"Volt Tackle!" Ash decided to go all out with Volt Tackle, as this move was his only chance of securing victory, even if the possibility was exceedingly slight.
Pikachu, charging at Togekiss, initially had only faint electric sparks on its body, but suddenly, the power surged over tenfold!
Its entire body was enveloped in a golden electric glow, turning into a deep golden hue. The terrifying power made the surrounding air tremble.
"Boom!!"
The deep blue Brave Bird clashed with the golden Volt Tackle, unleashing an unprecedentedly terrifying sound. The entire arena shook, with light and shock waves spreading across the entire venue.
All the power was locked within the psychic barrier set by Mewtwo, otherwise, everything around would have been completely consumed by the aftermath.
The shock wave, like a fierce lion, repeatedly struck the azure barrier, but couldn't even cause a ripple on it. Cynthia's beautiful eyes flickered with a faint unusual color; indeed, Divine Domain level power was truly extraordinary.
Even if it were the top-tier barrier of the league, under such a shock wave, it would experience slight tremors, and perhaps even some cracks.
However, even if cracks appeared, they could be repaired instantly. The league's barrier might not be strong in instantaneous defense, but it was top-notch in endurance; as long as it wasn't shattered in one blow, it could be repaired instantly.
However, compared to Mewtwo's barrier, it was barely a competition.
The sturdiness of what was before her was simply unimaginable; she feared that even Champion Peak level strength couldn't affect it.
Ash could hardly have predicted that at the most critical moment of clash between the Pokemon, Cynthia was not concerned about the outcome of the match but was focused on Mewtwo's barrier.
Cynthia didn't care, but he had no choice; he could feel the terrifying damage his body was enduring, both physically and mentally. It was the first time he'd suffered such overwhelming damage.
Even during his past encounter with Mewtwo, he hadn't sustained such intense damage, as Mewtwo hadn't broken through much of his defenses. But now the damage depended not on himself, but on Pikachu's defenses.
In other words, it was akin to true damage; his defenses were effectively useless, and the only way to endure was relying on his physical strength, that is, his bodily endurance.
Without the support of Aura Power, Ash couldn't be considered Divine Domain level; his bodily strength was strong but hadn't reached the level where the flesh could rival the divine. Thus, this true damage was quite difficult for Ash to withstand now.
Even if it's hard, he must endure! If he collapsed, Pikachu's outcome would be even less hopeful. If he could hold out, Pikachu had a glimmer of hope…
The resonating aftermath lasted for several dozen seconds, and the intertwined lights gradually faded, leaving the field in ruins.
The originally smooth ground had become riddled with pits and holes, some so deep they couldn't be seen through—damage caused by the clash between Pikachu and Togekiss.
The scattered lightning and falling Flying Type energy ultimately resulted in this damage.
Brock and Misty simultaneously turned their gaze to the battle arena, eager to know the result.
Finally, the dust settled in the field, revealing the final outcome. Togekiss bore numerous injuries but still hovered above the ground, whereas Pikachu lay quietly on the floor, unmoved.
The result was obvious; Cynthia had won.
Ash plopped down on the ground, the faint Aura Power on his body fading away. He bore the pressure of Brave Bird, but Pikachu couldn't withstand it.
Even with a lot of damage filtered out by Volt Tackle and Brave Bird dealing only a third of its damage, Pikachu couldn't endure, simply because the level difference was too great...
Once Pikachu's defense was broken, even a bit of Champion Advanced level damage would be fatal for Pikachu. Don't forget, Pikachu was only at Gym Peak now.
"Alright, that's the end; Mewtwo, could you please open the barrier now?" Cynthia clapped her hands, announcing the end of the battle, then looked towards Mewtwo in request.
Mewtwo nodded, with some discomfort on his face, and opened the barrier.
Seeing Ash lose, for some reason, her heart felt somewhat hollow, despite it being a perfectly normal conclusion that she had anticipated from the start of the battle.
With his Divine Domain level strength, assessing Cynthia's Togekiss strength wasn't difficult; Champion Advanced level up against Pikachu at Gym Peak couldn't secure victory unless Pikachu performed the miracle like Lucario did against her.
The subsequent events unfolded much as she predicted; Ash and Pikachu gave their all but could barely elevate their strength to Champion level, and that too was only superficially at Champion level.
He possessed champion energy but lacked the bodily capability to match. Facing evenly matched opponents might be manageable, but against stronger adversaries unable to keep up in energy, being hit directly would be extremely fatal.