Upon hopping out of his portal, Espan was greeted by a deafening roar. Directly ahead of him lay an opening in the earth. He shook his fur and approached the opening. The roaring only got louder as a result. He couldn't see any signs of wind, but the roaring was enough. This was the location.

The Great Wall of Never-Ending Wind… And behind it, a tear in the earth. The point where the Voidlands met the world.

Thanks to the Wall, it now served as a prison. The bleak looks of the land… the murky grey water eternally flowing in circles… Espan shuddered. It was not a pleasant place to live. The resources were scarce and the land unforgiving. All of what made it perfect as a prison.

Voices echoed towards him, piercing through the deafening winds. He couldn't make them out, but they were coming… from his left? Espan frowned. The common Pokemon wasn't told about the Wall's location. And the jailors only came by once a week to drop food through; that date had come and gone. No one should be here.

Scowling, Espan began to make his way towards the voices. A shame it fell on his back to deal with unauthorised approaches to the Wall. As he grew closer, the voices became clearer. Or, rather the voice. It was a softer one, seeming a little discouraged. Or perhaps uncertain? Either way, it was suspiciously familiar to him.

As he got closer, he could start to make out certain words. Weak… Right… and How. Most of it was still blocked by the deafening roar of the Wall, but those three words sent a shiver down his spine. He picked up his pace.

Soon enough, the creature started to come into view. A somewhat vulpine/feline body, and very slender. Espan hurried closer, the view and details started to come to light. Twelve green stripes on a tan body; 2 per each leg and four on the back. There were also a bunch of leaves in place of a tail, and another set of three on its head, in between two ears. The ears themselves had what seemed to be half a leaf dangling from antennae.

What is he doing here? I have not shared the Wall's location with any of my fellow Continental Masters. And there is no plausible reason for Master Arboros to be exploring such a remote part of the Crystalline Kingdom.

The Espeon hurried his pace again. Leafeon turned to look at him, hearing the Espeon's paw steps growing closer.

"O-Oh, Espan… I-I wasn't expecting to see you here…"

"I should say the same of you, Destin. How is it you have come to know of the Great Wall? I do not recall ever telling anyone of its location."

"W-Well…" He looked away. "U-Umm… I needed to check its strength… A-An old friend said it would only last a few thousand years… A-And it's been…"

"Destin, you should not know of its location, no matter what your friend told you," Espan cut in. "The king and I determined it would be better not to tell anyone aside from the Crystal Warriors. So how is it that you come to know where it is?"

"I-I was here when it was made!" he shouted, annoyed. "Some fifteen thousand years ago! We're overdue for its failure!"

"What do you mean, Master? 'Overdue?' And how is that possible? You cannot possibly be from before its time."

"W-Well I am!" Destin shook himself. "A-And along with Heran Delvan de Airanft, otherwise known as Master Acirrus… I-I created this wall…"

Espan raised a brow, sceptical of his colleague's story. "Master Acirrus lived fifteen thousand years ago, yes. But you cannot possibly be that old. You would be dead."

He looked away. "I-I stopped counting at 567.981.653, Espan… I-I'm far older than any-"

"Enough, Master!" Espan yowled. "As the Royal Magician, I need to order you to stop coming to the Wall. Should you be discovered, my position would be at risk."

He frowned. "E-Espan… I-If I stop coming to refortify the Wall, then the entire world's going to be at risk… Your status is not nearly as important as the safety of our world… Right…?"

Espan glared at him. "Master, While I respect you as a friend, your story seems implausible. I completely understand the power of Grass Magic, yet I recall that the Shaymin Order put a limit on the usage of Rebirth some thousand years ago."

"I-I've always been close with the Shaymin Order… I-I'm the reason the limit is in place…" He shook himself off. "B-But they've agreed my duties are more than enough to give me an exception…"

Espan sighed, bringing his tail forth. With it, a portal. "Such delusions are dangerous, my friend. It would be against Majunol's design to allow this to continue."

"B-But I'm not delusional… A-And the prisoner I keep back there-"

"All dangerous, I know. But this wall has gone for many thousands of years without upkeep-"

"No it hasn't!" Destin shouted, flinging a vine in Espan's direction. "I-I've been tending to it, once a year, for the past fifteen thousand years… A-All so that a great darkness does not return…"

Espan jumped back, avoiding the vine. "There is no such great darkness! It would have been told to me by my master, or by the king!"

Destin growled. "Espan… Please listen… Heran and I discussed this to great lengths, and it's for the best that only we knew about the true nature of the Great Wall… If I miss even a single year, the Wall will collapse, and all of Poke-Kind will be at risk. I-I have to come back next year, and the year after…"

"No." Espan glared a bit more fiercely. "As it stands, you are the only Pokemon who claims to know about this 'great darkness'. No one else still lives from fifteen thousand years ago, if you even are that old. As I mentioned, the Shaymin Order put a limit on the usage of Rebirth, essentially preventing anyone from attaining immortality."

"And like I said, my visits here keeping it contained were more than enough to grant me the only exception…"

Espan rolled his eyes. "Very well. Let us take your word. You say you are the exception to the rule, and you keep a great darkness behind the wall. Pray tell, then, what is the darkness you speak of? Surely it would be of importance for me to know, if you hope to improve your case."

"I… I can't tell you, Espan." Destin looked down, pawing the ground. "The darkness got stronger with everyone who knew its name…"

"Nonsense. No name has such power, Destin." Espan flicked his tail, clearing off a bit of dust on his fur. "If there is such a dangerous prisoner, should I not know of it to alert King Bansea?"

The Leafeon glanced away. "H-He already knows… I-I'm sure of it…"

"Then what is the harm in my knowing, Destin? Surely the Crystal Master should be made aware of such a prisoner."

"I… I can't tell you…" Destin looked down.

Espan straightened up his body, getting up. "If you cannot divulge this clearly important bit of information, then I see no reason to continue here. If you will not tell me, then you may not return here. My position as the Royal Magician is at stake, and I would not risk it over something I am not made aware of."

Destin opened his mouth, but shook his head. "I-I… Espan… Please don't do this…"

Espan's paw was held up. "That is my final word. No one who has not attained express permission from myself or the Crystal Warriors may come to the Great Wall."

The Leafeon flattened his ears and looked at the ground. "E-Espan… I beg of you… please listen to me…"

"My apologies. The Crystal Warriors would tell you exactly as I have."

Destin continued looking at the ground. It was uneven and rocky, yet still the grass pushed through to sprout on the surface. How old was this grass, now? He'd walked over it every time he came. A sense of comfort. He'd grown to know the blades well. Talked with them. Played with them, sometimes. He leaned down to the grass. "I guess I should say goodbye, friends…" he whispered, a small tear falling onto them.

The grass rippled gently. The soft and calming swishes brought a small smile to Destin's face, though it was quickly wiped away.

"Destin, we must leave."

"O-Okay…" The Leafeon cast a final glance at where the wall was. "B-But I-I can't stay away…"

"You must." Espan offered his tail to the Grass Master. "Not even Master Aerocane would be able to protect you if the Crystal Warriors arrest you. It would be his undoing."

Just like your insistence on this matter will be yours, my friend… Destin thought to himself. I hope you understand that…

He shook his head as a vine took Espan's tail. He wasn't at all happy to leave the Wall behind, nor about his banishment from the area. And yet… He knew how stubborn Espan was. If the Espeon wasn't going to listen to him, then perhaps…

I-I have to prepare for his return… I-I have to stop Necrozma!