"So you're sure this will be safe?"

"Maître Danny, you are not allowed to put on makeup with a healing wound and everyone can tell you dislike the attention coming with the scars. I assure you, it's perfectly safe."

"I don't doubt your abilities, Deborah," Danny told the Gardevoir with slight hesitation when saying her name. "I just...ok, I do doubt them, mainly because you've never done this before."

Deborah raised a slim eyebrow before saying bluntly, "Do you want my help or not?"

Danny hesitated before seeing another young girl staring at him as the child passed by his and Deborah's table with her mother. He heard the girl chatter quickly about the man with the cuts on his face when she thought she was out of earshot. She was the third child to do so, and one of many to stare openly at him.

"Be careful when you do it," he finally told the Gardevoir with defeat. "I don't care if the others say the scars make me look cool and hardcore, they make me look like a hooligan to everyone else."

"Well at least we know the truth," Deborah sighed while placing her right hand on his scarred cheek. "Anyone who knows you well enough knows that you're actually a do-gooder. This shouldn't hurt."

The trainer felt a strange sensation over his cheek, like rippling water. He could see a light blue glow emanating from the Gardevoir's hand and even her eyes. A moment later she removed her hand and told him, "I believe it was successful. Your wounds are not as visible to other humans."

"How did you do that?" Danny asked with surprise after he lifted a spoon off the table in order to see his reflection. The scars were no longer there, though he could still feel the flaming sensation they emanated.

"I have been practicing certain psychic abilities with Alan," she explained while watching Danny closely. "I have mastered certain practices, including illusions. The scars are still there, but I placed a unique type of barrier over them so no one will see them unless there very close up. Only I can remove it. I understand what it's like to always see the unwanted reminders scars leave."

Danny looked up at Deborah at this comment.  His gaze at once laid on the visible scars on her own neck, left by the collar that controlled her every thought and movement. His scars weren't nearly as painful as hers. His might be more painful physically, but emotional and psychological pain is harder to recover from. He felt a little ashamed that he chose to hide his own scars while Deborah bore hers for everyone to see.

"Why did you want to speak to me?" Deborah suddenly asked bluntly, giving her trainer a sternly curious look.

"What?"

"Oh please, don't give me that. You left behind every other Pokémon you own at the Pokémon Center while you took me out to town, putting yourself out in an uncomfortable situation. You must have something you want to discuss with me, and only me. What's this all about?"

Danny was surprised at how quickly he had been caught. Then again, Deborah was the most observant of his Pokémon or even more so than any other Pokémon he knew. He probably wasn't even doing a great job at covering his true intention for taking Deborah out alone.

"Look, Deborah, the subject I wanted to talk to you about is rather...personal," Danny began slowly, choosing his words carefully. "You see, me and the others haven't just been looking for Team Flare, we've been finding stuff on your origin as well. A few days ago, we got a lead on a possible trainer from Hope. The trainer shared the history we thought you had, and...we just think we might've found your trainer."

Deborah was completely silent. However, she had become incredibly more stiff than usual and Danny could see her fidgeting agitatedly with her hands under the table. A moment later she said bluntly yet a little hesitantly, "Show me the information."

The second he took the folder of papers out of his bag, they were snatched from his grasp by Deborah's teal aura. She used her levitating powers to pull several different pages out at once, her gaze moving over the printed words.

Feeling compelled to speak, Danny told her quietly, "The trainer is Astro Gomez. He's a retired Pokémon coordinator, currently in his early twenties. He originally lived in Sinnoh before traveling to Kalos and Hoenn. He visited Kalos twice, but as you can see, his second trip didn't go well. His group was mugged by Team Flare members, and the only thing taken was one of his Pokémon. Not much is known about him after that, but he apparently lives in Alola now."

When Deborah lowered the papers, Danny saw her expression was dark. She then levitated them all back in the folder before it slammed shut.

