150 ace attorney 6 - the judge's surprise

Dear Readers,

The judge was surprised to see Phoenix on the opposite side to a very sweaty Athena and me, asking if this was some sort of practice session. We said it was the real deal and he then asked if we had a falling out. I was sweating myself as we said no, we just had different clients. The judge expressed his hope that this wouldn't have an adverse effect on our working relationship.

Athena asked if this really was a good idea and I asked her if she wanted to switch sides. She said she wanted to be anywhere else right now. I said I was glad she was here as I needed her help.

Phoenix addressed me and told me again that the kid gloves were off and he wasn't pulling punches. I said same here!

The judge reminded us to keep this civil case civil.

The judge called for the plaintiff to the stand and out Paul Atishon came, with his carriers and all, starting his campaign already.

The judge demanded he come out of that contraption and take the witness stand, putting him in his place. That was satisfying.

The judge proceeded. He asked Phoenix for an outline of the complaint and he gave it in full, saying the defendant stole his client's family heirloom and he wanted it back.

The judge then asked me for my statement where I made my assertion about the so-called heirloom actually being the Founder's Orb, outlining the recent events of its theft. I said it was more accurate to call it spirited away where it reached the doctor. We learned about it and made contact with the doctor, who agreed in writing to part with it. I said my client also agreed to return it to Khura'in once the doctor verified it was the real thing.

The judge said he understood the dispute was centred on whether the item in question was the Founder's Orb or the Crystal of Ami Fey, which would, in turn, determine the object's rightful owner.

149 ace attorney 6 - trucy and athena's positions

Dear Readers,

My answer to the end of the last blog post was promptly answered by Trucy declaring she wasn't going to take sides. I said that was loud and clear. She said that was good because she didn't like this one bit and that Phoenix and I should be on the same team. I told her I was sorry and really felt how mad she was.

Dhurke said he was sorry too, saying it was all his fault. Trucy got sad and said she was worried things wouldn't be the same between her dad and me after this. Dhurke smiled at this, saying he wouldn't worry. He said that's the way it was with us men. We may fight, but we don't burn bridges.

She asked if that really was the case. He said it was, that one minute we're trading blows and the next we're having drinks together. He laughed it off, saying we were simple creatures at heart. Trucy said she hoped he was right.

I am a little worried about this too, but Dhurke is kinda right too. To be a boy is to be a fool and that's probably the case with being a man too.

Athena arrived, apologising to me for being late. I asked her what happened with her and Phoenix and she said she went to the wrong airport. She said she was waiting and thinking his flight was really late and then she dozed off until it was dark already. She was really upset at herself for doing that. Aw.

That meant she had no clue what the case was about and so, she asked. Whew. She made a few guesses and nope, nothing to do with murder this time. It was a civil case.

She was surprised and confirmed what she knew about civil cases, how there was no prosecutor. I said that's right and had no time to explain any other details. We were called into the courtroom before I had a chance to explain to her about Phoenix.

Wow. Athena's going to find out inside the court. This is really silly, but it'll add to the drama I suppose!

148 ace attorney 6 - the fighting phoenix

Dear Readers,

I decided there was no turning back now... I chose to battle Phoenix. I told him if it was a trial he wanted, I was more than happy to oblige. I was ready to fight for Dhurke, even if it meant facing off against him.

Phoenix paused for a while before saying all right and that he wouldn't be pulling any punches either. He declared the kid gloves officially off and may the best attorney win. I said you got it!

Trucy was shocked at me being willing to go up against Phoenix. I told her I was sorry but I had to do this. 

Phoenix had a thoughtful look on his face as he said my name and paused again. Then he said he had to go prepare to see me in court tomorrow. Trucy ran after him telling him to wait.

Dhurke told me it was a fine mess he had gotten me into. He told me about Phoenix's newfound reputation in Khura'in where they were calling him the Fighting Phoenix. I gave him my trademark "I'll be fine!" assurance, thinking maybe, who knows? Maybe I could win.

Dhurke then said maybe this was a blessing in disguise, that if we could prove that it was the Founder's Orb, then maybe we could find out whoever it was that asked Dr. Buff to study it. It was the first step of his revolution to restore Khura'in to its former glory and to save Nahyuta's soul.

I promised Dhurke and swore to fight as hard as I could in court to make that a reality. I said we were going to win this one! He said he knew I could do it, calling me son again. 

The stuff he talked about meant a lot to me too.

Also, I know Phoenix is fighting for his client, but I do know that he is just as interested in the truth as I am. I really do think we'll be fine.

Here's a question in the meantime: Whose side are Trucy and Athena going to be on? Will they feel as conflicted as Ema was in Maya's trial? All part of the interesting drama ahead!

147 ace attorney 6 - the ultimate boss

Dear Readers,

As Phoenix himself stood before me, I asked him why on earth was he serving as that slimeball Paul Atishon's lawyer.

Phoenix said it was because he was hired to. Paul then said he figured with a celebrated lawyer like Phoenix Wright, he couldn't go wrong.

I asked Phoenix if this was why he came back from Khura'in and he said it was just good timing as he had just wrapped up there.

Then he said Paul was a very important client, which absolutely baffled me. I never heard him even mention Paul before.

I asked Phoenix if he was sure that what we had was Paul's family heirloom and he said that it was his client's assertion. He said apparently, Ami Fey once used this crystal when channelling spirits.

I asked him who Ami Fey was. He said she brought Khura'inese channelling to Japan, and her descendants brought it here to America. Details were still kind of murky but it was clear that she herself was the founder of the Kurain Channelling Technique.

I tried to wrap my head around this, asking if she was the one they called the founder of Khura'in — the Holy Mother.

Phoenix said he didn't know all the facts yet, but he wasn't planning to betray his client's confidence and knew for sure that they wouldn't be handing the crystal over to us.

Phoenix said he was sorry it came to this. I said I didn't understand.

Phoenix then spelled it out for me: If I was going to continue to claim that the crystal or whatever this artifact was belonged to my client, then he was going to see me in court.

I was floored. Dramatic music played. Trucy asked her dad what had gotten into him. Phoenix said it was just business. Paul laughed at the sight of two lawyers from the same firm facing off. He believed he had the "right" man for the job. Ack... ok that was funny.

