I flip down my Digi-Goggles. Time to see what we're dealing with. The lenses glow to life, overlaying data on my vision.
[Monodramon]
[Level: Rookie]
[Type: Mini Dragon]
[Attribute: Vaccine]
[Special Move: Crack Bite, Beat Knuckle]
[A Small Dragon Digimon that has bat-like wings attached to its hands, but is unable to fly. Despite being a Vaccine, its personality is not so much considerably rough as it is near to brutality, giving the impression that it is a brawl-loving Digimon. Even in the Digital World, this Monodramon is in the heart of most brawls enough that it seems even Orgemon is fed up with Monodramon's tenacity. Also, the horn extending behind it is said to be its weak point, but how true this is is uncertain. Its Signature Move is fragmenting the data of the area it bites, and based on the area the opponent was bitten, they collapse into malfunction (Crack Bite). Its Special Move "Beat Knuckle" is a simple bold move in which it said to assault with earth-shattering force, and wallop with its powerful claws.]
Rookie, huh? Seriously? Well, that's good, at least. I don't think I'm about to lose.
"Alright, Gatomon, think you can—"
Before I can even finish the sentence, BlackGatomon is a blur of dark fur, rocketing across the playground. "Mine!" she yells, all too eager.
Gatomon's tail twitches, her face twisting into a snarl. "Hey! I wanted to go first!"
"Too slow, goody-two-shoes." BlackGatomon's voice drips with smugness.
The Monodramon, caught completely off guard, roars and clumsily swings a claw. BlackGatomon ducks under the swipe with insulting ease. Show off, I think. I probably need to get them to work together better.
"Crack Bite!" The Monodramon lunges, jaws snapping.
BlackGatomon leaps back, a dark grin on her face. "Lightning Paw!" Her claw glows with shadowy energy as she slashes at the Monodramon's arm. Sparks erupt as the attack lands. The Monodramon stumbles, momentarily stunned, cradling its wounded arm. I wince, that looked like it hurt.
"Beat Knuckle!" Monodramon roars, and slams a fist into the ground, sending cracks spider-webbing across the playground's surface. BlackGatomon leaps into the air, avoiding the attack by a hair's breadth. Bits of gravel and dirt pepper the air.
She uses the momentum to launch herself at the Monodramon, claws extended. "Too predictable, you overgrown lizard!"
The two trade blows, a flurry of claws and teeth. The air crackles with energy as their attacks meet. BlackGatomon is faster, more agile. She dances around the Monodramon's wild strikes, landing hit after hit. The Monodramon, clumsy and enraged, struggles to keep up. BlackGatomon's shadowy claws tear through the Monodramon's hide, leaving trails of corrupted data in their wake. The Monodramon reels, weakened and disoriented. It tries to bite, but BlackGatomon anticipates the move, sidestepping the attack and delivering a final, decisive blow to the back of its head.
The Monodramon tips over, its body dissolving into glowing pixels that swirl together, taking the shape of a Digi-Egg. The egg is about nine inches tall, gleaming white with swirling purple lines running across its surface.
BlackGatomon lands gracefully, puffing out her chest. "Yeah! Did you see that? Told you I was better."
Gatomon's blue eyes flash with annoyance. "Hey! I spotted it first! I was going to show Ethan what I could do."
"Should have been faster," BlackGatomon shoots back.
"Okay, okay, ladies, calm down!" I step between them, holding up my hands. "Gatomon, you were awesome at tracking it down, I wouldn't have found it without you." I give her a quick scratch behind the ears. "And BlackGatomon, that was an incredible beatdown! You were like a shadow ninja!" I ruffle her fur, too. "You both did great."
They both look at me, slightly appeased, though the tension still hangs in the air. Gotta keep the peace somehow.
I snag the Digi-Egg, turning it over in my hands. It feels surprisingly solid, not like some kind of hologram. The purple lines pulse with a soft light, almost hypnotic. Pretty cool, if you ask me.
"Alright, so how do we send this thing back where it came from?" I ask, glancing at my Digivice. "Hey, System? You still there? Need a little help here."
[Point the Digivice at the Digi-Egg to initiate transfer back to the Digital World].
"Huh. Simple enough." I hold up my Digivice, aiming it at the egg. I feel like I'm using a TV remote. "Here goes nothing." A beam shoots out, engulfing the egg in a soft glow. The egg shimmers, its solid form breaking apart into a million tiny particles of data. Like digital confetti, they rise into the air, swirling and disappearing.
"Well, that was anticlimactic."
My Digivice pings, and a window pops up.
[Mission Complete!]
[Reward: Supply Boxes x5, Digi-Camo Acquired!]
[Level Up]
[Level 1 -> Level 2]
"Sweet! I leveled up!" I pump my fist in the air. I wonder what's in those supply boxes. And Digi-Camo? What's that even do? Guess I can check it out later.
Gatomon glances over at the injured folks scattered around the playground, a frown on her face. "Hey, Ethan? What about those people over there? They don't look so good."
I peer at the scene, taking in the scrapes, bruises, and dazed expressions. "Oh, right." It kind of slipped my mind. "Uhh, let's just call 911. They're trained for this kind of thing, y'know? Super efficient. They get here, patch everyone up, and haul them off to the hospital. Then we're in the clear." I pull out my phone—wait, Digivice—and dial.
"Yeah, uh, there's been an incident at the park playground. A bunch of people are hurt... yeah, looks like some kind of animal attack? I dunno, I just saw people on the ground with scratch marks." After I finished explaining, I hung up the call.
"Alright, that's done. C'mon, let's get back to the apartment before anyone starts asking questions we can't answer."
Gatomon and BlackGatomon nod in agreement, knowing we can't exactly explain the whole Digimon thing. Sirens wail faintly in the distance. "Let's go, ladies," I say, gesturing toward a gap in the fence. We scoot through it, blending into the late afternoon crowd, before the paramedics arrive.
***
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