The phone rang six times before Gabriel's sleep-groggy voice answered. "'lo?"
"It's Eliana," she said, cutting straight to the chase. "Happy birthday to me."
There was a pause, then the rustle of bedsheets. "Birthday?" he mumbled. "What are you talking about?"
"It means I'm getting older," she explained patiently. "I'm fifteen now."
The rustling stopped. "Oh, that means we're the same age now" Another pause. "Wait hold on…"
Eliana let out a small snicker at that, waiting for the outburst.
Gabriel then yelled out, "Why are you just now telling me, I have to get a gift?!"
"I was actually calling so that you'd buy me a cake." Eliana pointed out.
"No way, that won't do!" Gabriel grumbled, "Meet me at the arcade in an hour, I'll give you the best birthday ever!"
The phone clicked, leaving Eliana with the dial tone. She let out a soft laugh before looking at her Pokémon.
…
An hour later, she pushed open the heavy glass doors of their normal arcade. The place was still buzzing with the residual energy of the tournament. Although the stage and stands had been replaced with the regular games and ticket booth. The familiar scent of candy and popcorn hung in the air, a comforting aroma.
Gabriel was already there, leaning against a candy machine, a light purple envelope clutched in one hand and a small, box-shaped gift in the other. He was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Took you long enough," he said, pushing off the machine and shoving the gifts into her hands. "Here, you can't open them yet though."
Eliana looked down at the offerings. The envelope was probably a letter of some sort. The small box, however, was a mystery. "Why can't I open them now?"
"Because this is just the start of the day!" Gabriel said, waiting for Eliana to put up her gifts before grabbing her hand and leading her out. It was a small walk, only about I've minutes, before the two stood in front of a small building. "It's time for a birthday lunch!"
Eliana looked at him and hesitantly asked, "You have the money to eat out?"
"Well it's not anything fancy, but the food is real good for real cheap!" Gabriel laughed sheepishly rubbing his head before leading her into the building. While the restaurant was pretty small, it was a nice place filled with the aroma of various foods. Gabriel threw out a loud greeting to the cashier and received one back, he was obviously a regular.
The two ordered their food and it came lit quickly. Their meal was a simple affair of curry and rice, but the flavor was rich and comforting. They talked about being the victors of the tournament, Gabriel bragged that he was already making good use of their year of free play. Eliana revealed that her Kirlia had evolved into Gallade. Gabriel congratulated her and said they would have to battle when Riolu evolved, the two Pokémon's rivalry had only gotten fiercer by the day. Gabriel was a whirlwind of energy, gesturing wildly as he described the future battle from his perspective. Eliana listened, a small smile on her face, enjoying the his excitement.
"So, what do you want to do now?" Gabriel asked as they finished their meal, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Eliana considered it for a moment. "The cake," she said, her tone deadpan but her eyes twinkling with amusement. "You promised me a cake."
Gabriel's face lit up. "Right, the cake! Follow me, I know the perfect place!"
He led her to a small, family-owned bakery nestled between a bookstore and a pawn shop. The bell above the door chimed as they entered, and the sweet smell of sugar and vanilla filled the air. The display case was a masterpiece of confectionery art, filled with cakes, cookies, and pastries of every shape and size.
"Which one do you want?" Gabriel asked, gesturing to the array of cakes.
Eliana walked along the counter considering what kind she wanted, she definitely wanted something fruity. She considered strawberry shortcake before deciding it looked to sweet. She then moved on the the large group of apple flavored things. Apple crisp, caramel apple, chocolate apple, apple with nuts.
Eliana then went back to Gabriel, "I can't choose between two options, you pick."
Gabriel blinked in surprise, "But it's your birthday?"
"I want you to eat some cake too, so lemon blueberry or raspberry mang." Eliana asked, looking at him expectantly.
Gabriel's face then lit up with an idea, "We'll get both and split them!"
Eliana rolled her eyes but didn't protest as Gabriel bought both cakes, a single-serving of each. They found a small table in the corner, the cakes a centerpiece between them. Gabriel stuck a single candle in the lemon blueberry one.
"Happy Birthday, Eliana," he said, a genuine smile on his face. "Make a wish!"
Eliana looked at the candle, then at Gabriel. She closed her eyes, but no wish came to mind. There was nothing to wish for, nothing to change. She then thought of something small, something that didn't really matter, but it's so. Eliana opened her eyes and blew out the candle, the smoke curling up towards the ceiling.
"Soooo, what did you wish for?" Gabriel asked, leaning forward with a curious expression.
"Not saying," Eliana said, a familiar tilt to her voice, "It won't come true."
