[catwhowalks]

I think I have figured out something here. I think the riders, and us the viewers as well, have it completely wrong when it comes to clearing games and curing victims. It is not beating the monster that does it, but completing the goal of the game the monster comes from. Of course, for most of the monster, beating them IS the goal. In the case of all 3 of the Bugsters from non-combat games, however, they have never cleared the game though combat. For Bugermon, the game is about feeding the monster and that is what cleared the game. For Poppy, her game is about keeping the rythm, presumably causing the character to smile at the player, which is how Emu cleared that game. And last week Lovorica, or whatever his name is, was only defeated by Taiga earning the adoration of the ladies, which is what the goal of a dating sim is.

So yeah, I think that explains things.