Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

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 back track through this maze: Swamp Friend Area (Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX)

Digimon Mystery Dungeon: Tutorial

All was as it should be at the Indigo Plateau.  Lights shined down on the stadium revealing a large crowd of cheering Pokémon enthusiasts while commentators gave the play by play to the people both present and watching from home.  Everyone was at the edge of their seats watching exhibition match after exhibition match of top tier trainers trying to take down the new Kanto league champion: Gary Oak.

“Another stunning victory!” proclaimed the announcer.  Amazing that people could hear him over the legions of star struck fans and squad of cheerleaders chanting Gary’s name.

Gary soaked in the much deserved attention while casually holding out a Poke Ball to return one of his team members.  It was a burden being this handsome and talented, really.  But the people of Kanto deserved the best of the best, thus Gary had to take up the mantle.  The boy brushed his bangs to the side causing every girl in the audience to swoon.

Across the field, Gary could spot his next challenger.  Thanks to the bright lights, Gary could only make out the outline: a man with a cap.

“By now the challenger has seen Gary’s full team of powerhouses from the psychic might of Alakazam to the pseudo legendary Tyranitar.  What Pokémon will our challenger use to combat this star line up?” asked the announcer.

Instead of tossing out a Poke Ball, the challenger mearly pointed at Gary.  Gary stared in confusion.  It looked like the challenger was directing a Pokémon to charge forward, except there wasn’t a Pokémon on the field.  Then he heard it.  A loud hum from overhead which sounded like a jet soaring.

Everyone looked up to find that the source of the noise was a Pokémon which landed in the stadium with an earthshaking THUD!  The Pokémon was unlike any monster Gary had ever seen before.  It was large canine covered in blue and yellow metal.  Judging by the way the skin connected to the metal’s joints, it wasn’t armor.  The Pokémon was a cyborg!

Gary let out a nervous chuckle and tried to cover his sudden feeling of anxiety with bravado.  “What?  You couldn’t catch a Pokémon so you had to build one?”

Neither the trainer nor the Pokémon responded.  The metal wolf folded its bladed wings in, spotted Gary, and began stalking forward.  Now feeling even more on edge, Gary called over to the sidelines.  “Hey!  Ref!  Are you going to say anything?  There’s no way this thing is legal!”

When he didn’t receive a reply, Gary looked over to see that the referee, the audience, and anyone else who once populated the stands had gone missing.   Meanwhile, the metal Pokémon continued to walk forward.

Now alone with the metal canine, Gary was feeling less like a champion and more like a cornered Rattata.  He took several steps back and fumbled a bit when his hand reflexively went to grab a Poke Ball.  When he threw the ball, it didn’t snap open to unleash a potential protector.  It shattered like an orb of glass.  Unperturbed, the metal canine continued forward walking over the shards.

By now, Gary’s back was up against the stadium’s wall.  The Pokémon was right in front of him, looking down.  Gary could feel the beast’s fridged breath wash over him, causing his blood to both figuratively and literally run cold.

Then, much to Gary’s surprise, the Pokémon spoke in a deep, raspy voice.  “So, this is my new body.”

BOOM!

Gary’s head shot up.  He lay there for a moment, panting while he took in his surroundings.  He wasn’t at a stadium; he was in a swamp.  There weren’t any fans chanting his name, only a psithurism of leaves shaken by a gentle breeze.  No Pokémon or trainers either, he wasn’t a trainer yet.  It was only a nightmare.

Looking down at his yellow, scaly hands, Gary’s heart sank.  Forget not being a trainer, he wasn’t human.  A sudden snore followed by some incoherent mumbling caught Gary’s attention.  He turned around to see his traveling companion, Ash the Agumon, sprawled on the ground with a dumb smile on his sleeping face.

Sighing, Gary curled up into a ball and rested his head on his large tail.  He had gone from one nightmare and into another.

Morning

It had been a couple days since Gary and Ash had received directions to the nearest guild.  The trip started out pleasant enough.  The world they ended up in had a sprawling wilderness with long stretches of healthy, green fields accented by towering mountains off in the distance.  The water was clean and drinkable while the food was…interesting.

Every so often the pair would come across an edible anomaly which both kept them well feed and scratching their heads.  Meat came in two varieties: wild animals which could be hunted and juicy cuts of meat which sprouted from the ground like plants.  Gary watched in disgust as Ash volunteered to try a tenderloin which was poking up from the earth as if it was a radish.  He then relented and joined in when his stomach growled at him for being so picky.

Beyond the meat sprouts, the two were also able to find the occasional appliance that also seemed to grow out of the ground.  Most notably, fully stocked vending machines which hummed with energy even though there wasn’t an outlet in sight.  If the two had a bag, they could have grabbed some drinks and energy bars for the road.

Alas, the only objects Ash and Gary had on their persons were a couple accessories and the weird devices they found when they woke up.  Thus, they had to scrounge for food as they traveled.  Such was the case this morning.

“Hold still!” Ash snarled at the fish.  This order did not register as the large catfish continued to flop and thrash around in Ash’s arms.

As of last night, Gary and Ash found themselves in a large swamp.  Thick trees lined the soggy path which ran beside a murky river.  Every so often the pair would spot some large Digimon pass by, though by now Ash and Gary had learned to be careful about which Digimon they tried to talk to even outside the Mystery Dungeons.  A rogue encounter with a giant Scyther-like Digimon at the beginning of their journey taught them that.

Gary watched Ash’s wrestling match with a glazed over look.  This guy could be such a loser.  Lousy sense of direction, quick to eat food he didn’t know the origin of, and now he was getting smacked around by a fish.  At this point, Gary had come to conclude that Ash’s take down of Gorillamon was a fluke.

“Ash, stop playing around with that fish.  We need to catch breakfast,” Gary berated.

“Hey!  At least I have a fish!  That’s more than what you’ve got!” Ash snapped back.  It was at this point that the fish finally managed to wiggle out of Ash arms and escape.  The catfish dived back into the water, but not before giving Ash a firm slap across the snout with its tail.

“If you hadn’t made so much noise, I would have caught a school of fish by now,” Gary sniffed, hunger fueling his vindictiveness.  He wadded back to the shore and shook himself off like a wet Stoutland.

“Yeah, right!” Ash huffed sarcastically.  He waded after Gary and threw up his claws up to shield himself from the spray.  He groaned and whipped himself off on a large, fuzzy leaf.  “Let’s just keep walking.  Maybe we’ll find a fruit tree.”

Despite the lush landscape, they did not find a fruit tree.  Gary’s stomach protested and the Gabumon snorted in irritation.  How much longer until they reached that guild?  Reaching down, Gary grabbed the device that he clipped to his hide.

When Gary activated the device’s holographic screen, all he got was static.  He frowned and tried pressing a few more buttons.  Back when their journey began, Gary tried to test out what else his device could do outside of scanning Digimon and displaying bios.  He was able to temporarily get a screen displaying a bunch of apps.  Before he got the chance explore, the screen was overtaken by static before displaying the message: ERROR!  User DNA is corrupt!

Since then Gary would take out the device to fiddle with it in hopes that he would find a way to make it work so he can figure out what the apps could do.  With any luck, one of them was the “Zap user back to normal” app.  Unlikely, but a guy can dream.

“Piece of junk,” grumbled Gary as he flicked a few more buttons.

“Do you hear that?” Ash suddenly asked, grabbing Gary’s attention.

Beneath his pelt, Gary’s short ears perked.  Indeed, he could hear something.  It sounded like…clopping hooves and explosions?  “Yeah, I hear it too.”

“Let’s go check it out!” suggested Ash.  He didn’t wait for answer, the Agumon headed straight towards the commotion.

“Just make sure you aren’t seen,” Gary scolded.  Despite his caution, he followed along, also curious.  “Or do you want me to bail out of another wild Digimon encounter?”

“You didn’t bail me out of anything!  I had that Hyemon right where I wanted it!” Ash snapped, smoke puffing from his nostrils.

“Sure you did,” Gary teased.  “Once you finished letting it gnaw off your leg, you were going to let it have it!”

KABOOM!

The reptiles’ back and forth was brought to a halt when the saw the source of all the ruckus.  Before them was a clearing in the swamp occupied by group of Digimon ganging up on a traveler.  The attackers were large mushrooms with purple caps decked out in yellow rings.  Each Digimon had thick gloves and boots on their short limbs and nasty grins on their faces.

All the mushrooms were ganging up on another Digimon.  This Digimon resembled an orange and white horse with a golden mane.  The horse wore golden armor around its hooves, chest, and face and had a pair of saddle bags strapped on his back.  Sprouting just before the bags was a pair of golden, feathered wings.

Hmm, those mushrooms may be poisonous.  Better scan them.  And the horse too.  Can’t be too careful.

“Okay, it says here the goon squad is made of Mushroomon,” Gary read.  “They’re ill-tempered and like to pick on Digimon weaker than them.  Their special attack, Fungus Crusher, allows them to scatter mushroom bombs.”

Gary then moved onto scan the horse.  “Pegasusmon, armor level.  Nicknamed the ‘Galloping Hope,’ they fight against evil using a wide range of special moves like Rodeo Gallop, Equus Beam, and Star Shower.  It looks like the Mushroomon are trying to mug him.”

“Alright, then let’s help him!” declared Ash before rushing out into the fight.

“Wait!” Gary called out.  His warning fell on deaf ears.

“Pepper Breath!” Ash called out as he spat a large fireball.  The attack nailed one of the Mushroomons in the back setting the cap on fire.

