=Pokemon World, several miles from Azalea Town==
The town had been evacuated when word was first heard of his approach. Since then, several trainers had appeared to challenge him, but none had succeeded.
As Tyranitar looked over the area it had wrecked, he reveled in the chaos he was causing. It had only been a few weeks since he had evolved from Pupitar, and being able to show off his power after all that time was an almost intoxicating experience. So it was with some annoyance that it regarded the latest newcomer, who merely stood there, red sleeveless overcoat and mane of white hair under a wide brimmed hat rippling in the soft breeze.
What do you want, human?> Tyranitar roared. To his surprise, she responded in his own tongue.
I wish to make you an offer. You can serve me willingly, or you can serve me unwillingly>
I choose neither!>
The woman seemed unruffled by Tyranitar's rejection. Instead, she snapped her fingers. A small creature, catlike but walking on its back legs, all black fur and completely unworried at the sight of the monster in front of it. Switching back to English, the woman said "Sneasle, do it." The catlike pokemon replied "Yes, my mistress" and went into an attack stance. Tyranitar looked with some amusement at the small creature thinking it could even try to fight him. Sneasle let out a shrill cry as she charged, claws extended.
[op sequence]
Digimon Digicross TV episode 5
"Gathering of Power"
Tyranitar staggered back. This creature was unnaturally powerful for a Basic pokemon. Why wasn't he winning?
~Time to settle this~ Tyranitar reared back, and used his strongest
attack, Hyper Beam. The power built up, and was released in a single,
coherent pulse of golden light. The land around Sneasle buckled,
tore, and was vaporized by the sheer power of the attack. When the
dust cleared, Sneasle was not there any more, though her trainer seemed
unconcerned.
The next few minutes could never be accurately recalled by the
armor pokemon. From nowhere, a mass of black fur and fire was on
him, clawing and scratching, its attacks penetrating Tyranitar's tough
skin as if it were paper. The giant pokemon collapsed, knocked out.
As Arukenimon watched, the black furred attacked approached her, lowered its head, and glowed white, shrank, and returned to its original form.
"Nicely done Sneasle" Arukenimon said. "This will complement my army quite nicely."
Sneasle bowed, one clawed arm across her chest. Smirking Arukenimon added "cut the melodrama. You enjoyed the thrashing you gave to that arrogant creature." Idly, Arukenimon pulled out a single strand of hair, and threw it at the fallen Tyranitar. When it hit, there was a flash of crimson light, and where the fallen pokemon was, there lay a small red and black sphere, a parody of a pokeball. "Looks like I caught Tyranitar."
Sneasle returned the grin. "I only sought to test the abilities you gave me in combat, milady." The two vanished back into the forest, leaving the pokemon trainers en route to the area to figure out what happened to such a powerful beast.
==Main base of the Digimon Emperor,11:54pm==
Since abandoning his life in the Human world, Ken had since set up a room for himself inside his base. It was near the main control room, and was (in his mind, anyway) appointed the way a ruler should have a bedroom; large bed, several bookcases, and a lockable door. No one else was allowed in, for any reason. Not even Wormmon.
Despite this, Wormmon stayed outside Ken's door, on the off chance he might be allowed to help Ken with something. Anything. He felt himself dozing off, an old dream returning...when he met a young boy who had just appeared out of a portal...
"Who are you?" the boy asked.
"Hello Ken, I'm Wormmon. I'm your partner..."
Wormmon was startled by a sudden scrape, coming from the main control room. Giving one last look at the locked door, he went to investigate.
==
Ken was dreaming too, but this dream was far less pleasant, and becoming far more frequent.
"I HATE you Sam! I...I...I wish you'd GO AWAY!!"
The accident. He did it. He'd lost control
The funeral. All his fault. Still not enough control.
The offer. All the control he'd ever want, and an escape from the world of pain.
Now new opponents. He was losing control again...
==
Wormmon entered the control area, and saw a familiar figure there. "What are YOU doing here?"
Arukenimon slowly faced Wormmon. "Why, if it isn't the little digimon that couldn't. I'd think you were almost unhappy to see me again."
"It's never a pleasure to see you again. Haven't you done enough to him?"
"What I do to him is none of your concern" She noticed Wormmon getting ready to attack. "Please. A Sticky Web attack against me? Don't make me laugh. And you know what will happen to your precious Ken if you interfere with us." With that, she returned to the console, and called up the data Ken had collected so far. Wormmon, powerless to do anything, fumed but said nothing.
