((OOC: Joint Post between myself and Greiger. Wall of text and arguments coming your way!))
"Have you followed up with some of the criminals that your family has protected?" asked Cynthia. "Hold on..." Cynthia dug through her purse.
"Are you showing-?" started Miharu.
"Yup," said Cynthia.
Miharu winced. "This really isn't the best place to show something like that."
Cynthia rolled her eyes. "I'm not sure if we'll be moving anytime soon."
Miharu sighed. "Okay, argument on hold for a second. Lulu-chan, would you mind if we could move to a more...private place? What Cynthia is about to show you is extremely top-secret and really shouldn't be in a public place. We can either walk there or we could teleport, if you like."
Lucia frowned, "I prefer being called the proper name my parents gave me but I would have no qualms with going with you."
Roberto flapped his insect wings as his eyes narrowed, "Sci!"
Lucia rolled her eyes, "Roberto you're coming with us and you can easily take them down. Besides, Cynthia would take the chance of having a mistake come back to haunt her."
Roberto still kept a tight grip on Lucia. Lucia turned to the two, "Sorry about this but unless you can convince Roberto without a doubt that no harm will not come to me he won't let me leave. It would bring dishonor upon the Red Legion if he allowed me to knowingly go into the heart of danger."
Miharu shrugged. "I don't call anyone by their proper names 'cept Cynthia. You'll just have to deal with it, Lulu-chan. And I really don't care about the overprotective pokemon thing; Bishamon is the exact same way. Speaking of Bishamon...Wait, Cynthia, where's a private place that we could go to?"
"My office," said Cynthia.
"Wait, you have an office?" asked Miharu. "Do I have an office?"
Cynthia shrugged. "Did you ask the professor?"
Miharu sighed. "Never mind, let's go. Also, I take offense to the Roro-chan being able to take us down easily. You don't really know my pokemon. Anyways, Bishamon, teleport!"
In a flash of light, the group appeared in Cynthia's quiet office. Immediately, Miharu locked the door.
"Thanks, Bishamon," said Miharu telepathically.
"No problem, master," Bishamon replied. He paused. "I am not overprotective!"
Miharu snorted. "Bishamon, stop with the lying. When this drama is over..."
"I'm ever so scared."
Miharu rolled her eyes. "This isn't over!"
"Think I should put a sock on the door instead?" Miharu said, grinning.
Cynthia rolled her eyes as she dug through her purse again. "Miharu, there is a time and a place. This is not it."
"Miharu Mizushima, certified mood killer," Miharu retorted.
"Aha!" Cynthia exclaimed. She took out a letter.
"Do you want to read it or should I?" asked Cynthia to Miharu.
Miharu sighed and leaned against the wall. "You know it makes me sad every time I read it."
"You were the one who worked on this case," said Cynthia.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Miharu said sullenly. She held out a hand and Cynthia handed her the letter. Miharu cleared her throat and began reading.
"Dear Ms. Miharu,
Daddy has been doing bad things to Pokemon again. I've been trying to stop him, but then daddy just do bad things to me instead. I don't like seeing Daddy this angry all the time. Mummy left but couldn't take me with her, so now I have to live with Daddy. I sent a letter to those people who protected Daddy, but they just sent back saying that he was in...inno...innocent. I didn't want to lose my daddy, but he isn't my daddy! He's a bad man! Why is my daddy doing these things? Those people keep on saying that he's a good man, but if I can't see it, how can they? Please help me, Ms. Miharu! You almost helped before! You need to help!"
Miharu cleared her throat. "I'm going to keep his name secret." Miharu sighed and slid down, sitting down on the floor. She put her head on her knees. "Give me a moment," she said softly.
Cynthia turned towards Lucia. "Despite this letter, there isn't enough evidence to show that he is continuing with his behavior and he's been smarter and cleaning up his tracks. We've investigated, but nothing has come from it. And when we tried to go in person...Well, let's just say that the child who sent that letter isn't saying anything anymore."
Lucia frowned. She was silent for a moment before she spoke, "What else can my parents do? We do the best job we can because we all believe in the good of all mankind. If my parents were to do anything different, then they would be drifting into unknown territory. They would start making mistakes and then the innocent would start to pay the price as well. We receive letters as well. Many are of thanks and gratitude, others are of simple thanks, and yet some are just like the one you read me."
