Night time had come in the real world and in her bedroom, Twilight Sparkle was busy working on her homework.
Her Digivice was on the desk next to her, Tawnimon inside taking a nap as she continued to finished the equations she had to complete before school tomorrow. But as she worked, her thoughts were torn between her assignments and what had happened in the Digital World.
When she had logged back into Codex, she had hoped to see Flash there. But he had been nowhere in sight.
She could only hope he had taken her words into consideration and was trying to find a way to get Veemon back. But she was also worried he might never want to enter the digital realm again.
She eventually managed to get her homework finished and as she did, there was a knock at her door. "Come in." The door opened and a young boy walked in. He was a purple skinned boy like Twilight, only he had short spiky green hair with a light green shirt under a purple jacket and green shorts.
"Hey," he walked over, "I just came to return that Digimon Card I borrowed. You were right about it being just what I needed to beat that guy."
Twilight smiled, "thanks Spike." She took the card as Spike picked up her Digivice, frowning as he did so.
"Man, why can't I go to Codex? I've gotten way better in my online battles." Twilight couldn't help but laugh at this, her brother being obsessed with going to Codex ever since he heard about it from his older siblings. But no matter how many times Twilight and Shining recommended him, the Codex Commanders stated he didn't have the skill level yet to be given a Digivice.
"Don't worry," Twilight ruffled his hair. "Just keep practising and eventually, you'll get your own Digivice." Spike sighed and as he did, someone else stepped into the room. Shining Armor.
"Hey," he told the pair, "you two should start getting ready for bed."
"I guess," Twilight nodded as Spike put her Digivice down.
"You okay?" Shining asked, raising an eyebrow as Twilight got up. "This doesn't have something to do with Flash, does it?" Twilight nodded as Spike looked confused. "I know you're upset about what happened, but there's nothing you can do. Flash needs to fix what happened himself."
"Flash?" Spike asked, then remembered something. "Isn't he that guy that gave you a lift home one time?"
"Yeah," Twilight nodded, "he's a new Codex player and got tricked into an Ante-Battle." Spike frowned, clearly knowing what that was. "He didn't know that losing could mean losing his partner, Veemon. And ever since, he's been really depressed. He hasn't even entered Codex because of what happened."
"Ouch," Spike frowned, "that's gotta be harsh. So you're worried about him?"
"I'm more worried about Veemon," she explained. "The guy who won him is a total jerk. He keeps Veemon locked up in his Digivice and only uses him to makes scans to trade to other people."
"What?" Spike cried, "that's horrible. Why doesn't anybody do anything? Kick him out of Codex."
Shining sighed, "nothing he's doing is against the rules. You'd have to ask the Codex Commanders why they'd let such a thing happen. But like I said, this is Flash's issue to fix. If he wants Veemon back, he needs to do it himself." As he said that, they heard footsteps and Shining motioned them to all stop talking about it.
Moments later, Shining's wife Cadance stepped into the room. She was a beautiful woman with pink skin and multicoloured hair. She looked around, raising an eyebrow as he saw them. "What are you three talking about?"
"Just a friend of Twilight's who's having a hard time," Shining explained. As much as he wanted to, he had chosen to keep the whole Codex thing a secret from his wife. She had never really been into Digimon back when it was believed they were just a game, so him telling her they were real would likely make her think he was crazy.
"Alright," Cadance nodded. "Anyway, you two have school tomorrow. You need to get to bed." They nodded with her, Shining and Spike leaving Twilight's room. Twilight frowned as she began to get changed, hoping Shining was right about Flash.
At the same time, Shining took out his own dark blue Digivice and was wondering why his avatar hadn't decided to log out yet. It had been a while since he had pulled an all nighter. Either his digital self had found a Digimon he really wanted to scan, or something big was happening.
All he could hope was that whatever it was, he was showing why he was the number one Codex player.
Flash Sentry had been in a lot of battles since coming to Codex. He hadn't won them all, but every time he fought he knew he had a chance to win. But this time, he wasn't sure he could.
Looking up at the giant crystal, Leomon stared at Cyberdramon and gulped as he felt the power coming off the Ultimate. And so far, the power of the Digimon hadn't been the most important factor in this fight. That factor was the skill of the one controlling the Digimon and his opponent, Shining Armor, had skill for days.
Cyberdramon stood atop one of the crystals they were surrounded by, the ultimate looking ready for a major brawl. "Now, then, Flash Sentry. Let's see how well you face off against this challenge." With that, Cyberdramon leapt off the crystal and spread his wing. He shot down at high speed, as Leomon raised his sword.
