Chapter Text
Haley Potter wasn't the luckiest kid.
Hated by her aunt and uncle. Ridiculed and bullied by her cousin and his pals. Ostracised and targeted by the school to cover up said cousin's misbehavior. Known as a delinquent despite doing nothing and no one having proof of her having anything to do with the bad things they claim she did.
She barely got proper food, only scraps really unless she was at Miss Figg's house. She had to wear the worn-out hand-me-downs from Dudley which she was forced to make due with using clips. Her hair got mistreated on a regular basis with scissors and pulling. And lastly, she was forced to wear glasses. Weak ones, but enough that she couldn't see quite right through them.
Her eyesight was good, mind you, but it was to make her less likeable by her peers for being a “Dumb Four-Eyes” girl. The only reason she didn't take them off out of sight was that Vernon paid a lot of the teachers to harshly punish her if she did so and Dudley bullied everyone into helping them too. In short, her life was miserable on every level.
The only light she had in the six years she had lived with the Dursleys come when Vernon went on a family vacation to Japan and they couldn't put her to Miss Figg for 3 months as they stayed there for the summer vacation as Dudley liked Japanese video games.
As such, to avoid having her around because she was contagious with “Freakiness” as they put it, she was enrolled in a summer camp.
Yes, a Japanese Summer Camp. She understood nothing and the only clothes she had been given were those she already had. At least she could take off the glasses and enjoy several months of no Dudley as this wasn't his thing. Period.
Soon after arriving with the throng of kids, including only one her own age, a older girl took her aside and begun ranting in Japanese, much to Haley's dismay as she didn't understand a word of it. When she asked if she could repeat it in English, the girl seemed at first stunned but then begun to speak in a mixture of thick American and no less thick Japanese accent to tell her the problem.
“And therefore, I can't let you run around in such horrible clothes! I mean, who made you wear clothes some football player put on without taking off his gear?” Asked the girl, Tachikawa Mimi. A budding fashionista. And while Haley had no clue about fashion and didn't like dresses or skirts, she was glad when Mimi dragged her around camp to find some fitting clothes.
As it turns out, one of the boys had accidentally taken a bag of his sister's clothes with him as she had been meant to come too but become sick just before the departure. Tai agreed to lend the clothes to Haley after a short discusion and Mimi took her to a hut to change.
Haley was certain, 100% certain, that the scream of rage and words that had another girl, Sora, put her hands on both of her ears weren't good.
Mimi was infuriated seeing Haley, the adorable, shy and polite little British girl, after she took off her shirt. Or rather the tent that had been given her as such. The girl was skinny. She could rival some of the skinniest supermodels but in her case it was from being almost bones and skin. The soft, pale skin was mared by ugly scars of varying types, not even including the scar on her forehead.
Haley almost felt sorry for Vernon and Dudley at that point. Mimi looked murderous. But the emphasize was on almost. They had it coming.
A few minutes later, after some adjustments by Mimi, Haley wore a yellow, sleeveless shirt, a pair of brown pants, some sneakers and white socks*. It was nothing special but the clean clothes were a great relief for her. The amount of laundry time she got was meassured as “20 minutes, once per month”. Another attempt to make her seem bad she thought and Mimi agreed.
The following hours were probably the most carefree and fun experience she had up to that point. Even without understanding each other she got along with the boy her age, Takeru or TK as Mimi told her, rather well. He was the first friend she had her own age, which was rather sad.
TK's older brother, separated when they were young by divorce, watched them when suddenly a blizzard hit.
Yes, a freaking blizzard during Summer Vacation. No jokes.
Yamato, or Matt, quickly took them to a nearby hut of some sort where Mimi, Tai and Sora were with two others. Both boys. “I ain't a weather frog, but pretty sure global warning doesn't work like that.” Muttered Haley, watching the storm outside.
“Say, who is she?” Asked the oldest of the group, Joe Kido, though Haley didn't understand a word.
“She's from Britain, her aunt and uncle left her at the camp to have her “Out of the Way” of their family vacation. She didn't say much but considering she can't speak nor understand Japanese and isn't just far too skinny but also has scars all over her body, I say my parent's lawyer is gonna hear of this.” Growled Mimi something Haley, again, didn't get. Japanese, the language barrier that can't be helped.
