Loki's POV

     The position I'm in isn't the best. Everyone seems to blame it on me because I know Shadow Claw...but I know I didn't do it. Never did I go back and attack Leon...I never would...

     "Loki," Rayne muttered to me, snapping me back to reality. Everyone was waiting for me on the platform, eager to blame me for the murder. However, I'm not afraid to defend myself at all. With ease, I made my way over to the platform, causing it to plunge down, the roof above us closing into a dark void once again.

     The only sound occurring: the elevator's machinery clicking and Sherwood's light sobs. Sammy, in the corner with Sherwood, seemed to be tearing up attempting to comfort him by rubbing his back. I never thought Leon and Sherwood would ever be friends, but here he is, crying over him...

     It isn't bad, in fact, I find it nice how anyone could build friendship in this horrid place. Galant seemed the most shaken up out of all of us though. Usually, he would be the most confident and firm, but his posture seemed uncertain.

     "I don't know who it is..." Galant muttered.

     "Don't worry, I do." Kanom stepped next to the Gallade and offered me a glare.

     "We'll see." I frowned at him.

     "This is going to be the very last trial," Grace whispered to herself, gazing at me softly. "I'll make sure it's the last trial we have."

     "I never knew we'd get this far," Alice muttered and leaned her head on my shoulder, "I just want to leave, Loki."

     I stroked along her fur soothingly, wrapping an arm around her. "I know...me too."

     The metal around us clanked loudly before the wall in front of us slid open.

     "Welcome, welcome!" Sam called loudly and grinned on her throne. "Take a seat, because this trial will be the most enjoyable thing ever!"

     "Gladly," Kanom grinned and made his way over to his podium. Slowly, I paced over to mine, and it wasn't long before everyone quietly arrived at theirs.

     "Now," Sam leaped off her throne and paced near us, "don't move." She grinned.

     "What do you mean 'don't move'? You act like we trust you at all." Rayne hissed at the Braixen. 

     Quietly, Sam paced around the entire trial room in circles. Since this trial room is quite different than others—noticing how our podiums were set in a circle—it was easy for her to keep her distance and circle around us.

     "Just checking something..." Sam snickered and stopped, pacing back over to her throne and sitting down. "You may begin."

     "We don't have to even think about it anymore, it's obviously Loki," Kanom crossed his arms and glared at me from halfway across the room.

     "What's your proof?" I scoffed at him.

     "It's obvious. You were the only one with Leon that night!" Kanom unfolded his arms to point at me.

     "Actually, she was with Sammy." Rayne hissed to the Toxicroak, frowning at the sight of the Toxicroak's words. "Why do you constantly insist that she's the murderer?"

     "Because I'm not!" Kanom smirked.

     "You're so lucky you only have one claw..." Rayne cleared her throat and shifted back to gazing around the room. "Let's just summarize the event then. Sammy, what were you doing back there?"

     I gazed at a nervous Braixen. Sammy gulped once and began. "W-Well...I was trying to show the exit to Leon, and when I got there, Loki was all battered and bruised."

     "What happened to her?" Galant inquired.

     "I...don't want to talk about it..." I muttered softly, gazing at the bandages on my arms.

     "Ah, so it isn't Loki." Rayne shifted her attention to Kanom. "If you truly thought Loki fought Leon, then that's false. Sammy was with Leon before that happened."

     "Deadass?" Kanom tilted his head.

     "Deadass." Rayne scoffed. "I don't think a brain like yours can comprehend common sense."

     "Funny," Kanom smirked widely at the Manectric.

     "I don't know if you keep talking just to tease me or try and prove me wrong." Rayne rolled her eyes to the Toxicroak.

     "Whatever pisses you off more." Kanom shook his head.

     "For Arceus' sake!" Grace hissed out. "We're trying to solve something here, not argue."

     Everyone seemed to quiet down upon hearing the Eevee's voice raise in power.

     "Now, the murder weapon seemed to be someone's claws. The move used was Shadow Claw, and the victim bled to death." Grace began, taking a deep breath. "The killer seems to know Shadow Claw and have rather large claws—at least being large enough to pierce through a Lucario's chest."

     "Well, there are many people here with large claws." Alice placed a paw against her chin. "For example, Laker."

     "I don't know Shadow Claw." Laker bit his claw gently.

     "Really?" Kanom chuckled softly. "That's odd..."

