Chapter 8: Taking it Tokomon
Night fell over Petalburg City, most notably the Gym. The locals helped repair the wall damaged by Team Rocket. Norman's kids entered their rooms to sleep for the needed sleep to officially begin. He also assigned Ash to sleep in Max's room and Sora to May's room. Ash reached the top of the staircase to find Max's room. "Ash?" called Sora. Ash turned to the Digidestined without her helmet on. Of course, Ash also wore less: no baseball cap and sweat-tee.
"Sora?" he gasped a little. "What's up?" The redhead suddenly became a little red-faced.
"Listen, I don't remember if I told you thanks for all you've done to protect me and Biyomon. Even still, thank you for all you've done for us." Ash huffed a slight chuckle, as if he's dealt with situations like Sora's in the past.
"It's no big deal. Besides, I did say that I'd help you and Biyomon get back to the Digital World."
"I haven't forgotten. You've done more for me than Tai or Matt or even Joe, combined. It almost feels like maybe when Biyomon and I wound up here, fate may have given me something else like a reason I wear the Crest of Love." Seeing her clutch her tag, Ash wondered about her desire to return.
"Are you saying that you like it here?"
"Not this place but you, someone that's willing to help me through it all." Before Ash could further question, Sora approached him, clasped the back of the head and pressed her lips to Ash's. The Pallet Town boy froze to the kiss, encumbered from her embrace. Her tag began to shine once more, though neither one noticed the glowing neck-wear. Caroline came up the staircase and saw the two in their moment, a sudden gasp escaping her lips. Then she released a little snicker. Both kids broke lips and turned to the mother of the siblings.
"Good lord, you two," she laughed. "You know what they say: you're never too young to fall in love. If I knew about your chemistry, I'd have May sleep in Max's room for you two to snuggle." Ash and Sora nervously giggled to the tease from Caroline. With a soft rub on his head, Sora split from Ash for the night as she entered May's room by the sign on the door. It was a quiet night leading to the next morning. Max had been given permission to go with his older sister, Ash and Sora.
"Now you three be careful out there," Norman warned as they met by the front door with Caroline. That's when he gave Max a yellow hand-held device. "Here you go, Max. A PokéNav! It should help get you to wherever you guys are headed." With the device in hand, a happy Max couldn't hold his excitement about a tool to keep the youths from getting lost.
"Thanks, Dad!" he praised.
"And May, I want you to try your best at Pokémon Training. Ash can give you as much assistance as you need."
"I will, Dad," May accepted. Caroline got choked up, not willing to see both her kids leave her sight.
"I guess this is it," she teared up. "Max, don't be too much of a bother to May, and you listen to what your elders have to say." May and Max got to Caroline's side and hugged her, their moment to leave the nest called home. "I'll miss you two!"
"I'm gonna miss you, too, Mom!" cried May. With the exchanges, Ash and Sora led May and Max on their way around the Hoenn Region. They entered the woods via exiting the city limits.
"Petalburg Woods, huh?" guessed Sora. Biyomon perched herself on her shoulder in the same fashion as Pikachu to Ash's. They traveled down the road under the thicket of trees standing. At least an hour passed without activity. That's when May's stomach gargled. She clutched her abdomen with an embarrassing smile.
"Hey, why don't we stop and have lunch? I'm getting a little hungry." Everyone paused and turned to the brunette of the group. To Max, this wasn't acceptable.
"What?!" he snapped. "But we just had a huge breakfast! You can't be hungry after all that!" May responded by scratching nervously in the back of her head. "Besides, we haven't seen any Pokémon yet!" To May, food seemed to be on the subject.
"Well, excuse me if I have high metabolism! And it's about lunchtime!" Max didn't want to let her sister get what she wanted and yanked Ash to him.
"I wanna find some Pokémon!" May countered by pulling Ash away from her brother and the tug-of-war began.
"No, lunch comes first!"
"Pokémon!"
"Lunch!" Sora heard enough and slapped May's and Max's hands, freeing Ash's arms for him to relax. The siblings rubbed their hands from the pain.
