Ren had spent the rest of the night fixing his fur. With a lot of effort, he got it back under control by the next day.
That morning, the pair were sitting at the dining table, munching through some breakfast and casually chatting, when the tamer spoke up.
"Hey Ren, you know how you said you would like to have a friendly match with Gaby if you could?"
"Yes."
"So... I was talking to Haley about it during the week. She said they were gonna try and make some time to go to the park around lunchtime today."
Ren's expression remained mostly neutral at the mention of the park, although he did raise an eyebrow.
"...she also said Gaby would be happy to spar with you. I was wondering how you feel about going back after... you know... what we saw last time."
Ren gave a knowing look.
"You are concerned that a particular digimon will be there again, Tamer."
"Well, it's... a possibility. Just... it's the local park, and I don't really want to have to avoid it for the sake of one troublesome digimon."
Ren pondered for a moment, before nodding.
"I agree. You should be able to enjoy the park if you like, and Gulusgammon may not even be there."
"So... you're interested in going?"
"Yes. It would be nice to go out after the... poor weather earlier."
"Alright, we'll head out around lunchtime."
—
They made their way to the park, following the same trail as last time. It was noticeably quieter as they approached. There was still a small crowd gathered around, with a few cheers and cries sounding out through the area.
"Hmm... maybe it's a proper friendly match this time. That's good. Let's see if Haley and Gaby turned up."
"Gaby is not here, Tamer "
"Uh, you sure? We only just got here."
"Yes. I cannot sense his data. However..."
Ren gave a sidelong glance to the tamer.
"What?... Urgh, you're not gonna tell me what I think you are... are you?"
"Yes. Gulusgammamon is here."
The tamer let out a long sigh.
"Of course. What do you wanna do?"
"Well... we made the effort to come. It would be a shame to leave straight away. I think we should stay for now... if that is alright with you?"
"Yeah, of course. No point walking all the way just to leave. Let's see if we can at least watch a bit of the match. I think I can see a free bench over there."
He pointed across to the other side of the field. The pair meandered around the various spectators, heading for the bench.
"...so, you can sense Gulusgammamon, right?"
"Correct."
"Ok... like... how accurate do you reckon your sense is?"
"It is a rough feeling. I can determine a direction and I have a feel for how far away, but I could not give a specific distance. He is quite far away currently, somewhere over that side of the park. You should not be concerned."
Ren gestured to the far side of the park.
"Ok, that's a pretty neat ability. So you'll know if he comes over here?"
"Yes. What do you plan to do if that happens?"
"Honestly... probably just ignore him. He shouldn't be trying to start anything unless you agree to it. But I can't say for sure. His tamer's not exactly reasonable. Could easily have a tantrum and tell him to attack."
A voice from behind caught their attention.
"Oi, chicken man! What'd you say about me?!"
The tamer turned to find his least favourite brat in the world standing behind him.
"Eugh. Not you again."
The kid pointed at Ren
"Oh my god, you had to get a diaper for your pet. What's wrong, afraid your pet's gonna piss himself?!"
The tamer raised a hand and rubbed his temple in agitation at the kid's teasing.
"Can you just shut up? Seriously, just because your parents don't love you, doesn't mean you have to hassle everyone else, alright?"
Gulusgammamon suddenly appeared beside the kid, somehow appearing out of thin air. The tamer took a startled step backwards at the sudden appearance of the digimon
"Where the hell did he come from?! That's Ren's trick."
The digimon stepped forward, levelling a sneer at the tamer.
"Pretty feisty... for a human."
"Wait, you can talk."
The tamer couldn't remember ever hearing Gulusgammamon speak before. He had been expecting something gravelly and guttural like a demon. Instead, it was quite high pitched, with a more haunting quality to it.
"All digimon talk, idiot."
Ren likewise stepped forward, staring down the other digimon.
"Do not speak to my tamer like that."
Gulusgammamon gave a ghastly smirk.
"Oh, feisty pet, too."
