Keep it up with the character submissions, I'll try to implement as many as I can when I do the next story.

Also, that chapter I took down, the old chapter 32, pretend it never existed.

Chapter 33: The Graduation Party

Lloyd was still tired from last night. Everything that went on when he slept, the visions that Shadow shared with Lloyd, must have prevented him from getting a good nights sleep. His arms and legs were stiff and his ears drooped down each side of his head like two wilted plants.

Lloyd looked around to see if anyone else was awake, and was surprised to notice for the first time every bed was empty. He didn't notice at first because the covers were all bunched up, no effort made to make any of them. The only people left behind was him, the injured Celebi that had rescued everyone from the cave-in, and the evolved Regal, an immobile Metapod.

He figured everyone was out to breakfast or something, but when he noticed the time on a clock that was beside Sakuras own bed, he knew this wasn't the case.

It was two in the afternoon, well past breakfast and probably even past lunch time. Not knowing what to think, Lloyd went straight outside to look for everyone.

When he got outside, the entire Academy square, which the same time yesterday was very crowded, was nearly empty. The only pokemon Lloyd saw was the Nidoking who ran the school, Edward, who was handing around just outside the student residence building.

"Oh, there you are Lloyd. I was beginning to wonder if you would ever wake up."

Still sounding very tired, Lloyd asked where his friends were.

"Everyone is outside the gates, today is the graduation date for many of our students. Everyone, including some of your friends, helped set up everything while you were asleep."

"Set stuff up? Like what?

"Mainly the stage where the graduation ceremony takes place. It takes a lot of work to set up but your friends insisted on helping."

Lloyd was a bit embarrassed that he had slept in while all his friends were helping out the Academy. He wished someone would have tried to wake him up earlier instead of letting him sleep the whole day away.

"I'll see if there's anything I can do." Lloyd said as he began to make his way across the academy square.

"Alright, I'll be out there in a second."

The closer Lloyd got to the main gate the more he could hear the sounds of music and loud voices. By the time he got to the gate his ears were ringing because of all the noise. The gate was already open, but only partially, there was barely enough room for him to fit through.

Before he could get a good look at the source of all the noise, Rita leapt at him through the crack in the gate, scaring the life out of Lloyd. Rita laughed, making it clear that startling Lloyd was her intent.

"Awake yet?" She asked, still giggling to herself.

"Yeah... Why didn't you guys wake me up?"

Rita shrugged. "I did try, I shook you and you didn't even stir. I figured you were tired so I convinced everyone to let you rest."

Lloyd was grateful, because he had been allowed to sleep in he was able to view the visions that Shadow wanted to show him. He smiled at Rita, "Thanks, I guess I must have needed the energy if I slept in so late." He, of course, wasn't going to admit the real reason the long rest benefitted him.

"Come on Lloyd, you need to see this party the academy is throwing, Edward said we could stay and enjoy ourselves if we wanted!"

Excited, Rita ran through the gates. Lloyd ran after her and saw the party for the first time.

There was at least a few dozen pokemon attending. Everyone was dancing to a music performance, several pokemon stood on a large stage each playing strange instruments Lloyd had never seen before. Surrounding the area where the academy students danced was tables loaded with different snacks and drinks, as well as decorations in the form of statues in the middle of each table, each depicting a different pokemon, each striking a different pose.

Rita had disappeared, but Lloyd didn't care much, he had missed two meals and didn't wanna think about anything until he had some of that delicious looking food.

His eyes locked on a simple stack of various berries, he walked over and reached out to grab one, but something hit his paw, burning it, and he pulled back his arm.

"Who are you?" Someone behind Lloyd asked. He turned around and saw a Ninetails standing right behind him. "I don't recognize you, you're not a student here, are you?"

Lloyd was intimidated by the Ninetails sudden appearance, and rough treatment. He barely managed to speak, and when he did he mumbled most of what he said. "I'm not, I helped Edward find a lost student and..."

"I'll go ask Edward myself then, stay here." And then she stormed off without another word.

Lloyd breathed out a lung full of air, relieved. He didn't know what was going on at first, and was worried, but thankfully the Ninetails was just a suspicious teacher, or something like that.

"I see you met my master." Lloyd looked behind him to see who was talking, it was Sakura. "Don't worry about her, I'm sure Edward will clear everything up."

"She didn't need to be so rough, she burned my hand!" Said Lloyd, holding up the burnt paw, a small bit of the fur turned black from the flame.

"She was only doing what she thought was right, there's a lot of strange pokemon who would love to crash our party for any number of reasons."

Before Lloyd could say anything in response, The Ninetails returned.

"I talked to Edward. He says you were invited to stay, so I guess I must apologize for earlier."

"Well, thanks. I..."

But the Ninetails interrupted him. "But that doesn't mean I'm not keeping an eye on you, there is something about you I don't like, so you better behave."

Lloyd didn't know what to say, so he just kept quiet.

"Sakura."

"Yes Master Esme?"

"Make sure your little friend stay out of trouble."

"As you wish." Sakura then bowed slightly, and then her master, the Ninetails Lloyd now knew as Esme, walked away without another word.

Once Esme was gone, Sakura looked up at Lloyd and smiled at him. "Don't worry about her." She said. "Esme is just trying to keep the school safe."

Lloyd rolled his eyes. "Yeah, cause I look so dangerous."

"Well, then... Maybe she just doesn't like you."

"Well that makes me feel a whole lot better..."

