Luis:
The Phantomon and Bakemon's purpose will soon become clear, and it's not a good thing for anyone...
Epsilon:
Yeah, I see what you mean. It just increases with everything new released. At least there are websites that have information... As far as your wager is concerned, let's just say the enemy's true identity will become apparent soon.
AnT:
That's right, this story is set before the events of 02. With respect to May, I did see some still images of her interactions with Ash and Brock. With no text, I could only guess at what they were actually saying and doing... Anyways, I appreciate all the information you've given me, AnT. I've decided to include May after all. Count on seeing her appear sometime in the future.
Disclaimer:
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Nintendo owns Pokemon.
The Stones of Doom
By: RB3
Chapter 7: Prisoners of War
Team Vajramon stepped through, and were instantly transport to an assembly line in a factory. Conveyor belts ran down the length of the metal room, transporting parts for unknown machinery. The Gear Digimon, Hagurumon, focused on their work, not stopping to look at Team Vajramon. The foreman came out to greet the team. He was a rotund robot with a rust coloured metal body. Ash pulled out the Pokedex to scan the troops.
====================Digimon Analyzer====================
Name: Guardromon
Type: Virus
Level: Champion
Attacks: Guardian Barrage
Guardromon is the foreman of the Hagurumon. This walking arsenal was built for all-out warfare.
===================================================
"We are here under orders of Baihumon. There may be a theft attempt on the Destiny Stone, so we are here to protect it. Show us where it is," ordered Vajramon.
The Guardromon foreman led the group to a metallic chamber. The Destiny Stone was directly in the centre, and resembled a massive diamond and connected to several wires. It had the trademark golden ring, just like all the other Destiny Stones. The diamond glittered beautifully, and its light reflected off the silvery metal panels on the wall. This room was used to turn ordinary metal into the valuable magical metal, Chrome Digizoid. Chrome Digizoid was valued for its incredible strength, lightness, and resistance to all types of elements. It was the perfect metal for use as weapons or armour.
"This is where we keep the Destiny Stone. We use it to turn ordinary metal to Chrome Digizoid and also to power our factory."
"Chrome Digizoid?" asked Tracey.
"Yep," replied the Guardromon foreman. "It's found naturally on some Digimon as armour or cybernetic implants." Guardromon proceeded to describe Chrome Digizoid's properties.
"Cool! I'm sure a lot of people would find this metal very useful."
"Yeah, but Chrome Digizoid is very rare. You're more likely to find it on a Digimon like I said."
"War Greymon's implants and claws are made of Chrome Digizoid," added Tai.
"War Greymon?"
"War Greymon is my Mega form!" chimed in Agumon.
Vajramon turned his mind back to the business at hand. "Okay troops, I want a defences set up all around this factory. No one gets in or out with me knowing about it!"
Vajramon's Digimon troops scouted out the factory complex and determined several key areas to place watchers. Tai and Agumon were placed in the hall above the front door. Casey, Tracey, and Sora patrolled the various corridors and rooms. Izzy, Kari and their Digimon assisted the Digimon at the barricade placed on the only road leading to the factory. Finally, Vajramon set up just outside the Destiny Stone room, to personally ensure that it was watched.
As each group took their position, they were handed radios to maintain communication. A full day passed by uneventfully, and the sun rose the next morning. In the storeroom, the girls were still soundly sleeping. Each girl slept on a hammock suspended at different corners of the room. Sora shifted onto her right side to face the crates where Gatomon slept. Their peaceful sleep was about to be interrupted by their boss, Vajramon.
Vajramon's loud knocking resounded on the door. "Wake up!"
Casey yawned. "Morning already?"
"Get up, we've got a Destiny Stone to guard."
Casey rubbed her eyes, and yawned with her mouth wide open. The other girls and their Digimon began to stir as well. They went to the washroom to freshen themselves up and went to the mess hall for breakfast. The mess hall was a typical room for Digimon to eat; filled with a series of benches. The boys, Vajramon, some Hagurumon, and other Digimon were already there, enjoying their breakfast.
Kari was entranced by a sweet smell. "Mmm, pancakes!"
Sora received a serving of the pancakes and some orange juice. She took a seat beside Tracey on the bench. "Good morning, guys!"
"Good morning, Sora!" replied Tai.
Izzy was looking at images on his computer as he ate. Izzy's computer was wired into the factory's security network. "Nothing wrong so far." Izzy took a bite out of his pancakes.
"Seems kinda quiet... Too quiet..." remarked Tracey with suspicion. "The others teams haven't seen anything either."
Vajramon looked up from the other end of the table. "Oh, the enemy will come, I know it. Maybe not here, but I know they will come. We must be ready then."
Team Vajramon finished their breakfast and took their posts. Nothing happened at all during the morning and soon it was lunchtime. The team ate a delicious lunch consisting of spaghetti and meatballs. They returned to their posts again, and patrolled for suspicious activity or individuals. Everyone was quiet, but that soon changed, starting with the barricade. The barricade was situated on the sole road between a pair of mountains. It was about a kilometre from the factory itself.
The barricade consisted of a booth for guards, and a wall of stone reinforced with sandbags. This wall ensured that the only way to the other side was the opening for the road itself. A pair of Digimon, Tankmon, blocked the road itself with their massive girths. They turned their turret-like heads left and right, scanning the area with their cybernetically enhanced eyes. A second pair of Tankmon flanked the opening watching the area alongside Kari, Izzy and their Digimon.
====================Digimon Analyzer====================
Name: Tankmon
Type: Data
Level: Champion
Attacks: Hyper Cannon, Machinegun Arm
This mobile arsenal has a lethal sneeze. He can match the firepower of an entire military squad.
