A/N: Hello everyone to another main case chapter. So after this main case chapter and the next anime filler arc, it will be another case chapter with Detective Matayoshi. Now before we start this chapter, we would like to go over a few things. Originally, me and Panther J were planning a Director's Cut version of this story after we have finished it, but then we decided to put the DC into the story. Now I'm sure you guys noticed this, but Panther J has made a new OC for this story who is based on Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Hacker's Memory protagonist, but he will have his own Digimon partner who is Coronamon and he has a special way to make his partner Digimon which should be familiar to you all as we start this chapter. Finally, there will be anime shows who will be in the Hacker's Memory part of this story. So we're combining both the plots of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth and Hacker's Memory together and we will make them connect and make the two stories canon in this fanfic. So without further ado, here is Chapter 21.

Chapter 21: Enter Hudie Member Nagi! The Power of Digimon Natural Ability! New Friendships Are Born!

After blasting off Team Rocket into the distance, our heroes were able to save Ash and his friends from having their Pokemon taken away and said trio wining for the first time in twenty years. So, after saving them from Team Rocket and their robot, Ichika and the gang decided to lead their new visitors back to the real world while also explaining to them about their situation. But not before the Cyber Sleuths introduced themselves to their new visitors.

"So, what you're saying is that we're inside of a place called Kowloon that's part of a massive network known as EDEN." Alec said as he started to piece together what the Cyber Sleuths told him and his friends. "And that those guys we've been seeing before all of you were known as hackers and that you saw us in a vision last night. Is that about it?"

"Yeah, that about sums it up. It's just as we explained it to you." Houki answered him with a nod. "And believe us, you guys aren't the first ones to have come here under a strange phenomenon and you certainly won't be the last. I have a feeling we'll be seeing more and more visitors from other worlds down the line." All the otherworldlers all nodded in agreement as they knew what she was talking about.

"And those creatures you were using to help us against Team Rocket, what were they called again? Digimon?" Clemont asked.

"Yes, that's right. They're known as Digimon, short for Digital Monsters." Char answered him with a smile. "They're our friends and partners that has helped us in several battles over a month and we've only just added two more into the group." She gestures over to Guilmon and Beastmon whom both nodded to confirm.

"But how did they go from that form they were in before to this form?" Serena asked confusedly. "None of our Pokemon could do that because when they evolve, they stay like that and never turned back. So how did your partners do that?"

"It's because those forms you saw were their Champion forms, a stronger form they take during battle." Twoearle answered as she explains "Whenever there's a fight against a stronger opponent that requires a little more power, they digivolve into their Champion forms to gain an advantage over that opponent. And once the battle's over, they return to their Rookie forms which what you see now. The only exceptions to that rule are Gatomon and Beastmon, both of whom remain in their Champion and Ultimate forms respectively." All the Digimon nodded in agreement.

"The way you explained that, it sounds a lot like Mega Evolutions and that form Ash's Greninja takes." Randy said, understanding what Twoearle was saying. "But the only difference I can think of between what you told us and Mega Evolutions is that it happens during the battle when you need to gain the upper hand on your opponent. And after the battle's over, the Pokemon returns back to their normal selves."

"Mega Evolutions? What's that? And how is it like our Digivolving?" Agumon asked confusedly.

"From what we know, Mega Evolutions are forms that some Pokemon can take to gain an upper hand in battle." Clemont answered him as he explains "But to activate it, you'll need special stones to activate it and the Pokemon needs a strong bond with their Trainers. In these forms, the Pokemon becomes much more stronger and its appearance even changes to reflect their newfound power."

"But as we also said, the only exception to that is Ash's Greninja as he has his own form." Alec stepped in "We're not sure why Greninja is the only one that can become that form, but at the same time it's not like Mega Evolution. And if what we learned from Sanpei at his village was true, then Greninja's form could be just as strong as Mega Evolutions that doesn't require a Mega Stone."

"Whoa… that's just amazing…" Zoey gasped in awe. "I had no idea that there were other ways to transform into a more powerful form without a specific item. And who would've thought that your Pokemon and their Digimon are so similar in a lot of ways."

"Now that you mentioned it, they do look almost alike to each other." Reitia agrees with a smile. "At first glance, they do look different from each other, one looking like a small dinosaur and the other a yellow mouse, but if you take a closer look, they're not so apart at all." Both Pikachu and Agumon looked at each and both seems to think that she's right as they could feel a connection between them.

"Ya know, maybe she's right about us. We're not so different from each other at all." Agumon said with a smile. "Just by looking at you, it feels like I've known you all my life even though this is the first time we've met. And not only that, but we both always want to protect our partners with everything we've got and never leave their sides."

"Pika Pikachu Pi." Pikachu agrees with a smile.

"Well, it looks like both Pikachu and Agumon have just formed a bond with each other." Ichika smiled as he placed his hand on his hip. "And like he said that even though they've just met, it feels like they've known each other for years. It's almost like they were meant to finally meet up with each other."

"Yeah, you could be right, Ichika. And I think it could be the same with us." Ash agrees with a smile. "I always felt like there was someone out there who's similar to me, but I could never find that person back home. But maybe I was just looking in the wrong place and that he was closer than I thought, but in another world altogether. Maybe much like Pikachu and Agumon, I think the same can be said with us."

"It could be possible, Ash. But only time will tell." Ichika agreed. "And before we reach the office, we need to pay another visit to Mirei at the DigiLab. We'll need to ask her a favor about Graham and Guilmon." Everyone nodded in agreement while the Pokemon Trainers and the Sohmas were confused.

"Mirei? Who's that? And what's a DigiLab? And what does it have to do with me and Guilmon?" Graham asked confusedly.

"Well, since you now have a Digimon partner, we figured that Mirei could update your Digivice." Houki answered him. "That way you can bring Guilmon into the real world whenever it's just us around. Of course, he can still talk to you while inside your Digivice, but we believe that it's better to let him out from time to time." Both Guilmon and Graham looked at each other and were thinking the same thing.

"What do you think, Guilmon? Should we take up on their idea of updating my Digivice to let you out in the real world?" Graham asked his partner with a smile.

"Guilmon believes Grahammon should. That way, Guilmon can always be by Grahammon's side." Guilmon answered with a smile.

"Then it's settled. Time to head for the DigiLab and meet with Mirei." Tatenashi smiled with a snap of her fingers. "I'm sure that she'll be more than happy to upgrade your Digivice and have Guilmon interact with us." She then turns to Graham's siblings. "And when you guys get your Digimon partners, I'm sure she'll do the same with you."

"You know, I like the sound of that. Being able to interact with your Digimon sounds like a fun time." Whitney smiled.

"But where can we find this DigiLab you've mentioned? Is it on another server or forum?" Emile asked them.

"Not exactly, you can only access the DigiLab through an Access Point." Satoru answered him as he explains "It has like its own area that no one but us can enter. It can be accessed by Access Points all around Kowloon, the real world or even its own room just outside of the office so it's never too far behind."

"But where are we gonna find this Access Point to enter the DigiLab?" Clemont asked him as he pondered about this "You said that they're all around here, but I don't see one. How are we going to meet with this Mirei person?"

"Don't worry, I'm sure there's one close by. We just need to look around, that's all." Liz answered him with a smile. "And once we do find it, we'll be able to meet with Mirei and she'll take it from there." The Cyber Sleuths all nod in agreement and started to look around for an Access Point until Bonnie spots it.

"Hey, is that one of those Access Point things you were talking about?" Bonnie asked as everyone turns to where she was pointing.

"Yeah, that's the one. Nice job spotting it, Bonnie." Ichika smiled as he walked up to her and patted her in the head as a way to congratulate her. "Now let's head for the DigiLab and talk to Mirei. And once we're done there, we can continue back to the office." Everyone nodded in agreement as Ichika used his Connect Jump to enter the Access Point and teleport them to the DigiLab.

DigiLab

Inside the DigiLab, Mirei was typing on her laptop as the screen glares onto her glasses while being fixated on something. Just then, she heard the terminal activating and looks up to see the Cyber Sleuths entering the DigiLab and smiled as she lowers the screen but not all the way to close it.

"Welcome back, Cyber Sleuths. I see that you're all doing well." Mirei smiled as she looked at the Sohmas. "So I take it that you're here for one of your new members to have their Digivice upgraded?"

"That's right, but how did you know that?" Robin asked in surprise. "We've never even told you that we were coming for that very reason."

"I just happen to know the times where everyone visits me for one reason or another. So it's nothing really new to me." Mirei told him, still smiling. "But other than that, I can also see that your group has gotten much bigger since your last visit to me. So, I assume they're from another world as well, but with creatures similar to Digimon, yes?" That caught the Pokemon Trainers by surprise.

"Whoa! How did you know that? We've only just met you and you already knew about us? Are you a psychic or something?" Alec gasped in shock.

"Not exactly, I'm somewhat of a fortune teller. I can predict events that's about to transpire and see how it plays out." Mirei answered him as she added "Also, this isn't the first time that Ichika and the others have brought visitors from other worlds to the DigiLab." She then turns to Ichika. "But I suppose we can save that for another time. Now then, I assume that one of your new friends needs to have their Digivice upgraded with the features I gave to all of you?"

"Yeah, that's right. Graham needs to have his Digivice upgraded so that he can bring Guilmon into the real world when it's just us." Ichika answered her with a nod.

"Very well, I can do just that. I'll add the features I gave to you and your friends, Ichika." Mirei said as she turns to Graham. "So Graham, was it?" Graham nods. "So you are now Guilmon's new partner. I see that your bond is strong, but I can also see a terrible fate that could decide everything for you and Guilmon."

"A terrible fate? What do you mean by that?" Graham asked, starting to feel uneasy.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you much, but I can say that this event will decide whether or not Guilmon can be saved." Mirei answered him before reassuring him with "But there is hope, as long as you believe and trust in not just your partner, but also everyone here, then Guilmon can be saved from his fate and so can you. Just never forget that you and Guilmon can become even more powerful than ever." Graham stared to feel a little better and nods as Mirei starts adding the same features to his Digivice. A minute later, she hands it back to him. "There, now you can bring Guilmon into the real world just everyone else here. Just make sure you do when its just all of you."

"Ok, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for everything." Graham nods as he returns to everyone before exiting the DigiLab while Mirei flips her laptop back up.

"So the wheels of fate are now turning. Two destinies has collided with each other and now it's time to see where this road takes the world." Mirei said with a smile. "What will the future bring? What destiny has in store for these young people? And will these two disasters, separate yet similar, bring this and all worlds to the brink of destruction? The fate of all rest in your hands, Ichika Orimura, leader of the Cyber Sleuths. And Nagi Shirogane, leader of Hudie. Your paths may cross again, though much sooner than you think." She looks at the terminal. "And when it does, a great power shall arise and vanquish the very plague of this world and countless others."

Back in the real world

Kyoko was sitting at her desk waiting for the Cyber Sleuths to return from their rescue mission with the ones Ichika had seen in his vision. She leans back in her chair as she reminisces on meeting with Nagi again after he helped her on an experiment several weeks ago. In fact, it was thanks to him that she had gotten the idea of hiring an assistant to help her in solving cases and other tasks to help her with the workload. So while meeting with Ichika wasn't as planned, it still worked out for her as she was looking for an assistant and he needed help, so it's a win-win for both of them.

"I admit, it was surprising seeing Nagi again after all this time. And it's nice to see that he's doing well." Kyoko said with a smile. "And he's even got his own group of friends from other worlds, which is good as he still has some issues about his current situation. I just hope that he can overcome this predicament and find out what really happened to his account. I just hope they don't get into any dangerous situations while searching for answers." As she straightens up in her chair, she noticed a glow from the TV. "Ah, that must mean that Ichika and the others have returned from their rescue mission. I wonder who did they brought with them this time?"

Kyoko soon got her answer as the light bursts out from the screen and lands in the center of the office where the Cyber Sleuths soon materialized into the room along with the new visitors. Of course, much like all the others, their first time going through the Connect Jump for the first time are often not used to it. But they will gradually get used to it over time and won't be as dizzy as they are now.

"Whoa… that was really weird. Is that what Pokemon had to go through when we send them out of their Poke Balls?" Alec asked while trying to regain his composure.

"I don't know, I think it's more like them being transfer through the transfer system." Randy answered him with a moan as he straigten himself.

"You sure? It reminds me of that time me and my other friends were sent into the transfer system with Porygon to help out Nurse Joy." Ash said as he recounted one of his past adventures "As we found out, Team Rocket was causing trouble again and we had to stop them from keeping all the Poke Balls being transferred for themselves. Though, we still had to help them out since they're not supposed to be in there and we managed to get them out safely." That made everyone, including Kyoko, looked at them in confusion.

"Wait, seriously? You guys went into cyberspace to help out a nurse?" Ling asked in shock. "How did you guys were able to do that?"

"There's this doctor who created the Pokemon Transfer System that allows us to send Poke Balls from one place to another." Ash answered her as he explained. "He even created one that can teleport humans in the same way as the Poke Balls, but it ended up got blown up when we escaped with Team Rocket. Though we never told Nurse Joy that we're the ones that fixed it, but we think that it's for the best that we didn't."

"That does make sense. I doubt that she'd believe you guys anyway if you told her." Satoru agrees with a nod. "And even if you did, I'm pretty sure that she'll think that you were making it up. So it's best that you didn't tell her." Kyoko stands up from her desk and walks over to them.

"Indeed, it's best that some people don't know what really happened. There are some things that are better left in the dark as it would be difficult to explain them." Kyoko agrees as well as everyone turned their attention towards her.

"Oh, hello, Kyoko. We're back from our rescue mission." Cecilia greeted with a smile. "We were able to save the kids Ichika saw in his vision from those Team Rocket miscreants and brought them here, safe and sound."

"I can see that, and I'm glad to hear that everything worked out." Kyoko smiled as she crossed her arms. "I take it that there were some difficulties in helping them?"

"There was, but we were able to overcome them thanks to Gen's plan." Vert answered her with a smile as she gestured to Gen. "If he haven't told Ichika and the others about his plan, we would've had a much difficult time in fighting their robot. So we have him to thank for finding the robot's controller and having Ichika and the others distract those three for him to smash their controller." Everyone else all nodded in agreement, though those such as Fukuyama, Kuno, Ryoga and Mousse felt that it was just luck.

"Oh, is that so? Well, then it seems that Gen is the hero of today's mission." Kyoko smiled. "And I see that you're even starting to come out of your shell some in order to execute your plan. That's a first step for you in interacting with everyone more, you should be proud of yourself."

