Pokemon vs Digimon: When Worlds Collide

Pokemon vs Digimon: When World's Collide is a fanfiction crossover story by moviefan-92.

Summary
Devimon has resurrected and found a portal leading to another dimension. He ends up in the Pokemon World. With power exceeding that of the Pokemon there, he plans to take it over. But the DigiDestined aren't about to let that happen and follow after him. There they meet up with Ash and his friends. Suspicion and distrust rises as the past comes back to haunt both parties

Chapter 1: Worlds Beyond
How was it that the evil Digimon kept managing to cheat death and come back stronger than ever? It was a question many of the DigiDestined had long since wondered. Etemon had done it, somehow surviving getting absorbed by the Dark Network and getting lost between dimensions before coming back stronger as MetalEtemon.

Myotismon had done it, his bat familiars sucking the energy of other Digimon to resurrect him as the vastly stronger VenomMyotismon, and even after his second death, his data had survived, allowing him to possess Owikawa and use the power of the Dark Spores to become the even more powerful MaloMyotismon.

Diaboromon had done it, his data surviving online until he was able to reform and create an army of Kuramon, only to die again and use his army to Digivolve together into the unbelievably strong Armageddemon.

Kimeramon and the Dark Master Machinedramon had done it, defying time and space to combine their data to form Millenniummon, who later resurrected himself to Digivolve to MoonMillenniummon, and then later to uncomprehendingly powerful ZeedMillenniummon.

Even Apocalymon's data had managed to form Mephistomon after he was destroyed, who then later Digivolved to Gulfmon. True, it wasn't the same as the others, but it still allowed Apocalymon's reign of destruction to continue through another.

Yes, it seemed survival tended to favor the evil Digimon; likely because of the immoral methods they resorted to in order to survive. And now it seemed to have happened again. Devimon had return, and he was out to cause trouble.

This wasn't his first time either. After Angemon had destroyed him over five years ago, Devimon was revealed to have survived, having lost the lower half of his body, and retreated to hide in the Dark Whirlpool. That is, until Ken, back when he was still the Digimon Emperor under the influence of the Dark Spores produced by Millenniummon, discovered him, taken his data, and used it to help create Kimeramon.

Izzy theorized that after Magnamon had destroyed Kimeramon, Devimon's data managed to survive and reform into the fallen angel Digimon once more. At least he was back to his original size, the black gears he had absorbed to grow in size and strength gone.

All the same, Devimon was a truly evil being and a formidable opponent. This was why the DigiDestined were tracking him down. As long as he was at large, there would not be peace within the Digital World. And so, the six members of the second generation of DigiDestined were on the hunt, having discovered his location.

Flying through the air and running on the ground, the chosen children rode on the backs or flew in the arms of their Digimon partners. With the exception of Gatomon, who had Digivolved to her Ultimate level, Angewomon, the others had Digivolved to their Champion levels. With Devimon at the Champion level as well, their combined power was more than enough to defeat their original enemy. Either Angewomon or Angemon on their own should have been enough to take him out, but they didn't want to take any unnecessary chances.

"Alright, we're coming upon the location Gennai mentioned," said Davis, the leader of the group, as his Digimon, ExVeemon, carried him along. "Lets finish this quickly."

Riding on the back of Ankylomon, Cody, the youngest member of the group glanced at him. "We still don't know what the anomalies that are happening in this area are about, do we?"

It was Ken that answered, shaking his head as he flew on Stingmon's back. "Not yet, but the area does seem to be unstable. It's likely due to BlackWarGreymon destroying so many Destiny Stones. The Seeds of Light Azulongmon planted must not have grown enough yet."

"Whatever Devimon is planning," TK growled from on Angemon's shoulder, "it can't be good. We've got to stop him."

Flying beside him in Angewomon's arms, Kari glanced at him in concern. Though she hadn't been present when it happened, she knew of TK's history with Devimon. During the final battle with the fallen angel Digimon, Angemon had sacrificed himself to take him out. At the time, none of them had known that Digimon were reborn after they died. TK had thought he had lost his partner for good. She couldn't imagine how that must have felt, not knowing what she would do without Gatomon. It must have been traumatic for him; she could understand why Devimon proceeded to remain a touchy subject for him.

"Hey, you ok?" she asked worriedly.

TK's eyes narrowed, and he didn't even look at her. "I'm fine!" he snapped. A moment later, he seemed to realize he had taken out his frustration on her and sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just... Devimon is..."

She gave him a smile. She understood, to an extent. Myotismon had been a similar touchy subject for her and Gatomon. "It's ok. Things will be different this time."

"She's right," Angemon replied. "We hold the advantage this time. Everything will be fine."

TK wanted to believe that, but until Devimon was well and truly defeated, he didn't think he would be at ease. "I hope so."

They flew along in silence after that, getting closer and closer to their destination. Their primary concern wasn't so much Devimon, but whatever he was planning on doing with these anomalies taking place. For all they knew, he was planning on powering up somehow like he did when he absorbed the black gears, or maybe even managing to Digivolve. Not that even an Ultimate would be a problem for them when they were at full power.

"There he is!" cried Yolei, the only other girl in their group, from on Aquilamon's back.

Yes, they could see him now too, and they came in for a landing. Standing with his back to them was indeed Devimon. He slowly turned to face them, his mouth set in a wicked sneer that showed off his fangs. "Ah, DigiDestined. I had a feeling I would be seeing you."

He was the same as always, not that Digimon actually physically changed, unless one counted Digivolving. Standing over ten feet tall, he resembled a human crossed with a bat, giving him a devilish appearance. He was almost completely black, the Mark of Evil standing out in red across his chest. Large bat wings, torn to shreds, protruded from his back, stretched out, giving him the power of flight, despite their condition.

The DigiDestined climbed off their partners and glared at the fallen angel Digimon. "Devimon," TK seethed.

The smile on the fallen angel Digimon's face grew larger. "Ah, I see the little one is not so little anymore."

"What are you planning?"

He laughed. "Nothing that concerns you Digi-brats."

Davis pointed at him. "Anything evil freaks like you do is our concern."

"Yeah," ExVeemon agreed, "so why don't you just fess up? We're going to stop you anyway."

A wicked chuckle escaped the fallen angel Digimon. "Not that you will believe me, but I actually have no intention of causing you or this world any trouble."

"You're right," Angewomon told him, "we don't believe you. I know your type better than anyone."

Devimon sneered at her. "Yes, as Myotismon's former lackey, I suppose you would. All the same, I'm speaking the truth." He looked at Angemon. "The day you nearly destroyed me, I had a bit of an epiphany. I may have been trying to intimidate and discourage you when I said that there were other Digimon out there far stronger than me, but it was also the truth. There are some whose power make mine seem like nothing."

He looked at his hands, and almost appeared to be frustrated. "I thought I had a good plan. If I could take over File Island, the location of Primary Village, where all Digimon are reborn, then I could corrupt them when they were just starting out, and lead them down a path of darkness, with me as their master. But now I realize that that was just a pipe dream. It was doomed to fail from the beginning."

The DigiDestined exchanged uncertain looks. While there was truth to his words, they didn't believe he would actually give up. He wasn't saying it, but there was definitely a 'but' in his little speech somewhere.

"Do you really expect us to believe that you've changed your ways?" Angemon demanded. "That you're in this area of the Digital World by chance?"

A sneer crossed Devimon's face. "Well, you have me there. But you don't need to worry about me trying to take over this world. The anomalies that are happening here won't be able to help me with that."

"But they can help you with something else," Ankylomon guessed.

Devimon was silent for a moment before relenting. "Yes, they can. You know about the anomalies occurrences, but I'm guessing that you don't know what they are."

Yolei crossed her arms. "Oh, and you do?"

He chuckled. "As a matter of fact, I do. Allow me to enlighten you. You should know by now that there are other worlds out there besides the Human World and the Digital World. It seems that these anomalies are portals opening up to one of these worlds. They've been appearing almost like clockwork, and I intend to go through one. You DigiDestined can have the Digital World and the filthy Human World, but this new one will be mine." He turned around. "The anomalies have been appearing around the same time for days now. One should be occurring any minute now."

"I knew you hadn't changed!" TK snapped. "What's it going to take for you evil creeps to stop destroying everything?"

Devimon glanced back at them and laughed. "Well, you won't need to worry about me much longer. Soon I'll be out of your hair for good."

That's when it happened, a flash of light lit up the area, and a tear in space and time appeared. It was almost as if they were watching a movie, and a hole had suddenly been torn in the screen.

Devimon's eyes lit up with excitement. "The portal, right on time."

"Don't let him go!" Davis ordered.

"Hell Contract!" Devimon cried, and unleashed a cloud of cursed energy that engulfed the area, obscuring everything aside from the light of the portal.

"Everyone attack!" ExVeemon exclaimed. "Vee-Laser!"

"Moon Shooter!"

"Blast Rings!"

"Celestial Arrow!"

"Hand of Fate!"

"Knock Out Blast!"

The barrage of attacks flew into the cloud, most striking either where they had last seen Devimon or around the portal since they knew that that was where he would be heading. They heard a series of blasts as their attacks struck, but didn't know if any had found their mark.

"Hey, Angewomon," said Kari, "could you clear this cloud."

The angel Digimon's wings stretched out. "It would be my pleasure. Holy Tornado!"

A heavy wind picked up and blew away the cloud. The portal was still present, but there was no sign of Devimon.

"Whoa, did we get him?" Yolei asked.

As if to answer her question, Devimon's arm dropped down from the sky and snagged Cody, yanking him into the air. Everyone else looked up to find Devimon flying above them, now holding Cody hostage. "Looking for me?"

Davis pointed up at him. "Hey, let him go!"

Smirking, Devimon dropped down from the sky, landing beside the portal. "Certainly, once the portal starts to close; it only stays open a short while anyway. As soon as I go through, you can have your little friend here back."

"Put me down, you creep!"

The fallen angel Digimon's grip on him tightened to the point where Cody felt as if his bones were going to be crushed. "Silence, boy. I could kill you at any moment. Right now, you're just insurance."

Ken glared at him. "You'll never get away with this."

Devimon chuckled. "On the contrary," he glanced over his shoulder as the portal began to close, "I already have."

He threw Cody at Angewomon. She flew forward and caught him as the others rushed towards Devimon. He fired his Evil Wing attack, unleashing a wave of dark energy that knocked them all back. Stepping backwards, he disappeared into the portal, laughing all the while.

"No!" TK cried as the portal closed behind him. Dropping to his knees, he slammed his fist on the ground. "He got away."

"This is bad," Cody replied as he slid out of Angewomon's arms. "How are we going to figure out where he went?"

The others exchanged uncertain looks. There was really no telling how many other worlds were out there, or which one Devimon had gone to. Even if another portal appeared, there was no guarantee that it would lead to the same world he had just gone to. Nor was there any guarantee that they would be able to return once they went through it.

"We better talk to Gennai," Ankylomon suggested.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Professor August Stevens was ecstatic as he entered in the coordinates. He was close, so very close. If this worked, not only would he be recognized worldwide, it would be of great benefit to humanity. This was what he had been working on for years, and now he was closer than ever.

"Power is almost at 100 percent. Energy is stable. How you hanging up there, Porygon?"

He looked to the pink and blue polygon Pokemon hooked up to the large machine by numerous cables. "Porygon!"

He smiled and nodded before turning his attention to the computer screen where the evolution of Porygon floated around in cyberspace. "How about you, Porygon 2? Everything good?"

"Porygon 2, Pory."

Nodding, he pulled down his tinted goggles. "Alright, lets try this again. I think I gave the right coordinates this time. Hopefully we'll be able to create a stable doorway this time." He looked at the power gauge. "If only it didn't take so long to recharge, we could try this more often."

Going back to his notes, he wrote down the date and time, along with the new coordinates and power velocity. He'd tried everyday at the same time to create a stable portal ever since he had completed his machine. Now it was just a matter of getting it working properly.

He turned his attention to his invention. It could pass for a giant Pokemon transporter that Trainers used to send and receive Pokemon, but this one served another purpose. And now it was time to try to activate it once again.

"Ok," he told the two Pokemon, "lets give this another shot. You both ready?" He received affirmative nods from the two Pokemon and smiled. "Alright, here we go. Activating now!"

Porygon and Porygon 2 winced as power flowed into them, circulating through their bodies, and was then pumped into the power converter. They had no idea how any of this stuff worked, but Professor Stevens was very smart, and they trusted him.

The professor was not blind to the discomfort his machine was causing his Pokemon, and he was sorry for it, but they were willing participants in this, intent on seeing his project through, and he was deeply appreciative of it.

"I know, I know!" he called to them, speaking loudly to be heard over the sound of his machine. "Just hold on, the doorway is appearing!"

From the satellite dishes hanging down from the top if the machine and the ones standing on the bottom, bolts of energy flowed out. The end points converged, forming a ball of energy that proceeded to grow. Even from behind his tinted safety goggles, Professor Stevens had to squint due to the light's intensity.

"Energy is stabilizing!" he said, all but shouting now. "Establishing connection! Prepare for dimensional rip!"

The ball of energy suddenly burst open, revealing a tear in space and time. The sight brought a smile to Professor Stevens' face, no matter how many times he saw it. This had been his goal ever since he had made his discovery many years ago. He had always been fascinated by the Porygon species' ability to travel into cyberspace. One day, while researching it, he had stumbled across something incredible.

There had been no way to prove it, and his discovery had vanished mere seconds after finding it, but he firmly believed that he had stumbled across a portal to another dimension. Of course, he had no evidence to back it up, and none of his colleagues believed him, but he was sure of it.

It had been proven that there were other dimensions out there. The Unown dimension, the realms of Arceus, Palkia, and Dialga, the Reverse World of Giratina, the subspace where the Ultra Beasts came from, they were all examples of this, and who knew how many others there were. It was logical to assume that there were still other undiscovered dimensions.

His colleagues had laughed at him, saying it was preposterous that another dimension existed within the computer, a man-made object. Hearing it put that way, he had to admit that it did sound ridiculous, but that had not been what he had been suggesting, just that a portal to another dimension had appeared within cyberspace, not that the dimension itself was in the computer.

He theorized that humans didn't actually create data, but had only learned how to use it, and there was actually a much greater depth to it; the portal he had discovered being one of them. It was his hope to use Porygon and Porygon 2's power to enter cyberspace in order to create a doorway to this new dimension.

Of course, this was still all just theory, but he hoped to prove it with this experiment. So far, he was able to create a portal, but was unable to maintain it in order to research it, or what lay beyond it. It was happening again, he was losing power, and the portal was collapsing again.

"No, no, no, no." He tried to stabilize the portal, but it was no use. "Another failure."

With a sigh, he looked at the readings, trying to see what hadn't worked this time and what he had managed to do right. A frown crossed his face as he looked at the readings. The doorway may have been closing, but there was another source of power. It seemed to be inside the portal. That had never been there before. And now the readings were getting stronger.

Professor Stevens' eyes widened as he looked back at the portal in disbelief. "Something is coming through... Convert all power reserves to maintaining the doorway! This could be the breakthrough we've been looking for!"

Porygon and Porygon 2 exerted more energy. The portal held, and something began to emerge from it. Professor Stevens stared with shining eyes, his mouth hanging open in an excited smile.

The creature stepped out of the portal, and the doorway closed behind it and vanished. The smile diminished from Professor Stevens' face as he stared at the creature, he had never seen anything like it. It almost looked like a Zubat, or one of its evolutions, crossed with a man. It was... intimidating to say the least.

He shook his head, choosing not to judge by appearances. After all, some Pokemon looked pretty menacing, but could actually be quite friendly, and the reverse was true too. Perhaps this creature's frightening appearance was merely a defense mechanism against predators.

That isn't to say he wasn't going to be cautious. He motioned to both Porygon and Porygon 2, beckoning them to come to him, and they immediately came to his side, the latter emerging from his computer. He carefully approached the creature while his Pokemon stood in front of him protectively.

"G-Greetings to you," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "Welcome to our world. I am Professor August Stevens. I bid you welcome."

The creature looked down at him, its eyes narrowing. "You're human. Different from the ones I know, but human all the same."

Professor Stevens' eyes widened in astonishment. They spoke the same language! This was astounding. Was it natural, or a result of crossing over dimensions? "Yes, I am human. You say there are humans in your world too?"

A scowl crossed the creature's face. "Far too many of them." It looked at the two Pokemon. "And what manner of creatures are these? They appear to be Digimon, but are unlike any I have ever seen before."

The professor looked at his Pokemon. "Um, this is Porygon and its evolution, Porygon 2. They're Pokemon, short for Pocket Monsters. There are hundreds of different Pokemon in the world, all with different powers and abilities." He looked at the creature expectantly. "What are these 'Digimon' you speak of? Is that what you are?"

"Indeed," the creature replied. "I am Devimon, a Champion level Digimon, one of the many different types of Digimon in my world."

He stared at the Pokemon hard, seemingly deep in thought. Raising a hand, he pointed a clawed finger at them. "Tell me, how strong are these creatures compared to the other... Pokemon in this world?"

The professor blinked, not expecting the question. He wondered if this Digimon was worried if they would attack it and was trying to see if they were a danger to it. "Well, a Pokemon's strength varies based on its species and how much it trains. In terms of overall strength species-wise, I would say they fall somewhere in the middle."

Devimon stared at them with interest. "You don't say. I would like to test this strength of theirs. Have them attack me."

Professor Stevens stared. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, have them attack me. Death Hand!" A beam of unholy energy shot out of Devimon's hand. It struck the ground by the professor's feet, burning a hole through the floor.

Professor Stevens jumped back, alarm bells going off in his head. This creature was hostile! "Porygon, use Tri Beam! Porygon 2, Psychic!"

The two Pokemon jumped forward. A blue aura of psychic energy surrounded Porygon 2 and was launched at Devimon. Likewise, Porygon fired three triangle shaped beams of red, blue, and yellow that swirled together. Devimon raised his hand and easily swatted the attacks away. "That was pathetic. Evil Wing!"

A wave of energy flowed out of his wings, destroying most of the technology in the room as the darkness flowed over it, including the machine that had opened the portal. Both Porygon and Porygon 2 were blasted back by the attack. They hit the wall hard and dropped to the floor with dizzy swirls in their eyes. They were both down for the count, defeating with a single attack.

Professor Stevens stared at his fallen Pokemon in shock. "No way! He beat them so easily!"

Devimon gave a bark of laughter. "If that is the 'average' strength these Pokemon possess, then taking over this world will be all too easy." He spread his wings wide and pointed at the professor. "I hope you valued your freedom up until now, because that is a thing of the past. Say hello to your new lord and master."

Chapter 2: A Fearful Fight
Narrator: "The incredible world of Pokemon! An amazing place, full of even more amazing creatures. Flying in the sky, swimming in the ocean, racing across the ground, or burrowing in the earth, Pokemon can be found everywhere, coming in all shapes and sizes.

" But Pokemon aren't the only residents of this world. Humans live side by side with them, many sharing the dream of challenging Gyms in order to become Pokemon Masters. Together, Trainers and Pokemon alike strive to reach their fullest potential.

" Today, we join Ash Ketchum and his partner Pikachu as they continue on their journey through Johto to collect all the Gym badges and defeat the Pokemon League. Joining them are their good friends Misty and Brock. Together, they have journeyed far and seen much, but little do they know that today begins a new adventure unlike anything the Pokemon world has ever seen before."

The walk through the forest had been relatively peaceful, but that peace was soon disrupted by a loud grumbling. All attention shifted to Ash, whose hands went to his stomach as it growled. A nervous chuckle escaped him as he gave his friends an embarrassed look. "I think my stomach is telling us it's time to stop for lunch."

" Pikachu," the electric mouse Pokemon on his shoulder agreed.

The redhead of the group stubbornly turned her nose up at him. "I told you that you should be more careful with your rations, but you insisted on stuffing your face."

" Toge, Toge," the spike ball Pokemon in her arms chirped.

A bead of sweat appeared on Ash's head. "Well, a future Pokemon Master needs to keep up his strength. Lets eat!"

Misty sighed. "You really don't listen, do you? We're out of food. We've got nothing to eat until we get to the next town or city."

"I'm afraid she's right, Ash," Brock admitted as he rummaged around in his backpack, but came up empty. "All we have left is some Pokemon food."

"Aww," Ash grumbled, hanging his head in dismay. Pikachu patted his head reassuringly, and he turned his attention to Brock. "How much further until we get there?"

"Well, lets see." Abandoning his search for any leftovers, Brock took out the map and began looking it over. He studied it for several long seconds before letting out a long drawn out, "Hmmmm..."

Ash peeked over his shoulder to see the map. "What? Are we almost there?"

"Hmm, it's hard to say."

Misty appeared over his other shoulder. "Why? Where are we?"

"Well, according to this map... we're lost."

The two preteens fell over. Misty immediately jumped to her feet and rounded on Brock. "What do you mean we're lost?"

His eyes scanned the map, looking for any familiar landmarks. "I guess that dirt road we took wasn't really a path after all."

Ash gulped, feeling Misty glaring daggers at him. He had been the one to insist that the supposed path they had come across was a shortcut, one they would likely find Pokemon on since it was separate from the main trail. "Well, it looked like a path..."

His stomach growled again, and he gave his friends a nervous smile. Misty sighed, figuring there was no point in getting angry; this wasn't the first time they had gotten lost. "Well, what do we do now?"

Brock was still studying the map. "I guess we'll have to backtrack, 'cause I don't recognize anything on this map."

Ash sighed again. "I'm too hungry, I don't think I can go on."

"You're the one who got us lost in the first place!" Misty raged at him. "And you're the one that ate the rest of out food!"

Ash sweat-dropped again and gave her a nervous smile. On his shoulder, Pikachu taped him on he head. "Pika, Pi, Pikachu."

Hopping off his shoulder, he ran over to a bush and plucked a berry. Sniffing it to make sure it wasn't poisonous, he took a bite, and the berry's sweetness filled his mouth. "Ka!"

Ash immediately perked up. "Hey, yeah! We can just gather a bunch of berries to tide us over."

Brock frowned as he looked at the bush. "I don't think that will do much. That bush hardly has any berries on it."

"Hey, maybe there are more nearby," Misty suggested.

Smiling, Ash turned to Pikachu. "What do you think, Pikachu? Can you find some more?"

The electric mouse Pokemon nodded. "Pika." Closing his eyes, he began sniffing the air. After a few moments, he began waving his arms and pointing. "Pi, Pikachu."

He led them a short distance from where they were. Coming to a stop, he pointed. A few yards away were several berry bushes full of berries.

"Alright!" Ash cried. "Nice going, Pikachu."

In Misty's arms, Togepi reached towards the berry bushes. "Togepi."

Misty smiled down at the egg Pokemon. "I guess you're hungry too, huh?"

"Lets eat!" Ash cried.

He and his friends broke out in a run for the berries. But as they ran, the ground suddenly gave out beneath them, and they fell down, down, down, landing painfully in a heap.

"Oww," Ash grumbled. "Why is there a hole right here?"

Obnoxious laughter came from up above, and three figures blocked out the sun. Misty looked up at them, scowling. "Don't tell me..."

"Prepare for trouble, and it better be quick."

"Make it double, this is a fanfic."

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above.

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light."

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight."

"Meowth, t'at's right!"

" Wobbuffet"

Ash could honestly say that he was not surprised, nor was he happy to see the group. "Not you guys again."

"How'd they even know to dig a hole here in the first place?" Brock wondered out loud.

Jessie laughed. "Unlike you twerps, we had a perfect view from the air."

"Based on the direction you were heading," James took over, "we were able to assess that you were heading for Cotton Town, so we got here ahead of you."

Despite the cramped space, Brock was able to pull out the map. He found Cotton Town, seeing that it was just beyond the border of the Johto region. "Oh, so that's where we are. Wow, we really were off course."

This time it was Meowth who laughed. "I'm guessin' t'at you twerps went and got lost. Well, yer about ta lose somethin' else."

Down in the hole, they just now realized that Meowth was wearing a backpack of some kind. The top popped open, and a pair of mechanical arms came out and reached into the hole. They grabbed Pikachu, pulling him out, and holding him in the air.

" Pikachu!" the electric mouse Pokemon cried, unleashing a Thundershock. He didn't know why he bothered trying, as the rubber hands were obviously shockproof.

Team Rocket laughed at his futile attempt to escape as they turned to leave. Their laughter angered Ash. He was so tired of them trying to steal Pikachu. He didn't know why they were so obsessed about it, but he figured it was likely more personal at this point than anything. But he was not about to let them walk away with his best friend. Whatever twisted method Team Rocket used to force stolen Pokemon to obey them, he swore Pikachu would never experience it.

Reaching onto his belt, he grabbed one of his PokeBalls. "Bayleef, I choose you!"

He threw the red and white ball into the air. It burst open, and a bright white light poured out, taking the form of a new Pokemon. "Bayleef!"

"Bayleef," Ash called up to her, "use your Vine Whip and get us out of here!"

" Bayleef!" From beneath the leaves sprouting from her neck, two vines emerged and reached into the hole, grabbing the three Trainers and pulling them out.

Ash gave the leaf Pokemon an appreciative smile. "Thanks, Bayleef."

Once again displaying her crush, she began nuzzling him affectionately. "Bayleef, Bay."

"Come on, we gotta hurry."

They ran after Team Rocket as the three thieves strolled along with Wobbuffet in tow Pikachu still being held in the the mechanical arms. They turned as Ash called out to them and saw their three would-be victims coming for them.

"How'd t'ey get out?" Meowth cried.

James' gaze settled on Bayleef. "My guess is they used Vine Whip to climb out. Why do we never account for that?"

"We'll make up for it now," Jessie declared. "Go get them, Wobbuffet, and go Arbok!"

She threw a PokeBall, and a giant purple cobra appeared. "Arbok!"

As Wobbuffet waddled over to stand beside the snake Pokemon, James threw his own PokeBalls. "Go, Weezing, Victreebel, attack!"

" Weezing, Weez!"

" Victree!"

As the giant two-headed purple growth floated by its comrades, the giant bell plant leapt at his master, swallowing him from head to waist. James cried out, his legs kicking wildly out of the flycatcher Pokemon's mouth. "I said 'attack', not 'a snack'!"

"Bayleef, use Razor Leaf!" Ash ordered.

" Bayleef!" The leaf on her head began spinning, and smaller leaves with razor sharp edges flew at the opposition.

"Arbok, Poison Sting attack!"

The snake Pokemon opened its mouth and began firing a barrage of stingers. They collided with the leaves, cancelling out the attack.

James finally managed to pull his head out of Victreebel's mouth. "Weezing, use Sludge attack!"

" Weezing, Weezing." The larger of the two heads opened its mouth and spat out a black fluid.

"Dodge it, Bayleef." Ash smirked as she avoided the toxic substance. "Now, use Headbutt."

" Bay!" She charged at Weezing, slamming headfirst into it, and the poison gas Pokemon crashed to the ground.

"Arbok, use Dig!"

" Ar!" The giant snake buried into the ground, disappearing beneath the earth. Bayleef looked around, searching for any sign of the snake Pokemon's presence.

"Victreebel, Razor Leaf!"

" Tree!" Flicking the two large leaves on its sides, Victreebel flung two deadly leaves. Bayleef jumped to the side, dodging the first leaf, then jumped to avoid the second. Arbok chose that moment to come bursting up from underground, coming up beneath Bayleef and sending her flying.

She landed on her feet as Arbok lunged at her. Sidestepping the snake Pokemon, she bite its tail and swung it around, tossing it into Victreebel.

Weezing was up in the air again, and James commended it to use Smokescreen. A thick black cloud was blown out of the poison gas Pokemon's pores, but Bayleef improvised. Spinning around her leaf like a fan, she blew away the smoke.

"Great job, Bayleef!" Ash cheered. "Now Tackle it!"

" Bayleef!" She charged forward, slamming into Weezing. The poison gas Pokemon flew backwards and crashed into Team Rocket, knocking them over.

Ash gave her a thumbs up. "Nice work. Now get Pikachu."

Nodding, Bayleef used Razor Leaf. The leaves cut through the metal arms, and Bayleef shot out her vines to catch Pikachu and deliver him to Ash.

"Pikachu!" he cried happily, glad to have his friend back.

" Pika, Pi!" The electric mouse Pokemon responded.

"Hold on, I'll get you out of there."

He attempted to pry the mechanical hands open, but they remained tightly clamped shut. Team Rocket climbed to their feet, and Jessie pointed at him. "You're not getting away that easily. Go get them, Wobbuffet."

" Wobbuffet!" the patient Pokemon responded, saluting his master.

Ash glared at them. "Bayleef, use Vine Whip."

" Bay, Bay!" Her vines shot out, rising into the air and coming down hard.

"Wobbuffet, Counter it!"

" Wobbu!" His flat black tail rose up into the air as Wobbuffet began glowing. Bayleef's vines came down on him, but froze the moment they made contact with the light surrounding him. They suddenly flew back towards her, striking Bayleef with her own attack, and she went tumbling backwards into a tree.

The impact shook the entire tree, waking the sleeping Pokemon in it. Cranky eyes cracked open irritably as the Pokemon's nap was disturbed. It peaked through the branches for the cause, and spotted the two groups of humans and Pokemon. It was merely annoyed at first, but then its gaze landed on one human and Pokemon in particular. Recognition filled its eyes, followed by hatred of the deepest loathing; it knew who they were.

"You alright, Bayleef?" Ash asked worriedly, still trying to pry the mechanical hands off Pikachu.

