Ace Attorney Case Files: Turnabout Time Traveler(Part 2/2)

 Now for the second half of the case- the second investigation and trial days.

Previously On...

Phoenix takes the case of Ellen Wyatt, who is set to marry Sorin Sprocket, heir to Sprocket Aviation. Ellen is accused of killing Dumas Gloomsbury, the family's head servant, on their wedding day.

Ellen claims that when Gloomsbury was about to kill her, she traveled back in time to just before the wedding reception, then discovered his dead body after the wedding reception ended. This "time travel" turns out to be an elaborate ruse on the part of the Sprockets to cover up the murder by staging two receptions.

Investigation Day 2

Phoenix and Maya meet with Larry in the Wright Anything Agency, and they recap what they know so far. Trucy then forces Athena into another practice session.

Phoenix visits Ellen at the Detention Center, and Ellen asks him about what's going on. Phoenix says they'll need to find the mystery person who attacked Gloomsbury, especially since Ellen will be cleared if this person turns out to be the real killer. Phoenix asks where Sorin is, and Ellen says he should be home by the evening. Ellen becomes hysterical upon hearing that Phoenix suspects Sorin, but Phoenix points out that he's behind the second reception. Ellen then composes herself before Phoenix asks her some questions, but insists that Sorin's "squeaky clean."

Ellen mentions that Pierce came to Sprocket Manor a year ago, and is now in charge of everything in the house. Phoenix asks if Pierce had any connections to the family (which might explain how Pierce suddenly was placed in charge of all servants), but Ellen doesn't know. Phoenix realizes that Pierce probably coordinated the reception, and is still confused as to how Pierce gained that much influence in one year, and doesn't buy Ellen's explanation that he's just that good at his job.

Phoenix points out that the second reception was just a cover-up, but Ellen refuses to believe Sorin is guilty of murder. Phoenix asks about why Sorin is so interested in time travel, and Ellen insists that real time travelers exist, and Sorin knows one such person.

Phoenix then says goodbye to Ellen, who insists that he not cause Sorin any more pain, and becomes hysterical again once she doubts him, forcing Phoenix to placate her. Knowing Sorin won't be available until evening, Phoenix decides to go to the mooring dock again.

Once at the dock, Maya asks if there are any places they haven't investigated, and Phoenix names two- the vista deck and hold. I personally thought you'd have to go to the former during the first investigation period. The hold is located below the vista deck, and Phoenix and Maya head there first.

They reach the hold, and Phoenix is surprised that he didn't need a key card to get in. It turns out that Ema opened the door to do her investigation. Ema agrees to let them investigate, and notes that the entire floor is a lift to the vista deck, warning Phoenix and especially Maya not to fall off if they do take the lift.

Phoenix and Maya investigate the hold and see wedding flowers and dishes. Maya activates the lift before Phoenix can get on, revealing a bloodstain on the side and shocking Ema. Phoenix takes a photo of the bloodstain before deciding to head to the vista deck and leaving the investigation of the bloodstain for later. Maya tells Phoenix to make sure he gets on the lift, even though it should be her responsibility as lift operator to make sure everyone's safely on.

Phoenix and Maya ride up to the vista deck and find a spectacular view but little in the way of evidence. Apparently, the police were no more fortunate. Phoenix, who's secretly scared of heights, is all too glad to return to the hold.

Phoenix and Maya see a pair of female Pegacow lanterns. The difference between the sexes is obvious to Phoenix and even Maya, but not to Larry. Speaking of lanterns, Ema tells Phoenix and Maya that she will repair the broken Pegabull lantern that contained the victim's body.

Phoenix and Maya investigate more wedding decorations, from an airplane to a styrofoam cake to a wedding bell, until they find a candelabra with left hand fingerprints on it belonging to the victim. Maya makes the painfully obvious observation that this means Gloomsbury was left-handed. Amazingly enough, Maya's right, although Phoenix is less than impressed. Phoenix notices that it wasn't in the photo of the first reception preparations, and decides to file it into evidence. Ema then gives Phoenix one of her fingerprinting kits, casually noting she has ive on hand.