The tamer realised Ren was getting fired up again, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth in response to Gulusgammamon's teasing.
"Oh, this feels familiar. I think we need to chill out."
"Ok, ok... timeout. Ren, come here a sec."
The tamer stepped away, waving for Ren to follow him.
"...Ren, I think you need to calm down a bit."
"Tamer... I cannot let them talk to you that way. Let me settle this."
"Come on, we talked about this."
"But I want to fight for you."
"I know, but... this isn't a good idea."
"Please. I can do this. Fighting for you will help me be stronger."
The tamer still didn't like the idea, but he could feel his resolve fading. Ren obviously could too, and pushed his advantage
"...trust me."
"I do... just..."
He let out a long sigh, realising Ren wasn't going to let it go.
"...fine."
They turned back to face their opponents.
"...alright. We'll take you on. But..."
He pointed a finger accusingly at Gulusgammamon.
"...just a sparring match."
Gulusgammamon gave his best smile.
"Of course... just a friendly con-"
The kid interrupted before his Digimon could finish.
"NO WAY! We're gonna smash you!"
The tamer cringed to himself.
"What have we gotten ourselves into?"
He pointed over to the two digimon currently battling.
"Alright, we'll wait until those two finish up."
The kid gave a smirk.
"No waiting. Scare 'em off Gulus."
The digimon gave a smirk of his own, strutting over to the two battlers, despite them being in the middle of a match.
"Oi, you two! Get lost. I got work to do."
Despite objections at being kicked off the field from their respective tamers, the digimon didn't need to be told twice, cowering and running off.
Ren led his tamer to one end of the field, while the kid headed to the other. Gulusgammamon was waiting about a third of the way down the field at his tamer's end.
Standing next to Ren, the tamer couldn't help fidgeting, looking a bit lost with the whole ordeal.
"Um... what should I do Ren?"
"You only need to be here, Tamer. With your support, I will handle this."
"Ok... uh, please be careful. Remember, you can walk away at any time, ok?"
"I know."
Ren took up his position on the field, staring down Gulusgammamon. He readied himself, assuming a fighting stance.
Down the other end, Gulusgammamon stood with his arms casually folded, his nonchalant attitude a stark contrast to Ren's seriousness.
"Ready, pet?"
Ren scowled at his opponent, before giving a slow nod.
"...make your move."
Ren didn't need any further encouragement, launching himself head-on with a fist readied. His speed made him a blur to the tamer.
"Holy shit, he's fast!"
In a flash, Ren had closed the distance to his opponent, putting all his momentum into a fearsome punch.
Or at least it looked fearsome as he unleashed it. However, Gulusgammamon had no trouble stopping Ren's momentum, catching the fist easily.
With a sneer, he taunted Ren.
"Wanna try a bit harder this time?"
Ren snatched his fist away, pivoting as he did and lashing out with a roundhouse kick. Again his opponent easily blocked the attack, simply raising his arm up beside his head.
"...too slow, pet."
Ren pushed off to create some distance to regroup. However, Gulusgammamon beat him to the next move.
In the blink of an eye, the dark digimon had disappeared in his own blur of speed, delivering a shattering punch to Ren's gut.
"Guh-!"
Caught completely off guard, Ren crumpled under the impact, falling to his knees. He remained kneeling and coughing for several moments.
His tamer cried out.
"NO! Ren!"
He went to step forward and call the fight off, but Ren stopped him, holding a hand up and signaling the tamer to stay where he was. In between gasps he called back to the tamer.
"Stay back... I can... do this."
Gulusgammamon had started heading back to his own tamer after delivering his attack, but turned as he heard Ren preparing to continue.
"Oh? Want some more, do you?"
Ren heaved himself back to his feet, readopting his stance.
Again, he launched himself at his opponent, this time delivering a volley of punches and kicks.
The outcome was the same, with each one easily blocked.
