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That said, enjoy the latest chapter!

The Newcomer

An Amazing World of Gumball Story

By NeoNimbus

Chapter 50-The Baseball: Part 1

It was a typical day for Principal Brown at Elmore Junior High, as the furry slug was busy signing papers and documents as usual. But his concentration was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of the telephone on his desk, prompting the principal to stop what he was doing and answer it right away.

"Hello?"

"Good afternoon, Nigel Brown. How's everything at your school?" an older, female voice asked, causing Principal Brown to frown upon hearing the voice.

"Pauline..." the furry slug spoke with disdain."You have a lot of nerve to call me."

"Don't be so uptight, Nigel. There's no law against calling your least favorite person." Principal Pauline stated, ignoring his contempt. "Anyway, I don't like going into details, so I'll keep this conversation short and sweet as possible."

"...What is it that you want?" Principal Brown grudgingly asked.

"I was wondering if your 7th grade class would like to play mine in a game of baseball." said Principal Pauline, leaving the furry slug speechless with the humanoid shark's words. "Hello, are you still there?"

"Yes Pauline, I'm still here." Principal Brown quickly replied. "I was just thinking of how much of an opportunity it would be to get to know the Academy up close and personal."

"I guess that's a good way to put it." said Principal Pauline, weirded out by her rival's sudden response. "Anyway, I'll be seeing you and your team this Friday."

With that, the humanoid shark hung up, before Principal Brown did the same thing, shocked that he had ended up accepting a challenge from his rival.

'Oh boy, this might not end well for me. I need to come up with a baseball team and fast before I humiliate myself and the entire school.'

With that determination, Principal Brown got up from his seat and left his office, turning to the only person who would listen to his plight.


Normally for Miss Simian, the cantankerous baboon would be grading all of the assignments that her students handed in. Today, however, the elderly teacher didn't have that much workload to handle and she decided to just take a sip of coffee instead. But then, the door to her classroom burst wide open to reveal Principal Brown coming in, much to her curiosity.

"Nigel, what seems to be the problem?"

"Lucy, what I'm about to tell you is very important." Principal Brown replied, before he whispered to the ape about his conversation with Pauline. After a few minutes of listening to the furry slug, Miss Simian looked at Principal Brown with a look of surprise.

"I have to be honest; I didn't expect anything like that at all."

"That's why I need you to get everyone from your class ASAP, so I can make this very special announcement."

Miss Simian pondered for a moment, before looking at the furry slug, his face looking rather anxious, as he waited for the elderly teacher to respond. Seeing the look of desperation on his face was enough for Miss Simian to relent.

"Alright, I'll do it for you, Nigel." Miss Simian said to Principal Brown, as the furry slug let out a sigh of relief.


Every student from Miss Simian's class, including Gumball, Darwin, Brian and Mike, suddenly find themselves being forced to go back to their class, despite having several minutes left of their lunch break left. Apparently, their teacher told them that it was very important and they only came back to their class after she threatened to hand them a failing grade for refusal to comply. What they didn't expect to see in their class was their principal, which only added more curiosity from the students.

"Guys, do you have any idea what's going on?" Brian whispered to Gumball.

"To be honest, I don't have the slightest clue, Brian." Gumball whispered back.

"I just hope we didn't waste our time for another of his lame hobbies." Mike retorted.

"Whatever it is, let's hear Principal Brown out and hear what he had to say." Darwin suggested, as the furry slug cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Thank you to everyone who showed up. I apologize for interrupting any activities that you were planning, but I want to let everyone know that just a few days from now, your class will be competing against another class from Elmore Academy in baseball."

The moment Principal Brown said those words, everyone was shocked, but ecstatic, to hear that they'll be facing Elmore Academy this week. But while most of the students were excited to see the academy, four certain boys, on the other hand, were far from happy about it.

"Oh man, I never thought we would be facing them again." Gumball fearfully spoke.

"No kidding..." Mike began. "The last thing I wanted is to face all the guys from the academy."

"What do you think we should do?" asked Darwin.

"Let's calm down for just a moment." Brian suddenly spoke. "Let's discuss it with one another and try to find a way out of this."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement and the four boys huddled up, whispering to one another on what to do. After discussing the matter for quite some time, the boys understood what to do, before Gumball finally spoke, looking quite uncertain of their decision.

