#some of these ideas are frankensteined from my imaginary aa4 followup

[mekatrio]

ho hum ho hum very quick rough skeleton planning of what a proper apollo justice trilogy would look like if it were up to ME:

firstly there'd be a rfta-type case to stick at the end of ajaa, which will patch up the plot holes that 4-4 left behind (mostly gavin brothers backstory + mason system lore)

ajaa2: APOLLO JUSTICE EUROPEAN INTERNSHIP, phoenix is busy studying for the bar so to get rid of distractions i mean to enrich his employee's working experience, he ships them off to where edgeworth is fucking around in europe. edgeworth is a legal researcher there not a prosecutor so its chill for apollo to intern w him. ema is also there cuz she got relatives there, shes here for a vacation but shes still going to be our detective buddy. does she hv jurisdiction to do any of that? no. but this is ace attorney so who gaf. and of course trucy is tagging along to write an essay for her summer homework.

this game will take a closer look at the jurist/jury system, the purpose of apollo's trip here will be to study the different type of legal systems and compare them to the ones back home. phoenix's 'official' mission statement for him is to deliver the results of the jurist system to edgeworth (who obvs helped phoenix organize that whole thing), and return w a report on its viability back home.

apollo will still hv his perceive abilities but what changes up this time is that the court proceedings itself will be different. apollo will find himself needing to persuade a jury, and this is where trucy is very important, as she is a performer, and she will help apollo better understand the mind of the audience. throughout the game the two of them will grow even closer and culminate into an awesome 2-man act.

the rival prosecutor will be a bratty girl, similar to franziska but outwardly pleasant like klavier. in the last or second to last case she'll be revealed to be franziska's disciple. when apollo asks edgeworth "Why didn't you tell me this?!" he's gonna be like "hrrrmrmmm u didnt ask. 😒" edgeworth will be this game's hilariously shitty 'mentor' figure. in this trilogy apollo is just gonna be cursed with shitty 'mentors' HAHA

the game's overarching plot line will concern itself w cocoon smuggling, and will also take a look at police/interpol corruption. the final case will be when it all blows over, and will also be when we FINALLY get the sibling reveal. lamiroir will have several appearances in the game before this however, its gonna act as a bunch of stupid red herrings where we think she'll tell apollo and trucy that they're related but it'll keep being a fake out every time. itll be like

Lamiroir: Apollo, Trucy, there is something I must tell you...

Apollo and Trucy: ?

Lamiroir: .........I am touring at Berlin next week! Please do stop by if you're free, don't hesitate to call my manager to get free tickets! 😄

and this shit will happen at least 2-3 times LOL. but she'll be a witness in the last case and then we'll learn that the reason she hasnt been able to tell us is bc she was being blackmailed 😱😱😱 and klavier will be a witness too for the lulz. game will end with gramarye family FINALLYYYY reuniting itll be so touching and heartwarming sob sniffle bawl, and apollo and trucy (and klavier LOL) flying bck to japanifornia with a better understanding of legal systems and performing, with how cultural context matters greatly in both the art of performance and the employment of legal systems.

ajaa3: game starts off w phoenix as the defendant AGAIN, man finally got his badge and immediately got hit w a Murder Charge. yes he's gonna be the new maya what about it. i feel like we joke too much abt maya constantly getting arrested for murder while ignoring that phoenix has received just as many murder charges PLS..... also apollo is gonna have the funniest awkward dynamic with phoenix where phoenix doesnt want to be apollo's dad and apollo doesnt want phoenix as his dad but phoenix feels kinda obligated and apollo is like You Are My BOSS Go AWAY so yes the opening tutorial is going to be kinda silly. but thats bc the rest of the game is gonna be pretty dark..

cuz this game will concern itself greatly with the DEATH PENALTY and IMPRISONMENT, apollo's backstory will have somethinggg to do w the death penalty too idk what tho, either his former teacher / friend / foster parent / IDK was falsely accused of a crime, and apollo became an attorney in hopes of saving them before their execution. but we will only find out abt this much much later... like last 2 case later. but there'll be hints throughout.

and the fey girlies will show up!! i was thinking maybe theyll show up at the end of the first case to reprimand nick but hmmm maybe they could show up a bit later. anyways we're getting spirit channelling again FOR THE LOVE OF GOD and this time it is NOT getting fumbled. channelled spirits cant be witnesses or used as evidence bc gregory edgeworth committed perjury that one time smhhhh 😒😒😒, but we're still having them to help guide investigations cuz WHO GAF. maybe we can get a mia cameo heehee. but uh yes anyways maya and pearl will channel the spirits of executed prisoners and its gonna be extremely grim.. a large chunk, if not most, of the game will take place in a prison. at this prison are a large number of prisoners demanding retrials, or just overall officer abuse, or maybe a mix of both. either way its grim. and the fey's spirit channeling will take a closer look at evidence law, and what evidence is and isnt permissible. itll be a parallel to 4-4, which relied heavily on the not very legal mason system. something something ethics of surveillance and also solitary confinement. oh and phoenix will be fucking off setting up wright & co again + chilling with the feys, but he'll still be someone u can pop over to and ask for advice.

there'll be a lot of cameos of former male convicts (cuz this will be at a men's prison), we'll see a godot coffee machine and maybe get to talk to valant. final case will concern itself with KRISTOPH, and subsequently, klavier. bratty prosecutor from europe will also tag in cuz of course she has to, this is the fucking finale! this is also where we finally learn why apollo became a defense attorney to begin with.

ill be honest im kinda drawing at a blank here for potential ideas cuz a lot of my ideas for an ajaa trilogy ending hv been condensed into my imaginary aa4 followup. but like i cant take the ending idea from that and put it into here cuz that one is like super involved with the gavin brothers backstory. im also drawing at a blank for what big role trucy would play and also who the rival prosecutor would be. so uhhh...... 😁👍 BLANK SPACE HERE

but ESSENTIALLY i would want an ajaa trilogy to end with the death penalty + treatment of prisoners being reviewed. this is a pretty lackluster outline for a finale but thats bc most of my epic ideas are in my imaginary aa4 followup.... TOO BAD!!! ill write out the outline for that.... eventually......

WAIT LAST MINUTE ADDITION i figured out a role for trucy. now that apollo and trucy know that theyre family, the two of them will be a kinda awkward but ultimately endearing brother and sister pair. and the game will take a look at how the prison system breaks families apart. Yes. OK. ok bye