Phoenix talks to Ema, who's having trouble with her investigation because of how everyone in the Sprocket family tried to cover up the crime, but Phoenix nevertheless persists. The subject shifts to the candelabra, which lost its candles when Ema nearly dropped it, and they notice that one of the pins is broken. Ema then puts her forensic investigation skills to good work, and finds traces of blood on it. Phoenix and Ema wonder if there was an accident or someone got stabbed, although it seems more likely that the candelabra was used as a bludgeoning weapon.

Phoenix brings up the bloodstain he found on the side of the lift and concludes that it's from the same source as the one on the candelabra. Ema runs some tests and confirms that they're from the same person, but Ema doesn't know who. There wasn't that much blood from Gloomsbury's bludgeoning wounds, so Phoenix asks if Gloomsbury stabbed someone. If true, that "someone" was also present at the scene of the murder, lending credence to Ellen's report of a third party. Phoenix wants to take another look at the reception hall, but the forensics team is busy investigating the room, so he goes to Sprocket Manor.

Phoenix and Maya return to Sprocket Manor and see Sorin there. Sorin doesn't remember whether Phoenix is Ellen's lawyer, nor does he remember the cover-up. Phoenix asks if this means that Pierce lied about Sorin being behind that, and Sorin is confused, but says Pierce handles most things for him. Pierce then turns uncooperative and refuses to answer Phoenix's questions, ultimately throwing another "Go away" paper airplane at Phoenix.

Phoenix then moves on to presenting evidence, and while Sorin remains stoic upon seeing the pendant, he's shocked to see the candelabra and collapses. Maya points out that he has a stomach wound, and calls for help. Sorin is rushed to the hospital and ends up dropping his notebook. Phoenix notes that after March 8 of last year, Sorin writes everything down, and Maya wonders if he's obsessive or forgetful

Maya insists on having a look, and causes Phoenix to drop the diary into a pool of blood. Phoenix finds a newspaper article about the heir to RAL dying in a car crash. The accident took place on March 8, and the driver at the time was Dumas Gloomsbury. Sorin, who was in the car, was severely injured and changed after the  accident. Phoenix suspects that Sorin held a grudge against Gloomsbury for causing Selena's death, which seems like a reasonable guess given the circumstances.

Phoenix heads to Sprocket Park in search of Pierce, who's leaving Sorin's treatment to the other servants while keeping in touch via FXR-UPR's phone. Phoenix returns Sorin's notebook, hoping Pierce doesn't notice the bloodstain (but if he did, Phoenix could make up a plausible excuse). Pierce hopes Phoenix didn't look inside, and seems to believe his lie about not looking. Pierce agrees to answer Phoenix's questions as long as he keeps them brief.

When asked about the cover-up, Pierce says disposing of possible threats to the Sprocket family is part of his job, and refuses to say any more than what he already said. Phoenix brings up the accident and points out that Pierce never mentioned Gloomsbury's role in it. Phoenix asks why Gloomsbury was not fired over such a mistake, but Pierce claims that Sorin arranged for Gloomsbury to stay. Pierce says that was likely because Selena was so kind that she thought of her brother in her final moments.

Pierce says he was present for Selena's last moments, in his professional capacity. He said that the accident, which was on the way to Selena's engagement party, gave Gloomsbury minor wounds, but Sorin and Selena were critically injured, and Selena died of her injuries. Gloomsbury said Selena asked him to help Sorin, a request Pierce fulfills as Sorin's butler. Phoenix suspects that Selena's death was hard on her fiancé, and Pierce agrees, noting that the fiancé quit being a surgeon. Phoenix puts two and two together and notes that the fiancé was the one who tried to save the siblings. Phoenix asks where the person is now, and Pierce cryptically says he'd like to know.

