[Tesla bleats in alarm and sparks all the harder. Carlos is worried his Pokemon might actually attack Lauren, which won't end well, so despite all the electricity, he scoops the Pokemon up, wincing. What he wouldn't do for some protective gear. Luckily, Tesla stops sparking relatively quickly, conscious of the pain it's causing his trainer, though his wool is still pretty puffed up.]

Scientists are perfectly capable of handling their own affairs. Besides, I'm not really sure the two of us are even traveling to the same place Lauren. I might have other very scientific interests which might lead me to travel in a different direction, and I really wouldn't want to inconvenience you by making you less productive, you see.