The wasteland was dark. It was always dark. Even during the time the sun was highest in the sky, its warm, reassuring light never reached here. Why would it want to? All that resided here were repulsive scourges of the Digital World. Not even Data or Vaccine types wandered their ways into the wasteland.
His eyes opened. They were pale, like a white film rested over them. The skin surrounding him unfurled, creating a menacing cape that blew haphazardly behind him. His red claws brushed over his helmet, shielding his eyes from the little light there was. No one besides him was here.
Metal clanged beneath him. A deep purple dodecahedron opened itself, extending metallic claws outwards around him. It lifted from the ground with little strain. He floated there for a moment, slowly looking around. No one besides him was here.
So what had stirred him from his slumber?
The dodecahedron moved forward, clicking and clanging eerily in the misty wasteland. Since he was awake, he might as well seek out an opponent. He needed their data. He needed every bit of data he could obtain.
An opponent showed themselves quickly. A BlackGarurumon growled first, then yelped in terror. His metallic claws shot out at the other Digimon. He didn't stand a chance. He had been to frightened to move.
This was how most of his opponents went. Rarely did they ever fight back. Why would they? Seeing him was the same as seeing your demise.
…It should have been.
Yes, his appearance did so much for him. His kind, his name, all giving him a rank that he was supposed to have. Supposed to, but didn't truly.
His existence was a bluff. A cruel joke. Uploading the other Digimon's data hurt. He gritted his teeth to fight the pain. His very being wavered, his form clearly unstable. Pixels appeared. They changed color. He glitched, and couldn't help but groan. Pure willpower pulled himself back together.
At least, that's what he told himself it was. Deep down, however, he knew there was a reason that he needed to keep from being deleted. He needed to grow stronger. He needed to exist.
Even though he was only a shadow of his kind.