After blocking most of the attacks, Gulusgammamon changed tactics. He used his speed to duck under one of Ren's punches and launched a massive knee into his gut, again winding him. Before Ren could fall to the ground, Gulusgammamon grabbed his arm with both hands and launched him back towards his tamer in a rough toss.
Ren tumbled along the ground before coming to a stop.
The tamer didn't know what to do. Ren had clearly told him not to intervene, but he didn't see any way his partner could win this fight.
He stood frozen, unable to do anything but watch.
Ren slowly picked himself again, taking a few heavy breaths to steady himself.
This time he took a different stance, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Koyousetsu!"
A wave of crystal shards materialised around him. He flung his arms open, sending the shards flying towards his opponent.
Gulusgammamon simply held his cape up around himself. Most of the shards bounced right off. A few embedded themselves but couldn't get through.
However, as he lowered the cape, Ren was right up in his face with his fist cocked back. The shards had been a distraction, with Ren chasing straight in after then.
He launched his fist straight at his opponent's jaw. Gulusgammon's head snapped to the side with the impact.
Ren stood there with a proud grin, chest heaving from the effort.
Slowly, Gulusgammamon turned his head back, a menacing leer on his face.
"Not bad, pet."
Ren's expression dropped. He had hoped that attack would floor his opponent, but it seemed only to have made him angry.
"...but playtime's over now."
In a flash, Gulusgammamon drove a knee into Ren's gut, this time following up with a powerful kick that sent Ren flying back almost to his tamer.
Said tamer rushed forward to kneel beside his digimon, trying to help him. Even as he did, Ren was attempting to get back up, but he fell forward onto his hands and knees.
"Shit! Ren, you alright?"
The digimon clutched his gut.
"Urggghh... I forgot... how much battling can hurt. He is... quite strong."
"Ok, that's enough. Let's just call it a day."
Ren pushed the tamer off him and shakily rose back to his feet.
"No. I... I refuse... to give in."
"What? Come on Ren. You can't win this."
Something inside Ren snapped and the tamer could see his demeanour change instantly. His fur bristled with anger as he turned and levelled a glare at the tamer.
"You... you don't believe in me."
The tamer took a step back. There was something hateful in that look that he had never seen before.
"What? That's not what I meant. Just... please, let's be realistic."
Ren turned away, shoulders tensed and fists clenched in anger.
"No... no... I... will WINNNN!"
A bright light engulfed Ren as he let out a roar.
"Renamon digivolve to..."
The tamer and spectators had to raise their hands to shield their eyes from the light as the transformation took place.
The tamer had never witnessed a digivolution in person before, so he had no idea what to expect. He backpedalled away from the glowing ball of light.
As quickly as it started, the light began to fade and the newly evolved Ren began to emerge. The outline of a massive four-legged fox slowly became visible, followed by a fan of nine great tails.
The voice that finished the sentence was definitely not Ren's. It was much deeper, with a smoothness that made it quite easy on the ears.
"...Youkomon."
As the light dissipated, the tamer took in the details of Ren's new form, including his vibrant blue fur.
"Wait... blue? Youkomon? But he's supposed to be Kyubimon."
The voice spoke again.
"What's the matter, Tamer? Not what you hoped for?"
"Uhhh... is that you, Ren?"
"Do I look like Ren to you?"
The tamer just stared with mouth agape, surprised by his digimon's newfound sass.
"...anyway, I'll deal with this troublemaker, then we'll have plenty of time for chit chat."
The great fox turned to face the digimon at the other end of the field.
Gulusgammamon was standing there, waiting with his arms folded and tapping a foot on the ground impatiently. Apparently the spectacle had left him unimpressed.
Youkomon didn't seem fazed, a smug look on his face.
"What's wrong, dear opponent? Got better things to do?"
Gulusgammamon simply tapped his wrist in response, miming checking the time.
"...oh, don't worry. I'll make it quick."
The tamer called out to his digimon.
"Are you done showing off? This is serious, Youkomon."
"Oh, no no no, I'm just getting started."