She ignored the looks she got now, they were weird, mind you, pitying looks weren't something she was used to. Did Mimi tell them something? She had heard the word “Britain” there, so she may have told them where she was from but that wouldn't make them pity her, right?
The storm held for another hour or two, where Mimi would keep trying to untangle the mop of chin-length black strings that Haley called her hair. Hair-care products, another luxury she had rarely the luck to get. Not helped by the fact that her hair seemed almost- *crack* Haley blinked upon hearing this and looked back. Mimi had tried to get her hair into order with a comb up until now and she had gritted her teeth at getting her hair almost pulled out.
As it turns out, her roots actually won the battle. The comb's teeth had broke off. All of them. And soon after Mimi, crying silently about her ruined comb, took the comb teeth out of Haley's hair. That was why Petunia had resorted for years now to just cutting them off only for the hair to grow back within a night.
She liked her hair the way it was, albeit it would be nice to be capable of taking care of it. But sadly... you get the idea.
The storm finally settled and when they went outside they saw the entire surrounding area was covered in at least 20 centimeters of snow. Haley had seen lots of snow, but had mostly bad memories due to Dudley about winter and snow. She stopped counting the number of snowballs with rocks she had gotten hit with over the years somewhere at 100 or so.
However, when TK begun to put together snow and beckoned her to help, she was fast to come. The boy was quick to make her understand what he wanted to do, a Snowman, namely by bringing branches from the area for arms. Haley was quick to help make the snowman. She had no experience building them, mind you, but being British she was more used to the cold, especially with herowning no gloves or the like.
While the two were going about the activity a wistful Matt was watching from a bit away. “Look, we should go to the campsite now, we don't know what could come next.” Tried Joe, a senior at their school, to reason with them the old worrywart.
“Come on Joe, I know there is freak weather at the moment but let the kids have some fun in the snow. If half the stuff Mimi thinks those caretakers of the girl did to her is true, I think she has it overdue.” Tried Sora to reason with the older boy who frowned.
“I understand that but it would be better if she did that with proper winter clothes if she has to play in the snow. None of us are dressed for this kind of weather and as the oldest-” He was cut off by calls of awe from outside.
There, while those that were inside had come out, Haley looked up at the sky in wonder. There, bands of colorful light were waving in the air far above. She knew them from some pictures she had seen in the library, Aurora Borealis or also known as the Northern Lights or just Aurora. She could swear the book said they were just in really high north places like Alaska and Greenland though.
“Incredible, how can a Aurora Borealis be here? They only appear in the Polar regions.” Wondered Izzy, marveling at the strange phenomena as he looked up like the others.
Haley was about ready to just sit down to look at the pretty lights, this was a one-time-only thing after all, no way she would be able to see them again after all, when she noticed something. It looked like a big portal or something, floating up there with some lights shining out of it.
“What is that?” She asked confused, and while her words weren't understood, her eyes were a good pointer that she had asked about something up there.
Just then, the lights she had spotted begun to grow larger and soon become clear to be shooting stars. Headed for them. “Dodge!” Screamed Haley in the best Piccolo imitation she could, of his abridged version at least, before taking cover herself. The others didn't understand her but they were getting out of dodge already anyway and soon enough, seven impacts shook the area.
With snow having falling from the tree she had hid behind Haley had to get out first but spotted the others picking up strange devices that floated out of small holes in the ground. From the looks of it they weren't any more aware of what they were and Haley herself was confused even more since, whatever they were, she was a third wheel it seemed.
Walking to Mimi, the one she was most familiar with, she cocked her head sideways and looked at the small, white device with grey buttons and a small screen she was holding. Being curious and her restraints to keep herself out of trouble a bit loosened, Haley tried to get the device to look at it closer. But just when Mimi was about to ask her what she wanted, with Haley's hands just brushing the device, when a massive wave surged upward.
“Tsunami!” Screamed the group in horror as they watched the water surge toward them.
Haley was hit alongside the others and felt herself being washed away. She lost contact with Mimi not long after and spiraled out of control at that same moment. “Help!” Screamed the 7 year old as she was washed away.
