May's Justice Chapter 19: Cornered, a pokémon fanfic

This chapter has two endings: the proper ending will be shown first followed by the original planned ending to May's Justice.

Chapter Nineteen: Cornered

"I wonder how Trucy is getting on?" May asked herself as she sat between Serena and Athena in the defence lobby. She knew that today was going to be a big day for everyone. May felt a bit sad that her best friend wasn't going to be there to see Iris be pointed at as the killer.

Naruto Uzumaki and Davis Motomiya had worked together to carry the painting Sakura was talking about into the defence lobby. As they dragged the painting into the room, May reminded herself that she had a lot of evidence in her records, including files for the deaths of Alain, Professor Sycamore, Drayden and Cilan. She was mortified at how big the victim tally was in this whole charade.

May began to suddenly crave coffee as she smelt the fumes coming from Athena's cup. "Starbucks..." May muttered as she gazed at the cup. Athena rolled her eyes over at her. May shrugged her shoulders away from Athena. "Sorry, it's just that I haven't had any coffee since I came out of hospital."

"Why don't we all go to Starbucks after the trial?" Athena suggested. "Me, you, Apollo and Trucy. Simon too, if he's up for it."

"That sounds great," May said with a smile on her face. "My life really hasn't been the same without coffee...DAMMIT!"

"What's wrong?" Serena asked.

"I forgot to call my parents last night," May snapped as she buried her head in her hands. "I promised Ash that I would."

"Ring them now," Athena suggested. "We've got time."

May flipped out her phone from her pocket and selected Norman's number. The phone beeped and Caroline had picked up the phone. Hearing her mother's voice through the phone was a wonderful feeling for her. "Hi Mom!" May cried out in glee. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Caroline responded. May could imagine Caroline's warm smile on the other side. "I hope you're not working too hard. You still need a rest after that heart attack."

"Of course not," May said. "I'm taking it easy. I've got a trail in a few minutes and I just wanted to check that you and Dad were alright."

"Your Dad is battling someone right now," Caroline announced. "He can't talk right now. But he's so happy that your new job is going so well. You've quickly turned into a professional. I'm sure you'll win today's trial for sure."

May smiled. "Thanks Mom, you and Dad are the best parents I could ever have asked for. I've got to get going now, the trial is about to start."

"Alright Sweetie," Caroline replied. Her soft words made May feel warm and fuzzy in her stomach. "Let me know how it goes. See you soon."

When May hung up, she was quick to see that Serena had her eyes on the floor. May stopped moving and halted Serena's steps. "What's the matter?" May asked. She knew that something wasn't right with her. She seemed fine a couple of moments ago, so May wondered if her call to Caroline had triggered something in her.

"I haven't seen my family since I was arrested," Serena admitted with strained vocals. She composed herself and looked on ahead as she made her way into the courtroom.

"Poor Serena," Athena said. "She's trying so hard to be strong."

May agreed with Athena, everything must have been too much for Serena. Serena doing her best not to breakdown in court was the reason May wanted to end this trial as quickly as possible. The addition of Kari and Drew as witnesses for the defence, May knew that there would be an additional witness.

"Lance is sure to show up," May told Athena. "It wouldn't surprise me if he testifies."

Athena had her eyes set on the prosecution. "Iris seems...really happy."

"Happy?" May pondered. She took a brief look at Iris before organising her files in order. Looking at the woman made May feel disgusted. "She's happy because she's evil."

"I mean for somebody whose husband has just been arrested she doesn't seem to be fazed about it."

May shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe she doesn't know."

"How would she not know?" Athena asked. "Surely somebody would have notified her.

The Judge banged his gavel and everybody became silent. May began to tense as she saw all the witnesses, and Delia's children sitting on a bench behind Serena.

"The court is back in session for the trial of Serena Yvonne," the Judge's voice boomed in May's ears and left a tingling sensation in her eardrums. "Are all parties ready."

"Of course I am," Iris snapped as she threw her wrist on the table.

"The defence is ready too," May said.

"Oh Miss Cykes," the Judge said as he widened his eyes. "It's you! Are you leading the defence team now?"

"Athena and I are co-leading the defence team."

"Oh I see," the Judge responded. "That's very good. I'm glad you two could sort your differences out."

"Before we begin, I want to ask Iris she's heard the news recently?" May asked Iris with a grin on her face and her hands on her hips.

"What news?" Iris pondered.

"Lance is no longer a Pokémon league champion," May explained to Iris and to anyone in the court who was listening. "Prosecutor Franziska Von Karma challenged the Elite Four and Champion Lance, and subsequently won."

"Quit bluffing," Iris squealed. "She couldn't even beat you in this courtroom."

"One thing you need to know about me," May declared, pointing the finger at Iris. "I don't do bluffing."

The Judge slammed his gavel against the desk so hard, May was surprised that it didn't snap in two. "We are getting...off-topic. Mrs. Den, please give the court a recap of the yesterday's trial."