Paul pretty much just laid out the narration. He asked me what I was going to do, as Phoenix was my boss after all.

I begged Phoenix not to do this. He said there was no point in asking here as we would find everything out in court. Trucy didn't want us from the same agency to compete with each other either but it was too late, the die had been cast.

Phoenix then asked me what it was going to be. I reflected on the gravity of the situation, actually opposing THE Phoenix Wright in court. I owed it to Dhurke to at least try though.

I had two choices:

• Battle Mr. Wright
• Throw in the towel

In reality, I knew this really wasn't about him versus me, but the drama is extremely interesting and, as a player, it was fascinating since I was both Phoenix and Apollo in fighting our battles and getting to where we were today. This is very entertaining!

I toyed with the concession option and the will to keep fighting for Dhurke was too strong, so that option meant nothing fairly quickly.

Furthermore, since I was playing as Phoenix in Khura'in and suffered so much because of the DC Act, the thing that Dhurke was fighting to get rid of, I knew that we had a shared goal in the end. In fact, having Phoenix as an opponent is the best possible option to this end.

It will be very exciting to see the drama play out.

146 ace attorney 6 - paul atishon shows up and ruins absolutely everything

Dear Readers,

After that slimeball politician pointed at Dhurke, accusing him of stealing his family heirloom, Ema supposed she should ask him to go in for questioning.

Dhurke said he'd pass, saying it seemed the slimeball politician Atishon...

Oh jeez... it just dawned on me. His name is Paul Atishon or "politician". Hahaha! Still... no sympathy for him though!

Dhurke said it seemed that slime Paul Atishon was bent on having him arrested on theft charges.

This didn't look good... if Dhurke got arrested, he'd be sent back to Khura'in to face execution...

Ema said she had to insist he come with her. I went "Hold it!" and said we had a written agreement with Dr. Buff on a transaction for the Founder's Orb. She asked for the proof and I showed it to her with a "Take that!"

She read it and found it agreeable and legal until Paul said it wasn't the Founder's Orb but the Crystal of Ami Fey.

Things were going nowhere fast and we said as much until another voice came along and said it would have to go to trial. It was Phoenix!

What a sight for sore eyes! We greeted and asked him what he was doing in Kurain Village. He dropped a bombshell and said Paul had retained him as his lawyer!!!

What.

145 ace attorney 6 - briefly celebrating our escape

Dear Readers,

After I passed out in the water I came to in Kurain Village to Dhurke smiling and laughing with delight, with him saying it was a good thing my name wasn't Neptune!

I was about to say something when more laughing came from somewhere. It was Datz! He laughed at the snot coming out of my nose.

Trucy wasn't laughing but she was marvelling at my miraculous escape, saying the escape-artist greats couldn't pull this off!

Dhurke apologised for taking so long. He reached the ocean but figured I still couldn't swim, so he found a local fisherman and had him take us out near the undersea cavern. The fisherman tied a rope around him so he could come grab me and we could be yanked back, explaining what pulled us under. That explains what pulled us under.

Trucy said she helped in my escape act too!

Dhurke went on, saying he helped compatriots escape from mountain jails and island prisons but an undersea cavern was a first!

I told Dhurke I was only alive because of him and I thanked him. He said I was welcome and that he did what any father would do for his son... I got that image again of Nahyuta and myself as kids being rescued by him. He said the same thing back then too...

My stomach started growling and Dhurke laughed, saying seawater didn't make much of a meal! Trucy said it was because I didn't have any sushi that Dhurke got us this morning. Datz remembered Dhurke asking him to buy this lovely big plate of sushi he got for me! Dhurke said he figured I was hungry and asked if I was ready to have some this time round. I said yeah and thanked them!

I tucked in and it was delicious! Music played from after you win a court case and it was nice! Dhurke and Datz tucked in too and it was like old times when Dhurke caught raw fish for us to eat.

Datz asked to see the orb and I showed it to him. He and Trucy were dazzled. Dhurke wanted to celebrate the eve of our revolution, saying we'll get dressed up and feast till dawn! Datz was all for it but I wanted to go to bed after all that just happened.

I thought about Nahyuta and wished he were here with us like this. I thought maybe one day we could have happy days like this together once again.

Just then, I was snapped out of it by someone saying they were here for their crystal. It was Paul Atishon again. UGHHH.

He arrived in his carrier thing (I've already forgotten what it's called) claiming he knew I could do it as he was an excellent judge of character as a politician and blah blah. He said he was impressed we made it out of the cave alive.

I said wait a second, HE was the one who shoved us into that pit? He said he just nudged us in the right direction.

Dhurke was not impressed. He went very quiet until a flash of fury came over him and he gave Paul a fearsome glare, calling him a no good, son of a...

Paul withdrew into his carrier and pulled down the shutter in fear, but still had the nerve to demand the Crystal of Ami Fey for himself.

Dhurke barked back saying it was over his dead body. Paul called for the detective, that being Ema. 

Ema said Paul filed a police report, saying we were trying to steal his family heirloom!

144 ace attorney 6 - the rising water

Dear Readers,

Dhurke and I had to find a way out of here. The hole we fell through was in the ceiling and it was too high up to return through it.

Dhurke already had a notion to swim out of here through the lake, which tasted salty to him and was a telltale sign of it being connected to the ocean. Before I could stop him he was gone, saying he'd come back for me in no time. I waited.

Twenty minutes later, I was hoping he was okay. All of a sudden there was a rumbling! The water from the lake was rising and filling the room quickly!

I was submerged and had to figure a way out, or at least to survive. I grabbed onto the driftwood and held firm.

I observed the puzzle box was still in place, even though the water had risen above it. I then figured the doctor must've walked out of here at low tide and came in at high tide, explaining the single set of footprints.

I didn't have much time to think. I examined everything until the water rose to the top of the altar and eventually rose so high that I could reach the hole we fell through! It seemed so simple until I saw that it was full of rubble that must've clogged it when we fell through.

Everything went black and my life was flashing before my eyes. I remembered when Nahyuta and I got swept up in the rapids when we were kids. Dhurke called out to us to hold on and he saved us. He held us both in his arms as we held onto him, crying our eyes out. I told him I was sorry and he said that was enough, saying didn't he teach us that boys didn't cry.

