It’s my Vaguetype And I’ll Do What I Want With It
In my last entry I talked about my Ga’Hoole owl type and how I experience it as a vaguetype. I’ve been meaning to make a companion piece about my dracomon x vaguetype, but I couldn’t get it to work for the longest time.
So this one is gonna be looser–more stream of consciousness on what I am currently exploring as a digimon – digivolution.
Primer for those not familiar with digimon
If you’re not familiar, digimon can evolve, but unlike Pokemon the evolutions are not a one-way street. They are capable of “de-digivolving” to a previous form for a number of reasons, but it’s usually something to do with taking damage/strain.
So the normal flow of forms go like this:
Baby > In-training > Rookie > Champion > Ultimate > Mega
Most digimon sit at an in-training or rookie level as their base form, but that’s not always the case. If a digimon acquires enough data they can digivolve and move up their base form a level with each level taking substantially more data. So champion and even ultimate level digimon can be seen running around the digiworld, though they are uncommon (especially the latter). However, humans super-charge everything and digimon partnered with them are the exception.
Digimon are extremely susceptible to the emotions and wishes of humans. When bonded to one, digivolution is supercharged and temporary evolutions to even the highest levels are possible. And that, depending on the partner of course, there would be a lot more room for diversity of forms. When the digital world isn't in danger of being torn apart, a lot of digimon species would live together in the same environment with similar life experiences and would be more likely to evolve into a smaller set of evolutions. If they evolved much at all, since again there's a lot of digimon that don't go far beyond the rookie or champion phase.
X-Digimon
Why do some digimon have an “x” after their name? It denotes that they were infected with the x-program, and were able to survive by mutating their code. This change also brings out any latent potential stored in their digicore and alters their appearance - making them stronger in the process. Depending on the amount of latent data, the change can be rather small, or significant. Some digimon are natural carriers of the x-antibody, without an original form to upgrade from, and do not have the x in their name.
Considering my other forms
I am confident in saying my base form is dracomon x – a rookie digimon. However, I also have strong noemata of being a holydramon (the creature in my avatar!) which is a mega.
My other forms…I’m not sure? I have some fleeting sensations and feelings, but these two were so strong, so obvious, that it’s weird now feeling like I’m stumbling around in the dark for my other forms. I must have had them – I had a human partner, I remember digivolving and I wouldn’t normally just skip right to a mega! So what were the others?
For the longest time I just assumed it was coredramon and wingdramon – both of which are the typical evolution path for a dracomon. I haven't ruled them out completely, but I'm also not making progress with them. I don't have a good way to word it, but like, before thinking about my champion form felt like looking at a blurry image that only got more blurry when you tried to look closely. By looking at other digimon options I feel like I'm starting to make progress and bring things into focus more.
So this one is gonna be looser–more stream of consciousness on what I am currently exploring as a digimon – digivolution.
Primer for those not familiar with digimon
If you’re not familiar, digimon can evolve, but unlike Pokemon the evolutions are not a one-way street. They are capable of “de-digivolving” to a previous form for a number of reasons, but it’s usually something to do with taking damage/strain.
So the normal flow of forms go like this:
Baby > In-training > Rookie > Champion > Ultimate > Mega
Most digimon sit at an in-training or rookie level as their base form, but that’s not always the case. If a digimon acquires enough data they can digivolve and move up their base form a level with each level taking substantially more data. So champion and even ultimate level digimon can be seen running around the digiworld, though they are uncommon (especially the latter). However, humans super-charge everything and digimon partnered with them are the exception.
Digimon are extremely susceptible to the emotions and wishes of humans. When bonded to one, digivolution is supercharged and temporary evolutions to even the highest levels are possible. And that, depending on the partner of course, there would be a lot more room for diversity of forms. When the digital world isn't in danger of being torn apart, a lot of digimon species would live together in the same environment with similar life experiences and would be more likely to evolve into a smaller set of evolutions. If they evolved much at all, since again there's a lot of digimon that don't go far beyond the rookie or champion phase.
X-Digimon
Why do some digimon have an “x” after their name? It denotes that they were infected with the x-program, and were able to survive by mutating their code. This change also brings out any latent potential stored in their digicore and alters their appearance - making them stronger in the process. Depending on the amount of latent data, the change can be rather small, or significant. Some digimon are natural carriers of the x-antibody, without an original form to upgrade from, and do not have the x in their name.
Considering my other forms
I am confident in saying my base form is dracomon x – a rookie digimon. However, I also have strong noemata of being a holydramon (the creature in my avatar!) which is a mega.
