One starry night above Station Square, Tails was flying the Tornado II across the skies. He didn't really have much of a purpose, aside from a natural enjoyment of the activity. He leaned back in his seat, letting out a small sigh.
"I should have considered Chaos Emeralds as a power source long ago," he mused. "This has to be the smoothest flight I have ever gone on."
Just then, the Emerald inside the plane started glowing, causing the instruments to go haywire and the plane to shake like crazy.
"Uh-oh! Looks like I spoke too soon!"
The plane then began going on a different path than what Tails had intended, heading on what seemed like a collision course with a large baseball stadium.
"Why are you bringing me here? Is there something in the stadium? Why would the Chaos Emerald lead me here?"
As he got closer and closer to the baseball diamond, he spotted a figure on a riding mower. The figure was waving at him, as if trying to warn him to stay away.
"Stop! Stop!"
With a shriek of sheer panic, Tails yanked up on the controls, narrowly avoiding hitting the stadium, and the man on the mower. Tails breathed a sigh of relief, just grateful to have his plane back under control.
"I better land and figure out what's going on."
…
Not that much later, Tails managed to land the Tornado II safely and dismount. Stowing the Emerald in his fur, the fox made his way into the stadium. As he walked around, he was in awe of the sheer size of the stadium. Spinning his tails, he moved himself to the home plate, just admiring the pristine field. It was then that he noticed the man from before. He was over by the home team dugout, working on his riding mower.
"Excuse me sir," Tails called out.
The man looked over at Tails, letting out a yelp of surprise when he saw who had spoken.
"Whoa! A talking fox! With two tails!"
"Sorry sir, I didn't mean to startle you. My name's Tails."
The man slowly relaxed, adjusting his ball cap.
"My name's Al. Nice to meet you."
…
A little bit later, the two were sitting on the bleachers of the stadium, Al listening to Tails tell his story with a fascinated smile.
"So, that was you flying that plane up there," Al noted.
"Sorry if I startled you," Tails replied. "I gotta say though, I've never seen a stadium quite like this before. The grass is practically glowing."
"Well, that's nice of you to say. I take great pride in my work here, ensuring that Diamond Stadium has the best turf in the world. It's been my pride and joy for the past thirty years."
"Thirty years?" Tails repeated.
"Yep. I was always a fan of baseball, even as a child. My father was the groundskeeper before me and taught me all the tricks. I tried to do the same with my daughter, but she prefers playing on the field than tending to it. When she was little, my wife and I would bring her out here for every Diamonds game. We had so many fond memories here at this place..." He let out a sigh, his face growing somber. "But alas, all good things must come to an end."
"What do you mean?"
"The Diamond's manager wants to build an indoor stadium with artificial grass, so this old place is gonna be demolished. I… haven't told my daughter yet…" Al leans back, letting out another sigh. "It's gonna hurt a lot, seeing this place go..."
Tails moved in to comfort the man, then saw a glow emit from his pocket. Tails gasped, then glanced at his fur, seeing a similar light beginning to shine forth.
"Uh, sir, this is going to sound random, but do you have a large, glowing gem in your pocket?"
"Actually, yes."
The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a Chaos Emerald identical to Tails', only in a cyan color. Tails grinning in delight, then pulled out his own.
"I can't believe it. Another Chaos Emerald!"
"Is that what this is? I found it buried under the pitcher's mound last night."
As the two Emeralds were brought together, they began to glow brighter and brighter, until finally, a large beam of light shot out into the night sky.
…
All across station square, people were looking out their windows at the massive pillar of light. Scarlet Garcia, who was out on her dinner break with her crew, literally dropped her food at the sight.
...
In the Winters household, both Kat and Knuckles were fast asleep, the former in her bed and the latter on his beanbag. When the beam went up, the echidna's eyes flew open. He rushed to his feet and threw open the window, gasping when he saw the beam.
"I know that light…" he let out. "Kat, wake up!"
Kat let out a grunt, rolling over and pulling her covers over her head.
"No way… go back to bed..."
Rolling his eyes, Knuckles ran over to the bed, grabbed her foot, and pulled her off the bed. She yelped, crashing onto the ground with a hard thud. After taking a moment to recover from the shock, she sat up, now wide awake and glaring at the echidna.
"What the heck, Knux?! Why'd you do-?!"