"Is it really a good idea for us to go through with it?"

"Might as well." Mike replied. "The last thing we want to happen is to cause a riot between our schools."

"Alright, I just wanted to make sure." Gumball said to the maroon badger, before the four turned their attention to Principal Brown, as the furry slug spoke once more.

"As I was saying, I'm going to be asking for at least nine volunteers for the upcoming baseball game. Of course, you don't have to participate, but the ones that do will be guaranteed game time. Again, are there any volunteers?"

"We want to try out." Brian replied, prompting everyone to turn around and look at the purple fox, along with his friends, raising their hands, much to their surprise. Principal Brown, in particular, was stunned that the four would be interested in it, but at the same time, felt pleased that he had some players for the team.

"I want to give it a shot too." Penny called out, raising her hand.

The next thing Principal Brown knew, Tobias, Banana Joe, Jamie and Leslie raised their hands, giving the principal enough members to form the team.

"That was easier than I thought." the furry slug commented, rubbing his chin. "Now, all I need is someone to coach them for the upcoming game."

Soon, everyone in Miss Simian's class began to ponder for a moment, trying to come up with someone who can coach the newly formed team. Eventually, after a while, Mike finally spoke, breaking the silence in the room.

"My dad could do it, Principal Brown. He has a one week vacation and he has some experience coaching baseball before."

"...When can he start?" the furry slug asked the maroon badger.

"When can I use my cell phone?"


Three hours later...

After Mike called his father on his cell phone and informed the older badger of the upcoming baseball game, Chuck, after some thinking, agreed to coach the temporary baseball team this afternoon at the baseball field. Once everyone made it to their destination, the older badger, dressed in a green jogging suit, began the process to train the players in time for the game.

"Okay, first things first: I should show you guys the proper form for throwing a baseball." Chuck began as he got in position. "Now how many of you are left handed?"

After a few seconds of silence, Brian looked around for a moment, before raising his paw.

"I guess I'm the only one out of the group."

"Okay then I'll demonstrate for you after I demonstrate for the right handed players." Chuck said, addressing Brian and the rest. "First put your right foot perpendicular to your left foot, point your shoulder to your target, raise your throwing arm and leg like so, and then bring your foot down like this and throw."

Everyone, except for Mike, was astonished by how much effort it took for something as simple as throwing a ball.

Once the shock wore off from their faces, everyone understood and reenacted the same movements until they got it down. Satisfied that everyone was able to nail it, Chuck then turned to help Brian out.

"Now do everything I showed you only mirror the movements. Instead of your right foot first, use your left."

Brian complied with Chuck's instructions and attempted the throw. Unfortunately for him, the purple fox's attempt had less than mediocre results, as the ball dropped as soon as it was thrown.

"Nice move, fur ball." Jamie teased Brian.

"You're not helping." the purple fox retorted.

"Don't worry about it. Practice makes perfect." Chuck's assurance made Brian felt better, but not by a whole lot.

"Now we're going to play catch so everyone get a partner. Son, you're with Brian. See if you can help him with his throwing." Mike nodded, as he walked over to a spot not too far from the purple fox.

"Alright Brian, you can do this." Mike said to the purple fox.

"I don't know Mike; did you see how bad I messed up?" Brian spoke with uncertainty.

"Just relax and give it another shot." the maroon badger assured his friend.

Agreeing with his friend's last statement, Brian once again made another throw. This time, the ball went much farther, but landed right near Mike's feet, as the purple fox looked on with dismay.

"Don't get too upset over with it." said Mike, doing his best to lighten Brian up. "Like my dad said: practice makes perfect and what you did right here is proof of that."

The purple fox couldn't help but smile, as the maroon badger threw the ball to his friend so he can make another attempt. With enough confidence, Brian threw the ball to Mike once again, but this time, it successfully landed right into the glove, much to the fox's joy.

"I don't believe it! I really did it!" Brian happily exclaimed, as Mike looked on, smiling for his friend's success.


Several minutes would eventually pass until Chuck decided that everyone understood the basics. During those minutes, the older badger noted two developments: Gumball could only catch the ball so long as he closed his eyes as his glove seemed to move on its own when he wasn't looking and Darwin can't aim very well, almost hitting someone by accident but surprisingly had the best arm. Despite these complications, Chuck was pleased at how everything was turning out and decided that is was time to show them how to properly swing a baseball bat.

