Wisp expertly dodged and evaded slash after slash from Ash-Greninja and Mega Gallade. Even when Water Shurikens were thrown into the mix, Wisp cleaves through them before damage could even been done. The battle was heating up.

Tae's flame was only burning hotter and his eyes were squinted in strain. Clinging to consciousness so his partner could win.

Ash-Greninja rushed into Wisp's guard as it landed from a flip, cleaving up with a kunai of water. Wisp weaved out of the way and continued to lean back as Mega Gallade aimed to cleave across its chest.

Wisp suddenly kicked up its leg, spinning horizontally as a wheel of fire, smacking Mega Gallade back as it gained distance from the pair.

Sliding back, Wisp cut through two more shurikens before blocking punch from Ash-Greninja.

Slashing up with its claw, Wisp missed as Ash-Greninja sent another punch with its left. Wisp leaned away before sending a kick at his abdomen. Ash-Greninja twist it's torso to dodge, but Wisp enlarged its other claw to grab him by the head.

She spun around three times before slamming Ash-Greninja down with a plume of lava erupting from the impact.

Wisp suddenly flipped over the lava as Mega-Gallade cut through it with Psycho Cut, the remnants of the lava fading into simple sparks.

"This is unbelievable... against two... he's almost untouchable!" Clemont muttered in disbelief. "This is beyond anything we've ever seen. They're synced, but it's to an overwhelming degree."

"This is the potential he was hiding...?" Rika wondered with a glare. "What makes him this exceptional?"

"The desire to be better. Be stronger with one another. They want to grow together and strive as one." Ash answered, using his own experience in hopes the two were alike.

"Does he have any past trauma he's overcome?" Clemont asked.

"We have in record it took him seven months to capture this abandoned Ceruledge. I say abandoned... but it actually murdered it's last trainer, according to Tae's testimony." Rika revealed.

"Seven months?" Arven asked, recalling how often he'd see Tae go to the nurses office earlier in the year.

"From what we have from Mariam, Tae would come to the infirmary in his first three months of school with burns almost irreversible without Pokémon assistance. A testament to his will." Rika continued, looking at the documents from her Rotom Phone.

"This guy gets better and better..." Ash whispered with a grin.

Wisp cleaved it's blades around, cutting through Ash-Greninja's Water Shuriken. However, it was unable to continue its attack seeing as Mega Gallade plummeted towards it with a kick. Wisp instead spun around Ash-Greninja and lightly kicked it towards Mega Gallade.

Greninja had to block the kick, letting Gallade vault off its arms and fly directly after Wisp.

Wisp turned and saw Mega Gallade flying forward with the same kick, and sidestepped, snatching its body with a Claw, before slamming it down with another explosion.

Claw still around its body, Wisp slung it away and back towards Ash-Greninja, making it roll and tumble over, before it eventually fell unconscious and left its Mega Evolution.

"He took Mega Gallade down!" Nemona cheered, bias for Tae clearly not cast aside for his unstable condition.

"That's definitely... not a good thing." Penny muttered.

An aura fluttered over Wisp from the knockout, activating a hidden ability.

"Ceruledge's Max HP just increased! That's unheard of!" Clemont noted. "A new ability and the Battle Bond Phenomenon! Ash, you have to stop him!" Clemont panicked.

"You can try!" Tae laughed crossing his thumb across his throat, Wisp doing the same with her claw.

"Heh... this battle..." Ash twist his cap around, stepping out from the huddle of concerned persons to smirk at Tae.

Standing beside Ash-Greninja, Ash pointed forward with a confident glare.

"Don't worry, if anyone can handle this, it's me and Greninja!" Ash shouted.

"We'll push our limits, Wisp. I'll see to it you remember our name!" Tae laughed, leaning forward and sticking his tongue out.

"La Primera, shall we call Iono in case the World Champion is unable to detain him?" Rika asked with an exasperated sigh.

"No, I see no consequence to either outcome. Should we find that Tae is truly stronger than the World Champion's own Battle Bond Phenomenon... should we not relish in the fact that Paldea has a competitor in the Battle of Champions this year?" Geeta asked.

"...Ma'am, that's because you got sick last year." Rika narrowed her eyes in irritation at the excuse.

"Cetitan was worth the catch..." Geeta whispered timidly, before clearing her throat. "Besides, that would make the boy more than capable of taking on Area Zero."

"Perhaps, but I don't see why we should go to such lengths." Rika muttered.

Tae and Ash glared at each other with smug grins plastered on their face.

On a random happening of a chance, these two were in the battle of their lives. Tae had only been two gyms into the Gym Challenge and was facing the World Champion's top Pokemon.

Contrary to this, Ash went from defeating Leon for his title, to taking a small trip to Paldea, only to find someone else with his Greninja's ability.

"This tension is insane..." Arven gulped seeing sparks hover around Wisp and Tae.

