November 2001 - Regroup and Expansion

[Instead of the usual meeting room, everyone is led to a completely different building. There's a lot of hardware and electronics lying around, which Duo and Quatre take to immediately. Fortunately the usual table of food is all ready, and looking as sumptuous as ever.]

Makoto: What is this place?

Mariamia: If we can get the boys out of the control panels, maybe we could ask them.

Ruki: Obviously our training facilities have been automized.

Duo: Hey... "our"?

Hilde: [takes the hint] You must be our new trainer.

Ruki: Correction. [swings around, typing something very quickly] One of the new trainers.

Mimi: Hiiii!

Ruki: Mimi, have you finished claiming catches for your gym?

Mimi: Well, I'd have to talk to Quatre-kun first! [grabs Quatre]

Duo: Hey now, what's the big idea? The catches are being divided without us?

Mariamaia: [to Ruki] I see. These printouts are the results from the database?

Ruki: [pleased someone understands her] Exactly. With Shusu-san's approval, of course.

Hilde: [pats Duo] Calm down. She sounds like she knows what she's doing. And from the number of new catches, we'll need all the help we can get. We probably won't be uploaded till December.

Shusu: That's right, kiddies. Have a seat.

Achika: [has been talking to San, and they join the rest of the group]

Shusu: Everyone, I'm guessing you already know Mimi. She will be training the Rosy Gym, to take overflow along with Sapphire.

Quatre: [nods] We've worked out several of the trades already.

Shusu: This young lady is Ruki, known as Rika in English. She's opening Glacier Gym. Er... is your partner here?

Renamon: [materializes] Always.

Ruki: Of course. She will be useful if we're getting the digimon I think we're getting.

Shusu: And last but not least, this is San. She will be running Ivory Gym.

San: [nods to the others]

Shusu: Ruki, if you will?

Ruki: At the last meeting, you totaled a paltry 133 catches. The page later had just under 150 catches. Today, we have 92 Bishoujo and 83 Bishonen at a grand total of 175 catches.

Duo: [looks dazed]

Makoto: Oh my.

Mariamaia: We'll need another gym leader in another dozen catches.

Duo: You mean she's going to keep going?!

Shusu: Why yes, Duo. You object?

Duo: Ah... no.

Quatre: Hotaru is standing by as Indigo Gym leader, if we need another. By my estimates, we can hold out with nine gym leaders for a while.

Shusu: Ruki and I spent a lot of time putting the database together. First let's deal with the official catch sequence.

Mariamaia: What we have so far is Android 18 at 20th bishoujo, Vegeta and Ryoko at 25th bishonen and bishoujo respectively, Trowa at 100th overall, Shayla Shayla and 50th bishoujo and 110th overall, and Seth Green as 50th bishonen.

Ruki: These were confirmed. Tsugaru is 120th, Bulma is 130th, Hello Kitty is 140th, Michael Reisz is 150th, Vicious is 160th, and the Mirror Card is 170th overall.

Makoto: I thought Bulma was caught earlier.

Shusu: I must have thrown her back. I think she was an upgrade that I got later on. There were serious problems with catch sequence after the 100th catch. At one point, Kirby Morrow was catch no. 120, and The Power Card was no. 130. I went through it with a fine toothed comb and these are the official tabulations.

Quatre: Looks like Ashitaka is 60th, Alucard is 70th, and Irvine is 80th bishonen.

Duo: You sure you didn't fix this, Shu?

Shusu: [grins] Positive.

Mimi: Ayashi is 60th, Lum is number 70, The Light and Dark cards are 80, and Tsunami is the 90th girl!

Makoto: I'm curious, are these doubled catches counted as two?

Shusu: Hm? Oh, no, that would be too confusing. Eriya and Naria, and the Light and Dark Cards are on the same catch. Oh! Before I forget. Achika, your gym will be renamed Plum Gym. More fitting, given the Japanese connotations.

Achika: I'll make a note of it. I see you caught Mayumi from the Pocket Bishoujo gym... you should really display your gym badge from there. You worked hard for it.

Shusu: Yes, I'll try to do that first thing. The upload will be horrendous... you guys know we're moving back to Tripod, right?

Duo: Whaaa?

Makoto: That sucks.

Shusu: I know. I wish someone could host me, but first I have to show my stuff to the world. And you guys are part of that. In any case, I think I'll be able to pull it off, with more time on my hands.

Mariamaia: Shusu, before we get into the shuffle, what are the new gyms going to be doing?

Ruki: I can answer that. My gym is going to be Logistics.

San: Mine will be Surveillance.

Mimi: And I'm Morale!

Duo: Great...

Hilde: [hits Duo]

Shusu: Duo, Ruki and San will be taking on more of your load. You'll have more of the pure psychos, while Ruki takes the cards, digimon, and anyone else who needs a little extra training. San will take the older, more powerful people.

Duo: Great, I get the psychos.

Shusu: Hilde, I also want to shake up Gold Gym. It's looking rather boring, and Forest is starting to surpass it in a many ways. After all that's done, then Quatre and Mimi can figure out what they have to work with.

Hilde: Okay! Let's get going, I'm getting excited about this.

Shusu: Right. Firstly, I am pleased to announce that I am the first to catch Iria! So she'll be joining you, Maia.

Mariamaia: Excellent.

Shusu: In addition to her, a certain Spike Spiegel will be making his home in Crimson Gym. I know he's not what you're used to, and frankly the picture could be much enhanced, but he's earned his place there.

Mariamaia: Space will be at a premium.

