xSonallyGirl129x: Thank you for the feedback, I'm glad to see you're enjoying the story. Also, in regards to Kai, the vibe I want him to give off was along the lines of Vegeta from DBZ Abridged, which will be much more prominent now, with a little bit of Deadpool sprinkled in just for fun. Yes the pink shirt was just too good to pass up. I did consider doing a Future Goten in this fic, but in the end I decided on doing Future Gohan since I believe that someone who has all of the memories of his time with the Z Fighters would have more of an emotional impact instead of just their student or child. I haven't exactly worked out a plan for the likes of Upa or Nail just yet, but I'll make sure that they stick around at least for a little while. All in all, I'm glad to see you like my story so far and I hope I continue to meet your expectations.
Guest: I'm glad to see you enjoy my story. I have heard of Kuriza a few times before, and while I admit that the idea of incorporating him into my story would be interesting, I'm not sure if I have a good enough grasp of the character to make that work properly. I'll do some research on the character later on and see if I can make it work, but just know that if I do decide to include him, it won't be at least until around the time of the Majin Buu saga.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The warrior from the future, actually Son Gohan from the future, had come and gone after leaving his dire warning, and now our heroes had gone their separate ways.
Unfortunately, a few of them would find some… roadblocks, case and point.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
And by roadblocks, I mean this.
"YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!" Chichi shrieked at the top of her lungs "You think I'll stand for this?! Well you're wrong, I will not let you interfere with my baby's education! Am I the only one who's concerned about preparing our son for the future?! Why do you think I bought him a sleep study bed and those learning tapes?! And now you have the gall to tell me that you wanna take him away to train again?! You must be out of your mind! As for you and those other two morons I couldn't care less."
"But I already told you Chichi, if we're going to beat these androids then we're going to need Gohan's help." Goku told her "I know education is important, really I do, but 3 years from now the whole planet will be in big trouble."
"What else is new? Don't talk to me about education when you haven't had one job or made one zeni the whole entire time we've been married, I just feel like I've been raising our son all by myself."
"...Yeah I guess it does kind of sound pretty bad doesn't it? But Gohan wants to go and he's ready to fight, just ask him yourself. He is the one who beat that Slug guy after all."
"Yeah I know, it's part of the reason why we keep having to deal with the psychotic little demon that is Yamcha's nephew." Chichi let out a sigh "Look Goku I know that I come off as books in and books out all the time and I might have some anger management issues, but ever since we've been married we've been surviving off prize money, welfare and my father's money. What I want is for Gohan to have what it takes to make something better for himself than what we can give him. I know that despite being insanely intimidating I can't stop him but I want to make this clear, this is his last fight. After this he focuses on his studies and that's all there is to that, you got it?"
"Yeah I gotcha." Goku gave a small smile.
"But let me warn you now that if he fights and gets hurt or god forbid dies and you or any of your friends could've saved him… there is no dragon in this universe that will save you from my wrath." the smile was wiped away and replaced with a look of pure fear.
"...Yeah okay. Do you feel something warm and wet trailing down your pants too or is that just me?"
"Go change your pants before it gets onto the floor."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Tarble and Raditz observed the conversation from afar "I suppose there are some forces in the universe that even a Super Saiyan can't hope to overpower."
Raditz nodded grimly "I only knew her for one day and it only took me that long to figure out that that's one battle Kakarot will never be able to win."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Dr Briefs on the other hand was taken aback by the request Kai had made to him "Wait hold on a second, you want me to build you a 500g training room?"
Kai nodded "That's about the sum of it yeah, no less than that. I already know every detail of how Goku and the Triclops trained at 100x gravity on their way to Planet Namek, if I'm gonna surpass a Super Saiyan I have to go as far beyond that as I possibly can."
"But you can't handle that, you're just a kid!"
"Then I'll force myself to."
"You'd be crapping out your own spine!"
"Yeah I know, the challenge excites me. Just look at my nipples. LOOK AT THEM!" he flared his aura for emphasis.
"Alright alright, if you're so adamant about it then I'll build you your ship. What's the worst that could happen?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Piccolo glanced up from his meditation to see Gohan standing in front of him "I was wondering just when you would come."
"I knew that I could find you here." Gohan noted "Piccolo you and I both know that if we don't give it our all for the next three years, what my future self told us will come to pass. I can't let that happen. You need to get a lot stronger, and I need to hone my Super Saiyan form as much as I possibly can."
"I've been anticipating this for a few weeks now, so I'm going to take that scrawny body of yours and whip it into shape."
"And that's exactly what I'm counting on."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Master Roshi stroked his beard as he sat down in front of the TV in Kame House with a mug of beer in his hand "I have to admit I never thought I would see the day, you of all people taking on your own student Goku. You really have come a long way."
"Well I had a good teacher to get me started." Goku gave a shrug "But to be honest part of it is because I feel guilty for what happened to his planet, and another part is because I kind of want to be able to experience first hand just how far he's gonna go. Either way I just wanna know exactly how I can do right by the kid."
"You can't control everything that goes on in life Goku, and unfortunately you can't save everyone everywhere." Master Roshi locked eyes with Goku, his expression deadly serious as shown in only rare moments Anyway I want you to listen carefully, because I'm only going to tell you this once. I've lived longer than you can comprehend and I learned from my Master Mutaito the essence of controlling and properly maintaining Ki with efficiency many many years ago. From what you tell me how far this young Saiyan has come is impressive, but he's not as physically strong as you which means that he has smaller Ki reserves than you do. In order to increase his Ki reserves, you have to build his body past its limitations and surpass them, and once you've figured out his limitations you have to be sure to tell him that they have much more potential than they believe they do and that they have to push even harder in order to reach that potential."
