[A/N - Trust me, the feeling of being abandoned and forgotten isn't some feeling that you can easily cope with. However, having genuine friends who understand you better than anyone else by your side provides a shining beacon of hope. This chapter is not drawn from personal experience, unlike chapter 24, but from a nightmare I experienced a year ago, inspired by Episode 32 of Digimon Ghost Game. Both this episode and the aforementioned nightmare significantly influenced the creation of this chapter. Please be advised that this chapter includes themes of things such as but not limited to derealization, introspection on one's identity, implied cartoon violence, an implied cult, alcohol, and the previously mentioned feelings of abandonment and neglect, not to mention the appearance of a familiar face. With that- and the fact that this chapter starts off by giving us a perfectly blended glimpse of the world in the perspective of how we see things in our daily lives, and also the same way that Gammamon perceives life- in mind, please enjoy the chapter, and let the curtains climb!]

Holograms, a famous form of technology that is widely renowned far and wide in the city of Santa Monica. In the year 2024, all kinds of paranormal phenomenon occur all over the city. The humans who live in this city began to refer to them as... Hologram Ghosts.

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Weeks had gone by since the start of Angoramon's meet-ups with the Nindjas and Dracmon, which involved the two rookie-level Digimon reading swordsman Novels with Spinza, the Mixel who was skilled with wielding blades, while Crimson Shinobi, Cobrax, and Mysto were going around the town, unaware that a new ploy by the Nixel Armada was slowly unfolding in the form of Musyamon- Or rather, his blade, as it was being used by Digimon to attack humans and mixels alike, absorbing the life essence from the ones who held the blade, as well as those who were cut by the blade. To make matters worse, Angoramon was the next target to hold the sword and strike down the chosen ones and the other Digimon and Mixels allied to them. Luckily, with the aid of her mixel partners, Reppamon, and a new Digimon friend in the form of Zubamon,  the Crimson Shinobi had finally found the courage that she knew was more than needed for her to not only accept that she was a part of the Chosen One's team and save Angoramon, but also reveal her real identity as Akane Blackstar, the cousin of Casey and Henry Almenera, all playing a part in her having her awakening and bringing forth the re-emergence of the Nindjas Max, all playing a key part in the defeat of Musyamon. However, now was a time where a difficult hardship would end up bringing Gammamon closer to a tribe of Mixels that he had met prior to taking a step closer to who he was, and help their human partner have their awakening. But of course, none of this was possible without the small dinosaur Digimon having to suffer by wondering something quite existential brought on by another Digimon who had her life ruined, all because of the Nixels' newest plot that was meant to do nothing but bring out the absolute worst in the Dinosaurian Digimon allied to the Chosen Ones...

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Gammamon was just excitedly flying around the Almenera household on a crisp Wednesday morning with an adorable teddy bear backpack that he's currently wearing, storing some money and snacks inside of it. "You know, this is the first time you're bringing up this friend of yours to any of us." Casey admitted as she was getting ready for school with help from Flain and Henry. "I guess the important question I should be asking you is if this new friend of yours is either a Human, Mixel, or a Digimon?" She then added, before Gammamon flew over to her right shoulder. "He's a Digimon! His name is Gotsumon, we've been hanging out for the last few days, and he's pretty nice and fun! And I know what to do when I'm ready to go home- Call Henry on my new phone!" The little Digimon said with an energetic and cheerful smile as he flew out the door, with Flain nervously going over to the Window while Zorch was playing some Mario Kart on Casey's switch. "Well, I just hope Gammamon stays safe while he's out..." Flain worriedly mumbled to himself, as Zorch looked up from his game. "C'mon, Flain, you know Gammamon better than anybody else in this little group of ours. He knows better than to get in front of cars and all that kinda stuff!" The crimson Infernite said with a smirk, as Flain seemed a smidgeon unamused at his younger brother's reassurance. "And this is coming from the same Infernite who had a race with the Digital World's interpretation of the Keeper of Lost Souls..." He mumbled, as Zorch glared at his older brother. "Hey, let the record show- I actually ended up taking down one of the thirteen Dark Paladins! Even if Flurr, Burnard & Meltus helped out, I practically saved the day when you, Case, and the others weren't around!" He then quickly defended himself. Somethings about some Mixels don't change, even when they're in a whole new world. But before Flain had even half a second to respond to Zorch's clapback, a singular sound rang through the house-

Ding-dong.

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Meanwhile, Gammamon was already walking through the bustling and Lively streets of town, making his way to where he was supposed to meet his friend. "Well, I don't have to be at the two-bit circus til' 11 AM, since that's the time we agreed on..." He mumbled to himself, as Gammamon pulled out his phone that Casey bought him not that long ago, seeing that it was currently 7:59 AM, before putting it back in his teddy bear backpack. "I got a minute and 3 hours. I got enough time to meet up with some of my friends!" He smiled, as the crisp air had started carrying a rather upbeat and cheerful melody.

[Cue musical number: 'Santa Monican Day', inspired by 'Bikini Bottom Day' from SpongeBob the Musical, performed by Gammamon (CV: Cathy Weseluck), featuring some of the other Chosen Ones, Digimon, Mixels, and other humans.]

https://youtu.be/Sg1c-U9Wq9U

[The small black spikes on the back of Gammamon's shoulders unfurl into his black bat-like wings, as he gets a running start, takes to the air, and then begins singing.]

"Spread out my wings,

There's a lot to do, making time for these important things!"

[He spins around in the air as he flies and sings, doing barrel rolls to help him avoid people and cars as they pass him by. It's not like they can see him in the first place, but hey- Barrel rolls are really freakin' cool.]

"The goal shines bright,

The 'Go, Gamms, Go!' Airline is about to take flight!

This type of day,

Couldn't get much better, but it keeps on striving~

I'm on the way!

Somewhere, there's somebody's friend who needs their best one

Asking 'who's the 'mon lucky enough to be having some fun?'

Who's fighting to protect those he cherishes dearly?

The Answer's, 'Gammamon'!

Happy just to be here on this Earth, renowned!

Santa Monica, how I love this town!

Santa Monica, when the sun shines down

On a pretty Santa Monican day~!"

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(Pause musical number)

[Gammamon takes notice of Tentro and Balk, and goes over to the bench they're sitting at together]

"Hi, Tentro! Hi, Balk!" The small Digimon happily squeaked, as Tentro waved at Gammamon as he drew closer to the Squid-like Mixel and his younger brother. "Hi, Gammamon! What're ya up to?" Balk asked him, as Gammamon let out a happy squeak. "Ohh~! I'm meeting up with my new friend Gotsumon at the Two-Bit Arcade, but while I'm on my way there, I'm saying hi to all my other friends, and singing an opening number!" He excitedly beamed, as Tentro's eyes sparkled. "Oh, like in the Footloose movie! Can Balk and I have a few verses?" The squid like Mixel asked him, as Gammamon excitedly nodded. "Yeah, yeah! Go on ahead!"

(Resume Musical Number)

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[Balk gets up from the bench and sings while tapdancing.]

"We may miss our home,

But this new Schedule's easy to help us be free!"

[Tentro then sings a little bit.]

"New world, new rules-

Hopefully there's nothing that can go wrong on a day just like this!

There may not be time for tea or a jog,

But we'll do what we can!

They're showing all the episodes of-"

[Tentro and Balk sing together as Gammamon pulls out his phone.]

"Splash & Bubbles!"

[Gammamon taps on the PBS Kids app on his phone, not even bothering to sing, just being amazed by the amounts of episodes.]

"Ohh~! So many!"

[Tentro and Balk sing together (But Balk soon starts struggling to come up with a rhyme for some reason).]

"We're spending the day within the best city (Best city...)

Santa Monica - Wait, what rhymes with 'city'? (Rhymes with city...)

Santa Monica - Nothing rhymes with 'city'! (Rhymes with city...)

[All three of them then sing together.]

It's a typical Santa Monican Day!"

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(Pause musical number)

"Could you guys please keep it down?" A familiar Voice politely called over to the trio consisting of the 2 Flexers and Triceratopsian Digimon from underneath the shade of a tree, holding a notebook in their hands, and a mechanical pencil resting on the ground next to them. Going over to the tree, the Triceratopsian Digimon that was Gammamon went over to the conifer, to see none other than one of the other Chosen Ones. "Ohh~! Hi, Katie! What'cha doin'?" The young dino Digimon asked her as he went over to her side. "Studying for an upcoming arithmetic test." The eldest of the Fontaine twins simply explained to the youngest Digimon. But Gammamon could see Katie's fingers twitch a little bit when she reached for her mechanical pencil. "Ohh~? Katie, are you ok? " He asked her, as Katie just stayed silent for a brief moment. "I'm fine, Gammamon. It's just... If I don't pass this arithmetic test, then I can say goodbye to my place in the student council at Angelwood middle..." She admitted, turning her head away from the group, as Tentro and Balk went over to their human partner. "Well, why don't we head back home so you can study?" Balk asked her, as the eldest sibling of the Fontaine twins only said one thing- "... If only it were simple regarding Sadie and the Fang Gang."

(Resume Musical number)

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[Katie sighs, as she then begins to sing.]

"When I want silence to study, there's nearly nowhere to go!

A student council girl can't get a moment's peace,

These Digimon attacks cause so much strife!

Just the way of my life, (Way of my life...)

Typical Santa Monican Day..."

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(Pause Musical Number)

[Gammamon gives Katie a brief cuddly hug.]

"It's all gonna be alright, Katie! I may not know much ar-eth-meh-tic stuff, but after I'm done hanging out with My friend Gotsumon, I'll help you out with your studies in any way I can!" Gammamon beamed happily while he mispronounced 'arithmetic', as Katie just lightly smiled. "Thanks, Gammamon. I hope that you have fun with Gotsumon." She lightly smiled at the little Digimon as he flew off and on his way. Knowing that if Katie Fontaine was in the local area with both Tentro and Balk, then that would mean Kraw probably wouldn't be too far away from them. However, as he was soaring a few feet off the ground towards his intended destination of the two-bit circus, he heard a loud and sudden explosion from the northeast. A bit worried for those who were over in that direction, he swiftly flew northeast from his current location, reaching a small outdoor lab being manned by Jellymon (Who wore a lab coat big enough for a toddler around her body, and some safety glasses with bright blue and pink frames), Teslo, and- Who else- Kraw. "Uwaah! A-Are you all ok?! N-Nobody got hurt from the sudden kaboom, right?" He asked, showing genuine concern for his 3 friends.

