The Mask of Thorrgad by Storm Parakaitz
Chapter 5: Dark Prideful Shadows

This is your author speaking. You are free to move about the flight. Sorry I took so long with getting this up, depression struck like a bolt of lightning and yeahs. I don't write stuff like this well when that happens. Not that I wanted to, I was too busy sulking in my own self hatred! :D Anyway, this chapter is long. But that's because it's important. I like this chapter. :D See? I'm not depressed anymore! :D :D :D

Note: Notes from chapter 1 apply to the entire story.
Disclaimer: I do not own Ace Attorney, Pokémon, or any related characters and likewise used in this piece of writing. Well, obviously. What, you expected a comment here? Bah, go away.
Go go Panther Ecksssssss! Der ner ner ner- OKAY I'LL LET YOU READ THE FIC NOW

"What'cha doin', Diego Armando?" asked a curious-as-ever Pichips.

Diego groaned, shifting position on the couch. "Trying to sleep."

"But why?"

"Because I feel like crap."

"Why is that?"

"Pichips!" Pichie's voice rang, interrupting all conversation, "Leave him alone!"

There was a pause. "Aww, you're-"

"No fun!" Pichie finished.

Diego put his head back down. Time for some well-deserved rest.

...

...

...

"Psst, Diego Armando," Pichips whispered, "can you tell me how to make a coffee?"

"Hm?" he asked groggily, "you want to make coffee?"

"Yeah."

"Got a coffee maker?"

Pichips paused. "Um, no."

"Can't make coffee then, much to my chagrin."

"Wah..." Pichips wept, "...how does coffee makers work? Maybe I can make one!"

Diego laughed. "Ha...! Well, if you wanna give it a shot, I suppose I can tell you."

"Yay!"

"But... you have to let me sleep afterward."

"No problemo!"

The Mask of Thorrgad

Pichie coughed roughly. "Ugh..."

"Maybe you should take a break," Gale suggested to the frustrated Pichu as she wiped her hands with a greasy towel.

"I think I'm done, actually," she said as she pulled her goggles back up over her forehead, exposing the bright colour of her pink eyes.

"Ah."

Pichie jumped up on the orange jeep's hood and sat down. "Gale, can you help me with something?"

Gale scratched his face with a paw. "Depends on what it is. I certainly couldn't help you with taking that jeep apart," he commented snidely.

Pichie ran her fingers through the fur on her head. "I... wanna help Diego see." her hands turned to her red scarf. "But I dunno if I can. Maybe you can help, since you're half blind?"

"Ah. Well. It is nothing, now. Besides, Diego still has eyes, whereas I lost my eye."

Pichie's ears slumped downward. "I didn't know you lost your eye..."

"It is nothing now." Gale closed his remaining green eye as he spoke.

"I can't help but be curious..."

Gale opened his eye, "This is about Diego, is it not?" he reminded her icily.

Pichie sighed. "Yeah, you're right. But... what I know about vision seems impossible to help him see..."

"Hm? Would you mind informing me?"

"Well," Pichie began to swing her feet back and forth, "vision is a perception of light and nothing more. Without light, seeing is not possible. So something's wrong with the part of his brain that sends and receives these signals of light from his eyes. Or something like that. Your eyes are connected to your brain, so to be able to let him see, I'd have to like, rewire his brain or something, and I'm no brain surgeon." she coughed. "Logically speaking, anyway. I can't just slap vision correction on his eyes; he has no light perception, right?"

"Hm. A doctor could do a transplant, I know that much."

"For Diego, you might have to mess with his brain or something too. I'm no expert. I may be a lover of biology, but I don't know how well it would translate to humans. I think their sight works like ours does, though, I mean, why wouldn't it?"

"Might I suggest the obvious solution and ask Diego himself what he knows?"

Pichie shook her head. "No, he's in need of rest. He was real tired, I'll tell you that. It makes sense, he was hurt."

Gale nodded, "Yes, but he didn't act injured to me. He looked and acted like a human with an illness."

Pichie's ears perked. "Huh? Really?"

"Yes, sick humans are pale, sleep often coupled with fatigue, speak unusually, and have high body temperatures. May there be more conditions, I'm unaware of them."

"Diego doesn't speak funny..." Pichie remarked.

"Perhaps, but we don't know if that's his usual manner. I propose we ask him."

"If he's awake," Pichie conceded as she hopped off the jeep and proceeded to the inside of the house.

"Oof!" Pichips cried as he jumped off his chair.

"Pichips!" Pichie addressed as she scurried over to him, "what are you--"

"Doing here?" Pichips finished, "I'm making Diego Armando a coffee maker, so he can have a coffee!"

Pichie paused. "I... see... What's a coffee?"

"Diego Armando told me it's a drink."

"It is," Gale confirmed, walking in slowly. "Humans often drink it to wake up, or look cool. It's a social thing."

"Ah," the twins replied in unison. There was a slight pause.

"I don't get it," Pichips remarked. "I'm gonna get back to work!"

Pichie sighed.

"Don't sigh at me!" Pichips shouted as he jumped back onto his chair, which was much too big for him.

"By the way-" Pichie started--

"-your face is black." Pichips finished, wiping some of the dust off of his face with a paw.

Gale shook his head. "Is Diego awake, perchance?" Pichips shook his head as his wrench made an odd squeaking sound. Gale and Pichie lowered their heads and went back into the garage.

