Pokémon Tails: A Journey to the East
DISCLAIMER: I don't own DBZ or Pokémon.
CHAPTER 11: Cerulean City Showdown!
In the same darkly lit throne room in a galaxy far, far away, the grand, majestic doors burst open as a Saiyan warrior now rushed in with an unmistakable air of urgency. Passing between rows and rows of Saiyans standing at attention before the princely being, he finally came to stop before the throne itself and dropped low to one knee, only hastily remembering to cross his arm across his chest.
"Yes, what is it, my good friend?" The blue alien said with his ever-present cheer. "My, you seem to be in an awful hurry this time. May I suggest slowing down your pace to relax a bit? I only want the best for my subjects after all, to be as happy and content as they possibly can be!"
"Lord Frost, I... I'm terribly sorry..." The Saiyan warrior stammered, no more than a mere boy, truly, perhaps ten to 12 years of age. "The General... he's gone. After you gave him his orders, he took his ship, his crew, and he just... vanished. I am afraid we..." And here the boy bowed his head down low, sweat running down the sides of his face. "We don't know where he is. I'm sorry, my lord. We failed you..."
A wince passed through the rows of Saiyan warriors, as though his words had pierced deeply into their hearts, for it was obvious they all loved their master and appeared to consider it a personal failure every time they let him down. They waited for several moments with bated breath, wondering what the alien known as Frost would do, if some kind of punishment was forthcoming.
But then Frost rose to his feet, all smiles as he slowly made his way down the throne platform to stand directly before the Saiyan child. "My close friend, why do you look so glum? You haven't failed me at all!"
The boy looked up, eyes wide with shock.
"I... I haven't?" He gaped, sounding very, very surprised.
Frost knelt down in front of the raven-haired boy so that he was eye level with him, as if they were equals, partners in their endeavors.
"Private Cabba, we have fought together in many campaigns, and I know you've proven your dedication, your courage, and loyalty more than once," Frost said, reaching out to place a comradely hand on the youth's shoulder. "There is no way you might have foreseen this, my friend, but at the end of the day, I will look on you no differently than I did before — as my most cherished lieutenant, and a faithful ally to bring peace and order to the universe!"
By now, Cabba's eyes were shining with tears, and he nodded gratefully, as the nearby Saiyan warriors appeared to stand up even straighter, seemingly more inspired than they had been a minute ago, and it was clear that if given the choice each and every one of them would have laid down their lives for the commander they loved so dearly.
"Thank... th-thank you, Lord Frost..." Cabba whispered, as though it brought him no greater joy than to simply kneel within the presence of this magnificent person he had pledged himself to. "I... I don't know what to say..."
"Your expression alone is worth more than a thousand planets filled with all the riches of the universe!" Frost exclaimed, patting the boy's shoulder, and now the tears fell freely from Cabba's face as he nodded in assent. "And as for our missing general, let's give him time, Private Cabba, and perhaps he'll return, but if not then we will organize search parties for him with the intent to make sure he is a part of our family again!"
"And if he refuses to come back?" Cabba inquired.
"Then we shall allow him to leave the Galactic Peace Forces unharmed," Frost said simply. "No one is a hostage here and if the General finds it in his heart to want to leave my organization, then we should allow him to do just that, and find his way somewhere else."
"But he's such a strong warrior and a good man!" Cabba insisted passionately. "We could use his help in our crusade. And, I..."
"Hm?" Frost said, blinking his eyes. "What is it, my friend?"
"I'd miss him..." Cabba admitted. "He's like a dear uncle to me."
Frost withdrew the hand and laughed, as if nothing had delighted him more than to hear that. "Perhaps so, but not everyone is meant for our line of work in fighting on the front lines for universal peace. I'm sure the General would be the first to tell you that."
Cabba nodded again, slowly taking in the other being's words.
"Now then, are you feeling better, Private Cabba?" Frost asked him.
Cabba stood up straighter. "Yes, sir! Feeling much better now!"
"Good, then I will see you on your way!" Frost said happily. "And do enjoy yourself, Private Cabba. Eat, train, sleep well, and perhaps find some time with a nice lady friend so that you are well-rested for the next time we take the field!"
Cabba rose to his feet and nodded a third time.
"I promise I won't let you down!" The young boy avowed.
With that, Cabba turned and left the throne room, leaving behind a smiling Frost in his wake, looking as pleased as he had before...
As Ash, Brock, and Gohan walked up the path, the sun shone down from above, warming the area in a soft glow.
"Ahhhh!" Ash said as he stretched both arms to the side. "It's really a great day to just kick back and enjoy the sunshine!"
"And while you're out here enjoying the sunshine, Gary's catching more Pokémon than you," Brock told him.
Ash jerked to the side in exasperation/annoyance.
"But I guess a great Pokémon Master can still capture Pokémon and enjoy the sun," Brock went on, chuckling.
"Do you do that on purpose?!" Ash demanded angrily.
"Well, look at it this way, Ash," Gohan continued, his ever-focused Super Saiyan 2 gaze coming to fall on the Pallet Town Trainer. "You're learning my style of martial arts, which this Gary will never know."
"True," Ash said as he started laughing. "And if Gary gets obnoxious, well, I can just shove his face into the mud!"
And he laughed some more.
"You know, Ash," Gohan said, "martial arts are not meant to settle petty grievances — it's the job of all true, principled martial artists to resolve disputes, and to create order and stability in the universe."
"Aww, but that's stingy!" Ash complained.
Gohan clenched his fist, maintaining a tight rein on his emotions.
"Seriously, Ash, if I ever see you misusing the powers I am teaching you, I won't be happy," he said as his aura sparked.
"Okay, okay," Ash replied, trying to calm down the emotionally charged Saiyan boy. "I would never use my power for bad like that horrible Team Rocket does anyway. I'm one of the good guys!"
And he laughed even more.
And then Gohan smiled, the first genuine smile he'd shown for a while in the Super Saiyan 2 form. "Good."
"Hey, wait a minute!" Misty called from behind them as she raced up.
Everyone turned to face her as she came up panting and gasping.
"Mew, Mew?" Mew inquired, dancing about up in the skies.
"Pika Pika, Pikachu?" Pikachu questioned, tilting its head to the side.
"Where do you think you're going?" she demanded of them.
"Did you forget, Misty?" Gohan said. "We're going to Cerulean City to win a Cascade Badge."