Knuckles just pointed out the window, where the light was still shining bright. She looked at it, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
"What… is that?"
"A Chaos Emerald. It has to be."
"Well next time, just say that instead of literally dragging me out of bed!" Kat grabbed a jacket, a ball cap, and her baseball bat. "Come on, we've no time to lose."
…
Meanwhile at Eggman's base, Orbot and Cubot were in the midst of a friendly game of ping pong, with Orbot scoring the winning point.
"I win," he cheered.
"Aw man," Cubot griped. "Best three out of six?"
"It's best three out of five, and why do you insist on trying again? The outcome never changes."
"I'm luring you into a false sense of security so one of these days you'll slip up and I'll win."
"I assure you that'll never happen. It's as likely as Dr. Robotnik scoring a victory against Sonic."
"I heard that"! The doctor called out.
Both robots flinched, then a loud alarm made them jump even more, Cubot leaping into Orbot's arms.
"Chaos Energy detected. Chaos Energy detected."
Robotnik looked up, hitting a few buttons on his console before a screen came up. When he saw the light, a massive grin sprouted on his face.
"Oho, it seems we've found not one, but two Chaos Emeralds." He zoomed in on the location. "A baseball stadium, eh?" Robotnik remarked, musing an idea. "If that's the case, then why don't we play ball?"
…
At the Kent House, the girls were in the midst of a sleepover. Amy, Cream, Cheese, and Helen were all watching some musicals on the big TV in the living room, snuggled up in sleeping bags. Up in Keith's room, he and Sonic were playing a few video games to pass the time. Due to his skill with the chosen game, Keith managed to snag victory over Sonic, much to his annoyance.
"Oh come on! I had you!"
"Sorry Sonic, guess you were too slow this time."
"Eh, it's a stupid game anyway."
"The other one is still on the table if you've changed your mind."
"You mean that one about the fat italian plumber stomping on turtles and collecting coins from bricks? No thanks. There's something about that guy that just rubs me the wrong way…"
Keith shrugged and was about to restart the game when an all too familiar laugh reached their ears. The two of them froze as Bokkun came flying through the bedroom window. Surprisingly, he was wearing a black baseball cap with a purple brim and a yellow R on it.
"Sorry to interupt your playtime, but I have an important message from Doctor Robotnik!"
"What does he want now?" Sonic asked.
As if on cue, the screen Bokkun was carrying turned on, showing Robotnik himself.
"Greetings Sonic. I suggest looking out your nearest window to see a rather intriguing sight."
Both Keith and Sonic glanced out the window Bokkun had flown in from, quickly taking notice of the beam of light.
"What is that?" Keith asked.
"It's a Chaos Emerald," Sonic answered. "It has to be."
"You're half right, Sonic. It's not just one Chaos Emerald at play, but two. And since it landed in a baseball stadium, I've decided to be a good sport about it." Robotnik then backed away from the camera, revealing that he was wearing a baseball jersey over his usual attire, complete with cleats, a baseball cap, and a bat. "Sonic the Hedgehog, I challenge you and your friends to a winner take all baseball game. If you accept, come to Diamond Stadium. However, fail to show up and the Emeralds are mine by default!"
"We'll be there, Eggman!"
"Well, if we're playing baseball, let's make sure you're not rusty!" Bokkun shouted, stowing the tablet and summoning a bat to his hand. "How about some batting practice?"
Bokkun then started batting wildly, causing the two to duck in cover from a barrage of baseballs. As Bokkun continued batting, he was suddenly grabbed from behind by an erate Ella.
"I thought I heard you making trouble in here, little diablo."
Bokkun let out a whimper just as Ella chucked him out the window, clapping her hands together. Keith let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks Ella."
"Man, talk about a screwball," Sonic remarked. "Now, go grab the others and let's get to that stadium!"
…
Back at the stadium, the light from the Emeralds finally died down. Al and Tails both stared at the gems, having dropped them the second they started glowing the way they did. Slowly, they approached the gems, Tails giving them a tentative poke with one of his tails.
"What was that?" Al asked, wiping sweat off his brow as he reclaimed the cyan Emerald.
"That's what happens when Chaos Emeralds come together," Tails explained, picking up the green gem. "I just hope that the wrong person didn't see it."
"Considering how massive that flair was, I doubt there's anyone in Station Square that didn't see it."
As if on cue, Robotnik descended on the stadium.
