It's time to get back to the Wi-Fi Missions! This chapter takes place between chapter 20 and the epilogue of Battle for Oblivia.
Yuuko hummed to herself as she was at a desk with a pencil in hand. She cleared her mind of any distracting thoughts as she worked. "There, finished. Perfect."
"Yuuko?"
"Eeek!" She shrieked and turned around in her chair to see her brother. "Y-Yuugo! Don't startle me like that!"
"Sorry, I was…just wondering what you were up to."
"O-oh…Well…I suppose I can tell you…just don't laugh." She went back to her desk and picked up the sketchbook she had. She showed her brother a sketch she drew. It showed a bunch of Pichu gathered around one in the center with a ukulele.
"Is that…Ukulele Pichu and his friends?" Yuugo took the sketchbook in his hands." Did you draw that yourself?"
"Yes, I…wanted to make sure I never forgot what we witnessed in Oblivia. So, I've been drawing the things we saw. And those we met."
Yuugo smiled. "That's a wonderful idea." He flipped the page over. The next one was a picture of the Sky Fortress. Then Ravio, Celebi and their friends. Then Mt. Sorbet. Then Ben and Summer. Then Rand's family. "Wow, you really went into detail on these."
Yuuko looked down and blushed a bit. "You think so?"
Yuugo stopped when he saw a sketch of a hedgehog, like Pokemon that had a flower on its head. "Oh. Shaymin."
"That was one of my early drawings."
"Heh. That takes me back. I remember the adventure we had regarding the little guy. You and Fei really pulled through for us on that mission."
It was not long after the battle with the Societea and Ben and Summer left the region. Leanne was walking home in high spirits when she heard a rustling. She looked behind her, but nobody was there. Curious, she continued her way home and heard the sound again. She turned around again, but still found nothing. However, she did notice the bushes moving. Now frightened she ran inside her house.
Rand and Nema were already inside. Tokomon and Calumon sat on the table. Matayoshi was also inside. Nema welcome her mother with a smile. "Welcome home, mom!"
Rand looked at her. "What in the world is wrong? Why the glum face?"
Leanne looked behind her. "I came home through the woods, but I felt like something was behind me the entire way…"
"Who was it? Was it a man or a woman?"
"I don't know…Every time I turned around, they disappeared into the bushes."
Nema gasped. "Could they maybe be ex-Pinchers?"
Tokomon groaned. "Oh, no, not more of those mean people…"
"That's what I thought, too, and I was really scared…" Leanne murmured.
"Hmm, that doesn't sound good." Matayoshi muttered. "The others are out on patrol right now, so if another assault like what Purple Eyes pulled were to occur, we-
There was a knock on the door and Yuuko, Yuugo and Fei came inside. "We're back." Fei said casually. "Not much to report. Ever since the Societea was taken down, not a whole lot's been happening around here."
"Hey, Fei, Yuugo, Yuuko, good timing." Rand said.
"Did something happen?" Yuugo asked.
"Please say yes." Fei sighed. "This last week has been super dull."
"The fact is, Leanne was being followed by someone in the woods."
"Was it a person, a Pokemon, or a Digimon?" Yuuko asked.
"We have no clue." Matayoshi replied.
Nema sighed. "And this still happened, even though today is mom's birthday."
"You don't really think the Pinchers might be up to something, do you?" Calumon asked. "I mean we beat those guys."
Matayoshi looked down. "Just now, Kyo-Kyo called me saying that she and her assistants have been hearing rumors of Z.Z. Flyers being spotted lately. They may have disbanded, but I would imagine that there are some who hold a grudge."
"I'll protect you mom!" Nema cheered.
Leanne smiled. "Thank you Nema. I really liked the present you gave me, too."
"Nema already gave you a present?" Rand asked.
Nema nodded. "Tokomon, Calumon and I made her an original perfume. It's called…"
FanBeemon sighed. "Here it comes…"
"The Spritz for After Working Up a Sweat Studying Ruins Perfume"!"
Everyone stared at her. "I see." Rand said after a moment of silence. "So that's why I've been noticing a faint but pleasant scent."
"Well back to the original topic." Matayoshi said. "I'll message Kyo-Kyo and have her assistants look into these rumors of spotted Z.Z. Flyers. We'd best contact the others and tell them to be on the lookout just in case."
"If the Pinchers really are up to their old tricks again, we need to be on guard." Guilmon said.
"Could they be after me?" Leanne asked.
Nema ran over to her mother. "Mom?"
"Nema, don't worry." Rand said. "Yuuko, Yuugo, and Fei are here too. We won't let them kidnap anyone easily like last time."
"Darn right." Fei nodded. "I'm not letting my guard down like before."
Leanne smiled. "Thanks, everyone."