Shaking her head, Bayleef got to her feet and hurried over to him again. "Bayleef!"

Arbok, Weezing, and Victreebel were once again on their feet, for lack of a better word, and gathered around their comrades, ready to continue the battle.

"We're not going down this time," James declared.

"That's right," Jessie agreed. "With Pikachu out of commission, we've got this battle in the bag."

Ash hugged the electric mouse Pokemon. "Don't be so sure. Ready, Bayleef?"

" Bayleef, Bayleef!"

"Arbok, Wobbuffet, teach them a lesson!"

"Weezing, Victreebel, go get 'em!"

" Arbok!"

" Wobbuffet!"

" Weezing!"

" Victree!"

" Fearow!"

The battle came to a stop at the fifth unexpected cry. From out of the treetop, a large brown bird Pokemon took flight. It circled overhead, its gaze locked on Ash, and came in for a landing. Glaring at Ash and Pikachu, it spread its wings and screeched loudly. "Fearow! Fear, Fear! Fearow!"

Pikachu glared at the beak Pokemon. "Pikachu..."

Ash blinked. "A Fearow? What's it want?"

"Did we disturb its nest during the battle?" Brock wondered out loud.

" Fearow!" the beak Pokemon cried. "Fearow, Fearow! Fearow! Fear Fearow! Fearow!" Meowth was nodding with interest along with what the Fearow was saying. "Oh boy, looks like t'e twerp really stepped in it t'is time."

Jessie and James looked at their furry friend with interest. "What's it saying?" the former asked.

"It's saying 'so we meet again, human. Only t'is time I shall have my revenge. For t'e rock you t'rew at me, and for drivin' me and my flock from t'e land we claimed from t'ose Pidgey and Pidgeotto'."

Misty's eyes widened. "You mean this is that Fearow?"

Jessie and James hugged each other. "I remember! It kept us trapped in a tree for hours, and then the entire flock chased us for miles."

"It must have migrated here after Pidgeot reclaimed the land for the Pidgey and Pidgeotto," Brock theorized.

Ash growled softly. He remembered this Fearow, The two of them had a bad history. On his first day as a Pokemon Trainer, back before Pikachu would listen to him, Ash had thrown a rock at some Pidgey he saw in attempt to weaken one enough to capture it. Well, ok, maybe he had also been frustrated and had been taking out his aggression on them, but he had mistaken a Spearow for a Pidgey, and had nailed it right in the back of the head with a rock.

Sufficient to say, the Spearow had not been happy about the assault. Already having a violent nature, it had viciously attacked Ash and Pikachu, and then called for the rest of its flock for aid after it was hit by an electric attack by Pikachu. The two of them had literally almost met their end that night as the flock of Spearow had mercilessly pursued them for miles before Pikachu managed to use a lightning strike from the thunderstorm to unleash a powerful blast of electricity that had warded off the Spearow.

Having returned to Pallet Town a year later, Ash had discovered that the Spearow he had hit with a rock had evolved into Fearow, and had risen in the ranks to become the leader of its flock. It had also taken over the territory that had once belonged to the Pidgey and Pidgeotto of the area, and viciously attacked anyone that entered its new territory.

Pikachu, Ash, and Pidgeotto, having evolved to Pidgeot, were able to defeat Fearow, chase away its flock, and reclaim the area for the Pidgey and Pidgeotto. Ash had then left Pidgeot to lead the Pidgey and Pidgeotto, and protect them in case Fearow and its flock returned.

It seemed like there was no need to worry about that, not since the very Fearow he had faced before was now glaring at him, miles away from Pallet Town. And based on what Meowth was saying, it was still holding a grudge. And as it continued to screech, Meowth continued to provide a translation. "'I've dreamed of returnin' and takin' my revenge for so long, but it seems t'at fate has delivered you to me instead. T'is time, I will kill you and your little yellow rat for what you did to me'. Ah! Kill them!?"

Jessie pulled away from James and pointed at the Fearow. "Not so fast. That Pikachu belongs to us. I don't care what kind of grudge you're holding."

"Yeah, we have dibs," James added.

Fearow glanced at them, its eyes shining menacingly, zapping them of their confidence. With a loud screech, it flew at them, its wings glowing with silver light as it used Steel Wing. Team Rocket cried out and hugged each other as Fearow plowed into the group, and all seven of them were sent flying into the air.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Screeching, Fearow doubled back, heading for Ash and his friends, its wings still glowing. Bayleef charged forward and used Headbutt, crashing into the beak Pokemon. Fearow took to the air again, its wings no longer glowing. It swooped down, heading for Bayleef, and used Fury Attack.

Bayleef dodged as the beak Pokemon jabbed at her again and again. One of her vines lashed out and struck it in the face. Fearow cried out furiously, and its beak began spinning. It pecked at Bayleef, but she leapt away, and its beak buried into the ground.

"That's Fearow's Drill Peck !" Brock cried. "It really means business."

Ash could see that for himself. "Bayleef, use Razor Leaf!"

" Baaay-leef!" She began spinning the leaf on her head, flinging smaller ones at the beak Pokemon. Fearow cried out as the leaves sliced across its body. It glared daggers at Bayleef before screeching loudly.

" Fearow!" A black hole appeared in front of it, and several leaves identical to the ones Bayleef had just fired flew at her.

"That's Mirror Move!" Misty cried in warning.

"It lets Fearow copy the last attack used against it," Brick finished for her.

Ash growled. "Bayleef, Vine Whip!"

" Bay!" Her vines shot out, striking the leaves out of the air. She missed one, and it flew past her face, cutting her cheek. It wasn't deep, but she still winced at the pain.

Fearow screeched and flew towards her. Bayleef braced herself for its attack, but was unprepared for its eyes to flash menacingly. She flinched as Fearow's Leer took effect, and the beak Pokemon grabbed the leaf on her head and carried her into the air.

"Bayleef!" Ash shouted. "Fearow, put her down!"

The beak Pokemon ignored him as it flew higher. It began summersaulting in the air, building up speed, before suddenly plunging down towards the ground. Ash and his friends recognized it as an improvised Seismic Toss. Fearow pulled up at the last moment, but released Bayleef, slamming her to the ground.

When the dust settled, Bayleef lay in a crater. She struggled to get up, her legs shaking, but then her strength gave out, and she collapsed. Ash realized she couldn't fight anymore and held up her PokeBall. "Bayleef, return."

A beam of red light shot out of the PokeBall. It flew towards Bayleef, but it was suddenly cut off as Fearfow deliberately flew in its path, preventing Ash from recalling her.

The others gasped, never having seen such a thing. Fearow didn't give them time to dwell on it as it flew towards Ash, tackling him to the ground. He ended up on his back, hugging Pikachu protectively as Fearow stood over him. Its beak began spinning again. Ash recognized the attack as Drill Peck. He knew that if used on humans, it was a very dangerous, potentially fatal, attack.

"Pikachu, Thundershock!" he ordered, preferring the electrical attack to the alternative.

The electric mouse Pokemon recognized the danger and attacked right away, even though he knew Ash would be shocked as well. Unfortunately, the mechanical arms wrapped around him simply absorbed the electric attack.

Screeching, Fearow drove its drilling beak downward. Ash had just enough room to roll to the side, and Fearow's beak drilled into the ground. It still had him pinned down though, and it tried again. Ash rolled the other way, once again narrowly missing getting drilled.

"Go, Onix!" Brick cried, tossing out a PokeBall. The giant rock snake Pokemon appeared, and it lashed out with its tail, knocking Fearow off Ash.

"Staryu, you help put too," Misty cried, preparing to throw another PokeBall.

Instead, from out of her bag, a stream of light flew in front of her, forming a Pokemon she did not call for. "Psyduck."

Misty dropped to her knees. "Psyduck, not you!"

The platypus Pokemon grabbed his aching head, looking confused. "Psy, y, y?"

"Return." She released a beam from Psyduck's PokeBall, which converted him into red light and sucked him back up. "Now, go, Staryu!"

Flying overhead, Fearow screeched at the new opposition. It swooped down towards Onix, despite Flying types being weak to Rock types. Brock was ready for it. "Onix, Tackle it!"

Screeching, Fearow flew towards the rock snake Pokemon. It suddenly used Double Team, splitting into multiple copies. Onix halted his attack, not sure which one was real and which ones were illusions. The Fearows' beaks began spinning with Drill Peck, and they flew into Onix. Fortunately, only one caused him damage, but Onix found out too late which one it was. At the very least, the attack wasn't very effective.

"Staryu, use your Water Gun ," Misty ordered. "Find out which one of those Fearow is the real one.

" Staryu!" It began spraying water from its top point. The fake Fearows disappeared as the streams of water hit them until it struck the real one, and all the remaining fakes vanished.

Fearow screeched angrily, flying out of the path of the water. It flew down and used Mirror Move, copying Staryu's Water Gun. It's target, however, was not the starfish Pokemon, but Onix, and the rock snake Pokemon cried out in agony as he was doused. Fearow followed up with its Steel Wing plowing into him, knocking the giant Pokemon over.

"Staryu, use Rapid Spin!"

The starfish Pokemon began spinning through the air like a deadly shuriken. Fearow flew to meet it, and the two collided, knocking the other back as Fearow batted Staryu away with its large wings. They collided together several more time before Fearow used Drill Peck, pecking forward. It's spinning beak struck the jewel in the center of Staryu's body, and it went crashing to the ground. Its five points drooped, and it stopped moving, completely drained of energy and utterly defeated.

Fearow screeched loudly, and energy began to gather in its open mouth. A colorful beam was fired, heading straight for the starfish Pokemon.

"It knows Hyper Beam !" Brock exclaimed. It had to have been at a very high level to know that move. "Onix!"

The rock snake Pokemon rushed over, shielding Staryu with his body. The Hyper Beam struck, and Onix went down, no longer able to continue fighting. Fearow continued to circle overhead. Being so high up, allowed the three Trainers time to recall their fallen Pokemon, but the threat was still present.

"I've never heard of anything like this," said Brock. "Some Pokemon have aggressive nature, and some can hold grudges, but what this Fearow is doing is beyond any of that."

Misty gave Ash a desperate look. "We need Pikachu's electric attacks. Can't you get it out of there?"

"I'm trying," Ash groaned as he attempted to pry the mechanical hands off the electric mouse Pokemon again, "but they're not opening."

" Fearow!" the beak Pokemon screeched, and swooped down at them, brandishing its talons. The three Trainers and Pikachu all cried out as it approached.

In Misty's arms, baby Togepi didn't seem to comprehend the danger, seemingly thinking this was all one big game. It cheerfully waved its arms back and forth playfully as Fearow approached. "Toge!"

Its arms began glowing as its Metronome was triggered. A ball of electricity appeared in front of it as Togepi randomly unleashed Zap Cannon. Fearow's eyes practically bugged out of its head, and it tried to pull out of its dive. Not fast enough, it seemed, as the attack hit, erupting in a blast of electricity. The beak Pokemon cried out as it went flying through the air, its muscles locking as the electrical current flowed through its body, paralyzing it, and it went crashing into a treetop, getting stuck in the branches.

It slowly registered to the Trainers that Fearow was gone. They looked around in confusion, not realizing who had saved them.

"Hey, what happened?" asked Ash.

"It looked like an electric attack hit it," said Misty. "But I didn't see who did it, just a flash of light."

Ash looked down at the electric mouse Pokemon in his arms. "Pikachu?"

He shook his head. "Pikachu."

"Well, whatever happened," said Brock, "I'm just glad that Fearow's gone. Something wasn't right about it. It was literally trying to kill you, Ash. I've never heard of anything like that before."

Misty nodded in agreement. "Yeah, me neither."

Ash frowned and looked up into the sky where Fearow had disappeared. There may have been Pokemon that were dangerous and aggressive, and yes, some have even been known to gravely injure, and in a few cases, kill others, even humans, but that was only due to their nature, like when they were hunting, threatened, defending their territory, protecting their young, or sometimes obeying the orders of their Trainer if the Trainer was truly wicked. But as Brock said, he had never heard of a Pokemon trying to actually kill anyone purely out of spite.

It made Ash wonder if something was off about this Fearow, or even if he had somehow drove it to this state. "Fearow..."

" Pika, Pi," Pikachu muttered reassuringly.

"I'm still wondering who saved us," said Misty.

"Don't know," Brock replied. "I had my eyes closed."

The sound of bushes rustling drew their attention. The three Trainers shared a look, all thinking the same thing. They carefully approached the bushes, wondering if this was who had attacked Fearow.

"Hey," Ash called to whoever was hiding, "were you the one who saved us? We really owe you."

Misty bent down lower. "Yeah, come on out so we can thank you properly."

The bushes rustled some more, and a small pink ball with big turquoise eyes stepped out. "Jigglypuff."

The three Trainers cried out as the balloon Pokemon raised its microphone to its mouth and took a breath as it prepared to Sing. They didn't give it a chance as they took off running, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

Jigglypuff blinked at their sudden departure and puffed up angrily. "Puff!"

Chapter 3: Cotton Town
The three Trainers didn't stop running until they were sure they had put sufficient distance between themselves and Jigglypuff. They didn't have time to sleep the day away, nor did they fancy having marker drawn all over their faces.

They really didn't know why Jigglypuff kept following them. They fell asleep every time it sang its magical tune. Did it hope that one day it would get lucky and they would be able to stay awake throughout the whole song, or was it just in denial? Maybe it had even become personal, and it was determine to make them listen to the song in full, no matter how many attempts it took.

"You think we lost it?" Misty asked, breathing heavily.

"I hope so," Ash replied. "I really wish Jigglypuff would just sing a different tune."

Something caught Brock's attention, and he held his hand up to his ear to listen better. "Hold up, you guys, do you hear something?"

They listened as well and heard it too. It sounded like someone snoring. They followed the sound, and eventually came across a man in a white lab coat, sleeping soundly on the ground. Based on the drawings on his face, it seemed he'd had the misfortune of running into Jigglypuff before it crossed their path.

"Looks like one of Jigglypuff's victims," Ash noted. "Should we wake him up?"

"Well, we can't just leave him out here," Misty pointed out.

Brock nodded in agreement. "Especially with that Fearow around." He bent down and shook the man. "Hey, mister, wake up. Hey, mister." He stood up, shaking his head. "No good, he's really out. Jigglypuff must have put him to sleep just recently."

Ash took out a PokeBall. "Well, I know one surefire way to wake him up. Totodile."

The ball burst open, and a small blue reptile appeared and began dancing around merrily. "To, To, Totodile!"

"Totodile, use you Water Gun on this guy, but just enough to wake him up."

" Todi." He sprayed a stream of water into the man's face.

The man's eyes snapped open and he sprang to his feet. He immediately dropped to his knees and began repeatedly bowing. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please, forgive me! I swear I'm trying to find a way to fix this!"

The three Trainers were surprised. They weren't sure if he thought they were someone else, or if he was still caught up in a dream he had been having.

Misty sweat-dropped. "Um, I think you're mistaking us for someone else, sir."

"Yeah, my name's Ash, and this is my partner, Pikachu."

" Pika."

My name's Misty, and this is Togepi."

"And I'm Brock. Sorry we had to wake you up like that."

The man blinked. "You meanâ€¦ you're not out to get me?" He sighed deeply. "Oh, thank goodness. I thought you were someone from town."

Ash cocked his head to the side. "Someone from town? You mean Cotton Town?"

The man wiped the water from his face. "Yes. I came into the forest to hide, and ran into that Jigglypuff. Oh, where are my manners. I'm Professor Stevens. Thank you for waking me up... and for the bath."

Ash rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "Yeah, sorry about that, but you weren't waking up otherwise. Totodile, return."

Professor Stevens watched as the big jaw Pokemon was drawn back into the PokeBall. Then his gaze fell onto Pikachu and the mechanical hands holding it. "Um, excuse me for asking, but what's up with those things on your Pikachu?"

Ash frowned down at his friend. "That's kind of a long story. We're having some trouble getting them off."

Professor Stevens raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't question him further. "May I?" he asked, holding out his hands.

Ash hesitated before holding Pikachu out to him. The professor examined the mechanical hands for a few moments before nodding. "I think I'll be able to help you. Come on back to my lab, and I'll get them off."

"Your lab?" Brock repeated. "Then Cotton Town isn't that far from here?"

The professor smiled. "Oh no, not at all. Follow me."

He led them through the forest, and they eventually came across a path. They followed it, and were soon able to see houses in the distance beyond the trees. It was good to see civilization again after being in the wilderness for so long.

Yet as they walked along, the three Trainers couldn't help but notice that Professor Stevens seemed to be rather nervous. He kept looking around, as if afraid that he would suddenly be attacked by someone or something.

They exchanged uncertain looks before Brock finally asked, "Um, excuse me, sir, but is something wrong?"

The professor sweat-dropped and looked back at them nervously. "Wrong? No, of course not. Nothing's wrong. Um, so what brings you to Cotton Town? We're a small town that's pretty much hidden from the rest of the Johto region, so we don't usually get visitors."

Ash smiled sheepishly. "Well, we actually got lost, and have been going in the wrong direction for some time now."

The professor nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see. Well, I can show you how to get to wherever it is you're going once I take care of your Pikachu. Oh, uh, this way."

Rather than leading them into town, he remained in the forest, walking along the town's borders. The Trainers weren't sure where he was going, but they followed without question until they came to what seemed to be a warehouse just outside of the town.

"Would you mind waiting here, please?" he asked, looking embarrassed. "I'll be right back."

To their surprise, he jumped into a bush, sneaking towards the facility, remaining hidden in the shrubbery. The Trainers exchanged questioning looks as they watched the professor sneak along.

"I think this guy has a few screws loose," Brock commented.

Reaching the warehouse, the professor's arm poked out of the bush and began pressing buttons on a control panel. The door opened, and the professor sneaked inside.

"What's up with that?" Ash wondered. "Some sort of secret entrance?"

" Pikachu?"

Sticking his head out the door, Professor Stevens waved them over before ducking inside again. The others hesitantly followed, wondering if they were making a mistake as they entered the warehouse.

"Sorry about that," Professor Stevens told them. "I'm not the most popular person in town right now. It's better if no one sees me. But come on, let's take care of your Pikachu."

He led them through the warehouse, and the Trainers looked around at their surroundings. The place did indeed appear to be a laboratory of some sort, but it looked like a hurricane had come through recently, and the place was still in the process of being cleaned up. When they asked the professor about it, he hesitated before replying that it that it had been an experiment that had gone wrong.

"You see," he explained as he set to work on the mechanical hands holding Pikachu," this facility is a branch of Silph Company. We do a lot of experiments and create many inventions to help the public. Sometimes things go wrong, but hey, that's the result of progress."

"I've heard of Silph Company," said Brock. "They have a major headquarters in Saffron City."

Professor Stevens nodded. "This place was chosen to provide a quieter more secure location for certain experiments. Unfortunately, my last experiment has caused the town quite a bit of trouble, which is why no one really likes me right now. Ah, got it!"

The mechanical hands opened, and Pikachu was released from their grip. Ash beamed and held his arms out to his little friend. "Pikachu!"

" Pika, Pi!" the electric mouse Pokemon cried, jumping into his arms.

Ash smiled at the professor. "Thanks a lot, Professor Stevens."

A smirk crept up the professor's face as he twirled around the screwdriver he was holding. "Glad I could help." The smile slowly slipped from his face, and he turned away. "It's the one good thing I could do."

Finding his words strange, Ash exchanged a bewildered look with his friends. "What's up with that?" he wondered out loud, voicing the thoughts of the other two.

Exchanging his screwdriver for a pencil, he turned back to the Trainers with a forced smile. "Now, if you'll let me take a look at your map, I'll mark the path you'll need to take to get to your destination."

"Thanks," Ash muttered, somewhat suspiciously, "but we don't need to leave right away."

Brock nodded. "Yeah, we need to restock a bit, and pay a visit to the Pokemon Center."

"And I've been dying to sleep in a real bed," Misty added.

Professor Stevens frowned. "I see. Well, I can show you where the nearest shop is, but I would advice that you leave after that."

"How come?" Brock asked.

The professor sighed. "Lets just say that this isn't the best time to visit Cotton Town. In fact, several families have already fled due to..." He hesitated, then shook his head. "It's just best that you get what you need and leave."

Before they could question him further, a window shattered as a rock went through the glass. Professor Stevens yelped and crouched down, covering his head as angry voices rose up from the outside. Ash and his friends ran to the window to find that a group of people had gathered outside. They were shouting and waving their fists, some looking ready to tear the warehouse apart

"It's all your fault!" shouted a member of the angry mob.

"You've doomed us all!" cried another.

"Why did you have to play with forces beyond your understanding?"

"No one wants you here anymore! Get out!"

Misty stared at the angry mob in bewilderment. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure," said Brock, "but these people sure are angry about something."

Behind them, Professor Stevens remained crouched down in the fetal position with his eyes closed and his hands over his head as he chanted. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

The three Trainers stared at him before a determined look crossed Ash's face. "Come on, we've got to stop this."

His friends nodded in agreement, and they hurried outside. The crowd paid them no mind as they continued to shout at the professor cowering inside. Another angry townsfolk picked up another rock and threw it at the broken window.

"Pikachu, Thundershock!" Ash ordered.

" Pikachu!" A bolt of electricity was fired from the electric mouse Pokemon, shattering the rock to bits. The angry townsfolk turned their attention to the three Trainers, not happy that they were interfering.

"Hey, get out of here, you kids!" a member of the mob demanded.

"You get out of here!" Ash shot back. "You're destroying private property!"

"He deserves it! That man doomed us all with his little science experiment!"

Ash just growled, refusing to back down. Behind him, Misty and Brock stood at the ready, prepared to send out their Pokemon if they had to. It didn't come to that though as a siren was heard, and a blue-haired policewoman rode up on her motorcycle. Ash and his friends immediately recognized Officer Jenny. Family names, appearances, and occupations certainly went hand in hand with law enforcement, and this Jenny was undoubtedly related in some way to the countless other Officer Jennys they had met in their travels.

Hopping off her motorcycle, she stood between the Trainers and the angry mob with her hands out. "Alright, alright, break it up, everyone! You people," she looked at the angry mob, "you have no business being here. Go on home and take care of whatever you need to, just stay away from here."

The mob did not look willing to comply. "But, Officer Jenny," one of them complained, "you know what he did."

"Yes, I do," she argued back, "and it was a terrible accident. But that's all that it was, an accident. Now, all of you get out of here before another accident happens and someone gets hurt."

Grumbling, the crowd began to disperse. Officer Jenny let out a relieved sigh and lowered her arms as the three Trainers looked on, two in admiration, one with a dopey look on his face.

"Officer Jenny is so great," Brock awed dreamily. "No matter which one it is, I always love to see her take charge."

Finally turning to the three of them, the policewoman placed her hands on her hips. "This is a pretty small town. I know just about every person in it, but I haven't seen you three before."

Ash shook his head. "No, Officer Jenny, we just got lost in the woods and ended up here."

"I see," she replied, throwing a leg over her bike. "Well, you kids had best move along, and I do mean from this town. Times are dangerous here, and I wouldn't want you getting hurt."

Without another word, she sped off on her bike. Completely confused, Ash and Misty shared as look. "What did she mean, we could get hurt?" the latter asked.

"I don't know," Brock muttered, still blushing profoundly, "but Officer Jenny can hurt me anytime."

A vein throbbed in Misty's temple as she impatiently gave his ear a yank. "Focus!"

Ash motioned for them to go back inside, and they went back into the warehouse. They found Professor Stevens hiding under a table, shaking like a leaf, and they sweat-dropped.

Finally taking notice of them, Professor Stevens poked his head out. "Are they gone?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, they're gone. What was that about?"

" Pikachu?"

" Toge, Toge, Piiii."

Sighing, the professor crawled out from under the table. "That was the reason why I suggested you leave. Cotton Town has become a dangerous place."

Misty cocked her head to the side. "Because of those people?"

He shook his head. "Because of me, of what I unleashed."

Brock crossed his arms, not seeing what could have possibly stirred up such an angry mob. "And what is that?"

Sighing, Professor Stevens adjusted his glasses. "I might as well show you; the world will find out eventually."

He motioned for them to follow, and he led them further through the lab. The Trainers couldn't help but notice that the farther in they ventured, the more rundown the lab looked. No, not rundown, but destroyed, as if a violent-natured Pokemon had rampaged through it.

They eventually came to a sealed door that required a code to enter. Professor Stevens punched in the code, and the door slid open. "This is where all the projects are kept."

The Trainers entered the room and gasped at what they saw. Various inventions and technology they had never seen filled the room. Most of it was broken in some way, but a good deal was still intact.

"What is all this?" Brock awed.

The professor walked them through the room, pointing out a few things. "Like I said, these are different projects Silph Company has been working on. Most of them are prototypes, but they still work. Like this," he picked up what looked like a handheld telescope, "this is the Silph Scope. With it, you can see through illusions Pokemon might create, or even see them if they turn invisible."

"Hey, that'd come in handy if you were trying to catch a Ghost Pokemon," Ash noted.

The professor nodded. "If you want to catch Pokemon," he picked up what seemed to be a PokeBall with the letter M on it, "this is what we call the MasterBall. It will automatically capture any Pokemon without fail, and without needing to weaken it first."

"Whoa, really?" Brock awed.

Ash, however, was frowning. "That doesn't seem very fair. There's no challenge or need to prove yourself if you can just capture any Pokemon with no effort."

The professor wobbled his head. "Well, it's only a prototype. It has a one out of 65,536 chance of failing. So really, it has a 99.994 percent chance of automatically capturing any Pokemon without fail."

Ash looked at him with hooded eyes. "Oh, well if it's only a 99.994 percent chance..."

His sarcasm seemed to go unnoticed by the professor as he pointed to a multicolored ball. "If you want to make catching Pokemon easier, you could use this. This is the Pester Ball. It will temporarily stun a Pokemon, making it easier to capture. Or it could be used as a quick getaway if you need to escape from a Pokemon that's attacking you."

"Hey, what's this?" Misty asked, pointing at what could only be described as a cart of some kind.

Professor Stevens' face lit up. "Ah, that is the ZERO-ONE all-terrain safari vehicle. It's meant to explore different places in the world. It can acclimate itself to several different environments by using wheels, inflatable pontoons, and jet thrusters to travel across the ground, in the water, and even through the air. The ZERO-ONE has no steering mechanism. Oh, and this goes along with it." He patted what looked like a doorframe. "It's called the goal gate. It's not finished yet, but this baby will eventually allow you to use the ZERO-ONE to teleport from one goal gate to the another."

Ash's eyes practically popped out of his head. "Whoa, really?"

" Pika?" Pikachu marveled.

A chuckle escaped the professor; it was obvious he enjoyed talking about his work. "If you think that's impressive, just take a look at this." He walked over to a massively large machine that seemed to be built into the wall. "This is a time machine. It doesn't work yet, but I'm hoping to find a way to duplicate Celebi's ability to travel through time."

Misty laughed nervously. "That would be quite a feat."

The smile slipped from the professor's face. "Yes, well, unfortunately, I've learned that just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. Sadly, I never appreciated this philosophy until it was too late."

Ash was lost. "What do you mean?"

Sighing, Professor Stevens led them over to a giant machine that was very clearly broken. He placed a hand on it and gave the three Trainers a remorseful look. "This is an invention of mine, and the cause for all the town's problems."

Brock looked the machine up and down, unable to figure out its purpose. "What does it do?"

Another sigh escaped the professor. "It's a machine that's meant to open a doorway to another dimension."

"Another dimension!?" Ash exclaimed.

" Pikachu!?"

"You can do that?" Misty marveled.

The professor nodded. "There are other dimensions besides this one. Some are parallel universes, some are completely different. There are even some Pokemon in this world that originated from other dimensions."

"Like the Unown," said Brock, recalling their encounter with the alphabet Pokemon.

Professor Stevens nodded again. "I was first inspired to build this baby when I caught a glimpse of one of these other dimensions in my computer several years ago."

"What?" Ash glanced at the broken computer hooked up to the equally broken machine. "You saw a whole other dimension in your computer?"

The professor shook his head. "No, just a doorway leading to one. Actually, my Porygon discovered it, but it disappeared soon after, leaving no trace of it behind." He made a fist. "But I know what I saw, even if no one would believe me, and so I dedicated my life to trying to find that dimension again." His enthusiasm slowly died down. "I should have just forgotten what I saw that day."

Brock was getting a bad feeling, and almost regretted asking, "What happened?"

Removing his glasses, the professor rubbed his eyes. "With the help of my Pokemon, Porygon and Porygon 2, I attempted to build a machine that could create a portal to the dimension I had discovered. And after many years of trying, I was able to do so."

He lowered his hand and put his glasses back on. "But I was unable to keep the doorway open. It just wouldn't stabilize, and it would collapse after a few seconds. I kept the results of my experiments to myself, because I didn't want anyone else to take the credit, not after they spent years laughing at me."

He gave the Trainers a series look. "Then, one day, something happened that I hadn't anticipated." He paused for dramatic affect. "Something came through."

Shocked gasps escaped the Trainers and Pikachu as they stared at the professor in disbelief. "No way," Brock marveled. "What was it?"

Sighing, the professor dropped down in a chair. "A monstrous creature unlike anything I had ever seen before. It looked like a demon straight out of Hell. I tried not to judge it by its appearance, but it was as wicked as it was terrifying."

"Was it a Pokemon?" Ash asked.

Professor Stevens shook his head. "No. It was a creature similar to a Pokemon, but not a Pokemon. It was a Digital Monster, or Digimon for short."

