Turnabout Succession

Episode 4: Turnabout Succession is the final episode in the video game Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. This episode introduces the Jurist System, in which the verdict is decided by the consensus of six average citizens. As such, this episode features the only jury trial in the Ace Attorney universe to date, previous episodes having featured bench trials in which the judge decided the verdict. Central to this episode is Phoenix Wright's final trial prior to his disbarment, which took place seven years before Apollo Justice became a lawyer. The title of this episode can refer to many aspects of succession in the story. Apollo succeeds Phoenix; the new Jurist System succeeds the previous one; and Zak Gramarye, and eventually his daughter Trucy, obtains the rights to Magnifi Gramarye's magic.

This episode contains many instances in which the characters seem to break the fourth wall, but do not in the strictest sense of the term. During the Jurist System portion of the game, Phoenix Wright seems to speak to the player, and near the end of the trial, Apollo Justice, Trucy Wright and Klavier Gavin turn toward the player to indicate the existence of cameras. In reality, the player is placed into the perspective of the jury (Jurist No. 6 in particular), giving a sense of player participation in the actual Jurist System process.

Prologue
The MASON System was loaded. Someone started speaking as the program guided the audience through four different scenes. The audience was told that he or she would decide the defendant's verdict, and then the scene ended with a foreboding image of Kristoph Gavin at the witness stand, under a spotlight.

Oct. 7
Apollo Justice was in the Wright Anything Agency, writing in his journal about his latest case, when Trucy Wright urged him to watch the TV. Troupe Gramarye was being resurrected after seven long years, starting with an inaugural performance, the Troupe Gramarye Grand Magic Show, by Valant Gramarye at Sunshine Coliseum. Trucy had already bought tickets for the whole Agency.

Entering the room, Phoenix Wright finally told Justice about his "secret mission". The courts were attempting to re-introduce the "Jurist System", in which a 12-member jury would decide the verdict of a trial, though the initial implementation would use six jurors. A "simple" test trial simulation was going to be set up the next day, with Phoenix leading the Jurist System Simulated Court Committee, which constructed and observed the trial situations. The crime was murder, and the defendant was "probably" guilty. Justice had already been registered as the defense attorney; that morning, Phoenix had suddenly picked a new case, a real murder.

Phoenix said that the people involved in the trial were supposed to approach the case with a blank slate, with no preconceptions. Nonetheless, Phoenix gave Justice permission to investigate the crime scene. Phoenix insisted that he would take full responsibility for any result of the trial, for better or for worse. Phoenix also allowed Justice to try to talk to his client, "if... you can get her to talk."

Trucy begged for Justice to come with her to Sunshine Coliseum. This reminded Phoenix to give Trucy a "Recycle Your Plastics Day" present (as that was the special designation of that day). It was a purple envelope containing the Gramarye seal, but Phoenix sternly told Trucy not to open it until she needed it.

Investigation
Justice and Trucy waited at the detention center visitor's room for the client to show up. Trucy asked the guard what was going on, and the guard incredulously replied that the client had been there the whole time, hiding from within a corner. The silence continued; Trucy attempted to use Mr. Hat to break the silence, but only succeeded in causing the client to faint. After some failed attempts at a conversation, with the defendant responding only by painting her nails, Justice tried to leave, but the client suddenly stopped him and gave Justice her business card, revealing her name, Vera Misham, and her residence, Drew Studio. She then hid into a corner again, and Justice and Trucy hurried to Drew Studio.

Justice found Drew Studio to be a mess of paintings and other assortments, and determined that this was the crime scene. He and Trucy looked through the paintings and found a half finished one. However, the rough sketch layer looked nothing like the finished portion of the painting. Ema Skye also arrived at the studio and, upon finding that Justice was the defense attorney for the case, told him the basic details.

The victim, Drew Misham, had been poisoned in this studio, and Vera, his daughter, was the accused. Drew and Vera had had virtually no contact with the outside world, and the only fingerprints found were from them. However, a reporter had interviewed Drew on the day of the crime, which had apparently been the only time anyone from the outside had visited the studio. Drew had died during the interview when Vera served him his usual nightly coffee. The reporter had been snooping around the studio and, upon seeing Drew die, he had called the police. Strangely, however, the coffee contained no traces of poison. Skye had already investigated the mug with a reagent used to detect atroquinine, the extremely deadly poison used to kill Drew. Trucy asked Skye for the reagent to find more traces of atroquinine. Justice was more thorough than Skye had been, finding traces of poison on a tiny picture frame on a desk, the size of a postage stamp. Justice also found a painting that was hidden behind a drawer, which was identical to the unfinished third painting other than in the area of the rough sketch, and depicted a peach floating down a river.

Justice investigated the desk again to find a red envelope dated seven years ago. Showing the envelope to Skye prompted her to describe her "X-Ray Analyzer", which she had used to read the letter inside the envelope without opening it. Justice tested it on one of Skye's lottery tickets, and then examined the letter with it. The letter read as follows:

Justice asked Skye about the reporter, but Skye told him that he would be standing as a witness, so she couldn't reveal much; his name was Spark Brushel. Skye gave Justice Brushel's card, and told him that Brushel would probably be interviewing Valant Gramarye.

Sunshine Coliseum
At Sunshine Coliseum, Justice and Trucy bumped into Valant Gramarye. Valant briefly brought up the tragedy of Zak Gramarye's disappearance, and he said that he would have been grateful just to stand on stage as Zak's assistant. Justice asked why Valant had waited seven years for the show, and Valant informed Justice of the performance rights laws that prevented Valant from legally performing Magnifi Gramarye's magic, as Magnifi had passed on his "Gramarye Miracle" to Zak upon his death. However, Zak was declared legally dead seven years after his disappearance (this is known as death in absentia), making Valant the new heir to the Gramarye Miracle according to Magnifi's will.

Justice showed Valant Brushel's card. Valant remembered him as an unpleasant individual; Valant had asked Brushel to cover the show, but Brushel was only after Troupe Gramarye's dirty secrets. Disgusted, Valant had asked Brushel to head for the detention center. Justice then showed Valant Trucy's gift. Valant suddenly expressed shock; the signature on the envelope was from Zak Gramarye. Valant asked to open the envelope, but Justice refused. Valant refused to explain his reaction to the envelope.

Justice found Brushel interviewing Vera's guard. The annoyed guard left Brushel to Justice to deal with, and talking to Brushel quickly revealed his wild imagination. He was addicted to interviewing anybody he could find and cooking up an embellished story. During the conversation, however, Brushel happened to talk about a news story he had read about an oil painting depicting a peach floating down a river that had been stolen...

Justice confronted Skye about the stolen painting in the studio. Skye confessed; Drew Misham was a forger. She also confessed that she had brought the X-Ray Analyzer to examine the rough sketches under the forged paintings. Justice investigated the rough sketches himself. As he examined each rough sketch, he became increasingly horrified; the sketches depicted his previous three cases! Bewildered, Justice spent the night trying to make sense of what he had seen...

Oct. 8 trial
Justice and Trucy met Vera Misham at Defendant Lobby No. 6 twelve minutes before the trial and finally got her to talk. Instead of expressing her gratitude on her face, Vera drew a smiling face on her notepad before beginning to paint her nails again. Justice pondered about Drew Misham and his life of crime.

First session
Courtroom No. 3 commenced the trial. The nervous judge managed a speech about the repercussions of this trial on the legal system, as this was the test trial for the Jurist System. It was hoped that this system would better reflect the will of the people. The jury would watch from a different room through three closed-circuit cameras, and base their decisions not on the letter of the law, or on hard evidence, but on their feelings and common sense.

Prosecutor Klavier Gavin opened with the details of the case, with Justice adding that only the mug, not the coffee, had apparently been poisoned. Gavin submitted Drew's autopsy report and then called his witness, Spark Brushel, who had seen the murder - "a simple witness, for a simple case." Brushel informed the court that he had exchanged his testimony for exclusive rights to the story of Drew's death, and then began to testify.

