31) Dropping in on the Gekomon
"Are we closer to Takato... or farther away?", Guilmon asked.
"I have no idea", Koichi told him. "The Material World Sphere looks smaller here. That desert must be pretty far up. So far, the Valley of Gales and where ever this is look to be below that desert, if you can go by that. As for Takato... the random nature of those data streams... I don't know what to tell you".
"Leomon?", Guilmon asked.
"He said nothing I can disagree with. We leave it up to destiny".
"Orochimon! Show yourself!", they heard someone call out, and went to investigate.
They were just in time to watch an android digimon fling a small boulder into what looked like a large pond. The boulder landed, making a rather large splash. He was obviously trying to get the attention of something that lived here in this pond, though no one had any idea as to what that could be.
"Who're you?", Juri asked, startling the digimon.
"You are more of Orochimon's agents", the android accused.
"Actually, we're not", Koichi explained. "We just arrived here, and have no idea as to who this 'Orochimon' is, or what this is about. If it isn't any of our business, then forgive the intrusion".
"Ahhhh... I see", the android replied. "I am the Andromon of Justice!", he introduced himself. "Orochimon is tyrannizing the locals, and I am here to liberate them", Andromon explained.
Just then, he'd gotten this Orochimon's attention, as a very large, multi-headed "snake" rose from the pond. Juri ran the profile:
Orochimon
Ultimate
His attack is Ame no Marukumo
"Gatling Missile!", Andromon fired two rockets at Orochimon. However, he somehow forgot to arm the warheads, and the missiles dropped harmlessly, undetonated, to the bottom of the pond.
Orochimon grabbed the android with his tail, and threw him hard into the side of a tree. Next, one of the serpent heads seemed to take an inordinate interest in Juri. Leomon jumped in front, paw on the hilt of his Roman sword. Orochimon decided to retreat, instead of attack.
"Hell was that all about?", Kenta asked.
"No idea", Koichi replied. "Just be thankful this Orochimon didn't attack".
Kazu and Kenta were checking the condition of the fallen warrior.
"He's in a bad way", Kazu remarked, though that was pretty obvious.
"We should do something for him...", Koichi was saying.
"Smoke!", Juri pointed to a small tendril of smoke rising above the trees. "Maybe there?", she suggested.
There were no better ideas, and Kenta, Kazu, Guilmon, and Koichi carried the stricken, though incompetent, hero wannabe. After a click or so, they came to a large house whose grounds were surrounded with a stone wall, and an open gate.
"I wonder who lives here?", Kenta asked.
"A home or a factory?", Koichi asked.
"Smell that?", Juri asked.
"What?"
"Fermentation", she explained. "My father's an amateur wine maker. They're making wine".
"Looks like Juri's right", Guilmon replied as he looked through a window. Inside, gekomon were mixing a fresh batch of mash, demonstrating yet another use for dust packets. They seemed to be having a problem of getting the dust packets mixed in as they insisted on floating. A series of pot stills was lined up along the far wall, accounting for the smoke they'd seen.
"That's right", a gekomon carrying a walking stick answered. "This is a moonshine distillery, and I'm the boss", he introduced himself.
"Can you help us help Andromon?", Leomon asked.
"Andromon?!", the Boss asked. "We refuse!"
"May I ask why?", Renamon asked.
"Hellsamatter with you?!", Impmon reprimanded.
"This world was once so peaceful", Boss began his explanation. "Our days were filled with singing, as we gekomon love to sing. Then Orochimon dropped in, literally. 'Digimon can't evolve anymore', he said. Then he demanded that we provide him with booze, explaining that it was a substitute. If we kept him supplied with his happy stuff, he agreed to leave us alone. Ever since, we've been making him moonshine, and he's left us alone".
"So you built this distillery?", Juri asked.
"We gekomon love peace, so we make moonshine to protect the peace... Then this Andromon shows up, saying we have to fight. I told him we wanted no part of it, and that if he was so damned eager to fight, to leave us out of it. Every time he and Orochimon mix it up, they fuck everything up, and leave it to us to clean up his messes. We want nothing to do with this trouble maker! Take him with you and get out!", he ordered.
