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Chapter Text

The Distortion World was an ominous dimension incomprehensible by the standard laws of physics. Land masses floated aimlessly throughout a dark purple void, whole waterfalls flowing in the opposite direction towards an anti-gravitated platform. Among spiky trees that grew out of rust-tinged soil resided this alternate plain of existence’s only known inhabitant. It was a gray serpentine-esc creature with six elongated black tendrils, each one sporting red horns on their tips. The draconic being also had three golden-gray spikes on each side of its body in place of legs, four shorter ones extending from the snaking tail backward. Along with a striped chest of red and black, it had a trio of sharp half-rings wrapped around its neck and a highly imposing faceplate with horns that faced the back of his head to match. This was Giratina, a legendary Pokémon that represented all antimatter in its own habitat and respective universe of origin.

“Ooohgraaah!” roared the Ghost/Dragon type as it floated aimlessly throughout the endless horizon. Its beady red and black eyes narrowed into what seemed like pure infuriation, seemingly bothered by some unknown source of energy able to be sensed nearby. Growing more annoyed by this immense intake of incalculable power by the second, Giratina opened up its faceplate to reveal a tongued mouth and materialized a blue sphere of compressed aura. As a coping mechanism, the Renegade Pokémon whaled lowly and shot this projected attack at a proximate strip of earth. Said levitating platform spontaneously combusted upon impact, merely shattering into several different pieces due to a lack of oxygen necessary to produce a fiery explosion.

“Grrrrr…” Giratina rumbled lowly, glancing from left to right at the Distortion World’s encircling “walls”. To its surprise, one area seemed to be lit up with glowing yellow energy, radiating with an abundant shine of power. Targeting the specific gateway to another world outside of its primary home, Giratina blasted a turbulent whirlwind of air at the aforementioned power surge to create itself an interdimensional portal. Within this proverbial hole in the entire space-time continuum were three individuals of varying sizes, seemingly positioned near seven orange spheres in waiting for something to happen.

“Screeeah!” Giratina bellowed angrily, seeking to personally deal with the source of its prior ailment. With that, it slithered through the artificial rift and vanished into nothingness, the Distortion World now completely absent of all life.

In Universe 7…
After managing to spare Earth from the God of Destruction, Beerus’ wrath, Son Goku’s life seemed to be getting more interesting by the second. For one thing, he would be able to gain full control of his newly acquired Super Saiyan God form by training with Whis and find out what Godly chi was truly capable of. However, the stronger Goku wished to become, the more he seemed to distance himself from those closest to him, especially his wife, Chi Chi. Due to almost dying a third time in the battle against said purple sphinx cat, the Ox Princess had just about enough of worrying herself to the bone after so many years and decided to, reluctantly, put their relationship on hold until further notice. This sent Goku into an existential crisis that he had no idea how to get out of, interfering with his plans to visit Beerus’ personal domain as previously intended. All the Saiyan goofball could do now was sit outside of Capsule Corp, staring blankly into space in an attempt to figure out what he should do to fix this.

“You should talk to him.” suggested the blue-haired scientist, Bulma Brief, to her highly annoyed husband. Vegeta was extra pissed off at this point, enraged by the fact that Goku’s incessive moping got in the way of his own chance to spar with Beerus’ angel. His arms were crossed indecisively, tapping his foot at rapid speeds.

“Why do I have to comfort the idiot?! He only has himself to blame for what happened.” The Saiyan Prince objected matter-of-factly in growing ire. Not at all pleased with his attitude, Bulma grows a prominent tick-mark on her forehead and pinches Vegeta’s ear. This hurts more than it would seem.

“He’s our friend and his marriage is at stake! Now, get out there and ask him to spar or something! Do I make myself clear?!” Bulma hissed maliciously into her husband’s ear, an action which caused his skin to pale considerably.

“F-fine, I’ll do it! Just let go of me you crazy Earth woman!” Vegeta surrendered in utter defeat, seething with aching pain. Bulma decided he had enough and released him from her death grip, smiling victoriously.

“Good. Lunch will be ready soon, so hurry back.” Bulma beamed happily, kissing Vegeta’s cheek in appreciation for what he agreed to do. The prince rubbed his beat red earlobe and sighed heavily.

“Yes, dear…” Vegeta muttered in reluctant agreement, begrudgingly stomping towards the direction of Goku. Meanwhile, the aforementioned son of Bardock held a fist under his chin in deep concentration.

“Was Chi Chi, right? Do I take too many risks?” Goku whispered to himself in growing disbelief, thinking back to each time he died or was close to death. Admittedly, even with the Super Saiyan God transformation, he wasn’t even close to reaching Beerus’ full potential. If the feline Hakaishin did go through with destroying Earth as planned, he technically wouldn’t have the strength capable to stop it. Meaning, the seven years he spent in Otherworld after the defeat of Cell was pointless since Beerus was always going to come someday. It just dawned on him that seven whole years that he could have spent with his family and friends were unable to be taken back. Goku missed the birth of his second son and most of Gohan’s mid-childhood just for the sake of getting stronger.

“I-I never realized that…what Chi Chi could have felt during that time…it’s…” Goku stammered in building sorrow, thinking of how lonely she must have felt during that period of her life. Goku slumped down into his seat exasperatedly, placing a hand on his spiked black hair.

“Maybe I don’t think stuff through. If only I could start over somehow…do things…I don’t know anymore.” Goku sighed miserably, wondering back to the first time he married Chi Chi many years ago. Even their proposal was a result of his tendency to not put much thought into what he is saying or doing, directly resulting from his wrongful belief that “marriage” was a food when first meeting the temperate black-haired girl. Come to think of it, “love” itself was a difficult subject to decipher for the poor Saiyan man-child as well.

“Are you going to spend all day moping, Kakarot? You really are pathetic.” Vegeta chastised in disgust, narrowing his eyes downward to look at Goku’s. Goku, used to his rival’s daily bitterness, just absentmindedly waved at Vegeta as a sign of greeting.

“Oh, hey Vegeta. Shouldn’t you be training with Whis?” Goku asked curiously, trying to gather his clattered thoughts back to some semblance of normality. Vegeta twitched his right eye in anger at Goku’s obliviousness, but kept calm for just a short while.

“Think, Kakarot. Don’t you think I would if I could right now?” Vegeta rhetorically inquired, knowing full well that he needed Goku’s Instant Transmission ability to travel there. Goku sheepishly nods and shrugs his shoulders innocently.

“The point I’m trying to make is that maybe it’s time to take a break from Chi Chi.” Vegeta simply proclaimed, displaying a stone-cold scowl of seriousness to show that he wasn’t fooling around. Goku’s eyes both widened at what Vegeta just told him to do and the rare mention of his wife by name.

“Take a break? But we’ve been together for so long…” Goku forlornly argued, reminiscing the time they spent together as children, and teenagers in the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai. Vegeta scoffed at this excuse and grabbed a fistful of Goku’s gi in unrepentant rage.

“Look at yourself, Kakarot! You’re a Saiyan warrior who lives and breathes to fight! Now, because of that woman, you’re whining and complaining like one of those pansies on Bulma’s asinine soap operas! Whis and Beerus the Destroyer have agreed to train us for crying out loud! Snap out of it, you clown, and realize what actually matters!” Vegeta shouted in a passionate temper tantrum, shaking Goku back and forth like a weightless rag doll. Goku, a bit dizzy from Vegeta’s tugging, was about to respond to the prince’s critical qualms, but was swiftly interrupted by the sky’s clouds turning a dark black.

“Someone’s using the Dragon Balls?” Goku murmured aloud, distracted by the prospect of what the mysterious user or users could be wishing for. Suddenly, Goku leaps out of his seat and departs from the stupefied Vegeta.

“Hey, Bulma! Do you have the Dragon Radar?!” Goku asked loudly in front of the Capsule Corps’ main entryway. Bulma peered out from the kitchen and rummaged through her belongings, locating the pocket watch looking device.

“Here you go! Glad to see you’re a bit livelier than before.” Bulma chirped in relief, hoping that Goku would be able to cheer up sooner than later. Vegeta walked up to Goku assertively, ready to rip him a new one for not finishing their conversation.

“We’re not done here, Kakarot! Did you get what I was—” Vegeta’s rant was cut off by the sound of the Dragon Radar’s bleeping noise, depicting the Dragon Balls as glowing yellow dots. As implied with the abrupt weather change, all seven were gathered in one single location. Not wanting to waste any more time, Goku grabbed Vegeta’s shoulder while he was still in the middle of talking.

“See ya later, Bulma. We’ll be back soon!” Goku cheerfully said goodbye to the genius daughter of Dr. Brief. He placed two fingers on the bridge of his nose and singled out Shenron’s chi signature, also taking time to sense the ones summoning said eternal dragon.

“Wait—” Vegeta attempted to stop himself from going with Goku, but was materialized into thin air alongside him anyways. After waving farewell, Bulma felt an ever so slight shiver go down her spine as if something bad was about to happen. She squinted her eyes in worry before slowly walking back into the kitchen.

“I’ll check the spare radar just in case.” Bulma cautiously noted, wanting to keep track of the Dragon Balls’ current positions herself.

In the middle of a desert…
After years of constant failure, Emperor Pilaf was finally going to achieve what he’s always wished for: wealth and power of the highest magnitude! After being thwarted the first time around by Goku’s friend, Oolong, humiliated by King Piccolo the second time around, and regressed into that of an infant through a poorly phrased wish, he successfully regathered the Dragon Balls as greatly anticipated. With the help of his eternally loyal subjects, Mai and Shu, Pilaf could obtain anything he desired with no such intervention from outside forces. Since none of the Z Fighters seemed to recognize the three due to their younger appearances, the blue dwarf was free to claim what was rightfully his at long last.

“Bahahaha We did it! The Pilaf Empire will live again!” Pilaf guffawed delightedly in gleeful euphoria. He was even shorter than his usual self from early Dragon Ball, but still wore a blue and red striped beanie with a star in the center on top of his elfish head. His general attire consisted of a black tunic with green sleeves and a white frill wrapped around his neck, wearing yellow sandals on both feet. Pilaf’s shirt also displayed the Japanese kanji for “fried rice” in red font.

“Uh, sire…Not to be rude, but I don’t think the Pilaf Empire was really alive to begin with.” Shu nervously informed, scratching the back of his head. He was a Shiba Inu dog wearing a purple ninja uniform that completely covered his ears. A katana was positioned on his back in a blue sheath. Angered by his “minion’s” correction, Pilaf conked Shu on the head in reactionary irritation.

“Shut up, Shu! Don’t you think I know that already?! I was referring to my dream for the Pilaf Empire, you simpleton!” Pilaf comically lambasted his canine lackey. Shu whined pathetically, holding onto the large blemish jutting out from his hood.

“Sorry, sire…” Shu winced apologetically, groveling at his feet like…well, a dog. In the background, Mai held a noticeable grimace on her face that could be mistaken for pouting. She has long black hair with two rectangular bangs covering each ear and wears a green gymnasterka, or Russian battle uniform, with black boots on each foot. Along her waist lies a brown belt reminiscent of her older self from Age 749 onward.

“Mai, what are you doing?! Get over here and set up the Dragon Balls!” Pilaf commanded his only female follower impatiently. Snapped back to reality, Mai sporadically rolls each of the individually red-starred Dragon Balls into a neat circle as instructed. In response, each sphere glows exuberantly to life.

“My apologies, sire! I got… got distracted by something. Won’t happen again.” Mai timidly excused her behavior, blushing a rosy red. Shu and Pilaf look at each other for a moment, both grinning stupidly from ear to ear.

“Thinking about your boyfriend?” Shu questioned mockingly, failing to hold back uproarious laughter from breaking out. Pilaf shortly joined in, slapping his knee and keeling over on the desert sand. Mai, extremely flustered, coughed a few times and placed two hands on her small hips.

“He’s not my boyfriend! I’m technically older than his mom, so why would I be interested in a brat like him anyways?” Mai profusely denied her boss and colleague’s suspicions. She exhales uneasily and looks out into the distant skyline once more.

“There’s just something…strange about this place. I don’t know how to describe it. Like we’re being watched somehow.” Mai elaborated her insecurities, a single gust of wind blowing forward in the breeze. Shu and Pilaf cease their fits of laughing, gulping down insecure lumps in each of their throats.

“Let’s just get our wishes over with then. We’ve waited too long for this!” Pilaf authoritatively proclaimed, snapping his fingers in wanton desire. As Shu and Mai excitedly position themselves behind each side of their boss’s back, Emperor Pilaf raises up his arms and prepares to call upon Shenron for the third time in his life.

“RISE ETERNAL DRAGON AND HE—” Pilaf’s summoning chant is cut short by the inexplicable appearance of Goku and Vegeta through Instant Transmission. Pilaf, recognizing the black spiky hair, practically has a Vietnam flashback and starts shaking uncontrollably in fear. Shu and Mai do the same, hugging each other for dear life.

“Wait just a seco—Oh, great. It’s these morons.” Vegeta scoffed in a bored tone, facepalming his forehead. Goku, on the other hand, slightly recognized the three from his adventures as a kid and waved at them in greeting.

“Hey, Emperor Pilaf, right? You’re not trying to take over the world again, are you?” Goku naively asked, wagging his finger as if he was a scolding parent. Pilaf felt as if he was about to have a nervous breakdown and could only stand frozen in place from shock.

“No, no, no, no, no, no…NO! That Goku kid always gets in my way! Every. Single. Time!” Emperor Pilaf shouted scornfully within his subconscious, grinding his teeth in a back and forth motion with bloodshot eyes. Seeing the Dragon Balls awaiting activation, Pilaf sported a conniving sneer laced with sinister intentions.

“M-Mai, I think the boss has finally lost it.” Shu whispered fearfully, still huddled close to her in a locked embrace.

“I-I think you’re right, Shu. This can’t be good.” Mai responded with the same sense of abject horror, chilled to the bone in nervousness. Vegeta, much to Goku’s disagreement, imposingly shuffled up to Pilaf and outstretched one of his hands in preparation for chi-blasting.

“Step away from the Dragon Balls, shortstack. Or else I’ll step on you.” Vegeta warned intimidatingly, charging up a ball of chi from his fingertips and placing it near the blue elf’s head. With that threat, Emperor Pilaf’s sanity utterly snapped in two.

“Shortstack…I’LL SHOW YOU WHO’S SHORT WHEN I’M DONE WITH YOU! RISE ETERNAL DRAGON AND HEAR THE WISH OF HE WHO SUMMONS YOU!” Emperor Pilaf blindly stood up to himself, awakening Shenron to his fullest potential. Each Dragon Ball shined brightly before a streak of lightning erupted from the center and grew to elevated heights. It took the form of a massive Chinese dragon with green scales, brown deer antlers growing out of his head like horns. Shenron narrows his red eyes and looks down at his next line of work. Vegeta disengaged his chi and silently signaled for Goku to intervene if need be.

“WHO DARES DISTURB ME—Oh it’s you again. What do you want to wish for this time?” Shenron sighed monotonously, waiting for the foolish blue midget to mess up somehow due to his incredible sense of bad luck. Emperor Pilaf pointed accusingly at Vegeta and Goku, momentarily catching the two Saiyans off-guard.

“These two nuisances need to be taught a lesson! I want them to be put in the same situation as I am now. I wish for them to be turned back into kids, so they can learn some proper respect for their superiors!” Emperor Pilaf haughtily declared, cackling evilly as he uttered his first desire. Shu and Mai gazed at each other in awe while Vegeta was absolutely livid by this bold request.

“DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU’VE DONE, YOU BLUE-BALLED BASTARD?! TAKE IT BACK! TAKE IT BACK BEFORE I BLAST YOU BACK INTO THE HOLE YOU CRAWLED OUT OF!” Vegeta screeched vexingly, getting close to punching his fist straight through the impish monarch’s face. Goku, not knowing what else to do, catches sight of a wind tunnel being created above Shenron and the Dragon Balls!

“Vegeta, look!” Goku called out, sensing an extremely hostile chi signature approaching fast from within the portal. Vegeta, Pilaf, Shu, and Mai looked where just pointed to see an inky black shadow gradually picking up speed. Hearing the details of Pilaf’s wish, Shenron, none the wiser to what is taking place, has his eyes glow a red hue and prepares to grant what was asked of him.

“Your wish has been grante—Huh?” Shenron stops mid-sentence to turn his head upward, red eyes widening at the appearance of Giratina in an entirely new form. It now has two bat-like dragon wings with three red spikes each and six dinosaurian legs that have yellow claws. Also much bigger than before, Giratina catches Shenron off-guard and roughly slams into him.

“Ooof! Um…Fareweeellll!” Shenron shouted in awkward pain as it was forcefully transported back into the Dragon Balls in a faint beam of light. Due to this never happening before, the orange spheres remain as they are, but are helplessly dragged into Giratina’s dimensional rip one by one!

“Aaaahhhhhh!!!” The Pilaf Gang screamed simultaneously as all three of them were pulled in by the portal’s high-speed winds. Goku and Vegeta use their mastery of chi manipulation to keep themselves attached to the ground, but can feel themselves slipping by the second. In fact, while they remain at the same strength, their entire bodies seem to grow lighter all of a sudden.

“V-Vegeta! I can’t hold on much longer!” Goku grunted in exasperation, his blue and red boots dragging against the sand. Vegeta, his eyes starting to close from fatigue-laced exhaustion, slumped over unconscious and was picked up by a watchful Giratina.

“NOOOO!” Goku gasped distressfully, utilizing every last bit of his chi to fly into the portal and tackle the unsuspecting creature. Once Goku and Giratina flew into the Distortion World, the portal leading there dissipated without any other trace. Universe 7’s strongest Saiyans and the Pilaf Gang were gone in an instant.

Back at Capsule Corp…
Bulma was still making lunch for Vegeta, her, and Trunks in the kitchen, currently keeping an eye on her own Dragon Radar to make sure things were going well for the two Saiyan warriors. However, what caught the heiress’ attention was the fact all seven lit-up icons representing the Dragon Balls vanished in only about 5 minutes time. This struck her as odd since it should take longer for the Dragon Balls to turn to stone because of the new 3 wish limit bestowed by Dende. She paused for a moment or two to look out into the horizon, but brushed aside her worries as merely unwarranted.

“They should be fine. What could possibly go wrong?” Bulma jokingly wondered to herself as she got back to meticulously cooking. For Goku and Vegeta, everything was almost unanimously the answer to that question.

Chapter Text

In the Distortion World, Goku relied on his immense arm strength to tightly cling onto an enraged Giratina’s body. Growing more annoyed by Goku’s attempt to free Vegeta from its mouth, said Pokémon contorts about in pure agony and flies around its home dimension at unprecedented speeds. It frustratedly crashes into various landmasses back first, hoping to throw the Saiyan prodigy off through means of pain infliction. Due to his highly durable skin, the destroyed scraps of soil are merely minor nuisances to Goku and he blankly shakes some excess dirt samples out of his messy hair.

“Tinraaahah!” Giratina screeched irritably, unleashing a barrage of multiple air torrents in maddened succession that just barely brushed past Vegeta’s head. Each blast of wind hits different areas of the Distortion World, creating portals that lead to different areas of the Pokemon world and alternate universes entirely. With this simultaneous production of whirling currents, the zero-gravitated Dragon Balls are sucked into their own respective portals and vanish upon entry. The Pilaf Gang, floating in wide-eyed bewilderment, gape at this misfortunate anomaly and pounce onto the four-star ball in desperation to at least salvage one of their lost treasures.

“Oh no, you don’t! The Dragon Balls are mine and mine aloooooahah!” Emperor Pilaf seethed determinedly before being dragged into another projected black hole once more, wailing like a little girl mid-transition.

“Sireeeeee!” Shu and Mai screamed fearfully, also descending into the prevailing bottomless void as they grabbed onto their boss’s feet. As their personal gateway out of the Distortion World ceased to be, Giratina produced one last reality-warping blast that flung the unconscious Vegeta out of its maw and created a final rift. Seeing as his arms were steadily shrinking by the second, Goku bounces off of Giratina’s back and rockets down towards the Saiyan prince.

“I got you!” Goku proclaimed assuredly, hugging his arms around Vegeta’s stomach area. Unable to slow the speed of his fall, Goku shuts both eyes tightly in uneasiness and enters the abnormal exit into parts unknown. Giratina carefully watches the two Universe 7 interlopers as they disappear, relieved that the Dragon Balls’ bothersome output of energy was no longer an issue…for now.

“Girahh.” Giratina warbled in a much calmer tone, nodding pleasurably as it took flight to deeper parts of its arguably hellish territory.

On Kami’s Lookout…
It was a usual day on Kami’s Lookout, an elevated pavilion constructed above Korin’s Tower and the eponymous Land of Korin itself. There, the black-skinned genie, Mr. Popo, practiced his annual routine of watering the flowers while Piccolo meditated near the semi-circular plaza’s furthest edge. Said Namekian martial artist wore a white turban and caped cloak combo, sporting large elfin ears that complimented his green skin. He sat in a calm, meditative position, floating above ground due to the subconscious use of his inner chi. Closer to the Lookout’s palace stood Dende, Earth’s current guardian and a much younger specimen of Piccolo’s predominantly slug-like species. He is clothed in both a maroon vest and ruffled white robes, his two feet covered by the same orange shoes as Piccolo Daimao’s reincarnation. Suddenly stricken with a crippling sense of dread, Dende drops his wooden staff to the ground and clutches his heart painfully. Much to Mr. Popo’s horror, the youthful Namekian collapses to his knees from inexplicable exhaustion.

“DENDE! What’s wrong?!” The immortal assistant of Kami questioned concernedly, helping the distressed extraterrestrial being to his feet. Dende’s eyes were widened in shock as he struggled to breath.

“T-the Dragon Balls…T-they’ve disappeared somehow…” Dende gasped in grief-stricken confusion, literally feeling as if a part of him was mysteriously crushed from within. Piccolo put his meditation on hold to sense the surrounding area, noticing that two highly identifiable chi signatures were no longer present as well.

“Goku and Vegeta have vanished too. I can’t seem to track their presences anymore.” Piccolo grunted informingly; eyes narrowed with a glare of immense suspicion. Dende and Mr. Popo gaped at each other in surprise, wondering what could happen as a result of the Saiyan duo’s unprecedented absence.

“W-what can we do then? The Dragon Balls were our only way to bring them back.” Dende gravely pondered, stroking his chin in deep puzzlement. Piccolo sighed irritably and crossed his pink-shelled arms, giving Earth’s guardian a passive side glance.

“Nothing for now. We either use the Namekian Dragon Balls, wait for Goku and Vegeta to find a way back themselves, or something else you really don’t want to resort to.” Piccolo suggested matter-of-factly in hopes of practicing the latter two options. Dende raised a non-existent eyebrow as he propped himself up with his wooden staff.

“W-what’s that, Piccolo?” Dende hesitantly inquired in piqued curiosity. Piccolo clenched his fanged teeth in what seemed like nervousness as he uttered one single name that brought fear to even the strongest of warriors.

“Beerus.” Piccolo weightily whispered, marching back to his prior position on the Lookout without another word. Dende and Mr. Popo understood exactly what he meant, their uniquely colored faces paling into a ghost-like white. If Beerus found out about Goku and Vegeta’s unusual disappearance, nothing would be spared from the destructive force his anger may bring. Not even Bulma’s cooking.

Above Lake Verity…
After Giratina’s portal quickly spit them out before fading away, Goku and the unconscious Vegeta plummeted towards a small body of water surrounded by various trees. Due to the still prominent regression of his current body structure, Goku was unable to regain control of his building momentum and crashed straight into said lake in a gigantic splash. The resulting implosion of fresh water startled dozens of Pokémon both swimming and running about in the small patches of grass nearby, including a wide array of frightened Starly that sporadically flew out of their nests. They were bird-like creatures with black-white feathers and a grayish brown body, paired nicely with an orange beak and two feet of the same color. While Bidoofs and submerged Psyducks curiously observed the slowly drowning Saiyans, two glowing blue eyes filled with immense psychic energy materialized from within a proximate cave’s entrance.

“Mes?” pondered the surprised entity as it cautiously levitated outside of its personal resting place. The mysterious being was a gray fairy that had four droopy appendages magenta in color and two leaf-shaped tails curving upward from behind. A red gemstone was positioned in the center of its forehead while two smaller ones resided on each tail. This was Mesprit, a legendary Pokémon representative of all emotion. The Psychic-type member of the infamous Lake Trio rubbed the sleep out of its golden irises and levitated closer to inspect the two perpetrators responsible for interrupting its prior slumber. Goku, his face strained from a mix of exhaustion and soreness due to the unexpected descent, particularly caught Mesprit’s interest. Amused by the uproarious levels of power hidden within both Vegeta and Goku, the pink-faced imp giggled mischievously and decided to put its psychokinetic abilities to good use.

“Messsss!” Mesprit chanted lowly, outstretching its stubby arms in preparation to use the move, Confusion. In response, a dark blue aura was projected around both Universe 7 denizens as the eponymous Emotion Pokémon safely lifted them up from Lake Verity’s lowest depths. Much to the lower-leveled pocket monsters’ ever-watchful amazement, Mesprit safely placed Goku and Vegeta onto the closest shoreline. No longer faced with the danger of breathing in excess amounts of water, the two Saiyans calmly snoozed away in obliviousness of what just took place. Mesprit moved closer to Goku’s snoring visage and touched his forehead to get a better read on his emotional state. Mesprit was pleased to see that the Z-Fighter’s massive pools of energy were seemingly reliant upon his emotions, especially anger.

“Messprit…Mess!” Mesprit snickered amusingly, already expecting a lot of fun to come about from Goku’s sudden presence. It danced buoyantly around his head in waiting for the intriguing boy to wake up while a suspicious looking man with spiky blue hair watched from a distance. His emotionless blue eyes darted from the portal’s initial placement back to Vegeta and Goku’s knocked out forms.

“Hmmm interesting…” the strange man whispered monotonously in what could be misinterpreted as boredom. Arms crossed around his back, he approached Goku, Vegeta, and the blissfully unaware legendary with questionable intentions.

Twinleaf Town
Twinleaf Town was very small by even the lowest standards of miscellaneous villages. It mostly consisted of four wooden houses that each had green roofs varying in size and were surrounded by walls of trees. One such facility was home to a bubbly, highly determined 13-year-old girl named Dawn Berlitz. She had long, grayish black hair with eyes of the same color, wearing a pink nightgown tied together by red string. Dawn contentedly rested in her queen-sized bed, dreaming of a moment she was particularly anticipating for years on end: the day she would become a licensed Pokémon trainer and be able to explore the Sinnoh region! As she theoretically sawed logs, a cat with gray fur and a spring-shaped tail gracefully tiptoed up the stairs leading to her room. The feline leaped on top of Dawn’s windowsill and used its elegant paws to open it up, allowing sunlight to directly shine down onto the only child of her owner. After the successful execution of this firm wake-up call, Dawn blinked her eyes once or twice and exhaustively rose out of bed.

“Ooooooaah! Thanks Glameow…” Dawn yawned in approval as she stretched her arms skyward in preparation to get ready. Her eyes were squinted from lack of proper sleep, but immediately widened in excitement from recognizing what the exact time of day it was.

“Oh boy! Oh boy! Today’s the day!” Dawn frantically cheered to herself, tightly hugging a misfortunate Glameow to her chest. After sparing the Catty Pokémon from prolonged suffocation at the last second, the amped up young girl set the family pet down and scrambled through her closet for something to wear. She disposed of her pajamas and replaced them with a red jacket lined with four pink circular designs near the waist area. Dawn then concealed her bare feet with white tube socks and a pair of bubble gum pink rain boots, also taking her time to braid both sides of her slate colored hair with two matching braids that were ovalish in shape. Last but not least, she placed a trademark white beanie atop of her head that sported a pink semi-circular design reminiscent of a Poké Ball. Dawn then looked into the mirror attached to her closet door and raised up a clenched fist of determination.

“Watch out world! It’s Dawn Berlitz’ time to shine!” Dawn chirped to herself with a confident smirk and narrow of her black irises. Glameow rolled her eyes at Dawn’s self-inflicted confidence boost and decided to walk back downstairs for some much-needed breakfast. Also wanting to eat before visiting Professor Rowan’s lab in Sandgem Town, Dawn skipped along the steps in followed up succession.

“Morning, sweetie! I see Glameow was able to wake you up just fine.” Johanna Berlitz, Dawn’s mother, happily greeted as she cooked pancakes on the stove. She was practically the splitting image of her daughter except for the fact that she had a full head of dark blue hair instead of black-gray like Dawn’s. She also wore a white long-sleeved shirt and an orange-red apron that covered her light blue jeans. In the middle of talking, Johanna poured a fresh bowl of Pokémon food for Glameow and another member of her team known as Umbreon, a black dog-like animal with pointed ears and a bushy tail that all had yellow rings wrapped around them. She also had slit red eyes and a yellow ring imprinted above her miniscule nose. The two Pokémon enthusiastically accepted the offer and wolfed down the pile of brown pellets down to their hearts’ content, mewing in content.

“As per usual.” Dawn grumbled in response, taking a seat at the kitchen table. Johanna, just about done with preparing their respective meals, turned around to take a good look at her steadily maturing daughter. She squealed enthusiastically and clasped two hands over her chest much to Dawn’s embarrassment.

“Eeeeee you look so cute! I can’t believe my little girl’s growing up so fast!” Johanna beamed in a closed-eye smile, melancholically wiping away a few stray tears. Dawn’s cheeks flushed from aggravation, shyly covering her reddened face via pushing her hat down.

“Stop it, mom! I’m not that old…” Dawn whined childishly in growing protest. Johanna laughed at seeing her daughter in such a flustered state and apologetically set down a plate for Dawn to eat from. At the sight of bacon, sausage, and syrup-covered, Dawn’s prior chagrin was swiftly replaced with one of hungered euphoria.

“I know, honey. I-it’s just…just going to take some time for me to get used to you being on your own. That’s all.” Johanna elaborated in a bittersweet tone, placing a hand on her cheek as she reminisced about the past. Engulfing delicacy after delicacy in rapid succession, Dawn takes note of her mom’s sadness and grimaces in understanding. Glameow and Umbreon also catch sight of their trainer’s emotional instability, ears drooped in a somewhat sympathetic light.

“Oh I almost forgot! I bought you something on my trip to the Poké Mart yesterday.” Johanna proclaimed excitedly with a snap of her fingers, rushing over to her own closet. Dawn raised an eyebrow, but kept her own anticipation in check until she had a better idea of what was being given to her. Johanna came back with a strapped handbag that was white in color with pink stripes along the zipper. Four pockets were included on each side for extra space-related purposes.

“Ta-da! It’s a new bag for your journey!” The former Pokémon Coordinator merrily revealed, encouraging Dawn to try it on. Dawn, her eyes sparkling with immense gratitude, got out of her seat and snatched the purse from her mom’s hands. She then slipped its strap over her shoulder and twirled around for further inspection, smiling broadly the whole time.

“It’s perfect! Thanks, mom!” Dawn beamed enthusiastically, giving her mom a great bear hug. Johanna wholeheartedly reciprocated the gesture and held Dawn close to her for just a short while.

“You’re welcome, dear! Just make sure to come back—” Johanna’s worrisome request was interrupted by both the sound of a massive explosion and the rapid shaking of their home. Dawn fell bottom first onto the cold, hard floor while Johanna used the table as a makeshift source of support. After a few seconds, the rumbling dissipated as if absolutely nothing happened at all. In the corner, Glameow and Umbreon shivered uncontrollably in sheer terror while Dawn struggled to stand up on her own two feet.

“M-mom, w-what was that?” Dawn stuttered nervously; her blackish gray orbs shrunken in puzzlement as she observed the house for any noticeable damages.

“I-I’m not sure. I-I think it might have come from the woods somewhere.” Johanna presumed shakily, brushing down her wrinkled clothes. Suddenly, a rapid series of loud knocking came from the front door. This was not expected by the two Berlitz’s in the slightest.

“GYAHHHH! O-oh it’s just someone at the door.” Johanna girlishly screeched in highly exaggerated horror before deadpanning from realized embarrassment. Dawn, having a feeling she knew who it was from the hyperactive slams, sighed irritably and attempted to answer the door.

“I’ll get it.” Dawn groaned in still prevalent hesitance and slowly grasped the doorknob to open it. Standing there, as anticipated, was Barry, Dawn’s next-door neighbor and closest childhood friend. He had disheveled blond hair and widened orange eyes filled with limitless exuberance, wearing a long-sleeved shirt with orange-white stripes. He also wore black pants and brown tennis shoes, along with having a green scarf wrapped around his neck. Barry was currently jumping in place from an innate eagerness to talk about the “explosion” that transpired only seconds ago.

“’SupDawn!Didyouhearthatrumbling?!Itwasscarybutkindofcoolatthesametime!MymomsaiditwasseenaroundLakeVerity.Wanttogocheckitout?” Barry speedily greeted in growing impatience, not even taking a break to breathe in between each sentence. Dawn blinked a few times, desperately trying to comprehend the information Barry’s habitual fast-talking entailed.

“Whoa whoa whoa! Slow down, Barry! You’re gonna give me a migraine.” Dawn comically protested, waving both of her hands in front of the highly energized 13-year-old. Barry followed Dawn’s careful instructions and inhaled a resigned breath of fresh air. He then halted his incessant hopping and stood up straight in a more relaxed position.

“Ahem sorry. But, again, do you want to go see where all that ruckus came from? It would be an awesome way to start both of our adventures!” Barry suggested anticipatedly, showing off a big toothy grin of pure hype. Dawn grinned the same way, but decided to make a formal farewell to her mom first before taking off.

“Alright, mom. I guess this is it.” Dawn announced in slight reluctance, timidly playing with the white scarf wrapped around her neck. Johanna, understanding that it was finally time for her daughter to grow up, tightly embraced Dawn one last time and kissed her on the cheek. Dawn contentedly closed her eyes to enjoy the comforting moment.

“Good luck, sweetheart. I know you’ll make me proud in whatever field you decide to go into. Whether that be Battling, like your father, or Coordinating, like me.” Johanna lovingly exclaimed with the utmost confidence in Dawn’s promising affinity for Pokémon. Glameow and Umbreon both rubbed themselves along Dawn’s boots as their own form of temporary farewell, the latter purring affectionately.

“I will. Love you, mom.” Dawn whispered promisingly as she stroked the fur on top of Glameow and Umbreon’s heads. She adjusted her bag on the side of her hip and walked back to where Barry awkwardly stood, trying his best not to intrude on Dawn’s familial affairs.

“Love you more! Be safe you two!” Johanna chimed gleefully, waving the two friends off as Dawn closed the door. As Barry foolishly sprinted headfirst into the tall grass, Dawn took one last glimpse at the house she was raised in. She frowned ever so slightly in recollection of her happiest moments, but then smirked hopefully for what the future might hold.

“Don’t worry, mom. I’ll make something great of myself. I promise.” Dawn mentally assured, intending to excel in both categories Johanna listed. She then jogged along Twinleaf Town’s center pathway and tried to catch up with the overly eager Barry.

“Hurry up, slowpoke! We need to get to Verity Lakefront and see what happened! Who knows? It could have been a legendary Pokémon!” Barry stated in galvanization, picking up the pace of his run as he reached Route 201. However, just as he was about to turn left, Barry failed to pay attention to what was in front of him and accidentally collided with an individual coming from the opposite direction.

“Oof! Hey, what’s the big idea?! I should fine you 10, 000, 000 Pokédollars for…for…” Barry’s frustrated complaints were silenced upon immediate recognition of the person he inadvertently crashed into. It was an elderly man with spiked white hair and pronounced muttonchops of the same complexion. He wore a light blue vest with white sleeves, a brown tie, and black dress pants. His mouth was covered by a bushy moustache as he glared down at Barry in what could be interpreted as an angry scowl.

“P-professor Rowan…” The newly caught up Dawn gasped in admiration at the man she and Barry have planned to meet for most of their young lives. His stern black eyes darted from Barry to Dawn in curiosity.

“What do you kids think you’re doing?” Professor Rowan scolded matter-of-factly. Barry quickly picked himself up from the grass and scratched the back of his blond hair nervously.

“Uhhh well, sir, me and my friend, Dawn, here were going to see what the cause of that intense shaking was. Our homes almost collapsed because of it.” Barry revealed anxiously, discomforted from being in the presence of such a respectable figure.

“But, did you realize that Lake Verity contains many patches of tall grass like the ones behind me? Meaning, you would be defenseless against hostile Pokémon that could jump out at a moment’s notice.” Rowan informed critically, gesturing to the various Bidoof and Starly waddling through hidden grassland.

“That wouldn’t bother us since we both love Pokémon equally. Honestly, we kind of hoped you would accept us as trainers at your lab. If we didn’t run into you right now at least.” Dawn continued passionately, trying to prove to the 60-year-old Pokémon professor that her and Barry were dedicated enough to receive such an important task. Rowan closed his eyes in puzzlement, mentally deciding on what he should do with the ambitious duo.

“The two of you care deeply about Pokémon, hmmm?” Rowan pondered thoughtfully, raising a single hairy eyebrow at Dawn and Barry.

“Yes! My family’s livelihood has been reliant on Pokémon and I plan to do the same no matter what.” Dawn remarked in acknowledgement of her primarily Pokémon centric heritage.

“Same with me! You can ask a hundred times, but the answer will never change!” Barry beamed in unquestionable sincerity, thinking back to his father’s own position as a member of Sinnoh’s very own Battle Frontier. Satisfied with the two kids’ immediate answers, Rowan nodded his head appreciatively and pointed a finger towards the short walkway leading to Lake Verity.

“Since we’re going to the same place, I’ll personally escort you two to the lake’s shoreline. Then, you’ll be entrusted with your own Pokémon. How does that sound?” Rowan offered in a much more lighthearted tone whilst smiling lightly. Dawn and Barry looked at each other in wide-eyed surprise, theoretically doing somersaults within their subconscious minds.

“Great!” Dawn and Barry whooped in unison, lining up single file behind the aging scientist. Rowan chuckled at their child-like exhilaration and led them to a short entryway that was constructed in between four green trees. Walking in, the three were shocked to see two unconscious teenagers being simultaneously observed by Mesprit and a strange man wearing a specially designed gray-black uniform of some sort.

(Play this song, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjZm5JaPq4Y)

“I-is that a legendary?” Dawn thought intriguingly, hearing legends of Lake Verity’s proposed guardian ever since she was a little girl. As the Psychic-type imp continued to prance around Goku’s head near a patch of melting snow, the blue-haired stranger pondered the otherworldly origins of both Saiyan warriors.

“Throughout the expanding reaches of time and space, I have always theorized that alternate worlds parallel to this one existed somehow. These…these very beings definitively prove that idea to be true.” The eccentric man proposed dully, a conniving sneer beginning to form on his flat lips as he analyzed Goku and Vegeta’s lifeless forms. Professor Rowan squinted his tired eyes in suspicion while Barry leaned over to Dawn’s shoulder.

“What’s going on…?” Barry whispered confusedly. Dawn just shrugged her shoulders and proceeded to eavesdrop on the oddly hair-colored individual.

“Could their presences be a sign for me to take action? If the legendary Pokémon of the lakebed is interested in one of them, then I, Cyrus, will use them to my advantage. Then, someday, this world and all others like it will be mine to control. Theirs included.” The recently introduced Cyrus affirmed sinisterly in a vague summarization of his future plans. Glaring one last time at the distracted Mesprit, Cyrus marched almost robotically towards Lake Verity’s exit.

“Who are you? What business do you have here?” An angry Professor Rowan interrogated Cyrus, standing protectively in front of Dawn and Barry. Cyrus barely even acknowledged Professor Rowan’s presence and blankly stared at the old man as if he was a minor annoyance. Practically standing face to face, Rowan noticed a stylized ‘G’ on the left side of Cyrus’s gray jacket.

“Allow me to pass. Step aside.” Cyrus lowly commanded the trio of Pokémon enthusiasts. The utter lifelessness in Cyrus’s eyes startled Professor Rowan to a degree where he had no choice, but to follow the 27-year-old man’s orders. He stepped backward and allowed Cyrus to make a swift exit, disappearing to parts unknown. Dawn and Barry peered over Professor Rowan’s shoulders, gulping prominent lumps in their throats.

“Geez that guy gave me the creeps. What was his problem?” Barry asked in instinctual befuddlement, already predicting that Cyrus’s blank gaze would haunt his nightmares for the next few days. Dawn caught sight of Professor Rowan’s troubled expression and attentively tugged on his sleeve.

“Do you know who that was, Professor?” Dawn wondered aloud in her own sense of uncertainty. Professor Rowan shook himself out of his cautious stupor and continued to glower at Cyrus’s retreating form.

“I’m not certain. All I can say is that this won’t be the last we see of him.” Professor Rowan cryptically assumed, wanting to research the meaning of that ‘G’ insignia as soon as possible. Dawn slowly nodded in comprehension and directed her attention back to Goku, Vegeta, and Mesprit. In that moment, Goku’s eyes immediately opened and he jumped onto his feet in perplexment. His sudden awakening almost caught Mesprit off-guard if it weren’t for the pink-haired sprite’s ability to turn invisible. Instead of being annoyed, Lake Verity’s most prevalent inhabitant cutely cheered in response to Goku’s healthy return.

“Huh, where am—” Goku, noticing the higher pitch of his voice, placed both hands over his mouth in unprecedented shock. This action allowed him to inspect his much smaller palms and less muscular arms, confusing the Saiyan martial artist to no end. Goku’s bafflement over his anatomical “enhancements” incited a fit of mischievous giggles in Mesprit, throwing Dawn, Barry, and Professor Rowan through a loop.

“GAH! I-I’m a kid again!” Goku shrieked disparagingly, clutching both sides of his spiky black hair. As he began to panic, Dawn and Barry analyzed Goku’s appearance in appalled disbelief. Fortunately, the effects of Emperor Pilaf’s wish magically shifted Goku’s orange gi into one that would fit his much shorter body, so he wasn’t completely naked.

“Again? What does that mean?” Dawn mumbled inaudibly, one of her black eyebrows raised in utter confoundment.

“I’m more concerned with his hairstyle. Is it like that naturally?” Barry whispered analytically, touching his own head of blond hair for emphasis. Professor Rowan, on the other hand, was amazed by Mesprit’s friendly behavior around the black-haired boy since it was widely known to act quite reserved and hostile when around human beings.

“Vegeta! Wake up, bud!” Goku shook the Saiyan prince’s limp body in a desperate attempt to get him awake during this urgent situation. Mesprit, wanting to help out some more, projected a wave of psychic energy that hit Vegeta directly in the forehead. Due to being a practitioner of all emotions, this helped alleviate Vegeta’s unconscious slumber. Sensing the impulse of psionic power, Goku jolted his head upward to address Mesprit’s smiling visage.

“Messprit!” the Emotion Pokémon cried joyously; its golden irises closed as it waved at Goku with one of its gray nubs. Goku, never seeing a creature like Mesprit in his entire life, waved back and smiled back in an admittedly more strained way.

“Erm, thanks for the help…Mesprit?” Goku unsurely gratified the 481st Pokémon. Upon hearing its name, Mesprit pleasantly twirled around Goku’s head in rarely seen happiness before vanishing into thin air. This astonished Professor Rowan even more, along with Dawn and Barry as well.

“This boy. He may hold all sorts of hidden potential…” Professor Rowan presumed thoughtfully, never seeing any trainer that could win the favor of a legendary Pokémon without trying to do so. Meanwhile, Vegeta grunted painfully and propped himself up from the nearby pile of snow. The first thing he saw was Goku’s goofy, sympathetic grin.

“K-kakarot, why are you looking at me like that?” Vegeta groaned vexingly, rubbing his ringing forehead with a gloved hand. His own eyes shrunk when speaking, reacting similarly to how Goku did.

“Okay, Vegeta. Whatever you do, don’t freak out.” Goku pleaded in a fruitless attempt to qualm his greatest rival’s building anger. Said son of King Vegeta looked at his stubbier appearance and shrunken down suit of armor in absolute lividness, his entire body surrounded by white flames of chi.

“That miserable little sack of shit actually did it! He turned the prince of all Saiyans into a…a prepubescent rugrat!” Vegeta roared furiously, his massive chi exploding outward in the form of a pulsating gust of wind. This emotional tantrum almost knocked Dawn, Barry, and Professor Rowan off of their feet, causing them to huddle close together for added weight.

“That surge of power…Are those two Aura Guardians?!” Professor Rowan gaped in possible recognition of Goku and Vegeta’s formidable skills.

“Vegeta, calm down! Complaining isn’t going to solve anything!” Goku yelled objectively while displaying his own aura to cancel out Vegeta’s.

“What do you expect me to do, Kakarot?! First, that Peeloft or whatever his name is does this to us and then, that demonic dragon transports us here. Wherever here is anyways.” Vegeta snapped back irritably, holding his hand out to address the overly cutesy Bidoof, Starly, and Psyduck trying to step closer. Goku clasped Vegeta’s shoulder understandably, an action which the prince scoffed at.

“I’m not happy with this either, Vegeta, but we have a lot more serious issues to worry about. Like the Dragon Balls and Pilaf Gang being somewhere else.” Goku reminded him factually, pointing to the currently busted Dragon Radar as another problem to solve. Vegeta glanced at Goku for a moment and then slapped his hand away, crossing his arms in begrudging acceptance.

“Fine, but when I get my hands on that blue midget, his head will be a prominent splat on my boot.” Vegeta growled darkly, slamming his right foot on the ground for good measure. Goku was about to scold Vegeta again for his ruthlessness, but stopped after taking notice of the three watchful pedestrians.

“Demonic dragon? D-did these boys encounter Giratina?!” Rowan exclaimed skittishly, wanting to learn more about these “kids” more and more by the second. He took it upon himself to approach the Saiyan duo while the two would-be Pokémon Trainers stood a few feet behind him.

“Hello, my name is Professor Rowan. What are yours?” Rowan politely introduced himself while Dawn and Barry waited for their own chances to greet the two anomalies. Goku bowed in respect for the elderly man standing before him while Vegeta dismissively harrumphed with a narrow of his black eyes.

“Hi, the name’s Son Goku and this is my friend, Vegeta. Could you tell us where we are?” Goku beamed innocently, scratching his head a few times to show that he had no clue as to what is going on. Dawn, Barry, and Professor Rowan ogled the two Saiyan “children” funnily, at least expecting them to originate from some region in the Pokémon world. Little did they know; the answer was whole lot more complicated than the three of them could possibly imagine.

Chapter Text

Dawn and Barry were unsure of what to be weirded out by in regards to Goku’s greeting. Their unique names were particularly good contenders since neither of the two kids had ever heard of the word “son” being used as a surname…or first name? They couldn’t be certain because of how he stated it, but that was the least of their noticeable concerns right now. What dumbfounded them to no end was that said gravity-defying haired individuals seemingly appeared out of nowhere and had no recollection of which region they were native to. Not even less prominent settlements like Orre, Ferrum, or Almia came to mind for some reason.

“Well, erm, you’re in the Sinnoh region. One of the eight main locations in the entire Pokémon world.” Professor Rowan hesitantly informed, stroking his white moustache with a raised eyebrow. Goku and Vegeta glanced at one another puzzlingly, lost the moment Rowan mentioned Sinnoh and eight nations.

“Sinnoh? Is that a food?” Goku naively asked, hunger beginning to deter his ability to think properly as per usual.

“The hell’s a Pokémon?” Vegeta rudely snapped, getting straight to the point without restricting his fowl Saiyan mouth. This shocking question was the breaking point for Twinleaf Town’s youngest inhabitants, their eyes widened to absolute maximum capacity. Professor Rowan, on the other hand, was even more astounded by the duo’s existence and why they came here.

“Hi I’m Barry btw. Not to be rude, but did you guys hit your head or something? Like really, really hard?” Barry assumed curiously, floored by Goku and Vegeta’s overt obliviousness to the most important aspect of his entire 13-year-old life.

“Watch it, blondie. You have no idea who you’re messing with.” Vegeta fumed irritably, pointing an accusatory finger at Barry in warning. Barry, recalling the surge of power Vegeta displayed mere moments ago, gulped nervously and fidgeted with his scarf in an attempt to keep himself distracted.

“Well, I did hit my head when I was little, but I don’t see what that has to do with us not knowing what Pokémon are.” Goku honestly responded, thinking back to when he was raised by Grandpa Gohan on Mt. Paozu. Vegeta deadpanned at Goku’s nonchalant reveal of his origins while Barry was amazed that his exaggerated joke had some truth to it. Dawn, inwardly giggling at the literal Saiyan man-child’s blank expression, decided to share her own insights on what Pokémon are.

“My name’s Dawn, nice to meet you guys. The point my friend was trying to make is that everyone knows what Pokémon are! They have lived alongside people for millions of years and make up the world’s wildlife, ecosystem, and mostly everything else in between. Heck, some are standing around you as we speak! How do you survive or function without being familiar with them?!” Dawn passionately explained, gesturing to herds of Bidoof, Starly, and Psyduck inspecting the two foreigners’ every move. The Saiyan prince looked unimpressed by these small creatures, only sensing small hints of power in each one. Goku, however, had a sudden epiphany in regards to the mysterious identities of Mesprit and Giratina.

“Wait, if those animals over there are Pokémon, then were Mesprit and that spiky monster also…” Goku pondered interestedly, putting bits and pieces of information together based on his short-lived experience in the Distortion World. Professor Rowan stepped into view, nodding once in affirmation.

“Yes, Goku. Those are Pokémon as well. However, Mesprit and Giratina fall under another category simply called Legendary Pokémon, the self-proclaimed gods of this world.” Professor Rowan exclaimed knowledgeably, wondering if Goku and Vegeta held strength equal or even greater than those two aforementioned deities. Goku was thrown off somewhat by this description, startled by the fact that a telekinetic fairy-like creature like Mesprit was considered divine by this universe’s standards.

“Wow. All our world had was dinosaurs and eternal dragons. This is a lot to take in.” Goku sighed exhaustively, trying his best to comprehend the new environment he and Vegeta were unwittingly thrown into. Professor Rowan’s suspicions were proven correct as to what Goku and Vegeta are while Barry laughed uproariously at the mention of other dimensions.

“Bahahaha that’s a good one! W-what are you two some kind of aliens from outer space?! Heheheh!” Barry guffawed obnoxiously, pointing a mocking finger at the two Saiyan boys. Goku and Vegeta looked unamused by the hyperactive blonde’s highly exaggerated reaction, an intense wave of awkward silence permeating right afterwards. Noticing that no one was laughing with him, Barry’s eyes shrunk from sudden realization.

“Oh. Y-you guys are serious?” Barry stuttered nervously, sweat starting to bead down his forehead as he tried his hardest not to share eye contact with the easily irritated Vegeta. Goku simply nodded enthusiastically in agreement, causing Dawn to gasp in disbelief and hide behind Professor Rowan. Barry repeated the gesture, an action which Vegeta found laughable within his assertive mind.

“Y-you two aren’t here to invade us, right? W-with that gust of wind power thingy?” Dawn concernedly wondered, shyly peeking her head out from the back of Rowan’s right sleeve. Goku raised an eyebrow for a moment or two, but sported a sheepish smile of assurance anyways.

“Invade? Nah, you don’t need to worry about that. The both of us were sent here by accident. At least, I hope so.” Goku soothed honestly, not particularly certain of Giratina’s true intentions back in the Distortion World. Vegeta, appalled by the way Dawn described chi usage, projected a ball of yellow energy out of his open palm to give her a short “demonstration” of sorts.

“Chi, not wind, little girl. And that was merely a small glimpse at the true power of a Saiyan elite! Observe.” Vegeta lectured smugly, displaying a slight smirk of inward egotism. Much to Goku’s chagrin, he then raised his arm upwards and fired the small sphere into the sky. It ascended higher and higher until the chi ball exploded into millions of pieces like a faulty space shuttle, causing stray Starly to scatter all over the place in sheer fright.

“Really, Vegeta?” Goku sighed disappointedly, facepalming himself whilst shaking his head a few times. Vegeta, his arms crossed contentedly, looked at his fellow Saiyan with a confused shrug.

“What? That wasn’t even 1%, Kakarot.” Vegeta argued obliviously, not seeing what the big issue was in shooting that miniscule chi blast. Goku deadpanned and walked over to Vegeta’s side, gesturing to the dropped jaws of Dawn and Barry as their widened eyes were comically glued to where the explosion took place.

“D-did he just fire an Aura Sphere? By himself?!” Barry muttered comically, only knowing such a technique being used by Pokémon and Pokémon alone.

“W-was he lying about that being only 1%?” Dawn asked hesitantly with some hope, unable to comprehend the absolute devastation 50 or, god forbid, 100% would behold. She was going to try her best not to think of that possibility for quite a while. Apologetic for the nervousness his rival elicited into these poor off-worlders, Goku decided to cut to the chase and address a potential scientist who could somewhat be equal to Bulma’s level of intelligence.

“Look, when I said we weren’t going to hurt you guys, I meant it! When me and Vegeta were transported here, seven magical orbs were accidentally sent to this dimension with us. And the device needed to track them was busted after landing in the lake, I guess. Could you please help us fix it, Professor Rowan?” Goku summarized pleadingly, holding up the pocket-watch esc Dragon Radar’s cracked screen. Still analyzing the seemingly “mystical” origins of Vegeta’s chi attack, the evolution specialist diverted his attention to the highly advanced piece of technology within the oldest living Son’s finger tips.

“May I look over it for a second, lad?” Professor Rowan politely requested, holding out one of his wrinkled hands. Vegeta was about to object in protest for willingly handing over his wife’s greatest invention, but Goku held him back before the alien prince could do anything stupid.

“Sure. Just be careful. It’s the only one we have.” Goku advised with caution, carefully handing the small tracking device over to Rowan. Said Pokémon Professor inspected the circular button located on top, pressing it down a few times for testing purposes. Rowan was stunned by the machine’s simplistic, yet extremely intuitive craftsmanship, noting its similarity in basic function to both the Pokédex and Pokétch respectively. Pleased with what he was looking at, Rowan shared a warm grin with the two aliens.

“Very impressive. Whoever designed this is definitely a genius comparable to my own intelligence.” Rowan praised gratifyingly, giving props to whatever this Capsule Corporation was. Vegeta, more fuel being added to the fire that was his inflated ego, grunted in unforeseen agreement.

“Yeah, my wi—” Vegeta caught himself before anything more suspicious could be stated, noticing the concerned shake of Goku’s head. Realizing that he looked much younger than he actually was, the son of King Vegeta abruptly coughed before proceeding with the conversation.

“Uhhh, I mean my girlfriend, Bulma, is definitely the perfect woman. Beauty and brains all in one.” Vegeta reminisced in what could best be interpreted as admiration, a momentary wave of sadness clouding his current judgement as he wondered what the Briefs heiress was doing right now. Goku took note of this well-hidden mood change, recalling the same love he had for Chi-Chi years before everything seemed to fall apart between them.

“Tsk who would want to date him?” Dawn thought to herself disgustedly, feeling down in the dumps from his offhanded “little girl” comment. If there was one thing Dawn hated the most, it was either not receiving the respect she deserves or being talked down to by her supposed “superiors”.

“Young too?! I suppose I’ll have to meet this Bulma one of these days. If only interdimensional travel was easily accessible…” Professor Rowan trailed off in deep thought, knowing of certain devices that could replicate Giratina’s abilities in an arguably inferior manner. He then gave the Dragon Radar back to Goku and offered an option that could benefit both parties simultaneously.

“How about I take you to my laboratory in Sandgem Town? There, we can both explain the inner functions of this world and yours. The Dragon Radar doesn’t seem that far off from my own expertise either, so I can work on that as well.” Professor Rowan suggested patiently, willing to help the warrior duo in anyway he can. Goku and Vegeta both had differing thoughts on what should be done, so they huddled together away from the other three for a few moments.

“I say we just forget the radar and fly all over the world until we find each Dragon Ball. Your Instant Transmission could work too.” Vegeta whispered demandingly, not wanting to waste any time in getting back home to Universe 7. While this plan didn’t seem that bad at first glance, their unfamiliarity with this version of Earth tampered with it greatly.

“We don’t know how big the world is, Vegeta! Plus, Emperor Pilaf and his gang are out there somewhere with their own radar. Flying around all willy nilly could both draw too much attention to ourselves and waste time we can’t afford to use up.” Goku argued lowly, guessing that Legendary Pokémon would with just as much aggression as Giratina if they inadvertently wound up in their territories. Vegeta glared at Goku, clenching one of his gloved fists in building rage.

