Back to Giovanni

Giovanni's troop arrived on Route 14, and pretty quickly dispatched the trainers on that Route, allowing Giovanni access to Abundant Shrine.

And there was Iris, waiting for him.

"I should have known that the Champion of the Unova region would be here. Now it's time to see how strong the Unova Region's best are. And who knows, maybe, it can attract the attention of Landorus"

"Alright. But if Landorus does show up, that's bad news for both of us" Iris reminded Giovanni, who nodded and replied "That's fine by me. Now, Nidoking, let's rule" and Nidoking materialised. Iris nodded, then called "Lapras, let's do this" and Lapras materialised.

Battle: Iris VS Giovanni

"Thunderbolt" Giovanni called, and Nidoking unleashed a blast of electricity at Lapras, but Iris was ready.

"Dragon Pulse" Iris called, and Lapras shot a pulse of draconic energy that neutralised the Thunderbolt, then did Minor damage to Nidoking.

"Earth Power" Giovanni called, and Nidoking shot a blast of light brown energy at Lapras, inflicting Considerable damage.

"Ice Beam" Iris called, and Lapras shot a beam of cold at Nidoking, but Giovanni was ready,

"Ice Beam too" Giovanni replied, and Nidoking countered with his beam of cold, cancelling the two out.

"Nidoking, you did well. Now return" Giovanni called, and Nidoking was withdrawn. Giovanni then called "Now Cloyster, let's rule" and Cloyster materialised.

"Shell Smash" Giovanni called, and Iris saw an "Oh shit" moment, as she realised what had just happened, as Cloyster smashed its shell, lowering its Defences, but sharply raising its Attacking stats and Speed. Even worse, it then used a White Herb to restore the lost stats.

"That's not good, but I should have a way around it," Iris thought to herself. She then called "Spinbolt" and Lapras emitted a blast of electricity, but spun around to get it rotating around her, effectively, a Thunderbolt Counter Shield.

"Interesting. Stay Back Cloyster, look for your time to strike" Giovanni called, and Cloyster moved back to avoid the tentacles of electricity.

"Now, Rock Blast. And time it carefully" Giovanni stated. Cloyster generated a rock and waited.

"Now" Giovanni called, and Cloyster shot a rock at Lapras, inflicting Minor damage.

"Lapras, this isn't going to work. Return" Iris called, and Lapras was withdrawn.

"Now Ampharos, let's show our might" Iris called, and Ampharos materialised.

"Cloyster, hold off. Now, use Icicle Spear instead" Giovanni called, and Cloyster shot five icy spears at Ampharos.

"Focus Blast" Iris called, and Ampharos generated a ball of orange energy, and shot it at the spears. Four of the spears were destroyed, but it missed the fifth, which hit and did Minor damage.

"Quick Cloyster, Razor Shell" Giovanni called, and Cloyster struck the Focus Blast with its water-covered shell, destroying it.

"Ampharos, use Thunderbolt" Iris called, and Ampharos unleashed a blast of electricity that KO'ed Cloyster in one hit.

"Argh! Return" Giovanni called, and Cloyster was withdrawn. Giovanni then stated "Nidoking, let's rule" and Nidoking materialised.

"Ampharos, you return too" Iris called, and Ampharos was withdrawn. Iris continued with "Now Haxorus, let's do this" and Haxorus materialised.

Haxorus' Mold Breaker Ability breaks the Mold.

"Ice Beam" Giovanni called, and Nidoking shot a beam of cold at Haxorus, but Haxorus was ready.

"Dodge, then Dual Chop" Iris called, and Nidoking avoided the beam, then cloaked its hands with draconic energy, and chopped Nidoking twice, inflicting Minor damage each time, Considerable damage overall.

"Ice Beam" Giovanni called, and Nidoking shot a point-blank beam of cold at Haxorus, with Haxorus barely surviving the attack.

Suddenly, both sides are greeted by a Sandstorm. And Haxorus is KO'ed.

"Oh no, Haxorus, return" Iris stated as she withdrew Haxorus. She then turned to Giovanni and added "Well you've got your wish. You'd better pray to Arceus that you're going to be able to handle the most powerful of the Forces of Nature on your own. Because I am out of here" Iris stated, a note of fear in her voice.

"Do I sense fear in you Iris?" Giovanni sneered, to which Iris replied "You'd be scared too if you've seen what this guy can do '' Iris declared. Suddenly, the earth shakes, as Landorus descends and unleashes a devastating Earthquake that KO'ed Giovanni's Nidoking, and knocked Giovanni himself off his feet. Iris only managed to escape thanks to calling Hydreigon in and getting the hell out of dodge.