"The defendant, Serena Yvonne and her friend Ash Ketchum worked together to kill Delia Ketchum," Iris spoke with very little difficulty. No shame appeared on her face as she framed two friends for a murder that she committed. "The defence has brought some new witnesses to testify against this, but the facts remain clear: Ash Ketchum and Serena Yvonne murdered Delia Ketchum."

"OBJECTION!" May cried out.

"What exactly are you objecting to?" Iris hissed. "Don't run away from the facts. Ash cheated on you with your little client. They plotted to kill Ash's mother for a share of the inheritance and they were planning to run away together. I feel sorry for you. But it's not too late to walk away. Now is your perfect chance to get revenge on them."

"Why are you doing this?" Serena yelled at Iris. "I've done nothing wrong!"

Iris cackled into a fit of laughter. "You? Innocent? Don't make me laugh."

"It looks like Serena's got all her memories back," Athena said.

"That's good!" May cried out. "That will make it easier to defend her."

"YOU EVIL BITCH!" Silver screamed. He launched himself onto Iris, bringing her down to the ground and clutching her neck with both of his hands. "What did my mother and little brother ever do to deserve this?"

"What are you doing?" Iris panted, gasping for air. "I'm your friend's wife."

"I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE!" Silver screamed, banging her head against the floor. "YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE AFTER EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE TO MY FRIEND, MY MOTHER, MY BROTHER AND MY COUSIN'S GIRLFRIEND."

"Order!" the Judge yelled. "Order in the court." The Judge banged his gavel: it wasn't very effective. The Judge ordered the bailiffs to intervene and banged his gavel again: it was super effective. "I demand that everybody in my court to compose themselves during this trial. That's an order."

The bailiffs dragged Silver away from Iris, and escorted him out of the court.

"May!" Ash cried out as he stood up. Everyone could see that he was fighting back to tears. "JUST DO WHAT YOU'VE GOT TO DO!"

"It seems that you've finally accepted the truth," May told Ash. "Iris was the one that killed your mother. Whilst it is clear that your mother wasn't the intended target. I think even if her assassination attempt was successful, she still planned to pin it on Serena."

"I think it's time we called our first witness," Athena said as she slammed her desk with the back of her arm. "The defence would like to bring Hikari Yagami to the stand."

"Witness!" Iris spoke to Kari like a piece of dirt. "State your name and occupation."

"Hold it!" May cried out. "Iris, a little manners will go a long way, ya know?"

Iris muttered, "Shut up, you..."

"Leave your personal issues outside of my court," the Judge demanded.

"I'm Hikari Yagami," Kari replied. Her voice was quiet, but it was just loud enough for May and Athena to hear her. "My friends call me Kari. I'm training to become a teacher."

"And you were present at Silver's party?" May asked Kari.

Kari nodded. "I was, Davis wanted to bring me along to prove that I was real."

"How come?" May asked.

"They didn't believe him when he said he had a girlfriend," Kari explained. "He checked with Ash and Mrs. Ketchum to see if it was alright, and they were fine."

"Nice story," Iris sighed. "Goodbye."

"Now look here," Athena growled. She marched over to Iris and slammed both her hands on her desk. "Having an attitude that stinks beyond the high heavens is not a way to prosecute!"

"Whatever," Iris sighed. "For an old lady, you act like a little kid."

"I'm younger than you," Athena hissed.

"Miss Cykes," the Judge mumbled. "Could you kindly return to your post. And Miss Yagami, could you testify about the party and what you were doing."

"When Silver means his cousin's girlfriend, he must mean me. " Kari said. "I thought he didn't like Davis. Still, we were still allowed to go his party. I did see Iris at the party. She wasn't there for long. She dropped her book, but she had already left by the time I had found it."

"This testimony is a pack of lies," Iris hissed. "I wasn't at this party, and neither were you."

"Actually," Dawn spoke out. "Kari was there, and I did see her picking up a book."

"You're suppose to be on my side," Iris hissed at Dawn.

"But..." Dawn cried out.

"No buts," Iris demanded. "You will do as you're told. Do you understand me?"

"Hey!" May cried out. "If Dawn has anything interesting to say, then I welcome her to say it."

"It's..." Dawn hesitated, hugged herself and sat back down on her seat. "Nothing important."

Iris smirked. "That's good."

"I utterly despise this woman!" Athena said to May, gritting her teeth.

"Me too," May said.

"WELL," Widget cried out as it started flashing all the colours of the rainbow around Athena's neck. "IRIS IS A BITCH! SHE'S A BIG FAT BITCH! SHE'S THE BIGGEST BITCH IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!"

The court was silent as Athena turned Widget off and then turned her on again. Athena's cheeks glowed red as May resisted the urge to giggle.

"I'm speechless," the Judge admitted.

"Aren't you going to penalize Athena?" Iris asked.

"Nope," the Judge said, shaking his head. "The court accepts Widget's testimony as the truth. The defence may begin their cross-examination.."

"What are you doing?" May asked Athena, who was fiddling with her necklace.

"I'm getting the therapy session ready."

"For who?" May raised an eyebrow.

