Brief note: This is an updated version of this story, which is why you may have received an alert when I uploaded a new chapter, because with my recent redraft I split a chapter into 2. There are some slight differences to the original version, but nothing that drastically changes the course of the story, so if you have already read this one, that's fine, you don't need to read it again unless you want to. If you're a new reader: Hey!
Previously on Dragon Ball AG…
Noca's new life began, but it certainly wasn't a smooth ride. Early on he came to blows with Pan many times, neither of them could find a way to be friends, but over time, and after talking to each other properly, the two teenagers learned to appreciate each other. They even went on to become friends, quite quickly.
Noca also managed to train with both Gohan and Vegeta, and even learned a little more about the kind of power Saiyans have within, and there was a chance to touch that power himself, with his brief brush with the power of a Super Saiyan.
This time on Dragon Ball AG, we will get to see the best of the best fight against each other in the World's Martial Arts Tournament…
Dragon Ball AG
Challenges of the Unknown
Chapter 1: Are We Ready?
Monday 9th July Age 792
Papaya Island was very different these days. The tournament was clearly still one of the biggest events on the planet, and after being away for such a long time, it was clear that the people of Earth had truly missed getting the chance to watch the best fighters on the planet go up against each other in such a spectacular event.
Upon their arrival to the island Gohan, Videl, their daughter Pan, and Noca all stepped out of their capsule plane and started to walk through the streets. The entire city was bustling, and it had managed to become the biggest tourist attraction on the planet. There were stalls selling all kinds of things. Tournament merchandise, much of which had Mr Satan's or Mr Buu's faces on. There were people selling DVDs of previous big fights. Lots of trinkets and souvenirs to take back to friends or family who couldn't make it.
There were also plenty of food stalls, and the smells were overwhelming. Gohan, Pan, and Noca were certainly feeling drawn to the food, although Noca had to do his best to keep that part of himself under wraps.
The further down the street they venture, the denser the crowds became. It was harder to move, and even harder to see ahead of yourself, but being taller than everyone else gave Gohan the advantage as he could see ahead to a clearing where a group of people were waiting. Gohan held his daughter's hand to lead her through and Videl noticed that Noca was drifting a little bit. She grabbed his hand and led him through.
Noca had only recently got used to cities, and it was still pretty rough to deal with, so this was just another level of weird and awkward.
As they reached the clearing Noca noticed the people Gohan had spotted. He instantly recognised the blonde woman as Android #18, and he also noticed her husband, the black haired (slightly greying) Krillin. With them was their adult daughter Marron, and the turtle hermit, Master Roshi.
"This place has changed," Roshi said, almost sounding disappointed.
"Oh, come on, Roshi," Gohan said, chuckling and patting the old man on the shoulder. "It's not that bad."
"It's turned into a joke, because of…" Krillin started, looking to Videl and seeing a small glare appearing on her face. Krillin leaned into Gohan. "Because of you-know-who," he finished in a whisper.
Gohan just chuckled again and looked to his wife. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. She knew just how silly things had gotten ever since her father became the champion, but he was still her father.
"So, what are we all planning to do first?" Gohan asked, turning to Videl.
"Well, Bulma told me she would have the hotel all set-up and ready for us whenever, but it's probably best we get you three signed up first," Videl said, looking at her watch and then motioning to Gohan, Noca, and Pan.
"Oh, wow, the kids are gonna compete? That's great," Krillin said, laughing and reminiscing about the good old days when he and Goku first fought as children.
"Aren't you?" Gohan asked, looking down to Krillin and then up at #18. The Android scoffed and smirked.
"She wanted me to, but I haven't kept in the best shape all these years," Krillin admitted, rubbing the back of his head and looking down.
"He doesn't want to be shown up," #18 said, unfolding her arms and putting a hand on her husband's head. "And besides, I'd hate to have to carry him home."
Krillin pouted and everyone laughed as they turned and started to walk to the stadium. They didn't quite know where they were heading as apparently a brand-new stadium had been built specifically for this event. It was shaping up to be one of, if not the biggest tournament ever held. So much money had been poured in, there were broadcast rights, sponsorship deals, and it all just became a very big thing. It was always big, but this was crazy.
Eventually, the group realised that if they followed the crowds they would eventually find where to go and it was actually Noca who spotted something big from looking between a few buildings and when they rounded a corner, they arrived on a long road that had been completely shut off for pedestrian use, and that road led right up to massive oval shaped stadium.