"Y-Yeah, I guess I really am. I was able to come out of my shell and help them in stopping the robot." Gen nodded as he rubbed the back of his head nervously with a smile. "But it was mostly thanks for Ichika and the others that my plan worked, they kept those three busy so that I could come in and smash the controller one of them was using. I wasn't sure that it would work, but I'm glad it really did."

"You kidding us? That plan was easily one for the record books. You should be more proud of yourself for it." Whitney said with a grin. "If you haven't come up with a plan like that, there's no way that we've could've saved Ash and his friends. So it's thanks to you that we've managed to bring them back here safe and sound." Everyone nodded in agreement as Gen turns towards the Pokemon Trainers in question.

"Yeah, you really saved us back there. We owe you a lot for that." Ash smiled.

"Pika pika." Pikachu agrees.

"If you weren't there, Team Rocket might've won and all our Pokemon would've been taken from us. So thank you for saving us." Serena said with a smile as she bowed politely.

"It was truly a spectacular moment when you rushed in and smashed the controller Meowth was using to control the robot. You were definitely the hero of the day." Clemont said with a smile.

"Yeah! Thanks for saving us back there!" Bonnie smiled.

"If you didn't spring into action when you did, it could've ended a lot different than it did now. So we really appreciate you saving us and our Pokemon." Randy said as he gave him a thumbs up.

"It was a big moment for you and you took it. Just know that neither us or our Pokemon would ever forget how you saved us." Alec said with a smile as well.

Gen looks around at everyone who all agreed with Ash and his friends as he was the big hero today and he could feel like he can trust them just as much they trust him and it was proven during their rescue mission. At that moment, Gen felt like he wasn't alone anymore, he had friends who cares and supports him, much like the one who saved him from Phantom Task. And though while he still wishes to see her again, he knows that they'll meet again soon enough and she'd be happy to know that he has made friends.

"Well, since there's still some time left before Nakano closes up, why don't you and the others show our new guests around, Ichika?" Kyoko suggested with a smile. "Perhaps you can get to know each other more and learn more about their world. I'm sure it'll be a learning experience to both parties."

"Not a bad idea, Kyoko. We can definitely show them around Nakano and get to know them better." Ichika agrees, smiling as well. "And plus, I'm sure they'll have a lot of questions about what had happened when they were sent to Kowloon and there's also the matter of finding them a place to stay while in our world."

"Hmm… that is true, but I'm positive that the living arrangements can be worked out later." Kyoko agrees as she scratched her chin in thought. "So right now, just focus on showing our new friends around and have a good time along the way. We can worry about the other details later." The Cyber Sleuths all nodded in agreement as they led the Pokemon Trainers to the door and exit the office, but not before being stopped by Kyoko. "Oh, by the way, there's something I've been meaning to ask all of you."

"And what's that, Kyoko?" Houki asked.

"Have you managed to encounter another group while on your way here?" Kyoko asked back. "There was another group of kids much like all of you that had just left the office. I heard a crash just after they left and I was wondering if you've bumped into them." The Pokemon Trainers had no idea what she was talking about, but the rest of the Cyber Sleuths do.

"Oh yeah, you mean those guys with the blue jackets." Ram said with a nod. "Yeah, we did bump into them while on our way here. Kind of a weird group, but they seem like nice people." Her twin sister nodded in agreement.

"Though I do wonder what do those jackets mean?" Vert questions as she placed her hand on her chin. "All of them were wearing that jacket and there seems to be a blue butterfly on the back. Almost like it's a symbol for something."

"That's because it is. It's the logo of Hudie, a team of hackers stationed in the Net Cafe Hudie." Kyoko said as she explained "But don't think they're like most of the other hackers, they're more like how we work in a sense as they take on cases as well. I happen to know one of them from some time ago."

"That's right, he did mention you just after Ichika bumped into him." Noire said with a nod. "He even mentioned that he was running an errand and had lost track of time because he was catching up with you. Though he did seem on the somewhat ordinary kind of person as there's really nothing special with him."

"Don't just a book by its cover, Noire. You'd be surprised on what he can do." Kyoko said with a wink. "True he may seem unassuming at first, but I have a feeling he's got something that only he can do. The same can be said for our two boys here." She gestures to both Ichika and Satoru who were confused.

"What do you mean by that?" Both Ichika and Satoru asked in unison and confusion.

"You'll find out soon enough, boys." Kyoko answered them with a slight laugh. "But I think we've wasted enough time as it is. I believe that you all still have a tour to attend?"

"Oh yeah, that's right. We still have to show Ash and his friends around before Nakano closes." Ichika said with a nod. "We've got about three hours until all the shops close, so we better pick up the pace if we want to make up for lost time." The others all nodded in agreement as they led the Pokemon Trainers out of the office and start the tour around Nakano while Kyoko stayed behind as she takes out a photo from her desk.

It's a picture of herself as a teenager and Satoru as a child with a man and a woman with them and all appeared to be smiling. Kyoko stares at the photo as she recalls all the times they've had before her father and Satoru's mother went on a case, but never came back with only the words from Matayoshi about their bravery.

'It really has been that long since their deaths, hasn't it?' Kyoko thought with a sad smile. 'Back then, Satoru used to smile so much and there was never a day without him giving the biggest smile to brighten up any day. But that changed when Matayoshi told us about their deaths and it just went downhill from there. No one wanted to take him because they all thought he was just a burden, but I wasn't going to let them talk down to him. I took it upon myself to raise him and make sure he's not alone, but it seems that he'd never smile again. I just hope that it doesn't take a turn for the worse.' She puts the photo back into her desk and waits for the Cyber Sleuths to return from their tour.

Not long after introducing Ash and his friends to Kyoko, Ichika and the gang decided to give them a tour around Nakano in order for them to get more aquatinted with their world and help them feel at home while also finding a way to return them back to their world. The tour starts from the 1st floor and works its way up to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors of Nakano showing all the different stores and restaurants and even an arcade as well as Agil's soon to be pub right next to the K-Cafe. Once the tour was finished, our heroes were enjoying some ice cream on the 3rd floor at the ice cream parlor.

"I gotta say, this place sure has a lot of charm. It's much more lively than most other shops back in Kalos." Clemont smiled as he ate his ice cream. "A lot of the people here sure are friendly and welcoming to us. You can really feel the atmosphere here is so warm and inviting."

"That's the charm of Nakano Broadway, it really knows how to draw you into its warm environment." Satoru told him with a smile. "It may look and feel like your everyday shopping center, but it has a special charm about it that most other stores don't have. Plus, there's tons of fun stuff we could do when we're not working on cases or just hanging out."

"What kind of fun stuff?" Bonnie asked excitedly.

"There's shops we can check out, an arcade just a floor up, a bookstore on this floor, different restaurants and even the K-Cafe." Houki answered her as she explained. "There's a lot of stuff we can do here whenever we're not working, so we can have some fun during those times."

"That does sound like a lot of fun. I'd like to check out the arcade some time." Alec grinned. "One of the games I've seen during the tour did look like a lot of fun and I want to try it out some time."

"I'd like to check out the bookstore here, it does have a lot of interesting books." Randy said with a smile. "I'd like to read some of them and see which ones I like the best. Plus, I'd like to see how books are in your world compared to ours." The rest of their friends all nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to do all of those things when we're not working." Char smiled as she added. "Maybe we'll have plenty of time when Kyoko lets us take the day off if there aren't any cases." She then looks at her watch. "But I think it's time we head back, Nakano's about to close in an hour and that Kyoko can close the office." Everyone nodded in agreement as they finished with their ice cream and starting heading back to the agency.

But as Randy was the first to exit the ice cream parlor, he didn't see another figure walking towards him until they bumped into each other and fell back on the floor. Ichika and the others rushed over to see if they're alright as Randy shakes off the impact and rubs his head. The other person held his head after colliding with Randy and falling to the floor.

"Randy! Are you alright? You're not hurt or anything, are you?" Houki gasped as she checked Randy for wounds.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just a little dizzy, that's all." Randy answered her as he rubbed his head.

"That's good to hear. That sure was a nasty crash you had there." Vert said with a smile. "You really should watch where you're going next time. That way you won't bump into anyone again."

"Noted." Randy said with a sweat drop.

"So who did you bump into?" Zoey asked as everyone looked towards the person that Randy bumped into.

The person was a young man with medium length purple hair, purple eyes, fair skin, a black shirt, white pants and a purple hoodie. But the most definitely feature of this young man is that he also resembles a girl with his more effeminate looking appearance. Though despite his appearance, it was clear that he was a boy as Ichika walks over to check on him.

"Hey, are you alright? You're not hurt too badly, are you?" Ichika asked in concern as he looked at the person.

"I'm okay, I've been through a lot worse than this. Trust me on that." The young man answered him with a small smile. "I had a run-in with some jerks the other day, but a friend of mine was able to stand up for me, so I'm good." He then shifts his gaze away from them. 'Though with how I just blew up in his face and stormed off like that, I'm not sure if he'll forgive me.'

"That's good to hear, at least neither of you were hurt too badly." Ichika said with a smile "It's great to know that your friend was there to help you out with those guys." The young man didn't say anything as Ichika holds his hand out to him. "Do you need some help standing up?"

"No thanks, I can pick myself up. Thanks anyway…." The young man stuttered as he stands back up and dusts himself off. "I need to get going anyway, I've got some important things I need to take care off. See you guys next time and sorry about bumping into your friend." He runs off as quickly as he could while everyone else just watches.

"Okay… what was that all about? Why was he in such a hurry to leave?" Kikki asked in confusion.

"I'm not sure, but there's something about him that seems… off…" Renee answered her as she tensed. "It almost feels like he's trying to do something, but I can't really tell what. Like he's trying to get someone's attention, but that person doesn't seem to feel the same way as him other than a friend."

"We can figure that out later, right now we better head back to Kyoko." Ichika suggested. "I'm sure that whatever happens, he and his friend will be able to work it out amongst themselves. All we can do for now is hope for the best for them." The rest of the Cyber Sleuths all nodded in agreement as they headed back to the office. Still, Renee can't shake this uneasy feeling about that boy who Randy bumped into.

After ending the tour and bumping into a new face, our heroes made it back to the office and opened the door to enter. Upon entering the office, Kyoko was sitting at her desk looking through some files about the EDEN Syndrome victims to see if she can find any connection between them to earn more about the epidemic itself and how is it connected to Kamishiro Enterprises. Kyoko heard them coming in and looks up to see them standing in front of her desk.

"Ah, welcome back, Cyber Sleuths. Nice of you to come back before closing time." Kyoko smiled "I take it that the tour went without a hitch?"

"It went pretty good except for the when we left the ice cream parlor." Tatenashi answered her as she added "Randy bumped into someone as we were about to head back, but it wasn't anything too serious. Though he did seem to be in a hurry about something."

"In a hurry? For some kind of appointment?" Kyoko asked curiously.

"Not sure, he didn't give us that much detail about that." Houki answered her as she scratched her chin in thought. "All he said was that he had to be somewhere important and just ran off. He left in such a hurry that we never even got his name, but I have a feeling we might see him again." The rest of the Cyber Sleuths all nodded in agreement. "By the way, what's with all the files on your desk? Did we catch you at a bad time?"

"No, I was just about done by the time you've arrived." Kyoko answered her as she explained while showing them some files. "I was looking through some of the cases of the EDEN Syndrome victims and see if there's any possible connection between them. These are all the cases of the more recent victims, including Ichika as well, but other than being in EDEN, there's really nothing to connect any of them." Those who knew about the EDEN Syndrome all gasped in shock, with a few exceptions, while the Pokemon Trainers were confused.

"Hold on, there's no way that can be right. How can there be no connection between any of the victims?" Uni asked in shock. "If none of them were even connected to each other, how did they all become comatose? There's no way that's even possible, right?"

"I don't know, all the info about the victims were either lost or Kamishiro has all of the details stashed away in their databanks." Kyoko answered her with a serious frown. "I'm afraid to say this, but we'll just have to shelved this one for now until we get any new details. But seeing as how Kamishiro is so protective of their more private information, it'll be a miracle to even figure this out."

"So, when do you think we'll learn more about the victims?" Asuna asked her as she wondered about how to help Ichika and the other victims.

"Unless we get a big case like last time, we'll just have to wait and see what happens." Kyoko answered her. "So, until then, let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for them best." She then looks over to Chopper who was looking at his hooves. "Oh right, I forgot that one of us doesn't have fingers. Sorry about that, Chopper."

"It's alright, you don't have to apologize, Miss Kyoko. I'm sure you didn't mean it like that." Chopper smiled.

"Thank you, Chopper. And there's no need to be formal, just Kyoko is just fine." Kyoko said and Chopper nods. "Now with that settled, I believe it's time we close up for the day. I'm sure that Mirei wouldn't want to be kept waiting for her case."

"That's true, we did say that we'll do her case as a way to repay her for helping us." Ichika agrees with a smile. "We'll be sure to get on that tomorrow after schools ends. Though I wonder what kind of request that she sent us?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to find that out yourself tomorrow. But knowing her, I'm sure it's something a little unorthodox." Kyoko answered him. "Now with that done, how about our new guests have some coffee? I'm sure after all that, they could use something to calm their nerves."

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Everyone else screamed in terror. Except for Yui, Luffy and Calumon who liked Kyoko's coffee.

"Sure, we could go for some. I've always wanted to try it, but never got the chance." Ash said with a smile. "I was always told that it takes more of a refined taste to truly appreciate it, but I never really understood that."

"Well then, I believe it's about time that you get a taste of what you've been missing out on." Kyoko smiled with a wink. "While it's true it does take a more refine taste to truly appreciate it, I believe that it's best to start small and work your way up. I'll brew some coffee and bring it right on out." She heads for the other room to make some coffee.

"Oh crap, not another of her coffee! These kids won't stand a chance against it!" Graham panicked. "We've got to get them out of here before she comes back!"

"What are you guys talking about? What's so bad about her coffee?" Clement asked in confusion. "You're making it sound like it's dangerous or even deadly."

"That's because it is! You have no idea what her coffee tastes like!" Liz shouted at him frantically, horrid flashbacks of her and her friends trying Kyoko's coffee for the first time came back into her. "Every time we bring someone back here, she always makes coffee that just almost do us in! We need to get you guys out of here before it's too late!"