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[Jellymon zips over to Gammamon's side, patting him on the head to reassure him as she sings, Kraw and Teslo on backup vocals.]

"Sweet Yggdrasil, Gamms, calm down!

It's just a little smoke, no need to get shook... (get shook)

A few more hours at most,

And we'll be done with this brand-new Grappling Hook... (Grappling Hook!)

And then this Jellyfish, can have her wish,

I'll be like James Bond- A spy!

The power of a Flexer, hers!

From wall-to-wall, I'll fly!

Above this town, and looking down,

Upon a typical Santa Monican day~!"

[Gammamon looks at his phone, realizes that he's starting to run late a bit, and waves goodbye to Teslo, Jellymon, and Kraw.]

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(Pause musical number)

"Bye-bye, you guys! I'm gonna go see some of the others, and then play with my friend, Gotsumon!" Gammamon said as he went off on his way, as the trio composed of 2 Mixels and a lone Digimon waved bye as he quickly flew off. "Alright, it just needs a few more modifications, and..." Jellymon mumbled as she fiddled around with the gizmo, before a small puff of smoke covered her face in ash. "Maybe you can juzt leave finishing up the grappling hook to uz, Jellymon..." Teslo nervously told her, as the mollusk Digimon only pouted upon hearing the Electroid leader's words. "... Fiiiine..." She sighed, upset at not being able to help, before smirking at him. "Though, it's not like you're gonna use it, Electro-Einstein. Cause I know something about you everyone- At least, everyone aside from Lil' Candle and Hen-hen- don't~!" She teased him, resulting in Kraw giving Teslo a confused expression. "... Jellymon, you better not do your usual 'scuttlebutt deliverance' thing-"

As he continued to zip through the air to reach his destination, Gammamon saw that a few Digimon were gathering at a nearby hotel- The Roes Hotel- for some reason. Getting a closer look without anyone else present noticing him, he could see the main lobby filled with a few Digimon that he remembered meeting at one of the local gatherings during the events of the Musyamon incident not that long ago from within a nearby window, and at one of the tables inside the lobby, was a duo of Digimon that he knew well- Angoramon and Dracmon sitting at said table, with Scorpi not too far from them, resting on a small chair. However, what caught the little Dinosaurian Digimon's eye wasn't the familiar sight of his three friends, but rather, the little black and white statuettes that were currently being placed upon the aforementioned table he saw the Imp and Rabbit Digimon sitting at, courtesy of a small rookie-level Digimon that looked like a purple dragon.

(Resume Musical Number)

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[The purple Dragon Digimon had finished up setting up the pieces, as Angoramon then begins to sing.]

"Winds from the west,

Everywhere you go, Lady Fortune is smiling~

Clear weather's best,

When you're playing a friendly game of chess with a friend..." 

[Angoramon has a small smile on his face as he moves his bishop piece, As Dracmon begins to plan out his move while singing.]

"Heh-heh-heh! Smile while you can,

Until the day you smile no more forever!

[Scorpi chimes in as backup vocals, trying to get a little light on him from a window parallel to the one Gammamon is looking through.]

(Forever)

[Dracmon calmly thinks his actions through while singing, as h]

"I've got my wits,

Unmatched by most 'mons, so y'know I'll be the victor..."

[Angoramon makes his move as he sings.]

"They say, 'Doesn't matter if you lose,

just read your opponent's moves', heh!

Why am I thinking like this?

The path of victory's mine to choose!"

[Dracmon just grins, certain that he can win, and earn some respect from the other Digimon at the gatherings- especially this one.]

"Soon the day will come...

When they'll know my name!" 

[Dracmon keeps singing as he plays against Angoramon, the Rabbit Digimon and Scorpi both on Backup vocals. Meanwhile, Gammamon heads to the front door, unknowingly scaring the Digimon who were headed to the hotel. Unfortunately for Gammamon, the door was a push and pull door.]

It's just a matter of time... (Santa Monica)

Til' I get that treasured fame... (Santa Monica)

And adoration's all mine!

Just a typical Santa Monican Day...!"

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(Pause Musical Number)

Unable to get the door to open (Curse the existence of push and Pull doors), Gammamon just decided to go ahead and use Horn Attack to break the door down, leaving a cloud of dust- And his silhouette, which looked extremely menacing to the younger Digimon thanks to his eyes that seemed to shine like a set of two bright yellow full moons- in its wake. "Run away! It's him!" A singular Koromon screamed in fear, as the other in-training level Digimon ran off, similarly to the Digimon outside. "Ohh~? Did I scare everyone? I-I didn't mean to...!" He whimpered while watching, as Dracmon got up from his chair, quick to reassure Gammamon with some help from Scorpi. "It's fine, buddy. Once we can get Jackie and the Weldos here to fix the door, me, Scorpi, and the Attack Rabbit here'll tell the others it's okay, and that it was all just a misunderstanding. Right, Angoramon?" Dracmon asked the rabbit Digimon, who seemed silent for a second, unmoving. "Y-Yeah." He almost nervously nodded. It seemed like he had something on his mind, though, but Angoramon was good at concealing his concerns, if not more so than Hoogi (Which is REALLY saying something, mind you). Gammamon looked down at the ground, seeming more than upset about what he accidentally did.

(Resume Musical Number)

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[Gammamon sadly flies off, stopping over by a park that's not too far from his destination to have a moment by himself- A moment to reflect on the reactions that the other Digimon at the hotel had regarding his earlier actions of breaking the door down and just showing himself to others, as he begins to sadly sing.]

"Why can't others see?

I'm sweet as honey, not a heartless nobody..."

[Gammamon lands on the ground as he then looks down at a small puddle next to a lake, noticing that the reflection of him inside the puddle looks different- with different-colored eyes flashing a toothy grin back at him.]

"Maybe it's him...

Are we just halves that make up a 'mon for all to be scared of?"

[Gammamon tightens one of his claws, not about to let his hopes be crushed, as he sings more proudly.]

"Come on, world!

We can prove it false if everyone in you gave him one chance!

Everyone'd say to both he and I,

'You're both nothing like the Devourer!'

I'll never stop tryin' to win this game,

'til I prove we're not one in the same~!!"

[Gammamon looks down at his phone, before he quickly notices that it's nearly time for him to meet up with Gotsumon. Gammamon then begins singing while speed walking, as the voices of others join in as background vocals]

"On this Earth renowned (Earth renowned)

Santa Monica, our own hometown (Own hometown)

Santa Monica and the sun shines down (Sun shines down)

The sun shines down (Sun shines down)

The sun shines down (Sun shines down!!!)

The sun shines down!!!"

[The screen cuts to show Casey heading to the bus stop with Henry and Flain, as the trio sings a verse.]

"It's another typical-"

[Cut to Gammamon getting a running start to get himself back into the air, as he continues singing.]

"Super Remarkable!"

[The screen splits in half to reveal the 2 groups of three that consisted of Balk, Tentro, and Katie, & Kraw, Teslo, and Jellymon, as the six of them take another verse.]

"Another regular-"

[The screen comes back together as Gammamon jumps into the air as he is running, singing again.]

"Really Fantastical!"

[The screen cuts to Angoramon, Scorpi, Dracmon, and the other Digimon back at Roes Hotel, still watching the rabbit and Imp Digimon regulate the gathering with the aid of the Spikel leader, the trio and a few other Digital monsters singing.]

"Another ordinary-"

[The screen cuts back to Gammamon, who, upon unfurling his wings, gets quite the speed boost with his flight, as he sings yet again.]

"Extremely extraordinary!"

[Gammamon finally reaches the two-bit circus, as he sings loudly and proudly, those currently around him acting as the back-up vocalists.]

"Santa Monican...

Day... (Santa Monican Day!)

(Santa Monican Day- Santa Monican Day)

(Santa Monican- Santa Monican)

Santa Monican Day!"

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(End Musical number)

 Upon entering Two-bit circus, Gammamon looked around to find Gotsumon within the arcade (A/N- Yes, Two-Bit Circus is the name of an actual arcade in California, ergo it is not the name of a real circus), but whether he searched left or right, east or west, way up high or way down low, he just couldn't find Gotsumon anywhere. "He's a no-show? Weird..." Gammamon mumbled to himself in confusion. "I know I didn't get the time or day wrong, since we both pinky-promised to meet here today at 11... Maybe he got sick?" He then pondered. Either way, Gammamon knew he had to go home, so he flew over to one of the tables, sat down, and called Henry's phone number. However, mere moments later, Henry didn't answer. "I usually get an answer with my calls... What's going on?" Gammamon asked himself, as he flew out of the arcade. The once crisp weather outside instantly became cold, and the skies were all cloudy- not even the blue sky or the shining sun could be seen through the acres of grey in the sky. That, alongside Henry not answering his call to come and pick the small white Digimon up, was more reason than enough for Gammamon to get the sinking feeling that something really strange was afoot.

