CTHKSI:
Generally, I decide on a certain "direction" that I want to take my stories. I use this as a guideline and not as a hard and fast rule, so I can take advantage of new ideas that suddenly come to me.
Though it seems cruel to take the dead away, not doing so leads to severe and VERY unpleasant consequences...
AnT:
Yeah, I've actually played Sapphire with Torchic as my starter. Torchic's evo line is awesome! I like Pokemon with unusual type combinations like Combusken and Blaziken's Fighting/Fire type. As for Ruby/Sapphire Pokemon, there are places in my story where I can work some of them in.
Disclaimer:
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Nintendo owns Pokemon.
The Stones of Doom
By: RB3
Chapter 5: Hostile Takeover
Oak searched through the pile of boxes in his storage room. He found what he wanted in a pair of spare videophones. He connected each phone to spare jacks, and made a test call to Whitney's ranch. When Oak was certain the phones were working, he pulled out a book large enough to be a doorstop. Flipping through the massive phone books' pages, Ash and his friends called any rest stop or gas station around the northern areas of Silph Town.
"No sorry, I haven't seen anything," replied the cashier.
Ash changed his line of questioning: "Has anyone mentioned anything about finding a large jewel or gemstone or anything like that?"
"Sorry, nothing like that either."
The trainers tried a few more gas stations and rest stops only to receive similar responses. They were not making any progress and it was frustrating .
Tracey came in to see the progress of the search. "No luck, huh?"
"No..." lamented Ash.
"Maybe you guys should take a break. Your guys have been on the phones for quite a while now. Watch some TV and relax a little."
"Yeah, maybe we should take a break now," suggested Brock as he reached for the remote.
On the television screen, two police officers that were conversing appeared. The show seemed to be a police drama of some kind. Brock flipped through the channels until he found the news. A picture of a redheaded anchor in her thirties appeared on the screen.
"...This just in! Early this morning, the Rare Earth Mining Co. R&D lab was robbed by a group of unknown assailants. The assailants stole a sacred artifact held in the lab known as the Destiny Stone. This was the sixth in a rash of Destiny Stone robberies all around the world..."
The news drew everyone's complete attention, and some gasps induced by shock.
"...These assailants were believed to be the same group suspected of robbing other Destiny Stones around the Digital World."
The news showed a clip of a re-enactment of the crime.
****************************************
In the parking lot of Rare Earth labs, a thug in black snuck behind an oblivious truck driver. This thug wore a ski mask over his face, concealing his true identity. The driver was next to his truck and had his head down to read a map. As the thug drew closer, he pulled out a rag soaked with a strong, foul smelling liquid. The thug suddenly pounced and stuffed the rag over the driver's mouth!
The truck driver called for help, but the rag muffled his voice: "Mfffff, mmmmmffff!"
The driver struggled to remove the ether soaked rag, but was weakening every second. He was falling unconscious. After a vain struggle, the driver could no longer resist. The thug dragged the driver's body and hid it behind some bushes. He striped the driver of his keys and drove the truck to a receiving area behind the lab.
In the lab complex itself, a "technician" left his peers for a break. His aura cast suspicion to everyone who watched. Instead of going to the recreation room, he made his way to the basement. He was repulsed by the grungy nature of the halls, but continued on his way. He soon came to a room filled with various meters. Entering the room, he saw his target; a large machine connected to several shafts. The technician could hear light rumbling coming from a fan within the machine.
The technician opened a hatch to reveal a set of dirty filters. He removed and concealed the filters, creating enough space for his bomb. The thug's bomb consisted of a timer with several wires running into it. There was also a nozzle designed for spraying a gaseous substance. This nozzle led to a canister filled with a blue liquid, which was actually a powerful anaesthetic. After a few quick button presses, a three minute countdown timer started.
He closed the hatch and made an expedient escape. Within minutes, gas seeped through the vents in the Rare Earth labs. At precisely the same time, grenades smashed through the windows of the lab. They resembled small metal spheres with exhaust pits. They hissed as gas sprayed out of them. Workers began to cover their mouths as they fled, only to run into more gas from the ventilation system. The attackers took no chances with their operation.
Everywhere in the lab, workers collapsed. All over the floor and tables laid the countless bodies of the workers. A few minutes later, the gas cleared up and the enemy rushed in. Several armed thugs in black stormed the building, entering the main lab. The lab itself was filled with unknown monitoring equipment of various kinds. At the centre of the room was a massive, diamond-shaped sapphire with a golden ring. This was their target, the Destiny Stone.
Like the first thug, these new thugs all wore ski masks. It was easy for the thugs to take the Destiny Stone away without any resistance. They simply ripped the Stone from the clamps that held it. Several of the thugs banded together and moved it to the back where their accomplice waited in Rare Earth's trucks . After loading the massive Stone, the thugs scrambled for their cars and sped away. At the lab, the staff began to awaken only to find the Destiny Stone gone.
****************************************
"DING! DONG!" went the doorbell. Tracey got up from his seat. "I'll get it!"
He opened the front door of the lab to see nine children and eight Digimon at the door. Tracey recognized three members of the group; Gatomon, Palmon, and Casey. He didn't recognize the others.
"Hi Casey! Who are you new friends?"
"Tracey, meet the Digidestined!"
Tracey was incredulous. "They are the Digidestined?"
"Yep!" confirmed Gatomon. "The same ones who saved the Digital and Real Worlds."
"Well, come in! My friends are waiting inside. I'm Tracey Sketchit!"
Ash, Brock, Misty, and Oak noticed the crowd and got up to greet the newcomers.
"Hi Gatomon, hi Palmon! It's nice to see you," greeted Misty. "They are the Digidestined, aren't they?
Gatomon began: "Yep. Meet my partner, Kari."
"...and my partner, Mimi!" continued Palmon.
Kari and Mimi smiled and waved. "Hi!"
Brock promptly rushed up to flirt with the Digidestined who were teenaged girls. "Well, hello you two, my name's Brock!" Brock turned to the more athletic girl and held her hands. "What's your name?"
"I'm Sora..." replied the girl meekly.
"Tomorrow, why don't we go on a nice hike in the wilderness?" Brock turned his attention to Mimi. "...And the day after, why don't we take tour of the town and ride off into the sunset?"
Mimi and Sora were both stunned by Brock's forwardness. Misty latched onto Brock's ear, making him gasp "Ow!" repeatedly as she pulled him away.
"Cool off, cowboy! You're riding into the sunset alone!"