"That thing's an eyesore," Krillin said, staring at it as they walked up the road.
"It's certainly something different," Gohan said, sort of agreeing.
"I see tradition has gone out of the window," Roshi grumbled to himself.
They continued to the Stadium and looked around to find the right place to go. Pan spotted a sign that was specifically for fighter sign-up, so Gohan, Pan, and Noca headed over that way while the others opted to wait to one side.
The trio approached a desk where two men sat with lots of paper in front of them, and also some sort of identification cards to hand out.
"Hey," Gohan said, smiling as he approached.
"Good day to you, sir. Are you signing up for the tournament?" One of the men asked.
"Yeah, my name is Son Gohan," He said, and then he motioned to Pan. "My daughter is also signing up."
"I'm Son Pan," She said, smiling.
The second man was scrolling through something on a laptop at the same time and something seemed to ping. Gohan and Pan both looked over.
"Oh, it seems like you two have competed in the past. Son Gohan, and… oh, Son Pan, you're related to Mr. Satan, and Son Goku," Pan rolled her eyes and smirked. Gohan just acted humble.
"Yeah, we are," He said, just hoping to get it sorted. The men quickly sorted out the identity cards for both Gohan and Pan, but as they did Noca was looking at the papers on the desk.
He seemed to spot a few names that he recognised. First, he saw there was a fighter called Omar, who might be the same Omar that Noca had sparred with when on his travels, and the other names caused him to completely zone out from everything around him. Someone going by just #17, and…
"Holline?" Noca said to himself, in a whisper. Pan looked to him but didn't say anything. She just looked at the table and saw the sheet with the fighters' names, and she saw one she recognised. Uub.
"What is your name, kid?" One of the men asked Noca. That snapped him back to reality.
"Huh? Oh, sorry, I'm Noca…" He started, and then remembered that he had been using a family name while staying with these people. "Brief. Noca Brief."
They took down Noca's name and handed him his identification card. The trio were all signed up, so they started to walk back to the others. Gohan was ahead of the teens as they sort of fell back and had a chance to speak.
"You alright, Noca?" Pan asked, noticing something had changed in him.
"Yeah… I just saw some names I recognised," Noca replied, choosing to keep it mostly to himself.
"Me too," Pan said, Noca looked to her. "The guy my grandpa left to train is here…"
"Really? Then do you think he's here too?" Noca asked, almost seeming to perk up at the idea of meeting the very person he left home to find.
"I didn't see his name," Pan said, shaking her head. The two fell into silence, with both of them having a few things that had clearly unsettled them a little bit. When they returned to the group Gohan was the first to speak up again.
"I saw that Vegeta, Trunks, and Goten had already signed up, so we can head to the hotel now," he said, seeming quite relieved that they could get away from the crowds. "The preliminaries begin tomorrow, and apparently they're using a punching machine again," Gohan said, chuckling.
"That's such a pathetic way to decide who's going to fight, all these people travelled here to compete in something," Krillin said, sounding pretty disappointed, almost like Roshi. They continued to talk as they made their way to the hotel.
It was actually a Capsule Corp. travelling hotel. All Bulma needed to do was book the space and then bring the capsule that stored the hotel and that was it. It was a large enough hotel, with a communal area for meals and entertainment, and there were also plenty of rooms for plenty of friends and family.
Upon arrival, Pan and Noca were immediately greeted by Bra and Kiera, who had travelled down with Erasa to watch the competition. It was great that the group would be able to hang out together in their off time. The three girls would share a room, and Noca was to have one to himself.
After signing up for the competition it felt like there wasn't much else to be done for the rest of the day, everyone had lunch together and then it started to get into the evening and the teens had all gone to their rooms to relax. Noca was sitting on his own in his room, for some reason. He had decided to make sure his Gi was all neat and ready for the next day, but he was very relieved when there was a knock at his door.
He practically rushed to it, but opened it calmly, trying not to seem weird. It was Bra on the other side.
"Oh, hey Bra, what's up?" Noca asked, smiling.
"We thought it would be cool to head out into the city, catch some of the sights now that it's calmed down a little bit," Bra explained. "You're coming with us, right?"
"Of course, sounds great," Noca said, smiling and grabbing his shoes. "I need to get out of this room," He said, following Bra out of the room and down the hall, where Pan and Kiera were both waiting for him.