"Oh, oh, oh..." Misty said frantically. "Well, Ash, Gohan, you don't wanna head to Cerulean City."
"What?" Ash said, sounding surprised. "But why not, Misty?"
"Because, because..." Misty stuttered, trying to think up a reason. "Because the Pokémon there are all... they're all..." And then she got an inspiration. "Very scary Ghost Pokémon that look like this! Like monsters!"
And she twisted her face hideously as she pulled her lips to the side and stuck out her tongue.
For a few seconds, Gohan just blinked at her, and Ash laughed.
"Ha, nice face, Misty," Ash said as he waggled his finger. "But you're forgetting... we've got Gohan with us, and he's probably the strongest kid in the galaxy. He can protect us from anything we come across."
Gohan nodded, feeling confident in the powers of his Super Saiyan 2 transformation.
"Yes, you don't have to be scared, Misty," Gohan promised. "I'll watch out for my friends."
Ash turned to the rest of his buddies. "So come on, Brock, Pikachu, Gohan."
"Chu!" the Electric Rodent agreed, running off with its Trainer.
"Mew, Mew!" Mew giggled as it followed after them as well, trailing pink arcs through the sky.
"Hey, wait!" Misty said as they walked off back down the road. "WAIT A SECOND!"
In a flash, she had jumped in front of them, holding both her arms out.
"Hey, is something wrong, Misty?" Gohan asked, now concerned for her feelings.
"No, nothing, it's just..." she began. "Well, how about we head to Vermilion City instead? There's a Gym there, you know."
"Really?" Gohan said, surprised.
"Yes!" Misty stated hurriedly, now clasping both hands together. "Plus it's right on the water and there are lots of neat Pokémon, and you can watch all the giant yachts pulling into the harbor." Her tone took on a dreamy quality. "And there's a little cape way up on the hill where you can sit and watch the sunset and it's all so romantic..."
"Right..." Ash said slowly.
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu said, now looking confused.
"Mew, Mew!" Mew said, twirling in the air as always.
Misty eagerly turned back to face her friends.
"It's much nicer than that old Cerulean City, so let's get going!" the red-haired girl told them all, pumping her arm.
"Okay then, let's go!" Ash said excitedly, sounding agreeable.
"Really?!" Misty exclaimed, clearly relieved.
"To Cerulean City," Ash confirmed.
Misty fell down. As Ash and Brock headed into the distance, Gohan remained behind to talk.
"Hey, Misty, you seem pretty dead set against going to Cerulean City," Gohan observed.
"Huh?" she said as she stood back up. "Well, what can I say? I don't like Ghost-type Pokémon."
Gohan tilted his head to the side as he examined her critically.
"Listen... if you don't want to go to Cerulean City, you can just wait outside the city until we're ready to leave this place," the spiky-haired kid said to the green-eyed girl. "I promise to cover for you with the others."
"You'd really do that for me?!" Misty burst out enthusiastically.
"Well, of course!" Gohan told her, giving her a strained-but-happy smile. "We're friends now!"
"Oh, Gohan!" she cried as she threw her arms around the boy.
"Mew, Mew?" Mew said, halting briefly to glance at the two of them.
Gohan stood there, surprised for a few seconds, as Misty hugged him... and then a second later, she jumped away from him, blushing furiously as she attempted to reclaim her emotional equilibrium.
Oh boy, gotta keep a clear head, Misty, she thought angrily. Just... just stop thinking about Gohan that way.
"Um, are you okay, Misty?" Gohan asked in complete confusion.
"Mew, Mew!" the Legendary Cat said as it resumed its midair dancing. "Mew! Mew! MEW!"
"Yes," Misty said, still turned away from him while she blushed deep crimson. "Yes, I am fine. I am totally fine. Now just go."
"But, if you're feeling upset, maybe we can talk —" Gohan began.
"JUST GO ALREADY!" Misty screamed as she turned and stormed off.
"I wonder what her problem is?" Gohan said, scratching his head.
"Mew," Mew chirped, twirling about in the skies. "Mew, Mew!"
Gohan turned to Mew. "So, you want to try for our second badge?"
Mew grinned and thrust its fist out. "MEW!" it squealed happily.
Gohan nodded. "Then let's go."
And the two turned and headed off after Ash and Brock...
"So this is Cerulean City, eh, guys?" Ash said as the gang wandered into town.
"Yeah," Brock confirmed. "Pretty nice place, isn't it?"
"Chu, Pika, Pikachu," the Electric-type Pokémon said with a nod.
"Mew!" Mew added, soaring ever more frantically in the skies.
"I'll say!" Gohan agreed. "There's water everywhere! Canals, rivers, fountains..."
"The Cerulean City Gym uses Water-type Pokémon," Brock said.
"All right!" Ash exclaimed. "Then Pikachu ought to have a very easy time, right, Pikachu?"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu said as it pumped its fists.
"What do you think of Cerulean City, Misty...?" Ash asked, turning back to face her.
And he noticed the complete lack of the orange-headed girl.
"Hey look... that's weird..." Ash pointed out. "Misty's not following us anymore."
"Oh, well... Misty told me to tell you she had to make a pit stop," Gohan told them.
"But why couldn't she just go in the city?" Brock wondered.
Gohan sighed. "Because it's girl problems. You understand, don't you, Brock?"
And Brock now looked very queasy and green. "Oh, sure, all right. Whatever you say."
"Um, what do you mean by 'girl problems?'" Ash asked.
Gohan fell over while Brock sighed. "Trust me, Ash, you don't wanna know..."
"Well, okay," Ash said with a shrug, dropping the matter.
"Pika Pika," Pikachu breathed, and then it sighed in exasperation. "Cha..."
"Mew, Mew!" Mew chirped as it soared upside down, giggling.
Gohan stood up again. "Anyway, now that we've reached Cerulean City, I think I should power down."
And with that, his hair fell down and resumed its normal black as Gohan dropped the Super Saiyan 2 transformation.
"That's probably a good idea," Brock commented. "I don't know how on Earth we'd ever explain your glowing gold hair and sparking aura to those who don't know what the Super Saiyan 2 transformation even is."
Gohan laughed. "Good point."
"Can we go to the Gym now, please?" Ash whined.
"Sure thing," Brock said as the group of three humans and two Pokémon headed off to the Gym.
While they were walking, Ash turned to Brock.
