FILE 005 - NEW FRIENDS
Good morning! When we last saw our heroes, they had just convinced Kabuterimon and Kuwagamon to return to Floatia. Jijimon also messaged us, telling us that he dug up some information.
Before leaving Power Plant #2, we head up to the building to collect some more Conductor Lemons when…
…our partners change into digital champions, hopefully to save the digital world.
Ryuki decides to go green and becomes Woodmon. That’s fine, at least he didn’t become a Numemon.
Bruce becomes, probably because I said I was going for green Digimon,
A dark fox. Bruce was slated to become Vegiemon, but I guess the really good stat gains from the battles last night caused them to qualify for more Digivolutions.
Because Bruce cannot use any of the moves we currently have, the game automatically gives us one of the weaker ones they can use. Dark Spirit isn’t much to sneeze at now, but later in the game it can abuse several mechanics that make it one of the most powerful attacks available.
Our partners are certainly becoming stronger, though there’s plenty of room for improvement. Let’s not keep the old mon waiting. We run back to Floatia…
“Apparently there are other humans apart from yourself in the Digital World!”
“Seriously?! So I’m not alone here…”
“If they’ve suddenly been thrown into this world in the same way you were,
they’re probably in trouble. Considering the strange incidents with the Machinedramon,
you should also go check them out. If we can exchange information, maybe we can find
out why humans have been pulled into the Digital World. And maybe we could solve some
other mysteries, too… like how we can send you all home.”
“I’ll get right on it.”
“The witness reports are coming from the south of Nigh Plains. Be careful!”
The scene ends, and Jijimon immediately tells us about our latest recruits.
“Let’s go over the Digimon who have returned since last time.”
“Wormmon can tell you what your partner’s favorite food is.
Numemon is hanging around the bathroom… I wonder what it’s doing there?
Kabuterimon can improve gear in the Training Hall!
Kuwagamon likes to hang out in the Training Hall at night! What will he do for you?”
JIJIMON'S DAY HAS BEEN MADE [07] TIMES
Every Digimon we’ve brought back so far has been worth exactly 1 point.
Nice! Between recruiting those Digimon and the traveling we did, we’ve gained two levels!
The perks we go with are Skill Observation, which increases our chance of learning new attacks, and Life Boost, which simply lets our Digimon live a little longer.
Man, it just keeps coming back to Power Plant #2, huh?
“This place feels right… I think I’ll stay here…”
“Oh, yeah, I found this the other day. Here!”
Numemon gives us a free Portable Toilet every day.
“Hmmm… I can find more if you like that kind of junk…”
“Come back when you feel like it.”
Of course Numemon would think they’re trash.
We stop by Tentomon’s shop to triple our cash.
“Hoo boy, those are some expensive nuts!”
And we even spare a moment for Zugbug.
“But still, I want to be helpful to you! What to do, what to do…”
“Oh, I know! I’ll tell you about your Digimon’s favorite foods!”
There are two “favorite” categories Digimon can have: Their Preference encompasses an entire food group, and heir Favorite is a single item. Naturally, feeding your Digimon a preferred item gives a boost to mood and bond, and their favorite gives an even larger boost to them. Since mood improves training results, it’s a good idea to feed your partners well when they wake up, if you want to take full advantage of this.
“Ryuki prefers vegetables, and loves Digistalks!”
“Bruce prefers mushrooms, and loves Digistalks!”
Wow, so both of them are super easy to please. Let’s step into the Training Hall for a second…
“I MODIFY TRAINING GEAR! USE GEAR A LOT. SAVE POWER. FIGHT HARD!”
Yep. You see those little bars above the little Agumon training graphics? Once we’ve filled it for a particular stat, we can pay Kabuterimon quite a lot of BIT to upgrade that piece of equipment, getting bigger stat boosts whenever we train with it.
Before we head out again, we boost their HP, stamina, and strength a fair amount, in the hopes that we avoid another Kabuterimon incident. At night, Kuwagamon arrives at the Training Hall.
Wonderful. 
“I DIG HOLES AND SLEEP DURING THE DAY. NIGHTTIME IS MY TIME.”
Every night, Kuwagamon will give us a bird-shaped radish. Feeding it to one of our Digimon will increase the results of HP and speed training for about 3 hours. I’m gonna stockpile them for future generations.
We set out to find these other humans the next day.
Back at Power Plant #2, you may notice it’s a little quiet. The game is nice enough to clear the wild Digimon from an area when there’s a story event nearby. (presumably so you don’t accidentally teleport over an event’s trigger and break the game by entering a fight in the wrong spot)
We gather our usual round of materials and begin to look for signs of human activity.