I thought back to another memory, that time when Dhurke left me in America. He promised he'd come back when things settled back home. I waited and waited but he never came and that's why I tried to forget about him and my life back in Khura'in.

I drifted away until I heard a voice. It became clearer until I could hear it call my name and saying I still couldn't swim. It was a smiling Dhurke, holding me in his arm as he held on to something with the other. He said he told me he'd come back and I was like but but... and he said to stop talking or I'd bite my tongue.

Just then we got pulled under! Everything went black again.

143 ace attorney 6 - dhurke and i talk about nahyuta

Dear Readers,

Dhurke talked about the orb some more. This was stolen from Khura'in and the Defiant Dragons were being blamed for it, but he had a hunch it was one of the royals who actually did it. He didn't say who it was but he did say that security around the treasure was tight and they had unfettered access. They were turning a blind eye to its loss as well. I asked him why would they want to do that and he said he hadn't figured it out yet.

He did figure that it wasn't anything good, someone royal stealing the treasure and getting someone foreign to study it and pinning the blame on the Defiant Dragons. I said if this went public, then support for the regime would weaken.

Dhurke agreed and added another hunch that he believed there was something even bigger at play here and that would explain whatever the reason was for the orb to be studied in the first place. That would shake the kingdom to the very core and he was going to find out what that was.

I was thinking he was probably right as his instinct was usually spot on. I asked him why he was so bent on revolution, if it was to reform the legal system. He said it was but it was also for his children - he wanted to save Nahyuta.

I asked him what he meant and told him I met him in the courtroom when I defended Trucy. I said he seemed like a totally different person than from when we were kids. He tried to wrongfully convict Trucy, he told me I had a "putrid mind" and that I should "let it go, and move on"

Dhurke said Nahyuta wasn't like that when he first stepped into the courtroom. He had a sense of justice and swore to bring down the Ga'ran regime, but that was five years ago. Dhurke said he was the shining star and the greatest hope of the Defiant Dragons.

That was news to me. I asked Dhurke why would Nahyuta go through such a change? He said something must've happened to him... but still, he didn't think Nahyuta truly believed in that new path he took. He said it wasn't conviction that filled his heart, but resignation and despair.

Wow... I always knew there was something false about Nahyuta and it really got on my nerves, but it appears that he is actually suffering a lot. Dhurke said exactly what I was thinking and added that Nahyuta must be suffering in silence.

Dhurke said Nahyuta knows what the true legal system should be in Khura'in, but something was forcing him to bend to Ga'ran's will and it was tearing him apart.

I asked Dhurke if Nahyuta really wanted to reform the legal system and he said as long as he carried what Dhurke taught him in his heart, Dhurke believed it.

I recited "A dragon never yields", the saying that Dhurke always told us and how it meant that we should never bend our will or give up in our pursuit of the truth. I thought about how he was just like Phoenix.

Dhurke showed me his old attorney's badge. He held onto it, even though there weren't any more lawyers in Khura'in. He believed the legal system would be restored to its former glory and that this badge was a testament to that belief.

I wondered if Nahyuta still believed in what Dhurke taught us. Dhurke then said he was sure he did and recited "A dragon never yields" in voiced dialogue! He also put out his palm, which looked all dramatic in 3D!

Dhurke wanted to free Nahyuta from the clutches of the regime and to smack some sense into him, asking what else were fathers for with a jolly laugh!

With the Founder's Orb in our possession it was time to move on to the next problem, how to get out of here.

Nahyuta has been a horrible opponent this whole time and the prospect of reforming him is pretty appealing to me. It's very hard to imagine him as any kind of a brother or step-brother right now.

142 ace attorney 6 - the founder's orb

Dear Readers,

I came to in a strange, ancient ruin of a place with Dhurke. It seems this was a place spirit mediums may have done their training and rites before earthquakes and stuff buried it.

We saw fresh footprints here too. May have belonged to the doctor! We saw a box positioned in the middle of the big stone altar that was here and it looked new. We couldn't open it though.

We noticed the lake was salty and remembered Pearl mentioned the ocean was on the other side of it.

We then took a closer look at the box and found that we needed the doctor's research notes in the evidence section to help us open it.

Each verse corresponded to one of the four dials on the mechanism. I got it right pretty much in one go! After some careful consideration of course. Here's the order I used:

- Dragon and tiget facing each other with people in the middle

- Butterfly and Mitamah

- Halfway between dragon behind people praying and Holy Mother to the left of tiger so it looks like the people are praying in front of her.

- The founder casting some protective round barrier around somebody.

I pressed the button and the box opened! Inside we observed the Founder's Orb! Dhurke congratulated me and said he expected no less from me! He said my court battles formed the man I was today and he couldn't be prouder! I said to stop before I turned into a sun-ripened tomato!

He said with this he could finally deliver a fatal blow to the Ga'ran regime. I asked him how exactly did he plan on using it? Some kind of supernatural thing? A bargaining chip to abolish the DC Act?

He answered he just wanted to restore it to Khura'in where it belonged. Also, he mostly wanted to find out who asked Dr. Buff to study it and why.

141 ace attorney 6 - exploring the cave on mt. mitama

Dear Readers,

Dhurke and I travelled to the cave on Mt. Mitama. He was much more used to hiking than I was and I was wrecked by the time we got there, clutching on to a stick.

We entered the cave and the darkness was ink black. I wanted a torch and Dhurke said my eyes would adjust eventually. Then he said I could borrow his... but that that wasn't his voice... it was someone else's. Whoever it was pushed us both and we tumbled down a big drop!

Dhurke asked was I okay and I said I was. He wanted to press on and I had some choices. I chose to go forward, after toying with the other choices and reloading a save I set before the choices. I was wondering how on earth he was able to see in this darkness?

The one who pushed us really did give us a torch! I was full of regret for even taking this request from Dhurke, but he encouraged me to keep putting one foot in front of the other, so on we walked...

An hour later, I was really feeling it. We had been walking ages. Dhurke kept encouraging me to go on. I had another prompt to choose what to do. I made another save and explored them for fun. They were! But it always went to the prompt. I reloaded and pressed on with Dhurke.

He asked me how my career was going and I briefly talked about the events in Ace Attorney 4 and 5, about Gavin and Simon.

