Disclaimer: No ownership to Pokémon. After doing a Fireredshipping, I'd thought why the Baseballshipping. Already, you know what's going on.

Luvdiscs on the Mound

An orange dragon flew over the lands, frantically searching the skies for someone. It carried a postman's bag full of letters as it flew in a peaceful town. It kept searching and searching until it found a boy in a red cap with a yellow mouse with the lightning bolt for a tail. It swooped down to the boy, surprising him almost to the point of losing his black vest. "Whoa, a Dragonite!" the boy jumped. The Dragonite dug into its satchel, having the boy wonder what it could be. He pulled out a white envelop and read the name.

ASH P. KETCHUM, 24 SPIRIT DRIVE, PALLET, KANTO, 82522-9823

The Dragonite handed the letter to the boy, wondering if it found the right person. The boy looked at the address. "It's for me?" he huffed. He opened the envelop, pulling out a few tickets. It read...

GOLDENROD CITY ELECTABUZZ (JL) VS. FLOAROMA TOWN ROSERADES (SL)-INTERLEAGUE MATCHUP WATERFALL PARK, 4:00

Interleague matchup? To Ash, reading one word on the ticket meant one thing. "I know one stoic Electabuzz baseball fan," he chuckled as he reached and pulled a letter out to read.

ASH-

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE SEEN YOU AND GIVEN ME THE BEEDRILL YOU WON. I HAPPEN TO KNOW ABOUT YOU BEING IN THE SINNOH REGION BY RUNNING INTO MAY, A SUPPOSED FRIEND OF YOURS. I WAS FORTUNATE TO KNOW THAT THERE WAS A CONTEST INVOLVING MY ELECTABUZZ GOING TO SINNOH WHO'VE GOTTEN BETTER SINCE YOU'VE TOURED JOHTO. I DECIDED TO COME AND GET TO UNDERSTAND HOW EACH OTHER IS DOING. COME BY AND WE'LL SEE A GAME TOGETHER FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT AND ENJOYMENTS OF BASEBALL. HOPE TO TALK TO YOU SOON

-CASEY

-PS: GO ELECTABUZZ!

Ash scoffed a laugh that he gazed at the tickets from Casey, inviting him to attend a ball game. "Pikachu, you think you can handle nine innings?" he questioned to his mouse.

("Hey, we could use a break,") Pikachu agreed. Why not? ("We can let Dawn warm up for the Grand Festival.") Ash pulled a pink football-shaped muffin out and flipped it up to Dragonite who ate it in one gulp, amusing him. A little while after knowing where Waterfall Park was, Ash and Pikachu proceeded on ahead to the ballpark. No surprise, there was a bustling crowd. Scores of people, some in yellow and black and some in green and blue, tailgated around for the gates to open. It was 3:00 so there was plenty of time. Heck, some had battles with one in yellow/black challenging one in blue/green. Nice way to predict this contest.

"I didn't expect baseball to be this popular." It was then that Ash felt a sharp poke on his shoulder. Feeling the poke like a needle, he rubbed the shoulder to prevent any intense pain before turning. He and Pikachu saw a giant bee with spikes for arms. It leaped back. "Beedrill!" The Beedrill waived its spikes up, trying to act defenseless. Ash was befuddled why the Beedrill wasn't coming after and stinging him and Pikachu. That's when a large yellow beast came by, standing with the airborne Beedrill. Instead of attacking, the beast extended a hand to help Ash up. Puzzled, Ash decided it was just being friendly. "Thanks, Electabuzz." Getting him onto his feet, Electabuzz patted Ash on the back, loosening dirt. Ash was now fascinated with both Beedrill and Electabuzz.

("You probably do not remember us too much, Ash,") Electabuzz figured. Ash had a gawk before having a guess.

"So, you evolved, Electabuzz?" Electabuzz nodded, saying it grew up. "And you're the Beedrill that I caught in that bug-catching contest?" Beedrill squeaked to say that it was the same. Ash was cleared of the fog clouding his head.

"Ash!" a female called. Ash turned to the voice, spotting a girl in a loose yellow robe over a white jersey with black pinstripes and shorts while donning a white cap with a lightning bolt logo over her sea blue hair.

"Casey!" Casey met with Ash, happy to meet with him again. "Man, how's it been since back at Johto?" Casey chuckled, allowing Ash to know that it was going alright.

"I've kept myself busy with some training with Elekid and Meganium. As you can see, Elekid had evolved to Electabuzz, making it the perfect mascot for my favorite team." Electabuzz roared loudly, feeling good about cheering. That's when Casey noticed Pikachu and petted him along the cheek. She felt the firm fur on the rodent, feeling his strength. "Your Pikachu's a lot stronger than last time." Pikachu giggled from the compliment.

