What If Ash was in Pokemon Horizons?

Tinkatink's Ideal Hammer

With the Brave Olivine still heading for Paldea, Dot does a Nidothing livestream. One of her commenters says that they can't hear her, and as she tries to fix the problem, the computer ends up falling apart, leaving the video on standby. Ash and Liko come running to Dot's door to make sure she's okay. Upon opening the door, Liko covers her eyes at the sight of Dot coming out of the Nidothing costume, trying to make herself believe that Nidothing is Nidothing and that there is nobody inside her. A dejected Dot decides to cancel the livestream.

Friede decides to make Tetsuron Town their next stop to stock up on supplies, which thrills Orla since she is running low on iron for ship repairs. Liko asks about the town, and Mollie says that it's a place famous for industrial products, which include machines. Dot contacts Liko, requesting a new mic if she's going; a condenser-type unidirectional cardioid.

Liko: A what?

Ash: Sorry Dot, we have no idea what you're talking about, why don't you come with us?

Dot becomes nervous, but Roy thinks it's a good idea. However, Murdock insists that Dot already has so much to do, making Dot shudder anxiously. The ship arrives outside Tetsuron Town, and as everyone goes outside to see it, Dot comes out having decided to go out shopping.

In the town, Ash, Dot, Liko, and Roy get the mic Dot needs from a store. Dot walks the three around, eventually arriving at the specialty shop district. Ash, Liko and Roy decide to check it out, and Dot simply smiles and complies. As Ash looks at an old phone, Liko looks at an old TV and Roy checks out an old radio, Dot obtains a pink microphone to use as a prop for her videos. Dot then notices that Ash, Liko and Roy are gone. She takes out her phone to call them but realizes that they'll think she got lost if she calls them.

Ash walks around the shopping center, but he stops when he passes a random booth, and Applin comes out of his ball and moves excitedly towards it

Ash: You spot something you like buddy?

Pikachu: Pika?

Applin gestures towards a sign on the booth, it reads "Syrupy Apples! Fresh from the land of Kitikami! Only 500 Pokédollars!

Ash sees that it looks like no one runs the booth, but Applin really wants one, so he leaves some money there and takes one

Ash: Here ya go Applin!

Applin levaes its old applie and goes into his new one, and starts to glow Ash stands in shock, its evolving!

The shine stops as Applin appears covered in red syurp and a long rod between it's eyes

Ash: Who's that pokemon?

Ash pulls out his pokedex

Rotom: Dipplin, the Candy Apple Pokémon and the evolved form of Applin, a grass and dragon type, Dipplin is two creatures in one Pokémon. Its evolution was triggered by a special apple grown only in one place, Dipplin's signature move is Syrup Bomb

Ash: Wow! congrats Dipplin! You evolved!

Ash and Pikachu embrace their newly evolved friend.

Meanwhile, Dot soon comes across a Tinkatink trying to take a worker's iron hammer, despite his pleas not to. The tearful Tinkatink runs towards him, but trips over a rock, dropping her hammer. Dot hands Tinkatink her hammer before the Metalsmith Pokémon becomes amazed seeing the pink microphone she got, taking it and hitting it with her hammer to Dot's dismay. She scans Tinkatink with her Pokédex, realizing that Tinkatink is trying to turn her new mic into a new hammer. After watching Tinkatink for a bit, Dot hears Liko and Roy calling for her. She looks at Tinkatink before heading to their location, which doesn't go unnoticed by the Metalsmith Pokémon. With Dot meeting up with the two, Liko thinks Dot got lost, to which the latter says that they were the ones who were lost. Tinkatink finishes her new hammer and is satisfied with the results, Ash reunites with everyone else and shows off Dipplin, and the others are impressed and excited for it.