Skip Navigation
Unknown Potential [Carlos]
|
|
Post by Dr. Mikemon on Jan 17, 2019 20:04:55 GMT
"Mm... right here will do, I suppose."
To most, this was a rather unassuming day in the Digital World, and a peaceful one at that. With the sun shining above, only an occasional cloud passing over casting its shade on the ground, the Network Plains fully fit that 'safe and serene' appearance that it was known for. Still, this place was pretty much in the middle of nowhere - no Trailmon tracks, no errant building, not even the mechanical whirr of the Great Moving Library to disturb them.
But, that was the point: it was the perfect place to practice in secret. A few days after Carlos and Dio were back on their feet, Mikemon figured it was a good-enough time for Dio to 'learn the potential of the Demon Lord's power'. A bit ominous, perhaps, but considering everything that had happened?
It was definitely a good idea to tap into Dio's latent power.
Finally reaching their desired spot, Mikemon dropped the bag he was carrying off to the side, taking a moment to stretch out his arms. He'd turn to Dio and Carlos, who'd been following him up to this spot. "Carlos, you holdin' up?" The last week or so had been rough on him, after all!
|
|
|
|
Post by Carlos Rey on Jan 18, 2019 3:15:41 GMT
As soon as their healing process had finished, Carlos expected the Doctor to keep him and Dio from doing any remotely strenuous or taxing activities. That was only natural, right? Let them keep resting for just a bit longer to make perfectly sure they had fully recovered. So imagine the man's surprise when the cat digimon suddenly approached him one day, offering to take both him and his partner out on a little "field trip" of sorts. It beated doing nothing on the Library, so they accepted immediatelly even before knowing what was in store for them.
After what couldn't had been much more than a few hours of walking, the three of them reached a rather nondescript area of the grassy plains. Quite literally, as there was nothing that could even be used as a distinguishable landmark, they were pretty much in the middle of nowhere, just as planned. The cat finally came to a stop in the middle of the green valley, prompting Carlos to do the same, sitting down on the grassy ground with a tired sigh, while carefully placing his backpack to a side.
"Yeah, holding up just fine." He'd reply back, giving the cat a thumbs up. "Nothing hurts so I really can't complain. What about you, Doc?"
Dio however? He could not had been any more excited if he tried,. Ever since he had learned of his origins he had been nothing short of ecstatic to reach that level of power once again, a feeling that had not died down in the slightest even after he had gotten a short taste of it a few days ago. So to have Mikemon not only encourage him to tap into that inner power, but to actually offer to teach him how? It was almost too good to be true.
"This does seems like a good place for this. If anyone tries to spy on us we should be able to see them coming a mile away." The demon lord said with a smirk, looking around some and barely able to stay still, visibly anxious about whatever the Doctor had in store for him.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Mikemon on Jan 18, 2019 4:34:59 GMT
"Mm? Fit as a fiddle." Mikemon returned a small shrug, still smiling at Carlos' comment.
The doctor was aware of Carlos' condition, of course, and he wouldn't have dragged him out here if it was anything strenuous on the part of the human. No, today belonged to Dio, the Impmon who couldn't help but have a smile on his face. Today, he was to learn exactly what made him a 'Dark Lord', and more importantly how to use the power.
"Indeed. I guess I don't need to hide anything out here..." With a smile, the cat let out a low breath. "I've heard a bit about it from Carlos. You've used a bit of the power before, but it only seems to come out when you're pressed into a corner. And yes, while the energy will help you stand on your last legs, its much better to come to the fight knowing how to use it."
He'd give a slow nod, first acting as an example. "First, of course, is simply letting the energy flow out." As he spoke, Mikemon seemed to take a more relaxed stance. Instead of simply cloaking his arm, instead, that foul Digisoul coated his entire frame. As if a dark shadow surrounded him, that wispy red flame flicked freely in the breeze of the Network Plains.
"For me, its simply a matter of thinking about my own mindset. How good it felt to sit on my throne... but you won't have that same luxury."
"Instead," he advised, "Convince yourself of what you tell us, that you are The Dark Lord, Dio. Let that one thought roar out from your chest - and you should get to where I am, fairly easily."
|
|
|
|
Post by Carlos Rey on Jan 18, 2019 18:56:39 GMT
With answer from the cat Carlos simply sat back and relaxed, taking a plastic bottle filled with water out of his backpack, taking a long sip while he looked on at his friends training in silence.
