The Forces of Nature

After Giovanni left, Yuga and Cynthia snapped back to reality, realizing that dawn had already broken. When Ash, Iris, and the others woke up and learned that Meloetta had been taken by Team Rocket, they were utterly dejected. Such a huge incident had taken place last night, yet they had slept so soundly that they hadn't noticed a thing.

Meloetta's guardian, Ridley, was even more devastated, as if struck by lightning. He couldn't believe that he had only just found Meloetta after all this time, only for it to be taken away again.

Yuga and Cynthia were equally helpless. Last night, they had only been spared worse consequences because Giovanni had withdrawn in time, and his Beedrill was not the type of Pokémon to recklessly unleash attacks like a giant Milotic's Hydro Pump. Otherwise, if Giovanni's Level 100 Beedrill had gone all out, Undella Town's survival would have been uncertain.

Though Giovanni was the leader of a dark organization with many lives on his hands, he wasn't so cruel as to disregard the lives of an entire town. He wouldn't let a Level 100 Pokémon rampage through a town, which was the only small consolation for Yuga and Cynthia.

"What do we do? Meloetta's been taken. How can we possibly find Team Rocket?" Ash paced back and forth anxiously.

Ridley's expression was grim. As a member of a special race tasked with guarding Meloetta, he had a faint sense of connection with it. However, the connection was so weak that he couldn't determine Meloetta's exact location.

"I've already contacted the police, and they're searching for traces of Team Rocket. All we can do now is wait patiently," Cynthia said, trying to comfort Ash and the others.

Earlier that morning, Team Plasma and Team Radiance members who had been captured in the courtyard were taken away by the people Cynthia had called in.

Meanwhile, Giovanni, along with Jessie, James, and Meloetta, returned to a submarine hidden in the ocean, where the doctor had been waiting for them.

Once inside the submarine, Giovanni asked, "Is everything ready?"

The gray-haired doctor responded respectfully, "Everything is prepared."

Giovanni nodded with satisfaction. "Then let's begin."

"Yes, sir!"

Team Rocket piloted the submarine to an underwater ruin. After traveling through a long underwater tunnel, they entered a temple.

The temple had already been fully prepared by Team Rocket, awaiting Meloetta's arrival. The space inside the temple wasn't very large, with a circular platform in the center. At the front of the platform stood a diamond-shaped stone with a cross-shaped hollow in its center.

Giovanni walked up to the stone and placed the unconscious Meloetta into the cross-shaped hollow. The moment Meloetta was inserted, the hollow lit up with a flash of light, and the stone, along with Meloetta, began to rise into the air.

"All right, begin."

Giovanni withdrew his gaze and turned to the doctor behind him.

"Yes, sir!"

The doctor responded and began operating a remote control in his hands. Soon, a melody started playing from a machine placed on the circular platform—a melody that Meloetta often sang for Ash and his friends.

"Meloetta~"

As the song began to play, the unconscious Meloetta let out a pained cry. Complex patterns started to appear on the platform where Giovanni was standing. The patterns emitted a golden light and slowly began to rotate. From the center of the patterns, a stone column holding a stone mirror gradually rose.

"The seal has truly been lifted!"

Seeing the stone mirror emerge, the doctor's face lit up with excitement, and even Giovanni's face showed a rare hint of a smile.

In truth, after Team Rocket initially stole Meloetta from Ridley's people, they deliberately let it go. To break the seal on this underwater ruin, Meloetta's ancient melody was required. However, over the long stretch of time, Meloetta had forgotten how to sing the ancient song.

The only way to awaken the melody buried deep in Meloetta's heart was to move it with the purest sincerity.

Thus, Team Rocket released Meloetta and intentionally guided it to cross paths with Ash and his friends.

Having interacted with Ash for so long, Jessie and James knew exactly what kind of person he was.

As expected, during its time with Ash, Meloetta gradually began to recall the ancient melody.

Team Rocket had recorded Meloetta's song using surveillance devices and analyzed it. Now, even without Meloetta singing, the recorded melody was sufficient to unlock the seal.

If Meloetta itself weren't also a key component in breaking the seal, Team Rocket wouldn't have even needed to abduct it.

By using the recorded melody instead of forcing Meloetta to sing, they saved a significant amount of time.

In fact, Ash and his group's movements had been under Team Rocket's surveillance all along. Giovanni was also fully aware of the actions of Team Radiance and Team Plasma.

However, these people were of little concern to Giovanni. On the contrary, he used them to his advantage.

The frequent appearances of Team Plasma members near Cynthia's villa conveniently helped divert attention from Team Rocket.

Although the arrival of Yuga and Cynthia had been an unexpected twist for Giovanni, it didn't matter much. The nature of Yuga and Cynthia's identities meant they would be cautious when confronting him.

