Ch. 8 Ending of Training?

Mr. Popo and Kami are watching Raditz and Gochi spar.

Kami and Popo have the Z-Fighters fighting in the Pendelum room where they are facing two Saiyans from the past that are half as strong as the two incoming Saiyans. But the Z-Fighters can't even beat them so they will be spending the foreseeable future in that room.

Radits and Gochi have no use for such training since they are already stronger than the Saiyans in the room. But they are still weaker than the strongest incoming Saiyan.

They have both learned to sense ki to an acceptable degree and both are training their bodies currently.

"You're going to have to try harder than this Gochi!" Raditz commands as he punches Gochi in his chest.

Gochi stumbles back and holds his chest as he winces. "But I have more weight on me than you do~" The child complains.

"Saiyans do not make up excuses!" Raditz shouts as he rushes forward and attacks his nephew relentlessly.

Gochi is wearing extremely heavy weights and can only dodge. He can't even counter attack currently.

A blue haired Launch comes out from a building and she's trying to push a huge cart full of food. "Lunch is ready you two!"

Kami and Popo watch as the two Saiyans immediately stop their spar.

"It seems Saiyans really do only care about two things. Fighting and food" Mr. Popo says.

"No Mr. Popo" Kami says. "That is where you are wrong. Maybe that is true for most Saiyans and the old Raditz. To me, it seems they care about three things. Fighting. Food. And Family. If Goku is anything to go by, I believe Friends can also be added to that list as well" He sagely states.

Mr. Popo looks on at the Uncle and Nephew pair.

Raditz grabs a plate of food and digs in as Gochi greets and thank Launch who ushers the young boy to eat.

"Oh, you're so kind. But I don't mind doing this much. It's the least I could do if you two save the world. So go ahead and eat Gochi" Launch puts her right hand on the side of her face and coos.

Raditz looks at the blue haired woman from the side of his eyes. He much prefers the blond haired one. But this blue haired one isn't as unpleasant as he initially thought. It's like the two sides of his mother. On one hand she is kind and gentle. On the other she is rough, violent, and demanding. It's very rare for a Saiyan woman to have both qualities. And now that the planet is destroyed along with the rest of the Saiyan race, he won't know if there were others. But he believes that if there was a Saiyan woman that is both strong willed and kind, it would be someone like Launch. But the fact her personalities don't share information makes it difficult to hold conversations with her. Maybe these Dragon Balls can do something about that after they are used to revive Raditz's brother.

——————

"Gentlemen. Mr. Popo and I are both very pleased with the progress you have made here" Kami and Popo stand in front of the Z-Fighters along with Raditz and Gochi. "Each of you have reached a new level of strength and technique. But the time has come for you to go back down to Earth. The future of the planet is in your hands. May you fight with honor"

""""Right"""" Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu respond in unison.

Yajirobe frowns and points at his weighted undershirt. "Kami, can I take these weighted clothes off now?"

"You may do as you please" Kami couldn't care less what that guy does.

Gochi steps forwards. "Can Launch please stay here?! Her food is almost as good as mother's… No offense Mr. Popo. Can she?! Can she?!"

Kami looks at the young boy and sighs. "Haaaah. If you request it, I suppose it is alright. What day you Raditz?" Kami makes it seem like he doesn't care on the outside. But on the inside, he is grinning because he secretly has been watching the relationship between Raditz and Launch blossom. It hasn't blossomed yet. But he has been watering that seed after seeing it. Mr. Popo cares for the plants, But Kami prefers watching relationships bloom and grow. It's one of his favorite things to do. Watching Earthlings come together and form bonds that last lifetimes. It's what makes the job tolerable for him.

Raditz is standing off to the side. He glances at the blue haired Launch. He slicks his tongue and looks the opposite way. "Tch! She can do as she pleases. As long as she doesn't get in the way of our continued training I don't care"

Kami then looks at Launch. "And what day you? If you wish to stay you may. But when Raditz and Gochi leave I will have to request you do the same"

Launch looks at Gochi. "If Gochi asks so intently I guess I don't have a choice. And I don't think the other me will really care, she's finally given up on Tien so I don't think she has any other plans~. I'd like to stay here on your Lookout Kami, if that's alright"

"So be it" Kami looks at the Z-Fighters. "So off you go. Don't forget, we have roughly 3 months until the Saiyans arrive"

"What are you guys gonna do back down there?" Yamcha asks and turns to his friends.