===================================================
A small supply truck stopped in front of the barricade to be inspected by some Hagurumon. The Hagurumon ordered the driver, a Tapirmon, outside of the truck. The small, tapir-like Digimon floated away on its cloud-like legs and waited as his cargo was inspected. The Digimon impatiently adjusted the ring on his left paw as he watched the inspectors scan his cargo. Izzy and Kari opened each box as the head Hagurumon looked over the contents.
"Hmm... fruit, vegetables, meat, nothing suspicious here. Okay, put the cargo back so he can pass."
The Hagurumon reloaded his cargo gently and the Tapirmon drove by. A half hour later, Tapirmon finished his delivery and the barricade guards let him pass again. Another half hour later, the guards spotted an unidentified van speeding towards the barricade. It looked very suspicious, so Izzy recommended that they stop the van.
A Hagurumon turned on his microphone. "You in the van, pull over for inspection!"
The van continued at its current speed and path. Once the van came close enough, Izzy and Tentomon took a clear look at the seat to identify the driver. The seat was completely vacant!
"No driver?" asked Tentomon in disbelief.
"That's impossible!" cried Kari.
"It must be remote controlled..." Izzy thought for a brief second and realized to his horror, what was truly happening. "CAR BOMB!"
Everyone suddenly went on full alert. "FIRE!" ordered a Tankmon.
"Hyper Cannon!"
The Tankmon proceeded to shell the incoming van, ripping the air with deafening booms. They punched several potholes into the road, but surprisingly, the van swerved to its left, evading the shells. Izzy was right about the van being remotely controlled. The Tankmon fired again, this time with their Machinegun Arms. Their bullets ricocheted off the metal of the van, revealing it to be shielded by some sort of armour. The van continued to accelerate, speeding suicidally into the wall.
"TAKE COVER!"
Everyone scrambled for cover moments before the van slammed into the wall and exploded. It burst into a massive ball of fire, totalling the van and blowing the wall down. Izzy helped Kari get up from the ground and watched as a convoy of dune buggies sped by. The duo looked around to see the Tankmon toppled onto their side, and injured by the blast. The Hagurumon were nowhere in sight.
Tai's voice chimed in from the radio: "Izzy, Kari, what happened? Are you alright?"
Izzy pressed a button on his radio. "They sent a car bomb into the barricade; everything's on fire! Dune buggies are heading your way, stop them!"
Back at the factory, Tai sounded the alarm. Agumon daringly crashed through the second story window. "Agumon, Digivolve to... Greymon!"
The Digidestined, Digimon and Pokemon trainers scrambled to reach the front and join the battle. Greymon could see the clouds of sand kicked up by the tires of the dune buggies. They were closing in from the distance. A few flashes of light flickered from the buggies, and Greymon recognized them as Pokemon being released from their Pokeballs. A massive green dinosaur with green, stony armour materialized before Greymon. This was the Armour Pokemon, Tyranitar.
"Tyranitar, Hyper Beam!"
A golden beam of concussive energy streamed at Greymon. He narrowly the beam, and watched as it blew a hole into the wall of the factory. Tai shouted words of encouragement from the second floor. For his counter attack, Greymon uttered "Nova Blast," and spewed a massive, billowing ball of flame from his mouth. Tyranitar braced himself as the fireball engulfed his torso.
A second unseen Hyper Beam slammed into Greymon, throwing him into the factory wall. Greymon grunted in pain and Tai was worried. "Greymon, are you ok? There are two of them, so you better Digivolve!"
"Greymon, Digivolve to... Metal Greymon!"
Metal Greymon blocked a second pair of incoming Hyper Beams with his cybernetic claw. "Giga Blaster!"
Metal Greymon's chest plate opened and launched a pair of highly explosive missiles. Upon impact with the first Tyranitar, the missiles exploded and flung the Armour Pokemon into the ground. Another Hyper Beam struck Metal Greymon in the ribs, jarring him significantly. This sneaky attack angered Metal Greymon and prompted him to retaliate with his Mega Claw.
Metal Greymon's claw shot out from its socket and threw the second Tyranitar backwards like a bullet. The Pokemon's body accidentally crashed into a passing dune buggy, toppling the vehicle onto its side. More Pokemon began to converge on Metal Greymon's location. They were creatures that Tai was not familiar with. Though Tai knew his Digimon was strong, Metal Greymon couldn't possibly stand up to being swarmed by so many Pokemon.
****************************************
Back inside the factory, the ground began to shudder, keeping the others at bay. Severe earthquakes were hammering the factory. It was as though the very building itself was being cracked open. Sora and Casey ran down a stair well to reach the front. The stairs suddenly shook and some small rubble fell from above. Sora tumbled downwards and landed in a heap on the platform below.
Biyomon rushed to her partner's side. "Sora, are you okay?"
Sora covered a small bruise on the side of her head. "Owww! I think so, it's just a bruise."
Casey was on full alert. "We have to get outside. The building might collapse at any second!"
Sora got up and continued fleeing. "This can't be a coincidence! The timing can't be natural..."
"It's those attackers! They made this earthquake with Pokemon to throw us off!" denounced Casey.
Indeed, Casey's suspicions were right. In the Destiny Stone room, Vajramon and his underlings were being thrown everywhere by the shaking. The earthquake was even more severe in the room than where Casey and Sora were. The roof started to cave in and Vajramon ordered everyone to flee. As they left, a gaping hole opened in the ground, and the Destiny Stone fell in. Vajramon could briefly see what resembled several mole-like creatures. It was clear they were responsible for causing the earthquakes.
"Dig dig dig! Dig dig dig! Trio trio trio!" they uttered nonsensically. It almost seemed like they were singing while doing their digging. The roof collapsed, blocking the entrance to the room.
"Argggh, they have the Stone!" admitted Vajramon in defeat. Vajramon and the other Digimon fled from the building before it finally collapsed.
