"So, you children are the Digidestined…You must be strong to have defeated Devimon."
"Let me rephrase my question…WHO-THE-BUBBLEGUM-GENIE-ARE-YOU?"
"You're not a friend of Devimon and Bloodtongue's, are you?" Tonya added, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Fear not. I am a friend to all, and yet, I am a friend to none."
"…What?" Mel replied eloquently, blinking in confusion.
"That doesn't make much sense." Steph agreed.
"How can you be a friend to all and a friend to none at the same time?"
"He's just trying to be all wise and spiritual…He's an old man, it's what they do." Jenny explained.
SMACK!!!
"OW!"
Pouting, she glared at Meg, who only glared at her pointedly.
"Respect your elders."
"YOU don't!"
"I don't consider you an elder."
"…HEY…"
"I didn't think there would be actual HUMANS here…" Lizzy admitted, gripping Tentomon's hand tightly.
"I am human, and yet, I am not human."
"…That didn't make sense, either!" Steph groaned.
"Don't try to understand the senile mind. It will turn your brain into mush! MUSH I SAY!"
SMACK!!!
"Stop being so dramatic, Jenny."
"…OW…"
"My name is Gennai. I couldn't send you this transmission during your battle with Devimon, but now the lines are clear! And only ten cents a minute!"
"OKAY…That's nice and all…" Tonya started.
"But where are calling from exactly?"
"If you were on the island, you could've just found us." Mel agreed.
"I speak to you far from File Island. Across the ocean on the continent of Server."
"A continent?"
"This world is as big as ours." Steph answered her older friend.
"File Island is probably like Hawaii and Server like North America."
"How long have you been here?" Lizzy wondered.
"Since before the beginning and till after the end."
"…COULD YOU STOP THAT?" Jenny nearly shouted.
"I have to admit, it's getting a bit annoying." Meg agreed.
"Did you bring us here?" Tonya wondered.
"If you did, why?" Mel added.
"It was not I."
"Then who did?" Jenny inquired.
"It was…I don't know…"
Shoulders slumped, and Meg rubbed her temple to hold back the inevitable headache clinging to her.
"And here comes the true evil of being a senile old coot…You forget things!" Jenny shouted dramatically.
"If you don't know who brought us, do you know how we can get back home?" Lizzy piped up.
"No…I don't…"
"Do you know ANYTHING useful?" Tonya whined, getting frustrated.
"I'm sorry I can't be of help to you, but you can be of help to me. Please come to Server and defeat our enemies. As the Digidestined, I have faith in all of you."
"…You want us to go across an OCEAN to fight Digimon bigger than Devimon?" Jenny replied, eyebrow raised…
"…Are you INSANE?!"
Clapping a hand over the girl's mouth, Meg sighed.
"And how are we supposed to get there? If you hadn't noticed, we don't know where exactly Server is."
"Good point…I forgot you're from out of town. Let me create a map for you on Elizabeth's computer."
"Do you really think we can do it?" TJ asked innocently, her voice slightly hollow.
The strength, the energy, that fueled her playful, innocent tone was still depleted thanks to her partner's…death…
"She's right. What if we're not strong enough?" Mel worried.
"Not as you are, but if your Digimon can Digivolve a step further, and you can become stronger, you might be able to do it."
"…We can do that?" Steph voiced.
"We can Digivolve even more?" Agumon added.
"But you'll need something special to do it."
Gennai faded away, and a picture of a strange gold necklace charm and a small picture-object meant to fit inside.
"If you have the tags and crests, your Digimon can Digivolve one step further, and you can also become stronger."
"WOW…" Tonya breathed.
"Where exactly are these tags and crests?" Meg questioned.
"The crests are scattered about. You'll find them all about the continent of Server. The tags were secretly hidden away by Devimon."
"Well, that's just great!" Jenny complained.
"He's still messing with us from beyond the grave! He's a ZOMBIE!"
SMACK!!!
BONK!!!
"OW…"
"Stop it, Jen." Steph ordered.
"Where are we supposed to find them?" Tonya wondered.
Before Gennai could answer, it seemed something began to block his signal.
Voice becoming garbled and hologram fraying, he seemed to be asking them to come…
The light died, and everyone blinked in surprise before sharing glances.
