Hello, back with another chapter, and it's nice to know that people actually worry when I don't update. I don't get writer's block that often, but I'll be here as much as I can. Enjoy!

Chapter 25: Psychic Showdown

Last time, Angelina arrived in Saffron City and challenged the gym leader, Sabrina, to a match. After winning the Marsh Badge, Angelina didn't think it was time to head off to Celadon City just yet, and headed back to Sabrina's gym where she was transported to Sabrina's doll's toy-box and found Ash and his friends there. Everyone escaped safely by a mysterious man with telekinetic powers that tells them that the only way to beat Sabrina is with a Ghost Pokemon from Lavender Town. Now they head out to the ghostly town; but Brock and Misty get spooked from inside the Pokemon Tower while Ash and Angelina are left to seek out the Ghost Pokemon. Once back inside, Ash and Angelina find four ghost Pokemon: Haunter, Misdreavus, Gastly, and Gengar. The Pokemon want to have fun, but Ash doesn't, which sends the Pokemon away. Ash runs and tries to call them back, but falls to the floor which sends down a chandelier on-top of him, Angelina, and Pikachu…. What's to happen now?...

Angelina slowly opened her eyes. "Whoa, where am I?" she looked up and was surrounded by Misdreavus, Haunter, Gengar, and Gastly. She felt funny- like she was floating, too. Puzzled, she looked down and screamed, her body was lying on the ground. "W-what's going on?" she asked in panic. She looked at her arms and could see right through them.

Then Haunter flew over to Ash and Pikachu's body and pulled out a translucent Ash and Pikachu. Ash screamed as well when he saw his body lying on the ground. He was worried and didn't know what was happening.

"Haunter! Haunter, haunter, haunter," the ghost Pokemon explained.

"Oh no," Ash moaned. "We've been totally separated from our bodies!"

Angelina gasped. "We're dead!"

"Misdrea, Misdreavus!" the female ghost reassured. (You'll be okay with us)

Haunter grabbed Ash's arm and pulled them through the air.

"But I don't want to be a ghost yet!" Ash yelled frantically.

Haunter pulled Ash up through the ceiling with the others following behind. They passed through it as if it wasn't there. Angelina giggled along side of Misdreavus, she saw Pikachu riding on Gengar's head. Soon, they were outside. The buildings of Lavender Town sparkled below them.

"Wow, what a view," Ash remarked.

"Pika," Pikachu agreed.

Ash lets go of Haunter's hand. Pikachu floated next to Ash. He spread his arms out wide and began to fly through the night sky.

"Hey, this is fun!" Ash exclaimed.

"I'm definitely writing about this event in my diary!" Angelina laughed, happily.

The Ghost Pokemon followed Ash and Angelina (Pikachu, too) flew over the buildings and into the woods.

"Let's show Misty and Brock!" Ash said.

Ash and Angelina flew back to the courtyard. Their friends were staring at the tower with worried looks on their faces.

"Watch this," Angelina winked to Misdreavus, she pulled out her translucent Poké Flute and flew down while playing.

"Hey, where's that music coming from?" asked Brock nervously.

"What are you talking about?" Misty asked, confused. "Anyway, I hope Ash is all right in there. We should go check on him."

Angelina stuck the flute in her backpack just as Ash floated in front of Misty's face and said, "Hey, I didn't know you cared."

Misty didn't reply, she stared straight ahead.

"She doesn't see me!" Ash said. "Cool!"

Ash flew behind Misty and lifted her high in the air.

"Help! It's a ghost!" Misty cried.

Ash laughed, he lowered Misty to the ground. Angelina giggled, running her hand lightly through Brock's hair.

"Something's not right," Brock said, shaking in fright. "What if Angelina and Ash are hurt and they can't get to us?"

"Yeah," Misty agreed. "Let's go." And they both dashed inside the building.

Haunter then pointed to the Pokemon Tower. Ash and Angelina (with Pikachu) followed the Ghost Pokemon through a window. They were in a room filled with toys. Gastly swung on a swing set. Haunter and Gengar went up and down on a seesaw.