Dhurke then said he was sorry for not having contacted me all these years. I said it was okay.

Just then, the ground didn't feel steady and we tumbled more again! Then there was a splash!

140 ace attorney 6 - perceiving pearl's truth

Dear Readers,

Pearl was hiding something when I asked her about Dr. Buff. On the topic of Mt. Mitama, she fidgeted with her left hand over some dried paint. I perceived it with a "Gotcha!"

She kept mum about it until I pointed out the yellow and green figure on her painting. She said it was a rain spirit, but I she pointed out the raincoat which had the exact same pattern and colours.

Poor Pearl apologised and went on to explain that she greeted the doctor while painting last night. He was startled and asked her to please not tell anyone she saw him there. Dhurke sussed he must've been on his way to hide the orb after something spooked him. I wondered where. Pearl then said it could've been a cave on the mountain where spirit mediums used to train long ago and that there were some kind of mystical ruins there.

Sounds extremely plausible. Dhurke suggested going there right away and off we went, saying bye to Pearl.

139 ace attorney 6 - meeting pearl!

Dear Readers,

Durke and I returned to the village to the feeling of being watched. It was because of Paul's election posters with his ugly mug on it. Dhurke was in great humour and suggested we go hunting for boar in the mountains after this was over. I gave a pass on that one. Wild boar stew sounds lovely though.

A local complained about Paul putting posters on their houses. Definitely a politician. 

Dhurke noticed something different here and it wasn't the election posters. I examined a painting that some kid may have been doing.

The painter then showed up. It was Pearl! And she's all grown up! Dhurke asked me to introduce them to each other and they got on well.

Gosh... I don't remember when was the last time I met Pearl in the series...

Pearl said Edgeworth was here as well, looking into something. Wow.

Pearl loves her home and talked about being a spirit medium and how she needed to know what someone looked like and have their true name.

We asked about Paul and she said he'd been campaigning all hours of the day and night. We sussed he must've wanted powerful connections. Dhurke mentioned Khura'in managed to stay independent because of the queen's ability to channel spirits, so the importance of this must've played a similar role in this village.

I showed some things to Pearl. She was more used to dealing with people now and she was super polite as well. She responded to my badge alright, remembering Phoenix and she also reacted to the moss. She said it grew on Mt. Mitama and I talked about the doctor. 

I asked her about where the doctor went and she said all she knew was that he was somewhere on Mt. Mitama.

Just them, my bracelet reacted! Pearl was hiding something from me!

138 ace attorney 6 - the mystery of the moss

Dear Readers,

After relating to the Sarge on a more personal level, he opened up to us. He thought the world of his parents and spoke about how much they sacrificed for him. Dhurke said he was feeling about two inches tall right now... 

I showed the Sarge my father's picture again and he asked me to visit him from time to time. I said I would and I'd bring my co-workers too. He was delighted. Dhurke said I didn't change a bit, though I wasn't sure what he meant.

The Sarge helped us access the computer. There was an e-mail exchange between the doctor and whoever asked him to research stuff.

The Sarge also said the raincoat was clean before last night, when it wasn't raining. There's a mystery right there.

We took a close look at the shoe the doctor was wearing and found some green glowing moss. The Sarge didn't have any information on this as he was occupied with his siege defence strategy ever since they moved here.

Dhurke said we'd have to ask the locals if they knew of a place that had moss like this.

There was a small bit of examination to do but nothing crucial. That weird robot thing that said "exterminate" was something the doctor won and not a genuine historical thing. Sarge's room was upstairs and Dhurke suggested he come out for a snack but quickly apologised when Sarge threatened not to talk to us anymore. Yikes.

It was time to go back to the village to mingle with the locals.

137 ace attorney 6 - softening the sarge

Dear Readers,

The doctor's kid, known as Sarge, continued talking to us through the helicopter drone, or rather, at us. They called Dhurke Komandir but they called me Private! They also gave me a cleaning job to do. I sighed again at getting another cleaning job.

I made a comment about them holing up in their room and they started shooting again, saying that holing up in a stronghold to defend against an enemy was an age-old military tactic, a timeless strategy still applicable in modern warfare. They then chastised me for mocking the wisdom of their forefathers.

After a while, the topic eventually got to the Founder's Orb. We told the Sarge their father had promised to hand it over to us, but he died before he had a chance to tell us where it was hidden. They got all sad, making sad eyes with its cameras. I expressed sympathy and said I knew what it was like, but they shot at me again, yelling at me, saying how could I understand?

The Sarge said their mother was gone too and was gone for quite some time now.

Dhurke asked them about their mother. They said she passed away about six months ago. It was in a fire in their old apartment. She held them, kicked out a window, and jumped. They were saved, but she died from the fall. Dhurke asked about the one who started the fire. They said he laughed as the fire happened and he was immediately apprehended. Dhurke said at least justice was served and hoped that brought them some solace.

Sarge then said again I couldn't possibly know how they felt. Dhurke gave me a hint and I took it, showing Sarge the photo of my father. I explained he died in a fire when I was little too and that's how I knew how they felt. They softened a little but still pointed their finger saying I still had my mother. I said no, I lost her too. She disappeared after the fire and I didn't know what she looked like. Dhurke summarised and reasoned with them and they finally came round, saluting me and calling me Comrade Justice. They promoted me to corporal!

The Sarge was suddenly more welcoming, serving refreshments. I was able to ask him about the Founder's Orb now.

136 ace attorney 6 - fetching datz's passport and running into sergeant buff

Dear Readers,

Dhurke, Trucy and I returned to the doctor's study. Ema was still here and she said Phoenix was just here a second ago! She also said his ride, that being Athena, never showed to pick him up from the airport. Didn't say why he was here though.

Ema went back to work while we had to look for Datz's passport and speak with the doctor's kid.

We noticed a little helicopter that wasn't here before and Datz's suitcase was locked. We were going to take it to him but it was really heavy. Dhurke said he must've put his dumbbells in there. How did he get around the weight limit while travelling?

Dhurke then took a look at the lock himself and in no time at all he opened it. He laughed and said he got lots of practice breaking out wrongly imprisoned compatriots over the years. Trucy volunteered to take the passport he fetched back to Datz so we father and son could catch up.

Dhurke and I had a father-son chat. A how are you and a fine and then we struggled. Oh well.

