Welcome to Holly Rising with a new area! As always with a new area, there's a new prompt! As usual, I don't own Pokémon, and check the author's notes for details. All forms are the property of Wizardmonfan, and they're being summarized here with permission.

Now, on to the prompt!

Route 6 is a short route connecting to Vermillion. Due to sudden temperature changes, a lot of the vegetation on the route has died. Many Pokémon are left without shelter, and are aggressive. The same Pokémon can be caught here as in the previous route. The one exception is Mightyena, as the locals thought it would be too dangerous for them to be near a city and drove them out.

37: Suspicion

The group walked on in silence as they reached another tiny route. Kris continued, head down, not even meeting Holly's eyes. Anabel's face, on the other hand, looked like it could freeze anything.

Holly flinched as the woman swung her head around.

Her voice boomed throughout the route as she focused on Holly.

"I can't believe you acted up with two Elite Four members!"

Defiance gleamed in Holly's eyes as she stated. "They had no right to treat Kris that way! I can't believe you didn't even try to defend her!"

Kris briefly looked up at the mention of her name, but Anabel's eyes became even sterner.

She gestured around her. "We're in a safe route now."

She turned her gaze on Kris, and the disabled Trainer shrunk back. "Which means I believe Kris has something to tell us."

Holly could not miss the crestfallen look in Kris's eyes. Softly, she stated.

"Yes, I do." Holly easily detected the heartbreak present in Kris's voice.

She shivered. What did the older Trainer have to say?

What was she going to hear?

The disabled Trainer was now biting her lip, and Anabel had her hands on her hips expectantly.

Holly waited in an eerie silence, unable to stop herself from trembling.

Finally, Kris took a deep breath and stated. "The truth is, I am not human."

Holly gasped and Anabel clenched her fist.

"So, you are a Pokémon!"

Kris shook her head.

"No, but I am fused with one."

Holly's eyes were wide, and she couldn't help having her jaw drop.

Fusion was some sort of failed experiment that hardly anyone talked about!

How could it be successful, let alone with a Trainer as well-known as Kris?

Kris continued. "The Pokémon that fused with me is named Tulip."

Kris closed her eyes. "And her species…"

Anabel cut Kris off, a hardness in her gaze. "It's a Nihilego. I could recognize the cry."

Holly cocked her head. "Nih-ili-ego?"

Annabel nodded. "It's an extremely dangerous Pokémon that is said to come from another world. The international police have been working to keep it at bay. Trainers shouldn't be anywhere near one, let alone fused with it."

Suddenly, Kris's eyes blazed and a sharpness entered her voice. "Well, I'll have you know that Nihilego is one of my best friends, and has improved the quality of life for many people."

Holly's eyes went wide.

Before Kris had acted so defeated, but now she looked like she could attack Anabel right there…

And now Anabel was saying that Kris held a dangerous Pokémon, whereas Kris was saying that it had helped many people…

Holy wasn't sure who to believe!

But at least she could ask another question.

"So how did you end up with it?"

Kris shut her eyes, trying to compose herself before speaking. Eventually, she stated. "I ended up with Tulip because of Lusamine."

Anabel suddenly yelled. "Lusamine gave you a Nihilego? Why an earth would she do that?

The sharpness entered Kris's voice again, as she responded. "Because she wanted to see her powers used for good!"

Holly blinked. What did that mean?

She was almost afraid to know.

But Kris continued. "One day, Lusamine saw a Nihilego get dropped into Aether Paradise. She took pity on the creature, but realized that she couldn't get it back to its own world. So she resolved to make a comfortable in Aether. For many years thereafter, Nihilego lived with her."

Anabel clenched a fist.

"But why didn't she destroy it, or least capture it?"

The glare never left Kris's gaze as she responded. "Because that's not who Lusamine is. She loves all creatures, and wasn't about to be harsh to one just because it was from another world. Besides, she found the Nihilego quite useful to her."

Holly cocked her head.

"Useful? Did she battle with it?"

Kris shook her head.

