BW096

Meloetta and the Undersea Temple! (Japanese: メロエッタと海底の神殿！ Meloetta and the Undersea Temple!) is the 96th episode of Pokémon the Series: Black & White, and the 753rd episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on September 27, 2012, in the United Kingdom on December 31, 2012, and in the United States on January 19, 2013.
==Blurb==
While Ash is doing some special training at Cynthia’s house in preparation for the Unova League, the villains of Team Rocket are finishing preparations to launch their latest diabolical scheme: Operation Tempest!
After watching a training battle, Meloetta wants in on the action. Ash and Krookodile have just accepted Meloetta’s challenge when an enormous Golurk descends upon the battlefield, ridden by its Trainer, Larry—who immediately accuses Ash of being a villain and kidnapping Meloetta! The misunderstanding is quickly sorted out, and Larry explains that he’s one of Meloetta’s protectors, and that he and Golurk have been looking for the Mythical Pokémon for quite some time after it was taken away by some unknown villains.
The villains in question quickly make themselves known: a pair of Team Rocket agents have tracked Meloetta to Cynthia’s house, intending to recapture it! Larry says he and Golurk will battle them while Ash and the others get Meloetta out of harm’s way. The group begins their run—but their path is soon blocked by Jessie, James, and Meowth! Iris and Cilan stand against them while Ash, Pikachu, and Meloetta go on alone.
Unfortunately, they’re playing right into Team Rocket’s hands, and the Boss is waiting to apprehend them! Giovanni and his Persian trap Ash and Pikachu in a cage, and he orders Meloetta to surrender or watch its friends be hurt. Meloetta has no choice, and the three of them are taken onto Team Rocket’s helicopter, then transferred into a submarine that descends to a ruined temple at the bottom of Undella Bay.
Ash watches helplessly as Meloetta is restrained inside the temple. Dr. Zager begins to play a recording of Meloetta’s haunting song, which unlocks an ancient seal, transforming the temple and raising it to the surface of the bay. As soon as the path is clear, Giovanni makes his way to the innermost part of the temple and claims the Reveal Glass—a mystical mirror with unknown powers! What is Operation Tempest really about? Could this be the greatest threat the Unova region has ever faced?!
==Plot==
Somewhere in the sea near Unova, a Team Rocket helicopter lands on a floating platform. steps out from the helicopter along with a few s and is welcomed by Jessie, James, , and Dr. Zager. Giovanni gazes into the distance, with a sneer in his smile, and declares that the Unova region will soon be under the control of Team Rocket thanks to "Operation Tempest".
Meanwhile, at 's villa in Undella Town, and have a training , with Ash's Oshawott versus Cilan's Pansage. Cilan commands Pansage to use , but Ash orders Oshawott to use . is keen to join in, so it transforms into its Pirouette Forme, wanting to battle against Oshawott. Oshawott doesn't want this, as he is in love with Meloetta. Ash, who thinks a battle against Meloetta would be cool sends out and the two start their battle. Meloetta uses , but Krookodile manages to hold on. Ash orders him to use , but Meloetta manages to take all stones out with its . Ash orders Krookodile to use . However, before the attack hits, a comes out of nowhere, which is revealed to come from a . Ash takes the opportunity to scan it with his Pokédex. The Golurk flies down and lands with a mysterious man at its side. He accuses Ash and his group of being thieves for attacking Meloetta and orders his Golurk to attack them, but Meloetta intervenes, and the man understands that Ash and the others are in fact Meloetta's friends.
The man introduces himself as Ridley, he bows and apologizes for his rash judgement earlier. Ridley informs everyone that he is a descendant of The Protectors who have been dedicated to caring for Meloetta for thousands of years. He explains that he and Meloetta lived a peaceful life hidden deep within a forested area of Unova, until came in and stole Meloetta. He tried to stop them, but Team Rocket managed to escape with Dr. Zager's helicopter. Ridley explains that Team Rocket kidnapped Meloetta to use its ability to summon the Abyssal Ruins. Ridley prepares to leave with Meloetta, assuring Ash and the others that he has already found another safe location to avoid Meloetta being taken again.
Their conversation is cut short when Team Rocket surrounds Cynthia's villa and creates a dark fog. Ridley and Meloetta try to escape but they are stopped by a and a used by two Team Rocket Grunts. The Rhydon approaches with a but Ridley counters it with Golurk using . Golem uses . Ridley orders Ash and to escape while he battles them. After that, Ridley has Golurk use Heavy Slam again to take out Rhydon. Golem uses to attack. Jervis calls Cynthia, who is out all day assisting with preparations for the upcoming event, to inform her of the emergency.
Ash and his friends continue to run away from Team Rocket but are now confronted by Jessie, James, and Meowth. James has his use to trap them. Meloetta tries to escape by turning invisible, but James uses his infrared glasses and orders Yamask to use . Ash and run away while Cilan and stay behind to fight the Rocket trio off.
