Ken took a deep breath and calmed himself, his eyes never leaving the fake Daichi in the batters box. This was the guy who had taunted him every night for months on end.
No matter what type of ball he pitched, this AI version of Daichi was impossible to strike out. What was worse, was that Ken was only able to pitch to him one time per day ever since the difficulty had increased.
There were a few times where Ken had reached 2 strikes, especially after receiving his Breaker of Balls signature skill. However, he could never beat him on the final ball.
The thing was, as long as Daichi hit the ball into play, regardless if it resulted in an out or not, Ken would fail. The amount of times he'd experienced such things after only 1 pitch was far too many to count.
#RESULTS:
>Strikeouts: 0
>Single: 28
>Double: 14
>Triple: 1
>Home run: 8
>Out: 162
As Ken was thinking this, a menu he hadn't seen before appeared. He stared blankly at the numbers before letting out a sigh. 162 times he'd gotten this AI Daichi out at the plate, yet none were by way of strikeout.
'This changes today.' Ken announced in his heart, as if willing it into existence.
He swiped away at the newfound menu, quashing his negative emotions before they sprouted. He needed to focus, especially since he was running out of time.
Ken got into position on the mound, his eyes briefly scanning the empty seats of Koshien arena. He turned his attention back to Daichi who was patiently waiting, his body poised and ready to strike.
Ken lifted his leg and kicked off the pitchers plate, striding his lead leg forward. The dirt kicked up from beneath his foot as his arm swung past like a whip out of Indiana Jone's' hand.
WHOOOOOSH
PAH
A window appeared in front of him.
[Strike]
[Count 0-1]
Ken paid it no mind, holding out his glove. In the next moment a ball appeared out of thin air, yet he had no reaction. It was clear that this was nothing out of the ordinary.
'Let's try a curveball.' Ken said in his heart, rolling his shoulder.
Despite this being all in his mind, Ken couldn't ditch his habit of rolling his shoulder after every few pitches.
He looked down at his grip and nodded before beginning his wind up.
Ken's fingertips raked down on the ball, increasing the spin tremendously. The ball snaked through the air, its course hard to predict.
The curveball was thrown at 86mph and instead of breaking north to south, it acted more like a slider towards the end.
PAH
[Ball]
[Count 1-1]
"Hey, hold on…" Ken frowned, feeling a little cheated. From his vantage point, the pitch was most certainly a strike.
However, as if to prove him wrong, his vision darkened briefly before a replay showed in front of him. It was as if he was watching a broadcasted game with each and every facet of the pitch playing in front of him.
After seeing the replay, Ken shut up.
While it might have looked close from upon the mound, he had been about an inch outside the zone. Ken grumbled a few more times before accepting his fate.
'Let's try a cutter…'
WHOOOOOSH
WHACK!
The ball was struck high into the air. Ken's breath hitched as he watched its course, his disappointment steadily creeping in after failing once more.
However, by sheer luck, the ball floated over the foul line towards 3rd base, saving him from yet another crushing loss.
[Foul]
[Count 1-2]
Ken let out a sigh of relief. With that foul, he now had two strikes. This meant that his Striker skill was now active, giving him a big speed boost.
'Since my pitching moved up to EX+ I might have a better chance now.' He thought, gripping the ball tightly.
Ken let out a deep breath and calmed himself once more. There was no point in rushing, not when he was in the Image Training realm. He just needed to believe in himself and trust his abilities.
"You can do it Ken…" he mumbled, pumping himself up.
Ken rolled his arm and jogged on the spot a little before his eyes narrowed. He lifted his leg and strode forward, kicking up dirt as his foot planted.
"HUP!"
Ken threw his all into the pitch, sending a fastball right down the lane, its target low and outside. Like in his previous life, Daichi's favorite pitch was inside and high.
For some reason, the guy was adept at slogging those pitches into the stands with ease.
Time seemed to slow down as the ball approached. Ken watched on with anticipation, his wide eyes never leaving the ball.
The fake Daichi planted his foot and dug deep, twisting his body with tremendous force. For a brief moment, Ken felt like he was facing a terrifying beast that could wipe him out in the blink of an eye.
It was fleeting, but more than enough for Ken to flinch.
WHOOOOOOOSH
CLICK
PAH
The sound echoed in the empty stadium, forcing all thoughts out of Ken's mind. He blinked a few times, not knowing what was happening.
"T—That's a strike right?" He stammered, half in disbelief.
[Strikeout.]
*DING*
[Congratulations, you have defeated AI: Major League level]
[You received: 10,000,000 Major points, 1 x Recovery Elixir, 1 x Diamond Lottery ticket]
Ken watched as the windows appeared in front of him, confirming his success. Unknowingly, he dropped to his knees, letting out a deep sigh of relief. A huge sense of accomplishment washed over him, making him tired.
"I did it… I finally did it." Ken murmured, his eyes shining.
It had taken him over 6 months and a ton of failures, but he finally managed to take out the final AI boss in the Image Training realm.
'Wait, why did I get a Recovery Elixir too?' Ken thought. He didn't remember seeing it in the rewards section.