Evolution/Video Games/Digimon Story series

Appearances

Digimon Story

Evolution can be managed from a Digimon's stats profile, under the Evolution Route option. Because of this, Digimon in the player's party may be evolved or devolved at any time the player chooses outside of battles. Evolution in Digimon Story is based around pre-set evolution lines, where each individual Digimon species has a short list of Digimon that it can evolve into (usually one, occasionally two or three) and not every Digimon has any possible evolutions. To evolve into a particular Digimon, a Digimon must first meet that Digimon's minimum evolution requirements such as level, attribute EXP, stats, Friendship, and Stress all meeting certain thresholds (in the case of Stress and, in some rare cases like Devimon, Friendship, it must not exceed a maximum threshold).

In some special cases (like Dot Agumon), the Digimon may only be evolved into if the player has previously owned a Digimon of the same species, or if they presently have 100% scan data for it.

Some Digimon, such as Armor Digimon, also require that the player obtain a matching item (e.g. a Digimental for Armor Digimon) before they can evolve any Digimon into them. These items are not consumed by the evolution process, so once they have been obtained, the Digimon can be evolved into as many times as the player wants.

Upon evolving, a Digimon's stats increase, while upon devolving, they decrease. Level may increase or decrease depending on the Digimon's current level and the base level of the Digimon it's becoming. In both cases, it gains a new Trait if it's the first time it's taken its current form, and its techniques change to those of its current form. Every time a Digimon devolves, its Aptitude stat increases, and evolution may also increase Aptitude. This increases the Digimon's maximum level cap. However, the player can't devolve Digimon until obtaining Phil's Devolve Chip, and how high they can evolve is limited by their current Tamer Rank.

NPC Evolutions

Several evolutions and devolutions happen during the story:

• Black Agumon evolves into Dark Tyranomon off-screen after being defeated by the Player. As he explains later as Pagumon, this was a Dark Evolution born from the lack of a good Tamer. Later on, after being reborn as Pagumon, he retakes his true form of Andiramon (Deva) by using the Core Shard.
• Mugendramon devolves into Skull Greymon after using Phil's Devolve Chip, weakening him enough for the Player to fight him.
• Kain uses the Data Core on his Atlur Kabuterimon (Red) to evolve it into Gran Kuwagamon. However, the overwhelming energy of the Data Core causes it to go out of control, then self-destruct.
• After the Player defeats Chronomon Destroy Mode, he's cleaned of the darkness and becomes Chronomon Holy Mode.
• Daimon Masaru's Agumon evolves into Geo Greymon to fight King Etemon. Off-screen, Thoma H. Norstein's Gaomon evolves into Mach Gaogamon for the same reason.

Digimon Story: Sunburst & Moonlight

The mechanics of evolution in Sunburst and Moonlight are mostly identical to those of Digimon Story. While evolving can still be accessed from Digimon's stat screens, the DigiLab PC at the player's Tamer Home also allows for easy access to managing evolution for all Digimon in the player's possession (in the party, bank, or Farm Islands alike). Evolution options are also somewhat expanded, and it is more common for Digimon to not only have more evolution options, but for those evolution options to have multiple evolution options themselves.

Sunburst and Moonlight also introduce Jogress Evolution, which is available under the "Special Evolution" menu of the DigiLab PC. There are many Digimon, including Digimon who are available through natural evolution, who can be formed by Jogress using specific combinations of Digimon (often, there are multiple viable combinations for Jogressing into the same Digimon). Like natural evolution, however, Jogress Evolution also requires that the new Digimon's minimum evolution requirements be met by the first Digimon selected to be used for the Jogress.

Unlike Digimon Story, Armor Evolution is now managed separately under the "Special Evolution" menu. Otherwise, it functions the same, with both the Digimental item requirement and the minimum evolution requirements.

Digimon Story: Lost Evolution

Evolution in Lost Evolution is similar to how it was in Sunburst/Moonlight. The main difference is the introduction of Evolution Trees, which group Digimon in them and show what they can evolve into, with some Digimon being able to move into other trees. Furthermore, not all evolutions are usable at first, with several of them being locked until the player finds and revives their Evolution Plates, which either drop from random encounters or are found as part of the story. Successfully reviving them and reinserting them into their corresponding evolution trees will allow the player to evolve into that Digimon, as well as unlocking other Digimon that may require that specific evolution (such as Geo Greymon requiring Greymon to be revived).

