Ayer was a slow soul. Time meant nothing to him.

Nosepass were infamous for standing in one spot for years, and only moving an inch as needed. Howard had caught one during a research expedition. It was actually his third Pokémon caught, and he used the Nosepass primarily as a compass to help him keep his bearings. An efficient and surprisingly smart move, yet not as smart and wise as Ayer himself.

He didn't feel time. Time didn't mean anything before the passage of stars and the crumbling of mountains and the shaking of the sky. Hoenn would end. Ayer would continue.

Pumpkin was another soul who was moving through life. Ayer perceived the Bisharp in the same way that Pumpkin perceived a tree or another random object on the side of the road. Worthy of attention, but difficult when you lasted eons.

"The early Pidgey gets the Wurmple, but the second Rattata gets the cheese." Ayer rumbled slightly, before returning back to his internal thoughts, pondering the great workings of the world.

He was unsure of why Howard had even left him here, though Ayer was confident that his trainer had a reason. He had been grumbling something about broken walls and hating his job. Fairly classic for Howard Slayte. He didn't really watch his mouth around the Nosepass, given his attention was often focused on Celpho, Shirley, and Crumble, who were all troublemakers.

Not Ayer, though. "A quiet soul requires no attention."

So deep...

---

Grigori Sokolov

For the both of them, the start of their interaction to the current time had been eight minutes.

Pumpkin still felt it too long regardless. A restlessness stirred in her... bones? But even with that all too familiar itch, that scratch only satiated by violence, the words this Nosepass uttered as calmly as a warm spring breeze. Something else stirred within.

Even though she had yet to decipher the first phrase, the rock continued. This one made sense, at least. Patience was a virtue; a lesson Grigori all but shoved down her throat. Everyone always claimed the importance of patience, yet none of the people that spoke it got any younger. Curious.

"No one lasts forever, yet you go as if you have all the time in the world..." Pumpkin chided. It was always the ones who thought themselves clever that begged for life at the end of their rope.

"A quiet soul requires no attention," the Nosepass said. Now what did this one mean? Perhaps it was best to stay calm? But every soul required attention. That's what Grigori said. She didn't like to listen to him, but this pokemon that sat in front of her stood a fighting chance to dethrone him. 

The Bisharp grumbled, "What about the now, dumb rock? Speak about our current situation."

---

howard slayte

"Time... is a river. Tie yourself to a stone, and free yourself." Ayer rumbled to his new disciple. Now, what did this mean? This Nosepass hardly gave Pumpkin a chance to process before piling on another question. Was he overestimating his new protege? Or perhaps this meant he saw something greater within.

Nosepass were very wise, after all. When you stood still for so long, and observed so much and so little, it opened the mind. Ayer was very wise. Not as smart as Shirley, and not as strong as Celpho, but definitely wise. Pumpkin was right, he did not have an infinite amount of time, but he had far more than most. That meant his spirit was immortal. In a way, he was dead.

And that which is dead may never die.

"Hm..." Ayer pondered Pumpkin's question for a moment—ten minutes—before responding. His voice rumbled and cracked like stones on a mountain. "Current... is true. Those who only look forward miss the forest for the trees."

Deep. So deep. Ayer had already cracked the secrets of the universe, long ago. It was up to Pumpkin, this young Bisharp, to find an answer for herself. When she did, even a Pawniard or Bisharp could cast a very long shadow. Such a shadow could cast even longer, however, if one knew how to look.

"Hm..."

---

Grigori Sokolov

Either the Nosepass had just suggested Pumpkin drown herself, or this was yet another metaphor. Even though a burst of anger surged through her metal body, she restrained herself. This wise one surely would not recommend such a thing when she could easily crush him into dust. 

Unlike Nosepass, her species were not known for their wisdom. If anything, they were so desirable because of their penchant for death and destruction. Pawniards served underneath the Bisharp, and they the Kingambit. A hierarchy much like Team Rocket, and just as violent. It's like the two were made for each other specifically. 

So what did it mean then? To sit still is to be free from time itself? Impossible. Not a single soul, Pokémon or human, could free themselves from the shackles of time. A silly idea.

Pumpkin grumbled again, "But to see the forest is the whole point, you lump of stone. To see only the trees is to walk into your demise."

It was true. One time, she'd looked forward to getting a treat from her trainer. She had gotten it, but she was so focused on the snack that she failed to notice the jar said treat was in topple to the ground. Man, the scolding she got from that almost made her punch the dirt.

But she didn't. Instead, she returned to the current. To the now. "When is lunch, o wise stone? I'm starving."

---

howard slayte

"Perhaps." The Nosepass said slowly. "Or perhaps not. When you open your mind and see everything in the forest. Only then, will you understand."

Despite Pumpkin's penchant for brutality, both she and Ayer were on the same side, in the physical realm. They were both Pokémon belonging to members of Team Rocket. Yet they were vastly different, despite this. Perhaps by understanding multiple perspectives, this Bisharp could learn more about the world. "You are a sword. A sword is an instrument of war. But the swordsman must be an instrument of peace."

