One fine day, a mischievous and adventurous young boy went out and played with his father's visiting friend's daughter. They were quite different people—she was docile and shy—and they hadn't known each other long at all, but somehow, the two were enjoying each other's company. The temperature was pleasant, birds were singing in the air, and the two were playing happily under the shade of a tree.

Then, tragedy struck. A vicious dragon attacked the two, and the boy, acting on instinct (and the Pokémon battle skills his father had taught him), threw himself and his Pokémon between his new companion and the attacking monster. The battle was quite brutal; though his Pokémon did most of the fighting, the dragon got close enough to slash a large gash in his face, but ultimately, the fierce assailant was driven away.

Yet the horror was not over. When the boy turned back to the little girl he had just rescued, she took one look at his bloodied face and began crying in fear. Then, in a frightening turn of events, she began to change. Her body grew rapidly, a layer of hard muscle surrounding it, shredding her pretty, frilly dress, while claws sprouted from her hands and fangs grew in her mouth; even her hair became fierce and spiked, with a large spiky bun piercing through the dainty hairnet she had on, and throughout all of this, her expression of shock and sorrow also became one of rage. Before the boy's horrified eyes—and bloodied face-the sweet, cute little girl had inexplicably transformed into a ferocious beast as frightening as the one he had just fought! She dropped to all fours and crouched, like a jungle cat ready to pounce, baring her fangs as if to prepare to sink them deep into her shocked rescuer's throat, and as she opened her mouth, she let out a fierce, earsplitting…

…Electronic beep? Time around the horrific scene seemed to freeze for a second, and then Ruby woke up from his nightmare; a mix of relieved and embarrassed. The beeping didn't go away, though; it emanated from the Pokédex on his bedside table. He glanced at it while shutting the alarm off, and saw the event noted in the "Calendar" utility: "September 20. 5:30 AM. Don't forget Sapphire's present!" Ruby bound out of bed with a vitality he rarely had, let alone in the morning, went to his wardrobe, and retrieved the red-and-blue wrapped package intended for the damsel/beast from his nightmare.

Real-life was, fortunately, somewhat different from that. Ruby had rescued Sapphire from the Dragon Pokémon, Salamence, and he had gotten hurt doing it, and she did get scared by his appearance and start crying. Yet while she also changed in real life, it was of course, more slowly, over the course of years, away from where Ruby could see it, and into a girl who was most definitely no monster. While she did have a wild persona and frightening abilities, spend a lot of time unkempt, and enter a deliberately terrifying, beastly state sometimes when she went into battle—indeed, she even really had fangs, for whatever reason—she was a wild girl with a heart. For all her rigorous, naturalistic training, she believed passionately in helping others whenever and however she could. For Sapphire, strength was the most important virtue, but not for its own sake; no, she believed the strong should help the weak, and help them to find their own strength. Obnoxious though she might be at times, you couldn't help but appreciate such a person.

As he clutched the present for his strange friend, Ruby noticed it still had no tag. This was bad; back during his last birthday, Sapphire had neglected to tag her gift to him, and he'd mocked her for it. He wouldn't let her throw that back at him, so he got out a pad of cute, Skitty-themed post-it notes, and with an elegant gold-ink pen, scrawled on one, "To the girl of my nightmares." As his mind woke up, Ruby decided that was too mean. He teased Sapphire a lot, but that was crossing the line. For one thing, she wouldn't understand what he was referencing (and Ruby certainly had no intention of telling her about that stupid dream), but for another, Sapphire had made it clear that she liked Ruby—in the Italic sense of the word, that meant more than "like"—and so mocking the clichéd but sweet phrase "girl of my dreams" might come off as one of the nastiest slights yet from a boy who hadn't done a great job satisfying her heart anyway.

Thinking of that, Ruby sighed. He had changed, too, in a rather different direction; he had gone from a rough-and-tumble boy to something of a repressed, fussy, and effeminate one, and spent a long time as a pacifist who was only interested in making himself and his Pokémon look as pleasant and unobjectionable as possible to the opposite sex. To other boys and men, to (the new) Sapphire, and maybe even to some normal girls, that choice backfired, as Ruby ended up coming across as wimpy, naïve, and apathetic. Things might have gotten even more extreme had he not encountered Sapphire again, and when he did, over a year ago in her secret cave hideout, both had changed so much that they didn't recognize each other. A hostile rivalry had struck up amongst some semblance of a mutually agreed-upon competition to see which of them could achieve their own extreme, egotistical goals faster. They didn't like each other then, either, but the "cave girl" had saved Ruby from a pursuing Mightyena, and he had returned the favor by cleaning her wounds (he also fainted an attacking Seviper while she was unconscious), so their relationship was only just workable. As a parting gift, Ruby had left some clothes he made for her, and a note recommending she wear them.