"A Digimon..."

" Pika, Pika."

The professor nodded shamefully. "This Digimon, he said his name was Devimon, and he's pure evil. He attacked my Pokemon and caused the destruction you see in my lab. Then he declared that he was the new ruler of this world, and that he would start by taking over the town."

"Didn't anyone try to stop him?" Misty asked, unable to believe that anyone would just accept this Devimon's leadership.

"Of course!" Professor Stevens exclaimed. "Many of the townsfolk are Pokemon Trainers, and Officer Jenny even had her entire Growlith attack force fight, but Devimon is so powerful that he easily defeated anyone who challenged him. No, I fear nothing short of a Legendary Pokemon will be able to stand up to Devimon."

Brock crossed his arms, thinking about the various Legendaries they had encountered on their journeys. "A Legendary Pokemon, huh?"

Misty seemed to be of similar mind. "Too bad we can't call Lugia or Celebi."

"Yeah," Ash agreed, "or Mewtwo."

Both Brock and Misty immediately clamped their hands over his mouth. "Ixnay on the 'ewtwoM-nay," the former whispered, reminding him that they were not supposed to let Mewtwo's existence be known.

It seemed that they were safe, as the professor seemed to have assumed that he had said 'Mew too', and his eyes widened in amazement. "You've seen Lugia, Celebi, and Mew? That's pretty impressive."

Misty immediately ran with this, trying to take the focus off Ash's slip of the tongue. "Oh, we've seen a lot more than that. We've seen an Entei, a Suicune, the Legendary Birds, the Eon Duo-"

"Pikachu and I even saw a Ho-Oh our first day together," Ash added. "Though I didn't know what it was at the time."

Professor Stevens' eyes were wide with astonishment. "That's... quite a resume. Even the greatest of Trainers will be lucky to even get a glimpse of a single Legendary Pokemon."

Smirking, Ash arrogantly rubbed his finger beneath his nose. "Must be because I'm the chosen one." His friends all sweat-dropped.

The professor continued to look impressed, but then he sighed sadly. "It doesn't matter. Even if a Legendary Pokemon does eventually defeat Devimon, I'm afraid he'll cause for too much damage by then. He doesn't plan on stopping with Cotton Town. This is just the beginning. He's going to make an example out of us."

Brock didn't like the sound of that. "What does that mean?"

The professor glanced at the clock nervously. "He gave us one week to decide whether or not we would accept him as our master, otherwise he would kill us all. Either way, it will teach other cities and towns that obeying him is the best course of action."

Ash held up a fist. "We're not going to let that happen. We'll find a way to stop him."

Professor Stevens just shook his head again. "I'm afraid it's too late. Tonight is the deadline."

But Ash wasn't deterred. "Then we still have time. You with me, Pikachu?"

" Pika!"

Smirking, he looked back at the professor. "I need to use your phone."

Unbeknownst to them, three pairs of eyes stared down at the group from up in the air duct. Having come crashing through the roof of the warehouse, Team Rocket had made their way through the facility, taking cover when the professor and his guests had arrived.

"What do you think?" Jessie asked her companions.

James was smiling broadly. "It sounds like this Devimon would make an excellent addition to Team Rocket. We should capture it for the boss."

Meowth, however, seemed less enthusiastic. "I don't mean to rain on your parade, but how are you plannin' ta catch t'at t'ing?"

The two humans blinked. They hadn't exactly considered that. If Devimon wasn't a Pokemon, they wouldn't be able to catch it like they would a wild Pokemon.

Jessie smirked. "We'll leave it to the twerps. Once they weaken Devimon, we'll swoop in and snatch it."

"And take it straight to the boss," James added, catching on.

Meowth grinned as well. "And maybe we can even nab Pikachu too."

The three villains chuckled gleefully.

Chapter 4: Making Preparations
The older DigiDestined didn't take as active rolls in the Digital World as the newer ones due to the responsibilities they had in the Real World, but they did at least attempt to be present during the meetings. And for a meeting as important as this, they were all present, having commandeered the computer lab at the school in order to communicate with those in the Digital World.

With the exception of Patamon and Gatomon, who were in their Rookie and Champion forms, the other four Digimon were in their In-Training forms; it made it easier for them to pass themselves off as stuffed animals, allowing their human partners to blend in with the other children rather than stand out as the heroes that saved the world from evil Digimon like MaloMyotismon, Armageddemon, and such.

The older DigiDestined's Digimon were present as well, only they were on the computer screen, broadcasting from the Digital World. Gennai was with them as well, listening to the report the newer DigiDestined had given in regards to their encounter with Devimon.

" Hmm," he muttered, thinking over what they had told him. "This is indeed troubling. And you have no idea where he went?"

TK shook his head. "None. It certainly wasn't the Real World; we would have heard about it here by now if it had been. From the sound of it, it's a completely undiscovered world."

Yolei was tapping her chin. "Couldn't he have gone to that freaky wish-granting dimension Owikawa ended up in when he tried to get to the Digital World?"

Though he was taking part in the meeting, Izzy was busy typing away on another computer. "It's possible, but very unlikely. That place was more of a space between the worlds rather than a world itself, which was why reality was so distorted there. And there's really nowhere for him to go once he's there anyway, so he likely would have just broken through the layers to either the Real World or the Digital World rather than just remain there if that was where he ended up."

Beside him, Mimi scowled, giving the computer he was typing on what could almost be passed as a look of jealousy. Reaching over, she grabbed the back of his shirt, yanking him away from the computer. "Would you get off that thing and pay attention! We're trying to find out where Devimon went."

Seemingly completely oblivious to the true source of her irritation, he pulled away, giving her a frustrated look. "That's what I'm trying to do too. I'm going over the flow of data around the area where Devimon disappeared to see where it leads."

On the other computer screen, Tentomon raised a limb in praise. "If anyone can figure it out, Izzy, it's you."

Gennai cleared his throat. "In any case, I'm afraid Izzy is right. It looks like Devimon went somewhere else."

"Could it be that dimension Davis, Veemon, Agumon, and I went to in order to fight Quartzmon?" Tai asked.

"Or maybe even the Dark Ocean," his sister suggested.

It was Izzy who answered, once again back on his computer. "I've already contacted the DigiDestined from that world, along with the DigiDestined of the other worlds that also joined in the fight with Quartzmon. There's been no signs of any anomalies to suggest that Devimon ended up there."

"That's too bad," said Matt, "we could have just warned those DigiDestined, and they could have taken care of Devimon for us; they're certainly strong enough."

Sora walked over and took a look at Izzy's computer. "What about the anomalies in our Digital World? Couldn't we just use one of those to follow after him?"

On the other computer, Gennai shook his head. "That's no longer an option. The anomalies have stopped appearing. It seems that whatever was causing them was happening from whatever world Devimon ended up in, and he put a stop to it."

A frightening thought suddenly occurred to Joe, and he did his best to hide his panic. "Hold on! You don't think he got online, do you? Some of us were able to get on the internet in order to fight Diaboromon. Did he find out how?"

Izzy was still unconcerned as he continued to type away. "The internet is fine. Someone would have noticed if Devimon was online."

On the computer, Agumon waved to get attention. "These anomalies were coming from a world of technology, we know that much at least, so it must be a dimension similar to the human world."

Gennai tapped his chin. "He's right, but that still doesn't give us much to go on. There are several worlds that have learned to use and access data in order to tap into the Digital World, and more and more worlds are discovering it as well. Why, just a few years ago, another version of the human world created an online virtual realm called OZ where an artificial intelligence called Love Machine was unleashed."

Matt raised an eyebrow. "OZ? Love Machine? Are you making those up?"

DemiVeemon suddenly jumped onto Davis' head. "Who cares about that? Lets just find a way to go after Devimon."

Izzy didn't even take his eyes off the computer. "I already have a solution for that."

All heads turned to him in surprise. "How'd you figure that out?" TK asked in astonishment.

Finally looking away from the computer, he turned to them. "It's the same way we got from the Digital World to the Real World the first time."

Davis took out his Digivice, which was very different from the first generation's Digivices. "You mean with 'Digi-Port open'?"

Yolei sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Can you please stop talking."

A bit more sympathetic, Ken turned to their leader. "I think he was talking about the older DigiDestined."

Sora's eyes widened as it suddenly clicked. "Ah, the cards!"

Nodding, Izzy turned back to the computer and brought up the image of the ten Digimon Cards. "That's right. The same ones Myotismon used to get to the Real World. Ten cards, nine slots to place them in, and a whole lot of combinations."

Gennai nodded as well. "Yes, I told you there were other worlds out there. Depending on how you arrange them, and which ones you use, each combination opens a door to a different world or parallel universe."

Cody's eyes were wide with amazement as he began to calculate the countless variables. "That's a lot of worlds."

"I'll say," Davis agreed. "Ten cards, none slots, there's got to be hundreds of worlds out there." He immediately received strange looks from the others, and realized he must have gotten the math wrong. "Um, I mean thousands." More stares. "Er, millions?"

Izzy resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Anyway, the real problem isn't getting to whatever world Devimon went to, but figuring out which world it is."

"Billions?" Davis asked.

"We're done talking about how you're failing math!" Yolei snapped at him.

Sitting on Kari's lap, Gatomon looked at the ten cards on screen worriedly. "We can't possibly try out each and every combination and hope we get lucky. That'll take forever."

"Trillions?"

"Davis!"

Sighing, Izzy arranged the cards on the screen in the order they had used to get from the Digital World to the Real World. "It seems the basic order opens a doorway to the Real World. Swapping out the Gomamon card for the Agumon card opens one to the Digital World."

In Cody's arms, Upamon glanced up at his partner. "But didn't that open the doorway to that weird dimension Owikawa ended up in?"

Izzy was typing again. "Not quite. Like I said, that was the space between worlds. The reason why it seemed to grant you wishes was because the rules of reality weren't entirely established. You only ended up there because BlackWarGreymon used his body to seal the pathway to the Digital World in that location. AHH!"

The others jumped as he suddenly cried out. "What was that for?" Tai demanded.

"BlackWarGreymon!" he exclaimed. "He could help us!"

Gennai looked thoughtful. "Yes, that could work. He should be able to trace the distortion caused by the anomalies back to the source. From there, we should be able to determine what order to arrange the cards in to open up a doorway to wherever Devimon went to."

While Izzy and Gennai seemed to be excited by this prospect, the others seemed confused. "Hey," said Yolei, "how can BlackWarGreymon help? He was an artificial Digimon created from Control Spires."

"Yeah," Cody agreed, "they just disappear once they're destroyed."

Gennai nodded. "Yes, ordinarily, you would be right, but as I'm sure you're aware, BlackWarGreymon was no ordinary Control Spire Digimon. He managed to gain sentience and free will. After his body broke down and he used it to seal the entrance to the Digital World, he became a type of spiritual being that now guards and protects the borders between the worlds."

"No, way! That's amazing!" TK exclaimed. He looked at Izzy. "You knew about this?"

The older boy nodded. "I found traces of his data that were still active and was able to establish communication with him. I didn't want to say anything because... well, I thought it would be hard. He's still technically gone..."

A sad silence descended over the group as they thought about their old enemy turned ally. No matter how much time had gone by, the loss still hurt.

Gennai cleared his throat. "Well, he's not gone completely, and I'm sure he'll be willing to help us. I'll work on getting in contact with him."

Izzy nodded. "And I'll get to work on figuring out which card order we'll need with the information you get."

Davis beamed. "Sounds like a plan. Everyone, lets get ready." He punched the air, and the others mimicked him with a cheer. Then he looked at Izzy questioningly. "So, zillions?"

"Davis!"

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Things were quiet in Charicific Valley, but Liza knew that that could change. The residential Charizard would often battle each other, strengthening their skills. Not that Liza minded; this was a place for the Charizard to train after all. Most were wild, able to come and go as they pleased, but a few belonged to Trainers, left here to train with the other Charizard.

One in particular was snuggling up with her own Charizard, nicknamed Charla. The sight of the mated pair made Liza smile. She wondered how long it would be before the two of them had a bunch of little Charmander running around. That would certainly be a surprise to Charizard's Trainer.

Yes, Ash's Charizard had improved greatly since it started staying here. Not only had it gotten a lot stronger, it had also matured a lot. That wasn't to say that Ash had been a bad Trainer. On the contrary, he had been a very good one, and certainly had a lot of love for his Pokemon. He'd simply been too inexperienced when it came to Training a Pokemon as powerful as Charizard.

The sound of her phone ringing brought her out of her thoughts, and she went to answer it. Upon clicking on the ANSWER button, the image of the Trainer she had just been thinking about appeared on screen, and she smiled at the coincidence.

" Hi, Liza," he greeted, waving at her.

Taking a seat, she scooted closer to the screen. "Ash, how are you? It's been a while. How's everyone doing?"

Brock suddenly pushed his way onto the screen, a deep blush on his face. "I'm doing fine! Seeing you again has my heart burning with the red hot intensity of every Charizard in Charicific Vall- AH!"

Misty had grabbed his ear and was pulling him away from he screen. "Cool off, hot head, this is an important call."

Sweat-dropping, Ash appeared on the screen again. "Sorry about that."

Liza chuckled in amusement. "I see Brock hasn't changed."

" Yeah, we're all doing fine. How's Charizard?"

She beamed. "Your Charizard is doing great. I take it you're calling about it?"

Ash smiled nervously. "Yeah, we have a bit of a problem, and I need Charizard's help. Do you think you could send it over?"

"Of course. Just tell me where you are, and I'll zap it right over."

A bashful look crossed Ash's face. "Yeah, about that... We're in Cotton Town, but there was a bit of an accident here, and the Pokemon transporter was damaged. So..."

Liza's eyebrows rose. "So you need Charizard to fly there?"

Ash just sighed. "I know it's a long way and really asking a lot..."

Liza just smiled and shook her head. "Nonsense. I don't think there's anything Charizard wouldn't do for you. I'll let it know right away."

" Thanks a lot."

"Not at all. It was nice talking to you again. Good luck with whatever you're dealing with."

" Thanks, and say hello to Charla for me."

"Will do. Later."

The screen went black. Liza got up and went to retrieve a map of Johto. Finding Cotton Town, she headed outside over to Charizard and Charla. "Hey, you two. You look like you're enjoying yourselves."

The two flame Pokemon glanced at her. "Charizard," the male responded in his own species' language.

She motioned for him to come closer. "I just got a call from Ash. He's in a bit of trouble and needs your help."

A flash of concern crossed Charizard's face, and he exchanged a look with Charla. "Char?"

Liza help up the map. "He didn't say what kind of trouble, but he's here in Cotton Town." She pointed to the location on the map, and Charizard bent down to get a look. "Unfortunately, the Pokemon transporter is down right now, so you're going to have to fly there. Think you can manage it?"

Standing up straight, Charizard spread his wings and breathed a stream of fire into the air. "Zard!"

Liza chuckled. "Yeah, I know you can. Go show him how strong you've become."

The flame Pokemon nodded and looked back at Charla. She nuzzled against him for a moment before licking his cheek. Charizard roared his determination and took to the air, disappearing over the wall of the valley a few seconds later.

Liza watched him go, smiling. "You made good choice, Charla."

The flame Pokemon just cooed.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Professor Stevens was busy showing Brock and Misty another one of his inventions. An instant Pokemon Restoration Machine he called it. Placing the PokeBalls of Bayleef, Onix, and Staryu onto the machine, he pressed a button. "Ok, here we go."

A bright light flashed along with six pings, and a moment later, they were done. Taking Onix and Staryu's PokeBalls, he handed them back to their Trainers. "And we're all set. You're Pokemon are fighting fit."

Misty took Staryu's PokeBall, looking amazed. "That's really it? Staryu's all better?"

The professor nodded. "This machine duplicates the ability Recover . Although we're still years away from it, it's my hope to one day have them installed in every Pokemon Center."

Brock immediately recoiled from him. "W-What!? You want to render Nurse Joy obsolete!? Absolutely not! I won't allow it!"

Professor Stevens sweat-dropped and held his hands up defensively. "N-Now, calm down. I never said anything of the sort. We'll still need Nurse Joy to operate it. And there's other medical treatment Pokemon may need that my machine can't fix; like if a Pokemon is sick, or if it has any broken bones or other injuries. All my machine does is replenish a Pokemon's strength and renew their energy."

"Hmm," Brock grumbled, staring at him suspiciously. "Well, I guess that's ok then. But I've got my eye on you."

Misty just sighed. Then she noticed Ash coming over to them, and she handed him Bayleef's PokeBall. "Here you go, Ash. Bayleef's all better."

"Thanks," he said, accepting the PokeBall. "Charizard is on its way. Hopefully it will get here before Devimon's deadline."

A frown crossed the professor's face. "I really appreciate this, but I don't want you to put yourselves or your Pokemon in danger. I don't even think a Charizard is a match for Devimon."

Ash just smirked, placing his hands on his hips. "Don't you worry. My Charizard is tough. I know he can win. Right, Pikachu?"

" Pika!"

Despite the situation, a small smile grazed the professor's face. "It's great that you have such faith in your Pokemon. It always does my heart good to see that bond." He closed his eyes in longing. "I sure miss my Porygon and Porygon 2."

Ash frowned. "Why? What happened to them?"

"Yeah," said Misty. "I remember you saying that Devimon defeated them. What happened to them after that?

Professor Stevens sighed. "They were confiscated by Officer Jenny. After I set Devimon loose on the world, I was deemed unsuitable to have Pokemon." He looked at the destroyed machine that had caused all this. "I've been trying to repair my machine so I could find a way to send him back, but even if I do manage to fix it, I won't be able to get it working without Porygon and Porygon 2."

Ash grabbed at the air. "Well don't you worry, we'll beat Devimon, and then you'll get them both back."

The professor looked grateful for the boy's enthusiasm, but was still doubtful. "I want to believe that, but you haven't seen Devimon's power. You don't know what he's capable of."

The three Trainers exchanged uncertain looks. It was true, they didn't know what this Devimon was like. Professor Stevens had made it clear that he was stronger than most Pokemon, but not as strong as a Legendary. From what he had told them, no one in town possessed a Pokemon on Charizard's level, but he still seemed to think Devimon was superior.

"Well, what is he like?" Brock asked, not sure if he wanted to know. "What can he do? What's he look like?"

Sighing, the professor sat down. Taking up a pencil and paper, he began to draw. "He resembles a man, but he's nothing like one. He's tall, about ten feet, maybe more, and he has wings like a Golbat, and horns growing out of his head. And he's got these dark powers. They're like Pokemon attacks, only pure evil. I've never seen anything like it."

He held up the sketch for them to see. It was a very crude drawing, horribly done, but it definitely got the point across. Even from a simple sketch, it was clear that Devimon was not friendly.

Ash took the drawing, examining it closely. "This is Devimon?"

"He certainly looks nasty," Brock observed.

The professor shrugged. "I'm not the best drawer, but yes, he's very frightening. And I was the one who brought him to our world." He glanced at his machine. "I wish I had never started this stupid project."

"Hey now," Misty gently scolded, "it's not like you had any bad intentions."

The professor shook his head. "That may be, but I should have considered the consequences of my actions rather than just blindly charging forward." He grasped his head. "I was so focused on whether or not I could get my machine working, I didn't stop to think if I should, or what would happen if I managed to pull it off. I just wanted to show everyone that I wasn't crazy."

Ash felt bad for the guy. He could certainly relate to him. He thought back to his battle with Fearow earlier. When he had first thrown a rock at it when it was a Spearow, he hadn't been thinking either; he just wanted to catch a Pokemon, and had resorted to a rather crude and unorthodox method of doing so. As a result, he had led that Spearow down a path of hate, and the violent and ruthless Fearow was the outcome.

"Well, the good news is that any mistake can be corrected," he replied. "Just you wait, we'll beat Devimon, and then you can get Porygon and Porygon 2 back."

Pika, Pika, Pikachu."

The professor just sighed. "I hope you're right."

Chapter 5: Pokemon vs. Digimon
They still weren't sure how he had done it, but in a matter of hours, Izzy had managed to somehow get in contact with BlackWarGreymon's essence, or whatever was left of him. With the former Control Spire Digimon's help, they managed to find the world Devimon had ended up in, and discover the correct order the cards needed to be placed in to open a door to that world.

"The cards need to be arranged in the opposite order they would go in to get to the Digital World," he had told them. "This has to be more than a coincidence. Hmm, I wonder if that means this world runs parallel to it."

As was the norm, the six newer DigiDestined would be taking up the burden of hunting down Devimon. That was how they found themselves standing outside the gateway Myotismon had used to get to the Real World. The nine card slots were empty, waiting for the appropriate cards to be placed in them.

"So you're sure we'll be able to use our Digivices to get back?" Davis asked uncertainly.

Yolei placed her hands on her hips. "Yeah, we don't want to end up stranded in another world."

Gennai was standing beside them, having accompanied them to the ancient castle where the Legendary Doors rested. "If they have computers, and Izzy surmised that there's a good chance that they do, you should be able to return with the standard 'Digi-Port open' command, just as you do to get to and from the Digital World."

"And if they don't?" Kari asked.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," TK replied.

Gatomon was still in her Champion form, but the others had become Rookies once more, and Veemon seemed particularly excited. "This is awesome! A whole new world to explore. I can't wait to see it."

"Don't be too excited," Hawkmon warned. "We have no idea what type of world we're about to enter. The life forms there could be hostile."

Davis pointed to the door. "Well, there's only one way to find out. Gennai, make it happen."

The Digital human nodded and placed the cards on the panel in the order Izzy had indicated. A few seconds of silence passed, and then the large stone doors opened to reveal a hallway of light.

"There's your path," Gennai told them. "It should lead to relatively the same location Devimon was transported to in that world since that spot should be weak from the anomalies that were produced before."

"Sounds good," TK replied. By his side, his finger reached out and touched the back of Kari's hand. "Ready for a new adventure?"

She smiled at him and nodded. "Yeah."

Ken knelt down beside his partner Digimon. "I promise, Wormmon, I won't lose myself this time."

The bug Digimon raised his arms. "Are you still worrying about when you became the Digimon Emperor? Come on, you know it wasn't your fault. It was the Dark Spores Millenniummon released influencing you."

"Either way, this time we're sticking together."

Patamon fluttered forward. "Actually, about that, you should probably let us go in first."

Gatomon nodded in agreement. "That's a good idea. This way we can take care of any potential threats that might be on the other side."

Cody frowned. "Are you sure that's a good idea? If you run into trouble, you won't be able to Digivolve without us."

Gatomon raised her claws. "If Devimon can hold his own there, then I can too; I'm also a Champion."

"Just give us a minute or two," Armadillomon suggested. "Then you can come in after us."

The DigiDestined exchanged uncertain looks, but reluctantly admitted that they had a point. Their Digimon were more durable and capable of fighting back than they were.

A sigh escaped Davis. "Ok, fine. But no more than two minutes. Three tops."

Veemon gave him a thumbs up. "You got it. We'll have everything wrapped up by then." He turned back to the door. "Ok, everybody, lets go!"

Without further delay, they charged through the doorway and into the light.

(-)-(-)-(-)(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

The flash of light startled Professor Stevens and the three Trainers, and they turned to the source. The professor's eyes widened as his machine, his broken machine, seemed to be producing a new portal. He didn't see how that was possible since it was not only broken, but turned off as well, and without the power source of his Porygon and Porygon 2, yet it was clear that another portal was manifesting.

"This can't be!" he exclaimed. "How is this possible?"

"What's going on?" Brock cried over the sound of the air crackling.

The professor couldn't tear his eyes away. "A new doorway is forming. Something else must be coming through."

Misty felt a rush of panic. "You mean from Devimon's dimension?"

The professor nodded. "This is bad. Devimon might be bringing in reinforcements."

" Pika, Pika, Pika."

Somehow understanding, Ash nodded. "Yeah, we should fight."

Brock placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ash, wait, we don't know what we're up against. We should take cover and see what comes through first."

"Brock's right, Ash. We don't want to put our Pokemon in danger."

The portal had fully formed, and whatever was coming through was slowly becoming visible in the light. Ash just growled. "Alright, fine, everyone hide."

They ducked behind anything big enough for them to hide behind. Moments later, six strange creatures stepped out of the portal. They had never seen anything like them before. They looked like they could be Pokemon, but certainly nothing like the drawing of Devimon.

"Are they Digimon?" Ash whispered to Pikachu.

" Pika."

The creatures looked around, observing their environment. Based on their postures and expressions, they looked like they had been ready for a fight. But upon seeing that there was no one around, they relaxed a bit.

"So this is the place," said the bird-like creature as the portal behind them closed. "Looks a lot like the human world."

The armadillo-like creature looked around some more. "Well, there's different technology, but I guess that's to be expected."

"I do hope this is the right place," said the insect-like creature, and Misty shivered at the sight of it.

One of the creatures seemed to be flying in the air with wings that looked like ears. "According to BlackWarGreymon, Izzy, and Gennai, it is, and I trust them."

"Me too," the blue creature replied. "Now enough talking, we've got a job to do before the others come. Be ready to attack. If anyone stands in our way, we'll fight our way through. Now come on, lets get 'em!"

Ash had had enough. He wasn't about to let these invaders go around attacking people. They didn't look that tough; he was sure they could take them.

Jumping out of his hiding place, he pointed at the blue one that had commanded its comrades to attack. "Pikachu, Thundershock!"

The electric mouse Pokemon leapt off his shoulder and fired a bolt of electricity. "Pikachuuu!"

The blue creature's eyes widened in surprise moments before the attack hit him. His body lit up and his skeleton was visible as the electricity flowed through him. He dropped to the ground smoking, and breathed out a small black cloud. "That was shocking."

The others were instantly on guard again as the other Trainers and Professor Stevens crawled out of their hiding places. The cat-like creature hissed at them, her fur standing on end. "Heads up, you guys. Looks like we're going to have some trouble after all."

"We can take 'em," the blue creature replied, getting to his feet. "We'll show them not to mess with us."

"You're the ones that doesn't know who you're messing with," Ash replied.

Out of habit, or perhaps hoping he could get some information on them, he pointed his PokeDex at the group of creatures. "No Pokemon data available," the electric voice stated.

Ash stared at the device. "So they're really not Pokemon." Or they were simply an undiscovered species. Either way, he wasn't about to let them run amuck. "Well, I don't know who you are, but I'm not about to let you do whatever you want."

The blue creature glared at him. "The name's Veemon, and these are my friends, Wormmon, Hawkmon, Armadillomon, Gatomon, and Patamon. And if it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you'll get."

"I'd advice you to stand down," Wormmon replied. "We've got you outnumbered."

Ash grabbed at the PokeBalls on his belt. "Then let me even the odds. Cyndaquil, Bayleef, Totodile, Noctowl, Phanpy, I choose you!"

He tossed the PokeBalls out, and five more Pokemon appeared, making it six on six. Glares were exchanged between the two groups as they stared each other down.

Ash glanced back at his friends. "I don't know how strong these guys are, but it'll be up to you to beat them if I can't."

Brock nodded. "You can count on us."

"Take them down, Ash," Misty told him.

It seemed that even without being told, each Pokemon and Digimon decided who their opponent would be. Veemon was looking for some payback with Pikachu, while Gatomon was staring down Bayleef. Patamon's gaze was locked with Noctowl, Wormmon's with Totodile, Hawkmon with Cyndaquil, and Armadillomon with Phanpy.

"We don't have much time before the others come," Gatomon reminded her companions. "Lets wrap this up fast."

In the corner, tears of depression ran down Professor Stevens' face as he foresaw the coming damage. "My lab..."

The two groups charged at each other. Bayleef made the first move with her Razor Leaf. Gatomon countered with her Cat Punch, knocking away the leaves. Bayleef attempted to use her Vine Whip next, but Gatomon jumped over the whipping vines and delivered a Neko Kick to Bayleef's head. She cried out and then began spinning her leaf, knocking the cat Digimon away.

" Bay!" she cried, following up with a Body Slam, flattening the cat Digimon beneath her.

Gatomon grunted in pain and glared up at her. Displaying strength her size belittled, she threw the much larger leaf Pokemon off her and jumped to her feet. "Cat Laser!" she cried, firing a beam.

Doing a backflip in the air, Bayleef had prevented herself from crashing into the wall. Seeing the attack coming for her, she ducked beneath the beam. Rising to her feet, she unleashed her Sweet Scent. A pink cloud of powder flowed over to the cat Digimon. A dreamy look appeared on her face as Gatomon felt her head go fuzzy. Bayleef used the opportunity to Tackle her.

Gatomon was knocked back by the attack, but it was enough to clear her sense of the Sweet Scent. She saw Bayleef coming at her with her Headbutt attack, and she rushed forward with her Lightning Paw. Her fist struck Bayleef's head, the impact creating a shockwave that sent them both flying backwards.

Hawkmon had been the first to make a move against his opponent, using his Feather Strike to throw the feather on his head like a boomerang. The fire mouse Pokemon vanished, moving almost too fast to see as it used its Agility. It reached Hawkmon in record time, and used Tackle.

The hawk Digimon stumbled back, but began flying to prevent from falling down. He soared towards Cyndaquil, latching onto his back, and began using his Beck Pecker, hammering Cyndaquil's forehead like a woodpecker.

" Quil!" the fire mouse Pokemon wailed, and ignited its back. Hawkmon screeched and let it go, his feet burning. Cyndaquil looked up as Hawkmon circled overhead and used its Flamethrower.

