14: Let The Training Commence!

Basil stretched her arms out, then bent down and stretched her legs. In addition to making sure her muscles were relaxed, she was also testing the elasticity and flexibility of the new outfit Whis had given her. It was a skin-tight red top that clipped in between her legs, fitting black tights, and brown leather boots that extended all the way to the middle of her thighs. The sleeves of the top ended at her elbows, and the skirt stopped right where the boots ended. Whis had said that these clothes would be more durable than the regular Earth clothes she had had on.

She jumped up and down a few times, then began to stretch her shoulders out.

Upon arriving on Lord Beerus's planet with Goku and Vegeta, Basil had been awestruck with not only how small it was, but with the unique shape of it. It wasn't round like how she figured planets to be. Instead, it was shaped similar to a pyramid flipped upside down, and the top consisted of a thick, dead tree that had a number of buildings on it. Incredible creatures pranced around on the lush grass while other deadly-looking monsters swam peacefully in the small ponds, as if without a care in the world.

Her surroundings were breathtaking. She was amazed by the beautiful colors and shapes of the universe outside her own decimated home. The bright greens, the deep blues, the brilliant reds. It was all so new to her. She sucked in a deep breath of the refreshing air, relieved to no longer be breathing in smoke and ash, and smiled.

Everything is so pretty. So new and dazzling. This is what I've been missing? How come my father never told me about how amazing the outside worlds were? Did he know about the beauty that other planets held? I wish he could see this with me.

Whis cleared his throat, jolting Basil back to reality. "Now, Basil. My teachings are tough, I'll admit. Goku and Vegeta struggled to complete them. But you don't have to worry too much, I'm going to start you off easy."

"Easy?" Basil asked. "But I wanna go Super Saiyan. I can't go Super Saiyan by going easy."

"Your obsession with achieving Super Saiyan is getting annoying." Vegeta remarked from where he sat alongside Goku on a wooden bench. "It takes time. You won't form into a Super Saiyan anytime soon, so focus on something else."

"But going Super Saiyan is all I can think about!" Basil argued.

"I know, but you can't let it consume you." Goku said. "You'll get it one day, don't stress about it. Just let Whis instruct you."

"Fine." Basil relented, slouching slightly.

Whis chuckled. "Don't be gloomy, dear. Now, stand straight."

Basil obeyed, straightening her posture and jutting her chest outward.

"Your posture is very important in a battle. A slouched opponent is full of weak points." He studied her frame, then pointed his staff at her legs. "I spot a weak point right there. Your legs are too close together. An enemy could easily knock you down."

Basil looked down at her legs, then slowly spread them apart a few inches. "Is...is this better?

Whis smiled. "Yes, much better. Now, let's start on your attack. You should always empty your mind before you lay a punch. Concentrate on not overthinking your movements."

"I'm still stuck on that one." Goku whispered to Vegeta, who rolled his eyes.

Whis stood directly in front of Basil, one hand on his staff and the other tucked behind his back. "A very important thing to keep in mind is that your opponent will keep their eyes on you. They won't let up, depending on the enemy, that is."

"Okay," Basil nodded. "So, I just...don't think?"

Whis chuckled. "There is more to it than that, Basil. Simply 'not thinking' may help you in some cases, but get you killed in others. Your facial expressions tell your opponent where you plan on moving, so it's best to keep your face clear of any expression that may alert your enemy of your plans."

"That sounds too complicated, Mr. Whis." Basil whined. "So many words I don't understand."

Whis chuckled. She is indeed like a regular teenager from Earth. Impatient and eager. I can't blame her. The thought of such a drastic power up would excite me as well. But I need to reign in her focus, keep her centered or she may, as the humans say it, "dig herself an even deeper hole." Like all Saiyans, she's hardwired for combat, but because she hasn't been fighting in many years, her knowledge of combat has dwindled. All I have to do, really, is reconnect those dislocated wires, and she'll be as formidable an opponent as Goku and Vegeta. Granted, it will take a gracious amount of time. Of course, I don't expect her to be an amazing fighter in one day. I do have hope, however, that I can tap into her natural Saiyan fighting instincts.

Whis turned to Goku and waved him over. "Come, Goku, you are required for this next part."

"Oh, cool." Goku jumped to his feet and jogged over.

"Oh, come on! You're picking Kakarot over me?" Vegeta huffed.

"Yes, but don't worry. You will get your time to shine." Whis said, then smiled at Basil. "Now, for this next step, Basil, I want you to attack Goku."

Basil cocked her head to the side. "Huh?"

"Oh, we're fighting already?" Goku grinned. "Awesome!"

"Earlier, you hit Goku when he wasn't prepared. Now, I want you to attack him when he is fully focused. Consider this the start of your combat training." Whis instructed, then swiftly floated out of the way.

