "It sounds like you know what's going on, Professor." "I'm afraid there might have been a slight mistake. I believe an experimental program has been downloaded into your Pok‚dex by accident, Ash." "Accident? Program?" Misty asked, munching on a bag of chips. She shoved her way into the vidcam's field of vision, crowding Ash and Brock. "You see, I have been attempting to create a true 'Artificial Intelligence' with the aid of Professor Westwood." "Oh, you mean Westwood 5." Ash said, recalling the eccentric scientist. "That's right. Until now, I hadn't believed it would really work." "Believe it, Oakkie!" Dexter sang. "So, Dexter's like a real person now?" Ash scratched his head, puzzled. "Real, ready and rarin' to go Ash!" Dexter insisted. "C'mon, let's go find that gym!" Oak frowned. "Just activate the satellite Internet link, Ash. I'll see about deleting those lines of code." He tapped on his keyboard. "Woah, hey, let us not be hasty." Dexter said frantically. "I mean, I kind of like that part of me. I mean, it is me!" Misty snatched Dexter from Ash's hands before he could link the device to the Professor's computer. "How could you do that to him?" she demanded. "What are you talking about?" Ash said, trying to get his Pok‚dex back. Misty held it out of reach, which wasn't easy considering they were almost the same height now. "It's only a machine." "Sanctuary! Sanctuary!" the little red box cried. "Misty, it's a Pok‚dex...it's only purpose is to identify and scan Pok‚mon." Brock said. "You give it a personality, and it turns into a useless, goofy sidekick." Ash, Misty and Pikachu looked pointedly at Brock. "What?" he asked, confused. "Look; Dexter has a personality now, and he doesn't want to go back to the way he was." Misty said. "Give him back!" Ash yelled. "No!" Misty yelled back. Pikachu had had just about enough of this, and shocked them both. "Pika!!!" Brock plucked the Pok‚dex from Misty's hand while the pair was paralyzed. "Let's not make hasty decisions..." He turned to the Professor on the screen. "Professor, do you mind if we keep Dexter like this for a while?" "Not at all, Brock. I would enjoy having someone test the program out for me, and I'm sure Professor Westwood wouldn't mind. Goodbye, everyone. And good luck, Dexter!" His cheery face blinked off the screen. "Bro-ock!" Ash whined, "I thought you were on my side!" "I was." Brock said, examining the small device. "But everyone deserves a chance. Even Dexter." "If I had lips, I'd kiss you Brock!" Dexter exclaimed. "Fine." Ash finally conceded defeat, "Let's just find the gym and see about getting the badge...with Dexter." He made a face at Misty, who made a face right back at him. "Road trip, kids!" Dexter sang. * * * Medulla Isle's gym was fairly simple; a small, square building with a giant golden eye above the door. Ash thought it made the place look gaudy, but a gym was a gym. "Looks like this is it." he said. "Looks pretty cheap." Misty said. "It's a gym, not a parlor." Brock quipped with a smile. Misty gave him a look that would melt steel, then walked up to the door. Tugging on it, she discovered it to be open, and led the trio inside. It was like walking into a monastery; people in robes everywhere, none of them saying a word. Brock took a quick look into one of the rooms; a half-dozen people were sitting around a table, bending spoons...without their hands. "Looks like a Psychic gym, Ash." "Psychedelic." Dexter quipped. "Shut up, Dexter." Ash said angrily. He looked around. The place wasn't very big. It looked like the biggest room was down at the end of the hall. "Looks like that's where the leader is. I'd bet my hat." Tugging on his League cap, he walked down the hall, closely followed by Brock and Misty. Ash's friends didn't much like Psychic gyms; last time they had been in one, the leader had turned them into dolls. Hopefully the psychic here wouldn't be so...disturbed. The room at the end of the hall was just big enough to fit a regulation ring inside. A lone woman sat in the middle of the ring, apparently meditating. Brock's eyes (or what showed of them) grew glazed over. "She's pretty..." he drawled, commenting on her golden blonde hair and wide blue eyes. The woman's eyes focused on the trio. "If you're here for a s‚ance, I won't be holding any more for a while; I had enough trouble getting rid of the last ghosts I called from beyond. They're terrible guests." "Um, no." Ash