Brushel had started the interview around 9:00. Vera had served Drew coffee, and then Drew had died. No one else had been in the room. Justice asked about the victim's coffee. Brushel replied that Drew had taken a mere sip of the coffee and then died immediately. However, this did not make sense with the slow-acting nature of atroquinine. Gavin warned Brushel that getting his scoop depended on a reliable testimony. Gavin then realized that this would not be a simple case after all, not with Phoenix Wright in charge.

Brushel testified that he had seen Drew writing a letter prior to the interview. After some prodding, Brushel elaborated that he had entered the home 15 minutes early (to Justice's shock) and that Drew had hastily sealed his letter inside a yellow envelope, which he guessed was still at the crime scene. Justice remarked that only a red envelope had been found at the crime scene, and that the envelope was postmarked seven years previously and had been sent to Drew, not from him. Brushel explained that Drew had looked for a postage stamp to stick onto the envelope and then had fed it to his letter box.

The judge read the contents of the red envelope, and then asked about how Brushel had come around to interviewing Drew in the first place. Brushel replied that he had blackmailed Drew using the story of a case from seven years ago. When he mentioned "Drew's talent", Justice noticed that Brushel's armpits began to sweat. Justice pounced on this development; Drew's "talent" was the ability to make forgeries. Brushel admitted to Drew's forgeries, and even elaborated that Drew had forged evidence as well. The payment mentioned in the envelope had been for forged evidence.

Gavin did not relent. There was no evidence that Drew had been in contact with criminals, and the envelope had nothing to do with the case. The judge allowed Brushel to make one last recap of his testimony to redeem his reliability.

Brushel insisted that nothing had left the studio during the interview. Justice disagreed; Drew had written a letter and then put it in his letter box. Gavin insisted that this changed nothing, but Justice replied that Drew had licked a postage stamp to send his letter. The stamp had been poisoned, and then Drew, already poisoned, had transferred some of the poison onto his coffee mug. However, no stamps had been found at the crime scene, and Brushel didn't remember Drew actually finding a stamp. Justice then pointed out the tiny picture frame that was at the crime scene. The stamp had been on that frame, and the frame had traces of atroquinine on it! The stamp was the perfect weapon to kill a recluse who relied on mail to communicate with the outside world. The red envelope had carried the stamp; the sender had instructed Drew to use the enclosed stamp in his reply. Gavin could not believe that such a coincidence could be true, and asked for proof that the poisoned stamp had been in the red envelope.

Kristoph Gavin's voice suddenly told Klavier Gavin to stop pestering the defense. However, it was merely Ema Skye doing an impersonation. Skye had brought her atroquinine detection spray to solve Gavin's conundrum. Indeed, atroquinine residue was found on the letter. Gavin asked why this murder hadn't happened seven years before, and Skye concluded that Drew had figured out that the stamp had been poisoned. Gavin disagreed, wondering why Drew would fall for the trap now, when he had not seven years prior.

There was now a fatal flaw in Justice's case, but Justice was certain that he still had a case. He concluded that one of the clues the court had collected was a fake: Drew Misham. Drew Misham's actions did not make sense; he was not the real forger. This meant that the real forger was Vera Misham.

Vera Misham was summoned to the witness stand. Gavin tried to ask about her identity, but Vera began to stare at Gavin intently. She confirmed that she was the real forger. The court went into an uproar, and a ten-minute recess was issued.

Second session
It was 1:24. During recess, Justice asked about Vera's forgeries. Vera had loved painting ever since she was a child. One day, Drew had found her talent in making perfect copies of any object given the right materials. Eventually, at the age of 12, she had started to make forgeries. She had had little understanding of the morality of her actions, having known little of the outside world.

Trucy asked about the red envelope. Vera recognized it, but before Justice could ask her more questions, the baliff signaled the end of recess. Trucy asked Vera one last question about the sketches of Justice's cases. Vera replied that Drew had known of the Wright & Co. Law Offices, and that he had taken interest in Justice when Wright & Co. resumed the legal business.

Court reconvened. Vera was on the witness stand, and Justice noticed that she was biting her nails nervously and staring at Gavin again. Vera testified that the envelope was from her first work that was not a painting. Drew had handled the deal, and Vera had taken the stamp that had come with the letter. Soon after that, the Mishams had moved to their current location to avoid suspicion. Justice pressed Vera on most of her testimony, going into more detail on her life as a forger. Vera was able to copy signatures, fingerprints, even entire letters. Drew would be the face that was shown to would-be clients, supplying them with the fake evidence they needed. Vera had taken the stamp because it was a beautiful commemorative stamp depicting her favorite magicians. She had never known about the poison. Justice knew that Vera was talking about Troupe Gramarye.

Gavin suddenly began to lose his cool. He demanded that Vera tell him exactly what the first piece of evidence she forged was, and then tried to calm down. Rattled, Vera answered that she had forged a diary. Gavin lost his cool again, and asked whether there was a silk hat on the diary. Justice objected to Gavin's outbursts. Gavin turned on Justice and asked whether Phoenix had ever told Justice about his final trial, seven years ago, telling him that the cause of his disbarment was a fake diary.

Justice was now as desperate as Gavin was. He asked Vera who the client for the diary was. Vera continued to chew her nails, and then replied that she had only met the client once. Staring at Gavin again, Vera said that she remembered the client clearly, but as she tried to reveal the client's identity, she began to choke and then fainted. Her last words to the courtroom were "...The... De... vil..."

At the hospital, Vera was diagnosed with acute atroquinine poisoning, and was put into intensive care.

Prologue
Phoenix Wright and Shadi Enigmar were playing poker. Enigmar lost; he told Wright that in the long time in which he had played poker, this was the second time he had ever lost, the first being to the man he was accused of killing. Enigmar determined that Wright was the right defense lawyer for him, over a game of cards.

"Phoenix Wright"

- That was how we first met. ...Seven years ago.

Phoenix Wright's final trial
It was 9:27 a.m. on April 19, 2019. Phoenix Wright had just been appointed to a new case, having only received the relevant case files the day before. His defendant, Shadi Enigmar, apologized for the short notice. Wright was not sure that he was prepared; he didn't even know exactly what had happened.

Enigmar's young daughter arrived at the lobby. Wright commented on her magician's outfit, and she replied that she was doing her first show that day, whatever that meant. The girl then gave Wright what appeared to be a page from someone's diary. She had no idea what the page was for and she had merely been told to give it to Wright, and that it was apparently very important. Enigmar asked about it, but Wright stowed it in his court record to read later.

Wright and Enigmar talked about the logistics of the trial. The prosecutor was new, but he had gained a reputation of being a genius, a "true thoroughbred in the history of the prosecutor's office". To Wright's recollection, though, a genius had appeared every year, and he had beaten them all. Enigmar then assured Wright that it would be impossible for him to get a guilty verdict. His daughter Trucy seemed to understand what he was talking about.

Wright's case was on Magnifi Gramarye, a wildly popular magician who had single-handedly revived the magic show industry, until he was shot dead. Enigmar, the accused, was Magnifi's student, and he went by the stage name Zak Gramarye.

First session
The trial began with Wright and the prosecutor, Klavier Gavin, addressing the judge. The judge recognized Gavin as the younger brother of defense attorney Kristoph Gavin; Wright recognized him as the lead singer of the popular music group the Gavinners. Wright took a dislike to Gavin's rock-star attitude from the get-go. Gavin knew what Wright was thinking, and assured him that he considered his nightly profession a hobby compared to his daily one.

Gavin called detective Dick Gumshoe to the stand. Gumshoe was determined to best Wright this time. Gavin quickly shot down the reunion, and the judge asked Gumshoe to outline the case.

