Under normal circumstances, Ash would already share the damage his Pokémon suffered through Aura Fusion. Now, with Partner Mode layered on top, a portion of the damage was transferred to him as well.
The result was brutal.
It meant that Ash was effectively enduring double the pain Pikachu received.
But the returns were just as extreme.
First and foremost was the boost to Pikachu's strength.
With both enhancements stacked together, Pikachu's power jumped to a level comparable to a Champion.
That kind of leap was nothing short of horrifying.
Even when Aura Power alone was pushed to its absolute limit, it could only barely elevate Pikachu to Elite Four Peak, and only under conditions where his body was already being pushed beyond safety.
But Partner Mode didn't just add power on top of that.
It forced Pikachu past the Elite threshold entirely.
In one step, his strength broke through to the Champion tier.
By all logic, Pikachu's body should not have been able to improve any further. He was already at the edge of what his physique could withstand.
Yet Partner Mode followed a completely different set of rules.
Unlike Aura Power, which primarily amplified energy output, Partner Mode was a comprehensive enhancement. Strength, speed, durability, and physical structure were all reinforced together.
Even more terrifying was how the increase behaved.
When Pikachu had been weak, the boost raised him by a small stage.
Now, at this absurd level of power, the increase was still a small stage.
It didn't scale down.
It didn't weaken.
It simply ignored logic.
In some ways, this made Partner Mode even more broken than Aura Power itself.
Ash's Aura Power seemed terrifying only because Ash himself was strong enough to support it. If he weren't, the amplification would be severely limited.
Aura Power also placed tremendous strain on the Pokémon's endurance. When Monferno had first evolved, he couldn't even withstand Aura Power at full output, Mid level could only be raised to Mid-High at best, and even then, he couldn't properly wield that strength.
Partner Mode had none of those drawbacks.
It was a free level-up with no backlash, stackable with any other enhancement.
So what was the price?
The price was Ash.
Great power demanded sacrifice, and Ash paid it himself.
There was another advantage as well.
Since Ash was taking on more of the damage, Pikachu was taking less.
The total damage dealt by the enemy Pokémon was conserved. If Ash absorbed a greater portion, then Pikachu naturally absorbed less.
As a result, that Extreme Speed attack had inflicted only about one-third of its usual damage on Pikachu.
Even so...
At Pikachu's current level, taking even one-third of a Champion's attack should have been enough to leave him dazed or unconscious.
Yet, Pikachu slowly pushed himself up after crashing through the barrier.
The moment Cynthia saw this, a trace of surprise flickered across her beautiful face.
"He didn't fall…" she murmured. "That's different from what I expected."
Her mind raced instantly.
"Does that enhancement raise defense as well… not just attack and speed?"
Cynthia had long since analyzed Ash's Aura Power. Ridiculous as it was, it had clear flaws: stamina drain, limited defensive scaling, and backlash to the Trainer.
Stamina wasn't an issue yet, the battle had only just begun.
But defense?
If Pikachu's durability hadn't increased, that Extreme Speed should have knocked him unconscious outright.
Even if he somehow stayed standing, he shouldn't look this intact, unless his defense had risen to match his current power state.
As for the Trainer…
Cynthia glanced at Ash.
He was clearly hurting. That hit had not been light.
But she wasn't worried.
According to her closest friend, this was a man who could fight gods.
A little transferred damage wouldn't matter.
"Such ridiculous speed…" Ash muttered, half-lidded eyes as he pressed a hand against his stomach. "Hard to deal with, huh, Pikachu?"
"Pika… pi."
Pikachu nodded grimly as he stood.
This was the largest gap he had ever faced.
Not just in raw strength, but in speed.
The Extreme Speed from earlier had been fully visible through Ash's Aura perception. Togekiss's trajectory was clear, almost slow.
But Pikachu's own body… felt frozen.
Even knowing exactly where Togekiss would land, he couldn't dodge.
His movements simply couldn't keep up.
In the end, all he and Ash could do was mobilize their power and reinforce themselves with lightning.
If that attack had landed cleanly, it wouldn't have been a minor injury.
At this level, the difference in tiers was absolute.
Ash's eyes sharpened.
"First, we lower its speed."
His plan formed instantly.
"Pikachu, Volt Tackle, then Nuzzle!"
Speed was the problem.
So he would take it away.
Paralysis was the most effective counter. Once paralyzed, speed was cut in half.
No matter how fast Togekiss was, even if it moved like a jet, once paralyzed, it would be nothing more than a grounded bird.
The moment the command was given, Pikachu's limbs slammed into the ground.
Golden lightning erupted around his body.
In a flash, he vanished.
A bolt of gold streaked across the battlefield. Before Brock and the others could even track him with their eyes, Pikachu had already appeared directly in front of Togekiss.
"Double Team."
Cynthia's voice remained calm and steady.
As if nothing in the world could disturb her composure.