"Knock it off, you two!" she scolded. "Seriously, there are better ways to make decisions than dragging Ash to make the choice!" Max and May felt bad, grumpy faces painted, about putting Ash's interests first instead of being rational on their minds. Sora sighed to the siblings on their behavior. "Look, I understand that Max wants to see Pokémon and that May's stomach is bordering on empty." Once recovered, Ash had an idea on how to handle both situations.
"We can see Pokémon while we have lunch if we leave some food for them," he suggested. "And we can use that stump over there." He pointed to a tree stump with nothing on it, not even a twig. Sora appreciated the idea.
"There's a phrase I wanna use but I don't wanna offend Biyomon."
"You mean 'killing two birds with one stone'?" Biyomon quoted. Sora snickered at her Digimon's point. "And you and Caroline did go shopping yesterday." Sora began digging around her bag for the food but in that little bag, what food could she have.
"Here we go!" However, as she began to pull from her bag, two little black swallows flew in. Red feathers covered their faces and white underbellies were above black talons. They squawked down to the kids but focused on the Digimon before descending. Everyone spotted the swallows, seeing the birds for the first time.
"Aren't those Taillow?" wondered May.
"Now that you mention it, aren't Taillow common in Hoenn?" asked Max. As the Taillow pair tried to squawk at Biyomon, Ash brought out the PokéDex to scan them. A picture of the bird appeared.
"Taillow, the Tiny Swallow Pokémon," it registered. "Taillow are incredibly territorial, defending their nests to foes in greater sizes." The information puzzled Max to why the Taillow seem panicked. The beaking brought Pikachu to be by Biyomon's side to help with understanding these Pokémon. Somehow, Biyomon got a clue to what had upset the Taillow.
"Is it nearby?" she guessed. Taillow pointed its wing to the direction. Trouble brewed. "Let's go check it out!" The Taillow led the kids who got up and followed. Ahead, a white baby piglet with paper-thin ears over its eyes laid on the side of the pathway. The two Taillows reached the spot of the piglet. Sora's heart skipped a beat at the sight of the down creature.
"Tokomon?!" she gasped. Everyone reached the creature where Sora hoisted it. Hearing its name, Ash summarized it as a creature not familiar with this world.
"That's a Digimon?" he asked. Feeling skin rubbing on its soft pelt, Tokomon opened its beady eyes.
"So… Sora?" it weakly called. "Is that… really… you?" Sora petted the Digimon to comfort.
"Relax," she whispered. "You're in safe hands." Tokomon purred in Sora's arms, a feel of security. Questions began rising in heads of those familiar with this world about Tokomon.
"Digimon can come smaller than Biyomon?" wondered May.
"Forget that," Ash disagreed. "How did this little guy find our world?" Max dug in his pockets for something.
"I was meaning to save this for emergencies," he admitted as he pulled out a case of chocolate cookie sticks. "Guess this counts." He handed Tokomon a stick which it ate.
"Nummy!" it sighed. Max gave Tokomon some strokes and scratches to its little body, much to the Digimon's delight.
"Sora, is Tokomon a level lower than Biyomon?" asked May.
"He is," she answered. "Digimon have five stages that we know of. Digimon hatch from eggs like Pokémon do and are identified as Fresh level. Tokomon hatched after his fight with a dark Digimon named Devimon and is right now In-Training. Biyomon is above Tokomon on level as she's a Rookie Digimon. Ash and May saw Birdramon when Team Rocket tried to attack Professor Birch's lab. She's Champion level. Just recently, we saw the latest when Tai's Agumon digivolved to MetalGreymon, an Ultimate level." Ash and the siblings awed the forms Digimon could take. Tokomon blinked, somewhat not following Sora's lead.
"What do you mean recently?!" it questioned. "We haven't seen you or Tai in weeks!" Everyone jumped in surprise and confusion.
"Wait, weeks?!" shrieked May. Even Ash couldn't believe the claim.