“We have families, Kakarot! I can’t stand being a snot-nosed brat in some unknown dimension! It’s humiliating.” Vegeta hissed scornfully, not even bearing to look at himself in his currently regressed form. Goku, thinking of his youngest son, breathed out a heavy sigh and slumped his shoulders.

“I get it, Vegeta. But, if we’re going to be stuck here, we might as well make the most of it. Starting by at least trying to make friends with its inhabitants. Ok?” Goku cajoled in a much calmer, neutral tone. Vegeta scanned Goku from head to toe for any sign of second-guessing before reluctantly dropping the argument.

“Fine. But, if the geezer messes up, we’re doing it my way.” Vegeta grunted temperately, following Goku as he marched up to Professor Rowan. Goku beamed in thanks before shaking Rowan’s hand as a universal sign that he agreed to the elderly man’s proposition.

“Lead the way, Professor Rowan!” Goku kindly ordered, sharing his trademark care-free smile with closed eyelids. Rowan nodded with the same hint of friendliness and attempted to shake Vegeta’s hand as well, but said prince ignored the gesture of agreement and shuffled onward to Lake Verity’s exit point. The 60-year-old scientist was a bit taken aback by this rudeness, but shrugged it off as normal behavior for moody teenagers.

“Alright, children, follow me. It shouldn’t be that long of a walk.” Professor Rowan announced authoritatively, placing both white sleeves behind his back as he walked. Dawn and Barry could barely contain their overwhelming excitement, getting closer to receiving their first Pokémon by the second. As Rowan departed through the alcove of pine trees with Vegeta following not far behind, Barry inched closer to Goku’s ear as Dawn also listened in.

“So, Goku. What’s with the carrot thing?” Barry questioned silently, extremely confused by the double naming conundrum exclusively habitual of Vegeta.

“Huh? What carrot?” Goku obliviously replied, images of the orange-colored vegetable popping up in his mind.

“No, not the food. Why does Vegeta repeatedly call you one? Do you have two names or something?” Dawn elaborated further, rolling her lashed eyes at Goku’s thick headedness. Realizing the confusion between Kakarot and carrot, a theoretical lightbulb appeared over Goku’s head in that moment.

“Ohhhh you guys mean “Kakarot”! That’s a long story…” Goku continued to discuss with Dawn and Barry about the intricacies of his Saiyan heritage, trying his best not to reveal the fact that he’s really a full-grown adult in a child’s body. After all five of them left Lake Verity and entered the pathway leading to Route 201, Mesprit rematerialized from thin air and floated in place.

“Messprit!” Mesprit chirped adorably, seeking to know more about Goku’s strange, yet immensely intriguing energy. With that, it teleported in a flash of blue light to parts unknown and sought after the Saiyan’s next intended location without his awareness.

Mt. Coronet
Mt. Coronet was a massive geographical landscape that rested in the entire Sinnoh region’s centermost point. Being the largest mountain in the entire Pokémon world, it divided Sinnoh completely in half and held cultural significance greater than any other location known to man. Legends say that its peak was where everything came to being, the deities of time, space, and antimatter given birth by one single entity lauded as an omnipotent creator. This Alpha Pokémon, once alleged to be pure fantasy by more skeptical individuals, was the primary goal of one single organization shrouded in mystery. Their headquarters resided in both Veilstone City and the deepest crevices of Coronet’s expansive mountain ranges; each building marked with a stylized yellow-black ‘G’. This particular base was the largest and most tightly secured one by far, designed with a metallic dome-like structure and four purple-windowed towers. Steel spikes and pipes coiled around the HQ’s walls, topped off with large satellite dishes whirring about in steady motion as they scanned the skies for any potential threats. As proven with this collective of advanced technology, Team Galactic, otherwise known as the Galaxy Gang, was not a crime syndicate to be trifled with. Within their domain, hundreds upon thousands of similarly dressed grunts performed miscellaneous activities. Every single member of Team Galactic, whether they be male or female, wore black and white spacesuits with striped gray sleeves. The most noticeable characteristics by far were their turquoise bowl-cuts and emotionless eyes of the same color scheme. As most of them meticulously typed on top-model computer monitors, Cyrus made his way through a pair of revolving doors.

“Cyrus, sir!” All of the Team Galactic Grunts greeted monotonously in unison, taking time away from their duties to salute him. Cyrus, looking disinterested as always, glanced from side to side with a bored grimace.

“At ease. Back to your duties.” Cyrus droned on with a passive hand gesture, standing in a casual military position. The grunts robotically followed his orders and continued doing research on various topics relating to Sinnoh folklore. Unbeknownst to them, Cyrus narrowed his blue eyes at each “follower” hatefully before walking onward to his quarters. While marching closer to his intended destination, a woman with short violet hair and blood red lips came up to his side. She had four oval-shaped extensions jutting out from her head, two on top and another two near the back-neck area. Her eyes were also a mesmerizing gray, narrowed deviously in a way that assumed she was up to no good. She wore an outfit much different than the lower subordinates of Team Galactic, sporting a long white dress with black sleeves. In the center of her chest was the famous Team Galactic insignia in its full glory.

“Sird.” Cyrus gruffly addressed, nodding to one of his elite Commanders. Sird smirked evilly, curtsying in a somewhat mocking manner.

“Cyrus. How did your visit to Lake Verity turn out?” Sird pried curiously, clasping both manicured hands in front of her dress. Cyrus took a moment to reply, actually smiling connivingly in recollection of Goku and Vegeta’s unprecedented appearances.

“Two beings from an alternate dimension showed up. They were saved by a Mesprit from what I observed.” Cyrus pronounced with inherent satisfaction, feeling that the Emotion Pokémon’s surprise reveal was a much-needed call to take action. Sird’s reactionary look was one of shock at first before it contorted into one of pleasurable intrigue.

“Mesprit actually showed itself?! I thought it was afraid of humans.” Sird wondered aloud, noting the entire Lake Trio’s reserved nature from historical accounts alone. The two made their way through an elevator shaft, pressing a button that would directly lead to the main control room.

“I thought that as well, but these boys were…different somehow. Almost as if the Legendary Pokémon was drawn to them specifically. Like magnets in a way.” Cyrus explained cryptically, suspecting that Goku and Vegeta’s held immense power that could be hidden upon command. This fact piqued Sird’s interest, shifting her thoughts over to hypothetical situations related to using these aliens for Team Galactic’s own advantage.

“What do you plan to do then?” Sird asked with a knowing grin of sinister intent, already expecting her boss to have some well-thought out plan building inside of his quite sizable mind. They exited out of the elevator one after the other, Cyrus preparing to sit down in a black rolling chair surrounding by keyboards and control panels.

“For now, we wait. I have a feeling that whatever transported these off-worlders here was not an accident.” Cyrus guessed ponderously, resting his elbows on the desk in front of him with slightly glazed over blue eyes. In front of this central platform were five large flat screens, each displaying different locations in the Sinnoh region. The biggest one portrayed a complete map of said country in its entirety, shifting appearance in conjunction with the nearby grunts’ actions on their individual laptops.

“As you wish, Cyrus.” Sird accepted trustfully, having prior experience with brats more powerful than their own good. She stood to Cyrus’s left side in observance, showing perfect posture with long-sleeved arms crossed behind her back. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a shadowy purple portal appeared overhead and spat out the highly petrified Pilaf Gang in all their incompetent glory!

“WAAAAH!” Emperor Pilaf, Mai, and Shu squealed in unison, slamming headfirst into the tiled floor below. The impact of their fall shook the entire headquarters, catching all of Team Galactic by surprise. Cyrus, in contrast, was transfixed by the quickly dissipating universal rift, noticing its identical nature to the one Goku and Vegeta came out of from before.

“Another portal, hm. This is exactly what I was anticipating.” Cyrus thought subconsciously in rarely sensed excitement, smiling slightly as the portal vanished as if it were never present to begin with. Emperor Pilaf, still clutching the four-star Dragon Ball in his little blue mits, was twitching from a mix of pain and soreness while Mai and Shu groaned the same way.

“Ughhh Shu get your tail out of my face!” Pilaf shouted irritably in a muffled voice, the Shiba Inu’s fluffy appendage slapping his bruised cheeks. Shu squeaked in response to this command and jumped away from his dwarfed leader, bowing downward as a sign of apology.

“My bad, Sire! Please forgive me.” Shu comically murmured, dusting off the so-called Emperor’s black tunic and kissing his slippers. Team Galactic’s members gasped at Shu’s reply, never hearing of a Pokémon being able to speak the human language without telepathy.

“T-that Pokémon! He’s talking?!” A female grunt gulped nervously, showing emotion for the first time in who knows how long.

“He’s wearing the clothes of a ninja too! Is his species some kind of Fighting type?” Another male grunt surmised from Shu’s physical appearance, unfamiliar with any canine Pokémon that resembled this one specifically. The whispers shared between each grunt caught Mai’s attention as she was currently rubbing her blemished keester miserably.

“Huh? Do you hear what these weirdos are calling you, Shu?” Mai inquired confusedly, feeling a bit unnerved by the unfamiliar environment and Team Galactic’s copy-paste appearances.

“Yeah, what on Earth is a Pokémon? It’s like they haven’t seen a dog before or something.” Shu snorted mockingly, unable to believe that anthropomorphic animals like him were anything but common outside of his home. Displeased with the fact that these strangers were making Team Galactic out to be a joke, Sird took action and retrieved a small device out of her back pocket. It was red on top and white on its bottom half, separated by a black strip that encircled the entire sphere. She pressed a white button in the center to create a full-sized Poké Ball.

“Persian, I choose you!” Sird scowled assertively, tossing it high up in the air. The top portion of her Poké Ball popped open and let loose a blinding beam of white energy, slowly taking form before the Pilaf Gang’s very eyes. Once the Poké Ball was thrown back into Sird’s hands, a cat with black-rimmed ears and red slit irises surveyed the trio menacingly. Persian was pale tan in color and had a red gemstone on her forehead, three whiskers sprouting from each cheek as well.

“Persirah!” Persian roared fiercely; her coiled tail twitched about in burning hatred. At the sight of such a large feline, Emperor Pilaf and his gang huddled together in sheer terror.

“Shu, do something!” Pilaf pressured apprehensively, motioning to the stalking Classy Cat Pokémon with his widened eyes.

“W-what do you expect me to do about it, Sire? The dog-cat relationship is only a myth, y’know.” Shu objected reluctantly, showing his cowardly attitude at the worst possible moment. Mai furrowed her eyebrows and pointed to his sword expectantly.

“You have a sword, moron! Get out there and use it for once!” Mai fumed encouragingly, gesturing to the antagonist Normal-type standing before them. Shu, gaining a small confidence boost, unsheathed his katana and executed a somewhat intimidating battle stance. Persian simply tilted her head curiously while Sird looked unimpressed from above.

“Ha! Not so tough now, are ya?” Shu goaded his would-be opponent cockily, positioning his blade like that of a protective shield. Sird deadpanned at this foolish behavior and nonchalantly ordered her Persian to counterattack without much concern.

“Persian, use Slash!” Sird instructed in a bored tone, sneering amusedly with half-lidded gray eyes. Much to Shu’s chagrin, Persian’s claws extended to even greater lengths and glowed a bright white. The tan-furred creature then swiped at Shu’s katana with full force, a move which Shu backflipped away from at the last second. Even though there didn’t seem to be any noticeable damages, Shu’s katana was split apart into three separate pieces in the next moment!

“Oh man.” Shu winced disappointedly, inspecting his now empty hilt and the broken metal pieces scattered across his feet. Persian seemed to laugh at Shu’s expense, smiling toothily with the same level of mischief as her trainer.

“Way to go, Shu! Now, how are we supposed to protect the Dragon Ball?!” Pilaf snapped loathingly, unwittingly holding up the Dragon Radar and Four-Star Ball in full view of Cyrus’s piercing gaze. The sight of this mystical artifact resulted in said Team Galactic Boss halting Sird’s method of retaliation.

“Stand down, Sird. It would be best if I speak to these three face-to-face.” Cyrus bellowed audibly, holding a hand in front of Sird’s puzzled face. She hesitated for a second, but eventually caved in and outstretched the same Poké Ball her Persian came out of.

“You did well, Persian. Return for now.” Sird complimented fondly as a red beam converted Persian into light and sent her back into the spherical device. Pilaf, Shu, and Mai looked from the ground to where Sird resided with open mouths, floored by the cat’s instantaneous departure.

“Tell me. What do you call yourselves, intruders?” Cyrus blandly exclaimed as he walked down the staircase. The Pilaf Gang took notice of Cyrus’s presence for the first time and was immediately distressed by his lifeless stare.

“I-I…uh…am the great Emperor Pilaf! A-and…erm…these are my subordinates, Mai and Shu…” Pilaf stammered hesitantly, trying to keep his wounded pride intact as best as possible. The members of Team Galactic held back chortles in relation to the reveal of his name, doubtful that such a shrimp could rule over anything of minute importance.

“Emperor? You don’t seem to have much of an empire from what I can tell.” Cyrus lightly joked with a straight face that didn’t imply any sort of humor.

“It’s a work in progress…” Pilaf grumbled in embarrassment, absolutely sick of being looked down upon by others for his appearance. Shu and Mai patted his back comfortingly while Cyrus’s focus was glued to the orange jewel resting in said aforementioned blue midget’s hands.

“That orb in your hands. It’s called a Dragon Ball, correct?” Cyrus inferred from hearing Pilaf’s accidental outburst. Pilaf, Shu, and Mai shared horrified glances, gulping down building lumps in their throats at the same exact time.

“Y-yeah, so what? What makes you think I’ll tell you anything?!” Pilaf squawked objectively, standing up for himself at the worst possible moment. Cyrus, predicting this level of foolish defiance, lazily took out a black ball marked with a yellow H. Instead of throwing it like Sird did, he simply popped the Ultra Ball open to reveal a demonic canine. It had curved gray horns, glowing red eyes, and an orange snout with a triangular-tipped devil tail at the end. The Pokémon also sported three bony ridges on its back and an orange stomach, possessing a skull-shaped pendant below the neck. This was Houndoom, a Dark/Fire type Pokémon native to the Johto region and one of its more aggressive specimens.

“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cyrus and I am the leader of Team Galactic, an organization tasked with recreating the universe in its entirety.” Cyrus introduced powerfully, his voice exuding pride and self-reverence. He outstretched both of his arms to address the entire room of fellow Pokémon Trainers fighting for the same goal.

“Recreate the universe?!” the Pilaf Gang repeated confusedly, not believing for a second that this 27-year-old man had the power capable of pulling off such a grand task.

“Yes. The current world is a cruel and unfair place in need of repair. I seek to build a new universe void of any imperfections, where every type of person and Pokémon can live equally in balanced harmony with one another. A greater world where other universes like yours can be interconnected with the development of ours.” Cyrus preached passionately, using his mastery of public speaking to win over Pilaf’s favor for his own. The Pilaf Gang were stunned by the blue-haired man’s extensive knowledge of their whereabouts and origin.

“How…How do you know we’re not from here?” Mai inquired timidly, failing to play dumb or innocent as she twirled her obsidian black hair. Cyrus pointed to the ceiling where Giratina’s projected portal used to be.

“That same black hole appeared over a body of water known as Lake Verity not too long ago. There, I spotted two young boys with spiked black hair lying unconscious near its shoreline. Since they possessed a machine similar to the one in your hands right now, they must also be from the same dimension as you three.” Cyrus announced his suspicions with a direct reference to the Pilaf Gang’s stolen Dragon Radar. Pilaf, at the mention of spiked black hair, immediately recalled his former arch-nemesis and what he attempted to do to him back in Universe 7.

“Wait, young boys?! Then that means my wish from Shenron…oh no.” Pilaf gulped regretfully, fearing for what would happen to him if the ticking time bomb that was Vegeta appeared with an unquenchable vengeance.

“Ok. What’s in it for us then?” Pilaf pondered cautiously, keeping himself close to Shu and Mai in case Cyrus decided to sick his “dog” onto them.

“It will be a fair trade so to speak. You tell me about these Dragon Balls and what their capabilities are while I will share information about the Pokémon world. Then, in Team Galactic’s ideal civilization, your dream of a Pilaf Empire may become reality amongst other wants and desires. Deal?” Cyrus offered the three a seemingly even course of action, putting effort into making certain that his true intentions weren’t easily distinguishable. Pilaf, Shu, and Mai were onboard with having a kingdom to rule over, but still didn’t feel comfortable aiding the destruction of an entire universe. That seemed a bit too evil for their respective area of expertise, even when they sided with Demon King Piccolo all those years ago.

“Or, if you decide not to, I could always…” Cyrus speedily snapped his fingers, causing his Houndoom’s entire maw to be covered in red flames without the utterance of a single syllable.

“…Give my Houndoom an early meal.” Cyrus darkly threatened with a diabolical glint in his eyes. The flickering embers of Houndoom’s Fire Fang shined in each of the Pilaf Gang’s widened pupils, his razor-sharp fangs being the last bit of convincing they needed for now.

“Um w-where do we sign up? Hehe…” Pilaf choked out nervously as he stretched out the frill wrapped around his neck. Mai and Shu nodded the same way, hiding their intense fear of being burned alive by Houndoom’s abilities. Cyrus softly stroked his Pokémon’s head as a sign for him to stop and then sent Houndoom back into the Ultra Ball.

“Good. Sird and I will lead you to the laboratory. My head scientist, Charon, needs time to examine your device and the Dragon Ball before anything else can be done.” Cyrus advised sternly as he made his way back to the elevator where Sird was. The Pilaf Gang stood frozen in place from near-death shock, having no idea what they just got themselves into.

“Sire, why do we always play second fiddle to a villain bigger and stronger than us?” Shu groaned morosely, remembering the time when they were actually taken seriously before the Red Ribbon Army and Demon Clan came to fruition. Pilaf just slumped his shoulders and followed after the nihilistic leader of Team Galactic in utter defeat.

“I don’t know, Shu. I don’t know.” Emperor Pilaf sighed quietly, inwardly hoping that the Dragon Balls would be theirs for the taking sometime soon. Mai and Shu gazed at their leader sympathetically before mirroring his figurative walk of shame through Team Galactic’s main control room. Everything else then went back to normal in the headquarters, each grunt proceeding to scan Sinnoh for any sort of temporal activity.

“How along until we can dispose of those fools?” Sird muttered scathingly in Cyrus’s ear, her ominous gray eyes glaring daggers at the pathetic Pilaf Gang.

“In time, Sird. For now, Pilaf and his little fan club are necessary means to an end. It’s the Dragon Balls that I am particularly interested in. Along with those two kids.” Cyrus revealed truthfully, adjusting the position of his head to examine the four red stars of what used to be Grandpa Gohan’s most prized position. He narrowed his eyes one last time and then entered the elevator doors to fulfill his newest plans for global, or galactic, conquest.

Chapter Text

“So, you and Vegeta are from a race of extraterrestrial warriors called the Saiyans? And Kakarot’s your birth name?” Dawn asked hesitantly in a mix of understanding and progressive stupefaction. Ever since departing from Lake Verity to Professor Rowan’s laboratory in Sandgem Town, her and Barry were constantly barraging Goku with question after question about his heritage, origins, and basic characteristics. Vegeta, not at call caring about satisfying their childish curiosities, simply followed behind the aforementioned Pokémon Professor with crossed arms and his trademark scowl of resentment. This, unfortunately, left Goku wide open for the duo’s makeshift interrogation.

“Pretty much. I crash-landed on Earth sometime after the destruction of Planet Vegeta, so Son Goku’s the only name I’ve gone by for quite a while. It wasn’t until my older brother, Raditz, came that things changed.” Goku sighed in recollection, his eyes narrowed just thinking of the Saiyan invasion that occurred so many years ago. Dawn, taking note of Goku’s strained expression, decided to make her questions less personal for the time being.

“That must have been difficult to deal with…” murmured Dawn in slight sympathy. She couldn’t begin to imagine what it would be like to have your identity and biological framework be put into question within the timespan of only one day. While she was raised with both of her parents for the most part, Goku’s, on the other hand, were already gone moments after he was born. To believe that your one thing and then told that you aren’t years later has the potential to create an existential crisis that many people wouldn’t be able to easily break out of.

“You don’t know the half of it.” Goku replied wistfully, neglecting to mention details about Gohan’s kidnapping and his first of many deaths. Barry huffed in continual confoundment, nervously ruffling his blonde hair.

“Wait, if this “Planet Vegeta” was destroyed, does that mean…” Barry cautiously assumed, uncertain if he even wanted to finish that sentence with Vegeta around.

“Yes, brat. Me, Kakarot, and a few others are the only Saiyans left in existence. The others are dead. Nothing can change that.” Vegeta impatiently grunted, the unfortunate fate of his people still mentally prevalent as it ever was. He glanced at Barry’s widened orange eyes for a moment before scoffing and proceeding his stride. Dawn herself was also disheartened by this revelation, never hearing of an extinct race outside of certain Pokémon.

“Oh. Was it an accident?” Barry continued in stunned curiosity, assuming that some form of natural disaster might have been at play.

“No.” Goku and Vegeta darkly proclaimed in unison, each of their auras heightening at the implied mention of said cause. Even though he was long vanquished by this point, just thinking of the tyrannical space emperor was enough to send chills down both Saiyans’ collective spines. Especially Vegeta’s.

“A-alright, a-alright. If you don’t want to talk about it, just forget I asked. Hehe.” Barry awkwardly chuckled as he shook both hands in front of him. Sweat was beading down his forehead, perspiring out of fear and newly elicited anxiety.

“Ahem, on a lighter note, who decided to name you Goku anyway?” The black-haired resident of Twinleaf Town questioned with her best attempt at a comforting grin.

“Hmph interesting. Something tells me the two of them have had their fair share of encounters with whatever, or whoever, killed these so-called Saiyans. I wonder if they’ll be able to divulge more information in the future.” Professor Rowan mused in subconscious fascination, silently listening in on the four’s conversation as he navigated them to Sandgem Town. At first, he assumed that this small trip would take a lot longer than usual due to Route 201’s typical influx of wild Pokémon. However, to his surprise, many of the Bidoof, Starly, and Kricketots scattered around the area seemed to be avoiding both Saiyans. Whether this was because of their immense power, strange fashion sense, or both, he couldn’t know for certain, but the prospect was still fairly peculiar to witness firsthand.

“That was my adoptive grandpa, Son Gohan. He both raised me and served as my first martial arts instructor.” Goku revealed happily, an overflowing sense of nostalgia encircling around him as he remembered the days spent with Gohan on Mt. Paozu. Recalling his former caretaker was bittersweet to say the least. While Grandpa Gohan helped inspired him to become the courageous, happy-go-lucky person he is now, Goku was constantly reminded of the fact that he indirectly caused his death. Even though he had no control of his Oozaru form at the time, Goku couldn’t help but feel guilty every time the mustached image of Gohan appeared in his head. These conflicted feelings towards the utterance of Gohan’s name were somewhat noticed by Dawn.

“I’m guessing something happened to him.” Dawn assumed with slanted eyes and a small frown. Goku closed his narrowed eyes and nodded once in confirmation.

“He died when I was younger.” sighed the literal man-child, slumping both shoulders as he held back more detailed information about Gohan’s passing.

“I’m sorry for your loss. You must miss him a lot.” Dawn acknowledged comfortingly, knowing what it felt like to have a loved one suddenly disappear from her life. Despite the fact that her father was very much alive and well, she still had no idea where he could be. As a matter of fact, Dawn didn’t even know if he was in the Sinnoh region or not. It was a mystery that intrigued and greatly infuriated her at the same time. But, then again, most Pokémon Trainers had the tendency to go through similar experiences. A notable example was the 3-year disappearance of Red, the former champion of Kanto and one of the strongest trainers in the entire Pokémon world.

“Yeah I do.” Goku whispered to himself, looking up into the sky as if he were observing Overworld entire universes away. He then shook his head a few times and smiled assuredly.

“But, that’s all in the past. I’ve made a lot of friends since then. Like Vegeta over there.” Goku informed buoyantly, jerking his thumb at the aforementioned Saiyan sourpuss. Vegeta rolled his eyes, scoffing at Goku’s description of their current “companionship”.

“Tsk. Who said we were friends?” Vegeta sniggered mockingly in continued denial of reality.

“Oh don’t be like that, Vegeta. Y’know we’re buds!” Goku continued to argue, jovially wrapping his arm around Vegeta’s shoulder. The Saiyan prince slapped Goku’s arm away, peering at him in disgust and embarrassment.

“Whatever, Kakarot. Whether you like it or not, the two of us are rivals. Nothing more, nothing less.” Vegeta lectured authoritatively with a finger pointed at his fellow Saiyan.

“What? Rivals for the goofiest name?” Barry joked with a suppressed chuckle. He stuffed both hands in his pockets, slyly smirking at the alien royal.

“What are you rambling on about now, moron?” Vegeta deadpanned irritably. He side-glanced at the blonde-haired boy with a neutral gaze that slowly began to deteriorate into one of anger every second Barry spoke.

“Just hear me out, hothead! Kakarot, Vegeta, Raditz… those all sound like food! I wouldn’t be surprised if Planet Vegeta’s really an oversized supermarket or something.” Barry pointed out in growing amusement, listing off each name with his fingers. Vegeta’s eye steadily twitched at this open lampoon of his former home and given namesake, struggling to hold himself back from exploding on the hyperactive kid.

“Hey, that reminds me! Wasn’t your brother’s name Tarble? Wonder what he’s up to.” Goku mentioned with a snap of his fingers, unintentionally adding fuel to the already raging fire that this “joke” was turning into.

“Yes, Kakarot…” Vegeta grumbled in response, disappointedly placing a hand over his face.

“Are you kidding me?” Dawn remarked in disbelief, not expecting Barry’s point to be proven more correct.

“Vegeta… Tarble… Vegetarble? Pffft Hahahaha!” Barry guffawed at the coincidental amalgamation of Vegeta’s and his younger brother’s names. At this point, Barry’s fears of his immense power were outweighed by the sheer ridiculousness of this situation.

“Shut up, brat! How dare you disrespect my race?!” Vegeta shouted in exaggerated rage, his black pupils shrunken considerably. Barry held up his hands in faux surrender, his fit of laughter starting to wain just a bit.

“Ok I’ll stop… Veggie. Hahaha!” Barry added offhandedly with a mischievous wiggle of his eyebrows. Vegeta clenched his fist with considerable pressure, holding it in front of his face as traces of yellow chi sparked around it.

“Why you!” Vegeta hissed with clenched teeth, preparing to swipe at the energetic 13-year-old. Before all hell could break loose, Professor Rowan stopped in front of a white sign directly leading to Sandgem Town.

“That’s enough bickering, everyone. We’re here.” announced Rowan in an abrupt, yet stern tone. After hearing this announcement, the group of four collectively stopped what they were doing to get a better look at their next destination. Right off the bat, Sandgem Town was a village much bigger in size compared to Twinleaf. Aside from a few smaller cabins connected by intersecting pathways, there were two orange and blue stores that possessed the likeness of a white Poké Ball on their roofs. Further away from these respective facilities was a shoreline that led to the local beach simply known as Route 219 and traces of expansive ocean water. However, by far the most intriguing portion of this area was the very complex Goku, Vegeta, and the others were intending to visit: Professor Rowan’s Research Lab. It was a blue tower extending about two stories off of the ground with oval-shaped windows on each side. On top, there were a pair of green solar panels, wooden crates, and sets of antennae that extended skyward. The laboratory also connected to another house with green roofing and a large windmill that had three equally proportioned propeller blades. Additionally, along with being surrounded by a sea of trees, Professor Rowan’s renowned domain was blocked off by two black gates that branched off into another trail of sorts.

“Welcome to Sandgem Town, or in other words, the Town of Sand. While it may only have a meager population of 25, it has its own Pokémon Center and Poké Mart as any good town should.” Professor Rowan explained, gesturing to the previously mentioned blue and red buildings situated to the right of his laboratory. Goku and Vegeta observed the two convenience stores, curious to know what the exact purpose of a “Pokémon Center” was.

“Pokémon Center?” Vegeta and Goku asked at the same time with raised eyebrows.

“Ah, yes. They are used for the purpose of healing Pokémon after they are either injured in battle or display signs of illness. Think of it as a hospital exclusively made to treat Pokémon and other Pokémon related circumstances.” Professor Rowan cleared the two off-worlders of any confusion they might have.

“Oh that makes more sense. Kind of reminds of the veterinarians we have back on our version of Earth. They helped care for pets and other wild animals too.” Goku recalled that specific branch of doctors as a similar comparison.

“There’s people that do the same for Pokémon here. They’re just widely known as Pokémon Breeders rather than vets like you said.” Dawn chimed in, helpfully informing Goku of another sub-category for classifying Pokémon Trainers.

“Huh. Good to know.” Goku stated appreciatively with a thankful nod. Dawn smiled the same way while Vegeta set his sights on the Poké Mart.

“What type of currency do you have here?” Vegeta asked, putting his anger towards Barry on hold for now. Since Goku and him didn’t bring any money before being attacked by Giratina, Vegeta figured that finances would become an issue they would both need to overcome sometime soon.

“Each region relies on a universal source of income known as Pokémon Dollars, or Pokédollars for short. The equivalent to 100 Pokédollars is equivalent to one bill and can be used to purchase the Poké Mart’s cheapest items. Poké Coins worth 25 and below can also be obtained, but they’ve grown quite rare nowadays due to a lack of funding.”

“Speaking of Pokédollars, I forgot to empty my Spoink Bank yesterday! How am I supposed to purchase any Poké Balls or Potions now?!” Barry cried out in anguish, slamming a fist on the ground pathetically. Dawn just shook her head in response to Barry’s typical antics.

“I’m pretty sure Professor Rowan has that covered, Barry. He is here to help us out, you know.” Dawn reminded the boy whilst scratching the back of her head. Barry immediately got back onto his feet, admittedly acting a bit too excited.

“Really?! Does that mean he’s going to pay that fine for bumping into me?” Barry questioned happily in surprise, pointing at Professor Rowan as if he committed some type of serious crime.

“Not to be rude, Barry, but I believe you bumped into me that time.” Professor Rowan politely corrected Barry’s claim with a raised finger.

“And, I don’t know if you realize this, Barry, but asking for 10, 000, 000 Poké Dollars is absolutely insane!” Dawn shrieked informingly, flailing her arms once or twice. Barry huffed, comical tears falling as he pointed a finger at the distant horizon.

“That’s no excuse! I could have been seriously injured, or worse, dead if the impact was strong enough! My career as a Pokémon Trainer could have been ended before it even began!” Barry justified his actions, raising a fist in sheer determination and passion. Sweat drops collectively fell down Goku, Vegeta, Dawn, and Rowan’s heads, their reaction towards Barry’s eccentric behavior beginning to slightly mirror one another.

“Oh brother. Why do I even try at this point?” Dawn groaned with a heavy sigh, wondering why she expected anything else from her childhood friend.

“Does his idiocy never end?” Vegeta glowered disgustedly, his eye beginning to twitch even more so than before. Goku, regaining his composure, decided to bring everyone back to the same page.

“Anyways, we should probably get the Dragon Radar checked out. Me and Vegeta need some more info about this world like you promised.” Goku proclaimed seriously, tugging the bottom of Professor Rowan’s lab coat due to his shrunken height. In response, Professor Rowan shook his head a few times and nodded in understanding.

“Ah yes. Very well then. Let’s move along.” Professor Rowan coughed awkwardly, instantly regaining his serious visage. He then opened the gates and led all four Pokémon novices along the path at a steady pace, walking through his lab’s revolving doors.

“Wow.” Dawn and Barry whistled in amazement, marveling the interior design of Professor Rowan’s central headquarters. There were two massive computers built into the laboratory’s walls, each of them reverberating with green light and active monitors. A single staircase led to the same three windows as seen from outside and shelves filled with whole mountains worth of informational text. In the room’s center, there was a rectangular glass table with a brown suitcase lying on top of it. Seating in front of this table was a young woman with green hair and red glasses. She wore a white lab coat with yellow buttons and a blue shirt neatly concealed underneath.

“Hello again, Roseanne. Did you get the starter Pokémon ready?” Rowan greeted with a friendly smile, walking over to said assistant as the others looked around. Seemingly reading a red book while she waited, Roseanne acknowledged her superior with a gentle pat of the suitcase.

“Yep. All three of the little ones are right here.” Roseanne chirped with a playful wink. Her smile quickly disappeared at the sight of Goku and Vegeta, not exactly certain if they came from Twinleaf Town or not.

“That’s odd. I thought we were only expecting two trainers today. Who are they?” Roseanne asked while tilting her head to the side in reactionary confusion.

“There was a slight… erm… sudden change of plans. I know this may seem hard to swallow, Roseanne, but these two kids are from another dimension entirely separate from our own.” Professor Rowan replied, getting straight to the point for Goku and Vegeta’s sakes.

“This isn’t a good time for jokes, Professor Rowan.” Roseanne harrumphed unamusingly, taking off her glasses to wipe her brown eyes.

“I’m not lying to you, Roseanne. These boys, Goku and Vegeta, were sent here by Giratina via a portal from the Distortion World itself. They’re what caused that massive explosion in Lake Verity from before.” Professor Rowan persisted with his explanation.

“G-giratina?! I’ve been wanting to study that Pokémon for years now.” Roseanne gasped in shock, her eyes slightly widening at the idea of Giratina revealing itself.

“And you may be able to with them around. They seem to possess a great power that attracts the attention of legendary Pokémon. Mesprit, for example, was particularly drawn to Goku for some unfathomable reason.” Professor Rowan stated informingly, referring to Goku and Vegeta’s mastery of chi. At the offhanded mention of Mesprit, Goku gazed at the laboratory’s largest window in slight suspicion and boredom. To his surprise, he saw the pink haired pixie floating in mid-air as it glowed with psionic energy. It giggled at the currently 15-year-old Saiyan, waving at him before vanishing in a faint flash of light.

“There it is again. I wonder why Mesprit’s so drawn to me specifically. It didn’t have the same reaction to Vegeta from what I saw.” Goku thought to himself with squinted eyes, scratching the back of his head in continual befuddlement.

“That’s… very peculiar. What type of power were the two using?” Roseanne inquired in a flabbergasted stammer, positioning her body to examine Goku and Vegeta’s residing forms.

“It’s chi, or life energy. Everyone has it; we’ve just mastered our own chi to the point where we can grow stronger every time we use it.” Vegeta answered begrudgingly, having no patience for repeating information he’s already stated.

“Woah! You didn’t tell us that!” Dawn yelled out at this new display of information.

“It’s something all Saiyans can do. After each fight, whether we win or lose, Vegeta and I can become more powerful than we were before. It requires a consistent amount of training to work properly though.” Goku nervously described with a nonchalant shrug.

“Saiyans?” Roseanne wondered aimlessly, never hearing of such a word being used to describe someone.

“It’s the extraterrestrial species they are classified as. Apparently, they were a warrior race similar in appearance to humans that initially sported monkey tails.” Professor Rowan notified, unintentionally making the sudden intake of knowledge more confusing by mentioning something as strange as monkey tails.

“They’re also named after food.” Barry mumbled under his breath with a noticeable smirk. Vegeta shivered at the third mention of this already annoying joke, glaring at Barry with narrowed eyes.

“If you say that one more time, I swear to Kami that—” Vegeta’s vitriolic threat was cut off by Roseanne approaching him and Goku.

“Ok I get it… somewhat. Even if you are “aliens”, I’m still not 100% the two of you are from another universe. Do you have any visual proof I could look at?” Roseanne politely asked with both hands clasped in front of her. In response, Goku revealed the damaged Dragon Radar.

“We have this.” Goku simply announced, carefully handing the tracking device over to Roseanne. She examined the odd machine from head-to-toe, immensely confused by its strange appearance and design.

“A canteen? Or oversized pocket watch?” Roseanne guessed while viewing it from different angles.

“Neither. It’s called a Dragon Radar. My friend, Bulma, made it to scan magical objects called Dragon Balls. It’s broken right now, but usually pressing the button on top will alter the position of its map.” Goku explained the radar’s basic functions, pointing at its cracked screen and circular button. Roseanne quietly hummed in fascination, spotting the logo of Capsule Corporation after turning it backwards.

“Hmmm not sure what a Dragon Ball is, but this radar isn’t something I’ve encountered in any region I visited in the past. Capsule Corp doesn’t really ring any bells either.” Roseanne pondered questioningly, her skepticism towards Goku and Vegeta’s starting to dissipate. As a member of the scientific community, Roseanne had a close connection to various tech companies both big and small in terms of notoriety. So, not knowing of an organization as evidently advanced as Capsule Corporation was a no-brainer that it existed in some other plain of existence foreign to her own.

“We don’t have time for this, woman. All you need to know is that the Dragon Balls are scattered somewhere and we can’t afford to let them get into the wrong hands. They’re simply too powerful.” Vegeta rudely snapped, folding each arm over his Saiyan battle suit.

“Fine you’ve convinced me. I don’t appreciate your tone, though. It’s rude to speak to a lady like that, kid.” Roseanne huffed in offense, placing both hands on her hips with a childish pout.

“Tsk. As if I’d care what you think.” Vegeta scoffed with little care of Roseanne’s feelings, not really concerned with befriending the inhabitants of a universe he had no prior intention of traveling to.

“Don’t mind, Vegeta. It takes a while for him to grow on people he’s just met.” Goku comically assured the others of Vegeta’s inner goodness.

“Gee I wonder why.” Dawn sarcastically mumbled with a noticeable deadpan.

“You have something to say, girl?” Vegeta challengingly questioned, adjusting the position of his head to sneer at Dawn. Dawn just growled at the Saiyan prince, not appreciating his irritable, cocky attitude.

“Now, now everyone. We have more important matters to discuss. Let’s start with explaining what a Pokémon is first and foremost.” Professor Rowan calmed the heated atmosphere with his assertive voice.

“Finally!” Barry yelled a bit louder than anticipated, relieved that he would be able to get his starter Pokémon fairly soon. This awkward shout of joy caused the entire laboratory to turn uncomfortably silent as Goku, Vegeta, Rowan, Roseanne, and Dawn all gave Barry muddled looks of disapproval.

“I mean… uh… go on, Professor.” Barry embarrassingly chuckled with an encouraging motion of his hand. With that, Rowan adjusted his brown tie and elegantly stood in front of the glass table.

“Roseanne, would you hit the lights for me?” Rowan instructed, nonchalantly grooming his white moustache. Sighing, Roseanne gave the Dragon Radar back to Goku and reluctantly made her way towards the light switch.

“Yeah, yeah. Sure thing.” Roseanne grumbled, not seeing the purpose in Rowan playing up the theatrics of this speech. After flicking her finger down on the switch, everything in the laboratory turned pitch black before being illuminated by four spotlights aiming at Rowan.

“Was that necessary?” Dawn asked Roseanne as she struggled to shield her eyes from the almost blinding light.

“Don’t question it. The Professor has a needless tendency to accentuate the bravado of his speeches. Trust me, I’ve lost count of how many times he’s done this.” Roseanne whispered monotonously, deciding not to argue against her boss. She then revealed a handheld recording button from her coat pocket and pressed play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bq_tYRBzdg

“He has his own theme song too?” Dawn giggled quietly in disbelief.

“Yep.” Roseanne replied with her own amused smile. Preparing to speak, Rowan cleared his throat a few times before gazing at Goku and Vegeta.

“Pokémon, otherwise known as Pocket Monsters or Magical Beasts in the old days, are creatures of unfathomable power and significance. They come in many different varieties ranging from size and shape to even sheer intelligence. A notable distinction between Pokémon as you might have seen are their unique appearances and typing.” Rowan spoke with intense conviction, putting his preconceived knowledge of Pokémon to the greatest limit possible.

“What do you mean by typing?” Goku questioned in expected cluelessness.

“Out of the 890 known species inhabiting this planet, each one can be identified by a specific type or subcategory. There are 18 types that can be named as follows: Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, Dark…” Professor Rowan listed one after the other of each category with his fingers.

“And Normal, Fighting, Flying, Poison, Ground, Rock, Bug, Ghost, Steel, and… uh… erm… what was the last one again?” Barry interjected excitedly before scratching his head in circumstantial forgetfulness.

“That would be Fairy, dear boy.” Rowan calmly reminded him.

“Oh right. I always forget that type exists most of the time.” Barry weakly laughed, admitting his rusty knowledge of Pokémon-related mechanics and qualities.

“That’s nothing to be ashamed of, Barry. After all, Fairy Pokémon are only native to a select few regions outside of Sinnoh.” Rowan acknowledged comfortingly, referring to Kalos, Alola, and Galar as specific examples.

“Frankly, I’m ashamed to hear such a thing even exists. Fairy types? Are you kidding me?” Vegeta commented in disgust at the implied existence of something so non-threatening and cutesy as fairies.

“It’s not wise to underestimate any Pokémon based on type or appearance, Vegeta. In fact, all Pokémon have their own strengths and weaknesses based on typing alone. For example, when participating in combat, Fire-types are primarily weak against Water-type Pokémon, but strong against Grass-types. The same goes for Fairy-types tending to dominate any Dragon-types that cross their path.” Professor Rowan lectured Vegeta’s foolhardy insult toward that specific breed of Pokémon.

“Huh cool. It almost seems like there’s an equal balance between all Pokémon.” Goku stated in admiration, impressed by the complexity of these animalistic creatures.

“Well, for the most part. A wide majority of Pokémon have the ability to grow stronger through two-stage or three-stage evolutions. This phenomenon either depends on a trainer’s bond with their Pokémon or through physical interactions with items and special environments. The growth and development of Pokémon is particularly what I specialize in.” Professor Rowan explained Pokémon’s special way of maturing into adulthood, proudly addressing himself while doing so.

“So, from what I understand, Pokémon are animals with unique abilities and specific characteristics that set them apart from one another? And legendaries like Mesprit and Giratina can be considered almost mythological in terms of strength?” Goku played back all of the details Rowan shared with him and Vegeta.

“Correct. Legendary Pokémon are closely tied with the cultures and folklore of each region. Some myths even claim that the entire universe was created by the first Pokémon known to exist.” Professor Rowan ponderously mentioned, not even knowing what this infamous creator deity looked like.

“Wow. A Pokémon has the power to make all of this?!” Goku gaped in awe, gazing all around the entire room and areas beyond with widened eyes. His stunned expression then swiftly changed into one of excitement and immense adrenaline.

“It must be really strong!” Goku whooped in glee, toothily grinning at the proposed thought of battle with this specific creature.

“Calm yourself, clown. This Pokémon is probably not all it’s cracked up to be. I highly doubt a creature that can so easily be caught by ordinary people is anything to be interested in.” Vegeta reprimanded Goku for his battle-ready joyfulness, unconvinced of this supposed “god’s” high potential. Since the Supreme Kais were proven to be much weaker than their ruthless counterparts, the Gods of Destruction, Vegeta’s skepticism was completely justified.

“I guess that’s a good point. Why are Pokémon called Pocket Monsters anyway, Professor?” Goku addressed the more prominent aspect of Pokémon and their close relationship with human beings. Waiting for this moment from the get go, Rowan signaled for Roseanne to turn on the lights and deactivate his audio recorder.

“The answer to that question, Goku, can be found in this very briefcase.” Rowan proudly introduced, opening the brown bag to reveal three Poké Balls.

“Poké Balls!” Dawn recognized in heightened elation. Her career as a Pokémon Trainer was right around the corner at this point.

“Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes!” Barry speedily chanted to himself while hopping in place. His excitement to receive his first Pokémon was evident from the radiant sparkle in both of Barry’s orange eyes.

“What are those?” Goku curiously asked, examining the single row of red-white spheres with great intent.

“Poké Balls are portable devices that are used to capture Pokémon. When physical contact with a Pokémon is initiated, these balls pop open up and convert them into white light. A trainer can then claim ownership of the Pokémon they encounter after three successful wiggles. However, the stronger a Pokémon is, the more likely they are to break free, so certain precautions need to be made during each battle.” Professor Rowan expounded on the intended usage of Poké Balls.

“Oh ok. They sort of function similarly to Hoi Poi Capsules then.” Goku thought back to the technology of Capsule Corp once more.

“Capsules you say?” Rowan queried in response.

“Mmhm they’re small pills that can fit vehicles, refrigerators, and whole houses based on the type. Some of are more expensive than others though.” Goku answered, detailing the types of capsules demonstrated by Bulma in the past.

“A Poké Ball for items other than Pokémon? That’s a great idea! I wonder why no one’s tried that before.” Barry commented giddily, impressed by the limitless possibilities these Hoi Poi Capsules possessed.

“Maybe cause it’s scientifically impossible?” Roseanne blandly murmured with an defiant adjustment of her red spectacles.

“That’s not entirely true. Bulma and her dad were able to pull it off.” Goku corrected Rowan’s assistant with a courteous smile.

“Well, those two are a special case, if they even exist for that matter.” Roseanne huffed under her breath, having no visual support of the Briefs’ appearances or whereabouts.

“Or you just don’t want to admit that they’re smarter than you.” Vegeta mocked with a condescending smirk. Roseanne glared angrily at the rash prince just as Rowan took the opportunity to speak up.

“Very fascinating. Poké Balls also come in many different varieties based on price, capture rate, and additional effects. For example, the Great Ball and Ultra Ball are quite popular with experienced trainers.” Rowan laughed amusedly, further connecting the similarities between capsule and Poké Balls.

“Get on with it, Rowan! What do these Poké Balls have to do with Kakarot and I?” Vegeta demanded to know the purpose of Rowan’s suitcase. Rowan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, maintaining his patience towards Vegeta’s impulsiveness.

“These Poké Balls will serve as a key to your eventual journey here.” Professor Rowan cryptically proclaimed with furrowed eyebrows.

“What do you mean?” Goku asked confusedly, unable to grasp the underlying meaning of Rowan’s statement.

“Simply put, you four will all need to become Pokémon Trainers in some way. While each of you may have different goals, personalities, and upbringings, exploring and getting to know this world is integral to achieving them.”

“Fah! Like hell we are! Kakarot and I have no time for such childish nonsense. All we need is to fix the radar. Anything else would be a meaningless roadblock between us and our own universe.” Vegeta shouted defiantly in disapproval.

“On the contrary, Mr. Vegeta. Based on the damage done to your device, it will take a number of days just to bring it back to working functionality. Plus, due to your age, an official Trainer’s License will be required for freely exploring Sinnoh. Otherwise, you and Goku are stuck here until then.” Professor Rowan denied each of Vegeta’s argument with an almost maniacal laugh. He was beginning to enjoy getting under Vegeta’s skin more than he expected.

“Grrgh! Damnit, old man!” Vegeta growled furiously, immensely displeased with the situation he was dragged into.

“It won’t be so bad, Vegeta. Exploring this world could also help us find out more about Giratina and what its intentions were.” Goku comforted understandingly, patting his rival on the back a few times.

“Whatever. Just leave me alone.” Vegeta grunted irritably while massaging the bridge of his nose. He then turned his back on Professor Rowan and brooded to himself.

“Yeesh. Drama Queen much?” Dawn whispered in Goku’s ear with a lighthearted snigger.

“I heard that!” Vegeta snapped with a prominent tick mark protruding from his forehead. Goku, Dawn, and Barry gazed at him dumbfounded before shifting their focus back on Professor Rowan.

“So, how does getting that license thing work exactly?” Goku inquired with a ruffle of his spiked black hair.

“Easy. You choose one of these Pokémon to start with.” Professor Rowan warmly responded, grabbing each of the Poké Balls from their slots and tossing them upward. Before Goku’s very eyes, the orbs popped open and unleashed fiery beams of light. These white energy streaks slowly took the form of three individual creatures. In a horizontal line, they curiously looked around the peculiar environment that was Professor Rowan’s laboratory.

“Tur!” A green tortoise-like Pokémon squealed happily. Positioned to the far left, it possessed four green-yellow legs and a brown shell with one single black stripe extending from right to left. The Grass-type also had a twig with two green leaves growing out of its head and oval-shaped yellow eyes. Its lower jaw was predominantly etched into an innocent, happy-go-lucky smile as well.

“Chim-char!” The centermost starter cheered with closed eyes. It was a bipedal orange monkey with light yellow hands, feet, and ears. The Fire-type Pokémon also sported a tail of burning flames and swirly hair on its head. Additionally, there were red markings completely surrounding its large brown eyes as well.

“Pip Pip-plup!” The Water-type chirped confidently with blue wings placed on its sides. It seemed to be a small penguin with a short, yellow beak and two stubby feet of the same color. Its face was primarily white with dark blue eyes and a cloak of blue feathers encircled all around the head area. The Pokémon’s back was also partially concealed by a makeshift cape comprised of that same plumage.

“May I introduce Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup. They are the respective starter Pokémon for all trainers starting out in Sinnoh.” Professor Rowan identified each Pokémon with a direct hand gesture. While Vegeta could care less, Goku, Dawn, and Barry were greatly pleased by the starters’ unique appearances in comparison with the various Starly seen earlier.

“They’re all so adorable!” Dawn cooed fondly; her attention being particularly drawn to Piplup.

“And cool!” Barry added restlessly, his orange eyes staring straight into Turtwig’s very soul.

“Could you tell us more about them?” Goku asked politely, tilting his head at the sight of Chimchar. The confused fire monkey blinked a few times and repeated this same gesture, inwardly sensing some sort of unforeseen connection with Goku. Professor Rowan, considering this type of question from the very moment they entered his laboratory, signaled for Roseanne to follow him. The two scientists reached into a drawer and retrieved four out of many technological devices already presiding within. Three of them were red-black in color while the last one was identifiably pink and white.

“I don’t need to. All of the information about these starters and every other Pokémon can be accessed in your very own Pokédex.” Professor Rowan presented boastfully whilst giving the pink Pokédex to Dawn and a red one to Goku. Roseanne did the same by handing over the other two models to Barry and, with much difficulty and displeasure, to Vegeta as he continued sulking in the corner.

“Essentially, the Pokédex is a digital encyclopedia that can describe any Pokémon’s measurements, habitats, moves, gender differences, and even basic behaviors. Allow me to demonstrate.” Roseanne continued Rowan’s explanation with the usage of Vegeta’s yet to be accepted Pokédex. She opened it to reveal two LED screens, a gray D-pad, and some type of green scanner jutting out of its left side. Without further ado, Rowan’s female assistant scanned all three starter Pokémon at the same time. A digitized, almost robotic voice then projected out of the Pokédex’s speaker.

“Scanning Pokémon No. 1: Turtwig, the Tiny Leaf Pokémon. It is a pre-evolved Grass-type Pokémon with one common ability, Overgrow, and one hidden ability, Shell Armor. Description: The shell on its back is made of soil. Very healthy Turtwigs have shells that should feel moist. Identified Gender: Male. Specified Nature: Hasty.” Vegeta’s Pokédex announced informingly in booming monotone. Hearing this entry, Barry tested the validity of this information by petting Turtwig’s shell a few times. As claimed, it felt fairy wet and damp to the touch.

“Woah! This thing really does work.” Barry stammered in amazement, still continuing to pat Turtwig while studying his own Pokédex. The grassy tortoise seemed to be immensely fond of this special attention, so Barry didn’t think it necessary to stop.

“Scanning Pokémon No. 4: Chimchar, the Chimp Pokémon. It is a pre-evolved Fire-type with one common ability, Blaze, and one hidden ability, Iron Fist. Description: It is very agile. Before going to sleep, it extinguishes the flame on its tail to prevent fires. Identified Gender: Male. Specified Nature: Brave.” The Pokédex proceeded to describe the details of this particular Chimchar. At the mention of Chimchar’s extensive agility, Goku couldn’t help, but notice some similarities between him and the Fire-type.

“If I still had my monkey tail, we would be about one and the same.” Goku mused to himself with a wide smile, side-glancing at his currently normal backside. In a way, Chimchar’s focus was directed towards the Saiyan as well. Its fiery tail slightly grew and shrunk in a repetitious pattern while doing so, proving the Pokédex entry to be true.

“Scanning Pokémon No. 7: Piplup, the Penguin Pokémon. It is a pre-evolved Water-type with one common ability, Torrent, and one hidden ability, Defiant. Description: A poor walker, it often falls down. However, its strong pride makes it puff its chest without a care. Identified Gender: Female. Specified Nature: Sassy.” The Pokédex completed its analysis before immediately deactivating. With her visual demonstration now over and done with, Roseanne closed the Pokédex’s screen and offered it to Vegeta. Vegeta, of course, rudely snatched it out of her hands without saying anything else. This caused the green-haired researcher to turn away and sigh in resignation.

“Bulma would definitely get a kick out of this.” Goku chuckled lightheartedly in fascination, using the D-pad to scroll through his Pokédex’s currently blank sections.

“Why are our Pokédexes empty, Professor?” Dawn questioned out of lack of experience and prior knowledge.

“Of course they’re empty, my dear! I want each of you to fill it for me. Explore the world and scan every Pokémon that can be found in this region, even the rarest ones.” Rowan laughed heartily in amusement. Vegeta just growled to himself impatiently, about done with the Pokémon Professor’s incessant games.

“That does sound amazing!” Dawn commented breathlessly, her anticipation for the future becoming even brighter.

“Feh. The old geezer was probably too lazy to do it himself.” Vegeta mentally expressed his bitter sentiments.

“But, before then, you must choose one of these three. Let’s start with Goku.” Professor Rowan recommended, his preconceived expectations of Goku’s potential justifying his final decision.

“Really? Why me?” Goku hesitantly asked with a finger pointed at himself.

“No particular reason. I’m just interested to see which Pokémon you connect with the most, being an alien from another dimension and all.”

“Um ok. I guess that makes sense.” Goku shrugged in minor understanding, not really expecting Rowan to be so straightforward. He then cautiously stepped forward, glancing from one starter to another for a few moments.

“Hmmmm I’m not very good at making decisions, but…” Goku trailed off as his obsidian orbs closely honed in on Chimchar’s. Sensing a vibrant energy in Chimchar that was far more soothing than the other two, Goku nodded contentedly and made his final choice.

“It’s gonna have to be Chimchar.” Goku giggled childishly, giving the Chimp Pokémon a thumbs up. At the identification of his new owner, Chimchar did an energetic backflip and hopped on top of Goku’s head.

“Char!” Chimchar tittered with a toothy grin, turning upside down to look at Goku’s own smiling face.

“Hehe it’s nice to meet you too, buddy.” Goku sniggered in acknowledgement of Chimchar’s pleasurable happiness. Rowan, already spotting a powerful bond between the two that could grow even stronger, handed Chimchar’s Poké Ball to Goku.

“Make sure nothing happens to this. That Poké Ball is integral to the development of your friendship with Chimchar. Understand?” Rowan gravely warned Goku of the Poké Ball’s important significance.

“I do, Professor. I promise that nothing will happen to Chimchar or his Poké Ball.” Goku pledged with conviction while tightly holding the proposed ball to his chest. He then looked up at Chimchar’s present form, soothingly stroking the Pokémon’s back as any other monkey would.

“Good. I’ll have your word on that, Goku.” Professor Rowan proclaimed, happy with Goku’s serious response. The professor then turned over to Barry as he desperately held himself back from moving on ahead.

“Alright, Barry. You can go next.” Rowan sighed exhaustively, unable to comprehend how so much energy could be contained in one 13-year-old boy.

“What do you say, Turtwig? Want to come with me?” Barry questioned convincingly with a thumb jerked at his chest. After the session of shell-petting a few minutes ago, the Tiny Leaf Pokémon felt inclined to accept Barry’s request without argument.

“Turtur!” Turtwig speedily nodded in agreement, jumping into Barry’s arms with a kind smile etched on his yellow jaw. They laughed together in enjoyment of one another’s company as it came time for Dawn to pick.

“Alright, Piplup. Meet your new trainer!” Dawn crouched downward to gently pick Piplup off the ground. She then hugged the little penguin to her chest and stroked her cheek against Piplup’s in pure adoration. Despite not being accustomed to this amount of touchy-feely contact, Piplup eventually began to enjoy Dawn’s attentive pampering.

“What about Vegeta? He should get a Pokémon too.” Goku reminded Rowan and Roseanne in concern. Chimchar finally took notice of the temperate warrior, hiding behind Goku’s hair in momentary uneasiness.

“Don’t worry, Goku. In preparation for a situation like this, my suitcase always contains two other sets of starters.” Rowan soothed, unveiling two other compartments below the currently empty Poké Ball slots.

