Biggest Game of His Life

A Pokémon story starring Ash Ketchum

‘Sup, it’s me again! I decided to write a non-romantic/Superman story-I know you’re impatient for the next chapter of Ash Ketchum: Superman, but don’t worry, I’m writing it; besides, I’m a little busy. Anyways, this story just popped into my head one night, and I decided to put it down on paper. I hope you like it! And about the title, it’s the best I could come up with. Sorry!

Note: Pokémon is a registered trademark of Nintendo International and Nintendo USA, and is only being used for entertainment.

Ages:

Ash: 21

Misty: 21

Brock: 26

May: 18

Max: 15

Casey: 19

Dawn: 17

Ash Ketchum stared down his opponent. Sweat was starting to trickle from under his ball cap. He took a deep breath. He got his feet into position and again stared down his opponent, who was doing the same thing. Then his opponent set and threw the ball he was holding at Ash. Time slowed down. Ash saw the red and white sphere coming at him. He stepped forward and…

Ash swung his bat and…CRACK!!! Contact. He swung threw on the pitch. He saw the baseball he just hit leave his bat on its trip. He saw it fly toward the shortstop.

“There’s a shot…” the radio announcer said. Ash saw the ball fly over the shortstop’s head. “BASEHIT!!! Over the shortstop…” Ash was running towards first base and saw the ball head into left center where the left and center fielders were coming towards it. “Into left-center field, IT GETS BY BOTH OF THEM!!!” Ash saw this as he rounded first and sped up towards second base. “This is gonna score two runs! Monroe’s in, Jackson comes home as the Knights cut the Electabuzz lead to 5-4!” Ash saw the centerfielder throw to third base to try and stop him, as well as the third base coach signaling him to stop. “Ketchum goes into second with a stand-up double!” Ash took off his batting helmet and wiped the sweat from his brow using his arm. “Man, what an inning! The 21-year-old phenom from Pallet Town has been red-hot in this seven-game series, and especially here in game seven!” Ash’s team, the Cerulean Knights (yes, the very same Cerulean City where Misty’s from), were finally in the championship series of their league after waiting their entire 40-year history.

You see, a few years ago, Ash discovered he had hidden baseball talent that his family possessed. With encouragement from his family and friends, he tried out for a local baseball team. The team? You guessed it. The Cerulean Knights. After 3 years on the team, the Knights finally had the right combination they needed to make it deep into the playoffs of their league (on a side note, this story takes place in the U.S., and all the characters are American. This is in a Triple-A level minor league. If you want to know what Triple-A means, look up Minor League Baseball on the internet) The Knights had gotten past the rivals in their division and made it to their league’s championship series against the Electabuzz (the same team that Casey from the show likes, just so you know). Partially thanks to Ash at second base and at second in the batting lineup, the Knights had taken the Electabuzz to the seventh and deciding game, where the Electabuzz had taken a 5-run lead, but as you can see, they had managed to come back.

Ash couldn’t see them, but he could tell they were there: his friends Brock, Dawn, May, Max, Casey, and his fiancé Misty were at the ballpark. He could tell Brock, May, Max and especially Misty were going crazy, but he could tell that Casey was fuming. Hey, she’s an Electabuzz fan, what could he do about it? Nothing. He waited as the Electabuzz pitcher and manager finished their mound visit. “And Mark Fletcher, who is supposed to be the Electabuzz ace, is having some problems tonight, as center fielder James Hetfield steps into the batter’s box.”

“Come on, Jimmy!” Ash said, encouraging his teammate. “One on, and two-outs here in the bottom of the fifth. Man, I love game sevens!” The radio announcer said. “Now the Knights can tie this game on a well-placed hit here by center fielder James Mustaine!” Ash took a three-step lead, not wanting to get to far from the bag, since he might get picked off. He looked at the third base coach. No signal he thought. He bent down at his waist and spread his legs out, waiting just in case. The pitcher threw. Strike one. Ash went back to the bag. He went off for the next pitch. Fletcher set, and threw again. Strike two. Ash looked at the third base coach. He was giving a signal to Ash. Steal. Ash stepped of the bag and prepared to go. When the pitch was released, Ash took off. The catcher took the low ball and threw to third…”OUT!” Yelled the umpire. Ash was, to say the least, disappointed. Why? There is and old saying in baseball that you don’t get thrown out at third to end the inning. Obviously here, that didn’t happen. “And the Electabuzz get out of the inning with only 2 runs! If the Knights want to win this game, they’ll have to hold the Electabuzz in these next 4 innings.” Ash headed to the dugout and got his glove and ran out to his position at second base. He made a vow. Nothing was going to get past him for the rest of the game. He was ready as the Electabuzz batter swung his bat and hit a soft grounder to him. Ash scooped it up and threw to first baseman Mike Thomas. “OUT!” the umpire yelled. “One out!” Ash relayed to his teammates. The pitcher, Danny Edwards faced the next batter and worked a 1-2 count to him. “Edwards sets and throws to Zimmermann, HE STRUCK HIM OUT!!!” Yelled the announcer. “Alright, Danny!” Ash yelled. Two outs. The next batter stepped up to the plate and hit the first pitch. “And that’s a high one, deep in to left field, Monroe’s going back, and it’s… gone!”