On April 13, at the General Hospital, Magnifi Gramarye had been asleep in his hospital bed. He had been there for about a year, succumbing to the late stages of liver cancer and chronic diabetes. He had had three months left to live. The killer had shot him with a pistol while he was receiving his regular IV dosage, and then had left quickly. Gumshoe concluded that the case was as simple as they come. However, the question remained as to why the killer had shot Magnifi dead when he had had only three months to wait anyway.

Gumshoe testified that Magnifi had sent a letter to Zak a few days earlier, ordering Zak to kill him. The pistol found at the scene was clearly the murder weapon. Gavin presented the letter to the court, which read:

Wright asked about the specific time on the letter. Gavin explained that Magnifi would receive an IV injection from 11:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. every night. Gumshoe insisted that the letter had told Zak to shoot Magnifi, since Zak's pistol had been found at the crime scene, used recently. Wright examined the photo of the crime scene and realized that Zak could have shot something else; a clown doll had also been shot in the forehead. Gavin objected that this didn't necessarily mean anything, and the judge concurred.

Wright asked about the pistol. Gavin confirmed that the bullet's rifling marks matched the pistol. Wright then asked about the pistol's owner. Gumshoe mentioned "Zak & Valant's Quick-Draw Shootem", a magic trick between Zak and another of Magnifi's students, Valant Gramarye, in which they would both shoot at a girl, but the girl would not be harmed, and the bullets would hit everything else on stage. The murder weapon was one of the pistols used. When the act was discontinued, Magnifi had held onto the pistols. Each pistol could hold only one bullet at a time, and the pistol in question was empty. No fingerprints were found, probably due to Zak's gloves. Wright realized the contradiction: Zak could have shot only once with the pistol.

Gavin was unfazed. He had a decisive witness to prove his claim. The judge ordered a 15-minute recess to give the witness time to prepare.

Second session
It was 11:21 a.m. Zak refused to say anything about why he was compelled to follow Magnifi's instructions, only saying that there were events in his life that he regretted and would forever keep secret. Zak then explained that he had found Magnifi appearing to be asleep, as well as the two prop pistols from the Quick-Draw Shootem. He had hesitated in shooting his mentor and had ended up shooting the clown doll instead. He had then put the pistol that he had used in his pocket and left. Zak also mentioned that this was not the first time Magnifi had made requests Zak couldn't refuse. Wright wondered whether Magnifi had been coercing his disciples.

Wright wondered whether there was more to the story. Zak replied that Magnifi had opened his eyes after Zak had shot the doll; Magnifi had merely pretended to be sleeping. They had had a five to ten minute discussion before Zak left, but Zak would not talk about the subject of discussion.

Court reconvened. Gavin informed the court that a bullet had indeed been found inside the clown doll's head. The bullet was definitely from the murder weapon, but further analysis could not be done. Gavin thus called forth his "decisive witness": the defendant's partner Valant Gramarye. Wright commented on the many times in which he had heard the words "decisive witness" and had found that they would often be far less decisive than they initially seemed.

Valant introduced himself to the court and confirmed that he had been at the crime scene. Valant had also received a letter from Magnifi, almost identical to Zak's letter:

The judge was puzzled as to why Magnifi would tell both of his students to kill him. Valant implied that they had been coerced into doing so. Wright reminded Valant that he could be the killer just as easily as Zak could, based on the existing evidence. Valant replied that the differing times in which he and Zak had been set to arrive made all the difference as to who the killer was.

Valant testified that he had come to Magnifi's hospital room at the appointed time to find him already dead. Valant asserted that he had shot the doll's forehead and that Zak had shot Magnifi. Valant had then reported the crime. Wright asked about the number of pistols in the room. Valant replied that one pistol had been present, and that he had shot the doll with it. However, Wright pointed out that the same pistol could been used to shoot only Magnifi, as the one bullet that it could shoot had been found in Magnifi's head. Gavin did not relent; he apologized for the mixup, as he had not known about the other pistol, but he claimed that Valant could prove his testimony.

Valant then testified that the doctor had placed Magnifi's time of death at 11:10 p.m. precisely, which was when Zak had been in the room. Wright asked about the precise time of death. Gavin explained that the doctor had used the IV level in Magnifi's IV bag to determine the time of death, since the needle had fallen out when Magnifi was shot. Wright pressed further on this development. Valant confirmed that he had noticed the IV bag. He mentioned that the IV liquid's color was his lucky color. Wright replied that Valant's "lucky color", yellow (as Valant was dressed in yellow), had betrayed him this time, as it contradicted the crime photo, which depicted the IV liquid as appearing green. Gavin insisted that the IV liquid was, in fact, yellow, and it only appeared green because of the blue bag. Wright was unfazed; telling Gavin, "There's no substitute for experience," he insisted that Valant couldn't have known that the IV liquid was yellow anyway.

Wright explained that Valant had could only have seen the IV liquid's true color at the crime scene. Wright concluded that Valant had added IV liquid to the bag to throw off the time of death, using Magnifi's syringe. He had then cleaned the syringe, explaining the syringe's spotless condition.

Gavin objected. He claimed, "Truly, there's no substitute for experience. Nothing blinds one to the truth so effectively." Valant may have failed Gavin, but Gavin had still another weapon. Gavin brought forth Magnifi's diary, in which Magnifi had written the story of his life during his time at the hospital. Though it did not explain why Magnifi had been coercing his students, the last page had been written just before his death. Magnifi had clearly intended to continue writing if Zak had failed to kill him:

Wright saw that his opponent had not noticed that there was a page missing, and wondered how Gavin could have missed it. Nonetheless, he had to present evidence now to stay in the game. Gavin warned Wright to rethink his decision to submit more evidence, before it was too late. Gavin also warned Wright that he would not accept the diary itself as decisive evidence.

Wright first referred the court to the last page on the diary, noting that the next page had clearly been ripped out. He then presented the note that he had received from Trucy earlier, claiming that it was the missing page. The torn edge of the page matched exactly with the torn edge of the diary's missing page. The page itself read:

Wright concluded that Magnifi had continued to write in his diary, proving that Valant was the real killer. However, Valant insisted that the page shouldn't have existed.

Just then, Gavin objected. There was a long pause.

"Klavier Gavin"

- Finally. You just couldn't resist, could you, Herr Wright?

"Phoenix Wright"

- ...Resist what? Presenting solid evidence?

Gavin suddenly requested that the cross-examination be put on hold to make way for a new witness. Only five minutes would be needed. The judge granted Gavin's request.

Just then, Wright began to realize that he was too quick in presenting suspicious evidence. The ripped-out page was too obvious for Gavin to have missed completely. Wright believed that Gavin must have known all along.

Gavin asked the court's audience to leave to protect the witness's legal integrity. The witness was Drew Misham, a painter who made forgeries. Misham claimed that the diary page was a fake, his own creation. Gavin explained that he had been informed, the day before the trial, that illegal evidence had been prepared for Zak's trial. Gavin had initiated an investigation and found Misham. Wright insisted that he had not intentionally prepared false evidence, but Gavin wouldn't hear it.

"Klavier Gavin"

- ...Ah, the attorney speaks. Something about this page, I presume. But what is he saying? It makes no sense! ...After all it was you who presented this evidence to us, Phoenix Wright!

Misham couldn't confirm who had requested the forgery. He explained that most of his clients preferred to remain anonymous, even to him. Misham would create his forgeries, and then he would be sent his payment by mail. However, Misham made a mark on all of his "works" so that he would be able to identify them.