"Ready to hit the town?" Kiera said, pointing at Noca with finger guns. Noca's brow furrowed and he smirked as he walked up to her.
"Yes, I guess," Noca said, awkwardly, not really knowing what vibe Kiera was going for. She sighed and shook her head.
"He doesn't get us," Kiera said, looking at Pan. The raven-haired girl chuckled and glanced at Noca, smiling at him quickly. Noca just smiled back and then followed them as they left the hotel and headed back to the city.
Meanwhile, nearby, a man was standing atop a building. He was wearing a white Gi and looking towards the Capsule Corp. hotel. He was soon joined by another man. This one was green skinned, wearing a purple Gi, with a white cape and turban.
"So, you made it on time, Goku," Piccolo said, greeting his ally.
"I almost got my timing wrong," Goku said, chuckling. "I got there two minutes before they closed up registration."
"Calling it close, as always," Piccolo said, folding his arms and smirking. Goku nodded to Piccolo and then looked back to the hotel. Piccolo watched him.
"They're all down there. My friends and family," Goku mentioned.
"You should go see them," Piccolo suggested.
"I will, when the time is right," Goku replied. Piccolo scoffed and rolled his eyes. "By the way, what name did you use to enter?"
"I decided to stick with Ma Junior," Piccolo said, turning away from Goku and flying off, leaving the Saiyan by himself. Goku scoffed and sat down on that roof, continuing to watch the hotel.
The teens continued on into the city centre, eager to get to the stalls, see the sights, and get some great food. The group of youngsters headed through the dwindling crowds as people started to leave to get their kids to bed, or just go home. There were still plenty of people around and the place still felt rather lively, even as it got later on.
The girls were excitedly pointing out things they could see on the stalls and rushing around, trying their best to experience everything, but at the same time Noca was starting to become a little trapped in his thoughts.
He was enjoying the company of his friends and the distraction of the attractions, but there was clearly something bothering him, and Pan was the only one who could really see it. Bra had spotted an exotic food stall that she was eager to try out and she dragged Kiera along with her, and that gave Pan a chance to stop and talk to Noca.
"You still with us?" Pan asked, drawing Noca's attention. He snapped to face her and shook his head. "You good?"
"Yeah, I'm ok, probably just nerves," Noca said, scoffing and turning to look towards Bra and Kiera. They both beckoned for Pan and Noca to come over to join them and get some food.
"You don't need to worry, you're a Saiyan remember," Pan said, nudging Noca gently. Noca smirked and nodded.
"I guess so," Noca said, looking at Pan and smiling. She smiled back but seemed to find it awkward and looked away. "Thanks," Noca said, standing up with Pan to go and join the other two girls, but as they headed over the thoughts of the tournament were still playing in Noca's head. "I'm just worried that if I come up against either Vegeta or your dad I'm going to look pathetic," Noca elaborated, laughing nervously.
"I can understand that. They're definitely stronger than us both, but you have something else to worry about," Pan said, a teasing tone in her voice. Noca looked to her, his brow furrowed. Pan smirked. "You might come up against me, and wouldn't that be embarrassing," She said, continuing to tease him. Noca just laughed and gently pushed her.
"Whatever you say," he said smiling and walking up to Bra and Kiera. They had already ordered some food and immediately Kiera turned around, practically pushing some towards Noca.
"You have got to try this, it is so good," Kiera exclaimed. Noca pulled his head back to avoid it at first but then leaned forward and took a bite. He seemed to enjoy it as far as Kiera was concerned.
"Hm, it's not too bad," Noca muttered as he savoured the food. Kiera scoffed.
"Not too bad? Bra, did you hear what he said?" The blonde asked, turning to the blue-haired girl.
"Noca, what's wrong with you? This is amazing," Bra exclaimed, walking up to Noca and offering him some of her food. Meanwhile, someone wandering by seemed to stop and turn to face the group.
"Noca?" A girl's voice questioned. The Saiyan boy was laughing with the girls but he turned to see the new arrival. The flaming red hair was a dead giveaway for who this person was. Noca's smile faded briefly and his expression turned to one of shock.
"Holline?" Noca muttered, surprised to actually see her, even though he already knew she was there thanks to the sign-up sheet. She immediately rushed to him and the two of them locked in an embrace. "It's so good to see you."
