章 1289: Shadow Lugia Appear
Ridley's strength was quite formidable. Facing the combined assault of Jessie, James, and the doctor, he and his Golurk showed no fear and he manages to suppress the trio instead.
Giovanni noticed Ridley's situation but he remained focused on controlling the Reveal Glass. His attention was primarily on the three Force of Nature.
To Giovanni, Meloetta held little importance; it was merely a tool to unlock the seal of the Reveal Glass. Now that the glass was in his possession, it didn't matter to him whether Jessie and the others could reclaim it.
While Ridley held Jessie's team at bay, Yuga's situation was far less optimistic. The irrational and emotionless Force of Nature was incredibly dangerous, completely disregarding Yuga's attacks.
Gengar and Mismagius simultaneously unleashed Thunderbolt on Tornadus, but Tornadus stood tall, enduring the double Thunderbolt attack without flinching. In the next moment, it appeared beside Gengar and Mismagius, using Aerial Ace to strike both Pokémon down.
As Gengar and Mismagius fell, they vanished mid-air, intending to launch a surprise attack on Tornadus.
Dusknoir attempted to trap Tornadus within a Trick Room to limit its excessive speed, but the space shattered under the fury of Tornadus' raging winds.
The violent storm whipped up massive waves, pushing seawater toward the shore, causing even greater chaos in Undella Town.
Boom!
Tornadus, its eyes burning crimson, clashed with Dusknoir's Thunder Punch using Aerial Ace, sending Dusknoir flying. As Tornadus prepared to attack again, it was unexpectedly yanked aside by an emerald green vine, giving Dusknoir a chance to dodge.
However, Dusknoir, Gengar, and Mismagius faced the worst situation on the battlefield. After Tornadus was pulled away by Florges's vines, it gathered a massive wind blade that instantly severed the vines.
Seeing that Tornadus was still intent on striking down Dusknoir, Florges and Chimecho sprang into action once more. They soared above Tornadus, and Chimecho unleashed a Gravity Field to suppress it.
However, Chimecho could only hold Tornadus down for a few seconds—just enough time for Florges.
Dusknoir, Gengar, and Mismagius launched Shadow Balls in unison, striking Tornadus and forcing it into the sea. In the depths, countless emerald vines surged forth, binding Tornadus tightly like a cocoon.
Unable to breathe underwater, Tornadus thrashed violently, snapping vines one by one, but even more wrapped around it in response.
Florges seized the opportunity to use Giga Drain, sapping Tornadus' energy through the vines. Tornadus felt its strength ebb away, its movements growing weaker with each passing moment.
With Florges helping to suppress Tornadus, her attention to Thundurus and Landorus waned. The vines entangling them gradually sank back into the sea.
Without Florges's support, Aegislash managed fine—it was immensely powerful, with extraordinary defensive abilities. Even Landorus, the strongest of the trio, couldn't overwhelm it and was effectively held in check.
However, things were far less favorable for Ninetales and Dragonite.
Ninetales, as a new level 100 Pokémon, was at the bottom rung of that tier and stood no chance against the corrupted Thundurus.
The phrase "corruption strengthens by threefold" wasn't for nothing. Oblivious to pain, Thundurus waved its claws, scattering Dragonite's Ice Beam. Shrouded in lightning, Thundurus seemed like a thunder god, summoning relentless lightning pillars that rained from the heavens.
If not for the dire circumstances, Yuga might have applauded the spectacle's grandeur.
To evade the lightning strikes, Dragonite had to repeatedly use Extreme Speed.
From Dragonite's back, Ninetales' eyes glowed purple as it used Psychic to immobilize Thundurus.
Although Ninetales was purely Fire-type, it had a natural aptitude for psychic abilities. This innate talent allowed it to receive the Psychic origin from Mew and become a level 100 Pokémon.
Psychic techniques were Ninetales' forte.
Under the control of the Reveal Glass, Thundurus had no rationality. Feeling itself bound by Psychic, its instinctive response was to struggle.
Ninetales' mental strength was formidable, and Thundurus couldn't break free after several attempts. This only amplified its violent emotions, causing the storm clouds over the sea to grow denser, with lightning bolts falling even more frequently.
Even Yuga who is far from Thundurus, was nearly struck by the mad lightning strikes, let alone Dragonite and Ninetales at the battlefield's center.
Both were struck by the lightning. Dragonite, equipped with a yellow orb, fared better due to its excellent resistance to Electric-type moves. Ninetales, however, wasn't as fortunate, ending up with singed fur.
Ninetales, ever prideful of its appearance, was furious at being struck into such disarray.
