Chapter 134: The Great Battle Ends, and the Undersea Temple Is Explored

"Meloetta!" "Melo!"

Meloetta was in agony as its power was being drained. Giovanni was currently using a mirror to control the Forces of Nature, while Meloetta remained shackled by a stone tablet.

"Team Rocket, let Meloetta go!"

"Hmph, brat. It won't be that easy to save it."

"Go, Yamask! Use Dark Pulse!"

"Woobat, use Air Cutter!"

"Go, Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"

"Pika, chu!"

"Yamask, use Sonic Boom!"

The attacks from both sides collided and neutralized one another.

"Ash, leave Meloetta to you. We'll handle Team Rocket."

"Got it. Be careful, you two."

Cheng Cheng and Muzi began to engage the Team Rocket members.

"Go, Gothorita! Shadow Ball!"

"Yamask, Dark Pulse!"

High above, the situation for Cheng Cheng's six Pokémon was dire. The Forces of Nature were simply too powerful; they were completely outmatched.

Ash seized the opportunity to dash toward Meloetta, intent on freeing it.

"Pikachu, Electro Ball!"

Pikachu’s Electro Ball struck the stone tablet, but it had no effect.

"Pikachu, come on! Try again! Electro Ball!"

"Pika-pika-pika-pika-pika-pika!"

Pikachu gathered an immense amount of electricity, unleashing a massive orb of energy directly at the tablet. It seemed Pikachu had tapped into its hidden potential once again. The Electro Ball hit the tablet, and it began to shatter and crumble.

"Melo!"

Freed from its control, Meloetta fell.

"Go, Unfezant!"

Unfezant swooped down rapidly, caught Meloetta, and carried it away to safety.

"Meloetta!"

Unfezant brought Meloetta to Ridley.

"Are you all right, Meloetta?"

"Melo."

Meloetta signaled that it was fine and was now able to fly again. Once Meloetta was released, the mirror on the other side lost its control, and the Forces of Nature began to go berserk.

Powerful attacks rained down on the six Pokémon, who struggled to block and evade them.

"Dragonite!"

Caught off guard, Muzi’s Dragonite was struck and slammed into the ground.

"Dragonite, are you okay?"

Muzi ran over to check on it. Dragonite wasn't critically injured, but it was no longer capable of battle.

"Return, Dragonite. Get some good rest."

With Dragonite out of the fight, the remaining five Pokémon found it even harder to contend with the Forces of Nature; they could not hold out much longer. Shortly after, the Lunatone was also knocked to the ground.

On the other side, Team Rocket realized the situation had spiraled out of control and immediately fled the scene.

"This is no good. We have to calm them down immediately. Meloetta, let's go!"

Ridley took Meloetta to the spot where Giovanni had been and placed the mirror back onto the altar.

"Meloetta, I'm counting on you."

"Melo."

"Melo, melo, melo! Melo, melo, melo!"

Meloetta began to sing, its voice echoing out. The mirror levitated toward the sky, rising to the position of the Forces of Nature. The mirror's surface flipped rapidly, and the trio soon returned to their original states.

Once they reverted to their humanoid forms, the Forces of Nature ceased their attacks and departed. The sky began to clear.

"That's great, Meloetta! Everything is okay now."

At that moment, the group gathered together.

"Everyone, is everyone all right?"

"We're fine."

"Since things are settled, let's leave this place immediately."

They headed down, preparing to board the speedboat to depart.

"What's wrong, Cheng Cheng?"

Muzi noticed Cheng Cheng standing still.

"Muzi, you go on ahead. I want to stay here and see if I can find any useful information."

"No way, this temple is about to sink!"

Ridley, hearing that Cheng Cheng wanted to stay, immediately tried to dissuade him. He knew the temple was on the verge of submerging back into the ocean floor.

"It’s fine, don't worry about me. I'll find a way out."

"Cheng Cheng, I'll stay with you."

"No, I can only guarantee my own safe exit. I don't know what the actual situation is like inside. Look, Muzi, don't worry. Trust me, I'll be out soon. We still have the League Conference to attend together, don't we?"

Just then, everyone felt a tremor; the temple began to sink.

"Muzi, go quickly, or it will be too late. I must reach the inner sanctum of the temple immediately."

