Tag Archives: digimon seekers

Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers Chapter 1-6: Eiji Becomes a Breader

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I’ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you’ve been enjoying this project, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

Eiji heads home with his new Digimon Linker and his new companion. His glances regularly fall onto his new accessory. He admires the sleek design. Watches as the face glimmers under the street lamp. Occasionally he wakes it up to read over all its menus and is greeted by a sleeping Loogamon. Around him, crowds or people move around him and a train passes in the distance.

His stomach growls and wakes him from his trance. He goes to the restaurant near the station and orders a meat bowl. The aroma is intoxicating and Eiji almost drowns in a pool of his own drool as he waits for a meal that only existed in his dreams until recently. He savors every bite and wonders when Loogamon’s last meal was.

Eiji takes a crowded train to his small apartment. The apartment is small and empty except for a few mats and a small alter. Small led candles flicker weakly as he stops in front of an old family pictures and one of a dog he used to have. “Hey, I’m home. Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma. I’m home.”

Eiji makes his way to his loft where he can finally examine the Digimon Linker without distractions. “I’ve never seen a Digimon like this before…Loogomon huh?” Eiji examines the blue dog sleeping on the watch.

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

“I want you to train the Digimon” Ryusenji had told him. Eiji begins scrolling through GriMM for advice on raising Loogomon. Digimon training jobs are extremely common on GriMM. Eiji needed to learn to be a competent Digimon breeder and trainer. He needed all the help he could get.

“I am interested in seeing how you raise Loogomon. It is important for my research“

Eiji goes sighs as the the conversation replays in his head.”If Ryusenji expects so much from me, I have no choice but to give it my all” Eiji promises to no one. As the the days events begin to sink in, Eiji can’t help but feel excited. But there was also

He had never been so excited in his life. But Eiji had no experience raising a Digimon, especially one so unique.

Eiji Looks over at the monochrome LCD screen that rests on his desk. A dotted Tyrannomon fills the display. It was Digimon Dock like the one he wore on his wrist, but an outdated model he built himself. The schematics can be found easily online. Eiji built it with readily available used parts he found online. Eiji owned a few Digimon Docks, but none of them were as good as the one he wore on his wrist.

The professor had mentioned something about the memory being corrupt in the Delivery Dock Eiji used to capture Betamon. “I’m going to need some parts,” Eiji says examining the parts scattered on his desk. But he already has a Digimon linker and doesn’t feel any urgency.

Eiji lays back in his bed and stares at the Loogomon. He smiles as he stares at the dog-like Digimon who seems to stare back. Loogomon felt like a good luck charm. One that he was determined to take good care of. But this meant that he would have to wear the Linker all the time. While the thought slightly bothered Eiji, he couldn’t help but feel excited. But there was also some apprehension. He had never done anything this important before.

Eiji spends the next few days learning how to use his new Digimon Linker properly, and watching Loogamon grow quickly. He spends lot of time on GriMM’s breeder forums, asking questions and going through older threads. Eiji picked up a few basic concepts, but Loogamon was uncharted territory.

This might be tougher than I thought. He thinks to himself as the anxiety of failing the professor begins to settle. He begins thinking of what he saw in D4 and all of the professors accomplishments. Digital World is real, Digimon are real, Loogamon is real, and I am just some high school drop out code cracker. But Eiji wasn’t just some Code Cracker, he was Cracker Fang. There was a small part of Eiji that was terrified of failure, but an even bigger part of him that was excited for the challenge.

“I’ll get you to Ultimate Loogamon,” he says to the Digimon Linker. Suddenly, notification flashes over the screen. Someone replied to his question on GriMM.

Fang! Gratz on becoming a breeder! If you want to raise a Digimon past its child stage, I recommend keeping it with other Digimon. If you have more than one, they will play together and learn from each other

“I see,” Eiji says as he rushes to his desk, and searches for his old Digimon Dock. He brushes off the dock it’s been collecting and links the devices. “Loogamon, meet the family,” he says as he begins the transfer. In his excitement, he failed to read the rest of the message.

Be careful though. Some Digimon become obsessed with their rank in their pack. It’s important to train them a bit before introducing them to the new Digimon. 

Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers Chapter 1-5: Thunder is sound of the Police

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I’ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you’ve been enjoying this project, make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.

There are two major ways to obtain Digimon. The first is by capturing them with a special AI tool. The other is by hatching them from eggs known as Digitama.

Digimon aren’t like the animals we are familiar with. Digimon have no gender, and don’t reproduce. When a Digimon dies, it leaves behind data. Think of this data like a Digimon’s soul. This data moves through the Digital World and becomes a new Digimon somewhere else. It’s sort of like reincarnation, but there is still a lot we don’t know about Digimon ecology.

It’s night. The dark sky is full of stars, and there is a stillness that echoes over the ruins. A closer inspection of the sky reveals that the sky isn’t full of stars but the flowing data between the interconnecting networks that exist above the firewall.

