25: Summon Shenron For A Good Time

With six of the Dragon Balls collected and the seventh en route to West City, the Z Fighters remained in Capsule Corp. A dreaded silence had swallowed them whole, creating an awkward tension among the close friends. Piccolo and his team were away with the Seven Star Dragon Ball, leaving the others with nothing to say and nothing to do. They let their minds fall into absent worrying, each casting nervous glances at each other. After Goku and company returned with the Six Star, Bulma had taken it and placed it with the others in a secure location for later use once all were safely in their possession. Dende had stopped by and spoken with Goku and Vegeta, but did not share their conversation with the others, which meant it was a rather important meeting.

Basil sat on the roof of Capsule Corp, cross-legged and staring intently out at the vast stretch of city before her. Her mind was overwhelmed with all the fighting and information and training she had absorbed. She felt tired and drained, but excited and restless at the same time. She didn't know much about the small child Turles had taken, but if it was anything like the one she held on her first day of Earth, then she was determined to get it back. Goku had told her multiple times that Turles was a bad guy, but Basil was having a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that a Saiyan could be bad. Saiyans weren't bad guys. They fought for good and protected people. Goku and Vegeta were good guys, and Saiyans, too! Basil's father had told her every night before she went to bed that Saiyans were not bad people, they were just often strayed from their right minds when they were misguided by another. Was Turles being misguided? Were his parents not nice to him?

Basil groaned and flopped onto her back, wrapping her tail around her waist. "This doesn't make any sense." She said aloud to no one in particular. Her wide eyes watched the clouds slowly float past, but they didn't cheer her up like they used to only a day ago. Turles is a Saiyan who still has a tail, like me. How could he be a bad guy? Maybe he was brainwashed? He and Goku don't seem to get along very well, but Goku also doesn't get along with Vegeta, either. Does Goku not get along with anyone? Maybe if we ask nicely, Turles will give the tiny human back. My mother said to always ask nicely when you want something. Turles can't say no when we ask nicely. That's the law.

She sighed and closed her eyes, forcing her mind to register all the new concepts she had learned of. Dragon Balls that aren't actually from dragons. A Saiyan that's a bad guy. Training. Namekians. Angels and Gods. "It's too much." She whined, draping an arm over her eyes. "Too much thinking."

"Basil, are you up here?" A voice called from somewhere Basil couldn't see. She flinched and jumped to her feet, frantically looking around, half expecting to see Turles. But instead, the man who owned the tiny child she held floated up to the rooftop, landing a few feet in front of her.

She cocked her head to the side, then smiled wide, spreading her arms at her sides. "Hi! You're the guy with the tiny human!"

"Pan." Gohan said with a chuckle. "Her name is Pan."

"Chi-Chi told me she cooks with a pan." Basil said, her face scrunching in confusion. Then she gasped. "She cooks with the tiny human!?"

Gohan laughed. "No, no. My mom cooks with cookware. My daughter is just named Pan."

"Oh," Basil said, sounding almost disappointed.

Gohan stepped over to her, his hands in his pockets. He looked out at the city that sat before them, the sunlight reflecting in his glasses. "I was looking for you. I was hoping we could talk."

"Okay!" Basil plopped back down on her knees, then patted the spot next to her.

Gohan sat cross-legged, resting his hands in his lap. "I know you're knew to this whole 'being a Saiyan' thing. I'm glad you're on our side. But...you have a lot of training to do before you're even close to being a match for Frieza."

"Frieza." Basil repeated, then huffed. "I hate Frieza. He's a meanie."

"Believe it or not, there are worse villains out there than Frieza." Gohan said.

"Like who?" Basil asked incredulously.

"Well, for starters, there's Majin Buu and Cell."

"Majin Buu? My daddy told me he was a really powerful bad guy and I was never to mess with him." Basil said, then frowned. "Did you defeat him?"

"Kinda," Gohan said, rubbing the back of his neck. "He's pretty docile now, but there's no telling when he'll go evil again."

"Can I meet him?" Basil asked, jumping to her feet, her tail wagging rapidly.

Gohan pulled her back down. "Hang on a minute. Turles is powerful. I witnessed it first hand with my father years ago. He won't mind killing you, or anyone who gets in his way. In the short time we have before Piccolo and the others get back, I think you should be focusing on training. And by training, I think you should spend some time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."

"The what?" Basil tilted her head to the side. "Where's that at? Did Bulma make it? She's super smart, you know."

"No, Bulma didn't make it. It's somewhere you've never been, but I think it's a great start to getting you stronger." Gohan stood and pointed off into the distance, up into the bright blue sky. "The Hyberbolic Time Chamber is on Kami's Lookout, which isn't far from here if we fly."