"No, but she utilized its powers in other ways. Nihilwgo secretes strong poisons, which is part of the reason why it's one of the deadliest Pokémon in existence. However, Lusamine found out that those poisons could be used to heal people. So she wasted no time in teaching Nihilego how to do that."

There was no mistaking Anabel's raised voice. "But the poison still turns people into monsters! It infects their brains, taking away all sense of self. And then, they are used only for Nihilego's selfish desires!"

Now Holly was sure Anabel wasn't telling the truth! Kris may have had her moments, but she was no monster! Anabel would not have let her come along otherwise!

Holly shouted. "Yet Kris is still here! So that Pokémon can't be all that bad!"

She lowered her voice as she turned to Kris. "So what does all this have to do with you anyway?"

Kris immediately responded. "At the time, I had gone through several treatments for one of my medical conditions. However, nothing had worked. It was thought that Nihilego's poison could help me, though, so I became one of Lusamine's patients."

Anabel threw up her hands. "Where were your parents during all this?"

Kris held an intense expression as she locked eyes with Anabel. "Oh, they weren't there. I was 10 years old and had just gotten my Trainer Card. And as you well know, anyone with a Trainer Card can go wherever they want. My parents did endorse the treatment though. After so many failed ones, they were willing to try anything. No matter how experimental."

Annabel's eyes were hard as stone and she asked. "And what kind of condition would make you so desperate that you would use the poison of a monster to treat it?"

Kris shot Anabel her own a hard glare. "You should know. She had it too."

Anabel shakes her head and Kris replied. "It's the one that makes it difficult for me to walk."

Holly's eyes went wide. "So you did all this because you have bad legs?"

Kris shook her head. "It's not my legs. It's my brain."

Holly gasped. "Your brain?"

Kris nodded. "I've been brain damaged from the day I was born, and my condition is called cerebral palsy."

Holly cocked her head. She had never heard of cerebral palsy before! And what it Kris mean about being brain-damaged? As far as she knew, that meant Kris wasn't as smart as a normal person!

But she was plenty smart! And people mentioned her intellect many times, so Holly knew she wasn't lying about it!

As if sensing Holly's confusion, Kris stated. "I should explain a bit better. One of the things the brain controls is movement. In the case of cerebral palsy, the area controlling movement is damaged. But cerebral palsy doesn't affect a person's intellect at all. That's why I have difficulty walking, but I'm as smart as any regular person. And if you believe what others say, maybe even smarter."

Holly couldn't stop herself from gasping. "But how did you end up with something so horrible?"

Kris shook her head. "No one really knows. What the doctors do know was that I was born three months early, and didn't receive enough oxygen to my brain when I was born. The result was the cerebral palsy. However, no one knows why the early birth happened, or how to prevent something like that in the future from happening again. They don't even know why I have the intellect of a normal person, when so many other people like me don't."

Holly's eyes widened. She had heard that babies had to stay inside their mothers for nine months. But someone being born at six? How could they survive? And what did Kris mean by doctors not knowing why she had the intellect of a normal person when others didn't?

Holly stated. "What did you mean, before?"

Kris gravely responded. "Cerebral palsy itself cannot cause intellectual problems, but there are many other things that can come with it that can. And that's not even going into all the other physical problems people can have alongside it. By some miracle, I skipped all those other problems, and I only have cerebral palsy. Doctors don't know why that is, and I doubt anyone will ever know."

Holly found herself shaking, and slowly whispered. "I'm sorry. That still must be so horrible…"

Kris shook her head. "It's not, really, considering what could have happened to me. And also considering there are many others that have the condition much worse than I do. You see, cerebral palsy varies in how much it affects a person. So you can get people like me, or you can get someone profoundly damaged."

Kris let out the laugh, almost mocking. "Besides, at least it will never kill me, even if there is no cure."

All this time, Anabel's expression held no emotion. Holly quickly remembered that her Kris had the same conditions.

Was she bored that she was hearing something she knew of before, or had her Kris never told her?

Perhaps she was remembering what happened…

But even so, Anabel had never mentioned it…

Holly couldn't stop her voice from trembling as she spoke to Kris again. "So you chose to use poison because of your brain."

