Ponyta
Ponyta is a Fire-type Pokémon, the Fire Horse Pokémon, number 77 (#0077) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 1 m tall and weighs 30 kg.
Ponyta is the Fire Horse Pokémon, a foal that can barely stand at birth and grows its blazing mane about an hour later. The Pokédex claims its hooves are tenfold harder than diamond.
How to pronounce Ponyta
Ponyta is pronounced POH-nee-tuh. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Ponyta said out loud:
In Japanese it is ポニータ.
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Ponyta is a cream-coloured foal, 1.0 m tall and 30 kg, with grey hooves and a mane and tail of yellow and reddish-orange flame. It is light for its size and an excellent jumper, and its hooves soak up the shock of landing. A newborn builds strong legs by stumbling after its parents and leaping over grass that grows taller every day.
Behaviour
Ponyta lives in herds and grows faster by racing to keep up with its elders. A Shield Pokédex entry says the mane stops feeling hot to a Trainer it has accepted, and in the anime a Ponyta keeps its flames from burning a rider it trusts. Anything creeping up behind it gets a kick from those hard hind hooves.
Habitat
Bulbapedia says Ponyta herds live in grasslands, plains and mountains. It is not available in Scarlet, Violet or Legends: Z-A.
Powers
Ponyta's Abilities are Run Away and Flash Fire, with Flame Body hidden. It uses Flame Wheel, Flare Blitz and Take Down. Galarian Ponyta is a Psychic type with a small horn that Bulbapedia says heals minor wounds; it can have Pastel Veil, an Ability only it and its evolution are known to have. With base Speed 90 and Attack 85 it is a quick, middling attacker.
Name origin
Ponyta may combine 'pony' with bonita, meaning 'pretty' in several Iberian languages. The Japanese name is Ponyta (ポニータ), the same word.
Design inspiration
Atsuko Nishida designed Ponyta. It and Rapidash may be inspired by fiery steeds of myth, such as the horses of the Greek god Helios or Skinfaxi of Norse myth, or by the Chinese zodiac's fire horse. Galarian Ponyta may take after a Shetland pony. These are fan readings.
Evolution notes
Ponyta evolves into Rapidash at level 40, and Galarian Ponyta evolves into Galarian Rapidash at the same level.
In the games
A Ponyta belongs to Team Flame in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness. Ponyta debuted in Red and Green (Red and Blue outside Japan), where it is found in the Pokémon Mansion. In Legends: Arceus it roams Horseshoe Plains, and in Shield the Galarian form lives in Glimwood Tangle.
In the anime
Ponyta debuted in 'The Flame Pokémon-athon!' as Lara Laramie's Pokémon, and Ash borrowed it for the Big P Pokémon Race, where it evolved into Rapidash and won. Galarian Ponyta debuted in 'The Tale of You and Glimwood Tangle!'.
Fun facts
- The Spaceworld '97 demo seems to show an unused pre-evolution of Ponyta called Puchikōn (プチコーン), a pure Normal type.
- Stadium's Pokédex entry has it clearing the Eiffel Tower and FireRed's names Ayers Rock, while the Japanese versions name Tokyo Tower instead.
- Galarian Ponyta's category, the Unique Horn Pokémon, sounds a lot like 'unicorn'.
Base stats
- HP: 50
- Attack: 85
- Defense: 55
- Sp. Atk: 65
- Sp. Def: 65
- Speed: 90
Ponyta’s base stat total is 410. Its highest stat is Speed.
Type matchups
What is Ponyta weak to?
Ponyta takes extra damage from Water (2×), Ground (2×), Rock (2×) moves.
It resists Fire (½×), Grass (½×), Ice (½×), Bug (½×), Steel (½×), Fairy (½×).
Evolution
How does Ponyta evolve?
Ponyta evolves into Rapidash (Level 40; Galarian Ponyta: Level 40).
The whole family: Ponyta, Rapidash.
