DP061

←	DP060 : Journey to the Unown!

Team Shocker!

DP061

EP527

ポケモンコンテスト！ズイ大会！！
Pokémon Contest! Zui Convention!!

First broadcast

Japan	December 20, 2007
United States	June 14, 2008

English themes

Opening	We Will Be Heroes
Ending

Japanese themes

Opening	Together (shown in DP060)
Ending	君のそばで〜ヒカリのテーマ〜 (Winter Version)

Credits

Additional credits
Animation	Team Iguchi
Screenplay	冨岡淳広 Atsuhiro Tomioka
Storyboard	井硲清高 Kiyotaka Itani
Assistant director	浅田裕二 Yūji Asada
Animation director	岩根雅明 Masaaki Iwane

Screenshots on Filb.de

Team Shocker! (Japanese: ポケモンコンテスト！ズイ大会！！ Pokémon Contest! Zui Convention!!) is the 61st episode of Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl, and the 527th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on December 20, 2007 along with DP060, and in the United States on June 14, 2008.

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

Blurb

The Solaceon Contest is about to start, and Dawn is eager to show off her Ambipom's spectacular Swift move. The competition includes both Jessie and Dawn's friend Kenny, who's also been helping Ash's Turtwig learn the Energy Ball move. Kenny and his Breloom make an impressive Contest entrance, and Jessie brings out her Dustox for an explosive first act. Then Dawn takes the stage, and Ambipom's swirling Swift lights up the entire stadium—but the judges don't seem impressed by Ambipom's pyrotechnics...

Backstage, everyone gathers for the first round results: Kenny and Jessie advance, yet Dawn is out of the competition. As her friends comfort her, she shrugs it off and puts on a brave face, staying to watch the Contest finals and cheer for Kenny. The last round of the Contest sees Kenny and his Prinplup battling Jessie and Dustox, and Jessie wins the match as time runs out. Kenny leaves to train for his next Contest, but he's quietly concerned that Dawn no longer seems to be interested in competing.

Just as Kenny suspected, this latest setback has left Dawn deeply confused and upset. The next day, Dawn won't even get out of bed until Zoey, who saw what happened at the Contest, shows up and demands a battle. During the battle, Zoey shows Dawn that Ambipom's Swift move was pretty-too pretty! Ambipom was hidden by all the flash, when Dawn should have been concentrating on showing off Ambipom itself. Somewhat cheered, Dawn takes Zoey's advice to heart as our heroes head for Veilstone City, where Ash hopes to win his next Gym Badge!

Plot

On the day before the Solaceon Town Pokémon Contest, Ash attempts to train Turtwig to use Energy Ball, while Kenny and his Breloom look on. However, the training is not going well, and the Energy Ball backfires before taking form, sending Turtwig flying. Kenny comments that while Turtwig is having problems with the forming, it is concentrating hard enough. Ash compliments his Turtwig, knowing they will have to take their time.

Meanwhile, Dawn is determined to win the Solaceon Contest. With her newly evolved Ambipom, she practices a Swift attack, and creates a dazzling rainbow as a result. After finishing, Dawn rewards Ambipom and her other Pokémon with Poffins for their hard work. Brock compliments Ambipom's performance. Dawn tells Brock that, after losing the Hearthome Contest, she has decided to try a different strategy by showing off one move as much as possible. Jessie, as "Jessilina", is also practicing well into the night alongside Dustox. She envisions winning using James and Meowth's strategy, which worries James and Meowth since they haven't actually thought of one.

On the day of the Solaceon Contest, Ash tells Pikachu and Dawn’s Pokémon to cheer for Ambipom. Dawns mother Johanna and her Glameow are watching at home. Marian shows off the winning prise, the Solaceon Ribbon before introducing the panel of judges, formed by the Chief of the Pokémon Activities Committee, Mr. Contesta; the President of the Pokémon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo; and Solaceon's very own Nurse Joy.

The Performance Stage begins. Kenny is up first, and has Breloom begin with a Stun Spore to show off its sheen. Breloom uses Energy Ball, and after using its tail to send the Energy Ball to the ceiling, Breloom uses Mach Punch on the Energy Ball, making the whole stage and Breloom shine. The crowd is enraptured, and the Contest Judges pass their compliments on. After a few more performances, it's now Jessie's turn. Jessie sends Dustox out from her Poké Ball and she flies around showing off her shining scales. Dustox whips up a Whirlwind, and the audience is astounded to see Jessie lifted off the ground. Jessie finishes the performance by having Dustox use Psybeam, which causes a plume of green smoke. Jessie and Dustox emerge waving to the crowd, earning compliments from the judges for being so in sync with each other.

Next, Dawn calls Ambipom to the stage with a Party Seal welcome followed by a Double Hit, sending shockwaves throughout the Contest Hall. She has Ambipom begin her rainbow Swift routine. Dawn orders Ambipom to go faster, and the whole stage is covered in Swift stars. While the display is certainly dazzling, some of Dawn’s supporters including Brock and Zoey, who is watching from a Pokémon Center, have their concerns that she has overdone it. Their fears are confirmed when Dawn fails to clear the Performance Stage. Dawn, however, is left confused by the result, but congratulates her friend Kenny for making it to the Battle Stage. Jessie, on the other hand, cannot help but rub Dawn's face in her loss and tries to force her out of the backstage but Dawn, all smiles, tells Jessie she's staying. Ash notices that despite her smile, Dawn is far more disappointed than she's letting on.

Both Kenny and Jessie make it through to the final, and it's Dustox versus Prinplup. Dustox avoids a Drill Peck and hits Prinplup with a Psybeam. Everyone backstage is rooting for Kenny apart from Dawn, who is now feeling very sorry for herself. The battle is hard fought, leading to the time running out and as Dustox is left with the most points, Jessie is declared the winner. Having finally won her first Ribbon, Jessie is delighted and the judges note how relaxed she was in this Contest compared to others. James and Meowth are equally thrilled by the result.