"Kiss~"
Togekiss spread its wings.
In an instant, the battlefield was flooded with afterimages, countless Togekiss filling the air, overlapping and interweaving until the real body was impossible to distinguish.
The streak of lightning Pikachu had become tore straight through the spot where Togekiss had been...
And passed through empty air.
The Togekiss he struck wavered, its outline blurring before dissolving into a fading shadow.
A clone.
By the time Pikachu skidded to a halt, the real Togekiss had already vanished, flickering away to an unknown position among the afterimages.
Cynthia's calm voice carried across the field.
"A very good idea," she said. "Using paralysis to suppress a high-speed opponent."
Ash's fingers curled.
"But Thunder Wave is far too slow. Against speed like this, landing it is essentially impossible." She continued evenly, as if she were explaining a textbook example. "So you chose Volt Tackle's acceleration to close the distance… then planned to apply Nuzzle at zero range."
She looked straight at him.
"Isn't that right, Ash?"
"…!"
Ash bit down hard and said nothing.
Every layer of his plan, every reason behind his choices, had been seen through completely.
This was a first.
After training under countless versions of himself from parallel worlds, some of them tactical monsters, Ash had believed his command ability had reached at least the level of an ordinary Champion.
Only now did he understand the difference.
This wasn't just experience.
This was a Champion's brain.
Back when Lorelei had fought him…Had she even been serious?
The realization was suffocating.
"Pikachu!" Ash snapped sharply. "Thunderbolt, wipe out all the Togekiss!"
"Pika!!"
A blinding eruption of lightning burst from Pikachu's body, electric arcs spreading in every direction. The field was engulfed in brilliant white-gold light as one clone after another disintegrated under the surge.
For an instant, the sky cleared.
"There's your opening," Cynthia said calmly. "Togekiss, Air Slash."
Her hand lifted, light and precise.
The remaining Togekiss beat their wings in unison.
White blades of compressed air rained down like a storm, screaming through the sky. Each one cut the air apart, sharp enough to make space itself seem fragile.
To the naked eye, there was no difference between real and fake.
"Volt Tackle, dodge!" Ash barked.
For anyone else, this would have been guesswork.
But to Ash...
Under Aura perception, the true air blades stood out clearly.
Lightning flashed.
Pikachu weaved through the storm with terrifying precision, electricity crackling as he avoided each lethal arc, and locked onto the real Togekiss.
"Now, Nuzzle!"
"Safeguard."
Cynthia's response was instant.
A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, but her command didn't waver.
If Ash insisted on status conditions, she would simply deny them entirely.
"Kiss~"
Togekiss spread its wings.
A transparent white barrier formed around its body.
Every Togekiss mirrored the motion, but Pikachu was already committed.
Volt Tackle slammed home.
Electricity surged from Pikachu's cheeks, flooding into Togekiss...
And was repelled.
The current was violently deflected, a mysterious counterforce rebounding through Pikachu's body.
"—!"
Pikachu was flung downward, smashing hard into the ground.
"Ugh!" Ash groaned, clutching his shoulder as pain rippled through him.
Safeguard.
It didn't just block paralysis, it rejected the attack itself.
So far, Pikachu had landed two Volt Tackles.
Even with the Light Ball amplifying his power, the move's base strength, and the gap between their levels, meant the damage was negligible.
Scratches. At best.
To defeat Togekiss, Ash needed a decisive hit.
A finishing move, something like Brave Bird (Electric Variant).
A high-output ultimate.
The problem?
Charging.
Only a few seconds, but against Togekiss's speed, even that was suicidal.
"Still thinking, Ash?" Cynthia said softly.
Her eyes sharpened.
"If you hesitate, I'll attack."
"Togekiss, Brave Bird."
There was no warning.
Blue light enveloped Togekiss, condensing into the image of a divine bird. Wings spread wide as it dove toward Pikachu like a falling star.
"Volt Tackle, evade!" Ash shouted.
Without Volt Tackle's speed, dodging was impossible.
At the Champion tier, even straightforward attacks became absolute threats.
As Pikachu shot toward the edge of the field, Cynthia's voice rang out again.
"Togekiss, Follow Me."
"…!"
Ash's heart dropped.
Pikachu's body twisted violently in mid-motion.
"Pika?! Pika-pika!!"
Against his will, Pikachu turned, and charged straight back.
Toward the descending Brave Bird.
Follow Me.
A move that forcibly redirected all targeted actions toward the user.
In a one-on-one battle, it was theoretically useless. Why draw an attack toward yourself?
Because, if you were already attacking, if your power overwhelmed the opponent, then Follow Me became a perfect trap.
Pikachu's Volt Tackle was no longer an escape.
It was an attack, forced directly into Togekiss's Brave Bird.
Ash inhaled sharply.
"No choice."
His eyes hardened.
"We gamble."
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!!"