==Digital World
"Come back here!" Zero hollered, chasing after the small metallic digimon. "No one steals MY lunch!" (No, digimon don't have to eat. They just like to, alright? They can stop any time, really... -ed).
"Hey, you were going to throw it out!" Metal Koromon shouted back. "You'd finished!"
"Rrrr...I stopped to GET A DRINK OF WATER!"
Ryo Akiyama shook his head. "It's like living in a cartoon." he sighed. He glanced at Cyberdramon, sleeping lightly. The ultimate-level digimon suddenly looked up. "Beam." he growled.
"Zero! Data Stream coming this way!" Ryo shouted. "Get over here!" As he yelled, Ryo could see the beam, shooting from the Earth, hanging in the sky, and tracing a path along the ground. "Zero!"
"Come on, you silver football!" Zero growled, finally catching up with Metal Koromon. "Now...ulp." Zero grabbed Metal Koromon, looked up, and saw the giant beam come racing at him. "RYOOOOO!" Zero yelled as the beam swept him up.
Ryo watched as the beam went on its way. "Looks like it's just you and me now." he sighed.
== Digicross Tamers Episode 22
'Obsessed digimon Ice Devimon!' ==
"Where's the tunnel?" Takato asked. "Aren't we supposed to be flying down a big grey tunnel?"
Hitomi looked around. Back home, she had gone to the digital world countless times. Each time, it felt like she was flying through a tunnel of light. It certainly didn't involve walking down a dark corridor with floating green symbols. "It is different." She finally said.
"It was how digimon came to the real world." Renamon answered. "Although the trip there was much quicker. I think there is something pushing us back, slowing us down."
"Another digimon?" Jeri asked. "Maybe a Deva?"
"I don't think so." Gabumon replied, looking around. "It feels like we're swimming upstream."
"I guess." Henry sighed. "It must be easier for digimon to come to the real world than for people from the real world to go to the digital world. Or maybe you're all just slowing down so we can keep up." he remarked, glancing at Terriermon.
"Are you challenging me to a race?" Terriermon replied. "Come on, I'll beat you all there!"
"We should stick together." Jeri spoke up, feeling a bit nervous.
"You alright?" Takato asked. Jeri nodded. "Yeah, I still can't believe it. We're actually going to the digital world. I couldn't sleep at all last night."
"Please." Rika groaned. Beside her, Renamon sighed quietly, then stopped. "Renamon?"
Renamon looked down the corridor, then, eyes wide, yelled "DOWN!", knocking Rika to the floor. Hastily, everyone hit the ground, just as a blue bolt of energy shot overhead. "A transport beam." she explained a few seconds later. "More digimon must be going to the real world."
Jeri looked back, worried. "It's alright." Gabumon reassured her. "Mr. Wong and Alice are there, if there's any trouble."
"And Suzie." Terriermon added. Flinching under Henry's glare, he added "what? She'd probably give any Devas that showed up the princess treatment, and send them running in terror."
"Terriermon." Henry growled.
"Henry, please! Your sister loves with fury!" Terriermon replied, waving his arms (This one's from the Tamers manga. Too good to pass up. -ed) "Well, at least she's got Houndour to work on now. Hey, Hitomi? I hope pokemon are as durable as Digimon." Hitomi smiled but said nothing.
Rika noticed Renamon looking a bit preoccupied. "What is it?"
"I was just remembering the last time I came through here." Renamon replied. "It seems like years ago."
"Close to only one." Rika agreed. "I remember all those digimon were hanging there, waiting for me to pick one of them."
"Some of the digimon knew that a powerful tamer was about to be chosen, and they all wanted to be the one picked. But there were more digimon there than you knew, Rika..."
==Then
"No, I will be the one!" Aquilamon snarled, flapping his wings at the digimon trying to force him away. "The Tamer shall be MINE!"
"I disagree!" Musyamon retorted, batting a Snimon away with the flat edge of his sword. "It shall be me!"
"Fight all you want." A sibilant voice said. "But it shall be me." There was a wave of cold, and Musyamon was frozen in a block of ice.
"Ice Devimon? Bah, you want a trophy, not a Tamer!" Aquilamon glared at Ice Devimon, staying near the dull rectangle.
"What I want is none of your concern, you puffed up pigeon. Now one side. Let a digimon of true power enter the world."
"She has not chosen yet." Renamon said quietly, not bothering with the petty squabbling.
"Begone, Rookie! This is no place for a child like you." Aquilamon stormed, advancing on her. He was stopped short when his wings were pierced by several ice spears.
