Basil the Delphox: Ace Attorney

Case 1: The Starters Tunabout

Time: 9:37 PM

Muladhara plaza

Neves Studio and Boutique

The sun was setting on the capital town of Muladhara. Pokemon who were once wandering around searching for places to shop in the commercial district began to head home in the residential area for the night. The shops themselves were closing down for the night, inventory was being taken, profits being recorded and money put away. However, the owner of this particular, small clothing store was not having a good night as a loud, piercing shriek rang out from it. An Alolan Vulpix darted out the front door, looking around in panic, already a nearby Gallade soldier was there to ask about what's wrong. During her explanation, a nearby Alolan Meowth wearing a scarf around their mouth pointed to a Fennekin who was snickering and… trying to hide. Their big bushy tail, and a deep violet hat on their head however gave them away, thus they were descended upon almost immediately. The Vulpix seemed to recognize a piece of headwear they had on, before accusingly pointing at the Fennekin. The accusation stunned the Fennekin, who was restrained by the solider. With no other immediate evidence to go off of aside from what the Vulpix said, the Fennekin was taken away to be held in the detention center. The unfortunate Vulpix downtrodden as they walked back inside while the complaints and proclamations of innocence echoed through the night.

During all the commotion, the Alolan Meowth walked away nonchalantly, holding a deep violet, and ornately decorated fascinator in front of them before disappearing into the night.

Time: 8:36 Am

Muladhara residential area

Abel's house

"Oh Eleanor!" Came the loud cry of a certain chipper Delphox, earning a groan from the glasses wearing Braixen. Putting down her book down to look to the one addressing her. "Oh? What's that you're reading?" He asked as he looked at the cover of the rather thick, heavy looking book.

"Well, I figured I'd read up on the town while we are here, the history of this place and all that… Anyways, what do you need? Is it something urgent?" Eleanor sounded… less than pleased form having been torn away from her reading, the book resting on her lap as she looked at her excitable companion.

"Well, sorta… I made something yesterday and I wanted you to see. Ta-da!" Basil reached into his fur robe sleeve, and had something in his paw. Eleanor couldn't help but lean in a bit to see what it was he wanted to present to her. Her curiosity wouldn't last once it was revealed however.

"Uh… A piece of cardboard?" She sounded somewhat incredulous as she examined the small, circular piece of brown compressed paper. "Oh, with a… symbol drawn on with marker?"

"Eleanooor, you don't recognize it? From that one sharply dressed Pokemon we met the other day, with the spiky hair. He had a badge like this, but shiny like gold." Basil explained, his smile staying on his face as he affixed it to his chest.

"So you made your own cheap, knockoff version? How'd you get it to stick like that anyways?" Eleanor pointed at the badge, from what she saw there wasn't anything to affix it to his uniform. Yet, somehow, there it sat on his chest like a badge proper.

"Oh, that's easy, I just used some glue, works like a charm." Basil cheerfully replied. This response simply made Eleanor pause for a second before she would bother to continue.

"I see… Well okay then…" Eleanor narrowed her eyes, before returning to her book. "Whatever, Not like anyone will believe it's real." She muttered under her breath before realizing Basil was already heading outside. In a rush, she slammed her book shut and ran after him.

"Oh hey Eleanor, want to join me in exploring this place some more?" Basil greeted his Braixen companion a she glared at him from her brief sprint.

"Didn't you do enough exploration already? We wasted a whole day wandering around. We are supposed to wait here for Abel to take us to visit the king you know." Eleanors complaining fell on deaf ears as Basil was already making a Combee line towards the plaza with no hesitation or deviation.

Time: 8:41 AM

Muladhara commercial district.

Town Plaza.

"True… but look at that! That's new! Something happened there! Let's check it out!" He proclaimed, pointing at what seemed like soldiers investigating some sort of store. Eleanor huffed as the Delphox started to run to it, and thus she did as well to stay close.

"Basil, this is a crime scene. We should be staying away from it."

"Aww, but it can't hurt to look right?" Basil pleaded, not noticing the odd looks some of the investigating soldiers were giving him. Namely, the gazes that fell onto the crude, cardboard badge adorning his Vest. Eleanor was far more perceptive, already trying to push Basil away.

"Hey Eleanor, you think they caught the guy who did it? Hey why are you pushing me away?" Basil's whines were interrupted as rather imposing Arcanine walked up to him, their size made all the more intimidating considering they were standing on two legs. Practically towering over the two. "Oh hello sir, or Ma'am!" His cheerful greeting contrasted greatly with Eleanor's sudden bout of nervousness at facing this intimidating figure, even if her outfit was, rather unusually, an extremely formal suit shirt. Contrasting greatly with the uniformed soldiers that patrolled the area, she looked more at home in an office, or in a courtroom than she did here.

"That's Ma'am to you pal… You don't know what happened here? I'd have thought word would have spread by now …" She could barely be heard muttering under her breath, earning a look of confusion from Eleanor, and curiosity from Basil. "Well, I'm not qualified to tell you everything, especially as the details come in. All you need to know that they already apprehended the prime suspect, a Braixen, suspected of stealing something extremely valuable from the store here. The details on the item are unknown, but the evidence points to them being the one who did it, there was even an eyewitness. The trial is scheduled to begin today I believe." The Arcanine spoke with quite an air of authority to them, before sighing. "Pretty young too… What are they growing up to become these days…" She muttered before walking away to seemingly investigate more. Basil was rather frozen in thought at hearing that last sentence, with Eleanor capitalizing on this to rather literally push the Delphox away.

"There! We explored, we got info, now let's go before we get dragged into this mess!" Eleanor hissed, but it was fruitless as the turning gears in Basil's head drowned out her words.

"Wow, a real live trial? You think they'll let us watch?" His enthusiasm at the idea of watching a trial unnerved Eleanor a bit, but more than anything she was annoyed that they would face yet another diversion.

"What? No! Now lets go." Despite Eleanors urgent insistence, Basil was already asking a nearby, young Nicket manning a rather crude lemonade stand for directions. "Oh come on!" Eleanor whined as the Delphox was moving to what she assumed was the courtroom, briefly pausing to pick up a pink bowler hat that seemed to have been dropped and left behind. Running after him in the hopes of possibly… but most likely not, talking him out of this little side quest he is getting himself involved in.

9:47 AM

District Court

Main Entrance

"Wow! I've never been to a real court before!" Basil said in awe as he arrived at the rather simple, but nonetheless formally carved entrance doors to what he assumed was the building where court hearings were held. At least, that's what all the shows made it seem.

"Basil! Come on! We have other, more important things to do!" Eleanor huffed once she caught up. "We arrived, you got to see it, now let's go!"

"But Eleanor! We just got here, I want to know more about this trial. I mean, what if it's important?" Basil pleaded, gesturing at the building. "Besides, this is important! What if they are innocent? We should be there to see what happens and what things are like if we plan on staying, including the law around here." Basil continued to try and persuade Eleanor to allow this. This, surprisingly, caused Eleanor to pause in consideration. His excitement at the possibility could practically be seen in his eyes.

"Well… it is important to be informed… Fine, but only for a little bit okay? Then we leave to meet the king." Even with her stern tone of voice, Basil practically squeed with joy as he darted inside. All Eleanor could give in response was a sigh. "Oh, I hope this wasn't a mistake…"

9:54 AM

District Court

Waiting lobby

"Who knew courtrooms could be so… cold…" Basil shivered as the chill air of the interior hit him. His fire typing made the contrast all the more noticeable, even Eleanor gave a smaller, more restrained one as she entered.

"It's about what I expect… Now, do we talk to someone or?" Eleanor looked around, the only doors there each had a soldier of a different species guarding it, as well as an Espeon manning the front counter, busily working away at a small pile of papers. Basil hopping over to greet them, not noticing the small jump of surprise given once he did so.

"Hey! My friend and I are here about the trial today! The one with the Fennekin." Basil happily explained, giving a wide smile as Eleanor looked rather bored. The Espeon looked the two over, gaze resting on that badge on his vest, before taking out a particular piece of paper.

