Chapter 37: My Little Ponyta
Thirty days in jail would seem like a long time for some. For Julia, Caiseal, and Perrine, it certainly would be a long time. Thankfully, there was a lot to do in Mahogany Town, so they weren't completely bored. Plus, the Pokemon League was still a long ways away, so they had all the time in the world. Time tends to go by rather fast when people are having fun, so sticking around wouldn't be a waste of time. A lot could happen in thirty days. Perrine swapped Marius and Luminita for Fuwari and Chirin, and Caiseal swapped Geo and Stacey for Ravenclaw and Flippy. Seeing their old friends immediately brightened their day, and Julia found herself happy for them.
But that morning, there wasn't time to be made for happy reunions. This was a time for practice battling, and Julia and Caiseal were already piling on the heat.
"Saoirse, use Ice Fang!" Julia cried.
Saoirse, the little pink bulldog, opened her large maw, commanding her teeth to be consumed by ice as she raced toward the black raven Pokemon. Her stubby legs, short as they were, were still strong enough to help her run swiftly.
"Ravenclaw, dodge and use Steel Wing!" Caiseal commanded. Right as Saoirse leaped toward Ravenclaw, the darkness Pokemon flapped her wings once, ascending to the sky and avoiding the attack. Once Saoirse landed on the ground, Ravenclaw let out a cawing noise before her wings glowed in a bright, silvery sheen, turning into steel.
"Murkroooooow!" With a resolve to win stronger than steel, Ravenclaw descended to Saoirse's level, slamming her with her steel wings. The force was strong enough that Saoirse was sent rolling across the battlefield, right into Julia's arms. It was a good thing Saoirse wasn't wearing her pretty dress and ribbons, as that would have gotten both her and her dress dirty.
"Saoirse!" Julia managed to catch the pink bulldog in the nick of time. "You okay, girl?" She could tell from Saoirse's sad expression and the marks on her body that she was in no condition to battle any further.
"Snubbull snubbull…" Saoirse croaked.
Julia smiled, holding the small Pokemon close to her heart. "It's okay! You did your best, and that's all that matters."
"Good job, girl!" Caiseal praised as the proud, victorious Ravenclaw perched on his arm.
"Murkrow murkrow!" ("It feels so good to learn new moves!") The darkness Pokemon boasted, striking a pose as she relished in her victory. "Murkrow kroooow!" ("I oughta use Steel Wing more often!")
Julia wasted no time handing Saoirse an Oran berry. It must be confessed that Saoirse didn't quite take kindly to the Oran berry's hard, dry taste. It had almost no flavor to it, like any taste it had was sucked out of it by a vacuum cleaner. But she knew they were good for getting her strength back, so she ate the berry without complaint, like she always did.
"Hey, Jule!" Caiseal ran over to his friend, prompting Julia to stand back up. "Sorry about that defeat. Is Saoirse okay?"
"She's fine," Julia told him reassuringly.
Even Ravenclaw couldn't help but feel a little guilty about having defeated someone as sweet as Saoirse in a battle. Ravenclaw flew over to the pink bulldog and cawed, "Murkrow kroww?"
Good thing Saoirse got her strength back, as she simply smiled and flashed a thumb's up. "Snubbull snub snubbull!" Ravenclaw smiled and returned to perching on Caiseal's shoulder, happy that the battle didn't completely knock the wind out of her. Still, the taste of victory was oh so delicious, especially after spending a long while at Caiseal's house.
"You guys are doing great," Perrine complimented as she set Baloo down to play with the other Pokemon. Ravenclaw and Saoirse wasted no time following their friend and engaging in play. "Hey Jule, you're so ready to battle Pryce. It's a shame he's not here, though."
"That's alright! I've done some research over the past week, and I think we have a good strategy for how we can beat him," Julia explained.
"I'm gonna go get some new shoes," Perrine showed her friends the brown shoes she had worn since she first met Julia. To say they were in tatters would be an understatement. The soles had grown completely grey from exposure to the elements. The front of Perrine's left shoe had a huge hole in it, resulting in her big toe sticking right out, even if it was covered by her white tights. Her right shoe still bore dirt and water marks, and one part of the soles had been ripped right off. "These have clearly seen better days."
"So true," Caiseal mused, looking down at his own sneakers. Similar to Perrine's, his white ones had turned greyish brown, also from exposure to the elements and the earth beneath his feet. But they weren't in terrible condition like Perrine's were. With that in mind, they let Perrine run to the local shoe store to get some new ones.
Although the autumn air around them was frigid and had an icy, biting taste to it, Caiseal and Julia found some time to buy jackets and dress warmly, and for the most part, it was still nice out, so it wasn't so bad. Caiseal sat down on a big tree stump to brush Mallow's hide. Julia was close by, keeping an eye on the Pokemon, making sure they weren't causing trouble or fighting amongst themselves. Being the restless girl she was, however, standing around in the cold was not something Julia liked doing, and the breeze's barbed caress was enough to make her wish she had stayed inside.
In that moment, she turned toward Caiseal, who gingerly brushed his bonekeeper friend's fur with a smile on his face. A memory popped right back into her head: When he and Perrine first visited her at the hospital, Caiseal had mentioned that his mother hated and abandoned him. He had let it slip out, and nobody dared to bring it up since then. But it had probed at Julia's mind for quite a while. That was when she realized she hardly knew anything about Caiseal. Well, she knew what he liked and didn't like, his overall personality, and that he had changed since they first met. His family life, on the other hand, was something he always seemed intent on keeping secret. Sure, she knew he had adoptive parents, which was good.
Spurred by an innate curiosity, Julia found herself walking toward the stump he sat on. As much as Julia wanted to respect his wishes and privacy, however, the thirst for knowledge seized her.
"Hey, Caiseal?"
"Hm? What is it?"
