Warning for past character death, non-graphic violence, past harm to minors/child abuse (Minor edits made 06-22-16)

"Ever since I was a little girl, I have always turned my eyes up to the sky. When I was so full of uncertainty that I felt my heart might be crushed by it... When I was so grief-stricken and alone I thought my heart might break of it... I turned and looked up there... so that my tears would never, ever fall. What about you? Have you ever had to do something like that?"- Zinnia

Act One: Looking For a Lantern

Chapter One: An Early Air Current

Clarity is the rain and mud, the path to sanctuary crooked and swamped. There is a thud-boom of thunder over her head and in the sounds behind her comes the sounds of dragon puzzlement and mud. They cry out and out and rapidash trip-whinnies.

Loud cracks, sob-pain and she flies, tumbles. All pain, all red. Drips from her nose. Mama red-rimmed, frozen-faced, cold-warm. Red light return, scoop up, run.

The fairies are absent in this swamp. The dragons lurk in the water to feed. Gloop. Bloop

Mummy runs, runs towards bright blur light blur and blood-smell. She knows many words, lots of important things, but she doesn't know where she's going. Mummy always knows though. She's very smart.

Rapidash wails for his foal in the ball, she clutches the bag with her tight. Heart beats slowing.

'Mummy'

Hoarse froakie croak voice. No words, muffled sobs mainly. Mummy hides everything she can even though she can't.

Then it comes again, from hours before, the rush howl, the monster that scales waterfalls and cannot be a dragon, it screams and screams.

This time, another answers.

Roselia petal smell, sweet smell, trying to lull her, trying to calm her. It fails, falling to the steady jab-peck on her hand hard enough for-

Mirei opened her lilac eyes. A fletchling sat on her small, bronze wrist. It chirped a greeting, beak poised to peck again. She muttered a word of a decidedly inappropriate nature and turned her head on the soft pillow to see the outside. The sky was as steady of a dark blue as it tended to get in Miare* at night. Mirei turned to the bird and flicked it between the eyes, ignoring the sudden rush of -sleepmutternightmarebadhelp- that came from the Pokemon at her simple touch.

"Passerouge*," she said, scowling at her father's most recently picked-up stray. When not allowed to swear, use different languages. People were sometimes unaware enough to think you were doing the same thing. Once they were taught, well, their reactions were rather entertaining. "It's still early." It chirruped at her, failing to see the problem. She made another face and looked about her small apartment bedroom. The shadows made by the streetlights outside almost engulfed the two Pokemon curled on their gently sewn flaffy wool stuffed cushions. One had its amber eyes slit open, however, and was staring at the fletchling. It sat up as silently as possible, slinking forward and pausing in the darkest shadow of the room. Its legs bunched and she leaped, crashing on top of the bird and sending it squawking to the ground. The shinx hissed, planting a somewhat large paw over the tiny beak.

Mirei groaned. "Rue, don't kill it."

'Shirmwr," came the cat's reply. Mirei translated that as 'But Mo-om-' through a mouth of baby future fire bird feathers.

"Don't," she repeated, laying back down and pulling her covers over her head. "Someone is adopting them this week. Papa might make me stay behind if you actually eat it." She heard the thump and squawk of her shinx reluctantly dropping the bird and said fletchling bolting out of her bedroom window in a huff. She pitied whoever picked that one. Sassy tweeter. Something thumped next to her on the bed as Rue curled up at her side. Mirei peeked her hand through the blanket to stroke the blue part of the cub's fur.

-loveyoumomsadhappyalways-

Rue's purring lulled her back to sleep and the old memory-dream was forgotten, for the moment.

Rekushin Pine held a completed Pokedex up to the sunlight streaming through the window, checking the casing. It wouldn't do to send his adoptive daughter out with an incomplete machine, nor would it do to leave any child without hope in the world. Adventuring with Pokemon was a rite of passage, whether to master the world with them or to simply become an adult. That was never an easy road.

He sighed and left the device in the sun to charge. It was his duty to make certain it would not be a mercilessly short one.

A friendly growl made him pause at the next device. He smiled. "Good morning Fafnir." The dragon dipped his head and growled low once more. "Is it that time already?" Fafnir nodded, the garchomp waving a claw. "Very well, I will be down to the meadow shortly. Tell Mirei not to rush."

"Gravn." His old partner strode away to do so, failing to look dignified in his rush to see who was arguably his niece. Or at least, that was how he seemed to feel about her. Rekushin chuckled to himself and went to the next pokedex.