"Hmm… You are… here for the Larceny case with… Vesta the Fennekin?" They would ask, earning a quick nod from Basil as their eyes narrowed. Squinting as if examining the Delphox's outfit, they shrugged as they then looked over to Eleanor "I assume she is with you as well."

"I'm not sure what you mean by that… But yes to both! I'm Basil, and she's Eleanor!" Basil eagerly agreed, to which Eleanor's ears perked up.

"Uh, actually-" Before Eleanor could get any more words out, a Zoroark was already there making her jump back a bit by their sudden presence.

"Dant- Uh, Bailiff… Show these two to the lobby please." The Espeon correct herself before turning her attention back to the paperwork, busily stamping and signing away at it… If rather sloppily, considering her position.

"Alright, follow me to the lobby." They plainly stated with a rather bored tone, leading the pair to a set of more fanciful wooden doors. "He's waiting in there, the trail will start shortly… I hope for his sake you two know what you are doing." A look of concern flashed on Eleanors face as she passed by the Zoroark muttering this statement. Once inside, the Bailiff shut the door behind them with a startingly loud slam. The two of them looked around this strange room, it was pretty plain, another set of doors at the opposite end of this room. Before the two could look around more they heard a loud cry.

"It's over! My life, everything, it's all over!" Some almost childish whining and crying was heard off to the side. Making the two quickly turn to look at the source. A small fennekin sat on a simple chair, not having noticed the two as they kept up their whines. "Death! Despair! Ohhhh! I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna die!" They continued, both Eleanor and Basil looked at this younger looking Fennekin rather confused. Why were they going on about death at a trail they were gonna watch? For that matter, who let this child in here in the first place?

"Uh… what's with this small… lost child?" Eleanor muttered to Basil, who simply shrugged before slowly stepping over to the Fennekin. Once they finally noticed him, they seemed a bit startled, before looking them over.

"Hey there… Uh, little guy. I'm Basil! Who might you be?" Basil had a big, warm smile on his face as he addressed this strange Fennekin. They seemed to relax a bit at the sight of him, if not entirely.

"Um… I'm Vesta…" They plainly stated, making Eleanor flinch back in surprise. Hastily running over to grab Basil's arm and pull him away. Or at least, she tried, but the bigger Phox wasn't budging away.

"Vesta huh? That's a nice name… sounds kind of familiar…" He muttered as the Fennekin, Vesta, looked him over. Their eyes practically lit up once they spotted the badge adorning his chest.

"Oh! You are here to defend me! Oh thank you thank you Thank you! I thought nobody was gonna come!" Now it was Basil's turn to flinch back in shock at this statement. Defend them? Defend them from what, the law? He wasn't a lawyer, or attorney, or whatever they were called here. Maybe they were just confused… Eleanor capitalized on this opportunity to finally pull him away to talk to him.

"Basil! Do you not know where we are?" Basil shot her a confused look at this question, the concern very evident on his face.

"Uh… the visitors waiting room to sit at the stands and watch the case?" It took way more effort than it should have for Eleanor to not snap at him, face palm, or do both at the same time.

"Basil… we are in defense lobby!"

10:09 AM

District Court

Defendant Lobby No. 2

"Whaaaaaat!?" Basil yelled much louder than expected, startling Eleanor who was unfortunate enough to be right next to him, and causing Vesta to look at the two as they were huddled away.

"Um… You two are here to defend me right? You have that badge." Vesta pointed at Basil, who looked down at his cardboard badge, feeling a small sense of giddiness from how pokemon seemed to believe it to be real. "And you must be his aide!" This statement earned a gasp from Eleanor, who almost seemed to take offense at this statement. "I've seen enough of these to know how it works… I think." It was strange how all that concern and anxiety they showed minutes earlier was practically gone now.

"Uh… yeah! Of course, I'm just… going over it with my aide is all!" Basil was quick to interpose himself between the clearly annoyed Eleanor, and the smiling Vesta. "But uh, just to be sure we got the right details… Why are you here again?" Basil asked as he avoided eye contact now.

"Well… They think I stole something important from someone. But I didn't! I don't even know what the something is, and I'm not a thief anyways!" Vesta whined a bit more before stopping themselves, Basil's gaze dropping down to him again. "But that's why you are here! To prove that I didn't do it, right?" The little Fennekin looked so hopeful, Basil could practically feel his heart melt at seeing them before turning away to talk to Eleanor with a semblance of privacy.

"Eleanor, we have to defend him." Basil stated with a rather uncharacteristic air of seriousness in his tone, one that conveyed that he wasn't going to budge.

"What? We just met him, and you aren't even entirely sure of how things work here. For all we know it's trial by combat!" Eleanor complained at Basil's rather rash, to her anyways, decision. Even knowing it was futile, she was going to try anyways.

"I know, but look at him! I know he couldn't have done it. And… I don't know, I feel like he's just someone we should help, you know?" Basil's sheepish smile and awkward shrug to try and justify why earned an unamused glare from Eleanor. Where did all that seriousness and bravado from before go?

"Ugh, fine… But you are the one with the badge, so you do all the talking, got it?" Eleanor sternly said, quickly covering her ears to protect them from Basil's loud cheer.

"YES! Don't worry Vesta, we'll get you that… uh, not guilty verdict! I mean, how hard can it be right?" His enthusiasm was quite infectious, to the point even Eleanor couldn't help but give a small smile. Maybe they could actually pull this off.

"Yeah… Maybe… Of course, with my help and knowledge, we should be fine." That enthusiasm was already beginning to waver, not helped when the Zoroark from before stepped in suddenly.

"Alright, I hope you've had enough time to prepare your case, the trail's about the start. The Judge wants you up there now." His tone was as bored as before, like he's done this many times. The three fire types exchanging a glance between all of them, Basil was the first to walk up to the Dark Type.

"Y-yeah… We are ready, let's go." Basil's own grin was shaky as he was led to the opposing doors. They opened up to reveal the courtroom proper, composed entirely of wood, it was a bit small with the gallery to the sides, the prosecutors, and defense benches opposing each other before the Judge's table, and witness stand. Vesta hopped off the chair, but a gesture from the Zoroark made them pause in their tracks.

"Not you defendant, you'll wait here until you are needed. You two, follow me to the courtroom." With that, the two evolved fire types went inside, and took their positions at the defense's side.

10:20 AM

District Court

Courtroom No. 2

Taking their place at the defense bench, the two couldn't help but notice the prosecutor was absent.

"Hey, uh, Eleanor… Isn't there supposed to be someone over there?" Basil leaned over to ask his aide, hands clasping together to stifle the jittering they were currently engaged in.

"Well… From what I read it's pretty similar to what trainers did… The main difference here is that speed is prioritized, cases are usually done in a few days… But other than that it's just, make an argument for your client, give evidence, all that stuff." Eleanor explained while Basil looked around to examine their surroundings. Aside from the Bailiff who escorted them in, the place was completely empty.

"Um… Excuse me, where is everyone?"Basil asked the Zoroark Bailiff, who gave a small shrug in response.

"The Judge should be here momentarily… Ah, there he is." As if on que, footsteps could be heard walking into the room. Climbing up the Judge's bench, the defense duo looked over to see who would be presiding over the case. Sitting there was a Delphox, albeit, this one had a light purple fur and rimless glasses adorning their face.

"Wow, he looks like royalty… One could probably mistake him for a prince or king of some sort." Basil joked to a less than amused Eleanor.

"Focus Basil! We need to make a good impression!" Eleanor hissed at him as she fixed her own glasses and fur. Making herself look as neat, professional, and presentable as possible.

"But he seems nice, besides, why do we have to be so serious? This could be fun!" Basil cheerfully proclaimed while the Judge seemed to be getting some court staff organized.

"It's not supposed to be fun, it's-"

"Fun in the courtroom? I wish things could be that way, especially with how many I've presided over." The judge Delphox finally spoke up, looking over at the two from atop the judge's bench. Though the sight was… less than ideal, Basil's bold look having vaporized in an instant as he struggled to compose himself. Even Eleanor seemed quite anxious under his gaze while he adjusted his glasses once more.
"Say, I haven't seen you two here before… Are you new?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

"YES! Y-yes… I'm new, it's… my first case actually! Yeah, haha…" Basil's sheepish chuckles earned another confused look from the purple furred Delphox. Prompting Eleanor to lightly jab his side to get him to slow down.

