Chapter 112 – Goku's New Goal
The group were moved to the waiting room and were told the matches would begin soon. It hadn't changed at all since the twenty fifth Budokai all those years ago, save a couple of the paintings and photos placed on the wall. The atmosphere in the room was just as tense as the sixteen finalists were left to entertain themselves, whether it be through chatting to friends, eating, sleeping, or simply warming up for the upcoming battles. The gang found a space in the room and kept themselves to themselves.
"Are you scared?" Chuka asked her friend as she and Pan watched the others warm up from a bench.
"Nope," Pan shook her head kicking her feet back and forth.
"Eh? But he's so big and scary!" Chuka exclaimed baffled by Pan's indifference. "... You're not scared of anything, are you?"
"Just Mama and Gran'ma Chichi," Pan whispered quietly.
"You'll both do fine," Goku replied approaching the two girls.
"As long as you stay strong but are careful, you'll get through no problem against both of your opponents," Corset added.
"First match is Pan vs. Mo Kekko." The announcer's voice came clear over the speaker system and through from the tournament arena, interrupting the conversation.
"You're up, Pan," Goten called with a smile. "Go get them."
"Yeah!" Pan jumped forwards off of the bench she'd been perched on and waved at the others before running off, "Wish me luck!"
"Good luck, Pan!" Chuka called nervously though she quickly turned to her mother. "Pan won't get hurt will she, Mama?"
"I doubt it," Corset replied, eager to see how the little girl had progressed in her training. It was time to see how the daughter of Gohan and Videl – not to mention the granddaughter of Goku and Mr Satan – faired in the fighting world. The young girl had some high expectations on her shoulders. She watched alongside the others as Pan and her opponent Mo Kekko made it onto the stage; the announcer giving a little information about each fighter before the match was started. Naturally with her being Mr Satan's granddaughter, the crowds were cheering for Pan though many were sceptical about the five-year-old being able to fight in the Budokai.
"Pan's popula' isn't she, Mama?" Chuka asked amazed, eyes drifting briefly to the towering man Pan had been pitted against and gulping down the lump threatening to choke her. "Th-That guy is huge. I hope he doesn't step on her... He'd probably squash her because he's so heavy!"
"Pan'll be fine, you'll see," Corset responded with a snort. "You could handle him no problem once you get past your nerves."
"No I couldn't, he's way too strong," Chuka mumbled quietly to herself, frowning a little. "Please be ok, Pan."
The two contestants were now onto the raised arena ring and now faced each other in preparation for the start of the battle. The drums started to beat in the build-up to the start of the match. Then suddenly everything went dead quiet; the gong sounded marking the official start of the first match. The Budokai had officially started.
"Let the match begin!" The announcer cried.
Mo Kekko took a couple of heavy footsteps over to Pan, certain he knew how this would end, bitterly ashamed he was pitted against a girl the size of his boot.
The young girl suddenly leapt up six feet into the air now level with Mo Kekko's large mug. One hand was pulled back before lashing out and slapping the unprepared Mo Kekko heavily across the face. The strike sent the giant bouncing several times across the tournament ring, grasping his face in pain, almost stunned by disbelief. As the man slowly got to his feet attempting to overcome his shock that a tiny little girl had caused him so much pain with one slap, Pan closed in and kicked the unsuspecting man clean in his back. Mo Kekko was sent flying forwards uncontrollably over the edge of the ring, crashing heavily into one of the stand barriers and falling to the ground with a thud.
The crowds were silent with disbelief, many, many pairs of eyes wide and jaws gaping open. Had she...?
"G-Good heavens!" The announcer cried suddenly becoming animated again, rushing over to the out-of-bounds contestant, checking for any signs of life. "Is he...? ...No, he's still breathing! Mo Kekko is outta the ring, Pan wins and advances to the next stage of the tournament!"
The crowds, shaky at first, started to roar with joy as little Pan wandered back towards the waiting room singing to herself. Many had put her freakishly tough strength down to her being Mr Satan's granddaughter and Videl's daughter, cheering her on as the small girl skipped back to her family and friends chanting; "Number one! Number one! Number one!"
"P-Pan!" Mr Satan suddenly burst into the waiting room stumbling over his feet a little, "Are you hurt?" He asked anxiously looking at his granddaughter for any signs of injury. She appeared to be ok but had her opponent been terrifying for her to face? Was she going to cry from the emotion of it all?
"Nope," Pan shook her head with a smile.
"Why would she be hurt?" Trunks snorted rolling his eyes, irritated by the man's over-protectiveness and powers of underestimation. His granddaughter was made of far tougher stuff than he gave credit for!
"That was the best fight ever, Pan!" Chuka rushed up to her friend eyes beaming wide and fists clenched tightly, "You kicked that big, scary giant-man into the wall! I bet that was scary."
