Frank A/N: How's it been, readers? 3 years and 5 months later, this story has been resurrected. A lot has changed and even I've gone through some changes since 2019.
And Ascendancy will be undergoing a massive transition from multi-crossover team-ups to simple adventures. Yes, you heard that right. I'm scaling back and hopefully, this return will pay off. I hope I still have it in me after being away from Dragon Ball/Digimon-esque fanworks.
Enjoy the return of Ascendancy.
Digimon Fusion Ascendancy
Act VIII: AlphaNova X
Chapter LXXI: Ascendancy Re:Start
(Cue Digimon Adventure tri. - English OP - It's Digi-Time Again!)
Odaiba General Hospital Rooftop/November 8, 2012/10:30 AM (JST)
(Cue Emanicaptor - Lionheart (2006))
Hours after their son's birth, Tai Kamiya went to the hospital's rooftop and stared at the calm morning sky. Having realized he's become a father, Tai also reflected on the limited time he had left to enjoy. He wondered if he hadn't sacrificed most of his lifespan. For what? All for a limited taste of full-powered Ascendancy Instinct. At that moment, he thought it was necessary to turn the tide against the seemingly unstoppable Zeed X.
Did I make the right choice? Was it all worth it in the end? He wondered, recalling his encounter with the Overseer. He knew his universe would be gone if not for the choice he made. He and his allies would've ceased to exist if Zeed X had gotten his way. His only regret is giving up possibly a lifespan, which would've been used to spend time with Sora and their son. Then again, he wouldn't have known for sure if he had much time left, and this is considering the number of enemies he's made that want him dead. Sure, he has the Digicores to restore his life, but with those artifacts now under restricted use, he's going to have to get stronger. Not only to protect himself but his family, too.
With the limited time he has left, Tai has considered trying new things. With older Max's help, he could try his hand at being a Digital World ambassador before his time is up. He's also thought about training his successors and the new kids to protect the two worlds in his and his friends' place. He still has Dorothy, the Teen-Reaper's reincarnation, to count on to carry the load and continue training his newborn.
Clenching his right hand, Tai raised his fist overhead and opened it to reveal his palm. He felt the cool breeze blowing against his hand and fingers. As a smile smeared across his face, the Bearer of Courage took a deep breath, finding peace with himself.
"Tai?" Agumon's voice interrupted his deep train of thought. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt!"
"Nah, it's ok, Agumon. I'm just reflecting. What's up?"
"Nothing, I was just checking up."
"I'm fine, Agumon."
Agumon nodded. "How's it feel being a daddy?"
Tai smirked. "Heh, what I can say? It's gonna take time for me to get used to, but y'know, raising Dorothy already trained me to be a dad."
"You're right. Speaking of which, Dorothy is seeing Sora now. You should've seen her face. She was delighted to see baby Max!"
"Older Max was kinda embarrassed seeing his baby self. It was pretty funny," Tai chuckled again. "I get why he had to leave early. He has his responsibilities, too."
"So, what's next for us besides you being a dad? Have you been thinking about your future?"
"Future? Hah, good thing you asked. With how much time I have left, seven years? I already have a laundry list of things I wanna do before… y'know…" As he stopped, he gritted his teeth and held back his urge to cry. Agumon already can discern his partner's sad state and approached him with an embrace.
"It'll be ok, Tai. I promise. We'll make these the best seven years," Agumon reassured him with a warm embrace.
Nodding, Tai smiled but couldn't stop the tears. "Thanks, buddy. You're always been there when I need ya."
"It's what friends are for."
(End theme)
Suddenly, Tai's Digivice let out an audible beep and stopped the partner's bonding moment. Whipping out his smartphone Digivice, Tai answered it. "Izzy?"
"Tai, I've been trying to reach you. Where are you?"
"Sorry, Izzy. I just wanted some me time before I head back to see Sora."
"I hate to do this, but we've got an urgent situation."
"What's happened, Izzy?"
"You mean you haven't sensed them?"
Taking Izzy's warning to heart, Tai probed energy signatures belonging to two malicious entities.
"I sense one building here in the real world and the other is in the Digital World. Ok, they're not very strong, but you want me to take care of them?"
"I've already contacted Matt and Gabumon. They're on their way to neutralize the threat in the real world. You and Agumon can join them there."
"And the other threat in the Digital World?"
Izzy answered. "Don't worry. Davis, Kari, TK, and their team are on the move there. You and Matt should be enough to handle the threat in our world."
(Cue Transformers Prime OST - Space Bridge)
With a deep breath and regaining his composure, Tai answered the call. "We're on our way. Is everyone else secure in the hospital."
"They are. So, you should be good to go."
"Great. As long as they're safe and Sora's not fit to fight anytime soon now. I'll take it from here."
"Thanks, Tai. Are you feeling ok?"
Wiping tears from his eyes, Tai immediately put on his game face and smirked. "Never been better. We can talk later." With that, he locked onto Matt and Gabumon's locations. "Ready, Agumon?"
"Yeah!" Agumon called out as Tai used Instant Movement to teleport them to their exact location.
Having arrived at Matt and Gabumon's spot, Tai and Agumon convened with them. Matt turned with a serious and determined glare.
"It's about time you got here, Taichi," Matt spoke, his tone sounding close to his other persona's.
"It is you or Yamakins, Matt?" Tai rolled his eyes.
Matt responded with a calm grin. "A little a both, but it's Matt now. The other guy's rubbed off on me since he came back."
"Right, so this is the spot?" Tai asked when he, Matt, and their Digimon partners faced a floating massive azure-schemed orb, which slowly descended toward and darkened their prefecture.
"It just arrived and it's started feeding off the power. Thankfully, this thing was kind enough to give off its presence, so it was easy for me to track down," Matt answered.
Izzy chimed in, his voice coming out of Tai and Matt's Digivices. "That entity is called Algomon. It was able to crossover to our side through a dimension slip from the Digital World. Be careful, its destructive attacks are enough to distort reality. What we're seeing is an amalgamation of Algomon, forming a hive that will reproduce more of these things. One more thing, you can safely bypass this body with your teleport technique, Tai."
"Instant Movement it is then," the Bearer of Courage nodded.
"Let's be careful," Gabumon suggested.
"After beating Zeed X, what's the worst that could happen to us?" Agumon asked.
"Alright, hang on, guys," Tai said as Matt and the Digimon put their hands on his back. Then, he moved them inside the entity with Instant Movement.
(End theme)
Algomon's Network
Having teleported inside the invader's network, Tai used Instant Movement to get him, Matt, and Gabumon near Algomon's core. As they treaded inside Algomon's domain, the group sensed immense energies running through the monster's nest.
"He knows we're here, Tai," Agumon warned him, keenly eyeing green spherical-shaped entities with eyeballs scanning them.
"Izzy warned us the more power these Algomon consume, the more they're going to multiply," Matt reminded them of the creature's mass reproduction. "From the way they're amassing, they may even combine into a greater entity."
Nodding, Tai clenched his left fist and pointed it toward the Algomon, who gathered and formed a barrier. "Yeah, but this is something we can't handle. Ready to get this done, Agumon?" With that, they nodded together and rushed head-on against Algomon.
"You just can't resist. Why not?" Matt shrugged as he and Gabumon swiftly headed off the other Algomon.
(Cue Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge OST - Clash of the Outcasts (Boss Theme))
When several Algomon launched slimy tentacles, Tai parried them off. He punched and kicked others. Agumon headbutted an Algomon and sent it flying away. Then, the Digimon fired a Pepper Breath barrage, cleansing an area full of Algomon.
When several Algomon flew at Matt, the Ascendant fired an elbow into an Algomon's face and kicked it aside. Several Algomon tried ensnaring Matt, but Gabumon's Blue Blaster incinerated them.
In a desperate act, numerous Algomon amassed and formed into bigger, rounder purple bodies and radial mouths. Having evolved into Champion-level Digimon, the Algomon defended the nests with electrical shocks running from their tentacles. The group formed energy barriers, protecting them from the Algomon's electrical blasts.
"Tai, Matt, you four have to be extra careful and not let these things evolve any further! The more energy they feed, who knows how strong they're going to get!" Izzy's voice rang out from their Digivices.
"We know. Still, even if they eat and get stronger, I doubt they're any threat to our Ascendant God," Tai replied with confidence.
"Or, they could feed off our energies once they've drained Tokyo's power sources dry," Matt informed him.
"Good point," the Bearer of Courage realized the dangerous possibility.
"Heads up! They're evolving again!" Gabumon called out.
"And getting bigger," Agumon eyed the Champion-level Algomon fusing together and forming larger bodies. In front of them are four giant humanoid shapes with long green vines covering their bodies. Their heads have insect-like eyes and pink crystals alongside their tendrils.