With that, Cheng Cheng ran off and found the entrance leading deeper into the temple.

"Muzi, let's go. We have to trust that Cheng Cheng can make it out."

Cynthia walked over and led Muzi away.

Everyone boarded the boat and left the temple. Not long after, the entire structure submerged into the water.

Cheng Cheng successfully entered the inner sanctum. Once inside, he found the switch to close the upper entrance. By sealing the mechanism, he prevented the seawater from flooding in.

Cheng Cheng marveled at the wisdom of the ancients, who had been able to create such a massive and airtight temple. However, he knew he couldn't stay too long, as there was no way to replenish the air inside.

The temple was pitch black, with no lighting whatsoever.

"Come out, Gardevoir. I need your help."

"Gardevoir!"

Gardevoir used Flash to illuminate the path ahead. Cheng Cheng observed the temple and noticed that, while its construction wasn't much different from other ruins he had visited, the design of the routes and mechanisms was unique.

Cheng Cheng was currently on the top floor. It wasn't very spacious, but it housed the altar. Therefore, the things he wanted to see should be here.

He reached the center of the floor, where a stone chamber contained a pedestal. Due to Giovanni's earlier actions, a portion of the top level had been destroyed, and water was already trickling in. He knew it wouldn't be long before the entire interior flooded, leaving this ruin truly abandoned.

Cheng Cheng had come primarily to see if there were any ancient inscriptions like those in the ruins of Zekrom. He wanted to uncover more secrets about this world.

He walked around the chamber, examining the carvings on the stone walls. With the help of his system's translation, he deciphered the text. The first passage detailed the construction of the temple, nothing particularly noteworthy.

He moved to the next passage, which told the story of Meloetta and the Forces of Nature. It stated that Meloetta could summon the trio and communicate with them telepathically.

From this, Cheng Cheng realized that Meloetta and the Forces of Nature must have once lived on the same land. That land had been torn apart by war, and the temple had sunk to the ocean floor. It seemed highly likely that the Abundant Shrine had once been part of that land, which explained why the Forces of Nature appeared there. It appeared that much of the geography had changed from ancient times to the present.

Cheng Cheng continued to search for text, having the system translate as he went. He found a set of the oldest inscriptions, and to his surprise, the content was similar to what he had seen in the Zekrom ruins.

The text recorded that in the distant past, a god had created the world. A "Source Earth Deity" emerged from this temple, summoning its three companions to help reshape the world. Once the world stabilized, they chose to live there.

This must have been the story of Meloetta and the Forces of Nature reshaping the world. Just as the Zekrom ruins described a god creating the world, Meloetta and the Forces of Nature, as the Source Earth Deities, had participated in the transformation. Once everything was set, they settled down.

Cheng Cheng suddenly realized that the Forces of Nature represented the essential elements of life: lightning, earth, wind, and rain. The accounts appeared to be true.

However, the records only covered the story of the Source Earth Deities and didn't detail how the world itself was created. It seemed he would have to visit the ruins of Reshiram to learn more. But for now, he had to focus on the upcoming League Conference.

At that moment, Cheng Cheng noticed the mirror. He approached it and picked it up. This must be the Reveal Glass, which could show the other side of things. It was because of the Reveal Glass that the Forces of Nature had changed forms and turned violent.

The frame of the Reveal Glass featured three colorful cloud-shaped patterns, likely representing the trio. The mirror was clearly intrinsically linked to them.

Knowing this temple would likely never be seen by the world again, he decided to keep the Reveal Glass; it might prove useful later. After stowing it in his bag, he knew he had to find a way out.

He headed toward the lower levels, only to find them already flooded; it wasn't just the top floor that had been damaged. Seawater was seeping in everywhere. He had no choice but to carve his own path to the surface.

"Come out, Lunatone."

"Gardevoir, use Shadow Ball. Lunatone, use Psyshock."

Lunatone and Gardevoir focused their attacks on a single point, quickly shattering the stone ceiling, and seawater began to pour in from outside.

"Return, Lunatone."

"Gardevoir, I'm counting on you."

"Gardevoir!"

Gardevoir used Psychic to form a massive barrier, and with Cheng Cheng inside, it surged out through the hole and toward the surface.