Frank was awoken by an electric shock that seemed to pulse through him. He sat up instantly, feeling every hair on his body standing on end. His heart raced as he looked around, trying to gather his surroundings.

The Doctor was blinking rapidly next to him, seeming to have gone through a similar wake up call. "That's always exhilarating." He panted, turning to Frank and grinning to see that he was awake too. "Ain't it a doozy, Frankie? Feel my hearts go!" He grabbed Frank's hands and held them both against his chest, still breathing heavily.

Frank couldn't even speak from the sudden action; he was transfixed by the heartbeats he felt under both hands. The Doctor always mentioned having two hearts, but it was a whole other thing to feel them beating in a sped sync.

"Two hearts..." Frank awed, tilting his head as he stared at his hands that were pressed to the Doctor's chest.

The Doctor laughed, causing his chest to rise and fall quickly for a moment. "I always mention them, Frankie. I may look human but, remember, alien." He grinned.

Frank let out a laugh, looking up to the Doctor's face. They locked eyes for a moment, and Frank could of sworn he felt the Doctor's hearts skip a beat.

"Ral!" The small creature that had attached itself to Frank at the lab seemed to latch to his side. Frank looked down to see it nuzzling against him.

"Oh, you guys are up!"

Josh laughed as the Doctor released Frank's hands and they both turned to him. Josh's pink hair, which his Skitty was playfully pawing at, was standing straight up as he grinned at the two. Tyler was still asleep on the ground, but Josh's shinx was creeping up on him.

"Shinx doesn't sleep much, sorry..." Josh apologized sheepishly as he tried to stroke his hair down. He waved his arm at it as it crept closer to Tyler, "Don't wake him u-oh too late." Josh bit his lip as the dark haired boy was zapped with a small dose of electricity from the small blue creature jumping onto his stomach.

"Psy!" He cried out as he shot up. The Shinx jumped off his lap as his Psyduck wandered over. Tyler reached out and pulled it close, hiding his face.

Josh looked at him worriedly. "Tyler? Are you okay?"

Tyler peeked up at the sound of Josh's voice. "I had a nightmare..." He whispered, looking down at his Psyduck. "I've had Psy since I found his egg. The Unknown showed me..." As he spoke, the four letters flew out of the trees and began circling Tyler's head. His expression moved from nervous fear to a zoned out relaxation.

"Tyler?" Josh's eyebrows furrowed as he looked between the Unknown and the dark haired boy, "Ty?"

Tyler just hummed as he rested his head on his Psyduck. Josh frowned, waving his hand in front of Tyler's face.

"Hear you, Josh..." Tyler spoke absently with slow blinks.

Josh didn't look very happy, but he nodded. He turned to see his Shinx creeping towards Michael, who was sleeping curled up in the arms of his Ampharos while he held onto his Cubone. His other pokémon were either laying next to/on top of Ampharos, or leaning against Michael.

"Shinx." Josh warned, causing the blue creature to turn around with an innocent grin. Josh's Skitty jumped from his shoulder to chase Shinx, causing to to cry out before sprinting off.

"Are those electric types just your alarm clocks?" Frank asked as he scooped the Ralts up in his arms. The Doctor smiled as he reached out to play with the small creature, who seemed to enjoy swatting at his fingers.

"They're just energetic and don't like when their partner isn't up having fun." Josh replied as he began to gather his pokémon all together, "Kind of like toddlers or puppies... Probably puppies because they're nicer."

Tyler was shaking his head, as if coming back into reality, just as Josh was finishing putting some of his pokémon away. He sat up and rubbed his eyes with a small yawn before smiling at Josh. "How much longer to the research lab?"

"Not far." Josh replied, sticking the pokéball in his hand to his belt. He looked up at Tyler and smiled back, "Just have to awaken the sleeping Clifford and his many electric types."

"That should be fun." Tyler smirked, looking down at Psyduck. "Remember water gun, Psy?"

Josh stood up to help Tyler to his feet as Frank turned to the Doctor, who was actively playing with Ralts. Frank rolled his eyes before clearing his throat. Ralts stopped immediately, looking at Frank with the tilt of its head. The Doctor grinned at Frank.

"What's up, Frankie?" He asked, scratching his head.

Frank felt his smile faulted just slightly with what he wanted to ask. He knew it would ruin the Doctor's mood, but it had to be asked. "What if it is the same man? The guy that tried to kill Dallon, I mean?" Frank whispered as yells of frustration and giggles could be heard just behind them.

The Doctor's smile faded. "We stop him from hurting anyone." He said after a moment of contemplation, "There's not much more I'm sure we can do, given our current situation. I can have him sent to a prison to be tried for his crimes, but my transport crystals are still onboard the tardis."