"And you, it's been months, I'm so happy that you're ok," Holline said, pulling out of the hug and looking at him. "I almost didn't recognise you because of the hair, it's so much shorter."
Noca chuckled and lifted his hand to his hair, brushing it back.
"Yeah, it had gotten far too long."
"How have you been? How did everything go? What are you doing here?" Holline asked as all the questions burst out. Noca motioned to the three girls with him.
"Yeah, I've been ok, managed to settle, but it's a long story really," Noca answered.
"We'll have to sit down somewhere and talk about it properly. I've missed you so much," Holline said, smiling and hugging Noca again. Pan watched the scene and she started to wear a little bit of a glare on her face, but luckily someone else addressed the situation.
"So, who's this, Noca? Are you going to introduce us?" Bra asked, stepping up beside Noca and nudging him in the side.
"Ow, uh, yeah, sorry," Noca said, chuckling nervously and motioning to the girls. "This is Bra, that's Kiera," Noca said, and then he turned to Pan on his left side, "And this is Pan."
"Hi," Holline said, nervously. Kiera stepped forward.
"Noca's mentioned you a few times, you must be his friend from the mountains," Kiera said, remembering that Noca had actually mentioned her a few times. Pan seemed to remember that as well and she seemed to warm to the girl a little more.
"Yeah, I'm Holline," the red head greeted, putting her hands behind her back. "I'm glad to see Noca has made some friends."
"Oh, of course, how could we not be his friend, he's so sweet," Bra said, teasing Noca a little. The Saiyan boy leaned away but there was a clear smile on his face and Pan had to admit she hadn't seen Noca seem so relaxed.
"That he is," Holline said, smiling back at her friend of many years. "So, did you find Son Goku?" She asked.
"Not exactly. I found his family," Noca chuckled. Holline seemed disappointed about that.
"Really? What happened?" The red head asked.
"Turns out he's training someone else, but I'm being trained by his oldest son, who happens to be Pan's father," Noca explained, "But enough about me for a moment, how comes you're competing in this tournament?"
"You're fighting?" Kiera asked. Holline nodded.
"Well, after seeing you train so much and the couple of times you let me be involved, I sort of got a taste for it, you could say," Holline explained. "#17 continued to train me and well, he thought it would be good to showcase my abilities."
"That's amazing," Noca said, smiling at his friend. "It really is so good to see you again."
"I was just heading back to my hotel, but I'd love to chat some more. Hopefully we'll get plenty of time during the week to catch up, and I'd love to get to know your friends," Holline said, cheerfully as she looked at the other three girls. "Bye, everyone," Holline said, waving, as she headed backwards. She took a last look at Noca smiling at him and then rushed off.
Noca watched her until she was out of view, and Pan just kept her eyes on him, as if concerned with what he might be thinking. She looked on after the red-head girl, her thoughts still swirling. Just how close was Noca with this girl, and what kind of relationship did they have.
Throughout the entire time that Holline had been speaking to him, Noca realised that something was happening with Pan's emotions, they were all over the place. He wasn't sure if he should address it at the risk of possibly aggravating her further, but then he was beginning to make assumptions about why the girl might be feeling threatened or agitated by Holline's presence.
The atmosphere was a little more awkward as the group continued to hang out. Pan remained quite silent, appearing like she wasn't in the mood to speak, while Noca was quiet because he was lost in thought again. Kiera and Bra did their best to try and keep spirits high, but after a further half an hour it was feeling like time to head back to the hotel so that Noca and Pan could be ready for the preliminaries.
As they headed back towards the hotel the group were being monitored by someone, perched on top of a building. It was Goku, in his disguise.
"There's a bond between them, but… it's something else… something hidden," Goku said to himself, quietly. He could feel the emotional connection between the two teenagers, and it was honestly very similar to the kind of connections that Saiyans could form with others, but he was aware that there was something different in there as well.
Someone else agreed with him.
"I feel it too, Goku," A soft and calm voice said, in Goku's head. He perked up and immediately recognised the voice.
"Oh, Supreme Kai, is that you?" Goku asked, wanting to be sure.
"Yes, and the connection you're sensing is definitely more than it seems, there is indeed some sort of Saiyan connection there… and something even I can't explain," Supreme Kai said, only fuelling some more concerns in Goku's mind. If one of the greatest beings in the galaxy couldn't confirm what they were sensing, then it only led to more concerns.