“Is something burning?” asked one of the Mushroomon.

“Whatever it is, it smells good,” said another.

“Ah!  It’s me!” cried the burning Mushroomon.  He ran around in circles until Ash ran forward and slammed into him sending him into the swamp’s river.  The Mushoomon gurgled a thank you.

By now half of the Mushroomon moved away from Pegasusmon and refocused their attacks on Ash.  Ash was about to spit out another Pepper Breath when one of the Mushroomons tossed a shroom grenade.  The fungi bomb went off releasing a puff of spores.  At first Ash coughed and waved his claws around, trying to disperse the cloud.  Then he began laughing.

Puzzled as to what was giving Ash the giggles, Gary looked back down at Mushroomons’ bio.  Apparently one of their abilities was to create Laughing Mushrooms which caused their victims to laugh uncontrollably.  Judging by the way Ash was paralyzed with laughter, it was an effective attack.

Thinking quickly, Gary grabbed a large leaf from a nearby tree and pressed it around his muzzle as a makeshift facemask.  He then picked a nearby Mushroomon and charged into battle.  He couldn’t use Blue Blaster or else he’d risk inhaling the spores.  So he lowered his head and aimed his horn straight into his target’s behind.

“YEOOOW!”  As if he sat on a thumbtack, the Mushroomon leapt into the air with his hands on his sore butt.

Rallied by the pained cry of their brethren, the other Mushroomon shot Gary dirty looks.  Gary’s mind scrambled.  He dealt a blow to one Mushroomon, now he had to figure out how to get rid of the rest without his breath weapon.  Then, as if answering his concerns, a powerful gust of wind dispersed the laughing gas.

The source of the breeze turned out to be Pegasusmon. The equine had reared up on its hind legs and was flapping its powerful wings.

“Continue fighting!” called out Pegasusmon.  “I’ll clear out the poison and support you!  Star Shower!”

Stars constructed of light energy rained out from Pegasusmon’s wings hitting multiple Mushroomons and sending others packing in panic.  Huh, looks like the horse wasn’t as helpless as he first appeared.  Smirking at this turn of events, Gary dropped his leaf mask and spat out a stream of fire at another Mushroomon.

“Erp!”

Gary turned around to see a Mushroomon getting tackled by Ash.  It was as Ash won his wrestling match that he finally managed to slow his laughter to a stop.  Thank goodness.  Anymore laughing and the guy could have died from asphyxiation.

Nearby, Gary spotted another Mushroomon getting ready to lob another shroom bomb.  Gary’s Blue Blaster knocked the bomb back leaving the Mushroomon open to a counter attack.  Charging forward, Gary managed to tackle the Mushroomon.  The two tumbled into the swamp where they fell down, down, down…

Packet Swamp B1F

When the pair finally landed, Gary found himself in a completely different area of the swam surrounded by rows of tightly clustered trees and water ways.  The Mushroomon managed to throw Gary off and blew a raspberry before fleeing down one of the narrow pathways.  Not that Gary cared anymore about the fleeing fungus.  He was too entranced by his environment.

“Is this another Mystery Dungeon?” Gary asked himself.

“That seems to be the case,” came Pegasusmon’s voice from behind Gary.  The Gabumon turned around to see the equine hovering just a bit away.  Above him, the light rippled just like the entrance to the Mystery Dungeon Gary and Ash explored at the beginning of their journey.

Gary studied the Pegasus as he landed.  “Who-”

“Whoa!”  Just as the ripple in space began to settle down, Ash dropped through and landed on dirt below.  Spotting Gary, the Agumon hurried over.  “Hey!  Are you okay?”  He looked around.  “Are we in another Mystery Dungeon?”

“Exactly,” Pegasusmon said, not minding that he had to answer the same question twice.  The horse walked forward and looked around at the marshland.  “I had heard rumors of a new Mystery Dungeon in this swamp.  Given how many highwaymen where lurking around here, they may be using it as a hide away.”

“Highwaymen?  Do you mean those Mushroomon?” asked Ash.  He frowned thoughtfully.  “Why would they hide here?  I thought these places were supposed to be dangerous.”

“They are dangerous.  Which is exactly why they are the perfect hiding spots,” Pegasusmon said.  He looked over the collection of mangroves and sedge.  “A swamp is already difficult terrain to navigate.  Add a Mystery Dungeon on top and you’ve got extra fortification.  The wild Digimon generated here act as guards while the constantly shifting labyrinth structure can protect against an intruder who isn’t familiar with the dungeon’s depths.  This is why bandits will sometimes use Mystery Dungeons to avoid the law.”

There was a pause as Gary and Ash internalized what they just heard.  Gary took a moment to study the Pegasusmon.  Before, when he saw the horse getting ambushed by the Mushroomon, Gary thought he was just a traveler.  Now though, it looked like Pegasusmon may have come for a different set of reasons.  “I’m sorry.  Who are you?”

“My name is Pegasusmon,” said Pegasusmon giving the boys a cordial nod.  “I am here to investigate the rumored new Mystery Dungeon in the swamps near Omega City.”  He then gave his wings a flap.  “And to stretch my wings.  Pegasi are not made to be hauled up doing office work all day.”

Investigate the dungeon?  Gary’s eyes widened.  “Do you work for the guild?”

“That I do,” Pegasusmon confirmed.  “How about yourselves?  Why are a couple of rookies traveling through bandit infested territory?”

Gary’s heart (or whatever he had now) leapt.  What a lucky break!  If this guy was part of the guild, maybe he was their ticket to getting jobs there!

“We’re going to guild to join it!” declared Ash who must have been thinking along the same lines as Gary.

At Ash’s declaration, Pegasusmon straightened up and his voice became serious.  “I admire your gumption, but the guild is not a playground.  Had I not been here, you would have been caught up in laughing gas with no supplies or training.”

Uh, no.  Ash would have been caught without supplies or training.  As far as Gary was concerned, he handled himself pretty well.

“That’s why we want to join the guild.  To be trained,” Gary explained in the most diplomatic manner he could muster.  He needed to give Pegasusmon a good impression to make up for Ash’s blunder with the laughing gas.  “How about this, we’re already stuck in this dungeon together.  Let’s turn this into a job interview.  If we make it to the end of the dungeon and help defeat the bandits, you put in a good word for us at the guild.”

“We won’t disappoint you,” Ash eagerly threw in.

There was a pregnant pause as Pegasusmon considered Gary’s proposal.  Finally, Pegasusmon nodded.  “Very well.”

Before the boys could celebrate, Pegasusmon continued.  “However, I’ll be adding on a stipulation.  Even if you defeat the bandits, I reserve the right to turn down your candidacy if I believe you aren’t guild material.”

Mauling over this arrangement, Gary frowned.  So they could go through all this trouble and still get turned down?  True, they had to go through the dungeon no matter what, but to do so while Pegasusmon was watching and judging?  Of course, Gary knew he  could do it.  Ash on the other hand?

Yes, Ash was able to take down Gorillamon.  But was that really skill?  It looked more like dumb luck from Gary’s end.  Plus, Gary felt as though he was doing the majority of the strategizing during that fight.  If they were going to get graded on how well they got through this dungeon, Gary was probably going to be doing the bulk of the work.

Actually, that was just fine.  Let Ash do what he was going to do.  If Gary was the only one who ended up receiving guild membership, then he’ll just have to get them both home himself.

“You have a deal!” Ash stated optimistically.  “Just you wait!  We’re both great rescuer material!”

“Very well then,” Pegasusmon nodded.  His long tail reached into his saddlebag and took out a rolled up scroll.  He handed the scroll to the boys.  “First order of business, navigating the dungeon.”

Gary and Ash opened the scroll and stared at what they thought was supposed to be a map.  To their surprise (and disappointment) the scroll was mostly blank save for a few dots.  Three of these dots were clustered together between two lines.

“Uh, what’s this?” asked Ash.

“That is a dungeon map,” explained Pegasusmon.  “If you two wish to join the guild, you should familiarize yourself with it.”

“There isn’t anything on here,” Ash pointed out.

Pegasusmon gave Ash a sly wink.  “That’s because Mystery Dungeons are constantly shifting.  Even if you’ve been to a particular dungeon before, the layout will always change.  These maps are enchanted to track the maze’s walls, obstacles, and your current location.  Walk forward.”

Curious, the boys followed Pegasusmon’s directions.  As they walked, they saw the lines on the map extend.  When they reached the corner, the lines bent to imitate the pathway.

“Wow,” Ash marveled.

“I see.  This way we can back track or avoid walking in circles,” Gary surmised looking at the self-drawing map.  He noticed a red dot darting around one of the lower corners.  “What’s with the red dot?”

“Red dots indicate enemies while blue dots are party members,” explained Pegasusmon.  He walked up behind the boys and studied the red dot.  “They only show up if you’ve already bumped into the enemy which means that dot is the Mushroomon who came in with you.”

Looking back down, Gary could see the red dot had vanished!  Pegasusmon pointed his muzzle down at the map where the dog was last seen.  “A red dot will only disappear if either the Digimon is defeated or if they exited the floor.  I believe our Mushroomon friend must have found the stairs.”

“So we just need to find a path down there,” deduced Ash.

Pegasusmon’s eyes closed in a way that made it look like he was smiling under his mask.  “Exactly.”

And so the group ventured onwards.  Just like the dungeon Gary and Ash entered before, it was composed of narrow pathways which were connected by larger rooms.  And, just like the former dungeon, they would find random items from food to capsules which, according to Pegasusmon, could heal you in a pinch.  And just like the former dungeon, they encountered hostile Digimon.

