This is actually something that will engulf the entire season...
When Gatomon armor-digivolves, she can only become a Champion (currently, no Ultimate digimon are introduced into the series, even in Japan, as of yet). But she's already a Champion! How can she digivolve in the same level?
It's kinda hard to explain, but I'll try:
First of all, the Armor evolutions aren't Champion. It's a different stage completely, that is the strength of a Champion.
Second, when Gatomon lost her Tail Ring in Episode 1, she became much less powerful, about the strength of the other Rookies.
So, um...yeah.
I dunno....
Gatomon's lightning claw appears to be a Champion level attack (compared to when she uses it on other Champion level Viral Digimon).
What I am really surprised about is that Gatomon is unable to digivolve to Mega(Warp) status.....
Not to ruin everyones surprise but I have read ahead and learned that Gatomon will probably NEVER digivolve to Mega level.
Darn!!
We'll gatomon for she is a champion and the tail ring doesn't matter. She armored digivoled not digivoled it just says that on the card that she is a champion. the real thing is she is at armored stage. it is just that the card company wanted to put them at champion so there would be no confusion.
Okay let me clear this up.
Gatomon is a champion
She digivolves into Angewoman who is a ultimate
She armor digivolves into nefirtimon(or whatever its called)
Therefore she is Champion. She has less power because she lost her tail ring. She even states that in one of the earlier shows.
It doesn't matter how much power Gatomon has, at the end of the day she IS a Champion, and she Armour DigiVolved into Nefertimon, a Digimon which is at the same level as Gatomon itself. It's hard to explain; think of it like this;
Magnadramon
Angewomon
Gatomon Nefertimon
Salamon
Nyaramon
That's the evolutionary chain for Gatomon. Gatomon DigiVolved into a different Digimon at the same level as itself, instead of one level up. Oh, the person who said Gatomon will never DigiVolve *rolls eyes*, Magnadramon? Digimon the Movie? What did you think that pink snake thing was?
O.k. If Gatomon digivolves angel, then why isn't she an angel? Patamon is a rookie, but his champion is an angel. Gatomon is a champion, but her ultimate is a is an angel. Shouldn't her champion be an angel?
Ok, this is why Gatomon doesn´t Digivolve... Since she´s already a champion, and (as said in an episode on 02) the original 8 children used their crests (which make digimon digivolve to ultimate) and they don´t get them back. Patamon can digivolve to Angemon because he´s a rokkie (sp?) Gatomon can´t digivolve to Angewomon, because she´s already champion
Patamon - Salamon - Rokkie
Angemon - Gatomon - Champion
MagnaAngemon - Angewomon - Ultimate (without crests, they can´t digivolve)
About Gato´s tail ring, she loss a lot of power because the horse-like digimon took it away. Maybe she´s stuck up as Gatomon because of that (she never went to Salamon)
I hope you understand better. I think her ring doesn´t mean anything but a loss of power.
Perhaps Gatomon digivolves into an angel, because in ancient mythology (Egyptian), cats are guardians of the underworld. In a way, so is an angel.
However, I have no idea why a flying hamster also digivolves into an angel as well...Perhaps Patamon is really a Spirit digimon, after being run over in the real world by a computer-delivery truck?
Gatomon is a Champion. However, she is severely weakened because of the loss of her tail ring. The Armour stage of Digivolution is equal to that of Champion, but is not Champion. When Gatomon Armour Digivolves, she is essentially as strong as she would normally be if she had her tail ring.
Gatomon is a Champion the digielementals (Digieggs) allow evolution to Armored Champion... a different (actualy lower level). Other digimon can evolve to diffrent same-level forms (imperidalmon for example) so what level the end of the digievloution ends in is really a moot point.
First of all, I want to comment that, without her tail ring, Gatomon is virtually indistinguishable from a rookie, anyways. She is so weak that Pegasusmon actually is an improvement. Second, according to Wikipedia, there is a movie in which Gatomon reaches mega: The Golden Digimentals. In it she reaches Magnadramon. The only Digimon Adventures digimon that I know NOT to get to mega is Mimi's Palmon. (Other Palmon digivolve to Rosemon.)