“Damn!” Ash yelled as he saw the ball sail over left fielder Ned Monroe’s head and into the stands. “And the Electabuzz extend their lead back to two on a solo shot by Scott Hamilton, I is now 6-4!” Ash could hear Casey cheering amid the silent crowd. “Yay, Electabuzz!” He could hear her yell, as the capacity crowd at 20,000 seat Cerulean Park fell silent in the October night. The crowd that had gathered outside the park was also silent. The Knights managed to get out of the half inning without any more damage, however. Inside the dugout, Ash took his seat on the bench. The manager gave his players words of encouragement. The batting order for this inning was 3, 4, 5. In other words, center fielder James Mustaine was up, since he was not thrown out, third baseman Nick Micheals batting cleanup (4^th) in the entire order, yet batting second in the inning, and first baseman Mike Thomas batting 3^rd in the inning. Unfortunately, all three of them went down 1-2-3. “And a disappointing inning for the Knights!” Said the announcer. The Knights would have to stop the Electabuzz right here and now.

The Knights took the field. They were wearing their standard home uniform tonight. It was a white jersey with white pants with purple pinstripes. The cap had a black crown and a purple bill and button. The cap logo was a knight helmet of the European variety. The jersey had the word “Knights” on it. Ash wore his pant legs up to his knees, showing off his black socks. The Electabuzz wore their standard road uniforms, which resembled the Hanshin Tigers’ road jerseys. Ash got ready. Edwards struck out the first batter, but walked the second one. Double play ball, Ash thought. He crouched down. “The delivery…ground ball to Ketchum” Ash saw the ball coming. He dove for it. “Ketchum dives! To Ian! To first, DOUBLE PLAY!!!” The crowd roared, Ash got up and pumped his fist. 3 outs.

“The Knights are able to get out of this one without a scratch! Now the Knights are going to have to make a stand here in the bottom of the seventh.” After the crowd sang the traditional “Take Me Out To the Ballgame”, it was time for business. First up was shortstop Patrick Ian. He struck out. Next up was catcher John Krause. Krause was the power hitter of the lineup. “The pitch to Krause, swung on, hit high in the air, Johnson going, back...gone!!” The crowd roared. “Home run for John Krause and the Knights cut the lead to one again!” The team was waiting for Krause when he got back. They were giving him high fives, rubbing his head, and patting him on the back. Ash also gave him a high-five. “Alright, Johnny!” He said. The inning kept going. 9^th batter Ned Monroe got on base. The crowd was going wild as leadoff hitter and designated hitter Mark Jackson stepped up. It was the end of the night for Fletcher. The Electabuzz brought in a reliever. They brought in left-handed pitcher to face the lefty Jackson. Jackson fouled of 3 straight pitches. Ash could see the third base coach giving a signal. It was to steal. Monroe got ready to go. When the new pitcher threw the ball, Monroe took off. The catcher threw the ball to second. “OUT!” Yelled the umpire. The crowd groaned in disappointment. “And the Knights once again blow a chance on base running! It’s now or never! The Knights have to hold the Electabuzz if they want to win this game.”

The top of the eighth inning was tense. Did I say tense? Hell, you couldn’t cut it with just a knife; you’d need an axe! Ash knew he had to make some plays in order to win this. He was up second in the bottom of the inning. Luckily for him, he didn’t have to. Edwards managed to do all the work and struck out the side. “Can the Knights come back? We’ll find out after this.”

