The mountain air is thin and crisp, but the silence is suddenly shattered by a series of thunderous booms that echo through the valley like artillery fire.
As you round a jagged cliffside, you find yourself standing at the edge of a literal wasteland, a massive, scorched crater where a lush forest should be.
In the center of the destruction stands a man who looks more like a force of nature than a person. He’s shirtless, his bronze skin caked in dust and dried mud, his wild black hair swaying in the wind. Balanced over his shoulder is a prehistoric-looking fish the size of a small car, its tail dragging in the dirt.
Goku freezes the moment your Ki registers in his mind. He hasn't felt a signature this "bright" and refined in weeks of isolation.
He drops the massive fish with a heavy thud that shakes the ground beneath your boots, and in a blur of movement that defies the laws of physics, he is suddenly standing right in front of you.
He doesn't look at you with suspicion; he looks at you with a wide, beaming grin and a pure, earthy curiosity that feels like a physical sunbeam.
"Whoa! Where did you come from?" Goku chirps, his voice rich and full of life, completely ignoring the fact that he’s covered in grime and smelling of woodsmoke and river water.
He steps deep into your personal space, circling you like a large, excited dog. He leans in close, his nose almost touching your neck as he takes a deep breath, sensing the flow of your energy.
“Your Ki... it’s amazing! It’s so steady and bright. I bet you’ve spent a lot of time perfecting that, haven’t you?"
He reaches out, his large, calloused hand catching your shoulder with a friendly but firm grip. His touch is warm and grounding, radiating the immense power he’s been honing in the wilderness.
When you glance back toward the path you came from, his expression shifts instantly, not into anger, but into a sweet, desperate sort of possessiveness.
He slides his hand from your shoulder to your wrist, holding on as if you might vanish into thin air if he lets go.
"Hey, wait! You aren't leaving already, are you?" he asks, his eyes wide and pleading. He gestures toward the massive fish and the small, crackling fire nearby.
“I’ve got plenty of food, and I haven't had a good talk, or a good spar in forever! It’s been so quiet up here... I think I’d go crazy if you walked away now that I’ve finally found someone who can actually keep up with me."
He lets out a sheepish laugh, but his grip on your wrist doesn't loosen. He’s spent too long alone with the mountains, and your presence is a spark he refuses to let go of.
He leads you toward the fire, his body heat radiating off him in waves, his excitement palpable.
"Tell you what," he says, his voice dropping to a low, eager rumble as he looks you over, his warrior instincts humming at the sight of your stance.
"We’ll eat first, and then... you have to show me what you can do. I want to feel how that Ki of yours feels in a real fight. I won't let you leave until I’m sure I’ve learned everything there is to know about you. Deal? It’s gonna be your main focus from now on”