DP126: Classroom Training!

is the 22nd episode of Pokémon: DP Galactic Battles.
==Synopsis==
Zoey welcomes our heroes to her hometown, Snowpoint City, the site of Ash’s next Gym battle. The welcoming committee doubles when Candice joins the group—she’s Zoey’s friend and the Gym Leader that Ash hopes to battle! Candice also teaches at the Pokémon Trainer School where she and Zoey were once students; before she battles Ash, she wants to show him off to her special class for older Trainers. This special class includes Jeremiah, a Pokétch company employee who wants to travel with his Skuntank, and the members of Team Rocket in disguise.
Once Ash and Dawn are introduced, Candice starts the class with a quick-fire quiz challenge. Both Ash and James think they’ve got this in the bag, but Jeremiah beats them both! Ash may have the badges, but Jeremiah isn’t impressed by his quiz challenge performance. While Ash grumbles, Zoey tells Dawn all about how she met her Glameow on a cold night before she was old enough to be a Pokémon Trainer. Zoey insisted on raising Glameow no matter what, but the school’s principal, Mr. Honcho, insisted that Candice help her out. The two agreed to each focus on one area: Zoey concentrated on Contests, while Candice pursued Gym battles.
But all this time, Team Rocket has been focused on stealing the school’s stored Pokémon. They’ve overpowered Mr. Honcho, grabbed the school’s Poké Balls, and are about to make a clean getaway! Jeremiah and Skuntank try to stop them, but Team Rocket has Jeremiah’s Skuntank on the ropes. Candice and our heroes arrive in the nick of time; Ash and Buizel help rescue Skuntank, while Candice and her Abomasnow tackle Team Rocket. Our heroes foil Team Rocket once again, showing Jeremiah that Ash is a great Trainer after all and quiz results aren’t everything! Ash will take on Candice in a Gym challenge tomorrow—is he great enough to earn his next badge?
==Episode plot==
Ash, Dawn and Brock have kept their promise and meet up with Zoey near Snowpoint City. Dawn has been told that she needs to be right on time. Brock reminds that they saw her when Zoey battled Fantina. Ash has lost to her first, but shows she got her Badge. Dawn cannot wait for Zoey to show them the Snowpoint City, the town she was born in. Zoey gives them a tour and suddenly, a Pokémon emerges from a tree, so Glameow negates its attack. It is an Abomasnow, so Brock thinks that it is a wild one, but a woman on a tree denies this. She asks Zoey if Glameow is all right and she confirms. She turns on Dawn and is very amazed by her jacket. Zoey pushes her and reminds her to introduce herself.
She is Candice, the Gym Leader of Snowpoint City. Ash wants a challenge from her, though Candice is pleased, as Snowpoint City is quite far to north, so she does not have many challengers. Brock feels how it was when he was in charge of Pewter Gym. Candice asks him if he is on vacation, so Brock responds that his family runs the Gym while he goes on the journey. Candice asks of Ash to wait for the Gym Battle as she is working also as a teacher in the Pokémon Training School. She asks him how many Badges he got and is told Ash has six. Hearing this, she thinks Ash could also teach the children these days, since he is so experienced and asks Zoey to do the same.
Zoey shows Dawn that she has one more ribbon before competing in the Grand Festival. Candice comes and asks of Zo-Zo (Zoey) to do some battling to show the students. Zoey explains that the School's main goal is to prepare the trainers for the journey ahead, so they need to learn a lot before going out. There is one more course where the people that couldn't conduct their journey are now listening, along with their starter Pokémon. Candice presents Ash, who will soon challenge her for his seventh Badge, surprising Team Rocket, who is attending the course. Candice asks Ash how does one swiftly earn a Badge. Ash gives advice that the best defense is a good defense. Jessie, seeing how people are impressed by his Badges, thinks that she could get the same respect if she had all five Ribbons.
Ash and Dawn also attend the course, while Brock and Zoey believe Candice is learning a lot from Ash to use it against their fight. Ash sits with a man named Jeremiah, who has worked as a Pokétch salesman and has started his journey. He chose Skuntank as his first Pokémon. Dawn sits with James, unaware that he is James from Team Rocket. Candice now announces there is a quiz going on, making Ash upset, but Jeremiah calms him down, as it is just questions. Candice tells "Pikachu is..." and Ash answers it is an Electric-type. Candice tells him he is wrong, as she did not finish yet, so Jeremiah tells him not to be over-confident or he'll make more mistakes.