"Well well," he let out. "If it isn't my foxy high flying friend."
"Dr. Eggman!" Tails let out.
"I see Sonic has yet to arrive. Not like him to be late."
"What are you talking about?" Tails demanded.
"Well, I challenged that hyperactive hog to a baseball game, but since he failed to show up, I win by default! So I'll be taking my prizes."
"Forget it, Eggman! You want the Chaos Emeralds, you'll have to go through me!"
"You act as if that's going to be difficult."
Robotnik stomped his foot, causing the Eggmobile to rise up slightly. A mechanical arm then came shooting out of the bottom, aiming right for Tails. He managed to dodge, so it set its sights on Al. The man barely had time to register what was going on before the hand grabbed the cyan Emerald from his grasp.
"No!" Tails cried out.
"One down, one to go," Eggman mused. "What's it gonna be, kid? Hand over the Emerald, or I'll take it by force."
"I'd like to see you try!"
He took off with the Emerald and the mechanical arm gave chase. Just as it was about to reach him, Knuckles came out of left field, destroying the hand with one punch. He landed with a roll, looking over at Tails.
"That was close," he said. "You alright?"
"I am now. Man, am I glad you're here."
"Knuckles!" Kat called out.
Knuckles, Tails, Eggman, and Al all turned as Kat came running in, bat at the ready. The second Al locked eyes with Kat, both of them froze.
"Kathryn?"
"Dad?!"
"Dad?" Tails and Knuckles said at the same time.
"Kat's the daughter you were talking about?" Tails asked.
"Yes. How do you know her?" Al turned to Kat, crossing his arms. "Young lady, what is going on here? How do you know these creatures?"
Kat managed to snap out of her daze, quickly going on the defensive. When she spoke, her tone was clipped and somewhat terse.
"They're not 'creatures', they're Mobians. And they're my friends, Dad."
"Excuse me!" Robotik interrupted. "While I hate to interrupt this little moment, I do believe we have some pressing business to attend to."
Just then, a blue blur sped into the stadium, zipping around before joining his friends on the field.
"Hey Knuckles," the hedgehog greeted. "Glad you could make it."
"Sonic, are the others coming?" Kat asked.
"They're just parking the car. They'll be here in a moment."
Robotnik growled, hating not being the center of attention. He then cleared his throat before shouting a bit louder than necessary.
"Nice of you to join us Sonic. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show, so I took one of the Emeralds for myself." It was then that Keith and the others came running up behind Sonic, ready for what was to come. "But now that you're all here, maybe we can play ball after all."
"Just give us the Chaos Emerald and we can begin," Sonic insisted.
"All in good time. First, let me introduce you to my winning team!"
All of a sudden, a massive drop ship appeared overhead. Chuck grabbed Keith and Al grabbed Kat, both fathers holding their kids as a large beam of light appeared from the bottom hatch. One by one, several small robots about the same size as the teens began descending, each decked out in the same markings that were on Robotnik's baseball uniform.
"What are those things?!" Al exclaimed.
"Eggman robots, dad," Kat replied, tightening her grip on her bat as she yanked herself free of Al's grasp.
"There are so many of them," Helen said softly, clutching Cream in her lap.
"Nice line up," Sonic remarked. "Would've guessed Orbot and Cubot were gonna be on your team."
"You must be joking," Robotnik deadpanned. "Those two wouldn't know a baseball from a blowtorch."
"Besides," Orbot interjected. "We have a much more important role to play."
"Yeah, we're the pep squad!" Cubot agreed. "Eight, three, five, eight! Who do we appreciate! Robotnik! Robotnik! Go Badniks!"
There was a deafening silence following the cheer, Robotnik pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance..
"You two are pathetic." He straightened up, addressing the group as a whole. "Now then, what do you say we knock off the pre-game ceremonies and get to the reason we're all here?"
"Fine by me," Sonic replied. "Let's play ball!"
"Wait!" Tails protested. "Hang on!"
"A baseball game, huh?" Kat grinned, ignoring Tails. "Now that sounds like my speed. I've been playing baseball since I was old enough to throw one straight."
"Well then, looks like this is your show, Kat," Chuck declared.
"I said hold on!" Tails tried again, but was once again ignored.
"Alright then," kat said with a clap of her hand. "We should have enough players to fill the field, if you're willing to play, Cream."