Everyone finished introductions afterwards. Ash was glad to have the assistance of the Digidestined on the case.
"It's great to meet you guys. I know with your help, we can beat those thieves!"
"I heard these guys aren't ordinary thieves," said TK.
"That's right," confirmed Oak. "It was on the news. They broke into a high security lab to steal the Destiny Stone."
"That's not good to hear..." commented Matt.
"Tell us exactly how this happened," requested Tai.
Ash told them the story he heard on the news. The Destiny Stone was somehow moved to the R&D lab of a mining company. The lab was promptly stormed and robbed by a group of masked hoodlums. There were no clues as to the identity of the robbers, or their leaders. It was certain that they were the same goons who were responsible for the thefts of other Destiny Stones. The West was untouched, but it was certain that they were targeting that Sector next.
"I see," commented TK. "These guys seem to know what they're doing. We have to stay on our toes."
"So what do we do now?" asked Misty, in search of direction.
"Well, Gennai told us to wait here until he came back with more instructions. He just told us to come here and get to know you better."
Oak decided to make his guests welcome: "Well then, I don't see any point in standing around here. Make yourselves at home, Digidestined and Digimon. I'm sure you're all hungry, so I'm going to make some food. Brock, will you help?"
"Sure, Professor."
"In the meantime, take the opportunity to learn more about each other."
Brock and Oak hit the kitchen to prepare a nice meal for everyone. In one huddle were Ash, Tai, Matt, TK and their monster companions. They were seated around a table with Ash telling some war stories about his career as a trainer. He told them about his encounters with Team Rocket, who always made failed attempts to nab Pikachu. He also told them about the war of the Legendary Birds at Shamouti Island, and the deterioration of his world's weather patterns into chaos. Ash was at the centre of it all, trying to restore order with the help of one of the Legendary Birds, Lugia.
Agumon was enthralled by Ash's story. "So what happened next?"
"I found the treasure of Ice. Lugia gave Team Rocket and me a ride back to Slowking's island. Team Rocket let go for some reason and dropped to the frozen sea. I guess they did that because they felt they were endangering the world's chances for survival. I made it back and placed the treasure with the others. Melody played her song and the world went back to normal."
"You must have had quite an adventure!" commented Matt.
"Yeah, being a Pokemon trainer can be dangerous sometimes. Pokemon can be pretty mean, but trainers like me can take care of themselves. We trust our Pokemon, right Pikachu?
"Pika! (Yeah!)"
"Saving the world was probably the hardest thing I ever had to do as a trainer."
"Yeah, saving the world is such a difficult job..." lamented Tai offhandedly.
Ash smirked at Tai's comment. "You said it! It looks like we're in this together now. So, do you have any cool stories of your own?"
The Digidestined and Digimon in turn, told the trainers of their heroics against various evil Digimon. In particular, they were talking about their battle with Piedmon. He was the final and most powerful Dark Master. Wargreymon and Metal Garurumon, the only Megas of the Digidestined, gained the upper hand over Piedmon. This lasted only briefly, as Piedmon used handkerchiefs to turn everyone into key chains.
"Pika? (Key chains?)" asked Pikachu.
"That's right," confirmed Patamon. "Only TK, myself, and Kari weren't caught. TK and Kari climbed this rope that lead to the sky to escape, but Piedmon caught up to them. I tried to distract Piedmon as Angemon, but he got past me and sliced the rope."
"Yeah, I thought we were goners," continued TK. "But I didn't give up hope! It was my hope that caused Angemon to Digivolve to his Ultimate form of Magna Angemon. He saved us, beat Piedmon back, and turned my friends back to normal!"
"Wow!" commented Ash. "We all had a lot of cool adventures!"
"Yep, we sure did."
****************************************
In the fields behind the lab, Casey, Tracey, Joe, Izzy and their partners were seated at one of a trio of picnic tables to talk about the ways of the Pokemon trainer. Checkered tablecloths with red and white squares covered the tables. An array of condiments lined the table, ranging from lettuce and onions to ketchup and mustard. The group talked about the ways and duties of being Pokemon trainers and Digidestined.
"It's very common to be a Pokemon trainer where we're from," began Casey.
"Almost everyone has a license to handle Pokemon," continued Tracey. "Some people just keep Pokemon as pets, but others like us become trainers, and have friendly battles for sport."
"Sounds very dangerous, and cruel," admitted Joe.
"Not really, Pokemon enjoy battling. It keeps them in shape. Everyone takes care so that no one gets hurt. We take care of our Pokemon, and they take care of us. Most trainers respect their Pokemon, but there are always exceptions to the rule."
"That's right," agreed Casey. "I have heard of trainers abandoning their unwanted Pokemon..."
"...And then there are trainers like those who work for Team Rocket. The worst ones use Pokemon only as tools for personal gain. Are there any Digidestined that are as bad as that?"
"None that I know of," admitted Izzy. "The only Digidestined I know about are ourselves, and the new ones Mimi joined with when she moved away. I guess that it has to do something with the fact that we were 'chosen.'"
Joe made an interesting point: "Whoever does the choosing must take great care. I doubt they would allow the people you described to become Digidestined."
"It must be cool to have your own Digimon," admitted Casey. "It must be like having your own Pokemon. I hope that one day, I can become a Digidestined."
Joe smiled. "Well who knows? Maybe you might get your wish."
Tracey sniffed the air and smelled the scent of frying burgers in the air. "Mmmm, looks like the food's ready!"
Brock walked out and announced that he had finished cooking the meal; hamburgers and fries for the human guests, and special food for the Pokemon and Digimon. Everyone took seats on some picnic tables in the fields behind the lab. Several buns were piled in a basket, and the meat patties were stacked on a plate. Everyone chowed down on the burgers and fries and washed the meal down with ice-cold fruit juice. The Digimon and Pokemon's food was placed into separate bowls so everyone could have their share. The Digimon loved Brock's food and complemented him on his cuisine.
"Mmmmm, this stuff's great!" remarked Gabumon.
"Pika! Pika Pika! (Yeah! Brock is a great cook!)" confirmed Pikachu.
"I can feel the food giving me the energy to Digivolve!" said Tentomon between bites.
In a flash of rainbow-coloured light, Gennai materialized in front of everyone. "Hi there! Is everybody getting along?"
"Sure, Gennai! Of course, Gennai!" replied everyone separately between bites.
"That's good! It's nice that everyone's getting along. Baihumon, Sovereign of the West, has called a meeting. We are to attend this meeting and receive instructions."
Everyone nodded in understanding.
