I do not have a Beta-tester, so excuse the mistakes in grammar and usage, if you spot any.

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3. Curse

Hard, heated breathes erupted from her mouth with little indication that they were going to stop anytime soon. Her hands shook hastily as she tightened her balled fists against the ground, the only thing that was just a little stable when all around her was pitch black. Vision going dark, she gasped loudly and let out a held back cry of fear, which drowned out the voice that boomed just as loudly from somewhere outside her little black room.

"--Marley!"

With a forced blink, she felt someone grab her shoulders with little force yet great tenderness, and pulled her up so she was straightened. Leaning her head back, she coughed in pain, her lungs filling with heaps of air.

"Easy, honey…" Sighing deeply, Marley stared up at the shimmering orange and purple sky, now merging to create a sunset. Something draped over her shoulders and around her torso, making her shrug her shoulders as her space-black hair fell over her left eye.

"Marley," Looking up to her name, she blinked lazily at Cheryl and Riley, who were both knelt down in front of her. They both looked scared and relieved at the same time, Riley with a surprised expression while Cheryl had her concerning eyes put to full.

"What…" Marley sighed, looking from one person to the other in confusion. Her breathing was almost back to normal along with her vision, but she still felt like collapsing.

A smile formed on Cheryl's quivering lips. "It's nice to have you back." She reached up to gently rub Marley's cheek.

"What… happened?" Marley asked, looking at Riley.

"Well, you were out here with your Crobat, when it used Curse," the blue haired man sighed and gave a wry smile. "And it hit you instead of a wild Spearow that attacked you."

"Ooh…" The pre-teen swallowed her voice when it refused to come out other than a simple word. She wanted to ask where her Crobat was when she saw a Poke' Ball in Riley's hand, and also that he wasn't wearing his blue jacket; she was wearing it.

"Can you get up?" Marley looked back at Cheryl when she asked, not sure of what to say. She moved her head to the side before attempting to stand up, but she only managed to get up halfway before stumbling. Fortunately, Riley caught her in his arms before she could fall.

"Hold on…" He whispered, leaning down a little and sweeping her into his arms. She let out a gasp before settling into his grasp and resting her head against his chest. Her eyes half-lidded, they began walking towards the entrance of Battle Park, making soft claps as they went.

She didn't care about her current position and that she wasn't acting like her normal emotionless self, but she was enjoying listening to Riley's calm heart beat and breathing, Cheryl's skirt ruffling against the quiet wind, and the soft orange-pink aura of the Park as the sun set against the Tower, making their shadows long and thin.

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