DP029

← DP028 : Drifloon on the Wind!

Diamond & Pearl series

DP030 : Some Enchanted Sweetening →

The Champ Twins!

DP029   EP495 サトシとヒカリ！タッグバトルで大丈夫!? Satoshi and Hikari! Any Need to Worry in a Tag Battle!?

First broadcast Japan April 12, 2007 United States September 22, 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〜 PopUp.Version

Credits Animation Team Iguchi Screenplay 大橋志吉 Yukiyoshi Ōhashi Storyboard 秦義人 Yoshito Hata Assistant director 古賀一臣 Kazuomi Koga Animation director 船津弘美 Hiromi Funatsu Additional credits

Screenshots on Filb.de

The Champ Twins! (Japanese: サトシとヒカリ！タッグバトルで大丈夫!? Satoshi and Hikari! Any Need to Worry in a Tag Battle!?) is the 29th episode of the Diamond & Pearl series, and the 495th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on April 12, 2007 as part of a one-hour special with Drifloon on the Wind!, and in the United States on September 22, 2007.

Following a TV interview, Ash and Dawn challenge a pair of brothers to a tag battle for the program. Will they be able to compete with the twins' strongest combination that has allowed them to win their last 16 battles?

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

Synopsis

On their way to Eterna City, Ash and his friends encounter a reporter who introduces herself as Rhonda from Sinnoh Now. Dawn explains to Ash that Sinnoh Now is the most popular television show in the whole Sinnoh region. Rhonda says that she is doing a news story on a Pokémon Training Camp ahead and also tells them that her main focus is two trainers that truly test the strength of all their challengers, but then she interrupted by her boom operator, Jack, who drops the microphone on her head. Just then, Jessie appears in front of the camera with a blatant cowgirl disguise, with James and Meowth in similar disguises nearby. After showing off in front of the camera for a while, Jessie is dragged off by one of the Sinnoh Now staff.

The group then arrive at the camp, and come across two trainers who are talking about their recent loss to the two trainers that Rhonda had mentioned before. Whilst searching for them, the group see a few Pokémon who had just lost against two twin boys with a Croconaw and a Quilava. They introduce themselves as the "Champ Twins", Ryan and Bryan. When requested to battle, they tell Ash that they only participate in tag battles. Brock explains to Dawn about tag battles, and Dawn agrees to join up with Ash. Ash and Dawn send out Turtwig and Piplup, respectively, and are ready to battle when the Sinnoh Now staff appear again to introduce the twins to the camera. Jack drops the microphone on Rhonda's head again, who angrily warns him not to do it again. The trainers agree to let Rhonda film the battle.

Ryan's Quilava begins the battle by using Flame Wheel, which Ash's Turtwig dodges. Quilava attacks again, but this time when Turtwig dodges, it accidentally runs into Dawn's Piplup. Ash and Dawn start arguing, and in their haste to recover, Piplup trips and collides with Turtwig yet again. The two trainers argue even more, with their Pokémon exchanging attacks. Even when Bryan's Croconaw attacks them both with Water Gun, they still continue to attack each other. Croconaw and Quilava attack again, until both Turtwig and Piplup are knocked out, and the twins are declared the winners.

Afterwards, Ash and Dawn continue to argue, and as do their Pokémon. Pikachu uses its Thunderbolt to break up the brawl, then Turtwig and Piplup make up. After some encouragement from Brock and their Pokémon, Ash and Dawn make up as well. The two agree to battle the twins again, and try to work out a strategy.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket are sitting in the forest, and set Ryan and Bryan's Croconaw and Quilava as their next targets.

Ryan and Bryan walk through the forest, and see lots of fruit and berries arranged on a table. They run towards it, when suddenly they fall into a pit trap. Team Rocket arrive in their balloon, reciting their motto, then they grab the twins' Pokémon. The twins pursue Team Rocket, and when they encounter Ash and his friends, they tell them that their Pokémon had just been stolen. Ash sends out his Staravia, who punctures the balloon with its Quick Attack. When the group catch up with Team Rocket, Jessie and James send out Seviper and Carnivine to battle. Seviper and Carnivine attack, but Turtwig and Piplup dodge and strike back and send Team Rocket flying.

