Brendan Namron: Ace Attorney: Case 2 - Part 5
(Complete text of part 5; font editing for the forum presentation still needs to be finished.)
[ 8:34 AM – July 27th, 2017 ]
[ Goldenrod City Courthouse - Lobby ]
(Music: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice For All – Courtroom Lounge ~ Another Prelude)
Brendan: (Skye's not here yet …. Guess this would be a good time to go over my notes.)
Brendan: (Slooth gave back the cat hair and the trinket yesterday.)
Brendan: (The hair got a match on Purugly, but the trinket didn't turn up anything, so I didn't bring it.)
Brendan: (Let's see … anything else I need to go over? I think I need to update some of my notes …. )
FINAL COURT RECORD:
Evidence
Attorney's Badge: Proof of my current profession. I wear it with a little more pride nowadays.
Pokégear: A really fancy “wristwatch”. Recently upgraded to make it capable of translating Pokémon speech.
Bag: My bag from when I was a Trainer. Has three unused Pokéballs and a Potion in it.
Lilycove Police Headquarters: Hoenn's highest-ranking police group. Has connections with the International Police. My mom, Lily, did off-the-clock research for them.
International Police: Did ongoing investigations on big criminal organizations from at least 2007 to 2008.
Team Galactic: Criminal organization that ran at its peak in 2008. The International Police had an eagle eye on them. In addition to Cyrus as the boss, it had three admins: Jupiter, Saturn, and Charon; all have been arrested. Turns out a fourth admin, Mars, escaped.
Skye's Testimony: She absentmindedly handled the knife with a bare hand on the night of the murder.
Altered Locks: Someone apparently picked my normal lock and took out the bolt. How they managed the latter is beyond me.
Bed Prints: Four small paw prints and a larger dent were found in the dirt next to the doorstep. Photo is timestamped at 7:20 AM, taken the morning after the crime.
Cat Hair: A single hair was found on the doorstep, and several more hairs were found on the living room carpet. Turns out it belongs to a Purugly.
Stabbing Note: There were no marks on the front of Mom's body or clothes to indicate that she was stabbed more than once.
Knife: The murder weapon. Skye was examining it as evidence for another murder. Said to have a bloodstain from a prior murder.
Fingerprint Info: There were out-of-place fingerprints on my windows. Perfect match with the prints of Melissa “Mars” Surre.
Spinarak's Testimony: The intruder had a mass of red hair, and was followed by a large, blue-ish Pokémon and a large cat (also a Pokémon?).
Hotel Record: Melissa checked in on July 22nd at 2 PM and checked out on July 25th at 6 PM.
Profiles
Brendan Namron: (AGE: 23) Me, of course. Originally a Trainer in Hoenn, I came back to Johto to study law four years ago.
Lily Namron: (AGE: 45) My mother, and the victim. She and I originally lived in Johto, but we moved to Hoenn in 2007 after my father became a Gym Leader there. Did unofficial research for the Lilycove Police for about a year.
Phoenix: (AGE: 5) My Torchic. Son of a Pokémon I released before I moved back to Johto.
Skye: (AGE: 9) My Kirlia. Joined the forensics team the day I became a lawyer. Daughter of another Pokémon from my training days. Currently my client, accused of the murder of Lily Namron.
Cyrus: A sinister man that wanted to erase the world and remake it his way. After a kid from Sinnoh stopped him, he disappeared. (image silhouetted)
Detective Slooth: (Age: 35) High-ranking detective at the Goldenrod Police Department. Always there for someone in a jam.
Gary Oak: (Age: 27) “Blue” is his nickname. Leader of the Viridian Gym in Kanto. Apparently well-known in that region for his prosecuting skills.
Silver: (Age: 30) A red-haired man who is close to his Feraligatr. Currently staying at the Goldenrod Hotel. Almost certainly not the murderer.
Melissa Surre: Possibly the murderer? Red hair, partners with a Purugly and a Bronzong.
Brendan: …. (Looks like that covers it. Hopefully this is everything I need …. there's a lot of information as it is.)
Brendan: (I'm willing to bet that Blue has some new stuff up his sleeve, though …. I need to keep my wits about me.)
Brendan: ….. (I need a towel. My palms feel like I just pulled them out of a sink.)
Brendan: (They should be here soon … I wonder what's taking so long.)
Brendan: (Maybe I should let Phoenix out … )
[Brendan pops open the Pokéball.]