The judge was shocked beyond belief. Wright had just presented illegal evidence in his court. Wright knew that he had been too careless. The notebook page had been a trap from the very beginning. The judge asked whether Wright wanted to explain his actions but when asked if the court would hear it, replied that it was unlikely, as forging evidence was a serious crime and presenting forged evidence in court was a serious mistake, a fatal one for an attorney. Gavin went further in claiming that Zak was now proven to be guilty, since his defense relied on forged evidence. Wright objected that Zak should not be held responsible for what Wright had chosen to do as an individual. However, the judge could not account for this, as Zak could always appeal his case anyway. Gavin noted that, if not for the tip he had received, Wright would have gotten his way with his forged evidence. He had even warned Wright that this would happen...

Before Misham left, he asked Wright for his name. He explained that he had never seen anyone like Wright in his life, and that he would remember him.

The court audience was allowed back into the courtroom. Just as Zak was about receive his verdict, he told the judge that it would be impossible for him to hand down a guilty verdict if the defendant didn't exist. The judge asked what Zak meant, and the defendant replied, "I am talking... about this!" With that, the defendant vanished from the courtroom. The judge gave an order to seal the courtroom exits, but it was too late. The defendant vanished before the pursuing baliff's eyes, and that was the end of it. No one saw Zak Gramarye again.

MASON System introduction
The MASON System was loaded. It was explained that the MASON System contained four "keys" from the past, as well as four "keys" in the present. The audience was informed that the final trial would begin once all the questions were answered within the program, and every "key" was unlocked, like a game.

Phoenix Wright introduced himself as the guide through this game that the audience would be playing. He noted that he had his own weapon analogous to Apollo Justice's bracelet: his magatama.

May 3, 2019
It was two weeks after the trial. Phoenix Wright now had the long task of figuring out just what was going on in his last case, without his attorney's badge.

Wright summoned Trucy Enigmar to his office. He had called around to find that Trucy had no other living relatives, so he offered to let her live with him for a while, until her father came back. Alternatively, he could help her find a place to live. Trucy replied that her father had already told her that Wright was trustworthy, and she agreed to stay with him. She adjusted quickly to the idea, but Wright was not so accustomed to the idea of suddenly having to raise a child. Trucy assured Wright that she would work hard to support both of them, as she was a professional magician, taking after her father.

Wright and Trucy talked about reorganization of the office into a talent agency. Trucy showed Wright one of her magic tricks - the Amazing Mr. Hat - to prove her worth. Trucy said that her mother, Thalassa Gramarye, had been a part of her father's magician's group, Troupe Gramarye, but she had "disappeared" during a trick, and had never come back. Zak had comforted Trucy with a locket containing a photo of her mother. Wright assured Trucy that he would not disappear on her as her parents had.

Trucy was excited about opening up her talent agency tomorrow. She assured Wright that he'd eventually find some talent to showcase. Thus, Trucy Enigmar became Trucy Wright, owner of the Wright Talent Agency and Phoenix Wright's daughter.

Defendant Lobby No. 2
Wright returned to the defendant lobby in which he had prepared for his final trial. Here, he met the baliff, Mike Meekins, who had lost his original job, his friends, his girlfriend, and even his wallet since their last meeting. He had been fired from the precinct due to having lost four case files in three days.

Wright asked Meekins about his encounter with Enigmar. It had happened at 2:00 p.m. Zak had burst out of the courtroom, and Meekins had chased him into Defendant Lobby No. 2. However, Zak had vanished once Meekins had burst into the lobby. Wright asked Meekins about whether he had figured out anything about what had happened. Meekins refused to answer, and two Psyche-Locks appeared.

Wright pressed Meekins, and Meekins let slip that Trucy had been in the room instead of Zak. Wright concluded that Trucy had used Mr. Hat to distract Meekins. The Psyche-Locks were broken, and Meekins admitted that this was the case. He had figured it out when he came across the Wonder Bar and saw Trucy performing magic. Zak had really gone into Lobby No. 1 before Meekins could track him down.

Wright apologized for the suffering that Meekins had gone through due to this incident; it was the first time anyone had apologized to Meekins. Wright also informed Meekins that he was Trucy's legal guardian now, and Meekins assured Wright that he harbored no ill will toward her. Wright gave Meekins a free ticket to the Wonder Bar, the first thing that Meekins had ever received for free.

Drew Studio
Wright tracked down Drew Studio, where Drew Misham was expecting him. Drew noted that when the diary page had been revealed as a fraud, the entire courtroom had gone into an uproar except for Wright, who had stood calmly, steadfastly trying to save his client. Wright also met Drew's daughter Vera Misham, who left as soon as Wright acknowledged her. Wright noticed a small table containing a peculiarly-shaped bottle of nail polish and a tiny frame containing a rare commemorative stamp of Troupe Gramarye. Drew explained that these belonged to Vera. Ever since she had seen a Troupe Gramarye show when she was young, she had been a fan of the Troupe, watching every show until the end. Drew did not know how Vera had come across it.

Drew was a painter, but he could never sell any of his paintings. His wife had left him with Vera, and Drew had had to find another means to support both of them. This is how he had gotten into the forgery business. However, the diary page had been his first work other than a painting. He had been very well-paid for the job; he had never imagined it would be used as evidence in a murder trial.

Drew explained that the diary page request had been a unique one: to reproduce the handwriting of a sample page, and to write the contents of a document that the client had written in that handwriting. Drew insisted that he had not met the client personally, and two Psyche-Locks appeared. Wright concluded that this was because Vera, the real forger, had met the client instead. Drew was surprised at Wright's deduction, but he admitted its correctness. Vera was a genius of sorts, teaching herself art by watching her father. Drew had found that Vera had a talent for reproducing anything exactly given the right tools, and he had bought various tools for her daughter to play with, to hone her skills. Drew also explained that the client had visited the studio once to meet Vera, but his face had been covered.

Wright asked to speak to Vera. Drew replied that Vera was an extremely shy person normally, but the client had been an exception. Drew had left while the client talked to Vera, and when he came back, he had found Vera laughing for the first time in a long time. Drew then allowed Wright to talk to Vera.

Wright got Vera to talk by commenting on how amazing Troupe Gramarye was. Vera talked enthusiastically about Troupe Gramarye, mentioning her visit to the Gramarye Museum of Magic recently. Wright took this opportunity to ask her some questions.

Vera did not like to go outside. Drew explained that Vera had almost been kidnapped once, causing her to withdraw from the outside world. However, the recent trip to the Gramarye Museum was an exception. Vera explained that she had received a good luck charm from the forgery client for going outside. However, she refused to talk about the charm.

Vera had taken the stamp from a letter that the client had sent to Drew Studio. She and the client had had fun talking about the Gramaryes, so she had assumed that the client had sent it to her. The client had told Vera that the charm would not work if she talked about it. Two Psyche-Locks appeared.

Vera had trusted the client because the client had listened to her fear of the outside and tried to remedy it with the good luck charm. Wright guessed correctly that the nail polish bottle was the good luck charm, and that Kristoph Gavin, a lawyer that Wright knew, was the client. Both locks were broken, but Vera still would not talk about Gavin, else the charm would not work. However, she commented that she believed that the client was the Devil, or an angel; she had seen the Devil's face when Gavin had given her the nail polish. However, this was not Gavin's gentle face. Vera had only glimpsed it momentarily, so she couldn't elaborate, but this was enough to cause her to trust Gavin.

Vera asked whether she had done something wrong, as Wright looked sad. Wright told her not to worry about it, and that he hoped to see her smile the next time they met.

Detention center
Wright went to the detention center to visit Valant Gramarye. Valant was suspected of being the real killer; the popular belief was that Zak had vanished to take the fall and protect Valant from his crime. By this time, Wright had secured a job as a pianist at the Borscht Bowl Club.

Valant commented that Zak's disappearance was as good as a signed confession. Valant planned to perform more magic as soon as he got out, riding on the publicity gained from the trial. Wright asked about Magnifi's coercion of Zak and Valant, but four Psyche-Locks appeared around Valant.