Below this sky sit ruins covered by mounds of garbage. Between it sits a putrid rotting sea of rusted sludge. It breaks against a shore filled with sand of a similar color. Bubbles form on the surface and pop, releasing a vile odor into the air.

How did this land become so rotted? A theory suggests that data from the real world accumulates here and poisons the land. Without natural defenses against this foreign data, the land is left to decay.

Ill intentioned men roam within this rotted canvas, but so do the police who exist to stop them.

A schematic of the area appears on the virtual monitor. Below it, the words “The Last Coast” blink in a simple font. Whoever named it had an odd sense of humor. In recent years, it’s become a hotspot for poachers. Digitama sometimes wash up on these bloody shores, and they can sold for a decent amount of digicoin on GriMM.

The police radio crackles “We have a suspicious Digimon in sight!”

A red dot appears on the virtual map. It’s an unidentified Digimon.

“Tamahime here. Continue the search with caution”

“Understood. Looks like…an Espimon, child, cyborg, virus type”

Tamahime watches the screen as the video from the search team starts to come in. “Got it, so it’s like a Tin toy?”

The Digimon looks like a retro robot toy. It has a large domed head like a snowman with long metal robotic arms. It propels through the air on the rockets it has for legs.

“Four bodies total” the voice reports

“We’ve got code crackers. These bots are toast.” Code crackers loved using Digimon, and Cyborg-type Digimon are the easiest to control. These Digimon were sent here with the commands to search the area for Digitama. If this were a real server, the Digimon would be looking for secrets or personal information. Here, the code crackers are looking for scraps.

“How many Digitama did you get?” One of the Espimon asks.

“Only one so far” the other responds.

The culprits don’t know their chat room has been hacked. The police listen in on the conversation. The voices are young. They must be kids in high school. To them, it’s probably just a game. A way to practice. The first step to becoming real code crackers.

“What are you going to do deputy leader?”

Satsuki Tamahime analyzes the virtual map as the team waits for her orders. Police can’t pick and choose which criminals to go after. “Arrest them”

Ten green dots move quickly surrounding the unsuspecting Espimon.

“Jam their coms. Commandramon squads move in. Cut off their escape”

Many voices reply in unison, “Understood!”

The Espimon continue their search. Their code crackers wouldn’t be aware of the ambush either. They most likely don’t even know where their Digimon are. The only thing the code crackers see are crude pixel images on simple LCD screens. But the police have more advanced tech than the rudimentary Digimon Docks the code crackers use. Satsuki can see everything through the eyes of her Digimon.

“How dare you?! How dare you code crackers come here?” Her warning rings. The Commandramon stand up, and the Espimons find themselves surrounded.

Commandramon (child, cyborg, virus type) are standard issue for the DigiPolice. They look like dragon men. They wear helmets and body armor with the word “Police” written on them. Each Commandramon carries an assault rifle. Commandramon’s skin emits an electronic camouflage that lets them blend into their surroundings. This allows them to approach undetected. All that was left to do was to make the arrests.

“Who is that?” asks one of the panicked code crackers.

“It’s the DigiPolice. Run!”

It is too late. Satsuki continues, “Stop resisting. There is no escape. We already have your schools and names. There is no escape”

“Arrested? On what charge? We’ve done nothing wrong” one of the voices responds.

“You are in violation of the Unauthorized Computer Access Prevention Act, the Basic Network Act, and the Digital Vandalizm Prevention Act, and for the Poaching of Digitama!” Sastuki says bluntly.

“The Japanese police don’t have jurisdiction in the Digital World”

Satsuki sighs. Her Digimon, who had been hiding underwater, surfaces.

Squeeeeeeee!!! The sirens blare. The red patrol lights start to rotate. The Epsimon tremble at the sight.

Satsuki continues “you are all Japanese citizens and as long as you are committing crimes, you are going to be in trouble with the Japanese police”

The Espimon press a red button on their belly and vanish in an instant. Vanishing magic? No. It’s their AI defense protocol. Optical camouflage.

The Commandramon fire at the space where the Espimon were, but the bullets find no target. They slip past the police unnoticed.

‘Mekanorimon” As soon as Satsuki gives the order, two large robots appear behind her.

Mekanorimon stand larger than the fleeing Espimon and the Commandrom they served with. These are the DigiPolice’s special purpose vehicles. Each Makanorimon has a Commandramon piloting it.

A twinkling beam erupts from one of the Meknorimon, grazing one of the Espimon. It erupts into a flurry of sparks as its camouflage dissolves. The Espimon falls onto the beach. The remaining three Espimon continue to flee, unaware that they are now visible.

“Don’t let them get away. Fire!”

“The weapons are still charging. We won’t be able to catch all of them” the Mekanorimon unit responds.

Petite Impulse

Suddenly, a bolt of lighting crashes into the rusty coast between. The bolt of lightning catches the police off guard.