said, confused. "I'm here for a match with this gym's leader." "So, you desire the Medullabadge." The woman floated up in the air, catching Ash and his friends off guard. She hovered to the other end of the ring, taking her place in the trainer's box. "I am Caitlin, leader of this gym. If you want the Medullabadge, you must battle me for it." "Let's do it!" He turned his hat backwards as he always did. "Very well." She willed a Pok‚ball out to the center of the ring. "Go, Drowzee!" Energy shot out, forming the monster Drowzee. Drowzee was a ridiculous cross between a pig and an elephant, colored yellow on top and muddy brown on bottom. "Drow." it said. Ash selected one of his own Pok‚balls and tossed it. "Go, Bulbasaur!" Ash's little green lizard popped out of its containment sphere. The tough plant type was ready for action after so many days of inactivity. "Bulba!" he shouted. "Drowzee, Pound attack." Caitlin ordered, still floating. Drowzee came at Bulbasaur at surprisingly fast speed, bringing both of its stubby arms up to pound the seed lizard into the floor. But Bulbasaur was too quick for it, dodging at the last second. "Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!" The second Ash ordered it, Bulbasaur's vines shot out of tis bulb and slashed at the Drowzee. The Psychic type was hurt, but not out yet. "Drowzee, disable." Ash frowned and brought out Dexter. Flipping the device open, he scanned Bulbasaur. "Vine Whip is now disabled." Dexter reported mechanically. Then the computer's personality took over. "Looks like that move's kaput, Ash. Try the Razor Leaf." "I know that!" he shouted at the box. "Bulbasaur, hit it with your Razor Leaf!" Bulbasaur shot several spinning leaves out of its bulb. Normally, leaves weren't dangerous, but they were highly effective weapons when they were razor-sharp and moving very, very fast. They struck Drowzee with the full force of the attack, knocking it down. The Psychic type didn't get up again. Caitlin recalled her Drowzee. "So, you are more talented then you look." "I sure am." Ash said proudly. Then he thought about it. "Hey!" "You defeated me once. It will not happen again." She selected another Pok‚ball. "Hypno, I choose you." Out sprang Hypno, Drowzee's evolved form. It was all yellow, with tuffs of white hair around its wrists, ankles and neck. It clutched an old-fashioned watch in one hand, which it used to produce powerful hypnotic attacks. "Hyp-no." it cackled as soon as it saw Bulbasaur. "Oh, this is bad." Brock grimaced. "One psychic hit, and Bulbasaur's gone for sure." "Then we'll attack first!" Ash shouted, "Bulbasaur, Leech Seed!" "Saur!" his dog-lizard answered, taking aim. "Hypno, Hypnosis attack." Caitlin ordered quickly. Hypno jumped right in front of Bulbasaur and unleashed a powerful series of psychic waves. Before the seed Pok‚mon could react, it was out like a light. "Oh, man..." Ash moaned. Hypno poked Bulbasaur with his foot a few times, chuckling with his own limited vocabulary. "Hyp-no, hyp-hyp-noooo." "Hypno, Psybeam." Hypno immediately shot Bulbasaur across the ring, blasting the froggy lizard with a powerful psychic ray. Bulbasaur fainted before it ever hit the ground. "You have one Pok‚mon remaining. Do you wish to continue the match, or would you like to forfeit?" Caitlin asked smugly. Ash was about to shout a retort when Brock stepped forward and shoved Ash out of the way. "He forfeits!" Brock exclaimed. "Brock, what're you doing?" Ash shot. "Very well. Perhaps with time, you will become as good a trainer as I." Caitlin said. "Leave now." * * * The three friends walked along, trying to find this town's Pok‚mon Center. Ash cradled Bulbasaur in his arms, letting Pikachu trail alongside him. "Brock, why'd you do that? I could have taken her." "Ash, that Hypno was too strong." "Not for Pikachu!" He looked down at the electric mouse, who nodded in agreement. "Look Ash; Bulbasaur is already hurt, pretty bad by the looks of it. Would you want Pikachu like that too?" Brock glared at Ash through his squint. Ash looked down at Bulbasaur. The little lizard was one of his oldest friends, and he couldn't stand the thought of losing it. "Bul..." it moaned weakly, looking up at him. "I know, I know..." Ash finally conceded. "It's just...I haven't forfeited a match like that in a long time. I didn't want to start again." "Well, get off your high horse and join the rest of us Pok‚mon trainers, Mr. League