"Who will guard the town? What if Zhuqiaomon attacks while we're away?" asked Ash.
"Azulongmon is helping out with that. He is sending troops to beef up defences. We are to defend Silph Town until his troops relieve us."
"How will we get to the West Sector?" asked Sora.
"Once Azulongmon's troops come, Baihumon will teleport us to his temple to hear his briefing. Which reminds me, do you have anything for me to eat? I'm pretty famished."
Brock smiled. "Of course. I prepared extra food for just such a situation!"
Everyone finished his or her meal, being careful not to overeat. Everyone took a moment to relax before the big quest in the West. Tai began to walk off his meal when he saw smoke billowing in the distance. He pulled out his mini telescope to get a better view. It looked like a fire of some sort in the city.
"Looks like a fire," suggested Tai.
Everyone went to take a look at the plumes of smoke. They were coming from somewhere in the northwestern part of town.
Brock removed the binoculars from his eyes. "There's another one to the left..."
"...And another over to the right."
"Let me see, Brock," said Gennai, gesturing for Brock's binoculars.
Gennai looked through the binoculars. Like the others, he could see the smoke billowing into the sky. He scanned around until he found a dinosaur-like figure emerging from behind a skyscraper. Its skin was black and had red stripes as markings. It was spraying flames from its mouth at anything it saw in its path.
Gennai removed the binoculars. "That's not a fire!"
"Then what is it?" asked Tai.
"It's shock troops from the South Sector!"
****************************************
In the salty waters of the East Sector's sea, all was calm. From the sea's azure depths emerged the heads of a trio of Pokemon thieves. The salt stung their eyes as they opened them. They were the Team Rocket trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth. The three had been catapulted a long way from the Gekomon village into the sea of the East Sector. They had no idea where they were, and worse, they failed the boss again.
"The boss won't like to hear this..." warned Meowth.
"We've been sunk again," lamented James.
Jessie spotted an island not too far from their location. "There's an island! We're saved!"
The three swam as hard as they could and finally made it to the sandy shores. The three were famished and gorged themselves on the fruit growing on the island. It was the best, sweetest meal they've ever had in a long time. As they ate, the discarded peels and rinds started to pile up into a sizeable mound. They laid on the beach completely bloated from their meal.
Meowth's stomach seemed ready to explode. "I can't eat another bite!"
Jessie basked in the rays of the sun until she could feel a faint rumbling on the ground. "What's that rumbling?"
The other Rockets fell silent and Meowth could sense it too. "Yeah, I can feel it too... It's coming from behind us. Let's take a look."
The Rockets followed the rumbling on the ground. It led them into a lush jungle where the trees made it difficult to see far ahead. The rumbling got progressively more noticeable as they closed on the source. They continued to follow the rumbling, despite the feeling that doing so would be unwise. They reached a place where the rumbling seemed to be at its greatest. The very ground shook as though an extremely heavy object was crashing against it.
Through the thick flora, they made out what looked like a massive leg. It looked like it belonged to a dinosaur-like creature that was huge. There were red markings all over the leg, resembling scars or tribal markings. Team Rocket followed the leg up to the body, and then to the head of a Master Tyrannomon. Its mouth was filled with a set of sharp teeth; perfect for flesh apart. Jessie and James feared that they were going to be Master Tyrannomon's meal and began to scream in terror. Meowth's Fury Swipes silenced the terrified duo and left painful red marks on the Jessie and James' faces.
James was furious. "What was that for?"
Jessie felt the same way. "Don't you dare touch my face!"
Meowth was raving mad. "Are you crazy? There's a hungry dinosaur and you want to let him know we're here? You want him to make a lunch out of us? Let's get out of here!"
Thus, Team Rocket fled the scene before the Master Tyrannomon noticed them. They ran deeper into the jungle until they emerged at what looked like a rallying point. There were Digimon of all kinds there, from birds and beasts to dinosaurs. In particular, there was a tiger Digimon in armoured joint guards. Unlike normal tigers, this one had a pair of wings. He looked like a leader amongst the Digimon. Every Digimon was gossiping about an invasion into the East Sector. The trio hid and eavesdropped on the meeting.
"Zhuqiaomon must be nuts! Is he trying to begin a war between the Sovereigns too?" asked a random Tyrannomon.
A Minotarumon was appalled. "What does he think he's trying to do, sending his Digimon into the East Sector?"
A tiger Digimon in armoured joint guards approached the crowd. Unlike normal tigers, this one had a pair of wings. He looked like a leader of some kind amongst the Digimon. The other Digimon fell silent as he spoke.
"I am Mihiramon, one of the twelve Devas. Zhuqiaomon is preparing for an attack on Silph Town in our Sector!"
James turned his head away from the meeting. "That doesn't sound good..."
"The Digidestined are stationed there with a group of allied Pokemon trainer. We are to relieve them and then take up station at the town and repel any attacks."
"Someone must have done something really big to tick off the Digimon so badly!" suggested Meowth.
"We can't stay out here forever! We have to find a way back!" Jessie looked left and right. She latched her gaze onto some supply boxes behind the Digimon. "Look over there! We can stow away in those boxes to get off this island!"
"Are you crazy? What if they find us? I don't want to end up in a Digimon's belly!" complained Meowth.
"Well, if you have any better ideas, I'd like to hear them."
Meowth fell silent before finally giving in. "Okay, but if we end up in a Digimon's belly, it's Jessie's fault! Don't say I didn't warn you!"
Jessie was annoyed, but kept her temper in check. While Mihiramon had the Digimon's attention, Team Rocket snuck out of the brush. They took cover behind the massive girth of the Digimon and climbed into a box. It wasn't long before the box began to shake, a sign that it was being moved. Team Rocket was bumped around in every direction imaginable before the movement stopped.
****************************************
It was a disaster area back at Silph Town. Cars were scattered about, reduced to overturned and flaming wrecks. Potholes and blast marks dotted the once pristine streets. Many buildings had collapsed from the exchange of fire, and the ones still standing resembled Swiss cheese from all the blast holes punched into them. People were on the streets fleeing in terror from the horde, their screams drowned out only by sporadic explosions. At the centre of this chaos were the Digidestined and their new Pokemon trainer allies.
Before them laid the bodies of several fallen South Sector Digimon. They weren't dead, but crippled and unconscious. The enemy who did die crumbled into data and were drawn into Anubismon's domain. The military were taxed to the limit trying to keep on top of the enemy. Even ordinary Pokemon trainers took to the field of battle to do their part. However, even with ordinary civilians taking arms, several of these brave souls had fallen in battle.
