*DigiRoyalty*

WONDERSWAN - Digimon Adventure 02: D-1 Tamers

Release date: December 2000

Digimon Adventure 02: D-1 Tamers is the third game in the series of four featuring Ryo as the main character. Like the previous one this one too is connected to Digimon season 02 with Ken helping Ryo through a D-Terminal and Veemon and Wormmon fighting on his side.

STORY SYNOPSIS:
Ryo is summoned to the DigiWorld once more, this time to participate in the D-1 Tournament and prove himself as the strongest Tamer. The winner of the tournament is supposed to help one of the Holy Beasts to restore order amongst them, however it turns out the Tournament is just a part of a bigger plan to help Ryo train, become stronger and once again face Millenniummon.

((low quality) screenshots from a D-1 Tamers commercial)

This time I watched this gamer play the game on Youtube (to gain some strength for Brave Tamer, which I'll appearantly have to play by myself). According to the comments there the translation of the game is fan made, since the game didn't originally come out in English.

Gameplay is the same as in the previous two games – in between tournament rounds Ryo walks around, fights in dungeons and opens new parts of the world. Fun addition to the battles in the tournament is the commentator, discussing the fights live. The other thing I really liked is the DigiWorld – it's so diverse outside the main village and every new part unlocked was just stunning.

The quotes are taken from Yesterday's amazing script translations. I've only changed the names of the Digimon because I just cannot not stick to the dubbed ones.

RYO'S STORY

It's been a few days since Ryo and Ken defeated MoonMillenniummon. Ken is still recovering from his injury and Ryo is there to make sure he's okay (RYO: "Millenniummon was defeated! I don't care about anything anymore but devoting myself to your care.") and to check a website Ken had found and thinks is linked to Digimon. He uses Ken's computer to look at it.

PAGE: Welcome! Here's the Digimon Fortunes HP!

The page proceeds to ask a few questions with three possible answers to them. Ryo is shocked since the questions relate to their fight with Millenniummon (the first one being "What is the final form of Millenniummon?"). They don't know who made the website and Ryo's sure it couldn't had been Tai, since he's hopeless with computers, haha.
(*The website swan.channel.or.jp gets you to Bandai's website today but got you to WonderSwan's page back in the day.)

The final question asks the player to choose one of the four listed Digimon (that are the four Holy Beasts) - I watched my gamer choose Azulongmon (Qinglongmon) but there's appearantly not many differences in dialogue between them.
Ryo chooses one of the Digimon, the screen flashes and Ryo turns up in the DigiWorld. He's confused since Millenniummon was supposed to be defated and Piccolomon explains the situation to him.

PICCOLOMON: We've been waiting for you, Ryo, ppi! Your power is needed once again, ppi!.
...
This Digital World is ruled by four digimon called the Four Holy Beasts, ppi. However, recently the Four Holy Beasts have grown contentious with each other, ppi.

The Holy Beasts have summoned various tamers from the real world to compete in a tournament that will determine the strongest one of them. The tournament will takes place in the D-1 Tower and Gennai sends Ryo there to meet the other competitors. For some reason they're all annoying and rude. Ryo however doesn't seem to care.

KAZUYA (one of them): Hmph, you're Ryo? I heard that the amazing guy who defeated Millenniumon was strong, but now that I think of it, this guy looks surprisingly weak.

Meanwhile Gennai managed to install D-Terminal on Ken's computer to have him help Ryo on his journey. Piccolomon even says that he'll be a big help since his head is better than Ryo's. Ryo takes it well.

Back at the tournament tour Azulongmon (or whichever Holy Beast the player had chosen) greats the tamers.

AZULONGMON: The Digital World is governed by four bodies including me, the Four Holy Beasts. However, the other three Holy Beasts were awakened by a breath of evil and began to fight each other over total domination of the world. But then their battle became a stalemate from their exhaustion, and they began to join forces against I, who was on the sidelines. This D-1 Tournament is a tournament to find a warrior to join me in battle! Tamers! I want you to fight for a true peace! I will wait for you, the strongest of warriors!

The tournament is to proceed in 5 stages and whoever wins each stage will be able to compete in the next one. A few days will pass between the stages, giving the tamers time to train.

Back at Gennai's Ryo is joined with Agumon, Veemon and Wormmon, who will be his companions for the tournament. The tournament doesn't start for another day so Gennai sends Ryo to the Fire Field to power up his Digimon. After defeating Meramon there the tournament begins and Ryo fights in Stage 5. His final opponent there is Izzy.

KOUSHIRO: I lost to Ryo-kun's strength. Millenniumon's defeat wasn't just a show. Again... Congratulations, Ryo-kun!

After winning a stage Ryo goes off to new parts or fields of DigiWorld to beat evil Digimon there and make his stronger. Ken helps with various clues. The final opponent of every stage is a character from the first Digimon season, with the exception of Wallace from season 02 movie Digimon Hurricane Landing! that aired in July 2000.

WALLACE: Nice to meet you, Ryo! Even in the United States, there's been much talk about you!

Clearing more fields of evil Digimon (Etemon at one point) gets Ryo to Stage 3, where Mimi is his final opponent. She's so much fun, flirting with him and even inviting Ryo on a date after losing to him.