NPC Evolutions

Digimon other than the playable ones are shown evolving during the story:

• A Pico Devimon Shuu/Kizuna and Asuka met while looking for the Black Box evolved into Devimon off-screen after Shuu/Kizuna revived the Devimon Evolution Plate. Later, it is shown to have evolved into a Venom Vamdemon, and later still it returns as a Belial Vamdemon.

Digimon Story: Super Xros Wars Red & Blue

In Digimon Story: Super Xros Wars Red & Blue there are also two extra different types of DigiXros: DigiFusion (デジフュージョン Dejifuyūjon), which is akin to Jogress Evolution in previous titles where the components permanently fuse into the result, and Jogress Up (ジョグレスアップ Joguresu Appu), a power up ability that allows a base Digimon to permanently enhance their stats by absorbing and combining other Digimon.

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth & Hacker's Memory

Evolutions are managed at Mikagura Mirei's DigiLab. The mechanics of evolution in the Cyber Sleuth games are similar to those of the earlier Digimon Story games. Almost every Digimon has a list of Digimon that it can evolve from and evolve into. To evolve into a particular Digimon, a Digimon must first meet that Digimon's minimum evolution requirements such as level, stats, Ability, and Camaraderie all meeting certain thresholds. The only requirement to devolve is that the player has previously encountered the Digimon to be devolved into. Every time a Digimon evolves or devolves, its Ability stat increases, which makes it easier to evolve into forms that require higher minimum Ability.

Jogress Evolution can be performed between certain pairs of Digimon. This works the same way as regular evolution, except that the the player must also have the other component Digimon for the Jogress and both Digimon must have maximum Camaraderie. Once the Jogress has been performed, the Jogressed Digimon is treated like any other Digimon in terms of further evolution or devolution: that is, the Jogress cannot be "undone" to get both component Digimon back, and instead, the Jogressed Digimon can only be devolved into either one of the component Digimon forms.

Some Digimon, specifically Armor Digimon and Hybrid Digimon (although the latter are treated as regular levels in this game) also require that the player obtain a matching Digimental or Legendary Spirit item before they can evolve any Digimon into them. These items are not consumed by the evolution process, so once they have been obtained, the Digimon can be evolved into as many times as the player wants.

In the original version of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth, Digimon can only evolve into members of the Royal Knights after completing specific late-game quests that each unlock the ability to evolve into one to three of these Digimon. Additionally, in both the regular release of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Hacker's Memory and the Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Complete Edition release, there are some Digimon who can only be evolved into once Hacker's Memory has been completed.

NPC Evolutions

Several NPC Digimon characters evolve during the course of the stories.