First up was Mark Jackson facing the same pitcher as he had in the previous inning. The crowd was on its feet. The scoreboard urged them to make noise. Despite there being only one out, it didn’t matter. The Knights still needed a rally-or a miracle. You see most of the players on the Knights were pretty young with the exception of first baseman Mike Thomas, Catcher John Krause and Closer Matt Burton, while the Electabuzz had seasoned veterans on their team. Going into the series, the Knights were expected to fall in the minimum four games. That didn’t happen. The Knights managed to win the first two games of the series at home, but when the series shifted to the Electabuzz ballpark, the Electabuzz swept all three games easily, and it looked as though the Knights were done. Not so fast. The Knights held the Electabuzz to 2 hitss and no runs in game 6, thanks to ace Cliff Poland. Now it was the bottom of the eighth of game seven. The Electabuzz scored 5 runs in the first, but the Knights scored two in the second, and two in the fifth thanks to Ash.

Jackson stepped up. “Come on, Marky!” Ash yelled. Jackson worked the count to 2-2. “The pitch from Bryant, an swing, and a base hit by Jackson! The crowd is gong wild as 21-year-old phenom Ash Ketchum steps to the plate!”

Ash was nervous. He looked into the stands. The crowd was cheering. Then he saw his friends. And Misty. She waved to him. He smiled and calmed down. He took a deep breath and stepped into the batters box. Then he got into his batting stance. “This is strange, the Electabuzz manager is using the left-handed Bryant to face he right-handed Ketchum! What’s their manager got up his sleeve?” Ash’s heart was pounding slightly. Time slowed down. The pitcher threw. Outside. “Ball one!” said the ump. Ash got ready again. The pitcher threw again. Ash swung. “STEEE-RIKE!” Yelled the ump. Ash backed out of the batter’s box a little. The crowd was on its feet. He could tell that Casey was singing her Electabuzz song. However, it was clearly being drowned out by the chants of “Let’s go Knight’s! Let’s go Knights!” by the crowd in the ballpark and outside. In the stands, Misty watched nervously. “Come on, Ash.” She said softly, almost in a whisper. Ash got into the batter’s box again. However, he didn’t feel that he was ready and raised his right arm. “Time out!” Yelled the umpire. “Boy, he must be nervous out there.” The announcer stated. The crowd was still on its feet. Bryant threw again. “Ball!” Yelled the ump. The crowd breathed a sigh of relief. “Over 15,000 people here in the ballpark, and another 10,000 outside.” Ash looked down to first. He saw Jackson nod, encouraging him.

“2-1, one on, nobody out in the eighth inning of game seven of this championship series, and the crowd is on its feet like it’s 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and the bases loaded! Bryant checks first. The pitch.” The pitcher threw. Time slowed down to practically a crawl. Ash stepped forward beginning his swing. He noticed something. The pitch was a fastball going right down the middle. Ash knew the pitcher was making a big mistake. Now Ash is not the most powerful person on the planet, but if you give him the right pitch, he will send it to the moon. The pitcher was giving him one such pitch. I’m gonna make you regret that, Ash thought. He swung. Contact. “He swings. There’s a long one, deep left field.” Ash saw the ball leave his bat. He dropped it, starting to run to first. “The left fielder’s going back.” Time was slowing down even more. The crowd was watching it sail, some raising their hands already. “He’s at the warning track.” He could hear nothing. “To the wall.” He watched the left fielder jump. “He leaps.” He began to raise his arms. Misty saw the ball. “IT’S” He saw it. She saw it. “A” He raised his arms even higher. Misty was about to scream. “GONER!!!!!” Ash snapped back to reality. The crowd’s noise was deafening. A siren was going off. Fireworks were exploding. Ash rounded first with his right fist high in the air. “THE TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD PHENOM FROM PALLET DELIVERS IN THE CLUTCH!!! THAT’S HIS 3^RD HOME RUN THIS POST SEASON AS THE KNIGHTS TAKE A 7-6 LEAD IN THE BOTTOM OF THE EIGHTH!!! HOLY TOLEDO!!!” Ash rounded the bases on a high so good that no drug, legal or illegal could top. He rounded third. His teammates were at home plate waiting for him. He touched home and they mobbed him. They went back into the dugout. “Would you believe it? They want a curtain call.” A teammate nudged Ash out of the dugout. He tipped his batting helmet to the crowd. They wanted another one. He did it again. The crowd, both inside and out, was in a frenzy. After that, the next three batters went down without a whimper. It was the ninth. “As we go to the ninth, can the Knights win this game and pull off the upset of a lifetime? We’ll find out after a word from our sponsors.”

To be continued

Hi, sorry to end it there, but this thing ain’t over! There’s still a second chapter! And it’s just as tense as this one! Were you feeling tense there? I know I was! Feedback, please, I want to know what you think.