“RAW!” croaked a purple Digimon which resembled a Poliwag with a wider mouth and no visible organs.  The tadpole jumped at the group and attempted to slash at them with its claws.

Backing away, Gary was about to take out his device to scan the new Digimon when he felt something hot hit his tail.  Growling, Gary turned around to find another Digimon which looked like the one that was already attacking them save the color.  This tadpole was red.

Gary could see Ash was also attempting to reach for his hat to take out the device he had clipped in there.  He was stopped when the purple Poliwag spat out a stream of bubbles forcing Ash to focus less on information gathering and more on fighting back against the ever growing hoard.

Fortunately, the two were traveling with a seasoned adventurer who had no problems expounding the basics of Digimon 101.  “These are Otamon.  They are fast swimmers and decent rock climbers.  I’d advise staying away from their Lullaby Bubble attack as it may put you to sleep,” said Pegasusmon.  He gave his wings a flap, deflecting an incoming fireball from the red Poliwag.  “The red ones are also Otamon, though they prefer warmer climates and can cause scalding with their Boiling Bubble attack.”

“Anything else you can tell us?” Ash asked, slashing into the Otamon.

“Both species do make lovely singers,” said Pegasusmon.  Multiple Otamon crawled towards him, mouths open to show off their sharp teeth.  Unintimidated, Pegasusmon proceeded to stomp on the hoard knocking them all out with a one hit KO.

More and more Otamon of both varieties kept crawling into the chamber.  They were fairly easy enemies if kind of annoying.  Gary kept finding himself prioritizing evading the Lullaby Bubbles in an effort to avoid the sleep status, only to be nailed by a swarm of Boiling Bubbles.

Ash wasn’t doing much better either.  In fact, he committed the greatest blunder in the battle.  During a pursuit, Ash stepped onto a patch of ground which emitted a loud CLICK.  Seconds later, the patch of ground disappeared revealing a giant fan!  Not surprising given the amount of vending machines littered throughout the landscape outside the dungeon.  Though those didn’t blow whoever stepped on them across the room.

“What was that?” Gary asked watching Ash land face first into some swamp muck.  Was that fan really that well-hidden or was Ash so oblivious that he stumbled upon a large piece of machinery?

“That was a trap tile,” explained Pegasusmon.  “Occasionally you’ll find them in dungeons.  Most, like that Gust Trap, will impede your exploration.  Though there are a couple like the Wonder Tile which can be beneficial.  Either way, you should make sure to watch where you are going.”

Pegasusmon’s eyes studied the room until he spotted something in the far corner.  He galloped over and kicked an item, a CD holder, over to Ash.  “You should also keep an eye out for items while you explore.  Dungeons tend to conjure up healing items such as bandages, salves, capsules, and potions that will help you recover your health.  Though I wouldn’t rely on a dungeon to supply you everything you need which is why you should always stock up on supplies before a dungeon crawl.”

On the other side of the room, Ash caught the CD.  He gave it a curious sniff before opening the holder open which then evaporated into a shower of sparkles.  The sparkles danced across Ash’s body causing all the scrapes and bruises to disappear.  Ash looked at his healed claws.  “Whoa!”

“That item was a Recovery Disk,” Pegasusmon explained.  “I think you can figure out what it does.”

Intrigued, Gary looked around for another item.  Sure enough, a glint caught his eye a few feet away.  The Gabumon spat out a stream of fire sending the Otamon in his way packing.  He then raced over to grab the item before the amphibians could recoup.

The item turned out to be a small, blue gem.  Gary held up the gem. “What about this?”

“Ah!  A Modify Crystal.  Excellent find, Gabumon,” complemented Pegasusmon.

“Hey!  How come I get a trap and you get a magical piece of jewelry?” Ash barked in annoyance.

“What can I say?  The universe has favorites,” Gary said smugly.  “It might also help if you watch where you step.  You know, pay attention while you’re exploring a hostile environment.”

“I was paying attention!” Ash yelled.  “That trap came out of nowhere!”

Gary ignored Ash and returned his attention to Pegasusmon.  “So, what does the Modify Crystal do?”

“By itself, nothing,” said Pegasusmon.  He flew over a group of incoming Otamon.  As he flew, his wings created a wind strong enough to blow some of the weaker tadpoles away.  When he landed next to Gary, he held out one of his hooves which had a bracelet clasped around it just above his armor.  The bracelet was covered in a series of grooves.  “But if we combine it with this Looplet, it may produce some interesting results.”

Curious, Gary held out the crystal towards the Looplet.  The gem flew from Gary’s hand and shrank down to snap right into one of the bracelet’s grooves.  There was a sudden gust of cold air and Pegasusmon’s eyes glowed.  Behind him, a translucent image of a different Digimon appeared.  It was a large, blue dragon with a white, furry chest and limbs that looked as though they were carved from ice.

“Get behind me,” Pegasusmon ordered.  Not sure where this was going, both Ash and Gary complied.  With a loud whiney, Pegasusmon reared up on his hind legs and began flapping his wings.  A fridged wind blew around the room followed by a snowstorm.  “Ice Age!”

Before long, every enemy Digimon in the room was frozen solid.  Following up his blizzard, Pegasusmon gave his wings one final flap and summoned another flurry of energy stars.  “Star Shower!”

The stars hit their mark shattering all the ice and reducing the Digimon inside to dust.  Satisfied, Pegasusmon trotted through the room of newly formed eggs.  “Come along.”

Both Gary and Ash had to pick their jaws up before hurrying after Pegasusmon.  Gary jogged up next to the horse.  “What was that?”

“Modify Crystals are gems that naturally form inside Mystery Dungeons,” explained Pegasusmon.  “When placed in a Looplet, they can be used to increase your stats, summon weapons, and even use the abilities of other Digimon.  Though they only work inside Mystery Dungeons.  Once you exit the dungeon, the crystal disappears.”

“Will we get Looplets if we join the guild?” Ash eagerly asked from Pegasusmon’s other side.

“You would,” Pegasusmon neutrally replied.

Like any kid promised a superpower granting bracelet, Ash got excited.  He began bombarding Pegasusmon with questions about the different types of modification crystals and the other gear guildmembers tended to carry.  Gary, meanwhile, stayed reserved.  The way Pegasusmon talked it sounded like he hadn’t made up his mind on whether they would be allowed to join.  Which was a blessing because that last fight was far from impressive.  Gary was going to have to step it up.

Continuing down the labyrinth, Pegasusmon instructed the boys on where traps tended to manifest and how to spring them without getting hurt.  He was in the middle of listing the different kinds of traps when Ash suddenly began sniffing the air.

“I think I smell another Digimon,” Ash said softly.

Curious, Gary also began sniffing the air.  Swamp water, a plethora of plants, something that suspiciously smelled like rotten eggs, ah!  There it was.  A new Digimon.  “More enemies?”

“I don’t know,” Ash replied.  He looked down the passage from which the smell wafted.  “It doesn’t smell like Mushroomon or Otamon.”

“Follow the smell, but be quiet and cautious,” instructed Pegasusmon.

As the group approached the new Digimon, it’s scent grew stronger.  While Gary’s memories were fuzzy, he was sure this Digimon smelled like a mammalian Pokémon.  Like a Vulpix or a Furret.  Or at least those were his best guesses.  He was pretty sure humans didn’t regularly stick their noses into Pokémon pelts so he couldn’t be certain.

The trio came to a stop when Ash turned to sniff at some bushes.  He carefully pulled a couple of the branches apart and grinned.  “Found it!”

The new Digimon did in fact resemble a Furret with its long, slender body.  Though its face was more foxlike.  It was pure white with golden markings on its back which resembled a circuit board.  The Digimon’s ears were tipped with black, which matched the thick rings around its closed eyes.  In terms of accessories, there was a single, red earring hanging from one of the Digimon’s ears, a golden collar, and its tail was tipped with…was that a bullet cartridge?  Next to the Digimon was a small pink sack that looked like it was made from torn cloth.

“That is a Kudamon,” identified Pegasusmon coming in behind the boys.  “Usually they like to hide in their cartridges, though if provoked into battle they can unleash the energy they store in their earrings using Blinding Ray or fire holy energy using Holy Shot.”

“Is it a dungeon Digimon?” ask Ash.  He gave the Kudamon another sniff.

“I don’t believe so.  For one, dungeons tend to generate Digimon who would fit into their surrounding environment.  Kudamons don’t tend to hang out in swamps,” answered Pegasusmon.  He then looked down at the pink sack.  “Furthermore, sacks are not a part of a Kudamon’s natural physiology.  This one must be from outside the dungeon like us.”

“Do you think it’s a bandit?” asked Gary.

“Possibly, but it could also just be lost,” said Pegasusmon.  “One of the duties of guildmembers is to rescue Digimon who stumble into Mystery Dungeons.”

“So it could be a lost Digimon, but it could also be one of the bandits,” Gary frowned and folded his arms.  “I say we wait until it wakes up then decide what to do about this guy.”

“A reasonable course of action,” nodded Pegasusmon.  “Please grab our new friend and follow me.  I think I saw a good camping spot earlier.”

Packet Swamp B2F

Just as Pegasusmon said, there was a small space to the side of the main path where the group could set up a small camp.  Pegasusmon was pleased to see that both Gary and Ash had basic survival skills as they both knew how to set up a campsite (it helped that both of them could breathe fire) and could handle the unconscious Kudamon with benignity.  As Ash finished the initial camp set up by placing Kudamon down on a makeshift bed of dry, swamp leaves, his stomach released a very audible growl.