"But why would they be after Leanne?" Yuuko asked. "Could they be trying to rely on her knowledge like Purple Eyes did?"
"You said this happened in the woods near here?" Yuugo asked. "Maybe our stalker is still close by. Let's have a look."
Everyone went outside. "Nema, you stay here and protect your mom." Rand said.
The girl nodded. "Leave it to me! If anyone strange shows up, I've got my new invention… "The Instantly-Tangle-Up-Their-Feet-And-Put-Them-Out-Of-Action-Net"!"
Everyone sighed. "Fight strange with strange I guess." Fei sighed.
"Don't do anything reckless, now." Rand said. He heard his wife gasp. "…Huh? Leanne, what's wrong?"
"I feel the same presence I felt in the woods…Someone…is close…"
Fei took out her Digivice. "Everyone be on guard!"
DIGIVOLUTION
"FanBeemon Warp Digivolve to…Duramon!"
"Hagurumon Warp Digivolve to…Andromon."
"Guilmon Warp Digivolve to…RizeGreymon!"
As the Digimon Digivolved everyone looked around. Leanne felt something to her right. "There!" She pointed to a barrel with a strange bouquet on it. It started shaking.
"Those flowers are moving?" Duramon asked.
"Negative." Andromon replied. "Heat signature detected. Those are not flowers."
"What?" Yuugo asked. "Then is it…?"
Suddenly the flowers uncurled showing a white body with green grass on top. It was a small creature that looked like a hedgehog with a pink flower. If jumped off the barrel and went towards Leanne. "What…?"
Rand identified it on the spot. "Shaymin?! Leanne wasn't being followed by the Pinchers, but by…Shaymin!"
Yuuko scanned it. "A Grass Type. It's flowers bloom when it senses gratitude and it can dissolve toxic in the air, turning ruined lands into lush flower fields."
"Our world nowadays could use a few of those things." Matayoshi muttered.
The shy Pokemon panicked and fled. "You know that Pokemon Rand?" Yuugo asked.
The Ranger nodded. "But Shaymin isn't a Pokemon that is usually found here in Oblivia. There has to be some reason for this."
"Is it a rare Pokemon?" Matayoshi asked. "If so, maybe it has something to do with the Z.Z. Flyer sightings around here. Maybe we should follow it."
"Agreed. Let's go after Shaymin!" Rand posed. "Mission on!" He led Matayoshi, Fei, Yuugo, and Yuuko into the woods. They looked around the vast clearing. "It couldn't have gotten that far yet. We have to find and protect it!"
"Ugh, there are so many flowers here." Fei sighed. "This could take a while."
"Maybe not." Yuugo said. "Andromon, you detected a heat signature from Shaymon, right?"
"Affirmative."
"Then you should be able to find it among the flowers."
"Scanning…Scanning…Heat signature detected." He led the team across the wooden bridge and over to a bouquet int the center of some bushes. "Confirmed. This bouquet matches Shaymin's heat signature."
Shocked that it's disguise failed, Shaymin uncurled and fled into the greenery. "Oh no!" Rand groaned. "Shaymin went into a area where the vegetation is really thick and there aren't any paths were people can go. What should we do…?
"Dangnabbit, I should've grabbed him!" Fei growled.
Andromon's eyes narrowed. "I am detecting a Digimon signal. Shaymin went towards it."
"What?" Yuugo gasped. "It could be in trouble! We need to get over there, fast!"
"Roger." Andromon grabbed the back of Yuugo's coat.
"Huh? What are you-WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Yuugo's Digimon made a massive leap over the greenery, taking him along.
"Y-Yuugo!" Yuuko gasped. "RizeGreymon, let's go after them!"
"Right. Yuuko, Rand, hang on tight!" The humans climbed onto RizeGreymon and he took off to the skies. Duramon let Fei and Matayoshi climb on before following them.
Yuugo grunted as he and Andromon landed in a clearing surrounded by flowers. "Oof!" Yuugo stood up shakily. "A little warning next time would be great Andromon."
"Understood."
"Who goes there?!" Yuugo looked up to see a pink bird Digimon. Shaymin was hiding behind it.
"Is that the Digimon you detected?" Yuugo asked.
"Affirmative."
"Yuugo!" As soon as RizeGreymon landed, Yuuko and Rand climbed down. Duramon followed with the others. "Huh? Who's that Digimon?"
Fei scanned it. "Biyomon, Rookie Level Vaccine Type. It's wings are developed to act like arms and usually lives on ground."
The bird looked at them. "Humans…with Digimon? Who are you guys?"
Rand looked at the pink flowers around him. "These are…Gracidea flowers?! Wow, Gracidea blooming here in Oblivia!"
