𝙎𝙖𝙢𝙢𝙮'𝙨 𝙋𝙊𝙑

     "The science shows the murderer could be a four-legged Pokemon."

     I had finally let the words out as my sister's stare to almost pierced through me.

     "Wait, what?" Aubra paused. "How do you know this?"

     "Duh, she used to work with Sam!" Kanom replied to the Absol's confusion. "Fuckin' bitch." The insult at the end wasn't necessary, but I understood where he was coming from.

     "Well, if she used to work with Sam, then she knows who the murderer is!" Grace enthusiastically called, her gaze shifting over to me in gleefulness.

     "I-I'm sorry. Just like she was able to brainwash you guys into only remembering each other, she brainwashed me to only remember clues—not actual Pokemon..." I managed to huff out, I expected them to not believe me but Leon spoke out before anyone else could.

     "I understand, Sam wouldn't allow such a quick trial." The Lucario warmly smiled at me. "I'll take that information in mind," Leon nodded and quickly gazed at everyone.

     "W-Wait, it's not one hundred percent proven, it's just the position of the cuts that could show the murderer was shorter than Inu." I stammered but managed to correct the false information I had just said.

     "Wow, can't even get a single thing right. You sure fell off once you stopped working with Sam," Laker chuckled at me, I chose to ignore him. It seems like only Leon and Loki are on my side during the trial.

     "Hey, now that I think about it, have we measured your claws, Sammy? What if you're just saying this to throw us quadruped Pokemon under the bus?" Alice questioned softly.

     "N-No! Absolutely not, I just said it wasn't entirely true!" I couldn't argue or else they might attack me...maybe even kill me after this! A very soft paw was placed on my shoulder.

     "Hey...calm down. You got this," Loki softly murmured into my ear, causing me to inhale and exhale calmly.

     "So by that logic, the culprit should be rather short," Sherwood placed his palm against his chin, gazing directly at Laker. "So if they aren't a quadruped Pokemon, they're a bipedal short one."

     "Woah, mate. You're sure jumping to conclusions!" Laker nervously laughed as the Eevee next to me shook her head in denial.

     "Nah, it's about time someone called you out, bitch!" The only time I'd heard Grace say anything related to a swear was right after her statement, and I'm sure everyone else could be related too—the room was completely silent.

     "Well then," Alice cleared her throat. "We should get to proving and disproving evidence right now, shall we?"

     "Yeah, there's no way Loki could have done it, she's leagues taller than Inu," Leon announced, and everyone seemed to agree on that. Loki mouthed a thanking message to the Lucario.

     "Let's start with something very important I haven't said yet." Kanom's voice caused Leon to grow with anxiety. "We could all agree that the needle hidden under the bed was used as a liquid painkiller after she was attacked...but what we don't know is..." I didn't even know the painkiller was used as a needle, these Pokemon sure are ahead of me...

     "Leon has claws." The message shocked everyone, but it seemed to be predicted by Leon.

     "That's surprising. Even if he did have claws, however, isn't he rather tall for a Lucario?" Grace began defending the jackal.

     "He is, and so is Inu...that's why he's the same height as the Infernape." Kanom cockily grinned at Leon. "Go on, show them your claws, 5'9 jackal." A small snicker followed after his comment.

     Leon rolled his eyes in annoyance and folded his paws together, shuffling around for one second. The sound of the unsheathing was very loud—almost like a sword being pulled out from a metal handle. Soon enough, the shiny claws slid out of his paws. They were completely made of steel and were the same height and width of Laker's.

     "You told him?" Leon's disappointed glare landed on Laker, the Weavile nodding.

     "Of course! You could also be the killer, and if you have the same thing that I am being accused of, you should go down with me." A small smirk was written across the Weavile's features.

     I couldn't believe Leon was now a suspect, but I also didn't believe he was the murderer. It's almost as how I didn't believe Loki was the culprit, but here she is now, completely clean off the case. Sadly, knowing these people she isn't in the clear yet

     "I don't care. Blame me as much as you want, let's just go through the evidence." The Lucario seemed to start growing more sick of the voice of Laker. He sheathed his claws before gazing at every Pokemon in the room.

     "A bloodstain on the wall found on the bottom of the secret stairway room." Leon placed his paw against his chin. "We should focus on that, too." His simple yet complex words caused everyone to begin thinking.

     "My theory is that she was attacked inside the stairway!" Aubra enthusiastically chirped. "Maybe Inu was exploring it and got killed."

     "That wouldn't be possible." Loki shut the idea down immediately. "There would be more blood across the walls if she were to be attacked inside." The Zoroark fashionably crossed her arms.

