If I control two lifelink creatures and I target both of them with Band Together (as well as target an enemy creature to fight), and I also control an Ajani's Pridemate, will the Pridemate trigger twice, once for each instance of lifelink damage being dealt?
This ruling for Pridemate:
"Each creature with lifelink dealing combat damage causes a separate life-gaining event. For example, if two creatures you control with lifelink deal combat damage at the same time, Ajani’s Pridemate’s ability will trigger twice."
... suggests it should work the same way, especially since Band Together specifies that it is the creatures dealing the damage (thus lifelink definitely happens) and that they "each" deal their damage (implying two instances of damage) but I want to make sure I'm not missing a key difference between these scenarios.
Where Ajani's Pridemate says "Whenever you gain life", it means "Whenever a source causes you to gain life" (C.R. 118.9). Here, there are two creatures causing you to gain life as they deal damage (thanks to lifelink) (C.R. 119.3f), so Ajani's Pridemate's ability will trigger twice (C.R. 608.2, especially C.R. 608.2c). The fact that the two creatures deal damage to the same creature is irrelevant. Compare Ajani's Pridemate with Sun-Crowned Hunters, whose ability triggers only once each time Sun-Crowned Hunters is dealt damage, no matter how many sources deal that damage at one time (C.R. 608.2, especially C.R. 608.2c; C.R. 700.1). See also this thread.
This ruling for Pridemate:
"Each creature with lifelink dealing combat damage causes a separate life-gaining event. For example, if two creatures you control with lifelink deal combat damage at the same time, Ajani’s Pridemate’s ability will trigger twice."
... suggests it should work the same way, especially since Band Together specifies that it is the creatures dealing the damage (thus lifelink definitely happens) and that they "each" deal their damage (implying two instances of damage) but I want to make sure I'm not missing a key difference between these scenarios.