No one knew how long they'd been stood, frozen, staring at those pods. The eerie voice had faded away, leaving them stood in complete silence.

Pixel just wanted to get away. The audio recording kept playing back in her mind, coupled with the graphic image of the poor kangaskhan joey frantically trying to get back to its dying mother.

Things still didn't make sense, but the Fracture had something to do with both worlds. Something that linked them both together. Two explosions, both the result of terrible experiments that should never have been done in the first place.

Her spine stiffened as soft rustling reached her ears and she braced herself to flee. The rustling was coming from the shattered pod, growing more static with each burst. Then something leapt out of it, a ball that appeared to be made out of the same substance that surrounded the Fracture. White and grey static filled with a distorted code that moved and changed. As the sphere floated up into the air it shifted shape to an hourglass, then a cone, then a sphere again as it bobbed away.

"What is that?" Switch asked. "A pokemon?"

"My guess would be the first virus victim," said Vector.

He moved over to it slowly and the static blob froze, its form becoming square.

"You're the kangaskhan joey aren't you?" said Vector. "They called you Missing Number?"

Mama!

The child-like voice crackled and popped unlike the previous frantic cry.

"I thought so. That explosion trapped you like this." He gestured to the static form.

The square's base leaked out to the side forming a backwards L.

"Look, I can help you," Vector explained.

No! Mama! You killed her!

The L span into the air and rushed overhead, doubling back to charge at Vector.

Just leave us alone!

Violet cracks shot from its body like lightning and Vector was forced to duck as Missing Number shot over his head like a dart, vanishing beyond the crumbling wall.

Vector pushed himself up onto his knees and stared after the retreating anomaly, aghast.

"Well," said Switch. "Looks like we found the source. A tormented child, or whatever the joey is, stuck in... this... I don't think it can even be explained!"

Vector shot over to the debris and vaulted over the mound.

"Wait! Vector!" Switch took off after him.

"Sorry, I can't lose it!" Vector called back. "I need to erase it, and not just for our benefit but the kangaskhan's as well!"

Switch tutted loudly and shrank down into his talonflame form.

"I don't want to lose him in here," he told Pixel. "Climb on. We'll chase after him."

She scrambled onto his back and clutched his feathers tightly as he rose into the air. Her heart was pounding in her chest. It was all too much to process, and now, as Vector chased after Missing Number – an entity that could generate those horrible cracks – she was really beginning to wish this was nothing more than a bad dream.

More questions were forming in her mind now. Was Missing Number the source of the Fracture or simply just a part of it? A living part, sucked into its mess like Raw and Sprocket? Was it really worth fighting this thing if the source was elsewhere?

Switch flailed his wings and doubled backwards as he met an invisible wall and Pixel screamed as she almost slipped from his back. Once he regained his balance he threw her a quick apology and turned his sights back on the meowstic.

Vector had chased the anomaly into a park where the flickering, warping mass of static threw more bolt-like cracks at him. Unlike the ones that filled the world outside the Fracture, these ones vanished as quickly as they appeared. The damaged, surreal world around them was unfazed by the ultraviolet lightning bolts, the surrounding structures accepting them like a mere breeze.

"He can't even get close," said Switch. "If he can't touch it then he can't erase it."

"Then what do we do?" Pixel asked. "All my attacks are close range as well."

"Then get ready to jump off," he said. "I have an idea."

He swept towards the ground and when he was low enough, Pixel released his feathers and landed awkwardly beside a ducklett-shaped topiary.

Neither Vector nor Missing Number were aware of her, but she could see them clearly. Vector rolled to the left as another bolt struck the ground where he'd been standing. Back outside, the cracks had no effect on him. But like her he was clearly doubting whether or not they could hurt him inside the Fracture, and finding out just wasn't worth the risk.

Above them, Switch hovered in the air, his feathers glowing as an intense heat radiated from his body. Pixel ducked further behind the bush to shelter herself from it, silently willing Vector to get out of the way. He looked up at the talonflame, realisation spreading across his face, and dived to the side.

Missing Number let out an ear-piercing shriek as the heat engulfed it, its voice rising and crackling until it began to sound like a speaker bursting with interference. Pixel clasped her paws over her ears to shut out the shrill, mechanical whine, but her eyes never left Vector and the strange, boxy, L-shaped anomaly. More and more violet bolts shot from its body, spreading over the benches, the motionless grass and trees. One of them brushed against Vector's white fur and he let out a yell, then froze as the bolt harmlessly moved through his body.

The look that crossed his face was a mix of frustration and relief and he snapped his attention back on Missing Number. His body became as taught as a coiled spring as he prepared himself to pounce, watching and waiting for Switch's attack to subside.

