Till There Was You
Chapter One
The Digital World...
In a wooded area of the Digital World, the leaves of the trees rustled as a single digimon lept from one branch to another. Moving swiftly, the digimon was nothing more than a shadowy blur amongst the foliage. After a few moments, the digimon jumped down and landed lightly on her feet. Her name was Renamon. Standing at five feet, she had golden-yellow fur. Her front was white furred, as were her paws. Purple gloves ran from her hands up past her elbows and she had a bushy fox tail, which swished around. She gazed around the area, her icy blue eyes taking in the area, her ears twitching as she listened.
The fox digimon was being tailed. She had thought she had shaken her pursuer, but it seemed she hadn't. Renamon ducked out of sight, hiding behind a tree. She waited quietly, listening for her pursuer, waiting to ambush her. After a moment, her keen hearing picked up the sounds of a digimon leaping through the trees. Renamon tensed, her body coiled like a spring. The digimon she was waiting for arrived, leaping down and landing lightly on her feet. It was a small white cat digimon with a long, thin tail and big blue eyes. Two clawed gloves covered her paws. The cat glanced around, her pointed ears twitching to catch any sounds. Renamon waited until her opponent turned away from her hiding place and made her move.
Dashing towards the cat with blinding speed, Renamon closed the distance and attacked. The cat moved quickly, turning around and intercepting the hit. Fox and cat paws struck each other, and then the two digimon lept back. Renamon charged at the cat and struck with blinding speed, her paws a blur. The cat lept backwards, dodging the blows. The cat jumped into the air, rebounded off a tree and launched herself at Renamon.
"Lightning Paw," the cat yelled, landing a solid hit to Renamon.
Renamon did her best to guard against the hit. The force of it slid her backwards, her feet digging two furrows in the dirt. Recovering, Renamon launched her own attack.
"Diamond Storm," she yelled.
A barrage of diamond shards appeared and shot towards the cat. The shards struck, tearing up the ground and catching the cat off guard. Renamon moved quickly and pinned her opponent to the ground. The cat didn't even struggle.
"Okay, you got me," she said. "I give."
Renamon let her go and stood up. "Thanks for the sparring match, Gatomon."
Gatomon lept to her feet, dusting herself off. "Anytime. You know, you almost had me with that ambush attack."
"That counter attack took me by surprise," Renamon said, rubbing her knuckles. "I keep forgetting how strong you are despite your size."
"Well, I am a Champion Level," Gatomon replied, a slight smug tone in her voice. "Still, you're very strong for a Rookie Level, Renamon. I for one wouldn't want you as an enemy."
"Likewise," Renamon said, smiling slightly.
Suddenly, the wind picked up, shaking the treetops. Overhead, the sky turned dark.
"What's happening," Gatomon shouted over the howling wind.
"A storm, I think," Renamon replied. "We'd better take shelter!"
The two digimon dashed through the forest, searching for a place to ride out the storm. Renamon couldn't explain it, but something about this storm seemed unusual. There was no rain, no lightning. Her fur stood on end as an electric charge surged through the air. This definitely wasn't an ordinary storm. As they passed through the trees, a bright light shot down from above and struck the ground. Renamon came to a halt and watched in shock as the air in front of her rippled and seemed to open up. Then she found herself being pulled towards it. The fox digimon dug her clawed feet into the dirt to give herself some traction. But it didn't help. She was still being pulled forward.
"Renamon," Gatomon yelled. She stood at the edge of the forest, eyes fixed on the vortex and Renamon.
"Stay back," Renamon shouted. "It's pulling me in! I can't fight it!"
"Just hold on," Gatomon yelled back. "I'll find something to..."
Her words were lost on Renamon as she was yanked off her feet and pulled into the vortex...
"Hmm. That's odd," Nurse Joy said. "It looks like the transfer was interrupted."
The Pokemon Center Nurse stared at the computer screen which flashed an error message. She tapped the keyboard and then turned to the waiting Pokemon trainer.
"I'm terribly sorry," she said. "It looks this terminal isn't working. Your pokemon was returned to the previous storage PC but you'll have to try another one."