It was clear as day Dio was taking this completely seriously. Why was that? For one he was paying complete attention to Mikemon's words, nodding in silence as he spoke. Energy control had always been a bit of a problem for the imp, much to his annoyance, as he always had found himself burning out and running short fairly quickly into most fights. K's training had alleviated some of that problem, yes, but the Doctor was right: unless it was a desperate moment Dio still had troubles tapping into his real power.
Which is why it surprised Dio to hear that the cat's advice for how to start was...incredibly simple to him.
"Really? Just like that?"
Convince himself? Well he didn't need any help there. There had always been a certain fact, one simple and absolute thought that had accompanied Dio from the very day he hatched (or at least it sure felt like it, it was hard to remember that far back sometimes). And it wasn't just that he was meant for greatness, or that h. He was and had always been the Dark Lord. Plain and simple. Even as a mere Kuramon, that was the one thing nobody could take away from him, the one thing no one could deny. Even if everyone thought of him as a delusional impmon with too much of an ego and a high opinion of himself, or hell, even if he sometimes felt himself agreeing with that, at the end of the day he just knew what he was.
Still, while he was just a tad skeptical, it didn't hurt to try, so the purple digimon closed his eyes for a moment, mimicking the relaxed stance the Doctor had taken. He focused his mind, body and core, his very being into one, simple thought.
"I am The Dark Lord."
It was with this statement, this declaration said with the utmost conviction that his own digisoul was released from within. At first nothing but a faint blueish hue around his body, but it soon grew and grew in size and intensity as blue flames coated the imp. They were not quite as as the Doctor's were, but it was a start.
He'd let out a low sigh, before glancing back at the Mikemon.
"Now what?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Mikemon on Jan 18, 2019 19:58:24 GMT
"Just like that."
Mikemon wasn't exactly sure how difficult this would be for Dio, but he was sure that this 'delusional Impmon' was willing to believe his own title. There was definitely more nuance to it - things that Dio might struggle with after calling forth the power - but the doctor hoped that the Impmon was confident enough to call forth the power on his own volition.
And to that, Dio did not disappoint: though the flames were not as 'foul' as Mikemon's own, it was clear that his heightened signal was being supported by the data of a dark force within, and that was enough for the cat to give a nod. "Have to say, its a little refreshing to see this from the other side again. But let's not get off-topic: simply showing off the aura like this is only a quick way to tire yourself out."
"The second step," Mikemon breathed out, closing his eyes to take focus: "Is to make use of it." The flames of the cat's own signal started to flicker, as if he was drawing the power back into himself. In those same moments, his own frame briefly turned dark, a purple flash crackling underneath as he increased in height...
... Taking the Ultimate level form of a Beastmon.
"Heh... whenever you've Digivolved past Impmon before, I imagine its been with the help of Carlos' Digivice?" The Beastmon would give a chuckle, nodding towards Dio. "This one's a bit more tricky, but you should at least be able to push yourself to Champion or ultimate, only using the power you brought forth. So go on, give it a shot." The doctor took a seat, tails flicking behind as he watched in cat-like interest.
|
|
|
|
Post by Carlos Rey on Jan 19, 2019 19:06:37 GMT
Summoning one's power wasn't particularly hard, indeed, but wielding it efficiently? That was a different story, and Dio knew this perfectly well. Still, the Doctor clearly knew what he was doing, as much to the imp's shock he then used said energy to digivolve himself!
While indeed the form the doctor had taken was rather surprising, the imp was more taken by surprise just by the fact the Doctor even had a digivolution. He had grown far too used to his Mikemon form that it was hard to imagine him as anything else. It didn't stop him from giving him a sly smirk and a chuckle though.
"Heh, I have to say that form is unbecoming of you, Doctor. Or should I call you Greed?" He was this close to making a Lust joke, but he had had enough share of being chokeslammed by Ultimate levels already, so he figured it probably wasn't worth it.