" Feather Strike!" Hawkmon repeated. His feather sliced through the stream of fire, but Cyndaquil jumped back to avoid it. Hawkmon used the opportunity to swoop down and use his Loop the Hawk, slicing Cyndaquil with his talons. "Cynda, Cynda, Quil!"

Hawkmon glared, accepting the fire mouse Pokemon's attempt to try his attack again. "As you wish. Loop the Hawk!"

Flipping in the air, he swooped down towards his opponent once again. This time, however, Cyndaquil was ready. It used its Smokescreen, breathing out a cloud of smoke that hid it from view. Hawkmon flew into the smoke, missing his target, and flew back out, coughing.

"A clever trick," he commented. "Lets take care of that."

He began flapping his wings, blowing away the smoke until Cyndaquil was revealed. The fire mouse Pokemon immediately used Swift, sending a series of stars flying at the hawk Digimon. Hawkmon flew out of their path, but much to his surprise, they followed him. He flew about the lab, trying to shake off the attack, but it was no use.

Finally, Cyndaquil breathed another stream of fire at him. He stopped, narrowly missing the flames, but allowing the stars to hit him. He dropped from the sky, but Cyndaquil was immediately on the attack again, using Flame Wheel. It plowed into Hawkmon before he even hit the ground, sending him flying.

Similarly, Phanpy had used its Rollout attack. Armadillomon mimicked it with his Diamond Shell, curling up and rushing towards the long nose Pokemon. Both spinning, they crashed together, knocking the other back. They came together again and again, sending sparks flying with each impact as they collided like two spinning tops trying to knock the other back.

With his hard armored body, Armadillomon had the advantage. Phanpy seemed to detect this, feeling itself weakening with each blow, and ceased its Rollout. Armadillomon, however, proceeded to spin towards it. But Phanpy had a surprise for him. Summoning up its energy, it unleashed a Hyper Beam. The attack completely blasted Armadillomon back, and he crashed into the wall, his body smoking. He remained stuck there for a few moments before uncurling and dropping to the ground upside-down with dizzy swirls in his eyes. "Boy, that's quite an attack."

Phanpy charged at him with its Take Down. Armadillomon blinked to clear his head and righted himself. He jumped out of the way, and Phanpy crashed into the wall.

" Diamond Shell!" he cried, rolling towards the long nose Pokemon again. Phanpy turned just in time to be slammed against the wall. Armadillomon came at him again, but Phanpy defended with Defense Curl. The impact still sent it flying into the wall again, where it bounced off it, landing behind Armadillomon.

Both uncurled at the same time, but Phanpy struck first with its Earthquake, striking the ground so the floor cracked apart, traveling over towards the armadillo Digimon. Armadillomon jumped out of the attack's path, but Phanpy followed up with Hidden Power. Balls of energy circled around it before being launched in different directions. One of the balls struck Armadillomon before he could stick the landing, knocking him back.

Phanpy attempted to use Take Down again. Armadillomon realized there was no time to avoid the attack and chose to defend against it instead with his Hard Brick, curling into a defensive ball. Phanpy knocked him into the wall, but he bounced off it, coming right back at the long nose Pokemon. He uncurled and used Claw Chopping, slashing Phanpy with his sharp claws, and his opponent cried out before collapsing.

The aerial battle was taking place between Patamon and Noctowl, but it soon became apparent that the mammal Digimon was at a disadvantage. Noctowl was using Sky Attack, glowing with energy as if it were on fire as it swooped through the air, attempting to strike its opponent. Little yelps escaped Patamon as he dodged the owl Pokemon's attacks, nearly getting hit several times.

" Boom Bubble!" he cried as Noctowl sped past him, inflating and unleashing a burst of air. The attack struck Noctowl in the back, and its Sky Attack dispersed. It turned to its opponent, but Patamon didn't give it a chance to attack as he slammed into it with his Air Slam.

Noctowl fluttered, screeching in frustration. Its eyes began glowing as it used Hypnosis. Patamon's eyelids immediately began to grow heavy as the hypnotic waves flowed over him, and the desire to take a nap grew. He started to descend, but the sudden drop jolted him awake, and he retaliated with his Thousand Wing, spinning around to send blades of wind at Noctowl.

The owl Pokemon grunted with each wind blade that struck it, but it countered with Whirlwind, and a heavy wind sent Patamon crashing into the wall. Noctowl began glowing again with Sky Attack, and shot towards Patamon. This time, however, the mammal Digimon was ready. He inflated himself and used Body Blow Tackle, and the two collided with each other.

Noctowl's attack was stronger, and Patamon went spinning through the air. Noctowl came at him again, and Patamon unleashed the air he held in the form of several blades of wind with his Areo Slash attack. Noctwol weaved around the blades of wind. It was about to plow into Patamon again, but the mammal Digimon surprised it by using his Wing Slap, timing it perfectly to slap Noctowl in the face with his ear-like wing.

" Sparkling Air Shot!" Patamon cried. He inflated again, his body glowing with energy, and unleashed a stronger glittering version of his Boom Bubble at point blank range.

Dazed, Noctowl was knocked back. It recovered quickly and screeched angrily. Its eyes began glowing with psychic power as Patamon dive-bombed at him while spinning with his Aerial Body Bomb Blow. Using Confusion, it blasted Patamon with psychic energy.

Crying out, Patamon went spinning through the air until he hit the wall. He looked back at Noctowl and prepared to attack, but something felt funny, as if he couldn't remember how to attack properly.

Unable to focus, when he attempted to use Boom Bubble, he forgot to open his mouth before unleashing his attack, hurting himself in his confusion and causing his ears to pop. Dazed, he drifted to the floor with dizzy swirls in his eyes. Noctowl didn't give him a chance to recover as its beak began glowing, and it used Peck, knocking the mammal Digimon off his feet.

Wormmon had his hands full with Totodile. The big jaw Pokemon was evading his attacks as he happily danced around, avoiding the thread-like needles the bug Digimon was spitting at him.

" Silk Thread!" Wormmon tried again, only to have Totodile avoid this one as well. The big jaw Pokemon seemed more like he was having fun rather than battling.

" Sticky Net!" Wormmon tried, spitting a net of sticky silk. Totodile simply leapt over it and used Water Gun, spraying a stream of eater that took Wormmon off his feet and slammed him against the wall.

Totodile began dancing around happily. "To, To, To, To, Totodile!"

Wormmon got up, wiping the water from his face. "That's some intense water pressure."

Shaking himself dry, he pulled a thread from his mouth with his Silk Thread attack and lashed it out at the big jaw Pokemon like a whip. Totodile jumped in the air, dodging it, and Wormmon whipped outward again. This time it snagged Totodile's foot, and he slammed him into the wall.

" Todi?" the big jaw Pokemon blinked in surprise. Wormmon pounced at him with his Rotating Tail Attack, spinning around and slashing with the pincers on his backside.

Totodile jumped to his feet and used Slash, his claws stopping Wormmon's pincers as they came together. Totodile then used Scary Face, and Wormmon flinched. This enabled Totodile to use Headbutt. The bug Digimon stumbled back with a big bump on his head.

Glaring at Totodile, he curled up and rolled at the big jaw Pokemon with his Rotating Head Slam. Totodile jumped up and landed on Wormmon's rolling body, running to remain on top. They crashed into the wall, and Totodile fell off as Wormmon uncurled.

" Worm Hang!" Wormmon cried, sending out a sticky thread, pulling Totodile towards him. He latched onto the big jaw Pokemon, using his thread to stick to him and began repeatedly head-butting him. Totodile grunted with each blow, and finally used Bite, chomping down on Wormmon's head. The bug Digimon cried out and tried to get away, but Totodile kept his jaws tightly clamped shut.

"Let go! Worm Scratch!" He slashed at Totodile with his mandible. The big jaw Pokemon's mouth opened in surprise, and Wormmon pulled free. He repeated the attack, but Totodile countered with Scratch. Sparks flew as the two continued swiping at each other, neither giving ground.

Totodile attempted to surprise Wormmon with Tackle, but Wormmon jumped back. Using his Random Roll, he curled up, bounced high in the air, and then plummeted towards Totodile, whipping his antennae. Totodile leapt away, and Wormmon's antennae struck the ground with a loud crack. He reacted quickly though, using his Silk Thread Gather, shooting silk in the shape of a hand. The silk threading grabbed Totodile's tail, and his eyes widened in surprise as he was yanked back down.

Wormmon spun the thread around, spinning Totodile with it and tossed him into the wall. He then used his Sticky Net, covering the big jaw Pokemon in the sticky substance, trapping him.

Veemon found himself at a grave disadvantage against Pikachu. The electric mouse Pokemon had speed and long-range attacks on his side, while nearly all of his attacks were meant for close combat. Most, but not all.

" Vee Shot!" he cried, firing a burst of energy from his mouth. Pikachu leapt over the attack and sped towards the dragon Digimon as Veemon's eyes studied his speedy opponent.

"Now!" he declared. "Vee Punch!"

His fist shot out, making contact. Pikachu went flying backwards, but did a flip in the air, landing on his feet. "Chu!"

He sent out a Thundershock. Veemon jumped up, avoiding the electric attack, and launched himself head first at Pikachu with his Veemon Head Spear. Pikachu countered with his Double-Edge, and the two crashed together.

But Pikachu underestimated Veemon's strength, and was knocked to the ground. The dragon Digimon came at him with his Gyral Punch, swinging his arms like windmills as he charged at his opponent. Pikachu simply unleashed a Thunderbolt. The electricity was everywhere, leaving Veemon nowhere to avoid it, and he was lit up once again.

Pikachu charged at him with Quick Attack, plowing into Veemon's gut. The dragon Digimon toppled over with Pikachu on top. The electric mouse Pokemon used Thunder, and a small thundercloud manifested above him long enough for a bolt of lightning to drop down and strike him, allowing him to unleash a powerful burst of electricity.

Veemon cried out as the electricity flowed through him. Pikachu charged at him before he could recover, tackling him to the ground. Gritting his teeth, Veemon glared up at Pikachu and delivered a Vee Punch, knocking his opponent off him. He jumped up and charged Pikachu with his Vee Headbutt, and Pikachu went tumbling back.

But the electric mouse Pokemon wasn't finished yet. He charged at Veemon as the dragon Digimon came at him with his Vee Knockout. Pikachu jumped up, avoiding the punch, while spinning around to smack Veemon in the face with his Shocking Tail. The dragon Digimon feel on his rear, his cheek stinging. Pikachu lunged at him again with his Double-Edge, but Veemon leaned back, allowing Pikachu to fly over him, and then reached out and grabbed him by the tail.

"Now I got you!" he declared, and began spinning him around. Pikachu was eventually lifted off the ground as Veemon gained speed with his spinning, the lab becoming a dizzy blur.

" Pikachu!" he cried, unleashing a Thunderbolt. Veemon realized his mistake of grabbing the electric mouse Pokemon a little too late as he was lit up. Pikachu's tail slipped from his grip, and the electric mouse Pokemon went flying head first into the wall.

Groaning in pain, Pikachu forced himself to his feet and turned back to Veemon, glaring. The dragon Digimon was standing in trembling legs, smoking, but still willing to fight.

The battle was only just beginning.

Chapter 6: Making Friends Out Of Enemies
"These guys are tough," said Brock. "They can fight on equal ground with Ash's Pokemon."

"We may need to send out ours to help," Misty suggested.

"Wait," said Ash, watching the battle between Pikachu and Veemon. He held up an empty PokeBall, taking aim. "Lets give this a try. PokeBall, go!"

He threw the red and white ball. It flew through the air, hitting Veemon in the face. "Ow! What was that?"

Ash's shoulders sank. "It didn't work. Guess they're really not Pokemon."

"Or they're owned by someone already," Brock pointed out. "Devimon?"

"Maybe."

As the battle continued, there was another flash as the portal appeared once more. The four humans looked at it in despair. Were more enemies appearing? It had only been two minutes; they'd barely had time to fight the first wave.

Veemon glanced over his shoulder at the portal. "Heads up, guys, looks like the others are coming."

"This could be bad," said Brock.

Misty took out one of her her PokeBalls. "Guess we'll have to fight after all. Go, Corsola!"

A different flash of light spilled out instead, this one flying from her bag. "Psy!"

Misty fell over. "Psyduck, you're not helping things! Return!"

But as Psyduck was drawn back into its PokeBall, the first figure within the portal stepped out of the light. The Trainers were shocked by what they saw. Rather than more Digimon, it was humans that appeared. Children too, only a couple of years older than Ash and Misty. They looked different though, like they belonged to a different ethnicity, which Professor Stevens assumed only made sense since they were from another dimension, but he was still surprised to see humans appear.

TK's eyes widened as he surveyed the battle scene. "What's going on here?"

"TK!" Patamon cried, and flew over to him.

The rest of the Digimon hurried over to their own partners as well, moving in front of them protectively.

"Veemon, what happened?" Davis asked.

"We ran into some trouble," the dragon Digimon told him.

"You're the ones who came looking for trouble!" Ash shouted at them.

" Pika, Pika!"

"Who are they?" Misty whispered to Brock.

"I'm not sure," he whispered back. "From the looks of it, I'd say they're the Digimon's Trainers."

Cody stared at the Trainers and their Pokemon. They had all gathered in front of him, even the blue crocodile-like one that had been bound by Wormmon's Sticky Net had managed to get free. "Well, we knew we might face some opposition."

"Alright," Davis cried, "everyone attack!"

Standing in formation each Digimon released an attack. Ash called for his Pokemon to counter, and they all released an attack of their own. The lab shook as their attacks met in the middle of the room, erupting into a series of small explosions. Tears continued to stream down the professor's cheeks as his lab was destroyed further. "My lab..."

As the attacks died down, Yolei stared at the Pokemon. "I've never seen anything like them before. Are they Digimon?"

"Whatever they are," said Davis, "they're certainly ungrateful, considering we came all this way to save them."

Ash blinked. "Save us? Hold up. What do you mean 'save us'?"

"We came here to stop someone from our world," TK replied.

Patamon fluttered beside him. "Yeah, a real nasty guy called Devimon."

"Devimon?" Misty repeated. "You mean you're not on his side?"

TK looked insulted. "No way! We would never side with that monster."

Kari touched his arm to calm him, then looked back at the others. "Devimon is an old enemy of ours that managed to escape to this world. We came here to stop him."

The next thing she knew, Brock was in front of her, grasping her hand. "I should have known that a creature as gorgeous as you couldn't possibly be evil!"

Davis' mouth dropped open in shock while the others simply looked bewildered. Kari didn't seem like she knew how to respond, but was saved as Misty grabbed Brock's ear and pulled him away. "We've already made a bad first impression, don't make it worse."

"What was that about?" Ken wondered out loud.

Yolei cut her eyes. "And why did he go to her instead of me?"

Professor Stevens cautiously approached. "Have you... really come to help us?"

"Of course," Hawkmon replied. "Why did you think otherwise?"

"Well..." the professor muttered, looking uneasy, "first Devimon came through the doorway and attacked, declaring how he was going to take over the world. Then you guys come through the same portal, and your little blue friend there said 'we've a job to do before the others come. If anyone stands in our way, we'll fight our way through. Now come on, lets get them'. So..."

Everyone turned to look at Veemon with hooded eyes. The dragon Digimon looked embarrassed as he bashfully rubbed the back of his head at his poor choice of words. "Well, when you put it that wayâ€¦ I guess it can be taken out of contents."

"Veemon!" the others complained.

"What? I was talking about Devimon. Lets get Devimon, that's what I was meant. You guys knew what I was talking about, right?"

"Well, yes, we did," said Hawkmon. "But how would you feel if a bunch of strange creatures came out of a portal and cried 'lets get 'em'? Especially if the last person who came out of that portal was Devimon."

A sigh of relief escaped Brock. "Well, it sounds as if this whole thing was just one big misunderstanding."

"Looks like it," Yolei agreed.

"Thank goodness," said Armadillomon. "I was afraid we were going to have to fight Devimon and everyone else we ran into in this world."

"That won't be a problem," Ash told him. "Most of the people and Pokemon in this world are really nice. Right, Pikachu?"

" Pikachu!" The electric mouse Pokemon approached Veemon and held out his hand in a gesture of peace. "Pika, Pikachu, Pi, Pikachu, Pika."

The dragon Digimon looked at his hand for a moment before smiling and shaking it. "Yeah, we're all good. Sorry for the misunderstanding. You're pretty strong, pal."

" Pika, Pika, Pikachu."

Veemon laughed, and bashfully rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, that's nothing. You should see me when I Digivolve."

Pikachu cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Pikachu?"

Veemon looked surprised by this. "What? You mean you guys don't Digivolve. That's weird; I thought you were the Digimon of this world. Do you just call it something else?"

The humans looked on in amazement as the two communicated with each other. Davis bent down to their level, looking lost. "Hey, Veemon, you can understand what he's saying?"

The dragon Digimon looked back at him. "Sure. You mean you can't?"

" We don't even understand them," said Brock. "Pokemon can only say their name. Well, really, they're named after what they say. Only a few species can speak human language."

"Well, we can understand them just fine," Wormmon told them.

Professor Stevens was tapping his chin curiously. "Fascinating. It seems similar to how Pokemon can understand each other. Perhaps these Digimon really are the Pokemon of the world they come from."

Ash felt it was safe to return all his Pokemon to their PokeBalls. Veemon recognized the red and white balls from being hit by one earlier and pointed at them. "Hey, that's the thing you threw at me. What is that? And where'd all your friends go?"

Ash blinked. "Hmm? Wait, you mean you guys don't use PokeBalls for your Digimon? Or DigiBalls, I guess you would call them."

"PokeBalls? DigiBalls?" TK repeated. He held up his Digivice. "Do you mean these? We call them Digivices."

Misty gave the device a curious look. "So you capture Digimon in those?"

Kari's eyes widened in surprise. "Capture? No, we use these to help our Digimon Digivolve."

"Digivolve?" Ash repeated. "Is that like Pokemon evolution for Digimon?"

Yolei punched the air. "I think it's time for a game of questions and answers!"

Professor Stevens was practically salivating as he grabbed a pen and notepad. This had been more along the lines of what he had been hoping for when he began his project. "I couldn't agree with you more! Lets begin!"

As the 'game' went, questions and answers were shot back and forth as the two groups learned about each other and the world they came from. Unbeknownst to them, they were not the only ones learning. Up in the air ducts, Team Rocket looked on with growling excitement as they listened in on the conversation.

Jessie looked at James, her eyes shining eagerly. "This is too good of an opportunity."

Her companion looked at her, equally as excited. "This will put us at the top of Team Rocket."

They looked down at the Digimon greedily. "If we bring those Digimon back to the boss..."

"We'll have brought him a prize unlike any other."

"Just imagine, Team Rocket, masters of the interdimensional beings."

"Pokemon don't get much rarer than that." He blinked as he considered the situation. "But these Digimon aren't actually Pokemon. We saw that the PokeBalls don't work on them. How would we capture them, let alone control them?"

Jessie chuckled. "Why, the same way Team Rocket catches and controls all the Pokemon they steal." She glanced at Meowth, who had remained silent the whole time. "Hey, Meowth, don't you have anything to say about this?"

But the cat Pokemon was barely paying attention. His eyes were large red hearts and a deep blush was present on his cheeks. "She's beautiful..."

"Hmm?" James muttered. "Who?" He looked at the Digimn and saw that Meowth's gaze was locked on Gatomon. "You mean that cat Digimon?"

Meowth sighed deeply. "I t'ink I'm in love..."

Jessie groaned. "Oh, great, Meowth's been love struck."

"Meowth," James snapped impatiently, "what about Meowsie?"

"Who's Meawsie?" the cat Pokemon asked dreamily.

Jessie's fist came down on his head. "Snap out of it; we've got some Digimon to capture."

"Yeah," James agreed, "lets get digital."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Hours ticked by as the two groups continued to exchange questions and answers. They learned that as similar as Pokemon and Digimon were, they were equally as different. They also learned a lot about each other and the adventures they had been on, eventually leading them to where they now were.

"Wow," said Ash, "you guys have been through a lot."

"Yeah, so have you," TK replied. "I guess, in a way, you guys are the Chosen Children of your world."

"Actually, that was just Ash," said Misty, referring to when he saved the world from the wrath of the Legendary Birds' rampage.

Ash gave her a surprised look. "That wasn't just me. You saved me from drowning, Melody played Lugia's song, Lugia and Team Rocket got me to and from the islands, and, of course, I couldn't have done it without my Pokemon."

Davis smiled. "I think it's cool that you can have a whole bunch of Pokemon. Aside from our friend Willis, who has two Digimon, we only get one."

Veemon cut his eyes at him. "What's wrong with one?"

Davis looked startled and began waving his arms. "No, no, that's not what I meant! It's just, the more the merrier, you know. It's nice to have lots of friends."

Cody chuckled. "I think Davis just put his foot in his mouth."

Ken, however, was not smiling. Ever since he learned of how humans would catch Pokemon, he had been frowning with disapproval. Wormmon took note of this and gave him a questioning look. "What's wrong, Ken?"

A low grumble escaped him. "Nothing. It's just..." he sighed, "I don't approve of this whole capturing Pokemon. It feels too much like enslavement."

The other DigiDestined frowned, recognizing where this was coming from. It reminded him too much as his time as the Digimon Emperor, where he would enslave Digimon with his Dark Rings and Dark Spirals.

Brock raised his hand slightly. "Um, I think you're getting the wrong impression. Catching Pokemon isn't enslavement; it's more like a contract that's entered. All Pokemon seek to become stronger, and that's best achieved when under guidance of a Trainer. When a person captures a Pokemon, they're proving their worth to that Pokemon by showing that they'll be a good Trainer to them. In fact, many wild Pokemon have shown to be jealous of Pokemon owned by Trainers because they know that having a Trainer brings out their greatest potential."

Davis looked back at his fellow DigiDestined. "See, Ken. There's nothing to worry about. It's not like using the Dark Rings and such."

"I guess..." the former Digimon Emperor replied. "But what about Pokemon that truly don't want a Trainer, but have still gotten caught?"

Misty shrugged. "Then they simply don't obey their Trainers until the Trainer either release them or finds another way to prove their worth." She glanced at Ash. "In fact, that happened to Ash before. Remember Primeape? And then there was Charizard."

Ash sweat-dropped. "Did you have to bring that up?"

"Why?" Armadillomon asked curiously. "What happened?"

A resigned sigh escaped the boy. "At first Primeape didn't want to listen to me at all, but it later came around. And Charizard obeyed me back when it was a Charmander, but after it evolved into Charmeleon, and then Charizard, it didn't obey me again until much later."

Yolei cocked her head to the side. "Why not?"

Brock crossed his arms. "I've actually been thinking a lot about that, and I think I have a theory."

Ash glanced at him, legitimately curious. "A theory?"

He nodded. "I said before that when a Trainer catches a Pokemon, it proves they're worth to them, but as a Pokemon gets stronger, it will start to wonder if it has surpassed their Trainer, and they are no longer worthy of them."

Misty's eyes widened in understanding. "I get it. So Charizard didn't think Ash was worthy of it anymore since he wasn't actually winning any badges."

Ash jumped angrily to his feet, looking outraged. "What do you mean? I won all my badges, but Charizard still didn't listen to me.

Misty gave him a regretful yet somewhat amused look. "I hate to break it to you, Ash, but you only rightfully earned a few of your badges the first time around."

"What do you mean?"

She began counting them down. "Well, you never actually finished your battle with Brock, Erika, or me, and I wasn't even an actual Gym leader. Brock, Erika, and my sisters basically just gave you your badges. Sabrina only couldn't give commands to Kadabra anymore because Haunter was making her laugh so much, not because you defeated her; it was basically a victory by default. Your battle with Koga was interrupted, which probably affected the outcome of the battle, even though you won. Team Rocket wasn't the actual Gym leader for your last badge; even if they were using the Gym's Pokemon, they didn't have the experience of a Gym Leader, not mention the rules were sketchy at best.

"So, really, the only badges you legitimately and rightfully earned were against Lieutenant Surge and Blaine, and even your battle with Blaine took place outside his Gym. Even if you do count the badges you won from Koga and Team Rocket, that's still only four of the eight. It's no wonder you lost Charizard's loyalty."

Imaginary arrows had pierced Ash's chest with each example she provided, and her final statement caused the entire ceiling to come down on him, figuratively of course.

" Pika, Pikachu," Pikachu told him sympathetically.

Cupping his hand over his mouth, Brock whispered to Misty. "That may have been a little harsh."

"Well, I didn't say that he couldn't have won fairly," she whispered back, "just that he didn't."

Recovering quickly, Ash jumped to his feet. "Well that was then, and this is now. Just you wait, I'm going to win the Johto League and become a Pokemon Master!"

" Pika!"

Up until now, Professor Stevens had been furiously scribbling down notes, practically foaming at the mouth. Having zero interest in Ash's Pokemon journey, he rounded on the DigiDestined. "This is so incredible. I can't believe how much I'm learning. But, if I may make a request, could one of you Digivolve for me? Please."

The DigiDestined blinked in surprise and exchanged looks with their partner Digimon. "I guess so," said TK.

"Yeah, we don't have a problem with it," Yolei agreed.

Veemon jumped off Davis' lap. "I'll do it. I'll even show you how we DeDigivolve. Check it out."

He began glowing, and then started to shrink and change shape. Professor Stevens and the Trainers looked on in amazement. It was like watching Pokemon evolution in reverse. And when the light faded, a smaller, cuter version of Veemon stood in the dragon Digimon's place.

"DemiVeemon!" he cried.

If she hadn't been holding Togepi, Misty would have hugged him. "Cutie!"

Professor Stevens was once again scribbling down notes. "Amazing. You really can evolve in reverse. I mean, devolve. Er, Digidevolve."

Kari chuckled. "DeDigivolve," she corrected.

"Yes, that!"

DemiVeemon smirked. "If you thought that was cool, take a look at this." Golden light engulfed him. "DemiVeemon Digivolve to... Veemon!"

More scribbling as Professor Stevens attempted to record everything he saw. "Amazing! Truly amazing! And you say there are six stages you go through?"

TK nodded. "Yes, after they hatch from their eggs, or the Digitama stage as it's sometimes called, they go through the stages Baby, In-Training, Rookie, Champion, Ultimate, and Mega."

"And some Megas can Digivolve to even stronger Megas," Ken added. "And in a few very rare cases, they can reach an even higher level called the Ultra level."

Professor Stevens was hanging onto and writing down every word. "Fascinating. And the power difference between each level is exponential."

Gatomon looked at Pikachu. "But you Pokemon, when you evolve, you can't go back, can you?"

The electric mouse Pokemon shook his head. "Pikachu."

"Sounds like it's the way a caterpillar becomes a butterfly," Kari noted. "Or the way a tadpole becomes a frog. Essentially, they're just growing up."

"More or less," Brock agreed. "Though some Pokemon choose not to evolve. Like Ash's Pikachu."

Professor Stevens was still obsessing over Digivolution. "And there's different types of Digivolution, you said? Armor Digivolution, and DNA Digivolution?"

TK nodded. "Those are the ones we've seen, though there are probably more."

"Fascinating. It sounds like this Armor Digivolution is similar to the use of an Evolution Stone, or another Evolutionary Item. And DNA Digivolution is similar to the way Slowpoke and Shellder evolve together into Slowbro or Slowking." He seemed to be struggling, and failing, to contain his excitement. "This is so amazing! I can't wait to learn everything there is to know about Digimon!" His eyes landed on the DigiDestined. "Can I... see one of your Digivices?"

His request surprised them. But while most of them hesitated, Davis happily handed his over, "Sure, knock yourself out."

With trembling hands, the professor took the device, holding it as if it were a precious item. "Fascinating. Do you... mind if I try something?"

This time, even Davis hesitated. "Um, sure... I guess..."

Beaming, Professor Stevens nearly tripped over his own feet in his attempt to get to the computer. Taking up a cable, he held his breath as he brought it to the Digivice. "It connects!"

He began typing furiously. The others looked on in confusion, wondering what he was doing. And after several seconds, the professor crossed his fingers and pressed a button. The screen changed, and a DOWNLOAD bar appeared, the percentage steadily beginning to rise.

His face lit up. "It's working... IT'S WORKING!"

Feeling out of the loop, Ash sweat-dropped. "Um, what's working?"

Smiling broadly, the professor looked back at them. "The Digimon Analyzers on your Digivice, it's downloading. Soon I'll have everything there is to know on Digimon on my laptop." He stared off into space dreamily. "I could get lost in this information for years."

Everyone sweat-dropped.

"Sounds like this guy and Izzy would get along very well," said Kari.

The professor jumped up. "Which reminds me! I have something for your brainy friend for when you go back." He began rummaging through his drawers until he found what he was looking for. "Ah ha! Here it is." He handed it to the DigiDestined. "Consider this a token of friendship."

TK reached out and took it. "Um, thanks... What is it?"

"It's called a PokeDex. Only this one is a world-class PokeDex. It contains all the information known on every Pokemon species in the world rather than specific regions."

This information surprised even Ash. "What does that mean?"

Smiling, the professor adjusted his glasses. "PokeDexes are expensive, so Trainers are given ones that generally contain information on the species of Pokemon that are native to the region they're in."

Misty took over. "That's why your PokeDex was upgraded back when Togepi hatched, because you were almost beyond the Kanto region."

Ash considered this. "I guess that makes sense. So when Bill said that there were 150 Pokemon, that was only for the Kanto region."

"Pretty much. And they've begun migrating to different regions."

Professor Stevens laughed arrogantly. "There are hundreds and hundreds of Pokemon species in the world. And now, I share all the information we have on them with you, my Digital friends, just as you've so gratefully shared the information you have on Digimon with me."