"Why am I just learning of this?" The Gardevoir asked rather sharply after taking a deep breath.

"I think this is something we need to talk about without anyone else," the trainer responded firmly, now fully understanding why Margaret insisted that he stay behind for this. "Deborah, I promised you I would take care of you until we find your real trainer. I think we've found him, and now we need to discuss the next step."

"You're the trainer, you decide."

"It's just not that simple! Your opinion matters, Deborah! He's your trainer, and I want to know what you want to do next!"

"It's quite simple, really; I don't want to see him. Ever."

Danny had not prepared himself for this response as much as he thought he had. While he half expected her to talk like this, he was shocked by the rage in her voice, and the angry tears welling up in her magenta eyes.

"Why not?" Danny finally questioned slowly. "Wouldn't you like to meet him?"

"I have nothing to say to him."

"But I thought you missed him!"

The Gardevoir paused before saying hesitantly, "I do, but... he didn't come back for me. He moved on, left me for dead. He clearly doesn't care anymore."

"That's not fair, Deborah. He loves you, he tried everything he could. If you read everything, you would know he almost died the day you were separated. He was left with severe injuries that left him partly disabled. At least give him a second chance!"

Deborah looked up and scanned his face with her usually cold gaze. A moment later she asked bluntly, "Do you not want me anymore?"

"That's not it at all!"

"Then why do you insist on this matter? Why does it matter to you? You don't know him!"

"It matters to me because it matters to you!" Danny answer exasperatedly. "You're still devoted to your trainer, I know you are! He was the one that raised you, and from the little we've found, you meant the world to him, and I know it's the same with you!"

He paused before continuing, "Do you really not want to meet him, or are you doing it for me, because I can't just let you throw away this opportunity. I'm not worth it, Deborah. I want you to be happy...both of you."

Deborah did not answer, but instead levitated the folder up again and pried it open. She pulled out the picture he had left inside. It was the only one they could find of her trainer, which was taken at the Kalos Queen's coronation. The Gardevoir stared at it for a minute before saying in a hushed voice, "Astro, Stella, Raven, and Caramia... I remember now. Raven and Caramia were sister and cousin to Stella. They were all inseparable. They went everywhere together.

"Raven... she was a lot like Mira. She was always the optimist, everyone's personal cheerleader. She was so loving and caring. Caramia, meanwhile, was a hot-headed tomboy. She loved her Fire Types, opposing to Raven's many Water Types. She didn't always get along with me or my father, but she was fiercely loyal.

"Then Stella...well, my trainer took a fancy to her at the Sinnoh Grand Festival. They met as competitors, but we lost to her. That didn't dampen my trainer's spirits, and he did his best to share it with Stella. She didn't listen until months later during an accidental meeting. After that, they decided to travel together, my father, Stella, and her sister and cousin. I admit, I was a bit jealous at the attention my father gave her. I saw her as a bit of a stiff since she was almost always in charge."

Deborah looked up at Danny with tears in her eyes as she pressed on tearfully, "But despite my distaste, she made my trainer... happy. He was happy with me and the others but... she was different. He loved her very much, and seeing him happy was all I cared about..."

Danny never heard Deborah talk like this before. She was always so serious, even emotionless. She never liked disclosing her feelings, nor did she ever get sentimental. To hear her talking about recalling such memories was astounding to him. However she broke this monologue by addressing him directly.

"Maître Danny, I'm not ready to go back, not now," Deborah told him firmly, regaining a hold on her normal serious tone. "My father can wait, and so can I. I can't leave while the people who have given me so much hope and life are in danger. Please don't tell him where I am until everyone is safe. By then, maybe I'll have changed my stance. Until then, I just don't want to go."

"I can work with that," Danny told her quietly and assuringly. "If that's what you want, so be it."

"Danny! Deborah!"