"This scent…it seems familiar…" Yuuko muttered.
"Don't ignore me! I asked you a question!" Biyomon said.
"Easy there, we didn't come here to start anything." Matayoshi replied. "We were just trying to figure out what this Shaymin is doing here. It shouldn't be native to this region."
Biyomon stared intently at them. "…This…creature…A Pokemon I believe it's called…It's been restlessly hunted by strange humans in flying vehicles. The same ones that have been harassing Digimon."
"The Pokemon Pinchers." Yuugo said.
"This flower field seems to be the only place where it can find peace. But it won't be long until they spot it. If that happens, I'm going to protect it."
"Is that so?" Matayoshi asked. "And if you don't mind me asking, why are you compelled to protect it?"
"Well…because I can't stand the thought of bad things happening to it."
"And if you get destroyed trying to protect it?"
"That doesn't matter. So many Digimon and Pokemon suffered because of human actions on this island. It would have been my turn sooner or later. At least I can protect someone before I fall."
"Hmm…I admire that spirit of yours kid. But you're being a bit too careless with your life for my liking."
"And what compels you to care?"
"Because you're still young. You can do a lot more with your life. Would you rather end it early to save one life? Or live it out and save a hundred?"
Biyomon became conflicted. "That's…!"
Rand was too focused on Shaymin to hear the conversation. He snapped his fingers. "Ah ha! Now I get it. That's the reason."
"What is?" Fei asked.
"Shaymin loves the scent of Gracidea. Look, you can see how happy it is, right?"
"Shay! Shaymin!" the little Pokemon bounced and spun around.
"So that's why it came here?" Yuuko asked.
Rand nodded. "But…This Gracidea field is way too small."
"And like Biyomon said, this place is out in the open and can easily be spotted from above on a Z.Z. Flyer." RizeGreymon added.
Matayoshi nodded. "It might be best to send the little fella back where it belongs. Any objections to that Biyomon?"
"First you'd have to get it too leave. I tired myself to move it to a more concealed location. But it just keeps running back here. Like I said, it loves this place."
"I'll handle it." Rand stepped forwards and aimed his Styler.
"Hey, what are you doing?!"
"I'm going to use my Capture Styler to convey my feelings to Shaymin. Then it will understand that we're trying to protect it."
"Can…can you really do that?"
"Watch. Capture on!" Rand shot his Styler at Shaymin and started looping around it.
"Shay!" Shaymin got alarmed and thorned vines rose up trying to pierce the Styler. Rand maneuvered it around them and continued his capture.
Shaymin then summoned more that started tearing across the ground and moving towards the Ranger. "Rand, look out!" a white aura burst from Yuugo.
DIGIVOLUTION
"Andromon Digivolve to…HiAndromon." Yuugo's Digimon turned green with a red and blue head on it's shoulders. It rushed in and moved in front of Rand. "Atomic Ray." He fired a golden beam that flashed into the growing ivy, making it explode.
"Wow!" Rand grinned. "This new form on yours packs some serious punch!"
Biyomon was amazed. "How did that Andromon Digivolve so suddenly?!"
"That's because he works well with Yuugo, his human partner." Matayoshi smiled.
"Partner? Is that why these Digimon are with you humans?"
"It's true that our kind caused yours to suffer. But that is just one side of humanity. If your perspective of justice is black and white, you'll never be able to see the truth."
Shaymin summoned more thorns around it acting like a shield. "Heaven's Thunder." HiAndromon rained down bolts of electricity that destroyed them. With no obstacles, Rand finished his capture. Shaymin stopped attacked and slowly trotted its way over to him.
Rand patted it's head. "That's a good Shaymin. Yuugo, HiAnromon, thanks for covering me."
"Don't mention it." Yuugo replied. "Still, this is a wonderful scent. But I agree with Yuuko. Something about it seems familiar to me…"
"Really? I think so too. Even thought this is the first time I've ever seen Gracidea. I feel like I smelled this scent before…"
"In any case, we should get this Shaymin back where it belongs." Fei said.
"Right." Rand stood up. "Let's contact Ranger Union."
"Good thing Kenkimon and Digimon were able to get Nema's makeshift antenna working." Yuugo said.
"That won't be necessary!" A voice said. Five Z.Z. Flyers-three rode by women and another two rode by men-zoomed in.
"The Pinchers!" Rand growled.
Matayoshi sighed. "So Kyo-Kyo's info was on the money. I guess you punks haven't fully disbanded after all then."
"Don't call us by that worn-out Pinchers name!" one of them scoffed. "'Cause we've debuted a new unit!"
"We are a group of five that revere our Z.Z. Flyers, called…" the five of them posed. "The Z.Z. Family! Heh, heh. Not a bad name, huh?"
