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 the, and the 753rd episode of the Pokémon anime. 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. comes out of the helicopter along with a few s and is welcomed by Jessie, James,, and Dr. Zager.

Meanwhile, at Cynthia's villa in Undella Town, and  have a training battle, with Ash's Oshawott battling with Cilan's Pansage. Cilan commands Pansage to use, but Ash orders Oshawott to use. likes their battle and transforms in its Pirouette Forme, wanting to battle too, against Oshawott. Oshawott doesn't want this, as he is in love with Meloetta. Ash, who thinks a battle against Meloetta would be cool then 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 with its fighting techniques. Ash then orders Krookodile to use. However, before he hits Meloetta, a comes out of nowhere, which is revealed to come from a. The Golurk flies down and lands and a mysterious man appears to its side. He falsely thinks Ash and his group are villains for attacking Meloetta and tells the Golurk to attack them, but Meloetta steps in between and the man understands that they are Meloetta's friends.

The man introduces himself as Ridley. He explains that he and Meloetta lived a peaceful life in their village, until came in and stole Meloetta. He tried to stop them, but Team Rocket managed to escape with Dr. Zager's helicopter. Ridley then explains that Team Rocket kidnapped Meloetta to use its ability to summon the Abyssal Ruins.

Their conversation is short-lived as 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 uses but Ridley shields it by ordering his Golurk to use. Golem then uses. Ridley orders Ash to escape while he battles them. After that, Ridley has Golurk to use Heavy Slam again to take out Rhydon. Golem uses to attack.

Ash and his friends continue to run away from Team Rocket, but are now confronted by Jessie, James and Meowth. James has his to 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 battle.

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 orders Pikachu to use to take him down. Giovanni, upon seeing Meloetta has turned invisible with his infrared glasses, orders his Persian to use to take Ash and Pikachu down. This also causes Meloetta to appear, in shock. A helicopter traps Ash and Pikachu with a synthetic cube. 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 where the final stage of Team Rocket's plan begins.

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.

Humans

 * Ridley

Humans

 * Jessie
 * James
 * Cynthia
 * Dr. Zager
 * Ridley
 * Jervis
 * s
 * Workers
 * Ridley
 * Jervis
 * s
 * Workers

Pokémon
Who's That Pokémon?:
 * (Ridley's)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)
 * (Ridley's)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)
 * (Ridley's)
 * ('s)
 * ('s)
 * (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 the United States:
 * On December 31, 2012, it was aired in, nineteen days before the United States airdate.
 * On January 3, 2013, it was aired in (on K2), sixteen days before the United States airdate.
 * On January 9, 2013, it was aired in (on Disney XD), ten days before the United States airdate.
 * On January 19, 2013, it was aired 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 English 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 when Giovanni's Persian is seen using any moves.
 * This is also the first episode to show Persian's Poké Ball.
 * This is also the first time when Persian is scanned with a Pokédex.
 * 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 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 Pokémon anime 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 resemble the same 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.

Errors

 * At one point, when Jessie gives a command to Woobat, the loop of the R on her shirt is fully colored in.

In other languages
Meloetta und der Unterwassertempel! EP758 BW096 BW096 BW編第96話 精灵宝可梦 超级愿望 第96集