"Transport crystals?" Frank questioned, "You mean the green thing you used on the squidward tentacles monster?"

The Doctor nodded, tapping his nose. "That's the stuff."

"Doctor! Frank! We're ready to get moving!"

The Doctor stood, offering his hand to Frank. The human gladly accepted, holding Ralts securely in one arm while being pulled up by the Doctor with his other. Ralts his its face in Frank's shoulder, holding onto the front of his shirt.

"I've gotchya." Frank assured the creature once he was steadily on his feet.

"Aww, look at you, being nurturing." The Doctor giggled as he walked backwards to join the group.

"Oh, shut it, Doctor!" Frank rolled his eyes, but kept a protective grip on the Ralts.

---

"It's just ahead..." Josh said lowly as the group slowed their trek through the trees. The roof of a building was visible just past the trees. However, Josh seemed nervous.

Michael held tightly to his Cubone as he looked ahead. "Do you think they're okay?" He asked almost silently.

"One way to find out." The Doctor replied, stepping forward. Frank followed quickly as Ralts stood on his shoulders. The others followed as well, but with far less confidence than the Doctor held in his steps.

Past about a dozen more trees, an older looking building came into sight. Its roof was pointed high into the sky, but it looked damaged. Scorch marks were scattered along the buildings exterior and, where there weren't burns, vines had begun to overtake it.

"They stopped using this place so long ago..." Michael whispered, "Ever since the rouge one..."

"Something we should be worried about?" The Doctor asked, turning to Michael.

The boy with galaxy hair shook his head. "They caught it later but, before they did, it burned so much..."

"They tried to recreate power beyond them..." Tyler spoke in his dazed tone. The Unknown were circling him again, making Josh's eyebrows furrow.

"Snap out of it!" He said, swatting at the flying letters. "Tyler, if something bad is going on, I need you to stay with me!" He grabbed Tyler's shoulders, looking into his eyes. "Ty?"

Tyler blinked quickly, a look of confusion crossing over his face. "What did I do?" He asked, softly, looking at Josh with innocent eyes.

Josh let a breath escape through his nostrils, but put a smile on his face for Tyler. "Just don't get out of your mind in here, okay?"

Tyler nodded with a small smile finding his lips. "Okay."

Frank was watching the building as Josh and Tyler had their exchange. It just felt so dark compared to where they had been previously. The presence was different, and even the Ralts on his shoulders seemed to feel it.

"Ral..." She stood on Frank's left shoulder and held onto his hair to point at the building with her other hand, "Ralts!"

"Do you not like it either?" Frank asked.

The creature on his shoulder jumped up and down. "RAL!" She seemed to have much more urgency in her tone, now. Frank turned to her, confused, just as a pink veil seemed to surround them.

Frank cried out as he felt the air suck in around them. Everything was silent for an instance before Frank found himself falling to the ground. He shook his head, looking around to see himself a few feet back from the main group.

"Frankie!?" The Doctor exclaimed, "How did you-"

"LOOK OUT!" Michael cried out as a fireball flew out from the building. Everyone jumped back as it landed exactly where Frank had been standing just seconds before.

"Take cover!" Josh yelled, looking around for somewhere to go. His Skitty clung to his shirt with a shriek. Tyler looked scared as he stayed behind Josh, holding onto his Psyduck's hand.

The Doctor rushed over to Frank, pulling him up to his feet hurriedly. "How did you do that?" The Doctor asked, looking him over with an expression of worry.

Frank shook his head. "I-I didn't? I don't know-"

"Doctor! We meet again."

Frank and the Doctor both spun at the familiar dark voice. The man with the metal arm stood before them, just outside of the building with a smirk on his face. Behind him, still inside the building, two men were tied together and being guarded by some kind of black orb surrounded by a purple mist.

"Dad!" Michael cried out with a mixture of relief and fear as he looked past the man. His Cubone jumped up and down, pointing at the bound men.

"Who the hell are you?" Josh demanded, taking a defensive pose where he stood.

The bald man rolled his eyes. "Hush boys, it's rude to interrupt an adult conversation." He spoke while never looking away from the Doctor. "You're looking well, aren't you, time lord?"

The Doctor stood up straight, looking straight back at the man. "Wish I could say the same, but I seem to have a leg up on you." He replied, gesturing to the other man's metal leg.

He only laughed in response. "You like my upgrades, do you? It only helps me rise above imperfections like you."

"Cubone, use bone throw!" Michael yelled as the small creature in front of him produced the weapon out of nowhere. It quickly locked onto the bald man and did as his partner instructed.

Unfortunately, the man caught the bone without the blink of an eye in his metal hand. His smirk only grew as Michael gasped and he adjusted the bone in his hand.