The DigiDestined continued to look uncomfortable at the professor's eccentric burst of joy.

"R-Right..." Yolei replied. "I'm sure Izzy will find this to be most informative."

"As will I with your data on Digimon. Ah! The download is complete!" Detaching the Digivice from the computer, he handed it back to Davis and immediately began going through his new files. "Incredible... Fascinating... Unbelievable..."

Kari chuckled. "I think we just gave him his reason for living."

The professor nodded in agreement. "Yes, most definitely. But before I can truly appreciate this, I need to look up... Ah, here we go!"

The others gathered around and saw that he had brought up Devimon's profile. The sight of him sent a chill down the Trainers' spines; the professor's sketch had not done then fallen angel Digimon justice.

"Whoa, that's Devimon?" Ash exclaimed.

"He sure looks nasty," said Misty.

Brock nodded in agreement. "Yeah, no kidding."

The professor's eyes scanned over Devimon's basic data. "Lets see... So Devimon is a Champion level Digimon. His attacks include Touch of Evil, Hell Contract, Evil Wing, Demon's Ray, Deadly Nail, Death Claw, Laser Wing, and Death Hand. He generally Digivolves from DemiDevimon, and typically Digivolves to NeoDevimon. Scary."

Ash looked at the DigiDestined uncertainly. "Are you sure you can take this guy? He looks like really bad news."

Davis gave him a thumbs up. "Hey, no worries. Our team is a lot stronger than this guy. We can reach the Ultimate and Mega level."

"Yeah!" Veemon cried, punching the air. "He won't know what hit him."

Ash looked back at the Digimon on the monitor. He really hoped his new friends were right.

Chapter 7: Deadline
The sound of the doorbell drew everyone's attention away from the monitor, even the mesmerized Professor Stevens. He seemed legitimately surprised that someone was at his door, especially considering how unpopular he was in town right now.

"Who could that be?" he wondered out loud. Glancing at the others, he got to his feet. "You guys stay here. Keep the Digimon hidden. It might cause a panic if the townsfolk find out that there are more of them around."

The others readily agreed and stayed behind as he went to answer the door. Punching in the code, he unlocked it, and opened it a crack. "Yes, may I help-"

The door burst open, and a woman with magenta colored hair done up in braids, and glasses waltzed in. She was dressed as a reporter and was wielding a microphone. After her came a blue haired man with a curly black mustache carrying a TV camera. Lastly was a small man who looked a little too hairy dressed as a cliche director with sunglasses and a megaphone.

"Ok!" he said loudly, speaking into the megaphone. "And t'ree, two, one, action!"

The woman moved in front of the camera and brought the microphone to her mouth. "We're here live in Cotton Town where something amazing has happened. Renowned scientist, Professor August Stevens of Silph Company, has made an astonishing discovery. A whole other dimension similar to our own."

The professor looked completely bewildered as he stared at the group. "Um, excuse me, but who are?"

The newswoman ignored him. "But this discovery hid great danger, a monstrous creature known as Devimon has come to our world." She put the microphone in his face. "Professor, how do you explain what you have done?"

Professor Stevens looked from the microphone to the camera, flabbergasted. "Um... it was an accident..."

The woman took her place in front of the camera again. "An accident with catastrophic results. But where there is despair, there is also hope. It seems that a group of children with Pokemon-like friends called Digimon have come from this other world as well to defeat Devimon. Is this true?"

She stuck the microphone back into the professor's face, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Wha...? But how did you... know that...?"

"Never underestimate the power of the press!" the news team declared together.

The director pointed to the empty doorway. "Lets bring out our visitors."

Having been eavesdropping, the DigiDestined hesitated, exchanging uncertain looks. "Should we?" Yolei asked.

"Well, they already know about us," Cody pointed out. "So we might as well."

"Yeah," Armadillomon agreed, "we can assure everyone that they'll be safe from Devimon with us around."

One by one, they entered the room with their Digimon. The cameraman hurried over to them, pointing the camera in each of their faces.

"So very nice to meet you," the newswoman told them. "You're the humans from another dimension." She took out a notepad and read, "Davis Motomiya, Ken Ichijouji, Yolei Inoue, Cody Hida, Takeru Takashi, and Hikari Kamiya."

TK blinked. "Uh, you can call me TK."

"And call me Kari. How'd you know our names?"

"The power of the press!" the news team repeated.

The newswoman bent down to the Digimon's level. "And these are your Digimon partners," she glanced at the notepad, "Veemon, Wormmon Hawkmon, Armadillomon, Patamon, and Gatomon."

"You know our names too?" Wormmon asked.

"The power of the press!"

"And now," the newswoman continued, "if our sources are correct, there was an Ash Kentchum of Pallet Town, Misty Waterflower of Cerulean City, and Brock Harrison of Pewter City who were also present when this dimensional portal appeared. Would they please come here now."

Looking nervous, Ash poked his head into the room. "Um, the power of the press?"

"That's right!" the news team declared.

The newswoman twirled her microphone. "And now, if you don't mind, I would like to get a shot with all the humans in one spot and all the Digimon in another."

Brock raised an eyebrow. "This is getting weird."

The cameraman aggressively shoved the humans into the corner, separating them from the Digimon. "No complaining. This is for all the viewers at home."

Once the two groups were separated, he pointed his camera at the Digimon. The newswoman came up beside him and clapped her hands together. "So, what do you think?" she asked the director.

The director studied the group of Digimon curiously, tapping his jaw with a gloved hand that made it appear as if he only had three fingers. "Hmm. Somet'ings missin'... I know! Lets include t'e Pikachu in t'e shot wit' t'em so we can compare Pokemon to Digimon."

"Brilliant!" the newswoman declared, and waltzed over to Ash. "We're borrowing this."

Plucking Pikachu off Ash's head, she set him down in front of the group of Digimon. The cameraman pointed the camera at them, getting the group in frame. "A little to the left. A little more. Perfect!"

"Ready?" the newswoman asked him.

He nodded and gave her a thumbs up. "We're all set."

"Alright, lets get this show on the road."

"You said it!"

The camera lens suddenly shattered as a large net shot out of the camera. Pikachu and the Digimon cried out as the net fell over them, trapping them inside.

"Hey!" Ash cried.

"Haha!" the newswoman cried, throwing her microphone at the humans. It exploded into a cloud of smoke, and they began coughing and sputtering, blinded.

The net was reeled in by the cord coming out of the camera lens that seemed to be attached to the cable in the back of the camera as the news team took off, disappearing into the forest with their captives.

"What's going on?" TK demanded, coughing.

"I have a feeling," Ash grumbled as the smoke began to clear. "Come on."

They ran outside, but saw no sign of the thieves. An obnoxious laughter drew their attention, and they looked up to see Pikachu and the Digimon on the net hanging down by a cable from a hot air balloon shaped like the head of a Meowth. The news team stood in the basket, rising higher and higher. Clothes suddenly went flying as they removed their disguises to reveal their true identities.

"Prepare for a digital helping of trouble."

"When two worlds collide, it's gonna be double."

"Not you guys again!" Ash interrupted.

Team Rocket almost fell over the side of the basket, and Jessie glared down at him angrily. "How dare you interrupt us as we're about to introduce Team Rocket to residents from another world!"

"Who are they?" Kari asked.

Ash growled. "They're Team Rocket. They're criminals who steal other people's Pokemon."

Jessie flicked her hair back. "And now we're upgrading to stealing Digimon."

James placed a rose under his nose. "And we've got Pikachu too."

Ash glared. "Oh yeah, Pikachu, Thunderbo-"

"Ash, wait!" Brock cried. "If Pikachu shocks them, it'll shock the Digimon too."

Another growl escaped Ash, but Davis placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I got this." He held up his Digivice. "Veemon, you ready?"

The dragon Digimon smirked. "You got it. Veemon Digivolve to... ExVeemon!"

He easily tore through the net, freeing Pikachu and the other Digimon, and each of the humans caught their respective partner. Team Rocket, on the other hand, was completely flabbergasted.

"Impossible!" Jessie exclaimed. "How did they break out!? That netting was stronger than steal!"

Meowth had tears in his eyes. "Gatomon, come back to me..."

Jessie angrily rounded on him. "Get over it! We just lost our entire catch!"

"Hey, guys," ExVeemon called flying up beside their balloon, crossing his arms. "I don't appreciate being caught in nets."

Meowth jumped back. "I t'ink we're in trouble. T'at little blue guy jus' evolved into a big blue guy."

"I'll handle this," James declared. "Go, Weezing!"

He threw out a PokeBall, and the two-headed purple Pokemon appeared. "Weezing, Weez."

"Weezing, use Poison Gas."

" Weez!" A thick cloud of dark green smoke poured out of the poison gas Pokemon's mouth. ExVeemon scowled and held his breath as he flew into the cloud and punched Weezing in his larger head's face. The poison gas Pokemon went flying backwards, crashing into Team Rocket in their basket.

ExVeemon grinned. "That'll teach you."

Pushing his Pokemon off him, James pointed at the dragon Digimon. "Don't give up, Weezing! Use Sludge attack!"

" Weezing!"

A thick black fluid spat out of its mouth. ExVeemon held up his arm to block it, but some of it splattered across his face and over his eyes.

"Ah! My eyes!" he wailed, rubbing at his face. He attacked blindly, firing his Vee-Laser. Despite being blinded, the X-shaped beam flew straight for Team Rocket.

" Counter it, Wobbuffet!" Jessie ordered, throwing out her PokeBall.

There was a flash of light, and Wobbuffet appeared, calling out his name. Saluting, he began to glow as his black tail rose into the air. ExVeemon's attack hit, but stopped upon touching the glowing outline of Wobbuffet's body, and suddenly shot back and struck ExVeemon, knocking him from the sky.

"ExVeemon!" Davis cried. "What was that?"

"Wobbuffet's Counter ," Brock replied. "It lets Wobbuffet send attacks used against it back at its opponent."

"Aw, come on, that isn't fair."

Patamon flew up beside his partner. "Hey, TK, how about we give it a try?"

He held up his Digivice. "Sounds like a plan."

" Patamon Digivolve to... Angemon!"

The Trainers looked on in wonder at the angel Digimon as Professor Stevens furiously scribbled notes.

"Amazing..." Ash awed.

"Is that really Patamon?" Misty marveled at the drastic change. While some Pokemon looked very different from their pre-evolved forms, this was something else entirely.

The angel Digimon flew up to Team Rocket's balloon. The three criminals huddled together, feeling more than a little intimidated. But then Jessie attempted to put up a brave front and disentangled herself from the others. "We're not afraid of you! Go ahead, try your worst; Wobbuffet will just send whatever you've got right back at you!"

Angemon simply stared at them for a few moments before looking up. Smiling, he flew a little higher until he was level with the balloon. "Hand of Fate!"

A beam of holy energy burst from his fist, making a hole in the balloon. Team Rocket was suddenly flying about wildly as the escaping air took them for a ride, Weezing getting scooped up in the basket as well.

"This soon?" Jessie cried with dizzy swirls in her eyes.

"Looks like it," James replied, equally as dizzy.

"Gatomon..." Meowth lamented.

" Wobbuffet!"

"We're blasting off again!"

And then they were gone. Angemon flew down beside ExVeemon, and the two returned to their Rookie forms, the latter still rubbing his eyes.

"Nice job, Patamon," TK told him.

The mammal Digimon smiled as he flew into his arms. "It was nothing. Once I identified their weak spot, it was easy to exploit."

Kari frowned as she looked up into the sky where Team Rocket had disappeared. "Yeah, but will they be ok?"

"They'll be fine," Ash assured her. "They've survived a lot worse than that numerous times... somehow..."

Veemon was still rubbing his eyes. "Yeah, but what about me? Will my eyes survive this?"

Misty took out a PokeBall. "Here, let me give you a hand. Go, Politoed. Rinse out Veemon's eyes."

" Poli!" the frog Pokemon cried when it appeared. It unleashed a spray of water into the dragon Digimon's face, knocking him off his feet in the process.

When the spray stopped, Veemon spit out a mouthful of water. "Thanks for that, I think." He blinked a few times. "Oh man, I'm seeing double."

"That'll wear off," Brock assured him.

Professor Stevens was still furiously writing away as he jumped from Patamon to Veemon. "This is incredible! Digivolution is astounding! They had both gone to the Champion level, right?"

Veemon took a step back uncomfortably. "Um, yeah, we did."

"Amazing. To see how humans and Digimon work together is astonishing." He began looking over his notes. "Yes... yes, I see how it works. Wild Digimon need to train to become stronger over the course of many years in order to Digivolve. But Digimon with human partners, they use a Digivice to gain power from their human partners in order to Digivolve very quickly and easily. And even if they die, they can reach the level of power they were at before very quickly, but wild Digimon will need to start over again from scratch.

"Both methods have their pros and cons. The wild Digimon eventually are able to maintain their Digivolutions and stay in them, but it takes a very long time and will be lost once they're reborn. Digimon with human partners don't have this problem, but they're almost entirely dependent on their humans, and if they're ever separated from them or if their Digivice gets lost or broken, then they can't Digivolve at all unless they manage to achieve Digivolution with their own strength, like Gatomon here."

Yolei laughed uncomfortably. "Yeah, that's about the long and short of it."

"Amazing!" Professor Stevens' mind was going a mile a minute. He began to wonder if a similar method could be applied to Pokemon. There were studies being conducted with newly discovered jewels dubbed Mega Stones to allow Pokemon to Mega Evolve, as well as using the power of the newly discovered Z-Crystals to allow a Pokemon and their Trainer to share power. Perhaps he could compare the studies to what he was learning about Digivolution. Maybe the Digivices even contained traces of elements similar to those found in Mega Stones and Z-Crystals.

"There's so much to do," he said to himself. "So much to learn. So many studies I have to look into. I have to get started right away."

Misty sweat-dropped. "Anyone feel like he's a little too into this?"

The others nodded.

As Professor Stevens continued to write away, a familiar siren soon drew their attention. It seemed Officer Jenny was approaching, drawn to the battle with Team Rocket. It didn't occur to anyone that the Digimon and the DigiDestined shouldn't be seen as she pulled up on her motorcycle.

"Alright, Stevens," she demanded, "what's going on this time?" She raised her eyebrows at the DigiDestined and Digimon. "Who are all these kids? And what type of Pokemon are those?"

As the others tried to come up with an excuse, Professor Stevens hurried over to her. "Officer Jenny, look, look! More visitors from the other world. They followed here after Devimon. It's incredible! I never expected anything like this! Their race, its so similar to Pokemon, yet so different. Um, the Digimon are, not the kids. And they're-"

"Hold on a minute," Officer Jenny interrupted, holding up a hand to silence him. "Are you saying that your machine brought more people and Digimon from Devimon's world?"

He wobbled his head. "Well, indirectly, but yes. Ouch!"

Officer Jenny had grabbed him and bent his arms behind his back, slapping a pair of handcuffs on him. "Didn't you learn the first time? Wasn't bringing Devimon here enough? Now you've brought more? You're under arrest for reckless endangerment of the public."

"But, but, but, but..."

Kari took a step forward. "Excuse me, ma'am-"

"And you!" Officer Jenny snapped, turning to the DigiDestined. "I'm not taking anymore chances with another invasion. You're all under arrest too!"

Davis' mouth dropped open. "What for? You got nothing on us!"

"How about illegal immigration, and unlawful entrance to our country. I mean, dimension."

Cody's eyebrows rose. "Well, she's got us there."

The professor struggled to find his voice as he attempted to reason with the policewoman. "N-No, you don't understand. These brave children have come here to stop Devimon. They're on our side."

She cut her eyes at him. "Are they now? And how do you know they're not deceiving you and are really working for Devimon."

Ash glanced at his friends. "Is it just me, or does this Officer Jenny seem a little more on edge than the others?"

Misty nodded in agreement. "I guess having Devimon around will do that."

Brock had hearts in his eyes and was blushing heavily. "I love it when she gets so authoritative."

Officer Jenny continued to glare at the DigiDestined. "If you're really on our side, then come down to the station. Whether you're guilty or innocent will be determined there."

The DigiDestined exchanged uncertain looks. "What do you guys think?" Ken asked.

Cody tapped his chin. "Maybe we should go along with her to prove we're not a threat."

"Yeah," Armadillomon agreed, "if worst comes to worst, we could always just Digivolve and get out of there."

Hawkmon crossed his arms. "I'd like to point out that we still don't know everything about this world. There's no telling what type of trouble we could be walking into if we do this."

Patamon fluttered nearby. "I have to admit, he's got a point."

Chuckling arrogantly, Davis wrapped his arms around Ken and Kari. "Guys, guys, relax. I'm sure that the Pokemon world judicial system will see us treated fairly."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

The cell door slammed shut, and the keys locked it.

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind," Davis grumbled.

Officer Jenny stepped away from the door. "You guys just sit there quietly while we figure out what to do with you."

TK sighed and looked at the policewoman through the bars. "Ma'am, could we at least have our Digivices and D-Terminals back, please?"

She crossed her arms. "Absolutely not. Who knows what dangerous items they could be. For all I know, they could be weapons. Until your innocence is determined, all foreign items are confiscated."

Cody sighed. "I thought it was innocent until proven guilty."

"Not when there's a potential threat," Officer Jenny told them. "If you're really here to help, like you say you are, then I apologize in advance. But I'm afraid I can't take any chances right now, not with Devimon's deadline approaching." She checked her watch, her face scrunching up with worry. "Which should be any minute now."

In a cell separate from the humans, Veemon grasped the bars. "Miss, please, you're going to need our help to stop Devimon."

She turned to him. "We haven't even decided what we're going to do about Devimon yet. If what you say is true, you can fight him later, but for now, we have to act in our town's best interest."

In a different cell, Professor Stevens sweat-dropped. "Um, is it really necessary to keep me in here?"

Officer Jenny glared at him. "You're here so you don't cause anymore trouble. Whatever experiments you're planning, I'm putting a stop to it."

With that, she left the cellblock. Ash and his friends were waiting, and they immediately crowded around the policewoman.

"Officer Jenny," said Ash, "they really are here to help. They told us a lot about where they came from and about Devimon and the things they've done."

"It's true," Misty agreed. "I really think they're here to stop Devimon."

"And based on what we've seen they're capable of," Brock added, "if they didn't want to come along quietly, there's nothing we could have done to stop them. Doesn't that show that they don't want to cause any trouble?"

Officer Jenny held up her hands. "Look, I understand where you're coming from, but I'm afraid it's a chance we cannot take. We'll work all this out later, but for now, we've got Devimon to deal with."

At that moment, the loud dong of the town's clock was heard. Officer Jenny's head snapped to the clock hanging on the wall, and she scowled as the hands indicated it was 9:00.

"It's time," she whispered. "You kids stay here."

She ran out of the station. The three Trainers hesitated before heading outside as well. All around, windows and doors slammed shut, many curtains being drawn and lights being turned off as the residents coward in their homes. Not everyone though, a few brave individuals flocked to the town square where the clock continued to chime. Officer Jenny was among them, trying to control the situation.

"Everyone clear out," she ordered. "You know what Devimon is capable of. Do you want to get yourselves killed?"

"Hey, Officer Jenny!" Ash called as he and his friends hurried over to her.

She turned to them, at first looking surprised to see them, then angry. "What are you doing here? I told you to stay at the station."

"We're here to help."

" Pika, Pika!"

A middle-aged man with a balding head and a bushy mustache approached them. "You kids must not be here. It's far too dangerous."

Officer Jenny turned her attention to him. "Mr. Mayor, has a decision been made?"

The mayor looked uncomfortable. "Well... I... I..."

She grabbed hold of him. "Mr. Mayor, I need to know. What was the council's decision? Do we fight? Do we surrender? Do we pretend to surrender but secretly plot against him?"

The mayor was sweating nervously. "I... I don't know. The council couldn't decide."

Officer Jenny growled irritably and let him go. "Ah, politicians!"

"Please, Officer Jenny," Ash begged, "let us help."

"You kids are going to get yourselves killed," she told them sternly. "Devimon isn't like a some Pokemon with a violent nature. He'll kill you without a second's hesitation."

A shadow passed over them, and the color visibly drained from her face. She looked up at the night sky as a dark figure flew overhead, blocking out the stars. "He's here."

The mayor gave a frightened squeak and scrambled away. Most of the townsfolk that had come out to confront Devimon suddenly lost their nerve and fled as the fallen angel Digimon circled above them.

He finally came in for a landing, touching down on top of the clock as it chimed one last time. "Your time is up," he announced to the townsfolk. "What is your decision?"

Chapter 8: Pokemon vs. Devimon
Ash and his friends stared at Devimon. They had seen Professor Stevens' sketch, they had seen Devimon's imagine in his profile, but seeing the fallen angel Digimon in person was something else entirely. He did indeed resemble a man crossed with a Zubat, only much more devilish looking.

Ash felt a shiver run up his spin as the fallen angel Digimon loomed over them. The arrogant look on his face clearly showed that he fully expected things to go his way, no matter what the townsfolk decided. His grin promised unspeakable consequences if they refused him.

"Well?" he demanded. "I gave you a week to decide. Will you bow down to me, or will you stand against me? Resist, and I will destroy this town and everyone in it. Bare in mind that whether you resist or submit makes no difference, either option will make this town an example to the rest of the world."

Officer Jenny growled. She had long since realized that Cotton Town was meant to serve as an example to the rest of the world. And Devimon was right; whatever answer they gave would suit his purpose. If they submitted to him, the rest of the world would take it to mean that it was futile to oppose Devimon. Sure there would still be those that fought back, but Devimon will still dominate much of the world without so much as lifting a finger.

Then again, if they resisted, Devimon wouldn't hesitate to destroy the entire town and kill them all. That too would provide an example to the rest of the world of what would happen to those that defied him. In fact, it was likely that even more people would choose to obey him out of fear if that happened than if Cotton Town actually submitted to him. Nether option was appealing, but at least one choice would keep them alive.

Still, she just couldn't bring herself to bow down to this monster. It was her duty to protect the citizens, and that included from tyranny and threat. And if the mayor and his council members wouldn't make a decision, she would.

Her Growlith and Arcanine had already failed to stop him when the town had resisted the first time, but she had her own devices. Pulling her gun, she pointed it at Devimon and fired. The fallen angel Digimon simply raised his hand to shield his face from the shots, but made no move to actually avoid the bullets. She fired until her gun was empty, then lowered her weapon in disbelief.

"That actually stung a bit," Devimon commented. He lowered his hand and stared down at the policewoman with a frown. "So you have chosen to resist after all." His eyes narrowed slightly, and a wicked smile crossed his face. "Or maybe, it's only you."

Using his Demon's Ray, he fired a beam of unholy energy at her. Officer Jenny stood frozen to the spot as the attack came at her.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

No further order was needed as Pikachu sent out a Thunderbolt. It struck against the beam, and the two attacks exploded, the blast knocking Officer Jenny off her feet, but leaving her relatively unharmed.

Devimon frowned and looked at Ash and Pikachu. "What is this now? More opposition?"

Ash thumped his chest. "I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. I aim to be the world's greatest Pokemon Master. If you think I'm going to let some evil freak from another dimension take over my world, you've got another thing coming."

" Pika! Pika, Pika!"

Devimon cocked his head to the side. "You don't say. Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, is it?" He chuckled. "Well, boy, I hope your act of bravery was worth it, because after I've killed you, I'm going to destroy your hometown for your defiance."

Ash was taken aback by Devimon's threat. That hadn't exactly been his intention when he announced who he was. He'd been trying to show his confidence, not target Pallet Town.

"Hey, Ash," Brock whispered to him, "maybe in the future you should reframe from giving out too much information when introducing yourself to evil monsters that want to take over the world."

Ash sweat-dropped. "Yeah, I kind of just realized that myself."

" Pikachu..."

Devimon laughed. "Fear not. At the very least, you won't witness the destruction of your town." His grin widened. "But, you will witness the destruction of this one. Laser Wing!"

He began flapping his wings. A heavy wind picked up, strong enough to knock the Trainers off their feet. Poor Pikachu dug his claws into the ground, but it was no use, and the wind carried him off.

"Pikachu!" Ash called, and lunged forward, grabbing his friend before he was carried away.

"What's happening!?" Misty cried, shouting to be heard over the wind as she held Togepi tightly.

"Look there!" Brock pointed.

A dark tornado had manifested, and it began moving through the town. Devimon laughed as his tornado tore up trees and ripped the roofs off the houses. The remaining townsfolk that were still outside fled from the fallen angel Digimon, taking up shelter wherever they could until only Officer Jenny remained.

"We've got to stop this," Brock declared, taking out a PokeBall. "Crobat, use your Whirlwind!"

The bat Pokemon appeared. It flew fearlessly towards the dark tornado struggling to fly in the heavy wind as the air pressure threatened to tear its wings from its body.

" Crobot!" it cried, flying into the tornado. It began flapping its wings rapidly, stirring up another tornado within the first one. As the opposing tornado kicked up inside the one Devimon had created, the two canceling each other out, and both tornados dispersed. The heavy wind died down, leaving the town a little worse for wear.

Devimon scowled. "So, we're going to have to do this the hard way." He hopped down, landing a short distance from them. "Then show me your power, oh great Pokemon Master."

Ash glanced at his friends. "We're going to have to go all out with this." He received nods of agreement, and they all reached for their PokeBalls. "Totodile, Cyndaquil, Bayleef, Noctowl, Phanpy, I choose you!"

As Crobat returned to Brock's side, he threw out his other Pokemon. "Go, Onix, Geodude, Forretress!"

"Corsola, Politoed, Staryu, come on out!" Misty cried, sending out hers as well. She did not call on Goldeen since the goldfish Pokemon couldn't battle on land, nor did she summon a certain platypus Pokemon, for obvious reasons. As for Togepi, she decided to tuck the spike ball Pokemon safely in her bag. "You stay in here, Togepi."

Yet as she closed the bag, a beam of light flowed out of it as Psyduck once again decided to summon itself.

"Psyduck!" Misty complained to it. "I didn't call for you!"

But the platypus Pokemon was already charging forward, rushing towards Devimon. But as he approached, his charge became a walk, then a slow waddle before he stopped completely. The fallen angel Digimon towered over him, raising an eyebrow.

" Psyduck," the platypus Pokemon muttered, then suddenly seemed to realize how ferocious of an opponent he was facing. "Psy, Y, Y, Y!"

He raced back to the others, speeding past Trainers and Pokemon alike, and kept going, wailing all the while. Misty just sighed as she stared at his retreating form. "Oh, Psyduck..."

Ash glanced at the policewoman. "Officer Jenny, we'll hold him off. You go make sure everyone stays safe."

She gave him a disapproving glare. "Are you crazy? I can't leave you to fight this monster!"

Devimon chuckled. "Trust me, it won't be much of a fight."

"We'll see about that," said Brock. "Onix, use Tackle!"

Smirking, Devimon leapt up into the air as the rock snake Pokemon lunged at him, avoiding the attack. Ash commanded Bayleef to use her Razor Leaf, but Devimon swiped at the bladed vegetation, shredding the leaves.

" Evil Wing!" he cried, unleashing a wave of evil energy from his wings. It flowed over the group of Pokemon, sending them flying.

Devimon came in for a landing, touching down in front of Politoed. It jumped to its feet and leapt up in the air, using Mega Punch. Devimon caught its fist, and Politoed was left hanging in the air. A spray of water and a stream of fire flowed against the fallen angel Digimon's back, and he turned to find Totodile and Cyndaquil using their Water Gun and Flamethrower on him. He threw Politoed at them, and the frog Pokemon crashed into Totodile.

With his Death Claw, he used his hand like a spear, stretching his arm towards the fire mouse Pokemon. Cyndaquil leapt aside, avoiding the attack, and used Swift, the stars flying into Devimon's face.

"Bayleef, Vine Whip!" Ash order. "Restrain him!"

" Bayleef!" Her vines shot out, coiling around his arm. He threw her an irritated look, and yanked his arm back. Bayleef was pulled forward and fell at Devimon's feet. He glared down at her, but Noctowl immediately crashed into the back of his head with his Sky Attack.

"Crobat, use Supersonic!" Brock ordered.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Ash added.

Crobat flew in front of Devimon and began emitting a loud continuous screech that could shatter glass. Devimon cringed slightly as Pikachu charged towards him.

" Hell Contract!" Devimon cried, unleashing a dark cloud of cursed energy that burst from his body. It flowed over Crobat, and the bat Pokemon ceased its attack and immediately retreated from the cloud. Even Bayleff's vines slackened, and she released Devimon, pulling her vines from the cloud.

Pikachu was consumed by the cloud as well, and he tripped over his own feet. He groaned in pain as the cloud affected him, and Devimon laughed as he used his Deadly Nail, swiping at Pikachu with his claw, sending Pikachu flying from the cloud.

"Noctowl, get rid of that cloud!" Ash ordered.

The owl Pokemon nodded and flapped its wings, unleashing Whirlwind. The cloud was blown away, and Devimon's attention turned to it. He used his Deadly Nail again, but Noctowl avoided it.

"Staryu, Rapid Spin!" Misty ordered. "Corsola, use Bubble Beam!"

" Corsola!" the coral Pokemon cried, and unleashed a stream of multi-colored bubbles. They rained against Devimon as Staryu flew threw the air, crashing into him, then doubled back to hit him again.

"Phanpy, Earthquake!" Ash cried.

" Phan!" The long nose Pokemon stomped on the ground, and the earth cracked apart beneath Devimon's feet, bringing him down to one knee.