Wright commented on the flashiness of Troupe Gramarye's tricks, and wondered about the danger that that may have presented. Wright showed Valant one of the stage pistols from the "Zak & Valant's Quick-Draw Shootem" trick, and deduced that there had been an accident. In fact, Thalassa Gramarye had been the victim. Wright recognized the girl on the commemorative stamp as Thalassa; she had been the target in the trick. Wright also knew that Thalassa was also Magnifi's daughter; this was the key behind Magnifi's power over his students.

Valant admitted to the accident. Zak and Valant had been practicing the Shootem trick with a new twist. However, things had not gone as planned, and Thalassa had been shot. No one knew whose bullet had struck her. Trucy had never been told about the accident. Magnifi had then used this to blackmail Zak and Valant. Valant noted the cowardice in such an action.

Wright apologized for forcing out bad memories and thanked Valant for the information. Valant added one final bit of information about a mint-breathed news reporter who had begun to snoop around Troupe Gramarye after the accident and had befriended Zak. Valant warned Wright not to open more past wounds. Wright agreed; he resolved to protect Trucy from the darkness that had enveloped the Troupe.

Wright knew that he would have to track down the reporter, as he was the final link between the murder case and the forgery. However, he would have to wait seven years for a chance meeting with said reporter to occur...

Apr. 16, 2026
Seven years passed. By this time, Phoenix Wright had befriended Kristoph Gavin, and they met regularly at the Borscht Bowl Club. One day, as Gavin left the club after a meeting with Wright, two visitors arrived. One of them had been looking for "true competition" in a game of poker, and he had heard that he would find it at the Borscht Bowl Club.

During the last seven years, Phoenix Wright had finally found his talent: poker. He was very good at the game, and he would take on would-be challengers at the Borscht Bowl Club's basement (called the Hydeout) and beat them all. The piano playing job was a ruse that Wright showed to the rest of the club's visitors. Challengers would gladly pay for a chance to face the unbeatable Phoenix Wright.

Wright accepted the challenge. The challenger introduced himself as Shadi Smith; the other visitor was a journalist, Spark Brushel. Wright recognized "Smith" as Zak Gramarye. Zak told a waitress to ready the Hydeout for the poker game, and then he declared that he would beat Wright this time. Zak also revealed that he had another reason to be in the club: Trucy.

Wright asked about his last game with Zak. Zak explained that he hired his defense attorneys this way because he could see his opponent's true nature by competing in a poker game. This reminded Wright of how he would win all of his games: Trucy had the extraordinary ability to read the subtle body language of other people, and Wright would use this ability to help him win big games. Zak informed Wright that Trucy's power was genetic; Magnifi Gramarye also had the power to read other people. However, he said no more about it, and three Psyche-Locks appeared.

Zak told Wright that he had intended to disappear from the courtroom from the very beginning, and that he had done so because of a letter that Magnifi had given him. It was the real final page on Magnifi's diary:

Magnifi had passed on his performance rights to Zak, and now Zak intended to pass the rights on to Trucy. Brushel was a licensed notary, and Wright would be a witness to the will. Wright remembered the death in absentia law; Zak had passed the will on to Wright to secure Trucy's inheritance. Otherwise, the rights would be passed on to Valant Gramarye, as Magnifi's will had never been made public.

Wright asked about Zak's wife, but Zak wouldn't say anything about her. However, Brushel noted that Thalassa was Magnifi's only daughter; Zak had not wanted this to slip, and he punched Brushel. Zak insisted that this discussion was over.

Zak told Wright that after the game, he would return to hiding, without seeing his daughter, as he felt that that was for the best. It irked Zak that a mere lawyer could maintain a perfect win record, and he intended to break that record. He told the waitress from earlier to deal for the game. Wright thought it strange that he had never seen the waitress before.

Zak also told Wright that he had noticed Kristoph Gavin, and that he knew him. Wright wondered about this...

Wright was persistent in asking about Trucy's "power", which he deduced she had inherited from Magnifi through her mother. Wright knew that Zak didn't want to talk about it because of the accident. Wright also deduced that someone else also had Magnifi's "power": Apollo Justice, an up-and-coming lawyer at Gavin Law Offices. Wright had managed to find out that Thalassa had been married to a performer before Zak. Zak confirmed that this performer had met Thalassa when he had joined the Troupe as a guest, and after Thalassa married the performer, she had left the Troupe for a while. Wright had obtained a photo of Thalassa and noticed that she was wearing two peculiar bracelets similar to the one that Justice had. Zak told Wright that the bracelets were a family heirloom, and that Zak had taken the photo before she left the Troupe. She had then come back with only one of the bracelets; she had passed the other one on to Apollo Justice.

Zak gave in, but all he really knew about the power itself was that it was passed down genetically. However, he had learned from Thalassa that the power enabled her to see tension in other people. However, Thalassa would be unable to realize this subconscious reaction unless she was wearing the bracelets. The bracelets themselves are sensitive to bodily temperature, so they could fit exactly onto the wearer's wrist. Thus, when Thalassa subconsciously noticed tension in other people, she would tense slightly as well, and the bracelets would allow her to feel her own reaction. From there, it was all about "kinetic vision", the ability to see moving objects with absolute clarity, given enough focus. The Gramaryes had the ability to focus on subtle twitches with enough focus, and the bracelets would tell them when to focus, though Trucy had no need for them during Wright's poker games.

Zak requested that Wright tell Justice and Trucy about all this when the time was right. Zak then made one final revelation about his final conversation with Magnifi. Magnifi's letters had been a test, and Zak had made the correct decision in shooting the clown doll. Thus, Magnifi had passed on his tricks to Zak. Had Zak not shot anything, Magnifi would have given Valant his chance at inheriting the tricks. Had Zak or Valant shot Magnifi, his tricks would have been gone forever, a fitting end to the Gramarye Miracle. However, Zak had known that he could never kill his own mentor. Wright concluded that Magnifi had wanted Zak to inherit the tricks after all, though no one would know for sure now.

Zak wondered what Valant was up to. Wright informed him about the public's suspicion of Valant. Thus, Zak wrote a letter confessing to Magnifi's murder, despite not actually having done it:

Kristoph Gavin murdered Zak during the poker game and was sent to Solitary Cell 13 for the murder.

Solitary Cell 13
Six months later, Drew Misham was murdered, and Wright knew that his investigation was coming to a close. Wright met Gavin in prison. Wright asked Gavin about "Shadi Smith", Gavin's victim. Gavin claimed that he didn't know that Smith was Zak Gramarye; it had been a complete coincidence. Wright insisted that Gavin still didn't have a known motive for the murder, and that he intended to remedy this.

Wright and Gavin talked about Zak's trial. Klavier Gavin had won some praise that day for taking down "crooked attorney" Phoenix Wright. Some time after that trial, Phoenix Wright had been put before a hearing with the Bar Association review board. The vote for disbarment had been unanimous, save for Kristoph Gavin. Gavin responded that he had felt badly about his brother putting Wright in such a position. Wright insisted that even after their seven-year friendship, he still didn't really know Gavin. Gavin retorted that this was due to Wright suspecting his involvement in the case just as he did now.

Wright mentioned that Zak had told him about Gavin. He thought it strange that Zak had been killed just after this had happened. Wright had asked Gavin to defend him, remembering his kindness during Wright's disbarment hearing. Wright asked again why Gavin had killed Zak Gramarye. Just then, five black Psyche-Locks appeared. Wright described them as "cold" and "full of despair", and he knew that he wouldn't be able to unlock them.

Gavin started to do his nails. Wright noted the design of the bottle. Gavin gave him one of the bottles.

Drew Studio
Wright returned to Drew Studio and met Brushel. Wright wondered what he was doing at the studio and whether he had been tracking the murder case this whole time. Wright wanted to ask Brushel some questions, having finally gotten a hold of his missing link between the Gramaryes and the Mishams.