Among the bodies of the Digimon were those of dead Pokemon and their trainers as well. For the first time, Pokemon trainers and their Pokemon were thrust into a fight for survival. Killing an opponent in a normal battle would be grounds for a revoked trainer's license, or worse consequences. Now, the Ash and his friends were riding on the Ultimate forms of the Digimon to a skirmish elsewhere in the city. As they travelled, Ash voiced his concerns over the violence and bloodshed.
"I still don't like it. Pikachu and I have never had to kill anyone before. I know that Flare Lizamon will be reborn, but I still can't accept it."
Tai justified Ash's actions. "You did what you had to do, Ash. He would have fried that crowd had if you and Pikachu left him alone."
"If you want to be a hero, you have to get your hands dirty," admonished TK. "Being a hero isn't as glorious as people believe. Look at those trainers who gave their lives. We can't let their sacrifice be in vain!"
"Don't forget those thieves! It was their greed that began all of this!" decried Sora.
"I understand. Things won't get better until the thieves are caught."
"Over there!" called Joe as he pointed downward and to the left. "There's a battle going on down there!"
The group followed Joe's finger down to a group of unidentified Pokemon trainers. The group landed to offer support to the trainers. Their ranks consisted of two girls and one boy, and they each had a Pokemon on the field ready for battle. The trainers seemed to be related as they all had black hair and bore a familial resemblance. Their Pokemon were unfamiliar new species that Ash and his trainer friends had never seen before. The three trainers were in battle with a group of South Sector shock troops and outnumbered.
One of the Pokemon resembled a hybrid of a bird and human. Her plumage was red and yellow, the colours related to fire. She was in a martial arts stance, and her eyes filled with determination and focus. From her appearance, the trainers deduced that she was a Fire and Fighting type Pokemon. This Pokemon was Blaziken, whose owner was the eldest sister. Her pre-evolution, Torchic, was a starting Pokemon of trainers from the distant nation of Hoenn.
The second of the three-monster team was a dinosaur with a marine appearance. His body was of different shades of blue and had fin-like appendages. He also had yellow markings on his limbs and whiskers on his cheeks. This Pokemon was definitely a Water type, but less obviously a Ground type as well. This Pokemon was Swampert, who was partnered with the younger sister. His pre-evolution, Mudkip, was also a Hoenn starter.
The last member was a lizard with verdant scales and red markings. He was a biped Pokemon with a tail resembling a pine tree. Due to the fighting, he took on a fearsome demeanour to intimidate his foes. He was Sceptile, who was partnered with the sole boy. Sceptile's pre-evolution, Treecko, was the last of the Hoenn starter Pokemon.
"Blaziken, Double Kick attack!"
In compliance with her orders, Blaziken leapt up to the chest of a huge black dinosaur Digimon, Dark Tyrannomon. This Digimon dwarfed Blaziken in size completely. She threw a quick pair of thrusting kicks right onto the creature's chest. The creature stumbled backwards with only minor injuries, to the surprise of Blaziken's trainer. According to her knowledge of types, Dark types should be vulnerable to Fighting attacks...
"What?" gasped the elder sister. "That Double Kick should have hurt him much more!"
The brother realized his sister's mistake. "Maybe Digimon types work differently! Stay alert, we can't afford mistakes likes this again!"
"Energy Cannon!"
"Get down!"
The younger sister tackled her siblings to the ground. A violet beam of energy sailed over their heads and punctured a car. The car burst into flames and flipped several feet into the air. It bounced on the ground, making several clangs before finally settling onto the ground. The siblings traced the source of the blast to a white furred gorilla. Unlike an ordinary gorilla, this one had its right arm replaced by a cybernetic arm cannon. This Digimon was known as Gorillamon.
The Pokemon turned to check on their trainers' condition. They were relieved to learn they were unharmed and alright. Dark Tyrannomon exploited this momentary lapse of attention to sneak in an attack of his own. He exhaled his own Fire Blast attack, engulfing the siblings' Pokemon in flame. Blaziken and Swampert managed to withstand the flames due to their types, but Sceptile's body caught on fire! Swampert desperately sprayed water to douse the flames on his ally.
The family of trainers began to get up, beginning with the younger sister. "He's right. We're lucky to still be alive! Our enemies can come from any direction. We must be more careful!"
Gorillamon charged his cannon for another shot, and his targets were the three siblings, still lying prone on the ground. At that precise moment, a Pikachu jumped into his path. It fired a potent Thunder attack, which jolted Gorillamon with megawatts of electricity. The Gorillamon's form broke down and scattered into data particles before vanishing into thin air. Pikachu's trainer, Ash, checked the condition of the three siblings.
"Are you three alright?"
"We're fine!"
"Giga Blaster!"
Ash watched as Metal Greymon's chest plate opened, revealing an internal missile launcher. A pair of missiles shot out, and Ash could make out what looked like a fearsome face on each missile. The missiles homed onto Dark Tyrannomon and crashed into him, exploding with a loud boom. Like Gorillamon, Dark Tyrannomon was killed by the attack and crumbled into data before vanishing. The Pokemon trainer siblings were relieved that the threat was over.
Tai smiled as he congratulated his Digimon partner: "Good work, Metal Greymon!"
"No problem!"
The siblings got up and dusted themselves off. The elder sister took a good look at Metal Greymon. She was terrified.
"Digimon!" she screamed.
Ash quickly moved to calm the girl down. "Calm down! They're our friends! They won't hurt you. They're here to defend the city."
"Cool!" The boy looked over Metal Greymon both curiously and in admiration. "He looks powerful! I don't think any Pokemon would stand a chance against him..." The boy turned to Tai. "Are you his trainer? I have never seen or heard of a trainer with Digimon before."
"I'm not a Pokemon trainer," corrected Tai. "I'm one of the Digidestined who defends the Digital World from harm."
"Well, you look like a trainer to me..."
Tai pointed to Ash and his trainer friends and said: "Ash and the others are the Pokemon trainers..." Tai then pointed to himself and the Digidestined. "...But we're not. Anyways, what will you three do now? If you want to help us, we'd appreciate that, but we're not going to force you."
"We're searching for our parents. We got separated by the Digimon attacks."
Matt pondered the siblings' plight. "Try looking at the Pokemon Centre or Professor Samuel Oak's lab. We're using them as bases and we send any missing people we find there. Your parents might be there."
"Thank you, everyone. We're going there right away!"