• Shiramine Nokia's Agumon and Gabumon become capable of temporarily evolving as Nokia's adventures with them continue. They are depicted as evolving into Greymon and Garurumon (depicted only in Hacker's Memory), then War Greymon and Metal Garurumon. In Cyber Sleuth Chapter 10, during the fight at Under Zero, Nokia gains the ability to fuse them into their original form: Omegamon of the Royal Knights.
• When Sanada Arata accompanies Aiba Takumi/Ami or Amazawa Keisuke as a partner, his Keramon is seen in higher evolved forms as the games progress: Chrysalimon, Infermon, and Diablomon.
• In Cyber Sleuth Chapter 14, a Numemon successfully tricks Takumi/Ami into defeating multiple Shakomon for their shells. It then absorbs them, causing it to evolve to Karatuki Numemon. Now that the Tamer had done their job, it attempts to kill them as they had supposedly outlived their usefulness but this instead resulted in its death via self defence.
• In Cyber Sleuth Chapter 15, Kamishiro Yuuko's Rize Greymon evolves into Gaioumon when she asks it whether it will stay with her, even though she is no longer using the Kamishiro Yuugo avatar. In the same chapter, Mikagura Mirei has her Angewomon & Lady Devimon fuse together to become Mastemon.
• In Cyber Sleuth Chapter 19, Lucemon of the Seven Great Demon Lords evolves to Lucemon: Falldown Mode then Lucemon: Satan Mode but is defeated in all three battles with its third defeat resulting in its death. Belphemon: Sleep Mode evolves to Belphemon: Rage Mode with its second defeat also resulting in its death. In the same chapter, Etemon angrily evolves to Metal Etemon and tries to save his best friend Tawa Reiko after she was kidnapped by Jimmy KEN. It teams up with Keisuke and is able to defeat the Hacker, only for Reiko to appear and state that she hadn't been kidnapped and was friends with Jimmy and had been invited to the concert - not kidnapped.
• In Hacker's Memory Chapter 7, Sistermon Blanc and Sistermon Noir (Sistermon Ciel in some versions) evolve to their Awakened forms to fight Nokia and Amasawa Keisuke.
• In Hacker's Memory Chapter 11, a Togemon evolves to Lilimon after drinking Nanomon's potion that was intended to cure its illness. It had a side effect however, causing Togemon to go on a rampage. After Keisuke defeats it, it comes back to its senses then evolves to Lilimon with Nanomon figuring that must've been a side effect of the medicine it had created. Whether that is actually the case is unknown. Regardless, it decides it will create more of it and give it to other Digimon so they become super powerful for its own amusement.
• In Hacker's Memory Chapter 13, Douguchi Lily's Kyubimon evolves to Taomon to fight Dagomon. In the same chapter, Yasu's Gaomon evolves to Gaogamon as a result of his happiness at being praised by Shiramine Nokia (who he had a crush on) after he and Amasawa Keisuke defeat a group of evil hackers.
• Mishima Ryuji's Arkadimon evolves multiple times by absorbing other Digimon.
• In Hacker's Memory Chapter 16, Date Makiko's Lopmon evolves into Andiramon when she confronts Mysterious Digital Face.
• In Hacker's Memory Chapter 17, Imai Chitose's Ankylomon fuses with the Angemon that Yuri left with him to form Shakkoumon. In the same chapter, a Megalo Growmon angrily evolves to Megidramon due to a powerful desire to get revenge against Ryuji and Arkadimon who had killed and absorbed its friends with the exception of Leomon. It was unable to control the power though, and after being defeated by Leomon and Keisuke was able to revert back to Megalo Growmon...though it had to be talked down and told that its now deceased friends wouldn't want to see it in its current state first.
• In Hacker's Memory Chapter 18, Mishima Ryuji's Cyberdramon evolves into Justimon in response to Ryuji's determination to make amends. In the same chapter, Mishima Erika and Wormmon fuse together to become Hudiemon.
• In Hacker's Memory, after Keisuke defeats Volcamon in the Master Cup it evolves to Pile Volcamon. Keisuke then defeats it again.
• In Hacker's Memory, the Matadrmon that trolled Nogi Yuu by pretending to be a mask for years is defeated by Keisuke and reverts back to its mask form, which Yu throws away. At some point after that it evolved to Grand Dracumon and tries to take over the World via the Abyss Server but is killed by Keisuke and his friends. As it was a vampire though it was quickly reborn and tries again. This happens infinitely, though after the first time is just the game allowing the player to fight it as much as they want.
• Most characters evolve their Digimon offscreen as part of Domination Battles.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger

Evolution works similarly to previous Digimon Story games, though with changes and improvements. Evolution and devolution can now be done almost anywhere outside of battle as long as the Digivice menu is available. Unlike in Cyber Sleuth and Hacker's Memory, the option to Evolve is not available in the DigiFarm.

As with previous games, evolving and devolving may increase the Digimon's Potential (the replacement for Ability in Cyber Sleuth and Hacker's Memory) but it also will now keep 10% of the Digimon's stats, allowing later evolutions to be stronger. This can be done as many times as the Digimon's current Bond percentage, so up to a maximum of 100 times if maxed out.

Evolutions are now further limited by requiring the player to reach certain Agent Ranks. To reach a certain Agent rank, one must spend Anomaly Points (AP) on Agent skills, which are rewarded by progressing the story or in sidequests. The game gives just about enough AP for the player to reach Agent Rank 10 in a single run, meaning that if the player did not clear enough sidequests, they will be stuck with Adult or Perfect-level Digimon even by the end of the game.