That awful cry reached a crescendo and the static body warped. Twisting and shrinking, coiling and growing. Then it exploded out to the sides as the heat dissipated, becoming more solid. Vibrant colours spread across it as the shrill electrical cry filled the air. Two wings appeared at its side as its body took on the form of a bird. Its beak was long and narrow, its wings sharp and jagged and giving off flames. Its long, ribbon like tail spread behind it, almost identical to the long feathers cascading down its back from its head.

It threw its wings out to the side and the static cry rose and fell almost melodically, then a new sound joined it. Two electrical pings, followed by a constant static fuzz.

Switch landed beside Pixel, his eyes wide with terror. "Did... did I cause that?"

The static fuzz rose into a short, buzzing growl, then Missing Number spoke, but this time the words appeared in front of it, marred by corrupted code. Its voice was still child-like, but oddly mechanical. But what stood out the most was its beak never even moved.

Thre4t d3tecTed. N3w f0rm t ken. N0w ccessinG dUmp m4trIx

Switch's beak fell open. "What on earth is a dump matrix?"

dUmp m4trIx cce55ed. CorrUpt3D fil3z wiLL b3 eras3d. DeleTing iN 0N3... Tw0...

Missing Number's long beak opened wide and shot out a stream of electricity straight at the topiary. Pixel leapt aside while Switch frantically flapped his wings in a desperate bid to escape. The topiary shattered to pieces and Switch found his legs and tail caught in the spray of electricity. A loud shriek flew from his beak and he crashed back down to the ground with a sick thud.

"Switch!"

Pixel threw herself towards him and reached out a paw to touch his wing. Immediately he returned to his human form and his eyes went to his watch. The screen was filled with black and white static, dancing over the display like a snowstorm.

She shook her head. "What..."

"Pixel, move!" Vector threw himself at her, sending them both rolling along the ground.

She looked back at Switch, and right where she'd been sitting rose a spiral of flames.

Missing Number turned its head and fixed its lifeless eyes on them.

D3tect3d r0gue ntIviru5 pR0graM. PR0graM i5 maLfuNcti0niNg. ERR0R. DeleTing...

It opened its beak wide in a terrible screech and fired a beam of ice. Vector shoved Pixel to the side then raised his paws, bringing up a barrier of light that deflected the attack back to Missing Number. The blow struck home but all the bird did was shake its head and ready another attack. This one deflected back and struck it in the wing and the bird didn't so much as flinch.

"I can't keep doing this," Vector told Pixel. "If I keep countering its attacks we're never going to erase it."

"But... I don't know what to do," she said. "All of my attacks are close range."

Her eyes went back to Switch, his beak hanging open as he panted with the effort of standing, his legs buckling beneath him as his form switched back to human. Tears stung at her eyes and she retreated backwards, away from the monstrosity that floated before them.

"Pixel!"

tt4ck pRovInG inEff3cTivE. Ch4NgIng t ctiCs

She rubbed a paw across her eyes and sobbed. It felt hopeless. What could she do? How could they possibly fight this thing?

"Pixel!

The panic in Vector's voice made her eyes snap open. A streak of ultraviolet shot towards her, lifeless eyes fixed on her over a dagger-like beak. She span away from it towards the monstrous bird, her horn arcing upwards to strike it under the chin.

Missing Number gave a deafening shriek as it rolled away from her, landing in a crumpled heap on the floor mere inches from Switch.

D3tecTed Thre4t inCr3a5E. ShuTtInG D0wN sYst3M

Ultraviolet bolts fired from its body towards the sky. The static forcefield over the Fracture dimmed, plunging them into darkness. The only light coming from above them now was ultraviolet, just like the laboratory in the human world.

Pixel's heart leapt into her throat and she glanced around them at the dark park, expecting to see one of those persian statues with its blinking eyes. But everything looked the same. The shattered topiary still lay in pieces beside Switch's motionless body.

What did it mean by 'shutting down System'? She swallowed drily as she feared the world outside may be much worse than when they entered the Fracture.

Missing Number hunched forwards, fixing its eyes on Pixel and Vector. It opened its beak and let out that melodic, static cry, pinging before it ended in a long fuzz that seemed to come from all directions.

"We've seen its attacks," said Vector quietly. "It can only go for one of us at once."

Pixel felt a small jolt in her mind as his words sank in. One of them at once. That meant she needed to distract it so he could get close to it.

If that was the case, then she had to hope she was its next target.

She took a deep breath then rushed towards it, keeping herself in its line of vision. It kept its eyes on her and as she turned away turned to follow her and opened its beak wide. Flames spewed from its beak and she ducked, feeling the heat as they coiled behind her. She was close enough to strike it now. As she brought her horn up towards it she could see Vector out of the corner of her eye, rushing at it with his paw outstretched.

Its attack stopped abruptly as it turned its head round and screeched, flapping its wings as it leapt aside, narrowly avoiding Vector's paw. Her horn struck its chest and it stumbled backwards, flailing, the flames from its wings licking her fur.

