"HOLY MURKROW IS THAT A SHINY?" Dahlia exclaimed, mashing the buttons on her DS. She had brought one of her Pokémon games to play while waiting for the trial to start.
Phoenix watched the excited Poké-maniac rapidly press the buttons and stare at the screen with wide eyes.
"She's completely absorbed," Phoenix murmured.
"You get used to it," Mia said.
"Careful!" Dahlia said to her Pikachu. "Don't kill it!"
"Why did I make her my attorney? She's like a ten-year-old," Phoenix wondered aloud. "Gah! I sound like Miles."
"Yes!" Dahlia cheered. "I caught it!"
"Congratulations," Larry said, entering the defendant's lobby. "That was almost an accomplishment."
"What are you doing here?" Dahlia said crossly. The sight of the snarky prosecutor had killed her buzz.
"I just wanted you to know that you shouldn't get too confident about today's trial," Larry said. "You may have gotten it extended for another day, but this is the end of the line."
"Are you sure?" Dahlia said, putting her DS away. "You're spending your time here just so you can gloat, you can't be all that prepared."
"Did you remember to save before turning your game off?" Larry said patronizingly.
"What happened, Larry?" Phoenix said, looking more serious than Dahlia had ever seen him. "You've changed."
Larry raised a questioning eyebrow. "I'm not a kid anymore. Of course I'm different."
"That's not it," Phoenix said accusingly.
"Then what is it?" Larry said.
"You tell me," Phoenix said, crossing his arms. "What happened, Larry?"
"You said that already," Larry said, looking away.
"Yet you still haven't answered my question," Phoenix said.
Larry scowled. "I don't have time for this."
"We didn't invite you here," Dahlia said, loathing the prosecutor more with every second. "Come on, Nick. It's time for the trial."
Dahlia forcefully grabbed Phoenix by the ear and dragged him to the courtroom.
"EAR! EAR! EAR!" Phoenix squealed.
"Yes it is," Dahlia said. "We don't have time for this, let's go."
Mia chuckled to herself, covering her mouth with her hand.
"He still gets dragged around by women," Larry muttered.
Mia giggled in spite of herself. She then regained her composure and walked away. Of course, as soon as she saw Phoenix and Dahlia she snickered.
Minutes later, the judge slammed his gavel on the podium. "We will now resume the trial of Phoenix Wright."
Bring it on. Dahlia glared at Larry before returning her attention to the trial at hand.
"I believe we left off with the defense claiming that there was a third person at the scene," the judge said.
"That would be correct, Your Honor," Larry said. "However, the prosecution would like to debunk that theory."
"How so?" the judge said.
"Recall the previous witness, Ms. Lotta Hart," Larry said. "Her testimony still stand as fact, and there are photos to back it up. Based on the photo, we know the shooter had unnaturally spiky hair. And the witness reported seeing two people at the scene. The victim who was found dead on the ground and the defendant whose appearance matches the description of the shooter. You can't change that, it is pure fact."
"Objection!" Phoenix said, surprising Dahlia.
What did I miss? Dahlia watched her client with curious eyes.
"This hair style is completely natural!" Phoenix said.
Mia and Dahlia face palmed in unison. Everyone else just stared at Phoenix with exasperated looks.
"What, you don't believe me?" Phoenix said. "I dare you, search through his hair and see if you can find a drop of product!"
"The prosecution declines the defense's offer," Larry said.
"Hey, that wasn't me!" Dahlia said.
"He's your client," Larry said.
"If we could get back to the trial," the judge said.
"Of course, Your Honor," Larry said. "Like I was saying, it's impossible for there to have been a third person."
"Objection!" Dahlia said. "There was a third person at the scene! They can be seen in this photo, shooting the victim!"
"Or that's the defendant," Larry said. "I don't suppose you have proof that the shooter in that photo isn't Ni- ahem- Mr. Wright?"
"Enlighten me Butz," Dahlia said. "The victim was shot with a 9 mm pistol, was she not? Yet you never actually showed the court such a pistol, why is that? Did the police not find one?"
Larry suddenly looked incredibly guilty, beads of sweat running down his face. "Well, yes. The police never did find the gun at the scene."
"Yet they did find the defendant," Dahlia said, smirking confidently. "Funny, being at the scene almost gives him an alibi."
"Objection!" Larry said. "The gun still hasn't been found though, for all we know it just might be hidden somewhere at the park."
"Objection!" Dahlia said. "Is that really likely? Though I guess I can't completely discard the theory. I mean, I found a gun in a pretty unlikely place. It was a 9 mm pistol too, weird huh?"
"You what?" Larry exclaimed, shocked.
Dahlia presented the pistol to the court. "I found this at a loan company known as Tender Lender, perhaps you've heard of it?"
"Tender Lender?" Larry said, going pale.
"Bailiff, take this pistol and have it examined immediately!" the judge said, slamming his gavel.
The gun was taken away to be checked by forensics people. Larry recomposed himself, standing tall and proud as he faced Dahlia.
"The victim, Maggey Byrde, was one of Tender Lenders customers," Dahlia said. "However, she ended up with a large debt."
"Objection!" Larry said. "Ms. Hawthorne, are you honestly suggesting that a company would kill a client before they paid their debt?"
"What if the client couldn't pay?" Dahlia said. "We won't know for sure until we get the results about the pistol."
"Are you saying someone framed the defendant?" Larry said. "Why would someone do that?"
"The defendant was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time," Dahlia said. "I have a way to prove this. While we wait for the lab results on the gun, the defense would like to request someone from Tender Lender come testify."
"Who, specifically?" the judge said.
"The secretary, Violetta!" Dahlia announced.
"I suppose so," the judge said. "Does the prosecution need another day to find this person?"
"No!" Larry said. His temper flared, and he leaned against his desk with open palms. "This ends today! 40 minutes! The prosecution requests a 40 minute recess to find the secretary."
"Are you sure?" the judge said.
"Yes Your Honor," Larry said, still seething.
"Very well, if you insist. This court is now in recess," the judge said.
"Maybe I can check on my new shiny," Dahlia muttered.
"No you will not. 40 minutes insist enough time to train anyway," Mia said. "You've still got a lot of work to do and Dahlia ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING?"
"Yes, of course I am," Dahlia said, defiantly. "I am taking this trial seriously Mia, trust me. I'll get Nick off the hook."
Dahlia turned and smiled at Phoenix. Phoenix smiled back and together they pumped their fists.
"You're a bad influence on him," Mia said.
"No I am not," Dahlia said. "Say, do you mind helping me with something?"
"What?" Mia said.
"I need some more information on Tender Lender," Dahlia said. "I need your brain; do you think you can help?"
"Flattery will get you nowhere," Mia said. "But yes, I'll help. Just don't start playing Pokémon again, got me?"
Dahlia put her hand in her pocket, feeling for her DS. "Got it, Fey."