As Cyberdramon got close, Leomon slashed at him with his sword. But Cyberdramon spun around and used one of the blades on his arms to block. He pushed Leomon back and attempted to slash at him with his claws, but Leomon leant out of the way before leaping back.
"Fist of the Beast King!" He punched the air and launched the fireball towards Cyberdramon, but the Ultimate level didn't even attempt to block it and the attack slammed into his rubber suited body.
Leomon: 3-55%
Cyberdramon: 4-60%
The explosion did nothing against him, not making him flinch or even stagger back.
Leomon landed and was shocked by how little his attack hurt Cyberdramon. But the Ultimate Level Didn't give him time to think, as he shot forward claws primed to attack. "Cyber Nails!" He slashed at Leomon, who did his very best to protect himself, by blocking the glowing claws with his sword or evading them entirely. But it was hopeless, as Cyberdramon was just too fast.
"Augh!" He cried, when Cyberdramon slashed him across the chest and knocked him back.
Leomon: 3-35%
Cyberdramon: 4-60%
He clutched his chest, as Cyberdramon leapt up before trying to stomp on him with his clawed feet. But Leomon managed to grab the foot and stop it before it could really hit him. "Remember," Cyberdramon told him, "you have to think like a human. Use the knowledge Leomon has and filter it through your mind." He pushed and Leomon was sent staggering, almost falling off his feet as Cyberdramon flew up. "What do you have at your disposal, that Leomon would never think of using?"
Leomon looked around, but nothing around him would give him the edge against Cyberdramon. But then, he remembered something.
As Cyberdramon dived down towards him, he raised his swordless arm as it glowed. "Battle Gear, BOOST!" The light exploded off his arm and formed a shield, which was white with gold around the edges and the Data emblem in the middle. "Data Shield!" Cyberdramon slashed at him, Leomon blocking with the shield. And as it did, Cyberdramon flinched as he felt his data being drained away.
Leomon: 3-35%
Cyberdramon: 4-55%
He flinched and pulled back, flying to a safe distance as he looked his claws over. "Data Shield. That's a new one."
Leomon panted. "I got it not long before...that. It's a shield that not only blocks attacks, but also absorbs Vaccine Digimon Data. So every time a Vaccine Digimon attacks, they take damage if they touch this shield."
"I see. And how did you know I was gonna use a Vaccine Digimon?"
"I didn't. I guessed." Cyberdramon sighed at this.
"Bad idea. What if I had used Sealsdramon and its evolution line? You would have been facing a Virus Digimon and that shield would have been useless."
"Well if you were a Virus, Leomon would have been able to handle it."
"And what if I used a Data Digimon?" Cyberdramon asked, "if I had chosen to pick that, you would have been at a disadvantage and have a useless Battle Gear."
"Well what am I supposed to do?" Leomon inquired, "it's not like I know what my opponent's gonna use before I pick my Digimon. I mean, sometimes they use their partners but I don't know what they might Digivolve into."
"True," Cyberdramon nodded. "But the most important part of a battle is the preparation. If you can get into your opponent's head, to figure out what they're thinking, you'll know how to best counter their strategy. It's no different from playing Digimon Battle Online. It's not what you do in the battle that only matters. It's also everything you do before it."
Leomon panted. "I understand. I can't rely on luck to win my battles for me."
"You can't rely on anything but yourself," Cyberdramon corrected. "You and your Digimon are the only things that you know can defeat your opponent. You might, might, find something that'll help you achieve victory. But if you go into a fight expecting that something to appear and turn the tables, then you'll have already lost before you hit the start button."
"Got it," Flash realised he was right. In his battle against Jet, he had flown off searching for a Digivolution Coin and it had allowed Jet to get the upper hand on him. If he wanted to beat Jet, he was gonna need to come up with a strategy that would allow him to get the leg up on the jerk. "Thanks."
Cyberdramon smirked, "don't thank me yet. We've still got a battle to finish." He shot forward and Leomon did the same, the pair colliding with Leomon raising his shield to guard against Cyberdramon's slash.
Leomon: 3-35%
Cyberdramon: 4-50%
Leomon then used the shield to push Cyberdramon's arm away before slashing at his chest, pushing Cyberdramon back.
Leomon: 3-35%
Cyberdramon: 4-40%
The Ultimate Level landed and pushed off once again, getting ready to slash at Leomon again. But the Champion Level raised his shield in defence, only for Cyberdramon to suddenly leap over him and land on the ground behind him. "Remember, I don't fall for the same trick twice! Cyber Nails!" He slashed at Leomon, hitting him in the chest and knocking him backwards.