“The Espimon?” a confused voice reacts from the radio.

One of the Espimon is left blackened, melted under the lightning’s heat. Bolts of lightning come down for the remaining two.

“What’s going on?” A new marker appears on the screen. It sits there, motionless.

A yellow Digimon stands over the deactivated Espimon. “Is that..Pulsemon?”

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

The Commandramon squad points their guns.

A voice comes in over the police radio “Looks like you just got beat by the hacker Judge!” says a familiar voice.

“Orders?”

“Judge!”

Pulsemon glances at Satsuki’s Digimon and blows her a kiss before turning into a bolt of lightning and disappearing into the sea of networks.

“God Dammit!” Satsuki bangs her fists on the table.

“Squad leader?” The Commandramon wait for orders. Satsuki shakes in anger.

“We’ve got the Espimon and Digitama. We’ll leave the rest to the police.”

“And the Pulsemon?”

“Leave it. You can’t catch him anyways. Pack it up. There’s no overtime.”

“Yes Ma’am….Huh?” The radio goes silent for a moment. “The Digitama. They’re gone!”

Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers Chapter 1-4: The Job Offer

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I’ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you enjoy this project, please leave me a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!

“Digimon are alive!” The words linger in dead air.

Eiji breaks the silence with an involuntary chuckle “It be cool if Digimon were alive. Lots of people have Digimon. Some folks keep them as pets and others collect them. Digimon are pretty useful tools.” Eiji thinks of his Tyrannomon. Tyrannomon are popular with code crackers because they were common and easily caught. Most Digimon exists as code traded, bought, and sold between people on GriMM.

“Hmm,” Ryusenjji responds, somewhat lost in thought.

“So, when will Digimon Land be ready? Where are you going to build it?”

Ryusenji snaps out of his thought as a look of disappointment fills his face. He begins to shake his head “We had to stop development on Digimon Land…Permanently”

“Seriously?”

“The park presented many challenges, some of which were…. impossible to overcome. There’s a reason why the digital world has to be kept a secret. People aren’t ready.”

Eiji thinks about the plane crash. He can still hear the screams and the terrible sound of the plane slicing through the air as it fell

“There are bad people out there Eiji. People who will misuse Digimon. Digimon Crimes started small. A game server would crash or a website would get overloaded, but they were brushed off as pranks. Soon, the news started trickling in about identity theft and random acts of terrorism. You saw what happened to that plane. There are already people committing Digimon crime at a concerning scale, but the world leaders and international organizations are covering it up!”

Ryusenji takes a moment to compose himself. His hands shake from the anger but slowly still. “Can you imagine what would happen if a criminal used one of the park’s mascots for an act of cyber-terrorism? Can you imagine the scandal? Publicizing the Digital world means publicizing Digimon Crimes, and the world just isn’t ready. Imagine the panic that would cause.”

Eiji nods his head as he listens.

“I can hear the news outlets fear-mongering headlines,” the professor continues. “Digimon are coming for your freedom, more on this at 11,” Ryunsenji looks flustered as his rant grows angry. “It is shortsighted to assume all Digimon are evil…People just aren’t ready to understand.” The professor’s words trail off, turning into an incoherent rant.

“Professor?” Eiji asks, attempting to bring him back.

The professor wakes from his trance and remembers where he is. “There is another world beyond the network where Digimon are alive. The real world and the digital world both coexist. Do you want to see it?”

“Yes of course” Eiji replies with a hint of skepticism clinging to his words. He’d only known the digital world through the black and white screen of the palm-sized device he made from salvaged parts.

“Do you know why what I am telling you is top secret?”

“Because its real?”

Ryusenji smiles as he nods, “Yes. That was real footage from the digital world.”

Eiji looks at the Modoki Betamon on the screen. It’s alive! He thinks of the Tyrannomon he’s been using. They’re alive too. They’re all alive.

“That is why I have devoted my life to studying Digimon. To D4.” The transfer of Modoki Betamon is complete. The professor unhooks Eiji’s handmade device and looks over it once more.

Eiji moves forward with his arm extended “Thank yo..”

SNAP

Ryusenji tosses Eiji’s Digimon dock to a nearby bin.

Eiji moves quickly and catches the dock before crashing into the trash can and stumbling to the floor. Eiji spent a lot of time building it. Even though it was made from mostly junked parts, it cost him a lot of money. “What are you doing?” His face still recovering from the sting.

“There was an error in the memory”

“Seriously?!” Eiji couldn’t believe it. The memory had never been an issue.

Ryusenji was a Digimon Collector, and like most collectors, he was precocious about his collection. “My research requires Digimon data to be perfect, or else its worthless. That Modoko Betamon data was nearly destroyed.”

“That doesn’t mean you need to throw it away. It may be worthless to you, but this stuff is expensive. I don’t have the funding of a huge corporation or access to expensive equipment” Eiji snaps as he looks over his device for signs of damage.

