It had started about five minutes ago; Ryo had led Hitomi to the Chuchidarumon village where he had first landed. It was slightly off the course that Hitomi had indicated, but Ryo had contended that going straight would have required that they pass over several very tall and (the last time he looked) populated with very nasty digimon. So, he had managed to convince her that a slight detour was necessary.
Ryo hadn't minded one bit. He knew that Hitomi had feelings for someone else. But...well, who knew? After the other impossible things he had come across...
Anyway...
Once they had made it to the village, they had found that something had torn out large pieces of the village, demolishing houses all over the place. The remaining villagers had talked about a legendary digimon known as the Behemoth, which had gotten Cyberdramon all fired up. That digimon had run out of the hut, screamed a challenge, and then got tackled by a giant motorcycle.
Then, incredibly, it had gotten weird. Cyberdramon had managed to jump on the bike, tried to ride it like a human would ride a normal motorcycle, then seemed to lose control to the bike, which seemed to be firmly in the driver's seat, as it were.
"Now what?" Hitomi shrugged helplessly, then gasped as Cyberdramon's bike turned and sped right at them.
Digicross Tamers Episode 25 'Takato Yojimbo!'
Elsewhere.
"So, where are we?" Takato asked.
Terriermon made a face. "Probably going the wrong way."
"Well, considering the last place that 'you were sure Calumon would be hiding in' was a nest of crazy Tankmon..." Takato sighed. "There's nothing wrong with admitting you're lost, you know."
"Takato, that's so enlightened!" Jeri teased.
Henry bit back his initial reply, settling for "well, as long as Gabumon knows something."
"Yes." the named digimon answered. "This direction will take us to Zhuquiamon's castle."
"Are we sure we want to go there?" Takato asked, suddenly nervous.
"Well, Zhuquiamon was the one who took Calumon." Jeri answered. "It makes sense to start looking there. And maybe someone along the way saw him."
"Start?" Terriermon asked. "Whaddaya think we've been doing so far? You've got my ears, Gabumon's eyes and rotten sense of direction-"
"Terriermon." Henry sighed.
"-And Takato's wanted poster." Takato held out a rough sketch of Calumon. Curious, Jeri took a closer look.
"Hmm. Well, you're no Hitomi." Jeri finally said. "But it's sweet you're trying so hard." So saying, she walked ahead.
Takato blinked. "Don't bother asking." Henry said. "I don't understand girls either."
Gabumon stopped. "I've made a mistake."
"HAH! I knew it, you-OW!"
Henry massaged the back of his hand, taking a second to glare at Terriermon. "What's wrong. We're not going in the right direction?"
"We are, but we're going to be going through a particularly repulsive part of the digital world."
Takato blinked again "Swamp?"
"Takato's closet?" Guilmon asked.
"I ain't touching THAT one." Terriermon muttered, still rubbing the back of his head.
"Worse. Geckomon village."
Back to the first Elsewhere.
Hitomi clumsily rolled to the side, just avoiding being run over by the possessed Cyberdramon. Noctowl, hovering protectively over her, cawed a challenge at the biker, but was ignored.
"That thing's gonna eat us!" Ryo snarled. "Cyberdramon, GET OFF!" With a shout, Ryo hurled his blue energy leash out again, wrapping the end around Cyberdramon's throat. He started to pull, but was quickly pulled off his feet.
"Ryo!" Hitomi got up. If only she had Eevee with her. She felt helpless right now.
Noctowl flew down to eye level, staring at the bike. "Noctowl?" The pokemon hooted back. "Alright. First, we have to free Ryo. Strike the energy beam with Steel Wing!" Cawing, Noctowl shot forward, wings glowing white. He managed to bisect the line, allowing Ryo to tumble away, dazed.
Behemoth rolled around, marking Noctowl and Hitomi as targets. Hitomi stepped back, unnerved by Cyberdramon's eyeless gaze. Then the bike roared and charged.
"Noctowl, ah...Confusion!" The pokemon's eyes opened, and twin beams of psychic energy lanced out, stabbing into Cyberdramon's mind, disrupting the hold the bike had over him. Instantly, Cyberdramon came to, and realized that the bike had been controlling him.