Forty-five minutes later, he placed the last device in the sun and stood from his desk. He stretched toned, russet arms and readjusted the white lab coat sleeves over the red of his shirt. Rekushin pinched his nose and glanced about the laboratory. It was too quiet. Either he simply hadn't been paying attention, or the ragamuffins were behaving themselves.

He almost laughed out loud. That would never be the case. It was likely that they were all eating. Rekushin went to the elevator, a contraption he normally disliked. However, when you had a large lab and didn't want people accidentally wandering into your pokemon preserve, you had to accept some of the new technology.

As the doors slid open, there was a pair of delighted squeals and one yelping chirp. "Good morning," he offered to the offending pokemon as they chased each other around the meadow. Mother and daughter lion yowled their greeting before returning to their hunt. The poor fletchling… He looked about. "Has my daughter come out of hiding yet?"

The little shinx paused in her run and shook her head. "Shirmrer."

Rekushin knelt and let the kit come over to be pet. "You know I cannot understand you, Rue. The gift is not hereditary."

"Rrwm," it murmured, starting to purr. Well, he did not have to understand her to get the gist.

There was another soft click of the elevator doors as they slipped open behind him. "Papa," murmured a muffled voice. "May I get past please? These are a bit heavy."

"Nyur!" The agreeing espurr cry made him chuckle and turn, taking the bag of Pokemon food little Vio had been floating under one arm and the pot with the other.

"You could have simply come and gotten me from upstairs, darling," he chided. Bronze cheeks turned even darker as Mirei huffed in embarrassment. He was proud that he could still cause that, and a part of him silently hoped that he always would be able to.

"I tried, but you weren't in your office." She carried the remainder of the breakfast bowls down to the dip in the grass that led to the manmade pool, her purple hair flopping messily back into her face. She set the stack down and spread them out. Setting the food bag down, Rekushin tipped it over and followed her about. The cats spread the picnic blanket with long practiced tugs. Rekushin took his time, memorizing each brush of wind from cracked open windows, the sound of the little girl's delighted giggles from affectionate noses and sandpapery tongues. Pokemon were slowly coming out of the brush, the tops of trees, even poking their heads from the water.

Vio mewed at the bowls and they floated within reach until she plopped down next to her own. The pair of shinx joined her, Mirei's purple eyes were on the other pokemon as they approached. She didn't have to, she knew, this was her day, and therefore it was not going to be her responsibility to watch over the little ones and the old and in between to make sure they were healthy any more. Old habits died hard.

Her father was already seated, dealing their own meal. Eventually, she turned and joined him. Trepidation shook her fingers. It had been years since she had confused salt and sugar and over mixed the broth, but Mirei couldn't let go of her nerves. These were her own survival skills at stake after all.

Rekushin smiled after a few moments. "Ninety points."

Mirei exhaled in relief. For her family, that was practically perfection. She murmured to the food and began as well, listening to the friendly chatter of the creatures around her.

After she swallowed a few bites, her father spoke. "You're going into this with a lot of advantages." His voice, already deep and rich, seemed even lower with the seriousness of his tone. Mirei looked up and nodded silently. She had the advantage of growing up scientifically and emotionally with Pokemon all of her life. Her pokedex had many entries just from living here. She had experience working out a training style and in how to care for Pokemon. She knew the intricacies of the rules of the League and the Royalty Conferences. And those were only a few things, things that depended on where a person was raised. She fiddled with her purple locks as he continued. "You might be resented, envied, mocked. It might go to your head." Mirei winced at each word. Her father swallowed a gulp of tea. "It is up to you if the words they say hold any water."

Mirei nodded again. The reputations of her parents, adopted or otherwise, would put a foot in a lot of doors. If she wanted anything more from that, it was up to her. And, as they had both told her many, many times, she was not them. She had her own things to do.

Of course, easier said than done. He wouldn't be saying that otherwise.

"That said," Her father reached over and mussed her formerly brushed hair, making her pout again. "You have done plenty of preparations on your own with your studies and practice, in your rooms, and have managed to care well for the Pokemon here. You are no less prepared for what may come than a trainer with all of the money in the world backing them." He pulled her into the closest thing to a hug he had ever managed to give. "Come what may, we are both proud of you, Mirei."

The pout melted into a flush and her burying her face in his labcoat. Rekushin chuckled and let her for a few moments more. Then he poked her in the side.

"Eat before it gets cold," he told her. "You have preparations to make before nightfall."

She nodded, but still didn't move for a few more minutes. He, of course, let her stay. Today was a special occasion.

Seven minutes into her daily routine, Rindou Akiho remembered what day it was.

I get to leave. Finally!