“I don’t care about any of this crap. Just give me the one with a type advantage against Kakarot’s and be done with it.” Vegeta yelled, only focused on the idea of besting Goku in some other category besides hand-to-hand combat. Doing as he said, Roseanne picked up the Poké Ball of another Piplup. However, she seemed to recognize that something was off about this one and grew somewhat nervous.

“Professor, isn’t this…” Roseanne’s cautious warning was interrupted by the silent raise of Rowan’s hand. He closed his eyes and brew out a chaste breath.

“It’ll be fine, Roseanne. We don’t want to keep Vegeta waiting longer than he already has.” Rowan advised in full belief that nothing was wrong with this Piplup. Roseanne, in no room to disagree with her boss’s calming words, released the Penguin Pokémon. While it indeed looked the same as Dawn’s, this male Piplup was looking around the room as if it were about to be attacked by some unforeseen enemy.

“P-pip… p-plup?” Piplup nervously whispered, sweating like a leaf in heightened nervousness. Dawn’s Piplup then broke free from her trainer’s grip and attempted to greet the fellow member of her species.

“Pip!” Dawn’s Piplup greeted happily in a pleasant chirp. Unfortunately, this friendly introduction did end well in the slightest.

“PIPPPPLUP!” The new Piplup screeched in horror, running around the laboratory as he sporadically flapped his flippers. He gradually picked up speed until slamming straight into Vegeta’s leg. At the sight of Vegeta’s intimidating death stare, Piplup froze in shock and began shivering like a frigid leaf.

“P-pip… p-pip…” Piplup stammered in reactionary trauma, his eyes resembling that of a white void. An awkward silence permeated throughout the entire facility, people and Pokémon alike having no idea what to make of this bizarre spectacle.

“This is my Pokémon?” Vegeta questioned in disbelief, looking down upon the Piplup as it curled up into a shaky fetal position.

“BAHAHAHAHA! Serves you right for being such a tool!” Barry lambasted Vegeta in amusement, guffawing alongside Turtwig.

“Shut up, Blondie! I swear I’ll wipe that smile clean off the face of the Earth!” Vegeta threatened angrily with furrowed eyebrows.

“You’re the one who wanted the advantage against Goku.” Dawn deadpanned matter-of-factly, tending to her own Piplup as it struggled figure out what went wrong with its approach.

“Says the girl with a bird that can actually function properly.” Vegeta snarled argumentatively with crossed arms. Roseanne negatively shook her head in disapproval and decided to defend the traumatized Piplup.

“That’s enough, Vegeta! No Pokémon should ever be treated like that, regardless of faults or personality traits! Whether you like it or not, this Piplup is your Pokémon now and it’s your responsibility to raise him properly!” Roseanne chastised Vegeta’s hateful comments, sympathetically hovering over the nerve-wracked Water-type.

“Roseanne is right, Vegeta. A strong bond between a trainer and his/her Pokémon can’t be just obtained without effort. It requires skill, care, and, most importantly, friendship to develop properly.” Rowan lectured Vegeta on the standards of a healthy Trainer-Pokémon relationship. Wanting to throw up at the mention of such lovey-dovey crap, Vegeta played devil’s advocate and scoffed in frustration.

“What do you expect me do then, huh?! This catatonic ball of fluff here obviously isn’t going to cooperate. The damned thing is terrified of me for Kami’s sake!” Vegeta lashed out, pointing to the male Piplup as it avoided eye contact with Vegeta’s piercing black ones. Realizing the theoretical corner Vegeta was needlessly dragged into, Goku looked at Chimchar for guidance before speaking up.

“How about a battle?” Goku calmly suggested, setting Chimchar down on the floor. Vegeta, Dawn, Barry, and the others peered at Goku’s idea in confusion.

“Would that even help, Goku? I don’t think this Piplup is in any condition to fight.” Dawn wondered in uncertainty while timidly scratching her cheek.

“Think about it. Since me and Vegeta are rivals, having Chimchar and Piplup battle one another could help establish our bonds a little better. After all, as I’ve learned in the past, experiencing how someone fights is the key to understanding how they act as people in everyday life. Pokémon and Pokémon Trainers should be no different.” Goku wisely justified the purpose of his suggestion, referring to the previous battles he’s had with Vegeta and many other opponents as direct evidence.

“Fine. I accept your challenge, Kakarot.” Vegeta reluctantly acknowledged the sound logic of this idea, inwardly smirking at partaking in another battle with Goku.

“This will help you four get to know the basic rules and setup of professional Pokémon battles, so I don’t see a problem with it. However, I suggest you do it in Route 202 where my laboratory or any other homes in Sandgem Town won’t be damaged.” Professor Rowan maturely advised the safety regulations of this once in a lifetime battle. Goku nodded enthusiastically, his adrenaline and thirst for combat, even if indirect, starting to kick in.

“Will do, Professor Rowan.” Goku agreed truthfully with a smile, directing his attention back to Chimchar.

“You ready to battle with me, Chimchar?” Goku asked hopefully, crouching just a bit to look at the Fire-type monkey face-to-face.

“Chimchim!” Chimchar confidently smirked, raising up his clenched in preparation to fight. Liking the Saiyan-esc spirit of this Pokémon, Goku gave Chimchar a fist bump and ran out the laboratory’s revolving doors.

“Alright then! Let’s go!” Goku cheered gleefully, running toward Sandgem Beach with Chimchar following closely behind. Vegeta, glaring at his incredibly anxious starter, sighed and roughly picked him up using said bird’s “cape” for extended support.

“Come along now. We’ve got a battle to win, so you better not embarrass me.” Vegeta glowered spitefully, neutrally staring into Piplup’s distressed eyes. Piplup gulped down a building lump in his throat and nodded hesitantly.

“P-pip.” Piplup squeaked quietly, his nervousness not entirely exaggerated as it was before. Vegeta then clutched Piplup’s Poké Ball and his Pokédex in the other hand, and slowly stomped toward the planned battlefield. Dawn, Barry, and their own starters goggled at the two Saiyans, feeling curious towards the type of Pokémon battle this confrontation will end up being.

“Do you think Goku and Vegeta are combat experts like they said?” Dawn questioned aloud, still a bit shaken by Vegeta’s display of chi earlier. Barry stroked his chin multiple times, thinking of a proper response.

“They have to be. The stone-cold fierceness in Veggie’s eyes is enough to know he’s been through a lot. Goku is no different.” Barry seriously admitted, his orange eyes narrowed in deep comprehension.

“But that’s so… odd. They’re around our age.” Dawn stammered doubtfully, unable to think of any 15-year-olds that could do what Vegeta and Goku did. Rowan and Roseanne cut into their conversation, signaling for them to move around.

“All we can do now is find out for ourselves. Goku and Vegeta are obviously more special than they claim to be.” Rowan darkly proclaimed with squinted eyes. With that last thought, the quartet of Pokémon Trainers and Researchers walked onward to view an important battle that would, unwittingly, change the course of their very lives.

Chapter Text

Just as Professor Rowan instructed, Goku, Vegeta, and their respective starter Pokémon anticipatingly ran toward Route 202. This area, otherwise known as Sandgem Beach, was a small shoreline of sparkling white-sand that connected the land with Route 220’s presiding sea. Large rock formations were also placed next to mountainous regions and the ever-encompassing array of green trees located nearby. Rowan, Roseanne, Dawn, and Barry closely followed after the two Saiyans with varying opinions. While Dawn and Barry were increasingly interested in witnessing a full-fledged Pokémon battle between them, Roseanne and Rowan had a more research-based approach to this observation in mind. After all, it wasn’t any other day that interdimensional travelers accidentally drop in and decide to use Pokémon for the first time.

Goku and his new Chimchar practically moved in sync with one another, observing the surrounding area in curious, child-like delight. Vegeta, however, just displayed his typical scowl and silently perused this semi-tropical portion of Sandgem Town. His Piplup nervously twitched about, shaking like a petrified leaf while sweat trickled down his spherical head.

“Stop shivering, bird!” Vegeta grunted disapprovingly with folded arms. “Fear and cowardice won’t get you anywhere, especially when we’re facing a versatile opponent like Kakarot over there.”

Piplup suddenly froze in place, bowing his head apologetically with a downcast expression. Huffing in disappointment, Vegeta rolled his eyes in waiting for this so-called “battle” to start. Dawn glared at Vegeta’s disrespectful attitude in instinctive disgust.

“Talking down to the poor thing won’t get you any further either, Vegeta. You’re acting as if Piplup’s opponent is Goku himself.” Dawn remarked, sympathetically peering downward at the nervous penguin. Her own Piplup tried to comfort him once again, but to no further avail. Vegeta’s starter simply wouldn’t dare move a single muscle.

“Like there’s a difference. That fire monkey may be fighting, but it’ll still be Kakarot telling it what to do regardless. In that sense, Kakarot and I are battling one another through these… things.” Vegeta scoffed, directly gesturing to the four Pokémon with a dismissive wave of his hand. Barry furrowed his eyebrows while Turtwig attempted to do the same.

“They’re called Pokémon, Vegeta. It’s not that difficult of a word to say.” Barry corrected the irate prince’s purposeful mistake. Vegeta just spared Barry a searing glance of annoyance.

“Don’t patronize me, kid. I simply refuse to say something so ridiculous.” Vegeta spat distastefully. He personally couldn’t tell which was a worse name to have: Pokémon or Piplup. To him, both seemed equally embarrassing and childish by his standards.

“But, didn’t you call Piplup one back in the lab?” Goku questioningly reminded his fellow Saiyan. Vegeta, inwardly cursing Goku for remembering such a small detail, sighed heavily.

“Shut up, Kakarot.” Vegeta grumbled angrily. He bitterly stamped over to the opposite side of Sandgem Beach with a prominent grimace. His Piplup fell straight into the sand in a desperate attempt to catch up.

“Pip…” Piplup quietly whined, spitting out small pieces of sand from his yellow beak. Professor Rowan darted his eyes from the distressed Piplup to Vegeta for a moment before lightly coughing.

“Ahem. While you are indeed correct in that assumption, Vegeta, the rules of Pokémon battling are a bit more complex than that.” Professor Rowan wisely informed with a slight stroke of his beard. Goku directed his full, undivided attention to the elderly researcher while Vegeta denounced Rowan’s statement.

“Please. What could be so complex about two animals beating each other up until one is defeated? It sounds like mere child’s play to me.” Vegeta proclaimed grumbly. Roseanne shook her head at this while Rowan grinned in amusement.

“Quite a number of things, actually. Just activate your Pokédex and I’ll show you.” Professor Rowan pointed out in a calm, knowing tone. With that, Goku, Vegeta, Dawn, and Barry decided to play along with Rowan’s probable explanation. They collectively popped open their devices’ screens and pressed the “on” button.

“Now, scroll down and select the entries for your starter Pokémon.” Rowan advised with a gesture toward the Pokédex’s gray D-pad. The four did as instructed and selected the individual categories pertaining to all three Sinnoh starters. Alongside the previously uttered description, nature, and abilities, there were now six subsections aligned in an even list. There was also, to Goku and Vegeta’s interest, a separate page with four named “skills” of sorts.

“Hm I didn’t see these before. What are they, Professor?” Goku asked whilst gently stroking his chin. Chimchar peeked over his shoulder, wondrously fascinated by the handheld device’s smaller depiction of him.

“Those, Goku, are your Pokémon’s base stats. Based on how a Pokémon is trained, each one will progressively increase in terms of HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. However, certain Pokémon excel in specific stats over others, regardless of type.” Rowan thoroughly explained the significance of all six rectangular bars. Goku gazed down at the screen, somewhat taking note of the small number 5 placed next to Chimchar’s written name.

“Huh, that’s cool I guess. Can the Pokédex really keep track of all that math stuff?” Goku replied in semi-understanding. He scratched his head with a disgruntled look of confusion and bewilderment. Barry and Dawn gave each other a funny look in response to this admittedly childish term of phrase.

“Math stuff?” Roseanne muttered to herself, also quite a bit taken aback by Goku’s simpleminded thought process. In contrast, Rowan chuckled at Goku’s ever-present naivety.

“O-Of course, my boy. As a Pokémon figuratively “levels up” after each battle, your Pokédex will automatically calculate these changes when activated. This includes external factors like inherited natures and vitamins that are usually purchasable at any town’s local Poké Mart.” Sinnoh head researcher further elaborated on how Pokémon gain calculable experience via combat with one another.

“Wow. Pokémon really are more complicated than they seem.” Goku stated with a puzzled face. He looked down at his Chimchar with an even greater sense of excitement to see what it could do on the actual battlefield.

“You mentioned that these natures contribute to stat progression. Care to elaborate on that?” Vegeta questioned upfront, recalling the so-called ‘Quiet’ nature his Piplup was reported to have had.

“I actually want to know that for myself too, Professor. Along with going through the usage of moves and abilities if you don’t mind.” Dawn politely contributed to the conversation. Rowan brushed aside her worries with a kind, fatherly smile.

“Not at all, Dawn. Natures signify the personality traits of a Pokémon in and outside of battle. Depending on the type of nature, multiple stats will be increased, decreased, or stay exactly the same. In the case of your Piplup, due to being shy and nervous, he will have increased Special Attack, but a slight regression in Speed.” Rowan explained informingly. At the mention of an increased stat, Vegeta glanced downward at the Water-type currently quivering in fear with mild interest.

“Special Attack, huh? Is that… good?” Vegeta inquired hesitantly, uncertain of the difference between Special Attack and normal Attack. Roseanne fixed her glasses and decided to answer in Rowan’s place.

“Yes actually. High Special Attack will definitely prove useful when he becomes a fully grown Empoleon one of these days.” Roseanne replied in admiration of Piplup’s untapped potential. She then caught sight of Piplup clinging onto Vegeta’s boot for dear life while said Saiyan, as usual, displayed no sense of care whatsoever.

“Well, if your Piplup even survives long enough to reach that point…” Roseanne joked with an indifferent brush of her green locks. Vegeta squinted his eyes in minor irritation, profusely glaring at the assistant researcher for what she just said.

“What was that, woman?” Vegeta grunted threateningly. Roseanne folded her arms and glared at him.

“I don’t need to repeat myself.” Roseanne whispered with a challenging smirk etched on her face. Grumbling, Vegeta rolled his eyes and turned to look back at Rowan.

“As for Chimchar, a Brave nature will give him an above average Attack stat and, like Piplup, decreased Speed. Dawn’s Piplup, on the other hand, shall most likely flourish in terms of Special Defense, but falter Speed wise as well. Barry’s Turtwig will show the opposite with raised Speed and lowered Special Defense. That’s all based on my best assumption, though. Natures are fairly difficult to predict for fledgling Pokémon like these four. For all we know, they could eventually change upon evolving.” Rowan summarized the other three’s natures and what was effected by them. Barry squatted down to look at his Turtwig face-to-face, deeply analyzing every part of the grassy turtle with focused intent.

“A faster than normal Turtwig, huh?” Barry pondered to himself in distracted wonder. He began to picture himself riding atop Turtwig’s shell as it ran almost 50 mph across all of Sinnoh. At the prospect of such a ludicrous scene, Barry sniggered gleefully.

“Oh yeah. I could definitely be on board with that.” Barry mused anticipatedly with a mischievous gleam in his orange irises. He then rubbed his hands together while Turtwig, Dawn, and her Piplup blankly stared at him.

“I don’t like that look on your face…” Dawn sighed. Barry quirked a brow, lightly stroking Turtwig’s shell as he looked up at her.

“What look? This is just my face when I’m excited.” Barry blandly exclaimed, pointing a single finger at his own expression for emphasis.

“My point exactly. Nothing good ever comes out of that.” Dawn remarked with a wry smile.

“And it’s never good to overexaggerate either, Dawn. Name one time when me being excited about something has caused any sort of problem!” Barry assertively defended himself. Dawn placed both hands on her hips with an indignant frown.

“The Glameow Incident.” Dawn reminded her friend with a monotonous deadpan. Barry opened his mouth to refute the cause of this supposed event, but abruptly caught himself mid-sentence.

“Oh… that…” Barry trailed off in vivid remembrance of the not-too-distant past. “I still think that was Zoey’s fault.”

“She wasn’t even there!” Dawn cried out in stunned disbelief. She then huffed and waited for Professor Rowan to speak once more. Goku, Vegeta, Rowan, and Roseanne silently studied the two would-be trainers’ little “argument” with unanimous incertitude.

“What was that about?” Goku thought it appropriate to ask.

“Nothing to be concerned about. We argue all the time, so having short tangents like this one is pretty common.” Barry revealed honestly with a careless shrug. Dawn, her mood practically taking a sudden 180, motioned for Professor Rowan to move on.

“Yeah. Carry on when you’re ready, Professor.” Dawn chirped encouragingly with a somewhat forced smile. Rowan, not objecting to this request, crossed both arms behind his back and turned over to the Saiyan duo.

“Well… erm… with that out of the way, I’d rather showcase moves and abilities with a more physical demonstration. It helps make things go by a bit faster.” Rowan announced in a momentary stammer. By “physical demonstration”, Goku immediately knew what the old man was referring to.

“Does that mean…” Goku said, his smile growing progressively wider with each uttered syllable. Rowan simply nodded once in confirmation.

“Yes, Goku. You and Vegeta can start your battle now.” Rowan amusedly affirmed with a small thumbs up. Goku’s eyes collectively widened in child-prone excitement.

“Really?! Great! Let’s get ready, Chimchar!” Goku whooped, eager to directly experience a battle between two Pokémon for the first time. Chimchar cheered just as much, his fiery tail conjunctively shooting out more orangish red flames.

“Char Char!” Chimchar happily cried, running after Goku with the symbiotic use of all four limbs. Goku and his starter stood at one end of Sandgem Beach while Vegeta shuffled over to its opposite side.

“Hmph. Took long enough.” Vegeta grunted impatiently. He then parted Piplup from his pantleg and roughly plopped it down on the sand.

“Pip?” Piplup squeaked, tilting his spherical head to examine Vegeta’s complete figure.

“You’ll do as I say without question, bird. I expect you to beat Kakarot’s monkey, so any sort of mistake is unacceptable. Understand?” Vegeta threateningly commanded with a darkened glare. Piplup stiffened and nodded in a sporadic, repetitious motion.

“P-piplup Pip!” Piplup murmured in a silent, hoarse voice. With that, Chimchar and Piplup positioned themselves in front of one another on the beach, patiently waiting for their battle to officially begin.

“Before we can start, I’ll briefly explain the basic format of a traditional Pokémon battle. Each of you will need to instruct Chimchar and Piplup on what to do in combat. Aside from planned out strategies and evasive maneuvers, this typically boggles down to their respective move pools. Simply activate your Pokédex to find out what those lists specifically entail.” Rowan lectured, positioning himself in the center of this makeshift battle arena. The two outworlders perused their individual Pokédex models and selected the entries for each starter. To their surprise, as Rowan said, two named attacks were placed underneath Chimchar and Piplup’s profile models.

“Scratch and Leer, hm?” Goku mused to himself, taking notice of five subsections that both “moves” possessed: Type, Category, Attack, Accuracy, and PP. He had absolutely no clue what PP stood for, but there were two big numbers placed under it that most likely held some sort of significant purpose.

“Pound… and Growl? What… what in the hell is that going to do?!” Vegeta shouted in comical anger. If this was all Piplup had to work with, he was unquestionably doomed from the very start.

“Remember, these are starter Pokémon, Vegeta. Through gaining experience in a battle such as this, they should be able to acquire more viable moves sometime soon.” Rowan attempted to ease Vegeta’s visible frustration with sound logic.

“For now, you’ll need to take advantage of what Chimchar and Piplup currently possess. Both of them should have two Normal-type moves at the moment. One will be a physical attack that deals 40 damage (either Scratch and Pound as you two have already read) while the other will be a status move. Status moves can lower and heighten the stats depending on how they’re used. For example, Leer sharply lowers defense while Growl sharply lowers attack. They’re slightly different, but have equal viability against an opponent.” Professor Rowan divulged the similar, yet different aspects of Chimchar and Piplup’s movesets. Better understanding the concept behind a Pokémon’s moves and how they’re used, Goku gratefully nodded in appreciation.

“I think we get the gist of it, Professor. Thanks for telling us.” Goku acknowledged Professor Rowan’s additional help with a kind smile.

“No thanks are necessary, Goku. It’s my job to help you two become more accustomed to this world, after all.” Professor Rowan humbly declined Goku’s polite sense of gratitude. Vegeta, on the other hand, shared no such comment.

“Roseanne will be your referee for this battle. I’ll be on the sidelines with Dawn and Barry, so if you need to find out anything else, just ask.” Rowan stated, switching positions with his green-haired trainee. He then walked over to another portion of Sandgem Beach, evenly aligning himself with the two residents of Twinleaf Town as promised.

“Alright then. Will do, Professor!” Goku replied with his own complementary thumbs up. He then narrowed his eyes, staring at Vegeta with a competitive smirk.

“Ready for this, Vegeta?” Goku asked his long-time rival. Vegeta scoffed, cockily sneering in a similar manner.

“Tsk. Do you even have to ask? I’m always prepared for a chance to beat you, Kakarot.” Vegeta proudly uttered, pointing his finger at Goku with the utmost confidence in his own resolve.

“That’s good. Then I expect you and Piplup to not hold back. Right, Chimchar?” Goku commented with a firmly clenched fist to emphasize his sheer anticipation.

“Chim!” Chimchar lightly roared in agreement. Both Saiyans and their Pokémon then remained silent, waiting for Roseanne to officially sound them off.

“This will be a 1v1 match, guys. Since you don’t have a full team of 6 quite yet, the first Pokémon to be knocked unconscious automatically loses the match. Is that clear?” Roseanne specified the exact method from which this battle would be won.

“Yep!” Goku said to show he was on the same page.

“Just get on with it already.” Vegeta rudely snapped with a slight tilt of his head.

“Humph. Fine then. Prepare to get started on the count of three: 3… 2… 1…” Roseanne slowly counted down with her fingers.

“Kick Veggie’s butt for me, Goku!” Barry loudly shouted, encouraging Goku to put the irate prince in his place. Dawn nudged Barry’s side with her elbow in order to shut him up.

“Barry!” Dawn reprimanded Barry for his foolhardy insult.

“What? We were all thinking it!” Barry sheepishly pointed out whilst massaging the sizable bruise Dawn just gave him.

“…Battle!” Roseanne powerfully yelled, swiping her arm down as a visual signal for Vegeta and Goku’s battle to finally begin. In case anything freakishly destructive appeared during this battle, Roseanne took a few cautious steps back just to be safe.

Up above, Mesprit materialized into thin air once again. Its yellow eyes were practically glued to Goku and his Chimchar’s forms, acutely interested to see how a powerful specimen such as him would perform in battle.

“Mesmes!” Mesprit giggled delightedly, clapping its gray nubs as an attempt at cheering Goku on from the sidelines. Making sure it wasn’t seen, said Emotion Pokémon made itself invisible using psionic energy. This coated its entire body in a blue, translucent hue that couldn’t easily be seen by the naked eye.

Goku, not entirely aware of the Psychic-type pixie’s presence, decided to make the first move. He skimmed over Chimchar’s currently sparse list of moves and ultimately chose the one that would inflict physical damage upon Piplup.

“Ok. Let’s go with… Scratch, Chimchar!” Goku ordered the fiery chimp. Following his trainer’s first instruction, Chimchar retracted small white claws from his fingertips. Each one then sported a vibrant white glow and slightly grew bigger in terms of length, accentuating their user’s fierce intent. Said Fire-type bared his fangs and speedily charged the opposing Piplup in quick succession.

“P-pippip Plup!” Piplup screamed in anguish, not knowing what to do as a response towards Chimchar’s fast approaching attack. Seeing that the small penguin left himself wide open, Vegeta immediately took charge.

“Dodge, you moronic bird! Do it now!” Vegeta shouted angrily with clenched teeth. Snapped out of his currently fear-stricken daze, Piplup shut both eyes and frantically backflipped away from Chimchar’s strengthened swipe.

“Char!” Chimchar cried, fully outstretching his palm to enhance the accuracy of Scratch’s effect. The enflamed primate performed a downward slash, managing to graze Piplup’s right wing before he could successfully dodge.

“Pip!” The wounded Penguin Pokémon winced in minor pain. He stumbled back a few feet away, delicately clutching one blue wing with the other. As Piplup breathed small, shallow breathes, a displeased Vegeta checked the starter’s Pokédex entry. Piplup’s topmost HP stat, visibly indicated by a green rectangular bar, was now half-full in response to the damage accumulated by Chimchar’s Scratch attack.

“Damn. This won’t do.” Vegeta cursed in annoyance. He lifted up Piplup’s Poké Ball, tightly clutching it in an attempt to quell his inner fury.

“Yeah. Great start, Chimchar!” Goku complimented with a pumped fist. Chimchar sheepishly chuckled in thanks, flexing his thin biceps to emphasize the previously showcased power of Scratch.

“Most impressive. Goku’s Chimchar is already showing signs of admirable strength. And at Level 5, no less.” Professor Rowan noticed the prodigious might of Chimchar’s first attack. The fact that Chimchar followed Goku’s orders without any sign of reluctance was also quite an astounding sight to behold. Piplup seemed to be the same way in that regard, even with the presence of Vegeta’s outward hostility.

“I just hope Piplup’s okay. That Scratch move didn’t look too pleasant.” Dawn expressed her concerns for Piplup’s safety. Her own Piplup seemed to agree with this sentiment, sympathetically eyeing the fellow Water-type’s injured appendage.

“Pip…” The female Piplup sadly murmured. Dawn, noticing her companion’s anguish, crouched down to stroke its head.

“There’s no need to be concerned, Dawn. Pokémon, no matter the species, are able to endure much more than us humans. The worst that can happen to Piplup is being fainted; just like how it is in any other Pokémon battle.” Professor Rowan assured with a comforting clasp of her shoulder. Dawn faintly nodded in understanding , picking up Piplup, so she was safely nestled in her arms.

“I know that, but still… seeing a Pokémon in any type of pain just rubs me the wrong way.” Dawn stated while tightening her grip on Piplup’s stout body. Barry playfully bumped his fist on Dawn’s shoulder as a sign of comfort.

“Lighten up, Dawn! This battle will be over soon anyways. Goku and Chimchar practically have this in the bag!” Barry chuckled, already waiting for the moment where he could rub this impending loss in Vegeta’s face.

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Barry. Goku and Vegeta are obviously equals in terms of fighting prowess and overall skill. Let’s see how he decides to counterattack on his own turn.” Professor Rowan reminded Barry of Goku and Vegeta’s implied status as rivals in their own universe.

“Oh sure. Like ol’ Veggie there has any chance of coming back after this.” Barry doubtfully rebutted, slumping down onto the sand with Turtwig in his lap.

On the actual battlefield, Vegeta carefully thought over the options he had left. The proud prince figured that brute strength was going to cut it for Piplup as he is now, so witling down Chimchar’s own power would probably work best. Luckily, Piplup had a move equipped for said situation.

“Use Growl!” Vegeta bellowed authoritatively. Determinedly ignoring the pain, Piplup stood his ground and took a deep breath.

“PIIIIIIIP!” Piplup shouted, producing a loud soundwave that distorted the air around him and everyone else. Chimchar flinched, cupping both ears in a desperate attempt to ease Growl’s high audibility. On Goku’s Pokédex, a blue arrow pointing south materialized next to Chimchar’s Attack stat.

“Huh, what do you know? Guess Growl really does lower Attack.” Goku said with a shrug. Professor Rowan deadpanned at this care-free comment.

“Did he think I was lying?” Professor Rowan inwardly asked.

“Looks like I’ll just have to make sure Vegeta doesn’t get a chance to use Growl again. Scratch from the side, Chimchar!” Goku requested a second time. Chimchar, now on all fours, sprinted along Sandgem Beach’s shoreline in order to incapacitate Piplup with a surprise attack. Better anticipating this move, the aquatic starter prepared to defend himself.

“Dodge properly this time.” Vegeta ordered with a composite wave of his hand. Piplup narrowed his eyes, managing to completely somersault away from Chimchar at the last second. Chimchar, unable to stop his forward momentum, slashed away multiple grains of sand upon impact.

“Good. He’s wide open. Now, it’s time for the real battle to start.” Vegeta thought, smirking at the prospect of improving Piplup’s battle performance even further. He unlocked his ki, causing a white aura to spontaneously erupt all around him. He then transmitted some of his energy over to the small penguin mid-evasion.

“Pip…?” Piplup cheeped nervously. Unbeknownst to the others, an aura similar to Vegeta’s enveloped the Pokémon’s young, avian form. Momentarily startled, Piplup glanced at his trainer for some sort of explanation.

“Here’s your chance, bird. Use… can’t believe I’m saying this… Pound!” Vegeta begrudgingly stated. Piplup headed his trainer’s word and raised one of his flippers. Similar to Scratch, it was wholly encompassed by a white light post activation. However, due to the mystical properties of Vegeta’s ki, the fiery aura surrounding Piplup both became more lively and glowed just as bright.

“Pippip PLUP!” Piplup squawked with a faint echo to his voice. Before Chimchar in any sudden movement, the Water-type used to Pound to smack Chimchar straight across the face. Surprisingly, this move, unlike Chimchar’s earlier display of Scratch, was indefinitely powerful enough to send the aforementioned monkey flying straight into a sea of trees.

“C-chimchaaaaaar!” Chimchar shrieked in a daze of horror and pain. He uncontrollably smashed through tree after tree, piercing them clean in half at monumental speeds. Hordes of possibly over a hundred Starly and Staravia flew away in reactionary fear, saving themselves from damage that their unfortunate nests already faced.

““HOLY CRAP!”” Dawn and Barry shrieked in incredulous disbelief. Their eyes practically popped out of their sockets just looking at the absolute mayhem Piplup’s seemingly harmless Pound managed to cause. High velocity winds were also produced from Chimchar’s unprecedented launch, almost knocking a distracted Roseanne off her feet.

“Gyaaah!” Roseanne squealed girlishly while trying her best not to fall over.

“W-What on Earth?” Professor Rowan gaped in astonishment.

“Chimchar! Are you okay, buddy?” A dumbfounded Goku asked in concern. He checked Chimchar’s current status on his Pokédex, noticing that its health bar quickly transitioned from green to yellow.

“Ch…chim…” Chimchar groaned sorely, struggling to pick himself up amongst the shrapnel of torn woodland. The chimp was covered head to toe in small bruises and scratches, the evidently largest of which was produced from Piplup’s prior attack.

Realizing that Vegeta shared some of his ki with Piplup without permission, Goku angrily looked at his long-time rival in disappointment.

“Come on, Vegeta! That’s not fair and you know it!” Goku childishly protested Vegeta’s actions.

“What, Kakarot? No one said we couldn’t use our ki to give these weaklings a much needed boost. Besides, it makes this little battle far more interesting.” Vegeta logically pointed out with a defiant shrug of his shoulders. Dawn gestured to the gigantic crevice of shredded trees with widened gray eyes.

“Did you really have to destroy everything in sight to do that?!” Dawn erratically questioned Vegeta about his choice to activate ki in such a compact area like Sandgem Beach.

“Yes. And it’s not my fault that fire monkey couldn’t properly take the hit.” Vegeta rebutted with little care. Dawn gave Vegeta the stink eye before haughtily upturning her nose.

“Fine.” Goku partially accepted the validity of Vegeta’s justification. “If you want to play it that way, Vegeta, then…”

Goku revealed his own aura and lent some energy to Chimchar. This caused the Pokémon to immediately regain his composure and lost stamina in a matter of seconds.

“Chim!” Chimchar cried triumphantly, now equal in strength compared to his opponent. He leaped out of the rubble, landing nearly face-to-face with Piplup. The two Pokémon glared at each other with the utmost conviction, causing their newly acquired auras to skyrocket.

“…let’s shake things up a bit.” Goku whispered fiercely with a reciprocated crack of his knuckles. His ki rose in tandem with his Pokémon’s, figuratively appearing as if they were battling as one single being.

“Hmph. With pleasure.” Vegeta confidently proclaimed with a small smirk. The two Saiyan warriors stood in place, waiting for the ample moment to resume their fated Pokémon battle.

“Scratch!” Goku shouted.

“Pound!” Vegeta profusely demanded.

After both moves were sounded off, Chimchar and Piplup speedily rocketed towards the other without a moment’s notice. The fearsome power of ki exponentially increased the two starters’ stats by tenfold, rendering their movements quite invisible to anyone in close proximity. Chimchar scratched at Piplup in all four cardinal directions, changing the length and weight of each attack according to said penguin’s quick maneuverability. Piplup, as a defense mechanism, proceeded to skip from side-to-side, back-to-front, or up-and-down based on where Chimchar’s claws were aimed. As his own offensive tactic, Piplup slashed both glowing flippers like broadswords in an attempt to make further contact with Chimchar’s previously bruised face. Goku, trying to get Chimchar out of this small pinch, thought it best to utilize his remaining move.

“Use Leer, Chimchar!” Goku instructed. Failing to land Scratch a final time, Chimchar got into Piplup’s personal space and contorted his simian face in pure rage. The Chimp Pokémon’s pupils glowed a dark, piercing red hue that caused Piplup to freeze in an almost trance like state of uneasiness.

“P-piplup Pip!” Piplup stammered, temporarily reverting back to a state of unfocused nervousness. The little penguin’s body shivered, cold sweat leaking down the side of his head just looking at Chimchar’s face for too long.

“Don’t be scared of him! Fight back with Growl!” Vegeta irritably instructed his starter. Unfortunately, all that Piplup could seem to muster was a forced chirp.

“Pipppp…pip?” Piplup faltered in his own daze of confusion. With this attempt at Growl considered a failure, Piplup’s defenses were left wide open as planned.

“Now’s your chance, Chimchar! Go in for another Scratch!” Goku helpfully suggested with a direct point at Piplup. Chimchar nodded, managing to phase out of existence and directly appear above Piplup’s head.

“Char!” Chimchar dangerously growled. Imbued with pure, refined ki, his claws smacked against the back of Piplup’s head and, as a result, sent him careening face-first into the sandy floor. A towering implosion of sand and rock shot upward in direct response.

“This is insane! Chimchar was fast enough to literally disappear in a split second! Is this really… all because of Goku’s ki?!” Dawn gasped in amazement of Chimchar’s new skills.

“I know. It’s… a lot to take in, honestly.” Barry nervously laughed whilst stroking the back of his blonde locks. In contrast to his scatterbrained trainer, Turtwig’s attention was fervently glued to the purveying battlefield.

“Indeed. They’ve managed to be in near-perfect sync with their Pokémon in only a matter of minutes. They truly are astounding boys, aren’t they?” Professor Rowan pondered with growing intrigue of Goku and Vegeta’s origins.

“Yeah.” Dawn wistfully muttered, her eyes keenly focused on both Vegeta and Goku from that point onward.

“Well, it’s also astounding how much destruction they might cause if this battle continues to go on.” Roseanne bitterly stated, praying to Arceus that she wouldn’t need to help pay for repairs out of her own pocket.

Vegeta and Goku both checked over their Pokédexes. At this point, Chimchar and Piplup were at low yellow HP after those most recent skirmishes. It obviously wouldn’t be long until this battle came to a decisive end, so the Saiyans needed a way to gain the upper hand somehow.

Covered in sand, Piplup hesitantly plopped himself back up from where he was buried. Shaking himself of excess minerals like a wet dog, Piplup then faced Chimchar with a more exhausted, groggy demeanor. Chimchar, coincidently, seemed to be experiencing similar fatigue due to his injuries.

“Chim… char…” Chimchar weakly breathed out as he held a hand over his knee. His tuft of orange hair drooped ever so slightly whilst resting in place.

“Piplup… pip…” Piplup whimpered with a half-way hunched over back. Their auras became less evidently pronounced, fading away as any temporary power-up would in time.

“Weird. It looks like lower-leveled Pokémon can’t handle the excess stress and pressure caused by ki usage.” Goku attentively inferred from Chimchar’s body language. Seeing that Chimchar’s health bar was falling 1 point after the other, he narrowed his eyes in preparation to land one last attack.

“There’s not much time left. If I want to win against Kakarot, I’ll need to end this right here and now. That damned bird better not mess it up.” Vegeta seriously presumed with ground teeth. Remembering that Chimchar’s attack was lowered before, he tentatively hoped that Piplup’s slightly higher Attack would work out in his favor.

“This is the coup de grâce, Kakarot. It’d be a shame if your little ape faltered at the last second.” Vegeta chuckled impulsively with a determined point at Goku. Goku smiled, crossing his arms in acceptance of Vegeta’s boastful challenge.

“Same goes for you and Piplup, Vegeta. Let’s make this final gambit a big one, alright?” Goku requested excitedly.

“Feh. Who do you take me for, Kakarot?” Vegeta replied in a playful scoff. Dawn darted her eyes from Vegeta and Goku, sensing their heightened adrenaline and indomitable fighting spirit.

“Is it just me or are those two taking this waaaay too seriously?” Dawn whispered over to Barry in amusement. The mention of such an extreme term like ‘coup de grâce’ proved that sentiment to be true in a way.

“Does it matter?! This is probably the coolest Pokémon battle I’ve seen in forever! Reminds me of one of my dad’s battles, honestly.” Barry commended pleasurably.

“Tur Tur!” Turtwig agreed with a wide, goofy grin.

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far…” Dawn eased Barry’s hype, knowing full well that Barry’s father, Palmer, was on a whole other level of Pokémon battling efficiency. Her own dad was somewhat similar in that regard, but she honestly couldn’t say for certain after how much time has passed.

With their HP meters at red, Chimchar and Piplup, to their trainer’s equal surprise, gained another sudden boost in power. Chimchar’s white aura of ki metamorphosized into a reddish orange fire and grew considerably larger in terms of size. The flame on its tail additionally became more pronounced, spewing out small embers that converted Sandgem Beach’s sand into minute shards of glass. Piplup experienced nearly the same changes with a light blue aura of condensed liquid. His eyes glowed a startling blue as well.

“Woah. What’s going on, Professor?!” Goku shouted in astounded awe.

“It looks as though Chimchar and Piplup have activated their signature abilities.” Professor Rowan responded with a fervent grin, already expecting such an occurrence to take place. Goku smacked a fist on his palm in remembrance.

“Oh yeah. That’s Blaze and… um… Turnip?” Goku dimly asked with an oblivious expression.

“Torrent, Goku, but close enough. When any starter Pokémon gets weakened in battle, they defensively activate a special ability that strengthens the power of moves imperative of their respective typing and, in rarer circumstances, themselves. In this case, Fire-types like Chimchar have Blaze, Water-types get Torrent, and Grass-types obtain Overgrow. However, some starters have a chance of acquiring Hidden Abilities that buff other aspects regardless of type. Dawn’s Piplup is such an example with her unique ability, Defiant.” Rowan thought it best to explain the mechanisms intuitive of a Pokémon’s abilities.

“Really? Guess I made the right choice then, huh, Piplup?” Dawn asked with a warm smile.

“Pip!” Piplup sassily puffed out of her chest in pride. Dawn giggled at her starter’s confident attitude.

“Okay that’s good to know. Blaze will definitely make this finishing move even more effective!” Goku expressed his gratitude for Blaze’s last second activation. He then looked Chimchar straight in the eye, giving said monkey an encouraging thumbs up.

“Alright, Chimchar. With all the strength you have left, use Scratch one last time!” Goku shared his last command with a swift gesture directed toward Piplup.

“Counter that with Pound again… ergh… Pip-plup? And make it count this time!” Vegeta retorted back, reluctantly saying Piplup’s name for the first time as a morale boost.

“Chim… CHAAAAAR!” Chimchar screamed into the heavens. His eyes glowed a vacant blood red as he prepared to go in for the “kill”. As his fiery aura billowed like a deployed signal flare, Chimchar’s claws were additionally concealed by razor-sharp pillars of white-hot flame.

“Pipipip… PLUUUUUP!” Piplup fiercely charged forward like a speeding cannonball. Torrent’s hydraulic energy lengthened the sharpness of Piplup’s Pound attack, creating a dangerous blade of light blue aura in its place.

“CHAAAAR!” Chimchar roared monstrously, pouncing at Piplup with his clawed hand already wound up.

“PIPPP!” Piplup squawked in battle-hardened anger, preparing to use Pound like an unsheathed blade.

Once the two fully delivered their attacks, Rowan already knew something monumentally dangerous was going to take place.

“Shoot! Take cover, everyone!” The elderly researcher warned. He, Dawn, and Barry immediately ducked for cover in a state of panic, leaving Roseanne behind to her own devices as this battle’s supposed referee.

“Eeeeee! I didn’t sign up for thi—” Roseanne frightfully shrieked while unceremoniously nose-diving toward the sand.

BOOOOOOM! The combination of Chimchar and Piplup’s ki-enhanced attacks resulted in a ginormous implosion of epic proportions. Being a perfect mix of water and fire, hundreds upon thousands of sand particles were practically sent into atmospheric orbit. Some appeared to be either damp or broken pieces of glass depending on the specific move they were affected by in that moment. The resulting explosion was so massive that highspeed winds smacked against the ever-so-observant Mesprit as it blissfully floated above.

“Messsssss!” Mesprit cried in shock, almost losing complete control of its telepathic abilities. To keep its distance away from this makeshift “warzone”, Mesprit quickly teleported to another portion of Sandgem Beach’s skyline.

Within the black smokestack of this elemental bomb, Goku and Vegeta attempted to see where their starters were. They could both sense each Pokémon’s ki signatures, but said presences were faint and unnaturally calmer than before.

“Are we dead?” Barry mumbled as he poked his head out of the sand.

“I think you just answered your own question.” Dawn replied offhandedly with slanted eyes.

Surrounding wind currents blew away the excess smoke to reveal a massive, immeasurably deep crater in the very center of Sandgem Beach. Inside, Chimchar and Piplup stood distractedly frozen in place. While the Fire-type had his hand scratching against Piplup’s face, said Penguin Pokémon managed to jab his sword-like flipper straight into Chimchar’s stomach.

“Chiii…” Chimchar croaked as traces of saliva was spat out of his mouth. Pounded appeared go far deeper than previously expected.

“P-pip… plu—” Piplup winced at the aching pain caused by Chimchar’s Scratch.

The opposite starters then parted their respective appendages from each other’s bodies before simultaneously collapsing onto the floor. Their eyes, once sparkling with life and vitality, were now small black swirls.

“Chimchar!” Goku called concernedly. He hopped into the hole and gently attended to Chimchar’s unconscious form.

“Harrumph.” Vegeta grumbled, speedily jumping into the crater to check on his own Pokémon.

“I-is it over?” Roseanne nervously asked as she turned her head in all directions. She then spotted the crater created by Chimchar and Piplup, causing her brown eyes to considerably widen.

“Sweet Arceus…” Roseanne whispered in amazement. She cautiously tiptoed over to the side, trying to see if were Chimchar and Piplup were still alive after that. Thankfully, Roseanne took notice of the fact that both starters were only fainted, a factor which reminded her that she was considered the referee for this match.

“Oh! Um… b-both Chimchar and Piplup are unable to battle. This battle is a tie!” Roseanne definitively announced with a resound sigh of relief. Vegeta visibly convulsed at this unfortunate revelation.

“What?! A tie? That’s bullshit!” Vegeta fumed angrily.

“Rules are rules. Chimchar and Piplup obviously fainted at the same time.” Roseanne simply replied with little care for Vegeta’s feelings on the matter.

“How do you know?! You were cowering in fear the whole time!” Vegeta insulted with an accusatory point of his finger. Roseanne fixed her glasses and lightly frowned.

“So? I’m Professor Rowan’s assistant. It’s my job to tell when two Pokémon are rendered unconscious after a battle.” Roseanne specified her keen knowledge of a Pokémon behavioral patterns.

“But… ergh!” Vegeta failed to continue their argument.

“Look on the bright side, Vegeta. This way, it’s as if we and our Pokémon both won.” Goku positively attempted to raise Vegeta’s spirits.

“Don’t give me that backwards logic, Kakarot! I demand a rematch!” Vegeta furiously proclaimed with an even greater sense of determination.

“We can do that another time, Vegeta. Healing Chimchar and Piplup is more important right now.” Goku suggested with a hand gesturing to the limp, partially lifeless bodies of Chimchar and Piplup. Vegeta spared a quick glance at Piplup, feeling that was a reasonable course of action for said Penguin Pokémon’s health.

“Tsk. Fine. Don’t assume that you can avoid the inevitable for long, though.” Vegeta temporarily went along with Goku’s idea. In unison, the two then picked up their starters and jumped back to the upper surface of Sandgem Beach. There, Rowan, Roseanne, Dawn, and Barry all caught up with them as one large group.

“I wouldn’t be so glum, Vegeta. Both you and Goku performed quite admirably for first-timers. And it looks as though you’ve already established a growing bond with your starters as Goku rightfully assumed.” Professor Rowan applauded Goku and Vegeta for their skills as trainers despite all the damage they inadvertently caused.

“Eh it was nothing, Professor. I saw a lot of myself in Chimchar, anyway.” Goku modestly downplayed his performance with a care-free shrug.

“Whatever. It’s not as if this Pokémon thing is even that difficult to begin with.” Vegeta said with no sense of achievement. Professor Rowan shook his head in denial of Vegeta’s baseless claim.

“That’s where you’d be wrong. Like I’ve already explained, this version of Earth is fairly impressive in size. All across the globe, from region to region, there are countless trainers that have mastered the complex craft of Pokémon battling and used it to achieve great things in life. From capturing Legendary Pokémon to dissolving evil organizations designed to achieve world domination, there are those that you two, Barry and Dawn included, have yet to surpass. ‘Yet’ is the key word here, so don’t be discouraged.” Professor Rowan recalled the existence of this world’s greatest Pokémon trainers and Pokémon in general.

“Wow. There’s really that many strong trainers out there?” Goku whistled in curiosity what immense wonders this universe had to offer.

“Yes, Goku. With millions of Pokémon species out there, there’s probably twice as many, if not more trainers. Many of which you’ll most likely be meeting on your journey throughout Sinnoh, especially this region’s Gym Leaders.” Professor Rowan informed Goku and Vegeta about the Sinnoh region’s potential inhabitants.

“Gym Leaders? Who are they?” Goku blankly inquired, thinking of some fat, middle-aged gym teacher that might have been at Gohan’s high school once.

“That is a question I’ll answer once we get back to the lab. There, Roseanne shall heal Piplup and Chimchar to make certain they’re back in tip-top shape. I might be able to start working on the repairs for your Dragon Radar as well.” Professor Rowan offered hospitably.

“Ok. Makes sense. So… um… how do you work this Poké Ball do-hickey anyway? Don’t Chimchar and Piplup need to be sent back into them to be healed?” Goku wished to know, repetitiously tapping on the Poké Ball’s white button to see what would happen.

“Precisely right, Goku. All you need to do is stick out Chimchar’s Poké Ball and say “Return!”. You do the same, Vegeta.” Professor Rowan advised helpfully. Goku nodded in semi-understanding with a small smile.

“Alright. I guess that’s simple enough.” Goku stated passively. The Saiyan duo then placed their closed Poké Balls in front Chimchar and Piplup as instructed.

“”Return!”” Goku and Vegeta shouted. Both Poké Ball’s then shot out thin, red beams of pure static electricity. They hit Chimchar and Piplup, successfully converting said Pokémon’s bodies into light of the same color. Afterwards, the two were sucked back into their Poké Balls and dissipated into nothingness.

“What a strange device…” Vegeta murmured suspiciously. He closely examined the handheld sphere’s design, wondering what was done to digitize clearly living beings like Pokémon.

“Really makes you wonder how Bulma’s dad got the Hoi Poi Capsules to work in the first place.” Goku pondered to himself before sticking the Poké Ball back into his gi’s spare pocket.

“Come along, everyone. After one more meeting at my laboratory, your life-long journey as Pokémon Trainers will officially begin.” Professor Rowan signaled for everyone to follow him again. Barry, only bothering to hear the words ‘journey’ and ‘Pokémon Trainers’, immediately scooped up Turtwig and smiled in relentless excitement.

“Then what are we waiting for?! Let’s go!” Barry yelled impatiently. He then sprinted at unrealistically fast speeds, leaving an elongated trail of smoke that showcased his path. An awkward silence then permeated across the air before Roseanne silently deadpanned.

“He doesn’t remember where it is, does he?” Roseanne blandly stated in realization. Dawn facepalmed in disappointment and lightly nodded.

“That’s Barry for you. Running headfirst into places and situations he has no clue about is practically his specialty.” Dawn sighed with a strained smile.

The others then prepared to depart Sandgem Beach with Vegeta silently trailing on ahead. Goku, however, turned his attention to Professor Rowan with an apologetic grin.

“Sorry about all the damages, Professor Rowan. We probably should have been more careful hehe.” Goku expressed his guilt for causing so much damage to Sandgem Beach and its surrounding forest. Rowan was momentarily stunned by Goku’s full acceptance of this partial carnage, but fatherly chuckled in the next moment.

“Apology accepted, lad. We’ll figure out some way to fix everything, I assure you.” Professor Rowan forgave Goku for this situation. He then sternly gazed at Roseanne, giving her the signal to do what she needed to do once Goku and the rest finally departed.

“Why me?” Roseanne whimpered miserably as her worst fears suddenly came true. Grumbling over all the “yardwork” she’d need to perform in the next few days, she slowly shuffled toward the exit alongside a more poised Professor Rowan. However, strangely enough, Dawn and her Piplup seemed to stay behind for an unexplained reason.

“Is there something on your mind, Dawn?” Goku asked in confusion with an innocent tilt of his head. Dawn, not wanting to worry him at all, just smiled and gave him the go ahead to move on without her.

“I’m alright, Goku. I was just thinking about something, that’s all. I’ll catch up with you guys in a little bit.” Dawn kindly assured the Saiyan adult turned child. Goku stroked his cheek for a moment or two before shrugging both shoulders.

“Uh… Okay. See ya back at the lab then!” Goku said before departing to rendezvous with the others.

After waving, Dawn’s expression turned more stern and contemplative. Her slate gray locks gently blew in the wind as she perused the resulting aftermath of Goku and Vegeta’s recent battle.

“Goku and Vegeta are really powerful, aren’t they, Piplup?” Dawn wistfully confessed in amazement.

“Pip pip.” Piplup wholeheartedly agreed in fond remembrance of the bravery Vegeta’s Piplup managed to showcase.

Dawn took a small step forward, closely examining the deep hole where Chimchar and Piplup fought each other. She squinted her gray eyes, thinking over the most prominent effects of Goku and Vegeta’s ki transferring technique.

“If only a small glimpse of their ki was strong enough to produce a crater this size, there’s no telling how much power they truly possess. Vegeta did say that yellow ball from before was created with not even 1% of his maximum strength, so…” Dawn closely calculated the absolutely devastating properties of said two Saiyans’ ki.

“…what could happen if a fully evolved Pokémon in their possession or care shared that immense power? Or even, Arceus forbid, a Legendary like the Giratina they encountered? I don’t even think the Elite Four could stand up against that much destructive force, let alone Sinnoh’s current champion, Cynthia.” The 13-year-old girl shivered at the horrifying prospect of Giratina utilizing Goku and Vegeta’s complete mastery over ki. Since the aforementioned aliens were already preoccupied with their inevitable search for the Dragon Balls, a promising idea began to circle inside her head.

“Maybe… they could… no Goku and Vegeta are not going to be here for long. It’d be a waste of both our times… or would it?” Dawn began to doubt the probability of such a thought taking place. However, its greater perks could not be denied.

“I promised Mom that I’d become a great Pokémon Trainer and Coordinator someday. Goku and Vegeta’s prior skill as highly talented fighters in their own universe just might be my one-way ticket to achieving that goal.” Dawn recalled the hefty promise she swore to keep. Images of Joanna appeared inside of her subconscious mind, causing the young trainer to brightly smile in happiness. Alongside the Berlitz matriarch, an image of her long departed, yet insanely busy father appeared as well.

“If I convince Goku… and maybe Vegeta… to train me in some way, stacking up to Dad as a viable battler might not be so impossible after all.” Dawn already presumed from Goku’s attentive handling of his Chimchar. She then closed both eyes, holding a hand over her heart in deep contemplation.

“I’ve come to a decision, Piplup…” Dawn passionately whispered to her starter. She slowly opened her eyes, sporting a newfound look of confidence and determination to succeed.

“Pip?” Piplup cheeped, tilting her head to the side in curiosity.

“The two of us are going to join Goku and Vegeta on their journey to search for the Dragon Balls.” Dawn declared authoritatively with a finger pointed toward the distant horizon. Piplup gasped at this idea, but immediately nodded in resolved agreement.

Dawn took one last, hopeful look at the distant sun before exiting Sandgem Beach with Piplup in toe. Goku and Vegeta, whether they knew it or not, now had an even more complicated journey ahead of them than they initially expected.

Chapter Text

An uncomfortable silence began to preside once the Pilaf Gang followed Cyrus and Sird into the elevator. All three interdimensional travelers broke into a cold, nervous sweat, trying their best not to share direct eye contact with either Team Galactic commander. This was particularly difficult in the case of Sird, the terrifying woman who was glaring daggers at them and their Four-Star Ball. Cyrus, on the other hand, contemplatively stared into space, his blue eyes sporting their usual look of lax indifference. Sird then cleared her throat and calculatingly examined Emperor Pilaf from head to toe.

“So, what is the significance behind this Dragon Ball’s name anyway?” Sird questioned curiously as she leaned her back against the elevator walls. Emperor Pilaf shivered at the coldness of her voice, pleadingly looking toward Mai and Shu for assistance. Unfortunately for him, Mai and Shu were too stricken by fear to add any sort of comfort.

“Erm… uh… there are seven Dragon Balls in total to collect. Once they are gathered together, a green dragon with deer antlers known as Shenron comes to…to…” Emperor Pilaf hesitantly explained the Dragon Balls’ functionality. Sird narrowed her eyes, noticing Pilaf’s lack of enthusiasm in his answer.

“Comes to what, Pilaf? Spit it out before one my Persian comes out to play again.” Sird coldly threatened while motioning to the four Poké Balls attached to her waist. Not wanting to be ripped limb from limb by said super-powered cougar, Pilaf frantically thought over his words.

“Alright, alright! He comes to grant three wishes of any person who summons him!” Pilaf exasperatedly revealed. This new piece of information caused Sird and Cyrus to collectively widen their eyes with interest. Cyrus stroked his chin and intriguingly looked down at the Four-Star Ball in Pilaf’s hands.

“A wish-granting dragon, you say? Interesting. In that sense, these Dragon Balls seem to be a perfect amalgamation of both Rayquaza and Jirachi. How very interesting indeed…” Cyrus presumed, connecting the Dragon Balls’ existence to two of the Hoenn region’s most powerful Legendary Pokémon. Never hearing of such odd-sounding names, The Pilaf Gang shared puzzled looks with one another.

“I have no clue what this guy is talking about. Grrgh! Being in another universe is such a nuisance, especially this one!” Pilaf mentally ranted in a low growl. However, after thinking back to some of the bizarre, practically world-ending anomalies native to Universe 7, this world didn’t seem all that much different in terms of sheer peculiarity.

“Then again, ours wasn’t much of a paradise either.” Pilaf relinquished his previous transgression. Sird, now fully onboard with acquiring the Dragon Balls for her and Team Galactic’s own gain, evilly smirked.

“These Dragon Balls may be exactly what we need, Cyrus. Unless, of course, there are some limitations or side-effects involved with using them?” Sird questioningly demanded. In regards to the Dragon Balls’ limits, Mai thought of the most prominent one.

“T-There’s…erm… a few, actually. After all three wishes are fulfilled, Shenron will disappear and scatter each Dragon Ball across the globe. They’ll then be reverted to stone for about a year and won’t be tracked by the Dragon Radar until that same year is over.” Mai emphasized the limited time frame from which Shenron could appear. She pointed to the Dragon Radar tucked in between Pilaf’s arm to further enforce her point.

“I see. Hmph I suppose that won’t be an issue if and inevitably when the new universe is created.” Sird confidently denounced the Dragon Balls’ eventual deactivation as a major issue. The entire Pilaf Gang quizzically examined her in unison.

“If you say so, lady.” Shu deadpanned with a tentative shrug. Sird’s expression immediately darkened in response to Shu disrespectfully calling her “lady”.

“That’s Commander Sird to you, dog.” Sird glowered angrily. Fearing that Sird would personally lash out at him, Shu stood up straight and saluted her as a sign of loyalty.

“S-Sorry, Commander Sird, ma’am!” Shu tensely shouted. His entire body was rendered completely stiff, including his tail.

