#I was considering drawing the digimon as villagers too | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tobiasdrake · 3 months

Text

Digimon Adventure 01x13 - Angemon Awakens! / The Legend of the DigiDestined

Previously on Digimon Adventure: Takeru learned how Digimon Babies are made and then arranged a sumo match over it.

Now, six out of seven Chosen Children are on their way back to Infinity Mountain while Devimon plots to assassinate Takeru, the one child left behind.

We open right where we left off: The corrupted Leomon has arrived at the Village of Beginnings. Uttering his mantra of "Defeat the children," he draws his sword and descends upon the nursery, eager to drench it in human blood.

The babies down below, playing with Takeru, are the first to notice him. They all stare up the cliff and quiver in terror, giving Takeru and Patamon the cue to look up and see him too.

To defend Takeru, Patamon lets off his Air Shot. Leomon blocks the attack, but it forces him to take a knee for a moment to defend himself, delaying his advance. Patamon takes that as an opportunity for Plan B: Run like hell.

Takeru and Patamon take cover in the nearby jungle.

Patamon: Leomon is normally a good Digimon. If we can just get rid of the Black Gear inside of him....

Unfortunately, we don't get to pursue that train of thought as Ogremon reveals exactly what Devimon meant by "stacking the odds".

He's snatched up one of the baby Poyomon as a bargaining chip.

Ogremon: Can you hear me, kid!? You're hiding somewhere like a scaredy-cat, aren't ya? Come out and show yourself! If you don't, this one here's gonna get it!

Over in the dub, he says:

Ogremon: Hello! You've got company! You're a nice little kid, aren't ya? Get your hide out here so I can get a good look at ya! 'Cause if you don't, your little friend here's gonna squeak his last squeak.

"Squeak his last squeak" is fantastic phrasing. I love it. Perfectly captures the threat he's making while accommodating it to the context of the scene. A+ dub team.

Patamon takes a moment to consider the awful situation in front of them.

Patamon: If I drive out the Black Gear inside Leomon, he'll fight Ogremon for us. But... If I fail... Would I be able to protect Takeru by myself?

Hard tactical considerations taking place here.

Over in the dub, he's... he's whining? Whining seems like the word for it.

Patamon: Poor Leomon. I know he wouldn't attack us if that stupid Black Gear didn't have him under an evil spell! He'd come over to our side. If we could only figure out a way to help him. I gotta protect T.K. from Ogremon! But he's so big and I'm not....

Dub Patamon is venting about how bad this situation sucks.

Whoops, time's up. Guess we're dying here. Leomon raises his sword to stab down into Takeru, then lets out a battle cry of "FOX FIRE!!!"

Wait, no, that wasn't him. A rush of blue flames erupts from the woods and forces him into evasive maneuvers, announcing the cavalry's arrival.

Leomon's forced to back off from Takeru to evade the first shot of Fox Fire. As Yamato splits from Garurumon to go check on Takeru, Leomon blocks a second burst with his sword, expertly splitting the flames around himself.

As the two emerge from the woods, wrestling with one another before separating, their brawl is revealed to Ogremon. He's so shocked, he doesn't even notice Taichi plundering his hostage.

(The audacity of this child. XD Ogremon could snap his spine in half with his bare hands! This is what Crest of Courage means.)

Once he realizes he's been had, Ogremon whirls on Taichi. But it's too late. Taichi's got the Poyomon now, and Greymon's ready to engage Ogremon. Greymon lets off a Mega Flame to kick the fight off proper, but Ogremon dodges.

To his credit, Ogremon's no pushover. After dodging Mega Flame, he closes distance and lands a crushing blow with his club to the top of Greymon's skull. As he lands, Greymon tries to counter with a tail whip; It's honestly unclear if the blow connects or if Ogremon backs off fast enough to dodge.

Seeing as this ambush has turned into a battle, Devimon sends seven Black Gears out from Infinity Mountain to hedge his bets.

Over at Leomon's fight, he dodges a lunge from Garurumon, slashing him along the flank. Garurumon turns and lunges again, this time hitting his mark.

Ogremon scores another solid hit with his Haouken, straight to Greymon's face. Greymon recovers and lets out another Mega Flame, which Ogremon deftly evades.

(Honestly, Greymon and Garurumon are getting worked over in this fight. You can feel the difference between Ogremon and Leomon - two seasoned Adult-stage warriors who've tested their skills against one another in battle countless times - and the two Partner Digimon who only hit Adult-stage for the first time this week. It was one thing when we could mob them 6v2, but these two are incredibly formidable 1v1.)

In an interesting choice, the dub cuts the footage of Ogremon bashing Greymon in the skull as well as cutting Ogremon's Haouken. We only see him either dodging or being hit by the tail whip, and then him narrowly evading another Mega Flame. None of the hits he lands make it in. So while Leomon and Ogremon seem to be carrying their fights in the original, the dub makes it seem like Greymon has Ogremon on the ropes.

But it offers no similar puffing up to Garurumon for his fight. The shot of Leomon avoiding Garurumon's lunge and then slashing his flank is preserved, so Dub Garurumon seems to be having a harder fight than Greymon is.

Suddenly, Devimon's backup arrives. The Black Gears pour into Leomon, causing him to grow dramatically in size and power. Yamato yells at Garurumon to get out of there, but it's too late; It only takes a single ultra-powered Juuouken to put Garurumon down for the count.

"GARURUMON!!!" Yamato screams in horror. Meanwhile, in the dub, Matt unhelpfully calls out, "Are you okay?" Peachy, Matt. Thanks for asking.

Turning to back up Ogremon, Leomon lets off another Juuouken, one-shotting Greymon. The shot hurls him backwards into the Village of Beginnings.

With the kids' defenders out of the way, Devimon speaks telepathically to Leomon, giving him a simple command: "Defeat the Chosen Children. Start with the smallest."

At this point, we're getting pretty dark so the dub dials it back. Dub Devimon only tells Leomon to "bring me the DigiDestined" rather than to vanquish them all. Gotta treat this like Devimon's trying to take prisoners so nobody pays attention to him visibly trying to stab them.

Reciting his new order, Leomon turns on Takeru. Patamon lets off Air Shot after Air Shot after Air Shot, but Leomon wades through his attacks as if they weren't even there. He snatches Patamon out of the air and--

--then more cavalry arrives. Togemon calls her attack, letting out a "Chiku Chiku Bang-Bang!" but she doesn't do the move. Instead opting to let air-dropping a giant cactus on Leomon's back be the full move and belly-flopping him into submission.

Technically, that counts as a Needle Spray; It's just a different delivery mechanism.

Takeru snatches up Patamon from the ground.

Takeru: Patamon! Are you okay!? Patamon: Takeru... I have to protect you.... (eyelids droop, body limpens) Takeru: Patamon! Hang in there, Patamon!

No dice, Takeru. Despite his encouragement, Patamon passes out right then and there in his arms.

Again, we're getting pretty dark for the dub so they recontextualize this scene to avoid having Patamon lose consciousness from battle damage.

T.K.: Patamon! You gotta take it easy, buddy. Patamon: I'm sorry. T.K.: What for? Patamon: I was just trying to protect you. (eyelids droop) T.K.: And you were doing great! Don't feel bad, little guy!

Hang in there, little buddy. Those Air Shots you've been firing have been great for moral support!

Kabuterimon delivers Koushiro and Mimi to the fight, dropping them off with Taichi. They have game-changing intel to deliver.

Koushiro: Use the powers of the holy device, the Digivice! Taichi: The holy device? Mimi: These things! Koushiro: These devices have the power to eliminate the darkness! Taichi: Come to think of it....

Taichi suddenly remembers when his Digivice purified Leomon before, back at Infinity Mountain. He understands now.

The dub, of course, talks around the "holy device" terminology.

Izzy: We have the consummate solution to all of our problems. Tai: That's cool, but what are you talking about? Mimi: Check 'em out! Izzy: They call them Digivices. They have the capability to completely obliterate the Black Gear. Tai: Then let's give 'em a try! We have no other choice right now; We have to take a chance and stop him!

Naturally, Tai's last line talks over the Leomon flashback.

Meanwhile, Leomon is back on his feet and advancing on Takeru. Yamato stands between them, shielding Takeru with his own body. Suddenly, Taichi calls out, approaching with a confident swagger.

Taichi: Leomon! You're after us, right? Come and get me. Yamato: Taichi? What are you doing!? Leomon: Defeat the Chosen Children!

Leomon turns, his attention drawn to Taichi. Just as planned.

Seeing what's happening, Yamato gets the idea and joins in. Together, Yamato and Taichi use their Digivices to purge the Black Gears from inside Leomon.

Ogremon watches in shock as the tide turns against them. Then Koushiro pulls his attention, just before Kabuterimon slams him with Mega Blaster. The shot hits him dead-on.