"Um…WEIRD…" Mel voiced.
"He seemed desperate." Meg noted.
"At least that means he wasn't trying to trick us…" Lizzy deduced.
"We can't just leave him hanging. Not after his transmission mysteriously cut off." Steph decided.
"He might have been old and forgetful, but damn it, my grandma would lash me with wet noodles if I didn't try to help." Jenny grumbled.
TJ looked between all of her friends, eyes landing on the torso-long Digiegg hugged to her chest.
'What would Pat say?'
"I say we get something to eat before we decide on what to do." Tonya interrupted.
"So let's start searching before my stomach decides to eat itself instead."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So…FULL…Can't…MOVE…"
"Why did we eat so much?" Mel agreed, lying on a warm rock as the sun began to set.
"Because we haven't eaten so well in YEARS…" Steph answered, rubbing Biyomon's back as she dozed on her lap.
"That was good fish, though…" Lizzy admitted, leaning on the rock Mel was 'moon-bathing' on, Tentomon on her lap.
TJ was sitting on a smooth stone, and absentmindedly rubbed her Digiegg without once participating in the conversation.
Her need for adding her own opinion seemed lost, as was some of the light in her eyes, and Meg was getting frustrated with herself.
"So what about going to Server? Are we or not?"
"I say we go." Tonya voiced, patting Agumon's head as it bobbed in his attempt to stay awake.
"My grandma would probably whip me if I said no…" Jenny noted, rubbing Gomamon's back as he lay on her belly.
"But even then, I'm too good a person to ignore someone asking for help…"
"Still, how would we even get there?" Steph inquired.
Lizzy pulled out her laptop, placing it on Tentomon's lap and typing easily.
"Well, Gennai managed to send the map before the connection died…From my calculations of longitude and latitude, Server is pretty far…"
"We couldn't possibly swim…" Mel noted.
"I'd drown like a rabbit…LITERALLY!"
"It would be dangerous, especially if we can't find the tags and crests." Meg pointed out.
"We could make a raft or a boat…" Steph mumbled.
"But it might not hold us until we get there…"
"Me and Ikkakumon could swim us there."
"You'd run out of strength on the way, and then we'd be Seadramon bait!" Tentomon retorted.
"Jeez, no one has faith in me anymore…"
"It's not that, Jen…" Lizzy assured.
"It's just that we've noticed that staying in their Champion forms takes a lot of energy…and none of them can stay that way very long…"
"It's too dangerous." Steph interrupted.
"If the Digimon and Spirit Evolutions are more powerful than Devimon and Bloodtongue…"
"It might not be worth it." Meg finished.
"But…"
Mel's brow furrowed as Palmon curled into her side…
"If we don't try…Won't we stay here forever?"
Silence fell over the group even as the warm firelight flickered, greedily eating at shadows trying to creep upon the group.
"…We can't. We WON'T."
Tonya's fiery eyes caught everyone, and they knew what was fueling her determination.
Tonya, as well as Steph, Mel, and Lizzy, had a younger sibling to return to.
"I will not sit on this island like a coward! I will not stay safe here while someone else is in danger somewhere else!"
"And what do you want us to do? Make life preservers out of coconuts?!"
"I'm going."
Stunned silence fell over the group, and they all looked towards TJ.
Still gazing down at her Digiegg as she softly rubbed the surface, the youngest of the group spoke again.
"We don't know what we'll find, but it's worth trying. Pat…"
Her voice shook slightly…
"Pat would think so, too."
None of the girls knew what to say, until Agumon stood up.
"If we go and find the tags and crests, we'd be stronger! Then we can protect you guys for sure!"
Tonya grinned, jumping to her feet.
"Yeah! No one will mess with us, right Agu?"
"Right!"
"I'm sure we can be of help, Meg."
A slow smile blew across Meg's face, and she gave a slight nod.
"Can't let them go alone, now can we?"
"It could be fun! Wouldn't it be great to go to a new place, Stephie?"
Steph's eyes warmed into dark embers, and she touched foreheads with her partner.
"I know it will, Biyo."
"There's a whole world to explore! Don't you want to see it?"
