==A few miles north of Viridian City
It had started well enough. Kyle had been asked by Professor Oak to leave Growlithe, Eevee, and Scizor at his lab so they could be checked more thoroughly. He had been told that Crystal, whose Eevee, Kurt, had gained the ability to digivolve, was coming over, and he wanted to do a comparison between the two pokemon.
The three pokemon had agreed to stay behind, and Kyle had no real trouble with it. But it also left him without three of his strongest pokemon. No problem, he figured. He still had Ivysaur, and his other pokemon needed some work too. He had swapped in Machop, Marril, Oddish, Marowak, and his Gastly, Windy, in. A good line up for any trainer to have.
So it was perfectly natural that, a few hours after leaving the Viridian City Pokemon Center, Marowak was asleep from a run in with a Venomoth, Machop had fainted after picking a fight with a Primeape that knew Counter, Windy was frozen after getting Metronomed by a passing Clefairy, and there was an enraged Rhydon chasing him. Ivysaur was running beside him, and he had Oddish in his arms.
"Ivysaur!"
"I know, just KEEP RUNNING!" Kyle yelled back. The two had a tricky time keeping their speed up; they had to pick through a lot of undergrowth. Rhydon didn't have that problem; anything smaller than a large tree got knocked over. There was another loud crash, which Kyle assumed was the Rhydon picking up speed. He ran a few more yards, then realized that there was no more loud crashing behind him. He stopped, looking back.
Rhydon was being restrained by..."Leomon?"
"So, how's the master trainer?" June's voice came, slightly mocking.
Kyle sighed. "I'm never going to hear the end of this."
"Oddish."
"Ivysaur." The two pokemon agreed.
--------------------------------------
Digimon: Digicross episode 24
-The day the digiverse changed
--------------------------------------
"So, we're off to the Orange Islands?" Davis asked. "Sounds like a great place to work on my tan!"
Yolei sighed. "We're going there to fill in Melody and Edward about what's happening in the digital world, not go on some tropical vacation. Or to see your girlfriend."
Kari held back a chuckle. She'd noticed Davis had been thinking about the newest female member of the digidestined a lot lately, though he'd always claimed it was because she had a Veemon too. Still..."And why are you going, Yolei?"
Yolei scrambled for an answer. "Because Ken and I are better at explaining things together...I mean, we're a better team than if Davis goes alone." Now Davis was grinning.
Ryo sighed melodramatically. "Then I'd better go along, seeing as I don't have a romantic interest." He walked over to Ken, and put his arm around Ken's shoulders. "Besides, someone's gotta chaperone you on your big date."
"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" Yolei yelled.
"Maybe you should ask the evil cute guy here." Ryo replied sweetly. Ken's face went red.
"I believe it was 'cute evil guy'." Hawkmon pointed out. Veemon, standing beside Hawkmon, started sniggering. "Are you sure about this, Ryo? Charmeleon isn't done with his tests yet."
"Darn straight!" the fire lizard called from the next room. "I'm in here being poked and prodded, and you're off to one of the top vacation spots in the world! How fair is that?"
"Very." Ryo replied, deadpan. He walked over to the computer, and opened a portal to the Orange Islands. "Shall we go then?" he asked, as he vanished into the portal. Davis followed Ryo in, as did Hawkmon and Veemon. Thoroughly embarrassed, Yolei dragged Ken to the digital gateway and went through.
TK, who had been watching the whole sequence of events silently, let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "I think I feel sorry for Ryo; Yolei's probably going to tear him apart, after all that."
"She won't." Kari replied. "So, what are you going to do?"
"Well, Kyle said it might be a good idea to show the new digidestined around the local pokemon center, so they get an idea of what it's like if they ever wind up in one."
Baihumon, who had arrived earlier, nodded. "The center in Stone Town's the best place to go for digimon, though the Nurse Joy there is making a point of circulating what she knows to the another centers around the Kanto region. Plus, we're going to take what we find out from all the digivolving pokemon to them as well. Oh, can I get one of you to go to the digital world? There's something odd happening near one of the destiny stones there."
"Destiny stones?" TK asked.
"Nexus of power in the digital world; look like giant stones shaped like the various crest insignia. They form anchor points in the digital world, keeping everything stable. We set them up ages ago, then rebuilt them shortly after the Dark Masters were destroyed and before Ken was turned against us." TK and Kari winced.
"Well, I'll go, and I'll take Cody with me." TK offered.
"Are you sure? I hear Crystal's going to be there." Kari teased.
TK smirked. "Maybe you should go, then. I'm not sure I can trust you and Izzy all by yourselves in a big house."
"Silly boy. Professor Oak will be there." In a slightly louder voice, Kari added "And I'm sure Izzy wouldn't dream of doing anything to me." There was a slight clatter in the next room as Izzy dropped the book he was reading.
"Silly me." TK replied, still smirking. He sent an email to Cody, asking him to meet TK in the digital world. "Well, I'd better meet everyone, then I'll go to the digital world."
"Say hi to Crystal for me." Kari said as she left the room. Holding back his laughter, TK went out a second door to the front yard.
==
Caryl walked down the dusty path. After the sights she had seen the last time she had visited this world, this was a bit of a letdown. Understandable, going from a bustling island with lots of Neat Stuff (tm) to a little town in the backwoods. Still, the scenery was nice.
"The scenery is nice." Renamon noted.
"Hmm?" Caryl looked up, lost in her thoughts. "Sorry. I was expecting something more...I don't know. Prima told me that this Professor Oak guy was supposed to be one of the top pokemon researchers around." There was a crashing noise a short distance ahead. "Eish?"
The two travelers saw a boy and a small purple dragon come charging out of the undergrowth. "You HAD to insult those pokemon! All to impress that walking rosebush!" the boy yelled.
"Her name was Bellossom!" the dragon replied. "I was just showing off, that's all!"
"You got 30 Tauros chasing us!" A second later, the aforementioned Tauros blasted out of the undergrowth. "Did you have to call the leader a walking steak sandwich?"
"It was funny at the time!"
Caryl and Renamon watched the two run. As they stood there, two of the Tauros saw them, mistook them for potential enemies, and switched to them as Take Down practise. Caryl managed to get the obligatory 'Kyaaaa!' you see in a lot of anime with situations like this before Renamon grabbed her, and jumped clear of the oncoming Tauros. Renamon landed a few feet away, put Caryl down, and got ready to face the small Tauros group.
==
Stuart and Monodramon, you ask?
"Magic Game!" The two found themselves levitating over the stampeding herd.
Stuart looked at Monodramon, impressed. "I didn't know you could do that."
"It was me, actually." Wizardmon said, also levitating. There were sounds of attacks being used, and the Tauros were slowly herded back to their pen.
