Super Dragon Ball: Paradise Hysteria

The School of Shorts

"So... About those martial arts lessons..." Sharpner approached Gohan shortly after the teen left the boys' dressing room before gym class. "I would kind of like to try it out, see if you weren't full of shit about anyone being able to become as strong as you."

"I think you're approaching this from the wrong angle, but sure. Videl-san and I were going to get some training in today after class. We'll wait for you and go home all together," Gohan nodded, looking excited about the prospect of finding a new friend. Martial arts were truly amazing, bridging the gap between him and someone like Sharpner.

"Videl? You two are pretty tight. Is she your student like me?" Sharpner wondered, leaning to examine Videl from behind after she left the girls' dressing room.

"Oh, no!" Gohan exclaimed, waving his hands out in front of him with a pacifying gesture. "Videl-san is far too advanced for lessons at this point. She's her own mentor in terms of the technical aspects. We mostly just spar so that she can notice her own weaknesses and feel where she can still use some training. Of course, the same is true on my end. If Videl-san finds an opening in my moves, it's a little embarrassing, since I've been practicing since early childhood."

"So I'll be getting in the way..." Sharpner dipped his chin, letting gloom obscure his eyes.

"Not at all!" Gohan defused the notion. "In fact, my younger brother is almost at the age where he can start picking up martial arts. I was wondering about asking my mother if I can start teaching him the basics. You two can start picking it up together."

"Your younger brother? How old is he?" Sharpner asked.

"Well... Let's see... Around three years old," Gohan began counting birthdays in his memory up and down.

"Th-Three!?" Sharpner's face stretched out equally in all directions, stressing his skin to where it was surprising that his face didn't just burst and splatter in all directions. "I'm going to be learning alongside a three-year-old!?"

"It's around the age when Saiyans start training. Though, if memory serves, I started at around four. But my mother didn't want me to focus on my training too much, so I'm a bit of a different case. For some reason, mother's a lot laxer with Goten picking up martial arts and doesn't push him to study," Gohan shrugged, though he showed no offense about it.

"If it's within anyone's power to become strong and it's only based on the time and effort one puts into their training of how strong one becomes, then it's no wonder Saiyans are so powerful if they begin training so absurdly young," Sharpner clenched a fist and looked at it. His pride felt poked through and deflated deep down that he'd be sharing the stage with a three-year-old brat, so he had to delve within him and find out just how much strength meant for him. Was becoming strong worth swallowing that pride and accepting that Sharpner may have become a rival to someone four times younger than him?

"You don't have to start training now, you don't have to train with Goten if you don't like it. It's just that it would be incredibly convenient to train both of you at the same time. I'm sure my parents would also invest additional hours into Goten, so don't feel bad about not advancing as fast as he will be. If you want, we can include you in our sparring session with Videl once you pick up the basics," Gohan shrugged.

"No... I'm willing to give it a try. It's the least I can do," Sharpner swallowed his pride and bowed his head. He noticed Videl turned her head up and began strutting away from their vicinity to the opposite side of the gym, almost as if something Gohan said had offended her. Seemed odd, though Sharpner didn't really know these two too well to speculate about what that might have been. He only had his gut as a young man to go by. "Though... If it's okay, I would like to train on my own after I learn the basics. I wouldn't like to get in between you and Videl and your training. It seems to me, looking from the side, that Videl enjoys spending time with you, Gohan. I wouldn't like to be a third wheel to that."