"I don't mind," Cream assured her. "It sounds like fun."
"Can I be the cheerleader?" Helen asked. "I can't play the game, but I can still participate."
"Absolutely," Sonic assured her. "You'll be the best cheerleader around, Helen."
"Guys!" Tails shouted, finally getting everyone's attention. "Will you all just listen to me?! You can't play here!"
"Let them play, Tails," Al insisted.
Tails blinked, turning to the man in surprise.
"But what about the turf?"
"It's clear that this game is rather important," Al remarked, though his eyes were on Kat as he said this. "Besides, the place is going to be demolished anyway. At least this way, the place can have one last game."
Kat paused, turning back to her dad.
"Wait… What?!"
Al turned to her, letting out a sigh. He seemed tired as he addressed her, as if he was bracing himself for something.
"I was trying to figure out a good time to tell you-"
"Oh really?! When?! When were you going to tell me?! I mean, it's not like your ever home for us to talk!"
Before things could escalate further, Chuck put his hand on Kat's shoulder, gently calming her down.
"Look," he spoke up, "you two clearly have some things to discuss, but now isn't the time."
Kat took several deep breaths, regaining her composure. She still looked upset and angry, but she kept it down. After a moment, she just nodded, grabbing her bat once more.
"Chuck's right. We'll talk about this whole mess later."
Robotnik perked, turning to Chuck with a malicious grin.
"Chuck huh… I knew a Chuck once." He turned to Sonic, his grin becoming even wider. "Once."
Sonic gritted his teeth, wanting nothing more than to wail on him. Luckily, Amy grabbed him before he did.
"Sonic, don't," she insisted quietly. "He's trying to get a rise out of you. Don't let him win."
Sonic took a breath, calming down and straightening himself out.
"You're right. We came here to play ball, right? So let's play ball!"
"Hold on, Sonic," Knuckles protested, gaining the attention of everyone there. "You know what'll happen if Eggman wins, right? He won't just be winning the game, but the Chaos Emeralds as well. If Eggman wins, it'll mean catastrophe for all of us."
"Oh come on, Knuckles," Robotnik snorted. "Quit being such a wet blanket."
"Yeah," Chuck agreed. "Why ruin everyone's fun?"
"C'mon Knuckles, I thought you were finally loosening up," Amy remarked.
"Don't be a chicken," Cream teased, Cheese chirping in her arms.
"Me?" Knuckles snapped, putting a hand to his chest. "Chicken?!"
"Perhaps Knuckles is simply afraid to play a game of baseball, hmm?" Tanaka proposed.
Knuckles began growling in frustration due to the constant comments.
"I'm not afraid of anything!" Knuckles shouted.
"Then I don't see why you can't play," Kat declared.
"Alright! You asked for it! You want a team player, I'll give you a team player! Let's get this game on!"
…
Later, everyone was suiting up, Al giving everyone Diamond jerseys to wear. Once they were suited up, everyone gathered in the home team dugout to discuss strategy. Across the field in the Away team dugout, Eggman was doing a few test swings.
"I don't know if this baseball game is such a good idea guys," Keith admitted. "What if Eggman's got some kind of trick up his sleeve?"
"You're acting like he's not gonna cheat at every chance he gets," Kat muttered. "Besides, what choice do we have?"
"I know you can do it, Kathryn," Al told her, reaching out to pat her shoulder.
Kat moved away before he could touch her.
"Don't act like you care now, dad," she snorted, climbing up out of the dugout. "Keith! You're up to bat first!"
Keith jumped up, grabbing his helmet and bat as the two teens went out onto the field. Al watched them go, sighing. Knuckles noticed this and, in a rare moment of concern, moved so he was standing next to him.
"Ya know… I've been crashing at your place for a few weeks now. Until now, I didn't even know what you looked like."
"I will admit, my work tends to keep me out of the house a lot of the time. But Kathryn's a smart girl. She can take care of herself. She gets that from her mother."
"I can attest to that…" Knuckles moved back to the bench with some parting words, "but maybe she needs more than self reliance."
At home plate, Keith took his stance as the pitcher prepared to pitch. It then threw the ball at high speed, sailing right past Keith and into the catcher's mitt.
"Strike 1!" Orbot, who was acting as umpire, shouted.
"Yikes!" Keith let out. "That fastball was like a torpedo! That can't be legal!"