"Ummm…" Julia found herself pausing as both Caiseal and Mallow turned her way. How could she ask it, and in a way that wouldn't make her come off as weird, intrusive, or creepy? She wished asking questions wouldn't be so hard. But she had to try. He knew her enough to know that she never meant any harm or had malicious intent for just about anything. Surely, he would understand. "Do you remember when you and Perrine first visited me in the hospital?"
"Yeah. What of it?"
"I…I…I know...you don't like talking about this, and I completely understand…" Already, Julia found herself shifting around, keeping her hands in a tight hold. "But...you had mentioned that your...your real mother...abandoned you. Is...is that true?"
It took only seconds for a dark look to come down on Caiseal's face. Not so dark that he looked dead serious, but enough to make Julia immediately regret asking it. Did she unknowingly push a button she shouldn't have? The last thing she wanted to do was make anyone mad, especially her friends. "S-S-Sorry! I just-"
"It's alright," Strangely, Caiseal's voice was calm. "I get it. You're just curious, right?"
"Marowak?" Mallow put in his two cents also.
"Yeah," Julia took in a deep breath before exhaling. Relax. Calm down. He understands. Steeling herself to go on, Julia continued. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. I get it, and I know...I should always respect people's privacy and not pry into their lives, but...I just...I kind of want to understand you better. I mean...we are friends after all, and...I recently realized that even though we've been traveling together since we met at Goldenrod...I don't really know much of anything about you, but you know a lot about Perrine and I and where we came from."
Not once did Caiseal get angry, lose himself in his emotions, or interrupt Julia as she talked. He just kept a calm silence about him and listened as his shy friend expressed herself. In a way, she was right. He never told either girl about his life before meeting them. It wasn't their business, and all he wanted was to put it all behind him, never to take it back out again. Too bad once Julia battled Pryce, they'd have to go to Blackthorn City, his hometown. Plus, what good would it do for them to know about his past? They didn't know anything, and telling them wouldn't do anything in the long run.
"Marowak?" Mallow put a hand on Caiseal's, giving a reassuring nod, as if he was telling him it was okay to open up. She was his friend, and she only wanted to understand him better. Caiseal smiled, grateful for his faithful friend's reassurance. This gave him the nudge he needed to finally answer her.
"Yeah. It's true. Before I met you guys, my life...wasn't exactly ideal," Caiseal began. Julia sat down next to him, staying quiet so she could listen. "I don't feel like boring you with all the details. But...let's just say...my real mom...never liked me."
Julia cringed. She couldn't imagine a mother not loving her child. Growing up, her parents always showered her and Amara with all the love in the world. She remembered one time when an old lady was talking bad about her and Amara, and her mother told her off rather spectacularly. How old was she when that happened? Seven or eight? She wasn't sure. She made a mental note to ask Kassia about it later. Not only that, she had seen plenty of documentaries and movies about kids who didn't have ideal home lives. Chanel's own father frequently beat her. Good thing Kassia and Amara helped her out and called the police on him back then.
"My adoptive mother, Yvette, was actually my elementary school teacher," Caiseal explained. "She just seemed to know that something was up with me, and always treated me like I was her own…"
"That's nice," Julia piped in. "What's she like?"
Caiseal cracked a smile. "You'd like her. She's super nice. She loves Pokemon and taught me everything I know about them. She's more of a mother to me than my real one ever was. For one, she cared about whether I was happy, upset, or angry, and never acted like me or my feelings didn't matter, and she didn't treat me like-"
"Hm?"
"...like…" Caiseal suddenly found himself unable to continue. His voice steadily grew lower, but Julia's hypersensitive ears could still make out some words. One of them was, "...a monster."
"What?"
All of a sudden, Caiseal stood up. "You know what? Just forget it. This isn't worth it-"
Before he could finish, a loud, piercing scream pulled everyone out of their reveries. Off into the distance, Caiseal and Julia could make out a small figure and a light blue elephant shaped Pokemon running across a meadow. Upon closer inspection, it was a boy, and he was shouting, "Heeeeeelp! It's trying to kill meeeeeee!"
"Phanpyyyyyy!" The little light blue Pokemon raced to keep up, but its short legs could barely carry it any longer.
It didn't take much for them to figure out that the boy was in danger. But what was trying to kill him? The answer galloped right out of a thicket, in hot pursuit of the frightened child. A cream colored horse with dark, raging eyes and a flaming red mane and tail sprinted across the meadow, letting out harsh neighs as its hooves stomped the grass beneath it. Flaming red embers shot out from its mouth, almost hitting the boy, had he not managed to dodge them all in the nick of time.
"Hey! It's a Ponyta!" Caiseal exclaimed, pulling out his PokeDex.
"Ponyta, the fire horse Pokemon. About an hour after birth, its fiery mane and tail grow out, giving it an impressive appearance. When it is first born, it is very weak, can barely stand, and cannot run. It gradually becomes faster and its legs grow stronger through chasing its parents and jumping over grass every day. Because it constantly trains by jumping over obstacles, it has become known as a world-class jumper, so much so that it can jump over the Kalos Prism Tower in a single leap, and its hooves are ten times harder than diamond, sturdy enough to absorb the impact of landing, and its body is light enough to withstand any fall. They can kick anything, and can trample over anything, making it flat in no time at all," A female sign appeared in the corner of the screen.
Both trainers had seen Ponyta before. But never before had they seen one actually chase someone before, and looking like they were about to murder someone for that matter. This Ponyta kept on chasing the young boy with every ounce of strength its legs had in her. It didn't necessarily help that the Ponyta didn't even give the boy time to escape, let alone stop and take a break. All Julia and Caiseal knew was that the boy was in danger, and they needed to do something.
This Ponyta was intent to kill that boy by any means necessary.
