The Steel-type tragedy on the Isle of Armor continues.
Johan sighed to himself.
This wasn't just about the size of the hammer.
With Tinkaton's evolution, the hammer's weight limit and its capacity for integrating materials had significantly increased. Additionally, the hammer's quality—or more accurately, its density—had improved dramatically.
Before, a fist-sized piece of metal could be compacted down to a fingernail-sized fragment. Now, to achieve the same effect, Tinkaton might need a basketball-sized chunk of metal.
The demand for materials had skyrocketed exponentially.
As Johan mourned for the local Corviknight population, Tinkaton's hammering sounds pulled his attention back.
Squatting on the ground, the little Pokémon was working diligently, its focus unmatched.
But the process had clearly changed.
Not only were the hammering sounds louder, but the rate at which Tinkaton was integrating metals had become ridiculously fast.
What once took it strenuous effort to embed a single Corviknight feather into its hammer was now accomplished in mere moments.
Johan took a deep breath.
The increase in efficiency also meant an increase in consumption.
"Is that Gigaton Hammer?"
He squinted at the hammering movements.
[Gigaton Hammer: A 160-power Steel-type move that deals heavy damage to the target but cannot be used consecutively. (Big Hammer, 160 damage!)]
Gigaton Hammer was Tinkaton's signature move, boasting tremendous power, though its inability to be used back-to-back was a notable drawback.
Still, this limitation could be circumvented through strategies like Encore, Instruct, or Sleep Talk, enabling repeated use of Gigaton Hammer and unleashing devastating combos.
For now, though, Gigaton Hammer seemed to be Tinkaton's ideal tool for forging.
As Tinkaton worked tirelessly, Johan glanced at the updated information in his Pokédex:
Moves Known: Ice Hammer, Feint, Astonish, Fairy Wind, Baby-Doll Eyes, Metal Claw, Stealth Rock, Skill Swap, Swords Dance, Brick Break, Gigaton Hammer, Brutal Swing, Fake Out.
Mood: Excited, determined (Bring me ten tons—no, a hundred tons of heavy metal!)
Condition: Excellent (Its state is inexplicably superb.)
Friendship Level: 100 (Mom, I evolved again!)
With its evolution, Tinkaton had learned three new moves:
Gigaton Hammer – Its signature Steel-type move.Brutal Swing – A Dark-type move that deals damage to all nearby opponents.Fake Out – A high-priority Normal-type move that flinches the target if used immediately after entering battle.
Fake Out, in particular, was a favorite among competitive players. Its ability to force the opponent to flinch and disrupt their strategy made it an excellent tool for setting up momentum.
Johan's gaze lingered on Tinkaton's mood entry for a moment.
Let's just ignore that... If I don't look at it, it doesn't exist.
After offering the Corviknight population another silent moment of mourning, Johan turned his attention to Gengar.
"Gengar, what exactly did you pull off that Corviknight?"
Gengar scratched its head, looking equally puzzled.
So, it opened its mouth wide and reached into its stomach.
But after much rummaging, Gengar still hadn't pulled anything out.
"What's wrong?" Johan asked.
Gengar gestured excitedly, its hands waving and mimicking an explosion.
"You mean you grabbed something dark red and glowing off the Corviknight?"
Gengar nodded eagerly.
Johan's expression turned thoughtful.
Could it have been Galar particles?
Galar particles were unique to the Galar region, closely tied to Eternatus, the source of Dynamax energy.
Items like the Wishing Star could absorb these particles, and the Dynamax Band that enabled Pokémon to Dynamax was also made from Wishing Stars.
The Gigantamax Corviknight earlier had likely undergone its transformation due to an abnormal accumulation of Galar particles.
But Gengar somehow managed to snag this cluster of particles and, for some reason, put it in its stomach...
"Did the particles dissipate?"
"Or... did Gengar absorb them?"
No, that's impossible. Only Eternatus can absorb Galar particles.
Probably just dispersed.
Still, Johan asked, "Gengar, do you feel anything unusual?"
Gengar tilted its head before clutching its stomach and collapsing dramatically onto the sand, its face contorted in mock agony.
Johan froze in alarm before catching a glint of mischief in Gengar's eyes.
Walking over, Johan placed a hand on Gengar's shoulder.
Aura sense, activate!
Through his Aura, he checked Gengar's condition.
Flawless. Absolutely perfect.
Johan exhaled sharply and waved dismissively.
"It's hopeless. Bury it."
Vulpix and Dragonair immediately caught on, smiling mischievously as they advanced toward Gengar.
Kubfu, however, was utterly convinced.
Tears streaming down its face, it began digging a grave in the sand.
The boss's career ends before it even begins!
I'll carry on your will!
Unable to hold it in any longer, Gengar shot up with a startled gulp, frantically assuring everyone it was fine and that it was all a joke.
Johan smiled faintly before roaring, "THUNDEROUS OUTRAGE!"
Meanwhile, in Galar's Spikemuth Energy Plant...
Deep within the facility, a massive orb rested atop a platform, surrounded by scientists clad in dark uniforms.
The room buzzed with activity as data was collected and analyzed.
Suddenly, warning lights flashed, and an alarm blared.
"The core is becoming active!"
"Could it be the expansion of the storage chamber?"
"Or the particles dispersed during the process?"
"But... Chairman Rose said the core was in a dormant state. Without its full power, there's no way it could..."
Inside the orb, a pair of piercing white eyes cracked open slightly.
For the first time in eons, the gaze flickered with faint curiosity before shutting again.
A deep, rumbling voice echoed faintly within the sphere.
Back on the Isle of Armor...
Gigantamax Corviknight's rampage had ended swiftly, and with no major disruptions, Tinkaton had resumed its "bird hunting."
Its newly upgraded hammer attracted even more Corviknight, and with its evolution, it now needed no assistance to bring them down.
Standing to the side, Kubfu diligently coached Tinkaton in mastering One Blow Style techniques.
Lying back on a beach chair, Johan retrieved the shimmering Rainbow Feather, giving it a light infusion of Aura to restore its radiant glow.
Satisfied with the feather's brilliance, Johan grinned.
"Who's more pure-hearted than me?"
Elsewhere, Gengar and Dragonair stumbled upon a Slowpoke basking lazily on the sand.
The Slowpoke slowly turned its head, its golden-tipped tail glinting in the sunlight, as if in a daze.
Gengar and Dragonair tilted their heads in unison.
What was with this Slowpoke?
It looked like any other Slowpoke... but something about it felt odd.
As they stared at each other, time seemed to stand still.