Chapter 14: The "Trick" to Fire Mountain

Author's Note: "Alright, readers! Imagine you suddenly found yourself in Goku's shoes with one wish from the Dragon Balls. What would you wish for? Eternal youth? Unlimited ramen? A pet dragon to bring you snacks? Drop your ideas below—I need inspiration for the most ridiculous wish our MC could make! 😂 Let's see if we can top Goku's usual food cravings!"

Keep it reasonable (no wishing for "infinite power" or turning everyone into chocolate!), but feel free to get creative! The more hilarious or unexpected, the better. Let me know what wild wish you'd want our MC to make!

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Goku, Bulma, and Oolong were speeding along on the Flying Nimbus when a massive mountain came into view. It wasn't just any mountain though—this one was engulfed in flames, its towering peaks radiating heat so intense it felt like the sun itself had set up camp there. The fire roared violently, licking at the sky, and in the distance, Goku could make out a large castle perched precariously on the burning summit.

"That must be Fire Mountain, right?" Bulma said, squinting against the heatwaves coming off the mountain. "We should be close to another Dragon Ball."

Oolong, holding on tightly to Goku's waist, trembled. "Y-You think?! Look at that thing! It's on fire! We're gonna get roasted!"

Goku grinned. "It's just a little fire! I'm sure we can handle it."

As they descended toward the base of the mountain, they noticed two figures trailing behind them in the distance. Yamcha and Puar, the desert bandits who had been shadowing them for some time now, were keeping their distance but clearly following their every move.

"Looks like we've still got fans," Bulma muttered, noticing Yamcha as well. "Let's just focus on the task at hand."

Once they landed, they were immediately greeted by a massive man clad in armor, his enormous beard swaying with every movement. His towering figure made Oolong whimper in fear, but Goku didn't seem phased at all. The man stood before them with a fierce look in his eyes.

"I am the Ox King," he bellowed, his voice echoing across the flaming mountain. "What brings you here, strangers? And how do you come by such a sacred cloud?"

Goku, always oblivious to danger, pointed proudly to the Nimbus. "Oh, this? I got it from Master Roshi!"

The Ox King's face softened instantly. "Master Roshi, you say? Then you must be a good person if he gave you the Flying Nimbus! I trained with him long ago." He looked up at the burning mountain. "But no good person can help me now. My castle is trapped in flames, and my daughter, Chi-Chi, is missing."

Bulma raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying if we help you put out this fire, you'll give us the Dragon Ball?"

The Ox King nodded. "Indeed. There's a ball with stars inside the castle, but I cannot reach it with the fire raging like this. If you can find my daughter, and help put out the flames, the Dragon Ball is yours."

Goku's face lit up at the mention of a challenge. "I can handle fire! Grandpa Gohan showed me a trick once."

"A trick?" Bulma asked skeptically. "What kind of trick?"

Goku smirked. "A ki trick. Grandpa said it's not a real technique because it's not that strong yet, but it lets me turn my energy into elements like fire, lightning, and water."

"Wait, you can do that?!" Bulma's eyes widened in shock. "Since when?"

"Eh, it's not that impressive," Goku shrugged. "But it should be good enough to help with this fire."

He stepped forward, facing the roaring flames that covered the mountain. Closing his eyes, Goku focused his energy, and soon enough, his hands began to glow with a soft blue light. He stretched out his arms, releasing a wave of water-like ki that cascaded over the flames.

The fire hissed and sputtered, slowly dying down where Goku's ki made contact. He concentrated harder, pouring more of his energy into the attack, until large sections of the flames were extinguished, revealing part of the castle behind them.

The Ox King's jaw dropped. "You… you did it! You're putting out the fire!"

Bulma blinked in disbelief. "I can't believe it. Goku, you're full of surprises."

"Eh, it's just a trick," Goku said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "But I think it'll work. We just need a little more help."

The Ox King nodded in gratitude. "You've already done more than I could have hoped for. But I need you to find my daughter, Chi-Chi. She went to Master Roshi's island to get the Bansho Fan to put out the flames, but she hasn't returned. If you can find her, I'll give you the Dragon Ball."

Goku was already nodding enthusiastically. "Don't worry, I'll find her!"

Before Bulma could argue, Goku leaped back onto the Flying Nimbus "I'll find Chi-Chi and you get the Dragon Ball!"

"Wait a second, what am I—" But before she could finish, Goku fly onto the cloud.

Oolong, already having seen enough of Goku's antics, opted to stay behind with the Ox King. "Yeah, I'll just, uh… guard things here," Oolong said nervously, waving them off.

