Giovanni arrives in Unova for Team Rocket's biggest plan to date, "Operation Tempest". As Ash and Cilan train at Cynthia's villa, a trainer named Ridley shows up and reveals that he is Meloetta's protector and that Meloetta was kidnapped by evil villains and he has been searching for it ever since. However, the introductions are short lived when Team Rocket attacks the villa causing everyone to flee into the woods. As Iris and Cilan try to stall Jessie and James, Ash runs away, only to be stopped by Giovanni who captures not only him and Pikachu, but Meloetta as well. With their plan in motion, Team Rocket set out for the undersea ruins to launch their plan.