Chapter 9
Rika and Renamon
" No way…seriously? Henry is a Digidestined?" exclaimed Rika in disbelief.
" Yeah, it's all true," nodded Takato. " He has a green device, and his Digimon partner is a Terriermon."
" Oh wow Takato, looks like you're not as special anymore," laughed Kazu.
" Whatever Kazu! I notice you don't have a Digimon at all!" said Takato.
" Well, if someone like Henry can be a Digidestined, then so can I!" huffed Kazu. " I must be next in line."
" Sure thing Kazu, keep dreaming…" teased Takato.
" I wonder if any of us will also get to be Digidestined," muttered Jeri.
" You know what, if we're going to be a group, then I think we need a name," said Kazu.
" How about Digidestined?" suggested Kenta sarcastically.
" I know Kenta, no need to get all clever! You've never had any need before," added Kazu. " I just think we should have a different group name. I mean, they got the prophecy wrong, what's to say they didn't get the name wrong?"
" So have you got any bright ideas?" asked Ryo.
" Yep," smiled Kazu. " The – Tamers!"
" The Tamers?" repeated Rika. " You're joking."
" No I'm not!" cried Kazu. " It's a cool name!"
" It's really not," sighed Rika. " I can't stand being here much longer. I'm going home. Bye."
They watched as Rika walked down the street, before disappearing from view around a corner.
" What's wrong with her?" asked Kenta. " Jeri, you're a girl, you must know why Rika's acting all funny."
Jeri merely shrugged. " I thought Rika's was always a bit like that," she said.
" So what do you think of the Tamers?" added Kazu.
" No, Kazu!"
Rika took the shortcut home, round by her school. She scrunched up her eyes. Takato's words from earlier were still echoing in her head.
" Guess what guys? Henry's a Digidestined too!"
She clenched her fists. How? How could Henry be a Digidestined? If there were going to be more than one, then surely she would be the second person? Not Henry. Better still, she should have been the first Digidestined, before Takato. She was stronger, she remained calmer in tricky situations, and she was much more practical.
" I don't understand," she muttered. " When is it my turn?"
She was opposite her school's playground. She froze, a look of bewilderment on her face. There were people in the playground. But it was the holidays. Not only that, but the people all looked like adults. And they were standing around something. Rika's curiosity got the better of her. She ran through the open gate, into the playground. Finally, she could see what the people were standing around: a cage! And there was something in the cage… a Digimon, maybe?
" Hey!" Rika called.
The people looked up, saw her, and ran. She raised her eyebrows. There was only one of her, and lots of them, and they ran? She shook her head, and went over to the cage. There was a Digimon in there.
" Oh wow, it's a Renamon," muttered Rika. " But what are you doing in a cage?"
The Renamon stirred, before waking up.
" Human! Stay away from me," the Renamon growled.
" Don't worry, I won't hurt you," smiled Rika.
" Where are those hunters?" asked Renamon.
" Hunters?" repeated Rika. " So they actually exist… listen, I'll try and get you out of here. The hunters are gone. They ran away when they saw me!"
" Really? That's odd, why would they be afraid of a child? They weren't even afraid of me…" muttered Renamon, as Rika found a way into the cage, by bashing at the lock with a small rock she had found nearby. Eventually, the lock broke, and Renamon rushed from the cage.
" Thankyou human," said Renamon. " What is your name?"
" Rika," she replied.
" Ah," said Renamon suddenly. " That's why they ran."
" Why? Because of my name?" asked Rika, confused.
" No… behind you," Renamon was pointing at something. Slowly, Rika looked behind her.
" Ah! It's a Harpymon!" exclaimed Rika.
" Keep calm Rika," commanded Renamon. " Let me deal with this."
Renamon swiftly turned her back on Rika.
" Diamond Storm!" she yelled. Hundreds of shining arrowheads flew towards Harpymon. With a high-pitched shriek, Harpymon fell to the ground, but quickly picked herself up again. With another shriek, she started lunging at Renamon with her sharp talons, and Renamon fell.
" No, no, there must be something I can do!" yelled Rika. There was a blue light, and a blue device fell into Rika's hands.
" This is what Takato and Henry have!" she gasped. " So that means I'm a Digidestined! And Renamon is my partner…Renamon!" she cried. In her the pocket if her jeans she found a blue card. " I think I can help now!"
Harpymon was preparing a final blow.
" Digivolution activate!"
" Renamon digivolve to… Kyubimon!"
Rika sighed as she saw what had been her favourite Digimon on the Safari trip.
" What happened?" gasped Kyubimon.
" You and I are now partners," explained Rika. " And now we can send Harpymon back to the Digital World!"
Rika pressed the central button, and a gateway appeared. Kyubimon leapt up into the air, and pushed Harpymon back through the gate.
" Wow, you're so powerful," said Rika, as Kyubimon became Renamon once more.
" And you're my partner!"
" Okay, now I really have to do something…there's three of them! I hoped they wouldn't discover the inaccuracy of the prophecy. I have no choice but to go to that awful place. Urgh! I hate humans."