Goku pondered this information for a moment before getting back to his feet "I think I'm getting what you're saying Master Roshi, thank you."
"I wouldn't thank me just yet, I forgot half of what I just said." this caused Goku to fall to the ground in a comical fashion "But in all seriousness, don't push him to take any steps you don't feel he's ready for."
"I understand."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The rain was pouring down over the wasteland.
Gohan charged at Piccolo at full speed, the milky white aura of his base form flaring higher and higher with each passing second 'I can see his attacks coming so clearly!'
"Don't let down your guard, just because you can see my attacks doesn't mean that you'll be able to do any damage!" Piccolo wasted no time in dodging, weaving and parrying around every punch and kick being thrown at him, and he attempted to kick Gohan's legs out from under him in order to throw him off balance.
Gohan leapt over the kick and dealt Piccolo a sharp kick to the face before retreating away to gain some distance.
"So that's where you're at in terms of pure skill at the moment. I'll be honest with you, a few days ago Goku paid me a visit."
"And he said what exactly?"
"About what I expected him to say, he asked for details on what happened with Slug and how you went Super Saiyan. He's gonna be taking his time for now with training up that new apprentice of his Tarble, and then he's gonna try and buff Raditz up to his level too."
"And what did he say when he got what he wanted to know?"
"He said it sounded like you handled yourself pretty well on your own, but at the same time he confirmed just how much latent power you have locked away inside of you that you've yet to completely tap into. The first thing I did after that was have him get me some Senzu Beans for us to use while I whip you into the best shape that we can over these next three years." he threw the bag in question to the side "You should be glad that I got these Senzu Beans, from here on out I'm kicking things up a few notches Gohan."
"I wouldn't expect anything less. I'm more than ready for you Piccolo, if we're gonna beat these androids then I need to get stronger than I've ever been before." Gohan flared his white aure once more, and with a mighty roar he burst forward, launching a furious barrage of punches and kicks.
Piccolo dodged and weaved his way around Gohan's attacks, earning a few cuts and bruises in the process, but eventually he found an opening and managed to slug Gohan clear in the gut, sending him skidding backwards "You're not the only one aiming to get stronger for what's coming."
"Yeah well…" Gohan pulled himself to his feet and spat out some blood "I say is that all you've got?"
"You're eager, I'll beat that out of you soon enough."
"We'll see about that."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Goku touched down with Tarble in a remote area in the already remote Arctic "Alright here we are, this oughta be a good place to get started."
Tarble didn't look exactly convinced "I don't mean any disrespect sensei, but why would you choose the arctic?"
"You're fine, that armor will be enough to keep your nipples from getting rigid. Forget I said that, the armor will be enough to keep you warm."
"I understand that, they have built in butt heaters but there are more deserts on this planet than I can count so why would you choose the arctic?"
"So that's why my butt felt hot while I was fighting Turles. Anyway you're not always gonna be able to fight with what we're used to, so we've gotta be able to adjust to colder climates." he held up a bag of Senzu Beans "And these are gonna be more than enough for us to get by for a good long while."
"Even with as much as you eat?"
"I'm not sure if any of the others know this but one of these bad boys will keep a normal person full for at least ten days."
"And for us?"
"About 2 hours."
"Fair enough I guess."
"You'd better be sure to be careful while we're here, the temperature is at least 20 below 0 and the high altitude makes the air twice as thin as what you're used to, though the gravity is only about 1/10th of what you're used to."
"Planet Tech Tech actually had the same gravity as this planet so I've adjusted to it painlessly over the years."
"Well that makes things easier but all the same I think we should get to work right away, keep in mind that this is the main reason why we're here."
"Right." Tarble discarded his armor to give himself some more room to move, but he quickly felt the effects of the cold climate "I didn't think it would get so cold so fast."
"I don't do the cold training very often but sometimes it's a nice wakeup call, and sure it takes some getting used to if you've never done it before but your body will adjust so you don't have to worry."
"R-Right." Tarble quickly tried to steel himself, but considering how cold it was he could barely stop himself from shivering.
"Okay so first off the first thing we need to work on is getting you to go Super Saiyan like me and my son Gohan can do."
"A Super Saiyan, as in the legendary golden form you used to defeat both Frieza and Turles and how your son defeated Lord Slug?"
"All monologues aside, pretty much yeah."
"But I don't know Sensei, do you really believe I'd be able to?"
"Well yeah sure, I mean Gohan and I both did it so I don't really see any reason why you shouldn't be able to. We'll spend some time while we're here teaching you how to transform and then I'll do the same with Raditz and the three of us will be able to get into the real training from then on."
"Well I guess but what about you sensei, if you spend all of your time training me then won't you be held back?"
"It might at first, but that doesn't matter." Goku gripped Tarble by the shoulders in a comforting manner "Tarble just listen to me for a second, once you do manage to go Super Saiyan that will really help to speed things up for all of us. Just imagine how much harder you're gonna be able to push me and Raditz when you spar with us. Trust me you can do this, you've just gotta believe in yourself okay?"
"...Okay sensei, I understand."
"Good. So we've got about three years to train before the androids show up, I'm gonna make myself stronger than I ever dreamed of being. As for you, well by the time we wrap this up you might even end up being stronger than I am."
"Stronger than you sensei? But that's crazy, there's just no way."
"It's anything but crazy, it's my dream for you Tarble and I'm gonna make sure that it comes true someday."
"I… I don't know… I just don't think I have it in me, what about what your son from the future told us? For all we know I might have been a Super Saiyan in his timeline and I died because of the androids."
"I get that but that really doesn't have to do with anything anymore, our timeline is already kind of different from that one since he's the one who beat Frieza and King Cold. Besides that right there is exactly what this fight is about, making a difference. You already are by coming with me and training."