"You really don't have any answers? That sucks," Goku said, putting his hands on his hips and chuckling. "Oh well!"
The Saiyan brought his hands behind his head and watched as the group of teenagers carried on walking up the road towards the hotel. It wasn't worth getting too engrossed in that mystery, it didn't seem like anyone was actually in any danger.
The excitement of the new tournament was getting to Goku and that was all he could think about as he jumped down from the building and headed off somewhere else.
Tuesday 10th July Age 792
The next morning, Noca and the others were all up early, ready and waiting to get to the stadium and go through their preliminary round. It was still rather frustrating that the final sixteen fighters would be decided by a dumb punching machine, but if the old system was still in place with a bunch of behind closed doors fights taking place, then there was a chance they might come up against each other in those fights, meaning not all of them would make it to the main competition.
To make things weirder, the preliminary round was to take place at the old stadium, for some reason. So, it meant they had to go the opposite way to find it, which wasn't too difficult considering many of the group had been there before. The people competing all showed their IDs upon arrival and they were let inside.
Once they entered, it honestly didn't seem like as many people had shown up as initially expected. It had been a long time since the last tournament, but aside from the larger crowds in the city, it didn't seem like the excitement had gripped all the martial artists, but to Noca it was still a lot of people.
They all stood around, waiting for something to happen, and then after about twenty minutes a man walked out. He had blond (greying) hair, a little moustache, and he wore sunglasses and a suit. This was the tournament announcer.
"Hello everyone. Welcome to the twenty-ninth World Martial Arts Tournament. So, it seems a total of eighty-three people have turned up to compete, but unfortunately only sixteen of you will make it through to the finals," The announcer explained, almost as if he had been rehearsing his speech. "We all apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused people travelling down to the island with hopes to compete."
More than a few fighters in the crowd groaned and whispered amongst themselves. After getting a look at some of the fighters that had come along some of them were feeling incredibly nervous. Noca decided he would try his best to sense through the crowd and figure out how powerful some of these people were, but he probably wasn't the only person with that idea.
Either way, he could sense a range of powers, but lots of them weren't all that challenging, at least when compared to his own. He honestly didn't realise his own power level had increased that much through his training, but like everyone would tell him. It's not about your power level, it's how you fight and utilise it. Noca made sure to take those words on-board in all of his lessons.
As his senses wandered, so did his eyes, and Noca was quick to spot a familiar face. That same fighter from the mountainous village was here. Omar. So, the name he saw on the sheet was his. Noca smiled to himself as he finally managed to feel the fighter's power level and realised that it was very concentrated, and better than what Noca perceived to be average for a human.
He soon found another energy that was familiar to him, Holline's, and this one also appeared to be above average and Noca was even more pleased to feel that. His best friend, showing up out of the blue, and she had certainly managed to increase her abilities to a point where her energy stood out from others. Noca was feeling rather proud of her.
Noca's senses were also a little overwhelmed by the energies belonging to his Saiyan allies. Gohan and Vegeta certainly stood out from everyone else, the latter more so than the former, and Goten and Trunks both had noticeable power. Pan's power was also very noticeable and Noca caught himself smirking to himself more.
The last few noticeable powers belonged to the pink blob that was Mr Buu, and another energy belonging to a tall green man, whom Noca recognised as Piccolo, but he only knew the man from photos, and some stories from Gohan and Pan.
The teen was almost surprised that he didn't feel anything from Android #17, who seemed to be hidden away in the crowd somewhere, but then again, he was an Android, and it wasn't possible to sense his power. There was someone else in the crowd who gave off a similar feeling, he was tall, large, and rather well built. He looked strong, but Noca knew looks weren't everything. He had a vacant expression but something about him gave Noca the impression of pure determination. He was wearing a black tank-top that showcased his muscles very well, along with a pair of white Gi trousers.
Noca couldn't read anything from that man and judging by the odd look he was getting from Gohan, neither could he.
Towards the back, another man stood, keeping his power level hidden and his face disguised. Goku, still in his disguise, watched on as everything began to unfold.
The announcer soon regained everyone's attention by clearing his throat and continuing with proceedings.
"Ok, so the punching machine will be brought out imminently, but to make a quick announcement we have the champion himself, Mr Satan!" The announcer yelled, trying to drum up as much hype as possible. Sure, plenty of people were big fans of the man, but there were also a lot of fighters who were eager to take the title from him after such a long time.