"Are you guys sure that you're not pulling our leg?" Alec asked in concern. "How can coffee even be dangerous? There's no way that's even possible." Before anyone could continue, Kyoko returns with a tray of coffee and brings it to them.

"Here you are, my specially made mustard, salmon and red paste coffee." Kyoko said with a smile. "I've even added in some extra eggs to get the flavor out. I hope it's to your liking." She places the tray on the table as the Pokemon Trainers all looked at it and thought it moved for a moment.

"Uhh… maybe we should reconsider on the coffee. Suddenly I'm not feeling thirsty anymore…" Randy grimaced.

"Oh, don't be afraid. It's just a special brew I've made for our guests." Kyoko reassured him. "Come on now, don't be shy. It's going to get cold if you don't drink it now while it's still hot." Seeing as there's no way out, Ash and his friends have no choice but to take a sip of her coffee.

"Well, here goes nothing… Bottoms up." Ash gulped as they all took a sip of the coffee.

"Well? How is it? Is it to your liking?" Kyoko asked.

Before anyone could answer, the Pokemon Trainers all started to gag and fell down to the floor while foaming at the mouth. Even Pikachu wasn't safe from the coffee as he took a sip and turned blue in the face before falling off the table.

"Hmm. Looks like it's back to the drawing board again…" Kyoko said in disappointment. "I could've sworn I had a real winner here, but I guess it wasn't the right one. Might as well come up with a new concoction for next time." Everyone else just sweat dropped at that as they picked up Ash and the others before exiting the office.

Not long after recovering from Kyoko's dreaded coffee, our heroes were on the bus heading for the Orimura residence and the IS Academy with their new friends. Needless to say, it was another case of new visitors ignoring the warnings about not drinking the coffee, only to be dealt with a cold hand of reality after taking a sip. The only exceptions to the rule were Luffy, Yui and Calumon as the latter two don't have physical bodies and the former was a complete idiot.

"Ok, maybe that wasn't such a good idea... That tasted so horrible…" Ash moaned as he clutched his stomach in pain. "Maybe they're right that it takes a more mature taste to really appreciate it. At times like this, I'm so glad that Brock isn't here. I'm not sure how he'll react to that coffee."

"Probably about the same reaction we had earlier, if not worse than us." Randy agreed with blue lines under his eyes. "I know my sister likes to drink coffee sometimes, I don't think she'll really like that one. It might knock her down the same way it did to us."

"Yeah, sorry about that. My cousin likes to add weird ingredients to her coffee." Satoru apologized as he rubbed his temples. "She's hoping to create a coffee that she could sell and have everyone taste it. So far that hasn't happened just yet, but it's a day that we fear would eventually come." Everyone who all had drank Kyoko's coffee all knew exactly what he's talking about and shuttered to even think about it.

"Wait, so you're saying is that if she somehow manages to create the right coffee, she's going to sell it?" Alec asked with a fearful gulp. "And when that day does happen, it won't end well, right?" Everyone shook their heads as blue waving lines appears above them with the only exceptions being Yui, Calumon and Luffy.

"Ok, so let's move away from that and focus on something else." Whitney suggested. "Like maybe we should focus more on where would Ash and his friends be staying at while they're in our world." That made everyone snap back into reality and realize she was right.

"Oh yeah, that's true. We do need a place to stay while we're with you guys." Clemont agrees with a nod. "But because we're not familiar with this world, we're gonna need some help to learn more about our situation."

"Not to worry, we can help you guys out. If you ever have any questions about anything, just ask us. We'll help you out in anyway we can." Ling smiled.

"As for the living problem, you all can come to our school. We've got plenty of room for all of you, so you have one less thing to worry about." Tatenashi agrees as she looked at Pikachu. "Although, it's gonna be kinda hard for Pikachu to be with you guys. I'm not sure if they'll let him in as no one at our school really knows about the Digimon yet, so the same can be said for your Pokemon." Ash and his friends all looked at Pikachu who didn't seem to like the idea of being separated from his friend and Trainer.

"She does have a point, I'm not sure how they'll react to seeing Pikachu." Alec agrees, frowning despondently slightly. "Since he's always out of his Poke Ball, we're gonna have to leave him with someone." Now Pikachu was even more worried about being separated from his best friend and Trainer for a long time.

"Pika pi…." Pikachu said sadly.

"But who's going to watch over Pikachu while we're staying at your school?" Serena asked worriedly. "They've been together for a long time and have never once been separated from each other unless it's for certain reasons. And it doesn't look like Pikachu wants to be separated from Ash." Everyone looks over to the Mouse Pokemon in question as he clings onto Ash's shirt who knows the feeling.

"Wait, I think we can work this out. How about having Pikachu stay at Ichika's house while the rest of you are at school during the week?" Leafa suggested with a smile. "We can watch over him while you guys are in class and when it's over for the day, he'll right here waiting with us once you come pick us up."

"That's not a bad idea, Leafa. That way, he can stay out of sight from everyone else during the day." Kirito agrees, smiling as well. "Also, since Ichika's place is on the way to Nakano, he can still see Ash when we come to pick up those also staying at his home." Everyone then turns to Ash as he comforts Pikachu. "That is if he's willing to stay with Ichika while you're at school."

"It's a lot harder to choose since we've been together since I first started out on my journey." Ash said as he remembered the good times. "We've been through a lot together and no matter what they threw at us, we always managed to pull through." He then looks down at Pikachu who looks up at him. "So what do you think, buddy? You want to stay with Ichika while we're at their school?"

"Pika! Pika Pikachu! Pi Ka. Chu Chu Pika." Pikachu said with a smile.

"I know it's going to be lonely without me around and I'll definitely feel the same as you, but you don't have anything to worry about, pal." Ash reassured him with a smile. "I'm confident that Ichika will look after you and bring you to me when school ends. After all, he and his friends did save us from Team Rocket when they were about to finally take you from me. So you can definitely trust him. I know I do." Pikachu looks up at his best friend and could tell that he can trust Ichika to take care of him and so can he.

Pikachu jumps down from Ash's seat and runs all the way to Ichika's seat and jumps up onto his lap before climbing up his arm and perches onto his shoulder, much like he does with Ash. Ichika was happy to see that Pikachu trusts him just as much as Ash and scratches his neck as the Electric Mouse lets out a happy squeal.

"It looks like that Pikachu really trusts you, Ichika. About as much as he trusts Ash." Clemont said with a smile. "It seems that after some convincing from Ash, Pikachu decided to stay with you. It also helps that you and everyone here saved us from Team Rocket after it looked like they finally won."

"Yeah, and I'm sure he'll be safe and sound at my house while we're at school." Ichika agrees as the bus stops "Well, this is our stop. I'm sure you guys have a lot of questions about everything, so we'll save those for tomorrow. But I will say this to Ash, Clemont, Alec and Randy. You four better watch yourselves when you introduce yourselves to everyone at our school." That made all The Pokemon Trainers confused and raised their eyebrows, but everyone else knows exactly what he's talking about.

"Why? Does something happen when we introduce ourselves tomorrow?" Randy asked in confusion.

"Just trust me on this, it's better to give you guys the heads up before it gets out of hand." Ichika answered with a wink as he and half of the group departs from the bus and heads for his house. As the bus driver closes the door and continues on, Houki was thinking about something else.

"Hey, Houki. You seem tensed. Is there something on your mind?" Asuna asked as everyone looked at Houki.

"Well, it's about that other group Kyoko mentioned after we helped Ash and his friends." Houki answered her as she pondered.

"You mean the guys with the blue jackets Ram mentioned?" Zoey stepped in.

"Yeah, them. I know Kyoko said they they're not like most other hackers, but I feel like there's still a lot we don't know about them." Houki answered her as she scratched her chin. "Like everyone in that group, I feel like they're from other worlds like most of you guys. And there's the fact that one of them knows Kyoko long before any of us ever met her until about more than a month ago."

"So you're saying that there's more to those guys than we know?" Twoearle asked, understanding what Houki meant.

"Maybe, but I'm not really sure. It's just a feeling I have." Houki answered her as she added "I feel like while we're handling some of the stuff Kyoko tells us, there are some things that only they know from places only hackers can get to."

"So you mean like there are some things only hackers can access that we normally can't?" Whitney asked her.

"That's exactly what I'm saying, but again, it's more of a feeling that I have." Houki answered her with a nod. "I'm a little weary about meeting a hacker since the last few we've encountered were just a bunch of jerks with really big egos. I'm worried that they're the same as the other hackers from before."

"That does make sense when you think about it, we really don't know much about them." Laura agrees with a nod. "Kyoko may know one of them, but it really doesn't explain much about them or what's their purpose. It seems that if we do encounter that group again, we'll have to ask them questions on the spot."

"But do you think that we'll encounter that group again?" Gen asked her/ "It was only by chance that we've bumped into them and that was it. Do you really think that we'll have that luck again?"

"It's hard to say, but we'll just have to wait until tomorrow after school." Satoru answered him. "Right now, our first priority is to get Ash and his friends settled into the IS Academy and assigned into the roster before we do anything else. We've got plenty of time to think about our next move tomorrow when we return to Nakano." Everyone nodded in agreement as the bus stops at the entrance to the IS Academy and everyone departs.

Elsewhere

In a residential district of Tokyo, the same group that the Cyber Sleuths bumped into had arrived at an apartment complex and hopped on an elevator to the second to top floor. Upon arriving at its destination, the group disembarks from the elevator and headed for the very last room with the double doors. However, the group has gained two more members and both happens to be girls. The first girl was the older and taller of the two with long crimson hair, light green eyes, large breasts and a very well curved figure. The second girl was blonde with ice blue eyes, large breasts though appears to be smaller than the first girl and a slender body. Both were wearing clothes that resembles a school uniform with a white coat and hat for the blonde girl, red decorations, a black shirt and skirt with knee socks for the blonde, and a black sweater with dark red leggings and white gloves for the crimson haired girl. As they walk down the balcony, the crimson haired girl was the most intrigued by their new environment while the blonde was more cautious of said new environment.

"I must say, this is quite the interesting living space you have. It certainly has surpassed my expectations of you." The Crimson haired girl said with a smile.

"And what kind of expectations you were expecting of me?" The boy known as Nagi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll admit that I wasn't expecting much from you at first glance, but after you and your friends defeated that creature, I can say that my expectations have been surpassed in many ways." The crimson haired girl answered "And I'm hoping to see what other surprises you have in store in the near future." She turns to the blonde girl behind her. "Wouldn't you agree as well, Silvia?"

"I… suppose so, Rebecca..." The blonde known as Silvia agrees, though unsurely.

"Is there something wrong, Silvia? You sound unsure about it." The girl known as Rebecca said in concern.

"It's not that I'm not grateful for everyone here saving us from that creature, but everyone we all know is gone." Silvia said sadly. "All of our classmates, friends, families, our partners and even both my sister and Ash were no match for it. We were just lucky to escape from it because Ash used himself as a shield to protect us, but not even he could stop it and that earthquake came out of nowhere and sent us to that place." Rebecca knows exactly what she's talking about and could still remember what had happened before meeting with Nagi's group.

"I know, Silvia, and I still haven't forgotten about it. It wasn't something any of us were excepting to happen." Rebecca agrees with a sad frown. "Every one of our friends, classmates, partners and family were all attacked out of nowhere and couldn't fight back. But if it wasn't for Ash taking the creature's attention from us, we wouldn't be standing here as we are now. So, I believe that he made sure we could have a fighting chance by letting us escape from the creature." She placed her hand on Silvia's shoulder. "I know it was hard seeing our friends being attacked, but we can't let Ash's sacrifice be in vain. He'd want us to keep fighting for him and everyone, but unless you can pull yourself together, his actions would be all for nothing." Silvia lowered her head as she knows that Rebecca was right, but was still unsure about what to do.

Seeing that Silvia was still unsure, Nagi decided to step in. "Hey, I think that we're all just tired after all the craziness of today. So why don't we head inside and rest up? You might feel better by tomorrow." The girls both looked at each other before turning back to him and nodding in agreement. Nagi smiled and turns to the door and takes out his key to open the double doors.

As the group enters the apartment, both Silvia and Rebecca were amazed at the sight of the interior as despite it looking relatively modest, it was also impressive. The foyer was about the same as any Japanese house where people can put their shoes upon entering, but only with more room. The main living room was large with a sofa in the center, a coffee table with a flatscreen TV. On the left is a dining table with an opening that looks into the kitchen. The right leads to a hallway with six rooms, one master bedroom, three guest bedrooms, an office room and a large bathroom. And last but not least was a balcony that overlooks Tokyo.

At the sight of the room, both girls were impressed at the size and appearance that Rebecca couldn't help but whistle. "I must say, it's a lot more impressive than I originally thought. I wasn't expecting a large room for just one person. I take it that this belongs to you?"

"Not exactly, it's my mom's apartment and she's letting me stay here while she's working." Nagi answered her. "After some things happened a while back, I'm trying to get my life back on track and find out who did this to me. Plus, it's a lot easier to walk from here to Hudie and back as they've both just about half an hour away."

"I see, that does sound more convenient than living farther away. It makes the trip much less a hassle." Rebecca agrees before asking. "But wouldn't your mother be worried that you're letting people you've just met into her home? We don't want to cause any sort of trouble for you or your mother."

"Don't worry, my mom knows and doesn't mind letting me bringing other people." Nagi said with a small smile "As long as I tell her about what's going on daily, she's okay with me having other people stay with me. That's the reason why the others are staying here as well." The rest of the group all nodded in agreement which makes the girls sigh in relief.

"That's good to hear. It's nice to know that your mother is the understanding type of person." Silvia smiled before adding. "But if we're going to be staying here, where would we be sleeping?"

"You two can sleep with the girls in the other guest room. Both Max and Rex are in my room, so you won't have to worry about any arrangements of where to sleep." The boys in question both nodded in agreement. "Plus, I've got plenty of sleeping bags for you, so you won't be sleeping on the cold floor." Nagi smiled at both Rebecca and Silvia and causes both girls to blush from his kind gesture.

"Oh, well, thank you." Rebecca said with a smile.

"Yes, you are quite the gentleman." Silvia agrees.

"A gentleman? Really?" Nagi asked with a stutter. "No one has ever called me that before. I mean, I'm not really all that impressive or anything. I'm basically just any other guy in the background."