"Y-Yeah I guess so."
"Now it's all a matter of putting in the work."
"...Alright sensei, I promise I'll try. Let's get started."
"Good that's the spirit Tarble, but I should warn you in advance that I'm gonna be a lot tougher on you than I have been up to this point. Do you think you can take it?"
"I guess we'll find out soon enough."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The rain poured down from the skies above.
Gohan was soon sent crashing to the ground with a loud crash, but he wasted no time in pulling himself back to his feet and readying himself for another round "I'm not done… not yet… I have to get stronger… to protect my friends… to protect my family… I have to get stronger… so much stronger…"
Piccolo studied the look in Gohan's eyes intently for a moment, but then he just shook his head in disapproval "All I see is you psyching yourself up and making yourself far too over eager for your own good."
"What?"
"Gohan if you just tell yourself that you have to win then it isn't training, it's pointless. You have to willingly face the reality of the situation and do the real work involved with it, if you can't tap into your true power then all of the motivation in the world won't be enough to protect your friends and your family."
Gohan's expression was one of horror.
"Having something that you want to protect can make you stronger, that much is true, but when your emotions dominate your reason and cloud your judgement they can become more of a hindrance than a help. You want your emotions to complement your strength rather than just compensate for it, if you're too desperate to win and if love makes you afraid then you won't be able to assess the situation from a logical standpoint, which will cause you to misjudge the abilities of your opponent and that will cause you to lose."
"So… So that's it then… that's what I've been doing wrong…" furious with his own lack of clarity and understanding, Gohan let out a roar of pure rage as his aura flared wildly.
"There's no such thing as a fight that you can't lose, if we lose this fight then that means that our future will end up just like the one of your other selves. That is a fact that you have to accept and come to terms with it, then and only then will you be able to prevail."
"Right, I understand Piccolo."
"You can do this Gohan, I have faith that you'll overcome these obstacles and in time you're going to surpass every single one of us. I believe in you, but now you have to believe in yourself."
"Piccolo… thank you, I promise I won't let you down."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Meanwhile, on planet Cold Planet 12…
Two figures sat in a cell, one having purple skin and horns and the other having a humanoid appearance with red hair, both of them heavily injured as well "Well this didn't work as well as I had hoped."
"Recoome admits that attempting to appeal to King Cold for sanctuary seemed like a better idea in Recoome's head." yeah that's right, it was Recoome and Ginyu, both of them still alive after the events of Planet Namek.
"Well considering what happened on Namek what else could we do, even if we ran they'd track us down like a pack of stray dogs."
"Are the rumors true captain, about a Saiyan killing Frieza and Cold?"
"Who knows, but even if they are we won't live to see the next ruler take the throne. At least this way the Ginyu Force will be reunited in the afterlife."
"There is no Ginyu Force without our companions."
"Agreed, we just have to accept our fates with pride and dignity." it was at this moment that the door to their cell opened.
And who should be standing on the other side but Cooler himself, looking down at them with an unreadable expression "So it would seem that my information was correct, the two of you did survive Planet Namek."
"Are you here to kill both of us for being Frieza's lap dogs?"
"Quite the opposite actually, I'm here to recruit the two of you. As I'm sure both of you have heard by now, my father and Frieza are both dead."
"Do you plan to seize power?"
"I plan to stabilize the empire and become the ruler that the universe needs, a natural born leader with an iron will to match an iron fist, one who's willing to do the right thing to become a just leader. You could have places at my side, if you do so then I may very well be able to reunite the two of you with your fallen companions." this prompted Ginyu and Recoome to share an unsure look.
"...We're listening."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The days continued to pass.
"Come on, come on, come on!" Tarble's blue aura flared wildly and the ground beneath him began to crack, but the golden shade never appeared, and he dropped to his knees from exhaustion.
Goku let out a sigh and shook his head "No that's still not it, all you're doing is burning off excess energy. Listen to me Tarble, the key to becoming a Super Saiyan is about being able to tap into anger, one of those things that happens in the heat of the moment. You just have to really let yourself snap."
"No disrespect sensei but I can't just get angry on command like that. That was more of the thing of my brother and father."
"Oh believe me I know, I took a gigantic monkey foot to the face a few times back when he and I fought." Goku pondered his next possible course of action for a few minutes before an idea struck him "How about this, try to imagine me or someone else you care about getting killed by someone like Frieza or his father. That might get you angry enough."
"Well maybe but, sensei I've never actually seen Frieza or his father in person before. Do you think it would be easier if I just visualize Turles or something."
"Well I didn't wanna push you to do something that you weren't ready for."
"I have to do this sensei, and so I will." Tarble closed his eyes and almost instantly the images began to come back to him, of Turles and his men rampaging the planet, of the bodies lying across the ground, of his own helplessness, and this was the push that he needed for his aura to flash gold, but that was all that happened, and once the gold flash subsided he dropped to his knees in exhaustion "I… I couldn't do it…"
"No you did a good job on that one, I never said you had to get it on your first try. Just take it easy Tarble, we have plenty of time while we're out here."
"I… I know, but…" and then he passed out from exhaustion.
Goku caught him before he hit the ground and put him on his back 'Poor guy, the colder climate and the thin air takes a lot of getting used to. Frankly I'm surprised that they didn't take a toll on him sooner, they're a lot for anyone to come to terms with and the fact that he fought it off for as long as he did. I've gotta get him to pace himself if he's gonna get this without getting himself killed, I guess this is where the advice I got from Master Roshi is really gonna come in handy with this kid. He's got way more heart than I did at his age, I'd better put it too good use once he wakes up.'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Really let yourself snap!"
"Really let yourself snap!"
"REALLY LET YOURSELF SNAP!"