Later that afternoon, Kenny is preparing to leave and tells Dawn he will see her in the next Pokémon Contest. However, Dawn's confidence has taken a serious blow and she does not think she will attend the next one. Kenny tells Dawn that he will not let her quit coordinating, and then after telling Ash to keep working on Turtwig's Energy Ball, bids the group farewell. Dawn retreats to her room, feeling very sorry for herself. Having lost two Contests in a row without even making it past the Appeal Rounds despite trying her best, Dawn is no longer sure if she's cut out for Contests and after looking at the Ribbon her mother gave her at the beginning of her journey, cries herself to sleep.

The next day, Ash and Brock are ready to leave Solaceon Town, but Dawn hasn't turned up as she's still fast asleep in bed. Suddenly, the two get a huge surprise, as Zoey turns up to see Dawn. Zoey tells Dawn out of bed and asks her for a battle, and to partner with Ambipom based on the previous day's appeal. As requested, Dawn orders a round of rainbow Swift. As Ambipom is covered with the stars, Zoey points out where Dawn is going wrong; while the move is pretty and impressive, the flaw is that Ambipom can no longer be seen. She reiterates that an Appeal is meant to show off the Pokémon, like Kenny and Jessie did with theirs. Zoey has Glameow use Iron Tail to smash through the Swift, then hits Ambipom with a Shock Wave knocking her back to Dawn. Zoey reveals to Dawn that she passed on the Solaceon Contest to recharge and regain her focus after losing at Hearthome City. Dawn is relieved and takes on Zoey's advice, deciding to turn this defeat into a chance to learn. The group soon sets off for Veilstone City, where Ash hopes to compete for his next Gym Badge.

Major events

Jessilina being awarded the Solaceon Ribbon

Ash's Turtwig continues to learn Energy Ball with Kenny's help.
Dawn, Kenny, and Jessilina enter the Solaceon Town Pokémon Contest.
Dawn fails to pass the Performance Stage for the second time in a row, resulting in her losing confidence in her abilities.
Jessilina defeats Kenny in the finals and wins the Solaceon Contest, earning the Solaceon Ribbon, her first Contest Ribbon.
Zoey returns to advise Dawn in matters of Pokémon Contest performances.

For a list of all major events in the animated series, please see the history page.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

Characters

Humans

Pokémon

Pikachu (Ash's)
Meowth (Team Rocket)
Piplup (Dawn's)
Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
Turtwig (Ash's)
Buneary (Dawn's)
Pachirisu (Dawn's)
Ambipom (Dawn's)
Dustox (Jessie's)
Glameow (Zoey's)
Prinplup (Kenny's)
Breloom (Kenny's)
Glameow (Johanna's)
Rattata (Coordinator's)
Dunsparce (Coordinator's)
Steelix (Coordinator's)
Exploud (Coordinator's)
Dusclops (Coordinator's)

Trivia

Professor Oak's Big Pokémon Encyclopedia: Bibarel
- Pokémon senryū: たいぼくを　かじれビーダル　はがいのち Taiboku o, kajire Bīdaru, hagai no chi.
This is the first official Contest that Jessie has ever won. However, she uses another name in her entry, Jessilina.
This is the last episode to use By Your Side ~Hikari's Theme~ (Winter Version) as an ending theme well as By Your Side ~Hikari's Theme~ in general.
An instrumental version of By Your Side ~Hikari's Theme~ is played during Dawn's performance. It is present in both the original and the dub.
Ambipom's performance was similar to May's Skitty's performance in the Hoenn Grand Festival where they kept using the same move over and over again.
- Ambipom's performance was also similar to Drew's Roselia's performance in Win, Lose or Drew! where the Pokémon disappeared from sight during their flashy big finish. However, unlike Roselia who passed to the next round because of that, Ambipom didn't.
Dustox participates in what turns out to be her final Contest.
When James and Meowth were pretending to make a plan for a Contest, the Background Music is from Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team.
Dawn's Pachirisu and Piplup are wearing the same cheering outfit as Buneary, while Pikachu wears a male kimono. This suggests that both Piplup and Pachirisu are female. However, in a later episode, Piplup is confirmed to be male.
Team Rocket doesn't blast off or recite their motto in this episode.

Errors

Coloring error

In one scene in the original airing, the black portion of Ash's hat exceeds out of its normal boundaries. This is fixed in subsequent airings.
In the initial English dub airing, the credits start in the middle for no apparent reason.
In the Polish dub, after the explosion during Jessie's Performance Stage, Marian refers to Psychopromień as Psychopłomień.
In the Hindi dub on Hungama TV/Marvel HQ, Ash refers to Zoey as male.
In the Brazilian Portuguese dub, during Kenny's Performance Stage, Marian refers to Mach Punch as if it was a Fire-type move.

Dub edits

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		神奇寶貝華麗大賽！隨意大會！
Czech		Týmový šok!
Danish		Holdgyser
Dutch		Team Tegenslag!
Finnish		Yllätyskisa
European French		Un numéro trop parfait !
German		Fehler machen klüger!
Italian		Strategia vincente!
Korean		포켓몬 콘테스트! 신수대회!
Norwegian		Team "røver"
Polish		Wielkie zaskoczenie
Portuguese	Brazil	Choque de Rivais!
Portuguese	Portugal	O Grande Choque!
Romanian		Echipa Șocantă
Russian		Команда Шокер
Spanish	Latin America	¡Un buen equipo!
Spanish	Spain	¡Un equipo de impacto!
Swedish		Lagrysare!