"Actually. His pitching speed is on par with professional baseball players," Chuck informed him. "Perfectly legal I'm afraid."
"Don't be intimidated Keith!" Helen cheered. "You can do it!"
Keith took a breath as he prepared to try again. The pitcher threw another ball, which also sped past Keith as he took a swing.
"Strike 2!"
The ball was tossed back to the pitcher as Keith got ready to try one more time to hit the ball.
"Strike 3! You're out!"
Keith sighed as he returned to the dugout. Robotnik laughed the entire time.
"Better luck next time, kid! Now, send out the next chump!"
Tails took hold of the bat and took his place on home plate. Having watched Keith's turn at bat, he was preparing himself for a fastball. He tightened his grip on the bat as the pitcher wound up for the pitch. However, instead of throwing the ball, the arm extended until it just reached the batter's box. Only then did the robot flick the ball over the plate, a stunned Tails just watching.
"Strike 1!" Orbot called out.
"Hey!" Kat shouted, coming out of the dugout. "That's illegal and you know it!"
Orbot just gave a shrug.
"It's not my fault he has long arms."
…
After Tails struck out, Amy went up to bat. Rather than a bat, she had her hammer instead. When Orbot went to say something, she silenced him with a glare.
"Give me your best pitch, ballboy!" she shouted.
The pitcher wound up and tossed the ball right at her. She hit the ball as hard as she could, sending it flying upwards. The team cheered happily as Amy started moving to first base. Just then, one of the outfielders threw one of its fellow bots up to intercept it. It caught the ball, much to Amy's disappointment.
"Out!" Orbot shouted.
"The ball was caught within the confines of the fence. Sorry, you're out."
Amy growled at the call, stomping back to the dugout. Robotnik began laughing as everyone on team Sonic glared at him.
…
The second half of the inning started with everyone taking up their positions on the field. After a bit of coaxing on Kat's part, Amy took up position on the pitcher's mound
"Let me show these tin cans a thing or two," she insisted. "I'm a much better pitcher."
With her first pitch, the ball went sailing right into the robot at bat, knocking it into pieces. Everyone winced.
"Hit by pitch," Orbot announced. "Batter takes first."
The bot picked itself back up again, reassembling itself as it moved to first. Amy looked sheepish as Kat approached the mound.
"Uh… Amy? Maybe I should be the pitcher. You take first."
"Uh, sure," Amy said sheepishly, handing over the ball. "Go for it."
Kat took up her spot, eying the batter. Behind her, the bot who had taken first was moving as if to steal. The second Kat through the ball, the bot took off. The batter received his first strike as the catcher, Tanaka, threw the ball to Tails on second. Tails caught it and quickly moved to tag the bot. However, the bot easily jumped over him, extending its legs and landing on second in a handstand.
"Safe!" Orbot called out.
"Okay, that's it!" Kat shouted, charging over to the Away team dugout to confront Robotnik. "You tell your robotic cronies to start playing by the rules, or I will take that bat of your and knock your teeth into your skull!"
"My robots are programmed to win this game by any costs. It's not my fault they have a few extra tricks to help with that."
As he said this, Kat snatched the bat out of his hand, bringing it back and swinging it with all her strength. Robotnik fell backward into the dugout, his glasses cracked and his nose bleeding.
"I warned him!" she shouted. "Everyone heard me warn him!"
Robotnik growled furiously as he sat up.
"You'll suffer for that one," He promised.
Kat just pulled the bat back, her intent clear. Robotnik threw his hands up.
"Alright! Alright! I'll tell my robots to back off as long as you get away from me!"
Kat nodded, then tossed the bat at Robotnik before returning to the pitcher's mound. Al eyed the doctor with a look of trepidation.
"Is he going to be ok?" Al asked.
"I wouldn't worry about him," Chuck replied. "He's gotten far worse than a bat to the face."
…
Later, another bot was at bat, hitting it high into the air. Sonic quickly ran up the fence of the stadium and all the way to the top of the scoreboard, catching the ball in his glove.
"And he is out like a light," Sonic declared.
"Home Run!" Orbot shouted.
"What?! No way! Kat, is he-?!"
"No, that was the right call!" Kat informed him. "You're outside the fence, so the catch doesn't count!"
"Come on. If Eggman's not gonna play ball by the rules, why should we?"
"Oh, he's playing by the rules, right Eggman?"