She readied herself for another attack. If she could just knock it off its feet, send it to the ground, it would have no time to dodge.

The monstrosity's body jerked towards the ground and it let out a panicked shriek. Another scream joined it and Pixel looked down at Switch, his arms fastened around Missing Number's legs. Electricity coursed through his body and his face creased with pain.

Vector wasted no time. He rushed at the monster and grabbed its wing in one paw. The feathered form retreated backwards, shrinking down into itself. That horrid screech became more and more mechanical, forcing Pixel to cover her ears.

Then it cut out into a static fuzz.

Mama? Mama! Mama!

Light exploded through the ultraviolet, dazzling her eyes so much she had to screw them shut. But it wasn't enough. She dropped to the ground and curled into a ball, clutching her paws over her head.

That child-like cry faded away and the light dimmed with it, finally settling at a level that resembled daylight. She blinked her eyes open, and when they adjusted to the brightness she found herself lying in a ruined city with a clear view of the blue sky, dotted with fluffy white clouds that briefly blocked out the sun.

A soft breeze whipped through her fur and she felt her lips curl up into a smile.

"It's gone," she breathed.

Erratic snuffling drew her attention from the sky to Switch who was jabbing at his watch with one of his talons. When his form switched back to human, he scrambled across the floor and crouched beside a blue meowstic lying face down in the grass.

Pixel's eyes widened and she pushed herself to her feet. "Vector?"

Switch placed a hand on his head and ran it down over his shoulders, brushing over the two dark blue stripes that cut across his back.

"Come on, buddy," he whispered. "Don't do this to me."

A painful lump rose in her throat as she watched Switch scoop up Vector's limp body in both arms. He lowered his head to his chest and let out a strangled sigh.

She clasped her paws together and edged over to him. "Is he...?"

"Barely."

Switch stood, his legs wobbling as they strained to hold his weight, and hugged Vector to his chest. His golden eyes glistened with tears and he opened his mouth to say something to her, but was cut off as a flash of pink appeared a few feet away from them.

"It's gone!" Retro vanished again and reappeared beside them with the three unown floating around her head. "The Fracture's wall! It's gone!" Her eyes went down to the meowstic in his arms and they widened slightly. "What happened? I thought once the virus had gone..."

"We'll explain later," said Switch. "He needs help."

Retro gave a curt nod. A pink bubble formed around them and in a flash the world warped and reformed at the site of Central Meta Hospital.

Pixel's heart sank. This was the last place she wanted to see.

The whole street was teaming with pokemon, their frantic voices melding together as they searched through the crowd. More and more of them were gathering onto the street, flooding through the reception and pausing to look down at their bodies with fascination. Bodies they thought they would never see again.

Pixel couldn't help but shake her head in wonder. Vector had done it. The destruction of the Fracture erased the virus.

"How on earth are we meant to get through here?" Switch asked as he tried to avoid being jostled in the crowd, clutching Vector protectively to his chest.

Pixel clutched onto his knee, keeping an eye above her as they passed by the larger pokemon who weren't being too careful with where they put their feet.

"Hey!" Switch roared over the din. "Does anyone work here?! We need help!"

The pokemon standing closest to them looked over at him then stepped aside, watching with curiosity as the human moved through the crowd clutching his unconscious friend.

"Any doctors?!" Switch shouted. "Anyone?!"

The closer they got to the door, the more rowdy the crowd became. Retro appeared beside Pixel, throwing a bubble over her before a rhydon crushed her beneath his foot. The large rock pokemon looked down with surprise and gave her a heartfelt apology.

Before Retro could give Switch the same treatment, two green paws reached out from the crowd and plucked Vector from his grip.

Switch's eyes widened with fear and his lip curled into a frown. The crowd parted and several pairs of curious eyes looked between the human and the gallade. One of the three pokemon neither of them had wanted to see. Pixel's heart did a flip and her paws went to her mouth as she stifled a yell.

"You wanted a cure," said Switch bluntly. "You were right. He had it."

Hertz met Switch's eye then looked back down at the limp meowstic. Shifting him onto one arm, he adjusted his stethoscope over his ears and placed it on Vector's chest. After a long, tense moment, he looked over his shoulder and shouted into the reception.

"I need a respiratory doctor in critical care! Now!" He turned back to Switch and Pixel and gave them a solemn nod. "We've got no power but I assure you we'll do what we can."

Switch stood watching after the gallade, dumbfounded.

Retro peered over his head. "That's the doctor you were telling me about?"

Both Switch and Pixel nodded.

"I was really expecting him to throw us into prison," said Pixel.

She took off after the gallade, dodging through the crowd that filled the reception. The crowd parted as Switch pushed through behind her, allowing them enough space to flow out into the empty corridor after Hertz.