Ren nodded simply at Jaques. Her attention shifted from her rival' team leader to her newfound companion, as well as the other non-humans within the room. Many trainers were putting their Pokemon away, probably to make it a surprise for whoever they would face. 

Ren found that incredibly confusing.

It was but a simple starting battle. She could understand their want and drive to win, she had it too! But the only person who would really need to hide their Pokemon was the red-haired boy, Dawkin. The type advantage of an Aron would go a long way in a starter battle - maybe Shyn's intimidate could also be concealed, but for now, Ren had other plans for him. She took to a crouch and called his new name. 

[color=lightblue]"Shyn,"[/color] she spoke in a surprisingly quiet but monotonous, calm tone, [color=lightblue]"Please come here? I'd like to do a couple tests..."[/color]

Shyn was... rather startled by this new demeanor presented to him by his trainer, but quickly reverted to being the... unreliable Shinx he was. He strolled over, still looking rather excited at the prospect of a battle, though curious as to what his trainer might-

[i][u]Thump![/u][/i]

"Shyn!" The small blue Pokeman yelped, suddenly incredibly angry. It would appear Ren had just sucker punched the poor fellow in the chest, and apparently not as softly as she should've...

[color=lightblue]"A-ah, sorry, I didn't mean to hit that hard."[/color] Ren apologised, looking down at her gloved hand. [color=lightblue]"Guess I'm stronger than I thought..."[/color] A quick squeeze and a simple adjustment of her gaze back to Shyn; she would try to comfort him, but had a feeling he'd understand better through explanation. [color=lightblue]"I wanted to test your strength. Not that I have any doubts or anything, but I would like to know how strong you are for the times ahead. Why no better time than now?"[/color]

Shyn was... oddly receptive and understanding to the whole explanation. He calmed down a fair bit, but still looked livid. [color=lightblue]"How about I make it up to you with a treat if you win?"[/color] Ren offered. Pokemon weren't always the most understanding creatures, however they had a thing for being bribed, or so Ren assumed...

... And that did the trick!

"Shyn! Shyn Shyn!" Yipped the little Shinx excitedly at the offer of a reward. Now he was getting really fired up. [color=lightblue]"Alright, little guy, don't get ahead of yourself. We haven't won... yet."[/color] By now Ren couldn't help but grin, ever so slightly. She seemed a lot more talkative to the Pokemon than to those she had spoken to earlier. The two continued to test a few other things, like how hard Shyn could hit back, how quickly he could reach a nearby pole and back, and if he could both run and use 'Flash' at the same time. These tests were by no means perfect, but they gave Ren a general idea of her Pokemon's skill.

Satisfied, she and Shyn followed the group toward their competition, Shyn somehow managing to climb inside Ren's hood and using it as a vantage point. Then came introductions.

The first of the lot was... odd. A prodigy, perhaps? That was the only reason Ren could imagine the little upstart sounding so cocky. Still, she felt she could annihilate him if she was careful. Even prodigies can be defeated with skill.

The second seemed rather... unique. He seemed to at least have a head on his shoulders, which Ren felt the others might not posses. She wasn't sure about him. She'd need more information..

The third was... a little disappointing, actually. Even Shyn felt so, seeing as he yawned and slumped over Ren's shoulder from boredom. The young woman seemed completely disinterested in the topic. It made Ren wonder why she was even here.

The fourth was yet another oddball. For some reason Ren's mind immediately went to one of the Unova's most knowledgeable dragon trainers, with the childish appearance and whatnot. That said, she likely shouldn't be underestimated. Something told her a facade was brewing behind that cutesy expression and tone.

Number five just irritated her. He probably wasn't a bad person at heart, but that half-assed introduction made her want to strangle the idiot. She felt if anyone among their rivals would prove to be the closest to her, it would, unfortunately, be this idiot. 

Six was just an amalgamation of disagreement. Seriously, the boy must've traded wits for charm; his introduction made no sense. Even if he was cocky, even the most hardcore of idiots understood battle experience. Even Workout Girl knew that!

... Well, she [i]hoped[/i] she knew that...

The woman in blue, AKA seven, was... somewhat interesting. She showed promise, and a reason. Perhaps Ren could even come to understand this girl...?

But number eight... Number eight [i]really[/i] ticked her off. Being called trash wasn't something new to the islander, but it wasn't exactly something that got easier with time. Her hands clenched, balled to fists as he made himself sound so high and mighty. Sure, Ren knew she was a little like that, too, but she wouldn't resort to calling a total stranger trash. Shyn seemed to pick up on his partner's emotional response and flared a glare at Oaken, seemingly ready for a fight, too.

[color=lightblue]"I would suppose that makes you worse than trash, seeing as we were chosen over you."[/color] Ren countered with a cold-hearted smirk and a crack of her knuckles, cracking each finger with her thumb before cracking the thumb with her hand. [color=lightblue]"Shyn, I believe we've found our opponent."[/color] The Flash Pokemon agreed, hopped from the hood to the ground, and entered a battle stance. It was on.

Well, until Lucian made it clear he'd like to battle Oaken, too.

The idea of a double battle certainly intrigued her. More room for tactical decisions and more experience. It would provide the perfect scenario for refining her skills, and to make the process more fair.

Ren stepped forward, hands in her pockets and Shyn alongside her. [color=lightblue]"Lucian, was it?"[/color] She asked as took a stand alongside him. [color=lightblue]"Ren. I'd be glad to help. If I had to pick our other opponent, perhaps the annoying flirt or the older boy, though that's just because they're the only others who show promise."[/color] Her warning was set. Now all she had to do was wait for someone to take the bait...