Greninja held his right hand high. A massive water shuriken, large enough to cover the entire arena, materialized in the air.
Serena and the others watched with mouths agape. To think that "Bond Phenomenon" could unleash such overwhelming power.
"Final blow. Ultimate Volt!"
Zinogre, cloaked in a cascade of lightning, charged forward like a railgun. A deafening explosion followed, accompanied by a mushroom cloud of energy.
As the aftershocks faded and everyone looked back at the center of the field, Greninja was lying on the ground, unable to move.
In the trainer's box, Ash had lost all strength as well, slumping to the floor.
"Battle over! The winner is Bai Chen!" Clemont announced.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Bai Chen reached out and "extracted" the Rarity 8 [Heroic Synchrony] skill from Greninja.
Bond Phenomenon acquired.
The System notified him that there were compatible learners within his team. This meant at least one of his monsters was capable of achieving this state.
Bai Chen didn't check the details immediately; he walked over to Ash and offered a hand. Pulling him up, Bai Chen encouraged him:
"That was a brilliant fight. In the future, as you continue to improve your Aura, the duration and strength of Greninja's form will increase accordingly."
"Yes! I'll grow alongside Greninja!"
Having obtained the data for the Bond Phenomenon, Bai Chen prepared to say his goodbyes to Ash's group. He wasn't sure when they would meet again—perhaps during a major world event, or a chance encounter on the road.
Ash and the others decided to head toward the next Gym for their seventh badge, as the Laverre Gym was still under reconstruction.
Bai Chen's schedule was simpler: help Valerie with her fashion show tomorrow, then return to Alola with Lillie to find the Pay Day Meowth. Finally, he would prepare for the return to the Monster Hunter world.
The stakes were high for his return. Under his guidance, the Research Commission had pinpointed Vaal Hazak in the Rotten Vale as the primary suspect for the Elder Crossing.
While a powerful Elder Dragon, Bai Chen knew it wasn't the true cause. After the Commission defeated it, they would discover the culprit was an Unchained-class monster—or rather, a juvenile Forbidden-class monster. He needed to be ready to seize the greatest benefits from that battle.
That night, after treating Ash's group to a grand farewell feast, Bai Chen retreated to investigate which of his "clever" partners was compatible with the new skill.
He released his team and scanned them. Squishy and Nebby were out—Legendaries don't undergo Bond Phenomenon. Articuno and Moltres were also ineligible. Among the monsters, he checked Nergigante and Zinogre first.
Nergigante was the most likely candidate in his mind, given her ability to learn Aura-based moves, but the System flagged her as incompatible. Zinogre, Kirin, and Basarios were the same.
Finally, he looked at his two newest Elder Dragons. His eyes locked onto Valstrax.
After checking several times, he confirmed it: Valstrax was the only one who could learn [Heroic Synchrony].
Bai Chen walked over and patted Valstrax's head. "I didn't expect it to be you."
Valstrax, still a hatchling, had no idea he was the lucky one. On his shoulder, Nergigante huffed, "This blockhead can synchronize?" She wasn't interested in Mega Evolution, but the thought that only the "jet dragon" could reach that level of connection with Bai Chen made her a little grumpy.
The blue light of the Bond Stone flowed into Valstrax.
[Valstrax has learned Rarity 8 Skill: Supernova Synchrony]
Unlike Greninja's version, this was tailored to Valstrax.
[Supernova Synchrony] (Rarity: 8): Shine like a star; the path to the Forbidden has opened. Dragon Element gains the Connection property. When synchronized with the Rider, the life level briefly evolves. Note: Proficiency increases duration and stability.
Instead of Aura, Valstrax used his Dragon Energy to bridge the connection.
"What will you look like? A Crimson Glow Valstrax?" Bai Chen wondered. Crimson Glow was a powerful variant driven mad by overflowing energy.
But in Bai Chen's mind, that was a berserk state, not a true evolution.
He took Valstrax to the center of the arena. "Let's try it."
Everyone watched expectantly. Valstrax felt a new power inside him, but he had no idea how to trigger it. He just stared blankly back at Bai Chen. Half a minute passed with zero change.
"I guess staring isn't enough. The condition is our hearts being in sync. What are you thinking about right now?"
"Play." A single, simple thought entered Bai Chen's mind.
"Is that so? Then let's go play."
Bai Chen retrieved a custom saddle Tinkatuff had made for Valstrax. After securing it, he left Indeedee and Nergigante to watch the others.
To synchronize with Valstrax, he had to actively follow the hatchling's pace; he couldn't expect a ten-day-old creature to follow his.
Bai Chen climbed onto Valstrax's back, wearing his specialized flight suit. "Let's go. I'll keep you company."
Valstrax chirped happily. Previously, Indeedee had forbidden him from flying beyond a 10km radius without supervision.
Now, the sky was the limit. He took a deep breath, Dragon Energy surging. With a roar of red flame, he skyrocketed, hitting the speed of sound in seconds.
Know Valstrax. Understand Valstrax. Become Valstrax. This was the path.
The next morning, they returned to the hotel. The news was already buzzing: "Last night, red comets were observed globally. Astronomers say..."
Bai Chen hopped off Valstrax's back and shivered. He wasn't sick, but being blasted by hurricane-force winds for twelve hours straight was mentally taxing. Valstrax had taken him on a literal world tour.
"I should increase his training," Bai Chen muttered. "Otherwise, he'll have too much energy and start 'remodeling' the house." Valstrax, now shrunk to the size of a medium dog, skipped happily behind him.
In the dining hall, the others were eating. Squishy and Nebby were sunbathing on the windowsill—both were solar-powered beings and had quickly become friends.
A sudden commotion pulled Bai Chen's attention away. Velkhana spat a beam of frost at Valstrax, who promptly pinned her to the ground.
They began scuffling immediately. Indeedee sighed and pulled them apart.
Bai Chen didn't need to ask—Valstrax had definitely provoked her. As a Dragon/Flying type with a quadruple weakness to Ice, he naturally disliked the frost-breathing Velkhana.
Furthermore, Nergigante had once intimidated him, teaching him that "status" in the team was earned through strength. Since he couldn't beat Nergigante or Zinogre yet, he targeted the only one younger than him: Velkhana.
Velkhana was Nergigante's little follower, and since Valstrax was technically "older" by a few days and currently stronger, he took his frustrations out on her.
Bai Chen sat down to eat, watching Valstrax snatch Velkhana's "ice-meat" and gnaw on it despite hating the cold. Such a child, he thought.
When Indeedee brought a replacement meal for Velkhana, a silver blur—Valstrax—snatched it again.
This time, Velkhana truly snapped, and the two went at it again, accidentally smashing a hotel table in the process.
Nergigante sat nearby, actively coaching Velkhana on how to improve her brawling technique. Zinogre, leading Kirin out of the room, snorted. "How childish."
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