That was it! Ruby crumpled up his mean original tag, chucked it into his trashcan (which he sprayed so much with Febreze that Sapphire argued it came back around to stinking), and wrote a nicer note with a reference that Sapphire would get: "Happy Birthday to my good friend, Sapphire. I am sure you will look nice in this." When he'd written that in the note he wrote to Sapphire with those clothes he left her, he was just trying to flatter her into doing something she'd normally find objectionable. Only later did Sapphire admit to him that she found the message moving; for the first time, someone was saying she was pretty. Remembering this brought a smile to Ruby's face. Sapphire wasn't a very literate person, which might explain why a simple, patronizing note could mean so much to her, but in truth, Ruby really did think she was pretty. Her fangs and blazing eyes could look very scary when she was mad, but when she smiled and laughed or even frowned or cried, somehow her face became something compelling and unforgettable, which Ruby couldn't ignore when it seemed to request something. Her athletic physique was, similarly, both attractive and intimidating.

The gift was done and looked very nice. Ruby got himself dressed in a set of clothes that probably wouldn't be considered tasteful outside of a party, took the present in hand, and walked downstairs, still smiling when he thought of Sapphire. His parents weren't even up yet, but he aimed to be ready to please his friend ahead of time. This wasn't just Sapphire's birthday; it was also something of an anniversary for them. After they'd gone their separate ways from that cave, they somehow kept encountering each other, including one last time when they had to team up to save Hoenn from battling great old ones awakened by psychotic cultists. In the process, they'd gradually discovered more about each other, including much they liked. Just as Ruby came to respect Sapphire's heroic mindset, so she found that she liked his nurturing, gentlemanly virtues. As the final battle loomed, they had also found out that they were, in fact, those childhood playmates traumatized by Salamence, and after that, Ruby saw both Sapphire and himself in a truly new way. A year ago, on Sapphire's last birthday, the two reunited in the same cave, marking something of an official moment in their harrowing journey from being old friends to bitter rivals to unwilling allies, and finally, back to being good friends again.

They didn't always get along; they were still very different people. Furthermore, Sapphire clearly wanted to be something more than good friends. Different interests often set them apart again, but just as often, the kindheartedness both shared for each other, as well as other people, reunited them, as in the events when they'd helped Emerald rescue several other "Dexholders." It was a rocky relationship, and Ruby blamed himself as much as he blamed her. (Not that he let her know that he blamed himself.) Yet today, on Sapphire's birthday and the anniversary of their new friendship, Ruby fully intended to make this special day perfect for her.

Ruby's parents awoke around 6:20 AM, possibly roused by their son's being up already. Norman, Ruby's father, smiled at his son's determination—Norman smiling was kind of rare, but then, Ruby being determined was kind of rare. His mother smiled, too, but from her it wasn't rare, and on top of that, today she got to spend quality time with Ruby in the kitchen. Sapphire's parents were handling the cake, and main course, but the birthday girl had quite an appetite, as befitting an active person, and Ruby liked cooking anyway, so they were prepared to cater. They could have done the job last night, but Ruby fussily insisted food that was refrigerated and then reheated would not cut it for today. He actually wondered if Sapphire would be able to taste the difference; if she could even taste it at all with the speed she crammed it from her mouth right into her stomach, but he declined to tell his mother about this. She went along with his mandate for freshness, and around 10:00 AM, they began work on two large meat loaves; one honey-glazed and topped with orange slices, and the other barbecued and topped with bacon. Then, the noon hour arrived, and it was time for the family to walk over to their next-door neighbors' house.

The Birches had arranged their own contributions to the feast on two installable picnic tables. Normally, Ruby would have griped about having to eat outdoors. He hated the wind blowing away his napkins and sometimes his food, hated the flies, hated the ants, and really hated the wasps that came to eat. Not today; today he intended to be at his best, so he marched proudly over to Sapphire, who hadn't seemed to do any special preparing for the day herself, but seemed plenty enthusiastic, and pressed his gift into her arms. "Happy Birthday, Sapphire," he said with gusto. He was disappointed to see she didn't read the tag, but that would come.

"Thanks a bunch; buddy! I can't wait to open it, but Dad says we should eat the meal first," Sapphire said.

Ruby wasn't perturbed; he just replied "That's fine; I've also prepared a meal you'll love!"

Sapphire did love it. Of course, she loved food in general, judging by how she scarfed it, but she told Ruby he truly had outdone himself; even if his mother had helped him. Yet still, the moment they both looked forward to was the cake-and-presents segment of the party. Sapphire saved Ruby's gift for last, and finally read it aloud: "Happy Birthday to my good friend, Sapphire. I am sure you will look nice in this."