"A rookie." Ice Devimon noted. "But not a normal one, no. I can see it in you, a burning passion to fight. Ah, to freeze such a noble spirit and have it for my own...amusement." Renamon's eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. "I can feel that girl who is about to choose one of us. I can feel her icy heart, calling out to me. But if you wish, I can freeze you and bring you with me."
"I've seen Yukimibotamon that are more threatening." Renamon replied quietly. Grinning fiercely, Ice Devimon launched himself at Renamon, claws stretched out. "I'm waiting." Renamon added, as she dodged one claw swipe, then another. Ice Devimon launched a wave of cold, which Renamon jumped over. "Diamond Storm!"
Ice Devimon ducked the attack. "Cute. But you missed."
"You were not the target." Renamon replied, as the attack shattered the ice prison holding Musyamon. With a howl, Musyamon jumped on Ice Devimon sword stabbing down repeatedly, skittering off of Ice Devimon's frozen hide. Running behind the two, Renamon gave Ice Devimon a mighty kick, and sent the two back down the long black corridor.
"Well played." Ice Devimon said quietly as he tried to get the enraged Musyamon off of him. "But I can wait, Renamon. And I will."
==Now
"So, they all wanted to be my digimon that badly." Rika said thoughtfully. "Well, I can't blame them."
"Several digimon had heard that there was a skilled tamer ready to choose a digimon. Many felt, and still feel, that humans are the key to discovering why everyone lost the ability to digivolve." Renamon glanced down the black corridor. She shivered, and stopped.
"Did it get cold in here?" Jeri asked, looking around. "Hey, I can see my breath!"
Renamon's eyes narrowed. "He survived."
"I did." Ice Devimon said, appearing in front of Renamon. She jumped back, startled. "As I said, a masterful play, Renamon, showing your worth as a fighter. But you've had your fun. Rika with me and I shall give you the world on a frozen platter." Rika stepped back, not sure how to reply. "Renamon might have been fun, but only I can put you on the pedestal you deserve."
That got Rika's anger up. "HEY! I'm not some piece of eye candy! I don't need some oversized snowman, 'cause I already have a partner. And she's a lot stronger than you'll ever be."
"Wow. I've never seen Rika this mad before." Takato said. "I hope she doesn't fight Ice Devimon herself."
"Yeah. Ice Devimon'd lose in a second." Terriermon replied, flinching as Henry rapped him on the head.
She glanced at the other tamers. "This is our fight, if you don't mind?" Everyone nodded. She glowered at Ice Devimon, taking a card out of her belt-pack. "Renamon...walk all over him."
"With pleasure." Renamon answered.
"Many digimon have come through this path, Renamon. I am much stronger than you, my dear, for I have fed on many of them."
"Pity you did not try the Devas, Ice Devimon."
"He couldn't" Rika spoke up. "He's just a coward under all that goth-ice garbage."
"Oh, you are so wrong about me." Ice Devimon answered, feigning hurt. One of his claws grazed Renamon's leg, forcing her to roll away. "Come, let me show you the depths of my icy heart."
==Real World
Janyu stared at the screen. "I don't like it."
"Me, neither." Babel said. "But I never liked Dolphin's stuff."
"Oh, har-de-har-har." Dolphin replied. "You have any better ideas for getting everyone back? We do have a bit of a time limit here." He waved at the pile of notes in front of him. "We use this re-creation of the old portable devices as a template for a transport system to get everyone home. Simple."
"But we'd need weeks just to re-write it to our needs. We don't know what kind of conditions are down there in the Digital World. And what if another digimon finds it before the kids do?" Janyu slumped down.
At that moment the screen came to life. "Guys? I have an idea for getting everyone home." Izzy said.
==Interdimensional
"Diamond Storm!" Renamon yelled, launching a flurry of daggers at Ice Devimon.
The devil digimon ignored the attack, even though it did do some damage. "No Musyamon to save you this time, my dear. I shall defeat you, freeze them, and take Rika back to the Human world and rule it."
"Why Rika?" Renamon demanded.
"We are alike." Ice Devimon answered, savouring Rika's angry expression. "More alike than a mere child like you could ever be."
"You couldn't be more wrong." Rika snarled. "Renamon!" With a roar, Renamon leaped into action, raining blows down on Ice Devimon, all with little effect. "Digi-Modify! Omega Blade activate!"
A huge white sword appeared in Renamon's hands, and she swung it downwards, bisecting Ice Devimon. "But...I'm a Champion..."
