Pokémon Umbral ~ Renny's Sidequest Chapter 1

[Geminex]

Impact followed Renny down. Stalemate, it seemed. No clearly defined leadership, the vote wouldn't go ahead. But that was... acceptable. No Renny in the lead for now, thank god. And so... much potential. Brave, Merciless, Fights the hardest? He could do that. Results? He could do that to. He could feign friendship, earn trust, gather information. Be diplomatic, be compassionate, be savage. He could speak, or he could fight, he didn't mind which. He could be anything in their eyes, as long as it served his purpose. But he'd obtain this... He'd lead them, one way or another. But who was "them"?

The team? Useful. Very useful. His intention had been to gain rank within the police force, to modify the system from there, and to do that he needed a basis of support. But suddenly, there was something else.

Whitney's words, her description of Faynoc... that had stirred a chord. He had never placed too much value on the concepts of willpower, or even free will, but truly... what was leading? Guiding others? Understanding those around you, trying to find the best possible solution? Using others, deceiving them to further your own aims? No. Neither, really. Leading was will. Others surrendering their will to yours. And, he realized, that was power too. A high-ranking position here would have given him... influence, but that wouldn't have been leading. That would be merely a job. But to lead? To inspire through voice and deed, to will something, and have a legion of followers will it too? To hear them in the streets, marching, chanting your name, knowing that they don't just obey you, that you control them? What power. What... potential. He barely spared Renny a glance as he headed straight for the van, brooding. In his pocket, the scythetip pulsed with cold, but he barely noticed.

Because whatever the purpose, even if it was just means to an end, a glorious, pokemon-free, healthy end, first, you needed power. And the best way to get that was to get others to give you theirs. Power...

[Menarker]

If we get ambushed, then it would be better to see where it came from. I'll bring a radio with me though. From outside, I have a better viewpoint of what's going on from all directions, since we can't see through walls. Although...

Renny pulled out another pokeball and out came the tiny form of Shaymin in all her cute and charming flowery glory. But that wasn't all. Renny pulled out a small bouquet of flowers, which Shaymin approached impishly with delight over the simple beauty and aroma. Upon contact, Shaymin appearance shifted as her foliage fur became wings and Shaymin's expression bold and playful. Renny pocketed the mysterious Gracidea flowers into his backpack.

"Two scouts are better than one. One for our rear, and one leading the way."

"SHAYMIN!" The legendary grass flyer flew around, bouncing like a reindeer beaming with enthusiasm. It clearly couldn't wait to get the party started.

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Renny flying leading the way, riding on Togekiss and having Shaymin Sky Form as back-up and extra pair of eyes for alertness.

[Dracorion]

"Look, if we're going to be ambushed, it's not likely to be anyone that'll be seen easily, or at all. You won't notice them until you're screwed. The vans are armored, so they should be able to take anything they throw at us long enough for us to get out, find them, and kick their asses."

[Menarker]

"The matter isn't just initial survival. We'd need to be able to react as smoothly as we are able, and for that we need information. Where we're being attacked from, what we encountered. That sort of thing. If you're all pinned in that van, you won't know what's going on until you actually get out, and the team might be heavily targetted, making it difficult to get out safely and proceed, as you say, to kick ass. Especially if the van gets knocked over or put in a compromising position."

Renny patted his pokemons affectionately, as they looked at Pierce quizzically as if they wondered why he looked so skeptical.

"My pokemon may not look like fighters, but one is legendary and the other close to that. They certainly aren't feeble or useless. I also know the overall location quite intimately. I played hide and seek in the bushes, flew inside the clouds, dove underwater in a pond and once got dug underground." Renny flinched for a moment, as he rather fly or walk than be dragged into such cramped conditions for a second time if there was any way around it.

"I know that I stand to be the most open to risk at first, but I pass on greater risks to everyone else if I don't since the group would be running blind into the fray. I just need to keep an eye out, give info and provide cover so you guys can get out safely if it ever comes to that. I don't think there is much else I can say to reassure you. Do you want a radio too so we can keep in contact?"

Renny smiled slightly. "I'm your host for today's party. Don't worry, I won't let anyone down. I promise."

[Dracorion]

"Fine, whatever. Do as you will." Pierce said irritatingly. Renny wanted to kill himself? Fine. Pierce climbed into the van and sat down, arms folded and tapping his foot.

Suddenly, one of his pokeballs opened and a certain dragon-lady materialized. Shit.

"Masteeer! I've been stuck inside that ball for so long, I just had to get out and be with you!" Nagarai said loudly, sitting on Pierce's lap. The truth was, she noticed all the women riding in the van with Pierce and got extremely jealous. But the van was now officially too crowded for Pierce's liking, and since he knew Nagarai wasn't going to get back in her pokeball he had to put her elsewhere.

"I asked you not to call me Master. Look, Nagarai," He began "nothing's gonna happen, and the van's at bursting point already, there's no room for you here." Nagarai pouted. She had some ideas about how to make room, she thought, eyeing all the women hatefully. "Do me a favor, go outside, there's a guy out there, looks like a shota boy, name's Renny. He's going to lead us where we need to go, so tell him I sent you and you're to do what he says. Can you do that for me?"

"But Masterrrrrrr..." She said complainingly. Still, she knew Pierce wouldn't let her ride in the van, so reluctantly she got up, eyed the women one last time (everyone noticed her body jolted with electricity as she did), and went outside. She saw Renny and approached him. "Hello mister Renny. Master Pierce told me to come support you because the van is filled with whores and there's no room for me."

