Chapter 4: Saying Goodbye
A loud yawn slipped through Mimi's lips as she sat on her bed, watching her oldest and best friend stand out on the balcony. She hugged her arms as the wind blew into the room, causing her bare arms and legs to shiver. Mimi's pink and green pyjamas were short and thin, only covering what needed to be covered. Her hair was pulled into a cute and messy ponytail.
Slowly she walked out to the balcony, shivering from the wind the whole time. She wrapped both her slim arms around one of his more muscular ones and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Taichi…are you sure you can do this?"
Mimi wanted him to say yes, desperately, but she would not push him to say yes. Even if she sometimes wanted to…
Tai sighed and looked down into her eyes, "Don't worry Meems…I will be fine." He reassured the pink loving girl.
Mimi frowned but said nothing about it. "Fine…let's go to bed then. We have a big day tomorrow!" She swiftly turned back to the bedroom, making her hair hit his shoulder, and walked to the bed.
Tai nodded and stood there for a few more minutes before heading back to the same bed.
The next morning Tk and Ken awoke to the sound of Mimi calling for them all to get up and come eat, which caused them both to groan.
Tk looked around his large room, which was green with one yellow sign that resembled a sun rising over a mountain, and two red pokeball emblems on each wall, the crest of Hope flanked by the most recognised symbol on this world. Tk stretched and got up, going to his dresser to grab some clothes while still looking at his room.
The left wall had his dresser and his desk that held his laptop, green with a yellow crest of Hope, and to the right of that was a bookshelf and window. The next wall had his bed, and then the front wall had the door.
There wasn't many personal items, but then they did not have much. Everyone else's room looked the same, except for the colours. Ken's room was purple and black; while Mimi and Tai's room was a dark blue…it was the only colour they could both agreed on.
At the same time though, they both had their own separate rooms. Mimi's was a light green and pink while Tai's was orange and red. They only used them as an office though for on the rare occasion the league insisted they fill out some paperwork. Damn bearcats, even in a world where ten year olds were encouraged to leave home to fight and catch wild monsters you couldn't escape government stooges and their dreaded triplicate!
A quiet knock broke his train of thought, causing him to grab his bag and shoes and open the door to reveal Ken. They both shared a smile. Having become good friends over the years been the same age, and all. Not that Tai and Mimi weren't good friends but they were still older than them, not that Tai ever minded that barrier seeming determined as he was to break it.
"Man I'm not sure how today's going to go." Tk said halfway to the kitchen, where they were planning on eating.
Ken nodded slowly, his face thoughtful. "Same. Hopefully good though." Finally, they both made it to the kitchen to see Tai already sitting at the table, watching the news on the portable, while Mimi was setting their food down. One plate beside Tai the other in front of the first empty seat.
"I made plenty for everyone" Mimi says rambunctiously "so tuck in while it's hot!"
Both the younger boys needed no more urging and sat down, starting on their breakfast which was pancakes with maple syrup this morning.
Mimi looked at them, sitting down beside Ken, who had chosen the empty side.
"How's the situation in Unova?" Ken asked Tai politely, taking an interest in current events.
"Still unfolding" Tai replied, it went unsaid that the bearer of the crest of courage would sorely like to intervene himself, but of course they couldn't now that a blast from the past had disturbed their future plans, forcing them to return to the Digital World and their own.
Meem's had had to cancel her plans to build on her victory at the Ruby Cup last year and had cancelled her appearances for the upcoming contest season by claiming to the press that she was taking out a year's sabbatical to hone new techniques and combinations to further dazzle, bewitch, and awe her adoring fans when she returns to the contest circuit next year.
Teeks had to request a lengthy leave of absence from the Ranger Union as none of them were sure how long they would be forced to stay in another world while saving the Digiworld. Fortunately as he was still young and his record was impeccable he had a lot more leeway than a adult or even teenage Ranger would, and his request had been granted. (It helped having saved several legendaries and if not the world, then at least a region or two while travelling with Tai and his friends.)
