Somewhere in the wild, wind-carved canyons of Universe 6…

The sun blazed high above as Ash and Cabba soared through the sky, their auras trailing behind them like twin comets. Below them stretched endless red canyons and jagged cliffs—the perfect place to throw some punches without leveling a city.

Ash looked over at Cabba, tail swaying behind him like a metronome. "You sure this is the spot?"

"Yup," Cabba grinned. "Caulifla said she'd meet us here. I figured training with her and Kale would help sharpen our edge for the tournament."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "You mean the same Caulifla who tried to beat you into the ground when you first met her?"

Cabba coughed. "Character-building moment."

Ash snorted. "Right. And punching meteors is cardio."

They landed near a wide open cliff ring surrounded by towering canyon walls. A moment later, a gust of wind announced the arrival of a blur of energy that landed with a booming thud. Dust flew everywhere.

"'Bout time, slowpokes."

Ash shielded his eyes and grinned as the dust cleared to reveal a fiery-eyed Saiyan girl with a cocky smirk and spiky black hair flaring in all directions—Caulifla.

Behind her, peeking nervously from around a rock, was another Saiyan girl—Kale. She blinked, clearly startled to see new faces.

"Caulifla!" Cabba greeted. "Glad you made it."

"Of course I did," she huffed. "I wouldn't miss a chance to kick your butt in front of your new friend."

She turned to Ash, eyes scanning him from head to toe. "So you're the tail-boy I keep hearing about."

Ash blinked. "Tail-boy?"

"You're the only Saiyan I know with a tail still intact. Weird," she said, leaning forward with exaggerated squinting. "Can I touch it?"

Ash backed up instantly. "Nope! That's personal space! Tail zone is off-limits!"

Caulifla laughed and gave him a friendly slap on the back. "Relax, I'm just messing with you. Kinda. You do look like some weird mix of Saiyan and jungle squirrel."

Kale gasped softly. "C-Caulifla…"

Ash turned to her, offering a reassuring smile. "Hi, I'm Ash. Don't worry, I don't bite. Unless it's food-related."

Kale nodded shyly. "H-hi…"

Caulifla smirked and crossed her arms. "She's shy around new people, especially boys with monkey tails."

Cabba cleared his throat. "Alright! Let's focus on why we're here—training. We've gotta be ready for the Tournament of Power."

Ash cracked his knuckles. "Right. Who's first?"

Caulifla's eyes gleamed. "Glad you asked, Tail-Boy. You and me, right now."

Ash blinked. "Wait, what? I thought we were warming up!"

"Nothing warms up better than a good ol' butt-kicking," she replied, already flaring up into Super Saiyan form. "Let's see if Cabba's stories about you are hype or real."

Ash narrowed his eyes, his excitement building. "Alright, Caulifla. But don't cry when I win!"

"Oh-ho-ho!" she cackled. "I like this guy!"

The two powered up, their auras clashing and sending shockwaves through the canyon. Cabba and Kale stepped back to a safe distance as boulders started trembling.

Ash lunged first, his tail flicking behind him. Caulifla blocked his first few strikes easily, grinning like she was having the time of her life.

"Not bad, squirrel-boy! You've got some fire!"

Ash ducked under a wild swing and went for a low sweep with his tail—again! Caulifla jumped and laughed. "Tail tricks? That's cute!"

She powered up further and zoomed behind him, delivering a playful but strong jab to his back. Ash tumbled forward, did a flip, and landed crouched with a grin. "You're strong!"

"Of course I am! I eat guys like you for breakfast!"

Cabba, watching, whispered to Kale, "This is actually going better than I thought."

Kale gave a small smile, watching Ash rise again, dusting himself off and not backing down. "He's… brave."

Then it happened.

Caulifla charged again, fist out, but Ash dodged sideways—just in time. Her punch hit a nearby rock wall… and the whole cliff exploded behind her.

Ash blinked at the damage. "Okay, no offense, but remind me never to tick you off."

Caulifla smirked, flipping her hair back. "Now you're learning."

Eventually, the fight simmered down after both Saiyans exchanged a solid flurry of blows—neither winning, but both panting and grinning.

"You've got guts, Ash," Caulifla said, tossing him a water bottle. "You're not too bad for a walking tail."

Ash drank and wiped his mouth. "You're not too bad for a hyperactive firecracker."

She snorted. "Okay, now you're definitely part of the crew."

Cabba clapped. "That was great! Kale, how about you join us next?"

Kale froze. "M-me?"

Ash nodded kindly. "It's okay if you don't feel ready. But if you want to train, we're all here to help."