As the four Algomon locked eyes on Tai, Matt, and their Sigimon, they fired destructive beams from their limbs. Spreading out and evading the beams, Tai and Matt invoked their Digivices, allowing their Digimon to evolve into their Champion forms briefly. Greymon and Garurumon fired their Nova Blast and Howling Blaster at the four Algomon. As the blasts pushed two Algomon back, the other two were bombarded by Tai and Matt's Ki blasts. Tai gathered blue energy in his hand and fired a Tsunami Wave at an Algomon. Matt unloaded more Ki blasts at the other Algomon.
While Tai and Matt went to town on the Algomon, Greymon, and Garurumon then evolved into MetalGreymon and WereGarurumon. Together, they clashed with the other two Algomon. Tackling an Algomon, WereGarurumon's claws tore and slashed off its tentacles. Then, WereGarurumon struck its face with a powerful Garuru Kick. MetalGreymon launched missiles and blasted the other Algomon with Giga Blaster. When the Algomon started to regenerate from MetalGreymon and WereGarurumon's attacks, the Ultimate duo hastily evolved into WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon.
"Let's see you recover from this!" WarGreymon bellowed, amassing heated energy in his hands and tossing his Terra Force at the Algomon.
"Trying to one-up me, WarGreymon?!" MetalGarurumon laughed as he froze the other Algomon ice solid with Metal Wolf Claw. He dove and crashed head-on with the frozen Algomon, shattering the viral Digimon into thousands of icy shards.
Having obliterated his Algomon opponent, WarGreymon witnessed more Algomon materializing and combining into larger humanoid entities. Rapidly spinning himself like a top, WarGreymon performed Brave Tornado and drilled a hole through another Algomon's torso. MetalGarurumon launched a barrage of missiles and blasted the other Algomon.
"They just keep on coming!" Tai called out as he scanned the hive. "There has to be a core somewhere."
"I say we keep blasting everything until we expose," Matt suggested. With that, he and Tai fired numerous Ki blasts, wiping out numerous Algomon larvae and eggs.
"And in the meantime, we'll continue kicking things up a notch," WarGreymon suggested as he evolved into VictoryGreymon. At the same time, MetalGarurumon turned into ZeedGarurumon. Swiftly brandishing his Dramon Breaker, VictoryGreymon cut an Algomon vertically in half.
Expelling destructive energy from his snout, ZeedGarurumon wiped out an Algomon with his Blowback Breath.
After the four obliterated most of the Algomon hive, the remaining Algomon combined and formed into a larger humanoid-like entity. Having achieved its Mega-level form, Algomon bellowed and unleashed beams from its mouth. Tai, Matt, and their Digimon quickly evaded Algomon's attacks and spread out.
"Ah, it's getting desperate," Matt scoffed at Algomon's last resort tactic.
"It's nothing we can't handle. After all, we stopped Zeed X. Right, you two?" The Bearer of Courage turned over to VictoryGreymon and ZeedGarurumon.
As both Digimon nodded, they flew across and unleashed a barrage of attacks on the Algomon entity. Amid VictoryGreymon and ZeedGarurumon's attacking Algomon, Tai and Matt joined in and performed a double punch into Algomon's stomach. After sending Algomon crashing into a barrier, VictoryGreymon and ZeedGarurumon performed a double-team assault, blasting away and tearing off its tentacles.
"Let's finish this now, VictoryGreymon!"
"Time to show him the power of Ascendancy," Matt smirked as he involved his internal Crest energies, which combined him and ZeedGarurumon into Metalla X.
Likewise, Tai's internal Crest powers coalesced him and VictoryGreymon into Omega X. As the Crest of Courage energies coursed over him, a golden aura exploded around the Ascendant.
Having set his sights on the golden auras radiating off Omega X and Metalla X, Algomon became drawn to their rich energies and intended to feed on them.
"Great power… immense energies… must feed now!" Algomon bellowed as it launched itself toward Omega X and Metalla X.
Raring to go, the Ascendant duo hastily flew head-on with Algomon and punched him away. They then unloaded a barrage of blows that critically damaged Algomon. Algomon tried to keep up with the Ascendant duo's flurry of devastating attacks but was unable to match their blinding speeds. When it flung more tentacles, Omega X obliterated them with beams. Metalla X sliced off numerous tentacles with a Ki blade.
"Let's finish this, Taichi!" Metalla X declared, putting his hands out and charging up his Final Blaze attack. While preparing his finishing attack, Omega X saw numerous Algomon larvae amassing near his Dramon Breaker.
After blasting away the larvae, Omega X collected the Dramon Breaker and glanced at Algomon, mulling over a creative way to finish Algomon.
(End theme)
Digital World/Continent of Server/Outskirts of Gigabyte Forest
In the Digital World, Davis, Kari, TK, Ken, Yolei, Cody, and their Digimon arrived and located the other threat. Upon seeing a familiar black-clad devil-like creature, TK's eyes widened with fury. He and Patamon both recognized the familiar devil man.
"Damn it, not him again!" TK scowled as he was ready to tear this Devimon-like being into literal shreds.
"Wait, this one looks different. It's nothing like the Devimon from before!" Patamon pointed out.
As the group got closer, they noticed this Devimon wasn't paying them any heed. In fact, this monster was already locked in battle with someone else.
"He seems preoccupied. Otherwise, he'd be attacking us now," Ken quietly observed.
"But, who'd come here before us? I don't recall Izzy contacting anyone else," Yolei said.
Kari scanned the terrain. "These look like… ah, they're one of BanchoLeomon and his team's training grounds!"
(Cue Panzer Dragoon Orta - Gigantic Fleet)
As they got closer, they didn't see BanchoLeomon and his Team Bantyo. Instead, they saw seven humans. Six teenage youths shrouded in varied colored auras fighting the giant Devimon-like creature. Upon closer inspection, the Devimon's appearance was different from either Devimon or NeoDevimon. Its outward appearance resembled a mutated Devimon, whose cautious and cunning nature was replaced with a berserker's state. It has Devimon's mark of evil on its chest and hands. Its face and gaping mouth resembled a cross between the symbiotic creature Venom and Spawn. Swinging its gigantic right arm, the Devimon monster tried swatting away the six teenagers.
"Who the heck are those guys and why are they crazy enough to fight Devimon?!" Davis exclaimed.
"They're nuts!" Veemon cried out.
Just then, Izzy's voice came out of their D3 Digivices. "That monster is called DoneDevimon. While not related to the Devimon and NeoDevimon we've dealt with before, it's taken in enough negative energy beyond its limit and reached a Mega-level state. Be careful, its mental state can quickly shift between normal and feral. Once full of anger, it loses all of its cunning nature and gives into its berserker state."
"Yeah, but we're all strong enough to take it down. After all, we survived Zeed X. Right, guys?" Davis asked his team.
"That's right, but our priority should be to aid those kids," Kari said.
"Well, what are we waiting for then?!" Gatomon said as she and Kari headed off to aid the seven teens. Davis, TK, and the others immediately followed them into the battle.
The Digidestined witnessed a blonde teen boy shrouded in a steel blue and white aura. The aura took the form of a slender-bodied dragon with a pointed beak-like nose, white steel wings, and sharp talons on its hands & feet. The blonde swooped down and collided with DoneDevimon, but while it fazed the mindless creature, DoneDevimon was hardly injured. Another one of the teens, a black African girl shrouded in a dark dragon covered with rose-schemed petal-like feathers, attacked DoneDevimon with rose petals that cut into its skin. A third teen, a dark-haired teen boy shrouded in a fiery red dragon's cloak blasted DoneDevimon with fire blasts. A fourth teen, a boy with chestnut-colored hair, glasses, and covered in a black feathered dragon's aura, shielded his friends from DoneDevimon's mouth beams. The fifth teen, a girl with tangerine-colored hair and shrouded in an aura resembling an aqua-green dragon, used her power to nullify DoneDevimon's devastating beams. The sixth teen, a smaller boy with short blonde hair and covered in a yellow dragon aura, aided his friends in battle. The seventh teen, a black-haired Chinese girl with her hair tied single hair bun and with snake-like scales on her body, evaded DoneDevimon's attacks.
"Are you seeing this, guys?! They're fighting with dragons!" Davis exclaimed.
"Seems like they manifested dragon auras that aid them in battle. Still, I don't think it's going to be enough for them!" Cody said.
"Except, that girl over there doesn't have a dragon aura! Look!" Yolei pointed to the Chinese girl briefly changing into a dragon herself.
The girl's dragon form has a magenta head & tail, her body became yellowish-green, and her wings turned yellowish-orange and magenta. The dragon collided head-on with DoneDevimon and pushed it back.
The blonde-haired teen, presumably the leader of the group, yelled out. "Man, this thing forced her to go all out!"
The chest-haired boy called out. "The last she had to go this far was against Tiamatdramon!"
The dark-haired teen gulped. "Damn, so this thing is probably as strong as Tiamatdramon?!"
"Hey, you guys need some help?!" TK called out to the seven teens.
"Your friend there just went all dragon and still seems like she needs support!" Kari shouted.