"I disagree, you are quite the gentleman. You showed hospitality to people you've only just met and have even let us stay here." Rebecca said with a smile. "Even though you didn't have to, you still did and we're both grateful for giving us a place to stay after what has happened. So in a way, you are a gentleman in our eyes." Silvia nods in agreement as Nagi couldn't help but feel really happy to feel appreciated even after what happened in the past.

After helping both Silvia and Rebecca settle in with the other girls in the guest room, Nagi's group all decided to have some dinner and turn in early as they have a request from Mirei to fulfill and need to be ready for whatever it may be.

Back with the Cyber Sleuths

Upon arriving at the IS Academy, our heroes made their way to the faculty room to have Maya add Ash and his friends to the roster of their classroom. Not only that, but also give them a place to live until they can return to their world once they find a way to return them and everyone else back to their proper worlds. As they walked through the hallways, the Pokémon Trainers were amazed at the sight of their new living space and were seeing different portraits of previous ace IS pilots all leading up to Chifuyu Orimura, Ichika's older sister and current ace IS pilot.

"I have to say, this place is really incredible. I had no idea that such a place like this even existed." Clemont said with a smile as he looked around in amazement. "Even my gym back in Lumiose City isn't that advanced as this place. Are you sure this is really a school and not a laboratory of sorts?"

"I suppose at first glance it would be like that, but it's definitely a school. This is known as the IS Academy." Houki answered him with closed eyes and a smile. "It's a school that teaches students how to pilot an IS, the machines you've seen on the portraits of previous ace pilots over the years. Most of them have already graduated and are now living their lives outside of the school. The only exception to that is Chifuyu-sensei, Ichika's older sister and current ace pilot. She stayed here at the academy to teach us on being an IS pilot and she's a strict teacher." Her friends all nodded in agreement as they all know of her skills as an ace IS pilot and is someone not to be trifled with.

"Really? Is she that bad of a teacher?" Bonnie asked with a gulp.

"Not at all, she's an excellent teacher. In fact, she's one of the best ones in the school." Cecilia answered her with a reassuring smile before adding "However, she does tend to use some really harsh teachings and doesn't hold back on her punishments should we step out of line, but I believe she's like that because she wants us to be prepared for the real world once we graduate." Her friends all nodded in agreement.

"And what about these IS things you guys mentioned? How do they fit into the picture?" Randy asked curiously.

"It was because of Houki's sister, Tabane Shinonono, who invented them as a way to allow women to be at the same level of power as men." Char answered him as Houki stayed silent. Randy wondered why Houki is silent on the subject, but decided to wait to ask her about it when the time is right as Char continues. "Since the IS was only able to be piloted by women, this school was created as a way to teach girls how to pilot the IS and use them to help people in need. But the real reason for the IS being how it is today is because of an incident that happened years ago."

"What kind of incident?" Clemont asked, curious to know more.

"The White Knight Incident. It's about the first IS that appeared out of nowhere and singlehandedly defeated every single army from other countries." Tatenashi answered him as she started explaining. "Legend has it that back then, an unknown hacker hacked into multiple military computers and launched over 2000 missiles at Japan and this white IS, dubbed the White Knight by the public, appears from seemingly out of nowhere and neutralized the threat." Everyone in the group were all in shock to hear that a single IS was able to destroy over 2000 missile without any effort.

"No way! You gotta be pulling our leg here! How can a single IS managed to destroy all those missiles so easily?!" Klein half-shouted and questioned in shock.

"I know it sounds like something from a movie or video game, but we're not making it up." Houki answered him as she cleared her throat before continuing for Tatenashi. "A lone IS was able to destroy all the missiles by itself was nothing short of a miracle. So much so that other countries wanted to capture the unit for research or destroy it as it could pose a threat to the world."

"So, were they able to capture or destroy the IS?" Silica asked as Ling shook her head no.

"Nope. It bested them every single time and left them completely in shock at what just happened." Ling answered her as she added "And because a single unit was able to take every single army from each country, they had no choice but to back off as the White Knight soon vanishes without a trace. After that, no one has heard or seen it since then."

"So, what happened to the IS after it vanished from the public eye?" Liz asked but before anyone could answer, Maya walks up to them and answers for her.

"No one really knows where the IS unit has vanished, but it has left a legacy in its wake." Maya answered her as she explained "And because of the incident, new laws involving the IS were established and this school was later built soon after." Everyone turned to face her as she smiled. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overheard your conversation and I wanted to see what you kids were talking about. Am I interrupting?"

"No, not at all, Maya-sensei. We were telling them about how the IS first came to be and it just went on from there." Tatenashi answered her with a smile. "And since that you're here now, we're sure that you already know what we're about to ask you."

"I'm guessing you want me to add your new friends to the roster of our class, right?" Maya guessed with a smile.

"Yeah, and also have them live in the dorms as well." Houki answered her with a nod as she gestures The Pokémon Trainers to step forward.

"My, this is an interesting group you've brought. Perhaps more so than the other times you've brought your new friends to join our school." Maya said with a gasp of amazement. "I can see that one of them is definitely Japanese, but the others not so. Are you kids foreigners?" That made the Pokémon Trainers all raised their eyebrows at the question.

"Japanese? Foreigners? What does that mean?" Ash asked confusedly as Char leans to whisper in his ear.

"She asking if your friends are from other countries as they have different hair color and wear different clothes." Char answered him as she explained "She doesn't know that you and your friends are from another world and we need to keep it a secret for now. And because you have black hair, she believes that you're Japanese. Until we can tell her the truth, we can't let her know that you and your friends aren't from this world." Ash nods in understanding as the other IS girls told his friends the same thing and decide to play along.

"Uh…yeah, we're definitely foreigners. We were sent here by our teacher to learn about the IS." Randy answered Maya sheepishly. "When we arrived, we got lost and wondered around until we met with Houki and the others and pointed us in the right direction. I hope we're not too late to be added to the roster."

"Not at all, I'll be sure to add you and your friends to the roster. So, you kids have nothing to worry about." Maya smiled as she shook Randy's hand. "I'll also assign dorms to you as well while you get settled in." She then turns to Bonnie. "But I'm afraid that the little one won't attend any classes here." That made Bonnie upset and puffed up her cheeks.

"Oh, why not?! That's not fair! How come I don't get to go while everyone else does?!" Bonnie asked with a growl.

"Because you're not at the right age requirement to attend. You have to be at least in your teens to attend this school." Maya answered her. "And as you can see, everyone else all meet that requirement and can attend." The Pokémon Trainers all looked around and see that she's right. "I'm sorry, but those are the rules and I'm afraid you have to follow them."

"I'm afraid that she's right, Bonnie. You can't attend classes with us." Clemont agrees as he kneels down and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Everyone around us are all older than you, so you're going to have to stay in the dorm room while we attend the classes." Bonnie looks up at her brother before lowering her head and everyone couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"Ok… I'll stay in the room…" Bonnie said sadly while tearing up as Maya kneels down.

"Hey, I never said that you couldn't hang out with your brother and friends. You can still hang out with them during lunch hour." Maya smiled "They just can't be disturbed during school hours, but in the afternoon you can play with them." Bonnie wipes away her tears and looks up.

"Really? I can still play with them?" Bonnie asked happily.

"Of course, you still can. So you won't be lonely. And you can also play with everyone else as well." Maya answered with a smile as Bonnie's eyes widen with excitement.

"That's it! You're the perfect one!" Bonnie said with a happy exclamation while Clemont twitched, knowing where this is going.

"I'm sorry? Perfect one for what?" Maya asked confusedly.

"The perfect one for my brother! Would you please watch over my brother?" Bonnie proposed as everyone just stared.

"Eh?" Maya blinked.

"Eh?" Everyone else blinked. "EH?!" Everyone soon gasped in unison except for the Pokémon Trainers.

"Bonnie! Why are you still doing this to me?!" Clemont asked with white eyes and a shocked expression.

"Because I want to make sure you're taken care of! And to do that, I need to find you the perfect wife!" Bonnie answered with a whine.

"Wife?!" Everyone yelled in shock.

"Me? A wife?" Maya asked confusedly with a sweat drop.

"Wait! Don't listen to her! This is just so embarrassing!" Clemont wailed as an arm extends from his backpack and picks up Bonnie by her shirt before running off in embarrassment.

"Please consider it!" Bonnie whined while being dragged by her bother and everyone were wondering what just happened.

"Oooookay… what was that all about? Why was she asking Maya-sensei to be her brother's wife?" Liz asked confusedly as she crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow.

"That's what Bonnie does whenever she finds someone who could watch over Clemont." Randy answered her with a sigh. "She's done this a bunch of times with other girls back home and it only gets more embarrassing for him. And this isn't the first time we've seen her done that."

"Or the last time. I get the feeling she'll do that again whenever she finds someone else who's perfect for Clemont." Alec agrees with a sigh.

"Well, anyway, let's try to not think about that and get back to what we were doing." Houki said with a nervous smile before turning to Maya. "Maya-sensei, I believe that you were going to add Ash and his friends to the roster and assign dorms to them."

"Oh right, I almost forgot about that when… whatever that was just happened. Thank you for reminding me, Houki-chan." Maya agrees with a nod. "Now with that out of the way, I'll assign dorms for you guys and add you to our school's roster where you'll attend my class. I hope we can get along during your semester here." The Pokemon Trainers all nodded in agreement before everyone headed to their dorms and turn in for the night.

The next morning

The sun was shining through Ichika's window as the person in question sleeps in his bed. Right next to him is his partner Agumon and on his desk is Pikachu sleeping in a small bed used for cats. Ichika soon wakes up from his sleep and stretches his arms above him while yawning before getting out of bed.

"That was a nice sleep. Maybe it's because I didn't get a vision of another world, but that might change tomorrow." Ichika said to himself with a small smile as he looked at the window."Still, it's nice to not wake up in the middle of the night worrying about another world being invaded once in a while. That way, I can be ready when that does happen again and we won't be caught by surprise." He looks at the clock on his wall. "In any case, I'd better get ready. It's about that time for Ash and the others to join our class. I just hope the rest of the girls don't overcrowd them." He then stops himself and realized that's not going to happen with an embarrassed smile. "Wait, what am I saying? Of course, they'll jump them, that's just how they are." He turns to his Digimon partner and nudges him. "Hey, Agumon, wake up. It's morning."

Agumon stirs from his sleep as he opens his eyes to see Ichika smiling down at him. "*Yawn* Mornin' Boss." He sits up and rubs his eyes to help himself wake up more.

"Mornin' Agumon. So how did you sleep?" Ichika asked with a smile.

"Pretty good. The best I had in the last couple weeks." Agumon answered him, smiling as well. "Especially since you didn't wake up in the middle of the night covered in sweat like the last couple times." Both Ichika and Agumon chuckled at that.

"Yeah, but that may change tomorrow when we're back to our normal routine." Ichika said "I guess the visions decided to gives us a break today and relax until it starts up again. This'll probably happen every now and then, so let's make the most of it. Plus, we still owe Mirei her request and I think we kept her waiting long enough. So when we finish with school later, we'll head over to Nakano and take her case." Agumon nodded in agreement as they got up from the bed and walked over to Ichika's desk to wake up Pikachu. "Hey, Pikachu, it's morning. Time to wake up."

Pikachu's ear twitched as he heard Ichika's voice and wakes up soon after. "Pika…Chu…" The Electric Mouse yawns and stretching out while shaking his fur before looking at his new friends. "Pika-Pi. Pikachu."

"And good morning to you too, Pikachu." Ichika smiled as he rubbed Pikachu's head. "So how was the bed I got for you? You slept well?" Pikachu nodded while squeaking in delight. "That's good to hear, I'm glad you had a goodnight's sleep. And since you're up, let's head downstairs and have some breakfast. Today's the day your partner's going to attend my school during your stay in our world." Pikachu nods as he jumps onto his shoulder and the trio heads out. "Let's just hope that the other girls won't catch him by surprise too much, it's already a running gag with me and the other boys before." Pikachu looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Trust me, the less you know, the better." He closes the door behind them and heads downstairs.

Later in the afternoon

Upon arriving at the IS Academy and Ash and his friends introducing themselves to the other students, our heroes were hanging out in the cafeteria where, much like before, the girls were excited to see some more boys in their class and crowded them like always. As the boys were being bombarded with the girls, Serena was able to get the boys out and glared at them for trying to makes advances on Ash, though they'll still try to win their hearts. And as Maya said, Bonnie was now with them in the cafeteria and was sitting on her brother's lap

"Yikes, that was just out of control. I had no idea these girls were that excited to see boys." Randy sighed in exhaustion. "I know you guys said that this school was meant for girls before, but I wasn't excepting them to just crowd us with excitement. Now I know how famous people feel with a bunch of fans around them."

"Sorry about that, we wanted to warn you guys but we thought it was better to show you than tell you." Houki said with a meek smile. "The girls here tend to be a little boy crazy when first meeting one. It happened last year with Ichika when he first enrolled and it's been like that ever since."

"And judging by the fact that this keeps on happening with every guy that has enrolled here up until now, it's only gonna continue down the line." Ling agrees with a nod. "I know it's the first time our school's now accepting male students since Ichika was the only one for some time, but this is really starting to get out of hand. I just wish the other girls would at least try to control-" She was then interrupted by a bright flash that forced everyone at the table to cover their eyes. After that, they started rubbing their eyes to straighten their sight back.

"What the?! Where did that flash come from?" Alec gawked while rubbing his eyes.

"So, it really is true. There are boys now being accepted into the IS Academy." A girl's voice said happily. "I wasn't sure if it was true or not, but it's definitely is. I'm glad my sources were right on the money; this would be great for the school newspaper." Our heroes soon got their sight back as standing in front of the table is a girl with dark brown hair tied in a short ponytail, wearing glasses over her blue eyes and holding a Nihon camera in her hands.

"Kaoruko? Where did you come from? And what's the big idea flashing us with your camera?" Tatenashi asked while blinking.

"Sorry about that, but I just had to see what was all the hubbub about. And from what I can see, it's all true." The girl known as Kaoruko answered her with a wink. "I've been hearing some rumors about some new students have been enrolling into our school nonstop and most of them are a bunch of really hot boys since our school's finally accepting male students besides just Ichika. And, lo and behold, I see some really hot guys I've been hearing about and it's exactly as the rumors said."

"Rumors? Who's been spreading rumors about us?" Kirito asked with a gulp until another girl pops up from out of nowhere. She has shoulder length pink hair that hangs free with the exception of two small pigtails on both sides. She also wears the same uniform as the girls, but with long sleeves that obscures her hands.