"Come on Basil, where's that bravery from before? You can't show weakness, especially once the Prosecutor gets here!" Eleanor's stern words and solid tone helped Basil focus with a shake of his head.

"I see… Well, while we wait for the prosecutor… Are there any matters that need to be addressed before the trial starts proper?" Basil thought about this question, what else would be needed? They know the defendant, the crime they were being accused of…

"Oh! Yeah, uh… What evidence is there? I uh… lost my notes on the way, haha…" Were they not before the judge at this moment, Eleanor would have facepalmed. Both because Basil just asked that question to the judge of all people, but also because they completely forgot to prepare for the trail. A fact that was not lost on the Judge either.

"Ah… Well, in the name of a fair trial, I suppose you should have the evidence necessary to make your case. Bailiff! Bring them the most recent copy of the court record!" Within seconds of the command, the Zoroark quickly walked before their desk. Having dropped off a file plainly labelled "evidence".
"I advise you two study up before the Prosecutor arrives." They continued once the record had been delivered

"Of course your Honor." Eleanor gave a small bow in thanks before hurriedly opening the file.
"Come on Basil, we don't have much time…" She urged to the Delphox who was on top of Opening and reading through the evidence, and profiles.

Court record

Evidence

Case details

Information on the when, where, and who of the crime. Vesta the Fennekin allegedly broke into Neve's studio and stole an outfit. The crime is alleged to have taken place between 8:30 PM and 9:30 PM, when the victim was away from her studio.

Burned lock

A cheap, unlocked, singed black combination lock found on the street, this specific model is infamous for being easy to lockpick. The bottom has the combination "7037" on it, an addendum indicates this is not the unlock combination. The silver luster has been masked beneath the soot that now brands it. It otherwise looks untouched.

Back entrance door

This wooden door is located at the back, serving as an entrance to stairs leading to a studio on the second floor. It was found open with no lock on it despite having a section specifically for padlocks. It has no signs of having taken damage of any kind and makes no noise when being opened.

Mysterious outfit

The stolen item, no photographs exist of it for it hasn't made a public debut yet. Neves never took a photo or showed anyone in order to keep it a surprise from the public, however it apparently consisted of loose robes meant to compliment the natural fur ones of a Delphox, and even had a hat as well. Extremely valuable and important.

Yellow-orange fur

Strands of fur found scattered inside of Neve's studio on the way to where the outfit was kept. Its length and color matches that of Fennekin and Braixen, however its consistency and the presence of a gel makes it difficult to pinpoint which species it belongs to exactly. However, the placement of it implies it hadn't been disturbed since it was there.

Having read up on what evidence there was, Basil's ears perked up with an idea.

"Hey, Eleanor… did that book you read say anything about us adding our own evidence? I feel like this hat I found earlier may be important." Basil revealed the pink, rounded hat he passed by earlier that was tucked away in his sleeve.

"Well.. From what I read the most relevant part is that it must be relevant to the case on hand. I don't think it is right now… But keep it hidden just in case it's important later, we need every advantage we can get." Eleanor noted as she moved the evidence aside to examine the profiles of who they are dealing with next.

Mystery hat

Found on the way to the court from the crime scene, hidden behind some trash cans. Its striking pink color and high quality materials gives it an expensive, almost royal feel and look. Such hats are not ordinarily found in the region.

Court record

Profiles

Neves

An Alolan Vulpix Seamstress, and the victim of larceny. Was working on a major, very important project that was stolen around completion time.

Wilhelm

An Alolan Meowth, and eyewitness of the case. Claims to have bear witness to the accused behavior during the time of the larceny, and is the main Eyewitness for the case. Wears a snazzy scarf at all times.

Vesta

A Fennekin, and the defendant of the case. Claims that all they did was play a harmless prank, and doesn't know anything about an outfit. Looks and acts younger than they probably are.

Vincent AKA "Vince"

A Braixen, the prosecutor for the case. Brags about his unbroken win streak, but never gives an exact number. For sure within the single digits. This is his first high-priority case in his career.

"This… isn't a lot to go off of…" Eleanor muttered at how little there was. Almost surprised that one could be convicted with so little to go off of.

"Well, Vesta is innocent, so this will be more than enough to prove it! Watch, I'll make it work!" Basil confidently stated.

"Ah, you sure are confident. But I must warn you the prosecutor is known for a clean streak of convictions… even if that isn't a very high number." The Judge warned the two before having something be whispered into their ear by the Zoroark Bailiff.
"Ah, speaking of, I hope you two learned enough and have your case ready, the Prosecutor has arrived." The judge explained, whispering something back to the Zoroark before sitting up.

"Alright Basil, the moment of truth, once the case starts we need to be careful with what we do. You know what to do right?" Eleanor wearily asked, complete with looking over towards the Delphox for his response.

"Yes, of course… Argue back, use my evidence… Uh, what else" Eleanor sighed at the question.

"Well, when the Witnesses are up there testifying, you cross examine them. Listen to what they say, and if something doesn't match up, point it out, preferably with evidence."

"Right, got it…" Basil huffed, fingers tapping on the table as doors opening could be heard. Stepping from what he assumed was the prosecutors lobby, a sharply dressed Braixen stepped out. Clad in a striking black, formal shirt over a pure white undershirt. His tie neatly hanging from around his neck, he clearly meant business. Eleanor was already glaring at them as they took their spot at the prosecutor's bench. A fanged grin present at their face as they leaned on the desk, looking at their opposition with a very smug look in their eyes. Basil felt some sweat form on his head, with how confident this Braixen looked, it was almost like they had already won as they set down their own copy of the court record.

"Pfft~ Pitting me against these newbies, may as well deliver the guilty verdict already your honor." Basil could already tell from their tone that he did not like them one bit. That smug, pretentious tone, it was one he was all too familiar with now, his hand going to the bandages that encased his burned arm. He could still feel the dull stinging of them. Eleanor was practically growling at them. Growling that was stopped at the sound of a Gavel hitting wood, making everyone there turn to face the judge.

"That's enough Vince, regardless of how this all looks, we must proceed as normal and allow the defense to present their case." They sounded less than pleased by Vince's behavior, their tone carrying a tired familiarity of having dealt with this before… Multiple times.

"Oh fine 'Juan'… I mean, your honor." Vince chuckled at his "slip up", putting a lot of emphasis on their name and earning a glare from the Judge… Juan who otherwise stayed silent about it.

"Well, with all matters taken care of, we may begin the trail for the Larceny case of Vesta the Fennekin." With a bang on the gavel, the air took a turn for the serious, now was the time to focus. For one wrong move here could end up with a Fennekin feeling the harsh sting of the law.
"Vince, the prosecution may call its first witness to the stand."

"I would like to call the defendant, Vesta, to the stand your honor." Even with the case having been started proper, Vince's tone didn't shift at all. The accused Fennekin was brought in by the Bailff, and sat down on a (step)ladder to be able to look above the witness stand. As this was happening Basil looked over to Eleanor, as if seeking advice.

"Eleanor, what do I do once he starts speaking?" Basil's worry was not very well hidden as he asked. Watching Vesta get ready to give his testimony.

"Just listen and pay attention to the details, listen for anything that can help. You'll be able to argue with the prosecutor later, for now focus on getting ammo to fight with. I just… really hope he doesn't say anything too incriminating…" Basil gave a nod in return as he glared over at Vince, who simply gave a cocky smile in return. Eleanor was too busy looking over at Vesta to notice, gritting her teeth in preparation for what the nervous looking Fennekin would say.

"Defendant, please state your name for the court." Vince asked with a surprisingly straightforward tone… Even if his expression didn't hide his confidence.

"Uh, well… I'm Vesta, Vesta the Fennekin… And I didn't do anything! Come on, you know I didn't do it, right Ju-" Vesta cried out, looking up at the Judge as if recognizing him, before pausing suddenly. Narrowing his eyes at them, making the Judge shift in place from their gaze.