The others just stared at them. "…Okay." Yuuko muttered.
Rand cleared his throat. "Your name aside…I have to give you an apology about something."
The one on the far right looked confused. "What are you talking about? Apologizing. You're going to make us uncomfortable."
"I was wrong to have doubted you. Please forgive me."
"Yes, me too." Matayoshi nodded. "It was wrong of us to jump to conclusions like that. And I'm sorry."
"Uh. Er. Okay. I don't know what this is about, but…"
"That aside, what are you doing here?" Rand asked.
"I'll bet this Shaymin is worth a fortune!" One of the guys grinned at the small Pokemon. "If we had that kind of money, we could upgrade our Z.Z. Flyers to Super Z.Z. Flyers. We're trying to grab that Shaymin and maybe we'll be rich someday."
"Don't do something that idiotic!" Rand growled.
"Honestly, you brats need to learn some respect!" Matayoshi added.
"They say they're sorry and now they get mad…"
"Those are separate issues!" Rand replied.
"Now seriously, what were you just apologizing about?" the girl on the far left asked. "What did you suspect us of? I'm so curious, I can hardly stand it!"
Biyomon stepped in front of Shaymin. "I won't let you!"
One of the Pinchers eyed him. "That thing talks? Wait, is it one of those Digimon?"
"I bet we can sell it for a fortune too! Let's pinch it!"
"Try it, scum! Spiral Twister!"
The Z.Z. Flyers started moving all around and blasted Biyomon repeatedly with plasma fire. "Biyomon!" Rand yelled.
"Stop them!" Yuugo ordered.
"Roger." HiAndromon rushed in and shielded the bird with his body. The plasma shots couldn't even scratch his armor.
"Man, this one's resilient!" one of the guys said.
"Just keep firing!"
HiAndromon threw Biyomon over to Matayoshi before firing back. The Z.Z. Flyers started moving away.
Matayoshi looked at the beaten Digimon. "Hey, are you alright there?"
"Ugh…" Biyomon stood up. "No…these people must be stopped…can't let them…hurt anybody…"
"Take it easy." Matayoshi said. "Honestly…I know how you feel. I'm these kid's senior and all I've been able to do lately is watch then deal with all sorts of dangerous stuff. If I were able to, I'd rush in to help them. But it would only get worse if I got in their way."
"I won't get in their way…I have to fight on!"
"Heh…I like your spirit kid. You remind me of my younger self." Suddenly Matayoshi's pocket glowed and he took out his Digivice. "Hey, what's this?"
Yuuko looked at it and gasped. "Is that what I think it is?"
DIGIVOLUTiON
A light flew from it and formed a cocoon around Biyomon. "Biyomon Digivolve to…Birdramon!" He turned into a blazing phoenix.
The Pinchers stopped shooting and looked at it. "Is that the pink bird?! How'd it get so huge?!"
"Matayoshi Digivolved it?!" Rand gasped. "No way!"
"Meteor Wing!" Birdramon shot fireballs from his wings, making the Pinchers spread out in terror. "I…I had no idea I could have this much power! Sir…you're amazing!"
Shaymin then used this opportunity to put a flower in its mouth. It roared as it's body glowed. Everyone turned in the direction of the shine and saw that it had transformed. It now had a deer like body that was white with green horns and a red scarf. "Hey! Look at Shaymin!" One of the Pinchers gasped.
"Rand, what's going on?" Fei asked.
"It changed into it's Sky Form!"
"Sky Form?" Duramon asked.
Shaymin's feet slowly rose from the ground. Then it took off at high speed. "Wow! Shaymin's fast!" Birdramon said in surprise.
"We're not going to let it get away!" one of the Pinchers yelled before giving chase.
The leader looked at the other three. "What are you doing standing there?! Go after it boys!"
"Roger!"
She smugly looked at Rand's team. "The five of us were the most elite Z.Z. Flyer riders out of all the Pokemon Pinchers! Try to catch us if you want. 'Cause you'll never be able to!" They all then flew off.
"Well, isn't that cheeky." Fei scoffed. "I say we put those airheads in their place."
"I'm going too!" Birdramon said. "I can't let them get Shaymin!"
"HiAndromon! Return to Guardromon so we can follow!"
"Confirmed." Yuugo's Digimon went back to Rookie form.
An aura burst around Yuuko. "Fei!"
Another formed around Fei. "Right!"
DIGIVOLUTION
"RizeGreymon Digivolve to…ShineGreymon!" Yuuko's Digimon took a new Mega form.
"Duramon Digivolve to…Durandamon!" Fei's also appeared in a new form.
"I guess I'm not the only one who can use a new Mega Level." Yuugo smiled.
"Okay, we're going on ahead." Yuuko said.
