Author's Note:

Happy New Year everybody! Wow, this is my first update of 2024! Geez…

Hopefully this year goes a bit better for me. For all of you too!

Enjoy this chapter!

Carmine clapped her hands together, "Okay, Juliana. I'll let you decide where we head first! Let's get all of Ogerpon's masks back!"

Juliana was ready, "Yeah, let's go! Tinkaton? You all good?"

Tinkaton gave a daring smile with a firm grip on her giant hammer. Juliana was happy to see her firecracker sharing the energy, "Of course you are! You're always ready for action!"

The pink Pokémon looked at Ogerpon and nodded in assurance. To which Ogerpon reacted happily.

"Let's hurry it up then! Those masks won't return themselves!" Carmine stated. Her choice of words made Juliana laugh, "Aha! I wish they would!"

"Yeah, but they won't!" Carmine argued as they headed off down Reveler's Road in the direction of Paradise Barrens where Okidogi would be lurking. Tinkaton picked up her pace to be slightly ahead of the gang.

Carmine noticed this, "Heh, pink is a real go-getter isn't she?"

Juliana grinned, "You bet she is! She's my little firecracker!"

Carmine replied, "I swear. It's like the universe reached into your brain, specifically your brain, to create this Pokémon. She was MADE for you Juliana!"

Juliana laughed, "Ahahaha! You're not the first person to tell me that Carmine! Every other person I've met has told me the same thing!

Carmine shook her head, "I'm not surprised. So, she's been on your team for quite some time, huh?"

"Yup! Since the beginning of my journeys! I found her when she was just a little Tinkatink." Juliana took out her phone and began scrolling through her pictures. She stopped when she found an older photo with Tinkaton as a Tinkatink.

She held it up to Carmine, "See? This is what she looked like!"

"Aw, how adorable!" Carmine observed, "Wow, I never would've guessed! She's so tiny here!"

"Poor girl was getting attacked by some other Pokémon." Juliana recalled, "But Koraidon scared them away and I asked her to join us afterward. She did!"

Carmine was intrigued, "Well now… how cool!"

Tinkaton turned around and swung her hammer once. Juliana smiled, "Yes Tinkaton, we know how strong you are now. You'd never get beat up now!"

Ogerpon looked at Tinkaton with starry eyed wonder. The ogre Pokemon approached her with a smile and hopped. Tinkaton responded with a warm smile back and gave Ogerpon a friendly pat. After the two Pokemon shared a giggle, the gang watched her take a few steps back, then suddenly jump into the air with a grip on her hammer and brought it down roughly on the ground in front of her. This made the ground tremble slightly.

Carmine was startled, "Wah! What was that for, huh!?" She clenched her fists.

Juliana laughed, "It's okay Carmine! Tinkaton is just showing Ogerpon what she's gonna do once she sees the lousy three!"

"Okay fine! But can't she be a little more gentle about it!?" Carmine demanded with a scared face.

Juliana teased, "Sorry Carmine, that's just in her nature! So NOPE!"

"Ugh, give me a break!" Carmine groaned.

Ogerpon was happily waving her hooded arms in applause at Tinkaton's prowess. Tinkaton returned a friendly gaze to Ogerpon.

Juliana noticed the warmth between the two, "I'm so happy to see them getting along!"

Carmine was pleased too although she was trying to act chill, "Yeah, that's a good thing."

Juliana looked at Ogerpon and thought to herself, "Wow… Those two seem to have a real special bond… I wonder if… nah… I can't think about that. Probably won't happen anyway." She stopped and turned her head toward the direction of the village, "I hope Kieran's okay… I wonder what he's up to."

"Juliana! You fall asleep or something? Come on!"

Juliana looked to see the gang had gotten ahead of her a bit. Juliana called back, "Sorry! Coming!" And she ran to catch up.

When they entered the Paradise Barrens, Tinkaton felt the terrain under her feet turn from cool grass to dry dirt. The discomfort was minor thankfully, especially with her mind focused on the battle ahead. Ogerpon was visibly nervous to confront the ones that had caused her unimaginable pain in the past, but Tinkaton looked at her with the courage of a warrior mixed with the comfort of a mentor.

Ogerpon could see this and trusted her.

Tinkaton stopped to face Ogerpon and made a few encouraging noises. Ogerpon was hesitant and tried to cover her face with her arms. But Tinkaton was patient and gave her another encouraging pat. This helped Ogerpon feel more at ease.

Juliana spoke, "Sorry I spaced out. I was wondering what Kieran is up to now."

Carmine sighed, "I don't know Juliana. I hope he's not still upset…"

Juliana felt bad and thought to herself, "Lying to him was a bad idea… Ugh, now that I think about it. Ogerpon didn't want to take the mask back from him. I hope he wasn't hurt by that…"

Tinkaton could sense her trainer was worried. She approached her and tapped her legs. When Juliana looked down, Tinkaton smiled up at her, trying to assure her. Juliana smiled, "It's gonna be okay, firecracker."

That's when they saw him. The one called Okidogi. He stood tall in the open area. With very little surrounding him he was easy to spot.

"Aha! There he is, let's go!" Carmine commanded.

Juliana recoiled, "Ugh, still gross…"

Tinkaton was ready to go.