"Uh… Do you need something Witness?" He asked, making the defense look at him incredulously. This was the judge presiding over the case? For someone meant to deliver a harsh verdict, he sure cowed easily.

"N-no… I just thought…" Vesta coughed, sitting back in place with an eerily serious look on his face. Glaring at the Judge, before sighing once the gavel was hit.

"A-anyways… Thank you witness. The prosecution may now begin to question the witness." The judge's commanding tone returned. If a bit shakier than before now.

"Gladly… Witness!" Vince slammed his paws down onto the desk, making the small Fennekin jump a little in surprise from the loud noise. "Are you familiar with Neves, and the location where the crime took place?"

"Uh, well… I've been there once or twice with my brother, but I don't think I've ever met Neves… Why?" Vesta innocently asked, before jumping again as Vince slammed his desk once more. Eleanor groaned softly after this question, as if she already knew where it was headed.

"So you are familiar with the location. And where you there the night of the theft?" He continued. Even Basil seemed concerned, looking over to Eleanor while Vesta was hesitating.

"I don't think we are going to like his answer… Should I stop Vince or something?" He asked just as Vince slammed his desk once more. Yelling to try and get an answer from Vesta.

"We can't, trying to stop him will get us in trouble… Just stay calm Basil, let him do his thing, then we will find a way to counter it, alright?" Eleanor's reassuring helped Basil calm down a bit. But that gnawing feeling of concern wasn't going away so easily as Vesta seemed to cave in.

"Well… Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't. Can you even prove anything? I know I don't need to speak if I don't want to, after all. I can just not testify… in fact, I will!" Vesta smirked with this non-answer, acting like he just outsmarted the prosecution. Though a single glance at Vince's sharp toothed grin made it glaringly obvious that this is exactly what was expected. Paired with a digit of his paw twirling some strands of hair atop his head, looking so smug there.

"Too afraid to answer honestly huh? If you were innocent, you'd have nothing to fear. But trying to evade responsibility like this is something only a criminal would do!" Vince's proclamation seemed to ring true with the Judge. Who simply nodded in understanding. Basil clenched his teeth as things were just getting worse. He seemed ready to try and object to this, the only thing holding him back was a tug and shaking of the head from Eleanor.

"Well, if the defendant refuses to testify, which they are within their right to do, what will you do now prosecutor?" Basil asked in an attempt to put some pressure on the smug Prosecutor as Vesta kept his mocking grin all the same. Vince however simply flicked and played with the strands of hair atop his head, an even more smug smile present on his face.

"That's simple newbie. The prosecution has a Witness who can testify that the defendant was at the crime scene!" Vince proclaimed as Basil winced. Knowing that this would make the situation go from as bad as it already is to being much worse.

"Well, this makes things much simpler. Who is the witness you wish to call?" Juan's gaze fell onto Vince, who gave a nonchalant shrug before playing with their hair strands some more.

"Simple your honor. My witness was at the scene when the defendant was taken into custody. Not only that, he saw the defendant in the area prior to the crime happening as well! And he was in the area during the time it happened!"Vince boldly proclaimed to the court. Mutters and murmurs could be heard at this revelation.

"Oh this is bad…" Was all Basil could think as he watched Vince's smug expression grow a little more.

"At the time the crime allegedly occurred, my witness was waiting in the area, having been wanting to go inside to make a purchase. Your honor, I call Wilhelm to the stand!" With that proclamation, Vesta was led away. Fortunately, he cooperated with the Zoroark Bailiff, to which the comparably small Wilhelm was brough in. The Alolan Meowth also needing to use the step ladder. They didn't seem all that amused to be there, idly fiddling with his scarf wrapped around his neck, hiding half his face.

"I hope you called me here for a good reason…" They glared at a chuckling Vince, who was dismissing their obvious distaste for being here with a casual wave.

"But of course. Mr. Wilhelm, will you please recount to the court what you saw around the time of the arrest?" At this, Basil looked over at Eleanor while Wilhlem seemed to be taking a moment to recount the events.

"I think Wilhelm will actually deliver a full testimony… what do I do?" Basil's panicked voice, matching expression, and jittering drew a curious gaze from Juan. As well as a facepalm from Eleanor.

"Listen to the testimony, press him for more information if you feel like you have to, and be ready to object with evidence if you spot a testimony. Got it?" Eleanor's stern voice made Basil freeze and nod. Turning to look at Vince, their smug grin plastered on their face. His cocky look meeting Basil's determined one, Juan shifting in place from the suddenly intense atmosphere, even Wilhelm paused. The courtroom was silent as the two phoxes held their gaze in intense rivalry, to prove who was better in the battle in the court of law. Eleanor joined in as well, albeit, her look was one of disdain and contempt more than anything.

"W-well… Wilhelm… You may begin if you are ready." Juan anxiously said, wanting this intense aura to fizzle out.

"Right, of course your honor." The two phoxes turned to look at Wilhelm, listening in on his testimony.

"Alright Basil. This is the moment of truth, remember. Listen to the testimony, keep a ear open for any inconsistencies, and if you need to, press for more information. Understand?" Eleanors voice was almost hostile as she glared at Basil, before turning her attention to Vince. All Basil could muster was a weak "okay" and nod.

Witness Testimony

- Witness's Account -

"Just hanging around"

"Well, for a start, the time was… I believe a quarter past nine?" Wilhelm nonchalantly shrugged, but just before he could continue…

"HOLD IT!" Came the sudden yelling from the Defense. Everyone's attention was brought to the source at the defense's bench. The cause? Basil, who slammed their good arm down onto the desk, glaring with determination at Wilhelm. Though almost immediately after he shrank down from all the stares he was receiving. From Eleanors confused look, Wilhelm's stare of indignation at being interrupted so suddenly, Vince's gaze of unamused indifference, and Juan's wide eyed surprise. Several seconds passed with Basil feeling every eye turned at him.

"Well… What is the Defense's purpose for this… Let's say, unusual objection?"Juan asked after a quick fixing of his glasses.

"Ah, uh, it isn't an objection your honor… I just, want to get more information from the witness, that's all." Basil's fingers twiddled around each other as he looked around anxiously.

"Your honor, this is a waste of time. The newbie clearly doesn't know what he's doing." Vince scoffed, before suddenly… flinching beneath Juan's glare.

"I think it's fine if he wants to press the witness like that… reminds me of that old, legendary Lawyer…" Juan then scratched their chin wistfully, as if reminiscing for a bit before snapping back to reality.
"Ahem, anyways. I'll allow it. Defense, what do you want the witness to elaborate on?"

"Thank you, your honor." Basil nodded, giving a sigh of relief before pointing to Wilhelm.
"Are you saying you didn't know for sure the time?"

"Well, no. I don't have a watch, however the clock in the town plaza, last I saw, said it was a quarter past nine." Wilhelm stated as-a-matter-of-factly, looking rather unamused at being interrupted.

"Oh… I didn't know that was there… Uh, continue."

"I was just hanging around Neves' store, waiting for her to re-open…" Wilhelm looked over at Basil, who was already in the motion for exactly what he was expecting.

"HOLD IT!"Basil proclaimed, just as dramatically before. This time however, everyone already seemed bored of it, save Juan who looked more weary.

"Defense, I understand that you want as much info as possible… but I urge you to only press when it's important. We don't have time for the Witness to elaborate on everything…" Juan tone was rather cautionary, clearly warning Basil to tone it down.

"I-I understand your honor. But this is important I promise." Basil gave a thumbs up, Vince didn't seem too happy as he grumbled to himself about something.

"Very well defense, what do you wish for the Witness to elaborate on?" Juan asked with a stern expression as he looked down at Basil.

"Witness! Why were you waiting for Neves to return? Couldn't you just leave and come back another time?" Basil smiled to himself. Surely this was sure to reveal something he could work with.

"Neves closes her store at ten, and I was there to buy a gift for my wife… Don't tell me that's a crime." Wilhelm dreaded the thought, though he relaxed once Juan shook his head.

"It isn't a crime, don't worry. This isn't your trial anyways… Continue Witness." Juan explained, hitting the gavel once as an indicator.