The dub blunts the impact of both of these moments. Watching Tai purify Leomon, Matt simply says, "Y'know, these things pack quite a punch," as if he already knew how this worked. Meanwhile, we have Ogremon's line.

Ogremon: N-Not good! Those little brats!

This gets replaced with:

Ogremon: How'd they do that? Rotten kids.

Delivered with all the emotion of finding a frisbee on your roof.

Once Leomon's been purified, Ogremon concedes defeat and retreats.

Ogremon: You're joking. I can't fight all of them at once!

Ironically, the dub rewrites this to make Ogremon tougher.

Ogremon: Ha! Those little fools are kidding themselves. They don't know who they're dealing with! They're gonna find out sooner than they think.

Oh, I think they have a pretty good idea. Devimon by this point has been well-established.

With Leomon now purified, he can at last explain the plot to five of the seven children lost on File Island. Jou and Sora can go screw themselves, I guess.

Leomon: A rumor started long ago. It said the world will be consumed by evil and Chosen Children from another world will arrive to save it. Now, File Island is being overrun by a great darkness. That's when you appeared. Taichi: So that's why you call us the Chosen Children. Yamato: But you have no proof. Leomon: The Chosen Children are said to have the power to enable Digimon to evolve, just like you all. Koushiro: If that's true, then perhaps if we destroy the darkness, we won't be needed in this world. Mimi: What do you mean, Koushiro-kun? Koushiro: In other words, we may be able to return to our world. Mimi: Really!? Yamato: But, to do that....

Over in the dub, the ancient rumor has more specificity to it.

Leomon: According to ancient legend, our world will be taken over by a strange dark force that will change good Digimons into bad ones. Our ancestors have predicted that a group of children called the DigiDestined will appear from another world. When they arrive, they will come to possess superpowers that will eventually save our world from destruction. I believe their prediction has come true. File Island has been seized by an evil power. We're in danger of destruction, and now you've appeared. Tai: Whoa, that's amazing! But tell me: How can you be sure we're the kids you're talking about? Matt: Yeah! Do you have some proof that we're the same ones? Leomon: It's been foretold that the DigiDestined have the ability to make Digimons Digivolve. You've done that, and it's all the proof I need. Izzy: I, for one, hope that it's true. My theory is that we'll be released after we save the island. Once our purpose is served, there's no other reason for us to remain. Mimi: And I'll finally be able to change these clothes! Izzy: That's right! If Leomon's information is correct, we'll be heading straight for home. Mimi: I can't wait! Matt: How can we make it happen? We're not even sure who's causing it. What if it's a force that's too big for us to handle?

XD Don't agree too hard that Mimi's clothes are nasty, Izzy.

The original prophecy is vague as to the precise nature of the dark power and its effects on the world. We're just assuming, from our limited perspective on File Island, that Devimon is the dark power being described.

The dub version is clearly talking about the effect the Black Gears have on Digimon. Nonetheless, they throw in Yamato's line to hint that Devimon may be a symptom rather than the cause all the same, so it's a bit more awkward but we're not wholly committing to Devimon being the problem.

For the first time, the kids have marching orders.

Leomon: You must defeat Devimon, who is the source of that evil power. Taichi: Let's do it, guys. We have to defeat him or we won't survive here. Koushiro: You're right. Plus, we have the power of the holy devices! Mimi: I'll do my best! It's scary, but I want to go home! Palmon: We'll do what we can to help you, Mimi! Tentomon: Our stamina's recovered. Agumon: I'm ready to fight any time you are! Gabumon: Let's go to Infinity Mountain, Yamato! Yamato: Agreed. We have no other choice. Leomon: I will help you as well. Taichi: YES!!! It's decided!

Taichi is gung-ho about wasting this motherfucker.

Over in the dub, we have:

Leomon: You see, Devimon is the main cause of all this evil. To save the island, you're going to have to defeat him. Tai: Let's go for it! Everyone: (unintelligible grunts of dissent) Tai: Come on, everyone! Why not? If we don't defeat him, it'll never be over! Izzy: Fine with me! Besides, it's impossible for us to lose with the Digivices Mimi: First thing on my list when I get home is to do some killer shopping! Palmon: For that to happen, we have to get you back home. Tentomon: If we all work together, we're sure to win. Agumon: I'm ready any time you are, buddy! Gabumon: How about it, Matt? Are we up to the challenge, my friend? Matt: It's gonna be tough. When you get down to it, we have no other choice. Leomon: Alright then, troops! Let's get down to it! Tai: Far out! It's a done deal!

There are two main differences between these versions. The first is that the dub has everyone grunt in dissatisfaction when Tai initially wants to go fight Devimon.

The other is Mimi's line, which is changed from her joining in the Let's Do This fanfare to a Valley Girl bit about what she plans to do afterward. Which still signifies her agreement. And at least nobody makes fun of her or yells at her for it.

Leomon rows the kids back to Infinity Mountain in a boat. From there, they all begin their climb.

The dub gives Leomon some extra dialogue as they're rowing.

Leomon: Devimon is very powerful. He's brought nothing but trouble to File Island. We must be careful.

At the top, Devimon prepares to defend himself against the children's counterattack.

Devimon: It appears I'll have to fight them myself now. Before he appears.... Ogremon: Please give me another chance! Devimon: Yes, I'll let you fight... As a part of me. Death Claw!

Devimon snatches Ogremon up by the throat, choking him. Then he disintegrates Ogremon into a set of eight Black Gears.

(That's how he makes Black Gears!? Horrifying.)

The dub completely alters the tone of this scene.

Devimon: Perfect! That traitor Leomon is leading them directly into my trap. He's been very valuable to me! Ogremon: I guess so, but I'm loyal and better looking-- Devimon: Listen to me! You will pay them one final visit. Ready?

They edit out the footage of Devimon grabbing Ogremon by his throat, though they keep the part where he disintegrates into Black Gears. The body horror is fine, but no choking allowed!

In the original, this is presented as Devimon's last-ditch Hail Mary. His back is against the wall and violent retribution is coming straight at his doorstep, so he conjures all the power he can muster for one final throwdown.

The dub plays this like he's still in control of the situation and meant for this to happen.

As the Gears levitate and surround him, Devimon exclaims in a booming voice:

Devimon: COME TO ME, POWERS OF DARKNESS!!! I WILL MAKE FILE ISLAND INTO YOUR TOMB, CHOSEN CHILDREN!!!

The gears implant themselves in Devimon. From outside the island, we see even more Black Gears flying in from all around, as if he's summoning Black Gears from across the shards for this battle.

Similar to before, Dub Devimon's super confident that he's got this.

Devimon: AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Hear this, DigiDestined: My power is infinite! Your hopes and dreams are useless! I am the supreme master of this island! If you dare to defy me, I will unleash the powers of the universe and conquer you! You can't escape!

Not sure what "powers of the universe" he's referring to but it's certainly intimidating, to be sure.

As the Black Gears concentrate at File Island, we see Sora and Jou on their approach. They notice the Gears massing too.

Sora: What's that? Birdramon: The powers of evil are gathering. Jou: What? Ikkakumon: The fight must be starting. Sora: Let's hurry! Jou: Yeah!

Sora's giving the commands now, I see. Now that he's prayed Bakemon to death, we don't need to pretend to respect Jou's leadership anymore.

I kid. But over in the dub, the disrespect for Joe is real.

Sora: Oh no, what's that? Birdramon: Big trouble's brewing. We'd better get ready for action. Joe: Black Gear! Ikkakumon: This is going to be the big one, Joe. It's time to show your true self. Sora: You feeling okay, Joe? Joe: Just a little seasick.

I love this exchange for reasons that probably aren't intended. Joe unhelpfully calls out "Black Gear!" as if we all can't see the countless Gears flying to Infinity Mountain from every which way. Which then prompts both Ikkakumon and Sora to be like, "...y'okay there, champ?" XD

It's so inadvertently condescending. Surely not the intent of the dub, but it made me laugh.

As the kids climb higher, Devimon suddenly reveals the nature of his Hail Mary. This is what he's been doing with the Black Gears. He grows to colossal size, towering over the mountain.

Mimi: What is that!? Koushiro: Is that Devimon!? Palmon: Why is he so big!? Koushiro: Could this be an illusion like the one he made earlier? Leomon: No. (The kids turn to Leomon) Leomon: He's grown larger using the powers of evil.

Holy shit, who knew the Black Gears could do that!? Well, everyone, if you've been paying attention. Sizeshifting is a well-established ability of the Black Gears now being pushed to the extreme.

The reaction in the dub's a bit more... confused.

