Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or Pokemon or their characters.  They belong to whichever money-grubbing corporation created them.

Author's Notes: To all of you who were wondering, "Why Tracey and Mimi?!"  I made the observation that they're not really liked characters (well, just my observation), so they deserve each other!  Of course there are people who defend them, but I don't see many of them.  Takes place immediately after AS 7.

Anime Survivor!  Side Story 2

Joe wandered glumly down the dirt path.  He couldn't believe that he was another victim of the voting alliance.  He muttered to himself about his misfortune.

“I just had to get kicked off.  The most useful and sanest person there, and I just had to get the boot.  What could go wrong now?”

He stopped as he approached a clearing with a simple wooden table and chair and a camera in front of them.  He sat down in the chair and stared into the camera.

Joe took his seat and waited for something, or someone, to tell him what to do.  Did he have to turn on the camera himself and leave his own message?

He waited for the camera operator to come around.  Suddenly, a rustling in the bushes alerted Joe.

What is it now?  A hungry and savage digimon waiting to turn me into its next meal?

The rustling continued.  Out of the bushes stepped out... an author!

"Uh, hi.  Who are you?"

"Oh!  I'm 'Ricky'.  I'm an author and you're camera man."

"What do I do?"

"You just say you're little good-bye message."  ‘Ricky’ started to set up the camera equipment, and the red recording light lit up near the lens.

"Okay, can you just give me a few minutes to think of something?"

"Sure.  Whenever you're ready."

Joe hung on for dear life on Unimon's back as the flying digimon flew to the top of Infinity Mountain.  He was told that was where all the other people who were voted off went to.

Unimon smoothly landed at the front of a large, grand, and quite familiar hotel.

"Not this place again," Joe muttered to himself as he climbed off Unimon.  "At least I get to see Gomamon again."

He knocked on the grand and elaborate doors, which opened wide for him.  He cautiously stepped inside, expecting a trap like before.

Instead, he saw his old friend run, or crawl, up to him.

"Hiya Joe!" greeted Gomamon.  "How ya doing buddy?"

“I’m fine, after you consider the facts that I was almost bitten by a new breed of poisonous snake, ate some super rats or starve, endured sunburn, and was just voted off in the most vicious way!  But other than those things, I’m peachy keen!”

"Glad to know that you're still the ray of sunshine around here.  Now c'mon!"

Joe followed his friend into the grand foyer.  Things hadn’t changed; the angel painting was still hanging in the corner.

Gomamon led him up the stairs and around a turn into the grand dining hall.

Soon he found himself in the grand dining hall, and the digimon, TK, Kari, and Mimi were waiting for him.

"Welcome Joe!" they cried out.

"A party? For me?"

Mimi stepped up to him.  “I’m so glad that you’re here!  I thought it would be nice to throw a party for each of the Digidestined as they arrive here!  But I’m quite surprised that you came here.  I thought you’d win this one.”

Joe blushed.  “You really thought I’d win this?  Why?”

“I always thought you would make it near the end, even win this thing!  Remember when we were traveling with Ogremon?  You have all that first aid training, and you’re smart, careful, and always prepared!  You're so capable of yourself, so much that you've really impressed me."

Joe blushed at her comment.  "Well, I guess I wasn't capable enough."

"Don't put yourself down Joe," said Kari, trying to comfort him.

“Hey!  Mimi!  There you are!” cried Tracey as he entered the scene.  He held up a sketchbook in his hands.

“Tracey!  What are you doing here?  I thought I told you this was a Digidestined only reunion,” said Mimi.

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to show you this wonderful sketch I drew.  And I thought that maybe you could help me take some sketches of Lillymon.  She can't evolve without you."

"The term is DIGI-volve," corrected Palmon.

"Oh!  Hey!  You must be Joe.”  Tracey extended a hand in greeting.

Joe, warily, accepted it.  "Hey there, uh, Tracey.  Right?"

"Right!  Hey, you must be Gomamon's master."

"He's not my master, he's my friend," corrected Gomamon.

“Well, it was nice to meet you, and I hope you could help me in my research about your digimon.  I’ll see you later, right Mimi?”  Tracey tucked the sketchpad under his arm and took off.

“I’ll save a seat for you at dinner!” Mimi called after him.

Joe looked downcast.  “He’s you’re boyfriend now?”

“No, he’s just a friend."

Yay! Joe mentally cheered.

"Just like you’re my friend.”

Rats, Joe mentally muttered.

TK then piped up.  “Hey, let’s not stand around here.  Let’s get this party started!”

“TK, remember, we’re just here to greet Joe.  The party doesn’t start until dinner,” Kari reminded her friend.

“Why don’t you guys tell me what I missed so far,” requested Joe.

“Why don’t I start first?  I mean, I was here the longest,” started Mimi.  “When I first came here, I met Gary, and let me tell you what a jerk he is…”

Joe sat for hours listening to his friends’ stories.  From Gary’s exploits against the digimon to the daily telescope viewings, he was content that he was much better off here than back down there, although he would miss out on helping his friends.

“Hey!  What’s going on here?” asked Star Otaku as she entered the dining room.

“Glad you could join the party,” replied TK.

“Party?”

“Yeah, we were thinking of throwing a big banquet dinner since Joe just arrived here,” said Kari.

“Of course!  I guess you guys were caught up in your stories that you forgot to tell me, but it’s no problem!  You know what, this such a special occasion, I think I’ll invite some special friends over.”

“Sure thing!  The more the merrier!” chirped Mimi.

“Uh, I know that the digimon are doing fine on their own here, but I think I left the pokemon alone a little bit too long…  Oh man!” screamed Star Otaku as she ran out of the room.

The Digidestined and digimon followed the panic author down the hall, down the stairs, through the foyer, and into the kitchen pantry.

There were empty ketchup bottles everywhere.  And in the middle of the mess was a full and happy Pikachu with little red smears around his mouth, blending into the red patches on his cheeks.

“MY KETCHUP SUPPLY!!!” screamed Star Otaku some more.  She broke down on the floor and started sobbing hysterically.

Some cheeping and gurgling alerted them of another pokemon in the area.  The group looked over the area and found Togepi in the mess.

Tracey and Gary soon ran into the kitchen pantry to see the scene before them.

“How did they get out of their pokeballs?” asked Tracey.

“I don’t know!  I guess they found a way to break out, considering how Pikachu can’t stand to be in a pokeball, and Togepi’s pent up psychic power…” answered Star Otaku.

“Excuse me?  What did you say about psychic power?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“That loser Ash!  He can’t even train his pokemon to behave!” leered Gary.

“Shut up Gary!” yelled everyone.

Star Otaku sniffled.  “Oh well, I can always get some more.”  She reached into the lunch bag at her side and pulled out a bottle of ketchup.

Everyone sweatdropped.

"Now let's plan that welcoming party!"

Everyone facevaulted.

Star Otaku sat at the telescope, not looking through it, but just thinking.

"Okay, so I'm planning a big author, and reader, bash.  Who to invite, and what do I serve?  Should there be music?  I hope I can get this done by the next voting night..."

End of Side Story 2

Additional Author’s Notes: The big party can be found in the last side story.  It’s my way of trying to fit all the people who made their offers to make an appearance in the series, since I was too nice to turn them down.  Keep on reading!