The bushy haired man rushed out throwing his hands up in the air and yelling, as he typically did, trying to get the crowd hyped up and ready for what was to come. Some of the fighters were very enthusiastic about seeing the man, even Goten and Trunks got in on the excitement, Pan clapped, as did Gohan, but Noca wasn't really certain of what to do. The man always seemed rather odd, and Noca had never really spoken to him much in the past. He was entertaining to watch though.
"Hey there, everyone. I'm thrilled to see that some of the best fighters in the world have turned out for this fantastic tournament!" Mr Satan called out, keeping his voice raised to keep the energy high. Noca barely noticed the cameramen that had appeared out of nowhere and it soon dawned on the crowd that whatever was going on was being broadcast live.
"After a long time without a tournament I'm pleased that Papaya Island have shown just how ready they are to get things going again. It's been too long, and I have missed this," Mr Satan said, showing that he genuinely seemed to miss all the energy and performance that came with the tournament, but something seemed to change in his demeanour, and he became a little sombre. "I see this as the perfect time to announce my retirement from fighting."
There were audible gasps from in the crowd and even Pan seemed shocked. Gohan had a knowing expression on his face, showing that he had expected this.
"So, I have been working tireless to train up my successor and I hope you will all welcome him to this stage. Come on out, Shell," Mr Satan carried on, motioning behind him as a fighter started to walk up. The young man was about average height for a full-grown adult, he had shoulder length, spiky blue hair and wore a brown Gi with white trousers similar to what Mr Satan himself wore. He waved to the crowd, directing some of his attention to the cameras, and judging by the reaction of the crowd many people knew who he was and were aware of his affiliation with Mr Satan.
"Shell will be the first to take aim at the punching machine and set his score," The announcer explained, stepping to the side as the punching machine was rolled out. Shell rolled his shoulders and punched the air a couple of times and walked towards the machine. He punched it, quickly, and the numbers rose.
"That's a great hit from Shell, and it lands on… 126!" The announcer exclaimed, applauding as Shell stood to the side. "Now, we'll start working through this list," The announcer said, and then he called the next person to come up and take their shot.
The first of Noca's allies to be called up was Trunks. He sauntered up, trying his best to look good for the cameras, and ignore Goten's teasing. He managed to hit a whopping 233, which shocked a lot of people, but it was definitely held back. Vegeta next, striking a 294. Goten next, hitting a 234, which he used as more ammunition to tease Trunks. At some point, Omar went up, and he managed to hit a 154, which seemed to be his full power.
Eventually, Noca finally saw #17 head up there and hit a 273. As he turned, he caught Noca's eye and nodded to him, but quickly went to find somewhere to sit away. After him it was Holline and Noca was eager to see what she attained. She hit a 167, which Noca was very impressed with, and it proved she had in fact trained well under #17.
Piccolo, using the name Ma Junior, had his chance to go up there, and he struck a 270, which also seemed held back. Mr Buu had his time to go up and for a moment it didn't seem like he would hold back at all and managed to strike a 301. He was very happy with that, while Mr Satan was just relieved his friend didn't break it. Soon enough, Uub walked up, and both Goten and Pan seemed to glare in his direction, especially upon hearing his name called out. Uub was strong, and he struck a 289.
Eventually, Gohan went up to earn his place, and he had to quickly glance at the board, so he knew where he needed to aim. Gohan earned himself a 240, which was enough to put him near the top of the pile. Next, it was Pan, and she struck a 291, which she was very pleased with, and even Mr Satan had to give his granddaughter a quick hug. Gohan, meanwhile, hoped she would hold back a bit more.
After that, it was finally Noca's turn and he had no idea how to judge it, he just had to base it on how much power the others had use. He found a good time to use the connection that he and Pan seemed to share and focussed on what power she had been utilising at that time. He punched the machine and also managed to strike a 291, which for a moment seemed odd, but technically he used the exact amount of force as she had. He chuckled to himself a walked back.
The last three spots were filled out by a man named Coral, who earned the lowest score of the top sixteen, with a 120. The man in the tank-top, named Wun, walked up and earned himself a 324 which was the highest score achieved, and the last spot was filled by the very last person on the list. A man by the name of Chow, who hit a 300.
