Pokémon Police Force Chapter 1: The Trial

The courtroom was quiet. They were about to start the final trial of the day.

It was a dreary mid-October day and you could hear the soft pitter-patter of rain hitting the courthouse. The courthouse wasn't a real building per-say, it was just a large tree that was hollowed out and then they put the local courthouse in.

The walls of the courtroom were, obviously, wood. As for the furniture, carved wooden chairs and desks set up like the average courtroom. The audience and jury were full of Pokémon of all different shapes and sizes. Some members of the audience were friends of the defendant but most were concerned citizens.

The prosecuting attorney, a Watchog carefully looking over his notes. On the other side, a female Meowstic was acting as the defense attorney.

As for the accused, he's a Sneasel. He looked like a normal Sneasel except that the left side of his face and his entire right arm were tightly bound with a thick gauze for the arm, and a half-mask around the head, held in place by two straps that loop around his head, one across his forehead and the other under his chin. Also, his eyes were different colors. Heterochromia, an exceedingly rare condition in Pokémon, but not unheard of. His right eye was the typical Sneasel red, the other was a bright emerald green.

The accused knew this day was coming. He is an infamous burglar after all. It was only a matter of time until the law caught him. Only this last house that he broke into had an exploration team waiting for him. Rotten luck.

It was actually this Sneasel's desire to become a police officer from a young age, but after he fell into hard times, he turned to burglary and pickpocketing as a means of survival. Before long, he was too far into crime to ever become an officer. How do I know all this about the accused?

It's because I'm that Sneasel.

The guards were all canine Pokémon and soon the bailiff, a Bolthund spoke.

"All rise."

Everyone stands.

"Final trial of the day: The People versus Argyle the Sneasel. The honorable Judge Mason presiding."

The judge, an Ampharos, spoke.

"You may sit," said Judge Mason.

Everyone sits.

"The case is the People versus Argyle the Sneasel. The charge is murder in the first degree of Greninja, a renowned explorer."

(Murder? What? I'm on trial for murder?)

I looked at my lawyer, who looked just as confused as I was.

"Do you accept these charges?"

"Absolutely not!" I screamed as I slammed my fist into the table, "there was no murder! If Greninja did die, it was not by my hand! I am a burglar! I have never killed anyone!"

"So, you plead not guilty?"

"Of course, I do! I am no murderer!" I yelled at the judge.

"Let me handle this," my lawyer shushed me, "don't say something you'll regret later."

The defense attorney turned to address the judge.

"We were not aware of the charge that was to be put on trial tonight. By law, as the defense attorney, you are required to let me in on any evidence and unexpected charges to be presented."

"We tried," the prosecuting attorney said, "we couldn't get in contact with you."

"Ivory, if you'd like to postpone the trial until you have a chance to go over the evidence-"

"Proceed with the trial," said my defense attorney, Ivory, "he didn't do it."

"Very well."

The trial was a disaster. Despite my solid alibi, the overwhelming evidence pointed toward my guilt, despite my innocence. Ivory shifted gears from my defense to her suspicions that I was just a "person of convenience" to the People and that the prosecutor placed and forged evidence, but that too fell apart.

The jury left to deliberate and within two hours, they were back.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" Asked Judge Mason.

"We have, your honor," said a Riolu, standing and holding a paper.

"On the charge of murder in the first degree, how do you find?"

I took a deep breath.

"We find the defendant, Argyle the Sneasel guil-"

The juror was cut off as the courtroom doors were slammed open and a Toxicroak was thrown in by a police officer with a large badge on her chest. This intrusion caused everyone to stop and look at the scene.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Asked the Toxicroak.

"What is the meaning of this?" Asked the judge.

The officer was a Braixen, one that looked like her position as an officer was well-deserved. Yet there was something else about her that I just couldn't ignore.

"Forgive the intrusion, your honor, but this man was the one who killed Greninja! We found ample evidence in his home! Moreover, he was bragging that someone was going to get punished for someone he killed!"

"Guards! Arrest Toxicroak!" Ordered Judge Mason.

All at once, Toxicroak was, quite literally, dog-piled by every guard in the courtroom and cuffs were slapped around his wrists. Almost everyone the courtroom was crying out for blood. They then began dragging Toxicroak out of the courtroom.

"Wait," I said.

The guards stopped dragging Toxicroak and held him in place.

"What is it?" Asked Bolthund.

I walked over to Toxicroak and slugged him in the face.

"Think of that as a thank-you for the trial," I said as he was pulled out of the courtroom.

"That felt good," I said.

"Not good, brilliant," said Ivory.

"Your honor, in light of recent events," said Watchog, "I'd like to move that we cancel the trial."

"Granted," said Judge Mason, "case dismissed."

As everyone got up to leave, Ivory took me aside.

"I'll be going over the new evidence with Watchog, but you shouldn't have to worry."

"I admitted to being a burglar," I reminded her, "when will I be going to jail?"

"You won't," she said simply, "you weren't being charged for that, so you cannot be punished for it, even if you confessed. It's the law."

"I cannot thank you enough for-"

"Don't worry about it," Ivory said, "and don't worry about your attorney fees. We technically lost your case and I only charge if we win."

"I will make this up to you one day."

"Don't worry about it."

After saying goodbye to my lawyer, I left the courthouse. The rain had stopped, but the air was still rather muggy. Didn't have time to stop and smell the Roselias however.

"Hold there."

I was pulled off to the side by a magical force. It tugged at my mask, so I had to use a claw to keep it in place. The magic led me to its source. It was the Braixen officer from before. The one that brought the real crook before the court.

"What was that for?"

"Sorry about that. I just wanted to take a look at you."

"Um... why?"

Officer Braixen didn't answer, she just moved around me, looking me over.

"There's something about you... I've met plenty of Sneasel in my line of work, but none like you."

Self-consciously I raise my hand to my half-masked face.

"Not that," she said noticing my hand, "it's something else. It almost feels like... there's two of you."

(Two of me? What's she getting at?)

"Come to think of it, why do you wear that mask?"

"Scars," I said simply, "I look disfigured without the mask."

"What happened?"

"An accident."

"I guess I should introduce myself," she said after a while, "Emerald. Officer Emerald."

"Argyle," I said simply.

"I read your file. If I may ask, how did you get into crime? You don't seem like the type."

"Sorry, but I don't trust you," I said curtly before walking away without looking back.