"Of course your honor…"

"I think I was there for half an hour before I heard some metallic clicking, followed by metal hitting stone…"

"HOLD IT!" Vince gave an annoyed groan upon hearing Basil yell out this phrase once more.

"Where did it sound like it was coming from?" Basil asked, causing Wilhelm to ponder it for a moment.

"Well, I was waiting from the front, and it sounded distant so… I assumed it was from the back. That seems rational, no?" Welhelm gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Is this just a stalling tactic? If so, then can you just save us all some time and give it up? It's obvious that Fennekin did it, you know." Vince shook his head, before leaning forward on his paw. That smug grin present again as his free paw messed with some more of that fur sticking out from their head. "You can't beat me newbie, some even refer to me as the 'starter slayer'" He chuckled at seeing Basil's nervous response.

"Nobody calls you that Prosecutor. And we will take as long as is needed each day for each side to present their case. Verdicts are only due on the third day." Juan lectured with a sigh and a hit of the gavel. Looking over to Basil next.
"That being said… Defense, I understand if you want more information, but I request you keep such pressing to a minimum. As generous as I am, the days are hard and the court must part for the day eventually. I'd hate for your argument to be cut short due to time constraints." Juan seemed almost apologetic about this. Despite his softer tone Basil still flinched in response, needing a few moments to compose himself.

"R-right… Sorry, I got excited… Uh, continue Witness." Basil sheepishly laughed before flinching under Juan's gaze.

"I can take care of such matters Defense, no need to do it yourself." This time Juan's tone was sterner as he hit his gavel.
"But indeed, you may continue witness."

"But of course, your Honor…" Wilhlem nodded some more.

"Naturally, I went to investigate the cause, but all I saw was the back door, firmly closed with nobody else around." Wilhelm paused to look at Basil, as did Juan and Vince. However, the Delphox was busy looking through the case file, there was no desk slam or yelling of "Hold it!", so Wilhlem gave yet another nonchalant shrug.

"Of course, I am not one to invade someone's privacy, so I looked around the area some more for any possible causes…" As if on que, the three looked at Basil, even Eleanor was joining in. The Delphox however had his focus more on the court record, reading it over again and again, not realizing everyone was expecting him to speak up and yell something.

"After looking around for a while, I spotted a Fennekin sneaking around with a striking purple hat on…"Basil had stopped looking through, and shrunk under the combined gazes of four pokemon. Silently wondering as to why they were all staring at him, sighing in relief as Wilhelm made it clear he was about to continue.

"It wasn't long after that Neves returned, but once that scream rang out, and there was mention of something being stolen, I pointed out the shady looking Fennekin in an expensive looking hat." Wilhelm's tone and stance indicated that this was his last statement.
"I am finished your honor… so can I leave now? I have a wife I'd like to go to." Wilhlem gave a glance over at Juan, groaning at seeing their shaking head.

"I'm sorry witness, but until both the Defense and Prosecutor are finished with you, you must stay." Juan apologized, looking over at Basil and Eleanor who seemed to be discussing something amongst themselves.
"If the Defense would like to raise an objection to any of the witnesses' statements, now would be the time." Juan announced, looking over at the two fire types who finished deliberating.

"Right of course." Basil nodded… Leading to a few seconds of painful silence amongst everyone present.

"So… If you have any objections or want to press for details…" Basil's ears notably perked up in realization.

"Oh! Right, I do actually. Ahem…" The Delphox glared and slammed their paw onto the desk.

Objection! Basil loudly proclaimed, pointing at Wilhelm accusingly. Vince looked confused by this, though Wilhelm seemed indifferent.

"So witness, you say you looked around the area for anything odd? Well then, how did you not notice this!" Basil held out the photo of the Scorched Lock, to which a massive version seemed to appear in the middle of the courtroom suddenly. This caused Basil to look at it in awe as Eleanor examined the area for the cause. Everyone else seemed indifferent to it.

"Woah! How did they do it…" Basil continued to stare at this massive replica of the lock hovering in the middle, to which a nudge and point from Eleanor guided him to the cause. The Zoroark Bailiff was holding a paw out towards the center.
"Oh… neat!"

"If the defense is finished being awed by something so utterly mundane… I have an easy explanation." Vince chuckled as he leaned forward with that smug grin plastered on his face.
"As you can clearly see, the lock is scorched black, presumably the accused tried to use fire to melt it off. When the defendant removed it, they simply threw it into the street, where Wilhelm wouldn't be able to spot it easily as it rested on the road that dark night. " Vince chuckled to himself at this explanation.

"That sounds reasonable… Witness, is this true?" Juan looked over at Wilhlem, who was already nodding.

"Well, if I saw it, obviously I would have said or done something about or with it. I guess I must have missed it when I was looking around." Vermil plainly said to an unhappy Basil, who slammed the desk once more as the illusory lock disappeared into smoke.

"Objection!" Basil once more yelled and pointed, only this time he was pointing at Vince.
"You say the defendant tried to burn the lock… But if that were the case, explain this!" Basil seemed real fired up now, glaring in determination with a confident grin present on his face. Juan was smiling at the defense's vigor as Basil held out the photo of the Back entrance door. As before it seemed to appear in the center for all to look at, the side with the segment for locks facing the Judge, Witness, prosecution and defense.
"As you can see, the door here has no burn marks on it!" Basil yelled as he slammed the desk.
"If the defendant really tried to use fire on the lock, wouldn't the door have scorch marks or be burnt as well?" He then pointed at Vince, who visibly recoiled.

"AAA! You little…" Vince growled, clenching his paw in visible, seething anger. However, a quick glimpse at a rather concerned looking Wilhelm seemed to get him to calm down.
"Ahem! I mean… That is a good point Defense, however!" Vince slammed his own paw onto the desk, meeting Basil's glare with his own.
"There is an easy explanation! Clearly, the accused scorched the lock after removing it, almost certainly to make it harder to find in the dark! There is no proof of when it was made that way after all! So TAKE THAT!" Vince pointed at Basil, who flinched from it.

"Grck! He's right… We can't prove when the lock was scorched… For all anyone knows it could have happened anytime…" Basil glared at Vince, refusing to look away even as Eleanor nudged his shoulder.

"Well, if we can't get him with that, let's use something else! We have more evidence to use, and we can always ask questions." Eleanor proclaimed, earning a nod from Basil as he pointed at Vince once more.

HOLD IT! Basil gave that familiar yell, slamming that good paw down onto the desk.

"Alright, well I have a different question… How did my client remove the lock in the first place?" Basil smiled as he crossed his arms, as if daring Vince to challenge it.

"Obviously he must have put in the code…" Vince stated with a roll of the eyes. As if this were common knowledge.

"Oh really? Then explain why it says on the court record that the number shown…" Basil paused briefly as the lock illusion was produced again, this time turned on its side to show the combination, 7037.
"… is wrong!" Basil pointed dramatically at Vince, who recoiled in shock once more. Even their hair seemed to be stirred by a wind that wasn't there.

"Whaaaaat?! No way…" He hurriedly looked through his own copy of the court record. Mumbling something to themselves, occasionally giving momentary glares towards Wilhelm, who didn't even seem to notice them.

"Is there an issue Prosecutor?" Juan asked, looking down at Vince as he grumbled.

"N-nothing much, just that the information on my record is… outdated, is all." Vince chuckled weakly as he seemed to mark something with a pen.
"W-well… The model is easy to lockpick! Everyone knows that cheap lock can be picked in minutes if you know what you are doing. So… Obviously the accused did that!" Vince's bluster was clearly starting to wean as his paw twitched a bit while he crossed his arms.
"It's so easy even I could do it, and I don't know anything about lockpicking!" Vince continued with his usual bravado.

"I can attest to that… He once tried to lockpick his way into an unlocked door, and locked himself out. He had to get some Alolan Meowth to do it… They looked an awful lot like you witness, actually…" Juan spoke up, causing several members of the audience, the defense, and even the witness to laugh.