“I guess we were so busy exploring we forgot about missing breakfast,” Ash said bashfully as he rubbed the back of his head.

Gary’s own stomach growled as well, reminding him of the earlier failed fishing attempt.

“In addition to fancy equipment, it is also wise to bring food with you whenever you go dungeon diving,” chuckled Pegasusmon.  He nodded towards his saddlebag.  “I actually have a couple of apples on me.  Feel free to help yourselves.”

With a wide grin, Ash reached into the bag and fished out the apples for himself and Gary.  He was about to take a bite when he paused and looked back at Pegasusmon.  “Wait, what are you going to eat?”

“I think I’ll manage,” said Pegasusmon slyly.  His helmet slid off his face revealing an orange horse face with a single “star” dot in the middle of his forehead.  Pegasusmon then walked over to the swamp foliage and began grazing on some grass.

Right, horse.

“It’s especially important to pack food as dungeon Digimon cannot be absorbed for sustenance,” Pegasusmon said after swallowing some leaves.

“Absorbed?” Ash asked blinking.

Pegasusmon’s bat-wing ears cocked forward.  “Hm?  Have you never heard of Digimon absorption?”  When the boys shook their heads no, Pegasusmon hummed.  “I suppose it has been outlawed for a while.  A lot of Digimon are hatching into a world where it is unthinkable to kill other Digimon for their data.  Perhaps for the best, though I would hope biology lessons would at least touch on basic Digimon anatomy.”

“So, what is Digimon absorption?” Gary pressed.  Given it was outlawed he probably wouldn’t want anything to do with it, but he’d rather not be in the dark on Digimon 101 with his body the way it was.

“As you have no doubt observed, Digimon revert to data particles when they die,” Pegasusmon explained.  “Usually, those particles reassemble as a Digi-Egg reincarnating the Digimon.  However, if another Digimon were to absorb those particles the reincarnation process would be disrupted and the absorber would get stronger.”

“I don’t think I’d want to get stronger that way,” muttered Ash looking down at his apple.  “Like, I get fighting off the dungeon Digimon, they were trying to kill us first.  But absorbing a dead Digimon’s body?  That just feels wrong.”

“Perhaps to you.  I should note that for the longest time, absorption was seen as just another part of Digimon life.  In fact, some Digimon in the ancient past would have viewed it as a dishonor to not absorb a worthy opponent’s data,”  said Pegasusmon.  He then added “Though I personally prefer the current sensibilities in this regard.  It seems more like a waste to enact a permanent death than it would be to let someone be reborn anew.”

Absorption, huh?  Gary looked down at his hand before addressing Pegasusmon again.  “Can Digimon absorb non-Digimon creatures?”

“Of course,” replied Pegasusmon.

Gary felt his heart skip a beat.  “Have you seen it happen before!?”

“Every time you eat,” Pegasusmon answered with a note of amusement.

“Oh,” Gary said flatly.

“You see, Gabumon, when we eat food whether it be apples, grass, or even meat, our bodies break down the substance through stomach acid and tiny particles called enzymes.  After that, the small intestine absorbs the broken down nutrients-”

“Okay, I get it, Gramps,” Gary grumbled, interrupting the health science class.  He wanted to know if a Digimon could absorb a human or vice versa, not get an anatomy lesson from Mr. Ed.

Pegasusmon ear’s cocked towards Gary.  “Gramps?”

Gary blinked. Where did that come from?  Ugh, whatever.  “I’m just wondering if non-Digimon creatures can be absorbed into Digimon the same way a Digimon can absorb another Digimon.”

“No.  Your average animal lacks a proper Digicore or reformattable body structure.  Thus it cannot be broken down into data like a Digimon can,” explained Pegasusmon.

Still not satisfied, Gary pressed.  “What about non-average animals?”

“Like a human or a Pokémon?” asked Ash who seemed to be catching on.

That only seemed to confuse Pegasusmon more.  “Pokémon?”

“You know, a Pokémon.  It’s a creature who you can catch and battle with and each has an element they specialize in, and, uh,” Ash tried to explain what should have been obvious.  It was like trying to tell someone who lived underground their whole life about the sky.  How do you describe what everyone took for granted?

“I’m sorry, I’ve never heard of those Digimon before,” said Pegasusmon.

“They’re not Digimon,” Ash protested.

Gary had to agree.  Though Digimon looked like talking Pokémon at first, the more he became familiar with them, the more clear it became that Digimon were very different.  From slight details in their anatomy to how some Digimon wondered around like wild Pokémon while others acted like humans in monster bodies (even though Gary was sure he and Ash were the only ones with that predicament), Digimon and Pokémon were just not the same.

“Then I’m very much not familiar with them,” Pegasusmon admitted.  He turned to take another bite of grass.  “But I am familiar with the tales of the human.”

That got Gary and Ash to perk up.

“Can you tell us about that?” Gary eagerly asked.

Again, Pegasusmon paused to give them a curious look.  This time, he really seemed to study them.  Gary could feel the horse’s large eyes scrutinize him.  “Do you not have an elder or a lore master in your village?”

“Don’t know,” Gary answered as casually as possible.  What even would those positions be?  The elder was easy to guess, it’d be some old guy who knew things.  His home probably had one of those.  Lore master, on the other hand, had him stumped.

“So who was the human?” Ash pressed, eager to hear more.

“The human was a strange being that came from another world long ago during the Era of Millenniummon,” explained Pegasusmon.  He walked away from his meal and stood on the other side of the campfire.  As he spoke, his wings would occasionally stretch and flap to emphasis certain parts and casting a shadow against a nearby tree adding a dramatic atmosphere.

“Long ago, there was a mighty Digimon known as Millenniummon.  He had the power to not only warp in and out of reality, but to warp reality itself.  Time and space broke down across the Digital World weakening Digimon and creating scarcity in resources,” Pegasusmon narrated.  As he described Millenniummon, his wings flared out creating an intimidating shadow on the tree.

“Many powerful Digimon rose up to fight Millenniummon, but their bravery was for naught as the beast was too powerful.  Millenniummon killed the most powerful Digimon and absorbed their data, increasing his already imposing might.  Frightened and hopeless, the remaining Digimon split up into different factions to fight over ever dwindling resources.”  One of Pegasusmon’s wings gave a powerful flap, reducing the campfire to embers.  Pegasusmon let the dark atmosphere set in before continuing.

“Until one day, he appeared.  A creature that was too smart to be an animal yet lacked a DigiCore.  The human,” said Pegasusmon.  Before him, the embers began spreading back to the kindling, creating a new flame.  “No one knows where the human came from or why.  What we do know is that he was gifted.  The human had two abilities: the power to summon creatures and the ability to make Digimon Digivolve.  Using his powers, the human traveled the Digital World and united the warring tribes.  Then, he and ten heroic Digimon he befriended in his travels led a battle to slay Millenniummon.”

By now, the fire had rekindled and was emitting a warm glow.  Pegasusmon concluded his tale.  “When the battle ended, the human, his companions, and Millenniummon vanished.  Nobody knows what happened to them.  Some think the human and his friends died.  Some even go so far as to say the Mystery Dungeons are evidence of Millenniummon’s return.  Others, believe that Millenniummon’s centuries long absence is evidence that the human had one other power.  The ability to make the mighty bleed.”

His story concluded, Pegasusmon took a little bow.  Both Ash and Gary sat in awe.  In the back of his head, Gary could vaguely recalled a legend of a hero traveling the some far away land and befriending ten Pokémon.  Hisui?  Well, whatever the case this story seemed to be missing one crucial piece of information.

“You said the human had the power to summon and to make Digimon…evolve.  Did he have any other abilities?” Gary asked.  “Like transformation, for example.  Could he turn into a Digimon?”

Pegasusmon gave a little chuckle.  “The human was said to have performed many feats, but shapeshifting wasn’t amongst them.”

At that moment, both Gary and Ash shared a glance.  Should they tell him?

That question was placed on hold when they heard a groan come from Kudamon.  The group all looked over at the small Digimon to see its eyes flutter open.  The Kudamon looked around the campsite in alarm.  Probably wondering who they all were and how it got there.

Ash was the first one to greet the startled Digimon.  He walked up to it and gave it his brightest grin.  “Hi!”

“EEEEP!” screamed Kudamon in a voice which sounded feminine.  The little Digimon arched her back like a scared Meowth and scurried into the bushes.

“What was that about?” asked Ash with a head tilt.

Gary lightly boxed Ash on the back of the head.  “She woke up to a reptile at least five times her size grinning down at her with sharp teeth.  What do you think that was about?”

“You have nothing to fear.  We are only here to explore this dungeon and clear out some bandits,” Pegasusmon gently called out.  “My name is Pegasusmon, I am a member of the local guild.  These two are Agumon and Gabumon, they are helping me with my expedition.”

It took a minute before the Kudamon decided she was indeed safe.  The foxy Furret slowly came out of the bushes and closer to the fire where she sat on her haunches.  “Uh, hello.  I’m,” Kudamon began.  She then caught herself midsentence and looked back at her tail.  Her ears fell back and her posture sagged.  “I guess I’m Kudamon.”

In the spirit of keeping the conversation pleasant, Pegasusmon continued to speak gently.  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kudamon.  Could you please tell us how you got here?”

“I…I was lost and was trying to find some help.  I heard there was a town nearby?” Kudamon explained.  She gave Pegasusmon a pleading look.

“What do you need help with?” asked Ash.