Tricky indeed, what was being asked of him was rather odd, digivolving without Carlos' aid? Was that even possible for him? For what he knew partnered digimon were partnered for a reason: they were unable to reach any higher level of power on their own, at least without a considerable amount of effort and data. Then again, he had done it once before...but that had been a fairly big exception, and not something he would want to go through again.
"Let's see..." He closed his eyes and focused once again, breathing out as his fists clenched and the blue energy grew in intensity. With a similar crackle of blue light his form shifted and grew several sizes, looming slightly above both Beastmon and Carlos. The blue light would wane, and soon fade to reveal Devidramon, Dio's Champion.
"..tch. How subpar." The dragon let out a dissapointed, annoyed huff as he dug his claws into the soil in frustration. Was it overachieving of him to expect perfect results on the first try? Perhaps, but it was still below his expectations.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Mikemon on Jan 19, 2019 22:22:01 GMT
Honestly, the jokes were expected - this wasn't a form that Mikemon took all that often, and for good reason, but the Beastmon was still able to take it in stride and roll their eyes. "Nyah... call me what you will, but I think you should be putting more attention on the blades than the forms, doll."
Hoo boy. Thankfully, it didn't take long for the Impmon to get back on track. He had the power and the potential, but what he lacked was experience. And unfortunately for Dio, Mikemon didn't really have a 'trick' or anything of the sort that would allow the Impmon to easily perform the task. Only Dio knew what it was like for him to Digivolve, and as such, all the Beastmon could do was sit and watch.
... And whistle, as Dio managed to make that much progress on his own. Looming before them now was the Impmon's champion form, a Devidramon - and his words aptly summed up the result. "Disappointing, maybe, but remarkably stable for your first try. You even still sound like your snarky self in that larger shell." The Beastmon circled around once, giving a small chuckle.
"Try it once again, but start from here. Maybe you just need to climb up step by step. Not everyone has a handle on warp Digivolving..."
|
|
|
|
Post by Carlos Rey on Jan 20, 2019 20:16:01 GMT
"D-doll?" Well, it would seem Dio wasn't the only one to have a bit of a personality change in his Ultimate form, or at least a small change in mannerisms. At the very least, that was more than enough to stop Dio from making any more jokes at the Beastmon's expense (at least for the time being.)
Regardless there was more to be accomplished, as the Doctor instructed the dark scaled beast to try to reach a stage further. Dio huffed. "I fail to see how any of this translates into wielding a Demon Lord's power, I doubt every digimon capable of evolving on their own volition were at all noteworthy during their past lives." His tone came with a clear hint of frustration, but it was posed as a genuine question, how was any of this going to help Dio accomplish what they set out to do?
Even with his annoyance he followed along with the Beastmon's instructions, closing his eyes and focusing his energy once again.
It took considerably longer, almost a full minute of silent concentration, but eventually the blue light would return once again, coating the dragon's body in a bright flash. His body once again shifted in form and size, still somewhat maintaining Devidramon's lanky proportions, though in a relatively smaller size. Soon Dio would stop glowing and actually reach his Ultimate form, much to the delight of Carlos.
Surprisingly, it would seem Dio was actually capable to oull these feats off.
At least partially so, as the NeoDevimon stumbled forward, barely managing to keep himself from faceplanting to the ground but not quite keeping himself standing either, being forced down to one knee as he breathed heavily. It would appear all this digivolving on his own was starting to slowly but surely tire Dio out.
Which was more than likely a bad thing, seeing how they had barely started. At tnhe very least he was making progress.
"Acceptable?" the robotic voiced demon asked, before adding, "What next?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Mikemon on Jan 20, 2019 20:45:35 GMT
"You're right! Its an ordinary thing that Digimon know how to do, by instinct. But... doesn't that just mean that its a perfect starting point to learning how to use the energy?"
The doctor had a point, but took note of Dio's frustration, even as they pushed through what was, essentially, the same drill again - and for good reason. In an actual fight, such a slow method of Digivolution was hardly usable, essentially making the Devidramon a standing, inert target for about a full minute. But, much to the fline's surprise, Dio was able to hold his Ultimate form - even if barely so.
