Disclaimer: The following is a work of fan fiction written by someone who enjoys creature collector franchises. Pokémon is owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, The Pokémon Company, Creatures Inc. and Satoshi Tajiri. Digimon is owned by Bandai, WiZ, Toei Animation, and Akiyoshi Hongo. If you want to support the official releases, worry not. Lord knows there is plenty of merchandise to choose from.

Listening to as I write: Cutting Away Sadness (Cyber Sleuth)

The Crest of a Master Chapter 5: The Journey Starts Today

The Modern Mountains

Gary had always wondered what it was like to be teleported. He had seen the process countless times before in his grandfather's laboratory and had pestered the lab aides to no end on the subject. Just the thought of being able to jump from one town to another, no vehicle or riding Pokémon needed, was enough to get his inner five-year old starry eyed. That dream was broken when an aide informed Gary that this process was only possible for Pokémon.

So when Pegasusmon mentioned that he had a teleporter Gary naturally followed the winged horse to pester him with the same questions he would the aides. The island's elder wasn't able to answer all of Gary's inquiries as according to him the technology was from a bygone age and the Digimon that would know the ins and outs were at the front lines of the war. All Pegasusmon knew was how to maintain and operate the device which he was perfectly willing to show Gary. This new skill that came in handy later that night when the village was attacked.

Once Gary snuck into the shrine he was able to power up the device and set it to send everyone to its preset destination. But as per usual Ash had to screw everything up by waiting too long. Now Gary and Gabumon were hurdling through a series of what felt like tunnels. Whether or not this was the teleporter's usual state or if it was just because the tech was as old as Pegasusmon said it was anyone's guess.

It didn't take too many twists and turns before Gary found himself suddenly halting and standing up in the same position that he was in when the teleporter activated: hand reached out to try and grab his rival before everything collapsed.

But now Gary wasn't in a collapsing shrine. His heart was still beating a mile a minute, but the atmosphere felt completely different. The air was calm and cool, gentle even. The salty scent of the sea and stone was absent. In its place was the smell of the woods and the only fire Gary could hear was a welcoming crackle from a fireplace in a neighboring room. Not the raging inferno of a village being destroyed.

Gary slowly looked around at his new surroundings. His new location looked to be a log cabin similar to the one his parents rented that one winter for a family ski trip. The room he was currently in was mostly bare.

Aside from the teleporter there was a small chest which Gary could only assume was a toolbox for the machine, a chandler hanging from the ceiling made from blue antlers which lite up the room, a couple of pictures of landscapes on the walls, and a window that was open a jar allowing a small branch to poke through.

Gary went over to the branch and picked one of the leaves. Holding it to the light he could make out the circuit shaped veins within which was a good sign that were ever the teleporter took him and Gabumon it was still in the Digital World. Granted he still wasn't entirely certain as to where the Digital World was and was hoping to ask the natives about it before he and Ash set off with their partners in the morning. Looked like he was going to have to wait a little while longer.

"Gary, are you okay?" Gary turned around. Caught up in exploring his new location he almost forgot about Gabumon. The reptile made his way over to Gary to give him a look over. "You weren't hit by a stray rock or sliced by a blade, were you?"

Spreading his arms wide to allow Gabumon a good look, Gary smiled. "Relax. I'm all in one piece."

Gabumon didn't drop the anxious look on his face. "Do you think Agumon and Ash are alright?"

The smile on Gary's face dropped.

A While Back

Gary hummed a simple tune as he sat himself down with his omelet. Across the table was his grandfather, Professor Oak, sitting next to the remains of his own breakfast. The old man was having a rare idle moment reading a paper while slowly sipping coffee.

"Seriously, Gramps? You still read an actual paper?" Gary snorted while he took a forkful of egg. "You're tech savvy, get an upgrade."

"If the system isn't broken, I won't fix it." Responded the professor. He neatly folded up his paper and faced Gary. "Besides, I needed something to read as I've finished going over your final exams."

"Already?" While the written exam could be quickly graded via machine, Gary knew that his grandfather preferred a human eye for the practical portion. Gary also knew that his grandad liked to be thorough in his assessment so between taking time to look over the classes' taped practicals and the non-academic workload Gary was expecting at least a full week. "How did I do?"

The practical final exam consisted of three parts: a camping test, a Pokémon care test, and a Pokémon battle. Each of the kids was given a rental Pokémon to camp the night with. During that time the kids would get to know their Pokémon while undergoing various random inspections by a lab aide to make sure they were taking care of themselves and their temporary partner before facing an aide in a one-on-one battle the next morning.

Professor Oak smiled at his grandson's eagerness. "Well, I don't think this will be news to you, but you passed with flying colors!"

"Ha!" Gary beamed. "As if there was any doubt!"

"Yes, well don't get too ahead of yourself. This is only step one you know. The next step will be to pick up your first Pokémon" Professor Oak lectured. "I'd advise you to rise bright and early so that you can get the first pick. It's first come first serve and I won't be reserving anything so unless you want a wild card you better be ready to hit the road fast."

Gary arched a brow. "Wild card?"

"Well, I'm going to have to find a fourth Pokémon." Oak explained. "Normally three does the trick but this is the first time I had to deal with four children at once so I'll need to find a fourth starter."

Wait a minute. "Fourth Pokémon?" Gary said incredulously. "Are you saying that…"

"Everyone passed." Oak finished. "I'll admit it was touch and go at a couple of points during the exam, but I think that so long as you all apply yourselves anyone of you could go on to be excellent trainers."

"Even Ash?" Gary grimaced. This had to be some kind of prank.

"Admittedly he's rough around the edges…" Oak started.

Gary scoffed. "Rough? Try 'damaged goods.' I was nowhere near his campsite and I could smell the smoke."