A careful smile crossed Lizzy's face like a summer breeze, and she hugged her Digimon closer.
"As long as I'm exploring it with you, I don't mind…"
"What do you think, Mel?"
Eyes lighting up like precious stones, Mel hugged the plant Digimon as tightly as possible.
"It'll be an adventure! Only there isn't a princess to save!"
"What about you, Jen? You're not gonna chicken out on me, are you?"
Grinning as she pinched the Digimon's cheek, Jenny sat up.
"Where would you all be without me? Of course I'm going!"
"I'm sure we'd have a firm grip on sanity…"
"HEY…"
"Then it's decided!" Tonya cheered.
"We're going to Server!"
"And how do you suggest we get there?"
"…"
The redhead deflated…
"…You just can't let me be happy, can you Meg?"
"Nope."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Pepper Breath!"
"Blue Blaster!"
As trees fell with earth-shaking thuds, Lizzy sighed as she looked up from her laptop.
"At this rate…it will take us WEEKS to build a raft…"
"We'll manage." Mel assured.
"We always do, after all."
"But…"
"No worries!"
Jenny grinned, jumping up onto a tree trunk.
"I'll wrestle every tree into submission if I have to!"
"Don't get a splinter."
"I'm not a CHILD, Meg-OW!"
"Told you."
"Shut up."
"You guys aren't getting anything done fighting." Steph interrupted.
"We were hardly getting anything done WORKING." Jenny shot back.
"Well, maybe we'll leave before your boobs hit the floor if we work HARDER."
"Don't talk about Jackie and Sally that way!"
"…"
"…Jackie and Sally?" Mel questioned.
"Yeah. Right and left."
"…I don't want to know." Meg decided.
"Hey, what's the hold-up?" Tonya demanded.
TJ looked up as the group tried to answer, and a smile crossed her face.
"It's Leomon and Claw!"
Everyone's heads snapped up, and Tonya's face brightened.
"Hey, it is! Hi, guys!"
Steph smiled brightly.
"Meramon, Silverwing, and the Yoko's!"
Mel almost bounced excitedly.
"Monzaemon and Whiteflash!"
Meg smirked, crossing her arms and leaning on one leg.
"There's Frigimon and Bearclaw."
"Mojyamon and Rosie!"
"C-Centarumon and Blade!"
TJ seemed to come to life a bit, and gold eyes glittered.
"Elecmon and Dragontail."
Jenny looked up at Leomon before turning her gaze towards Claw.
"And what would you all be doing here on this fine day?"
"We heard you might need some help getting to Server."
"How'd you know about that?" Tonya wondered.
"Oh, you know us monsters. We all love to gossip."
Giving a short laugh, Steph nodded, smiling.
"Thanks for offering to help. We could really use it."
"We just need to figure out who does what!" Mel added.
The three seventeen year olds took it upon themselves to make something like an 'assembly' line, and the Digidestined stood at the sidelines.
"Begin!"
"Fist of the Beast King!"
"Roaring Fire!"
"Solar Ray!"
The Yokomon began pushing the logs side-by-side, and the other Digimon began to tie them together.
The girls began working on the sail and mast, their partners rushing off to find food.
They returned just as Mel finished the last stitch, testing the strength before looping rope through the holes along the top.
Jenny and Meg helping her tie it to the top of the cross-shaped mast, and they righted it atop the wooden plank the others had created.
Making sure everything fit properly, Steph left crating their provisions to the analytical Lizzy and helpful TJ.
When everything seemed properly secured with rope or wooden nails, they stepped back to admire their work.
The raft may not have been fancy, but it was large enough to hold their food and water, as well as them.
Sail billowing slightly in the breeze, it seemed wide enough to push them with a breeze.
Beginning to relax, Meg put a hand on Gabumon's head, gently tracing the designs on his horn.
TJ tilted her head, carefully putting her chin on her Digiegg as she watched the other Digimon explore the vast wooden surface…
'Pat would love to walk on the sail…'
"Could we ride it down the hill?" Agumon wondered.
"Please-Please-PLEASE?" Gomamon added.
"WELL…"
The Digimon used the Chibi Eyes, and their partners cracked…
"Oh, go on." Meg conceded.