"No. You're a loser." Renamon answered. "And you're nothing like Rika." She ignored the data that was escaping from Ice Devimon, walking back to Rika's side. The sword in her hands vanished.
"Imperialdramon Paladin Mode's Omega Sword?" Takato asked. "A little overkill, maybe?"
"He needed it." Renamon replied. "And he was annoying Rika."
"And I don't like being annoyed." Rika added, glancing at Takato. Jeri giggled a bit at the sight.
"Hitomi?" Eevee asked.
"Just a little homesick. All we need is for Takeru to be here so Rika can hit him."
"Not a complete trip until someone clobbers him." Eevee agreed.
==Pokemon World
"Ah-CHOO!" Takeru doubled over, wheezing. As he tried to right himself, a pencil eraser bounced off his head.
"If you're quite done, Mr. Motomiya?" Professor Davies said, glaring at the boy.
"Sorry, teacher. I guess someone was talking about me." Takeru answered.
(It should be noted that Mr. Davies was later removed from his teaching post after accidentally catching a student in the eye with a flying eraser. Remember teachers, don't throw stuff at students! They may have rich parents that can sue you for lots of money! -ed)
==Tokyo
"Fascinating." Dolphin murmured, looking at the computer readout. "And this is an actual pokemon?"
"Yes." Izzy replied from his improvised lab in the Digital World. "Porygon started off as a computer simulation of a pokemon, but then developed its own intelligence and the ability to evolve. I think we can adapt one to use as a means to get everyone home. It's more than capable of surviving in hostile environments. And in a computer-derived environment like the Digital World, it should thrive.
"Alright, upload Porygon, and we'll get started on the modifications!" Janyu said, excited. "Can you keep in touch?"
"Easily. Now that the portal is set up in our digital world, we can get signals across much faster than ever before."
==Interdimensional.
Takato blinked, and all the darkness and ASCII symbols were gone. It was all...blue?
"Just stay focussed." Renamon said. "And whatever you do, don't look down." Jeri instinctively glanced down, and shrieked. "Oh dear." Renamon sighed. Everyone wondered what Jeri had seen, looked down, and, metaphysically speaking, assigned 'down' a physical direction.
(Kids, NEVER assign 'down' a direction if you can help it. -ed)
"We're going to DIE!" Jeri shrieked.
"We're NOT!" Gabumon yelled. "Trust me, it works differently here!" Everyone felt a huge jolt as they passed through what the humans assumed was a cloud.
Eevee shouted. Looking over, Rika saw that Hitomi had been pulled away from the group. "Hitomi!" Rika shouted.
"Get away!" Gabumon yelled. "There's a beam coming your way!" Hitomi looked over her shoulder, and saw a bright orange column of energy headed towards her. Quickly, she pulled out Eevee's pokeball. However, she passed through a second cloud, and the pokeball was torn out of her hand. She had time to look at Eevee, then the beam swallowed her up and sped away.
==Elsewhere in the digital world
Chatsuramon glanced around. The portal had -not- opened where he had expected it to. In his mouth was a cage holding Calumon. Impmon looked around, unimpressed. "This place is even more of a dump than I remember it."
"It will be cleansed, Impmon." Chatsuramon replied. "Our sovereign lies this way. Where is the human?"
"Still unconscious." Impmon indicated Yamaki's body, lying on the ground.
Sighing, Chatsuramon knelt. "Place him on my back, Impmon. I have strength enough to carry this thing to our master."
"I suggest you let them go, dog." A large digimon commanded, stepping into view. It looked a bit like a horse, but walked upright, and it held a giant conch shell, the opening aimed at Chatsuramon.
"Ah, Indramon." Chatsuramon said. "The last holdout. Have you come to join us?"
"No, merely to save Calumon and the human. I don't know who you are, but you should leave." Indramon addressed Impmon. "He is a deceiver, and you lack the power to be of use in this fight."
Impmon's eyebrow twitched. "You ahhh...you want to repeat that? I don't think I heard you right."
"You did. This Deva is beyond your power."
"That's what I thought you said." Impmon growled. "Hey, get the creampuff and the psycho to your boss. I want a piece of horseface here." Indramon looked somewhat less than impressed. "Now then...DEVA CLONE!"
Indramon stepped back, astonished. "That...that's Khumbiramon's power!"
"And here's one I learned from a Pteramon! SIX WAY SIDEWINDER!" All six Impmons suddenly fired missiles, all striking Indramon.
This is impossible, Indramon thought. He's barely a rookie, but I...FELT that. "What are you?" Indramon demanded.