Mimi: What in the world is that!? Tai: It must be Devimon! Palmon: I didn't expect him to be such a big guy. Izzy: Bad guys always seem to think bigger is better. Leomon: 'Fraid not! (The kids turn to Leomon while gasping in surprise) Leomon: The power that Devimon possesses is immense, so be careful!

...I have no idea what he was contradicting here when he said "'Fraid not!" The kids react like that was a game-changing revelation. But. Like. What is he saying?

Is he saying bad guys don't thing bigger is better? Because Devimon demonstrably does.

Is he saying bigger isn't better? Because he follows that up with a warning about how dangerous Devimon is. "Ha, he's ACTUALLY a wuss. Anyways, he's supremely dangerous and you should try not to die." Doesn't really make sense that way either.

Flying down from the mountain, Devimon lands in the woods at its base. Before they can evolve their Digimon, he turns and showers the kids in an ongoing stream of dark energy pouring out of his right hand.

Leomon raises his sword to attack, but Devimon has two hands. There's enough dark energy stream to go around.

Devimon: Brainless. You are all destined to be destroyed here.

Dub Devimon takes this as an opportunity to brag.

Devimon: You are fools! Don't expect me to play silly games with you; I'm far too wise for that!

Okay, but hear me out: What if we challenged you to a children's card game? No? Okay.

Fortunately, the artillery arrives, with Devimon suddenly taking six Harpoon Vulcans to the face.

"Oh wow, somehow I completely forgot about that." ~Devimon, probably.

While Devimon's reeling from the missiles, Birdramon keeps up the assault, pummeling him with Meteor Wing from above. Sora races up the mountain, screaming at the rest of the team to evolve while they have the chance.

They take her up on that without hesitation. As each Digimon evolves, their kid cheers them on.

Taichi: Go, Greymon! Yamato: We're counting on you, Garurumon! Koushiro: Please, Kabuterimon! Mimi: You can do this, Togemon!

The dub kids gradually get more and more distracted as the moment goes on. XD

Tai: Yeah! Go, Greymon! Matt: Let's turn this guy into pudding! Izzy: My biology teacher would love this! Mimi: I do like the way our colors match!

Tai's the only one who read the script. Matt improvs and does a solid job of it. Izzy gets distracted by science. And then Mimi takes Izzy's screw-up as permission to stop trying too. XD

As soon as the team's evolved, this turns into precisely the 6v1 that Devimon was so worried about earlier. However, in his giant form, Devimon's able to defend himself. The team pummels him with Mega Flame, Fox Fire, Chiku Chiku Bang Bang, and Mega Blaster. Devimon fights back, slamming Garurumon into Greymon, knocking Togemon off the ledge, and swatting Kabuterimon from the sky.

He yells at them that their attacks are useless, but he sounds hurt and frustrated as he does. When he shows his back to swing at Kabuterimon, seasoned veteran Leomon seizes the opportunity to strike where he's most vulnerable.

It does not go well. This is what Devimon was referring to when he said Ogremon would fight as "part of [him]".

(He's like the Venom symbiote now. Viruses are fucking weird.)

Ogremon: (emerges) Not so fast, Leomon! Leomon: What. Ogremon: (club) You thought his back would be a weak point? Well, I won't let you near him!

The tiny "Nani?" that emerges from poor confused Leomon is comical.

Ogremon re-enters Devimon's back, then emerges from the back of his shin to follow up on Leomon.

Ogremon: I've become one with Devimon-sama! There's no way I can lose to you now! HAOUKEN!!!

Ogremon blasts Leomon with a far more powerful Haouken, which emerges as a black beam made of darkness energy instead of the purple ki blast it usually is. The shot hits Leomon dead in, rocketing him into the forest behind him.

The dub cuts the first exchange, with Ogremon bashing Leomon. Ogremon emerges from Leomon's back and then we're down on the ground for Ogremon's second line. Also, despite Leomon trying to make this a sneak attack, Dub Leomon announces his presence.

Leomon: RAAAARGH You're mine now! Ogremon: (emerges) YAAAARGH!!! Leomon: YOU!!! Ogremon: You got no chance against the likes of us, kitty-cat!

Then the beam of Ogremon's darkness-infused Haouken strikes Leomon, but without Ogremon calling the attack.

Up above, Devimon's caught Birdramon out of the sky. He throws her onto the cliffside, landing directly on top of Greymon and knocking them both down the cliff.

(This is the second time in this fight Devimon's used another Digimon to club Greymon specifically. If Taichi were a more toxic player, chat would be full of obscenities about "ok tm8" and "git gud or uninstall" right now.)

Devimon next turns his ire on Ikkakumon, picking him up from the spot near the woods he's been firing from. Kabuterimon chooses that moment to recover and return to the air, so Devimon serves Ikkakumon straight into him.

Having bought himself a moment to breathe, Devimon turns on Takeru and Patamon down on the ground.

Devimon: The smallest Chosen Child. As long as you are gone, I have nothing else to fear. Death Claw!

It hasn't been established yet why Devimon's so afraid of Takeru. The dub pegs it as part of the legend.

Devimon: Now to get rid of you. Then I'll have nothing to fear. They say the smallest will destroy me but I'm not going to let that happen. Don't move; Make it easy on both of us.

Devimon extends his Death Claw towards Takeru and Patamon on the ground, but just then his breathing moment ends. Yamato and Garurumon arrive to save Takeru, with Garurumon lunging and biting onto Devimon's arm. This quickly escalates into a full-blown dogpile.

(I love how we have one Digimon on each of his limbs, one on his face disorienting him, and then Togemon's like "My body is a knife; It doesn't really matter where I stab, shit's gonna hurt regardless.")

Devimon releases a radial pulse of dark energy, sending both the Digimon and kids hurtling back, badly injured. Just like that, this fight has reached its conclusion, as neither Children nor Partners have strength left to even pick themselves off the ground.

Taichi: ...Greymon.... Greymon: ...S... Sorry, Taichi.... Togemon: I wanted to send you back to your world, but.... Kabuterimon: My power.... Ikkakumon: Fuck! Taichi: Guys.... Yamato: Ta... Takeru!

Yes, Ikkakumon curses. The word used is kuso, which is the general-purpose Japanese angry swear word. You're allowed to say kuso in kids' cartoons.

Meanwhile, in the dub, obviously Ikkakumon does not shout "Fuck!"

Greymon: Whoa, that guy knows how to take it out of ya! Togemon: I can't move. Even my needles feel numb. Kabuterimon: Now is probably not a good time to take a nap. Ikkakumon: Mrrrrrrrgghhhhhh.... Tai: This is bad.... T.K.: MATT!!! Devimon: You will be mine. Matt: Hey! Get ready to run!

Not only does ikkakumon not shout "Fuck!" but I guess they washed his mouth out with soap 'cause he can only groan wordlessly.

Also, back from Episode 1 by popular demand, it's "Get ready to run" in a situation where there's clearly no escape avenue available. Meanwhile, Devimon is once again talking like he intends to take prisoners.

As death closes in on Takeru, Patamon lets off Air Shot after Air Shot in desperation but his attacks are useless.

Patamon: It's no use. There's no way my attacks can work! (crying) Why am I the only one? WHY CAN'T I EVOLVE!?!? Takeru: PATAMON!!! Patamon: TAKERU!!!

Patamon throws himself in front of Takeru just as Devimon's hand closes around them both.

Yamato: TAKERU!!!

The dub plays this almost completely straight, with the exception of changing Yamato's line.

Matt: Hang on, pal!

"Hang on" to what, Matt? He's being crushed to death. XD Trying to find things these characters can say that won't sound like one of them is about to die hideously. This is a very dark episode.

Fortunately, the light has arrived.

Mimi: What? Koushiro: That's... Sora: The light of evolution!!!

Patamon SHINKAAAAAA!!!

At long last, Patamon's evolution is revealed: Angemon, an Adult-stage Vaccine-type Digimon and the very thing Devimon was so afraid of.

Jou: Patamon evolved! Sora: Angemon...? Yamato: Takeru's... Digimon...? Mimi: He looks like an angel.... Takeru: Patamon evolved! Devimon: You! I was so close! Angemon: I will annihilate your powers of evil. COME TO ME, OH HOLY POWERS!!!

Meanwhile, the dub's still trying to keep this light despite nearly all the characters being wasted on the ground and unable to stand.

Joe: Hey, Patamon finally Digivolved! Sora: That's super cool! Matt: Not bad! That little guy really had it in him! Mimi: Nice hair! Good color. T.K.: I wanna take him home with me! Devimon: What's this? Another foolish attempt? Angemon: The forces of good are more powerful. Even you can't stop us! I'll destroy you and bring peace to the island!

The kids have conferred and decided that Angemon's a solid 8.5 out of 10.

I jest, but I fully understand why they're doing this. This episode is so dark. Way too dark for the FOX Kids censors.

