Reset Life with Infinite Talents - Chapter 51

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Infinite Talent Reset Life Episode 51

 

 

14. From Long Beach

 

 

“Give me a call anytime if you’re interested.”

The place where a storm had swept through and passed.

“J-Jim Fregosi…”

LA Angels legend, retired number 11.

“Wh-why is he here?”

“Right. He should definitely be with the Atlanta Braves right now, shouldn’t he?”

1993, Jim Fregosi who created the tremendous result of World Series runner-up.

However, the team’s performance couldn’t escape mediocrity afterward, and eventually his Major League managerial career ended with the year 2000.

And currently, he was working as a scout for the Atlanta Braves in Atlanta, in the Southeastern US.

That’s why everyone couldn’t help but wonder why he was watching Little League here in Orange County.

However, only Johann, who had accessed ‘Angels’ number 11, James Lewis Fregosi’ and knew the inside story, showed a different reaction.

‘The Little League office even makes requests like this?’

California West Little League, which had never won even once in the Little League World Series.

So the California West Little League office asked Jim Fregosi for help, and Jim Fregosi, who accepted that request, came to California every March to scout promising children.

Since the home base of the LA Angels, where he had his prime years, was Anaheim in Orange County, there was sufficient justification, and he could potentially recruit them to the team he worked for later, so there was no reason for Jim Fregosi not to accept the request.

Clap clap!

“Quiet!”

At Bob Lee Swagger’s shout, the children reflexively look at him.

“Something amazing just happened, but right now your opponent is Heritage Oak over there! Don’t you want to get revenge for last year!”

“…No sir!”

The children’s focus returns. The aftereffects remain, but they don’t make the dazed expressions like before.

Bob Lee Swagger nods and looks at Johann preparing for the next at-bat.

The children who had demolished Heritage Oak, which advances to AAA League once every three years, after exchanging a few words with Johann. Johann must have told them some strategy.

‘Such talent…’

Overwhelming talent as if sent down by the god of baseball. Yet the person himself shows no change in expression.

It gives him chills.

“Johann.”

“Yes?”

“Go knock this one out too.”

“…Yes.”

Johann nods and steps into the batter’s box again.

“D-damn bastards.”

The batting order had already cycled through once even though the first inning wasn’t over. Not only the catcher, but even the pitcher was about to cry.

“Umpire. How many points difference does it take for a mercy rule?”

“…There’s no mercy rule in exhibition games.”

“Oh. Really? That’s great.”

Since it seemed like he could hit dozens of home runs.

“What are you doing. Tell him to pitch quickly.”

“D-damn it!”

Swoosh! Crack!

This time Johann shielded his eyes from the sunlight with his palm, watched the ball fly away contentedly, and slowly ran toward first base.

This was also a home run.

 

* * *

 

“Huuk! Huk!”

“Khuuk!”

21 to 7.

Changing pitchers was useless.

Substituting fielders didn’t help either.

Every strategy was countered to the point where it was suspicious whether Heritage Oak’s dugout had wiretaps installed.

The Heritage Oak players, who were mercilessly beaten without being able to do anything, shed tears and snot, and the Fairmont Little Pumas players felt guilty watching them, wondering if they had gone too far.

“G-good game.”

“Good game.”

“Why are you crying when you did nothing right! Run to the car quickly!”

The Little Pumas players, watching the Heritage Oak players run away scattering tears, also head to the locker room to wash up.

“…Wow.”

“With this score difference, I started accepting it later on. I didn’t know I could feel this emotion.”

“Right. I understand why there are such unwritten rules in Major League.”

A strange emotion they were feeling for the first time.

They look at Johann, not having expected to win this decisively against the first-place team in the same league.

“It’s thanks to you, Johann.”

“Thank you. Today you really…”

“How about Johann becoming the captain instead?”

“That’s good!”

“We are Pumas! Pumas!”

“Tyrants marching toward the forest!”

They sing in chorus, adapting the wolf cubs song uploaded to Johann’s SoundCloud. The children had started singing it at some point.