"In his defense," Oak responded evenly. "The Clefairy he was partnered with was fairly rambunctious."

"Yeah, and the Sandshrew I ended up with was stubborn, but I still managed to work with it fine," Gary groaned. Seriously if his grandfather was grading on a curb than what did that say about his passing score? "That guy is a joke. The best he could hope to achieve is some slapstick act in a circus."

"Gary, you are not being fair, "Oak chided. "It takes time and practice for people to become competent trainers and no one, not every someone who has a thorough education on Pokémon, is going to be good off the bat."

"I was able to win my first battle," Gary stated.

"True…" Professor Oak admitted.

Gary pressed on. "Dad could kick the butt of most of the local trainers before he earned his first gym badge."

"Yes, but…" Professor Oak tried to debate.

But Gary wasn't finished. "Mom was able to train her Pokémon to pull off a whole bunch of stunts before she went into police work."

"Well, she was a resourceful girl." Professor Oak acknowledged.

"And what about you?" Gary pointed an accusatory finger across the table. "Are you telling me you sucked when you were a kid?"

That accusation actually looked like it offended Gary's grandpa. "Absolutely not!" He exclaimed.

"Daisy didn't do too well when she was a trainer and look at her now," Gary continued. "She had to quit to start a new career."

"Gary," Professor Oak sighed.

Gary threw his arms in the air. "So there you have it. Case closed. You're either geared towards being a trainer or you sit on the sidelines."

"Gary," Professor Oak spoke more firmly. "There is something else I wanted to talk with you about."

"Hmm?" Gary leaned back in his chair.

"I wanted to talk about your recent attitude," Oak leaned forwards. "I may be busy, but I'm not oblivious to how you've been treating your peers."

"What about it?" Gary asked. He got the best grades. He won all the battles. Who cared about his attitude?

Professor Oak took a deep breath. "I believe that your snark has been a bit stronger than usual."

"So?" Gary shrugged.

"So," Oak responded evenly. "I think you might be coming across as more antagonistic."

Oh, was that it? "We're competition aren't we? What, do you want me to play nice?" No way, not when it was this much fun.

"You may be rivals, but it would do you well to be more diplomatic," the professor folded his arms. "Believe it or not outside of the stadium most Pokémon Trainers tend to befriend and network with each other. If you keep putting yourself at odds with everyone around you then you may be missing out on different opportunities."

"I don't 'put myself at odds with everyone,'" Gary defended. "Most of my friends are able to take a joke."

"Ash doesn't seem to appreciate your jokes." Oak responded as he studied Gary. "The two of you used to get along so well, what happened?"

It was hard to say. Sure, Gary used to play a lot with Ash. Heck, maybe they were best friends for what it was worth. But as the two got older Gary just found Ash got a bit more annoying. The guy was loud, dense, and lacked the ability to see when he was in over his head. It didn't matter how many times Gary beat him in a competition whether it be class scores, games, or practice Pokémon battles, Ash would just get back up and declare that he would win the next time.

At some point Ash's losing streak just became funny and Gary figured that if was going to be forced to hang around and babysit that guy he might as well have fun with it. As luck would have it Ash was fairly entertaining when verbally prodded transitioning from a loser to a spazz.

Thus the cycle began. Some activity would pop up, the local kids would play and compete, Gary would come at the head of the pack, and Ash would eat his dust. The only exception in recent memory was when the two of them fought over a trashed Pokeball they fished up and the ball split evenly between the two. In Gary's eye, that was as good as losing seeing as how he tied with a loser.

"Don't know," Gary replied. "Look, if it makes you feel better I'll lay off Ash. Alright?" When you are around.

Before Gary could leave, his grandfather grabbed his arm and locked eyes. "Gary, I'm not just saying this because it's pragmatic business advice. I'm tell you this because I know you are a good boy and that if you don't change this behavior it will find some way to come back to bite you."

Present

The vision flashed through his mind. There was Ash right in front of him, hesitating. Then suddenly the rocks began to crumble. The teleporter activated and Ash's fate unknown. Was he crushed by rocks? Sliced in half by the monster outside? Could this had been avoided? Would Ash have hesitated if they were on better terms? Would they have made it to the teleporter faster if they were all hanging out together?

"Gary?" Gabumon's worried voice broke Gary out of his stupor.

Catching himself, Gary forced another smile onto his face. "Of course they are okay! Ash has dodged death a ton of times. Beedrill swarm, misfired fireworks, you name it. Ash somehow survives every situation he manages to bumble into. Plus, it's better than when we were messing around at Gramp's reserve. He's got Agumon with him and I'm sure that guy can handle himself." There was no way Agumon could take on that demonic Medapod.

"And it isn't just them," Gary continued his forced swagger. "They have Pegasusmon. You don't get as old as that guy unless you can handle yourself." None of the island's elder's attacks came close to breaking the monster's shell. He was defiantly on the losing side of that battle.

Gabumon studied Gary for a moment before breaking out in a relieved smile. "You're right. Those guys can take care of themselves. I'm just being a worrywart."

CREEEAAAK

Both Gary and Gabumon stiffened. Of course, Pegasusmon said that he would be sending them to meet his friend. This place must belong to him. Gary noted how large the doorway and how high the ceiling was for this place. He hoped that this friend didn't mistake him or Gabumon as burglars.

The creaking floors crept closer until a new Digimon rounded the corner. As Gary had guessed, this guy was big. Nowhere near as big as the Digimon who attacked the beach, but at least one head taller than Pegasusmon.

This Digimon resembled a large Sawsbuck with a white coat stripped with blue. Its blue antlers did not host any plant life, but sharp tips matched by the hard looking hooves on its feet. A thin, long tail weaved from side to side as the Digimon's eyes studied Gary and Gabumon. Or at least that's what Gary thought. It was hard to tell seeing as the eyes were a solid red.