"I'm going to be the strongest digimon EVER!" Impmon proclaimed. "Infernal Fireball...SUMMON!" A pentagram appeared under Indramon, and the Horse Deva was wrapped in flame. "Think on that while you bake, pal. Maybe I'll come back when you're interesting to fight." Impmon strode off.
Impressive, Chatsuramon noted. "Impmon...you would make an excellent Deva. Maybe you could even be accepted as one of the Sovereign. We have an opening, as you know..."
==
Jeri sat up, Gabumon lending her a hand. "I'm...alive?"
"Yes." Gabumon answered. "Long falls don't normally destroy a digimon. At least, not here. Come on." He led Jeri out of an impressive-looking crater over to the others. Rika, Henry, Takato, their digimon...
"No sign of Hitomi?"
Henry grimaced. "We just found this." he replied, holding up Eevee's pokeball.
Takato had Eevee in his arms. "She's not..."
"No." Renamon answered. "That was a transit beam. It merely took her somewhere else.:"
"Yeah." Terriermon added. "Who knows where, though? I got caught by one once, and I wound up two levels down and a week's travel away. Uhh...I'm not helping, am I?"
"No, you're not." Henry sighed.
"Hi...Hitomi?" Eevee murmured, recovering. "HITOMI!" he suddenly shouted, jumping out of Takato's arms. "Where is she?" he demanded.
"We don't know." Jeri answered, a bit unwisely.
Eevee looked at each of the tamers, then frowned. "Out of my way. I'll find her."
"You can't go off on your own!" Takato said. "We don't even know which way she is! And what about Calumon?"
"Hitomi's all I care about." Eevee answered coldly.
"Calm down." Renamon said, advancing on Eevee. "I'm sure she's alright."
"Without me? Yeah, right. I-" Eevee was suddenly wrapped in red light, and was pulled into his pokeball. Rika put the ball in her pocket, frowning.
"He'll be even worse when he comes out." Henry advised her.
"Then I'd better find her quick." Rika replied, glancing at Renamon. Before Henry could protest, she continued. "Look, Renamon's a lot more familiar with the digital world, and she can move a lot faster than anyone else. We find her, and meet up with you."
"Where?" Takato asked.
"Wait a second." Jeri said, taking out her D-3. She closed her eyes, looking as if she was praying. The D-3 lit up, and the small compass ring appeared on the screen, the arrow pointing at Rika. "I thought it'd work. Just think of one of us, and the D-Arc should show you the way."
Rika groaned. This was getting too close to a sappy dramatic manga. "Alright. I saw which way the beam was headed, so I know where to start looking. Ready Renamon?" Renamon nodded, eyes fixed on a location in the distance. "Digi-modify! digivolution activate!"
"Renamon, digivolve to...Kyuubimon!" With a shout, Rika jumped on Kyuubimon's back, and the two sped away, kicking up a trail of dust.
"Good luck." Jeri said quietly. "I hope they find her."
"Relax." Henry said. "Hitomi still has Noctowl with her. And she's smart enough to avoid trouble."
"So, where do we start looking?" Takato asked.
"Hey, Yamaki has a digivice, right?" Terriermon said. "Maybe we could find him with ours?"
"Maybe." Henry replied. "Hmph. Who'd have thought we'd be looking for Yamaki."
"Hey, Ryo's down here too, isn't he?" Takato asked. Gabumon nodded. "Maybe we can find him too!"
==
Ryo ran over to the crater. It hadn't been too long since Zero and Metal Koromon had vanished, and he hoped that they had found a way back to him. "No offence, Cyberdramon. But you're not the best company."
"Rrrr..." Cyberdramon replied.
Smirking, Ryo made it to the edge of the crater. "They must have flown up somehow, but I've never heard of a transport beam..." Ryo got a good look at the person in the crater. "A girl?" he breathed, stunned.
In the crater, Hitomi stirred, knocked out by the fall.
==Real World
"I'm getting something." Babel said, glancing at the screen. "It looks like the portal is opening up again. I think something...no, two somethings are coming through!"
Janyu glanced at Kotemon, who nodded. "Ready."
The portal flared into life, and spat out two creatures, one small and blue, the other a silver oblong with ears. "Umm...hi?" Zero said uncertainly, waving.
Next Episode: Hitomi wakes up to find herself separated from Eevee and the other tamers. However, she meets this world's Ryo Akiyama, and tells him about their quest. And on the real world, Zero and Metal Koromon manage to sneak out of Hypnos and come across their partners. Watch the merry chase! Next time, on Digicross Tamers:
'I'm a legend? Kazu Zero DOES NOT equal 100%'
"Come back here!" Zero hollered, chasing after the small metallic digimon. "No one steals MY lunch!" (No, digimon don't have to eat. They just like to, alright? They can stop any time, really... -ed).