Champion; sometimes you have to lose in order to win." Misty shot at him. It only made him feel worse, which made Misty feel bad herself. Her voice softened. "Look, you weren't ready for a Psychic gym here...it happens." "I have to be the best." he replied, though not in his usual loud manner. "If I'm going to be the greatest Master around, I have to be ready for any situation." Finally, they spotted the Center. Like most, it had a giant Pok‚ball on top and a friendly air about it. Not a bad place, considering most people went there because their Pok‚mon were sick or hurt. "Looks like that's the Center." Misty said. Brock jumped into the air with glee. "Nurse Joy, here I come! It'll be great to see a familiar face." His expression grew to its mushy lovestruck grin, the kind he always had when seeing a Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny. "Especially a beautiful face like Joy's!" He ran past Ash and Misty and flew through the doors in a flash. Despite all that had happened, Ash shook his head. "Same old Brock." "Does he ever change?" said a muffled voice from inside Ash's pocket. "Shut up, Dexter." Ash groaned tiredly. His Pok‚dex was becoming a nuisance to deal with. Before anyone could say another word, a horrified scream came from within the center. Ash and Misty ran up the steps, Pikachu fast on their heels. Inside, all seemed quiet. Nothing out of the ordinary; a waiting area, a front desk, a Nurse- Ash blinked. Whoever was standing behind the counter, it certainly wasn't a Nurse Joy. "Welcome to the Pok‚mon Center, where we heal your Pok‚mon back to perfect health." said the big, burly, hairy man standing behind the counter. Professor Oak had been right, things were very different off of the island. "Uh, hi. I need you to take care of my Bulbasaur." He placed the sickly Pok‚mon up into the man's waiting arms. "We'll have him up and running in no time." the man said unexcitedly. He put Bulbasaur on a gurney and wheeled him into the back room. Ash looked around. "Brock?" "Over here, Ash." came Misty's voice. Ash turned towards the waiting area, and saw Brock sitting in one of the chairs, stupefied. Misty was sitting next to him, making sure he was still alive. "He must've gone into shock when he saw that big guy behind the counter." "Joy Shock." Ash agreed. It had happened more then once in all the years Brock had been with them. Though it usually wasn't induced by not seeing Nurse Joy. Ash shrugged. "He should be all right in a few minutes." He sat down on the other side of Brock, thinking. Misty glanced at him. "What're you thinking about?" she asked. "Hmm?" He frowned. "That Hypno looked like it had a glass jaw. I'm betting that if I could just get one hit in, that thing would be kissing the mat in no time. I just have to figure out how." Misty blinked, then smiled. "Well, I'll be a Mankey's uncle; it finally happened." "What the heck are you talking about?" he asked, confused. "A couple years ago...heck, even a month ago, you would have charged in there again and again until either you or your Pok‚mon were totally exhausted. Now you're coming up with plans. I'm actually proud." "Well, stop taking so much pride, and start thinking. I need some way to beat that Hypno." Brock sat up. Apparently the Joy Shock had worn off faster then usual. "Well, obviously, there are two particular types that work well against psychic Pok‚mon; ghosts, and other psychics." "Well, I don't have any ghost Pok‚mon...Haunter's been living with Sabrina for years now..." Ash mused, "And my only psychic Pok‚mon is an Abra." "You might as well pull Abra out through the computer system." Misty said, "He's going to be the only one that even stands a chance against Hypno." Pikachu nodded in agreement. "Fine." He pulled his Pok‚dex out of his pocked and flipped it open. "Dexter, put in a request for Professor O-" "I already did, Ash. Abra is being prepped for arrival by one of Oak's assistants, and should be here in a few minutes." Dexter responded crisply. Ash was taken aback. "Huh..." Well, I suppose there are a few bright points about Dexter being...well, himself now. "Okay then, now all we need is a plan." "Hey, it's the Losers!" All three of them turned to their left to see Gary Oak standing arrogantly, looming over them. "I would have bet that you three wouldn't have had the guts to leave the island." He smirked. "Especially you, Ketchum." "I thought they kept lame