Generally, I decide on a certain "direction" that I want to take my stories. I use this as a guideline and not as a hard and fast rule, so I can take advantage of new ideas that suddenly come to me.
Though it seems cruel to take the dead away, not doing so leads to severe and VERY unpleasant consequences...
AnT:
Yeah, I've actually played Sapphire with Torchic as my starter. Torchic's evo line is awesome! I like Pokemon with unusual type combinations like Combusken and Blaziken's Fighting/Fire type. As for Ruby/Sapphire Pokemon, there are places in my story where I can work some of them in.
Disclaimer:
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Nintendo owns Pokemon.
The Stones of Doom
By: RB3
Chapter 5: Hostile Takeover
Oak searched through the pile of boxes in his storage room. He found what he wanted in a pair of spare videophones. He connected each phone to spare jacks, and made a test call to Whitney's ranch. When Oak was certain the phones were working, he pulled out a book large enough to be a doorstop. Flipping through the massive phone books' pages, Ash and his friends called any rest stop or gas station around the northern areas of Silph Town.
"No sorry, I haven't seen anything," replied the cashier.
Ash changed his line of questioning: "Has anyone mentioned anything about finding a large jewel or gemstone or anything like that?"
"Sorry, nothing like that either."
The trainers tried a few more gas stations and rest stops only to receive similar responses. They were not making any progress and it was frustrating .
Tracey came in to see the progress of the search. "No luck, huh?"
"No..." lamented Ash.
"Maybe you guys should take a break. Your guys have been on the phones for quite a while now. Watch some TV and relax a little."
"Yeah, maybe we should take a break now," suggested Brock as he reached for the remote.
On the television screen, two police officers that were conversing appeared. The show seemed to be a police drama of some kind. Brock flipped through the channels until he found the news. A picture of a redheaded anchor in her thirties appeared on the screen.
"...This just in! Early this morning, the Rare Earth Mining Co. R&D lab was robbed by a group of unknown assailants. The assailants stole a sacred artifact held in the lab known as the Destiny Stone. This was the sixth in a rash of Destiny Stone robberies all around the world..."
The news drew everyone's complete attention, and some gasps induced by shock.
"...These assailants were believed to be the same group suspected of robbing other Destiny Stones around the Digital World."
The news showed a clip of a re-enactment of the crime.
****************************************
In the parking lot of Rare Earth labs, a thug in black snuck behind an oblivious truck driver. This thug wore a ski mask over his face, concealing his true identity. The driver was next to his truck and had his head down to read a map. As the thug drew closer, he pulled out a rag soaked with a strong, foul smelling liquid. The thug suddenly pounced and stuffed the rag over the driver's mouth!
The truck driver called for help, but the rag muffled his voice: "Mfffff, mmmmmffff!"
The driver struggled to remove the ether soaked rag, but was weakening every second. He was falling unconscious. After a vain struggle, the driver could no longer resist. The thug dragged the driver's body and hid it behind some bushes. He striped the driver of his keys and drove the truck to a receiving area behind the lab.
In the lab complex itself, a "technician" left his peers for a break. His aura cast suspicion to everyone who watched. Instead of going to the recreation room, he made his way to the basement. He was repulsed by the grungy nature of the halls, but continued on his way. He soon came to a room filled with various meters. Entering the room, he saw his target; a large machine connected to several shafts. The technician could hear light rumbling coming from a fan within the machine.
The technician opened a hatch to reveal a set of dirty filters. He removed and concealed the filters, creating enough space for his bomb. The thug's bomb consisted of a timer with several wires running into it. There was also a nozzle designed for spraying a gaseous substance. This nozzle led to a canister filled with a blue liquid, which was actually a powerful anaesthetic. After a few quick button presses, a three minute countdown timer started.
He closed the hatch and made an expedient escape. Within minutes, gas seeped through the vents in the Rare Earth labs. At precisely the same time, grenades smashed through the windows of the lab. They resembled small metal spheres with exhaust pits. They hissed as gas sprayed out of them. Workers began to cover their mouths as they fled, only to run into more gas from the ventilation system. The attackers took no chances with their operation.
Everywhere in the lab, workers collapsed. All over the floor and tables laid the countless bodies of the workers. A few minutes later, the gas cleared up and the enemy rushed in. Several armed thugs in black stormed the building, entering the main lab. The lab itself was filled with unknown monitoring equipment of various kinds. At the centre of the room was a massive, diamond-shaped sapphire with a golden ring. This was their target, the Destiny Stone.
Like the first thug, these new thugs all wore ski masks. It was easy for the thugs to take the Destiny Stone away without any resistance. They simply ripped the Stone from the clamps that held it. Several of the thugs banded together and moved it to the back where their accomplice waited in Rare Earth's trucks . After loading the massive Stone, the thugs scrambled for their cars and sped away. At the lab, the staff began to awaken only to find the Destiny Stone gone.
****************************************
"DING! DONG!" went the doorbell. Tracey got up from his seat. "I'll get it!"
He opened the front door of the lab to see nine children and eight Digimon at the door. Tracey recognized three members of the group; Gatomon, Palmon, and Casey. He didn't recognize the others.
"Hi Casey! Who are you new friends?"
"Tracey, meet the Digidestined!"
Tracey was incredulous. "They are the Digidestined?"
"Yep!" confirmed Gatomon. "The same ones who saved the Digital and Real Worlds."
"Well, come in! My friends are waiting inside. I'm Tracey Sketchit!"
Ash, Brock, Misty, and Oak noticed the crowd and got up to greet the newcomers.
"Hi Gatomon, hi Palmon! It's nice to see you," greeted Misty. "They are the Digidestined, aren't they?
Gatomon began: "Yep. Meet my partner, Kari."
"...and my partner, Mimi!" continued Palmon.
Kari and Mimi smiled and waved. "Hi!"
Brock promptly rushed up to flirt with the Digidestined who were teenaged girls. "Well, hello you two, my name's Brock!" Brock turned to the more athletic girl and held her hands. "What's your name?"
"I'm Sora..." replied the girl meekly.
"Tomorrow, why don't we go on a nice hike in the wilderness?" Brock turned his attention to Mimi. "...And the day after, why don't we take tour of the town and ride off into the sunset?"
Mimi and Sora were both stunned by Brock's forwardness. Misty latched onto Brock's ear, making him gasp "Ow!" repeatedly as she pulled him away.
"Cool off, cowboy! You're riding into the sunset alone!"