Considering the best he ever had shown was his mega, this was quite the feat. "I must say, that's quite impressive, doll. Though it seems like you'll still need at least a bit of support from Carlos to make up the difference... alright, alright, enough of the simple drills!" The Beastmon brought her palms together - and with a flash of light, would slip back to his Champion form, the now-Mikemon clearing his throat.
"Ahem... alright, to conserve energy, you can slip back down to your rookie form for this next part." He simply intended to let that Beastmon-stuff brush under the rug, as he moved to his next drill. "I heard that K had previously taught you how to make an elemental blade? Well, this time," he shrugged, "try channeling the energy into that attack."
What would happen? Well, that remained to be seen!
|
|
|
|
Post by Carlos Rey on Jan 20, 2019 22:07:11 GMT
Well, Dio couldn't argue with that logic, it was only logical for him to start with the very basics. And while it was just a bit disheartening to hear he was still ways to go before he didn't need Carlos's assitance, it wasn't too surprising either. To make that leap in such little time was probably asking too much of him.
With a relieved nod, the exhausted demon focused once again, but this time it took significantly less time for his body to be coated by a dull light, befotr shrinking rapidly into a far smaller size, and soon the familiar sight of Dio's impmon form was back, sitting on the ground with some droplets of sweat hanging from his forehead.
The sitting imp let out a sigh of relief, as if a huge weight had been literally lifted from him. As tiring as the drill was being, there was something fulfilling about achieving all of this, even if it took effort. The next step however, seemed a lot more manageable at least. "Using the same demonic energy, right?" He questioned, getting back on his feet ehile dusting himself off.
He then focused his power into his left arm, much like he had done many a time before. There was something different this time however, and he could feel it, his very energy felt different, it felt heavier, sturdier, less wieldly...but stronger. As if he had stopped building a house out of wood and was now using stone.
Placing a sijgle digit in his forearm, he drew an invisible line outwards, a thin energy current flowing behind his finger. With a crackle the line took shape, growing into what could be described as a blade shaped flame.
It was different this time however...the usually reddish flames were now gkowing with a blue light, not unlike the ome he had used to digivolve a moment ago. Was this also the energy from the Demon of Sloth?
"This is different..." Dio mused, closely inspecting the flames with curiosity. "What now, Doctor?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Mikemon on Jan 21, 2019 1:13:07 GMT
"Mhm. It might be a bit tricky, since you're used to drawing it from a 'different reserve' - but try to use as much of Sloth's power as you can."
This time, Mikemon was curious. The Doctor himself was an example of what it was like to use such an odd well of power - perhaps Dio would tap into something equally different or 'odd' in using it. Perhaps a blade wasn't even the best way to organize the power, but it was one of the ways that he already knew how to organize his power.
So the cat stood back, and watched. That same power was drawn forth, quite successfully taking the shape of a blade, the cat returning a low nod. "Hm... blue is a bit hotter than red, one might say, though the power radiating from that sword seems delightfully odd. If only we had a way to test it..." Mikemon sighed, extending out his own palm, a small myriad of shadow tendrils wrapping around his own hand. "Using 'Greed's' power, I can focus it in a few different ways, between this and my 'mega' state. Let's see... I should have really brought some targets before or something..."
What was immediately around here they could check, without things getting way out of hand? "Maybe a tree..."
|
|
|
|
Post by Carlos Rey on Jan 26, 2019 2:47:30 GMT
"Really now? Odd how?" He asked, genuine curiosity in his voice as he waved the blue fire around a bit. He was aware of how...different this power was compared to the one he usually summoned forth, but he was at a loss as to what the Doctor would consider 'delightfully odd'.
Regardless of his answer, he took note of the shadowy trendils and his comment about being able to focus his power in different ways. Right, Dio could remember clearly seeing the Doctor attacking K with those once, but he had also used them to seal Carlos' wound not to long ago. The question was, would Dio's power be that versatile, or did that come with experience? It was probably better to let the Mikemon finish his explanation before asking all those things.
"Don't feel like being a moving target yourself, Doc?" He said jokingly, a sarcastic smirk on his face before he turned to the tree. Perhaps a bit big for a starting target, but there weren't many other options available. The impmon walked up to the tall, slightly crooked tree. He breathed for a moment, before swinging his blade against the trunk, the blue fire cutting across the wood horizontally not unlike a knife cutting butter.
