We helped post one of ikki's very personal journals. She wrote it herself in the persona of one of her favourite Comfort Characters [CC]: Son Gokū (孫 そん 悟 ご 空 くう), a.k.a. Sūn Wùkōng (孫悟空). Thank you. ~ Danny & Lila.
Hey! It's Me, Goku!
Heard You Needed Some Cheering Up, ikki!
Hey! Uh... is this thing working? King Kai helped me figure out this weird letter thingy. He said it's like talking, but... slower.
Anyway! He told me about you! Said you're one of my biggest fans ever, since you were just a little kid! Wow! That's amazing! He said you collected all those comic books about my adventures? That makes me feel kinda... tingly! Like when I'm about to eat a giant feast! It makes me really happy to know my story helped you feel strong growing up!
King Kai also told me something else though... He said you had a bit of a tough time recently. Something called a... minor stroke? Huh. Stroke... sounds like a punch, but different. He said it kinda surprised your body, made things a bit harder for you right now. Man, that sounds rough! It makes me remember times when I got knocked down hard. Like, really hard!
Remember when Raditz first showed up? He was way stronger than me back then, and he blasted a hole right through me! Whoosh! Everything went dark. Or when Captain Ginyu swapped bodies with me? That was WEIRD! My own body wouldn't listen to me! And fighting Frieza? Man, he beat me up so bad on Namek, I thought I was done for! He hurt Krillin, and that... that pushed me past my limits, you know? Turned me into a Super Saiyan! But before that? I was scared, I was hurt, I felt like I couldn't win.
And don't even get me started on that heart virus! That was sneaky! It wasn't even a bad guy punching me, it was something inside making me weak. I couldn't even stand up properly! Couldn't train, couldn't fight... couldn't even eat much! Chi-Chi was really worried. It felt awful, like all my power was just... draining away. I hated feeling weak like that. It sounds maybe a little bit like what you might be feeling? Like your body isn't doing exactly what you want it to, like there's this unexpected wall you gotta climb?
Listen, getting hit, getting hurt, feeling weak... it happens! Even to Saiyans! It happened to Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin... all my friends! We've all been beaten down, sometimes really badly. Sometimes it feels like you can't possibly get back up. The important thing, the most important thing I ever learned, isn't about not falling down. It's about getting back up! Every single time!
You gotta treat this like... like a new kind of training! Yeah! Think of it that way! Your body needs to get stronger again, right? So, this is your training arc! It might be different from lifting weights or practicing punches, but it's just as important. Maybe today's training is just focusing really hard on moving your hand a little bit. Maybe tomorrow it's taking a few steps. Maybe it's just resting so your body can heal – that's important training too! Like when Master Roshi makes us do weird chores that don't seem like training, but they make us stronger in surprising ways? This is like that!
Every little bit of progress? That's a win! That's you getting stronger! Celebrate it! Get excited! Did you manage something today you couldn't do yesterday? Awesome! That's like learning a new move! Did you feel a little bit better, even for a minute? Fantastic! That's like powering up! Don't compare yourself to how you were before, not right now.
Focus on this fight, this training, right here, right now. Just like when I fight someone really strong, I can't worry about the last fight, I have to focus on the opponent in front of me! Your opponent right now is that weakness, that slowness. And you? You're the fighter!
You know, sometimes when I'm fighting someone super tough, someone way stronger than me, I have to dig deep. Really deep. Down past the muscles, past the energy blasts... down to that little spark inside. That Ki, that fighting spirit! It's the part of you that refuses to quit. Everybody has it! You have it too! I know you do! You've been watching me fight my whole life, King Kai said! You saw me get beaten down and get back up again and again! That means you know what that spirit looks like, what it feels like!
Find that spark inside you. Even if it feels tiny right now, like a little candle flame in a storm. Focus on it. Feed it with your determination. Tell it, "I'm not giving up!" That spirit is your power. It's the real source of strength. Your body might be tired, it might need time to fix itself, but your spirit? That can stay strong! That can be your guide!
Okay, I gotta admit something... I'm not very patient. Heh. Chi-Chi and Bulma are always telling me to slow down! Waiting for food to cook feels like forever! Waiting to get better after being hurt is even harder! I just want to get up and train or fight again right now! So, I kinda get it if you feel frustrated. It's okay to feel that way! It's normal! But try not to let the frustration win. Take a deep breath. Remember Master Roshi, or Kami, or even Whis! They're always calm, always patient. They know some things just take time. Healing is one of those things.
It's like... like charging up a really, really big attack! Like the Spirit Bomb! It takes time to gather all that energy, right? You can't rush it! Your body is gathering its energy right now, figuring out how to fix things. You gotta give it that time. Be patient with yourself, okay? Be kind to yourself. You wouldn't yell at Gohan if he was hurt and needed time to heal, right? You'd be gentle with him. Be gentle with yourself too.
