Narutomon (Naruto X Digimon)

Joe stood in the arena, knees wobbling like overcooked noodles, palms clammier than a Digimon in a sauna. His glasses slid down his nose again, and he pushed them back up with a trembling finger. Across from him, Piximon hovered in serene silence—small, yes, but giving off the kind of pressure that made Joe feel like an ant facing a housecat with magical nukes.

"Focus on Gomamon," Joe muttered to himself. "You're not fighting an ancient being who could squish you like a bug. Nope. Not at all."

That was, of course, very hard to ignore.

Still, when he glanced at his partner, Joe felt the tiniest flicker of resolve spark inside his chest. Gomamon was bouncing around playfully, completely unfazed by the pressure, as if they were about to play tag at a beach picnic instead of spar with a mythic flying orb of doom.

Joe held up his Digivice, heart pounding, and shouted, "Digivolve!"

Gomamon lit up in a swirl of white energy, growing taller, bulkier—fur giving way to hard plating, stubby flippers becoming mighty limbs—and within seconds, the cheerful seal-like partner had become the hulking, tusked champion: Ikkakumon.

The ground trembled slightly under Ikkakumon's weight as he landed beside Joe with a satisfied grunt, horn gleaming in the morning sun. He turned his massive head to look at Joe with the same spark of joy in his eyes as always.

Joe, still panting slightly from sheer anxiety, glanced up at him. "You know," he began, voice cracking just a bit, "Ikkakumon... I just realized something."

The large creature tilted his head, curious.

"We keep calling you by your species name. But if we ever run into other Gomamon or Ikkakumon, it's going to get really confusing. Like, what if someone yells 'Ikkakumon, duck!' and three of you duck and the wrong one gets flattened by a Leomon doing cartwheels?"

Ikkakumon blinked. Then burst into a deep, delighted laugh that rumbled like rolling boulders.

"I mean, seriously," Joe went on, now speaking a little faster, encouraged by the reaction, "all of us have names. Even Tai, and he barely brushes his hair. But not you."

He looked up at his partner's towering form. "Would you... would you like a name? A real one? Something just for you?"

There was a long pause.

Then, Ikkakumon crouched slightly—giant tusks gleaming—and lowered his massive head until it was almost level with Joe's. His voice, low and warm, rumbled like distant thunder. "I would love that, Joe."

Joe blinked. "R-Really?"

Ikkakumon nodded. "It would mean the world to me."

Joe smiled sheepishly, one hand scratching his cheek. "Well, I was thinking... since I'm supposed to be the reliable one, maybe you're kind of like my little brother. The one who's always making me worry but never lets me down."

"Hmm," Ikkakumon said thoughtfully, tusks twitching. "So... what name would a reliable big brother give his partner?"

Joe paused dramatically. "How about... Daiki?"

Ikkakumon beamed. "Daiki... I like that."

Just then, Piximon cleared his throat with a polite cough that somehow still carried the weight of an ancient bell tolling doom.

"Done naming your pet seal, Joe?"

Joe snapped upright like he'd been electrocuted. "Right! Sorry! Focus now! Super focused! Daiki and I are totally ready!"

From the sidelines, Tai whispered to Matt, "Did Joe just name his Digimon Daiki?"

Matt shrugged. "Honestly? It kinda suits him."

Piximon floated higher, his staff glimmering. "Very well. Let us begin."

Joe gulped again. "Okay, Daiki... Big Brother Joe's counting on you."

Ikkakumon—no, Daiki—gave him a reassuring wink. "I won't let you down, aniki."

With the name Daiki now firmly declared to the digital heavens, Joe felt something stir in his chest—a kind of warm, glowing confidence he wasn't quite used to. It radiated outward, lighting up the Crest of Reliability hanging around his neck like a little sun, now blazing bright with purpose.

The Digivice in his hand buzzed with energy, pulsing like a heartbeat. "Let's do this, Daiki!" Joe shouted, bracing himself.

And then, with a breathless flick of his wrist, Joe tapped into something new—support. Not just encouragement or words, but actual, tangible enhancement. The defensive aura washed over Daiki first—a shimmering blue light that wrapped around his armored body like a magical shell. Then came the speed. And then, incredibly, the offensive boost followed.

From the sidelines, Tai's jaw dropped. "Wait, three boosts at once? Since when could Joe do that?"

Izzy's fingers danced across his laptop, muttering, "That shouldn't be possible with his current energy levels... unless..."

Piximon's eyebrows rose slightly. "Interesting," he murmured, a faint smirk forming on his round pink face.

Joe didn't hear them. He was fully locked in, sweat trickling down his temple, eyes focused like a strategist at war. "Daiki! Go!"

The bulky Digimon roared, stomping forward as a shimmering mist began to rise from his tusks and armor. "Ice Coat!"

Mist coiled around him like a dragon of frost, cloaking his form in a freezing fog that glittered in the sun. With a loud crack, Daiki followed up with, "Icicle Bullet!" sharp spears of ice shooting forward like frosty missiles.

Piximon's response was elegant and devastating—his staff spun once, twice, shattering the icy bullets like a baseball bat swatting snowballs.

Then, with a flicker of pink light, Piximon zipped forward like a rocket, staff aimed directly at Daiki's chest.

"Harpoon Torpedo, now!" Joe shouted, voice rising with tension.

Daiki's horn glowed as he launched the high-pressure drill attack, spiraling toward Piximon. But Piximon weaved and darted mid-air, dodging every shot like he was dancing through rain.