Lucia turned away, "My father and mother believe in the best of humanity. I admit that is a shaky ledge to stand on. Not every single human is good, and yet not every single human is bad. I was taught to believe in my future clients, to trust them. My father once told me a story, one that has been passed down from my family. A long time ago three men were rounded up by the police for a crime. All three had evidence pointing to their involvement. There was only one lawyer in the town who took up their case despite the overwhelming amount of evidence against all three. One claimed that he had just been passing by when the crime had happened, another claimed that he had been out buying groceries at the time the crime had been committed, and the last said he was asleep at that time. The lawyer just looked at the evidence and didn't even try to poke holes in the evidence, because he too saw them as guilty. The three men were executed for their crime. A week later it was discovered another man had purposely set evidence against the three to throw off the investigation."
Lucia turned to the two, "Three men died that day. Three innocent men. My great-great-grandfather decreed on that day he would no longer fail his clients and look upon them as guilty thugs. He set a policy that day that each and every Bernavard stands for, to see each and every client as innocent beings. It is how we operate, how we strive to make the world a better place. The truth is this... everyone lies. Some do it better than others, but how can you tell if one lies? How can you know each and every lie that is told to you? You can't. My family calls it faith. Having faith in our clients is what causes my parents to spend days without sleep, looking over all the evidence to see if yet another innocent man will hang for a crime he didn't commit."
Lucia sighed, "I don't want to believe that my parents ever have knowingly released a criminal because I see what they do. I see the logic in their arguments. I was wrong when I stated that no evil doers have been saved by my parents, but how can you tell a innocent man from a guilty one when the guilty one will lie? I have no desire to ever place an innocent man in jail. If you know how to tell the two apart then tell me! Tell me that there is a way to always know when one is telling the truth and when another makes false claims!"
Roberto simply stood near Lucia, his face not betraying any of his internal emotions as he watched the two sides exchange words.
"Ask," said Miharu softly.
Cynthia turned to Miharu. "They could-"
"It's called having a psychic type pokemon," said Miharu, looking up. "Bishamon is always able to tell me whether or not someone is lying or not. Ask them whether or not they will be okay with a psychic type pokemon to reading their mind for evidence for or against the claim against them and nothing else. I've been trying to get someone to pass a law about that, but everyone keeps on saying that it is a matter of personal freedom. It's not a 'everyone has to do it sort of thing' but more of a 'if you allow it, then it can cement your innocence'. Plus, those who say yes are either sure that they were able to bury the evidence against them, which with a psychic pokemon doesn't happen, or they are truly innocent."
Cynthia stared at Miharu. "That's...a pretty good idea."
Miharu smirked weakly. "Always the tone of surprise."
Lucia turned away, "It's never that easy. Don't you think my family has ever tried that? Both my grandfather and my father have psychic pokemon that they use. Yet, ninety-nine percent of our clients refuse to let their minds be read. They say it's a matter of privacy."
Lucia turned back to the two, "I don't know if that means that ninety-nine percent of our clients are vicious monsters. Maybe, or maybe they just like their privacy. I can't read their minds so I can't tell you. If you had the memories of each and every single moment of your life in the hands of another would you want them to see each and every thought and action you did? I don't think I would have the courage to let any pokemon have that much power over my clients. It would be... corrupting. And if a law like that did get passed then how much power would a lawyer have over their clients? Could not those filled with evil intentions have their pokemon report false memories? Like people there also exist pokemon who will do bad deeds for the trainers. What then? We inspect all of the memories of the psychic pokemon that inspect the memories of the clients? It would become a never ending cycle because there will always be those that give into corruption. No matter how well written the law is there will always be those who twist it to suit their own needs."
Lucia sighed, "Maybe you two are right in some ways, maybe there is a better way to determine the guilt of one person." Lucia straightened her posture and looked Cynthia in the eyes, "But until that day comes I put my faith in human beings that will come before me. I will treat each one as a innocent soul and I will do my best to protect them as best as I can. We all have different opinions and this is mine. Just because one corrupted soul goes free does not mean all that step into the courtroom are corrupted. And, if I see my clients as evil beings, then I would be more inclined to see them jailed. Who then would be the corrupted one then? ...I fear this discussion has come to an end."
"I think we're heading around in circles," said Cynthia dryly. "Just know this, I'm not against your family in general, I just hate as to how, sometimes, criminals walk free because of them."
Miharu rolled her eyes and handed Cynthia the letter, which Cynthia carefully put back into her purse. "We done? Anymore arguments? Cool beans." Miharu stood up.
"See ya around, Lulu-chan, Roro-chan, Cynthia. You should join my class, Lulu-chan," said Miharu before disappearing in a flash of light.
Cynthia sighed and unlocked the door. "Damn it, Miharu," she murmured.
Lucia turned to Cynthia, "I can see the position from where you stand, but I oppose it. Farewell unto next time Miss Cynthia."
Lucia gave a curt bow and walked out of the room followed by Roberto.