All of a sudden, he told me to hit the dirt! The little helicopter thing came alive and started shooting! Everything went dark...

...and back to light again. Dhurke told me to speak to him! Say something! Then the helicopter withdrew its gun and put out a wagging finger before yelling at us.

It asked us what we were doing, invading Buff airspace. We were puzzled at first, but quickly sussed that it was the doctor's kid controlling this thing remotely. Dhurke advised me to play along and acquiesce to calling him Sergeant Buff.

Gosh... it had a mustache and everything. The Sarge asked us for our names and ranks and everything. It was all pretty amusing! It even yelled at Dhurke about his hair.

135 ace attorney 6 - catching up with datz

Dear Readers,

Dhurke, Trucy and I went to see Datz at the detention centre. Very happy to meet a good character again! Had to get away from that slimy Paul Atishon.

Datz initially freaked out and hid under the table, but Dhurke assured him and he came out all smiles and thumbs up! He was delighted to be in a prison that was better than the one back home and suggested Dhurke join him, but Dhurke wouldn't, saying he'd be immediately sent back to Khura'in and executed.

I looked at Datz and found that he had stayed the same. He noticed me too and saw that I had grown up! He was delighted to see me and immediately made fun of my hair. Things were still the same with him. Trucy observed how laid back he was. He was pretty comfortable in a prison setting, saying it was like a second home to him.

I showed him my attorney's badge and he was all praise for me. I said I had a lot to learn and he said not to be hard on myself, saying he'd want me representing him if he needed me.

We immediately got talking about the orb. He was sure that it was the real thing because the doctor was sure of it. We brought up that stuff about the Crystal of Ami Fey and that we were told he was filling the doctor's head with lies. Datz insisted it was the truth and that the doctor's research confirmed it. I was like imagine, a politician who lies! Of course that Paul guy was telling lies. Datz correctly said he bet Paul wanted it for himself.

Datz then handed us the agreement in writing from Dr Buff, which said he agreed to hand the Founder's Orb to the Defiant Dragons as long as he came to no harm.

Dhurke asked him about that harm part. Why was it there? I asked him if he threatened the doctor in any way. He said the doctor's friend told him the rebels were dangerous. I said it sounded like the work of the politician.

Dhurke asked him why he was arrested. He said he didn't do anything but this dog-faced cop questioned him. He said he looked so funny that he started laughing at him and that's when they came after him. Afterwards they caught him hiding in a doghouse. Not the same dog.

Dhurke asked him wasn't he cleared of his jailbreak charges and stuff, and he said yeah, but the cops here didn't seem to like him anyway. His charge was unauthorised entry and they thought he was an illegal alien. He couldn't prove otherwise, because he lost his passport. Oops...

He asked us to find his passport with his winning smile and thumbs up. Couldn't say no to that!

He then talked about the Orb's whereabouts and said maybe the doctor's kid knew something. He said they were a bit of a shut-in, locking themself in their own room.

The guard came and said it was time for questioning. Datz took it as lunch time with a big smile and thumbs up and was looking forward to it. They said he'd get his lunch if he behaved himself.

And they were gone, leaving us with just one lead, the doctor's kid.

134 ace attorney 6 - meeting the slimy politician paul atishon

Dear Readers,

Back at the village we heard a loud voice. It was someone named Paul Atishon and they wanted the people's vote. This was coming from a loudspeaker on a thing called a palanquin, a vehicle carried by servants. Inside was a smarmy looking man in a suit. Ugh. It was a slimy politician alright.

He said we were shady and asked us what we were doing at Dr. Buff's. He said that he was going to be a king, whatever that meant.

Dhurke asked me if he was famous and I had no idea whatsoever. He then bellowed out a campaign speech, to which a local yelled at him to shut up and that he was a stain on his grandfather's good name. He did mention his grandfather was a politician as well.

I showed him my attorney's badge and he criticised me for relying on it to show who I was.

I don't like this guy at all. I saved my game here and just went "Yuck" when I reloaded my save later and his smug smarmy face showed up.

He boasted about himself, his heritage, his vehicle on these narrow roads and steep hills and insisted we must have heard of him. Neither Trucy nor I ever heard of him or heard about him from school. He harrumphed and said young people should pay more attention to politics.

The topic shifted to what we were doing at Dr. Buff's. I told him about the transfer and he seemed to know about the Founder's Orb. He said he knew that it was his. Ick. I asked him how he figured and he said it was because it wasn't the Founder's Orb, but the real name was the Crystal of Ami Fey.

He said it was passed down through generations of his family but it got stolen. Just when he zeroed in on the culprit, the doctor hid it away and then died. This implied that the doctor was the thief? Not sure what's going on.

I said the doctor told us that he had the Founder's Orb. Paul said it was the weird foreigner's fault for filling the doctor's head with nonsense. I asked him was he talking about Datz and he said he was! Yikes. Now we really had to find Datz.

Dhurke asked Paul if he knew were Datz was and he said he was probably at the detention centre! He said he called the cops on him when he found him hiding in his dog's doghouse!

Paul said we were looking for his crystal and I said no, we were looking for the Founder's Orb and we had the documentation to prove it. He said we weren't gonna lay a finger on it, claiming it was his and he was gonna give it to his benefactor.

I asked him about his benefactor and he said they were gonna support his rise to the pinnacle of the political world. He said he had a lot of influence here and he was intending to harness it. I asked him was he really going to give his family heirloom to this person and he said he was as a purely political decision. I asked to confirm if he was really going to get his patron to to get the people of Kurain to vote for him? He boasted about a politician's skill to leverage their connections.

I thought to myself, wasn't it illegal to buy votes?

He told me to just wait and see him reign supreme someday, as if I was in his way or something. Get me away from this jerk.

133 ace attorney 6 - dusting the suitcase for prints

Dear Readers,

Ema, Dhurke, Trucy and I looked around the late doctor's study as one big team to see if we could find the orb.

We got a diagram of the room, a photo of the death scene, some puns about gravy, some coffee remains that kicked the instinct in me to clean up, a bunch of other stuff and then, there was the suitcase. We wondered who it belonged to. After examining that we heard some laughing behind us.

It was Ema and it seemed like she became a completely different person. She heard the call and the job of finding out who owned the suitcase was perfect for her.

