Chapter 18: Just Sent Off a Shiny Nidoran♂, and Now You're Telling Me This Is a Mutant Ponyta?
The Pokémon on screen was indeed a Ponyta.
But it looked unusually young and small, its body entirely white except for its hooves, lacking the fiery mane typical of a Ponyta.
[This Ponyta doesn't even have its mane yet—so fresh!]
[Must've just hatched, right?]
["Polly"? What kind of name is that…]
Officer Tan watched the chat with a knowing smile.
It wasn't that he didn't want to say more—he just couldn't reveal too much to the streamer.
There was a reason he'd asked Ye Yinchuan to appraise this Ponyta. If it were just an ordinary one, there'd be no need to bring it up specifically.
Several off-screen officers were also watching, barely holding back their laughter.
Among them was a female officer—the Ponyta's true owner.
Unlike her colleagues, who were waiting to see the amateur streamer fail and get lectured by Officer Tan again, she genuinely hoped Ye Yinchuan could identify the issue with her Ponyta and help restore it to normal.
"So, young man, can you spot anything unusual?"
Officer Tan's smile was cryptic.
He wasn't trying to be malicious—he just wanted to see for himself if Ye Yinchuan was as sharp as he seemed in the clips.
If he couldn't figure anything out, then his past performances were likely scripted, and another "educational talk" would be in order.
In short, Officer Tan suspected foul play but had no proof, so he decided to test it himself.
If Ye Yinchuan really had the skills to diagnose the Ponyta's condition—or even suggest a solution—that'd be the best-case scenario.
"Officer Tan, could you bring the Ponyta closer? I need a better look."
Ye Yinchuan studied the Ponyta, fully aware of the stakes.
Aside from Officer Tan testing him, this live connection with an official account was a double-edged sword.
If he handled it well, he could ride this wave of traffic and essentially get free promotion from the Bureau.
But if he messed up? The backlash could undo all the credibility and goodwill he'd built so far.
[Quit stalling, streamer! No script to save you now that the officials are here!]
[Bet he's scrambling for an excuse.]
[I can't vouch for the streamer, but Officer Tan? That guy's a wolf in sheep's clothing—masters at trapping people!]
[Can confirm. Last streamer he grilled got a three-year ban!]
Many of the new viewers had no idea about Ye Yinchuan's skills, and a good chunk were Officer Tan's fans.
As the local Pokémon Protection Bureau's online ambassador, Officer Tan was no stranger to livestreams and live calls. His charm and humor often masked the traps he laid, leading to swift "educational" consequences.
To netizens, he was something of a minor celebrity.
A normal Ponyta would have flames for a mane—from head to tail, even on its legs.
But this one was completely bald, not a single strand of fiery hair.
Only a freshly hatched Ponyta (within its first hour) would look like this before its mane grew in.
This Ponyta, while young, clearly wasn't that newborn.
Then, the system panel popped up—and Ye Yinchuan's confusion faded.
This Ponyta was special.
[Fire Horse Pokémon: Ponyta]
[Level: 13]
[Type: Psychic]
[Gender: Female]
[Base Stats: B (410)]
[IVs: A (164)]
[Ability: Run Away]
[Nature: Naive]
[Moves: Growl, Tackle, Tail Whip, Confusion]
[Status: Anxious]
[Evolution: Ponyta → Rapidash]
[Special: Mutant]
"This is a mutant Ponyta!"
Ye Yinchuan was stunned.
Ponyta, as the name suggested, were Fire-types.
But this one was Psychic—which explained the missing flames!
"A Psychic Ponyta? That's the Galarian variant, right? But in this world, it's classified as a mutant? And it doesn't even look like the Galarian form…"
He wasn't sure how to explain this to Officer Tan and the viewers.
This was his first encounter with something like this.
True, "mutant Pokémon" existed in this world.
But mutants were even rarer than shinies—because while shinies were just color variations, mutants could have entirely different attributes, like typing.
That made them far more unique—and valuable, assuming they weren't complete duds in battle or aesthetics.
Seeing Ye Yinchuan stare silently, the female officer off-screen felt a pang of disappointment.
This Ponyta had already been examined by professionals.
The results? Perfectly healthy—just no flames and incapable of learning Fire-type moves.
Guess putting faith in an uncertified streamer was too much to ask.
"So, young man, after all this time, have you figured anything out?"
[Streamer's not appraising—he's been asleep for a while now.]
[Might've actually left.]
[Dude's mentally reviewing his entire life's knowledge and still drawing blanks.]
"Officer Tan, I've got it."
Ye Yinchuan decided to be blunt. "This Ponyta is a one-in-a-million mutant."
[Wait, we just had a shiny Nidoran♂, and now you're saying this is a mutant Ponyta?]
[Streamer might suck at appraising, but he's a god at entertainment!]
[LMAO, I'd believe you if you said it was newborn or stunted growth!]
Officer Tan turned to exchange glances with the female officer and his colleagues.
This answer caught them off guard.
As the chat pointed out, they'd expected Ye Yinchuan to miss the issue entirely—maybe even claim it was just a newborn without its mane yet.
But "mutant"? That warranted a deeper look.
"Young man, please—go on!"
After a quick silent discussion, Officer Tan straightened up.
"What kind of mutation is this Ponyta? And how could you tell?"
["Go on," he says, while already recording.]
[Don't tell me 'no mane' counts as a mutation.]
[Wait, are we sure it's not just a newborn?]