Shusu: Indeed. I'm afraid Li and Para Para will be moving out. So you should have the same count; 11 bishoujo and 13 bishonen. Okay. Hilde?

Hilde: I'm ready.

Shusu: Moving out: Armitage, Vegeta, and Bulma. Moving in: Irvine, Yue, Julia, and Hayami. I may yet move Yosho and Kagero to Ivory, and trade Yukito and Touya in there, but I'll have to think about it.

Hilde: 9 bishoujo and 11 bishonen. An even twenty, that's good.

Makoto: How's it looking for Forest?

Shusu: Not bad. Jessica, Van, Touya, and Yukito are leaving. I am undecided about Washu, and she may leave. And, you get A-ko and B-ko.

Makoto: All right! That'll be cool. 11 bishoujo and 10 bishonen.

Shusu: Duo. This will be complicated. I have a lot of trade-ins I'm not too sure about, but we'll see. First off, you get Alucard, Vincent, and Erik (the Phantom of the Opera). Van, Eriya and Naria. Motoko from Ghost in the Shell, Naomi Armitage, and Julian. I'm also bumping up Heero, and after much deliberation, Rogue and Gambit.

Duo: All right! Some blood and firepower, that's not too bad.

Shusu: You also get Vicious.

Duo: Whoaaa.

Shusu: Yuzuriha and Nagi, Lady Eboshi, and Lady Tokimi are going to Ivory Gym. Besides them, Ivory will consist of Hilda from Outlaw Star, Kaho Mizuki from CCS, Matori and Tsugaru from Tenchi, Kaoru, Priss, Queen Tahamiine, Tsunami from Tenchi, Nuriko, Rajura, and Sigurd from Xenogears. Congratulations San, this is your first roster. 10 bishoujo and 7 bishonen.

San: Good. Priss, Touya and Yukito, and Hilda are my questionable ones?

Shusu: That's right. Yosho and Kagero might be a better fit for your gym. But we'll build them now and trade later. As for the rest of them, Fisheye, Zoicite, Yugi, and Midii Une are going to Glacier. Ruki, you have Arukenimon and Lady Devimon.

Ruki: Just those? Piece of cake.

Shusu: As stated before, you're getting all the CCS cards. The Light and Dark, the Mirror, the Power, the Void, and the Watery. Para-Para and Li Syaoran are coming in from Crimson, and besides them you have Hitomi, Eriol, and the two Powerpuff Girls, Bubbles and Buttercup.

Ruki: Hmph... not bad. But I suppose I've worked with worse decks. 13 bishoujo and 4 bishonen.

Shusu: Yes, the overflow of bishoujo will be skewing the gyms in a big way. Plus, I'm having some of you stick to your themes, especially among the three darker gyms.

Quatre: I think Mimi and I have worked out ours.

Mimi: Oh yes! I'm getting Hello Kitty, Lala, Ryo-ohki, my best pal Lillymon, Lum, Nadesiko and Fujitaka (so romantic!), Tomoyo, my other pal Sora, Lum, Molly from Sailor Moon, and... um, Jeice.

Duo: [snorts] Jeice'll be great there.

Shusu: [smiles] Brock and Officer Jenny are also moving to Rosy. As is Sanosuke, Lina Inverse, and Jessica Rabbit.

Mimi: Kawaii!

Shusu: I'm considering putting Washu in Rosy, but as I said, we'll build now and trade later.

Mimi: That would be great, our hair matches. No wait, that was last week. So what is that? 12 bishoujo and 4 bishonen, how cool!

Duo: So that leaves me with, um, 5 bishoujo and 15 bishonen. Whew. That's hard to place. But it's an even twenty!

Shusu: And Quatre?

Quatre: Sapphire Gym will take Ayashi Mikage, Mai, Melfina, Ryo, Shuu, Soshi, Shinji, and Gaddes. Besides them, there's Arashi, Bulma, Funaho, Mayuka, Clow Reed, Gene Starwind, Jim Hawkings, Kagato, Professor Tomoe, and Wallace. That's 7 bishoujo and 11 bishonen.

Ruki: It would even things out if Sapphire gave one to Rosy.

Shusu: That is something to keep in mind, Ruki. However, the only move I can envision is Wallace to your Gym. I'm sure Rosy will be overcrowded itself.

Achika: Little is changing at my gym, besides the name. There's Mayumi, voice actor Michael Reisz (who does Yamato on Digimon), Freddie Mercury, and James Marsters, the actor who plays Spike on Buffy.

Duo: Spike!!!

Makoto: [sighs] He's so cute.

Ruki: Do you find it impossible to work here?

Mariamaia: 'Challenging' is the word I prefer to use.

Achika: Plum Gym has 13 bishoujo and 9 bishonen.

Shusu: You're probably at maximum, Achika. I really can't think of any other real people to catch.

Achika: That's all right. Point Team always has room for more.

Shusu: Great. I've just now decided to try uploading to 50megs for the moment, and if it doesn't work then I'm moving the whole kit and caboodle to Tripod. I wish we had a free host... but I have to finish these stories first, and build the rest of the site.

Hilde: You do that, and we'll take care of the rest!

Mariamaia: Yes. I think it will be best to start on the existing gyms, and then construct the remaining three.

Ruki: I have a proposal. It would be prudent to put together a better security system for the gyms. Renaming the files to correspond to a unique number, with variable identifiers such as gender, version, and perhaps the first letter of the name. Since it's going in a zip disk anyway, it would be easy to modify.

Quatre: Hm, yes. And just put in a find and replace function to make the html correspond.

Duo: Huh?

Hilde: C'mon, Duo, there's food.

Mimi: Mmm, it does look yummy!