Julia, Caiseal, and the Pokemon were in hot pursuit of the Ponyta. The first thing they needed to do was make sure it didn't hurt the boy. Could they distract it? They had many options, and if they went with that idea, the boy could stop and hide somewhere. But on impulse, Julia found herself pulling out one of the Luxury Balls she bought earlier in the month. Now proved to be a good time to use them. Without a word, she threw that black PokeBall at the Ponyta with a great throw. The ball bounced off of the fire horse's back, turning her into red light before sucking her right into the PokeBall.
"Whoa! Nice one!" For once, Caiseal was impressed. Finally, the boy and his Pokemon stopped to take a breath.
At first, she had no idea why she suddenly threw that Luxury Ball at Ponyta. Upon further reflection, maybe she figured that would be the fastest way to distract it. The Luxury Ball wobbled back and forth, back and forth. Caiseal ran over to the kid and his Phanpy, both of whom were on their knees, gasping for breath like they had been running a marathon.
"Hey there. Are you okay?" Caiseal asked.
"Yeah...I think...oh lord...everything hurts…" The boy, slightly younger than they, panted with every word he spoke. "Thanks...name's...Mikey…"
Just when relief was about to wash over little Mikey, the Luxury Ball was forced open, and a white light came spiraling out from the ball, materializing back into the Ponyta. Once the fire horse was out of the PokeBall, she turned right toward Julia, shooting a glare right in her direction. If looks could kill, Julia would certainly be dead upon seeing the sheer hate in the fire horse's eyes. How dare this random human attempt to capture it!
"Saoirse, use Headbutt!" Julia commanded.
"Snubbull!" Her original tiredness having faded, Saoirse raced toward the horse and rammed her head on Ponyta's body. She would have sent the horse rolling to the ground, had Ponyta not managed to dig her hooves into the ground and keep herself from falling over. All of a sudden, the horse let out a neigh before her body was suddenly trapped in a ball of fire. It didn't bother her one bit, and Ponyta charged right at the pink bulldog.
"Dodge and use Scary Face!"
Saoirse attempted to dodge, but the fire horse was just too fast. The Flame Wheel attack struck Saoirse once more, sending her flying. Julia quickly called the bulldog back to her PokeBall within seconds, not wanting to risk her friend getting hurt again.
"Come on!" Caiseal took Mikey by the arm and hoisted him up. "This way. It's safe here," He escorted the boy and his Phanpy away from the battle.
"Lucretia, use Shadow Ball!" Julia commanded again.
"Eevui!" The furry feline bounded down onto the scene, firing a black sphere of energy right at Ponyta. Even though the sphere exploded upon contact, the Ponyta was barely fazed. Before long, the enraged fire horse began stomping her hooves down onto the ground with clear intent on squashing Lucretia like a bug. Good thing Lucretia dodged every single Stomp attack, being the agile little feline that she was.
All of a sudden, the flaming mare's eyes began to glow in an eerie purple light. Then, with a mighty neigh, she stomped her hooves down into the ground and fired purple beams of light at Lucretia. "Eevui!" Lucretia did a quick backflip, dodging every attack the angry mare fired at her. But what was that attack?
"What the-?!" Even Caiseal and Mikey found themselves completely dumbfounded. Never before had they seen a Ponyta display that attack before. "What attack was that?!"
When in doubt, consult the PokeDex. Julia pulled hers out to check the Ponyta's attacks. "Flame Wheel, Stomp…" Her pupils shrunk upon reading the last two attacks. "Solarbeam?! And Hypnosis?!"
Caiseal heard her even though he was ten feet away. All the color seemed to seep out of his face. "It's kidding, right?!"
"Look out!" Mikey suddenly cried.
"Eevuuuuuuui!" One of Ponyta's hooves struck Lucretia across her abdomen, sending her to the ground. Not so hard that she broke any bones or was unable to battle, but both trainers could tell that this Ponyta was clearly out for blood.
"Don't give up, Lulu! Knock it out with Quick Attack!" Julia cried, hoping to get things back in her favor. Shaking off the pain of that Stomp, Lucretia's body glowed white as she sprinted toward the flaming mare. This time, she was the one that landed the hit. Ponyta fell to the ground, surprised at the mighty strength the tiny ball of fur suddenly displayed.
Julia pulled out another Luxury Ball and threw it right at the fallen mare. Caiseal's pupils shrunk as the red light pulled Ponyta into the ball. "Julia, are you crazy?! Don't try to catch it anymore! You'll get yourself hurt or even killed!" His fear was justified. Usually, Julia was a lot smarter than this. Maybe she had some kind of plan she didn't want to tell him about. Ignoring him, Julia crossed her fingers, watching the Luxury Ball wobble back and forth, the light on the ball blinking, until…
Crack! Went the capsule as it popped open once more, and Ponyta let out a piercing neigh upon its materialization. Thundering hooves crashed onto the ground, and the flames on her mane and back danced with rage, blazing so much that the air around it shimmered.
"Come on, Julia! Let's get out of here!" Caiseal screamed, wishing she'd listen to him this time. This Ponyta was out for blood.
Ignoring him, Julia kept her eyes focused on the mare. Something inside her was stirring, some kind of crazed energy that she was determined to let erupt. Seeing this Ponyta break out of the Luxury Ball twice told her that this flaming mare was quite strong. Stronger than any other Ponyta she had seen or met. Normally, she would be smart enough to know that she and most of her other Pokemon facing off against this fierce, dangerous Pokemon was not a favorable matchup.
Oddly enough, the vibe coming from this Ponyta did not deter her from catching it, nor was it bad. In fact, she found herself liking this horse's ferocity and obstinate personality. Plus, she realized she hadn't caught a fire type as of yet. Now was her chance to try and make a new friend.