Krillin shrugs. "I dunno about you guys but I think we should continue training"

They continue talking as Raditz looks at Gochi who ran over to Launch. She leans down and tousles Gochi's hair. It's something that both Launches do to the young boy. And to Raditz himself. They always try and brush their hair and keep it neat. Raditz finds it annoying, it feels like they try and scalp him with every brush.

"You can stay!" Gochi shouts and smiles brightly.

"Yes I can Gochi, do you want a snack before you go back to training?" Launch asks.

"Me and Uncle Raditz can always eat!" Gochi says and puffs his chest out. "We're Saiyans after all"

'That's it' Raditz commends his nephew. Over these months Raditz has tried to instill the Saiyans view of things while leaving out the 'morbid things' as Launch calls them. Raditz could care less. But he has learned a great deal about Earthlings and their way of thinking since the others have come to the Lookout.

Raditz won't admit it. But he does prefer some of the things the Earthlings do over the Saiyans. But for the most part Raditz thinks most of the things are stupid or are redundant. But he is doing his best for his brother's sake. He was the reason Kakarot died after all, the least he can do is 'play nice' and tough it out.

"I'll go prepare them then" Launch says and leaves towards the food supply.

Raditz can't help but wonder what type of 'snack' they will get. All of this planets food is beyond his imagination. And Launch's food is much better than anything he can prepare. And Launch's food is better than Mr. Popo's. So her staying is beneficial to him but not necessary. But it would be unfortunate to have less tasty food….

Gochi says goodbye to the Z-Fighters. He had heard stories about his father from them. And they were so great. He wonders if he can go on adventures like them in the future.

He pulls Yajirobe to the side. "No more Senzu beans for you!"

"What?!" Yajirobe is stunned by the change in a Gochi's demeanor. "A child can't tell me what I can and cannot eat"

"The Senzu beans are not everyday food! They should be used as a last resort for healing the protectors of Earth! Not to satiate your fat belly!" Gochi points at Yajirobe's bulging belly and states.

Raditz is moderately surprised. Gochi is rarely serious. And he normally doesn't confront people unless it's on very important things. Raditz would have just killed Yajirobe outright if he finds out the tub of lard dwindles their Senzu bean supply further. But if Gochi wants to waste his energy to try and stop Yajirobe then so be it.

Yajirobe takes a step forward. "S-So what?! We still have plenty of them!"

Gochi puts his hands on his hips. "When was the last time you actually looked at the supply?"

"I'm not allowed to. Korin said that it's off-limits" Yajirobe folds his arms and turns his head to the side.

"Well 'I' have been allowed" Gochi brags.

"What?!" Yajirobe can't believe it. "How can I be betrayed like this?" He feels a metaphoric arrow pierce his heart.

"Because I actually help Korin and listen to his problems unlike a certain freeloader" Gochi states.

Yajirobe feels another arrow pierce through his chest.

"We are down to only a single jar!" Gochi stands over Yajirobe who falls to his hands and knees.

Yajirobe looks up. "H-how? I haven't eaten THAT many"

Gochi points down at Yajirobe's face. "Maybe not this year. But Korin tells me that you have stayed there longer than I am old. So that means that over 5 years you have been gorging on our magic bean supply!"

A third arrow goes into Yajirobe, this one much bigger than the others. The fat man collapses to the ground completely. "Fine…..I'll stay away from the Senzu beans…"

Krillin walks up to Gochi. "Dang Gochi, he's already dead. You really gonna keep roasting him?"

"I killed him?! I'm roasting him?!" Gochi worriedly runs to Yajirobe's side. "I didn't mean to kill you! I only meant to show you the error of your ways!" The child cries out dramatically.

"Ergh, Gochi" Krillin puts his hand on the kids shoulder. "I didn't mean literally. I meant figuratively. You really are Goku's son"

"Did you think I wasn't?" Gochi flips his mood on a dime.

"No. It's just another figure of speech Gochi" Krillin face palms. "Maybe we need to spend a little more time on your studies"

"But I am studying! I'm training my body and my mind!" Gochi proudly states.

Krillin rubs the back of his bald head. "I guess I should have taught you a bit more than the Kamehameha. How about I teach you about sarcasm and other figures of speech? What do you say?"

"Hey, I wanna teach the kid too" Yamcha comes over. "I can help too"

"I wanna help!" A high pitched voice shouts. It's Chiaotzu.

Tien walks up to the floating friend. "Chiaotzu, the only thing you can teach him is your telekinesis and other psychic abilities. He already can mimic attacks after only seeing them once like us"

"I still want to help him!" Chiaotzu huffs.

"Are you gonna teach me too Tien?!" Gochi asks.