"Look at all these toys!" Ash remarked.

"Haunter, haunter, haunter!" the Ghost Pokemon repeated.

"I get it." Ash said. "You guys are lonely in this tower all by yourselves. You just want someone to play with.

"Haunter! Haunter!" Haunter smiled.

Pikachu hopped up on the swing with Gastly while Angelina was laughing and enjoying the merry-go-round with Misdreavus. The Ghost Pokemon all looked so happy.

"I wish I could stay and play with you," Ash said. "But I have to fulfill my dream of becoming a Pokemon Master."

"Haaaaauunter," All of the Ghost Pokemon began to sob and cry.

Angelina got off the merry-go-round, she did want to stay, but then she too had to complete her dream as Pokemon Master.

"Come on, Pikachu." Ash said. "We'd better go."

Ash and Pikachu floated down through the floor, Angelina followed close behind. They came to the first floor. Brock and Misty were kneeling over their bodies. Ash and Angelina waved good-bye to the Ghost Pokemon and then floated back into their bodies. They opened their eyes, though their heads hunt, but back inside their own bodies again.

Misty smiled with relief. "You're all right!"

"Pika!" Pikachu sat up.

"We're okay." Ash said, getting to his feet. "But we should really get going now."

Angelina followed Ash and friends out of the room, though not entirely leaving yet, she side-tracked and accidentally ran into a loose floorboard. It gave way under her weight.

"HELP! SOMEONE!"

Outside, Ash and friends were just about to leave when they suddenly heard a scream.

"What was that?" Ash asked.

"It came from inside the tower," Brock said.

"Pika?" Pikachu shivered.

"Oh no, Angelina's gone! That was her that screamed!" Brock panicked. "I have to go help her!"

Angelina had awoken, she was translucent and floating again. This time, Misdreavus was with her. The young female trainer gave a puzzled look.

"Misdrea, Mis. Misdreavus?"

"I understand." Angelina nodded. "You thought I didn't want to leave yet, so you figured I wouldn't mind being dead again, right?"

Misdreavus nodded sheepishly.

"I can't stay this way, but you can come with me if you want, okay?" Angelina asked, softly.

Misdreavus looked unsure, then she nodded. "Misdreavus!"

Then Angelina flew to the place where she'd fallen.

Sure enough, Brock was kneeling over. But his hands were balled into tight fists. "I'll kill whoever did this! I swear it!" he was muttering.

Angelina thought to herself and smiled, she snapped to make myself visible. Then she whispered out her plan to Misdreavus. Angelina started to laugh like she was having fun. Brock looked up, scared.

"Angelina! You're…. dead…. A ghost!"

Angelina didn't reply, she and Misdreavus started to leave, and Brock followed. They flew to a playroom full of toys, and started to play.

"Angelina! Why did you die? Who did it?" Brock called. They ignored him. "Angelina, are you really dead?"

Angelina stopped, and looked at Brock as if she hadn't noticed he was there.

"Angel? Are you going t-to stay?" Brock asked.

"I like it here, Brock. It's more fun and less pressure." Angelina said in a soft, ghostly voice.

"But what about your dream? Don't you still want to be a Pokémon Master?"

Angelina laughed. "Who would want to be a master if you could stay like this? You don't know what it feels like." she paused, then smirked. "I think I can make you see." She had a little conversation with Misdreavus. The Pokemon's eyes glowed red and sleep waves came out. Brock drifted off to sleep. Angelina reached over and pulled Brock out of his own body. His eyes opened, and had the same reaction Ash did.

"I want to go back! How do I go back?" Brock wailed.

"Like this!" Angelina pushed him right into his own body, and she flew like the wind to her own body. She opened her eyes, Misdreavus was hovering above her. It helped pull her out of the wreck, and she ran outside to her bike.

Misdreavus was standing nervously at the door. Angelina waved for it to come, but it shook its head. She held up a Pokéball, and it disappeared.