The Digimon slowly made its way over to Gary and carefully sniffed him. Gary held still for a moment feeling the powerful puffs of air ruffle his clothes and hair. Finally the creature spoke in a slow, deep voice. "You are early, human."

Gabumon spoke up. "Hello, Moosemon."

The cervidae turned his head. "Evening, Gabumon. It has been a long time. Is this human yours?"

Gabumon nodded and stood next to Gary. "Yep, this is Gary. He's my human partner. I'm guessing he looks a little different than the human you guys have. Turns out this is just normal for humans."

Moosemon studied Gary for a bit. "Interesting. Where are the others? The plan was for Pegasusmon to send me three pairs of humans and Digimon."

"There's been a change," Gabumon mumbled, his gaze now cast down at the ground.

"So it would seem," Moosemon carefully nodded his head as to not skewer his guests on his antlers. He then turned around and headed out the door. "You seem exhausted, but I'm going to ask you to stay awake for a while longer. We must talk."

Before Moosemon left the room, Gary decided to take out his Digivice to scan his new host. "Moosemon," he read to himself. "Armor level. He's a Digimon who's seen as a divine protector of the mountain. He will protect his home using his Horn Blade even if it costs his own life. Glad he didn't see me as a threat."

"Don't worry," Gabumon assured Gary. "Moosemon used to travel with me and Pegasusmon while we were looking for the other chosen Digimon. He's quiet, but really nice. Come on, he's probably heating us up some drinks."

Gabumon then followed Moosemon out the door. Gary lingered a bit. "He's not dead." He muttered to himself before leaving.

At the other end of the hallway was a much larger living room. In the middle was a large and short coffee table sitting on top of a fuzzy, fur rug. Surrounding it were multiple sofas and armchairs made from wood and soft looking cushions. To the right side was a large fire place crackling with a large yet tranquil flame warming the room. Helping the fire light the room was another antler chandelier which dwarfed the chandelier in the teleporter room.

Looking around Gary could see the other sides of the room. Opposite him was an entry way with large windows allowing him to see the tall trees and clear night sky outside. On the side where he was standing was not just the hallway to the teleporter but several different doors and staircases leading to other rooms. Finally, on Gary's left was a kitchen separated only from the rest of the living room by a counter.

Inside the kitchen was another Digimon. This one was closer to Gabumon's size and resembled a gray Teddyursa with a blue, backwards baseball cap. It spotted the group and walked forwards with a tray of steaming mugs.

Gary scanned the bear with his Digivice. "Bearmon, rookie level. A friendly Digimon who specializes in physical attacks such as his Bear Fist."

Bearmon made his way over to the coffee table and set down his tray. "Hello," he said in a welcoming voice. "You guys startled us there. Since we weren't expecting you until the morning. My name is Bearmon. I'm Moosemon's assistant."

Nodding, Gary walked to the table and held out his hand. "Gary Oak, I'm Gabumon's human partner."

For a moment Bearmon didn't take Gary's hand. He stared at it in surprise before accepting the shake. "So you guys can shake hands! For a while I was wondering if humans were just skittish creatures."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Gary asked arching a brow.

"Oh!"

Gary turned around to see a girl standing at the top of one of the staircases. She had long blonde hair and a white dress and boots. Upon her head was a white hat with a wide brim which looked like it costed a pretty penny. Actually, the girl's entire wardrobe looked like it belonged to some kind of high-class designer brand making Gary wonder if this girl was loaded.

Once the girl made her way to the bottom of the stairs Gary could see that she too had a Digimon partner. This one was half the height of Gabumon and had mostly white fur with thick, lavender strips around the end of its four ears and at the end of a lock of hair curled in front of its face. The ears themselves came in two pairs, one long pair sticking out from the top of its head and another, thicker pair framing the sides of its face.

Decked out around the Digimon's body were multiple golden, crescent moons, most notably one laying on its side on the Digimon's forehead. There was also a pink ribbon held in place across the chest in an X by a silver moon buckle. While Gary could see the stubby arms of the Digimon, he could not make out the feet as they were covered by ruffled folds of skin making it look like the Digimon was wearing a dress.

Gary scanned the new Digimon. "Lunamon, rookie level. She has really good hearing and can defend herself using her Tearing Shot and Lop-Ear Ripple to shoot bubbles and water or her Luna Claw for a close-range attack."

"Good evening! Sorry to interrupt your sleep. We had a bit of an emergency," Gabumon said as he walked forwards to meet the new human. But when he held out his hand, the girl shrieked and jumped back.

"Huh," Gabumon tilted his head. "Is there something wrong?"

Lunamon stepped forward, bowed her head, and spoke in a polite voice. "Please excuse Lillie, she's afraid of Digimon."

Gabumon frowned. "Really? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. If it makes you feel better, I can stand further away."

"Oh no! Don't do that!" Lillie spoke up. Like Lunamon she spoke in a gentle and polite tone, though slightly less composed. "You did nothing wrong. It's just, you see, you guys remind me so much of the Pokémon from my home and I have a hard time touching them so…"

"No way," Gary sniggered. "You're afraid of Pokémon? Are the Pokémon where you're from all Muk? Because I can understand not wanting to touch those. Or are you afraid of Eevees and Jigglypuff too?"

Lillie straitened herself. "I'm not afraid of Pokémon," She huffed. "I love Pokémon and could theoretically hold one if I needed to. And I'm not afraid of Digimon either. They have been very kind to me and are really fascinating. I could touch them too if I try."

To demonstrate, Lillie began to reach down to Lunamon. She made it halfway before her hands began to shake.

"It's okay, Lillie," Lunamon spoke in an encouraging tone. "You've got this."

"HEY LILLIE!" called out Bearmon.

"EEEEP!" Lillie jolted back.