Said activities may include “just chilling.” So, are they friend, or foe?
[DIALOGUE] Oh boy, humans!
[NEW MUSIC] Temper’s Minuet
We approach the stranger while Salamon, their dog-shaped digi-buddy approaches us.
“Himari! Look! Look! It’s a human!”
“I told you. We don’t know what’s going on here, so we have to be careful.”
“But, but… This person looks kind!”
“Those are the most dangerous types of people! It’s not normal, and probably not sincere!”
I’d say she’s being a little rude to someone she just met, but I guess you can’t blame someone for being cautious when you’re in a world where anything can suddenly become a robotic murdersaurus.
Regardless, before DigiDesmond has a chance to respond…
…someone else approaches us.
Nice sweater vest, buddy.
“Hey, Himari. Kouta changed completely too, you know.”
“Hmmm… Maybe it’s okay, then.”
“So we’re good? Alri-”
“Even in the presence of a beautiful girl like me…”
“He didn’t turn into a big bad wolf or anything, you know.”
“He looked after Pabumon and Yuramon too, after all. Kouta really is a good person.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing important. We’re discussing whether or not this person is a big bad wolf.”
“Anyway… At least tell us your name, okay?”
“Before you ask someone’s name, isn’t it polite to give your own name first?”
Guilmon’s voice here really caught me off-guard my first time through. I definitely recommend checking out the dialogue video just to hear it.
“Yukimora, you’re always so formal. You said the exact same thing when we first met.”
“It’s called manners. It really goes without saying.”
Yep. Guilmon, a Digimon normally characterized as a rambunctious goofball, is an A+ gentlemon in this game.
“Well, I guess I need to learn by your example. Show us how it’s done.”
“Fine. My name is Yukimora. This is my partner Kouta.”
“I’m Kouta Hirose. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Rikka! I’m Himari’s partner.”
“And I am Himari Oofuchi.”
“My name is DigiDesmond, and my partners are Bruce and Ryuki.”
“I see. That’s a good name.”
“Huh? I’ve heard that name somewhere…”
Guess Himari reads the thread.
“Hmmm…”
“Kouta… Do you have something to eat?”
“Only two Digistalks… I want to go in farther, but there’s an aggressive Digimon in the way.”
“There’s not much around here for Digimon to eat.”
“Someone hasn’t been to Forest Path. Or Floatia for that matter.”
“We don’t even know how to get back to our own world.”
“Oh yeah! DigiDesmond, how did you get here?”
Yeah, that’ll do.
“You can’t get back to the real world, even from, um, Floatia?”
“Well… If you’re still here, there really must be no way back, right?”
“Could the problem be the Machinedramon attacks? This world is in trouble…”
“No thanks to you, Kouta…”
“But first things first. What do we do about this?”
“Well, let’s see if we can get to Floatia.”
“We can take these Digimon too, right?”
“What, you think we should abandon actual babies? Of course you save them.”
Himari and Kouta go to Floatia, so you can guess what our next destination is.
Oh, right, Jijimon mentioned that having two partners made us a bit of an anomaly. Perhaps Himari was worried that we were some kind of hacker?
[DIALOGUE] Back to Floatia we go, then.
“DigiDesmond… That name you told us!”
“What? Didn’t you hear the first time?”
“You don’t remember anything, Kouta?”
“I’m supposed to know this person or something?”
“Do you remember the national Digital Monsters tournament when we were in 5th grade?”
“Of course! We only got into the top four, but it was still one of the best moments of my life.”
“Me, too. We both lost in the semifinals…”
“But the person who got to the finals…”
“What?! It was DigiDesmond?!”
“You’d figure a name like DigiDesmond would be hard to forget.”
“Kouta was so nervous, I don’t think he’d remember you, DigiDesmond.”
“Why do you look like you’re about to punch someone?”
“Heh heh heh… Anyway… Where is Jijimon’s house?”
“It’s… the only building that isn’t a gym.”
[DIALOGUE] We have to follow them inside to continue the cutscene.
“Of the four strongest participants in the same tournament,”
“three have mysteriously been pulled into the Digital World.”
“I feel like this has to be more than just coincidence.”
“This Digivice was a runners-up prize for those in the semifinals.”
“That must be what brought us here.”
“Does that mean the other semifinalist is here, too?”
“Maybe… Or maybe they didn’t use their Digivice yet.”
“We can only guess…”
“Digivices that only you people carry…”
“If we weren’t in so much trouble already, I’d want to investigate these devices.”
“How dangerous are all these Machinedramon attacks?”
“They’re very dangerous. They might mean the end of the Digital World.”
“If we could do something about the Machinedramon…”
“Will you help us get back to the real world?”