Conclusion: No result

"Well, you have shown your might," Giovanni noted as he got back to his feet. He couldn't lie, he was a little intimidated by the power of Landorus, but he has two allies that'll ensure Landorus' cooperation.

"Secretary, bring me over the secret weapons" Giovanni radioed to the secretary, who nodded and called two big boxes to be called next to Giovanni.

Landorus took the opportunity to strike Hydreigon with a Hammer Arm, inflicting Considerable damage but failing to knock Hydreigon totally out of the sky. It then turned its attention to Giovanni and prepared to impale him with Stone Edge.

"I wouldn't be so hasty to strike if I were you. Not if you wanted to potentially hurt them" Giovanni sneered, as the boxes were opened to reveal cages containing Tornadus and Thundurus.

"You follow me, to Undella Bay, or else I can crush them, and you" Giovanni stated. Landorus was furious but saw no easy way to bust them out. After several tense moments, Landorus relented.

"Good. Now, I just need to find out where our musical friend is, and we'll have all the pieces necessary to take over the Unova Region" Giovanni said as a cage materialised around Landorus. Giovanni then made his way back towards Undella Town.

Back with Iris

Iris, on the back of Hydreigon, watched this all take place. She couldn't believe it, how had Team Rocket managed to snag the Forces of Nature from under the nose of the entire Region? Hydreigon and her race for Nimbasa City, she had to warn the rest of the League and set up a counter-offensive from somewhere to not only rescue the Forces of Nature but to stop Team Rocket from furthering their plans.

Upon landing, she was dismayed to see Caitlin asleep in Elesa's Gym but saw that Nimbasa City was safe.

"So, we've pushed Team Rocket back?" Iris asked, to which Elesa replied "Back to Lostlorn Forest. But the Wild Controller is keeping the Unova Defence Force busy"

"Alright. Did Caitlin's narcolepsy kick in during the battle?" Iris asked, to which Shauntal replied "Just after. She just collapsed suddenly, and I recognised immediately the symptoms of Narcolepsy. Seems like the intensity of the battles was too much even for her control items to stop"

"How long has she been out?" Iris asked, to which Elesa sighed "Fifteen minutes", and at that moment, Caitlin awoke.

"Ugh. Oh great, my Narcolepsy hit again, didn't it" Caitlin wondered as she awoke. Iris smiled at her, and stated "Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'll be fine. Just, hate when it happens" Caitlin replied. She then looked at Iris, who did seem pretty scratched up and asked "You seem worried, and you're hurt. What's up?"

"Firstly, I'm fine, just a fair few scratches, a glass of Moo Moo Milk and some rest will solve it. More importantly, Giovanni's got the Forces of Nature. He had Tornadus and Thundurus pre-captured, and I watched him capture Landorus. I couldn't do anything. Giovanni, I was, holding my own against, but Landorus' arrival meant I couldn't battle them both at the same time" Iris responded, to which Shauntal snapped "He's got WHAT?"

"Well, that's just great. Someone's gotta warn Ash that Giovanni's about to start coming after him for Meloetta" Marshal stated.

"Grimsley's at Nuvema Town, should I try to contact him?" Caitlin asked, to which Elesa replied "Do it. The Sooner he knows the better"

"Alright" Caitlin replied, and she and Gothitelle got in contact with Grimsley.

"Yo, Caitlin, what's up?" Grimsley asked, to which Caitlin replied "You've got to warn Ash about something. Giovanni's got the Forces of Nature, and will be coming after Ash soon"

"Alright, I'll tell him that" Grimsley replied, and the communication ended.

"Should we go and help?" Caitlin asked, to which Iris replied "My boyfriend Hilbert's on the scene, he should be OK. I hope"

"All the same. I think we need to open a front somewhere, to distract Team Rocket, and try to disrupt their plans" Marshal demanded, to which Shauntal replied "We'll do it. The problem is, where do we open one up"

"Well, how about we get a few Scouts around to see where near Undella Town will be best" Iris suggested, to which Shauntal replied "That could work"

"Then that's what we'll do" Iris stated. She then got a few numbers, and after quick talks, sat back and waited. Or at least, she did while healing her Pokémon and drinking a glass of Moo Moo Milk to recover herself.

Back to Giovanni

"Everything OK?" one of the Grunts asked as Giovanni returned to Undella Town. He retorted "For the most part, yes. I just need a quick heal, along with my Pokémon, and I'll be good. I also need to get in contact with Petrel, since he's the one who's failed me the most consistently"

"Alright," the Grunt stated as two Nurse Joys dressed in Rocket uniforms approach and heal Giovanni's Pokémon, as well as ice the ankle he'd hurt when he was knocked to the ground by Landorus.