"I'm going with you guys!" Birdramon said.
Rand nodded. "I'll follow on Staraptor, too! Matayoshi, get back to the house, call the others, and let them know what's going on."
"Hold on minute Rand-
Yuugo, Yuuko and Fei already climbed onto their Digimon. "We're off!" Fei said before they took for the skies.
Rand watched them leave. "Good luck guys. Okay, better go find a Staraptor."
"Yeah, about that…" Matayoshi murmured. "First, how are we going to get out of here?"
Rand looked around. The only exits were across the river or through the overgrowth. "Oh…uh…"
ShineGreymon and Durandamon flew ahead. Birdramon and Guardramon were right behind them. "There they are!" Fei said as they saw two Z.Z. Flyers following Shaymin.
"Brother, hurry!" Yuuko said.
Yuugo sighed. "Sorry, but Guardromon is more of a defensive fighter then a speedster. This is the fastest we can go."
"I'm pushing it as fast as I can too." Birdramon grunted. "Sorry, but you two might have to fly on ahead without us!"
"Alright." Fei nodded. Durandamon and ShineGreymon flew ahead.
Meanwhile Shaymin was dodging plasma fire as it fled, but the two boys following it started to close in. "Stop right there Shaymin! How about just giving up already!"
"I was about to tell you the same thing!" Fei said as she, Yuuko and their Digimon caught up.
"…Not bad, catching up to us."
"You're not the first Z.Z. Flyer riders we had to chase." ShineGreymon replied.
"As a reward for catching up, we'll show you the Z.Z.-handling skills that won us first place in the combo division of the Z.Z. Flyer contest." One of the guys said.
The other took aim. "You can't even get close to Shaymin!"
The other aimed as well. "Just between you and us…out technique is so great, not even Red Eyes or Blue Eyes is a match for us!"
"That's not much of a milestone at this point." Fei said.
The Z.Z. Flyers spread out before rushing past each other leaving a trail of red orbs firing at them. The team dodged the first wave. Then the enemies crossed again, continuously shooting from above. Durandamon blocked them with her blades. "They aren't bad." ShineGreymon said. "Their teamwork is commendable. You can see it in their technique. Yuuko, hang on tight!"
"Right."
They flew back down in a cross formation. They swooped back and forth, leaving more red plasma shoots flying at the Digimon. But the continued to dodge the shots. As they flew downward, their shots arched in a spiral. ShineGreymon and Duranamon had to barrel roll a few times. They crossed back and forth, firing again and again. They tilted to the left, trying to get shots in from the side. But Durandamon bashed them aside and finally got her opening. "I'll admit, you're good." She rushed at them and tore their Plasma Cannons apart with her arms. "But we're better."
One of them shuddered. "This is inconceivable! Dodging the Z.Z. Boys attacks…"
"No more plasma shots." Fei grinned. "Wanna try sending Pokemon at us like you goons always do?"
The boys looked at each other. One of them scratched the back of his head. "We could do that but…I don't like using Pokemon."
"Huh?"
"At any rate we only use Z.Z. Flyers." The other replied.
"You're…surprisingly compassionate about those things." Yuuko replied.
"Darn right we are! If we are riding Z.Z. Flyers, running away is just as much fun as chasing something is!"
"So, we're going to run!" one of the boys grinned before fleeing.
"We're going to leave the rest to the Z.Z. Girls, who are much stronger than we are!" The other then left.
"Huh…Rand and Matayoshi were right." Yuuko said. "They are completely different from Pokemon Pinchers. They don't like using Pokemon to fight their battles."
"But they're still fine with kidnapping and selling Pokemon." Fei replied.
"They said they were going to use the money for upgrades. I guess the first thing that came to mind to earn it was what they were doing while they were Pinchers."
Just then a girl on a Z.Z. Flyer flew in front of them. "We're one group of five people! What a bunch of irresponsible boys!"
Another came in from the left. "That aside…Tell us why they made that apology just now! What did they suspect us of doing?"
The third girl came in from the right. "You're stubborn, too. Who cares about that now?"
The one in the middle pointed at ShineGreymon and Duranamon. "You two! Don't be shocked when you hear this! The Z.Z. Girls, the new champions of the Z.Z. Flyers contest's trio division…that's us! Prepare yourselves!"
The three of them rotated in circles as they started to fire. ShineGreymon bashed plasma shots aside with his bare hands. They shifted between red shots green shots. Two made barricades of slow-moving green plasma bursts while one aimed faster red ones at the two. Durandamon and ShineGreymon tried their best to evade, but still got hit a few times.
"Are you two alright?" Yuuko asked.
"These girls are good." Durandamon said. "Try to hang on. We're gonna have to pick up our speed."
