Alex continues to hold onto him, even though Memo is no longer fighting. His rational brain has, shakily, taken the reigns agan, so he goes willingly, wrapping his own arm around Alex’s waist so they’re more-or-less leaning on each other, making it easier to move. He doesn’t want Alex getting hurt because he was having a mental breakdown.

He offers a shaky and apologetic smile by means of introduction to Kaida Adachi; what a way to first meet someone.

Data swarms and swirls around them-- almost like snowflakes, but far too organized to be anything suggesting organic. Memo’s head is starting to hurt and he doesn’t know if that’s from the adrenaline slowly leaving his system or from their weird, datascape surroundings. He winces into the light as the second scan passes beneath them and the mechanized voice calls out as such.

“I’m fine, now, Alex,” Memo insists, not trying to pull away, but also still worried that he’ll make Alex a target. He catches a sight-- a figment, really, probably his imagination-- of himself in the glass, but it moves just a little differently, right when he goes left, exhales as he inhales, just a blink of irregularity. Then it’s gone and it’s just him again.

Up ahead, the path again cul-de-sacs against the swirling off-blue void of whatever this world was made of. Memo feels like he’s in a sci-fi movie, or video game, on the bridge of some fancy spaceship.

“I’m getting real tired of domes,” he hisses, echoing Alex’s terse exhalation, as another encapsulates them. And riddles, too, but he expected more of those before they can get out; he squints again, against the headache pounding in his skull, staring at the images of the Legendaries spread out across the screen in front of them.

Alex goes off on his outburst and Memo can’t help it-- he laughs. It's an endearing noise filled with light, juxtaposed against their rather dire situation.

“That was-- very Unovan of you,” he says, grinning up at Alex as the taller man angrily makes his answer selection.

“I also think it’s Darkrai,” he says, after a beat. “All the other ones are actually legendaries. This is the Legendary path, so Darkrai is the odd man out.”

He reaches out and taps Darkrai, sealing in his answer, and his fate.

---

tl ; dr
- memo has no pkmn out
- goes to terminal 2 with alex & kaida
- selects darkrai b/c reasoning: darkrai is a 'mythical' and all the others are 'legendary' (thanks bulbapedia)

Alexei Ivanov Kaida Adachi

☉

The umbrella made a clicking noise of protest as Memo fought with it to get it set up. He had little red pinches all along his fingers, and they hurt. But it was absolutely essential. Without the umbrella, Alex was too exposed, even if he was wearing a three-quarter-sleeved shirt and shorts that almost came down to his knees.

And his scarf. Always the scarf.

Mike II and squad squawked overhead, enjoying a warm day of wheeling through the sunny skies. Down the beach, Besa, Will, Ovejita, and the Littlest Wooloo played in the sand. Atalys and Smokey looked on, far too mature for such nonsense.

Memo’s combat with the beach umbrella was shaping up to be the worst conflict of the day. He preferred it like that.

"There's extra sunscreen and aloe in the cooler," Memo said through his teeth as he went round six with the umbrella, "I didn't want to run out."

Alexei Ivanov

☉

Guillermo winced.

The night sky above was a thick blanket of stars and darkness, holding in the oppressive heat. He sat on the beach blanket in his swim trunks-- a safe distance away from the water-- and felt a drop of sweat sink slowly along his spinal column.

And if he was hot, he knew Alex was positively melting.

He’d tried to plan for it. Cooler full of icy snacks and drinks. A little solar-powered fan buzzing along, pushing a decent breeze over their blanket. Coming out at night instead of during the day.

“I think it’s the dome,” he said somberly to his companion. “Sorry.”

As though he could do anything to change the weather.

Alexei Ivanov
hot summer nights

☉