Staryu came at him while he was down, but Devimon's hand shot out and caught it. He grinned as he looked up at it, but then Onix's tail suddenly wrapped around him from behind

"That's it!" Brock cried, making a fist. " Bind him!"

Devimon grunted as Onix tightened around him, and he looked up at the rock snake Pokemon. He still held Staryu in his hand, his arm extending out of Onix's body. Using the starfish Pokemon like a shuriken, he threw it at Onix. It hit the rock snake Pokemon in the head, and Devimon grinned as he managed to use his constricted arm and legs to push Onix's tail off him.

Flying up into the air, he used his Death Claw, once again striking Onix in the head. The rock snake Pokemon went down, and Devimon grinned. The smile soon left his face as a blast of psychic energy from Noctowl's Confusion hit him. This was followed by a Sonic Boom from Crobat, and a Spike Cannon from Corsola down below.

Devimon flew down to the ground. He smacked Corsola away with his Deadly Nail, then grabbed hold of Onix's tail. Showing tremendous strength that he didn't look capable of, he swung the rock snake Pokemon around, smacking him into both Noctowl and Crobat, and both Pokemon fell from the sky.

Cyndaquil, Bayleef, and Forretress fired their Flamethrower, Razor Leaf, and Spikes at him. The attacks hit, but didn't seem to cause much, if any, damage. Devimon released Onix, throwing him at his attackers. The rock snake Pokemon didn't land on them, but hit the ground and skidded into them. The fallen angel Dgimon was playing with them, and they knew it.

"Phanpy, use Hyper Beam!" Ash commanded.

The long nose Pokemon did as it was told and fired a beam of rainbow colors. Devimon turned to it and held up his hands. He caught the beam, but it was stronger than he anticipated, the power of the attack pushing him back, his feet leaving skid marks.

When the attack died down, Devimon looked at his hands. His palms were smoking, and he clenched them irritably. "That was impressive. Now let me show you a little beam of my own."

He pointed his finger at Phanpy, but before he could attack, Geodude came bursting up from underground, having used his Dig attack. He came up beneath Devimon's foot, causing the fallen angel Digimon to lose his balance and stumble back.

Growling, he reached down and grabbed Geodude's arm, lifting him into the air. The rock Pokemon didn't back down though and unleashed a Sandstorm into the fallen angel Digimon's face. He snarled in frustration and began rubbing his eyes as Phanpy came at him with its Rollout, slamming into the same foot Geodude had hit with his Dig.

"Miserable pests," Devimon growled, and swung Geodude, striking Phanpy with him. He then threw the rock Pokemon to the ground as if he scored a touchdown and brought his foot down on him, pressing Geodude into the ground. "You think you can defeat me? You're nothing but a bunch of nuisances that keep distracting me."

A bolt of electricity struck him, and he turned to Pikachu. The electric mouse Pokemon glared at him, his red cheeks sparking. "Pika, Pika, Pika! Pikachu!"

Devimon just grinned. "Is that so? Well, I would certainly like to see that. But first, let me show you what I was going to show your friend." He pointed a finger at the electric mouse Pokemon. "Demon's Ray!"

A beam of energy shot from his finger. Pikachu used Agility to avoid it, and began racing towards Devimon. He fired several more beams, and Pikachu continued to avoid them until one hit the ground in front of him, blasting him back.

Smirking, he turned to the group consisting of Staryu, Totodile, and Politoed as all three used Water Gun. The water itself didn't bother him, but the intense water pressure was not appealing.

"It'll take more than a bath to stop me. Death Hand!"

He held out his hands, and waves of evil energy radiated out of them. It flowed over the three Water Pokemon, and they were knocked back. He followed up with another Demon's Ray, but Onix moved into the attacks path, shielding his friends, but getting gravely damaged himself in the process.

Forretress hopped forward. "Forretress, Forretress. Tress."

Bayleef glanced at it. "Bay, Bay, Bayleef."

" Forretress."

Bayleef nodded and wrapped a vine around the bagworm Pokemon. She swung it around and threw it at Devimon. The fallen angel Digimon turned and caught it before Forretress collided with his head. He sneered at the bagworm Pokemon, but Forretress just closed its eyes gleefully. "Forretress."

It began glowing and then released all its energy in one powerful blast as it used Explosion. Devimon cried out and was thrown backwards, crashing to the ground and remaining motionless. Forretress bounced across the ground too with dizzy swirls in its eyes, its energy completely depleted.

"Devimon's down!" Ash exclaimed.

"And he's not moving," Misty noted. "Did that do it?"

Pikachu hesitated, then ran over to Devimon. He crawled up the fallen angel Digimon's body, settling on his chest. He stared at Devimon's face for a few moments before reaching out and probing his chin.

There was no reaction, and Pikachu turned to the others. "Pika! Pika, Pika! Pika!"

Devimon's hand suddenly shot up and grabbed Pikachu. His eyes opened, and a grin spread across his face as he stood up. "That was a nice try." He looked down at Pikachu. "It looks like I caught a little rodent."

" Pikachuuu!" the electric mouse Pokemon cried, unleashing a Thunderbolt. Devimon hissed and threw Pikachu over to the others.

" Evil Wing!" he cried, spreading his wings. Energy flew out of his wings, blasting the Pokemon, sending them flying. Devimon laughed as he stared at them. "You're too weak. If I was a Rookie or a weaker Champion, you might have a chance, but my power far outstrips yours."

Misty turned to Ash. "What do we do, Ash? Devimon is too strong for our Pokemon."

Ash growled. He hated to admit it, but it looked like she was right.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Veemon dropped down from the bars at the window and turned to the others. "It's him. Devimon is here."

"And he's making minced meat out of the Pokemon," Hawkmon added, flying beside the window.

TK kicked the cell door. "And we're stuck in here. We've got to get out there and help them."

Yolei looked at the bars. "But how? That policewoman has the keys."

Veemon snapped his fingers. "Just leave it to me. Vee Headbutt!" He slammed headfirst into the cell door, knocking it off its hinges. "Time for a jailbreak."

Davis beamed. "Great job. Now get us out of here."

"Allow me," Armadillomon replied. "Claw Chopping!"

He slashed at the bars with his claws, and they fell apart. The DigiDestined ran out of the cell and over to the window to get a look outside.

"That's Devimon, alright," TK growled.

"And it looks like our new friends need our help," Patamon added.

In his own cell, Professor Stevens stuck his arm out and waved to them. "Um, excuse me. Do you think you could get me out too?"

Armadillomon brandished his claws. "No problem. Claw Chop-"

"Hold up," Yolei interrupted. "Lets not completely destroy the cells, ok?"

The armadillo Digimon hesitated and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Um, right, sorry. Lets try this. Diamond Shell!"

He curled up and rushed at the cell, knocking the door off its hinges. Professor Stevens whistled as he stepped out of the cell, giving Armadillomon an appreciative look. "Thanks for that."

They ran out of the holding area and quickly retrieved their Digivices and D-Terminals from the evidence locker. Professor Stevens' eyes lit up as he spotted two familiar PokeBalls.

"Porygon! Porygon 2!" he cried joyfully, snatching the two red and white balls and began nuzzling them happily. "I'm so glad to have you back!"

Cody raised an eyebrow. "How do you know they're yours?"

The professor scowled at them. "As if I wouldn't know my own PokeBalls."

The others sweat-dropped. Without a moment to waste, they hurried outside to where the battle was taking place. The Pokemon were all battle weary with the exception of Forretress, who was out cold. The Trainers and Officer Jenny looked worried, but Devimon almost seemed to be enjoying herself.

TK's grasp on his Digivice tightened as memories from nearly six years ago surfaced, during which the previous DigiDestined had fought the fallen angel Digimon back on File Island, and Angemon had given his life to defeat Devimon. Losing his partner had been, perhaps, the worst day of his life, rivaled only by his parents' divorce. He couldn't let Devimon's reign go on, he wouldn't. "Come on, let's finish this."

They ran over to the battle. Devimon's back was to them, and he seemed unaware of their presence. They came up to their new friends, who turned to them in surprise.

"You guys ok?" Yolei asked.

"How'd you get out?" Misty asked.

Officer Jenny glared at them. "I'd like to know that myself."

Davis shrugged. "Jailbreak," he replied simply.

"Officer Jenny," said TK, "I know you don't trust us, and you have no reason to trust us, but we're really here to stop Devimon."

"Just give us chance," Cody begged. "We'll show you whose side we're really on."

The policewoman's eyes narrowed, but she reluctantly nodded. "Fine then, if you really are on our side, then prove it."

They gave her appreciative smiles and hurried towards the fallen angel Digimon. "Hey, Devimon!" Davis shouted. "You miss us?"

The fallen angel Digimon turned to them, surprise flashing across his face. "What?! DigiDestined? Impossible! How are you here? I destroyed the source of the anomalies. No other portals should have appeared."

"Yeah, tough break," Veemon told him, "but we found another way."

"There's nowhere you can go that we can't follow," Patamon declared. "We'll always be there to stop you."

Devimon's face twisted into an angry scowl. "Then I'll just be sure to destroy you and your humans so you can never bother me again."

"That's never going to happen," Davis declared. He looked at his friends. "What do you say, guys? How about we break out the Digimentals and give our friends a lesson in Armor Digivolving."

"As long as it gets the job done," Yolei agreed.

Davis grinned. "Hey, professor, better take notes on this."

The professor already had his notebook out and a pencil. "I'm way ahead of you."

"Alright then, lets do it!"

They all held up their Digivices and cried out in one voice. "Digi-Armor Energize!"

Each D-Terminal suddenly produced a strange object. Each of these objects floated over to one of the Digimon, and they were engulfed in light once the objects touched them.

" Veemon Armor  Digivolve to... Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!"

" Hawkmon Armor  Digivolve to... Halsemon, the Wings of Love!"

" Armadillomon Armor  Digivolve to... Digmon, the Drill of Knowledge!"

" Patamon Armor  Digivolve to... Pegasusmon, Flying Hope!"

" Gatomon Armor  Digivolve to... Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!"

" Wormmon Armor  Digivolve to... Bucchiemon, Midsummer Night's Kindness!"

Six new much more powerful looking Digimon now stood in place of the original ones. Devimon glared at them furiously, and they glared back with just as much hostility. The Trainers and Officer Jenny stared in awe at the Digimon's new forms while Professor Stevens continued to write in his notebook without taking his eyes off the scene.

"Incredible," Ash awed. "Digivolution is so amazing."

Professor Stevens nodded vigorously. "It is! It is!"

Misty glanced at Devimon questioningly. "But why didn't Devimon attack them while they were Digivolving? It was the perfect opportunity, and he had ample time."

"Digimon don't attack other Digimon while they're Digivolving," Kari explained. "It's a cardinal rule."

"Yeah, the only one who ever didn't follow it was Infermon," said Yolei, as if the Trainers should know what she was talking about. "But that's because he had just been born for the first time and didn't know any better."

"Devimon knows better though," said Davis. "And he should know better than to mess with us."

The fallen angel Digimon was scowling, but then he broke out in a grin. "You're right. I do know better. Therefore... Hell Contract!"

The black cloud spread outward, hiding Devimon. It was the same way he had eluded them last time, and they were not about to let it happen again.

"Quick, don't let him get away!" Davis shouted.

The Digimon charged into the cloud, despite the damaging effects it held. They could see nothing, but they knew he was inside somewhere.

"Anyone see anything?" Flamedramon asked.

"Nothing," Halsemon replied, his eyes straining to see in the darkness and gloom.

Digmon looked around. "Yeah, just a bunch of black."

Devimon suddenly appeared between the two of them. "I can see. Touch of Evil!"

The two cried out, drawing the attention of the others, and they rushed over. "What happened?" Nefertimon cried.

Bucchiemon shook his head. "I don't know, I couldn't see."

" Touch of Evil!"

Two more cries. Flamedramon growled as he suddenly realized that Devimon had wanted them to come after him, and he quickly flew out of the cloud. "Everyone out now! He has too much of an advantage in there!"

Pegasusmon joined him a moment later, but none of the others followed. They waited for them to emerge, but none of them appeared.

"Noctowl, get rid of that cloud," Ash ordered.

" Noct!" the owl Pokemon cried, and used its Whirlwind.

The dark cloud was blown away, and everyone inside was revealed. Devimon was grinning wickedly, with Halsemon, Digmon, Nefertimon, and Bucchiemon by his side.

"The tables have turned now, Digi-brats," Devimon told them victoriously. "Your friends now belong to me."

Chapter 9: Fighting Friends
Blank white eyes completely devoid of emotion stared at the DigiDestined. TK had seen this before, and it sent a chill up his spine. "No, not that."

"Wait, what happened?" asked Yolei. "What's up with their eyes?"

"TK?" Kari asked worriedly, giving the blonde boy a questioning look.

TK's fists clenched. "Devimon used his Touch of Evil on them. He did the same thing to Leomon."

"It allows him to force his will on others," Pegasusmon explained.

Davis frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means," Devimon stated arrogantly, "that your friends are now under my control."

"Oh..." Yolei muttered, "that's... really bad."

Devimon laughed. "Destroy them!"

The possessed Digimon charged forward. Flamedramon and Pegasusmon took to the air, but those that could fly followed after them. Digmon fired his Gold Rush, launching his drills, while Halsemon launched blades of wind from his wings with his Mach Impulse.

Flamedramon knocked away the drills and dodged the blades of wind. "Snap out of it, you guys. Don't let Devimon control you."

Pegasusmon bucked heads with Nefertimon while kicking away the arrows Bucchiemon fired at him. "It's no use talking to them. I've seen this before. You can resist the initial possession, but once you're under Devimon's control, your will is that of Devimon's, so you won't even want to resist. AH!"

One of Bucchiemon's arrows had struck his hip. Nefertimon broke away from him and fired a Rosetta Stone. Pegasusmon countered with his Equis Beam, and the two attacks cancelled each other out.

Scowling, Ash looked at Devimon, who seemed to be quite content to watch the battle from the sidelines. "So why didn't he just take control of them all?"

"Maybe he can't," Brock theorized. "If he's enforcing his will on them, it's likely that he can only possess so many before his will is so spread out that he can't control them anymore."

Professor Stevens glanced at him. "That... actually makes sense." He began writing some more. "A very good deduction."

Yolei growled impatiently. "That's all well and good, but how do we get them back to normal?"

"If he's taken control of their minds," said Cody, "maybe a good knock on the head will return them to normal. That is the standard brainwashing cure."

"Alright!" Davis cried. "Flamedramon, Pegasusmon, go hit them over the head!"

Ash looked at his Pokemon. "Pikachu, Bayleef, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Noctowl, Phanpy, you help out too. Go after Halsemon."

Brock held out a PokeBall. "Forretress, return." The bagworm Pokemon was drawn back into its PokeBall. "Everyone else, go stop Bucchiemon."

"Corsola, Politoed, Staryu, give 'em a hand, Misty ordered.

The groups broke up, heading for their intended targets. Bucchiemon was about to fire another arrow at Pegasusmon when Staryu flew into him with a Rapid Spin, knocking the fairy Digimon off his feet. He turned it into a backflip and landed on his feet as Staryu came at him again. This time he caught the starfish Pokemon, grabbing it by one of its points.

" Poli!" Politoed cried, and unleashed a Water Gun. Bucchiemon jumped up, taking Staryu with him as he dodged the attack. He threw the starfish Pokemon, and Politoed dodged as Staryu landed point first into the ground.

" Talon Arrow!" he cried, firing an arrow. It struck Staryu in the center of its jewel, knocking it over like a target at a carnival shooting game, then he took aim at Politoed. He fired, but Onix's tail smacked the arrow away. The rock snake Pokemon attempted to Tackle him, but he jumped up onto his head and ran down the length of his body.

Crobat swooped down and unleashed its Supersonic. Bucchiemon tripped over his own feet as he became disorientated and fell over. Geodude came down on his back, crushing him against Onix's hard stone body. Bucchiemon grunted before reaching over his shoulder and grabbing the rock Pokemon. He swung him around before throwing him at Crobat.

Corsola jumped up onto Onix and used Spike Cannon. Bucchiemon jumped up, avoiding the spikes, and fired another arrow. Onix lashed out with his tail, wrapping it around the fairy Digimon and used Bind. Bucchiemon groaned and looked up at Onix as he was squeezed.

" Heavy Beam!" he cried, firing a beam of energy at the rock snake Pokemon. Onix was blasted back, but he kept a grip on Bucchiemon. That is, until Politoed used Water Gun again. It sprayed against Bucchiemon, but also splashed Onix's tail, and the rock snake Pokemon cried out in pain, releasing the fairy Digimon.

Corsola turned to Politoed angrily. "Corsola! Cor, Cor, Corsola! Sola!"

The frog Pokemon sweat-dropped and rubbed its head bashfully. "Toed!"

A blast from Bucchiemon's Heavy Beam struck the ground between them, and the two went flying. Then a Sonic Boom from Crobat hit the fairy Digimon from behind, and he turned to the bat Pokemon and began rapidly firing arrows. Crobat dodged the arrows, but they came at it so fast that it didn't have time to do anything else.

A Sandstorm curtsey of Geodude flowed over Bucchiemon, preventing him from seeing his target, and he ceased firing. He looked around, trying to make out anything in the cloud of sand, and he was suddenly seized from behind as the rock Pokemon grabbed him.

" Staryu!" the starfish Pokemon cried, suddenly becoming visible in the Sandstorm. It unleashed Bubble Beam, and the flow of bubbles splattered against Bucchiemon.

Reaching over his shoulder, Bucchiemon once again pulled Geodude off him and threw the rock Pokemon into Staryu. The sound of wings came from behind him, and he turned around and fired his Heavy Beam at Crobat, practically at point blank range. The bat Pokemon hit a tree and went limp, dizzy swirls rotating in its eyes.

Explosions went off in the air around Pegasusmon as Nefertimon fired explosive projectiles from her armor with her Queen's Paw. He retaliated with his Mane Wind, sending a shower of needles flying from his mane. Nefertimon wrapped her wings around herself protectively, the needles showering against them, then opened up again to fire her Rosetta Stone, firing one stone slab after another.

" Star Shower!" Pegasusmon countered with a flap of his wings, sending a shower of stars that shattered the stone slabs.

Nefertimon flew into him, and they crashed to the ground with the female holy beast Digimon on top. "Beam of Isis!" she cried, firing a beam from her headdress.

Pegasusmon's long neck allowed him to turn his head enough to avoid the beam, and he countered with his Pegas Drop, slamming his head into her face. She stumbled back, and Pegasusmon got to his feet and rose up onto his hind legs. His hooves collided with her shoulder, knocking her back further.

"It may sound cliche," he told her, "but this really does hurt me more than it hurts you."

Her blank eyes stared back at him. "What a coincidence, because this will hurt you more than it will hurt me too. Nile Jewelry!"

Multicolored jewels were fired from her gauntlets. Pegasusmon grunted as they rained against him. She was right though, this did hurt him more than it hurt her. Not the attack, but the fact that she was attacking him, and how upset she would be once she came back to her senses. He knew that once she was free of Devimon's control that she would be in far more pain than he was now when she realized what she had done; they all would be.

" Equis Beam!" he cried, firing a green beam from his forehead. It blasted against Nefertimon, and she ceased attacking. He flew at her, using his Golden Noose, an attack they usually used together, and wrapped it around her. Using the rope of light, he brought her down to the ground and pressed a hoof down on her head. "I'm only doing this because I know that you will never forgive yourself if you harm one of our friends."

She glared up at him with empty eyes. "Don't do me any favors. Beam of Isis!"

The attack struck him, and he stumbled away from her. She jumped up, breaking free of the Golden Noose, and fired several Rosetta Stone attacks at him. They shattered against his side, knocking him further back with each hit. She charged at him, and he took to the sky. She flew up after him, and their battle resumed.

Despite outnumbering their opponent, it very quickly became apparent that their was a large gap in power between Pokemon and Digimon. Halsemon demonstrated this as he used his Eagle Eye, firing lasers from his eyes down at the Pokemon, each laser blasting apart the ground where it struck.

Cyndaquil provided cover for them as it used Smokescreen, preventing the bird Digimon from seeing his targets. Pikachu decided to take a chance and darted out of the cloud so he could see. Halsemon fired more lasers at him, but Pikachu used Agility, avoiding the beams. It seemed that even though Halsemon was stronger, Pikachu had the speed advantage, and he used it as he raced over to the bird Digimon.

" Pikachu!" he cried, unleashing a Thunder Shock. Halsemon countered with Tempest Wing, spinning around to create a tornado around himself as he flew at the electric mouse Pokemon. Pikachu gasped as he plowed into him and got sent flying. Still spinning, Halsemon flew into the Smokescreen, the heavy wind blowing away the cloud.

" Bay!" Bayleef exclaimed, and lashed out with a vine as the bird Digimon passed. It coiled around Halsemon's spinning body, but this proved to be a mistake as the vine wrapped around him more and more until Bayleef no longer had anymore length and was yanked into the air. "Bayleef!"

Noctowl bravely flew into the bird Digimon's path and screeched. Halsemon stopped spinning and hovered in the air in front of it, Bayleef hanging beneath him, her vine wrapped around the bird Digimon's hind leg. Noctowl's eyes began glowing as it used Hypnosis, and sleep inducing hypnotic waves flowed over the bird Digimon.

"I can do that too," Halsemon replied as he realized what the owl Pokemon was doing. "Udjat Gaze!"

His own hypnotic waves poured from his own eyes, easily overpowering Noctowl's. The owl Pokemon ceased attacking and began nodding off as its flying became sluggish.

" Phan!" Phanpy cried on the ground and used Hidden Power, firing circulating balls of energy at the bird Digimon. Halsemon grunted as the attack hit, and the hypnotic waves stopped coming. Noctowl shook its head and used Confusion.

Halsemon cried out as he was struck by a blast of psychic energy. He flew at Noctowl, slashing with his talons, knocking the owl Pokemon away. In retaliation, Bayleef tightened her vine around his leg to the point where it cut off his blood circulation. Halsemon glanced back at her, then suddenly flew down towards the ground. He pulled up at the last moment, but Bayleef hit the ground hard enough to form a crater, and her vine went limp, allowing Halsemon to pull his leg free.

Cyndaquil and Totodile leapt forward unleashing Flamethrower and Water Gun. Halsemon snarled at them as the attacks struck his side, and Phanpy used the opportunity to ram into him on his other side with its Rollout.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered.

The electric mouse Pokemon charged forward. He leapt into the air and attacked, the bolt of electricity striking Halsemon. A growl escaped the bird Digimon, and he took to the air, escaping the onslaught of attacks.

"How much is it going to take to break the spell?" Brock wondered out loud.

"Bayleef, Razor Leaf!" Ash shouted.

The leaf Pokemon crawled out of the crater. Shaking her head to clear it, she fired several leaves up at Halsemon. The bird Digimon deflected them with his Tempest Wing, then stopped spinning to fire an Eagle Eye down at her. Phanpy came to her rescue, jumping into the attack's path and using Defense Curl to defend against it.

Before Halsemon could attack again, Noctowl collided into him with its Sky Attack. Doubling back, it unleashed a Whirlwind, and Halsemon was caught up in a heavy windstorm, making it impossible for him to fly properly.

" Mach Impulse!" he cried, firing blades of heated wind from his wings. The windstorm caused the first blade to miss, but the second one hit its target, and Noctowl dropped from the sky as the wind died down.

"Pikachu, Totodile," Ash called, "combo attack!"

The two Pokemon nodded. Totodile unleashed a spray from his Water Gun, and Pikachu followed up with a Thunder Shock, electrifying the water. The electric stream sprayed against Halsemon, and he cried out. Turning to the five Pokemon on the ground, he began repeatedly firing lasers down at them, not even giving them a chance to attack as they continued to dodge.

Digmon stabbed forward with his drill hand. Flamedramon caught it with his claw, but had to jump back as the bug Digimon came at him again. "Come on, Digmon, old buddy, I know you're not so weak as to let Devimon control you."

"I'll show you who's weak," Digmon replied. "Rock Cracking!"

He buried his drills into the ground, cracking it apart. Flamedramon took to the air, using the heat from his body to allow himself to hover. "Fire Rocket!"

He launched several fireballs down at the bug Digimon. Digmon took to the air as well, and sped towards Flamedramon. The dragon Digimon let himself drop to the ground as Digmon swiped at him, attempting to use his Rock Cracking on him.

" Gold Rush!" Digmon cried, launching his drills at Flamedramon.

" Flame Shield!" the dragon Digimon cried, encasing himself in a sphere of fire. It protected him from the attack, but not from Digmon charging at him with new drills. Flamedramon dropped the fiery barrier and countered with his Flame Fist. His fiery fist collided with Digmon's drill, shattering it. A new one immediately materialized as Digmon struck with his other drill, only to strike Flamedramon's other flaming fist.

The two continued to exchange blows until Flamedramon duck down as Digmon punched out at him, allowing the dragon Digimon to throw Digmon over his shoulder. He whirled around to face the bug Digimon again, holding up his claws threateningly. "Don't do this, Digmon. We shouldn't be fighting each other."

Digmon was on his feet again. "Then who should we be fighting? Gold Rush!"

" Flaming Rocket!" Flamedramon cried, covering himself in a fiery aura and charging through the flying drills to plow into Digmon. With the bug Digimon out of the way, he turned to Devimon. "I know who."

He flew towards the fallen angel Digimon, who had seemed to have been enjoying watching the friends fighting with each other. He turned to Flamedramon as the dragon Digimon flew towards him and smirked. "You're the fool, Devimon. You've been one ever since you dabbed with the forces of evil. Fire Rocket!"

Devimon countered with his Deadly Nail, knocking away the fireballs. "What you and your human pets fail to realize is that the darkness is eternal, but the light can always be snuffed out. Evil Wing!"

He fired a blast of energy from his wings. Flamedramon attempted to block it with his Flame Shield, but Devimon'a attack forced its way through it, blasting the dragon Digimon backwards.

Groaning, Flamedramon got to his feet. "And what you fail to realize, Devimon, is that the light can always be reignited. And even the smallest spark will chase away the deepest of darkness."

Devimon laughed. "How poetic. Very well then, shine your light. It will only attract insect."

His choice of words were too precise, and Flamedramon figured it out a moment before a certain bug Digimon buried his drills into his back. Whirling around, he knocked away Digmon's drill, and the two began exchanging blows again.

Chuckling, Devimon rose up into the sky to get a better look at the battles taking place. Those foolish DigiDestined had thought that they had the jump on him with their superior numbers and levels, but he had turned the odds in his favor. Victory was within his grasp. The Pokemon weren't strong enough to defeat their Digimon opponents, and Flamedramon and Pegasusmon were holding back out of fear of hurting their friends, a courtesy that would not be returned.

"Soon I will not only have my revenge," he said to himself, "but I will rule this world, and all within it."

As he watched the battle, a shift in the wind drew his attention. He turned just in time to see an orange fist glowing with energy right before he took a Mega Punch to the face. He fell from the sky, hitting the ground hard as whoever hit him roared loudly.

The sound drew the attention of Trainers and DigiDestined alike, and Ash's face lit up. "It's Charizard!"

" Char!" the flame Pokemon roared, breathing a stream of fire for good measure.

"Who's that?" Kari asked.

Misty stepped forward, smiling. "That's Charizard. The Pokemon who never used to listen to Ash."

The boy in question sweat-dropped. "Did you have to introduce it that way?"

"Charizard was off training with other Charizard in Charicific Valley," Brock added. "Earlier Ash had called it to help fight Devimon."

"Dude," Davis exclaimed, "you own a dragon? That's awesome!"

Misty gave him a look. "Charizard isn't a Dragon type."

Davis blinked. He looked from her to Charizard, then back again before pointing at the flame Pokemon. "What are you talking about? It's a fire-breathing lizard with horns that can fly. How is it not a dragon?"

Devimon got to his feet, his red eyes narrowing. His hand came up and rubbed his sore jaw; that creature's attack had actually hurt. "I don't care what kind of Pokemon it is. Very soon it will be a dead one."

Charizard just snorted and flew over to Ash. The young Trainer joyfully threw himself at the flame Pokemon, hugging him. "Charizard, it's great to see you, buddy."

" Charizard."

Ash knew the reunion would have to wait, and glared at Devimon. "You see that guy, Charizard?"

" Zard."

"That's Devimon. He's very bad. He wants to hurt people. Do you think you can beat him?" In answer, Charizard breathed a stream of fire into the air. Ash beamed. "Alright! Then go get him. And don't hold back, he's very dangerous, and will even try to kill you."

" Char!" The flame Pokemon marched over to Devimon. Puffing himself up, he spread his wings, attempting to make himself look bigger. "Zard!"

Devimon chuckled. "It looks like I found an opponent in this world who may actually be able to entertain me for a bit. This should at least provide me with some exercise."

Charizard growled irritably and breathed more fire into the air, attempting to intimidate him. This only seemed to amuse Devimon as another snicker escaped him. "You may be strong in your world, but let me show you what real strength is, my fiery friend. When this battle is over, you will bow down to me." His grin widened. "That is, if you survive."

Chapter 10: Duck ex Machina
Charizard had had enough of Devimon's mockery. As the others continued to do battle around him, he flew at the fallen angel Digimon. Devimon took to the air with a smile on his face, and Charizard flew up after him. He breathed a stream of fire, which Devimon caused to disperse with a swipe of his Deadly Nail. Charizard didn't let this stop him and tried again, unleashing another Flamethrower.