Phoenix: (looking solemn)
Brendan: … Morning, Phoenix. How're you feeling?
Phoenix:
Okay, I guess … You sure you can clear Skye, though?
Brendan: Pretty sure … so long as I stay calm in there.
Brendan: (I think he's still as upset about Mom as I am … I can't show it yet, though.)
Brendan: (If they don't have me for support, we're all probably going down … )
… … …
Phoenix: Hey, Brendan … What're you gonna do about … it?
Brendan: Huh? What's “it”?
Phoenix:
The … the funeral. When is it?
Brendan: … … I don't know.
Phoenix:
When will you know?
Brendan: I'm not sure, Phoenix. funerals are expensive these days, and I can't afford one right now …
Phoenix:
But … your dad can do it, right? He's a Gym Leader and all –
Brendan: Let's not talk about it now, alright?
Phoenix:
But – but wh--
Brendan: It's just not a good time. Maybe later.
Phoenix: (defeated) …
Okay.
Brendan: (There are some things that just shouldn't be brought up at times like this … If only Phoenix knew.)
[The front door to the lobby suddenly opens. Skye walks in, escorted by a policeman and a Houndoom.]
Brendan: Morning, Skye.
Skye:
Morning, Brendan! Ready to get this over with?
Brendan: …
Skye: (seeing Brendan's and Phoenix's long faces)
Not quite, by the looks of it …
Officer: Good morning, Mr. Namron. We just finished setting up the Arena Trap.
Officer: She's in your hands from here on. Best of luck.
Brendan: Thank you, sir. Take care.
[The officer releases Skye from her cuffs, and he and his Houndoom head back out the door.]
Skye: …
Not exactly a great morning for a trial, I guess …
Brendan: We'll be fine, Skye. Just … don't let Blue intimidate you.
Skye:
Not a problem here.
???: Is that so?
Phoenix, Brendan: !?
(Music: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice For All – Investigation ~ Core 2002)
Blue: Morning, Namron. Ready to face the truth about your precious Kirlia?
Brendan: I already know the truth, Oak. She's innocent, and I know who isn't.
Blue: So you say, but are you certain you can prove that?
Brendan: Positive.
Blue: Only fools are positive, my “friend” …
Blue: You know what's coming. I expect you to put up a good fight in there. See you in a few ….
[Blue departs into the courtroom.]
Skye:
I found a nifty lil' nugget while he was railing on you, Brendan …
Brendan: What would that be?
Skye: …
He's a rookie, too.
[ 10:00 AM – July 27th, 2017 ]
[ Goldenrod City Courthouse – Courtroom #2 ]
(Music: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations - Trials And Tribulations ~ Court Begins)
*gallery chatter*
*gavel pounds*
Judge: Court is now in session for the trial of Kirlia Skye Namron.
Judge: I take it that both sides are ready?
Brendan: … The defense is ready, Your Honor.
Blue: The prosecution is prepared as well, Your Honor. Let's get this over with fast, Namron.
Brendan: I intend to, Blue. (What's it that's concerning him, anyway?)
Judge: … As both sides know, yesterday's portion of the trial ended up focusing on the incident at the hotel, and its connection with the case. You were asked to work with the police afterwards and investigate other aspects of the case. I trust much progress has been made since then.
Blue: It has indeed, Your Honor. I have much evidence to bring to light on this case.
Blue: I think that we should start with the house the victim was staying the night in – that of the defense attorney opposite me.
Blue: “Detective” Namron, as a psychic, was certainly capable of manipulating the scene to however it saw fit, in order to forge a crime scene that points to someone else – anyone else – and get away with everything that has taken place thus far.
Blue: It is my intention to reveal the truth to Mr. Namron – that not all Pokemon can be trustworthy to the end.
Brendan: (Not all humans are trustworthy to the end, either, but I don't see you railing on any …)
Blue: I will, of course, provide evidence with my claims. I … trust … that you will do the same, Brendan Namron.
Brendan: … (What, is he psychic now?)
Skye: [grinning] (
Nah, you're just easy to read.)
Brendan: (Hey! I'll have you know I had a mean poker face during a 5-card draw tournament!)
Skye: [giggle] (
Oh, it was mean, alright ….)
Judge: Mr. Namron? What's going on over there?
Brendan: ! N-Nothing, Your Honor. Just thinking.