Kris nodded. "Cerebral palsy affects the brain, and so does Nihilego's poison. And with the amount of healing and research being done, it was thought that the poison could be controlled to only affect certain parts in certain ways. Lusamine thought that her Pokémon's venom could be used to help relieve me of some of my symptoms, or even reverse some of the damage. It sounded promising, so I agreed to try."

Annabel clenched her fist. "So why is Nihilego fused with you instead of just having its poison injected?"

Kris responded. "It has to do with how Nihilego's poison works, and how long I was to be treated. You are correct in that the poison is often injected into the patient. But that is only for weaker doses. To deliver a stronger dose, Nihilego must fuse with its host. And for a condition like mine, a stronger dose was needed. The other thing was that injecting poison into a patient is only a temporary treatment, unless someone wants to go back to the hospital again and again. Lusamine thought that I could use something less tedious and more permanent, so the decision to fuse was made."

Annabel clenched her fists again, voice dripping with her own venom.

"Nihilego's poison's transforms people into grotesque monsters. So much so that they barely resemble humans…"

Kris's voice dripped with their own venom as she responded. "And if you knew about Nihilego, then you know that it has the ability to transform itself into anything needed for its host. Lusamine simply told it to take any form that would allow me to keep mine."

Holly blinked. So that's why no one could see that Pokémon… It couldn't be seen, unless Kris herself was changed…

She couldn't help asking. "So what happened? You're here now, and so is the Nihilego…"

A deep sorrow entered Kris's eyes as she stated. "Almost nothing. When I completed my fusion, there were no benefits… No detriments… Nothing… It may as well have never happened…"

Holly stiffened.

To go through all that work… Only to have another treatment fail…

Kris must've felt horrible…

Anabel's sharp tone cut through the air. "And why didn't the treatment work? You've had in your body for over a decade!"

Kris's head drooped as she stated. "I don't know. No one knows. The procedure was the first of its kind. I've been treated with poison for my cerebral palsy, before, though. Lusamine figured I'd built up a resistance at some point. She constantly ran checks on me throughout the years, but nothing ever came of it.

Holly's eyes continued to go wide.

"So that Nihilego that fused with you then, and the Tulip you are mentioning now…"

Kris nodded. "Yes, they are the same Pokémon."

Rage burned in Anabel's eyes as she yelled. "So you stole a Pokémon from Lusamine?"

Kris shook her head. "Tulip was never Lusamine's to begin with. She had always intended on returning her back home, and never formally captured her. Once Tulip fused with me, Lusamine figured she might as well be mine. She let me keep her, even though I never captured her like one would a regular Pokémon. In fact, the League has never officially recorded that I even have Tulip. As far as they're concerned, she doesn't exist. "

Annabel's voice still boomed as she stated. "But there must be some record of this?"

Kris nodded and responded.

"The only records of the fusion are the results are in Aether, and only Lusamine has access to them. It was a way of keeping what happened private, and prevent people from possibly harassing me about it. Knowing Nihilego's reputation, it was a way of keeping Tulip safe too."

Holly quietly asked.

"Why the name Tulip?"

"It's a tradition for me to name every Pokémon I catch, and even though I didn't catch Tulip like a regular Pokémon, she was still mine. As for the name in particular, I always thought Nihilego looked like a flower, and Tulip was the first flower that came to my head."

Kris let out a sigh and her body shook.

Holly couldn't help feeling pity for the older Trainer.

No matter how old the memories were, it was clearly still unpleasant…

Kris quickly recovered, and started to speak again.

"The fusion might not have done as intended, but there was some odd effects from it. One is that my anatomy is between that of a human and a Pokémon. That's why I can heal myself with potions, and why I look like a Pokémon to some. After I was fused with Tulip, my ability to communicate with Pokémon also became much better. I can only assume that's because I partially am one."

Holly's eyes went wide.

Someone who was half person and half Pokémon? How bizarre!

Holly worked up the courage to ask. "So can you eat Pokémon food and things like that?"

Kris nodded.

"I can eat Pokémon treats and food without any problems, but I still prefer human food. Oh, and Pokémon toys are quite interesting to me now, but I still prefer the human equivalents. I tried throwing myself into a Poké Ball a few times, but it didn't work."