And Cyberdramon hated being controlled. He jumped off the bike, which immediately pitched over, thrown off balance. Cyberdramon then seized the bike, lifting it up, and hurling it several yards away. It landed, and tried to get up.
"ERASE CLAW!" Cyberdramon snarled. He shot forward, hands glowing electric blue, and delivered several crushing blows to the bike. Landing a few feet away, Cyberdramon glared at the bike, daring it to attack again.
Slowly, the bike managed to right itself, revved at Cyberdramon, then slowly drove itself away, defeated. Cyberdramon let out a great roar of victory. Then he remembered how that strange bird belonging to the girl had broken his control. His innate hatred of mental attacks came back to him, and he started turning towards Noctowl and Hitomi.
Ryo caught the movement, read it for what it was, and fixed Cyberdramon with a fierce glare. The digimon subsided, and Ryo checked on Hitomi. Thankfully, she hadn't noticed the by-play.
Geckomon village
"So, this is the terrible Geckomon village?" Henry asked, dubious.
"It's odd." Gabumon answered. "We should have heard something by now. There's always some tortured half-ballad/half-metal opera coming out of here."
"Is that even possible?" Takato asked, shivering.
"Somehow, they manage to do it."
"With these ears, it'd be daily torture for me." Terriermon frowned. "Maybe the neighbours finally complained."
"There are no neighbours." Gabumon insisted. "And this place is ideal for them. Few predators, large lake, no one living nearby to disturb them at their 'practise'." He shrugged again.
"Maybe..." Jeri looked around, concerned. "Maybe the Devas came through here."
"Don't smell them." Guilmon replied. "Don't smell bread either."
"Remind me to introduce you to the Atkins diet when we get back." Takato sighed. "Do you smell any Geckomon?"
"Dunno. What do they smell like, Takato?"
"You don't...oh, I guess you wouldn't." Henry said. "He never lived here, remember."
"Do smell digimon, though." Guilmon looked around. "Recent, too."
"Big?" Henry asked.
"No...lots of small ones...there!"
Four small green digimon burst out of a hut, bawling. "Please, don't eat us! We'll make the next batch better! We promise!"
"Ahh..." the humans managed.
"Batch of bread?" Guilmon asked eagerly.
One of the Geckomon advanced. "You're...not with the Devas, are you?"
"Nope!" Terriermon said. "We're a group of hard-travelling heroes travelling around to save lost digimon!"
"Henry?" Takato asked.
"TV." Henry sighed.
"Heroes?" the Geckomon asked.
"Yup."
"Get lost. We don't want your type here. Things are just fine!"
"Uhh...what?" Takato asked. "We didn't do anything..."
"If you're not with the Devas, then you're some sort of idiot hero wannabe trying to defeat them. We're perfectly happy with the giant snake Deva living here! Go bother someone else!"
"Snake?" Jeri asked. "Didn't we already beat a giant snake?"
"Yeah, we did." Henry replied.
Gabumon's eyes narrowed. "Maybe..." In a louder voice: "Alright, we'll leave. Come on, Jeri." He started walking away.
"Gabumon! Hey, wait-" Jeri protested.
5 minutes later
"What was that all about?" Takato demanded.
"You'd rather have picked a fight with the whole village?" Gabumon retorted.
"But we beat Santiramon." Terriermon protested. "Maybe it's just some guy pretending to be a Deva!"
"No. I know who it is."
"Well, Gabumon?" Henry asked.
"As you know, many digimon competed to become Devas. There was one digimon I knew who wanted more than anything to become a Deva. He would do anything, no matter how repugnant or dishonourable, to become one. When that lead Geckomon protested about the last 'batch' being pure enough, I knew who it was."
"Batch of bread?" Guilmon asked again.
"No, beer. Our foe is Orochimon, an eight headed snake digimon."
"Wait...you mean like the Orochi from Japanese legend?" Henry asked. Gabumon nodded. "Right, Dad said that he and the rest of the Monster Makers used popular mythology as a model for a lot of the early digimon."
"So...is there a sword in its tail?" Takato asked.
"Ahhh...no."
"Hey...you were paying attention." Jeri chirped. "And I thought you slept through that class."