"For the witness of course," Athena replied with a smile as Widget opened a holographic screen in front of her. May watched Athena swipe the corner of her screen as the words mood matrix appeared on the screen. "This is the mood matrix, I use it to discover hidden emotions."

"It sounds really complicated," May admitted. "I don't know much about psychology."

"It's quite easy actually," Athena assured her. "All you need to do is select the emotions that seem out of place." Kari's testimony appeared on Widget's projector. "Take a look at the first statement, any emotions stand out to you?"

"When Silver means his cousin's girlfriend, he must mean me. I thought he didn't like Davis. Still, we were still allowed to go his party."

On each corner of the screen, there was a little face. They were all different colours; green, red, blue and yellow. The green face was smiling and seemed full of energy. The red face was furious. The yellow face appeared surprised as the blue face seemed fearful and sad.

"Nothing seems to be out of place here," May said as she noticed the yellow face flashing the most.

"I did see Iris at the party. She wasn't there for long. She dropped her book, but she had already left by the time I had found it."

"Hey!" May cried out as she pressed the green face on the top-left corner of the screen. "The happy face is lighting up!" The happy emotion seemed really out of place.

Athena looked up at Kari. "I noticed that your emotions were very positive in the previous statements you've given us."

Kari raised an eyebrow. "Positive?"

"Do you not like Iris?" Athena asked, curiously. "Would that explain why you were happy that she left?"

"Well," Kari replied, "She framed me for murder. So naturally, we don't get on."

"Out of curiosity," May said, looking over at Kari. "What kind of book was it?"

"It was a novel," Kari replied with a giggle. She got a purple book from out of her handbag and presented it to the court. "It's Chocolate Pie by Eiri Yuki. He's one of my favourite authors and when I've read this book many times."

"Why would I bring a book to a party?" Iris hissed with her arms folded and eyes tightly shut.

"Who knows," May replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe your pregnancy craving was the smell of new books." May knew she was right the moment one of Iris' black locks began to shatter.

Iris opened her eyes and gritted her teeth as growled. "Your Honour." Iris screamed. "This cross-examination is a shamble."

"Is it?" The Judge asked. "I don't see any issues with it at all."

"It's the truth isn't it?" May asked with her hands on her hips. "One of your psyche locks just broke."

"So what?" Iris snapped. "I craved the smell of new books. It's more common than you think."

"It's still a rather unusual craving," the Judge admitted.

She had defended Eiri in court, but May felt bad for not reading any of his novels. May walked over to the painting next to Kari and kept her eyes hooked on Iris. "You were there at the party," May declared. "And I can prove it with this piece of evidence." May removed the white cloak covering Naruto's painting.

"What a magnificent piece!" The Judge gasped, admiring the beauty within the paint strokes.

"This is a painting of Viridian Forest," May announced to the court. She pointed to Dragonite flying over the trees and under the horde of birds. "As you can clearly see, there is a trainer riding on Dragonite." May's fingers slid over to bottom corner of the painting. "Here is says the 4th August, the very same day that Delia Ketchum was killed. Viridian Forest isn't far from Pallet Town, so I believe that it's very possible that the trainer in this painting is you!"

"It could be anyone," Iris retaliated.

May shook her head. "Dragonite is a rare Pokémon and it's so powerful, it's known as pseudo-legendary. The trainer has a large bump and even bigger lumps on her head. Let's face it: this painting shows that you were at the party and after you shot Delia Ketchum; you fled on Dragonite to escape."

"Then how come nobody saw me and Dragonite in the sky?" Iris asked.

"A number of distractions," May replied. "The battle between Ash's brothers and Serena being force-fed alcohol. Shelly De Killer attended, just as you had all anticipated. Iris... the only person that screwed up was YOU!"

"How are you!" Iris barked. "If it weren't for those kids I would have brought Shelly De Killer to justice."

"YOU'RE THE SAME AGE AS US YOU HYPOCRITE!" May could hear Brock roar in the gallery.

"Says the man who gave a minor alcohol," Iris snapped back. "And also sexually assaulted the witness that's currently on the stand."

"That was a huge error on my part," Brock yelled at Iris. "I apologised for that and I was released without charge."

"Mrs. Den," the Judge intervened. "Brock isn't the one on trial here."

"You're right," Iris admitted to the Judge. "But it doesn't change the fact that his actions were disgusting."

"Well at least he's not a mass murderer like you," May chipped in.

"You..." Iris hissed.

"This painting and Kari's testimony proves that you did attend the party!" May announced, pointing her finger at Iris.

"OBJECTION!" Iris yelled. Her body imploded against her bench as she gritted her teeth. "That painting proves nothing. Even if I was at the party, it doesn't prove that I killed Mrs. Ketchum."

"Are you confessing?" May asked.

Athena folded her arms. "Iris, why are lying? You're a Pokémon champion, you can't be arrested even if you were guilty."

The courtroom became engulfed in darkness as another black lock was destroyed. Only three black psyche locks remained, but the aura from the locks remained as dark and as cold as ever. When May found herself back in reality, she nodded at Kari. "I think it's time we bring our new witness onto the stand: Drew De Killer!"

