Ash and the gang went on one of Palermo's helicopters and flew back to Cyllage City with their new friends in Evan and Lucy. Sycamore would arrive later with his research staff at the hotspot for Battle Bond trainers for study with his assistants much to Nina's chagrin. At the landing pad of the flying machines waiting for them were Shauna and Miette. The former keeping a watch over the ground and the latter here due to her boyfriend auditioning for a spot as provider of meals were eager to see Serena again and discuss a couple of things they saw in the papers.

"Hi!" Serena waved at her two friends. Seeing Miette with a smug grin next to Shauna Serena knew what the first thing her baking rival would bring up.

"Great to see you again! How have you been?" Shauna beat her to the punch though.

"Doing perfect!" Serena couldn't complain. She got a pair of new friends and despite the interruptions of sworn enemies to her companions it went fine. Before Serena knew it Miette brushed up against Ash.

"And you Ash?" Her flirtatious tone betrayed to everyone she came on to him. Serena knowing she did this on purpose to annoy her resisted the urge to scream to put her greedy paws off her man cause Miette already has a boyfriend.

"Still in one piece despite a lot of people not wanting me too." Luckily for Serena he was oblivious to Miette's schemes.

"You should be used to it by now." Nina said as a joke as his powers came with the territory. Miette stopped teasing Serena by distancing herself from Ash and looked at the silver haired girl her age.

"So you're the famous singer they've been mentioning. I'm Miette."

"Nina." A short introduction between them Shauna gave Nina her attention now.

"Congratulations on winning that music competition!" Nina tilted her head confused.

"We saw your performance on Pokevision. You all were amazing. Those lessons with Madeleine really paid off." Nina took it in stride.

"Thank you. But by the look of you there's something else you want from me." Her sight always on the brunette needed more from her.

"Ever since your song Trevor has been begging me to convince you to let him take Primarina's picture in your Battle Bond form." Shauna telling Nina that the photographer would like to start a Battle Bond section in his reports. He had Ash's Greninja so far but he needed to expand his collection. Afraid to talk to Nina himself due to her dislike and constant threats of wrecking his camera he asked Shauna for this huge favor.

"No."

"Worth a shot." Shauna gave up right away ready to let her childhood friend know Primarina is still off limits.

"Where is Palermo?" Ash wondered. He might've had some beef with the former Kalos Queen but he was trying to make a healthy relationship with her for Serena. Shauna went to explain she left to set up her defense force initiative in the mountain and center area of Kalos.

"So who are you?" Miette asked the two younger people.

"I'm Lucy and this is Evan."

"I'm Miette. Nice to meet you."

The boy just looked around. Miette started to get angry at being ignored.

"Sorry about my friend. He's kind of lazy." Lucy responded.

"So what was the rush? We barely got time to arrange your bunks." Shauna just finishing last minute preparations for her friends Ash told her why.

"We're here to keep Evan sheltered a bit and to teach him more about Battle Bond." Serena told her friends as she went in deeper on who Evan was.

"He's one as well!? You're kidding!" Shauna barely believing it with the discovery of another.

"It's a small world. It's like you guys are drawn to one another."

With the introductions over Ash wanted to get started already. He turned to his 'student' trying to make him show some enthusiasm.

"You're ready for our battle Evan?"

"I guess."

"Not yet!" Nina shouted wildly putting it all on hold.

"Why?" Ash asked eager to start.

"I need to make the antidote for Toxicroak's poison."

"Why? We have Pecha berries and every type of medicine here." Shauna said as they were well supplied in everything for sick Pokémon. Nina told her exactly why.

"If you get struck with that type of poison it can give in its Battle Bond form it will paralyze your nervous system. If Ash Greninja gets struck with it in battle and then the effect goes to him Ash's body will lock down. Unless you like being a living mannequin be my guest." Telling them just how potent it can be they got nervous.

"I…guess I can wait a little."

"You will wait a little." Serena strictly demanded Ash not to do anything till the singer was finished synthesizing the cure.

"How long will it take?"

"A few hours. Luckily I can make it out of basic berries and medicine. I won't need something rare like the moss for that Malamar cure."

Nina told them it should be a minor breeze. Serena being worried for Ash's health of course Nina wondered if she would like to come along as a teaching moment cause although she knew the recipe in Vivi's medicine book the Kalos Queen might want to aid and learn.

"You want to help making it?"

"Yes."

The group moved to the training hall. The battlefield being completely clean everyone but Ash and Evan took a seat at the side. Nina functioned as referee as her experience in these types of battles would prevent the two going to far for a first time and protect the new boy.

"I'm excited! I've never seen two Battle Bond Pokémon go against each other!" Shauna nearly jumped up and down. Miette a bit more calm in these things didn't get the excitement and Lucy was just worried on how her friend would do against someone of Ash's strength since Professor Sycamore said he can go toe to toe with a Champion.

"Oh yeah. It is pretty rare to see it. I watched Ash and Nina battle once and it wasn't good for my heart." Serena recollected their battle in Archer's presence. The master called an end to it before the powerful Water Shuriken and Sparkling Aria crashed into the other.

"Ready Toxicroak?" Evan took his chosen partner at everyone's request. It looking like any ordinary Toxicroak most people on the side were unaware of its true power if you didn't tell it to them. The Poison type just looked around wondering why there would be so much excitement.

"They certainly seem to share the same lazy attitude." Serena noticed it took a lot from hid trainers behavior in just letting things happen.