"Augh!"
Leomon: 3-20%
Cyberdramon: 4-40%
He fell to the ground and slid along it until he slowed to a stop, as Cyberdramon leapt up and dived to attack again. But before he could reach him, Leomon raised the shield and Cyberdramon slashed it instead. As his data was drained, Leomon clenched his fist and knocked Cyberdramon's claws away.
"Fist of the Beast King!" He launched the fireball and knocked Cyberdramon staggering back.
Leomon: 3-20%
Cyberdramon: 4-25%
Cyberdramon regained his footing, Leomon got up and raised his sword. The two glared at one another and charged, beginning to do battle against one another at short range.
The two appeared even at this point, Leomon using his shield to block most of Cyberdramon's attacks and draining away his data. But on two occasions, Cyberdramon managed to get passed the shield and hit him. By the time they both stopped their close range fight, the two's securities were low.
Leomon: 3-5%
Cyberdramon: 4-10%
"Raaah!" Cyberdramon threw a bunch, Leomon raising his shield. But at the last moment, Cyberdramon pulled his fist back and spun on the spot. This allowed him to hook his elbow blade behind the shield and pull it away from Leomon, who gasped seeing his Battle Gear be pull away. "Nice try!"
As the shield was sent flying off, Cyberdramon leapt up and smashed his foot into Leomon's chest. "AUGH!"
Leomon: 3-0%
Cyberdramon: 4-10%
Leomon was thrown backwards. But as he was, he launched his own attack. "Fist of the Beast King!" The fireball flew at Cyberdramon and hit him before he could plant his feet on the ground, the explosion knocking him backwards.
Leomon: 2-100%
Cyberdramon: 4-0%
Cyberdramon was knocked flying and spun a little as Leomon fell to the ground, but both of them managed to recover. Cyberdramon spread his wings and looked down at Leomon, but found he was gone.
Leomon had escaped and managed to hide behind one of the crystals, thankful the light inside of them was keeping Cyberdramon from seeing. He panted and tried to look around, hoping maybe his Battle Gear had fallen some place. But it hadn't and he had to find another way to get the edge on him.
Remembering was Shining had told him, Flash knew he couldn't just randomly search for a Digivolution Coin. He had to find a way to overpower the Ultimate in his current form. If he found a coin, then great. But he knew he couldn't rely on it.
He closed his eyes and tried to think. He had studied Cyberdramon, ever since first seeing it, and knew it was a powerful Digimon. If he wanted to beat it, he had to be smart.
It was then that he noticed an opening in the wall a short distance away, Leomon looking around and seeing Cyberdramon wasn't looking in his direction. So he made a break for it, rushing towards the opening and getting to it as Cyberdramon turned to see him.
The Ultimate watched him disappear into the opening and frowned, knowing where that passageway led. "You just entered an area of the castle that will either help or hamper you, depending on how you use it. I look forward to seeing how you pull this off."
Leomon looked around and was amazed by what he was seeing.
The room was also full of crystals, but these ones weren't glowing like the ones outside. Instead, the room was illuminated by dimly lit lights up above. The crystals weren't see through either, as Leomon realised when he stepped up to one and found himself looking at his own reflection.
He realised these crystals were designed to form a mirror maze, Leomon making his way through it and occasionally walking head first into a mirror thinking it was a passageway. "Ow." He frowned, wondering if he had made a mistake coming here. And then he saw someone appear in the mirror and spun around.
"Not a bad idea," Cyberdramon smirked. "Disorientating your opponent is a clever way to get the upper hand. But that's only if you're able to not get disoriented yourself. So, are these mirrors something you can use to your advantage. Or are they just going to confuse you?"
Leomon frowned and rushed forward, throwing a punch right into his face. But all he did was crack the crystal that had been reflecting Cyberdramon, who now really was behind him.
"Raaah!" Cyberdramon tried to kick him, but Leomon was able to pull back as the attack shattered the crystal. He staggered into a mirror, as Cyberdramon got in front of him and threw a punch. Luckily, Leomon was able to block with his sword.
In the confined space Cyberdramon couldn't fly and the pair were forced to block more than dodge or risk running into a mirror. The two fought hand to hand, Leomon took advantage of the smaller space since Leomon was more of a brawler than an agile fighter.
He eventually managed to land a hit into Cyberdramon's chest, knocking him back, but it did little to really damage him.