"I BEG YOUR PARDON?" The Judge let out a huge gasp before shrieking in horror. "Drew De Killer? So you weren't joking."

May shook her head. "I don't do jokes or bluffs in this courtroom."

"Thank you," the Judge said. "Please keep it that way."

Kari stepped down from the witness box and just as she returned to her seat, Drew suddenly appeared inside the witness box and bowed to the court. There was an Abra by Drew's side. Abra was psychic Pokémon, infamously known for being hard to catch because of it's teleporting abilities.

Drew had dressed his part for the court. He wore a butler's suit and his black suit was so shiny, anyone could see their face on it. The Drew Hayden that May knew from her Pokémon journey was different to the one standing in the court.

"Drew," May said. "Please confirm your name and occupation for the record, please."

"I am Drew De Killer," Drew announced as he tossed roses out to the court. "I've recently taken over my family business after the sudden death of my father."

"Well, I''m sorry to hear about your father," the Judge announced.

"Your Honour," Drew said as he tossed a rose towards the Judge. "You knew my father, Shelly De Killer?"

"Yes," the Judge replied as a rose got trapped in his beard. "I've spoken to him on a few small occasions."

"Then you would know what a kind and gentle man he was," Drew announced as he threw more roses towards May and Athena.

The Judge gasped. "Well of course, for an assassin anyway."

"OI!" It was Simon Blackquill's voice. May looked up from the top of the gallery and could see Simon Blackquill jumping from his seat and landing next to the witness box. He grabbed the sword out of his side and aimed it near Drew's neck. "You better not be flirting with Athena."

"You're deeply mistaken," Drew said in a soft tone. He smiled, and didn't even appeared fazed by Blackquill's threats. "Those roses are for her Flaaffy."

"They better be," Blackquill hissed. "Or else... you'll be joining your father sooner than you think."

Blackquill returned to his seat.

"Getting back on topic," Iris said to Drew. "You're a murderous swine and when this trial is over, you're going straight to jail."

"Well, it certainly takes one to know one," said Drew, chuckling away.

"We you present at the party?" Iris asked him.

Drew shook his head. "No, I was not."

"Then you're not a witness," Iris snapped. She clicked her fingers at the bailiffs. "Arrest him immediately."

"Hold it!" May cried out. "Drew is the son of Shelly De Killer, he has something important to say. He can testify and submit evidence on his father's behalf."

"The prosecution has a point though," the Judge told May. "Then again, so do you, Miss Maple. If the witness cannot provide any evidence, then I am afraid he will have to be arrested."

"I'm not scared," May declared. "Drew's got plenty of evidence for us."

"Well Mr. De Killer," the Judge said, appearing stunned. "May be please have your testimony."

"Objection!" Iris cried out. "I'm ready to give my final statement."

"WHAT!" May cried out.

"I don't like the sound of this," Athena admitted. "She's trying to stop Drew from testifying. This only makes her more suspicious."

"Are you going to give Iris your special therapy?" May asked.

Athena rolled her head over to May as her fingers carried on working on the screen. "Of course."

May paid attention to the mood matrix as it generated an image of Delia Ketchum.

"I've finally realised what's happened," Iris announced with a hallow tone in her voice as her eyes became fixated on the floor. "The sad truth is this, Delia Ketchum was indeed killed by her son, and his friend: Ash Ketchum and Serena Yvonne." As Iris spoke, her words became written onto the screen as the computer generated an image of Ash and Serena, grinning evilly holding the gun.

"NO WAY!" May cried out.

"And we all saw Serena tip the poisoned sugar in Misty 's drink a day later," Iris added. An image of Serena adding the sugar in Misty's drink appeared on the screen. "It was all done in a state of panic. They were scared when Shelly De Killer gatecrashed the party, so they pulled a gun and shot Mrs. Ketchum."

"Are these pictures real?" May gasped. She took what she saw on Athena's computer to heart as she banged her head against the wall and screened. "There's no way that Ash and Serena are guilty!"

"Calm down," Athena demanded. "They're just computer generated images based on the information Iris has given us. Take another look at the screen."

May lifted her head up and stared at Athena until she stopped crying. "You mean... they're not real?"

Athena shook her head. "Of course they're not."

May leaned closer towards the screen and noticed that the mood matrix had picked up a mixture of emotions. However, the only face that never lit up was the green face. The red face, yellow face and blue face flashed so hard, they were fighting over dominance on the screen. "Iris isn't a happy bunny, is she?"

"You have everything a Pokémon girl could ever want," Athena announced to Iris. "But I can sense a great presence of shock, fear and anger. You may be a Pokémon champion, but you're not happy at all."

Iris raised her eyes. "What's that got to do this case?"

"It shows you're still hiding something," May replied.

"Well, I hate to admit it, but the prosecution's theory sounds convincing," the Judge said, nodding. He lifted his arm in the air and was ready to slam his gavel. "I am ready to deliver my verdict."