"I'M TRYING!" Tarble's eyes snapped open and he bolted upright, only to quickly calm himself down and look around at his surroundings "What… When did I even fall asleep? Sensei, sensei where are you?" he glanced out the window.
Goku was standing on the beach in his Super Saiyan form, his golden aura flaring high as he cupped his hands at his side "Ka… Me… Ha… Me… HA!" he fired off a full power Super Kamehameha at the ocean, creating a massive wave that nearly drenched the entire island in seawater.
"Sensei!" Tarble leapt out the window and rushed over towards him "Sensei that was amazing, are you okay?"
"Just a little bit damp, but what are you doing up Tarble? I thought you were still asleep inside Kame House."
"Well not on purpose, I'm sorry if I passed out on you sensei."
"Hey now don't worry about that, you're still adjusting to harsher training conditions like colder climates and thinner air so frankly I'd be surprised if the extreme conditions didn't take a toll on you at some point. They're a lot for anyone to come to terms with, let alone someone who isn't used to fighting. You've gotta be willing to pace yourself, don't do anything you're not ready for if you wanna get anywhere. If you have to rest then that's nothing to be ashamed of."
"No sensei, I've rested enough and it's not going to make me stronger. I'm ready to keep training with you, I have to keep going, I'm not going to quit until I become a Super Saiyan like you and your son do sensei."
"...Well let me tell you this Tarble, I wish I had half as much heart as you've got right now when I was your age. Come on then, let's head back to the arctic and get started again."
"Right!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The rain overhead was now being accompanied by a thunder roaring across the skies drowning out any other noises.
Gohan and Piccolo floated overhead, the former's milky white aura flaring wildly as he was panting heavily 'This is way more intense than I was expecting, and that's exactly what I needed.'
"I think it's safe to say that we've both warmed up enough." Piccolo wasted no time in removing his weighted cape and turban "Now come at me with everything you've got, but don't transform just yet. Restrain yourself until the moment is just right."
"I understand." with a quick roar, Gohan flared his white aura even higher.
"You're already strong Gohan, that much I'm aware of, but the problem is that you have another weakness and unless you're able to overcome it you won't last for very long against the androids whether you're a Super Saiyan or not and if you do lose then this world won't be very far behind you."
"What weakness is that exactly?"
"Don't think I'm gonna give it away so easily, I'm gonna show it to you."
"Fair enough then." and so the two of them charged at each other, colliding with each other in an explosive fashion, trading even blows with neither of them getting any leeway over the other, at least not until Gohan dealt Piccolo a sharp kick to the face, sending him hurtling towards the ground.
Piccolo rebounded before he hit the ground, blitzed behind Gohan and quickly aimed a knee at the back of his head.
Gohan blocked the knee and aimed a kick at Piccolo's head.
Piccolo leapt over the attack and aimed a Ki beam from two fingers, creating a massive fissure in the ground "I did mention I was taking off the gloves. I call it my Demon Fissure Wave, based it off of the technique Frieza used back on Namek. But it doesn't beat the classics, this technique for example." he used his extending arms to catch Gohan in a chokehold that he couldn't get out of "What's the matter Gohan, come on you can't seriously tell me that's all that you've got! You can't blame me when you black out!"
"I'm… I'm not giving up… Not yet!" he tried to force himself free, but quickly found his vision growing blurry "Piccolo… when did you… how did you get so strong?"
"Did you really think that I was sitting on my hands all this time while your mother had your head smothered in books?" and then he tightened his grip, which finally caused Gohan to lose consciousness, but he quickly revived him with a Ki blast to the chest "Alright Gohan, it's over now. I know you're strong, we all know that you're strong, but now I'm starting to think that you might lack the heart of a true warrior. But if there's a chance to win then you have to be able to close the deal, this is something that I'm hoping to deal with before it gets out of hand. Power usually leads to one thing, arrogance, which I think it's safe to say you experienced first hand time and time again with enemies like the Saiyans and Frieza. People like them were born with that kind of power but at the same time they enjoyed it far too much, instead of using their strength to win their arrogance left them open to being defeated by people like your father or the others. If you let yourself succumb to that then you'll lose no matter how much power you may have."
"Piccolo…"
"You have to be a true warrior, when you face your opponent you have to fight with everything you've got."
"...Alright Piccolo I understand what you're saying, I'm not going to let you down again, not this time." Gohan let out a roar and flared his aura even higher.
"You know damn well that's not what I want to see from you Gohan! Show me the power that you had when you fought against Lord Slug, I want you to show me the fighter that you truly are!"
"You wanna see my full power Piccolo?! Then fine!" and so with a roar that drowned out even the thunder across the skies, Gohan's golden aura flared into life in such a manner that it blew away the storm clouds and revealed the bright blue sky hiding behind them. When the light subsided, it revealed Gohan in his Super Saiyan form "So how about it Piccolo, do you like what you see?"
"Perfect, now we're getting somewhere."
"Well good because I should warn you, I'm not gonna hold back any longer. I'm coming at you with everything I've got."
"I would be insulted if you didn't." Piccolo wasted no time in creating dozens upon dozens of clones of himself.
"Cloning huh, making things interesting."
"That's right!" all of the clones charged forward.
Gohan wasted no time in taking out all of the clones with one hit each, dodging and deflecting every attack being thrown at him, and when he finally found the real one he dealt him a sharp kick to the side, sending him hurtling across the skies "Oh my gosh Piccolo, I'm so sorry I didn't mean for that to happen!"
"Don't be sorry, that's exactly what I was looking for." Piccolo de-materialized all of his clones but chose not to regenerate his arm "If you can fight like this against the androids then I say they don't stand a chance."
"Piccolo… thank you." he whipped around and blasted the arm that was about to blast him from behind "Trying to prove another point?"