As Gammamon kept slowly flying through the streets, feeling the frigid wind on his wings, he soon came back to where he first ran into Katie, Balk, and Tentro, only to see all three of the Flexers together now with the eldest Fontaine twin, who was still studying for her arithmetic test with help from Kraw. "Well, how did spending time with Gotsumon go, Gammamon?" Balk asked him, as Gammamon just kept quiet for a few moments. "... Gotsumon didn't show up. I tried to call Henry to ask him to come and pick me up, but he didn't answer me." He then answered the hammerhead-esque Mixel sadly. "Usually, Hen-Hen answers my calls, so I think he might be in trouble." He admitted, as He went over to Katie's side, and grabbed her phone. "G-Gammamon, what are you doing?! I was using that to calculate some of the equations that'll be on the arithmetic test!" Katie scolded him, a bit startled to see him using her phone to dial Henry's phone number, but Gammamon was too caught up in his worries to remotely have any remorse for his action. "I'm sorry, but I HAVE to call Henry! If he won't answer a call from my phone, then maybe he'll answer a call from your phone!" He then told her as he pressed the call button. In a matter of a few seconds, Henry answered the phone. "Hey, Katie. What's up?" Henry asked on the other side of the phone. Gammamon, still caught up in his fears, took this chance to speak up. "Henry, why didn't you come and pick me up from Two-Bit Circus?! Casey said she'd tell you to answer the phone if I called you, so why-" Gammamon asked, clearly upset, but his heart instantly sank the moment he had heard Henry's next sentence-

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

Upon hearing him, Kraw was more than confused. "Henry, that's Gammamon. How in Maximum Mixel's name would you just simply forget about your sister's Digimon partner?" The leader of the Flexers asked him, before Henry spoke up. "Why would I forget about Gammamon? He's been with us the whole time." Henry explained, but simply hearing this caused Katie to look up from her studies for a second, and ultimately speak up. "What do you mean? Gammamon's right here with us." She tried to explain, but her words were instantly meaningless when Henry hung up, and she saw a photo in her text messages of Gammamon with his back turned, as it seemed he was talking to Casey and the Infernites... That is, all but one of them- Burnard. "... I gotta get home right now." Gammamon muttered, as he swiftly flew off on his way back to the Almenera household. "We should probably go after him. Balk, Tentro, let's go!" Kraw exclaimed, as the three black-and-orange Mixels followed after the little Digimon, but not before Tentro stopped to look back at his Human partner. "Are you coming, Katie?" He asked her, but she seemed to be in too deep with her studies for her upcoming Arithmetic test. "... Huh? Oh, yeah. I'll catch up with you guys at one point." She answered, her nose deep in her notes, unaware of the sad look the squid-like Mixel was giving her, before following his brothers and the white Triceratopsian Digimon back to Casey and Henry's home.

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It didn't take the group of four too long to reach the home of the Almenera family, and Gammamon was rapidly banging on the front door until Casey answered it. "Oh, hey, guys!" Casey greeted the Flexers, but upon seeing Gammamon, her mind couldn't do anything but draw a blank. "Who's your new friend? He seems pretty cute for a Digimon... Or Mixel... To be honest, I don't know what he is, but he's definitely adorable!" She beamed, as Gammamon's eyes widened in not only fear and confusion, but also sadness. "C-Casey, what are you talking about?! I'm Gammamon- Your partner!" He tried to explain, tears in his eyes, before Casey had glanced to her right from behind the door, before looking back at the quartet. "But Gammamon's right here..." Casey began, more than a bit puzzled, until it all had 'clicked' within her mind. "Oh, now I get it! You all came to play with Gammamon and hang out!" She smiled cheerfully. "Gammamon, the Flexers are here with a new friend, and they want to hang out!" She called, as the faint sound of wings flapping- Gammamon's wings- could be heard from within the house. A few moments later, Gammamon could see something- Or someone- Standing in front of him and the Flexers that left the small white triceratopsian Digimon absolutely horrified. If they were presented with only just a silhouette, someone could absolutely mistake this thing for Gammamon. Upon seeing its face, however, the truth would reveal that this was nothing more than a masterfully made costume. The face that sneered down at Gammamon and the Flexers was feline-like in structure, with pure white fur that was a slightly warmer hue than Gammamon's own white scales. Its raised eyebrows were dotted lines that sat over pale yellow eyes, with slits for pupils. Between the whiskered, rosy cheeks on its face was a permanent smile it wore that showed off its flat front teeth.

"Th-That's not me, Casey! I'M me! You're being tricked!" Gammamon whimpered, growing more and more upset by the second, as the 'Gammamon' next to Casey looked up at her. "Casey, I'm thirsty. Can you make some Leche Merengadas for us?" He asked her, as Casey only nodded. "You got it, buddy. Oh, wait, maybe we can invite them to our picnic tomorrow!" She told herself with a smile, as Casey had then gone into the kitchen to make the drinks. Meanwhile, 'Gammamon' just looked at the real one, giving him a bombastic side-eye sort of glare. "You REALLY thought that just barging in would actually spare you from the consequences of the bargain that my crew and I made with you and your squishy-headed friend, didn't you?" He asked the white triceratopsian Digimon with a sly grin, before slamming the door shut in front of the quartet. Gammamon was left trembling, before falling to his knees, still shaking. "G... Gammamon...?" Kraw asked him, as he scuttled his way over to the little Digimon, trying to comfort him. "Are you okay? What did that other you mean by 'bargain'?" The leader of the Flexers asked, as Gammamon's eyes widened. "I... I remember now..." He mumbled, before hearing footsteps on the other side of the door. Tensing up, Gammamon expected it to be the being claiming to be him, but to his surprise, it wasn't the fake Gammamon who had answered the door at all. 

"Hey, Gammamon! What's with the sad look in your eyes?" Burnard laughed a little, as Gammamon's eyes twinkled in sheer happiness. "B-Bun'rar! Y-You remember me?!" He smiled, quickly embracing him in a hug. "How could I forget you, little guy? I taught you how to count, after all!" He smiled, before sighing. "Look, whatever situation you've gotten yourself in, it's not a pretty one. And I know- When you consider that all this stuff is coming from me of all Mixels, it's kinda messed up." The chameleon-like Mixel laughed a small amount, before Gammamon chimed in. "Even then, I need to find the others, and Jellymon. If those memories really ARE coming back to me, then I know I can't do this all on my own!" He exclaimed, but Burnard looked down at the ground. "That's the thing- Almost everybody else believes that other you's actually... Well, You. Me and a really small amount of the others know the truth, but it's not exactly like we could tell Casey, Henry, or any of the other Digimon and Mixels!" He admitted. "Well, why not?" Tentro asked, as Burnard just gave the Squid-like Mixel a deadpanned stare. "... Riiight, they wouldn't believe you on account of you being crazy." Gammamon, meanwhile, remained curious. "Wait, Bun'rar, who are the others?" "Jellymon, obviously, and Volts, Zaps, Chomly, and Wizwuz." Upon hearing Burnard's words, it made more than enough sense to him AND the Flexers. "There's one thing I don't get, though- How's Jellymon involved in all of this?" Balk asked, not exactly keeping up to speed with what was going on. 

"She... She was with me when we made the Bargain." Gammamon admitted, resulting in all 3 of the Flexers going silent with shock. "I know, it sounds unlike her to make a deal with someone when you take her personality into account, but once we find her and the others, I promise that the two of us will explain everything! Now, Bun'rar, where the hecktopus are Jellymon and the others?" He asked the chameleon-esque Mixel, who thought it over for a moment, uncertain, before Kraw remembered something. "Well, regarding Jellymon, she was at Clover Park with me and Teslo when we were helping her make that grappling hook. A little while after you went on your way to try and meet up with Gotsumon, Teslo decided to go back to Kiyo and Maya's house to go grab something from his toolbox that he left in the garage. And not too long after Teslo left, she said she wanted to go and help him, since she noticed he was taking a really long time to come back, and she ended up bringing the grappling hook with her. That was the last time I saw Jellymon..." The leader of the Flexers relayed what he remembered of today's earlier events that he, the Electroid leader, and the Mollusk Digimon had been through, before Gammamon slowly started to wander off. 

"Gammamon, where are you going?" Tentro asked him, as Gammamon turned to face him and the other 3 Mixels currently present. "I... I'm gonna take a little detour. If you guys can find Jellymon, Wizwuz, Zap'tr, Vole'tro, and Chomly around town, and bring them and Katie to Cafe Luxxe, I'll meet you there, and when we regroup, me and Jellymon will explain everything like I said earlier. Cause if these memories are the memories I think they are, then she might remember by now, too." Gammamon admitted, as he unfurled his wings and flew off. "... Are we sure that Gammamon is gonna be alright? Y'know, since he's headed off on his own to who-knows-where in town?" Tentro worried a little bit, as Kraw sighed. "Believe me, I'm worried about him, too, Tentro, but aside from those of us who actually know what's going on, everyone else believes that fake Gammamon is actually the real deal, so the 4 of us, Katie, Volectro, Zaptor, Chomly, and Wizwuz are the only ones who can help Gammamon and Jellymon in their current situations." Kraw admitted. "For now, we just gotta have some faith in him, gather up the others, and put together a plan to put a stop to this. Now, c'mon." The Flexer leader explained, as he, Tentro, Balk, and Burnard set off to find Katie, Jellymon, and the other Mixels who didn't have the wool pulled over their eyes regarding this scheme. However, unbeknownst to them, the fake Gammamon was watching them from the window while drinking from a glass of leche merengadas.

___________________________________________________________________________

As he kept flying, Gammamon soon eventually reached Christine Emerson Reed Park, as it began to rain. "Why is this happening?" Gammamon asked himself, getting drenched by the downpour, as he took shelter underneath a small gazebo. "Why did I even make that deal with Jellymon? I know it was for a good reason, but what if... What if that other me really IS the real me... And if so, how can I know for sure that I've found out- or even came close to finding out- who I really am?" The white Digimon depressingly pondered, as he heard a menacing voice in his mind. "Don't question y'rself like that," The rough voice in Gammamon's head started. "Y'know precisely who y'are." "No... Shut up... AT THIS POINT, I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYMORE!" He loudly whimpered, worriedly looking down at himself. But as he did, he began to feel like he wasn't even in his own body, the fierce howling of the wind amongst the rainstorm forming a solemn melody.

[Cue Musical Number- 'The Ballad of Gamma-Who?', inspired by 'The Ballad of Jane Doe', from Ride the Cyclone, Performed by Gammamon (CV; Cathy Weseluck) FT. Gulus (CV; Emma Stone) and Wind (CV; Dee Bradley Baker) (A/N- If certain shows can have Dee Bradley Baker be the voice behind such things like a platypus and a pig- You know the shows I'm talking about- Then I can have him be the voice claim for the wind... Which is the only time I'm doing this, cause if I'm being honest, I thought it'd make certain parts of this song sound ominous).]

https://youtu.be/06DlYhY2-Dc

[ Gammamon lifts his head, watching the raindrops drizzle down from the sky and drip down from the wooden beams holding the gazebo up, as he begins to sing.]

"Some know who, they really are,

Always aim for, the stars!