Leomon: 2-100%
Cyberdramon: 3-95%
Cyberdramon smirked at this, but quickly frowned before opening both hands. "Desolation Claw!" Two orbs forms in his claws that he brought together, forming a larger orb that grew more powerful. He then thrust it forward, the orb exploding into a beam that flew right at Leomon.
The champion gasped and leapt to the side, the attack hitting the mirror instead. But Leomon wasn't safe, as the crystal refracted the attack into three separate beams. One of these beams shot towards Leomon, hitting him and making him cry out.
Leomon: 2-75%
Cyberdramon: 3-95%
The other beams bounced around, hitting more crystals and splitting into more beams.
Cyberdramon had flown up and out of the beam's paths, watching as Leomon lay on the ground recovering and protecting himself from injury. The lasers bounced around and as they did, they damaged the mirrors around them. And if a laser hit an already damaged mirror, it completely broke it. As such, the maze of mirrors was eventually completely destroyed by the lasers.
When the laser destroyed a mirror, Leomon picked himself up and found the place had been completely decimated. Crystal shards were scattered all over the place, Leomon knowing he would have to be careful not to step on one. But as he looked ahead, his eyes went wide seeing a Digivolution Coin had been revealed by the crystals.
Cyberdramon had also seen this and was diving down to grab it. But Leomon punched his fist into the ground, "Fist of the Beast King!" The attack launched straight into the ground and sent out a shockwave, which threw the crystals into the air.
Cyberdramon's eyes went wide at this, as he was forced to stop and brace himself. The crystals slammed into him, making him flinch with every hit.
Leomon: 2-75%
Cyberdramon: 3-60%
Leomon rushed forward, glad his attack had cleared a path for him to run ahead and grab the coin. He smirked as the power flowed into him, whilst Cyberdramon finally got through the crystal bombardment. "Not bad. See. You're starting to think on your feet."
Leomon smirked as he stood tall. "And now I'm gonna even the score." He began to glow. "Leomon, Digivolve to..." The light bulked out, as Leomon's body became covered in something. When the light faded, Leomon was revealed to now be wearing a large suit of armor. His arms and legs were covered in spinning parts that moved so fast, wind spiralled around them. "GrapLeomon!"
Cyberdramon smirked, as GrapLeomon ran forward. He then leapt up, showing incredible jumping speed as he flew towards his fellow Ultimate. "Vortex Kick!" He spun his leg around, as the turbine around his leg spun. Lightning surged through it as he slammed the turbine into Cyberdramon, making the Dragon Man roar as he was grounded on by the electrically charged attack.
GrapLeomon: 2-75%
Cyberdramon: 3-40%
Cyberdramon was thrown to the ground, as GrapLeomon fell with him. The pair landed and GrapLeomon shot off against, showing incredible speed as he reached Cyberdramon. "Cryber Nail!" Cyberdramon slashed at GrapLeomon, making him flinch as he got in close.
GrapLeomon: 2-65%
Cyberdramon: 3-40%
GrapLeomon didn't let this attack stop him, forcing through it instead before dealing a punch right to Cyberdramon's face.
GrapLeomon: 2-65%
Cyberdramon: 3-35%
He didn't stop and punched him two more times, then slammed his turbine arms into Cyberdramon's shoulders and grinding against him at high speed. "AUGH!" Cyberdramon roared, feeling the pain as his data was whittled away.
Eventually, he knocked GrapLeomon's arms away before reaching up and kicking him away. With his armor, the Beast Man didn't take any damaged and staggered back as Cyberdramon panted.
GrapLeomon: 2-65%
Cyberdramon: 3-5%
As he did, GrapLeomon clenched his fist and pulled them back. "The King of Fists!" His turbine arm span fast and generated a bunch of electrical energy, which exploded off his arm as he punched the air and it headed straight towards Cyberdramon.
The electric lion head slammed into the Ultimate and created an explosion, knocking him backwards.
GrapLeomon: 2-65%
Cyberdramon: 3-0%
He crashed into the ground and slid along it, as GrapLeomon raced forward. But before he could get close enough, Cyberdramon exploded into the air and shot straight up. GrapLeomon tried to leap up after him, but Cyberdramon flew to the side and GrapLeomon's punch missed.
As the armored lion fell, Cyberdramon swung his arms around as the energy spheres formed. "Desolation Claw!" The spheres came together and as GrapLeomon landed, Cyberdramon thrust the attack forward and the beam exploded down towards him.
The armored lion spun around, just in time to see the attack coming. He raised his arms and spun the turbines, the laser smashing into him. He screamed at the impact, the turbines not doing anything to stop him. The next thing he knew, a massive explosion occurred and he was sent flying backwards until he smashed through a wall.
