Chapter 5: Chapter 4 – Digimon Partners

Chapter 4 - Digimon Partners

Drona found himself inside a wooden house on fire. He could hear people screaming in agony, but the smoke was too thick to see their faces. He rushed to the nearest window and opened it to let out the smoke. It was night outside, and snow covered the forest that surrounded the house. Within the underbrush, a black cat’s eyes glowed with malevolence at Drona for daring to escape. Before Drona could jump out of the window, a burning hand pulled him back inside, and the wooden ceiling collapsed on top of him. The flames on the timber burned his skin, and its weight crushed the lower half of his body. Drona cursed the black cat, who he felt was responsible for all of this. His lungs ached for clean air, and his mind screamed for release from the pain. He tried to pull his body out of the burning heap without success. It became clear he had to resign to his fate.

Drona. “Why did I take in that bloody cat?”

Drona wondered as his heart stopped beating and his mind faded into the cold embrace of oblivion. It felt like an eternity before he felt the warm touch of a being full of light. He couldn’t make out the words it spoke, but he could feel it filled him with hope. Then the light faded out and was replaced by the touch of a young man who looked like Drona himself.

Drona. “Wait! That’s me? This isn’t right?”

Drona realized this was not his dream. These were the last memories of the one inside the Digi-Egg he picked up in the forest. He forced himself to wake up and found himself inside the ruined hallway he and the other children had decided to call their new home. It was still dark outside, but the faint light of dawn was beginning to illuminate the sky. 

Bernard. “You had a nightmare?”

Drona turned around towards the spot where Bernard had chosen to sleep. He was already seated upright and holding his Digi-Egg in his hands. 

Drona. “It was more than a dream… I think I saw… this might sound crazy, but I think my Digimon was a human in a past life.”

Bernard’s eyes widened in surprise at Drona. He studied his face for signs to see if those words were made in jest. He stared at his egg, trying to communicate with it before being relieved.

Bernard. “Jiji says you might be overthinking a dream.”

Drona. “Jiji? You gave your Digimon a nickname?”

Bernard. “Imagine you find yourself in a room with several Jijimon who all look identical. Wouldn’t it be easier if your Jijimon had a nickname it answered to?”

Drona. “Makes sense. But do they all look identical?”

Bernard. “You will understand when this room is filled with Infant Digimon of the same type as ours. Speaking of which, there is barely twenty minutes left before they are supposed to hatch.”

Drona. “I will wake the others up.”

Drona grabbed one of the wooden sticks they used as skewers last night. He used it to poke Edgar and Vivienne, still deep asleep. They grumbled with their eyes closed when the pokes became too much for them to ignore.

Vivienne. “Which one of you pervs is poking my butt? Edgar?”

Edgar. “Not me! It feels like the evil stick again! O Retorno do graveto maligno.”

Edgar slipped into Portuguese at the end.

Drona. “You don’t want to see the eggs hatch?”

Suddenly the two of them got up from the floor with excited faces and stared at their Digi-Eggs. Drona assumed they were looking at the countdown clock. At the same time, the burned-out fire pit reignited with blue flames, and Ghostmon’s figure emerged from it.

T.T. “Good morning to you all!”

Bernard. “Morning, Boss! Had a nice sleep?”

TT. “Yes, it was refreshing. I never needed it before in Eden, but Ghostmon’s body requires food, sleep, and a visit to the loo every few hours.”

Drona. “I didn’t notice you moving about in the night.”

T.T. “This body can become invisible for short durations. I used it to avoid disturbing you all with my flames.”

Vivienne. “Needing a toilet must be a pain for an AI.”

T.T. “A pain? No! Takeshi Tanaka’s memories are my only source of reference to bodily functions and needs. So it is fascinating to experience it all firsthand.”

Drona. “Speaking of bodily functions. How much do Infant Digimon poop, sleep and eat, Bernard?”

Bernard. “Depends on many factors, but the average is once an hour for food and poop. Around three hours of sleep at most after six hours. Oh! I almost forgot to warn you that Infant Digimon won’t have limbs, so you have to carry them to the toilet. Otherwise, they will poop where they are.”