But my own time, I chose, to bide~

There's just one, remaining fear,

My true self, is it here?

Or is it rotting away like my pride?

Oh, my self~

Oh, my self~

Oh, my self~

Oh, my self~!"

[The wind howls, as Gammamon continues to sing.]

"A fused core, no role in his game,

nothing to my name, what a shame,

A fair bargain was only a sham!

Won't somebody, let me in?

One must know where I've been!

Won't someone help me learn who I am?

Who I am,

Who I am,

Who I am,

Who I am~"

[The wind howls, creating an ominous chorus, as the dripping of rainwater on leaves soon creates a small melody, to which Gammamon starts singing as he sits down on the ground, gazing into a nearby puddle like it were a mirror.]

"And with my own eyes, what I can see,

Someone I was never meant to be~"

[The screen darkens to show a version of Gammamon that just seems like his body is an empty husk, as we can hear Gulus sing.]

("Two lifeforms within one shell")

[Gammamon gets up on his feet, and resumes singing, slowly flying back under the gazebo.]

"And like an old forgotten hymn,

A rhythm that no one knows

Forgot how it goes~!

Just him and me,

Forever eternally, Gamma-Who?"

[The thunder begins to crash, sounding like a chorus of drums, as Gammamon's eyes go black, causing Gulus' voice to be heard from Gammamon's body as he sings.]

"And I'm askin', 'Why, Lord?

Although he took the deal, Lord-

Why take away all our family

And our friends?'

Lost a chance for emancipation,

Took 'way our Identification!

Won't go down wi'out a fight til' the end!"

[Gammamon's body dances around the Gazebo for a little bit, before singing again, with Gammamon's normal voice being heard in the wind.]

"A melody rides 'long the air

When two lives make one, does no one care?

(Does anyone care?)

Another sad, forgotten hymn,

Another rhythm that no one knows

So that's how it goes!

But soon we'll be,

Forever eternally, Ourselves!"

[The wind carries a voice of its own, as it sings a few verses of its own, with Gammamon's voice as Backup Vocals.]

"And he's askin', 'Why, Lord?' (Why, oh why, oh why, oh why?)

'This is a fate far worse than death, Lord!' (No one to sing, no one to sigh)

[Gammamon begins to sing yet again.]

"Now that all is said and done,

Isn't there anyone to tell me who I am?"

[The wind howls more as it carries another voice to use as it sings, Gammamon's body just swaying like a puppet or doll being dragged or thrown around.]

"No singin' songs of adulation,

Life's new sorry speculation~!"

[Gammamon's body drops to the ground, as he starts singing again, his voice cracking from the tears he has been shedding, the thought of someone he cared about that had disappeared a long-time ago back in the Digital world crossing his mind.]

"Like her, I'll be, eventually,

A forgotten name, some lost refrain,

Gamma..."

[A few tears trickle down Gammamon's face as he continues to sing.]

"Gamma~..."

[Gammamon has a breakdown all while he sings the last note.]

"Who~?"

[Gulus' singing voice resonates through Gammamon's head, as he's trying to make sure he doesn't give up all hope, as the rain slowly but surely comes to a stop, revealing a pinkish-orange sunset slowly forming.]

"(A melody rides 'long the air)

(When two lives make one, our friends DO care)

(Gamma-)

(Mon!)"

________________________________________________________________________________

[End Musical Number]

"Gamms? Are you here? We've been waiting for you at Cafe Luxxe, but you never showed up...!" Jellymon floated over to Gammamon's side, before seeing that Gammamon was crying, currently in the middle of an emotional breakdown. "G-Gammamon!" Jellymon worryingly called out his name, and sat down next to him, comforting him, as the Flexers, Burnard, Wizwuz, Chomly, the duo of Zaptor and Volectro (And Katie, who STILL had more concern over her studies for her arithmetic test than what was going on around her) all went under the gazebo to comfort the Small Triceratopsian Digimon (At least, all of them but Katie) who was still crying for a few moments more, until he finally calmed down. "Gammamon, please, I'm really sorry, I never thought the Bargain we made would go off-the-rails like this! I just wanted to make things easier on the both of us, not make almost everyone we know forget who we are...!" Jellymon sobbed, embracing Gammamon in a hug, as Gammamon grabbed a tissue box from his teddy bear backpack, Which Jellymon used to grab a tissue to dry her tears. "Hey, um, Jellymon? You mentioned a bargain when the rest of us found you back at the Cafe. Are you and Gammamon gonna explain that?" Wizwuz asked them, as Jellymon nodded. 

"Yeah, Wizzy. We're gonna give you guys the scuttlebutt on what's going on." She told him. "You see, guys- And Egghead- Gamms told me one day while I was on my way home from one of my business ventures that he had some troubles that he couldn't get solved through normal means, so I thought, 'Hey, I know a group of people who can help with that!' So, Gamms and I took a little daycation to this little abandoned building in Oxnard called the Casa Sirena Seaside Resort that these people had managed reformat into some sort of huge magic shop / restaurant hybridization, so we decided that we should go ahead and meet up with these people, since I got a bit of information from five old friends of mine who helped me out of a jam before I ended up here on Earth, and well..."

________________________________________________________________________________

~Flashback; A few weeks prior to the events of chapter 31~

Gammamon was just sticking by Jellymon's side as they walked into the vacant hotel, the little white Digimon sticking close to the one that looked like a Mollusk. "Jellymon, are you absolutely sure those friends of yours that you told me about during the bus ride were right about there being people here who could help us with our problems? This place is abandoned, after all..." He tried to tell her, but Jellymon wasn't exactly listening to him as she floated over to the check-in counter. "C'mon, Gamms! If we wanna have any chance of fixing this little problem of yours, these guys are gonna be the best possible way of us doing just that! Besides, the Lords- Er, I mean, my friends I told you about during the bus ride are perfectly trustworthy, and none of the five of them have ever pushed me in the wrong direction before!" She smiled, as she rang the bell that was resting on the top of the counter, and with only the single blink of an eye, a lone being stood in front of the duo, their body obscured by a pitch-black cloak, and their face concealed by a theatre mask. "Well, would you look at the menagerie that we have here with us tonight?" The figure inquired, looking down at the two Digimon with a reassuring smile underneath their mask. From the way this entity's voice sounded to both Gammamon and Jellymon, this being was potentially a guy underneath his veils. "If it isn't a duo of Digital Monsters, who seem like they might be feeling down in the dumps! Welcome, my friends, to this little shop of ours- The Oracles of the Eye. I'm not a betting man, but I'm guessing that the two of you are probably here in this neck of The El Dorado State to strike up a Bargain or two, am I right?" He asked them, as Jellymon quickly floated her way up onto the top of the counter, standing right next to the bell that she had rung moments earlier. 

"You'd better believe that we are here for just that, my good sir! Now, if I'm truly allowed to be honest with you for just a brief moment here, I've only really come all this way here from Santa Monica to help my friend Gammamon over here with a pretty big problem of his that can't easily be solved through the simplest of means. Besides, some old friends of mine that I met before I came here to Earth had told me that your little shop of magical curios and oddities specializes in solving any and every problem no matter how impossible or outlandish the issue may even seem when first presented, but you know what, my mysterious fellow friend in business opportunities? I'm more than down to strike a bargain of my own, too!" The Mollusk Digimon exclaimed, all while Gammamon slowly just backed away from both the cloaked figure and Jellymon, a cluster-of-almond-joy sized ball of fear and anxiety forming in his chest as he looked around, the first thing catching his eyes being nothing more than a singular Black Book on a shelf that had a really peculiar white star on the front cover, a green dot on the furthest point, but the closer points on the star were blue, pink, purple, and yellow dots. "J-Jellymon, between you and me, I honestly think that the two of us should really go back home and be with our partners, especially since Casey and I are planning a picnic soon..." The little white triceratopsian Digimon nervously squeaked as he slowly turned around to walk out the door. "If there's one important thing that I've learned from both her and Flain, it's not to hang out with or talk to strangers, and especially people that you can't trust. And I certainly can't trust this-" Gammamon began, before quickly getting cut off by the cloaked figure as he then began to sing, an ominous rhythm unnerving Gammamon far more than he already had been so far regarding what has been going on up to this point in time.

[Cue Musical Number- 'Friends on the other side', based on the song of the same name from Disney's The Princess and The Frog, Sung by Cloaked Figure (CV; Luke Millington-Drake), FT. Oracles of the Eye members (CV; Various), Gammamon (CV; Cathy Weseluck), and Jellymon (CV; Tabitha St. Germaine)]

https://youtu.be/mZonizjUmK4

[The cloaked figure goes in front of Gammamon, preventing him from leaving the building.]

"Oh, you'll come to trust me, little man!

There's no need to fear, or to hide!

You're in my world now,

Not your world!

And I got friends on the other side!"

[A few voices can be heard from an empty dining area, all of which having an echoing timbre.]

("He's got friends on the other side")

[Gammamon seems more than spooked upon hearing the disembodied voices as he goes over to Jellymon's side, completely spooked, as the mollusk Digimon looks up at the mysterious cloaked figure, who holds a reassuring smile underneath his mask as he talks to the two.]

"That's an echo, my dear 'mons.

Just a little natural occurrence

Here in this shop of ours, don't worry!"

[The cloaked figure leads the duo into the dining area, as Jellymon manages to get herself a pared-down Margarita. Gammamon looks at all the drinks, a bit thirsty, but remembers that he brought a lunchbox with him.]

"Sit down at my table,

Put your minds at ease!

If you chillax it will enable me, to do, anything I please!"

[The two Digimon both sit down in their seats at a small circular table, with the cloaked figure sitting on the other side, showing them some of the tools of his trade

"I got deals for days!

I can change 'em 'round some, too!

I'll hear all about your heart and soul-"

[The cloaked figure looks at Jellymon, who has just finished taking a sip of her alcoholic beverage, now just talking to her.]

"You do have a soul, don't you, Jelly?"

[He resumes singing, showing them the tools of his trade.]

"Make your wildest dreams come true!

I got contracts, I got contacts

I got things I ain't even tried!

And I got friends on the other side!"

