I had all eight of Johto's Gym Badges at one point and I can assure you, there's no point in it. It's useful to be able to use the HMs of course, but you don't need to beat all the Gym Leaders to get access to the useful ones.

[Someone's still a little bitter over being sent home twice.]

Ah, really? That's interesting. I've raised quite a few Psychic-types and I've never come across anything like that. The most I've experienced is a range of personalities - some are less inclined to start up a conversation, for example - but that seems to be common with most Pokémon species. A creature that communicates in a more abstract way sounds fascinating.

[HE IS THE HUGE DORK, IT IS HIM]