"Objection!" May and Athena cried out at the same time.

"What is it now?" the Judge asked. "I think we've put everybody through enough pain."

"Our witness hasn't even testified yet," May yelled. "Have you forgotten your promise to let him free, if he can provide evidence."

"I didn't exactly promise anything," the Judge sighed. His lips hovered for a few moments, before shaking his head and looking down on Drew. "Oh very well, Mr. De Killer you may begin your testimony."

"To get to the heart of a story," Drew began his testimony as if he was reading from a novel. "We must go back to the beginning. When Drayden Shaga first hired my father to kill Lance Den. Lance and Iris decided to fight back after Drayden's death, killing Cilan Dento and Delia Ketchum in the process."

"Your father murdered them!" Iris growled with tears rolling down her eyes. "Don't defend that monster!"

Drew shook his head so vigorously that his hair flew all over his face. "No! My father would never kill vulnerable people like a minor or the elderly."

The Judge jumped out of his seat and leaned over his desk. He knelt over as he looked down on Drew. "Your father, an assassin had standards?"

"Of course," Drew nodded. "The De Killer clan have been assassins for over a century .We always perform our jobs calmly and with precision. Here!" Drew took a scroll that was sticking out from his pocket. "Here is my late father's code of conduct; it's mine now."

"How many people are in your clan?" May asked curiously.

"If I die tonight," Drew replied with his head fixated on the roses on the floor, "the De Killer line dies with me."

"So it's just you?"

"That's correct!" Drew passed the scroll over to a bailiff, who then went on to pass it over to the Judge, who went on to read it out.

De Killer's Code Of Conduct

All clients are free to call me at anytime: day or night.

I always discuss details of business in person.

When we have our appointment I will discuss our contract, the methods and of course my price.

I specialise in corrupt celebrities, but I will do my best to accommodate all requests, but there are certain vulnerable groups, that I will not kill. By vulnerable people I include: children, pregnant women, the elderly and the disabled.

This means the target must be between the age of 18 and 65.

After the deed is done, I will always leave my calling card .

This card will make the authorities aware of my involvement, you will never become suspected.

I keep all records of our discussions in my special database. Only I have access to it.

In the case that you do get arrested, I will do whatever I can to ensure that you get an aquittal.

Our contract is immediately null and void should you choose to betray my trust. Then you will become my next target.

After reading the contract, the Judge sat there in silence. Both of his eyes and his mouth were opened wide.

"Hey! Old man!" Iris screamed at the Judge, flicking her hair. The way she glared at the Judge and the way her eyes became red, it was as if she had been possessed by the devil. "Are you senile or something?" She banged her fist against the table as she continued to speak. "Why don't you say something, instead of sitting there with that dumb look on your face?"

"Mrs. Den," cried the Judge. "What is the meaning of all of this?"

"Hold it!" Athena yelled. "You can't talk to the Judge like that!"

"Let her say what she wants," May told Athena. "It doesn't matter what she says or does any more, I know how this trial is going to end: with Serena Yvonne's aquittal!"

"Miss Maple," the Judge gulped as he cowered under the table. "Please begin your cross-examination."

"Drew!" May went straight down to business. "When I called you yesterday, you said there was no Drayden or Cilan on your father's database. So how do you know that Drayden hired your dad?"

"I was only looking at my father's hit-list," Drew admitted. "He had a different list for clients and targets you see. I had only found out this morning that Drayden had hired Father to kill Lance."

"OBJECTION!" Iris screeched. She panted and curled herself into a ball. "That's just...impossible."

May shrugged her shoulders. "This is the truth, Iris. My witness has no reason to lie."

"Why don't you see the contract for yourself, Mrs. Den," Drew suggested as he tossed another scroll over to Iris.

"This is all a joke," Iris declared as she tore open the scroll. Iris gasped as soon as she opened the scroll. Her knees crumbled to the floor as she scrunched Drayden's contract in her hand.

"What does it say?" Athena asked.

"It can't be true!" Iris screamed. "Drayden wanted my Lance dead?"

"It's hardly surprising," Athena admitted. "You had your first child with him at fifteen. Drayden, being the one that mentored you all these years would have been disgusted with Lance."

"Shelly De Killer killed my grandpa, and that's that!" Iris snapped. "His calling card was found by the crime scene."

"The reason Drayden had the calling card was because he was Shelly De Killer's client!" Athena declared. "The evidence is there right in front of you."

"Lance made you believe that Shelly De Killer was hired to kill Drayden."

"Lance insisted that Cilan hired him," Iris sobbed.

"And you believed him?" Ash roared. "Cilan loved you. He knew how much Lance and Drayden meant to you. He would have never have done a thing like that."

"Shut up!" Iris snapped at Ash. "Cilan loved you more than any of these stupid women and your family combined."

"What do you mean by that?" the Judge asked.

"I don't think you want to know," May told the Judge.

Iris jumped back up and ripped Drayden's contract into tiny little pieces and threw them in the air. "

"GOD DAMNIT IRIS!" May screamed, burying her head in her hands. "You just destroyed decisive evidence."