[Menarker]

Renny watched the dragon come his way with a dark expression on her face, jolt of voltage that had surged through her body. Renny tried his best to stifle his shock at her referring to the ladies inside as whores. He had better forgo a hug or even a friendly handshake.

"I see. Well, I appreciate the offer... Master Pierce, hmmm? Pierce sure is lucky to have you as a loyal companion." Renny smiled a slight, pleasantly surprised by the thought, but he continued on. Shaymin smirked, with all its playful telepathic humor kept ever so subtly hidden from the oblivious lad.

"Anyhow, a simple task but it's important. I'm leading these two vans over to my estate for a party, which I invite you to join in as well. Anyhow, lately our group has been getting involved in interfering with a certain fanatic pokemon terrorist group or cult. There is a chance that we might be attacked or at least spied on along the way. For everyone's sake," Renny waved his hand toward the two vans, particularly the one with passengers "including your Pierce, I'm acting as a scout and set of eyes to make sure that no harm comes to them and to alert them so we can be prepared for any... incidents. I'm riding Togekiss here, and Shaymin will be helping keep an eye on the surroundings. If you can do the same, that would be great. Contact me if you see anything out of the ordindary. I got a radio here to alert everyone else. Anything you want to ask, uhh..." Renny fumbled for a word that never entered his mind because he had no idea what her species was. "I'm sorry, but do you have a name or something I can call you by? I honestly never seen a pokemon like you before. Pierce sure is lucky."

Togekiss chirped pleasantly, waiting with divine patience for everyone to get ready.

[Bard The 5th LW]

"Just let the kid have fun," Charlotte said absently to Pierce as she made her way into the van. She had been fiddling with the camera she bought most of the time. She had briefly video-taped the debate, hoping that Impact would throw a chair at Pierce or something, but alas, no one flipped the fuck out.

She briefly took into account the part of the scythe that Pierce had collected. She would have taken it, but it wasn't the same without the blade. She had collected to blood/ooze and put it an urn. It was currently above her fireplace. She also had taken steps to take care of Latios. She definitely wanted to keep it safe, she just didn't know were to put it. She didn't trust the PC system, so she decided to put it in the hands of a trustworthy person she knew. She had a bit of a list of who she could have given it to: Nicholas, but he was a wild-card, Jeremiah might just sell it to pay off debts or something, and she just plain didn't care to speak with her mother. She eventually decided to just let PATCA hold onto it for a while, it was safe there.

She silently took a seat next to Impact. He had seemed particularly struck by Rayleen's choice of Renny. Charlotte didn't care who was leader, but she was interested in Impact's enthusiasm. "So why do you want the leader spot so badly," she asked him abruptly, "you don't think the kid is good enough for the job huh?" SHe didn't care how much she was prying, but she was curious as to why this spot as leader of a small team was a huge deal to him.

[Dracorion]

Nagarai smiled back at Renny, who could practically hear the cogs turning in her head. "Well, I'm a Nagarai, that's my species. Master just calls me Nagarai." She said absentmindedly. She was staring off into space, as she came up with an idea.

If they were ambushed, she could easily handle the enemies. Pierce would be so impressed with her that he'd realize she was the only one for him, and let her give herself over to him. Of course, probably not. More realistically, he would warm up to her. She could work with that. She needed a more subtle approach after last time. Shorting out the lights in the department store, ripping off Pierce's clothes and trying to rape him didn't work as well as she hoped. It had been right after her pokesapien proceedure, and she wanted to show off her new bangin' double D's and perfect ass to him.

Then a gleeful smile appeared on her face as she thought about she and Pierce would do when they finally got together.

[Geminex]

Impact paused for a second as Nagrai walked by, her form and her antics eliciting a look of severe disgust on his face. He remembered himself after a second, wiped his face clean, and turned to Charlotte. "He is... competent, of course. Skilled. Good with his monsters. If we're just talking emotionally, in terms of ability to inspire, to motivate, he's probably even a better choice than me. But tactical coordination? No, I don't believe that he'd be the best choice. This is less a matter of ego and far more one of... efficiency. Of having the best chance of success. And I think that I'd provide that. You fought with him lat mission, didn't you? How did he do?

This is... moot, of course. The team shall select its own leader, in time. And that suits me. If am led, I'd much rather have it be by subconcious choice, than by promotion. And if I lead... then again, free choice will get me so much more... loyalty" he had only just managed to stop himself from saying 'control' "than promotion."

[Bard The 5th LW]

"His.. monsters," Charlotte repeated. He may just be using the correct terminology, as in pocket monster, but Charlotte still felt there was something under it. She decided to pursue it no further though. She felt that her simple parroting should give Impact the impression that she noticed something was amiss.

"Well in the mansion, Renny did give orders out, and I suppose I did follow some of them," she said with a look of deep thought, "Shannon and Lola seemed to support him." "He did try to negotiate with Moera the mew pokebrid," she noted, "but that came to nothing, and I saw to it that she was properly dispatched." She seemed a bit proud of herself for the achievement of killing the little girl. She also left out that she had attacked Moera before Renny got a response.

"The thing is, I sort of... lost myself I suppose, when I go off on the missions," she said. "I pay little attention to what the others are doing unless it affects me. I'll follow orders if I hear them, but I consider them to really be suggestions." Her admittance of this seemed a bit uncharacteristic, but Charlotte needed Impact to trust her. Maybe he would go into detail about the 'monsters' comment if he felt that he could be vocal near Charlotte.