Ash and Dawn begin their second battle with the twins, but this time combining their moves and dodging most of the twins' attacks, with Rhonda reporting all the while. Eventually, after a long battle, Ash and Dawn emerge as the victors. Rhonda tells the group that she is only going the air the second battle, to which Ash and Dawn are pleased. The episode ends with Ash and his friends continuing their journey to Eterna City.

Major events

• Ash and Dawn have their first double battle together.

Debuts

• Rhonda and the Sinnoh Now staff

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Dawn
• Brock
• Jessie
• James
• Ryan and Bryan
• Rhonda
• Sinnoh Now Staff (Japanese: シンオウ・ナウスタッフ Sinnoh Now Staff)
  • Voice staff (Seiyū: 三木眞一郎 Shin'ichirō Miki*)
  • Timekeeper (Seiyū: 古島清孝 Kiyotaka Furushima*)
  • Cameraman
• Boy trainer A (Seiyū: 佐藤智恵 Chie Satō)
• Boy trainer B
• Boy trainer C (Seiyū: 林原めぐみ Megumi Hayashibara*)
• Boy trainer D (Seiyū: 阪口大助 Daisuke Sakaguchi*)
• Trainers

* No official credit was given for this character.

Pokémon

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Turtwig (Ash's)
• Staravia (Ash's)
• Piplup (Dawn's)
• Seviper (Jessie's)
• Carnivine (James's)
• Quilava (Ryan's) (Seiyū: 西村ちなみ Chinami Nishimura)
• Croconaw (Bryan's) (Seiyū: 石塚運昇 Unshō Ishizuka*)
• Slakoth (Boy trainer A's)
• Lombre (Boy trainer B's)
• Nuzleaf (Boy trainer C's)
• Doduo (Boy trainer D's)
• Abra
• Growlithe
• Magnemite
• Skiploom
• Spheal
• Starly
• Bidoof
• Budew
• Shinx

* No official credit was given for this character.

Trivia

• This episode is one of the very few that doesn't feature Jessie's Wobbuffet.
• This episode returns to the preview cold open format used in earlier episodes in the Diamond & Pearl series.
• Music from Lucario and the Mystery of Mew and the instrumental version of By Your Side ~Hikari's Theme~, Pokémon Symphonic Medley and the TV version of Ready Go! are used as background music.
• Professor Oak's lecture: Pokémon food
  • Pokémon senryū: かくしあじ　あいじょうたっぷり　ポケモンフーズ Kakushi aji, aijō tappuri, Pokémon fūzu.
• The next episode preview is narrated by Ash.
• The English dub title of "The Champ Twins" is clearly a pun on another animated television show, The Cramp Twins.
• The Champ Twins' Pokémon are the evolutions of two of Ash's starter Pokémon from Johto that never evolved (Cyndaquil and Totodile).
• Swift cannot miss under normal conditions in the game. However, Piplup and Turtwig are both able to dodge it. This is a possible example of anime physics.
• This episode is similar to The Bicker the Better in a lot of ways; except Ash and Dawn weren't considered in a Template:S, and Dawn and Ash forgave each other quickly.
• In one scene, Dawn tells Ash that his Turtwig has two left legs. That's ironic, because Turtwig, as a quadrupedal, actually have two left legs.

In other languages

• Brazilian Portuguese: Os Gêmeos Campeões!
• German: Die Champion-Zwillinge
• Finnish: Kaksoset
• Italian: I gemelli imbattibili & Una squadra in perfetta sintonia
• Spanish: ¡Los gemelos campeones!
• Dutch: Dubbel gevecht, Dawn en Ash!
• Czech: Dvojčata šampioni
• Polish: Super bracia

← DP028 : Drifloon on the Wind!

Diamond & Pearl series

DP030 : Some Enchanted Sweetening →

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