"So, how did the battle with Iris go?" one of the Nurse Joys asked, to which Giovanni replied "We're about equal in power. Which is what I expected. I can't say if I would have defeated Iris or not though", to which the Nurse Joy nodded.

The Grunt then gave Giovanni his communicator, and he called Petrel.

"Hey, what's up?" Petrel asked, to which Giovanni stated "Petrel, I need you to withdraw all of your forces immediately. Return to Undella Town"

"What? Why?" Petrel demanded, to which Giovanni replied "Because the others have established footholds in Unova that you do not have. Plus, I have a more specific target, that we must both take together"

"Oh. Well I'm still not happy about it, but I have got most of my forces that were scattered in the Sewers back, so we'll have a good supply of Grunts, and a couple of Wild Stormers, ready to go" Petrel growled. Giovanni nodded and responded "Make it quick. I want to launch this attack as soon as possible"

"Understood boss," Petrel sighed, and the communication ended.

With Petrel

It was with an annoyed resignation, and acknowledgement of failure, that Petrel signalled to his forces to withdraw. It had been largely a disaster for him, and he only held one, admittedly quite significant, area of South-West Unova, plus Pinwheel Forest. However, he knew, once his forces were in one place, he could finally coordinate them properly, even if it was with Giovanni's help.

Once the Commanders, Grunts, and Scientists returned, Petrel asked "How many Wild Stormers do we have?"

"Two" the Scientists replied. Petrel nodded and replied "Good. We'll need them both. Now follow me, we've got to get ready to open a new front"

"Understood" the Commander replied, and they made their trek back to Undella Town.

Back to Giovanni

Petrel and his Grunts soon reach Undella Town, where they're greeted by Giovanni.

"How many Wild Stormers do we have from you?" Giovanni enquired, to which Petrel replied "Two still working"

"Good. Make sure they stay that way" Giovanni replied. He then summoned all of Petrel's Grunts, Scientists, and Commanders, as well as half of the Rocket Grunts still in the area, for his meeting.

"Alright. Our target is Ash Ketchum, and more specifically, the Meloetta that is following him around. The fortifications around Nuvema Town will likely be significant. As Golbat is the Grunts only known mode of transport, we're not going to be able to drop our forces straight into the heart of the action. Instead, I have another idea. Firstly, reconnaissance. Cassidy and Biff will be sent to scout the defences of the town and surrounding areas. Once we know what we're up against, we'll launch our attack. Here, we form a Teleport beacon at Accumula Town. We take the town, and that'll be our staging point for our attack. We then spill onto Route 1, set up the Wild Stormer, then engage. Our first wave will be Golbats, launching attacks and Confuse Rays to damage and disorient our enemies. Once that's done, the Wild Pokémon will be launched to further weaken them. Then, the Grunts will come in and finish them off. Ash himself is powerful, but not unbeatable. I do not expect any Grunts to defeat him in battle, he is too strong. Commanders, you'll be very important here. You will be the beacon that'll allow me to get in and defeat him. With any luck, we'll be able to capture both Ash and Meloetta. Once we've done that, we'll retreat. We'll return to Undella Town and prepare for the full operations, once Operation: Tempest is in full force, and the Forces of Nature are under Team Rocket's, unending, control" Giovanni spoke, with a force and authority that befitted a man of his stature. The Grunts, Commanders, Scientists, and even Petrel cheered at the end of the Speech.

"Alright. Now, Commander Eustice. Set up your Dream World Xatu's Teleport when you get the chance at Accumula Town, alright?" Giovanni asked, to which Eustice replied "I will boss"

"Good. Now get prepared, we're launching our attack momentarily" Giovanni stated, and everyone got ready.

"You called for us?" Cassidy asked as she and Butch approached. Giovanni turned to face them and said "Ah, good. I need you two to go to Nuvema Town and scout out the defences that the Town, and nearby Routes, have. We can't afford to take any chances with this. One wrong move could spell disaster"

"Alright. We won't let you down boss" Cassidy replied, to which Giovanni stated "You had better hope not" before Cassidy and Butch got onto a nearby helicopter, which took them towards South-East Unova.

Cassidy and Butch spent overnight observing defences, so they had plenty to report when they got back the following morning.

Meanwhile with Jessie, James and Meowth

Jessie, James and Meowth reach Accumula Town and get in position to check the positions of their enemies. And initially, there isn't much to see. The Wild Pokémon and a few Grunts were able to take the Town.

"Well that was easy" James admitted, to which Jessie replied "Of course it was, this town doesn't get much traffic, so resistance is very light"

Jessie then spots Ash, Hilda and Ridley approaching.