Fire energy surged wildly around it. Spreading its nine tails like fans, it formed fireballs at their tips that shot toward Thundurus as blazing pillars.
Boom! Boom!
Any ordinary Pokémon would have been incinerated by those fiery columns, but Ninetales' opponent was Thundurus.
Thundurus summoned Thunderbolt, forming electric snakes that intercepted every fire column before they could reach it. Unable to dodge in time, Ninetales and Dragonite were struck by another lightning pillar.
On Cynthia's side, Milotic suffered a wound from Beedrill's Poison Jab, prompting Gastrodon to unleash Muddy Water at Beedrill in retaliation.
But Beedrill was too fast. Though Gastrodon's Muddy Water had a wide range, it missed its target.
Milotic quickly used Recover to heal its wound and surrounded itself with Aqua Ring for additional protection.
Beedrill, with a cold and mechanical gaze, moved like an unfeeling machine. Its vibrating wings emitted a strange buzzing sound as it darted through the air.
Garchomp cautiously confronted Beedrill, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Togekiss silently appeared behind Beedrill during the standoff, swinging an Air Slash at it.
Thanks to its Mega Evolution, Beedrill's uniquely structured eyes allowed it to detect the attack. It shifted slightly to the left, causing Togekiss' Air Slash to miss.
Garchomp seized the opening, lunging at Beedrill with Dragon Rush, but Beedrill evaded the attack once more.
At that moment, Milotic and Gastrodon flanked Beedrill, attacking with Aqua Tail and Muddy Water, respectively.
Beedrill dodged Milotic's Aqua Tail but was hit by Gastrodon's Muddy Water.
Elsewhere, Florges struggled to suppress Tornadus. Just as she thought she was about to subdue it, a dark shadow streaked rapidly through the sea.
The shadow dashed past Tornadus, snapping the vines binding it. Tornadus regained its freedom.
"Aooo—"
A resounding cry echoed as the dark shadow and Tornadus shot out of the sea together. Seeing this figure, Yuga and Cynthia felt a deep despair.
It was Shadow Lugia!
It turned out that Giovanni had been holding a trump card all along—Shadow Lugia had been lurking in the depths of the ocean, following him the entire time.
The trio of Thundurus, Tornadus, and Landorus, combined with Beedrill, had already proven too much for Yuga and the others to handle, and now Shadow Lugia had entered the fray as well.
Yuga had no idea what Giovanni had promised to Shadow Lugia to gain its allegiance. Unlike the trio, who were under the control of the Reveal Glass, Shadow Lugia appeared to obey Giovanni willingly.
Shadow Lugia descended beside Giovanni, who picked up the Reveal Glassand climbed onto its back.
"Roar!"
Shadow Lugia let out a thunderous cry and soared into the sky once again. It resembled a colossal dragon sweeping through the air, effortlessly sending Yuga's Dusknoir, Aegislash, and Ninetales flying with its immense power.
Compared to when it was first released, Shadow Lugia had become even stronger.
Seated on Shadow Lugia's back, Giovanni looked down at Yuga with an imposing air. His gaze swept over Yuga's Dusknoir, Aegislash, and Ninetales, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Yuga's strength had exceeded Giovanni's expectations.
Raising his right hand, Giovanni commanded the trio of Thundurus, Tornadus, and Landorus to abandon their opponents and return to his side. Beedrill followed suit.
Giovanni had no intention of continuing the fight with Yuga and the others. His objective had been to test the trio's power, and he had seen enough.
For a moment, he had considered eliminating Yuga and Cynthia on the spot. However, he quickly dismissed the idea, knowing that such an act would provoke an unending vendetta from the Pokémon League.
The time wasn't right—Team Rocket was still not strong enough to go head-to-head with the League. Continuing to grow in secret was the wiser strategy.
Having caused such a commotion, it was time to retreat. If they lingered any longer, it would be difficult to escape once the League responded. After all, the Unova region was home to the Matriarch, a Master-level Trainer whom Giovanni held in considerable regard.
With that thought, Giovanni tossed three black Poké Balls, recalling the trio of Thundurus, Tornadus, and Landorus into them.
Yuga and Cynthia had wanted to stop him, but they knew it was futile. The appearance of Shadow Lugia had already ensured that Giovanni's escape plan would succeed.
After recalling the trio, Giovanni waved at Jessie, James, Meowth, and the eoctor. The three humans and one Pokémon abandoned Ridley and used their portable flying devices to ascend to Shadow Lugia's back.
"Roar~"
Shadow Lugia let out a long cry before quickly vanishing into the horizon.
