As a few days passes on by, the semi-finals start. Leaving Junu, and Caitlyn to battle one more time before either one, or both, win. Caitlyn managed to make it to the top four, but lost to Gabriel. Who won all his matches because of his luck with his larion's protect. From his school, many call him (in my opinion the most stupid name I've heard) "Lucky Shield", bringing some skepticism from some.

"Well, I don't know what to really say about this last battle, Junu. He just seems too lucky when there is no way to be," dad scratches his head, viewing the last battle that Gabriel had.

"He has to be cheating somehow! There is absolutely no way he can pull off so many protects in quick succession," Caitlyn grumbles.

"But there is no proof of that... Junu, you'll just have to hope that Gabriel gets unlucky and his protect fails," dad looks at his watch, and turns off the laptop. "I really don't know what tips to give you for this battle other than to say good luck out there, Junu."

Nodding his head, Junu starts to leave our hotel room, with the rest of us following behind him in silence. By the time we reach the spectator's booth, Tori gives a wave before she looks back to set up her camera. But today, instead of one camera, Tori brought the one she had been using for the past few days and then another one that is a bit bigger.

"So what's with the other camera?" Caitlyn asks.

"Huh? Oh, this is a new camera that my dad gave me today. Has a few better features on it than my old one. Decided to bring the new one along to test the thermal camera setting."

"Hmm, that's cool. So... who do you think is going to win the final battle?"

"The last one? Hmm..." Tori ponders, bringing a hand to her chin. "I'd have to place my money on Junu. After all, luck is just luck. Whereas if Junu is smart enough, he'll figure out a way to break the luck."

"I highly bought that Junu will beat Gabriel's luck."

"All the more reason Junu's victory would be astonishing to most."

"Why are you so convinced that he would win? "

"He has skill with battling and thinks on his feet. But that's from the viewpoint of an analyst. Other than those two, he does things that most do not. So I'm 100% confident that he will win."

"Uh huh."

----

More announcements and a small speech made by the current champion of Kalos. Speaking about the wonderful battles that he witnessed for the past few days, and gives good luck to the last two battlers.

"Introducing our last two finalists to the battlefield,

Gabriel from Camphrier Town on our left side, and Junu from Vaniville on the right!"

Both trainers walk to their sides of the battlefield. Gabriel waving a hand to the crowd while he walked, and Junu did nothing but look straight at the battlefield.

The announcers making bets on who is to win, Tori starts to shuffle around a bit, moving the cameras around the battlefield.

"Okay... let's see what tricks you have," she mutters low enough that I barely caught what she said.

"Vee," her eevee replies back, receiving a soft hit on the head by Tori.

"Huh?" Tori looks at me as she noticed me hitting her eevee. "He's a bit of a troublemaker. Lived long enough with him to grasp most of the things he says. Which, are sometimes, if not often, rude,," she explains.

"No, I understand what you mean by that," I gently scratch Kayla behind her left ear.

"Begin!" an announcer's voice echos.

At the sound of the voice, both Junu and Gabriel send out their pokemon. Junu sending out Cerin, and Gabriel his lairon.

"And look at that folks, the lucky lairon is sent out first! Will Junu and his zorua will be able to beat the high luck?"

Not wasting a moment, Junu calls out the first attack.

"Run around the lairon and use shadow ball!"

Running fast, Cerin runs in a circle around the lairon, shooting out shadow balls at near random intervals. But all the attacks were blocked by the lairion's protect.

"Lairion, rock slide!" Gabriel counters.

One by one, boulders start to form over the stadium and begin the rain over the battlefield.

"Cerin, go under, now!"

Losing Cerin in the rainfall of rocks, Tori gives me a nudge and gestures to look at one of her cameras. One that looked directly at a small hole before it was blocked by rocks.

"And as the battlefield is now littered with boulders, has Junu's zorua escape the bombardment of rocks?"

On the big screen where it broadcasted the cameras seen by people at home and here, only saw dust that was now dying out.

"Cerin, now!"

"Rex, protect again!"