"Hey Brock, you got any inside info on the Cerulean Gym Leader?" he asked the Pewter City Gym Leader. "I just want to find out as much as I can about him before we have our match. 'Know yourself and know your adversary, and you hold the key to victory.'"
"That sounds like a quote," Gohan remarked thoughtfully.
Ash chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "I can't sneak anything past you, can I, Gohan?" Ash laughed a little more, then suddenly he grew serious. "Well, yes, Dexter told me that one, and I agree with him."
"That's cool!" Gohan said, smiling.
"Well..." Brock said slowly. "I never actually met the Gym Leader here, but I do know what Pokémon they use."
"Can't you tell us anything more than that?" Ash begged the dark-skinned boy.
"I'm sorry, Ash, but... I can't tell you any more about it," he averred, and Gohan could almost see his pupils flashing despite the fact that he never opened his eyelids. "I'm a Gym Leader too, and I can't tell you out of respect. That, and it's against the rules. You understand."
"Of course!" Ash responded. "No problem."
And now Gohan moved up alongside Brock, twiddling both fingers together.
"Um, Brock, while Ash and me are challenging the Gym, can you do me a favor?" he inquired.
"Sure, why not?" Brock said. "So, what do you want me to do?"
Instantly, Gohan handed Brock a large burlap sack.
"Can you get these appraised for me?" he asked the former Pewter Gym Leader.
"What are they?" Brock wondered as he pulled open the flap for a quick peek inside... to reveal a ton of glittering diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, crystals, and other rare and precious minerals!
"Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Where did you get this many jewels, Gohan?!" Brock said, overwhelmed by what he saw inside the sack.
"Pika," Pikachu breathed as it gazed into Gohan's bag too.
Gohan laughed. "That's a rather long story. I'll tell you later."
"Mew, Mew!" Mew said, slicing a trail of pink above them.
"So, do you want me to bring the money back?" Brock asked Gohan.
The half-Saiyan nodded. "Yes, please — I need that money in order to buy parts to repair my Dimensional Hopper."
"Well, consider it done!" Brock declared as he jogged away now. "I'll be back in no time!"
Gohan grinned. "Super! Thanks, Brock!"
And the four resumed their trek to the Pokémon Gym.
"Cerulean Gym..." Ash said, staring at his map. "Cerulean Gym. It's gotta be around here someplace."
"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Gohan asked him.
"Pika Pika," Pikachu said as it nodded, agreeing with him.
"Mew, Mew!" Mew said, cutting ribbons in the sky. "Mew, Mew!"
"Sure I'm sure!" Ash said, turning the map upside down.
Gohan glanced off to the side as he suddenly started pointing at something out of sight.
"Is that it?" he asked the Pallet Trainer.
Ash, Pikachu, and Mew turned to find a giant building with a Dewgong stamped onto the front.
"Yeah, that's it!" Ash said cheerfully. "That's the Gym! Good eye, Gohan!"
Gohan chuckled self-consciously as the four headed inside. Quickly, however, they discovered that the Gym was one large pool as a crowd of people had gathered in massive bleachers surrounding said pool — for security sake, Gohan had recalled Mew into its Poké Ball, where no one would see it and be tempted to steal the super-rare Pokémon.
"Who are all these people?" Ash wondered.
"They look like fans at a sports event," Gohan remarked.
Suddenly, a voice spoke over the loudspeakers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the stars of our show — the Sensational Cerulean City Synchronized Swimming Sisters!"
And Gohan and Ash suddenly noticed the three girls atop the giant kickboard for the very first time. One of them had pink hair, another had blonde hair, and the third had purple hair, but, coming from a universe with odd hair color himself, Gohan didn't even blink.
"Who are they?" Ash asked.
"The Sensational Sisters, I guess," Gohan shrugged.
And with that, the girls dived into the pool and began performing a series of synchronized swimming moves.
"But I thought this was the Pokémon Gym!" Ash said, sounding totally stupefied.
Meanwhile, Pikachu continued watching the three girls, entranced at what it was seeing.
Half an hour later, Ash and Gohan could be found walking through the lower levels of the Cerulean Gym.
"I can't understand it!" Ash complained, and then he caught sight of the glass panels showing dozens of fish and Water Pokémon swimming past. "It's like... a big aquarium. How can this be a Pokémon Gym?"
"Well, Brock said the Gym Trainers here use Water-types, so maybe the whole Gym is devoted to other water-related sport events," Gohan theorized. "That would explain the synchronized swimming, and the aquarium."
"Yeah, yeah, you're right!" Ash said, nodding in complete agreement. "That makes sense to me."
"Pika Pika!" the yellow rodent said as suddenly, its ears perked up.
And just then they heard voices coming closer and turned to find the three girls from before walking nearer.
"The crowd was totally awesome!" the pink-headed girl said.
"I know, that was so great," the blonde said, smiling cheerfully.
"Daisy, the dive you did was super!" the violet-haired girl said.
"The practice really paid off," the blonde commented.
"Totally!" the pinkette agreed.
"Uh, excuse me, ladies..." Gohan said as he stepped forward.
"Oh, what do we have here?" the blonde said, eyeing the tailed child critically.
The pink-haired girl giggled. "Oh wow, he's so cute especially, like, with that little tail of his!"
Gohan noticed that he had left his tail to hang freely once again and wrapped it around his waist.
"Why do I keep forgetting to do this?" he berated himself angrily.
The blonde smiled. "Oh chill out! It's, like, totally cool that you got a tail. Most people don't have 'em, you know."
"I know," Gohan sighed, but he didn't say anything further.
The girls, giggling, moved closer to him as they suddenly grabbed hold of him from all angles.
"A-A-Ah!" Gohan protested. "Hey, what are you doing?!"
"Wow, you're built, like, really nicely!" the pink-headed girl noticed.
"Are those real muscles or do you, like, use that fake stuff?" the violet-haired girl asked.
To Gohan's immense mortification she ran her hands over his body.
"Nope, they're, like, totally real!" she squealed cheerfully.
"And look at that gorgeous black hair!" the blonde chirped giddily. "It's so soft and silky!"
"Ohh, his skin feels so smooth..." the violet-haired girl sighed.
The blonde had grabbed Gohan's tail and lightly and began stroking it beneath her fingers.
"And his tail feels so soft and furry!" the blonde girl added, giggling like a child.
"A-A-Ahhh!" Gohan said, now feeling embarrassed beyond belief. "Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you doing?!"
"Oh, chill out, we just, like, think you're totally cute, you know?" the violet-headed girl said.
