Disclaimer: Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and Dragon Ball Super, and all the characters are owned by ToeiAnimation, FujiTv, and Akira Toriyama.
A small object flew at high speed through the dark void. The bright glowing pod spiraled to the side and embarked toward a blue planet. Scorching flames engulfed the small machine while it penetrated the atmosphere. The space pod hit the solid ground and formed a crater. While the dust slowly cleared away, the radiant glowing faded, and the engine died out. Shortly after, the hatch opened and revealed a wild-haired boy sleeping inside. The boy remained unfazed by any sound until the sun's bright rays shined upon him. He opened his little eyes and protested loudly. Annoyed by the brightness, he let out a childish growl and walked out of the pod.
Once he stepped out, the child was surprised by the fresh and cool air. He smiled and enjoyed the moment until his tummy produced a loud noise. The boy placed both hands over his belly and whined. He was hungry, but he didn't know what to do. Now that he thought about it, he didn't know where he was. He wondered where the crying lady and scarred man were. The boy looked around, but there was only his pod. Confused and annoyed, he kicked the little rock and jumped out of the hole.
The boy ventured into the nearby forest without knowing the area. While he walked, the child was mesmerized by the tall trees and the plants growing in the woods. However, his attention quickly shifted to an animal eating the leaves from the small tree. The boy's tail swayed behind him while he drooled. Controlled by hunger, the child lunged forward and attacked the baby deer. He was so close to catching it, but the deer ran away at the last second. Instead of grabbing the animal, the boy slammed against the tree. Despite hitting the tree, he was unfazed by it.
He got up and looked around, wondering where to go. His stomach grumbled yet again, causing the boy to groan. He shook his little head and pressed on. On his walk through the forest, he stumbled upon many animals. However, he wasn't skilled enough to catch any of them. The boy was about to give up when his sharp nose picked up a weird scent.
He ran as fast as possible and leaped over the fallen trees. Abruptly, he halted as he stumbled upon an older man carrying a basket full of fruit and meat. The boy's eyes grew wide open upon smelling food. He let out a ferocious snarl and assaulted the stranger.
"Woah! That's not a proper way to greet a person, little boy!"
The boy's sudden attack failed because the stranger moved out of the way. This time, the wild-haired child prevented himself from bumping his head and immediately charged the older male again. The boy tried to land any blow, but the man seemed unfazed by the attempts.
"You're quite tenacious and strong for your age... Where are your mom and dad? Where are you from? I never saw you in these parts of the woods before."
Instead of answering, the boy growled at the man as he continued to fail. Frustrated, the boy grabbed the rock from the ground and threw it with all his might. The speed and force behind the throw startled the stranger, who dodged it just in time.
"Such force! It sounded like someone fired from a rifle! Boy! Stop this senseless violence and come with me. I promise to give you some of my food until we find your parents. Is that okay?"
Surprisingly, the boy halted. The person smiled and yanked the hand-made basket. He put it on the ground and reached into it. His smile increased when the little boy carefully approached and looked inside. He pulled out a red apple and offered it to the wild child.
"Eat, boy. I'll give you more food once we get to my home. It's not much, but it's still home."
Naturally, the boy didn't listen and devoured the apple within seconds. The older man couldn't believe the speed. He could only blink in surprise when the boy took this chance and suddenly jumped on him. The stranger struggled to keep the child at bay.
"Enough boy! That's not a proper way! Ah!"
The man had to protect his face as the boy began to scratch him. A knee hit his nose and caused quite some pain. Growing tired of this, he grabbed the child by the tail. However, it caused the rowdy boy to go limp.
"Huh? Well, this is interesting! It seems your fuzzy tail is your weakness. One day, you should learn how to overcome such a big weak spot. Now! Let's go to my little hut! You'll get plenty of food and water there."