When Haley come back to consciousness it was to a pletora of smells, sounds and other sensations she had never experienced.
Sitting up she found herself in a forest that seemed like those rain forests she had seen on television while at Miss Fygg's place. From the looks of it at least but there were oddities. First of all, everything looked somewhat grainy, like an old CGI graphic or something. Next was the fact that all the plants were weirdly placed and interposed by street signs that had about as much business in this place as Dudley on a Science Fare.
Standing up she checked herself over, she wasn't injured from the looks of it despite her being sure that the Tsunami, as the others had called it, having hit her at least with the force needed to break a bone or two. At least it had felt like it at the time.
Seeing that no one was around her she decided to see if she could find the other campers, or perhaps the campsite but she had no hopes for the latter. There was no way a forest like this was in Japan, even she knew that much, so they had somehow landed somewhere far away. She just hoped the others wouldn't blame her for it, she never transported more than herself around in panic moments.
Anyway, she walked for a bit, the trees were weirdly situated around with the underbush sometimes creating near impassable barriers while at others barely registering when she walked through them. It was almost like they were corridors or something, though you could push through the more solid bushes if you wanted to.
*thud*
Haley blinked as something come running and smacked into her leg making her look down. There stood a small, purple being with a white snout, pointy ears and yellow eyes on four stubby legs. It certainly was no animal she ever heard about.
“Hey! Watch where you're walking biggie!” Complained the little thing as Haley bent down while it looked up, blinking. “Wait, you don't look like any Digimon I've seen around here.” Stated the little thing and Haley cocked her head sideways.
“Uh, I ain't a Digimon, I don't know what that is actually.” She admitted awkwardly as she felt that she sounded stupid saying that.
“Then what are you?” Asked the little thing as Haley sat down, not knowing what to do at the moment.
“I am a human. My name's Haley Potter. And you?” She asked and the little creature.
“Hi! I am Dorimon, but call me Dorimon. And I am a In-Training Level Digimon of the Dorimon species.” Said the little furball and Haley blinked.
“Wait, you're named after your species?” Asked Haley with her head tilted sideways in confusion.
“Yup! All Digimon call one another by our species. Can get real weird sometimes but since I am the only Dorimon around I don't have that problem.” Explained Dorimon and Haley cocked her head sideways.
“Really? What about your parents?” Asked Haley and Dorimon blinked.
“Parents? What is that?” Asked Dorimon and Haley blinked because, to be honest? She didn't know what the definition was of parent. She knew they “made” their children, and took care of them, but that was all she knew since she didn't remember her own. Also, there was foster and adopted parents too, who took in someone else's child if they die. Not that the Dursleys were that, she wasn't part of their family.
“Um... I think it is those who made you? I don't know really, no one has told me where babies come from or what parents do to make them. But they also are those who take care of us when we grow up I guess? It's weird and complicated.” She finally said and Dorimon cocked his head sideways.
“So like Elecmon at Primary Village?” Asked Dorimon, which made Haley blink at him.
“Elecmon? Is that a Digimon?” She asked and Dorimon nodded.
“Yup, he is a Rookie Level Digimon and takes care of all the Baby Digimon that hatch from Digi-Eggs in Primary Village. He protects them and feeds them until they digivolve to In-Training level like myself and can at least protect themselves somewhat.” Explained Dorimon and Haley blinked at that.
“Wait, what is digivolving?” Asked Haley in confusion as Dorimon blinked at her.
“You don't know that?” He asked and she shook her head. “It is where you turn into another Digimon species and become super duper stronger than before! If I were to digivolve I would become DORUmon! Then I could show those mean Gazimon who is boss!” Stated the little puff-ball, jumping up and down.
“Wait, is that like super fast growing up? Or like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly but super fast?” Asked Haley confused as she tried to wrap her mind around that.
Dorimon stopped, falling onto his side as he missed his landing. “Huh? What is growing up?” Asked the little furball as he rolled himself onto his stubby legs again.
“Its when a baby grows and gets older, becoming a toddler, then a child, teenager, then adult and finally becomes real old, like miss Fygg and needs to look out for stupid boys like Dudley running her over after his birthday.” Explained Haley in a decisive manner, nodding to her own, in her opinion, sound explanation.