Ryusenji ignores Eiji’s outburst. He seems preoccupied on a new thought.

“…Hello?” Eiji waves, trying to regain his attention. The man may be a genius, but he had no right.

“Sorry about that,” the professor replies suddenly. “You just gave me an idea. Let me see you left arm”

“My..arm?” Eiji studies the professor suspiciously. Ryusenji stands over him, flashing an eager smile. Eiji offers his arm up cautiously. Rysenji attaches something to Eiji’s wrist.

Eiji looks down and finds a stylish smart watch wrapped around his wrist. The sight of the gift makes him tear up. It’s been a while since he’s gotten a present. He fights back the tears. He wants to be professional.

“It’s Abadin Electronics’ latest Digimon Dock. Make sure you take care of it Eiji”

Eiji studies his gift. AE products were top of the line and highly sought after by Code Cracker. Eiji could only dream of owning AE parts, but here he stands with the latest model strapped to his wrist.

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

“Now this is just a prototype I’ve been working on so there might be some bugs.”

Eiji manages to rip his gaze from the watch. “This is amazing professor, thank you!”

The watch starts cycles through the startup process. “It has a biometric vital sonsor. Only you will be able to use it,” the professor explains.

“Just for me?!?!” Eiji can’t hide his excitement.

The professor nods “It can record your pulse, blood pressure, and other medical data. Most importantly, it supports Digimon hololization. Digimon hololization is only allowed in at the DDL and a few other facilities, but this…is a special exception”

Eiji is too excited to hear the explanation. He continues to turn over the watch to appreciate it from every angle.

“But here’s the thing” the professor begins. Eiji’s heart sinks. Of course there’s a catch. He knew better than to think there wouldn’t be a catch, but he also wasn’t ready to depart with his new watch. “I want to see what the famous Cracker Fang can do with it the next time I ask him for a favor”

“You got it chief!”

“That was fast. Good. I like that about you.” Ryusenji takes Eiji’s arm and presses the switch on the side of the Digimon Linker. The screen begins to glow a faint green. A mysterious flame flickers across the screen before vanishing into black. Words scroll past the watch reading: Loogamon, child, dark beast, virus type

Eiji looks at the strange Digimon occupying his screen. A small blue…

“It’s a..Dog?” Eiji asks stary-eyed.

Eiji passes through the security gate alone. The professor’s words echo in his head. Digimon are alive. The digital world is real.

Eiji passes the reception desk.

“Oh, good evening!” This time Hatsune speaks to him first.

Eiji turns away from his watch “Do I return the pass here?”

“Yes please. Put it here. Thank you very much.” She says, pointing at a small basket in front of her.

As Eiji returns the bass, he notices Hatsune eyeing his watch curiously. “The professor gave it to me. It’s a Digimon Dock.”

Eiji shows off his watch. Hatsune scurries around the desk. She grabs his hand to get a closer look and whispers “Isn’t that the newest model? I thought those were top secret?”

Eiji is surprised by how well-informed Hatsune is. “It’s just a prototype. The professor asked me to test it for him.”

“Wow, that’s impressive.” Hatsune says, reexamining Eiji. “The professor must really trust you.”

“You think so?”

“Absolutly” Hatsune lowers her voice “The professor is so…strange. He wouldn’t give this to just anyone.”

“He is peculiar isn’t he?” Eiji blurts out. Eiji is surprised by Hatsune’s sudden change in attitude. She is a lot nicer towards him now. “I’ll see you later?”

“Sure Nagasumi.”

“You can call me Eiji”

“Likewise…eh..you can call me Hatsune or whatever. Oh, this is your admission record. I noticed you left your occupation blank. If you don’t mind, what should I put down?”

“My occupation?” Eiji thinks for a bit before declaring proudly “I’m a Code Cracker!”

Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers Chapter 1-3: Digimon are Alive

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I’ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you enjoy this project, please make sure you like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!

Eiji finds himself in a domed room, staring at a massive hologram of networks swimming around his head. He stood surrounded by game servers, social networks, and cat photos, all presented to him in almost tangible clumps of code and data. The professor smiles as Eiji is left speechless by the impressive display.

Before them, a hologram produces a map of a strange yet familiar looking world. While not the best rendering, it was beautiful nonetheless. It was a world separated by distinct biomes. A world with islands and continents. Mountains and oceans.

“Welcome to the Digital World,” a warm mechanical voice begins. “A world that exists outside the sea of networks. A world inhabited by digital monsters known as Digimon.” Suddenly a new hologram begins to materialize before Eiji. At first glance, the monster looks like a frog or rather a tadpole on the verge of becoming a frog. The creature is green with black stripes that make it resemble a watermelon. A dorsal fin runs down its back. A single sharp claw stems from its arms and legs, and its tail rests lazily behind it. Sharp exaggerated fangs spill out of its mouth and its red eyes stare down at Eiji.