"Okay, thanks," the trainer said.
After he was gone, Nurse Joy turned back to the terminal, still flashing it's error message. What had happened? It had been working fine just a moment ago. She was about to reset it when a commotion broke out.
"Hey, this PC isn't working!"
"My call got dropped!"
"What's wrong with this thing?"
All around the Pokemon Center, trainers were having problems with the computer terminals. Nurse Joy also noted many other electronic devices were malfunctioning. Was this a glitch or was some electric type pokemon causing this? A trainer approached the counter.
"What's going on, Nurse Joy," he asked. "Everything's going haywire!"
"I'm not sure," Nurse Joy replied. "I wonder if this is happening all over town or just here."
The trainer stared and pointed behind her. "Hey! What's happening to the terminal?"
Nurse Joy whirled around and saw the screen was glowing brightly. As she watched, a blast of light surged from the terminal and she saw a silhouette emerge. Then she fell to the floor as something crashed into her. The light from the terminal faded and Nurse Joy looked up to see what had landed on top of her. She gasped at what she saw! A large fox-like creature filled her vision. It stared at her with blue eyes and then hastily climbed off her, standing upright. Nurse Joy sat up and stared at the creature. Was this a pokemon? If it was, it was unlike any she had ever seen. The fox creature was looking around, taking in it's surroundings.
"What? Where am I?" It could talk! Nurse Joy had heard of rare instances where some pokemon had learned how to speak. Perhaps this was a Legendary Pokemon? The fox looked down at her. "You! What is this place? Are you...a human? How did I get here?"
Nurse Joy just looked on in confusion. She didn't really know how to answer.
"Whoa! What kind of Pokemon is that?"
The fox glanced at the speaker. It was the pokemon trainer from before and he was staring at the fox. She, for it was obvious from her feminine voice it was female, glared at the boy.
"What did you call me," she demanded.
"Wow! It talks," the trainer exclaimed. "It must be an undiscovered pokemon!" He pulled out a pokeball. "I saw it first, it's mine! Pokeball, go!"
The trainer threw the red and white orb. The fox lashed out angrily, and knocked the ball aside. With an amazing leap, she jumped over the counter and landed on the other side. Many other trainers had gathered around to stare at the mysterious creature. Many of them were grabbing pokeballs in an attempt to try and catch her. The fox bared her teeth, clearly getting more agitated.
"Please, everyone," Nurse Joy called out. "Let it go! It could be dangerous!"
"And pass up a rare pokemon," one trainer replied. "Not on your life!"
"Stop calling me that," the fox snarled. "Get out of my way! Diamond Storm!"
Trainers scattered as shards of light pelted the area. Seeing her chance, the fox dashed past the surprised trainers and ran out the door.
"After it," one trainer called out. "Don't let it get away!"
"Wait," Nurse Joy yelled after them.
But the trainers weren't listening. They were determined to capture the fox creature. Nurse Joy rushed to the terminal and was relieved to find it was working again. She picked up the phone and dialed Officer Jenny.
Outside, Renamon halted and looked around in surprise. She was in a town and there were humans all around her. Even more surprising was that there were also strange looking creatures with the humans. Were they digimon? No, they couldn't be. It was obvious to her that this wasn't the Digital World. But then, what were they? The humans and the creatures had stopped and were now staring at her.
"There it is!"
Turning, Renamon saw the same human boy that had thrown the ball at her. The sight of him stirred anger in her. Just who did this human think he was?
"I'm not letting you get away," the boy said. "I'm gonna catch you!" He pulled a ball from his belt and tossed it. "Nidoking! I choose you!"
Renamon watched as a large purple creature emerged from the ball. How had it fit in there? The creature called Nidoking was roughly the same size as her. It had rocky looking skin, a powerful tail, claws, sharp teeth and a long horn on it's head. The Nidoking let out a bellow and stomped it's foot, ready to battle.
"Nidoking, attack with Mega Punch," the boy shouted.