"I wanted to see if you could close the deal, I guess I was worried over nothing, this time at least."
"Meaning what exactly?"
"It's the same thing that happened when you fought against Lord Slug, when you first awakened your Super Saiyan form you charged him in a blind rage but at the same time it caused you to drop your guard which allowed him to get the advantage so me and the others had to step in and help you. That sort of thing isn't entirely your fault, your father often makes that same identical mistake, but make sure that you don't forget to stay focused and drop your arrogance, and be sure to keep up your guard until the enemy is defeated."
"Right, I understand Piccolo."
"Good, now let's go again."
"I'm ready when you are."
"Good, now then…"
"Dodge?"
"DODGE!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"I'LL WRECK YOUR WHOLE WORLD!" Tarble bolted out of his bed, only to quickly calm himself down when he saw Goku sitting by his bed "I passed out again didn't I? I'm really sorry sensei, I know I'm holding you and Raditz back from your own training. I promise I'll try harder next time."
"Hey come on Tarble take it easy." Goku patted him on the head "There's no need for you to be so hard on yourself, going Super Saiyan takes a lot of time and energy. No need for you to worry though, I'm sure you'll get there soon enough."
"O-Okay."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Nightfall came, and training had calmed down for at least the moment.
Gohan had started a fire and was now roasting a slab of meat he had cut from the tail of a certain familiar dinosaur "You know looking back I'm starting to feel bad for that dinosaur. You know I really have to thank you Piccolo, training with you is exactly what I need."
"Don't get soft on my just yet." Piccolo warned him "Your training has barely even gotten started."
"Wait what?"
"Listen to me Gohan, I know for a fact that what you tapped into is only a mere fraction of the power that you have locked inside of you. We were able to break through one wall and now it's time for us to find the next. You can't tell me that you're not curious, that you don't wanna know how strong you can truly become. You can't just settle for being better when you could be the best of the best." he held out his hand to Gohan "We've only been at it for about three months, we still have more than two full years before the androids reveal themselves. I say we take that time and put it to good use, you wanna be stronger than you've ever been don't you?"
"Stronger than I've ever been?" Gohan gripped Piccolo's hand tightly "I have to admit that's pretty exciting to me, I say let's do it. And you know since we're gonna be training together maybe we could come up with some combo moves too, how does that sound?"
"Combo moves huh? Alright I'm curious, let's see what we can come up with."
"All I needed to hear."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Training continued for days on end back in the arctic.
Goku sent Tarble flying across the glacier with a single kick and aimed a follow up knife hand attack at his face, but he pulled it back at the last second "Alright Tarble I think that's enough for now, let's take a little breather."
Tarble stared at Goku for a moment "No, not yet." he forced himself back to his feet and dropped back into his combat stance.
"Hey take it easy, no need to push yourself over your limit."
"If I don't then I won't get anywhere!" Tarble charged at him at full speed.
Goku dodged, blocked and deflected every attack being thrown at him by Tarble "Are you sure you wanna keep going? I'm not gonna push you for anything you're not ready for."
"You know Raditz did mention something about how he thought that I wouldn't be able to make much progress training under you."
"Well that's just mean."
"I thought so too, but now I think I understand why he meant that. He wasn't being malicious or a jerk, he was trying to tell me something and now I understand what that is. You're way too nice!" he fired off a Ki blast and a barrage of punches and kicks, none of which landed or did any damage "He said that you didn't have that edge, that you would be too gentle with me, and he was right!" he aimed another Ki blast "He was right all along, you've been taking it easy on me ever since we started training!"
Goku caught the Ki blast and threw it back at him.
"Listen to me sensei, I need you to come at me with everything you've got!"
"Tarble…"
"I need you to go all out with me with no hesitation, it doesn't matter if it might kill me because I need you to push me to the very limit! And if I can't take it then we'll know for sure, we'll know that I was never meant to become a Super Saiyan or be anything other than some pathetic weakling not worthy of calling himself a Saiyan!"
"...Alright Tarble, if that's what you want then I'll give it to you." Goku promptly flashed into Super Saiyan, the sheer force blowing Tarble off his feet, and he burst upwards into the air and cupped his hands at his side.
"I'm ready for this sensei, I have to go all or nothing." Tarble wasted no time in pulling himself back to his feet "This is what I want sensei, if I can't push myself to rise to the challenge then I know I'll never have what it takes to become a Super Saiyan, let alone surpass you!"
"Just remember, there's no going back from this. Ka… Me… Ha… Me… HA!" Goku then proceeded to fire off a full power Super Kamehameha down towards him.
Tarble braced himself and caught the blast with his hands, but he was quickly being pushed backwards 'I have to be strong… all of them are counting on me… I can't fail… I can't let all of them down…' and then the horrible realization hit him 'Like when Frieza destroyed my planet and my people, and I never even knew about it for years… or like when Turles and his Tree of Might destroyed Tech Tech and killed everyone… including Gure… My people needed me to protect them, but I was always too weak and too scared to do anything… They're dead because I was too weak, because I was the one who let them down… I was too weak!' the blast finally engulfed him, but at the same time his aura and hair turned a pure shade of gold, his eyes turning a bluish green, and with a massive increase in power he sent the blast hurtling into the air, disappearing into the upper atmosphere with a blinding explosion.
Goku powered down and returned to the ground to find Tarble as a Super Saiyan, his golden aura flaring almost uncontrollably "There now do you see Tarble, I could tell that you always had this in you. You did good Tarble but now I need you to calm your mind, to focus and bring your Ki under control."
Tarble let out a loud snarl as he tried to bring himself under control, and eventually he managed to do so and powered back down to his base form, sweat dripping down his face despite the cold climate.
"Nice work Tarble, that was a great job you did back there."