[Another echo sounds out, as Gammamon looks a bit more spooked. At this point, Gammamon is convinced that it isn't an echo, but rather a group of disembodied voices

("He's got friends on the other side!")

[The cloaked figure goes over to a nearby drawer, taking out 2 completely different pairs of tarot cards.] 

"The cards, the cards, the cards will tell-

The past, the present, and the future as well!

The cards, the cards, just take three-

Take a little trip into your futures with me!"

[The two Digimon each take three tarot cards from the 2 different sets, as the cloaked figure looks to Jellymon, glancing over her tarot cards while he slowly turns them over, as he resumes singing.]

"Now you, young miss, are from across the sea

You've got a head for business, like royalty-"

[The cloaked figure slinks over to Jellymon's side, and then talks to her.]

"I'm quite good myself, from my mother's side-"

[The cloaked figure chuckles as he resumes singing.]

"Your lifestyle's high,

But your funds are low~

You need to find a surefire way to rake in the dough!"

[The cloaked figure goes over to Jellymon's side of the table, and talks to her, feeling a sense of sympathy for her.]

"The big city can be mean, huh, 'hon?

Now y'all need some quick, but the hustle gets you down,

You just wanna be free!

The stress, just a memory,

But freedom takes green!"

[With the wave of his right hand over the other tarot cards that were sprawled along the tabletop flip over and change to dollar bills.]

"It's the green, it's the green, it's the green you need!

And with this tailor-made deal,

It's all green that I see!"

[The cloaked figure then goes over to Gammamon, holding his tarot cards, looking at them while he's drinking his apple juice that he brought in a small lion head-shaped lunchbox.]

"On you, little man, I don't wanna get too deep

You been pushed around all your life~

If not pushed around by your father, it's the beasts, or something other.

And even without that-

You're just still plain plagued by strife.

But with our agreement, the you that I see

Is exactly just where you always wanted to be!"

[A pair of cat paw gloves protrude from the Cloaked figure's veil.]

"Shake my hand...

Come on, you two-

Won't you shake, a poor sinner's hand?"

[Jellymon quickly shakes the cloaked figure' hand, while Gammamon takes a moment, like he's considering something, before softly sighing, and shaking the cloaked figure's hand.]

"YES!!"

[Everything in the dining room goes nearly pitch black, with even Gammamon's keen sense of sight not being able to see that well, as the colorful dots along the white star painted on the cover of the Black Book inverse.]

"Are you ready?

(Are you ready?")

"Are you ready?

Substitution central!"

("Substitution central!")

Reformation central!

("Reformation central!")

Supersede central!"

[A spiral of faded whites and greys swirls around the two Digimon.]

"Can't you feel it?

It's changing, its changing, fate's changing, all right!

I hope you're satisfied!

But if you ain't,

Don't blame me!

You can blame my friends on the other side!"

[The disembodied voices echo throughout the dining room, Gammamon seeing some tall humanoid cat-like silhouettes through the spiraling colors surrounding him and Jellymon, making the Triceratopsian Digimon realize that those echoes or disembodied voices weren't such at all- They could be some other lifeform, or probably the other employees that worked here wearing some other type of disguise.]

("You got what you wanted,)

(But you lost what you had!")

[A green haze enters the room, as both Gammamon and Jellymon are knocked out cold from the suspicious haze.]

"HUSH...."

________________________________________________________________________________

[End of Musical number]

~ End of Flashback~

"... And that's the scuttlebutt of the situation. I know the decision I made of joining in on the whole thing was selfish of me, believe me, but I never intended to make things get this bad for either Gammamon OR myself!" Jellymon said, on the verge of tears yet again. "Jellymon, I promise, things are gonna be okay! We're gonna find a way to fix things, and with help from the compadres we have by our side, we'll make those Oracles of the Eye people pay for what they've done to make our other compadres forget us. I-I promise you, we're gonna figure out how to fix everything... Somehow..." Gammamon mumbled, embracing her in a hug, while Katie kept taking her notes for the test in her notebook, until she felt something lower the notebook down from her field of vision, and in a matter of just a few seconds, Katie Fontaine was face-to-face with Kraw, who seemed to be a bit upset about something- Or rather, upset with her.

"Kraw, what the heck? I was-" She started, but Kraw quickly cut her off. "Katie, I understand that your place as a member of the Angelwood Middle School Student Council is really important to you, and you're willing to do whatever it takes to keep it. BUT one of our friends' lives is literally hanging in the balance right now!" He shouted, before getting cut off by Jellymon. "-2 of your friends, Mr. Krabs! Don't forget that Masked, Dark, and Screwed-up did the same thing to me that he'd done with Gamms!" The mollusk Digimon had then shouted from the other side of the Gazebo, holding Wizwuz in her arms. "... Jellymon, not now..." Tentro softly told her, using one of his tentacles to bring her and the small spider-like Mixel over to his side. He knew Kraw was normally the type of Mixel who'd be as chill as Flain, but unlike Flain, he was far worse than the Infernite leader when he was upset. "Semantics aren't what we need right now, Jellymon!" He told the female Digimon as he looked over to Katie, before taking a deep breath in, calming down some, and then gestured for her to sit down next to him, which she did, a faint glow emanating from her pendit the moment Katie sat down. "Back to what I was saying earlier; I can tell that your place as a member of your school's Student Council means a lot to you, but you also have another responsibility. You didn't ask Uver and Nixie to give you and your twin sister your Pendits, or to even become Chosen Ones in the first place, but that's what you and Sadie are now. And because of that, you both have a responsibility to help protect those who can't protect themselves from these new and otherworldly threats." Kraw explained, but Katie seemed more than confused. "Yeah, but what about the others? Can't they help us out in this situation?" She asked her partner, more than a bit confused, but Kraw shook his head. "Katie, you're quite literally the only human left on the team that knows the truth, and by jurisdiction, the only person who can remotely do anything to help. And before you say it, yes- That kinda sucks. But hear me out, Katie- The good that you do to help others who are in need is never for nothing. It's like the whole 'what goes around, comes around' kinda thing. You may not always get what you want, but real kindness is never wasted- Heh, now I sound like one of the Spikels." Kraw admitted with a small chuckle. Katie kept silent for a few moments, before it all finally had clicked in her mind. 

"... Yeah, Kraw, you're right; I AM the only person left who can help. Curse that weird magic shop in Oxnard..." She grumbled under her breath, before sighing. "Well, no matter how you slice it, it's getting late. We need to come up with a game-plan and come up with a way to fix everything tomorrow." Katie added, before an idea quickly raced through Burnard's head, as he swiftly got up on his feet, excitedly jumping around, his left pincer moving around in the air. "Oh, Oh! I have a plan! I actually have a plan!" He maniacally laughed with glee, as Jellymon nervously glanced over at the chameleon-like Infernite. "I'm almost afraid to ask, Perky-Pyro, but seeing our options here..." The mollusk Digimon sighed, as she floated over to Burnard's side. "... What exactly IS your plan, anyways?" She asked, as Burnard then began to explain everything. "Ok, here's what I got; So, for the last couple of days, I've overheard Casey and Gammamon planning out a picnic with the others, and-" Zaptor just remained unamused. "Zo, you were basically eavesdropping on Gammamon and Cazey's conversation with Maya and the other Chozen Ones over something as zimple as a picnic?" The lightning rod-like Mixel asked him, as Burnard just went dead silent for a few seconds. "... Uh... Maybe? Well, at least I listen in just because it's fun, and not because I'm trying to get my hands on more hamlogna sandwiches!" Burnard somewhat yelled at the Electroid, who looked offended. "... You leave my zandwiches out of thiz, you gremlin..." Zaptor said under his breath, as Burnard went back to talking about his plan, ignoring the fact that the lightning rod-esque Electroid referred to him with the same term Gulus used when he first revealed himself. "Anyways, there's gotta be some way, that during the picnic, the real Gammamon can out-Gammamon the Fake Gammamon!" The chameleon-like Mixel revealed with a laugh, as both Jellymon and Katie looked between each other, then at Burnard, and back at one another, clearly shocked with this ingenious plan that had come from Burnard, of all Mixels. "Burnard, I'm never doubting you ever again." Katie smiled lightly, as Gammamon just flew over, standing by Kraw's side. 

"But guys? What if the plan doesn't end up working as we'd expect, and that fake me comes off like he's really me?" The white triceratopsian Digimon sadly mumbled, as Wizwuz scuttled over to his best friend's side. "Gamms, don't say that! As long as we have a plan, we can't fail!" The little purple spider-like Mixel smiled, his hook-like tail wagging happily in an attempt to try and cheer up Gammamon, and try to inspire him. The others present spared each other a look, and nodded, as Jellymon floated over to Gammamon. "Wizzy's right, Gamms! We actually have a plan now thanks to Perky-Pyro- As unbelievable as that is- The point I'm trying to make here regardless, is that we can't give up all hope just yet!" The Mollusk Digimon explained, as a Melody began to cruise through the dusk-lit park.

[Cue musical Number- 'Tomorrow is...', based on the song of the same name from SpongeBob the Musical, performed by Katie Fontaine (CV; Sharon Alexander), Volectro (CV; David P. Smith), Balk (CV; Billy West), Gammamon (CV; Cathy Weseluck), Jellymon (CV; Tabitha St. Germaine) FT. Fake 'Gammamon' (CV; Scott McNeil), Fake 'Jellymon' (Shirley Milliner), Tentro & Chomly (CV; Phil LaMarr), Kraw (CV; Fred Tatasciore) Zaptor & Burnard (CV; Jess Harnell), and Wizwuz (CV; Bumper Robinson).]

https://youtu.be/s_nU5lbNfuM

[Katie nods in agreement with Jellymon's statement, as she gets up on her feet, and heads over to Gammamon's side as she begins to sing.]

"We only have this one shot,

To try to save the day,

It comes down to tomorrow..."

[Katie then picks Gammamon up in her arms.]

"Gammamon, we have to find a way,

[Gammamon then joins in, singing along with Katie.]

A way~!"

[Volectro begins to sing, looking up at Gammamon with a reassuring smile.]

"We're gonna take them on and,

However, scared we are!

Our team ain't getting canned-"

[Balk joins in, taking a verse, going over to the trio.]