Pierce gets ready to leave, but Phoenix asks him about Sorin. Pierce refuses to talk, so Phoenix shows him the candelabra and gets three Psyche-locks. Phoenix points out the blood on the candelabra, and proposes that it belongs to Sorin. Phoenix suspects that Gloomsbury stabbed Sorin with the candelabra, and thus that Sorin is more involved with the case than Pierce is willing to admit. Pierce asks if Phoenix thinks Sorin is the killer, but while Phoenix has no evidence of Sorin's guilt, he knows that Gloomsbury is responsible for Selena's death. Phoenix proves that Sorin's stabbing is connected to Gloomsbury's murder by pointing out the bloodstain on the lift. After Phoenix asserts that Sorin was present for the murder, Pierce praises Phoenix, and the last Psyche-lock breaks.

Pierce confirms that Gloomsbury stabbed Sorin. Gloomsbury had attacked the couple in the wedding hall, and stabbed Sorin when he tried to protect Ellen. Sorin chased after Gloomsbury, but Gloomsbury was killed by the time Sorin arrived. Phoenix demands to know why Pierce kept something from him, but Pierce claims they weren't correlated. He then excuses himself, leaving Phoenix and Maya bitter about his refusal to cooperate, before they return to the reception area.

Inside the reception area, Phoenix and Maya see Ema again, who confirms that the police are finished investigating the area and informs them that she restored the lantern. Ema then leaves, allowing Phoenix and Maya to start investigating.

Maya almost opens a door, but a maid(who's present for some reason) warns her that it's the emergency escape hatch, and going through it will result in Maya falling to her death. Phoenix finds the broken lantern, patched together with duct tape, and notices that the blood on the wheel means someone gripped it with a bloody hand. Phoenix notices something seems off, so he decides to compare it with the intact lantern later.

On the Time Keeper's display stand, Phoenix finds a key- the Key of Love. A maid says that at the First Startup Of Love ceremony, a ceremony that's a bit like a cake-cutting ceremony, the bride and groom each had a symbol of their love and started up the Time Keeper together. The maid says the symbols are "an industry secret," but it's easy to guess that the pendant is Ellen's symbol, while the key is Sorin's.

Phoenix and Maya investigate the intact Pegabull, and notice that the restored one's wheel handle is a different color. As such, it turns out that the bloody wheel handle was supposed to be on the inside of the lantern.

Phoenix and Maya finish their investigation, whereupon Sorin enters the room, frantically searching for his notebook. Pierce catches up to him, and returns the notebook. Sorin calms down, but Pierce refuses Phoenix's request to talk to Sorin, lest the latter's wound open up. Phoenix decides that Pierce has a point and lets them go, heading back to the agency with Maya.

Phoenix finds Athena, who's escaped from Trucy again, and recaps how the third person turned out to be Sorin. Athena was always suspicious of Sorin, and suspects him so much that she refuses to believe that the murder had occurred by the time he got to the vista deck. Athena urges Phoenix to pursue the lead, but Maya and Phoenix are reluctant, knowing that if Sorin and Ellen are the primary suspects, either one being convicted would mean they could never be together. Phoenix decides to pursue the truth, no matter the cost. Phoenix goes to break the news to Ellen, and while Athena offers to come along, Trucy drags her off to practice.

Phoenix visits Ellen in the Detention Center. Phoenix asks Ellen if Sorin was with Ellen when Gloomsbury attacked, and Ellen says yes. She apologizes to Phoenix, but he's unsurprised, then tells Ellen that Sorin was most likely the third party at the crime scene. Ellen becomes so hysterical that she wants to be found guilty instead, and won't listen to Maya's protest that a successful marriage can't be built on running from the truth. Phoenix then promises to do everything he can to prove Ellen and Sorin's innocence.

Trial Day 2, Part 1

At the start of the trial, Phoenix and Ellen are back to where they were at the end of the previous day; they know Sorin is the third party and that Ellen will be heartbroken no matter which one of them is convicted.