"That would be me, Honne Nohotoke! I've been hearing a bunch of talk about some new faces in the school and I just had to tell everyone!" Honne answered him with a smile. "But I wasn't expecting to be a lot more in the last couple weeks, so what's been going on? I know our school's now accepting male students, but I was expecting them to come next semester. So, what's been going on with you guys?" The Cyber Sleuths all huddled together and whispered to each other.

"Should we tell them about what's really going on? And about the real reason why we're here?" Klein asked in concern "I know we're not supposed to tell them yet until they can understand the situation, but if we don't tell them anything, they're gonna keep hounding us until we answer them."

"We'll come up with something, don't get your bandana in the twist." Houki told him calmly "We'll just have to play it safe for now until we're ready to tell them the truth. So, let's keep telling them that you guys were all invited by your schools until we can explain the truth to them about you guys being from other worlds and the Digimon." The rest of the Cyber Sleuths all nodded and decided to go along with her plan until they're ready to reveal the truth.

As the Cyber Sleuths explains about everyone that has enrolled were all invited to come to their school as part of the new program, Kirie looked over to Alec who was also explaining about them being invited to their school for the program before he looked over to her. Their eyes looked at each other before turning away with a small blush on their faces. Yukinari noticed this and smiled, seeing that his childhood friend was starting to have feelings for someone as they continued explaining to the other students.

Later

After school has ended for the day, Ichika and the gang got on the bus and headed back for Nakano Broadway but not before picking up the other half of their group at Ichika's house. As the rest of the Cyber Sleuths boarded the bus, Pikachu was being carried by Nepgear until he sees his partner Ash and jumps out from Nepgears arms and rushed towards him.

"Hey, buddy. Nice to see you again, too." Ash greeted with a smile. "So how was your stay at Ichika's house? Were you able to get along with everyone else while we were at school?"

"Pika-Pi. Pika Chu. Pika. Pi." Pikachu answered him with a smile.

"I see, that's good to hear. I'm glad you had fun." Ash smiled in relief. "And it's good to know you're getting along with everyone as well. I hope that nothing too bad happed while we were at school."

"I wouldn't exactly say that, kiddo. But I wouldn't say it was bad, more on the lines of idiocy." Noire said with a sigh. "While we were waiting for you guys to pick us up for another day of detective work, some idiots decided to be a little too rough with Pikachu and he made sure they get the message." She gestures to Ranma, Ryoko and Washu who were electrocuted from Pikachu's Thunderbolt.

"Whoa… looks like Pikachu's Thunderbolt has struck again, Ash." Alec joked with a laugh. "Just like every other time you've met with someone and they always end up getting shocked for handling Pikachu roughly. Guess we can add them to the list."

"Yeah, it looks like it. It always seems to turn out this way whenever Pikachu's treated in a way he doesn't like." Ash agrees with a grin. "First it was bikes, then Iris and now Bonnie and Clemont. Somehow, I feel like this is becoming a running gag whenever I go to a new region."

"So this has happened to you before?" Vert asked him, curious about that.

"Yeah, but most of the time, I'm not always there when it happens." Ash answered her as he explained. "And a lot of time, it's always in situations that's beyond our control."

"What kind of situations that were beyond your control?" Houki asked with raised eyebrows.

"Well, the first time I met Pikachu was when I first started out and we had a run-in with some Spearow." Ash answered her as he continued. "The second time is where Team Rocket used a machine to capture Pikachu, but he ends up absorbing so much electricity that his body couldn't contain it and started to expend it so fast. The third time was, once again, Team Rocket trying to steal Pikachu, but we got separated after we fought them off. And while the last two times didn't involve a bike or Team Rocket, it still does involve Pikachu being handled roughly and him letting you know that he doesn't like it." Pikachu nods in agreement as he still remembers those times and the moment, he bit Ash when he was generating so much excess electricity.

"Huh. So, I'm guessing that those Team Rocket guys have been attacking you and your friends for some time." Noire said as she crossed her arms. "And from how you've said that they've been trying to steal Pikachu from you, I'm guessing that this isn't the first time they've done this?"

"No, they've been trying to steal Pikachu ever since I first started out." Ash answered her as he recounted many times Team Rocket tried to steal Pikachu. "After stopping them for the first time, they've been trying to come up with every scheme they can come up with and that robot from yesterday was just one of them."

"So, you're saying that since we've stopped them yesterday, they're going to come back and try to steal your Pokémon friends again?" Renee asked with a frown.

"Yeah, that's generally what they do after being blasted off." Alec answered her, frowning as well. "No matter how many times they get blasted to Arceus knows where, they just find their way back to us and try again. They're about as stubborn as they can be."

"Wow, they must be that stubborn if they keep coming after you guys." Liz muttered. "I've seen some stubborn people before, but none of them were as much as those three. I just hope we don't run into them while we're helping out Mirei with her favor."

"If they do, then we'll have to be ready for when they do show up." Ichika said with a serious frown "Since they now know about our Digimon, they could be planning a way to steal them along with Pikachu and the other Pokémon. So, while we're helping out Mirei with her request, we'll need to be on guard when Team Rocket does show up. I've got a feeling that they'll be more determined to win and they'll do whatever it takes to make that happen." The rest of the Cyber Sleuths all nodded in agreement as the bus turns at a intersection and continues on its way to Nakano

Upon arriving at Nakano Broadway, our heroes disembarked from the bus and entered the shopping center to meet up with Kyoko for their next case. While making their way to the office, Ash and Emilia had to make sure no one sees Pikachu and Calumon or at the very least make them believe that they're stuffed toys. Thankfully, no one could tell if they were real or not as everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's a good thing that no one could tell that Pikachu and Calumon are real and think they're stuffed animals." Liz said with a smile. "I know it doesn't seem fair to them, but we really don't want to freak people out about a yellow mouse and a talking…whatever Calumon is supposed to be. So, it's for the best that no one knows that they're a Pokémon and a Digimon right now."

"Perhaps, but I feel as this won't last for very long. There may be a moment where we might not keep it a secret for much longer." Vert said with a frown. "For now, we're in the clear as the Digimon are relegated to EDEN, but if Saberdramon was any indication that Digimon could appear in the real world then we might not keep it as a secret for much longer." Tenchi's group all knew what she was talking about when Saberdramon attacked them and then attacked the rest of the city when it appeared in the real world.

"I agree with Vert on this, I doubt that it'll stay in the cyber world of EDEN for much longer." Noire agrees with a nod. "You guys might be able to bring your Digimon to the real world thanks to that Mirei person, but who's to say that the Digimon will be known worldwide soon or later. But somehow I feel as this wasn't the first time that the Digimon had appeared in the real world in one way or another."

"So, you're saying that Digimon appearing in the real world has happened before?" Silica asked with a gulp.

"It's a possibility, but I can't really say for sure if it's true or not." Noire answered her with a nod. "However, I can say that we'll need to be prepared when that does happen in the near future. I'm positive that we'll need to be ready for a fight on a much grander scale should that happen."

"I guess you and Vert have a point, Noire." Ichika agrees with them. "We'll need to be prepared when that does happen, so we'll take your word for it. We'll be prepared when that moment does happen in the near future. In the meantime, let's head for the office and see what Kyoko has for us. Maybe we can finally take the case from Mirei that she requested for us." Everyone nodded in agreement as they continued on towards the office.

A little later

As Kyoko was pinning up a new request for the Cyber Sleuths, said group enters the office and walked over towards her desk as she turns around to face them before walking over to her desk.

"Welcome back, Cyber Sleuths. Nice to see you guys all ready for your next job." Kyoko smiles "I trust that everything with Ash and his friends at your school went well?" That made everyone who were there all cringed at the mention of how Ash and his friends were introduced to their classmates.

"Well…" Houki began with a sigh.

Flashback

As Ichika arrived at the classroom and sat down at his desk, Maya enters the classroom and walks towards the front of the class as she tells them to settle down as she makes her announcement.

"Okay, guys. Settle down, you all know the drill by now." Maya said with a smile. "Now I know we've been getting a lot of new students as of this past few weeks, but that shouldn't deter us from welcoming them all the same. So without further adieu, allow me to introduce you guys to Ash Ketchum, Serena, Clemont, Alec and Randy! Come on in, guys!" The Pokémon Trainers all entered the room in their new uniforms. The boys were wearing the same uniform as Ichika and Serena wore the girls' uniform, but with some alterations with them.

Ash's uniform has his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his pants being more baggy, the blazer more open and still wore his trainer hat. Alec and Randy's uniforms were about the same as Ash's with Alec also still wearing his trainer hat and Randy with his bandana, but Alec's uniform as shorter sleeves and Randy's blazer was much more open. Clemont's uniform was about the same as Ichika's and Serena's was styled as a mix between Char's and Ling's uniforms. The girls were all amazed at their appearances while Ichika and the others waved at them and they returned the gesture.

"It's nice to meet all of you. Like Miss Maya said, my name is Ash Ketchum and these are my friends." Ash greeted with a smile "We're here for this program that your school is doing and we're happy to be here with all of you. I hope we can get along with each other." He and his friends all bowed with a smile. But not long after that, the girls soon crowned the boys while Serene was thrown back and crashes beside Maya.

"Serene! Are you alright?!" Maya gasped in shock.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Just a little sore, but it's not that bad." Serena asked with a wince.

"OMG! Can you believe this?! We've got four more boys here and they're all equally cute!" One female student said excitedly.

"I know, these boys just get better and better with each one coming into our school! I am so glad that this program's letting them join our school." Another female agrees while giggling.

The rest of our heroes knew this was coming as they all groaned in annoyance and watched as the boys were being smothered by their female classmates while Serena was steaming up with the sight of Ash being smothered by another girl.

"It just can't be easy for the boys, can it?" Liz groaned with her left eye twitching in annoyance. "No matter how many times this happens, it's always the same old song and dance. These girls are just that thirsty for guys that they'll jump at the sight of one." Everyone else just nods in agreement as Serena struggles to get the boys out from the grips of the other girls.

End flashback

"About as much as expected?" Kyoko asked with raised eyebrows in humor.

"Yep. About as much as expected." Houki answered her with a sigh.

"I guess I shouldn't be that surprised, but somehow I am with how constant it has become." Kyoko said, nodding in understanding "I'm still amazed at how those girls can get so excited at the sight of a boy that it defies all logic. But then again, who said that humans were logical?" Everyone nodded in agreement while the boys were still recovering from being smothered by the girls.

"So with that out of the way, what was that paper you pinned up on the white board?" Asuna asked her while looking at the white board. "Is it like another case for us to do when we're done with Mirei's case?"

"That's right, it's another case from me." Kyoko answered her with a nod. "It's more of a favor, if you will as it involves helping Detective Matayoshi. But I know that you've kept Mirei waiting for too long, so go ahead and take her case if you wish."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Ichika agrees, nodding in agreement "We'll take her case first and then we'll take yours soon after. So let's take Mirei's case and see what she has for us to deal with." He walks over to the white board and takes the paper off and presents it to Kyoko.

"Perfect, now this case can officially begin." Kyoko said with a smile "And believe that it's best that you get your information from Mirei herself as I have no idea what her request is. So head for the DigiLab and see what her request is and come back here when you're done. Investigation, start!"

"Yes, ma'am!" The Cyber Sleuths all shouted in unison as they exited the office and head for the DigLab to see Mirei for her request.

A little later

"So where are we gonna find this Mirei person who made that request we just accepted?" Whitney asked the gang while looking around. "Kyoko said that we'll find her in a place called the DigiLab, but where are we gonna find it? I don't really know if there's a lab that researches Digimon since only hackers are the only ones that uses them, so where are we gonna find this place?"

"I don't think we need to go that far to find the DigiLab." Ichika answered her with a smile. "In fact, it's really close by to the office so we can just stop right about here." The group stops at the same shop where Mirei was waiting for them the first time they've been hired by Kyoko and gave Ichika his hacking glove. There was also a small round table with an old-style phone with a white cat laying on the rug.

"Here? This is where this DigiLab place is supposed to be?" Zoey asked in confusion as Satoru, Twoearle and the IS pilots all nodded.

"Yep, this is the place. This is where the DigiLab is located." Twoearle answered her with a nod. "And this is where Mirei first appeared during the first day Ichika and his friends were hired by Kyoko. After that, she's been helping us with all kinds of information and gave some of our new friends their own Digivices when they've received their Digimon." Both Kusanagi and Elias nodded as they showed their Digivices to them. But no one noticed the crest of Gluttony on the back of the latter's Digivice and seems to be connected to Impmon.

"That's all well and good, but how are we gonna enter the DigiLab?" Emile asked skeptically "There doesn't look like we can use it to enter this DigiLab you guys are talking about. So, what do we do from here?" However, Ichika, Satoru and Twoealre smirked at this and looks over to Ichika.

"I think it's better to show them rather than tell them." Satoru said, winking to Ichika who winked back. "Ichika, if you would do the honors?"

"It'd be my pleasure." Ichika nods as he walks over to the table and holds his gloved hand out towards the phone while everyone watches. A second later, a Digital gate opens and everyone enters into the gate.

DigiLab

At the entrance of the DigiLab, the terminal activates as our heroes appeared in the DigiLab. For half of the group that has already seen the lab, they were still amazed at how it looks and that it was always close by if they ever need any assistance from the owner. As for the other half that hasn't seen the DigiLab before, they were all amazed at how they were able to enter a place that's only accessible through an old telephone on a round table. However, what our heroes didn't know was that Mirei was talking to another group that has also came to the DigiLab for the same reason as the Cyber Sleuths.

"No way! So this place is the DigiLab that you were talking about before?" Robin asked in shock.

"Yep, this is the place. And it's also where our time as assistant detectives to Kyoko really begins." Ichika answered him with a nod. "It's mostly thanks to the person who runs the DigiLab as she had given us a lot of advice when we need it. And since we're here, the ones that hasn't seen her yet can finally do." As they turned to face Mirei, they gasped in shock to see the other group they yesterday.

"Hey, isn't that the group we ran into yesterday?" Liz gasped.

"Yeah, it is them. And it looks like they've got a couple more members in their ranks." Asuna answered her with a nod. "I guess something must've happened after we bumped into them before helping out Ash and his friends. But I wonder why are they here and talking with Mirei? Are they here for the same reason as us?" Before anyone could answer her, the group and Mirei turned to them as the latter greets them.