****************************************
The roof over Tai's head came tumbling down. In a moment of desperation, he jumped out of the window as did a fellow Hagurumon patroller. Tai landed on his feet abruptly, shaken by his sudden attempt at self-preservation. Metal Greymon was doing his best to put the enemy down. However, it was clear he was being swarmed and losing control of the battle. Though he was still standing, Metal Greymon's body was marked by several black marks from wounds.
Even with the Hagurumon's help, both Digimon were outnumbered. The two Tyranitar had recovered from Metal Greymon's crushing blows and renewed their attack. They were joined by a small brachiosaurus with plant-like attributes. This Pokemon, Meganium, coiled its Vine Whip around Metal Greymon's leg. Metal Greymon attempted to break free, leaving himself momentarily vulnerable. The Tyranitar fired two Hyper Beams in tandem as Meganium pulled, toppling Metal Greymon onto his back.
A ferocious blue alligator, Feraligator, sprayed its Water Gun into Hagurumon's face, disorienting the Gear Digimon. A second Pokemon, resembling a weasel on fire, rammed into Hagurumon and smashed him into the factory's wall. This Pokemon, Typhlosion, sprayed a roaring Flame Thrower onto the helpless Digimon until he finally collapsed on the ground.
"Marill, Water Gun!" In a twist of poetic justice, a jet of water smashed Typhlosion into the factory wall from behind. Typhlosion was knocked out cold.
Marill smiled. "Marill! (Alright!)"
"Marill, Water Gun that Tyranitar!" Marill's second water jet scored a direct hit on the Armour Pokemon's chest. Tyranitar collapsed as the water painfully eroded its stony armour.
Metal Greymon got onto his feet and his morale surged with renewed vigour. "Giga Blaster!" Metal Greymon's missiles blew the last Tyranitar down, knocking him out.
"Is everyone alright?" asked Tracey.
"Yeah, you couldn't have chosen a better time to show up!" proclaimed Tai.
Hagurumon flicked a volley of black gears at Feraligator, pelting the Big Jaw Pokemon everywhere on its body. "Marill, Feraligator is open, Water Gun!" The water hurled the Big Jaw Pokemon backwards into Meganium, taking both Pokemon out.
"Pokemon, return!"
"We got what we came for, retreat!"
The dune buggies wheeled around in front of Hagurumon, Marill, and Metal Greymon. They made a hard left turn to flee, just as the rest of Team Vajramon entered the scene. "Stop them! Don't let them get away!" cried Tai.
Metal Greymon flew into air and then swooped down on the nearest buggy, blocking its way with his claw. The robbers abandoned the buggy moments before it crashed into the claw, throwing themselves onto the sandy ground. Vajramon launched his Deva Blade attack. He slashed with his pair of swords, projecting an energy shockwave into another buggy's tire. It ground to a halt, and Vajramon moved to capture the robbers.
The robbers attempted to remove their seatbelts to escape, but the Ox Deva held his blade near the driver's throat. "Don't be a fool..."
Birdramon swooped from the sky and caught a third buggy in her claws. She quickly flew high into the air terrifying the robbers and entrapping them. "Let us down!" ordered the robber.
Birdramon let her grip slip slightly. "NOT LIKE THAT! NOT LIKE THAT!" cried the other robber in terror. Birdramon strengthened her grip.
Sora was elated. "Great work, Birdramon! Keep them up there!"
"I'll get that one!" called Casey. "Beedrill, Chikorita, I choose you! Beedrill, get the driver! Chikorita stall that buggy with Vine Whip!"
"Chika! (No problem!)" Vines extended from Chikorita's neck and latched onto the rails of the buggy.
She strained to stop the buggy, kicking up dirt as she was pulled forward. Eventually, the force was too much for her, and she was pulled off the ground. Casey pursued Chikorita in an attempt to help her. Beedrill managed to latch onto the driver, causing him to panic. The buggy swerved sharply and erratically as the driver attempted to shoo Beedrill away.
Casey stayed in hot pursuit of her Pokemon. "Chikorita are you okay?"
"Chika! (Don't worry!)"
All of a sudden, a beautiful white glow engulfed Chikorita's body! Tracey watched the event in awe. "Chikorita's evolving!"
When the glow subsided, Chikorita had become a totally new Pokemon. She now resembled an earlier form of the Meganium that Tracey had taken out. Chikorita had transformed into a miniature green brachiosaurus with the characteristics of a plant. She now had leaves growing around her long neck, and one growing on the top of her head. Chikorita had evolved to Bayleef, the Leaf Pokemon, and gained increased strength.
Casey could feel her Pokemon's newfound strength. "Awesome! Bayleef, try stopping the buggy again!"
Bayleef dug her feet into the ground and pulled on her vines. Her increased physical strength proved to be a blessing, slowing the buggy down considerably. Casey, and then Tracey, caught up and helped pull on the vine, stopping the buggy completely. Beedrill continued to harass the robbers, diverting their attention from the road. In desperation, the robbers abandoned the buggy and made a run for it. Beedrill gave pursuit to the driver, leaving the passenger unattended to.
"Bayleef, Vine Whip the passenger!" Again, vines extended from Casey's Pokemon and entwined around the fleeing robber. He tripped and fell face first onto the sand, and Bayleef towed the robber back to justice.
The driver continued to struggle with Beedrill and was eventually overwhelmed, falling onto the ground. "Okay, okay! I give up! Call off your Beedrill! Call off your Beedrill!" Casey complied and the robber stood up and raised his hands in surrender.
Team Vajramon began to gather up the captured robbers. Tracey spotted the last buggy in the distance, making its getaway. "No! He got away!"
****************************************
The missing robbers celebrated their escape. "Yeah, those kids won't catch us now! It's smooth sailing back home from here!"