"Eevui?" Lucretia got back on her feet, giving her trainer a grin full of courage, like she seemed to sense Julia's feelings. The Soothe Bell around her neck gave off a gentle ring.
"Think you can go on?"
"Vee!" Lucretia nodded.
Seeing that her opponents weren't going to give up, the Ponyta neighed once more, surrounding herself in flames. Lucretia's ears twitched as the ball of fire came charging right at her. On Julia's command, the evolution Pokemon leaped backward, firing a Shadow Ball right at Ponyta's face, managing to dispel the flames. All of a sudden, white rectangles of energy suddenly materialized, surrounding Lucretia before flying right onto Ponyta's body.
"Whoa! What was that attack?!" Julia yanked her PokeDex out for a third time, looking over Lucretia's attacks. One of them she didn't recognize. "...Trump Card?"
"Pikapi!" ("Now's your chance!") Hikaru suddenly piped in, pointing at both Lucretia and the flaming Ponyta.
Julia understood, nodding in Hikaru's direction before shouting, "Lucretia! Use Trump Card again!"
"Veeeee!" Once again, Lucretia fired shining, card-shaped rectangles at the Ponyta. The mare valiantly attempted another Flame Wheel, but she couldn't call forth her flames in time. Soon, she was on the ground.
"Luxury Ball, go! And catch her this time!" Julia threw yet another Luxury Ball, watching as Ponyta was sucked in a third time. Everyone held their breath, even Mikey, as they watched the ball wobble back and forth, with the light blinking.
Then...click! The Luxury Ball became dormant, and the light stopped blinking. "Wow! You actually caught it!" Mikey shouted out of the blue, relieved that the mare would no longer pursue him.
"Eevui!" Lucretia came bounding down the meadow, snuggling up against Julia's leg as soon as her trainer picked up the ball.
"Good job, girl. You were awesome," Julia returned the gesture by stroking her furry friend's head.
Finally, Caiseal and Mikey breathed sighs of relief. "Thanks for saving me back there," Mikey told them. Once they were calm, the two older kids got a better look at Mikey. Sweat poured down his dark skin, dampening his bright red shirt, and his blue jean pants had brown muddy spots all over them. His bushy black hair also had a lot of grass and dirt in it.
"You're welcome!" Caiseal exclaimed. "What happened, anyway?"
Mikey scratched his bushy black hair, laughing ruefully. "It was kinda my fault. Phanpy and I were trying to catch a Pokemon we saw."
"Phanpy phan!" The light blue long nose Pokemon chirruped with a big smile.
"I was trying to get through a bush but I stepped on something hard, and it turned out to be that Ponyta's leg," He explained further. "I had no idea it was even there. Phanpy was no match for it, and it just kept chasing us and firing Ember at us like it wanted to turn us into roast beef!"
"Glad we found you when we did, then!" Julia piped in, looking down at the Luxury Ball in her hand, smiling proudly. She saved a kid from getting seriously hurt and made a new friend at the same time. Her heart grew warm, and the excitement still lingered. "You're not hurt, are you?"
Mikey looked all around himself. He could see a couple scabs on his elbows, but nothing that would require going to a hospital. "Doesn't look like it. Aww, I gotta go! My mom'll flip out if I'm not back by lunch! Thanks again!"
"Phanpyyy!" With that, little Mikey and his faithful Phanpy bounded away, racing toward town.
It was right then that he happened to run past a confused Perrine. "What was that all about? You make a new friend?" She asked as soon as she approached them.
The kids wasted no time telling her what happened. By the end, Perrine's mouth had fallen wide open. "WHAT?! You're kidding, right?! I leave to get new shoes for a few minutes and you almost get yourselves killed by a freaking Ponyta?!" Her shock was justified, though she sounded more worried and concerned than angry.
"Don't worry!" Julia exclaimed. "Everything worked out fine in the end! We saved that kid and I caught a new Pokemon!" She showed Perrine the Luxury Ball containing Ponyta. "Wanna see?"
Perrine raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You're still recovering from sending Geraldine away, and from what you've told me, it sounds like this Ponyta is pretty wild," By wild, she meant dangerous, explosive, and quick to attack. "Are you gonna be able to handle her?"
Julia grimaced. She hated being reminded of that. She knew Perrine was right, though. Geraldine and the memory of sending her away still weighed heavy on her mind. But this was not the time to wallow over her friend. She felt this would be a good way to move on. Plus, that man said that Luxury Balls make it easier for Pokemon and trainers to become friends. She had to take a chance, right?
"If I can't, then I can't," Julia answered. "But I want to see what she's like first. I don't want to give up before I even tried to connect with her. Go, Ponyta!" She threw the Luxury Ball into the air, releasing Ponyta from the capsule.
The first thing the mare did was neigh and shake her head upon being released from the ball. As soon as she laid eyes on the three children, two of which were the ones who tried to attack her with their Pokemon, she immediately glared and adopted a battle stance. All three of them shivered. They had never seen a Ponyta look so angry.
"It's okay! Don't be afraid!" Julia told her in a calm, dulcet voice. "We're not here to hurt you. We want to be friends with you," Julia didn't dare approach the flaming mare. Many Pokemon books she read told her that a Ponyta's mane was red hot, and if she touched them, she would suffer severe second or third degree burns. They wouldn't do so if they actually became friends, but Julia could tell that this mare didn't seem intent on becoming friends.
"Hreeeeee!" ("I have no intention of being friends with anyone, especially not you!") Ponyta let out a harsh, indignant neigh. She couldn't believe it. How could this weak little girl manage to capture her? But just because she did, Ponyta thought that didn't give this girl any right to just claim her as her own. As far as Ponyta knew, she was a free, feral Pokemon, and the last thing she wanted to do was obey a stupid human's orders.
"She...doesn't look too happy," Perrine mused.