Pikachu suddenly stops, sensing another Pokémon. This Pokémon turns out to be none other than Giovanni's Persian, which Ash's scans with his Pokédex. Giovanni appears as well, having come to steal Meloetta. He orders Persian to use , but Ash has Pikachu use to take him down. Giovanni, upon seeing Meloetta has turned invisible with his infrared glasses, orders his Persian to launch a to take Ash and Pikachu down. This also causes Meloetta to appear, in shock. A helicopter traps Ash and Pikachu with a synthetic cube that begins to shrink. Giovanni orders Meloetta to come with him or else he will crush Ash. With no other options, Meloetta agrees and comes with him. The cube containing Ash and Pikachu is also taken along. They head to the Abyssal Ruins in a submarine where the final stage of Team Rocket's Operation Tempest begins. Meloetta is transferred to a four-pointed star shaped altar and trapped by an incredible power. Using a recording of Meloetta's song, Giovanni is able to unseal the Reveal Glass hidden deep inside the Ruins. The Ruins soon rise from the seafloor, revealing an ancient pyramid-shaped structure.
Ridley can hear Meloetta's distinctive song and is certain it is under Undella Bay. He alerts Cynthia, who has rushed back in time, to the unfolding crisis. She orders Jervis prepare the cruiser boat so they can rescue Meloetta.
==Major events==
* Team Rocket's Operation Tempest enters its final stage.
* is revealed to know .
* meets for the first time since their unofficial encounter at Mount Quena.
* Giovanni's Persian is seen battling for the first time.
* Ash battles Giovanni with his , but is defeated.
* Team Rocket successfully captures Meloetta and takes it, along with the imprisoned Ash and Pikachu, to the Abyssal Ruins.
* Giovanni uses Meloetta's to unseal the Reveal Glass.
===Debuts===
====Humans====
* Ridley
====Pokémon debuts====
==Characters==
===Humans===
* 
* 
* 
* Jessie
* James
* 
* 
* Dr. Zager
* Ridley
* Jervis
* s
* The Protectors (flashback)
* Workers
===Pokémon===
Who's That Pokémon?: 
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* (Ridley's)
* ('s)
* ('s)
* ()
==Trivia==
* Professor Oak's Pokémon Live Caster: forces of nature/
** Viewers could call one of three phone numbers to hear facts about either , , or . One random caller won a Nintendo 3DS XL with a prepaid gift card, which allows the player gain access on Pokédex 3D Pro.
* This episode was aired in several countries before its airing in :
** On December 31, 2012, it was aired in , nineteen days before.
** On January 3, 2013, it was aired in (on K2), sixteen days before.
** On January 9, 2013, it was aired in (on Disney XD), ten days before.
* This episode aired on January 19, 2013 in , at the same time as the United States airing.
** It was supposed to air in English, but the dubbed Latin American Spanish track was erroneously broadcast on Cartoon Network USA via the in the United States. The Latin American dub was scheduled to debut on November 14, 2013.
* The episode's English dub title is a literal and punctuative copy of the Japanese title.
* Despite having made its debut over 700 episodes ago, this is the first time:
** Giovanni's Persian is seen using any moves.
** Giovanni's Persian's is shown.
** Persian is scanned with a Pokédex in the .
* This episode marks the first time that Ash has a battle directly against the leader of a villainous team.
** Also, as of this episode, Ash has battled all the official Generation I Gym Leaders of Kanto.
* Despite having existed in the since Generation I, this is the first and only time it is used in the animated series.
** Coincidentally, the only other instance of Fly being used was in both versions of the fourteenth movie and was also used by a .
* Despite being prominently highlighted, only has one line in the episode (which is saying "Yes, sir!" alongside Jessie and James after 's arriving).
* This marks one of the very few times in the animated series when a character has threatened to kill another character, as Giovanni threatens to squash Ash and Pikachu inside of a shrinking force field cube if Meloetta doesn't give itself up.
* Background music from Arceus and the Jewel of Life, Zoroark: Master of Illusions, White—Victini and Zekrom and Black—Victini and Reshiram was used in this episode.
* The spiraling staircase in the Abyssal Ruins resembles the stairs seen in the Relic Castle in the previews for the two unaired episodes. Also, the way the Reveal Glass rises from the top of the stairs resembles the way the Meteonite revealed itself in the same preview.
** Ash being captured by Team Rocket and imprisoned aboard Dr. Zager's helicopter as the team carries out their plans is a recycled element from the first of the two skipped episodes.
File:BW096 TR TP original 1.png|Original
File:BW096 TR TP original 2.png|Original
File:BW096 TR TP original 3.png|Original
File:Meteonite.png|Original
File:BW096 Tempest 1.png|Operation Tempest
File:BW096 Tempest 2.png|Operation Tempest
File:BW096 Tempest 3.png|Operation Tempest
File:Reveal Glass anime.png|Operation Tempest
===Errors===
* At one point, when Jessie gives a command to , the loop of the R on her shirt is fully colored in.
* In the Polish dub, is mistakenly called .
===Dub edits===
==In other languages==
096
Category:Episodes in which a Mythical Pokémon appears
Category:Episodes in which a Champion appears
Category:Episodes focusing on Team Rocket
Category:Episodes focusing on Giovanni
Category:Episodes written by Atsuhiro Tomioka
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Hiromasa Amano
Category:Episodes directed by Tetsuo Yajima
Category:Episodes animated by Izumi Shimura
Category:Episodes which aired in the United Kingdom before the United States
de:Meloetta und der Unterwassertempel!
es:EP758
fr:NB096
it:NB096
ja:BW編第96話
zh:宝可梦 超级愿望 第96集