#post-pmd3

The shop must have reached its full capacity. Never before had Instance seen as many customers as they filed in impatiently. He kept towards the back of the employee area, as not to disturb those ordering. With a quick paw flip he readjusted the tray on his backside, holding it firmly with his tail.

They said rumors of the new region explorations brought interested applicants here, to this meeting. The sign had been up for weeks. It had something to do with an extension of the wonder map which, ironically, was only miles off of the north coast. Instance didn’t know the specifics, but, as each Pokémon situated at their tables he paid an ear to the briefing.

“A land which has been coated in an icy horror. And they say there are still villagers, still Pokémon, plundering under the ice like Digletts. Only they are foreign, odd, some would even claim evolution gone haphazard!”

Instance held his glance on the newest vice-president of the exploration branch of Spinda Café services. The founder’s great-nephew, he recalled, was a Wartortle who stood firmly atop a podium, recently crafted for this design. The crowd broke into murmur, some enthralled in the potential adventure, some apprehensive towards the apparent evolution deviation.

“Fear not, though. I have spoken with one of these aliens, who send out a cry of help for her land. She gives promise of many things if we aid in the ice melting process, including an expansion of Treasure Town facilities to further profits and increase imports.”

Very few Pokémon showed enthusiasm, Instance noted. The Wartortle, he remembered as Timothy, continued.

“…and, of course, treasure!”

This time they responded with consecutive cheers and whooping.

“Is that all they’re interested in?” Instance questioned, to the bartender. Marx, polishing a glass, paid him no heed, spare for an abrupt raised paw. Instance sighed, wondering how his job opening ever came to be. He was surrounded by distant relatives of the late Spinda, who he considered to be work-absorbed oddballs that held prejudice against Instance’s lack-of-bloodline.

“Three pre-assistance groups will be needed, ones to survey the area and decide what needs to be done. Volunteers?”

Several teams raised their hands or paws. Marx turned around to hastily whisper; “Take some of their orders. Be inconspicuous.”

As select members traveled to the front of the room, near Timothy, the remainder began muttering amongst themselves. Instance padded up to each table, asking for drinks. Very few were interested in the actual café aspect of the area, more concerned with the briefing.

As Timothy finished with individual groups, he projected once more to the rest.

“We will announce when the next set of troops will settle in. The estimated time will be a month from now, but feel free to keep updated with shopkeepers, who will be conversing with travelers and informed.”

His final words were drowned out as everyone filed out, excited with the prospect of finding treasure. Instance sighed, beginning to sweep up the leftover litter on the floor once everyone was gone.

“My shift’s over,” he started, as other employees exited.

“Are the table’s clean?” Marx asked, not particularly interested.

“Yeah.”

“Floors?”

“Shiny.”

“Organized?”

“Definitely.”

Marx nodded after a moment of silence. Instance dropped the plate on the counter, finally taking his leave. He padded past the four primary intersections just outside the café, and stopped midway into Treasure Town. It was nearly midnight, and the clearly was quiet. A faint trace of fire crackling could be heard even in the depths of town. He took an exaggerated sigh before starting to backtrack, heading in the direction of the beach.

The path gradually turned grainy as Instance’s paws pressed against the gritty, inconsistent surface. Soon he was close enough to dip into the salty reaches when he situated under the moonlight. He took a deep breath.

The Krabby were blowing bubbles on the upper reaches of the cliff and, though their spectrum could not reach its full glory in the darkness, seeing them brought a soothing feeling to Instance. Years ago, they say, one of the great Heroes of Time thought the same.

He pawed at the sand. Explorations had always been the aspirations of most Pokémon in Treasure Town, growing up. Treasure troves and the glory of heroism was always the goal of his friends. He envied their dedication, but despite his efforts a job at an age-old café was only manageable. It would have been fun, he thought, to have accompanied one of the teams on the exploration.

As he gazed out at the stretching sea he had a nagging curiosity about the aliens Timothy had spoken of. Even though his exploration skills weren’t exactly admirable, he was strong, and he could certainly find interest in the new species.

Analisse was her name. She had only been dead a few years and despite the spacial anomaly that was her existence, she was always revered as a hero. They say she was found here, on the beach, by her partner, just as the sun was setting.

Instance glanced over to the west end of the beach. Waves lapped at the shore, tugging at the rocks. Perhaps if he looked hard enough she would appear.

Despite his wishing he was only greeted with the night stillness.

He stood up, stretching his hindquarters and extending his tail, preparing to finally return to his home near the town. As he started up the sidewalk, he took a few glances back, before finally hanging his head as he disappeared past the trees.

Behind the gentle ocean sounds was a single flame crackling, somewhere in the distance.