"You're strong," Devimon acknowledged, avoiding the flames, "for a Pokemon that is. But I am Devimon, and compared to my kind, your species is nothing!"

He held up a hand and unleashed his Death Hand attack. Charizard flinched as a wave of radiation flowed over him, almost feeling as if he were hit by a physical force. Devimon just laughed. "You see. Just one attack and you're ready to thrown in the towel."

" Zard!" Charizard roared, and breathed a vortex of fire.

Devimon grinned as he recognized the attack from when Officer Jenny had attacked with her Growlith and Arcanine earlier in the week. "Ah, Fire Spin . A good Fire type move, but not nearly enough to- AH!"

He'd tried to disperse the attack with a swipe of his claw, but the flames had flown over his hand, burning him, much to his surprise. This one was stronger than he anticipated.

Charizard came at him again with his Steel Wing. Devimon's arms shot out, grabbing the flame Pokemon's shoulders, holding him back. The flame Pokemon breathed more fire at him, and Devimon pulled back to avoid it.

" Death Claw!" he cried, spearing with his hand. He'd aimed for Charizard's head, but only managed to graze his face. Reaching up with his other hand, he grasped one of the flame Pokemon's horns and threw him over his shoulder. Being in the air, Charizard was able to avoid any nasty collisions as he righted himself.

" Demon's Ray!" Devimon cried, firing a beam at him. Charizard countered with Dragon Rage, breathing a ball of energy. It collided with Devimon's attack and erupted.

Bursting through the cloud of smoke, Charizard flew towards Devimon. Opening his mouth, he used Ember, sending out bits of fire. Devimon covered himself with his wings, the attack doing little, but it was as Charizard intended as he suddenly used Take Down, plowing into Devimon.

Opening his wings, Devimon held out his hand and used Death Hand. The radiation blasted Charizard back, and Devimon followed up with his Laser Wing. A tornado stirred up around Charizard, and the flame Pokemon roared as the heavy winds whipped him around.

"Charizard, hang in there!" Ash called up to him.

Devimon laughed. "This is your backup? A flying lizard that can't even beat a windstorm? It's no wonder you're so weak."

Charizard glared at him, fire dancing in his eyes. He roared loudly, and the flame on his tail grew several times larger as he used Rage. Devimon raised an eyebrow in interest as the flame Pokemon's strength seemed to increase. "What's this now?"

" Char!" Charizard bellowed, and began rapidly flapping his wings, gaining control of his flying in the heavy wind.

Using Fly, he burst free of the tornado and flew at Devimon. The fallen angel Digimon swerved out of the way, but Charizard doubled back and used Flamethrower. Devimon countered with his Death Hand. The flames smashed into the radiation as if it were an invisible wall, but that didn't stop Charizard. He flew at Devimon, throwing a Mega Punch. Devimon raised his arms to block, and Charizard's glowing fist smashed against them.

The sound of thunder rumbled in the air as Charizard repeatedly used Mega Punch. Devimon's face twisted with frustration, and he kicked outward, his foot colliding with Charizard's stomach. The flame Pokemon grunted, but quickly retaliated with a Slash. Devimon pulled back and used Deadly Nail as Charizard repeated his Slash attack.

Sparks flew as their claws struck against each other. Charizard followed up with a Skull Bash, ramming his head into Devimon's gut. Grabbing the fallen angel Digimon, he took him higher into the sky and began summersaulting, preparing to use Seismic Toss. Diving down from the sky, he brought Devimon with him, and smashed the fallen angel Digimon into the ground.

Taking to the air again, he left Devimon where he landed and smirked. Ash gave the flame Pokemon a thumbs up. "Way to go, Charizard!"

"Um, hold that thought," Yolei told him, pointing.

She was right. Devimon was getting to his feet. He dusted himself off, and then looked up at Charizard. The flame Pokemon was flying above him. He slowly rose into the air, and Charizard growled at him.

"You surmised me," he admitted. "Charizard, was it?"

" Char!"

"I see. Well, Charizard, this has been fun," he cracked his knuckles, "but I think it's about time I ended this."

Charizard roared and breathed fire at him. Devimon spread his wings and used Evil Wing. The energy he released completely knocked away Charizard's fire and blasted against the flame Pokemon. Devimon flew after him and reached out, grabbing his tail. He spun Charizard around, and then threw him, firing a Demon's Ray after him.

Charizard barely recovered from the first attack before the beam struck his side, ripping a cry from the flame Pokemon. Ignoring the pain, he turned back to Devimon, but the fallen angel Digimon was already there, slashing at him with his Deadly Nail. Charizard breathed fire at him, but Devimon avoided the flames and unleashed his Hell Contract.

Charizard choked on the black cloud and immediately retreated from it. Devimon followed after him and balled up his fists, bringing them down on the flame Pokemon. Charizard fell from the sky, hitting the ground not far from where he had Seismic Tossed Devimon before. The fallen angel Digimon landed a few feet from him, only this time he was wearing the arrogant smirk.

Charizard rose to his feet, stumbling. He turned to Devimon and growled. The fallen angel Digimon simply motioned for him to come at him, and Charizard rose to the bait. He charged at Devimon and used his Wing Attack. Devimon dodged as the flame Pokemon swiped at him with his wings.

Finally, Devimon reached out and grabbed one of Charizard's wings, digging his claw into the leathery flesh. Charizard roared and threw a Mega Punch, but Devimon's other hand came up, grasping his wrist.

"You've really impressed me," Devimon admitted. "You're much stronger than the other fools I've faced." His eyes narrowed. "But compared to me, you're still a weakling."

There was an unpleasant pop noise as Devimon dislocated Charizard's wing. The flame Pokemon howled and pulled away, grabbing his injured wing. Devimon let him go, smirking. "So very fragile, all of you."

Charizard growled at him. Taking hold of his injured wing, he roared loudly as he popped it back into place. Devimon's eyes widened in surprise as Charizard breathed heavily, and then got into an attacking position again and roared once more, breathing a stream of fire for good measure.

Devimon's eyebrows rose as he was once again impressed against his will. "You are certainly full of surprises."

He took to the air again. Charizard followed, heedless of his aching wing. A moment later, Onix crashed down where he had been standing. Bucchiemon turned away from the rock snake Pokemon as he turned to Politoed. The frog Pokemon used Bubble, unleashing a flood of countless bubbles. Bucchiemon jumped up over them, only to have Geodude slam into him with his Tackle attack.

Bucchiemon recovered quickly and grabbed the rock Pokemon, throwing him into the pool of bubbles meant for him. He came in for a landing on Politoed's head, knocking the frog Pokemon to the ground.

Staryu came at him with its Rapid Spin, knocking him off Politoed. Crobat swooped down, grabbing Bucchiemon by the shoulders and flying into the air. The fairy Digimon flipped himself upward and wrapped his arms and legs around the bat Pokemon, pinning its wings to its side. The two fell from the sky, and Bucchiemon shifted so Crobat hit the ground while he landed on top of it.

" Staryu!" The starfish Pokemon was spinning towards him again. Bucchiemon leapt at it, once again grabbing it by one of its points. Staryu struggled, but the fairy Digimon kept a firm grip on it.

Something stabbed into him from behind, and Bucchiemon turned to find Corsola firing its Spike Cannon at him. He ran towards the coral Pokemon, using Staryu to smack away the flying spikes, then hit Corsola with the starfish Pokemon. Both cried out as he proceeded to whack Corsola with Staryu before finally blasting the coral Pokemon with his Heavy Beam. He then threw Staryu into a tree, where one of its points buried into the trunk, its jewel blinking.

With all of its opponents down, Bucchiemon turned to the humans. He began stalking towards them threateningly, his eyes blank and emotionless. The humans back away, unable to defend themselves against his power.

"Guys, I think we're in trouble," said Yolei.

"Do you guys have any other Pokemon?" Cody asked the Trainers.

Brock shook his head. "No, that's all of them."

"No, it's not," said Davis. He suddenly snatched Togepi out of Misty's arms and held it out towards Bucchiemon. "Get 'em, Togepi!"

Misty's fist came down over his head, and she reclaimed the spike ball Pokemon. "Just what do you think you're doing!?"

Davis rubbed the bump on his head. "What? It's a Pokemon, isn't it? It can fight."

"Togepi is just a baby!"

"...Even Baby level Digimon can fight a bit."

"No one needs to fight," Ken announced. "I'll handle this."

He stepped away from the group, walking towards Bucchiemon. The fairy Digimon let him approach, his eyes seemingly unseeing.

"Bucchiemon," Ken said carefully, "it's me. Don't you recognize me? It's Ken." He reached out to him. "I know you're in there somewhere. You didn't give up on me when I was the Digimon Emperor, and I'm not going to give up on you." He placed his hands on Bucchiemon's shoulders. "You can beat this. I know you can. I have faith in you." He pulled the fairy Digimon into a hug. "Come back to me, Bucchiemon. You're my best friend. I know you'd never hurt me."

The others watched as the two partners stood in front of each other, Ken pleading with his friend. They all wondered the same thing; would their bond be strong enough to break Devimon's control.

A light pressure on Ken's chest caused him to open his eyes. He looked down to see Bucchiemon's hand on his chest. The fairy Digimon pushed him away with great force, and Ken went flying back to the others. A sadistic grin was plastered on Bucchiemon's face as he sneered at them.

"Your words mean nothing to me, human." He produced an arrow and took aim. "Now it's time for you to die."

" Psy, Y, Y, Y!"

From out of the bushes, Psyduck came running over to them, having run in a complete circle when it took off earlier at the beginning of the battle. Whether it was by coincidence or because it had taken notice of them, the platypus Pokemon tripped over his own feet and fell in front of the humans.

"Psyduck?" Misty asked.

"Alright!" Davis cried. "The duck man to the rescue."

Misty sighed. "Well, I guess it can't hurt. Psyduck, use Water Gun!"

The platypus Pokemon looked confused at first, then he stood up and nodded. "Psy."

Turning to Bucchiemon, he opened his mouth and let out a spray of water equivalent to that of a water fountain. It sprayed against the fairy Digimon's face, the only damage being done was getting him wet.

When the spray stopped, Bucchiemon mechanically raised his hand and wiped the water from his face. Psyduck cocked his head to the side in confusion, as if he couldn't figure out why his attack didn't work.

TK glanced at Misty. "Was that a serious attack, or was it just fooling around?"

Misty sighed again. "No, unfortunately, that was Psyduck being serious." She shook her head. "Ok, Psyduck, try your Scratch attack."

" Psy, Y!" He raised his hand, the points of his fingers glittering in the moonlight. Charging forward, he swiped at Bucchiemon. The fairy Digimon easily stepped to avoid him. Psyduck tried again and again, but Bucchiemon avoided his attacks without the slightest bit of effort.

Psyduck swiped one last time, once again missing. The momentum caused him to spin around and fall onto his face with his rear in the air. Bucchiemon kicked his backside, sending Psyduck tumbling head over heels back to the others. They humans all sweat-dropped as Psyduck looked up at them, completely bewildered.

"Can Psyduck actually battle?" Yolei asked with hooded eyes.

Misty looked embarrassed for the platypus Pokemon's sake. "Kind of. Sometimes." She growled irritably. "Come on, you dumb duck! Do something! Try your Tail Whip!"

Psyduck stood up, looking determine, and nodded. "Psy!" He turned his backside to Bucchiemon and began moving his rear back and forth while wagging his tail. "Psy, Duck. Psy. Duck. Psy. Duck. Psy. Duck."

The DigiDestined stared at the platypus Pokemon's 'attack'. Despite the seriousness of the situation, they couldn't help but crack smiles at the ridiculousness of Psyduck's poor attempt at a Tail Whip. Yolei had tears of laughter in her eyes as she bit her bottom lip to stop herself from smiling while Davis was turning blue in the face as he held his breath, trying to prevent himself from bursting out laughing.

But the DigiDestined weren't the only ones to find Psyduck's attack humorous as a snort of laughter managed to escape Ash as well, and he bit his tongue to stifle it when Misty glared at him.

The platypus Pokemon continued to chant as he waddled backwards towards Bucchiemon with his tail gently wagging back and forth, looking over his shoulder to see where he was going. Bucchiemon made no move to stop him, but once Psyduck was within range, he smacked him in the side of the head with his long ears, knocking the platypus Pokemon off his feet.

Psyduck blinked, looking surprised. A shadow fell over him, and he looked up to find Bucchiemon glaring down at him. Crying out, the platypus Pokemon jumped to his feet and ran quacking back over to the humans. He tripped over his own feet again and fell down in front of them as they stared down at him with hooded eyes.

"Misty," said Davis, "your Psyduck is more of a danger to itself than anything."

"Enough of this," Bucchiemon growled. "It's time to fulfill my master's wish. Talon Arrow!" He produced an arrow and took aim. "Say goodbye!"

Ken held out a hand. "Bucchiemon, wait!"

The fairy Digimon let the arrow fly. It tore through the air towards the humans, its target being Ken.

" PSY, Y, Y!" Psyduck rolled over into a sitting position, his eyes and body glowing with blue psychic energy. The arrow froze in mid-air, then suddenly exploded into a shower of splinters.

Bucchiemon's blank eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

" DUUUUCK!"

The blue aura that was surrounding Psyduck now surrounded Bucchiemon. The fairy Digimon tried to get away, but found that his body was paralyzed as he was lifted into the air. "What's happening? I can't move."

" Duck! Duck! Duck! Psy, Y, Y!"

Bucchiemon was slammed to the ground, lifted into the air, and then slammed down again, higher and higher each time. The DigiDestined stared, completely baffled at what was happening.

"Hey, what's going on?" TK asked.

"It's Psyduck's psychic power," said Brock. "Looks like that blow to the head really set off Psyduck's headache."

Bucchiemon was slammed down one last time, and the blue around him faded. He got to his feet, growling as he turned his attention to the platypus Pokemon. "You'll pay for that. Heavy Beam!"

Psyduck's glowing eyes flashed brightly. "Psyyyyy!"

The psychic aura around him grew until he appeared to consumed in blue flames, the psychic energy so great it almost appeared solid. A blast of it flew at Bucchiemon, pushing through his Heavy Beam, and kept going. The fairy Digimon's eyes widened just before he was blasted back, and he went tumbling into a tree hard enough to cause it to crack in half.

The psychic energy died within Psyduck, and the platypus Pokemon seemed none the wiser as to what had transpired. The others did though, and Misty dropped down to hug him. "Psyduck, that was great!"

Yolei blinked. "Wait, what just happened? Psyduck was hurting itself more than anything, and then it suddenly unleashes all this awesome power. What's up with that? Was it bluffing?"

Brock shook his head. "Not quite. Psyduck is a Pokemon that always has a headache. When it becomes severe, it develops powerful psychic attacks."

Kari gave the platypus a smile. "Wow, Psyduck, you're amazing. Think you can use those powers to fight Devimon?"

Psyduck glanced at her, looking confused. "Psy?" he asked, apparently having no idea what she was talking about.

Ash gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah... it seems that after Psyduck uses its power, it goes back to the way it was before."

Davis beamed. "That's so cool! Psyduck gains this awesome power, unleashes it on its opponent, then forgets it did it, and does it all over again. Psyduck, you're the mon!"

The others sighed at his horrible pun. Psyduck stilled looked confused, but then seemed to realize that he was being praised and blushed. "Psy."

"Hold up, you guys," said Cody, "this battle isn't over yet. Look."

He pointed. Bucchiemon was walking over to them, rubbing his head. They prepared to be attacked, but when he opened his eyes, they were no longer blank, white, and emotionless. "Ow, my head."

Ken stared at him. "Bucchiemon?" he asked hopefully. "Bucchiemon!" He rushed forward and hugged his friend. "Oh, Bucchiemon, I'm so glad you're back."

The fairy Digimon smiled and hugged him back. "Hey, Ken. Sorry for the trouble."

"Hey," Davis cried, "it's good to have you back, but we don't have time for this right now. We've got to get the others back."

TK's eyes widened. "That's it! I know how!"

Kari glanced at him. "What are you thinking?"

"The same way Davis was returned to normal after Pukumon turned him into the New Digimon Emperor. Bucchiemon, use your arrows."

The fairy Digimon smirked. "You got it." He turned to Halsemon, who was flying after Ash's Pokemon as they fled, firing his Mach Impulse at them. Bucchiemon smiled and took aim with his arrow, letting it fly. "Talon Arrow!"

The arrow flew through the air and struck Halsemon in the side. He cried out, and his body glowed with red light. When it faded, his eyes were back to normal, and so was he. "What was I... doing?"

"You did it!" Yolei exclaimed.

Bucchiemon smirked and took aim with another arrow. "And one more."

Nefertimon and Pegasusmon were bucking heads. They pressed against each other, trying to push the other back. Bucchiemon fired his arrow, and it struck Nefertimon. She cried out as she too flashed with red light and was freed from Devimon's spell.

"Pegasusmon?" she asked, sounding confused.

If he were able to, he would have smiled at her. "Good to have you back."

"Nefertimon!" Kari waved happily.

Pokemon and Digimon alike returned to their humans, glad everyone was back to normal, and not too worse for wear. But the battle wasn't over yet, and Devimon still needed to be stop.

"Ok," said Davis, "now lets finish this."

Charizard was quickly losing steam, both figuratively and literally. Devimon attacked with his Evil Wing, and Charizard countered with his Steel Wing , flying straight through the attack, despite the damage it did to him. Devimon retaliated with his Deadly Nail, slashing at Charizard as the flame Pokemon passed by, striking him with his glowing silver wings.

Devimon grunted, but continued to grin as Charizard doubled back and unleashed Fire Spin. Devimon fired his Demon Ray, and the attack forced its way through the spinning stream of fire and struck Charizard. The flame Pokemon cried out as the attack hit him. A moment later, Devimon crashed into him, bringing Charizard down to the ground. They hit hard, with Charizard beneath Devimon, and the fallen angel Digimon's hand wrapping around the flame Pokemon's throat.

"This time you are beaten," Devimon mocked. "I'll snap your neck so you'll never get up again."

"Hey, Devimon!"

At Ash's call, Devimon turned to him. He was shocked to see humans, Pokemon, and Digimon alike standing together, all ready to face him. How had they broken his spell? When?

Charizard managed to twist his head enough to breathe a stream of fire into Devimon's face. The fallen angel Digimon cried out and stumbled back, allowing Charizard to throw him off. Spreading his wings, he flew over to the others and roared intimidatingly.

Devimon stared at the group, hopelessly outnumbered and outmatched, even worse than before. He dropped his aggressive stance, his posture becoming more resigned. "Well, well, look at this. Humans, Pokemon, and Digimon standing together against the forces of evil." He chuckled. "How sweet."

"It's over, Devimon," TK growled. "You can't defeat all of us."

"And we won't let you take us over again," Nefertimon added.

" Pika, Pika!"

Devimon looked like he wanted to argue, but knew there was no point. He knew there was no possible way for him to win. With a sigh, he closed his eyes. "I must admit, you're right." He grinned. "But just because I can't beat you, doesn't mean I must accept defeat. Hell Contract!"

His black cloud exploded outward, concealing him from the others. Flamedramon growled as he lost sight of the fallen angel Digimon. "I hate that attack. Everyone, light him up!"

A barrage of attacks flew into the cloud, Pokemon and Digimon alike attacking in full force. Various explosions were heard from within the darkness as the attacks hit. What they were hitting, either the ground, each other, or Devimon, was unknown.

"Noctowl, get rid of that cloud," Ash ordered.

" Noct!" the owl Pokemon screeched, and used Whirlwind. The black cloud cleared up, but there was no sign of Devimon anywhere.

"I really hate that attack," Flamedramon growled.

"Find him," Pegasusmon ordered. "Don't let him get away."

"And stay in pairs," Nefertimon added. "Watch each others' backs; we don't want him taking control of anyone else."

The Digimon took off into the forest while the Pokemon stayed behind to defend the humans in case the fallen angel Digimon returned. But an hour later, they reluctantly returned, their search unsuccessful. Devimon had gotten away.

Chapter 11: Communication
The red light over the door blinked off, and the door opened. Chancey waddled out, pushing a stretcher, upon which Pikachu and several PokeBalls rested. Ash got up from the waiting area and hurried over to them.

"Pikachu, how are you feeling, buddy?"

"Pika, Pi!" the electric mouse Pokemon replied with a wave.

The door opened again, and the pink haired nurse stepped out. "Pikachu is doing just fine. In fact, all your Pokemon are." She glanced over her shoulder, still smiling. "And so are your Digimon."

The Digimon were all in their Rookie forms again, with the exception of Gatomon. Charizard was right behind them, looking much better as well, his wing wrapped in bandages. Veemon raised his hand in greeting to the humans as they were wheeled forward. "Hey, great service here. Joe should take some lessons if he wants to be a doctor."

"TK!" Patamon cried, flying over to the blonde boy.

TK caught the mammal Digimon and gave him a smile. "I guess you're feeling better."

Patamon nodded. "Yeah, they took real good care of us."

Kari picked up Gatomon and lowered her head to the nurse in gratitude. "Thanks for everything, Nurse Joy. It was nice to have a place to bring our Digimon to recover."

The nurse smiled back at her. "Oh, it was my pleasure. It was very interesting working with your Digimon, though it really wasn't any different from working with Pokemon."

Officer Jenny walked over to them. "It's actually us who should be thanking you kids. Without your help, Devimon would have torn this town apart." Her eyes became a little sad. "I'm sorry for suspecting you earlier. It's clear that you're not allies of Devimon."

Davis beamed. "Hey, don't worry about it. You were acting in your town's best interest. We get it."

"Yeah, we're just sorry we let Devimon get away," Veemon growled. "But we'll get him next time for sure."

Officer Jenny nodded in appreciation. "After seeing what you all can do, I'm no longer worried. Just try not to let him do that touch of darkness again."

"Touch of Evil," Armadillomon corrected. "And don't worry, we won't let our judgment get clouded again."

Yolei flashed the Trainers a smile. "But if it hadn't been for the Pokemon, we would all have been in real trouble."

"And it's a good thing Charizartd showed up when it did," Wormmon added.

Smiling, Ash patted the flame Pokemon's side. "Yeah, you did a great job standing up to Devimon, Charizard. I'm proud if you."

Smirking, Charizard placed his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. Davis just stared at him, dumbfounded. "Seriously, how is that not a dragon? Everything about it screams dragon."

Professor Stevens pushed his way through the group as he made his way over to Nurse Joy, pencil and notebook in hand. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Dragons, whatever. Now, Nurse Joy, tell me, what was it like to treat the Digimon?"

Nurse Joy looked taken aback. "What was it like? Um, well, no different from treating Pokemon, I guess."

"Fascinating. Even though they're made of data, they're biology is no different from flesh and bone organisms."

"Um... What?"

Officer Jenny reached out and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him away from the nurse. "Alright, alright, enough of that. You're not entirely off the hook yet. These children and Digimon may not be with Devimon, but there's still the matter of you bringing more people here from another dimension."

He glanced at her over his shoulder. "But I already told you, I didn't bring them here. They got here on their own... more or less."

The others all sweat-dropped as Professor Stevens argued his case. The only standout was Brock, who was staring at the two women with a dreamy look on his face. "Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny are so great. Their beauty never fails to draw me in."

Misty sighed. "Uch, this again."

Kari chuckled, having realized what type of person Brock was when it came to women. "So, what are you going to do when you have to pick one?"

The dreamy look on Brock's face suddenly became one of horror at the prospect. "Pick one? Pick one!? How could I possibly choose? They're both my ideal women! It's impossible to pick one over the other!"

Kari looked surprised at his reaction. "Um, I was just joking."

"And wouldn't Nurse Joy be the logical choice if you want to be a Pokemon Breeder?" Davis asked.

Brock rounded on him. "Love is not about labels or job titles! Love is so much more!"

Ash chuckled. "That's for sure. He almost left everything behind to stay with Professor Ivy."

Brock suddenly cried out in despair and retreated to the corner, curling up in a fetal position as he wallowed in his depression. "Don't say that name around me."

Misty gave him a bored look. "Really? Still?"

Something clicked in Ash's head, and he turned to the DigiDestined. "Hey, since breeding was brought up, since Digimon are reborn as eggs, does that mean that they don't actually reproduce?"

TK shook his head. "No, at least not the way humans and Pokemon do. There are some very rare instances where when large masses of data gather together that it can create a brand new Digimon. But other than that, no, they don't breed."

Kari felt a shiver run through her as she recalled how her time in the Dark Ocean when those mutated Divermon wanted her to be their queen and mother of a new race. "But it may be possible for them to breed with other life forms."

Hawkmon shook a finger. "Technically, Digimon don't really have genders. Despite the appearances some of us have, we're not actually divided into male or female, although we do identify as one or the other. And that identity may change when we Digivolve. Some of our forms are gender specific though, like Angemon and Angewomon."

Professor Stevens pulled away from Officer Jenny and dropped down to Hawkmon's side. "Really? Do go on! This is most informative! It reminds me of Ditto."

The hawk Digimon blinked. "Um, that's it. Digimon technically aren't divided into genders. Though we do take on mates."

Veemon smirked and placed an arm around Gatomon. "Yes, yes we do."

She raised an eyebrow at his arm. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He sweat-dropped and removed his arm. "Uh, nothing, just agreeing with him."

"Fascinating," the professor remarked. "Truly fascinating."

Cody glanced at the Trainers curiously. "Speaking of which, I was curious about something. We established that Digimon don't actually have genders, but Pokemon do, so why do you always refer to them as 'it' instead of him or her?"

The Trainers looked surprised by the question. They exchanged looks with each other before shrugging. "I'm not really sure," Misty replied. "I guess we just don't differentiate between the genders for them."

Gatomon cleared her throat. "Excuse me, I don't mean change the subject, but we still have to find Devimon. He's not just going to give up."

TK scowled. "She's right. He'll come back with a new plan to cause trouble. We need to find a way to get him back to the Digital World."

Ken suddenly realized something. "Guys, before we do anything else, we should make sure we can even open a DigiPort."

Yolei realized he was right. "Oh, yeah, we better check that, otherwise we won't even be able to get back ourselves, let alone send Devimon back." She turned to Nurse Joy. "Do you have a computer we could use?"

Professor Stevens' face lit up. "I do! I do! I have a laptop back at my lab! Please use it! Please!"

It seemed he was quite unable to contain his excitement. If the others were perfectly honest, his obsession kind of creeped them out a bit.

"Well," said Cody, "I guess one computer is just as good as another."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

The journey back to the lab was filled with more questions from Professor Stevens. The DigiDestined provided answers and managed to get in a few questions of their own, but for the most part, the game of question and answers was mostly one-sided.

"Fascinating," the professor kept saying. "Truly fascinating. So the nature of Digimon seems to come down to three Associations. Human type, Beast type, and the very rare Fusion type. The Human type are generally weaker but smarter, while the Beast are generally stronger, but less intelligent."

Veemon sweat-dropped. "Not the choice of words I would have used, but, generally, yes."

The professor just kept nodding. "And Digimon have six different Attributes. Virus, Data, Vaccine, Variable, Free, and Unknown."

TK nodded. "Yeah. The first three are the most common and tend to compliment each other in a Rock, Paper, Scissor fashion. Vaccine types are usually highly moral and dominant over Virus types. Virus types are usually greedy and cruel and dominant over Data types. Data types are somewhere in between and are dominant over Vaccine types. Variable types are at a tie between all the Attributes, and Unknown types are dominant over all the Attributes. Free types are hard to label because they're all over the place."

Professor Stevens nodded as he continued going over his notes. "Amazing. How very informative." He turned a few pages. "These elements I find most interesting. Digimon tend to be one of the ten different kinds. Fire, Water, Thunder, Wind, Ice, Earth, Metal, Wood, Darkness, and Light. The Darkness and Light types are the strongest of the ten."

"Pokemon are broken down into similar types as well," Brock told the DigiDestined. "There's Normal, Electric, Fire, Water, Grass, Psychic, Dark, Fighting, and Steel."

Professor Stevens pointed his pencil at him. "Actually, researchers are considering breaking them down even further to include Flying, Poison, Ground, Rock, Bug, Ghost, Dragon, Ice, Fairy, and the still unidentified type that is represented by three question marks."

"That's... quite a few," Yolei commented. "And they also have a Rock, Paper, Scissor theme?"

The professor looked over his notes. "For the most part." He turned a few pages. "So, after Digimon Attributes, Digimon are broken into Families, then Type, then Species, then Subspecies. The strongest Types are angels, demons, knights, gods, fallen angels, and, occasionally, dragons."

"Typically," Wormmon agreed.

"So what is Devimon?" Misty asked. "A demon?"

"Close enough," Patamon replied. "He's a fallen angel. Just a step above a demon; those are the worst."

Ash sighed. "It's sad that there are such evil Digimon. After all, there are no evil Pokemon. Dangerous, violent, aggressive, or hostile, yes, but not evil."

"Yes, yes, terribly tragic," Professor Stevens said dismissively. "So sad there's so much evil in the world. Now, tell me, who would you say is the strongest Digimon?"

A light scowl crossed Ken's face. "I can answer that. ZeedMillenniummon, no question. My friend Ryou had to face off against him. He's so incredibly powerful that the entire multiverse was in danger of destruction simply because he existed."

Brock felt a chill run down his spine. "That's... incredibly unsettling."

Veemon gave the Trainers a curious look. "So who's the strongest Pokemon?"

"Oh, that's an easy one," Ash replied. "It's Mewt..." He trailed off as he remembered that he wasn't supposed to mention Mewtwo's existence. "It's mmm-most likely a Legendary Pokemon."