Court resumes, and Edgeworth condescendingly mentions Phoenix's theory of a third person, which Phoenix indignantly insists is true. That said, Edgeworth is two steps ahead of Phoenix, and predicts that Phoenix will try to name Sorin as the culprit, down to the accident being the motive. Ellen pipes up to assert Sorin's innocence, and Phoenix asks her to be quiet. Edgeworth mocks Phoenix for not strategizing with his client, and the judge agrees. Edgeworth then calls Sorin to the stand.

Sorin takes the stand, and throws a paper airplane with his name and occupation to the judge, then proves no less uncooperative when Edgeworth asks for his testimony.  He then accuses Ellen of the murder, sending the normally emotionless Ellen into despair. Edgeworth then tries to browbeat Ellen into proving her love for Sorin by confessing and atoning, only for Phoenix to point out that he hasn't cross-examined Ellen, and call Edgeworth out on behavior that's more characteristic of him in his "Demon Prosecutor" days. Maya and even the judge join in, silencing Edgeworth. Phoenix then only sees one way forward- to prove Sorin was on the deck.

Phoenix questions Sorin about the incident, with Edgeworth keen on making Ellen look as bad as possible. He tries to prove that one could go through the door to the vista deck, but Edgeworth points out that Sorin would have to go through the hold, which would take ten minutes. Maya notes that there's something Sorin should have left if he'd gone through the hold, and Phoenix shares the card key record to prove that if the last person was Ellen, Sorin couldn't have gone after her that way. Instead, Sorin went out the emergency exit. Edgeworth, as smug as always, is unconvinced, saying that the route would be too dangerous to be feasible. Phoenix, who's still bluffing, has to base his claim on a certain power- love, authority or money- and it's the former. The judge actually takes Edgeworth's side, saying he'll understand the power of love when he gets married, only for Edgeworth to protest that he never will.

Edgeworth then points out the propellers would have blown Sorin away if he'd tried to take that route, leaving Phoenix at a loss. Maya then says that lawyers have to force their biggest smiles in the worst of times, essentially channeling her sister. As Edgeworth demands the verdict, Phoenix cuts him off and proposes thinking outside the box to find a way Sorin could have made it. Phoenix then says that the airship wasn't flying. Edgeworth insists that the route would have been too risky- and for good reason, given what the maids said- but Phoenix counters with the power of love. Unfortunately, Phoenix can't prove that the airship was moored at the time.

Phoenix presents Larry's drawing, but not to rehash the time travel argument. Phoenix insists that Larry saw something else and mistook it for a pterodactyl. Larry insists that he has the sharp eyes of an artist, but his friends don't believe him and the judge has him dragged out for contempt of court. Phoenix then points out that Larry saw a sign fragment through his window.

Edgeworth continues to insist that Phoenix is relying on conjecture, so Phoenix challenges him to prove how Sorin got to the vista deck. Edgeworth reminds Phoenix that Sorin could have used Ellen's keycard to enter the hold with Pierce. Sorin confirms this, much to Phoenix's shock. Sorin refused to testify since Pierce is "indispensable" and he didn't want Pierce to be wrongfully accused.

Sorin gives his testimony about how he went to the vista deck with Pierce. Neither Phoenix nor Edgeworth are happy- the former because it hurts his case and the latter because Sorin has been concealing information. After pressing Pierce about his injury, Phoenix adds new information about the "knife wound" to his testimony despite the judge claiming it doesn't matter(which often is indication that it does matter)... then proves that a knife wasn't what caused the wound. Edgeworth claims Phoenix is desperate if he's pointing out minute problems with Sorin's testimony and the judge agrees, but Phoenix mentally admits that it's the only evidence he has. Despite that, he insists it's important, especially since Sorin told Pierce the weapon was the candelabra. His point is that Sorin isn't just misremembering things, but has no memory of the attack, because he has a memory disorder.

