"I guess Connoisseurs love talking as much as they love food."
—Dawn, after Cilan's Evaluation Time for Piplup
Japanese Title: Pochama VS Yanappu! The Magnificent Battle!!
Original Airdate: June 28, 2012
US Airdate: November 3, 2012
Piplup and Oshawott get off on the wrong flipper.
Ash, Iris, and Cilan arrive at Cynthia's house to train before entering the Unova League. Once there, Ash reunites with Dawn, who is headed to the World Tournament Junior Cup. Team Rocket continues to scout the Meloetta that Ash is taking care of, while Meloetta kindles a rivalry between Ash's Oshawott and Dawn's Piplup.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Aborted Arc: In Dawn's last appearance during a side story episode, she made the decision to go to Hoenn to participate in the contests there, and the episode ended with her on a ship for Hoenn. However, this episode makes no reference to her having traveled to Hoenn, and the end of her reappearance arc ends with her departing for Johto.
- The Bus Came Back: Dawn returns for a multi-episode arc beginning with this episode.
- Chekhov's Skill: Piplup uses the techinque of spinning in mid-air with its eyes closed while using Bubblebeam, that it mastered in the season 10 episode "Like It Or Lup It" to defend against Pansage's Rock Tomb.
- Color Failure: Happens to Dawn and Piplup after Cilan's...flamboyant evaluation of Piplup.
- Dub-Induced Plot Hole: The special episode where Dawn's Cyndaquil was shown evolving was never dubbed, so Quilava's appearance kind of comes out of nowhere for international fans.
- Friendly Rivalry: The first spar among them (the title fight of this episode) is between Dawn and Cilan, with Cilan as a connoisseur using Pansage to evaluate Piplup.
- Gratuitous English: In the original Japanese, Cilan uses a lot of English in his Evaluation/Tasting Time on Piplup.
- Humiliation Conga: Oshawott is attracted to Dawn's Buneary, but is alarmed when he finds out she only has eyes for Pikachu. In his shock, his scalchop falls off, which Piplup tries unsuccessfully to wear. And then Pachirisu punts the scalchop.
- Hypocritical Humor: Oshawott getting mad at Piplup developing a crush on Meloetta came moments after he crushed on Buneary.
- Love Triangle: Forms between Oshawott, Piplup, and Meloetta. It becomes the overarching storyline of this reunion arc.
- Ms. Fanservice: Elesa (fantasy). Dawn explained to the crew that she visited the fashion show in Nimbasa city, picturing Elesa's outfits.
- Ordered Apology: Ash demanded for Oshawott to apologize to Piplup because the former used Aqua Jet on the latter.
- Rejected Apology: Oshawott apologizes to Piplup because Ash ordered it to. Understandably, Piplup rejects the apology.
- Take That!: Meloetta dances with Piplup after his final move against Pansage awes her. When Oshawott pops out his Poké Ball in jealousy, Piplup shoots him a smug smirk.
- Wingding Eyes: The moment Piplup sees Meloetta, he gets hearts for eyes. Much to Oshawott's chagrin.