Kenny had had to inform his associates in the scientific and pokemon watcher community that he would be out of touch for some time, alluding to searching for signs of previously undiscovered pokemon on the 'mythical' Mirage Island. Of course he hadn't actually stated that was what he was doing, that would be lying, but if everyone jumped to the wrong conclusion and assumed he was trying to find an island that most researchers claimed didn't exist…that was hardly his fault.
And Tai had the hardest time of all to disappear from the public eye and yet ironically also had the easiest excuse to explain away his absence. After all lots of Champions go on long training trips to the wildest most unexplored reaches, to test themselves to the limit. The Cerulean Caves, Mount Silver, Iron Island, Stark Mountain, Challengers Cave, Giant Chasm had all been sites of pilgrimage for those who sought the road to be a Pokemon Master.
They couldn't leave without saying goodbye to the professor, they each owed the old man far more than they could ever repay in a single lifetime not to visit him at his lab one last time.
As they walked outside into the Oak corral marvelling in the serenity of the view, pokemon and human, nature in perfect harmony, if only their home world was like that, none of them were looking forward to the pollution, the smog, the garbage created by billions of people who just don't give a crap about how sick and clogged up their planet becomes.
"So everythings been soughted out on my end" Professor Oak explained "and when you return you should be able to step back into your lives here as though you never left"
Tai looked up sharply when? Not if, the old man really believed they would return to his world one day? His friends spirits all seemed to lift at the reassurance, while there were a few things they missed from their world, namely their Digimon partners, none of them could contemplate not coming back to this world, they'd made new friends (and rivals and enemies), seen things that even the Digital World in all it's weird majesty had never shown them (that poor Wingul…) And had each found a vocation that seemed to call out to them.
Mimi smiled warmly "we'll be back before you know it" she replied airly, as though discussing the weather and not travelling to another world.
"Yeah" Tk adds, taking his hat off, "besides I'm a Ranger I have a duty to protect nature and the Pokemon who live in it!"
Tai ruffles the blonds hair playful causing him to duck away and put his hat back on to protect his now mussed up hair from Tai's unwanted display of affection.
Ken pointedly takes a measured step away from Tai and outside arm reaching distance before stating "Please be sure to save any interesting new theories you come across for me, while I'm away professor" he seems to struggle with himself for a brief moment. "When we reach the Digital World I'll be sure to make some sketches to bring back for you, of the landscape and its Digimon inhabitants."
"I'd quite like that Ken" the professor replies, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps, we can compare various species of Pokemon and Digimon and try to find any similarities, in their appearance, their habitat, their behaviour, or attacks."
Tai interrupts what he feels is going to be a long drawn out headache inducing discussion between the two brainiacs as they argue about how likely it is that Digital monsters would have developed in similar ways to the flesh and blood creatures of this world when he notices the lake water stilling, the wind formally a pleasant breeze dying down to nothing.
"Hate to break this up" he nods in the direction of the lake "but our ride's here."
A large grey serpentine dragon with sharp gold armoured edges down its head and neck, red and black striped sections, and six trailing black tendrils that end in red pointed spikes emerges from the mirrored surface immediately undergoing a transformation now looking less like an eastern dragon and more like a western dragon with the three spikes on either side of its body forming into feet, the tendrils merging into two black wings ending in 3 red spikes making them resemble giant phantasmal hands, it's gold mouth protector has split open revealing its mouth and allowing it to let out a shrill cry "Glyyogagohgwooh!"
A minute later both the Dragon and the children were gone as though they were never there in the first place. Leaving the aging Pokemon Professor alone, and still trembling from excitement.
"To hear about the power and sheer presence a legendary emits is one thing…" he mutters to himself as he shakes his head, "but to experience it for myself…" he trails of his hand slipping into the pocket of his lab coat to pull out a worn but still functional device that resembled a cross between a wristwatch and a tamagotchi, and could be mistaken for an old model of Pokegear if you didn't look closely enough.