Suddenly, DoneDevimon sprouted two massive arms from its back and smashed them over the dragon's back. After a few brutal blows to the dragon, the dragon collapsed and regressed to the Chinese girl. As DoneDevimon reached out for the Chinese girl, the blonde-haired leader and the tangerine-haired girl grabbed their friend, saving her from getting devoured.
"Hank…? Sheila…?" The Chinese girl muttered weakly. "Sorry, he was too strong even for me."
"You're safe now, Tengshe," Hank said.
"Yeah, don't worry about it. Looks like we have help now," Sheila added, watching the Digidestined aiding her and Hank's friends against DoneDevimon.
"Wait, aren't you guys the Digidestined?" The black girl asked the group.
"You know it. Looks like you got a big problem here. Don't worry, we'll handle this," Davis said as he and Veemon faced DoneDevimon.
Letting out a hideous and blood-curdling bellow, DoneDevimon charged toward the Digidestined and the dragon warriors. As it went for a powerful swipe, Davis, TK, Kari, Ken, Yolei, and Cody used their Digivices to digivolve their partners. Imperialdramon, Seraphimon, Ophanimon, GranKuwagamon, Valkyrimon, and Vikemon emerged and quickly pushed back DoneDevimon. As DoneDevimon was sent sailing into the air, the devilish berserker unleashed a destructive wave from its mouth. When the Digidestined and their partners prepared to stop DoneDevimon's Ultimate Flare, another wave of power collided with and nullified DoneDevimon's attack.
"Can it be?" Seraphimon wondered.
"It is! BanchoLeomon!" Ophanimon called out.
When everyone looked up, they saw BanchoLeomon, the Bantyo Gang, and Shayla arriving just in time to neutralize DoneDevimon.
"Sup, kiddos?" Shayla waved to the Digidestined.
"How's it going? We were just about to resume training but looks like this abomination arrived to ruin our precious time," BanchoLeomon stated, shifting his sights on DoneDevimon. "Another Devimon, this is starting to feel like deja-vu."
DoneDevimon loudly screamed in response.
"I have you to thank because I'm about to make an example out of those who interrupt our free time," BanchoLeomon said as he quickly disrobed his coat, which hit the ground and created a ground impression from its heavy weight. "Bantyo Gang, let's show this abomination how we handle invaders on our turf!"
Algomon's Network
(Cue My Hero Academia OST - You Say Run)
As the conflict drew near its end, Algomon was at the Ascendant duo's mercy. Refusing to accept defeat, Algomon took preemptive measures and self-detonated the Algomon eggs, which all exploded en masse.
Izzy's voice yelled out from their Digivices. "He's self-detonating! If he keeps this up, it'll create a meltdown that can devastate all of Japan! If he goes further critical, he intends to take down the planet with him!"
"You don't have to tell us twice, Izzy! Hurry up, Taichi!" Metalla X bellowed, finally releasing his Final Blaze, which collided head-on with Algomon.
Suddenly, while making the last-minute save, Omega X tossed his Dramon Breaker. The blade, while enveloped in a bright blue wave, struck Algomon's back.
"How's that? I call that my Tsunami Breaker," Omega X frowned at Algomon, whose body buckled and crumbled into red digitized particles from the combined attacks from the Final Blaze and Tsunami Breaker.
"And consider your connection terminated," both Ascendants said as they watched Algomon's domain dissolve, restoring the part of the power network it tried to feed off.
"That was a close one, guys. Not that I didn't have faith you'd screw this up," Izzy chimed in, heard sighing with relief.
"Splendid work, you two! Let's all celebrate at the Pizza Palace over our big victory!" Tentomon was heard yelling in Izzy's background feed.
"Heh, I sure could go for a pie or two," Omega X chuckled.
"Oh, you would, Taichi," Metalla X scoffed. "Just leave some room for me."
"Oh! We're not quite done yet! There's that battle in the Digital World with some freaky-looking Devimon. I've identified him as DoneDevimon. Looks like a new variation of our new enemy, but looks like Davis' and BanchoLeomon's groups are taking care of him. And it appears they saved this group of teens who were caught in the middle of it."
"And these new kiddos look like they have special powers that they've been fusing to fight DoneDevimon! Some new Ascendants we haven't been made privy of?" Tentomon mused, which intrigued Omega X and Metalla X's attention.
"Right, we hear you two loud and clear," Omega X nodded, turning over to Metalla X. "You want to check this out?"
"I am curious. New warriors that could be Ascendants? This is worth investigating."
"Hang on. I've got a lock on their powers," Omega X said as Metalla X placed a hand on his back. In an instant, Omega X teleported them with Instant Movement and took them to their exact location.
Digital World/Continent of Server/Outskirts of Gigabyte Forest
The battle against DoneDevimon went as the Digidestined predicted. Under BanchoLeomon's leadership, the Bantyo Gang took the fight straight to the frenzied demon and pummeled him from all sides. After getting bombarded by BanchoLeomon's punches, BanchoGolemon readied a giant excavator in his left hand and went for a drilling attack through DoneDevimon. The berserker quickly countered BanchoGolemon's World Drill Claw with his giant hands and flung BanchoGolemon away.
"Curse you, fiend!" BanchoGolemon bellowed. After he flung away, BanchoLillymon threw giant green yo-yos, which DoneDevimon stopped with his large hands.
"Yeah, block this, jerkface!" BanchoLillymon shouted, unleashing a flurry of blinding fast kicks that DoneDevimon still manage to block with his hands. After blocking her Twin Petal technique, DoneDevimon fired a mouth beam, causing BanchoLillymon to evade at the last moment.
"Look out, BanchoLillymon!" BanchoStingmon buzzed loudly, but it was too late as DoneDevimon swooped in and slapped BanchoLillymon down.
Having seen enough, Hank and his friends headed off to help the Bantyo Gang, but Davis, TK, and Kari stopped them.
"Why are you stopping us? Your friends are in trouble!" Hank was taken aback by the Digidestined barricading them.
"Trust us, guys. They know what they're doing," Davis reassured the teens.
"Yeah, leave it to BanchoLeomon," TK added. As he turned and stared at DoneDevimon. "As much as I'd like to get in there, I'm putting my trust in BanchoLeomon."
"Yep, we don't even need to get involved in this," Kari concurred with her two friends.
As BanchoStingmon and BanchoMamemon double-teamed DoneDevimon, the two warriors struck the berserker simultaneously. BanchoMamemon dove over DoneDevimon, cracking his Ogon Bat across the top of DoneDevimon's head This fazed DoneDevimon briefly, allowing BanchoStingmon to strike the demon with the hand drill stingers. At that moment, DoneDevimon unleashed a powerful black aura, repelling the two Bantyo warriors.
"Enough! This one's mine!" BanchoLeomon declared.
"You mean us?" Shayla insisted, quickly materializing energy needles in her fingers and turning them into threads. She quickly threw the threads toward DoneDevimon and began neutralizing him with her psychic powers.
(Cue Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero OST - Awakening)
"Now, Bantyo Gang, send your energies toward me!" BanchoLeomon commanded as his four allies raised their hands and directed their Ki toward him. "Time to see if this will bring out my potential." As the Bantyo Gang's donated Ki coalesced with his own, BanchoLeomon didn't notice much change outside of a brighter yellow aura outlining them and there were fewer orange bodily features. That quickly changed when his entire furred body matched his aura's colored scheme.
Upon seeing BanchoLeomon's outward change, the Digidestined were taken aback. Hank and his crew were more flabbergasted.
"Wow, this is awesome power you're radiating, BanchoLeomon!" TK cried out.
"I like the yellow on you. It's a pretty color," Kari approved.
"I'll say! It makes your fur a lot fresher!" Yolei shouted.
"As one feline to another, I love the new look," Ophanimon said, speaking on her Rookie form's behalf.
"Geez, are you guys feeling this power surge?! He's stronger than he's ever been before!" Davis exclaimed.
"The way the Bantyo Gang performed their move, doesn't it remind you when Ascendants gave their energies to Tai to grant him the power of Ascendant God?" Ken assessed BanchoLeomon's newest technique.
"Yes, and this would be the equivalent of that for BanchoLeomon!" GranKuwagamon realized.
"Similar but I don't think I'll be quite on the level where Omega X and Metalla X are now, but this power will be enough to deal with this abomination," BanchoLeomon snarled, glaring intently toward DoneDevimon, who flew up to attack the golden yellow-furred warrior.
"Should we give you a name for that form?!" Cody called out to him.
"Golden's already been taken by that jerk Burizalor. So, what's a cool name for BanchoLeomon's new mode?" Davis wondered.
"The way his potential was unlocked reminds me of when I had mine done by the old Supreme Digi-Deity," Kari recalled. "Gatomon and I called our new mode Mystic Celesta X."
"So, Mystic BanchoLeomon?" Yolei pondered.
"There's a fight going on and you guys are wondering what to call your lion buddy?!" The dark-haired teen screamed at the Digidestined.
At this point, the Digidestined and their Digimon nonchalantly shrugged their shoulders and resumed watching the fight go on.