"H-hey! That was a one time thing! Anyways, my point is that if the accused didn't use a combination, then that means they must have used something to pick the lock with, then scorched and tossed it!" Vince seemed to be properly returning to his smug splendor now, shrugging and shaking his head.
"Face it, this was all just a ruse to stall for time."

"Oh yeah? Well if that is the case, then how do you explain this…" Basil slammed his good paw down onto the desk, before pointing at the illusory lock.

"If it really were scorched before being tossed, how come the soot has no paw prints on it?" Basil proclaimed, slamming the desk once more. "Not only that, but wouldn't the Witness have noticed, and spoke up about smelling smoke, or hearing fire? What do you have to say to that Witness?" Now Basil pointed at Wilhelm, who seemed to actually flinch from this. Even Juan seemed shock as he slammed his gavel down.

"Now… What is the meaning of this Basil?" Juan glared down at the Delphox, who wasn't letting down as their arms were cross in a confident pose.

"Yeah Basil, what are you going for?" Eleanor questioned.

"I think our witness here may be the one responsible… and I am going to prove it…" Basil sounded so confident with this claim, Eleanor decided to let him do his thing rather than argue like she wanted to.

"I think that whatever caused the soot to get onto the lock happened after it was picked open! Not only that, it couldn't have happened during the time frame the Witness was there, or else he would have brought it up!" Wilhlem hissed slightly as Basil pointed at him so confidently. Vince seemed to be seething as well.

"Hey now, I am only speaking the truth of what I noticed. Where are you going with this anyways?" Wilhlem narrowed his eyes at Basil, who clearly had no intent on backing down.

"Where I am going is… If Vesta really did scorch the lock, and you were around the area, why didn't you mention any sort of smoke or fire? And the answer is obvious, it's because there was none!" Basil proclaimed as Wilhelm's tail flared up.

"Ah, well, you see…" Wilhelm seemed to struggle for a moment, before Vince slammed their desk.

HOLD IT!

"S-so? So what? What relevance does that even have to the case? It doesn't change the fact that the defendant could have picked the lock." Vince growled, but he was clearly worried as his fur began to get a little wet with sweat.

"I have to agree with the prosecutor, what does this fact change about the case?" Juan glared down from the judge's bench.

"Simple, it means anyone could have picked the lock, not to mention that for all we know, Vesta was never even in the area when the crime was happening. And our Witness mentioned heading to the back and seeing nobody around…" Wilhelm was already groaning in preparation for what was coming.

"That means you could have been the one to sneak in and steal the outfit!" Vesta pointed, causing the audience to gasp and murmur to each other while everyone, save Eleanor, gasped in shock.

"Defense! Are you sure about this? This is a very serious claim to make!" Juan announced after a few whacks of the gavel to ensure everyone would be silenced.

"I am very sure! You said so yourself your honor, that the witness reminds you of someone who picked a lock. Do you perchance remember their name?" Basil asked as he looked up to Juan.

"Ah, I think it was Will… Wil-something… Ah, yes, it was Wilhelm… !" Juan gasped in realization, much to the Chagrin of both Vince and Wilhlem, and to the pleasure of Basil and Eleanor. The Braixen seemingly nodding in approval to what Basil was doing.

"We know that Wilhlem can pick locks, he was at the area when the crime happened, and he admitted nobody was around… Only seeing Vesta in the area after initially investigating. That means the only one who could have done it was you!" Basil pointed, a veritable gust of wind could be felt in the process, making the Meowth's scarf flutter as they flinched.

"Hey! Don't try to pin this on me just because I tried to do the right thing! Why would I even try to steal it anyways? It was made for the king, it would never fit me or my wife!" Wilhelm complained as he regained his footing on the step ladder.

"Yeah! Don't accuse my witness of stealing it, what even would be the motive for it? He has a family, why would he risk it all for something like that?" Vince growled, looking quite angry now that things were going sour for him.

"What motive would my client have for stealing it? They are a teenager! The witness could have sold it to someone out of the kingdom for a lot of money. It's an outfit made for a king, many would pay a lot of money for such an item!" Basil rebutted, keeping his firm, confident pose, before grinning.
"I will say this… If you did try to steal the full outfit, you failed. Because you left behind a certain item…" Basil grinned, raising the eyebrow of both Wilhlem and Vince.

"What are you playing at? Trying to bluff me? Well then, go ahead! Show us what you've got, I bet you are all out of fuel for your little train!" Vince challenged Basil, narrowing their gaze.

"The item you left behind was…" Basil then reached into his fur sleeve, and pulled out the pink derby hat. Holding it out for everyone to see.

TAKE THAT! There was a lot of muttering from the crowed, but Wilhelm looked confused by it.

"I… don't get it… that's-" Wilhelm stopped as laughter could be heard, starting off light and low before increasing in volume. The source of it? The prosecutors bench, with Vince trying, and utterly failing to stifle his chuckles before they grew into full on laughing and cackling.

"BWAH-HAHAHAHAHA! I knew you were full of hot air!" Vince laughed some more, confusing everyone in the room as they all stared at him.
"You really think you could fool me with such an obvious bluff? HAHAHAHA! That's almost as rich as I am!"

Juan glared down at Vince, slamming his gavel as the peanut gallery began muttering and murmuring.
"Order! Order! Prosecutor! What is the meaning of this?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry your honor. It's just… I know the defense is a total newbie, but I didn't think they'd be this desperate!" it took Vince a few seconds to compose himself to continue.
"That is not the hat from the outfit! It looks nothing like that! It's a regal purple fascinator made with Rue and beads! If you are gonna bluff, don't make it so obvious!" Vince proclaimed, playing with his hair strands some more. Twirling them around with his paw as he maintained his smug, toothy grin showing off all those jagged teeth. Basil meanwhile didn't take this news so well.

"Wha-whaaat!? Nooo!" He proclaimed as he collapsed onto the desk.
"My brilliant strategy… gone…" The Delphox whined as he lay there, Vince's cackling once more filling the air. Eleanor however, seemed to be ignoring this, lost in thought. After a few seconds, she gasped herself.

"Basil! Stop whining, I just thought of something!" She proclaimed, but only got a whine from Basil.

"What could you have? We don't have anything to go off of now… And I already did all this…" He moaned unhappily, making Vince laugh even harder.

"Admit it, you are just a newbie way out of your league! Maybe you should just quit, even!" Vince taunted, laughing. However, Basil didn't stay down for long as he was grabbed, and pulled back up by Eleanor.

"Listen Basil! We can't just give up now because he got us once!" Eleanor was practically yelling at this point, making Vince snort as he laughed. Eleanor shooting him a death glare for a moment before returning her attention to basil."

"But Eleanor… It's over. Vince is right, I did try to bluff and it failed. That was all I had…" He whined some more as his head continued to rest on the desk.

"Well, Uh, yes, he did… But that doesn't mean it's over either! We can't just give up because he tells us to, not because of a single strike. That's what he wants, and we will not let him win!" Eleanor yelled louder, Basil seemingly starting to get out of his funk.

"R-right… Right! It's like back in Manipura!" Basil nodded to the cheers of Eleanor.

"That's right Basil! Now is when we need to fight back, harder than ever with everything we've got! Especially since he just gave away something big." Eleanor had a sly grin on her face. Basil's face perking with curiosity at what she could be referring to.
"Think about what we saw in the court record… Think about what we know of the outfit that was stolen." Eleanor urged, gesturing at the open file. Basil was on top of flipping it to the section about the stolen outfit.

"There's… like, no details on it. Not even a picture, nobody but Neves should know what it looks like…" Basil noted, pointing at the section where a picture should go, which simply said "N/A".

"Not just Neves. It got stolen remember? Nobody else saw it prior, so the only one who should know what exactly it looks like besides Neves is…" Eleanor paused to let Basil figure it out.

"The one who stole it… Right? So that means…"

Basil closed his eyes to ponder it, opening them as he seemed to be drawing his conclusion. Juan and Wilhelm leaned in to focus on the defense team while Vince was too distracted laughing.

"That the one who actually committed the crime…" Basil's eyes were open now. Head turned to face Vince. Wilhelm braced himself for what was coming up, meanwhile Juno seemed to smile as basil reached his conclusion.

