Sometimes you’ve got a fluffy that’s just too valuable to punish in the usual ways - after all, rich collector-types don’t want fluffies covered in scars. Enter the punishment pals - predominantly poopie babbehs that have already been rejected by their mother and are scheduled for disposal, although depending on current trends other colours might find their way here too.
Since there are rarely enough of the super-valuable fluffies around to properly socialise at any given time, each one is assigned a punishment pal. Despite the name, it’s actually not the worst outcome for these reject fluffies - as long as they’re well behaved, which they almost always are due to their early life experiences, they get to spend their days playing with their assigned playmate - with human observation to ensure no roughhousing, of course. However, if the valuable fluffy breaks any rules, the punishment it would have received is given to the punishment pal instead. This can range from sorry-sticking for infractions such as bad poopies or backchatting, all the way up to partial or complete pillowing, glossectomy and/or enucleation for things like biting or sorry-poopies. Since fluffies - and alicorns in particular - are extremely empathetic by nature, seeing their best friend suffering due to their actions is extremely distressing - in some cases more so than if they’d received the punishment themselves.
When the fluffies are sold, the punishment pal is included for free, both to comfort the fluffy during transit as well as to continue serving its purpose in their new home. Plenty of them ‘go missing’ shortly after arrival, although it’s not uncommon at all for the punishment pals to be welcomed into the family as well - although when company is over, they’re often locked in the saferoom whilst the pretty fluff is paraded in front of the guests. The two fluffies are invariably almost inseperable, with the punishment pal in particular being almost totally emotionally dependent on its friend.
In the event that the buyer specifies that they don’t want the punishment pal included in the purchase, the punishment pal is reviewed. If it is young and undamaged enough, it will be recycled into the program, being assigned to another fluffy. If it is too damaged, it is first offered to any employees for free, before being disposed of if no-one takes it. Finally, if the fluffy is too old to return to the program, but has displayed exceptional behaviour during its service, it can qualify for the Warden program, where it will be assigned to watch over and protect/discipline foals in the other parts of the breeding operation.