Roaring, Nidoking charged, drawing it's hefty claw and preparing to attack. Renamon easily dodged the attack. Nidoking rushed past her, caught up in it's momentum. Renamon turned and rushed it. Nidoking turned to confront her...only to be knocked backwards by a solid kick. As it staggered, Renamon followed up the attack with a barrage of punches. Nidoking reeled under the attack and then collapsed, out cold.
"H-Hey," the boy yelled. "No fair! You made two moves in the same turn!"
Renamon turned to the boy. "Did you honestly expect me to take turns to fight? What a kind of foolish child are you?"
"I'll show you," the boy said. "Nidoking, return!"
Nidoking turned into a red light and disappeared back into the ball. Renamon stared at the orb in the boy's hand. Somehow the Nidoking could be stored in the ball. The boy grabbed another ball and tossed it.
"Go, Ninetails," he yelled.
A golden colored fox appeared, one with nine tails. Renamon had to admit, it was beautiful. Certainly a welcome sight from the ugly Nidoking she had just fought.
"Ninetails, use Flamethrower," the boy yelled.
The fox opened it's mouth and shot a blast of fire. Renamon dodged aside, feeling the heat of the flames as it just missed her. This creature could breath fire? Turning, she faced the golden fox. She was all set to attack when she heard a siren.
Officer Jenny pulled up in front of the Pokemon Center and saw a large crowd of people gathered around. She caught sight of a trainer with a Ninetails and standing just a few feet from him was a fox-like creature standing on it's hind legs. Officer Jenny had seen many Pokemon in her time but never anything like this one. Regardless, Nurse Joy had told her of this creature and that it was dangerous, and despite her warnings, these trainers were still intent on capturing it. Well, as an officer of the law, it was her job to keep these trainers safe.
"Alright, stop this battle immediately," she yelled at the trainer. "Call back your pokemon and back away from that fox!"
"Aw, c'mon, Officer," he protested. "I'm close to catching it!"
"Back off now," Jenny said. "Or I'm placing you under arrest! I received word that this creature could be dangerous! Now, call back your pokemon!"
Reluctantly, the trainer returned his Ninetails to it's pokeball and then backed away from the fox.
Renamon watched the blue haired woman approach her cautiously.
"It's alright," she said, soothingly. "No one's going to hurt you."
Renamon's eyes narrowed. Grateful though she was that this human had gotten that annoying boy to back off, she didn't like being patronized.
"Stay away from me," she snapped.
The human woman stopped, raising her hands placatingly. "Please, just calm down. I'm here to help."
"I don't want or need your help," Renamon replied. "Just get out of my way!"
Without waiting for a reply, Renamon lept over the onlookers and then ran at full speed, making her way towards the outskirts of the town.
A little while later, Renamon was deep in a forest, surrounded by trees and bushes and far away from any humans. Soon she arrived at a vast lake and dropped to her knees at the edge of the water. Cupping her paws, she scooped up some water and drank deeply. After her thirst was quenched, she sat back against a tree, looking out over the lake. Now that she had a moment of quiet, she tried to gather her thoughts and figure out what had happened. She remembered sparring with Gatomon and then the strange weather anomaly. Then there had been the light, followed by the vortex and then...she had ended up here. It was clear to her that she was in the human world. She had heard of it before. Many digimon had spoken of it, but she had always considered it a legend. It seemed that the legend was real. And somehow she had ended up here. But if this was the human realm, then what were the strange creatures she had seen? Pokemon! That word echoed in her mind. Was that what they were? Pokemon? She sighed. It's not like she had anyone to ask, and she wasn't about to go back to that town. Somehow she had to find a way to get back to the Digital World.
Renamon leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes. She would rest here for a bit and then...Suddenly she tensed! She wasn't alone! Something was here! Leaping to her feet she glanced around and then she saw what it was...and felt her breath catch in her throat.