Judge: I think that you think that you've been thinking for a bit longer than necessary. Mr. Oak, please proceed.
Blue: With pleasure, Your Honor.
Blue: Yesterday's trial stole the focus from the crime scene. Today, I wish to walk the court through a summary of what was found.
Blue: I will start by bringing Detective Slooth to the witness stand.
Judge: Very well. Bailiff, if you please. (music fades out)
Slooth: Is this really necessary, Blue?
Blue: I dare say it is, Detective. Procedure and all that.
Blue: Now then, let's not dawdle. I want a recounting of what the crime scene was like from the outside.
Slooth: Yes, sir. Here goes.
Brendan: (Looks like we're jumping right in. Look sharp, Brendan!)
CROSS EXAMINATION
The Outside
(
Music: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations – Cross Examination ~ Moderate 2004)
Slooth:
Part 1: The crew heard about the murder around 1 A.M. that fateful morning.
Part 2: The team investigated for about ten hours. We turned over most every inch of that place.
Part 3: The only thing of significance was that messed up doorknob. There weren't even footprints!
Part 4: Truth be told, I think we should already be talking about the inside of the house.
Press Part 1.
Brendan: 1 AM, huh … ? I barely remember much around that time.
Slooth: We went slowly around the house with flashlights and cameras, trying to document everything.
Slooth: Most of what we found wasn't all that noteworthy, save the wreck that was the room of the murder.
Brendan: (I'd rather not talk about how much of a “wreck” all this is ...)
Press Part 3.
Brendan: So, you're saying that you spent all that time and found nothing else important?
Slooth: That's correct, Brendan. Whoever did it did a great job of covering their tracks.
Blue: Indeed … which suggests that it was an “inside” job, if you will.
Brendan: (Boy, have I got news for you two …)
Present Bed Prints to Part 3.
OBJECTION! (music stops)
Brendan: Detective Slooth, I have something for you to look at.
Slooth: … What is that picture of?
Blue: ! That's a set of pawprints!
Brendan: It sure is. Want to guess where they were found?
Slooth: Er … somewhere at your place?
(Music: Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth – Objection! 2009)
Brendan: (grinning) Exactly.
Brendan: And what's more, they were found in some dirt near my front door – as you can see, they lead away from the block of concrete in front of it. And they weren't there before the day this photo was taken.
Blue: And when would that be, Namron?
Brendan: The morning of the crime, naturally. I took the picture at 7:20 AM while looking for evidence.
Blue: … I fail to see your point, Namron. These could easily be any stray animal's paw prints.
Brendan: Well … that's true, but … these lead straight to my front door. And strays almost never walk around my house, as it's inside the city area.
Skye: (Just barely.)
Brendan: (A minor detail.)
Blue: (shrugs) It means little. A strange coincidence, nothing more.
Blue: Detective, do you have anything else to report before we proceed?
Slooth: Nothing, sir. Like I said, the focus was the inside of the house.
Brendan: (Nothing at all? Slooth, where is your memory today?)
Brendan: (I'm pretty sure I remember at least one other thing being off yesterday …)
Raise an Objection
Say Nothing
Raise an objection.
Brendan: What about the doorstep? I found this cat hair there the other morning.
Brendan: Now, suppose I ran a test on it to determine what breed of cat crossed my lawn. What do you think I'd come up with?
Blue: (arms folded) A waste of time. It's the hair of some stray cat, nothing more.
Brendan: Sorry, Blue. That's not gonna work.
Brendan: I had Detective Slooth run a scan on this hair yesterday. Take a wild guess what it came from.
Blue: Again, Namron, you're wasting our time. Out with it.
Brendan: (Wipe that smug look off your face.) It came from a Purugly.
Blue: … And the significance, Namron, is what?
Brendan: I'll tell you, Blue.
Brendan: (fiercely; close-up shot) This is proof that a cat from a foreign region visited my house!
*chatter in the gallery*
Blue: (visibly sweating) Al … alright. You have a point there, Namron. You had an outside visitor.
Blue: But! A Purugly cannot commit murder like that of this crime! Can you prove it had an owner?
Brendan: (How in the world would a Purugly get here without an owner?)
Brendan: (Regardless, that's not exactly strong ground to tread on. Let's look at the evidence …)
I can prove who owns it
I can't right now
I can't right now
Brendan: As much as I'd like to show you who I think owns the Purugly, I can't prove it to you. (For now, at least.) [music fades out]
Blue: I thought so. Nothing but flimsy assumptions swimming in that head of yours.