Edgeworth accuses Phoenix of slandering Sorin's character due to not finding flaws in his testimony, and the judge challenges him to give proof. That proof is Sorin's notebook, which has notes about daily events in it, far too detailed to be an ordinary diary. Phoenix proposes that the page with the bloodstain on it is the one about the stabbing, which is why Sorin can't remember. Sorin tries to lie his way out of this one, but Phoenix points out that until March, the notebook just contains invention ideas, then concludes that something happened to cause his memory disorder- that "something" being the car accident that killed Selena.

Sorin, facing pressure from all fronts, concedes that what Phoenix is saying is true. Every time he goes to sleep, he loses his memories and every time he wakes up, his sister's death is his most recent memory. The judge and even Edgeworth acknowledge his condition is tragic, and Phoenix realizes that this is why Sorin believes time travelers exist. Sorin writes in the notebook in order to store his memories and move forward.

Phoenix asks Sorin about his feelings regarding Gloomsbury, then concludes that his bitterness and resentment drove him to murder. This causes Ellen to try to confess in Sorin's stead, wanting nothing more than his happiness. Sorin asks if he'd feel this way if he were to forget her without his notebook, but Ellen says that he loves her as he has before the accident. It's a touching display, but it falls flat considering that the player doesn't know much about their relationship (which, as they say, predated the accident).

Sorin addresses the judge with two corrections. The first is to withdraw his statement accusing Ellen of Gloomsbury's murder, since he believed what the police had said. Then again, even if his memory is impaired, he should still have enough critical thinking skills and faith in Ellen to consider the possibility that Ellen is innocent.. Maya's touched that Sorin never doubted Ellen, but Phoenix, despite knowing of Ellen's love for Sorin, still believes he has to go after Sorin to ensure her acquittal. Sorin then says he didn't hate Gloomsbury. Sorin says Gloomsbury had to take the blame in exchange for money and a promotion. The notebook, which contains these details, is submitted as evidence, and the newspaper clipping is updated. Sorin denies committing murder but says his negligence is responsible for Selena and Gloomsbury's deaths. 

The judge examines the victim's notebook and finds that while the part about the stabbing is covered in blood, everything else matches what he's saying, and Edgeworth claims this validates his testimony. Phoenix realizes that nothing has changed for him, but asks for a chance to examine the notebook.  Phoenix finds a torn out page, and Sorin says he probably gave it as a note to someone. Edgeworth accepts the explanation, but Phoenix insists on examining the page using fingerprinting powder. Phoenix finds a message- "I struck and killed Dumas."

Naturally, Ellen is horrified and faints, resulting in her being taken to the infirmary. Phoenix concludes that not even Sorin remembers what he's done. Sorin is both shocked at the realization that he's guilty and relieved that it wasn't Ellen. Phoenix asks if the notebook can be trusted, and Sorin confirms that no one except him touches it, and it's under lock and key when he sleeps.

The judge prepares to give his verdict, and Sorin asks him to do so while Ellen is asleep. Edgeworth is rather upset, while Phoenix knows that Ellen will be acquitted, but isn't sure whether this is the truth. Just as the judge is about to hand down the verdict, Phoenix raises an objection and says that there's something about the notebook that warrants investigation. Phoenix asks why the page was removed, since if Sorin didn't remember the crime, he couldn't trick the police. The most likely explanation is someone else tore it out. The fact that the Sprocket family tried to cover up anything that might hurt their reputation only further lends credence to Phoenix's theory, as does Sorin's panic over losing his notebook. The most likely culprit behind the coverup is none other than Pierce.

Sorin, realizing that Pierce could have altered any number of his memories in order to manipulate him, has a breakdown and flies away on his jetpack. He then passes out and is taken to the infirmary.

Phoenix calls Pierce to the stand, and Edgeworth, unusually cynical, accuses him of doing anything to exonerate his client and her groom. Phoenix, however, counters that only Pierce knows the truth. The judge grants his request and Edgeworth reluctantly goes along with it, leading to a recess and a save point.

