"Bang!!"
Lucario's fist pounded heavily into Mewtwo's abdomen, a visible shockwave spreading out, scattering dust and rubble across the battlefield.
Mewtwo's mouth opened wide, blood spraying from it, and its expression under the helmet turned extremely grim.
This punch left Mewtwo dizzy, unable to tell east from west for a moment.
She hadn't even seen how Lucario moved; even in the blink of an eye, Lucario was already in front of her, delivering a punch she couldn't possibly dodge.
This punch carried some Fighting Type power, which should have minimal effect on a Psychic Type like her, yet she felt an unprecedented impact on her body.
Since birth, she had never suffered such a heavy attack or such severe damage.
Lucario slowly retracted his fist, while Mewtwo's body bent like a boiled shrimp, clutching her abdomen, seemingly unable to make any move.
On the opposite side, Giovanni was in a daze, his mouth slightly open, seemingly unable to comprehend or believe the scene before him.
Could Mewtwo really be beaten like this? Is this freaking real or just a dream?
Standing beside him, Misty and the others also had their mouths wide open, wearing expressions of disbelief.
They didn't have Giovanni's discernment, so they couldn't tell Lucario's current level, but they could feel that the aura emanating from Lucario was several times stronger than any typical Champion Level.
At most, they speculated Lucario's power might have reached Champion Peak, but they could never have imagined Lucario might actually reach Divine Domain Level!
This level, recognized throughout the Pokémon world as nearly impossible for ordinary Pokémon to reach, just appeared before them so mundanely, so suddenly by their side... who could have guessed?
And even at Champion Peak, Mewtwo wouldn't be beaten like a dead dog!
Even with part of Mewtwo's power sealed, she still possessed Champion Level strength, at least above Champion Intermediate, yet now, after that punch, Mewtwo was still hunched over, unable to stand up.
So just how strong has Lucario become? What did Ash do to make Lucario so terrifying?
...
Inside a small room outside the Viridian Gym, Agatha and Lorelei quietly watched the scene in the footage, mouths moving but unable to utter a sound.
Their discernment was no less than Giovanni's, and even through the screen, they could see that Lucario was no longer at the ordinary Champion Level; it was a power beyond Champion!
It was the realm these Champions had longed for—the Divine Domain Level!
It's hard to imagine that a Lucario, freshly evolved, could reach Divine Domain Level so vividly. It's a dream not even dared to be dreamt!
"Agatha... I shouldn't be mistaken, right?"
"This old woman's eyesight may be failing, but if it's you, you shouldn't be wrong, and how likely is it that both of us are wrong?" Agatha said with a complicated expression, wishing it was a mistake, but reality was clear—they were not wrong.
The Lucario in the footage had undoubtedly surpassed Champion Level, reaching that coveted height sought by Trainers across the Pokémon world.
"I originally thought that the first to reach that realm would be either Lance or Leon, but unexpectedly, a little guy has beaten them to it... Honestly, even I'm curious about how he did it. Don't tell me it's the blessing of Victini again!"
Agatha's face displayed intense curiosity. She couldn't fathom how a young boy, less than half a year into his debut, and a freshly evolved Lucario, could reach the legendary threshold.
To say Ash did it on his own is clearly impossible. Even ignoring Ash's short debut, the fact that Riolu just evolved makes it impossible for Lucario to reach Divine Domain Level.
What Pokémon can reach Champion Peak without evolving? So far, none have appeared in the world, and when Lucario first evolved, Agatha clearly saw that its level was around Elite Advanced Level.
Although due to the power it now emanated, Agatha couldn't clearly see Lucario's level, there's no way it went from Elite Level one moment to Divine Domain Level the next, is there?
Following the conventional route, that's absolutely impossible. Ash must have used some special method to elevate Lucario to its current realm.
But here's the problem... what special method could allow a Pokémon to leap across so many levels?
If it was because of Victini or something, that's just not possible, right? Such an excuse might fool others, but not seasoned individuals like Lorelei and Agatha.
While Victini is known as the God of Victory, with the power to grant others limitless energy, it's uncertain if Victini itself even reached Divine Domain Level. It is a mythical Pokémon, and only a very few mythical existences like Mew have reached Divine Domain Level.