"Wizzy! How've you been?"
"Doing better than you, from the looks of it. You must be Stuart." Wizardmon nodded to the human.
"Hey up there!" Another boy, about Stuart's age, came into view. "Did you get them?"
"I did, Seth. You can tell Kurt to put me down now."
"He can hear you just fine." Crystal replied, also stepping into view. "I have to admit, it takes a special kind of digimon to make a whole herd of Tauros stampede." Beside her, Kurt relaxed his concentration, and Wizardmon slowly sank to the ground. A second later, Stuart did likewise.
"Uh, Wizzy? Can I come down now?"
"That depends..."
==
Renamon leaped over the Tauros again, giving it a good smack in the back of the head as she sailed over it. The beast, unable to stop, slammed into another tree.
"Are you all right?" Caryl called to Renamon.
"So far." Renamon replied. She saw movement behind Caryl. "Look out!"
Caryl spun around, and saw a second Tauros eyeing her, head lowered, horns pointed right at her. "Uhhh....nice bull?"
The second Tauros found the path to Renamon blocked by a red bug. "Back you go." Scizor said quietly, ready to battle if needed. The Tauros backed down, though his eyes stayed fixed on Scizor. A second bug, a Scyther and with an X shaped scar on its head, herded the two Tauros back to the pen. "Are you two all right?" Scizor asked.
Caryl shuddered a bit at the odd metallic tone of the voice. "We're fine. What were those monsters?"
"Tauros."
"I could have handled them." Renamon said.
Grinning, Scizor looked at her. "Of course you could have."
==
Izzy and Kari looked at the two maps. "So, the digital world resembles the pokemon world now?" Kari asked.
Baihumon nodded. "Yes. When the digital world was reformatted after the Dark Masters were defeated, the digital world changed. I can only guess that there was still a link to the pokemon world, and the map of the digital world changed because of that link. I didn't see it until I was talking with Professor Oak."
"Izzy commented that Infinity Mountain bore an amazing resemblance to Mount Moon." Professor Oak explained. "This Digital World has some unusual features to it."
"You should have seen it when it was all converted into Spiral Mountain" Izzy replied. Baihumon shuddered, remembering what had happened. "*That* was almost surreal."
==
"Well, I'd like to welcome everyone here." TK said to the group. Everyone had gathered just outside the front door of Professor Oak's lab. "Maybe we could introduce ourselves, just so we remember who's who. I'm TK, and this is my partner, Patamon."
Caryl raised her hand. "I'm Caryl, and...where's Renamon?" Everyone looked around.
"I saw her head off with Scizor around the corner." Crystal said. "Oh, I'm Crystal, and this is Eevee, my pokemon." The Eevee on her shoulder yipped happily. She saw TK looking at her, and looked at her feet, face turning a light shade of red.
"I'll see what Renamon and Scizor are up to." Wizardmon said, nodding to TK.
"I'm Seth, Wizardmon's partner."
"And I'm Stuart, and the floating dragon is Monodramon. Uhh, can he come down now?" Stuart looked at the small wizard. "I think he's about to throw up."
"I promise, I'll never call you 'Wizzy' again." Monodramon begged.
Wizardmon sighed. "All right." With a gesture, he dismissed the spell on Monodramon, who promptly dropped into the arms of a very affectionate Muk. Yes, Ash's Muk, if you're curious. As Monodramon started yelling (to the effect of "GETHIMOFFGETHIMOFFGETHIMOFFGETHIMOFFGETHIMOFFGETHIMOFF!") Wizardmon went around the corner of the building.
==
"Was that what I thought it was?" Tentomon asked, watching Renamon and Scizor get ready.
Gatomon nodded. "They'll be peeling him off the oak tree, I think." In a louder voice: "Are you two sure about this?" Scizor and Renamon nodded.
"They're not going to start fighting, are they?" Tracey asked, sitting beside the two digimon.
"No, just showing off. Honestly, I don't know what's gotten into this younger generation." Tentomon sighed.
"We might as well get it out of their systems." Gatomon said, smiling as Tracey's Scyther also sighed, mirroring Tentomon's mood. "Okay, first one to the top of the hill and back wins. Ready...GO!" The two monsters took off, both seeming to vanish, reappearing every few seconds. Tracey was already hunched over his sketchpad, scribbling furiously.
Wizardmon walked casually over to the small group watching the race. "They seem to be in a hurry."
"It was this or a full battle." Gatomon replied. "What did you do to Monodramon?"
"I let him down. It's not my fault a Muk happened to be where he landed." Wizardmon replied innocently. "I believe he was latched rather firmly to an oak tree last time I saw him."
"And...oh, it's a tie." Tentomon said, as Renamon and Scizor reappeared. Both were dusty and a bit battered, as if they had been outrunning a rockslide.
"You could have told us the course went through a nest of Geodudes." Scizor complained.
"I found it no great challenge." Renamon said quietly. Everyone else sighed.
==
Kyle looked over the small hill. After his pokemon had recovered, he had set out again, June and Elecmon going with him. "So, what are we looking for?" Elecmon asked.
"I don't know." Kyle replied. "Lately, I've been hearing that there' something that's been driving pokemon in this direction. From the reports, it's an electric type, maybe an Electrode or Raichu. Whatever it is, it's fast, and powerful. The last two trainers that tried to go after it came back with all their pokemon knocked out from powerful electric attacks."
"And you're going after that?" June asked. Kyle shrugged, grinning. "Boys." June sighed, causing Elecmon to snicker.
"Being a pokemon trainer means going out into the deep woods and trying to catch the strongest pokemon you can. You have to be a bit nuts; why else would anyone willingly sit out in the middle of a forest in a rainstorm looking for pokemon that could easily use them for appetizers."
"As I said," June replied, "boys."
"If it wasn't for that," Elecmon pointed out, "you'd never have met Kyle. Or me, for that matter." June's face turned a faint shade of pink.
Kyle smiled, realizing that Elecmon was right. He looked again at June; she was dressed in a pair of knee length beige pants, a short sleeved purple t-shirt, and a backpack. It occurred to him that that was the same outfit she had whenever she went to the digital world. His own outfit, gray pants, white t-shirt and a gray cotton jacket, was also unchanged when he went to the digital world.
June noticed Kyle's looking at her. "See something you like?" she teased.
Kyle's face went beet red. "I-I-I-I-I was just wondering...that is....gah." Kyle, thoroughly embarrassed, slumped down. June started laughing.
After a few minutes, the two recovered enough. "I'm sorry." Kyle said quietly. "I was just...June, how come our clothes stay the same when we go to the digital world, and Davis, Cody, and Yolei's change?"