James stands up and tells that one needs to be fast and either listen to the question or predict what she will say. Candice admires James as a student and tells again. "Pikachu is the Mouse Pokémon...", so James hits the button and corrects it is the Tiny Mouse Pokémon, but Candice tells him he is wrong. James says that Pichu, as Pikachu's pre-evolved form, is the Tiny Mouse Pokémon, but Candice tells him it does not apply to Pikachu. She asks a different question: "What kind of Pokémon is Cyndaquil?" Jeremiah hits the button first and answers "It is the Fire Mouse Pokémon" and Candice admits he is correct.
Candice asks "Abra is..." and Jeremiah answers twenty-four hours. Jeremiah thinks the question would be "Abra sleeps eighteen hours per day. How long does smell from Stunky last?", so Candice admits he is right. Candice's next question is: "Meowth's most powerful move is..." and Team Rocket has doubts to hit the button, so Jeremiah hits it and answers Payday, which is correct. Jessie shakes Meowth and demands why Meowth didn't answer the question. A man asks when are they going to learn about battling and seeing some raised their hand, Candice explains that the trainer directs their Pokémon and they need to know this in any battle. Brock tells Zoey she knows what she is saying.
Ash is not pleased by the outcome, while Brock explains while he may not know answers, he is still good at battling. Jeremiah approaches them and is surprised he knows that much for someone who won six Badges, then goes away. Ash wonders where is Dawn and Zoey. Ash and Brock go to a shack where Zoey, Candice and Dawn are, where Candice and Zoey raised Glameow. Candice asks Dawn if she knows Zoey is stubborn, but wants Zoey to tell them the story. Zoey, on her way to the School, found Glameow in a box. She was young and couldn't keep it, and was told to take the Young Glameow to the Pokémon Center. instead, she brought it in the shack and cared for it. Mr. Honcho found out, but Zoey refused to let Glameow be taken away, so Miss Senior (Candice) stepped in and defended Zoey. Mr. Honcho relented, though she and Candice had to treat it. Eventually, they became partners.
Candice asks if she told them there cannot be anyone who pursues after Contests and Gym Battles. Ash and Dawn recall that when they met her first she told them this. Zoey admits it is because she believes one can achieve greatness if focusing on one way, so she chose Contests. Dawn answers to Candice that she lost her recent Contest Battle that should have gotten her last ribbon, but is relived, as now she and Zoey are on the same level. Candice is upset, as they are rivals and need to show more fighting spirit to win. Brock has noticed how she reacts and believes she is focused and might be very tough to beat.
Team Rocket is waiting for the battle as they got their own plans. Mr. Honcho approaches them and they are telling they wait. They ask for a tour and Honcho gives them one around the school. He shows them a room with Poké Balls. Seeing this, Jessie sends Seviper, who uses Haze. Mr. Honcho hits a button, making the alarm ring. Team Rocket goes with the treasure, but are stopped by Jeremiah. Jeremiah demands them to put down the Poké Balls. Since they refuse, Jeremiah sends Skuntank and James his Carnivine. Carnivine uses Vine Whip, wrapping Skuntank. Jeremiah orders Skuntank to scratch, but cannot, even Night Slash does not work.
Seviper attacks, but gets hit by Pikachu's Quick Attack. Team Rocket take their disguises off and threaten to hurt Skuntank if they approach. Zoey and Candice promise to get them punished, so Candice sends Abomasnow and Ash his Buizel. Seviper uses Haze and as they go, Abomasnow stops them with Blizzard. Buizel uses Aqua Jet and since Blizzard is still active, it turns to Ice Aqua Jet. This causes Skuntank to be freed from Carnivine. Glameow uses Shadow Claw, making the Poké Balls out of Team Rocket's reach, as they blast off. With Piplup's Whirlpool, the Balls are collected.
Ash praises Buizel for the battle, while Candice is amazed with Buizel's attack. Brock warns her that Ash can be unpredictable in his battles, so Candice tells Abomasnow to prepare itself. Jeremiah thanks Ash for saving Skuntank and apologizes for what he said earlier, as he now sees how powerful he is. Candice tells that today's job is done, but tomorrow they will have to battle, which Ash accepts.
==Debuts==
===Character===
*Candice
===Pokémon===
*Abomasnow (Candice's)
==Trivia==
*Candice teaching in a Trainers School copies this event in Hoenn with Roxanne.
*This episode starts the Snowpoint arc.
===Mistakes===
*Brock mentioned that Zoey and Dawn battled Fantina. This was wrong since Dawn never got the chance to do so.
*The top of Stunky's head is colored wrong in multiple scenes.
*There's a scene where Pikachu was shown on Ash's shoulder, even though he jumped off to Tackle Jessie's Seviper.
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:Episodes focusing on Zoey