As DoneDevimon prepared to dissect BanchoLeomon with Destroy Claw, the golden lion warrior swiftly evaded the demon's grasp. While spinning himself around DoneDevimon, BanchoLeomon quickly struck the berserker's head with a roundhouse kick. Applying enough force behind a single kick, he sent DoneDevimon flying back. DoneDevimon quickly rebounded and unleashed another destructive mouth beam.
"Is that all?" BanchoLeomon scoffed, evading DoneDevimon's Ultimate Flare. As he turned around, DoneDevimon was already right in front of him. The demon manifested his two arms from the overflowing negative energies radiating off him. DoneDevimon then quickly clamped both hands over BanchoLeomon, seemingly crushing him.
"Oh no!" The black girl cried out fearfully.
"He's done for!" The tangerine-haired girl screamed.
"Yo, dudes, he died just like Aslan!" The short blonde boy shrieked.
"Don't you even care?!" Hank called the Digidestined out. He walked over and grabbed Davis' shirt. "You're the leader, right? Get your team over there and…!"
Clearing his throat, Davis pointed Hank to the fight. Right when Hank attentively turned away, they watched golden light blow apart DoneDevimon's digitized second arms. BanchoLeomon emerged looking no worse for wear.
"See? He's fine," TK smirked.
"Now watch this," Kari said.
Dusting himself off, BanchoLeomon scoffed at the berserker. "I don't know how much gray matter is left in that frenzied mind of yours, but pay attention. It'll be over before you can even blink." With that, he dove head-on with DoneDevimon and unleashed a flurry of punches, battering the giant demon's body.
After a powerful uppercut that sent DoneDevimon flying into the air, BanchoLeomon channeled Ki into his right fist. With a swift punch, BanchoLeomon easily punched a hole through the beast and destroyed DoneDevimon. After soundly defeating DoneDevimon, the warrior powered down and convened with his team.
(End theme)
"Looking hotter than you've ever been, kitty cat," Shayla winked at BanchoLeomon.
Trying to conceal his flushing cheeks, BanchoLeomon coughed. "Anyway, well done, team. Our training has helped unlock my potential. Perhaps the same can be done for the rest of you."
"It was an honor, sir," BanchoGolemon kneeled before his leader, The other Bantyo members collectively bowed their heads.
"BanchoLeomon! You were great out there!" Davis called out to him.
"You didn't even need us to help! Can't say I'm surprised," Imperialdramon said.
"We made sure not to rain on your parade," TK said.
"Thank you. I needed to put that new power to the test. It worked quite well," BanchoLeomon said.
"So, what should we call that handsome form? Sexy BanchoLeomon?" Yolei suggested his new battle form.
"Um, that's kinda pushing it," he replied.
"I think UltimateBanchoLeomon sounds simple enough," Kari said.
"That I will accept," BanchoLeomon nodded in approval.
"Hmm, UltimateBanchoLeomon? Works for me," Shayla smirked.
"Hey! Are you forgetting about us?!" The black-haired teen called out to the Digidestined and their friends.
"Listen," Hank approached Davis, TK, and Kari. "I wanted to apologize. Sorry for doubting you and your big friend here. Thanks for saving our lives."
"It's ok. As long as you're all fine, but we are curious about those dragon powers you showed earlier," TK said. "Are they Digimon spirits?"
"Yes, they are. We gained them during our adventure in another world. They augment our normal strengths and have helped us against various foes," the glasses-wearing boy briefly explained.
"And one of you just turned into a literal dragon! That was wicked cool!" Yolei singled out Tengshe, who was seen standing next to Hank and the tangerine-haired girl.
"Hey, it isn't polite to point, lady," the tangerine-haired girl defended Tengshe from Yolei's fangirling moment.
"We just came back after defeating Tiamatdramon," the black teen explained.
"It was a tough battle, but we managed to pull through," the other girl added.
"But what you guys showed us, we realized we're nowhere the strongest in the Digiverse," Hank said.
"Heh, trust us. You guys have no idea," Davis chuckled.
"It's nice to meet you all. We're the Digidestined," Kari introduced her friends.
Hearing this, the teens were flabbergasted by this until the dark-haired teen blurted loudly. "Wait, you are the what?!"
D3 Headquarters/Other World
(Cue Kamen Rider Kuuga OST [CD2] 7. Peace)
Closely monitoring the events from his observatory planet, Max got a gist of the situation and assessed everything.
"Hmm, what interesting and unexpected developments. This is what I get from slacking off from my watcher duties," Max muttered as Gojiramon, BW, and Pikkan approached him.
"What's going on, Max?" BW curiously queried.
"Haven't they already finished off those two losers Algomon and DoneDevimon?" Pikkan scoffed, folding his arms.
"Huh? Yeah, those two have already been taken care of. It's these new kids I'm curious about. They just popped up and already they're showing promise. Granted, they're nowhere near our level or Tai's friends, but if steer them in the right direction, they could be valuable assets for us," Max explained as he showed them replayed footage of Hank, Eric, Diana, Presto, Sheila, and Bobby's powers.
"Wow, look at them go! So cool! Who are they, Max?" Gojiramon eagerly asked him, finding himself excited by the new kids.
Just then, Pikkan's eyes widened as he glimpsed over their special powers on full display during their scuffle against DoneDevimon.
"Did something catch your eye about them, Pikkan?" BW asked.
"Yeah, these kids are wielding the powers of the Signerdramon gods!" Pikkan exclaimed.
"Signerdramons?" BW blinked in confusion.
"Oh yes, these are the spirits of the Signerdramon deities who went into an endless war against RedNovadramon. The very same RedNovadramon who helped enhance Burizalor, the Warlord, and Cyrus," Max elaborated. "Wow, so the Signerdramon have found wielders?"
"If they've found wielders, then Vengermon will have been pursuing, if he hasn't already," Pikkan said.
"You seem awfully knowledgeable about the Signerdramon and this Vengermon. What else do you know, Pikkan?" BW addressed the Alterian.
"The Signerdramon were legends passed down my Alterian race. Besides that, Vengermon is infamously known throughout the 7th Digiverse. He wouldn't be much of a threat to us these days, but these kids have probably had several run-ins with this guy and probably need support to get them better trained to deal with him. Besides, I'm curious why someone who resembles a Yuantimon clansman is with these kids," Pikkan keenly observed, eyeing Tengshe.
"I take it you're familiar with Yuantimon?" Max queried.
"Slightly. I've never had quarrels with them, but my Alterian culture has. My father certainly has had quarrels with them in the past, but this girl doesn't appear to be fully Yuantimon. She appears a Pureblood one."
"In any case, this is worth investigating. Let's meet our new friends," Max suggested as he linked his mind with Omega X's. Hey, Tai, I know you and Matt just got there, but come and pick us up with Instant Movement. I'd like to talk to these kids.
Sure thing, Max. Hang on tight. Omega X telepathically responded as he quickly popped up in front of Max, Gojiramon, BW, and Pikkan. "Just you four? Tike couldn't bring with his Instant Movement?"
"He's training with Kara and David now. Keke and Sam are out watching them. Don't worry I'll fill them in on everything later," Max replied.
Nodding, Omega X turned his back to the trio, who put their hands on his back. Using his Instant Movement, the Ascendant teleported them to the Digital World.
(End theme)
Digital World/Continent of Server/Outskirts of Gigabyte Forest
(Cue Cobra Kai OST - Mercy and Honor)
Once Omega X returned with Max and his friends in tow, they reconvened with Metalla X, Davis' group, BanchoLeomon, the Bantyo Team, and the new kids.
"Wow, so you unlocked a new power, and that made the difference against DoneDevimon, BanchoLeomon?!" Omega X was flabbergasted upon learning about the Bancho leader's new potential unlocked.
"You should've seen him, Tai! His fur gave off a yellow aura. It's kinda like when we turn Ascendant!" Davis excitedly chimed in.
"How the hell did that happen?" Pikkan asked.
"Intense training!" BanchoMamemon bellowed.
"And lots of vitamin juice to keep our raw energies flowing!" BanchoLillymon declared.
The Alterian deeply sighed in exasperation. "That's not what I asked, you idiots. I asked how it happened?"
"That's exactly how it happened. BanchoLeomon asked us to push him to his extreme limits. Then, we lent our energies to him and that is how he achieved his new power," Shayla explained as she patted BanchoLeomon's back. "And what can I say? He looks good in golden yellow."
BanchoLeomon gruffed loudly. "Please, I'm just tired of falling behind Ascendants. So, I took matters into my own hands."
"And we got stronger out of it, too!" BanchoStingmon said.
"Still, I think there's plenty of reserves within me that's yet to surface," BanchoLeomon said.
"I wouldn't doubt it. You've got something hidden in there. I can feel it!" Gatomon nodded.
"We believe in you, BanchoLeomon. I'm living proof anyone has greater potential," Kari added. "Right, Tai?"
Omega X nodded. "Yeah. Good job, BanchoLeomon. No, great work, everyone holding down the fort here while Matt and I took down Algomon."