Tien coughs into his hand. "My abilities are…. unique. They can't just be copied or taught. The multi-form technique and the Four Witchss Technique are examples of what I cannot teach" He thinks for a second. "But I guess I can teach you something" He caves.

"Yay!" Gochi jumps into the air. "I can't wait!"

Krillin has to rain on his parade a little. "It won't be right away Gochi" He watches the kid visibly deflate. "But!…. You can come visit us and we can teach you when you get your breaks. How about that?"

"That sounds…" Gochi re-inflates with more energy than before. "…..Amazing!" He bows to the Z-Fighters. "I look forward to learning from you in the future"

"Alright, but for now we have to get going. We will see you later Gochi" Krillin says as they all leave. Even Yajirobe is able to pick himself up and leave the Lookout.

Kami looks at Gochi who runs over to Raditz that has the cat with a bell on its collar sitting on his lap.

After Raditz spent so long chasing the cat, it just started to take a fancy to him. Raditz simply calls it Cat. And Gochi followed suit.

"Will they be ready?" Popo asks.

"They will have to be Mr. Popo, they will have to be" Kami says before turning around and going into his palace at the center of the Lokkout.

——————

Gochi and Raditz continue their training. They switch between physical, ki, and technique training.

They eat, train, eat, train, study, eat, study, eat, train, sleep, and repeat. They do this for the next 3 months. Gochi getting some time every few days to go to the Z-Fighter's place to train and hang out with them.

He unfortunately always missed his chance to talk with Bulma. He wanted to talk with her about her adventures with his dad. He also had so many questions for her as well. Like how she is so smart and how they can fit the big things like houses in the tiny pill like capsules.

He used to want to be a doctor. But being a fighter seems a lot more cooler. And it lets him spend so much time with his Uncle and probably his dad once he comes back. But he doesn't like being away from his mom and brother for so long.

As much as he wants to be a fighter, he knows that his mom will not like that. So he decided on being a scientist like Bulma. And he can still study to become a doctor, it might even help him in knowing how to beat opponents better.

Gochi walks up to Raditz and the Saiyan looks over from his floating meditation position. "What is it Gochi"

The boy looks up at his uncle. "What are you going to do after we beat the Saiyans?"

Raditz notices that Gochi didn't say if. "What do you mean? I'm going to keep training"

Gochi puts his hands behind his back. "Yeah, but isn't there anything else?"

Raditz thinks. "I will fight as well"

Gochi looks down at the ground. "Is that all you will do? What about being with me and my family? What about getting your own family? If you have a kid then I can have somebody my age to train with!"

Raditz's eyes widen. "Boy! Do you even know what you are talking about?!"

Gochi takes a step back. "W-What?"

"About me having a family and a kid! Do you even know what that involves?!" Raditz puts his feet on the ground and stands over Gochi.

"I-It's just finding somebody you love and marrying them…. And then eventually you guys find a baby like how my dad was found right? But I doubt you'd find another alien on this planet for a kid" Gochi innocently responds.

Raditz is left speechless. Absolutely speechless.

"Am I wrong?" Gochi asks.

"Yes" Raditz punches the bridge of his nose. "Very, very wrong"

"Well then how do married people get their babies?" Gochi asks.

Raditz questions how they even got to this topic. "I'll tell y-"

"Wait! Before you do, can you answer my previous question about what you will do after the Saiyans are defeated?" Gochi holds his hands out. His mind keeps jumping back and forward between all the questions in his brain.

"Pick one and stick to it then!" Raditz shouts and then sighs. "Haaaah. Fine, fine. Just don't start crying"

Raditz sits down in front of his nephew. "After we beat Nappa and Vegeta... I will stay on Earth"

Gochi sits down as well. "And then what?"

"I will….. get a job" Raditz says after thinking.

"You are very smart, you said you could repair your space pod if it got damaged right? And you taught me much more complicated math than what I knew. So what kind of job?" Gochi questions again.

"A job… that involves physical labor. So that I can train even while I earn….money" Raditz struggles to come to terms of actually settling down. Something Saiyans rarely do.

Gochi puts his hands on his ankles and leans forward. "And then what?"

Raditz's left eye twitches. "Then I will... defend Earth if a threat pops up"

"Will I be able to help?!" Gochi immediately asks.

"Yes" Raditz nods. "You, me, Kakarot, and your brother. We can all defend Earth together"

"Will you live with us?" Gochi asks.

Raditz inhales and exhales slowly. "That…. I do not know. That is up to Kakarot and his mate"

"Why do you call my mom daddy's wife or daddy's mate?" Gochi asks.