     "Since the blood across the wall is rather thin, it could have been projected from the neck after the sudden slice." Alice murmured from her corner of the room.

     "Which further proves the culprit is shorter than Inu—since if they were taller, it would have landed on them." Kanom began speaking, which surprised me that he wasn't all talk and no bite.

     "Wait, are we not going to mention the bloody knife? If it is truly a quadruped Pokemon, then how was the bloody knife used?" Everyone paused, gazing directly at the Gallade in question—but then realizing what the Lucario had said minutes ago.

     "Fuck." Kanom cursed under his breath. "Maybe it truly is a bipedal Pokemon?"

     "There's also a case on the bloody-voiced Absol, which is a serial killer who murders people by the neck. This is quite odd...seeing as how she only uses two of her claws." I scratched the back of my head lightly before continuing.

     "I have an idea!" I called out to everyone as they had now realized I was in the room. "I believe one of you stated one of the cut marks were different, just a little bit thinner, right?" I began.

     "Could that possibly be the knife's cut mark?" I lifted my thoughts into the air as Rayne nodded back at me.

     "That's a really good theory, Sammy." The Manectric smiled.

     "Too bad it's probably fuckin' false," Kanom smirked at me.

     "Yeah...there's no way." Aubra continued Kanom's remark with a soft frown as I nodded.

     "Alright, just a theory though..." I softly murmured. Wow, are they all scary; seeing them glare at me like that doesn't fail to give me goosebumps.

     "We'll keep that in mind, Sammy." Sherwood softly sighed and gazed at Kanom. "Why are you suddenly throwing everyone's ideas down?"

     "Well, because I need to be blunt when the information isn't correct! We don't want to head to the wrong road, do we?" Kanom smirked at the Sceptile before gazing at me. "So when I see someone say some bullshit, I cut them off. Like I always do." He finished the sentence in a low voice before I heard the Weavile shuffle with something. He slipped out multiple cards.

     "Before we continue with anything, the secretive cards could also give you an answer," Laker smirked as two cards were flipped over the table; the two of them had names. One of the names written was Inu, the other one being Alice.

     "W-What the hell? How did you get that?" Alice stammered from her pedestal before beginning to charge a move. "I swear to Arceus you're working with Sam!" She hissed loudly.

     "I'm just trying to stall, I don't want to bore you guys by making this quick," Laker's words confused me—I somewhat understood what he was meaning. Laker knew more than what he was letting on, those cards practically gave him the answer. Alice couldn't possibly be the culprit, it's someone else on those cards.

     "Anyways, if you read these two cards side by side..." Laker cleared his throat and began reading them aloud.

     "Alice had a friend die in a fire, causing her major depression to the point where she self harms."

     "Inu burned down a whole forest, causing many Pokemon to have to leave their homes. She is the cause of two deaths."

     "I hope you guys can see the resemblance there. Looks like Talus' death wasn't the only one with the 'secretive card motive', quite a coincidence." Laker tapped his claws against the paper. Aubra looked terrified, Leon seemed unimpressed and Alice...was surprisingly quiet.

     "Yes, I self-harm. What does that have to do with the trial?" The Ninetales hissed at the Weavile, who defensively lifted his hands.

     "Woah there, culprit. I'm just saying, after reading that card you might have wanted to take revenge for your friend by killing Inu." Laker softly inhaled after his remark. "Don't kill me, too." A small smirk was written on his face. I know exactly what he was doing, he wanted to get attacked by Alice so she could be executed for fighting during the trial room. "Oh yeah, and why was the needle in your room?"

     Alice growled loudly, beginning to charge what seemed like a Flare Blitz, and stepped against her pedestal to jump at the Weavile, until a Zoroark clutched her by the tail and gripped her chest to prevent her from moving. Against all odds—Loki managed to calm down the Ninetales, her arms still wrapped around Alice.

     "You need to calm down, he's tricking you into attacking him." A soft mutter escaped the Zoroark's lips as the Ninetales hastily nodded and escaped her grip.

     "I'm...terribly sorry." Alice huffed and landed back down behind her pedestal.

     "Anyway, where were we?" Leon muttered and cleared his throat. "Sammy said that the bloody knife could have been used to cut another slice against Inu's throat. Furthering this, we can imply that the bloody-voiced Absol who kills people with two of her claws seems to be in the room." A side-glance from the Lucario landed on the now offended Absol. Aubra at first was very shy and always stammered on her sentences—now she seems confident and snappy. The same issue with Alice, everyone seems to be different this trial.