"So, who do you suppose sent Algomon and DoneDevimon to fight us? This all seemed deliberate," TK wondered.
Metalla X shook his head, scoffing. "C'mon, TK. Think. Who else? If I counted how many times I'd already died, I can stake my own life again and guess the perpetrator. He's testing our powers and where we measure up nowadays."
"Yeah, no doubt he's already causing us trouble again. We just showed Burizalor we're not playing anymore," Omega X said. "I'm sure he's grateful we worked together to bring down Zeed X, but that doesn't mean he intends to change his ways."
"You know what they say? A leopard never changes its spots… or, was it a tiger never changes its stripes?" Yolei wondered.
"Either one works, Yolei," Ken pointed out.
"Anyway, we'll concern ourselves with Burizalor later," Max shifted his view over to the six teens and the Yuantimon girl. "Thanks for helping our friends, but we'd like to know who you are and where you came from?"
"Yeah, I would've sensed you guys sooner, but you just pop up under the radar. Want to introduce yourselves?" Omega X asked them.
"And why do you wield the Signerdramon partner spirits?" Pikkan confronted the six kids. "And how did you get mixed up with a Yuantimon?"
Having been cornered with various questions, the six teens and the Yuantimon formed a circle and whispered to themselves. After that, they faced Omega X's group.
"Look we're happy your friends came to help us, but we just returned after a long journey away from Earth and we were ready to go home. Then, that big Devimon thing attacked us," Hank said.
"We thought maybe it was one of Vengermon's leftover hench freaks, but maybe not? You said someone else sent him?" Eric queried.
"We're glad your friends helped us out there," Sheila said. "I don't think we could've beaten that thing."
"He seemed almost as strong as Vengermon and Tiamatdramon were!" Presto exclaimed.
"But thankfully our Signerdramon partner spirits gave us the strength to fight back," Diana stated.
"But your friends are totally something else! Your powers are beyond anything we've seen! Like, dude!" Bobby cried out enthusiastically.
"And to answer your question, I am part-Yuantimon," Tengshe addressed Omega X's group concerns, particularly from Pikkan. She gave a steely gaze, unfazed by his stern gaze. "And what's an Alterian doing here?"
"That's my business, girl," Pikkan scoffed with arms folded.
"Hey, now. We're all good here. So, it's good to meet you all, but maybe you can bring us up to speed about who you are and how you got these Signerdramon abilities?" Omega X asked the six kids.
"Sure. I'm Hank, leader of the Signer Guardians."
The tangerine-haired teen kindly greeted. "I'm Sheila. Nice to meet you all."
The glasses-wearing teen smiled his hardest. "Call me Presto."
The black-haired teen smirked coolly. "Yeah, call me Eric."
The black girl waved and greeted them. "I'm Diana."
The shorter blonde-haired teen flashed a peace sign. "You can call me Bobby, my dudes."
The Asian with snake-like features introduced herself. "And I'm Fengshe, and wait until these guys tell you all how they met me."
"Signer Guardians?" Max nodded. "First SliferGigadramon and his two friends, and now Signerdramons and Signer Guardians? I'm sensing a recurring theme here. Anyway, nice to meet you all."
"And trust me, we have plenty of time on our hands. Tell us all about yourselves," Omega X said.
"Alright then. It's a long story. Hope what we tell you doesn't bore you," Hank replied.
The Bearer of Courage chuckled. "My friends and I have been through a lot and just stopped an omniversal psychopath. Hardly anything bore us. So, let's hear it all."
(End theme)
Burizalor's Spaceship
Sitting solitarily in his hoverchair, the evil tyrant quietly witnessed the demise of DoneDevimon and Algomon. Biting his bottom lip, a low scowl came out of the irritated Burizalor's mouth. Then, he started calming down, reminding himself not to lose his calm demeanor. He then heard the whirring of metal doors sliding open.
"Lord Burizalor, your agents have met their…"
"I know what happened, Kikonomon. Taichi, Yamato, and their irritating friends finished them," Burizalor scoffed as he shut off his monitor. "It doesn't matter in the long run. DoneDevimon and Algomon were mere distractions. Beribulumon, are our two spies on their way to steal those Digicores?"
Beribulumon softly chortled, her tone sounding posh. "Why yes, my liege. They're closing in on them. There's still one Digicore left to find."
Sitting up from his hoverchair, Burizalor smirked. "Excellent, we'll have the Digicores in our possession."
"We have other news, Lord Burizalor," Kikonomon reported.
"What is it?" The tyrant curiously queried his yellow alien colleague.
"Two of our scouts, Cheelaimon and Lemomon, found three stragglers in a desolate world."
"Oh? Which planet?"
"Planet Vampa, my lord. They've reported one of the three is a tall individual with an unidentified Digimon and the other appears to be an old, weathered Digital Knight."
Upon hearing these intriguing revelations, Burizalor's interest became piqued as a sly grin smeared his black lips. "Oh ho? This is interesting. Why don't we invite our new guests?"
(Cue Dragon Ball Z: Budōkai Tenkaichi 3 ‒ Super Survivor)
Next chapter: The Signer Guardians
My Frank A/N and Frank Vows (a sequel of Shin-YYGDM's final chapter A/N and the second part of my redemption arc since my novel draft's completion): Hello to anyone reading this. It's been what? Over three years since I last touched on this story and wrote any new entries for Digimon Fusion Kai/Ascendancy. I don't count revisions of old fics and cross-posting on AO3. This is the first legit new chapter since 2019. The world has been through (and not saying this lightly) unpredictable times and a lot has changed since I last penned a DF chapter. I've shifted away from Dragon Ball/Digimon fanworks and delved deep into Persona, Code Vein, Kakegurui, and Guilty Crown. Now that I've explored (and am still exploring) the works of Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, I thought I'd return and try to write new stories for this series. It doesn't hurt to try, and I hope this comeback chapter was enough to satisfy and generate interest again.
Starting with this chapter, Digimon Fusion Ascendancy will have a soft reboot. And thanks to Zeed X's meddling, YuYuGiDigiMoon (YYGDM-01) and Accel Stream (XLR-8)'s influence and connection with the Digimon Fusion/Kai (DF-616) world have been minimized and severed. While characters and events from those two dimensions will be referenced, there will hardly be any more crossover appearances and team-ups from YYGDM-01 and XLR-8.
Going forward, DF-616 will scale back and return to simpler adventures. Events and conflicts take place in the 12 Digiverses and the dimensions/timelines linked to them. Nothing outside them.
This chapter immediately picks up just a few hours after the previous one and just after Tai & Sora's son is born. So, there's no time skip here. Algomon and DoneDevimon are the starter villains of this relaunch, and both are nods to Adventure (2020). DoneDevimon is also a nod to Devimon being the first main villain of Adventure and NeoDevimon being the starter villain of Digimon Fusion Kai's main story. UltimateBanchoLeomon is undoubtedly based on Piccolo's Potential Unleashed (yellow state), already fast tracking to getting this power without Digicores.
The Signer Guardians are the newest OC additions to this series. They effectively replace the YYGDM-01 and XLR-8 guests. They are OCs that share the names of and are based on the Dungeon & Dragons cartoon crew. These would be 2010 versions of them. Their powers will be based on the Signers/Signer Dragons from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds. This and the next chapter introduces and will start establishing them. They'll be used sporadically initially until they're essential again. There's no plans to use them in the Super Broly adaptation.
Anyway, now to shift from story commentary, and getting into personal matters I wanted to get out. It's 2023 and we're three years into this pandemic. I've taken time to settle down and reflect on my life as a writer and outside of the writing realm. 10 years ago, while the world was somewhat 'normal, I was hit with the harsh news of my mother having cancer before her recovery. Looking back, I've had to take my life more seriously. That's why I doubled down and scaled back on YuYuGiDigiMoon and Digimon Fusion Kai/Ascendancy. Going forward, I intend to treat Ascendancy as a side project until I decide to end it. The former, especially, needed to be put on hold and I've had to nix several stories I wanted to do. This helped me move forward and get my first draft novel done. This novel is something I've been working toward in my novel-writing career. I haven't been an aspiring writer for years. I am a writer. Then, I recall talking to a friend, Alisa Yang, who five years ago gave me critique and advice about my novel concepts. With that, I don't want my writing career to be in vain knowing I've chatted with someone who's given me professional advice.
Speaking of writers, one of my long-time friends and fellow fanfic writer, Maxacorn (creator of the D3 series and of the Max Kamiya character), beat me to the punch in completing and publishing a novel. It's called New World by Greg Haynes. I believe you can still get a physical copy on Amazon. Now that I bring him up, and as someone who's just barely finished his first novel draft, I question and wonder if any publishing firm will notice my story. Believe it or not, writing the draft is the easiest process and yet it took me five years to finish (thank you, creative walls) and wonder if I should take a chance going the digital route? I may move copies quicker but I face the risk of getting my orders taken down due to some BS 'copyright notice'. Will I even make back the money I will have sunk into hiring an editor, a book cover illustrator, buying the copyright, and promoting the book? That's hard to say. I just learned my friend went through a difficult situation with getting hit with a 'copyright strike', which is BS and I hope he got that resolved. The absolute last thing I want to see is a friend and a fellow writer having their dreams crushed because of corporate fuckery. Looking at this, I may not bother with Amazon unless it's the absolute last option to digitally publish my book, especially if I can find connections that help me guide the way. I, for sure, will be watching videos about book publishing, book marketing, and being a successful author.
