Welcome to another chapter of Holly Rising! It's been a while, mainly because of the long chapters

213 Pages·2017·1.02 MB·English

by  Kristine Juranitch

Welcome to another chapter of Holly Rising! It's been a while, mainly because of
the long chapters coming up, and the fact that I recently got back from vacation.
However, I have a ton of updates ready, so enjoy!
As always, I do not own Pokémon, and see the author's notes below for details. All
prompts are the property of the Artist's Zone user Wizardmonfan, and are being
summarized with permission.
Now on to prompt!
Route 4 is between Cerulean City and Mt. Moon. It is short and mostly a one-way road.
However, the landscape here is diverse. The place contains everything from cliffs to a lake.
However, it is also very windy here, so utmost caution is required.

18. The Power
Grogginess filled Holly's body, and she struggled to even move. There were no spores in the
air, but her body had never felt so heavy…
However, Holly resisted the urge to throw herself upright, as the sound of someone's voice
pierced her ears.
It was a sound she could identify easily.
The voice that had brought her to this fate.
Kris's voice.
"Thank you for letting me take a rest." The older Trainer was saying.
Holly tried not to wince as she heard Anabel. "My pleasure. You looked as though you
needed it."
Kris… Anabel…
The two were there when Holly was in the cave…
But now…
Holly's hands hit the ground, feeling for the pounding of skin against rock.
But there was no rock here.
Instead, her hands brushed upon soft grass, and she inhaled its sweet scent. Holly could
also hear the distant sound of running water. She felt her hair blowing in the wind.
She didn't know where she was.
But wherever this place was, it was no cave.
Holly groaned. Now where was she?
Suddenly, Kris's voice pierced her ears again.
"Oh, speaking of rest, look who's awake."
Holly's eyes shot open, and she immediately scrambled to her feet.
The Trainer who attacked was still there!
And Anabel allowed the cowardly bully to stay by her!
Holly clenched her fist, and a scowl crossed her face.
However, she stopped as she looked straight into the glaring eyes of Anabel.
Holly thought the woman could burn the whole place down with the fire that they held. Holly
could clearly see even more bite and scratch marks than before, but it didn't seem to do
anything to impede Anabel. If anything, the injuries seemed to increase the rage in her
eyes.
Trying not to shudder, Holly glanced towards Kris. The older Trainer was perched on a tall
rock, watching intently.
Her eyes also blazed, but Holly could see they held no rage. Instead, they held the same
intense interest that she had when they first met. In contrast, Kris's face was unreadable.
Holly did notice that it seemed like it was slightly red, and also noticed the older trainer was
slouching a bit. Neither of her feet touch the ground. Instead, she was clearly up on her
toes.
She was supposed to be an experienced Trainer, yet one little cave tired her out?
How exactly could she could she travel?
How exactly could she function?
Holly glanced around again, and her eyes went wide.
But this time, it wasn't Kris that caught her attention.
No, it was a gadget beside her.
Holly had seen machines before, but nothing like this.
It had big blue bars that wrapped all the way around. At the end of the bars, in front, were
four black wheels. Holly could see that there was a little round seat above the bars, but it
was clear the machine wasn't a wheelchair. A gray bar towered above all of that, within the
handlebars in front. Jet black bags hung on both sides of the machine. Holly could see that
there was some space in the center, big enough to fit a person.
The machine had one wheel up against the rock and was turned to the left. It wasn't directly
in front of Kris, but it was clearly still within her reach. Holly figured the older Trainer had it
placed like that so it would not block her vision.
Holly figured this must be the machine that helped Kris walk. But who would walk with a
machine like that, and how?
Holly glanced around again, realizing that they were in the flatter parts of the area. She
could hear the cries of wild Pokémon, even from far away. Holly wondered if Anabel made
them stop there so Kris could rest.
Holly resisted the urge to clench her fist.
What kind of Trainer traveled if they could not go down hills?
And what kind of Trainer traveled if they needed to rest all the time?
Kris wasn't strong! She was crazy!