"Thank you… sensei… but it's… really hard… I couldn't… control it…"
"Hey stop beating yourself up, these things take a lot of time and energy. All you really need now is some practice with it."
"Maybe… not all of that…" and then he passed out.
"Poor guy, he's really overexerting himself." Goku heard a low growl and looked down at his stomach, and he let out a chuckle "And speaking of controlling things I think it's about time for us to head back and get some lunch." he pulled Tarble onto his back and took off back in the direction of Mount Paozu.
The only sound coming from Tarble at the moment was some light snoring, which earned a small smile from Goku.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Training was growing more and more intense by the day on another end.
Yamcha, Krillin and Upa were training high up in the snow covered mountains near North City, the former trying to build up the strength of the latter two "Alright you two get ready, we're bringing in the big guns now. Kaioken!" he quickly powered up his Kaioken, causing the cliffside they were on to crack, and he wasted no time in easily fending off various attacks from both Upa and Krilln, sending both of them crashing to the ground with two loud thuds "Not too bad you guys but you've both got a long way to go, but seeing as you're both face down in the dirt with no desire to get up can we just call it a day? I've got something that I've gotta get done for Bulma." he received two simultaneous groans and gave a fond smile 'Well sis I'm doing what I know you would want, I'm moving forward in life and making sure that I'm happy, as well as making sure that your son grows up to be strong in body, mind and spirit.'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Bulma was lounging in a chair outside of Capsule Corp reading a certain magazine 'You've been one hell of a naughty boy haven't you?' she glanced over to a certain ship sitting a short distance away and she scowled 'I just don't get it, how the hell could anyone, let alone a little kid even if it is Kai, just instantly start training at 350x gravity like it's nothing?'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sure enough, Kai's training was at 350x the gravity of Earth, and under that pressure he almost got incinerated by his own Ki blast, but he managed to counter it with another, though he was blown back into a wall by the strain he was feeling as well as the collision "No… I'm not done… not yet… I can do this… I have to do this… Super Saiyan be damned… I'LL BECOME THE STRONGEST ONE THERE IS!" with a fury filled roar his aura turned forest green and exploded in size and potency, the force of which blowing the roof of the training room sky high in a blinding explosion.
It didn't take long for Bulma, Yamcha and Nail to rush towards the scene "Oh god oh god don't be dead, please don't be dead!"
"I was afraid of something like this happening." Yamcha muttered "To train that hard for that long is reckless especially for a kid."
"But he can't be… Can he?"
"You tell me (insert massive stream of curse words here)." Kai took the moment to pull himself out of the rubble, battered and beaten but still alive.
"You… You're alive!"
"Of course I am, what the fuck do you take me for?"
"Oh, well in that case, WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW CLOSE YOU WERE TO BLOWING UP MY HOME?!"
"Hey if you're gonna shriek at me like a goddamn harpy then how about you wait until it's not your time of the month…" and then he fell back.
Yamcha quickly caught him before he hit the ground "Alright take it easy little buddy, that's enough for now."
"Get… your hands… off me… I have to… to keep training… until I'm stronger than… than even a Super Saiyan…"
"Hey you can cut the macho Hercules act, you're not gonna be training much until you get a little bit of rest."
"A few cuts and scrapes… they're nothing… I'm not giving up… not until I'm the strongest of them all…"
"I know you're gonna get there someday, but it's not gonna do you any good if you rip yourself apart as you do. You have to rest and recover for a little while okay?"
"I'm not taking orders… not from anybody…" and then he lost consciousness and hit the ground with a loud thud.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It didn't take long for Yamcha to prop Kai up in a bed "It's honestly kind of a miracle he walked away from something like that without being, well dead. Honestly this kid is even more resilient than the Saiyans are, and that's saying something."
"The boy does have an iron will." Nail noted "It's a wonder how he can push himself to the same degree as even the Saiyans."
"He probably gets that from his mother, my sister. He'll surpass even her someday, that much I know for a fact."
"Come, perhaps we should leave him alone and let him rest."
"Yeah good idea, we can just go out and spare in the yard." they prepared to leave, but he glanced back one last time.
That was when Kai started talking in his sleep "Super Saiyans… can go to hell… I'll get so… so much stronger… I'll blow all of them away… I'll do it for you mom… and then I'll… I'll surpass you too…"
'Kai…'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hours passed.
Kai's eyes snapped open and he found himself being confronted by images of Goku, Gohan and the future version of Gohan, all of them powering up to Super Saiyan, and in response he flared his own aura, only for him to easily be overpowered and blown away "But why, why can't I catch up to them? Why am I falling so far behind them?! WHY THE HELL CAN'T I KEEP UP WITH THEM?! TELL ME DAMMIT!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kai's eyes shot wide open again and he bolted upright in his bed, but he cringed at his wounds and slowly laid back down "Okay so maybe I did go a little bit overboard."
"I'm sure Miss Briefs would readily agree with that." Nail noted from where he was sitting in a chair nearby "I take it the Namek-Ken was helping you in your training?"
"If by that you mean it almost got me killed then yeah, it worked like a fucking charm." his tone was laced with sarcasm.
"Sarcasm aside be sure to keep in mind how the Namek-Ken works, it's a combination of energy control and willpower but if you push it too high before you're ready you could cause severe damage to yourself, so at your level you shouldn't go any higher than you would with that Kaioken technique or else it will be too much strain on your body and your willpower alone won't be enough to nullify that strain."
"I get it Big Green, I'm a lot of things but I'm not suicidal."
"Your little stunt earlier tells a different story."
"Fuck off."
"Not an option, we still have 2 years and 20 months before the Androids appear but we have much progress to make before then. Right now I believe the best course of action to be to test your progress so far to see how far you have to go, and I believe we both know the best person to help us with that."