The disabled Trainer laughed, although Holly could still detect bitterness.

"I guess the device couldn't decide what to do with me."

Holly blinked.

How horrible, to be turned into some sort of monster and not know who you really were!

Still, she continued. "What about training? Could someone help you with that?"

Kris shook her head as she responded. "I tried having people train me as a Pokémon, but since Tulip's physical powers never manifested and my own are weak, it didn't work. I always felt kind of awkward anyway, so it was just as well."

The older Trainer paused again before continuing.

"But that wasn't the only thing my fusion with Tulip did to me. That energy I can sense in people and Pokémon… Well, it's actually Tulip that can sense it, and the fusion has allowed me to borrow that ability."

Anabel glanced at Kris, an icy coldness in her eyes.

"That wouldn't happen to be Ultra Wormhole energy, would it?"

Kris nodded, a crestfallen look once again entering her eyes.

"Yes, that would be."

Holly couldn't help her rising rage as the two seemed to leave her out of the conversation.

"What in the world is an Ultra Wormhole?"

Anabel responded, eyes still icy cold.

"Remember the Pokémon from the other worlds? They are called Ultra Beasts, and their home is called Ultra Spaces. Sometimes, they appear from portals and enter our world. These portals are called Ultra Wormhole."

Kris nodded. "Ultra Wormholes give off an energy that typically can't be seen by people or ordinary Pokémon. Ultra Beasts can sense it, though, because the energy is from their homeland. This energy is also transferred to anyone who comes into contact with an Ultra Wormhole, and Ultra Beasts are attracted to it because they think they have found a way home."

Kris shook her head. "Although Tulip is in my body, she's still attracted to things with that energy. And through her, I can sense it too. Unlike her, I have no attraction, because I am from this world. I do find the feeling pleasant, though."

Holly couldn't stop her voice from trembling as another question flew out of her mouth. "So do you know where I'm from? Who my real parents are? How I can get back home?"

Kris shook her head. "I'm sorry. I don't know. I don't know who is from what world, what they did there, what the world was like, any of that… All I know is whether or not they have been exposed to the energy. Or rather, that's all that Tulip knows."

Holly took a deep breath, looking down at her shaking hands.

She couldn't be from another world…

If so, then where were her parents…

Were they out looking for her, or looking for a place to travel?

Would they ever find her?

Were they even alive?

And how could she have Ultra Wormhole energy inside of her?

She didn't even know what that was until today! And she had not even remembered coming into contact with anything strange!

Not to mention that no one told her that she had it, until she met Kris!

But there were still other questions to be answered.

Holly continued to tremble as she weakly stated. "But I thought you said Tulip was attracted to that energy…"

It was Anabel who answered, still having her sharpened tongue. "Ultra Beasts chase those who come from the Wormholes relentlessly. I have heard some of the more violent ones will even kill them, in hopes that that will cause a Wormhole to open. I've even heard rumors that someone actually protect the beings they think will get them home. But I haven't seen that with my own eyes. I doubt that rumor is even real."

Holly shouted. "Kris and Tulip are together, and they protect each other!"

Annabel snarled back. "Tulip hasn't done anything to protect Kris, and Kris didn't even possess the energy before she met Tulip!"

Anabel fixed Kris with her stern glare.

What she said next made Holly's blood run cold.

"You're lucky Tulip hasn't turned on you."

Fury blazed in Holly's eyes.

She couldn't believe she was hearing such things from Anabel!

Anabel had sworn to protect all innocents, and from all they knew, Tulip was an innocent!

Anabel couldn't be picking on Kris because of some strange Pokémon!

Holly shouted.

"You're supposed to protect all Pokémon! How can you say that?"

Annabel rounded on Holly as she shouted back.

"These aren't Pokémon, Holly, they're monsters! And those monsters killed my friends and family in a single night! They're the reason the Tower fell! They're the reason I had to leave Hoenn! They're the reason I lost everything I had!"

Holly kept her defiant gaze.