"Fast... way too fast!" Joe muttered, his hand tightening around the Digivice.

Piximon's staff gleamed as he lunged, aiming straight for Daiki's core. Joe's instincts screamed, and through the strange tether that now connected them, he didn't think—he knew.

"NOW! BUBBLE BARRIER!"

Daiki bellowed, rearing up as a sudden watery dome exploded from him, trapping them both in a shimmering blue sphere. The moment Piximon's staff hit it, there was a resonant thoom—like someone had slapped the surface of a deep lake. The water absorbed the blow, distorting and warping with ripples that pushed Piximon back.

"YES!" Joe exclaimed, punching the air.

They didn't even have time to celebrate.

With a flash of eerie silence, Piximon disappeared—vanished into a small glowing rift in space.

"Where'd he—?"

"Behind us!!" Joe shouted, spinning.

The air behind Daiki cracked like lightning splitting a tree, and Piximon appeared from a shimmering portal with eyes gleaming mischief. His tiny arm raised, and then came the attack.

"Fairy Lightning!"

The electric strike shot like a bolt from Olympus, fast and sharp, striking Daiki's side and curling around his massive front legs. His body jerked from the impact.

Joe felt the jolt through the bond—like an electric tickle along his spine.

Daiki growled, legs sparking, but… still standing.

"Status?" Joe called.

Daiki blinked. "No paralysis. Still good!"

Izzy let out a low whistle from the sidelines. "That's... rare. That attack usually stuns at least temporarily."

Matt crossed his arms. "Joe's really doing it."

Sora smiled softly. "Maybe he is more reliable than he thinks."

Back in the arena, Joe exhaled slowly, his legs still shaky but his voice firmer than it had ever been. "We're not backing down."

Daiki smirked, tusks gleaming. "Not a chance."

Even Piximon, floating a few feet away, gave a nod of acknowledgement. "Hmph. Perhaps there's more steel in you than I expected, Joe."

Joe grinned sheepishly, then straightened his glasses. "Well... you did force me into this."

Piximon chuckled. "And you're welcome."

-------------------------

As Joe helped Daiki off the platform, the large sea-beast panted heavily, frost still lingering around his horn. His legs wobbled, every muscle shaking like jelly. Joe had an arm slung around his side, half-carrying him.

"Okay… that was worse than finals week," Joe muttered, grimacing as he lowered Daiki onto the grass.

Daiki gave a weak snort. "I can't feel my flippers."

Piximon floated over, tapping his staff lightly against Daiki's thick hide. A gentle pink glow enveloped the Champion Digimon, and little by little, his breathing eased and the tremble in his limbs faded.

"Good work," Piximon said. "You lasted longer than I expected."

"That's… not as encouraging as you think," Joe wheezed, plopping down beside his partner.

As the healing glow faded, the rest of the group gathered around. Some were energized. Others, not so much.

"Okay, that was epic," Tai said with a gleam in his eye. "I'm going next! C'mon Agumon—we'll blow Piximon away!"

Agumon pumped a clawed fist into the air. "Yeah! Let's show them what we've got!"

Matt folded his arms, frowning slightly. "We'll go after. I want to see how much power Piximon's holding back."

Gabumon blinked. "You're… not rushing in?"

"I'm thinking," Matt replied. "Someone has to."

Raikomaru, formerly Sparky, stood beside Naruto, watching the scene unfold. He gave a slight hum and nodded. "Daiki did good. Really good."

"You're not jealous this time?" Naruto asked with a sly grin.

Raikomaru gave him a side-eye. "Maybe a little. But a respectful jealous."

Naruto clapped a hand on his scaly shoulder. "Good. Keep it respectful, Raikomaru."

Meanwhile, Sora bent down beside TK, who was staring nervously at the now-vacant sparring platform. His hands were clenched at his sides.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently.

"I don't know…" TK murmured. "Daiki looked really hurt out there. What if Patamon can't take it?"

Patamon fluttered down and rested on his partner's shoulder. "I'll be okay, TK. But… maybe we can wait a bit?"

Piximon glanced over. "No one is forced to fight before they're ready. But growth does not come to the hesitant."

TK nodded slowly. "We'll try. Just… later."

Mimi hugged Palmon tightly. "Can we also go last? Or maybe not at all?" she said, peeking over Palmon's petals like they were a security blanket. "I'm not really into the 'watch your best friend get turned into a popsicle' kind of vibe."

Palmon patted her. "It's okay. We can do it together when you're ready."

Izzy typed something into his laptop and said aloud, "Piximon held back to approximately 5% power. His use of portals and elemental manipulation wasn't even at full intensity."

Everyone stared at him.

Izzy blinked. "What? You all wanted to know."

Sora sighed. "Thanks, Izzy. That's totally reassuring."

As the next match was being prepared, Daiki—now fully recovered—stood up again and stretched his limbs.

"I feel like I just slept for a week," he said, voice deep and chipper.

Joe smiled up at him. "You earned it, Daiki. That was incredible."

Daiki beamed. "I just didn't want to let you down."

And with that simple, genuine reply, something settled into place. Even the ones who had doubts—Mimi, TK, even Matt—felt the shift in the air.

Piximon hovered above them all. "Courage will move your body. Friendship will support your partner. Knowledge, love, hope, sincerity, light, reliability… All of them must be forged in battle and belief."

He looked around, eyes twinkling.

"So then. Who's next?"