But Holly's thoughts were jerked from Kris at the sound of Anabel's voice.
The woman still glared daggers as Holly met her eyes.
"Well?"
Anabel's gaze became expectant, and Holly realized the woman wanted her to speak.
Holly shook her head, a scowl on her face.
She wasn't listening to anyone anymore! Especially not Anabel!
Out of the corner her eye, Holly spied Kris watching.
Yet older Trainer didn't do anything, still perched on her rock.
The fiery intensity didn't leave her eyes, and Holly thought the disabled Trainer would
decide to remain neutral.
Yet Holly noticed a hardness in her eyes that was not there before. A closer look revealed
that they were narrowed.
It was clear the older Trainer would not take Holly's side.
Holly was once again torn away from Kris by Anabel's furious voice. "You won't speak?"
Holly shook her head again. Anabel should know her by now!
And the woman should also know that if she was going to give a lecture, Holly didn't want
to hear any of it. And she should know that Holly was ready for her usual tactics.
But of course, the woman began the same way she had countless times. Her voice took on
its familiar icy tone as she started "in that case…"
But before she could finish, Holly cut her off with in a scream.
"I don't want to hear it!"
With that, she lunged toward Anabel, arms outstretched.
Anabel, as predicted, tried to grab them, but Holly twisted away.
She clearly knew the woman's tactics from fighting before, and it was clear her injuries were
slowing her down. Anabel's movements were clumsier and slower, and Holly thought she
could see a flicker of pain on her face.
Holly tried not to smirk. She had the advantage.
And she had the perfect technique for catching Anabel off guard.
If Anabel was going to cause her pain by having her feel what she did, that there was no
reason why Holly couldn't do the same to the woman.
Out of the corner of her eye, Holly could see that Kris still hadn't moved.
Maybe the older Trainer really had decided to remain neutral. Or perhaps she was just too
weak to fight.
Maybe she thought that summoning a Pokémon would take too much time, or that the fight
would be over quickly.
Regardless, she wasn't interfering, and that made things easier.
Holly twisted around behind Anabel, the woman still slow to react.
Eventually, she faced Holly.
And that was when Holly attacked.
She aimed a punch up, and Anabel moved to block it.
It was at that moment that Holly seized on the fatal mistake.
Her other fist went flying towards her true target.
She smashed it dead center into Anabel's belt.
Anabel staggered backward, but all Holly could see was Ultra Balls going flying.
Holly resisted the urge to smirk again.
The objects would travela long distance, and the wind would only make things worse.
Some of the Ultra Balls landed in the grass, where the wild Pokémon were. She could see
some of them emerging, looks of curiosity on their faces.
Other Ultra Balls sailed dangerously close to the cliffs of the edge of the route. She could
hear one land in the water. Holly hoped Anabel's Pokémon knew how to swim.
She looked back at the woman. The color drained from her face, and she let out an
anguished cry.
Within minutes, she was retreating from Holly and rushing to go get her Pokémon.
But Anabel was not alone.
The wild Pokémon had seized the opportunity to rid themselves of the intruder. She could
see them moving, almost in a mass like the Zubat had. Holly couldn't tell the species of the
wild Pokémon from where she was, but she knew they were all rushing towards Anabel.
And this time, Anabel was defenseless.
Holly couldn't resist smirking. Her plan had worked perfectly.
But Anabel was not her true target.
Holly had to stop another bully.
So, she focused her gaze on Kris.
The disabled Trainer's eyes went wide, Holly finally breaking through her indifference.
She had realized the implications, and started to lift a Poké Ball.
However, it was too late.
Holly charged toward her, and Kris had just enough time to put her Poké Ball away before
Holly slammed into her.
The older Trainer toppled off of the rock, hitting the ground with a hard thud. The stunned
look never left her eyes, and Holly wasn't about to let her recover.
She quickly pinned Kris down, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks.
Holly thought the Trainer would be fighting for her life, but instead she was barely
struggling. Each blow left Kris breathless, and she could barely look up at Holly.
