Ruby stood close to Sapphire as they got on Route 104, right where they bumped into Wally. The gem mumbled quietly, turning a rock over to look underneath. "It's gotta be around here somewhere. I really do hope Wally's ok.. We didn't even see him coming." Sapphire chuckled, patting the gem's shoulder. "I know. We were so focused on getting to the Lab." The two sighed before Ruby dropped Sapphire's hand and turned to look at her, Nugget bobbing his head on her shoulder. "I just realized. Why haven't we fused back together yet? There's nobody around to see it happen."

"You have a point. Though, our Pokémon don't know that. We should fuse before them, so that they know it's still us." Ruby nodded, holding a hand out to Sapphire until they heard two voices. The gem turned on her heel, eyes wide as two people picked up a bag from the ground. "Hey, it's our bag! H-Hey, excuse us!" Ruby shouted as she ran towards them. Sapphire looked up, seeing a vision before her. She gasped, holding a hand out. "Ruby, wait!" She watched Ruby come to a stop, staring at the two people.

Sapphire held Brook close, unable to pick up what they were saying, but one was pointing at one on the left suddenly jumped back, patting a part of his sweater as the the one on the right threw a Pokeball, letting a blue bat with no eyes out. Sapphire saw what would happen, covering her mouth as she took a step forth to help.

"SAPPHIRE, RUN!"

Sapphire stiffened, surprised at Ruby's sudden shouting. She looked at Brook as she ran, heading down the path to Petalburg Woods. The gem huffed, trying to keep her dress from catching onto low branches as she climbed up a small hill in her path. She knows it'll be impossible, but she had to get as far away as possible. Sapphire made it to the top, leaning against a tree to catch her breath as Brook cried out. "I'll be alright, Brook. Don't worry about me." The gem huffed, looking around. The woods seemed very different from when she came through the other side.

"Hmm.. Maybe the exit is… Ummm.. N-No..? I can't… I-I can't see the path.." Sapphire muttered, holding a hand to her head in confusion. She was usually good with figuring out situations like this, but she felt lost without Ruby. She closed her eye, trying to foresee what to do until Brook nudged her head, suddenly crying out to catch her Trainer's attention. "One moment, Brook. I can't see the path. I need to focus." The gem looked up, hurrying down a path in front of her as Brook rested against her chest. "I think I've found it."

"Hey, you! Stop!" Sapphire stiffened, picking up the skirt of her dress as she hurried around the U-shaped path. She tried to avoid the grass in the path, feeling Brook squirm in her arm. "We're almost there, Brook..! Hang on..!" The gem came to a stop, turning as Brook hopped out of her arm. The Mudkip cried out, spraying a jet of water behind them. Sapphire watched as a man came to a sudden stop, the jet of water hitting him in the chest as he falls over. Beside him was a girl, her eyes wide as she stared at Sapphire.

She was wearing a blue and white striped shirt that showed her midriff and gray shorts, a black belt tied around the waist. Tied around her dark hair was a black bandanna with a white 'A' in the center. The girl stared at Sapphire, her gaze lowering a little. "Your hand… You're one of them." Sapphire quickly placed her right hand behind her, taking a step back as Brook cried out. "We can't hold them off for much longer, Brook. We have to run!" The Mudkip turned to her Trainer, nodding as she hurries over. Sapphire returns her to her Pokeball and lifts her skirt again, running through the grass as the girl chases after her. "Get back here!"

Sapphire came up to the exit of the woods, turning to look at a pair of bushes blocking a separate path. Maybe she could hide behind them. The gem approached the bushes and placed a hand on it, trying to push past it. The branches wouldn't budge at all. Sapphire stood up straight, levitating off the ground as her skirt billowed. She looked over her shoulder as she floated over the bush, landing behind it. The girl came around the corner, frantically looking around as she threw a Pokeball out. A Poochyena popped out, barking as she shouted. "Come on out! I have no intention on hurting you, I promise!"

Sapphire held the Pokeball close, listening carefully. The gem closed her eye, trying to foresee a way out. The only thing she saw was darkness, but she wasn't sure why. "There you are." The gem's eye snapped open as she started to turn and face the voice behind her. As she did, the person reached both arms out and grabbed her, having a tight grip on her until she poofed, leaving her in darkness.

"-her like that, Matt?"

"I'm sorry, it was an accident. I was not aware of how fragile their bodies are."

"It's not your fault, Matt. You couldn't have known."