"'Cause we can still go far!"

[Zaptor and Burnard join in.]

"We only have tomorrow,

To show them we're not done!"

[Tentro and Chomly stand by their sides, determined as ever, as the duo begins singing.]

"We only have tomorrow,

To put 'em on the run!"

[Cut to the Almenera household. We see the Fake Gammamon in the kitchen, while Casey, Henry, and the other Infernites are asleep, whilst the faker is doing something the real Gammamon would never do- Eating Jalapeno peppers. After eating a few, the doppelganger of the white triceratopsian begins to sing.]

"Ooh, I'm delirious...

A perfect plot, so fun!"

[cut to Maya and Kiyo's house. Like the fake Gammamon, this fake Jellymon is doing something that the real deal wouldn't be caught dead doing- Drinking Coffee. After finishing the cup of joe, the Jellymon copy begins singing.]

"Tomorrow means..."

[The screen splits in half, as Both the fakes sing together.]

"We'll have won!!"

[Cut back to the Gazebo. Gammamon sings as he glances down at his friends, before placing a claw over the center of his bandana, where a small bump is, thinking about someone else truly close to him.]

"We only have tomorrow,

Wishin' I could be with you..."

[Jellymon begins singing with Kraw and Wizwuz, all three of them going over to the others.]

"It comes down to tomorrow,

We know what we must do!"

[The entirety of Katie's group begins singing together, putting their hands/claws/pincer-hands on top of one another.]

"The sun has sunk below us,

The dark of night is here,

The hands of time keep ticking,

Tomorrow's almost here!

Almost here, almost here!

We only have tomorrow,

To somehow find a way!

To save ourselves tomorrow,

There's only one more day!

[One by one, the groups' hands slowly leave the stack and go upwards while the sun makes way for the moonlight, as they still sing.]

In the world renowned, (we only have tomorrow)

Santa Monica, have to save this town, (we only have tomorrow)

Santa Monica, as the sun goes down,

We only have one more... (on a beautiful Santa Monican)

Day~!"

________________________________________________________________________________

[End Musical Number]

The following day, Gammamon had secretly been following his doppelganger and Casey to go to the picnic. Soon enough, the duo (which was actually a trio) had reached Clover Park, and after the duo set everything up, Gammamon decided to reveal himself to them and make his move. "Um, h-hello?" Gammamon mumbled a bit nervously, as both Casey and his doppelganger both saw the white triceratopsian Digimon in front of them. "Oh, hey, I remember you! You're Gammamon's friend, right?" The girl from Spain asked him. Gammamon just sadly looked down at the ground. Not being seen for who he really is had cut him deep like a knife, but he knew that he had one chance to reclaim his rightful place by Casey's side, break whatever hold his doppelganger had on his friends, and ultimately undo the effects of the bargain that both he and Jellymon had made. "Yeah, I... I am." Gammamon nearly hesitated, but he knew it was do or die in this situation. "I don't wanna be too much of a third wheel, but would it be okay if I joined in on your picnic?" He then asked, as Casey just flashed him the kind, reassuring smile that he always associated her with. "Of course! As long as Gammamon doesn't mind, then feel free!" She told him, looking over at the fake 'Gammamon'. The false Gammamon only flashed the real deal a smile, but Gammamon knew smiles, And the smile his copycat gave him? It just wasn't right. "Suuure...." He drawled, as Casey just looked confused. "Is something wrong, Gammamon?" Casey asked the white triceratopsian Digimon's doppelganger, who tensed up. "N-No, I'm fine! I said 'sure'!" The fake covered up his animosity quicker than a flash of lightning.

As Gammamon was beginning to settle down and make himself as comfortable as he could be regarding the situation, a multitude of eyes could be seen from a few bushes. "Wait a second, where's Jellymon and Wizwuz?" Volectro muttered to himself, before hearing Jellymon's voice not too far from where he and Chomly were. "Up here, Frizzles!" She called the scatterbrained Electroid by the nickname she had assigned him with. Looking up, Volectro and the others were surprised to see Jellymon sitting on a tree branch, with Wizwuz curled up on her lap like he was a cat... spider... Thing. "Jellymon, you and Wizwuz should probably get down from there! I'm not willing to let Abraham get upset at me if the little guy ends up falling from the tree!" Katie whisper-yelled at the Mollusk Digimon, who simply shrugged. "Firstly, you forget that Wizzy here is like a spider, meaning he can climb vertical surfaces. Secondly, if you and the others don't want to grab the best seats in the house, Sage, then suit yourselves." She then answered with a gentle smirk.

All while the others were hidden, talking things over, Gammamon had finally gotten himself fully comfortable. Looking around the little checkered cloth that he was sitting on, he saw multiple different types of foods, until he saw something resting in a small bowl- Something he loved more than any other food he ever had tried during his time on Earth. "Uwaah~! My champions!" Gammamon squeaked, as he then quickly realized something. 'Wait... My champions! That's exactly how I can out-me the fake me!' He mentally cheered, as he began to unwrap the small candies, and quickly popped them into his mouth. "Well, would you look at that, Gammamon! Your friend likes these, too!" Casey cheerfully commented. The other Gammamon's head snapped over to see what the true Gammamon was up to, a sour look having found its way onto his face. Sure enough, the real triceratopsian Digimon was happily snacking away at the chocolates, while he had had none. Shoot, I can't let her know what's up!

From their vantage point within the bushes, the lone Digimon, several Mixels and one human were caught off guard by this display, all of them completely confused. "What in the name of the Maximum Mixel is he doing?" Kraw stared on in utter bewilderment, soon joined by Chomly, who voiced his own observation. "He's just eating chocolate, how's that supposed to-" His eyes widened for a second, before his eyes narrowed and a grin formed on his maw. "Well played, Gammamon. Well played!" The hide-out gang looked over, shocked that Chomly of all Mixels put together what the white Digimon was up to. "Ya mind filling us in, Chomps?" Jellymon asked of the Fang Gangster, but Wiz-Wuz had already figured it out himself and jumped in to explain it himself. "Cause Gammamon loves chocolate more than anything, and no one loves it more than him! If he can outlast the bad guy, he can prove that he's the real Gammamon!" It was a plan that only Gammamon could even think to conceive, but it was for that reason alone that it gave the others more than enough reason to trust it.

"Well, you both like it, huh? No wonder you guys became friends!" Casey commented, somewhat awkwardly. She had prepared other snacks, but these two seemed driven to devour the chocolates she'd brought first. The pair hardly heard her, chomping away at the sweet snacks at a feverish pace. It was clear that the false Gammamon was starting to fall behind, unable to handle all the sugar. Every creature that held an interest in the outcome of this unspoken contest could feel their hearts racing, as Gammamon was getting closer and closer to finishing ahead of the imposter. This is when Betsumon felt a rising fury from within him, spurred on by the influence of a Nixel technology...

No, no! Not when we've come so far, I ain't about to screw this up!

With his resolve steeled and himself prepared for what this would mean in the long run, Betsumon grabbed the platter covered in chocolates, and tilted it back into his mouth. Gammamon was utterly shocked, watching the imposter do something so brash. Katie and the Mixels watching from the sidelines (and Jellymon) were beyond horrified. It was their one chance to prove that there was only one Gammamon without putting anyone else in absolute danger, and they'd lost. "Gammamon! I know you like chocolate a whole lot, but that's no reason to eat them all like that when your friend clearly wanted some!" Casey chastised her 'partner'.

The little Digimon was crushed. While Casey was tending to the fallen 'Gammamon', the true one was left to stare at the empty plate. He didn't even notice when Jellymon and the other Mixels rushed over to comfort him, telling him it'd be okay, they'll think of something else. Their words instantly became white noise-like static when he glanced up to see his doppelganger flash him a nasty grin. I won.

Gammamon slowly rose up from the ground, his own limbs heavy due to some invisible weight dragging him down- Even his own head was hanging low. The Mixels, the human girl, and the mollusk Digimon all moved in again to comfort him, but he snapped up one of his wings to stop them from getting closer. All light-heartedness had seemingly left his voice for Gammamon's next words, fearful of what was about to happen. "Stand back." This caught everyone's attention. The tone had rocked them to their cores, not expecting such a deep-rooted rage from such a little creature.

The first signs of a Digivolution flashed before every Mixel, Human and Digimon present. Unlike every other time prior, his voice was low, and yet full of fury unlike the previous times he uttered the following sentence-

"Gammamon, Dark Digivolve to..."  He snarled, as from Gammamon's perspective, he found himself surrounded once more by the multi-colored DNA helixes. They swirled around him, wrapping the little Digimon as though this were any other Digivolution. When they had all enveloped him, though, he vanished, along with the three colorful helixes. It sat still for only a few seconds, before a blaze of blue and black fire erupted from the center, burning out of control. From within the wildfire, a golden tipped harpoon-like tail swiped the flames aside for a moment like the pyre was an endlessly burning curtain, Above the glorious blaze, six red talons appeared, before they came slicing down, shredding the fiery drape apart in six slices, and leaving the Digimon kneeling on the ground. The fire circled around behind this creature, before it finally added a familiar piece of clothing to his back. His tattered blue cape whipped behind him as he slowly rose up from the firm ground beneath his claws, looking down upon everything down below him, revealing the presence of none other than...

"... GULUS GAMMAMON!"

To every other Mixel, human and Digimon present, barely even a single second had even passed between seeing the youthful Digimon, and then suddenly being graced by the chilling presence of the very Digital Monster that Gammamon had given the alias of his 'inner demons'.

It was at this point that the fake Gammamon realized they'd made a massive error.

"Huh!" Volectro said out loud, before turning to some of his other colorful compatriots, Katie, and Jellymon. "I totally forgot about Guluz!" "Now's really not the best time, Frizzles!" The mollusk Digimon harshly whispered to the Electroid, trying her best to pull him further away from the Dark Digivolution, before Wiz-Wuz immediately held up a claw to stop the both of them. "Hold on, Jellymon! I think this might be just what we need!" Jellymon had then stared at Wiz-Wuz with her jaw slack. "Wizzy, no offense, but are you out of your mind?! Do you not remember what happened the first time Mr. Tall, dark and edgy decided to pay us a visit before Wednesday and the bats were freed from the Nixels' control?!" Of all Mixels present that would dare to back him up, Kraw approached the three. "I think he's right, Jellymon! Before you say anything, just take a minute to think about it. Whatever copied Gammamon's appearance clearly has the ability to copy almost anything about either a Digimon or Human being. But a Digivolution, especially a dark one, that'd be impossible!"

