Dawn of a New Era

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.