"If we're making you uncomfortable, we can, like totally stop," the pinkette said.
"But we'd rather not," the yellow-haired girl said sensuously.
"I-I-I'd rather you stop!" Gohan muttered, squirming out of their grip as he blushed furiously.
The girls giggled. "Oh, he's so shy and bashful," the blonde sighed.
"That's, like, so totally adorable!" the pink-haired girl chirped.
Ash stepped up, now eager to know something else.
"Excuse me, do you three know where we can find the Gym Leader here?" he inquired.
"Oh, sure we do!" the pink-haired girl confirmed.
"You're staring at them, kid!" the violet-headed woman agreed.
"Pika?" Pikachu gasped, surprised to hear what they said.
"The three of us are the Gym Leaders here," the blonde stated. "I'm Daisy." She gestured to the purple-haired woman, who waved. "That's Violet." And then she indicated the pinkette, who winked at the two. "And like, the third one there is Lily."
"Well, we're wondering if we could challenge you to a Gym battle," Gohan suggested, then hoping that he hadn't been rude, he clasped both his hands together, bowing very deeply. "If it's not too much trouble, that is."
Which set the girls giggling once again.
"Oh wow!" Violet said. "He's even, like, totally polite and everything."
"Looks and personality," Lily sighed. "That's, like, so totally rare."
Gohan just blushed even more deeply as, suddenly, the three girls turned and headed away — sharing a glance, Gohan and Ash nodded and in unison, they followed the three Sensational Sisters upstairs.
It turns out the three sisters led them back to the main pool area, and as one, they turned to face the two Trainers.
"Come on!" Ash growled. "I challenge all of you to a Gym battle!"
"He's, like, so totally rude!" Lily complained, sounding angry.
"Totally not like this little cutie!" Violet said as she giggled again.
"Um... thank you, Violet-san," Gohan replied, rubbing the back of his head.
Violet squealed and clapped both hands to her cheeks as she raised one of her legs.
"Oh he's just so adorable!" Lily chirped innocently with a happy giggle.
"Well, I do hate to be the bearer of bad news but we don't feel like battling today," Daisy told them with a shrug.
"What?!" Ash burst out. "But... why?!"
"It was unbelievable," Daisy said, hanging her head.
"You see, we just got beat three times in a row by some kids from this nowhere place called Palo Town or something," Violet added.
"I think it was, like, Pallet Town!" Lily piped up.
"Yeah, it was, like, totally Pallet Town!" Daisy agreed.
Ash sighed. "Not again," he whimpered pitifully.
Gohan reached over and patted the brown-eyed boy across the back. "It's okay, Ash."
"No, it's not," Ash groaned sadly.
"Chu, Pika Pika, Pikachu," the yellow rat told its Trainer.
"It was just one defeat after another," Violet said. "My eyes were spinning from all those losses."
"We had to, like, practically rush all of our Pokémon to the Pokémon Center," Daisy said.
"And they, like, aren't completely healed yet!" Violet ventured.
"I'm afraid this is the only one left," Lily chimed in.
She withdrew a Poké Ball and pressed the front button as a Goldeen materialized right there.
"Goldeen, Goldeen Goldeen, Goldeen Goldeen Goldeen, Goldeen, Goldeen Goldeen Goldeen, Goldeen Goldeen," it sang.
"Oh, that's a Goldeen, isn't it?" Gohan pointed out smartly.
"If it evolved into a Seaking then we could use it in battle, but right now all it knows is Horn Attack," Violet explained.
"So, like, there's totally no point in battling," Daisy continued.
"And now, instead of having Pokémon battles, we have time to devote to our water shows!" Violet said.
"And to make ourselves more beautiful than ever!" Lily piped up.
"But like, since you're a totally cute Pokémon Trainer," Daisy added, giggling, "we don't want you to go away empty-handed." She clapped her hands, and a Seal waded over, sticking out its tongue to reveal... two Gym badges in the shape of tiny water droplets! Daisy picked the badges up, holding them out for both of them to see. "The Cascade Badge! This is what you two want, right? Well, you can have it!"
"For being the cutest Trainer to enter our Gym in, like, forever!" Lily giggled.
Ash, however, hesitated. "Thanks, but I'd rather earn my badges."
"It does seem kind of unfair," Gohan agreed, glancing over toward his friend.
"Oh come on, just take it," Daisy prompted. "A badge is a badge."
"I guess she's right, Ash," Gohan said, shrugging carelessly. "If they have only one Pokémon, there's nothing we can do."
"I guess so," Ash sighed, moving forward to accept the tiny blue-colored badge...
But before they could take it, however, a voice shouted out!
"Hold it right there!" the haughty female voice yelled.
Gohan and Ash turned to find... MISTY! Standing right there atop the bleachers!
"Cha!" Pikachu cried happily.
And like that, Misty jumped down, landing solidly before them.
"Oh hello, Misty," Gohan greeted her cheerfully.
Misty ignored what he said. "All right, if you guys don't wanna battle, then I will!"
"Wait a second..." Gohan said, confused. "How can you battle?"
"I'm a Cerulean City Gym Leader too," Misty told them. "I'm the fourth Sensational Sister!"
"There are only three Sensational Sisters, and one runt," Lily said condescendingly.
Gohan frowned at what he was hearing.
"So, little sister, it's a surprise to see you back so soon," Daisy soon.
"That little girl with the big mouth who said she wouldn't come back until she was a great Pokémon Trainer... wasn't that you?" Violet said flippantly, casually tossing her purple hair back as she spoke to the fiery tomboy.
"Oh... I guess I did say something like that," Misty said sheepishly.
"So that's why Misty was so determined not to come here," Ash realized. "But what about your girl problems?"
Misty fell over. "GIRL PROBLEMS?! What do you mean by that, Ash?!"
"Well, Gohan said you were busy with your girl problems," Ash helpfully told her. "Whatever that means."
And Misty rounded on the boy in question furiously.
"Out of all the things in the world you could have told them, you had to say I was having GIRL PROBLEMS?!" she snarled viciously.
Gohan cowered, frightened of incurring Misty's wrath.
"Well, your period is a pain, but it's all a part of becoming a real woman," Violet said.
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAID!" Misty shouted. "HE SAID IT, NOT ME!"
"I'm completely lost," Ash whimpered, sounding very confused.
"Pika..." Pikachu said, and it sounded embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, Misty, but... what else was I supposed to tell them?" Gohan questioned. "I had to think up something quick."