Gabriel laughed, a carefree sound that was a welcome change from the usual tension in their lives. "Same old Eliana."
They ate the cakes, the sweet flavors a nice desert after the tasty lunch from before. The raspberry mango was a burst of tropical sweetness, while the lemon blueberry was a tangy, refreshing contrast. Eliana and Gabriel alternated eating from each plate until all the cake was gone.
"Now for your presents," Gabriel announced, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "But you can only open the box for now, save the envelope for when you get to your room."
Eliana picked up the small, box-shaped gift. It was light, with no discernible rattle. She carefully unwrapped it, her movements precise and economical. Inside, nestled in a bed of cotton, was a small, intricately woven silver bracelet. In the center was a small, purple jewel the shape of lilac flower. The flower was surrounded by smaller purple gems.
"You told me about this last minute so I couldn't do anything personal," Gabriel huffed at her, "I know purple is your favorite color."
Eliana delicately picked the bracelet up, before looking at Gabriel with a look of disbelief, "Gabriel how much did you spend on this?"
Gabriel expression moved to a cheeky smirk, "Don't worry about that!" Before looking at her with a nervous expression, "So… do you like it?" he asked, his usual confidence replaced by a rare moment of vulnerability.
Eliana looked from the bracelet to Gabriel's anxious face. The craftsmanship was flawless, even if it was a simple impulse buy from a market stall. The bracket had to be pretty expensive.
She fastened the clasp around her wrist. The silver was cool against her skin. "It's acceptable," she said, her tone carefully neutral.
Gabriel's shoulders relaxed, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Just acceptable? I'll have you know this is top-of-the-line birthday present material."
"It's flashy," she countered, turning her wrist to watch the light play on the gem. "And I don't like flashy."
"Everyone likes a little flash sometimes," Gabriel shot back, pleased. He gestured towards the envelope. "That's for later, when you're alone."
The shift in his tone piqued her curiosity.
"So," she said, changing the subject. "Is 'the best birthday ever' over now?"
"Almost, one more thing!" He shot up from his seat, grabbing her hand from its position on the table. "Come on!"
He led the way out of the bakery and back into the afternoon sun. They didn't head back towards the arcade or to where they normally trained. Instead, Gabriel took a series of winding side streets, Eliana soon started to realize that they were headed back to the gym.
She raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. "The gym? The last thing is extra training?"
"Nope, just a little something my master taught me," he said, a smug look on his face.
He stopped in front of the gym doors and turned around to face Eliana. "My master says you should always walk a girl back home after a day out."
Eliana stared at him for a long moment, her mind trying to process the statement. She then did something that surprised them both. She let out a small, genuine laugh. It wasn't a loud one, but a quiet, airy sound that seemed to deflate the tension she always carried.
"You're an idiot," she said, but there was no bite to her words.
"Maybe," Gabriel shrugged, his grin unwavering. "But admit it, I'm the idiot who just gave you the best birthday ever!"
Eliana smiled softly, "I admit it, this is the best birthday ever."
Gabriel jumped up with a laugh, "I knew it! I'm pretty great huh?"
Eliana didn't answer that, she turned and pushed open the heavy doors to the gym, her new bracelet catching the light as she moved. As the door swung shut behind her, she heard Gabriel call out. "Good night!"
…
Eliana retreated to her room, releasing her team. Her Pokémon all went to placidly doze around the room. Raichu was curled up on her pillow, Starmie floated in a corner, its core pulsing with a soft, rhythmic light. Gallade sat cross-legged on the floor, meditating, a serene presence in the corner.
Eliana sat down at her desk, taking out the letter Gabriel had given her earlier. She turned it over in her hands. The envelope was simple, just plain white paper. She slid her finger under the flap and pulled out the letter. The paper inside was a light shade of purple, the handwriting a familiar, slightly messy scrawl.
To my Eliana,
I know you don't like big speeches or sappy stuff, so I'll keep this short. You're not the easiest person to get to know, and you're definitely not the friendliest person I've ever met. But you're also one of the strongest and smartest people I know. You're a good friend, even if you don't always show it.
I'm glad we met and I hope we stay rivals forever. Although we do make a good team!
Happy Birthday,
From your Gabriel,
Eliana read the letter twice, a slow, unfamiliar warmth spreading through her chest. She refolded the letter and slid it back into the envelope, placing it in the top drawer of her desk, next to a small, worn book on advanced psychic techniques. She then looked down at the bracelet on her wrist. "Flashy" she muttered, a small smile playing on her lips. But she didn't take it off.