Morning light drifted across Hulbury, soft and gold against the damp cobblestones. The harbor was quiet except for the call of Wingull and the hum of fishing boats leaving the docks. Near the station, a fresh poster clung to the wall, the paper still curling from the night air. Three women stood beneath the words Atomic Kittens Live at the Harbor Stage Tonight, their Pokémon beside them in a swirl of color and motion.

A few early risers stopped to look, clutching breakfast rolls and steaming cups.

“Liz’s Vaporeon covered the whole arena in mist last time,” one boy said. “It looked like they were fighting inside a wave.”

“Natasha’s Flareon turned the air into fire,” another replied. “Even the referee had to back off.”

A girl smiled as she adjusted her scarf. “Kerry’s Espeon bends the lights around her when she sings. It’s not just a concert. It’s a real battle.”

Their voices mixed with the sound of gulls and the water below. The Atomic Kittens weren’t only musicians here. They were legends whose performances made the sea itself pause to listen.

The fans drifted off toward the harbor, their voices fading into the rhythm of waves and gulls. The scent of salt and bread hung in the air as shopkeepers lifted shutters and fishermen called across the docks. You turned from the poster and started down the narrow street into town, the morning breeze tugging at your jacket. Beside you, your Pokémon padded in quiet step, its reflection moving with yours in the puddles left by the dawn tide. Hulbury was waking, and somewhere ahead, music waited on the water.