Kat grinned menacingly at the doctor. He rolled his eyes, waving her down.
"Yes, yes, simmer down. We all want a nice clean game here."
Sonic just growled.
…
After a while, Sonic's team was at bat again, with Kat up to bat first. Once the ball was pitched, Kat hit it so hard, it went flying right back to the pitcher, shattering him into pieces like Amy had done before. She made it to first base, grinning widely.
"Sorry, not sorry! Still counts!"
Knuckles was up next, who hit the ball on the first pitch and sent it flying out of the park, giving the team their first home run. The team cheered happily in response as he and Kat rounded the field. They crossed home plate, both of them sharing a high five. They glanced up at the scoreboard, which now read 32 to 35 in Robotnik's favor.
"We're pulling up behind him!" She realized.
"We just might have a chance to win this yet," Chuck declared.
"Go team Sonic!" Helen cheered, throwing her hands in the air.
…
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This Scarlet Garcia with a live report from Diamond Stadium. There appears to be a most unusual baseball game happening right this moment. The notorious Dr. Robotnik and a team of robots are playing a game against the group of talking animals and various allies here at the stadium, the soon-to-be former home of the Diamonds. This is certain to become sports history. This is Scarlet Garcia reporting. Stay tuned to SSTV for continuous coverage of this momentous game."
...
Looking up at the scoreboard, Kat and Chuck both exchanged looks.
"We're closing in on them, but we need a surefire way of scoring the necessary points to win this game," Kat declared.
"I may have an idea," Chuck informed her.
He leaned in, whispering in her ear. She listened for a moment, then nodded.
"Great idea, Chuck. Tanaka, I'm putting in a pinch hitter for you."
"What?" Tanaka let out.
"It's Cheese," she went on.
"Chao!" Cheese cheered in response.
…
The pitcher stared down the tiny Chao, finding that his strike zone was almost impossible to reach. Were the bot capable of sweating, it would have been in that moment. Regardless, he did his best, throwing the ball just above him.
"Ball 1." Orbot called.
He tried again, sailing right over the Chao.
"Ball 2."
A third pitch was attempted, bouncing on the ground before reaching the catchers mitt.
"Ball 3."
One last pitch still managed to go over Cheese's head, meriting him a fourth ball.
"Ball 4. Take your base."
Cheese dropped the bat, flying towards first while happily chirping. Off to the side, Chuck was giving some quiet instructions to Cream, who was next up to bat. She gave a small nod before taking her place. Just as the pitcher was about to throw, the rabbit spoke up.
"Excuse me, Mr. Robot? Can you please not throw the ball too hard? I've never played this game before."
The robot was struck by the sheer innocence in Cream's face, his sensors going into overload from the cuteness of it all. As such, he dropped the ball.
"Ball!" Orbot let out a long sigh. "Now she gets to walk."
"Thank you Mr. Robot!" Cream called back as she skipped to first base.
Robotnik growled in response.
"You metal plated loser! I oughta send you to the scrap head!"
..
Sonic was at bat next, tapping the bat against his show before taking his stance. The pitcher threw the ball towards Sonic, prompting him to swing and hit it. The instant the ball went flying, Sonic dashed to first, picking up Cream and Cheese as he sped around the bases. He dropped Cream and Cheese off at home plate before circling the diamond a few more times, much to Robotnik's annoyance.
"That only counts as one!"
"Doesn't matter Eggman!" Kat jeered. "We're tied now!"
She pulled down an eyelid and stuck out her tongue. Al shook his head at his daughter's behavior, a hint of a smile on his face. Suddenly, Helen rolled over to the edge of the dugout, a big smile on her face.
"Everyone, take a look at the stands!"
Everyone looked up, shocked to see people coming and filling the seats. Entire families were coming out, many wearing Diamond jerseys and wielding baseball gloves of their own. Several of them were cheering, all for team Sonic. As this went on, Scarlet Garcia and her film crew came into the dugout, looking for the scoop.
"Excuse me," She spoke up, causing everyone to turn to her. "Scarlet Garcia, SSTV news. Tell me, which one of you is the coach of this team?"
Everyone exchanged looks, all the Mobians unwilling to appear on live TV. However, that's when Al stepped forward. Kat looked at her father in confusion, but he just gave her a smile before turning to Scarlet.
"My name is Al Winters. I'm the groundskeeper for this stadium."