Misty sighed, but said nothing more. Why is it so hard for me to stay mad at you? she thought. Even when you deserve it?
"But Misty..." Gohan said now, blinking rapidly. "If you're their sister... why did you come back?"
Misty turned on her sisters angrily, now glaring daggers at them.
"I had a feeling they'd try and back out of an official battle so I figured I'd come here and set things straight!" she responded.
"Misty, face it, you left because you couldn't compete with us," Daisy sighed.
"We're obviously far more skilled than you are," Lily added. "And much more beautiful, too!"
"Hey, that's not fair!" Gohan protested. "I think Misty is far prettier than you!"
Complete silence for more than several seconds, and Gohan gasped as his senses finally caught up with him.
"He thinks..." Daisy said, flabbergasted.
"She's prettier...?" Violet said, sounding stunned.
"Than us?!" Lily finished, eyes very wide.
And the girls slumped dejectedly.
"Oh man, it totally figures," Violet said unhappily.
"Every time we meet a good-looking boy, he's, like, totally attached!" Lily agreed sadly.
"Who would have ever thought he'd be Misty's boyfriend...?" Daisy concluded with a disappointed sigh.
Ash and Pikachu fell over, too exasperated to say anything.
"MY BOYFRIEND?!" Misty screamed, sounding just as surprised as they were. "Hey, he is NOT my boyfriend!"
Gohan shot Misty a very sad look, but the three sisters immediately cheered up.
"Oh cool," Lily said, squealing joyfully.
"Then that, like, totally means it's still open season on the little cutie," Violet giggled.
"Wait, hold on now, I didn't say you could go after him!" Misty now shouted, very mad. "I just said he's not my boyfriend!"
"Well, either he is or he isn't," Daisy said pointedly. "And which one is it, Misty?"
Gohan suddenly walked up to them, still blushing from head to toe, and spoke up tentatively.
"Um, I really don't think you should put Misty on the spot like this..." Gohan said. "It's not fair to Misty."
"Oh, well, you know, you have a point there, Gohan," Daisy stated, tossing her hair too.
"Totally," Violet agreed, nodding her head.
And then Misty turned back to face Ash and Gohan.
"Well, are you guys ready to battle?" she asked.
"You mean battle with you?" Ash said, blinking stupidly.
"Yes, well, as much as I hate to admit it, she is the only one with any Pokémon that can battle," Violet said.
"Oh yes, totally!" Lily added, nodding to show her agreement.
And a short time later, Misty and Ash found themselves standing on two of the floats atop the pool, wobbling a bit due to all of the excess weight which was threatening to drag them under, before they both finally stabilized and managed to reclaim their balance.
"Why are they wobbling?" Lily wondered.
"They act as if standing on those floats were too hard for them," Daisy noted.
Gohan giggled. "Well, that's a very long story. Maybe I'll tell you someday."
"Seel, Seel, Seel," Seel said, clapping its paws excitedly.
Oh boy, I just thought of something worrisome, Gohan thought.
"Who in the heck am I supposed to root for?!" he said aloud.
"I wasn't planning on challenging you until you'd paid me back for my broken bike, but now's as good a time as any!" Misty vowed.
"That's not a problem, Misty!" Ash replied coolly. "So... how many Pokémon are we using?"
"Two-on-two works for me!" Misty said confidently.
"You got it!" Ash said he picked up Pikachu and threw it. "Pikachu, I choose you!"
But Pikachu had latched onto Ash's hand as it refused to be thrown out into the pool's waters.
"Chu... Chu... Chu..." Pikachu said wearily, shaking its head back and forth.
"Pikachu, what are you doing?" Ash demanded. "Don't you see, we got a battle to win here!"
"Chu, Chu, Chu!" Pikachu said, shaking its head still more vigorously.
"Ash, I think it's saying it doesn't want to fight Misty," Gohan informed his thick-headed friend.
"Kachu, Pikachu!" the yellow rodent confirmed, nodding its head.
"Well, I guess it's okay not to want to battle friends," Ash said as the yellow rat ran down his body.
"Pikachu, you're a Pika Pal!" Misty said cheerfully.
"Pikachu!" the Electric-type said, perking up.
"Well, if I'm not gonna be using Pikachu... then it looks like it's up to one of my other Pokémon!" Ash declared, spinning his head to the side in his typical trademarked manner. "Now then... Zubat, go! I choose you!"
The Poison/Flying-type appeared in a flash. "Chachichachichi!"
"In that case, Misty calls Staryu!" Misty cried, as with a burst of light, a tan-golden star-shaped Pokémon appeared.
Gohan pointed his Pokédex at the starry Pokémon.
"An enigmatic Pokémon, when the stars twinkle at midnight, Staryu floats up from the sea floor as the jewel in the center of its body slowly flickers in the same rhythm as a human heartbeat," Dexter told him. "As long as the middle section stays unharmed, Staryu can effortlessly regenerate any appendage even if it is chopped to bits."
"That does sound weird," Gohan said, blinking.
At the same time, Ash was pointing his own Pokédex at Staryu.
"Staryu. The core of this Water Pokémon shines in a rainbow of seven colors, a core that's valued by some as a type of jewelry," it said.
"Hmph, of course," Ash sniffed. "That's just like a girl to show off her jewelry."
"Quit stalling and let's get this show on the road!" Misty yelled at Ash, now agitated over how long it was taking.
"Do you think Misty could really win?" Violet questioned.
"Like, in her dreams, maybe," Lily snickered.
Gohan felt his resolve harden and he turned a hard look on the three Sensational Sisters.
"I don't think that was very nice," he told the three, sounding really angry. "I think that Misty's got as much chance as Ash does at winning this battle, and more, if Ash does something reckless like he always does."
"Whoa, like, take a chill pill," Lily told Gohan seriously.
"Don't you have any little brothers or sisters at home?" Violet inquired.
"You love them, but you just don't want to see them, like, do well, if you know what I mean," Daisy added.
Gohan sighed. "I'm an only child. I don't have any brothers or sisters."
"Well, that's such a shame, but look, the battle is starting," Daisy informed Gohan.
And so it began with Zubat flying high above the Water-type Pokémon.
"Zubat, use Bite, go!" Ash commanded the winged bat.
"Chachachi!" Zubat clicked as it swooped down closer to Staryu.
"Staryu, dodge it!" Misty ordered the star-shaped Pokémon.