"Well, some things stick, you know." Takato answered, not letting it slip that his cousin Kai had sent him an American comic retelling the legend. Okay, Susano-o as a rabbit was odd, but the art was good...
Human World
Reilly sighed. Talli had taken over telling the media about the 'overenthusiastic digimon cosplayer', Kenta was being (she hoped) raked over some very large coals by his parents, and Mecha Agumon...
Was there a 12 step program for bread addiction?
Anyway...Damage control was coming along okay. There was just that egg that those two creatures from Hitomi's homeworld had brought. It was resting by her workstation (prompting a lot of 'mother hen' jokes), rocking back and forth every now and then. After the first few hours of that, everyone ignored it, taking it as a normal part of the egg's...life?
So she worked away, trying to get the program for returning the children, and Isao, home.
She stopped as the sharp cracking noise echoed through the room. She looked down, and saw that the egg had started to split. Reilly got up, looking for someone, anyone, to help, but the egg was hatching far too quickly.
Digital World
Rika scowled again. Her D-Arc indicated that this was the right direction. What annoyed her was that the arrow kept changing on her, hinting that Hitomi was moving as well. Just not always in her direction. "Where is she GOING?"
Renamon glanced up. "She may not be looking for us. Perhaps her D-Arc has locked onto Jeri's signal?" Rika's hand clenched around her D-arc, knuckles going white. "Jealous?" Renamon asked impishly.
Rika glared back at Renamon. She wondered if the Renamon Akira had was this annoying.
At that moment, a small bundle of white hopped onto a rock right by Rika. "Hi!" Calumon said, making her jump. "This has been fun, but I miss Guilmon. Can we go home?"
Takato's Elsewhere. I need to make names for these places...
"What I don't get," Gabumon mused as they wandered around the area, a bit aimlessly, "is why the Geckomon were so adamant about getting rid of us. With someone like Orochimon hanging over their heads, you'd think they'd have begged us to stay."
"Well, maybe the last few people who fought Orochimon failed." Terriermon answered. "He does sound pretty tough, but I think we can take him."
"Well, but what if we blow it?" Takato asked. "Orochimon might take it out on the Geckomon again."
Terriermon smirked. "Then we just won't blow it. Come on, how bad can it be? Between us, we've put down how many Devas? And this guy's just a wannabe. Moumantai, already." He stopped. "I hear something."
"Smell digimon." Guilmon said, sniffing the air. "Big ones. Maybe two."
"Fall, blast you!" Andromon roared, dagger hand glancing off of the giant snake's hide. "You will terrorize the Geckomon no more!"
"I will terrorize whoever I choose, fool! Now be a dear and give up your data." Andromon's foe, a giant multi-headed snake, reared up and tried to land several bites on the smaller machine digimon. Andromon dodged each blow, and rolled clear. With a shout, the robot's chest opened, and two missiles shot out, each one spitting a hail of energy blasts.
"Why thanks!" Orochimon taunted, two more heads swallowing the missiles. "Wait, I'm on a diet. Have them BACK!" He spat them back out, knocking Andromon over. "Now, for the much needed iron in my diet..."
"Dragon Slash!" Growlmon landed on Orochimon's back, arm blades glowing blue and slashing through one of the snake digimon's heads, disintegrating it. A second head vanished in a hail of gunfire. Gargomon stormed onto the battlefield, taking several somewhat aimed shots at Orochimon. A third head vanished in a blaze of orange light, an attack that Orochimon knew all too well...
"Leomon!" the remaining five heads snarled in unison. "SO, you've returned and brought friends, have you?"
"I beat you last time, you foul serpent, and I shall beat you again!" His hand shot back, then forward, sword held out in a challenge.
"He's so cool and imposing." Jeri breathed.
"Don't you mean 'we'?" Gargomon asked pointedly.
Takato missed Gargomon's comment "Cool and imposing?"
"Don't ask me. She's your girlfriend," Henry shrugged, then winced as he realized Terriermon was rubbing off on him. "Let's finish this guy off now. Digi-Modify! Accelerator Activate!"
"Metal Greymon Activate!"
"Berserk Sword Activate!"
The three digimon seemed to blur, and, a second later, Orochimon reared back in agony, suddenly reduced to one head. "I guess you're 'Ichimon' now, huh?" Gargomon taunted.
