Well...this took a long time to update...sorry. I would like to say that it was all the fault of senior year and college applications but hey apps are done and submitted. All that's left are finals and those are tough but i will attempt to update sometime sooner then however long it was that it took me to update this chapter. I hope you like it.

Chapter 16: Birthday

With her battle against Sabrina over, Lyra was now planning her birthday. Ethan watched his friend and the happy look on her face. He knew that she was planning her birthday and he hated the fact that he wouldn't be around. He looked at the letter in his hand and smiled, he had been accepted into the one week Pokemon Professor's Field Study Research Camp. He put the letter in his pocket and walked over to his brown haired best friend. She looked up and smiled at him.

"Hey, Ethan. Can you believe that I'm going to be sixteen this coming week?" she asked happily. He took out the letter from his pocket and handed it to her. "What's this?"

"I got accepted into a camp for people who want to be pokemon researchers." he said sadly.

"That's really good but why do you sound so sad?" she asked and he pointed to the date. Her face fell just a little but she put on a happy face for him. "Go Ethan, it's a great opportunity for you."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes I am absolutely positive. You always do things that help me advance toward my dreams and I never do anything for you in return. If I were to ask you to stay for my birthday that would be just plain out selfish so go." she answered and he nodded.

"Thanks Ly." he said. "I'll be back in a week."

"You have to leave now?" she asked shocked.

"Yes or else I won't make the boat in Olivine." he answered running in the direction of the train station. "I'll see you later Lyra."

Just like that she was alone.

A couple days later…

She hung up her pokegear and threw herself on to the bed. Her mother couldn't make it and neither could her boyfriend. She wasn't looking forward to turning sixteen. She would be all alone…well mostly she still had her pokemon.

Birthday…

She sat underneath a tree watching her pokemon play with each other. Lying on the branch above her head was her newly evolved Lucario. The other pokemon continued to play and she continued to watch.

"Something is bothering you." Lucario said telepathically.

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with." she said looking up at the branch. "Why don't you go play with the others?"

"I really don't feel the need to indulge in such activities. Does it upset you that we are your only company on this day where you should be surrounded by tons of friends and family?" he asked.

"Before you evolved you were always playing with the others. I remember catching you, it was after you pulled so many pranks on the others and got them into a fight with Silver's pokemon. I'm not upset that you guys are my only company but I would love to be surrounded by my friends and family." she answered.

"You should call me back now." he said.

"Why?" she asked standing up.

"You wanted to keep my evolution a secret from Dragon Boy and if you don't call me back now well he'll see me." he said and she returned him to his ball.

She looked around and surely enough she saw him. She hated how she liked him and how to her it felt like she was cheating on Silver. She motioned for her pokemon to join her. They ran up to their trainer and one by one she called them back. Chimchar situated himself on her head and she tried to walk away from the park without being noticed, her plan didn't work. In her haste to leave she wound up crashing right into the person who made her heart ache and flutter and landing on her butt.

"Lyra?" he asked. He extending his hand and she took it. He effortlessly pulled her to her feet. "Why are you in such a hurry?"

"I don't really know." she answered. "There isn't a reason to be in a hurry. I don't need to meet people, there isn't anyone to meet." she said sadly.

"What's with the long face?" he asked.

"I'm all alone on my birthday." she answered without thinking.

"Oh that is deserving of that long face." he said.

"What are you doing here?" she asked not wanting there to be an awkward silence between them. "Aren't there things that have to be done at the Indigo Plateau and well you do have a girlfriend?"

"Yes I do have a girlfriend and there are things that need to be done back at home. Cynthia is busy working with her fellow Elite Four members and the things that need to be done at home are being supervised by Bruno. As for me, I have duties as the Elite Four Champion and those duties include checking up on the gym leaders of my league." he said.

"You left Bruno in charge of construction work, no offense but that was a pretty stupid move." she said laughing at the thought of Bruno instructing others. "Well I should go."

"Go where you're alone…remember." he said.

"I didn't until you oh so nicely reminded me." she said sadly. "Lance it is beyond creepy how we always wind up seeing each other." she said and he nodded though he didn't think it was creepy at all. Of course he wasn't following her, he saw it as if there was an unnatural force bringing them together. "So I suppose you are checking up on Sabrina."

"I was and now I must move on because I still have all of Johto to check." he said.

"Oh." she said lowering her gaze down to the ground. "Well you do that I'll just stay here all by myself and wallow in the fact that I lost to Sabrina."

"I get it you want me to stay." he said and she could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Psh no!" she said denial seeping out of her words.

"Yes you do I can tell." he said teasing her.

"Why would I want Mr. Elite Four Champion around on one of the most important days of my life?" she asked teasing him right back. "After all Mr. Elite is far to important to spend his precious time with a brown haired girl with pigtails and overalls."

