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"Really?" He frowned slightly. "Huh..." He rubbed the back of his neck. He found himself vaguely disapproving of this for some obscure reason. It was good that she would go out with friends, at least...

He saw the ball slip from her hand, "Ah," he turned to pick it up, "I've got--" A little orange shape snatched the stress ball up into its maw as Lucas leaned to retrieve it, darting ahead slightly with a feathery tail waving back and forth. He blinked, surprised by the Growlithe's sudden appearance.

"Mmm..." That wasn't right. A proper boyfriend should-- Well, that was territory that need not be entered.

"Hah, I guess so," he said with a grin, tucking his hands into his pockets and watching the Growlithe. Sure was cute. Lucas might not have minded the guy himself... Well, not that he particularly wanted or needed more pokemon.

The Growlithe thrust its hindquarters into the air, tail wagging more quickly as Claire brought herself down closer to its level. The look in its amber eyes betrayed no intent to give up the ball. Lucas watched the puppy curiously as his hand found a pen buried in his pocket. Inspiration struck.

"Hey guy," he called, earning an attentive stare from the fire-type. "Fetch." He turned around and threw the pen in the opposite direction. With an enthusiastic bark that released Claire's stress ball from its mouth, the Growlithe took off after the thrown item.

Lucas shrugged and continued along the sidewalk towards the parking garage, "He's probably got an owner."

"Ahh, is that where he came from?" A city 'chu, then, was it? It made the electric mouse's interest in guitar seem that much more fitting. He soon found his path obstructed by - unsurprisingly - a Growlithe. The little fire dog had a pen clamped firmly in its mouth until it deposited the thing at Lucas's feet, tail wagging excitedly. He raised an eyebrow, laughing.

"Wow, he really brought it back," he remarked. The Growlithe gave a curt bark in reply, as if the human should have expected no less.

The Growlithe was off with another bark, dashing in the direction of the unfortunate office supply. Lucas watched the orange shape in the distance as it seized the pen and came bounding back, once again placing the impromptu fetch-stick at the man's feet despite the fact that Claire had thrown it.

Lucas retrieved the pen from the ground and tucked it back into his pocket, patting the Growlithe briefly on its head. "Sorry, guy, but we've got places to go." He was answered with a disappointed "graooo," but the fire dog continued to watch them intently, starting to follow when Lucas began forward again.

Said fluffy dog wagged its fluffier tail when it realized it had been noticed, a motion that increased in speed when Lucas turned to look. He sighed briefly, scratched his head, and placed his hands on his hips. "You wanna come?"

"Grao!" The Growlithe seated itself politely on the pavement. Lucas scratched his head again, humming thoughtfully with a slight grimace. He wasn't a particular fan of battling, but it seemed like the dog would be willing to come along without first being defeated... Inspiration struck once more, and he retrieved an empty pokeball from his coat pocket and placing it on the ground. He took a step back and folded his arms.

The Growlithe looked between the ball and the human, barked again, and nosed at the pokeball. The contact initiated the capture mechanism, and a bright flash sucked the puppy into the ball's confines.

"Hmm..." Lucas reached and picked up the pokeball. "Guess I've got a Growlithe now?"

He stared at the pokeball in his hand momentarily before placing it with Snow's and Merry's. The Growlithe seemed young, and he imagined he would have to keep as stern a hand over it as he did over Snow. Or... maybe not? Recently it seemed that his strictness with the Charmander was only affecting his mood rather than his behavior. He raised a thoughtful hand to his chin. What had he done differently with Merry that she had grown into such a perfect friend and ally...?

It hadn't been that long since they had arrived, and Lucas still retained a good idea of where exactly the car should be. He ascended the stairs, grinning slightly when he noticed the rail. On reaching the landing, though, he stopped suddenly and turned to face Claire. The expression on his face was different from any that had appeared there before, regardless of the prevalent personality. He visibly hesitated.

"Claire, I have a request."

He was momentarily impressed that she had detected the shift so easily, and it seemed to alleviate some of his hesitation. He leaned backwards against the rail and contemplated his phrasing carefully.

"For the past several years, I've been searching for someone qualified to... assist me in a matter." He paused again, toying with the pokeball containing the newly-obtained Growlithe. "I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but my duty is to guard Lucas. I am here to ensure the fact that he is able to live happily. To me, his is the most important existence in the world." Another introspective pause. "He is plagued by concerns that I neither understand nor have the power to alleviate. I would ask for your assistance in this matter." The usual cold expression had thawed into one of total sincerity, perhaps even of some vague sorrow.