During the pandemic, I've had time to collect nearly all of the fanfics I've written and published on FF dot net and there were looming rumors of the website shutting down. Those fears caused me to back up my stories. One of my biggest fears is athazagoraphobia, the fear of being forgotten. This is especially true with anything I've written. I made this post to one of my friends in 2022: I've already backed up most of my stories and downloaded them as PDFs and html. I only need to back-up the original D-Fusion stories and the hentai one-shots. I used the site to do all the work for me. It beats trying to save all of the chapters individually. That method would've taken me a long time to do. This site is a life saver for me. As far as I'm aware and from what I heard, recently renewed their site until 2028. Don't take my word for it.
Anyone who sees this, remember whatever you write and post online isn't guaranteed to stay there forever. Please back up your stuff or you'll regret it.
Third Special Commentary (Digimon and Dragon Ball):
Now to get this off my chest and discuss my long-term connection with the Digimon and Dragon Ball franchises, how I discovered them, and how they've influenced me as a person and a creative:
For starters, I've been a Dragon Ball fan longer than a Digimon one. Both franchises have been part of my creative identity and let me create my Digimon Fusion, Digimon Fusion Kai, and Digimon Fusion Ascendancy series.
For starters, I'll begin with my Digimon fandom history. It all began in 1999 shortly after Digimon Adventure's English premiere on Fox Kids. I might've caught a few episodes of the Etemon arc but I passed it over believing it to be a Pokemon rip-off. Fast forward to a fateful February 2000 and I caught the hype of the Eighth Child arc. It was the episode Out on the Town and everything after that hooked me into the Digimon bandwagon. Angewomon, WarGreymon, and MetalGarurumon ensured I'd stick around. I made sure to get up in time to watch the new episodes and record every episode. If not for the Eigith Child arc, I likely wouldn't have become a Digimon fan until much later on. What made me appreciate Digimon during that time was it was more story-oriented and wasn't afraid to involve more drama than Pokemon's mostly episodic and repetitive format. The Digimon digivolving into bigger and 'cooler' monsters put it above Pokemon's evolutions.
I consumed Digimon throughout that whole spring and summer, so much I was hyped for Digimon 02. My Digimon fandom was at an all-time high than before and I started dabbling in small Digimon fanfics. One was a short Digimon/Spawn crossover where TK was Al Simmons/Spawn, Kari as Wanda, and Davis as Terry. I was a big Taiora (Tai/Sora), Takari (TK/Kari), and Kenyako (Ken/Yolei) fan. I discovered popular Digimon websites such as the Digimon Experience and affiliates such as Pojo. I delved into those sites and interacted with fellow Digimon fans. I went to see the Digimon movie during its weekend premiere with my step bro and we enjoyed it. He, too, got into Digimon. By March 2001, my Digimon fandom was tested once the Christmas episode and 02 finale aired in Japan. Then, there was the infamous epilogue. Witnessing Sora being paired with Matt made a ton of Taiora fans angry and that led to some infamous online wars (and may have been one of the earliest online fandom wars). I admit I was one of those that didn't like the Sorato decision. Others were turned off by the epilogue when most of the popular shipping (except for Kenyako) never materialized. But while many Taiora fans left the fandom for these reasons, I still stuck with Digimon and dabbled in more fanfics that I no longer have access to.
By the fall of 2001, Digimon Tamers premiered in the US and I had my doubts about it until I watched it and got hooked. Tamers was the first Digimon series I fully watched in Japanese and English whereas before I only watched the English dubs for Adventure and 02 (though I did watch the final 02 episodes in Japanese). Not only did it extend my Digimon fandom but washed the bad tastes 02 left. Tamers delved into more serious topics and evolved the franchise whereas Pokemon remained stagnant (this was also around the same time Yu-Gi-Oh also premiered in the US). It was around this time that I conceived the first version of my Digimon Fusion stories. However, what helped influence DF was the introduction of Biomerging and the first time I watched a 30-second clip of Takato and Guilmon biomerge into Dukemon/Gallantmon. Then, I watched out it play out in the show and it was the last push for me to introduce the concept of a Digitally Fused Warrior (before revamping the name into Ascendant later on in DFKai). Tai/Agumon became Omega X and the rest is history.
Once Tamers ended, Fox Kids ceased and Digimon Frontier moved into syndication. I barely followed Frontier in Japanese and stuck with the English dub. Seeing humans turn into Digimon nearly paralleled my Digimon Fusion concept; the big difference was the Digidestined fusing with their Digimon while the Frontier Digidestined used Spirits to Spirit Evolve into Digimon. I followed Frontier mainly in English and finished it. Even as Digimon's original run ended in 2003, I continued running with my Digimon Fusion fanfic stories until its original finale in 2005.
Several Digimon fanfic writers influenced my writing. Among them were Max Acorn, Ultra Sonic 007, DigiDestined of Courage, AnT, and Ninetalesuk. Daneel Rush is one of the top-tier Digimon fanfic writers. Crazyeight is another great one, but I didn't hear about him until much later in the 2010s.
After 2004, I was on and off with the Digimon anime (I did watch Digimon Savers in 2006) and seldom wrote Digimon fanfics. It was until 2010 that I jumpstarted Digimon Fusion Kai, revamping my old Digimon Fusion stories for the 2010s. At that time, Digimon Xros Wars was called 'Digimon Fusion' for international, and it's pretty hilarious in hindsight. They took my fanfic title's name and applied it to Xros Wars English adaptation. I was never mad about it. That said, until Digimon Adventure tri., I mostly watched new Digimon in Japanese. Tri. was quite the experience and I was excited about the return of the DigiDestined. What I got was a mixed-bag series with a lot of squandered potential. Last Evolution Kizuna tried its best to finish the original Digidestined story, except for the ending I wasn't fully on board with (why can't adults have Digimon? That's pretty dumb).
Then, Digimon Adventure was rebooted in 2020 and it was a 'thing'. Digimon Ghost Game introduced more horror elements (as a horror fan I greatly appreciated it) and a greater episodic format than any series before it, but its rushed ending and open ending left a lot to be desired (but hey, more fanfic possibilities for a new generation of Digimon fans. That might be a good thing!). Appmon is one I haven't watched in full but it that had neat concepts. As far as games go, I didn't play too many Digimon games. I played more Pokemon games. The Digimon games I played were the Rumble series, Digimon World 3, and some of Cyber Sleuth. I've watched playthroughs of Cybersleuth, Hacker's Memory, and Digimon Survive. To this day, I'm not the big Digimon fanatic I used to be, but I still have a greater appreciation of the franchise and keep tabs on it. I only engage with anything that looks interesting. Digimon lore remains intriguing and I do like there are backstories behind the Digimon. Nowadays, outside of Digimon Fusion Kai/Ascendancy, my days of Digimon fanfic writing are done. I'll let the new generation write the Tri/Kizuna, Adventure (2020), and Ghost Game stuff.
Now onto Dragon Ball, and my fandom for it goes back way longer than Digimon. 25 years ago, on a fateful November 1998, I watched Toonami frequently. Out of Toonami, at the time, I primarily watched Sailor Moon. Then, my stepbrother showed me an episode where a group of strong martial artists was fighting little green men and a muscled-up bald dude. That was my first exposure to Dragon Ball when the Saiyan arc was being run. And it was that iconic Ocean dub from the late-90s. I still remember most of the funny dialogue and the 'Send you to the next dimension!" Those strong episodes leading to Goku vs. Vegeta's first fight instantly hooked me into the series. I continued to watch until Toonami infamously started over back to Raditz's arrival, which at the time was new for me since I never caught the beginning of Dragon Ball Z. I constantly watched the reruns until the Freeza arc aired on Toonami w/ the debut of the Funimation dub cast, which looking back was… rough. Ngl, that part of the dub now is unwatchable outside of a few funny lines. That said, it was the introduction to the Funimation dub on cable TV and fans. It was also the introduction of the Bruce Faulconer Team score, which gave us memorable pieces of music (for good or worse). Can I forget the goofy-ass dialogue, especially Krillin's 'Mondo Cool' and Freeza's 'Pop goes the weasel.' October 18, 1999, was the U.S. premiere of 'Transformed at Last'. It was the first time I watched Goku go Super Saiyan and whoop Freeza's ass on Toonami. How can I forget the 'I am the hope of the universe!/Ally to good, nightmare to you!'. I used to recite these lines to myself a lot. I knew friends in school who watched DBZ and I recall them and a few others wearing DBZ t-shirts and printing pictures featuring Cell and Buu saga characters that I hadn't been introduced to yet. We had discussions about the show and the awesome fights.