"HIYAH!" Staryu declared, as it dodged to the side, and Zubat went rocketing past.
"Good, now let's show them how it's done!" Misty said. "Staryu, Water Gun attack on Zubat now!"
"Hiyah!" Staryu stated as it shot out a jet stream of water from the uppermost tip of its star shape.
"Dodge, Zubat!" Ash ordered, which Zubat narrowly did.
"Chachichicha!" Zubat clicked furiously, wings batting back and forth.
"This could go on a while," Gohan noted as he watched the two Pokémon take up positions again.
"Seel, Seel," the Seal Pokémon barked, clapping both of its flippers.
"Which side are you clapping for?" Violet asked it curiously.
"All right, Zubat, time to get serious now!" Ash told it. "Use Screech!"
"Oh no..." Gohan breathed, plugging up both of his ears. "Not this again!"
And a second later, Zubat opened up its mouth and let out the most high-pitched ear-piercing shriek anyone there ever heard.
"OH GOD, I HATE THAT NOISE!" Gohan whimpered as he fell down onto his knees. "It... it... it digs deep into my brain!"
"SEEL, SEEL!" Seel objected, rolling around on the floor in agony.
"Like, that is the most horrible noise ever!" Daisy complained, with both hands over her ears.
"Totally!" Lily agreed, similarly encumbered.
"Nice try, Ash!" Misty smirked through clasped ears. "But Zubat's Screech won't work on Staryu!"
She stared out at Zubat determinedly.
"Staryu, go, Spinning Tackle!" she told the Star Pokémon.
"HIYAH!" Staryu said as it spun through the air and slammed directly into Ash's Zubat.
"Chachachichi!" Zubat whimpered as Staryu dragged it around the stadium before finally smashing into one of the floats with it.
"Oh no, Zubat!" Ash cried worriedly.
With Zubat now crippled, the noise suddenly abated.
"Oh, thank goodness," Gohan breathed deeply. "That sound is horrific."
"Misty's totally awesome," Daisy said, sounding surprised.
"Well, we got the good looks in the family, so I guess she got the talent," Lily sniffed.
Gohan frowned but didn't say anything, remembering how his mouth had embarrassed him the last time.
The dust faded, revealing Zubat, laying there looking stunned but otherwise okay.
"Zubat, are you all right?" Ash asked it.
The winged Pokémon immediately took flight as it turned to face its Trainer with an energetic cry.
"CHACHICHA!" it clicked furiously. "CHACHACHICHA!"
Ash just stared at it for a moment, and then he understood.
"Okay, I gotcha." Ash smirked. "We can still win this!"
"Chachachichi!" Zubat replied.
"Okay then, go, Zubat!" Ash said, pointing. "Use Supersonic!"
And Zubat instantly began bombarding Staryu with a series of high-pitched waves.
"Oh no, Staryu!" Misty shouted, concerned. "Just shake it off!"
"Hiyah!" Staryu declared, staggering around the arena with strange, jerky, erratic movements.
"Ha, now it's confused!" Ash said eagerly. "Zubat, GO! BITE!"
"CHACHACHI!" Zubat clicked as it dove near enough and suddenly latched onto Staryu, biting its shell!
"Wow, that other kid's strong too," Daisy noted.
"Like, what do you think, Gohan?" Lily asked, turning to him... then she blinked at what she was seeing. "Go... Gohan?"
Gohan was splayed out on the floor with little Xs in his eyes. "Oh, Mommy, please don't make my study. No, I wanna play."
"What's up with him?" Violet wondered.
"I don't know..." Daisy said. "Hey, Gohan, are you there? Gohan!"
Suddenly, Gohan regained his bearings as he stood back up, rubbing the back of his head.
"Oh sorry," he said patiently. "I... I guess I got a little disoriented there."
"You got confused along with Staryu," Daisy pointed out as she finally got it.
"Oh yeah!" Gohan said, laughing awkwardly. "What are the odds of that, huh?"
Up above, Team Rocket smirked once, and then dove back down into the street...
Meanwhile, Zubat was hanging onto Staryu as it jerked wildly to try and get Zubat off of it.
"Staryu, do something!" Misty commanded desperately. "Just shake it off!"
"Hiyah... Hiyah... Hiyah..." Staryu stated, moving around wildly, as finally it just slammed itself into the wall, with Zubat jumping aside at the last minute to avoid the otherwise damaging collision with solid cement!
"OH NO!" Misty shouted. "STARYU!"
The dust settled, revealing Staryu, clearly knocked out.
"Oh no..." the red-haired girl breathed. "No... Staryu... oh, you did your best out there."
"YAY!" Ash cheered, jumping up and down. "WOO-HOO! I did it!"
Misty recalled Staryu in a brilliant red beam of light.
"You tried your hardest, now get a good sleep," she cooed soothingly to it, and then her face hardened as she turned to face Ash again.
"So what was that about me being a novice, Misty?" Ash teased her. "Well, this novice is kicking your butt!"
"Just you wait until you see my next Pokémon!" Misty snarled as she brought out another Poké Ball. "Go, STARMIE!"
The blue-colored star-shaped Pokémon burst out in a flash of red light. "HROOM!"
"Oh wow, so that's Starmie, huh?" Gohan commented as once again, he brought out his Pokédex.
"Starmie, the Mysterious Pokémon. When it's away from human eyes, its core is said to glow mysteriously in seven colors," Dexter drawled in his typically cool tone. "Because of its luminous nature, this particular Pokémon has been given the nickname 'the gem of the sea' and it may have come from outer space."
"From outer space, really?!" Gohan exclaimed eagerly. Like my dad, the half-Saiyan added.
"Zubat, go!" Ash ordered. "Now, use Screech, let's do it!"
"Oh no, not that again!" Gohan whimpered as he covered up his ears.
"Oh no you don't!" Misty said. "Starmie, quick, Spinning Tackle!"
In a flash, Starmie was spinning through the air almost quicker than the eye could follow as it smashed into Zubat.
"Chachichichi!" the Bat Pokémon protested as it fell straight down towards the pool.
"Oh no, Zubat!" Ash said.
"Great, Starmie, now use Water Gun!" Misty said hurriedly.
"HROOM!" Starmie purred as it blasted Zubat right in the face with a condensed stream of water.
The jet stream carried Zubat, dragging it further and further down until finally, it collided with the pool in a loud splash.
PAH-LOOSH!