The following Agent Ranks unlock new Generations of Digimon for evolution:

• Rank 3 unlocks Adults, as well as Armor and Hybrid Digimon. This can be done after clearing "Shinjuku Rhapsody" at its earliest.
• Rank 5 unlocks Perfects (and Lucemon). This can be done after clearing "Incoming Conflict" at its earliest.
• Rank 7 unlocks Ultimates (and Lucemon: Falldown Mode). This can be done after clearing "Throne of the Underworld" at its earliest.
• Rank 8 unlocks Super Ultimates (and Parallelmon, if the requisite DLC has been purchased). The player must at least clear several sidequests unlocked during "The Final Battle Over the Natural Order" to reach here.
• Rank 9 unlocks Aegiomon and all of its evolutions save for Chronomon: Destroy Mode. The player must at least clear several sidequests unlocked during "The Final Battle Over the Natural Order" to reach here. They are not likely to obtain Jupitermon here, however.
• Rank 10 unlocks Chronomon: Holy Mode and Chronomon: Destroy Mode. The player must clear the game and clear all sidequests to reach here. The final sidequest unlocks after clearing the game and rewards the last 150 Anomaly Points.

There are four Agent skills for each personality that reduce the stats required to evolve a Digimon if its personality matches the base personality Digimon it evolves to. If all four Agent Skills are unlocked, the stats required to evolve are divided by 4.71.

Furthermore, evolution is now possible in-battle through three new mechanics:

• Some Digimon can perform Mode Changes by performing specific attacks. Mode Change evolves a Digimon into another of the same level before performing said attack. The Mode Change remains until the battle is over or another Mode Change-inducing attack is performed.
  • The Digimon that can trigger this behavior include: Agnimon, Wolfmon, Ranamon (and their Beast Spirit forms), Ceresmon, Duftmon, Imperialdramon: Dragon Mode, Imperialdramon: Fighter Mode and Magna Garurumon. Unlike the others who can freely shift between forms in-battle, Magna Garurumon's transformation is one-way and cannot be reversed until the end of the battle.
• Digimon that can Jogress outside of battle can also do so in-battle by selecting the special attack of their Jogressed form, which they'll get access to if both members of the Jogress are in-battle. Unlike Mode Change, Jogress only lasts for that one attack and takes both of the Digimon's turns.
• Uniquely, after obtaining the Crimson Dragon Data Fragment, Misono Inori's Aegiomon can use the "Evolution" command in-battle (which replaces the Change option the other player-controlled Digimon get) to switch between his various forms. These actions are not recorded in Aegiomon's Evolution history and do not yield blue stats. This doesn't take a turn and has no cost.

During the final fight in the game against Chronomon, he'll use Chrono Devolution to devolve all of the player's party to the Baby I or Baby II Generation (depending on species). Afterwards, Aegiomon (in any of his forms) will make them evolve one Generation in each of his turns with Aegiomon no Inori. These actions are not tied to the affected Digimon's evolution history; instead, a fixed evolution line is used for each Digimon. For example, a Chronomon: Destroy Mode that was in the active party in this phase will always devolve into Punimon and evolve into Elecmon, Aegiomon, Aegiochusmon: Dark then finally into Chronomon: Destroy Mode, even if the player evolved said Digimon using Butenmon rather than Aegiochusmon: Dark.

Aegiomon

Misono Inori's Partner Digimon, Aegiomon, evolves several times during the course of the game:

• Aegiomon went completely insane after losing Inori in one undisclosed point/timeline, where he evolved into Jupitermon: Wrath Mode to destroy the Giant Slayer, uncaring of the sheer destruction it would unleash to the world. The clash between two gods of time caused the Shinjuku Inferno. He also evolves into Jupitermon: Wrath Mode in the corrected version of the event in "The Cycle of Time", but the destruction was contained by Grace Novamon, Jogress Evolved from Apollomon and Dianamon. However, the damage from the fight separated Jupitermon: Wrath Mode into Yuki Dan/Yuki Kanan and Aegiomon once more.
• During the final battle of the chapter "Resonating Thoughts", Coo (an Elecmon at the time) is hurt by Cyclomon's Hyper Heat. Misono Inori tried to protect him, and her wish to gain the strength to do so caused Coo to evolve into Aegiomon. As pointed out by the Handler later on, this is the first time a human has been seen influencing a Digimon's evolution. This event is recorded in Aegiomon's evolution history and gives him cumulative (blue) stats.
• After being thrown into a dimensional portal by Junomon's rage in "War!", Aegiomon's determination to stay at Inori's side and protect her no matter what causes him to evolve once more into Aegiochusmon. This event is recorded in Aegiomon's evolution history and gives him cumulative (blue) stats.
• After trying to stop the berserk Treasure at the end of "The Defense of Nishi-Shinjuku", Aegiochusmon devolves into Aegiomon, though he can evolve in-battle (detailed above) or stay in Aegiochusmon form if equipped with the Crimson Dragon Data Fragment.
• After saving Neptunemon and Venusmon's lives in "A Promise to a Scarf", their newfound bonds with Aegiomon caused a fraction of the restricted power of the Sacred Vein to be released, evolving Aegiomon into Aegiochusmon: Blue. As with the previous Aegiochusmon form, Aegiomon is capable of evolving into Aegiochusmon: Blue in-battle or start in that form if equipped with the Blue Steel Data Fragment.
• After saving Bacchusmon's life in "The Titans' Grudge", the Sacred Vein once more bestows a new form upon Aegiomon, Aegiochusmon: Green, as well as the item to access it, the Emerald Arbor Data Fragment.
• After Inori was sealed off in a space-time distortion in "Where Did the Ribbon Go?", Aegiomon Dark Evolved into Aegiochusmon: Dark and went across timelines trying to save her, leaving a shadow clone of himself everywhere he went to. His actions caused further disruptions to the space-time continuum and mandated Homeostasis' intervention.
• After the Agent, having learned they were created from an Aegiomon shadow, convinces Aegiomon to let time finally move forward, even if it means their disappearance, in "The Cycle of Time", they fuse into Jupitermon. They fuse again to finish Chronomon, but then Aegiomon undoes the fusion so the Agent can watch over Inori while he becomes the Keeper of Time. He later evolves into Jupitermon on his own to form the Olympos XII.
• After the party was whisked into the Akashic Records alongside numerous others, Inori's pleas for Aegiomon to save her generated the final Data Fragment, the Holy Light Data Fragment. It allows him to evolve into Aegiochusmon: Holy. From this point on, his Personality shifts from Friendly to Tolerant, and his personality skill changes to Healing Wisdom (remaining so even on subsequent playthroughs).

NPC Evolutions

Out of Aegiomon, many other Digimon characters evolve during the course of the story.