"Hey, you were going to throw it out!" Metal Koromon shouted back. "You'd finished!"
"Rrrr...I stopped to GET A DRINK OF WATER!"
Ryo Akiyama shook his head. "It's like living in a cartoon." he sighed. He glanced at Cyberdramon, sleeping lightly. The ultimate-level digimon suddenly looked up. "Beam." he growled.
"Zero! Data Stream coming this way!" Ryo shouted. "Get over here!" As he yelled, Ryo could see the beam, shooting from the Earth, hanging in the sky, and tracing a path along the ground. "Zero!"
"Come on, you silver football!" Zero growled, finally catching up with Metal Koromon. "Now...ulp." Zero grabbed Metal Koromon, looked up, and saw the giant beam come racing at him. "RYOOOOO!" Zero yelled as the beam swept him up.
Ryo watched as the beam went on its way. "Looks like it's just you and me now." he sighed.
== Digicross Tamers Episode 22
'Obsessed digimon Ice Devimon!' ==
"Where's the tunnel?" Takato asked. "Aren't we supposed to be flying down a big grey tunnel?"
Hitomi looked around. Back home, she had gone to the digital world countless times. Each time, it felt like she was flying through a tunnel of light. It certainly didn't involve walking down a dark corridor with floating green symbols. "It is different." She finally said.
"It was how digimon came to the real world." Renamon answered. "Although the trip there was much quicker. I think there is something pushing us back, slowing us down."
"Another digimon?" Jeri asked. "Maybe a Deva?"
"I don't think so." Gabumon replied, looking around. "It feels like we're swimming upstream."
"I guess." Henry sighed. "It must be easier for digimon to come to the real world than for people from the real world to go to the digital world. Or maybe you're all just slowing down so we can keep up." he remarked, glancing at Terriermon.
"Are you challenging me to a race?" Terriermon replied. "Come on, I'll beat you all there!"
"We should stick together." Jeri spoke up, feeling a bit nervous.
"You alright?" Takato asked. Jeri nodded. "Yeah, I still can't believe it. We're actually going to the digital world. I couldn't sleep at all last night."
"Please." Rika groaned. Beside her, Renamon sighed quietly, then stopped. "Renamon?"
Renamon looked down the corridor, then, eyes wide, yelled "DOWN!", knocking Rika to the floor. Hastily, everyone hit the ground, just as a blue bolt of energy shot overhead. "A transport beam." she explained a few seconds later. "More digimon must be going to the real world."
Jeri looked back, worried. "It's alright." Gabumon reassured her. "Mr. Wong and Alice are there, if there's any trouble."
"And Suzie." Terriermon added. Flinching under Henry's glare, he added "what? She'd probably give any Devas that showed up the princess treatment, and send them running in terror."
"Terriermon." Henry growled.
"Henry, please! Your sister loves with fury!" Terriermon replied, waving his arms (This one's from the Tamers manga. Too good to pass up. -ed) "Well, at least she's got Houndour to work on now. Hey, Hitomi? I hope pokemon are as durable as Digimon." Hitomi smiled but said nothing.
Rika noticed Renamon looking a bit preoccupied. "What is it?"
"I was just remembering the last time I came through here." Renamon replied. "It seems like years ago."
"Close to only one." Rika agreed. "I remember all those digimon were hanging there, waiting for me to pick one of them."
"Some of the digimon knew that a powerful tamer was about to be chosen, and they all wanted to be the one picked. But there were more digimon there than you knew, Rika..."
==Then
"No, I will be the one!" Aquilamon snarled, flapping his wings at the digimon trying to force him away. "The Tamer shall be MINE!"
"I disagree!" Musyamon retorted, batting a Snimon away with the flat edge of his sword. "It shall be me!"
"Fight all you want." A sibilant voice said. "But it shall be me." There was a wave of cold, and Musyamon was frozen in a block of ice.
"Ice Devimon? Bah, you want a trophy, not a Tamer!" Aquilamon glared at Ice Devimon, staying near the dull rectangle.
"What I want is none of your concern, you puffed up pigeon. Now one side. Let a digimon of true power enter the world."
"She has not chosen yet." Renamon said quietly, not bothering with the petty squabbling.
"Begone, Rookie! This is no place for a child like you." Aquilamon stormed, advancing on her. He was stopped short when his wings were pierced by several ice spears.