Below the Digimon, words apear reading “Betamon, child, amphibian, virus type.

“Digimon are living AI” the recording continues.

Living AI? Eiji thinks, Is that really possible?

“Digimon can resemble living, mythical and theological beings. They can take the form of mammals, plants, insects, machines, and even gods” The hologram cycles through visual representations to aid its explanation. “Digimon can evolve. Throughout its life, a Digimon will exist in one of five stages. Baby, child, adult, perfect, and ultimate form.”

“Digimon are our way of interacting with the digital world,” Professor Ryusenji chimes in over the recording. “This new world suddenly appeared on our network, and it has since helped prop up humanity. Digimon have played an important part in revolutionizing society. The application of Digimon as AI tools has lead to remarkable discoveries in different fields like software development, cryptographic security, and even medicine.” the professor is unable to hide his passion. 

“However” he says in a sudden change in tone. “There is a lot we don’t know about Digimon or the Digital World. Most people don’t even know it exists”

The dome begins to vibrate as an electric buzz begins to fill the room. The images in front of them disappear.

“Even if they did” the professor continues “they wouldn’t understand. Most people aren’t ready to understand.”

The dome continues to shift around them. Suddenly, the pair find themselves inside the cabin of a passenger plane. The flight is full. The engine roars as it carries the plane over clumps of clouds.

“There are two sides to this new world. While Digimon have been instrumental in important scientific advancements, there are people who will misuse them as weapons…” the professor’s voice trails off.

The scene starts to play around them. One passenger films the cabin with his smartphone. In the seats next to him, his wife and daughter sleep soundly.

BOOOOH!!!!

The serenity of the cabin is suddenly interrupted by a deafening roar. Eiji is startled by the sudden outburst. The cabin erupts into chaos with a sudden flood of noise followed by an ominous silence.

ROOAAARRRRRR

The scene starts to go dark as the camera begins to shake violently. An alarm starts to sound as the oxygen masks come down. Panicked screams mix with the confusion and….

Eiji averts his eyes. He can’t watch anymore. Tears start to fall from his shut eyes as the scene continues to play around him. The airplane begins to lose altitude. It crashes through clouds and falls out of the sky.

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

Eiji follows the professor to his lab. He tries to shake off the sadness of what he saw and get serious.

Inside, it looks like an ordinary university laboratory with tables filled with parts and unfinished gadgets. On the wall are shelves crammed with tools, materials, and cardboard boxes. One of the walls is made of glass, revealing an empty hallway. The two are alone except for the occasional whirling of machines.

Ryunsenji inspects the palm-sized gadget Eiji brought with him. A Digital Dock. “Wonderful,” the professor says as he inspects the device. He is visibly impressed by Eiji’s work.

Ryuesenji connects Eiji’s dock to the lab’s equipment. The Digimon Eiji captured appears in a hologram. It is a familiar tailed frog-like creature.

“A Modoki Betamon, just as I requested. Look at how beautiful and gentle it looks” Ryunsenji smiles widely as he continues to study the creature.

Eiji scoffs at the remark “It took four Tyrannomon to capture it!” Eiji sets his belongings on one of the tables.

Ryuensenji continues to study the Betamon “wow, sounds rough,” he says flatly.

Eiji remembers the fight. The cornered Betamon fighting back furiously, the shockwave emitted from the creature’s dorsal fin, and the Tyrranamon lost in the process.

“This Betamon is different from the others,” Eiji begins his appeal.

“How do you mean?” Ryusneji seems miffed. He looks at the Betamon “Oh. You don’t know the difference between Betamon and Modoki Betamon?”

Eiji shakes his head in embarrassment. He didn’t like disappointing his clients. “Umm, is it the color?”

“That’s it!” the professor exclaims “so you do know the difference. I’ll make sure you get a bit of a bonus with your reward”

“Thank you so much!” Eiji’s mouth begins to water at the thought of meat for dinner. It’s been a while since he could afford meat, or any food really.

The professor seemed satisfied. He begins to transfer the Modoki Betamon data into the strange device.

Ryusenji turns to Eiji and asks “I’ve been meaning to ask. What did you think of our little experience from earlier?”

“Earlier…” Eiji shakes himself from his meat bowl dream “Oh you mean the video in D4? It was amazing!”

“That was a promotional video for our planned Digimon Land. The idea was to sell Digimon as characters to the general public to help educate them on the Digital World.”

Eiji’s imagination begins to race with ideas for the Digimon AI “I especially liked the bit about Digimon being AI creatures. If I were a kid, I’d be hooked!”

Ryunsenji shakes his head as he turns his attention to Eiji. “You don’t understand,” his hand lands on Eiji’s shoulder “Digimon are alive.”

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers: Chapter 1-2: Abadin Electronics

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I’ll be rewriting the novel to fix some of the awkwardness of the translation. My version comes out the Monday after the official release, but make sure you always check out the original. If you enjoy this project, please leave me a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!