“Mmm that’s better.” Sird pleasantly relished in Shu’s discomfort. “Now then, anything else we should know?”

As Shu relaxed his shoulders and blew out a quiet sigh of relief, Emperor Pilaf was uncertain of which Dragon Ball-related information he should disclose. He didn’t want to repeat the countless mistakes of his prior “alliances”, but in that moment, it was increasingly difficult to do so. Like before, the lives of him and his faithful subordinates were being jeopardized.

“Should I tell them? If they discover that Goku and his… terrifying friend are far older than they look, they’ll grow even more suspicious of us and try to gauge their true strength in combat. Even we don’t know how powerful those muscle-headed freaks could be!” Emperor Pilaf frightfully guessed, gulping down a lump of saliva building up in his throat. He grit his teeth and looked over the other flaws Shenron secretly possessed.

“It also doesn’t help that Shenron can only grant wishes which fall under his own level of strength. Meaning, that universe ending nonsense automatically goes straight out the window!” he continued, criticizing the scope of Team Galactic’s plans. His bloodshot eyes darted toward the black and yellow sphere Cyrus’s Houndoom was currently sealed in.

“Damnit! What should I do?! If I lie about the Dragon Balls having two wishes left, we’ll most likely be in that fire breathing hellhound’s stomach in no more than a week’s time. But, if I don’t, their use for us will dry up just as fast. What do I do?!” Pilaf contemplatively groaned, trying to form a fast compromise between the two bad ideas. He tightly clenched his hand over the Dragon Radar before becoming courageous enough to respond.

“Uhhhhh well…” Pilaf stammered whilst stroking the side of his face. All of a sudden, the elevator doors opened, directly leading to Team Galactic’s central laboratory.

“Save it. We’ve arrived.” Cyrus blandly announced. Hands still neatly crossed behind his back, Cyrus, alongside Sird, marched into the facility.

“Thank Kami!” Emperor Pilaf exhaustedly gasped under his breath. Breathing in and out, he looked at the ceiling and prayed in a disingenuous manner.

“Are you alright, sire?” Mai asked her leader in concern.

“Yes, I’m fine, Mai. Just let go of me and follow my lead!” Pilaf hissed, grumbling incoherently as he trailed behind Cyrus. Mai placed both hands on her hips and huffed in minor offense.

“Well, excuse me for caring.” Mai sarcastically replied.

As the Pilaf Gang walked in, they were amazed by the laboratory’s impressive size. It was a white, two-story chamber with various computers amassed along its four walls. Like in the main control room, Team Galactic Grunts furiously typed away on the internet for the purpose of research-based assistance. The lab’s center, on the other hand, was primarily inhabited by cylindrical glass tubes. Strangely enough, all three of them were being generated energy through a main supercomputer of some kind. Said piece of technology, while indeed brimming with life, was being meticulously examined by an elderly scientist. He had mauve-colored hair with four spikes, two of which curved outward atop the ears and two other that overlapped his forehead. The scientist also possessed cold, brown eyes that were partially covered by red, circular sunglasses. To top it all off, he wore a white lab coat over the typical gray-black Team Galactic uniform. Next to him, looking bored beyond belief, was a young, beautiful woman with short, red hair and eyes of the same color. Her uniform was fairly reminiscent of Sird’s, sporting a skintight bodysuit that accentuated her breasts and long legs. In contrast to her fellow commander, however, her dress was more of a circular, white miniskirt that didn’t conceal much of the waist down. She inhabited long knee-length boots as well.

“How can you afford this many computers and technology?! It must have cost a fortune.” Shu inquired amazedly, starting to think Cyrus rivaled Emperor Pilaf himself in terms of technological advancement and capacity.

“Let’s just say I have my own… connections of sorts. I’ve personally made it so Team Galactic has developed a more global-scale influence, after all.” Cyrus cryptically justified the wealth and advancement of his organization. Weirded out by this eerily phrased answer, Shu shook his head and moved on with the conversation regardless.

“Wow. You must be pretty loaded yourself then.” Shu astutely inferred. “How large is this world anyway?”

“Oh, it’s quite massive. As of today, thousands upon millions of Pokémon species have been classified amongst each region. In Sinnoh alone, the landmass you three and those kids have inadvertently arrived, there are approximately 107 native species and an additional 386 migrated from others. Some of which can be considered capable of… unfathomable power and intellect.” Cyrus passionately informed with a small grin. Pilaf, Mai, and Shu were left agape by this massive number of strange creatures. Were all of them capable of using the same abilities as Cyrus’s Houndoom and Sird’s Persian?

“493 total species?! I wonder if that evil-looking monster was one of them.” Pilaf pondered to himself, shivering in recollection of Giratina’s so-called bat-like wings and immense size.

“Yes, this world truly is a sight to behold. Even in today’s age, there are still species yet to be discovered, lands yet to be explored, and so much more than us sapient beings can truly comprehend. The existence of your universe and many others is proof enough of that fact.” Cyrus wistfully exclaimed. He then stopped to angrily glare at the ceiling.

“It’s a shame, really, that such potential for perfection had to be so needlessly squandered…” Cyrus whispered in self-evident disappointment. The look of cold hopelessness in the 27-year-old’s blue eyes was enough for Emperor Pilaf to immediately regret being transported here.

“It’s official. This weirdo definitely has some issues he needs to sort out.” Emperor Pilaf grunted with a disgusted shake of his head. Unfortunately for him, Team Galactic’s assistance was their only way of navigating this foreign version of Earth.

“But, enough questions. Since we’ve arrived at our destination, I’ll be needing that Dragon Ball and radar, Pilaf.” Cyrus addressed, patiently holding out his hand. Pilaf grimaced and protectively hovered an arm over his so-called “property”.

“Why? Can’t I just hand them to the scientist guy myself?” Pilaf expressed his reluctance to comply with Cyrus’s orders. Cyrus dangerously scowled at the blue-skinned royal’s direct display of defiance.

“That wasn’t a request. Give them to me.” Cyrus monotonously commanded. Cyrus’s profuse, nightmare-inducing glare caused Pilaf to reluctantly loosen his hold on the two items.

“Fine, fine. Here!” Emperor Pilaf snapped, shoving the radar and orb in Cyrus’s pale hands. The leader of Team Galactic gently held onto them, expressing his gratitude with a slow nod.

“Much obliged, Emperor. As promised, I’ll give them back once Professor Pluto properly examines them.” Cyrus assured the on-edge Pilaf Gang of his intentions. Emperor Pilaf rolled his eyes and folded one arm over the other.

“Right. Sure you will.” Pilaf sarcastically trusted Cyrus’s word. Not caring in the least about Pilaf’s unruly attitude, Cyrus approached his other two commanders without another word.

“I would suggest minding your attitude around Cyrus, brat. He’s capable of much more than just saying blind threats.” Sird maliciously warned Pilaf of Cyrus’s ruthless nature.

“Greetings, Mars and Charon.” Cyrus made himself known. Charon casually turned around to greet his leader while Mars sported a look of lovestruck happiness.

“Ah, Cyrus and Sird. Your arrival here is most unexpected, yet not very intrusive at the same time.” Charon sniggered pleasurably. Mars speedily bowed to the floor, basking in Cyrus’s glorious presence.

“Master Cyrus, sir! You’re back!” Mars gasped delightedly with a close-eyed smile. Realizing the awkwardness of her enthusiasm, the young commander attempted to calm herself down.

“Err… I mean… are you doing well?” Mars hesitantly asked with a faint tinge of red in her cheeks.

“Better than usual. I appreciate your consideration, Mars.” Cyrus replied in typical disinterest. Sird haughtily looked down upon Mars’s timid nature with a red-lipped smirk.

“I’m impressed, Mars. Loyal and considerate too? How surprising for you.” Sird mocked her fellow commander’s fangirlish loyalty to Cyrus.

“Whatever, Sird. I’m only giving Cyrus the respect he deserves for forming this organization… unlike you.” Mars snorted disrespectfully as she got off the floor. Sird frowned at Mars’s retort in building anger.

“Care to repeat that? I hope you realize I’m still your superior officer.” Sird reminded Mars challengingly. The Pilaf Gang viewed this argument in relative silence, having no idea what was happening right then.

“Tsk. As if. I bet you just love having superior in your title, huh?” scoffed Mars as she crossed both arms underneath her chest. As lightning bolts began to clash between their respective glares, Cyrus swiftly regained control of the conversation at hand.

“Enough, ladies. Don’t forget that we have guests to introduce.” Cyrus calmed both high-ranking trainers. Mars blinked a few times, looking around the entire laboratory to see who Cyrus was referring to.

“What kind of guests, Master Cyrus?” Mars curiously asked. Without speaking, Cyrus gestured toward all three members of the Pilaf Gang. Pilaf’s elven ears and blue skin automatically caught her off-guard.

“Huh? Is that a Shiny Impidimp with clothes on? I thought they were only indigenous to the Galar region.” Mars pointed out in befuddlement. In response to being called such a ridiculous name, Pilaf’s temper began to steadily boil.

“I-Impiwha? How dare you?! I’m the great Emperor Pilaf, you redheaded bi—” Before his furious rant could even start, Pilaf’s mouth was suddenly up covered by Mai and Shu. They didn’t want a repeat of the Persian incident.

“Ahem sorry about that, miss. The boss doesn’t like being made fun of for his appearance.” Shu apologized in a half-hearted chuckle.

“Or for the fact that he’s short either.” Mai added with a raised finger. Pilaf kept yelling through their hands, coming out as loud muffles.

“Am I missing something? That dog in a ninja suit just talked too!” Mars confusedly stuttered in disbelief.

“A talking Pokémon, you say? I might need to conduct some experiments on you. Hehehe.” Charon chuckled maniacally whilst pulling out a sedative needle from his back pocket. Having terrible memories of the veterinarian, Shu whined and hid fearfully behind Emperor Pilaf.

“Gah! For the last time, I’m not a stupid Pokémon!” Shu yelled defensively, pulling out his now non-existent katana.

“Oh? Then what, if may ask, are you then?” Charon questioned with an even greater amount of intrigue. That was where Cyrus stepped in, attentively picking up where he left off.

“That’s what I was attempting to explain, Charon. You see, these three… well, peculiar children are extraterrestrial visitors from another version of Earth. In other words, their home is a universe entirely separate from this one.” described the leader of Team Galactic. He directly gestured to said trio, all of them being visibly irked by his description of them as “peculiar children”.

“Are you serious?! How did they arrive here?” Mars queried in shock.

“I’m not entirely certain myself. They appeared to have fallen out of a shadowy rift in the space-time continuum and somehow landed here. Apparently, they weren’t alone either.” Cyrus truthfully summarized the circumstances behind Emperor Pilaf, Mai, and Shu’s emergence in the Pokémon world.

“What do you mean?” Charon questioningly sought after more details about the event in question.

“When I was examining Mesprit at Lake Verity, two boys also arrived here from the same portal. The two had abnormally spiky, black hair and transmitted some type of invisible aura nearby Pokémon, including the reclusive Mesprit, were drawn to. I theorize that this same energy, despite my uncertainty of what it actually is, called upon another Legendary Pokémon to create those same portals.” Cyrus listed the supernatural abilities Goku and Vegeta seemed to possess.

“Well, if it’s a rip in space-time like you’ve assumed, is there a chance this hypothetical Pokémon could be either Dialga or Palkia? Or potentially even a creature from beyond the foreseeable reaches of Ultra Space?” Charon wondered off the top of his head, recalling the Aether Foundation’s recent studies of interdimensional life. Cyrus nodded in support of this concept.

“It could be, yes. If not, there’s a likelier chance that it is a Pokémon closely tied with those two. A third member of a trio, much like Rayquaza’s role as a peacekeeper between Groudon and Kyogre. There are three Lake Guardians that respectively control emotion, willpower, and knowledge, so who’s to say that time and space don’t have a third equivalent to be balanced out as well?” Cyrus hypothesized the existence of another entity that could rival Dialga and Palkia in terms of indomitable power.

“It’s a plausible theory, so I can’t argue against it. There’s always that old legend about Giratina to acknowledge, if you recall.” Sird pointed out the Renegade Pokémon’s supposed prevalence in Sinnoh mythology.

“I thought Giratina was only a myth? You know, to scare kids and such?” Mars thought over Giratina’s near-cryptozoological status.

“Even myths hold some sort of truth or deeper meaning, Mars. In a similar case to Kanto’s only Mythical Pokémon, Mew, Giratina may disappear and reappear instantaneously. Maybe those portals are projected from it as a failed attempt to leave some type of void in between universes. That’s how it was able to visit theirs. But, the main question, as with many universal concepts, is why? Why did Giratina intermingle with the lives of a dimension alien to its own?” Cyrus logically detailed Giratina’s thought process when entering Universe 7. Not exactly following this makeshift debate, Pilaf vividly remembered Giratina attacking Shenron in a fit of blind rage.

“Are you guys talking about the dragon thing with black and red wings? Cause I think it might have been annoyed by the Dragon Balls’ activating or something.” Emperor Pilaf accounted from witnessing Giratina’s arrival firsthand.

“That’s why it tried to eat us earlier?! Man, we really do have the worst luck imaginable.” Mai sighed glumly, shaking her head in remembrance of how close they were to achieving their goals.

“Dragon Balls?” Mars deadpanned with a minor look of repulsion. Amongst hundreds of weird Pokémon names she’s heard, Dragon Balls were still pretty strange.

“You actually saw Giratina up close?!” Charon choked out in disbelief.

“That’s the main topic I was meaning to discuss with you, Charon. From what they’ve told me, the Dragon Balls are seven uniquely classified orbs that, when gathered together, will summon a serpentine dragon known as Shenron. This Shenron can grant three wishes to anyone fortunate enough to summon him.” Cyrus restated the Pilaf Gang’s initial explanation, holding up the Four-Star Ball, so Charon and Mars could properly examine its features.

“Three wishes?! That could prove useful in more ways than one.” Mars uttered in pleasant awe. Her cheeks began to faintly blush in recollection of her own personal wishes.

“My sentiments exactly, Mars. Unfortunately, once all three wishes are used up, the Dragon Balls turn to stone and scatter once more. A year will need to pass until they can be used a second time.” Cyrus identified the Dragon Balls’ most crucial setback.

“Hmmm while I’m not one to be interested in studying magic, this Dragon Ball does interest me quite a bit. But, what help would I bring in locating the others?” Charon doubted that he would be much help in making the Dragon Ball expedition easier to handle. Figuring he would say this from the get go, Cyrus fully showcased Emperor Pilaf’s copy of the Dragon Radar.

“Care to elaborate on how this machine works, Pilaf?” Cyrus calmly asked the blue-skinned midget. Pilaf looked from Mai to Shu with a passive glance.

“Do I have a choice?” Pilaf sighed in dismay.

“No. You don’t.” Cyrus honestly replied with no subtle change in emotion.

“Thought so. Alright, the Dragon Radar, as its name implies, is a portable device that can detect the energy signature of a Dragon Ball. Just press the button on top and it should work.” Pilaf begrudgingly instructed. Cyrus did as Pilaf recommended and pressed his thumb down on the radar’s button, causing a yellow dot to appear on its green map. As promised, the location marked on this map was proven to be Mt. Coronet by Charon himself.

“Fascinating. In spite of being such a small device, it can perfectly display a full map of the entire globe! Might I ask who invented this contraption?!” Charon marveled at the Dragon Radar’s technological intricacy. Pilaf shrugged absentmindedly, inwardly grumbling at the thought of his former captive.

“Some woman named Bulma Brief. She’s the heir to a company from my universe called Capsule Corp and one of the black-haired kids’ girlfriends. The intimidating one with the widow’s peak to be specific.” Pilaf unveiled the Dragon Radar’s humble beginnings. Cyrus gave Charon the Dragon Radar, so said scientist could completely analyze its features.

“A single woman created this; you say?! That’s even more impressive to hear.” Charon commended Bulma’s genius intellect.

“Eh, I wouldn’t go that far. Such a small invention was easily replicated by the maniacal genius that is I, Emperor Pilaf! MWAHAHAHA!” Emperor Pilaf burst into crazed, maniacal laughter in split second timing. Everyone blankly stared at the laughing Pilaf, including his own subordinates and the Team Galactic Grunts typing on their keyboards. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Pilaf began to loudly cough.

“Ahem, sorry. Force of habit.” Emperor Pilaf briskly apologized. “You do see my point, though, right? I’m certain a fellow evil scientist like you could do the same.”

“Well, of course. It’s impressive, but not impossible to copy. Is that what you are aiming to accomplish here, Cyrus?” Charon rightfully assumed as he looked over the Dragon Radar’s exterior design from back-to-front.

“Correct as usual, Professor Pluto. In order fit the Dragon Ball expedition with our pre-established list of plans, I’m hoping to give all existing commanders a Dragon Radar of their own.” Cyrus proposed his idea for tracking down the Dragon Balls at a quick, steady pace. Hearing the reference to all commanders of Team Galactic, Mars quickly grew distressed for some reason.

“Does that—”

“And yes, Mars. That includes Mercury as well.” Cyrus lowly droned in response.

“Oh. Great…” Mars groaned, depressively slumping her shoulders at the mere mention of Commander Mercury. If there was one thing Mercury was better at than being quick and resourceful, it was being an insufferable womanizer, especially towards her.

“That’s seem like a good idea, honestly. Back in that Giratina thing’s home, we caught a glimpse of the other six Dragon Balls being sucked through their own portals. Since Goku and Vegeta went to that lake instead of here, the Dragon Balls could be anywhere for all we know.” Mai saw some merit with Cyrus’s new course of action. Her unwitting identification of the kids’ names also pleased Cyrus in a way.

“Goku and Vegeta are their names, hmm? Good to know.” Cyrus made a mental note of what his potential adversaries were called.

“I see. The Sinnoh region is fairly massive compared to most others, so hopefully, the Dragon Balls were only scattered within or near its borders.” Cyrus assessed the Dragon Balls’ location from past conjecture. Considering this information, Charon lazily pulled out a deactivated Ultra Ball.

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to take a crack at it then. Come on out, Porygon-Z.” Charon called out, pressing the ball’s button and opening its topmost yellow-black half. Being unleashed through a large, all-encompassing beam of light, the strange Pokémon known as Porygon-Z appeared.

“Quackawipipi!” The Normal-type cried out in a repetitive series of beeping noises. It was an oval-shaped organism with a red body and head. Porygon-Z also possessed a light blue beak, wings, and a tail that coiled around itself in the shape of a similarly colored ring. Additionally, it sported a short, antenna-shaped appendage on top of its head and black-yellow eyes physically reminiscent of a bullseye or target. Most interesting of all was the fact that Porygon-Z’s head was fully detached from its body and practically defied gravity.

“Is… Is that a Space Duck? Guess they do exist after all.” Emperor Pilafs commented on Porygon-Z’s weirdly avian appearance. Said Pokémon twitched about, patiently waiting for its creat…erm “trainer’s” command.

“Use Lock-On to view this device’s schematics.” Charon ordered the previously identified Virtual Pokémon. He set the Dragon Radar on a table and allowed for Porygon-Z to work its magic. Upon command, said man-made creature’s eyes glowed a bright yellow and converted themselves into the crosshairs of a sniper rifle.

“Poryipipi!” Porygon-Z screeched loudly. The crosshairs produced from Porygon-Z’s Lock-On moved around the radar, projecting three-dimensional holograms of its various parts and inner power sources. Charon closely followed along, beginning to become more familiar with the Dragon Radar’s basic makeup. Once all of the radar’s machinations were revealed in close, proximate detail, Charon nodded in acknowledgement of his Pokémon’s helpful assistance.

“That’s good enough, Porygon-Z. You may return now.” Charon gruffly ordered. He stuck the Ultra Ball in front of his Pokémon, shooting out a beam of red electricity as per usual.

“Poryeep.” Porygon-Z chirped happily before being transmitted back into its Ultra Ball. Sticking the ball back in his pocket, Charon photographically memorized Porygon-Z’s holographic displays through viewing the Dragon Radar again.

“Alright, I believe I’ve gotten the gist of this little machine. Creating duplicates may take about a week or so to complete. That is, if I obtain the proper supplies beforehand.” Charon approximated how long would take to perfectly replicate the Dragon Radar.

“That’s a reasonable enough time as any, Charon. We should be gaining another shipment of technology from Grings Kodai in the next coming days, so until then, make use of what we have.” Cyrus fairly instructed his head scientist.

“Will do, Cyrus.” Charon responded with a short chuckle. He then adjusted his red spectacles and smirked at the Four-Star Ball.

“Ugh. That Kodai guy gives me the creeps. Are you sure it’s wise to trust him, Master Cyrus?” Mars disgustedly winced at the mere mention of Unovan billionaire Grings Kodai.

“I agree that he may be eccentric, but Kodai has proven his own worth to Team Galactic in the past. You can’t deny that, in the grand scheme of things, he is quite a resourceful, financially wealthy businessman.” Cyrus praised Kodai’s help in supplying Team Galactic with top quality machinery and airships. His affinity with producing life-like holograms also proved to be helpful.

“Yeah, almost too resourceful if you ask me.” Mars grumbled, feeling suspicious of Kodai’s accurate predictions about the stock market and sporting events like the Pokémon Baccer World Cup. At points, it seemed as if he could literally see into the future for some unexplained reason.

“Those trust issues aren’t going to do you any favors in the long run, Mars. Cyrus himself is only part of this organization, not the entire whole. As a commander, you should have realized that by now.” Sird criticized Mars’s lack of trust toward anyone, but Cyrus. Mars hesitated, rarely interpreting Team Galactic from that viewpoint before.

“Sird is correct, Mars. We are all here to achieve a shared goal. Working as one collective hivemind is the central key to making that goal go as previously planned. This includes external sources of assistance that are there for Team Galactic’s own benefit and advantage. Understand that?” Cyrus manipulatively chastised Mars. Mars took a shaky, deep breath, fully realizing the error of her ways.

“Y-Yes, Master Cyrus. I’m sorry for my insolence.” Mars devotedly bade her leader’s forgiveness. Filing through Cyrus’s words, Mai took a hesitant look at Team Galactic’s grunts. All of them, to her sudden realization, were equally as emotionless as Cyrus himself. Each one meticulously performed the same action, not bothering to look away from their monitor for even a second.

“Is that why these guys all look exactly the same, regardless of gender and age? Creepy.” Mai thought in reactionary uneasiness. At first glance, it really did seem like Team Galactic was some sort of religious, world-ending cult. Only this time, Cyrus actually had the probable means, firepower, and, most dangerous of all, Pokémon to see that aspiration through. That sentiment thoroughly began to disturb her.

“We really did drop in on the worst place imaginable. This won’t end well at all…” Mai concernedly thought. She glanced over at Emperor Pilaf and Shu, worrying for their (and, obviously her own) safety in this dangerous, unknown world.

“Now, with that being said, you three will be given the initial task of monitoring those boys, Goku and Vegeta. Since they’ve already come into contact with Professor Kamado Rowan, I assume they’ll be obtaining Pokémon of their own.” Cyrus authoritatively ordered the trio. Charon visibly cringed, his blood boiling at the smallest mention of Professor Rowan.

“Grrgh. I should have known that hack, Rowan, would stick in his bushy moustache in our plans. How annoying…” Charon scornfully insulted Sinnoh’s most famous Pokémon Professor.

“Jealous that someone rivals your intellect, Charon?” Sird mockingly snickered whilst twirling her purple hair around.

“Bah. Please. There’s no question that Rowan is leagues below my own genius. I can invent circles around him!” Charon cockily boasted the massive size of his brain. Meanwhile, the Pilaf Gang were rendered speechless at the prospect of Goku and Vegeta obtaining their own superpowered monsters.

“That Goku brat… with a Pokémon?” Emperor Pilaf whimpered in growing horror. All three pictured a massive dragon-like creature blasting them to smithereens with the aid of Goku’s Kamehameha.

“Hehe we’re so screwed…” Emperor Pilaf hoarsely giggled with a look of pure terror etched on his face.

“What did you say?” Cyrus asked disinterestedly.

“I… uh… said that this plan of yours might be a bit screwed up because of Goku and Vegeta having their own Dragon Radar to use.” Pilaf added explanatorily.

“It works just as well, if not better, than ours too.” Mai meekly contributed to the conversation. Cyrus’s frown ever-so-slightly lengthened, failing to put this possibility into count.

“They do, hmm?” Cyrus muttered scathingly. He closed his eyes, turning away from the Pilaf Gang to formulate a proper countermeasure to this newfound obstacle.

“Very well then. It appears that your first task as Team Galactic operatives has been decided upon.” Cyrus announced, sharing a quick side-glance at the three would-be criminals.

“W-What task is that?” Shu stuttered questioningly. Cyrus dangerously glared at the Pilaf Gang with some form of malicious intent.

“Eliminate their Dragon Radar, no matter the cost. After all I’ve done for to form this team, I won’t allow for two children to stand in my way.” Cyrus commandingly seethed in building fury. Instead of being afraid of Cyrus’s change in mood, the Pilaf Gang couldn’t help, but view his order as laughable.

“Those are some famous last words if I’ve ever heard them. Oh well! What he doesn’t entirely understand, won’t hurt him.” Emperor Pilaf nervously chuckled at Cyrus’s expense, being aware of the fact that combatting Goku and Vegeta’s ki-enhanced abilities was complete suicide. In that particular moment, however, keeping that tidbit a secret was the best option.

“Now, follow me, Sird, and Mars to the elevator. You can select an assortment of Pokémon from our storage facility. Then…” Cyrus advised Emperor Pilaf and his minions. While on board with owning Pokémon equally dangerous as Houndoom, Pilaf still felt uncertain of Cyrus’s exact purpose for doing so.

“““Then what?””” the Pilaf Gang asked in unison. Cyrus, Mars, and Sird approached the elevator doors, leading the unlikely trio to their next destination.

“You’ll start to practice Pokémon battling.” Cyrus responded in the utmost seriousness. Peering at one another with interest, Emperor Pilaf, Mai, and Shu followed the three commanders in hopes of finding out what Pokémon battling precisely meant. All six individuals then squeezed into said elevator and shot down toward the Team Galactic Headquarters’ basement.

After Charon was left alone to tinker with the Dragon Radar and Four-Star Ball, his entire laboratory became relatively quiet. All that could be heard was the typing of male and female Team Galactic Grunts as they soullessly stared into their computer screens. While each of them were practically identical in terms of hair, eye color, and facial features, one particularly stood out from the norm. This female grunt, unbeknownst to the distracted Charon, had a more well-endowed body type and dark blue irises. The inconspicuous woman darted her eyes from left to right, making certain that she wasn’t being watched.

“Dragon Balls and alternate universes, huh? Wait til’ Bongo and Lord Gurumes get a load of this!” She greedily chuckled to herself. Concealing an earpiece underneath her Team Galactic wig, the woman expertly imitated the other grunts and did some research on Sinnoh’s mythological background. Drawn on the small microphone was a black, bat-shaped symbol with yellow eyes.

Back at Professor Rowan’s laboratory, Goku and Vegeta placed their respective Poké Balls in a table-shaped, healing chamber. This machine was designed with six spherical slots to fit each of a trainer’s Pokémon. Whirring to life, a whitish green glow enveloped the Poké Balls containing Chimchar and Piplup until their battle-ridden wounds were fully healed. The black surface then deactivated after a few seconds, allowing Professor Rowan to calmly retrieve both dual-colored capsules.

“There you go, boys. Chimchar and Piplup should be back in relative, working condition.” Professor Rowan kindly told. Once the two Saiyans regained their starter Pokémon, they checked over Chimchar and Piplup’s encyclopedic entries to see if it worked. Their health bars, while also appearing slightly longer for some reason, were now full as promised.

“Wow! Is healing Pokémon usually that fast?” Goku asked in surprise.

“Yes it is, Goku. With the existence of Pokémon Centers in all major towns and cities, any trainer can relax and heal their Pokémon without a required admittance fee. It’s as simple as asking a Nurse Joy for help.” Professor Rowan detailed the conditions of an average Pokémon Center. Confused by the reference to this Nurse Joy as ‘a’, Vegeta also had some issue with a lack of charge for medical aid.

“Doesn’t seem very smart from a business perspective, don’t you think?” Vegeta gruffly questioned with a raise of his eyebrow.

“Fair point, but they maintain financial stability through government funds from the Pokémon Association itself.” Professor Rowan debunked Vegeta’s skeptical assumption. Never thinking of how politics worked in this alternate universe (or, to be truthful, at all), Goku contemplatively placed a hand on his chin.

“What’s the Pokémon Association, Professor?” Goku asked in sudden curiosity.

“Glad you’ve asked, lad. This relates to the Gym Leader question you asked a few minutes ago.” Professor Rowan warmly chuckled. He then cleared his throat and stoically crossed both arms.

“Dawn and Barry might already be aware of this, but the Pokémon Association is an international, governing body that spans all eight regions. From Kanto to Galar, this organization elects a Chairman that is given the task of maintaining peace between people and species of Pokémon native to their designated homeland. This, of course, includes the establishment of annual Pokémon Leagues.” Rowan explained the Pokémon Association’s purpose for existing. Barry, still exhausted from trying to relocate this very same lab, groaned at the implied reference to Association Chairmen.

“My mom says Sinnoh’s current Chairman is a real piece of work.” Barry noted with a bored look on his face. Politics was not something he cared for in the slightest, especially when his mom started ranting about it.

“Eh, it’s too early to tell. She hasn’t been elected for that long.” Dawn fairly acknowledged Chairman Shinra Chiho’s potential to improve. Talks of chairmen and regional governments didn’t ring any sort of bells for the ever-oblivious Goku.

“My version of Earth never really had someone like that. It’s been universally ruled by one ruler, King Furry, for as long as I can remember.” Goku truthfully informed. Dawn and Barry grew weirded out by this fact for slightly different reasons.

“One person ruling an entire planet? That’s something you don’t hear about every day.” Dawn commented in slight fascination. Holding such an important position of power just didn’t seem manageable.

“Furry?! Pffft what kind of name is that?” Barry gleefully laughed aloud.

“Hey, I’d say it’s pretty fitting. He is a talking dog, after all.” Goku pointed out. Barry immediately stopped laughing to stare at Goku in a state of bewilderment.

“Your universe just keeps getting weirder and weirder.” Barry mumbled as he lightly scratched the back of his head.

“Tsk. I’ll never understand how those Earthlings elected a decrepit animal to govern over them in the first place. It almost seems like a bad joke.” Vegeta sighed, shaking his head in temporary recollection of the blue-furred beastman.

“You have to admit he’s done a pretty good job.” Goku giggled back at his fellow Saiyan.

“Whatever you say, Kakarot. Anyways, I’m guessing this League is where those “Gym Leaders” come into play, right?” Vegeta addressed Professor Rowan once more. Rowan slightly nodded in visible confirmation.

“Right you are, Vegeta. See, Gym Leaders are exceptionally talented Pokémon Trainers that serve to challenge newly-licensed ones, much like you two, Dawn, and Barry. They are handpicked by the Chairman him or herself through a short examination of sorts.” Professor Rowan detailed the process of becoming a so-called Gym Leader.

“Once an examinee attains the title of Gym Leader, they will choose to specialize in a single typing that suits them best. For Sinnoh, this includes the Rock-type gym of Oreburgh City, the Grass-type gym of Eterna City, etcetera, etcetera. In total, for every region, there are around eight official Pokémon Gyms to do battle in.” Rowan continued, revealing the single-typing requirement that most Gym Leaders, with the notable exception of one, seem to follow.

“Eight Gym Leaders? Are they strong?” Goku hopefully wondered.

“Well, it all depends, Goku. Based on the order a trainer encounters each Gym, levels will grow in tandem with the amount of experience points their Pokémon are likely to achieve. With increased levels, there comes a more likely chance for advanced battling mechanics and strategy to take place. So, yes, in a way, all of them are strong battlers.” Professor Rowan affirmed Goku’s hopes of a challenging battle for his Chimchar.

“Feh. Don’t get your hopes up, Kakarot. I doubt they’ll be any sort of match for you and me.” Vegeta doubted the Gym Leaders’ skill in comparison with theirs.

“Glad that your modesty is on full display, Vegeta.” Roseanne sarcastically deadpanned from the sidelines. She was in the process of gathering supplies for “cleaning” Sandgem Beach.

“I’m only telling it like it is. You’ve seen what the bird and Kakarot’s monkey were capable of pulling off.” Vegeta matter-of-factly replied. Roseanne shivered in remembrance of the deep crater produced from Chimchar and Piplup’s energy-based clash.

“Can’t argue with you there.” Roseanne weakly muttered, going back to organizing her small toolkit.

“I have no doubt you two will go far in this league, but arrogance isn’t ever the right call. However, if you do win, each victory will be memorialized by an indicative badge. These badges, once all of them are in your possession, can allow for higher-level Pokémon to obey you if captured.” Professor Rowan identified the prize for conquering every single Pokémon Gym.

“Speaking of levels, do you think Chimchar and Piplup obtained some experience from their battle with another?” Goku spared a wondrous glance at Chimchar’s Poké Ball.

“Hmmm good question. Take a look for yourself. I’m certain the usage of your ki helped benefit their progress.” Professor Rowan suggested to the two martial arts. Abiding to the elder’s suggestion, Goku and Vegeta opened up their individual Pokédex once again. Dawn and Barry curiously peeked over Goku’s shoulder, attempting to see how much experience his starter obtained.

“Hmph. It appears Piplup went from Level 5 to Level 9 after our battle.” Vegeta read directly from Piplup’s entry. Professor Rowan was greatly impressed by these fast results.

“Huh, Chimchar did the same. My Pokédex says he learned a Fire-type move called Ember as well.” Goku beamed with a joyful smile. Barry’s jaw loosely hung open, annoyed by the fact that he was now behind Goku and Vegeta in terms of battling experience.

“Four levels already?! Grrrgh that’s not fair!” Barry whined aggravatedly.

“Tur!” Turtwig fully agreed with his trainer.

“Come now, Barry. You’ll get your chance to battle soon, so be patient.” Professor Rowan calmed Barry’s anxiousness. The blonde-haired teen huffed, childishly crossing his arms alongside Turtwig.

“Fine. I’ll wait… I guess.” Barry impatiently grumbled. The aforementioned Tiny Leaf Pokémon rubbed against his pantleg as a sign of comfort.

“Did Piplup learn anything, Vegeta?” Dawn thought it best to ask.

“Yeah, he learned…” Vegeta froze in place to roughly facepalm himself. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

“What is it?” Goku asked, taking a short peak at Vegeta’s Pokédex screen. Vegeta pointed toward Piplup’s current move pool.

“That. What kind of an asinine “move” is Bubble?!” Vegeta uttered in resolute humiliation and anger.

“Hey, it may sound weak, but at least, your Piplup has an actual Water-type move now. That could come in handy with his Torrent ability.” Goku interpreted Bubble from a more positive viewpoint.

“That doesn’t matter! A Pokemon in my possession shouldn’t be… ergh… blowing bubbles. It’s humiliating.” Vegeta grumbled with a tight grimace.

“Well, you either keep complaining about it or wait til a stronger Water-type move comes around. What’s it gonna be, Mr. Royal Pain?” Dawn chastised Vegeta’s unruly behavior. She place both hands on her hips and expectantly glared at him.

“Grrgh. You’re playing with fire, girl. I suggest you back off.” Vegeta lowly snarled back.

“With Goku here, I’d like to see you try.” Dawn smugly challenged Vegeta with a small smirk. Said Saiyan Prince clenched his fists in anger.

“You know, seeing Veggie overreact does calm me down. Hehe.” Barry snickered amusedly. A drop of sweat tricked down Turtwig’s head in response.

“No comments from the damn peanut gallery, Blondie. You’re getting on my last nerve as well.” Vegeta snorted irritably, pointing a finger straight at Barry. Professor Rowan slumped his shoulders in dismay, wondering why the quartet couldn’t just get along for the time being.

“Enough, everyone! We’re almost finished here, so settle down.” Professor Rowan shouted in temporarily lost composure. Hearing his raised voice, the four kids patiently waited for him to continue his introductory lecture.

“That Vegeta’s a ticking time bomb just waiting to blow up. Arceus forbid if he actually loses a battle.” Roseanne thought while straightening her green locks. She hoped that she wasn’t around to experience that frustration-laced tantrum.

“Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Accumulating all eight badges will also grant you access to the Lily of the Valley Conference, a tournament where Pokémon Trainers from all across Sinnoh compete against one another in elimination-style combat. These competitions are usually comparable to a major sporting event in terms of mass popularity.” Professor Rowan pleasantly emphasized the sheer importance of Sinnoh’s Lily of the Valley Conference to its inhabitants. Feeling familiar with this type of setup, Goku could not contain his excitement for eventual battles to come.

“Now, that’s something I can get behind! It reminds me a lot of the World Martial Arts Tournaments I participated in back home!” Goku happily reminisced about the past battle arenas he fought in.

“Martial arts tournaments?! Man, no wonder you’re so strong!” Barry complimented in amazement.

“Well, a lot of other factors contributed to my power, but you’re not wrong. I’m stoked to see if Chimchar can experience similar results!” Goku whooped anticipatedly with a clutch of his one and only Poké Ball.

“That’s not all, Goku.” Professor Rowan continued with his heartfelt explanation. “Winners of the Lily of the Valley Conference are additionally given admittance to battle Sinnoh’s Elite Four. These four trainers, much like the Gym Leaders before them, are absolute masters of a single typing. However, there’s a good reason for them to be called elite. Even the most promising of newcomers have proven no match for their Pokémon battling aptitude.”

“Wow… I wonder if I’ll be able to see those guys in action someday.” Goku whispered in slight awe, trying to picture the type of people this Elite Four could contain.

“You just might, actually. The Elite Four members tend to interact with Sinnoh’s populous for the purpose of maintaining order between them or giving out advice to fledgling battlers. Simply put, their position of authority isn’t limited to participating in tournaments. Even they have a goal to personally strive for.” Professor Rowan elucidated more information about the Elite Four’s shared purpose.

“What kind of goal?” Goku asked with a tilt of his head. Close by, Vegeta attentively listened in.

“Claiming the title of Sinnoh League Champion for themselves.” Professor Rowan seriously revealed the end-all be-all of any trainer’s goal for battling excellence.

“As with every other region, the Champion is Sinnoh’s most powerful trainer. They are typically prodigies in terms of sheer battling prowess and have an unbreakable bond with their chosen team of six Pokémon. It could even be said that they’re in perfect sync with them on the battlefield.” Professor Rowan profiled the credentials involved with being considered a Champion, or Pokémon Master. The aforementioned sync between person and Pokémon seemed to apply with the Saiyans’ recent ki transfer.

“That’s not all. Champions hold power rivaling that of the current Chairman and are usually asked for direct guidance in solving region-wide conflicts. Like the Elite Four, he or she doesn’t stop their journey as a Pokémon Trainer after attaining such a title. This much can be said for our youngest and most current champion, Cynthia Carolina.” Professor Rowan further explored the responsibility a Champion is expected to uphold at all times. Goku grew interested in knowing the type of individual this Cynthia woman was.

“Cynthia, hm? Is she really that good?” Goku absentmindedly questioned. Barry sported a wide, buoyant smile, practically fanboying over Cynthia’s past achievements.

“Oh yeah, she’s awesome! Her ace, Garchomp, is an absolute beast in battle! I don’t think it’s ever lost once!” Barry enthusiastically marveled over Cynthia’s first and strongest Pokémon.

“I personally prefer her Togekiss. I hope I’ll be able to catch one of my own someday.” Dawn sighed as she wistfully cupped her cheeks.

“All of her Pokémon are quite a force to be reckoned with, yes. Even more incredible was the fact she became Champion at the ripe young age of 12-years-old.” Professor Rowan proudly commended Cynthia’s accomplishments. He couldn’t believe ten whole years have passed since that legendary moment took place.

“12-years-old? Strange. That was the same age I fought Jackie Chun if I’m remembering correctly.” Goku recognized the strange similarities between Cynthia’s experiences and his own.

“Eh that’s impressive, but not that impressive. Red Ketchum won the Indigo League at 11 and that was against his own rival!” Barry referred to another Champion’s performance and journey as equally profound.

“Regardless, Cynthia’s achievements as a Pokémon Trainer cannot be scoffed at. She’s used her position as Champion to delve deeper into the folklore and mythology of Sinnoh than anyone else has beforehand. This isn’t surprising since her grandmother, Professor Karashina Carolina, is a very close colleague of mine.” Professor Rowan laughed in near-fatherly admiration of how grown up Cynthia has suddenly become. He then regained his composure and grew serious once more.

“The main point I’m trying to make is that you four have a lot to learn about Pokémon before even thinking of standing toe-to-toe with the likes of Cynthia, especially Goku and Vegeta.” Professor Rowan reminded them of their current status as beginning Pokémon Trainers. He heavily breathed in and out, glaring at them with keenly focused black eyes.

“Now, after everything you’ve just heard, are you ready to become officially licensed Pokémon Trainers and explore Sinnoh from start to finish?” Professor Rowan thoroughly questioned their dedication to the new journey at hand. Goku, Vegeta, and the others looked at each other in silent, unified resolution.

“Do you even have to ask? Me and Chimchar here are in this together!” Goku cheerfully proclaimed. After giving Rowan a thumbs up, Chimchar’s Poké Ball shook around and suddenly popped open. This action relieved Chimchar of its initial rest.

“Chimchim!” The Chimp Pokémon cried with a confident smile.

“Someone’s excited. Hehe.” Goku chortled at his Fire-type starter.

“Same here! I’m going to make my dad proud, even if it kills me!” Barry wholeheartedly promised whilst jerking a thumb at his chest.

“Turtur!” Turtwig growled with a direct imitation of his trainer’s conviction.

“Make that three.” Dawn cheerfully added as she held out three fingers.

“Pippiplup!” Her Piplup chirped with excessive sass.

Vegeta took a moment to properly respond, examining his Poké Ball and Pokédex in notable chagrin. Seeing as how Goku agreed to participate in this “journey”, the Saiyan Prince figured he should play along for the sake of regaining his original age and body. He then followed everyone else’s example and lazily opened up his own Piplup’s Poké Ball.

“Pip plup?” Piplup stuttered, confusedly looking around to examine his surroundings. He timidly tilted his head to look up at Vegeta.

“The Dragon Balls are our real goal here, but if Kakarot’s on-board with this Pokémon training, I won’t be too far behind.” Vegeta surmised in an uncharacteristically calm tone.

“P-plup!” Piplup agreed with much more confidence and fierceness than before. Satisfied with these answers, Professor Rowan nodded at all four potential trainers.

“Good to know. Now that that’s settled, bring out the camera, Roseanne.” Sinnoh’s eldest Pokémon researcher calmly ordered his assistant. Immediately aware of what Professor Rowan was intending, Roseanne took out a digital drawer from the laboratory’s drawers.

“Stand still for a second, everyone.” Roseanne politely requested. She took quick, first-person perspective photographs of Goku, Dawn, Barry, and Vegeta in that exact order. On purpose, Roseanne activated the flash photography option for Vegeta alone.

“Gah! Turn off the flash next time, woman!” Vegeta growled, desperately attempting to ease his aching corneas.

“Oops. Silly me.” Roseanne sarcastically apologized. With all profile pictures collected, Roseanne attached the camera to Rowan’s personal computer via link cable. She speedily transferred each photo to some form of editing software and began performing some small modifications. After her work was fully complete, Roseanne sent whatever project she made to one of the laboratory’s printers. This action ended up resulting in the creation of four ID cards that closely resembled ordinary Driver’s Licenses.

“That was fast…” Dawn quietly deadpanned.

“There we go, Professor Rowan. I made some… changes to Goku and Vegeta’s personal information, so hopefully that’s alright with you.” Roseanne considerately informed. Rowan smiled at her, taking the ID cards from her hand.

“Not at all, Roseanne. I appreciate the help.” Rowan expressed his gratitude for Roseanne’s helpful presence. Roseanne then went back to preparing for clean-up duty while Rowan gave Dawn, Barry, Goku, and Vegeta their designated cards. All four seemed to be blue in color and listed a six-digit ID number, the trainer’s name, total amount of money, the Pokédex number (which was 3 for each), something known as battle points, and the exact time from which their journey began.

“Here you are. These cards will be your Pokémon Trainer IDs from now on. Not only will you need them for acquiring direct access to the Pokémon League, they can also hold Pokédollars and serve as a makeshift credit card. Meaning, winnings and other cash prizes can be transferred directly to it after a battle is over.” Professor Rowan went over the ID card’s use. Barry, enticed by the idea of gaining money through victory in Pokémon battling, greedily rubbed his hands together.

“Oh boy. I can already smell the moola from here.” Barry mischievously snickered to himself.

“You haven’t even battled yet, Barry. Don’t get ahead of yourself.” Dawn strictly lectured her friend’s materialistic behavior. Barry irritably furrowed his eyebrows, unsure of what Dawn was expecting.

“And that’s my fault because…” Barry motioned for Dawn to answer.

“What does 120384 mean, Professor?” Goku asked while closely looking over the large number.

“That’s your ID number, Goku. It is used to indicate the registration of a Pokemon you decide to own through capture. Every trainer has one, including Cynthia.” Professor Rowan knowledgably cleared up Goku’s confusion. As stated, Goku looked around to see that Vegeta had the ID number of 110788, Dawn’s was 302209, and Barry had 402207.

“Alright. Thanks for clearing that up.” Goku thanked him. Chimchar climbed atop of Goku’s shoulder to get a better look at his ID picture. It depicted Goku with his wide smile and a complementary peace sign.

“No problem. Speaking of capture, I have some spare Poké Balls for you to use.” Professor Rowan said, walking to the back of his lab. He came back with around twenty or so Poké Balls, all of which were sealed in cylindrical carrying cases.

“You will be given five Poké Balls each. Sorry it isn’t much, but I’m certain you can buy more at the local Poké Mart if need be.” Professor Rowan organized all four containers by individual trainer.

“Sweet! This is exactly what I was waiting for!” a pumped Barry loudly cheered, shoving the five Poke Balls into his brown satchel.

“Thank you so much, Professor!” Dawn joyfully chirped as she stuffed her own white-pink handbag. Unfortunately, Goku and Vegeta had no such luxury to speak of. They were still in their usual outfits from Universe 7.

“Umm I don’t think me and Vegeta can carry all of those. We’ve kinda got our hands full.” Goku anxiously chuckled. He held up the Dragon Radar, Pokédex, and Chimchar’s Poke Ball to prove his point.

“I see. There should be a simple enough solution to this problem.” Professor Rowan congenially offered his assistance.

“Let’s start by handing me the Dragon Radar. I did promise to fix it, after all.” Rowan instructed with a laid out hand. Without further delay, Goku gave the slightly damaged device to him.

Walking over to his desk, Rowan set the Dragon Radar down and dug through his belongings. He found two distinctly colored backpacks of a similar brand to Dawn’s. One was yellow with the black outline of a Poké Ball on its back while the other was a mirrored white-blue. The latter was thrown to Vegeta while Goku obtained the former.

“There’s also these spare backpacks left by past trainers. They’re somewhat old, but still functional all around.” Professor Rowan gave Goku and Vegeta the proper supplies. Having no major issue with their color schemes, Goku smiled gratifyingly.

“No, this is works fine. Me and Vegeta should manage well enough with this.” Goku said, unzipping the backpack to look through its interior. To his surprise, the yellow backpack was spacious to an almost bottomless degree. He placed his Poké Balls into the bag and wrapped both of its straps around his shoulders. Vegeta did the same, minus putting it on.

Professor Rowan reexamined the Dragon Radar’s circular design and interface. He pondered to himself, making an educated guess as to how long this project would take to complete.

“While indeed advanced, I should have this up and running in at least a week, maybe earlier. I’ll attempt to contact you once it’s finished.” Professor Rowan promised to repair the Dragon Ball to top, working condition. Goku and Vegeta stared at each other in collective uncertainty of this timespan.

“A week… that doesn’t seem too bad. What do you think, Vegeta?” Goku asked his longtime rival.

“I’d prefer a shorter amount of time, but it’s good enough based on our situation.” Vegeta begrudgingly agreed to give Rowan that exact timeframe.

“Plus, there’s always Kakarot’s Instant Transmission to fall back on.” Vegeta mentally added in case the old man grew unreliable as a source of help.

“Thank you. I’m glad to see you two being cooperative.” Professor Rowan resoundingly sighed in relief.

“Don’t get used to it, Rowan.” Vegeta grunted in annoyance.

“Er-hem, for now, I believe this is where we part ways. Whether it be finding mystical artifacts from another dimension or fulfilling childhood dreams, I still want you four to keep one central task in mind.” Professor Rowan passionately unveiled his plans for the group.

“Explore. Explore the entire Sinnoh region and record the entries of as many as Pokémon you can possibly find. Those Pokédex models in your possession can help unlock the secrets to this entire world and what has made it evolve from the beginning of space-time to now. As Trainers, I simply request that you learn to fully understand what it means to train Pokémon and befriend them. They are more complex than we can possibly begin to imagine.” Professor Rowan explained the research he wishes for them to participate in.

“No problem! I’ve had countless adventures in the past. One more wouldn’t hurt at all, especially if it means discovering new species just as cool as Chimchar!” Goku agreed to help complete Professor Rowan’s Pokédex.

“Char.” Chimchar cheeped at his trainer’s indirect compliment.

“Good to know. I suppose you can view this as an equivalent exchange for fixing your Dragon Radar.” Professor Rowan responded with similar sentiments.

"Will do, Professor. By the end of all this, that Pokédex will be filled to the brim with over a bajillion entries. I guarantee it!” Barry announced an absurdly high number in blind confidence.

“There’s really not that many species, but fair enough, Barry. Fulfill the success left by Palmer Kurotsugu’s name.” Professor Rowan encouraged Palmer’s son with a soft pat on his shoulder.

“Hahaha! I will and then some, gramps!” Barry cockily swore into the heavens. Professor Rowan shivered ever-so-slightly, hating when people reminded him of his old age.

“Don’t call me that.” Rowan grumbled back before marching in front of Dawn.

“Kurothuh? That’s a moutful of a last name.” Goku groaned in ponderous confusion.

“Says the guy who’s birth name is practically Carrot.” Barry retorted Goku’s unintentional insult.

“You got me there.” Goku admitted with a small shrug.

“Like my dad did before me, I’ll try travel all of Sinnoh with Piplup in toe. That’s the best way to make a proper name for myself as both a competent Trainer and Top Coordinator.” Dawn proclaimed her long-held dream of living up to her parents’ prior successes.

“Well said. I’m sure Lucas and Johanna will be proud of you, Dawn.” Professor Rowan assuredly guaranteed Dawn that her father and mother would support her no matter what. Thinking back to the last time she saw her father, Dawn gazed at the laboratory floor in a more downcast expression.

“Mm. I hope so, Professor.” Dawn whispered, lightly twirling her braided gray-black hair. She then longingly gazed at Goku and Vegeta, gaining more and more interest in joining alongside them as a companion. The main question was: how would she go about asking?

“It was a pleasure meeting all of you. Keep in touch with me once you’ve made progress with the Pokédex.” Professor Rowan sent the newly licensed Trainers off on their new adventure.

“See ya later!” Goku bade farewell with a wave of his hand.

“Chimchim!” Chimchar waved at the Professor with a close-eyed smile.

“Bye! Thanks for everything!” Dawn picked up Piplup and walked through the facility’s revolving doors. Barry sprinted out the door instantaneously, leaving right when Professor Rowan finished his final statement.

“Hmph. You better not slack on that radar, Rowan. Or else I’ll damage this Pokédex just as much.” Vegeta threatened, squeezing the Pokedex’s sides before walking away with his own Piplup. Figuring he should have seen this threat coming, Rowan sat down in a chair and tiredly sighed.

“That Vegeta must have had an unruly upbringing, huh Roseanne?” Professor Rowan presumed, taking another look at the Dragon Radar’s caved in glass while speaking.

“He’s the prince of an extraterrestrial race that lives and dies to fight. I’d be surprised if he didn’t end up like that. Still doesn’t make him any less of an ass, though.” Roseanne spat in disgust of Vegeta’s personality. After a few moments of peace and quiet, Rowan awkwardly stared at his assistant.

“You still need to—”

“Yeah, yeah. Hold your Rapidashes, Professor.” Roseanne exasperatedly huffed. She pulled out her own Poké Ball, releasing a Pokémon from it. This Normal-type was a rotund, snake-like creature with white wings. Its skin was yellow with a light blue chin and underbelly, topped off with stripes along the back. It also had circular eyes that seemed forever closed without any chance of opening.

“Dunspar!” The Pokémon weakly cried, outstretching its drill-shaped tail. Roseanne grinned at her trusty companion, greeting it with a firm pat on the head.

“Alright, Dunsparce. Let’s get to work.” Roseanne addressed determinedly, peering toward Sandgem Beach from the laboratory’s windows. She then cracked her knuckled and hurriedly sorted her cleaning supplies alongside Dunsparce, the Land Snake Pokémon.

Chapter Text

Goku, Vegeta, Barry, and Dawn all walked out of Professor Rowan’s laboratory with slightly different thoughts in mind. Goku, alongside Chimchar, dug through his new backpack to see what was inside of it. He studied each of his five Poké Balls, still oblivious as to how they exactly worked. The fact that these strange balls were mass-produced, much like the Hoi Poi Capsules back home, just confused him even more. Science was never a subject he particularly did well in, after all. Then again, any activity outside of fighting, eating, and farming didn’t sit well with him, especially education. That’s where Bulma or even Gohan usually came in.

Nearby, Barry was hopping up and down in sheer giddiness. He greedily observed his own Poké Balls, anticipating the very moment he would be able to catch his second Pokémon with them. Clutching one in his hands, the blonde-haired boy pictured the exact Pokémon he would want to own and train in vivid detail. From the fearsome Rhyperior to Cynthia’s own Garchomp, Barry could barely contain his excitement to have such powerful creatures in his arsenal. Turtwig, walking next to his enthusiastic owner’s leg, lightly sighed. He just hoped that Barry wouldn’t choose to neglect him in the future.

Vegeta walked away from said lab with an ever-present look of frustration. He felt particularly ridiculous holding this children’s backpack, glancing at it like a hazardous, near-radioactive material. However, the Saiyan prince couldn’t argue that the bag was quite practical at best. Given his armor’s lack of pockets, the only way to stash his so-called Pokédex and Poke Balls was this very same backpack. That didn’t necessarily mean he had to wear it, though. He was far too prideful to sully his appearance with something so childish. Unfortunately for him, the same couldn’t be said for this “Pokémon Trainer” nonsense that the old geezer was spouting. Now he was stuck with a meaningless ID card, five matter-converting orbs, and most damning for him, a cowardly penguin that steps over its own two feet every second or so. To Vegeta, the sooner Rowan finished “fixing” the Dragon Radar, the faster him and his fellow Saiyan could leave this backwards excuse for a planet. At least, after he got his original body back. Talking and walking around in such a short, vulnerable state especially made his blood boil. He was a ruthless, battle-hardened warrior for Kami’s sake!

“I swear that little troll will pay for this insult to my pride…” Vegeta growled inwardly. Piplup glanced up at the irate Saiyan, thinking it best not to bother him in this mood. He squirmed a bit in place, and nervously looked away from his trainer while continuing to waddle forward.

Meanwhile, Dawn and her Piplup stood away from the three. She was in a mental predicament of sorts, preparing to ask Goku and Vegeta about her decision to join them. Regardless of their response, she was dead set on finding the Dragon Balls and learning more about these travelers from another universe. For some reason, the young, ambitious girl had a feeling said duo were both crucial to her development as a Pokémon Trainer and person in general. They obviously had the awesome strength, knowledge, and abilities necessary to do so, after all. Their prior battle with Piplup and Chimchar was proof enough of that fact.

She anxiously brushed strands of her slate-colored hair, sparing quick glances at Goku and Vegeta. The two Saiyans in question were looking around the premises of Sandgem Town in uncertainty of where to start exploring.

“Oh man. Why is asking this question so difficult? It should be easy! Goku’s obviously a nice enough guy to understand my intentions. He knows all about going on adventures to get stronger. Vegeta, on the other hand…” Dawn slumped her shoulders, knowing that Vegeta would be a big ol’ stick in the mud as usual. She then took a deep breath, and slightly narrowed her eyes in evident determination.

“No. I have to stay positive. All four of us are starting off as Pokémon Trainers, even if Goku and Vegeta’s is a special case. What’s so unreasonable about forming ourselves into one group… or trio?” Dawn amped herself up, envisioning the best possible outcome for this probable adventure. She brushed her hair backward, and sported an all-too-serious frown.

