The flame drew nearer until I could finally see it clearly.
A lone Ponyta, its mane and tail burning in soft yellow and reddish-orange embers, more yellow than usual.
It limped badly, holding one front leg off the ground.
Every shaky step made its flames flicker smaller, dimmer… almost going out.
I scanned the darkness around us.
Nothing.
No other firelights.
No Rapidash.
No herd.
Just one injured Ponyta, alone.
I turned to my girls.
"Do you see anyone else?"
Both shook their heads immediately.
Lopunny's ears drooped as she whispered a soft, aching, "Lopuu…"
Meowscarada's tail went still, her pink-red eyes clouded with worry.
The Ponyta stopped at the edge of our campfire light, trembling so hard its legs nearly gave out.
When its wide eyes locked on us, pure panic flashed through them.
Its flames flared sharp and wild, then shrank back to weak embers.
A soft, broken cry slipped out as its legs buckled.
It sank helplessly to its knees in the grass, too terrified and exhausted to run anymore.
We rushed forward, but the moment I took one step closer, Ponyta flinched hard.
"P-Pony…!"
Its flames spiked high in a frightened whoosh.
Ears pinned flat, body shrinking away from me, only me, trembling like it had seen a ghost from its past.
Meowscarada instantly stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
She faced the trembling Ponyta and slowly raised both paws, palms open.
"Nyaa…" she murmured, soft and low, like a mother cat soothing a frightened kitten.
Lopunny slipped past me and dropped into a low crouch beside Meowscarada, close enough for Ponyta to feel her warmth.
Her ears stayed relaxed, her voice soft and steady.
"Lopuuuu… uuu…"
A gentle, rhythmic hum, promising nothing would hurt it here.
Ponyta's flames wavered, shrinking to a nervous flicker.
It still watched me with huge, frightened eyes, but it stopped trying to scramble away.
I forced myself to move like a snail: slow, predictable, no sudden reaches.
Meowscarada and Lopunny stayed close, purring and humming the whole time, their calm presence the only thing keeping Ponyta from panicking again.
I stopped at a safe distance, pulled out a Super Potion, and held it up so the firelight glinted off the bottle.
"Easy… this will help, I promise."
Meowscarada crouched beside Ponyta's trembling head, voice soft and steady.
"Nyaa… nya~♡"
She gently rested one paw on Ponyta's neck, just below the fiery crest of its mane, stroked once along the cream-colored fur, then tilted her head toward me with a calm, trusting nod.
I nodded back and moved closer slowly.
I knelt beside Ponyta, close enough to feel the faint heat of its dim flames.
Carefully, I checked its body.
The worst injury was the right front leg.
When I lifted it gently, Ponyta let out a tiny, pained breath.
The cream fur was scraped away in large patches, raw pink skin showing underneath.
Long, dirty scratches ran from the shoulder almost to the hoof.
Dark purple bruises swelled around the knee and ankle.
The leg trembled in my hands and wouldn't straighten.
It was too swollen and sore to bear any weight.
I checked the rest quickly.
Smaller scratches marked the left hind leg, dirt stuck in the cuts.
More bruises lined its ribs and side, like it had been kicked or fallen hard.
Its whole body was dusty and matted, but the right front leg was clearly the reason it couldn't stand or run.
Ponyta watched me with big, tired eyes.
Its ears stayed low, flames dim and flickering whenever I touched a sore spot.
"Try to bear with it."
I shook the Super Potion and began spraying carefully along the cuts and swollen areas.
Ponyta's ears twitched.
"…P-Pony…" it whispered shakily, tensing as its flames flickered.
But it didn't pull away.
Instead, it slowly lowered its head and shifted the injured leg into my hands, letting me support it.
Trust flickered in its eyes, small, but real.
The flames settled again, softer now, warm against my skin.
I kept my voice low and steady, explaining every step as I worked.
The first spray made Ponyta jerk and squeal, flames flaring, but Lopunny was already there, paw resting lightly on its neck, humming louder.
Meowscarada leaned in, gently nuzzling Ponyta's cheek until the shaking eased.
Little by little, we worked together.
Cleaning cuts.
Wrapping the worst leg.
Rubbing salve into bruises.
Spraying over its skin.
When we were done, I offered Oran Berries, one large Sitrus Berry and some Pokémon medicine.
(It was a good thing I had visited Nurse Joy so many times in Viridian City.
I had learned the basics:
how to clean wounds,
how to wrap bandages tight but gentle,
how to check for fever,
how to calm frightened Pokémon,
and which berries helped with pain or energy.
I knew I had to learn all of that if I ever wanted to travel.
And right now, every bit of that practice finally mattered.)
Ponyta sniffed, ears twitching, then took tiny, exhausted bites.
Its eyes fluttered half-closed as the tension finally drained away.
At last, it let out a small, shaky breath and curled up. Its flames settled into a soft, steady glow.
We stepped back quietly.
Carefully, we moved the campfire a little closer and stayed by its side through the night, taking turns to watch over it.
We all had the same thought, why was it alone and so badly injured?
But that answer would have to wait until Ponyta woke up tomorrow…