If a large-scale battle broke out in Undella Town, the town wouldn't be able to withstand it. This confidence in his ability to take Meloetta without interference was what assured Giovanni of his success.

The moment Meloetta cried out in pain, far away in Cynthia's villa, Ridley immediately sensed it.

"Ah!"

Ridley fell off the sofa, clutching his head in agony. "Something's happened to Meloetta!" he exclaimed.

The intense pain in his senses brought back memories of an ancient legend from his tribe.

Ridley's people were descendants of the Protector.

Long ago, the Protector were a thriving civilization that protected Meloetta for generations. Meloetta possessed a miraculous power: it could awaken the Reveal Glass and, through it, control incredible natural forces.

But ambition is ever-present. The power of Meloetta and the Protector attracted the greed of others, resulting in catastrophic disaster and conflict.

The Protector suffered massive casualties, which caused Meloetta immense sorrow. Ultimately, Meloetta submerged the Reveal Glass into the ocean and disappeared alongside the Protector clan.

"Ridley, what's wrong?"

Ridley's reaction startled everyone, and they quickly gathered around to check on him.

"I've sensed Meloetta's location. It's in great pain!" Ridley said, clutching his head. The more intense Meloetta's suffering, the stronger his connection to it became.

Everyone was overjoyed that Ridley had pinpointed Meloetta's location and was eager to set out to find it. However, Yuga and Cynthia stopped them.

With Meloetta in Giovanni's hands, there was nothing Ash and his friends could do.

In the end, it was decided that only Yuga and Cynthia would go to rescue Meloetta. While Ash and the others were worried, they reluctantly agreed to stay behind to avoid complicating the situation.

With that, Ridley set off with Yuga and Cynthia.

Yuga was riding his Aegislash. To be prepared for any situation, he had called home earlier in the morning, asking Audino to send over Ninetales, Aegislash, and Dusknoir.

Ridley sensed that Meloetta's location was over the sea and not far from Undella Town. The three of them rushed in that direction, worried that they might be too late.

On the other side, Giovanni had already gained control of the Reveal Glass. Under his command, the entire underwater ruin began to rise slowly. Before long, it surfaced.

The ruin resembled a pyramid, with its body deep blue in color. As it emerged from the water, the pyramid's apex gradually opened, exposing the platform where Giovanni stood to the sunlight.

Suppressing his excitement, Giovanni manipulated the Reveal Glass and said in a low voice, "Reveal Glass, show me your power."

As his voice fell, Jessie, James, Meowth, and the professor nearby witnessed a blue beam of light erupting from the Reveal Glass, shooting straight into the sky. The beam seemed to respond to Giovanni's commands.

Seeing this, Jessie and the others became ecstatic.

Flying over the sea, Yuga and his companions spotted the blue beam of light piercing the heavens from a distance. Soon, ominous black clouds began to gather over the sea, darkening the sky almost instantly.

"Meloetta is there! They've found the Reveal Glass!" Ridley exclaimed.

"The Reveal Glass?" Yuga and Cynthia asked in surprise.

Yuga struggled to recall the events. His memory was hazy, making it difficult to determine if what was happening aligned with the original storyline.

Ridley then shared the legend of the Reveal Glass with Yuga and Cynthia. However, his understanding of it was limited since it was only a legend passed down within his tribe.

The remnants of the Protector had dwindled over generations, with much of their history lost. The legend of the Reveal Glass itself had only survived through oral traditions from the elders.

While Yuga and Cynthia didn't fully understand what natural powers the Reveal Glass controlled as described by Ridley, they couldn't shake a sense of foreboding.

As the black clouds grew denser, the three finally arrived near the ruin. From afar, they could see the pyramid-like structure floating on the sea and Meloetta trapped by stone restraints.

Just as they were about to approach, the black clouds above suddenly burst apart. A dark blue light ring appeared in the sky, and three Pokémon descended slowly from within.

Landorus, Thundurus, and Tornadus!

They were none other than the three Force of Nature of the Unova region.

However, something seemed off about them. They appeared soulless, almost mechanical, with eerie red light glowing in their eyes.

Evidently, the "natural powers" controlled by the Reveal Glass referred to these three.

"Hahaha…"

The appearance of the three Pokémon delighted Giovanni immensely. He could feel that, through the Reveal Glass, he had complete control over them.

At this moment, Giovanni also noticed Yuga and Cynthia. Glancing at Landorus, Thundurus, and Tornadus, he thought this would be an excellent opportunity to test their strength against those two.

Yuga and Cynthia felt a chill run down their spines as Giovanni's gaze fixed on them.

"Reveal Glass!"

Giovanni shouted, and the Reveal Glass spun rapidly. Images of the three Pokémon flashed within the glass, and their forms began to shift—from Incarnate Forme to Therian Forme.

In their Therian Forme, the three Pokémon looked even more deranged, with the red glow in their eyes intensifying. They all turned their attention toward Yuga and Cynthia.