Wright asked about Brushel's interview with Drew. Brushel replied that Drew had always felt as if he was being watched for the past seven years. Brushel concurred that he had also felt like he was being watched. Brushel asked Wright whether he thought it was strange that Zak Gramarye had been killed after coming into contact with him, just as he had gone out of hiding temporarily. Brushel wondered whether Wright was not also being watched.

Wright asked about the Gramarye shooting accident. Brushel confirmed that he had been on speaking terms with Magnifi and Thalassa. After Thalassa disappeared, Brushel had tried to find out what had happened, and that is how he had come to interview Zak and befriend him.

Brushel speculated that Valant, Zak and Thalassa had been involved in a love triangle. Wright showed Trucy's locket to convince Brushel to elaborate on Thalassa. Brushel revealed that Thalassa had had a husband before Zak, a performer who had died in an on-stage accident a year after their marriage. Thalassa had also had a child with her first husband, though he was missing at the moment.

Brushel noted that all the drama would probably never be fully untangled, but Wright replied that he had to do what he could and then pass his efforts on to Apollo Justice. Brushel also noted that Trucy had Magnifi's power, and so had Thalassa.

Sunshine Coliseum
Wright next met Valant at Sunshine Coliseum. Valant had come across hard times due to the continued accusations from the press that he was Magnifi's real killer. He was appalled that the same press would cover his comeback show. Wright suggested that this was because Valant had never been very clear about what had happened on the night of Magnifi's death. Magnifi's death was still a mystery, and its solution was two Psyche-Locks away.

Wright gave Valant Zak's will, passing Magnifi's tricks on to Trucy. Wright was a witness, and a notary could testify to the authenticity of the will as well. Valant's dream was over. Valant had planned to obtain Magnifi's performance rights for himself by pinning the murder on Zak. Wright told Valant that there was still hope for his plan, as Zak had confessed to the crime. However, Valant knew that the confession was a lie. He did not care anymore, since he no longer had any hope of legally performing Magnifi's magic. Valant had little talent of his own in comparison to Magnifi, and so he was compelled to take Magnifi's tricks from him. However, Valant had not actually done the deed; Magnifi had shot himself.

Valant had known about both letters, though he hadn't figured out Magnifi's real plan. He had, indeed, come with the intent to kill Magnifi and to frame Zak for it. He had brought some IV fluid with him tamper with the IV bag, which he had noticed on a prior visit. However, he had not been able to bring himself to do it and he had dropped the gun. Magnifi had then woken up and told Valant that he had failed the test and that he had already given his performance rights to Zak; Valant did not have the draw that Zak had. This had left Valant in a state of shock as he left the room. He had then heard a gunshot and gone back to the room to find Magnifi dead. Valant had decided to frame Zak after all, which was why he had tampered with the IV bag and wiped the prints off of the murder weapon.

Wright still didn't know what to believe, but he was glad that he heard Valant's true version of the story. Valant thanked Wright as well, for taking everything away from him so that he could confess to his crimes. His guilt had been eating him up inside for seven years, and now all that was over. Valant was then reminded of another matter - no one had actually confirmed that "she" had actually died - but he said no more about it. He hoped that he would be able to see Zak Gramarye one last time to apologize to him.

The Gramarye murder case was now solved. However, Phoenix Wright knew that some darkness still remained, and that he had one last task to complete to ensure that the darkness was vanquished for good.

Solitary Cell 13
Wright returned to Kristoph Gavin's cell to find it devoid of its resident. Wright saw his chance to look at the yellow envelope. He sent the guard away to find out what Kristoph was doing, and then he went to work. He verified that it was the letter that Drew had written:

Wright sprayed Ema Skye's indicator chemical on the stamp, verifying that it was the poisoned murder weapon. However, before he could leave with the letter, Gavin arrived, accusing Wright of burglary. Wright said that Vera had not received her verdict yet, implying that there was still hope for the case. Gavin replied that there were no known survivors of atroquinine poisoning. Gavin asked for the envelope back, and Wright was obliged to comply.

MASON System aftermath
Phoenix Wright's "game" was over. All of its contents had been recorded with a spy camera on Wright's hat. All the clues were now in place. The final trial was about to begin; Wright told the audience that only they could find the truth now.

Oct. 9
Phoenix Wright addressed the audience.

"Phoenix Wright"

- ...Welcome to court. Seven years... all leading to one verdict. A verdict which you must decide. Is the defendant, Vera Misham, innocent... or guilty? The courtroom doors are opening... the trial awaits. Are you ready to begin?

Prologue
Someone spoke:

As the person was speaking, flashbacks appeared of Vera Misham serving Drew Misham coffee, the Borscht Bowl Club restaurant area, the poker table in the Hydeout, Magnifi Gramarye's second-to-last diary page, the crime photo of Zak Gramarye's murder, Drew Studio in 2019, Phoenix Wright calling Kristoph Gavin on his phone, Solitary Cell 13, the fake blood-stained ace from Zak's murder trial, and Kristoph Gavin on the witness stand.

Final trial
Court was now in session. Klavier Gavin told the judge that Vera had been poisoned with atroquinine and could die at any time. Trucy Wright protested the trial's continuation without Vera's presence, but defense attorney Apollo Justice knew that with the defendant's life at risk, the trial had to be concluded with a final verdict. Klavier knew from experience what a trial without a verdict would do to everyone involved. Justice was also determined not to let that happen. Wright had told him all about his investigations over the last seven years, and he was ready to fight for the innocent verdict.

Klavier opened with a claim that Vera had poisoned herself out of guilt for what she had done. It was even more appropriate to him that she had used the same atroquinine poison, which was hard to come by, that had killed her father. Justice insisted that Vera was a victim, not the killer. Klavier gave him two things to prove: who had poisoned Vera and how he or she had done it.

Unlike the day before, Justice was fully prepared: he answered that Kristoph Gavin had poisoned Vera through her bottle of nail polish. Justice had noticed Vera's habit of biting her nails when she became nervous; Kristoph must have noticed this as well and used it to his advantage. As for Kristoph's obvious alibi, Justice said that he could have poisoned the bottle at any time, even seven years ago. The judge found it inconceivable that Kristoph would ever try to kill Vera, but the look on Klavier's face told a different tale. The judge suggested that Kristoph may have to be summoned as a special witness, and Klavier complied with this. Klavier had known for some time now that there was a deep darkness involved in this case, which had consumed even him.

Kristoph Gavin arrived on the witness stand. Justice showed his former boss Vera's bottle of nail polish. Kristoph confirmed it as Ariadoney nail polish, his preferred brand, and he complimented Vera on her taste in nail polish. He had been following Vera's murder trial from his prison cell. Kristoph asked Klavier why he was on the witness stand, to which Klavier replied that Justice was accusing Kristoph of poisoning Vera. Klavier did not comment on his opinion on the matter.



Kristoph testified on the matter, reiterating the question of how he could have poisoned Vera from prison. The scenario of Vera poisoning herself was far more likely; Kristoph didn't even know the Mishams. Kristoph asked whether Justice intended to accuse him of Drew's murder as well. Justice focused then and had a fleeting vision of the devil's face on Kristoph's hand. Kristoph was unfazed by Justice's revelation, which proved nothing. However, Justice showed Kristoph the poisoned commemorative stamp, which Phoenix Wright had found in Kristoph's cell, linking Kristoph to the murder weapon.

Klavier was now quite distraught. Kristoph, still unrelenting, told Justice that, had he been the killer, he would not have known whether Drew would have even used the stamp on the night of his murder. Kristoph chastised Klavier for not seeing through Justice's bluff. However, Klavier disagreed. Klavier wanted to believe Kristoph, but now he realized that Kristoph was the one who was bluffing. Kristoph had used a red herring argument to distract the court from the real matter at hand, which was merely whether Drew had used the stamp. The timing of the death was a coincidence.

