The clock rewound to not long ago.
Shuizhou City.
A coastal city where waterways stretched through the city like veins before eventually flowing into the sea.
Today was June 15th, the final day of Shuizhou City's annual grand event—
The seventh and last day of the Infinity Festival, which had begun on June 9th.
The Infinity Festival was a grand celebration held to pay respect to Water City's Guardian Deities—Latias, Latios, and Milotic—and to pray that they would bless the seas around Shuizhou City with calm waters and freedom from disaster in the coming year.
In the early morning, the thin sea fog had yet to disperse, but the entire city had already awakened.
Blue and red banners and paper lanterns hung along the waterways that ran through the streets and alleys. Those were the representative colors of Water City's Guardian Deities.
The banners, damp with night dew, fluttered gently in the morning breeze, while steam from breakfast stalls mingled with the aroma of fried food and spread through the morning mist.
An old man selling jianbing deftly turned his griddle. Beside him, a Litleo—an uncommon sight in this coastal city—worked hard to breathe fire, its heat making the browned edges of the pancake sizzle.
Children playing with young Pokémon ran along the waterways cutting through the city, holding pinwheels that spun with a whir. It was a scene of perfect peace.
At Shuizhou City's center, in the central square.
The festive atmosphere from the previous night had yet to fade. The countless offerings placed around the three towering statues showed just how dearly the city's residents loved these three Guardian Deities.
Several elderly women were carefully tying freshly picked flowers onto the surrounding railings.
In their casual conversation, they spoke of how Shuizhou City had gradually become a city