She promptly dove back under her covers and passed out, conserve some energy and all of that. Her pink hair stuck out from under her fluffy white comforter. She needed all of the sleep she could get. So, quite easily, she slept for another three hours. So late, in fact, that a very part of her tasks of the day slipped right on by. In fact they were in her house, climbing up the stairs and slipping into her room. Despite the weight of their boots and the small giggles escaping their mouth every few steps, they managed to open and shut the door to the girl's quarters with barely any sounds whatsoever.

Akiho snuffled, turning over as the other leaned down. They pressed their lips to her cheek, causing her pink eyes to snap open and her to leap back against the wall. Her heart thumping, eyes wide, she narrowed them and moved to sink into a delayed fighting position. Then she relaxed, shoulders no longer hunched. She let out a heavy, weary sigh.

"Rina, I was asleep."

Shinomiya Rina grinned at her. "No way," she drawled, tugging on her hood and brushing her jagged green locks out of her eyes. "Totally couldn't tell by the drool."

"Oh shut up." Akiho threw her pillow. Then she paused, frowning ever so slightly. "I missed getting you from the bus stop, didn't I?"

Before she could groan, Rina interrupted her by flopping onto her fluffy bed. "The flight to Miare -Lumiose-," she corrected absently. "Was really delayed. Something about Neo-Geode or whatever doing protests trying to spill onto the runways." At Akiho's wide eyes, she shrugged. "Yeah. It's been pretty bad since that meteor got blown up. The newest fad is 'air and space pollution'!" She made air quotes with her fingers." Rina grinned. "You should see my PokeNav inbox."

Akiho raised an eyebrow. "Do you send all of it to Wallace?"

Rina cackled. "Reverse no. Only the non-scientific stuff." She shrugged, especially chilled out. "I asked for uncle to take me. He's gone on ahead to Miare though. Something about wanting to talk to Mr. Pine. Or get Marsy a Litleo, Shishiko, whatever it's called. I hope it's a girl. He needs to think he's an-"

"Rina." Akiho coughed and Rina clapped her mouth shut, scratching her head with embarrassment. "I get it. You're nervous. Same here." She smiled and crawled over, leaning against her arm. "Seriously, we're going to get into so much trouble."

"Sounds fun," Rina managed, grinning a bit once more. "By the way, nice to finally see you in person again, I guess. What's it been now… three years?"

"Four if you could the time our parents reluctantly put us in the same house for a conference." Akiho sighed and crawled off of the bed. "Shut your eyes," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am." Rina didn't, but she did look away towards the poke balls on the shelf. Akiho guessed that was the best she could get. "Did you ever accept the riolu?"

Akiho snorted so hard that she almost sneezed. "Course not. You think grandpa would let me go if I did?" She rifled through her closet. "Did you bring any other clothes, it's summer and we wouldn't want your parents freaking out because you melted."

Rina raised an eyebrow, probably over the change in topic. "Yeah, I did. My sweater's not that hot, Aki. If it gets warmer, I can just take it off anyw-"

A pokeball burst open from Rina's belt, letting out a puff of smoke as a little orange and yellow bird popped out on the floor. It set to pecking Rina on the leg, who pulled her limbs out of reach with a pout.

"Ririkooo!" she whined, causing Akiho to giggle through the fabric of her white dress.

"Ririko?" she managed, once she could see the little torchic for herself. It waved a tiny, downy yellow wing at her and went back to chasing after the visible legs. Thankfully, it was too young to do much of a jump, even on her bed yet, or she might have soot for sheets.

"Yeah!" Rina adjusted herself to lean down and lift the chick into her lap, hugging her close. It let out a chirp of immersion, but did not try to squirm away. "They said I should at least have some pokemon to remember Hoenn by."

Akiho pulled her socks over her leg weights. "By that, you should have a Johto-native partner."

"That's what I sad!" Rina huffed, only to grin. "Steven said he wants to get you something for helping him find a Key Stone, by the way."

Akiho turned bright red. "Well, th-they're not Kalos exclusive… it's not like they don't exist elsewhere..." She hurried to busy herself with her shoulder bag. "Seriously, he-he doesn't have to get me anything..."

"Except his undying affection," Rina mused in a serious voice.

Akiho punched her in the arm. Rina laughed and threw her pillow at her. Akiho caught it with a slightly manic grin. "You do realize," she said slowly. "That this means war."

Ririko's chirp was enough of an answer. As the two of them (three if you counted Ririko's chirping encouragement) smacked each other with feather pillows, Akiho watched the pokeballs gleam in the sunlight.

