Chapter 2: Encounter: Meowmon!
"Fox Tail!"
The words were a fierce, high-pitched cry. At the critical moment, a small, yellow creature shot out from the undergrowth, a blur of motion intercepting the descending claw.
Mizuki's mind, still reeling, instantly processed the image, pulling a name from the depths of his memories.
Meowmon. An In-Training II Digimon.
As its name suggests, it's a small, feline Digimon. Its finishing move is 'Fox Tail,' where it swells its tail and hardens its fur into steel-like wires to strike its enemies.
As the information surfaced, the initial wave of relief was immediately swamped by a deeper, more urgent worry. Meowmon was only an In-Training Digimon. Against a Champion-level Kuwagamon, it was a suicidal mismatch. The power gap was an uncrossable chasm.
But the scene that unfolded next shattered his understanding and left him gaping.
With another defiant shout, the tiny Meowmon slammed into the massive insectoid. There was a sickening crunch of chitin, and Kuwagamon's huge body was sent staggering backward, its attack completely broken!
Mizuki could only stare. "?!"
Before he could even process the impossible sight, another voice called out from behind him.
"Meowmon, where have you been—wait, did you do that?"
A red, mammal-like Digimon with long, floppy ears trotted into view, its eyes wide with surprise.
"Elecmon?!" Mizuki breathed, the name escaping his lips unconsciously.
"Huh?" The red Digimon's ears twitched. "Who are you, kid? You know me?"
Elecmon gave Mizuki a quick, curious glance before his attention snapped back to the standoff. A low whistle escaped him.
"You actually managed to knock a Kuwagamon back. That's pretty impressive, Meowmon." He grinned, a spark of pride in his voice. "See? I told you you could do it!"
His demeanor shifted, his playful tone hardening into something sharp and dangerous. "Alright, my turn. I'll take care of this big ugly bug!"
Elecmon's three tails fanned out like a peacock's display. A brilliant, crackling energy gathered between them, and with a sharp cry, he unleashed a torrent of dazzling lightning.
"Flickering Thunder Strike!"
The bolts of electricity, far more potent than Mizuki would have expected, slammed into Kuwagamon's armored body. The air filled with the smell of ozone and burnt chitin. It was hard to believe an attack of that magnitude came from a mere Rookie.
Then again, Mizuki reasoned, it made a certain kind of sense.
This was Elecmon, the permanent guardian of the Village of Beginnings, the one responsible for raising and protecting every newborn Digimon. It was only natural he'd be a cut above the rest. His data accumulation alone would put him on a different level than any average Rookie.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, an overwhelming wave of exhaustion crashed over him. His vision swam, the world tilting on its axis. A leaden weight settled in his limbs, and his knees buckled.
He collapsed.
As his consciousness spiraled into darkness, the last thing he saw was the small, yellow figure of Meowmon hopping anxiously toward him.
"Thank you..."
He forced the words out with the last ounce of his strength, and then the world went black.
— — — —
When Mizuki woke again, the fiery orange of sunset was filtering through the canopy above, painting the world in shades of amber and shadow.
He found himself lying on a soft bed of leaves, inside a small, cozy hut. He looked at the unfamiliar scenery, his mind slowly piecing things together. As he tried to sit up, a pair of voices stopped him.
"Ah! Wait a moment, you can't move yet."
"That's right, that's right! You're in bad shape, so it's best if you don't move!"
Mizuki turned his head. Looking at the two Digimon by his bedside, he felt a jolt of recognition, a fondness that stemmed from countless hours spent watching them in his past life.
"Koromon... and Monodramon!?"
"You know us?" the two small Digimon chirped, exchanging a glance before tilting their heads in perfect, confused synchrony.
"Um... where am I?" Mizuki asked, his voice a little hoarse.
"Village Chief Elecmon and Meowmon brought you back," Monodramon answered dutifully. "You were attacked by a Kuwagamon."
"And where are they now?"
"They're not here right now," Koromon piped up.
"Elecmon took Meowmon away for some special training," Monodramon added.
As Monodramon finished, Koromon bounced closer, his big red eyes full of innocent curiosity. "Speaking of which, what kind of Digimon are you? We've never seen your type before!"
Listening to their cheerful chatter, Mizuki began to form a clearer picture of his situation. He was in the Digital World, specifically the one from Digimon Adventure. And based on the peaceful atmosphere and the absence of any other humans, it was before the arrival of the DigiDestined.
But Meowmon... in his memories, the only one associated with Meowmon was Kari Kamiya.
'But wasn't her partner lost for a long time before they reunited?'he wondered.'This probably isn't the same one.'
With that thought, Mizuki slowly, carefully, swung his legs over the side of the leafy bed.
Koromon and Monodramon immediately moved to stop him, but Mizuki raised a hand, offering them a gentle smile.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," he assured them. "I can feel it. My body's recovered a lot." He took a steadying breath and stood, testing his balance. "Can you take me to find Elecmon and Meowmon? I need to thank them properly."
Koromon and Monodramon looked at each other, a silent conversation passing between them. After a moment of thought, they nodded in unison.
— — — —
"Meowmon, use your ultimate move! Now!"
"You were so amazing before! Why are you failing now? What happened to that power?!"
"Take this seriously!"
Even from a distance, Mizuki could hear Elecmon's stern, demanding voice echoing through the clearing.
Led by Monodramon and Koromon, he soon saw the two figures. Elecmon stood with his tails bristling, shouting commands, while a small, trembling Meowmon stood opposite a training dummy, looking utterly defeated.
"You—that kid?!" Elecmon spotted them as they approached, his expression immediately turning thunderous.
Before the guardian could start scolding his charges, Mizuki spoke up quickly. "Um, Elecmon, I've recovered a lot. I asked Koromon and Monodramon to bring me here, so please don't blame them."
He offered a respectful bow. "I just wanted to express my gratitude to you and Meowmon for saving my life."
Elecmon's stern expression softened slightly. He shot one last glare at the two smaller Digimon before turning back to Mizuki with a gruff "Hmph."
"Meowmon saved you," he corrected. "I just followed her lead."
With that, Elecmon turned his gaze back to the cowering In-Training Digimon.
"The guy you saved came looking for you, so we'll end the training here for today," he said, his voice losing its drill-sergeant edge and taking on a more serious, weary tone. "But I hope you realize how special your situation is. I'm not being harsh just for the sake of it. You should know better than anyone how much trouble a Holy-species Digimon can attract on File Island."
Meowmon said nothing, only shrinking further into herself, not daring to meet Elecmon's gaze. This timid, frightened creature was a world away from the courageous warrior who had fearlessly charged a Kuwagamon.
Only after Elecmon gave a final nod and trotted away did Meowmon's tiny body finally seem to relax.
But before she could even take a full breath, a gentle voice made her tense up all over again.
"Hello, Meowmon," Mizuki said softly, kneeling down to her level. "My name is Mizuki. Thank you for saving me earlier."
Hearing his voice, Meowmon flinched, her body coiling as if expecting a blow. She kept her head down, her ears flattened against her skull.
A long, silent moment passed. Finally, mustering every ounce of her courage, she slowly lifted her head and peeked in Mizuki's direction.
"Y-You're welcome..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.
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