“Pip?” Piplup muttered in concern. She lightly tugged on Dawn’s boot in order to get her attention.

“It’s nothing, Piplup. I’m just trying to keep myself calm.” Dawn assured, taking time to affectionally rub the small penguin’s head. Adjusting her handbag and hat, Dawn was finally ready to execute the first step of her plan. She then stood up straight and strode toward the unsuspecting martial artists.

“You’ve got this, Dawn. This will all be worth it in the end…” Dawn whispered. As Piplup followed after her, the female resident of Twinleaf Town stood directly behind Goku and Vegeta. She tentatively fidgeted a bit before gaining the courage to speak.

“Hey… uh… Goku, Vegeta? Could you hold on a second, please?” Dawn questioned. The two Saiyans came to a sudden stop, turning around to fully address her. Vegeta, of course, scowled at her impatiently.

“What’s up, Dawn? Have something on your mind?” Goku asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

“Y-Yeah. I guess you could put it like that.” Dawn awkwardly replied. Vegeta grunted back, losing what little patience he had left.

“Tsk. This better be good, girl.” Vegeta grumbled, folding one arm over the other in irritation. Dawn held her hands up, visibly assuring that this question wouldn’t be a waste of time.

“It will be, guys. I swear.” Dawn hesitantly promised. “See, I wanted to ask if…erm…” She held her breath, trying to phrase each term as carefully as possible. This was a case where she wanted to win Vegeta’s favor, so angering him wouldn’t help all that much.

“If what?” Goku inquired once again, waiting for Dawn to finish collecting her thoughts.

“…if I could maybe help you guys search for the Dragon Balls? As a traveling companion of sorts?” Dawn hopefully requested. After that, she clasped her hands together in an almost pleading manner.

Goku, not expecting Dawn to ask this, blinked a few times in surprise. He scratched the back of his head, and carefully considered Dawn’s offer. In direct contrast, Vegeta was not amused with this idea in the slightest. They had enough distractions as is. Babysitting some annoying, arguably irrelevant girl should not become one of them.

“I don’t know, Dawn. Getting involved in this kind of stuff could be pretty dangerous. What brought this up anyway?” Goku wondered, acknowledging how difficult it was to locate all seven Dragon Balls in the past.

“Well, the exact reason is kind of complicated, actually.” Dawn sheepishly muttered. “After I saw the battle between Chimchar and Piplup, I came to the realization that strength comes in many different forms. A successful Pokémon Trainer must contribute their own knowledge and experience to the respective Pokémon they’re using in battle. In order to truly win, a trainer needs to act as if they are fighting alongside their Pokémon on the battlefield, not just barking out random commands. You guys, despite your lack of knowledge about this world and Pokémon as a whole, managed to succeed in doing that.” Dawn warmly commended Goku and Vegeta’s exceptional skill in battle, even when they weren’t the ones fighting.

She paused, contemplatively looking at the ground. Thinking back to Goku and Vegeta’s first battle was enough to prove how much she still had yet to learn as a fledgling trainer. As her long hair flowed in the wind, a wistful shine suddenly permeated within Dawn’s gray eyes.

“Call it simple interest in your ki powers or whatever, but…” Dawn closed her eyes while passionately grinning. “…I just have a feeling that your arrival here was some sort of fate. Like a sign to make the most of my journey as a Pokémon Trainer and beyond. Simply put, if I help find these Dragon Ball things through Sinnoh, I might be able to grow stronger than I ever could on my own. Heck, I might even match up to my parents someday. And considering their reputation, that will be pretty difficult.” Dawn further explained her hopes of becoming a strong trainer someday. Goku, while relating to Dawn’s interest in improving herself, was slightly more intrigued by the reputation of her parents.

“Reputation, huh? I wonder if Dawn’s dad is someone famous here. What did Rowan call him? Lucas or something?” Goku attempted to recall the details of Rowan’s latest conversation with Dawn. Considering Cynthia’s status as the current Sinnoh champion, was this Lucas guy someone of equal infamy and social status? He was obviously held in some sort of high regard based on Rowan’s words.

While Goku thought over this possibility, Dawn brought Piplup closer to her, and raised a newly clenched fist in front of her chest. She lovingly patted Piplup’s head with a wide, promising smile on her face.

“With Piplup here, I promise that my presence on your journey won’t be a burden. All three of us, or four if we’re counting Barry I guess, can help each other accomplish our respective goals… as potential friends.” Dawn promised in hopes of gaining Goku and Vegeta’s favor. “Understand what I’m trying to say?”

Smiling at the amount effort Dawn was putting into this “speech”, Goku began to consider the positives her company might bring. For one, being a native resident of Sinnoh, she could help them better navigate said region. There were obviously quite a few towns, cities, and other locations to visit on their journey, so Dawn’s influence could easily remedy the confusion they might have. The fact that they all sought to battle all eight Gym Leaders made this idea even easier to manage. Well, for the most part anyway. Vegeta was obviously not pleased with the idea of becoming a Pokémon Trainer, especially since it got in the way of his own training regimen. Goku, despite liking Chimchar, couldn’t help, but agree with his rival on some level. After all, mastering Super Saiyan God was still a goal he wished to accomplish, especially if he ever wanted to match Beerus in terms of power.

Beerus, in particular, was one of the reasons he wanted to find the Dragon Balls and regain his original body. Being a kid again was pretty nostalgic, but it also brought forth its own set of problems. The newfound shortness of his legs and arms was one of the more concerning issues. He worried that his kicks and punches, although still powerful as ever, would lose impact due to their decreased length. This unfortunate fact very much applied to Vegeta as well, even if their respective heights differed from one another. Goku conflictedly sighed, looking over to Vegeta for his own insight on Dawn’s resolve. The Saiyan Prince just scoffed in continual disinterest.

“Plus, if it helps anything, I have learned a thing or two about cooking from my mom. Just in case we don’t find a proper town or city in time.” Dawn considerately added. Goku’s mood suddenly perked up at the implied mention of food. It has been awhile since he’s last eaten anything.

“You can cook?! Seriously?” Goku gasped excitedly. Liking the look of Goku’s smile, Dawn enthusiastically nodded her head in confirmation.

“Yep! I’m still learning, but there’s some meals I know by heart.” Dawn replied amusingly.

“Well, I’m a bit rusty, but they don’t need to know that just yet. Hehe.” thought Dawn in a nervous chuckle. From past experience, rusty would be an understatement. There was a good reason why Johanna prepared meals before she woke up as of late. Her first attempt didn’t go as originally planned to say the least, especially concerning Glameow’s scorched behind. In fact, the poor cat had a tendency to grow traumatized just seeing Dawn with a pan in her possession.

“Hmmm that does sound promising…” Goku muttered aloud. He massaged his empty stomach, wondering if it would growl sooner or later. Vegeta himself growled a bit in frustration.

“Use your brain, Kakarot. The brat’s only trying to gain your approval with the promise of food.” Vegeta chastised his fellow Saiyan’s stupidity. Goku slumped both shoulders, wondering why Vegeta was going out of his way to be so difficult.

“But, come on, Vegeta! It’s been hours since either of us have eaten!” Goku whined childishly. While just as hungry, Vegeta had enough strength to withhold such a trivial feeling. Dealing with this foolish girl was far more important at the moment. Especially given the fact she couldn’t take “no” for an answer. With her, Barry, Roseanne, and the old man, it seemed like everyone in this universe was there to get on his nerves.

“Feh. Try all you want, girl. Nothing will convince me that you won’t get in our way on this little “journey” the old fart, Rowan, forced us into.” Vegeta glowered argumentatively. “You’ll only waste what little time I can tolerate being here.”

Dawn grimaced in displeasure, sharing her own glare with Vegeta. The two seemingly stared each other down in deep, contemplative silence. Vegeta’s expression didn’t waver in the slightest, appearing to be foul-tempered as usual.

“Figures. Of course he had to be a stubborn Mudbray about this. Looks like I’ll need to approach him from a different angle.” Dawn worryingly pondered. She then searched Sandgem Town for any sort of object or location that could help influence this situation in her favor. After a few seconds, her eyes focused on Barry. Her childhood friend was repetitiously tapping his foot on the ground, unable to suppress his hyperactive nature for much longer. It was obvious that he and Turtwig lost interest in the current discussion very fast.

“What if I battled Barry?” Dawn asked out of the blue. At the mention of this potential challenge, Barry’s orange eyes abruptly widened in pleasant surprise.

“Huh? A-A battle with me? Awesome!” Barry whooped in absolute delight. “I’ve been dying to get this done!”

“Tur Twig.” Turtwig agreeably nodded. Vegeta shook his head, unable to see Dawn’s exact point in proposing this battle.

“What are you even getting at? Other than the blonde moron over there, why should I care about that?” Vegeta demandingly inquired. Taken aback by this insult, Barry accusatively pointed at Vegeta in irritation.

“Hey! I’m still here, you know?! I should honestly give you a fine for that, Veggie!” Barry threatened, challengingly rolling up his sleeves with a raised fist.

“As if I’d even go through with that nonsense.” Vegeta snorted disgustedly. He rolled his eyes before fixing them on Dawn once again. She cleared her throat, preparing to justify this makeshift bet of sorts.

“Hear me out, Vegeta. If I have my own Piplup battle against Barry’s Turtwig, there’s a chance we’ll both be able to show off our own potential as trainers. Just give me a chance to prove my worth and I promise this group idea won’t be so pointless in the end.” Dawn pleaded for the temperate Saiyan to comply with this challenge. Goku was somewhat impressed by the 13-year-old’s determination to prove herself as a helpful ally.

“You gotta admit, Vegeta. She does have the conviction necessary.” Goku noted to Vegeta with a small smirk.

“Fine. I’ll play along with this proposed battle for now. But, if you lose without putting up a proper fight beforehand, Kakarot and I will leave this place… on our own.” Vegeta warned in a dead serious tone. “Got it?”

“Yes. I won’t disappoint you.” Dawn nodded with the utmost conviction. In that moment, a raging fire could practically be seen in her gray eyes. She was willing and able to go all out for this once in a lifetime opportunity. Barry, however, brushed aside Vegeta’s threat with a lazy wave of his hand.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. Let’s just get to battling already!” Barry frantically cried. He then wound up his legs in preparation to sprint to another location. Unfortunately, he didn’t move all that far before getting confused. The boy paused, sheepishly peering at the others in sudden obliviousness.

“Uh… where should we do that anyway? With the whole Sandgem Beach being a giant crater thing and all?” Barry asked while scratching the side of his face. Considering the damage most, if not all, Pokémon battles cause, Dawn carefully thought over Barry’s question.

“Hm I guess it would be smart to move away from these houses.” Dawn pondered. She then looked at Sandgem Town’s north exit, reading over the Route 202 sign placed in front of it.
“Route 202 should work.” Dawn noted with a shrug of her shoulders.

“Works for me, at least. Let’s get this show on the road then!” Barry shouted excitedly. “Come on, Turtwig!”

“Turturtur!” Turtwig affirmatively bellowed. He and Barry then sped through the entrance to Route 202.

Dawn lightly bent her knees to look at her Piplup eye-to-eye. She smirked, giving her first and only Pokémon a small pep-talk.

“Well, Piplup. Are you ready for your first battle?” inquired Dawn in a quiet, somewhat soothing voice. The penguin twiddled her flippers about in minor nervousness. A starter like her wasn’t used to getting this much attention just yet, even with a sassy nature.

“Piplu...” Piplup shyly chirped. She then tilted her head, getting a better look at Vegeta’s Piplup. In spite of his frazzled, quiet demeanor, said Water-type managed to display an large amount of power and bravery against Chimchar. This made her want to achieve comparatively similar results with the upcoming battle.

“Pippip Plup!” Piplup chirped, placing both wings on her hips with newfound confidence. Immensely pleased with her Pokémon’s attitude, Dawn pumped a fist up in sheer anticipation.

“Alrighty then. Let’s show Goku and Vegeta what we’re made of!” Dawn hopefully stated. She and Piplup then followed after Barry at a slightly more moderate pace. Her scarf and hair seemed to consecutively flow in the surrounding wind as she did so.

“Hehe. Wonder if this battle will be just as good as ours was.” Goku amusingly said to Vegeta. They both walked over to Route 202, keeping Goku and Piplup close to their sides.

“I highly doubt that.” Vegeta lightly snorted.

“Hey, you never know, Vegeta. Maybe Dawn and Barry will surprise you. After all, their parents are said to be experts of this Pokémon battling stuff.” Goku argued considerately. Given their respective upbringings, the two obviously had a genuine passion for Pokémon, at least. That had to count for something.

“Hmph. An expert at ordering a creature to fight for them isn’t impressive in the slightest. Given the braindead simplicity of it all, a child even younger than the brats could pull it off.” Vegeta denounced the “expertise” required for training Pokémon efficiently. The age of that Red kid was enough to prove such a ludicrous point as somewhat true. When he became Champion of Kanto, Red was allegedly two years younger than Dawn and Barry are now.

“I’m not sure if it’s right for you to judge, Vegeta. We did battle with our own Pokémon just a half-hour ago. Wouldn’t that be calling us unimpressive too?” Goku acknowledged Vegeta’s self-contradictory logic. Deadpanning at this unintentional insult, Vegeta blew out a sigh and continued moving forward.

“You get my point, Kakarot.” The Saiyan royal harrumphed. Goku quirked a brow, ignorant to Vegeta’s irritation once again. Both warriors followed the path leading away from Sandgem Town to Route 202. Said area was an expansive trail surrounded by forest and patches of grassland. Its path was paved over with an equal mix of concrete and dirt, winding around toward some unforeseen location. Whether this was a town or city similar to Sandgem could not be gathered in that moment.

“Woah. This is a lot bigger than I thought it would be.” Goku muttered in slight awe. After observing the entire route, he found Dawn, Barry, and their individual starters standing in front of one another. Each trainer stood on the opposite ends of this route’s trail, ready to start battling at a moment’s notice.

“So? It gives me more room to kick Dawn and Piplup’s butt!” Barry chuckled mockingly. He brushed his green scarf to the side and held out Turtwig’s Poké Ball.

“You’re acting like it will be that easy, Barry.” Dawn replied in annoyance. Piplup stood in front of her feet with outstretched legs and arms. She fiercely glared at Turtwig with the utmost intimidation factor. Due to Piplup’s cute appearance, this didn’t work all that well, unfortunately.

“Easy is an understatement. Grass always beats Water and this battle should be no different.” Barry matter-of-factly predicted. He gave Turtwig thumbs up, figuring the small turtle already won this battle by default.

“Type advantages don’t always matter. Just look at Chimchar and Piplup’s battle. They were evenly matched the entire time.” Dawn argued that strategy meant more than simple type effectiveness.

“Please. That only happened because of Goku and Veggie’s hocus-pocus magic thing!” Barry claimed with a dismissive wave of his hand. Goku and Vegeta slightly cringed at Barry’s ignorant description of ki. The weirdest part was that Barry heard them mention their ki and aura numerous times beforehand. Even Goku had to admit that it came off as a tad thickheaded on Barry’s part.

“Um…it’s called ki, Barry.” Goku tentatively corrected. Vegeta stood his ground, visibly glaring at Barry in disgust for his denouncement of ki as mere magic. They’ve had enough experience to know that magic and ki were not entirely one in the same. Babidi and his mind control were proof enough of that fact.

“Whatever. Ki or not, all I know is that it magically enhanced your Pokémon’s stats.” Barry exclaimed, putting air quotes around the word, magically, to help appease Goku and Vegeta. “Kind of makes you guys a bit weirder, honestly.”

The two Saiyans blankly stared at Barry in response. It seemed sort of hypocritical for Barry, a hyperactive airhead who can’t seem to stand still for more than five seconds, to call them weird. But, then again, their status as energy-emitting aliens was quite strange by this universe’s standards. Before Goku could say anything else, Barry frantically shook his head from side-to-side and grinned with pure hype.

“But, no more talking! I’ve waited long enough, so let’s battle already!” Barry shouted out impatiently. He took a lengthy step forward, pointing Turtwig in the direction of his would-be opponent.

“Right.” Dawn whispered in affirmation. She placed Piplup’s Poké Ball close to her heart, and put a confident game face on. This match, despite being her first official battle since kindergarten, was not one she could afford to lose. Impressing Goku and Vegeta was her top priority in this moment.

“Don’t you guys need a referee first or something?” Goku wondered aloud. Goku honestly didn’t know the first thing about announcing a battle himself, so he hoped that Dawn and Barry wouldn’t try to rely on him as a replacement for Roseanne.

“Eh referee, schmeferee. Not all battles really need a ref. Besides, this one will be over in a matter of seconds.” Barry boasted nonchalantly. He stretched all four of his limbs and yawned in a quite exaggerated manner.

“Our Pokémon will be the judge of that.” Dawn coolly acknowledged. The various trees surrounding Route 202 rustled amongst the wind, emphasizing said area’s nearly silent atmosphere. With his first battle finally underway, Barry joyfully bared his teeth and performed an eccentric dance of sorts. He twisted both arms in an up and down motion, and hopped from one leg to another while doing so.

“Oh yeah! I’m so pumped!” Barry whooped, failing to contain his curiosity any longer. He speedily grabbed ahold of his Pokédex and read over Turtwig’s moveset. One was a Normal-type move called Tackle while the other appeared to be Withdraw, a Water-type move that raises a Pokémon’s Defense stat. Being the punch first, strategize later type of person, Barry immediately decided for Turtwig to use Tackle on Piplup.

“Start off with Tackle, Turtwig!” Barry ordered. Upon command, Turtwig tucked his head and directly charged at Piplup. Sparks of yellow-white energy permeated around the Grass-type Pokémon’s body while doing so.

“Tur Turrrrrtwig!” Turtwig roared maliciously. It tightly shut both eyes, aiming to crash headfirst with the unsuspecting Piplup. Dawn attempted to steer Piplup away from this impending Tackle attack.

“Try to dodge as much as you can, Piplup! I know you can do it!” Dawn cheered on her starter. Piplup nodded, waiting for Turtwig’s form to come even closer. Just as Turtwig was about to slam into her stomach, Piplup sidestepped out of the way. Unfortunately, this frantic maneuver wasn’t fast enough to prevent all damage from being taken. The penguin’s hip was still grazed by the side of Turtwig’s head, regardless.

“Pipipiluuuup!” squealed the Water-type in minor pain. As Turtwig slid back into place, Piplup leaned forward to massage her aching sides.

“Oh no. Are you okay?” Dawn asked in concern. She checked over her Pokédex to see that Piplup’s health bar was already a quarter of the way empty. Despite this, Piplup picked herself back up and bravely fought through the pain.

“P-Piplup Pip.” Piplup croaked, side glancing back at Dawn with one eye open. Dawn was exceedingly grateful for her refusal to give up.

“Ha! Gotcha!” Barry laughed appreciatively. “There’s a lot more where that came from, Dawn. Keep using Tackle!”

Turtwig grinded his body against the concrete path, positioning himself directly in front of Piplup once more. Without further delay, Turtwig stampeded after the exposed bird. Strangely, the twig on top of his head appeared to become much sharper in length with each forthcoming step.

“Turtwig Turtur!” Turtwig relentlessly panted. With each passing second, Turtwig gained more speed and agility than before. It was as if a large semitruck were about to smash Piplup in the approaching tortoise’s place. Poor Piplup didn’t know what to do next, sporadically swiveling her head around in a reactionary state of panic.

“Just keep at it a bit longer, Piplup. There has to be a spot where Turtwig is vulnerable.” Dawn hopefully advised. Despite being at odds with her trainer’s instruction, Piplup had no other choice to rely on in its place. As Turtwig came running into view with Tackle, Piplup took slight inspiration from Vegeta’s fellow penguin and flipped over the brown-shelled turtle. She backwards somersaulted around Turtwig in a wide circle, evading one deployed Tackle after the next. Barry quickly grew irritated by this dodging spectacle.

“Grrgh. Don’t stop, Turtwig. Use Tackle until you hit her again!” Barry instructed with a swipe of his hand. Turtwig then did as told and kept tackling from alternate directions. Piplup performed handstands, midair spins, and practically anything to maintain distance away from the persistent Grass-type.

“Pippip Plup!” aggressively chirped Piplup. Like a matador to its bull, Piplup slid away from Turtwig’s frontal headbutt at exactly the right time. Annoyed, Turtwig sluggishly spun around in an attempt to hit Piplup up close and personal.

“Tur Tur Turtwig!” Turtwig growled, butting his head from side-to-side to smack against Piplup’s shoulders. Piplup leaned away from these quasi headbutts and afterwards, bound herself into the air. She successfully propped her feet onto Turtwig’s shell, and used it as a makeshift trampoline. As Piplup safely parted from his back, Turtwig winced in temporary soreness. The ever-observant Dawn noticed this reaction, inferring that said shell was a structural weak link of sorts.

“That’s it!” Dawn thought in sudden realization. Since Turtwig was struggling to ignore this infliction of backpain, the 13-year-old Pokémon Trainer took full advantage of the rare opportunity set before her. She darted her eyes toward Piplup and nodded.

“Now’s your chance. Use Growl!” Dawn shouted. Narrowing both eyes, Piplup outstretched her four limbs and took a long, deep breath. She perfectly aligned her body with the still stagnant Turtwig as well.

“Piiiiiipluuuup!” Piplup screeched, sending out a powerful, earsplitting sound wave at Turtwig. Piplup’s Growl immediately caused Turtwig to nervously shiver, losing a bit of his Attack stat in the process.

“T-Turtwig Twig?” The Tiny Leaf Pokémon stammered in slight unease. With his Pokémon left discombobulated, Barry facepalmed at this arguably predictable battle tactic.

“Dang it. Stupid me! I should have seen that coming.” Barry irritably whined to himself. Turtwig’s frozen state left him more vulnerable for a swift counterattack from Piplup. Said Water-type starter wobbled over to Turtwig and stood in a near-hostile, combative position.

“Top that off with a Pound… from underneath Turtwig’s shell!” Dawn continued, using Turtwig’s weak spot to turn the battle in her favor. Barry, Goku, and even Vegeta grew somewhat confused by this statement.

“Huh?” Barry asked in complete ignorance. While attempting to wrack his brain about Dawn’s plan, Piplup performed Pound without argument. Her right wing glowed a bright white as she carefully placed Turtwig’s stomach on top of it.

“Piiiip…plup!” Piplup sliced her wing upward, managing to effortlessly toss Turtwig in the air. Turtwig, instinctively convulsing from Pound’s impact, landed onto the ground back first. His brown-black shell smashed into the ground, producing small, yet impactful cracks in Route 202’s concrete surface.

“Tuurrrrrr?!” Turtwig helplessly wailed in shock. Unable to support his extensive head to body ratio, Turtwig failed to stand up straight. His four legs erratically wriggled around, reaching out for a flat surface to stand on. Sadly, no such efforts were to any avail and Turtwig remained stuck.

“Oh man! He’s literally fallen and can’t get up!” Barry whined in dismay. He tightly clasped his blonde locks, uncertain of how to remedy such a compromising issue.

“Wow. Dawn’s a lot smarter than I thought.” Goku commented, growing more intrigued by Dawn’s skills. The simian Fire-type seated next to him agreeably smiled.

“Chimchim.” Chimchar nodded along in childish wonder. The fire monkey couldn’t help, but snigger at his fellow starter’s awkward predicament. He really wouldn’t want to be Turtwig’s shoes right about now.

“Tsk. Anything’s smart for you, clown.” Vegeta sniffed doubtfully. “What she did is simply common sense. That Turtwig thing is a quadruped while Piplup there stands on two legs. If a Turtwig, who’s obviously a turtle-like creature, manages to trip or be tripped, it’ll obviously be much more difficult to get up from said fall. Neither Chimchar and Piplup have that issue to deal with.”

“She’s at least better off than Blondie is.” Vegeta grumbled about Barry’s fearful visage.

“What do you mean?” Goku asked, tilting his head to look at Vegeta directly.

“I mean his impatient, hyperenergetic… ergh, “personality”. He doesn’t take time to think over his actions. The brat only relies on physical attacks and expects the battle to be over with one single blow. Such idiocy will be his downfall.” Vegeta heavily criticized Barry’s refusal to remain calm at any point in time. It seemed like he had the insatiable urge to rush through situations as fast as humanly possible. That much could be seen during his initial departure from Route 219.

“And I already know for a fact this battle will be the start of it. Even you should be able to realize that, Kakarot.” Vegeta predicted the likely outcome of this battle. Goku couldn’t, but agree with this assumption, even when Turtwig currently had the upper hand.

“Yeah. I guess this battle isn’t really in Barry’s favor, huh?” Goku muttered in begrudging agreement. “But who knows? Maybe there will be a turning point or something.”

“We’ll see…” Vegeta stated under his breath. He personally had little care for who won or lost, but the overall results would be somewhat interesting to witness. It was obvious that Dawn had more backbone than he assumed, at least. Speaking of Dawn, she was relieved that Turtwig ended up being toppled over. This gave her perfect room to return the damage Turtwig previously brought unto Piplup.

“Smack Turtwig’s underbelly with consecutive Pounds, Piplup!” Dawn ordered authoritatively. With Turtwig being unable to defend itself, Piplup proved successful in materializing Pound. Both of her wings transformed into glowing white daggers, becoming far more capable of inflicting injury. With that, the relentless Penguin Pokémon brought it upon herself to perform downward and upward slashes across Turtwig’s stomach.

“Pip! Pip! Pip! Pluup!” Piplup ferociously squawked. Each smack of her Pound attack whittled away Turtwig’s health bar, gradually bringing it down to yellow with one direct hit after the other.

“Turtwig Turtur…” weakly croaked Turtwig. His pupils considerably widened in response to Piplup’s consecutive share of blows. Reading over Turtwig’s Pokédex entry in horror, Barry began to mentally concentrate out of desperation.

“Ugh. This is so frustrating! Turtwig’s taking all of this damage for me, and I’m just standing here doing nothing! How do I fix this?” Barry sadly thought, feeling absolutely useless as a trainer. After carefully processing his own words, a theoretical lightbulb materialized from within his subconscious.

“Wait a minute, damage… I’ve got it! I should use Withdraw to increase Turtwig’s defenses. Then he’ll be practically immune to Pound and anything else Piplup has. It’s foolproof!” Barry gathered in thankful realization. Despite its defensive capabilities, Barry knew Withdraw wouldn’t last the entire battle from then on. It could probably only get Turtwig out of this bind and nothing else.

“Well, not really…but it’s still the last option I have left at this point. Turtwig’s HP is in the low yellow right now, after all. Humph.” Barry thought whilst bitterly crossing his arms. “I’m definitely gonna have to fine Dawn for that later.” He then brushed his scarf to the side and grew more serious than ever. Well, as serious as Barry could be anyway.

“Time to use Withdraw, Turtwig.” Barry requested. Struggling to endure Piplup’s attacks, Turtwig faintly nodded to his trainer. He miraculously tucked all four legs and the head into his shell, glowing with a flash of bright green.

“Tur!” Turtwig faintly cried. Goku, Vegeta, and even Dawn were stunned by the fact that Turtwig’s managed to fit his entire head in there.

“Didn’t see that coming…” Goku muttered in bewilderment. Even Master Roshi’s pet, Turtle, didn’t have a head equal in size to Turtwig. It made him wonder how huge Turtwig’s potential evolutions could end up being.

“H-How in Kami’s name did it fit in there?!” Vegeta gasped, unable to process this impossible phenomenon. Dawn, on the other hand, was more concerned from a battling standpoint. With Withdraw suddenly increasing Turtwig’s defenses, Pound might become ineffective at some point.

“See? I’m not as dumb as you think, Veggie.” Barry smugly spat. “Now keep raising your defense with Withdraw, Turtwig. Don’t stop until I say so.”

“Tur Tur.” Turtwig happily followed Barry’s command. His shell glowed brighter and brighter, causing the juvenile tortoise’s Defense stat to increase further. Piplup went from executing deep slices to harmless taps with the steady progression of Withdraw’s status changes. To Dawn’s chagrin, Pound merely bounced off of Turtwig’s belly like it wasn’t even there to begin with.

“Hold off on Pound, Piplup. It won’t do us any good.” Dawn put Piplup’s tirade to a sudden halt. Piplup abruptly stopped mid-swing, looking up at her owner in evident concern.

“Piplup?” Piplup muttered questioningly. As she stood there, Turtwig continued shining with immense power.

“This isn’t good. Since Withdraw is making Turtwig a defensive wall, none of Piplup’s attacks will be able to do anything from now on. And knowing Barry, he’ll try to use Tackle after Withdraw’s effects are complete.” Dawn considerately assessed her next move. She looked down at Piplup’s move pool, noting that only 1 of its 40 PP was used up. In contrast, Pound was already down by 10 or so points.

“I guess the only thing I can do is decrease his Attack stat. I already had Piplup do it once, so using Growl again is worth a shot.” Dawn resolutely decided. She adjusted her white-pink cap and blew out a low sigh.

“Alright. Here goes…” Dawn whispered hopefully. “Fight back with Growl, Piplup! Make sure he doesn’t have as much Attack as Defense.”

“Piiippplup! Piiiiiipluuup!” Piplup let loose Growl after Growl in quick succession. A torrent of sound waves vibrated around Turtwig’s shell, depleting the Attack stat whilst Defense continued rising to maximum levels.

“Oh come on! That’s such a waste of time. Do you want this battle to last all day?” Barry disgruntledly accused. Both Pokémon wouldn’t be able to do much of anything to one another at this point.

“No. But, I can’t afford to lose either.” Dawn passionately responded. She glanced back at Goku and Vegeta, interpreting them as the consecutive key to her future as a Pokémon Trainer.

“With everything that’s going on, I won’t… no, can’t let that happen! Not by a long shot!” Dawn shouted in sheer determination. In response, Barry simply smirked amusedly.

“Likewise, Dawn. How about we stop beating around the bush and end this thing already?” Barry questioned with a cocky smirk on his face. Dawn and Barry shared equivalent glares with each other, posing like cowboys in a life-or-death showdown.

“I’m ready when you are, Barry.” Dawn uttered in excitement. With the battle reaching its climax, Barry came up with one last method of attack for Turtwig to partake in.

“Fine. Finish up Withdraw and spin your shell into the air, Turtwig!” Barry said commandingly. Working every leg from inside his shell, Turtwig lifted himself off the ground. His shell rotated back to its original placement and hung there for a second or two. Turtwig then unveiled his head and legs once again, sporting a look of vengeful fury.

“Then use Tackle from above!” Barry finished off his instruction. Like a crashing meteorite, Turtwig rocketed toward the seemingly vulnerable Piplup at high speed.

“Turtwig Twiggg!” Turtwig growled ferociously. Planning to smash against Piplup’s head, Dawn realized that this Tackle could not be stopped by Barry or Turtwig himself. The fact that Turtwig’s downward momentum was picking up more speed gave Dawn a sudden, admittedly reckless idea that could end this battle once and for all.

“Here’s our chance.” Dawn mentally recognized. Pleased with this upcoming moment, she gave Barry a playful grin.

“Heh. You shouldn’t have done that.” Dawn cryptically giggled. Barry quirked a brow in absolute speechlessness, unable to fully gather why she was acting so calm. Piplup was about to be knocked out by Turtwig’s Tackle…right?

“Shouldn’t have done huh?” Barry stammered in puzzlement.

“Block Turtwig’s Tackle attack with your wings, Piplup!” Dawn confidently yelled aloud. As Turtwig fell closer to the ground, Piplup sprang into action and caught the Grass-type starter’s shell in between her flippers. She seethed, temporarily struggling to maintain Turtwig’s weight within her grasp.

“Pipppuluuup…” Piplup lowly chirped. The pressure produced from stopping Tackle began to slightly injure her muscles and entire body in general. Her HP meter counted down to red until it suddenly came to a complete stop. Piplup, at just the right time, proved successful in blocking Turtwig’s Tackle with her own strength alone.

“Piplup!” Piplup triumphantly proclaimed. Her wings rested on each side of Turtwig’s face, making any sort of struggle futile at best.

“T-Turtwig?!” gulped Turtwig in surprise. Barry was further shocked by the amount of endurance this Piplup had. Wasn’t a Sassy nature only supposed to increase her Special Defense?

“Good. She has just enough health left to pull this off.” Dawn mused pleasurably. She looked down at her Pokédex to see that Piplup had just a sliver of health left. Barely containing her anticipation, Dawn beamed with even greater confidence.

“It’s time to finish this, Piplup! Give Turtwig everything you got with one last Pound to the face!” Dawn ordered in pure, unrestricted adrenaline. Piplup tightened her hold on Turtwig’s face, and prepared to toss him up a few feet.

“Get outta there, Turtwig! Shake her off!” Barry desperately shrieked. Turtwig frantically shook his body around in an attempt to loosen Piplup’s supreme grip.

“Turtur Twigergh!” Turtwig wailed in aggravation. Sadly for him, no such action could deter Piplup’s resolve. The penguin parted both wings from Turtwig’s cheeks and powerfully wound one of them up. It glowed a striking white that nearly rivaled Withdraw in terms of evident brightness.

“Pound!” Dawn yelled one last time. Hearing this final command, Piplup dangerously narrowed her eyes and threw Turtwig a sizable distance above. She then speedily jumped aside, positioning herself in line with the descending form of Turtwig.

“PIIIIIIP…PLUUUUUUP!” Piplup shrieked, directly unleashing Pound straight into Turtwig’s right cheek. The attack deeply imprinted itself into his face, causing a shockwave of raw power to permeate around Route 202 in its entirety. Due to Piplup’s Attack being completely unchanged, higher Defense could not save Turtwig from receiving excessive damage, especially since his shell was the main source of protection all along. Turtwig, experiencing the brunt of Piplup’s Pound attack at full power, was sent absolutely flying in the opposite direction! Turtwig’s health bar slowly depleted as he uncontrollably flew along the path, somehow reaching red in mere milliseconds of time.

“Tuuuuuurrrrrrr!” screamed Turtwig in absolute agony. Succumbing to the effects of gravity, he smashed straight into Route 202’s path and fell limp. This produced multiple cracks in the pavement as he limply bounced along it.

“No! Turtwig!” Barry yelped in concern. He gazed at Turtwig’s beaten form in horror and regret, feeling like said pain came from his poor decision making as a trainer. As he ran towards his ailing Pokémon, Turtwig raggedly breathed with a look of sadness in his eyes. He tried with all his might to get up, but to no further avail. The turtle could plop himself onto the floor from reactionary exhaustion and soreness.

“T-Tur…huff…huff… twig…” Turtwig gasped. He then passed out from his injuries, both eyes reverting to black swirls. The brown twig on top of his head slightly wilted to the side as well. Barry wasted no time in cradling the wounded Turtwig, looking upon said Grass-type with equal sadness.

“I guess Turtwig is unable to battle?” Goku awkwardly mimicked what Roseanne said earlier. Dawn gazed at Turtwig’s fainted form, fully trying to comprehend what just took place.

“We did it…” mumbled Dawn. Suddenly, she picked up Piplup and spun around the route in sheer joy. She closed both eyes whilst her cheeks glowed a rosy red.

“We won! We won! We won! Hahahaha!” Dawn giggled in situational euphoria. Piplup laughed the same way as she tightly hung onto her trainer’s own hands.

“Piplup Piplup!” Piplup happily chirped. Her beak displayed the closest thing to a smile the Pokémon could physically muster.

“My first battle and I already lost?! Errrgh!” Barry growled disappointedly. This was more so towards himself than Turtwig, though. After all, a Pokémon’s trainer was typically at fault whenever it lost a battle. With said fact in mind, Barry apologetically frowned at his starter.

“I’m sorry, Turtwig. I should have helped you out more.” Barry whispered. He tightly hugged the earthen turtle to his chest in self-deprecating frustration.

“T-Tur…twi…” Turtwig weakly tried to comfort Barry. Before the creature could strain himself further, Barry brought out his Poké Ball and gently sent Turtwig back into it.

“Just rest up a bit, okay? You deserve it.” Barry soothingly muttered. The downcast tortoise was then converted into red energy before vanishing within said red-black sphere like before. Barry gazed at it for a moment before sighing heavily. This is not how he expected this battle to turn out at all.

“Hopefully ol’ Turtwig will get some experience out of this…” Barry moodily explained. He perused Turtwig’s Pokédex entry for any sign of improvement concerning stats and moves. As expected, it appeared that Turtwig went from Level 5 to around Level 9 as Goku’s Chimchar and Vegeta’s Piplup did. This helped improve his slightly bitter mood somewhat.

Finished with her makeshift happy dance, Dawn jogged up to Goku and Vegeta with Piplup in toe. She cutely grinned at the two, waiting to hear their thoughts on how the battle turned out. Their end of the bargain still needed to be fulfilled, after all.

“So, how was that, guys?” Dawn happily questioned. She rested both arms behind her back, looking at the two with a consistently wide smile.

“To be honest, it was an awesome battle, Dawn! Both of you did pretty well out there.” Goku complimented Barry and Dawn’s skills in battle. For beginners, they surprisingly understood the basics of Pokémon battling right off the bat. Even Professor Rowan would be quite impressed if he was still there. Appreciating these kind, positive words, Dawn shyly looked away from Goku out of slight embarrassment.

“T-Thanks, Goku. That’s nice to hear coming from you.” Dawn thanked Goku for his short compliment. She then regained her composure to look at him and Vegeta normally.

“No problem. You and Piplup work perfect together! Am I right, Chimchar?” Goku asked, peering down at the Fire-type starter in question. Chimchar backflipped and then gave a thumbs up to Dawn.

“Chimchim Char!” Chimchar cheeped enthusiastically. Goku and Dawn both beamed at the Chimp Pokémon gleeful response.

“Hehe. Yep. I can tell we’ll be quite a team someday.” Dawn inferred from their expert cooperation with one another in battle. Piplup upturned her beak in haughty agreement, acting as if her performance was a given.

“Pippip Plup.” Piplup chirped, resting her wings on both hips with sass. Barry reacted to Goku’s positive in a slightly less grateful manner. He crossed his arms with a faux belligerence.

“Thanks I guess. Buuuuut, just so you guys know, I was holding back…like a lot. The next time Turtwig and I battle either of you will be a completely different story!” Barry disingenuously promised. Based on what took place, Goku, Vegeta, and Dawn knew this claim to be completely false.

“It was an even battle, Barry. You don’t need to lie about it.” Dawn reminded Barry that his loss was nothing to be bothered by. Losing was a simply a part of life, even for Pokémon Trainers like them. Even Cynthia had her share of fair losses in the past. It was far outweighed by her victories and achievements, but still.

“L-Lie? Me? Psh. That’s another fine for you, Dawn.” Barry lambasted her in sarcastic offense. Dawn was, of course, unperturbed by her childhood friend’s favorite joke.

“I think you should pay me for winning this battle, Barry. That’s how the Pokémon Association rules go.” Dawn requested Barry to pay the loser’s fee indicative of all Pokémon battles. Barry looked through his pockets, noticing that he didn’t have much money as of now. There were probably some leftover Pokédollars hidden in his bag, but Dawn didn’t need to know that.

“I’m your friend, Dawn. Can’t you let it slide this time?” Barry deadpanned. Dawn rested one hand over her chin in a mock thinking position.

“Hmmmm I suppose I could… if you stop with this fining thing.” Dawn mischievously presented Barry with an ultimatum. Barry gasped, surprised by the sacrilege Dawn was spouting.

“Now that’s just cruel. You know I can’t do that.” Barry proudly denied Dawn’s request. “Fining is part of who I am!”

Goku scratched his head in puzzlement, not seeing why Barry was so obsessed with fining in the first place. Maybe it was just a random quirk of his that got out of hand or something. He could obviously tell Vegeta wouldn’t be able to tolerate it for much longer. The aforementioned prince’s eye steadily twitched every time Barry uttered the word, fine, or something similar.

“But why? It’s not like people will actually pay you or anything.” Goku pointed out. Barry quirked a brow, motioning for Goku to proceed with this explanation.

“And your point is…?” Barry inquired irritably. Whether he was actually listening to what Goku had to say could not be fully gathered.

“That fining doesn’t really make se—”

“Thought so.” Barry rudely interrupted Goku before he could finish speaking. “As I was saying, this battle will be the last time I ever lose! You’ll be eating my and Turtwig’s dust soon enough.” Barry boldly promised as if it were undeniable fact. Goku, although taken aback by Barry’s rude interruption beforehand, was further stunned by his high self-confidence. I guess this loss was already a thing of the past by now. At least in his mind, anyway.

“Ummm… well, maybe before running off again, you should go heal Turtwig first. The poor guy needs it after what Piplup did.” Goku helpfully advised, considering Turtwig’s safety and wellbeing above all else. This was a request that Barry did not have room to argue against.

“Eh. Fair enough. Let’s just all go to Sandgem Town’s Pokémon Center when we’re done here. It’s better than waiting til’ the next location.” Barry gave his own advice on what they should do next before exploring more of Route 202. “I still want to catch the next passenger of the Barry Express, after all! Hehe.”

In spite of the Barry Express quip, the other three, including Vegeta, agreed with this assessment. Catching more Pokémon was an inevitable task, so they would need to start doing it at some point. In this world, the more Pokémon a trainer had, the more likely they’ll be able to succeed with future endeavors.

“Okay then, Barry Express. That should work for us.” Dawn temporarily went along with Barry’s to-do-list. She then turned her attention toward a certain Saiyan royal, attempting to see if he “approved” of her after this battle’s ending. Vegeta refused to give her any sort of eye-contact.

“Got anything to say, Vegeta?” Dawn coyly asked. Lowly growling, Vegeta turned around to glance at the girl with little care. His Piplup shared a concerned look with hers as well.

“What is there to say? Your battling skills were…average at best. I can already tell your focus on proving yourself to others will be a notable problem in the future. This battle was the very example of that flaw on full display. Tell me, what would have happened if you did, in fact, lose?” Vegeta relentlessly critiqued Dawn’s more prominent faults. Dawn grew hesitant, wondering Vegeta’s comments held more truth than first expected.

“I-I…um…” Dawn stammered confusedly. Vegeta’s closed his eyes, already gauging the reaction Dawn would have based on firsthand experience.

“You’d cry or lose what little confidence you have left. In battle, behavior like that is a disgrace. Both a warrior and even a trainer like yourself should take pride in their abilities, even in the face of danger or inevitable defeat. I should know: I’ve been guilty of both many times over.” Vegeta lectured about the importance of maintaining one’s strength and pride in oneself. Dawn and Barry locked eyes with each other, collectively surprised by what Vegeta was implying.

“Wait, you’re telling me you actually cri—” Barry’s detrimental chortle was interrupted by a fierce, dead serious glare from Vegeta. This genuine stint of fury caught the Twinleaf Town native quite off-guard, honestly. All he could do was quickly place a hand over his mouth in apologetic silence.

“Yes! Don’t dwell on it too much, brat. The situation I experienced was a lot more hopeless and life-threatening than this.” Vegeta growled defensively, thinking back to his fight with Frieza on Namek. That was a moment of terror he did not want to relive at any point, let alone seeing Frieza himself again. “As any journey for the Dragon Balls will end up being. Kakarot’s apparently experienced it more times than I have, even. Not that mere children like you would even begin to understand.”

Dawn and Barry looked over to Goku, not expecting him to have far more experience with the Dragon Balls than his fellow Saiyan. Then again, due to Earth being his home planet ever since birth, such a prospect wasn’t all that farfetched.

“He’s right. I’ve dealt with bad guys searching for the Dragon Balls four times now. Well… erm… technically five if you count this current one.” Goku chuckled, reminiscing about his past adventures and adversaries. It was pretty crazy to think his first meeting with Bulma was almost two decades ago. Even now, that moment still felt like yesterday.

“F-Four times?! But, how? They both look to be only 15 or so! How would they have time to deal with stuff like that again and again?” Dawn asked herself in disbelief. She wondered if Goku and Vegeta hiding a lot more information than they actually revealed. How much information was a question she desperately needed an answer to.

“Oh. I see.” Dawn nervously uttered. She couldn’t begin to imagine how much turmoil Goku must have gone through during those searches, especially with his young age being put into consideration.

“However…” Vegeta begrudgingly added. Dawn’s downcast expression suddenly perked up at this word.

“However what?” Dawn quietly asked. Dawn’s heart began to beat erratically, hoping that Vegeta’s final thoughts would end up benefiting her in the end.

“However, I can tell that… you won’t be a complete nuisance to us on this “journey” of ours. So, if you can handle the potential danger…ergh…” Vegeta grunted, feeling absolutely disgusted with what he was about to do. He placed a hand over his temple and sighed in excess reluctance.

“Y-You mean I can…” Dawn murmured in building happiness. Her spirits became more positive and vibrant than ever with each syllable Vegeta pronounced. Said Saiyan shared a displeased look with Goku before abruptly slumping his shoulders.

“Yes, brat. You can become a part of our damned group.” Vegeta exclaimed in defeat. Not surprisingly, Dawn was absolutely delighted with this news. She toothily grinned, expressing her delight in the form of a light cheer.

“Really?! Thank you! Thank you!” Dawn whooped happily. She then pounced on Goku and Vegeta, wrapping her arms around them in a forced group hug. This awkward embrace almost caused the two Saiyans to comically topple over.

“Woah there, Dawn! Settle down.” Goku fearfully warned.

“Gah! Get off of me, woman!” Vegeta growled in outrage. Just before the duo could trip over Chimchar and Piplup, Dawn finally let them go.

“Oops. Sorry about that, guys. I got a bit carried away there.” Dawn embarrassingly apologized. Vegeta deadpanned at her whilst fixing up his scuffed up armor and blue jumpsuit.

“Carried away is an understatement.” Vegeta bitterly huffed. Seeing Dawn’s genuinely pleased smile did soften his temper somewhat. This, however, only made him even angrier on the inside.

“Damnit. I’ve gotten far too soft lately.” Vegeta ranted about his inexplicably kinder heart. Spending more time with Bulma and Trunks really was changing his Saiyan instincts. In fact, Trunks and kids his age in general were probably the main reason he couldn’t stay angry with Dawn for long.

“Soooo does that include me too, Veggie?” Barry curiously sidled up to Vegeta’s position. Vegeta stared the insufferable blonde down in annoyance.

“Don’t push it. You have some problems to work out too, Blondie.” Vegeta reprimanded Barry about his own flaws during the battle. The only son of Palmer nudged Vegeta’s shoulder with a mischievous grin.

“Aww don’t be like that. You know I’ve grown on you already. Right, Vegeta? Vegeta? Vegeta?” Barry continuously tried to get Vegeta’s attention. The insufferable sound of his voice felt oddly familiar to Vegeta for some reason. As he glared at Barry once more, the face of his thickheaded, long deceased partner appeared out of thin air. His bald head and moustache were the same as when he first killed him all those years ago, being placed directly over Barry’s.

“Vegeta? Vegeta? Vegeta?” the old Saiyan, Nappa, questioned in a gravelly, yet deep voice. After blinking a few times, the face of Nappa, thankfully, was no longer there. Vegeta anxiously shivered at the appearance of this ghost from his past.

“Ergh. Goddamnit, Nappa…” Vegeta absentmindedly swore. Next to Frieza, he was definitely the last person he wanted to see ever again for…very personal reasons.

“Ummm who’s Nappa?” Barry wondered. He was quite confused by Vegeta saying a random name out of nowhere. Not expecting Barry to hear him, Vegeta pinched the bridge of his nose and waved the boy off.

“None of your business. Just shut up and walk to the damn center.” Vegeta irritably ordered. After putting Turtwig’s Poké Ball and the Pokédex away, Barry did as the aggressive alien said.

“As you wish, your majesty. Hehe.” Barry replied while performing a low bow. He, as usual, sprinted ahead of the group and went back to Sandgem Town.

“Ugh. What the absolute hell did Kakarot and I just get ourselves into?” Vegeta fumed in exaggerated despair. He then gruffly followed after Barry alongside Goku, Dawn, and all three of their starters. As the two Piplups and Chimchar happily chatted with one another, Dawn contentedly stood in between her new traveling companions.

“You won’t regret this, guys. With me around, there will be no need to worry about finding those Dragon Balls!” Dawn pledged with a playful wink. Goku grew curious with Dawn’s emphasis on particular emphasis on “no need to worry”.

“Why did you say it like that?” Goku wondered, crossing both arms behind his head while walking.

“Oh that? It’s been my catchphrase ever since I was little. I heard a Frontier Brain named Dahlia say it on TV once and thought I’d use it. Then well, it just sort of stuck I guess.” Dawn explained the origins behind her favorite term of phrase. Goku grew puzzled by the title of Frontier Brain, assuming that it had similar authority to the Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and Champion of this region. The name Dahlia was also fairly strange, but to be fair, most of his friends were named after food, including himself, Vegeta, and the entire Saiyan race.

“Frontier Brain, huh? Wonder if she’s pretty strong too.” Goku commented in growing curiosity. It seemed this version of Earth was chock full of strong battlers.

“Oh she definitely is. Barry’s dad, Palmer, is a Frontier Brain too, so they’re around the same level. Some say they may even rival Cynthia herself in terms of strength.” Dawn recalled the expertise all five Frontier Brains shared with each other. This tidbit only made the prospect of battling them even more enticing for Goku from a Pokémon Trainer’s perspective.

“Wow. That’s good to know.” Goku mumbled in awe. “I can’t wait for Chimchar and I to battle them someday!”

“Chimchar!” Chimchar bravely bared his claws in determination.

“Mmhm. We’ve still got a long way to go until then, though. After we get everyone healed at the Pokémon Center, our adventure will finally be under way. From that point, there will be no need to worry about us three.” Dawn expressed her anticipation for the long journey ahead of them. Vegeta audibly groaning, starting to get annoyed with this so-called phrase.

“You’re going to make that a habit, aren’t you?” Vegeta assumed in growing ire. He couldn’t tell which was worse between Barry’s “fining” and this… overly optimistic one. Both would get on his nerves eventually, no doubt.

“Nah, don’t be silly, Vegeta. It may be my catchphrase, but I won’t say it all the time.” Dawn lightheartedly chuckled at such a ridiculous possibility. She then started chatting with Goku again as the group traveled back to Sandgem Town for a short pitstop.

“Why do I get the feeling she’s lying?” Vegeta squinted his eyes in suspicion. With Dawn around, his and Goku’s time here would definitely become a lot more interesting to say the least. However, interesting did not exactly equate to “good” in Vegeta and Goku’s case, especially considering the strange oddities they’ve experienced in the past. Would they truly have no need to worry about Dawn’s presence like she claimed? Only time will tell in the mysterious land of Sinnoh.

Chapter Text

Sandgem Town’s Pokémon Center was comparatively smaller than other locations. The entire building seemed to be quite rectangular from the inside. There were also towering white walls lined with either red or orange highlights. Said outlines contrasted well with the yellow of this particular center’s tiled floor. The center of these tiles was visibly distinguishable due to the inclusion of a Poké Ball symbol, signifying its namesake as a hospital for healing all types of Pokémon. However, aside from some escalators leading to upper and lower floors respectively, the most eye-catching feature, by far, was its front desk. While appearing much like any other table, this desk differed in terms of general appearance and functionality. Its surface was just as red as the Pokémon Center’s trademark roof, sporting miscellaneous office supplies and strangely enough, multiple potted plants. Contained from inside of the desk were many rejuvenation machines similar to the one Professor Rowan owned in his laboratory. Along with a television screen displaying some sort of program or broadcasting station, doors leading to more “authentic” operating rooms could be seen.

These rooms were exclusive to Pokémon put into critical condition, and the main operator of this facility, Nurse Joy. Much like any other member of the Joy family, she had pink hair tied back into two loops that were set behind each ear. She wore a typical nurse’s hat with a red cross drawn in the middle of it as well. Her basic attire mainly consisted of a pink, collared dress that a white apron was placed over. This apron was tied down in the form of a much larger-than-necessary bow that slightly covered her lower backside. Nurse Joy’s eyes were also a striking blue that brimmed to life with the utmost kindness and warmth, much befitting of a Pokémon veterinarian like herself.

At the moment, Nurse Joy was tending to a fairly anxious Barry. He heavily leaned over the desk, placing Turtwig’s Poké Ball in front of her as much as possible. It appeared that his recent defeat against Dawn was far less important than rushing off to the next location of their journey. His aforementioned childhood friend facepalmed while holding Piplup’s Poké Ball in her own free hand. Goku and Vegeta, on the other hand, were busy getting a better look at the Pokémon Center’s interior design.

“Huh. This place is a lot bigger on the inside.” Goku observed, swiveling his body to get a better look. Set alongside each wall, there appeared to be computer monitors with phones attached to their side. He couldn’t help, but wonder if that was how video communication worked in this universe.

“That’s nothing to be impressed by, Kakarot. All hospitals look the same.” Vegeta scoffed in a bored tone. At the word, “hospital”, Goku’s entire body suddenly grew on-edge.

“Yeah, but hopefully this one doesn’t have any needles nearby.” Goku said, shivering uneasily at such a prospect. “I’m too hungry to be scared right now.”

“Tsk. Needles?” Vegeta groaned, shaking his head in disappointment. “How embarrassing.”

Goku frowned at Vegeta, feeling as if he was being needlessly rude. Admittedly, that was quite normal for his fellow Saiyan, but it was the thought that counted in that moment. He furrowed his eyebrows and crossed both arms in slight offence.

“Hey. I don’t bother you about being afraid of worms.” Goku replied. Vegeta’s eyes widened, feeling personally attacked by the open acknowledge of his secret fear.

“I told you not to talk about that!” Vegeta hissed angrily. He began to gag just thinking of that bizarre adventure him and Goku had inside of Super Buu’s body. Most of the time, Vegeta tried to forget such an event even happened.

“Not so funny now, is it?” Goku chuckled with a mischievous smirk. Dawn quirked a brow at the two’s session of bickering, picking up bits and pieces of what they mentioned. One topic, however, particularly caught her interest.

“Needles and worms, hm? Hehe. I’m gonna have a lot fun with those.” Dawn giggled, making a mental note about the Saiyan duo’s so-called phobias. Despite their immense strength, it appeared that both Goku and Vegeta had a fair share of weaknesses from time to time.

Meanwhile, Barry continued getting into Nurse Joy’s personal space, and shook Turtwig’s Poké Ball about in rapid succession. The boy was practically in a state of begging at this point.

“Can you please heal my Turtwig really quick, Nurse Joy? I’m kinda in a hurry.” Barry pleaded in growing impatience.

“In a hurry for what? We’re all going to the same place, Barry.” Dawn reminded her friend.

“So? I gotta keep moving if I want to improve on our last battle.” Barry responded, expressing his interest in growing better than he is now. “Pokémon don’t train or catch themselves; you know?”

“Rushing forward without any rhyme or reason won’t help out either, though. Just saying.” Dawn mumbled with a passive shrug. Barry’s tendency to finish stuff as fast as possible was one of the main factors that contributed to his loss, after all.

“Don’t you mean just…Saiyan? Eh eh?” Barry quipped, looking back at all three of his fellow trainers to see their visible reactions to said joke. Dawn, Vegeta, and even Goku all collectively groaned at this corny play on words. Comedy obviously wasn’t one of Barry’s strong suits to say the least.

“Oh ha ha. Like we haven’t heard that one before.” Vegeta sarcastically glowered. He practically rolled both eyes into the back of his head out of sheer disgust.

“Something tells me he and King Kai would get along pretty well.” Goku muttered over to Vegeta, sporting a small grin on his face. Even King Kai himself didn’t have the best sense of humor out there. In that regard, Barry and him would make an unbeatable team of bad pun enthusiasts.

“Don’t have any idea who that is, but thanks! At least someone’s nice enough to appreciate my style of humor.” Barry beamed, giving Goku an appreciative thumbs up. A glimmering twinkle appeared in his orange eyes as he turned around to address Nurse Joy once more.

“Well, I wouldn’t say appreciate…” Goku whispered whilst scratching the side of his cheek.

Nurse Joy, in the process of organizing her desk to prepare for healing Barry and Dawn’s respective Pokémon, gazed at the four in puzzlement. She honestly had no idea what they were talking about most of the time, a fact which slightly dumbfounded the typically kind-hearted nurse to no end.

“It seems that each generation of trainers just keeps getting weirder than the next.” Nurse Joy sighed inwardly. She then cleared her throat, attempting to calm Barry’s frazzled, overly impatient mood.

“Settle down now, everyone. I’ll tend to your Pokémon in just a moment.” Nurse Joy assured, waving her hands down in order to soothe them.