Considering Dorimon was giving the best Emoji impression in history, including a questionmark over his head... wait that was a actual questionmark suspended over his head wasn't it? “Is that like digivolution but slow?” Asked the little creature and both of them sat there for a while, blinking as they realized that neither of them got the other's explanation.
“AHHH!” They both whirled around they heard a cry but only Haley realized who it was. Standing up and, for reasons she couldn't explain, scooping Dorimon up she run in the direction from which she heard the voice and come to a clearing where she found Joe running past with a small, brown seal-like being on his shoulder.
“Oh! Hey Bukamon!” Called Dorimon with a happy grin as Haley run after the pair.
“You know that Digimon?” Asked Haley confused as Dorimon nodded.
“Yup, Bukamon is one of the Digimon who've been waiting for someone.” Explained Dorimon as she continued running after the frantic calls from the older boy.
“well, better stay around the oldest and hope for the best, right Dorimon?” Asked Haley smiling and got a nod from her little companion. He felt like what she had imagined a stuffe toy to feel like. She really hoped he wouldn't mind coming back with them.
When they finally reached where Joe was still throwing a fit of panic, screeching like Dudley when he had cut himself with a knife some months ago by accident, Haley found that most of the others were already present there. Well, all except Mimi.
“Haley-chan! You're here too?” Asked then Taichi, which made Haley stop for a moment.
“Huh? Wait, did you just speak English?” She asked astounded by that idea which made them all blink.
“W- you can Japanese?” Asked Sora in return while Dorimon looked between them.
“Hey Dorimon! Didn't you say you didn't have a partner?” Asked then one of the six Digimon present, including Pukamon but not Dorimon, which looked like some pink... blob? With some antennae or something?
“Still don't know what you mean Koromon, Haley and I just met. Does that mean those “Partner” you talk about always are humans like her?” Asked Dorimon in return as he jumped out of her hands to go to the other Digimon.
“Yup, but I wonder where Tannemon is.” Noted Koromon, looking around.
“Yeah, Mimi is missing too.” Said Haley, walking up to them. The weight of the bag she had been given by Mimi and Sora earlier before the snowstorm weighing a bit more on her shoulders.
“Kyaaah!” Come then the scream.
“That was Mimi-chan!” Exclaimed Tai before running toward where the sound come from, the others following his example with Dorimon, Pukamon and Koromon hitching a ride on Haley as they were rather slow.
When they arrived to a clearing they saw Mimi run out of the bushes along with a green, plant-like Digimon with a white face and red eyes. And behind them the source of distress was clear as a huge, red stag beetle come flying toward their location.
“Kuwagamon!” Exclaimed the Digimon in surprise at seeing it.
Digimon Data:
Kuwagamon
Insect Digimon
Level Champion
Virus-type
Families:
Nature Spirits
Wind Guardians
Jungle Trooper
Attacks:
Scissor Arm
A ferocious and aggressive insectoid Digimon of feral nature.
“H- huge bug.” Stuttered Haley, completely taken aback by the sight of this thing. She wasn't afraid of bugs, mind you, couldn't be while sharing her sleeping space with spiders and other creepy crawlies.
But she drew the line at house-sized beetles! “Duck!” Shouted Sora suddenly, shoving Haley to the ground just before Kuwagamon could behead them.
“Bubbles!” Shouted all of the Digimon, Dorimon joining in with a shout of “Baby Shot!” While the others fired bubbles Dorimon's attack were tiny iron pebbles it seemed. They hit Kuwagamon in the head, making it wear off-course but ramming it's carapace-covered head into the smaller Digimon who cried out.
“Dorimon!” Shouted Haley, running to her new friend who had been hit as well, the others picking up the other seven Digimon.
“We must get away!” Shouted Sora, grabbing Haley before running with the others away while they could hear Kuwagamon coming for round two.
The chase however, ended rather abruptly when they stopped at a cliff. One that was a rough 100 meters above the racing waters of a river below. “Shit, it's a dead-end!” Exclaimed Tai as Haley hugged Dorimon to herself, afraid of that.