ShineGreymon and Durandamon started flying faster around the attacks. Eventually ShineGreymon closed the gap between them and summoned a double edge, two-sided sword. "Geo Greysword!" He zoomed in and sliced all three of their Plasma Cannons apart.
The Z.Z. girls were in shock. "J-just haw strong are you kids?"
Guardromon and Birdramon managed to catch up during the chaos. "Finally caught up!" Yuugo said. "Are you two alright?"
"We got this well in hand." Fei grinned.
"You girls weren't bad, but you don't stand a chance against the people protecting this region." TiggerVespamon said. "You just saw the tip of the iceberg."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Fei folded her arms and grinned. "It hurts my pride to admit this, but there are a couple of red-headed twins in this region who are actually even stronger than us."
"Y-you're serious?"
Yuuko nodded. "It's true. If you couldn't best me and Fei, you wouldn't have stood a chance against the Cyber Sleuths. Or Ben and Summer for that matter."
The girls went silent for a moment before the one in the middle sighed. "As long as there are people like you, it looks like it would be best for us to give up on grabbing Pokémon."
"Aren't you being too much of a good sport?" the one on the left asked. "I wasn't able to give 100 percent because I was so, so interested in what they were apologizing about!"
The girl on the right groaned. "Not this again…"
"It looks like from now on, we may have to earn money by doing air shows or something."
"Hey, that might work! Let's go practice right away!" the one on the left flew off.
"I have to hurry and master that triple axel flip!" The one on the right departed as well.
"That sure was a quick change of attitude…" The last one laughed. She then looked at Birdramon. "By the way, you Digimon?"
"What is it?" the Birdramon asked.
"Those guys who made an apology to us, their enemies…I thought they were rather admirable. You have a good mentor and partner there with that old guy in the coat. That's all I wanted to say."
"Mentor?"
"Bye now!" the last Z.Z. Flyer sped off.
"I didn't think about that…" Birdramon said. "Those guys didn't really need to apologise to them, but he did anyway…"
"That's how Matayoshi's always been." Yuuko replied. "He tries to see the perspective of friend and foe alike."
"Matayoshi? Is he the guy who gave me this power?"
"Yup, that's him." Fei replied. "In any case, now that those five are gone, what should we do about Shaymin?"
"Shay!" Everyone looked in front of them and the Shaymin was charging at them. They dodged at as it flew by before it shot blades of wind at them.
"Shaymin, stop!" Birdramon said.
"He's in a fit of panic!" Yuuko said. "If only Rand was here, what we need now is a capture Styler!" Another blade was sent at ShineGreymon who barely dodged. Yuuko lost her footing on her Digimon and fell.
"Yuuko!" Yuugo caught her as Guardramon flew by. "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yuugo! Thank you…"
Shaymin suddenly stopped It stared at the twins. "What's it doing now?" Fei asked.
"Shay!" Shaymin happily flew over to the twins and spun around them. "Shaymin! Shaymin!"
"Huh? Is he…calmed down?" ShineGreymon asked.
"Huh. That was easy." Durandamon shrugged.
Fei heard her Digivice go off. She picked up the call. "Hello?"
Rand's voice replied. "Fei, come in. I'll be caught up with you momentarily. Matayoshi just gathered Takumi and the others and they should be heading there soon, they just…ran into a couple of snags…"
"Call them off. We already chased off those cronies. Shaymin's alright too."
"…What? You already successfully protected Shaymin?"
"Yup."
"…I'm sure I'm right about your potential. You Zaxon kids are the best in a decade!"
"Ah, quit it, you're starting to embarrass me. By the way, what're these "snags" the others ran into? Did something happen?"
"Well…why don't you come back to the house and see for yourself. We'll all wait for you there."
"So…something you want to tell us about Yuuko?" Arata asked.
The girl tried to ignore the fact that everyone was staring at her. Or more accurately at Shaymin who was back in its normal form and sitting on her head. "Umm… He seems to have taken a liking to me."
Ami giggled. "Gosh, this seems familiar."
"Now if I may ask a question…what exactly happened here?" Yuuko looked at the tree closest to Rand's house. Date was stuck high up in a net and her wrists and ankles were lashed together in rope.
Nema giggled nervously. "Well, you see…remember my newest invention? You know, the "The Instantly-Tangle-Up-Their-Feet-And-Put-Them-Out-Of-Action-Net"? Well, turns out it was a resounding success…Just didn't get the target I had in mind."
Nokia looked up at her trapped cousin. "You don't say."
Fei laughed. "Nema, this is easily your greatest invention yet."
"And most likely your last." Date growled.
"Hey, I didn't do this on purpose!" Nema yelped.