"Hmm...looks like you're going to be downsized. A pity, even Digimon get Dilbertized, I suppose. And their Emperors, eventually. This ought to help things a bit." Arukenimon produced a small black and red sphere, and connected it to the console. A new screen replaced the screen, which had plans for Ken's 'new' digimon.
C:\req init DNAXmit
-auth:**********
c:\accepted...uploading helix.inf
c:\Kymeramon.exe updated...erasing change log...
The screen closed, and was replaced by the display that was there before Arukenimon had modified Ken's research slightly. Retrieving the ball, she stepped back, turned to look down at Wormmon, and said "Good night, and pleasant dreams." With that, she walked out the door, and vanished. Had Wormmon been paying attention, he might have noticed a small piece of the shadows break off and follow Arukenimon.
As Arukenimon left, the shadow addressed her. "Is this wise, mistress?"
Slightly annoyed, Arukenimon looked at her companion. "You doubt my judgement, Sneasle?"
"It is not that, never. I doubt that human's ability to handle such power. He is...unbalanced. It may destroy him before he can accomplish what you have set before him."
"No matter. If he falls, there are others who can take his place."
==
The next morning, Ken woke up, ate alone, and went back to work. Any evidence that Arukenimon was there was not to be found; the fact that anyone could have entered his base without knowing was unacceptable to him.
He heard Wormmon enter. "Did you sleep well, Master?"
Ken stopped for a second, and, slowly, said "Never. Ask. That. AGAIN!"
"I'm sorry, Master!" If Ken had heard him, he gave no indication; he had gone back to work. If he worked hard enough, he could forget the dreams, for a time.
==2 hours later.
Ken walked towards the flight deck of his base, where several of the Mechanorimon were kept on standby for him. Wormmon followed along. "Master, where are you going?"
"Data collection." He said simply, climbing into one of the robots. Wormmon followed him in, squeezing himself behind the pilot's chair. The two took off, and traveled in silence. After a time, they landed. Hopping out, Wormmon recognized the place almost immediately. "Isn't this Primary Village?"
"Yes. I need something from this place." The two traveled in silence, down the deserted streets of the town.
"It's seen better days" Wormmon said, hoping to break up the silence. No response.
"K..Master, there's no one here anymore. Why did you come here?"
"I need data on a specific digimon, and this is the best place to find it. Here." He indicated a bleak field, where dozens of slight impressions could be found. "Where the data was reformatted and recompiled"
"You mean where the new Digimon were born?" Ken stiffened for a second. "If that's how you want to see it, fine. I have no time for sentimentality." Ken pulled out a small scanner, and began searching the area. He walked ahead several yards, turned right, and knelt down. "This one, where a Pabumon was born. Perfect."
"What good will that do?"
"I can use the residual data from when this Pabumon was first compiled to clone it and add it into Kymeramon's data."
"Pabumon...isn't he Kabuterimon's infant form?"
Ken snorted. "I'm surprised you can keep that much straight. Come on, we're leaving."
As the two left, neither of them noticed an Elecmon hiding in one of the abandoned houses. ~I don't dare attack them now~ he thought to himself. ~If I do, they might find where I hid the eggs!~ He had overheard some of what the two had discussed; a lifetime guarding Primary Village had given him an intimate knowledge of the ins and outs of the place. He could sneak around and never be caught here. ~All those games of hide and seek with the Infants and In-Trainings finally came in handy~ he thought grimly. Once the two had left, Elecmon rushed to find one of those portal devices he'd been told about.
The digidestined had to know.
==
Back at The Emperor's lair, Ken downloaded the data from the scanner and began the final creation process. ~When Kymeramon's done, I will be able to control all of this~. There was nothing left to do but lean back and wait for the final creation to be completed. He leaned back, and dozed off. And remembered...
==
"Ken, there you are!" Wormmon said, crawling to where Ken was standing. "I heard about your brother, I'm sorry..."
"Forget it." Ken said sharply. "We have work to do."
"Ken?" But Ken gave no sign, he simply turned and walked away from the beach. "Ken, where are you going?"
Ken turned, and looked at Wormmon. "My brother is dead. You said you'd always be there for me, so WHERE. WERE. YOU!!?"
Wormmon stopped cold. "I...I..."
"Digivolve."
"What?"
