By the time they returned to the farmer's house they'd borrowed the night before, the sun was already leaning west.
After Bai Chen gave a quick summary of what had happened underground, he half-expected the farmers to be furious — maybe demand compensation, or at least scold the Pokémon that had been raiding their orchards.
Instead, every one of them smiled.
No accusations.
No anger.
Not even a payment request.
They even gathered baskets of fresh berries and pressed them into Bai Chen's hands with heartfelt thanks.
"What kindhearted people," he murmured, biting into a sweet Oran berry.
"The world still has honest folk after all…"
So, with their arms full of gifts and the farmers cheering them off, the three of them left the orchard and boarded the car.
It was Saturday.
No school today.
After dropping Mallow off at her home, Bai Chen and Lillie returned to the Aether estate.
Back in his courtyard, Bai Chen set his bag aside and unclipped a Poké Ball from his belt.
"Come out, Tinkatuff."
A red beam of light flashed — and the pink smith appeared.
The moment she materialized, her eyes went straight past Bai Chen… and locked on the Nergigante katana hanging at his back.
Before he could even greet her, she charged — hammer raised — and leapt.
"Still don't know who's boss, huh?"
Bai Chen caught the hammer one-handed and, with his other hand, headbutted her right between the eyes.
Thunk!
Even without aura, the Titan Body he'd honed to rarity 7 sent the little blacksmith reeling.
"Listen up," Bai Chen said flatly. "In my house, my rules.
Break them, and I'll beat sense into you once a day until you understand."
Tinkatuff wobbled, glaring at him through teary, furious eyes.
Her gaze darted again to the blade on his back — her masterpiece, her pride.
She readied her hammer again—
—but Bai Chen just planted a hand on her head and shoved her back to the floor.
"You don't have the strength yet," he said simply.
A status window shimmered in his vision.
[Name]: Tinkatuff
[Species]: Hammer Pokémon
[Type]: Fairy / Steel
[Rarity]: ★★★
[Level]: 27 (1120 / 1310 EXP)
[Ability]: Pickpocket — Steals an opponent's held item when in contact.
[Skills]
Baby-Doll Eyes (★2) — Proficient (42 / 1000) Lowers the opponent's Attack; moves first.
After You (★4) — Proficient (78 / 2000) Delays the opponent's action.
Rock Smash (★3) — Proficient (132 / 1500) Physical strike; may lower Defense.
Thunder Wave (★2) — Proficient (23 / 1000) Emits weak electricity to paralyze the target.
Fairy Wind (★2) — Proficient (332 / 1000) Summons a fairy wind to attack.
Smith's Strength (★3) — Expert (592 / 7500) A blacksmith's power; can wield a 500-jin hammer.
Forging Basics (★3) — Expert (6490 / 7500) Fundamentals of the forge; shows the touch of a true craftsman.
Seven skills — five refined, two master-tier.
Not bad… for a Pokémon that wasn't built to fight.
Her combat potential was middling.
Her forging, though — that was her brilliance.
That "Forging Basics" skill, Bai Chen realized, must've been passed down by her former trainer, the Paldean blacksmith.
He flicked her lightly on the forehead.
She yelped, landing square on her backside.
Still glaring daggers at him — and at that blade.
Following her gaze, Bai Chen sighed and unsheathed the weapon.
He held it out.
"Here. You want it so bad?"
She blinked, startled, then snatched the katana from his hands — leaping back three steps to guard it.
Only after she was sure he wasn't fighting her for it did she smile, eyes softening as she stroked the metal's surface.
It was like watching an artist admire her own child.
"Keep it," Bai Chen said casually.
"Garbage-tier blade anyway. Doesn't suit me."
"Ya-ma!!"
She shouted in outrage — pointing at him, hammer trembling.
"Oh, don't glare. It's true. Nergigante's a rarity 8 Elder Dragon.
You used her spines and still produced a rarity 2 blade.
That's… embarrassing."
"Yama yama!"
She stomped, protesting furiously — hammering the air as she ranted.
"It's not my technique! Your material just capped out early!"
Bai Chen smirked. The Bond Stone flickered faintly at his chest, translating her emotions like thought.
"Right, sure. Funny how other smiths can pull rarity 5 or 6 from worse materials.
Maybe it is the smith."
"Yaa maaa!!"
She brandished her hammer, fuming.
"Then bring them here! I'll show them what real forging is!"
"There are too many to count," he teased.
"With your current skill? You wouldn't last a minute against them."
He wasn't mocking — just stating a fact.
In the Monster Hunter world, most smiths mastered rarity 5 forging.
A few top masters reached rarity 7 or higher.
Compared to that, her Rarity 3 looked downright basic.
"Still," he said after a pause, "I could introduce you to a few of them.
Maybe they'll take you as an apprentice."
Tinkatuff froze — then puffed her cheeks, stamping her feet.
"Apprentice? Me?!"
She gestured furiously, hammer clanging.
"Fine! Call them! I'll forge circles around them and make them my apprentices!"
Bai Chen crossed his arms, pretending to consider it.
"We can arrange that.
But… if you want a challenge, you'll need a piece worth showing first.
No one's going to take a rookie seriously if you've got nothing to your name."
She glared, unamused.
"Think about it," he continued.
"If some random kid came to you asking for a duel, could barely hold a hammer — would you bother?"
Her hammer lowered a fraction.
He smiled.
"Exactly. You wouldn't. So why would a master?"
Tinkatuff looked down, thinking hard — then gave a reluctant nod.
"Good. Then here's the plan:
Craft something that speaks for itself.
When they see your work, then they'll listen. Understand?"
After a long silence, she finally nodded again — firm this time.
Then, to Bai Chen's surprise, she held out the Nergigante katana.
"Ya-ma."
"This one?" he said, shaking his head.
"No. That blade's not yours alone. You upgraded my iron sword.
If I were you, I'd be embarrassed to call that a personal masterpiece."
She blinked at the katana, expression shifting — pride crumbling into disgust.
"That thing… was made by those guys?"
She dropped it on the ground with a dull clang.
Bai Chen chuckled.
"That's the spirit.
A real craftsman doesn't cling to half-finished work.
I'm poor, though, so I'll just have to keep using it for now."
He bent to pick it up — only for the Tinkatuff to kick it out of his hand, hammer raised in defiance.
"No! You're not using that blade!"
Bai Chen blinked, then sighed with a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Heh. So that's how it is, huh?
Fine, fine… We'll forge something better. Together."
Her eyes flickered with surprise — then determination.
The spark of a smith who'd just been challenged.
The start of a partnership neither of them quite expected.
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