"Okay here's the proper form for hitting a baseball..." Chuck began, as he took a stance making him look like a major league player. "When you swing the bat, move your feet till they point right at the pitcher like so."

The coach then took one good swing with the bat to show them how the correct form was used, before he turned to the team.

"Now who wants to try first?"

"Oh, pick me! I want to give it a try!" Brian excitedly shouted, waving his paw rather eagerly. For his part, Chuck couldn't help but chuckle at the fox's enthusiasm.

"Alright Brian, calm down for just a second. Get yourself a baseball bat and come over to the field."

Brian nodded his head and grabbed the nearest baseball bat, before both the purple fox and the older badger made their way to the field, as Chuck got onto the mound, while Brian made his way to the batter box.

"Now, before I throw the ball, do you know what to do when you swing the bat?"

"Absolutely, Mr. Badgero. I think I know what to do." Brian replied, as he put himself in the exact position the older badger demonstrated earlier.

Satisfied with this, Chuck wound his arm and made the throw, as the purple fox managed to hit the baseball right on time. Unfortunately, Brian hit the baseball a bit too well, sending it directly towards the older badger, hitting him in the head, as Chuck collapsed to the ground, to everyone's shock and horror, before making their way to the mound to check up on him.

"Dad, are you alright?!" Mike shouted with great concern.

"Say something, Mr. Badgero." Gumball added, before the older badger raised his head, dazed from the hit.

"Twinkle, twinkle little star." Chuck weakly uttered, before losing consciousness.

"Mike, I'm so sorry!" Brian pleaded with the badger. Mike sighed before facing his friend.

"Well he'll live, though I have no idea how long he'll be out." Mike calmly said as he knew it was just an accident. "Someone just get some water to pour on him and he should be fine."


A few minutes would eventually pass before Chuck recovered long enough to resume coaching the team once more. This time, however, the older badger decided to keep his guard up, as Darwin made his way to the batter box, ready to test his skill.

"Alright Darwin, are you ready?"

"Ready as I ever will be." Darwin happily replied.

Pleased to hear this, Chuck wound his arm and made the throw, as the two-legged fish prepared himself to make the swing. Unfortunately, Darwin missed it by a long shot, but remained undaunted by this. One by one, Chuck continued to throw the ball at the two-legged fish, but he kept missing them, no matter how hard he tried. After the tenth throw, Darwin was becoming quite agitated by it, while the older badger looked on, clearly dumbfounded by this.

'How could Darwin continue to miss every throw? It was quite accurate. Nevertheless, I know he can hit a ball, no matter what.'

With that, Chuck wound up his arm and threw the ball at Darwin once again. This time, however, he proceeded to raise the baseball bat instead, successful hitting the target, as the ball went down the base line away from the plate, much to the older badger's surprise.

"Darwin, can you do the exact same thing again?" Chuck asked the two-legged fish.

"Sure, I guess." Darwin replied, before the older badger threw the ball at the two-legged fish. As expected, Darwin was able to hit the ball with the exact same move, landing in a similar position.

"At least they're in fair territory." Chuck commented, before focusing his attention to the two-legged fish. "Darwin, you are our team's main bunter."

Darwin rejoiced in response to the older badger's answer and happily left the baseball field, as Leslie made his way to the batter box, struggling to carry the baseball bat with him, despite being the lightest baseball bat around.

'Oh my, it looks like Leslie doesn't have any strength in his upper body.' Chuck thought with concern, before talking to the struggling flower. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"Absolutely, Mr. Badgero." Leslie replied, barely lifting the bat. "I want to give all that I got."

Chuck couldn't help but smile, impressed that the flower was determined to go through with it, before he wound up his arm and threw the ball at him. Leslie made an attempt to hit it, but swung the bat too late, missing his mark. Undaunted, the flower waited for Chuck to make the same throw and proceeded to swing the bat much earlier. Surprisingly, it worked, as Leslie barely managed to hit the ball, even though the recoil caused him to fall on his back.

"That was some good thinking, Leslie." Chuck praised the flower. "Though be careful as it may come back to bite you. But good work! Keep it up!"

Leslie couldn't help but smile, as the older badger looked on, realizing that, despite some complications, the team had what it takes.


