Chapter Twenty: The Fresh Air Of Freedom

May daydreamed about a romantic getaway with Ash as everybody celebrated Serena's verdict in trial. May had heard that Iris had checked herself into rehab and signed up for the therapy that she needed. May wasn't sure if any of it would make her feel better, but she knew that it wouldn't wash Iris off the sins she had created. Things would never be the same for any of them again.

In the eyes of the law, Iris was not a criminal despite killing at least three people. But the law was always changing. May knew there would come a day where Iris would stand trial and be responsible for her crimes, but it wouldn't be today. Iris was lucky. May hoped that Iris would do the right thing and continue with her training and be a better mother and trainer for her kids and Pokémon. For some reason, May doubted it. Once a killer: always a killer.

Iris came into the defence lobby and walked up to Serena. May watched the awkward moment of silence between the women. She was expecting catfights and spotlights, but instead she saw them hug each other as if they were best friends. Iris was truly sorry, and she meant every word of it. But if May was in Serena's position, she would have slapped Iris round the face. May saw Cilan's spirit pat Iris' back for a five seconds, before flying over to Ash and kissing his cheek.

"Serena," Iris bowed down before Serena in a praying position. "Please forgive me."

Serena smiled. May thought what a sweet and wonderful person Serena was for being able to forgive somebody like that. May started to feel that Serena had the presense of an angel. "Of course I forgive you. I don't believe that was you there. You were possessed by your mother's spirit. But it's okay, you're back for good."

"Clair will never see her child again because of me," Iris sobbed.

"I didn't know Clair from Blackthorn City Gym had a son." May overheard Athena talking to Trucy and the rest of the agency. At first she didn't know why Clair had anything to do with the case. She knew that she was Lance's cousin, but that was about it. May didn't know anything about Clair's child too.

"Yeah," Apollo responded. "Kai Hiwatari wanted Clair to have nothing to do with her son once he figured out the truth about Iris and Lance. When he realised that Clair had nothing to do with their crimes, he decided to let her have access to Gou again."

"Gou is also Professor Oak's great-grandchild," Phoenix said. "He is delighted indeed. In fact, he's actually changed his will. He's added all his grandchildren in his will and also added Mrs. Ketchum's nephew into the will."

"Professor Oak must really think the world of Delia," May pointed out. "He knew how close Delia and Davis were and decided to add him to the will in her memory."

"You did it, May!" Trucy exclaimed, jumping for joy as she gave May a victory hug. Before they knew it, the defence lobby became packed with people. The majority of them were friends of Phoenix and Ash. "You did the agency proud today."

May blushed. "Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without your help!"

"Hey!" Athena yelled out with her fist in the air. "What about me?"

"And you of course," May said.

"May..." Ash said as he ran towards her. They both stared at each other. Ash suddenly began panting as his head tilted backwards and in the end, he couldn't fight his tears. He smiled as tears rolled down his face. "Thank you so much! You were awesome back there."

"You did great too," May said. "I know we haven't had it easy, but I'm glad you're back to your old self."

"To be honest," Ash said with a grin on his face. Every time she saw that warm smile on Ash's face, it made her want to smile to. "So am I!" He continued to speak with great pride and joy. "I can't wait to carry on with my journey in Alola. You should stop by and visit me there."

"The first thing you think about as soon as you get out of prison is your dream to be a master," May said. She sighed, hoping that something at least romantic would come out of Ash's mouth. Then she smiled. He wasn't the most romantic of guys, but he had a big heart and that was all that really mattered. "You really are back to your old self."

"May," Phoenix said. "I just wanted to say that that was a truly outstanding trial today."

"But you were only there at the end," May pointed out.

"You do know that this trial was recorded for national television, right?"

"Uh..." May pondered. "No!"

"Well your client is known as the Kalos Queen," Phoenix said. "And there was a great public interest in your trials, so each one of your trials has been live on TV. If Serena had been found guilty," Phoenix told May. "Let's just say things would have turned out badly for everybody."

"Now you're famous!" Trucy cried out. "I think you should help me out in one of my magic shows."

May giggled. She thought the idea of her and Trucy working together on a magic show instead of a trial would be a welcoming change. "That sounds awesome." She looked over at Ash. "Hey Ash, what do you think about helping out with Trucy's magic show."

"I don't any tricks," Ash admitted. "I guess I can help out."

"You can both get special seats in my shows," Trucy declared. "A special seat fit for two lovers."

"That sounds great!" Ash and May said together.

"Be careful what you wish for," Apollo warned them, chuckling away. "It will come true."

"Now there's something else I wanted to talk to you about," Phoenix told May. "I understand you have plans to leave the agency."