Suddenly, another individual came out from one of the Pokémon Center’s backdoors. It was a pink, egg-shaped organism with beady eyes and a pair of stubby feet to match. The creature also had three tufts of hair on each side of her head, all sporting darker pink tips at the end. Along with having a short, nearly triangular tail, this Pokémon possessed an egg in the center of her stomach. Said egg was firmly tucked into a small pouch that matched the color of both her feet and hair extensions.

“Chansey! Chansey!” The newly revealed Chansey chirped with enthusiasm. Sporting a cap identical to Joy’s, Chansey waddled over to her human colleague with a cupholder-like device lying atop each nub. There were six open slots in this particularly tray, most likely used for the purpose of containing a trainer’s Poké Balls if need be.

“Thank you, Chansey.” Nurse Joy warmly stated. Due to Chansey’s short stature, Joy leaned downward to retrieve the tray.

“Chanse.” Chansey nodded with a kind smile. In spite of Chansey’s friendly looking appearance, Vegeta blankly stared at the Pokémon in appalment. The big-headed penguin was somewhat normal considered to this…thing. Being pink and overtly feminine didn’t really help its case either.

“What…what in the absolute hell am I looking at?” Vegeta stammered in visible revulsion. Chansey tilted her head…erm…body to the side, wondering why this flame-haired boy was looking at her so weirdly.

“Guess this is a good opportunity to check.” Goku said, shuffling through his backpack for the Pokédex. After finding it, Goku opened up the device’s screen and directed its sensor toward Chansey.

“Scanning Pokémon 097: Chansey, the Egg Pokémon. It is a Normal-type and the evolved form of Happiny. Possible abilities include Natural Cure and Serene Grace with Healer being its Hidden Ability. Description: A kindly Pokémon that lays nutritious eggs and shares them with injured Pokémon or people. Identified Gender Ratio: 100% Female and 0% Male. Specified Nature: Gentle.” Goku’s Pokédex revealed more information about Chansey. The spiky-haired Saiyan stroked his chin, somewhat intrigued by Chansey’s entry in comparison to others.

“Huh. It seems like a pretty nice Pokémon to me.” Goku noted, closing the Pokédex’s screen shut once more. Vegeta still snorted at the very sight of said Normal-type Pokémon.

“Still doesn’t make it any less of an abomination. It looks like something Majin Buu would crap out if he somehow managed to lay eggs.” Vegeta proclaimed in pure revulsion. Dawn and Barry glanced at each other, curious to know who or what exactly this Buu guy was. Chansey herself also sported an even greater amount of bewilderment.

“Majin who?” Barry blankly asked. Not wanting to get into the gritty details, Goku brushed aside their question with a small wave of his hand.

“It’s a long story. Vegeta and I have seen some pretty weird stuff back in our world.” Goku nervously stated. In regards to their wide array of adversaries, weirdness was pretty much commonplace among them.

“Considering your guys’ background, I can’t say I’m surprised.” Dawn admitted with a neutral, yet understanding expression.

“Besides, if you think Chansey is ugly, you haven’t seen anything yet.” Barry laughed, nudging his elbow into Vegeta’s side. “Trust me, Veggie. There’s far worse Pokémon out there.”

“Can’t be any worse than you are, Blondie.” Vegeta scoffed, feeling a bit annoyed by Barry’s unforeseen jab. Barry, highly exaggerating the impact of this remark, gasped and took a step back.

“Yeesh. Is your name Beedrill cause that one kinda stung!” Barry comically joked. To Goku, Dawn, and especially Vegeta, this pun was even more groan-inducing than the previous one.

“Ugh.” Dawn sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. Times like this made her thankful Barry wasn’t officially joining their group. At least, not yet.

“Were you born to be this much of a moron?” Vegeta growled irritably. Undeterred by the anger prince’s hostility, Barry smugly grinned in amusement.

“Nah. I’m born to be the very best!” Barry remarked, proudly jerking a thumb at his chest.

“Like no one ever was. Yeah, yeah. We’ve heard it all before, Barry.” Dawn said while crossing her arms. Such a phrase was starting to become overdone at this point, even when Red used it during the Indigo Plateau Conference three years prior.

“Hmph. Still doesn’t make it any less of a fact.” Barry boldly claimed. Goku shook his head, fearing that Barry didn’t quite learn from his past battle.

“I mean your loss kind of did. There’s a lot you need to improve on before that can happen.” Goku reminded Barry in a brutally honest, yet kind tone. Barry furrowed his eyebrows, giving Goku a slightly cold stare. The Saiyan was right of course, but admitting it didn’t fit Barry’s attitude at the moment.

“I know that! That’s why I want to start training with Turtwig pronto!” Barry grumbled reluctantly. He then pointed a finger at Goku’s face in minor annoyance. “Don’t make me fine you for stating the obvious, Goku.”

“I wasn’t trying to. I just wanted to make sure you knew why Dawn won that battle, even if she’s not even close to being the best either.” Goku calmly reiterated his point. Barry looked at Dawn, knowing that one victory didn’t suddenly put her on a higher pedestal than him. Both of them were still beginners and thus, had an equal amount of work to do in terms of getting better. Goku and Vegeta, in spite of their inhuman strength and combat efficiency, were also in the same boat.

“Point taken then.” Barry nodded in agreement. Nurse Joy, not wishing to intrude on their personal matters, quietly noted the amount of Poké Balls waiting to be healed.

“So…ahem…will these two be all?” Nurse Joy politely asked. Dawn and Barry replied by simultaneously handing their Poké Balls over to her.

“Yep. That’s it for now right now.” Dawn affirmed with a small grin. Smiling back, Nurse Joy placed the sealed Piplup and Turtwig in two out of the tray’s six slots.

“Alrighty then. I’ll take your Pokémon for a few seconds.” Nurse Joy informed. She then took the tray and placed it into the healing machine. After locking into place, the machine whirred to life and consumed the two Poké Balls in a vibrant flash of green light. It flickered three times in quick succession before deactivating just as suddenly.

Nurse Joy, nodding at the results, detached the tray from said machine and set it back down on the countertop. In only a matter of seconds, it appeared that Piplup and Turtwig were perfectly healthy once again.

“There you are. Piplup and Turtwig should be back in tip-top shape.” Nurse Joy said, handing each Poké Ball back to their individual owners. After taking them back, the two 13-year-olds smiled in a mix of relief and gratitude.

““Thank you, Nurse Joy.”” Barry and Dawn thanked the nurse in unison. Nurse Joy giggled, tilting her head to the side in, fittingly enough, joy.

“You’re welcome, kids. On behalf of the Pokémon Association, we hope to see you again sometime soon!” Nurse Joy bowed her head in the form of a small curtsey.

“Chansey! Chanse!” Chansey cried, imitating the same pose as her colleague. Just as Barry and Dawn were about to head out, an odd question suddenly came to Goku’s mind. He hurriedly walked up to the desk and stood in front of it.

“Excuse me, miss. I had a question to ask you.” Goku requested out-of-the-blue. Nurse Joy looked down at the boy with sudden interest.

“Oh sure. What did you want to ask me, dear?” Nurse Joy warmly asked. At the same time, she tried her best not stare at Goku’s bizarre, gravity-defying hairstyle. How did it even stand up like that?

“Professor Rowan told us that there’s Nurse Joys in multiple Pokémon Centers across Sinnoh. If you’re named Nurse Joy, how does that work exactly?” Goku asked in confusion. He would have suggested something like teleportation or duplication, but this Nurse Joy seemed like a normal, everyday woman to him. It wouldn’t make much sense for that to be the case, even if Nurse Joys were supposedly found across the entire globe.

Nurse Joy was practically at a loss for words. She didn’t expect someone to ask such a straightforward question since, for all intents and purposes, Pokémon Centers were a part of everyday life for all regions. The fact this boy stated it so bluntly further intrigued her in an somewhat amusing way.

“Well, it was only a matter of time until someone asked me that question. It comes up far less than you’d think.” Nurse Joy muttered, playing with her hair in reactionary puzzlement. She clasped both hands in front of her dress, and took a deep breath.

“See, Nurse Joy is more of a granted title than anything else. I share it with my sisters, cousins, nieces, and so on. That’s only because our surname is Joy, not a first like many people assume.” Nurse Joy explained the practically unknown history behind her family name. She smiled, happily pointing at herself.

“My first name is actually Sandra, or Sandy for short, in case you’re curious. Hehe.” Nurse Joy formally introduced herself.

“Sandy in Sandgem Town? That couldn’t have been a coincidence.” Barry deadpanned, finding such a play-on-words far beyond accidental. Nurse Joy just shrugged with playful obliviousness.

“Sort of and sort of not. It’s hard to say for certain.” Nurse Joy acknowledged. She then shuffled through her belongings, locating a small, rectangular picture frame. The Pokémon nurse then handed it over to Goku, so him and the others could take a closer look.

“Here’s a family photo to prove what I was saying. That’s me and some of the fellow Nurse Joys operating in nearby cities.” Nurse Joy pointed out. Goku, Vegeta, Dawn, and Barry all huddled together, intently studying the photograph in shared curiosity. The family picture depicted around 10 or so Nurse Joys sitting on a bench, each with identical faces, hairstyles, and eyes. The only thing distinguishable between them were uniquely colored crosses on their hats, and differing skin tones. Other than that, every single Nurse Joy, as Professor Rowan mentioned, looked exactly the same.

The four squinted their eyes, looking up at Nurse Joy and back at the photo in a quick, repetitious motion. Even Dawn and Barry, despite being born in this universe, were taken aback by the absurdity of Nurse Joy’s family tree, or lack thereof.

“This just raises even more questions.” Vegeta mumbled, feeling off-put by each Nurse Joy’s lack of individual identity. Last name or not, telling them apart from one another was practically impossible.

“Wait, if you’re sisters, cousins, and such, how do you look exactly the same?” Goku pondered in visible stupefaction. “I don’t think genetic stuff is supposed to work like that.”

“Says the guy whose son looks exactly like him.” Vegeta grunted mentally. Even with such hypocrisy in mind, the clown still brought up a good point. There’s no possible way a family as big as hers could look exactly the same throughout multiple generations. Unless some…disturbing stuff was involved in the past.

“It’s simple. We’re identical clones of the original Nurse Joy that Pokemon Association scientists have manufactured for years on end. Some say the original is alive somewhere, still having her DNA extracted to this very day.” Nurse Joy unveiled with a dark, sickly sweet smile. The utter lifeless in her eyes further emphasized the eerie nature of this explanation.

“…” All four Pokémon Trainers awkwardly stared at Nurse Joy in unease. The fact such a statement made actual sense further disturbed them, including the usually gruff Vegeta. However, Nurse Joy was somehow unaware of both their distress and the uncomfortable silence produced after her little tangent.

“I’m just kidding around. Let’s just say the gene for pink hair and blue eyes is more consistently dominant in our family.” Nurse Joy giggled amusedly. “And X chromosomes now that I think about it.”

She then looked up, seeing that all four were more so disturbed by her joke than anything else. Not expecting this sort of reaction, Nurse Joy quirked a brow in surprise.

“Uh…you kids did know I was joking, right?” Nurse Joy inquired. While avoiding eye contact with her, the four Pokémon Trainers hesitantly nodded in confirmation.

“Oh…sure. You really got us there, Nurse Joy.” Dawn weakly chuckled in a disingenuous manner.

“Yeah. Funny stuff. Ehehe.” Barry snorted, coughing a few times to hide his true reaction.

“You probably could have said it a funnier way, at least.” Goku muttered, glancing away from Nurse Joy to scratch some of his hair.

“Yeah. Sometimes I get carried away with my responses to that question. Silly me.” Nurse Joy chirped apologetically. She placed a hand over her mouth to conceal any sort of laughter threatening to break out.

“Right. Poor excuse of a joke aside, I’m still onto you and your supposed “family”, Nurse. If that’s even what you really are.” Vegeta growled intimidatingly. He glared at Nurse Joy with the utmost suspicion.

“O-Ok then. I’ll keep that in mind…I think.” Nurse Joy whispered, further caught off-guard by Vegeta’s sudden aggression.

“Hmph.” Vegeta sniffed. He then closed his eyes, marching away from the front desk without another word.

“What a strange kid…” Nurse Joy thought in pure confoundment. His blue jumpsuit and battle armor combo was fairly bizarre as well.

“You don’t need to be paranoid, Vegeta. She was just doing her job.” Goku lightly chastised his rival.

“Paranoid? Please. I was only making a reasonable observation of her little “joke” about clones. Even if her family has a set genetic makeup like she claimed, cloning isn’t off the table as a possibility. Keep in mind that the damned Androids were created from a similar form of biological experimentation.” Vegeta gruffy stated, suspicious as to whether or not experiments similar to Dr. Gero’s could be conducted in this universe. If the scientists here were intelligent enough to create and mass-produce Poké Balls with seemingly little effort, there was no telling what else could be created with enough supplies.

“Yeah, but they don’t need to know about that right now.” Goku whispered close to Vegeta’s ear, making sure Nurse Joy, Barry, and Dawn weren’t able to overhear them. “We haven’t even started looking for the Dragon Balls, after all.”

“Don’t remind me, Kakarot. That’s exactly why the sooner we get out of this dump, the bett—” Vegeta was interrupted by the sight of a bird flying sporadically in mid-air. It flapped both wings, trying its absolute hardest to slow down.

“Staaaarlly!” Starly squealed in sheer terror. Suddenly losing control, the black-gray bird loudly smacked against the Pokémon Center’s glass doorway. Its cheek smooshed against said entrance, hanging there for an extended moment or two.

“S-Star…” Starly sorely squeaked out. Its entire body slid against the aforementioned door, causing it to fall face first into the ground. Ruffling about to regain its lost composure, the Stary tried to hurriedly fly away out of fear and nervousness. Unfortunately, due to its injured wing, all the helpless Flying-type Pokémon could do was hop for dear life.

Directly afterwards, another period of awkward silence suddenly emerged. While Dawn, Vegeta, and Goku all peered at one another in confusion, Barry was struggling to contain his excitement. Despites its weakened state, he was already dead-set on making that Starly his second Pokémon.

“What just happened?” Dawn asked aloud. She needed to rub her eyes a bit just to comprehend what just took place.

“Oh no. They’re back again.” Nurse Joy murmured in dismay. Goku turned her head toward the medical specialist with interest.

“Who’s they?” Goku wondered. Outside, Starly continued leaping toward a nearby patch of forest. For some reason, there seemed to be fresh berries and other food falling out of its open beak while doing so. Each one squished beneath its orange feet as the bird moved further.

“Starstarstar!” Starly panted, slowly succumbing to the effects of its injuries. Just as it was about to escape, two larger, yet similar looking birds appeared in front of Starly. These Pokémon had the same beak and feet of their pre-evolved form, but much larger in terms of general appearance. They also sported smaller black-white eyes and longer, more curvy tufts of hair on top. Much like Starly, their faces were white, feathery masks surrounded by black plumage as well. Strangely enough, this same plumage displayed an “M”-shaped pattern right beneath their beaks.

““Staraviaa!”” The two avian creatures squawked. To Starly’s growing horror, both Staravias simultaneously flapped their wings, producing highspeed winds that sent it flying backward.

“Star!” Starly cried out. It limply bounced against the ground, lying a few feet from the Pokémon Center’s entrance. Struggling to get up, an immense, shadowy figure emerged beside the small bird.
This particular Pokémon towered over its fellow birds by a large margin. As opposed to Starly and Staravia’s curls, it had a scythe-like crest whose tip was tinged a fiery red. It additionally had massive orange legs and an even smaller, yet sharper beak than its two pre-evolved forms. The tail sticking out of its backside was uniquely distinguished by five knife-like feathers as well. However, aside from its extensive wingspan and bushier plumage, the most intimidating aspect of this predatorial bird were its red eyes. Both of them screamed intimidation and bloodlust all at the same time.

“Star…raptor…” The final evolution of Starly growled lowly. What set this Staraptor apart from other members of its species was the nasty, jagged scar that struck through its left iris. Said scar was an even darker red than both eyes themselves, deeply contrasting with the white of its feathery mask.

“Starly star?” Starly fearfully squeaked. It chuckled somewhat, hiding any sort of nervousness with a light wave of its wang. The Staraptor in question was not pleased by this greeting in the slightest.
Nurse Joy frowned at the sight of this scene, gesturing to Staraptor and both Staravia as a direct response to Goku’s question.

“Them. For a few years now, that Staraptor has been terrorizing the Pokémon near Twinleaf Town, Sandgem Town, and so on. He particularly targets other members of his species and thus, has forced many Starly and Staravia to ration a large sum of their food supply for him alone. Some passersby have given him the nickname, Scaraptor, in reference to his…well…most identifiable feature.” Nurse Joy sadly explained the circumstances behind “Scaraptor”, and what was taking place. Barry studied said Staraptor’s scar, checking to see if such a name was warranted.

“Yep. That name fits pretty well.” Barry nodded affirmatively. Seeing Starly surrounded by Scaraptor and his little flock didn’t sit right with him. If he wanted to catch the bird as planned, something would need to be done and fast.

“And, unfortunately, it appears that Starly didn’t give up its fair share of food this time around.” Nurse Joy said, clasping her hands together in worry. “Poor dear.”

Barry and the others then took out their respective Pokédex a second time. In order to help Starly, they first needed a bit better understanding of how each Pokémon behaved. Recording their entries into the device didn’t help either.

“Scanning Pokémon No. 10: Starly, the Starling Pokémon. It is a pre-evolved Normal/Flying-type Pokémon with one common ability, Keen Eye, and one hidden ability, Reckless. Description: Because they are weak individually, they form groups. However, they bicker if the group grows too big. Identified Gender: Female. Specified Nature: Naughty.”

“Scanning Pokémon No. 11: Staravia, the Starling Pokémon. It is a Normal/Flying-type Pokémon and the evolved form of Starly. Possible Abilities include Intimidate and Reckless as its only known Hidden Ability. Description: Recognizing their own weakness, they always live in a group. When alone, a Staravia cries noisily. Identified Genders: Male and Female. Specified Natures: Impish and Lonely.”

“Scanning Pokémon No. 12: Staraptor, the Predator Pokémon. It is a Normal/Flying-type Pokémon and the evolved form of Staravia. Possible Abilities include Intimidate and Reckless as its only known Hidden Ability. Description: It never stops attacking even if it is injured. It fusses over the shape of its comb. Identified Gender: Male. Specified Nature: Relaxed.” The four Pokédex announced before shutting down. Dawn grimaced, angry at the sight of Scaraptor and his goons closing in on Starly.

“Well? Are we just going to stand here or help out that defenseless Starly?” Dawn asked demandingly. Barry smirked, wanting to save that Starly even more than she did. More so for making it apart of his team, but that was beside the point.

“I’m way ahead of you, Dawn. Let’s give that Scaraptor jerk his just desserts!” Barry stated proudly. He then rolled up his sleeves and made a run for the door. Fearing the worst, Nurse Joy stood up from her desk in concern.

“Don’t be so reckless, kids! That Staraptor is especially hostile towards humans like us. Where do you think that scar came from in the first place?” Nurse Joy warned in a serious tone. Suddenly, Barry stopped in place to give her a confident, carefree smirk.

“Feh. We’re Pokémon Trainers, Nurse Joy. Dealing with dangerous stuff like this sort of comes with the territory.” Barry reminded the Nurse of what being a Pokémon Trainer exactly entailed. “Compared to everything else in the world, there’s no need to fear some edgy-looking Staraptor.”

Nurse Joy considered Barry’s words, but still felt hesitant to let them fend off Scaraptor and his duo of Staravia. Allowing them to jeopardize their Pokémon journey before it even began just felt wrong and, in a way, irresponsible.

“Besides, Goku and Vegeta aren’t exactly some run-of-the-mill kids. They’ve been through much worse in the past.” Dawn acknowledged both Saiyans’ unique past. She was still interested in finding out what they’ve exactly dealt with before arriving here.

“W-What in the world do you mean by that?” Nurse Joy stuttered in confusion. Despite their odd hairstyles and attire, Vegeta and Goku seemed like normal kids to her. Then again, they did casually mention things that she’s never heard of before.

“Believe me, I’m just confused by them as you are. But you’ll see what I mean soon enough.” Dawn promised with a small hint of mischief. With that, Dawn, Barry, Goku, and Vegeta walked through the Pokémon Center’s doors.

“Oh boy. Good thing I’m certified to treat people as well.” Nurse Joy thought exasperatedly. She lightly massaged her forehead, praying that all four trainers would be careful.

After going outside, Barry and the other three took a better look at what was going on. Scaraptor, to Starly’s terror, was inspecting her like a predator would to their next prey. He was particularly angered by the sight of multiple squashed berries staining the ground.

Barry clenched his fists, already fearing the worst for Starly was yet to come. He then glanced at Turtwig’s Poké Ball in tentative contemplation. Grass-types were weak to Flying-types, so using him again probably wouldn’t be the right decision.

“Sorry, Turtwig, but you’ll need to sit this one out. I can’t afford to let you get hurt again.” Barry reluctantly decided. He gave one last look at the ball before sticking it back into his satchel.

“Welp, looks like it’s up to me. Hopefully this Staraptor isn’t insanely over leveled or something.” Barry sighed, taking a small breath to keep himself composed. His childish excitement to own Starly was still there, but not as much.

“Starly star. Starly?” Starly chirped, addressing the three like they were good friends. This, however, was far from the truth.

“Avia staravia!” Staravia sniggered haughtily. He gestured to the berry juice tricking out of Starly’s beak as definitive proof of her guilt. The liquid blue color seemed to originate from Oran Berries growing on some of the trees.

“Starharhar. Aviastar.” The other Staravia laughed as well. She shoved Starly from the back, making sure it couldn’t escape Scaraptor’s upcoming punishment. Whether or not either Staravia noticed Barry was hard to say in that moment.

With the utmost authority, Scaraptor raised one of his wings to silence both Staravias. He then narrowed his bloodred eyes, glancing from one end of Sandgem Town to another. The small remnants of wasted food and sustenance only heightened his temper to a nearly explosive degree.

Utilizing his Ability, Intimidate, Scaraptor fully outstretched both wings and surrounded himself in a shadowy, dark aura. Purple smoke permeated from its feathers and pores, enhancing Starly’s fear to an even stronger degree. The small bird stood frozen in place as Scaraptor, eyes glowing a sinister red, prepared to strike. Decreasing her Attack stat only made Starly all the more vulnerable than before.

“Raptor. Staaaaaar…raptor!” Staraptor roared furiously, attempting to strike Starly with his razor sharp beak. Strangely enough, his beak, wings, and feet all glowed a vibrant reddish-orange beforehand.

“Oh no. That’s Close Combat!” Dawn gasped, recognizing the powerful Fighting-type move from memory. “This Staraptor is more cruel than I thought!”

“That tears it then.” Barry muttered determinedly. After rummaging through his bag a second time, he pulled out of the Poké Balls Professor Rowan gave to him. This action confused an observant Goku.

“Uh, Barry? What are you doing with tha—” Suddenly, Barry chucked the Poké Ball directly at Scaraptor’s head. It spun around, gradually picking up speed as it closed in on oblivious Staraptor. He was simply too preoccupied with performing Close Combat on Starly.

“Staaaaar!” Starly screamed, flailing her wings about helplessly. Before she could fully embrace the beatdown of a lifetime, Barry’s Poké Ball slammed against the back of Scaraptor’s head. Said Poké Ball, however, didn’t end up capturing the fully evolved Pokémon as usual because Barry had none of the 8 badges necessary at this point. Instead, to everyone’s surprise, a large, pulsating bruise jutted out of Scaraptor’s scalp. The Poké Ball limply bounced off of this bruise, rolling toward Goku’s feet.

“Hold it right there, Mr. Angry Bird!” Barry bravely shouted. Deactivating Close Combat, Scaraptor slowly turned his head to glare at Barry. His mood appeared to worsen at the known presence of a human.

“Starap.” Staraptor growled, dangerously narrowing his eyes in outrage. In that moment, he sounded much more like a tiger than any sort of existing bird.

“If you think picking on a Pokémon smaller and weaker than you is right, then I’ll have to charge a hefty fine that can’t be simply paid in full.” Barry threatened with an accusative point at Scaraptor’s face. Starly, while still afraid, began to feel more confused than anything else.

“S-Starly?” Starly stammered, tilting her round head to study Barry’s present form. Throughout the years of Starly’s relatively short life, this was the first time a human has ever tried to help her. And against a powerful Pokémon like Staraptor no less.

The Staravias on either side of Starly glanced at one another in amazement, unable to fully comprehend the spectacle that was taking place before them. It honestly kind of frightened them a bit, especially concerning Staraptor’s obvious fury.

“Now, step away from this little…erg…girl and get your own food to pig out on. Judging from your size, big guy, I’d say you’ve had quite enough as is.” Barry joked about Scaraptor’s size. To emphasize his point, he outlined the image of a large stomach using both hands.

“R-Raptor?!” Staraptor gaped in shock. Getting the gist of Barry’s insult, Scaraptor sported a much darker glare than mere seconds prior.

“Barry’s either brave or being extra stupid right now.” Dawn murmured with mixed thoughts on the matter. While somewhat admirable, Vegeta obviously thought Barry was the latter in this situation.

“Whatever. The blonde buffoon can put himself in more danger for all I care.” Vegeta glowered in evident disinterest. Goku, on the other hand, saw a hint of concern in the Saiyan Prince’s stone-cold glare. He knew Vegeta long enough to notice that detail for certain.

“Hm. Is that really what you think, Vegeta?” Goku asked in suspicion. Vegeta growled through his teeth, rolling both eyes at the Earthborn Saiyan out of annoyance.

“Don’t play that type of card with me, Kakarot! I’m stating what’s on my mind. End of story.” Vegeta barked angrily. Despite what he said, the glint of irritation towards what was taking place did not waver.

“Hrggh. Staraptor!” Scaraptor grunted. The Predator Pokémon speedily pecked at one of Barry’s arms, managing to tear a small hole in his sleeve. This, unfortunately, managed to draw some blood.

“Ng.” Barry clicked his tongue out of momentary pain. He tightly shut one eye, trying his hardest to ignore it.

“Get out of there, Barry!” Dawn cried, already fearing that injuries would get worse for Barry from here on.

“Calm down, Dawn. It’s just a little scratch.” Barry calmly assured his friend. “Besides, keeping Starly safe is more important right now.”

He then crouched downward, securely blocking Starly away from Scaraptor and his Staravia supporters. Barry kindly smirked at the Starling Pokémon in relief.

“You are doing okay, right?” Barry asked curiously. Starly’s orange beak was slightly agape in response to this question.

“Starly star…” Starly hesitantly nodded her head one or two times. Relieved, Barry wiped some sweat off of his brow.

“Phew. That’s good to hear.” Barry lightly chuckled to himself. “When this over, I’ll give you a one-way ticket on the ol’ Barry Express here. How does that sound?”

“Star?” Starly confusedly chirped, unsure of what this “Barry Express” even was. Barry, unsurprisingly, wasn’t entirely aware of that fact.

“The food is free by the way. Treats will always be on me.” Barry attempted to persuade Starly with the promise of more food. Feeling that Barry was ignoring him, Scaraptor huffed, and signaled for both Staravia to strike the impudent kid.

““Aviaaaaa!”” The Staravias sporadically flapped their wings, projecting streams of wind that smacked against Barry’s back in a repetitious manner. While this dual onslaught of Wing Attacks did sting a little, Barry hovered over Starly to keep her safe from any potential harm.

“Errrgh. Who knew wind could pack such a wallop, huh?” Barry dizzily snickered. He continued trucking on through each hit, much to Dawn and even Starly’s reactionary dismay.

“Do something, guys! Can’t one of you just use ki to knock them out?” Dawn asked either Goku or Vegeta to save Barry. Goku sighed in reluctance, understanding full well that ki usage wasn’t the right course of action.

“As much as I want to, Dawn, it’s too risky. Ki is pretty dangerous, even in short bursts. There’s no telling what a small ki blast could do to a Pokémon who’s not expecting it.” Goku expressed the sheer damage ki could bring upon Scaraptor. He would have suggested bringing out Chimchar or both Piplups, but by this point, it was too late.

“I know, but…” Dawn silently trailed off. At the same time, Scaraptor deployed both wings to stop the Staravias’ attacks. He then took flight, streaking across the sky like an insanely fast jet plane. Ascending higher and higher above Sandgem Town, Scaraptor abruptly stopped in place to emphasize his quite sizable wingspan. He then performed a mid-air backflip that caused multiple streaks of white light to surround his body. After these same streaks took the form of a windy ‘X’, Scaraptor dived back toward the surface.

“I don’t like the looks of that.” Goku commented in awestruck nervousness. This must have been one of Scaraptor’s stronger Flying-type moves.

“Staraaaaptor!” Scaraptor monstrously screeched. He directly closed in on both Barry and Starly, getting faster with each passing millisecond. At this rate, Barry would not be able to endure the impact of such a powerful, highly dangerous attack.

“Uh oh. This is definitely gonna smart.” Barry gulped in fear. He hugged Starly to his chest, already anticipating the worst.

““BARRY!”” Goku and Dawn called out in concern. Just as Scaraptor was about to deal the finishing blow unto Barry, his descent was put to an abrupt halt. It was almost as if his abnormal speed wasn’t even that prominent to begin with.

“Rap…raptor…rap?” Scaraptor muffled out in confusion. The predatorial bird’s beak was clasped within the palm of a white glove that belonged to someone far more sinister and worthy of aggression than most. Surprised by the lack of serious injury, Barry opened his eyes to spot a certain flame-haired Prince protectively standing in front of him. And he was pissed off.

“Veggie?” Barry questioned in amazement. Vegeta ignored him, sporting a cold glare as his black hair lightly flowed in the wind.

“I’ve had about enough of this crap.” Vegeta snarled maliciously. He projected some of his ki’s aura, causing all three birds to buckle under the excess pressure. Scaraptor, especially, broke into a cold, unwavering sweat at the mere influence of Vegeta’s raw power.

“Normally, I wouldn’t waste my time with such a pathetically weak creature like you. But, in this instance, I’ll make an exception.” Vegeta said in a low growl. He tightened his hold on the broken Staraptor’s beak, causing said bird to whimper.

“Even I have to agree with Blondie in this case. Your choice to pick on weaker members of your own species just to boast your own power is beyond pathetic. I don’t give a damn what you’ve been through to get like this. It still doesn’t make you any less…weak.” Vegeta ruthlessly spat with no trace of sympathy left. Scaraptor gulped down a building lump in his throat, unable to cope with how powerless Vegeta was able to make him feel. This person was definitely not some ordinary human, or well, human at all for that matter.

Vegeta then shrugged in a condescending manner. “But, then again, who am I kidding? Your bird of a brain is probably too small to even comprehend what I’m saying right now. Since you’re so focused on eating, how about I grace you with the taste of my foot in your face?”

“Rap…tor…” Scaraptor gulped, both eyes widening in absolute terror and regret. Vegeta then bent his knees downward, placing himself into a small, temporary battle stance. As the ki of his white aura swelled, Vegeta buried both feet into the dirt and right afterwards, powerfully wound up one of his legs.

“Hrgggggh Graaaah!” Vegeta shouted out. He smashed a boot straight onto the side of Scaraptor’s face, cracking his beak apart upon direct impact. The power put into Vegeta’s kick was so immense that it immediately sent Scaraptor flying into the distant horizon. Traces of battered feathers and miniscule blood droplets were all that could be left behind.

“STAAAAAARAAAAAAPTOR!” Scaraptor uncontrollably wailed. He rocketed past the forest areas of Route 201 and onward, disappearing in a star-like twinkle. Due to Vegeta’s help, Scaraptor literally and figuratively got lost.

“Good heavens!” Nurse Joy squealed from within the Pokémon Center’s walls. She definitely knew what Dawn was talking about now.

“Tsk. I’d like to see it keep attacking after that.” Vegeta scowled resolutely, poking fun at Scaraptor’s Pokédex entry. Much to his impatience, the two Staravia practically stared into space out of complete shock. Their black-white eyes widened to maximum capacity in response to Scaraptor, a Pokémon they once called leader, being effortlessly roundhouse kicked out of existence.

“What are you two weaklings looking at?” inquired Vegeta with a dismissive expression. Both Staravias put their wings up in surrender, flinching at the sound of Vegeta’s raspy voice.

“S-Staraviaaa Avia!” One Staravia fumbled over himself in an attempt to escape. Stricken from instinctual terror, he faceplanted into the ground before successfully flying away.

“Aviaaaa...av…” The other Staravia cried. She shivered, hurriedly following after her fellow Pokémon before Vegeta could make the next move. With that, Sandgem Town was put into a state of peace and quiet once more.

“Figures. Even the big-headed penguin has more of a backbone than them.” Vegeta grunted in disgust. He then folded one arm over the other, turning toward Barry and Starly with his typical scowl on full display.

“You alright, idiot?” Vegeta asked. Toothily grinning, Barry gently scooped Starly into his arms, and stood back up. Starly, while still nervous, sported a newfound look of content.

“Sure am. That was awesome, Veggie!” Barry whooped in amazement. Goku and Dawn didn’t hesitate to join them, sporting near-identical grins.

“No kidding. How much of your total power was that?” Dawn questioned curiously. Vegeta couldn’t help, but cockily snort at such a foolish question.

“Power? Ha! I wasn’t even close to trying there.” Vegeta boasted with a cold smirk. “You’re acting as if that overgrown fowl was actually worth the slightest bit of effort.”

Dawn puffed up both cheeks, displeased with the fact that Vegeta was talking down to her again. She wagged her finger at him in minor irritation.

“Hey. Don’t start putting words in my mouth. I was just giving you props for the good deed you did.” Dawn thanked Vegeta for his help in saving Starly. Not wishing to admit that protecting Barry was his main reason for swooping in, the Saiyan royal darted his eyes away from Dawn in denial.

“Don’t expect me to do it again. I only did it to prevent the brat from further embarrassing himself.” Vegeta lowly uttered. “From now on, he’ll have his own stupidity-ridden messes to clean up.”

“Right. That’s exactly why you did it.” Dawn muttered sarcastically. Vegeta’s eye began to twitch out of frustration and slight embarrassment.

“Shut up, girl. Like I already told Kakarot, there’s no double meaning to what I say.” Vegeta temperately seethed. Goku propped himself next to Vegeta’s side, pointing toward Barry with a wide smile.

“Well, you gotta admit, Vegeta, Barry did show some guts there.” Goku exclaimed, showing some sort of respect for the multiple wounds Barry was able to endure. Come to think of it, Barry insistence on not giving up almost seemed Saiyan-like in a weird way.

“Yeah and they would have literally been shown without my interference.” Vegeta darkly responded. Barry gulped, scratching the back of his head in nervousness.

“Dang. You’re really good at making passive-aggressive comments.” Barry awkwardly chuckled. Starly tilted her head upward, oblivious to what the exact joke was.

“It’s a Saiyan specialty. Kakarot’s just the odd-one-out in that regard.” Vegeta mused in pride. He lazily jerked a thumb in Goku’s general direction, much to his increasing confusion.

“Uh…odd-one-out?” Goku questioned, stroking his noggin out of ignorance. Despite mentally being a full-grown adult, there were still some words and phrases that flew over his radar at times.

“It means you’re a moron.” Vegeta grumbled. Goku felt a bit hurt by this insult, even if it was somewhat accurate.

“That’s just mean, Vegeta. I’ve gotten somewhat smarter over the years.” Goku attempted to defend his own intellect. While staring straight at Vegeta, he pouted in an overly childish manner.

“Getting stronger doesn’t count as intelligence.” Vegeta deadpanned, not taking any of Goku’s “arguments” into consideration.

“I wasn’t talking about that!” Goku whined. Dawn then walked in the middle of both Saiyans, pushing them away from one another. However, this little shove hurt a lot more than she thought it would. Their chests and arms were practically metallic in terms of durability.

“Knock it off, you two. Have you forgotten all about Starly here?” Dawn reminded the two of Starly’s current condition. Both Vegeta and Goku composed themselves, forgetting for a second that Starly was still injured. Barry himself needed medical assistance as well.

“Oh right. That.” Goku sheepishly recalled. “Erm…I mean, her.”

“Starly star.” Starly chirped, studying Vegeta, Goku, and Dawn all at the same time. While odd compared to most humans she’s seen, Barry was still the most intriguing to her. He obviously wasn’t the brightest, but his intent on saving her seemed quite genuine. In contrast, the scary-looking one who kicked Scaraptor’s lights out did not. He more so did it out of obligation than anything else.

“We should probably bring her to Nurse Joy. That wing and bruises don’t look so hot.” Dawn noted, spotting multiple cuts and scuff marks that were scattered across Starly’s right wing. She then squinted her eyes at Barry with a no-nonsense attitude.

“You need to get your arm and back fixed up too, mister.” Dawn ordered her childhood friend. Barry calmly shrugged his shoulders, not seeing the issue in letting the injury scar. If anything, that would actually be pretty awesome.

“Aw, come on. These injuries aren’t that bad.” Barry chuckled in doubt. Goku then stepped forward to lightly tap the area where Scaraptor pecked him.

“Yaaaagh! What the heck was that for, Goku?!” Barry yowled in pain.

“Just checking if the wound is still fresh. Vegeta and I have dealt with these injuries plenty of times.” Goku responded with logical reasoning. This was obviously nothing compared to the physical torture he and Vegeta have dealt with over the years, but Barry didn’t need to know that just yet.

“I rest my case.” Dawn said, smugly clapping her hands together. The four then made their way back into Sandgem Town’s Pokémon Center.

“By the way, how’d you know this Starly was a girl?” Goku asked Dawn about Starly’s gender. Dawn looked up at Goku in amusement, assuming that he didn’t entirely remember his Pokédex’s entry for said bird. Then again, three entries being announced at the same time was difficult to process all in one sitting.

“Well, apart from the Pokédex outright saying it, most species of Pokémon have differences between each gender. For the Starly line, females usually have smaller circles on their foreheads than the males. The two Staravia displayed that feature if you noticed.” Dawn lectured knowledgably. Not noticing this detail beforehand, Goku smiled in pleasant surprise.

“Oh really? That’s interesting. In the past, I haven’t really been the best with identifying girls from guys, so better to be safe than sorry. Haha.” Goku commented, recalling his childhood on Mt. Paozu before Bulma came around. In hindsight, the “Pat-Pat” game he used to do was pretty weird, even for him.

“Wait…you haven’t been the best at what now?” Dawn repeated what Goku said in puzzlement. Goku crossed both arms behind his head in nervousness.

“You don’t want to know. Let’s just say it had something to do with me being isolated from the world for a long time.” Goku cryptically told the rookie Pokémon Coordinator. “Grandpa Gohan was the only other person I knew before Bulma found me.”

Dawn squinted her eyes in suspicion, but ultimately felt nice enough to heed Goku’s warnings. Unlike Vegeta, Goku actually seemed like someone she could talk to for more than a few minutes. Maybe that was because of his kinder, more naïve personality or something along those lines.

“Fair enough. However, I will have to find out more about your early childhood and adventures eventually.” Dawn exclaimed determinedly. “There’s going to be points where us four will need to rest on our journey, after all. Conversation always helps pass the time.”

“Knowing Dawn, she’ll nag you constantly until you do.” Barry mockingly sniggered. Not at all happy with this retort, Dawn lightly jabbed her elbow into Barry’s arm.

“Yowowowow! Overreaction much?” Barry shrieked in anger. He massaged his aching scratch, making sure it didn’t swell any further.

“Watch what you say and that won’t happen.” Dawn harrumphed in distaste.

“Starlyly.” Starly giggled in response to Barry’s reaction. Barry glanced down at the laughing Flying-type in displeasure.

“Oh, so you’re laughing at me now? That’s a funny way to say thanks.” Barry lightheartedly scowled. Still laughing, Starly upturned her chin in a mischievous light.

“Staarly Starstar!” Starly sassily chirped back.

As everyone reentered the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy and her Chansey temporarily left their post to check up on them. They both walked through a small door leading from the front desk to this area.

“I’m so glad all of you are safe.” Nurse Joy said in a highly grateful tone. She, as Dawn anticipated, seemed to peer at Vegeta and Goku in a more fascinated light.

“I’m guessing you know what I meant about Vegeta and Goku then?” Dawn giggled expectantly. Nurse Joy repeatedly nodded her head in confirmation.

“Yes. How on Earth was a kid your age able to do that?! And so effortlessly I might add!” Nurse Joy wondrously inquired to Vegeta. Said alien prince intently glared at the nurse, preparing to provide some sort of drawn-out, detailed explanation for his strength. At least, that’s what it looked like he was doing.

“Pushups, sit-ups, and plenty of juice.” Vegeta simply uttered. Rather than satisfying Nurse Joy’s curiosity, his condescending smirk while saying this nonsense only added to it.

“Pardon me?” Nurse Joy asked in utter speechlessness.

“What Vegeta meant to say was that we’re both martial artists. We’ve been through tons of intensive training over the years.” Goku elaborated on the points Vegeta left unsaid. Nurse Joy nodded, beginning to better understand Vegeta’s feat using what Goku added as support.

“I see. That does explain your unique choice of clothing.” Nurse Joy referred to Goku’s martial arts gi and Vegeta’s battle armor respectively. She didn’t entirely recognize the symbol on Goku’s chest, but in all fairness, her knowledge of martial arts schools was shaky at best. For all she knew, Goku and Vegeta could be students from a far-off region outside of Sinnoh. Maybe they had some sort of connection to Mustard and the Isle of Armor. Goku’s outfit did seem similar enough to his uniforms, at least.

“Eh, I’d say “unique” is too kind of a word to describe them.” Barry jokingly observed. Goku could easily pass off as a Black Belt, but Vegeta? He stuck out like a sore thumb in more ways than one.

“Choose your words wisely, boy. This armor holds much more significance than you can even begin to comprehend.” Vegeta threatened in minor hostility. While Goku and him did explain their backstory as Saiyans, Dawn still didn’t quite understand why the armor was important.

“I mean…it’s armor. What other significance can it have apart from protection?” Dawn asked in genuine confoundment.

“I don’t need to explain it to you. My heritage as an elite warrior says more than enough.” Vegeta responded dismissively. While holding Starly close, Barry threw one of his hands up in disingenuous defeat.

“Whatever you say, Veggie. Whatever you say.” Barry sighed whilst shaking his head. Nurse Joy, in spite of Vegeta’s poor temper, kindly smiled at him anyways.

“Well, regardless, that kick was still very impressive. I’d say you’re even comparable with the likes of Saffron City’s current Karate King, Kiyo.” Nurse Joy complimented Vegeta’s expertise in terms of fighting.

“On par? Hmph. That was only a mere glimpse of what a true king is capable of.” Vegeta boastfully alluded to the true depths of his inner strength.

“King? What does that mean?” Nurse Joy pondered to herself. Either this kid had an insanely inflated ego, or he actually was descended from royalty. That option didn’t seem possible, so she decided not to dwell on it for the time being.

“I thought Goku was stronger than you.” Barry pointed out. Vegeta slumped his shoulders, having no room to really deny such a claim. After all, Goku managed to unlock Super Saiyan 3 and Super Saiyan God while he, unfortunately, only got up to Super Saiyan 2. He, of course, mastered that form, but acquiring Super Saiyan God for himself was still a goal he wished to complete.

“Yes. I suppose he is at the moment.” Vegeta begrudgingly admitted. However, over the years, his interest in surpassing Goku has died down somewhat. It was definitely still there, but not as much as before. “But, in the grand scheme of things, we are and always have been equals.”

“Yep! And that’s what makes us such good friends. Right, Vegeta?” Goku beamed happily. Vegeta cringed at this claim, but for some reason, didn’t audibly object to Goku describing them as “friends”.

“Sure. Let’s go with that, Kakarot.” Vegeta quietly muttered in embarrassment. While viewing Vegeta’s reaction as fairly hilarious, Barry was still preoccupied with healing Starly.

“Anyways, Nurse Joy, could you heal Starly for me? That Scaraptor must have done a number on her beforehand.” Barry politely requested. Nurse Joy took a short look at Starly’s status before nodding enthusiastically.

“Of course I can. That’s what I’m here for.” Nurse Joy complied without argument. She then walked toward the front desk, glancing at Barry from over her shoulder.

“I’ll be back in just a moment.” Nurse Joy announced. She walked behind the desk, grabbing an object from one of its various drawers. This object was a blue and purple spray bottle that fit within the palm of her hand. Closing the drawer, she went back to Barry, Starly, and company.

“Here we are. Since Starly isn’t unconscious like Turtwig was, I’ll just stick with this Potion right here.” Nurse Joy offered. She knelt down, putting a reasonable distance between herself and the Starling Pokémon in question.

“This might sting a little bit, little one. Hold still now.” Nurse Joy soothingly warned. She then pushed down on the Potion’s handle, shooting out a colorless liquid unto Starly’s wings and face.

“Staaarly!” Starly squawked, tightly shutting her eyes in discomfort. As more of the Potion came into effect, the little bird helplessly kicked and squirmed about out of soreness.

“Oh my. This Starly’s much livelier than the others.” Nurse Joy whispered. She kept spraying, making certain that each and every single wound was properly accounted for.

“I’ve got it!” Barry decided to hold Starly in place. “Believe me, I don’t like sitting in one place either. It’ll all be over soon, alright?”

“Star…” Starly nodded, deciding to trudge forward with Barry’s guidance. The Potion successfully drenched every corner of Starly’s rotund form, causing each respective wound to vanish. Afterwards, Nurse Joy removed her finger from the Potion’s handle with a content grin.

“There we are. You should be good as new.” Nurse Joy happily said. Opening her eyes, Starly suddenly felt the more positive aftereffects of Joy’s Potion. She buoyantly ruffled her feathers, managing to outstretch both wings with little to no difficulty. Miraculously, the Potion seemed potent enough to fix fractured appendages as well. That’s most likely where the resulting sting came from.

“Staarlllly Starly!” The Starling Pokémon cheeped in euphoric delight. Everyone, minus Vegeta, collectively laughed at this humorous scene.

“Hmhmhm. Guess that’s definitive proof about that, huh?” Nurse Joy giggled pleasurably. Vegeta, in contrast, was more so curious than pleased by Starly’s rejuvenation. He was fine with the bird not being injured, of course, but the Potion used by Nurse Joy particularly caught his interest.

“This universe just gets even more confusing by the second.” Vegeta glumly thought. For some unexplained reason, this Potion functioned like a liquid equivalent to Senzu Beans. It didn’t come close to matching the Senzu’s numerous benefits, but its healing properties were still somewhat questionable in a sense. He wondered if said Potion had chemicals similar to the Frieza Force’s Medical Machines.

“Could you…erm…spray some stuff on my arm and back too?” Barry awkwardly asked. Expecting this, Nurse Joy readied her Potion once more with a curt bob of her head.

“Already got you covered.” Nurse Joy said. At comically fast speeds, Nurse Joy pulled up Barry’s shirt and shot liquid straight at his back. Before he could even react, she pushed his shirt back down and did the same for the scratch on his arm. This double whammy of stinging caught Barry completely off-guard in the worst way imaginable.

“Eeeeyah! That stung more than the actual peck!” Barry whimpered in shock.

“But, do you feel better?” Nurse Joy coyly asked.

“Yeah. I do, actually…” Barry reluctantly admitted, taking a look to see that his scratch was, in fact, completely dissipated. All lingering traces of blood were gone as well.

“Problem solved then!” Nurse Joy laughed, bowing as an expression of goodwill.

“Chansey Chanse.” Chansey cheered, bowing the same as her human partner. Nurse Joy then inspected the area where Barry’s scratch used to be with a solemn, considerate frown.

“Hmm. There’s also a slight tear in your sleeve, Barry. I’ll cover it up with some cloth, but I suggest getting it patched up in Jubilife City once you arrive there.” Nurse Joy helpfully advised. She then took a piece of white cloth from her dress pocket and securely tied it around Barry’s arm.

“Clothes shopping?! Yuck! As if I’d waste my time with that.” Barry childishly gagged in disgust. The only stops he intended to make were for eating, battling, and sleeping. To him, nothing else was equal in terms of importance.

“It’s either that or walk around looking like a hobo.” Dawn mused. In response, Barry just gave her a neutral side-glance.

“I have other pairs of clothes, you know.” Barry reminded her, patting his satchel once or twice for good measure. Dawn didn’t seem all that convinced, though. With a few exceptions, Barry’s worn the same type of outfit for as long as she’s known him.

“Jubilife City?” Goku wondered with newfound interest. Nurse Joy, although perplexed by Goku’s unfamiliarity with Jubilife City, thought it best to answer his question.

“It’s a modern metropolis built near Route 202. Considered the largest city in Sinnoh, Jubilife is home to the Jubilife TV Station, the Global Trade Station, and most notably, the world-renowned Pokétch Company. There’s also many stores and restaurants to shop at in case you’re curious.” Nurse Joy detailed Jubilife City’s popularity and most notable accommodations. Spotting vivid similarities between this area and West City, Goku was already on board with taking a visit there. The added mention of restaurants was also a good incentive to have.

“Oh neat. That sounds like a fun place, actually.” Goku excitedly stated.

“It most certainly is, but I’m surprised you don’t know about it already. Jubilife’s quite famous, even in regions outside of Sinnoh.” Nurse Joy pondered over Goku’s considerable lack of knowledge. How could a Pokémon Trainer planning to explore Sinnoh not know much about it? That seemed a bit counterintuitive to her.

“Well…uh…about that…” Goku stammered, uncertain of how to explain him and Vegeta’s presences without blowing their cover. Telling a random nurse they were aliens from another dimension simply wasn’t a logical move to partake in.

Sensing Goku’s distress, Barry and Dawn decided to help come up with a fake backstory for the two Saiyans. It was the least they could do with the Dragon Ball search and everything else going on.

“Goku and Vegeta are from a distant part of the world. And by distant, I mean very, very far off. Why do you think their clothing and hairstyles are so foreign-looking?” Dawn hurriedly explained Goku and Vegeta’s unfamiliarity with Sinnoh. This “distant region” coverup also provided a reason behind their shared physical features and choice of fashion.

“Yeah. Professor Rowan invited them to Sinnoh as some sort of foreign exchange program thingy. Since they don’t have an official Pokémon League where they’re from, he just…uh…gave them this opportunity.” Barry supported Dawn’s point. While a seemingly strange concept to think about, Nurse Joy supposed that Professor Rowan has partaken in much weirder activities than this. Orre and Alola currently didn’t have Pokémon Leagues at the moment, so their “home”, wherever that was, could most definitely be the same.

“I suppose that makes sense to me. I’ve never heard of a closed off region like that before, but who am I to judge? Even nowadays, there’s so much of the world yet to be discovered.” Nurse Joy ultimately accepted Goku and Vegeta’s backgrounds. Joy’s wistful assumptions about the world being undiscovered only annoyed Vegeta to an even greater degree.

“Great. Now, you’re starting to sound like the old man.” Vegeta irritably scowled. That old fart had better start working on the Dragon Radar if he knew what was good for him.

“Thank you, Vegeta.” Nurse Joy smiled, wrongfully mistaking Vegeta’s insult as a compliment about her.

“That wasn’t a…erggh. Never mind.” Vegeta seethed in annoyance. He had a feeling people around this region wouldn’t shut up about Rowan’s accomplishments anytime soon.

“Professor Rowan isn’t all that bad, Vegeta. He’s helped us out plenty so far.” Goku attempted to convince Vegeta that Rowan was doing his best to assist them here. He, at least, knew for certain that their secrets were safe with him and Roseanne for the time being.

“He’ll help us out once the Dragon Radar is actually repaired.” Vegeta grunted, far too stubborn to admit Professor Rowan’s positives. As Goku rubbed the back of his head in disappointment, Nurse Joy glanced down at Starly. The Pokémon appeared to stay near Barry, even after being in a state of perfect health.

“So, Barry, are you going to catch that Starly?” Nurse Joy asked out of curiosity. Barry quirked a brow, pointing to himself in surprise.

“Huh? You’re asking me?” Barry wondered, figuring that Nurse Joy wouldn’t request a Pokémon’s capture so openly. Starly then perched herself on top of Barry’s shoulder with a neutral expression. Underneath this seemingly emotionless stare, however, was the slightest glint of happiness.

“Well, yeah. Since you’ve managed to protect it from harm and all, I’d say you two have gotten along quite well together.” Nurse Joy warmly commended Barry on his selflessness. She then displayed a more somber look in regards to Starly’s current home, or lack thereof. While abusive and cruel, it seemed like Scaraptor was the closest thing to family Starly ever had.

“Plus, this Starly doesn’t seem to have anywhere else to go. As your Pokédex said, leaving her alone wouldn’t seem right.” Nurse Joy advised sympathetically. Barry placed a hand over his chin, contemplating Joy’s admittedly reasonable points.

“Hmmm as much as I do want another Pokémon on my team, I’d say it’s her decision to make in the end.” Barry said, considering Starly’s feelings above all else. He then brought out the same Poké Ball he used to hit Scaraptor, and brought it in front of Starly.

“Star?” Starly titled her head from left to right in curiosity. Barry sniggered at the regional bird’s cute mannerisms.

“So, what do you think, Starly? You considering that Barry Express option I mentioned?” Barry asked Starly, keeping the Poké Ball a reasonable distance away from her. He wanted to keep Starly calm, not make her even more uneasy.

“Starly star…” Starly murmured, tilting her head downward in contemplation. After a few moments of indecisive thinking, Starly happily bounced on Barry’s shoulder with a smiling, open beak.

“Staaarly!” Starly agreed to join Barry’s team. Barry widely grinned, thankful that Starly came to this type of decision.

“Hehe. Climb aboard then.” Barry chuckled. He lightly tapped the Poké Ball on Starly’s forehead, causing her to dematerialize into red energy. The Poké Ball then bounced onto the ground, and began to wiggle autonomously. After three wiggles, the Poké Ball dinged and came to a sudden, yet gradual halt.

Barry’s eyes lit up with excitement as he calmly picked up Starly’s new Poké Ball. He hyperactively hopped up and down, pumping one of his fists into the air.

“Alright! I’ve caught myself a Starly!” Barry shouted triumphantly. Not wanting to wait a second longer, he placed the Poké Ball next to Turtwig’s in his bag, and brought out his own Pokédex. He clicked on Starly’s Pokédex entry, perusing Starly’s moveset and stats.

“Lv. 7 with Tackle, Growl, and Quick Attack, hm? Not too shabby if I do say so myself.” Barry thought contentedly. Slipping the deactivated Pokédex into his back pocket, Barry smugly grinned at Goku, Vegeta, and Dawn in excessive pride.

“Guess that’s one Pokémon ahead of you guys, huh? You really are a bunch of Slowpokes.” Barry laughed mockingly. Vegeta and Dawn both looked at each other in visible displeasure.

“You have a bird. Join the club.” Vegeta scoffed in a bored tone.

“Heh. You’re just jealous cause mine can actually fly.” Barry boasted Starly’s potential strengths over Piplup. In the end, this mainly depended on the evolutions of each Pokémon, but that was beside the point. Goku and Vegeta still didn’t even know what their starters’ evolved forms even looked like.

“That’s just a low blow, Barry.” Dawn sighed with a negative shake of her head.

“It may be low, but it’s still true.” Barry said, pointing his finger up like an instructor to their student.

“So, do you need anything else, kids?” Nurse Joy wondered, wishing to see what else she could do for them.

“Nah. I think you’ve done enough, Nurse Joy. Thanks a bunch.” Goku thanked Nurse Joy for helping out Dawn and Barry’s respective Pokémon.

“It’s all part of the job. But, before I forget…” Nurse Joy trailed off, sprinting to the backroom for more supplies. She then came back with eight more Potions, including the one she used for Barry and Starly’s injuries.

“As thanks for you all taking the time to protect Starly out there, I’ll each give you two Potions on the house.” Nurse Joy handed a set of Potions to each Pokémon Trainer. Even Vegeta felt some sort of gratitude for this. “Consider them a token of my appreciation.”

“Wow. Really?! That’s so nice of you.” Dawn beamed in surprise. She stuffed the Potions into her handbag with a grateful smile.

“But, shouldn’t it just be Barry and Vegeta who get these? Dawn and I didn’t really do much.” Goku modestly stated. Dawn had similar thoughts, but to a lesser extent.

“In this case, it’s the thought that counts. I know you two would have done the same thing in their shoes and then some.” Nurse Joy nicely assumed that Goku and Dawn were willing to help as well.