Knowing they couldn't afford to be careless, Yuga and Cynthia immediately sent out their Pokémon.

Yuga switched from riding Aegislash to Charizard, freeing Aegislash for battle. He placed Ninetales on Dragonite's back so it could participate in the fight despite its lack of sea combat skills. He also summoned Gengar and Mismagius to assist Dusknoir and, after some thought, released Florges as well. Chimecho used its psychic powers to help Florges hover in the air.

Cynthia, meanwhile, rode on Staraptor and released her veteran Pokémon: Garchomp, Milotic, Togekiss, and Gastrodon.

Seeing the Pokémon Yuga released—Aegislash, Ninetales, and Dusknoir—Giovanni furrowed his brow and summoned his Beedrill, initiating its Mega Evolution.

The battle was about to begin!

Dragonite, carrying Ninetales, confronted Thundurus, while Aegislash faced off against Landorus, and Dusknoir, with the support of Gengar and Mimikyu, clashed with Tornadus.

On the other side, Cynthia's Garchomp, alongside Milotic, Togekiss, and Huntail, engaged Beedrill.

The mindless three Forces of Nature wasted no time, attacking them without hesitation.

Thundurus crackled with electric energy, using Charge while directing lightning strikes toward Dragonite and Ninetales.

Ninetales released a Flamethrower from its mouth, which collided with Thunder and it actually at a disadvantage.

Dragonite not only served as Ninetales' mount but also played a supportive role. As Ninetales fought Thundurus, Dragonite unleashed a Thunderbolt, aiming to strike Thundurus.

However, in the Therian Forme, Thundurus's ability change to Volt Absorb, making Electric-type attacks not only ineffective but even replenishing its energy.

Realizing this, Dragonite switched to Ice-type moves, a technique learned from its mother who excelled in Ice-type moves, which were effective against Thundurus.

With Dragonite's help, Ninetales barely managed to fend off Thundurus's attack.

Aegislash, being an experienced level 100 Pokémon, was far stronger than Ninetales. Facing Landorus, it showed no fear, despite Landorus being the strongest of the three Force of Nature.

Dusknoir, not yet at the level 100 Pokémon, faced a tougher situation against Tornadus. Luckily, Gengar and Mimikyu's cooperation ensured it didn't suffer a major setback.

Florges used the same technique she had used in the battle for the giant rock in the past, causing countless seaweeds to grow rapidly under the water, quickly forming into dark green ropes that shot up from the sea surface.

The ropes, fierce and clawed, wrapped around Landorus, Thundurus, and Tornadus.

Thundurus swung its Thunder Punch towards Dragonite, but Florges's controlled ropes caught its hind leg, allowing Dragonite to escape.

However, Thundurus flashed with electric energy, and the electricity spread along the ropes. In the blink of an eye, the ropes were burned to ashes, and the steam from the evaporated water was visible.

Tornadus swung its arm, sending a violent storm toward Dusknoir. Dusknoir was swept into the storm, but Gengar and Mimikyu quickly used Thunderbolt to strike at Tornadus. However, Tornadus didn't dodge and endured the Thunderbolt attack from both Pokémon.

In the center of the storm, Dusknoir used its psychic powers to calm the whirlwind. Once free from the storm's grip, it realized that Tornadus had already moved in close, preparing to strike with a light wheel.

At that moment, a thick rope swung toward Tornadus. Though it didn't deal significant damage, it successfully deflected Tornadus, causing its air slash to miss Dusknoir.

Yuga's team was struggling, and so was Cynthia's.

Her Pokémon were still at the Champion level, and despite the numbers advantage, they were being overwhelmed by Beedrill's attacks.

While Yuga and Cynthia fought desperately against the three Forces of Nature, Ridley had not been idle. He stealthily reached the ruins and rescued Meloetta, who had landed on the diamond-shaped stone.

Giovanni had already noticed Ridley's actions. Though Meloetta had completed its mission and was no longer of any use, Giovanni was unwilling to let it go without consequence.

Giovanni signaled to Jessie and James, who, along with the Doctor and Meowth, quietly surrounded Ridley.

Meanwhile, in the nearby Undella Town, the epic battle between the three Forces of Nature and Level 100 Pokémon had triggered a massive tsunami. Waves flooded into the town, creating great panic among the residents.

The primary cause of the tsunami was the storm created by Tornadus.

Officer Jenny, holding a megaphone, repeatedly tried to calm the crowd, directing people to the shelters.

Watching the disturbance on the sea, Officer Jenny frowned deeply.

Cynthia's villa was right on the coast and was among the first to be affected by the tsunami. Fortunately, Jamiel reacted quickly and led Ash and the others to safe place.

Like Officer Jenny, Ash and his companions watched the direction of the battle, filled with deep concern.