Everyone turned towards the bear rookie. Noticing the glares Bearmon bashfully rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry. Just wanted to know if you wanted tea or coco."

For his part, Gary found the comedically terrified pose Lillie was in after putting up a pompous front hilarious and had a jab dancing on the tip of his tongue before his grandfather's words echoed in the back of his mind. 'If you don't' change this behavior it will find some way to come back to bite you.'

Hand reached out. Hesitating eyes. Rocks fall.

Actually, now that he thought about it, making fun of her would be hitting below the belt.

"So," Gary said in the most formal tone he could muster to make up for his earlier joke. "Your name is Lillie. Looks like we will be working with each other. My name is Gary Oak."

Lillie studied him for a second. "You wouldn't just so happen be related to Samson Oak, would you?"

Gary blinked. Normally people would connect the family name to his grandfather. "Yeah, he's my grandpa's cousin."

"Amazing!" Lillie's hands clasped together. "He's the principal at my school!"

"Huh, so I guess that means you're from Alola?" Gary surmised.

"Yes. Though I must admit, I'm having a hard time seeing the resemblance," Lillie then giggled. "Maybe if you used more Pokémon puns."

Gary cringed internally at the reminder of his distant relative's favorite past time. "On behalf of every member of the Oak family tree: you have my sincerest apologies and sympathies."

"HMPH."

The pair of humans turned towards the ring of chairs to see Moosemon had made himself at home on a large couch which sagged under his weight. He was now snorting loudly in their direction. "As glad as I am to see you two mingling, I think we have more prominent matters to address. Gabumon, Gary, could the two of you please inform us as to why you have arrived tonight instead of the morning like Pegasusmon and I arranged. I'd also like to know the whereabouts of the other two pairs that were supposed to arrive with you."

The rest of the humans and Digimon took a seat and Gary told them about what happened. He told them about their arrival and the mock battle he had with Ash. He told them about how that battle was interrupted by a hostile Keramon and Pegasusmon had to dispose of it. And he told them about the attack on the village that happened later which led them to being separated at the premature teleportation.

"That's awful!" Lillie exclaimed. "Is there anything we can do to help them?"

"Unfortunately not," Moosemon said in a grave, yet measured tone. "Centuries of war have worn our people down to a state where high tech is a luxury. We have no means of-long distance communication and the teleporters Pegasusmon and I were able to scavenge were the only ones we could get in working condition. Without any other operational teleporter the machine in the back room is nothing more than fancy flooring."

"So we don't have a secret back up way to communicate?" Gabumon searched Moosemon with pleading eyes.

Moosemon slowly shook his head. "No. All we can do is hope that your friends survived their encounter and can move on to the second phase of the plan."

"Second phase?" Gary inquired.

"Because we lack instant communication the villages who guarded the Digivices agreed to send the chosen Digimon and their humans to the same location: The Temple of the Crests. Bearmon."

The bear cub stood up instantly. "Right away, sir!" He scampered over to a bookshelf near the fireplace and grabbed a large scroll. Bearmon then took that scroll and carefully unrolled it in the middle of the coffee table.

Moosemon's long tail slithered over to a range of mountains on the map. "This map is obsolete due to the degradation of our world, but it should give you a general idea of where to go. Over here is where we are now."

The tail moved over to the other corner of the map where the children and Digimon could see the beginning of the ocean. "This is where Pegasusmon is stationed. There is another village on the shore nearby which should have received another child. The original plan was to use the teleporter to send the six of you here to travel together."

"What about the other six pairs?" Gary asked. "The legend said that there were ten Digimon who fought against Milliniummon and ten Digivices. So there should be six other humans."

"Too far away from either teleporter to join up. If we had more teleporters we would have sent you all to The Temple of the Crests."

"Wouldn't it have been easier to keep the Digivices and the chosen Digimon at the temple so that we would already be at the meeting spot?" Lillie asked.

"The temple is too close to the border between the civilian zone and the war zone," Moosemon explained. "Back when the hunt for the chosen Digimon began it was under attack. Though we have been fortunate in pushing our enemies back, the fear remained that the blockade would be breached. If that ever happened the temple would be a prime target so the Digivices were spread out to villages that were either hidden or well-guarded. That way, if the worse were to occur we would not lose everything at once."

Gary studied the map. He could make out vast swaths of fields, forests, jungles, a desert, a couple of lakes, and even some cities which were marked with X's leading him to believe that they may have been destroyed. "So where is the temple?"

Gabumon answered this question. "It's over here," He reached out and pointed at the opposite end of the map.

"Ready to answer map questions now, huh?" Gary playfully nudged Gabumon in the shoulder. "Is that where one of those bakeries you really want to visit is?"

"No," Gabumon responded with a slight tremble in his voice. His eyes were fixated on the temples corner of the map, refusing to look up at his partner when addressed.

But before Gary could press Gabumon on this Moosemon spoke up. "It is probably for the best that we stop here for now. You have a long journey ahead of you and you will not get far if you do not rest. We have a couple of extra guest rooms up the stairs. Please find one that is too your liking and sleep. We will finish preparations tomorrow."

Gary complied and followed Lillie and the Digimon to the guest rooms, but he couldn't stop thinking about the temple on the map as well as the large X that was placed next to it.

Byte Island, the next morning

"Alright, that should do for this load. Single file everyone. We'll get you all to safety."

Ash groaned and tried to reach out for his covers. His hand swiped around in a vein attempt to snag his tangled sheets, but all he could grasp were clumps of wet sand. Which begged the question: what was sand doing in his room?

No, wait. It was coming back to him. He was in the Digital World and he and Gary each got a Digimon to help save said world. They were getting ready to set out, but then they were attacked and Agumon had to evolve into Greymon and…

Ash shot up. "Greymon!" He wildly looked around, but he couldn't see his newly evolved partner nor the egg that was once the island's guardian.