"It's learned a few new moves and made new friends." Casey was well satisfied. That's when the gates to the park opened. Time to watch the game. They came in, handed their tickets and sat in the assigned seats. Ash and Casey got to sit far in the outfield. They were in the vicinity of catching home runs. This was a fine date. The warmups contained both sides, ones in black with yellow pinstripes and shoulders and others in green with red shoulders. The team in black had black caps with a lightning bolt logo and the word "ELECTABUZZ" on their jerseys while the team in green had a red flower for their logo and the word "ROSERADES" on those. The two teams were warming up with catches and swings of baseball bats. Ash was studying how the bats were being swung from front to back. He had some sudden ponders. "I wonder if we could use those bat swings to ample up that Iron Tail." Casey heard Ash's interesting ploy, thinking of a possible transition of baseball to battle.

"Studying baseball and transitioning to Pokémon battles, aren't we? That would explain your unusual battling techniques in the Silver and Evergrand tournaments."

"Hey, it worked and got me to the top eight, right?" Casey chuckled, amused at how Ash countered her so easily. Both teams entered their assigned dugouts, but the Roserades dashed back out there, baseball gloves on.

"Play ball!" The umpire in blue announced. Let's cut to late in the game. Both the Electabuzz and Roserades battled fiercely throughout the contest, each side throwing strikeouts and big hits to the outfield. From the scoreboard, the Electabuzz scored in the fourth and sixth innings with two runs in each. The Roserades kept the contest close, scoring in the fourth as well with a run but posted four runs in seventh. The score: Roserades 5-4 against the Electabuzz in the bottom of the eighth.

"Next up for the Roserades," the PA announcer voiced. "It's the Center Fielder, Parker Toolsen! He's one for three today with a triple last inning." Parker couldn't have shown up at a better time in the game. No outs, runners on first and second base and the pitcher was running out of steam.

"Taylor picked a bad spot to tire out on," Casey observed the pitcher. Ash also paid attention to the pitching troubles.

"He's done seven innings of pitching with 11 strikeouts, eight hits and a walk," he reviewed. "Here, a single and a bean ball." Not a good stat to have. Taylor lifted his leg and the base runners bolted, one on second sprinting to third and the other on first going to second. The ball significantly dipped. A curve ball. Parker swung, contact on the ball. It was a line drive to second as the fielder on the left of the base lunged out, his gloved hand smashed by the liner. The dive forwarded the fielder to the base pad and his ball-handled glove slapping it. He got up, eying the man trying to steal second in the first place as his running teammate bolted to third. Watching the amazing stab from the air, the runner slowed down, awed by the grab. The snagging player simply tagged the runner.

"Out one!" the umpire bellowed as he pointed to Parker before a fist pump to the air. "Out two!" That time, the point to the runner stopped between second and third with another fist. "Out three!" One more point on the tagged victim with one more fist. The crowd was shocked with that sudden speed of the play, but the Electabuzz cheerleaders wildly cheered for the lone play-maker. Casey was stunned to see that as well.

"An unassisted triple play?" she gasped. "Unbelievable!" Three outs without help? That was unreal. The player was mobbed by celebratory teammates who rubbed his uncovered blond hair.

"Shortstop Peter Hamby with the unassisted triple play, ending the threat from the Roserades!" the PA announcer awed as he couldn't fathom the sudden triple play. "Acquiring him from the Cerulean City Goldeens appears to have paid off! So through eight, the Roserades still lead 5-4 heading to the ninth inning. Hamby is scheduled to bat third in the inning. Can the Electabuzz make a comeback?" Ash was getting more and more excited about the baseball game.

"Now that's what I call quick reflexes," Ash huffed, knowing that he couldn't be that snappy if he wanted to. "No way I would match that." Casey chuckled, hearing Ash admit that shortcoming.

"If there was something else I admire from you, it's your honesty," Casey mentioned. Else?

"Hey, I've learned a lot from you taking me to a game. When I compete in the Sinnoh Tournament, I can use these skills to get far." Casey laughed, not sure if he was serious about it or maybe it was one of those crazy ideas that only made sense in his head. The top of the ninth was being played. The first batter struck out on three pitches where he swung at all of them. The second watched two pitches pass him, one for a ball and one for a strike. The third pitch, he blooped one to right, over the first baseman. He got a single, no thanks to a hustling right fielder. Now it was Peter's at-bat. "So, let's see of he can tie with an RBI."