She looked between the three Saiyans—Cabba's encouragement, Caulifla's confident smirk, and Ash's friendly grin. Slowly, she stepped forward.

"I-I'll try…"

"Atta girl!" Caulifla beamed. "Just don't go berserk and blow up the canyon again."

Ash paused. "Wait. Again?"

Cabba gave him a nervous smile. "We'll… tell you that story later."

Ash gulped. "I really need to ask more questions before agreeing to stuff."

Back at Champa's palace…

The grand hall echoed with the sounds of utensils clinking and slurp-snap-munch-ing noises as Champa hungrily devoured a massive bowl of Universe 7 ramen. Bits of noodles and broth flew in all directions while a hovering platter of desserts waited patiently nearby.

"Mmmph—this—this is why I need to win that tournament..." Champa mumbled through a mouthful. "Universe 7's food... is heavenly..."

While her gluttonous lord was busy inhaling his third helping of noodles, Vados stood off to the side, her staff held upright, the crystal orb shimmering with a live image—Ash mid-spar, flipping through the air as he barely dodged a flurry of Super Saiyan-powered strikes from Caulifla.

Her eyes twinkled with amusement.

Champa glanced sideways, slurping a final noodle before raising an eyebrow. "You're unusually quiet, Vados. What are you staring at? Another recipe for cheesecake?"

Vados didn't even flinch. "Hardly, my Lord. I'm simply monitoring the progress of our little… protégé."

Champa blinked, then scowled. "You mean the tail-having Saiyan brat? Ugh. What is it with you and that kid?"

"He has potential," Vados replied calmly, a gentle smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Look."

She tilted the staff toward Champa, showing Ash ducking under Caulifla's spinning heel kick, countering with a burst of speed that actually made the seasoned Saiyan girl slide back slightly.

Champa squinted, unimpressed. "Meh. Caulifla's probably holding back. You know how she gets when she's showing off in front of new people."

"He's managing to keep up despite not even accessing Super Saiyan," Vados noted smoothly.

Champa waved a drumstick lazily. "So what? He's like, what, slightly better than average? That doesn't make him special. That just makes him Cabba with a tail."

Vados's smile didn't fade. "Cabba did say Ash trains harder than most. He learns quickly. Adapts on the fly. And unlike most Saiyans, he fights with strategy, unpredictability… and heart."

Champa rolled his eyes. "Pfft. Spare me the friendship speeches."

"Besides," Vados added, her voice light and teasing, "I do find him amusing. He's like a tiny ball of reckless charm."

Champa gagged. "Ugh, don't tell me you're getting attached."

Vados turned to him. "I'm merely… entertained."

Champa crossed his arms, eyeing her suspiciously. "Entertained? You don't even smile when I do impressions of Beerus choking on pudding."

"I assure you, my Lord, that was me smiling."

"…Wait, that was a smile?"

Vados chuckled delicately. "Regardless, I suggest you keep an eye on Ash. Underestimating him might prove… unwise."

Champa snorted, reaching for a pudding cup. "Fine, fine. If he blows up a mountain or grows golden hair overnight, then maybe I'll care."

"Or if he taps into something else entirely," Vados murmured, almost to herself.

Champa paused mid-spoonful. "What was that?"

"Nothing, my Lord," she said with her usual poise, though her gaze lingered on the staff's orb as Ash landed a clever tail-feint on Caulifla that nearly caught her by surprise.

For just a split second, Vados smiled—really smiled.

Champa sighed and flopped back onto his throne. "You weird angel. You're gonna make that Saiyan think he's important."

"Perhaps he already is," Vados replied, her tone laced with mystery. "Time will tell."

Back in the canyons of Universe 6…

The sun beat down on the jagged rocks and dusty ground, the perfect backdrop for three Saiyans and one bashful powerhouse-in-hiding to train.

Ash stood catching his breath after narrowly dodging Caulifla's wild flurry of kicks. He wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced over at Kale, who was quietly watching from the sidelines, half-hidden behind her bolder bestie. His eyes lingered on her, not in awe of her shyness—but because he knew now what kind of power was coiled inside her like a sleeping dragon. Vados had mentioned it briefly, and Cabba had warned him with wide eyes and a very serious tone: "If she loses it... try not to be in the blast radius."

Ash tilted his head and gave a curious smile. "So… you're Kale, right?"

Kale stiffened like a deer caught in a Final Flash. She peeked out from behind Caulifla, blushing furiously. "Y-Yes...?"

