Author's Note: I apologize for the sudden increase in author's notes, but I would like to point out that The Dreamer has a website, full of information, art, and other spiffy stuff concerning this story. You can find the site with the 'homepage' link on my profile if you'd like to check it out.

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"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

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Cora and Jade still weren't talking to each other through breakfast (the waffles were good, though), and even afterward. Cora was mutely looking around the large Pokemon Center dining room for Shasta, having forgotten all about her until earlier that morning. She had tried calling the blonde girl as well, but no one answered.

"Return, Jade." Ha, score one for me, Cora thought triumphantly, although felt guilty about it a moment later. Still, she didn't release her Chikorita again, and only slipped the maximized pokeball into one of her backpack's side pockets.

After thanking the Nurse Joy profusely for the room, meal and bandages (her hand and one leg were wrapped up quite nicely; her other leg and face didn't merit as much attention), Cora left. She would do one quick sweep of the city, and then head out. The next city was Violet, to the northwest and quite a ways away. At least two days by foot. Weather permitting, of course, and if she traveled all day.

That would be a long time to walk in silence.

Plus, she just remembered that she had some shopping to do. She had wanted one of those trainer belts that held pokeballs, and some more food. (Preferably something light and non-perishable. She had unfortunately found out that sandwiches grew mold quite quickly when damp.) Cora stood in front of the Poke-Mart, just staring at the bright blue roof. It stood out from all of the brown and grey shingled houses and businesses. Then again, the Pokemon Center had a red roof…was it some sort of code? Cora's head slowly tilted to one side as she thought about the trivial issue.

Inside, the building was cool and clean. The floor was spotless, and the merchandise and glass were immaculate. On the far wall, there was a (blue) counter, and on it leaned a man. He had cropped brown hair and a tired expression, but was wearing the employee uniform. Cora, after glancing around the shop, strode over toward him.

But she never made it. Something moved in her peripheral vision, and next thing she knew, Cora had collided with something or someone very solid and tumbled back onto the floor. Her back hit a store shelf, and she felt it rock backward. The brunette quickly twisted around and stopped it from tipping over, already turning red from embarrassment. "O-oh, um, I'm so-so sorry! I-I-I wasn't looking where I w-was going, are you o-" She had turned around, still blushing, but the color drained from her face when she saw who she had run into. A familiar face. A very familiar face.

"Corentine." The boy (though he had to be at least fourteen by now, Cora thought sullenly) stood up, and dusted himself off needlessly. "Imagine running into you here." He stated emotionlessly. After a moment or two, he seemed resigned and mutely offered a hand to help Cora up.

Cora, on the other hand, flatly refused the proffered hand and got up on her own, also dusting herself off. Then she turned to regard him again. His name was Marcus, and they had used to go to school together. But he had left for training when he was ten. That meant that he had been a trainer for several years already. So what was he doing in Cherrygrove?

The spiky-haired trainer sneered at her. "So then, Corentine," He said, putting special emphasis on her full name; he knew how much she disliked being called that, "Why are you here in Cherrygrove City? Your class have a field trip and you get a little lost?"

Cora snorted at him, and crossed her arms. "I am not lost, Marcus. What are you doing in Cherrygrove? Shouldn't you be off in the wild, alone and starving, by now?" It wasn't very witty, or mean, but it was the only thing she could think of. Marcus just so annoyed and flustered her. And he knew he did.

"I've been training for years. I'm not some wet-behind-the-ears newbie, Corentine." The black-haired boy replied snappishly. They never got along in school, so why should the outside world be any different?

She didn't like the repetitive use of her full name, either, so Cora decided to pull out the one bit of arsenal she had against him. "You could've fooled me, Marc." He stopped his scowling at that, and his dark eyes widened imperceptibly. Marc wasn't just a nickname for Marcus; that particular name had quite the history.

"You still didn't answer me, Corentine." He said after a long moment. The older trainer didn't resort to her traditional nickname in rebuttal, not just yet. "Why are you in Cherrygrove? Running errands for your mother?"