Pikachu sighed, his ears drooping. "Pikachu..."

Cody glanced at the electric mouse Pokemon, then at Togepi. "Hey, just wondering, but why don't Pikachu and Togepi stay in their PokeBalls?"

Misty snuggled the spike ball Pokemon. "Because Togepi wants to stay with its mommy. Right, Togepi?"

"Toge, Toge!"

Yolei raised an eyebrow. "Er, mommy?"

"Togepi imprint on the first living thing they see and think it's their mother," Brock explained. "That happened to be Misty."

Kari chuckled. "Just like a baby duck."

Patamon looked at Pikachu. "So what about Pikachu?"

Ash smiled at the electric mouse Pokemon on his shoulder. "Because it just prefers to be outside."

Ken was scowling slightly. "Can't blame it," he grumbled, still against the capture of Pokemon. "Who would choose to be confined to a small cramped space like a PokeBall?"

"Hardly," Professor Stevens replied, looking over his notes once more. "A PokeBall simulates the ideal environment for the Pokemon inside. Very few Pokemon are dissatisfied with the inside of a PokeBall." He came to a page in his notes. "Can we go over this DNA Digivolution compatibility?"

TK sighed. The professor's never-ending list of questions was beginning to feel more like an interrogation. "Izzy could probably answer your questions better than we could. Maybe, if we manage to open the DigiPort, we can make contact with our world, and you can talk to him."

Professor Stevens suddenly looked as if Christmas had come early. "Then what are we waiting for? Lets go!"

He took off for the lab, leaving a trail of dust in his wake. The others blinked, once again surprised by the professor's eccentric behavior.

"Is he always like this?" Cody asked.

"No idea," Brock replied.

"We just met him today," Misty added, "but I'm thinking yes."

Once they got back to the lab, they had barely walked through the door before Professor Stevens came speeding over to them with his laptop. It was already powered on, and he all but shoved it in their faces. "Do it! Open the gate!"

Yolei sweat-dropped. "Someone's certainly seems excited."

"I've been waiting for this for years!"

Kari chuckled. "Well, you've certainly been patient for long enough. Ok, lets give it a shot."

The laptop was placed on the table. Professor Stevens stood nearby with a pencil and his notebook, his hand practically trembling in anticipation to begin writing. He wasn't the only anxious one though. This was meant to be the DigiDestined's way home. If this didn't work, they would be stranded in this world.

"Alright," said Davis, "here goes everything." He held his Digivice up to the screen and took a deep hopeful breath. "DigiPort open!"

They all held their breath, waiting in anticipation for something to happen. Their anxiety grew as the seconds ticked by, the DigiDestined hoping to see something familiar appear on the screen.

Then it happened. A strange image popped up, containing a small window that revealed a world very different from the one they were currently in.

"It opened!" the DigiDestined exclaimed.

Professor Stevens pushed them all aside as he stared at the computer screen with shining eyes. "Amazing! Truly amazing! So this is the Digital World!" He pressed his face up against the screen. "I wanna go there!"

Davis placed a hand on the professor's shoulder. "Sorry, pal, but only humans that hold a Digivice can go through the DigiPort."

The professor frowned, giving him a pleading look. Then his gaze shifted to the Digivice in Davis' hand, and he eyed it hungrily. Davis realized where his thought process was going and took a step back, pocketing the device. "And a Digivice only works for its chosen owner."

TK cleared his throat. "In any case, now that we know that we can go back, lets see of we can establish communication."

"We should at least be able to get in contact with Gennai," Cody pointed out.

It turned out he was right. It took some time, but eventually their mentor appeared on screen, and with him were the first generation DigiDestined's Digimon. The Digital human looked quite relieved to see them, and he visibly relaxed.

"Thank goodness you're alright," he said. "I guess this means bringing you back won't be a problem."

"The others have been worried sick," Tentomon told them, referring to the older DigiDestined. "Izzy has been working non-stop on trying to find another way to bring you back in case you couldn't use the DigiPort. Guess we can tell him he can stop."

Yolei smiled. "And you can tell the others to stop worrying too. Everything is going to be fine. We even made some new friends."

Gennai raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That's good to hear. I take it that the residents of that world are not hostile then."

"Nope," Veemon replied, shaking his head, "they're all really nice." His thoughts drifted to when they had been thrown in jail. "For the most part."

"It turns out this world is inhabited by Digimon-like creatures called Pokemon," Wormmon told them.

This piqued Gennai's interest. "Is it now? How extraordinary. I see there are also humans too."

Kari nodded. "Yeah, they're different from us, but they're definitely human. And they live side by side with the Pokemon. Just like I hope the humans of our world will be able to one day with the Digimon."

Professor Stevens couldn't take it anymore, and he pushed his way in front of the screen. "Yes, hello there. I'm one of the humans they were talking about. My name is Professor August Stevens."

Gennai and the Digimon appeared startled. "Oh, I see. Nice to meet you."

Professor Stevens shook his head. "Oh, no, sir, the pleasure is all mine, Mr. Gennai. Your friends have told us so much about you, but I still have so many questions. They said you're not human. Is that true? Are you a really a Digimon?"

It was clear from the look on Gennai's face that he had not expected to get into a conversation like this. "Actually, no, but I am a Digital life form; I simply resemble a human."

"Fascinating. Truly fascinating. I do hope we can get to know each other better. I want to know everything there is to know about the Digital World, and I'd be more than happy to tell you about mine. In fact, I provided your friends here with a gift containing all known information on Pokemon." He turned to the DigiDestined, suddenly looking hostile. "Make sure you deliver that PokeDex; it's an important gift of envoy."

The DigiDestined shrank away from him. "Yes," Ken replied, "we'll make sure he gets it."

Gennai and the Digimon looked nervous for them. Biyomon quickly decided to change the topic. "So, how's the search for Devimon going? Any leads?"

Gatomon turned back to the computer. "Yes, but unfortunately he got away. We'll track him down though, you can count on it."

Agumon smiled. "We have faith in you guys. We know you can do it."

TK looked at the Trainers. "Actually, we had some help from our new friends here."

Pushing the overly excited professor aside, the three Trainers moved in front of the screen. "Hi there. My name's Ash, and this is my partner, Pikachu, and that over there is Charizard."

"Pika!"

"Charizard."

"I'm Brock, nice to meet you."

"My name's Misty, and this here is Togepi."

"Pi!"

Palmon clasped her hands together. "So cute!"

Kari smiled at the Trainers. "If it weren't for them, we would have been in real trouble."

Patamon fluttered in front of the screen. "And Charizard here actually stood up to Devimon all on his own, and did a pretty good job at it too."

The flame Pokemon arrogantly crossed his arms. "Char."

A worried look crossed Gennai's face. "Oh my. I'm deeply sorry for all this. Devimon has been a thorn in our sides before, but we never intended for anyone else to get involved."

Professor Stevens moved in front of the screen again. "Don't be sorry. This is my fault. I gave Devimon the means to come to our world because I was messing with forces I didn't understand." He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I was so focused on proving that I was right that I didn't think about the negative effects my discovery could have."

"Mmm," Gennai muttered. "Knowledge is a powerful thing, but too much can be damaging. They say ignorance is bliss for a reason. Sometimes too much knowledge can be bad. There are some things that are better left unknown. It is important to remember that, especially if you are a seeker of knowledge."

Gomamon just waved this off. "Ah, he made a mistake. It can be fixed."

Misty stared at the aquatic mammal Digimon. "Cutie!"

Ash cut his eyes at her. "I'll bet. Hey, are you a Water type?"

Gomamon nodded. "Sure am."

"It figures."

Yolei attempted to get the conversation back on track. "Anyway, could you tell the others that we're ok, and that we've got Devimon on the run."

Gabumon nodded. "Will do. And let us know if you need any help. We'll be on standby."

TK nodded. "Thanks a lot. We'll keep you posted. Later."

He reached for the power button, but Professor Stevens grabbed his wrist. "Wait! You're not going to turn it off, are you?"

TK gave him an uncertain look. "Um, yeah. We should rest up so we can be ready to go after Devimon in the morning."

"But I can still talk!" the professor protested. He gave the computer a desperate look. "Please, talk to me. I want to learn more. Couldn't you answer just a few questions?"

Behind him, the humans, Pokemon, and Digimon alike silently motioned for Gennai to turn him down, knowing that he had no idea what he was getting into. Gennai raised an eyebrow at this before giving the professor an uncertain look. "Um... sure."

Chapter 12: Digi-Evolution
Fearow flew over the sleeping Cotton Town, seething. There was no sign of the boy and his Pikachu anywhere. It knew they were probably inside one of the houses, but it was hoping to get lucky and find them camping outside, though it was tempting to simply destroy house after house until it found them.

Truthfully, it didn't know why it was seeking them out. It knew it wasn't strong enough to beat them. The Pikachu was its Type weakness, but even if that wasn't the case, the boy had several other Pokemon at his disposal, as did his two friends.

Be that as it may, it still desired vengeance; it craved it with a burning passion, now more than ever. Once again, they had humiliated it, only this time the consequences had been more drastic. Once the leader of its flock, it was now an outcast, having been kicked out after its defeat when it tried to rally the rest of the Spearow to go after the boy. They had not been interested in avenging it, and did not care for what they had referred to as its 'obsession' with the human boy.

Fearow had grown angry and lashed out at them. The flock had fought back and chased it away. Now Fearow was flying around all alone in the dead of night, seeking the cause of its turmoil.

Coming in for a landing, it came down on a tree branch and glared down at the town below. The boy was down there somewhere, and Fearow wanted nothing more than to fly down there and use its Hyper Beam all over the town until it drew out the boy and delivered a good Drill Peck to him and his companions until its rage was satisfied.

" Fearow!" it screeched to the night. "Fear, Fear, Fearow! Fearow, Fear! Fearow!"

"Be silent!" a voice beneath it viciously snarled. "You're screeching is annoying."

Fearow looked down, seeing someone's legs sticking out. Someone was sitting against the tree beneath it, and Fearow flew down to see who it was. It had been prepared to chase them off, but if froze upon catching sight of the fallen angel Digimon.

Devimon's red eyes shifted to the beak Pokemon and narrowed in annoyance. The wretched thing had been raving at how it would never rest until it took its revenge and made some boy and his friends suffer. Trouble with humans was the last thing Devimon wanted to hear about right now; he had his own human problems he had to deal with, and they were definitely worse than whatever this Fearow had.

Fearow felt apprehensive about being in this creature's presence. It sensed something dark and sinister from him, something truly evil that caused its feathers to stand on end. All the same, its pride had been damaged one too many times today, and it refused to show cowardice.

Landing beside Devimon, it puffed out its chest and spread its wings. "Fear, Fearow! Fearow, Fearow! Fear, Fear, Fear! Fearow!"

Devimon sneered at the beak Pokemon. "So you were humiliated for a third time by some human boy and got kicked out of your flock when trying to rally your comrades for revenge." An amused chuckle escaped him. "Such a small scale dilemma. I have been plagued by a group of human children who have consistently gotten in my way of world domination. Your petty vengeance is nothing compared to my own."

He looked up at the night sky, reaching for the moon. "I even came to a new world, yet those annoying Digi-brats followed me here to interfere with my plans once more." He made a fist, creating the illusion that he was grasping the moon. "But I will not go crawling back into the darkness again. There are far too many Digimon superior to me in the Digital World, but not in this world. Here, only those accursed children and their Digimon can stand in my way."

Fearow wasn't entirely sure what Devimon was talking about, but it was clear that the fallen angel Digimon was venting. Fearow had a great deal of venting to do as well, and began screeching once more.

Devimon could care less about the beak Pokemon's problems. Only the fact that he found Fearow's ranting to be amusing stopped him from simply striking it down. But as Fearow continued to rave about the boy it hated, this time mentioning a Pikachu, Devimon's attention was piqued.

"A boy with a Pikachu, you say." He gave Fearow a curious look. "Tell me, did this boy have two companions, an older boy and a girl with a Togepi?"

Fearow's eyes widened in surprise. "Fearow, Fearow, Fear?"

Devimon leaned back against the tree. "How interesting. It seems we have a problem with the same human. Your boy has recently joined with the human children that have been a thorn in my side for years."

" Fearow, Fearow?"

A growl escaped him as he remembered how the youngest of the original DigiDestined's Patamon had Digivolved to Angemon at the last moment to defeat him the first time, and how when he had been a part of Kimeramon, the new DigiDestined's leader's Veemon had managed to obtain the Digimental of Miracles to Golden Armor Digivolve to Magnamon and defeat him a second time, and, just recently, the DigiDestined had teamed up with those Pokemon Trainers to return the Digimon he was controlling back to normal.

"I should have been victorious this time," he seethed, "but they always seem to pull some miracle victory in the end."

Fearow agreed wholeheartedly, recalling how the boy's Pikachu had used the thunderstorms lightning to create an electrical explosion to chase away its flock, how his Pidgeotto managed to evolve into Pidgeot and drive it away, how the boy's female companion's Togepi had managed to unleash a powerful attack at the last moment to blast it back. It screeched its angry rant at the fallen angel Digimon, raging at its failures.

Devimon listened to the Fearow go on once more about how its former flock had refused to fly off to battle after its defeat, how they were all useless. Devimon had his own problems with useless minions. Ogremon couldn't do anything right, and had even later befriended the DigiDestined, Leomon had been freed from his control, but couldn't even defeat those children when he was under it, and the Digimon he had been controlling with the black gears could barely think beyond their basic instinct to fight, and had all been freed from his control as well.

Now he was all alone. He had no other servants to help him fight the DigiDestined. He was certain he could defeat them if he fought them one at a time, but the brats were always together, supporting one another and sharing their power with each other. If he too had some additional power, then he could surely pick their team apart.

His eyes widened slightly as a thought occurred to him, and he glanced at Fearow with renewed interest as it went on about the boy. He could sense the beak Pokemon's immense hatred. It ran deep, turning into a darkness that was festering in Fearow's heart, consuming it. Possibilities ran through Devimon's head as he considered his options.

A smile crept up Devimon's face, and he leaned in closer. "Tell me, Fearow, what would you be willing to do in order to have your revenge on that boy?"

Fearow gave him a curious look. "Fearow."

"Anything, huh? And what would you be willing to give to get your revenge?"

" Fearow."

The answer was the same as before, and it made Devimon's grin widen. "Fearow, my friend, I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Despite the damage done to Professor Stevens' lab, the small kitchen it had was still intact. Brock was cooking up a big breakfast for everyone, having been granted permission from Professor Stevens to help himself to anything in the kitchen.

The only ones who were not present were Charizard, who had opted to sleep in, and the professor himself, who had yet to tear himself away from his laptop. After assaulting Gennai with question after question for hours on end, the Digital human had finally managed to convince the professor that they needed to call it a night.

While the others had already gone to bed hours ago, that didn't stop the professor, as he had immediately begun going through the data provided by the Digimon Analyzer he had downloaded. He was still at it now. And based on the dark circles and bags under his eyes, he hadn't slept a wink during the night, unable to tear himself away from his research.

"This guy is more obsessed with research than Izzy," Davis commented.

"And that's really saying something," Yolei agreed. "When he's working, he doesn't even notice when Mimi flirts with him."

Ash tried to recall what he had been told about the older DigiDestined. "So, Mimi is Palmon's Trainer, right? And Izzy is Tentomon's?"

"Partner, not Trainer," Ken replied irritably, still making his distaste for capturing Pokemon apparent.

Wormmon patted his leg. "It's ok, Ken. I really don't think catching and training Pokemon is the bad thing you think it is."

Pikachu looked up from his breakfast. "Pika, Pika. Pika, Pikachu."

"Yeah, listen to Pikachu," Veemon replied, grabbing a handful of Pokemon food. "It knows from experience." He shoved the Pokemon food into his mouth and began chewing. A few seconds later, he spit it out. "Blah! What is this?"

Brock sweat-dropped. "Um, that's Pokemon food. It wasn't meant for you guys. I'll have your breakfast ready in just a minute." Scooping up the finished omelet he had been cooking, he set it down on a plate. "Hey, professor, your breakfast is ready."

There was no reply, but Professor Stevens came into the room a minute later, carrying his laptop with him, his eyes glued to the screen. The others sweat-dropped at seeing how tired he was, but still unwilling to stop his research even for a few hours of sleep.

"Still at it, huh?" Ash asked.

For what must have been the first time in hours, Professor Stevens looked away from the screen. "This is truly amazing. The things that I'm learning are out of this world. Literally." He turned to Ken. "I looked up that Digimon you mentioned, ZeedMillenniummon, and your weren't kidding. That guy's power is beyond comprehension. And there are others with unbelievable power as well. Like this guy, Quartzmon, his power is off the charts."

Davis grinned. "Oh, yeah, Veemon and I went to an alternate universe to help fight him."

"And these guys," the professor continued, "the Seven Great Demon Lords," he whistled, "talk about scary. Their evil and power knows no bounds."

"Yeah, we faced one of them," TK reminded him. "Daemon, remember. He made sport of us at our strongest like we were nothing."

Misty felt a chill go up her spine. "Who are these Demon Lords exactly?"

It was Professor Stevens who answered. "They're a group of powerful Digimon known throughout the Digital World." He turned the laptop around to show them. "I've found several groups of special Digimon actually. The Demon Lords, the Royal Knights, the Celestial Angels, the BAN-TYOs, the Digimon Sovereigns, the Olympus Twelve, the Ten Legendary Warriors, the Dark Masters, the Devas, the Big Death-Stars, the Four Great Dragons, the Three Gods of Destruction, the Miracle Four, the Death Generals, the Three Musketeers, the Crack Team, the Vortex Warriors, the Chaos Generals, the D-Brigade, they're all groups of notable, abnormally powerful, and unique Digimon. They seem to be the equivalent of Legendary and Mythical Pokemon."

"Wow," Brock muttered, his eyes scanning the different profiles, "they sure do look powerful."

"Truly," the professor agreed. "Digimon far outstrip Pokemon in terms of strength. Even the average Mega will make the world's strongest Lugia look like a newly hatched Pidgey."

Ash felt equally impressed and disturbed by this comparison. He remembered the incredible power Lugia displayed. To think that creatures so overwhelmingly more powerful existed, even in another world, was both exciting and chilling.

"Guess it's a good thing Devimon was only a Champion," Misty commented.

Davis just waved this off. "Ah, that's nothing. Veemon and Wormmon here can Digivolve together to Mega." He motioned to the others. "And these guys can Digivolve together to Ultimate."

"Digivolve together," Brock repeated. "You mean that DNA Digivolving thing?"

Kari nodded. "Yeah. Agumon and Gabumon can do it too. In fact, they were the first of us to do it."

"Yeah, you mentioned that," Misty replied. "Omnimon, right? That's how you defeated Diaboromon."

Professor Stevens' face lit up. "Yes, Omnimon." Hew quickly brought up the knight Digimon's profile. "I was looking him up. He's one of the twelve Royal Knights, and one of the strongest of them too."

Ash gazed at the DigiDestined in amazement. "You have a Royal Knight on your side? That's like having a Legendary Pokemon."

The professor was beaming. "They've got more than that. Based on what they've told me about their Digimon's Digivolutions, they've built up quite the collection. Veemon's Golden Armor Digivolution form, Magnamon, is a member of the Royal Knights and the Miracle Four. Patamon's Mega form, Seraphimon, is one of the Celestial Angels and the Miracle Four. Gatomon's Mega form, Magnadramon, is a member of the Four Great Dragons and the Miracle Four. Your friend Willis' Digimon, Terriormon, his Golden Armor Digivolution form, GoldenRapidmon, is the last member of the Miracle Four, and his other Digimon, Lopmon, his Mega form, Cherubimon, is a member of the Celestial Angels."

He glanced at Gatomon. "Actually, Gatomon also has the potential to Digivolve to the Mega level Ophanimon, the third of the Celestial Angels." His attention shifted to Veemon. "And Veemon also has the potential to Digivolve to the Mega level UlforceVeedramon, another member of the Royal Knights, and even Mode Change to his Future Mode, which would actually bring him to the Ultra level."

Armadillomon sweat-dropped. "Boy, good thing we're not the jealous type."

"I'll say," Hawkmon agreed.

Professor Stevens chuckled. "Not to worry. I charted your possible Digivolution routes and managed to determine your basic Digivolution lines, that is, the natural line you'll Digivolve through unless certain circumstances alter that route."

"Like when Greymon Digivolved to SkullGreymon," TK replied, catching on to the professor's meaning.

"Cool," said Veemon, trying to get a look at the screen. "So what would our Digivolutions be?"

The professor brought up profiles for each of them. "Well, for you, it would go ExVeemon, AeroVeedramon, UlforceVeedramon, and UlfroceVeedramon Future Mode. Wormmon's would be Stingmon, JewelBeemon, and GrandisKuwagamon. Armadillomon's would be Ankylomon, Brachiomon, and UltimateBrachimon. Hawkmon's would be Aquilamon, Hippogriffomon, and Gryphomon." He motioned towards Patamon and Gatomon. "And you already know theirs."

"That's cool," said Cody. "And it gives us something to work towards."

"What about their DNA Digivolution lines?" Kari asked curiously.

Professor Stevens went back to his computer. "Well, you already know Veemon and Wormmon's. As for the others... give me a second... Got it. Silphymon's basic Mega form is Valkyrimon, and Shakkoumon's is Lampmon."

He showed them the images on the computer. Armadillomon whistled. "Looking sharp."

Yolei smiled. "Cool, now we've got two goals to strive for, our DNA Digivolved Mega forms, and our natural Mega forms."

"Don't forget the Digivolutions of your different Armor Digivolution forms," Misty reminded them.

Davis' face lit up. "Hey, yeah, and we can switch around Digimentals too for different Digivolutions. Wow, we've got a lot of work to do."

"So do the others," Ken pointed out. "Tentomon, Biyomon, Palmon, and Gomamon never unlocked their Mega forms.

Veemon looked at Pikachu. "What about you, pal? You ever plan to evolve?"

The electric mouse Pokemon crossed his arms and looked away. "Pika."

Ash chuckled. "Pikachu decided long ago that it never wanted to evolve. It may change its mind some day, but for now, that's what it decided, and I stand by its decision." He took out his PokeDex. This is what Pikachu would become if he ever decided to evolve."

" Raichu," the electric voice of the PokeDex stated, "the evolved form of Pikachu, and the final evolution of Pichu. Raichu is capable of releasing electric attacks of up to 100,000 volts, allowing it to knock out opponents several times its size, and even render a Dragonite unconscious with a single attack."

"That's pretty cool," Davis commented. He looked at Togepi. "What about that one? You ever going to evolve it?"

Misty smiled and nuzzled the spiky ball Pokemon. "I'll be happy with whatever Togepi decides."

" Togepi!" the baby chirped happily.

Ken looked back at the sleeping flame Pokemon. "What about Charizard?"

"Charizard is fully evolved," Ash replied. "It started out as a Charmander, then became Charmeleon, and then Charizard."

"So all Pokemon have three evolution stages?" Cody asked.

Brock shook his head. "Not quite. The most they have is three, but some only have two, and some don't evolve at all."

A knowing smile crept up Professor Stevens' face as he thought about the recently discovered Mega Evolution. He decided to keep it a secret for now and let them be surprised later when Mega Evolution became more public.

Ash looked back at the Digimon. "I'm still confused by this DNA Digivolution. I keep thinking about how Slowpoke and Shellder evolve together into either Slowbro or Slowking, or when Exeggcute evolve into Exeggutor. When you combine, do you have two minds but one body? Does one of you control one part of the body, but another one controls the other?"

Veemon and Wormmon exchanged a look. "It's not quite what you're thinking," the latter replied.

The dragon Digimon nodded. "Yeah, we actually became one. Our thoughts, our memories, our personalities, they all merge together. We become the same person. There's no distinguishing one from the other." He scratched his head. "I'm not sure how to explain it. Help me out here, guys."

"No, you're doing a pretty good job," Gatomon replied.

Misty cocked her head to the side. "Then how do you split up again if you become one being?"

Veemon shrugged. "I don't know. We just do. I can't really explain it. It's just one of those things where you have to be in the situation in order to understand."

Ash tried once again to envision it, but his mind kept returning to Exeggutor and Slowpoke's evolutions. "I hope we can see it some day."

Davis grinned. "We'll show it to you when we fight Devimon again. This time we'll finish him off."

The sound of a stomach rumbling drew their attention to Professor Stevens. An embarrassed blush stained his cheeks as he looked down at his stomach. "I... haven't eaten since lunch yesterday. I've been too busy with my research."

Taking up the professor's plate, Brock placed it in front of him. "Eat up. It's my special early morning omelet."

The professor's face lit up. "Oh, it looks delicious!"

Davis eyed the omelet suspiciously. "Hey, that egg didn't come from a Pokemon, did it?" He received strange looks from the others. "What?"

The professor was about to dig into his omelet when the ground shook so violently that his plate leapt up from the table and splattered into his face. The others toppled over from the shaking, and Charizard was jolted awake as well.

"What was that?" Yolei cried.

The professor had tears in his eyes as he looked at his ruined breakfast. "My omelet..."

Ash stood up. "What's going on here?"

Another violent tremor shook the lab, and this time it was accompanied by a familiar voice. "DigiDestined, come out and meet your doom."

Ken blinked in surprise. "Is that Devimon?"

"Guess he came looking for us," Armadillomon replied.

Another attack shook the lab, and Kari struggled to remain standing. "But why? We had him on the run last time. Why would he come back?"

TK's eyes narrowed. "Who cares? Lets just get out there before he brings this whole place crashing down on us."

They hurried outside to find that Devimon had indeed returned, and had been about to launch another attack on the lab. He grinned as they rushed out, looking far too confident for someone who had fled from battle the previous night.

"So glad you can listen to orders so well," he sneered. "Hopefully the other residents of this world will be equally as obedient in the future. They'll have to be if they want to live."

Davis placed his hands on his hips. "Looks like someone forgot how he ran from the fight yesterday."

A chuckle escaped the fallen angel Digimon. "That was called a strategic withdraw. And things have changed since then. I made a new friend."

Yolei scoffed. "You made a friend? I seriously doubt that."

Patamon was inclined to agree. "A new subordinate maybe, someone you used your Touch of Evil on."

Devimon's grin widened. "Not this time. My new friend is here of their own free will. Allow me to introduce you to them."

He placed two fingers in his mouth and whistled. A loud screech came from behind them, and the group turned in time to see Fearow swoop down at them. They ducked as the beak Pokemon flew just over them as it pulled out of its dive.

Ash recognized it right away. "Hey, that's..."

"The same Fearow from before," Brock finished.

The beak Pokemon flew over to Devimon, who held his arm out. Fearow perched on it and glared at the group, its gaze focusing on Ash.

"As I was saying," said Devimon, "Fearow here is my new friend. It seems the two of us share the same burning desire," his eyes narrowed at the humans, "to see you dead."

Ash stood up. "Fearow, get away from him. You don't know who he is!"

Devimon laughed. "Actually it does. The two of us had a nice long chat last night, and have come to an understanding. We both have the same goals, I simply expanded Fearow's ambitions a bit."

Ash stared at Fearow and saw that it was serious; it was truly siding with Devimon, and with whatever he had planned. Guilt gripped him as he once again wondered if he had driven Fearow to this. Had his one foolish mistake from so long ago really led them here?

"Fearow, listen to me," he begged. "You really have no idea what you're messing with. I'm telling you this for your own sake. Please, if you have an issue with me, then lets settle this with just you and me. Don't get involved with him."

Devimon was still grinning as he glanced at the beak Pokemon. "Well, my friend, what do you say to that?"

" Fearow! Fearow! Fearow! Fear, Row, Row Row! Fearow!"

Brock looked back at the Digimon expectantly. "Did you get any of that?"

Armadillomon nodded. "It doesn't look good. It says 'this is bigger than you or I. I don't care what it takes, I will see you and your friends dead, and then this whole world will know my wrath'. I don't know what history you two have, but Fearow seems pretty set on it decision."

Ash's fists clenched as he tried again. "Fearow, please. I know you're angry with me, and that you probably hate me. I guess I can understand why. But I was young and stupid when I hurt you. I'm sorry, I really am, but please don't do this."

Fearow continued to glare at him, unmoved. Spreading its wings, it screeched at him. "Fearow, Fearow! Row, Row, Fearow! Fear! Fearow!"

Devimon chuckled as he translated. "It says 'it's far too late for an apology. We are beyond that now. Nothing short of your death shall satisfy me'. So, as you can see, it has made its decision."

Brock glanced at Ash. "There's something really wrong with this Fearow. This is way beyond its nature."

Fearow screeched angrily, and Devimon chuckled. "Best be careful. This Fearow already hates all of you enough. Insulting it might not be the best idea."

Davis stepped forward and pointed at him. "You think that just because you've teamed up with some big ugly vulture that you can beat us. We're the DigiDestined. It's our duty to vanquish evil."

"Silence!" Devimon bellowed. "That time is over. You are about to witness the birth of a new kind of evil. Quake with fear, DigiDestined, as you witness our power."

Fearow screeched and took flight. Devimon laughed as he stretched his wings out, rising into the air. Fearow circled around overhead before coming back down and perching on his shoulders. Light engulfed the two of them, growing brighter as the others looked on in complete shock.

"What's going on?" Yolei cried. "What are they doing?"

"I didn't think it was possible," said TK, "but it looks like they're Digivolving together."

" Devimon Bio-Merge to... FearDevimon!"