"Mr. Winters, what can you tell us about this game that's going on? What brought this on?"
Al looked back at Kat for a second, a proud smile on his face.
"Well Scarlet, to be honest, I don't have the whole story myself. What I do know is that every member of this team wants what's best for this city, and is willing to do whatever it takes to see this through."
He placed a hand on Kat's shoulder, and for the first time since this game started, she didn't pull away.
"Even my own daughter is risking it all, and I couldn't be more proud of her."
Kat stood there in dumbfounded shock, looking up at her father. In the corner of the dugout, Knuckles gave the tiniest of smirks.
…
Once the team managed to get Scarlet off the field, Kat went up to bat. She bunted the ball and bolted for first. By the time the bots managed to recover the ball, she was already declared safe. She skidded to a stop, returning to the base as she gave a two fingered salute towards Robotnik. He just growled in response before turning to the pitcher.
"You better strike that kid out or else!"
Keith was next at bat, though he was nervous about his chances of hitting. So far, he had yet to hit anything, and it was beginning to get to him. He took his stance as the pitcher prepared to throw. A fastball whizzed right past him, too fast for him to see.
"Strike one!" Orbot declared.
Keith gritted his teeth, smacking his forehead.
"Come on, Keith," He snapped at himself. "Get it together."
He set himself up again, ready for another pitch. Once again, it whizzed past him.
"Strike 2!"
With an angry yell, Keith stomped out of the batter's box, grabbing his helmet and snarling. Robotnik noticed this and chuckled.
"What's the matter, boy? You're acting angrier than I do!"
"Time out!" Sonic called out.
Sonic leapt out of the dugout and walked over to Keith.
"What's up, pal?"
"Sorry, Sonic," Keith apologized. "I guess I don't take losing well."
"I get that, but don't you think you're letting this get to you?"
"You're kidding right? There are Chaos Emeralds at stake here, and everything's depending on me."
"And you won't solve anything if you lose your cool like that. Just take a breath. You can do this, okay?"
Keith took a breath, realizing Sonic's point.
"You're right. I got this."
"That's the spirit. Now go get em!"
Sonic returned to the dugout and Keith returned to the batter's box.
"You can do it, Keith!" Helen cheered. "Hit that ball!"
Keith took another breath as he readied himself for another go. The pitcher threw one more fastball and Keith swung as hard as he could.
"Strike Three."
Keith went wide-eyed, then dropped his bat in despair.
"No..."
"Keith!" Kat screamed as she began running around the bases. "Pass ball! Run!"
Keith looked up and saw the catcher running for the ball, prompting him to get to his feet and run towards first. The bots scrambled for the ball, throwing it to first. Keith managed to make it, ending up safe. Kat kept running the bases, clearing second and third before making a mad dash for home. The first basement lobbed the ball at the catcher and Kat slid, kicking up dust. When the dust cleared, she was on home plate with the bot standing over her.
"Safe!" Orbot declared.
Kat went wide eyed upon hearing that, standing up and grinning.
"Keith! We did it! We won!"
Sure enough, the board switched so the score read 36 to 35 in Team Sonic's favor. They had won the game. Keith ran towards Kat and the two just hugged excitedly. The rest of the team came running out and began high fiving and fist bumping. However, not everyone was in on the festivities. In the away team dugout, Robotnik was fuming.
"This game's not over, yet!" Robotnik declared. "It's time to take this game into overtime!"
"Your cheating implement, Doctor?" Cubot offered, holding out a remote.
"I never play a game without one," Robotnik replied, pressing a button.
All of a sudden, one of the bots suddenly launched its head into the air. It sprouted small clamps, then landed on Sonic's head.
"What the heck?!" Sonic let out, trying to pry it off his head.
Both Cubot and Robotnik began waving their arms frantically, playing the part of shocked and frantic bystanders.
"Oh dear! My robot!" Robotnik cried out. "It's malfunctioning! It'll explode any minute now!"
"Run, Sonic!" Cubot shrieked, circling the doctor rapidly. "Hurry! Run away!"
Sonic ran around the stadium, trying to pull the robot off of him. Keith quickly caught on, realizing what Robotnik was trying to do.
"Don't leave the Stadium!" he shouted. "If you do, you'll be forfeiting!"
"Kathryn!" Knuckles shouted, grabbing a bat and chucking it. "I need a grand slam!"