Gulus sneered, looking down at the replacement, who was too shocked and too full to move. "This is one nasty plan ya got here. Didn't think I'd even haf'ta step in at first, but at dis point, y're not just messin' with Gamms' life. Y're also messin' wit' mine."

The imposter Digimon could feel their life flashing before their eyes. There were rumors of dark Digivolutions for sure, but to witness one... Is this what the kid meant by his inner demons?! If I'd known this is what he was talkin', I'd've turned him away at the door and told the big man to close up shop, I-Cubit or no I-Cubit!!

"The jig is up, guys, get me outta here!!" Betsumon screamed, starting to shift back to his true self, and shedding the Gammamon disguise. Gulus only let out a soulless chuckle at the sight. "A'ight, this is gettin' really pathe'ic. Y'er actin' like this when ya just had us on the ropes? Now, look at ya, writhin' like a worm on a sidewalk after all the rain dries up. Ya know what happens to ones that don't slink back int'a the soil fast enough?" He asked menacingly, leaning in next to Betsumon's head, baring his fangs in a wicked grin. "They get crushed."

"We heard ya yelling, what went- Good gods!!" A new voice shouted in fright. Gulus quickly snapped up from where he'd been kneeling over, and the jet-black sentient digivolution was met with a huge gang of the doppelganger Digimon. They clearly hadn't been expecting to see something like him there, and were all intensely fixated on Gulus' every move, terrified that his next motion could be directed at any one of them.

This whole entire time, Casey had felt like she'd been watching everything that has happened up to this point like a movie through a strobe light. One moment, she was at a picnic with Gammamon and the small Digimon's friend, the next frame was Gammamon devouring all of the chocolates, then Gulus suddenly appeared from Gammamon- Wait, how was that even possible? Only now could Casey finally see everyone for who they really were. The sheer horror hit her, then the immense guilt, then seemingly endless fear. Where Gammamon had just been laying down, now there was this thing wearing a Gammamon skin, and her brain corrected the last day or so that she'd spent with 'Gammamon'.

The shapeshifter had finally finished its change back into itself, letting everyone see what it really looked like- exactly like the other Digimon that it had just called for help. It still had that same white, feline-like face with a nearly fixed grin, but it was now on a body that fit it. Its build was lanky, with longer arms, legs, even its torso was somewhat long. It had a circle around his face, giving the idea that it was wearing some kind of disguise or onesie. It had spiked cat ears on its head, with three spikes tipped in a light purple. It had on oversized yellow gloves with red stripes and black claws, while its three toed feet had three matching black claws. Its tail was about the size of a cat's tail, with two purple stripes, a shallow cylinder just before the end of its tail, and three tufts of purple fur at the end.

"Our cover's been blown! Get the boss over here, stat!" One of the many Digimon shouted, all while Jellymon floated over to Casey, looking beyond exasperated. "Oh... T-then I'm guessing that means..." She mumbled, as the Mollusk Digimon just groaned. "Yes, I'M the REAL Jellymon! And I knew that some Humans can be as thick-headed as those black and white gremlins, but for you and the others to all be fooled by a bunch of Betsumon for Yggdrasil-knows-how-long, lil' candle? To quote Noel Gruber from Ride the Cyclone, 'Sweet Jesus Christ on a bike'!" She grumbled, as the girl from Spain just confusedly stared at the Digimon.  "Betsu-?" "Basically, the Betsumon are a group of puppet-type, virus-attribute, Ultimate-level Digimon that can take on the form of any Digimon. Honestly, I'd be surprised if they could actually take on the appearance of a human, but that's said to be rather rare." The Mollusk Digimon explained while Casey just pulled out her phone, and sent a text to Henry, telling him to hurry and bring the Infernites. "... Wait a minute, though- That Betsumon was shapeshifting!" Jellymon realized. "Usually, they just use costumes to do their thing, but..." 

Upon getting a closer look at the multitude of Digimon that looked like the creation of Andrew LLoyd Webber (A/N- No disrespect, but Betsumon looks like it'd belong in Cats), Katie could see faint bits of sunlight reflecting through the greyed claws of these feline-humanoid Digimon. "Wait a second, the Claws! They're I-cubit Shards!" Katie realized, as Gulus looked back at Casey and Katie. "A'ight, then. Y'all can just leave 'dis t'me. Spicy, you n' Tea Biscuit keep th' colorful rats from gettin' scratched by th' cats. I'll be th' one t'take down these creepy fuzzballs." The sentient Digivolution smirked, as he swiftly zipped over to the corrupted Digimon, his tail flickering from side to side, until he shouted the name of one specific attack.

"DEAD-END SKEWER!" The black and magenta triceratopsian Digimon shouted, his harpoon-like tail swiftly rocketing towards the army of Cat-like humanoid Digimon, hitting a few of them and deleting them, resulting in Gulus absorbing the data of the deceased Betsumon, while the ones that remained alive just narrowed their eyes at their attacker. Whether this 'thing' was another Digimon's inner demons or not, they came so close to attaining their end goal, and nothing was going to stop them- Not when they came this far! "Okay, now that was the last straw in the stack, bucko!" Another one of the Betsumon growled, as Gulus felt his body freezing up, as the remaining, living Betsumon all set their gaze on him. "Th-The 'ell?! Wh-Why can't I-?!" The dark dragon muttered to himself in panic, before it all became clear. "O'course... Cold Gag... Should'a seen this comin'. It's an attack that allows Digimon like y'guys t'freeze y'r foes solid..." He grumbled, as each the Betsumon that stopped Gulus cold in his tracks all jumped up to the air, before coming down to punch him at speeds that could nearly match Zorch's.

With the speed of their descent only adding to the force of their next attack and with all but his head frozen solid due to the effects of Cold Gag, Gulus could only watch as the large group of cat-like humanoid Digimon broke the ice surrounding his body, and ultimately sent him careening into a tree. "G-Gulus!" Casey worriedly shouted, as she ran over to the black dragon man Digimon's side. "I'unno why ya even care this much about me, Spicy, but ya r'lly don't always need t'worry 'bout me gettin' hurt like when m' lil' bro does. Ah've fought way worse 'mons than these pseudo pod-people back'n th' Digital World, all to ensure that I c'ld have a way f'r us t'survive." Gulus weakly chuckled, as Casey knew very well what the blackened Betel lookalike meant. The Betsumon all viciously smirked, slowly but surely beginning to surround Gulus from around every possible vantage point possible, each and every one of them about to hit him with another Tsukkomi Punch en masse, but that's when a familiar voice had managed to abruptly stop the (quite literal) copycats dead in their tracks.

"That's far enough." Katie said sternly, the Flexers by her side, as Gulus tilted his head back at the four, showing an emotion he normally never would reveal- Concern. "T-Tea Biscuit, get back! Ah'm th' only one who c'n fight these fleabags wi'out runnin' the risk o' gettin' nixed!" Gulus nearly halfway stuttered, trying to persuade the eldest of the Fontaine twins and her partners not to fight a battle that was clearly his as he tried to get up, but felt pain jolt through his body, keeping him from moving. "We're not gonna just up and leave you and Casey to fend for yourselves against these fakers, Gulus..." Katie mumbled, as the thought of the arithmetic test crossed her mind again, making her think of potentially running and finishing what she initially felt was more important to her, but she quickly remembered Kraw's words from earlier.

'Hear me out, Katie- The good that you do to help others who are in need is never for nothing. It's like the whole 'what goes around, comes around' kinda thing. You may not always get what you want, but real kindness is never wasted.'

"Kraw was right." Katie had then realized. "This whole entire time, I've been worried and completely about the test at school, and while I hate that I have to be the one to make the sacrifice, it's something only I can do because I have the power to do it at all! Maybe that'll cost me my place on the Student Council, but if I don't help now, there won't be a Student Council to be part of! With such great power comes a great responsibility- For you to use it so you can help people when they can't find the strength or courage to protect themselves. And when you choose to help, to be kind, the good you do is never lost. It makes those around you stronger! Even if you don't get to see it yourself, putting aside your own wants for the sake of others is never for nothing!" She then shouted, as the interface of Casey's D-Vigor lit up with speckles of orange light amongst the gray background, while the glass circle in the center of Katie's Pendit began to radiate an orange and black light, as she looked over to her partners. "Let's show them what we can really do. Just... Be careful not to touch their claws." The eldest of the Fontaine twins told them, as each of the three Flexers began to glow with an orange light that coated their bodies. "Don't worry, Katie; We got this!" Kraw told her with a determined smile, as the three orange Mixels charged into battle, the light growing brighter and brighter still, until the three shining Flexers became one entity, and ultimately formed a brand-new tribal Max.

This new Max seemed almost like a crayfish- more specifically, a lobster, that seemed to have a somewhat nearly uncanny resemblance to Balk. The Max itself seemed to have a long body with a pair of large, squiggly tentacle arms- one on each side. It also had four legs, each one with black at the top, and orange at the bottoms of all four of the legs. It also had a tail with suckers, with large grey attachments connecting each one. The first and second parts of the tail seemed to consist of cap-like parts, with the top half having a pointy orange top. The head also appeared to have a jaw with two teeth on both sides, and the top part of the jaw included a round head, with a squarish, nose-like attachment. It also had two eyes connected to two smaller tentacles, making it have a somewhat small resemblance to a snail, and finally, the rest of the Max's head sloped downwards along its own body.