"That was quite a sight to see, well done Pan," Goku placed a hand on his granddaughter's head and ruffled her hair.
"Thanks," Pan beamed proudly.
Goku rose back to full height and glanced over his shoulder to face the young boy in the corner, who for the most part seemed to be minding his own business, though Goku's glance caught his eye. "Looks like we're next," Goku smiled, a little surprised when little Uub almost jumped out of his skin.
"R-Right," The timid boy stepped forward, flinching a little as Goku held out one hand. Cautiously he looked at the man's hand before he eventually took it, seemingly sensing no malice of any kind, "N-Nice to meet you." He bashfully smiled.
"Let's begin the second match: Son Goku vs. Uub." The announcer called.
The two contestants left the waiting room and stepped out into the stadium and into the overwhelming roar of the cheering crowds, though the cries were not as loud as the previous match as both contestants were more-or-less unknown competitors. As they walked the announcer gave a little information about the two contestants:
"Son Goku is a master martial artist who has entered this competition many times and even been champion. Personally I think he is the finest competitor this year! You can look forward to an exciting match between Son Goku and Mr Satan's protégé Mr Buu.
"Uub is ten years old and comes from a southern tropical island. He is the oldest of five siblings who works hard to take care of his brothers and sisters. He has entered the tournament for the prize money!"
'Poor kid, having to go up against Goku in the first match...' Corset frowned. Even if he was supposed to be the reincarnation of the evil Buu, he was just a ten-year-old boy; who was to say he'd be anything special? Only this battle would tell.
The drums started, stopping as the gong sounded.
"Let the match begin!"
Corset made her way around the large board centred in the entrance to the arena, peering through the gap between it and the wall. The murmurs of the crowds meant she couldn't hear Goku or Uub talking – Goku's mouth was moving but she couldn't lip read. Uub seemed tense and nervous at first but his body soon loosened for a moment, tensing up again although this time with anger as Goku turned and began slapping his own backside at the boy.
"What's he doing?" She groaned uncomfortably, trying to stifle a laugh.
"...They're just talking?" Trunks muttered a little confused. Why were they not fighting?
Then suddenly Goku leapt forwards, kicking the boy across the face; the large amount of ki put into the kick startling Corset. Astonishingly Uub was knocked back on one foot, head tilted back slightly. He slowly glared at his opponent, shouting something as he charged and attacked. Uub's foot swung out, connecting with Goku's blocking arm. The atmosphere and the arena shuddered under the impact, Corset's mouth gaped open in shock at the sheer power she suddenly felt from Uub. It was like a river overwhelming its banks and flowing uncontrollably! The only other time she'd ever sensed anything like this was against Buu. Indeed he was who Goku claimed; he definitely must have been Buu's reincarnation. She kept her eyes peeled as Goku narrowly dodged Uub's uppercut, backflipping across the arena, Uub in pursuit.
The sparring continued, Goku now on the attack. Although the punches from the Saiyan were definitely not being held back on, Uub was enduring them incredibly well and barely took a step back after several strikes dealt in one go. Goku wasn't making any move to transform from the looks of things, perhaps to keep it on an even playing field and to test Uub's powers? As it was Uub eventually started to counter, Goku teleporting around the arena, as did Uub. It was becoming quickly impossible for any human to keep up with the fight.
"I don't believe it!" Goten choked.
"This kid is matching your dad!" Trunks exclaimed. "You don't suppose this is the tough guy your dad was talking about, do you?"
Uub emerged behind Goku; the seasoned Saiyan grabbing the boy's arm and evading the punch, Uub now caught behind him. The Saiyan leapt up high into the sky, Uub still in tow, and tossed Uub straight for the arena floor. Uub flailed as he panicked and with a terrific rumble he was sent pile-driving through the tiles of the arena floor with a heavy crash. A small tower of white dust scattered up fifty feet into the air.
"He's dead!" Chuka shrieked horrified.
"No..." Trunks shook his head watching the cloud of dust rising carefully. Everyone who could sense ki was keeping their eyes on the arena floor looking and sensing for signs of life and hints of what was about to happen.
"... He's gathering his ki," Goten mumbled astonished.
The concerned murmurs of the crowds were easy to ignore; there was an untamed ki bubbling at the centre of that hole, trying to burst free...
Uub's head popped up from the tiles, coughing and apparently unscathed. He didn't seem to be able to release himself from the arena which held him in place.
"... He's amazingly resilient..." Corset murmured stunned. He was nothing like the human he was supposed to be, let alone being a human boy. If Goku's theory was correct then this boy would prove to be a formidable opponent indeed. He was the reincarnation of Buu...
Goku landed on the arena metres from his opponent, wandering over until he towered over him. He peered over Uub, teasing him a little with a "nya-hah!" The taunt worked and the ground shuddered as the boy's arms broke free, pulling himself from the small hole in the tiled floor. He quickly resumed the fist-fight with the Saiyan, quickly matching up to Goku's fast-paced punches and even starting to counter.