Trial Day 2, Part 2

Phoenix realizes that Pierce won't be easy to handle, but doesn't know if he's guilty yet. Larry, however, is annoyed that Phoenix didn't get Sorin convicted, being perfectly willing to break up a happy couple in the vain hope of him getting together with Ellen. Nevertheless, he shows some modicum of decency by wanting Phoenix to ensure Ellen's happiness.

Court resumes and Pierce takes the stand. Phoenix gets straight to the point and accuses Pierce of pulling out a notebook page to manipulate Sorin's memory, and surprisingly, Pierce admits to doing so. Pierce then elaborates that he knew he went against Sorin's wishes by refusing to let Sorin take the blame for the murder, and by hiding Gloomsbury's body.

Phoenix is shocked that Pierce's testimony implicates Sorin, and is surprisingly credulous despite the fact that Pierce has lied before. Pierce says the blow didn't kill Gloomsbury, who tried to kill Sorin, only for Ellen to kill him. Phoenix realizes that the situation is bad, but concludes Pierce has something to hide.

When pressed, Pierce confirms that Sorin did indeed use the emergency escape hatch route. He also suspects that Sorin altered his own memories to convince himself that he'd killed Gloomsbury in order to ensure Ellen's acquittal. Pierce notes that Gloomsbury's body was still warm, and Phoenix realizes that this might mean Gloomsbury was still alive, proving this with the bloodied inside door wheel. Edgeworth is skeptical, but Phoenix proves it with the intact Pegabull, prompting Edgeworth to decide to have a talk with Ema.

Pierce notes that he hadn't realized Gloomsbury was still alive, and while Edgeworth isn't convinced this changes anything, Phoenix brings up the two blows mentioned in the autopsy report, then theorizes that the first knocked Gloomsbury was unconscious, and the second was delivered after Gloomsbury came to. Edgeworth still insists that Ellen was the second person, as he'd said from the start.

With Maya's help, Phoenix focuses enough to realize that he still doesn't know why Gloomsbury would attack Ellen. When Edgeworth demands an answer, Phoenix replies with the note to Gloomsbury. He proves that Gloomsbury didn't write the note by showing the candelabra, which has Gloomsbury's left hand fingerprints on it, then noting that the note was written by a right-handed person. Edgeworth notes that this doesn't narrow it down much, since most people are right-handed, and Pierce agrees, stating that the same is true of the family and their staff.

Phoenix is rather stumped as to the culprit's identity, and tries to figure out what their motive was. Since the culprit was unlikely to target Ellen, Sorin is the more likely target, and the accident is the most likely cause for the motive. Maya notes that Sorin suffered, too, losing his sister and being traumatized as a result, but Phoenix realizes that there is one person with a motive- Selena's fiancé. Phoenix suspects that this person tried to kill Ellen to make Sorin feel his pain. Edgeworth reminds Phoenix that only the Sprocket family and relatives attended the wedding, but Phoenix insists the surgeon attended, too. While Maya points out that Phoenix is probably bluffing, Phoenix knows who the surgeon is- Pierce Nichody- and proves it with the photo of Selena, which contains her pocket watch. Everyone realizes that Pierce is the current owner of the watch.

Phoenix and the judge demand the truth from Pierce. Phoenix says that Pierce had Gloomsbury attack Sorin, then killed him to prevent his plan from being exposed, before officially accusing Pierce of Gloomsbury's murder. When asked for a response, Pierce replies with, "Man, this lawyer just yaps on and on and on..." a remark that is decidedly less formal and more flippant than the polite speech he uses as a butler. He then confirms that the watch is a gift from Selena, one that stopped working around the time of the accident, as well as that he was Selena's fiance and the surgeon present for her final moments.

Edgeworth asks why Pierce didn't tell him, but Pierce rudely tells him to shut up  and calls him useless, complaining that Edgeworth is why the case went to trial in the first place. Edgeworth says Pierce came under suspicion because he tried to cover up the murder, and Phoenix notes that only Pierce has a motive.