He offered the paralyzed child a warm smile while holding him in his arms. The man strolled through the forest he knew very well. His pupils drifted onto the moaning boy. He couldn't help but wonder so much about this little guy. The boy's strength fascinated him. But what truly made him curious was where the child came from. Where were his parents?
After a few minutes, they were out of the woods. The man followed a road leading up a mountain. He stirred his eyes to the left and made a mental note to warn the boy about the dangerous ravine. The last thing he wanted was for the child to hurt himself.
It didn't take long for them to reach the top. There was a small hut just up ahead with trees surrounding it. The man walked up to it and opened the wooden doors. He placed the boy gently on the bed before he did anything else. The man smiled as he patted the child's wild and thick hair. He backed away and put the basket on the table.
"Just wait for a little bit longer. I'll make a stew with meat and vegetables. I'm sure you're going to like it."
He picked up the meat and approached a small pot. After he set the wood on fire, the old male prepared the meal while the boy was unconscious. While making the food, he thought about how to find the boy's parents. He hoped they were fine and nothing happened to them. The man wore a worried expression until he heard some commotion. He turned around and saw the boy get up. Before he could even utter some words, the child assaulted him. He blocked the punch with a wooden scoop, which broke. The man let out a sad sigh as it was the only he had. However, he focused on the wild boy.
"You're quite a stubborn little boy... But you must learn when to give up if your opponent's stronger and more skilled than you!"
Naturally, the boy didn't listen to a word. He kept assaulting the stranger and growling at him. However, the older male suddenly vanished. The child got confused for a split second until he felt a firm grip around his tail. He immediately lost all the energy, and just as he was about to fall, the man caught him.
"I'll let go of your tail only if you promise to stop fighting. You stop, and you will get the food, water, and a bed to sleep on until we find your parents, alright?"
The older man wondered if the child understood him, but judging by the weak little nod, he did. As promised, he released the hold and backed away. He was surprised to see that the boy listened. The older male couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. He wanted to pat the boy but decided otherwise when the child almost bit his hand.
"It will take some time for the stew to be ready. Until then, you could eat some of these buns I saved for later."
He put a plate full of buns on the table, and before he could even sit, the boy jumped and began devouring all of them. He tried to reach out for a bun, but the child smacked his hand with the tail. The older male crossed his arms and observed the wild boy.
"Hm... Now that I think about it, I never asked you your name. Let me start first! My name is Son Gohan. Nice to meet you! What's your name?"
No response. Gohan pretended to cough to gain the boy's attention, but the child wasn't falling for it. The older male laughed while he scratched the back of his head. He tried again, but the nameless child ignored him. Gohan let out a defeated sigh and leaned against the chair. He truly hoped the boy would open up so he could help him get back to his parents.
"Since you won't tell me your name, how about I call you... Goku! How about it? That sounds like a nice name to me!"
x
Weeks went by, and no matter how much he tried, Gohan couldn't find Goku's parents. He went to all the villages beneath the mountain, but no one ever saw or heard of humans with tails. The situation saddened the man because he felt remorse for the poor boy. Goku was either abandoned or something happened to his parents. Just thinking about it broke the man's heart.
His pupils drifted onto the boy, who didn't want to speak to him. He tried many things, but Goku wouldn't comply. Even taking a bath was a battle. Only during sleeping and eating did the child look relaxed. Gohan began to wonder if all the kids were like this nowadays. He stared at the boy who wrestled with a big fish in the river. What truly amazed him was Goku's spirit and tenacity. It was almost as if the boy's only drive was to fight. It was then that an idea appeared in Gohan's head.
"Goku. You will never be able to beat someone taller or stronger than you like that. Skills are everything in battle. Even if you're weaker, a good set of skills can equalize the plainfield. I can teach you some moves, but only if you start listening to me."
Gohan smiled with a friendly smile. He stared at Goku, who wasn't happy he lost to a fish. The child let out a faint growl and splashed the water all over Gohan, who didn't think he would get a bath today. The man sighed and watched the boy storm into the nearby forest. Gohan immediately followed Goku because the woods were dangerous for a little kid.
