The desert air was dry and still.
Haruko stood a few paces from Yamcha, arms folded, tail swaying slowly.
"Yamcha," Haruko said, tone matter-of-fact. "You know Bulma. Now I have a task for you."
Yamcha's eyes narrowed. "What kind of task?"
"You're going to get the pocket scanner from her room," Haruko said plainly.
Yamcha frowned. "Pocket scanner?"
"Dragon Radar," Haruko corrected. "She uses it to find the Dragon Balls."
Yamcha raised an eyebrow. "And you want me to just… steal it?"
Haruko shook his head. "No. You're not stealing. Think of it as borrowing. Call it… curiosity and interest on our part."
Yamcha crossed his arms. "Why me?"
Haruko's expression didn't change. "Because she likes you. You'll get closer to her room without causing a scene."
Puar hovered anxiously nearby. "But… what if he doesn't come back?"
Haruko's gaze moved from Yamcha to Puar. "He will."
Then he added, "Puar stays here until Yamcha returns."
"What?!" Both Puar and Yamcha exclaimed at the same time.
"That way," Haruko continued, "I know you're coming back. It's not punishment… It's security."
Puar's ears drooped. "That's not fair…" His eyes watered..
Yamcha clicked his tongue. "Fine. I'll do it. But I'm not happy about it."
"You don't have to be happy," Haruko said. "You have to get the job done."
Without another word, Yamcha turned and jogged toward the dune where the Capsule Corp camped out, disappearing into the heat mirage.
While they waited, Haruko sat on a small rock. "Goku," he said suddenly.
"Yeah?" Goku tilted his head.
"Do you know what Dragon Balls are?"
"Just Grandpa's Four-Star Ball," Goku said. "It's special to me. I don't know much else."
Haruko leaned forward slightly. "There are seven of them, total. If we gather all seven, a dragon will appear. Shenron. He can grant any wish—one wish—before the balls scatter again."
Goku's eyes went wide. "A-any wish? You mean… anything?"
"Yes. Anything. Power, wealth, strength… or someone," Haruko said, watching Goku's reaction closely.
Goku blinked, then looked down at his hands. "If we had them all… could we bring back Grandpa?"
Haruko paused. He wasn't surprised by the answer. "Maybe. If the wish is strong enough, the dragon should be able to bring him back to life."
"Really?" Goku's face lit up with childlike hope.
Haruko reached over and ruffled his hair. "Yes, maybe. But that means we have to find all seven. Think of it as our first adventure. Our first real training mission."
Goku grinned. "Then let's start now!"
Puar sniffled quietly, glancing from Goku to Haruko. "You two make it sound easy…"
Haruko looked at him. "It's not easy. The Balls scatter across the world. People like Bulma use the Radar to find them faster. That's why Yamcha's job is important."
Goku tilted his head. "So we take the Radar, we can find the Dragon Balls before bad people do?"
"That's the idea," Haruko said.
Goku grinned again. "Good! Then we get Grandpa back, and I can still train to become the strongest!"
Haruko gave a small smirk. "You'll need to. If you want to keep Grandpa safe, you'll need more than just a wish—you'll need strength to defend it."
Time passed slowly under the desert sun.
Puar's ears twitched every time a sound echoed from the dunes. Then, finally, a figure appeared—Yamcha, with a small metallic gadget in hand.
"Here," Yamcha said, tossing it to Haruko. "Happy now?"
Haruko caught it and turned it over in his hands. The Dragon Radar's screen flashed faintly, a blinking dot marking the closest Dragon Ball.
Goku's eyes sparkled. "That looks cool! How's it work?"
"Simple," Haruko said, pressing a side button. The screen zoomed in and revealed terrain data. "It locks onto the energy signature that the Dragon Balls give off."
Yamcha scoffed. "Now can I have Puar back?"
"Of course," Haruko replied.
Puar immediately flew to Yamcha and hugged his shoulder. "Don't do that to me again!"
Haruko stood, sliding the Radar into his pocket. "Now we have the means to start. First step—track the nearest Ball, then move on to the next. We'll hunt them all down."
Goku pumped a fist in the air. "Let's go!"
Yamcha shook his head. "You're all insane. But… maybe insane is fun once in a while."
"We'll see," Haruko said flatly, already starting toward the horizon as the sun began to set. The Dragon Radar beeped softly in his pocket, leading them toward their first target.