"A rookie." Ice Devimon noted. "But not a normal one, no. I can see it in you, a burning passion to fight. Ah, to freeze such a noble spirit and have it for my own...amusement." Renamon's eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. "I can feel that girl who is about to choose one of us. I can feel her icy heart, calling out to me. But if you wish, I can freeze you and bring you with me."
"I've seen Yukimibotamon that are more threatening." Renamon replied quietly. Grinning fiercely, Ice Devimon launched himself at Renamon, claws stretched out. "I'm waiting." Renamon added, as she dodged one claw swipe, then another. Ice Devimon launched a wave of cold, which Renamon jumped over. "Diamond Storm!"
Ice Devimon ducked the attack. "Cute. But you missed."
"You were not the target." Renamon replied, as the attack shattered the ice prison holding Musyamon. With a howl, Musyamon jumped on Ice Devimon sword stabbing down repeatedly, skittering off of Ice Devimon's frozen hide. Running behind the two, Renamon gave Ice Devimon a mighty kick, and sent the two back down the long black corridor.
"Well played." Ice Devimon said quietly as he tried to get the enraged Musyamon off of him. "But I can wait, Renamon. And I will."
==Now
"So, they all wanted to be my digimon that badly." Rika said thoughtfully. "Well, I can't blame them."
"Several digimon had heard that there was a skilled tamer ready to choose a digimon. Many felt, and still feel, that humans are the key to discovering why everyone lost the ability to digivolve." Renamon glanced down the black corridor. She shivered, and stopped.
"Did it get cold in here?" Jeri asked, looking around. "Hey, I can see my breath!"
Renamon's eyes narrowed. "He survived."
"I did." Ice Devimon said, appearing in front of Renamon. She jumped back, startled. "As I said, a masterful play, Renamon, showing your worth as a fighter. But you've had your fun. Rika with me and I shall give you the world on a frozen platter." Rika stepped back, not sure how to reply. "Renamon might have been fun, but only I can put you on the pedestal you deserve."
That got Rika's anger up. "HEY! I'm not some piece of eye candy! I don't need some oversized snowman, 'cause I already have a partner. And she's a lot stronger than you'll ever be."
"Wow. I've never seen Rika this mad before." Takato said. "I hope she doesn't fight Ice Devimon herself."
"Yeah. Ice Devimon'd lose in a second." Terriermon replied, flinching as Henry rapped him on the head.
She glanced at the other tamers. "This is our fight, if you don't mind?" Everyone nodded. She glowered at Ice Devimon, taking a card out of her belt-pack. "Renamon...walk all over him."
"With pleasure." Renamon answered.
"Many digimon have come through this path, Renamon. I am much stronger than you, my dear, for I have fed on many of them."
"Pity you did not try the Devas, Ice Devimon."
"He couldn't" Rika spoke up. "He's just a coward under all that goth-ice garbage."
"Oh, you are so wrong about me." Ice Devimon answered, feigning hurt. One of his claws grazed Renamon's leg, forcing her to roll away. "Come, let me show you the depths of my icy heart."
==Real World
Janyu stared at the screen. "I don't like it."
"Me, neither." Babel said. "But I never liked Dolphin's stuff."
"Oh, har-de-har-har." Dolphin replied. "You have any better ideas for getting everyone back? We do have a bit of a time limit here." He waved at the pile of notes in front of him. "We use this re-creation of the old portable devices as a template for a transport system to get everyone home. Simple."
"But we'd need weeks just to re-write it to our needs. We don't know what kind of conditions are down there in the Digital World. And what if another digimon finds it before the kids do?" Janyu slumped down.
At that moment the screen came to life. "Guys? I have an idea for getting everyone home." Izzy said.
==Interdimensional
"Diamond Storm!" Renamon yelled, launching a flurry of daggers at Ice Devimon.
The devil digimon ignored the attack, even though it did do some damage. "No Musyamon to save you this time, my dear. I shall defeat you, freeze them, and take Rika back to the Human world and rule it."
"Why Rika?" Renamon demanded.
"We are alike." Ice Devimon answered, savouring Rika's angry expression. "More alike than a mere child like you could ever be."
"You couldn't be more wrong." Rika snarled. "Renamon!" With a roar, Renamon leaped into action, raining blows down on Ice Devimon, all with little effect. "Digi-Modify! Omega Blade activate!"
A huge white sword appeared in Renamon's hands, and she swung it downwards, bisecting Ice Devimon. "But...I'm a Champion..."