"Goku! Come back! It's too dangerous for you in here!"
He shouted, but Goku wouldn't even make the usual noise. Panic began to creep inside Gohan. Terrible thoughts loomed in his head the longer Goku was on his own. Just on cue, a loud screech rang across the forest. Gohan shifted to the right and dashed with incredible speed. The man ducked and leaped over the obstacles like it was nothing. In just a few minutes, he got to the location. Upon looking down, he saw a strange round thing inside the hole.
"What's that? It's some odd machine... A machine built for one person. Could it be a machine built for travel?"
Gohan walked around the pod and carefully touched it. He was intrigued by it. The man wondered how it got here and for what purpose. However, a thought appeared in his head. His eyes were wide open at the possibility that perhaps Goku got here in that. If so, from where?
The man stroked his mustache until he heard a noise from above. He jumped out of the crater and assumed a battle stance. A second later, Goku emerged with a wound on his right shoulder. Gohan instantly rushed to him and held the boy.
"Goku! What happened!? Oh! Those bite marks look bad! We need to get back home and treat the wound!"
Gohan put the boy on his back and ran with everything he had. He pushed forward and quickly got out of the forest. It took him only two minutes to scale the mountain and get inside the hut. He dropped the boy on the bed and frantically searched for bandages and homemade medicine.
"Don't worry, Goku. Everything's going to be fine, I promise! It will sting a bit, but it's going to help you. After you feel better, you can eat all you want, and we can fight if you still wish for it."
The man laughed, but it was a nervous laugh. He hoped the boy would be fine and not get an infection. The child cried and thrashed around once he applied the green ooze upon the wound, but it didn't last for long. Goku fainted, which allowed Gohan to treat the injury without any commotion. Once he tied the bandages, Gohan sat beside the child.
"I don't know who or where you're from, but you can stay here with me for as long as you want. Even if you want to, I will teach you martial arts, so please recover from this, Goku."
x
Months passed since Goku's injury. The boy survived the terrible wound and continued to live with Son Gohan. Despite getting help from the older male, Goku remained the same. He continued to snap at Gohan and fight him daily, but there was a slight change. Occasionally, the child would listen to the man. It was rare, but it made Gohan happy.
"Alright, that's enough, Goku! You didn't take off those strange clothes for months! Take it off, or I'll stop teaching you martial arts!"
Upon hearing that, the wild-haired boy protested by growling. He was cornered and had no way out. Suddenly, Goku looked down and dashed forward. He slid between Gohan's legs and ran toward the doors. A cocky grin surfaced on the child's face, but it vanished the next second. Gohan appeared in front of the door and blocked the exit. Taken by surprise, the boy fell, and the older male caught him.
"There's no need to behave like this, Goku. If you're that attached to your clothes, I will take great care of them. Once they're washed and dried, you will get them back."
Gohan struggled to get the armor off Goku, who thrashed around and snarled. Eventually, he completed the task while fending off the rebellious child.
"Now that I think about it, how am I supposed to wash this thing? And what are you going to wear?"
Out of spite, Goku ran naked and jumped while destroying stuff. Gohan released a tired sigh while sitting on the floor and hoped the martial arts would help mold Goku's character for the better.
x
Years have gone by on the mountain. Gohan's old age became more evident, and the man did stuff mostly around the hut. He winced as a sharp pain in the back surged through his body. The man took a deep breath and slowly sat down. He shook his head while he massaged the lower point of his back. Once the pain faded, his thoughts shifted to the boy.
"It's getting quite late... Goku's supposed to be back by now. After all, it's his birthday, and I have something special for him."
A smile surfaced on the man's wrinkled face as he gazed at the shiny item on the table. It was a small, orange sphere with four red stars engraved. Gohan found it a few days ago near the river and immediately took it. It looked like a valuable item, and he wanted to give it to Goku. He walked to the door and glanced at the sky while waiting for the child to return.