Cheering, they pushed the raft to the edge of the incline facing the ocean.
Lizzy checked the coordinates, and was glad to see they were going to set off on the correct side of the island.
With cries of triumph, the Digimon partners pushed off and were zooming down the hill.
Wincing as rocks and roots made the raft bounce, Mel peeked through her fingers once they landed in the shallow water.
"Are they okay?"
"Of course they are." Steph assured.
"EVERYBODY IN THE WATER!!!"
Running down the drop to gain momentum, Jenny leaped onto the raft, causing it to sway almost dangerously from her sudden weight.
"Wait for us!" Tonya shouted, leading the rest in a jog down to the shore.
Watching it move with the waves, Lizzy put away her laptop and stepped tentatively onto the surface.
Waiting as it bobbed underfoot, she almost stumbled forward.
"That raft should be strong enough to get you across the ocean." Claw assured.
"We wish you victory." Silverwing added.
"We know you'll do well." Whiteflash stated.
"You guys aren't half-bad. You'll be fine." Bearclaw grumbled.
"Just take care of that Digiegg, and nothing can stop you." Dragontail finished.
TJ yelped in surprise, and heads snapped towards her, eyes widening…
The Digiegg…
It was hatching!
Gold eyes widened in wonder as cracks slowly began to appear along the top.
As it encircled the tip, it shook powerfully, and then popped open easily.
A little white Digimon, squishy and adorable, with bottomless dark eyes, smiled up at her with the innocence of a personal little angel.
Her eyes lit up like molten stars, and TJ seemed to come to life as the baby leaped out of its egg.
Catching him in her palms, a smile blazed across her face, and she hugged the little creature tightly.
"You hatched! Oh gosh, it's amazing!"
It was like the bond that had torn her heart was restored, the innocence and wonder of it healing the wounds she'd sustained.
"It's Poyomon." Tentomon informed.
"Poyomon…Popo!"
TJ beamed, cuddling Poyomon close.
"What do you think, Popo?"
"Poyomon!"
"May your journey be safe and swift."
"Don't worry about us." Steph soothed.
"We'll be fine."
Jumping onto the raft after the others, she began to wave goodbye as Meg unfurled the sail.
It caught a dry wind coming down Infinity Mountain, and began drifting out to sea.
"Goodbye!"
"See you!"
"Take care of yourselves!"
"Don't let the Kuwagamon bite!"
"Watch out for Monochromon!"
"Tell Unimon we left!"
"We won't forget you!"
It was only when their friends vanished from sight that they turned to face the ocean.
Everyone settled with their Digimon for the ride to Server, and the waves rocked them soothingly.
Sitting on one of the crates, Tonya watched the horizon, Agumon sitting back against her legs.
Meg was leaning against the mast, watching TJ as she carefully traced Gabumon's horn.
Steph watched the sky, pointing out shapes she recognized with Biyomon and laughing at the Digimon's constant references to food.
Jenny sat on the edge, lower legs in the cool water as Gomamon tried to distract from her fear and the nausea.
Lizzy lay on her stomach, typing calculations and variables into her laptop, as Tentomon leaned into her side.
Lying on a cool crate, Mel watched the water and the sky merge, almost dozing as Palmon was draped over her torso.
TJ, forever grateful for the bond she'd never known she needed, she curled up on the warm wood, Poyomon held to her heart.
Jenny was the first to feel the shift in the water, and raised silver eyes to watch the surface roughen.
"Guys, waves are coming."
Tonya nodded, gold eyes narrowing as the ocean darkened ominously.
Eyes lifting up from her sister, the black-haired teen sighed.
"Rough sailing, then."
"By my calculations…we should watch out…" Lizzy warned, putting away her laptop.
The once soft waves began to grow in height, and Mel was shaken from her doze, catching herself and Palmon before falling into the water.
Steph's eyes went from the sky to the horizon, brow furrowing in worry…
"Are we SUPPOSED to see a wave from this far away?"
TJ sat up, rubbing her eye…
"I don't think so…"
The raft began to bob and bounce dangerously, and the group cried out as they scrambled to find a hold.
"WHOA!"
Catching Biyomon, Steph wrapped her other arm around the sturdy mast.
