EP 05: Bar Scene
Raichu walks into a bar.

Outside, the bar is flushed in darkness.

The two front windows are lightly covered in a layer of dust, looking into a few empty sets of messily arranged tables and chairs—some are misplaced but most remain in their normal position, yet in such a manner as if someone had left and haphazardly pushed their seat back in place, without taking into consideration how well they've actually done. One could glance at them and, for a moment, almost hear the muffled clanks and thumps and the scratching of wood, the rowdy and drunken laughters, and the music of the Ludicolo carrying the earthy smells and aromas of antique wood and wine, swirling around in the atmosphere that would be expected, had it not been for the fact that the lights are off, and have been off, for a very long time.

Inside, there are all but two Pokémon. The Ampharos wore a small red bowtie, standing in front of a brilliant display of fancy beverages and small souvenirs illuminated by only a small candle, while his only customer, a Raichu, slouched over the counter with the glass loosely gripped in his hand. There was a while of silence between the two, save for the clacking of the ice cubes every so often, bringing little life to the quietness that surrounds them. This silence was eventually broken as the occasional whines and hiccups slowly formed into coherent words.

"This is… Arceus' punishment."

The Ampharos stayed near motionless, as he had been.

"When the sky fell… you could feel it in the air. The end of his patience." The Raichu takes a sip and clears his throat. "When He looked upon the world and saw the evils run rampant, He knew He had to take matters into his own hands. So that the world may be cleansed and we could start over again."

"I don't know," The Ampharos says with a subtle gentleness. "I don't think he would freeze the entire planet because of some rogue thieves and petty crime."

"And what do you know about the world, young 'mon?" The Raichu raises his voice. "You have only spent your time behind this wooden counter, listening to the old drunkards sing… I have spent the better part of my life all over this continent with a scarf 'round my neck! The clouds that day were nothing like I've ever seen. They were certainly the clouds of death."

"Hm?" The Ampharos placed a hand under his chin. "I don't see a badge with you, if what you said is true."

"What badge—" The Raichu repeatedly muttered the word 'no', waving his hand around while the Ampharos chuckled— "I don't need a badge with me. I'm self-taught. I had learnt the ways through the dungeons on my own two legs."

"You sound confident."

"Why shouldn't I?" The Raichu placed his glass down in a thump. "I've been through every nook and cranny the Distortion had to offer. I'm practically a veteran at what I do. It's all muscle memory at this point. Folks all over the continent know, or have at least heard of my name!"

"Hard to find a soul like you, even with all the guilds popping up." The Ampharos hummed. "Although, in the end… no one was truly able to see ahead of time."

For a moment, no more words were exchanged. The Raichu stared at the glossy surface of wine as the pause in their conversation dragged on.

"Do you think Arceus was… excessive in his judgment?" The Ampharos asked.

"… Ah." The Raichu takes a sip. "Perhaps, but I suppose Arceus felt it more necessary to start from scratch. Dialga did not intervene so it must have been a fair punishment. No one is free of sin in this world."

"Not even you? You seem like a good 'mon."

"No. Not even me." The Raichu put the glass down on the counter. "I've had my fair share of regrets, heh. I'm not in the position to decide whether I deserve this punishment or not. That is for Arceus to decide, and I think his answer has been made very clear."

"… Well, if that's what you say, Morres." The Ampharos said. "I think we had it better than what we have now."

Morres perked up after the Ampharos stopped speaking. He scanned the bar as best as he could without moving his posture—framed paintings, covered in dust; the haze from what little light trickled out from behind him and onto the dirty air; the unkempt fireplace and the empty space next to it, to his left. He stared wordlessly for a moment, before diverting his gaze back onto the counter, and then onto the empty glass.

"I've been working here for quite some time now, and I've talked to 'mons who shared the same sentiment as you," The Ampharos said. "If Arceus has taught us to forgive…"

"I know what you're saying, Ampharos." The Raichu cut in. "I don't think I'd be here with a glass of nanab if Arceus has truly abandoned us. I don't think you'd be here as well. There was a boundary and we had crossed it, but he had spared us of any suffering after the fact. I guess, in a way, He had forgiven us."

There is another period of silence as the Ampharos poured the glass to half full. The candle flickered faintly as he ran his hand across the shelf, before stopping at a particular spot, putting the bottle back where it belonged.

"Where are you from, Morres?"

"Huh?"

The Ampharos smiled. "Where I'm from… it's a nice place," he said as Morres took a sip. "A bit busy… since we were close to the central, but life wasn't too hectic."

"Near the Apple Woods?"

"No… It's somewhere between the Sunny Spot Hills and Mt. Bristle." The Ampharos' voice trails off as he mulled it over. "Closer to the north, now that I think about it."

"It's a popular route, for sure. Makes traveling to the west all the more easier."

"You're from the northeast?"

