Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story
When I first met Raichi it was because I had moved to a new town with my father and grandfather, I hadn't been the same since my mum died and neither had my dad, so grandpa suggested we get a new start in a new town so that's what we did. I had no friends here and I wasn't making any at school because I was just the depressed new kid who didn't talk to anyone. I also hadn't touched a baseball since that day I just couldn't bring myself to do it because that's where I was when it happened.
It was my first game in middle school and my mum was on her way to see the game. I car had run a red light and that mistake in judgement is what took my mum away from me. So now I can't bring myself to touch a baseball because if I wasn't playing a game if she hadn't come to see me she still would have been alive.
My grandpa hah enough of my moping and sent me outside but before I left he handed me my baseball, the look on his face and his words "she wouldn't have wanted you to stop" stopped me from chucking the ball back in his face.
As I walked down the street I noticed that my legs had brought me to the river bank, as I look down I saw him Raichi and I was captured by the concentration on his face and the power of his swing. I had never seen anyone swing like that. My hand twitched and I felt the need to pitch, so I descended the steps and headed towards where he was. Something in me told me to pitch the ball at him even though he wasn't looking at me because he would hit it, I caught the eye of the man sitting on the hill he looked shock to see me there but nodded when I held up the baseball.
I wound up and released and just like I thought Raichi like he had a sixth sense Raichi turned and smacked the ball. He looked shocked and I couldn't help but stare at my hand my hand was still tingling with the need to pitch.
"What was that? I've never seen a ball move like that before" Raichi shouted at me as he ran towards me.
Raizou got up from where he was sitting and walked over to me "Oi kid you play baseball?" all I could do was nod at his question.
"So you pitch" it wasn't a question but I nodded anyway. "Do you know what happens when you pitch" I was really confused all I knew was that the catcher in my old middle school could catch my pitch when I pitched properly.
"it moves" he told me with a smirk "if you train that properly it could be a serious weapon" he told me and for the first time since my mum had passed I wanted to work at my pitches, I wanted to be better that I was, I wanted to change, I wanted my love of baseball back and I felt like these people could help me.
So I bowed my head and shouted at the top of my voice "PLEASE TEACH ME BASEBALL" the next thing I hear was the old man's laughter and I looked up.
"I will teach you but you must be prepared to work hard, harder than ever before" the old man was smirking at me again and Raichi had a massive smile on his face. "I won't only be teaching you pitching you'll have to learn how to hit as well" after he said that Raichi ran over to me and handed me his bat, it weighed a ton. They were both waiting for my answer so I nodded took a step back and started swinging the bat.
Raizou started laughing once again "Raichi get the other bat from the bag" and he did, we stood together and swung our bats until the sun set. My arms felt like lead but I still went back the next day and the day after, after sometime Raichi and I became best friends but considering the amount of time we spent together how couldn't we, not only where we practising together but we were even in the same school. After sometime we were joined by Akiba and Mishima and not long after that the old man got a job at Yakushi high, so the high school we were going to was decided.
There is where I met someone I admire just as much as Raichi and that's Sanada-senpai even though my control had gotten a lot better I was no way near Sanada-senpai's level so I trained harder and longer than ever before because I needed to make it easier for Sanada-senpai when it's his turn to pitch and let Raichi have more fun in his battle against the pitcher.
And now we're are here in a quarter-finals against seidou and I was up this was a battle between me and there clean-up batter there was two out and a runner on third I had to get him out there was no way I was letting them get another run they were already 4 runs ahead due to the pitcher before me and there was no way I was letting them force us into bringing out Sanada-senpai before he was ready I would stop them here.
The aura leaking out of this guy was amazing it reminded me of Raichi but a little less loud, but there was no way this guy could compare with Raichi because Raichi was born to play this game and he worked harder than anyone else it was why I was drawn to Raichi so much and I wouldn't let him down I will give him a little more peace of mind when he faces that first year pitcher again.
He swung at the ball but jammed it and it came straight back to me and as I caught it I felt relief wash over me it was our turn to bat and we would get those runs back.
It was my turn to bat, Raichi got his second turn at that first year pitcher he only got a double but that was fine because after him it was Akiba and Mishima so now the bases were loaded and it was my turn to bat, I can't help but remember my middle school batting before I met Raichi and the old man and how horrible I was at it, but I had worked almost as hard on my batting as I had on my pitching. My eyes drifted over to the old man on the bench I was so grateful to him and Raichi if I hadn't met them I would never have regained my love of baseball. They had a quality about them that just made people want to work harder and I would not let them down they gave me so much and I will re-pay them by helping everyone take the old man to nationals.
The first two pitches where splitters which equalled to two balls, I was thankful that Raichi had kept me up until a ridiculous time in the morning watching all the seidou video's and replaying there pitches continuously this pitch was still not that up to par it still lacked control, so I let them go by.
As he wound up for the first pitch the only thought going through my head was that it was going to be a fastball, my prediction was correct and I swung for that ball the next thing I knew there was a clang as the ball connected with the bat and the ball went flying, everyone looked shocked even Raichi, when the ball connected with the score board the crowds cheers where deafening I couldn't believe it and from the looks of it neither could the pitcher.
"Boy you need to start running" the empire told me, I dropped the bat and jogged around the bases. When I reached home Raichi was waiting for me and tackled me as soon as I crossed the plate.
"You did it your first homerun" he shouted in my ear, his annoying laugh ringing loudly in my ears.
When we got back to the dugout everyone was cheering and I got several slaps on the back. The old man smirked at me "looks like my hard training paid off" he said laughing.
Once everyone had calmed down I sat on the bench next to Sanada-senpai "well done" he said to me and I will never admit to anyone that I blushed. We are going to win this game and take the old man to nationals.