DP012

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Diamond & Pearl series

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Arrival of a Rival

DP012   EP478 コンテストバトル！ライバル対決!! Contest Battle! Rival Confrontation!!

First broadcast Japan December 14, 2006 United States June 21, 2007

English themes Opening Diamond and Pearl Ending

Japanese themes Opening Together Ending 君のそばで 〜ヒカリのテーマ〜

Credits Animation Team Iguchi Screenplay 冨岡淳広 Atsuhiro Tomioka Storyboard 日高政光 Masamitsu Hidaka Assistant director 渡辺正彦 Masahiko Watanabe Animation director 志村泉 Izumi Shimura Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

Arrival of a Rival (Japanese: コンテストバトル！ライバル対決!! Contest Battle! Rival Confrontation!!) is the 12th episode of the Diamond & Pearl series, and the 478th episode of the Pokémon anime. It was first broadcast in Japan on December 14, 2006, and in the USA on June 21, 2007.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Synopsis

The Jubilife Contest is still underway, with the appeals round closing and the final eight are decided. Zoey, Dawn, Ash, and Jessie make it in. Dawn calls her mother, but she already knows. The computer pairs up the final eight for the second round battles, with Zoey battling Ash in the first battle. Zoey finds out about Ash’s intention to acquire gym badges, and she critiques him about the difference between contests and gyms. Even though Brock reminds Ash that a contest battle is different, Ash decides to battle by instinct. Meanwhile, James and Meowth meet up with Jessie, beaten and battered after trying to sell fake seals.

The second round battles begin, the first battle between Zoey and Ash. Ash sends out Aipom while Zoey sends out Glameow. Ash makes the first move with Focus Punch. Glameow waits until Aipom closes in, grabbing Aipom's tail to stop Aipom's attack and robs Ash of points. Glameow sends Aipom flying, but it attacks with Swift, hitting and taking some of Zoey's points.

Glameow tries Fury Swipes, but Aipom uses Double Team to get behind it, attacking with Swift. However, Glameow uses Fury Swipes to send the attack back to Aipom and robs Ash of more points. Ash orders another Focus Punch, but Glameow blocks with Iron Tail. However, Glameow straightens its tail to hit Aipom. With thirty seconds left, Ash has lost most of his points, but Ash persists and orders another Focus Punch. Glameow uses Shadow Claw to block the Focus Punch long enough for Glameow to dodge before hitting Aipom with another Iron Tail. With ten seconds left, Ash orders a final Focus Punch. The attack is so powerful that Zoey and Glameow are both frozen in their tracks. However, time runs out just before the attack hits and Zoey wins.

Backstage, Ash recounts how his moves did not appeal as much. Ash congratulates Zoey, but Zoey brings up how powerful the Focus Punch attack was, noting how Ash could have won had time not expired. Still, she mentions how Ash doesn't fit well in contest battles. Dawn mentions that Ash joined because his Aipom wanted to. Zoey makes the suggestion that Dawn raises Aipom. Dawn and Jessie both win their respective battles.

Dawn now faces Zoey in the next round. Dawn sends out Buneary while Zoey sends out Glameow. Buneary uses Ice Beam, but Glameow uses Shadow Claw to block the attack and Dawn loses points. Buneary uses Bounce, and Glameow jumps with its tail, soaring above Buneary and using Fury Swipes. Glameow uses Iron Tail, but Buneary blocks with both its ears, taking Zoey's points. Glameow spins its tail, spinning Buneary and sending it flying. Buneary uses Ice Beam again, but Glameow dodges. However, the attack creates an ice field around Glameow, causing it to slide. Buneary uses Dizzy Punch and Bounce, landing multiple attacks due to the ice. With thirty seconds left, Buneary uses Dizzy Punch again. Glameow uses Shadow Claw to attack the ice and sends shards against Buneary, stopping the attack. Glameow springs up with Iron tail and knocks Buneary down. Time expires and Zoey wins the round. Dawn calls her mother upset, but her mother gives her a quick stern talk about looking forward and her friends as support.

The final battle pits Jessie’s Carnivine against Zoey’s Glameow. Only one minute is left, and Zoey has the lead, but Carnivine has Glameow wrapped. Carnivine tries to Bite, but Glameow's Shadow Claw strikes back and frees itself. Glameow attacks with Fury Swipes. Carnivine fires Bullet Seed, but Glameow dodges and use Iron Tail to empty Jessie's points. Zoey wins the contest, and the Jubilife Ribbon is presented to her as everyone applauds. Outside, Dawn promises Zoey that she will get better. Zoey leaves, everyone notes that she has a new rival. Now, the group looks forward to Ash's first gym battle.

Major events

• Zoey, Dawn, Ash and Jessie advance to the second round.
• Ash, Dawn, and Jessie are all defeated by Zoey.
• Zoey obtains her second ribbon.

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Dawn
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Zoey
• Nurse Joy
• Johanna
• Marian
• Contesta
• Mr. Sukizo
• Coordinators
• Audience

Pokémon

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Aipom (Ash's)
• Piplup (Dawn's)
• Buneary (Dawn's)
• Carnivine (James's)
• Glameow (Zoey's)
• Misdreavus (Zoey's)
• Glameow (Johanna's)
• Rhydon
• Azumarill
• Bidoof

Trivia

• Dawn reads the title card.
• Sir Aaron's theme from Lucario and the Mystery of Mew is used as background music.
• The two eyecatch shots switched places with each other.
• Professor Oak's lecture: Pokémon Contest Battle Round
  • Pokémon senryū: ごふんかん　みせてしょうぶだ　コンテストバトル A five-minute battle for show, that is a contest battle.
• In the European Portuguese dub, the title card is not read by Raquel Ferreira, which is Dawn's voice actress. Instead, it is read by Ana Vieira, performing a young girl's voice. Ana Vieira is rumoured to be the voice director for the European Portuguese version of Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl but has yet to participate as a voice actress in the anime. At the moment, the European Portuguese watchers of Pokémon thought that Jessie's and Dawn's voice actress was changed, but as in the episode Raquel Ferreira was still their voice actress, it is assumed that she wasn't available for some reason to read to title and Ana Vieira tried to imitate her voice as Dawn.
• *During Ash's battle with Zoey; Zoey's Glameow managed to dodge Aipom's Swift attack, however swift is an unavoidable move in the games.

In other languages

• Finnish: Kilpasiskokset
• German: Freundin und Rivalin
• Brazilian Portuguese: A Chegada de Uma Rival!
• Italian: Una rivale per Lucinda & Una Gara mozzafiato
• Latin American Spanish: ¡Un Rival esta por llegar!
• Iberian Spanish: ¡La llegada de un rival!
• Dutch: Goede Rivalen!
• Czech: Setkání s protivníkem
• Polish: Dawn i jej pierwsza rywalka

← DP011 : Mounting a Coordinator Assault

Diamond & Pearl series

DP013 : A Staravia Is Born! →

This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.