Tokyo University of Electrical and Computer Engineering is a world leader in research and innovation. The school started as a government-funded program in an effort to promote the advancement of science and technology for the benefit of society. Despite being a newer institution, the universe has earned prestige through its advanced research in the field.

The campus is also home to the world-renowned Abadin Electronics Corp (AE). AE leads the industry in electronic terminals, network equipment, and fabless semiconductors. The site is also where you find the Abadin Electronics Lab (DDL), a world-famous research and development lab.

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

Eiji walks into the DDL to find a bare room with only a reception desk and a small metal bench sitting across it. There are no visible logos or markings to suggest the building was connected to AE except for a large display mounted on the wall. The display loops peaceful videos of nature to serene music, occasionally ending in one of Abadin Electronic’s promotional videos.

“Abadin Electronics Corp, discovering the impossible” the video trails off. The line makes Eiji smirk as he continues to make his way toward the front desk. The cute girl behind the desk watches Eiji suspiciously. She is shorter than Eiji, with thick short hair tucked at the collar. She is dressed plainly in her receptionist’s uniform.

Before Eiji could say a word, the girl says and says, “This is a research facility, if you are looking for the school, it’s out those doors and to the left.” It was a speech she’s made too often.

Eiji is dressed in his usual casual attire and looks out of place amongst the well-dressed professionals that occasionally walk around him. He can’t help but feel out of place. He smiles warmly. “Hi there. I have an appointment. Do you want me to sign in?”

The receptionist studies Eiji for a moment before handing him a tablet. A camera stares down at Eiji as he picks up the tablet and begins to fill out the form. The receptionist looks confused and slightly annoyed by the information as it appears on her screen. “Your name is Fang?” she asks incredulously.

“It’s an alias. I use it for work”

” Are you in streamer?”

“No”

Fang is Eiji’s code name. Most code crackers use them on the job. It was to keep anonymity in a field that wasn’t always on the legal side.

“Please use your real name,” the receptionist replies flatly.

Eiji updates his information on the tablet before setting it down. “Is that all you need from me…” Eiji reads over her nameplate “Hatsune?”

Hatsune turns to her computer and begins typing away. “Don’t be so casual.”

“Sure thing…Hatsune”

Hatsune’s temples give an involuntary twitch “If you are here on company business I need your company’s name”

“I don’t have a company yet.” Hatsune doesn’t seem to appreciate the response. Instead she continues to look annoyed as she waits for an answer. “I’m sort of a freelancer. I’m here to see…oh what’s his department” Eiji’s voice trails off as he pulls out his phone and begins scrolling through his messages “I’ll just wait for him over here..” his voice trails as he walks towards the bench.

Eiji clicks on the contact: Tomonori Ryusenji, professor. “I’m here” the message reads.

Eiji takes a seat. A few people wait with him. He begins to scroll through his phone as the serene lobby music plays around him.

“Fang!” a voice calls from behind the security gate.

Eiji turns to see Professor Ryunsenji waving at him. The professor was a chiseled man with graying hair. He must be in his sixties, but he looks younger. Everyone in the lobby is surprised by the professor’s sudden appearance.

“Hello Professor” Eiji says as he walks over to greet him.

Professor Ryunsenji is one of the founders of Abadin Electronics. He owns more than 20% of the company shares and is worth around $100 billion, making the professor one of the world’s richest people. Professor Ryunsenji’s work has been instrumental in making Aberdin Electronics a world-class company since its inception some 20 years ago.

“It’s nice to finally meet you Fang, but it feels like we’ve known each other well enough already” The professor shakes Eiji’s hand. The two had been talking over the phone for a while now, but this is the first time meeting in person.

Eiji fires back an untrusting smile “Eiji Nagasumi. It’s a pleasure.”

“Well Fang. ER. Eiji let’s get going. Sorry for all the trouble” He stops “Were you able to get your guest pass?” the professor looks over to Eiji. Before Eiji has a chance to answer, the professor continues, “I’ll get you one” as he walks over to the desk.

Hatsune is confused by the request. She looks over Eiji, then back at the professor before working on the guest pass.

“Oh and I’m going to D4, Eiji here is my guest”

“Excuse me, sir?”

“The board gave their approval this morning”

“Oh right, understood,” Hatsune taps away at the terminal.

Pass in hand, the two make their way towards the gate. The guards look at Eiji and nod as they walk through the metal detector. Eiji feels like a real professional as the pass hangs comfortably over his neck. They pass by employees and researchers who warmly greet the pair. Eiji does his best to keep up as he returns smiles and greetings. Eiji couldn’t help but enjoy the attention. It made him feel important.

“Why do they call you Professor instead of President or Chairman?”

“Because Professor describes me best.” Ryunsenji enjoyed research more than he enjoyed running a company. He had already left management to his formal subordinates so he could focus on his projects. “Before we go to the office, there is something I would like you to see. Follow me.”