"Be careful!" Leomon warned, a bit unsteady as the card's short-lived effect wore off. "He can-"
"REGENERATE!" Orochimon yelled, heads reappearing. "This isn't over!" With that, Orochimon twisted around and dove into the waters.
"Ah nuts." Takato groaned.
Chuchidarumon village.
"Thanks again." Ryo said to the elder Chuchidarumon. "We really appreciate it."
"For you, no problem. And it's about time someone showed that monster who was boss. So, who's your friend?"
"Oh, this is Hitomi and Noctowl. Hitomi's human, sort of like me. Well, she's a girl, so she's not exactly like me..."
"I get it." the elder said as Hitomi giggled a bit. "Please, come in and lie down. Rest, you've earned it."
"You go ahead, Hitomi." Ryo said, waving her in. "I'm going to check on Cyberdramon." Hitomi nodded, and she and Noctowl entered. He heard the standard 'That some kind of digimon?" question from the elder, and went to the edge of the town, where Cyberdramon was waiting.
After a few minutes of walking, he finally found the clearing where the large digimon was resting. "You alright?" Cyberdramon grunted and nodded. "Good." Suddenly, the energy leash shot out, wrapping tightly around Cyberdramon. "NEVER. Threaten. Hitomi. Got it?"
"She's...dangerous. That thing with her...not a digimon."
Ryo's eyes narrowed. He had already drawn that conclusion. "I don't care. Understand?" Reluctantly, Cyberdramon nodded. "Let me spell this out. NOTHING is to happen to Hitomi, got it? Not a scratch."
Cyberdramon growled, but relented. The leash vanished. Then: "She'll never be yours." Strangely, it wasn't Cyberdramon's voice, but something...lighter.
Ryo missed it entirely. His hand clenched his D-Arc, hand a mix of white and red. After a few seconds of him shaking, he finally calmed down. "We'll see." was his only reply
On a ridge nearby, Noctowl watched the two. He then silently flew away, troubled.
Near Orochimon's Lair
"He showed up several weeks ago, demanding beer." Andromon explained, wincing as Jeri and Takato did their best to mend the wounds he had suffered. "The Geckomon fought back at first, but then...well, there was the princess..."
"Princess?" Takato asked, trying to imagine a large frog in a dress.
"I'm not clear on the details, but the Geckomon seemed adamant in their acceptance of the situation. They seemed happy to be Orochimon's slaves."
Gabumon frowned. "Geckomon aren't the bravest digimon around. Still, to roll over just like that is unusual."
"What's beer, Takato?" Guilmon asked.
"Something grownups drink." Takato replied. "It's all bitter and gross."
"How do you know?" Henry asked.
"Apple juice?" Jeri asked. Takato nodded. "Same thing happened with me when I was seven. I was sick for half an hour." Terriermon opened his mouth, eager to expand on the need for similar backgrounds in dating, but Henry wisely clamped his hand over it.
"So, we go save princess tomorrow?" Guilmon asked.
"Yeah, sure." Takato said. I guess we should - hey what's wrong with Andromon?" Andromon twitched, glowed and shrunk. After a second, the digimon was replaced with a smaller and bulkier digimon. "Guardromon?"
"Oh dear." the digimon groaned, in a voice that reminded Takato of C-3P0. "This could complicate things."
"No worries. I have a plan." Henry smiled darkly.
"What about me?" Guardromon looked around. "This is my crusade, after all."
"Wait here, you're still banged up. Unless that dent's supposed to be there?" Takato poked at a good sized dent in the metal digimon's chassis.
"Please don't do that."
Orochimon's lair.
Orochimon lay outside, recovering his strength. He had hoped, perversely, to meet Leomon again someday, but not with that kind of backup. And those humans were able to increase his power. Clearly, they had to go. Preferably with Leomon helpless and watching.
Shouts came from inside his cave. "Why me?" he wondered. A creaking noise mercifully got his attention. "Ahh, the new shipment has arrived." Licking his lips (an altogether fascinating sight, considering he licked all eight sets, one after the other), he came out of the pool. "This batch better be good, runts, or you'll get it."