"It doesn't matter," Drew hissed. "I can print another one out."

Suddenly, the doors to the court had opened. Three people marched into the courtroom: Apollo Justice and Phoenix and Trucy Wright. Athena smiled and clapped in glee as May ran over to them and gave Trucy the biggest hug she had ever given anybody.

"Looks like we're just in time," Phoenix announced. He marched up to the Judge and slammed down a piece of paper on his desk. "Your Honour, I believe that this trial is coming to an end!" He glanced over to the prosecution's desk and spoke to Iris. "Mrs. Den, when you go down to the detention centre today, you're sure in for a big surprise."

"I tried explaining that to her Mr. Wright," May told her boss. "But she just didn't believe me."

"Well this should be enough," Apollo declared as he slammed the newspaper onto Iris' desk. Franziska Von Karma and her Bellossom were on the front cover as a small picture of Lance was in the corner behind bars.

"Lance has confessed to everything," Phoenix announced. "He's confessed to the murders of Drayden Shaga, Cilan Dento and Delia Ketchum. He still insists that he murdered Shelly De Killer."

The whole court became silent as they watched Iris breakdown in court. She screamed as she yanked her hair, curling up in a ball under the bench. May took a good look around the court as Iris's composition shattered before their very eyes. The people in the gallery couldn't take their astonished faces of the fallen prosecutor.

Then May took a look at the witnesses: Ash and his friends. All of them had their eyes on the floor, being unable to look at Iris. Trucy, Athena and Apollo covered their ears from the butchering sound of Iris' screams. Simon Blackquill in the gallery had his face to the wall, so May couldn't tell how he was feeling. Her boss, Phoenix Wright stood still and stared at the prosecutor as if he was watching an interesting program.

Even when Iris stopped yelling, the echoes still burned in everybody's eardrums. Drew nodded, with a smile on his face as lifted as pokéball from his belt. "My work here is done," Drew declared as sent out Abra. "Come on Abra! It's time to go home."

"Before you go Drew," May called out. "I've got something I want to say to you."

Drew lowered his pokéball. "Yes?"

"I hope that you never require my services," May told Drew. May felt that everyone in the court had rolled their eyes over to her. "But if you do get arrested, I'll gladly defend you!"

"WHAT!" Athena shrieked. Everybody in the court gasped as Phoenix Wright fainted.

"Miss Maple," the Judge stammered. "Are you feeling alright?"

"May Maple is doing fine," May announced with a huge grin and both hands attached to her hips.

"See," Blackquill roared from the top row of the gallery. "I told you all she was mad."

"That means a lot," Drew admitted with a smile on his face. "Thank you... Here, you'll need this!" Drew tossed one final scroll into May's hand, and then Drew and his father's abra teleported out of the courtroom, and vanished without a trace.

"So Lance Den has confessed to the crimes," the Judge announced.

"OBJECTION!" May yelled, reaching her hand out towards Iris. May noticed that Iris had quickly jumped up from the floor as her purple hair swayed all over the place. "Iris... is this how you want this to end? Losing another person important to you."

"Are you acknowledging your client's guilt?" Iris sobbed.

"We've already established that Ash Ketchum and Serena Yvonne are innocent," May said calmly.

"And what about Misty Waterflower's poisoning?" Iris's voice became louder and louder. "Lance hasn't admitted to that. Serena can still be found guilty."

May shook her head. "Misty's poisoning was your own doing."

Phoenix marched over to the witness box. "Neither of you knew your biological mothers that well," he announced. "And yet, you both follow their paths so well." He looked over to May and smiled at her. "May, you've got a bright future ahead of you. I've heard that you had plans to leave the agency, well whatever you choose to do, the world is your Cloyster."

May said, "Thank you, Mr. Wright." She could hear a couple of giggles in the gallery. Phoenix was clearly unaware that Cloyster was also a term for a certain part of the body.

"Mrs. Den," Phoenix barked.

"Yes..."

"I think Mr. Edgeworth would be very disappointed in you right now," Phoenix admitted. "You're quite lucky that you're a Pokémon champion, because no court of law can punish you. However, you'll have to live forever with your guilt. And you'll be the one that will have to explain to your kids why their father isn't coming home? That's your punishment. A punishment greater than any sentence we can give you."

"Just tell the truth!" May pleaded. "Only the truth will set you free."

"...I did it." Iris said after a long silence.

"Yes!" May hissed as she threw her fist in the air. "I've done it."

"WHY?" the Judge cried out. "What on earth would possess you to do such heinous acts?"

"It all started around five years ago when Grandpa was murdered," Iris announced. "When Lance told me Shelly De Killer had murdered him, I believed him. I wanted...revenge. That's when my mother's spirit came to help me."

"So that's why Dahlia's ghost wrote Serena's name on my note for Delia!" May pointed out. "She was trying to protect you."

"I find it awfully ironic," Phoenix said. "Iris, you never met your mother, but you followed your mother's path perfectly. You don't look anything like her, fortunately, but I can sensed her spirit in you. May was right, the truth did set you free."