Vivienne. “When you got to go, you got to go.”

Edgar. “We could just make a hole in the ground and bury it. My cat does that with hers.”

Bernard. “That will not work here. A Digimon’s evolution will be affected by its hygiene. If they poop in the open ground, it automatically gives them a penalty. If they accumulate too many of those, they evolve into creatures that you may find disgusting.”

Drona. “What do we do if there aren’t any toilets around?”

Bernard. “Toilets are spread out all over the Digital World. But if you can’t find one, there is something called a Portable Toilet. You can buy that at a vending machine or a shop. It costs 150 Bits, so you will have to avoid using it until you have no choice.”

Vivienne. “Why is everything so expensive?”

Bernard. “If you collect enough Digi-Coins, it won’t be an issue.”

Drona. “Didn’t you say a Digimon has to die to leave behind those coins?”

Bernard. “Sometimes when a Digimon evolves, they produce a coin too. Those Rookie coins I gave you last night belonged to that kind. But if you are desperate, take down Digimon with a bounty on them.”

Edgar. “Bounty? Like those old posters from the wild west to bring in criminals dead or alive?”

Bernard. “There is no reward for capturing them alive. Only their deaths will reward you on the spot. It’s similar to the loot you get after killing a boss monster in the RPG games.”

Drona. “Where do you find these bounty posters?”

Bernard. “Ah! I think it was too dark outside to notice last night, but there is a notice board nearby the main hall. You will find new bounties on it every morning and the old ones that haven’t been taken care of. Don’t ask me who put them up there since I have no clue. Each poster will have a picture, the last sighting, and the number of Digi-coins you will get for their death.”

Vivienne. “Please tell me the reward is more than one Digi-Coin.”

Bernard. “Depends on how many crimes the Digimon committed so far. Let’s take T.T.’s Ghostmon as an example. He is at the Rookie level. If he kills three others of the same level, his death will reward you with four Rookie Digi-Coins. You get a Digi-Coin for every one of his victims respective of their level along with their murderer.”

Edgar. “If killing Digimon is a crime, how are we supposed to deal with those that attacked Jijimon and abducted Lynn.”

Bernard. “I didn’t say that it is a crime to kill Digimon. It all depends on who you kill.”

Edgar. “I am confused.”

Bernard. “The Digital World has laws to prevent the mindless slaughter of the innocent and weak. Since Digimon eat meat and all the other food that grows out of the ground, there isn’t any reason for them to eat each other for nourishment. Killing is forbidden unless it is in a consented duel or self-defense. Digimon who violate these two rules on those that have committed no crimes will face the punishment of death through the Bounty system.”

Drona. “Why call it a noticeboard instead of a Bounty board?”

Bernard. “Ah, sometimes there are posters with a list of local Digimon who need assistance and offer payment in Digi-Coins. I used to earn mine that way. They usually aren’t too difficult to manage. Lost and found, find my friend, gather resources like food, wood, and minerals. You get the picture.”

Vivienne. “Helping out Digimon with some fetch quests sounds simple enough.”

Bernard. “Beats having to fight and kill Digimon, especially when you aren’t a Digimon.”

Edgar. “You never claimed a bounty before?”

Bernard. “I made a few friends who used to live here. They would partner up with me to clear those bounties for Victory Points and let me keep the Digi-Coins.”

Drona. “Victory Points?”

Bernard. “The number of victories against Digimon of the same level or higher affects their evolution.”

Vivienne. “So we have to force our Digimon to kill others to make them evolve?”

Edgar. “Sounds brutal… I love it!”

Bernard. “There are different evolutionary routes. Some need it, and some don’t. Usually, feeding them right and training them in the gym is enough. But the ones who evolve through combat are stronger than the rest.”

Suddenly the Digi-eggs in their hands began to glow again.

Drona. “I think the Digi-Eggs are hatching!”

Vivienne. “Finally!”