The robbers sped down the road. A few minutes passed by, and they reached the barricade. The remains of the car bomb were still flaming, casting an orange glow over the sand. They continued onwards and passed the barricade, making sure to stay well away from the fires. It seemed that nothing could go wrong, or so they thought...
"Celestial Arrow!" A bolt of holy energy came out of nowhere, puncturing a hole in the buggy's right rear tire.
The buggy's controls were disrupted. "What the..."
The driver struggled to regain control. A massive stag beetle flew by at top speed, surprising the robbers. The two did not see the sand dune they were rapidly approaching. The buggy drove up, and then off the dune like a daredevil performing a car stunt. In midair, the buggy flipped leftwards before finally hitting the ground. The metal clanged upon landing and the robbers were jarred abruptly.
Just as they abandoned the vehicle, several Tankmon surrounded them. The robbers surrendered without a second thought. "Smooth sailing, huh?" mocked one of the robbers sarcastically.
****************************************
In a city elsewhere in the West Sector, the bait was still in Chatsuramon's trap. The Destiny Stone remained untouched for over a day. Everything was quiet until the second night came. During that time, Team Chatsuramon picked up four unidentified contacts on the Hagurumon's radar. As suspected, they were the Destiny Stone robbers. Their black helicopters surrounded the bait, and a work crew descended from above on ropes.
Once the work crews began to fasten other ropes around the statue, Chatsuramon sprang the trap. He altered his voice to sound like it came from a microphone. "We have you surrounded! Surrender at once or we will open fire!"
The workers looked around to see several Digimon and a few humans blocking the city streets. Several hidden snipers trained laser sights onto their bodies. The workers had no where to escape. The pilots suddenly detected missiles being locked onto each of their choppers. As a matter of discretion, the robbers decided it would be best to surrender. The pilots landed their choppers and nearby Digimon tied them up in rope. A pair of transports arrived on the scene, and the Digimon loaded the prisoners in.
"Seems the trap worked after all!" remarked Brock as he watched the transport leave.
A Hagurumon's voice chimed in over the radio: "We've got news from Vajramon's team! The Destiny Stone was stolen, but the robbers have been caught!"
The news was bittersweet to Team Chatsuramon. "At least now, we can find out who is behind all of this!" remarked Ash.
All of a sudden, a gigantic Digimon tore down a nearby building! Misty took a look at the Digimon. "AAAAAAH! What is that thing?"
The attacking Digimon was massive, easily the height of a thirty story building. His skin was rubbery and had a light violet tone. His legs looked like several tentacles tied together by bands. He had vestigial dragon wings and a head resembling an octopus. The Digimon speared his massive trident into another building and completely demolished it. Pikachu was terrified by the massive size and grotesque appearance of the Digimon. Ash scanned the Digimon with his Pokedex.
====================Digimon Analyzer====================
Name: Dragomon
Type: Virus
Level: Ultimate
Attacks: Forbidden Trident
Dragomon are known as the Undersea Masters. They are the controllers of the Dark Area's oceans. While most are evil, a few do have morals and are allied with Anubismon. Dragomon has great control over water and storms.
===================================================
"He's certainly one of the evil ones..." observed Ash.
"We must stop him! He must have come for the Destiny Stone!" warned Chatsuramon. "Deva Hammer!" An ornate hammer arced into the air from Chatsuramon before it came crashing down onto Dragomon's head.
Dragomon fumbled backwards and turned to Chatsuramon. "Forbidden Trident!" In retaliation, Dragomon flung his gigantic trident like a javelin, only to have his target dodge at the last minute.
Dragomon raised his arms and the sky darkened further from the gathering clouds. A fierce storm started. Rain and torrential winds began to blow. A bolt of lightning struck a nearby building, deafening all listeners with its thunder. Everyone struggled to fight the immense winds. Rain water was thrown around everywhere, drenching all the members of Team Chatsuramon. They had no choice but to shout to ensure they were heard over the noise of the wind.
Matt watched as Dragomon's form approached the Destiny Stone. "Mmmmff... Stop him! He's going for the Stone!"
Lightning began crackling on Pikachu's cheeks. "Pikaaaaa...."
"NO, PIKACHU!" interrupted Misty. "We're all wet! You'll shock us too!"
"We gotta do something!" complained TK. The winds increased and TK slipped on a puddle of water. He lost his footing and tumbled along the ground.
"TK!" cried Matt. He glanced to the right to see TK being dashed into a tree nearby.
TK groggily got up, with his arms covering his face from the winds and rain. His body was covered in mud and water. "I'm okay! Worry about the Destiny Stone!"
Through the water, Matt could see the shape of Dragomon ripping the Stone off of the ground. The Dragomon looked at his prize greedily before sinking into a Dark Area vortex. Instantly, the winds and rain died down. The clouds in the night sky cleared to reveal the stars and the moon above.
Mimi's hair was mussed and her clothes completely drenched. "Ugggh! I'm soaking wet," complained Mimi. "He ruined my new dress!"
The enemy had won the day through surprise. However, they had tipped their hand, and the heroes now knew about the involvement of hostile Dark Area Digimon. "I'm more worried about that Dragomon. Is he the mastermind of this whole plan, or does he take orders from someone else? "
"Whichever it is, I now truly believe that our true enemy isn't the humans..." realized Chatsuramon. "It was never the humans, it was Dark Area Digimon right from the beginning!"
"I wonder what they're trying to accomplish," pondered Brock.
Ash became hopeful for the situation back in Silph Town. "Now that everyone knows this, we can stop the war back in Silph Town!"
"The sooner, the better," observed Misty.
Chatsuramon called for a return to Baihumon: "Our mission was a failure, there's nothing left for us here. Pack up all the equipment. We're going back to Baihumon's temple to make a report."