Johann looks puzzled at them grinning broadly.

‘They’re laughing even though we gave up 7 points?’

They were happy despite losing as many as 7 points against Heritage Oak, whose mental state they had not just shattered but pulverized.

That clumsy ball handling and positioning that made him want to curse.

If ‘Angels’ number 11, James Lewis Fregosi’ had been the manager, he would have cursed them out even if they were kids.

When he was having fundamental doubts about whether kids were human, Flash, who had finished showering, calls Johann.

The two head outside the locker room.

“You’re going, right?”

“…I don’t know.”

He had been troubled ever since being scouted by Jim Fregosi.

The current Fairmont Little Pumas were far from advancing to AAA League or regional league, no matter how much Johann performed using ‘Rack, Dennis Eckersley’s’ talent.

After all, baseball is a team sport, and there are inevitably limits to how far one player’s performance can take you.

This meant there were also limits to the fun and experience he could feel by staying with the Fairmont Little Pumas.

The children who didn’t envy Johann’s success but were happy for him as if it were their own. Children like Flash who had found their way into Johann’s heart.

He wanted to continue with them if possible, but the way things were now, they would inevitably have to part ways someday, whether sooner or later.

But…

Now that he had found ‘Angels’ number 11, James Lewis Fregosi’, it wasn’t time yet.

“I think we can advance.”

To Major League, the state league, beyond AAA League and regional league.

If his own coaching joined in, they definitely could.

“Do you think the kids think so too?”

“Huh?”

Flash suddenly opens the locker room door wide.

“Ahhh!”

“Ahh!”

“…Haha. Hello?”

Children came pouring out with only towels wrapped around their lower bodies.

Flash looks at the captain.

“You heard everything we talked about, right? What do you think, captain?”

“Well… it would be nice to advance to the regional league, but is it necessary?”

“Huh?”

Johann’s eyes waver.

The captain bursts into laughter seeing Johann like that.

“This is when it shows you’re not familiar with our culture… Johann, your coaching today was really spine-chilling.”

Customized coaching so incredible that even Manager Bob Lee Swagger couldn’t keep up, as if Johann had made a contract with the devil.

If they continued receiving such coaching, advancing to Major League would be possible just like Johann said.

It would be Little Puma’s first Major League advancement.

But they need to understand this.

“Johann, we’re not a travel team.”

Baseball is just a hobby after all. Even if they’re obsessed with competition, they’re not desperate for victory.

“If we advance to the regional league, we’ll definitely face opponents that are overwhelming for our current level.”

AAA League where almost only travel teams exist.

It’s a league with teams full of kids who risk their lives for one victory, all grinding their teeth and pouring out sweat today to become future Major Leaguers.

“Beating such kids and teams would definitely be thrilling, but I don’t want to humiliate kids who have that kind of determination.”

It’s not that they’re scared. As he just said, they simply pursue different things.

That’s why they wouldn’t stop Flash even if he challenged the LA Star Bears tryout.

LA Star Bears, one of the AAA regional league teams that prioritizes Major League promotion like California West just now. It’s a team that gathers only all-stars from AA League teams and AAA teams that were relegated last year.

“Didn’t I tell you?”

These guys are hopeless, he said.

Little Puma would fall back to County League even if they somehow made it to Major League. There was no need for capable individuals to sacrifice themselves for such a team.

“You’ll get tired along the way, won’t you?”

They might even lose interest in baseball.

“Hey. We’re not that bad.”

“You are that level.”

Johann nods at Flash and the captain’s words.

‘I was only thinking about myself.’

Competition, not victory. As the captain said, they just pursue different things.

Thinking that way, his mind becomes clear.

“What about you?”

“Huh?”

Johann looks at Flash.

Flash who was going to challenge the LA Star Bears tryout.

“Aren’t you coming?”

Looking through the eyes of ‘Angels’ number 11, James Lewis Fregosi’, he could tell for sure.

Flash was a catcher who exceeded AAA level.

‘Just catching my pitches is already Major League level.’

“Puhaha! Johann, you’re really crazy.”