Brendan: (We'll soon see …)
Blue: Detective Slooth. I think we're done with discussion of the house's exterior.
Blue: Report on the inside of Mr. Namron's house.
Slooth: Do I have to? …
CROSS EXAMINATION
The Inside
(Music: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations – Cross Examination ~ Moderate 2004)
Slooth: (looking solemn)
Part 1: The inside of the house was untouched for the most part.
Part 2: Only two rooms had any signs of intrusion: Skye's room and Lily's.
Part 3: The murder weapon was definitely taken from Skye's room.
Part 4: Skye's fingerprints were on the knife, too. We didn't find any others.
Recap:
Brendan: (I get this awful feeling that Blue is trying to force Slooth to lie through his teeth.)
Brendan: (What he said just now is so obviously false …)
Skye: (I think it's desperation. Looks to me like his strategy is bluffing. Maybe in hopes he'll throw you off.)
Brendan: (It's not gonna work. You didn't use that knife, but we know who did.)
Brendan: (Blue said yesterday that he might call her as a witness. Let's see if he does …)
Skye: (Go to it, Brendan!) [smiles]
Present Fingerprint Info to Part 4.
OBJECTION! (music stops)
Brendan: Slooth, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that you're being asked to lie.
Slooth: Says who, pal?
Brendan: Says Blue. (pan to him; he's sweating bullets)
Brendan: And I know this because you, Slooth, helped me discover yesterday why your statement just now is false.
Brendan: There was a visitor's fingerprints on the window that weren't there before the night of the crime!
(Music: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney: Announce the Truth 2007)
Blue: A-And just whose prints were those, huh?
Brendan: You would know, Blue. They belong to Sinnoh resident Melissa Surre!
*gallery uproar*
Judge: Order! ORDER! ORDERRRRRR!
Judge: What is the meaning of this? Why am I being left in the dark all of a sudden?
Blue: Your Honor, allow me to explain. Yesterday, I encountered someone who indeed went by the name of Melissa Surre. She seemed … a bit suspicious, so I questioned her.
Blue: I cannot explain why her fingerprints were on Namron's window, but my best offer is that the defendant may have put them there. Perhaps it lifted a print from Ms. Surre's room at the hotel.
Brendan: But that's ridiculous! Skye wasn't there long enough to –
Blue: You forget your own Pokemon, Namron! Are you now saying that it isn't as good of a detective as you've claimed?
Brendan: …
Blue: If it's as good as they say, lifting a proper print would be trivial for a Pokemon like yours. Five seconds, tops.
Blue: Psychically planting it elsewhere would be a piece of cake.
Brendan: Would it, now? I can think of one piece of evidence that'll blow that theory out of the water.
Blue: … Alright. Show it to me. What proves that the defendant couldn't have transferred the prints itself?
Present Knife
Blue: The murder weapon? Explain, Namron.
Brendan: If Skye had plans to murder my mother and was capable of copying, or intended to copy, the fingerprints as you claim,
Brendan: don't you think that she would have copied the prints to this knife as well?
Blue: Gah!
Brendan: Sure, Skye's prints are on here, but she's already explained that she lost track of things and was toying with it during an investigation.
Blue: And I've already explained that it could have used the knife psychically.
Blue: We're going in circles, Namron. What's your point?
Brendan: I'm trying to accuse the true murderer, of course.
Judge: Is … is this true, Mr. Namron?
Brendan: Yes, Your Honor. If it pleases the court, I wish to make an official accusation here and now.
Judge: …. Very well. Who do you believe is the true murderer of Lily Namron?
Present Melissa Surre
Judge: Who – who is that?!
Brendan: That, Your Honor, is Melissa Surre in the photograph. She is a resident of the Sinnoh region.
Brendan: Ten years ago, she was involved in a criminal organization that was well known to the police.
Brendan: That organization was Team Galactic. Melissa … was Mars.
(Music: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney: Pressing Pursuit ~ Cornered 2007)
*gallery chatter*
Judge: *gavel pounding* Order! Order in the court!
Judge: Mr. Namron! Do you realize what you're saying?
Brendan: I am, Your Honor. Mars traveled to this country in order to murder my mother.
Blue: How and why, Namron? It helps if you can back up your theory.
Brendan: I'll get to that, Blue. Out of curiosity, did you happen to bring Mars here for possible testimony?