     "What proof do you have that I am a serial killer? I could easily mention a Lucario who has killed millions of others by the neck and it would be the same thing!" Aubra lightly scoffed at Leon before sharing a glance with Laker. "Laker is shorter than Inu and also fits the claw size, why are we not mentioning him?"

     "Because I know a lot more..." Laker smirked, causing Aubra to pause completely.

"It seems like you *have* known a lot more than you've let on, Laker. Why don't you share some things with us?" I inquired at his confidence, the Weavile chuckling lightly.

     "No. I want you guys to figure it out, don't worry, it's quite easy." He flipped up a card with the names: Leon, Loki, Inu, Aubra, and Alice. "One of these is the culprit." I was shocked, how had Laker found the murderer so quickly? Could the cards have that much information to the point where it could tell him outright?

     "Okay, I'll find it out before you could even read that card!" Loki slammed her hand against the pedestal in adrenaline. "Knowing that Laker's claws are the same height as Leon's, and since the Lucario is the same height as Inu—there could be a possibility Leon could have done it." Leon looked shocked at Loki for a few seconds.

     "I'm sorry, I know we're friends but I don't want to risk anything..." Loki murmured to Leon, who nodded in understanding. I found that connection quite interesting—showing how people here could be friends until they start judging each other. However, this was quite different, Leon understood the Zoroark's point.

     "I think...I think I know exactly how Inu died." Grace huffed before gazing at everyone. "Do you guys believe that she could have been tricked into opening the secret closet?" The Eevee had a great point.

     "Yeah, I've been thinking that. She could have been clawed once the door was opened via distraction. The culprit could have been waiting there and attacked once it was opened." Laker scratched his chin.

     "So you *don't* know everything?" Sherwood frowned lightly as the Weavile scoffed.

     "I know who it was, not how it happened. That's why I chose you guys to figure out how it would have happened, I already did my part." Laker's eyes gleamed in annoyance to the Sceptile, who rolled his eyes instead.

     "My question is, Inu most likely would have fallen to the ground after the attack, but where? There is no other bloodstain other than the one on the bed, and right below it. Those two were caused by the bleeding neck, so I'm not sure." Alice calmly verbalized at the Eevee gasped.

     "Have you all noticed the unreasonably large amount of blood on the carpet? Do you all think Inu could have been moved after she was attacked?" Grace called to all of us before Kanom sighed in relief.

     "Finally, an actual good theory." The Toxicroak yawned and gazed directly at the Eevee. "Then going by your words, she was moved to the be—"

     "No, you're absolutely wrong." Galant objected, cutting Kanom completely off his words.

     "What the hell, are you okay, buddy?" Kanom chuckled before the Gallade shook his head.

     "I'm completely fine, which is why I'm going to prove you wrong," Galant smirked lightly, he was up to something...

     CONTRADICTION TIME

     "Alright, tell me how I'm wrong." Kanom's stare locked on Galant's eyes in amusement.

     "You all have the order wrong. Inu could indeed have been attacked after she opened the closet—and she indeed could have fallen on the puddle of blood we have now. However, she was never moved since the culprit sliced an extra claw mark with the bloody knife." Galant practically lectured the Toxicroak, who groaned in annoyance.

     "This stupid theory again? Don't listen to that Braixen, remember, she worked for Sam!" Kanom slowly folded his arms together, the Gallade shook his head once more.

     "That Braixen sacrificed her power for us. Going on before you stall your inevitable failure, Inu wasn't moved until the culprit had sliced another claw mark against her throat." Galant had to repeat his words for the Toxicroak to practically process it all without giving attitude.

     "Okay? That doesn't explain why the culprit would use only two of their claws? Who would ever be so stupid?" Kanom constantly questioned to the Gallade, who smirked widely.

     "Because our culprit could be a certain Absol. This Absol could be an infamous serial killer, very well known for her methods of killing. Her method of only using two of her claws!" Galant crossed his arms and glared at Aubra with determination.

     "Damnit..." Kanom cursed under his breath. "Yeah, I get what you're saying..." The Toxicroak had admitted to losing for once.

     "W-Wait just one second!" Aubra shook her head and shifted her attention entirely to the Gallade. "Are we not going to mention how Inu was yelling suicidal things before being found dead?"

     "How are you going to explain the bloody knife that was found in Vince's room instead of Inu's? How are you going to explain the claw marks?" Galant began before clearing his throat once again.

    "How are you also going to explain this!" He seemed to shuffle with a book for a moment's notice and flipped to a criminal record. It was the book I gave him a while back, this caused me to stare in amazement.