"I asked Izzy about that." June replied. "I think he said it was something to do with how we saw ourselves. At least, that's how I think he explained it." As she spoke, she looked at her digivice. "When we first come to the digital world, our D-3's create a new outfit based on our self image."
"Hm. I wonder how Ken made his Emperor outfit?" Elecmon wondered. "Hawkmon said he heard Yolei wondering about that a short time back."
Kyle sighed, then looked over the hill again. A second later, he gave a strangled gasp, and froze still. Worried, June looked over the edge, wondering what he had seen.
What she saw took her breath away. It looked like a giant yellow lion, with a narrow, electric blue tail. It had a white mane, with a thick wave of light purple hair streaming along its back. It appeared to have a white, four-pointed moustache, and had a hard, dark gray, triangular plate coming from the middle of the moustache to just over the top of his head. "What is that?" she asked quietly.
"Raikou. The legendary pokemon of thunder." His voice had a bit of reverent terror in it. He started to move back when Raikou, catching their scents, looked at them, snarled, and charged up the hill at them!
==
"So, is everyone ready?" Tracey asked, as the group of digidestined left Professor Oak's place. "Kari and Izzy are staying behind to talk with Baihumon and Professor Oak about some things in the digital world, but the Professor asked me to show you around Pallet Town a bit. There's a pokemon center in town; you should be familiar with the place, since you'll be using it a lot when you come here." Tracey looked at Crystal. "Sorry if this gets too boring."
Crystal shrugged, smiling. "That's OK. But where's TK?" Eevee, resting on her shoulder, nodded.
Seth answered. "He said that Baihumon asked him and Cody to check something out in the digital world. Davis, Ken, Ryo, and Yolei are going to the Orange Islands to fill Edward and Melody in on everything that's happened, Kyle and June are near Viridian City, and Kari and Izzy are back at Professor Oak's place, keeping an eye on Charmeleon, Growlithe, and Eevee."
Wizardmon looked up. "Baihumon? The guardian of the western realm of the digital world?"
Monodramon looked impressed. "Now that's high company."
Caryl looked at Renamon. "Guardian?"
Renamon nodded. "There are four guardians of the digital world, all extremely ancient mega level digimon. Baihumon guards the western realm, Azulongmon guards the eastern realm, north is Ebonwumon's realm, and Zhuquiamon rules the south. But I thought the Dark Masters destroyed them."
"Not quite, but they were severely weakened." Wizardmon answered. "It was those guardians that summoned the first digidestined children."
"And not us?" Stuart asked. "How come we got picked later, if at all?"
"That's what Baihumon and Professor Oak are trying to figure out." Tracey said. "The guardians only picked the original eight children; how everyone else was picked is still a mystery."
==
"So?" Kari asked. "How come the other children were picked?"
"We haven't got a clue." Baihumon replied. "The only thing in common most of them have is that they all had an encounter with a digimon before getting a digivice. But that can't be enough of an explanation. You, Izzy, and the other original children were chosen because we picked you."
Kari nodded. "I remember when those light spirits possessed me while Tai and Matt were fighting. It was because the eight of us had some special attribute, wasn't it?"
"Yes." Baihumon replied. "Your digimon were chosen in a similar way. And the pokemon, in a way. Professor Oak?"
Professor Oak took over. "We did a thorough check of all the pokemon that have displayed the ability to digivolve. I assume you know about DNA and how it is the blueprint, if you will, of all life?"
"I think I heard something about it." Kari replied dryly.
"Yes. Anyway, I discovered some interesting DNA sequences in the pokemon. Here," he called up an image on a computer screen, "is an image of Charmeleon's DNA. And here is an image of Agumon's DNA."
"They're identical." Izzy said.
Baihumon nodded. "All of the digital pokemon have copied digital DNA from digimon. Kyle's Eevee has elements of Gatomon's DNA, while Crystal's Eevee has Patamon's DNA in him. And Growlithe has some of Gabumon's DNA in it."
"There's a bit more." A new voice said. Kari and Izzy looked at the newcomer. Tall, brown hair, handsome, and oddly familiar.
"Gennai." Baihumon said. "Long time." Kari and Izzy looked stunned. The last time they saw Gennai, he was an old man, barely taller then the digidestined themselves!
"Working out, and removing those Control Spires from my area. Kari, Izzy, you're looking well. I overheard what you were saying, and I have a bit more to add to that.
"When Ryo first came to the digital world, the guardians had to adjust his pokemon so they could survive in the new world. To do that, we added in an extra DNA sequence to Charmeleon that allowed him to digivolve."
"But that was just for him." Baihumon replied.
"But the program, if you will, remained in effect, even after Ryo left for his world. When Kyle came to the digital world, it picked Eevee and Growlithe."
"Why two pokemon?" Kari asked. "Except for Willis, every digidestined we met had only one partner."
"Eevee was able to adapt his own DNA to the new environment, just as any Eevee can. Growlithe was actually picked by the program we left in the Digital world, but getting hit with that control ring messed things up. If that hadn't happened, Arcanine would have appeared a lot sooner."
"So it was that program that picked the digiegg of loyalty for Growlithe?"
"Not quite." Baihumon replied. "It just made him able to use a digiegg. Technically, any digimon who has a partner can use any digiegg he or she wants to. Just look at Ken; he was able to use Yolei's digiegg with no problem." Baihumon looked at Kari. "Ken does have the crest with him, yes?"
"Gatomon said she gave it to Ken. And Cody said it helped them fight off Phantomon a short time ago."
"Good. I'm glad at least one crest survived. Baihumon and I put a lot of work into that one. And the digiegg that went with it." Gennai grinned, remembering the work they had done.
"You said that any digimon could use any digiegg?" Kari asked.
"Well," Gennai said, "any digimon with a human partner and a D-3, but the digieggs can upgrade a digivice as needed. It's a shame Ken never got the digiegg of courage; I was proud of that one."
"Davis did OK." Kari replied.
Gennai nodded "True. Anyway, the crests were made for the original digidestined, while the digieggs could be used by any of the children. Maybe even the new kids. Each of the guardians worked on two crests and eggs; Baihumon here handled Hope and Sincerity, Azulongmon was in charge of Courage and friendship, Zhuquiamon took care of light and love, and Ebonwumon created the crests and eggs of reliability and knowledge. The last two, Kindness and Loyalty, we split between the four of us."
Izzy looked at Gennai. "But who was supposed to get the crest and digiegg of loyalty? It was years before Kyle even came to the digital world."
"Actually, it was Ryo. But the Dark Masters attacked and destroyed the crest of Loyalty and the digiegg of kindness. We were not able to finish the digivices, or tune all the digieggs to the chosen digimon; We could only finish three of them and store the digimon they were linked with in them."