Zubat suddenly found itself soaking wet and struggling frantically in the wet pool.
"This match is in the bag now!" Misty said confidently. "Water Pokémon always have the edge in the water!"
She pointed dramatically.
"Go now, Starmie, Spinning Tackle!" she told it.
"Oh no, this doesn't look good for Ash..." Gohan said, sweating nervously.
"Hroom!" Starmie declared as it swooped down ever closer towards Zubat...
"Zubat, get outta the water, quick!" Ash pleaded with it.
WHAM!
Starmie slammed right into Zubat and dragged it with it underwater where, a few seconds later, there was a loud thud followed by the Gym itself shaking and Starmie zoomed out of the water, spinning rapidly into the air.
And a couple seconds later, Zubat popped back up, its eyes now in Xs.
"Oh no, Zubat!" Ash shouted, looking really concerned for it.
"Kachu, Pika, Pika, Pikachu!" Pikachu cried, looking very excited.
"Pikachu, you're supposed to be on my side," Ash scolded it.
"Pika... Cha..." Pikachu said, suddenly feeling awkward.
"Well, Ash, I'd say that wraps that up," Misty laughed in a superior tone, placing both of her hands on her hips. "You're only down to one Pokémon now and Starmie is totally unbeatable when it's in water!"
"Hey, it ain't over till it's over," Ash said as he enlarged a Poké Ball, tossing it out. "Pidgeotto, I CHOOSE YOU!"
The Flying-type materialized there in a burst of white. "Pijo!"
"A Flying-type Pokémon against a Water-type Pokémon," Gohan said. "This should be good."
"Now Pidgeotto, go, use Gust!" Ash ordered his Pokémon.
"Pijojojojo!" Pidgeotto whooped, flapping its wings as fierce winds blew out from it, threatening to completely engulf Misty's Starmie.
"Starmie, dive underwater!" Misty told it simply.
"Hroom!" Starmie chirped as it dived under the waves, avoiding the winds entirely.
Seeing its attack was now less than useless, Pidgeotto ceased its gale storm as Starmie popped back up.
"Now use Water Gun!" Misty shouted, pointing her finger at Ash's Pidgeotto.
"Hroom!" Starmie declared, shooting out a stream of water.
"Pidgeotto, dodge it!" Ash commanded.
"Pijo!" Pidgeotto said, dodging one jet stream.
"Starmie, keep it up!" Misty said certainly.
"Hroom!" Starmie said as it shot out another water stream.
"Keep dodging it, Pidgeotto!" Ash said, as Pidgeotto kept dodging to the side, evading each and every blast Starmie made!
On the other side, Misty was starting to get annoyed. "Grrrr, that does it! Starmie, Spinning Tackle, go!"
And spinning rapidly in place, Starmie lifted up from out of the water and in a shot was speeding rapidly towards Pidgeotto!
"Ha, bad move, ordering Starmie out of the water like that!" Ash said. "Now I have you right where I want you!"
And Misty gasped, finally realizing her blunder at the last moment.
"PIDGEOTTO, GO!" Ash thundered. "Whirlwind, NOW!"
"PIJOJOJOJOJO!" Pidgeotto whooped, flapping its wings as a huge hurricane of wind and power erupted from it to completely overwhelm the now airborne Starmie, sending it careening back into the wall!
"Now, finish up with Quick Attack!" Ash ordered.
"PIJO!" Pidgeotto said as it dove directly towards Starmie.
A comet's nose aura seemed to appear before Pidgeotto as it gained momentum through the air until finally, it smashed, head-on, into the still-stunned Starmie, shrouding the battlefield in a haze of dust and smoke.
"Oh, this dust is murder on my hair!" Lily whined.
"I, like, totally can't see a thing!" Daisy complained.
"Like, who won?" Violet asked them all, coughing.
Gohan just stared at the battlefield for several minutes, and then he sighed. I guess... if one of them had to be the winner... then the other one had to be the loser... he thought, feeling very sad for his friend.
"Ash did," he told the Cerulean Sisters.
And they just watched as the dust slowly faded and dissipated, revealing Starmie, completely knocked out from the force of Ash's Pidgeotto's overwhelming teamwork and its superior firepower.
"Oh no, Starmie!" Misty cried, sounding completely shocked.
"We... we... we did it..." Ash gasped, sounding utterly, totally floored by what he had just done. And then slowly he built up to an enormous head of steam as he pumped his fist and whooped happily. "YAY! All right, we did it, we did it, we did it, we really did!"
"Pijojojojojo!" Pidgeotto agreed.
Misty recalled Starmie, looking incredibly sad. "You did your best out there, but... it just wasn't enough."
And she sighed, feeling incredibly down, as she now stared a hole into Ash's backside.
Sensing her distress, Gohan jumped towards her across the floats.
Meanwhile, the redhead sighed, looking both melancholy and proud at the same time.
"You did great, Ash," she said softly. "You've grown up a lot. Maybe, you don't really need me anymore."
And then she felt a warm hand rest upon her shoulder. She turned to find Gohan standing there, looking worried about her.
"Misty, are you gonna be okay?" he asked, frowning in concern.
"Hey, you don't have to worry about me," she said, gently removing his hand. "We all gotta lose sometime."
"Misty, don't be so sad," Gohan pleaded with her. "Like you said, a Trainer can't keep winning."
"I know that," Misty said, clearly distracted.
"No, listen to me!" Gohan insisted. "It's okay to lose, really. The first two tournaments my dad fought in, he lost both times!"
"Really?" Misty said as she turned back to face Gohan, now a lot more interested in what he had to say.
Gohan nodded. "More importantly, he didn't let those losses slow him down. He just kept training and giving it his all and eventually, he won the third tournament he ever fought in. And that's what you've got to do, Misty. Take the loss to heart — use it to educate yourself and your battle style. Figure out what mistakes you made, and then, do better next time."
And Misty nodded as she felt her confidence slowly returning.
"You're right," she said. "I know you are. I just have to keep trying, and if I didn't win right now... well, I'll train even harder to do better next time and I will win and be the one to show Ash who's the best Pokémon Trainer!"
Gohan grinned. "Good, that's the spirit!"
As their sisters watched this display, Daisy suddenly nodded.
"Oh yes, he's definitely her boyfriend." She sighed sadly. "Even if he doesn't know it yet."
Later on, Ash, Gohan, and Misty were standing outside the Cerulean Gym as Ash admired his new Cascade Badge.