“Yes. I have already made a promise to DigiDesmond.”
“We’ll do anything we can to help, if there’s a way to get back to the real world.”
“So what should we do?”
“DigiDesmond has been bringing residents back to Floatia and greatly assisting in its recovery.”
“There’s still the threat of the violent Digimon… Would you perhaps act as bodyguards?”
“Bodyguards? That sounds super cool! Leave it to us!”
“Heh! You sound motivated, at least.
Anyway, I’ve been building a device that will be able to detect the presence of Machinedramon.
It will take some time for me to finish it, with just me working on it.”
“You heard the mon, Kouta. Get to work!”
“Actually, I’m hoping to enlist the cooperation of the world’s wisest man.
Will you go to Logic Volcano and find Taomon?
He can be something of a slow starter, so this may be a tough request, but I’m counting on you.”
“Alright. Bruce, Ryuki, let’s go!”
It looks like we’ll have to pass through the desert to reach the volcano. Let’s see what our new friends have to say on the matter…
“You’re helping us, so we’ll help you. Go and find this Taomon!”
“I’ll guard Floatia with my life! Don’t you worry!”
Himari and Rikka are nowhere to be found. They’re probably patrolling somewhere. It’s also getting late, so we train for the night and prepare to set out in the morning.
Worth noting that a lot of non-basic foods will actually give us permanent stat boosts. 10 HP/MP isn’t much, but it’s something.
We’ve also filled the meter on the stamina equipment. 10,000 BIT is a lot, but I assure you, it’s worth the cost. DigiDesmond sleeps on it.
…and sleeping grants him another level! We’ve also hit the point where we’ll get 4 TP every level instead of 3.
Let’s go ahead and learn this one for the future. When our partners finally croak, they’ll be reborn with a higher percentage of their former stats. The rest of the “Reverse Type” skills increase this percentage.
Koromon will occasionally give you medicine with the other items. Normally, medicine will help our Digimon if they get sick. Today, however, it’s going to help us get rich!
(Don’t worry, this is actually the second medicine we’ve gotten, I’m keeping it to the side just in case)
We dump the Medicine and a few foraged items to push us over 10,000 BIT.
“A pleasure doin’ business with ya, homie!”
Demonstrating our upgraded stamina gear. Level 2 gear gives 10 more of the stat if used directly (as seen with Bruce), and 3 more of the stat if used as “neighboring gear.” (as seen with Ryuki)
Enough dallying, we have a desert/volcano to explore!
[NEW MUSIC] Sentimental Sand Storage
…and we can’t see a damn thing. Don’t let this screen fool you, Server Desert isn’t so bad when you leave this room. Thankfully, Noise Storm is a tiny, circular area, so it’s not like the sandnoisestorm is actually a hindrance.
“Yeah, darn that Togemon! What did Togemon do, exactly?”
“Even though my special move is so cool and strong! I’ll never go back there!”
“Hmph! What is this…? Are you a human?!”
“What are you doing in a place like this? Is this your first time here?”
Veemon hijacks the camera and slooowly pans across the desert while he talks.
“The old break room called Oasis has a vending machine and a toilet.”
“I hear a tower of new-type servers lies deep within.”
“Head out west to reach Ohguino Wastelands, Logic Volcano is to the south.”
“But beware, the Digimon out there are stronger than the ones in Nigh Plains.”
A few items do spawn in the area, and there are a bunch of Gotsumon running about. They have more health than Digimon in Nigh Plains, but they’re not much of a threat unless we fight several of them at once.
Oh look, this one just became a Meteormon.
The center of the room has a spot that lets you dig up a bunch of DigiOil, which is nice.
Heading west takes us to Server Cemetery. This area features the oasis that Veemon mentioned.
And Togemon, also mentioned. Those Geremon in the background are extremely aggressive, and they’ll attempt to chase us if we get any closer than this.
“Veemon learned a new move.”
“But it still has lots of flaws, so it’s incomplete. It lacks something.”
“I want Veemon to get stronger, so I said, “that move lacks something,” you know.”
“Then that 'mon just got mad and ran off! I must have been too harsh…”
“Veemon’s gotten stronger, but it’s still a child. I’m worried…”
“I already know where he is, but sure, I’ll go look for him.”
“…Really? Can I… can I count on you, then?”
“…Then please, it’s up to you. You must bring Veemon back!”
We run back to Noise Storm, taking out a few more Gotsumon along the way. This one has a skill that boosts their defense. Buffing abilities are nice to have, hopefully we’ll get some soon.
Ryuki decides to suck the life out of a few of them. (I don’t think this actually heals him)
Look at them, they’re so proud of themselves.