Everyone finished introductions afterwards. Ash was glad to have the assistance of the Digidestined on the case.
"It's great to meet you guys. I know with your help, we can beat those thieves!"
"I heard these guys aren't ordinary thieves," said TK.
"That's right," confirmed Oak. "It was on the news. They broke into a high security lab to steal the Destiny Stone."
"That's not good to hear..." commented Matt.
"Tell us exactly how this happened," requested Tai.
Ash told them the story he heard on the news. The Destiny Stone was somehow moved to the R&D lab of a mining company. The lab was promptly stormed and robbed by a group of masked hoodlums. There were no clues as to the identity of the robbers, or their leaders. It was certain that they were the same goons who were responsible for the thefts of other Destiny Stones. The West was untouched, but it was certain that they were targeting that Sector next.
"I see," commented TK. "These guys seem to know what they're doing. We have to stay on our toes."
"So what do we do now?" asked Misty, in search of direction.
"Well, Gennai told us to wait here until he came back with more instructions. He just told us to come here and get to know you better."
Oak decided to make his guests welcome: "Well then, I don't see any point in standing around here. Make yourselves at home, Digidestined and Digimon. I'm sure you're all hungry, so I'm going to make some food. Brock, will you help?"
"Sure, Professor."
"In the meantime, take the opportunity to learn more about each other."
Brock and Oak hit the kitchen to prepare a nice meal for everyone. In one huddle were Ash, Tai, Matt, TK and their monster companions. They were seated around a table with Ash telling some war stories about his career as a trainer. He told them about his encounters with Team Rocket, who always made failed attempts to nab Pikachu. He also told them about the war of the Legendary Birds at Shamouti Island, and the deterioration of his world's weather patterns into chaos. Ash was at the centre of it all, trying to restore order with the help of one of the Legendary Birds, Lugia.
Agumon was enthralled by Ash's story. "So what happened next?"
"I found the treasure of Ice. Lugia gave Team Rocket and me a ride back to Slowking's island. Team Rocket let go for some reason and dropped to the frozen sea. I guess they did that because they felt they were endangering the world's chances for survival. I made it back and placed the treasure with the others. Melody played her song and the world went back to normal."
"You must have had quite an adventure!" commented Matt.
"Yeah, being a Pokemon trainer can be dangerous sometimes. Pokemon can be pretty mean, but trainers like me can take care of themselves. We trust our Pokemon, right Pikachu?
"Pika! (Yeah!)"
"Saving the world was probably the hardest thing I ever had to do as a trainer."
"Yeah, saving the world is such a difficult job..." lamented Tai offhandedly.
Ash smirked at Tai's comment. "You said it! It looks like we're in this together now. So, do you have any cool stories of your own?"
The Digidestined and Digimon in turn, told the trainers of their heroics against various evil Digimon. In particular, they were talking about their battle with Piedmon. He was the final and most powerful Dark Master. Wargreymon and Metal Garurumon, the only Megas of the Digidestined, gained the upper hand over Piedmon. This lasted only briefly, as Piedmon used handkerchiefs to turn everyone into key chains.
"Pika? (Key chains?)" asked Pikachu.
"That's right," confirmed Patamon. "Only TK, myself, and Kari weren't caught. TK and Kari climbed this rope that lead to the sky to escape, but Piedmon caught up to them. I tried to distract Piedmon as Angemon, but he got past me and sliced the rope."
"Yeah, I thought we were goners," continued TK. "But I didn't give up hope! It was my hope that caused Angemon to Digivolve to his Ultimate form of Magna Angemon. He saved us, beat Piedmon back, and turned my friends back to normal!"
"Wow!" commented Ash. "We all had a lot of cool adventures!"
"Yep, we sure did."
****************************************
In the fields behind the lab, Casey, Tracey, Joe, Izzy and their partners were seated at one of a trio of picnic tables to talk about the ways of the Pokemon trainer. Checkered tablecloths with red and white squares covered the tables. An array of condiments lined the table, ranging from lettuce and onions to ketchup and mustard. The group talked about the ways and duties of being Pokemon trainers and Digidestined.
"It's very common to be a Pokemon trainer where we're from," began Casey.
"Almost everyone has a license to handle Pokemon," continued Tracey. "Some people just keep Pokemon as pets, but others like us become trainers, and have friendly battles for sport."
"Sounds very dangerous, and cruel," admitted Joe.
"Not really, Pokemon enjoy battling. It keeps them in shape. Everyone takes care so that no one gets hurt. We take care of our Pokemon, and they take care of us. Most trainers respect their Pokemon, but there are always exceptions to the rule."
"That's right," agreed Casey. "I have heard of trainers abandoning their unwanted Pokemon..."
"...And then there are trainers like those who work for Team Rocket. The worst ones use Pokemon only as tools for personal gain. Are there any Digidestined that are as bad as that?"
"None that I know of," admitted Izzy. "The only Digidestined I know about are ourselves, and the new ones Mimi joined with when she moved away. I guess that it has to do something with the fact that we were 'chosen.'"
Joe made an interesting point: "Whoever does the choosing must take great care. I doubt they would allow the people you described to become Digidestined."
"It must be cool to have your own Digimon," admitted Casey. "It must be like having your own Pokemon. I hope that one day, I can become a Digidestined."
Joe smiled. "Well who knows? Maybe you might get your wish."
Tracey sniffed the air and smelled the scent of frying burgers in the air. "Mmmm, looks like the food's ready!"
Brock walked out and announced that he had finished cooking the meal; hamburgers and fries for the human guests, and special food for the Pokemon and Digimon. Everyone took seats on some picnic tables in the fields behind the lab. Several buns were piled in a basket, and the meat patties were stacked on a plate. Everyone chowed down on the burgers and fries and washed the meal down with ice-cold fruit juice. The Digimon and Pokemon's food was placed into separate bowls so everyone could have their share. The Digimon loved Brock's food and complemented him on his cuisine.
"Mmmmm, this stuff's great!" remarked Gabumon.
"Pika! Pika Pika! (Yeah! Brock is a great cook!)" confirmed Pikachu.
"I can feel the food giving me the energy to Digivolve!" said Tentomon between bites.
In a flash of rainbow-coloured light, Gennai materialized in front of everyone. "Hi there! Is everybody getting along?"
"Sure, Gennai! Of course, Gennai!" replied everyone separately between bites.
"That's good! It's nice that everyone's getting along. Baihumon, Sovereign of the West, has called a meeting. We are to attend this meeting and receive instructions."
Everyone nodded in understanding.