"I've been with Sora for days, not weeks!" he recalled, his Pikachu supporting the story.
"I'm not lying, and the Digidestined have disbanded as well!" added Tokomon. "It's why I'm not with TK right now!" This information bothered Sora and wanted to know more.
"What about Matt?" she asked. Tokomon shook its head, making the redhead cringe.
"Matt?" repeated May.
"TK's older brother," Biyomon clarified. "He's suppose to keep an eye out, as well as Gabumon." May and Max glanced to each other, siblings hearing about other siblings' separation spreading concern.
"May, promise me that we don't separate from each other without supervision," Max wished.
"Okay," she agreed. Ash looked at the Digimon, then to Sora. He knew that sending Sora and the Digimon back home wouldn't be enough.
"I don't care if I can't return here," he began. "...But I want you back with your friends, Sora." The named redhead darted her eyes to Ash, not sure to believe him.
"That- That's not necessary, Ash," she politely refused. "Do- Don't get me wrong! I appreciate all you're able to do to help me and the Digimon." Ash wasn't sure about allowing Sora to just return to the Digital World on her own.
"No, I can't let it go like that! I don't know if it's my way of helping everyone or that kiss you gave me last night but letting you and the Digimon go back without help doesn't sound like a good idea." The siblings, the Digimon and Pokémon gasped at the news of the two in the loving moment.
"You two kissed?" stuttered Biyomon. The redhead became red-faced in embarrassment. Max softly elbowed May to mock the sister.
"Looks like you missed out on a chance," he teased. May countered with a hard glare. Sora gripped her thoughts of having Ash join her in the Digital World, even going as far to say that he'd go so far to stay and make sure peace was established.
"Are you sure?" she double-checked. A nod from Ash concluded his meanings. Finally, Sora sighed a smile. "You're indeed something special, Ash." However, the two humans would have company.
"Well, this is one adventure I'd like to get involved," May volunteered as she stood. "I'm coming with!" Max snickered to his sister's desires, feeling similar pressure.
"If May's going, I can't let her mess anything up," he decided. "Alright, you got me interested." Sora and the Digimon awed the support they received with Ash and his new friends.
"Ash…" Sora hushed. "May… Max..." Words of her feelings couldn't escape her lips. Ash turned to the Taillow to see if they could help.
"Taillow, did you see anything weird when Tokomon arrived?" he questioned. After Pikachu translated to the Pokémon, one Taillow pointed its wing ahead. "Lead the way!" The Taillow started the parade to another part of the woods where it stopped. The rest stopped and found the Taillow pointing its beak to the sky. Everyone looked up, finding nothing but blue sky and clouds.
"Up there?" guessed May. No one was sure of Taillow's discovery. Max had an idea.
"Sora, do you have anything else from the Digital World?" he asked.
"You mean my Digivice?" she assumed as she pulled it out. Without asking, Sora pointed the Digivice to the sky. A few seconds later, sparks flickered in the sky. "Is it?" A circular yellow light began to reveal itself and expand. Everyone now believed the light was the way to the Digital World.
"Is that a gateway?" thought May. Sora felt the Digivice shaking in her hand.
"It's gotta be! My Digivice is reacting to it!" Biyomon began to fly upward and so did Tokomon.
"This is a drag!" squawked Biyomon. The humans and Pokémon now had proof of their next destination.
"This is our chance!" roared Ash. "Hang on!" Sora grabbed Biyomon by the wing before she had been grabbed herself. Max held onto May who held Ash as he held Sora by the shoulder. Everyone started to fly upward, even the Taillow. The group finally passed the gate, vanishing to the other side. Watching was a tanned youn man wearing a brown light jacket and pants. His spiky brunette hair over squinted eyes spotted the group entering the light but just seeing Pikachu also enter before the light faded and shrunk to nothing.
"Was that Ash and Pikachu?" he gawked. He began to run to the spot to find nothing there. Were the humans, Pokémon and Digimon in the Digital world? What could be awaiting them?
TO BE CONTINUED...