"Be careful!" Lizzy shouted, startled as she almost slid off the raft.
"LIZZY!"
Tentomon caught her shirt, wings buzzing hectically as she pulled the blonde away from the edge.
"Th-Thanks, Tento…"
"POPO!"
Diving to catch her limbless partner before he fell into the churning water, TJ cupped Poyomon in her palms as Meg pulled her to safety.
"PAL!"
"Poison Ivy!"
Catching the brunette before she tumbled overboard, Palmon also grabbed the mast, straining against the jolt of weight.
"Mel!"
Grabbing the younger girl's wrist, Jenny managed to lift her, shoving the girl towards the secured crates.
Almost losing her balance thanks to one harsh wave, Jenny's eyes widened as Gomamon jumped to catch her hand…
"JENNY!"
Tonya caught her arm, pulling back with all her weight so both tumbled to the safe center of the raft.
"Maybe we should have put up a guard rail…"
"You actually had a good idea. Congratulations."
"HEY…"
Steph looked up, eyes widening…
"GUYS…"
All eyes followed suit, and found an eighteen foot wave rising to greet them…
"Holy pill-popping angel of marzipan kittens…"
The wave somehow crashed just in front of the raft, and it jumped into the air a death-defying moment.
Screaming in fright at the sudden lack of gravity, they clung to each other and their Digimon.
What looked like an island seemed to rise out of the sea, and they stared at it in wonder.
"When do islands do that?" Mel wondered.
"They don't…" Lizzy whispered.
It reared, seeming to leap into the air, to reveal a brown, blue-finned, giant WHALE.
"What's that?!" Steph shouted.
"It's Whamon and Angelfish!" Tentomon replied, and everyone ducked as a fish-finned Spirit Evolution jumped over the raft.
Her long fins glittered like black shimmering see-through fabric, and it nearly whipped Jenny in the face.
"HEY! WATCH IT!"
Everyone froze as Whamon turned to face them, mouth opening…
"Nice one, Jen!" Tonya scolded.
"What did I do?!"
The water around them rushed into the waiting oral cavity, and it rushed in like some freakish water park ride.
"HOLD ON!"
Darkness enclosed them, and they couldn't even see anything as the raft raced down the esophagus…
"What are those?" TJ wondered, holding both Poyomon and Gabumon so she wouldn't slip.
Lizzy's eyes widened as Mel gripped her arm, surprised at the flying white blobs.
"They're white blood cells! They must think we're some kind of germ!"
Jenny ducked under one's leap.
"You think?!"
Steph leaned over the two younger girls, shielding them from the opposing forces, as Tonya kept Agumon clutched to her side.
Exiting the esophagus, they landed roughly in what looked like a large white room…
"Whoa..."
Mel fell over, slightly dazed as Palmon attempted to catch her.
"Where are we?" Meg wondered.
"The stomach. The gut. The belly. So many names, so little time!" Jenny answered.
SMACK!!!
"OW!"
Lizzy and Steph straightened, looking towards TJ and Tonya to see that everyone was alright.
Beeping even caught Jenny's attention, and eyes widened as acid began to seep into the 'room'.
"Its stomach acid! It'll dissolve us like sugar in water!" The blonde warned, jumping to her feet.
"Goma-Goma, get away from the edge!"
"What are we going to do?" Mel worried.
"Hey, look at that!" Agumon pointed out.
"It's a Black Gear!" Gabumon realized.
"…CRAP…" Jenny voiced, adding Reba's Texas accent for fun.
"But it's all the way up there." TJ noticed.
"How are we supposed to break it?"
"I've got an idea…Pal?"
"Poison Ivy!"
Mel grinned as the vines caught the rough surface, and turned to her friends.
"Someone can climb on these."
"Unless they fall into the acid…"
SMACK!!!
"OW!"
"I'll do it." Tonya decided, stepping forward.
"Maybe I should." Steph fretted.
"I mean, I've done it a million times before at home…"
"I'll be alright. Don't get your bra in a knot."
Smiling confidently, she jumped up to grasp the vines before beginning to swing up.
It was slow going at first, but the redhead found a rhythm about halfway along.