“I guess that’s true.” Goku happily agreed with Nurse Joy’s view of the situation. Smiling, he then followed after the others as they made way for the Pokémon Center’s entrance.

“Have a safe journey, everyone. And make sure to tell the other Nurse Joys I said hello!” Nurse Joy bade the group farewell.

“Chansey! Chansey!” Chansey repeated the same action whilst bouncing up and down. Her egg seemed to wriggle about out of excitement.

“We will. Thanks again for the Potions. I’ll know they’ll come in handy sometime soon.” Dawn waved back. Nurse Joy and Chansey then nodded, standing behind the front desk again as usual.

“Anytime. Don’t forget to stop by again.” Nurse Joy called out one last time. Successfully exiting Sandgem Town’s one and only Pokémon Center, the four set themselves in front of Route 202’s sign. As Vegeta begrudgingly put on his white-blue backpack, he studied Dawn and Barry for any sudden interjection.

“So, anymore detours we need to get through?” Vegeta uttered scathingly. At this rate, it would be an entire century before they located all of the Dragon Balls. Wasting time was not something he could afford to do in that regard.

“Not that I know of. I’d say we’ll finally be able to start this journey.” Dawn replied in her own form of excitement. Then, to her dismay, an obnoxiously loud gurgling sound came from what else, but Goku’s stomach. She’d like to imagine that was the sound Scaraptor made after landing from Vegeta’s kick.

“Can’t we stop for some food first?” Goku moaned, massing his empty stomach in pure hunger.

“No, Goku. Like Nurse Joy said, there’s tons of high-quality restaurants in Jubilife City. All we need to do is get through Route 202 and it’ll be right there.” Dawn advised Goku to be patient. Feeling depressed by this, the Saiyan boy’s expression suddenly grew downcast.

“Oh man. But, I’m starving…” Goku moodily pouted.

“Tsk. What’s new?” Vegeta snorted in amusement. In actuality, he was just as hungry as Goku, but was far too prideful to admit it outright. Apparently, he was quite skilled in suppressing the depressive growls of his stomach.

“Plus, keep in mind, none of us have money at the moment. That’s where battling more trainers comes in.” Barry pointed out, cracking his knuckles in battle-ready anticipation. With Turtwig and Starly in his possession, battles would be smooth sailing from here on out. “Ohoho. I definitely can’t wait for that.”

“More trainers? How big is Route 202 supposed to be then?” Goku asked, not entirely paying attention to the route’s size when Barry and Dawn battled one another. He walked through the open gate to see a snaking, concrete path leading into mountains and a vast forest of trees. It appeared that Route 202, indeed, was not small by any stretch of the imagination.

“Oh…right.” Goku muttered in shock. He then jostled his spiky, black hair, tightly grasping both straps of his backpack at the same time. Together alongside everyone else, he took one step forward and proceeded to walk along Route 202’s trail. His journey as a Pokemon Trainer, whether he liked it or not, was now fully underway.

Observing him from above Sandgem Town was the ever-invisible Emotion Pokémon, Mesprit. While greatly amused by Vegeta’s anger-induced “fight” against Scaraptor, its attention was still primarily drawn toward Goku and Goku alone. It knew there was a latent power just waiting to be unleashed within him, and it continued to interest the Legendary Pokemon of Lake Verity to no end. What didn’t interest Mesprit, however, was seeing the interdimensional traveler depart from its domain so soon.

“Mesprit?” Mesprit asked, curious to know where Goku was exactly going. It played with two of its pink hair extensions in deep concentration. While prone to leaving its home unlike Uxie and Azelf, it wasn’t sure leaving so soon was the brightest idea. After all, that disturbing, blue-haired human might to try to locate it again. Having power over all emotions, it could tell that the man, despite having a sizable intellect, had absolutely no genuine emotion to speak of. It was as if he were a hollow shell, void of any regard for human and Pokémon alike. These aspects made following this boy around much more ideal in the long run. So, in the end, Mesprit said screw it and decided to go the fun route.

“Messmess Messprit!” Mesprit giggled in delight. It then danced about before vanishing in a blue flash of psionic energy. As Goku, Vegeta, Barry, and Dawn walked across Route 202, the translucent was not too far behind. Whether Goku could sense the ki of this Pokémon was hard to say in that precise instance.

Chapter Text

After officially leaving Sandgem Town, the group continued to trek their way through Route 202. It was, for the most part, a concrete trail surrounded by some grass patches and multiple trees of varying sizes. Overall, this route was easy to navigate and would lead straight to Jubilife City in no time at all. Unfortunately, after only a few minutes passed, Goku was already beginning to crack under the overwhelming pressure of his empty stomach.

With each step he took, Goku began to grow more and more overwhelmed by delirious thoughts of food. A little bit of drool trickled out of his mouth as he limped forward, dragging his new backpack across the pavement without much concern.

“Are we almost there?” Goku groaned in delirium. Dawn and Barry slightly chuckled at Goku’s “exhaustion” while Vegeta, as usual, just rolled his eyes.

Dawn blankly shook her head from side-to-side. “It’s only been five minutes, Goku. Just be patient.”

“Yeah. I’m a professional when it comes to impatience and even I don’t act that bad!” Barry snorted in disbelief.

Goku stopped for a moment, clasping both hands on his knees to take a deep breath. He looked at the two with a distressed grimace.

“I’m trying my best, guys. You just don’t know what it’s like to have a Saiyan stomach.” Goku sighed. “We have to eat much more than usual.”

“How much more?” Barry asked, wondering if he really wanted to hear the answer or not.

Still panting, Goku cupped his chin and made a general estimate of the average diet for Saiyans like him and Vegeta.

“Well, I don’t know the exact number, but let’s just say that breakfast, lunch, and dinner are almost doubled on a daily basis. It depends on my training schedule.” Goku honestly exclaimed with a small shrug.

“Doubled?! Geez! How you fit it all, I’ll never know!” Barry shouted in surprise. To him, it was a miracle Goku, and Vegeta weren’t humanoid Lickilickys by this point.

“Now, you can see why me and Vegeta can get hungry so fast. It’s unbearable!” Goku held his stomach as it growled in utter despair.

“That’s no excuse to hold us up, Kakarot. Like the girl said before, we’ll eat in the next city over.” Vegeta reminded his fellow Saiyan. He didn’t even wait for Goku’s reply to start walking again.

“But, Vegeta—”

“Just ignore your damned stomach and get a move on!” Vegeta barked in annoyance. Goku, not wishing to instigate Vegeta’s heated temper, nodded and quietly kept moving. He also strapped his backpack on for good measure.

“Fine. Sorry for the hold up, guys.” Goku firmly apologized for his actions. Dawn lightly grinned at Goku, deciding to walk beside him.

“No need to be sorry, Goku. You and Vegeta just got here. Of course, you guys need to eat.” Dawn kindly assured the boy. “It won’t be long until Jubilife City, I promise.”

“Thanks for understanding, Dawn.” Goku smiled back in gratitude. The two then kept walking in Barry and Vegeta’s stead.

Barry, starting to get a bit antsy himself, decided to scout out the area to see how close Jubilife City was from their current location. He opened his satchel and brough out the newly caught Starly’s Poké Ball.

“Might as well, I guess.” Barry grumbled, blowing a strand of hair out of his face. “Go, Starly!”

Upon command, the Poké Ball popped open and shot out a blast of white light. This blinding light dispersed, taking the form of Barry’s Starly as she enthusiastically ruffled her small feathers and wings.

“Staar! Starly!” Starly chirped. She looked up at Barry, waiting for his instructions.

“If you’re so close to dying, Goku, I’ll send up Starly to see how close Jubilife is from here.” Barry sarcastically offered.

Goku nodded almost too enthusiastically. “Sure! That’d help a lot.

“You heard the guy, Starly. Fly over this route and stop at the next location. Alright?” Barry calmly instructed his second Pokémon.

“Star!” Starly bobbed her head in understanding. She then outstretched her wings and took flight, moving northward as Barry instructed. The group watched as Starly’s body grew harder to see as she continued flying across Route 202 from start to finish.

With each passing second, Starly was now a barely visible speck blocked out by the sun. Said speck became even more miniscule until it eventually stopped and proceeded to hover in one place.

“Star! Starly!” Starly shouted from the distance. The Starling Pokémon waved one of her wings in order to show Barry where she currently was.

Smirking, Barry cupped both hands over his eyes in order to imitate a pair of binoculars. Vegeta looked embarrassed by the mere sight of this action, but Barry, whether he outright knew it or not, continued to do so, anyway. The blonde-haired Trainer closed in on Starly’s location and, to the best of his ability, guessed the proximate distance between them.

“Good job, Starly! You can come back now!” Barry yelled out, so the Flying-type could hear him. As instructed, Starly speedily flew back to her Trainer and flapped idly in mid-air. Barry then pointed his Poké Ball back at Starly.

“Return!” A red lightning bolt struck Starly’s forehead, transmuting her physical form into corporeal energy as she was sent back into the Poké Ball. Barry then stuffed it back into his bag and glanced at the others.

“Looks to me like we’re about halfway there, guys.” Barry surmised from the trajectory of Starly’s flight. In response, Goku sported a look of disappointment, yet relief at the same time.

“Halfway, huh?” Goku scratched his head, peering over at the sea of trees and bushes yet to be traversed. “Guess that’s not too bad.”

“See? I told you so.” Dawn teasingly remarked. Goku just chuckled with a typical grin on his face.

“Good. Now, that we’re on the same page, let’s just shut up and walk there in silence.” Vegeta said, wanting some time to think for a change. With idiots like Barry and Goku around, real, intellectual thought was a rarity. And he definitely had some thinking to do when it came to both finding the Dragon Balls, figuring out a way to make his big-headed bird less of a wimp, and coming up with a proper method of execution for that blue dwarf bastard responsible for this whole mess.

“As you wish, Your Highness.” Dawn grumbled sarcastically. Vegeta was starting to get annoyed by the lip this little girl had but calling it out definitely wasn’t worth his time. He simply crossed his arms and proceeded onward.

Barry tapped his cheek a few times in deep thought. “You know, normally this would be the point where I run off and beat you guys to Jubilife, but I’d rather stay on Veggie’s good side this time around. It’s the least I can do after you saved me and Starly back in Sandgem Town.”

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. Part of him couldn’t care less about Barry’s so-called “gratitude” for his past rescue, but admittedly, another part of him was surprised that the buffoon was showing restraint for a change. Maybe he wasn’t completely incompetent, after all.

“Hmph. It seems that you do have a brain, Blondie.” Vegeta lightly smirked in recognition. Barry, blinded by Vegeta’s rare compliment, didn’t notice this passive-aggressive jab at first.

“Well, Veggie, this future Sinnoh Champion isn’t just a pretty fa—Hey!” Barry whined in sudden realization.

“Not a big enough one, it seems. Haha.” Vegeta snickered in amusement. Steam could practically be seen billowing out of Barry’s head as he muttered various Pokémon-related curses under his breath.

“Are you gonna fine him for that one too, Barry? Teehee.” Dawn mischievously giggled. She held a hand over her mouth to conceal a wide smile beginning to form.

Barry stuffed both hands into his pockets, grimacing. “Don’t push me, Dawn.”

Meanwhile, in the back, Goku’s mind began to wander. He deliriously thought of the possible food he’d want to eat in this so-called Jubilife City. Since Pokémon were essentially the animals of this world, he began to wonder if, like in Universe 7, some of them were prepared as food. Such a thought was a bit disturbing, admittedly, since Pokémon, based on his Chimchar’s behavior, were a bit more intelligent and complex than normal wildlife. But, then again, where else could meat come from? Professor Rowan did emphasize the strong connection between people and Pokémon, so were certain species processed as food in the past? Goku was far too hungry to really think about such a dilemma. He just wanted to eat.

“Man, I could really go for some giant fish right now.” Goku murmured aloud. He euphorically rubbed his stomach, thinking back to the fish present on Mt. Paozu.

Surprisingly, Goku’s thought was heard by a still-eavesdropping Mesprit. Said Emotion Pokémon continued to float directly above him, using invisibility to keep itself hidden.

It began to intently think over Goku’s words. “Mess…”

Moving its head around, Mesprit caught sight of Route 219’s shoreline from a distance. It beamed in sudden realization.

“Mesprit!” It cried. Mesprit’s form then glowed an ethereal blue before teleporting away.

Back at Sandgem Beach

Roseanne and her Dunsparce continued cleaning up the mess caused by Goku’s Pokémon battle against Vegeta. Dunsparce used Dig to help fill the massive crater created from Chimchar and Piplup’s recent clash while Roseanne swept away some of the excess debris with a broom in toe. The sun shined down upon Roseanne, causing her to wipe away drops of sweat off her brow.

“Phew. Keep going, Dunsparce. We should be done in no time…” Roseanne sighed. Unfortunately, in spite of what she claimed, they had barely scratched the surface of Sandgem Beach’s mess, much to the evident chagrin of Dunsparce. His small, barely mobile body just couldn’t take it anymore.

“Dunspar…” He whined in disappointment. Slightly drooping its small wings, the Land Snake Pokémon then buried itself within the sand and used Dig again.

Roseanne adjusted her glasses, frowning. “This wouldn’t be so bad if we had some water to keep ourselves refreshed.”

In that moment, Mesprit materialized itself above the waters of Route 219. Roseanne immediately stopped what she was doing in complete shock and awe.

“I-Is…Is that the guardian of Lake Verity?! What’s it doing here of all places?” Roseanne stammered. The research assistant rubbed her eyes, making certain that she wasn’t imagining things.

Mesprit, keeping Goku’s mention of giant fish in mind, glanced down at the Pokémon swimming around down below. Although it was mostly filled with Magikarp, one of them fit Goku’s description perfectly. It was an abnormally large Magikarp that seemed to be the de facto leader of this specific group.

Growing excited, Mesprit outstretched its pink appendages and used telekinesis to slowly lift Magikarp out of the water.

Still watching the Legendary Pokémon’s every move, Roseanne quirked a brow in puzzlement. “Huh? What would a Psychic-type need with a gigantic Magikarp?”

Suddenly, Magikarp began to panic as it was plucked from the water. It frantically writhed about in midair but was unable to throw off Mesprit’s psychic abilities.

“KARP! KARP! KARP!” Magikarp gasped for breath. In the midst of being levitated, the Water-type hit a bit of the water and unintentionally used Splash.

Surprisingly, this form of Splash proved to be more potent than usual. It created a huge splash of water that was shot directly at Roseanne and Dunsparce.

“Wait, wait, wait! Gyahh!” Roseanne girlishly shrieked. Her green hair, lab coat, and pants were now completely soaked beyond belief. Sadly, Dunsparce wasn’t spared from the splash either.

As the two awkwardly stood there, Mesprit transported itself and the nervous Magikarp back to Route 202. It was simply too anxious to give Goku his “gift” to wait any longer.

“Mess! Mesprit!” It excitedly chirped. Within a single millisecond, the mysterious Pokémon was gone.

Roseanne blinked a few times, still surprised that such an event even took place. She examined her wet clothes and obviously, didn’t not look all that amused by them.

“This isn’t exactly the kind of refreshment I had in mind…” Roseanne grumbled. Professor Rowan had better give her a raise after all of this.

Back in Route 202
“So, you said there’s other trainers in these routes, right?” Goku asked. He and the rest of the group continued walking, getting a bit closer to the spot Barry’s Starly stopped herself at.

“There should be. We’ll probably find more as we get closer to Jubilife’s entrance.” Dawn replied. She then dug through her bag and brought out an empty Poké Ball.

“In the meantime, we should probably look for some new Pokémon to catch. We won’t be able to achieve much with just our starters, after all.” She considerately suggested.

Barry puffed up his chest with a proud, confident smirk. “Yeah. I’m already one step ahead of you guys with good ol’ Starly here. Not that I’m surprised.”

“Well, quality is better than quantity…” Vegeta grunted.

“Not when you only have a single Piplup, it isn’t.” Barry snapped back. “How ‘bout you catch a nice Bidoof or something? I think it would suit you, Veggie.”

“Tsk. If such a thing really has “doof” in the name, it’s not worth my time.” Vegeta dismissively scowled. His bird being called Piplup was already bad enough. He didn’t need two creatures with embarrassing or strange names to drag around.

“You can’t be too picky, Vegeta. Routes like this one only have a select few Pokémon wandering around.” Dawn advised. “Who knows? If you can keep an open mind, maybe one of them will look appealing enough to catch.”

“The chances of that are slim to none, but fine. I’ll play along for now.” The Saiyan prince muttered in defeat.

Goku then tilted his head to look up at the area directly above this route.

“You think there’s any Pokémon to find up in the sky?” He wondered aloud. All of a sudden, a gigantic fish materialized in midair and began to speedily descend towards Goku.

“KARP! KARP!” The Water-type Pokémon gasped in fear.

“Waahh!” Goku yelped as he leapt out of the way. Magikarp then smashed into the patch of grass near his feet, causing clumps of dirt and soil to be flung about in various directions.

Goku and the group then circled around it in curiosity. The poor creature was clearly panting due to a lack of water in its body.

“Holy moly! That’s one big Magikarp!” Barry shouted.

“It might be one of the biggest I’ve ever seen. But, why would it be here of all places?” Dawn asked in immense confusion.

Vegeta grimaced. “That’s your question? Tch. You should be asking where the hell it even came from in the first place!”

“That too, yeah. It’s definitely an odd situation for sure.” Dawn shrugged. She couldn’t even tell what part of the sky Magikarp could have realistically come from.

Goku, on the other hand, was salivating at presence of such a large fish. He licked his lips and slowly inched closer to Magikarp.

“A-A…giant fish…mmmm…” He stammered hungrily. Once his hand inched ever-so-closer to the Pokémon’s red body, Dawn took upon herself to smack it away.

“Yow! What was that for?” The Saiyan yelped in pain. There was now a red mark where Dawn’s palm made contact.

“You can’t just eat any random Pokémon in the wild, Goku. The poor thing’s suffering enough as is.” She chastised her new friend.

The Saiyan whined in frustration. “But, it reminds me so much of the big fish I caught back home! C-Can’t I just have a little teeny…”

Dawn then slapped his hand away again, but with even greater force this time.

“No.” She repeated. “How about you catch it instead? You already have a Fire-type, so adding a Water-type to your team will balance things out.”

Uncertain about this suggestion, Goku opened up his Pokédex to find out what was written for its entry.

“Scanning Pokémon 023: Magikarp, the Fish Pokémon. It is a Water-type with possible abilities including Swift Swim and Rattled. Description: A Magikarp that lives for many years can leap a mountain using Splash. The move remains useless, though. Identified Gender Ratio: 50% Male and 50% Female. Specified Nature: Adamant.” The device read off Magikarp’s less-than-stellar status in battle. Closing the device, Goku then glanced down at the giant fish in slight disappointment.

“Maybe Kakarot should just put it out of its misery then.” Vegeta snorted.

“Eh, don’t be so hasty, guys! With time, Magikarp will eventually evolve into—”

Dawn suddenly placed her hand over Barry’s face in order to make him shut up. She then brought him away from both Saiyans, frowning.

“Shhhh! Don’t spoil the surprise like that.” Dawn hissed. Considering that Goku and Vegeta were new to this world, she wanted them to experience it from a relatively blind perspective. This included the more surprising evolutions like Gyarados, especially.

“Ohh, right. My bad.” Barry whispered with a knowing wink.

The two trainers then broke apart, pretending that nothing happened at all. Vegeta, as per usual, just clicked his tongue in response to such an act.

“Hmmm…” Goku hummed. While a new type of Pokémon would be useful, the fact Magikarp knew a single move that basically did nothing wasn’t all that appealing, even if he was quite massive in size.
Then again, there was always room for improvement. The comical fish would probably learn other moves at some point, so the situation wasn’t all bad.

“He does kinda remind me of the time I spent on Mt. Paozu, so why not?” The martial artist ultimately decided. He then grabbed a Poké Ball from his backpack and threw it at Magikarp.

“Karp!” He cried as his form was materialized into the ball as red electricity. The Poké Ball then wiggled three times on the floor before coming to a sudden halt.

Smiling, Goku knelt down and grasped his new friend’s Poké Ball. “Looks like I got a Magikarp. Hehe.”

“Congratulations, Goku! You’ll be a pro in no time at this rate.” Dawn chirped.

“Thanks! Now, all I need to do is send him out and get a light nibble from…”

Dawn’s expression soured from irritation. “Hrmmm…”

“Kidding, kidding!” Goku chuckled as he held his hands up in mock surrender. The young Pokémon Trainer sniffed in response to this joke.

“Tsk. You think you’re sooo funny.” Dawn grumbled sarcastically. Despite this, she couldn’t fully conceal the amused grin etched on her lips.

“Welp, that makes one of you who’s caught up with me then. Time’s a tickin’, guys!” Barry cried while lightly tapping on his wrist.

“Right. I’m utterly shaking in my boots. How will I ever find another damn Pokémon in time?” Vegeta droned on in heavily exaggerated concern. Crossing his arms, he walked over to a random, nearby tree.

“Like, honestly! I could probably find one in this tree right here. It takes absolutely no effort for an elite warrior such as me! Watch!”

He then slammed his fist on the tree, causing it to aggressively shake from side to side. This, to no one’s surprise, caused various Starly and Starvia to fly away in sudden fear. However, Vegeta was surprised to see something else fall from atop the tree. It was a large cherry with stubby legs and a green leaf that connected its head to a smaller one.

Once it landed on Vegeta’s head, the cherry blinked its small, beady red eyes. This caused Vegeta’s mild annoyance to change into that of disgust and immense confusion.

“Gaah!” He yelped. He flung the new Pokémon out of his hair, causing it to unceremoniously fly across the entire route.

“CHERUUUU!” It screamed. Concerned for the creature’s safety, Dawn ran over and hurriedly caught it in her arms.

“Phew! That was a close one.” She sighed in relief. “You could have been a bit gentler, Vegeta. This poor Cherubi would have been squished if I hadn’t grabbed it in time.”

Vegeta glanced from Cherubi back to Dawn in bewilderment. He didn’t even care that the thing was shaking right now.

“Well, I’m sorry. How in the hell was I supposed to know that some fruit could be a Pokémon too?” The Saiyan Prince scowled.

“He’s got a point there. How does that even work?” Goku asked in confusion.

“It’s not rocket science, guys. All Pokémon come in various different shapes and sizes. They can look like fruit, trees, flowers, garbage, and even ice cream, believe it or not.” Barry explained.

Vegeta deadpanned at the last part. “Ice cream? Really?”

“Hey, it may sound dumb, but a Pokémon like that does exist. They’re pretty common in the Unova region.”

Vegeta frowned in further skepticism. Goku was still trying to wrap his head around the whole concept as well.

“Here, I’ll give you an example. Cherubi here may look like a cherry, of course, but normal cherries are still around. Pokémon can grow and develop around the objects they’re based on while still being separate things.” Dawn added.

Goku continued to scratch the back of his head. “But, if that’s the case, would Cherubi’s body match the inside of a cherry too?”

Barry and Dawn awkwardly looked at each other in surprise. They’ve never really thought about that before.

“…”

“…”

This short period of silence was interrupted by Dawn abruptly clearing her throat.

“Ahem. I think that kind of question’s more suited for Professor Rowan, Goku.” She pointed out.

“Yeah. Guess you’re right.” Goku shrugged absentmindedly. “What are you going to do with it, anyway?”

Looking down at Cherubi, Dawn brought out her pink Pokédex and examined its respective entry.

“Scanning Pokémon 058: Cherubi, the Cherry Pokémon. It is a Grass-type with the ability, Chlorophyll. Description: The small ball is not only filled with nutrients; it is also tasty. Starly try to peck it off. Identified Gender Ratio: 50% Male and 50% Female. Specified Nature: Modest.”

“Tasty?” Goku whispered curiously. In a way, the reference to nutrients sort of answered his previous question.

“Don’t get any ideas, Goku. I’m going to catch this little guy.” Dawn stated. Before the Cherubi could wriggle out of her arms, she grabbed a spare Poké Ball from her bag and tapped it on the Grass-type’s head.

“Cheru!” It squeaked. Like with Magikarp, Cherubi was sucked into the ball via red static. The ball then wiggled three times before stopping in place.

“Nice! Can’t believe I got it on the first try!” Dawn beamed. She then picked up Cherubi’s Poké Ball and set it alongside Piplup’s.

“Looks like you’re the last one, Vegeta.”

“Feh. As if it really matters. I can wait to find a Pokémon worthy of my interest.” Vegeta proudly grunted.

“I mean, there’s plenty of Bidoofs running around. Just saying.” Barry mumbled. Although he was partly joking, Bidoof, given the proper training, could prove to be quite powerful in battle. Its affinity for HMs didn’t hurt either.

“Oh, just shut up about the doof thing already. It’s not happening.” He growled back.

“Fine, fine. Just thought I’d keep your options open, Veggie.”

“Like I need your help with that, moron.” Vegeta spat.

Sensing that Barry was starting to lose his temper, Goku smacked a hand on his forehead. “Oh boy. Here we go again…"

“Woah! I was just trying to help you out, jerk!” Barry shouted angrily.

“And did I ask for it? No, I didn’t. So, how about you save my ears the trouble and keep your big mouth shut.”

“Errgh! Let’s see what Turtwig has to say about that!” The blonde Pokémon Trainer hissed. He clenched his fist while bringing out Turtwig’s Poké Ball with the other hand.

“Oh, please. It would only take a matter of seconds for that pathetic turtle to be beaten. Why should I even bother?”

“That…That does it, you piece of absolute—”

Dawn then stood between the two and shouted, “Would you two idiots stop it!”

All of a sudden, Goku and everyone else saw the sun glow significantly brighter than before. It shone down the group as sparkles of sunlight twinkled all across Route 202.

“That’s weird. Why’d the sun start shining like that?” Goku wondered.

“No clue, but for some reason, I feel much happier than before.” Barry commented with a wide smile on his face.

“Hmph. I don’t feel any different.” Vegeta grumbled.

“Maybe cause you don’t have a soul.” Barry slyly joked. The Saiyan just glared at him in annoyance.

Once the sunlight faded, a small Grass/Poison-type Pokémon waddled into view. It was a rosebud-like creature with a yellow face and slitted black eyes. A green bib was placed under its chin while it had stubby yellow feet shaped like triangles.

“Budew, Budew!” Budew uttered.

Vegeta scrunched up his face in displeasure. “The hell is that?”

“Awww! It’s so cute!” Dawn cooed. She brought out her Pokédex once more and scanned Budew’s form.

“Scanning Pokémon 025: Budew, the Bud Pokémon. It is a Grass/Poison-type with Natural Cure and Poison Point as its possible abilities, and Leaf Guard as its only Hidden Ability. Description: Sensitive to changing temperature, the bud is said to bloom when it feels the sun’s warm touch. Identified Gender Ratio: 50% Male and 50% Female. Specified Nature: Quiet.” The Pokédex audibly announced.

As the description stated, Goku noticed that Budew’s bud was fully open. One part sported a blue petal while the other was red. “I guess this Budew caused the sun to shine then, huh?”

“Yup. It probably used a move like Sunny Day or something.” Barry presumed.

“You’d be correct, my friend.” Someone replied. He was a young man with long black hair and blue eyes. His outfit comprised of a green cloak that was held down by a red pendent, white pants, and a green, wide-brimmed hat. He also possessed a pair of black boots and, more notably, a yellow harp that was held in between both of his hands. This harp appeared to be shaped like some sort of cat-like Pokémon, but Goku couldn’t exactly tell what it was.

Smiling, the man got up from a nearby tree and walked closer to the group. He was significantly taller than all four of them, funnily enough.

“While normally it is used to strengthen Fire-type attacks, Sunny Day also helps soothe hardened hearts. For when your heart is filled with light, your mood becomes happy and bright. Don’t you two feel better now?” The man asked as he played a soft melody on his harp.

“You bet! I feel like 1,000,000 bucks now!” Barry beamed. The man then looked toward Vegeta, who was far more indifferent as always.

“The only mood I’m feeling is anger and irritation. And your “Sunny Day” crap just made that even worse.”

“Budew?” The Bud Pokémon cried in confusion.

The man stopped playing his harp for a moment. “Ah, that’s unfortunate. You must be a fairly unhappy person then.”

Vegeta’s expression soured. “Excuse me?”

“But fret not! I, the Pokémon Bard, Nando, will continue to bring you and others joy with the soothing tunes of my music! And I’ll continue to travel the entire world to do so. Isn’t that right, my little Budew?” Nando exclaimed as he lightly strummed the strings of his harp.

“Bud! Budew!” Budew cheered.

The group blankly stared at Nando’s little speech in surprise. Vegeta, on the other hand, shook his head and sighed.

“Just great. I’ve managed to find an even bigger clown than both Kakarot and Blondie combined.” Vegeta mentally groaned.

“And what are your names?” Nando asked.

“The name’s Barry! I’m gonna be Sinnoh’s next Champion soon!”

“Hey, I’m Goku. It’s nice to meet you, Nacho!” Goku cheerfully greeted.

The bard chuckled and said, “It’s Nando, but likewise. Hehe.”

“Yeah, sorry. I’m still really hungry. Heh.” Goku sheepishly muttered.

Nando grinned at this goofy reply before addressing the aloof Vegeta. Said warrior scoffed and turned his head away from the calm, collected Pokémon Trainer.

“Vegeta.”

This brisk response disheartened Nando a bit. In all of his prior travels, he’s never once encountered someone whose heart was this closed off. It honestly made Vegeta one of a kind in some weird way.
Dawn, sensing Nando’s disappointment, gave Vegeta the stink eye. She then looked toward Nando with a warm, considerate smile.

“No need to worry about him. Vegeta isn’t exactly what you’d call a people person.” She grumbled. “My name’s Dawn. I’m planning to become a successful Pokémon Trainer and Coordinator like my parents.”

“Both Coordinating and Battling, you say? Interesting. I’m dabbling in those two as well.” Nando revealed.

Dawn gasped in delight. “Really?! That’s great! It’s good to know that I’m not the only one doing that.”

“I dunno. Wouldn’t training for Gym Battles and those Contest things be a bit time consuming? There’s only so much you can do in one day.” Goku wondered, given his own experiences with training as a martial artist.

“You’d be right, Goku. That’s why I’m trying to decide which direction I should take with my journey. It’s either one or the other, or both.” Nando said.

“Well, if I were you, I wouldn’t waste my time with some girly old contests, but…”

Before he could finish talking, Dawn suddenly grabbed the end of Barry’s ear and pinched it. This seemed to hurt way more than expected.

“Shut it, Barry…” Dawn growled as one of her eyebrows began to twitch.

At the same time, Goku lightly rubbed his chin in thought.

“Hmmm…well, if you do want to make a decision about that, then how ‘bout we have a battle? That way, you can test to see if your skills as a Trainer are up to snuff.” He recommended.

“If that pleases you, I don’t see why not.” Nando complied with Goku’s request.

Dawn bit her lip. “Oh, but Goku, don’t you think I should battle him instead? We’re going through similar experiences, after all.”

Goku crossed both arms behind his head in uncertainty.

“Guess you got a point there. Though, I did kinda want to test out my new Magikarp…”

Since both kids seemed to have an interest in battling him, Nando came up with a compromise of sorts. “Should a Double Battle suffice then?”

“A Double what now?” Goku blankly asked.

“It’s basically a special type of battle where teams of two Pokémon fight each other all at once. Experience is shared between both Pokémon by the end of it.” Barry briefly described. Goku nodded along with a more enthusiastic grin.

“Woah. Sounds pretty neat.” He said.

“Come on, Goku! It’ll be fun.” Dawn encouraged Goku while lightly tugging on his arm.

The martial artist couldn’t exactly deny that level of enthusiasm. “Alright. If that’s what you want, then let’s do it then.”

“Splendid. There’s a clearing up ahead that’ll be perfect for such a battle.” Nando informed. He then walked in front of the group and led the way.

“Man, I was hoping I’d be able to battle him. Watching someone else’s battle isn’t nearly as cool.” Barry groaned.

“For once, I agree with you. A battle against this pretentious clown won’t be engaging in the slightest.” Vegeta glowered in dismay. If he knew this weirdo was going to show up, he would have put more time into catching another Pokémon. It’d be to his own benefit, at least.

Barry slightly winced. “Yeesh. I wouldn’t go that far, but…at least, we’re sorta on the same page now? I think?”

“Feh. Don’t get used to it.”

Walking in front of those two, Goku began to examine the details of Nando’s unusual instrument. Its appearance was unique enough to pique his interest.

“By the way, is your harp based on some Pokémon that lives here, Nando?” He asked.

“Ah, yes. Quite perceptive of you, Goku.” Nando praised. He then gestured to the harp’s most prominent details. “It is based on a Mythical Pokémon from the Kanto Region known as Mew. Legends say that it’s the shared ancestor of all Pokémon and thus, has the ability to transform into any known species.”

“Mew, hm? Seems really powerful.” The martial artist admitted. Like in his world, it appeared that looks could be deceiving. Who knew a small cat-looking thing could be capable of such abilities?

Nando nodded in confirmation. “It is. Since Mew exists as the embodiment of all Pokémon DNA in one single body, I feel its likeness works well with my harp. I wish to bring a sense of unity to all people and Pokémon with my music, you know?”

“I don’t exactly get it, but yeah, I see what you’re saying, I think.” Goku shrugged in semi-understanding.

Nando chuckled. “I suppose that’s suitable enough for me, Goku. Hehe.”

“Bud! Bud!” Budew giggled in a similar manner.

As Nando described, the group arrived at an open field within Route 202. He and Budew positioned themselves on one side, preparing for battle.

“We may start the battle whenever you’re ready.” Nando said calmly. “But first…”

The Pokémon Bard pulled out another Poké Ball and threw it. It popped open to reveal a small Bug-type Pokémon with stubby black hands and feet. Alongside having a pair of black, curled up antennae, it also had beady white eyes, and a red head that matched its body and circular nose. The Pokémon also had a yellow collar that coiled around its head and neck.

“Kricketot!” It warbled.

“Meet Kricketot. He’ll be helping Budew battle your Pokémon.” Nando introduced another member of his team.

“You sure have some cute Pokémon, Nando.” Dawn giggled. She brought out her Pokédex once more and read through Kricketot’s entry.

“Scanning Pokémon 015: Kricketot, the Cricket Pokémon. It is a Bug-type Pokémon with Shed Skin as its ability and Run Away as its Hidden Ability. Description: Its legs are short. Whenever it stumbles, its stiff antennae clack with a xylophone-like sound. Identified Gender Ratio: 50% Male and 50% Female. Specified Nature: Relaxed.”

“Looks like Kricketot specializes in sound-based moves…” Dawn noted under her breath. “You ready for this, Goku?”

“Yup! Let’s do this already.” Goku happily bobbed his head.

“Kay! Let’s make a gorgeous entrance for your second battle, Piplup!” Dawn brought out Piplup’s Poké Ball and gracefully tossed it. “Spotlight!”

Piplup emerged from the ball with both flippers on her hips. “Piplup Pip!”

“Guess I’ll do the same then. Go, Magikarp!” Goku cried out. His Poké Ball unveiled the giant Magikarp as he helplessly flailed about on the grass.

“I see. It appears that both of you are deciding to go with two Water-types for this battle. That’s an interesting—”

Suddenly, to Goku’s surprise, Magikarp powerfully bounced into the air and began to steadily crash down toward Nando’s Pokémon.

The bard’s eyes uncharacteristically popped out of their sockets in shock. “W-WHY IN THE WORLD IS THAT MAGIKARP SO HUGE?!”

The gasping fish then made contact with the ground, creating a massive shockwave that sent Budew and Kricketot flying across the entire field.

“D-Dew!”

“T-Tot!”

Both Pokémon painfully smacked into the ground, causing about half of their HP to drop down in an instant. Nevertheless, they managed to stand up and keep battling.

“Wow. I never thought I’d the see the day where a Magikarp would actually be useful.” Barry whispered from the sidelines. He didn’t even want to think of what kind of monster this Magikarp could be as a Gyarados. Goku sure had some pretty good luck on his side.

Flabbergasted by this moment, Nando coughed a few times to regain his composure. “V-Very impressive. The power of your Magikarp’s Splash attack seemed to be strengthened by its size.”

“Is that what happened? I didn’t even tell him to do anything there. Weird.” Goku replied in puzzlement. “But, good job, Magikarp! That’s one way to start a battle.”

“Karp! Karp!” The Water-type cried happily.

“That was good, Goku, but now, it’s Piplup’s time to shine!” Dawn confidently proclaimed. She looked directly at Nando’s Budew as it stared into space.

“Since Budew’s a Grass-type, I want you to use Peck!” She ordered. With that, Piplup’s beak glowed white and slightly grew in size.

“Pip Pip! Plup!” The Penguin Pokémon charged at Budew with a fierce, determined glare. Nando, however, didn’t seem concerned by this at all.

“Dodge that, please.” He instructed. Right as Piplup was about to hit Budew, it leapt into the air and performed a forward somersault.

“Oh no! Why is it so fast?!” Dawn grimaced.

“Now, use Bullet Seed on Goku’s Magikarp.” Nando stated. Still in midair, Budew spun its body around and locked eyes with the defenseless Magikarp.

“Bud! Dew dew dew!”

Multiple seeds sprung out of Budew’s mouth and sailed toward said Water-type at exceptionally fast speeds.

“Shoot! He’s too big to move out of the way in time.” Goku glowered. Sadly, all he could do was watch as Magikarp took the Bullet Seed at full force.

“K-Karp!” The fish gasped in pain.

“Just hang in there, Magikarp. You can do this!” Goku tried his best to soothe the Water-type’s panicked state. Sharing direct eye contact with his trainer, Magikarp tried to calm himself down for the time being.

Nando tipped his hat down, smirking. “As for you, Kricketot, please use Struggle Bug on both Piplup and Magikarp.”

“Both of them? That’s not fair!” Goku shouted.

“Kricketot Tot!” The Cricket Pokémon unleashed a series of small green projectiles that encircled its two opponents. Upon being gathered together, the projectiles rapidly struck Magikarp and Piplup’s respective bodies from various angles.

“M-Magi…karp! Karp!”

“P-Pip Piplup!”

Dawn frowned in concern. “Try to dodge it, Piplup!”

The Water-type starter begrudgingly nodded as she leapt about the area to evade most of Kricketot’s Struggle Bug.

“Pip, Pip, Pip!” She tweeted. By the end of this little evasive maneuver, Piplup was in a much better state than Magikarp overall. It was a miracle that Magikarp could even remain conscious, in fact.

“Phew. Real nice work there, Piplup.” Dawn sighed in relief. Feeling sorry for all the damage Magikarp had to endure, she suddenly thought over a new strategy.

“Alright, Goku. I’ll be using my next attack to knock out Kricketot. Try to get at least one more hit in on Budew with Magikarp.” Dawn quietly whispered over to Goku. “I have a feeling it has a special trick up its sleeve.”

Although Dawn was mostly referring to Budew’s Sunny Day move, Goku was too focused on the figure of speech she said to really notice.

“Wait, but Budew doesn’t even have a sleeve?” Goku obliviously asked.

Dawn huffed. “Ugh. Never mind that! Just do what I told you.”

She furrowed her eyebrows and glanced over at Piplup. “Use Peck on Kricketot!”

“Piiiplup!” Yellow beak glowing once more, Piplup dived directly towards Kricketot. However, this time, Nando’s Pokémon wasn’t quick enough to avoid it.

“Tot!” The Bug-type screamed as Piplup’s beak pierced straight into its stomach. Due to Peck being super effective, Kricketot was flung into the ground and fell unconscious.

“Kricke…tot…” It groaned with black swirls in its eyes. Nando just closed his eyes in dismay.

“Yes! That’s one down!” Dawn pumped her fist in glee.

“Nice one! Looks like we won’t be hearing any Kricketots chirping now.” Barry joked from the sidelines.

“Return. You deserve a gentle, soothing rest.” Nando murmured comfortingly as he placed Kricketot back into its Poké Ball. “Quite commendable efforts so far, my friends, but this battle is far from over. Budew has a special tune just waiting to be played.”

“Bring it on then, Nando! We can take it.” Goku chided in anticipation.

“Hmph. If you insist.” Nando murmured. He lightly strummed his fingers along the harp’s strings. “Sunny Day, please.”

“Budeeeew…” The Grass/Poison-type hummed. Like before, the sun’s light became far more intense and potent.

“That again? Why wouldn’t just use Bullet Seed on Magikarp?” Goku wondered in confusion. After all, Magikarp was close to fainting at this point.

He then brought out his Pokédex and looked over Magikarp’s moves. There was Splash, a move that usually did nothing, but could be enhanced by Magikarp’s abnormal size, and Tackle. Despite that not being the best attack out there, Goku was just relieved that Magikarp actually had a normal means of defending himself.

“Okay. Use Tackle, Magikarp!” Goku ordered. Narrowing his widened eyes, Magikarp used the ground as a makeshift launchpad and bounced himself against Budew’s body.

“KARP!” Magikarp yelled.

“Dew!” Budew seethed in pain. Fortunately for Nando, it managed to sidestep away from Magikarp, so his Tackle only grazed part of Budew’s body, rather than the entire thing.

Goku looked slightly impressed. “Man, that little guy sure is fast.”

“Naturally. Budew’s Speed stat is her specialty next to Special Defense.” Nando proudly informed.

“Dew…Dew…Dew…” Budew lightly gasped for breath.

Seeing Budew in such a watered-down state, Dawn’s determination to win this battle was at an all-time high. “A high Special Defense won’t save it from Peck then, Nando! Try to hit Budew this time, Piplup!”

“Piplup Pip-Pip!” Piplup fumed. She spun her body around, making Peck function like some sort of corkscrew in terms of motion.

“Jump in the air and dodge it, please.” Nando said with little concern. As instructed, Budew used its little legs to backflip into the air.

Piplup soared past the area Budew used to be, causing her to become a bit dizzy from using Peck.

“P-Plup…Pip?” The Water-type woozily squeaked out.

Dawn dejectedly snapped her fingers. “Dang it! Piplup’s just not fast enough.”

Her and Goku looked up into the sky, trying to get a good idea of what Budew was doing. To their bewilderment, they saw Budew’s bud open up in midair.

“Now, Budew,” Nando paused for dramatic effect. “Use your Solar Beam!”

“W-What?” Dawn gasped.

“A Budew with Solar Beam?! You’ve got to be kidding!” Barry yelled in shock. Vegeta covered his ears to drone out Barry’s incessant screaming.

“When you have TM22, it is quite possible, actually. And with Sunny Day in effect for five turns in total, there’s no need to charge it up.” Nando coolly revealed his strategy. “Release fire on Piplup, Budew.”
“Buuud…Budew!” After sunlight gathered into the top of Budew’s head, she unleashed a devastating blast of yellow-white energy. It was as if Budew was shooting a beam from the sun itself in a way.

“Woah. It straight up looks like a ki blast!” Goku mentally noted. He didn’t think something as small as Budew could be capable of unleashing such a powerful attack.

Solar Beam hit Piplup head on, causing her to scream in horror. “PIIIIIIPLUP!”

Filled to the brim with scorch marks, Piplup abruptly collapsed onto the grass and fainted. Her body ever-so-slightly twitched from these wounds.

“No! Piplup!” Dawn cried in concern. She knelt down and clutched Piplup in her arms.

“I’m so sorry, Piplup. Please get some rest now.” Dawn whispered. She sent Piplup back into her Poké Ball without another word.

“P-Pip…” The Water-type stuttered as she dematerialized into red static.

Dawn drooped her eyes and put Piplup’s Poké Ball away. She then darted her eyes toward Goku, waiting to see what he’d do.

Goku gave her a small grin. “Come on, Magikarp. Use Tackle before Budew can fire another Solar Beam.

Unfortunately, Magikarp was too nervous to even move a muscle. “K-Karp! Karp!”

“Huh? What are you doing, Magikarp? Use Tackle!” Goku repeated in a more concerned tone.

Instead, Magikarp just used Splash and as usual, did absolutely nothing. This refusal to comply with Goku’s orders caused Vegeta to facepalm.

“How embarrassing…” He grumbled. Vegeta had a feeling Kakarot made a mistake not eating that fish when he had the chance.

“Solar Beam once more.” Nando ordered. Budew landed on the ground and shot another blast at Magikarp.

Upon impact, Magikarp instantly fainted due to Solar Beam’s super effective status. “Magi…karp…”

“Aw, man! Sorry about that, Magikarp.” Goku apologized. He sent Magikarp back into a Poké Ball and shook his head.

“The battle isn’t over yet. Both Dawn and I have two other Pokémon left to use.” Goku said. He rummaged through his backpack and brought out another Poké Ball.

“Let’s go, Chimchar!” He called out. The ball popped open to reveal said Fire-type monkey.

“Chimchar!” He cheeped happily. He seemed to be basking in the sunlight’s rays with a wide, mischievous grin.

Dawn did the same. “You too, Cherubi!”

“Cheruu!” The cherry-like Pokémon said while lightly bouncing in place. Surprisingly, in spite of her small stature, she was still bigger than Budew by comparison.

“A Fire and Grass-type, hm? That’s certainly a change of pace.” Nando mused.

Remembering what Nando said about Sunny Day’s effects, Goku examined Chimchar. He noticed that his fiery tail was much livelier than it was during the battle against Vegeta.

The Saiyan smirked. “It’s time to finish this, Chimchar! Move closer to Budew and use Ember!”

“Chim!” Chimchar nodded. At higher than average speeds, Chimchar sprinted to his intended target.

“So fast…” Nando grimaced. It appeared that Chimchar’s Speed stat was arguably even higher than Budew’s.

“Prepare to counterattack with another Solar Beam, Budew.” Nando advised with caution. Narrowing her eyes, Budew gathered sunlight into her bud once again.

“Dewww!” She cried. All of a sudden, Budew’s form was engulfed by a white, ethereal glow. Everyone, including Vegeta, were stunned by this event.

“What’s this?” Nando inquired.

“B-Budew’s evolving in the middle of a battle?! That’s incredible!” Dawn stammered in disbelief. She didn’t think such an occurrence was even possible.

The light surrounding Budew grew in size until a new Pokémon was revealed. It was a small, light green creature that seemed much more humanoid than Budew. Along with having three thorns on tops of its head, this Pokémon had black eyes with long eyelashes and roses on each of its arms. The right arm’s rose was red while the left arm’s rose was blue, much like the appearance of Budew’s bud when it bloomed. While bigger than Budew, its evolved from was still comparatively smaller than Cherubi for some reason.

“Roselia Rose!” Roselia announced her name. She batted her eyelashes and performed a small curtsy of sorts.

Vegeta quirked a brow and brought out his Pokédex. He had no clue how a small, pathetic-looking shrub became…whatever that thing was.

“Scanning Pokémon 026: Roselia, the Thorn Pokémon. It is a Grass/Poison-type Pokémon and the evolved form of Budew. Possible abilities include Natural Cure and Poison Point with Leaf Guard as its only Hidden Ability. Description: The healthier the Roselia, the more pleasant its flowers’ aroma. Its scent deeply relaxes people. Identified Gender Ratio: 50% Male and 50% Female. Specified Nature: Quiet.”
“Tch. Doesn’t seem all that impressive.” Vegeta grunted.

“I really need to get me one of those…” Barry muttered to himself. Overhearing this, Vegeta figured the moron’s clear interest in this Roselia already proved his observation to be true. Barry seemed to be the type of person who’d be impressed by everything, especially if it had to do with Pokémon.

“An interesting development to say the least, but a welcome one.” Nando said while stroking his chin. “Solar Beam, if you’d be so kind, Roselia.”

“Rose…ROSELIA!” Roselia pressed her roses together and unleashed a massive Solar Beam that was clearly more powerful than the others. This already showed how beneficial evolution was in terms of improving one’s strength.

“Now’s your chance! Ember, Chimchar!” Goku commanded.

Nodding, Chimchar ran on all fours and managed flip over Roselia’s Solar Beam as it touched the ground. Plumes of black smoke billowed behind him as Chimchar leapt into the air and used his only Fire-type move.

“Chim, Chim, Chimchar!” Chimchar opened his mouth and shot out multiple pellets of fire. These orange, infernal pellets relentlessly smacked into Roselia’s head, face, and body.

“Ahhhh!” Roselia screamed in response to Ember’s burning sensation. She woozily stepped back and collapsed in on herself.

“R-Rose…selia…” The Thorn Pokémon weakly cried. She then fainted, much to Nando’s displeasure.

“Well, that’s the end, Roselia. It seems that we lost.” The bard sighed.

“Yeah, we did it! Amazing as always, buddy!” Goku cheered, giving his starter a well-deserved thumbs up.

“Chimchar Chim!” Chimchar repeated the same gesture and sniggered. Goku then returned him to his Poké Ball with the utmost satisfaction.

Dawn knelt down next to Cherubi, smiling. “Sorry you didn’t get to do much, Cherubi. I promise you’ll get a chance to battle soon.”

“Bibi.” Cherubi nodded. After that, she was sent back to her Poké Ball as well.

Nando picked up the fallen Roselia and warmly grinned. “A brilliant effort. Please take some time to rest.”

“Thanks for battling us, Nando! Your Pokémon were pretty strong!” Goku exclaimed.

“I’ll say. You managed to take down both Piplup and Magikarp with Budew…erm…I mean, Roselia alone. That’s really impressive.” Dawn commended Nando on his battling abilities.

“I should say the same to you. You’re exceptionally skilled battlers for your age. I would have never guessed that you’d just be starting out on your journeys.” Nando kindly admitted.
“Yep. This is only my second battle so far!” Goku replied.

Dawn sheepishly played with the strands of her hair. “Mine too. But, as you can tell, I still have a lot to learn.”

“Nothing wrong with that. Every battle you participate in will bring forth more and more experience. And judging by how well your Piplup did against Kricketot, I can tell you’ll be a strong Trainer and Coordinator one day. I guarantee it.”

“Wow. That’s so nice of you to say, Nando. Thank you.” Dawn beamed in gratitude.

“My pleasure. But I should be the one thanking you, Dawn and Goku.”

“What for?” Goku asked.

“Seeing your different styles of battling, I’ve ultimately decided to participate in both the Sinnoh League and Grand Festival.” Nando exclaimed, not wishing to give up either form of training in the end. “So, as both a Pokémon Coordinator and Pokémon Trainer, I’m looking forward to seeing how our paths cross in the future.”

“That’s great! We’ll have to battle again sometime.” Goku replied in excitement.

“I wouldn’t mind that at all.” Nando nodded in agreement. “Speaking of which, are you planning to participate in Jubilife City’s Contest Hall, Dawn?”

“Oh, right! I completely forgot about that!” Dawn widened her eyes in realization. “You bet I am. This will be my first Contest, so I want to make it worthwhile.”

“Then, I suppose I’ll see you there. That’ll be my first Contest in a while as well.” Nando nodded his head.

Before he could walk away, Nando glanced at Vegeta and leaned over to Dawn’s ear.

“Oh and by the way, I wasn’t going to mention this, but what’s with that Vegeta fellow’s odd getup? I’ve never seen anything like it before.” Nando wondered curiously.

Barry, deciding to intrude on the conversation, observed Nando from top to bottom. “Isn’t that like the pot calling the kettle black?”

“What do you mean?” Nando asked.

Barry shrugged. “Nothing, nothing. Just an observation.”

Dawn lightly glared at Barry for his poor attempt at a joke. She then gestured to Vegeta and Goku with her hand.

“See, Goku and Vegeta come from a…well…far-off region of sorts. That’s why their outfits are a bit different from ours.”

“Far-off region? Hmph. Is that why Vegeta is so…how you say…antisocial?” Nando inferred.

Dawn shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. That’s just how he is.”

“Ah, I see. Pity.” Nando whispered sympathetically. “I bid you farewell then. Until we meet again in Jubilife City, my friends.”

“Bye, Nando!” Dawn waved.

“See ya later!” Goku waved him off in a more enthusiastic manner.

As Nando made his way down the path to Jubilife City, Vegeta reconvened with the others.

“Good. I thought he would never leave.” He grunted.

“You gotta admit that he was pretty good at battling, though. I don’t think your Piplup would fare much better against that Solar Beam move.” Goku pointed out.

Vegeta couldn’t exactly deny any of those statements. “I suppose you’re right about that. But, even so, his personality just pisses me off. I don’t buy that whole “bringing joy with my music” crap for a second.”

“Oh, you’re just mad that his music and Budew’s Sunny Day didn’t leave an impact on you.” Barry mischievously proclaimed.

“No, I’m mad at you for making asinine statements like that every five seconds.” Vegeta growled.

“Sure, Veggie. Whatever you say.” The blonde Trainer said in a sarcastic tone.

“Knock it off, guys. Goku and I need to find a Pokémon Center in Jubilife.” Dawn informed as she pointed to the end of Route 202. “The exit isn’t that far ahead, so let’s keep walking.”

“Does that mean we can—”

“Yes, Goku. We’ll be sure to eat when we get there.” Dawn amusedly rolled her eyes.

“Great! I’m starving!” Goku eagerly whooped.

“If I had a nickel for every time, I’ve heard him say that…” Vegeta grumbled in irritation.

“You’d be rich, right?” Barry chimed in.

“Well, I’m technically already rich back in my world, but yes.” The Saiyan Prince nonchalantly replied.

Barry nodded a few times before realizing what Vegeta just mentioned. “Wait, what?!”

As Barry relentlessly hammered Vegeta with one irrelevant question after another, Mesprit became tangible in the skies above them. It was pleased that Goku accepted its gift with relatively open arms.

“Mess…Mesprit.” The Legendary Pokémon bobbed its head in satisfaction.

Despite wanting to see what else Goku would do, Mesprit ultimately decided to take a break and head back to Lake Verity. Staying away from its main territory for too long wasn’t exactly the best idea at this time.

“Messss!” Mesprit yawned. It gave one last look at Goku before teleporting away in a flash of blue light.

In that moment, Goku looked behind his shoulder. He squinted his eyes, trying to see where that energy could have originated from.

“Something wrong, Goku?” Dawn asked.

Goku didn’t exactly know how to answer that question. “I don’t think so. I just thought I saw something for a second.”

“It was probably just a Starly or another Flying-type. Don’t worry about it.” Dawn assured him.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Goku nodded, albeit with a smidge of uncertainty. Maybe this had something do with Magikarp falling out of the sky?

Heeding Dawn’s advice, Goku shook his head and continued walking over to Jubilife City’s entrance. Now, all he needed to worry about was getting some food in his stomach as fast as possible.

Mt. Coronet, Team Galactic Headquarters’ Basement

After an incredibly awkward trip in the Headquarters’ elevator, Emperor Pilaf, Mai, and Shu were brought to a fairly open facility. The walls contained shelves upon shelves of Poké Balls, Great Balls, and Ultra Balls, some of which were labeled with names of Pokémon they held. These shelves were even categorized by specific regions that Pilaf couldn’t exactly pronounce to save his life.

“Ho-enn? Kay-los? U-Nova? What in the hell kinds of names are these?” Pilaf thought in puzzlement.

“Assuming that you’re wondering what those names are, they describe regions from across the globe. Each region has their own species of Pokemon and we have most, if not all kinds of them at our disposal.” Cyrus explained in a monotone voice. Pilaf nervously nodded, wondering how in the hell this freak managed to read his mind.

“Yeesh. That must be a lot then.” Shu muttered.

“Over 1000, give or take a few.” Mars added with little change in her expression.

Mai gaped at this number. “Are you serious?! T-That might as well be a whole army.”

“It is, obviously. But, unfortunately, most of our grunts are too incompetent to handle the stronger species.” Sird sneered. She then glared down at the trio. “You’d best hope that you’re not the same way.”
The Pilaf Gang collectively gulped. “““Y-Yes, ma’am.”””

“Good. Now, I want you to select as many Pokémon from these walls as you wish. However, the maximum is six, so choose wisely.” Cyrus advised.

Mars crossed her arms and frowned. “Master Cyrus, are you sure this is a good idea? We know barely anything about these three. For all we know, they could double-cross us at any moment.”

“No need to be concerned, Mars. We already possess the Dragon Radar, so without us, Pilaf and his gang have no way to locate the Dragon Balls as initially planned.” “Besides, if they do, in fact, decide to rebel, we could always drop them off somewhere.”

“Right. I shouldn’t have doubted you.” Mars closed her eyes, smiling. Sird snorted at this behavior with a malicious smirk.

“Tch. Just choose some Pokémon and get a move on.” She ordered. “We still have to test your skills in a battle.”

