Summary: A PG rated one shot playing with my head-cannon that Franziska from Ace Attorney is Fantina's daughter.
Hello From The Other Side
Daughter
Franziska was the youngest child of the late veteran prosecutor, Manfred von Karma and Fantina, Pokemon Kalos League Champion. She believed that she had a perfect childhood until one day her mother left home and never came back.
They both wanted nothing but the best for Franziska. Everything was always of the highest quality from the private tutors after school to the stylish clothes and artistic style of the von Karma residence.
Both of her parents had taught Franziska not to cry but in different manners. Fantina told Franziska not to cry because tomorrow was another day, whilst her father believed that crying was a sign of weakness.
She had found out on a social media site that her mother was the new gym leader of Hearthome City down in Sinnoh. With her studies abroad and her father keeping a hawk's eye on her she never got a chance to contact her mother while her father was still alive.
Five years since her father had died, and she had estimated that she had called her mother a thousand times. Whenever Franziska called by her mother's gym, it was always closed.
"Time will heal," Manfred announced with his legs crossed on his armchair. Franziska could never forget the grin on Manfred's face the day he realised that Fantina would never return. "She did us a favour, my sweet child. Imperfections have no place in this family."
Franziska thought that she had gotten over her mother. She had taken a huge gamble at the age of thirteen and started her career as a prosecutor with the supervision of her legendary father. She would take no prisoners and was not afraid to show her authority with any means possible: including whipping any she considered non-compliant.
Nearly fifteen years from now she still dreamt of the times when she went to the cinema on Sunday afternoons and evenings at the karaoke bar with her mother after nursery.
No matter what the press said about Fantina and Manfred, and regardless of what they thought of each other, they were still her parents and she loved them both regardless.
Off all the biggest sacrifices she made for her career, losing her parents was the hardest to recover from. When her mother left, Manfred said that she would always have her father for all eternity. Even though she knew that Fantina was still alive, she felt as if she lost her the moment that she walked out on her.
With everything in mind, she fondled her phone. She knew the chances of Fantina picking up the phone was zilch, but she couldn't resist. She had to try and ring her just one more time. Fantina's heart thumped in time with the phone beeps. After a dozen beeps Franziska wasn't sure weather to put the phone down or leave a voice message.
"Hello?"
Franziska gasped and her arms shook like jelly. She jumped towards the side of the wall and whispered, "Mama..."
Mother
Fantina wanted to explode with tears of joy. She never got the chance to pick up her phone and speak to her daughter because she was either busy, asleep or away in an area with no signal. She missed the sweet sound of her daughter's voice, it was much more huskier and more mature now, but it felt so right.
"Je suis tellement désolé pour not talking to you for so long," Fantina responded from the bottom of her heart. She could tell there were tears on the other side of the phone and the tears just naturally fell.
"Mama I feel so weak," Franziska sobbed. "Crying like this is so foolish."
"Ma chère fille," Fantina muttered. She pressed the phone harder against her ear. "Cry if you must. It is not a sign of weakness. C'est a sign of being strong for too long. Pourquoi don't you come and see me at moi gym."
"You're always away when I visit," Franziska responded. "I felt like you were trying to avoid me on purpose."
Fantina hated leaving her daughter behind, but she felt as if she had no choice. Behind closed doors, she was the victim of domestic abuse. When she was offered a position as gym leader in Sinnoh, she saw it as her ticket to freedom. She knew how much being a prosecutor meant for Franziska, so that was the main reason why she left her with her father.
Fantina was still in contact with her eldest daughter and was delighted to see that her granddaughter participated in pokemon contests with her growlithe nicknamed Phoenix. Neither had heard from Franziska because of her long hours at work and the little time Franziska has off.
"Ça va?" Fantina asked. "Je t'aime... toujours. Don't forget that, s'il vous plaît?"
"What happened between you and Papa?" Franziska asked. "Why did you just get up and leave?"
Fantina always thought she was doing what was best for Franziska. The night before she left, Manfred had called her worthless for no longer being the champion and that she was worthless as a mother.
She was wrong to let a man destroy her self-esteem like that, but he's gone, he can't hurt her no more.
"C'est la vie," Fantina responded. "Even if you love each other, sometimes it's for the best to go your own way. But you are strong, mon cheri, and I know you will be the best prosecutor there ever was."
After a long pause, Franziska decided to end the phone call with a heart-warming whisper, "Merry Christmas, Mama."
The call ended but outside the window was a tall lady with aqua hair that gazed upon Fantina at the window. Fantina opened the window and screamed at the top of her voice, "JOYEUX NOËL!"