"Veemon, Armadillomon, and Hawkmon." Izzy finished. "But how did Kyle get the digiegg, if it was meant for Ryo?"
"It was when Charmeleon and Stingmon DNA digivolved; we realized that Ryo didn't need the digiegg, so we stored it in the digital world until it might be needed. Then Kyle came along, and Growlithe needed to digivolve, so, Kyle got the egg."
"Why not Eevee?"
"Well, Eevee adapted himself to the digital world; technically, Growlithe was picked. Although Eevee has done an excellent job himself. Still, it would have been interesting to see what Eevee would have become if he ever armour digivolved."
==
Elecmon returned Raikou's gaze, not threatening, but not backing down, either.
"What does he want?" June asked.
"I don't know." Elecmon replied. "I think I'm the first digimon he's ever seen."
Raikou looked at Elecmon for another minute, then at Kyle and June. Hesitantly, Kyle took a step forward. Sensing the movement, Raikou fired a bolt of electricity, catching Kyle off guard, and flinging the trainer backwards!
June ran over to where Kyle was. Elecmon growled and, with a flash, digivolved to Leomon. "You'll pay for that! FIST OF THE BEAST KING!" The attack shot out, but Raikou jumped over the attack, landing some distance away. The two monsters faced each other, committed to battle.
"Kyle? Kyle, wake up!" June shook Kyle gently, trying to revive the trainer.
After a second, Kyle woke up. "Wha---what happened?"
"Raikou attacked you." June said. "Leomon's fighting him now." SHe pointed, and the two saw that Leomon was now wrestling Raikou, the digimon having pushed Raikou back so the pokemon was standing on his hind legs. Leomon had one arm under Raikou's throat, holding the digimon up, the other arm pulled back, level with his wait. He launched a second blast of energy, hurling the legendary pokemon back, over, and slamming it into the ground several yards away.
Kyle tried to get up. "No!" he yelled.
Leomon heard Kyle, spun to look behind him. Raikou took that opening to get up, and launch another attack, a ball of electricity that slammed into Leomon. Leomon staggered under the power of the attack, then stood up. "Kyle, are you all right?" he called, shaking off the effect of the attack.
Kyle, with June's help, stood up. "I'm OK! Raikou," he yelled at the pokemon, "stop fighting! I'm not going to try to catch you, honest!" Raikou growled, apparently unconvinced.
"I don't think he's listening." Leomon said, moving between Raikou and the two humans. "I suggest you back off." Leomon advised Raikou. "I'm not letting you harm them."
There was a loud pop as Marowak came out of his pokeball. The small pokemon ran up, challenging Raikou, and ignoring Kyle's cry to get back in his pokeball NOW! Marowak shouted at Raikou, none of the others being able to follow what the bonekeeper pokemon was talking about. There was another sound, and the rest of Kyle's pokemon appeared, all staring firmly at Raikou. The other pokemon didn't speak, but their intention of defending Kyle and June was quite clear.
==Pallet Town Pokemon Center, an hour later.
"And over here is where we treat the seriously injured pokemon." Nurse Joy said, leading the group through the intensive care unit of the pokemon center.
Caryl looked at some of the pokemon there. "These pokemon were all in battles?" She was looking at one pokemon, a Furret that had been badly wounded by something.
Renamon looked at the pokemon Caryl was examining. "No, this one was taken by surprise. All of the damage is along the back and the rear of the pokemon."
Nurse Joy nodded. "You're right. There's a pack of Houndour that live nearby, and they ambushed a trainer and his Furret as they were training. The boy's at the hospital getting stitches now." Caryl shuddered. "Pokemon training is dangerous, but there seems to have been a change; things like this never used to happen."
"Why are we here anyway?" Monodramon whispered to Wizardmon.
"Doubtless to remind all of us that this is not a game." Wizardmon leaned on his staff. "We're fighting to defend three worlds now, and we can't afford to make any mistakes."
Seth looked around. "Hey, where'd Crystal go?"
"I think she said she had to step out for a second." Stuart replied. "I figured she had to...you know..."
==
Crystal looked at the computer screen. Izzy had explained to the group how to search the digital world for the signals from individual digivices. Somehow, she knew TK was in trouble. She found TK's signal, and a portal near it. "Digiport open!"
There was a bright flash, and Crystal felt herself pulled through the computer screen. A second later, she was in the digital world, standing by a small television, looking over a large flat plain. Checking her digivice, she found the direction TK's digivice was in. "Ponyta, GO!" Releasing the fire horse pokemon, she quickly jumped on and headed off.
==
"It looks like she used the digital portal." Nurse Joy said, checking the computer. "But I have no idea where she'd go."
"I'd guess she went after TK." Stuart said. "But why would...ah, I think I can guess. Should we go after her?"
Seth grinned. "Nah, give them a half hour. Cody's with them, so I don't think too much could happen."
"If you are sure she'll be all right." Renamon said cautiously. "Perhaps we should go after her."
"Okay, let's go." Caryl replied. Without hesitating, she took out her digivice, and the two went through the portal.
"We'd better follow them." Stuart said to Monodramon. The digimon nodded, and followed Stuart through the portal. Which left Seth, Wizardmon, Tracey, and Nurse Joy in the Pokemon center.
"Okay," Seth said. Let's go back to Professor Oak's and let them know what happened. Honestly, you wouldn't see me charging headlong into a situation like that." Seth blinked. "Did I just say that?"
"Obviously, my influence is starting to show." Wizardmon sighed. "Though we should get Kari and Izzy to go; they know the digital world better than we do."
"You don't?" Tracey asked.
Wizardmon shook his head. "I spent several years in the Human world; I am still not familiar with the ways of the new digital world. Kari, Gatomon, Izzy, and Tentomon are more familiar with the current state of the digital world, and will be of help."
Seth, Wizardmon, and Tracey exited the Center. As they did, they almost ran right into a very large yellow and black pokemon.
"Um...hi everyone." Kyle said, riding on Raikou's Back, June and Elecmon sitting behind him. "Did we miss anything?" Raikou growled, kneeling down. Kyle, June, and Elecmon got off. "Thanks for the ride!" Kyle yelled as Raikou ran off.
Seth watched Raikou leave, eyes wide. "That happen a lot here?" he asked Kyle.
==Next Episode
Investigating the destiny stone, TK and Cody come across an unknown cocoon apparently drawing power from the destiny stone itself. Before they can do anything, however, they are attacked by Chrysalimon where they meet Bastemon. Can this new digimon be trusted? And what hatches from the cocoon by the destiny stone? Next time, on Digimon: Digicross -
'Shakouomon and the stone of destiny.'