I dusted all around the suitcase. When I couldn't get anything on the handles, I trued the lid and finally the stickers. I found a clear print but I had to keep dusting and blowing many times to get clear prints. I then matched it with Datz.

I hope Datz doesn't get accused... I like him. I will be happy to defend him if he does get accused though.

Apparently Datz was seen around here earlier and may still be in the village.

Another thing we found was the doctor's notebook, one of them anyway. It had that verse of song from the first episode involving the box.

Having looked at everything without finding the orb, we left Ema to go look for Datz in the village.

132 ace attorney 6 - looking around doctor buff's study

Dear Readers,

Ema led Dhurke, Trucy and me to Dr. Buff's study. There were shelves of books from the floor all the way to the high ceiling! I then noticed a white outline on the floor. I asked Ema where the doctor was.

Ema then told us Dr. Buff died last night. At the moment they were saying he had an accident and his books knocked him off his ladder. We were shocked.

I mean, par for the course in this series. When I saw Ema I expected someone had died and she was doing forensics, but she didn't say anything until now. Dhurke observed a scholar killed by his own books. We had a big problem getting access to and ownership of the orb now.

Ema also said the one who reported the death wanted to remain anonymous and uninvolved with the police. Dhurke said he could relate to that.

I told Ema we were to receive the Founder's Orb from the doctor and Dhurke said Datz had a written agreement. She asked who this gentleman was and I introduced him as Dhurke from Khura'in. She asked him what he did and he said he used to practise law, but he was taking a break and was now doing volunteer work to make Khura'in a better place! She found it interesting and nice... and technically it wasn't a lie.

She was then floored when she asked how we knew each other and I told her he was my foster father and Nahyuta's father too. She said she was so sorry and understood that we must've had quite a life.

She then said Dhurke seemed familiar. I didn't bring up his infamy or his broadcast hijack.

She moved on to the sacred relic and asked us what it looked like. Dhurke said he had no idea, unfortunately. We were just gonna have to look through the room bit by bit. Everyone was excited about having a look around, including Ema, who asked us to help in her investigation in exchange.

Let's get down to it!

131 ace attorney 6 - bumping into ema at kurain village

Dear Readers,

Dhurke, Trucy and I went to Kurain Village. Been a very long time since I was here, though I was never here as Apollo. Some nice animated sparrows on the roof here.

Dhurke found it refreshing and familiar, the mountain air here. It brought back some memories for me too. Trucy was still reeling over the fact that Dhurke not only raised me, but Nahyuta as well. She asked what I was like as a kid and Dhurke said I was full of p!55 and vinegar and he actually said the p-word! I've never seen this used in the series before!

He said Nahyuta and I used to run around the fields naked as jaybirds! And we used to come home crying with leeches stuck on our butts!

Dhurke's stories were interrupted by a voice... it was Ema! He asked if I knew her and I introduced her. She said she wasn't surprised to see us as we always turned up when there was trouble afoot. Then she tried to guess if we were here to see Dr Buff. I asked how she knew, as we were going to see him then. She said it figures and offered to show us the way.

We looked around for a bit. Dhurke reminisced on living in the mountains to escape the government. He said I could come back to Khura'in anytime when he noticed my nostalgic expression.

I liked how I made an observation on the phone booth as being obsolete and Dhurke observed it as something advanced he had never seen before.

We followed Ema to the Doctor's Study.

130 ace attorney 6 - taking on dhurke's request

Dear Readers,

Dhurke made acquaintance with Trucy. He told her he was like the bogeyman in Khura'in and was made out to be a big time villain. She was charmed and had a few jokes. He told me she was a real catch and she jokingly called him dad. Verrry funny.

Trucy wanted to know more about Dhurke and myself. I told her I grew up in Khura'in and was raised by him when I was little. She was shocked I never mentioned it. I didn't really have the mind to tell anyone I was raised by a wanted criminal and since I hadn't seen him in ten years, I figured he'd forgotten about me.

He said he didn't, it was just that a revolution takes time and patience. I guess I tried to forget about my past as well.

Trucy asked him what we could do for him. He said he wanted to get the Founder's Orb. She asked him didn't he already have it and he laughed, saying not to believe everything she saw on TV. So it was just a bluff! I asked him what he was going to do if he didn't find it and he said he didn't know, and guessed that meant we had to find it.

I brought up something I remembered reading in the newspaper about them stealing a treasure and he said it was a load of crock, baseless allegations from their enemies. He said his compatriot was on the trail and found out the orb was in Kurain Village. Would that happen to be Datz?

Kurain Village of course was where Maya was from. Dhurke said an archaeologist named Archie Buff had the orb, apparently. The compatriot made contact with him and apparently, someone asked the doctor to study the orb. I asked him if he thought the guy would just hand the orb to him and he said the doctor had already promised to do so, revealing that the compatriot was indeed Datz! It seemed the doctor knew it was stolen and wanted to do the right thing.

I had my own memories of Datz from when I was a kid, running around with him.

Dhurke asked me to be his lawyer once he carried out his plan to take possession of the orb. I toyed with the idea of saying no, but Trucy was really excited about the prospect of an adventure like this, so I reloaded my save and said I would, but I would charge my standard fee.

The subject turned to the Founder's Orb. Dhurke said it was found in an excavation years ago and it was said that whoever solved the riddle associated with it would receive immense spiritual power from the founder herself. I was sceptical, but he said it was just what the Defiant Dragons needed to gain the spiritual power and the legal authority to rule Khura'in. Only the current rulers ever laid eyes on it. What about the doctor though? Ah well. It was very mysterious and intriguing indeed I had to admit.

I had no other questions right now and Dhurke gave me some sushi on a platter as a present. He figured I had trouble having three square meals a day! Trucy was certainly grateful and they both tucked in!

He asked me if I wasn't hungry and I said I was good. This reminded me of that "Eat your hamburgers, Apollo" webcomic Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedritch. I even got this scene when I was googling the name! Haha!

Dhurke gave me another present. It was a photograph of my father. He said it had been twenty-three years since he passed away. Wow... The picture was of a man in a hat, playing guitar for a few people. I had no idea. Dhurke said his name was Jove Justice and that he was a talented wandering musician.