"Misdrea! Misdrea!"

"The Pokéball is not going to hurt, Mis- yeah…. Mistress!" Angelina called back. "Here! Watch!" she took out a Pokeball and threw it, her Raichu came out.

"Rai?"

"Sparkette, did the Poké Ball hurt you?" Angelina asked.

Raichu shook her head 'no' vigorously.

"See, Mistress?" Angelina yelled, returning her Raichu. "It won't hurt! Please come out!"

Misdreavus slowly came into view. Angelina tossed a Pokeball at the Pokemon, which jiggled twice and stopped. She picked it up and watched the Pokeball disappear to Professor Oak's Lab. After switching Noctowl for Misdreavus, Angelina then sped off to Saffron City on her bike and collapsed into a chair at the Pokémon Center. She was soon asleep.

Angelina woke up the next morning, later than usual since it was almost noon. She re-freshed herself in new clothes and was soon riding her bike. She found Ash wandering the streets with the man that had the psychic powers.

"Hey Ash," Angelina waved. "What's wrong?"

Ash stopped and stared at the girl. "Thought Brock said you were dead?"

"No," Angelina shook her head. "He's probably hallucinating. Anyway, where is he? And Misty?"

"Sabrina has them," Ash replied, he was clearly upset. "I went to re-challenge Sabrina again, Haunter never showed up. I had to forfeit, so I ran, but Brock and Misty didn't escape. Now I'm trying to find Haunter so I can beat Sabrina. She's the meanest trainer I've ever met!"

"She wasn't always such a mischevious girl," the man said.

"You mean you knew Sabrina before she changed?" Ash asked.

"Well I've heard stories," the man said. "Though she was very young, Sabrina became very obsessed with her psychic training. She didn't want to make friends. All she wanted was to be left alone to develop her powers. Her parents tried to help, but Sabrina used her psychic powers to drive them away. The conflict caused Sabrina to split into two girls; the strong Pokemon trainer who was always causing trouble and the lonely little girl who desperately desires friends. That doll Sabrina always holds represents her true self, before her training, before she rejected her own heart."" He takes a picture out of his jog suit to show Angelina and Ash. It was a young dark-blue haired man with a young brown haired woman, they were smiling as they held a little girl with dark green hair wearing a red dress and a white hat.

"Sabrina had this picture of her family in her room." Ash said, then looked up at the man. "If you have the same picture, then that must mean you're..."

The man looks worried while Angelina realized who he was and hoped Ash figured it out too.

"Then that must mean you're a photographer!" Ash said.

Angelina smacks her forehead, Pikachu laughs, and the man is astounded.

"Don't you see? Don't you get it?" the man yells.

"Get what?" Ash looks confused.

"Nevermind." the man hangs his head in sorrow. "There's nothing we can do about your friends. However, the only way to rescue them is to defeat Sabrina. Isn't that the reason why you traveled to Lavender Town to get a Ghost Pokemon?"

"But Haunter disappeared some place." Ash said.

"The you must find Haunter first," the man said. "Without it, you'll never be able to defeat Sabrina and her Psychic Pokemon."

"I guess not." Ash said, he turned to Pikachu. "Where do you think Haunter could be?"

"Pika, pika," Pikachu shrugged as if he didn't know.

"We'll find Haunter," Ash said. "We have to!"

"And I'll help." Angelina insisted.

Later, Angelina and Ash were walking the streets and suddenly Haunter shows up with a net holding Team Rocket inside. The Ghost Pokemon deposited the bundle at Ash's feet.

"What's this?" Ash asked. "Haunter! You stopped them from capturing Pikachu!"

Haunter nodded.

"Way to go! Now let's get back to Sabrina's gym," Ash said.

"Haunter?" Haunter didn't sound so excited.

"Please, Haunter," Ash pleaded. "We've got to help Misty and Brock. Sabrina trapped them inside the gym."

Haunter looked thoughtful. Then it smiled and nodded. "Haunter!"