Kudamon looked back at her tail.  “It’s a long story.  Do you guys know where we are?”

“You’re in a Mystery Dungeon,” explained Gary.  “It’s some kind of maze filled with wild Digimon and traps.”

Kudamon’s ears perked up in shock.  “Can we escape?”

“You can get out when you reach the end.  If you want, you can stick with us and we’ll get you there,” Ash said with a smile, this time making sure to not show his teeth.  “My name’s Ash by the way.”

“Ash,” Kudamon hummed.  She looked up and down the Agumon, really studying him.  Then she gave him a smile.  “That’s a nice sounding name.”

“Ash is a good nickname for an Agumon,” Pegasusmon nodded in agreement.

“You think so?” Ash asked scratching the back of his head bashfully.

So now they had a Kudamon in their party.  This could be hazardous.  Not only did they have to find the end of the dungeon and fight any bandits they find along the way, but now they had an escort mission. 

“We’ll need to find a way to get Kudamon to the end of the dungeon safely,” Gary pointed out.  “I suggest letting her ride Pegasusmon to keep her away from bandits and wild Digimon.”

“If you’re worried about an escort mission, you can relax,” said Pegasusmon with an abundance of amusement in his tone.  Apparently escort missions were just as much the bane of Digimon rescuers as they were for gamers.  “Every member of the guild gets a special badge which can double as a teleporter.”

Wait a minute.  Gary stared at Pegasusmon with wide eyes.  “Teleporter?”

Pegasusmon’s tail reached over to tap a pin on his saddle bag which resembled a wing made up multiple blades with a jewel imbedded in the middle.  “It has limited power, so you should only use it in emergency.  Like saving a lost Digimon or if your life is on the line.  We can also use it to leave the dungeon if we finish your assessment.”

“Does this mean we’ll be teleported to the guild when we finish off the bandits?” asked Gary eagerly.  His vague memories of his former life told him teleportation was possible, but he couldn’t recall many details.  If this world had access to that kind of technology, maybe there was a way to warp them back home!  He had to know more!

“Excuse me,” piped up Kudamon.  “What do you mean by assessment?”

“We’re getting tested.  We want to join the guild and become rescuers so that we can learn more about this content!”  Ash elucidated.  Upon hearing this, Kudamon adopted a thoughtful expression.

Meanwhile, Pegasusmon knelt down on the ground so that his saddle bag was level with Kudamon.  “If you would kindly touch the badge and focus on leaving, it will send you to the guild.  Speak with the staff and they will help you find a ride to your village or habitat.”

“Uh, actually, do you mind if I take this test too?” Kudamon nervously asked.  “I’m interested in joining the guild.”

“Huh?” asked Ash.  He wasn’t alone.  Everyone was taken aback.

“Well, I’m kind of new around here and I have no clue where I am or what I’m supposed to do,” elaborated Kudamon.  She perked up and smiled.  “Maybe working for the guild can help me find some direction.”

“As I told these two earlier, the guild isn’t for the faint of heart,” warned Pegasusmon.  “Do you believe you’re ready?”

“Please, give me a chance,” insisted Kudamon.

There was a pause as Pegasusmon looked off in thought.  Personally, Gary hopped that Pegasusmon would turn her down.  They were off to a shaky start thanks to Ash’s bum rush against the Mushroomon and the trap he sprung earlier didn’t help make them look any more competent.  Gary would need all the chances he could get to make himself look like guildmember material and another Digimon, especially one who sounded as lost as Kudamon, may risk sabotaging this expedition further.

“I don’t see any issues,” vouched Ash.

“Very well,” Pegasusmon finally said.  He stood up and bent his head down towards his helmet.  As if his head was magnetized, the helmet rose and slid back onto his face and stayed in place.  Pegasusmon turned towards the three perspective guild members.  “Let us depart.”

Packet Swamp B3F

The next floor was the same as the last.  Same smelly foliage, same murky waters, and same enemies.  As such, it didn’t take long for the group to be cornered by a group of Otamon.

Ever composed, Pegasusmon looked over the Otamon as one would a desk of paperwork.  “This group is pretty weak.  I’d say this is the perfect opportunity for Kudamon to show us what she can do.”

“Right,” said Kudamon. Despite her earlier eagerness, she sounded unsure.  Nevertheless, Kudamon climbed down form Pegasusmon’s back and made her way to the front of the group.  She studied the approaching Otamon and closed her eyes.  “Holy Shot!”

The golden, circuit boar stripes on Kudamon’s back glowed right before beams of bright light shot out.  The blast looked to Gary like a low powered Solar Beam, one of the strongest grass moves.  Too bad it missed.

Now thoroughly aggravated, the Otamon hissed and rushed forward.  Kudamon’s back arched in fear and she screamed.

“Pepper Breath!” Ash shouted.  He spat a large fireball into the hoard, breaking it up.  Taking advantage of the confusion, Ash rushed forward and scooped Kudamon up.  Behind him, Gary and Pegasusmon fired up their own attacks finishing the hoard off.

Seeing the others finish the Otamon off, Kudamon’s ears leaned back and she bowed her head.  “Sorry.”

“Hmm, how much battle experience do you have?” asked Pegasusmon.

“This is my first,” Kudamon admitted.

“Fighting is not uncommon in this line of work,” Pegasusmon stated sternly.  He looked at everyone in the eye.  “Should you join the guild, you will be expected to protect yourselves.  I am not always going to be here.”

While Kudamon looked down in shame and Ash nodded in determination, Gary reflected.  In addition to Ash’s foul luck in impulsive reflexes, he now had to deal with Kudamon who was definitely in over her head.  If he wanted to get into the guild, he’d have to show Pegasusmon that they could stand apart from these two as a potential adventurer.  He just needed an opening.

Not long after Kudamon’s first “battle” (if that counted as a real fight), Gary would get his chance.  The group was able to make their way to a large opening in the maze.  On the other side of the room was a staircase leading down.  Hopping around the room, between them and the exit, were a bunch of Digimon Gary hadn’t seen yet.

These Digimon resembled thin, long limbed Politoeds with bulging eyes of mismatching size.  Tuba horns grew out of the frogs’ necks and curled around like scarfs with the bell of the horn pointed forward just over the frogs’ heads.  Whenever one of the frogs’ tongues lashed out at a bug, Gary could see they ended in three holes which sucked in the helpless insects.

“What are those guys?” Ash asked voicing Gary’s question.

“Those are Gekomon,” answered Pegasusmon in a low voice as to not attract the frogs’ attention.  “Not to be mistaken with Gekkomon spelled with two k’s.  They are champion level Digimon who, despite their odd appearance, are known for creating beautiful symphonies.  Though I would be careful not to get entranced.  Their music can manipulate your emotions and their Symphony Crusher can scramble your insides with ultra-high frequencies.”

“Oh no!  The stairs are surrounded by them!” Kudamon, who was now riding Ash’s shoulder, whispered.

Ash snorted out a cloud of smoke.  “I’m going in!”

“No you’re not!” growled Gary.  He threw out his arm in front of Ash before the reptile could charge into battle.  “No more charging in blindly!  We need a plan.”

“Agreed.  Though time is of the essence during a mission, you’ll end up wasting more of it if you needlessly hurt yourself,” agreed Pegasusmon.  Hopefully Pegasusmon was making note of exactly who here was guildmember material.

Gary shot Ash a smug grin earning him an annoyed scowl.  Ignoring Ash, Gary turned his attention back to the Gekomon colony.  “These guys are frogs, right?  That would make them amphibians.”

“Correct,” confirmed Pegasusmon with an unspoken “Go on” in his tone.

“So, they’re probably cold blooded.  Unless they have a typing like fire which would give them resistance to low temperatures, an ice attack could weaken them,” Gary reasoned.  “In fact, since these guys like to live in a warm swamp, I’d definitely say they’d hate the cold.  Maybe we can use the attack from your Modification Crystal to get rid of them.”

“Though I should inform you that most reptilian and amphibian Digimon are more resistant to the cold than your average animal, your logic is sound,” nodded Pegasusmon.

Now on a roll, Gary held out his hand.  He just showed Pegasusmon that he could think, now all Gary had to do was show Pegasusmon that he could act.  “I can do it.  If you lend me the Looplet, I can take out the Gekomon.”

“I don’t know,” Kudamon said in concern.  She surveyed the room.  “There’s a lot of them.”

“Agreed,” said Pegasusmon causing Gary to falter.  Pegasusmon looked down at Gary.  “Gabumon, I like your plan, however you’re overstepping your bounds.  Right now, you’re still a rookie level civilian.  You shouldn’t be in a rush to take down a hoard of champions by yourself.  Leave this room to me.”

That caused Gary to flinch.  Did that mean Pegasusmon didn’t consider him guild material?  Maybe it was because their last few battles didn’t go down so well.  But those weren’t his fault!  Ash and Kudamon were the ones who messed up!  Not him!

“Are you sure you will be okay going in alone?” Ash asked Pegasusmon.  “If these guys are champion level, they should be as strong as a Gorillamon.  And those guys don’t go down easy.  Trust me.”

Underneath his mask, Pegasusmon seemed to smile.  “I appreciate your concern, Ash.  But this won’t be hard.  Not all Digimon are equal in terms of power, even if they are of the same level.  To put it bluntly, Gekomon are weak enough that you can take care of them easily so long as you know what you are doing.”

With that, Pegasusmon galloped into battle.  Upon hearing the guildmember’s hoofbeats, the Gekomon all began firing waves of sound from their tubes.  Though Gary and the other potential recruits clapped their hands over their ears and retreated back, Pegasusmon weathered the assault and took to the skies.