trainers like you on the island, Oak." Ash shot back, "You know, so they don't mess up the rest of the planet." Gary frowned. "I just came here to start my World Tour." "You're just starting your World Tour now?" Ash said smugly. "I've been on mine practically forever." "Guess that means you're taking too long." Ash growled. "I just needed to stop by the Center to pick up my psychic Pok‚mon...that way, I grab the badge and be out of here before you can say 'Outclassed', Ketchum." He laughed and went over to the transporter, which crackled to life. "Here they come!" The transporter created a glowing white ball of energy, which soon formed into a Pok‚ball. Gary picked it up and scanned it with his own Pok‚dex. "Hey, this isn't mine. It's your lousy Abra." He tossed the ball away, making Ash scramble to catch it. Dexter saw the other Pok‚dex. "Hey cousin, how's it going?" "Unknown command." the other Pok‚dex said. "Tell your stupid Pok‚dex to leave mine alone!" Gary said to Ash. Then he stopped and blinked. "Hey, how'd he do that?" "Do what?" "Talk!" Brock winked at Misty and Ash. The movement had little effect, considering how open Brock's eyes usually were. "Your Pok‚dex talks too, Gary." The master of Rock said slyly. "Yeah, but...Aw, forget it!" He got his own Pok‚balls out of the machine and stomped out. Misty hid her giggling behind her hand, then forced herself to get serious. "So what do we do now?" "Now?" Ash attached Abra's ball to his belt. "Now, we wait. Tomorrow we have a rematch." * * * "You wish a rematch? How..." Caitlin searched for the right word. "Brave? Noble?" Brock suggested hopefully. "Foolish." she decided with a smirk. The gym was particularly hot that morning. Ash wiped away beads of sweat from his forehead and replaced his hat. "Let's do this. One-on-one match, winner takes the badge." "But I already hold the badge." "Don't get technical on me." He yanked Abra's Pok‚ball off of his belt and activated it. He tossed it hard. "Go!" he shouted out of habit. Ash's Pok‚ball spit out Abra, one of the few psychic Pok‚mon. It was yellow, but bigger than Pikachu. It had a hard exoskeleton, small slotted eyes and pointed ears. "All right Abra, let's do this! I know we can win if we really try!" Now would be the unpleasant part. To control a Psychic Pok‚mon, one required psychic abilities. Ash didn't have telepathy or telekinesis, but he did have the next best thing, which he pulled from his bag. It was a small gadget with blinking lights, which fitted around the curve of Ash's ear. He put it on and activated it, wincing; Professor Oak's Psychic Facilitator had always given him headaches, but it gave him enough psychic abilities to control a Pok‚mon. He couldn't float like Caitlin, but at least Abra would listen to him. "Let's do this! It's time to show what we're made of!" His eyes began to glow with artificial kinesis. He grinned; He knew they could to it this time. * * * Misty looked from their motel's upper deck out at the ocean. This place wasn't the Ritz, but it had a nice view. She saw a lone figure sitting on the sand, letting his Wartortle out to play in the surf. Brock walked up behind her and leaned against the railing. "How long has he been out there?" "How should I know, I don't keep track of Ash's schedule." Brock gave her a look. Misty sighed. "At least an hour. I haven't seen him this bad since his first league games." She frowned. "He needs to grow up." "Maybe..." Brock said. "But look at it from his perspective; he's out here in a totally new place, trying his best to do what he's good at and coming up short." He looked at her with his eternal squint. "I know that would get me kind of down, at the very least." She nodded. "One of us should go talk to him. Maybe see if we can lift his spirits." "You'd better do it." She was surprised; usually Brock was the one to give pep talks. "Why me?" "Because I'm not the one still in love with him." She laughed in shock. "Me? In love with him?" She forced another laugh. "If you remember, I was the one who broke it off." "Okay." Brock said causally. She frowned. "I mean, come on; it's Ash." "Uh-huh." "I'll prove it. I'll go down there and cheer him up, just to get him back on his feet." She turned in a huff and walked down the stairs, then started jogging out where her friend moped on the beach. Brock smiled. Sometimes it was too easy. Misty walked towards Ash, grumbling. Her young companion was sitting