Months passed. The Tamers and their friends battled against the Devas with
all their might. Their digimon gained the ability to reach their Ultimate level.
At last, they were forced to go where few humans had gone, the Digital World
where the kidnapped Calamon was held prisoner.
* * *
"Ah, man, we're never gonna find Henry and Takato.,"
"Give it a rest, Kazu," said Rika. They had been trudging through this awful
desert what felt like weeks. Everyone was on edge. They hadn't even seen any
digimon in this entire area.
After a moment, Rika realized Renamon was behaving rather oddly. There was a
subtle change in her stride suggesting that she was on edge.
"Renamon, what's wrong?"
"There's someone nearby. I can smell it, but I can't tell whether it's human
or digimon."
"All right!" Kenta yelled. "Maybe they'll have a ni-" He was quickly shut off
by Rika's hand covering his mouth.
"Quiet, stupid. What if it's a Deva?"
"Oh. Right."
Quieter now, they snuck up to the top of a nearby sand dune to look around.
Just on the other side, a person sat on a rock, apparently deep in thought.
It was hard to tell whether the person was human or digimon. It was swathed in
many folds of baggy white cloth, Arabian style, hiding any indications of
race, sex, or species. An ornate staff rested in its right hand.
"Excuse me," Rika called out as she came down the hill, "But could you help. . ."
Her voice trailed off as the figure raised its head. A human boy's face looked
at her from inside layered wrapping. A thrill ran down her spine as those
gray-green eyes fixed her with an electric gaze.
"Rika-" said Renamon, but stopped when she saw the boy's face. A thrill ran
down her spine as well. There was something very odd about this person,
something at once familiar and alien.
"Hey, I'm Kazu," said Kazu, oblivious as usual. "This is Kenta, and these two
bozos are Rika and Renamon. Who're you?"
The figure paused. "Humans," he muttered to himself. "And a Tamer, to boot." He
got to his feet gracefully, using the staff as a prop to help himself stand.
He was tall, and obviously older than any of the Tamers, but very stooped,
almost hunchbacked.
Suddenly Renamon realized what was so odd about this one. But how could such
a thing happen? She opened her mouth to ask, but Rika interrupted her.
"Um, excuse me, but who are you?"
"My name is Roland." Roland paused for a moment. "Is that a deck of digimon
cards there?"
"Uh, yeah. Look, do you know the way out of this desert? We've been stuck here
for what seems like weeks."
Cogs were turning behind Roland's eyes. "Hmm, interesting. How about a deal?
If you play one game of digimon cards with me, I will personally guide you
to the edges of the desert."
"Huh?"
"I haven't played a good game of digimon in months."
"It's a deal then," said Rika as she shook his outstretched hand."
"Allow me to prepare the, erm, table."
Roland stepped over the rock and sat down on the other side. He brushed sand
off the flat surface with the cloth wrapped about his left arm.
"I'm warning you, I'm good." said Roland.
"Really."
"Hey, so is Rika." said Kazu.
"Yeah, she's ranked number one in Japan!" said Kenta.
"Indeed." There was something rather amused in Roland's reply. "I'll be
careful, then." Oddly enough, he seemed to have produced a deck from somewhere
and was shuffling it on his side of the rock.
* * *
Rika grinned. She was in the lead by a comfortable four hundred points, 900
to 500. 100 more points and victory was hers. Not only that, but she had an
Ultimate level digimon, against his newly-digivolved champion. There was
no way he was going to win!
Roland drew a card to his hand, and thought very carefully for several seconds.
After a moment, he played a card.
"Digi-Duel. If I win this match, my points gained are doubled."
Huh? thought Rika. Why would he do that? He won't win!
"Now, I'm going to play Downgrade, de-digivolving my champion to rookie."
That was stupid. Now he really won't win. We're both using vaccine types.
Neither is that good against the other, and I'm using an ultimate!
"Finally, I use a Green Offensive, increasing my digimon power by 130 points.
My rookie defeats your ultimate, gaining 300 points. But I used Digi-duel,
so my points are doubled, giving me a final score of 1100. I win."
Even Renamon's jaw dropped. Rika had lost to some no-name kid who wasn't even
a Tamer! How was it possible?
Roland smiled amusedly. "Perhaps you would remember who I am if I gave you
my full name. Roland Teller."
Rika said, "Oh, of course! You were the North American champion three years
back. But how'd you get to the digital world?"
"Ah." Roland's face took a conspiratorial expression. "That would be telling,
wouldn't it?" He said no more.