The scales soon tipped. Goku's leg came down heavily to the boy's head but instead of being struck down, Uub blocked it off with both hands shielding himself.
"That kid's learning how to fight while he's fighting," Vegeta realised.
"Just like Buu did," Corset nodded worried. At this rate Goku would be in trouble. This was a match she had thought he'd win – ten years prior he had defeated the little Buu and had been training ever since – now she wasn't as sure as before. Uub's power was increasing with every second, Goku having to raise the power into his own attacks and speed to keep up with him. Punches were causing the arena to crack under the pressure; the crowds watching in pure awe as the two fighters dulled it out.
"S-Stop! You'll destroy the stadium and the ring!" Mr Satan cried terrified.
Goku was finding himself having to work harder to keep Uub at bay, slowly being pushed to defending himself rather than attacking as he had been previously. Finally Uub caught lucky. He slipped through Goku's defences and began to beat the Saiyan around the stomach. One heavy strike sent Goku flying and crashing across the tiled stage onto his face; Uub grabbing him by the ankles and spinning him around, tossing the Saiyan skywards. Uub sprang up after his opponent, passing him in seconds as he drew both hands back.
"This is for what you said earlier!" The boy screamed throwing his cupped fists clean into Goku's back. The Saiyan shot back to the floor, colliding with the arena and vanishing into a plume of dust which engulfed the stadium. A large and noticeable dent had been made in his ki signal.
"Gran'pa!" Pan cried rushing forwards into the stadium arena, her concern for her grandfather's wellbeing causing her to disregard the rules about not interfering in the match.
"It's too dangerous!" Mr Satan yelled as he dashed out and pinned his granddaughter between himself and the ground. He managed to keep Pan down and she kept two worried eyes on the arena waiting for her other grandfather to emerge.
"That looked like it hurt," Chuka frowned nervously.
Corset watched cautiously waiting for Goku to emerge as the dust cleared; Uub landing on his feet safely, peering over the ledge of the hole. There was no doubt about it; Uub was definitely kid Buu reincarnated. His ki was wild and he had little control over it but he was powerful, very powerful. Corset wondered how she'd fair up against him in a match... gulping and clearing the idea from her head when she remembered Goku was currently struggling. If Goku was finding it challenging then what hope did anyone else have against this kid?
'Will he transform here?' She wondered. She was sure the memory of the strange, blond-haired people present at the Cell Games seventeen years ago wasn't completely dead from people's minds. If he transformed, would people recognise him?
The ground began to shake under their feet, pushing a stunned Uub back a couple of steps. Fragments of the arena floor started to rise up as Goku's ki flared higher and higher. Uub watched wide-eyed as Goku broke free from the hole he'd been trapped in, jumping out and landing on two feet.
"He's alive!" Chuka smiled in relief, wandering over to Pan and Mr Satan.
Goku cricked his neck a couple of times, mumbling something to Uub before putting his guard up, Uub seemed to be surprised and at a loss for words judging by his initial lack of reaction. Hurriedly the boy put up his defences as the Saiyan leapt forward, the sparring continued. Through Uub's defences Goku struck throwing one leg down onto Uub's shoulder; the boy was sent slamming onto the tiled floor, dispersing some of the more fragile pieces as he landed.
Almost instantly he slowly rose to his feet, almost brushing off the hit as if it were nothing, alarming the many spectators capable of sensing energy. That strike had not been weak by any standards; Uub was growing stronger and learning how to fight. He was a dangerous opponent to be faced against.
"... Can grandpa win?" Pan asked worried, not really noticing Mr Satan had released her from his grasp.
"... I'm not sure, Pan..." Mr Satan frowned.
Uub's rage began to bubble over once again. The boy's ki started to rise dramatically, a ki aura suddenly engulfing his body as he screamed: "I won't lose!" A bolt of invisible ki suddenly burst free from his body, knocking Goku back off his feet and over towards the edge of the ring. Goku held tight to his footing, seemingly unaware Uub was charging straight for him-
Uub came to a nervous halt inches from the ring edge, a large grin on his face as he went to assess the situation and see his opponent's fate. Confusion quickly hit and he began to look around for Goku who was nowhere to be seen... or at least not by normal human eyes. His friends and majority of his family who could sense ki knew exactly where the Saiyan fighter was.
A couple of startled cries from the crowds alerted the others who hadn't spotted him.
Goku hovered metres above the arena. His clothes were a little tattered from Uub's kiai strike but he didn't seem to have taken any real damage. A smile was etched across his face as he looked down at his startled foe. Uub was still searching for him. His eyes looked skywards and his jaw dropped wide in shock. "You can fly?" Uub gasped astounded.