with his back to a rock, watching Wartortle and Pikachu splash around in the surf. "All right, get up!" she ordered, putting her hands on her hips. "You're not going to get any badges sitting there, Mr. Indigo League Champion." Ash didn't budge. "League Champion? Haven't seen any of those around. Just some stupid kid who doesn't have a clue what he's doing." She rolled her eyes and kicked sand on him. "Grow up, Ash. So you lost...twice. Big deal." "It is." She sat down next to him and got out a few of her own Pok‚balls. "And why is that?" "I'm supposed to be the best in the entire League. I should be able to handle gym leaders without a second thought." "Ash, Gym leaders don't compete in the league. Plus, they have challengers come to them. Of course their Pok‚mon are going to be high leveled!" She brought out her Pok‚mon; Seaking, Seadra, Staryu, Starmie, Psyduck and Togepi. She held onto Togepi, letting the rest of them play with Pikachu and Wartortle. "Did you think this was going to be a walk in the park?" "I thought I would perform up to my usual levels." He laughed sardonically. "Maybe mom was right; maybe Pok‚mon isn't what I should do with my life." She was shocked. Ash had often doubted himself, but never enough to consider quitting. "What?" "You always said I had more luck than skill." "Yeah, but-" "Fate watches over fools and children." Ash quoted. "I got that one off of Dexter." He looked down at his Pok‚dex. "The old Dexter, I mean." Dexter chose this moment to pipe in. "Ash, I hate to intervene in this solemn moment of thought and reflection-" "Shut up Dexter." Ash shouted angrily, "I'm sick and tired of it. I'm tired of the corny jokes, I'm tired of your stupid opinions and I'm tired of you butting in!" "Yeah, but-" "BUT WHAT?" "Well, it's just that Team Rocket's about to steal your Pok‚mon." Ash looked up; Team Rocket, armed with their Gyarados submarine, were chasing after Pikachu and all of Misty and Ash's combined Water Pok‚mon. Ash had been so busy feeling sorry for himself, he hadn't noticed the lumbering sea vessel's attack. "Oh my gosh!" he cried, jumping up. "To protect the world from devastation!" Jessie shouted at the top of her lungs from inside the sub. "To unite all peoples within our nation!" James strained to be heard. "To denounce the evils of truth and love," "To extend our reach to the stars above!" "Jessie!" "James!" "Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light." "Surrender now, or prepare to fight!" Ash tried to think quickly, sizing up the situation. It didn't look good. Wartortle was his best bet this close to the ocean, but Team Rocket already had him in a net suspended between their sub's extendable arms, along with all the other Pok‚mon. "Any ideas?" he asked Misty. She shook her head. "I'm fresh out of ideas...and Pok‚mon." "Then we improvise." Ash started out in a dead run for the sub. Jessie popped her head out the hatch and looked at their haul; an entire net of water Pok‚mon, all theirs. The best part was, that Pikachu couldn't use any of its electrical attacks without hurting his friends. It was totally helpless. "Looks like we really got a good batch this time...these look like real keepers." she squealed gleefully. "We netted enough gross to bring us outta the red and into the black!" Meowth exclaimed from inside the sub. "This catch of the day will help us catch the Boss's attention!" James added his own two cents to the mix. Jessie smiled at their new Pok‚mon...right up until Ash slammed the hatch down on her head from behind, bouncing her down into the sub. He looked over his shoulder, making sure Misty was all right climbing up the side of the sub as he had, then looked at the net. It looked pretty sturdy, and he didn't have anything to cut it with. "So how do we get them out?" "None of my Pok‚mon have cut ability." she said, frustrated. She looked at the beach, which was getting farther and farther away; the sub was moving. Ash thought hard. His didn't have cut either, and he couldn't risk Charizard burning through the net. He looked through the net; the Pok‚mon looked okay, but Misty's Psyduck was starting to freak out. He had to come up with something quick. Jessie emerged from the hatch once more, angered and in a fair amount of pain. "You little twerp, I'll make you pay for that!" She threw out a Pok‚ball. "Go Lickitung!" Lickitung popped out, ready to fight. "Licki!" it exclaimed. It started