"Yes. You know that place? And the Happy Outlooks?"

"I've only ever heard of it. Beautiful sun, I suppose?"

"Very. Wonderful coast as well. Sun shines bright all year and rains just as hard. It's the closest you can get to the equator on this continent! You can grow a lot of just about anything here."

"I see—"

"Ever heard of a shuca berry?"

"Yes, but I've not seen one."

"Best stay that way." The Raichu chuckled. "They smell andtaste like vomit! Staying near one is already enough shuca you'll ever need in your life, hah! That's why none of them gets on the Kecleon shelves, and the average Pokémon won't ever see one."

"They've got quite the reputation."

"Just among the few that do. Only the guilds ever buy that exotic stuff, so we still grow them to keep up with demand." Morres huffed. "Sometimes you shudder to think… what they do to those new recruits. First thing in the training halls and they force a handful down your throat so you get knocked out in three moves instead of two!"

"You know a lot about these berries."

"That's the Happy Outlooks' specialty! We'd be damned if we didn't know what we were growing and why we were growing them." Morres took a sip. "Our economy depended on the exports."

"You're an explorer… and a farmer?"

Morres scoffed. "I'll be damned if I ever touch a hoe. The fields… they're just not for me, but I do know some folks who've more experience than I do.

"There's a family on the street where I used to live… They work from early noon to late evening, head to toe covered in dirt, smell bad and could knock me out with a sneeze. I talk to the husband often. He's a nice person… knows a lot about everything he does. That's more or less how I learned half of what I've learned."

"I suppose berries are quite the subject on their own."

"That. But they're not the only thing we talk about. The Salamances have got two little Bagon hatchlings, always smashing something in the house whenever I walk past. They don't fight, but they have the loudest mouths around! Everyone's either gotten used to it or is too nervous around their daddy and mommy to make a complaint. Remember what I said about farmers? All day, dawn to dusk?" Morres laughed. "That's your new morning wake up call!"

"Quite the headache, these two?" The Ampharos smiled. "It must be quite a pain having to tend to them around the house."

"From what I've seen, not so much. They're quite the bright little ones. I'd imagine they're still tame compared to the rest of them lot! Can't ever get a break near the town center with all the running and chasing about!"

"That's not so bad."

"It's the adults doing the chasing! These mischievous pests do whatever they want without a care in the world! Often it's just their parents herding them home, but sometimes it's stolen merchandise they're getting chased for!" Morres lowered his voice. "Even so… 'mons aren't born out of pure mischief. When I look at them, all I see is what their parents have taught them. Or rather, lack thereof. They could really learn a thing or two from Cinda."

"Cinda?"

"The Ninetales I used to know since I was no taller than the door knob. We're still friends, but ever since I've moved to the outskirts I've never really seen him that much." Morres took a sip. "We spent good time on the cliffs near the coast chasing each other and watching the sun rise and set. Day after day, just frolicking about underneath the sun until we get our ears dragged back home. Good times!"

"But the town isn't very big, right?"

"That is true." Morres sighed. "I suppose we all get busier and busier with time. Life starts laying responsibilities like there's no tomorrow. For me, it's just more walking and complaining about the weather… but for a 'mon like him in the market, I'd reckon he's got his plates… more than full. Not to mention his kid, I almost forgot, hah!

"The kid was adopted, a small Aipom, but he bears way too much resemblance to his dad. The brains, at least. Smart but stubborn, very well-behaved. I've only seen him once or twice, but he's quite gifted. You can see the difference between him and the little rascals. I'd bet he'd grow up to be successful one day."

Morres stopped talking, and so did the Ampharos. His eyes steered around again, hands tapping the counter to an uncoordinated rhythm, as if to a song he's only playing in his head. The Ampharos watched as the remaining wine slowly whittled down until there wasn't anything left, not even the ice cubes. Morres set the glass to his side.

"Truth be told… I don't really know either," Morres said as he chuckled.

"… What do you mean?" The Ampharos stopped and met his gaze.

"When I stepped foot outside the town for the first time…" Morres straightened his posture. "… I saw what the world had to offer. The people, their way of life, the things they say and the stuff they do. But at the same time, I had also forgotten what my town had offered me."

Morres brought his gaze elsewhere, slowly drifting back onto the counter, waving his hand around as he spoke, "The more you've seen of the world, the more it turns into a big, homogeneous lump… and the prickly stuff tends to stick out more often. It becomes harder and harder to see what made it coherent in the first place. The glue that kept everything together."

The Ampharos stayed silent.

"And I never really did give anything back to the town. I acted like a retiree when I eventually returned, even when I could've done more. I thought the odd jobs 'round town would keep me busy for a while, but not even that lasted for a week. I couldn't keep it up. Watching the 'mons go about their lives with an actual purpose… made me feel useless." He gave a tired smile, sighing. "It felt pathetic."