"—wait, SHOULD WE BE THIS CLOS—" Penny tried to warn, but it was too late.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Tae and Ash screamed vigorously as veils of Fire and Water surged around them and their Pokémon.

Both trainers and Pokémon swiped away their auras, before the two combatants rushed forward with unfathomable speed.

Splashes of Fire and Water appeared around the facility and puffs of steam revealed the direction of each clash. Afterimages appeared along the battle, meaning both Pokémon's rivaling speeds showed merely a replay.

A sudden lash of lava flew up, but a geyser from a Water Shuriken caused another explosion of steam.

Halves of several Water Shurikens littered the field, but they evaporated with lines of red from Wisp's slices.

Metallic rings and clashes, gusts and bursts of steam.

While the fight was clearly unintelligible, but there was obvious signs of no headway.

The experience and prowess of Greninja versus the sheer will to win of Ceruledge.

Ash's desire to be the best and Tae's desire to prove he was the strongest.

These two were destined to clash.

"Aerial Ace!"

"Close Combat!"

Ash-Greninja appeared and sent a swift hook at Wisp as she slid into sight. Wisp ducked back and sent an uppercut at Ash-Greninja's side. Ash-Greninja flipped up spontaneously and sent a knee drop down at Wisp's head. Wisp pivot away and clawed forward, but Ash-Greninja ducked and threw its leg for a sweep.

Wisp hopped up and spun upside down as Ash-Greninja charged power into its foot. Wisp reeled it's boot back as Ash-Greninja sent a roundhouse kick, the two clashing with a massive shockwave that forced everyone but the two Trainer's to stumble.

Wisp flipped back to Tae from the force and Ash-Greninja was sent sliding back to Ash as well.

"We finishing this?" Ash asked with grin.

"I am." Tae chuckled with a glare.

"V-CREATE!"

"GEYSER SHURIKEN!"

Ash-Greninja rose it's right arm and swirled a shuriken, water coiling around his body before flushing into the shuriken and making it grow into a super sized wheel of water. It flushed orange, before starting to produce steam.

Wisp crossed its claws before orbs of plasma formed in its palms, the fire rushing from these orbs created a V shape as the wind blew back and fanned the flames of confidence.

The two disappeared and reappeared across each other, before a flash of white sent all flying back, even Ash and Tae.

•

Tae's eyes opened slowly, eyelids fluttering up and down as he laid back against the ground, arms covered in soot and char.

Ash had much better luck, on his stomach with only his arms a bit burnt and sore, his hat burnt at the lid.

Everyone else had the luck of Rika's Garchomp shielding them from the majority of the blast, but it too was on its last leg with a rigid pant.

Arven and Rika were the first to get a glimpse at the results.

The two's breath hitched seeing the two rivals standing there, their figures tall and confident despite the damage. Ash-Greninja turned back to face Wisp, and Wisp faced it in turn.

Tae tried to get up, his tenacity and willpower fueling his stamina very little. He could only turn on his stomach, barely able to lift his legs.

"Heh... hehe... We're just getting..." Tae turned his body around and sat on his knees. "...started! We're just getting..." Tae tried to stand up, reaching for Wisp, but Ash-Greninja glared down at him.

Tae muttered the last word and fell over, the flame over his chest reduced to mere sparks.

Ash scrambled to his feet in concern, but Wisp held out its claw despite its health, shaking her head before walking towards Tae instead.

Penny, Nemona, and Geeta watched the aftermath and stared with mixed emotions. Penny was concerned, Nemona was elated, and Geeta was confused.

"Is he dead?" Geeta wondered.

They all watched as Wisp returned to its violet form and crouched down to Tae. With closed eyes it pat his head with the base of its bladed arms. Poking a Pokéball on his hip, Mystic emerging under Tae's arms to help him up.

Ash was at a loss for words... against his greatest move Ceruledge seemed unbothered, only concerned with its trainer's wellbeing.

"Remarkable..." Clement muttered.

"Remarkable indeed..." Geeta smirked as she glanced at Rika, who glared at Tae with a conflicted expression.

~•~

Tae was crouching over a cliff, glaring down at the many tunnels just outside of Levincia. He was tasked with taking down the next Titan instead, since they were increasing his training tenfold.

Mega Pokémon, Z-Moves, Dynamax, and Terastallization were all allowed in his Gym Battles.

Overcoming that meant he'd need more firepower, and preferably support as well.

Tae was only with Arven this time, seeing as Penny stayed to search for some item she was looking for, and Nemona had her fill of battles (a lie).

"So, there's something leveling these mountains?" Tae asked with a frown, Korai seated beside him in transport mode.

"So sources say. Hikers and the Mining Corporation all say that the wild steel types are all disappearing, as well as any minerals of the sort." Arven explained.

"Sounds like a lot of work. You got any coverage for Steel, Rock, and Ground?" Tae asked.

Arven released a Scovillain with a smirk, and Tae smirked back. "Alright then," he watched the two headed Grass and Fire type start biting each other and chuckled.

"Let's go." Tae stood up.