Blue: !
Brendan: If you would be so kind as to call her to the stand … (music fades)
Blue: … Fine, Namron. I'll play your game.
Blue: Your Honor. I request to remove Detective Slooth from the stand and replace him with my next witness.
Judge: … As you like, Mr. Oak.
[Melissa Surre looks as irritated as ever. Her hair vaguely resembles the style she used back in her days as Mars, but it looks quite frazzled now.]
Melissa: … *scowl*
Blue: Witness, name and occupation.
Melissa: … Melissa Surre. Ex-Galactic.
Melissa: Mister Oak, you assured me that I would not –
Blue: I did not, Ms. Surre. I said it would be unlikely.
Blue: Now, if you would kindly testify to the court how you came into this region and what you did here, we'll have you back off the stand in no time.
Melissa: … Tch, fine.
Skye: (This won't be easy, Brendan.)
Brendan: (I know. I'm going to have to pry the truth from her with everything I've got.)
Brendan: (One clue at a time.)
CROSS EXAMINATION
Visit to Johto
(Music: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Cross Examination ~ Allegro 2001)
Melissa: (slightly irritated)
Part 1: I just … felt like taking a little vacation, that's all.
Part 2: So I took a ship here from Sinnoh.
Part 3: I checked in to the Goldenrod Hotel on the 22nd, a little past noon.
Part 4: I stayed in the hotel a lot of the time. Went out every now and then.
Part 5: I checked out yesterday and was preparing to head home, …
Part 6: … when suddenly I was confronted by the police on suspicion of murder!
Part 7: But, I have nothing to do with it, I swear.
Recap:
Brendan: (Some of this testimony is fine, but the rest feels like a blatant lie.)
Skye: (Got any ideas about where to start?)
Brendan: (A few, but timing is everything.) *wink*
Press Part 3
HOLD IT!
Brendan: So, exactly when did you check in to the Goldenrod Hotel, Ms. Surre?
Melissa: *sigh* 2:00 P.M. exactly. I had a late lunch after that.
Brendan: … I see. And what about after lunch?
Melissa: Spent time in my room. Nothing important.
Brendan: … Oh.
Press Part 4
HOLD IT!
Brendan: Can you tell me what exactly you went out to do?
Melissa: Went shopping. Visited other towns. The usual vacation activities.
Brendan: (… She's being deliberately vague, I think. Should I press her further?)
Press harder.
Let it go.
Press harder:
Brendan: Witness! We can't afford for you to be vague about this! Where did you go during your stay?
Melissa: Ugh, you lawyers are always demanding pointless details! *sigh* On the 23rd I went out to Olivine to enjoy the beach. On the 24th I visited Sprout Tower; the 25th, Mount Silver. Then I packed up to go home.
Blue: Mr. Namron, what is the point here? She went to some of Johto's more notable sites. It tells us nothing!
OBJECTION!
Brendan: Well, Blue, if you, uh, let me finish my questioning, everything will become clear.
Phoenix: (quietly, sarcastically) Way to dance out of that one.
Brendan: (whispering, sincerely) Thanks.
Blue: *sigh* Fine, fine. Continue, witness.
Let it go.:
Brendan: … Oh, okay then. Hope it was, uh, a pleasant stay.
Blue: You will have a very unpleasant stay, Namron, if you don't stop with the babble.
Brendan: *gulp*
Blue: Continue, witness.
Press Part 5
HOLD IT!
Brendan: You checked out yesterday? So, five days if you count the day you checked in?
Melissa: That's right.
Skye: Kinda odd to check in on a Saturday, don't you think?
Brendan: That's not the only thing that's odd …
Present Hotel Record
OBJECTION!
Melissa: *irate* Oh, what is it now?
Brendan: Ms. Surre, let me make sure I have this right. You checked in to the Goldenrod Hotel on Saturday the 22nd, right?
Melissa: Yes.
Brendan: And your checkout was … when?
Melissa: Last night. At 6:00.
Brendan: So, the 26th, then? Wednesday?
Melissa: T-That's right.
Brendan: I see. Why, then, does this official record from the Goldenrod Hotel …
(Music: PW T&T: Pursuit ~ Cornered 2004)
Brendan: say you checked out on the 25th?
Melissa: Hmph. For all we know, that transcript is a fake. You might have typed it up yourself.
Brendan: Do you want to bet a phone call to the hotel on that?