A hand slipped, and everyone cried out in fright as she hung by a single limb.
Agumon was fidgeting worryingly, the stretching of their bond and her precarious predicament causing his protective instincts to flare.
Tonya tensed, gripping with her free hand once more and continuing upward.
"Almost…there…"
Once within arm's reach, her Digivice began to shine.
The gear crumbled, and Tonya yelped in surprise as the vines lost their only grip.
"TONYA!"
Palmon managed to pull the teen towards the raft, and she landed on her feet with a thud.
Stumbling a moment to catch her balance, the redhead breathed out in relief.
"It's gone…"
A white glow emanated from the surrounding stomach walls, and Lizzy shrunk in on herself.
"Uh oh…"
Something was pushing the raft upward, and the pressure of it sent them rocketing through the air.
Pressed against the wood from the force, they cried out as they suddenly found themselves thirty feet in the air.
TJ clung to her sister once gravity took hold…
Flashes of dark water, of burning lungs and stinging eyes, had Jenny above the surface in record time.
"Goma-Goma!"
"I'm alright, Jen."
Mel was having trouble keeping afloat, and Lizzy pulled her towards a floating remain of their raft.
Steph just breathed for a moment once she surfaced, Biyomon's arms over her shoulders, before scrambling onto a crate.
Agumon practically on her shoulders, Tonya lifted herself onto a log.
Bringing TJ up with her, she held the younger girl in place as Meg held onto the wood.
"Whoa…"
Angelfish popped out of the water among them, fish fins now a sheer white, with scales surrounding a heart-shaped face with ocean eyes.
"Are you alright?"
Whamon turned to the group as well, who flinched involuntarily.
"We're sorry. I didn't mean to swallow you."
"We were being controlled."
"We know. It was a Black Gear." Meg replied.
"Thank you for destroying it."
"We're grateful."
"It was no problem…" Steph assured.
"It's just…"
"Our raft is gone." Mel finished, clinging to Lizzy.
"Oh, dear…"
Angelfish looked concerned, fins shimmering as she moved closer.
"None of you are injured?"
"We're alright." Tonya answered.
"Where were you heading, anyway?"
"Server…" Lizzy replied, Tentomon helping keep her grip on the wood.
"Server? Well, that's a five day trip from here."
"Three days without traffic." Whamon agreed.
"For helping us get rid of that Black Gear, we'll gladly take you there." Angelfish assured.
"Really?"
TJ grinned.
"That would be great!"
"Well, get on."
Whamon lowered himself into the water, and the group climbed atop his head with his partner.
Rising once more to keep them safely away from the rough water, Whamon began to swim towards Server.
"I'm sure this is more comfortable than your raft."
"Definitely!"
Jenny grinned, Gomamon climbing onto her shoulder.
"I'm not seasick up here!"
"Great for you." Meg replied.
"We still need to find those tags and crests, though…" Steph reminded.
"Yeah. Devimon hid the tags somewhere, right?" Tonya remembered.
"Did you say Devimon?" Whamon's voice rumbled from beneath them.
"Yeah. What about it?"
"Well, we don't know about tags or crests…"
"But Devimon and Bloodtongue DID hide something a while ago, deep at the bottom of the ocean."
"Really? Do you know where?" Mel questioned excitedly.
"It's on the way to Server." Angelfish answered.
"You can all ride inside me. But no tickling!"
After Angelfish showed them how to return to his stomach through the blowhole, she dove into the water as he submerged.
The journey underwater only took about half an hour, rather short by normal standards, but Jenny was beginning to complain…
"I feel like a burrito waiting to be farted!"
SMACK!!!
"OW!"
Whamon swam under a stout underwater 'cliff' with his Spirit Evolution, surfacing in an underwater cave.
Opening his mouth to allow Angelfish entrance, he waited for her to lead his passengers into the open.
"I'm tired…We'll just rest here."
"He needs to lose a couple thousand pounds." Angelfish joked.
"There should be something further in the cave. Be careful."
"Don't worry. Careful is our middle name!" Tonya assured.
"Don't you mean 'trouble'?" Meg replied, rolling her eyes as she pulled the redhead after the others.
The stalactites and stalagmites dripped, and Steph led the way through the cave-like tunnel.