It had started well enough. Kyle had been asked by Professor Oak to leave Growlithe, Eevee, and Scizor at his lab so they could be checked more thoroughly. He had been told that Crystal, whose Eevee, Kurt, had gained the ability to digivolve, was coming over, and he wanted to do a comparison between the two pokemon.
The three pokemon had agreed to stay behind, and Kyle had no real trouble with it. But it also left him without three of his strongest pokemon. No problem, he figured. He still had Ivysaur, and his other pokemon needed some work too. He had swapped in Machop, Marril, Oddish, Marowak, and his Gastly, Windy, in. A good line up for any trainer to have.
So it was perfectly natural that, a few hours after leaving the Viridian City Pokemon Center, Marowak was asleep from a run in with a Venomoth, Machop had fainted after picking a fight with a Primeape that knew Counter, Windy was frozen after getting Metronomed by a passing Clefairy, and there was an enraged Rhydon chasing him. Ivysaur was running beside him, and he had Oddish in his arms.
"Ivysaur!"
"I know, just KEEP RUNNING!" Kyle yelled back. The two had a tricky time keeping their speed up; they had to pick through a lot of undergrowth. Rhydon didn't have that problem; anything smaller than a large tree got knocked over. There was another loud crash, which Kyle assumed was the Rhydon picking up speed. He ran a few more yards, then realized that there was no more loud crashing behind him. He stopped, looking back.
Rhydon was being restrained by..."Leomon?"
"So, how's the master trainer?" June's voice came, slightly mocking.
Kyle sighed. "I'm never going to hear the end of this."
"Oddish."
"Ivysaur." The two pokemon agreed.
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Digimon: Digicross episode 24
-The day the digiverse changed
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"So, we're off to the Orange Islands?" Davis asked. "Sounds like a great place to work on my tan!"
Yolei sighed. "We're going there to fill in Melody and Edward about what's happening in the digital world, not go on some tropical vacation. Or to see your girlfriend."
Kari held back a chuckle. She'd noticed Davis had been thinking about the newest female member of the digidestined a lot lately, though he'd always claimed it was because she had a Veemon too. Still..."And why are you going, Yolei?"
Yolei scrambled for an answer. "Because Ken and I are better at explaining things together...I mean, we're a better team than if Davis goes alone." Now Davis was grinning.
Ryo sighed melodramatically. "Then I'd better go along, seeing as I don't have a romantic interest." He walked over to Ken, and put his arm around Ken's shoulders. "Besides, someone's gotta chaperone you on your big date."
"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" Yolei yelled.
"Maybe you should ask the evil cute guy here." Ryo replied sweetly. Ken's face went red.
"I believe it was 'cute evil guy'." Hawkmon pointed out. Veemon, standing beside Hawkmon, started sniggering. "Are you sure about this, Ryo? Charmeleon isn't done with his tests yet."
"Darn straight!" the fire lizard called from the next room. "I'm in here being poked and prodded, and you're off to one of the top vacation spots in the world! How fair is that?"
"Very." Ryo replied, deadpan. He walked over to the computer, and opened a portal to the Orange Islands. "Shall we go then?" he asked, as he vanished into the portal. Davis followed Ryo in, as did Hawkmon and Veemon. Thoroughly embarrassed, Yolei dragged Ken to the digital gateway and went through.
TK, who had been watching the whole sequence of events silently, let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "I think I feel sorry for Ryo; Yolei's probably going to tear him apart, after all that."
"She won't." Kari replied. "So, what are you going to do?"
"Well, Kyle said it might be a good idea to show the new digidestined around the local pokemon center, so they get an idea of what it's like if they ever wind up in one."
Baihumon, who had arrived earlier, nodded. "The center in Stone Town's the best place to go for digimon, though the Nurse Joy there is making a point of circulating what she knows to the another centers around the Kanto region. Plus, we're going to take what we find out from all the digivolving pokemon to them as well. Oh, can I get one of you to go to the digital world? There's something odd happening near one of the destiny stones there."
"Destiny stones?" TK asked.
"Nexus of power in the digital world; look like giant stones shaped like the various crest insignia. They form anchor points in the digital world, keeping everything stable. We set them up ages ago, then rebuilt them shortly after the Dark Masters were destroyed and before Ken was turned against us." TK and Kari winced.
"Well, I'll go, and I'll take Cody with me." TK offered.
"Are you sure? I hear Crystal's going to be there." Kari teased.
TK smirked. "Maybe you should go, then. I'm not sure I can trust you and Izzy all by yourselves in a big house."
"Silly boy. Professor Oak will be there." In a slightly louder voice, Kari added "And I'm sure Izzy wouldn't dream of doing anything to me." There was a slight clatter in the next room as Izzy dropped the book he was reading.
"Silly me." TK replied, still smirking. He sent an email to Cody, asking him to meet TK in the digital world. "Well, I'd better meet everyone, then I'll go to the digital world."
"Say hi to Crystal for me." Kari said as she left the room. Holding back his laughter, TK went out a second door to the front yard.
==
Caryl walked down the dusty path. After the sights she had seen the last time she had visited this world, this was a bit of a letdown. Understandable, going from a bustling island with lots of Neat Stuff (tm) to a little town in the backwoods. Still, the scenery was nice.
"The scenery is nice." Renamon noted.
"Hmm?" Caryl looked up, lost in her thoughts. "Sorry. I was expecting something more...I don't know. Prima told me that this Professor Oak guy was supposed to be one of the top pokemon researchers around." There was a crashing noise a short distance ahead. "Eish?"
The two travelers saw a boy and a small purple dragon come charging out of the undergrowth. "You HAD to insult those pokemon! All to impress that walking rosebush!" the boy yelled.
"Her name was Bellossom!" the dragon replied. "I was just showing off, that's all!"
"You got 30 Tauros chasing us!" A second later, the aforementioned Tauros blasted out of the undergrowth. "Did you have to call the leader a walking steak sandwich?"
"It was funny at the time!"
Caryl and Renamon watched the two run. As they stood there, two of the Tauros saw them, mistook them for potential enemies, and switched to them as Take Down practise. Caryl managed to get the obligatory 'Kyaaaa!' you see in a lot of anime with situations like this before Renamon grabbed her, and jumped clear of the oncoming Tauros. Renamon landed a few feet away, put Caryl down, and got ready to face the small Tauros group.
==
Stuart and Monodramon, you ask?
"Magic Game!" The two found themselves levitating over the stampeding herd.
Stuart looked at Monodramon, impressed. "I didn't know you could do that."
"It was me, actually." Wizardmon said, also levitating. There were sounds of attacks being used, and the Tauros were slowly herded back to their pen.
