hey, y'all. this is a completely revised version of a story i once wrote titled To Wreck Birthday Havoc. now in three parts with added plot!
Crystal is a proud person. It's just a fact of life, the same way that Green drinks his coffee so hot he probably doesn't have tastebuds anymore; the same way that Pearl will talk until there is literally no one to talk to; the same way that Silver doesn't eat breakfast.
(Well, actually, there are a couple exceptions to that last one. Blue sometimes manages to get him to swallow down half a muffin, and, on one very memorable occasion, an entire waffle. But even that is done in the depths of his reluctance. It's actually that girl who's been hanging around more and more often, a Lyra Soul, or something, that Crystal once watched get him to finish an entire pancake without so much as a scowl.
Crystal wants very desperately to know how and why and who this girl is, but it seems like nobody can get the girl in a room alone without Silver coming in and redirecting conversation to literally anything else.)
Anyway.
She's proud of a lot of things, really, but at the top is her work ethic. Even Green can't say that much. She doesn't like taking breaks, doesn't like goofing off during work hours, doesn't like relaxing.
Which is why today is special in more ways than one.
She's awake before her alarm goes off, but when it does, she taps it off — and then, miracle of miracles, she lays back down in bed.
Amazing.
Today is her birthday, on a Saturday, no less, and she intends to make it last. The year previous, she had been in Sinnoh, wrapping up the tail end of a project with some researchers there, and thus too busy to even laugh at the prospect of a day off. Her fellow Johto Dex Holders had called her up and wished her a great day, which was lovely, but she can't help but feel grateful that they hadn't arranged some sort of surprise trip or something. It would have been fun and likely informative, but it probably wouldn't have included Crystal.
This year, though, she's right here in bed, snuggled up against her pillow with the blankets tugged up to her chin. This is a day of relaxation.
And relax she does. For about an hour. She's not too great at falling asleep during the day, even in the morning, but it is quiet and calm and the window is propped open and she dozes with contentment.
Then the doorbell rings, followed quickly by polite knocking. She groans, dragging herself off the mattress. The floor is cold; she hops over to her clothing rack and grabs the nearest jacket-like article — it turns out to be a spare labcoat, newly washed, which is hilarious — to throw over her pajamas.
Crystal pulls open the door and is abruptly greeted by sound. A whistle blows in three pitches and a squeaky something is chirping and a horn is blaring.
"Happy birf-grr!" says Blue, the whistle clenched between her teeth.
"Thanks, Blue!" Crystal laughs, hugging her. It was probably her favorite part of the year, when all the Dex Holders were supposed to live in Kanto for a couple weeks to do interviews, updates, and get-togethers, as many official ones as for fun. And it just so happened that this year, the conferences lined up the week after her own special day.
"You're welcome," Blue grins, tucking the whistle into her pocket. "Now, I'm off to go shmooze some reporters into some morning coffee, but you enjoy these." Next to her are two boxes stacked atop each other, one quiet flat and one much larger. "And this too." She adds the horn to the pile and backs up off the step.
"Bye, Blue!" Crystal peers over her yard; there's a bike propped up against the fence.
"Bye, Crystal! Oh, hey! The big box is from Green!" Blue waves as she hops on the bike, and then she's gone, flying off down the road. It takes Crystal some considerable effort to pull the boxes indoors; the bottom one is dense and sturdy, and she'd put good money on it being as much as surprise to her as it will be to Green, who would never be so frugal.
Ah, well. That was Blue.
Pushing aside the big box for later in case either a sheepish Blue or an irritated Green soon show up with a receipt, Crystal carries the thinner package with her and climbs back in bed.
It takes her only a bit of strength to rip the wrapping, and her eyebrows go up. A book? Wow. Maybe Blue has finally-
Aha. And it's a romance novel.
The next time she is stirred by the outside world, it's by a thump against her door that sounds like a weird version of a knock. Now relocated to the couch in her living room, Crystal has only to hide the book before she answers her second caller of the morning. The book is good, actually. Very good. Still, she makes the decision to flip it upside down, stack another book on top of it, and then put a tissue box on top for good measure before she feels comfortable enough to leave.
Opening the door, Crystal is abruptly greeted by two people fighting so loudly and viciously that it's a miracle she hadn't heard them from inside the house. Both are in fighting stances — one offensive, one defensive — and are glaring at each other with ferocity. A third, much shorter figure sits with his back to them both, looking over the yard in the picture of exasperation.
"...have to wait until she opens the door, duh. Then shout, then give it to her!" says the figure in blue.
"No, it's like I said. Give it to her, then shout! There are rules, you know!" The glaring continues. Crystal purses her lips before speaking up.
"Hi, guys," she says. The Hoenn Dex Holders all notice her at once.
"Hi, Crys!" Emerald says enthusiastically, darting between his aggressive fellows to hug her. She laughs, rocking back, before patting him on the shoulder and accepting the small box he hands her.
"Happy birthday, Senior!" Ruby and Sapphire exclaim, shoving another gift at her. It's beautifully wrapped, and Crystal finds herself betting that she can guess who of them is responsible.
"We hope you enjoy it!" Ruby says. "I wrapped it myself."
That's two for two. Maybe I should take Gold up on that offer to check out Goldenrod's Game Corner. Make some real bets.
"It's gorgeous," Crystal says truthfully. "Unique, too." Ruby beams.
"It's what's inside that matters," Sapphire mutters. "But yeah. Happy birth."
"Thank you-"
"Whaddya mean, the inside? Who cares what your organs look like?"
"Don't judge a book by its cover," Sapphire snips. "You're the one who told me that, remember?" Ruby blusters.
"Out of context, you barbarian!" Crystal and Emerald make eye-contact before the first shrugs and latter sighs.
"I'll get them out of your hair, Crys," Emerald promises, grabbing each by the hand and pulling as hard as he can. It works, surprisingly enough, and he succeeds in dragging them away to where a small collection of their Pokémon are alternatively facing off or making nice in the corner of Crystal's yard. She gives them a wave, too, before closing her door.