"Who will guard the town? What if Zhuqiaomon attacks while we're away?" asked Ash.
"Azulongmon is helping out with that. He is sending troops to beef up defences. We are to defend Silph Town until his troops relieve us."
"How will we get to the West Sector?" asked Sora.
"Once Azulongmon's troops come, Baihumon will teleport us to his temple to hear his briefing. Which reminds me, do you have anything for me to eat? I'm pretty famished."
Brock smiled. "Of course. I prepared extra food for just such a situation!"
Everyone finished his or her meal, being careful not to overeat. Everyone took a moment to relax before the big quest in the West. Tai began to walk off his meal when he saw smoke billowing in the distance. He pulled out his mini telescope to get a better view. It looked like a fire of some sort in the city.
"Looks like a fire," suggested Tai.
Everyone went to take a look at the plumes of smoke. They were coming from somewhere in the northwestern part of town.
Brock removed the binoculars from his eyes. "There's another one to the left..."
"...And another over to the right."
"Let me see, Brock," said Gennai, gesturing for Brock's binoculars.
Gennai looked through the binoculars. Like the others, he could see the smoke billowing into the sky. He scanned around until he found a dinosaur-like figure emerging from behind a skyscraper. Its skin was black and had red stripes as markings. It was spraying flames from its mouth at anything it saw in its path.
Gennai removed the binoculars. "That's not a fire!"
"Then what is it?" asked Tai.
"It's shock troops from the South Sector!"
****************************************
In the salty waters of the East Sector's sea, all was calm. From the sea's azure depths emerged the heads of a trio of Pokemon thieves. The salt stung their eyes as they opened them. They were the Team Rocket trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth. The three had been catapulted a long way from the Gekomon village into the sea of the East Sector. They had no idea where they were, and worse, they failed the boss again.
"The boss won't like to hear this..." warned Meowth.
"We've been sunk again," lamented James.
Jessie spotted an island not too far from their location. "There's an island! We're saved!"
The three swam as hard as they could and finally made it to the sandy shores. The three were famished and gorged themselves on the fruit growing on the island. It was the best, sweetest meal they've ever had in a long time. As they ate, the discarded peels and rinds started to pile up into a sizeable mound. They laid on the beach completely bloated from their meal.
Meowth's stomach seemed ready to explode. "I can't eat another bite!"
Jessie basked in the rays of the sun until she could feel a faint rumbling on the ground. "What's that rumbling?"
The other Rockets fell silent and Meowth could sense it too. "Yeah, I can feel it too... It's coming from behind us. Let's take a look."
The Rockets followed the rumbling on the ground. It led them into a lush jungle where the trees made it difficult to see far ahead. The rumbling got progressively more noticeable as they closed on the source. They continued to follow the rumbling, despite the feeling that doing so would be unwise. They reached a place where the rumbling seemed to be at its greatest. The very ground shook as though an extremely heavy object was crashing against it.
Through the thick flora, they made out what looked like a massive leg. It looked like it belonged to a dinosaur-like creature that was huge. There were red markings all over the leg, resembling scars or tribal markings. Team Rocket followed the leg up to the body, and then to the head of a Master Tyrannomon. Its mouth was filled with a set of sharp teeth; perfect for flesh apart. Jessie and James feared that they were going to be Master Tyrannomon's meal and began to scream in terror. Meowth's Fury Swipes silenced the terrified duo and left painful red marks on the Jessie and James' faces.
James was furious. "What was that for?"
Jessie felt the same way. "Don't you dare touch my face!"
Meowth was raving mad. "Are you crazy? There's a hungry dinosaur and you want to let him know we're here? You want him to make a lunch out of us? Let's get out of here!"
Thus, Team Rocket fled the scene before the Master Tyrannomon noticed them. They ran deeper into the jungle until they emerged at what looked like a rallying point. There were Digimon of all kinds there, from birds and beasts to dinosaurs. In particular, there was a tiger Digimon in armoured joint guards. Unlike normal tigers, this one had a pair of wings. He looked like a leader amongst the Digimon. Every Digimon was gossiping about an invasion into the East Sector. The trio hid and eavesdropped on the meeting.
"Zhuqiaomon must be nuts! Is he trying to begin a war between the Sovereigns too?" asked a random Tyrannomon.
A Minotarumon was appalled. "What does he think he's trying to do, sending his Digimon into the East Sector?"
A tiger Digimon in armoured joint guards approached the crowd. Unlike normal tigers, this one had a pair of wings. He looked like a leader of some kind amongst the Digimon. The other Digimon fell silent as he spoke.
"I am Mihiramon, one of the twelve Devas. Zhuqiaomon is preparing for an attack on Silph Town in our Sector!"
James turned his head away from the meeting. "That doesn't sound good..."
"The Digidestined are stationed there with a group of allied Pokemon trainer. We are to relieve them and then take up station at the town and repel any attacks."
"Someone must have done something really big to tick off the Digimon so badly!" suggested Meowth.
"We can't stay out here forever! We have to find a way back!" Jessie looked left and right. She latched her gaze onto some supply boxes behind the Digimon. "Look over there! We can stow away in those boxes to get off this island!"
"Are you crazy? What if they find us? I don't want to end up in a Digimon's belly!" complained Meowth.
"Well, if you have any better ideas, I'd like to hear them."
Meowth fell silent before finally giving in. "Okay, but if we end up in a Digimon's belly, it's Jessie's fault! Don't say I didn't warn you!"
Jessie was annoyed, but kept her temper in check. While Mihiramon had the Digimon's attention, Team Rocket snuck out of the brush. They took cover behind the massive girth of the Digimon and climbed into a box. It wasn't long before the box began to shake, a sign that it was being moved. Team Rocket was bumped around in every direction imaginable before the movement stopped.
****************************************
It was a disaster area back at Silph Town. Cars were scattered about, reduced to overturned and flaming wrecks. Potholes and blast marks dotted the once pristine streets. Many buildings had collapsed from the exchange of fire, and the ones still standing resembled Swiss cheese from all the blast holes punched into them. People were on the streets fleeing in terror from the horde, their screams drowned out only by sporadic explosions. At the centre of this chaos were the Digidestined and their new Pokemon trainer allies.
Before them laid the bodies of several fallen South Sector Digimon. They weren't dead, but crippled and unconscious. The enemy who did die crumbled into data and were drawn into Anubismon's domain. The military were taxed to the limit trying to keep on top of the enemy. Even ordinary Pokemon trainers took to the field of battle to do their part. However, even with ordinary civilians taking arms, several of these brave souls had fallen in battle.