“Ice Age!” called out Pegasusmon.  With a couple of wingbeats, Pegasusmon had summoned a concentrated blizzard within the dungeon room.  Instantly, most of the Gekomon were frozen in their tracks, literally.  The remaining Gekomon, who were strong enough to push through the cold, continued firing attacks causing the Pegasus to turn around and fire another attack.  “Star Shower!”

As he watched the two parties exchange blows, Gary steeled himself.  This was his chance!  Most of the Gekomon were down and if these guys were on the weaker side of champions, surely Gary could take down a couple.  This way, he could show Pegasusmon that he could handle himself on missions.  Without a word, Gary dashed out into the battle.

“What are you doing?!” Ash yelled from behind.  Gary ignored him.  Sorry Ash, but he’ll come to thank Gary once the Gabumon was a top tier adventurer who discovered the way home.

One of the Gekomon spotted Gary charging towards it and growled.  It turned its attack on Gary. Gary met the horn blast with a well-aimed Blue Blaster.  The Gekomon fired its tongue out like a whip.  Gary dodged and fired another Blue Blaster.  The fire attack hit the Gekomon in the chest, forcing it back.  It would take a bit, but Gary could win this fight!

“Behind you!” yelped Kudamon.

Looking behind himself, Gary saw another Gekomon!  The frog was crouched down and had its horn aimed directly at him!  Gary was about to attack when several fireballs hit the second Gekomon.

“Pepper Breath!” Ash, with Kudamon, attacked the second Gekomon.  The two charged forward and wrestled the frog to the ground where Ash proceeded to bite down on the horn. 

That attack would have freed Gary up to go back and fight the first Gekomon, if that Gekomon’s tongue didn’t wrap around Gary like an Arbok.  When Gary attempted to fire another Blue Blaster at his assailant, the tongue stretched around and muzzled the Gabumon.  Now bound, Gary could only watch as the Gekomon got ready to deliver a direct attack.

“Equus Beam!”  A green laser beam fired from Pegasusmon’s forehead obliterating the Gekomon Ash was fighting.  Pegasusmon then turned his attack on the tongue which bound Gary and cut straight through it!  The tongue went limp and shattered into data, freeing Gary.  Pegasusmon then dived down at the now weakened Gekomon and wrestled the frog way.  It looked like he was about to win when a bright light shown from the ground!

The light enveloped both Pegasusmon and the last Gekomon.  When it died down, both Pegasusmon and Gekomon were gone.  All that was left was the trap tile that did them in.

At first, everyone stared in shock.  Then, Ash snarled and rounded on Gary.  “Why did you do that!?  Pegasusmon ordered you to stay back!”

“I…I,” Gary fumbled.  He messed up!  He messed up even worse than Ash or Kudamon!  No, wait.  That can’t be right!  He was better than them!  Pegasusmon’s death wasn’t.  His.  Fault!  Gary growled back at Ash.  “I had that fight until you two distracted me!”

“Well, I’m sorry for trying to save your life!” growled Kudamon, her fur bristling.

“I didn’t ask for your help!” Gary snapped.  “In fact, I’d probably already have a job offer if it wasn’t for you two constantly screwing up!”

“Fine!  If you’re so good, why don’t we separate!” yelled Ash.  “See how good you do on your own!”

“Fine!” yelled Gary.

“Fine!” agreed Kudamon.

….

….

All three Digimon looked over at the stairs.

“We all need to go down the same flight of stairs to get out of here, right?” asked Kudamon, breaking the awkward silence.

Growling, Gary walked towards the stairs.  “We’ll separate after we get out of this dumb dungeon.”

Packet Swamp Ground Floor

When Gary finished descending down the stairs, he did not find himself in another maze.  This time it was a hallway of mangroves.  At the end of the hall, Gary saw an opening presumably leading to another room.  From there, Gary heard voices.

Cautiously, Gary crept closer and peered around the corner and his eyes widened.  Inside the room, the Mushroomon he fought earlier was talking to the biggest Digimon Gary had seen yet.  Since coming to this world, Gary had seen giant bugs and beasts who could make Blastoises look like dwarves.  This Digimon was as big as a house!

The giant Digimon looked like the shelled tail of a Slowbro covered in spikes.  Unlike that Pokémon, though, the creature who exited the shell wasn’t a pink, hippo-salamander.  Only the upper half of this Digimon’s body was sticking out and it looked more like a green, slimy Agumon with suction cups instead of claws and a scalp full of twitching, light, green anemone.

Without Pegasusmon to explain, Gary unclipped the device from inside his pelt and scanned.  “MoriShellmon, champion level.  He likes to inhabit swamps, no kidding, and is very aggressive.  Let’s see, big, powerful, spends a lot of time in its shell, and has two special attacks.  Shell Pile, where he goes inside of his shell and does a spinning charge, and Mind Fog which allows him to make hallucinations.”

“So, yeah,” Mushroomon nervously fidgeted and bowed his head.  “We saw the horse and thought he’d be easy pickings.  Turns out the guy can fight and he had back up.  So, uh, that’s what happened to everyone else.”

“Did these travelers follow you?” rumbled MoriShellmon.  Gary watched the shellfish caress something with one of his beefy hands.  Squinting, Gary could see it was a treasure chest.

“Yes,” answered Mushroomon.

“IDIOT!” roared MoriShellmon.  The force of his bellow sent Mushroomon tumbling back.  “That probably wasn’t any ordinary Pegasusmon.  It may have been Lore Master Pegasusmon!  And you’ve practically lead him and his lackeys to our hideout!”

“What’s going on?” whispered a voice behind Gary.  The Gabumon jumped and spun around to see Ash crouched with Kudamon sticking out from his shoulder like a periscope.

“Keep quiet and you’ll find out,” Gary hissed.  The three turned their attention back to the conversation.

MoriShellmon took a deep sigh.  “Not that it matters.  I’m close to opening this chest and when I do, I’ll become so powerful that not even Pegasusmon will be able to take me down.”

“Wow.  Sounds like Pegasusmon was a big deal,” whisped Ash in awe.

Kudamon paled as much as a white Digimon could.  “I can’t see any way out.  This guy must be guarding the exit,” she whispered.  Her ears leaned back.  “How are we going to get past him?”

“We’re definitely not going to be able brute force this,” muttered Gary.  He looked back at the towering mollusk and grimaced.  Forget the attacks listed in the Digimon’s bio, one slap from one of MoriShellmon’s hands alone would squish their group in a single swipe!  Gary looked away from MoriShellmon and over at Mushroomon.  His eyes narrowed.  “Maybe we don’t have to fight.”

“What do you mean?” Kudamon asked with a head tilt.  When Gary told her his idea, her expression soured.  “That’s awful!”

“I don’t like it either,” Gary agreed.  “But it’s our best shot.”

Ash didn’t look to keen on Gary’s idea either.  He looked over at MoriShellmon and released a bitter sigh.  “It’s not like we have much of a choice.”

“…Okay,” Kudamon conceded, though her muzzle was scrunched up in disgust.

“Now get back out into the dungeon and search for those guildmembers!” ordered MoriShellmon.

“But to do that I’ll have to exit the dungeon and restart from the beginning!” whined Mushroomon.

“Then you better get started!” snapped MoriShellmon, completely unsympathetic.

Mushroomon released a heavy side before he started walking towards MoriShellmon.  This seemed to confirm Gary’s suspicions that the dungeon’s exit was behind the champion.  Time to make their move!

Before Mushroomon could get too close to the champion, Gary, Ash and Kudamon dashed out from their hiding spot and seized the fungi!  Both Gary and Ash grabbed onto one of Mushroomon’s arms while Kudamon hopped off of Ash and latched onto her captive’s cap.

“You there!  I’m assuming you’re the boss of this outlet,” Gary shouted at MoriShellmon with as much authority as he could muster.  Blue flames began to stir in his mouth.  “Let us out of here or your underling gets it!”

“Do what they say!  Do what they say!” yelped the Mushroomon.

At first, MoriShellmon stared at the group in a stunned silence.  Then he burst out laughing.

“I don’t think that was the reaction we were going for,” muttered Ash looking back and for the between his team and the chortling champion.

MoriShellmon’s laughter died down and the looked Gary dead in the eye.  “Do it.”

“What?!” Ash and Kudamon cried out in alarm.

“Boss!?” squeaked the Mushroomon.

“There are plenty of lowlife, miscreants looking for a job.  I’ll have all the Mushroomon you defeated replaced within the week,” snorted MoriShellmon dismissively.  “So go ahead.  Kill him.  If you have the guts.”

Gary stared at MoriShellmon in shock.  He could remember once hearing that there was no such thing as a bad Pokémon, only bad trainers.  Clearly, this rule didn’t apply to Digimon.

Shoving those thoughts aside, Gary focused on his current situation.  The bluff failed.  Now they had to deal with both MoriShellmon and Mushroomon.  They could neutralize one of those threats right now by following through with the threat and taking down Mushroomon while he was at their mercy.  That would free them up to take on MoriShellmon together.  All they would have to do was kill Mushroomon. Logically, it’s what Gary had to do but…

Both Ash and Kudamon caught Gary’s eye.  The two of them looked scared.  Scared of taking on MoriShellmon, yes, but Gary was willing to bet they were even more scared to see what he’d do.  And to be perfectly honest, Gary was feeling pretty scared of crossing that line too.  Maybe one day he’d find himself in a position where he’d have to take advantage of a helpless foe, but that wasn’t today.