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Goku was flying over the vast landscape on his Flying Nimbus, scanning below for any sign of Chi-Chi. His sharp eyes were focused, knowing she could be in trouble. And then, suddenly, he saw it—a girl in armor sprinting for her life, with a giant dinosaur hot on her tail. The dinosaur roared, its massive jaws snapping as it gave chase, while flames from nearby patches of fire reflected off its scaly skin.

"There she is!" Goku shouted to himself, pointing down excitedly.

Without wasting any time, he dove the Nimbus toward the scene. Chi-Chi was running as fast as her little legs could carry her, but the dinosaur was gaining on her quickly. Her eyes were wide with panic, and tears were already welling up as the creature closed the distance.

"Help!" Chi-Chi screamed, glancing back in terror as the dinosaur let out another earth-shaking roar.

Goku's heart raced, not from fear, but excitement. He leaped off the Nimbus, landing directly in the dinosaur's path, his feet hitting the ground with a thud.

"Hey, big guy!" Goku shouted, grinning ear to ear. "Pick on someone your own size!"

The dinosaur growled, swinging its massive head toward Goku, but Goku was already on the move. In an instant, he was in the air, his fist charged with energy, and with a powerful strike, he sent the dinosaur crashing to the ground in a heap. The creature let out a defeated groan before it scrambled to its feet and ran away, tail between its legs, clearly deciding it had messed with the wrong kid.

Goku brushed his hands off, looking pleased with himself. "That wasn't so hard."

Chi-Chi, however, wasn't as calm. She stood there, trembling, tears streaming down her face as the rush of fear from the chase and the sight of the monster overwhelmed her. "Th-thank you, but… but…" She sniffled, trying and failing to hold back sobs.

Goku tilted his head in confusion. Why was she still crying? The dinosaur was gone, wasn't it?

He scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to do next. Then, an idea popped into his mind. Grandpa Gohan had once told him that sometimes, when people were upset, they just needed a little sunshine to cheer them up. Well, Goku didn't have sunshine… but he had something just as good!

With a bright smile, Goku walked up to Chi-Chi and placed his hands on his hips, puffing his chest out. "Hey, Chi-Chi, watch this!"

Before she could respond, Goku activated his technique, Sunny Temperament. Instantly, a warm, gentle aura of ki radiated from him, like the soft glow of a sunny day. It wasn't an attack—it was something Grandpa Gohan had taught him to make people feel better. The golden aura bathed Chi-Chi in a comforting light, and slowly but surely, her tears began to dry.

She blinked, looking around in confusion. "W-What's happening? I… I don't feel so scared anymore."

Goku grinned widely. "That's my Sunny Temperament technique! It's like sunshine on a bad day. It makes everything feel a little better, right?"

Chi-Chi sniffled one last time, then nodded, wiping the last of her tears away. "Yeah… It does. Thank you, Goku."

"No problem!" Goku said, still smiling. "Now, let's get you back to your dad. He's worried about you."

Chi-Chi smiled a little, her cheeks still red from crying, but she quickly realized something. "Wait… how do you know my dad?"

"Oh! I met him at your house on Fire Mountain. He said you were going to Master Roshi's to get a Bansho Fan to put out the fire, but you never came back."

Chi-Chi's eyes widened in realization. "Oh no! I got so lost! I tried to find the island, but I ran into that dinosaur, and then everything got so scary!" She put her hands on her helmet, looking flustered.

"Don't worry, I'll take you there," Goku reassured her. "You can ride on the Flying Nimbus!"

Chi-Chi's face immediately lit up. "The Flying Nimbus? Wow, I've heard of it! You can ride it?"

"Yup!" Goku said proudly, hopping back onto the cloud and offering her a hand. "Come on, it's really fun!"

Chi-Chi hesitated for a moment, looking at the Nimbus with wide eyes. Then she smiled shyly, accepting Goku's hand. As she climbed onto the cloud, she grabbed his tail by accident, trying to balance herself.

"Eep!" Goku squeaked, his body stiffening as she tugged on his tail.

Chi-Chi gasped and quickly let go. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to grab your tail!"

Goku blinked, rubbing the back of his head. "Nah, it's fine! My tail used to be really weak, but I've trained it. It doesn't hurt anymore, but it still feels weird when people grab it."

Chi-Chi's blush deepened, but she smiled as they both settled onto the Nimbus. "You're really strong, Goku. And brave too."

Goku beamed at the compliment as they soared into the sky, leaving the smoldering landscape behind. "Thanks! You're pretty cool too, Chi-Chi. Let's go to Fire Mountain!"

The wind rushed past them as the Nimbus sped through the air, Goku steering the cloud with ease. Chi-Chi held on tight, feeling the excitement build as they headed toward their next adventure.