"Thanks, Haunter," Ash said. "Now let's go save my friends!"

"How do we get in?" Ash tried to open the doors to the gym. They were shut tight.

"No problem," the man said. He stared at the doors. His eyes glowed. The doors flew open.

"Cool!" Ash said. "Now let's do this!"

"I'm right behind you, Ash." Angelina said.

Ash and Angelina stepped onto the gym floor. Haunter floated beside them. Sabrina was seated on the platform, as was her doll beside her. Brock and Misty stood on either side of her, they looked like statues.

"I knew you'd be back," Sabrina said. "Have you returned for more humiliation? Haven't you realized yet that you'll never defeat me?"

"Brock and Misty are my friends and I can't leave them behind!" Ash said.

"Fine. Let's begin." Sabrina said. A Pokeball floated in the air in front of her. "I choose Kadabra!" she threw the device, and out of the white light appeared a tan and brown Pokemon. It was tall with long whiskers and a red star on its forehead.

"What is that?" Angelina asked, taking out her Pokedex. After pressing a few buttons, the picture of the Pokemon appeared.

"Kadabra, a Psychic Pokémon. The evolved form of Abra. The silver spoon it holds in its hand is used to amplify the alpha waves in its brain. Without the spoon, the Pokémon is said to be limited to half the usual amount of its telekinetic powers." the Pokédex said.

"I choose Haunter!" Ash called out. The Pokemon was nowhere to be seen. "Not again!" he cried, then yelled into the air, "Haunter! You promised me!"

"Goes to show that you can never trust a Ghost Pokemon," Angelina sighed in embarrassment. "Or maybe it just got spooked."

Sabrina's eyes began to glow yellow. "Perhaps you'd like to join your friends."

Pikachu jumped into the center of the gym floor. It faced Kadabra.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried.

Kadabra towered over the small electric Pokemon.

"Pikachu, come back!" Ash called out. "You don't stand a chance against Kadabra."

Pikachu faced Ash. "Pika. Pika pika pika pi."

Angelina smiled, and Ash had understood. "You don't want Sabrina to freeze me, too? You want to fight?"

Pikachu nodded. Angelina knew Ash couldn't stop Pikachu when it's mind was made up.

Ash took a deep breath. "Okay, then. Pikachu, Thundershock!"

Pikachu hurled a giant blast of thunder at Kadabra.

"Kadabra! Teleport!" Sabrina cried.

Kadabra disappeared. The Tundershock harmlessly hit the gym floor. The Kadabra appeared in another spot in the gym.

"Kadabra, Psybeam!" Sabrina commanded.

Kadabra faced Pikachu. Rainbow beams shot out of Kadabra's eyes. The beams hit Pikachu and sent it reeling backward.

"Try to hang on, Pikachu!" Ash called out. "Send out a Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu's body tensed. It sent a lightning bolt of electricity right into Kadabra's body. Kadabra doubled over. Its body crackled with the electric charge.

"Kadabra, recover!" Sabrina said.

Kadabra straightened up. It shook off the charge like it was nothing.

"Pika!" Pikachu couldn't believe it.

'Oh no,' Angelina thought worriedly. 'Now what's Ash gonna do?'

If Ash left Pikachu in the battle, it would only get hurt. If he gave up, he and his friends (and Angelina) would be frozen…. Forever.

"Haunter!"

Ash and Angelina looked behind them. Haunter floated through the gym doors. The man with telekinetic powers followed it.

Sabrina frowned. "Two against one is against the rules."

"Haunter is just playing around on its own." The man called out. "It's not battling against you, so it's not against the rules."

"True, and that's allowed." Angelina agreed.

Haunter floated up next to Sabrina. It put its fingers in its mouth and opened its mouth wide. Sabrina eyed Haunter curiously. Haunter spun around and around in the air. It popped its eyeballs out of its head and ate them, afterwards sticking out his tongue with his eyes on them. This didn't work either, then he pulled out a bomb. The bomb blew up, Angelina and Ash waited for Sabrina to yell or freeze Haunter, but she smiled and started laughing instead.