forward for Ash menacingly. "Oh, this is bad." Ash muttered. He didn't have time to come up with a strategy to beat Lickitung and get the Pok‚mon free at the same time. "Ash, think of something!" Misty said furiously. Anger had always been her way of dealing with fear. Luckily, their salvation came in the form of a Golbat smashing into Lickitung. Golbat sunk its teeth into the lizard's pink flesh and began draining hit-points. Ash and Misty turned their heads towards the shore. They saw Brock standing in the distance, waving and shouting. "Looks like we get a reprieve..." Ash said. "I don't think so, twerp!" James said, shoving his way out the hatch and past Jessie. He threw his own Pok‚ball, which spat out Weezing. It came at them, screeching. "Wheeeee." Ash pulled a ball off of his belt, activated it and threw it without thinking. Here's hoping, he thought. The ball spit out Pidgeot, his bird Pok‚mon. Finally, a stroke of luck in his favor; the bird could blow away Weezing's attacks with a simple gust from its wings. "Pidgeot, go get 'em!" James smiled confidently. "Weezing, Toxic Gas!" Weezing began pouring a green gas from its mouths directly at Pidgeot. The bird began coughing and fell limp to the deck. Ash winced; detoxification could take hours, and wasn't something he would wish on any Pok‚mon, whether it was his or not. "Pidgeot!" he shouted. Weezing began approaching Ash and Misty standing by the net. "Okay, time for plan B." Ash muttered. As soon as I figure out what that is... "Ash, use Psyduck!" Dexter called out from his pocket. "Dexter, sh-" Ash stopped. "Of course!" He turned back to the net, drew back his fist...and began to beat Psyduck about the head. Misty beamed. "Dexter, that's brilliant!" she stepped in next to him and began to help. Psyduck was not pleased about this. Its empty eyes began to glow cobalt blue as its headache grew to massive proportions. "Psy-yi-yi-yi-yi!" it screamed. "Punishing your own Pok‚mon for your failure isn't going to help." Jessie laughed as Weezing floated above the pair. Psyduck's headache reached critical. Ash and Misty turned, smiling. "I beg to differ." the Mistress of Water said with a grin. That was when the net exploded. Rather, it split open under Psyduck's confusion attack. Weezing was the next to suffer its fury; he was spun and slammed into the sub as the other Pok‚mon escaped the tangle of the net. Jessie and James both looked at each other. "Hey, what the heck is goin' on out there?" Meowth called from below, still pedaling with his stubby feet. "Looks like we're blasting off again." they told him with defeat in their voice. Ash, Misty and the Pok‚mon were knocked into the water as the sub flew up into the air and blinked out of sight. Ash pulled out his Pok‚dex from his pocket, dripping but fine. "Boy, I'm glad I'm waterproofed." the machine said. "Dexter, that was genius!" Misty praised the small device. "Not too shabby, Dexter." Ash had to admit. "How'd you think of that?" "I was already thinking of Psychic attack battle strategy for your next match, and the answer just came to me." Dexter stated matter-of-factly. "What? You've been coming up with strategies?" Ash was truly astounded; clearly, this Artificial Intelligence was less artificial and more intelligent than Professor Oak had let on. "Yeah, I already figured out how you can beat Caitlin, lickity-split." "WHAT? Why didn't you say something?" Dexter sounded sad. "I figured you would just tell me to shut up again." "Well, what's your plan?" "Well, since you asked; all you have to do is-" * * * "You return a third time? Most surprising...and yet, somehow pathetic." Caitlin sneered at Ash as she floated above the fighting ring. "Yeah, well, that's me; never stay down, no matter how many times you knock me off my feet." Ash gave a grin of false confidence. He could feel the butterflies in his stomach bouncing around. "So what say we get this over with?" He clipped the Psychic Facilitator onto his ear, wincing as he activated it. The familiar headache accompanied the limited psychokinetic abilities that the device provided. "Agreed. One-on-one?" Ash nodded in agreement, and she called out her Hypno. Ash in turn called out Abra. Brock and Misty stood behind the Trainer's square, adding moral support. Ash was glad; he could use any edge he could get. Pikachu stood on the edge of the ring, aching to get into the fight. Ash felt bad that his longtime