The metal proved tougher than Xiao Die expected. Rarely had she encountered steel this hard yet flexible. What creature did this come from? she wondered, stealing glances at the pink Pokémon. How could it smash such material into scrap without heat treatment? Answers would have to wait. For now, she focused on salvaging the ruined hammer.
"Xiao Die? Xiao Die?"
Xiao Da's whispers went unanswered as Xiao Die scraped and polished, lost in her craft. Resigned, Xiao Da sat nearby—until urgent cries pierced the forest.
"Moo! Moo!"
Xiao Da tensed. "Miltank, protect her," she ordered before hurrying toward the distress calls, Snorlax's Poké Ball clutched tightly.
An hour later, Xiao Die's hands ached, but the hammer gleamed in her grip. She'd reshaped the mangled lump into a sleek single-headed mallet, smoothing jagged edges into floral patterns. Without paint, she couldn't match Tinkatink's pink aesthetic, but the result radiated deadly elegance.
"Where's Xiao Da?" she muttered, noticing only Miltank nearby. The cow Pokémon waved reassuringly—Snorlax is with her. All's well.
Clang! Clang!
Tinkatink still hammered away, oblivious. Xiao Die approached, holding up her creation. "Look what I fixed!"
The noise stopped. Tinkatink's eyes bulged. "Tink! Tink!" It dropped its crude hammer, paws outstretched pleadingly.
Xiao Die handed it over. "Treat it well, okay?"
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Tinkatink demolished an ingot in three strikes, then stared at the mallet in awe. The polished surface distributed force perfectly—no wasted swings, no hand strain. Even the floral grooves felt right.
"Tink…" It gazed at Xiao Die like she'd forged Excalibur.
Smugness bubbled in Xiao Die's chest. "Knew you'd like it. Now, I gotta find my—"
"TINK!" Tinkatink latched onto her leg, mallet clutched like a sacred relic.
"Uh… need another one? Sorry, no time!"
Panicking, Tinkatink waved its arms wildly. Xiao Die sighed and unzipped her tool pouch. "Here, you can borrow—"
A Poké Ball tumbled out, hitting the ground. It rolled to Tinkatink's feet, activated, and—
Click.
Xiao Die froze. The ball didn't even shake.
[Tinkatink was caught!]
"…Huh." She picked up the Ball, bemused. Su Feng had said Pokémon could resist if unwilling. Yet Tinkatink hadn't budged.
Grinning, she whispered, "Guess you're stuck with me now, huh?"