The trainer and Pokémon looked around to see the rest of their company approaching them from out of the crowd of people. He was relieved to see Margaret, Amos, and Mira all there and in one place. However, he quickly noticed the expressions on their faces as they drew closer. Both Mira and Amos looked anxious, while Margaret looked paler than usual.

"What happened to you guys?" Danny asked, pushing his chair out and beginning to stand up as they stopped beside their table. "How did it go? Was Emmaline there?"

"It was...informative," Margaret began nervously, glancing to her two companions before continuing on, "Danny... Emmaline is a wreak. You see... Emmaline was unknowingly helping both sides."

Margaret, Amos, and Mira all took turns telling Danny and Deborah the events of their meeting with Emmaline. They explained how Emmaline had been assisting Team Flare's leader but had gathered a great amount of information from them. They explained Team Flare's plans, and how Emmaline was now searching for the key to their success.

"So Team Flare wants Xerneas," Danny repeated slowly, taking in all this new information. "That doesn't make much sense. Xerneas is the Pokémon of Life, I don't think it can use its power to obliterate life. There's something else going on."

"And we don't know why they took the others either," Mira added quietly, her grip on the arm of the outdoor chair suddenly tightening. "Fiona is Lysandre's daughter, but why would they want the others? It can't just be for money!"

"Well Aura Guardians are rare, but Dark Aura Guardians are even rarer," Amos reminded them. "White thought they would sell Sky's DNA, or even just him as a-"

"Dark Aura."

The four trainers all stopped their conversation and looked at Deborah. She was looking down at the folder Danny gave her while running her finger over the edges. She then looked up at them and explained in a quiet but deadly voice, "This what it's all about. Maître Danny, you are right. There is more to this than it appears."

"What do you mean?"

"It's all about aura. Dark Aura. I understand now."

"Deborah, you need to explain it for us!" Margaret persisted rather urgently. "What is this about?"

"Skyler Azul is a Dark Aura Guardian, a rare breed among the already small population of Aura Guardians. His aura is more powerful than most because it is fueled by negative emotions like rage, and even traumatic memories. Even though he's only half Aura Guardian, he's still more powerful because of the negativity. A weapon of such destruction can't be powered by Xerneas, a Pokémon with the power to heal. It can only be powered by a Pokémon with the power of destruction; Yveltal. Yveltal has not been seen for years, but it's power is very similar to Dark Aura, which is even the name of its ability."

Deborah straightened up as she finished seriously, "In short, Skyler Azul wasn't captured for money alone. He's a backup battery. Lysandre is going to try and find Yveltal, but if all else fails, he needs a source of equal power and destruction. Skyler Azul is the only being known with power anywhere close to Yveltal's."

There was a shocked silence at the end of this statement. As Danny thought it through, it made sense in some places. White knew the most about Sky's powers since they knew each other for so long, and Team Flare would need someone for insurance in case he got out of hand. 

"That actually makes sense in more ways than one," Amos finally spoke up and broke the silence. "But...if they need Yveltal, why put effort into Xerneas? If you're going to invest so much into getting a legendary, you might as well go for the one you need, right?"

"That I do not know," Deborah admitted. "I only put a few pieces together, not the entire puzzle."

"Speaking of Xerneas, Margaret has something else she would like to tell you both," Mira suddenly interrupted loudly, looking over at Margaret as if encouraging her to speak. "It's rather important."

Margaret seemed to shrink away in her seat as Deborah and Danny turned their heads to look at her. After a moment she did her best to straighten up but said shyly, "I...I'm going to go with Emmaline to look for Xerneas."

Another stunned silence fell upon them. Danny stared at his friend, trying to comprehend this decision.

"Why would you want to do that?" He asked, trying to sound reasonable. "I thought we were looking for the others."

"You all can look for the others," Margaret responded with emphasis, regaining her more serious tone. "I just...Xerneas means a lot to me, Danny. That Pokémon, I just... I can't explain it! All I can say is that I have to go!"