GrapLeomon: 2-30%
Cyberdramon: 2-100%
GrapLeomon flinched as he fell through the hole and found himself in midair, the Ultimate seeing he was now outside the building.
Said building had a series of discus shapes connected by a thin tube running through the entire building. He was in the second highest section and falling towards the edge of it. He slid along the saucer until he reached the edge, where he slammed his claws into the rock that made it up to slow himself down.
He managed to stop right as his lower body reached the edge, hanging over it with his legs kicking.
Panting, he did his best to pull himself up. But as he did, Cyberdramon broke out of the castle and started down at him. GrapLeomon hurried to get up and as he finally planted his feet, Cyberdramon charged at him.
GrapLeomon took up and stance and as Cyberdramon got close, her leapt forward and tackled Cyberdramon. But Cyberdramon had more momentum and the two were knocked over the edge, Cyberdramon intending to fly away as GrapLeomon fell. But the Beast Man had no intention of falling alone and grabbed Cyberdramon's wings.
This kept him from flying, the pair struggling against one another as they rolled through the air.
They eventually reached the next level and when they did, Cyberdramon was at the bottom of the pair. He slammed into the roof of the building and GrapLeomon fell upon him, making him flinch.
GrapLeomon: 2-30%
Cyberdramon: 2-80%
The two continued to struggle as they rolled down the side of the building again and like before, both fell over the edge. The plummeted again, as Cyberdramon finally freed his wings. But GrapLeomon managed to wrap his arms around his opponent's body and continued to drag them down.
The next lowest level was smaller then the one above, so they ended up missing it. Cyberdramon managed to slow them down with his wings, but still couldn't stop them.
It was at this point that Cyberdramon managed to kick GrapLeomon off of him, knocking the Beast Man away. But before he could properly spread his wings and fly, the two of them ended up crashing into the ground below the castle.
GrapLeomon: 2-20%
Cyberdramon: 2-70%
The two groaned as they pushed one another back up, GrapLeomon looking around and finding they were now in a section below the castle. This area was a round colosseum-like area made of pink rocks, with the walls of it having large pink spikes.
He pushed himself to his feet and as he did, he saw that Cyberdramon was also standing.
The Dragon Man checked his wing and when he did, he found that the crash had left it injured. He was unable to fly, leaving him unable to escape as GrapLeomon charged. "Vortex Kick!" He swung his leg around, the turbine on it spinning ready to slam his opponent.
But Cyberdramon was able to leap to the side, avoiding the kick as his claws glowed. "Cyber Nails!" He quickly slashed at GrapLeomon, knocking him backwards.
GrapLeomon: 2-5%
Cyberdramon: 2-70%
GrapLeomon staggered back, clutching his armored chest. But he wouldn't be so easily beaten, as he rushed forward at high speed. He reached Cyberdramon dealt a fast and powerful punch right to his chest, followed by four more. Cyberdramon flinched, but managed to grab GrapLeomon's arm before the sixth hit before spinning.
He let out a roar and pulled GrapLeomon forward over his shoulder, smashing him into the ground. "AUGH!"
GrapLeomon: 2-0%
Cyberdramon: 2-45%
GrapLeomon groaned as Cyberdramon walked away from him, the Ultimate having noticed something during their fight. "You're starting to get it. Using your Digimon's fighting instincts but not being overwhelmed by them. You learn fast."
GrapLeomon rolled onto his front, "thanks." He tried to push himself up, looking up at Cyberdramon. "I get I. I can't just power through. Most of my victories came from outsmarting my opponent and taking them by surprise."
"Exactly," Cyberdramon used his Cyber Nails on a rock sticking out of the ground. "Strength is worthless without a plan behind it. But sometimes, you won't have time to think. If an opponent is faster and stronger, all you can hope to do is stay alive long enough to try and make a plan. So now, I'm coming at you with everything."
"You mean you weren't already?" GrapLeomon asked, as Cyberdramon reached into the remains of the rock.
"No," he replied before holding up a Digivolution Coin. GrapLeomon's eyes widened, as the coin exploded and was absorbed into Cyberdramon. As it was, his entire body began to glow. "Cyberdramon, Mega Digivolve to..." His entire body began to change, appearing least dragonoid and more human. HIs right arm became extra long and bulky and as the light faded, it revealed a man wearing a blue and white suit. He had a red scarf around his neck and instead of a normal right arm, he had a large mechanical one that looked like it could do a lot of damage. "Justimon!"