The professor sighed, feeling at that moment every one of his sixty years. "Look after yourselves, my dear children, for if anything should happen to you, I feel these old bones of mine, may just have one last adventure in them" he declared ominously.
Omake: To Boldly Go…
Set after Tai leaves Mimi's farewell party in chapter 1.
At first Tai had no particular destination in mind beyond getting away from everyone and everything but as he looked up and took in his surroundings he found himself near the reconstituted zone, an area of Odaiba still under re-construction to repair the damage sustained during VenomMyotismon's Gojira style rampage.
The construction equipment and vehicles lay silent as though abandond, underneath the starry night. With so few lights on in that section of the city you could see far more of the cosmos that would normally take a trip to the countryside to see.
Looking around he noticed he was standing near the shoreline from which he and the others had returned to the Digital World in a beam of light to take on the Dark Masters. Had he meant to come here? Or had his legs simply carried him here by random chance?
Tai placed his hand in his pocket and withdrew his Digivice it lay in his palm as silent and dormant as the crane that stood off a little way to his side. Gennai had said that the portal between the worlds would be closed while the barriers were restored but he never said how long that would take, since he'd been able to contact them and get Agumon and the other Digimon onto the net, did that mean the gates were open once more?
"Why won't you respond?" he asked in barely a whisper "Why won't the gate open? Why I can't I go back…back, to where I was happy?" A single tear rolls down his cheek, feeling cold in the chill evening air.
"Tai!" a familiar feminine voice calls out snapping him however briefly out of his funk.
Tai jerks his head in the direction of the voice shock written all over his features.
"Mimi?" he replies in surprise "And Tk?"
Standing before him were the future Prom Queen herself and Mr. Emo's little brother Mimi and Tk.
"Hey Tai" Tk sniffed "don't you like us anymore, why didya leave us like that, did we do something wrong?" he asked a rapid fire barrage of questions.
Tai couldn't help himself he smiled at the young kid, he could never stay mad at the squirt and it wasn't his fault his big bro was a dick.
Turning to Mimi he raised an eyebrow questioningly "shouldn't you still be at the party?" he asked ignoring Tk's questions for the time being.
Mimi sniffed and turned her nose up "In all the excitement I very much doubt we'll be missed" she replied nonchalantly waving away his concerns.
Tai snorted "the party's for you Mimi, you're the guest of honour" he deadpanned.
"Yeah?" Mimi cried out in a loud voice. "Well I didn't ask for the party, or for any of this!" she declared dramatically.
"You think I want to leave my home, my friends, everything and anyone I've ever known to move to another country, to a place I've never been, where they don't even speak our language and where I'll be all alone!" She continued turning away as he frame was wracked with subdued sobs.
Tai's expression softened as he looked at Mimi in a new light, Tk looked just as sad for her.
"I had no idea" he said sympathetically "I'm sorry" he wished he could do more, than just say a meaningless platitude. The others has gotten so caught up in trying to give their friend a good send off, wrapped up in their own lives that none of them had stopped to consider that maybe she didn't want to go.
Tk sighed and looked down at his feet scuffing his shoes on a pebble.
"I may not be leaving the country" he said his childish voice contrasting with the serious tone he'd adopted. "But mom said were gonna be moving away again, far away" he began to cry, tears streaming down his cheeks. "This may be the last time I get to see you guys, forever!"
Mimi knelt down and pulling out a hanky starting wiping away the snot and tear tracks from his face. Tai moved forward and put a comforting hand on the kids shoulder.
"Matt's been unbearable 'bout it too" Tk's cheeks puffed up as he scowled angrily. "I'm gonna miss him, he's my brother, but it's like he thinks I can't cope without having him around to hold my hand" he sniffed loudly. "'m not a baby" he insisted crabbily through bleary eyes.