The big difference here is Devimon's reaction. Again, in the original, this was a last-ditch Hail Mary play. Devimon's last remaining hope of victory was to snuff out Takeru and Patamon before this could happen. Here, Devimon sees the writing on the wall. He knows it's over.

But Dub Devimon meant for Leomon to bring the kids here as part of a fiendish trap. So he remains arrogant and boisterous, unaware that the tables are about to turn one final time.

Reacting to Angemon's summons, those holy powers do indeed come to him. Every holy device on the field reacts, sending a ray of sacred energy up into him. He channels the energy used to evolve the kids' Digimon, taking so much from each and every Digivice that the Partner Digimon all revert to Child-stage.

Devimon: W-What are you doing!? Stop that! If you do that, you won't get off so easily either! Angemon: There is no other way. Even if this destroys my body-- Takeru: ANGEMON!!! Angemon: Devimon, your evil powers have grown far too much. You must be erased from this world.

Because of the dialogue change, it's not quite as clear in the dub that this is something Angemon is doing to the kids' Digivices intentionally. It seems to happen out of nowhere. As a kid, I was always confused about what's happening here.

Devimon: That light is so bright; What are you doing to me!? Stop it! I'm not going to allow you to take my power away; You'll have to fight me! Angemon: I'm afraid I have no other choice! If I can help others, my fate is unimportant! T.K.: ANGEMON!!! Angemon: Your powers have gotten far out of control and must be extinguished! I am ready to fight for peace!

Of course, as confusion goes, it doesn't help that the dub makes it seem like Angemon's doing some sort of energy drain to try and weaken Devimon.

Ogremon desperately emerges from Devimon's chest to defend him and clonks straight into Angemon's holy... um....

Okay. This makes it all the way into the dub unedited, too.

I was not prepared for that. Laughing for probably three minutes straight. Goddammit, Digimon.

Struck by Angemon's holy staff, Ogremon withdraws all the way through Devimon's chest, vanishing and leaving a gaping hole where he'd been. The staff shrivels away after use, disintegrating and sending all of the stored holy power into Angemon's right fist.

Devimon: Oh no.... Takeru: ANGEMON!!! Angemon: I'm sorry, Takeru. Devimon: I'll crush you to death! Angemon: HEAVEN'S KNUCKLE!!!

With no other options to fall back on, Devimon tries to simply close his hands around Angemon in one last desperation move. But Angemon counters, releasing every ounce of sacred energy he's channeled from the Digivices all at once.

Meanwhile, traumatized dub writers frantically scribble out Angemon's pre-self-destruct apology and replace it with heroic assurance.

Devimon: Now you've done it! T.K.: Be careful! Devimon: Ahahahahaha!!! Angemon: I'll get him. Relax. Devimon: Come here, pretty boy! Angemon: I'll stop you!

So that's a 9.5 out of 10 from Devimon.

Heaven's Knuckle rips through Devimon. The eruption grows, engulfing the entirety of Infinity Mountain.

As the energy engulfs Devimon, he and Angemon both slowly disintegrate.

Devimon: Stupid! That was stupid of you, Angemon! What was the point of exhausting your energy here? The powers of darkness aren't confined to File Island alone. Across the sea, there are Digimon who have far greater powers of evil than I do! This is the end for all of you! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! (Devimon fades into nothing) Takeru: Angemon! Angemon: Takeru. I'm sure we'll meet again, so long as you wish for it. (Angemon, too, fades into nothing) Takeru: ANGEMON!!!

Would somebody get this poor child some therapy?

Devimon dies with a smile on his face, assured that this will prove to be a Pyrrhic victory for the Chosen Children. Only time will tell if he's right.

The dub exchange is mostly the same, with one key exception.

Devimon: You have used up all your power! That wasn't very smart, Angemon. Now you are no use to anyone! You can't get away from the dark forces; Evil is everywhere, so don't savor your victory. There are other Digimon that are just as powerful as I am; Some of them are even stronger! I wonder what you'll do when you run into them? You haven't won at all! What a waste of time! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! (Devimon fades into nothing) T.K.: Angemon! Angemon: T.K. I'll come back again... If you want me to. (Angemon, too, fades into nothing) T.K.: ANGEMON!!!

The key difference is the world on the other side of the ocean, which the show has mentioned a few times by now. Dub Devimon eschews telling the kids of greater powers beyond the ocean, opting instead for a more general "Evil is everywhere".

(If I'm understanding Devimon's plans right: Devimon used File Island as a cover to manufacture Black Gears, converting the whole island into transport vehicles to disseminate those Gears globally in the process. As the weakest in his faction, this was Devimon's plan to even the playing field.

We've seen the Black Gears work fine on Digimon even up to Perfect-stage; No clue about Ultimate-stage, but being able to control stronger Digimon is a great way for a weaker Digimon to claim supremacy.)

As Angemon dies, a few of his feathers drift down to the ground. Glowing with energy, they mold into the shape of a Digitama.

Tentomon: It's a Digitama. Takeru: Is it Angemon's? Gabumon: Angemon is starting over again from an egg. Palmon: That's right! As long as he evolves properly, you'll meet him again! Takeru: (embraces the Digitama) I'll take good care of you.

I like that Palmon specifies, "as long as he evolves properly". As previously noted, Digimon have branching evolution paths. How they evolve is determined by their circumstances. That's going to be a plot point in a few episodes' time.

Alright, dub; How do you approach the topic of reincarnation?

Tentomon: What do you know, it's a Digi-Egg. T.K.: Do you think it could be Angemon? Gabumon: I know it is. He's just resting for a while to regain his strength. Palmon: But don't worry! You'll see him again when he Digivolves. T.K.: I will make sure to take really good care of him! (embraces the Digi-Egg) You saved my life, Angemon.

Credit where it's due. They softball the topic with "resting for a while" but the intent of the scene remains clearly implied. Angemon died and has been reborn inside this egg.

Looking out over the sea, the kids notice that the island shards are all returning to their proper place on File Island.

Meanwhile, Ogremon wakes up down in the forest with one question on his mind.

Ogremon: Where's Devimon? Did they defeat him? Leomon: (standing right next to him) They did. Do you want to fight some more? Ogremon: N-NO MORE!!!

Ogremon runs screaming into the woods, bringing an end to the last piece of this conflict.

Dub Ogremon, on the other hand, is getting ambitious.

Ogremon: With Devimon out of the way, I can take over now. Leomon: (standing right next to him) Hello, you forgetting about me? Ogremon: LEOMON!? GET ME OUT OF HERE!!! Why can't the bad guys ever win?

That first line of his is awfully big talk for a guy who can't throw a punch without it being censored out of continuity.

Meanwhile, up at the top of the cliff, the kids discuss where to go from here.

Yamato: He said that there are more powerful Digimon across the ocean, didn't he? Jou: I thought we'd be able to go back to our world. Mimi: Do we have to keep fighting? I don't want to! Taichi: But we have to. No matter who the enemy is.

The dub kids have the same conversation, but a bit snippier.

Matt: What's with those other evil Digimon across the sea!? Joe: Yeah, I thought we were going home! Mimi: I don't want to have to fight again! Ohh, I think I broke a nail.... Tai: Well, according to Leomon's legend, we gotta do it! Remember: He said we're the DigiDestined!

Justice for Mimi's nail. Probably happened when Devimon hit them all with that radial burst.

Before the kids can discuss any further, a set of rocks suddenly falls away to reveal this strange holographic emitter. It powers on, displaying the image of what appears to be an old human man who greets them all as the Chosen Children.

But his is a story for another episode.

Assessment: For what is essentially the season finale for the File Island arc, this episode had a lot of disparate plot points to bring together. It's hit-or-miss on that.

Takeru's desire to find a better way to deal with Devimon doesn't bear any fruit - Though the idea of "uniting our hearts" certainly does. More pressingly, I have no idea how both Taichi & Yamato and Mimi & Koushiro knew which island shard to come find Takeru on. They were riding shards of their own and heading back to Infinity Mountain. How and why did they hop off their shards and go to the Village of Beginnings instead?

Also, Taichi and Yamato were bringing Yukidarumon and Mojamon to the fight too. I guess those two fucked off and went home. Between that and the previous episode's temporal continuity error with Leomon, the File Island arc falls apart in some ways here at the end.

Still, it pays off the Digivice plotline well. The fight with Leomon and Ogremon is fantastic, serving to set up the fight with Devimon. It fills in as a reminder, both for the sizeshifting properties of the Black Gears previously seen with Meramon and Mojamon and for the holy power of the Digivice. These two mechanics end up driving the final battle.

As for the dub... they did what they could. This episode is so dark. They had no hope of matching that intensity while keeping it censor-friendly.