With a heavy sigh, Gary let go of Mushroomon and stepped away.  His mercy was rewarded with a swipe from one of MoriShellmon’s meaty claws.  Gary could feel his entire body pounding in pain as he flew across the room and smacked right into a hefty tree.

“Why did you have to do that?!” Ash roared in anger.  “He just surrendered!  You didn’t have to hurt him!”

“How could you be so cruel?!” Kudamon yelled in agreement.

“Welcome to the Digital World,” MoriShellmon chuckled darkly.  “Only the strong survive.”

“Fungus Crusher!”  Mushroomon hurled several mushroom grenades at Ash.  The Agumon moved out of the way allowing the explosives to go off behind him.

“We just spared you!” Ash snapped at Mushroomon.

“Nothing personal,” shrugged Mushroomon with a shameless grin.  “I just like my chances better siding with the boss than you.  Fungas Crusher!”

“Blue Blaster!”  Just as Mushroomon lobbed another shroom at Ash, Gary spat out a stream of fire at the explosive throwing it off course.

“Pepper Breath!”  Taking advantage of the opening, Ash spat a large fireball out at the mushroom.  The force from the fireball sent the fungus mon hurtling into the water.  Whether because he was knocked out or because he had enough with fighting, he didn’t get back out leaving our three heroes to square off with the boss monster.

“I like your spunk,” laughed MoriShellmon.  Clearly, he was not the least bit intimidated by the team of rookies before him.  He then lowered his head and a blast of fog erupted from his tentacled hair.  “I wonder how long it will last.  Mind Fog!”

The fog quickly enveloped the room preventing Gary from seeing anything that wasn’t right in front of his face.  Carefully, he moved around and called out to the rest of his team.  He was surprised to find himself surrounded by a new team of Mushroomon.

When Gary’s flame phased right through the new enemies, he quickly put two and two together.  “Guys!  If you see a whole bunch of Mushroomon, they’re not real!” Gary shouted.  “MoriShellmon is trying to trick us into wasting our energy or attack each other!”

Satisfied that he saw through the illusion, Gary turned around to try and find the rest of his group.  He froze in shock when he found himself face to face with the silhouette of a human!

“Oh, pardon me,” said the silhouette.  Judging by his voice, he was a man.  “I should watch where I’m going.”

A voice in the back of Gary’s head told him to ignore the human.  He was just another illusion cooked up by the fog!  But Gary continued to stay still, hypnotized.  He knew this guy from somewhere, if only he could recall!  The memory was just out of his reach.

Gary’s eyes squinted and he took a step toward the human.  “Gramps?”

“Look out!” cried Kudamon.

Again, Gary spun around.  This time, he was met with the horrific image of MoriShellmon’s wide jaws coming right for him!

Before the maw could clamp around Gary, Kudamon dashed past him and towards MoriShellmon!  Right as she leapt at the monster, she looked towards Gary.  “Close your eyes!  Blinding Ray!”

Gary’s eyes slammed shut protecting him from being flash banged.  He could still see hints of the blinding light through his lids which caused his vision to get spotty when he finally opened his eyes.  Which was definitely better than MoriShellmon who was now roaring and thrashing around blindly in an attempt to squish Gary and his team.

“Pepper Breath!” Ash shot out fireball after fireball at MoriShellmon from the other side of the room.  The successive attacks managed to garner the attention of the champion Digimon who was now crawling towards Ash.  Gary felt a pit form in his stomach as he watched.

Earlier, he wrote Ash and Kudamon off as extra weight.  Yet, despite his fight with them, they were risking life and limb to save him.  Now he had to return the favor.

Obviously, he wasn’t going to be able to fight MoriShellmon.  The boss monster was far too big and tanky to be taken head on.  Brainstorming, Gary’s eyes raced around the room.  They came to a stop when the spotted the treasure chest MoriShellmon was caressing earlier.  With MoriShellmon enraged and distracted, it was now unguarded.

Dashing, Gary made his way across the room and snatched the tiny chest.  It was covered in dents and scratches, showing that there had been numerous attempts to burst it open.  He could feel something inside roll around, though that was hardly enough information to guess the contents.  Not that he needed to know what it was he was holding.  All he needed to know was that MoriShellmon wanted it!

Holding the treasure chest up, Gary called out to MoriShellmon.  “Oh wow!  Would you look at this treasure chest!  I wonder what’s inside!”

As predicted, MoriShellmon forgot all about Ash and Kudamon.  He snarled at Gary and withdrew back into his shell.  The shell then began spinning around like an upside down top.  This must have been his Shell Pile attack!

The shell spun out of control.  It ricocheted around the room, changing directions at random.  Whatever he hit, he destroyed!  Trees were reduced to splinters, rocks shattered, and the Mushroomon from earlier finally re-entered the battle only to be shredded like someone tossed him in a blended and pressed “Puree.”

Not wanted to share the fate of anything MoriShellmon ran into, Gary and the rest of the group scattered.  They ran around the room in circles trying to avoid the spinning spikes of death.  Eventually, Gary’s luck ran out and the shell hit him sending him flying through the air.

Time slowed.  Gary could hear his friends’ cries of alarm and MoriShellmon’s spin slow, but it all sounded distant.  Looking down at his hands, he saw them fizzle and flicker like an image in a glitchy video game.  Was he dying?

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something else.  In his wrath, MoriShellmon managed to hit his treasure chest which finally burst open.  The contents of said chest were sent flying alongside Gary allowing him to see what was inside.

It was a clear, blue orb.  Inside was a series of small, red bubbles which seemed to form themselves in an X pattern making it look like a large marble.  That was how it looked.  How it felt was a completely different story.

Just by staring at it, Gary could feel a hum of power radiating from the orb.  Whether through curiosity or by desperation in the face of death, Gary reached out to grab the orb.  The second his fingers brushed up against the object, he felt a jolt.  Power rushed through him giving him a second wind and then some!  A sphere of energy wrapped itself around Gary as his new power pushed out past his body causing it to grow and change.

Gabumon Digivolve to…

Gary could feel his pelt melding with his skin, covering his body.  His tail stretched out becoming slightly longer than his main body.  Beneath his skin he could feel his bones restructuring into a quadrupedal form complete with paws.  His face stretched out into something more fierce and lupine while his horn sunk back into his skull.

Finally, armor appeared.  It appeared in the air as if it was 3D printed from nothing and began snapping and welding itself to his main body.  This entire process, the transformation and the armoring, it should have hurt.  Yet all Gary could feel was elation from his new form.

When sphere of energy burst open, Gary had been replaced by a new Digimon.  Not quite as big as MoriShellmon, but still impressive in size.  He was a Lycanroc looking creature covered in white fur save for a few blue stripes on his face.  Metal cuffs shielded his front and back forelegs while his shoulders were protected by armor with long, metal spikes.  The new Digimon threw back his head and howled.

Garurumon X!

Both Ash and Kudamon stood in shock!  MoriShellmon, on the other hand, was enraged.  “You filthy thief!  That was supposed to be MY X-Antibody!”

That commented earned a snort from Gary.  He was the thief?  A smirk stretched across his muzzle showing off his sharp teeth.  “And I wasn’t even trying.  Which makes you, the so-called professional, pretty pathetic.”

The taunt landed home and MoriShellmon snarled before swiping his hand out to try and smash Ash and Kudamon.  Though both rookies escaped, Gary felt his blood boil.  There was only person who was allowed to make Ash’s life miserable: him!

Whereas before Gary felt conflicted about killing the Mushroomon, now he felt absolutely resolved.  MoriShellmon wasn’t a helpless enemy, he was an active threat!  Every cell in Gary’s body burned with the desire to make seared shellfish and, hey, who was he to say no?

“Howling Blaster!”  A stream of fire burst from Gary’s throat which looked like a cross between Flamethrower and Blue Blaster.  The river of fire rocketed straight towards MoriShellmon, threatening to incinerate him.  MoriShellmon, knowing not press his luck, withdrew back into his shell.  There he could still feel the heat but he took far less damage.

“Shell Pile!”  Once again, the shell began spinning like a top.  This time, the attack was more focused.  The shell went hurtling right towards Gary!

Growling, Gary sank his claws into the ground and shoved his shoulder forward.  The giant shell rocketing into his side was a pain but it was nothing compared to the nails on a chalkboard sound that was being made by the spinning shell grinding against his shoulder blades.  Gary’s ears flattened against his head as he thrust his shoulder in deeper.

His efforts were rewarded when Gary’s blades pierced through the shell causing it to crack.  MoriShellmon must had heard the crack because it backed off.  At first, Gary thought the shellfish was about to go after his friends again.  Instead, MoriShellmon spun in place until he drilled a hole through the ground.

“First Rapid Spin and now Dig,” Gary mumbled.  His new body’s instincts took over and his brought his nose to the ground.  Every fur on Gary’s back stood on end while he paced around the dungeon.  His ears and nose twitched as he tried to figure out where MoriShellmon was going to resurface.

“Uh, Gar…or Garurumon Ex…whoever you are now, are you okay?” Ash’s voice filtered in from the side.

“Not now, Ash,” Gary growled.  He’ll have time to talk later.  Right now he had to hunt.  He could feel his new instincts feeding him fighting protocols.  He had to take down MoriShellmon.  He wouldn’t rest until that thug was dead!

Finally, Gary found what he was looking for.  Vibrations.  He backed away just before MoriShellmon surfaced.  When the shell stopped spinning, Gary pounced on MoriShellmon.  His jaws chomped onto one of the spikes near the crack from earlier.