Before leaving, Giovanni gave Yuga a long, penetrating look that sent chills down his spine.
With Giovanni departing so calmly, Yuga and Cynthia found themselves momentarily at a loss for words. Fortunately, Giovanni and his team had chosen to leave Meloetta behind and not take it with them.
Meloetta was now lying weakly in Ridley's arms, utterly drained from the strain of the Reveal Glass's seal.
The loss of the Reveal Glass had Ridley visibly distressed, but neither Yuga nor Cynthia could do anything about it. Their only option was to return to town and report the situation to the League.
The fact that Team Rocket now controlled the trio of Thundurus, Tornadus, and Landorus was troubling news.
When the group finally returned to Undella Town's villa, they found it submerged in water. The walls of the house were crawling with Kingler and Krabby, leaving Yuga and Cynthia looking at each other in dismay.
Fortunately, only the seaside areas of Undella Town had been affected by the flooding, with the other regions suffering minimal impact.
Yuga and Cynthia located Ash and the others at the town's Pokémon Center. They were assisting Nurse Joy in arranging shelter for displaced residents.
Ash and his group were overjoyed to see Yuga, Cynthia, and Ridley return safely. When they saw that Meloetta had been rescued, they sighed in relief, though they couldn't help but wonder why Yuga and Cynthia seemed so grim.
Without saying much, Yuga and Cynthia quickly reported the incident to the League before joining Ash and the others to help Nurse Joy.
The Unova League responded promptly, sending personnel to Undella Town the same day to handle the aftermath of the disaster.
With the World Championships just around the corner, this incident could not have come at a worse time for the League, leaving them utterly exasperated.
Yuga and Cynthia were also feeling downcast. Despite being at the center of the event, they had failed to stop Team Rocket and had inadvertently caused Undella Town to suffer damages.
With the matter already reported to the League, Ridley expressed his wish to take Meloetta and leave. This time, Yuga and Cynthia did not object. With the Reveal Glass now in Team Rocket's possession, Meloetta was no longer in immediate danger.
Originally, their intention in keeping Meloetta around was to protect it, but their failure to prevent Team Rocket's theft left both Yuga and Cynthia feeling deeply ashamed. In hindsight, they regretted not allowing Meloetta to leave earlier.
Yuga and Cynthia blamed themselves for being overconfident.
When Ash, Iris, and the others learned that Ridley and Meloetta were leaving, they were visibly reluctant. Meloetta, too, looked tearful. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end, and Meloetta ultimately had to return to its people—the people of the Protector.
To ensure Ridley and Meloetta's safe journey, Yuga and Cynthia requested that the League assign rangers to escort them back.
After returning this time, the people of the Protector planned to relocate, as their current dwelling was no longer safe.
Because Team Rocket had taken away the trio of Thundurus, Tornadus, and Landorus, the Unova region had gone into lockdown to locate them before they could leave the region.
The lockdown in Unova also caused Team Plasma to go into hiding.
To find Team Rocket, the Unova region even deployed the master-level Trainer, the Matriarch.
With Giovanni wielding Shadow Lugia, it was unlikely that ordinary people would be able to stop him if they encountered him.
Giovanni's original intent was to keep Team Rocket's development low-profile. The organization had already remained dormant for quite some time, but their recent actions caused such a huge commotion that the League had no choice but to take it seriously.
Two days after the incident, Yuga and Cynthia met the Matriarch in Village of Dragons. She had come specifically to hear the details of the event from the two of them.
This was the first time Yuga and Cynthia had ever met this legendary Trainer.
The Matriarch had lived in seclusion in the Village of Dragons for many years and rarely ventured outside, especially in her old age. If not for the massive stir caused by Team Rocket this time, she wouldn't have come out either.
Among the League's four master-level Trainers, the Matriarch was the youngest, reportedly in her seventies. However, her appearance seemed even more aged than Yuga's master, who was over a hundred years old.
The Matriarch was very short, wore a brown cloak, and looked somewhat stern. However, she was kind and friendly toward Yuga and Cynthia.
To be honest, as she looked at Yuga and Cynthia, the Matriarch felt a twinge of envy.
Of the four master-level Trainers, the Dragon Tamer Clan had nurtured Lance, Mr. Kuni'o had Yuga as his disciple, and the Elder of the Sinnoh Temple had chosen Cynthia as their successor.
Each of these figures was a rising star, renowned throughout the League. Meanwhile, the girl the Matriarch had her eye on, Iris, was still a clueless young novice. Thinking about it made her heart ache!
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