#digimon #digimon adventure #revisiting digimon #revisiting digimon adventure

23 notes · View notes

earlgreymon · 2 years

Text

when i first made this account in 2020, i was a continent away from home, experiencing one of the harshest lockdown in the world, and struggling to survive my master's studies. watching digimon was one of my solitude, so i decided to jump into the community while channeling my hobby of writing and designing. you know i was never a consistent poster (and had gone m.i.a. too often lol) so i didn’t expect 1k followers. but despite the numbers, the most important thing is i feel welcomed in this old-but-gold community. i also make friends and i hope to cherish this friendship even though maybe later on i will be no longer active on tumblr.

while i'm not the one who celebrates often, i tried to think of something. but with quite a little time, i cannot make something grand. so all i can do now is to share some digimon .png files i’ve used for some of my works. i had invested in cleaning up backgrounds and such, and i know how hard it is to find some good-quality images that are easy to tweak. so i hope this will come useful for the community :)

the pack consist of:

kizuna shikishi

kizuna promotional art without the shadow

adventure village vanguard

tamers dvd box scans

frontier bumper

misc (some shipping stuff)

basically, you don’t have to tag me if you use these pictures, but i’m always happy to see what you have done with these. more detailed rules & credit are in the same folder. click here!

and while you’re here, if you love digimon, please also consider to follow my amazing mates below!

@sorasfishing (wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her. beautiful fics on julia's other account @noctisfishing)

@tangledupblue (partner in crime greatness, some great gifs and headcanon, mainly around yamato. sam also has a great agenda to make yamato and ken return to mexico)

@ashandpikachu (amazing edits, always a fan of ayushi's works from day 1! must follow if you love mimato and taiora. sometimes she takes requests too!)

@digitalworldbound (chloe's fics are always great. i always love the innocent, youth feelings. her portrayal of hikari is always spot on)

@stoppingtosmelltheflowers (becky is an amazing digimon writer! must follow if you love takari and koumi)

@dutchforstrangers (a great friend to talk with and captain of taiora discord server, so go visit lynn's for great taiora content)

@elecmon (PLEASE... JOIN SHITTY DOODLE HOURS... YOU WON'T REGRET IT... amazing fanarts, funny posts, don't forget to buy lizmet's commission too! and join tamersona!!)

@himetsundere (eri's gifs are always smooth, and now she's doing more and more beautiful fanarts too! must follow if you love mimato; her tumblr is heaven)

@seventeenlovesthree (sanni makes amazing fanarts and presents interesting discourses around adventure. also, you love taishiro? follow now. taikoura? even better.)

@izumiyagami14 (summer is the biggest koukari fan here, i can only cherish more of her lovely writings)

@xnananko (debby produces some great taiora fanarts i've ever seen!)

@bossarmadimon (one of the most updated tumblr if you love digimon. also, the taggings are just so neat)

@uniarycode (honest and blunt reactions about things that are going on the fandom. also, great fics.)

@sluggybasson107 (sluggy draws great things! she also assists on organising some beautiful events)

@likeevalikeeve (eve writes some great romance digimon fics. i am in awe. follow for taiora, mimato, and takari.)

@citrus-cactus & @rockthistowninsideout (thanks for frontierfest!)

@crestofenlightenment (follow for beautiful fanarts of jyou! and jyoumi <3)

@pan-kuzu (pan's works are just *chef kiss* you're up for mimato or michi... or both?)

@patamon (consistent in the gifs and some nice fics, massive thank you for them!! also follow @digievents.)

@kenichijouji (also great gifs and icons with very, very beautiful colours)

@ri-ships-takari (ri is very nice to talk to! fics are also great! you know what her favourite pair is, right?)

@stuckinthewrongworld (kelsey's redraw are always amazing! she also makes great tamersonas and fakemons!)

#digimon #ya know there's a reason why i chose the picture right?#ahem

190 notes · View notes

ada-mike · 4 years

Text

The Truth Always Comes Out - Digimon (Davis/Yolei)

Hey, guys, long time no see. Hope you’re all doing well, all things considered. I decided to dust off this blog and post a little FanFiction for a change! Fancy that. Why FanFiction for a fairly rare pair in a children’s cartoon from twenty years ago? Good question. I was honestly inspired by the work of a truly amazing writer @tanyatakaishi and their incredible story Innocent Games, whose sequel is currently in progress and definitely worth the read whether you’re into Digimon or not (but you should be into Digimon, i mean seriously?) But yeah, drop by and give Innocent Games a read, drop a comment and a kudo too while you’re at it. This short story I’m posting myself is so inspired by Innocent Games, it’s pretty safe to call it a FanFiction of a FanFiction, doesn’t really fit into any canon, and is just something I had rattling around my head that I needed to bang out. Please give it a read and let me know your thoughts! Stay safe, ya’ll.

- Mike

*******************************************************************************************

In hindsight, he really should have known better. Yolei had always possessed an inquisitive streak to put it lightly (whether or not the matter being investigated was her business was rarely a concern) and she was typically about as adept at snooping things out as Davis was poor at hiding them.

And really, on his laptop of all places?

Davis, along with the rest of their friends, had spent his fair share of time around – as well as inside of – computers, but regardless, they were still Yolei's domain through and through, her expertise. And as his father had once told him many years ago, during a family trip to the supermarket where Davis had denied, despite being caught, that he'd tried to shoplift a pack of gum down the front of his shorts: The truth always comes out.

His thoughts were scattered though as they stumbled through the front door and into the blackness of the dorm he shared with Ken. Yolei was strung over his back like a long-legged, lilac-haired knapsack – having mounted him during the elevator ride, laughing, the liquor in her belly turning her playful.

The haze of alcohol still hung heavy in Davis’s mind too, enough so that his legs wobbled dangerously as he carried her through the blackness to where he approximated the futon was.

“Is Ken here?” Her breath was warm in his hair and the heat climbed up his neck to settle in the tips of his ears.

“Nah,” He said. “He’s with his parents this weekend.”

“Perfect.” She purred.

Davis picked up the pace, stumbling over a pair of soccer cleats in the dark. He spun in a circle, pulling a fresh laugh from Yolei, before depositing them both on the sagging futon cushion. Yolei sat pinned behind him, a little squished, but regardless it was the perfect position to plant sloppy kisses on his exposed neck. Davis squirmed, his heart racing.

“It doesn’t smell in here, does it?” He asked.

“Only a little.”

“It’s the trash, I bet. I haven’t taken it out since Monday.” He moved to rise, but she pulled him back into her lap, near growling:

“Leave it.”

“Mmm,” He hummed. “You like the funk, huh? It sets the mood for you?”

“You’re about to ruin the mood if you don’t shut it.”

“Such a way with words, love.”

Love.

That word. It was enough to diffuse squabble that had been sparking.

Davis sunk back into her and she wrapped her arms around him, feeling up and down his chest, then down his gut. He seized one of her hands and brought it to his mouth, kissing her sharp knuckles, the pads of her fingers, her wrist. It was surprisingly tender for him.

And it drove her absolutely wild.

Her free hand had just wrapped around the buckle of his belt, when the door to the bedroom creaked open.

“Davish?”

They both flinched as tiny feet pounded on the floor, leapt, then thudded lightly on the futon by their side. Yolei reached and flicked on the lamp switch by her head.

“DemiVeemon!” Davis was grinning at the sight of his partner, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I thought you’d still be sleeping, buddy.”

“I had a dream that we were on a boat! I wanted to tell you about it!” The in-training Digimon clambered onto Yolei’s knee. “Yolei, your face is so red you look like a tomato!”

“It’s hot.” She explained. And it was, the compounding moments of passion followed by DemiVeemon’s interruption had them both sweating slightly.

“Where’s Poromon?” The Digimon asked, unperturbed. Fresh from his nap, he was ready to play.

“Um- He’s spending the night in the Digital World.” She dug her nails into Davis’s side, causing him to wince in pain, the soft touches suddenly gone. “I kind of thought you’d be there too.”

“Nope!” Chirped DemiVeemon. “But we could all go now!”

“Tomorrow, buddy.” Davis brushed his hands over DemiVeemon’s ears. Even if a trip to the Digital World could be fit into their agenda, the phantom feeling of Yolei's hands on him was fresh and that very likely meant that standing up anytime would be a bad move. “But hey, you know, I think I still have some Udon in the fridge from yesterday. Ya hungry?”

“Yes!”

As DemiVeemon scampered away, Davis sighed and lifted himself out from between Yolei’s legs so he could sit beside her.

“Sorry about that,” He settled his arms on her shoulders, leaning close. “But where were we?”

“Davis, no.” She pushed him back. “I told you that I was taking Poromon to the Digital World so we could be alone tonight. Why didn’t you do the same?”