"I still can't believe it," Ash said, grinning like a madman as he examined his prize now stuck to the inside of his vest. "We actually have a Cascade Badge! And we won it fair and squire this time, Pikachu!"
"Pi Pikachu!" the Electric Rat said happily.
"Though if you would have used Pikachu, you would have won instantly!" Violet reminded them all.
Misty jerked to the side from sheer exasperation.
"Hey, Gohan, do you intend to challenge Misty now, or do you wanna wait until our Pokémon are all healed?" Lily asked him.
"We'll stand by whatever you wanna do," Violet giggled like a star-struck schoolgirl.
"Actually, I've decided not to battle at all," Gohan told them all.
Everyone just stared at him.
"Not battle?" Ash repeated, blinking. "But Gohan, if you don't fight them, you won't get the Cascade Badge!"
Gohan shrugged. "It's just a badge. And there are some things which are more important than that."
He turned to Misty, sending her a genuine grin which had her heart melting at the sight.
"I rather wouldn't risk my friendship with Misty if it means winning a Cascade Badge," Gohan stated simply. "She's way too important to me and if I had to choose between a badge and my friends, well, then, I always choose my friends, hands down."
"Oh gosh, that is, like, so inspiring!" Daisy giggled.
"And totally adorable to boot!" Violet added as she squealed happily.
"Well, that settles it!" Daisy said. "You, like, totally have to take a Cascade Badge too, Gohan!"
"What, you mean it?" Gohan said, blinking twice. "Really?"
"Sure," Daisy said, handing over the badge in question. "I think you show the true spirit of a Pokémon Trainer by refusing to battle when it means your friends; like, a true Trainer isn't only obsessed with battles and stuff. Like, a true Trainer totally knows when to call it quits for his friends."
"Aw, you just made that up!" Misty complained.
"Pika, Pika, Pikachu," Pikachu said, dancing from side to side.
"Well, thank you, Daisy," Gohan said, accepting the badge solemnly. "I'm glad you consider me to be worthy of this honor."
And that just set the Sensational Sisters to giggling once again.
"Oh, he's so cute when he's so noble!" Lily sighed dreamily.
"Boy, you're a lucky girl, Misty!" Violet said, sounding jealous.
Misty glanced to the side at Gohan, now smiling happily. I know I am, she thought.
"Ash! Gohan!" a voice suddenly called, as the six of them turned to find Brock racing up to them.
"Yo, Brocko!" Ash said, looking pleased to see him.
"How'd it go?" he asked his two friends.
"See for yourself!" Ash said, pulling his flap open.
"We both got the Cascade Badge!" Gohan answered him, holding up his own blue badge for him to see.
"Cool," he said, and then he turned to Gohan. "By the way, I got what you asked me for!"
Misty blinked, confused. "Wait, what did you ask Brock for, Gohan?"
And Brock held out a bag to reveal tons of dollars within it!
"Wow, that's a lot of money!" Misty exclaimed, now totally shocked.
"Good-looking, rich, and he has a nice personality to boot," Lily pouted. "It's not fair!"
"Why can't I have a wonderful boyfriend like him?" Violet muttered.
Which just caused Gohan to blush deeply again at their words.
Pretty soon, the three of them were leaving as Misty's three sisters waved goodbye to them.
"You take care of Gohan, Misty!" Daisy shouted after them.
"Don't worry, I will!" Misty called back to them.
"Try real hard to be a Pokémon Trainer!" Lily shouted. "But don't, like, try too hard or we might get worried about you!"
"I promise!" Misty said as her sisters grew smaller in the distance.
"Bye!" Gohan waved.
"See ya later!" Brock agreed, waving just as much.
"Take care of your Gym!" Ash ventured forth.
And then their Gym was out of sight.
"Hey, Brock," Gohan said, turning to the ex-Gym Leader. "You knew Misty's sisters were Gym Leaders the entire time, didn't you?"
Brock laughed. "Sure did, but I couldn't tell you. You understand."
Gohan nodded, smiling cheerfully. "Of course I do, Brock!"
"So, Gohan, how did you get so much money?" Misty questioned.
Gohan laughed. "Well, you see, Misty, it's kinda like this..."
And so the four Pokémon Trainers walked under the golden-orange flames of the setting sun, happily listening as Gohan regaled his story to them, unaware of all the dangers currently heading their way...
Wow, this chapter came so quickly, and yet it's definitely my longest yet; 8,000 words and over 30 pages on Word. I'd like to take the time to thank everybody for their ongoing support to this fanfic, and now, onto the reviews!
ChosenOne358: Well, yes. Though this is following Cell, of course, so Gohan has to power up to his Super Saiyan 2 form before he can really destroy a solar system, though I do agree with you; in his base form, however, he is still limited to being a planet buster.
JensenDaniels32: Thank you very much, good sir. Yes, I'm gonna be very sad when this fic comes to an end personally but considering how long it takes me to update, that could be a while. Plus I have a lot of episodes to cover. A lot.
drake202: Yup, true, but the bit about emphasizing with monkey Pokémon hadn't crossed my mind till now; that little bit of info could come in very handy later on, so thanks for the inspiration, dude.
kitsunelover300: Sorry about that. I might go back and fix it.
JCCT: Heh heh heh, well... that's the whole point, isn't it? To add a little bit of mystery to this crossover fic! Trust me, no one is going to guess who it is and when you finally find out, you're gonna wonder why you didn't see this coming! ;)
iamzim87: I actually consider Vegetto and Super Buu to be universe busters, so that isn't as much of a far stretch as you may imagine. And as one of the few fans who liked GT, I will be trying my hand at using the ideas in that series, although I'll try to realize them much better than GT did since the execution was lackluster — as to Chi-Chi, she is my most hated character from any fandom... and yes, even edging out Lucy from Elfen Lied. But I want to try and be absolutely fair to every point she brings up because as fanatical and crazy that she sometimes got, very rarely, she makes a good, logical point, but often times that logic fails completely. And lol, funny you should mention that, because I was thinking something similar myself, as you can see above me. I hope this was to your satisfaction.
Nothing more to say except thanks to everyone who took the time to tell me what they think!
Please review!
EDIT (5/8/2017): And now my edits bring back Cabba from Universe 6! It should be obvious by now that Rellik, who I originally intended to be a member of Frieza's race, was changed into Lord Frost. It makes more sense, imo, as you'll see in later chapters.