Not exactly knowing where to begin, the Pilaf Gang awkwardly examined each shelf. There were so many Poké Balls to choose from that grabbing some by random would probably be a quicker option. However, neither of the three wanted to be screwed over with a weak Pokémon in their possession, especially when compared to say, Cyrus’ Houndoom, Sird’s Persian, or Charon’s Porygon-Z.

For all they knew, some Pokémon could be at a severe disadvantage ability or appearance wise. This brought up a question in Pilaf’s head.

“So, how exactly did your…ergh…Pokémon become so strong?” Pilaf asked.

“Through training them, of course. While certain Pokemon only have a single stage all their lives, others can have one or two evolutions that can significantly change their appearance. Evolutions also exponentially enhance their strength and power as well.” Cyrus explained the strange phenomenon that was Pokémon evolution.

Curious, Mai joined in on the conversation. “So, would selecting a fully evolved Pokémon be the better option then?”

“If you want to die painfully, I suppose. Pokémon need to be accustomed to their masters before learning to follow orders. Owning a fully grown Pokémon from the start will increases its chances of going rogue and disobeying your every command.” Sird warned. She then smirked and rested a hand on her chest. “There are exceptions, of course. But I doubt you have as much of a hold on a Pokémon’s mind as myself.”

“Feh. Someone’s humble…” Mai thought sarcastically. Observing the ‘Kalos’ row, she quirked a brow and looked through there.

“S-Smaller Pokémon it is then…” Shu stammered. He glanced over at the ‘Hoenn’ category before spotting multiple Poké Balls labeled Pokémon #261, Poochyena. Considering his experience with the Dog Police back home, Shu figured commanding a team of six dog-like creatures wouldn’t be too difficult for him. He quickly grabbed six Poochyena and stood to the side.
Mai, on the other hand, selected about two Poké Balls and one Great Ball. They contained Pokémon #677, Espurr, Pokémon #692, Clauncher, and Pokémon #441, Chatot. Although she stopped at three, Mai thought they had enough variety in terms of appearance and typing. It was better than grabbing six of the same things as Shu did.

Last, but not least, Emperor Pilaf tapped his chin indecisively. He always hated being the last person to select stuff and thus, broke out into a cold, unwavering sweat.

“We don’t have all day, Pilaf. Make a decision.” Sird sourly spat.

Emperor Pilaf ground his teeth in annoyance. “Don’t rush me, you dolt! I’m thinking…”

Mars struggled not to laugh while Sird glared daggers at the blue dwarf standing before her.

“What in the hell did you just call me, you little piece of—”
“Enough, Sird. Just give him some time.” Cyrus interrupted her small rant. Sird haughtily upturned her chin in outrage but didn’t dare say anything else.

“Alright. I think I’ve picked a group worthy of my greatness!” Pilaf grinned in satisfaction.

In the end, he chose Pokémon #769, Sandygast, from Alola, Pokémon #351, Castform, from Hoenn, Pokémon #46, Paras, and two selections of Pokémon #100, Voltorb. They were all contained in Poké Ball with the exception of Castform, whom had a Great Ball.

With that, Mai had three Pokémon, Pilaf had five Pokémon, and Shu had a full team of six. This already put them at a slight advantage over Vegeta and Goku in terms of number. Power, however, was something that still needed to be determined.

“Yeah. Greatness.” Mars lightly gagged.

“Well, now that you’ve got your selections out of the way, it’s time to see how they’ll in an actual battle.” Cyrus stated authoritatively. “Turn the lights on, Sird.”

“On it.” She replied. She walked over to a switch on the nearby wall and twisted it.

Once the lights were activated, a rectangular stadium was revealed to be located below this platform. It was metallic gray in color and contained the Team Galactic logo inside of a white, outlined Poké Ball.
Shu scratched one of his ears. “Huh. How did we not see that before?”

“It doesn’t matter. All you need to do is go down the stairs and bring your new Pokémon.” Cyrus said. He then gestured to the stadium with his hand. “In the arena, you’ll be battling Mars, Mai will be battling Sird, and Pilaf will be battling myself. Is that exact order understood?”

“Y-Yes. I believe so.” Pilaf begrudgingly nodded his head.

“Let us begin then.” Team Galactic’s leader ever-so-slightly smirked. “You’ll be going first, Mars. Don’t disappoint me.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” The redhead airily proclaimed. Her mood then took a swift 180 when addressing Shu. “Come along, mutt. This should be quick…”

“Mutt?” Shu repeated in offense.

They walked down the stairs and stood at each of the stadium’s respective sides. While Mars stood in calm, collected silence, Shu clasped his hands together nervously.

“I hope I made the right choice with these Poochyena things.”

Meanwhile, Cyrus and Sird remained atop the upper platform. They sat down in front of a computer interface that seemed to control a screen installed somewhere above the arena. This high-definition screen displayed Mars and Shu’s names, along with the amount of Pokémon they owned. Mars had about four in total, but two others were either blank or purposely kept concealed.

Mai noticed this. “So, does Mars have two other Pokémon or something?”

“Yes, but they’re currently in storage at the moment. Those last two are exceptionally powerful, so she only uses them for emergencies.” Cyrus coldly replied.

“I see.” Mai nodded.

Cyrus then pressed a button that projected his voice across the room. “The point of this exercise is to survive more than anything else. I don’t expect you to beat Mars, Shu, but try to use any of your Poochyena’s moves as effectively as possible.”

“Erm, what moves?” Shu obliviously wondered. Mars sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“There should be a list of attacks located inside the Poké Balls. Just send out one of the Poochyena and you’ll see what they are.” Cyrus explained from afar.

Shu shakily brought a Poké Ball in front of his face. “O-Okay. Got it.”

“Prepare yourself, dog. No one will go easy on you in a battle like this, especially me.” Mars spat in a brutally honest tone. She then grabbed an Ultra Ball from her uniform’s pocket and prepared to throw it.

Cyrus clasped his hands together and set them in front of his mouth. “Begin.”

“Go, Purugly!” Mars cried.

Her Ultra Ball was thrown to reveal an overweight, 3’03’’ tall cat with gray-white fur. It had piercing yellow eyes and large ears that were both tipped purple at the end. Its whiskers had a zigzag pattern while its tailed was springy and forked at the tip. Based on Purugly’s facial expression, it was not a Pokémon to be messed up with.

“Purrrug!” Purugly roared.

“Well, that name does fit…” Shu commented jokingly. Purugly, hearing this joke, narrowed her eyes and revealed a pair of sharp, knife-like claws.

“I suggest you don’t repeat that. My little Purugly’s very sensitive about her weight.” Mars cooed as she lovingly stroked Purugly’s side.

“Mroww…” The Tiger Cat Pokémon purred happily.

“Well, as you can obviously tell, I’m not much of a cat person, lady.” Shu snapped. He then took a deep breath and tossed his own Poké Ball.

“Help me out here, Poochyena!” Shu called.

From the Poké Ball, this Poochyena was a small, 1’08’’ canine with red eyes and yellow pupils. It had gray, spiky fur, black paws, stomach, face, and a red nose. Its teeth were sharp enough stick out at the side of its jaws as well.

“Poochy! Poochyena!” Poochyena growled aggressively. Although it acted ferocious, Poochyena was significantly smaller than Purugly by a large margin.

“Aw, crud! I did not think this through, did I?” Shu blurted out in dismay.

Up on the platform, Mai and Emperor Pilaf darted their eyes at one another. Pilaf just sighed and said, “Welp, this isn’t gonna last long.”

While Poochyena fearlessly glared at Purugly, Shu began to shake in his boots and hope that the poor Bite Pokémon wasn’t put on life support after this.

He stumbled over Poochyena’s Poké Ball and found the list of moves Cyrus told him about. On it, the moves, Tackle, Howl, Bite, and Sand Attack, were listed.

“A-Alright. Use Bite, I guess, Poochyena!” Shu unsurely ordered.

Upon command, Poochyena fully opened its jaw and pounced toward the obese cat. “Pooch Poochy!”

Mars stood completely still, not at all concerned with Poochyena’s low-level attack. She lazily brushed her short hair back and smirked.

“Dodge it…” Suddenly, Purugly dashed away so quickly that she disappeared from view. This left Shu, Pilaf, and Mai completely flabbergasted.

“What the hell? How is a fat cat moving so damn fast?!” Shu thought.

Poochyena’s jaws then clamped down, but they weren’t able to make contact with anything. “Poochy?”

After a few seconds, Purugly reappeared right behind the small Dark-type Pokémon. It turned around with a more nervous expression on its face.

“Purug…” The Normal-type lowly growled.

Mars deviously narrowed her eyes and pointed at the now-defenseless Poochyena. “Now, Purugly, let’s Play Rough.”

In that moment, Shu, to his horror, realized that Team Galactic’s members weren’t like any other typical Pokémon Trainer in this world. They were absolute monsters.

Chapter Text

*I apologize for taking this long to update, guys. I've been pretty busy with my other stories and real-life obligations since Chapter 9's publication in July 2022, but I have no excuse for the delay on this chapter. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it and look forward to future chapters. I promise it won't take another year to be updated, hopefully.

The group had finally arrived in Jubilife City as planned. Considered the largest and most modern city in all of Sinnoh, it contained various buildings and skyscrapers that towered over its general populous. These buildings included such popular landmarks as the Jubilife TV Station, the Global Trade Station, which could be used to trade Pokémon with regions outside of Sinnoh, the Trainers' School, and, more famously, the Pokétch Company. This company was responsible for manufacturing the titular Pokétch, an electronic device that most, if not all Pokémon Trainers used on their journeys throughout Sinnoh.

Dawn, upon entering Jubilife, was especially excited to get her hands on one. She sighed contentedly with a wide smile on her face.

"Welp, here it is, guys. The City of Joy itself!" She said. "Isn't it amazing?"

Considering how much larger West City was by comparison, Vegeta and Goku didn't look all that impressed. The latter was too focused on his empty stomach to show much of a reaction either.

"Tch. City of Joy? Is that really what they call this place?" Vegeta snorted.

"Well, we all know 'joy' is a foreign concept to you, Veggie, but yes, it is. At least, that's what the sign says." Barry replied. He then pointed toward the city's slogan, much to the Saiyan prince's annoyance.

"I can see that, moron."

"Eh, I think that name will only be accurate if I get some good food in my stomach. I don't think I can hold it in any longer." Goku groaned.

The young Pokémon Coordinator sighed. She wanted to explore more of the city, but thanks to Goku's bottomless stomach, that would have to wait, unfortunately.

"Alright, alright. I get it. I'm hungry too." Dawn muttered. "Does ice cream sound okay?"

Goku, Barry, and even Vegeta lit up at the mention of that frozen dessert. A little drool could be seen coming out of their mouths.

"Hehe. Sure does!"

Dawn giggled. "Let's go find a stand then. It shouldn't be too hard to find, hopefully."

They then entered the city and walked across Jubilife City's streets. It was bustling with all sorts of people and Pokémon that Goku or Vegeta haven't seen yet. There were so many that neither of them could even register each creature into their Pokédex in time.

The Saiyan martial artist watched as a large Tropius flew past them. It looked like a sentient palm tree with leaves for wings.

"Most of these guys look pretty interesting. Don't you agree, Vegeta?"

"Hmph. Not really. None of these things seem strong enough to capture. Unlike you, I don't wish to catch just any Pokémon I encounter in the wild, Kakarot. I only want the best of the best."

Barry raised an eyebrow. "You know, with that attitude, you'll be stuck with Piplup and nothing else. Do you really want that to happen?"

Vegeta defiantly crossed his arms.

"It's better than resorting to some small bird or a giant fish who can't do anything." He grunted. "And don't even get me started on the… ergh… cherries."

"Hey! Don't drag poor little Cherubi into this!" Dawn shouted.

He deadpanned in reply. He still had a hard time believing that a Pokémon like that existed. "Poor little Cherubi is a crime against nature, girl. I don't care about its feelings."

"Her, Vegeta. Her."

As their senseless bickering continued, Goku noticed someone hiding behind a nearby lamppost. He was a middle-aged man with short black hair and a light brown trench coat. He also wore a pair of black shoes.

He quietly snuck up behind the man and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Uh… whatcha doing there?"

The man spun around with a look of pure, unadulterated shock on his face. His brown eyes widened to their maximum capacity as he stared at Goku.

"Blast! My cover's been blown!"

To everyone's puzzlement, he leapt away from the lamppost and stood in front of them. He then rubbed his chin, examining Goku's body from head-to-toe.

"How did you do it? How did you unmask me as a member of the Pokémon International Police?!"

Goku titled his head to the side. "Huh? What are you talking about? I was just asking you a question."

"A mere question, you say? Ha! I think not, my spiky-haired friend! I know better than to believe that. No, no, no."

He boldly wagged his finger in front of Goku's face. A few people and their Pokémon gave the Interpol officer a funny look as they passed by.

"I can tell you recognized right away that I was someone extraordinary."

Barry leaned close to Vegeta's ear. "More like absolutely crazy…"

"That is why you spoke to me, is it not? Your power of observation is fearsome! Quite admirable, if I do say so myself!" The man commended.

"I mean, I guess you're not wrong. I can be pretty… erm… observant when I want to be." Goku replied.

"Of course I'm not wrong! I'm an ace detective! It's my job to be right about these things!" He laughed. "But now that my cover has officially been blown, allow me to introduce myself."

He struck a pose and pulled out a badge from one of his pockets. It held both a photographed ID card and gold medal.

"I am a globetrotting elite officer for the International Police. My name, or should I say, my given codename is Looker! It is what they all call me back at headquarters."

Vegeta audibly snorted at the sound of such a weird name. It didn't match his physical appearance all that well either. The man was anything, but a looker.

"Looker? How ridiculous…"

His fellow Saiyan couldn't help, but slightly nod his head in agreement.

"Okay. Nice to meet you then… I guess. My name's Goku, and these are my friends, Vegeta, Dawn, and Barry. We just became Pokémon Trainers a few hours ago."

Looker examined all of their appearances in minor curiosity. Vegeta's suit, in particular, caught his interest.

"Mmhm. Yes. You do fit the role of a trainer rather nicely. Incidentally, is the saying, "Don't be a thief!", familiar to you?"

"Like taking stuff from others is bad and all that?" Goku asked.

"That is correct, Mr. Goku. Taking what belongs to others is, of course, a serious crime. Unfortunately, there are those who apparently do not heed these words like everyone else does. Sinnoh, in fact, has criminals who are stealing the Pokémon from their poor, unsuspecting owners. Many have come to know them as Team Galactic."

The four looked a little bewildered by this information.

"Team Galactic?"

Dawn crossed her arms and huffed. "Hmph. Sound like a bunch of huge jerks to me."

"Jerk would be a huge understatement, dear girl. Their crimes against people and Pokémon alike have been nothing short of insidious. I have, therefore, been on the lookout for characters arousing my suspicion. Thankfully, I haven't been doing it alone…"

Looker then turned around and placed a single hand over the side of his mouth. He appeared to be looking for someone.

"Koya, my boy, you can come out now! There's no use hiding anymore!"

Upon command, a young boy around Dawn and Barry's age appeared. He had short, spiky blonde hair, blue eyes, and wore a black and red outfit with white gloves. He was holding a black briefcase in his right hand.

Standing beside him was a Dark-type Pokémon with shaggy white fur and a dark blue face. Along with having large red eyes, the creature also had a blue scythe-like horn attached to the right side of his head. It was highly intimidating, yet somewhat beautiful at the same time.

"I wasn't hiding to begin with…" The boy named Koya sighed. "I told you I was shopping for supplies. We've been running low on them since my last Pokémon battle."

Looker sheepishly scratched the back of his. "Ah, yes. I almost forgot about that."

"Hmph. What's new?"

Goku then pulled out his Pokédex and held it in front of Koya's Pokémon.

"Who could that Pokémon be?"

"Scanning Pokémon 209: Absol, the Disaster Pokémon. It is a Dark-type Pokémon with Pressure and Super Luck as its abilities, and Justified as its Hidden Ability. Description: It has the ability to foretell natural disasters. Its lifespan is over a hundred years. Identified Gender Ratio: 50% Male and 50% Female. Specified Nature: Adamant."

"A hundred years, huh? They must be able to get pretty strong then." He muttered aloud.

"You'd be correct in thinking so. Koya's Absol is a cut above the rest of his species. He'll definitely become very powerful once the Lily of the Valley Conference begins in a few months or so." Looker explained.

The Pokémon in question proceeded to stare at Goku in curiosity.

"Ab… sol…"

Barry, figuring that Koya must have been a fairly strong trainer, decided to take a shot at introducing himself. He confidently walked over to him with a wide smile on his face.

Vegeta could already tell something bad was about to happen. Based on Koya's body language, it was clear as day that he did not like Barry or his personality at all. Absol expressed similar sentiments by instinctively hiding behind his owner's legs.

"Good to see a fellow Pokémon aficionado in the making. Mind if I take a look at your Absol and—"

As soon as Barry attempt to stroke Absol's fur, Koya tightly balled one of his fists and punched him in the face. The blonde-haired boy was sent crashing into the ground in response.

"Barry!" Dawn cried. She and Goku quickly came to their friend's aid while Vegeta didn't bother to move a muscle.

Koya's eyes narrowed into slits. "Keep your filthy hands off my Pokémon."

Barry massaged his aching nose and slowly, but surely stood back up. A little bit of blood was leaking out of his nostrils.

"Hey! What gives?! It was a little rude to push me like that, don'tcha think?"

The young Interpol officer showed absolutely no remorse for what he did. He just looked at Barry with his cold blue eyes.

"In this region, a trainer needs to take special care of their Pokémon before another battle can take place. You're the rude one for stepping out of line and trying to touch another person's Pokémon without permission, fool."

Dawn frowned at this statement.

"Even so, that still doesn't give you the right to be so aggressive. Aren't you supposed to be part of the International Police?"

Koya scoffed and just barely glanced at her general direction.

"That information is frankly none of your business. Looker shouldn't have even mentioned it to begin with."

The aforementioned partner slumped his shoulders. "Yes. I suppose I did blow our cover a little too fast, young Koya. We'll have to be extra discrete next time."

"You should tell yourself that, not me…"

Barry stomped over to Koya and pointed directly at his face. He brought out one of his Poké Balls with the other hand.

"Well then, Mr. Big Shot. If you take such good care of that Absol there, then how about you show it off in a battle with me?"

"Battle you? Please. I have a sixth sense for sniffing out mediocre trainers." Koya snorted. "And I can tell that you are far below average at best."

Vegeta lightly smirked from the sidelines. "Hmph. I'm starting to like this kid's attitude."

Seeing that the boy wasn't exactly making the best first impression, Looker rested a hand on his shoulder and grinned.

"Ah. Don't be so hasty, Koya. Maybe this young man will surprise you and give you the type of challenge you've been searching for."

Koya darted his eyes from Looker to Barry in quick succession. He sincerely doubted that such an occurrence could take place, but then again, humiliating this kid right here and now would lower the chances of them battling each other again.

He then crossed his arms and motioned for Absol to stand in front of him. The Disaster Pokémon did as asked without question.

"Fine. Let's make this quick."

Barry pumped his fist in excitement. "Great! Get ready to wipe that smug look off your face then, Koya! You're about to see what I'm made of."

He then tossed his Poké Ball and sent Starly out to battle. The others, including Looker, all moved closer to the sidewalk, so their battle could officially start.

"He does remember that his only battle was against me, right?" Dawn asked in concern.

"I'm not sure, Dawn. I just hope he's corrected some of his bigger mistakes after losing to you." Goku muttered in reply. Vegeta, on the other hand, said nothing.

"Yeah. I hope so too."

Barry and Koya stood across from each other in silence. The poor little Normal/Flying-type buckled from the intense stare Absol was giving her.

"S-Star…" She gulped.

Barry checked over Starly's list of moves and nodded once he decided which one to use first.

"Alright, Starly. Let's—"

"Sucker Punch."

Before Barry's Pokémon could even try to attack, one Absol's claws glowed a bright purple. He dashed forward and mercilessly socked Starly directly across the cheek.

"Sol!"

"W-What?!"

Starly's body smacked across the pavement and limply fell onto its side. She couldn't endure the pain any longer and instantly fell unconscious.

"S-Star… ly…"

Barry froze in place from utter shock and disbelief. His orange eyes were fully widened to their maximum capacity.

No way. He defeated Starly… with one single move?!

"What kind of move was that?" Goku asked.

"Ah. That would be Sucker Punch, my boy. It allows Absol to accurately read an opponent's attack and strike before they do. I'm afraid that due to Absol's superior speed, that poor Starly didn't even stand a chance." Looker explained with a regretful frown.

"Tch. That idiot's already lost then. There's no use continuing such a one-sided match." Vegeta grunted. Normally, he'd relish in witnessing Barry's failure firsthand, but in this case, it was far too pathetic to get any enjoyment out of.

"Try telling Barry that…" Dawn whispered.

Barry couldn't even move so much as an inch. He looked down at his feet, wondering what he should do next.

"Had enough yet?" Koya asked.

After putting Starly back in her Poké Ball, Barry brought out Turtwig's and tightly squeezed it. This was his last chance to prove Koya wrong.

"No. I'm just getting warmed up! You haven't seen anything yet!" He shouted. "Come on out, Turtwig!"

He tossed the Poké Ball into the air and unleashed his Grass-type starter via a white burst of light. The little turtle glared at Absol without any sort of fear.

"Turtwig!"

Once again, Koya didn't look all that impressed by what he was seeing. He shook his head in disappointment.

"If this is really all you have left to offer, then I seriously pity you. It was an absolute mistake to challenge me at your level."

One of Barry's eyes began to twitch. This kid was starting to irritate him more than Vegeta.

"A mistake?" He whispered. "Ergh! Well, you made a mistake underestimating me, Koya! Use Absorb, Turtwig!"

"Tur!"

Turtwig's body glowed a bright green as he attempted to forcibly drain some of Absol's health. This did not go as planned, unfortunately.

"Dodge it."

Absol leapt to the side and successfully evaded Absorb. He leaned close to the ground and waited for his master's next command.

"Now, finish him off with Quick Attack."

Part of the Dark-type's form glowed a bright white as he dashed from side to side at breakneck speeds and smashed his claws straight into Turtwig's shell. The turtle wasn't fast enough to dodge that move in time.

"Ab… SOL!"

"T-Turtwig!"

Turtwig was smacked into the ground stomach-first. Absol placed a single foot over his shell to make sure the Tiny Leaf Pokémon couldn't get back up. Luckily for him, he had already fainted mere seconds beforehand.

Barry collapsed onto his knees and cradled the lifeless Turtwig in his arms. Absol walked back to his trainer with little care.

"N-No… That's just not possible."

"It is possible with Absol's ability, Super Luck. It raises the critical-hit ratio for all of his moves. As soon as Quick Attack successfully landed a critical-hit, your Turtwig was done for." Koya said while stroking his Pokémon's fur.

He then calmly walked over to where Barry was kneeling and glared down at him.

"In the end, it's just as I suspected. People like you have no right to be Pokémon Trainers." He glowered. "You have no talent and no concept of battle strategy. The way you command your Pokémon will only end up hurting them in the long run. Lacking any critical thinking skills tends to do that."

Barry looked up at Koya in disbelief. It was as if his very spirit was crushed into millions of pieces.

"I suggest you quit and save yourself any further embarrassment. I have nothing else to say to you."

Looker grimaced and held his partner back a little.

"That's enough, Koya. I think he understood your point." He whispered. The detective knelt down and briefly attempted to console Barry's fractured emotional state. "Listen, I know it doesn't excuse the horrible things Koya just said to you – which I wish to apologize for, believe me – but please understand that he is a fairly… complicated young man. He's been in your situation before, so do keep in that in mind if you happen to cross paths with him or, well, us again."

He then rummaged through his coat pocket and handed Barry an item. It was a small blue tablet with a black screen on it.

"Here. I was perceptive enough to record your battle with Koya using this nifty Vs. Recorder. Perhaps you might make use of it for… research purposes."

Barry inspected the Vs. Recorder and scratched the back of his head.

"Uh… Gee. Thanks, I guess."

"You're most welcome. But if you do happen to see us or Koya again, I ask you not talk to us when we're on duty." Looker stressed. "But any other time, you must speak to me, specifically! You must inform me of any encounters you may have with Team Galactic or other bad guys that may be lurking upon Sinnoh's towns and cities!"

"Enough with the speech, Looker. We have work to do."

"Hmph. Need I remind you who the superior officer is, Koya? You youngsters show no respect sometimes, I swear." Looker grumbled under his breath. "Until we meet again, my friends. Be sure to stay out of trouble or the International Police could be after you someday! Haha!"

Just as the two officers were about to leave, Goku decided to say something to help defend Barry's honor.

"Hey, Koya!"

The boy glanced back at him with little interest.

"You shouldn't have said those things about Barry back there. He just became a Pokémon Trainer a few hours ago. Who are you to judge his skills based on one single battle? He obviously hasn't gone through as much training as you have."

"Whatever the case, he's still a loser. It doesn't take a genius to realize how incompetent he is at commanding his Pokémon. A trainer like that will only raise them to become weak and unhappy." He then turned to address him, Vegeta, and Dawn at the same time. "And what makes you any different? Last time I checked, all of you were novices just starting out. You have long way to go before you'll be able to earn anyone's respect, let alone mine."

"Oh, don't worry. I guarantee that we're all chock full of surprises, brat." Vegeta snarled while resting a hand on Barry's shoulder. "Give us a little more time and I'm sure Blondie here will mop the floor with you. I guarantee it."

"Tch. Is that supposed to be a challenge?"

"Depends on if you accept it or not. Me, Vegeta, Barry, and even Dawn have a long journey ahead of us. We're sure to catch up sooner than you think." Goku proclaimed.

Dawn nodded her head in agreement. "You've got that right, Goku. We'll be in the spotlight anytime now!"

Koya pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Alright. If you're so confident, then I'll agree to have a rematch with 'Barry' the next time I see him. I'll agree to take back what I said if he greatly improves from the pitiful display he showed off a few minutes ago. Deal?"

"Deal. Be prepared to eat your words, Koya. That prideful ego of yours won't be intact for long." Vegeta snapped.

"We'll see." The young officer huffed. "Return, Absol."

Upon placing him back into their Poké Ball, Koya caught up with Looker once more and moved onto another part of the city. The spiky-haired kid's words continued to echo within his mind as he walked away.

Why does that boy seem so… oddly intimidating? Should I be more worried about battling him than the blonde one?

He then shook his head and maintained a more neutral expression. This proved difficult once he saw the weirdly sly grin Looker was giving him.

"Glad to see you were able to make some new friends today, Koya."

"Shut up, Looker."

Now that those two were officially gone, the four went back to exploring the rest of Jubilife City as planned.

"Wow, Vegeta. I didn't think you of all people would be calling out someone on their pride." Goku chuckled at the sheer irony of such a situation.

"Think nothing of it. That little snob's attitude was just pissing me off, that's all." The Saiyan Prince scoffed.

Barry still didn't have the strength to get up from the sidewalk. He just looked down at his new Vs. Recorder with a defeated look on his face.

"Are you okay?" Dawn softly asked.

"I… I don't know."

He then picked himself and silently returned Turtwig to his Poké Ball. The boy just couldn't bear to look at the pain in the Tiny Leaf Pokémon's eyes anymore.

"M-Maybe he's right. It's my fault that Starly and Turtwig aren't getting as strong as they should be." He murmured aloud. "I should have been a better Trainer and not rush headlong into a battle I knew I wasn't prepared for."

Dawn shook her head. "You can't be too hard on yourself. All of us are just starting out! We're bound to make mistakes here and there. That's why we learn from them and do better afterwards."

"Easy for you to say. You beat me too, remember?"

This petty remark was the last straw for Vegeta. He rolled his eyes and bore into the boy's very soul.

"Enough with the sob story! You've already got another chance to prove that arrogant brat wrong, so instead of sitting around feeling sorry for yourself, why don't you plan out your next move and start training?"

Goku nodded in agreement.

"You should listen to him, Barry. Training is the key to obtaining far more wins than losses in life. I mean, just look at me and Vegeta, for example. We've lost plenty of fights in the past, but that didn't stop us from trying again and getting stronger."

"A few fights, Kakarot. Not plenty."

"Oh, you know what I meant."

Their comments, as brief as they may have been, helped cheer Barry up a bit. He smiled and started to act like his usual hyperactive self again.

"Guess I'm just gonna have to prove that Koya jerk wrong then, huh? He won't know what him once we cross paths again! I'll have to fine him an extra 1,000,000 dollars for talking smack about me like that." He confidently yelled. "And I'll have to work towards getting my butt kicked far less than ol' Veggie there. Hehe."

Vegeta groaned and placed a hand over his face in disgust.

"Sure. Knock yourself out, Blondie."

"I'm just glad you're back to normal… or whatever is considered normal for you, that is." Dawn quipped. She then squinted her eyes and spotted an ice cream vendor in the distance. "Now, how about we move on from this whole Koya fiasco and get some ice cream? It'll be my and Goku's treat!"

The Saiyan warrior tilted his head to the side in confusion. "How would that work? Don't Barry and Vegeta want some too?"

Dawn placed a hand over her mouth and giggled. It was there that Goku brought the term, airhead, to a whole new level.

"I meant splitting the bill, silly. We'll use the money we got from our Double Battle with Nando." She dug through her bag and took out about 3,000 Poké Dollars. Some of it was given to her by Johanna before leaving Twinleaf Town. "Here we go. Do you mind going over there and getting some cones for us, Goku?"

The martial artist shrugged and retrieved the money from her. "Yeah, no problem. I was going to probably look at all of the flavors, anyway, so this works out."

"Make sure my flavor is chocolate, Kakarot. And don't you dare get it wrong this time!" Vegeta ordered authoritatively.

"Strawberry will be fine with me, Goku. Thanks." Dawn chimed in.

"Add lots and lots of sprinkles to my vanilla ice cream, man! If the guy asks when to stop, just tell him to keep going. Don't take no for an answer." Barry instructed.

The slate-haired girl grimaced. "Is that much sugar really what you need right now?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Yes, it is."

Making sure he memorized all of their orders to a T, Goku repeated them a few times in his head before leaving.

"Sounds good, guys. I'll be right back."

He then ran toward the ice cream vendor, leaving the other three alone to their own devices. They stood there a moment to inspect Goku's departing form.

"Wait a second. Goku didn't say what he was ordering." Barry noted.

"This is Kakarot we're talking about. What do you think he's going to order?"

Dawn tapped her foot for a second to think. She then remembered what Goku said about looking at all the flavors. That was when a sudden, shocking realization came to mind.

"No. He's not seriously going to—"

"Yes. The buffoon is going to order every single flavor they have available." Vegeta affirmed in amusement. "Doubt me all you want, girl, but you'll for yourself soon enough. Kakarot does this all the time."

This caused Dawn to slump her shoulders and immediately regret giving Goku all that money. "We were supposed to buy new clothes with some of that…"

At the same time, Goku made it to the ice cream vendor. He stood in front of a small pink cart filled with eight different flavors ranging from mint, chocolate, and strawberry to a few others.

He would have went and placed his order right away if not for another customer standing there. They were a beautiful young woman with long, curly platinum blonde hair that extended somewhere below her knees. Black-yellow hairpins were placed on either side of her hair and seemingly kept it in place. Each pin was comprised of two teardrop-shaped decorations.

She wore a long black coat with fur trimming that concealed both her wrists and neck. A silver teardrop-shaped pendant was also placed in between her chest and two buttons. To further match her outfit, the woman additionally wore black high-heel shoes with thin golden stripe imbedded along her soles.

Goku looked upon this person in awe. Something about her seemed different from everyone else in this city, but he couldn't quite understand why.

Even the vendor looked nervous being in her presence, even if he didn't outright show it. He just patiently waited for her to order something, in spite of the fact that over a half-hour had passed.

"Hmmm." She said while holding a hand over her chin.

The vendor then cleared his throat and politely asked, "Have you decided on anything yet, Miss Cynthia?"

Goku froze for a moment to think about this name. He could have sworn Professor Rowan mentioned it at some point.

Cynthia? Why does that sound so familiar?

The woman opened her gray eyes to get a closer look at each flavor. She didn't even notice that Goku was standing right behind her.

"Well, every one of them looks great. I don't even know where to begin, honestly."

"You could always try them all if that's what you'd like." The vendor suggested.

Cynthia pursed her lips. "Sure, but where would I even put them all?"

Goku grimaced. He hadn't even thought of that possibility himself.

After a few more seconds of deciding, Cynthia beamed and raised up one of her fingers.

"I know! I'll take a triple cone with chocolate, mint, strawberry, and cookies & cream!"

"Hehe. I had a feeling you'd order that. I'll have that out in a jiffy." The vendor laughed.

"Thank you!"

He then piled each flavor of ice cream on top each other, stuck them in a waffle cone, and handed it to Cynthia.

"You have a good one. We can't have our Champion battling on an empty stomach."

"Just call me Cynthia, please. I don't want to be the center of attention everywhere I go." She nervously chuckled.

"Understood, Champion Cynthia."

Once this information was revealed, Goku finally figured out this woman's identity. She was Cynthia Carolina, the girl who became Sinnoh's current Champion at the age of twelve. He could no longer contain his excitement and abruptly shouted out what he was thinking.

"YOU'RE… YOU'RE THE CHAMPION?!"

"Gah!"

Cynthia jumped in surprise, causing her triple ice cream cone to be sent flying into the air. It then, much to her chagrin, splattered all over Goku's face and shirt. He licked some of the frosting off his cheek and swallowed it.

"Mm. Tasty."

The blonde woman placed both hands over her mouth and hurriedly bent down to help Goku clean himself up.

"O-Oh no! I'm so sorry, kid. You caught me by surprise there."

Goku brushed off the remaining ice cream and smiled. He wasn't bothered by this situation at all. He was just glad to be meeting such a powerful Pokémon Trainer so early on.

"It's okay. I'm sorry I ruined your ice cream cone." The martial artist from Universe 7 replied. He then looked down at his feet in slight guilt. "And for… well, screaming at you like that. Professor Rowan just told me a lot about cool stuff about you, so I couldn't help myself."

"Professor Rowan?" Cynthia muttered. Her face lit up in fond recollection of the past. "Did he happen to give you a device called a Pokédex by any chance?"

Goku bobbed his head in confirmation and pulled out the Pokédex from his bag.

"Yep, sure did. He gave one to me and my friends a few hours ago."

"Wow, that brings back some memories." She said while inspecting the machine with a wide, curious grin. "I know we haven't had the best introduction so far, but do you mind telling me your name?"

"My name's Son Goku. Nice to meet you."

Cynthia found the name unusual, but also a bit unique and rather memorable. His gravity-defying hairstyle was similar in that regard.

"Goku, hm? I'll be sure to remember that! It's nice to meet you as well." She kindly stated. "So, given your established connection with Professor Rowan, I'm assuming that you and your friends have just started becoming Pokémon Trainers?"

The Saiyan man-turned-child pulled out one of his Poké Balls and showed it to her.

"Mmhm. We're all going on a journey with one another across Sinnoh. Mainly to grow stronger, catch more Pokémon, and find some pretty valuable items that we lost."

Cynthia was curious about the last part of Goku's statement.

"Valuable items? What kind?"

"It's a long story. You're find out about it later, I'm sure."

"Okay…" She replied in slight, momentary confusion. "Well, it's good that you aren't going on this adventure alone, Goku. It can be a dangerous place out there, even with Pokémon in your possession."

She then brushed part of her back and grew more serious in tone.

"I should know. I've been studying Pokémon mythology lately, just out of curiosity. There's mysteries and legends in this world that we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of. Don't you find that kind of fascinating?"

Goku thought back to his encounters with Beerus and Whis not too long ago. Before their visit to Earth, he had no idea that powerful beings like Gods of Destruction or Angels existed in his universe. It made his feats of strength look like nothing by comparison, which both fascinated and unnerved him at the same time.

Learning that there was an entire multiverse to explore brought up similar thoughts. He still had a tough time comprehending this world and its population of Pokémon's existence.

"I get what you mean, yeah. Life sure can be a little crazy sometimes. Hehe."

"You don't know the half of it." Cynthia giggled. She then tossed the rest of her ice cream cone in the nearest garbage can.

"Do you mind if I get a replacement for that one, sir?" She asked. "Oh and put whatever Goku is ordering on my bill as well. I'll take care of it."

The alien manchild was a little taken aback by this offer.

"You sure, Cynthia? I was the one who spooked you in the first place."

"Think nothing of it, Goku. I may be a Champion, but I also know when to take accountability for my own mistakes." She assured him. "Besides, any friend of Professor Rowan is a friend of mine."

"Thanks a lot then!"

"My pleasure."

Goku then proceeded to order chocolate for Vegeta, strawberry for Dawn, and, of course, vanilla with lots of sprinkles for Barry. As instructed, the vendor continued pouring as many sprinkles onto it as humanly possible.

"Should I stop now or—"

"Nope. Keep going."

It would take another few minutes until the vendor finished with Barry's order. It was decked from head to toe with small, multi-colored sprinkles, just as the blonde-haired boy wanted. Barely a trace of vanilla frosting could be seen by the end of it.

Last, but not least, Goku did as Vegeta predicted and ordered every available flavor on the menu. Cynthia tried to advise against such a decision, but the Saiyan martial artist would not take no for an answer.

He ended up with a comically large ice cream cone that towered above his head. Surprisingly, no matter how off-balance it appeared, the cone refused to topple over and splatter its contents against the ground.

"You know, before now, I didn't think such an order was possible." Cynthia mused. "Guess you proved me wrong."

"When you're as hungry as I am, anything's possible."

"I assume you must have been pretty hungry then…"

Just barely managing to carry everyone's ice cream cones, the two walked over to the part of Jubilife City where Vegeta, Dawn, and Barry were standing. The latter had taken some time to heal Turtwig and Starly at a local Pokémon Center.

Now, his orange eyes were practically glued to the Vs. Recorder's digital screen. Dawn tried to get Barry's attention a few times, but he was too focused on studying the play-by-play of his battle against Koya.

"Koya's Absol was just more experienced than your Pokémon. There isn't any other reason why you lost apart from—"

"Shh! Not now, Dawn. I'm trying to see how he landed that dumb Sucker Punch move so fast." Barry hissed.

The girl placed both hands on her hips. "Aw! You can't just shush me like that! Who do you think you are, buster?!"

"Maybe you should get used to it." Vegeta joked. Dawn glared at him and clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"No comments from the peanut gallery, your highness."

She then crossed her arms, hoping and praying that Goku would come back soon. She was starting to get a little hungry and anxious herself. It was then that she saw Goku walking closer to them. The Saiyan's face was concealed by a towering pillar of ice cream, but the hair and clothes were unmistakably his.

Dawn sighed in relief. "Goku's back, guys! It looks like he's gotten everything we've ordered and—"

Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates upon seeing who was walking alongside Goku. It was Sinnoh's legendary Champion, Cynthia Carolina, of all people.

Vegeta, however, didn't recognize her for obvious reasons.

"Who's that blonde woman with Kakarot?"

Barry looked up from his Vs. Recorder in sudden curiosity.

"Blonde woman?"

He turned the device off and stood next to Dawn. Upon recognizing her face, Barry shared a sidelong glance with his childhood friend before they both officially went into a state of hysterics and freaked out.

""I-It's Cynthia!""

Their frantic cries caused Goku and the aforementioned Champion to stop in place. Cynthia had a feeling they would react like this, so she tried her best to act cordial around them.

"Hello there. You must be Dawn, Barry, and Vegeta, right?" She politely asked. "It's a pleasure to meet some new Pokémon Trainers. I still remember back when I started my own journey. Those were good times."

She then handed each of them their respective ice cream cones and started licking her own. Goku, on the other hand, had never stopped eating for a second.

Barry and Dawn were all, but completely tongue-tied in Cynthia's presence. They didn't even know what to say to her without sounding either like amateurs or idiots.

"But how… why… what are you even doing here in Jubilife City of all places?!" Dawn choked out.

Barry nodded his head. "Yeah, what she said! Shouldn't you be busy doing… Champion things? And not eating ice cream with someone like Goku?"

Cynthia found their looks of disbelief rather amusing. She addressed their question with a mischievous twinkle in her gray eyes.

"As a matter of fact, I actually am on some business here. I was asked to serve as a judge for the next Pokémon Contest." She explained while continuing to lick from her ice cream. "And getting some of Jubilife's delicious food was an added bonus. They don't call it the City of Joy for nothing."

Dawn clasped her hands together in awestruck amazement.

"Really?! That's amazing! I'm going to be making my contest debut there."

"I see. So you're training to be a Pokémon Coordinator then?"

"Well, sort of. I want to participate in contests like my mom and the Sinnoh League like my dad." Dawn explained.

"There's nothing wrong with doing both. I've personally never got into the coordinating scene, but Mr. Raoul Contesta of the Pokémon Activities Committee wouldn't take no for an answer." Cynthia sighed in a slightly overdramatic tone. "Though, my Togekiss did always love showing off in the contests I have taken part in."

Barry slyly grinned at the brief mention of her Pokémon.

"Speaking of which, could you show us your Garchomp? Please! She's so dang cool!"

Sinnoh's Champion giggled in response to the boy's childish enthusiasm.

"Maybe some other time, Barry. My Garchomp doesn't usually like to be disturbed outside of battle."

Hearing this remark, Goku finished off the rest of his ice cream. He then looked up at Cynthia and smirked with a competitive fire in his eyes.

"Then how about we have a battle right here and now, Cynthia?"

Everyone in Jubilife City became speechless upon listening in on Goku's sudden challenge. They closed in on the group to both see Cynthia in person and figure out what this goofy kid's intentions were.

"That boy just challenged the Champion! Is that even legal?"

"He must have a lot of balls to make that request."

Cynthia hung her mouth open in surprise. Goku had only two Pokémon on his team, yet he still challenged her to a battle, anyway. She couldn't tell if he was just naïve or too overconfident for his own good.

"Huh. Have to admit, I wasn't expecting you to say that, Goku. It's been a while since I've took a field challenge." She said. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Goku clenched his fists together in sheer anticipation.

"I'm more than sure! My Pokémon may not be as strong as yours right now, but I still want to see what a fully trained Pokémon Trainer is capable of. I don't even care if I lose."

Dawn and Barry couldn't believe what they were hearing. Vegeta, in contrast, smiled at his rival's typical boldness and thirst for battle.

"Heh! Go for it, Kakarot! I'd like to see how skilled this so-called Champion is as well." The Saiyan Prince cockily remarked. "It'll set an example for us both to work towards."

Cynthia darted her eyes from Vegeta to Goku. The two of them, despite their young age, had a fighting spirit that almost eclipsed her own. It was hard to believe that they just started out as Pokémon Trainers not too long ago.

Whoever these boys are, they've definitely experienced more than just Pokémon battles in the past…

After taking another moment to think over Goku's proposition, she bent her knees down to Goku's level and smiled.

"Fine then. I accept your challenge, Goku!"

"Great!"

The crowd whispered amongst themselves in utter shock and disbelief. This was the first time Cynthia Carolina had ever battled a novice Pokemon Trainer.

"You serious?! The Champion's actually gonna battle him!"

"Unbelievable!"

Cynthia brought out a single Ultra Ball from her pocket and cordially showed it to Goku.

"Since you don't have that many Pokemon on your team, how does that one-on-one battle sound?"

The spiky-haired martial artist took out Chimchar's Poké Ball from his backpack and gave her a thumbs up.

"Sounds good to me, Cynthia. I'm ready when you are."

They stood on either side of Jubilife City's streets and waited for the battle to commence. Before they could begin, Dawn ran up to him in concern.

"Goku, are you crazy?! Chimchar won't stand a chance out there! You have nothing to gain from this!"

"Listen to her, dude! It's going to end up like my battle with Koya, but over a jillion, maybe even a bajillion times worse! Don't do it!" Barry added.

Goku refused to heed their warnings and kept smiling. He simply looked down at his Poké Ball, squeezing it.

"I know all of that already. I might be at a huge disadvantage, but that's not what matters to me right now."

"It's not?" Dawn asked.

"What matters to me, like Vegeta said earlier, is seeing how strong Cynthia is, so I can train my Pokémon to be as powerful as hers one day. It's how I've always approached my own fights too." Goku explained. He then winked at her. "So there's no need to worry, Dawn. I know what I'm doing."

The young girl didn't expect her own catchphrase to be used against her. She shyly looked away and nodded in understanding.

"Just be careful, okay?"

"I will."

Once Vegeta, Barry, and Dawn joined the rest of the crowd, Goku sent out his Pokémon right away. The Poké Ball popped open to unveil the small Fire-type monkey, Chimchar.

"Chim! Chimchar!"

He looked back at Goku, seemingly being in-sync with his owner's current thought process. They both smiled at each other and waited for Cynthia to start the battle.

Some of Jubilife City's denizens burst out laughing at the unevolved, low-level Pokémon. This made Chimchar feel a tad bit self-conscious, but Goku didn't let their rude comments bother him.

"He sent out a Chimchar! A friggin' tiny Chimchar!"

"This dude is going to get absolutely schooled! It'll honestly be hard to watch when it happens!"

Cynthia shook her head in disapproval of their behavior. It reminded her of how certain people treated Garchomp back when she was just a Gible.

She took a deep breath and tossed an Ultra Ball into the air. Upon opening, a large, intimidating shark-like creature came out. It had blue skin with a red chestplate that extended along its chin and sharp teeth. The Dragon/Ground-type Pokémon's arms were thin and had two, triangular fins in place of hands. White spikes were placed atop these fins, as well as along his forearms and thighs. They also had a long tail that could be mistaken for a shark's lower body and a sharp dorsal fin that presided in the center of their back.

Garchomp powerfully dug their claws into the pavement, creating a massive crater once they fell down from the air. She narrowed her golden eyes and glared down at the small Chimchar with little regard.

"Gar!"

Her eyes brightly glowed within their black sclera, which terrified poor Chimchar beyond belief. He couldn't even find the strength to move at all.

"C-Chim."

Goku looked intrigued by Garchomp's strange, imposing appearance. He quickly brought out his Pokédex and scanned her.

"Scanning Pokémon 111: Garchomp, the Mach Pokémon. It is a Dragon/Ground-type Pokémon with Sand Veil as its ability, and Rough Skin as its Hidden Ability. Description: It is said that when one runs at high speed, its wings create blades of wind that can fell nearby trees. . Identified Gender Ratio: 50% Male and 50% Female. Specified Nature: Adamant."

"Dragon/Ground-type? That's not a good matchup for Chimchar at all…" He whispered. "I might have to transfer some of my ki over to him like last time."

Cynthia crossed her arms, wondering how her new opponent would go about countering Chimchar's major weaknesses.

"Goku, you may have the first attack."

"Alright."

He raised one of his hands and gave the Fire-type starter some ki. Vegeta gritted his teeth in recognition of this gesture.

Hmph. He's giving the monkey energy already. Let's see how that'll affect its chances of beating that Garchomp thing.

Feeling the energy coursing through his body, Chimchar stood up straight and narrowed their eyes with newfound confidence.

"Let's do this, Chimchar! Use Ember!"

The Chimp Pokémon somersaulted into the air and shot multiple pellets of fire at Garchomp's body. Ember, now laced with small ki spheres, managed to just barely do some damage to the Dragon/Ground-type.

"Gar… chomp!" She growled.

"What? A Fire-type move managed to hurt her?! That's not possible." Cynthia cried.

Garchomp was just as blown away. They jumped back to inspect the burn marks on her chest and fins.

"Nice one, Chimchar."

"Chim!"

The Champion of Sinnoh narrowed her eyes in puzzlement. It appeared that this battle wouldn't be as one-sided as she initially assumed.

"Don't get too comfortable, Goku. It's Garchomp's turn to attack now." She reminded him. "Use Earthquake!"

"Earth what?"

Garchomp slammed her foot into the ground, causing all of Jubilife City to rapidly shake from side to side. A wave of elevated earth was quickly approaching Chimchar, but Goku noticed it early enough to counterattack.

"Jump back into the air, buddy!" He ordered.

"Chim! Chim… char!"

Right before Earthquake could make contact with the monkey's body, he backflipped into the air and used Goku's ki to faze out of view. He seemingly floated there for a moment, keeping his body away from Garchomp's more heavy-hitting attacks.

Cynthia had never seen anything like it before. It almost made her feel exhilarated in a weird way.

"I wonder what Goku's planning to do next…" She muttered under breath. She looked towards his place on the street and noticed how oddly focused his expression was. It was a far cry from the goofy, carefree smile he displayed earlier.

"Now with all of the energy you have left, use Scratch on top of Garchomp's head!"

As instructed, Chimchar pulled back his arm and placed all of the energy he received from Goku into their fingertips. A fiery orange aura surrounded the monkey's body as he took deep, shallow breaths.

"Chim… char… Chim…"

The crowd, however, couldn't see any of this. They just couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that Goku would use a weak Normal-type move for his next attack. Vegeta knew better, though.

"I told him this was a bad idea. It's not going to be pretty once Chimchar lands." Dawn lamented in concern.

"You should watch more closely. Kakarot knows exactly what he's doing." Vegeta advised. "Remember my battle with him in Sandgem Town?"

Barry snapped his fingers. "Oh! You're talking about that giant crater Piplup and Chimchar made, right?"

"Right. That explosion was a result of our ki being transferred to the big-headed bird and fire monkey, respectively. We may have resorted to using Scratch and Pound, but their low power was increased exponentially through this method." The alien prince described in greater detail. "Kakarot, at the moment, is drawing all of Chimchar's energy into this next attack in order to deal the most damage to Garchomp. This will leave Chimchar completely exhausted, of course, but it will work as a last resort, regardless."

Dawn squinted her eyes to look up at Chimchar's position in the air. He was, in fact, placing everything into his right hand.

"I see…"

Meanwhile, Garchomp tilted her head to the side in annoyance. She decided to use her fins to glide into the air and take Chimchar back down to the surface by force.

"Gar! Garchomp!"

With the Mach Pokémon picking up more and more speed, Goku unleashed his own invisible aura and synchronized his suppressed power with Chimchar's.

"Now, Chimchar! Scratch!"

"Chim… CHAAAAAAR!"

He unwound his arm and swatted his claws straight across Garchomp's head. Not expecting so much strength to come from such a small Pokémon, the mighty Dragon/Ground-type was sent crashing into the ground. Her body smacked against the pavement, creating a towering implosion of gravel and dust that almost knocked everyone, including Cynthia, off their feet.

Once the dust cleared, Garchomp's body remained limp and motionless from slight pain. Cynthia stood there with widened eyes, struggling to comprehend what just happened.

"N-No way. A mere Chimchar did… all of this?!" She whispered. Her lips twitched into that of an elated smile until Garchomp slowly picked herself off the ground and brushed some stray dirt off her fins.

"You doing okay, Garchomp?"

The Dragon/Ground-type turned her head and nodded. "Gar."

Shortly after, Chimchar floated back down to the surface. He was on the brink of collapse and looked as though they could barely breathe. All of Goku's energy was indeed used up with that last Scratch attack. That appeared to include most of Chimchar's HP as well, unfortunately.

Goku grinned at his starter Pokémon in gratitude. "You did awesome out there, Chimchar. I'm proud of you."

The Chimp Pokémon warmly smiled back and gave him an appreciative thumbs up.

"Char…"

Chimchar's eyes then rolled into the back of his head and he passed out instantly. As Goku anticipated, there was a limit to how much ki certain Pokémon could maintain. It made him wonder what would happen if he turned Super Saiyan during one of these battles.

That was something he'd need to experiment with later, however. For now, he needed to end this battle and make sure Chimchar got some rest.

"Return." He pointed a Poké Ball at the Fire-type and sent him back into it. "Sorry I had to put you through that much strain, Chimchar. We'll have to work on that soon."

He then placed the Poké Ball back into his bag and casually crossed both arms behind his head.

"Looks like you win, Cynthia. That Garchomp of yours sure is tough! Haha!"

Cynthia didn't know what to say. She inspected Garchomp's injuries, inferring that they must have lost half of their health to Chimchar's Scratch technique. This would be absolutely impossible for any other Pokémon at that level, yet somehow, Goku managed to pull it off.

Truth to be told, it gave Goku quite a good first impression. She actually found a Pokémon Trainer whose progress she was excited and more than willing to follow.

The whole situation made her suddenly laugh out loud and smile much wider than she has in a long time. Garchomp found it a little disturbing, but she didn't say anything out of respect and love for her trainer.

"Hehe! You're not so bad yourself, Goku. I'm very impressed." She happily proclaimed. "I can tell you've got a knack for battle strategy and planning out attacks in advance. I haven't heard about such skill since Red Ketchum from the Kanto Region and well, me, I suppose!"

Goku sheepishly brushed off her compliments and beamed.

"Gee, thanks! I still gotta a whole lot left to learn, obviously, but I'm glad I got a chance to battle you and see what I can work on going forward."

Cynthia nodded. "Likewise! I wouldn't mind battling you again sometime once you have more Pokemon and Gym Badges under your belt."

"That'd be awesome! Though, you should consider challenging my friend, Vegeta. He's just as good as I am." Goku suggested while jerking a thumb at the flame-haired grouch in question. This gave him, Dawn, and Barry the signal to join their conversation.

"More like better, Kakarot. I wouldn't have let my Piplup pass out like that. You were far too careless there."

Goku playfully bopped himself on the head. "Yeah. Guess I can't argue with you about that."

"Eh, who cares?! You brought down Garchomp's HP down to half! CYNTHIA'S Garchomp, as a matter of fact! That's absolute insanity on the highest level!" Barry yelped in a craze, hyperactive manner.

"I actually thought you had a chance at winning, Goku. You should be happy that Chimchar even got that far at such a low level." Dawn commended him with a warm smile.

"Yep. I am, Dawn! He deserves some relaxation after everything he's been through."

Cynthia took a moment to appreciative this group's unusual dynamic. They had strikingly different personalities, yet all of them seemed to get along just fine. It made her happy that a potentially powerful Pokémon Trainer like Goku had some good friends to rely on.

His friendship with Vegeta, however, appeared to be the strongest by far. They may have act like rivals, but sometimes, rivalries could end up forming the deepest of bonds. She had a similar dynamic with Kalos's Champion, Diantha, as far back as a decade, in fact.

Makes me wonder if all of them are looking for those 'valuable items' Goku mentioned while getting ice cream. I'm curious to find out more about that.

She then placed Garchomp back into her Ultra Ball and took a moment to stretch her body. Some boys in the crowd began to drool at such a sight, but they stopped once she was done.

The Champion clapped her hands together and smiled at all four Pokémon Trainers.

"As thanks for giving me such an enjoyable battle, how about I treat you all to some lunch at a local diner? I'm interested to learn more about your plans for the future."

Goku licked his lips in hunger. "You had me at lunch, Cynthia. Hehe."

"Wonderful! I'll show you all the way there."

"But don't you have to get ready for the Pokémon Contest soon?" Dawn wondered.

"That won't start for another few days. I have some more time to explore the city until then."

"Oh. Good to know."

Dawn felt somewhat relieved by such information. It gave her more time to catch some Pokémon and prepare for her debut as a Coordinator. Having lunch and some conversations with her idol didn't hurt either.

As they parted, everyone in Jubilife City began to spread rumors about a boy named Goku who almost defeated Cynthia's Garchomp with a Chimchar. These rumors, although mostly overblown and exaggerated, would spread throughout Sinnoh and its other major cities.

This, unfortunately, would even include Team Galactic's headquarters on Mount Coronet and the elite officers working inside it.

*And that's the end of Chapter 10! I managed to include quite a lot of content here, particularly Looker and Cynthia's first appearances, the debut of Koya from the manga, Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl Adventure!, and, most importantly of all, Goku's first battle against Cynthia. I hope I handled all of the character interactions and battle scenes rather well. I especially wanted to nail Cynthia's dynamic with Goku since they'll develop a strong bond throughout the story.

Koya is also a character I wanted to include, because it gives Barry a strong rival, who isn't Goku, Dawn, or Vegeta. His characterization will be similar to Paul from the anime, but he'll have his own backstory and role in the plot. Him being Looker's partner for the International Police is a major element in that regard.

With that being said, I'm glad I managed to successfully update this story after so long. Please let me know what you think! The next few chapters will focus on Dawn's preparation for the Jubilife City Pokémon Contest, but other stuff will happen as well, including some more Pokémon for Vegeta, Dawn, Goku, and Barry. Maybe some new characters will also show up, but I'm not sure yet. Take care and see you once Chapter 11 is posted sometime soon!