Tulip wasn't part of those monsters! Nobody would let Kris take her otherwise! Anabel couldn't judge her based on what had happened before! She of all people should know that!

Kris, on the other hand, looked devastated. Holly wondered if the older Trainer secretly harbored some guilt for what happened.

Softly, she stated. "As soon as you mentioned the monsters attacking your home, I had a feeling that they were Ultra Beasts. And I had a feeling this would make you upset. I'd hoped not to bring it up at all…"

Yet there was no calming Anabel's fury. Her voice boomed.

"If you found out it isn't doing anything… Why haven't you gotten rid of that… That thing?"

Kris kept her voice calm, but her eyes betrayed her sadness.

"The process of undoing a fusion is even more experimental than the process of fusion itself. What methods are known are harsh on the body, and could easily kill us both. Even if we were to survive, either of us could end up in a state where death would be the kinder option. Besides, Tulip is not really harming me, and Lusamine has affirmed that she's happier having adventures with me than staying at Aether."

Annabel's eyes suddenly narrowed, and she looked as though she would attack Kris right there.

"No harm, you say? Why deny the fact the Tulip is doing harm when it's right in front of you?"

Holly shouted. "What?"

What was Anabel saying? Had she gone crazy?

Yet Kris's eyes flashed with recognition, and though she did not give ground, Holly thought she could see a bit of regret on her face.

Anabel's voice was icily calm as she continued. "Something like this… It's just what a denier would say… You should know that Nihilego's poisons cause their target to have wild, violent, behaviors. And, on top of that, it lowers their inhibition, while focusing all their strength on protecting the Pokémon that possessed them."

Holly shivered as Anabel continued speaking. "Now, what does sound like? I'm sure you can tell me."

Holly backed away, face pale.

Of course Anabel wouldn't forget the fights in Cerulean and the Nugget Bridge! And then there was Route 4, provoked though it was.

Holly blinked.

All those violent attacks couldn't be because of one Pokémon! They just couldn't!

And even if they were, it wouldn't make sense!

If Kris was wandering around with such a dangerous Pokémon inside of her, why would Lusamine let her travel?

Why would anyone let her travel?

And if she was constantly being checked for the effects of the poison, wouldn't someone have noticed something by now?

Holly expected Kris to act frightened or surprised, but instead there was only a deep regret in her eyes.

"My behavior has nothing to do with Tulip. It's something I've had since I was born, and no one really knows why. Some suspect it may be related to my premature birth, but I have no confirmation. The only thing that is known is that the attacks occur when I am under an extreme amount of stress."

Holly's eyes widened.

That would make sense!

In Route 4, Kris was clearly fearful and angry. And she was tired, too. So of course, she would be stressed.

The Nugget Bridge had made her angry as well, and of course that would be a stressor.

Cerulean went without saying, and whatever Anabel had said had pushed her over the edge. Enough to physically attack someone despite her weakness.

Yet Kris seem to regret her actions, and was otherwise trying to atone for something…

Was the pain she directed at herself actually fear?

Living in constant fear of her next explosion?

Fear that she would truly hurt someone?

Holly thought back to what Will had said.

He had stated she was wandering, afraid of answers, and she did not object.

Was an answer to her outbursts one of the answers she was afraid of finding?

Was Annbel playing on that fear?

Now the woman was shaking her head. "More denial. I know better than to listen to you now."

Holy sprang up.

Enough was enough!

She used all her strength to slam into Anabel, knocking the wind out of the woman.

Holly did her best to stand in front of Kris, who now had surprise in her eyes.

She faced Anabel, fury blazing in her eyes. At the top of her lungs, she shouted. "Of course Kris is under stress, Anabel! Who wouldn't when they get attacked and scolded all the time? Oh, and she gets dragged on a journey she never wanted to go on, and she's always compared to a dead person! Of course she explodes! Who wouldn't?"

Holly threw up her hands.

"I'm surprised she's not exploding constantly, and as far as I'm concerned, she can explode all she wants!"

Holly took a deep breath before Anabel could say anything. "You're the one who told me not to use one's past as an excuse, Anabel, but look what you're doing! You're using your past with your Kris to force this one to do things she doesn't want, to force her to go on a journey she hates! You're forcing her to act like someone she's not, and she's miserable! But you don't care, because you have your excuse!"