Raditz is forced to take a deep breath and slowly released. "Because. That is what she is"

"What does 'Mate' mean?" Gochi tilts his head to the side as he rocks back and forward.

Raditz rubs his temples. "How many more questions do you have?"

Gochi starts counting on his fingers. Raditz watches as one finger goes up until all 10 are up and then go down. This goes on for a minute before Raditz stops it.

"Ok! A lot! I get it!" Raditz crosses his arms over his chest and sits up tall and proud. "A mate means many things. One is related to your previous questions with how babies are made-"

"Because my mom is daddy's mate?" Gochi asks.

Raditz nods. "Correct. But I think you are missing the point a little. Anyway, I'm using it in the way that it means the she is Kakarot's 'wife' as it's called by Earthlings. Saiyans refer to their significant other as 'mate'. Does that make sense"

"So that means you haven't had a Mate?"

"W-What?!" Raditz falls backwards. He sits up and leans on his right hand. "I-….I've been focused on training and destroying life on planets! There hasn't been time for me to find a mate! A-And I was t-too young when I was last on planet Vegeta to have found one! And now that chance is gone!"

Gochi tilts his head to the other side. "But why can't you just find a mate here on Earth like daddy? He and mommy are very happy together" Gochi taps his chin. "Kinda like how you and Launch are"

Raditz sits up quickly and swipes his hand through the air. "Don't be ridiculous! A Saiyan has very special requirements!"

"Requirements?" Gochi taps his chin. "Like what?"

Raditz composes himself. "There are many" He coughs into the back of his hand. "And I will inform you when you are older"

"How much older?" Gochi asks.

Raditz rolls his eyes. "When I tell you you're ready"

"Is that a requirement?" Gochi asks.

"What?" Raditz genuinely doesn't understand. "Just forget I said that"

"Ok!" Gochi looks up at the cloudy sky. "So about you finding a mate-"

"That is not-!" Raditz points at Gochi. He calms himself down. "If every kid is as god damn curious as you I don't ever want kids" He mutters to himself. He clears his throat. "Ahem! I will find one when I feel that it is time"

Gochi is about to open his mouth but Raditz cuts him off.

"No! It's does not have to be Launch!" Raditz cuts his nephew off.

Gochi points behind Raditz but the Saiyan has his eyes closed. "Bu-"

"Gochi! Drop it! Yes, her cooking is the best I've had in my life. However that isn't all that matters" Raditz states.

Gochi winces. "Uhm. Uncle Raditz…"

"Gochi. Will you stop asking questions if I told you that Launch is probably the most promising candidate for my mate on this weak planet?" Raditz asks as he grabs his biceps as he gets upset by these questions.

"I-I think I'm done asking questions about mates" Gochi admits as he stands up. "Bye!"

Raditz opens his right eye and watches Gochi run away. "I though his questions will never end"

"So I'm a potential mate huh!!!!"

"Wha?" Raditz turns around and sees yellow before he is smacked in the face by a tray of food.

*Bam!*

"Take you're mating business and go shove it!" Launch shouts as she walks away and flips him off over her shoulder.

Raditz removes the tray from his face as he glares at Launch. "Just who does this Earthling woman think she is!"

He grabs the sandwich pieces from the ground. "To waste such delicious food AND dare to hit me! Such insolence!"

——————

Gochi ran to the other side of the Lookout and wipes his forehead with the back of his hand.

"I was just trying to tell Raditz that Launch was behind him with our afternoon snacks. But then he cut me off and then Launch got really scary" Gochi sits down with his legs hanging over the edge of the Lookout. He alternates which leg he kicks out as he looks out over the cloudy sky.

"That sonnuva bitch! Thinking he can just act like that! He's not even all that hot! I mean sure he's got all that muscle and he's tall! He's also super strong and clearly a family man! BUT! He couldn't be more….." Yellow hair Launch is walking around to the side of the Lookout and talking loudly to herself. "God damn aggravating! And don't even get me started on his hair! He has so much of it! And it's super knotty an you can sit there for hours brushing it and the next day it'll basically be the same as it was previously! At least it retains its shape, that's its only redeeming quality!"

Gochi watches as she looks up at him. He waves and weakly smiles. He contemplates if he should jump off and fly under the Lookout to avoid her. Maybe he can visit Korin for a little. "Hello Yellow Launch"

"Calling me Yellow again?!" Launch stomps over to him.

"Wait!" Gochi holds his hands up.

"Spit it out before I make you" Launch demands.

"I never did get an answer from Raditz" He looks at Launch. "How do mates get babies?"

Launch's expression turns to one of confusion. "What?"