The Phantomon and Bakemon's purpose will soon become clear, and it's not a good thing for anyone...
Epsilon:
Yeah, I see what you mean. It just increases with everything new released. At least there are websites that have information... As far as your wager is concerned, let's just say the enemy's true identity will become apparent soon.
AnT:
That's right, this story is set before the events of 02. With respect to May, I did see some still images of her interactions with Ash and Brock. With no text, I could only guess at what they were actually saying and doing... Anyways, I appreciate all the information you've given me, AnT. I've decided to include May after all. Count on seeing her appear sometime in the future.
Disclaimer:
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Nintendo owns Pokemon.
The Stones of Doom
By: RB3
Chapter 7: Prisoners of War
Team Vajramon stepped through, and were instantly transport to an assembly line in a factory. Conveyor belts ran down the length of the metal room, transporting parts for unknown machinery. The Gear Digimon, Hagurumon, focused on their work, not stopping to look at Team Vajramon. The foreman came out to greet the team. He was a rotund robot with a rust coloured metal body. Ash pulled out the Pokedex to scan the troops.
====================Digimon Analyzer====================
Name: Guardromon
Type: Virus
Level: Champion
Attacks: Guardian Barrage
Guardromon is the foreman of the Hagurumon. This walking arsenal was built for all-out warfare.
===================================================
"We are here under orders of Baihumon. There may be a theft attempt on the Destiny Stone, so we are here to protect it. Show us where it is," ordered Vajramon.
The Guardromon foreman led the group to a metallic chamber. The Destiny Stone was directly in the centre, and resembled a massive diamond and connected to several wires. It had the trademark golden ring, just like all the other Destiny Stones. The diamond glittered beautifully, and its light reflected off the silvery metal panels on the wall. This room was used to turn ordinary metal into the valuable magical metal, Chrome Digizoid. Chrome Digizoid was valued for its incredible strength, lightness, and resistance to all types of elements. It was the perfect metal for use as weapons or armour.
"This is where we keep the Destiny Stone. We use it to turn ordinary metal to Chrome Digizoid and also to power our factory."
"Chrome Digizoid?" asked Tracey.
"Yep," replied the Guardromon foreman. "It's found naturally on some Digimon as armour or cybernetic implants." Guardromon proceeded to describe Chrome Digizoid's properties.
"Cool! I'm sure a lot of people would find this metal very useful."
"Yeah, but Chrome Digizoid is very rare. You're more likely to find it on a Digimon like I said."
"War Greymon's implants and claws are made of Chrome Digizoid," added Tai.
"War Greymon?"
"War Greymon is my Mega form!" chimed in Agumon.
Vajramon turned his mind back to the business at hand. "Okay troops, I want a defences set up all around this factory. No one gets in or out with me knowing about it!"
Vajramon's Digimon troops scouted out the factory complex and determined several key areas to place watchers. Tai and Agumon were placed in the hall above the front door. Casey, Tracey, and Sora patrolled the various corridors and rooms. Izzy, Kari and their Digimon assisted the Digimon at the barricade placed on the only road leading to the factory. Finally, Vajramon set up just outside the Destiny Stone room, to personally ensure that it was watched.
As each group took their position, they were handed radios to maintain communication. A full day passed by uneventfully, and the sun rose the next morning. In the storeroom, the girls were still soundly sleeping. Each girl slept on a hammock suspended at different corners of the room. Sora shifted onto her right side to face the crates where Gatomon slept. Their peaceful sleep was about to be interrupted by their boss, Vajramon.
Vajramon's loud knocking resounded on the door. "Wake up!"
Casey yawned. "Morning already?"
"Get up, we've got a Destiny Stone to guard."
Casey rubbed her eyes, and yawned with her mouth wide open. The other girls and their Digimon began to stir as well. They went to the washroom to freshen themselves up and went to the mess hall for breakfast. The mess hall was a typical room for Digimon to eat; filled with a series of benches. The boys, Vajramon, some Hagurumon, and other Digimon were already there, enjoying their breakfast.
Kari was entranced by a sweet smell. "Mmm, pancakes!"
Sora received a serving of the pancakes and some orange juice. She took a seat beside Tracey on the bench. "Good morning, guys!"
"Good morning, Sora!" replied Tai.
Izzy was looking at images on his computer as he ate. Izzy's computer was wired into the factory's security network. "Nothing wrong so far." Izzy took a bite out of his pancakes.
"Seems kinda quiet... Too quiet..." remarked Tracey with suspicion. "The others teams haven't seen anything either."
Vajramon looked up from the other end of the table. "Oh, the enemy will come, I know it. Maybe not here, but I know they will come. We must be ready then."
Team Vajramon finished their breakfast and took their posts. Nothing happened at all during the morning and soon it was lunchtime. The team ate a delicious lunch consisting of spaghetti and meatballs. They returned to their posts again, and patrolled for suspicious activity or individuals. Everyone was quiet, but that soon changed, starting with the barricade. The barricade was situated on the sole road between a pair of mountains. It was about a kilometre from the factory itself.
The barricade consisted of a booth for guards, and a wall of stone reinforced with sandbags. This wall ensured that the only way to the other side was the opening for the road itself. A pair of Digimon, Tankmon, blocked the road itself with their massive girths. They turned their turret-like heads left and right, scanning the area with their cybernetically enhanced eyes. A second pair of Tankmon flanked the opening watching the area alongside Kari, Izzy and their Digimon.
====================Digimon Analyzer====================
Name: Tankmon
Type: Data
Level: Champion
Attacks: Hyper Cannon, Machinegun Arm
This mobile arsenal has a lethal sneeze. He can match the firepower of an entire military squad.
