(Written by Uranium-Bombs )

Lumiose City is a city known for many things. For its food, its great views, and for its eccentric gym leader.

But, as a café waiter in the city? It's just known for being busy.

"Excuse me sir, I need to go behind you." It was the beginning of the lunch rush in Café Kizuna, and the workers and tourists were not being very helpful to our short-staffed group that day. Holding a tray of drinks in my hand, I tapped the man on the shoulder to try and get his attention, since he was blocking the doorway to the outside.

"Can you hurry up?" A costumer grabbed my shoulder, yelling at me if there was absolutely anything I could do to help him at the moment. "I have to get back to work in five minutes!"

"I'll help you in a second, sir," I said in the sweetest voice I could. "I just need to serve these drinks to the patrons that are waiting at the outside tables." I pushed past the man that was walking the door, very nearly dropping the drinks as I did so, before slipping out to the patio.

If I could've chose where I dealt with people, I would've chosen the patio, no doubts about it. There was still noise traveling down the avenue from the city around me, but there was almost a stillness on the patio. And, it was in the open air, instead of the stuffy, almost claustrophobic size of the Café.

"Hello, sorry for the delay." I gave the customers at the table a more genuine smile than the one I gave the costumer inside, carefully placing down their drinks in front of them. They were probably tourists, since they weren't in as much of a rush as everyone else, and by the fact that a small, green Pokémon with a leafy bulb on its back was lying next to one of the chairs. It definitely was not a Pokémon that I see the stiff, grey-skinned office workers that normally stop by Café Kizuna for a quick lunch.

"Jay! Can you stop admiring the fresh air and help us in here?" I turned around to see my co-worker, Angelina, yelling at me from the door as she held a phone to her ear. "Peter's not going to be able to come in."

I forced myself to not roll my eyes as I heard that, keeping my friendly smile on as I held the tray against me, hurrying back inside and into the whirl. This person felt like they were waiting too long. That person dropped their drink and wanted a new one. Another one didn't want cheese on their pain du fromage. Issue after issue after issue.

By the time the crowd cleared it had only been thirty minutes since it began, but I felt like I had just been punched in the face for five hours.

"How long until the next wave comes in, Ang?" Becca, the third and last person that could actually make it in today, asked, sitting at a table and lying her head down.

"Well, it's a little after one now, so like, fifteen minutes." Angelina ran her hands through her green-looking hair, the blue dye that had been in it starting to wash out, revealing the blonde underneath. It had begun to even match her eyes, though if I mentioned it to her, she expressed much distaste.

"Then we get an hour after that, before the tourist wave at three," I said, leaning my elbows against the counter and fighting to get a granola bar open. "Why the hell can't Peter come?"

"Said he's sick." Angelina almost snorted as she said that. "Probably searched up what could be wrong if he has a sore throat and now thinks he's dying."

"I'm heading to the bathroom quick. Can't risk me dropping if he's not coming." I picked up the granola bar as Angelina and Becca continued to chat about whatever, heading to my bag to pick up my pouch on the way to the bathroom. I knew it wasn't the best idea to try and prick my finger in the dark, dingy bathroom, but I wasn't allowed to use the bathroom that was open to customers, and I didn't like to do it in the open.

I was barely done with checking my numbers when I heard people talking outside. A lot of people.

"Great." I practically shoved the granola bar into my mouth, wiping my finger off furiously to make sure it "wasn't contaminated", before packing up and running out to save Angelina and Becca from the disaster of only having two workers in the front.

The next few hours went by like a blur. Every time the three of us thought we were done, another issue, another problem came up. It didn't seem that hot when I went to work that morning, but just the amount of people in the café made the temperature go up by ten degrees. A layer of sweat plastered Angelina's hair to her forehead, and Becca's face looked hollow as she worked.

I was going to yell at Peter as soon as I saw him again, for abandoning the three of us like that.

At four, though, the flood of people seemed to mysteriously vanish, and we were finally allowed to pack up for the day, since the café only opened for breakfast and lunch. By the way, best idea ever from the owner.

"Hey, Jay," I had been grabbing my stuff when Becca stopped me, her dark eyes peering down on me through her glasses, "Ang and I were thinking about heading to the museum tonight after dinner. Wanna come with us?"

"Nah, nI ot tonight. Everything hurts." I laughed despite myself, especially since laughing hurt, as my binder dug into my ribs. "And, my blood sugar has probably been low a bit too much today."

"Be careful, okay?" Becca's eyes turned into their normal, worried state, as she ruffled my choppy hair. Emphasizing the point that I was short.

My walk home was certainly calmer than my day at work, but it didn't mean that it wasn't still busy. The chatter of shoppers and tourists rang in my ears as I stayed towards the side of the road, listening carefully for the clatter of any Gogoats or the movement of cars.

"Did you hear about the gym's leaders new..." I caught from a couple of construction workers that were off duty.

"This is much more peaceful than Unova, did you hear..." A couple were walking down the street, arms linked and holding many shopping bags.

"Fletch!" A Fletchling hopped up to me, smelling the bread that my clothes always seemed to emanate after I left work. I didn't have any food for him, but I gave him a little pat on the head before continuing to my apartment.

When I got to my apartment, I was happy to get out of my work clothes and into sweatpants and a sweatshirt. I opened all the windows that I had, which weren't that many, listening to the city static as I made myself an early dinner. Not as large and lavish as I used to have growing up in the suburbs, but a quick salad that I appreciated after not really having a good lunch that day.

I turned on the news after I ate, listening to talk about the latest in art, fashion, and what crazy people called "important news" as the sun went down. The city underneath me began to settle after a while, unlike what I had heard of Unova's Castelia City. Never slumbers, people always joke. In Lumoise, though, the lights may always shine from Prism Tower, but we like our sleep.

And sleep was exactly what I did, as I leaned back on the couch and let the exhaustion of the day consume me.