Roland replaced his cards in his robes.
all their might. Their digimon gained the ability to reach their Ultimate level.
At last, they were forced to go where few humans had gone, the Digital World
where the kidnapped Calamon was held prisoner.
* * *
"Ah, man, we're never gonna find Henry and Takato.,"
"Give it a rest, Kazu," said Rika. They had been trudging through this awful
desert what felt like weeks. Everyone was on edge. They hadn't even seen any
digimon in this entire area.
After a moment, Rika realized Renamon was behaving rather oddly. There was a
subtle change in her stride suggesting that she was on edge.
"Renamon, what's wrong?"
"There's someone nearby. I can smell it, but I can't tell whether it's human
or digimon."
"All right!" Kenta yelled. "Maybe they'll have a ni-" He was quickly shut off
by Rika's hand covering his mouth.
"Quiet, stupid. What if it's a Deva?"
"Oh. Right."
Quieter now, they snuck up to the top of a nearby sand dune to look around.
Just on the other side, a person sat on a rock, apparently deep in thought.
It was hard to tell whether the person was human or digimon. It was swathed in
many folds of baggy white cloth, Arabian style, hiding any indications of
race, sex, or species. An ornate staff rested in its right hand.
"Excuse me," Rika called out as she came down the hill, "But could you help. . ."
Her voice trailed off as the figure raised its head. A human boy's face looked
at her from inside layered wrapping. A thrill ran down her spine as those
gray-green eyes fixed her with an electric gaze.
"Rika-" said Renamon, but stopped when she saw the boy's face. A thrill ran
down her spine as well. There was something very odd about this person,
something at once familiar and alien.
"Hey, I'm Kazu," said Kazu, oblivious as usual. "This is Kenta, and these two
bozos are Rika and Renamon. Who're you?"
The figure paused. "Humans," he muttered to himself. "And a Tamer, to boot." He
got to his feet gracefully, using the staff as a prop to help himself stand.
He was tall, and obviously older than any of the Tamers, but very stooped,
almost hunchbacked.
Suddenly Renamon realized what was so odd about this one. But how could such
a thing happen? She opened her mouth to ask, but Rika interrupted her.
"Um, excuse me, but who are you?"
"My name is Roland." Roland paused for a moment. "Is that a deck of digimon
cards there?"
"Uh, yeah. Look, do you know the way out of this desert? We've been stuck here
for what seems like weeks."
Cogs were turning behind Roland's eyes. "Hmm, interesting. How about a deal?
If you play one game of digimon cards with me, I will personally guide you
to the edges of the desert."
"Huh?"
"I haven't played a good game of digimon in months."
"It's a deal then," said Rika as she shook his outstretched hand."
"Allow me to prepare the, erm, table."
Roland stepped over the rock and sat down on the other side. He brushed sand
off the flat surface with the cloth wrapped about his left arm.
"I'm warning you, I'm good." said Roland.
"Really."
"Hey, so is Rika." said Kazu.
"Yeah, she's ranked number one in Japan!" said Kenta.
"Indeed." There was something rather amused in Roland's reply. "I'll be
careful, then." Oddly enough, he seemed to have produced a deck from somewhere
and was shuffling it on his side of the rock.
* * *
Rika grinned. She was in the lead by a comfortable four hundred points, 900
to 500. 100 more points and victory was hers. Not only that, but she had an
Ultimate level digimon, against his newly-digivolved champion. There was
no way he was going to win!
Roland drew a card to his hand, and thought very carefully for several seconds.
After a moment, he played a card.
"Digi-Duel. If I win this match, my points gained are doubled."
Huh? thought Rika. Why would he do that? He won't win!
"Now, I'm going to play Downgrade, de-digivolving my champion to rookie."
That was stupid. Now he really won't win. We're both using vaccine types.
Neither is that good against the other, and I'm using an ultimate!
"Finally, I use a Green Offensive, increasing my digimon power by 130 points.
My rookie defeats your ultimate, gaining 300 points. But I used Digi-duel,
so my points are doubled, giving me a final score of 1100. I win."
Even Renamon's jaw dropped. Rika had lost to some no-name kid who wasn't even
a Tamer! How was it possible?
Roland smiled amusedly. "Perhaps you would remember who I am if I gave you
my full name. Roland Teller."
Rika said, "Oh, of course! You were the North American champion three years
back. But how'd you get to the digital world?"
"Ah." Roland's face took a conspiratorial expression. "That would be telling,
wouldn't it?" He said no more.
Roland replaced his cards in his robes.