Everyone stared at their Digi-Eggs as they slowly turned into their infant forms. TT’s Ghostmon form circled to inspect each one, and he stopped in front of Bernard, whose Digimon completed its transformation first.

T.T. “Kuramon! It has the following skill.

Glare Eyes: Produces a frothy substance from its gigantic eye.”

Bernard stared with fascination at Kuramon, whose one big red eye stared back at him with affection. It couldn’t speak, but it did make some sounds similar to a baby giggling. 

Bernard. “How did you know what he is and his skills?”

T.T. “My new body was preinstalled with a Digi-Wiki. Though I need to see the Digimon to unlock their information.” 

T.T. then hovered over to Edgar’s Digimon.

T.T. “Botamon. It has the following skill.

Bubble Blow: Produces bubble-like objects from its mouth to intimidate the opponents.”

Edgar used his hands to squeeze Botamon’s body which behaved like a blob of black slime. It didn’t seem to like it and produced bubbles to intimidate Edgar, who was not impressed.

Edgar. “Huh? All they can do is make bubbles.”

T.T. “What do you expect from an Infant?”

Edgar. “Fair. Oh, wait! You are a Rookie level Digimon. Can you tell me what skills you have?

T.T. “How about I show it to you? Behold the power of Little Plasma and Jack Raid!”

Ghostmon’s blue flaming fingers fired a few shots that left scorch marks on the ground next to Edgar’s right foot. Edgar was surprised by the attack and took a few steps back while hugging his Botamon tightly. Then Ghostmon disappeared, causing Edgar to look around in confusion before reappearing from behind and pushing Edgar. Drona could tell TT was holding back because he could have easily tackled the poor boy to the ground.

T.T. “Impressed?”

Edgar. “You really can turn invisible! Can you shoot out Plasma again?”

T.T. “I have run out of MP… it’s needed to fuel the skill.”

Vivienne. “Sorry to interrupt, but is it possible to get two from one Digi-Egg?”

Bernard. “No way! You got Twins?”

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Drona. “Explains why they said, ‘We choose you’ last night.”

T.T. hovered over to Selvaria’s side and was shocked.

T.T. “Two YukimiBotamon!  Its whole body is covered in fluffy, white hair. It is weak to heat and prefers cold places, so its body feels cold to the touch. They both can use the skill Diamond Dust. Its exhale freezes the moisture into glittering snowflakes.”

Vivienne. “They are adorable!”

Bernard. “Don’t eat them! No matter how cute they look.”

Edgar. “Why does she get two?”

Drona. “Beats having none. Mine disappeared.”

Edgar. “Really? Hey, why is there smoke around you?”

T.T. hovered over to Drona and looked around for his Digimon.

T.T. “This is interesting.”

The smoke floating around Drona gathered into one point in front of his face and turned into a dark cloud with embers rising from its head. Two yellow spots within the smoke served as its eyes studied Drona.

Edgar. “Digimon can be?”

Bernard. “Never seen this one before.”

Vivienne. “Should we be breathing in the smoke?”

T.T. “Mokumon is a Smoke Digimon. It envelops its body with a smoke-like vapor. Because the Smoke was generated when its DigiCore was burned, it seems it isn’t harmful to itself or others. It has one skill called Smoky Blow. Scatters the smoke that makes up its body, then seizes the opportunity to escape when the opponent loses sight of it.”

Edgar. “Of all the skills, this is the best.”

Mokumon. “Thank you!”

Drona. “You can speak?”

Edgar. “Nooo! This isn’t fair!”

Vivienne. “Are they supposed to be able to talk to them when they are infants?”

Bernard. “No… I never heard one speak until the In-Training Level.”

Mokumon. “Few words.”

Drona. “He can but is limited to a few words at a time.”

Mokumon nodded before sitting on top of Drona’s head.

Mokumon. “Nice view.”

Drona felt a mental connection established between him and Mokumon when the little guy sat on his head. For some reason, he could see what Mokumon saw through his eyes. 

Drona. “How is this happening?

Drona mentally asked himself and was about to inform the others when Mokumon’s voice replied in his mind.

