Chapter 34 — Pitcher vs Pitcher
Blake stepped into the batter's box like he belonged there.
No nerves.
No hesitation.
Just focus.
Hunter Knox watched him calmly from the mound.
Two pitchers staring each other down—
the unstoppable force vs the rising star.
Zach, on first base, felt the link tighten.
PING.
"Shared Focus Active."
Blake Emotions: Sharp • Focused • Determined."
Tyler yelled from the dugout,
"BLAKE! SHOW HIM YOU HAVE THE SOUL OF A DRAGON!!"
Blake whispered without turning,
"Tyler, please stop talking."
Pitch 1 — A Test of Nerves
Hunter lifted his leg—
coiled—
and unleashed a fastball right down the middle.
Blake didn't swing.
POP.
"STRIKE!"
Zach stiffened at first.
He felt something strange in the pitch.
A tiny shift.
A slight delay.
Something… unusual.
The system flickered.
Ping.
"Opponent Pitch Analysis Updated…"
Immediate Data Incomplete."
Zach frowned.
Hunter's pitch was fast—
but it had something else in it.
He just couldn't see it yet.
Pitch 2 — Shared Focus Interference
Hunter wound again.
This one inside—
dangerously inside.
Blake flinched—
And then Zach felt it:
Blake's fear spike through the link.
The pitch curved at the last second and broke toward the corner.
"BALL!"
Blake exhaled shakily.
Zach frowned.
Blake wasn't off-balance physically.
It was emotional.
The Hawks synergy was affecting him.
The system chimed:
Ping.
"Opponent Synergy Interference Detected."
Effect: Emotion Pressure."
Zach gasped.
The Hawks weren't just good.
Their synergy was strong enough to push pressure outward.
Pitch 3 — Blake Adjusts
Tyler shouted from the dugout:
"FOCUS, BLAKE! BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! YOU CAN HIT A METEOR!"
Blake's eyes narrowed.
His determination cut through the fear.
Zach felt the shift instantly.
Hunter pitched—
A high fastball.
Blake didn't swing.
"BALL TWO!"
The crowd murmured.
Blake's confidence grew.
Zach felt it through Shared Focus—
a warm rising force.
Pitch 4 — The Secret Begins to Show
Hunter exhaled.
Not annoyed.
Just… calculating.
He gripped the ball differently.
Zach noticed it.
Blake didn't.
Hunter fired—
The ball came in fast—
then SUDDENLY slowed—
then sped up at the last moment.
Blake swung.
WHOOSH.
Miss.
"STRIKE TWO!"
Tyler nearly passed out.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!
THE BALL CHANGED SPEED MID-AIR!!"
Zach's eyes widened.
It did.
The system pulsed hard:
PING!!!
"Hunter Knox — Unusual Pitch Detected."
Classification: 'Dead-Arm Change Fastball Mix'."
Description: Pitcher disguises grip to mimic fastball and changeup interchangeably."
Danger Level: HIGH."
Blake stepped out of the box, shaken.
"That pitch… it moved weird."
Zach nodded from first.
"It changed speed. Be careful."
Blake blinked at him.
He trusted that information instantly.
Pitch 5 — The Battle of Minds
Hunter smirked slightly.
He knew Blake was thinking.
He wanted Blake thinking.
Because thinking made hitters slow.
Zach sensed it through Shared Focus:
Hunter was controlling the rhythm.
Zach whispered under his breath,
"Don't fall for it."
Blake locked in.
Hunter threw—
Another deceptive pitch.
Blake didn't swing.
"BALL THREE!"
Full count.
The crowd erupted.
Tyler screamed,
"FULL COUNNNNT! BLAKE THIS IS YOUR VILLAIN ARC!!"
Blake ignored him (as he should).
Pitch 6 — Clever vs Clever
Hunter tightened his glove.
Zach noticed something—
Hunter glanced toward third base.
A sign?
A hint?
Zach felt his instincts fire.
Blake needed help.
Shared Focus surged.
He felt Blake's heart racing.
So Zach shouted quietly,
but loud enough for Blake:
"WAIT FOR THE DROP!"
Blake blinked.
He knew instantly what that meant.
Hunter delivered.
The pitch started high—
looked like a fastball—
then began to fall sharply.
A drop pitch disguised as heat.
Blake waited—
Waited—
Then swung with PERFECT timing.
CRACK!!!
The ball shot into right-center field.
The crowd exploded.
Tyler screamed like a malfunctioning fire alarm.
Blake sprinted toward first—
Zach sprinted toward second—
The right fielder charged—
Zach SLID into second—
SAFE!
Blake reached first easily.
The Dodgers dugout ERUPTED.
Emma slapped the fence.
"YES!"
Bryan jumped up and down.
Noah was climbing the fence again.
Tyler hugged the air, screaming,
"MY BEST FRIENDS ARE GODS OF BASEBALL!!"
The system chimed loudly:
PING!!!
"Team Morale Surging."
"Shared Focus Resonance: STRONG."
Morale Boost → All Stats +2% for 2 plays."
Zach stood, dusting off his pants, heart pounding.
Blake looked to him from first base.
He mouthed:
"Thanks."
Zach nodded.
Hunter Knox stared at them both from the mound.
And for the first time—
Zach saw it.
Fear?
No.
Respect.
Hunter tightened his glove.
"Alright," he muttered.
"You're not normal."
But neither were the Dodgers.
And Next Up To Bat…
Emma stepped into the box.
Calm.
Focused.
Deadly accurate.
Zach felt excitement spike through Shared Focus.
The inning wasn't over.
The Dodgers weren't done.
This was only the beginning.