Within GrapLeomon, Flash could hardly believe what he was seeing. As Justimon jumped up and land atop a large rock, he let out a blast of power that made Flash want to curl up with terror. This was the might of the most powerful Digimon form. This...was a Mega Level.
"Is this the first time you've ever seen a Mega?" Justimon asked, Flash nodding. "Well get used to it. As you grow stronger, you'll find yourself facing stronger and stronger opponents. If you can't handle it, then you might as well quit Codex all together." Justimon didn't give GrapLeomon time to reply, as he leapt into the air.
He was suddenly flying towards him and GrapLeomon was forced to leap back, as Justimon smashed his metal arm into the ground.
The force of the impact caused the entire area to break apart, cracks spreading throughout the battlefield. "No way!" GrapLeomon gasped, unable to believe Justimon's power could be so great.
"Impressed?" Justimon asked, raising his metal arm. "You haven't seen anything yet. Trinity Arm, Accel!" Suddenly, his arm glowed and transformed. Soon, it was twice as long as had three large metal fingers on the end of it.
GrapLeomon knew something big was happening and sure enough, the metal arm began to spark. "Thunder Clap!" He slammed the ground again, creating a powerful shockwave that exploded out in all directions.
GrapLeomon gasped and attempted to escape, but the blast slammed into him. He cried out as he was blasted backwards, the electrical energy flowing through him and causing his body to start overloading. He hit the ground, sliding along it as his body kept sparking.
GrapLeomon: 1-80%
Justimon: 2-45%
Justimon chuckled as he pulled his large arm back up and charged, GrapLeomon forcing himself back up whilst his armor kept sparking. And as Justimon got close enough, he swung his Accel Arm around to try and slam into him with an electrified slap.
GrapLeomon barely managed to dodge this and rolled to the side, Justimon swinging his arm around again. This time, GrapLeomon raised his arm and block the attack before spinning his turbine and grinding at the mechanical arm.
GrapLeomon: 1-80%
Justimon: 2-40%
Justimon pulled the arm back after a second and as he did, it glowed. "Trinity Arm, Critical!" The arm transformed again, this time becoming a large metal case-like object. Instead of a hand, the end had an opening where a pink energy blade shot out.
GrapLeomon knew this weapon was likely as strong as the last one, so he had to stop him before he could do anything. "The King of Fists!" He spun his turbine arm, generating as much power as he could, then punched the air and sent a bunch of energy blasts flying towards Justimon.
"Voltage Blade!" The energy sword extended and he swung it around, slicing the energy blasts in half as he rushed towards GrapLeomon. He then swung it at the Beast Man, GrapLeomon raising his arms to try and defend. But the blade cut into the turbines and made him cry out.
GrapLeomon: 1-55%
Justimon: 2-40%
Justimon pulled his blade back and tried to slash again, but GrapLeomon managed to leap back. As he did, he looked down at his arms and saw the turbines were completely destroyed. "Not good."
"Trinity Arm!" Justimon cried, his blade transforming again. "Blitz!" The arm reverted back to its original form and he leapt up, "Justice Burst!" He thrust his arm forward and a sphere of electrical energy exploded out of his hand, flying straight towards GrapLeomon.
He gasped and attempted to escape, dodging the first one but the second and third both made contact. "AUGH!"
GrapLeomon: 1-15%
Justimon: 2-40%
Justimon landed with the superhero landing, whilst GrapLemon fell to the ground. The Ultimate Level groaned as the electrical energy surged through him. "Now do you get it? When you're up against a stronger opponent, their power can overwhelm you."
"Yeah," GrapLeomon nodded, "I get it. I can't think straight whilst trying to keep myself from being blasted. It's too much." He pushed himself up, "what do I do?"
"Parallel processing," Justimon explained. "It's not easy and requires lots of experience. You need to learn to split your focus between battle and your plan. It's just like driving a car." Flash was confused by this. "People aren't born knowing how to drive. They have to learn it step by step. Then they have to learn how to do all those steps at once. They have to focus on where they're driving to, what's around them that they need to avoid and how fast they're going, all the while controlling the machine. That is parallel processing."
"I get it," GrapLeomon nodded. "Alright," he began to rush forward, "then that's what I'll learn."
Justimon chuckled. "Like I said, it's not something you can just do." He charged, "it takes time and careful training!" The pair charged at one another and their metal fists pulled back as they got in close.
They both let out a mighty roar, as they threw their fists forward and collided. The force of the impact sent out a shockwave, causing the damaged ground around them to break apart even more. And as they pushed against one another, Justimon suddenly pulled back and swung around.