"Is that Sabrina laughing?" Ash asked.

"Ever since she started her telekinetic training as a little girl, I've never seen Sabrina laugh like this." the man said, crying. "I've never seen her so happy in her entire life."

"But if you've known Sabrina ever since she was a little girl, does that mean you took her baby pictures too?" Ash asked and the man looks angry.

"Hey Ash, you know that guy's not a photographer, right? Only someone as dence as you would think that." Angelina said.

"However, I'm glad you came back. That Haunter has helped Sabrina rediscover her human part of her heart." the man explained.

"What do you mean? Haunter was supposed to beat the psychic Pokemon and instead its making friends with Sabrina! I'm gonna be a doll!" Ash exclaimed.

The man smiled. "Looked over there."

Ash and Angelina looked out onto the gym floor. Kadabra was doubled over with laughter.

"Kadabra and Sabrina are joined telepathically," the man explained. "Whatever she feels, Kadabra feels." Then he yelled loudly. "Since Kadabra is no longer able to battle. I declare Pikachu the winner! Ash earns his Marsh Badge." A small round yellowish badge appeared in the man's hand. He gave it to Ash.

"Ash, way to go!" Angelina cheered.

"All right!" Ash said. "But what about-"

"Ash!" Misty cried, she ran down from the platform and wasn't frozen anymore.

"You did it!" Brock was back to normal, too.

Ash hugged his friends. "I'm glad you're okay. It's all thanks to-" he turned to thank the mysterious man whom was now hugging Sabrina. Her eyes looked bright and clear…. As if she had just woken up from a long sleep.

"I get it," Ash said. "When Haunter made Sabrina laugh, it was like he broke a spell. Her psychic powers aren't controlling her anymore, and the doll is gone."

Sabrina smiled at the man. "Dad," she said. "Is it really you?"

"It's me, Sabrina." The man said. "I missed you so much."

"Wow!" Ash said. "So that man was Sabrina's father all along."

"That's pretty amazing," Misty replied. "And so is your Marsh Badge, Ash. Congradulations!"

"Thanks," Ash smiled, he looked at the badge in his hand. "Are you sure I deserve it?"

"Sure," Brock said. "Making Sabrina laugh is a great strategy."

"Hmmm," Ash nodded. "Maybe I'll use humor to win my next badge!"

"Keep it up and you'll be known as the funniest Pokemon Master of all time!" Angelina teased.

"Angelina-" Brock stared at her with horror. "You're dead! This can't be!" he touched her arm. "You-you're solid!"

"Well yeah, I'm solid." Angelina told him. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to pretend that I'm dead."

"All right," Ash interrupted. "Let's get going. I've got more badges to win."

With a little help from Haunter, Ash was able to defeat Sabrina and win a Marsh badge. Will he win another badge in Celadon City? What adventures will our friends find along the way? Those answers aren't yet written in stone!

§To Be Continued§

*Based on "The Tower Of Terror" and "Haunter Versus Kadabra"
*Ash befriends a Haunter, who follows Ash back to Saffron City
*Ash, Angelina, and Pikachu share an out of body experience; a real world phenomena.
*Misdreavus thought Angelina would be happier dead, Brock goes to save her and thinks she doesn't want to complete her goals, she tries to convince him otherwise, but he leaves and she returns to her body as well.
*Angelina watches Ash re-match against Sabrina; Haunter shows up and makes Sabrina laugh, the doll disappears and Ash is declared the winner.
*Ash gives Haunter to Sabrina.
*Ash believed that the man knew so much about Sabrina because he was her photographer, when actually, the man is her father.
*The Marsh Badge that Ash earns is his fourth badge. However, in a rare deviation from the traditional sequence of gyms, the Marsh Badge is officially the sixth badge that the player earns in the games.

Kinda fun how I mix my own ideas with the episode plot! Thanks for reading, next chapter on the way! Peace out!