The FXR-UPR then explodes, and Pierce wears his pocket handkerchief as a surgical mask while removing his cuffs to reveal that his gloves are surgical gloves. This feature, more commonly featured in the 3D games(although some witnesses, like Frank Sahwit, did it in the past), shows the true culprits taking on a more threatening appearance during the final showdown.

Pierce then calls Phoenix and Edgeworth "malignant tumors," and threatens to have them "excised" from the legal world(or fired, in layman's terms). Edgeworth isn't scared, but Pierce says that the power of the Sprockets will make that easy (although it's more likely that he, a mere servant, would be thrown under the bus instead). All this time, Pierce is operating on the FXR-UPR. Phoenix notes that Pierce has finally shown his true colors. The judge realizes that the trial is nearing its end, and asks Pierce for testimony. The next cross-examination begins with the Allegro version of the theme...

...and Pierce says absolutely nothing. After taking an X-Ray of Phoenix, spiky hair and all (which would likely prove hazardous to Phoenix's health considering he doesn't have any lead shielding), Pierce states that Phoenix is hoping to get him to talk so that he'll slip up, then insists that Phoenix ask the questions. Edgeworth demands the truth from Pierce, who responds by taking his X-Ray, cravat and all.

Naturally, Phoenix's only option in the cross-examination is to press and ask the right questions. He asks Pierce about his grudge, and Pierce admits to resenting Sorin, but acknowledges that Sorin has suffered, too. He claims that his work as a servant wasn't a way to get closer to Sorin, but to atone for failing to save Selena.

Phoenix asks Pierce about his actions, and Sorin notes that he was with at least one of his subordinates at all times. Edgeworth confirms this and Pierce adds that he couldn't have gotten close to the lantern by himself. Phoenix is skeptical, and is convinced that there was a chance for Pierce to commit murder.

Phoenix asks about why Pierce killed Gloomsbury, and Pierce said he had no reason to kill a talented and loyal employee, and continues to protest his innocence. As for Gloomsbury, Pierce claims that taking the blame in exchange for a raise and promotion "wasn't exactly a bad deal for him."

Phoenix finds his chance for a contradiction by pointing out that Pierce had his chance during the reception, with the fog machine on, since he was standing by the lantern with Gloomsbury inside. It seems plausible, but the fog doesn't' seem thick enough to obscure Pierce completely. Edgeworth is less than convinced and demands that Phoenix prove the murder happened at that moment. Despite that, Edgeworth and the judge refuse Pierce's demands to bring the case to an end, and instead ask Phoenix for evidence.

Phoenix then goes into a Revisualization- a series of multiple-choice questions intended to uncover a secret behind the murder. He realizes that if Pierce used the murder weapon(hilariously obvious out of context), that the Time Keeper was the murder weapon, and the murder  weapon was after the First Startup of Love, the Time Keeper had been activated at the time. Phoenix proposes activating the Time Keeper now to find evidence of the murder inside. Pierce panics, but the judge tells him to be quiet or be thrown out of the courtroom.

Phoenix uses Ellen's pendant to start up the Time Keeper, as a gear that connects with the other one on the side. He then inserts the key near the gear, turns it and reveals dolls of the couple, as well as a crack in the glass, proving the murder took place during the reception. Pierce claims Ellen is the killer, but Edgeworth says she couldn't have done so during the reception. Phoenix then declares Pierce is the only possible culprit.

Defeated, Pierce goes into his breakdown, frantically operating on FXR-UPR and making excuses until the robot flatlines.

Pierce admits that everything Phoenix said is true, and recalls how he knew Selena's condition was worse, but she asked him to help Sorin. He then confirms that he got a job with Sprocket Aviation and convinced Gloomsbury to join him. Unexpected factors resulted in Pierce's plan being compromised, so he hid Gloomsbury's body. He then thought of a Plan B- to kill Gloomsbury and make Ellen out to be the murderer. Edgeworth calls Pierce "despicable," but Pierce points out that Sorin got everything that should have been Selena's- a wedding and the company- and that he's the despicable one. Edgeworth counters that Selena would never have approved, and Pierce knew that, too, but he couldn't allow this to happen, and wanted to take back everything that had belonged to Selena. He observes that metaphorically, time stopped for him since the loss of Selena.