Julia turned to face Perrine. "I can see that," Turning back to face the angry mare, Julia continued on. "I'm sorry for startling you back there...and for commanding my Pokemon to attack you. You were chasing that little boy. He didn't mean to step on your foot. It was an accident," She explained as calmly and coolly as possible.
Too bad the mare still wasn't convinced. "Hreeeeehhh!" ("Don't try to trick me! They all do that to me on purpose! You humans are always out to get me!") All of a sudden, she fired small red flames right at the kids. With a yelp, all three of them managed to leap out of the way, evading the tiny flames.
"Hey! Don't do that!" Perrine scolded, waving her fist up and down.
It was here that Caiseal finally saw it. "Whoa! Girls, look at that!" He pointed to one of Ponyta's legs.
The girls looked where he was pointing, and their mouths fell open. Ponyta's front right leg...was completely artificial. Gauze covered the mare's leg just above her knee, with a black metallic prosthesis covering what was left of it from the stump to just below the knee. Protruding from the bottom of the black splint was a silver metal rod with a flat, round circle at the end, serving as her hoof.
To say the kids were flabbergasted would be a colossal understatement. Julia and Caiseal, especially. This Ponyta, the same one who gave them and Mikey a hard time, broke out of a Luxury Ball twice, completely wiped the floor with some of Julia's Pokemon, and wouldn't give anyone a break with her wild temper and strong attacks, had a prosthetic leg. Yet, she went into battle, putting herself and her prosthetic leg in danger. Julia had never seen a Pokemon with a prosthetic limb before. She had heard some stories, like on the internet or on the news, but none of them said anything about a Ponyta having an artificial leg. That was almost unheard of.
Oddly enough, Julia found herself even more impressed upon learning this. Ponyta was strong, there was no denying that. But knowing that this Ponyta didn't let this handicap stop her from battling only made Julia see a different kind of strength in that flaming mare.
"Hrrrgh!" The Ponyta grunted before neighing once more. Julia translated it as, "Of course you're looking at my leg. You humans are responsible for this!"
"You...really don't like humans, do you?" Julia asked.
Ponyta gave her another glare that she could read as saying, "Do you even need to ask?!"
"Ponytaaaaaaa!" A female voice suddenly called out in the distance, echoing. Ponyta looked over her back, pointing her long face in the direction of the Pokemon Center. "Ponyta, where are you?!" Out came a Nurse Joy, dressed in her normal nurse attire. As soon as she turned around, Nurse Joy finally met eyes with the Ponyta. "Oh, there you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" The kids could hear the relief and worry in her voice.
Wait a minute...did this Nurse Joy and Ponyta know each other?
Ponyta's face softened, but she didn't try to come close to Nurse Joy. All of a sudden, Nurse Joy turned around, meeting eyes with the three children. "Oh. I didn't see you three there," She mused. "Thanks for finding her for me."
The kids exchanged confused looks. How were they going to explain this to her?
Julia spoke. "...You know this Ponyta? Because...I caught her."
As with Perrine and Caiseal, Nurse Joy yelped, "What?! You did?!"
Since the Pokemon Center was close by, Nurse Joy decided to take the kids back there so they could explain everything in detail in a more private place. At first, Nurse Joy couldn't quite comprehend that a child caught one of the most stubborn and uncooperative Pokemon she had in her care. But seeing Julia put the fire horse in the Luxury Ball confirmed it, so she found herself able to accept it. She escorted them to a fenced off part of the Pokemon Center very few had access to.
A large piece of meadow was trapped within sturdy white picket fences, and Pokemon of all shapes and sizes frolicked to and fro. The kids were able to recognize many of them: Pikachu, Flaaffy, Phanpy, Chikorita, Houndour, Nidoran, Beedrill, Bellossom, Meowth, Marill, Pidgey, etc. There were also a few that the kids didn't recognize, such as a purplish pink flying scorpion that kept flying from tree to tree.
"What's this?" Perrine asked.
"This is where I place orphaned or abandoned Pokemon," Nurse Joy explained. "Pokemon Centers can also function as orphanages for Pokemon who were either abandoned by their trainers or unable to live out in the wild. This is where Ponyta is from."
"Wait, what?!" Julia suddenly yelped. She actually caught a Pokemon from Nurse Joy's makeshift orphanage. Something about it didn't make sense. "Does that mean...Ponyta is yours?!"
"No, not exactly," Nurse Joy clarified. "Even though these Pokemon are under my care, by law, they're technically classified as wild Pokemon, so trainers can still catch them."
Julia watched as the Pokemon played to their heart's content. She had no idea Ponyta lived here. Had she known, she might have considered taking her back. Then again, considering what happened, Ponyta might have either refused to go back or gave the kids a hard time in doing so. She could tell Nurse Joy knew the fire horse Pokemon better than she did, and perhaps she could provide some answers.
"So...what exactly happened?" Caiseal asked. "We saw her chasing this little kid like she wanted to murder him."
The kids explained what happened in detail, about how Mikey stepped on one of her good legs by accident, and how Ponyta construed the act as deliberate. They ended at the point where Julia managed to successfully catch her. Julia looked down at the Luxury Ball where Ponyta resided. Nurse Joy watched and listened with a solemn yet sympathetic expression. Julia kept her eyes focused on her round, dark pink hair, wondering how she could possibly keep those pigtails in a circular shape. She assumed that maybe she made hair bands that kept them perfectly in place.
"So that's what happened," Nurse Joy mused. "This morning, she had wandered off to do some training by herself. She must have gone past the fence."
They could feel Ponyta's heated, fierce gaze sizing them all up from a distance. They were sure they could feel flames heating them from the toes up the moment the fire horse turned her head in their direction. As Julia looked back, once again, she took notice of Ponyta's artificial limb. A perfect conversation starter.