"Welcome back, Cyber Sleuths. Nice of you to drop by." Mirei greeted with a smile. "I see that you used the entrance I set up right by Kyoko's office. I trust that you had no trouble finding this place, yes?"

"No, no trouble at all. It was a lot easier than we thought." Ichika answered her with a smile as well. "Most of our new friends were confused about the entrance, but we were able to convince them by using it."

"Understandable. Not everyone really knows that the DigiLab exists as only those who has close bonds with their Digimon are allowed to enter." Mirei nods in understanding "But I seem to be getting ahead of myself, I take that you're here because you took my case, yes?"

"Yeah, we were just about to tell you that." Houki answered her while looking at the second group. "We were wondering what was your request and what can we do to help. And I'm guessing that you were talking with the other group that we ran into yesterday?"

"Yes, I was just about to explain my request to them just before you've arrived." Mirei answered her as she adjusted her glasses "But since you're all here, I can now explain my request to all of you." She gestures both groups to gather around her as she clears her throat. "Now the rest reason requested all of you to be here is that, as most of you already know, EDEN is filled to the brim with hackers that only see Digimon as little more than mere tools to do their bidding." Those that already knows what she's talking about all nodded. "And of course, said bidding is rather malicious and illegal in nature, to simply put."

"And I'm guessing that you want us to find these hackers and put a stop to them?" The boy questioned.

"Exactly, right. That's also why I've sought everyone's help on this case. I'd like for all of you to go after one such hacker and let's say "discipline" them for these terrible hijinks." Mirei nods "Hopefully as one of their own, they'll learn from your example to treat their Digimon much more kindly from now on."

"Of course, we'll see if we can find these hackers and stop them abusing Digimon." Ichika said while giving Mirei a thumbs up which the latter smiles in response. "We'll make sure those Digimon are safe and sound from those hackers that are just using them for malicious intent." Both groups, with the extra of a few, all nodded in agreement as Mirei smiles. "But what about those that aren't as bad as people say? I'm sure there are hackers that treat Digimon with kindness and compassion and even see them as friends."

"Hmm? Not every hacker might be so bad, you say?" Mirei questions him with a amused smile. "From the way you talk, I take it you've met some that make you so optimistic, then? Or it is because some of your friends also have Digimon and it made you believe that some hackers might not be as bad as they say?" Ichika nods as he looks at his friends who has Digimon and they treat each other as friends and partners and Mirei seems to understand. "Well, I'll take your word for it if you really believe that." The boy from the other group heard what Ichika said as he looks down at his vizor resting around his neck. "But that doesn't change the fact that there are indeed bad eggs out there, ones that abuse their Digimon and make them suffer terribly… So I will still appreciate if if all of you turned up the heat on such hackers, so to speak."

"You can count on us, Mirei. We'll make sure those jerks are taught a lesson about abusing Digimon." Ling said as she cracked her knuckles, ready to teach the hackers a lesson they won't forget as everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Thank you. I knew I could trust all of you to join me in such an important cause." Mirei smiled in reassurance "And on that note, I've already found an especially malevolent hacker lurking about inside EDEN. This hacker seems to be somewhere on Kowloon Lv. 2. This one seems to be a particularly nasty hacker. You'll know why soon enough." Everyone nodded. "And that's all I have for you right now. Thank you all again for taking up this case. Once you're done, come back here and report back to me."

"We will, Mirei. We'll be back once we teach those hackers a lesson they won't forget." Ichika said with a thumbs up as both groups returned to the terminal and used it to exit out of the DigiLab and headed for EDEN. After they left, Mirei opens up her laptop and begins typing.

"Two fates that has crossed paths are now intertwined with one another." Mirei said with a soft smile "One destined to save all worlds from chaos and destruction while the other is wishing to be a hero in his story, but doesn't know that he is the hero he was always was meant to be. These two individuals were never meant to meet, yet somehow they have and it seems that fate wishes to see these two people overcome their own obstacles and even encourage the other in times of need. This is truly an interesting turn of events that seems to work in their favor. Now the real question is, what you two plan to do with your decisions? Ichika Orimura and Nagi Shirogane? I can't wait to see what fate has brought to the both of you." She turns her attention to the terminal where both groups had left the DigiLab before returning to her laptop.

Kowloon Lv. 2

After hearing about Mirei's request of finding a malicious hacker abusing their Digimon, our heroes arrived in EDEN to find said hacker and put a stop to them abusing their Digimon. Of course, the Cyber Sleuths weren't alone on this case as the other group they've encountered yesterday has joined them in finding the hacker and save the Digimon.

As both groups entered the second level of Kowloon, the Cyber Sleuths decided to get to know the other group that has joined them in finding the hacker and saving the Digimon. But before they could ask him, the boy brings up a panel and begins typing on a keypad as he searches for the hacker. Once he's done, he closes the panel and turns to everyone else.

"Okay, it looks like the hacker isn't that far from us. He's just in the next area before entering the area after that." The boy said seriously. "Once we find that guy, we can stop him from abusing his Digimon. Hopefully we won't have to fight him, but knowing some of these guys, that might still happen." The Cyber Sleuths were amazed at how he worked fast to find their target with no problems at all. "What? Did I say something weird?" He blinked.

"Whoa, dude. You work fast." Klein said with a whistle. "We were just about to come up with a plan to find this guy, but you managed to find him in no time flat. You some kind of whizkid or something?"

"Or something. In all seriousness though, it was easy to find him." The boy answered him with a nervous chuckle. "He's been on the radar for a while now and Yuugo wanted my group to find him and put a stop to his abuse on Digimon. It was kinda lucky that Mirei contacted me about finding rouge hackers and putting a stop to their actions. Though I wasn't expecting to see you guys again so soon after yesterday."

"Neither did we. We thought that we'd see you guys again much later on, but it looks like that wasn't the case." Ichika agrees with a nod. "And since we're looking for this hacker together, how about we get to know each other more? Since our last meeting yesterday was kinda unexpected, I think it's time we properly introduced ourselves to each other." The rest of the Cyber Sleuths all nodded in agreement as they all introduced themselves to the other group.

"Nice to meet all of you. Since you guys introduced yourselves to us, it's now our turn." The boy said with a smile. "I'm Nagi Shirogane, a hacker of Hudie. Everyone behind me are people I meet during my time in Hudie. They said that they're not from around here, so they asked me to help them in getting back home." His group of friends all nodded in agreement as he turns to them. "Why don't you guys introduce yourselves to our new friends?"

"Of course, Nagi-san. We'll be happy to oblige." The first blonde girl said with a smile. "I am Lilith Bristol, a pleasure to meet you. The two girls next to me are classmates of a school we all attend." Everyone turns to the chestnut haired girl and the navy blue haired girl.

"H-Hello, my name is Miyabi Hotaka. I-It's nice to meet all of you." The chestnut haired girl known as Miyabt stuttered., though was still nervous at the sight of boys in the Cyber Sleuths.

"And I'm Tomoe Tachibana. Pleased to meet all of you." The navy blue haired girl knows as Tomoe said with a smile "Please forgive Miyabi, she's not used to being around men just yet. She attended an all-girls school before enrolling into the school Lilith and myself attend, so try to be patient with her." Everyone in the Cyber Sleuths felt a little sorry for Miyabi as they all nod at Tomoe's request. Except for a certain pervert who was getting excited at seeing more girls and snakes around both groups.

"Well, with them done. I think we're up next." The second blonde girl with glasses said with a smile "Name's Ayame Shaga, nice to meet you guys. And in case you guys are wondering why I have blonde hair, it's because I'm half-Italian. Hope we get to play some video games together sometime." Those that were into video games all nodded.

"Then I believe that I'm up next. I'm Sen Yarizui." The silver haired girl known as Sen said with a smile. "A pleasure to meet all of you. I hope we get to know each other more." Everyone nodded as Fukuyama gets even closer to the other group with his fingers twitching in anticipation.

"Looks like I'm up next. You can just call me Chapatsu." The brunette knows as Chapatsu said with a smile. "It's nice to meet all of you. I hope we can get along- - hey, what the hell?!" Everyone turned to see Fukuyama fondling her breasts as she struggle to escape from his gripe.

"Oh, now this is just paradise! I never knew that there were boobs just as sublimed as Kirie's!" Fukuyama slurrered. "But now that I know that there, I want to be the first to feel them for myself! Oh, that sounds like heaven for me!" He continues to fondle Chapatsu's breasts until Nagi has had enough and rushes over to him.

"Hey, you pervert! You take your hands off her!" Nagi yelled as he and a small lion Digimon dropkicks Fukuyama and makes him release Chapatsu's breasts from his grasp as she covers them with her arms. Nagi kneels beside her while the Digimon made some gestures at the pervert to see if he's going to try that again. "Chapatsu? You alright? He didn't hurt you or anything, right?"

"N-No, just a little shaken up, that's all." Chapatsu answered him with a stutter. "I wasn't expecting that pervert to come in from right behind me and started fondling my breasts. But thank you for saving me from him, Nagi-san." She looks up at Nagi where he can see her eyes through her bangs as both stared at each other for a moment before someone cleared their throat. They turn to see the Cyber Sleuths with most of them smirking at them.

"Oh, don't mind us. Keep going with your little moment there." Kirito said, still smirking. "We definitely don't want to interrupt on your little romantic date. We'd just be a complete of third wheels." Everyone else nodded in agreement as both Nagi and Chapatsu blushed before turning away from each other while everyone laughs.

"Anyway, I think we better get to finding the hacker before we lose him." Ichika suggested with a smile. "You can introduce us to the rest of your friends along the way, so you won't have to start over. It's probably best since Fukuyama had to ruin it with his perverted side again." Everyone nodded in agreement as the Hudie members does the same.

"Yeah, you're probably right. It's best we keep going as to not lose the hacker." Nagi agrees with a nod. "If we don't find him here and now, I don't think we'll have a second chance to catch him. So, let's head for the next area and find that hacker before we lose him." Both groups all nodded as they all entered the next area with Fukuyama laying upside down against the wall with stars above his head.

Unknown to our heroes, Team Rocket were watching them from upon the walls with their binoculars. Still feeling sour from their defeat yesterday, now they're back with a new plan to not only steal Ash and his friends' Pokémon, but also get their revenge on the Cyber Sleuths for ruining their time of victory. Jessie, James and Meowth all nodded at each other before following both groups.

Upon entering the next area and after their introduction was rudely interrupted by Fukuyama, both the Cyber Sleuths and Team Hudie continued on their way to find the hacker that Mirei tasked them to stop. Along the way, the rest of Nagi's group introduced themselves to the Cyber Sleuths as they didn't get the chance to because of Fukuyama. Of course, the same lion Digimon was walking right beside Nagi as they searched for the hacker.

"Okay, just what the hell was that all about with that pervert?" Ayame asked angrily with a huff. "Why did he just come up from behind Chapatus and groped her boobs? And what was his deal in doing that?"

"Sorry about that, my brother tends to be a little too… eager when he sees a girl." Lisa apologizes with a sigh. "Whenever he sees a girl, he always tries to "get to know them" by fondling their breasts or even grabbing their butts just for his enjoyment. He always does this to Kirie whenever we're together, but she always beats him to a pulp in the end."

"Yikes. I sure hate to be around him when he tries that on the girls in our school." Chapatsu gulped. "I know that Ume Shiraume wouldn't like it if he tries that to Hana Oshiroi. She'd most likely beat him to a pulp while asking if she can beat him up right after she does so."

"Wait, she does that? She beats up a person and then asks if she can right after she does?" Liz asked in shock.

"Unfortunately, she does. Believe me, I've seen how protective she can be with Hana, but there was also a moment where she dragged me back to her place." Ayame answered her as she shuddered as she remembered what happened before with this Ume. "It really was uncomfortable for me as I wasn't used to being on the receiving end of being hit on by another girl. I just couldn't take it any longer and left with only a dress she gave me as I left my other clothes at her house."

"Okay, yikes. I had no idea that this girl had some issues." Klein grimaced. "She's like some overly obsessed fangirl who always wants the person she longs for to notice her. Kinda reminds me of this one anime I watched a while back where this chick was trying to get this guy to notice her and believes the only way to get his attention is to kill everyone else that comes between them. Needless to say, it doesn't end well for any of them." That made everyone feel uncomfortable from hearing about how an anime ending with a morbid kind of ending.

"Okay, let's move away from that nightmare fuel and focus more on finding this hacker." Houki reminded everyone "And if what Nagi said is true, then he should be really close by right now." Everyone nodded in agreement as they continued on to find the hacker before hearing a noise.

"Hey, did you guys hear that?" The boy named Max asked.

"Hear what, Max?" The girl named Zoe asked back before hearing the noise again. "Hold on, I think I hear it." The noise was now much louder as it sounds like someone was beating something.

"It sounds like someone is pounding something hard." The second boy name Rex said.

"That's gotta be the hacker we're looking for. And it sounds like he's really close by." Ash said with a frown.

"Okay, guys, we'll need to be careful when we approach him." Ichika said with a serious frown "There's no telling what would happen if we provoke him into a fight. Let's try to talk to him first before things get out of control." Everyone nodded in agreement as they headed to where the noises were being heard from.

As they reached the location of the noise, they found a male hacker wearing an orange t-shirt with a white and teal cap and blue jeans and was kicking a small Digimon that resembles a peregrine falcon with a white version of Leomon close by with the same kind of bruises as the other Digimon. Everyone couldn't help but feel sorry for the two Digimon as the hacker mistreats them like they don't matter. The Digimon in the group were having it even worse as they don't want to see their fellow Digimon getting treated like that.

"You little pieces of shit! You lost to a weak Digimon like that?!" The hacker known as Norio snarled as he hit his Digimon. "How could you two lose to a wimp like that stupid Airdramon?! It wasn't even that tough, yet you both still lost somehow!" Then he noticed someone behind him and turns around to see both the Cyber Sleuths and Hudie standing behind him. "Huh? What do you losers want? Can't you see I'm busy teaching these two a lesson?"

"That's not a lesson, you're just kicking them around!" Ling growled. "You're just putting them down just to make you look like the bigger man! You have no right to treat those Digimon like that!"

"Yeah, and what's it to you, pigtails?" Norio asked with a sneer. "These two belong to me, so I'm allowed to do whatever I want with them. And if these ever think about losing again, I'll have to teach them an even more painful lesson. So why don't you guys just take a hike? I've got more important things to do than waste my time with the likes of you."