"You heard me. DIGIVOLVE!"
Wormmon tried to digivolve, but he couldn't. "I can't" he said in a small voice. Then he noticed Ken's digivice. "What happened to your digivice? It's all black now."
Ken smiled, a twisted sight, devoid of any kindness. "What
happened? A beginning. If I can't control the real world, then
I'll control this world, and make it as *I* see fit." Ken walked
further on, not stopping, driven by some unidentifiable force to a specific
location.
After about an hour of walking, Ken came upon a large stone structure.
Definitely old, it radiated a kind of power that Wormmon had never felt
before. "Ken, I don't like this place. There's something evil
here. Can't you feel it?"
"Feel it? I want it." Ken proceeded inside. He walked as if he knew exactly where he was going. Wormmon followed Ken through a series of twists and turns, getting lost after only a few minutes. They soon came to a large open area, with a small room suspended at the center, with catwalks going from the walls to the small room. Ken wasted no time in going inside.
In the small room, Ken found a black object, giving the impression of a sealed away power. That was when a voice spoke to him.
"Ken, you have found this place to escape from the pain of the real world. From here, you can use the power to exercise your dominion over this world. You can be an emperor, if you so desire. The facilities here will respond to your commands. With it, you will be unstoppable. In the main database, you will find plans to expand the power of your Black Digivice, so no Digimon can stop you." With that, Ken felt a strange clarity of mind hit him. All his grief and sorrow were banished, replaced by a simple desire. Power, complete and utter. His young face twisted as the knowledge began to feed into his mind. He would rule. It would take time to master all the equipment and data here, but he would rule.
==
Unknown to Ken, when he found the power source for his base, Wormmon had a visit too.
"Ken, don't go in there!" Wormmon started to rush forward to pull Ken out; he realized just where Ken was going, and what the change of his digivice meant. However, before he could even get near, the door to the small chamber Ken was in slammed shut. The sound of footsteps echoed behind him.
Turning to face the noise, Wormmon saw a humanoid woman with long white hair and dressed in a sleeveless red trenchcoat and hat. The newcomer looked at Wormmon, grinning evilly.
"Who are you? What have you done to him??"
The newcomer shrugged. "Me? I haven't done anything except open his mind."
"I don't know who you are, but I'll stop you!"
"You? You can't even digivolve. Now listen up. My employer has taken an interest in the boy, and he would appreciate it if you would not interfere with the path Ken is taking."
"I don't care. You'll have to destroy me."
The woman laughed quietly. "I won't have to lift a finger. Act against us, and your precious Ken will...well, let's just say he'll join his brother." Wormmon didn't know how to reply. "Be good, and we'll even allow you to stay with him. But remember, don't act against us. Don't even mention what you've seen here, or your 'friend' gets it."
There was nothing else Wormmon could do. "Alright."
"Glad we could do business" The woman stepped back, and faded from view. At that moment, the door to the chamber opened, and Ken walked out. "Wormmon, we have work to do."
"Yes K..Master."
Smirking, Ken looked down at Wormmon. "That's better."
==
As the years passed, Ken gradually began to master all the systems of the base, as well as unlock many of the secrets of his altered digivice. Then, one day...
===
Image is everything, Ken thought to himself. After all,
an emperor should look the part.
As Ken walked out of his room in his base, Wormmon was waiting to see what Ken had been up to this time. "Is that a new look, master?"
"It is the only look that the Digital World will ever need to see." Ken had discarded his old clothing for what would soon come to be recognized as the outfit of the Digimon Emperor. Spike hairdo, opaque goggles, blue and gray bodysuit and cape, and a cruel, metal tipped whip at his side. And the beauty was that he didn't have to waste time changing; it would appear and disappear as he entered and left the Digital World. He walked to the control room. The program to create the first control spires was ready and waiting his command.
Ken paused for a moment. The rush of potential power, of the control he knew he would soon assume, almost made him laugh aloud. He could never get tired of this feeling. He paid no attention to Wormmon, who was on the edge of tears now, watching his friend fall into the abyss. There was only the gathering of power.
"Execute."
==
Ken snapped out of his half-asleep state, fragments of a half remembered dream already fading from his mind. A look at the computer screen showed the process was still underway.
"Project Kymeramon completion 2%"
"Est. Time to completion 3 weeks, 12hrs"
Patience. He could wait. After all, he was still in control.
End, for now.