"Just grab me a Senzu Bean and I'll be good to go."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Meanwhile, in another part of the world…
Gohan was devouring one slab of dinosaur meat after another "I don't know what it is but the meat of a dinosaur always tastes so good, maybe it's the way it's cooked."
"I feel sorry for the dinosaurs." Piccolo noted dryly "So we've been working on these combo moves of yours for awhile now, should we try testing them?"
"Well I did think about that but there's something else I was considering, you think you could teach me a few more techniques of yours like the Special Beam Cannon?"
"Trust me kid, you're nowhere near ready for that one yet. I'm not even ready for that one just yet. But with that being said there are a few new techniques I've been working on in secret lately."
"Oh really, that sounds pretty interesting-" Gohan glanced back and grinned "I was wondering when you would show up Kai."
Sure enough, Kai floated down in front of him, with Nail right by his side "Alright Gohan, I think it's time for the two of us to go at it."
"Looks like you've really whipped yourself into shape."
"I busted my ass getting stronger, you and me and the two Jolly Green Jackasses are gonna stay out of it. I got this power and now I need to test it for real. You and me, one on one, just like in the days after Planet Namek. We're doing this and we're doing it right now."
"Well if you're sure…" Gohan threw aside the dino meat and pulled himself to his feet in anticipation of the fight ahead.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Nail and Piccolo wasted no time in backing up a considerable distance to let Gohan and Kai go all out in their fight "Looks to me like the two of them are planning to go the distance in this fight."
"Neither of them have been ones for holding back when it really counts." Piccolo told him "I expect that this fight is going to be pretty interesting, at least before Gohan comes out on top in the end. Don't get me wrong, Kai has a lot of potential, but it's not like he can compete with a Super Saiyan at his level."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that, I know for a fact that Kai has been working on a trump card for dealing with Super Saiyan level opponents."
"Does it work?"
"We're about to find out."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Gohan wasted no time in flaring his milky white aura "Alright Kai what are you waiting for, if we're gonna do this then just power up already."
"As if you had to ask." Kai's own aura flared into life, and then it flared even higher as it turned a shade of green, the sheer force shaking the ground like an earthquake.
'Looks like he's got quite the technique going for him, he might actually force me to go Super Saiyan against him. Not that he wouldn't want me to, he'd hate it if I held back on him in a serious fight. So is this it Kai, is this you at full power at the moment?"
"More or less yeah, I can push it higher through sheer willpower if I want to but you're gonna have to earn that. It's a technique that I learned from Nail called the Namek-Ken and it's gonna help me to reach my goal, to surpass even the likes of a Super Saiyan and become the strongest warrior this universe has ever seen. You've got a path you're going down now, but I'm gonna pursue my goal by going down my own path."
"These androids are meant to be the strongest beings we've ever faced, my future self said that he lost everything to them, including you and Piccolo. Such a thought actually kind of scares me because I can't imagine going through life without any of you by my side, especially my best friend, both for my sake and for the sake of making your dream come true, of you being the greatest warrior we'll ever see!" and so he charged forward, meeting Kai in an explosive collision and elbowing him in the face.
Kai dodged the next attack and began firing off a furious barrage of punches and kicks at full speed, resulting in the two of them trading even blows until their fists collided with a blinding flash, and once they broke off Kai fired a quick Nail Gun.
Gohan quickly dodged the Nail Gun and fired off a barrage of Ki blasts at full speed and strength.
Kai dodged, blocked and deflected every Ki blast being thrown at him with ease "Is that all you've got Ponytail?!"
"Why don't you see for yourself Silver Tongue!" Gohan blitzed behind Kai and dealt him a sharp kick to the face, sending him crashing into a nearby plateau on the ground, and then he prepared to follow up with an Explosive Demon Wave.
Kai rebounded just in time to fire his own Explosive Demon Wave as he forced his Namek-Ken to go even higher, overpowering Gohan's blast as a result.
Gohan blitzed out of the path of the blast, blitzed down towards Kai and kicked him in the chest while he was still preoccupied with the blast, and then he began forcing Kai on the defensive with a furious barrage of punches and kicks.
Growing sick of taking the attacks, Kai dealt Gohan a heavy fist to the chest and followed up with a Masenko to the face, sending him hurltling backwards.
Gohan rebounded almost instantly as the two of them both took to the skies, their auras blending together in the form of a double helix.
Kai too the chance to deal Gohan a furious barrrage of attacks, repeatedly kneeing Gohan in the spine "I don't want you holding back on me in this fight!" they started repeatedly punching each other in the face and torso, ending with them grappling in a power struggle "Don't you fucking dare hold out on me, I told you to take this seriously!" he gripped Gohan by the arm and threw him high into the air, and then he charged in to finish it, pumping his Namek-Ken even higher at the same time "I KNOW THAT YOU'RE STILL HOLDING OUT ON ME YOU SON OF A BITCH, I SAID TO COME AT ME WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!"
"You want me everything?! Well fine, you asked for it!" with a mighty roar, Gohan finally powered up to his Super Saiyan form.
"I SAID TO GIVE ME EVERYTHING, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M GIVING YOU RIGHT NOW!"
"AND EVERYTHING IS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA GET!" Gohan charged down at Kai at full speed, resulting in a blinding clash as he slugged Kai in the gut.
Kai slugged Gohan in the gut and dealt him a fist to the face "COME ON GOHAN, GIVE ME ALL OF YOUR STRENGTH RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW!"
"FINE!" Gohan flared his golden aura as high as he could, his body beginning to crack with bio electricity as a result "Alright Kai, bring it on! Let's end this!"