Anabel looked like she was about to say something, but Holly continued.

"And now it's not just Kris! You've dragged her beloved Tulip into this too! Tulip saved our lives, and her power has helped us many times without us even knowing! Yet now, you demonize her because of your past with the Ultra Beasts! You're not even willing to give her a chance because some unrelated monsters destroyed your home! You're treating Kris like a monster too, calling her a denier and a liar, but you're the one who is denying! You're denying Tulip of any chances, and you're denying that she isn't the same as the monsters that destroyed her home! All because of your past! All because of your excuse!"

Holly noticed Kris's eyes were wide with fascination, and she continued.

"I used to think you were this really great person and trainer, Anabel! But now I see you're not! You're just a person that likes to hurt others, and a hypocrite!"

Somehow Anabel found her voice, and it quivered with rage.

"You side with her."

Holly nodded, surprised to hear her voice come out strong. "I will side with an innocent victim over someone that lies about protecting others and only cause them pain. Anabel, you talk about throwing other people in jail, but maybe you need to go to jail instead! Maybe you need to see how it feels! After all, lying and hurting others makes you a criminal!"

Anabel's eyes went wide, her face pale. Unsteadily, she backed away.

Kris looked up at her, and Holly noticed disabled Trainer only glared daggers.

Holly was immediately jerked back to Kris saying she would never forgive Anabel, and that she would never be her friend.

Holly looked back at the woman, and realized Anabel was finally starting to understand what Kris's words meant.

All of a sudden, Anabel's face turned bright red, but there was no anger.

Instead, Anabel hung her head in pure shame.

But nothing could prepare Holly for what was going to happen next.

Her eyes went wide as her tether disappeared.

Holly heard something happening to Kris, and judged by the older Trainer's similarly stunned reaction that her psychic monitor was also gone.

The two briefly looked at each other, and Holly guessed that neither could comprehend the cause of their newfound freedom.

Annabel rapidly turned and ran, saying nothing.

Several minutes passed. There was still nothing.

Yet, eventually, Holly heard a noise.

She cocked her head.

What was that?

Yet Kris's eyes flashed with recognition, and she spoke in an even whisper.

"It's the sound of quiet crying. The sound of someone who is completely broken."

Author's notes:

-So there's a lot here. First things first, Anabel's hostility. In the games, it's heavily implied that her homeland was destroyed by Ultra Beasts. However, she has no memory of this, and therefore is not hostile upon meeting them. However, in this version, she has her memories, so of course she is hostile towards them.

-Second thing, Nihilego's poison, Ultra Space, and Ultra Wormholes work exactly as they're described here. However, there are some differences. One is that Nihilego's poison has never been used to heal anyone in the games. The other is that, in the games, Ultra Beasts always act aggressively towards those who exhibit energy from their world. However, I thought it was odd that they would try to kill something that could be their way home, so I changed it to some of the time. It's also noting that Nihilego's ability to shapeshift is never mentioned in the games, but only in concept materials for them. It also doesn't elaborate on what that means, so I did my own interpretation.

-Thirdly, cerebral palsy, is actually a real-life medical condition that I have. Everything Kris talks about is exactly the same as how my disability functions real in life. As for treating with poison, there is actually a treatment for cerebral palsy that is actually a poison, but it's not advertised as that (and is it often very successful). This is where I got the idea of Nihilego trying to heal Kris's cerebral palsy, especially since the poisons affect the brain, just like her condition. I also got the idea of Nihilego healing others with poisons because of poison being used to heal some things in the real world (e.g. antivenom, some alternative therapies). It's also noting that in the games, Nihilego is implied not to be sentient. In this universe, it is sentient, just because that's more interesting and easier to write.

-The idea of being released from a fusion having the ability to kill the Pokémon and their host comes from the games. In Pokémon Sun and Moon, one person who is forcefully broken apart from a fusion nearly dies. Another person is able to recover from a fusion, but he is unable to return to normal on his own, and it's implied to be risky.