"What happened to her leg?" Julia didn't mean to be rude when asking this. Innocent curiosity seized her, and a need to consume knowledge of the origins behind Ponyta's disability took hold before her subconscious could scold her otherwise.
Nurse Joy began the tale by explaining that at first, she had heard from her relatives that trainers they came across were being cruel to a Ponyta. The fire horse had been passed around from trainer to trainer, but none of them treated the horse kindly. It was all word of mouth, and Nurse Joy wasn't sure if their stories were true or not. Still, the stories always gnawed at her mind. One day, Nurse Joy found a Ponyta drenched in blood and near death, with her leg having almost been ripped off, hanging on by a stretch of skin. There had been reports of Ursaring attacks in the wild, and Nurse Joy was quick to take the mare to safety.
Unfortunately, even though Nurse Joy saved the horse from death, her leg was beyond help. It had become infected from days of a combination of exposure, blood loss, and other factors. It was shredded to the point that repair was absolutely impossible, so Nurse Joy had to amputate it. Her relatives told her to euthanize it, but Nurse Joy refused. Over the course of a few weeks, she saw that that stubborn Ponyta had a strong desire to survive. Ponyta would run around the meadow on three legs, managing to run despite stumbling along the way, always getting back on her hooves. Nothing would keep her down, not even wild Pokemon breaking into the premises and attacking them.
Eventually, Nurse Joy found someone who specialized in making prosthetic limbs, and paid them to make one for Ponyta. At first, the doctor was reluctant, as making an artificial leg for a Pokemon like Ponyta wasn't a common practice. But seeing the fire horse bleat and gallop and act as though the loss of a leg was merely a blight on her skin convinced him to go through with it. It wasn't without trial and error: Ponyta was, for the most part, uncooperative. She would sometimes fire Ember at anyone who attempted to so much as go near her, and would often kick and bite. They were lucky she didn't bite someone's fingers off or break a few bones with her hooves.
Still, they managed to get the prosthetic leg on her. Ponyta had adjusted to it rather quickly, like she had never lost a leg. But this gesture didn't endear her to humans much, even though she did eventually learn to let them take care of her, especially when it came to making sure she didn't get any infections on what was left of her leg.
"Oh wow. That's some story," Perrine mused once Nurse Joy finished.
Hearing Ponyta's tale of woe only deepened the girl's respect for the fire horse. Even though she was subjected to cruelty and lost a part of her, Ponyta was still so determined to live and be as strong as she could be. Julia respected that kind of determination, and in a way, a pang of envy shot through her. She wished she could be as strong, fierce, stubborn, brave, and determined as the fire horse. Even without her leg, she was still a Ponyta, through and through. The battle they had only cemented that fact.
But Ponyta's hatred of humans...that was another thing entirely.
'What can I do?' Julia asked herself. Considering what happened to Ponyta, she had every right to hate humans. Who wouldn't hate people after going through what she did? But she caught Ponyta before learning this piece of information. She could plainly see that Ponyta had no desire to interact with any human. How could she possibly be friends with her.
Or maybe...they were not meant to be friends?
Julia shook her head. 'No! I'm sure she just needs to be shown a little kindness. Maybe she'll understand in due time!' Julia told herself. She had seen her mother tame even wild beasts like Ursaring and Pinsir. Julia herself managed to bond with a Gyarados. It didn't quite work out, but surely it could work with a Ponyta, right?
The kids decided to hang out at the Pokemon Center for the time being. Their Pokemon needed some TLC. Julia and her Pokemon stayed in the fenced off area, watching the orphaned Pokemon frolic and play...but her eyes still fixated on the lonely mare, who stood by herself, grazing and chomping on grass. A flame burned in Julia's heart. Mustering her courage, she walked right up to the fire horse.
"Umm...hello!" Julia greeted her warmly. Ponyta looked up, giving her a heated glare that made her freeze in place.
"Pfffft!" Ponyta neighed. Julia translated it as, "What do you want, human? Can't you see I'm replenishing my strength?!"
"I...I'm sorry to bother you…"
"Well, you ARE bothering me!" Ponyta neighed in a harsh tone. Julia could feel the metaphorical arrow pierce right through her heart. Wow, this Ponyta was harsh. A little too harsh. Julia figured Ponyta's experiences hardened her and she felt the need to become harsh and volatile just to survive.
Still, she felt like she needed to reach out. Somehow. "Nurse Joy told me about what happened to you."
"Pfffft!" ("I figured. She always does that. Why bother? There's no point in constantly bringing it up.")
"Those people who caught you before...they had no right to treat you the way they did. You deserve better than that," Julia told the mare, her heart aching from recalling Nurse Joy's story of her past.
For a brief moment, Ponyta fell silent, turning her attention to this girl. She was downright speechless. No human had ever said that to her, and in such a kind tone and manner, for that matter. Could this girl be...different? She shook her head. No. It had to be a trick, she convinced herself. For all she knew, this girl might be planning something devious, like using her for her own ends. She was not going to be used by anyone. Not anymore.
"Pffffft!" ("Yeah. I don't deserve that. Isn't it obvious?")
"Ummm...I brought some food for you!" Julia rummaged through her bag to pull out some Pokemon treats she had bought. "They're really good! Would you like some?"
Ponyta's immediate response was to shoot an ember at her. With a yelp, Julia leaped out of the way by two feet, and the flame disappeared in the air. "Hey!" Julia screamed once she comprehended what happened. "I was just trying to be nice!"
"No you weren't!" Ponyta neighed indignantly. "You're trying to poison me with that crap, aren't you?! You humans always put weird stuff in food to make me do your bidding!"
As hurt as she was about the mare constantly comparing her to Pokemon abusers, she didn't want to let her emotions get the better of her. If she did something stupid, everything would be ruined. "This isn't poisoned. I don't even know how to poison stuff, and it's not right to put weird stuff in food. Even I know that." She answered.