"You must be kidding," May lied with a smile on her face. "There's a lot more that I want to do as a lawyer. I've got so much to learn you and everybody."

"So you're not leaving?" Trucy gasped.

May shook her head. "No. I've decided I'm not leaving the agency."

"I think that would make Trucy very happy," Phoenix responded, chuckling away. "Anyway, that scroll that Drew De Killer gave you. I think it's time to open it."

"I wonder what it is," May said.

"My sister can finally be at peace now," Martha said. May looked over at Martha Motomiya and could see the face of a guilty woman. She hadn't murdered anybody, but she was the one that hired Shelly De Killer to Giovanni Ketchum and his two elder children.

"Mrs. Motomiya," Phoenix said. "I take it that you're pleased with the results."

"I am," Martha looked down to the floor. The way Martha presented herself with her shrugged up shoulders and hands in her lap showed she was anything but pleased. May knew that Martha had a big role in Delia's death, but she had been out of the spotlight for a while.

"What's wrong?" Davis asked his mother. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"It looks like I've been caught," Martha admitted as she had her arms out above her face, ready to be arrested. "That scroll, it contains the deal I made with the assassin: to wipe the Ketchum family out!"

"Aunt Martha!" Ash cried out. "Why?"

"I borrowed money from Professor Oak," Martha admitted. "I never told him my plans, only that it was for Delia's own sake." Her husky made it sound all the creepy. "I used that money to pay for Shelly De Killer's bill." She glared at her nephews, niece, and at her brother-in-law. "You despicable monsters. Should have killed you all myself."

"Get over it Mom," Davis said. "I think Uncle Giovanni is a jerk, but I wouldn't wish him or my cousins to die for it."

"He and his gang destroyed my Pokémon," Martha cried out.

"I know," Davis said. "But now you're worse than him because he actually changed for the better."

"You always had a low opinion on your uncle and his older children," May reminded Davis. "Out of curiosity, what happened to make you change your mind?"

"Last night," Davis replied. "Uncle Giovanni came to my restaurant with some of his employees and we kinda had a deep man to man talk. Ya know? Learned a lot of things about them. That Silver was secretly fond of me and Ash. That Aunt Delia always spoke highly of me and then he made an investment in my restaurant."

"You idiot," Martha cried out. "You're no son of mine."

"Fine," Davis responded. "Be that way."

"Mrs. Motomiya," Phoenix said. "I think what your son is trying to say is that life is too short for bitter fall-outs."

"I didn't ask for your opinion," Martha yelled at Phoenix Wright. "Some of the people in this building today don't even deserve to live?"

May opened the scroll and then presented it to Ash. "Aunt Martha, when you wanted us to be dead, why did you want me spared?"

"Because you were the only one to inherit...Delia's heart."

"You can discuss that later," Detective Oak said, emerging out of the shadows. "For now, you're under arrest for hiring an assassin and blackmail. I'm taking you to the station."

"Gary!" Ash cried out. "You got your job back!"

"That's right!" Gary nodded. "It's all thanks to Detective Gumshoe standing up for me." He looked up at Martha who had burst into tears, and then proceeded with her arrest. As May watched Ash's aunt get arrested, she thought to herself how different things could have been.

She found it so sad that Martha and Delia were never able to reconcile their differences and be sisters again. However, she felt that Delia would have been proud of all of her sons and also her nephew: Davis who continued to make her memory shine bright with the success of his restaurants.

Of course, Davis also helped May fit pieces of the puzzle together. In fact, every person that May met, weather they were clients, witnesses, colleagues or even enemies had helped made this great day come.

"Hey!" Dawn cried out as she ran over to May. "So what about the contests? Are you just going to give up being a coordinator now?"

May nodded. "I gave that up long ago. I had to, in order to save everybody. I don't think I'll have time to do contests any more with my job."

"I got one word for you," Dawn giggled.

May had a feeling what it was going to be.

"OBJECTION!" Dawn cried out with grace.

May was right. Dawn got a case from out of her bag and revealed all the ribbons she had won since the last time she had met. Of course it put May's ribbon collection to shame, but she remembered that Dawn was the daughter of Johanna, one of the top Pokémon coordinators in Sinnoh.

"Great job," May cried out in joy. She thought it was so great that Dawn was doing so well in her contests now. Then something stood out to her. The golden pin in the middle of her case. She compared it to the badge on her chest and noticed that they were exactly the same. "Hey! That's a lawyer's badge there!"