Kris truly was just a weak bully! And someone who had no business being on a journey!
Holly's ears caught the sound of Anabel yelling, but the cries of the wild Pokémon were
louder.
There was no way the woman could help.
She was drawn back to Kris, who was breathing hard.
Somehow, the older Trainer choked out. "Why…"
Holly responded triumphantly. "You know why! It's because you're a bully!"
At this, Kris's face went pale and her eyes wide. The older Trainer had begun to recoil, and
Holly knew she had the upper hand.
So she drawled. "Anabel talks about you like you're a great person, but without your
Pokémon, you're nothing! Even with them, you're nothing! Because you're just a bully who
hurts people with Pokémon!"
Holly's triumphant demeanor didn't diminish as Kris recoiled more and more. Within
minutes, she had completely stopped fighting.
Holly didn't know why Kris said recoiled, but she could give a pretty good guess.
And Holly guessed was that what she had said was true.
Desperation now burned in Kris's eyes, and she appeared to be waiting for something.
However, nothing came.
The only sound Holly could hear was Anabel shouting, and this time, she knew there was no
Pokémon commands.
Holly decided to aim another blow, but Kris suddenly twisted around. Desperation still
burned, but it was mixed with determination.
Kris's eyes focused on where the grass containing the wild Pokémon was. Anabel was
nowhere to be seen, so perhaps it was a different area.
Regardless, Kris took a deep breath. She shouted "Help me! I'm being attacked!"
Yet nothing answered the older Trainer's cries.
Holly smirked.
She should know that the wild Pokémon wouldn't help her.
Holly could hear their cries, and thought that they were only focusing on Anabel.
However, Kris continued staring at something in the distance.
She shouted again. "Please help me! I'm being assaulted by another Trainer and I can't
defend myself! There's another here too, but she currently can't fight either!"
There was no missing the desperation in her final cry. "We need backup!"
Holly could hear the wild Pokémon again, but realized the cries are different. It was as
though the creatures were considering something.
Holly couldn't help shuddering.
The Pokémon seemed to be drawing nearer.
But Holly knew she still had the advantage.
Kris was a fool.
She knew the wild Pokémon would just come for her, and that no wild Pokémon would listen
to some ordinary Trainer.
They would unleash their fury on everyone.
Holly started smirking again. She could still win this.
However, the smirk soon faded.
Instead, Holly shivered when she realized Kris's voice was taking on a different tone.
There was no desperation, but instead, icy cold commands.
Holly continued to shiver as she realized this was the same voice Kris had used for Jane and
Pikachu.
But Kris couldn't command wild Pokémon? Could she?
Now, Kris was seizing advantage of Holly's hesitation.
Rapidly, the disabled trainer made her move.
"My opponent is the girl you see pinning me down. She's already wounded me. Please, do
what you must to make her stop attacking."
She quickly added. "Aside from permanent injury or death. Oh, and help the other person
too, if possible."
Holly continued to stare, but quickly shook her head.
Kris was speaking to nothing, it seemed. Wild Pokémon surely couldn't understand all the
words she used.
Everything she'd done was useless.
Yet Holly's face went pale as she registered the sounds of wild Pokémon coming closer.
In an instant, it was clear who the sounds belonged to.
A herd of wild Pokémon approached. They growled, snarled, and snapped, yellow eyes
blazing with fury. Their black tails lashed, each one having a yellow star in the end. Sparks
radiated from the Pokémons' black and blue fur, and Holly thought she could feel her hair
stand on end. The ears of the herd swiveled madly, blue and yellow appendages picking up
every sound.
Holly gulped.
These were Luxio. And they were headed straight for her.
Triumph turned to terror as Holly immediately got off Kris.
The older Trainer was still in front, so maybe the Luxio would attack her instead…
But instead, the Luxio leaped over Kris. Holly screamed as the Pokémon bowled her over.
Everything was a flurry of scratches, bites, fur, and sparks. Holly could barely see, and as
the Luxio overtook her vision. She tried screeching at them to stop, but it was no use.