Eiji agrees as he becomes filled with curiosity. They take an elevator to the next floor and cross another guarded gate. A large metal plate on top of the gate “D4”. It is a strange-looking building that seems to exist on its own.

“This is our secret department. It is where we keep our most important work” The Professor explains.

After a rigorous search, Eiji is forced to leave his phone and personal belongings at the gate. Eiji enters the room nervously and asks “What is it?”

The Professor smiles “It’s an experience”

Chapter 1, digimon seekers

Digimon Seekers Chapter 1-1: The Beggining

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Since the release of the Digimon Seekers web novel, I have taken it upon myself to rework the English translation to fix some of its awkwardness. At this point, it’s clear that Bandai only throws the original story into Google Translate and doesn’t bother to hit spell check. While I will do my best to keep the core story elements the same, I’ll be making changes that I hope make the story read better. My version will always go up the Monday after the official release. 

Always make sure you support the original. If you enjoy this project, please make sure you leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!

Hungry snarls echo off the tunnel walls. Heavy hurried steps crash onto loose gravel. Thick black claws dig deep into the earth as they reach through the darkness. An old light flickers. Its dirty yellow light washes over a large dinosaur. For that moment, its red scales shine and the light catches the glint of hungry blue eyes. The creature snarls as another light reveals its figure. The creature looks like Tyrannosauruses Rex, but not like the ones you’d see in a museum. Thick black stripes decorate its body and a row of pale emerald scales run down its back. Behind it, two identical beasts follow.

A subway car zooms past the trio, illuminating them for moments before leaving them to continue their pursuit in spotted darkness. The Tyrannomon are on a mission.

Tyrannomon, mature, dinosaur type, data species

A tiny shadow scurries ahead of them. With each passing moment, the Tyrannomon inch closer to their prey. The scent grows stronger with each talon full of gravel. Their fangs blare as foamed drool drips down prehistoric jaws. Their prey is trapped.

ROAAARRRRR

The first Tyrannomon lets out as he lunges, but a passing train brings it to a halt. Gravel and dirt shoot from under it. The panging of pebbles against the metal is heard briefly before the screeching of the wheels drowns it out. Dust and dirt kick around the lead Tyrannomon as the remaining two come to a stop behind it. They pace impatiently for the few seconds it takes for the train to pass them. They waste no time continuing their chase. This was their turf, there was no getting away.

The Tyrannomon move deeper into the tunnels. Darkness settles around them heavily. There are no lights to shine a path, but they don’t need them. Instinct guides them through the shadows. 

SPLASH

Talons sink into a cold thick liquid. The sensation slows them, but the Tyrannomon do not stop. They wad furiously through the sewage. The putrid rotting scent of the canal begins to mask the scent of their prey. They stop, taking a long sniff at the air in search of the eluding scent. Suddenly, the sound of gusting air appears in the darkness. Before the Tyrannomon can react, a tornado forms around their leader. The water around it kicks up into an angry whirlpool before sending the Tyrannomon flying. It lands on its back, its stomach left vulnerable as the waves from its landing settle around it. It struggles to return to its feet. 

FUSHA

A shockwave of energy pierces into Tyrannomon’s stomach, leaving behind a deep hole. The Tyrannomon lays there motionless as its bright blue eyes grow pale and lifeless.

Character design/illustration illustrator: malo

Eiji moves through the lobby of a fast-food burger joint to grab a seat by the window. He carries with him a small Coke he got free with a coupon. He looks out the window and watches the people walking below him. Behind him, a digital 3D pop-up advertises the restaurant’s newest burger. “Don’t forget to supersize it!” The mascot commands as it enjoys the last bite of its burger. The advertisement trails off and is replaced with a generic Pandora station, as it fills the lobby with soft music. 

Eiji pulls out his phone from his jacket. “Let’s see if there’s any work,” he says to himself. Aside from a few people sitting in the booths away from him, there was no one around to hear him.

Eiji logs into his GriMM account and begins scrolling through the threads. 

GriMM is the world’s most popular social network. Most people use GriMM for its normal social network features like chatting, streaming, and message boards. GriMM’s most distinctive feature is its support for the proprietary cryptocurrency Digicoin (DC). But like anything that exists on the net, there are parts of GriMM that are quite illegal. 

For freelancers like Eiji, having a GriMM account is mandatory. GriMM is where freelancers find job postings, sales, and other tools of the trade. Eiji scrolls through the job listings as he mutters to himself.

He scrolls over an image of a BlackAgumon “One -Hundred Million DC for the capture?” It was a lot more money than he made on his usual hunts. The bounty excites as he thinks about all the meat he’ll get to eat. He swishes the coke in his other hand as his stomach grumbles. 

But Eiji’s heart begins to sink as he begins to read over the comment section. Instead of helpful tips, it was full of trolls and people asking for money. GriMM is a dumpster fire, but a necessary one. 