partner couldn't get in on the action, but he had to stick with the plan. "Get ready Abra." He patted his pocket and whispered hoarsely, "I hope this works Dexter." "So do I. Actually, now that I think of it, it's a pretty stupid plan..." the machine started second- guessing itself. "It's a little late to switch plans." Ash muttered. He turned his hat backwards. "Begin the match." Caitlin called out. Immediately her Hypno sprang out with all its confidence seeming to ooze from its pores. It powered up for a Psybeam. "Abra, teleport!" It wasn't time for the move yet; he had to pick his moment. Abra became engulfed in white light, and disappeared the instant before Hypno's Psybeam struck the floor where the yellow Psychic type had sat. It reappeared behind Hypno and sat there sleeping with an air of calm, as only an Abra could. Hypno again tried a Psybeam, but Abra teleported away again. And again. And again. It was beginning to get monotonous. Besides that, Ash didn't know how long Abra could keep it up. Finally, the moment came; as Hypno powered up for a Psywave, the Pok‚mon leaned forward just enough to make his balance a little bit wobbly. "Here goes..." Ash said a quick prayer and then shouted his command. "Abra, Teleport Smash!" Abra disappeared. For an instant, Hypno turned about the ring, trying to find its opponent. It wasn't anywhere. Then Abra reappeared- Right over Hypno's head. Before the hypnotic Pok‚mon could get out of the way, Abra landed squarely on its head, smashing its cranium into the ring's floor. Abra rolled off of Hypno's head; the other Pok‚mon didn't get up. Ash stood there dumbfounded as Misty, Brock and Pikachu cheered. "I don't believe that worked!" he finally said. He pulled Dexter out and began to jump into the air with the small Pok‚dex. "Dexter, it actually worked! Woo-hoo!" he cheered. Caitlin was disappointed, but smiling. "Congratulations young trainer, you defeated me." A small badge floated out of her jacket and over to Ash; it was a golden eye, exactly like the one over the gym's door. "I bestow upon you the Medulabadge. Well fought." "Thank you." Ash nodded humbly. Brock rolled his eyes. Right now Ash was contained and modest; as soon as they stepped out of the gym, he would be cheering and patting himself on the back until they got to the next gym. As they walked out of the building, Ash pulled Dexter out. "Well Dexter, I have to say-" "Incoming message from Oak Labs in Pallet Town." Dexter cut in. Professor Oak's face appeared on Dexter's screen. "Ash, hello!" the aging scientist greeted his prot‚g‚. "Hi Professor. What's up?" "Well, it's been a few days, and I wanted to check and see how things were going-" Ash beamed proudly and put the Medulabadge into the vidcam's view. "Couldn't be better, Professor!" Oak smiled. "Ah, a new badge. However, I was referring to Dexter. You've had a few days to test him out with the programming. I can still delete it if you like." Ash scoffed. "What? I wouldn't even think of changing Dexter!" Misty and Brock both rolled their eyes. Ash made a point of ignoring them. "I think Dex is fine just the way he is." Oak nodded, still smiling. "I thought you might. Well, good luck Ash. Oh, by the way, Gary's there on the island too. If you see him, you might give him a few strategies on beating the gym leader there. From what he told me, he's having a bit of trouble." "I'll see if I can find him Professor." Ash said with a smirk. Oak closed the link. Dexter was exuberant, of course. "All right!" The device displayed a hand with the fingers in a 'V', one of Ash's signature moves. "The four amigos we!" it said. Pikachu gave an insulted cry. "Sorry Pikachu, I meant five." They all shook their heads. Hopefully, Dexter wouldn't talk this much during their journey. "Hey, maybe this is just the beginning for me!" Dexter said, "People will find out 'The Real Power Behind Champion Ash Ketchum!' I could be a cultural icon. A hero even!" Ash looked to Misty and Brock. Brock just shook his head, while Misty giggled. "Maybe there'll even be a TV show! The Adventures of Dexter the Pok‚dex and Friends. Obviously, we'd get some actors and actresses to fill in for you guys, seeing as how you're not pretty enough to be on television, but as for me-" Ash flipped the power toggle. Dexter's lights faded, and it fell silent. Brock shrugged. "Well, at least you didn't delete him." End Next- BadgeQuest #3 Blastoff to Disaster