"Frankly I don't care what she does..." Danny thought he heard Deborah mutter to herself.

"Margaret, I'm strongly against this in more ways than one!" Danny told her firmly. "It's too dangerous, Team Flare wouldn't pass up a chance to get you with your own DNA! Look what's happened to Sky!"

"I don't care what you think, I'm going no matter what you decide!" Margaret argued stubbornly, slamming her hand on the table. "It's not like I'm going alone! Emmaline will be there, and she won't be able to find Xerneas without my help! I need to go!"

Danny stared at her before finally saying slowly, "You know where Xerneas is, don't you?"

"I, I..." Margaret began, but after looking around at her companions, she lowered her voice and finished, "I think so..."

"How would you know where Xerneas is?" Amos asked with surprise.

"As I told you and Mira, I met Xerneas before. She watched over me, cared for me. Danny, what I didn't tell you was that Xerneas was the one who helped me back home when I escaped my uncle. Maybe I am driven by loyalty, but I just feel like I'm the only one who can find her!"

"You're Xerneas's chosen one," Mira finished for her slowly as if finally realizing something important. "I get it now... I should've realized, after all you said about her earlier..."

"A what?" Danny interrupted, completely losing track of the conversation.

"Being a chosen one is not as glamorous as it sounds. Legendary Pokémon are vital to the protection of Pokémon, but are often mistaken for gods and such. Throughout history, people would hunt legnedaries for their power, like Team Flare hunting Xerneas and Yveltal. A legendary can choose a trustworthy and strong human as a host of its power in case it needs to hide from evil doers. That way the human can hold the power until the legendary returns for it once the danger has passed, because nobody would expect a human to hold a legendary Pokémon's power. It's very rare, but it has been known to happen. In this case, Margaret would be eligible as a host of Xerneas's power, and she would be the only one to call upon her."

"I...I didn't realize all that..." Margaret stammered, suddenly turning even paler.

"So what makes you two so special?" Amos questioned with some confusion. "You have Suicune and now Margaret apparently has Xerneas, which I'm still trying understand. Is it a special gene or what?"

Mira laughed a little before answering while shaking her head, "No, of course not. To be honest, anyone can be chosen. It's just that in addition to having a friendship with a legendary, you may be asked to hold something as fragile and powerful as their own power. But the human must be strong in spirit in order to take the power. It could kill them. I only know all this from Suicune, but he said there is rarely a need to transfer power like that."

The younger girl looked to her friend and continued, "If that's the case...than its even more important that you go. I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner. We won't stand in your way anymore. Isn't that right, Danny?"

Mira gave Danny the stink eye and he hesitated before agreeing as well. Margaret looked relieved at this response and said rather tearfully, "Thank you... I'll be leaving tomorrow. I promise I'll be careful, and I'll make sure to stay in contact as often as I can."

Danny wanted to continue the argument, despite Mira insistence that she go. He needed her by his side. She was his rock, the person who kept him in check as a leader, trainer, and friend. He knew it was selfish since this Pokémon needed her more than he did, but he just couldn't let her go.

He didn't know what he would do without her.

~~~

I'm sorry, this was going to be done yesterday but I started adding more details, I forgot some parts of the previous chapter, and than on top of all that I would have to read through and edit it all. I simply did not have time to finish it all in one evening. Hopefully I covered everything in this and didn't mess up.

Real short A/N, I'll just say a few things. I won't always be able to make the exact due date, either from writing issues of my own fault or outside forces. I'll hopefully get on track with TDOBH this coming week. Unlike SWS3, I already planned out most of the chapters for TDOBH, it's just a matter of writing them. SWS3 is just a little more unpredictable, and not to mention that I'm trying hard to work on my first original series on the side. I don't exactly thrive when working on three projects at once while also having some free time.

I appreciate your support nevertheless, and please do vote or comment. The support helps motivate me to write. I hope you have a good rest of the week, and I'll see you all next time.