Most of the guests smiled sweetly; Ruby's mother even went "Awww." Sapphire was also smiling, though she also looked a bit nervous; Ruby thought her face said a combination of "Wow; you really do like me, Ruby" and "This is a dress; isn't it?"

Whatever her reasons, Sapphire tore into the paper to reveal a sturdy-looking backpack; green with blue straps. She looked up from it to Ruby, looking relieved but also not expecting this. He explained, "I figured, since you like going hiking, and you've decided to start going to school, you should have a backpack."

Sapphire seemed pleased by this, and joked, "Wow; it isn't even pink and frilly!"

Ruby went along with this, "Oh; I'm so sorry, Sapph. I really did try, but I don't think they make pink and frilly backpacks in our size. When I got this home, I actually tried to stitch some lace onto it and then spray paint it pink, but I pricked my finger stitching and needed to be airlifted into the emergency room, and then when I told the nurse what the problem was, she laughed in my face and punched me out and chucked me into the dumpster, and-"

Most of the guests were giggling, though Norman clearly didn't think this facetious monologue was funny, even if it was obviously untrue. Sapphire, one of the many laughing, broke the narrative, "Okay, Ruby; ya can stop beating yourself up now."

Ruby did so, "Well; I usually make fun of you, and so as an additional gift today, I'm making fun of myself! The truth is, I bought you a green and blue backpack because your name is Sapphire Birch."

Sapphire strapped it on enthusiastically and said, "Well whatever, ya did good. I'm so happy I have a friend who thinks of me and even understands me. I'd forgotten school was coming up, though."

"Yeah; that's what September is known for," Ruby replied.

"Well thanks again" said Sapphire, and she wrapped Ruby up in a warm hug. Hugs between them weren't that rare, but somehow, Ruby thought this one felt better than they ever had before.

"Happy twelfth birthday," he said sweetly. "Wow; has it really been a year since we finished that bet?"

"I guess it has," said Sapphire. "I must say, I like being your friend a lot more than being your competitor."

"Same here," said Ruby. "Nothing seems so empowering as knowing others care about you."

He wondered how Sapphire took that last bit, and more specifically if she took it as him finally admitting he remembered Sapphire confessing her feelings to him—feelings he told her he returned. In fact, Ruby remembered that moment very well, and let that slip out more than a few times, and he truly meant what he said to her then (he even relished being able to be her hero once again), but he didn't dwell on it, much to her obvious chagrin. Sapphire didn't actually say how she interpreted his statement, but Ruby kept flashing back to the strange feeling he got when she hugged him. He couldn't understand exactly what it was, but when it was time for everyone to go home for the day, Ruby sauntered over and hugged her back. "Happy birthday again," he whispered. "It's been a good year." Just as he thought, there was that same feeling again, and even if he didn't understand it, he thought about it all the way up into his room.

Meanwhile, Sapphire went inside and talked to her father. "Dad? What's school like?"

The man who'd homeschooled her since infancy might not have been the best person to tell her, but it was a question she hadn't thought of until now. He answered, "It's got its ups and downs. Certainly it's an important moment in many people's lives. Yet for better or for worse, there's nothing else like it, and I don't know what I can say to prepare you. There'll be lots of new people, and they might be overwhelming, and there will be policies that seem weird to you. I'll be honest, I wonder if it's really the best thing for you right now."

Sapphire balled her fists and got her game face on. "Whatever it's like, Ruby is going. He seems fine with it, and if I'm going to keep him in my life, I must follow."

"Wow; you really like him, eh," asked her father.

Sapphire went from strong to a bit sad, but still determined. "Oh, so much. There are things about him I wish were different, of cos, but he means so much to me that they don't matter. If it weren't for what he did for me back when I was little, I wouldn't just be different; I would be dead. When we left after that attack, I could never stop thinking about what he did, but I thought we might never see each other again, and then, when I learned that we actually had met again without knowing it, I swore to myself I never would let anything split us up again. Even if another Salamence shows up at school, I'll kick its teeth down its throat before it can split us again!"

Professor Birch laughed. "That's my girl! I think you can be sure Ruby also values you a lot. The way he acted towards you today; sure it was your birthday, but as you said, he was really empathetic."

Sapphire was pleased but bewildered, "Really what?"

"Empathetic," said her father. "That means that even though Ruby doesn't share all of your values, he knows and cares about them and he wants to play to them for your sake. He's a good boy; weird, but I'm sure you can count on him."

Sapphire wanted more, so asked, "Count on him to do what?"

Her father shrugged, "Well, I don't know yet. Yet the way he values you, I think that in the future, if there's something you really want, he will do his best to help. Now I think you ought to start preparing for school; it starts next week."

"Okay Dad; thanks for talking," said Sapphire as she started up the stairs. Unlike him, she knew exactly what she really wanted from Ruby.