I asked him why he was showing this to me. He thought it was sad I didn't know what my father looked like so he gave me this. I wasn't sure if I wanted it but he said to take it, as he searched high and low for it.

It was time to hit the road. I asked Trucy where Athena was and she said she went to the airport to pick up Phoenix. Maybe they'll become part of this episode later on! Maya should be with them too, right?

Before we left, I poked around the office a bit to get Dhurke's reactions to all the stuff here. Good fun!

After everything, we left for Kurain Village.

129 ace attorney 6 - dhurke appears in the office!

Dear Readers,

Now for episode 5! It starts with an anime scene where Dhurke interrupts an episode of the Plumed Punisher and talks about the DC act, mentioning something about the Founder's Orb, whatever that is. He vows to dethrone the regime and get rid of the act. Datz was standing there with him.

Once again I was Apollo Justice! Trucy and I were in the office watching the news about the interrupted broadcast in Khura'in. She was all excited about it but I wasn't as much, wondering what Dhurke was up to this time.

Trucy asked me if I knew him and I said I did. She had more questions about him.

Just then, a voice familiar to me piped up. I turned around and there, in the office, was Dhurke himself, calling me son and asking me how I'd been all this time. Trucy had lots of questions now!

I didn't tell anyone about Dhurke all this time and I abruptly suggested to Trucy that we close up early today. He said he just wanted to see me but I knew there was something he wanted, just showing up like this.

He did admit to wanting some help with something but he swore it was the truth that he came here to see me, even though it had been ten years.

Trucy demanded details and I had some questions of my own. I started with presenting my attorney's badge. Dhurke didn't know what it was, and when I told him he said he used to flash his, but warned me against showing it to anyone in Khura'in. I wondered how Phoenix was managing it, since he did it all the time.

128 ace attorney 6 - wrapping up with noodles

Dear Readers,

I was really affected by Geiru's story, but I was really glad my client, Bucky got cleared of the murder charge. Uendo didn't seem to have anything against him either and just switched the cards on the spur of the moment.

I asked Bucky why Taifu wouldn't let Geiru inherit her father's name. He said he wanted her to find her own calling in life, to perform whatever she wanted without being bound by her father's name or rakugo. Her father wanted to learn to make udon in order to support her.

So it was all a big misunderstanding... How very sad...

I presented the deed when I said Taifu was cheering Bucky on. Simon said Taifu was trying to force him to grow into a truly capable owner in his father's stead. Bucky was touched and vowed to become so good it'll knock the old man's socks clean off!

I stopped Bucky from rushing off to his shop so I could place an order for a bowl of udon to Geiru, on behalf of her master. He was happy to! With that, he skated off.

I wondered if I had levelled up from this experience. Simon put me down of course and said it was in his best interest if I stayed green so his job wouldn't be harder! What about my best interest! I brought up the fact that even he was fooled by Uendo he said not to remind him.

I brightened him up with a seven ate nine joke and we headed off for soba, bickering about the bill settlement.

And that was episode 4! I had a bit to go as a lawyer yet, but I had a passion for it! From now on, maybe I'll be undermined less? 

127 ace attorney 6 - allergy and tragedy

Dear Readers,

With the udon dough argued as the murder weapon, Nahyuta challenged me to find evidence of it and how Geiru got rid of it.

This was the only answer I knew for quite a while! I was waiting for the chance to point out the dumplings fed to the dog when Simon praised my barking and wondered if I had the bite to back it up. He knew of course and his remarks made me laugh!

I presented Simon's statement with a "Take that!" and requested we find the dumplings that Geiru made out of udon that had her blood in it. I drove the point home that it was HER balloons that were going pop now that the truth was out.

Nahyuta's beads broke and hit him again in the face. Yeeeehaaa! Never fails to be satisfying!

Geiru's balloons all popped one by one, all the balloons she made up until now popped. With one last dramatic scream she pulled on her braces and made the balloons on her chest pop as well, revealing her to be much more petite.

She then took off her wig, revealing a devastatingly sad bandaged face. She finally revealed her tragic story. She desperately wanted to inherit her father's name but it went to his disciple instead. Her balloon thing failed her and she was so desperate she carried out the murder and tried to pin it on Uendo, who in turn tried to shift the blame onto Bucky with the cards.

Simon talked to her for a bit. She didn't know about the udon and risked her allergy to carry out the murder impulsively without thinking. She wasn't clearheaded enough to worry about it. Simon said how could she do all this... and called her an idiot.

I said to Geiru that I understood her desire to inherit her father's name but she really should've inherited his heart.

Nahyuta had no objections. He said he would remember my name. I was expecting him to say something else that was smug but Simon said it seemed he accepted me as a worthy adversary.

The judge called Bucky, who made a full recovery, to the stand and declared him... not guilty!

126 ace attorney 6 - logical path to the dough!

Dear Readers,

Geiru went on to testify about her buckwheat allergy. I couldn't find anything wrong with it, even when pressing her.

Things looked really bad until I changed my thinking around about a certain piece of evidence that proved Geiru could've killed her master, even with her soba allergy.

I didn't know what it was for sure, so I brute forced it until I got to Taifu's note. Resting referred to the dough for noodles and from this I concluded that Taifu was making udon noodles, which uses ordinary wheat flour. I had to guess this as well as I had no idea what to pick.

Nahyuta objected, bringing up Geiru's reaction and the fact that Taifu's face was in soba noodles.

It was time for me to gather my thoughts and do that logical path to the finish that Apollo does!

What was Master Toneido making in his dressing room? Udon!

What was found in the bowl on the table? Soba!

Where did the soba in the bowl on the table come from? The master's soba stock!

Why did the culprit cook the soba noodles and put them in the broth? To hide the udon dough!

But why did the culprit take the udon away and hide it? It must've been because she killed him with the udon dough!

Udon dough was the murder weapon!

125 ace attorney 6 - another bandage

Dear Readers,

Geiru came back to the stand in her cheerful showbiz manner. She was alarmed when I brought up Owen's testimony about the perfume. Nahyuta kept insisting that she could leave.

All of a sudden, Simon suggested she complete her performance and used a feather to deflate one of her balloons, which revealed a bandage on her forehead! Dun dun dunnn!