Ellen speaks up, and says her sister-in-law would probably have wanted Pierce to move on and leave his bitterness behind. As Pierce claims it's too late for him, Selena's pocket watch suddenly starts up again, and Pierce realizes he was wrong. As the bailiff takes Pierce into custody, Phoenix concludes that Pierce was another "time traveler."

The judge is about to give his verdict when Sorin speaks up, apologizing to Ellen for everything she's been through and saying it's fine if she wants to call off the marriage, but Ellen forgives him. Sorin says that he'll tell the truth about the incident and the accident, which will likely damage his reputation, but is necessary for him to start over. He says that life with him won't be easy, but asks if she'll marry him, and she says yes. The Judge then finds Ellen not guilty.

Ellen tearfully thanks Phoenix, while Sorin invites Phoenix to the wedding. An optional evidence presentation has Phoenix propose that Selena will watch over them, and Ellen agrees. They then leave with Sorin doing a bridal carry for Ellen as he flies off on his jetpack.

The next wedding ceremony includes Phoenix, Ema, Maya and Athena as guests. Edgeworth is invited despite prosecuting Ellen due to sticking up for Ellen, as is Larry. Larry ends up catching the bouquet, much to the ladies' anger.

Conclusion

In the previous half, I touched on one reason why the case is underwhelming- it's intended as a throwback to the original series but fails to do the returning characters justice. But what about the original characters? Are they any better?

Sadly, the answer is no. Ellen is almost purely defined by her relationship with Sorin, to the point of having barely any significant interactions with anyone besides him or Phoenix, not to mention little agency of her own. Sorin is a potentially interesting character, but the player doesn't learn enough about how he and Ellen fell in love- or how they stay in love despite Sorin's memory problems- to truly be invested in their relationship. While Pierce's revenge plot is never said to be justified, he comes off as less sympathetic than the narrative portrays him, especially since he knows that Sorin is suffering from the pain of losing his sister and tries to compound that pain by making him also lose the woman he loves.

It also doesn't help that there's no real reason to focus on the returning characters. The case might have worked just as well with Athena as the defense and Blackquill as the prosecutor. In fact, doing so might have given Athena some much-needed screentime and development, and possibly given more opportunities to develop the new characters without pandering to fans of the original series.

I will concede that the case does have some good parts. While Pierce is, in hindsight, a rather obvious culprit(if he isn't guilty, then one of the newlyweds are, which would prevent a happy ending), the case does a surprisingly good job of making Sorin a red herring. Sorin has a seemingly plausible motive for killing Gloomsbury- revenge for his sister's death(at least before you learn Gloomsbury was scapegoated) and/or protecting Ellen. What's more, he actually attacked Gloomsbury, albeit to save Ellen, and it's plausible that the Sprocket family would pull out all the stops to save him from being convicted of murder.

The setting is also rather interesting, particularly the airship that serves as a wedding venue, and the case makes good use of it in setting up the murder (although it seems rather strange that it isn't possible to just go straight from the reception hall to the vista deck). The new characters also have fairly good designs, particularly how Pierce changes from a butler to a surgeon and Sorin's steam punk attire. The title is rather clever, particularly its allusions to Ellen's miraculous "time travel" after her near murder, Sorin and Pierce being stuck in the past in their own ways, and the case being a throwback to classic Ace Attorney.

In the end, however, Turnabout Time Traveler doesn't stand on its own merits very well, nor does it add much to Spirit of Justice or the Ace Attorney series as a whole. As such, it might have been better if the creators had rethought their approach to this case, or came up with a different case for Spirit of Justice's DLC case, one more worthy of the additional fee for the DLC.