"Hey Grunts, pull back for now and get hidden. We can at least pretend to let Accumula Town be retaken, then once the Boss gives us the signal, we can retake it easily" Jessie suggested, to which the few Grunts give them a thumbs up, and go into hiding.

It works. Jessie and James are shocked by how well it's going. Though, they do see that a couple of trainers have stayed back, seemingly working to ambush Team Rocket when they go onto Route 1.

"Hey, I have an idea. See those trainers there?" Jessie asked, to which James nodded, and responded "Yeah, I see them"

"Do you think we could dismantle their little ambush before they can spring it?" Jessie asked, to which James nodded, and replied "Sounds good"

"I think it's an amazing idea. Keeps us in the good books of Team Rocket, so we can do that extra bit of damage when we defect" Meowth stated, to which both Jessie and James nodded.

Jessie, James and Meowth also agree to contact Giovanni when he arrives.

After Maximus and Trip go past Accumula Town, the Rocket Grunts return to their station on the orders of Jessie, James and Meowth.

"Now we wait" Jessie stated, to which both James and Meowth nodded. And wait they did, overnight in fact, until Giovanni was ready to move.

Meanwhile with Maximus

Initially, Maximus tried to convince Lenora to join him, but she politely declined.

"I think my role is to provide safe passage for Ash, should he need it. Same with my Gym trainers" Lenora said, to which Maximus replied 'That is, kinda disappointing, but understandable. I wish you good luck in that Endeavour" Maximus replied, before exiting and heading out.

He exited Nacrene City and made his way up Route 3. It was too quiet, Maximus didn't like it. He found that most of the trainers on Route 3 were here, which he was glad for. As he asked around, he was very glad that the trainers, after being made aware of the situation, Fisherman Bruce, School Kid Edgar, Backers May and Mal and Lass Shannon all agreed to help Maximus.

When he entered Wellspring Cave, he learned about how Team Rocket had been beaten back by the powerful trainers in the cave, especially Veteran Shaun.

"So, we heal you guys up, and you'll be willing to join us to defend Nuvema Town?" Maximus asked, to which all of the trainers in the cave replied with "Yes"

"Great" Maximus replied, and they exited to join the other trainers.

He had the same reaction from the Striaton City Gym Leaders, Chilli, Cress and Cilan.

"Alright. I understand, and I hope you succeed, but we need all hands on deck for this battle" Maximus replied. Chili then said "How about you try the Dreamyard? There may be a few who would be willing to help there"

"I didn't think of that, but, sure, I will," Maximus replied, to which the trio nodded, and Maximus departed.

Once Maximus left the Dreamyard, he had an additional 14 trainers spread out across the area. After deciding to split a few trainers onto each Route, to keep them open should Team Rocket decide to expand their attack, the group made their way down Route 2.

Another four trainers joined him on Route 2, with the two Veterans only staying back to keep the Route open. Finally, they reached Accumula Town.

"How about we set up an ambush in the back from here?" Lass Mali suggested, to which Maximus replied "If you want. I'm expecting Team Rocket to know that attack may be coming through, so be wary"

"OK" Lass Mali replied, and four trainers decided to stay back to ambush them.

Eventually, Maximus made it to Nuvema Town.

"You made it, good. And you brought assistance as well" Ash said, to which Maximus nodded, and replied "We needed as much help as we could get. A few trainers, and the Gym Leaders, are going to fight to keep Routes and Towns accessible to you, should you need to flee"

"Hopefully I won't have to. But, if I do, then I'll be grateful for the escape route" Ash replied.

Meanwhile, Trip has gone to Routes 17 and 18 to round up support. And on Route 18, after explaining the situation, all 12 trainers agreed to either join the battle force in Nuvema Town or to stay guard on Route 17. Even better, Neo Team Plasma under Colress also agreed to assist, which was a pleasant surprise to Trip.

On Route 17, 8 of the 11 trainers agreed to join the battle, while three stayed back to defend Route 17.

Eventually, Trip arrived with his reinforcements.

"This should be plenty enough to hold Team Rocket off. Plus, with Hilbert and Grimsley here, whoever Giovanni brought along can be taken care of too" Trip said, to which Ash nodded, then replied "Sounds good. Oh, one more thing. We need an evacuation of all civilians to a safe place"

"How about Route 18? Team Rocket won't be focused on that Route, and it's tricky to navigate. It should be a great spot to evacuate a bunch of civilians" Hilbert suggested, to which Ash nodded, and replied "Sounds like a plan", and slowly, the civilians were evacuated from the town and moved to Route 18.

Finally, fortifications were put up, and the trainers got into position, awaiting Team Rocket's attack.