Melissa: …
Brendan: I can easily tell the court why she checked out that day:
Brendan: Because that was the night of the murder!
*gallery chatter*
*gavel pounds thrice*
Judge: Order! Order! Order in the court!
Judge: Mr. Namron, that's a very interesting train of thought you have going,
Judge: but I'm afraid you'll need to lay down some more tracks to get it to the station!
Judge: If Ms. Surre checked out at 6 PM two nights ago, then where did she go next?
Another hotel
Scene of the crime
Friend's house
Somewhere else
Scene of the crime
Brendan: Your Honor, after Melissa checked out of the hotel, she wasted no time getting to her next destination: the scene of the crime.
Brendan: Skye and my mom were working on preparing dinner from around 6:30 to 7:30. During that time, I saw a person I didn't recognize peering into the window. I waved at them.
Brendan: I'm beginning to thing that the person I saw was Melissa Surre herself!
Blue: Namron, need I remind you? Never make an accusation without the proof.
Blue: So, Namron. Where is it? How do you know that it was Melissa there at your window?
Present Fingerprint Info
Brendan: Easy, Blue. She left fingerprints on the kitchen window!
(Music: PW T&T: Pursuit ~ Caught)
*gallery chatter*
Melissa: (silently fuming) …
Skye: (I think you've almost got her! Look, she can't even speak!)
Skye: (Don't let up on the pressure!)
Judge: Order! ORDERRRRRR! ORDER in the COURT!
Judge: Mr. Namron, for the sake of my nerves, please calmly explain what's so easy about this.
Brendan: Your Honor, I believe I have already told the court that I had Detective Slooth check fingerprints that were found on the window to Skye's room,
Brendan: but I fear I failed to mention aloud that I asked his team to check every window.
Brendan: And, as it turns out, there were prints on the outside of multiple windows of my house.
Brendan: It's obvious that Melissa was carelessly using her hands to block the fading light outside and get a better view in!
Melissa: W-Wait.
Brendan: !
Melissa: So you're so dead-set on pinning me as the murderer … Tell me then … how did I enter the house?
Melissa: Every residency in Goldenrod has a deadbolt on all their doors, and it'd be pretty obvious if someone used a Pokemon to get in … So, if I killed your pathetic mother, how did I get in?
Brendan: (… Nobody talks that way about Mom.) This is how!
Present Altered Locks
Brendan: You picked the main lock anyway, Melissa. And then you somehow accomplished the impossible: you removed the deadbolt entirely! Without touching the rest of the door!
Blue: He admits it, Your Honor! It's impossible! Ms. Surre can't have entered the house because she –
OBJECTION!
Brendan: Maybe it's impossible for someone unprepared, Blue, but Melissa was not unprepared.
OBJECTION!
Blue: You just told us that Ms. Surre removed the deadbolt without leaving any evidence of tampering on the door. There is no way, even with a Pokemon, to do such a thing if the door isn't already open!
Brendan: [shakes head, smiles] There is one way, and one way alone.
Brendan: (I think it all comes down to this. Ready to finish this?)
Skye: Yeah.
Phoenix: Let's do it!
Blue: … I'm listening, Namron. How did Melissa Surre get inside your house?
Present Melissa Surre's Profile
[Music stops.]
Brendan: As the court has been told, Melissa Surre is an ex-member of Team Galactic.
Brendan: And, when Melissa was in Team Galactic as Mars, she carried three Pokemon with her:
Brendan: A Purugly, a Crobat, and a Bronzong.
Brendan: Because she had a Crobat, I think it's safe to say that she was, at the very least, attached to her Pokemon. Ergo, she probably still has all three of them to this day.
Melissa: …
Brendan: And, of those three Pokemon, which does the court think might have been the most useful in doing the “impossible” – like, say, removing a deadbolt?
Blue: [alarmed, suddenly realizing] The – the Bronzong –!
Brendan: Exactly.
[Music: Kingdom Hearts re:coded: Namine]
(Melissa looks completely flustered at this point. She reaches underneath the witness stand and pulls out two Pokeballs. Brendan flinches, remembering how his last case ended, but Melissa calmly opens them and sighs. Her Purugly and Bronzong now stand beside her.)
Brendan: (… Not all three.)
Melissa: … You win, Namron. Give it back, Purr.
(The Purugly grabs a small briefcase from behind Melissa with its tail, and drags it over to the defense bench. Blue looks at it curiously.)