Kristoph was disturbed by Klavier's betrayal, but he pressed on. He asked Justice what his motive was. Justice realized that Kristoph was beginning to falter; he had delayed his question, afraid that this was a battle that he might lose. Justice replied that the motive had to do with Drew's forgery. Justice presented the fake diary page from Zak Gramarye's trial, which the judge recognized. The motive for murder was seven years old. The killer had intended to erase everything and everyone connected to the forgery. However, the killer had made a mistake. Vera had ended up preserving the commemorative stamp in a frame, rather than sending it back, and there it had sat for seven years.

Klavier claimed that Justice's story meant that Phoenix Wright, the requester of the forgery, was the real killer, but Justice disagreed. Phoenix Wright couldn't have requested this forgery because he had been hired only the day before the trial. The natural question, then, was the identity of Zak's previous attorney, whom he had fired. Justice declared that Kristoph was this attorney.

However, Kristoph pointed out that there was no proof to Justice's accusation. Since attorneys are registered with the court the day before the trial begins, there would be no trace of Zak's previous lawyer in the court records. Klavier then desperately demanded evidence to clear away his doubts and to take away the darkness plaguing him. Justice said that he did, indeed, have evidence. The judge warned that a heavy 40% penalty would follow an incorrect claim, but Kristoph asked to double the stakes. The judge noted that he hadn't given a penalty as large as 80% in a long time. Nonetheless, Justice had the proof he needed: the yellow envelope.

Kristoph objected. Justice couldn't possibly have obtained the yellow envelope. Kristoph recalled Phoenix's attempt to steal the envelope. The one that Justice had was a replica in Phoenix's handwriting, intended merely for Justice to present the information therein to the court. Justice revealed that Phoenix had recorded his entire conversation with Kristoph. Kristoph was angry now. He insisted that a "video" that an ex-attorney who had been suspected of forgery "claimed" to have taken did not constitute evidence. Klavier was speechless, so the judge went ahead and denied the defense's claim.

The trial appeared to be ending, and there was nothing that Justice could do. The judge moved to end the cross-examination, but Klavier suddenly objected. Klavier now realized what was going on. He was finally relieved that his questions from seven years ago had been answered. Kristoph reprimanded and even threatened Klavier, but Klavier did not relent.

Klavier asked Justice about whether he had noticed anything odd about Zak Gramarye's trial. Justice realized what Klavier was getting at: Klavier had known all along that Phoenix would present the fake diary page. Klavier revealed his tip-off source: Kristoph. Kristoph had gone to his younger brother Klavier and told him that he wouldn't appear at the trial the next day. He had then told the younger Gavin about Phoenix presenting bogus evidence and had instructed him to bring out Drew Misham to testify. Klavier had wondered at the time how Kristoph had obtained such information. Klavier confronted his brother again. The trial was supposed to be a fair fight between two brothers, but Kristoph had intended to win unfairly with forged evidence. Kristoph protested, but Klavier demanded an explanation.

Kristoph, now having nothing to lose, accepted Klavier's demand. Before the trial date, Zak Gramarye had invited Kristoph to play poker. Kristoph had lost the game, and Zak had promptly dismissed him as his attorney. Kristoph could not understand what had happened; as far as he could tell, he had been fired because he had lost in a card game, and then he had been replaced by Phoenix Wright, "a second rate attorney who relies on luck and bluffs!" Justice recognized that Zak hadn't been watching the result of the game at all; he had been looking at the man behind the cards. Kristoph expressed his opinion that Zak and Phoenix had both gotten what they deserved, though he still did not admit to the murder. Justice and Klavier could work out the details from there, however; Kristoph had intended to use his fake evidence to win the trial, but when he was dismissed, he had taken revenge on both of them, passing the fake evidence onto Phoenix as a trap through Trucy Enigmar.

Kristoph was unfazed, declaring that everything had gone perfectly. Klavier laughed in response, as he had realized the truth: Kristoph had been living in fear for the past seven years. Because Zak Gramarye had disappeared from the courtroom, no verdict had ever been given for him. If Zak ever reappeared, or the Mishams talked, the fact that he had ordered the forgery would have become known, and his coverup would have been blown. Desperate to protect his secret, Kristoph had kept tabs on all parties involved in the Magnifi Gramarye case: the Mishams, Brushel and Wright. After seven years, Kristoph had killed "Shadi Smith", who Justice revealed was really Zak Gramarye. Trucy seemed unfazed by this revelation, as if she had known all along.

The judge asked for a full account of Justice's claims:

It had all started seven years ago, with Magnifi Gramarye's death. Knowing that whoever defended Zak successfully in court would garner much fame among the public and respect in legal circles, Kristoph Gavin had found someone he could hire to do the unthinkable: forge evidence. He had met with Vera Misham to fabricate a page from Magnifi's journal that would implicate Valant Gramarye instead of Zak. He noticed that whenever Vera became nervous, she had a habit of biting her nails. Not wanting her to talk about his involvement, Kristoph had laced a bottle of Ariadoney nail polish with atroquinine poison and lied to her about the nail polish being a magic charm. If Vera was ever forced to go outside and become nervous, she would bite her nails, and the poison would do the rest.

Kristoph had tried to kill Vera again by sending her an invoice for the forgery that he had ordered, and included a stamp laced with atroquinine. However, Vera had liked the stamp so much that she had kept it, sending the receipt back with a different stamp. Once again, Kristoph had failed to kill the Mishams, until his time bombs went off seven years later.

Kristoph was unmoved, knowing that, without decisive evidence, Justice couldn't make his case stick. Kristoph claimed that the man he had killed was "a traveler named Shadi Smith," about whom little else was known. Kristoph plead silence on his motive for Smith's murder; this was supposed to be Vera's trial, after all. Justice protested this, but Kristoph reminded him that he was the one who had caused Vera to bite her nails in the first place. Kristoph then concluded, "Evidence is everything. There is nothing more."

The judge prepared to end the trial. As Kristoph continued to gloat, Klavier took the opportunity to drop a bomb. This particular case was a test trial for the Jurist System, which meant that a panel of jurists would decide the case. Decisive evidence was no longer necessary. The judge explained that the old system had been deemed too "closed off" from society, and that this system was an attempt to inject the wisdom of the common people into the law. Kristoph protested angrily to this. "What could we possibly gain by doing this? Entrusting our judicial system to a mindless, emotional mob of irrational mouth-breathers?" The judge replied that the common people added the factor of common sense, which was not restricted by the letter of the law. Kristoph insisted that the courts keep "riff-raff" out. Justice replied that the jury he had just insulted was watching him on camera, and then added his own salt to the wound: Phoenix Wright was behind the Jurist System's setup.

"Kristoph Gavin"

- Phoe... Phoenix Wright?

Kristoph had a breakdown of epic proportions on the witness stand, screaming that the law was absolute. Klavier told Kristoph that it was over. The law was anything but absolute; Kristoph had even taken advantage over loopholes in the law. In truth, the law was full of contradictions.

The judge had his own speech as well:

"Judge"

- The law is the end product of many years of history... the fruit of human knowledge! Like a gem, polished to a gleam through trials... and errors. It is this fruit we receive, and pass on, and face in our time. And it is always changing, growing. Nurturing it is our task as human beings.

"Klavier Gavin"

- Except for you, Kristoph. You aren't changing. You've stopped. You're not needed anymore.

Justice was unable to come up with a speech of his own, perhaps because he was still inexperienced. However, he vowed that he would find out what law truly was, and that he would fight to change it if he had to.

The judge declared an end to the trial, and now awaited the jury's decision.

Verdict
It was 12:48 p.m. Phoenix Wright addressed his audience, the jury, stating that it was now time for them to deliver the verdict. Wright reminded the jury that having a verdict that day was of utmost importance, as Vera may not live through the night. Was Vera Misham innocent or guilty? The decision was up to them now. A panel had been set up for each jurist to input his or her decision.