Before the premiere of the Android and Cell arcs, I discovered the Japanese version on a defunct channel then known as the International Channel. That channel introduced me not just to Japanese uncut DBZ but to international cultures/programming I was never familiar with. I caught most of the Android and Cell episodes there before they premiered in English. The year 2000, I consider my peak year of early Dragon Ball engagement. I visited websites (namely Pojo) featuring DBZ content and 30-sec video clips of Japanese DBZ (all RealPlayer video, that takes me back). Just in 2000 alone, I was watching DBZ in English, Japanese, and Spanish. Yes, Spanish, because I had Telemundo and it showed uncut DBZ, and it's where I watched some of the Saiyan, all of Namek, Garlic Jr., and the early parts of the Android arc before they all premiered in English. Even then, I still tuned into the English dub of the whole Cell arc on Toonami. That DBZ run was appointment TV for me. Piccolo vs. Android 17, Goku vs. Cell, and Gohan vs. Cell were all great to watch as they still are now. It all paid off when I watched 'The Unleashing', and was the first time I watched Gohan go Super Saiyan 2. That culminated in the explosive 'Save the World' episode where I witnessed the Father-Son Kamehameha wipe out Cell. I started buying VHS tapes (official dub and Japanese subbed bootlegs) with the uncut footage with my allowances.
By 2001, I had already watched some of the Buu arc in Japanese before the English dub premieres. Even then, I kept tuning in to the Toonami broadcasts and staying engaged with Dragon Ball Z and eventually, I caught the original Dragon Ball. Finally watching Dragon Ball gave me a better context of Goku's adolescence, training for the tournaments, learning humility, and meeting new friends & foes. I enjoyed the OG for its creative fights and comical moments. On the flip side, I was waiting to see how the Z-Warriors would defeat Majin Buu. By 2003, the final DBZ episodes aired on Toonami and I finally got to see Buu's demise by the Spirit Bomb in 'Spirit Bomb Triumphant'.
Through the early-2000s, I maintained that Dragon Ball obsession and watched anything with the 'Dragon Ball' name. Then, I heard about the then 'fabled' and 'infamous' Dragon Ball GT. I lost the International Channel when my family changed cable providers. I was unable to watch most of the Buu arc and nearly all of GT. Thankfully, a friend gave me copies of the GT Japanese subs and watched them. Watching new Dragon Ball without the Z was an interesting experience. I was confused why Goku was a child again and how he became an adult red-furred black-haired Super Saiyan. That was my introduction to Super Saiyan 4. For a while, I enjoyed the Grand Tour. Then, I managed to watch most of the DBZ movies. The first movies I watched were Dead Zone, World's Strongest, and Tree of Might on TV, but the ones after them I watched on DVD and bootlegs. Dead Zone, World's Strongest, Cooler's Revenge, Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan, Bojack Unbound, Fusion Reborn, and Wrath of the Dragon were my favorites of mine. Out of the two TV Specials, I watched the Future Trunks one first through VHS and watched it on Toonami later on. I watched the Bardock special much later on DVD and then on Toonami. In 2003, GT was finally dubbed and we got the infamous 'Step into the Grand Tour!' rap, which I thought was bad then and still terrible now. I'm going to say this: GT, script-wise, had the worst English dub outside of early Funimation's Freeza arc, Garlic Jr., and the Bardock Special. Around this time, I found Kanzentai and Daizenshuu EX (now Kanzenshuu). It was through these websites that my greater appreciation for the Japanese versions increased.
Despite being a Dragon Ball fan for all these years, I've never once posted any DB fanfics. I tried dabbling in some shorts in the early-2000s but never had the time to do it. So, I've only written crossover fanfics featuring DB characters. The closest thing to a DB story I've successfully written has been the Digimon Fusion, Digimon Fusion Kai, and Digimon Ascendancy stories, which all are Digimon fanfics with DB arcs adapted to fit in the Digimon Adventure timeline and the various unique elements. Digimon characters also filled the DB roles (Ex. Tai being Goku, Matt being Vegeta, TK & Kari co-playing Gohan, Leomon/BanchoLeomon as Piccolo, Mimi/Izzy/Yolei as Bulma (spreading Bulma's smarts and beauty attributes across these characters). There were OCs that filled the main villain and side character roles. Dragon Ball mostly played a big influence in my DF/DFKai/DA stories. However, I cannot say I'm the only one who succeeded with this concept. Max Acorn, before he became a professional writer, wrote his D3 stories, which were DBZ-like Digimon stories, and our concepts were near identical. I didn't discover his D3 stories until 2002 and he had already started his stories in early-2001, nearly a whole year before I created my original DF stories. We eventually crossed paths and reviewed each other's stories. We became close followers of each other's works and friends. He even gave me his blessings to utilize his D3 characters in my DF/DFKai stories as long as they stayed in character.
When GT ended on Toonami in 2005, I took a break from Dragon Ball until the Uncut DBZ episodes (redubbed Saiyan and Namek arcs) aired on TV and that maintained my interest until that ended. In June 2006, I tried my hand at 'rebooting' Digimon Fusion with an 'Ultimate Edition', which took cues from Marvel Ultimate Comics. That only lasted for so long and I ceased writing in 2007. It was around this time I discovered the birth of the 'Over 9,000' meme, which I thought was cute. However, my interests shifted from Dragon Ball toward the popular 2000s anime, such as but not limited to Naruto, Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist, One Piece, Death Note, Code Geass, and Gurren Lagann.
Unlike Digimon, I've played a lot of Dragon Ball games. I hardly dabbled in the old DB games, but I do remember playing Dragon Ball GT Final Bout. It wasn't until I played Dragon Ball Z Budokai that kicked off my love for the Budokai series. That interest continued into the Tenkaichi Budokai trilogy. I recall the fun times I played these games with friends, my stepbrother, and a cousin. The music from both Tenkaichi and BT games is legendary. Of course, not every DB game experience was great. (cough)DragonBallZSagas(cough). After Budokai Tenkaichi 3, I didn't play many of the other games. I've casually played Burst Limit, Raging Blast, and Xenoverse but never went deep with them. I never played the Legacy of Goku games but watching extensive walkthroughs did bring an odd sense of fun nostalgia. I did enjoy Dragon Ball FighterZ for playing like a traditional arcade fighter. As for Dragon Ball Z Kakarott, I watched YT playthroughs of it. With the news of DBZ Tenkaichi Budokai 4's official announcement, my interest in DB gaming is piqued once again.
I've read plenty of DB fanfics since the 2000s. Bringer of Death is a recent example. I've enjoyed a lot of fanmade Dragon Ball stories, even the popular parodies, including content from TeamFourStar and Devil Artemis. Speaking of DBZ Abridged, while it started in 2008, I didn't pay it any mind until 2009 and I thought was the most hilarious parody DB series I've seen (but I do recall Alternate Reality Dragon Ball Z by Gozer). And there was something else that was released in 2009? Some abomination and a crime against nature. I think it was called Dragonball Evolution, or something. Yeah, I don't remember it. Kidding aside, I'm glad I never wasted my time with that in a theater. Nevertheless, Evolution led to Toriyama coming back and I couldn't have been more intrigued.
For a time, DBZ Abridged kept my interest, but it wasn't until 2010 when Dragon Ball Z Kai premiered on Nicktoons in the US that truly revigorated my love for the franchise. It helped that DBZ Kai received a better English dub and I could finally watch a version of the show with better pacing and a renewed, faithful dub. I even rewatched DBZ Kai all over again on Toonami/Adult Swim, which later debuted The Final Chapters (Kai!Buu) on TV. Unfortunately, Nicktoons never showed The Final Chapters and instead aired GT in its place. That was a big 'WTF' moment if I've ever seen one. Since then I primarily stuck with Kai as my English viewing experience for DBZ. Every now and then I'll watch the old DBZ dub through clips and comparison videos, but probably never again as a whole outside of background noise while I'm doing other things. I still like the Team Faulconer score, and honestly, the issue with that music isn't the score itself but the overabundance of it that kills the silent moments. I've seen fanmade DBZ Kai Faulconer episodes where the score is implemented more effectively. You can blame executives for thinking kids are 'dumb and short-attention spanned' that require music ongoing to keep their interest.
Then, Battle of Gods, Resurrection F, Broly, and Super Hero followed. BoG was my first DB theatrical experience and it was a fun experience in the summer of 2014. BoG also introduced, IMO, two of the best characters in the modern DB series: Beerus and Whis. DBS Broly revamped an old movie character into the modern era and came out looking better than he had before. I watched the other films in theaters, too. Broly was my favorite DB movie to experience in a theater setting and I remember the cheers from the crowd during the fights. It felt like I was in an MCU Avengers theater setting with other fans. Compared to the Digimon Adventure tri and Last Evolution Kizuna, DBS Broly is easily better than all of those combined. Throwing in Super Hero would be beyond cruel.