Mokumon. “Soul Bond.”

Drona was stunned and mentally replied to the voice.

Drona. “How did that happen?”

Mokumon. “See memories… my death?”

Drona. “Yes, I saw them in my dream last night. Were you human in your past life?”

Mokumon. “Seven years.”

Drona. “A seven-year-old human?”

Mokumon. “A boy!”

Drona. “Are all Digimon Humans in the past or just you?”

Mokumon. “Few chosen… by destiny.”

Drona was about to ask more questions, but his attention returned to the hall. Bernard was shaking his shoulders. Drona nodded his head and took a few steps back.

Bernard. “Are you alright? You went brain dead for a minute.”

Drona. “Sorry, I… do any of you see visions or memories that don’t belong to you?”

T.T. “I am full of memories that belong to Takeshi Tanaka.”

Drona. “Not you. The others.”

T.T looked offended and used Ghostmon’s skill to turn invisible.

Bernard. “Just regular old dreams.”

Edgar. “You are acting weird.”

Vivienne. “Are we supposed to have them?”

Drona. “No… forget I asked. So, what’s the plan now?”

Bernard. “We will split our tasks like we planned last night. For now, we should stay close to this hall and the toilet until our partners reach the Rookie level. They will have limbs to move around without an issue and possess enough skills to fight like T.T.’s Ghostmon. That’s when we can try exploring and recruiting Digimon to rebuild this place.”

Drona. “Sounds good to me. I noticed there is a gym right outside. Should we use it to strengthen our partners?”

Bernard. “I don’t think infants can endure any training sessions. Wait till they are In-Training Level for that. Now, who wants to take up foraging for food?”

Edgar. “I will forage!”

Vivienne. “Me too.”

Bernard. “Great! Then Drona and I will clean up this place and stock up on Bandages and Medical supplies.”

Drona. “What about the other Digi-Eggs who will look after them while we work outside?”

T.T reappears in front of Drona with an annoyed expression.

T.T. “You keep forgetting that I am here.”

Drona. “Sorry, you keep turning invisible to us. Do you have any idea when the other Digi-Eggs hatch?”

T.T. “No clue.”

Mokumon. “Hatch tomorrow.”

Drona. “Huh? How do you know that?”

Mokumon. “Just know.”

Bernard. “Well, that gives us a day to stock up and get this place in shape.”

Edgar. “Is there a bag or a cart to help us carry food back here? I struggled with that last night.”

Bernard. “Hmm… Jijimon had given me something called a Material Bag. I don’t know if it’s still here or where to find one.”

Kuramon wiggled in his hands, its eye staring at the firepit.

Drona. “Why is Jiji staring at the firepit?”

Mokumon. “Bag inside.”

Bernard. “Inside the fire pit?

Bernard kneeled next to the pit to wipe away the ash and burnt wood. He noticed a false floor underneath. Grabbing a handle and he lifted it open. Five crossbody sling backpacks of different colors lay neatly together. 

Drona. “Were these meant for us?”

Jiji wiggled his little head vigorously. 

Edgar. “There is an extra. Was that meant for Lynn?”

Jiji looked confused. He counted the humans and noticed one was missing and nodded.

T.T. “He might have anticipated five Digi-Destined. Whatever the reason may be, you all have bags now. So that is one problem solved. I will inspect the noticeboard and see what it has on it.”

Vivienne. “These bags look like they are full already.”

Vivienne pulled up one and unzipped it. 

Vivienne. “Woah! A message showed up on top of the bag. Says storage space is 0/22.”

Bernard pulled out the medicine bottle from his pocket and gave it to Vivienne to put inside the bag. It disappeared when she brought it close and reappeared when she asked for it back.

Vivienne. “The messages came along with instructions. You can fit anything inside and bring it out whenever you name it. It also says you won’t feel the weight of anything put inside.”

Drona. “Reminds me of the inventory bags from RPG games.”

Edgar. “This is so cool! Everything will be so easy to carry.”

Bernard. “Tomorrow will be a big day, so let’s get started!”

To be continued...

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