===================================================
A small supply truck stopped in front of the barricade to be inspected by some Hagurumon. The Hagurumon ordered the driver, a Tapirmon, outside of the truck. The small, tapir-like Digimon floated away on its cloud-like legs and waited as his cargo was inspected. The Digimon impatiently adjusted the ring on his left paw as he watched the inspectors scan his cargo. Izzy and Kari opened each box as the head Hagurumon looked over the contents.
"Hmm... fruit, vegetables, meat, nothing suspicious here. Okay, put the cargo back so he can pass."
The Hagurumon reloaded his cargo gently and the Tapirmon drove by. A half hour later, Tapirmon finished his delivery and the barricade guards let him pass again. Another half hour later, the guards spotted an unidentified van speeding towards the barricade. It looked very suspicious, so Izzy recommended that they stop the van.
A Hagurumon turned on his microphone. "You in the van, pull over for inspection!"
The van continued at its current speed and path. Once the van came close enough, Izzy and Tentomon took a clear look at the seat to identify the driver. The seat was completely vacant!
"No driver?" asked Tentomon in disbelief.
"That's impossible!" cried Kari.
"It must be remote controlled..." Izzy thought for a brief second and realized to his horror, what was truly happening. "CAR BOMB!"
Everyone suddenly went on full alert. "FIRE!" ordered a Tankmon.
"Hyper Cannon!"
The Tankmon proceeded to shell the incoming van, ripping the air with deafening booms. They punched several potholes into the road, but surprisingly, the van swerved to its left, evading the shells. Izzy was right about the van being remotely controlled. The Tankmon fired again, this time with their Machinegun Arms. Their bullets ricocheted off the metal of the van, revealing it to be shielded by some sort of armour. The van continued to accelerate, speeding suicidally into the wall.
"TAKE COVER!"
Everyone scrambled for cover moments before the van slammed into the wall and exploded. It burst into a massive ball of fire, totalling the van and blowing the wall down. Izzy helped Kari get up from the ground and watched as a convoy of dune buggies sped by. The duo looked around to see the Tankmon toppled onto their side, and injured by the blast. The Hagurumon were nowhere in sight.
Tai's voice chimed in from the radio: "Izzy, Kari, what happened? Are you alright?"
Izzy pressed a button on his radio. "They sent a car bomb into the barricade; everything's on fire! Dune buggies are heading your way, stop them!"
Back at the factory, Tai sounded the alarm. Agumon daringly crashed through the second story window. "Agumon, Digivolve to... Greymon!"
The Digidestined, Digimon and Pokemon trainers scrambled to reach the front and join the battle. Greymon could see the clouds of sand kicked up by the tires of the dune buggies. They were closing in from the distance. A few flashes of light flickered from the buggies, and Greymon recognized them as Pokemon being released from their Pokeballs. A massive green dinosaur with green, stony armour materialized before Greymon. This was the Armour Pokemon, Tyranitar.
"Tyranitar, Hyper Beam!"
A golden beam of concussive energy streamed at Greymon. He narrowly the beam, and watched as it blew a hole into the wall of the factory. Tai shouted words of encouragement from the second floor. For his counter attack, Greymon uttered "Nova Blast," and spewed a massive, billowing ball of flame from his mouth. Tyranitar braced himself as the fireball engulfed his torso.
A second unseen Hyper Beam slammed into Greymon, throwing him into the factory wall. Greymon grunted in pain and Tai was worried. "Greymon, are you ok? There are two of them, so you better Digivolve!"
"Greymon, Digivolve to... Metal Greymon!"
Metal Greymon blocked a second pair of incoming Hyper Beams with his cybernetic claw. "Giga Blaster!"
Metal Greymon's chest plate opened and launched a pair of highly explosive missiles. Upon impact with the first Tyranitar, the missiles exploded and flung the Armour Pokemon into the ground. Another Hyper Beam struck Metal Greymon in the ribs, jarring him significantly. This sneaky attack angered Metal Greymon and prompted him to retaliate with his Mega Claw.
Metal Greymon's claw shot out from its socket and threw the second Tyranitar backwards like a bullet. The Pokemon's body accidentally crashed into a passing dune buggy, toppling the vehicle onto its side. More Pokemon began to converge on Metal Greymon's location. They were creatures that Tai was not familiar with. Though Tai knew his Digimon was strong, Metal Greymon couldn't possibly stand up to being swarmed by so many Pokemon.
****************************************
Back inside the factory, the ground began to shudder, keeping the others at bay. Severe earthquakes were hammering the factory. It was as though the very building itself was being cracked open. Sora and Casey ran down a stair well to reach the front. The stairs suddenly shook and some small rubble fell from above. Sora tumbled downwards and landed in a heap on the platform below.
Biyomon rushed to her partner's side. "Sora, are you okay?"
Sora covered a small bruise on the side of her head. "Owww! I think so, it's just a bruise."
Casey was on full alert. "We have to get outside. The building might collapse at any second!"
Sora got up and continued fleeing. "This can't be a coincidence! The timing can't be natural..."
"It's those attackers! They made this earthquake with Pokemon to throw us off!" denounced Casey.
Indeed, Casey's suspicions were right. In the Destiny Stone room, Vajramon and his underlings were being thrown everywhere by the shaking. The earthquake was even more severe in the room than where Casey and Sora were. The roof started to cave in and Vajramon ordered everyone to flee. As they left, a gaping hole opened in the ground, and the Destiny Stone fell in. Vajramon could briefly see what resembled several mole-like creatures. It was clear they were responsible for causing the earthquakes.
"Dig dig dig! Dig dig dig! Trio trio trio!" they uttered nonsensically. It almost seemed like they were singing while doing their digging. The roof collapsed, blocking the entrance to the room.
"Argggh, they have the Stone!" admitted Vajramon in defeat. Vajramon and the other Digimon fled from the building before it finally collapsed.
