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| Season | Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl (Season 10) · A new region, a new companion arc (DP001–DP003) |
| Episode | Season 10, episode 3 · English episode 467 · Japanese episode 470 · Bulbapedia code DP003 |
| English title | When Pokémon Worlds Collide! |
| Japanese title | ライバルバトル！三対三！！ Raibaru Batoru! San Tai San!! — “Rival Battle! Three VS Three!!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 28 September 2006 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 20 April 2007 · Cartoon Network |
| Screenplay | Atsuhiro Tomioka |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | None on TV – Together – Fumie Akiyoshi on the DVD · Kimi no Soba de ~Hikari no Tēma~ (By Your Side ~Hikari’s Theme~) – Grin |
| English opening | Diamond and Pearl – Chris “Breeze” Barczynski |
| Previous episode | Two Degrees of Separation! (DP002) |
| Next episode | Dawn Of A New Era! (DP004) |
Plot episodeAsh vs Paul – a drawDawn joins
When Pokémon Worlds Collide! is the 3rd episode of Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl, the tenth season of the Pokémon anime, and the 467th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 470, Bulbapedia code DP003). It first aired in Japan on 28 September 2006 and in the United States on 20 April 2007. It falls within the season’s A new region, a new companion stretch (EP1–EP3).
First shown as the last part of the TV movie of 20 April 2007, without its title screen and recap and with the final shot frozen before “To be continued”; aired in full on Wednesday 6 June 2007.
Synopsis
With Starly scouting overhead, Ash, Brock and Aipom keep searching for Pikachu, and a flash of electricity in the distance draws them off the road. The attacker is not Pikachu but an Elekid belonging to Paul, who is battling a flock of wild Starly. His Poké Ball strikes Ash’s newly caught Starly and fails, and when Ash asks about Pikachu, Paul has seen nothing but questions whether Ash’s Starly was worth catching. He then catches three Starly of his own, scans each with his Pokédex, keeps the one that knows Aerial Ace and releases the other two on the spot. Ash protests that any Pokémon can grow strong, but Paul only challenges him to a three-on-three battle, calls him pathetic when he cannot accept with just two Pokémon, and walks away. Moments later the distinctive cry of Volt Tackle rings out nearby, and Paul’s interest is piqued.
Dawn, Pikachu and Piplup have been cornered by Team Rocket’s giant robot, the Super Sinnoh Slinger Mark 1A, which knocks Piplup out and grabs Pikachu. Aipom’s Swift and Starly’s Whirlwind burst through the trees, the trio recite their new motto from a platform, and Ash climbs a tree, leaps onto the robot’s arm and pries open the hand holding Pikachu. Swinging wildly to shake him off, Team Rocket punch a hole in their own machine, which explodes and sends them flying. Ash and Pikachu crawl out of the wreckage, the friends introduce themselves, and Brock revives Piplup with a Super Potion. At Rowan’s lab Ash finds a parcel from his mother containing a new outfit, cap and backpack, chats with Delia and Professor Oak, and sets his goal: the Sinnoh League, starting with the Oreburgh Gym past Jubilife City. Dawn reveals her dream of becoming a Top Coordinator and asks to come along to Jubilife’s first Contest, and the boys agree.
Outside, Paul is waiting: now that Ash has three Pokémon, they can battle. Rowan lends his garden and Brock referees a three-on-three match with no substitutions. Paul’s Starly dodges Ash’s Quick Attack and Wing Attack with Double Team and wins with Aerial Ace. Aipom faces Paul’s Chimchar, whose Flame Wheel twice breaks the charge of Focus Punch, until Aipom vaults over the spinning flames and lands the punch for the win. Finally Pikachu meets Elekid, which absorbs Thunderbolt, blocks Volt Tackle with Protect and trades Brick Break for Iron Tail until Thunder Punch and Pikachu’s last strike knock both out at once. The match is declared a draw. Ash calls himself the loser because Pikachu fell first, but Paul curtly tells him a draw is a draw, then releases his Starly too, saying a stronger one will come along. As he bows to Rowan and leaves, Ash fumes at his contempt for Pokémon, and a new rivalry is born.
Major Events
- Ash vs Paul. Ash is reunited with Pikachu and meets Dawn
- Paul catches three Starly and releases two on the spot
- A new outfit from Delia
- Dawn joins the group
- Ash and Paul’s three-on-three at Rowan’s lab ends in a draw
- Paul releases his remaining Starly
- Team Rocket’s first Sinnoh motto
Trivia
- The English title plays on the 1933 novel and 1951 film When Worlds Collide.
- The screenplay is by Atsuhiro Tomioka.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Sinnoh storyline.
Changes in the English Dub
- On the TV movie the title screen and the recap were removed and the last shot was frozen so that To be continued never appears
- Paul’s home town, Veilstone, and Ash’s, Pallet Town, dropped from the introductions, so Paul’s is first revealed in DP040
- Meowth says they have chased Pikachu “as long as Dawn has been alive”
- Elekid keeps its Japanese voice
- By Your Side ~Hikari’s Theme~ ends its first TV episode
- Lucario and Jirachi: Wish Maker scores
Part of our Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.