"Wizzy! How've you been?"
"Doing better than you, from the looks of it. You must be Stuart." Wizardmon nodded to the human.
"Hey up there!" Another boy, about Stuart's age, came into view. "Did you get them?"
"I did, Seth. You can tell Kurt to put me down now."
"He can hear you just fine." Crystal replied, also stepping into view. "I have to admit, it takes a special kind of digimon to make a whole herd of Tauros stampede." Beside her, Kurt relaxed his concentration, and Wizardmon slowly sank to the ground. A second later, Stuart did likewise.
"Uh, Wizzy? Can I come down now?"
"That depends..."
==
Renamon leaped over the Tauros again, giving it a good smack in the back of the head as she sailed over it. The beast, unable to stop, slammed into another tree.
"Are you all right?" Caryl called to Renamon.
"So far." Renamon replied. She saw movement behind Caryl. "Look out!"
Caryl spun around, and saw a second Tauros eyeing her, head lowered, horns pointed right at her. "Uhhh....nice bull?"
The second Tauros found the path to Renamon blocked by a red bug. "Back you go." Scizor said quietly, ready to battle if needed. The Tauros backed down, though his eyes stayed fixed on Scizor. A second bug, a Scyther and with an X shaped scar on its head, herded the two Tauros back to the pen. "Are you two all right?" Scizor asked.
Caryl shuddered a bit at the odd metallic tone of the voice. "We're fine. What were those monsters?"
"Tauros."
"I could have handled them." Renamon said.
Grinning, Scizor looked at her. "Of course you could have."
==
Izzy and Kari looked at the two maps. "So, the digital world resembles the pokemon world now?" Kari asked.
Baihumon nodded. "Yes. When the digital world was reformatted after the Dark Masters were defeated, the digital world changed. I can only guess that there was still a link to the pokemon world, and the map of the digital world changed because of that link. I didn't see it until I was talking with Professor Oak."
"Izzy commented that Infinity Mountain bore an amazing resemblance to Mount Moon." Professor Oak explained. "This Digital World has some unusual features to it."
"You should have seen it when it was all converted into Spiral Mountain" Izzy replied. Baihumon shuddered, remembering what had happened. "*That* was almost surreal."
==
"Well, I'd like to welcome everyone here." TK said to the group. Everyone had gathered just outside the front door of Professor Oak's lab. "Maybe we could introduce ourselves, just so we remember who's who. I'm TK, and this is my partner, Patamon."
Caryl raised her hand. "I'm Caryl, and...where's Renamon?" Everyone looked around.
"I saw her head off with Scizor around the corner." Crystal said. "Oh, I'm Crystal, and this is Eevee, my pokemon." The Eevee on her shoulder yipped happily. She saw TK looking at her, and looked at her feet, face turning a light shade of red.
"I'll see what Renamon and Scizor are up to." Wizardmon said, nodding to TK.
"I'm Seth, Wizardmon's partner."
"And I'm Stuart, and the floating dragon is Monodramon. Uhh, can he come down now?" Stuart looked at the small wizard. "I think he's about to throw up."
"I promise, I'll never call you 'Wizzy' again." Monodramon begged.
Wizardmon sighed. "All right." With a gesture, he dismissed the spell on Monodramon, who promptly dropped into the arms of a very affectionate Muk. Yes, Ash's Muk, if you're curious. As Monodramon started yelling (to the effect of "GETHIMOFFGETHIMOFFGETHIMOFFGETHIMOFFGETHIMOFFGETHIMOFF!") Wizardmon went around the corner of the building.
==
"Was that what I thought it was?" Tentomon asked, watching Renamon and Scizor get ready.
Gatomon nodded. "They'll be peeling him off the oak tree, I think." In a louder voice: "Are you two sure about this?" Scizor and Renamon nodded.
"They're not going to start fighting, are they?" Tracey asked, sitting beside the two digimon.
"No, just showing off. Honestly, I don't know what's gotten into this younger generation." Tentomon sighed.
"We might as well get it out of their systems." Gatomon said, smiling as Tracey's Scyther also sighed, mirroring Tentomon's mood. "Okay, first one to the top of the hill and back wins. Ready...GO!" The two monsters took off, both seeming to vanish, reappearing every few seconds. Tracey was already hunched over his sketchpad, scribbling furiously.
Wizardmon walked casually over to the small group watching the race. "They seem to be in a hurry."
"It was this or a full battle." Gatomon replied. "What did you do to Monodramon?"
"I let him down. It's not my fault a Muk happened to be where he landed." Wizardmon replied innocently. "I believe he was latched rather firmly to an oak tree last time I saw him."
"And...oh, it's a tie." Tentomon said, as Renamon and Scizor reappeared. Both were dusty and a bit battered, as if they had been outrunning a rockslide.
"You could have told us the course went through a nest of Geodudes." Scizor complained.
"I found it no great challenge." Renamon said quietly. Everyone else sighed.
==
Kyle looked over the small hill. After his pokemon had recovered, he had set out again, June and Elecmon going with him. "So, what are we looking for?" Elecmon asked.
"I don't know." Kyle replied. "Lately, I've been hearing that there' something that's been driving pokemon in this direction. From the reports, it's an electric type, maybe an Electrode or Raichu. Whatever it is, it's fast, and powerful. The last two trainers that tried to go after it came back with all their pokemon knocked out from powerful electric attacks."
"And you're going after that?" June asked. Kyle shrugged, grinning. "Boys." June sighed, causing Elecmon to snicker.
"Being a pokemon trainer means going out into the deep woods and trying to catch the strongest pokemon you can. You have to be a bit nuts; why else would anyone willingly sit out in the middle of a forest in a rainstorm looking for pokemon that could easily use them for appetizers."
"As I said," June replied, "boys."
"If it wasn't for that," Elecmon pointed out, "you'd never have met Kyle. Or me, for that matter." June's face turned a faint shade of pink.
Kyle smiled, realizing that Elecmon was right. He looked again at June; she was dressed in a pair of knee length beige pants, a short sleeved purple t-shirt, and a backpack. It occurred to him that that was the same outfit she had whenever she went to the digital world. His own outfit, gray pants, white t-shirt and a gray cotton jacket, was also unchanged when he went to the digital world.
June noticed Kyle's looking at her. "See something you like?" she teased.
Kyle's face went beet red. "I-I-I-I-I was just wondering...that is....gah." Kyle, thoroughly embarrassed, slumped down. June started laughing.
After a few minutes, the two recovered enough. "I'm sorry." Kyle said quietly. "I was just...June, how come our clothes stay the same when we go to the digital world, and Davis, Cody, and Yolei's change?"