The tamer cringed at his digimon's arrogance.
—
The battle that followed was similarly short. The two digimon exchanged a few blows, with Youkomon rushing in and Gulusgammamon blocking the attack like before.
However, the odds had clearly turned. Youkomon had all of Ren's speed and then some, but now he also had the power to back it up. His opponent was needing to exert a lot more strength to keep the attacks at bay.
Suddenly, Youkomon retreated, falling back to his tamer's side. The digimon glanced over with a smirk.
The tamer gave a confused look.
"You... uh... had enough or something?"
"Not even close. Wanna see something cool?"
"I... guess so."
The fox stepped back up towards his opponent.
"Jaenryu!"
Youkomon somersaulted forward. Bright orange flames engulfed his entire body, before launching towards his opponent.
At the other end of the field, Gulusgammamon seemed unbothered by the ball of flames rapidly bearing down on him. He calmly held out a single hand.
"Desdemona."
A wave of dark flames rushed forward to meet Youkomon's attack.
The two attacks met in a powerful explosion, shaking the field before cancelling each other out.
As the dust cleared, Gulusgammamon was left standing as he had been, unperturbed by the explosion.
At the other end, however, Youkomon was gone.
The dark dragon looked around the clearing, searching for signs of his opponent.
"Coward, hiding away."
A disembodied reply came from behind.
"Slowpoke."
Before he could turn around, Gulusgammamon found himself flung forward. Youkomon had appeared from behind and pounced, forcing the other digimon face-first into the ground.
The fox stood with one flaming paw pressing on his opponent's back.
"...do you yield, weakling?"
Gulusgammamon thrashed under the weight of Youkomon, but couldn't get free. In desperation, he whipped his tail at Youkomon's face, but the fox actually caught it in his mouth.
Youkomon wrapped two of his own tails around it, fully restraining Gulusgammamon.
"...careful there, I've got more tails than you."
Gulusgammamon continued flailing.
"...and I take it that's a no?"
Youkomon leaned his head down and bit his victim on the arm.
Gulusgammamon yelled out from the pain.
"Argh!"
Small flecks of data began floating out of the wound.
The tamer watched on, becoming increasingly uncomfortable with what Youkomon was doing to his opponent. The tamer pleaded for his digimon to stop.
"Youkomon, please, that's enough."
For a moment, Youkomon let go. He gave his tamer a cocky grin, before turning back and biting Gulusgammamon on the other arm.
Gulusgammamon yelled out again.
"ARGH!"
The tamer cried out in desperation.
"YOUKOMON! STOP!"
The digimon ignored him, only biting down harder.
Not knowing what else he could do, the tamer ran forward and grabbed one of the fox's tails.
The action had the desired effect. Youkomon immediately let go of Gulusgammamon's arm, turning and lunging at his tamer with a snap of his jaw.
The tamer cowered at the aggression, genuinely scared of getting bitten. He tried to backpedal, but in his haste he lost his footing and fell over backwards.
The giant digimon stalked over with fangs bared, not stopping until his face was hovering right in front of his tamer's.
He leaned in and murmured to his tamer's ear.
"Daring to pull one of my tails. You're lucky you're my tamer."
The tamer was almost frozen with fear from the implied threat. It took several moments to find the words to respond.
"Just... please stop, alright. You've proved your point, there's no need to go further."
"But this is what you wanted, someone to take this digimon down a peg."
"I didn't want you to become a monster. This is just... barbaric."
Youkomon let out a frustrated sigh.
"Just when I was starting to have fun. Very well, have it your way... Tamer."
The giant fox made to leave.
"Wait, where are you going?"
Youkomon turned his head back to the tamer.
"As you said, the fight's over, so I have no need to be here... unless anyone else is feeling brave."
Youkomon glanced around at the crowd with a confident look, as if daring someone to step forward.
Apparently no-one was feeling brave today.
He walked off, leaving his tamer to deal with the aftermath.