"Hm... It looks like there will be a full moon tomorrow. The entire mountain's going to shine beautifully."
Meanwhile, a beastly roar scared off all the animals nearby. However, a wild-haired child wasn't affected by it. The boy growled back at the boar and attacked the animal. He jumped onto the tree and hurled himself at the rushing boar. The boy kicked the animal with enough force to hit it against the boulder. While the creature tried to get up, Goku got near it and punched it. The boy raised his leg and slammed his foot into the boar's head.
The boy breathed hard as he stared at the dead animal. He wiped away the sweat with his bloody hand and left a trail across his forehead. A grin appeared on his face while he crouched and grabbed the animal by the ankle.
While he dragged the animal, the boy seemed lost in thought. He enjoyed hunting, but something was missing. The thrill was there, but not as much as before. He was now stronger than all the animals in the forest, and fighting them was no longer fun or exciting. His thoughts shifted to Gohan, and his expression changed.
"Tch! Gohan... The old guy's so annoying! I want to fight and kill him like the boar! I don't want to be controlled by him anymore!"
The boy growled as he kicked the rock. He clenched his teeth while an image of a smiling Gohan flashed before his dark eyes. The older male tried for so long to make him do stuff he didn't like and forbid him to kill anything other than animals. He had enough and desired to be free. Go down the mountain and see more. He wanted to hunt new prey and fight other humans.
"But stupid Gohan's in the way! Always in my way! I must grow stronger so no one will tell me what I can and can't do!"
Sometime later, Goku finally got to the hut. He opened the door and found Gohan asleep on the chair. The boy scoffed and left the boar outside. He walked in to pick up the pot and wood when his eyes noticed something on the table. The shiny orb caught his attention. Goku picked it up and stared at it for a few seconds. Suddenly, he tried to bite it. Once he realized it wasn't food, the child tossed it on the ground and looked at the sleeping man.
"No, not yet... Soon, I'll get stronger than you and kill you!"
The boy whispered the threat while he held onto the wood. He walked out of the hut and prepared himself a meal. While the meat was cooking, the child practiced martial arts and lifted heavy logs and rocks.
A new day was on the horizon. It was a nice and peaceful day on the mountain until a loud, childish voice echoed across the place. The boy had bruises and dirt all over his body and face. His eyes filled with hate aimed at the older male who stood across him with a few scratches and a cut gi. Frustrated by the constant losses against Gohan, the child snarled viciously.
"Raahh! Die!"
Goku got on his feet and rushed at Gohan. He went it with a punch, but it was a faint. The boy raised his leg and tried to kick the older male, who looked serious. His strike got blocked, but that didn't discourage Goku. He tied his tail around Gohan's wrist and flew under the man's arm. His new strategy worked, and finally, he landed a clean shot.
"Ugh! Not bad, Goku! You have trained a lot alone and thought of new ways to fight. As I have always told you, brute force isn't everything. Always hone your skills just as much as your strength."
Gohan was proud. The boy's strength was extraordinary. However, even after so many years have passed, the child was still problematic. Maybe even more than before. He thought teaching the boy martial arts would put a new perspective in the boy's head, but he was mistaken.
"Don't lose focus, Goku! You're letting yourself get driven by your desires and urges! A true master must be calm and collected."
Goku frowned upon those words and went in with a hook. His strike got blocked, but the boy grinned. He threw sand in Gohan's eyes and blinded the older male briefly. Consumed by the thrill and opportunity to hurt Gohan, Goku bellowed ecstatically as he jumped on the man. He punched him repeatedly and elbowed in the face until Gohan countered. A heavy blow to the head caused Goku to fall and bleed through his nose. Tears rolled down the boy's face while he frowned at Gohan.
"Oh, no! Goku, I'm sorry! I went too far! Let me see how bad it is!"
