Invincibility Friends: Revived

Season Two: Episode Two (pt.5)

(Hey y'all, surprise surprise! I got attached to this dumb series again and I wrote this. It's been around this time last year where I came up with this idea so I think it's a natural cycle lol.

With an updated trainer card style and admittedly a bit more rushed writing because I really just wanna get to the juicier stuff already other than Lauren (who for some reason I gave a last name now) trauma, I'm glad to present another installment to this wackiness. I hope you enjoy! :D)

We had our lunch in the lobby's cafeteria. Ms. Geode sat next to me, but we ate in silence. My food dried with each awkward second that tensed by. The faces of those Riolu. I couldn't bear it. It was etched into my memory, and I wanted to double-burn it away. Because... that's how it worked right?

Whatever illogical conclusion there was to memory erasing and mind burning, I wanted to find it because this guilt was too massive to handle.

I caught Ms. Geode periodically glancing at me and whenever I did, my chest stung as she looked away each time. Each dang time. I don't know if eye contact was exactly what I wanted, but maybe I just wanted some acknowledgment? I don't know what for. That my feelings weren't irrational?

I threw away my leftovers. Even as I felt Froakie's concern, who was curled up on the table, probing my back, I couldn't finish my lunch, and I was practically begging for Rattata to snatch the crumbs away. I stared into the smelly abyss of the garbage can, and I couldn't believe that was the closest thing that felt the same way I did right now. I turned around, in disbelief of how much my mind was scattering through nonsense.

Scrunching my nose, I asked Ms. Geode, "Can we catch my next Pokémon now?" My tone came off more harsh than I intended.

"Sure," she said. Her tone matched mine. Or, well, that's what it felt like. She got up from her seat, looked into my eyes for a second too long, and walked towards the elevator to wherever. Now that I got that eye contact, I wasn't sure I wanted that anymore.

"Where do you want to go?" I asked her. I'm not sure why I did.

"Where do you want to go? It's your team after all."

It's my team after all.

Froakie hopped onto my shoulder. I thought about it as we walked closer to the elevator. To a ton more floors of possibilities. I couldn't place an idea. I looked at Froakie, but she frowned without any reply. I just couldn't think. I don't even know how I'd continue team-building. I don't know.

I just felt so... scattered.

Scattered. The dumbest button was clicked in the back of my dumb noggin.

"Scatterbug," I said. Scatterbug.

If my ideas were stemming out of depressing puns now, then I'm really in for a kicker.

"Alright," she replied. There was a hint of amusement in her expression with the way her eyebrow shifted.

We entered the elevator, and we headed up. I hoped I didn't have to pack mosquito repellent.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Immediately we were swarmed with obnoxious buzzing. Yanmas flew above us and Caterpies hung on the webbing of Spinaraks. It was lush and green like all the other floors, but there was an air of... "insectiness" that just... bugged me. I love bugs, truly. I found them fascinating but coming back from what I witnessed–those crying Riolu–the noises were as stuffy as my chest.

We walked around the scenery to go search for a black, worm-like creature. It didn't take us too long. Hordes of Scatterbug curled up near some bushes a few paces away from the entrance, but there was one I saw clearer than the rest. This one was thinner, much shorter. It had to be a few inches at least, and it was curled up alone.