Was you! Basil yelled so loudly, even Vince paused his laughing and looked to the defense. Seeing Basil pointing at him, an intense fire burning in those glaring eyes, staring a hole right through him.

"What? What was me?" Vince seemed nervous all of the sudden as every eye in the room was looking at him for a change.

"You were the one who stole the outfit! Neves never showed anybody, so that means only the thief could know the hat I showed was wrong!" Basil slammed his paw onto the desk.

"What… what are you going on about now? Some sort of… Desperate attempt to weasel a victory out huh? Accusing me of something like that? Judge! Do… something! Make him shut up!" Vince demanded, pointing at Basil weakly. Though Juan simply shook his head.

"No can do Prosecutor, his logic makes sense to me, and I want to see where this goes." Juan's own glare was withering, making Vince shrink back.

"AAAAAA! Is everyone in this damned court against me now? This is all just nonsense drivel! You can't seriously believe it was me!" Vince growled, slamming his desk a few times in rapid succession.

"B-besides, what other proof do you have that I was there anyways? Huh?" Vince's shaky voice gave away his fear, even as he flashed that confident, smug smile.

"Easy, there was fur left behind at the scene!" Basil slammed his own paw down before grabbing and presenting the picture of the Yellow-orange fur. The Zoroark Bailiff working their illusions to create a replica of the scene. Yellow-orange fur scattering on the ground leading to a mannequin that resembled a Delphox.
"Fur that can belong to that of a Braixen!" Basil pointed once more.

"AAAAAAAAAAAA!" Vince yelled as he flinched some more, reeling as if in pain.

"S-so? So what if it Can belong to a Braixen? It could belong to a Fennekin, like that… Brat." Vince growled, slamming the desk again. Basil however was not backing down even a little.

"About that…. Something strikes me as rather off about it…" Basil's smile indicated to Eleanor that he already fully knew what he was doing.

"What is it about the fur that strikes you as odd?" Juno asked with wide open eyes of curiosity. By now Vince was tugging and pulling at his tie, loosening it up in the process.

"Simple. If the defendant really were there and left the fur, wouldn't it have been disturbed by the return of the victim? However… The way it's set up here indicates it has been Left alone since it was put there!" Basil yelled before slamming the desk again.
"This means that it must have been put there After Vesta was taken into custody, there is no way he could have left it there while he was held in jail…"

"So what? It's just fur… It could just as easily be your little companions fur!" Vince pointed at Eleanor, who practically growled at him.

"How dare you! The fur has some hair gel on it! I don't dare touch any of that stuff anymore… What about you though? Your hair looks pretty shiny from what I can see…" Eleanors glare narrowed further onto the cowering Vince.

"Hmm… She has a point… Perhaps a proper test is in order to see if the fur is a match with yours Vince. I know you enjoy styling your hair quite a lot." Juno matched Eleanors glare down at the prosecutor.

"N-now now… Let's not do anything hasty… This is all just a bunch of theories, don't you know…" Vince's shaky, nervous chuckling made him look pretty guilty, all while clasping his tie.

"I think you'll find that by now, it's more than just a theory Vince. So admit it! There is no way it could have been Vesta, and there's no way you could know what it looks like if you didn't steal it!" Basil yelled accusingly.

"Give it up Vince, you can't weasel, cheat, or bribe your way out of this!" Eleanor pointed at Vince at the same time as Basil. Practically launching the sharp dressed Braixen back.

"You… you… You can't do this to me! Don't you know who I am? I deserve that outfit more than that lame Juno! If my aide were here, you'd all be sorry! Every single one of you!" He growled and yelled, pointing accusingly at everyone.

"It was perfect too! I had him do all the dirty work! Speaking of, you are fired!" Vince pointed at Wilhelm, who seemed more shocked at being fired more than anything, even if he recovered quickly from it. "I got that little brat to take the fall! I set it up so that the defense attorney I bribed would show up for an easy conviction. But then you show up, and ruin everything!" He slammed the desk with one paw as he pointed at Basil with the other. Who at this point was more just confused at what was going on. Both Eleanor and Juan seemed to share his sentiments as they observed Vince's breakdown.

"I've heard enough! Bailiff, take him away!" Juan commanded with such an authoritative tone, it was almost like a king commanding their subjects. The Zoroark Bailiff began walking towards Vince, who turned to face them, stepping away.

"Stay back you damned Dark type! However much they pay you, I can pay more! I don't belong in jail anyways!" Vince yelled as he continued to step back, getting closer and closer to the judges stand. Everyone watching the spectacle unfold.

"I'll get you for this newbie! You… you…" Vince growled like a feral pokemon now. He was backed up against the bench now, unable to move back as the Zoroark extended those sharp claws. Vince clearly panicking now as there was no escape.

"No! No-no-no… You… You… AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Juan gasped as Vince charged the Zoroark… and was immediately knocked out. The Zoroark didn't even attack, Vince tripped and fell, knocking himself out instantly as the dark type sidestepped.

"Well, I'll just take care of him…" The Bailiff picked up the Braixen, and carried them away. They didn't even seem to struggle with the process either, carrying them by the shirt like they were a bag.

There were several moments of silence after this, Basil sweat dropped at how Vince acted. Eleanor seemed ashamed more than anything, Juan was frozen with shock. The silence lasted until the slow, hesitant slamming of a gavel from the Judge's bench.

"Well… I've never seen a prosecutor behave that way… or have the prosecutor be the instigator of the crime… Bailiff, what's the status on our thieving traitor?" Juan commanded as the Zoroark Bailiff returned, leading Vesta to the stand. The Fennekin seemed excited, hopping in place slightly as their tail wagged eagerly.

"He's unconscious, and under arrest. Once he's up, He'll be put to trial… I don't think he will find it very fun when he's the one being accused." The Zoroark chuckled to themselves momentarily, before coughing.
"Ahem… Regardless, Abel is personally seeing to it that he doesn't escape once he wakes up, so nothing to worry about there. That is all your honor." The Zoroark gave a very formal bow, before returning to his position opposite of the judge's bench.

"Well… I must say, it has been a long time since we've had such an.. eventful trial. Let alone one that ends with not only a turnabout from the defense, but one where the true culprit was found out… and on the same day!" Juan proclaimed with a mixture of joy and thrill.
"Defense, I must say, and I do not say it lightly…. You are a real Ace attorney! You remind me of a certain other attorney at that…"

"Aww, thank you your honor. But I was just doing my best, I couldn't let Vesta be accused like that." Basil sheepishly smiled, blush making his cheeks pink as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, with that taken care of, I now pronounce the defendant, Vesta the Fennekin…"

Not guilty!

There was cheering from the gallery, Basil pumping his paw into the air with joy, before looking over at Eleanor. However he paused at seeing her expression being just as stern as ever.

"What's wrong Eleanor? We won! Vesta is innocent, and we found out who really did it! Shouldn't we be celebrating." Basil nudged the Braixen, who scoffed a bit at his joy.

"Well, that is nice, but there is something bothering me…" Eleanor rubbed her chin in thought.

"And what is it? You can tell me." Basil happily said to his rather dour companion.

"Well… what about Wilhelm?" Eleanor yelled suddenly, slamming her paws down. Making both Basil and Juan flinch from just how sudden it all was.
"Vince himself admitted he was involved! He even did the actual stealing!" Eleanor proclaimed to a shocked Juan, pointing at him.
"Does he just get off scot free?" Eleanor yelled some more, to the point that the Bailiff seemed ready to intervene. Only stopping upon noticing a gesture from Juan.

"No no… She has a point. What did happen with the Witness?" Juan asked the Bailiff, who stepped forward.

"Well… The Witness gave himself up to the royal guard, and is in their custody. Last I heard he was making a deal where he'd testify against Vince. Namely since he was fired, and is no longer directly affiliated with Vince… But, time will tell what really happens." He shrugged, before stepping back.

"Well… I guess that's better… But I still think-" Just as it seemed like she was going to yell, Basil hopped in front of her.

"That he's going to do the right thing! Right Eleanor? Let's enjoy this happy moment for now, please?" Basil asked as his clasped his paws together. Eleanor sighing and rolling her eyes.