Ayer rumbled slightly. "Only then, will you be able to see the trees." Deep.

The Nosepass then erupted into a massive burst of light, blinding Pumpkin. The small stone slowly grew larger, accumulating more and more mass as it towered over the Bisharp. Ayer had simply decided that it was time to evolve. He had never been ready, but he had also always been ready. Evolution was not just about growing older and stronger, but becoming wiser. Many Pokémon only evolved upon reaching a certain state of maturity.

That did not apply to Ayer. The Probopass had simply decided that this was a good time to evolve.

"Hm." The red object obstructing Ayer's eyes raised slightly, revealing small, beady, yet wise eyes that saw much. "The earth rumbles, yet all stays the same. Just as the bark becomes a lily pad."

This Probopass was so wise and insightful. How did he do it?

---

Grigori Sokolov

An instrument of war...

Pumpkin's kind had those, outside the human world. In the wild, territory was everything. It decided how much you could grow, how much you could sustain, your area of influence. The group leaders, Kingambit, would send the Bisharp and Pawniards to fight the hard battles. And if the time came, they would join the fray.

Grigori always said that he was nothing more than a pawn. A piece to be moved around. Neither she nor Scizor agreed with him, despite the Druddigons insistence. The insect was more Team Rocket than the lot of them. It craved dominance and control.

Her? She just hated being told what to do. And if Nosepass evolved on a whim, then why couldn't she?

Another glow of light blinded the Probopass. Its newfound proper eyes would see the form of Pumpkin change. Grow. Its forehead blade elongated. Its body took on a proper sitting stance. As if molded by their encounter specifically.

It wasn't in the slightest; that's just how proper Kingambit looked. Like proper warriors. Ones who bowed only to those stronger. And Pumpkin would be stronger than them all.

She had to.

"A rumble indicates change in the distance," Pumpkin said. "As the old becomes new. I think? The world of wisdom is hard to crack, I'll give you that."

Looked like Pumpkin still had far to go in terms of wisdom.

---

howard slayte

As Pumpkin evolved again, Ayer remained motionless, as if the Bisharp's evolution was expected. In a sense, it was. Every Pokemon was fated to evolve. Yet, at the same time, none were fated to evolve. It was life, yet it was also a mindset. Just as a Wurmple was expected to evolve as part of its biological cycle, it did not know whether it would become a Dustox or a Beautifly.

Deep.

Despite Pumpkin evolving, Ayer seems not to react. Well, less than usual, anyway. As Bisharp became Kingambit, Ayer simply stayed quiet for a short amount of time. A short amount of time, just a smidge. Only forty minutes.

"Zzz... Hm." The red object atop Probopass raised again, with Ayer's eyes opening. Had he been asleep? What mysteries did such a wise soul have to share with the newly evolved Pumpkin? Perhaps he would sow new wisdom, enlightening the Kingambit with even more knowledge, allowing the Pokemon to evolve again!

Or not.

"Hm..." Ayer's eyes blinked. "Cracks can be filled with new sealant. Only by breaking, can one become complete, Kingambit of Grigori."

How did he know her owner? Was this rock a spy? An assassin? Another scoundrel after her master?

---

Grigori Sokolov

Those forty minutes were pure agony for Pumpkin. The two stared at each other, but only one seemed invested. As time crawled forward at a snails pace, her frustrations and annoyance only grew. By the time the Probopass finally deigned it 'time' to respond, she could barely hold herself back.

And it spouted one more wise phrase, as well as hidden information. Information she can't recall sharing. There was no way to be wise about names. The only way for this pokemon to know that sort of thing was if he'd gotten it in secrecy.

"..."

Her head craned backwards. Light from above reflected off the blade, right into the rock's eyes. "I give up! I will break you and fill you with sealant, you dumbass!"

The world of wisdom was not for her. Too hard, too deep. Ignorant violence felt right up her alley. Besides, it was in defense of her trainer. No amount of time would 'seal' this slight, nor quell her boundless anger. This would be the last time this stupid boulder acknowledged her trainer out of the blue!

Thus, the 'guillotine' swung down, right in the middle of its nose. 

---

howard slayte

"Hm..." Ayer lowered his protective helmet slightly, preventing the blade from blinding him. He pondered it for several seconds, a remarkably short time for the Probopass. As the blade fell towards Ayer's nose, it suddenly stopped due to the power of magnetism. Three mini-noses surrounded Pumpkin as her strike failed.

Probopass were blessed with three mini-noses that they could use for combat. They moved around via magnetism and could assist in a multitude of different attacks. One of these noses gently dinked against Pumpkin's head, as if she was getting a light slap from a tutor.

Did he still view her as a student, even as she raised her blade against him? Probopass were curious creatures.

"Fly high. Like a bird. Only then will you have wings." Ayer rumbled, before slowly floating off the ground with the power of magnetism. The Probopass turned away from Pumpkin, before floating away into the sky. After several moments (an hour), the Probopass disappeared into the horizon. What a curious creature.

Well, at least Pumpkin hadn't destroyed the daycare again, right?

---

Grigori Sokolov