"Ok, we have filled out the sixteen spots, and our competitors will be, from lowest score to highest," The announcer started, turning to look at the screen as the names popped up.
"Coral – 120.
Shell – 126.
Omar – 154.
Holline – 167.
Trunks – 233.
Goten – 234.
Gohan – 240.
Ma Junior – 270.
#17 – 273.
Uub – 289.
Pan – 291.
Noca – 291.
Vegeta – 294.
Chow – 300.
Mr Buu – 301.
Wun – 324."
All the fighters that didn't make it through walked off, dejectedly, heads down, and disappointed. The sixteen fighters that made it through stood, ready and waiting to hear what would happen next. They wanted to know who they would be fighting against.
"Now, we'll go right ahead and start the draw. You will each be called up one by one to pick your number from this box," the announcer said, lifting a box up from the table and showing it to them all. "We'll start with the lowest score and go from there. First up is Coral."
Coral drew number 10. Next was Shell, drawing number 12. Omar drew number 3. Holline got up there and pulled out number 6. Trunks next, getting number 1. Goten after, number 7. Gohan's turn, number 8, meaning he would be up against his little brother. Ma Junior approached and pulled number 14. #17 went up after him and got number 13, which meant that it would be a rematch. #17 vs Piccolo.
Uub was next, and he got 11, which meant he had to fight Shell. Pan was up after him, and she drew number 5. Noca's eyes went wide a little as he realised that meant it would be Holline vs Pan. There was excitement, but also worry, as Noca didn't know who he would be rooting for. All that distraction and he missed his own name being called, but the announcer said it again and he snapped to attention.
He rushed up and drew number 16, Noca knew there weren't many people left to draw, and his last opponent was to be one of the final four people. Noca was beginning to feel some anxiety. Vegeta was called up next and he drew number 2, meaning he was up against his own son in the very first fight. Trunks cursed upon seeing that number. After Vegeta, it was Chow's turn, and as they walked past each other it seemed like Vegeta spared a quick glance after Chow, as if he felt something from him. Chow quickly pulled out number 15, and Noca honestly felt a little bit of relief as he was drawn with this unknown fighter. But Vegeta had seemed wary of him just now. Noca's nerves returned.
Mr Buu danced up to the box and pulled out a number 9, putting him up against Coral, and then it was Wun's turn.
"As there is only one number left to be drawn, we don't need Wun to come and draw it, so, you'll be number four," the announcer explained. Wun seemed to point at himself.
"I am number four?" Wun asked, but he sounded so monotone that it wasn't clear if it was a question or a statement.
"So, there we have it. The draw is complete, and we now know who will be fighting!" the announcer called out, excitedly. The fights flashed up on the screen and everyone could see.
They were:
Trunks vs Vegeta
Omar vs Wun
Pan vs Holline
Goten vs Gohan
Mr Buu vs Coral
Uub vs Shell
#17 vs Ma Junior
Chow vs Noca
"Yes! I get to fight that kid in the first round!" Goku exclaimed, in his own head.
"Pan against Holline? That's going to be a good one, but I hope Pan doesn't go too hard on her," Noca thought to himself, with concern.
"I can't believe I have to fight against my dad in the first round, it's so unfair!" Trunk exclaimed. Goten just laughed at him. "What are you laughing about? You have to fight your brother?"
"Yeah, but Gohan's still a little rusty, I can probably beat him," Goten said, acting confident. Gohan scoffed nearby.
"Thank you all for coming today, the tournament will officially begin tomorrow in the main stadium at 11am with Trunks up against Vegeta. See you then!" the announcer said, as everyone seemed to pack up their stuff and leave. The fighters all sort of looked at each other and then Mr Buu and Shell both went off with Mr Satan, leaving the others alone.
Chow seemed to rush off. #17 was gone in a hurry. Uub had already left. As had Coral and Wun. Omar, meanwhile, quickly approached Noca.
"My boy, it is so good to see you again. You look well," Omar greeted, shaking Noca's hand.
"Hey, it's great to see you too. Hopefully we'll get a chance for a real fight," Noca said, trying his best to sound enthusiastic even though his nerves were getting to him.
"Well, for that to happen we would have to meet in the final, and I won't go easy on you," Omar said, laughing. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said as he turned and walked away, quickly saying hello to Holline as she approached Noca and Pan.