"I am a trainer, Marc Antony! I have a Pokemon, and I've been on my own this whole time!" Cora huffed, and turned on her heel. She stomped over toward the salesclerk, who had been watching the argument with only a mild interest. "I would like to purchase a pokeball-holding belt. Please." She spit out the last word like an epithet.

The clerk raised his chin out of his hand long enough to look her in the eye and state, clearly, "I'm sorry, miss. We don't have any in, and won't have any for about a month. Violet City is the nearest town which has some in stock."

By that time, Marcus had followed her over to the counter, and Cora glanced at him to see him grinning smugly. "You have one Pokemon and you want a trainer's belt already? Just like a little city kid, I see. Pretty sad, Corentine. And just how many days have you been training? Four? Seven?"

She stayed silent, fuming. She didn't fancy telling him that this was only her third day of training Pokemon. Cora curtly thanked the salesclerk, then stormed out of the Poke-Mart. Why, why had Marcus had to be in that Poke-Mart at that time? Why not ten minutes later, or even earlier? Worse yet, she heard him following her.

Hoping to get lost in the crowds, she pushed on blithely, rudely not apologizing to the few people she bumped into. Marcus always got her riled up like this, somehow. "Hey! Corentine! Hey, HEY!" She heard him lagging farther and farther behind her, and couldn't help but smile darkly. But she instantly regretted it, thinking Oh my gosh, I'm turning into a horrible person. First Jade, now Marcus…I shouldn't be so mean to either of them! Especially Jade…

"Hey! CLEOPATRA!" Marcus shouted, and several people stopped and stared. Cora included. So it had degraded to that.

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Back when they were much younger, Cora's school had put on a play. A school play about Cleopatra, Caesar, Marc Antony, Rome and Egypt. Cora had been cast as Cleopatra early on, but mostly because she was one of the only girls to try out for it. She remembered vividly her costume; all of the gold and jewelry she got to wear. It was like playing dress up and pretend at the same time; she loved it.

The script had drama. Cleopatra was the female lead, so Cora was involved in most of the major scenes. Unfortunately, one of those scenes happened to be a kiss between Cleopatra and Marc Antony. Cora didn't think much of it at the time, until she actually met Marc Antony. His name was Marcus, and he was arrogant, stubborn, headstrong and cute, in a jerk sort of way.

(Shasta had nearly fallen in love at first sight, and as far as Cora knew, still liked him.)

But he called her Corentine, never Cora. Never Cora. And that was quite possibly the only thing she ever got mad about. So she started calling him Marc Antony, because, for some reason, it irked him to no end. He retaliated by calling her Cleopatra, but she really didn't care. The kiss came and went, but if anything, Cora disliked him more after the play was over with. He told anyone who would listen that he had "hated kissing a little ditzy dreamer like Corentine".

But that only added fuel to her fire.

Shortly after the play's end, he left on his Pokemon journey, and she hadn't seen him since. Until now.

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Cora stormed out of Cherrygrove, too angry and frustrated to think straight. (If she had, she probably would've stopped to get more supplies.)

But as far as she knew, at least she left Marcus behind, somewhere in the residential area. She was now heading north, though she could see what appeared to be a house down the path. Maybe she wasn't out of the town just yet…

There was a man standing beside a bush near the house as well. He was a round, jolly looking man, tending to the bush tenderly. He appeared to be watering it, but stopped when Cora approached. "Why, hello there!" He called amiably.

"Hello. …Sir." Cora replied curtly, still quietly steaming over Marcus.

"Are you a trainer, young lady?" The man asked. Cora just nodded, and wondered flatly if she even looked twelve. Did he have to ask? "Well then! Come, have a Berry! No, no, have more than one!"

Cora blinked. That wasn't what she was expecting. This stranger she had just met was offering to give her things? "U-um, I really couldn't, sir…" She attempted weakly.

