"It's all good," Grigori told Howard as he pushed through the front doors. Accidents like that happen, especially given his size. He continued on and approached the edge of the daycare pen.

"I will apologize in advance if Pumpkin here causes any problems," he said as he set down the Pawniard. Almost immediately after he let go of the pokemon, it surged forward with its arms high into the sky. A happy chime echoed out as a few other 'baby' pokemon scattered at the sight of it. 

The man couldn't blame them. She did have knives for hands.

The daycare attendant chuckled nervously, "We'll call you if anything major happens." 

"Please do. And Pumpkin, no not cause any problems please!" And just like that, Grigori turned and left the building. Thank Arceus this daycare was here. Otherwise, he'd have to bring Pumpkin to yet another violent meeting and expose her to very bad things. Things she already seemed to love. Unfortunately.

Pumpkin absolutely loved the daycare. No Grigori to worry over her, plenty of pokemon her size to tussle with, and an abundance of free space to do so in. Never mind that the last three had banned her from the premises for 'rough-housing', this place rocked!

But she didn't want to cause problems for her trainer. Immediately, anyway. She'd play nice for at least a little while, but no promises for the entirety of the day. So, she ran on over to the sandbox. There didn't seem to be anyone else around it and if she didn't get her claws into something soon she'd be tempted to bring in other living people. 

So, Pumpkin started to dig and sift through the sand with reckless abandon. Her wicked sharp hands cut through the 'sea' but left little to actually finding things. Such was the curse of knife hands: they couldn't actually dig worth a damn. 

Until she struck something hard. A rock, maybe? She gave it a few tentative pokes. 

"SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" As Pumpkin dug through the sand, the sandbox erupted as Celpho lunged out of it in a rage. As a Steel-type, Pumpkin's claw stung the fossil's hard exterior. Besides, this made for a good excuse to get into a fight!

Pumpkin would feel the ferocious nibbles of a Bug Bite. Celpho buzzed in triumph. That would show his attacker! Even with the type-advantage, this Pawniard wouldn't be able to stand before the might of Celpho. That ignored a lot of factors, but Celpho's head was pretty empty. "Pumpkin. Name. Lame!

Oh, it was on.

"My sandbox. Mine! You can't have it!" Celpho scuttled and disappeared into the sand. After a few moment, there was a shift to Pumpkin's left. There!

---

Grigori Sokolov

Ah, what the fuck? Pumpkin tried to pull the creature off of her side, but failed. It let go as soon as she went for it and instead scratched herself. Curse her knife hands!

She hissed at the small bug, "Fuck you Celpho! I was just digging around!"

That settled it! If Celpho wanted a fight, he'd get it! And thankfully, it wasn't even her who started it this time around! Grigori had no chance to get angry at her when this stupid bug initiated the fight in the first place. 

She scanned the box, eager to teach this twerp a lesson. As soon as she saw the sand shift and settle to her left, she wasted no time and swung her hand right towards it. A Night Slash would surely send this cretin flying right out of the box. After that, it would be easy pickings. 

---

howard slayte

"SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" Celpho flew out of the sand with a screech and landed on his back several meters away. After struggling for a second, the cretin recovered its footing (clawing?) and hissed. "Cheater! Cheater! Pumpkin Eater! That's me! The Pumpkin Eater!"

Celpho wasn't, as stated before, very intelligent. Yet that it wouldn't allow this Pumpkin fellow to ruin his vibe. He had been casually relaxing, getting a cool tan, only to be assaulted by this stupid dumb idiot. It wasn't his fault! He was just defending himself!

Allegedly.

Not that it mattered. Celpho could take a gazillion Pumpkins in a fight.

With a growl, several rocks erupted from the ground, and they flew towards Pumpkin as a wall, threatening to crush her. The rocks exuded an ominous aura, as befitting from those aided by Ancient Power. As the wall grew closer, Celpho scuttled close to the ground, attempting to get close to the sandbox. If he returned to it, defeating him would be annoying and obnoxious.

---

Grigori Sokolov

"And you're a... a, uh-- you're stupid!"

Insults were not Pumpkin's strong suit. However, she was made of a strong suit: steel. These stupid rocks, even if they were really big and getting closer and oh arceus what the fuck oh man oh fuck--

She leaned her head back, then flung it forward just as the cosmic rocks were about to bulldoze her. Iron Head made quick work of the objects, but it left her in mental shambles. The world vibrated, rocked, and twisted all around her. But in her daze, she locked onto a creature that scurried close to the ground.

And it was heading right towards the sandbox!

"Oh no... you don't!" Pumpkin cried out. She leaned her head back and charged vaguely at where she last saw Celpho. Another Iron Head charged up, but this time at the little bug. Had that blade on her forehead always been there?

---

howard slayte

"You. Stupid. Idiot." Celpho clicked in laughter as it lunged towards the sand. However, Pumpkin had dealt with Celpho's Ancient Power quickly, and was now gunning for the Anorith. That sucked, Celpho was hoping Pumpkin would vanish under a storm of rocks and simply... keel over. Curse the type tree! Why did steel have to grind rocks?

With a loud SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, Anorith was struck by Pumpkin's attack. Despite the blow, Anorith didn't seem to recoil. Instead, Celpho absorbed it with a powerful Protect. It was a move Howard had taught him by throwing old newspapers towards the Anorith and telling him to block. How it worked, Celpho didn't know. A mystery...

Yet Pumpkin's attack pushed on, and threatened to overwhelm Celpho's defense! Yet Celpho wouldn't give up. He'd defeat Pumpkin and rule the sandbox for a millennia, or until Howard came and picked him up. Celpho was engulfed in a bright light...

"SKREEEEEEEEEOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!" Celpho's small mouth grew wider and became capable of a great roar, even as it grew legs and stood proud over the Unovan steel-type. "Me. Grow. Big! Now!" Armaldo slammed down its claw with a ferocious Crush Claw.

---

Grigori Sokolov

Ah fuck. Pumpkin's eyes grew wide and caught the attack head on. Even with its greater typing, it still struggled under the sheer weight of the now evolved Celpho. Were they allowed to... kill each other? Was this the end of her life?

No! "Eat shit and live, you stupid bug!"

What a... unique threat. However, another blinding glow filled the area. For the second time today, and within thirty seconds of the last time, a pokemon evolved in the nursery. Pumpkin grew significantly in size. Taller, to be exact. That overwhelming weight that pressed on her whole body didn't change, but the force available to her grew. And the best part?

Pumpkin grabbed onto Celpho. Even is she lacked fingers, clamps were infinitely better for latching onto things than knives. Suddenly, the tables turned. Celpho's new arms were lifted high up into the air as Pumpkin charged up another attack. An Iron Head, straight into the Armaldo's chest!

And right into the nursery wall!

---

howard slayte

Despite sending Celpho flying through a wall, the Armaldo seemed hardly wounded. Its armor was unblemished despite having plaster and insulation falling off it from being flung through a building. Instead, Celpho sneered and clicked, before roaring again. The staff member that had accepted Pumpkin and Celpho began yelling and ran for her phone.

"Weak." Celpho clicked again. "You. Are. WEAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" Celpho let out a roar and lunged towards Pumpkin, its maw opening for a dangerous Bug Bite. Armaldo claws were known for being capable of piercing through slabs of metal. If a strong move hit through...

"Lose. And. Bow!"

"Alright, that's that. Just gotta pick up those artifacts for my loving employers, and I can spend the rest of the day camping. Getting really sick of dealing with Team Rocket's shit." Howard grumbled as he flipped open a map of northern Mauville. There was a desert there, and there was something fun about camping out in the dunes.

Besides, there were several ruins that Howard was interested in exploring, should an opportunity arise.

That was that. He'd flag down a bus, despite the risks, and get back up to Mauville posthaste. He'd need to grab Celpho, of course...

BRING BRING BRING BRING BRING!!! Howard's phone began to buzz. With a frown, Howard picked it up. "No, I haven't... What?" Howard's expression melted off, and went through several emotions. First was rage, then anger, then confusion, then disgust, then exasperation, and then finally a mask of calm.

Then one of absolute terror.

"HE DID WHAT?" Howard shouted into the phone, before sprinting back towards the daycare.

---

Grigori Sokolov

How had this fucker not died yet?! Pumpkin groaned as Celpho brushed off her assault and instead launched one back. As the distance closed between them, the Bisharp made no attempt to move out of the way. No, if anything, it wanted to attack the beast head on. Once more, Pumpkin charged up an Iron Head.

"Alright you dumb fuck, if you wanna eat me so bad, then eat cold hard steel!"

The two collided. Pumpkin caught the claws with its left arm. Pain shot through its body; every neuron lit up in agony. She'd feel that one for a while. Even if her own attack bounced off, her move blocked access to the rest of her body as she kept the claws right where they had sunk into steel.

And she smiled. "Oh ho, looks like you're in a bind! Urgh... go to hell you oversized mite!"

Her free hand came back and charged up dark energy. Night Slash, point-blank, and wherever Pumpkin thought its weak spot was. She would see how much this fucker liked it when--

"That's enough!"

Pumpkin turned around, but it was too late. Grigori had returned with poke ball in hand. She tried to move out of the way, but the ball successfully turned her into a formless mass of energy, which got sucked into the red and white sphere. For a few brief moments, there was calm.

Until Grigori turned from the hole in the wall, approached the head daycare person, and bowed his upper body a full ninety-degrees.

I DEEPLY APOLOGIZE FOR ALL THE DAMAGES AND COMMOTION MY POKÉMON HAS CAUSED. PLEASE FORWARD ME THE BILL FOR REPAIRS AND I WILL PAY THEM IN FULL! PLEASE FORGIVE MY FOOLISHNESS!"

They had his information on tab, which meant he didn't need to give it. More importantly, it meant he was free to rush to a pokemon center and get his Pumpkin healed. He rushed from the building, only slowed down by the person that ran into him earlier. One Howard Slayte.

"Excuse me, sir, but I am in a hurry!"

He did not stop to apologize any further.

---

howard slayte

"..." Howard simply stood in the wreckage of a daycare, having walked in after Grigori had left. That man had seemed pretty familiar, but that wasn't important. In a trance, Howard walked around, looking for an Anorith. There was an Armaldo, but that wasn't the same thing.

Arceus above, he was so fucked.

"Celpho...! Celpho?" Howard shouted, only to get crushed in a hug by the Armaldo in the room. Wait, had Celpho evolved? During a daycare date? Howard had been gone for only an hour! He had to confirm this. He glared pointedly at not!Celpho.

"Claw." A claw was offered. "Grab." Howard's hand was grabbed, almost too tightly. "Shake." Claw and hand shaked. Howard's eyes widened. "Celpho! You evolved! I'm so..." Howard's eyes switched to the daycare staff watching him. "Upset! How could you do this? I assure you, you'll be punished. Terrible! Horrible! How could you do such a thing?"

Yet Howard could not be prouder.

"You must be punished! I'll send you a check." Howard said loudly, then to the daycare staff. He gave them a tip of the hat, and then pushed Celpho out. "Horrible! Shame on you!"

Slam!

"Yippie! My first revived fossil, all grown up." Howard punched Celpho's claw, which hurt his hand. "Let's go get you a treat or something. Don't do that again, though." Celpho let out a contented growl.

---

Grigori Sokolov