Venerable Verdict?
"The court is called to order," stated the judge pounding her gavel upon the platform.
"Your honor defense wishes to introduce a new witness, Mr. Ash Ketchum."
"Bring him in."
The bailiff stepped out of the courtroom. He reentered pushing a wheelchair, in which Ash sat. Mrs. Ketchum had selected a nice suit for him to wear to the trial. She along with Brock and Misty sat with the audience. Brock and Misty had mixed feeling towards Team Rocket. Team Rocket had done many a dastardly deed to the group during their travels, yet they did not seem all bad. Uncertainty lingered in their minds about the question of whether Team Rocket had really helped Ash or not, for were it true they would truly be indebted to Team Rocket.
Ash took the stand and was sworn in. He felt a bit drowsy due to the pain medication that he had been given. James gazed upon Ash with desperation knowing full well that the boy's testimony could sway the case one way or the other.
"Your honor, defense wishes to question the witness."
"Proceed."
"Mr. Ketchum, although the defendants have attempted various crimes do you feel that they have threatened your safety or your friend's safety?"
"Well… they have attacked our pokémon, and they have often tried to steal my pokémon."
"When the defendants engaged your pokémon in battles was it any more dangerous than any other battle you would engage your pokémon in?"
Ash thought about the question for a few seconds. In reality none of the battles seemed that much more dangerous than any gym leader battle, with the exception of some of the cheap tricks that Team Rocket employed.
"No, not really."
"You see the defendants aren't any more dangerous than other trainers."
Misty and Brock disagreed with that comment, but they chose to remain silent on the matter since they weren't the ones being questioned.
The defense lawyer returned to his seat, and the prosecution rose.
"Your honor prosecution would like to cross examine the witness."
"Proceed."
"Mr. Ketchum, is it true that you and your friends have often encountered the defendants attempting to steal pokémon, and other valuables?"
"Yes."
"In these encounters have the defendants ever shown any violent tendencies towards you or your friends?"
As Ash thought of what to say he began feeling a bit feverish in addition to being slightly drowsy. He was uncertain whether it was due to his present situation or the medication, but in the end he attributed it to the medication.
"Well, sort of."
"Would you care to elaborate on this?"
"They have set traps for us, and…"
"The prosecution rests," stated the prosecuting lawyer arrogantly making a bit of a show as he returned to his seat.
The defense lawyer quickly rose up and approached the bench.
"Your honor, defense wishes to have the testimony given by James on day one of the trial concerning the witness read to the court."
"Would the stenographer read back the notes taken on day one of the trial?"
"James is noted as having said that on the date of August 12th he found Ash Ketchum, badly injured and decided to take Mr. Ketchum to the hospital to have his wounds treated."
"Thank you, now would you read the notes concerning this testimony that was given on the second day of the trial?"
"James is noted as having said that he found Mr. Ketchum in the river, badly wounded. Upon his finding Mr. Ketchum he decided to take care of the witness for a couple days, until he felt that Mr. Ketchum's condition was severe enough that he should be taken to the hospital."
"Now the witness has told me that during the time in which he was caring for Mr. Ketchum, Mr. Ketchum had come out of his unconscious state for approximately one day. I ask you Ash Ketchum is this true?"
Ash sat in front of the court room thinking about what had just been said. The last thing he could remember was trying to save Pikachu at the top of the mountain.
"I don't know," Ash replied.
Murmurings began around the court room about Team Rocket's previous testimony being false.
"Just think about it for a second"
"Uh…"
Ash felt queasy being up in front of the mob anxiously awaiting his testimony. The courtroom spun as everything became a blur. He began taking deep breaths as nausea swept over him.
The room was closing in on him. The weights of justice upon his shoulders. He just wanted it to stop. To make it go away.
He gazed around the room viewing the members of both the Jury and the audience on edge waiting for a simple response. The response that would tip the scales. The response that could bring salvation or condemnation.
James looked up at Ash with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. His pleading gaze cast toward the young trainer.
Images flooded Ash's head. Blured images. Images of people. Images of pokémon. Images of Pikachu. His head felt like it was going to explode from the plethora of images that were passing through, yet none of them made sense. In this distorted reality nothing was clear.
"Well?"
"No."
James dropped back in his chair. It felt as if his heart had been wrenched from his chest. His head dropped as those two letters sunk in.
"No?" James repeated to himself in disbelief.
"You ungrateful little…" Jessie yelled as she leapt out of her seat and began crawling over the desk.
"Bailiff restrain the defendant!" commanded the judge.
The bailiff along with some prison guards dragged Jessie out of the court room. James looked up from his trance as the guards dragged Jessie out of the room. Upon his face was a look of terror. A look of insecurity. It felt like the whole court room was bearing down on him. How could he bear this burden without Jessie?
"Jessie!"
"Jessie!" called James desparetly.
He got up from his seat reaching toward Jessie with an outstretched hand.
"Sit down!" said the lawyer firmly, tugging on James' other arm.
The guards along with Jessie disappeared out of the large courtroom doors. The doors of fate through which one passed into the elysian fields or tartarus.
Was this his fate? Could Justice be so blind? To completely ignore the good, while flaunting the bad?
James glanced upon Ash with a look of despair.
"The defense rests," shrugged the defense lawyer gloomily returning to his seat.
"The court will now recess while the jury decides upon the verdict."
With a tap of the judge's gavel the jury got up from their seats and neatly walked off to a side room.
"What are we going to do?" asked James frightfully.
"There's nothing we can do now. Everything hangs on the jury's decision," replied the lawyer.