“The nerve, saying, “Your special move lacks something!””
“My Veemon Headbutt is perfect, I tells ya!”
“What an awful thing to say, right?!”
“Togemon wants you to come back.”
“What?! Togemon said that?!”
“Togemon was trying to help you improve your move, dude.”
“They want you to be stronger, they were just looking out for you.”
“…and I got mad and stormed off… I can’t just go back like this, it’s lame…”
“Gimme some time… I’ll go back after I get stronger.”
“Still, just how’m I supposed to do that…?”
“I think I can help with that.” *cracks knuckles*
“Wow, ya will?! Whatta champ!”
“I guess this is… kinda like having a rival, heh heh!”
“Awriiight, let’s go! I’ll get stronger by fighting with ya!”
[VIDEO] We proceed to beat up a child.
[NEW MUSIC] Justice in Combat
This really isn’t Veemon’s day. Poor kid doesn’t even get a chance to attack.
Of course, not being able to make a move in the first place is the same as saying “your move sucks.”
“But thanks to you, I got a hint on how to fix it! Thanks, yo!”
“Don’t “yo” me, please.”
“You and I, now we’re real buds, yeah?!”
“I’m going to the city to train some more! Tell Togemon, will ya?! Thanks, bud!”
Veemon joins the city! He doesn’t do much yet, but he’s actually a very important Digimon. Still, if we want a (totally inaccurate) total of the materials we’ve gathered thus far, he’s there for us.
On our way back to Togemon, we take a second to acquire minerals. Sitting on the tip of an outcropping, this node looks like it would have something interesting, but it doesn’t.
“Yeah, what a worry-wait, are you making fun of me?!”
Let’s try that again…
“I found Veemon.”
“…Oh! Thank you! I see… Veemon said it was time for more training…”
“But even though Veemon’s a greenhorn, you still won? You’ve got talent!”
“Yeah, beating up a child sure was a challenge.”
“I want to see it for myself… Let’s fight!”
“Sure, bring it on!”
“Right answer! …Okay, let’s do it!”
“Now you’ll face powers not unlike those of an adolescent!”
Togemon gives the best “bring it” pose they can muster.
Without hesitation, Ryuki and Bruce just jump down Togemon’s throat. Our partners are killers, I tell ya!
Togemon waits entirely too long to use a decent move. It’s nowhere near as powerful as Kabuterimon’s death rock. though.
And we’re done here.
“If I train I’ll get stronger and stronger! I’ll be waiting in the city’s gym!”
Togemon joins the city! Togemon is the daytime version of Kuwagamon. If we talk to them before dusk, they’ll give us a different vegetable. If we stick around Floatia, we’ll get two veggies per day.
With Togemon recruited, we have no reason to linger in this area for some time.
We return to Noise Storm and head south, as the sun begins to set.
I’m pretty sure this area is supposed to be named “Hallowed Hall” and someone just goofed while translating. At least, this area doesn’t lead to a Hallowed Hall of any kind. Also, there’s a colossal Nanimon back there. Another one of those Elites that rarely pop up. I think we could beat the Numemon at this point, but this Nanimon would quite literally 
all over us.
Before reloading the screen though, there’s a lot of goodies stashed in the corner. I’m sure nobody will mind if I scoop these-
-ah, hell. Somebody does mind.
“All things here belong to me, Garudamon!”
“If you want to take that… it means you’re ready to face the music, right?!”
This is actually pretty rude. Garudamon appears much, much earlier than he should, and he’s pretty far out of our league. (His weakest attack would top Kabuterimon’s boulder) Even if we somehow beat him, he can’t do anything until the next act of the story, so it’s kind of pointless.
“Uh, whoops. I think I left my DigiBake oven on.”
“As long as you understand, I’ll let you off the hook this time!”
“But don’t think there’ll be a second time… Remember, this turf belongs to me…”
We take out our frustrations on a local poopslug. Wait, it’s up to something…
Geremon literally spat some at Bruce, and Bruce is pissed. Rage causes the afflicted Digimon to exclusively target the one who caused it, and they’re more likely to take critical hits while they’re raging.
Ryuki steals Geremon’s soul as payback.
A BlackGarurumon is hanging around the end of Hallowed Hall.
May as well beat it up while we’re here. BlackGarurumon is pretty durable.
And he’s capable of slowing us down.
But enough about him, let’s kill his soul.
Nice.
With that, we leave the Server Desert behind us and emerge in Logic Volcano. What awaits us within this burning hell? How does Ryuki’s oaken body survive being surrounded by embers and ash? Why does Taomon live in a bloody volcano? We’ll find out next time!