[Cue Insert Theme- 'Cat Meets Sweets' from KiraKira☆Pretty Cure a La Mode, performed by Fujita Saki {CV; Yukari Kotozume / Cure Macaron}.]

https://youtu.be/ULXxKP6QTsQ

Looking at the new form that her partners had taken on, her confidence higher than the clouds in the sky, Katie smiled brightly, as Gulus could only look at the two of them with a sense of pride visible on his face. "Heh. Looks like m'work here's done, now that Tea Biscuit's finally gotten h'r true self attained." He mumbled as a Magenta light slowly covered the dark Digivolution's body, turning Gulus back into his younger brother Gammamon, who was now sitting underneath the tree, completely exuberant to see Casey Almenera by his side once more. "Ohh~! Casey! Jellymon! I think me and my big bro did it! We proved that the two of us are really us!" He smiled, as he jumped into his human partner's arms, as Casey just embraced her partner in a hug within her grasp, her eyes all teary. "Yeah... Gammamon, look, I'm really sorry. If I weren't fooled, I would've gone to find you, Jellymon, Katie, and the others who weren't fooled...!" The girl from Spain sadly muttered as she attempted to dry her own tears that she was now shedding, as Gammamon simply pulled out a tissue from the tissue box that was in his teddy bear backpack. 

"Okay, I'm starting to think that maybe I was being a little bit too harsh..." Jellymon mumbled to herself, as she then sighed. "Lil' Candle, it's fine! Honestly, a lot of Digimon back in the Digital World have been fooled by the multiple disguises that the Betsumon have used in the past. So, it makes at least a bit of sense that you and the others would be deceived." She calmly explained, before turning to Katie, seeing that two Betsumon were slowly approaching her, about to hit her from behind with Tsukkomi Punch. "HEY, SAGE, HEADS UP!" The Mollusk Digimon shouted at the top of her lungs, as she went through her pockets, and chucked the Grappling hook at the eldest of the Fontaine Twins, who caught it, and hearing the malicious chuckles of the two Digital Monsters behind her, Katie quickly turned around and used it to shoot the hook at another tree branch, and kicked the Betsumon as she zipped over to the tree branch, and stood on top of it (Luckily for her, the branch was extremely sturdy). "Wh- Jellymon, where the heck / infierno did you get a grappling hook?!" Both Casey and Katie shouted at her at the same time, as Jellymon nervously looked around, before coming up with the perfect excuse. "Well, Sage & Lil' Candle, the both of you can simply just say that I've had more than enough experience with tinkering with gadgets and gizmos galore with some help from an old friend that I knew back in the Digital World..." The mollusk Digimon diffidently muttered, as Henry had finally arrived. "Hey, you guys. Sorry that the two of us are late, I-" 

"Hen, what do you mean by 'us'? ¿Dónde demonios está Flain?!" Casey worriedly shouted at her older brother. Looking down by his side, Henry soon saw that the Infernite leader was nowhere to be seen, let alone anywhere in sight. 'Maldito, where did he go...?' Henry then thought to himself anxiously. He was with him a few minutes ago, so where the heck did Flain run off to?

_______________________________________________________________________________

[Pause insert theme]

The Betsumon that had been posing as Gammamon for a few days was sneakily making his way through the forest covering his I-Cubit shard claws, which were now completely broken off from Gulus' Dead-End Skewer attack, unaware he'd actually been spotted by someone else. With his head turned most of the way around to constantly make sure that he wasn't being followed by anybody; he never saw the other being that he'd run directly into. Betsumon quickly fell to the ground, not even remotely expecting a solid object to be standing in his way.

"And where do you think you're going?" The voice growled.

________________________________________________________________________________

[Resume insert theme]

"Well, wherever Flain is, I'm sure he's probably fine." Casey calmed down some, as Gammamon nodded. "Yeah! Papi is tough, so he'll be able to handle anything he might find while he's missing!" Gammamon smiled, as he looked over to Henry, who nodded, and due to the power of his Duo Synchro with the white triceratopsian Digimon, managed to Digivolve Gammamon into Wezen Gammamon during the time Casey had her D-Vigor, and then Canoweissmon the moment it attached itself to Henry's wrist. "Katie, I've got a plan, but I need you to trust me!" The older Almenera sibling told her, as Katie simply nodded. "Yeah. I'm with you all the way, Henny." She determinedly nodded (despite Henry's embarrassment towards the nickname), as she jumped onto the Flexers Max's back, and as the group of Betsumon charged towards Canoweissmon, the large Sky Dragon Digimon looking back at the Almenera siblings, Jellymon, the other Mixels present, and the duo of human girl and Tribal Max as if to say, 'Stay behind me', as he flew up into the sky, and the moment that the ultimate-level form of Gammamon was above everyone's heads, Henry saw a familiar word flow into his mind.

[メテオルクス.]

"METEOR LUX!" Henry shouted, as Canoweissmon then spreaded his wings out, causing a bright and dazzling light to radiate from the insides of his wings, which soon began to rain down upon the Betsumon like meteor showers, each strike knocking the corrupted Digimon every which way similarly to how one would toss and throw a ragdoll around and the likes, all while some stray meteors started cracking the I-cubit shards that made up their claws, slowly but surely weakening their corruptive effects with each meteor's strike due to Canoweissmon's Duo Synchro ability of Illuminance.

"Alright, you guys! Their I-cubit shard claws should no longer be a problem from this point onwards, so go wild!" Canoweissmon shouted with a determined smile as he looked back at Katie and the Flexers Max, who both nodded. "You got it, Canoweissmon! Katie, let's put an end to this once and for all!" The orange max said with Kraw's voice as it looked up at the human on its back, as she nodded in complete and total agreement, and while the Max just used its black tentacle arms to push itself up high into the air, Katie saw a new word appear within her mind as she and the Max came crashing down on the Betsumon.

[弾性スラム.]

"ELASTIC SLAM!" Katie shouted, as she and the Max descended upon the Betsumon, creating a shockwave that slammed the army of humanoid cat Digimon into one another, before each one of them hit several trees, the drained I-cubit shards that acted as claws breaking off, revealing smaller black claws that truly appeared to be part of the paws of their catlike costumes. As the shockwaves began to die down, the Flexers Max let Katie slide off its back, and afterwards, the max began to glow with orange light before splitting apart back into Kraw, Balk, and Tentro.

________________________________________________________________________________

[End Insert Theme]

"We did it, Guys! We saved the day!" Katie happily cheered as she grabbed all three of the Flexers and embraced them in a hug. "And not just that, Katie, but you also had your Awakening, too!" Wizwuz smiled happily and excitedly wagged his tail, as everyone else celebrated the defeat of the once-Corrupted army of Betsumon, all of whom started to run back to wherever they had come from- Oxnard, no doubt. However, amidst the celebration among the two Digimon, eight Mixels, and three humans, there was still one question that was left to ponder-

"Wait, I feel like we're forgetting somebody, you guys..." Casey muttered to herself, as Henry and Katie had both looked over to her. "What do you mean, Hermana?" Henry then confusedly asked his younger sister, before the answer to his question came charging right out of the forest, chasing a specific Digital Monster.

"THIS BIRD'S GONNA KILL ME!!" When the Betsumon reappeared from within the woods, he was constantly tripping over himself, both his costumed body and his covered with dirt, burns, and many more signs that he'd been in a one-sided fight. "I ain't done with you yet!! Get back here!!" A furious voice echoed over the din, and out of the woods came charging none other than Flain, looking more like a bull than a bird. It was both amazing and horrifying seeing the Infernite leader in this furious state, the fire on his head blazing higher and hotter than anyone had ever seen before. His eyes were pinpoints of black lost in a sea of white as he locked in on his target. It was obvious that he was nowhere near done claiming retribution for the injustice brought about on the Digimon he loved so much.

"They do say to fear the wrath of a patient man. Or should I say, 'a patient Mixel' in this case?" Jellymon muttered with a grin on her face, watching the show go down. This was a shared sentiment among the others, as they refused to get between a furious Flain and the Digimon who'd wronged him.

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The next day at the Almenera household while Casey and Kiyo were at School, Jellymon (and by proxy, Maya and Tes) and Gammamon (With some assistance from some of the Infernites) were on a Google Duo chat with Alya, Angoramon, Seismo, and Shuff. "So, that's what really happened?" Alya asked Gammamon, who happily nodded. "Yeppers-Peppers! True story! Papi even chased one of the copycats around til he got tired, too!" Gammamon said with a smile as he went over to Flain's side, as the Infernite leader was currently resting up on the couch. "But on the plus side, Katie had her awakening during the fight, AND we put a stop to the Betsumon, too!" Burnard laughed. "Though, you told us you, Wizzy, the twins, and Compactor-Jaws couldn't tell the others what was really going on. How come?" Jellymon asked him, as the Chameleon-esque Infernite's eyes widened. "W-Well, you see, it's tied into how we knew about everything. We were able to see past their disguises, but they dragged us away from the others, and told us if we told anyone the truth, they'd start a takeover on the town in an instant!" He explained, as Teslo lightly sighed. "Well, I guess we can be grateful that Katie and the Flexers were out and about when the Betsumon enacted their plan. If it weren't for them, we'd probably be screwed!" The Electroid leader admitted, as Maya nodded. "Plus, Kii told me that he told Angelwood's higher ups that she could keep her place on the School's Student Council!" Maya brightly smiled, as Angoramon laughed a bit, before reciting a new haiku. "If you wish to know whether the figure you see is real or fake, you should make the choice to open your heart, therefore understanding the worth of real kindness." The rabbit Digimon beamed, as Gammamon rested a claw on his chest, hiding a tiny bump underneath his Bandanna, while Jellymon slowly and nervously floated out of the room.

"You okay, Jellymon?" Flurr asked as he flew over to her side, as the mollusk Digimon just stopped in her tracks and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine, Flurry-Blurry. I'm just gonna head down to the kitchen and make myself some tea." She prevaricated, as she resumed to make her move to head outside and sit out by the front door (Before making herself a cup of rose petal tea, of course) of the Shima/Kaminari household, ultimately leaving her alone in silence with her thoughts over something she remembered seeing at the Oracles of the Eye. "If that book is what I think it is, then if push comes to shove, I can call them over to help me..." She said to herself, looking down at her tea, seeing 5 silhouettes, each one colored a different color: Blue, Purple, Yellow, Pink, & Green. As each one quickly faded away after the other, Jellymon just closed her eyes, and said one sentence-

"They may owe me one for helping me find a way out of their domain, but I REALLY hope that I don't have to gamble everything in my future upon a roll of the dice, or potentially even end up having the Black Book close upon my own life...."