Tai sweatdrops and tactfully replies "of course you're not" despite Tk's behaviour saying the opposite.
Tai shakes his head and clenches the hand clutching his Digivice tightly "and here I thought I was the only one with problems, my best friend dumps me for a pretty boy with a bad attitude, no offence Teeks" Tk shook his head to indicate no offence had been taken, he wasn't in a very charitable mood towards his brother at the moment, and could be bothered to defend him.
"My parents can't stand me, and blame me for dragging Kari into the whole Digiworld mess, last year" Tai carries on a bitter expression on his face.
"They don't do they?" Mimi asked shocked, how could his mum and dad be so callous as to blame the one person who tried his hardest to protect Kari and keep her safe no matter what.
"Yes, they do" Tai confirms tiredly. "I just thought…maybe here of all places…I just want to go back, to the Digital World" he explains hesitantly "I want to see Agumon again, and be someplace where I can be…me"
Mimi glances at Tai sympathetically knowing what he meant, she often wondered how Palmon was doing and while she had enjoyed her Hawaiian vacation wished Diaboramon had waited until after she'd got back to try and take over or devour the internet or whatever he wanted to do. So that she could have seen and fought alongside Palmon once again.
Tk's eyes tear up again and he sniffles but bravely holds of from bursting into tears once more. "I miss Patomon" he said in a shaky voice.
"If only we could go back, but we can't because this piece of junk won't work!" Tai turned away from Mimi and threw back his arm the one holding his digivice as if to throw it away as far as he could.
Mimi tackled him from the back wrapping an arm around his raised hand to thwart his attempt. While Tk facing Tai from the side jumped up and grabbed him around his midriff holding on tight.
"Hey what the…" Tai struggled to get free from his friends embrace.
"Don't do it Tai!" Tk urged him.
"Get of me!" Tai growled angrily.
"Not on your life, were trying to stop you from doing something desperate that you'll regret when you calm down" Mimi claims.
"I said get the hell away fro…huh?" Tai stops in midsentence as he and the others look up in surprise.
Tai's Digivice was glowing and sparking and emitting a torrent of beeps even as he held it up high over his head pointed towards the heavens.
Tai and his two hangers on, had just enough time to blink in shock before a Portal opened up above them and a purple wave of energy hit them sucking them inside. Unlike their previous journeys, this portal was different instead of trveling on a beam of light they seemed to be pulled into a pit of darkness.
Tai had just enough time to shout the customary "surf's up" before they were swallowed by the wave.
As the three pre-teens unwittingly opened and entered a portal to another world the surrounding city for a dozen blocks around suffered electrical faults and failures, with various 7/11 stores finding their tills had crashed and needed to be rebooted in the morning.
As the gate closed with ominous finality no one would ever see the three disillusioned Digidestined in the city for the next three years, and when they returned they would return changed by their experiences in ways no one could ever have expected, older and wiser beyond their years, with experience and strength that would see them through the darkest of days.
AN: I've really changed this chapter, starting with originally this chapter was set in their world, but I decided it fit my needs better to have it set in the pokemon world with their house been the house in Pallet town they stay in when they're in-between regions or visiting Oak's lab. Secondly I've cut the chapter in two with the second half taking place in their world coming next chapter.
I altered their rooms somewhat with TK's now also having the pokeball symbol as well as the crest of Hope to signify his dual allegiance to both the Digital World and the Pokemon World. And I changed the colour of Tai's 'dream' room to Orange and Red if he wasn't sharing with Mimi. Since I can't see Tai as favouring black as a colour unless he's evil or embraced the dark side, Tai is many thing but he is not an Emo and favours bright colours over dark.
I like the idea that the games and anime glosses over the paperwork side that comes with being a pokemon trainer, having to fill in applicaton forms and admission slips to enter pokemon tournaments, fill in medical forms whenever you or your pokemon are injured during training, surely there exists insurance firms in the pokemon world? In which case they probably cause a great deal of paperwork with how destructive pokemon are, having to deal with people trying to sue you for damage caused by battling inside buildings, cities, towns, gardens, ect.
