Chapter 37: Friendly duel: Greymon vs Strikedramon
Two days passed since Monodramon first training day. Monodramon couldn't train that hard the second day of his training with his body being so sore and painful. He was only whining and complaining when his muscles were lightly used. He still completed his training day despite that and felt asleep instantly when the light of the day disappeared.
The Erasers were inactive and it was lightly worrisome for the chosen children and their partner. It could be possible that something big could come or something small. Koushiro said that the seal was still there and the degradation of the seal must be slower than expected by the Will of the Digital world. Jou was glad that there was some good news for them. Usually, heroes had more trouble, less time and nothing to help them.
Even so, today wasn't a day Monodramon worried about it. He knew he had to fight Agumon. He couldn't and won't faint pain because he didn't want to puss out. He looked at himself and didn't see any improvement, but Ryo told him it took a while for it to come and it was faster with him because he was a digimon.
"Are you ready for the duel Monodramon?" Ryo asked.
Monodramon looked at his partner and gave a small and nervous smile: "Y-yeah. Not really, but I'll beat him. I am your partner and I must be strong to protect you. We are friends after all," he said raising his fist. Ryo saw his arm lightly shaking. He couldn't say anything as Monodramon beat him to it: "I know he's strong and I have to be careful Ryo. I don't want to let you down," Millenniumon is extremely powerful. If one day he's trying to hurt you, I need to be strong. I cannot be a nervous and easily scared Monodramon forever.
"Do not worry about it Monodramon. It is a friendly duel after all and I know you are going to be just fine," Ryo replied with a smile. I was a coward before too Monodramon. I was just good at hiding it, but coming here made me brave. I know you can do it. He then put his hand on the forehead of the purple dragon and pat it.
Monodramon purred and smiled. They walked until they joined Taichi and Agumon. They decided to be just them for the training, as the others were getting ready in case the Erasers attacked.
They walked for a while until they reached a small hill without any trees. Agumon and Taichi looked at this place with some melancholy.
"What is it Taichi?" Ryo asked curiously.
"Is this place special?" Monodramon asked.
"Yes. This is where we had our first fight against a Kuwagamon. He made us fall of the cliff during the fight. He was an adult digimon against seven child digimons," Taichi explained.
"A Kuwagamon was the first digimon who attacked me too when I came here," Ryo noticed. He sighted when he thought back. It was a similar beginning: "It is a coincidence right?"
"Maybe it is," Taichi replied.
"It was a dangerous battle. We were lucky to survive the fall and without any big injury," Agumon said as he remembered the beginning of his journey with his partner.
"This is where you want us to fight?" Monodramon asked curiously.
"I thought it was a good idea to start our friendly duel here," Taichi said.
"I think it's a good idea. Are you ready Monodramon?" Ryo asked his partner.
Monodramon tapped his claw of his two hands together with some hesitations and replied: "Y-yeah."
"You have to show more will Monodramon. Like this. Yeah!" Agumon shouted raising his hand.
Monodramon nodded and did the same as Agumon: "Yeah!" but his arm lightly shook and he sounded unconvinced.
"Time to get ready everyone," Taichi said with a smile and tacking out his digivice.
Ryo nodded and put his hand on his digivice bracelet. Agumon and Monodramon evolved into their champion form, Greymon and Strikedramon.
"I am ready for this battle!" Strikedramon shouted with a confident smile.
Ryo noticed that the personality of his friend was altered in his adult form compared to his Monodramon form. That didn't change the rest of his nature, but his shyness was gone. Does his power caused this change in his personality or was it his evolution? He wondered.
Greymon looked at the white and purple dragon and replied: "Don't get too confident. As I said and you already know, I've fought many digimons before."
"I know it Greymon. I am ready for the fight. That's all," Strikedramon replied lightly jumping left and right with his guard up.
"We should move out of their way Ryo," Taichi suggested.
Ryo nodded and they left some space for the two digimons to fight.
Millenniumon sat on the ground and crossed his legs while his servant watched his lord starting his meditations.
"Since when do you need to do this...meditation my lord?" Devidramon asked unsure. He knew it wasn't the lord he knew, but it was strange to see him doing that.
"I learn that meditation clear the mind, but also helps when it comes to the training. I possess great power, but I once lacked maturity to use it to his full extent. Even now, I don't think I reached the full potential of my power or exploited to its limits," Millenniumon replied.
"So sitting on the ground and doing that helps you?" Devidramon asked. "Speaking of that, you're butt is finally healed."
"That's true and it's worrisome. I took way too long to heal the damage inflicted by that digimon. Such minor injury should have healed in the matter of a day, not a few days," Millenniumon replied.
