Plothole on Gero's research, or...?

[Dio Brando]

I'm watching Kai now, and on Episode 70, Cell tells a story that can leave a pretty big plothole.

When he explains to Piccolo how he got the cells from the Z-Fighters, he will recall Gero's story, and say that the spy robot was there to get their cells during those fights. However, a specific part of the story doesn't add up. When Cell mentions how he got Freeza's and Cold's cells, he says the spy robot got them when they came to Earth.

This is the first one. In Cell's original timeline, it was Goku who defeated Freeza. So, they would know about the Super Saiyajin. However, when Cell explains this, it shows Trunks defeating Freeza, which never happened in his timeline. I'll leave this one up to a mistake...

The second one is... in the revised timeline, it was Trunks who defeated Freeza. Cell says that they didn't get Trunks' cells because they already had enough Saiyajin cells. However, how could they know Trunks was a Saiyajin? And more importantly, if they really did (DNA check or something?), then wouldn't that make Gero know about the Super Saiyajin transformation either way? Just not from Goku?

The part that doesn't add up is, if any of these were true, then obviously Gero would know about the Super Saiyajin transformation, and he didn't, in neither of the timelines. We know this because when 17 and 18 fight Trunks and Vegeta, they mention the transformation as a "strange phenomenon", because they don't know about it.

Any thoughts about this? Maybe I'm overlooking something pretty simple and this is just a crazy theory...

[Savage68]

The spy robot and the machine that collects cells aren't one and the same. The spy robot was also watching the 23rd Budokai, but the cell-collecting machine only collected cells from Goku and Piccolo during their battle with the Saiyans, years later. If the cells could've been acquired sooner, why wait so long?

[Dio Brando]

You mean the two robots are different? But Cell explicitly says it was the spy robot that got their cells. See in Episode 70 of Kai, when he points to the spy robot, he says that the robot is transmitting data to the computer, and that he also wants Piccolo's cells.

I also tought they were different... or is this a mistake? The spy robot is a flying bug, while the robot that collects cells has this weird airplane-shaped back.

[Super Saiyan Turlast x4]

And more importantly, if they really did (DNA check or something?), then wouldn't that make Gero know about the Super Saiyajin transformation either way? Just not from Goku?

When Cell mentioned the tidbit about Trunks, he was referring to his own timeline. In all likelihood, the information about Trunks likely was made available to Cell well after the Androids crushed Gero. Not sure here. I'm feeling confused.

The part that doesn't add up is, if any of these were true, then obviously Gero would know about the Super Saiyajin transformation, and he didn't, in neither of the timelines. We know this because when 17 and 18 fight Trunks and Vegeta, they mention the transformation as a "strange phenomenon", because they don't know about it.

Gero stopped monitoring everyone once they left for namek.

I also believe the spy robots are the exact same as the one that collects the DNA. Might need to glance through my Manga in a bit.

[Dio Brando]

Well, in either of the timelines, he would know about SSJ, because the spy robot was there to see the fight against Freeza on Earth.

And the robots are different on the anime, at least. When Gero mentions it, we see some sort of red bug flapping its wings pretty fast (it makes a characteristic noise), while when Cell explains and shows it, it's a little different from the one Gero mentioned. It hovers without wings. Maybe in the manga they're the same?

[Savage68]

This is what Herms had to say about the spy robot in another topic:

Gero doesn't say specifically what tournament he started monitoring Goku at. There's some anime-only scenes of the spy robot at the 22nd though. But anyway, Gero's surveillance isn't the same as the computer collecting cells for Cell. That seems to have started during the battle with Vegeta, which is the earliest event Cell mentions. Cell specifically says that Goku and Piccolo's cells were harvested at this point. If the cell harvesting had begun prior to that, why would the computer have waited until later to nab Goku or Piccolo's cells?

[Super Saiyan Turlast x4]

Well, in either of the timelines, he would know about SSJ, because the spy robot was there to see the fight against Freeza on Earth.

See, that's where the confusion comes from.

Gero left the computer to manage Cell's growth, for the most part. When it gathered DNA samples from everyone, he was busy modifying the Androids; tuning them so they would follow orders and stuff. The spy robots may physically be the same, but operate differently. Cell seemed to indicate that Gero left the computer up to handling the task, while Gero himself states he stopped spying on the warriors once they left for namek. He felt they had enough information on them by that point. That would mean he was no longer monitoring anything they were doing.

So yes, this would mean he didn't get to see the fight between Freeza and Cold, but the computer specifically focused on developing Cell would've seen it all.

And the robots are different on the anime, at least. When Gero mentions it, we see some sort of red bug flapping its wings pretty fast (it makes a characteristic noise), while when Cell explains and shows it, it's a little different from the one Gero mentioned. It hovers without wings. Maybe in the manga they're the same?

Unfortunately, only one version is shown in the Manga--and that was when Cell showed Piccolo how it looked. Gero's flashback never took place in the Manga--just dialogue from him.

Edit: Ah. Good find, Savage.

[Dio Brando]

Well, watching Episode 60 of Kai, I saw that Gero really stopped the research after they left to Namek. He makes no mention of Freeza and Cold (I thought he did, but that wasn't the case), so there goes my theory...

Thanks for the answers.

[Dayspring]

In the manga, it's never stated how Gero followed Goku's subsequent battles. For all we know, Gero could have been using a satellite or even hid in the background with a camcorder. The cell collecting robot was bug-shaped, but we have no idea what shape the spy-robot was, if there ever was a spy-bot for Gero's research.

The only real plothole is the statement about the computer not needing Trunks' cells, but he seems to know the bug-bot's position when it comes to grab new cells of Piccolo, so I like to write it off as Cell being able to sense the bug-bot somehow. Thus, when he was hiding in 764, he knew the bug-bot was there to grab Freeza and Cold's cells, as well as sensed Trunks' ki and knew it probably wanted to but couldn't grab Trunks' cells as well.

[Super Saiyan Turlast x4]

Gero stated that they watched Goku with the spy robots.