"We?" Basil asked, moving to join him. "Are you gonna train me, Mister Gohan?"

Gohan smiled and patted her head. "I'm gonna try."

"Yay!" Basil clapped her hands. "Now I'm gonna go Super Saiyan in no time!"

"The Time Chamber is rough, Basil." Gohan said, grabbing onto her shoulders. "It's a new concept that might be hard to adjust to. But if we want any shot at defeating Turles and Frieza, then you need to really focus and work harder than you ever have."

"Have you ever been in the Hybersonic Rhyme Chamber?" Basil asked.

Gohan blinked, then chuckled. "Hyberbolic Time Chamber, and yes, I have. When I was a kid. Cell was planning on destroying the Earth, and it was my dad's idea to go in. Actually, I learned how to go Super Saiyan during my time there."

Basil grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him close, the tips of their noses barely touching. "Teach me."

...

Chi-Chi paced back and forth, tapping her chin. "Okay, so say we summon Shenron with all the Dragon Balls. We get three wishes, right? Once we wish for a ship, what comes next?"

"I don't know." Bulma said as she clicked away at her computer. "I mean, we can wish for the ship to be indestructible, for the baddies will without a doubt try to destroy it. We could also take Yamcha's wish of Senzu Beans, but maybe just a week's worth instead. Oh, and some strawberries."

Chi-Chi stopped pacing and glared at the blue-haired woman. "Really?"

"What? Strawberries are delicious." Bulma said defensively.

The two women stood in Mr. Briefs laboratory, using the advanced technology to search space for any large ships. Bulma tapped the keys on the computer as quickly as she could, glancing up at the screen every few seconds. Chi-Chi was nervous and worried about her boys, including Goku. He had a habit of getting them hurt. Chi-Chi knew he meant well, but he drove her crazy when he didn't listen. She remembered when a man named Turles had attacked and hurt her little Gohan, and she wasn't about to let the same thing happen to Bulma's daughter. While she knew she wasn't much help when it came to Goku's battles, she was determined to make sure no harm came to Bulla. She was barely a year old, for crying out loud!

Bulma tapped a few more keys, then gasped, springing to her feet. "Chi-Chi, look! There it is! They're right there."

Chi-Chi hurried over to Bulma's side, her eyes wide. "Oh my."

On Bulma's galactic-sized computer, a fuzzy image of a large ship floating slowly among the stars and nameless planets was revealed. On the side of the image, readings of its location in space, as well as the ships mass and speed, were pouring in. Even though Chi-Chi wasn't good with technology like Bulma, she was smart enough to understand that the ship wasn't as far from Earth as they originally thought.

"I gotta go tell Goku! Don't lose it!" Chi-Chi spun around and headed for the door, only to slid to a halt when Goku himself stood in the doorway.

"Guys, Piccolo is back with the Seven Star! Come on!" Goku said excitedly, then grabbed Chi-Chi's hand, pulling her out of the room and into the hallway.

Bulma locked onto the ship thanks to the many satellites she had floating aimlessly in space, then hurried after the two, the automatic doors sliding shut behind her.

...

The Z Fighters gathered in a large, slightly lopsided, circle outside of Capsule Corp, the seven Dragon Balls placed in front of them. Piccolo and his team were a little banged up, but no worse for the wear. Everyone was eager and impatient, but as Goku stepped forward, a wave of silence washed over them, quieting even the smallest of whispers.

"Eternal Dragon, by your name, I summon you forth: Shenron!" Goku shouted, and the Dragon Balls erupted in a bright yellow glow. They slowly floated into the air, circling around each other as if they were performing a show for the restless fighters. The glow intensified, then all the balls moved into a line, high into the air. The sky darkened, and grey clouds replaced the white ones. It looked as though a massive storm was seconds from hitting West City. Then, in all his grand glory, Shenron burst forth, his green scales and serpentine body unraveling like a cape. His long whiskers grazed the blades of grass before he flew up around Capsule Corp, as if he were stretching after being in a small, cramped spot for too long. He flew up high, then bent low, his red eyes landing on the fighters below. His two sets of legs, accompanied by his sharp claws, were bigger than a house, and his crescent-shaped nostrils flared, releasing smoke like a bull in the old children cartoons.

Goku beamed and waved up at the large dragon. "Yo, Shenron! We're in a hurry here, can you help us out?"

"State your three wishes," Shenron's voice boomed, shaking the ground like an earthquake.

"We need a ship." Vegeta called up to him, his arms crossed stiffly over his chest and his tone portraying nothing but anger and impatience. "One that is fast, but big enough to hold all of us."

"And make it indestructible!" Bulma added.