"Hey, what's that?" Lizzy wondered.
"It looks like a…convenience store?" Mel stated, confused.
"What's it doing here? Serving giant moles?" Jenny joked.
"Maybe it has candy!" TJ realized.
"We should find the tags before we get any candy." Meg replied.
"Come on, guys." Tonya ushered.
They just entered the large cavernous room when something shook the floor.
The room seemed to freeze as a Digimon busted through the ground, his Spirit Evolution on his back.
"It's Drimogemon and Digger!"
The drill on Drimogemon's face began to spin, and his mole-like partner flexed his long digging claws.
"I don't think they want us to get by…" Lizzy noted.
"We'll take care of them!"
Grinning, Jenny stepped forward with Gomamon, grabbing the other blonde's arm.
"Right, Lizzy?"
"R-Right…"
"You guys be careful." Mel worried.
Drimogemon blocked off the convenience store, and his partner jumped down to intimidate them.
"You don't scare us!"
The eldest teen stepped forward confidently, Gomamon jumping to the floor at her side as her charm shone.
"Dolphin!"
Digger cried out at the bright light, pained thanks to the darkness he was used to…
"Jennifer, Spirit Evolve into…TRICKSTER!"
"Gomamon, Digivolve to…IKKAKUMON!!"
Drimogemon roared, and clashed horns with Ikkakumon as Trickster used her tail to knock Digger off-course.
"GO!"
As the others rushed into the store, Ikkakumon tackled his opponent into the glass, causing it to shatter.
Crying out in surprise, Mel fell to her knees, Palmon shielding her, as dust filled the air.
"Don't destroy the store while you're at it, guys!" Tonya shouted.
"Sorry!"
Steph shook dust off her shoulders as Meg straightened from protecting TJ.
"Popo?"
"Harpoon Torpedo!"
Trickster cried out as Digger tackled her to the ground, and Lizzy's eyes widened.
"TRICKSTER!"
"We have to help them!"
Nodding, her charm began to glow…
"Ferret!"
Digger was caught off guard, and released his opponent in order to shield his eyes and back off…
"Elizabeth, Spirit Evolve into…TECHIE!"
"Tentomon, Digivolve to…KABUTERIMON!!"
Whipping around to hit Digger with her tail, the ferret-girl ducked beneath his knife-like claws.
Kabuterimon took to the air, thanks to the high ceiling, and Techie back-flipped to strike her enemy away.
"Are you alright, Trickster?"
"I'm just dandy…"
"Techie!"
Looking up at her bug partner, she nodded.
"Got it."
Standing up straight, she turned to Digger, rushing towards him and flipping over him as Kabuterimon charged up his attack…
"Electro Shocker!"
Her foot connected with Digger's back the same moment the electricity struck, and the Black Gear was destroyed.
Meanwhile…
"Poyomon? Where are you, Poyomon?"
TJ looked around for her partner in worry as the others tried to see through the dust-filled air.
"POYOMON!"
"Poyo."
Spirits soaring as she heard the familiar little voice, TJ bolted towards the source.
"POPO! Are you okay?"
Turning into an aisle, she skidded to a halt to see that one of the shelves was leaning heavily, dangerously, on its neighbor.
"Popo?"
"Poyomon!"
Ducking inside, the gold-eyed girl managed to find the little white Digimon.
"There you are! Come on, we need to help the others find the tags, remember?"
"Poyo-Poyomon!"
Blinking as she found her partner clinging to a small wooden box, TJ tilted her head in curiosity.
"What's this?"
"Po-Poyomon!"
"…Wait…This is…?"
Excitement flooded her system, and she beamed as brightly as the sun.
"You found it, Popo! Let's go tell the others!"
Scrambling out of the 'tunnel', the black-haired little girl raced towards the group.
"Guys, look! Popo found something!"
Meg took the box from her sister, and opened it carefully.
"Sure LOOKS like the tags." Mel noted, grinning.
"We each get to take one, then." Steph reminded, picking up one of the golden trinkets.
"Time to head back to Whamon and Angelfish, guys." Tonya ordered, smiling as she saw Lizzy and Jenny run to see if they were alright.
"It's time to get to Server."