The next day, Ken awoke from an amazing sleep thanks to Mika. Sometimes he wondered just how tired he would be without her Sleep Protocol that allowed him to get the proper amount of rest.
He had been busy last night, selecting another pitch from the Mentor function of the system.
Since he'd been selected for the National Team alongside 2 other pitchers, he wanted to increase his chances for playing time during the World Cup.
He understood why both Satoshi and Kei had gotten into the lineup. One was a southpaw pitcher and the other was a solid and dynamic player on the mound.
The thing they both had in common, was their large portfolio of pitches.
This was common for Japanese youths, considering more often than not, they lacked the same power and strong build as those from the Americas. They were often shorter and less athletic also.
Of course there were outliers in that regard. Ken himself was over 6'1 and rather strong for his age, while Kei and Kuro were also around the same height.
Either way, Japanese baseball was focused on repetition and technique, rather than overwhelming opponents with their athleticism.
Knock knock
Daichi knocked on the door quietly before propping it open, locking eyes with Ken who was sitting on his bed.
"You ready for our morning run?" He asked with a grin.
"Yeah give me a sec."
Soon after, they left the house for their run.
It was just like old times as the two competed for first place under the instructions from Mika. Of course Daichi couldn't hear Ken's personal trainer, he would just try his best to catch up to Ken.
Once they were finished, they returned to the park to cool down their muscles.
Catching his breath, Ken spoke up.
"What are your plans these next 2 days?"
"Ah, not much. We won't really have a break over in America, so I was just planning on relaxing." Daichi replied nonchalantly.
"Mmm, good. I've got a new pitch I've been working on so I'll be counting on you." Ken said with a grin.
"Huh? You're adding a new pitch now?" Daichi seemed a little confused.
Until recently, Ken had only been pitching 2 fastballs and his forkball which had pretty much been enough to get to the finals of Koshien.
With the added curveball, he didn't think there was any need increasing the amount of pitches in his arsenal.
"Wouldn't it be better to perfect the pitches you've got already?" Daichi asked, not feeling all that confident.
"Bro don't worry. I've already perfected my curve and forkball. This new pitch will make my weapons even more effective."
Ken dismissed his brother's concerns. Once he had 100% completed the curveball, it became a skill just like his forkball, meaning the system had judged his proficiency was at the peak.
Daichi shook his head in exasperation, mumbling something about pitchers.
As a catcher, he was often overlooked from an outsider perspective. In his opinion, catching was 10% research, 10% playing and 80% coddling the pitchers ego.
Hearing Ken brag that he had perfected his two breaking balls made Daichi a little annoyed.
"If you can throw 20—no, 10 perfect curveballs and forkballs to me today then I'll help you with your newest pitch."
"It's a deal!" Ken's face lit up in excitement, quickly throwing his hand out to shake it.
"Hey not so fast… There needs to be some stakes if you fail. I don't want you wasting my free time." Daichi remarked, a snide grin forming on his face.
Ken held back his laugh, already counting his winnings.
"What did you want?" His eyes sparkled as he gazed at his brother.
"If you lose, you'll have to do all my chores." With that, Daichi held out his hand as if wanting to finish the deal quickly.
"Hahahaha." Ken laughed out loud before grasping the offered hand.
It didn't matter to him what stakes were on the table. In his mind he was 100% confident in completing the challenge. The only thing he regretted was not asking for more rewards.
"It's a deal then. I wouldn't act too confident if I were you, I have high standards."
Ken wasn't sure if he was referring to his chores or the pitches. Either way, he was not going to lose.
The two returned back home in order to get cleaned up and have breakfast. They returned to the park a couple of hours later, with all of their equipment.
"Are you ready for this?" Ken asked, rolling his shoulder back and forth.
"Hmph, I should be asking you the same question." Daichi replied haughtily.
In his mind, Ken had not been practicing the curveball for long which was why he found it hard to believe that he would be proficient with it just yet. Of course he had no knowledge of the system, therefore he was not ignorant.
Judging by conventional standards, even if a player had practiced a pitch for over a year, they might not be fully proficient with it.
Yet with his skills and Image Training, Ken was able to increase his proficiency in next to no time. Sure it cost Major Points, but since he'd gotten a huge haul from the National Tournament, he could spend them how he liked.
After Daichi got his gear on, he stood in front of a wall and gave Ken the signal.
Having practiced in the park many times over the years, Ken was already used to marking out the mound's distance from the plate. He was already standing ready and began his warm up throws.
After around 10, he was finally ready to win the bet.
"I'll start with the 10 forkballs before moving onto the curve's." Ken announced, his tone sounding as if it would be a literal walk in the park.
"Sure sure, let's see if you can walk the walk." Daichi remarked, shaking his head in exasperation.
Ken grinned and performed his wind up.
PAH