My other forms…I’m not sure? I have some fleeting sensations and feelings, but these two were so strong, so obvious, that it’s weird now feeling like I’m stumbling around in the dark for my other forms. I must have had them – I had a human partner, I remember digivolving and I wouldn’t normally just skip right to a mega! So what were the others?
For the longest time I just assumed it was coredramon and wingdramon – both of which are the typical evolution path for a dracomon. I haven't ruled them out completely, but I'm also not making progress with them. I don't have a good way to word it, but like, before thinking about my champion form felt like looking at a blurry image that only got more blurry when you tried to look closely. By looking at other digimon options I feel like I'm starting to make progress and bring things into focus more.
This is the closest I've come to making a definitive list so far. The ultimate level (black dragon near the center) is the one I am the most up in the air about. Of course there’s a chance this form might not be a registered digimon, but I know so little about that form it's hard to tell. In the other forms I feel a lot more confident!
To start with, I mostly went off of phantom sensations and noemata. Like, I just felt like the champion forms were bipedal and the ultimate level had an association with flight + a metal component. Also, I felt the champion form was a dragon form, more feral temperament, and flight wasn't necessarily a defining feature like in the other forms, and I knew the general size/shape.
Thing is, this describes a lot of digimon.
And here is where my troubles begin!
What I've been doing this past couple weeks is looking through lists of digimon, sorting out the ones that might fit and trying them on. This includes learning about them/their personality/powers, trying out the form in the headspace and putting thought into what it would have felt like, as a digimon trapped in the human world, as that thing to see how much it makes sense.
I'm actually really comfortable with growlmon. I kept dismissing it because it didn't fly and the artwork for the x variant is off-putting to me. But I kept coming back to it and when I saw other artwork for it, gave it a chance and opened up to the idea of not every form having flight, I took to it really quickly.
Or, I felt that way one day and then the next immediately felt the exact opposite. I felt so strongly that a different digimon, raptordramon, was my champion form. It was bipedal, mechanical, feral and a natural carrier of the x-antibody. Also, it had flight, but I definitely felt more a pull towards it’s temperament. For comparison, here’s the descriptions from the wiki for both digimon:
“Growlmon X is a Demon Dragon Digimon and carrier of the X Antibody. Because it has accepted and contained the extraordinary power of the "Digital Hazard" within itself, and that its attack instinct as a Virus-species enhanced further, it will exhibit a ferocious nature where it is unable to control its overflowing power, changing its personality into one on a thin line with justice depending on how it grows up. However, Growlmon's power has clearly increased, and the blades on both of its elbows have enlarged even more, developing and causing plasma to appear when attacking the enemy.[2]”
“Raptordramon is a Cyborg Digimon and carrier of the X-Antibody. It transformed itself from a wild Digimon that possessed a predatory instinct into a basis for modifications in order to reliably bring down its targets. Because the ferocious nature it possesses is too strong for its organic body to bear, it remodeled them with their corresponding weight in pure Chrome Digizoid metal, restraining their capacity for movement. However, whether it has high power output and flying ability or not is due largely to the organic body of the wild Digimon, before it was modified. Although it's small, if it gradually releases those abilities, it has the capability to easily bring down even a massive Digimon in a single blow.[2]”
I also had been considering a split champion level evolution with raptordramon -- and I think it makes sense. I struggled a lot with being aggressive and spiteful after surviving the end of my world and finding refuge in the human world. I see growlmon x as being an extension of my rage. Of wanting to do the right thing, but being overwhelmed with ferocity and relying on the strength of my partner’s heart to direct my power. To make up for what I lack in self-control.
In contrast, raptordramon has a history with predatory instincts, but has tempered them more with their cyborg parts. Yeah, the goal with the modifications is power, but there is more of an intention there. More thoughtfulness and this digimon is a vaccine type vs. growlmon x being a virus type. I believe raptordramon was an evolution I got access to later, after my partner and I grew to trust one another more and I became more disciplined and less jaded.
Here There be Paratypes and Linktypes
This still leaves my ultimate form unaccounted for. This one is the hardest to pin down. Besides flight and metal components there’s nothing defining to go off of. How did I come to put hisyaryumon on the list?
Looking at digimon evolutions once more, I found a single canon way for dracomon x to turn into holydramon x through growlmon x and hisyaryumon – who can also turn into raptordramon and is also a natural carrier of the x-antibody.
It’s a neat, perfect way to top off the digivolution list and looks awesome to boot. But is it the correct form? Have I put an acceptable amount of thought into it? What even are these forms to me? It's weird being these things, but also not often? Only some of the time? And kinda only because of being a dracomon?