“I was going to. I just – I dunno, felt bad about dumping him there.” Davis rubbed his nose. The alcohol's buzz was fading from him now, much too fast for his liking. “He’ll be in a food coma in twenty minutes though, I guarantee it. Then we can get back to -”

“Hold on,” Her eyes sharpened into knives behind her glasses “You think I dumped Poromon in the Digital World?”

“No, I-”

“I did not dump him,” She continued, shifting further away on the cushion as she sat up straighter. “He’s helping out in Primary Village. I’ll be there to pick him up again tomorrow.”

“I know!” Davis felt a fresh wave of heat roll up his ears, annoyed that she was picking apart his words tonight of all nights. “I’m not trying to make you feel guilty.”

“I have no reason to feel guilty.” She folded her arms and sank back, eyes settling on the kitchen where DemiVeemon’s ears were casting shadows up the wall from the light of the open refrigerator. “He’s fine, just – dammit, Davis.” A heavy sigh billowed her lips, then: “You and I just got back together, what? Three days ago? And between school and everything, you and I haven’t had time… We needed a night like this.”

It was true. This most recent “break” of theirs had been a rough one and longer than any previous up to now. Almost an entire two months had passed where they barely spoke a single word to each other, only interacting when strictly necessary for Digimon matters, or the occasional late-night message over their D-Terminals.

Davis slumped back too.

“Tonight was a good night.” He said lamely.

She just nodded.

They sat in silence for a minute as DemiVeemon finished rummaging for food. He eventually waddled past them back to Davis’s bedroom, a warm bowl nearly as big as he was balanced on his head. All dreams of boats forgotten for the time being. Whether or not he had heard the beginning of their spat, Davis wasn’t sure. Regardless, he now wished his partner had stayed to break some of the tension that hung heavy in the room.

What he really wanted was another drink.

What he needed to do was apologize.

Instead, he lurched forward, propping himself on one arm as he reached over Yolei. She opened her mouth, ready to rebuke him again, until he reached past her and snatched the clunky laptop that sat on the end table.

It was five pounds heavier and just as many years outdated for anything Yolei would have considered satisfactory, but Davis had got it for a good price in a resale shop and desperately needed a computer for school. He grunted as he settled back in his seat and flipped open the lid, determined to find a way to break the awkward silence.

“Can I – um, play some music?”

He was already scrolling through his rather extensive music library, not waiting for an answer, but Yolei nodded anyways.

“Just no dub-step, please for the love of God.”

He chuckled and something in her chest unwound. He eventually settled on something, and with a double-click the room was filed with smooth guitar and steady drums. They listened, Davis nodding his head in beat and Yolei watching him.

“The speakers on that thing are awful.”

“Yeah.”

The song transitioned, adding more varied guitar and aggressive vocals.

“I haven’t heard this one before.”

“Ken showed it to me.”

“It’s good.”

“Yeah.”

As the song started to fade, Davis reached, without looking, and rubbed a line up and down Yolei’s thigh. She unfolded her arms, but before she could move further towards him, he was lifting the laptop from his lap and moving it into her’s. He stood up.

“Gotta take a piss.” He muttered, trudging towards the bathroom, tripping over the same pair of cleats as he went.

Yolei watched him leave, long nails tapping on the plastic laptop chassis. After the bathroom door closed and she heard him emptying his bladder into the toilet through the thin wall, she sighed and began flicking through his music.

She had gotten a little too defensive earlier and she knew it.

The truth was, she did feel a little guilty for parting ways with her Digimon, even if it was only for a night. Despite the lack of crises in the Digital World needing their intervention, it sometimes felt like she was shirking responsibility by turning more attention to other aspects of her life.

But she was older. She was busy – they all were.

Breaking up with Davis a few months ago had been a mistake, a rash decision after a stupid fight.

Drawing a good night out by coming home with him and arguing tonight had been a mistake. The wounds from the breakup were still fairly fresh. They couldn’t exactly just pickup where they left off.

Hell, maybe getting back together had been the mistake.

She wasn’t even reading the list of songs anymore as she scrolled. Her ring finger tapped a little too quickly on the arrow keys and the music program locked up from overestimation. Grumbling, she tapped more—even though she knew better—and the window was suddenly minimized, and then she was confronted with the egregious mess of folders on Davis’s desktop.

What immediately caught her eye was the folder labeled ‘Sexy Sexy Sexy’, and with that, any thought of innocently returning Davis’s music library vanished up in smoke.

Eyebrow quirked, she clicked and opened the oddly-named folder without hesitation. Of course she knew that most every guy had that particular folder stashed away. Having it on the desktop was definitely bold though.

What she saw though almost made her guffaw, and she struggled to steel herself.

The folder contained pictures upon pictures of different styles of ramen, most likely purloined from some high-end bistro’s online menu, judging by the nearly indecent high quality and their tiny watermarks in the corner of each. Nearly every photo was accompanied with an adjacent text document, containing what Yolei astutely guessed were Davis’s attempts at parsing out the recipe by looks alone.

This ramen folder was probably more organized and cared for than the one he used for homework, and a quick visit back to the desktop and to a directory simply dubbed ‘hw’ confirmed this.

Yolei glanced at the bathroom door. Things inside had gone silent, but if history and the number of sliders he ate at the bar were reliable indicators, Davis would probably be preoccupied for a few more minutes. She had plenty of time.

Yolei cruised through the rest of his desktop in record time, finding nothing of note outside of a few folders containing game roms, a second folder of his own home-brewed ramen recipes, and much to her surprise: an alarming amount of digitized Shoujo manga, definitely pirated. She filed that away for teasing ammunition later.

Now, to find the really good stuff.

Her practiced fingers danced over the keyboard, running a shell command to search for recently accessed items. Buried in several sub-folders was one entry that caught her eye, a single folder with a timestamp indicating it was opened just an hour or so before he’d picked her up for their date earlier that evening.

The folder was named ‘yolei��.

A swirl of emotions flooded her as she opened the file with her namesake, and she found it was a dumping ground of yet more photographs.

Instead of gratuitous snapshots of food however, they all featured her.

Yolei immediately recognized a series of selfies she’d sent him herself – some as early as when they had first started their on-again/off-again relationship years ago. It had never occurred to her that Davis would be the type to save them anywhere but his phone. It was surprisingly sentimental of him.

An image of Davis lying in his bed, clicking through and lovingly studying a slideshow of her, sprung to mind and she felt a warm swell of affection for him. She had done something similar on occasion, when their respective university work had kept them apart for multiple days on end.

There were other styles of pictures too. As she scrolled further, she found photos they had taken together at her high school graduation ceremony, shots of them at a beach trip, and one from her recent birthday where he’d tried to wrestle her face into the cake. She couldn’t help but laugh quietly.

She came to a stop at one photo in particular, the image’s age betrayed by how grainy it’s quality was.

They couldn’t have been older than thirteen. Davis was round-faced and grinning in the middle, one arm slung over Ken to his left and the other over a mildly miffed Kari. T.K. stood on Kari’s other side (Yolei had forgotten about that silly hat he used to wear) and on the opposite edge stood Yolei herself, all spindly limbs and thick, round glasses—stained brilliant white from the flash of the camera.

Their Digimon partners stood huddled around their feet and Yolei felt a fresh pang when her eyes fell on Hawkmon.

She scrolled further, perhaps more quickly than necessary, but then came to a screeching halt.

“Bastard.” She hissed, an angry blush spreading across her cheeks.

“What?” Davis had somehow exited the bathroom and was halfway back to his seat. Yolei had been so engrossed in her recent discovery she hadn’t even heard him flush.

Without missing a beat, she twirled the laptop around and pointed the screen at him accusatory.

“What the hell is this?”

To his credit, Davis had learned since the gum smuggling attempt in his youth that it was best not to lie when he’d be caught.

“Oh,” His mouth formed a perfect O-shape. Now he was blushing too. “I can explain-”

“You better!” She rattled the laptop at him, the hinge wobbling dangerously. “I told you to delete these, Davis!”

It had been her one demand when they had broken up most recently. He had listed several himself, including the unconditional return of the multiple sweater-shirts she’d swiped from his dorm. She considered this a devastating blow, as they made the perfect sleeping shirts in her opinion. But to be fair, he actually needed them more than she did, his winter wardrobe being sparse as it was.

“I did delete them!” He shot back.

“Oh—that is so obviously not true.” She flipped the laptop back around so she could look at them again. The photos were definitely there, present and accounted for, completely not deleted. Her eyes were flashing as she glared back up at him. “Why did you keep these?!”

“Look, you specifically asked me to delete from my phone,” He explained. “And that’s what I did.”

“Oh, so you thought you could keep these on a technicality, huh?”