And hey! You're not alone in this! Just like I always have my friends – Krillin, Bulma, Vegeta (even though he's grumpy!), Gohan, Piccolo – you have people around you too, right? Family, friends, doctors, therapists? They're like your Z-Fighters right now! They're there to help you, to support you, to cheer you on! Let them help! It's not weakness to need help. It's smart! It's strong!
Remember when we needed the Namekians to heal us, or Bulma to build a spaceship, or Dende to wish everyone back? We couldn't have done it alone! Working together makes everyone stronger! Listen to those doctor folks – they're like your guides, your trainers for this specific challenge. They know things about healing that I don't! Trust them, work with them. That's part of the training too!
King Kai mentioned you're remarkably mature now. Wow! That means you've seen a lot! You've lived through lots of your own adventures, faced your own challenges, learned so much! That's like... like being a veteran warrior! You've got experience! You've got wisdom you didn't have when you were a kid reading those comics. All those years, all those experiences, they've built up your inner strength, your resilience! Think of all the tough stuff you've already handled in your life! This is another challenge, yes, but you've got years of strength built up inside you to face it! That's incredible! That's way more experience than I had when I first fought Frieza! See? You're already super strong in ways you might not even realize!
And knowing that you've been cheering for me all this time... that really means something! Seriously! When I'm gathering energy for the Spirit Bomb, I'm asking everyone, all living things, to lend me their energy, their hope! Knowing fans like you are out there, sending out that positive energy, believing in me... that helps! It really does! It makes me feel like I can push even harder! So, thank you! Thank you for all those years of support! Your belief in me, in my journey... it reached me! And now? Now it's my turn to send some energy back to you!
Imagine me, okay? Cupping my hands... focusing... gathering up all my hope, all my belief in your strength... HAAAAAAA! There! Sending a big wave of positive energy your way! Feel it? It's full of 'Never Give Up!', 'You Can Do It!', and 'Get Stronger Every Day!'. Keep that feeling with you!
Remember all those times you saw me or my friends push past our limits? When Gohan finally unleashed his power against Cell? When Vegeta sacrificed himself against Buu? When I pushed for Ultra Instinct against Jiren? That wasn't just about physical power. It was about determination. It was about protecting what's important. It was about refusing to lose hope. That same power, that same drive, lives inside everyone. It lives inside you.
This stroke thing? It's like... like a surprise attack from an enemy you didn't see coming. It knocked you off balance. But it didn't defeat you! It can't touch your spirit unless you let it. It can't steal your memories of strength, your history of overcoming things. It can't take away the love of your friends and family. And it definitely can't take away the fact that you have the heart of a fighter!
So, what do you do now? You fight back!
Not with punches and kicks, maybe, but with patience. With determination. With every little movement, every small victory. You fight back by being kind to yourself, by resting when you need to, by eating good food (Food is important! It gives you energy to heal!), and by letting others help you. You fight back by focusing on getting better, one step at a time.
Don't think about how long it might take. Just focus on today.
What can you do today to help your training? What little step can you take? Maybe it's just smiling! Yeah! Smiling takes energy too, and it sends a good signal to your body! Find things that make you happy, even small things. Listen to music, look at pictures, think about happy memories... think about all the Dragon Ball adventures! Let that fun energy help you heal too!
You collected my comics, you saw my whole journey! You saw me start as just a weird kid with a tail, learning from Master Roshi, training with Kami and King Kai, facing Saiyans, Namekians, Androids, Gods! It was a long road, with lots of bumps and bruises and near-death experiences! But the adventure kept going! Your adventure is still going too! This is just one part of it. A tough part, for sure. But not the end! There's still so much more ahead for you! More things to see, more things to do, more happiness to find!
Keep that image in your head: You, getting stronger, getting better, moving forward. Hold onto that hope like it's the most powerful energy source in the universe! Because maybe... it is!
So, please, from me, Goku, someone who knows a little bit about fighting back when things look bad... Don't you dare give up!
Not now, not ever! Keep fighting! Keep believing in yourself! Keep training, your own special way! Be patient, be strong, and be kind to yourself.
I'm rooting for you! All the way from... well, wherever I happen to be training right now! King Kai will probably keep me updated! I wanna hear about you getting stronger! I wanna hear about you winning this fight!
You've got this! I know you do!
Okay! Gotta go! Chi-Chi's probably got dinner ready, and training makes me hungry!
Remember what I said!
Remember what I said!
Stay strong! Keep your chin up! And never, ever, EVER give up!
Alright! See ya!
Goku.
P.S. Wow, writing is harder than training! Took me ages! Hope you can read my scribbles! King Kai helped tidy it up a bit. Keep fighting! Bye for real this time! HAAAAAAAAA!
#KofiCreativeLetter