Several hours would pass before the sun set, as everyone continued to train as hard as they could. During those several hours, Gumball almost got hit in the head with a foul tip, while Banana Joe accidentally let go of his bat, nearly hitting one of his teammates in the process, among other complications. Despite these problems, everyone were able to nail it down, one form after another, before Chuck blew the whistle, prompting everyone to stop what they were doing and focus their attention to the older badger.

"Alright, it looks like everyone has understood the basics." Chuck said to the team. "Let's call it for a day. Tomorrow, we'll regroup back together to continue with our training."

Brian and his friends let out a sigh of relief and took the opportunity to chat with one another, discussing on how well they did on their swings and batting. But for the purple fox, as well as the Watterson brothers, the trio decided to talk to the maroon badger about another subject.

"Where did you dad learn how to teach baseball?" asked Brian.

"He managed to do it like it was natural." Gumball noted.

"It must have taken him years to get everything right." Darwin commented.

"Oh, that's simple..." Mike began. "He used to coach little league for Elmore Academy but he left the position the same time I left the school."

"That makes perfect sense." Brian remarked.

"Speaking of which, I wonder what the academy is up to." Gumball stated.

"Whatever they're doing right now, we need to get ourselves ready when we face them on Friday." Darwin informed his friends, as everyone agreed with that last statement.


Three hours earlier...

Upon receiving news that Elmore Academy will be facing off against their rival this weekend, Big Mac was more than happy to train a team for Friday. After everyone from the 7th grade gathered outside, the muscle bound toad paced back and forth, looking for some potential players to choose from.

"Alright you little munchkins, listen up. Four days from now, we'll be facing our rival in the baseball field and I want anyone who wants to give a shot step forward. Anyone that does it will be guaranteed extra credit."

The students of Elmore Academy suddenly became excited by this, chatting with each other about the possibility of accepting this challenge, before Big Mac continued with his explanation.

"Now then, I need nine from the group to form the team so we can practice on the double. Now, do I have any volunteers?"

"We're in!" a certain red bear called out, prompting the muscle bound toad to focus his attention on Ivan and his friends, with a look of confidence on his face.

"Alright, that's good to hear." Big Mac happily said, satisfied that he had some players. "Now, is anyone else interested?"

Soon, every student clamored around, raising their hands up, as each and every one of them wanted to participate. But while the muscle bound toad was intrigued, he set his eyes on Rhonda, the only one who didn't seem interested, much to his curiosity.

"What about you Rhonda? We could use someone like you in the team."

"Nope." Rhonda quickly replied, shocking both the toad and her fellow students. It was the last thing they would expect to hear from her.

"Why not?" asked a stunned Big Mac, wanting an explanation from the mouse, prompting Rhonda to take a deep breath before answering the toad's question.

"I don't want to make the rest of the players look bad. In fact, I think that they would probably play better on their own."

Rhonda's explanation left Big Mac somewhat suspicious by this. The muscle bound toad suspected that she might have an ulterior motive for turning down an offer. But as much as Big Mac wanted to dwell on this, it was not the time or place for such thoughts. Right now, he needed to focus on the task at hand.

"Very well, Rhonda. I'll respect your wishes on this one." Big Mac then turned to the students once more. "Alright then, do I have any more volunteers?"

Slowly but surely, five hands rose up in response to the coach's question. Big Mac looked around and saw that the students in question consisted of a crow, a cow, an apple, a gecko and a candle. It wasn't what he was expecting, but they'll have to do for now.

"Close enough." Big Mac commented, just as the school bell rang, prompting everyone to head home, as the muscle bound toad looked at the newly formed team, giving himself a little smirk in the process.

'I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when Friday comes around the corner. We'll show them why Elmore Academy is the best in town.'

Next time on The Newcomer

Chapter 51-The Baseball: Part 2

The day has arrived and now Brian and his friends must face off against their rivals. But do they have what it takes to emerge victorious?

Tidbits

-The rivalry between Principal Brown and Principal Pauline was based on a suggestion from Truth of Chaos and as such, I wanted to thank him for that.

-This is the first time I've written up a chapter that revolves around a sport. Also, I wanted to thank Sal for suggesting it and helping me with the facts.

I hope everyone enjoyed the first part of The Baseball and I'll be seeing ya next chapter!