"Eevui!" Lucretia picked a piece of food out of Julia's hand and threw it in her mouth. She flashed a big smile the moment she swallowed it. Ponyta raised an eyebrow, giving the evolution Pokemon a quizzical look. Her poison theory was immediately debunked.
"I'll just leave this here for you," Julia slowly crouched down to place the food in front of her. "Feel free to have some if you're hungry. I'll...see you later," She figured Ponyta needed her space, so the girl left with her Pokemon by her side. She decided against putting her back in the Luxury Ball. Something inside her told her that Ponyta might not want to spend time with her at the moment, that she needed time to adjust to her new situation.
However, the mare saw this situation differently. Just because that human caught her, in Ponyta's mind, that didn't give her any right to claim Ponyta as her own. As far as Ponyta was concerned, she was her own horse with her own dreams and ambitions. No way was she going to let yet another stupid human use, abuse, and break her for their own convenience and amusement. There was no room for making friends in her heart. She had hardened it long ago.
But even hardened hearts, trapped in ice, can thaw with enough warmth.
Julia and her friends stayed at the Pokemon Center sometimes, or would camp out when needed, over the next couple weeks. However, Julia always visited the fenced off area where the orphaned Pokemon played, always coming to visit Ponyta. Sure, Ponyta was legally hers, and she could easily force her back into the Luxury Ball, but Julia wanted to respect the horse's wishes. One of them, however, would completely throw her a curveball.
About fifteen days after Julia caught Ponyta, the former had visited her first thing in the morning, once again. The moment Ponyta saw the girl come through the gate, she groaned to herself. Why did this girl keep visiting her? Ponyta was sure the girl only had malice and ulterior motive swirling in her heart. In all her life, no humans ever wanted anything to do with her unless they were using her for their own ends. What was this girl trying to pull? Ponyta had enough. She was going to set the girl straight and finally stand on her own four feet. No more horsing around.
"Hi there!" Once again, Julia greeted the horse warmly. "I bought this stuff called PokePuffs," She opened a grey box, revealing six round treats in varying colors. "My PokeDex says you like spicy stuff, so they're all perfectly hot and spicy."
"Hreeeeh!" Ponyta neighed, once again indignantly, getting the girl's attention. Julia closed the box, seeing that the horse was in no mood for food. Her smile faded instantly.
The mare tapped the ground beneath her with one hoof. "I am going to explain three simple things to you," Ponyta whinnied, tapping the ground once more. "One: I refuse to be friends with you. I know what you humans are like. You put up these elaborate facades and then turn vicious and cruel when we Pokemon don't listen to you. I'm not falling for it," After that, she tapped the ground twice. "Two: You may have caught me, but you have no right to call yourself my trainer. I don't intend to listen to a word you say to me. I'm solely using you to make myself stronger. There will be no relationship between us but that."
Everything seemed to stop the moment Julia heard that. She knew Ponyta was stubborn and cynical, considering her past, but...using her? Using a trainer for her own ends? Assuming the absolute worst in her without even getting to know her? Julia couldn't believe it. She had met people who had done these things. None of the Pokemon she met were like this. No Pokemon she ever met hated humans so much that they'd use them for their own purposes. To say it completely destroyed her view of Pokemon would be an understatement.
By Arceus, she had spent most of her life with Pokemon because most people she met couldn't or didn't want to understand her. How could Pokemon be the same way?
"And three, most importantly of all," Ponyta whinnied, striking the ground with her hoof three times. "I. Don't. Like. You."
Julia gnashed her teeth. She had heard enough. She yanked out the Luxury Ball and recalled Ponyta without a word. Her heart had been shattered once again, and by a Pokemon, no less, the being that she always loved, relied on, and worshipped with her heart, soul, and life. Immediately, Geraldine flashed through her mind again. How was she doing now? Was she happy? Was she doing well? Julia didn't know. She couldn't handle her.
Already, she was regretting having caught Ponyta.
"Hey, Jule!" Caiseal bounded to where she was. "The PokeCenter has a basketball court! Perrine and I are gonna shoot some hoops in there. Do you want to join us?"
His voice had come so suddenly that Julia yelped, jumping backward just a bit. Caiseal's merry smile immediately morphed into a surprise frown. "Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you."
"No no. It's okay," Julia apologized sheepishly, her cheeks turning red from the cold. "And no thanks. I kind of want some time to myself for a while."
Caiseal raised an eyebrow. That was new. Usually, Julia would never let go of an opportunity to hang out with him and Perrine, especially now that he and Julia were getting along so well now. But he figured she had her reasons and didn't want to press further. He just smiled and said, "Sure. That's fine. If anything's bothering you, don't be afraid to tell me or Perrine about it. Okay?"
"Sure. Thanks."
With that, Caiseal left the girl alone. Julia looked down at the Luxury Ball in her hands, wondering and agonizing over what to do.
It was a tough decision, but one that Julia managed to come to rather quickly. When the sun began to slowly set, painting the sky with a beautiful orange hue, Julia returned to the spot where she had first met Ponyta, still holding the ball in her hands. She looked down, ruminating. All she ever wanted in life were true friends. Friends who would understand her, play with her, hang out with her, listen to her, comfort her when she was sad, celebrate when she was happy, and never ignore her, be mean to her, tell her to shut up, etc. Pokemon had fulfilled those wishes tenfold, but meeting Perrine and Caiseal only multiplied them.
Ponyta was nothing like that. Just from a few short days, Julia learned that Ponyta absolutely hated humans, and refused to be friends with her. That was fine. But...Ponyta's second decree was the thing that really made her blood boil. Julia had been used by many people. Mrs. Amoretto used her as a scapegoat for her anger and scoldings because she couldn't handle her nor understand her. The bullies she met in fourth and fifth grade used her to make themselves feel superior or make Julia feel as though she was a terrible person for not being like them, as most bullies usually did. Now the fire horse she caught wanted to use her for her own ends.