Corset watched as Goku descended and landed upon the staging area. Her first assumption was soon squashed as Goku began to chat to Uub, the boy looking perplexed and bewildered by the conversation. He seemed to be conversing rather than continuing the fight. Had he come to a revelation or something that the others didn't know? His next action baffled her and several others further. To their shock Goku flew over towards the officials' viewing box where the others of their group were watching from.
"What's gran'pa doing?" Pan asked, rushing towards her grandfather despite Mr Satan's protests as once again he latched onto her in a bid to stop her.
"Let her go..." Goten ushered to the martial artist, "She'll be fine." Mr Satan digressed and let go of his granddaughter who rushed out a little ways over to the ring.
"... What's your dad doing?" Trunks asked turning to Goten who merely shrugged his shoulders.
Corset listened as carefully as she could, trying to pick out what she could from the murmuring she could hear. It wasn't easy considering the interfering noises coming from everywhere else. If only Piccolo had entered the tournament, then he could have told them all what he was hearing because of his acute sense of hearing.
"...leaving to train Uub..." Goku was heard saying amidst the mutterings of the crowd.
Her eyes widened in surprise. Was that right? Was Goku planning to leave? No, that couldn't be it. There had to be another explanation for it... right?
Goku then made his way over to her and the others, feet touching the ground and ridding him of any possible victory in the tournament.
"What's going on?" Goten asked.
"Hey guys, I'm gonna be leaving to train Uub," Goku explained cheerfully.
"You're leaving?" Goten gasped.
"Gran'pa!" Pan rushed up towards her grandfather, a horrified look on her face. Goku lifted the teary-eyed girl up into his arms.
"Hey, what's wrong, Pan?"
"Is it true what you said? Are you leaving?" Pan asked hiccupping slightly.
"Yeah," Goku nodded a little reluctant now he was face-to-face with his granddaughter, knowing what her temper was like. She played up just as he had expected.
"No! I don't want that!" Pan bawled loudly, throwing her arms around wildly before latching tightly to her grandfather. "I don't want you to go!"
"H-Hey, don't cry Pan, grandpa won't be gone forever," Goku patted her on the head. "I'll come visit."
"You promise?" Pan asked stifling another tear-induced wail.
"I promise," Goku nodded. "Now don't cry..."
The girl wiped away her tears and nodded.
Goku turned to Trunks, Goten and Corset, "Listen, Uub's gonna need a teacher and I won't be around forever. It's up to you guys now to keep on training and to defend the Earth from anything that comes. Uub will look to you guys for support when the time comes."
Corset nodded alongside her brother and Goten. She heeded Goku's words to his sobbing granddaughter; she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Pan who didn't know her grandfather as much as she thought she did. Knowing Goku it would be a long time before any of them would see him again; it had been five years since he'd even met up with all his friends. The harsh reality would break her heart but Goku was Goku, even with his flaws he was still the greatest fighter and protector she'd ever known. He'd been a beacon of light to her whenever things had gotten too tough and she'd felt like giving up; he'd always seemed to make everything feel alright in the end. His disappearance from their lives would be noticeable and he would be missed.
"Sorry Vegeta," Goku mumbled to his rival. "I know you wanted to fight me here at the Budokai; I'm sorry I dragged you out here for nothing."
"It's fine," Vegeta smirked. "There's no way either of us could fight to our full potential here. When we fight, we'll need a whole planet for an arena."
"Ain't that the truth?" Goku chuckled before turning, one hand up as he waved. "See ya."
The Saiyan levitated over towards Uub, the young boy climbing onto his back. In a flash Goku took off, Uub in tow, into the distance.
"Uh, Goku! Uub!" The announcer called baffled and left in the dark. "What about the match?"
"Bye-bye, Gran'pa!" Pan waved, a baffled Chuka waving silently beside her. "Come visit soon!"
Corset watched as Goku vanished off into the distance, her thoughts focusing on the family he was leaving. No doubt in the waiting room Chichi was having a fit or had fainted. Gohan had gained and lost his father many times before so was probably used to dealing with his mother's outbursts. Goku'd always done as he'd pleased during times of peace, always finding an excuse to do what he wanted. Leaving his family to train a boy was a new one.
"You think Dad's really gonna be able to train Uub?" Goten asked.
"I guess..." Trunks nodded. "Weird how he's gone off to train him. Your dad's pretty strange Goten, even if it is to protect the Earth."
"... You're wrong... This isn't about protecting the Earth..." Vegeta responded with a smirk. "I know the truth... The real reason he's gone to fight. He's a Saiyan, it's in his blood."
Corset looked at her father, then down at her own daughter and Pan. A smile appeared on her face; perhaps had an inkling of what her father was talking about. Was it really to train up the next generation... or was it the challenge of getting to fight with such a formidable opponent?
"Bye Goku," she whispered.