Goku and Basil stood across from each other, both making intense eye contact. Goku wore a bright smile, his hands on his hips. Basil noted that he was always smiling like that. Hm. He's always happy, but the other guy, Vegeta, is always angry. They're so different, but they stay together. Why? I've never really known any Saiyans who stuck by each other's sides for so long. It's strange. I've missed out on so much. I'm so far behind that I don't know if I'll ever catch up to where Goku and Vegeta are. But Mr. Whis seems smart, and the purple kitty is cute, so I think I'm in good hands!

Basil assumed her battle position, her fists tightly clenched. She did as Whis had told her and traced her eyes over every inch of Goku's body. He's strong. Really strong. But maybe I can work on dodging until I tire him out? I have no idea how high his power level can increase, so, like Vegeta said, I need to measure my opponent.

"I won't power up, so you don't have to worry about any power increases." Goku said. "I'll stay in base form to make it easier for you."

"Alrighty." Basil smiled, then closed the short distance between them with a single jump. She threw punches as fast as she could, primarily aiming for his chest. Goku hardly moved at all. He blocked all her blows while looking like he wasn't even trying. Every right hook or tight left swing was blocked effortlessly by the larger Saiyan.

Whis watched closely, keeping an eye on Basil's stance and the way she charged her blows. He could tell that she knew how to attack, but what came next, she wasn't familiar with. The way she drew back her fist and launched it forward showed some solid promise, but her delivery wasn't flawless. Whis moved down from her fists and focused on her feet. She wasn't utilizing them like she could be. She was so absorbed in throwing blind punches that she wasn't realizing she could easily sweep Goku off his feet. He opted against speaking up on this subject. It was Basil's job to master her fighting skills, and her job to realize her mistakes and turn them into successes.

Goku simply held his arms in front of him in an X shape, which took all of Basil's punches. She attacked with impressive speed, and Goku smiled at this. She just needed to actually start hitting him elsewhere, instead of landing hits on the same part of his body.

Basil, while continuing to rain blows upon the large Saiyan, noticed Whis out of the corner of her eye. He was watching her with a teachers closeness, but she saw that he was only watching her legs. Was there a reason for that? Why was he only focusing on one part of her body? Basil faltered in her attacks to try to piece his gaze together, which left her wide open for Goku to land a strong punch to her stomach. She grunted and slid backwards, her eyes wide.

"Distraction is a major contributor to losing a fight," Goku said, waggling his finger at her. "You need to keep your focus on the person you're fighting, understand?"

"But...he was staring at my legs!" Basil said defensively.

"I was watching your form and attack." Whis said. "You weren't using your legs. You could have overpowered Goku easily if you had used more than your fists."

"More than my fists?" Basil said slowly, then looked down at her hands. "Ugh, I can't do this! Everything is so confusing and new."

"Hey, don't get stressed out." Goku said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Just try your hardest and you'll get it in no time. It took me some time to properly learn how to fight. It takes patience."

"Patience sucks." Basil grumbled.

Goku chuckled. "Yeah, it does. But you need to take your time when learning how to fight, or you may hurt yourself. Just take it slow. Vegeta and I will help you in all the ways we can."

Basil smiled up at him and nodded. "Okay. If taking it slow is the only way I'm gonna get this Super Saiyan thing, then I'll do that."

"Great!" Goku grinned and backed up, forming an X with his arms again. "Now, come at me."

Basil laughed. "Okay, get ready!" She charged, and the two were enveloped in their training within seconds.

Whis joined Vegeta on the bench, grinning like the proud teacher he was. "I must say, she catches on quickly. Perhaps, in a shorter time than we thought, she'll be ready for actual combat."

"She better be." Vegeta said. "I have a feeling that Turles won't just let this go. There's no way he's going to let us get away without a bigger fight. We have to have her ready by then."

"This Turles doesn't sound very nice," Whis said with a thoughtful hum. "Though I doubt he'll directly attack right after your fight on Planet Vegeta. He'll most likely take time to form a plan and make a bigger crew."

"Exactly," Vegeta retorted. "He's gearing up for something big, I know it. If Basil isn't ready by the time he launches his attack, she's screwed. Especially after what Kakarot said he wants to do with her."

Whis nodded quietly, and returned to watching Basil. She'll be ready. I can feel it. She's a fast learner, much like Goku himself. I have, without a doubt, that she'll more than be able to protect herself after a few days of training here. He smiled to himself. He knew that Basil would be ready, but he also didn't know this Turles that Goku and Vegeta were so tense about. Clearly, he was strong. But he still had yet to see how strong Basil would get. For all they knew, Basil could be stronger than both Goku and Vegeta. But they had yet to tap into her potential via intense training, that would have to be complete before Turles planned his attack. If things really got drastic, Whis could probably get Beerus to step in. Though it would take a great deal of coaxing and bribing.

He sighed and shook his head. Oh, what a confusing world this is.