****************************************
The roof over Tai's head came tumbling down. In a moment of desperation, he jumped out of the window as did a fellow Hagurumon patroller. Tai landed on his feet abruptly, shaken by his sudden attempt at self-preservation. Metal Greymon was doing his best to put the enemy down. However, it was clear he was being swarmed and losing control of the battle. Though he was still standing, Metal Greymon's body was marked by several black marks from wounds.
Even with the Hagurumon's help, both Digimon were outnumbered. The two Tyranitar had recovered from Metal Greymon's crushing blows and renewed their attack. They were joined by a small brachiosaurus with plant-like attributes. This Pokemon, Meganium, coiled its Vine Whip around Metal Greymon's leg. Metal Greymon attempted to break free, leaving himself momentarily vulnerable. The Tyranitar fired two Hyper Beams in tandem as Meganium pulled, toppling Metal Greymon onto his back.
A ferocious blue alligator, Feraligator, sprayed its Water Gun into Hagurumon's face, disorienting the Gear Digimon. A second Pokemon, resembling a weasel on fire, rammed into Hagurumon and smashed him into the factory's wall. This Pokemon, Typhlosion, sprayed a roaring Flame Thrower onto the helpless Digimon until he finally collapsed on the ground.
"Marill, Water Gun!" In a twist of poetic justice, a jet of water smashed Typhlosion into the factory wall from behind. Typhlosion was knocked out cold.
Marill smiled. "Marill! (Alright!)"
"Marill, Water Gun that Tyranitar!" Marill's second water jet scored a direct hit on the Armour Pokemon's chest. Tyranitar collapsed as the water painfully eroded its stony armour.
Metal Greymon got onto his feet and his morale surged with renewed vigour. "Giga Blaster!" Metal Greymon's missiles blew the last Tyranitar down, knocking him out.
"Is everyone alright?" asked Tracey.
"Yeah, you couldn't have chosen a better time to show up!" proclaimed Tai.
Hagurumon flicked a volley of black gears at Feraligator, pelting the Big Jaw Pokemon everywhere on its body. "Marill, Feraligator is open, Water Gun!" The water hurled the Big Jaw Pokemon backwards into Meganium, taking both Pokemon out.
"Pokemon, return!"
"We got what we came for, retreat!"
The dune buggies wheeled around in front of Hagurumon, Marill, and Metal Greymon. They made a hard left turn to flee, just as the rest of Team Vajramon entered the scene. "Stop them! Don't let them get away!" cried Tai.
Metal Greymon flew into air and then swooped down on the nearest buggy, blocking its way with his claw. The robbers abandoned the buggy moments before it crashed into the claw, throwing themselves onto the sandy ground. Vajramon launched his Deva Blade attack. He slashed with his pair of swords, projecting an energy shockwave into another buggy's tire. It ground to a halt, and Vajramon moved to capture the robbers.
The robbers attempted to remove their seatbelts to escape, but the Ox Deva held his blade near the driver's throat. "Don't be a fool..."
Birdramon swooped from the sky and caught a third buggy in her claws. She quickly flew high into the air terrifying the robbers and entrapping them. "Let us down!" ordered the robber.
Birdramon let her grip slip slightly. "NOT LIKE THAT! NOT LIKE THAT!" cried the other robber in terror. Birdramon strengthened her grip.
Sora was elated. "Great work, Birdramon! Keep them up there!"
"I'll get that one!" called Casey. "Beedrill, Chikorita, I choose you! Beedrill, get the driver! Chikorita stall that buggy with Vine Whip!"
"Chika! (No problem!)" Vines extended from Chikorita's neck and latched onto the rails of the buggy.
She strained to stop the buggy, kicking up dirt as she was pulled forward. Eventually, the force was too much for her, and she was pulled off the ground. Casey pursued Chikorita in an attempt to help her. Beedrill managed to latch onto the driver, causing him to panic. The buggy swerved sharply and erratically as the driver attempted to shoo Beedrill away.
Casey stayed in hot pursuit of her Pokemon. "Chikorita are you okay?"
"Chika! (Don't worry!)"
All of a sudden, a beautiful white glow engulfed Chikorita's body! Tracey watched the event in awe. "Chikorita's evolving!"
When the glow subsided, Chikorita had become a totally new Pokemon. She now resembled an earlier form of the Meganium that Tracey had taken out. Chikorita had transformed into a miniature green brachiosaurus with the characteristics of a plant. She now had leaves growing around her long neck, and one growing on the top of her head. Chikorita had evolved to Bayleef, the Leaf Pokemon, and gained increased strength.
Casey could feel her Pokemon's newfound strength. "Awesome! Bayleef, try stopping the buggy again!"
Bayleef dug her feet into the ground and pulled on her vines. Her increased physical strength proved to be a blessing, slowing the buggy down considerably. Casey, and then Tracey, caught up and helped pull on the vine, stopping the buggy completely. Beedrill continued to harass the robbers, diverting their attention from the road. In desperation, the robbers abandoned the buggy and made a run for it. Beedrill gave pursuit to the driver, leaving the passenger unattended to.
"Bayleef, Vine Whip the passenger!" Again, vines extended from Casey's Pokemon and entwined around the fleeing robber. He tripped and fell face first onto the sand, and Bayleef towed the robber back to justice.
The driver continued to struggle with Beedrill and was eventually overwhelmed, falling onto the ground. "Okay, okay! I give up! Call off your Beedrill! Call off your Beedrill!" Casey complied and the robber stood up and raised his hands in surrender.
Team Vajramon began to gather up the captured robbers. Tracey spotted the last buggy in the distance, making its getaway. "No! He got away!"
****************************************
The missing robbers celebrated their escape. "Yeah, those kids won't catch us now! It's smooth sailing back home from here!"