"I asked Izzy about that." June replied. "I think he said it was something to do with how we saw ourselves. At least, that's how I think he explained it." As she spoke, she looked at her digivice. "When we first come to the digital world, our D-3's create a new outfit based on our self image."
"Hm. I wonder how Ken made his Emperor outfit?" Elecmon wondered. "Hawkmon said he heard Yolei wondering about that a short time back."
Kyle sighed, then looked over the hill again. A second later, he gave a strangled gasp, and froze still. Worried, June looked over the edge, wondering what he had seen.
What she saw took her breath away. It looked like a giant yellow lion, with a narrow, electric blue tail. It had a white mane, with a thick wave of light purple hair streaming along its back. It appeared to have a white, four-pointed moustache, and had a hard, dark gray, triangular plate coming from the middle of the moustache to just over the top of his head. "What is that?" she asked quietly.
"Raikou. The legendary pokemon of thunder." His voice had a bit of reverent terror in it. He started to move back when Raikou, catching their scents, looked at them, snarled, and charged up the hill at them!
==
"So, is everyone ready?" Tracey asked, as the group of digidestined left Professor Oak's place. "Kari and Izzy are staying behind to talk with Baihumon and Professor Oak about some things in the digital world, but the Professor asked me to show you around Pallet Town a bit. There's a pokemon center in town; you should be familiar with the place, since you'll be using it a lot when you come here." Tracey looked at Crystal. "Sorry if this gets too boring."
Crystal shrugged, smiling. "That's OK. But where's TK?" Eevee, resting on her shoulder, nodded.
Seth answered. "He said that Baihumon asked him and Cody to check something out in the digital world. Davis, Ken, Ryo, and Yolei are going to the Orange Islands to fill Edward and Melody in on everything that's happened, Kyle and June are near Viridian City, and Kari and Izzy are back at Professor Oak's place, keeping an eye on Charmeleon, Growlithe, and Eevee."
Wizardmon looked up. "Baihumon? The guardian of the western realm of the digital world?"
Monodramon looked impressed. "Now that's high company."
Caryl looked at Renamon. "Guardian?"
Renamon nodded. "There are four guardians of the digital world, all extremely ancient mega level digimon. Baihumon guards the western realm, Azulongmon guards the eastern realm, north is Ebonwumon's realm, and Zhuquiamon rules the south. But I thought the Dark Masters destroyed them."
"Not quite, but they were severely weakened." Wizardmon answered. "It was those guardians that summoned the first digidestined children."
"And not us?" Stuart asked. "How come we got picked later, if at all?"
"That's what Baihumon and Professor Oak are trying to figure out." Tracey said. "The guardians only picked the original eight children; how everyone else was picked is still a mystery."
==
"So?" Kari asked. "How come the other children were picked?"
"We haven't got a clue." Baihumon replied. "The only thing in common most of them have is that they all had an encounter with a digimon before getting a digivice. But that can't be enough of an explanation. You, Izzy, and the other original children were chosen because we picked you."
Kari nodded. "I remember when those light spirits possessed me while Tai and Matt were fighting. It was because the eight of us had some special attribute, wasn't it?"
"Yes." Baihumon replied. "Your digimon were chosen in a similar way. And the pokemon, in a way. Professor Oak?"
Professor Oak took over. "We did a thorough check of all the pokemon that have displayed the ability to digivolve. I assume you know about DNA and how it is the blueprint, if you will, of all life?"
"I think I heard something about it." Kari replied dryly.
"Yes. Anyway, I discovered some interesting DNA sequences in the pokemon. Here," he called up an image on a computer screen, "is an image of Charmeleon's DNA. And here is an image of Agumon's DNA."
"They're identical." Izzy said.
Baihumon nodded. "All of the digital pokemon have copied digital DNA from digimon. Kyle's Eevee has elements of Gatomon's DNA, while Crystal's Eevee has Patamon's DNA in him. And Growlithe has some of Gabumon's DNA in it."
"There's a bit more." A new voice said. Kari and Izzy looked at the newcomer. Tall, brown hair, handsome, and oddly familiar.
"Gennai." Baihumon said. "Long time." Kari and Izzy looked stunned. The last time they saw Gennai, he was an old man, barely taller then the digidestined themselves!
"Working out, and removing those Control Spires from my area. Kari, Izzy, you're looking well. I overheard what you were saying, and I have a bit more to add to that.
"When Ryo first came to the digital world, the guardians had to adjust his pokemon so they could survive in the new world. To do that, we added in an extra DNA sequence to Charmeleon that allowed him to digivolve."
"But that was just for him." Baihumon replied.
"But the program, if you will, remained in effect, even after Ryo left for his world. When Kyle came to the digital world, it picked Eevee and Growlithe."
"Why two pokemon?" Kari asked. "Except for Willis, every digidestined we met had only one partner."
"Eevee was able to adapt his own DNA to the new environment, just as any Eevee can. Growlithe was actually picked by the program we left in the Digital world, but getting hit with that control ring messed things up. If that hadn't happened, Arcanine would have appeared a lot sooner."
"So it was that program that picked the digiegg of loyalty for Growlithe?"
"Not quite." Baihumon replied. "It just made him able to use a digiegg. Technically, any digimon who has a partner can use any digiegg he or she wants to. Just look at Ken; he was able to use Yolei's digiegg with no problem." Baihumon looked at Kari. "Ken does have the crest with him, yes?"
"Gatomon said she gave it to Ken. And Cody said it helped them fight off Phantomon a short time ago."
"Good. I'm glad at least one crest survived. Baihumon and I put a lot of work into that one. And the digiegg that went with it." Gennai grinned, remembering the work they had done.
"You said that any digimon could use any digiegg?" Kari asked.
"Well," Gennai said, "any digimon with a human partner and a D-3, but the digieggs can upgrade a digivice as needed. It's a shame Ken never got the digiegg of courage; I was proud of that one."
"Davis did OK." Kari replied.
Gennai nodded "True. Anyway, the crests were made for the original digidestined, while the digieggs could be used by any of the children. Maybe even the new kids. Each of the guardians worked on two crests and eggs; Baihumon here handled Hope and Sincerity, Azulongmon was in charge of Courage and friendship, Zhuquiamon took care of light and love, and Ebonwumon created the crests and eggs of reliability and knowledge. The last two, Kindness and Loyalty, we split between the four of us."
Izzy looked at Gennai. "But who was supposed to get the crest and digiegg of loyalty? It was years before Kyle even came to the digital world."
"Actually, it was Ryo. But the Dark Masters attacked and destroyed the crest of Loyalty and the digiegg of kindness. We were not able to finish the digivices, or tune all the digieggs to the chosen digimon; We could only finish three of them and store the digimon they were linked with in them."