Devidramon nodded and he corrected his tuxedo. He sat by the side of his lord and did the same as him.
"Why are you joining my Devidramon?" the dark god asked.
"If I am your servant my lord, I also have to reach beyond the limit of my power to serve you. If I am too weak, I'll only become an annoyance toward you and be useless. I do not want to be useless to you my lord as I want to serve you until the end of my life," Devidramon replied. "I know I cannot evolve even more. I reached the limit in my data. The other reason is that you want me to safe and protect Ryo if something wrongs happened to his false partner. So if I reach my real limits, I can do my mission more efficiently."
"Good," Millenniumon said before nodding. "Do as I say," he said as he closed his eyes.
Strikedramon and Greymon watched each other's silently as they waited to see who will be the first one to act. It took a minute before Strikedramon dashed at the direction of the orange dinosaur with his claw ready to hit. Greymon saw the white and purple dragon coming and easily dodged the claw and countered with a fireball coming out of his mouth. Strikedramon evaded with a backflip and landed back on his feet. He jumped in the air to dodge another fireball.
He charged at Greymon and shouted: "Strike Claw!"
Greymon dodged at the last second the claws of the dragon and charged at him. He spun his body and his tail whipped the chest of Strikedramon and was thrown against a wall.
Strikedramon grunted in pain as he shook his head and glared at Greymon: "I will show how what I can do," he calmly said, remembering it wasn't a real fight.
He charged again at Greymon and saw a big fireball coming out of his adversary mouth. He was about to jump when:
"Strikedramon! Rolled on the ground!" Ryo shouted.
Strikedramon nodded and rolled on the ground, the fireball passed over him and gave him an opportunity to strike. He spun and did a low kick on the talon of Greymon. Greymon lost his balance and felt on his knee, using his tail at the last second to prevent him from falling on the ground.
Strikedramon jumped in the air and kicked the jaw of the orange dinosaur. He was about to attack again, but Greymon grabbed him with his mouth and threw him against the cliff. Strikedramon used his claw to grab the ground.
"Strikedramon!" Ryo shouted worried for him.
He stopped just before falling off the cliff.
"What was so close," he commented. He looked at Ryo and shouted: "I'm alright!"
Ryo sighted, relief that his partner was okay. He saw Strikedramon dashing toward Greymon again. You keep doing the same thing Strikedramon.
Greymon knew what he was about to do. He jumped in the air just before the claws of Strikedramon missed the big orange dinosaur that used his tail to whip Strikedramon as he landed on his feet.
Strikedramon stood up and his legs lightly shook as he looked at Greymon. What am I doing wrong? Why can't I fight him? I'm not supposed to lose this easily. I was barely strong enough hit him once. Even then, it was Ryo who told me what to do.
"Strikedramon!" Ryo shouted to attract his partner attention. Strikedramon looked at Ryo and waited for him to continue: "You keep doing the same thing. You are predictable for Greymon. If you want to defeat him, don't charge at him again and again the same way."
The purple dragon nodded as he charged toward Greymon again. When he was closed he suddenly stopped and jumped to his left before Greymon hit him. He was once again close gave a high kick on the knee before following up with a punch on the back of the dinosaur. He smirked and was about to land another strike when Greymon turned around and shouted: "Megaflame!"
Strikedramon was directly hit by it and flew until he crashed on the ground. He tried to stand up, but felt on his knee and reverted back into his Monodramon form.
Monodramon grunted and looked at Greymon. He lowered his head and sighted.
"I couldn't beat you," Monodramon quietly said. He looked at his hands and said: "I'm not strong enough to protect Ryo. I couldn't hit you hard without Ryo's help. What would I do if he's not helping me?"
"You don't have to worry about it Monodramon. Ryo helped me in my battle against Millenniumon and we almost defeated him because of that," Greymon replied with a smile. He then reverted to his child form: "You cannot always win. Monodramon, you have to train more because we are never sure how strong they are," Agumon sighted and replied: "I was also a little rusty after we saved the Digital world. I didn't fight for a while."
"I will become stronger to protect Ryo. We don't need Millenniumon to defeat them...One day," Monodramon said sighting. He dropped his shoulders.
Ryo put his hand on the forehead of his partner and said: "Don't worry. You will become stronger Monodramon. I am not worry about it and you shouldn't."
Monodramon looked at Ryo and lightly smiled: "I won't."
"We should return now," Taichi said to the two.
"Coming," Ryo joined him and Agumon with Monodramon by his side.
AC: Here's the end of chapter 37.
Chapter 38: You can't, but I can.