"I PLAN TO!" pushing his Namek-Ken to the absolute limit, Kai charged at Gohan as high and as fast as he could, resulting in a blinding white light that lit up the sky across the entire wasteland, as well as shaking the surface of the entire planet.
When everything subsided a few moments later, Gohan's Super Saiyan form had disappeared, as had Kai's Namek-Ken aura. They both whipped around and aimed one last fist at each other, but they stopped just before they made contact, and instead they both finally lost consciousness and began falling towards the ground at high speeds.
"Gohan! Kai! Hang on!" Piccolo and Nail wasted no time in catching both of them before they hit the ground and gently set them down, and the former looked down at both of his students with a small fond smile "You've both gone far. You've grown strong. You've both made me very proud. And you'll keep going even further, I know you will."
"They'll both surpass us soon enough." Nail noted with a fond smile of his own "Their potential appears to be almost limitless."
"Yeah, I know that if anyone can beat these Androids it will be these two."
"Or Goku."
"Don't ruin the moment."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After that battle took place, the days continued to pass and training grew more and more intense as each one did.
Yamcha, now wearing an engagement ring on his finger, dodged a blow from Krillin, but at the cost of receiving a gash across the cheek, and he gave a smirk "Looks like you're getting better, you didn't even have to use the Kaioken for that one."
"You haven't seen anything yet!" Krillin charged at him again, resulting in the two of them trading even blows.
"Well let me know when you decide to get serious!"
"How about I do instead!" Upa charged at Yamcha at full speed and managed to nick him across the other cheek, right before getting sent crashing to the ground with a kick to the face "Hey what gives you guys, I thought this was supposed to be training not a slaughter of the Shining variety!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Meanwhile, on another front…
Raditz was driving down the road, yes I said driving 'Why the hell did I let Kakarot's woman talk me into this? I don't even live with them!'
"HELL TO THE YEAH!" Goku bolted past him in his own car, blowing through various obstacles in his path "Eat my dust big bro!"
"Was that a challenge?! Well guess what little brother, if it's a race you want then it's a race you're gonna get!" he sped up "What do you have to say to that?!"
"I say… I'm on a highway to HFIL! On a highway to HFIL!"
(I couldn't resist)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Training grew more intense on other fronts as well.
Kai, once again covered in bandages and working outu at 475x the gravity of Earth, was rotating in mid air endlessly "Round and round and round I go, when I stop it means I'm about to hurl like I just watched Teen Titans Go."
And then Bulma showed up on the screen "Are you fucking insane?!"
"Maybe, and you're upside down. And now you're not."
"You know I think it would be easier to count the number of your ribs and other bones that aren't broken!"
"Working through the pain."
"And how exactly do you plan to work through the pain when your body collapses?"
"Bitch what the hell are you talking about, I don't collapse-" and then he collapsed to the ground with a thud, the weight of the increased gravity crushing him.
"Oh look at that, the arrogant little bastard face down on the ground. Alert the proess to this unexpected miracle."
"How about you do the world a favor and shut your trap before I rip out your larynx and shove it up your (bleep)!"
"Oh no looks like someone is getting all fluffy, what are you gonna pull a Frieza and try and blow up the planet? Keep in mind that I have Goku on speed dial."
"You must be as stupid as he is if you think that idiot knows how to work a phone!"
"Hey don't you call me stupid you little bastard!"
"Alright then how about bitch!"
"Arrogant dick!"
"Spoiled sow!"
"Fuck you!"
"Fuck you!"
"Fuck you!"
"FUCK YOU!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
And so time continued to pass, even though it only felt like a matter of days, the three years of training passed all of them in the blink of an eye.
Chichi met Goku, Gohan, Tarble and Piccolo outside of the house in order to see them off before they left "Please just promise me the two of you will be careful, and are you sure that you won't want the lunches that I packed you?"
"We won't need or get a chance for them, but we do appreciate the though." Goku pulled Chichi into a quick gentle hug "We'll be back, I promise. Alright guys, let's get going." and so he blasted off into the sky.
"Right!" Gohan, Tarble and Piccolo wasted no time in taking off after him in the direction of South City.
'Gohan, your future self said that the world he came from has been turned into a living hell by these androids, that they're far too powerful for any of us to prepare for. Well I think we're about to determine that for ourselves.'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
In the blink of an eye, the three years of training have come and gone, and the day of reckoning is now upon them. The fate of the world rests on the shoulders of our heroes, but the question still remains. Will all of their training be enough to save the Earth from the threat looming over the horizon? Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z: the Next Generation!
A/N:
And thus we see what it's like for the Z fighters as they journey through the calm before the storm. Before I go any further I would just like to say that this chapter is celebrating a milestone for me. The release date for this chapter marks my second anniversary on , hopefully the second of many.
This chapter focuses on four main focus arcs, those being Goku training Tarble to become a Super Saiyan, Gohan training with Piccolo, Kai both training on his own and training with Yamcha and Nail in order to keep up with the Saiyans, and lastly, though not nearly as prominent as the others (mostly meant to foreshadow some plans I have for the future), Cooler recruiting two returning characters through some political issues, thus solving a small plothole that I left open during the Namek saga because I had writer's block back then. Two of these arcs intertwine during the final clash between Gohan and Kai, the former going Super Saiyan and the latter using his newly acquired technique I call the Namek-Ken, which is derived from willpower as well as Ki control, and as proven by his and Gohan's showdown in this chapter, it's capable of keeping up with a Super Saiyan.
As for the human characters and Raditz, well the humans are pretty much doing the same training as canon, only amped up since they're stronger than before, and I believe that Raditz would just be off doing his own thing for the sake of a plot point I have in mind next chapter.
Unlike other chapters, I chose not to include a power levels list because I manly thought it would be too confusing since this is specifically a training chapter, not a story based chapter like the rest of these in the story.