"Shelly's right. These notes are very old, so none of us could've known. It doesn't even say how fragile their bodies really are." Sapphire opened her eye, squinting as a bright light met her gaze. She sat up, looking around as she tried to take in her surroundings. She was sitting on a small table in an office. In front of her was a small hallway and a small doorway on her left where a few voices could be heard. Whoever was in here must sure like blue.

Sapphire slid off the table, landing quietly as she turned. Her Pokeball was right there on the table. The gem picked up the Pokeball, letting out Brook as fast as possible. The Mudkip turned to face her, letting out a squeak as she scooped it up, holding a finger to her mouth. "We have to be very quiet, Brook. Let's find a way out of here." The gem started to turn to the hallway until the voices to her left picked up. "Somebody's here…"

Sapphire looked around the office, trying to find a place to hide until she spotted the couch. She hiked up her skirt and hurried behind the couch, keeping quiet as she looked around the corner to watch. Three people came through the doorway, looking around the office until one of them, a woman, looked at the table. "The gem's gone..!" Sapphire scooted behind the couch again, holding Brook close as as she watched. The woman had long black hair that reached her waist, two bangs dyed a bright blue. Her uniform was very different from what the two people out on the field was wearing, especially with the lack of a bandanna.

She turned to face the two that followed her, frowning as one of the men pointed down the hall. "Shelly, Matt. Go find it. Report back to me as soon as possible." The second man and Shelly nod, hurrying down the hall as the second man sits on the couch. Sapphire stiffened up, trying to steady her breathing as ice started to form at the bottom of her dress. The gem looked down, frowning as she tried to chip the ice away quickly. As she picked at the ice, something nudged her from behind, using enough force to push her out of the ice and from behind her hiding spot. The gem immediately stood, ready to run to the hall until something wrapped around her waist, picking her up. "Put me down! Put me down this instant!"

"Alright." Sapphire fell on the couch, sitting up right away as she held Brook close. She turned to face her 'captor', eye widening from behind her bangs. Sitting beside her was a man with dark tanned skin and brown eyes. He wore a blue and white wetsuit, a few holes on the left arm, and a large chain around the waist that held a ragged cape in place. The notable things, Sapphire thought, was the blue bandanna with the white 'A' and the golden anchor around her neck that bore a rainbow stone. Sapphire didn't feel scared around him, but she wasn't entirely confident with his presence.

"What have you done to Ruby? Where is she?" The man sat up, crossing one leg over the other as he looked at her. "Now, I don't know who this 'Ruby' is, but I can assure you, kid, that we have done nothing to her. We don't even know who she is." Sapphire frowned, standing up as she raised her voice. "Then where am I?! I want to leave! I'm going to find my Ruby and we're going to leave as soon as possible!"

"Calm down, Sapphire. Yer' makin' a bit of a scene." The gem fell silent, glaring from behind her bangs as the man stood. "Come now. No need to make such an angry face. We poofed you by mistake. Honest words from an honest man." As he walked to the table, Sapphire frowned. "How do you know my name?" The man looked up, holding a folder in his hand. "Well, I'm not an expert on gems, but this sketch I have here in this folder looks a lot like you."

"Sketch…?" The man sat down beside her again, opening the folder to show a very old sketch. "See?" Sapphire stared, slowly lifting her bangs as she looked. "This Sapphire… She was terrifying. She used her abilities to… Where did you get these…?" The man closed the folder, putting it down as she leaned back on the couch. A large black and grey dog came around from behind the couch, wagging its tail as it placed its front paws on the man's legs. "They have been in my family for a long time. We've kept these safe. Look, after today, I understand if you don't trust us, but we need your help."

"What could you possibly need my help with? I don't even know who you are."

"Ah, right. How rude of me," the man muttered with a chuckle. "I'm Archie, leader of Team Aqua. We've been tryin' to help the Region for a while, but after learning about you, we need as much help as we can get. Hoenn's fallin' apart because of Magma and because of them, people and Pokémon are in danger. So, as the Leader, I'm asking you to join us to stop Magma from taking over." Sapphire looked down, letting her bangs cover her eye once again as she thought it over. She didn't know much about Archie or Team Aqua and she had a mission to complete with Ruby. They were supposed to go to Mt. Pyre, perhaps talk to Connie's uncle if they ever found him, and then go home. Simple as that.

The gem sat up, looking at Archie as he held out a hand. 'That's it,' she thought. 'I'll go to Mt. Pyre to find the gems, but I'll go with THEM. I'll gather information, if I have to' She held out a hand, taking Archie's as she shook it, nodding to him. "I'll join your team, Archie."