Tai in the original version at breakfast was reading a newspaper which struck me as characteristically wrong for both his character and age group, so I switched it to watching the news on TV instead.
I'm honestly not sure when in the pokemon world this is set, I guess I'm meshing the anime, the games and a bit of the manga together, although I confess I tend to favour the anime, it's at least sometime after the events of Johto journeys as Tai not Lance caught the Red Gyarados, but the situation in Unova could refer to the events of the first Black/White Games or the second, I'm not sure which would work best for the timeline myself.
I'm basing TK's situation with been a PKMN Ranger on a pokemon story I read a while back where a (competent OC) Ash was made an honoury Ranger but remained travelling from region to region, I always believed the rangers from the Saphire/Ruby and Pokemon Ranger games were at least 15 years old, while the Rangers in the Black/white games are even older, as full grown adults. Since TK is younger than that, his superiors make allowances and allow him to keep travelling with his friends and family so long as he carries out his duties whenever he sees a situation that requires a Ranger's intervention, i.e. a hurt wild pokemon needs help, or pokemon poachers have been spotted in the area, ect.
I decided to settle on Pokemon Watcher (Tracy's profession in the anime) for Ken, I think it suites him more than been a researcher or budding scientist. And will still be a good fit for his high intellect. It also fits the previous omake that had them running from an angry Rhyhorn.
Yep I did it, Tai is in fact a Pokemon Champion, now before you get up in arms, Tai has had a number of years to work his way up to the top, while Red in the Pokemon Adventures manga managed it in 1 year by the age of eleven. Frankly it's much more plausible that Tai could become the Champion of Kanto within three years and by the age of fifteen.
I decided to show them leaving the pokemon world rather than just have them in their home world like in the original version, so everything from heading to prof Oak's lab to say good bye is written by me.
I couldn't resist having Ken and Oak getting into a nerd discussion about Pokemon vs Digimon.
I'm sure the dragon that takes them out of the pokemon world needs no introduction there is however a reason I had that Dragon rather than the other Sinnoh Dragon that would seem ideal for moving from dimension to dimension, and the cry it gives of, is the cry it makes in Platium before you battle with it.
I'll be honest I was supposed to end this chapter with them leaving but as I wrote it I came up with Oak's scene at the end, yes that is a Digivice of a different sought than the ones used by the adventure kids and 02 kids, if you look up Digivices on the Digimon wiki it should show the one I'm trying to describe first, It's from the Arc-V Tamers Manga (the same one I got Tai's cloak from), and yes this does mean Oak was/is a Digidestined! Which means he may make a future appearance in later chapters, then again he may not.
In the original version it never explained how Oak knows they have to go back to the Digital World or how he even knows about it in the first place. I still haven't explained how he knows, but I think the appearance of a Digivice owned by Oak at least answers that in part, even though it's probably just created more questions than answers.
This chapters omake is not the sequel to the emperor's Angst omake but ties in to the end of last chapters omake, where Tai, Mimi and Tk land upon a young Ken before he becomes the Digimon Emperor, showing how they met him and added him to their group. This omake also takes place immediately after the end of the first chapter and shows how Tai, Mimi and Tk ended up in the Dark Ocean, Tai having wandered near a place he knew there was a Digital Gate tried to open it, fails and while grappling with Mimi and Tk due to been about to throw his Digivice away out of frustration accidently opens a gate to the World of Darkness instead. This sequence of events is actually based on canon; Oikawa in 02 tried to open a Digital gate in Heighton View Terrance (not knowing BlackWargreymon had sealed the gate) and instead opens a portal to the Dream World instead. Please note this omake was written by me to explain how Tai, Mimi, and Tk travelled from their world to the pokemon world, well first they take a detour to the Dark Ocean, and is my unique explanation since the original version of the story never explained how they travelled from one world to a next.