[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Dragonstrike]

Nathan and Ventus come upon a charred wasteland, just over a hill from the main path. At first, Nathan's stomach sinks - is this the fault of the wayward Ponyta?
Upon closer inspection, it looks like this fire burned long, long ago. Somehow, Nature has not recovered.
Another Survivalist is here, gathering ashes and mumbling to himself.

"Gotta get ashes...make glass...make that music...what fire is hot enough? Fire horse is hot enough....aye, aye, that would do it, horse will help... hope it doesn't et a' me deyo..."

He keeps glancing in a certain direction as he says this. You aren't sure what that last bit means, but the hint is clear enough.

You follow his footprints through the ash in the direction he inadvertently indicated. There you find the large Ponyta, its halter a charred ruin. It has one hoof stabbed through a burned picnic basket, tromping around comically from plant to plant. It is eating the beautiful spring flowers, but avoiding a certain very strange flower with shiny, translucent petals, which is scattered here and there among the daisies.

Ponyta recognizes you and trots casually back into the daisy meadow, away from you. The flowers wilt as it goes.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me...she's gone and ruined some picnicker's lunch, and now there's a survivalist looking to capture her for making glass for some random reason...and she's purposely running away from us too..."

After marveling at the ridiculousness of the situation, Nathan takes a moment to best determine how to go about retrieving her.

"Hmmmm....Vincent, why don't you talk with that survivalist a bit?  Make it clear that ponyta is NOT up for capture since it belongs to the ranch.  If he can help us, maybe I can convince Ponyta to help him or something.  I'll follow the horse, try and catch up to her.  Can't capture her until I've informed my mom I've reigned her in, so the more quickly we get this done, the better."

Nathan looks down at Ralts for a moment.  Then he looks at the ponyta casually trotting away from them.  Then he looks back at Ralts, and sighs.  "Okay, Ralts, I need to put you in your pokeball.  We're not going to be able to keep up with her if I don't.  Alright?"  Ralts nods in understanding once again.  He can feel a wide range of emotions coming from Nathan, but none of the prevalent ones are off putting for the little pokemon.  When Ralts nods, Nathan pulls out the dull premier ball and recalls Ralts, pocketing it soon afterwards.

"Alright, time to get started, then.  Remember, no battling her unless it becomes absolutely necessary."  Nathan runs into the field of flowers, knowing that Ponyta isn't going to just stop and wait for him.  She wants to play around, mess with her pursuers.  Stopping isn't on her agenda.  She's done this every time she's escaped.  The pattern isn't likely to change now.