"With the money I earned as a Pokémon coordinator and with some of my battles, I used it to pay for my tuition fees," Dawn explained to May. "I felt so helpless in Ash's trial and Misty's poisoning. If I was more confident, then I could have done something to save them much earlier. Maybe even save Iris. So I became a defence attorney, just like you."

"Who do you work for then?" May asked.

"I work for Justice in the Kingdom of Khura'in," Dawn responded with a grin.

"Oh," May said, flashing a grin back at her. "I see what you did there."

"No!" Dawn shook her head. "I don't think you do. My chief really is called Justice."

"That's funny," May pointed out. "The only guy I know called Justice is Apollo Justice."

"That's my boss!" Dawn cried out in excitement. "You know him? Wait, of course you do, you work for Phoenix Wright's firm."

"And I'm also friends with Apollo's sister." May looked at Trucy as she spoke.

"Chief told us all about you guys," Dawn explained.

"Mr. Wright," May called out for her boss. "I'm kinda confused right now."

"About what?" Phoenix asked curiously.

"So Apollo works for you here? But he's also self employed in the Kingdom of Khura'in?"

"Last year," Phoenix explained. "A big revolution happened in Khura'in. 23 years of corruption and injustice brought to an end. Apollo decided to stay and set up his own law firm there, but he always promised to come back. Since then, his firm and my firm always help each other out."

"And you also wanted him back so you could tell him that him and Trucy were siblings?"

"Yeah!" Apollo butted into the conversation. "What took you so long to tell us?"

"I was waiting for the right time," Phoenix replied. "I must admit, I did wait a bit too long. Work got really out of hand."

"It's okay," Trucy said. "We're all one big happy family."

Ash looked up to May. "I think Dawn is right," Ash told her as he held her hand. "You shouldn't give up on your own dreams. Apollo's boyfriend is a prosecutor and he's still a musician."

"Um Ash..." Apollo stammered. He closed his eyes, blushed and scratched his head. "I think you've misinterpreted my relationship with Mr. Gavin."

"Well I'm thirsty!" Athena cried out of the blue. "Who wants Starbucks?"

Two days later

"The court is now in session for the trial of Maya Fey," the Judge announced at the top of his voice. The Judge appeared to have a really sad look on his face. "Are both teams ready."

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honour," Gaspen Payne declared. He glared at May. "I underestimated you last time, Miss Maple. But this time, I will crush you."

"I don't think so!" May announced with her arms around her hips. Even though her best friend, Trucy Wright was unable to attend the trial, she felt that she could win this trial hands down. She was still in shock that the police had the nerve to arrest Maya Fey for a stealing cake.

Starbucks was packed that afternoon. It started off as a fun party, but it later turned into another day in the office for May. Luckily it wasn't a murder case, but her aunt got arrested for stealing cakes behind the counter at Starbucks. There was no evidence, which made everyone pretty mad.

May knew that it couldn't have been her aunt. Maya ordered burgers, not cake and nobody saw Maya touch any cake. She pointed at the Judge. "Your Honour, how many times has Maya Fey been accused of murder?"

"More than once," the Judge admitted. "And this isn't a murder trial. So, I don't see how your question is relevant."

"How many times?" May demanded to know. "Besides it could count as a murder trial since the victim is a cake!"

"At least twice," Franziska admitted to May behind the defence bench. "The second time she was accused of murder was the first time I met your aunt."

"Really?" May gasped. "Wow, it really is a small world."

"I don't know," Prosecutor Payne admitted. "All I know is that she's guilty and that's that!"

May banged her hands against the desk. "You lot just don't learn!" May shouted. "EVERY-TIME MAYA FEY HAS BEEN ACCUSED, SHE'S BEEN ACQUITTED EVERY SINGLE TIME. DETECTIVE! GO OUT THERE AND FIND THE REAL CULPRIT!"

"YES MA'AM!" Detective Dick Gumshoe announced, saluting in the stand. He looked over at Gary. "Come on Oak, let's go!"

"OBJECTION!" Payne cried out as if he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. His black hair slid of his face, revealing a bold shiny head. "This trial hasn't even started yet. YEOUCH!"

"The prosecution does have a...OUCH!"

"I think having a whip in the courtroom isn't such a bad idea after all," May admitted. "What do you think Aunt Franziska?"

"Of course," Franziska said, bowing before the court.

"You should teach me how to use it." May suggested. "I think it would come in handy the next time Ash and I get some alone time."

"I demand the court to confiscate that whip immediately," Prosecutor Payne yelled. "Your Honour! Can you hear me?"

"I have no authority over a Pokémon champion," the Judge announced. "I believe this trial has come to an end. With no reliable evidence, the court finds Maya Fey... NOT GUILTY!"