"It will be the best you've ever had!" the lead Geckomon promised. Orochimon approached the barrels, and started drinking.
A few yards back, Henry watched. "And your plan is?" Gabumon asked.
"Well, wait until he's drunk, then clobber him."
"Cool. Just like the story." Takato said.
"Drunk?" Terriermon asked.
"Yeah. You know, all that beer making him woozy and uncoordinated?"
"Ahh...Henry, I think you've made a critical error." Gabumon said slowly.
Henry shrugged. "Law of averages, I guess. Well, he's still gonna be out of it, right?"
"No." Gabumon's voice grew more insistent. "Henry, everything here is data. 'Beer' is just one type. Once Orochimon finishes all those barrels, he'll be back to his full power!"
"Then we'd better get him now!" Takato said. "Come on, Guilmon!"
"No-" Gabumon started to say, but was cut off as Takato, Guilmon, Henry, and Terriermon ran out of the bushes. "They could have at least digivolved first!" he sighed, exasperated.
"I know, and after Hitomi spelled it out for them, too." Jeri sighed. "Ready?" Gabumon nodded. "Digi-Modify! Digivolution activate!"
"Gabumon, digivolve to...Leomon!" The massive warrior exploded out of the brushes, but saw no-one. "Where did they go?"
"Huh?" one of the Geckomon asked, coming out from his own hiding place. "Uhh, I think Orochimon ate them."
"What?" Jeri gasped.
"Oh, relax, they're fine. That oversized snake only drinks beer. Humans just make him sick. I think. Never been a human in these parts before."
"Where are they?" Leomon demanded, looking very threatening (even for him! -ed)
"Eep...cave. In the cave!"
"Good. Out of my way, then." Leomon marched in, Jeri following. "Jeri, maybe-"
"We're partners." Jeri interrupted. "Besides, he's at full power now, and he has Takato and Henry and Guilmon and Terriermon. You need all the backup you can get."
"Sigh. Very well."
Inside the cave
Takato came to. "What happened?"
"Gabumon wasn't kidding when he said Orochimon was at full power again. I think he ate us and spat us out here. What did he HIT us with?"
"Alcohol Breath." Takato answered, glancing at his D-Arc. "I'm gonna be sick after this is over."
"There is no over, human!" Orochimon taunted. Pinned under his tail were the two partner digimon. "All I need now is Leomon, and-"
"HEY! I'M TRYING TO GET SOME SLEEP OVER HERE! AND WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE HUMIDITY IN HERE?" a female voice demanded.
Takato blinked. Maybe it was Orochimon's beer-soaked attack, but that sounded like...
Nahh, couldn't be.
"And would it kill you to get a bath in here? I mean, we're right in front of a pool of WATER! I'm a mess! What will my subjects think if they see me all messy after weeks in this cave?"
"They'll probably thank me for keeping you here!" Orochimon shouted back.
"Is it me, or does that sound like..." Henry gasped. He squinted a few jail cells over and saw someone chained to the wall. "A Lillymon?"
"That sounds like Mimi Tachikawa?" Takato added.
Henry groaned, muttering "funny dad. Real funny."
"So, you're ransoming her for beer?" Takato demanded. "That's sick!"
"Huh? Heck, the beer's a storage fee!"
"W-Wh...WHAT?" Lillymon almost shrieked. "You miserable liar! My loyal subjects would never do such a thing to their princess!"
"Yes, they would! You're a self-absorbed, spoiled brat with delusions of grandeur!"
"Season 1 personality. Lovely." Takato moaned. "Well, look, just let us out and we'll be on our way..."
"Yeah, RIGHT! I've had about twenty 'heroes' come by and try to free her! This is probably just some cunning ploy to get out and clobber me!"
"So you don't want to become a Deva?" Henry asked, trying to change the subject.
"Are you kidding? Those guys are nuts now! I'm just out for myself!" Orochimon shivered. "I'm just going to gather enough power to make it to the Human World, and take that place over. I should be strong enough to do that. Especially after I devour these two interlopers' data!"
"You'll do no such thing!" Leomon announced, elbow-checking Orochimon. Guilmon and Terriermon scrambled clear.
"Alright!" Takato yelled. "Digi...urrrghhh..." He sat back down. "I think I'm getting a hangover..."