The Mask of Thorrgad

Pichips had been working on the coffee maker the entire time Diego was asleep – when he woke up, he didn't open his eyes, just sat and listened to the sounds of Pichips getting frustrated at whatever machine he was messing with. He mentally shook his head at the ridiculousness, as he thought of that silly twerp actually making a coffee machine; if he managed to get it finished, would he even have a mug to drink out of?

"You're awake," came Gale's sage-like voice.

"How...?"

"Your breathing sped up. Humans and Pokémon alike breathe deeper when asleep."

"Do I snore?"

Gale chuckled. "I don't know. However, you don't appear to have moved a muscle since I last saw you." He cleared his throat. "Diego, do you know if you are ill, by any chance?"

"Hmm?"

"How I wish I knew what happened to you," Gale muttered under his breath. Diego was surprised he could hear it, but didn't say anything.

It was at this moment he remembered the thing he found in his vest pocket. He gasped and went to grab it. He asked Gale if he knew what it was. Of course he knew. Diego could practically feel the hairs on the half-blind Pokémon's head stand up as he examined it silently.

"Well?"

Instead of answering his question, Gale asked suspiciously, "Where... did you get this?"

"I found it in my pocket when you woke up."

"Perhaps... this is..."

"Do you know?" he asked, pretending he didn't know anything.

Gale didn't say anything for a minute. "...No."

Diego didn't have to be a psychic to know that one was a lie. He was about to put it back in his pocket, when Gale said something else.

"However, hold on to it."

"What are you hiding from me, Gale?" Diego asked, beginning to feel frustrated.

Gale let out a chuckle. "It is just a theory. Don't attorneys dislike conjecture? They like facts. This is not a fact. All the attorneys I know of are like this, anyway."

"Wait, you knew an attorney?"

"When I was in LA, I did."

Diego nodded and decided not to press further on the matter. At least for now anyway. Gale was not suspicious and if he hid something it was probably for a good reason. However, that theory of his made him curious. He made a mental note to look into it if possible.

"Hi Diego!" Pichie's voice chimed, breaking all his thoughts into little pieces.

"Ah, Pichie," Gale greeted.

"Hey there, Princess."

Pichie and Gale made small talk with one another about some machine Pichie was working on, and Diego tried to listen around and make sure of his surroundings. As usual, the music was still booming throughout the place, making it hard to hear anything that wasn't directly in front of him. He wondered if the stereo was ever turned off. He couldn't tell where Pichips was, so he was probably in another room. Suddenly, he heard a sound of crashing metal.

"Yeah, that kid's in another room."

Then he remembered something else.

"Gale," Diego interrupted, "where did Savage go?"

Gale paused a few moments before speaking. "I do not know."

"Any reason why he left?"

"Stress. He has learned little from the past and instead, allows it to obscure his vision."

Diego heard Pichie jump onto the back of the couch, mentally taking note of this one's sense of balance.

"What happened to him anyway, if you don't mind me asking?" Pichie wondered.

A flicking sound, most likely Gale scratching an itch, was heard before he spoke. "All I will say is that he was kidnapped when he was at a tender age. They held him for what seemed like years, only to use him as a test subject in experiments that would most likely kill him."

"Was he kidnapped by humans?" Pichie asked.

"In a manner of speaking," came the reply. "They would not be reasoned with; repeatedly, were they warned of the dangers involved with their ideas... and they showed no remorse for their prisoners."

"That's... terrible..." Pichie wept.

"Where were you at the time?" asked Diego.

"I escaped capture. He is much younger than I, and our parents were not in the best of shape. Savage and I are the only survivors of our clan. I believe..." he swallowed, "I believe Savage watched our parents die."

Pichie gasped, mortified.

"But you don't know?" Diego asked cautiously.

"I do not. Savage refuses to tell me anything. Further evidence to my assumption..."

"I see why he has a thing with humans, then."

"Do not tell him you heard about this. Pretend you never heard it at all," Gale commanded, his voice full of superiority. "He must learn to tell these things on his own. Do not act pitifully toward him, either; he will know. Savage adores his pride, and I have to respect that."

Diego closed his eyes. "How pride tempts..."

"I fear for him. I feel as if I'm still taking the role of the parent towards him, even though he is old enough... I do not think he is mature enough. He is too dependent on me for that."

"He is?" Pichie asked, "He seems so in control of himself, except his anger."

Gale sighed, "he is but a pup, still."

"I wonder how you got so smart, Gale."

"Ha ha, you will learn in time, Pichie."

Diego shrugged. "Not even I know, so she will be waiting a long time."

Gale's footsteps wandered away, "The tortoise defeated the hare because he knew better than to judge," was all he said as he left.

"...Wait what?" Diego asked, a little outraged at what that implied.

He heard Pichie fall onto the cushion underneath. He could almost feel her foot touch his knee. There, the two of them stayed without uttering a word... just the music hammering in the backing. Soon, Diego tilted his head back and closed his eyes. He tried to go over what he'd just learned; Gale, a mysterious but wise Manectric, Savage, his traumatized young Jolteon brother, and those twins. They were the one's who found him, yet he knew the least about them.

But the biggest mystery of all was how everything was supposed to be connected. Did it have to be? No, but the senior attorney had a feeling all these individuals were connected to the reason for his journey to the island in the first place. The fact he couldn't remember frustrated him. Why such a cliché predicament? It could have been anything else but memory loss. Some part of that made him feel weak, much more so than his blindness, which he seemed to be conquering quite well.

And then he fell asleep.