Then Rina's pillow blocked her vision. Oh that was it. It was on now

Effigia*.

Perfection.

The middle-aged man examined the words on the screen for the seventh time that day and rubbed between his eyes. Project Effigia, words whispered in the underground of the scientific community, whispered in cohesion with another, one much more dangerous program. Or perhaps in a different way, he had not translated enough of these documents to be certain. Languages were not his forte, and university was a late time to learn them. Perhaps now would be a better time to ask his wife, before she left for her own duties.

Then she would be gone for months in Isshu and the progress might stagnate further. He didn't have time for that. No one did.

… Hah. Now he sounded like a conspiracy theorist. It would be nice if he simply was.

He went back to typing, using the light of his lamp more than the one overhead to scribble with. Then there was a knock at the door. "Come in," he said, turning slightly in his chair.

His son poked his head in, blond hair barely brushed and pajamas half off. "Dad, Mom said breakfast's almost done. We're supposed to go to Taiga's, right?"

Ah yes, the party, the celebration of maturity. His son was leaving today. Yakov Petrov almost managed a smile.

"I'll be right out," he said, slowly rising from his chair. "Go finish getting dressed before your mother drags you into your clothes." Nikolai scowled slightly, knowing it was only half of a joke at best, and left the room. Yakov signaled his Alakazam from where she had been meditating, who took his place with an approving grunt. Hen. He wasn't that old.

Even so, perhaps the translations could wait just a bit longer on his part. It wasn't like he had obtained the documents legally as it was. But was it really illegal to steal from criminals. One had to wonder.

He made it outside, squeezing the shoulder of his wife. He narrowedly avoided tugging on her long strands of dark hair in the process. "Oh there you are," she teased. "I was beginning to think you had gone into hibernating."

"Hardly a concern." He kissed at the edge of her forehead, earning twin raised eyebrows of surprise. He couldn't imagine why. "We would lose a fridge."

"We would." Teresa's lips twisted with amusement and concern. He wished he knew how she could do that. She turned her head to the side to shout away from his ear. "Nikolai, you can organize your bag when we get to Aquacorde!"

"Quarellis*," Yakov corrected, the French rough on his voice.

Teresa snorted. "Quarellis, Meisui, Aquacorde, it would be easier if languages were taught in schools," she muttered, a flush to her olive cheeks.

"Also if education had some requirement," Yakov said dryly before he could stop himself. If anything could get his second wife up in arms over something, it was education. It would warm his heart, even if she could go on for hours.

Thankfully, Niko stopped that by clomping down the stairs and turning their head. Yakov chuckled, far from his roaring laughter like a bear's but close enough, at the side of the boy's bag being full to bursting.

"Son, don't pack your whole room."

Nikolai flushed, grip tightening on the groaning straps. "I-I'm just making sure not to forget anything!"

Teresa giggled and moved closer to help his poor back. "Well, I can make sure of that when we get to Quarellis," She winked, worming a grin to the boy's face. "But for now, we'll have your father carry the food containers."

Yakov almost did laugh at that, and instead raised an eyebrow. "Have you regulated me of all people to be a pack mule?"

Nikolai failed to control his snickering as Teresa's smile only widened. "Only if you look at it that way."

Yakov shook his head in false dismay and went to obey.

This was why he needed to hurry and translate, get the documents to the Association. Effigia, Vitium, whatever the project may be called or may entail, it only spelled sorrow for Kalos, for all of the regions even.

Most of all, however, those projects would lead to the loss of this. And that had almost happened once. It couldn't happen again.

Translations (that were untranslated in fic):

Miare* - Lumiose (Japanese to English)

Passerouge* - Fletchling (French to English)

Effigia - ideal, idol, status, perfection (Latin to English)

A/N: Hey! So this will be one of the last long running (over 100k) fics to be released by me for a while. The rest will be for smaller word counts or fully backlogged before posting. The couple of others will be released when I have the time or completed writing.

There will be a few sprinklings of other languages throughout, mostly to reflect where the character is from or what other languages they would speak in the Pokemon world. There will also be deviations from XY plot as well as elements of both Digimon and Pokemon games, among other things. As of this moment, the first three arcs are basically fully outlined. So, until then! Please read and review and tell me what you think. Thanks!

Challenges: Diversity Writing Challenge (Anime/Manga) L5. Write a story with arcs of at least 25k each, Advent 2016 (Anime/Manga) Day 24, write a crossover, Crossover Boot Camp - gifted, Valentine's Advent 2016 day 21, pick a random AU from the list and write it (fusion! AU)