"I had to defeat May in court," Iris stammered. "Mother wouldn't have stopped until she got what she wanted. Dahlia Hawthorne's daughter defeating Mia Fey's daughter in court was her one true wish. I thought by doing that, she would go away."

"She might get that wish one day," May added.

"Are you trying to say that Mrs. Den is a victim in all of this, Mr. Wright?"

Phoenix nodded. "Sadly, Dahlia Hawthorne is known to the world as the evil pathetic woman that couldn't win at anything."

"Hold it!" Ash cried out. "Mr. Wright, all of Dahlia Hawthorne's plans ended in failure right."

"They did indeed."

Ash ran over to Iris and helped her back up. "But... she got him in the end though, right? And she's got friends, family and children that love her. And she's got two really important jobs: as a prosecutor and a Pokémon champion."

"What are you trying to say?" May asked Ash.

"Iris has something that Dahlia never had," Ash announced. May squinted at him. "Come on, May! Have a heart! If someone as dumb as me can get it, you can too!"

"You had people that loved you Iris," May told her. "And that makes you different from your mother. You had all these people who wanted to help you catch De Killer, even though he was actually innocent of killing both Drayden and Cilan."

"Cilan agreed to help me find De Killer," Iris admitted. "Then Cilan encountered Shelly De Killer. I tried to shoot De Killer but..." Iris screamed again. "I ended up killing Cilan! I had to tell them that De Killer did it or else they wouldn't have helped me. "

"Why was Serena used as a pawn?" May asked Iris.

"I...I didn't like her all that much," Iris admitted.

"How could you not like her?" Ash asked as he walked away from Iris. "She's a lovely lady."

"Well, to put it more accurately, my mother made me hate her. By getting her drunk and with the battle between Ash's brothers... everyone was distracted. I could kill Shelly De Killer with no distractions." Iris clenched her fists. "He was right there in front of me...I messed it up again!"

"The baby kicked and you lost your aim?" May said, she felt she could predict what Iris was about to say. "And the bullet hit Mrs. Ketchum's head. Shelly De Killer managed to escape thanks to his Abra's teleport but it would take another five years before you could get your true vengeance on him."

"I blamed Ash and Serena for messing up my plans," Iris admitted as she let down her hair. "The only one that messed up is me. Especially the day I poisoned Misty. I was planning on killing Serena that day. Then there was Alain's trial, I got him guilty, even though he was innocent so he couldn't dethrone me. I framed Kari for De Killer's death because I knew she would be the only one to destroy my alibi. I'm sorry for everything..."

"A simple sorry isn't going to cure five years of mental damage that you caused us," May announced.

"That's right," the Judge announced. "I think a long therapy session is needed for all of us after this trial. Before I deliver my verdict, I would like to speak to the defendant, Miss Serena Yvonne."

"Yes, Your Honour," Serena said as she stood up.

"I applaud you for keeping your head high after everything that's happened to you," the Judge announced. "I also believe that Ash Ketchum is to be free from all charges and the court finds Serena Yvonne...NOT GUILTY!" The Judge banged his gavel after the gallery gave a round of applause as confetti sprayed around the room. The Judge silenced the court again with his gavel. "That is all, this court is adjourned."

Alternate Ending: What If Serena Was Found Guilty?

"Objection!" Iris cried out. "I'm ready to give my final statement."

"WHAT!" May cried out.

"I don't like the sound of this," Athena admitted. "She's trying to stop Drew from testifying. This only makes her more suspicious."

"Are you going to give Iris your special therapy?" May asked.

Athena rolled her head over to May as her fingers carried on working on the screen. "Of course."

May paid attention to the mood matrix as it generated an image of Delia Ketchum.

"NO WAY!" May cried out.

"And we all saw Serena tip the poisoned sugar in Misty's drink a day later," Iris added. An image of Serena adding the sugar in Misty's drink appeared on the screen. "It was all done in a state of panic. They were scared when Shelly De Killer gatecrashed the party, so they pulled a gun and shot Mrs. Ketchum."

"Are these pictures real?" May gasped. She took what she saw on Athena's computer to heart as she banged her head against the wall and screened. "There's no way that Ash and Serena are guilty!"

"Calm down," Athena demanded. "They're just computer generated images based on the information Iris has given us. Take another look at the screen."

May lifted her head up and stared at Athena until she stopped crying. "You mean... they're not real?"

Athena shook her head. "Of course they're not."

Iris raised her eyes. "What's that got to do this case?"

"It shows you're still hiding something," May replied.

"Well, I hate to admit it, but the prosecution's theory sounds convincing," the Judge said, nodding. He lifted his arm in the air and was ready to slam his gavel. "I am ready to deliver my verdict."

"Objection!" May and Athena cried out at the same time.

"What is it now?" the Judge asked. "I think we've put everybody through enough pain."

"Our witness hasn't even testified yet," May yelled. "Have you forgotten your promise to let him free, if he can provide evidence."

