Welcome to the second chapter! We are still in Kalos(until the end) and are still focusing on Team Flare, but our friend, Rhett, does join Team Plasma.
I have so much to say about Rhett and Markus with their bromance, but I'll save it for another time. What I do need to mention though is how there will be a big change in the next chapter. Disclaimer that the Rhett in the story right now is not Rhett Justus; Markus Carmoile is Rhett Justus. You'll understand, I promise!
I hope you enjoy!
"'FlareMR05?' Has a nice ring to it." Rhett said, handing me my contract again. I took it and gingerly placed it back in it's envelope. It was a copy of the original, and was basically just a certificate for me to carry around, but it was special; it marked my rebellion and change.
"And what about your code name? Otherwise, I'll just call you 'Team Flare grunt.'" I elbowed him. Rhett laughed and pulled out the copy of his contract.
"Very funny. FlareRC73." he said, reading off his contract. "And from here on, you will be known as FlareRC73. You will be required to report to your administer with your findings." he mocked an official by using an over the top voice.
"Your name rhymes."
"I know; it's kind of funny. I told Serena and she laughed." he blushed a bit while saying this.
"You still have the hots for her? Don't tell me you're a pedophile; we're seventeen and she's twelve." I joked. Recently, I had been joking around wit Rhett more than ever. Joining a team seemed to do much more for me than I originally thought.
"I don't have the hots for her, it's kind of like she's my sister. She was the only one who thought my telekinesis was cool before." Rhett sighed. I had it rough, but so did he; he was on the streets because his parents were scared of him. He met and stayed in contact with just a little kid, but was chased out of the town after the adults found out he as psychic.
"She's still so young; be careful with her." I warned. It was against the code of conduct in any team to be in a relationship until you were twenty. Even then it was strict until you were married; married officers would be required to report this and stay with their spouse. Teams were always old fashioned, I guess.
"I'm not going to date her! I just want a good life for someone who gave me good hopes." Rhett explained, flailing his arms around like I used to do.
We both sat in silence after that for a moment. I reflected back on how we were accepted only because of our talents. Being able to have a full conversation with a newly evolved Meowstic and Rhett being able to lift a Wailord with his mind were definite assets, and surprisingly, we were the only psychics in Team Flare.
We were given our red suits and were scheduled to start working the following week. During our downtime, we were expected to get contacts and style our hair. Both Rhett and I hadn't done so yet.
"Hey, I have someone to admit." Rhett brought up out of the blue. I turned my attention to him. "A grunt from Team Plasma offered me a position. She asked me to join Team Plasma and the leader would automatically accept me. You were offered a position, too."
I stared at him for a bit. Team Plasma was in Unova. It was fairly new compared to Team Flare, but it was widely known because of beliefs or something. They believed in bettering the world for Pokemon. While noble, it had to come at a price, right?
"And what are you going to do?" I asked.
"I dunno. I tried so hard to get into Team Flare, and then I even ended up forcing you to apply. I'm here for a reason, so I don't think I should quit right off the bat." he explained. I nodded, agreeing with him. After he talked me into applying, I thought he'd be more passionate about it.
"I guess you have to do what your gut tells you." I gave him the best advice I could. "I asked you this about Team Flare: what's so appealing about Team Plasma?" I questioned him. If it swayed Rhett enough to be unsure of his decision, it was an important ideal.
"The lady said their leader was a psych like us." Rhett simply said. My eyes widened a bit. I had heard rumours, but I assumed they were just that: rumours. "He can talk to Pokemon, like you. I thought it would be nice to be in a team that understood us completely, psych to psych." he said. I looked down at my hands, having to rethink my plans. I agreed with him; having a leader with the same ability as me sounded nice, but did we want to get wrapped up in all of that?
"I don't know what to say, Rhett." I told him. Rhett's shoulders dropped.
"If anything, I think you should go with Team Plasma." he replied, shuffling his feet.
"If I went to the Unovan border, they'd send Meowstic back. Pokemon from Kalos can't be brought into Unova." I said. The laws were very strict about bringing Pokemon illegally into another region. Rhett would be fine, as Zoroarks could be found in Unova, but Meowstics were only found in Kalos, and soon possibly Hoenn because of relocation.
"It would be better for you to go, though. We can hide our psychs, but you face it all the time. I can basically turn off my power." he started explaining. "With a leader that has the same ability as you, you wouldn't need to hide all the time. If you go, I'll take care of Meowstic."
"And what about you, Rhett? Am I supposed to leave you? Neither of us have any friends except each other." I started raising my voice. I was probably just a bit scared of the thought of leaving a good friend behind.
"You and Team Flare are important to me, but my roots are in Kalos. You were born in Unova, anyways." Rhett tried reasoning with me.
"Even you know that's a dumb reason."
"I didn't say it to persuade you."
"Then why did you say it?"
"Who knows," he shrugged. I sighed; sometimes Rhett was too simple minded. "Why don't you take on my name and go to Unova? Then I'd both be in Team Plasma and Team Flare!"
I hit my forehead with my hand. "That was even more dumb than your other comment."
"It was worth a shot." he leaned back and scratched the back of his head. "There's a train coming in tonight to bring us to Unova. I want you to go." Rhett pushed some more.
"I never said no, it's just you and Meowstic; I have nothing else holding me here." I explained. The whole previous discussion was about this and we hasn't come to an agreement.
"Well, I guess I'll join Team Plasma, but I'll catch a flight to Unova some other time; I've got business here." Rhett finally gave me an answer. "You should go tonight, though."
"Is there something up? Why do you want me to go so badly?" I asked. His persistence wasn't out of the usual, but it was safe to ask anyways.
"I just think we'd be safer in Unova. They want Pokemon rights, you know? Maybe we could stick Meowstic with Serena and wait until Kalosion Pokemon are admitted to Unova."
I tapped my shoes together a bit, considering what to do. It was probably foolish, but we were still alive because of Rhett's decisions. I felt like it was a good idea to trust him, but he said I would have to leave without him.
"If I go tonight, you have to take extra good care if Meowstic." I said, deciding to follow my own advice: go with my gut. I took Meowstic's Pokeball out of my pocket and released him.
"Markus?" the cat Pokemon recited my name. Because his Pokeball was so close, he would have heard that conversation loud and clear.
"What do you think, Meowstic?" I asked him. While I swayed to go to Unova, I wanted to hear my Pokemon's opinion first.
"I think it's best for you. I'll miss you, though." he meowed. Rhett sat quietly, waiting for me to finish my conversation.
"I know, bud. I'll miss you, too." I hugged my Pokemon for the last time and returned him to his Pokeball. "Take good care of him," I then said to Rhett.
"Promise." he replied. Rhett then started shooing me away. "Now get out of here and pack. I'm going to the Flare building to get some paperwork done.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm going. Later."
I had gone back to the old man's house we were staying at; he was nice enough to let us room there during the process of joining Team Flare. I packed up my belongings, which there weren't many, and thanked the man.
I had a Pokemon fly me to Kiloude city where I waited for the train. The train was early and I got on, so that was that. It was a long ride, and I dozed off several times; I wasn't worried about my belongings because nothing was really valuable.
When I got off of the train, everyone in the station was buzzing around like Combees, and there were several nurses in Unovan, Hoenn, and Sinnovan uniforms.
I pulled over one of the attendees. "What's going on around here?"
"The Team Flare building in Kalos exploded; they're asking for as many nurses as they can get."
I dropped the bag of few things I had. I would never know what Rhett was thinking that day.