Gohan tried to reach the boy, but Goku wouldn't have it. He smacked Gohan's hand away and rushed to the woods. The older male wanted to go after Goku but couldn't because the pain in his back had resurfaced. Gohan clenched his fists while he endured the discomfort with remorse in his eyes.
"Please come back, Goku... I still have to give you your present."
Deep in the forest, the child found shelter and hid from prying eyes. He sat down and pouted while the blood dripped on the floor. Tears stopped running down his cheeks, and the anger was quite evident on his face. He bit his lower lip out of frustration.
"I lost again... But this time, I was so close! I can do it! Just a few more times, and I will beat and kill Gohan!"
Goku's frustration faded, and joy replaced it. The boy laughed but regretted it as the pain swelled. He endured the ache and decided to stay in the forest to train and hunt. The child knew the pain would eventually pass, and he could hunt for something to eat for dinner.
Hours passed, and Goku still hadn't returned home. Gohan wore a worried expression while he sat near the table and waited for the boy. He sipped on the warm tea and wondered if Goku was ever coming back. The look in the child's eyes when he hit him haunted him the entire afternoon and evening. Gohan stared at the flickering flame until he felt a slight tremor. He lowered the teacup and stood up because the shaking increased.
"An earthquake? Here, on Mount Paozu? That would be the first in many decades."
The quakes continued and grew stronger, causing the martial artist to leave the house. He was worried about Goku and ran to find him. The man could see everything because of the light coming from the full moon. A terrifying roar rang across the mountain, forcing Gohan to halt. Sweat slid down Gohan's face while he stood frozen on the spot. He was uneasy and had a feeling the beast was near. And he was right!
Gohan jumped far away and hid before the beast could see him. He stared at the giant furry creature with fear in his eyes. His entire body trembled while the red-eyed ape emerged from the woods and slammed its massive fists against the ground.
"Why's that beast here, and why's it destroying everything? It almost looks like it's angry and enjoying breaking stuff, just like... Oh, no! It can't be Goku!"
The old martial artist didn't want to accept that, but the tail resembled Goku's. Gohan clenched his teeth and ducked under a random boulder. Now that he knew the wild ape was Goku, he wondered what to do. How could he stop the boy from breaking stuff and hurting innocent animals? The only thing that came to his mind was to risk it and call the boy, make him stop this mayhem.
"Goku! It's me, Gohan! You must stop this! You're not only hurting the animals and the land, but your actions are putting the villages beneath the mountain in danger! Please listen to me and stop, Goku!"
Gohan's loud voice reached Goku's ears. The ape turned their attention to Gohan while holding a large boulder. Upon seeing the martial artist, the beast's eyes twitched. Goku let out a beastly growl and attempted to kill Gohan by smashing the boulder on top of him. Gohan avoided being crushed in the last second and ran.
"Goku no! Listen to my voice, dear boy! You can regain control and stop doing this! I know there's good in y..."
The man shut his mouth to focus on dodging the giant fists. Despite the ape's size, he didn't lose speed. The power was out of this word, and for the first time, Gohan began to doubt his chances. To survive this, he had to hurt the child. It pained him to do so, but there was no other choice.
"I'm sorry, Goku, but you leave me no choice."
Gohan dodged a strike and jumped on the ape's hand. He ran across the arm and leaped at Goku. The man yelled while he kicked the ape's snout. Goku shook his head and immediately smacked Gohan into the ground. He rose from the floor and tried to hide. However, a random rock struck his head and caused the older male to wobble. He slowed down, which allowed the beast to grab him.
"G-Goku... Please let go of me! You can be better than this!"
Instead, the beast roared and slammed the other fists against the chest. Gohan knew this could be his end if he didn't do something. His hands were free, and he moved them to the side. He ignored the ape's roars and focused. A few seconds later, a blue glow surrounded his hands while a tiny sphere materialized between his palms.
"KA-ME-HA-ME...HAA!"