"That's enough!" The Judge banged his gavel. "I have heard enough. It pains me to say this but Prosecutor Iris is right! Weather she attened the party or not dosen't matter anymore. The guilt of Ash Ketchum and Serena Yvonne has been made perfectly clear. Drew De Killer is to be arrested immediantly."

"No!" May yelled. "You can't end the trial like this!"

"Give it up!" Iris snapped at May. "Your career in this court is over!"

May felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart. Her body started to shiver and she slammed her whole body against the desk and screamed. She burst into tears, knowing that she had lost, and it was all because she couldn't prove Iris' guilt. "Everybody," May yelled. "I'm sorry."

"The court finds Serena Yvonne: guilty!"

And so the trial had ended suddenly and tragically. Iris was the only one in court with a smile on her face. And Ash was dragged away from the court and thrown into solitary confinement. Luckily, Drew was able to escape thanks to help of Abra. Serena was going to be sentenced to death for a crime she didn't commit, and May felt it was all her fault.

"Don't worry," Athena told May. "Don't let that cow get to you. This is not the end. Remember when Ash was found guilty? You still worked hard to clear his name. Well, you can't give up now either. We can fight for a retrial. We can keep the evidence until the time is ready."

"YOU'RE TOO LATE!" Iris screamed. "Serena Yvonne is guilty and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Looks like we're late," Phoenix announced. He marched up to the Judge and slammed down a piece of paper on his desk. "Your Honour, I believe that this trial is far from over!" He glanced over to the prosecution's desk and spoke to Iris. "Mrs. Den, when you go down to the detention centre today, you're sure in for a big surprise."

"I tried explaining that to her Mr. Wright," May told her boss. "But she just didn't believe me."

"Lance has confessed to everything," Phoenix announced. "He's confessed to the murders of Drayden Shaga, Cilan Dento and Delia Ketchum. He still insists that he murdered Shelly De Killer."

The whole court became silent as they watched Iris breakdown in court. She screamed as she yanked her hair, curling up in a ball under the bench. May took a good look around the court as Iris' composition shattered before their very eyes. The people in the gallery couldn't take their astonished faces of the fallen prosecutor.

"What's with the screaming?" May wondered. "You've won this trial haven't you?"

"I'm done for!"

"I have already delivered my verdict," the Judge announced. "This court is adjourned. There are some mysteries left unsolved, I shall leave this with the police for further investigation."

Iris and Lance had been murdered a day after the trial, leaving their children orphans and in the full care of Clair, the gym leader of Blackthorn City Gym. Everybody knew that Drew was the culprit. May knew that Drew was carrying on where his father had left off. In the mean time, May's friendship with her colleagues at the agency grew closer than ever. They took on more cases, and in the end they managed to prove Iris' guilt and Serena and Ash were set free.

Justice had been served but it wasn't a bed of roses. After May had finished work for the day, Ash and May wandered the streets alone and went to the cemetery to visit Delia's grave. They both crouched down next to the stone and sat together in silence for a few minutes before Ash was ready to speak.

"If only it hadn't have come to this," Ash told May as he leaned against her shoulder. Even though Ash was a free man, she knew that there was deep wound in his soul that would never be healed. He had lost a lot more than just his mother. "Serena got sectioned yesterday."

"Poor Serena," May said. "It's like she's been arrested again. Why did they section her?"

"She had a breakdown."

"I hope she gets out soon," May admitted. "I hope she can return to her full self again." May was reminded of the happy girl that she had met in Pewter City a couple of weeks ago. "Ash..."

"May..."

"I just wanted you to know that no matter how far apart we are and no matter what happens now, we've always got each other."

Ash smiled. "I already knew that. Thanks for staying strong for my sake. Anyway, did you know that Dawn was a lawyer too?"

May gasped. "She is?"

"Yeah," Ash responded. "She works for a firm in some sort of kingdom. She says she loves it there and she still does her contests there too."

"We should go there at some point," May suggested. "It would be a great vacation for us. And after everything that's happened to us, I think we both deserve one."

"But you've only been working for the agency for two weeks," Ash reminded May. "Wouldn't it look bad if you decide to take a long vacation now. Besides, what about your friends? Wouldn't they miss you?"

"They could come with us?"

"Oh that's a good idea," Ash said. "And we'll both end up eating the extra spicy curry that Trucy always orders."

"Well she always orders it to see if it really is spicy, then it turns out to be too spicy for her."

"You used to do that in Hoenn," Ash reminded May. "Your red face at the end was hilarious."

"You know," May admitted as she stroked her rumbling stomach. "All this talk about food is making me hungry."

"Hey!" May spotted a great sudden sense of enthusiasm in Ash's voice as he grabbed her arm. "Why don't we go to my cousin's restaurant and have some noodles."

"That's a great idea."

Tough times lay ahead for Ash and May, but deep down they both knew that they would be just fine.

As you can see Serena's not guilty verdict caused a lot less blood. You can see why I didn't go for original ending in the end as I felt it was too depressing. Chapter 20 will carry on where the original chapter's ending left off with Serena being found not guilty.