Kyoko smiled. "On the bright side Nema, you proved Hedy Lamarr right about his theory."
"What's that?"
"All creative people want to do the unexpected."
Nema looked up at Date. "Well, you guys all came back to surprise mom for her birthday. But I guess you got the biggest surprise of the day!"
Date glared at Nema. "Tell ya what kid. It's still your mom's birthday, so once I get out of this, I'm giving you a five-minute head start."
Nema gulped. "Uh, guys, how soon can we get the UFO Clone up and ready to fly?"
"But we haven't finished the modifications yet, it's not safe to launch it even for a test flight." Tokomon replied.
"Neither is staying here!"
"Now, now, detective Date." Ami said. "Thomas Edson once said "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration"."
"Oh great! Now the fishy lady's rubbing off on you!" Date groaned. "She's already poisoned your little brain!" Everyone laughed as ShineGreymon went over to help the detective down.
Everyone gathered inside the house. "So, this is Shaymin?" Nokia asked. "Aww, look at him!"
Nema petted it. "It's sooo cute!"
Shaymin looked at the people surrounding it. When it spotted Leanne, it hopped over to her with a smile. "Oh, Shaymin…What are you doing sniffing around?"
Rand's eyes lite up. "…So that's it! I finally figured it out!"
"What did you figure out, papa?" Nema asked.
"Shaymin, who was in the woods, was attracted by the smell of the perfume Leanne was wearing!"
"That's why it was following her?" Ami asked.
"Really?" Leanne asked. "It wasn't drawn to my natural charms?"
"Well. Uhhh…I I'm sure that was part of it…" Rand replied.
Yuuko then had an epiphany. "Nema, what was that perfume you made your mother made out of?"
"I extracted the scent component from a pink flower. Herb planted some seeds in a certain spot, and this year, there were pretty blossoms everywhere!"
"Was the flower called Gracidea?"
"Yeah, that's right! Gracidea!"
"I thought those flowers we saw smelled familiar! It was the same thing you used to make that perfume!"
"What's Gracidea?" Arata asked.
"It's a type of flower Shaymin loves." Yuugo replied. "We saw a bunch of them earlier."
"Gracidea flowers? In Oblivia?" Leanne asked.
"Yeah, practically a whole flowerbed." Fei replied.
"That sounds amazing!" Nokia smiled.
"Let's go look at them later, mom!" Nema said. "It's not far from our house!"
"Hmmm…there's just one thing that doesn't add up." Takumi said.
"What's wrong Takumi?" Terriemron asked.
"We've solved all the mysteries." Nema added.
"No, not all of them." Takumi shook his head. "You guys said there was a whole flowerbed of Gracidea over there, right? Why would Shaymin be attracted to Leanne to the point where it would leave there when it was already surrounded by Gracidea that would together have a scent many times stronger than the perfume?"
Nema folded her arms. "Now that you mention it…"
"A good observation Watson." Kyoko nodded.
"Yeah, that's a good question." Biyomon nodded. "I couldn't get Shaymin to budge from that spot. And suddenly it leaves while I had my back turned."
Matayoshi smiled. "I think I can answer that." Everyone looked at him. "The perfume's not the only factor. Yuuko, remember what your Digivice said when you scanned the little guy?"
Yuuko took out her Digivice, opened the Browser and whipped up the page on Shaymin. "It's flowers bloom when it senses gratitude and it can dissolve toxic in the air, turning ruined lands into lush flower fields."
Kyoko smiled. "It can sense gratitude…Now I see."
Leanne smiled. "That's right. Shaymin is also know as the gratitude Pokémon. I remember reading somewhere that it appears when someone feels grateful."
Ami smiled. "So that's it!"
Nema tilted her head. "What? I'm the only one who doesn't get it!"
"It was attracted by Leanne's gratitude towards you Nema." Matayoshi smiled. "That's what I think anyway."
"She was full of gratitude towards you from when you gave her that present." Ami said. "Shaymin felt that and followed her home."
Leanne laughed. "That's exactly it!"
"Mom!" Nema hugged her mother lovingly.
"By the way, I'm assuming one of those "snags" that slowed you guys down was Date getting stuck in a net." FanBeemon asked. "What were the others?"
"Just one other." Arata squinted. "But it was a heck of a mess. I'm surprised nobody brought up the smell."
"Oh, that's right. This is a present from me…" Rand nervously looked at the smoking pot on the stove. "I thought I would make a delicious dinner in secret but it's bunt in a crisp…"
"Oh dear…" Guilmon sighed.
"I though Nema was trying another experiment." Fei muttered.
"Hey!"
"It's just like that incident from the first time we came to this house, only this time Ben wasn't around to gather Water Pokémon to put out the fire." Takumi sighed. "Thank goodness for Ikkakumon and Ocean Wave."