     "The bloody-voiced Absol isn't called that for no reason, she can easily replicate another Pokemon's voice with ease, and all she needs is ten minutes of hearing them. Not only do your claw marks match, but you're also quadruped, shorter..." He trailed off before slamming the book against the pedestal.

     "...and the culprit!"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

...

...

...

     "Are we not going to explain how the knife was taken, and how there was an extra one in the cabinet?" Laker seemed to almost defend the Absol—his words being the only thing sounding in the room. Everyone seemed to be shocked, I don't blame them.

     "Since the blood on the carpet is a puddle, that must mean Inu would have been bleeding for a while. That's enough time to get the knife Aubra could have stolen it from anywhere, and come back into Inu's room to cut the extra claw mark." No one objected, and a sigh of relief came from Laker.

     "Well, it looks like you had everything correct other than one final thing. Don't blame yourself if you didn't expect it." Laker smirked as he pulled out Aubra's card. "Because not even I expected this when I read it..."

     "Aubra has multiple cases of murders against her ex-lovers, she is known as the 'Bloody-voiced Absol'—a famous serial killer known around Kalos. By using her amazing voice acting skills, she only has to hear a person talk for ten minutes until she can replicate their voice perfectly with no mess-up. She uses this to her advantage by making her murders seem like suicide. Not only that, the only surviving ex-lover is actually Inu the Infernape" Laker read aloud as the Absol groaned in annoyance.

     "I am a fucking dumbass!" I heard Laker's voice yell...but I never saw Laker move his lips after he read the paper. I turned to see Aubra with a wide smirk on her face.

     "I knew I should have killed you instead, why are you always so ahead?" This time, the voice the Absol chose was Inu's.

     "You switch voices right now, you monster!" Sherwood boldly yelled to Aubra, his voice was beginning to croak.

     "Nope! I should have known that book about me was in the area, that's why I cut an extra claw mark." Aubra snickered.

     "So...with that card she found out that Inu was her only surviving ex-girlfriend and chose to kill her?" Kanom huffed out. "Hate to say that I believe it all." A small yawn escaped his lips before he pointed directly to me.

     "You. Let's see if you've been listening, explain the whole murder in detail, now." The Toxicroak commanded me as I gave him a confirming nod.

     "This is the whole murder plot." I softly murmured, all eyes on me...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "It all started the day we finished the trial for Talus' murder. After Gruta's execution, everyone seemed to be angry at Kanom. Except for one person who couldn't care less. After reading their secretive card, which is the motivation for this murder, they decided to do their job as a serial killer who murders their ex-lovers. With the full knowledge that Inu was one floor below her, she possibly explored around the outside of her room—noticing that Vince's room was directly above the Infernape's. The culprit searched the room for anything to assist them, only finding a knife. Searching more, the culprit found the secret stairway and entered it, leaving the knife behind." I took my breath before continuing with my explanation.

     "She began to bait Inu to open the door with any practical voice she had usable, and as the Infernape opened the door—the culprit clawed against the lower side of the throat. This caused Inu to fall over and land against the ground—the blood splattered on the carpet, too. By this time, the murderer had run up the stairway to grab the knife, fully knowing that her 'serial killer' tendencies and records were all documented in the building. This also gave time for Inu to use her liquid painkiller, which had luckily on her hand by that point. My guess is that Inu tucked it under the bed after she heard the culprit walk back downstairs. Knife on her maw, the quadruped Pokemon sliced another cut on the Infernape's throat to resemble another claw mark. What they did not know, however, was that it was noticeably more thin than the other marks..." My head turned directly to face Grace.

     "After that, Grace approached the door to clear her suspicion on all the sound the culprit had made. Due to their amazing voice-mimicking abilities, the culprit began to fake Inu's voice by yelling suicidal threats and insults. Meanwhile, the culprit had been propping Inu on her stomach against the bed. The killer had placed Inu in such a position that her neck began to bleed against the bed, and landed on the already bloodied carpet."

      "By this point, Grace had called Sherwood, and he too began to call to the dying Inu. Using the same voice, the culprit began to yell suicidal threats to the Sceptile as well before looking for evidence to clean up. 'Here it is', the culprit accidentally murmured in Inu's voice after finding the bloody knife. After hearing Sherwood begin to break down the door, the culprit dashed out of the room and shut the door, running up the stairway before hastily hiding the bloody knife inside the wrinkled covers of Vince's room. All the mastermind had to do was close all the doors and run into their room in time, in which they did. This is the work that could have only been done by a professional serial killer named the 'bloody-voiced Absol'."

     "However, they are our culprit for this case...and who is that?"

     "You, Aubra the Absol are the culprit!" I called out with absolute determination in my voice. 

     "You murdered Inu the Infernape!"