"You tell me." Lucy agreed as Ash took his Pokeball. For this only one Pokémon would be making sure to help bring out the Battle Bond form.

"Greninja, I choose you!" From out of his Pokeball Greninja leaped out and stood with arms across. Not in his complete form he and Ash wanted to take a leaf out of Diantha's playbook when she helped them in battle. Start slow before unleashing it all.

"Wow. It sure looks strong." Lucy looking at it could already sense the power and experience. Even without transforming she got a hunch Greninja can beat Toxicroak even when he and Evan tried.

"You ain't seen nothing yet." Shauna said. Serena having told her about some of Ash's tough battles and the training with Nina he kept growing and growing.

"Right! You make the first move Evan!" Ash and Greninja more than ready. Evan just went with it taking on his invitation.

"Sure. Toxicroak, Poison Jab." Saying it pretty bland Toxicroak extended the red pointy claws on top its wrists as they began to glow. It protruding past his fingers he made a stabbing motion.

"Greninja, block it with Night Slash!" The Battle Bond Pokémon quickly formed two small swords and tilted them so the poisoned points hit on the side of the knives. Greninja pushed off Toxicroak with ease the power difference noticeable as Toxicroak fell down but quickly got up shocked by the opponents power.

"Toxicroak, Vacuum Wave." Toxicroak rapidly punched the air creating air vacuums which his fists travelled. The airwaves then hit Greninja in the chest which Ash also felt. Rubbing his chest he shrugged it off.

"Better, but not enough! Double Team!" Greninja's began to swarm the field and began to ran at Toxicroak.

"Vacuum Wave them all." Toxicroak kept punching the air in front of him one by one destroying the copies. Only one Greninja coming towards it Toxicroak launched one more Vacuum Wave. It hit Greninja but the blue form fell apart leaving no trace.

"Aerial Ace!" Greninja was hidden up on the ceiling before he dropped down. With one of its webbed feet glowing it did an axe kick down. It hit Toxicroak in the head as it stumbled back. Regaining its composure it got back into his stance. It looked back to Evan for a bit. Without speaking Toxicroak communicated with his trainer.

"He's finally getting into it." Lucy said recognizing her friends behavior.

"Aerial Ace again!"

"Sucker Punch!" As Greninja approached Toxicroak the Poison/Fighting type shifted his weight. Delivering a dirty punch underneath Greninja's mouth it send the Water type flying but landed easily on his feet again. Ash rubbed his chin a little.

"Not bad Evan. I can tell you and Toxicroak are good partners! Now let's see what you can really do!" Greninja's red eyes glowed as it fully began to mimic Ash. Clenching their fists the orb of water quickly consumed the Ninja Pokémon. In a flash the form known Ash-Greninja stood there.

"It's already in it's form!?" Lucy yelled as the giant shuriken on his back formed and the head crest had hints of Ash's raven spikes on the side. The ease they seemed to have without getting deep into a battle it came as easy as breathing while Evan and Toxicroak struggled.

"Ash and Nina can trigger the transformation even while their Pokémon are in their balls." Serena explained to the young girl as she saw it with Nina-Primarina plenty of times.

"Don't tell them yet about the abilities out of battling or Evan might get distracted!" Nina cut Serena's explanation short. Power gauging is on the agenda before going in even deeper.

"Water Shuriken!" Greninja pulled his paws on his legs and quickly launched a wave of throwing stars that pelted Toxicroak.

"Toxicroak, use Encore!" Toxicroak clapped in a slow way as it glowed a faint yellow. Greninja glowed yellow as well. Everyone in the crowd knew the effect of Encore.

"They couldn't pick a worse move to lock them in." Serena said as it is their signature move. Her words backed up by Ash as he just stood confident there.

"We got a hundred variations of these together! Water Shuriken again!" Greninja now grabbed the giant throwing star on his back. It holding it out he made a throwing motion which send the shuriken flying.

"Sucker Punch!" Toxicroak vanished into nothing and reappeared right in front of Greninja. Delivering a swift punch it didn't buckle Ash-Greninja too much. The water shuriken that got thrown exploded right behind Toxicroak into smaller pieces. The stars moved to Toxicroak's back which then got hit as the damage began to rack up making the Poison type drop to his knees.

The throwing star regenerated on Greninja's back. Toxicroak trying to get up fell to one of his knees again.

"That's enough! I'm calling it off!" Nina raised her arm and stopped the battle. Ash and Greninja had just too much of a gap on Evan and Toxicroak. Not wanting to break the youngsters yet before training them she can help Ash set up a learning plan so the change becomes natural.

"We lost. Oh well." Evan went up to Toxicroak and thanked him. Greninja turned back to normal as it offered his opponent a hand getting up. Toxicroak took it and the Pokémon were both on their feet now.

"Ah, it didn't transform." Shauna said a little disappointed.

"Kind of an anticlimax if you ask me." Miette let down by all the hype surrounding it.

"That's what happens. He can do it but he just has a lot of trouble getting to it unlike Ash. His battles are always nearly over before it happens." Lucy telling them how it is. Ash-Greninja finished up the battle too quick for them to get really into. Lucy hoped Ash and Nina can help her friend get rid of that hurdle.

"That's ok. We had trouble in the beginning as well but with training and hard work we can teach them how to do it." Ash confident with a little time they can prepare the boy for the hunters and his Battle Bond future.

"You ready to become stronger with Toxicroak Evan!?"

"I suppose."

"How do we excite this kid?"

Uh…sorry again for so long but I'm just not feeling it.

See you around.