She heard Kuwagamon seconds later break through the trees and as they turned around they found the giant bug racing over them, then weering around to attack them.
“Bubbles!” “Baby Shot!” Exclaimed the small Digimon again, freeing themselves from the humans as they launched the same attacks onto the beetle to make it crash once more into the trees but, again, they were unable to dodge it's tumble.
“Dorimon!” Shouted Haley in worry, running to the prone form of the Digimon while the others did so as well.
Dorimon smiled at her, hot tears running down her face at seeing him hurt. “Sorry for worrying you Haley, I just don't wanna see my friends hurt.” Said the little Digimon as answers from the others were not much different. Albeit it was specific to their partners it seemed.
“Roar!” That drew the attention back to Kuwagamon who had come out of the trees again.
“Let me at him!” Screamed the Digimon, trying to get free.
“W- Dorimon? But you'll get hurt if you attack him again! All of you tried it already!” Pleaded Haley in desperation that her friend may get hurt again or, worse yet, die.
Their struggle was pointless, to Haley's despair, as the Digimon broke free to charge toward the huge monster. “Dorimon no!” Shouted Haley, trying to reach for the little monster before light begun to fall from the sky in large pillars.
Seven of those formed around the other Digimon, only Dorimon not affected, as they begun to glow stronger.
(Play Digimon Themes “Wir werden Siegen” or “Brave Heart”, do not use the English Digivolution soundtrack pleas.)
“Koromon, Shinka... Agumon!”
“Tsunomon, Shinka... Gabumon!”
“Yokomon, Shinka... Piyomon!”
“Tanemon, Shinka... Palmon!”
“Pukamon, Shinka... Gomamon!”
“Motimon, Shinka... Tentomon!”
“Tokomon, Shinka... Patamon!”
As the light stopped seven new Digimon stood there.
All of them glaring angrily at Kuwagamon while Dorimon watched in awe. “They Digivolved!” Exclaimed the small purple Digimon that hadn't.
“Lets go guys! Dorimon! Stay with the others if he gets through!” Shouted what had been Koromon until now before they charged the much larger Digimon.
Kuwagamon tried to fly up to make another attack run but what used to be Tanemon grabbed him with a shout of “Poison Ivy” while extending the purple vines that worked as fingers, keeping the enemy Digimon in place.
“Boom Bubble!” Shouted the former Tokomon as he fired a concussive blast of air in the form of a bubble at the much larger Digimon, stunning it enough to fall to the ground. At that point Gomamon come in, sliding across the ground and tripping Kuwagamon.
“Little Thunder!” Shouted ex-Motimon as he shot a electrical attack at the head of Kuwagamon.
“Pepper Breath!” Shouted not-Koromon before firing a fireball at the bug.
“Petit Fire!” Shouted the weird wolf-pelt wearing Digimon that had been Tsunomon before firing a stream of blue fire at the large insect.
“Magic Fire!” Shouted the bird-like Yokomon replacement, a flurry of whirling green flames launching at the bug and hitting with the “Petit Fire” move at the same time.
Kuwagamon however shook off the flames that formed, albeit it seemed hurt far more than it had before. “Together!” Shouted once-upon-a-time-Koromon before he, former-Yokomon, ex-Tsunomon and no-longer-Tokomon fired their ranged attacks at the bug, hitting it under the chin and sending it falling over backward.
“They did it!” Shouted Tai excitedly as the older kids and TK run to them while Haley peted Dorimon, who was sulking about being unable to help.
“They all look different now.” Commented the little girl, cuddling to her friend as she watched the other children interact with the now larger Digimon.
“Yeah, they Digivolved. Man, I am jealous you know? I've been pestering Leomon to help me train since I went from Dodomon to Dorimon and could leave Primary Village but I haven't been able to digivolve at all.” Commented Dorimon dejectedly as he sat in Haley's arms.
“Don't worry, I bet you can do it too some day. Though I still don't get it.” Admitted the little girl as she walked to the others who were with their respective Digimon.
“Roar!” That scream sadly interrupted the celebrations as Kuwagamon had stood up and rammed it's mandibles into the cliff between them and itself.
“Oh no!” Screamed everyone almost in synch as the cliffside they stood on plumetted down.
TBC