Right now I do feel like hisyaryumon is the closest. I wouldn’t call them kintypes. Paratypes would be closer since my connection to them stems from my established identity of dracomon x. I don’t subscribe to a totally spiritual view of my ‘types, but kardiatype seems close too – something you were in a previous life, but no longer identify as. A part of me feels like I am just picking something to not have a gap. But so what if that’s the case? I’m happy and it’s my vaguetype, I’ll do what I want with it.
- Hortense
To start with, I mostly went off of phantom sensations and noemata. Like, I just felt like the champion forms were bipedal and the ultimate level had an association with flight + a metal component. Also, I felt the champion form was a dragon form, more feral temperament, and flight wasn't necessarily a defining feature like in the other forms, and I knew the general size/shape.
Thing is, this describes a lot of digimon.
And here is where my troubles begin!
What I've been doing this past couple weeks is looking through lists of digimon, sorting out the ones that might fit and trying them on. This includes learning about them/their personality/powers, trying out the form in the headspace and putting thought into what it would have felt like, as a digimon trapped in the human world, as that thing to see how much it makes sense.
I'm actually really comfortable with growlmon. I kept dismissing it because it didn't fly and the artwork for the x variant is off-putting to me. But I kept coming back to it and when I saw other artwork for it, gave it a chance and opened up to the idea of not every form having flight, I took to it really quickly.
Or, I felt that way one day and then the next immediately felt the exact opposite. I felt so strongly that a different digimon, raptordramon, was my champion form. It was bipedal, mechanical, feral and a natural carrier of the x-antibody. Also, it had flight, but I definitely felt more a pull towards it’s temperament. For comparison, here’s the descriptions from the wiki for both digimon:
“Growlmon X is a Demon Dragon Digimon and carrier of the X Antibody. Because it has accepted and contained the extraordinary power of the "Digital Hazard" within itself, and that its attack instinct as a Virus-species enhanced further, it will exhibit a ferocious nature where it is unable to control its overflowing power, changing its personality into one on a thin line with justice depending on how it grows up. However, Growlmon's power has clearly increased, and the blades on both of its elbows have enlarged even more, developing and causing plasma to appear when attacking the enemy.[2]”
“Raptordramon is a Cyborg Digimon and carrier of the X-Antibody. It transformed itself from a wild Digimon that possessed a predatory instinct into a basis for modifications in order to reliably bring down its targets. Because the ferocious nature it possesses is too strong for its organic body to bear, it remodeled them with their corresponding weight in pure Chrome Digizoid metal, restraining their capacity for movement. However, whether it has high power output and flying ability or not is due largely to the organic body of the wild Digimon, before it was modified. Although it's small, if it gradually releases those abilities, it has the capability to easily bring down even a massive Digimon in a single blow.[2]”
I also had been considering a split champion level evolution with raptordramon -- and I think it makes sense. I struggled a lot with being aggressive and spiteful after surviving the end of my world and finding refuge in the human world. I see growlmon x as being an extension of my rage. Of wanting to do the right thing, but being overwhelmed with ferocity and relying on the strength of my partner’s heart to direct my power. To make up for what I lack in self-control.
In contrast, raptordramon has a history with predatory instincts, but has tempered them more with their cyborg parts. Yeah, the goal with the modifications is power, but there is more of an intention there. More thoughtfulness and this digimon is a vaccine type vs. growlmon x being a virus type. I believe raptordramon was an evolution I got access to later, after my partner and I grew to trust one another more and I became more disciplined and less jaded.
Here There be Paratypes and Linktypes
This still leaves my ultimate form unaccounted for. This one is the hardest to pin down. Besides flight and metal components there’s nothing defining to go off of. How did I come to put hisyaryumon on the list?
Looking at digimon evolutions once more, I found a single canon way for dracomon x to turn into holydramon x through growlmon x and hisyaryumon – who can also turn into raptordramon and is also a natural carrier of the x-antibody.
It’s a neat, perfect way to top off the digivolution list and looks awesome to boot. But is it the correct form? Have I put an acceptable amount of thought into it? What even are these forms to me? It's weird being these things, but also not often? Only some of the time? And kinda only because of being a dracomon?
Right now I do feel like hisyaryumon is the closest. I wouldn’t call them kintypes. Paratypes would be closer since my connection to them stems from my established identity of dracomon x. I don’t subscribe to a totally spiritual view of my ‘types, but kardiatype seems close too – something you were in a previous life, but no longer identify as. A part of me feels like I am just picking something to not have a gap. But so what if that’s the case? I’m happy and it’s my vaguetype, I’ll do what I want with it.
- Hortense