"Up to bat, the shortstop, Peter Hamby," The PA announcer introduced. "He's zero for three with a grounder into a double play way back in the first, but he did make up for it with the unassisted triple play." Peter squared himself up. The Roserade pitcher threw the first ball, straight as an arrow at Peter. Peter bent backwards, far backwards like his body formed an arch and allowed the ball to pass by. Whew! The umpire ripped the caged mask from his face, pointed to the pitcher and threw his arm around fiercely to the gates outside...if they were seen.

"That was a dangerous pitch," Ash hiccuped. Very dangerous, regardless of the helmet.

"And for that, Harris was ejected from the game," Casey summarized. Harris stormed off the field, upset about being tossed from the game. A few minutes later, a new pitcher took Harris' mound. Peter faced a 1-0 count, being only one ball. The new pitcher wound up. The throw. To Peter's eyes, it was slower than the one targeting his head. He swung. Connection! This ball was rocketed, heading towards Ash and Casey. It began to fall.

"I got it! I got it!" No, Ash, Pikachu would be the one to get it. Snagging Ash's hat, Pikachu reached up, getting the ball as it was just over Ash's head.

("I got it!") Pikachu cheered. Pikachu fell onto Casey's lap, celebrating not only the catch.

"Home run!" The announcer cheered. Peter swung his arm like a helicopter, touring the bases. "Hamby hits a two-run blast and the Electabuzz now lead 6-5!" Peter stomped on home plate, knowing he aided his team and take the lead. After the next out, it was the bottom of the ninth, crunch time for the Roserades. The Electabuzz manager brought in a fresh arm from the bullpen, and it helped. He struck out the entire side in only nine pitches. After the last strike, Peter was the first to congratulate the pitcher and recording a save. The teams gathered on the field, minus that one Roserade pitcher. Exchanges of shakes showed sportsmanship amongst the teams. Casey was overexcited about the Electabuzz close win.

"I knew they would win!" she hollered as she twirled swiftly. She spun so fast, she made herself dizzy. Unable to gain balance, Ash caught her from falling...only to slip on a few buttered buns from wasteful patrons. It was there that Ash and Casey met...lip to lip. Casey pushed up, off of Ash's face. Both sides began to blush a bit. It was an unintentional kiss, but both didn't seem too bothered.

"Well, that was a bit of a peck," Ash hummed. Both huffed a chuckle, Pikachu scratching it's head to figure out what that was all about. The park emptied but Peter, in street clothes, stepped back onto the field. He stood over the spot where he dove to start that self-implicated triple play. It would turn out that he wasn't alone.

"Peter!" Casey shouted. Peter turned his attention to the sound. Peter looked to see Casey, Ash and Pikachu coming onto the diamond.

"Well, this is an interesting gust of wind of a new direction," he murmured. "Let me guess, autographs?" Casey nodded as she presented the baseball that Peter knocked out of the park.

"Please?" Who couldn't turn down that request? Peter pulled out a pen and signed it. That's when he noticed Casey's slight look to Ash with a blush. He became thoughtfully mischievous. He wrote something along the stitching of the ball.

"So, Peter, how are you so reactive like that triple play you pounced on?" Ash asked. Peter got done writing on the ball and flicked it to Casey by his muscle bulge.

"That you can thank my trainer," he confessed as he pulled out a red/white ball. When it opened, it unveiled a pink heart-shaped fish. "My Luvdisc, Cupid." He had a Pokémon as well? That's when Ash realized how Peter was so agile.

"I get it. Swift Swim." Swift Swim? Casey was a bit dumbfounded with the name.

"What's Swift Swim?" Casey blankly questioned.

"Swift Swim is Luvdisc's ability which allows the Pokémon to go twice as fast in the rain. I guess you used that Swift Swim to gain your Swift Spring, right?" Peter nodded. Cupid came by Ash and Casey, pecking them in the cheeks. What was that about?

"Cupid," Peter scorned with a smile. Was it a habit of the Luvdisc?

"What was that about?" Casey wondered. Peter sighed, going into an explanation.

"This is the reason Cupid got her name. Whenever she sees two people who she believes would be a match, she goes and kisses both of them. Her batting average is a lot better than mine, sadly." That might be saying a lot. No wonder he went with Cupid. Casey and Ash gazed upon each other, wondering if it was possible. There was no harm and they proceeded to kiss. This time it was on purpose. Who knew that baseball could bring love? Blame the Luvdisc.

"Now I've got the Electabuzz and you to cheer on about," Casey collected. Ash snickered, feeling his admiration grow. He may need it to compete in the tournament coming up.

END