Ash scrambled to his feet and looked around. Though the dinosaur had vanished Ash could now see the aftermath of the battle last night. Surrounding him were piles of sticks and straw that were smashed, sliced up, or burned from the struggle. The temple was now a pile of rubble, no doubt the teleporter inside was completely crushed, and the only sign of Greymon were a series of heavy tracks that trailed down the beach side.

With no other clues to the whereabouts of his partner, Ash followed the tracks. With each step the tracks got smaller and smaller leaving Ash to wonder if Greymon could use some move like Minimize to shrink himself.

So entranced by the shrinking trail, Ash did not notice when a large Mantine-looking creature glided on by until it splashed him in the face.

"Hey!" Ash shouted after he spat out the sea water. Looking up he could now see not just more of the rays, but several lines of the villagers, Candlemon, and another Digimon which short of looked like a merman with large hands wearing a high-tech diving suit.

Given that the new Digimon were not attack the villagers Ash could only assume they were friendly, but just to make sure he scanned them with his Digivice starting with the merman. "Depthmon, armor level. Thanks to its suit it can dive down and withstand high pressures in the deepest parts of the ocean. Its special attack is Bubble Bomb."

Ash then moved his Digivice over to the Mantine Digimon. "Mantaraymon, also armor level. They can swim as slow or as fast as they want to and thanks to their body shape they can avoid radar. If caught they can defend themselves with their Paralyze Tail."

"Sir!" Ash's eyes bolted up to see the Depthmon was now holding a glowing bubble in his hands aiming it at him. "I must ask that you identify yourself and step away from the civilians!"

"Whoa! Wait a minute," Ash's hands shot in the air. "I'm not…"

"He's friendly! He's friendly!" Candlemon came hopping over waving his waxy arms.

The Depthmon carefully studied Ash for a moment before dispersing the bubble. "Very well, then. Sorry about the confusion. Just let me know when you wish to leave."

With that Depthmon returned to his position. Ash watched as the merman floated across the beach to the lines of villagers. Another Mantaraymon swam up and parked itself on the beach allowing Depthmon to start picking up villagers and placing them on top the fish's back.

Candlemon turned towards Ash. "I'm sorry I didn't wake you. This has been a hectic morning."

"I can see that," Ash commented watching the evacuation process. "Who are these guys?"

"They are the Deep Savers," Candlemon responded. "Since most of the champion onwards Digimon are at the frontlines we don't have much in terms of law enforcement. But there are some groups like these guys who have stepped up in rescue efforts anytime a wild Digimon or the Forces of Chaos attack a village. The Deep Savers themselves focus on aquatic based missions. I tried to signal them last night, but apparently they were in the middle of their own battle. Makes you wonder if this was all planned, doesn't it?"

"You think that Kurisarimon was sent here?"

"Normally I'd say this was just a wild Digimon looking to stake out some new territory, but then you throw in the distracted backup and some VIPs casting off on their journey," Candlemon folded his arms and closed his eyes in thought. "You can only have so many coincidences."

The candle sighed and looked up at Ash. "I can't offer you much, but if you need some safety you can come with us. We have a second island where we can build a new village. Pegasusmon's original back up plan was to escort you guys to The Temple of the Crests himself if the teleporter didn't work, but that's obviously not going to work now."

Ash noted the subtle slump that overtook Candlemon's posture as he mentioned Pegasusmon. He himself felt a pang of guilt thinking about the elder's last moments. "I'm sorry about what happened." Ash said dourly.

Candlemon straightened up. "No, it's fine. Pegasusmon knew there were going to be risks when he took a couple of Digimon of prophecy under his wings. We can grieve about it later. Right now we need to act. It's my responsibility to look after the villagers now."

"And it's my job to look after the world," Ash's hands clinched into fists. He looked down at Candlemon with more determination. Truth be told, he felt his heart beating a mile a minute, but his gut told him that if he just followed the villagers and laid low he would regret it. "Thanks for your offer, but I need to get out there and stop Milliniummon and the rest of his cronies! But first I need to find Greymon!"

"A Greymon, eh," Candlemon looked thoughtful. "So humans can induce Digivolution. Figures Agumon would turn into one of those brutes."

The waxy Digimon then turned towards the footprints. "Well, as you can see here Greymon headed towards the water. Probably went for a swim, he usually tended to run off to do some kind of physical activity when he got upset. Unless his personality drastically shifted when he Digivolved he'll be back."

"Island leader! We'll need to speak with you some more about the events last night," Ash heard the Depthmon call.

"That title is going to take some getting used to, "Candlemon frowned. He quickly addressed Ash one more time. "The packed items for your journey should still be by the shrine. Why don't go through them while you wait for Greymon?" He then hopped off to help with the evacuations.

Going ahead and taking the candle's advice, Ash trekked back on over to the village ruins. While he walked, he couldn't help but to feel a slight unease. What was he supposed to do now? Back at home he had a simple, but easy plan. Travel, build a team of Pokémon, and challenge enough gyms to enter the league. Sure, it was just a skeleton of a plan, but he didn't really feel like he needed much.

But now? Ash was missing a partner, his rival was who knows where, and he had no clue what he had to do to complete the prophecy. Where was Milliniummon and what did he need to do to finish what the first human started? Agumon evolved last night, did that mean that Ash just had to keep training him to be strong enough to stop what sounded like a legendary? Ash supposed he could ask Candlemon, but the guy was clearly busy with his new duties and it didn't seem like a good time to interrupt him.

As Ash was pondering, he passed by the piles of upturned sand and burned down huts marking the battle zone from the previous night. It was as Ash passed by the site that he noticed a large blue egg speckled with white arrowheads. He walked over and picked up the egg.

"If you want, I can take that off your hands."