"Look little guy", Kenta explained, "Andromon wanted the same thing you do: to protect the peace. You may disagree with his methods, but he still needs your help!"
"All we require is some moonshine and a few dust packets. We'll tend to him", Impmon told him.
"And since when do you impmon give a shit about anyone but yourselves?"
"About the same time gekomon lost their balls", he replied sarcastically.
Kazu grabbed the diminutive brewmeister by the forelegs: "We'll take him away, if you like, but can you spare a few dust packets and moonshine?"
"Fine", the brewmeister conceded. Perhaps he found Kazu intimidating?
Impmon poured the moonshine over the wounds.
"The moonshine helps prevent infection?", Juri asked.
"Yeah", Leomon agreed.
"And the dust packets?"
"For digimon, raw data helps heal damage", Leomon explained, as Guilmon stood by with pawsful of dust packets. These he applied to the injuries.
"Thanks, Impmon", Juri said.
"Even though Orochimon is so powerful, he still wanted to fight", Kazu observed.
"And for the cowardly and unappreciative", Leomon added with contempt.
It seemed to be working. Andromon absorbed the dust packets, but then devolved into something looking a lot like an old boiler.
Guardromon
Rookie machine digimon
His attack is Destruct Grenade
Juri read off the profile.
"Looks like he'll be OK", Impmon explained, "though he lost too much energy trying to repair all that damage, and couldn't maintain the more advanced form".
"How long will he stay like this?", Kenta asked.
"No tellin'. Depends on how long he'd been Andromon, how soon he recovers the lost data. He could be stuck like this for a good long while".
"All we can do now is allow him the time to regenerate", Renamon said.
"We could stay with him awhile", Kenta said.
Just then, this Orochimon demonstrated just how fast he could move. He wrapped his tail around Juri, as she screamed. "LEEEE-O-MOOOON!", she called out as her partner gave chase. The others followed. He moved through the forest faster than they thought possible.
"JURRRRRIIIII!", he called back.
Orochimon was already in the pond, swimming fast.
"LEOMON!", Juri called again, as he dived in, and began swimming after her. He never stood a chance of catching up. Orochimon exhaled a plume of flame, forcing Leomon to dive to escape the flames. He watched the orange glow above him. He surfaced, Roman sword in hand, as soon as he saw the glow disappear.
"Leomon, I'll be alright", she called back, "my family owns a bar and grill, so I'm used to dealing with drunks"
"That's not what worries me", he said to himself. All he could do at this point was watch Juri and Orochimon disappear on his island base. Leomon couldn't swim nearly as fast as Orochimon, nor hope to match that attack, at least without endangering Juri in the process.
"What do you intend to do with me?", Juri asked as soon as they'd arrived on Orochimon's island.
He produced a large, shallow dish shaped cup with a narrow base: "Fill my cup", he said.
"What? You want me to be your barmaid?", she asked as she used a dipper to pour moonshine into the cup.
"This doesn't bother you?"
"My family owns a bar and grill", she explained, "so it's like being back home".
"I see... interesting", Orochimon said.
Two serpent heads reached for the cup.
"No fighting!", Juri demanded. "There's more than enough to go around, so take your turn".
"Turn?", he asked.
"You live here alone? You want company?", she asked.
"I'll go first", the central head announced as he took the cup, draining it in one gulp.
Juri made sure to fill the cup nearly to the brim, figuring she could get away if Orochimon was drunk enough. Each head took its turn.
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
The others, Koichi, Renamon, Leomon, and Kenta were waiting by the bank of that "pond", which they'd discovered was really part of a river. Kazu and Impmon were looking after Guardromon.
"Juri said she knows how to handle drunks", Leomon was saying, "but I'm afraid Orochimon isn't like a human drunkard. This is something very different. I hope she's alright".
"Now what do we do?", Kenta asked, "find a boat? Build a raft?"
"No good", Koichi explained, "he'd see you coming regardless of which direction you came at him. Even if you tried concealing yourself as floating debris, he wouldn't believe it as there haven't been any storms, and the water here is too calm".