A gears in Gary’s head switched and this time, ice flowed from his jaws.  The subzero bite turned the shell’s armoring brittle allowing Gary to rip it open with a jerk of his head.  “Freeze Fang!”

Now with a window into the shell, Gary could see MoriShellmon curled inside like a meaty rag.  Their eyes met, Gary’s glare against the shellfish’s wide eyes.  The human in Gary told him what he was about to do was barbaric.  The Digimon he had become saw an enemy that was ready to be barbequed.

“Howling Blaster!”  Flames flooded the inside of the shell, turning it into an oven.  MoriShellmon screamed as he was cooked alive inside his shell, only stopping when his entire body burst into data, shell and all.  Gary hopped off the disintegrating body and watched the data reform into an egg.  He released a couple of deep breaths and calmed down.  The danger was gone.

“Uh, are you okay?” Kudamon asked timidly.

Oddly enough, yes.  Despite fighting a massive water type, Gary felt better than he ever had before.  He turned to look down at Kudamon.  “Yeah, why-”

Gary’s mouth clamped shut.  His voice changed!  It was deeper and more grizzled making him sound like a completely different person!  Looking back over his body, he saw just how different he looked from his quadrupedal stance to how big he was.  Holy Arceus, Ash only barely made it past his shin!

“I evolved!” Gary exclaimed.  Was that orb some kind of Digimon evolution stone?

“You’re just now noticing?” Ash asked with a mix of sarcasm and amazement.  He walked forward and ran his claws against the fur on Gary’s long tail before immediately pulling his hand back in pain.  “Ow!  You’re fur is sharp!”

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Gary said awkwardly.  He gave his body and little shake and tried to relax.  Maybe that would unbristle his fur?  “Try now.”

Carefully, Ash reached out again.  This time the fur was relaxed enough to allow Ash to pet it without getting sliced.  Ash looked up at Gary.  “Uh, so, thanks for saving us.”

Gary looked back at the egg and felt a shudder run down his spin.  He was able to take down that other Digimon without even registering the change.  It was like his body went on autopilot the second he evolved.  Just like when he first followed Ash into a Mystery Dungeon, he instinctively knew how to be a Digimon.  As if the instructions were preprogrammed into him like a robot.

“So, this is my new body.”

Then there was the battle itself.  That wasn’t a Pokémon battle.  Pokémon battles were supposed to be fun, sporty, a competition between trainers to see who could lead their Pokémon to victory in a spar.  MoriShellmon made it very clear that he was out for blood.  Gary should have felt no guilt.  And yet, seeing the destruction he caused without really thinking was chilling.

Still, Gary would do it again in a heartbeat if someone else as dangerous as MoriShellmon tried to hurt him or anyone else.

“Uh, yeah.  No problem,” Gary replied to Ash still awkwardly.  Should he apologize for snapping at Ash and Kudamon earlier?  He tried to find the words, but it just felt too weird.  Instead, he looked to the portal out of the dungeon.  “Let’s find a town and get some rest.”

“Okay, but,” Kudamon began to pipe up before hesitating.  “Are you sure you’re going to fit?”

“What do you mean?” Gary looked back at the exit.  “It looks big enough.”

“I was talking about a place to stay,” elaborated Kudamon.  “Do you think you’ll be able to fit through a front door?  You’re pretty big now.”

That question caused Gary to freeze up.  How was he going to get inside?  Images flashed through Gary’s mind of him going through life trying to squeezing into tiny doors, his shoulder spikes scrapping ceilings as he crawled down hallways and curling up on beds that would break under his weight.  And those were only the troubles he faced while he was stuck here.  What if he found a way home without turning back into a human?  What then?

Ash must have sensed Gary’s rising panic because he gave the Lycanroc a wide smile.  “Don’t worry!  I’m sure we’ll find a way to make it all work out!  Besides, you look really cool!”

“Work out?  How?!” Gary asked, his voice sounding rushed.  He stood up and began pacing back and forth.  More problems flashed through his mind.  How was going to carry anything without it getting covered in slobber?  What if it rains?  He’d be stuck smelling like a wet dog!  What if he went home and a trainer spotted him?  Would Poke Balls work on Digimon?

At some point during Gary’s pacing, he felt Kudamon scurry up his legs and climb over to his head.  She sat on his snout and looked him in the eye.  A part of Gary envied her.  All things considered, it was better to be tiny than oversized.

“Garurumon X,” Kudamon said sternly.  “Take a deep breath.”

“How is that supposed to help me?” Gary growled, not bothering to hid his annoyance.

“It will help you settle down before you end up stepping on someone,” Kudamon replied evenly.

Realizing Kudamon was right, Gary halted his pacing.  He took a deep breath and sat down.  “Now what?”

“If you are truly dissatisfied with your form, release your energy.”

Everyone turned towards the room’s entrance to see Pegasusmon!

“Pegasusmon!  You’re alive!” gasped Ash.

“Yes, it seems as though I managed to survive despite someone’s inability to follow instructions,” said Pegasusmon giving Gary a pointed look.  Gary avoided the equine’s eyes.  “You see, when I tackled that Gekomon I stepped on a warp tile which sent me to another section of the dungeon on the same floor.”

Pegasusmon walked into the room and continued to lecture.  “There are two lessons we can learn here.  First, trap tiles can surprised even seasoned adventurers.  Second, when you are separated from your party, please stay in one place.  Now, in this situation I’d encourage you, the new adventurers, to stay still.  In other situations, I’d suggest the one who got warped to hold still and wait for the rest of the party to find them.  Also, try to give everyone in the party a map so that you can locate each other in these kinds of emergencies.  When I saw your dots disappear down the stairs, I felt more than a little panicked.”

“Sorry about that,” mumbled Ash as he scratched the back of his head.  He then gave Pegasusmon a question look.  “How long have you been watching?”

“Just now,” Pegasusmon stated.  He walked over to Gary.  “Normally, I congratulate you on Digivolving to the champion level, but I guess this species is not to your liking.  If that is the case, you may want to revert and try again later.”

There was that world again: Digivolving.  Gary blinked in confusion.  “It’s possible to revert?”

“Yes.  Though I should warn you, it may take up to a hundred years or so to redo this transformation,” said Pegasusmon.

A hundred years?!  Just how long is a Digimon lifespan?

“Though, if your size is your only qualm, then you can try to go with Garurumon X again.  All I’d suggest would be to use less energy when you Digivolve.  In fact, I’d recommend that course of action as a general rule.  Smaller sizes are in vogue nowadays seeing as how more Digimon are moving into cities or signing up to explore Mystery Dungeons.” said Pegasusmon.  His ears perked forward and he studied Gary.  “Did your village’s elder fail teach you this as well?”

“I don’t think that was his area of expertise,” Ash said lamely.

The voice of the man in the fog filtered through Gary’s head.  “You see, Gary, not all Pokémon evolve through battle experience.  Some have been known to evolve by building strong bonds, some evolve by learning certain moves, and still others will only evolve when they come in contact with certain stones.”

“Before I evolved, I touched an orb.  MoriShellmon called it an X-Antibody,” Gary said thoughtfully.

“The X-Antibody is a vaccine that makes one immune to the X-Program,” explained Pegasusmon.  “Long ago, there was a plague known as the X-Program which wiped out Digimon by the hundreds.  The few who survived the infected areas had X-Antibodies as a part of their core.  Some of them, like Alphamon of the Royal Knights, naturally produced the antibody.  Others, such as Garurumon X, were mutated by the antibody into new variants.”

By now, Gary’s brain was swarming with a billion questions.  But they would have to come later.  Right now, he’s ready to go back to normal.  Well, relatively normal.

After letting Kudamon down, Gary began listening to Pegasusmon’s instructions on reverting.  His body relaxed as he released all the pent up energy inside.  Suddenly, he began to feel very tired.

“You’re doing it!” Ash shouted encouragingly.

Gary looked down to see, his body was enveloped in a soft glow.  Within seconds, his stance shifted pushing him on his back legs.  When the glow died down, Gary found himself looking down at a pair of yellow, scaly hands.  Seeing himself back in his Gabumon form, Gary wondered if continuing would turn him back into a human.

It seemed as though Pegasusmon could tell at least some of what Gary was thinking.  “I’d stop right there.  If you keep going, you’ll revert back to an in-training.”

In-training?  Like one of those little Digimon with stubby limbs or the ones that looked like bouncing heads?  Yeah, probably best not to risk another transformation.  Gabumon was a good for now.

Looking back over at Pegasusmon, Gary was about to ask him more questions when he noticed the guildmember staring intensely at Gary’s pelt.  Following the horse’s line of sight he found what Pegasusmon was studying.  Gary’s device.

“Where did you get that?” Pegasusmon asked, though the gravity of his voice made it sound like an order.

“Found it,” Gary replied which caused Pegasusmon’s gaze to intensify.  Should he tell Pegasusmon that he was a human?  He seemed trustworthy and was teaching them the ropes of this new world.  Maybe he could help Gary and Ash find out more.  Plus, the first human was said to be a hero, Gary wouldn’t mind some special treatment.

Kudamon’s ears perked and her own gaze intensified.  “That’s-”

“Do you know what this is?” Ash asked eagerly, fishing out his own device from his hat.  “Because Gary and I think it might be a clue on how to turn back into humans.”

AN: So our heroes just had to battle through some mushroom monsters to fight a giant boss with a spiked shell.  I feel like I’ve seen this somewhere before.