Rand put his hand over his face. "I'm sorry Leanne! I'll think of something different to make up for it!"
Leanne laughed it off. "That's okay. Your honesty when you said sorry for making a mistake is the best present."
"Oh brother." Fei said looking away.
Nokia laughed. "Wow! You two are so lovey-dovey, I think you broke some of the people here!" She smiled, looking at Fei, Takumi, Ami, and Arata who were all flustered at the moment.
Nema giggled. "They're all embarrassed and don't know where to look!"
"I…just though of something…" Yuuko said.
"What's up?" Palmon asked.
"The reason why Shaymin stopped attacking us might have been…because of how grateful I was for my brother saving me just now."
Yuugo smiled at his shy sister. "Yuuko…"
"Awww!" Nokia grinned. "That would explain why he was so attached to you!"
Date petted the Pokemon. "Wow, Shaymin really is a cutie."
"It sure is!" Nema chirped. "Can we keep it?"
Rand shook his head. "We can't do that Nema."
"What? Come on!" Nokia whined.
"Shaymin isn't safe here Nokia." Takumi replied. "We should send it back where it belongs."
"But do we even know where that is?" Arata asked.
"I have an idea." Kyoko said. "From what I'm given to understand there are people in other regions who raise and care for Pokemon. Some care for them like pets, some collect them or research them, and some raise them to reach their full potential. Kind of like you kids with your Digimon. They call them Pokemon Trainers. The tools used to catch Pokemon are illegal here in Oblivia, but if we find a suitable Trainer in another region to look after him, Shaymin should be fine."
Rand nodded. "That's a great idea, Kyoko. I'll contact Ranger Union. They have a filling system for all Pokemon Trainers around the world and their backgrounds. They should have no problem finding one that will take great care of Shaymin."
"If I may." Everyone turned to Biyomon as he approached Matayoshi. "Mr. Matayoshi. I wanted to thank you for everything today."
"Don't just thank me kid. Yuuko, Yuugo and Fei did most of the work."
"But the way you worked inspired me. You were right. Not all humans are evil. You are satisfied with no less then the absolute truth. You try to understand why your enemies do what they do. And you do everything for the benefit of others…That in mind after seeing these humans work with Digimon I have a proposal. Would you allow me to work with you?"
"What, as my Partner Digimon?"
"I'd say that's a great idea." Yuuko smiled. "You are compatible with each other. The proof is that you can make Biyomon Digivolve."
"Hmmm…not a bad idea." Matayoshi smiled. "It would be great if I could help the kids out more. Alright, you got a deal Biyomon."
The Digimon saluted. "Thank you, sir! I promise to give it my upmost!"
Date smiled. "Good for you Matayoshi! I can show you the ropes! Lopmon and I are an awesome combination!"
"Yeah! Plus, we got advice from Nokia and her partners! That means we'll be perfect to teach you!"
Matayoshi laughed. "Is that so? We'll I'll put my faith in you two."
"Everyone, we've successfully protected Shaymin. Mission Clear!" Rand performed his pose. And then there was nothing but silence. He looked around him, expecting someone to join in, but everyone just stood there and stared. "…I miss Ben and Summer." Rand sighed. Everyone laughed. "I'll contact the Ranger Union later…To celebrate our successful mission, the recruitment of Biyomon and of course Leanne's birthday, how about we all go have a picnic in the Gracidea field?"
"That sounds delightful!" Yuuko chirped up.
"Yaaay!" Nema, Nokia, Calumon, Tokomon, Agumon and Gabumon jumped for joy cheering.
"I wonder how Shaymin is doing right now." Yuugo said.
"I'm sure they found it a suitable Trainer by now." Yuuko replied. "It's defiantly living a happy life wherever it is."
Yuugo smiled at the next picture. It was a field of Gracidea flowers. The same flowerbed they saw on that picnic. "That was quite a sight, wasn't it?"
Yuuko smiled. "I wanted to make sure that image stayed with me forever."
"Takumi and Ami took pictures to show their mother though." Guilmon said from her Digivice. "I can message Terriermon and ask him to get them to send a copy to you if you want."
"Thanks, Guilmon, but that isn't necessary. They say if your draw something it helps you remember it. When I think about how we lost our memories of eight years ago, or how Fei, Ryuji and many others forgot about what happened before we changed our world…I figured we should do what we can to make sure we don't forget again."
Yuugo smiled as he handed back the book. "Yuuko…You've really grown up."
"Thanks to you, Takumi, Ami, and everyone who supports me, brother. I'll always remember this feeling of gratitude."
And that concludes the Shaymin Mission. I also thought I'd use this to write up how Biyomon joined the team since it was between arcs three and four.