The Saiyan boy seemed to tense up as Holline approached, assuming she was going to say something challenging to Pan, or Pan was going to be the one to say something. It worried him, but those worries were quickly put to rest.
"I just wanted to say good luck," Holline said, smiling at Pan and holding out her hand for Pan to take. Pan seemed confused at first but then she smiled in return and took Holline's hand. "I'm not the most experienced fighter, so… to be drawn against a Saiyan in the first round wasn't something I was hoping for," Holline added, chuckling nervously. Pan chuckled and shook her head.
"Oh, don't worry about it, I'm sure you'll prove to be a fantastic challenge," Pan said, and Noca felt relief. The two of them seemed to be clicking quite well, and that was great because they were two people that Noca cared for. Pan could sense Noca's tension sink away and she turned to smile at him.
"I can't wait to see how much you've improved as well," Holline added, turning to Noca and punching him softly in the arm. "You might even fight #17 in the quarter-finals!"
"Yeah, that would be good, but speaking of #17, why did he rush off?" Noca asked.
"I don't know, he's been worried about something recently," Holline replied, looking towards the exit and sighing. "Plus, he's been trying to avoid his sister, apparently."
Noca nodded but seemed lost in thought. What could #17 be worried about? Noca thought back to when he first met #17 and how the Android had been chasing something in the mountains and it was somehow linked to Omega. Noca didn't think Omega would have something planned for the tournament, that just didn't seem likely, at least not to him.
Holline realised that there was nothing more to do for the day, so she opted to return to her accommodation and maybe get in some last-minute training, both Noca and Pan thought that sounded like a good idea and the teens said bye to each other and went their separate ways.
On the way back to the Capsule Corp. hotel, Noca was silent and deep in thought, and Pan started to worry a little bit. Without him noticing, she slowly moved towards him and shoved him, playfully. Noca barely moved as Pan hadn't intended to knock him off of his feet, but he did wobble ever so slightly. It certainly caught his attention.
"What was that about?" Noca asked, a smirk forming. Pan chuckled.
"I just felt like it," Pan said, smiling, but her expression changed. "Are you alright?"
"I'm just thinking about what Holline said," Noca replied, looking ahead again, a concerned expression on his face, but he felt something as he looked away. There was a brief change in Pan's emotion and this time, no one else was with them. Noca turned to face her again. "What's wrong?"
"What?" Pan questioned, almost shocked that Noca asked her.
"I've been feeling it since yesterday, there's something changing with your emotions…" Noca explained, unable to make clear sense of it himself.
"It's nothing… I don't know what you're sensing," Pan said, getting defensive and walking ahead a little.
"Pan, you're the one that believes in this connection more than me… and I'm feeling something," Noca explained, hoping that she would realise she couldn't hide it, no matter how much she wanted to. Pan sighed.
"You seem… really close with Holline," Pan said, revealing that her problem lay in their friendship, but even as she said it, she thought it was stupid. Noca scoffed.
"Yeah. We've known each other a really long time. She's my best friend, and the only real fragment of my old life that remains," Noca replied, honestly. Pan breathed in.
"Do you… love her?" Pan asked. Noca seemed taken aback by the question and chuckled nervously.
"I love her like a sister," He replied, walking around to face Pan. "That's the relationship we have always had." Noca noticed that Pan seemed upset. Noca put his hand on her shoulder.
"Sorry, I guess I'm being unreasonable…" Pan said, shaking off the feeling and chuckling nervously.
"I don't think so, you just didn't know, that's all… no harm in asking," Noca said, smiling back at the girl. Pan smirked and shook her head. Pan moved closer to Noca and placed her head on his chest, almost asking for a hug. Noca put his arm around her and started to make assumptions about why Pan was concerned about his relationship with Holline. The overthinking was starting again.
Nothing really changed in regard to Pan's overthinking other than she was no longer worried about Noca's relationship with Holline and was more concerned with her own feelings towards the boy. She didn't think it was love, it couldn't be, they barely knew each other, but also knew so much about one another. She loved how comfortable she started to feel around him.
As for Noca, he knew that he loved Pan's fighting spirit and it was honestly a very attractive thing about her, not to mention that she was a very good-looking girl, but he couldn't be sure what kind of feelings he had. He didn't think it was even the right time to think about that, although he couldn't deny that he kept his eyes on her as they walked back to the hotel.