Kat caught the bat, rearing it back.
"Sonic! Over here!"
Sonic ran towards Kat, who swung with all her strength, knocking the bot off Sonic's head. It went flying, where Knuckles quickly moved to intercept. With a powerful punch, he sent it up into the sky, where it exploded harmlessly.
"Now that was a home run!" Sonic commended, giving her a thumbs up.
With the crisis averted, everyone turned to deal with Robotnik, who was already on his eggmobile heading out of the stadium.
"You may have beaten me at baseball, but with this shiny Chaos Emerald safely in my pocket, I still claim victory! I'll return for the green one later, so keep it safe for me!"
With that, Robotnik flew off, Orbot and Cubot struggling to keep up.
"Wait for us!" Cubot called out.
Kat tapped the bots on the tops of their heads, grinning evilly. They both screamed as she batted them across the skies and into the Eggmobile. The dropship then sucked up all the remaining bots, taking them away and leaving the field bot free. Team Sonic all gathered up at that, everyone upset.
"He got away with the Emerald!" Amy cried out.
"At least he didn't get them both," Helen pointed out. "Tails still has his."
"Right," Tails remembered, pulling out his Emerald. "I just wish we could've gotten the other one, too."
"Don't sweat it," Sonic reassured. "We'll get it back."
At that moment, the sound of applause reached their ears. The group looked up and saw the sheer amount of people in attendance at the stadium. The seats were all packed, with almost the entire town clapping and cheering for the team. From a spot she'd taken in the entrance of the stadium, Scarlet continued her broadcast.
"As you can see, there's been quite a turnout for this event. The game was, of course, the last to be played here at the stadium."
Suddenly, the applause grew louder. Everyone turned, seeing an African man in a business suit walking onto the field, making his way towards the group. Both Kat and Al were flabbergasted.
"Elmer Johnson?" They said in unison.
"Who?" Sonic and Knuckles asked.
"He's the manager of the Diamonds and an old friend of my dad," Kat explained.
"Elmer, what are you doing here?" Al asked.
"I saw the game on TV," Elmer explained. "And I heard your little speech. It's hard to believe your little kitty kat's all grown up."
Kat turned beet red, pulling her cap over her eyes. Al placed his arm around her, pulling her close as she buried her face in his jacket.
"Maybe more than I've realized," Al admitted.
"Seeing you out there… it reminded me of all you've done for the Diamonds over the years, what you've had to sacrifice to support your family, and what a great friend you've been to me." Elmer let out a sigh. "I know things haven't been easy after what happened to Joan, but I hope I can help at least ease your burden." He held out his hand for Al, giving him a smile. "I've decided against the artificial turf, and I'm moving your pride and joy to my new stadium. With the interior systems, the elements won't be able to do as much damage, meaning you'll have more time to spend at home, where you belong."
Both Kat and Al looked stunned.
"Then… my dad's not losing his job?"
Elmer shook his head.
"No he's not."
With a smile mixed with shock and relief, Al took the offered hand.
"You can count on me, Elmer!"
Elmer smiled as Al turned to Kat. He held her arms, gently removing her hat so she was looking him in the eye.
"And Kathryn… I'm going to try harder to be the father you deserve. I wasn't there for you when you needed me, and I'm sorry about that. I know that will never be enough, but I will continue to try and make things right by you. And I want you to know that I am so proud of you."
Kat was sniffing, tears in her eyes as she rushed forward, grabbing her dad and hugging him. He held her, both of them sinking to their knees on the baseline. Knuckles smirked slightly, then Sonic came over.
"So, guess you'll have to find a new place to crash now that you've been ousted, huh Knuckles?"
"Looks like."
"Not at all," Al insisted. "Knuckles, you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like. You were there for Kat when I wasn't, and I can't thank you enough."
Kat grinned, running over to Knuckles and picking him up.
"You get to stay!" she cheered.
"Looks like...kitty kat."
Kat choked, turning as red as the echidna in her grasp.
"Never use that name! Never, ever!"
"What's the matter, 'kitty kat'?" Keith asked teasingly.
"Keith?!"
"I think it's an adorable nickname," Cream insisted, Cheese chirping in agreement.
"Agreed!" Amy declared. "Absolutely adorable!"
Kat dropped Knuckles, clutching her head in embarrassment as everyone shared a laugh.