"No. You're a loser." Renamon answered. "And you're nothing like Rika." She ignored the data that was escaping from Ice Devimon, walking back to Rika's side. The sword in her hands vanished.
"Imperialdramon Paladin Mode's Omega Sword?" Takato asked. "A little overkill, maybe?"
"He needed it." Renamon replied. "And he was annoying Rika."
"And I don't like being annoyed." Rika added, glancing at Takato. Jeri giggled a bit at the sight.
"Hitomi?" Eevee asked.
"Just a little homesick. All we need is for Takeru to be here so Rika can hit him."
"Not a complete trip until someone clobbers him." Eevee agreed.
==Pokemon World
"Ah-CHOO!" Takeru doubled over, wheezing. As he tried to right himself, a pencil eraser bounced off his head.
"If you're quite done, Mr. Motomiya?" Professor Davies said, glaring at the boy.
"Sorry, teacher. I guess someone was talking about me." Takeru answered.
(It should be noted that Mr. Davies was later removed from his teaching post after accidentally catching a student in the eye with a flying eraser. Remember teachers, don't throw stuff at students! They may have rich parents that can sue you for lots of money! -ed)
==Tokyo
"Fascinating." Dolphin murmured, looking at the computer readout. "And this is an actual pokemon?"
"Yes." Izzy replied from his improvised lab in the Digital World. "Porygon started off as a computer simulation of a pokemon, but then developed its own intelligence and the ability to evolve. I think we can adapt one to use as a means to get everyone home. It's more than capable of surviving in hostile environments. And in a computer-derived environment like the Digital World, it should thrive.
"Alright, upload Porygon, and we'll get started on the modifications!" Janyu said, excited. "Can you keep in touch?"
"Easily. Now that the portal is set up in our digital world, we can get signals across much faster than ever before."
==Interdimensional.
Takato blinked, and all the darkness and ASCII symbols were gone. It was all...blue?
"Just stay focussed." Renamon said. "And whatever you do, don't look down." Jeri instinctively glanced down, and shrieked. "Oh dear." Renamon sighed. Everyone wondered what Jeri had seen, looked down, and, metaphysically speaking, assigned 'down' a physical direction.
(Kids, NEVER assign 'down' a direction if you can help it. -ed)
"We're going to DIE!" Jeri shrieked.
"We're NOT!" Gabumon yelled. "Trust me, it works differently here!" Everyone felt a huge jolt as they passed through what the humans assumed was a cloud.
Eevee shouted. Looking over, Rika saw that Hitomi had been pulled away from the group. "Hitomi!" Rika shouted.
"Get away!" Gabumon yelled. "There's a beam coming your way!" Hitomi looked over her shoulder, and saw a bright orange column of energy headed towards her. Quickly, she pulled out Eevee's pokeball. However, she passed through a second cloud, and the pokeball was torn out of her hand. She had time to look at Eevee, then the beam swallowed her up and sped away.
==Elsewhere in the digital world
Chatsuramon glanced around. The portal had -not- opened where he had expected it to. In his mouth was a cage holding Calumon. Impmon looked around, unimpressed. "This place is even more of a dump than I remember it."
"It will be cleansed, Impmon." Chatsuramon replied. "Our sovereign lies this way. Where is the human?"
"Still unconscious." Impmon indicated Yamaki's body, lying on the ground.
Sighing, Chatsuramon knelt. "Place him on my back, Impmon. I have strength enough to carry this thing to our master."
"I suggest you let them go, dog." A large digimon commanded, stepping into view. It looked a bit like a horse, but walked upright, and it held a giant conch shell, the opening aimed at Chatsuramon.
"Ah, Indramon." Chatsuramon said. "The last holdout. Have you come to join us?"
"No, merely to save Calumon and the human. I don't know who you are, but you should leave." Indramon addressed Impmon. "He is a deceiver, and you lack the power to be of use in this fight."
Impmon's eyebrow twitched. "You ahhh...you want to repeat that? I don't think I heard you right."
"You did. This Deva is beyond your power."
"That's what I thought you said." Impmon growled. "Hey, get the creampuff and the psycho to your boss. I want a piece of horseface here." Indramon looked somewhat less than impressed. "Now then...DEVA CLONE!"
Indramon stepped back, astonished. "That...that's Khumbiramon's power!"
"And here's one I learned from a Pteramon! SIX WAY SIDEWINDER!" All six Impmons suddenly fired missiles, all striking Indramon.
This is impossible, Indramon thought. He's barely a rookie, but I...FELT that. "What are you?" Indramon demanded.
