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"Bang!!"
Lucario's fist heavily struck Mewtwo's abdomen, and a visible shockwave spread out, sending dust and gravel scattering across the entire field.
Mewtwo's mouth opened wide, blood splattering from it, and her expression, shrouded by her helmet, became extremely ferocious.
This punch made Mewtwo dizzy and disoriented.
She hadn't even clearly seen how Lucario moved; she didn't even have time to blink before Lucario was already in front of her, delivering a punch she couldn't evade.
This punch contained some Fighting-type power, which should have had minimal effect on her Psychic-type, yet she felt her body suffer an unprecedented blow.
Since her birth, she had never sustained such a heavy attack or such severe damage.
Lucario slowly retracted his fist. Mewtwo's body bent like a cooked red shrimp. She clutched her abdomen with both hands, seemingly unable to make any further moves.
Giovanni, on the opposite side, stood with wide, dazed eyes and a slightly agape mouth, seemingly finding the scene before him incredibly unbelievable and utterly incomprehensible.
Mewtwo... could actually be beaten like this? Is this really not a dream?
Misty and the others nearby also gasped, their faces filled with disbelief.
They lacked Giovanni's discerning eye, so they couldn't tell Lucario's current level, only knowing that the Aura Lucario exuded was many times more powerful than that of a typical Champion.
At most, they might guess Lucario's strength had reached the peak of the Champion level, but they would never have imagined Lucario could reach the Divine Realm level!
This level, recognized throughout the entire Pokémon world as almost impossible for ordinary Pokémon to reach, suddenly appeared before them, right beside them, so unremarkably... who could have guessed?
And even at the peak of the Champion level, it shouldn't be possible to beat Mewtwo to such a state!
Even with a portion of her power sealed, Mewtwo still possessed Champion-level strength, at least mid-Champion or higher. Yet now, after that punch, Mewtwo was still hunched over, unable to stand for a long time.
So, how strong had Lucario become? And what had Ash done to make Lucario so terrifying?
...Inside a small house outside Viridian Gym, Agatha and Lorelei quietly watched the scene on the screen, their mouths moving slightly, but unable to utter a single sound.
Their eyesight was no worse than Giovanni's. Even through the screen, they could tell that Lucario was no longer an ordinary Champion level; that was power beyond a Champion!
It was the realm they, as Champions, all dreamed of—the Divine Realm level!
It was hard to imagine that a newly evolved Lucario could just so effortlessly reach the Divine Realm level. Even in their wildest dreams, they wouldn't dare to dream such a thing!
"Agatha... I haven't seen wrong, have I?"
"My aging eyes might be mistaken, but if it's you, it's unlikely you'd be wrong. And what are the chances of both of us being wrong?" Agatha said with an extremely complex expression. She, too, wished she was mistaken, but reality was before her; neither of them was wrong.
That Lucario in the video had definitely surpassed the Champion level and reached the height that all Trainers in the entire Pokémon world yearned for.
"I thought the first to reach that realm would be either Lance or Leon, but I never expected a young fellow to get there first... Honestly, even I'm curious how he did it. Don't tell me it's Victini's favor again!"
Agatha's face showed strong curiosity. She couldn't fathom how a teenager who debuted less than half a year ago, and a newly evolved Lucario, managed to cross that legendary threshold.
To say Ash did it on his own was clearly impossible. Even ignoring Ash's short debut time, the fact that Riolu had just evolved alone made it impossible for Lucario to reach the Divine Realm level.
What Pokémon can reach the peak of Champion level without evolving? At least none has appeared in the world so far. And when Lucario first evolved, Agatha clearly saw that Lucario's level was around Superior-Advanced.
Although due to the power Lucario was currently exuding, Agatha couldn't clearly see Lucario's level, it's impossible for Lucario to be Superior level one second and then directly break through to Divine Realm level the next, right?
According to conventional methods, that's absolutely impossible. Ash must have used some special method to elevate Lucario to his current realm.
But the problem is... what special method could allow a Pokémon to cross so many levels?
If it was due to Victini or something, that's simply impossible. Such an excuse might fool others, but Lorelei and Agatha are not ignorant commoners.
Although Victini is known as the God of Victory and possesses the power to bestow infinite energy, it's debatable whether Victini itself is even Divine Realm level. It's merely a Mythical Pokémon, and only a very few Mythical Pokémon, like Mew, reach Divine Realm level.
If it's not even Divine Realm level itself, how could it help other Pokémon reach Divine Realm level? If it merely provided a boost for a breakthrough, similar to helping a Champion-peak Pokémon break through to Divine Realm level, that might be possible, but Lucario was only Superior level!
To bestow such immense power, the power it possesses itself must at least be at the Divine Realm level. So, the Victini factor can basically be ruled out.
Furthermore, Arceus's contract only permits the presence of the two Trainers and their two Pokémon; it does not allow external forces to enter. Therefore, even if Victini came to help, it would be impossible to pass through Arceus's barrier.
So... this is Ash and Lucario's own power!
"You ask me... who should I ask? I want to know too. Anyway, I traveled with Ash for a week, and I didn't find any special method he had to give Pokémon such a degree of amplification. However, I am familiar with the power that temporarily boosts a Pokémon's level by one major stage; that is Ash's Aura."
"But the power on Lucario now definitely isn't Aura, because the principle of Ash boosting a Pokémon's power is to combine his own Aura with the Pokémon. Even if Lucario could withstand Ash's power, it's impossible for Ash's internal Aura to have reached the Divine Realm level, right?"
Lorelei shrugged her shoulders, spreading her small hands, her face showing helplessness.
She had only traveled with Ash for a week; she wasn't with Ash from the very beginning, so how could she know how many secrets Ash harbored?