Shenron's eyes lit up for a few seconds, then dulled out. A great booming was heard, making all the warriors jump. Beside Capsule Corp, where flat grass rested, now sat a large and hot dog-shaped ship, as long as two buses with a wing span of nearly 40 feet. Its thickness was somewhere around 30 feet, and it sat on tiny wheels that didn't look like they had the strength to support anything. Large jet engines sat underneath each wing, and another larger one sat at the rear of the ship. It was pure grey with no markings that would affiliate it with any Earth organization. The fighters all silently cheered. Now they were one step closer to defeating Turles and rescuing Bulla.

"Your wish has been fulfilled. State your second wish." Shenron said, his whiskers floating in an unseen wind.

Goku faltered, then turned to the others behind him. "Second wish, guys?"

"Chi-Chi and I thought about going with Yamcha's idea of a large supply of Senzu Beans." Bulma said. "How about a bag for each of you guys? It's a good idea."

Yamcha grinned, then nudged Tien. "See? I told you."

"Not a good time to gloat, Yamcha." Tien said with a heavy eye roll.

"Alrighty," Goku turned back to Shenron. "Mighty Shenron, our second wish is to have a bag of Senzu Beans for each Z Warrior! Is that something you can do?"

Shenron's eyes flashed brightly, and in the blink of an eye, a small burlap pouch of Senzu Beans appeared in the hands of each Z Warrior, filled to the brim with the small green seeds. "Your wish has been fulfilled. Now, state your final wish."

"Thanks, Shenron!" Krillin said with a fist pump. "Turles won't stand a chance."

"What's our final wish?" Trunks asked, looking around at everyone. "What else do we need?"

"Can we wish to increase our strength?" Goten asked.

"No, we can't wish for anything beyond Shenron's power," Vegeta explained. "Perhaps we could wish for the knowledge of Turles's weaknesses."

"Isn't his weakness just his tail?" Goku asked, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yes, but he must have another one." Piccolo said. "Everyone has more than one weakness."

"His pride?" Chi-Chi suggested. "He's a Saiyan, so doesn't he have a lot of pride?"

"Not as much as Vegeta." Goku said with a snicker, earning a punch to the arm by the smaller Saiyan.

"State your final wish now." Shenron ordered, his sudden intrusion in the conversation startling everyone. "You are wasting my time. Do you not have a final wish?"

"Vegeta should wish for immortality." Krillin said, aiming his comment as a joke.

Vegeta perked up, then whipped around to face the small human. "Immortality? I don't see how that will help in defeating Turles, but it's a wish I've wanted to get granted for many, many years now."

"Don't even think about it." Bulma pinched his arm. "You don't need immortality. You hardly age as it is."

"That's not the point." Vegeta said. "With immortality, I could-"

"I wish for Basil to be able to achieve Super Saiyan faster!" Goku declared.

"What!?" Vegeta roared.

Shenron's eyes beamed for several seconds, then they returned back to their bright red. "Your final wish has been granted." He stated. With that, a bright glow that made everyone wince and shield their eyes spread all throughout Capsule Corp and West City. In seconds, Shenron sank back into the balls, which rose up high into the dark sky, only to be launched in different directions across the globe. The dark clouds dispersed, and the bright blue sky returned, along with the comforting white clouds. Civilians, who stood with wide eyes out of shock of what they had just seen, shook their heads as if they had dreamed it and walked on down the sidewalk.

Vegeta punched Goku in the back, causing the larger Saiyan to stumble forward. "You idiot! I was going to wish for immortality!"

"You always want to wish for immortality!" Goku shouted back. "But Basil is more important than being immortal. She needs to be strong so she can help defeat Turles."

"What help is she gonna be?" Vegeta snapped. "She'll just want to make friends with everyone."

"Where is Basil?" Broly asked, head tilted to the side. "She is not here."

"Neither is Gohan, now that you mention it." Chi-Chi said, looking around.

"Welp, I better go tell Videl that Gohan's cheating on her." Goten said, and Trunks flicked his ear.

"Let me look for his energy," Goku said, then placed two fingers on his forehead, closing his eyes.

"He always looks like a dork when he does that." 18 whispered to 17, who both chuckled quietly to themselves.

After a few moments in silence, Goku opened his eyes. "I found him! He's...well, that doesn't make any sense."

"Where is he?" Launch asked with worry etched onto her face.

"He's...at Kami's Lookout."

"What?" Vegeta scoffed. "What the hell is he doing there?"

"Let's go find out." Krillin jumped into the air and shot across the sky, the others not too far behind.

Launch huffed and crossed her arms, looking between Chi-Chi and Bulma. "Doesn't it suck, not being able to fly?"

Chi-Chi and Bulma nodded in unison.