"Then what?", Renamon asked, "we're not giving up on Juri, are we?"
"No, of course not..."
"I could act as a decoy", Leomon offered, "give the rest of you a distraction..."
"Sounds awfully risky", Koichi objected.
0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
"Orochimon..."
"So you're active again?", Impmon asked Guardromon. He saw that Guardromon also had green eyes.
"All systems nominal... Orochimon took one of your party?", he asked.
"Yeah, you know about that?"
"I heard everything you were saying... It's my fault... all my fault..."
"Nonsense", Kazu said, "you did your best against a nasty opponent, and with no help".
"Your name?", he asked.
"Hirokazu – Kazu - Shioda, and my partner..."
"...Impmon"
"Kenta Kitagawa"
"Kazu, Impmon, Kenta: I have an idea as to how you can recover your friend". He described his plan...
"Hey!", Kazu called out as he joined the others by the bank, "Guardromon says he knows how to rescue Juri".
They thought it over, and agreed they had no better ideas. The timing was right, as this day was the day the gekomon were expected to deliver another shipment of Moonshine to Orochimon. There was just the one devil lurking in the details...
"Guardromon! Get out of our way!", the Brewmeister ordered. He was big enough to block the path to the launch ramp, nor could they steer the carts laden with Moonshine around him, as the trees and bushes came right to the path itself.
"These folks need your help to rescue one of their own", Guardromon explained.
"Please help us", Koichi asked.
"Yes, please", Renamon agreed.
"We're begging you", Leomon added in a voice that made it clear he was not used to begging for anything.
"We can't do it without you", Impmon added.
"Please?", Guilmon asked.
"We need to deliver the Moonshine as we agreed to keep the peace!", the Brewmeister counter argued. "Now get out of the way!"
"So this is your idea of peace?", Guardromon asked. "I always thought peace for the gekomon was singing songs. How much time do you actually have for living as you want, and how much do you devote to appeasing Orochimon? How long are you going to let that continue? What happens when he begins demanding three, four, or more barrels at a time?"
This, at least got the gekomon thinking and discussing the matter.
"OK", said the Brewmeister, "suppose we decide to help, and you lose? He'll kill us all! What do you have to lose?"
"Orochimon has one of our party", Impmon explained. "If we lose, we lose Juri, and Orochimon wipes us out before he wipes you out. That's what we have to lose".
More discussions among the gekomon.
"What the fuck", the Brewmeister told them, "you only live once. What do you want us to do?"
"Begin by emptying these barrels...", Guardromon explained what he had in mind.
It was a very tight fit, hiding inside the barrels of Moonshine. This plan would get them to the island, unsuspected. Orochimon wouldn't be expecting these gekomon to be putting one over. The gekomon rolled the cart down the ramp, and into the water. The gekomon pulled the floating cart along, as they swam for Orochimon's base of operations.
Eight of Orochimon's heads were totally passed out. Juri was filling the large cup yet again: "A little hair of the dog is good for a hang-over", she was explaining.
"Is that so?", he asked as he drained yet another cupful.
"Orochimon!", the Brewmeister called out, "we have fresh Moonshine for you!"
"Right on time", he congratulated.
Koichi, Kazu and their partners were the first ones out, as they could evolve their partners.
"So happy to see you!", Juri called out. "I've been giving Orochimon lots of 'Shine to get him drunk!"
"Super Evolution Plug-in S!"
Impmon Evolve! ...
... KYUUBIMON_Ag!
Renamon Evolve! ...
... KYUUBIMON!
Impmon's Champion form looked almost the same as Renamon's except for the silver fur with a purple tint, a fashion accessory with alternating green and white stripes, and orange foxfire. Otherwise, Kyuubimon_Ag was the same size, bore the same markings, and also wore a necklace of five pairs of crystals. The eyes were green, like Impmon's, instead of blue. He also had an additional fashion accessory: a red bandanna tied around his right wrist.
"Ready?", Kyuubimon asked.