"Well, don't worry, while I don't know you well enough to know if I like you yet... From what I know about you, I know that I don't not like you."

Lloyd gave her a blank stare. "... What?"

Sakura sighed. "Just go enjoy yourself, I'm gonna go find Esme."

As Sakura walked away, disappearing into a crowd of students, Lloyd quietly said to himself. "That made no sense at all!"

---

Rita sat alone, watching the many pokemon celebrating while she ate some kind of pastry that she took from one of the tables of food. She sat on the ground, quietly relaxing when she suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked behind her, and standing there was Isaac.

"What's up?" She asked, a mouth full of food.

"Rita... Can I talk to you, privately?"

Rita was confused to why Isaac would need to talk to her alone like this, but she nodded her head and got up to follow him. As soon as she stood up, Isaac lead her away from the party, and went through the gates which lead to the academies main square, which was currently empty.

Isaac stopped just inside the gates, and looked around, likely seeing if they were both really alone.

"What is it Isaac? I'm missing the party!"

"How much do you know about Lloyd?" Isaac looked and sounded very serious.

"Huh?"

"You said you had only met Lloyd recently, what do you really know about him?"

"Not much more then what we've already told you. He had no memory when I found him, and the only thing he remembered was that he used to be a human, and not a pokemon. Other then that... I don't know anything, and neither does he."

"Are you sure you never noticed anything... odd about him?"

Rita gave him a slightly annoyed look. "No more 'odd' then how you're acting right now. Can I go back to the party now?"

Isaac closed his eyes and sighed. "Rita, I have to tell you this. When we were in Echo Cavern, I saw Lloyd..."

"Hey guys! Finally found you!" Lloyd interrupted as he walked through the gate."Why are you two over here?"

"Nothing." Said Rita. "Isaacs just being a weirdo. Come on Lloyd, lets go get something to eat, the food here is wonderful!"

Once Lloyd and Rita were gone, Isaac sighed again. I'll just have to tell Rita when we get to the academy. I still can't believe it, how could Lloyd, my first real friend, be such a... beast?

---

The party went on for hours. Lloyd, Rita and Isaac stayed separate during most of it, enjoying themselves in their own ways. Eventually, just as the sun was starting to go down, Lloyd went and looked for the others.

"Its getting kind of late, we should get back to the Brotherhood HQ before it gets too dark." He told both of them. And both Rita and Isaac agreed, then went to Sakuras room to pack up their stuff and head out.

When they got there, Sakura was waiting for them, and strangly, had packed all there stuff for them.

"Rita, I'm going with you." She said.

"Going where?"

"To this 'Brotherhood' of yours, you and me still have a score to settle, and I'm not leaving you alone until we do."

Rita laughed. "You're not serious, are you?"

"I'm very serious. I graduate today, and I'm free to go where ever I please. And where I want to go, is where ever you go, and I'll go where you go until I get my rematch."

Lloyd interrupted. "Wait Sakura you can't just stay in the Brotherhood HQ without actually being a member of one of the teams."

"Then let me join your team! I'm a good fighter, and I'll work hard, and I'll keep working hard until Rita has the time to fight me."

Lloyd thought about it for a moment. "Rita is the one who knows you, its up to her."

"Well... Sakura, I want a rematch as much as you do, but I don't want it to mess up with my job at with the Brotherhood."

"Then... Then... I promise that I'll wait until you have the time for it then, even if it takes weeks or even months."

"I guess..." Started Rita. "I guess I can't really say no then. You will join the team officially, do missions with us, and when there is a day where there is no missions that we need to do, you'll have your rematch. But our deal still stands, if, on the day of our rematch, I beat you fair and square, you're a permanent member of Team Valiant."

"And if I win, you have to admit that the academy was the better choice between it and just exploring the wasteland."

"It's a deal." Rita said, smiling.

"We should go now." Said Isaac. "Its gonna be dark soon and I wanna get back to the headquarters."

"Alright." Said Lloyd. "Rita, you carry Regal." He said. He pulled the celebi out of bed and positioned her so that she had her arms around Lloyds neck and was hanging off his back. "Isaac, could you carry the supply bag?"

Isaac gave him an odd look, almost as if he was somehow intimidated by Lloyd. But soon after Isaac nodded and simply said "Yeah." Lloyd figured he was just tired or something, and decided to ignore it.

They all walked together out of Sakuras room, out of the student residence and through the front gates of the academy. The graduation party looked to be over, as most of the pokemon were now gone, and nearly all the food was eaten. The members of Team Valiant walked by and headed in the direction of Havok City.

As they walked, Rita began talking to Sakura, who walked beside her. "Sakura, remember when you called me a selfish little princess?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"And after wards I said that I 'Needed to update you on a few things'?"

Sakura groaned with frustration. "What? Get on with it!"

Rita told her the story as they walked towards their destination. "Well, awhile ago me and Lloyd were sent on a mission to Oasis Island. And..."

Lloyd wasn't really listening. Not only because he was actually there when her story took place, but because he heard an oh so familiar voice in his head.

"Lloyd, something is very wrong."

What is it?

"I can feel it... The Celebi on your back, she's dying."

What?!

"You need to get her to your little base camp as quickly as possible, she needs healing soon, otherwise..."

Shadow never finished his sentence, but he didn't need to.

"Come on guys, we need to hurry." Lloyd ran ahead without letting his team mates question why. Forcing them to run as well to catch up.

---

Please Note: I didn't forget about Squirtle. Wait till the next chapter.