At the sound of a voice from the water's edge Ash looked up. Before him was a creature which looked like a mix between Digimon and machine. The lower half of its body was submerged leaving Ash to stare at a car-sized, white and purple Wailord with a harpoon tusk sticking out of its rostrum and a cockpit for a cranium. It stared at him with green eyes and its webbed, yellow ears were perked.

Overall, Ash thought it was a pretty neat looking Digimon. But to be sure it was friendly Ash decided to give it a quick scan. "Submarimon, armor level. A Digimon species known for deep sea rescues earning them the nickname 'The Reliable Guardian of the Sea.' If the situation gets volatile he can use his Oxygen Homing and Submarine Attacks."

A Mantaraymon swam on by. "Hey Submarimon, get your propeller moving! We still have an army of in-trainings to relocate!"

"Hold your Seahomon! I'm working on something here!" Called back Submarimon.

"Are you with the Deep Savers?" Ash asked the mechanized porpoise.

"Practically Digivolved right into the role!" Submarimon's chest puffed out. "Specialize in search n' rescue, but I can't say no to an evacuation effort. 'Specially when the newly hatched or unhatched are involved. Mind me asking you about that egg?"

"I guess not," Ash wasn't sure where this conversation was going, but he'd take it over mopping on the beach.

The Submarimon turned to point its tusk at the battle site. "That place where you picked it up, was it where the invader Digimon was killed?"

Ash felt his stomach sink at the word 'killed.' He didn't think about it in the heat of the moment, but when he pointed out that weak spot to an enraged Greymon he was giving Kurisarimon the death sentence. A voice at the back of his head whispered that it was okay. That the pupa was trying to do the same to him and Greymon so it had to be put down. But still…"Y-yeah."

The Submarimon nodded. "Probably means that that egg you're holdin' is what's left of him."

Suddenly the sinking sensation deepened. Ash was holding the village assailant, Pegasusmon's murderer. For a moment, Ash considered dropping the egg. Better yet he could hurl in at a rock. It didn't matter whether the egg would reform or just shatter into million pieces. The least he could do was pay back Kurisarimon for all the misery it caused.

Ash's grip on the egg hardened, he held it away from his body, and offered it to Submarimon. "Here," he said in a strained voice.

The cockpit on top of Submarimon's head opened for the egg to be placed inside. Once the egg was secured the pit closed and Submarimon gave Ash a nod. "Thank ya kindly. I'll try and find a different village to take this little one. Don't imagine it would be easy for him to grow up with a group of Digimon he wronged in a past life. Best give him a clean slate."

With that the Submarimon swam off leaving Ash alone again. Before Ash could sink back into a solemn mode, a cheerful voice chimed in. "Don't look so glum, chum. I think you did the right thing."

Following the sound of the voice, Ash's head turned to see a new Digimon watching from the waves. This one had a face like a Seel, but instead of a short horn sticking out of its forehead it had a bright, orange Mohawk, a pair of long wavy ears, and a pair of goggles dangling from its neck.

Once Ash brought the Digimon up on his Digivice he could see that Seel had four flippers, two large ones in the front, and two small ones in the back. Each flipper had shape claws while the short tail in the back was featureless. The Seel's fur was white with various purple markings spread across its body. "Gomamon, rookie level. A seafaring Digimon with sharp claws and the ability to summon a school of Marching Fishes. They are known to be playful, energetic, and mischievous."

"You forgot to mention clever, funny, and handsome," remarked the Gomamon while it waddled onto the shore. "Well, now that introductions are out of the way…"

"You didn't ask for my name," Ash pointed out.

"We can get down to business," continued the Gomamon. "You see, I'm here both as a member of the Deep Savers and as a friend. My buddy, Agumon, is on the other side of the island and is really down in the dumps…"

"Wait, Agumon? Don't you mean Greymon?" Even though Ash struggled in academics, he knew once evolution occurred it was irreversible.

"No way! He was able to Digivolve!?" Gomamon exclaimed with stars in his eyes. "You wouldn't just so happen be Agumon's human, right?"

"Yeah," A fact Gomamon would have known if he had bothered to ask for introductions. "My name's Ash."

Gomamon began to galumph around Ash, looking him up and down. "I kind of figured as much given how weird and gangly you look. Plus, Agumon said that Gabumon already left with his human so process of elimination says my gut instincts are right. Listen, Agumon is in a bit of a slump. I've seen him down before, but never this down. I can't snap him out of it, but since the two of you are connected by destiny maybe you can help."

Though Ash was not certain what he was going to do to help, after all he was also processing last night, he was not one to turn his back on a monster in need. Especially if that monster was his own partner. "Alright! Lead the way!" He declared before feeling a massive weight fling itself on his back. "AAAGH!"

"He's on the west side of the island," Gomamon wrapped one fin around Ash's shoulder and the other pointed a claw forwards. "It'll be faster walking through the inland, so I'll be piggy backing since I'm slower on land."

And so they set off. Despite the initial surprise of Gomamon hopping on his back, Ash was able to carry the rookie with relative ease. Probably due to practice carrying backpacks of camping equipment as preparation for Ash's journey. Speaking of journey preparation Ash decided to inquire about the new piece of information that contradicted with his education. "So can Digimon reverse evolution?"

"Yep," Gomamon affirmed. "You'd have to be crazy to do it, though. It used to take years, centuries even, for a Digimon to reach its next form. Assuming you even lasted that long. Then sometime while the war between the Celestial Army and the Forces of Chaos was going down Digivolution beyond rookie just stopped."

"Wait, what about all the armors?" Ash asked, watching another Submarimon speed on by.

"Armors Digivolution is kind of a substitute Digivolution which requires you to go all the way to The Temple of the Crests and pass their trials. So, you know, not the most convent," Ash could feel Gomamon shift, probably shrugging. "You can still find champion level Digimon around, but they're all wild so you won't get a good conversation out of them."