The robbers sped down the road. A few minutes passed by, and they reached the barricade. The remains of the car bomb were still flaming, casting an orange glow over the sand. They continued onwards and passed the barricade, making sure to stay well away from the fires. It seemed that nothing could go wrong, or so they thought...
"Celestial Arrow!" A bolt of holy energy came out of nowhere, puncturing a hole in the buggy's right rear tire.
The buggy's controls were disrupted. "What the..."
The driver struggled to regain control. A massive stag beetle flew by at top speed, surprising the robbers. The two did not see the sand dune they were rapidly approaching. The buggy drove up, and then off the dune like a daredevil performing a car stunt. In midair, the buggy flipped leftwards before finally hitting the ground. The metal clanged upon landing and the robbers were jarred abruptly.
Just as they abandoned the vehicle, several Tankmon surrounded them. The robbers surrendered without a second thought. "Smooth sailing, huh?" mocked one of the robbers sarcastically.
****************************************
In a city elsewhere in the West Sector, the bait was still in Chatsuramon's trap. The Destiny Stone remained untouched for over a day. Everything was quiet until the second night came. During that time, Team Chatsuramon picked up four unidentified contacts on the Hagurumon's radar. As suspected, they were the Destiny Stone robbers. Their black helicopters surrounded the bait, and a work crew descended from above on ropes.
Once the work crews began to fasten other ropes around the statue, Chatsuramon sprang the trap. He altered his voice to sound like it came from a microphone. "We have you surrounded! Surrender at once or we will open fire!"
The workers looked around to see several Digimon and a few humans blocking the city streets. Several hidden snipers trained laser sights onto their bodies. The workers had no where to escape. The pilots suddenly detected missiles being locked onto each of their choppers. As a matter of discretion, the robbers decided it would be best to surrender. The pilots landed their choppers and nearby Digimon tied them up in rope. A pair of transports arrived on the scene, and the Digimon loaded the prisoners in.
"Seems the trap worked after all!" remarked Brock as he watched the transport leave.
A Hagurumon's voice chimed in over the radio: "We've got news from Vajramon's team! The Destiny Stone was stolen, but the robbers have been caught!"
The news was bittersweet to Team Chatsuramon. "At least now, we can find out who is behind all of this!" remarked Ash.
All of a sudden, a gigantic Digimon tore down a nearby building! Misty took a look at the Digimon. "AAAAAAH! What is that thing?"
The attacking Digimon was massive, easily the height of a thirty story building. His skin was rubbery and had a light violet tone. His legs looked like several tentacles tied together by bands. He had vestigial dragon wings and a head resembling an octopus. The Digimon speared his massive trident into another building and completely demolished it. Pikachu was terrified by the massive size and grotesque appearance of the Digimon. Ash scanned the Digimon with his Pokedex.
====================Digimon Analyzer====================
Name: Dragomon
Type: Virus
Level: Ultimate
Attacks: Forbidden Trident
Dragomon are known as the Undersea Masters. They are the controllers of the Dark Area's oceans. While most are evil, a few do have morals and are allied with Anubismon. Dragomon has great control over water and storms.
===================================================
"He's certainly one of the evil ones..." observed Ash.
"We must stop him! He must have come for the Destiny Stone!" warned Chatsuramon. "Deva Hammer!" An ornate hammer arced into the air from Chatsuramon before it came crashing down onto Dragomon's head.
Dragomon fumbled backwards and turned to Chatsuramon. "Forbidden Trident!" In retaliation, Dragomon flung his gigantic trident like a javelin, only to have his target dodge at the last minute.
Dragomon raised his arms and the sky darkened further from the gathering clouds. A fierce storm started. Rain and torrential winds began to blow. A bolt of lightning struck a nearby building, deafening all listeners with its thunder. Everyone struggled to fight the immense winds. Rain water was thrown around everywhere, drenching all the members of Team Chatsuramon. They had no choice but to shout to ensure they were heard over the noise of the wind.
Matt watched as Dragomon's form approached the Destiny Stone. "Mmmmff... Stop him! He's going for the Stone!"
Lightning began crackling on Pikachu's cheeks. "Pikaaaaa...."
"NO, PIKACHU!" interrupted Misty. "We're all wet! You'll shock us too!"
"We gotta do something!" complained TK. The winds increased and TK slipped on a puddle of water. He lost his footing and tumbled along the ground.
"TK!" cried Matt. He glanced to the right to see TK being dashed into a tree nearby.
TK groggily got up, with his arms covering his face from the winds and rain. His body was covered in mud and water. "I'm okay! Worry about the Destiny Stone!"
Through the water, Matt could see the shape of Dragomon ripping the Stone off of the ground. The Dragomon looked at his prize greedily before sinking into a Dark Area vortex. Instantly, the winds and rain died down. The clouds in the night sky cleared to reveal the stars and the moon above.
Mimi's hair was mussed and her clothes completely drenched. "Ugggh! I'm soaking wet," complained Mimi. "He ruined my new dress!"
The enemy had won the day through surprise. However, they had tipped their hand, and the heroes now knew about the involvement of hostile Dark Area Digimon. "I'm more worried about that Dragomon. Is he the mastermind of this whole plan, or does he take orders from someone else? "
"Whichever it is, I now truly believe that our true enemy isn't the humans..." realized Chatsuramon. "It was never the humans, it was Dark Area Digimon right from the beginning!"
"I wonder what they're trying to accomplish," pondered Brock.
Ash became hopeful for the situation back in Silph Town. "Now that everyone knows this, we can stop the war back in Silph Town!"
"The sooner, the better," observed Misty.
Chatsuramon called for a return to Baihumon: "Our mission was a failure, there's nothing left for us here. Pack up all the equipment. We're going back to Baihumon's temple to make a report."