In 2015, Dragon Ball Super was a roller coaster-like experience for me. There were lots of ups and downs. Throughout the show's inception, the lowest points were pretty bad but the highs were memorable for me. As time passes, I've enjoyed the Future Trunks and Tournament of Power arcs. The former had a great villain introduction through Goku Black and the mysteries behind the story's direction kept me guessing, but the bad ending diminished the arc's full potential. That said, I was glad to see Future Trunks again. I enjoyed the Tournament of Power best, especially Episodes 109-110 (Ultra Instinct's introduction) and the final string of episodes leading to the Goku vs Jiren finale. The show was best experienced at the time of its release. It's been 2018 and no official word of a renewed Super or a new DB show has been announced. Time is ticking with the Japanese voice actors getting up there in age. It was because of Super I was introduced to content creators such as Geekdom101, DevilArtemis, Gonzossm, and Totally Not Mark. I was also introduced to the numerous 'What-If' Dragon Ball stories on YouTube, which I believe MasakoX helped kickstart and it has since led to other creatives coming up with new takes and alternate paths with the already existing Dragon Ball arcs, and putting their own spin on the narratives.
Sadly, there was one DB fan that I wished I had a chance to meet. DMajorBoss was mentioned to me by a friend. However, DMajorBoss sadly passed away from cancer in 2013. I was too late to greet him online. I kick myself for not messaging him in time. And since then there have been missed opportunities to meet famous people and creators I wanted to meet that have passed away in the past decade. Taking life for granted is a lesson we should all know and take seriously.
I can't exactly tell how many times I've watched each Dragon Ball show. I know I've seen DBZ the most (also adding DBZ Kai), DB second, DBGT third, and DBS least since that one is still fresh. Recently, I did a complete rewatch of these four series in Japanese from Jan 2021 to May 2021 (DB-Z-GT) and October 2021 to December 2021 (DBS). It was my first rewatch of the Japanese version in a long time. From January 2021 up to recently, I reunited with my stepbrother as we watched Battle Gods, Resurrection F, DBS, Broly, and Super Hero together. Before, he's seen DB, DBZ, and a few of the movies. It was his first time watching the modern Dragon Ball stuff.
(K's status on Discord 1/31/21: I have a relative staying with us and we were both watching DBZ: Battle of Gods. It's his first time watching it.)
-(6/2/201: My stepbrother and I watched Resurrection F a few weeks ago and we're in the middle of the Universe 6/Tournament of Destroyers right now.)
As of this writing, my stepbrother enjoyed Dragon Ball Super, Broly, and Super Hero. I even showed him the last episodes of DBZ (Uub's introduction), which he never recalled watching. Dragon Ball GT is something he's never seen. He knows about Super Saiyan 4 despite never having seen GT. I want to show him GT, but he's a dub-only watcher (exceptions being if certain anime has no dub), and… ugh, do I want to show him that dub? Guess I'll stomach it for him. I'm already showing him other animations he's never seen, including Yu Yu Hakusho, Attack on Titan (he's only seen the first 3 eps before I resumed watching with him), Netflix Castlevania, and Cowboy Bebop. He enjoys Naruto, and while I'm not a fan of that series anymore, I have been watching some Shippuden with him and I'll only make this exception because he's my bro. I'm planning to show him My Hero Academia, Fullmetal Alchemist, Death Note, Demon Slayer, and some movies (i.e. stuff like Summer Wars & other Mamoru Hosoda films, and other Ghibli films since he's seen Princess Mononoke) soon.
And I spoke with a friend who was also rewatching the Dragon Ball franchise in 2021:
-(K's addendum (2021): Congrats for making it far and finishing the entire Cell Saga in Japanese. We're both watching the most consistent version of Dragon Ball Z (and Dragon Ball) in the original language, unlike the English dubs where you had altered dialogue/translations (some for the sake of censorship), the music score alterations, and the voices. Yes, it's true there's at least two generations of fans who've grown up on Dragon Ball in the US: the Toonami generations that watched the original DBZ dubs (Ocean/Funimation) and the 2010s generation that watched DBZ Kai on Nicktoons/CW Network and later on Toonami on Adult Swim. While I do have the nostalgia for the Cartoon Network/Toonami DBZ era, I think the 2010s generation had it better with DBZ Kai being more faithful to the original Japanese vision and losing the padding/filler that dragged the original DBZ. Although, you did mention the DBZ Kai music score being plagiarized, causing the score to be changed twice (the DB/Z Kikuchi scores for Cell and then with a brand new composer for Buu) and the new fans being exposed to some of the movies and GT, which featured Freeza, kid Gohan, Bulma, and a few others with voices being different from the ones in DBZ Kai. I do remember Nicktoons pulled a big gamble showing GT after Kai concluded with the Cell arc (since Buu didn't exist for Kai yet), while I know the younger generations are tech savvy like us to do their research, I doubt everyone knew that an entire arc was skipped between Cell and GT. Yes, I remember that PM when we went back and forth on those laughably corny/bad lines from the original DBZ English dub. Those are things to look back and laugh about.
-I never told you this but I've seen DBZ in other languages, too. Besides English and Japanese, I've watched a fair bit of DBZ in Spanish (Latin America) dub when it aired on a US Spanish channel called Telemundo and I watched a few episodes during family visits in Mexico. The Spanish dub is very faithful to the Japanese version. The original Kikuchi score is retained and the OP/EDs are dubbed into Spanish. There were only a few name/dialogue changes (ex. Chichi in the Spanish dub was renamed 'Milk' because her original name means 'breasts' in the Latin American language. King Kai is actually called 'Kaiosama' in Spanish. Freeza is called 'Freezer' and Freeza's Spanish voice is much deeper almost to the point of sounding masculine). Unlike in the US, they dubbed and aired all of Dragon Ball before transitioning into DBZ and later GT. In Latin America, as I'm sure you might have heard, Dragon Ball Z is the most popular anime besides Saint Seiya. Yes, besides Super's final two episodes being broadcasted to large crowds of people, DB in Latin America inspired a religious movement called the 'Church of Goku'. Latin America has the best consistent Dragon Ball run outside of Japan. I still have some Spanish DBZ episodes taped from the Telemundo broadcast on VHS and they're primarily from the Android Saga up to the start of the Cell Games. In fact, my Cooler's Revenge DVD has the Spanish dub (and sadly the only DB DVD I have with the Spanish dub), and I was almost tempted to watch that with/instead of the Japanese version, but I watched the JP version for consistency's sake with my DBZ rewatch. I've also seen bits of the French, Brazil Portugese, and Korean dubs, but nothing to the extent as ENG, JP, and SP. Anime was better received in Latin America than in the US, but none of them ever reached the popularity of Dragon Ball and Saint Seiya.)
A few interesting and funny tidbits: As I watched Digimon Adventure (2020), there was an episode where WarGreymon fought ZeedMillenniummon (yes, I'm not kidding) and that fight reminded me of something straight out of my DF fanfics. Haha.
Here's what I posted on a friend's Discord:
(Discord 5/31/21: Well, I never thought this day would happen, but one of the show's writers of the new Digimon might've read my Digimon Fusion/Kai fanfics. Why? I'll let this video speak for itself, lol! 😆
Even if just for one episode, my Digimon/DBZ fusion series becomes a reality. I should brag about it, but I won't. Though, I would've handled this fight a tad bit differently. Maybe an Omegamon appearance. Also Millenniummon wouldn't have been just some generic monster if I were writing this.
Sure, but that's not the point. I'm just saying someone on the writing staff must've read my Digimon/DBZ fusion stories and gotten 'influenced' to make Tai & Wargreymon into 'Goku' and using the Spirit Bomb on ZeedMillenniummon. Anyway, I'm just having fun with this.)
Then, as a friend elaborated on a shocking twist from the Digimon Survive game:
(Holy shit, Agumon in Survive can become Huanglongmon. Remembering Agumon (Digimon Fusion Kai)'s connections with Huanglongmon (Digimon Fusion Kai) around the start of Season 2, it becomes Hilarious in Hindsight canon. (Ford on Discord 8/1/22)
Kanius Discord 8/1/22: I saw those and I was taken aback with Huanglongmon. It's certainly a choice. Ford also mentioned Agumon (and Tai) meeting Huanglongmon in my Digimon Fusion Kai story during its 2nd season. What a coincidence.)
He then said:
(I did mention before that Huanglongmon Ruin Mode is hilarious in hindsight to Zeed's final form in the original D-Fusion besides Galactic X vs Zeed happened before the actual Gurren Lagann final battle.)
So, who knows if someone read my fics or there's other people with similar ideas. I'll never know, but it's hilarious to see.
And apparently if you google search there is a Korean boy band in 2021 named Omega X. Yeah, and named after Tai's Ascendant form. What a coincidence. I don't know what to say!
So, there is my long commentary. If none of that mattered to you, then I hope the returning Ascendancy chapter was entertaining enough. While I'm working on other things, let's see how long I can keep this story and my interest going. But, as far as Ascendancy goes, I'll be treating this as a side project/hobby to keep me from falling out of my writing habits.