Chapter Three
In the Digital World
"Riley…"
Riley groaned.
"Riley, wake up…"
"Five more minutes…" Riley grumbled, trying to turn over on her side.
"Riley, wake up!"
Riley groaned again.
"WAKE UP!"
Riley suddenly sat bolt upright, and stared at the thing that was sitting on her lap. It was a red blob with three squishy horns on its head. It had big eyes that held a curious expression.
"What the hell is going on!?!?!?!?" Riley screamed.
The red blob flinched, then said, "I'll tell you what's going on—you're in the Digital World! Welcome! I'm Punimon, your Digimon partner!"
Riley calmed down. "Pu…ni…mon?"
"Yup, yup, yup!" Punimon exclaimed happily, jumping up and down.
Riley picked up the hopping Digimon and stood up. "So we're in the Digital World. Where's everyone else?"
"Riley! Hey—Riley, over here!" came a voice. There was a loud crashing sound and Lina staggered from the underbrush, followed by another Digimon.
"Lina!" Riley cried. "Are you okay? Where's everyone else? And who's that Digimon?"
Lina dusted herself off and picked up the Digimon beside her. "This is Nuliumon."
The little Digimon grinned. "Hi!" she greeted.
"So…where are the others?" Riley wondered.
"Well, Daiki is over there," Lina answered, pointing to where she had come from. "C'mon—we can't just stand here all day."
The two girls stomped through the bushes until they arrived in a clearing. Daiki and a gray oval-shaped Digimon with a fox's tail were sitting patiently.
"Hi guys!" Daiki called, waving to them. He stood up and pointed at the Digimon beside him. "This is my Digimon, Vizzmon. Isn't he the coolest?"
Vizzmon grinned cheekily.
"Yeah, he's pretty cool, Daiki," Riley said. "We have to find the others. Let's go."
The trio walked for a while until they saw David and Compass talking. Both had Digimon. David's Digimon was a small green plant-like thing, and Compass' Digimon looked like a little black glob with two green leaves on its head.
"David!" Lina called out. She ran to her brother. "David, how are ya?"
David adjusted his glasses. "I'm fine. I found Compass a few minutes ago with her Digimon. Speaking of which…meet Leafmon."
Leafmon squeaked a greeting. "Hello, friends of David!"
"And my Digimon's Sosuntmon," Compass added.
"Have you found anyone else?" Sosuntmon asked the others.
Riley shook her head. "No, not yet. You?"
"No," David replied.
"Me neither," said Compass.
Daiki said, "We better keep walking."
"Good idea. There are only four of us left to find."
—————
"Aaaaahhhhh!" screamed Riku. She and her Digimon partner, Yuimon (a small green blob), ran and ran and ran, away from a huge green Snimon.
"Riku, hold on!" Riki, who was running with her, yelled. "I've got an idea." He swiftly turned around to face the giant bug. "Snamon, get 'im!"
The blue and yellow-striped snake jumped forward, and bit the Snimon. "Chibi Bite!"
It had no effect on the Snimon.
Riku grabbed the boy by the arm. "Let's just get out of here!"
Meanwhile, Lina and the others saw the huge Snimon coming.
"Run for it!" Compass roared. She and the others turned and fled.
Two squeaky voices suddenly yelled, "Bubble Blow!"
Mikara and Josh ran from the side with their Digimon.
"Chowmon!" Mikara cried, looking at the light brown ball of fluff beside her.
"Poyomon!" Josh chimed in, looking at his jelly-like Digimon.
"Attack!" both yelled.
The two small Digimon jumped at the Snimon. "Bubble Blow!" they yelled. The Snimon merely swatted the bubbles away.
The nine kids stood in a group, their Digimon standing in front of them.
"How are we going to beat that thing, whatever it is?" Riki wondered out loud.
"It's called a Snimon, and it uses its deadly arm scythes to kill its enemies," Snamon informed.
"That's nice to know," Riku said sarcastically.
Nuliumon jumped forward. "We're going to beat the crap outta that thing!" she screamed. "Let's go!"
The other Digimon jumped forward, ready to attack the Snimon.
"No!" cried Daiki. "Vizzmon!"
Suddenly, the kids' D-forces glowed.
"Vizzmon digivolve to…Fenamon!"
"Poyomon digivolve to…Tokomon!"
"Chowmon digivolve to…Konekomon!"
"Leafmon digivolve to…Minomon!"
"Yuimon digivolve to…Oakimon!"
"Snamon digivolve to…Baslimon!"
"Nuliumon digivolve to…Tavmon!"
"Sosuntmon digivolve to…Amarillamon!"
"Punimon digivolve to…Tsunomon!"
Nine In-Training Digimon stood before the Tamers.
"Ready gang?" Tavmon yelled.
"Ready!" the others cried.
"Then attack!"
The In-Training Digimon charged at the huge green bug. "Bubble Blow!" seven of them cried.
Oakimon's head leaf twirled around, sending razor-sharp leaves flying at the Snimon. "Boomerange Leaf!"
Baslimon, on the other hand, bit into the Snimon's leg as he yelled, "Bite!"
The attacks did little affect on the Snimon, though. He merely swatted them away and screeched.
"It's no use!" Konekomon told Mikara. "We're too weak!"
"What'll we do, then?" Compass asked.
"You must hide!" said a voice. The Tamers looked to their right and saw a girl standing in front of a tree. She had shoulder-length black hair in a ponytail and dark brown eyes. She wore an army camouflage t-shirt and baggy cargo pants. Standing beside her was a Gummymon.
"How'd…how'd you get here?" Josh asked.
"There's no time to explain," the girl pointed out. "Follow me if you wish to live."
She turned and disappeared into the tree. Her Digimon followed her.
"Well?" Riki asked the others.
"We've got no choice," Tsunomon said. "Let's go."
The Tamers and their Digimon ran and disappeared into the tree. They stood inside it for a moment, wondering why it was metal inside, when the floor opened up and sucked them in.
"Hold on to your hats!" Daiki cracked.
"Very funny, Daiki!" Fenamon screamed, shutting his eyes.
Down they spiraled, ever downwards, in a seemingly fathomless pit…