"Sorry, but I'm afraid that's not going to happen." Nagi said with a frown. "We were called by someone that a hacker was mistreating their Digimon for some reason and we're here to put a stop to them. And from what we're seeing, you fit that bill perfectly to a T. So, you can either make this easy on yourself and just stop right now or this is gonna be much harder for you."

"Okay, tough guy. Now you've got my undivided attention." Norio growled. "If you losers think that you can just order me around and make me stop using these two how I see fit, then you've got a one-way ticket to hell!" He turns to the two Digimon. "Falcomon, IceLeomon! Time for you two to make up for your last failure. If you can kick their asses, then I might let ya off the hook." Both Digimon looked at each other as they had no say in the matter and nods.

"Very well, Master Norio." IceLeomon nods.

"We won't fail you this time." Falcomon also nods as they stepped forward to both groups.

"Okay, Chomp! Ready?" Max asked with a smile. The small Triceratops known as Chomp made a squeal to acknowledge his friend and partner's request as he leaped off of Max's shoulder and grew to big size, surprising everyone including Norio and his Digimon.

"Whoa! Are you guys seeing what I'm seeing?!" Phillia gasped in shock and awe.

"Yeah. A real live Triceratops." Sinon agreed. "I thought they and the dinosaurs were extinct."

"Trust me. You haven't seen anything yet." Rex smirked as he too got ready. "Ready Ace?" The Carnotarus known as Ace nodded as he too grew to giant size.

"Paris! Let's do this!" Zoe cheered as Paris the Parasaurpolus grew to giant size as well.

"Aha! I knew it! I was right all along!" Neptune beamed. Everyone looked at her while Noire groaned and gets ready to whack her again. "I was right back in Chapter 10! So I think my fellow CPUs owe me an apology-ow! Crackers! Not again!" Neptune whined as Noire whacked her in the head before she can finish.

"Okay, what is she talking about?" Senri asked in confusion before she and her friends got into battle stances.

"Never mind that!" The lion Digimon interjected. "We need to beat the stuffing out of this jerk's Digimon so he can treat them more with respect! Nagi! Give us a signal so you can use That!"

"Right, Coronamon!" Nagi agreed.

"IceLeomon! Kick their asses!" Norio snarled.

"Frozen Fury!" IceLeomon yelled as he launched a energy fist with cold energy at our heroes, they dodged it.

"Foul fiend! We'll teach you to respect your Digimon!" Lilith yelled as she got out an highly advanced rifle and fired it at IceLeomon, giving him small damage.

"You little bitch! Falcomon! Attack her!" Norio snapped.

"Scratch Smash!" Falcomon was about to attack Lilith, but Gatomon got in the way and blocked the attack.

"Not on your life, buddy!" Gatomon yelled as she got into a battle stance. "Ling! I'm counting on you to back me up!"

"You got it!" Ling grinned. "Gatomon! Use Cat Claw Fury!"

"Cat Claw Fury!" Gatomon scratched both Falcomon and IceLeomon, giving them medium damage.

"Take this!" Ayame yelled as she leaped up and did a dive kick on IceLeomon who blocked it with his fist. "Oh crap!" Ayame gawked as she leaped away from the Digimon.

"Pepper Breath!"

"Corona Flame!" Coronamon fired a ball of flame from its brow which combined with Agumon's Pepper Breath gave Norio's Digimon some hurt.

"Hard Beak!" Biyomon pecked Falcomon, giving him medium damage.

"Cross Combination!" Neptune yelled as she charged and gave IceLeomon small combo damage.

"Greninja, use Water Shuriken!" Ash issued.

"Gren!" Greninja nodded as he launched the water shuriken at Falcomon, giving him medium damage. Guilmon looked at Greninja and smiled.

"You're amazing, Greninjamon." He commented happily. Greninja heard that and smiled in response.

"Chomp! Attack!" Max issued.

"Ace! Help Chomp out!" Rex yelled.

"You too, Paris!" Zoe added as the three friends' dinosaurs attacked together on IceLeomon, giving him small damage before he fend them off.

"Heart Arrow!" Corina launched her attack at Falcomon who leaped out of the way.

"Falco Rush!" Falcomon yelled as he did a leg attack on Elecmon, giving him medium damage.

"Elecmon! Don't give up!" Houki encouraged.

"You got it! Nine Tails!" Elecmon yelled as he charged his tails with electricity and hit back Falcomon with it, giving him medium damage.

"Starburst Stream!" Kirito yelled as he charged towards IceLeomon and both clashed in a dance of blades. Asuna saw her chance and helped her husband and lover by attacking IceLeomon from behind.

"Gum Gum Rocket!" Luffy stretched and gave Falcomon some medium damage. Norio growled angrily as he was not ready to give up yet.

"Ok, I admit, you guys are good. But now I'm really starting to get pissed off!" Norio snarled. "If you losers think that you can just waltz up to me and demanded me to stop using my Digimon in however I please, then you've got another thing coming! I'm not about to let some noob hackers stop me from being the strongest hacker in all of EDEN!"

"You're the real noob around here, pal! You think that just because you got two Digimon, that makes you think you're the stronger one here!" Kirito refuted. "I've seen other players with that same attitude and believe me, you're no different than them! You think that just because you get a fancy new toy that means you're better than everyone else! Well, news flash, you're really not!"

"Yeah, you're nothing more than a bully who likes to bring others down!" Max agrees with an angry frown "You're just mad because you lost to someone who actually cares about their Digimon and just wanted to take his anger out on his own Digimon! You're just like a little kid throwing a temper tantrum because he didn't get his way!"

"Why you little brat! You'll pay for that remark!" Norio yelled in rage. "Falcomon! It's time for you to finally Digivolve! You've been beaten countless times before because you didn't know how to Digivolve. But now it's time for you to finally Digivolve and kick their asses once and for all!"

"But Master Norio, I've tried to Digvolve before and it never worked!" Falcomon stuttered. "I've tried to Digivolve in our last fight, but I still couldn't do it! I don't know why I couldn't Digivolve and I'm not sure if it'll work this time!" But his pleas fell onto deaf ears as Norio picks him up by the scruff of his feathers.

"I don't care! I want you to Digivolve now!" Norio shouted in anger "The only reason you haven't Digivolve yet is because you're just so weak! If you weren't so weak, then maybe you could've Digivolve! Now you can either shut up and Digivolve or you can just fight them by yourself if you can!"

"Hey, that's not fair for Falcomon! You can't just force him to Digivolve!" Liz growled. "You need to have a bond with him in order for him to Digivolve! If you don't have a bond with him, there's no way he can Digivolve! All he wanted was to be your friend and work together with you, but all you cared about was inflating your ego!"

"You shut up, bitch! You have no idea what you're talking about!" Norio snapped; Liz was silent as she realized she wasn't getting through to him. "I don't give a damn about being friends with my Digimon because I can use them however I want! Now you losers can just piss off or there really be some serious trouble for you!" Before anyone else could say anything, there was the sound of laughter was heard.

"Did someone say trouble?" An all too familiar voice asked.

"Yes. And they better make it double." Another familiar voice answered.

"Huh? Who the hell is that?" Norio asked in confusion.

"Oh no, not them again!" Alec groaned.

"Them? Who's them?" Ayame asked in confusion.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our nation."

"To denounce the evil of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Team Rocket!" The Pokémon trainers all shouted in unison.

"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu agrees.

"You guys just don't know when to quit, do you?" Randy asked with a groan "Not even after the beating Ichika and the others gave you yesterday. Just what are you up to this time?"

"You should know that by now, twerp! We're here for your Pokémon that we almost had yesterday!" Jessie answered him with a scowl "We were just so close to finally winning and being recognized by our boss when we finally hand him your Pokémon!"

"But all that went down the drain when these so-called Cyber Sleuths came and ruined everything that we've worked so hard for!" James agrees with an angry frown "Our victory was so close to us that we could practically taste it and it tasted so good for that brief moment. But when those Cyber twerps arrived on the scene, everything we worked so hard was all for naught!"

"So now not only we're back to steal your Pokémon again, but also get some payback on your friends for ruining our moment of victory!" Meowth shouted "And this time, we're going to win against you twerps once and for all! Also, don't expect us to hold anything back, we're putting everything we've got into this fight and we're gonna come out on top for sure!"

"I don't think so, you guys had never won before and you certainly won't win again!" Alec refuted as he got his hands on Pignite's Pokeball. "And this time, we've got our new friends to help us in making sure you three never steal our Pokémon or anyone else's again! So go ahead and give us your best shot!" As Team Rocket sends out their Pokémon, Norio saw this as a chance to finally make Falcomon digivolve and take everyone out.

"Now Falcomon! While they're distracted by those three idiots!" Norio ordered. "Digivolve right here and now so that we take them all out in one fell swoop! Those bastards won't know what hit them before it's too late!"

"But wouldn't that be unfair to them if they don't see us attacking them?" Falcomon asked in concern "It wouldn't be right to just attack them while their back is turned. We should wait for them to bring their attention back to us and then we can continue fighting." But once again, Norio didn't want to hear it as he takes out his Digivice and holds it out towards him.

"I don't care! They shouldn't have turned their backs on us and now they're gonna pay the price!" Norio shouted. "Now you can either shut up and just digivolve right now or I'm gonna force you to! One way or another, I'm gonna be known throughout EDEN as the strongest hacker ever and no one is gonna stop me!" As his digivice glows a bright light, Falcomon started to glow as well as everyone noticed it and turned around.

"Hey! What are you doing to Falcomon?!" Houki demanded.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm gonna make Falcomon digivolve, even if I have to force him!" Norio told her with a wicked grin. "And once I do, both he and IceLeomon would be unstoppable and no one will stand in our way! Not even losers like you!" Falcomon glowed even brighter as he starts to digivolve and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it.

"Falcomon digivolve to… " Falcomon started to grow much bigger as his neck extends outwards, his legs gets longer, his talons became much sharper, his body started to broaden, his wings grew longer and had a single claw on the centers and ends of his wings, his head becomes more jagged with his beak gaining sharp teeth, and he gains armor on his head, neck, wings and legs. "…Diatrymon!"

Everyone was in shock to see that Norio just forced his Digimon to digivolve just to gain the upper hand on them while they were distracted by Team Rocket. This even made the Digimon even more angrier as they can see that Norio didn't even care about his Digimon and would do whatever it take to win a fight.

"You… you didn't…" Graham gasped in shock. "You didn't just force Falcomon to digivolve while we were distracted with Team Stupid here?" He gestured to Team Rocket who were annoyed by that.

"That's right, I did. I was finally able to make him digivolve." Norio answered him with a sinister smile "After all the countless failures to make him digivolve, it finally happened! Now no one will be able to stop me as I make myself known throughout EDEN and become the strongest hacker ever! And to that, I'll start with all of you!" Both Daitrymon and IceLeomon stood in front of him and readied themselves for battle, but Nagi and Coronamon stepped forward to face them.

"So you think that just because you finally made Falcomon digivolve, that means you're unstoppable?" Nagi asked with a serious frown. "That no one could stand up to you and will be well known all throughout EDEN? If that's what you really think, then you're even more of an idiot than you think." He clenches his fist as Coronamon knows what's coming up.

"Idiot!? I'll show you, idiot! I'll delete you and your Digimon off the databanks of EDEN!" Norio yelled in anger.

"Then let's see if you can back up that threat! You ready, Coronamon?" Nagi asked his partner with a smile.

"Ready when you are, Nagi! It's time for That, right?" Coronamon asked with a grin as everyone were confused, except for Nagi's group.

"That? What do you mean by That? What are they talking about?" Black Heart asked in confusion.

"Oh, you guys are in for something special." Ayame answered her with a smile. "Unlike how that jerk forced his Digimon to digivolve, Nagi and Coronamon have a special kind of way to help the latter digivolve. Just watch and prepare to be amazed." Everyone was still confused, but they decided to take her word for it and watched both Nagi and Coronamon.

Just then, Nagi made a mad dash towards Diatrymon as he readies his fist for a punch. Diatrymon tried to attack Nagi, but he managed to jump out of the way and delivers a punch straight onto Diatrymon's head as everyone were in shock to see him actually punch a Digimon head on, even IceLeomon, Norio and Team Rocket were at a loss for words at what they just witnessed. But instead of his hand being in pain, orange data was emitting from his fist as he and Coronamon looked at each other and nodded.

"You ready, Coronamon?" Nagi asked as he places his vizor over his eyes.

"Ready when you are, partner!" Coronamon answered him with a smile.

"Then here we go! DNA Charge!" Nagi shouted as he swipes his hand over his vizor as a digital fire bursts from Coronamon.

"Coronamon digivolve to…" Coronamon was engulfed in the flames as he starts to grow larger and became bipedal, wings sprouts from his back, his mane grows much larger, he gains armor on his head, front legs, hind legs, back and tail as each were emitting flames. He now looks like a full grown lion with orange fur. "…Firamon!"

We are Xros Heart plays

"He… literally punched the Digimon!" Nami gawked in shock.

"And it helped Coronamon Digivolve." Nico Robin agreed.

"What the hell?!" Norio gawked. "How the hell did you do that?!"

"Sorry, that's a secret." Nagi smirked before frowning seriously again. "Now Flaramon! Attack those three idiots and Diatrymon and IceLeomon!" He issued.

"Right away, partner!" Firamon smiled as he charged towards Team Rocket first who panicked.

"Ahhhh! Meowth! James! Do something about that Digimon!" Jessie panicked.

"Ahh! What do you want me to do against a big Digimon like that?!" Meowth cowardly panicked.

"Inkay! S-Stop that Digimon!" James ordered as he called out Inkay.

"Fira Bomb!" Firamon yelled as he launched a flaming bomb at Team Rocket who screamed as the attack connected with them, causing a explosion that sends the idiot trio and their Pokemon flying again.

"We're blasting off again!" Team Rocket screamed as they disappeared into EDEN's Cybersky once again with an twinkle of a star.

"Grrr! Diatrymon! IceLeomon! Delete that asshole's Digimon!" Norio issued.

"Blast Shot!" Diatrymon launched ballistic waves at Firamon who dodged it.

"Blizzard Breath!" IceLeomon breathed out a blizzard breath at Firamon who again dodged it.

"Fira Claw!" Firamon slashed both Diatrymon and IceLeomon with his front legs.

"Whoa… But now's not the time to get distracted." Ichika turned to Agumon. "Ready to help Nagi and Firamon, Agumon?"