The Ampharos stared at Morres for a little longer before asking, "Sorry. May I?"

Morres looked at the empty glass and quickly realized what he meant. "No. It's fine. Thank you."

"What you told me earlier… you seemed pretty sure."

"Maybe. Maybe Arceus saw more than I did. But in truth… I was more sure of my fate than I was with everyone else's. When the skies turned gray, I wasn't in much of a rush. To me, it only felt fitting. It felt like… I deserved it."

The Ampharos watched as Morres returned to his slouching, resting his head on his left arm. He sighed, closed his eyes… and then he started to giggle.

"That's an old 'mon's life for you. I guess this is just a normal thing you do stepping past death's door. Pour your heart out so Giratina doesn't catch you with any regret. I guess you've heard it from everyone at this point."

"… Well, not everyone," The Ampharos replied.

Morres hummed in resignation. His eyebrows rose and fell irregularly, fingers tapping to a silent rhythm as he had been earlier. The strange exercise came to a close as his eyes suddenly flung open.

"Hm…?" Morres stared at the Ampharos. "I don't believe that. Not everyone, you say?"

"Huh?"

"With how fast it was… you're telling me not everyone made it here?"

"Oh, no." The Ampharo waved his hand dismissively. "I'm not the only Pokémon escorting us to the Haven, so that's what I meant when I said I've yet to meet everyone. But I'm sure they would've had a similar conversation as we just did."

Morres's interest in the topic was visibly drained from his face as he heard those words. "… Ah. I see. That does make sense."

The silence returned once more to the conversation.

"Also," The Ampharos blurted, "yes, there are survivors."

Morres wheezed.

"Y-You… devil!" He pointed a finger directly at the Ampharos, who immediately started laughing alongside him. "If you hide another truth from me, I will not be tipping tonight!"

"Unfortunately, I'm not! I will admit, the news came as a surprise to me as well."

The cackling had to tone down a notch before Morres could speak again.

"But… How is that even possible…? The entire world had frozen in time, had it not?"

"I don't know the exact story, but I am confident the distortion was able to provide shelter for those seeking shelter inside them. The mystery dungeons were, after all, symptoms of a failing time flow."

"Interesting…" Morres mumbled. "But… what then? The world is still frozen… Food, water… the sunlight… How would they be able to…? Argh, too many questions…"

The Ampharos smiled. "Arceus may have intervened."

"Maybe He went back on his word… But I wasn't even sure…" Morres snapped his head towards the Ampharos. "Hey, since you do know something… Did you really let me rant mindlessly earlier? What had really happened on that day? Tell me."

"It's a long story, but ultimately the Temporal Tower collapsed under the influence of Darkrai."

"I'm not tipping."

The Ampharos laughed as Morres finally rose from his seat. "Better be on the house as well."

"Of course. Have a safe trip, Morres."

"Thank you." Morres looked back at the counter before facing the front door. "… Will we cross paths again?"

"Maybe."

"Hmph. Then I better see your face soon!"

The door creaked as it traveled back and forth on the rusty iron hinges, until eventually, it stopped. The Ampharos cleaned the glass and put it back underneath the counter. Dust quickly fell onto the footsteps the Raichu had left behind on the floor, the stool he had sat on, the spots on the counter where he laid his arms and set his glass, and the tiny little dots where he tapped his fingers; thin layers of dirt slowly formed where they hadn't, merging themselves with their surroundings until there were no signs left of a customer, or of any Pokémon that has ever set foot in the bar for that matter. All except… for the Ampharos himself.

The bar had, once again, fallen into silence.

As it had always been.

"Miss Cresselia."

The Ampharos shoveled ice cubes into a cup, then slid it over to the crescent-shaped Pokémon sitting in front of him. "That was the last of them," he said as he poured the glass to half full.

"Thank you, Ampharos." Cresselia took a sip. "Ah… this is?"

"Fermented aspear."

"I see." She set the glass aside.

"I assume you've managed to make contact?"

"The Nest is empty. So are the Spacial Rift and the World Abyss. Others have yet to relay a signal, aside from the mythics whom I've yet to reach out to. If circumstances are to persist… I fear this situation won't ever be resolved, let alone be reversed."

"Sounds like it's tough out there… Frankly, I wish I could help you more than this."

"You've helped me as much as I ask of you… That is well enough. I'm here to resolve you of your duty, Ampharos. Know that you're the last one remaining on the Bridge, if that helps."

"Ah… I suppose I can't work myself any longer, can I?"

"You deserve a peaceful rest. These are responsibilities for none of you to bear. Regardless, you all have been of great assistance."

"That's great to hear. So, what's next?"

"Only time will tell. We'll have to entrust the future to the new generation, much as they are already suffering… But I believe they'll pull through.

"Until then… Ampharos. Are you ready to move on now?"

"Yes."

"… Thank you for your efforts. May our paths cross in another time."