     "Anyways, there's proof that Sam could indeed be the killer, however." Grace shifted her attention to the throne. "You do have Gengar bodyguards, correct? You could have easily told one of them to kill Leon."

     "While that could be true, I would never murder anyone!" Sam grinned. "My thing is more of a...watching it happen. I'd never go hands-on."

     "How can we trust you?" Galant pointed a blade to the Braixen from far away.

     Sam shrugged. "Dunno, I never killed anyone else, did I?" She smirked and shifted her attention to Laker. "How do you know you can trust Laker?"

     "She's saying that for a reason..." Kanom shifted his gaze to the Weavile. "I found it weird he doesn't know Shadow Claw, becau—"

     "Fine! Arceus, I know Shadow Claw! I never murdered Leon, I fell asleep with you all in the living room, there's no way I could have made it there in time!"

     "It was dark out, I'm sure Weavile can camouflage in the night time." Kanom waved his webbed hand around.

     "Wait...something doesn't make sense..." Sammy frowned, placing her paws against the back of her head.

     "What is it?" Kanom tilted his head with a smirk. "I believe we already have the culprit. This could be the fastest trial ever!"

     "No, no." Galant began, his eyes widening. "This is weird, doesn't anyone protest?"

     The entire room was quiet. 

     "Well, I believe it's time!" Sam grinned, rising off her seat.

     "Stop!" Galant called out. "I'm not done. How do you have proof Laker knew about the hidden wall?"

     "Easy, he saw a few of us were missing and went out to explore." Kanom tapped his claw on his podium with impatience. "It was easy to see that big ass indentation in the wall."

     "What the..." Galant shuddered, his gaze shifting to Laker. "I-I'm sorry, Laker."

     "Why are you all believing him?" Laker gripped his podium. Suddenly, he stares at me. "Loki, you have something, right? You always do...please save me..."

     "I...I don't..." I felt my body shiver from his hopeless pupils. "I'm really...really sorry Laker."

     "You're all going to die..." Laker's eyes built up with tears. "And the murderer will leave free..."

      "Oh well, it's voting time!" Sam instantly called. The top of my podium shifted into a device, which seemed to have everyone's profiles on display. Like always, this was the interface that greeted me—one to pick who I believed is the culprit. I had no idea as to who it was, this trial is so rushed...

     Something is wrong...

     My paw pulled away from the interface implanted into the podium. I let the timer on my screen count down to zero without picking anyone. The results flashed on the screen, revealing that Laker had been chosen by one person—it seemed like no one else picked anyone other than...Kanom...

     Now, because of Kanom, Laker will be executed.

     And there's nothing we can do about it.

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

     "Sam..." Sherwood finally spoke up after the silence of selecting the culprit. "Let me talk to him..."

     "Go ahead..." Sam tilted her head in confusion and settled down on her throne.

     "Laker...that memory I recalled..." Sherwood sniffled. "I was so confused. Leon wasn't in it this time...it was you." He angled his head to stare down at the Weavile. "Why were you attacking me?"

     "Do you think I remember?" Laker tilted his head.

     "You look like you do..." Sherwood frowned. "You look like you're hiding something from every single one of us. So before you die, tell me."

     "I...I can't. I'm sorry..." Laker shuddered in fear.

     "Do it or I'll do it for you." Sam groaned in annoyance.

     "Do it after I die..." Laker hissed, stepping back from his podium.

     "In that case..." Sam giggled softly. "It's execution time!"

     THIRD PERSON

     The lights were completely out and after a good few minutes of silence, a large flatscreen television lowered from the sky, held up with machinery in the high ceiling of the trial room. It switched on after displaying static and then displayed...

     Laker was just barely regaining consciousness in a field of snow. How it was snowing indoors was entirely unknown to him. Laker rose to his feet, thoroughly examining the area.

     "Laker the Weavile was found guilty! His punishment, The Blackened's Curse!" The loud voice reverberated around. 

     "I'm in a glass box..." Laker shuddered, gazing around the area. Through the glass box, there was nothing. "I've always wondered what they did to prevent me from seeing outside..." His stare shifted back forward to a row of trees. "Let's just see what Sam has in store for m—"

     Laker's words were cut off by an arrow jabbing onto his left arm. The Weavile let out a loud grunt of pain before falling on his haunches. His stare rose to face ahead. Expecting a Pokemon or machinery, it was a surprising sight to see nothing out of the ordinary.