"Augh!" GrapLeomon found his face getting smashed in by Justimon's foot, which knocked him backwards.
GrapLeomon: 1-0%
Justimon: 2-40%
GrapLeomon fell to the ground and as he did, Justimon prepared to end the fight. "You have a lot of potential and you clearly want to get better." GrapLeomon pushed himself up to his feet, as Justimon charged. "I look forward to facing you again when you've grown!"
"Raaah!" GrapLeomon smashed his arms into the ground and caused several rocks to fly into the air, Justimon smashing right through them.
GrapLeomon: 1-0%
Justimon: 2-25%
But this didn't even slow him down as he approached GrapLeomon, who wasn't willing to let this end. "But that's not gonna be for a very long time!" Justimon leapt up as GrapLeomon prepared to charge, surprising him as Justimon spun through the air. "Don't keep me waiting long!" With that, he thrust his foot forward as it glowed and he shot down towards him like a bullet. "Justice Kick!"
GrapLeomon's eyes went wide, Justimon moving too fast for him to dodge or avoid. It felt like he was frozen, as the attack smashed into his chest. "AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHH!" He roared as the impact knocked him backwards, his entire body exploding into nothing.
Flash hit the ground and groaned as Justimon leapt back, looking like he was floating as he slowly fell back towards the ground. As he did, the battlefield around them began to change back to the dome. The castle above them vanished and as soon as his feet touched the ground, Justimon reverted back to human.
Shining Armor smirked as he removed his Digivice from the podium, Monodramon appearing next to him. The Rookie smirked, "don't you think you overdid it a little at the end?"
Shining smiled, "he can handle it." He looked back towards Flash, "right kid?"
Flash groaned as he pushed himself back to his feet. "Yeah," he nodded, "it'll take more than...a very painful defeat to beat me." He rubbed his chest, feeling a little sore despite his armor taking most of the damage. "Thanks. I think I learned a lot during that fight."
"We'll have to see," Shining nodded. "Learning this stuff is only half the battle. It's easy to remember it all when you're just standing there, with time to think. It's another to remember it when fireballs are being thrown at you and you have to avoid falling into pits of lava."
"Why do I get the feeling that's not just a random thing you pointed out?" Flash asked, picking up his Digivice. "Out of curiosity, you've lost battles before, right?"
"More than you could believe," Shining nodded. "I might be one of the strongest players in this game, but I started out the same as you. Worse, in fact. I didn't have others helping me learn this stuff. I had to figure it out the hard way."
Monodramon nodded. "I've lost count of how many times we almost got deleted in the Digital World. It's kind of a miracle we're still standing here right now. But we kept fighting and stuck together, no matter what."
Shining smiled, "you've come a long way since coming to the Digital World. Losing Veemon is an obstacle that'll make or break you. If you can get him back, you'll have new strength you never thought you could. Because now, you'll have learned more that the two of you can use together. But if you can't get him back, this may be as far as you go."
Flash frowned, "I'll get him back. No matter what. I won't let Jet keep using him like that."
Shining nodded, a smirk appearing on his face. "Then maybe this might help." He tapped his Digivice several times and as he did, Flash got a message on his Digivice.
He opened it up and found a trio of scans, his eyes going wide seeing them. He looked up at Shining, shocked by this sight. "You...you can't..."
Shining smirked, "I bet those will get Jet's attention." He turned to leave, "don't you go losing them. I expect to get them back when you help Veemon." With that, he headed out of the room. Monodramon waved at Flash before following Shining out, Flash staring at the three scans in absolute shock.
He could hardly believe what he was seeing, but smirked either way.
However, he knew just having these wouldn't guarantee victory. Jet was sneaky and Flash had to be ready. He would need to learn everything there was about being these forms, along with trying to learn to use everything Shining had taught him. As such, he placed his Digivice into the podium and the Beta-Stadium brought up a bunch of different options Flash could do.
He could battle a deck in the system's database, or fight against one of his own decks. Or he could simply be on his own and explore the location he picked.
Eventually, he selected the final option. He would learn everything there was to know about his Digimon form before using it in a fight, then switch to fighting one of the system's decks. As such, he quickly started making a new deck with his borrowed scans and after determining which Battle Gear was best to face off against Jet, he opened his location scans.
He knew there was a chance he wouldn't be able to pick the location. But if there was a chance he would be given that option, he knew he had to know the battlefield inside and out. And he knew which location he wanted to use. "Let's get digital!"
Gennai was watching as Flash began his training.