"I'm going to be the strongest digimon EVER!" Impmon proclaimed. "Infernal Fireball...SUMMON!" A pentagram appeared under Indramon, and the Horse Deva was wrapped in flame. "Think on that while you bake, pal. Maybe I'll come back when you're interesting to fight." Impmon strode off.
Impressive, Chatsuramon noted. "Impmon...you would make an excellent Deva. Maybe you could even be accepted as one of the Sovereign. We have an opening, as you know..."
==
Jeri sat up, Gabumon lending her a hand. "I'm...alive?"
"Yes." Gabumon answered. "Long falls don't normally destroy a digimon. At least, not here. Come on." He led Jeri out of an impressive-looking crater over to the others. Rika, Henry, Takato, their digimon...
"No sign of Hitomi?"
Henry grimaced. "We just found this." he replied, holding up Eevee's pokeball.
Takato had Eevee in his arms. "She's not..."
"No." Renamon answered. "That was a transit beam. It merely took her somewhere else.:"
"Yeah." Terriermon added. "Who knows where, though? I got caught by one once, and I wound up two levels down and a week's travel away. Uhh...I'm not helping, am I?"
"No, you're not." Henry sighed.
"Hi...Hitomi?" Eevee murmured, recovering. "HITOMI!" he suddenly shouted, jumping out of Takato's arms. "Where is she?" he demanded.
"We don't know." Jeri answered, a bit unwisely.
Eevee looked at each of the tamers, then frowned. "Out of my way. I'll find her."
"You can't go off on your own!" Takato said. "We don't even know which way she is! And what about Calumon?"
"Hitomi's all I care about." Eevee answered coldly.
"Calm down." Renamon said, advancing on Eevee. "I'm sure she's alright."
"Without me? Yeah, right. I-" Eevee was suddenly wrapped in red light, and was pulled into his pokeball. Rika put the ball in her pocket, frowning.
"He'll be even worse when he comes out." Henry advised her.
"Then I'd better find her quick." Rika replied, glancing at Renamon. Before Henry could protest, she continued. "Look, Renamon's a lot more familiar with the digital world, and she can move a lot faster than anyone else. We find her, and meet up with you."
"Where?" Takato asked.
"Wait a second." Jeri said, taking out her D-3. She closed her eyes, looking as if she was praying. The D-3 lit up, and the small compass ring appeared on the screen, the arrow pointing at Rika. "I thought it'd work. Just think of one of us, and the D-Arc should show you the way."
Rika groaned. This was getting too close to a sappy dramatic manga. "Alright. I saw which way the beam was headed, so I know where to start looking. Ready Renamon?" Renamon nodded, eyes fixed on a location in the distance. "Digi-modify! digivolution activate!"
"Renamon, digivolve to...Kyuubimon!" With a shout, Rika jumped on Kyuubimon's back, and the two sped away, kicking up a trail of dust.
"Good luck." Jeri said quietly. "I hope they find her."
"Relax." Henry said. "Hitomi still has Noctowl with her. And she's smart enough to avoid trouble."
"So, where do we start looking?" Takato asked.
"Hey, Yamaki has a digivice, right?" Terriermon said. "Maybe we could find him with ours?"
"Maybe." Henry replied. "Hmph. Who'd have thought we'd be looking for Yamaki."
"Hey, Ryo's down here too, isn't he?" Takato asked. Gabumon nodded. "Maybe we can find him too!"
==
Ryo ran over to the crater. It hadn't been too long since Zero and Metal Koromon had vanished, and he hoped that they had found a way back to him. "No offence, Cyberdramon. But you're not the best company."
"Rrrr..." Cyberdramon replied.
Smirking, Ryo made it to the edge of the crater. "They must have flown up somehow, but I've never heard of a transport beam..." Ryo got a good look at the person in the crater. "A girl?" he breathed, stunned.
In the crater, Hitomi stirred, knocked out by the fall.
==Real World
"I'm getting something." Babel said, glancing at the screen. "It looks like the portal is opening up again. I think something...no, two somethings are coming through!"
Janyu glanced at Kotemon, who nodded. "Ready."
The portal flared into life, and spat out two creatures, one small and blue, the other a silver oblong with ears. "Umm...hi?" Zero said uncertainly, waving.
Next Episode: Hitomi wakes up to find herself separated from Eevee and the other tamers. However, she meets this world's Ryo Akiyama, and tells him about their quest. And on the real world, Zero and Metal Koromon manage to sneak out of Hypnos and come across their partners. Watch the merry chase! Next time, on Digicross Tamers:
'I'm a legend? Kazu Zero DOES NOT equal 100%'