Once they got close, Okidogi turned to face his aggressors. When he spotted Tinkaton, he immediately got fired up and growled a sinister growl while flexing his muscles. An unfazed Tinkaton readied herself for battle.

That's when Juliana and Carmine noticed that something was a bit different.

Carmine pointed it out, "Hey, I may be wrong about this, but… has it gotten bigger since we saw it last!?"

Juliana replied, "It has! It must have been from the food it got from the village!"

"No matter! Come on, Juliana! Let's cut this brute down to size!"

Ogerpon rushed to hide behind Juliana. Poking her head out from behind her legs to catch a glimpse of the terrifying brute. She recoiled and trembled.

Tinkaton remained fearless as she stared down the bigger Pokemon. The fact that it had indeed grown in size did not affect her in the slightest. Okidogi stared right back at her, both were not willing to break the fierce gaze they were holding on one another. It was time to battle.

Carmine sent out her Morpeko to join the battle.

"That scarf is way too stylish for the likes of you!" Carmine shouted at the thief, "I'm gonna teach you to sit, the hard way!"

Juliana energetically commanded, "All right Tinkaton, let's show this thug how we handle crooks! Give it a Gigaton Hammer!"

Tinkaton grinned in a devilish manner, tightly gripped her hammer and used her whole body to swing her huge hammer. Unfortunately, Okidogi leapt out of the way and the attack missed.

Juliana exclaimed, "What!?"

Carmine reacted, "Morpeko, use Aura Wheel!"

Morpeko attacked with energy stored with it's cheeks. The fast move hit successfully.

"Haha! Can't dodge that huh!?" Carmine taunted, "Juliana, let your leader take this one all right?"

Juliana retorted, "Oh, but I'm just getting started! Tinkaton use Play Rough!"

Tinkaton immediately rushed up to Okidogi and played rough, and she enjoyed every single smack she gave him. Okidogi yelped out in distress trying to escape but Tinkaton was not going to let up.

Juliana had a good laugh at the sight of her firecracker giving a good beating to a much larger, more intimidating beast. Carmine on the other hand, looked just about ready to face-palm, "Heh… real cute…"

Then Morpeko got hangry and turned purple with glowing red eyes. Carmine took advantage of this, "Now Morpeko, use lash out!"

Morpeko lashed out to vent it's frustrations on Okidogi. Tinkaton jumped out of the way to allow Morpeko to attack. After attacking, Morpeko took a seed it had hidden away and munched it down, turning back to it's more adorable form. The two battling Pokemon shared supportive glances.

With Okidogi still dazed from the attacks, Juliana saw her chance. Tinkaton saw it coming and got herself ready. That's when Juliana commanded, "Tinkaton, Gigaton Hammer!"

Once again, Tinkaton clutched her hammer firmly. Then with her whole body she swung her mighty hammer. Okidogi didn't have the energy to dodge this time and was met with the hammer. He went flying off across the ground, far off into the distance.

Juliana cheered, "Woo hoo! Way to go, Tinkaton! You sure showed him!"

Carmine yelled in the direction of Okidogi, "That's what you get!" She then turned to Juliana, "Hey that was a cool hit and all. But I'm not giving up my title as leader, okay!? Don't even think about it!"

Juliana rolled her eyes with a sneaky smile, "Sure, sure."

Tinkaton had noticed something on the ground. When she approached it, she saw it was a mask. It was mostly gray with blue accents. She looked at Carmine, then giggled when a mischievous plan came to mind. She picked up the mask and held it up to her face, then silently approached Carmine and tapped her in the leg.

Carmine looked down, "What is i-AAAGGH!" She was startled by Tinkaton's mask face.

Ogerpon was thrilled to see one of her masks returned and rushed to Tinkaton, who graciously handed over the mask to her new friend.

"That wasn't funny!" Carmine snapped, not happy over being startled.

Juliana laughed, "Oh, relax Carmine! Look how happy Ogerpon is with a mask back! So cute!"

Carmine sighed, then chuckled, "Heh, those masks are real special to you, huh Ogerpon? All right, we got one mask back!"

Juliana smiled, "The mask. It's so… chunky looking! How does she wear it? Oh well, at least she has it now!"

Ogerpon affirmed that with an energetic dance. Meanwhile, Tinkaton had felt major satisfaction giving that brute a good beating. She hadn't felt that way since traversing into Area Zero back in Paldea and keeping the Corvikight at bay. She couldn't wait to do it again with the other two. Especially that feathered fiend that tried to flirt to gain the upper hand. Ew! Just thinking about it made her cringe. She was ready to pound that one flat.

"Come on everyone, let's take a picture!" Juliana announced.

The picture was a good one. With the camera above them facing down. Ogerpon was the main focus, holding up her mask victoriously. Tinkaton was beside her with her hammer held up. Juliana and Carmine smiling in the background.

While Juliana giggled at the photo, Carmine declared, "Come on, let's go find the other two! I say we go after that cocky one next!"

Juliana agreed, "That sounds great! Come on Tinkaton and Ogerpon! Let's get those other masks!"

Tinkaton was a bit disappointed that they weren't choosing the feathered one to beat up next. But she was content with saving the one she wanted to injure most for last.

But hey, the overconfident one will be fun to defeat too…