For want of a contract...

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

There's a long and convulated backstory that I won't go into for this, but basically I was asked something that rather inspired me: What might have happened if Soun and Genma hadn't made any pact to unite their schools- and, more importantly, this resulted in them developing their 'natural' relationships, rather than the two being forced together by convulsions of fate as is usually the case with such fanfics? Well, immediately, a part of my mind piped up that Ukyo or Shampoo would have gotten Ranma. After beating that git bloody and stuffing them into the garbage chute, I started to seriously wonder: what would have happened?

I mean, while Genma does have some genuine interest in training, as was pointed out to me by Spokavriel, he did take Ranma on his training trip because he wanted to fulfil his end of the bargain with Soun. Without that contract, Genma mightn't have taken Ranma on that trip at all, or might have been... well, "softer" on it- using his home with Nodoka as a base and taking Ranma away for a week or so before returning to stock up and recuperate. Ranma might never have met Ukyo or Ryoga, might have gone to Joketsuzoku before Jusenkyo- or even not gone to China at all. And that's not raising the question of whether or not Soun & Genma might have decided to pit their respective students in a fight against each other to see who's school was stronger.

So, I come before you all to ask: what do you think might happen (or would happen) if Soun & Genma didn't create that contract to have their children marry?

[Drawde]

Actually, Genma stated that the trip was to prevent Nodoka from being too soft on Ranma, in NODOKA'S flashback. Which would likely have happend, since Japanese mothers traditionally spoil their sons, or at least the firstborn ones.

[Spokavriel]

A good question would be when did the pact to unite the schools get created? If it wasn't until after they had sealed the master than that sale of Ranma for the Fish Rice and 2 pickles would have been an earlier agreement. Happosai was in the cave around (stated 10 years) He was around long enough to know Akane and Ranma were born. And that training trip had Ranma less than a year old.

So without the Tendo Agreement what's to keep Ranma from becoming the Heir to the Daikoku (I think that was the name) Martial arts restaurateurs?

[Drawde]

A good question would be when did the pact to unite the schools get created? If it wasn't until after they had sealed the master than that sale of Ranma for the Fish Rice and 2 pickles would have been an earlier agreement. Happosai was in the cave around (stated 10 years) He was around long enough to know Akane and Ranma were born. And that training trip had Ranma less than a year old.

So without the Tendo Agreement what's to keep Ranma from becoming the Heir to the Daikoku (I think that was the name) Martial arts restaurateurs?

Easy to ignore in two ways. If Genma wasn't as fanatical in training Ranma, they likely never met.

Or you can base it strictly off the manga, where that never happened.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Or, third option, Genma doesn't consider the 'payback' from such a bargain to be worth giving up Ranma permanently and simply steals him back at the first opportune moment. One meal when starving, as opposed to a lifetime of support when Ranma inherits the dojo, was as much part of Genma's reasoning for stealing Ranma back as his friendship to Soun.

[Spokavriel]

What I meant is the lack of a single arrangement wouldn't curtail Genma's nature to make more deals of this nature.