"Nonsense!" The man merely laughed heartily. "Trainers should always have Berries with them! They are the food of the Legendaries!" He chuckled again, and pressed a large, round fruit into Cora's hands. She stared at it, then looked back up at him blankly. "Don't look at me that way, young lady. Those Berries are good for you! And your Pokemon! In fact, Pokemon love the stuff! Pick them wherever you find them."

The man departed, heading back into his home, and left Cora in a daze. What…what just happened? Why did that man give me a Berry…? Do all people treat trainers this way?

She continued on for a few steps before figuring out that she should probably put the Berry in her hands away. She unzipped her backpack and took out a little container, so it wouldn't get squished and make a mess. After packing up again, she noticed a thick patch of grass near what appeared to be a small pond. There were probably wild Pokemon nearby, then.

Indeed, the second Cora thought that, she spotted a small, green bug Pokemon inching along close to the grasses. Sensing eyes upon it, it slowly turned its proportionately large head, looking back at her with even larger black eyes. Two small, pink, antenna-like protrusions atop its head twitched slightly.

Cora suddenly remember about her PokeDex. Without thinking, she took it out, flipped it open, and pointed it at the Pokemon. It was only after a soft, mechanical ding that she looked down. "Caterpie. The worm Pokemon." The machine told her. "It crawls into foliage where it camouflages itself among leaves that are the same color as its body."

"So it's a bug Pokemon…" Cora muttered. She flipped shut the mechanical encyclopedia. "…And a small one…Come on out, Jade!"

The Chikorita reappeared in a flash of white light, looking around momentarily. Then, with an angry "Chi!" she glared at Cora and smacked her shin with her head leaf. Cora jumped backward, more from surprise than pain.

"Jade! What was that fo-oh." Cora remembered the pretenses under which she had returned her Pokemon. No wonder the grass Pokemon was still angry with her. "Jade, don't hit me! There's a Catap-um, Caterpie!-right over there!" The brunette pointed at the little worm, who was watching the exchange with evident interest.

Jade turned slowly and sized up the competition with a critical eye. She was larger than the Caterpie by a few good inches. It was obvious that she thought that this would be an easy battle. And past differences forgotten for now, the Chikorita turned fully to face her opponent. "Chi! Chika!"

"Pii?" The bug just squealed, as if surprised at the challenge.

"Jade, Tackle it!" Cora commanded, and her Pokemon charged forward loyally. But the second she made contact with the bug, something horrible happened. Or, more precisely, something horrible smelled. Cora's hands immediately went to her nose, dropping Jade's pokeball and her PokeDex in the process. The Chikorita reeled back, dazed by the onslaught of the odor. The Caterpie was apparently sending off the stench in nearly visible waves, and Jade ran away from it as quickly as her stubby legs and teary vision would allow. Cora was also stumbling back, reaching blindly for her pokeball and PokeDex.

The Caterpie was also trying to get away at the same time, wiggling furiously in the other direction, but not running away very quickly. Its feet couldn't seem to get off the ground. Cora only vaguely registered this, before fully turning and running. Jade was at her heels in the retreat.

By the time the stench had finally faded from their noses, both females were spent. Jade tumbled once and just lay where she fell, panting. Cora stumbled to a halt, rubbed her nose once, then pitched forward onto her hands and knees. "…W-wow…that…stunk…" The exhausted trainer gasped. She grimaced as a trickle of sweat dripped off of her nose onto the grass.

"…Chi…" Jade agreed with a wheeze. They both lay like that, taking each other's company as apology enough for their earlier fight.

That was when Cora saw the feet step into her limited vision. The brunette struggled to lift her head enough to look at whoever was there, but found that too much of a hassle. Instead, she just collapsed onto her belly, and then merely rolled over. The clouds were looking nice today. Cora let her eyes slowly come to a half-closed position, watching the clouds in a dreamy state. Until the blue-eyed girl leaned over into her vision, wearing the expression of one who's trying to look uninterested but is really excited about something nonetheless. The blonde trainer finally gave that up as a bad job and smiled.

"Hello Cora." Shasta said.