A normal Ponyta usually has a flaming mane that extends from its head to its tail, even on its limbs.
But this particular Ponyta was different—completely bald, without a single hair.
Only a newborn Ponyta, within its first hour of life, would appear like this. And even then, it would quickly grow its flames and start to resemble a typical Ponyta within that hour.
Although this one looked young, it definitely didn't seem like it had just been born within the last hour.
As the status panel appeared, Lovy's doubts slowly began to clear.
There was definitely something off about this Ponyta.
[Fire Horse Pokémon: Ponyta]
Level: 13
Type: Psychic
Gender: Female
Base Stats Grade: B (410)
Individual Value Grade: A (164)
Ability: Run Away
Nature: Naive
Moves: Growl, Tackle, Tail Whip, Confusion
Status: Uneasy
Evolution Path: Ponyta → Rapidash
Special: Mutation
"It's a mutated Ponyta!" Lovy was shocked.
Ponyta, as the name suggests, are fire-type Pokémon.
But this one was of the psychic type. That explained why it didn't have any flame mane!
"A psychic-type Ponyta? Isn't that the special regional form from the Galar region? But here in this world, it's classified as a mutation? Plus, it doesn't even look quite like the Galarian Ponyta I remember…"
Lovy still wasn't sure how to explain this to Officer Tan or the viewers watching the livestream.
After all, this was his first time encountering something like this.
Yes, in this world, the concept of mutated Pokémon did exist.
Mutated Pokémon were similar to shiny Pokémon—or rather, shinies could be considered a kind of mutation. But mutation typically involved more drastic changes.
A shiny Pokémon usually only differed in color or appearance.
But this one—even its type had changed!
So mutated Pokémon were likely even rarer than shinies.
But an important point: the value of a mutated Pokémon, like that of a shiny, depended on how cool or strong it was. If it was ugly or weak, with no value for research or collection, it could be considered trash.
In most cases, as long as it wasn't outright terrible, mutated Pokémon were priceless—after all, rarity has value.
Seeing that Lovy had stayed silent for a while, the female officer behind the scenes seemed a little disappointed.
This Ponyta had already been tested by a professional organization.
The results? Perfectly healthy—but it just wouldn't grow a flame mane or learn any fire-type moves.
Apparently, even using a last-resort online "Pokémon appraiser" without a license wasn't going to help.
"So, kid, you've been staring for a while—figured anything out?"
[Comment Stream Highlights]
"The streamer is pretending to analyze, but he's been asleep for the past five minutes."
"Or he's just ghosted the stream."
"He's reviewed everything he's ever learned in his life, and still has no idea what to say."
"Yes, Officer Tan," Lovy finally spoke. "This Ponyta is a one-in-a-million mutated Pokémon."
[Live Chat Reactions]
"First it was a shiny Nidoran, and now you're telling me this is a mutated Ponyta?"
"The streamer may not know how to appraise, but he sure knows how to stir up drama!"
"I'd have believed you if you just said it was a late bloomer!"
Officer Tan turned to the female officer and the others. This answer clearly surprised them.
As the viewers said, they expected Lovy to say it was simply a newborn or a slow developer.
But instead, he jumped straight to "mutation"—that needed explanation.
"Young man, please—continue."
After a brief glance with his colleagues, Officer Tan even sat upright.
"What kind of mutation is this? How did you figure it out?"
[Live Chat]
"Keep talking, kid—I'm recording!"
"Don't tell me not growing hair is a mutation!"
"Wait… are we sure this isn't just a newborn?"
Lovy considered how best to explain it—for both impact and clarity in the livestream.
"If I'm not mistaken, this Ponyta isn't a newborn. But it's never grown a flame mane, and I assume it hasn't learned any fire-type moves either?"
Officer Tan hesitated and looked at the Ponyta's owner—the female officer—who nodded.
She had trained it for a while, even let it interact with other Ponyta to help it learn fire-type moves, but with no success.
"That's right, young man," Tan nodded. "So what exactly is going on here?"
[Live Chat]
"Heard of a white tiger—never a white horse!"
"A fire horse that doesn't know fire moves? That's nonsense!"
"The streamer better have a solid explanation for this!"
Lovy was slightly puzzled too.
This Ponyta couldn't learn fire moves, but it could use Confusion—so had it never displayed psychic power before?
Thinking about it, perhaps the Ponyta didn't even know it was psychic-type. Its owner had always tried to guide it toward fire techniques, and without danger, maybe it never had a reason to use Confusion.
After all, no one else could see the Pokémon's internal stats.
Some Pokémon might already have certain moves, but if neither the owner nor the Pokémon ever used them, those abilities could go undiscovered.
Professional Pokémon trainers and breeders often helped Pokémon both learn new moves and uncover hidden talents.
"Yes, I believe this Ponyta has mutated into a different type," Lovy said slowly, his tone deep and thoughtful.
A mix of humility and confidence gave him an unexpectedly credible aura.
[Live Chat]
"A type mutation? Don't those come with visual clues?"
"If it mutated into normal-type, that's a disaster…"
Officer Tan's eyes flickered with suspicion. After encouragement from the female officer's gaze, he asked again:
"What type did it mutate into?"
At the same time, tension rose. The chat exploded with curiosity:
[Live Chat]
"Urgent! This is urgent!"
"Come on, spill it!"
"My friend's dying wish was to know this Ponyta's type!"
After all, a Pokémon's type was crucial.
If this Ponyta had turned into a normal-type, that would be a real letdown. Fire-types are inherently powerful in battle.
Normal-types, as the name implies, are average—mediocre.
Lovy finally spoke:
"Psychic-type. This Ponyta mutated into a psychic-type Pokémon."
Officer Tan's pupils shrank. His sideways glance betrayed surprise and excitement.
[Live Chat]
"It's a psychic horse?!"
"Holy—this is like upgrading from a bike to a motorcycle!"
"Is this for real?"
Clearly, both Officer Tan and the viewers recognized the rarity and value of psychic-types.
Mysterious, powerful, and known for excellent special attack moves—those were the trademarks of psychic Pokémon.
Especially pure psychic-types—they were extremely rare.
Pokémon like Abra, Wobbuffet, and Gardevoir were hard to find and even harder to breed.
A Ponyta mutating into a psychic-type? That was something straight out of a dream.