Brendan: I know this case … Your Honor, if I may?
Judge: Go ahead.
Blue: Those are … Mrs. Namron's papers …
Brendan: … Yeah. All her criminal research, cherished letters, stuff like that … Lots of information on Team Galactic. (looks at Melissa) This … is what you killed Mom for?
Melissa: … (tears up) No.
Blue: Why, then? What in the world would make you go through all this to kill one simple person?
Brendan: (I wonder … Why has Blue been leaning toward sympathetic all of a sudden? He hasn't been his aggressive self most of the trial …)
Melissa: … I wanted revenge. For what she did to Cyrus.
Skye: (looking at a paper) What she did? She only helped the police track him. She never meant to –
Melissa: – trap him in the Distortion World! Sentenced him to a life all alone, away from us! Her work took him from me, left him to die …!
Skye: … He was evil, Melissa. He wanted to erase us all and start his own world.
Melissa: I would have let him! I was the only one on the team who understood how he felt, what made him happy … All I wanted was for him to be happy …
Melissa: And then that kid came one day. He was always in our way, already prepared to stop every little thing we did … And in the end, he and the police cornered us, drove Cyrus into the Distortion World, and left him to die there …
Melissa: I quit the team and fled, got arrested, broke out, and did everything I could to open the portal again … But nothing I did worked. Cyrus never came back. So I traced the police investigation to its mastermind – Lily Namron.
Brendan: My mom.
Melissa: I found out from one of the locals that she went here, took a private boat, and waited.
Skye: You felt that someone had to be blamed. You couldn't find the Trainer, so you went with – as you saw it – the next-best thing.
Melissa: … I did.
Brendan: … Melissa, … you'll never get anywhere by pinning the blame on others.
Brendan: I mean, yes … you k-killed my mother. *sniff* But … even if I wanted to get revenge on you … it wouldn't make things better. It'd probably make me feel worse.
Brendan: But ... I'm not saying I forgive you. Just … letting you know.
Skye: … Brendan, I found something in the suitcase. Here …
Melissa: I … I've read everything in there. I don't need to hear it.
Brendan: I don't think you've read this.
Blue: *sigh* Make it quick.
Brendan:
“Dear Cyrus,
“I do not know if I will be able to write you any more letters. The time has come that we must put an end to your scheming.
“We have drifted apart over the years; this has been my greatest fear since the dawn of my youth. We are enemies by virtue of the law. Heed my warning: The International Police are closing in. You will be stopped.
“My only wish is to see you smiling again with the few friends you had.
“Yours truly, Lily.”
[Music: Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth: Reminiscence ~ KG-8 Case]
Brendan: (narrating) Melissa was crying when they removed her from the courtroom. Not even Skye could bring a smile to her face when the judge declared her
N O T G U I L T Y .
Brendan: I took Skye and Phoenix by the Goldenrod Grill for lunch. It had been a long trial, and they had earned it as much as anyone.
Brendan: Phoenix wolfed everything down, as usual. Skye nibbled at her food. I couldn't eat at all. We eventually took the leftovers home.
Brendan: They had already removed Mom's body and cleaned up the mess. Skye and Phoenix went to their rooms, and later Skye left for the police station. I collapsed on the couch, and didn't get up for a long time.
Brendan: My fact was wet when I woke up. Skye and Phoenix were standing next to me, expressions unreadable. Skye said something to me. I'm not sure I remember what. All I know is that I hugged her for all I was worth and cried for several minutes.
[Music: Pokemon Black and White versions: Sayonara]
The funeral was Sunday evening. The entire investigation team, Slooth, Silver, all my friends, Mom's relatives, and my dad … they were all there. I remember they played Above All. I can still see the moment they lowered her casket into the ground. I remember being offered a lot of food and eating almost none of it; although we rarely had to worry about leftovers.
And when all the gathered mourning and reminiscing was done … I wasn't sure what to do.
I thought about turning in my badge at one point. Skye would have none of that, of course.
Skye: You know Lily wouldn't want that. We all should keep going.
Brendan: … Yeah. Yeah, we should.
I'll keep going, Mom. I know you're proud of me. Thanks for everything, and …
… goodbye.
T H E E N D
of case 2.
Author's Note: If you had trouble figuring it out, Skye made up with the police department on her own, and asked them to help pay for the funeral as a favor. Brendan cried for a few minutes when she relayed the outcome.