"Well… it is good to have helped prove someone innocent…" She couldn't help but smile at Basil's joy. Vesta himself was celebrating too, even Juan got in on it, waving his paw around to make some magical confetti fall around them.

3:02 PM

District court

Defendant Lobby No. 2

"Vesta!" A voice rung out as the trio entered the Lobby. The three having spent a good few minutes in the court after everyone else left. The three of them paused to look at the cause. Vesta glowed as he recognized them, Basil smiled with curiosity at this new Pokémon, meanwhile Eleanor… glared at them.

"Juno!" Vesta quickly ran up to the Pokémon, Juno the… Shiny, purple furred Delphox with a tall staff. They seemed awfully familiar, a dead ringer for the Judge, Juan at that. Were it not for a few differences, they'd be indistinguishable. Namely, presence of a small crown barrette on their head, a distinct lack of glasses or a bowtie, and their hair was combed to the right rather than the left were the only real differences. However, Eleanor was the only one who seemed to notice as she pointed at him.

"Hey, isn't that just the judge? Juan?" Eleanor asked, looking at Basil who seemed rather… confused by the statement.

"What? No of course not. They look completely different!"Basil laughed as Vesta hugged Juno, who hugged him back before setting them down. Hopping up to the two.

"This is my brother, Juno, he's the one in charge around here!" Vesta nonchalantly said, earning a small laugh from Basil, who paused for a moment.

"Oh he's your brother… and the one in… charge…" Basil muttered, staring at Juno who seemed to nervously look away.

"WAIT. WHAAAAAT!?"Basil yelled out loud, catching the shiny Delphox, and vesta off guard as they flinched from the noise.

"Yep! That's me! The king of Muladhara and nothing more, Juno!" Juno proclaimed, but retreated a bit under Eleanors glare.

OBJECTION! She suddenly yelled, pointing at Juno.

"You don't expect us to believe that, right? Not after we just saw you in the court, presiding over the case!" She yelled, stepping forward with her paw outstretched, still pointing at Juno. However Basil was quick to push her arm down and interpose himself between the two.

"Now now Eleanor! I know it may be surprising, but they are clearly different! You can see the difference plain as day! Juno here doesn't wear glasses! And he has that crown thing!" Basil tried convincing the angry Eleanor. While she didn't seem convinced with a crossing of the arms, followed by a huff and scoff, she at least wasn't accusing them anymore. Basil turned to face Juno with a sigh of relief.

"Sorry about her… But it's nice to meet you king! We've been trying to see you for a while now actually!" Basil eagerly said as he hopped up to Juno. "I can't believe the king is a Phox like me!" He was practically squeeing now.

"That's… nice, but let's slow down… First, I must thank you Basil." Juno held his staff sideways before himself, close to his body as he gave a deep bow.

"Thank you… For taking on the case and defending my dear younger brother. I would hate it if the population thought he was guilty." Juno smiled warmly to Basil, his eyes practically glowing with sheer joy.

"Wow wow wow! I just got thanked? By you?" His excitement was as palpable as it was barely restrained.

"…Wait, Vesta is your brother?" Basil immediately recoiled from the sheer surprise of this revelation.
"So that means I just defended… Eleanor! Did you hear that! I defended the kings brother!" Basil was practically jumping with joy by now. Eleanor however maintained her glare of suspicion.

"indeed, you did. And in a way I have never seen before at that, like towards the end..." Juno noted, before realizing what he just said as Eleanor once more pointed at him.

HOLD IT! Eleanor yelled, pointing at Juno angrily.

"How could you have known about that? It just happened!" Eleanor proclaimed as she kept her distance, but thrusted her finger at the Shiny Delphox accusingly.

"H-hey now! I was watching from the stands. M-maybe you just missed me?" Juno was clearly swearing as he waved his paws in front of him. Sighing in relief once Vesta stood between the two.

"Hey! You leave my brother alone! He does a lot of great things for this place you know!" He growled at the Braixen, making her step back.

"Wha- We just saved you!" Eleanor barked, the two glaring at one another before Juno, and Basil alike got between them.

"She's right Vesta, don't get too mad. She has a point, Juan does look a lot like me." Juno noted, turning back towards Basil.

"But clearly, you are two different Pokemon… Let's leave it at that Eleanor, please?" Basil asked, taking the hesitant nod she answered with as agreement.

"Well… With that taken care of, I must ask, how did you get in anyways? I don't recall ever hearing about a new Delphox lawyer…" Juno questioned as he approached Basil. Who quickly turned to face him.

"Oh, I think it was because of this…" Basil looked down, and grabbing his cardboard badge and holding it out dramatically… or as much as he could with something attached to his vest.

TAKE THAT! Basil proudly presented his fake badge. Eleanor facepalmed at his swagger while showing it off, Juno looking more confused by it than anything as Fennekin tried… but failed to get a good look at what was being presented.

"Oh, I see… Maybe I should get Sannah's glasses fixed…" Juno muttered, before shaking his head.
"Well… That's quite a charming replica you have there, but… I think I have something you may like more than a cardboard badge…" Juno grinned as he dug around in his sleeve. Basil and Eleanor both watching intensely to see what it was. After a few seconds, Juno brought his paw out, closed and hiding what he was holding.
"Ready to see it?" He asked the duo, Basil rapidly nodding.

"Ta-da!" Juno then opened his paw, revealing a sparkling, proper attorney's badge. Basil gasped as he saw it.

"For me? Really?" He said in awe, looking between the shiny badge, and Juno who simply nodded in response.

"Yep! Normally you'd have to go through a whole process to get it… But, seeing how well you defended by brother, I think I can make an exception this time." Juno chuckled softly.

"Wow! Thanks! I guess this means I'm now a proper defense attorney!" Basil proclaimed, looking at the badge as it sparkled in the light. Immediately getting to attaching it to his vest, mirroring the cardboard badge that was glued on.
"Look out world, there's a new attorney on the scene! If you think you can escape justice with lies and deceit, then I'll smoke out your lies and burn your shady evidence!" Basil boldly announced, earning claps from Juno and Vesta alike. Even Eleanor joined in after a few seconds. Though she was the first one to stop.

"Alright Basil, you've had your fun… But, Jua- I mean, Juno, was it… We do need to talk to you about something urgent." Eleanor quickly mentioned, earning a puzzled look from the shiny Delphox.

"Oh? Well, I suppose we may as well head to the castle to discuss it… Follow me, we can get there very soon. I'll even invite you two to something to eat, no doubt you must be hungry after such an intense case… Oh, and Basil, for the record, you aren't. It's a novelty badge, but it sure looks real!" Juno grinned, before turning to leave. Vesta hopping beside him as Basil's mouth opened and drooled with the prospect of food.

"Aww… Oh well! I think it looks nice!" Basil shrugged, before his mouth opened at the mention of food. "Whoa… I always wondered what royalty eats…" He immediately followed after, Eleanor sighing and running beside him.
"Oh, Eleanor! I almost forgot, there was something I wanted to ask…" This certainly caught Eleanors attention.

"Okay… what?"

"Well… How do you know so much about how things work here? Like, due process and all that? The cover of that book you were reading earlier said nothing about law, and we've only been here a day…" Basil noted as they left the courthouse, waving at the Espeon at the front counter as they passed them by. The Zoroark Bailiff seemed to pause a story he was telling them to wave as well.

"Oh that…. Well, it's a long story Basil… But I guess you should know. How about I tell you after we finish our business at the castle, okay?" Eleanor noted as they approached the doors. Juno waiting to open it for them, and they all stepped out into the bright, warm, comforting sunlight.

"And so, my first trail came to a close with a not guilty verdict. While I was glad to have pulled it off, and even getting a neat badge from it, I never expected to do it again. Little did I know that I'd not only find myself back behind the defense's bench, but that Eleanor's story would have to wait until later… much, much later."

Authors note(s):

As a Disclaimer, the majority of characters that appear in this are not mine. They belong to Asura Kitsune, whom you can, and should check out on Twitter. Specifically, their webcomics, which the characters are originally taken from.