Chapter 31 — Game Day Morning
The sun wasn't even up yet.
But Zach was awake.
He sat on the edge of his bed, tying his cleats slowly, carefully, like each knot mattered.
His stomach felt tight.
Excited.
Nervous.
Focused.
Ping.
"Shared Focus: Slight Activation Detected."
"Team emotions syncing…"
Zach could faintly feel the others.
Blake: calm but tense.
Tyler: already hyped, too awake for 6 AM.
Emma: steady.
Bryan: nervous tremors.
Noah: bouncing off the walls (literally).
Micah, Eli, Jaden: anxious but ready.
The link was already warming up.
Today was the day.
Priscilla's Send-Off
Zach walked into the kitchen.
His mom was waiting by the stove, flipping pancakes.
She'd never been a morning person.
But today she was glowing with energy.
"For my superstar," she said, sliding a huge stack of pancakes onto a plate.
Zach smiled shyly.
"Thank you."
She sat beside him as he ate.
"You're nervous," she said softly.
Zach paused mid-bite.
"A little."
She stroked his hair.
"Zach… listen to me. Whatever happens today—win or lose—I'm proud of you. You've worked so hard. You've grown so much."
Zach swallowed hard.
Then she tapped his nose.
"Go out there, have fun, and show them what you can do."
Zach beamed.
The system pulsed again.
Ping.
"Emotional Boost Received."
"Shared Focus +2%."
At the Field — The Crowd
Zach arrived early.
But he wasn't the first.
Tyler was already there doing cartwheels.
"GAME DAY BABYYYYY!"
Blake stretched quietly in the bullpen area.
Emma tied her hair with laser focus.
Bryan was pale.
Noah was… climbing the fence.
Zach blinked.
"Noah, why—?"
"THE HAWKS MIGHT BE HIDING IN THE TREES," Noah announced dramatically.
Zach sighed.
"No one is hiding in the trees."
"THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT US TO THINK."
But the moment the Dodgers looked at the stands—
They froze.
"What…" Blake whispered.
"Holy…" Tyler breathed.
The bleachers were FULL.
Parents.
Grandparents.
Students.
Teens.
Baseball fans.
Even local reporters with cameras.
A huge banner read:
"DODGERS VS RIDGEVIEW HAWKS!"
Zach's heartbeat quickened.
Ping.
"Team-wide Nervous Spike Detected."
"Shared Focus Stabilizing."
Blake whispered,
"There's so many people…"
Tyler clutched his chest.
"I'm too small for this level of fame."
Emma took a slow breath.
"It's okay. We trained for this."
Zach nodded.
He could feel the team's panic beginning to link—
but not overwhelm them.
Shared Focus was doing its job.
Warm-Up Begins
Coach Ramirez gathered them.
"Alright Dodgers," he said firmly.
"Eyes on me."
Everyone turned.
"You've worked harder than any team out here. You earned this moment. Today you play smart, play together, and trust each other."
He looked at Zach.
"Especially you."
Zach blinked.
Ethan stepped next to Coach.
"The Hawks are strong," he said.
"But you're ready. Everything you've been through led to this."
He clapped his hands.
"Warm-up! Let's go!"
Infield Practice
Zach fielded a grounder—
smooth.
Precise.
Threw to Blake at first.
POP.
Blake caught it clean.
Tyler yelled,
"THAT'S MY SHORTSTOP!"
Zach blushed.
Next, a double-play drill.
Emma to Zach—
Zach to Blake—
Fast.
Fluid.
The crowd murmured with impressed whispers.
The system chimed.
Ping.
"Shared Focus Partial Activation."
"Coordination Bonus +10%."
Zach's chest warmed.
Catcher-Pitcher Sync
Tyler crouched behind the plate.
Blake nodded from the mound.
Zach watched—
feeling their link tighten.
Blake threw.
POP.
Tyler caught it.
Grinned.
"Still got the heat!"
Another pitch.
POP!
The crowd reacted.
Blake exhaled with relief.
His shoulder didn't hurt.
Zach felt his confidence spike through the link.
The Hawks Arrive
The warm atmosphere shifted suddenly.
A wave of murmurs spread through the crowd.
Zach turned.
A row of players stepped onto the field.
Ridgeview Hawks.
All wearing sharp gray uniforms.
All serious.
All confident.
Mason walked in the front.
Not smiling.
Focused.
He scanned the Dodgers calmly.
His eyes landed on Zach.
Zach stepped forward slightly—
steady.
Confident.
Mason stopped a few feet away.
"…You look ready," he said quietly.
Zach nodded.
"You too."
Mason smirked faintly.
"This should be a good game."
Then his teammates lined up behind him.
Bigger.
Stronger.
Older-looking.
And ready.
The Hawks catcher cracked his knuckles.
"Don't hold back, Dodgers."
Their shortstop smirked.
"We won't."
Tyler whispered behind Zach's ear:
"I'M SCARED BUT ALSO VERY EXCITED PLEASE SEND HELP."
Zach smiled slightly.
The Lineup Announcement
A voice on the loudspeaker boomed:
"WELCOME EVERYONE… TO TODAY'S MAIN EVENT!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
"THE HOME TEAM… YOUR DODGERS!"
The kids ran onto the field as the crowd cheered.
Tyler tripped mid-run, rolled, popped up, and shouted:
"I MEANT TO DO THAT!"
The crowd laughed.
Then—
"And the visiting team… THE RIDGEVIEW HAWKS!"
The Hawks jogged out, calm and intimidating.
The atmosphere grew electric.
Shared Focus Fully Activates
Zach felt a sudden jolt in his chest—
like the air shifted.
Warm.
Calm.
Connected.
PING—
"SHARED FOCUS (Lv.1) — FULL ACTIVATION."
Team emotions linked.
Reaction time enhanced.
Communication boosted."
Zach inhaled slowly.
He could feel:
Tyler's excitement bubbling.
Blake's determination sharpening.
Emma's calm confidence.
Bryan's nervous adrenaline.
Noah's chaotic hype.
Everyone.
All at once.
It wasn't overwhelming.
It was power.
Real power.
Zach looked across the field at Mason.
Mason narrowed his eyes.
He felt it too.
This wasn't the same Dodgers he scouted.
This was a real team.
Coach's Last Words
Coach Ramirez gathered them in a circle.
"Last thing," he said softly.
"You don't need to be perfect."
He looked at every player.
"You just need to play together."
The kids leaned in.
Hands stacked.
Zach placed his on top.
Blake covered his.
Tyler slapped his on last and screamed:
"DODGERS ON THREE!"
"ONE—"
"TWO—"
"THREE!"
"DODGERS!!!"
The crowd roared.
The Hawks stepped onto the field.
Zach walked to shortstop.
Tyler behind the plate.
Blake on the mound.
The stadium settled.
Mason stepped into the batter's box first.
The umpire raised his mask.
"PLAY BALL!"