DP022: Borrowing on Bad Faith!

is the 22nd episode of , and of .
==Synopsis==
When Ash and his friends pass a village that's holding an informal Pokémon Contest where the prize is a year's supply of fruit, Dawn is eager to enter. Ash is just eager to get his hat back once Aipom grabs it and runs off, as usual, but Aipom runs too far and ends up stranded on a perilous spire of rock. Team Rocket wants to enter the Pokémon Contest too, and Jessie sees her chance when she finds and rescues Aipom. As thanks for the rescue, she persuades Ash to let her borrow Aipom for the Contest, and even Aipom seems eager to make the switch!
Once the Contest training begins, Ash is nervous about how easily Jessie and Aipom are working together. During the first round of the Contest, Aipom and Jessie make a fantastic team, and Ash starts to panic—what if Aipom doesn't want to come back? Meanwhile, Dawn's Pachirisu has a case of stage fright, but it manages to come through with a good show. Jessie and Dawn will now face each other in the final round.
Dawn's Pachirisu is brave, but it's unexperienced compared to Jessie and Aipom. Aipom wins the Contest with ease, although Team Rocket is so used to thievery that they steal the prize pile of fruit anyway. To Ash's horror, Aipom chases after them and joins their gang. Luckily, Aipom only wants some of the fruit, and when Team Rocket tries to steal Pikachu too, Aipom uses Swift to send them flying before returning to its real Trainer, Ash!
==Episode plot==
As Ash trains with Pikachu for the next Gym battle, Aipom steals Ash's hat. Dawn sees an advert where the village will have a Contest. Brock thinks it would be a good idea to enter it. Aipom taunts Ash, so he goes to get her. Jessie sees the advert as well and wants to enter the Contest. Jessie tells James she will need Carnivine again. James thinks it is a bad idea and Jessie thinks about what Pokémon she should use. Just then they see Aipom stuck on a rock. Jessie is dazzled by her eyes and gives help by giving a log so she can walk away. Jessie gets it, but loses her stability and ends up on the rock. Aipom drops Ash's hat and Ash gets it, then sees Team Rocket.
Aipom and Jessie fall down a hole, then get up and land on the cliff where the others are. Aipom is grateful for rescue and Ash (nervously) thanks them. Jessie wants a reward and plans to use Aipom in the Contest she and Dawn will compete in. Ash does not give up Aipom to her, but after being persuaded, he allows it, but only when the Contest is over. Dawn and Brock see the festival, while Ash spies on Team Rocket, worried about Aipom a lot. Jessie trains with Aipom - she uses Focus Punch, then Double Team to gather nuts. Aipom shows Jessie Swift and she is satisfied. Ash thinks they will win the Contest and Dawn is afraid he might be right about that.
The Contest is about to begin. Since it is unofficial, Nurse Joy presents a year supply of fruit. First is Dawn, who sends Pachirisu. Pachirisu does not want to use Swift Kiss, but Dawn convinces it, as it is its first Contest, so it uses. Pachirisu uses Spark and follows with Discharge, but the latter shocks the audience... literally! Later, Brock and Ash think Dawn is already in advantage. After some performances, next is Jessie. She sends Aipom, who starts with Swift. Then, she uses Focus Punch to mess the stars, making glitter around the field. Aipom follows with Double Team and dances, then spins using Swift. Jessie and Aipom are happy and Ash is troubled as Aipom might leave with Jessie...
The judge announces that Jessie and Dawn are the Contestants for the finale. Brock thinks Ash is concerned that Jessie and Aipom are successful. Jessie sends Aipom and Dawn Pachirisu. Pachirisu starts with Spark, but misses and Aipom uses Double Team. Aipom grabs the illusions' tail and spins. Dawn loses points and Jessie brags, though Dawn reminds her Aipom is powerful because of Ash. Pachirisu uses Spark and is countered by Swift. Aipom uses Focus Punch and hits Pachirisu, defeating it. Dawn is still happy, as this was practice for Floaroma Town.
Jessie wins the fruit supply and climbs atop the balloon. Team Rocket think the heroes are afraid to attack, having forgotten they rightfully won the supply. Aipom jumps to the balloon and Ash thinks she wants to be with them, but it turns out she is eating the fruit. Meowth uses the robot arm to grab her, but Aipom uses Focus Punch to destroy the arm. Meowth releases a second arm to get Pikachu, but Aipom uses Swift to blast them off. Later, Ash is relieved to have Aipom back. Ash thinks she likes Gym battles more than Contest battles, but gets his hat stolen again.
==Trivia==
*This episode originally aired as part of a one-hour special celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Pokémon anime.
**Consequently, the opening theme was skipped in the initial broadcasts.
**Mayumi Iizuka narrates the ポケモン検定 Pokémon test segment, which involve 藤岡弘、 Hiroshi Fujioka, アンガールズ Ungirls and 中川翔子 Shōko Nakagawa.
***Contrary to popular belief, the ambiguous statement in regards to a hint at Misty's return did not deal with the Pokémon Test segment, as she already confirmed that she was doing that in the Blog.
***Misty would later make a return in Alola, Kanto!.
*Mayumi Iizuka also introduces a new trailer for Dialga vs. Palkia vs. Darkrai.
*Music from Destiny Deoxys and Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, and an instrumental version of By Your Side ~Hikari's Theme~ is used as background music. In the dub, Bellossom's Song is used.
*Although it was announced that Yuriko Yamaguchi went on maternity leave, she is still credited for Nurse Joy in this episode.
*Professor Oak's Pokémon lecture: Meowth (Team Rocket)
*The credits are of Ya See We Want an Evolution and this episode.
*Normally, the ending credits display appear and disappear at different locations. Instead, the credits were all shown scrolling from the bottom to the top.
*This is one of the few episodes of the Diamond & Pearl series where Dawn's Piplup does not appear.
*In this episode Ash admitted he was a 'twerp'.
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:Episodes featuring Pokémon Contests
Category:Episodes focusing on Ash
Category:Episodes focusing on Dawn
Category:Episodes focusing on Jessie