"You betcha, Boss!" Agumon agreed. "Agumon, digivolve to…" Agumon digivolved into GeoGreymon. "GeoGreymon!" GeoGreymon and Firamon stand beside each other. "Hey Firamon! Need a hand?" He smiled.

"Sure! Me and Nagi can use the extra help!" Firamon smiled.

"Then let's take that jerk's Digimon down! Mega Burst!" GeoGreymon launched his attack at Diatrymon and IceLeomon.

"Flame Drive!" Firamon yelled as he charges forward with his body engulfed in flames as GeoGreymon's attack combined with his as it hit IceLeomon and Diatrymon for massive damage, knocking them out.

Norio gawked as he fell on his knees in shock. "T-This can't be… Even though I made Diatrymon digivolve, I still lost? Maybe they're right… Maybe I didn't treat my Digimon with love and respect…"

Once the battle was over, Diatrymon reverted back to his Rookie form while IceLeomon stayed in his Ultimate form. Both Firamon and GeoGreymon reverted back to their Rookie forms as everyone walked towards Norio as both of his Digimon soon regained consciousness and sat back up. Norio's cap was loosen when he dropped to his knees as it fell off his head while he looks up at both groups looking down at him.

"So Norio, now do you see how poor treatment to your Digimon has caused you?" Ichika asked sternly. "You didn't care about how your Digimon felt because all you cared about was using them for your own selfish gain and making yourself look like the bigger person. But in the end, that was all for naught as not only you forced your Digimon to digvolve, but tried to do so while we were distracted by Team Rocket. Now what do you have to say for yourself and your Digimon?"

"I… I…" Was all Norio could say before lowering his head.

"I hope that this shows you that when you don't treat your Digimon with love and respect, you won't achieve anything." Ichika continued on as he crossed his arms "You forced Falcomon to digvolve just because you didn't want to lose. But in doing so, you've only made it worse for yourself and your Digimon as it only made it easier for us to defeat them. And now that this battle is over, what are you going to do next for yourself and your Digimon?" Norio looked up at both groups as they were waiting for him to answer, but he also knows that if he gave the wrong answer then they'll let him know.

"I… I don't know what I'm gonna do…" Norio answered him as tears began to form on his eyes "I haven't really thought about what I'm going to do with myself or my Digimon if I lose again. But now that I have, I just down know what to do next…" Nagi walks over to him as he picks up his cap and places it back on his head.

"You can start by treating your Digimon better than you did before." Nagi told him with a small smile. "I know it might be difficult for you since you didn't treat them with love and respect, so now is the time to do so. That way, you three can form a better relationship with each other and can even be friends."

"But what am I supposed to do when I try to treat them better?" Norio asked him sadly "I don't know if they'll want to listen to me after the way I treated them. How am I going to be friends with them if I know they're not going to listen to me?"

"That's up to you. Only you can know whether or not they'll listen to you." Nagi answered as he added "If they will listen to you, then you can start over with a fresh understanding of each other. If not, then I'm afraid that's just the way it is unless you can make it up to them somehow." The Cyber Sleuths were confused by what he meant, but his group had a feeling about what he's talking about.

"You sound like you speak from experience. How do I know that it's not some kind of scam?" Norio asked in concern.

"You can believe that it's a scam or not, but just know that it's your best chance to start over with a clean slate." Nagi told him as he continued "What happens from here on out is really up to you, so you'll have to see if it works out for you or not. Just know that whatever does happen, you'll have to take a chance in order to make it right with them." Norio looks over to his Digimon has they were still depressed that they have failed their master.

Seeing this, Norio takes a deep breath as he stands back up and walks over to Falcomon and IceLeomon as they turned to face him, waiting for what he plans to do with them. But to their shock and surprise, Norio didn't strike them but he stand down beside them and started talking with them in a more gentle manner. Both the Cyber Sleuths and Team Hudie were watching this unfold as they see that this is a new start for them.

"Do you really think that this'll work for him? Making up with his Digimon for all the pain he's caused them?" Whitney asked hopefully.

"Honestly, I'm not too sure about it myself. I just told him what Ryuji told me before." Nagi answered her with a soft smile. "I guess you can say I speak from experience, so I kinda know what he's going through. Let's just hope that things turn out for the better for all three of them in the near future."

"Well, in any case, I say that we've completed with Mirei's request." Ichika said with a smile. "So let's head back to the DigiLab and report to her about our success. And once that's done, we can close the case back at the office with Kyoko." Both groups nodded in agreement as they returned to the entrance of Kowloon LV 2 and find an Access Point.

"By the way, whenever happened to that pervert? The one that groped Chapatsu's breasts earlier?" Tomoe asked with a angry frown as she remember what Fukuyama did earlier.

"Oh, don't you worry about him. I'm sure that he'll be just fine." Kirie answered her with a sigh as everyone just shrugged at her statement and continued on their way towards the DigiLab and to report their mission was a success to Mirei.

Later

Upon returning to the DigiLab, they've reported that their mission was a success and were able to set Norio straight so that he'll be able to treat his Digimon with love and respect.

"I see, that's good to hear that the mission was a success." Mirei smiled as everyone felt proud that they helped Mirei. "I'm happy to hear that you were able to set that hacker straight and perhaps that he'll treat his Digimon much better that he did before. Hopefully that your efforts won't be for naught."

"I'm sure that it won't. We're sure that he'll turn out for the better." Ichika smiled. "We're just glad that we were able to help out with one of the hackers that were mistreating Digimon."

"Indeed, it appears everything went smoothly for all of you. I'm so glad that I called on all of you to help clean up EDEN." Mirei agrees as she added "Although knowing how strong your bonds to your Digimon are, perhaps this end result was the work of fate… Heehee." Everyone was a little confused by her statement about fate.

"Fate, huh? I'm not sure how to comprehend that." Nagi said confusedly.

"Heehee, you should take that as a compliment. I was merely referring to how this victory was fated to begin with." Mirei joked as everyone sweat dropped at her joke. "But regardless, thank you everyone for all your hard work today. I expect great things from all of you going forward, as well. Since this was merely the first of many hackers that needs to be straighten out." That made everyone raise an eyebrow in confusion as they were wondering what she meant.

"Wait, the first? What do you mean the first of many hackers?" Nami asked in surprise.

"Oh, you didn't think that we were done with just this one hacker you all took care of, did you?" Mirei questioned back "Sad to say, there are still numerous hackers out there who are mistreating their Digimon horribly. While you guys were taking down that first hacker, I drafted up what you might call a "hacker blacklist." Right now, there are 60 such outlaw hackers on the list, this one you all just defeated bumping the total number down to 59." That made everyone jump in shock at the amount of hackers that are on the backlist and that they've only stopped just one of them.

"60 hackers?!" Both groups shouted in unison.

"You expect us to take down all of those hackers in one go?! Are you out of your mind?!" Ryoko shouted with an anger vein on her forehead.

"Oh, you feel that the number is rather high? I assure you, I arrived at this final roster after only the most careful of deliberation." Mirei said amused. "Of course, I never said that you'll be searching for all the remaining hackers. I was able to split it up into 30 hackers for both groups so that the work can be twice as efficient. So rest assured, neither of you won't be tackling this all at once, after all." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief that the list of hackers were split in half so that both groups could handle them at the same time.

"Well then, I think it's time that we head back to the office." Ichika said with a smile. "Since we've completed with Mirei's request, we can close the case and get some rest for tomorrow. We're gonna need all the strength for what'll happen tomorrow."

"An excellent idea. I'm sure that it'll be quite the eventful day for you guys tomorrow." Mirei agrees "As for myself, I'll be keeping an eye out for any of the other hackers that are still roaming around EDEN. Once I find their location, I'll send them to all of you right away as new cases. You all can handle them the same was as today's. Don't underestimate the strength of your bonds with your Digimon. Big or small, each one will lend you their aid when you need it most. So please, do what you can to save those poor Digimon from the blacklisted Hackers. I expect great things to come from this, heh."

"We will, Mirei. We'll be on the lookout for your next case." Ichika said with a determined smile "We'll be there for those Digimon that are being mistreated by hackers that only see them as tools, so you don't have anything to worry about. We'll find those hackers and teach them a lesson they won't soon forget." Both groups nodded in agreement as they headed for the terminal to exit the DigiLab.

"Well, it looks like this is where we part ways. It was great seeing you guys again and working together with you as well." Nagi smiled "I know it might be a while until we see each other again, but I'm sure that we will. Maybe we could hangout together sometime in the near future."

"Yeah, same here. I'm sure that we'll get to see each other again soon enough." Ichika agrees as he shake Nagi's hand. "By the way, since we're still here, why don't we exchange Digilines? That way, we can still stay connected even when we're far apart."

"Sure, that sounds like a great idea." Nagi nods in agreement as he and the Cyber Sleuths exchanged their Digiline contacts so that they can stay connected to each other.

Once the exchange was done, both groups stepped onto the terminal and exited the DigiLab to head back to their respected base of operations. But what both groups don't know is that their paths have crossed over with each other and that while both may follow different roles in their destiny, their encounter has sparked a chain of events that could determine the fate of the world.

After parting ways with Nagi's group, the Cyber Sleuths returned to the office to close the case on Mirei's request and rest up for tomorrow. Upon entering the office, Kyoko was seen organizing some files in boxes as she stacks them on top of each other. After stacking the last box, Kyoko turns around to see Ichika and the gang have retuned from their case with Mirei.

"Ah, welcome back, Cyber Sleuths. I see that you're all back from your case with Mirei." Kyoko greeted with a smile. "I take it that the case went off without any problems?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that there were no problems, but we were able to handle it with little trouble." Houki answered her, smiling as well. "We had some help from Nagi's group as Mirei had also asked them to help with the same case as us. So we worked together with them to complete with Mirei's request for her."

"Oh, I see. So what was the request that Mirei wanted you guys to do for her?" Kyoko asked as she placed her hand on her hip.

"It was more of backlist kind of case where she had us track down a hacker that are mistreating Digimon." Tatenashi answered her as she explained "She had us straighten out a hacker named Norio who was mistreating his Digimon because one of them didn't digivolve and I'm guessing that he consistently lost to other hackers before us. So with some help from Nagi and Coronamon, we were able to defeat them and hopefully set Norio straight on treating his Digimon better."

"I see. So her request was finding some malicious hackers that are mistreating their Digimon and set them straight." Kyoko nods in understanding "And it's good to know that Nagi's group were able to help you guys out with the case. Too bad they couldn't join us at this moment, I would've made some coffees to celebrate your job well done." That made everyone flinch at the thought of Nagi's group drinking her dreaded coffee and potentially not coming back from it.

With Nagi's group

When Nagi and his friends returned to his apartment home, they all felt a sudden chill down their spines and looked around to see what caused it. It was mostly peaceful as there were no one following them, but they can't really shake off this uneasy feeling that they've just avoided a terrible fate.

"Hey, you guys felt that, right? That sudden chill just now?" Max asked with a shiver.

"Yeah, I sure felt it too. It almost felt like it was coming directly at us." Ayame answered with a gulp "Like someone or something was wanting us to try something horrible and we've just dodged that bullet. Should we be worried about this?"

"Let's try to not think about it for the rest of the day." Nagi answered her with a nervous smile "The more we think about that, the likelihood that it'll happen sooner or later. Let's just get some rest and not think about what we felt. We're about to go back to work tomorrow, so we'll need to be prepared for what's coming." His group all nodded in agreement as they entered his apartment where Rebecca and Silvia were waiting for them to return.

Back at the agency

"I'm sure they'll understand why they couldn't join us today." Cecilia interjected with a nervous smile and sweat drop. "It's possible that they had other plans for the rest of the day and had to leave, but I'm positive that we'll see them again soon enough."

"You're probably right, Cecilia. This won't be the first time that we'll be working together with them." Kyoko agrees with a nod. "There will be moments where we'll be working alongside them in cases that requires some extra help, so they'll be there to lend us a hand." She looks over to Ichika. "And on that note, I believe that it's time to close the case, my dear Watson?" She hands him the stamp to close the case.

"Yeah, I'd say that it's about that time." Ichika agrees, smiling as he walks over to the whiteboard and stamps the case file. "Case closed." He hands back the stamp to Kyoko who stores it back into her desk.

"And with that, I believe that we're done for the day." Kyoko closed her eyes and smiled. "Since there are no new cases at this point, you guys can take the day off tomorrow. I'll let you know when I pin up a new case." Everyone nodded in agreement and were just about to leave until Ichika's Digiline started ringing.

"Huh? Who's calling you, Ichika? Were you expecting someone?" Kirito asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't think so. I wasn't expecting anyone calling me right now." Ichika answered him with a stutter "I wonder who's calling?" He checks his Digiline and sees that it's Ran Gotanda. "Huh? Ran's calling me? I wonder why is that?" He answers the call and places it on speaker for everyone to hear. "Hello?"

"Hi, Ichika! How are you doing today?" Ran greeted as everyone can hear just how excited she was.

"Wow. I never knew that someone would be this excited to speak with Ichika." Alec whistled.

"I guess he really does attract all the ladies and he doesn't even need to use Attract." Randy joked as everyone chuckled.

"Huh? Who's that? Is there someone else with you, Ichika?" Ran asked in confusion.

"Yeah, I'm with some friends of mine. We've just got done with our part-time job and were about to head home." Ichika answered her.

"Oh yeah, Houki and the others told us that you guys had a part-time job." Ran said as she remember what Houki and the others told her the other day "They said that you guys were working for a place called the Kuremi Detective Agency. Guess I caught you guys just in time."

"Yeah, you certainly did. So what was reason you called me? Is it something important?" Ichika asked.

"Oh, you better believe that it's important. You guys won't believe what just happened." Ran answered him excitedly "I just got qualified for the IS Academy's Entrance Exam! Now I can finally enroll at the IS Academy and join with you guys!" That made Ichika and his seven female friends all surprised that she qualified for the entrance exam, but were also happy that she did and that she'll be joining them soon enough.

To be continued…

Next time: Of Busty Ninjas, UFO Valkryies and Digimon: Operation Rescue Ran! Arise, Shoutmon, Gumdramon and Tentomon!

A/N: And that's it for today. Next time, our heroes must rescue Ran from evil Digimon with the help of the Senran Kagura girls and Nagi meets one of the cast of UFO Princess Valkyrie. Also, this debuts an OC by my co-author Panther J's friend for Senran Kagura along with his own Senran Kagura OC. And Dan and Sinon get their own Digimon partners. So stay tuned!