"Demon Spirit Fireballs!", they hit each head with two fireballs each. All of the heads except for the central head immediately evaporated into data.
"Something isn't right here". ...
"You didn't make him drink all that Moonshine?", the gekomon Brewmeister asked.
"What do you mean?", Juri asked.
"The more he drinks, the stronger he gets!"
"I didn't know... I... think I did something stupid", Juri told Leomon.
"You couldn't know", Leomon explained, "that he wouldn't react the same as a human".
"That's unfortunate for you", Orochimon was explaining, "those heads you thought you destroyed? They aren't real". With that, Orochimon easily regenerated the eight heads they thought destroyed.
"Destruct Grenade!", Guardromon fired his version of RPGs.
"Pyro Sphere!", Guilmon fired at the real head, as Leomon drove his Roman sword into Orochimon's neck. That, and more Demon Spirit Fireballs had no effect. Orochimon retaliated with his attacks, spraying fire over everywhere, as the others kept just ahead...
"We're not gonna beat him this way", Guardromon explained. "You need to fight different".
"Fight different?", Juri asked herself more than him, as she pulled out some cards, and was fanning them. "This one..."
"Ladydevimon: digimodify!", she scanned the card.
The Light appeared all around Leomon, and his eyes turned the same sort of blood red as Ladydevimon's demonic gaze.
"Poison!", Leomon fired Ladydevimon's attack at Orochimon. This caused his own attack to backfire, turn all its power against him, as he exploded into data.
"Thank you, Juri", Leomon told her.
"We did it!", Juri agreed.
"You did it!", Koichi congratulated. "Helluva card selection", he congratulated.
"I never believed we'd ever be free of Orochimon", the Brewmeister told them. "You have our gratitude... And Guardromon, you can stay as long as you like... if you'll have us, I mean".
"I'll take you up on that offer", he replied. "At least until I can get back to Andromon. I won't blame you for what happened. It was my choice to fight him, after all".
Once back at the distillery, by the bank of the river, all the gekomon treated them to an impromptu celebratory concert. These gekomon sang almost as badly as Kenta. Not a single one sang in the same key as any other. They also sang in their own language, so they had no idea what they were singing about...
"What will you do now?", Koichi asked.
"We still have the distillery", the Brewmeister explained. "We can always sell our Moonshine now. Why let the facility go to waste now that we have it? Right?"
He pulled out flasks of the Gekomon Moonshine, and handed out one to each of the visitors: "A small token of appreciation", he explained. "For the road".
"For the road", Koichi agreed, taking a swig... Not what he was expecting. Impmon tried some as well.
"GODDDD-DAMMMMM! If that don't put hair on your chest... Not exactly Tennessee sippin' whiskey is it?"
"I don't know what that is", Impmon agreed, "but it sure ain't!"
"Orochimon liked it strong", the brewmeister explained.
"The next thing you need to learn is how to age whiskey", Koichi explained. "Give it a few years in cask, and you just might have something here".
"What was Orochimon doing here in the first place?", Juri asked.
"He just dropped out of the sky", the Brewmeister told her. "With everything deteriorating, I guess he couldn't live anymore where he came from. That's been happening all over and at an accelerating rate. No one will tell us why. Of course, he decided to be a real asshole after he arrived".
"Now what?", Guilmon asked.
"Look for a passage back to that desert, hope Takato and Henry find their way back. I don't have any better ideas", Koichi told him. "One thing we can try is Yamaki's hand held. Maybe we can get a connection..."
He turned it on, and indeed, it connected.
Mr. Yamaki:
We dropped in on a different region of the Digital World, and here we can get a connection. Sorry for the delay in contacting you, but it would seem that there are areas where there are connections and areas that lack them. So far, we're doing just fine, though we did have a set back. We lost Calumon again to Catsuramon, one of those Deva. He came during this nasty storm that Jenyra believes to be due to either Hypnos and/or Shaggai. Whatever you're doing, stop! It's fucking up the Digital World, and could very well be endangering all of us.
Koichi
"I think I know how you can get back", the brewmeister told them. "When you're ready to go"