She couldn't forgive that. At the same time, however, she wanted to respect Ponyta's wishes. If she hated humans, then why force her to travel with a human? Plus, should she try to, she was sure Ponyta would lash out in ways that she wouldn't be able to handle on her own.
She already made that mistake with Geraldine. No way was she going to go through that again. For both her sake and Ponyta's. A good trainer would respect her Pokemon's wishes and do what's best for them.
Julia pulled out her PokeDex, pressing some buttons.
"Do you wish to release this Pokemon?" The PokeDex asked in a robotic voice. Before it could elaborate, Julia pressed a large button. The Luxury Ball in her hand glowed in a faint blue light for just a brief moment. "This Pokemon is no longer registered in your name."
In that instant, Julia let Ponyta out. Instead of a white light coming out of the ball, a blue light had appeared before materializing into Ponyta. As soon as the mare turned to face the human behind her, she immediately noticed the extremely dark look on the human's face. It was enough to render her speechless. Dark, yet vulnerable, like she was trying really hard to keep herself from crying.
"Ponyta...I'm sorry I caught you," Julia began, her small voice trembling. "I didn't realize you hated humans until recently, so...you're free now. I'm no longer your trainer."
Did she hear that right? For a moment, Ponyta thought her ears were playing tricks on her. Could this be another facade or a trick? It had to be. But somehow...something inside her told her what Julia was saying was genuine. Not only that, no longer did she feel bound to this human. It was like...she had been freed.
She continued on. "You made it very clear that you hate humans, so I won't force you to come along with me. That would be cruel. But...I want you to know…" Ponyta could hear the girl's voice trembling louder. "Not all humans are cruel. All I wanted was to be your friend and shower you with love, something I'm sure your other trainers didn't give you."
This new bit of information did nothing to assuage the surprise that completely overtook the mare. Stunned, incredulous silence came right along with it. She was right. The other trainers who caught her didn't show her any love or affection. They all wanted to use her either as a scapegoat or just something they could show off to their friends, like some kind of museum exhibit.
"I also want you to know this!" Julia suddenly exclaimed, her once small voice rising an octave. "All I want are true friends! I cannot accept your rules, and I refuse to be involved in a fake friendship all based on lies and hatred and...and disrespect! Like you, I don't want to be used by other people for their own personal gain!" Tears surfaced.
Finally, she took a breath and calmed down. "Sorry. I shouldn't have shouted. Basically, you're free now. I'm sorry for not respecting your wishes and decisions. I hope that...you live a happy life. But...Nurse Joy cares for you. She really does. It's okay to hate humans, me, life, or whatever, she's done a lot for you. Will you at least...be good to her? If she didn't care for you, she wouldn't have helped you the way she did."
Ponyta could barely neigh. She made a good point.
"So...goodbye!" With that, Julia ran from the clearing, leaving the still stunned Ponyta all alone.
Man, I haven't updated for a long time. I feel kinda bad for leaving you all in the dust like that. I was originally intending to post this on my birthday (June 25th. I'm 23 now, though I think I'm still going on 12 in my mind…), but lack of motivation and inspiration stopped me from doing so. Also...three words: Story of Seasons. I freaking love this game. Where has Harvest Moon been all my life?!
And...this chapter got long, so expect another 0.5 chapter soon. Hopefully the next update won't take nearly as long...but that'll depend on whether my body wants to write or not. Sorry, guys! I know you're eagerly waiting for the battle with Pryce, but it'll come soon! Promise!
By the way, has anyone seen the new Sun and Moon Pokemon yet?! I absolutely adore Cutiefly and Togedemaru! But man, coming up with nicknames for them is hard!
Julia's Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pikachu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thunderbolt, Disarming Voice, Quick Attack, Volt Tackle
Lucretia (Eevee, Female, Bashful Nature)
Ability: Anticipation
Attacks: Quick Attack, Trump Card, Bite, and Shadow Ball
Tokiko (Togetic, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Serene Grace
Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Magical Leaf
Saoirse (Snubbull, Female, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Intimidate
Attacks: Ice Fang, Bite, Fire Fang, and Scary Face
Rino (Nidorino, Male, Modest Nature)
Ability: Poison Point
Attacks: Double Kick, Poison Sting, Peck, and Horn Attack
Perrine's Party:
Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack
Florian (Meganium, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Vine Whip, Body Slam, and Grassy Terrain
Baloo (Jigglypuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Sing, Wake-Up Slap, Disarming Voice, and Body Slam
Mushi (Paras, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Effect Spore
Attacks: X-Scissor, Stun Spore, Growth, and Giga Drain
Fuwari (Skiploom, Female, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Leaf Guard
Attacks: Bounce, Giga Drain, Fairy Wind, and Energy Ball
Chirin (Flaaffy, Male, Adamant Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Discharge, Cotton Guard, Power Gem, Signal Beam
Caiseal's Party:
Mallow (Marowak, Male, Lax Nature)
Ability: Lightning Rod
Attacks: Bonemerang, Bone Rush, Headbutt, and Rock Smash
Apollo (Typhlosion, Male, Bold Nature)
Ability: Blaze
Attacks: Flamethrower, Flame Charge, Rollout, and Smokescreen
Viole (Gloom, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Sludge Bomb, Sleep Powder, and Sweet Scent
Ravenclaw (Murkrow, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Super Luck
Attacks: Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Dark Pulse, and Roost
Heracles (Heracross, Male, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Moxie
Attacks: Brick Break, Megahorn, Aerial Ace, and Endure
Flippy (Quagsire, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Damp
Attacks: Water Gun, Mud Bomb, Mud Slap, and Slam