"No problem, Leomon and I can handle it!" Jeri said. "Give up, you...you...you digital representation of an ancient Japanese mythical monster!"
"Ahh...not so loud." Henry complained, hands over his ears.
"I hope you do better than the last 20 who tried to fight him!" Lillymon called.
"YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" everyone chorused.
"Well, excuse me!" Lillymon sniffed for extra effect. "I'll just sit here and ROT!"
"PLEASE DO!" Orochimon snarled. "Alcohol Breath!"
Leomon rolled, looking away, relieved to see that Jeri did likewise. He could see why Orochimon was hard to beat. Even without breathing it in, Orochimon's attack was starting to disorient him. "Jeri...now!"
"Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution activate!"
"Leomon, Matrix Digivolve to...GRAPLEOMON!"
"You can DIGIVOLVE?" Orochimon gasped. "I'll tear that secret from your bones! Alcohol Breath!"
"LION KILLING WAVE!" the two attacks collided, cancelling each other apart. "Jeri. I have to take him out in one blow, or he'll just regenerate."
"I know just the thing." Jeri answered, taking a card out. "Just be ready, this is going to take some timing." Leomon nodded. "Digi-Modify! Those Entrusted with the Orders for Destruction, Activate!"
"She has THAT?" Takato squeaked.
"That's a high end card!" Henry gasped.
Grappleomon shook with the unleashed power. "This is it! OUGI! SHISHIOU FUNSAIHA!" Arm turbines howling, he fired off a massive volley of Fist of the Beast Kings, each one striking and disintegrating a head, until there was only one left. "Into...Double Turbine SLASH!" The final strike consisted of Grappleomon leaping forward, back grazing the roof of the cavern, and bringing both fists down on Orochimon's last head in a silver coloured streak of energy. Orochimon howled and vanished, data scattering everywhere.
"eep." Terriermon squeaked, for once without a comeback. Guilmon wandered over to the jail doors and smashed the locks, freeing Henry and Takato.
"Allow me." Grappleomon said, ripping the door off of Lillymon's cell.
"Any time." Lillymon breathed. Confused by her tone, Grappleomon stepped forward and, with a single tug, ripped the chains holding her to the wall apart. "My hero!" Lillymon squealed, glomping the massive digimon.
The assembled Geckomon beheld the return of their princess with a range of emotions, ranging from 'dread' to 'horror' to 'kill the humans.' "I can never thank you enough." Lillymon said to Gabumon (who she pronounced utterly adorable, before trying to drag him away from Jeri to live 'the high life' in the village)
"What about us?" Terriermon griped.
"We kinda got captured, remember?" Takato replied.
"And, though it pains me to see my true love leave the village, I must do my duty to my loyal subjects-"
"Ah, my lady!" the elder Geckomon interrupted. "While we..appreciate your leadership in these chaotic times, do...ahh...do not let us distract you from the calling of your heart!"
"Huh?" Lillymon asked, too startled to be annoyed by the interruption.
"Yes!" another cried. "Clearly, fate has brought you two together! We shall manage while you go off and do...whatever it is you royal types do with your true love!" The tamers were too busy gagging, laughing and/or looking stunned to believe it. Gabumon just looked sick.
Lillymon's eyes lit up. "But what about you?"
"We shall keep EVERYTHING you have taught us in mind."
"Really? Even the name of the person who said I was self-absorbed, spoiled and bratty?"
"We executed him right after he said it!" The elder proclaimed, hoping she never found out he was the one who said it. "Go, with all our best wishes and blessings!"
"Well...Okay!" She hugged Gabumon again. "Looks like you have a new travelling partner!"
"Me?" Guardromon asked.
"Well, okay...two new ones."
"Ahh...Jeri?" Takato asked. "You sure about this?"
2 hours after they left, the Geckomon threw a massive party. Orochimon was gone, and their self-appointed princess had hitched up and left. Who wouldn't party after something like that happened? Good times were had by them, until...
Well, that's a few episodes down the road. It wasn't pretty.
Next episode
Hitomi and Ryo encounter a strange creature
-Impmon chases after Rika and Renamon, and acquires a terrifying new power
-Indramon takes Yamaki to find his son.