Jurist 6 questioned her validity as a jurist, because according to the Jurist's Handbook, "Persons involved with the case may not be jurists." Wright reassured her that, as she wasn't involved with the development of the case, she was a legal jurist.

It was now time for the verdict. The truth would finally be heard after seven long years. Wright warned the jury to judge wisely.

Oct. 10
Apollo Justice and Trucy Wright arrived at Vera Misham's hospital bed at 10:12 a.m., overjoyed with the news. Vera smiled at them and thanked Justice. She was now much more open and outspoken to Trucy and Justice. Justice apologized for making Vera bite her nails, but Vera replied that she was in the wrong. She had been living in fear of the outside world, with only her "good luck charm" to comfort her, but she knew now, after having Justice fight for her with all of his might, that it was important to see the outside world. Vera also apologized for what she had done to Phoenix Wright, saying that she would stop looking away from her deeds.

Trucy told Justice that she had known about her father's death all along. After all, she had helped Zak with his escape. Zak had told her that he would return, but that couldn't happen now. Trucy said that that was fine because she had Phoenix and Justice now.

Meanwhile, in the Wright Anything Agency, Phoenix Wright was meeting up with another survivor, Thalassa Gramarye. She had recovered her sight and her memory. Thalassa believed that Phoenix had known that she was Lamiroir all along, but Phoenix merely said that she was thinking about it too much, and that there was no guarantee that regaining her memory was for the best. Thalassa disagreed; she now remembered that Justice and Trucy were her two children, and she was happy that they had both grown up so well. Phoenix told Thalassa that he had not informed the two about their mother and that they were both unaware that they were related. Thalassa replied that she would tell them some day, when the time was right, and Phoenix promised to take care of both of them until then. Phoenix was especially worried about Trucy, as he knew that she was secretly devastated by the death of her father.

Phoenix then talked about the bracelets, remarking that of all the strange things he had seen, the bracelets were the strangest of them all. He recalled seeing Justice with it, and then meeting Thalassa. He would never forget witnessing the two lives cross each other.

Thalassa then reminisced about her accident. She had lost her memory to the accident, which was why she had vanished. Now, she had regained herself. Phoenix noted the parallel between Thalassa and Vera. He then remarked that people don't die that easily, as long as they have something worth living for.

"Apollo Justice"

- ...And that's pretty much the end of my story. For now, anyway. I've still got a long way to go. And this power of mine... well, it needs some work. But... there's hope now. We'd lost it, but somehow, we found it again. That's why people are smiling again... Hope. Yeah, I think I'll keep at this lawyer thing for a while. Oops, training time. Gotta go. Chords of Steel... here comes Justice!



Aftermath
Apollo Justice decided to stay with the Wright Anything Agency, much to Trucy's delight. She said it was like she had gained a long lost brother, being completely oblivious to how close to the truth that was. She also mentioned her plans to perform in Troupe Gramarye, with Mr. Hat (now called Hat Gramarye) set to be a big hit with the crowd.

Klavier Gavin, realizing how much the last trial had "rocked", decided to disband the Gavinners in order to focus on his legal career. According to him, the news of the band's breakup had caused a run on tissues at supermarkets world-wide. He felt that Justice was the real star now, and was looking forward to their next battle in the courtroom.

Phoenix Wright was glad that his last case was finally over and realized that he had been a piano player longer than he had been a lawyer. Considering what to do with the time he now had on his hands, he entertained the possibility of taking piano lessons. He also pondered the idea of retaking the Bar Exam to get his badge back (which he actually did one year later).

Ema Skye briefly considered making golden Snackoos, but she realized that the preservatives wouldn't be 100% safe.

Olga Orly seemed to have retained her job at the Borscht Bowl Club as both a waitress and as a dealer for Wright's poker games.

The Kitakis started a business selling muffins with kanji characters on them that read "root" and "people". Wocky Kitaki insisted on calling them "O.G. Crackers".

Guy Eldoon was inspired to make a new noodle recipe containing just a large hunk of salt. He explained that since his noodles were all about extreme saltiness, why should he pretend otherwise?

Wesley Stickler, who had previously been mocked as "Wesley Stinkler" and "Wesley Stickyhands", received a new nickname, "Wesley Sicko". While it was obviously meant negatively, Stickler was convinced that it was a reference to his curing the sickness of curiosity.

Now having her memory back, Thalassa Gramarye looked to her children as inspiration for her next song.

Spark Brushel went back on the beat. He still didn't have his scoop, but his confidence was not shaken.

Vera Misham took up painting originals. She looked to the outside for inspiration; she was not afraid anymore, having met good people from the outside.

"Vera Misham"

- The door is open. The world is waiting. Thank you.

References to other cases

 * While cross-examining Valant Gramarye during the 2019 trial, the magician mentions that he and Zak Gramarye won at least one Magician's Grand Prix, with a bust being the trophy. Phoenix Wright thinks to himself that "This is one trip down memory lane no one needs." This is a reference to Turnabout Big Top, where Max Galactica also received a bust as a prize after winning the Magician's Grand Prix.
 * If Wright examines the couch in Defendant Lobby No. 2, he remembers how he once took a nap on that couch, and what a mistake it was. This is a reference to The Lost Turnabout, in which Richard Wellington hit Wright on the head with a fire extinguisher shortly after he awoke from a nap on the couch. However, this incident actually occurred in Lobby No. 1, rather than Lobby No. 2.

Cultural references

 * Mike Meekins at one point states, "It's a hard knock life, sir!" This is a reference to the song "It's the Hard Knock Life" from the musical Annie.
 * If Spark Brushel is pressed on his claim that he was the first outsider to enter Drew Studio, he describes it as "A Basically Insignificant Step For All Mankind... But A Giant Step For That Brushel Guy." This is a paraphrase of the famous words spoken by Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 moon landing: "That's one small step for (a) man; one giant leap for mankind."
 * When examining the rose in Kristoph Gavin's prison cell, Kristoph mentions his "cute, but feisty" pet dog Vongole, and Phoenix mentally remarks "Every dog has its thorn." This is a reference to the Poison song "Every Rose Has Its Thorn".

Bad ending
If Thalassa Gramarye votes guilty, the trial is suspended due to a hung jury, and the verdict would have to wait until the next day. Unfortunately, Vera's condition worsens and she dies of the poison that night, resulting in her trial ending with no verdict given.

Attorney's badge
The MASON System chapter of this episode is the second time in the entire Ace Attorney series in which there is no badge of any kind in the court record. The first time is when Wright's badge is stolen by Money, the Berry Big Circus's monkey, in Turnabout Big Top.

Larry?
Outside the Sunshine Coliseum, a figure in orange can be seen having a picnic with what appears to be a woman. This may be Larry Butz (considering his attire and presence with a woman) although he is too far away to say for certain. Later in the game, another figure in pink can be seen painting in the same location. This could conceivably be Butz as "Laurice Deauxnim", but, once again, the figure is too far away to say for certain, and it may just be a subtle nod by the developers.

Typos

 * When Wright is about to present the forged diary page, Gavin says, "It's not to late to rethink this and avoid more... embarrassment" instead of "It's not too late to rethink this and avoid more... embarrassment".

Other languages

 * Japanese - 逆転を継ぐ者 (Gyakuten o Tsugu Mono; lit. "Successor to the Turnabout")
 * French - Volte-face et Succession (lit. "Turnabout and Succession")
 * German - Der Nachfolgende Wandel (lit. "The Subsequent Change")
 * Spanish - El Caso de la Sucesión (lit. "The Case of the Succession")
 * Italian - Di Mano in Mano (lit. "")
 * Korean - 역전을 잇는 자 (Yeogjeon-eul Isneun Ja; lit. "Successor to the Turnabout")