MIMI: Heheh... Hi! You're Ryo-chan, right? Looks like you've been really lucky so far. But~ Simply relying on brute force won't win a girl's heart. Eheheh... I'll teach you what that means... or maybe make you feel it!

MIMI: Aw, I lost, Ryo-chan. You put a lot of thought into that. Hee hee... looks like you're a little cooler than I expected... Let's go on a date together after the tournament's over!

Ryo goes to clear the Gear Field and fight some more Digimon in the Demonic Field afterwards. He actually has to sacrifice some to win. After defeating VenoMyotismon Ryo is back at the D-1 tower for Stage 2 - his final opponent this time Matt.

YAMATO: You've gotten stronger, Ryo. I know all the efforts you made in making it here. However, I should tell you that I plan to stay on top. Don't think badly on it, Ryo.

Among next fields for Ryo to train are the Angel Field the the Demon Lord Field, where he defats Chimeramon. Afterwards the time finally comes for the tournament finale. Ryo's friends wish him luck.

KEN: It seems that the last tournament will finally be held. After that, I'm concerned. I can't be there with you... Ryo-san! Do well in my place!

Ryo's opponent in the grand finale is Tai. Ryo wins the tournament, however it turns out this wasn't the reason why Ryo was brought into DigiWorld in the first place.

TAICHI: Congratulations, Ryo! You've been chosen as the warrior for the Four Holy Beasts. Truly, congratulations. Although we did not know originally, you had been chosen since the beginning.
RYO: M... Me?
TAICHI: That's right. Didn't you notice? The entire D-1 Tournament was set up to fully train you as a tamer.
RYO: ... In order to strengthen me?
TAICHI: The strongest, worst digimon is trying to revive. We cannot win against him. Not even the Four Holy Beasts can win against him. It's the enemy that no one but you can defeat.

The real reason Gennai summoned Ryo is the return of Millenniummon, the Digimon that - in Gennai's words - "manipulates time [...] Our power cannot defeat him. However, you have a hidden potential..." Ryo seems to be the only one who can defeat him. That's something even Azulongmon confirms: "He is the demonic king that not even we Holy Beasts can strike. However, you have an unknown power which surpasses ours."

Tai and the rest of the stage bosses apologize to Ryo for lying to him. It was for the best they say, since he has become the strongest tamer. It even turns out that the evil Digimon Ryo was fighting in the different fields were in on it (well, everyone except Etemon, who was just plain evil). Talk about a fun twist.

MIMI: Sorry for deceiving you, Ryo.
KOUSHIRO: But now you've become the strongest Tamer! You have our gratitude.

Before fighting Millenniummon Ryo has one more field to clear to get to the villain. Ken's still there for support: "That guy needs to be killed, Ryo-san! That's all you have to do."
His last opponent before Millenniummon is BlackWargreymon, who is approves of his new strength: You certainly grew strong. If this is any measure, you may just win against him.

GENNAI: You finally cleared the last of the training, Ryo. The reviving digimon... You already know that time-manipulating digimon. Go to the last field to defeat Millenniumon! Go to town to gather necessary items and digimon! When you're ready, come back here. And then the final battle will start.

The annoying tamers from the beginning of the tournament are now cheering for Ryo. All four of the Holy Beasts appear to encourage him before the last fight, and Ryo gets a blue D-3 Digivice.

Ryo then goes to Millenniummon's crystal tower where MoonMillenniummon is waiting for him.

MOON-MILLENNIUMMON: ... I've been waiting... Ryo... I have revived so that I can defeat you... Heheheh... Now that I have revived, no digimon is a threat to me anymore. Not even the Four Holy Beasts can challenge me now. But... but you are different. You are the only random element that makes the impossible possible. Heheheh... The world does not need two beings with the same power. Now... come to me!

Before getting to MoonMillenniummon Ryo has to defeat other insanely strong Digimon like Diablomon and Apocalymon. There's also Champion leveled Digimon from the Digidestined of both first seasons but they too are way stronger than one should expect from their level. The chosen children and Digimon in the village are worried about Ryo.

Ryo defeats MoonMillenniummon and this is when the time manipulating Digimon strikes one more time.

MOON-MILLENNIUMMON: Ryo... You and I are Yin and Yang... Never will just one of us die... Do you... understand what that means? It will be my defeat, Ryo... However... it will be your defeat as well. Now, let us go! Ryo! Come fly with me in the world of time...! Hahahahaha... Hahaha...!

There's an explosion and poor Ryo is blasted away.
A week later Gennai talks to Ken through the computer, informing him they hadn't seen Ryo since he went to the crystal tower. Ken is upset but believes his friend will return. The game ends with Ken's hopefull thoughts.

KEN: One week has passed since then... Ryo-san has not returned yet. It seems he has not yet returned to the Digital World either, according to Gennai-san's e-mails... Though everyone else is worried, I am not. I feel... surely Ryo-san is out on a new adventure. Although there is no basis for this, I believe it... Unlike me, he is a true Tamer. No matter what happens on what world, so long as there is a Digital World, surely there's someone who needs Ryo-san's help. Thus, I think it's true. I hope, no matter how many years it takes, that we will meet again.

After the game ends you are still able to enter and train a bit more, going to more amazing looking parts of the DigiWorld and even fighting Arukenimon. Like in Tag Tamers, this is not a part of the storyline that continues in Brave Tamer.

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