• Yggdrasill's Omegamon can freely split back into Agumon and Gabumon and return to its original form, the smaller data size allowing them to freely operate in both the Real World and Iliad. They do this in the side mission "Between the Worlds" to fight an Orochimon, in the side mission "A Missing Friend" to fight an Anomalocarimon and in the side mission "Alpha and Omega" to face Alphamon.
• Starting from the side mission "From Pegasmon to the World", Pegasmon asks the Agent for Digimentals to help other Digimon in Central Town to Armor Evolve:
  • Hawkmon + Digimental of Purity = Shurimon
  • Tailmon + Digimental of Light = Nefertimon
  • V-mon + Digimental of Friendship = Lighdramon
  • V-mon + Digimental of Courage = Fladramon
• Titamon appears as Titamon + Skull Baluchimon in "The Defense of Nishi-Shinjuku". After losing his first health bar in his boss battle, Skull Baluchimon is deleted, and Titamon evolves into Berserk Titamon using the Treasure. Titamon and Skull Baluchimon are reborn as Tunomon and Dorimon at some point during the timeskip. They temporarily recover their Titamon + Skull Baluchimon form for the "Hey!! Brat!! You've come!!" round of the "Greatest Omega Carnival" side mission, only to be unable to hold it and return to their Baby II forms after taking too much damage during the fight.
• Several Digimon evolved during the eight-year timeskip:
  • Shiroki Asuna's Black Tailmon evolved into Beel Starmon.
  • Central Town's Monodramon evolved into Strikedramon.
  • Blimpmon evolved into Master Blimpmon.
  • Abyss Area's Mega Seadramon evolved into Metal Seadramon.
  • Shellmon evolved into Venusmon
  • Hangyomon evolved into Neptunemon.
  • The Kamemon from the side mission "The Color the Water Speaks Of" evolved into Jumbo Gamemon.
  • Gear Forest's Hawkmon and Floramon evolved into Griffomon and Lotusmon, respectively.
  • The Palmon who assisted the party in Gear Forest 8 years ago evolved into Rosemon.
  • Also from Gear Forest, the Muchomon from the "Secret of the Hidden Honey Base" side mission evolved into Peckmon.
  • Bearmon (Older Brother) was abducted by the Titans, who promised that if he would accept his body to be modified, his younger brother will be spared. He then evolved into Callismon.
  • The Monodramon and Guilmon that trained under Monochromon in Central Town evolved into Cyberdramon and Megalo Growmon, respectively, and moved to the High-Rise Colosseum.
  • Central Town's Solarmon evolved into Clockmon.
• Angered at her plan being foiled, Ranamon slide evolved into Calamaramon to personally kill Neptunemon and Venusmon in "A Promise on a Scarf".
• During the fight against Tyrant Kabuterimon in "The Titans' Grudge", Bacchusmon Mode Changes to his Crapulence Mode. He returns to his normal mode after the battle.
• Bearmon (Younger Brother) evolved into Grappu Leomon during the timeskip. He then evolved further into Marsmon while confronting his elder brother Callismon.
• After defeating Callismon, High-Rise Colosseum's XV-mon and Stingmon Jogress Evolve into Paildramon and move to Rebellion Village.
• Thanks to touching the truth of the "Twentiest", Zubaeagermon evolves to Duramon in the side mission "The Easy Road Is Best". It then devolves into Zubaeagermon after finding itself underwhelmed by normalcy, but by pursuing to stand out instead, it rediscovers the meaning of the "Twentiest" and evolves into Grademon instead.
• After most of Iliad was destroyed or compromised by the Titans, Chronomon used a Chronolixir to turn the Titans' supposed leader Plutomon into Zombie Plutomon.
• Coronamon and Lunamon respectively evolved into an Apollomon and Dianamon and became the area guardians of the Cosmic Area. When being ordered by Jupitermon to control the damage caused by the Shinjuku Inferno, they Jogress Evolved into Grace Novamon to seal him and the Giant Slayer in a subspace. After Jupitermon defeated the Giant Slayer, they were separated by the space-time distortions caused by said fight.
• Junomon went completely insane from the grief of losing Aegiomon and was possessed by Chronomon after he discarded Plutomon. While being possessed, she was perpetually in her Hysteric Mode. She reverts back to her normal form after being defeated in her boss battle in "The Mad Oracle".
• As Aegiomon awakens his Jupitermon form, Sirenmon evolved into Ceresmon in "The Cycle of Time". This also counts as a Death Evolution as Sirenmon died during the failed Gear Forest invasion before evolving into Ceresmon.
• After defeating Enbarrmon in the side mission "Showdown with the Immortal Steed", the Royal Knight Craniummon was allowed to ride it, evolving into Craniummon + Enbarrmon. They separate again after reaching the Central Town rendezvous point. They rejoin to face Chronomon in "The Final Battle over the Natural Order".
• Yggdrasill's Magnamon devolved into a V-mon because of Iliad's barrier. After eating super-sweet ice cream with the Agent in the human world in the side mission "V-mon's Growth", it evolved back into its Magnamon form.
• Duftmon can freely switch between its normal and Leopard Modes. After the Agent defeats it in its Leopard Mode in the side mission "A Facilitator's Woes", it switches to its normal mode.
• Both the real and copy Beelzebumon of the Seven Great Demon Lords Mode Changed into Beelzebumon: Blast Mode to face the Agent and Minervamon. The real one did it in the side mission "Minervamon's Decision" and the copy one did it in "The Final Battle over the Natural Order".
• The Demon copy had two Chimairamon and two Mugendramon copies Jogress into two Millenniumon before their fight in "The Final Battle over the Natural Order".
• The Belphemon copy evolved into Belphemon: Rage Mode after being defeated as Belphemon: Sleep Mode in "The Final Battle over the Natural Order".
• Alphamon evolved into Alphamon: Ouryuken off-screen to fight Chronomon in "The Final Battle over the Natural Order".
• During the final part of the fight against Chronomon in "The Final Battle over the Natural Order", Minervamon evolved into Mervamon.

Additional Information

References	Notes