Eevee sniffed her hand before moving on to keep exploring. Julie just snorted and settled in to watch.

"So how goes the socialization?" Maeve asked as Julie settled in.

"Pretty well with this group. The rest of them, not as well but they're getting better." Julie shrugged. "I think in another week they'll all be okay to go."

"That's not a bad timeframe," Maeve said. "I've heard of it taking much longer than that before."

"Oh I know. Well these ones are all young enough that they're still fairly curious. And Arcanine has been a huge help. Steve too." Julie smiled a bit.

Maeve grinned.

"Did you sign that form for me?" she asked.

"I did. It's signed in duplicate and I have a copy in my apartment in case of emergency." Julie grinned.

"Good," Maeve said, grinning. "Then I'll turn in the original to HR and you'll be clear to jump Rodgers whenever you like."

Julie rolled her eyes. "Really, we're not like you and Tony, we like hanging out. Unlike Tony and his obsession with tech and you hanging around while he's working."

Maeve shrugged.

"I don't mind watching Tony work," she said. "It's what he does. I'm not going to tell him to drop everything and pay attention to me."

"I wouldn't expect you to, but how much you like watching him work is almost worrying," she said. "But hey, to each her own."

"Hush," Maeve said, turning a bit red. "He enjoys working in the shop. I can't ask him to stop doing what he enjoys."

Julie snorted at that and shook her head, going back to watching the pokemon.

So when Tony came upstairs and looked around, the living room had been invaded by half a dozen of the new pokemon, along with a few of the normals.

"What, did you elect my living room to become a nursery or something while I wasn't looking?"

"Yes," Maeve said without missing a beat, grinning innocently. She kept a straight face for as long as she could, but started snickering a bit quickly.

Tony huffed and shook his head. "Sorry, we're not equipped to handle small things." He blinked and looked down when a Togepi waddled up to him and chirped up at him. "What do you want? Shoo. Go bother them."

"It's not for long," Maeve said. "Jules just needs to see how they react around other people and pokemon."

Tony huffed and picked up the Togepi, setting it down off to the side so he could walk into the kitchen and make coffee. Togepi trilled and ran after him, sitting on his foot again.

"The hell is up with this thing? Ninetails! Speak sense to it."

Ninetails snorted, moving away from greeting his younger cousin to go talk to Togepi.

Togepi trilled again and sniffled when Tony set it aside. It started to cry, holding up its arms for Tony to pick it up again.

Tony looked panicked for a minute until Ninetails snorted at him, licked the little pokemon, and nudged it over to Tony. Tony gave in, picking the little thing up.

"What's your problem?" he grumbled, looking at it.

Once Tony picked it up, Togepi stopped crying, although it sniffled a bit. It cuddled up to him as soon as it was sure he wasn't going to immediately put it down again.

"It likes you, Tony," Maeve commented.

"I already have a group," Tony complained. "I don't need another one to look after. I don't do well with small squishy things, ask Ninetails, he'll tell you, or he will as soon as I get that translator fixed."

"I'm going to be my literalist self for a moment and point out that Togepi have shells," Maeve said, fighting back a grin, "and are therefore not entirely squishy. But seriously, though, Tony, it likes you, and Togepi are known for picking a single person to love." She did grin this time. "If you don't believe me, ask Bruce where Togekiss came from."

Tony made a face down at the little pokemon now happily nestled in against his chest. But he didn't try to put it down again.

"This is what happens when I'm too nice, I get clingers."

"Legend says that Togepi bring their trainers happiness," Maeve offered, grinning a bit. "Might be worth it to find out."

"I could just ask Bruce," Tony pointed out. But he still didn't try to make Togepi leave, and he ended up tucking the little one in one arm while he made coffee with the other.