"I heard you've got some crazy strength," Ash said, grinning. "Like, you could punch a moon in half or something."

Kale blinked, visibly shrinking further behind Caulifla. "N-No… I mean... maybe a small moon…?"

Caulifla threw her head back and laughed. "Ha! That's what I like about her—humble as hell and still strong enough to make grown warriors cry."

Ash kept smiling, crouching slightly so he could see Kale better. "Don't be afraid to show off, you know. Power like that? That's nothing to be ashamed of. I think it's pretty awesome."

Kale's blush deepened so hard she could've gone Super Saiyan Pink if that were a thing. "T-Thank you… I… I don't hear that often. Not from strangers…"

"She ain't used to being praised unless it's me," Caulifla added proudly, wrapping an arm around Kale's shoulders protectively.

Then she gave Ash a sideways grin. "Better not be trying to steal my apprentice or I'll throw you into the next canyon over."

Ash raised both hands quickly. "Hey, I'm just being nice! I like not being launched into rocks, thanks."

"Too late," Cabba chimed in with a knowing smirk. "That's exactly how I ended up with a broken rib the first time I got cheeky."

Caulifla threw a playful punch into Ash's arm—not hard, but enough to make him stagger back a few steps and flail dramatically.

"OW—Hey! I just got this shoulder!"

"You'll live," Caulifla snorted. "Toughen up, monkey boy."

Ash rubbed his arm, grinning. "You're lucky I don't have Super Saiyan yet."

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood," she shot back with a wink.

Kale, to everyone's surprise, let out a quiet giggle. Not a nervous one, either—a real, genuine chuckle. The sound made Ash pause and smile warmly in her direction.

"See?" he said gently. "You've got a good laugh. You should use it more."

Kale turned red again, but this time she didn't hide. She met Ash's eyes for the first time, her shoulders a little less tense.

"You're… kind of strange," she murmured.

Ash grinned wide. "You have no idea."

Cabba clapped his hands suddenly. "Alright, break's over! Let's all spar—teams of two!"

Caulifla cracked her knuckles. "Me and Kale versus you two. Hope you packed some bandages, boys."

Ash shot Cabba a look. "Can we not die today?"

Cabba gave him a thumbs up. "No promises."

As the sun dipped below the rocky horizon, painting the canyons in hues of orange and purple, the exhausted Saiyan squad sat around on cracked boulders and patches of flat earth. The intense heat of the day had faded, replaced by a gentle breeze that carried a hint of cool desert air. Above them, a half moon hung lazily in the sky.

Ash flopped back onto the ground with a groan. "Okay. So maybe sparring with people who can punch mountains isn't the same as a gym day."

Cabba chuckled, wiping sweat from his brow. "You held your own, man. Especially against Caulifla."

"Held my own?" Ash laughed weakly. "She used me as a volleyball."

Caulifla smirked, reclining against a nearby rock with her arms behind her head. "You're lucky I didn't go full power. I didn't want to break your tail on the first day."

Ash sat up, rubbing his stomach as it growled like a beast from another dimension. "Break my tail all you want, just not before dinner. I'm starving…"

Caulifla perked up at the sound. "Was that your stomach or a wild Oozaru?"

"Little of column A, little of column B," Ash muttered.

Cabba stretched and stood. "Actually, I was thinking… Ash, since you're officially on the team now, how about I take you out for dinner? There's a place in town that does fried space noodles and meteor dumplings."

Ash's eyes lit up. "You had me at 'fried'."

Caulifla, still lounging, opened one eye and smirked. "Wow, Cabba. Real classy. Inviting Ash and leaving us out?"

Kale blinked, surprised. "Y-You mean us too?"

"Exactly," Caulifla said, standing and dusting off her pants. "Come on, we're a team now, right?"

Cabba sighed, clearly realizing his quiet dinner plan was about to get hijacked. "Okay, okay, fine. Everyone's invited."

Caulifla patted him on the back—hard. "That's the spirit, Cheap-ba."

"Hey! That name died in high school!"

Ash laughed as he got to his feet. "This feels like the start of a weird but awesome friendship."

Caulifla looked over at him with a sly grin. "Better get used to weird. Especially if you're still tail-wagging around without going Super Saiyan."

Ash grinned cheekily. "Tomorrow, I'm gonna figure it out. Just you watch."

Kale gave him a small smile. "I… I think you can do it."

Ash blinked, then gave her a thumbs-up. "Thanks, Kale. I'll try not to explode when my hair turns gold."

"Do it while exploding," Caulifla said with a grin. "Way cooler."

Didn't expect this would be updated, huh?