‘Is he asking for a fight?’

Flash chuckles seeing Johann who’s contemplating.

And soon looks at Johann with serious eyes.

“Go first.”

And wait.

“I’ll follow soon.”

If you get jealous seeing your friend succeed, can you call yourself a friend? If you’re a real friend, you sincerely congratulate them while looking bigger and working harder to walk together beside them.

He was originally going to say this, but Johann beat him to it.

Flash’s sincerity reached Johann’s heart.

“…Yeah.”

Johann’s chest felt heavy as he smiled and nodded.

“If not me, who’s going to control you?”

“That’s not it.”

“…Monster robot Johann.”

“Stupid Flash.”

The two simultaneously grabbed each other’s collars.

“S-stop them!”

The players who were wiping their noses at the heartwarming scene hurriedly separated the two.

 

* * *

 

“Johann!”

Emily, Lucy, and Joy came running but were puzzled by Johann and Flash’s somehow awkward appearance.

But that was only momentary.

The three with reddened faces opened their mouths simultaneously.

“My goodness! To beat those orcs by 14 points!”

“What happened to you guys!”

They even made those young masters, those arrogant brats who live for showing off, go home crying.

They couldn’t help but be excited at this completely different appearance from before.

Johann and Flash’s expressions also softened at their praise.

“But why were you like that earlier?”

Johann is someone who absolutely never harms others first unless threatened. That’s the Johann Emily understood, but he suddenly threw a ball at the opponent.

Earlier she cheered thinking there must be a reason, but now she couldn’t contain her curiosity.

“Because they looked down on you guys.”

“…Huh?”

“So Flash also got angry and did that with me.”

‘Flash needs to score points too.’

He couldn’t let Flash continue having a bad relationship with Emily forever.

Whether they knew Johann’s thoughts or not, the three who were momentarily dazed soon turned red again.

“So, so you threw balls at them and completely destroyed them like that…”

“Yeah.”

The Emilys look at Flash.

Flash turns his head with a reddened face.

“…My goodness.”

“What, Flash! You think of us that preciously?!”

“N-no I don’t!”

“Wow. Wow! Flash, you knew how to do this kind of thing? That’s so sweet!”

“What are you saying! Hey, Johann! Why are you saying unnecessary things!”

“Because it’s not a lie?”

“That’s not the point-! I’m going crazy!”

Flash quickly passed by them toward the stands, and Lucy and Joy followed with sinister smiles.

“Jo, Johann.”

“Yeah?”

“Earlier you said the Wolf Brothers left the pack to find mates. Have you ever done that?”

“Me? No?”

He couldn’t even do that.

“Why, why?”

“Because I’m human.”

Either get eaten or kill.

When encountering wolves from other packs, there were only two things that could be done, so Wolf Mother prevented him from leaving the territory.

“No, Mother was wary of me, who wasn’t ready yet, reaching human territory.”

The human territory that had to be crossed no matter what to reach other wolves’ territories.

Wolf Mother was wary of Johann reaching human territory, realizing the existence of humans, and recklessly becoming independent, so she prevented him from leaving the territory.

“Even if not, I wasn’t particularly interested anyway.”

If it had been during the time when he lived like a wolf, it might have been different, but after realizing he was human, he didn’t have much interest in female wolves.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Hehe. Got it! Let’s go too!”

“Oh, yeah.”

‘Why is she satisfied?’

He wasn’t sure which part she was satisfied with.

“Right! Mason Moon’s Mother made ho, hotteok? That kind of pancake!”

Hotteok. It was definitely a dish whose name he’d heard before.

‘It was a taste I missed terribly… wasn’t it?’

A name and taste now fainter than dust after countless readings.

“Let’s hurry.”

Johann grabbed Emily’s wrist and pulled her toward Mason Moon.

“Right. Are you free tomorrow?”

“Huh? Why, why?”

“It seems like there’s going to be an event in Long Beach.”

“…?”

Tomorrow, a quite interesting event will take place in Long Beach, LA.

Johann’s eyes began to sparkle with interest.

 

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————