"What did I say about interruptions?" He asked cooly before throwing it back in Michael's direction with extreme force. His Cubone cried out, but Michael jumped into the way before the creature could get hurt. Josh cried out as the bone collided with Michael's skull, echoing out loudly before he grew very still.

"Where were we?" The bald man asked, smiling at the Doctor.

The Doctor looked at him with pure anger. "Check on him, Frankie." He whispered to the human next to him, who quickly obliged, before addressing the man before him. "How can you have no feelings for what you have just done!? What upgrades can be obtained through a lack of empathy and feeling?!"

Frank slid on his knees a bit as he crouched next to Michael. His Cubone was tugging at his arm, tears running down the skull on his face. He looked up at Frank, refusing to release Michael. Frank pressed his fingers against Michael's next, not really sure where to check for a pulse.

"Feeling is only weakness!" The man spat back, "The human genome is so WEAK! Yet, when applied correctly, it can create such powerful creatures!" He laughed manically, "Just like the ones all around us!"

"But these come from animal DNA, not human." Josh interjected, "I know all abou-"

"You obviously know nothing of the things that have happened in this lab." The Man help up a finger to Josh, somehow making the pink haired teen fall into silence. "Why do you think some creatures bonded faster than others? DNA connects things. A similar genome will make it bond to better. Both animalistic and human like; how do you think the coloration was just matching of you?" He asked, pointing at the Skitty that was attached to Josh's shirt. "It was made just for you, wasn't it?"

Josh's expression twisted in confusion as he looked past the man and to his father, who was ties in the building.

Meanwhile, Frank was shaking Michael's shoulder. "You've gotta wake up, man." He insisted, "Please don't be dead..."

"Ralts?" The small pokémon walked past Frank and tilted her head at Michael. She also took a moment to look over at the Cubone that was crying against Michael's arm. "Ral-Ral?"

"C-c-c..."

The Ralts turned away from the Cubone and focused back on Michael. She stepped forward and pressed her small hands against Michael's forehead.

Frank looked down at her in confusion as her hands and body began to glow. His eyes grew wide as the light only got brighter.

"They've found a way to twist and play with the human DNA in a way to create new life!" The bald man yelled, "Creatures that can be perfected in any way wished!"

"There's no such thing as perfection! Get it through your daft skull!" The Doctor yelled back, "You need to leave these people and creatures alone. They won't help your delusion. Just come with me and I can get you somewhere that can help."

The man laughed, "Think I am a mad man?" He demanded, "I'm more sane than anyone here! Why can no one else see the flaws in existence? Why will no one fix it?"

Tyler had been shrinking back at the man's words. He was the man that Tyler had witnessed break through the glass windows with his metal appendages. He saw that man hurt innocent pokémon as he went after the professors. He had seen him-

A buzzing noise began to fill his ears. He looked up to see his unknown swirling around him. The buzzing became a single drone as Tyler focused on it, listening to what the had to say.

"This is a chance for help!" The Doctor insisted to the man in front of him, "You can't keep living like this! You can't be allowed to keep hurting people for an unobtainable goal!"

The bald man simply grinned wickedly at the Doctor, "Just watch me." He held his palm out, as if to shoot something from it, when Tyler stepped in front of the Doctor. The Unknown were swirling around him as he looked straight at the man.

"Tyler! Get back!" The Doctor exclaimed, attempting to reach out to the teen, but getting hit by one of the speeding past Unknown.

"That's not the man." Tyler said in his dazed tone, "That's no man at all."

The man said nothing. Instead, he shot a blue beam from his palm, directly at Tyler. Tyler was unphased by the light, and the screaming of the Doctor and Josh. He remained standing his ground as the Unknown swirled even faster, protecting Tyler from the blast.

The man's eyes widened as the Unknown began to glow bright green. Tyler held out his hand, pointed at the man with metal appendages, and the Unknown shot out the green light all at once. Directly hitting the man.

There was a large could of dust and smoke that rose into the air around them, blinding everything for a second. As it cleared, in the place of the man was a small, purple blob, and a metal collar-like device.

"It used its power..." Tyler trailed off in his dazed tone before collapsing to the ground with a dull thud. The letters that had been surrounding him also dropped.

"Ty!" Josh cried out, having found his voice. He ran over to the dark haired boy, pulling him up into his arms.

The Doctor looked at the purple blob curiously as it jiggled where it stood. Josh's Skitty ran over to it, hissing loudly. The blob let out a cry before hurriedly oozing off towards the trees.

"Ty...Ty's okay..." Josh nodded, still holding the small framed boy close. He looked up with worry still in his expression, however. "Michael, where's Michael?"

"Frankie!?" The Doctor spun to where Michael had hit the ground, and where he had instructed Frank to go.

