"Yes! Delete is very bad! Deleting somemon means hurting them so badly that they fall apart completely and then they're gone!

"We don't allow that in here, but out there some ’mon will try it, and I want you to be ready to defend yourselves before you leave."

Well that doesn't sound good. That doesn't sound good at all.

Thus interrupted, Calimon turns to address Elecmon. "Has any cohort ever been ‘ready to defend themselves’ on their own? After a week, after a month?" She raises a paw to ask, "What's the one commonality among ’mon who've stopped by after at least two years?"

    "They're all still alive?", he asks, a hopeful lift in his voice.

"They all made powerful friends."

"All the lessons we can teach, all the practice they can practice? Won't save them if they don't have someone to protect them while they learn to apply it." She punctuates this with a paw-chop. "The apprenticeship program is their surest chance at finding such a mentor. I thought you understood that already."

"Calimon. O best of protectors and most prudent among friends," he starts, "I agreed to try it. I never thought you'd brave bringing the candidates here so soon after the hatching. Can't we let the babies grow into themselves before sending them away?"

(Nyaromon, overwhelmed by words, has curled up in a fuzzy little pile. Mochimon is twisting to follow along as best it can, but showing increasing concern.)

"Most of them will," she says. "But we can only invite a few mentorship candidates at once. That means we need an early start to give the most babies a good chance at adoption. So if any of these candidates," sweeping a paw towards the six giants, "clicks with one of the babies, then we let them go. This might be their best chance."

"... Sweetheart," she adds, after a pause. "Most wise and caring."

"I love how you always keep their futures in mind," Elecmon responds, fur smoothing back down. "If they want to go, I'll let them go. But when they do I want to check that they understand what it means."

"Then I'll personally make sure none of them leave without your interview," she concludes, warmly. "I love how you watch that the babies can thrive, not just fight and eat."

The two creatures share a quick hug.

This looks like a really important conversation and Hotshot is trying very hard to follow it but also it is confusing and Nyaromon needs snuggles so mostly he is hugging the fuzzy friend and hoping that if he waits they'll start making sense.

Nyaromon leans into the snuggle, rubbing its fur up on Hotshot's warm scales.

Mochimon mulls this over. After a minute, it hazards "So they're called mentor ships and that means they carry us around if we do what they say?"

Elecmon turns to his forgotten audience, dropping back onto all fours.

"Sort of! Those big Digimon are here to meet little ’mon and see if they make any friends, and if any of those friends want to go study with them to learn how to do what they do."

"What they do like be big?"

"Yeah, part of it is helping you grow up big and strong, with a form that works for you. And in the meantime they're supposed to keep you safe - you'll still get in fights, but they'll protect you and try to make sure you don't get permanently hurt.

"When you follow somemon that way, where they teach you and keep you safe while you help them and do what they say, we call that ’mon your mentor."

Thoughtful nod.

A loud slam cuts through the background commotion, followed by three small explosions.

Calimon's leapt into the air before Elecmon has even turned to find the source.

Hotshot makes a surprised noise and turns to look, wrapping his arms protectively around Nyaromon.

One of the giants is tumbling sheet-over-hat through the air, dramatically singed.

Pidmon, staff aglow, is rising to meet it. But Calimon's next leap becomes a kick, knocking him tumbling too.

Whoa! They're fighting! Hotshot stares in fascination.

Pidmon rights himself in the air. "Leave the criminal to me!," he calls, then resumes his heading for the other 'mon.

"I don't care," she responds, "you will not fight here."

This time she springs into a proper pounce, claws out.

Elecmon, racing past Hotshot, begins to glow. "Elecmon! Digivolve to..."