I had a choice between whether I wanted to indict her or not with a risk of huge consequences. Threats from Nahyuta of course, trying to intimidate me. Screw him!

I was over and back with Geiru for a while. She was playing innocent until her pupils shrunk and she got fierce. The judge wondered if this was another personality emerging.

Geiru went on to testify about what she did before the murder. She said she went to visit, but both Taifu and Owen were snoring in there. When pressing, she said she didn't see anything odd or unusual. I objected with the karuta cards. I argued she was the only one who could've left the dying message and thus could be the killer.

She got so frustrated she started chewing on her balloons! Nahyuta jumped in and in his smug fashion, said he was going to bring me back down to earth. He asked Geiru to show me something and she did. She took off her glove and revealed a swollen red hand. She then revealed she was allergic to buckwheat!

This made things topsy turvy and against me again. Simon called Nahyuta out on his withholding of this information. Nahyuta replied smugly that he was simply trying to protect her privacy. Lying jerk. No one told me and Simon had no idea about her allergy either.

124 ace attorney 6 - bucky's perfume-free soba

Dear Readers,

In all of Owen's trauma, I had to pinpoint and discuss one positive emotion he was feeling, possibly relief? Nahyuta said it was from seeing the familiar face of the accused, making absolutely no sense at all.

I asked Owen who it was and he started talking about perfume, the noise level in him going down to zero. I encouraged him to keep going but after that he collapsed! He was then taken to the infirmary. Dang it!

Nahyuta continued, saying the perfume could be the hair product that Bucky uses and went on with his case. I was at a loss again until Bucky himself spoke up!

Bucky insisted he never used hair product or anything that had a smell because if he did, it would get into the soba. He then skated around, giving everyone a dish of food. I asked him about his need for rest and he said he had a duty now to prove his soba didn't smell of perfume.

The judge obliged, for examination purposes. He took a moment so we could all slurp some soba.

We all loved it! Simon did comment however that it paled in comparison to Bucky's late father's cuisine, which made him sad.

Bucky insisted he didn't need rest but eventually he had to leave again to take some.

I then dwelled on the phrase "smelly perfume" and brought up Geiru. I suggested the judge could see her "balloons" again if we called her back to the witness stand. Nahyuta said this was vulgar! The judge obliged, being sure to mention it was because of the circumstances and not just about the balloons.

123 ace attorney 6 - settling on the unsettled murder weapon

Dear Readers,

Simon asked me to remember what I said to Bucky this morning and how moved he was when I said I believed in him to the very end. Then Simon did something I didn't expect - he grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me like he was trying to get some sense into me. I've never seen anything like it in the series.

I was ready to go again. Owen seemed like he was telling the truth and I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but Simon noted I was too focused on his emotions to notice he was being vague about something.

I had to brute force a few answers, because nothing seemed to match with what Owen was saying, but I finally got it when I used the crime photo on the statement about the face smooshing. Then I pointed out the soba underneath Taifu's face in the photo. I then argued that raw soba dough was used to suffocate him.

Nahyuta was ready to strike. He said I summed up everything... that Bucky did! He wanted to drive it home again when I slammed my bench and disagreed, saying there was still discord in Owen's heart and I needed to continue the therapy.

Owen saw the killer's face! The thing is, he was feeling something unexpected, a happy emotion. I pinpointed it with a "Got it!"

122 ace attorney 6 - owen testifies!

Dear Readers,

Finally it was Owen's turn to testify! He claimed to have witnessed Taifu's murder so it was great to finally have this chance.

Owen talked about a knife and some blood as well. This was the moment of murder and he saw it! His emotions were all over the place so I recommended a therapy session immediately.

Fear overwhelmed every emotion he had and his memory didn't seem clear. What was the blood about? I tried probing at the blood on Taifu's face.

Nahyuta said this was something he dreamed up. Whatever. He can shut right up. 

Simon said something about rotating my thinking around like we all do at the agency. I corrected him, saying it was turning my thinking around, but thought about the word "rotate" and got an idea.

I came up with a theory that Owen must've been lying on the floor when he saw his master and that his master must've been doing the same when there was blood being spilled on his face.

Owen said he remembered someone on top of Taifu all of a sudden. The noise dissipated somewhat. I said the blood must've come from the one on top of Taifu.

Nahyuta then chimed in and seemed to be going along with it, along with it too well in fact. He then brought up Bucky's face bandage and argued this was conclusive that he was the killer! Nooooo! He said I dug this pit for myself without being able to crawl out of it.

Things looked bad. The gallery chattered about things being all over for me, at least until Simon shot back with a "Silence!"

1 control - trying out cloud gaming for the first time

Dear Readers,

Cloud gaming is back isn't it? Well, that's that some game companies really want at least. I thought I'd try it out when Control was announced in a recent Nintendo Direct.

I got lots of warnings and gatekeeping stuff. I had to have a Nintendo Account, though not the subscription, and I only had limited access without an Access Pass.

I had the option to choose between enhanced performance or enhanced graphics. I chose performance.

I went through quite a few logos and prompts, but the title screen loaded quickly enough. The text was really tiny.

I turned the brightness up to 80, the speaker to headphones, the subtitles on.

I found myself in the reception of an American government building. The front desk has a typewriter and an older phone on it, so it looks like this takes place in the 90s?

There's no one here so I just goof around here for a while, feeling the online connection to the game. Some interesting stuff here. The game stutters the odd time, but nothing too major, then the game gave me messages saying the online connection wasn't strong enough, so it did this weird lo-res YouTube thing with the graphics. After a few more minutes I got another message telling me the game was gonna quit automatically because of the connection and I was back at the title screen.

I tried again and messed around less. I went through the hallways of the building and met a janitor. The piece of dialogue about me being a night shift lone wolf was pretty cool. Then I took an elevator. Performance was better this time and I stayed connected, but the trial ran out when I got to the office with the talking gun thingy.

I tried again with an aim to goof around even less, but I was told I had no more play sessions available! Oops! I wasn't warned about that!

And yeah, you still gotta go through the logos and the loading and that weird greenish crystal graphic thing must be the cloud loading thing. I can see that becoming annoying.

As for Control itself, I only got a brief taste of the narrative and had a bit of a traipse around some offices. May be a good game who knows! It was recommended to me by a friend, so maybe another time on another system.