The Codex Commander was in a small dark room, sitting in a large comfy chair and watching as the teen appeared in the battlefield. He then switched the screen to show Jet, who was once again offering a scan of Veemon in exchange for a rare scan of his own.
He sighed before an alert popped up, the Codex Commander accepting it and finding it was a summons.
He got up and moved towards the back of the room, where a single door was waiting. Opening it up, he found the door frame was full of light. And when he stepped through it, he found himself appearing in a rather different room. This one was a large blue void, where five other individuals were waiting. In the middle of that void was a sphere of blue light, which had a bunch of data flowing into the top and out the bottom.
The five other individuals were all wearing the same hooded robes he was, the lot pulling down their hoods to reveal that they all looked identical to Gennai.
"Good," one of them stated in an American accent, "you're here." Gennai nodded as the six of them all floated up to the orb, each one standing atop a small clear platform. "Now that we've all assembled, it's time we discussed the situation that has occurred in Codex and shaken every player to the core."
"You're talking about the recent Ante-Battle?" Another replied sounding Chinese, the American one nodding.
"We should have never allowed Ante-Battles to be possible," another stated with a Russian accent. "It's bad enough having the players gamble with one another. But this has allowed a Digimon Partner to be taken away. The partner system is the most important part of Codex. Allowing them to be taken has undermined everything Codex was created to build."
"Agreed," one of the Gennai with a Mexican accident nodded. "The one who took this partner is treating him like a pet, locking him away and just scanning him to trade with other players. It's sickening."
"What do we do?" One asked, sounding like they had a mix of French and Spanish in their accent. "We can't take the partner away from him."
"It's clear what has to be done," Gennai announced. "We have to allow Flash to take Veemon back from Jet."
"How?" The American asked. "You sound like you want us to give him an unfair advantage."
Gennai shook his head. "No, but Flash is training hard to take his partner back. I'm sure the next time he and Jet face off against one another, he'll take Veemon back. And after that, we're going to make sure something like this never happens again."
"How?" The Mexican one asked.
"By making sure Partner Digimon can't be taken in an Ante-Battle. It should never have been possible from the start. And we're going to make sure it never happens again, after Flash gets his partner back. Let's get to work on updating the system." They all nodded and as they did, holographic screens appeared in front of them and they started tying away at them.
As they did, Gennai was thinking about Flash's upcoming battle against Jet. One of the reasons the fight had gone so bad for him was because Jet had known the area so well. And watching Flash's training, he knew Flash was hoping to use the same technique against Jet. Maybe Gennai could help with that.
The next day.
Twilight and all her friends were back in Codex, Twilight frowning as she looked around and saw no sign of Flash. She had hoped her little speech to him the previous day might have sparked his drive to recover his friend. But, it appeared Flash had no intention of saving Veemon.
As she and the others made their way into the foyer, they spotted Jet laughing as he watched someone get their butt handed to them in the arena.
They hated that he was having such a great time, whilst Flash and Veemon were both suffering. They were all tempted to rush over there and beat the living snot out of him, consequences be damned. But before they could, a voice called out to him.
"JET SET!" Every head there turned towards the voice, amazed when they saw Flash Sentry marching towards the cafe.
Jet slowly turned to him and smiled. "Well, well, well." He stood up, "I was wondering when you'd show your face again. What can I do for you? Come to beg for your partner back?"
"No," Flash shook his head, "I've come to win him back." He pointed at Jet, "I challenge you to an Ante-Battle!" Everyone smiled, turning to Jet hoping he would accept. But the teen smirked.
"I don't see why I should. You have nothing worth betting my Veemon against." Everyone who heard this booed and called him a coward, as Flash stepped forward and took out his Digivice.
"But I do." He swung his Digivice around and as he did, three transparent boxes appeared. "If I win, I get Veemon. But if you win, you can have all three of these Digimon." Jet turned towards the boxes and his eyes went wide, along with everyone else in the foyer.
Instead these boxes, were scans of three Digimon everyone knew were incredibly rare. Monodramon, Strikedramon and Cyberdramon. The ace Digimon of Codex's best player.
"Where did you get those?" Jet asked, staring at the three scans with amazement and desire.
"Doesn't matter," Flash smirked. "All that matters is, they're yours if you agree to an Ante-Battle." Everyone glanced back at Jet, seeing the mental debate he was likely having on his face. But after a minute or so, he let out a greedy cry.
"Fine!" He cried, "my Veemon for your three scans. You're on." Flash smirked as the others cheered, excited to see the rematch from the two's previous battle. And hopefully, this time the result would be one they would all be happy with.