"Nah, I'm not that important. Besides there are things in this world that are more important to me than my time as the champion." he said looking down at her. "Now what do you want to do on this day?"

She looked around not really looking at anything but thinking about what to do. Since she was going to be alone she hadn't planned on anything nor did she look up any fun activities to do in Saffron City. He watched as she looked around restlessly and figured she hadn't planned on doing anything. After a while she looked up at him and shrugged.

"I don't know, you choose, make it a surprise." she said cheerfully.

"Alright then I'll pick you up at the pokemon center in about two hours." he said taking his leave and leaving her confused.

"I wonder what he'll come up with." she said to her partner.

"Chim." the monkey said as they walked back to the pokemon center because they had nothing better to do.

Two Hours Later…

Lyra stood outside the building waiting for Lance. She fidgeted with the light brown cardigan she was wearing and became suddenly aware of the fact that she was wearing a light red almost pink sundress and brown sandals. Lance arrived on his dragonite which made her curious. When she raised her eyebrows at him, he merely smiled and told her to go get her backpack.

"Where are we going?" she asked when she returned with her backpack.

"If I told you that would ruin the surprise now would it?" he asked not really seeking an answer. He motioned for her to climb on to his pokemon's back and she did so hesitantly. "Hold on tight."

She held on tightly to his waist as the dragon took off at full speed. She knew dragonite's were fast but she never imagined them to be really fast. She didn't understand how Lance could fly like this on a regular basis. She was beyond happy when they landed and didn't want to fly anytime soon.

"Welcome to Slateport City." Lance said.

"The Hoenn Region what are we doing here?" she asked beyond confused.

"We are celebrating your birthday." Lance answered simply.

He grabbed her hand and led her through the busy city. He took her to see a movie of her choosing. Halfway through the movie he fell asleep while she cried her eyes out. After the credits rolled they exited the theater and he apologized for falling asleep. She merely smiled at him and assured him that it was no big deal. They had lunch at a nearby restaurant and talked about things that didn't revolve around pokemon or their love lives. They both liked the fact that they were just talking nothing more nothing less. After they were done eating he took her down to the beach where there was a festival going on.

"What kind of festival is it?" she asked.

"I don't really know but it's an annual thing here." he answered as they made it to the festival grounds. He watched as her eyes widened in surprise as she saw the rides, games, and food stands. "So where to first?"

"I don't know." she said taking off in a random direction with him right behind her. She found several rollercoaster rides and jumped into one of the lines. After the rollercosters they went onto several other rides and played several games while enjoying carnival food. After a couple of hours he steered her out of the carnival and down to the pokemon center where to her surprise Ethan was waiting for her. She ran up to him and gave him the biggest hug she could.

"What are you doing here?" she asked letting go of him.

"Studying the pokemon that live in the ocean around Slateport and surprising you." he said taking out a small box from his jacket pocket. "Happy birthday, Ly."

"Thanks." she said happily.

"No problem." Ethan said with a sly smirk. He turned her around so she was looking at Lance. He didn't pay attention to their conversation when he was sure she had forgotten his presence he slapped his hands firmly over her eyes and steered her outside.

"Ethan what are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm kidnapping you what does it look like?" he asked.

"It looks dark." she answered.

"Happy birthday, Lyra!" a chorus of voices yelled.

When Ethan removed his hands from her eyes she saw that the patio area was full of people she knew. There was a range of people from her mother to Jasmine and her boyfriend. The four professors were there and so was Clair, standing next to her was the red head who always made fun of her, surprisingly they were getting along. She didn't know what to say.

"Surprised?" Ethan asked.

"Yes, thank you!" she squealed turning around and hugging the life out of him.

"It wasn't me, it was Lance." he whispered into her ear.

She let go of him and looked around, Lance wasn't among the crowd of friends and family. She excused herself saying something about having to use the bathroom and went in search of Lance. Her search didn't last long, he was standing outside next to his dragonite looking up at the sky.

"You're not staying?" she asked him.

"No, I have to attend to something important." he answered looking down at her. "Did you really lose to Sabrina?"

"No, I don't know why I said I did but I do have the badge."

"You're on step closer to facing me again."

"Yeah…" she looked at him carefully and suddenly she wasn't sure if she could face him, she had grown accustomed to his friendship and couldn't see him as the enemy. "Thanks for everything."

"No problem." he said. He bent down and boldly kissed the top of her head. "Happy birthday, Lyra."

With that said and done he hopped onto his dragon partner and in three seconds she was alone, a with heavy blush on her pale cheeks.

To be continued...

Sorry that i lagged but i had a good reason. Anyway please review and tell me what you think.