"Fox Tail!"
At the last possible second, a small yellow creature rushed in like a hero.
Drawing on his memories, Eli recognized it at once.
[Meowmon, an In-Training II–level Digimon.]
[As the name suggests, it is a small Digimon with cat-like traits. Its finishing move, Fox Tail, fluffs its tail and hardens its fur like steel wire to strike enemies.]
Instead of relief, worry rose in Eli's chest. Meowmon was only In-Training II, and a Champion-level Kuwagamon was far out of its weight class.
But the next moment made his eyes go wide.
With a fierce cry, Meowmon slammed into Kuwagamon and actually sent its massive body flying.
"?!" Eli froze.
Before he could process it, a voice called from behind.
"Meowmon, where did you run off to—wait, did you do that?"
A red, mammal-like Digimon stepped into view.
"Elecmon?!"
"Huh? Who are you, kid? You know me?"
Startled by Eli's outburst, Elecmon glanced at him, then turned back to Meowmon. "You really knocked Kuwagamon back. Not bad. Told you you could do it, Meowmon! Now let me handle the bad guy."
Elecmon's tail spread like a peacock fan, and blinding bolts of lightning arced forth.
[Flickering Thunder Strike!]
The blast hammered Kuwagamon with surprising force—hard to believe it came from a Rookie-level Digimon. On second thought, it made sense. As the long-time guardian of the Village of Beginnings and caretaker of newborn In-Training Digimon, Elecmon would naturally be more capable than an average Rookie, with plenty of accumulated data and experience. [6]
That was Eli's last clear thought before a wave of exhaustion crashed over him.
His legs buckled, and he collapsed.
Just before the darkness closed in, he saw Meowmon hop toward him.
"Thank you…"
The words scraped out on his final breath of strength, and then everything went black.
— — — —
When Eli woke again, twilight had settled in.
He took in the unfamiliar room and started to sit up, but a voice stopped him.
"Ah—hold on. Don't move yet."
"Yeah, yeah—your condition's still shaky. Best not to move."
Eli blinked at the two Digimon by his side. He knew them well.
"Koromon… and Monodramon?!"
"You know us?" they said, trading confused looks.
"Uh… where am I?"
"Chief Elecmon and Meowmon brought you back," Monodramon answered. "You were attacked by Kuwagamon."
"And where are they now?"
"They're not here," Monodramon said. "Elecmon took Meowmon out for training."
Koromon tilted his head. "By the way, what kind of Digimon are you? We've never seen one like you."
Listening to them, Eli pieced together the situation. He was in the world of Digimon Adventure, likely before the DigiDestined arrived. As for Meowmon… in his memory, the only one tied to that name was Kari's partner line, though the timelines and details were complicated. It probably wasn't the same one. [6]
Eli swung his legs off the bed. Koromon and Monodramon moved to stop him, but he raised a hand.
"It's okay. I'm fine. I can feel it—my condition's much better. Can you take me to Elecmon and Meowmon? I want to thank them."
The two traded a look and, after a beat, nodded.
— — — —
"Meowmon, use your special move!"
"You were amazing earlier—why are you messing up now?"
"Focus!"
Eli could hear Elecmon's stern coaching even from a distance. Led by Monodramon and Koromon, he soon spotted them.
"You—the kid?!"
Elecmon noticed him right away. Before the scolding could start, Eli spoke up. "I'm feeling much better. I asked Koromon and Monodramon to bring me. Please don't blame them. I just wanted to thank you and Meowmon for saving me."
"…Hmph." Elecmon shot the two a look, then said to Eli, "Meowmon saved you. I only followed up."
He turned back to Meowmon. "The kid you saved came to see you, so we'll end training here. But remember what makes you different. I'm not being harsh for no reason. A Holy-class Digimon draws trouble on File Island, and you know that better than anyone."
Meowmon shrank in on herself, silent.
The timid curl of her shoulders contrasted sharply with the courage she'd shown when she charged Kuwagamon.
Only after Elecmon left did Meowmon finally relax—until a gentle voice made her stiffen again.
"Hi, Meowmon. I'm Eli Moon. Thank you for saving me."
Meowmon hesitated, then dared a glance his way. "Y-You're welcome…"