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| Season | Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope (Horizons Season 3) · The Six Heroes unleashed arc (HZ109–HZ111) |
| Episode | Horizons Season 3, episode 20 · English episode 1333 · Japanese episode 1342 · Bulbapedia code HZ109 |
| English title | Tinkatuff’s Hammer Wasn’t Made in a Year! |
| Japanese title | ナカヌチャン、最強ハンマーの作り方 Nakanuchan, Saikyō Hanmā no Tsukurikata — “How Nakanuchan Makes the Ultimate Hammer” |
| First aired (Japan) | 5 September 2025 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 20 March 2026 · Netflix |
| Screenplay | Kimiko Ueno |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | GET BACK – Yuzu · Ready Go – ME:I |
| English opening | Evolving Again – Haven Paschall |
| Previous episode | Taking the Next Steps (HZ108) |
| Next episode | The Six Heroes Unleashed! (HZ110) |
Plot episodeTinkatuff evolves into TinkatonThe warehouse trap
Tinkatuff’s Hammer Wasn’t Made in a Year! is the 20th episode of Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope, the third season of the Pokémon anime, and the 1333rd episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 1342, Bulbapedia code HZ109). It first aired in Japan on 5 September 2025 and in the United States on 20 March 2026. It falls within the season’s The Six Heroes unleashed stretch (EP109–EP111).
Released on Netflix in the US on Friday 20 March 2026 with the rest of Part 2; BBC iPlayer had premiered it in the UK on 27 February 2026.
Synopsis
While a lost Tinkatuff hunts for the perfect iron for her hammer, Dot stumbles on Coral and Sidian after their Flying Taxi crashes, and Tinkatuff evolves into Tinkaton to win the battle — just as Liko, Roy and Ult walk into an Explorers trap. On the Brave Olivine the younger Tacklers watch Coral and Sidian promote Strong Spheres to an eager crowd, and Liko receives a message from Cervantis agreeing to meet them at an Exceed warehouse. Dot’s Gimmighoul, ignored while she updates the team’s intel, climbs to the top of the airship and spots Tinkatuff searching a scrapyard for iron. Gimmighoul finds coins of its own, Tinkatuff protects it from an intimidating Scrafty, but construction workers carry off the piece of iron she had chosen. Elsewhere, fans mob Coral and Sidian until a woman claiming to be their manager bundles them into a Flying Taxi whose Cabbie, reluctant to fly towards Corviknight territory, agrees once he recognises Coral.
As the ship takes off, Tinkatuff spots her iron on a passing truck and leaps off to follow it; distracted by Skwovet and Greedent, she soon realises she is lost. Dot sends the others ahead to the meeting and sets out with Murdock to find her. Tinkatuff becomes fascinated by a Corviknight’s feathers, hits it with a rock and chases it just as the Flying Taxi crashes nearby; Dot arrives to find Coral and Sidian stepping out, while the Cabbie and his Corviknight flee in terror from Tinkatuff. Realising the message to Liko was a trap, Dot decides to battle the admins. Quaxwell’s Liquidation kicks Glalie’s Ice Spinner back, but Sidian’s Garganacl joins in and the Explorers overwhelm Quaxwell while Dot helps Tinkatuff build her hammer. Gimmighoul steps in to protect Tinkatuff; its Astonish barely affects Glalie, and when it is knocked down it chooses to carry a Corviknight feather to Tinkatuff rather than recover its spilled coins.
The new hammer is finished but too heavy for anyone to lift. As Coral prepares to have Glalie finish the group, Tinkatuff hoists the hammer and evolves into Tinkaton, and a single Brutal Swing sends the charging Glalie flying; the two admins run after it. Dot congratulates Tinkaton, then remembers she needed to warn her friends about the trap — but unknown to her, Liko, Roy and Ult have already reached the warehouse and are facing Indi and Rubina. The English title echoes HZ070’s “Tinkatink’s Hammer Wasn’t Made in a Day,” the episode in which Tinkatink evolved, and in the initial Japanese airing a trailer for the conclusion of Mega Voltage replaced the end segment. Liko, Roy, Dot and Pagogo narrate the preview.
Major Events
- Tinkatuff evolves into Tinkaton. Gimmighoul uses Astonish
- Tinkatuff builds a hammer with a Corviknight feather and evolves, and its Brutal Swing ends Dot’s battle with Coral and Sidian
- A fake message from Cervantis lures Liko, Roy and Ult into a trap
- The English title echoes HZ070’s
- A trailer for the end of Mega Voltage replaced the end segment in Japan
Captures and evolutions
Tinkatuff → Tinkaton#0959 · Dot · lifting the hammer she built with a Corviknight feather
Trivia
- The English title plays on the proverb “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, by way of HZ070’s “Tinkatink’s Hammer Wasn’t Made in a Day”, in which Tinkatink evolved.
- The screenplay is by Kimiko Ueno.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Rising Volt Tacklers storyline.
Part of our Pokémon Horizons: Rising Hope guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.