Popping next to the lairion, Cerin pops out of the ground, her forepaws glowing a crimson color. Attacking the bubble of protection, Cerin hops back and starts to jump around the rocks littered on the battlefield.

"Shadow ball!"

This time, the attack weakened the protect enough for it to falter. A chance for an attack.

Grinning big, Gabriel calls out, "Protect again!"

Before a ball hit the near immobile lairion, it bursts in front of another colorful bubble.

"Unbelievable folks, there it is again! Another consecutive protect!"

"Checkmate."

"Eevee," Tori's eevee retorts back.

"Shut it you. Here, watch my cameras for a moment, will you two?" Tori pulls something out of the camera that can record with thermal.

"Uh, sure?"

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon, just make sure no one takes my stuff," she already starts to run before I can reply, her eevee in tow.

Excusing herself as she passes by people sitting down or standing up - watching the now redundant battle - she bursts through the door and runs. Leaving Caitlyn and myself a little clueless to why she left in such a rush.

Tori returns a few moments later, returns. Returns as Cerin gets hit by one of the boulders, as it starts to get harder for Cerin to maneuver around the field.

"Flash canon!"

"Dig, Cerin!"

As he lairion bursts out its attack, Cerin starts to dig through the boulders, but struggles to even dig down one. As the silvery beam floes across the field, it lands. Scattering shards of rock and dust into the air.

The announcers, however, stay eerily silent. Leaving the everyone to wait until the dust settled. As the dust starts to settle, I notice Junu looking at us.

The dust finally settles down, as the referee raises a flag to Gabriel's direction.

"Zorua has fainted, this round goes to Gabriel!"

Looking back to the field, Junu takes out Cerin's pokeball, returning her. While tossing out Lock at the same time.

"Junu is down to his final pokemon, do you think he'll be able to defeat that lucky lairion, Jordan?" one the announcers announces once more.

"Well, that would depend. Boulders still scatter the field, and have not disappeared yet. Giving the lairon hard to traverse. However, may prove difficult with Junu's absol too."

"Future sight!"

"Right off the bat, a future sight!"

"Rock slide!"

"Start running to the right! Then stone edge as the boulders stop."

Lock starts to hop here and there, narrowly dodging. As the boulders stop, sharp shards of rock start to orbit around Lock before hurdling to the larion.

Not surprisingly, a colorful barrier appears, deflecting away the rock.

"Ice beam!"

Another shield.

"Again."

This time, white holes above the battlefield follow in suit with the ice beam. Harmlessly hurting the larion.

Blowing his whistle, the referee raises two red flags in both hands.

"We apologize for the sudden stop, but it seems that something unusual occurs with Gabriel's larion."

The referee, releasing a lillipup from its ball, walks up to the larion. Commanding jt, the lillipup starts to kick dust to one side of the larion.

After a few moments, the referee grabs something from the side. Slowly, as if it was forming out of plain sight, a kecleon appears, struggling in the grip of the referee.

"My words, I've never seen anything like this!" one of the announcers gives a small chuckle, as four more kecleons are found.

"However, this does break the rule 61. Hence Gabriel is now disqualified and by default, Junu wins!" Tori's dad claps, and the crowd starts to cheer to, although some boos are heard in the mix.

----------

It was official apparently, that Gabriel did cheat. Using the kecleons to use protect and recycle with leppa berries to shield the lairion. The ones that lost against Gabriel were given a small reward. Due to little time, this competition couldn't be redone.

Leaving us -Junu, Caitlyn, dad and myself to celebrate in a nearby restaurant. Dunno why the announcers didn't notice before, but Junu seemed very happy about it.

---------

"You know, you guys might get fired for that."

"Fired for what? We did everything within the rules. Maybe bent them a little. But still under rules."

Scoffing, the person replies, "I meant the equipment you guys stole."

"What do you mean, Alicia?"

"Vee."

"Oh whatever. Just be ready to leave in two days. Convinced Joe to let us celebrate Thanksgiving this year with the family. Hopefully you two would behave better than our mutt here at home, right Tristana. Matt?"

"Sure sure."

"Eevee!"