With a determined scream, Gohan fired the energy blast at Goku. The wave struck the ape in the head, who immediately loosened the grip. Gohan fell to the ground and breathed laboriously while the beast cried. He got up quickly and thought of something.
"H-His tail is the key... I need to do something about it, or this will be the end."
Gohan jumped on a boulder and lunged at the distracted ape. He stopped behind the beast and took a deep breath. Gohan jumped toward the massive tail, but the ape's hearing was excellent. Goku swiftly swung his enormous arm and hit Gohan before the man could reach for the tail. Blood leaked out of the man's mouth after the impact. Several bones got broken in his old body as well. He flew across the land and eventually slammed against the rocky ground. Gohan rolled on the ground until he hit a boulder with his back and head.
"Gah! Oh, K-Kami... H-Heh, this stings. I guess my old body can't keep up anymore. I did have a good run tho."
The martial artist smiled and laughed while the beast approached. Memories of the past surfaced and flashed before his weary eyes. He led a decent life, met so many interesting people, and learned a lot during his travels as a young martial artist. His transparent pupils drifted onto the ape, who stood before him.
"I-I hope one day, you will overcome your violent nature and help others. When that day comes, and you reflect on this moment, know that I'm not angry or blaming you for my demise... T-Train diligently and don't let yourself be consumed by..."
Gohan's speech got cut short. The ape roared and delivered a deadly blow. Goku roared again and slammed both fists against his hairy chest. The wild beast continued the rampage late into the night, and whoever came across it paid the ultimate price.
The sun's warm rays illuminated the mountains and revealed the destruction from last night. It was horrible, but in the middle of all of it, a little boy slept fully naked until the sunlight woke him up. He brushed his eyes and scratched his head until he noticed all the devastation around him.
"W-What happened here!? Why am I naked and outside!?"
Goku looked around and swallowed hard. He tried to recollect the events from last night but couldn't remember. He could only recall losing to Gohan, heading into the woods, and hunting a lion until late into the night. He shook his head and headed to the hut. The last thing he wanted was to spend time with Gohan, but he wanted to know what happened. However, on his way up the mountain, he noticed a familiar piece of cloth on the ground. He picked it up and knew it was Gohan's. The boy's wild hair swayed on the wind while he looked around. Suddenly, his nose twitched and caught a familiar scent. He dropped the fabric and ran up the mountain. Shortly after, he halted because he saw Gohan's body lying on the ground.
"Gohan? Are you dead, old man, or is this one of your tricks?"
No response. The child stood there motionless for a few minutes. Suddenly, he let out a nasty snarl and kicked the nearby tree. The boy punched and kicked all the trees around him while he angrily shouted.
"Rahh! You died before I could beat you! I was supposed to kill you, stupid Gohan!"
Exhausted, the boy dropped to the ground and glared at Gohan's corpse. Memories of their time together surfaced, but the boy scoffed. After he recovered, Goku stood up and walked past the old martial artist. He walked to the hut and searched for something. The boy threw away all the stuff until he eventually found the items. A smirk resurfaced on his dirty face while he stared at the battle armor. He put the armor on and the black gauntlets and boots. Unfortunately, he couldn't find the black briefs, so he had to wear purple pants. All set and ready, Goku moved toward the doors but suddenly stopped. He gazed at the table where he could see the orange sphere. The boy turned around and picked it up from the table. Since it had a little rope tied around it, he put it over his head and wore the strange item like a necklace.
"Now that I'm free, I can go where I want and... fight and kill without Gohan's nagging!"
The wild boy laughed as he rushed toward the cliff and jumped. He spun in the air and landed on the bulging rock. Goku jumped from one rock to another until there was none anymore. He saw a sturdy branch and lunged at it. The boy spun around it twice before letting go. He leaped toward a tree and grasped a branch. Goku moved down fast and reached the solid ground. Without too much thinking, he ran and hoped to find one of those villages and have a deadly fight as soon as possible.
End of Chapter 01: The Beginning!