“We’re back together now so why does it matter?” He threw his hands in the air. “They’re not even that bad of pictures.”

“They’re disgusting.”

Davis chose not to argue with that. Certainly most of the photos could be construed as less-than appealing.

His laptop currently contained the only copies in existence of seventeen candid photos of Yolei, caught in various stages of sleep, sickness, and general foulness.

It had started as kind of sweet. On one of the nights she had slept over he’d woken first, and had snapped a quick picture of her face as she slept rather serenely, messy hair splayed over his pillow. When he’d showed her the picture later, he’d called her beautiful. She made a show of rolling her eyes, but smiled and blushed all the same.

For the second photo, he’d caught her while she was trying to subtly pick her nose.

It had kind of snowballed from there.

“Why were you even going through my laptop anyways?” He demanded in turn.

“I was looking for music.” Yolei turned her nose up matter-of-factly.

“In my pictures? Yeah, Right.”

“You’re missing the point.” She waved her hand as if his words were a fly buzzing by her ears. “This is a major breach of privacy.”

“Now that, you’re right about.” He stepped forward finally and reached for his laptop, but she pulled it to her chest.

“I mean my privacy, you jackass.”

“I took those, so they’re actually mine.”

“But they’re not pictures of you, are they?” She looked down, scrutinizing one of her in an unseemly, homemade guacamole facemask, filename: ‘she-hulk’. She had seen all these pictures before at one point or another, usually accompanied with some gentle ribbing at her expense, but seeing the collage now felt entirely different. “Davis, how could I ever trust you again? You promised me that you’d get rid of these.”

She was right of course, and that caused the words to sting all the more. Davis was near a hundred percent sober now, but his vision still blurred. Hot tears of shame, and a heaping dose of frustration, pricking his eyes. He fought and managed to keep his voice level, mostly:

“Yeah, well... how am I supposed to just go around like it’s nothing when you could be sniffing through my drawers every time I turn my back?”

She didn’t have an answer for that.

A half minute passed where neither said anything. The music from the laptop was still playing passively, shuffling through Davis’s library automatically and currently playing some upbeat video game OST Yolei didn’t recognize. Eventually he moved and sank down onto the futon with her again, a few inches of space between them, and both their eyes settled on the gallery of photos still on display on the glowing screen in Yolei’s arms.

Davis remembered telling his friends oh so recently that he and Yolei were back together. Tai and Izzy had exchanged a quick glance, a silent exchange of barely-contained, mild exasperation. He imaged them placing bets on how long he and Yolei would last this time and pictured money exchanging hands when he broke the news that they were surely once again parting ways-

“That was the most sick I’d ever been in my entire life.” Yolei muttered suddenly, indicating one of the pictures. “I literally thought I was dying.”

He chuckled despite himself.

“Your nose is so red there.”

“Yeah, the tissues from I-Mart were like sandpaper. They still are.”

“Red looks good on you though.” Their eyes met then, and Davis continued quickly, stammering slightly. “I mean, not many people can pull off crimson flight pants, but- um… you did.. for years.”

Her face had an unreadable quality to it, and it seemed as if she might respond with something, but then she turned away and began scrolling through his computer again. He noticed her eyes weren’t focused though and he didn’t have it in him to try and dissuade her from searching still. There was nothing else to find anyway.

“Why do you even have this folder?” She asked, eyes forward.

He debated with himself for a few seconds, then decided on the truth.

“I like… having photos. You know, of you.” He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “And when we broke up last time, and you told me to delete all those ugly pics of you, I did.” Yolei’s mouth opened to object, but he continued before she could interject. “I really did. I honestly just forgot that they were on my laptop with everything else too, and when I saw them later, I just… couldn’t get rid of them.” He stared at her profile, tracing with his eyes the lines of her cheek, the bump on her nose. “I really thought this last time was the real deal.”

“Me too.”

“Do you think we should break up again?”

“I don’t know.” Even though they weren’t quite touching, Yolei felt him stiffen by her side. She closed her eyes, and said her next words to the blackness of her eyelids. “I don’t want to.”

He breathed out, the air leaving him as if released from a balloon.

“God, me neither.”

She twisted on her seat, opening her eyes to meet his gaze.

“I’m sorry for looking through your laptop. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s okay.” He responded quickly.

Yolei continued anyways.

“If I’m being honest too, I was looking to see what kind of porn you had saved on here.”

“What?” Davis balked. “Seriously? Why would you think I had… that stuff… on there? I don’t even…” He shook his head, the image of incredulity. “I don’t even watch that.” Yolei watched him steadily, a single brow raised. “What? I don’t!”

“Sure. We’ll talk about that some other time.” She was only half teasing.

The promise of ‘some other time’ bolstered his spirits quickly. He eyed his laptop in her hands, suddenly loathing the pathetic thing and how he’d used it to hide away the secret vestiges of what he had once thought would be all that remained of his and Yolei’s relationship. She had owned up to her transgressions.

What he needed to do was apologize.

Standing, he pulled the laptop from her slack grip before she could argue, and looking her dead in the eyes, gripped each half of the computer and snapped it in half along the hinge. The music died with a pitiful wheeze and splinters of plastic flew everywhere, a few bouncing off Yolei’s glasses to disappear into the fibers of the rug at her feet.

“Davis!”

“I shouldn’t have kept those pictures.” He discarded the broken halves of the computer, speaking passionately. “I want us to start over fresh, okay? I don’t want any dumb secrets or anything like that to cause any problems. I want you to trust me, because I trust you – I really do.” He swallowed hard. “I still love you, Yolei.”

Her eyes shone and laughter bubbled in her throat.

“But you computer-”

“I needed a new one anyways. You can help me pick one out!”

“Yeah, but,” She wiped her eyes clear. “What about all the other pictures? My graduation, the Digimon?”

“I still have those on my phone, no worries.”

“And your homework?”

“My homework?” It took a second for Davis’s brain to catch up. His eyes passed from one broken piece of the laptop to the other, then his hands rose to bury themselves in his hair. “Oh shit, shit. My mid-term paper is saved on there...”

Yolei wanted to laugh, she wanted to cry, but instead she reached out and pulled him to her. She gently unwound his fingers from his hair and twined them with hers. She kissed him and kept pulling until he was climbing onto the battered futon with her, then over her.

In the morning, she would take off the back panel of his broken computer and pull the hard drive. She’d help him recover his homework and maybe, just maybe, a couple of the more agreeable photos that she would allow him to keep.

For now though, he didn’t need any of the digital keepsakes. As far as either of them were concerned, any number of pictures paled in comparison to the real thing.

For now though, she held him close and breathed in his ear.

“I love you too.”

When DemiVeemon bounced back into the living area sometime later, he found the pair asleep and huddled under a blanket together on the futon. The small Digimon took in the mess on the floor, the couple’s mussed hair, their slow and steady breaths, chests rising as one. Of course, he had heard every word of their argument from Davis’s bedroom, but he was used to the ruckus by now and too preoccupied with his noodles to care. Anyways, no doubt there would be many such squabbles in the future for him to witness.

He decided to let them sleep for now and bounded to the kitchen in search of a mid-night snack. He would just have tell Davis about his dream some other time.

#digimon #davis motomiya #daisuke motomiya #yolei inoue #miyako inoue #daivis/yolei #daiyako #demiveemon #my fanfiction

32 notes · View notes

whatisthisnonsense · 5 years

Text

Continuing where we left off here, so we’re not cluttering Sarah’s pretty art (bless u @yunisverse ), did you know canonically Digimon are emotion eaters? “But Lea!”, you say. “That was in SAVERS, not Adventure!” Wasn’t it though?