Eiji stares out the window as he debates taking the assignment. “Maybe this is some sort of urban legend. An Agumon isn’t worth a million. And if it were black, it wouldn’t be an Agumo..” A faint beeping interrupts his trance.

“My Tyrannomon!” Eiji shouts involuntarily. A group of high school students sitting at the other end of the restaurant turn to stare at Eiji. Eiji doesn’t notice as he fiddles with the palm-sized LCD screen in his hand.

Eiji puts down his phone to focus on the small toy-like device in his hand. A deformed pixel version of Tyrannomon fills the screen. There is an “X” on its eyes, and its vitals are gone. 

“Gah! I’m so stupid!” Eiji growls. He’d become too distracted, and it was going to cost him. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” He grumbles.   

The two remaining Tyrannomon look up from the LCD screen at Eiji, then at each other in confusion. Eiji starts pressing the keys on the screen, replacing the downed Tyrannomon and entering new commands.

“Capture the target or no food for you!” Eiji growls at the Tyrannomon. If the Tyrannomon doesn’t capture the target, he won’t get to eat either. Such is the life of a freelancer.

The high schoolers shift in their seats as they steal awkward glances at Eiji. They find it strange to see him so worked up over a game. But this isn’t a game for Eiji. Eji is a Code Cracker, and this is his job. 

Eiji continues furiously entering commands into the small device. 

Tool Settings….Capture! Reassign target to Modoki Betamon

“You’ll pay for underestimating Cracker Fang,” Eiji says, referring to himself as his alias. Eiji clicks the Execute button. The Tyrannomon disappears from the screen. Eiji takes a sip from the half-empty paper cup. Moments later, a chime sounds. Eiji looks down at the LCD screen and smiles. The Tyrannomon have captured their prey. Eiji picks up his phone and continues to scroll through GriMM as he finishes his drink.

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Digimon Seekers: First Impressions

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Bandai has been releasing their weekly installments of Digimon Seekers, and it’s fine for what it is. There is still much room for growth, but I will sit here being hopeful.

Digimon Seekers is the companion story for their Vital Bracelet fitness tracker game. The Vital bracelet is a basic fitness tracker that lets you train and level up your favorite character from one of Bandai’s popular IPs. I will be focusing on Digimon, but you can also have characters from shows like My Hero Academia or Ultra Man. 

The Digimon Vital bracelets have a vast selection you can choose from to level and take on adventures with you. You train your Digimon by staying active. Your Digimon earns XP based on the steps you take or exercises you complete. It isn’t a particularly advanced tracker like you would get with a Fitbit, but it has the added benefit of having a cute little character to motivate you to stay active. Once your Digimon is leveled up, you can transfer it to the official companion app where you can battle other players, join tournaments, or participate in special events. If you are thinking of getting a Vital Bracelet, the Vital Bracelet BE is the latest edition and the best place to start.

UPDATE: Didn’t think this was going to blow up so I wanted to amend my statement. I chose to link the VV bracelet because it comes with a dim. If you are a fan of the Ghost Game anime, this is the newest generation of the watch on the show. This version still runs BE memories, but it may be too loud for some. The Vital Be is available in Black and White as seen on top. These won’t come with BE memory chips (where the Digimon are stored). You can get some of the older dims for cheap or get them imported from a retailer that you trust. I saw a few on Amazon, but they were kind of expensive. Older chips aren’t as strong, but they’re nice if you’re starting a collection.

To sell more of this toy, Bandai has Digimon Seekers to give the toy some meaningful lore to go with it. As of writing this post, the first eight chapters of this web novel are available on the official website with a new one coming out every Sunday. So far, the story is okay. There are some syntax errors and some poor translation, but it is fine for what it is. It is written for a younger audience, so expect the language and imagery to be on the simpler side. The story does a solid job of introducing the conflicting factions, building the world, and showing off its cute mascots. There isn’t enough for a proper critique, but it is a promising start. 

I am excited about this project, and I hope it gets the traction it needs to grow into something worth reading. It is too early to tell for sure, but I can be hopeful. I love the idea of different mediums collaborating to make a unique experience. Fans will be able to get the lore from the novel and videos, carry their Digimon while they go about their day, and even connect with people from around the world who also love the hobby. I am always fascinated by the idea of people from different walks of life communicating through a single hobby. 

I love Digimon, so there is a clear bias. I will follow it until it isn’t worth it, but until then, I am all in. So far, I love the neo-Tokyo aesthetic and the tone the story is starting to take. Make sure you go check it out if you want some more Digimon in your life. Don’t forget to watch the trailers, and listen to the audiobook if you understand Japanese. 

Edit 2: I have since started revising the published chapters. The story will be the same, I just fixed some of the issues I had with the translation to make it sound nicer. Go check it out and let me know what you think!

Images taken from the official Bandai website. I don’t own them.