     "C-Camouflaging machines, I see..." Laker stammered, rising back to his feet. The sound of something being slammed upon reverberated around the area, and a thin, black arrow was once again fired at the Weavile. Laker's eyes widened as he stepped to the side, avoiding the projectile. "The wall...vibrated?"

     The wall vibrated once again after his statement, and it wasn't long before another arrow came flying down to Laker, who avoided it once again. 

     "Something, someone is warning me about the arrows..." Laker shivered and trampled across the field and behind a tree. "Okay..." The vibration struck once again, and the sound of the wood chipping off the stem was heard. "Whatever machine it is...it's shooting at me from only one side of the box."

     However, the sounds of the vibrations scattered into uncontrollable bursts. The vibrations, which more or less now sounded like something was slamming against the plexiglass, seemed to grow louder as time passed.

     "Is someone...trying to break in?" Laker frowned, gazing around until a new sound was heard. A sound he couldn't react to at all. Directly inches beside his head, a large caliber bullet was fired and directly pierced the entire tree. Laker held his head as his body jerked away from the tree in reaction. The Weavile could feel his ears ringing from the pure speed of the bullet, and he stumbled across the snow, barely avoiding the first bullet. "Holy fuck!" He shuddered. "I-I can't react to t-that..."

     The sound grew louder and louder, and from directly behind the Weavile was a noticeable small crack on the glass. Laker dashed directly to it and paused directly in front of the glass. "I-I have an idea..." From where he stood, he could hear the slamming clearly. "If I can just get the bullet to strike on this weakened wall, I-I can leave..." Laker shook his head. "I can't react to it though..."

     Laker's breath grew into a fit of hyperventilation before he spread his body and pressed his back against the glass.  "I have...to rely on it to miss..." Laker gazed at the arrow on his left arm, and the drying blood trickling down his claws. "Please...I'm innocent..."

     Silence. Nothing but the wind blowing and the eager, labored breaths from the Weavile before...

     The sound of ringing startled the Weavile. The once supported lean he had against the glass was now broken and he fell on his back onto multiple shards of glass. Laker hissed in pain, his lungs gasping for air. A small feeling of warmth took over him as he fell on the outside of the glass. A brightened room, surrounded in metal. Glad that he was alive, Laker rose to his feet and turned around to see...

     Galant, fallen on the floor and bleeding through the chest.

     "Galant! Are you alright?" Laker rushed over to the Gallade's aid. The Weavile gasped at the sight of the blood quickly pooling around him. Upon closer look—around a few feet away from the Gallade—was a large bullet, dripping with blood. "N-No..."

     His plan worked...but you can't have everything good without a bad...

     "It's...okay..." Galant breathed, his eyes closing in pain. His lungs attempted to gasp, however to no avail, the Gallade smiled. "I want...you...to do a few things..."

     "No, no! Shit..." Laker tugged against his arm, wincing at the arrow stuck in his own left arm. Ignoring the pain, he pulled harder against Galant's arm. He tried to drag him but was terribly unsuccessful.

     "Don't...s-s-strain yourself..." Galant coughed, the blood splattering across his bleeding chest. "P-Please...I want...my Dad...to know...I died..."

     "He's not going to—you're not going to fucking die!" Laker hissed, his heart shattering from guilt. He caused this all...right?

     "L-Leave...go...Sam will find you..." Galant's voice croaked.

     "W-Wait...I can't let you...stay here..." Laker hyperventilated and clutched the Gallade's arm once again.

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

     A bell rang, and the Pokemon in the trial room anxiously gazed at the television in horror.

     "W-What happened?" Alice's eyes widened. "He went off-screen!"

     "He's smarter than I thought..." Sam giggled and sighed, the lights flickering on. The Braixen leaped off her throne and turned around, gazing at the opened wall behind her chair. "Looks like he found it."

     "You have a secret wall...that's how you—" Loki began but was interrupted by the sights of a Weavile leaping into the room.

     "Everyone!" Laker called and tumbled across the hardwood floor, landing roughly in the middle of the room. Everyone seemed to back away from the injured Weavile in fear, but upon closer look...he was sobbing.

     "Where is Galant?" Rayne gazed around the room in confusion.

     "I'll answer that," Sam smirked and paced closer to the middle of the room. Laker backed away from her until he was gripped by the chin from the Braixen's paw.

     "You can't win 'em all..." Sam grinned. "So you finally lost one."

     𝓔𝓻𝓪 4: 𝓕𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓔𝓶𝓹𝓪𝓽𝓱𝔂