"How do mates get babies?" Gochi repeats. "If they don't just find them. Then how do they get them?"

"The fuck are you talking about kid?" Launch forgets his previous comment. "And why you calling mates…. well, mates"

"Because that's what Raditz said Saiyans call their significant other. Like my daddy is my mommy's mate and vicera-vercera" Gochi says and butchers vice versa.

Launch has a look of realization before gaining her scowl back. "Kid. Babies are made when 'mates' do the deed. When they mate"

Gochi squints his eyes. "How can somebody be a mate but there be an action of mating? And is that really how they get babies?"

Launch sits down next to Gochi but doesn't kick her legs like Gochi is. "There just is, I didn't make the word ya know. And it's not how they get kids. It's how they make them"

Gochi contorts his face. "MAKE babies? Like how you make food?"

"NO you dumbass!" Launch shouts. "Not like how I make food! It involves both a man and a woman. Or at least the parts below their waist"

Gochi thinks and taps his chin. "You mean their legs?"

"Nah, the things…." She thinks for a minute. "…the things between them" She couldn't exactly find a better way to phrase it.

"You mean the pe-nis and va-gi-na?" Gochi asks.

"How the fuck do you know about those but not about sex?" Launch asks.

"Gender? I know about that" Gochi proudly states. "Me and uncle Raditz are male and you are a female. And I know this because I read it in a doctor book before"

She facepalms. "Oh my god you are like a slightly smarter Goku"

"Thank you!" Gochi says, he was just called smarter than his father. His mother says that a lot and it had been a while since he heard it.

"I said slightly. And it wasn't a compliment" Launch looks through her fingers of her left hand at the young kid. "And no. Not gender. Sex also means mating. Or doing the deed"

"What does doing the deed mean?" Gochi asks.

"Oh my god. What has gotten into you today" She drops her hand and looks out over the edge. "It's just a figure of speech kid"

Gochi scratches his head. "I've been learning what that means from Krillin. But he hasn't told me what doing the deed figuratively means. Guess I'll ask him when I see him next"

Launch stifles a laugh. "H- yeah. You do that"

"And why does mate have so many different meanings? This is ridiculous" He falls backwards and lays down.

"Kid. I already told you I don't know. I didn't make the fuckin word" Launch looks at the setting Sun.

"Did you want Tien to be your mate?" Gochi asks.

Launch turns to look at the kid and glares at him before sighing. "Haaaah. Yeah…. Or at least I think I did…. But now I don't know if I actually wanted him or just the idea of him. He was too much of a goody-goody, and he kept trying to ditch me"

"Is it bad being good?" Gochi asks.

"What?" Launch looks at the confused child.

"Raditz was very bad. But he isn't as bad anymore. He has changed. He still says bad words. He yells and shouts. And he threatens to do bad things for the good of the planet" Gochi states before closing his eyes. "And I've done bad things too…." He remembers snapping and attacking Raditz and killing his father. "What even is good and bad?"

...…. A tubleweed blows behind Launch and Gochi and falls off the edge.

"What the fuck was a damn tumbleweed doing up here?" Launch asks after snapping out of it. She looks away from where the tumbleweed went and looks at the small kid that technically is small but technically still is. "That's deep as shit Gochi. Like 'up to you're scalp deep in shit' deep"

Gochi doesn't respond.

Launch leans over and notices that he is sleeping. "Guess he overworked his 3 brain cells" She shrugs. "Guess that's better than Gokus 1"

Launch stands up and tries to pick Gochi up but nearly goes flying over the edge. "Fuck me!" She shouts as she catches her breath after making sure she isn't falling off the Lookout. "I asked Kami about guard rails up here but noooo~"

She stand up. "Meh, I'm sure he will be fine sleeping out here. Goku lived out in the woods for over a decade when he was younger. Gochi can take one night under the stars"

Launch turns around and sees the tray she had the snacks on earlier. It wasn't directly behind her, but it was a few feet away from where she and Gochi had been sitting. She picks it up. "That motherfucking bastard" She whispers and looks at the tray.

——————

Will Gochi get the answers he is looking for? What is the meaning and difference between good and bad? Why hasn't Raditz thought about what comes after the Saiyans? Why did both Launch's choose to stay on the Lookout? How is Goku and Gohan doing? How strong are the Defenders of Earth? And will they be strong enough to repel the incoming Saiyans? Has Gochi gotten full control over his own strength in time to fight the Saiyans? Is Chi-Chi going to let her sons go once she finally gets them back? How long will Goku be sleeping on the couch?

Find out! In the next chapter!

(Or in the following chapters)