Occasionally, her vision would light up, but she knew it wasn't a good thing, as the Luxio
unleashed attack after attack. Now, the lightning that had helped her in the cave was
coursing through her entire body.
And now there was nothing but pain.
Holly knew she had to get away, but she couldn't.
Every time she struggled, another Pokémon would attack. Before long, her entire body was
covered in bruises, and she thought maybe these were similar to the ones Anabel had. At
one point, Holly noticed a red liquid oozing, and let out a gasp as she realized it was blood.
Yet the Luxio had no sympathy, and continue to rain down blows.
Eventually, Holly registered the sound of the Luxio again, but they seemed further away.
She guessed they were helping Anabel.
But she couldn't wonder for long.
Instead, one other thought consumed her as she wondered through pain.
How had things turned out this way?
How did she go from teaching a lesson to a big bully to getting beaten up herself?
Holly tried to think of an answer, but there was nothing.
Instead, there was only pain.
And the Pokémons' anger.
And her tears.
Yet just when Holly thought she could take no more, her ears finally registered something
else.
There seem to be someone running, and Holly guessed it was Anabel.
Once again, Kris's commanding voice pierced Holly's ears. "That's enough. Release the girl."
Holly felt a huge weight roll off of her, as the Luxio halted their attack.
Once again, Holly glanced straight into the glare of Anabel. This time, she could not help
going pale again.
But what really caught her attention was Kris.
The older Trainer still had her commanding gaze. She had gotten onto her hands, although
her legs were still sloppily sprawled behind her.
It look like she was trying to go into a sitting position, or crawling. But perhaps she had
given up.
Or maybe she didn't need to.
The Luxio had gathered around Kris, looking at her reverently.
Despite her wounds, the older Trainer met their gazes head on.
Not a one moved to attack her.
Not a one looked afraid, or aggressive.
Even as she almost lay helpless on the ground.
Holly couldn't help shivering again.
How much power did Kris have?
And if she could command an entire herd of wild Pokémon to save herself…
Then, what else could she do?
Holly tried not to think about it, but was alerted to the sound of Kris's commanding voice.
"Thank you very much. Return to your homes."
The Luxio nodded. Holly could hear their steps again as they scampered away.
For while, the route went quiet.
After what seemed like forever, Anabel broke the silence.
She tossed an Ultra Ball into the air.
A menacing Pokémon appeared, and Holly felt her face go pale.
This Pokémon surveyed the area with its bright red eyes. Sunlight gleamed off of blue-green
metal, but some of its face was white. Holly could see it walked on four blue-green claws,
although they were also held up by sharp white points. It radiated psychic power, and Holly
wondered if it would attack at any moment.
She backed away, instinctively remembering the name of this Pokémon.
Metagross.
Holly froze at the sound of Anabel's cold voice.
The woman pointed to Holly. "Carry her, and make sure she's pinned."
At this, the Metagross's eyes glowed, and blue energy surrounded its body.
Yet this was nothing like the energy that had carried Kris before.
Instead, Holly felt all control being ripped out of her, and she screamed as she was trapped.
She tried to resist the Pokémon's power, but could do nothing as her hands were thrown
behind her back. Holly's wounds throbbed as she was forced to lie down, yet it brought little
comfort.
Not when she was floating in the air, unable to control her own body.
Yet Holly was alerted to another sound. She realized Kris was dragging herself across the
ground, trying to get up. But every time, she failed, and crashed onto the grass. She winced
in pain. Whether it was from her injuries, or from crashing onto the ground, Holly couldn't
tell.
But there was something else different about Kris. Her commanding gaze from before had
gone, and her eyes were still wide. It was replaced by a gaze of pure terror, and there was
no mistaking her pale face. The older Trainer appeared to be shaking, even though wasn't
cold.
Holly stared at her.
That weakling! Holly hadn't hurt her that badly!
And a bully like Kris deserved to be scared and in pain! After all, she had attacked Holly with
wild Pokémon!
Anabel focused her gaze on the older Trainer, and Holly wanted to smile.