Among the bodies of the Digimon were those of dead Pokemon and their trainers as well. For the first time, Pokemon trainers and their Pokemon were thrust into a fight for survival. Killing an opponent in a normal battle would be grounds for a revoked trainer's license, or worse consequences. Now, the Ash and his friends were riding on the Ultimate forms of the Digimon to a skirmish elsewhere in the city. As they travelled, Ash voiced his concerns over the violence and bloodshed.
"I still don't like it. Pikachu and I have never had to kill anyone before. I know that Flare Lizamon will be reborn, but I still can't accept it."
Tai justified Ash's actions. "You did what you had to do, Ash. He would have fried that crowd had if you and Pikachu left him alone."
"If you want to be a hero, you have to get your hands dirty," admonished TK. "Being a hero isn't as glorious as people believe. Look at those trainers who gave their lives. We can't let their sacrifice be in vain!"
"Don't forget those thieves! It was their greed that began all of this!" decried Sora.
"I understand. Things won't get better until the thieves are caught."
"Over there!" called Joe as he pointed downward and to the left. "There's a battle going on down there!"
The group followed Joe's finger down to a group of unidentified Pokemon trainers. The group landed to offer support to the trainers. Their ranks consisted of two girls and one boy, and they each had a Pokemon on the field ready for battle. The trainers seemed to be related as they all had black hair and bore a familial resemblance. Their Pokemon were unfamiliar new species that Ash and his trainer friends had never seen before. The three trainers were in battle with a group of South Sector shock troops and outnumbered.
One of the Pokemon resembled a hybrid of a bird and human. Her plumage was red and yellow, the colours related to fire. She was in a martial arts stance, and her eyes filled with determination and focus. From her appearance, the trainers deduced that she was a Fire and Fighting type Pokemon. This Pokemon was Blaziken, whose owner was the eldest sister. Her pre-evolution, Torchic, was a starting Pokemon of trainers from the distant nation of Hoenn.
The second of the three-monster team was a dinosaur with a marine appearance. His body was of different shades of blue and had fin-like appendages. He also had yellow markings on his limbs and whiskers on his cheeks. This Pokemon was definitely a Water type, but less obviously a Ground type as well. This Pokemon was Swampert, who was partnered with the younger sister. His pre-evolution, Mudkip, was also a Hoenn starter.
The last member was a lizard with verdant scales and red markings. He was a biped Pokemon with a tail resembling a pine tree. Due to the fighting, he took on a fearsome demeanour to intimidate his foes. He was Sceptile, who was partnered with the sole boy. Sceptile's pre-evolution, Treecko, was the last of the Hoenn starter Pokemon.
"Blaziken, Double Kick attack!"
In compliance with her orders, Blaziken leapt up to the chest of a huge black dinosaur Digimon, Dark Tyrannomon. This Digimon dwarfed Blaziken in size completely. She threw a quick pair of thrusting kicks right onto the creature's chest. The creature stumbled backwards with only minor injuries, to the surprise of Blaziken's trainer. According to her knowledge of types, Dark types should be vulnerable to Fighting attacks...
"What?" gasped the elder sister. "That Double Kick should have hurt him much more!"
The brother realized his sister's mistake. "Maybe Digimon types work differently! Stay alert, we can't afford mistakes likes this again!"
"Energy Cannon!"
"Get down!"
The younger sister tackled her siblings to the ground. A violet beam of energy sailed over their heads and punctured a car. The car burst into flames and flipped several feet into the air. It bounced on the ground, making several clangs before finally settling onto the ground. The siblings traced the source of the blast to a white furred gorilla. Unlike an ordinary gorilla, this one had its right arm replaced by a cybernetic arm cannon. This Digimon was known as Gorillamon.
The Pokemon turned to check on their trainers' condition. They were relieved to learn they were unharmed and alright. Dark Tyrannomon exploited this momentary lapse of attention to sneak in an attack of his own. He exhaled his own Fire Blast attack, engulfing the siblings' Pokemon in flame. Blaziken and Swampert managed to withstand the flames due to their types, but Sceptile's body caught on fire! Swampert desperately sprayed water to douse the flames on his ally.
The family of trainers began to get up, beginning with the younger sister. "He's right. We're lucky to still be alive! Our enemies can come from any direction. We must be more careful!"
Gorillamon charged his cannon for another shot, and his targets were the three siblings, still lying prone on the ground. At that precise moment, a Pikachu jumped into his path. It fired a potent Thunder attack, which jolted Gorillamon with megawatts of electricity. The Gorillamon's form broke down and scattered into data particles before vanishing into thin air. Pikachu's trainer, Ash, checked the condition of the three siblings.
"Are you three alright?"
"We're fine!"
"Giga Blaster!"
Ash watched as Metal Greymon's chest plate opened, revealing an internal missile launcher. A pair of missiles shot out, and Ash could make out what looked like a fearsome face on each missile. The missiles homed onto Dark Tyrannomon and crashed into him, exploding with a loud boom. Like Gorillamon, Dark Tyrannomon was killed by the attack and crumbled into data before vanishing. The Pokemon trainer siblings were relieved that the threat was over.
Tai smiled as he congratulated his Digimon partner: "Good work, Metal Greymon!"
"No problem!"
The siblings got up and dusted themselves off. The elder sister took a good look at Metal Greymon. She was terrified.
"Digimon!" she screamed.
Ash quickly moved to calm the girl down. "Calm down! They're our friends! They won't hurt you. They're here to defend the city."
"Cool!" The boy looked over Metal Greymon both curiously and in admiration. "He looks powerful! I don't think any Pokemon would stand a chance against him..." The boy turned to Tai. "Are you his trainer? I have never seen or heard of a trainer with Digimon before."
"I'm not a Pokemon trainer," corrected Tai. "I'm one of the Digidestined who defends the Digital World from harm."
"Well, you look like a trainer to me..."
Tai pointed to Ash and his trainer friends and said: "Ash and the others are the Pokemon trainers..." Tai then pointed to himself and the Digidestined. "...But we're not. Anyways, what will you three do now? If you want to help us, we'd appreciate that, but we're not going to force you."
"We're searching for our parents. We got separated by the Digimon attacks."
Matt pondered the siblings' plight. "Try looking at the Pokemon Centre or Professor Samuel Oak's lab. We're using them as bases and we send any missing people we find there. Your parents might be there."
"Thank you, everyone. We're going there right away!"