Would it be quite enough to make any noticeable damage against the tree, or maybe even bring it down in just one strike? They would surely have their answer very soon.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Mikemon on Jan 26, 2019 3:45:07 GMT
"Hm... hard to say. But its definitely not a 'normal' saberk."
'Greed' here could only guess what Dio's own manifestation of power could bring forth, but the Impmon should at least understand that it wasn't just about gaining power. There was definitely a difference in the way this ability manifested from a normal blade, at least.
At Dio's jest, he just gave a chuckle right back! "I'm sure you don't want to be a target for me, Dio." The doctor had quite a number of years of experience with this, after all, and comparatively, Dio was just a fledgling. A fledgling, who didn't even know how incredible that tool was. As Dio took his stance, and swung that blade horizontally, he'd feel no sense of impact, as if the blade sliced through the tree as if he would a piece of paper.
... But that wasn't it. As the Impmon would look on, he wouldn't see any damage on the outside bark at all, not even a scratch. It didn't cut through it like it was nothing, it literally passed through the tree! Just as Dio might have started to think something was wrong, however, he'd hear a pop.
And another one, followed by a slow crackle. Through that thick bark, he would see it: embers leaking out, as if a ball of flame exploded from within the tree itself.
"As you can see," Mikemon grinned, "a Demon Lord's power isn't a mere boost of power."
|
|
|
|
Post by Carlos Rey on Jan 31, 2019 18:38:21 GMT
Even if he wouldn't say so out loud, Dio had to agree with the Doctor in that, if they were to go toe to toe, the mikemon would certainly come out on top, he had the power and the experience behind him, and if he had learned anything about fighting K is that those two things were a terrifying combo. Dio was cocky and had a big ego, sure, but he wasn't stupid. He knew there were some fights -even simple spars- that was wise to avoid.
As his blade cut into the bark, Dio couldn't help but wonder for a moment if his power had changed in the slightest, as nothing seemed to be happening. Just as he was worried he might have done something wrong, from the inside of the tree bark a small blue explosion would occur, startling the imp a bit for a moment.
He approached the charred hole to inspect it closer, as the doctor confirmed what he was thinking. This was the power of the demon lords.
To say these results pleased him would be...quite the understatement.
"Hehe...HAHAHA! Yes! That's the power of the Dark Lord!" He proclaimed with a wide grin, rising his blade to the heavens above in victory, practically oozing joy. And smugness, of course.
Carlos, who had been mostly silent during all this, finally chimed in.
"Careful Dio, your ego is showing again!" Dio juet rolled his eyes, not letting the man's teasing tone to spoil the moment.
"Heh, it's not a mega digivolution, but what the hell, I'm happy." He said with a nod, turning once again to Mikemon. "Did you have to discover all of this on your own, or did it just come to you one day?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Mikemon on Feb 1, 2019 2:52:32 GMT
Well, how was that for stroking Dio's ego! It didn't take long for the Impmon to yell in triumph - and really, why not? Despite what he might have thought before, the Impmon finally had evidence of his own self-proclaimed greatness.
Greatness that Carlos rightfully shoved down a peg, but greatness nonetheless. As Dio asked his question, though, Mikemon gave a shrug. "It's been quite a while since then, but I came from a time where Demon Lords were commonplace. Whenever one died, it became something of a 'contest' to see who would take over his rank. Of course, being a 'Lord' is something you're born with."
The cat spun his tale: "Ah, now its coming back to me. Back then, the last Greed had just faded away after a long bout with some sort of Piedmon - and naturally, Greed's followers were put into disarray. But there was this confident Mikemon who stepped up, and declared that he was claiming his rightful role as Greed's mantle. And just as he managed to cheer them on..."
Mikemon stretched his arm out, stifling a yawn as he felt a light crack in his neck. "Well, I put my hand on his shoulder, and turned him to gold."
The bluntness in which the doctor said it, made it sound like the most casual thing in the world. "'Hand of Midas' was something I could only do when I was a Demon Lord proper, but it wasn't something that I learned how to do, I could just do it." At least in that way, well, the world wasn't exactly fair. "Honestly, the healing hands feel far better to me. Anyway, you know the process - its just a matter of learning to control your output."
|
|
|