Gomamon then let out a lighthearted chuckle. "Happened to me and my pod before I joined the Deep Savers. One day we were just swimming along and…ROAR!" Gomamon roared right in Ash's ear.

Ash jumped and stumbled. He was able to catch himself before his face ate dirt, but now he found himself on all fours with a laughing Digimon on his back. Ash twisted his head around to glare at his passenger. "What was that for?!"

"You looked too serious, that can't be healthy," Gomamon responded through the laughter.

"Well, in case you haven't noticed," Ash grumbled as he got back to his feet. "A lot has been going on. Someone died last night."

Ash felt Gomamon actually still at that response. "Sorry," he finally said in a subdued tone. "I knew someone passed away since Agumon had an egg on him, but I didn't think you would have gotten to really know anyone on a grieving level since you guys just arrived."

"It was Pegasusmon," Ash elaborated.

"Oh," Gomamon muttered. "That explains a lot."

The two stood still for a moment before Gomamon addressed Ash again. "Anything else?"

"Huh?" Ash twisted his head back around to see that Gomamon was actually looking serious.

"I know Pegasusmon was a great guy and everything, but I don't think you knew him long enough to get that solemn a look on your face. Either you're really empathetic or something else happened," Gomamon explained.

Ash thought for a moment. It was true he felt awful about Pegasusmon's death. He did always have a hard time turning away when he saw someone, human or Pokémon, in pain. But there was also something else eating at him. "That Kurisarimon, I killed him."

"How?" Gomamon inquired with a raised brow. A fair question, Ash didn't exactly look like someone who could take down a monster many times his size.

"When Greymon was fighting him, I saw a crack in its shell," Ash explained. "I told Greymon about the crack and he killed him."

Ash could feel Gomamon study him for a moment before the Seel responded. "You didn't kill him."

At first Ash thought that Gomamon was referring to the final blow which was performed by Greymon. "I still…"

"You saved him by handing his egg off to live a new life instead of smashing it," Gomamon continued. "Digimon don't really die when they turn into eggs, they just become very weak. And I know a bunch of Digimon would have taken advantage of that egg and crushed it to absorb its data or just get revenge. That's what I did."

That statement took a bit to compute. "What?" Ash asked.

"Let me finish my story," Gomamon said. "You see I was swimming with my pod when suddenly we were attacked by a Tobiumon. They are a large fish Digimon, and not the fun kind. This guy was a wild Digimon and we wondered into his territory. So he started to pick us off one by one until I was all that was left. I wasn't strong enough to fight a champion Digimon, but I knew there was a whirlpool and harsh waters nearby. I could navigate them, but the Tobiumon wasn't so lucky. He was caught by a whirlpool and smashed up against a rock."

Gomamon's claws gripped Ash's shirt. "I was so mad about what it did to my friends' that I absorbed its data on the spot. Gave him a taste of what it was like to be on the other end of the food chain."

"That's…I'm sorry," Ash began to walk again. "What happened next?"

"Joined the Deep Savers, learned how to save lives, picked up some Swimmon tail if you know what I mean." Gomamon nudged Ash and made some clicking noises with his tongue.

And now they were back to the clown persona. "How do you do it?" Ash asked.

"Okay, full confession. I didn't pick up Swimmon's tail. That is still a work in progress. Only a matter of time before she falls victim to the Gomamon charm." Gomamon jeered.

"No," Ash responded. "How can you go back to being happy so fast? We were just talking about how you lost all your old friends and you switch back to joking with no problem. How do you let it all go?" Ash was blessed enough to live a peaceful life with no real issues. Sure his dad was dead, but he never met the guy so it never felt like he was missing. Watching the two Digimon shatter last night was probably the biggest tragedy that Ash witnessed and he wasn't sure how to get back to normal.

"Well, I don't," Gomamon said honestly. "It still hurts from time to time. And even when it doesn't hurt I regret not being able to share any of my new adventures with my old friends. I even regret absorbing that Tobiumon. That Digimon was in a state where it was completely innocent and I ate it. Can't say I'm an innocent Digimon now."

Ash could then feel Gomamon straighten up on his back. "But as I swam on, I realized that life wasn't going to always hand me happiness on a silver platter. So if I wasn't going to receive happiness, then I was going to make myself happy. It doesn't always work, but it's always worth a shot. Speaking of which…"

The duo finally came up upon Agumon who was sitting on the beach clutching Pegasusmon's egg. The reptile's eyes were snapped shut and his breathing was heavy.

Gomamon leaned over to whisper. "He's had a little bit of time to cool down, but we should still probably take this slowly."

Ash nodded and let Gomamon down. The two of them carefully came up to Agumon. "Agumon," Ash said gently.

Agumon's eye fluttered open. "Ash," he acknowledged hoarsely.

Ash froze for a moment. He wasn't sure how to approach this. His mind raced back to Professor Oak's lessons. He could practically hear the old man's lectures in his ears. 'Though Pokémon cannot talk like human's they can still communicate with us through their vocal tones and body language. So remember, pay close attention to how your Pokémon moves and sounds. In time you will be able to speak to each other, no vocabulary needed.'

'Okay,' thought Ash. 'But what if your Pokémon actually can use words?'

'Well,' responded the imaginary professor. 'Perhaps in that situation you should just address him like you would any other friend.'

Looking down at the egg Agumon had clutched in his claws, Ash took a deep breath. "How is he?"

Agumon caressed the egg. "He's fine," he said in a small voice.

Alright, Agumon was willing to talk. Maybe Ash just needed to keep him talking?

"I," Ash started awkwardly. What was he supposed to say? Ash looked towards Gomamon who just nodded and moved one of his flippers in a circular 'keep it going' motion. "I wish I got to know Pegasusmon better. What was he like?"