Forms
- Galarian Ponyta (Galarian form): Psychic-type, base stat total 410 (HP 50, Attack 85, Defense 55, Sp. Atk 65, Sp. Def 65, Speed 90). Abilities: Run Away, Pastel Veil, Anticipation (hidden).
Abilities
- Run Away: Ensures success fleeing from wild battles.
- Flash Fire: Protects against Fire moves. Once one has been blocked, the Pokémon's own Fire moves inflict 1.5× damage until it leaves battle.
- Flame Body (hidden ability): Has a 30% chance of burning attacking Pokémon on contact.
Moves
Moves Ponyta learns by level up in Sword / Shield
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 1 | Growl | Normal | Status | — |
| 5 | Tail Whip | Normal | Status | — |
| 10 | Ember | Fire | Special | 40 |
| 15 | Flame Charge | Fire | Physical | 50 |
| 20 | Agility | Psychic | Status | — |
| 25 | Flame Wheel | Fire | Physical | 60 |
| 30 | Stomp | Normal | Physical | 65 |
| 35 | Fire Spin | Fire | Special | 35 |
| 41 | Take Down | Normal | Physical | 90 |
| 45 | Inferno | Fire | Special | 100 |
| 50 | Fire Blast | Fire | Special | 110 |
| 55 | Flare Blitz | Fire | Physical | 120 |
TM moves (31)
Ponyta can learn 31 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Solar Beam, Solar Blade, Fire Spin, Rest, Snore, Protect, Charm, Attract, Sunny Day, Will-O-Wisp, Facade, Swift, Bounce, Round, Mystical Fire, Body Slam, Flamethrower, Low Kick, Agility, Fire Blast, Substitute, Endure, Sleep Talk, Iron Tail, Heat Wave, Overheat, Flare Blitz, Ally Switch, Wild Charge, Play Rough, High Horsepower.
Egg moves (6):Double Kick, Double-Edge, Horn Drill, Hypnosis, Morning Sun, Thrash.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
- Egg groups: Field.
- Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
- Catch rate: 190 out of 255.
- Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
- Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
- Defeating it gives 1 Speed effort value.
- Base experience yield: 82.
Pokédex entries
These Pokémon live in herds out in the grassland. Newborn foals lack their fiery manes, which will develop about an hour after birth. (Legends: Arceus)
If you've been accepted by Ponyta, its burning mane is mysteriously no longer hot to the touch. (Shield)
It can't run properly when it's newly born. As it races around with others of its kind, its legs grow stronger. (Sword)
Capable of jumping incredibly high. Its hooves and sturdy legs absorb the impact of a hard landing. (Yellow, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)
Ponyta is very weak at birth. It can barely stand up. This Pokémon becomes stronger by stumbling and falling to keep up with its parent. (Ruby, Sapphire, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire)
Its legs grow strong while it chases after its parent. It runs in fields and mountains all day. (Pearl, Y)
Names around the world
| Japanese | ポニータ |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Ponyta |
| French | Ponyta |
| German | Ponita |
| Spanish | Ponyta |
| Italian | Ponyta |
| Korean | 포니타 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 小火马 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 小火馬 |
Trivia
- Taller than 47% of all Pokémon (1 m).
- Heavier than 52% of all Pokémon (30 kg).
- Base stat total 410, ranked #590 of 1,025.
- One of 81 Fire-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
- One of 88 yellow Pokémon.
- Number 77 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
- Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
- Can learn 46 different moves in Sword / Shield.
- Catch rate 190: about 24.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Has 1 alternate form.
- Appears in 16 distinct Pokédex entries.
Sources and fact-checking
- Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
- Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Ponyta (Pokémon), Serebii: Ponyta (Sword/Shield Pokédex; page not found in the Scarlet and Violet Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (POH-nee-tuh): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.
Last checked: . Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.
Explore
Fire-type Pokémon · Kanto region guide · Run Away ability · Flash Fire ability · Flame Body ability · Compare Ponyta · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
Browse similar Pokémon
Gen 1 Fire-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Yellow Pokémon list · Field egg group · Pokémon that start with P · Horse Pokémon