"Veemon, Armadillomon, and Hawkmon." Izzy finished. "But how did Kyle get the digiegg, if it was meant for Ryo?"
"It was when Charmeleon and Stingmon DNA digivolved; we realized that Ryo didn't need the digiegg, so we stored it in the digital world until it might be needed. Then Kyle came along, and Growlithe needed to digivolve, so, Kyle got the egg."
"Why not Eevee?"
"Well, Eevee adapted himself to the digital world; technically, Growlithe was picked. Although Eevee has done an excellent job himself. Still, it would have been interesting to see what Eevee would have become if he ever armour digivolved."
==
Elecmon returned Raikou's gaze, not threatening, but not backing down, either.
"What does he want?" June asked.
"I don't know." Elecmon replied. "I think I'm the first digimon he's ever seen."
Raikou looked at Elecmon for another minute, then at Kyle and June. Hesitantly, Kyle took a step forward. Sensing the movement, Raikou fired a bolt of electricity, catching Kyle off guard, and flinging the trainer backwards!
June ran over to where Kyle was. Elecmon growled and, with a flash, digivolved to Leomon. "You'll pay for that! FIST OF THE BEAST KING!" The attack shot out, but Raikou jumped over the attack, landing some distance away. The two monsters faced each other, committed to battle.
"Kyle? Kyle, wake up!" June shook Kyle gently, trying to revive the trainer.
After a second, Kyle woke up. "Wha---what happened?"
"Raikou attacked you." June said. "Leomon's fighting him now." SHe pointed, and the two saw that Leomon was now wrestling Raikou, the digimon having pushed Raikou back so the pokemon was standing on his hind legs. Leomon had one arm under Raikou's throat, holding the digimon up, the other arm pulled back, level with his wait. He launched a second blast of energy, hurling the legendary pokemon back, over, and slamming it into the ground several yards away.
Kyle tried to get up. "No!" he yelled.
Leomon heard Kyle, spun to look behind him. Raikou took that opening to get up, and launch another attack, a ball of electricity that slammed into Leomon. Leomon staggered under the power of the attack, then stood up. "Kyle, are you all right?" he called, shaking off the effect of the attack.
Kyle, with June's help, stood up. "I'm OK! Raikou," he yelled at the pokemon, "stop fighting! I'm not going to try to catch you, honest!" Raikou growled, apparently unconvinced.
"I don't think he's listening." Leomon said, moving between Raikou and the two humans. "I suggest you back off." Leomon advised Raikou. "I'm not letting you harm them."
There was a loud pop as Marowak came out of his pokeball. The small pokemon ran up, challenging Raikou, and ignoring Kyle's cry to get back in his pokeball NOW! Marowak shouted at Raikou, none of the others being able to follow what the bonekeeper pokemon was talking about. There was another sound, and the rest of Kyle's pokemon appeared, all staring firmly at Raikou. The other pokemon didn't speak, but their intention of defending Kyle and June was quite clear.
==Pallet Town Pokemon Center, an hour later.
"And over here is where we treat the seriously injured pokemon." Nurse Joy said, leading the group through the intensive care unit of the pokemon center.
Caryl looked at some of the pokemon there. "These pokemon were all in battles?" She was looking at one pokemon, a Furret that had been badly wounded by something.
Renamon looked at the pokemon Caryl was examining. "No, this one was taken by surprise. All of the damage is along the back and the rear of the pokemon."
Nurse Joy nodded. "You're right. There's a pack of Houndour that live nearby, and they ambushed a trainer and his Furret as they were training. The boy's at the hospital getting stitches now." Caryl shuddered. "Pokemon training is dangerous, but there seems to have been a change; things like this never used to happen."
"Why are we here anyway?" Monodramon whispered to Wizardmon.
"Doubtless to remind all of us that this is not a game." Wizardmon leaned on his staff. "We're fighting to defend three worlds now, and we can't afford to make any mistakes."
Seth looked around. "Hey, where'd Crystal go?"
"I think she said she had to step out for a second." Stuart replied. "I figured she had to...you know..."
==
Crystal looked at the computer screen. Izzy had explained to the group how to search the digital world for the signals from individual digivices. Somehow, she knew TK was in trouble. She found TK's signal, and a portal near it. "Digiport open!"
There was a bright flash, and Crystal felt herself pulled through the computer screen. A second later, she was in the digital world, standing by a small television, looking over a large flat plain. Checking her digivice, she found the direction TK's digivice was in. "Ponyta, GO!" Releasing the fire horse pokemon, she quickly jumped on and headed off.
==
"It looks like she used the digital portal." Nurse Joy said, checking the computer. "But I have no idea where she'd go."
"I'd guess she went after TK." Stuart said. "But why would...ah, I think I can guess. Should we go after her?"
Seth grinned. "Nah, give them a half hour. Cody's with them, so I don't think too much could happen."
"If you are sure she'll be all right." Renamon said cautiously. "Perhaps we should go after her."
"Okay, let's go." Caryl replied. Without hesitating, she took out her digivice, and the two went through the portal.
"We'd better follow them." Stuart said to Monodramon. The digimon nodded, and followed Stuart through the portal. Which left Seth, Wizardmon, Tracey, and Nurse Joy in the Pokemon center.
"Okay," Seth said. Let's go back to Professor Oak's and let them know what happened. Honestly, you wouldn't see me charging headlong into a situation like that." Seth blinked. "Did I just say that?"
"Obviously, my influence is starting to show." Wizardmon sighed. "Though we should get Kari and Izzy to go; they know the digital world better than we do."
"You don't?" Tracey asked.
Wizardmon shook his head. "I spent several years in the Human world; I am still not familiar with the ways of the new digital world. Kari, Gatomon, Izzy, and Tentomon are more familiar with the current state of the digital world, and will be of help."
Seth, Wizardmon, and Tracey exited the Center. As they did, they almost ran right into a very large yellow and black pokemon.
"Um...hi everyone." Kyle said, riding on Raikou's Back, June and Elecmon sitting behind him. "Did we miss anything?" Raikou growled, kneeling down. Kyle, June, and Elecmon got off. "Thanks for the ride!" Kyle yelled as Raikou ran off.
Seth watched Raikou leave, eyes wide. "That happen a lot here?" he asked Kyle.
==Next Episode
Investigating the destiny stone, TK and Cody come across an unknown cocoon apparently drawing power from the destiny stone itself. Before they can do anything, however, they are attacked by Chrysalimon where they meet Bastemon. Can this new digimon be trusted? And what hatches from the cocoon by the destiny stone? Next time, on Digimon: Digicross -
'Shakouomon and the stone of destiny.'