EVOLUTION

Evolution is the natural (or unnatural) process in which a Digimon transforms into, usually, a higher-leveled Digimon, after absorbing enough data to do so. Digimon evolution is entirely “free”, in the sense that one Digimon can essentially evolve into any other, depending on its level, environment, inherent traits, and other factors.

Typically, evolution takes many years, even decades, to achieve, and it is permanent. There are Digimon, however, who are able to evolve and devolve at will, for any number of reasons. This may be due to practice, powerful emotions, or a special power innate to the Digimon. When Digimon evolve at will, especially lower-leveled ones with little experience, the evolution is temporary. The Digimon’s body does not have the strength or power required to retain their higher forms, and so when their energy is exhausted, they will revert to their “default” stage.

For the partner Digimon, evolution occurs when a Digimon is granted a small amount of power from their human partner and/or the digivice. Usually, this will occur when one or both partners are in danger or experiencing particularly intense emotions. As with other “induced” evolutions, these higher forms are temporary, and the partner Digimon will revert to their default stage - usually rookie - when their energy is depleted. With time and practice, evolution can be achieved at will, and the required energy to maintain higher forms will be reduced.

Champion Evolution

The first and easiest evolution to achieve elevates a Digimon from rookie to champion. In the case of the partner Digimon, this occurs when their human partner is in danger, or when they need to grow stronger in order to protect them. At first, the champion stage is relatively difficult to evolve to, as the partner Digimon are not used to doing so; over time, however, they grow more accustomed to the process, and eventually learn how to evolve essentially at will when needed.