Think about it-- while they’re not necessarily feeding off it in the sense of sustenance, the digimon in Adventure all digivolve during a big influx of some form of emotion by their chosen child, usually related to the crest but not always (pants-shitting terror at Kuwagamon, for example). Normal, natural digivolution is usually a very long process of gathering energy and strength, with higher levels often taking decades if not hundreds or thousands of years (unless you suck, in which case you’re turning into a Numemon. Yes, that’s also canon.), so obviously the digimon MUST be feeding on something for those short bursts of energy, and since having the digimon feast upon their attached digidestined’s soul or lifespan is what we call bad, the natural source must be emotion. Following that thread, we see other digidestined in 02 (which I’m not going to go into for most of the lore it introduced because it is One Whole Yike, but Adventure itself introduced the concept that all you had to do to be a valid partner candidate is see a digimon and therefore this is valid) who ostensibly have the same bond as our actual Destiny’s Children without the Destiny bit, and we actively see Willis/Wallace/That Kid With The Two Bunny Digimon have his digimon digivolve. While Lopmon/Kokomon was out of his control for the most part and could arguably have been severed from the connection, Terriermon clearly wasn’t and also usually responded to emotion. As such, we can assume that this is a trait of all partner digivolutions. Why, then, are the Crests needed? Well, we find out they’re a bit of a magic feather, however they all still involve an emotion or state of being which the child exemplifies (besides Light, though that could be as in “the light in your heart that never goes out” IE Determination and Light just happened to sound more mystic and was also literally its attribute anyway, like how Honesty/Responsibility is Water and Sincerity/Purity is Plants) (Knowledge also isn’t a state of being or emotion, but the way they use the word I’m reasonably certain what they actually mean is WISDOM, which means Izzy in a state of being wise is what triggers it, not just him being a nerd). I would like to suggest, thusly, that the Crests show the emotion or mental state the digidestined represented by it has in abundance and thus what their digimon use to rocket up the digivolution ladder in ways faster and stronger than even normal human/digimon partnerships. The Crest associated with our hypothetical ninth duo? Kindness. Now, stay with me here. Allow my work-weary, sleep-deprived ass to switch from essay to narrative for a moment. Consider, if you will; Wizardmon has always been alone. Since he’s a chosen partner, Gennai dropped him when he was hit much like Gatomon, but velocity and angle meant he still hatched far away from her. He turned to magic for answers as to why he was left all alone when most are born and cared for in Primary Village, and he got good of it-- amazingly good, astoundingly good, impossibly wonderously G O O D at magic-- but he never found his answers. Eventually, he gives up, assuming he was simply not worth the effort. That perhaps, his presence was a mistake. He wanders, looking for obscure magic but no longer having any purpose to it, aching for something he doesn’t understand nor believes exist. He says he passed through unremarked, but in many places you’ll hear tell of a quiet, soft-spoken digimon who repaired something with the snap of his fingers. Sometimes a wall, sometimes reviving a well, sometimes even bringing another digimon back from a hideous illness. But he was always gone the next day. If anyone could ask him, he’d shrug it off; it wasn’t something special, he thought. It just seemed cruel to leave things as they were, and while he’s many unpleasant things, he’d like to think he’s not cruel. (He is kind, he is so kind, but he can’t fathom it without anyone else around him, and no one nor place can hold him against that unknown longing in his programming, so it passes by him without note.) Of course, between his idle wandering and his constantly giving and giving and giving of his magical energy without much time to recover, he eventually pushes himself past exhaustion and falls out of the sky on one otherwise unremarkable day. Those of you who’ve watched Adventure, of course, should recognize this as the event that caused him to meet Gatomon, and remember how absolutely baffled he was by her kindness-- he was already spreading himself thin, but he never had it returned to him mostly because he never stayed anywhere long enough for it-- and how fast he was to pledge undying loyalty for said shred of kindness. And this is true still, for he is still almost desperately loyal to her, but there is something else. Even when she truly forgets everything for the monster (ha) Myotismon turned her into, he can still see that longing for something she doesn’t know or understand in her eyes, and something in his chest tightens a little. It’s kinship, but he doesn’t recognize it-- he doesn’t have time, given how fast he parses the legends and figures out what she must be, as when he does that he out of hand assumes he could never be associated. Even so, they lessen eachother’s loneliness, and for a while that’s enough. Wizardmon does his best to play dumb, glide beneath the safety of contempt, and manages some tiny victories against the Dark Army’s, as after all he is never on Myotismon’s side. Some in-training digimon slipping out of the dungeon here, some misinformation there. In the end, however, he is mostly trying to give Gatomon the shot at a better life he is so certain she deserves, so every so often he has to get his hands dirty. It’s okay, though, really. It doesn’t matter what becomes of him, as long as she gets out. (Even so, when he’s forced to play evil minion to the hilt he tries his best to simply confuse or trick his target so he can leave them alive and unharmed, and if he can’t he does his damndest to make it quick. To do otherwise seems cruel, and he would still like to think he isn’t that at least.) As we all know, eventually seven dumbass kids with seven dumbass digimon who happen to also be the Digidestined turn up and Myotismon sets his plan in motion. Most of his minions just terrorize the town, but as ever Wizardmon is sneaky. He keeps his head down, and blends in, drawing children in and keeping an eye on Gatomon to see where and who she is most drawn to. He is being rather underhanded, he thinks, even though getting this gaggle of human children to watch in wonder and laugh isn’t actually necessary for his guise. He refuses to do otherwise, though. It doesn’t seem right. Naturally, Gatomon narrows what child is hers down without even realizing, but his own “patrol” draws in her and there is an almost uncomfortable snap in him as for a moment that ache, that eternal lonliness, is gone and-- no no, she just caught him flatfooted. He’s distracted and wasn’t expecting a compliment, particularly not one from someone clearly much older than the younglings he’s entertaining manipulating. The Tokyo arc is the same, but extended-- more red herrings and more time to convince Gatomon to remember that she is better than Myotismon’s lapcat, as well as scenes with Wizardmon and Minnie showing them drawing closer, albeit with Wizardmon’s denial or deflection on the subject pretty much even through his almost-death. Ah, yes. You didn’t think we kept most of that scene, did you? Of course Wizardmon gives his life for Gatomon-- by this point, it’s all he has left to give. It’s all he’s ever had to give, really. But remember how his body is still present in the show after his suppossed death? Well, that’s because he’s not quite dead yet; merely passed out. Minnie pulls him away and gets him to a relatively safe part of the building before he comes to again. He is defintely in the PROCESS of dying, though, but they refuse to let the kids know. It would be kinder for the kids not to see, at least for the moment, and thus the duo both lie through their teeth. And yet, when the kids leave to talk about what lies ahead next, Minnie turns and does her best to stop the digital hole in his chest from bleeding. He’s going to be fine, she tells him. It’s another lie, he thinks, but ah. “You’re...too kind...” There’s a faint glow from her pocket and for a moment his world is white and then he’s much more alive and terribly small. I’m gonna glaze over the rest of the Tokyo arc because we really need to get to the point in this fucking novel but I really need you to imagine a distressed Mokumon trying to wriggle out of Minnie’s arms as she tries to get him to fucking REST and then later him as a Candlemon accidentally setting the blankets he was tucked into on fire. Got that in your head? Good! Now let’s just--

There we go, see you in 02 asshole, moving on to the Dark Masters Ahem, anyway, as the group journeys through the reconfigured Digital World to forcibly scrub the influence of the Dark Masters away, Wizardmon slowly becomes a bit less aloof and a bit more on the awkward side. He’s gotten what he wanted-- Gatomon’s happy-- and he has a purpose, but that purpose doesn’t seem like something he should have, nor this group somewhere he should be. Nevermind he doesn’t really know how to handle a group out of his aloofness or various deceptions. And yet, ever so slowly, he begins to warm, and soften. Until that day in the desert. Minnie catches a lone and frightened younger digimon in the corner of her eye and diverts immediately to help it. The children and their partners are on board, of course, but before anyone can move, a Scorpiomon pops up and starts heading right for the young lady. The children shout, but Wizardmon can’t make out the words-- he’s already moving as fast as he can, even as he watches Minnie quickly turn to the younger digimon she found and hide them under a crevice, smiling before she moves away where it can’t see whatever happens. Even as she turns, pale and trying not to look frightened and moving AWAY from the kids a little so as to keep the arachnoid’s attention. Even as one of its legs connects with her cheek and knocks her away. That gentleness she was showing and his outrage and need to protect merges and twists and surges in a fountain of warmth in his chest, and he skids to a stop in front of her. Digivolving feels more like a soft blanket of darkness than anything resembling a change-- he barely even notices his limbs stretching or his clothing shift until it’s over and he’s...he’s... Myotismon. Minnie has the Crest of Kindness and he has turned into what is, objectively, the cruelest digimon to ever exist. Being Adventure the priority is Jokes, thus the immediate asking to tag out, but after this he is even more aloof than he was before, and not looking anyone in the eye. He is crushed, and once again come to the answer he always has for why he is why he is-- if he was ever meant to be here, then something must be wrong with him, and more likely he was never meant to be here at all. How interesting, do you think, it would be that it is not the Digidestined who has the huge, dramatic issue to confront, but the digimon? TL;DR, Don’t Blame You, essentially the jumping point for this whole narrative is, in a subversion to the usual “kid has to accept thing about self to slowly begin to heal from trauma and unlock potential”, essentially WIZARDMON is the one who has to learn here; the two-fold moral that he is allowed to ACCEPT Kindness and not just constantly give, and that the fact he is dark and spooky-- the fact his ultimate is the same as the mon who hurt him and the others-- does not make him less good or kind. And it only took about five novels to get here, amazing. If only I had this much energy for my actual writing.

#Digimon #Wizardmon #Myotismon #Gatomon #Digimon Meta #Boy this is sure a lot of bullshitting for an AU

55 notes · View notes