Standing out on the water as if it were solid ground, stood a large wolf-like creature. It was blue and white and had a purple mane and two white ribbon-like streamers on either side of it's head. Renamon stared in awe! Whatever this creature was it was breathtaking. Could this be a pokemon as well? The creature stared at Renamon, and she saw an intelligent light in it's eyes. For a moment, they both stared at each other, and then, with amazing speed it ran off, disappearing in a matter of seconds. Renamon shook her head. It was not only beautiful but incredibly fast. She couldn't explain it, but it felt as if she had been in the presence of some kind of deity.
Night had fallen and Renamon stirred. She had fallen asleep following her encounter with the blue pokemon. The stars were out and shining brightly in the sky. Overhead in the trees, she saw small round birds with large eyes. They made hooting noises. Across from her, perched on a branch was a black bird that looked like it was wearing a hat. The bird cawed at her, as if uncertain at what it was seeing. Renamon stood up and stretched. Now that night had fallen she could move on under the cover of darkness. She began walking and stopped when her stomach growled. It had been a while since she had last eaten. She needed food. A digimon with an empty stomach was easy pickings. Sniffing the air, she caught a sweet scent. Following it, she found several bushes covered with lots of berries. Renamon grabbed several and tried them. They were sweet and juicy. She devoured more, eating her fill until she felt content. Licking the berry juice from her lips, she continued on through the dark woods. As she traversed the forest, she caught sight of more pokemon. She was certain now that was what these creatures were. There were so many, all different shapes and sizes. It almost made her think of the Digital World. But unlike digimon, these pokemon didn't seem capable of speech. In fact, several she saw seemed to be repeating names, or saying syllables of names. Renamon recalled the Ninetails and Nidoking she had fought earlier. They had used special attacks. Were these pokemon capable of special attacks as well? There was so much of this place she didn't understand.
"Oh, what does it matter," she muttered. "I need to find a way home."
Soon she exited the woods and found a dirt road. She decided to follow it, figuring no humans would probably be out at this time of night. It was peaceful and quiet, just what she liked. It was refreshing to actually walk around here without having to worry about being jumped by violent digimon like Ogremon or Kuwagumon. These pokemon seemed content to keep to themselves and give her a wide berth. As she traversed the road, she tried to think of ways to get back to the Digital World. If she could figure out how the anomaly that brought here had occurred, then maybe she could find someway to recreate it and return. Unfortunately, she had very little hope of accomplishing that. If only she could...
The ground suddenly gave out under her and she plummeted down, landing with a loud thump. Moaning, she looked around and found herself in a hole. She glanced up and saw the hole just above her. Judging from the way the hole was shaped, it had been dug by someone or something.
"Great," she growled. "Who in the world made this stupid hole?"
She stood up and flinched. Her ankle throbbed painfully. She inspected it and found it was swollen. It wasn't broken, just sprained. Still, she wasn't getting out of here anytime soon. She sat down and leaned back against the dirt wall. She would have to wait until morning and hope her ankle was better.
"What a day I'm having," she murmured. "First dragged from the Digital World, then attacked by human teenagers, and now stuck in a hole with a sprained ankle. If I find the ones who dug this hole, I'll make them sorry."
She closed her eyes to sleep, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in her ankle.
"Look! Someone musta fallen for our trap!"
Renamon woke up at the sound of the voice. She looked up and saw sunlight streaming down. It was morning. She attempted to stand and hissed in pain. Her ankle was still hurting. She sat back down, massaging it.
"So, do you think it's the twerps?"
"Only one way to find out."
Two more voices. One sounded like a girl. She watched the hole and soon two humans peered down at her. One was a male with short purple-blue hair. The other was a female with long red hair.
"Hey, that's not the twerp or any of his friends," the girl remarked. "What is that?"
"I'm not sure, Jessie," the man replied. "A pokemon?"
Suddenly, a cat-like pokemon peered down. "A pokemon, huh. Never seen a pokemon like that one before."
"What should we do, Jessie," the man asked.
"Well, it's obvious, James," Jessie replied. "We get it out of there. Meowth, go grab the net."
Renamon didn't like the sound of that. Still, if these two could get her out, then so much the better. Besides, no net was going to hold her. As soon as she was clear of the hole, she would break out of the net and then she would teach these two humans a lesson.
End of Chapter One...