Michael was sitting upright, holding to his crying Cubone tightly. Frank was kneeling in front of a creature with green pigtails and a white, frilled out dress.

"They're okay..." Josh sighed in relief, "Oh my god, they're okay..." He looked at the research lab, "We just need to get them."

"Leave it to me." The Doctor grinned, pulling out his sonic.

Frank looked at the new creature in front of him. It tilted its head with a soft "Kirlia". It smiled at him, stepping forward to hug him.

"Ralts?" Frank asked, even through he had just seen the creature change before his eyes.

"She's a Kirlia now." Michael said, weakly. He looked over with a smile. "She evolved. She must of been close to it before she used her skills today..."

"Kirlia?" Frank asked and the creature pulled away from the hug. She continued to smile as she nodded. Frank smiled back, "It's nice to see able to see your eyes now."

Frank stood up as a man rushed past him to get to Michael. Frank assumed it to be Michael's father, because he immediately pulled the weak boy into his arms. Frank turned away to see the same thing happening to Josh just feet away.

"Frankie?"

Frank smiled at that familiar voice. He spun again to see the Doctor walking over. "You're alright." He said with relief. He had missed a majority of the exchange between the Doctor and the metal man, but the physical sight of his Doctor calmled his nerves a bit about it.

"Course I am! I'm the Doctor." The time lord boasted, "Why'd you expect anything else?"

Frank rolled his eyes. "What now?"

The Doctor looked at the scene around them. "Not sure." He said after a full 360, "All I know is, there's just a small problem we're going to have to deal with sooner or later..."

---

"You're sure you can take care of her?"

"Yea, Frank. I have the extra spot in my party she'll fit right into."

Frank looked down at Kirlia, who was looking up at him with a frown. They had made it back to the tardis, where Frank knew he couldn't take the creature. Josh had offered to care for her, but there was still a year in Frank's heart about leaving her.

"Will you be good for Josh?" Frank asked, kneeling down in front of Kirlia.

The pokémon continued to frown, but nodded before reaching out and hugging Frank. Frank held it back, unsure of what he was completely feeling. He hadn't known the creature long at all, but he knew he would miss her.

"Oh dear, I swore I wouldn't cry." The Doctor sniffled behind Frank, making a small grin appear on the human's face.

"We should get going before that happens." Frank said as he pulled away from the hug. Kirlia nodded, wiping her eye. "I won't forget you." He promised, making the creature smile.

Josh smiled. "I'll take care of her, dude. You can count on it." He promised, "Maybe she can help me find out some of the new secrets about this place..."

"Just don't get hurt!" The Doctor warned as Frank stepped into the ship beside him, "Getting an sos through time and space can be difficult."

"We'll manage." Tyler spoke up for the first time as he popped up from behind Josh. He smiled with a small wave towards the ship.

"Give my wishes of a speedy recovery to Michael!" The Doctor called out, stepping back into the ship, "So long!" He stepped back and shut the tardis door before turning his head to the main platform. "Take her away, Frankie boy."

Frank nodded, carefully pulling on the lever the Doctor had instructed him of before their rough landing. The Doctor smiled up at him.

"Frankie?"

"Frank?!"

"FRANK!"

Frank's eyes opened, suddenly, as he gasped in air. The Doctor was looming over him, sitting on his mid torso. He looked relieved at Frank's consciousness.

"Oh bless my currently nonexistent bowtie, you're not dead."

"Not dead?" Frank questioned, blinking rapidly at the Doctor. "Why would I be dead?"

"You hit your head so hard on the bloody railing!" The Doctor exclaimed, "Had to give you CPR, I was afraid when I didn't see your breathing going!"

"I hit the railing?" Frank questioned. Hadn't the Doctor been the one to hit the railing? Did anything of Frank's most recent memories happen at all?..

"Proper KO, had me in a near double heart failure!" He said, reaching out for Frank's hands. "Look! Feel, they're still racing like they're going for Olympic gold!"

Frank had a sense of déjà vu as the Doctor held his hands against his chest. Two different heartbeats were going in the Doctor's chest. Frank stared at his hands, feeling the heartbeats slowly begin to even out and calm.

"Two hearts..."

"Yes, Frankie." The Doctor laughed, "I may look human but, remember, alien."

Frank shook his head. Here he was, thinking this journey couldn't get any weirder...

"Can I get up now, Doctor?" Frank asked.

The Doctor's eyes widened. "Oh! I'm making that a bit difficult, aren't I?" He chuckled, sliding off of Frank's torso and offering the human a helping hand to his knees. He smiled at Frank as he moved some of his dark hair away from his face. "You alright?"

Frank was still for a moment before shaking his head. "You've got to hear my dream..."