Just the things revealed during the seven days of peeling away layers had already shocked her greatly. She could only say that Ash's secrets were inexhaustible, truly inexhaustible.
He was like an endless treasure trove; no matter how much you explored, you could always find more treasures within. The appearance of such a figure in Kanto could only mean the rise of the Kanto League.
"That's true. If you knew, you wouldn't be making that expression." Agatha also felt her question was superfluous. Lorelei had only been with Ash for a week, and if she knew, why would she show such shock and disbelief?
"No matter how Ash's power came about, as long as he can use it in this battle, it's a good thing. At least in this battle, Ash should be victorious."
As Lorelei said this, the worry in her heart finally subsided. No matter how strong Mewtwo was, as long as she hadn't reached the Divine Realm level, she couldn't be Lucario's opponent. Divine Realm and below Divine Realm were completely different realms.
This level gap cannot be compensated for by any moves, techniques, or ability stats. Ash has a hundred percent chance of winning this battle!
Agatha also nodded, a relieved and helpless smile appearing on her wrinkled face: "We were worried about this young fellow, but it turns out our concern was completely unnecessary. He has methods we couldn't even imagine!"
"Hehe, with Ash's talent and temperament, he will eventually become the pillar of the entire Kanto. When he truly possesses the power he is now displaying, on that day, Kanto will be the strongest league among all the leagues, without a doubt." Lorelei said with a relaxed smile on her face.
Ash will not only win this battle, but Ash will also lead Kanto to become the strongest league in the future!
...Inside Viridian Gym—
Lucario stopped his offense after throwing one punch. Ash's Aura gaze merely glanced at Mewtwo, then shifted to Giovanni: "Is this all your so-called strongest Pokémon amounts to? If it only has this much power, it can't even defeat us, let alone provoke those legendary Pokémon outside."
"Mewtwo, is your so-called search for the meaning of existence to follow that cowardly fellow behind you, bullying weaker opponents, and helping him vent his petty emotions?"
Ash's Aura words struck at the hearts of both Mewtwo and Giovanni. One was called cowardly, and the other was said to only bully weaker opponents. This was a tremendous blow to the dignity of both the person and the Pokémon!
Mewtwo endured the pain, gritting her teeth, and slowly rose from her kneeling position. Giovanni, too, hardened his heart and pressed the remote control again. All the devices on Mewtwo finally fell off completely, revealing her true appearance.
Mewtwo's original form resembled a cat somewhat. Her body was much smaller than when she wore the machinery, even shorter than Lucario.
Her large tail swayed gently behind her, her face still showing remnants of pain, but more than that, indignation—indignation at Ash's Aura words to her, and indignation that she had truly been hit by those words.
All this time, she had only bullied weaker opponents and never fought against truly powerful adversaries. Now, having finally encountered a powerful being, she was the one being beaten!
How could she not feel angry?
And Giovanni, provoked by Ash's Aura sarcasm, lost his temper and directly removed all restrictions on Mewtwo. Whether Mewtwo would betray him was a matter for later; what he needed to do now was defeat Lucario!
Even though he had already felt it, Lucario's level was very likely Divine Realm, but Giovanni still held out hope for Mewtwo. Lucario's Divine Realm level could not possibly be his own inherent level, but rather achieved through special means.
Such means could not possibly be without limitations. Either the actual power couldn't be fully exerted at the Divine Realm level, or the duration was very short.
As long as Mewtwo, fighting at full power, could endure this period, then victory would still be his!
At that time, Ash would be his, so even if he lost Mewtwo, it would still be a profitable deal for him. As for whether he would lose both the bride and the soldiers... Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
"So, all the restraints are finally removed..." Ash's Aura murmured, his expression no longer as relaxed as before, but rather a bit more solemn.
Mewtwo, with all restraints removed, still deserved some respect. Moreover, he had finally achieved his goal, which was to help Mewtwo get rid of those machines on her body.
The machines restraining Mewtwo not only suppressed her power but also placed a shackles on her. If Mewtwo forcibly broke free or if they were destroyed from the outside, it would have a significant impact on Mewtwo herself, and in severe cases, it could even damage Mewtwo's genetic chain.
Because these machines were designed to suppress Mewtwo's power at a genetic level, forcibly removing them would cause fundamental harm.
To free Mewtwo from control, Ash's Aura had gone to great lengths to constantly provoke Giovanni, even mocking Mewtwo in the process. He finally managed to get the restraints on Mewtwo removed, but now he faced even greater pressure.
With her restraints removed, Mewtwo's power returned to its peak, which was Champion-peak. Coupled with her six S-rank ability stats, she was almost directly approaching the Divine Realm.
"Mewtwo, Psystrike!" Giovanni coldly commanded Mewtwo to unleash her strongest move, Psystrike!
Psystrike is a special move that materializes special attacks, and it is Mewtwo's exclusive move, just like Sacred Fire and other exclusive moves of legendary Pokémon. Its power cannot be measured by simple force.
From Mewtwo's raised palm, surging Psychic power poured out madly! The powerful Psychic energy directly materialized into a purple Energy Ball!
The Energy Ball contained chaotic colors, and the surrounding space even began to vibrate, showing signs of shattering!
This was the true power of a god!
"Lucario, Aura Sphere." Ash's Aura voice rang out. Lucario raised his hands, and the power of Aura condensed in the air. In the blink of an eye, an Aura Sphere the size of a meteor condensed into form in the air!
Super Giant Aura Sphere!
Mewtwo's expression was solemn. With a shake of her arm, the purple Energy Ball in front of her shot out like a meteor. Lucario, holding the Aura Sphere with one hand, leaped into the air, then slammed the Aura Sphere down, colliding with Psystrike.
"Boom!!"