There was a pause before Agumon answered. "When Pegasusmon came to my old village with my Digivice, it was the first time I felt like I meant something. He then took me to this island and started teaching me more about fighting and reading and and…" Tears weld up in the proud reptile's eyes. "And the last thing I did to him was brush him off."

Agumon then bent over and began huffing, probably trying to hold back his tears. Ash could feel his heart clench. His thoughts wondered back to his own mother. The last conversation they had before he left was a happy 'congratulations' on his graduation and while he didn't feel bad as he was sure he'd see her again; Ash couldn't help but to think about how he would be doing if his last interaction was souer.

"I'm sure he knew you didn't mean it," Ash reached over to rub Agumon's back like his mother had done to him before when he was upset.

"But I did mean it," Agumon shuddered. "I thought that now I have my own human, that I could become a hero and return the favor. Save him and the village. Show him that I was ready."

"Yeah, I was kind of there with you," Ash relented. "I thought I could help too, somehow." Looking back Ash could remember the thrill of actually taking Gary on in a fight and hold his own. He was actually starting to feel like a competent trainer that evening, like he could at least coach Agumon into scoring some major hit that could turn the tide. Yes the main reason he wanted to fight back was to help the village, but he couldn't lie to himself and say there was no pride involved.

"I hate sounding morose, but that's just the world we live in," Gomamon chimed in. "Life isn't going to toss us many freebees so we should just enjoy them while they last and keep them in our memories."

For a while, the three just sat there and watched the waves. Until Ash suddenly stood up. "Well, I'm not going to wait for someone to toss me another freebee. And I'm not going to just be satisfied with memories," Ash turned around to his friends. There was a fire in his eyes and passion in his voice. "Life isn't going to hand us victory on a silver platter. We're going to make it ourselves."

Gomamon perked up. "Hey! I see what you did there." He grinned. "You know what human, you're alright. But you do know things are going to get tougher from here on out, right? That Kurisarimon last night was weak sauce compared to the monsters I hear they have fighting on the front lines."

"Pegasusmon said that few worthwhile dreams are easy," Ash's hands clinched into fist. "Even if the odds are against us. We need to keep moving forward. Only then can his sacrifice mean anything. Are you with me?"

"Aye, aye, sir!" Gomamon saluted Ash.

Agumon studied the water for few seconds before placing down the egg. He looked up at Ash with a determined stare and held out his arm. "Ash, let's make a pact. Here and now. From here on out, we don't let anymore friends die. We don't just serve as moving targets for our enemies, we make them the target. We will never be weak in the face of evil. Never again."

Ash smiled and grasped Agumon's claws. "Never again." He agreed. "So, do you know what we need to do next?"

"I do," Gomamon pipped up. "Originally the Deep Savers were going to escort another human to this island for the teleporter, but that plan went away when we had to respond to multiple attacks."

"Yeah, I remember Candlemon mentioning that before," Ash nodded. Then he realized something. "Wait, can you tell us where the other human is?"

"Why tell you when I can show you!" Gomamon smiled. "I was stationed at the village that was hosting her partner so I got to meet the human."

"Her?" Ash questioned.

"Yep," Gomamon responded. "Or at least I think it was a her. I'm not familiar with human biology, but she sounded feminine. I also know she's very observant because she called me cute."

"You and your ego," Agumon groaned, though he was also smiling.

"Alright. So all we have to do is grab Pegasusmon's egg and the supplies and we can head on over!" Ash declared. He then blinked in realization. "Is it going to be a long swim? Because I don't think you can carry us by yourself."

"You should have read a bit more of my bio," Gomamon chuckled. "I'm never by myself. Come on Marching Fishes!"

At Gomamon's command a school of fish in a wide range of colors leapt from the water and swam together to form a makeshift raft. Both Ash and Agumon hopped aboard.

"Alright, Gomamon," Ash cheered. "Lead the way!"

AN: The imaginary voice of Professor Oak also took a moment to remind the boys that they shouldn't ride their bikes inside a building.

Alright! Representing the Sun and Moon era is Lillie! I have chosen Lunamon as her partner as Digimon had its own day and night themed games: Dawn and Dusk which I thought were good parallels to the games Lillie was introduced in. Of the two mascot Digimon from Dawn and Dusk I choose Lunamon over Coronamon as I felt that Lunamon fit Lillie's aesthetic a bit more. Also the rabbit design works as an allusion to Magearna.

You know, while I was looking at pictures of Submarimon I realized that he is based on a narwhal. But there is no narwhal based Pokémon. How come is there no narwhal Pokémon? I demand a narwhal Pokémon!

And now for the Reader Response Recess.

Ashpoke55: We will all miss horse grandpa, but he will live on in our hearts so long as we heed his open ended advice

The One Who Reads and Writes: Yeah, I can see how that can be logically annoying. However I will admit that in seasons where Digimon didn't do this like in Savers/Data Squad I found myself missing the champion forms. Compound that with my desire to not make things easy for anyone I'm working on some special mechanics for the Ultimate level evolution. But that's not going to be for a while.

Dakota Bruder: I don't need a video chat. I can sense your looks using my psychic powers. The number you're thinking of is 10.5 by the way.

To everyone else tuning in, thank you for reading! God loves you and so do I.

Digimon Introduced

Lunamon: Rookie, Data, Mammal

Moosemon: Armor, Free, Ancient Beast

Bearmon: Rookie, Vaccine, Beast

Gomamon: Rookie, Vaccine, Sea Beast

Depthmon: Armor, Free, Aquatic Beast Man

Submarimon: Armor, Free, Aquatic

Mantaraymon: Armor, Free, Aquatic

Next Time: As Gary, Lillie, and their Digimon venture forth and find a village in need. Will Gabumon be able to step forth to save the day or will everyone end up as dog food?