DP164: Piplup, Up and Away!

is the 7th episode of Pokémon: DP Sinnoh League Victors.
==Synopsis==
Our heroes continue toward Sunyshore City and Ash's next Sinnoh Gym battle. On the way there, some special training with Gible results in several wayward Draco Meteor attempts, which keep landing on Piplup's head! When it appears that neither Ash nor Dawn seems to care about the dejected Piplup, the Pokémon quietly decides to depart.
That's when Team Rocket (disguised as "The Pokémon Rescue Corps") sees an opportunity. They befriend Piplup and promise to talk to Ash and Dawn, righting the wrong. But really they just want Piplup to help bring Pikachu to them so they can catch it!
Having tricked Piplup into luring Pikachu into a trap, Team Rocket ensnares both Piplup and Pikachu. When our heroes find the two Pokémon trapped in Team Rocket's clutches, a fierce battle ensues. Piplup's anger at the whole situation enables it to use a new move—Hydro Pump, sending Team Rocket blasting off again!
After apologizing to Piplup for any bad feelings and vowing to stay together from now on, our heroes once again resume their journey to Sunyshore City.
==Episode plot==
The heroes and Marian stargaze the sky, as meteors fall down, making a great view. One goes after them, so Piplup uses Whirlpool to stop it. Dawn wins the Grand Festival and thanks Piplup. However, Gible's (failed) Draco Meteor lands on him and Piplup wakes up, as he was dreaming, then goes back to sleep. Next day, Ash sends Gible to train with it. Gible, when sent out, gnaws on a rock. Ash pulls its tail and gets bitten by it. After being calmed down, Gible uses Draco Meteor, which fails and lands on Piplup. Even if he moves, he continually gets hit by the Draco Meteor.
Piplup becomes *very* angry and confronts Gible. Gible gnaws on his head, which crosses a line; Piplup goes on a rampage, which hits Gible a lot. Piplup cries and goes to Dawn, thinking Gible will be punished for hitting Piplup with the (failed) Draco Meteor. Piplup's fantasies made him hug Pikachu and he soon hears that the others encourage Gible that it will manage to get Draco Meteor mastered. Piplup becomes very sad and leaves them. Team Rocket saw all of this and thinks they could use Piplup to get Pikachu for them. As the heroes are to go, they notice Piplup is missing.
Piplup hears in the bushes and thinks it is Dawn, who told Ash not to allow Gible to hit him ever again. He jumps towards there and gets hit by a Rhyperior. Piplup ran away, but finds Team Rocket, disguised as Pokémon Rescue Corps. Their "goal" is to get a castaway Pokémon to its trainer and educate the trainer, also give food to hungry Pokémon. Piplup is touched by their goal and Team Rocket decides to help him. The heroes search for Piplup, so Ash asks of Gible to search for him as well. Gible found something and bites it, which is Rhyperior's tail. Rhyperior uses Flash Cannon to chase them all away.
Meowth translates Piplup wanted to go back to Prof. Rowan's lab. Piplup explains what happened to make him leave and Team Rocket begins to cry for this story, promising that now they are his family. Jessie and James leave Piplup and Meowth to have a talk with the trainers. Ash calls Staraptor back, as he did not find Piplup and suspects Piplup left because it was constantly hit by Draco Meteor. Jessie and James come and tell the heroes they are here because Piplup, their client, got hit by Draco Meteor and they did not punish Gible for being so careless. They tell Ash and Dawn this carelessness caused Piplup emotional pain; so much he decided to run away to Prof. Rowan's lab.
Team Rocket demands of them to give the Poké Balls when they participate in a class to learn of Pokémon sensitivity. As Dawn and Ash are to hand them, Rhyperior comes and chases them away. While the heroes and Team Rocket got separated, they do not see Pikachu with them. Jessie and James tell Piplup they are working on the case and would question his friend, Pikachu, about some things, if he feels the same way. Piplup agrees and goes, while Team Rocket is pleased their plan goes as planned. Pikachu got lost, but found Piplup. He asks of Piplup to return to Dawn, but Piplup pulls him, as the Pokémon Rescue Corps would like to question him.
They come into a tent where Team Rocket awaits and when they enter it, it is actually a cage. The heroes search for Pikachu and Piplup; suddenly, Gible uses Draco Meteor and lands somewhere and the gang concludes it landed where Piplup is. They soon find the Pokémon Rescue Corps, who undisguise themselves as Team Rocket. Suddenly, Rhyperior uses Flash Cannon, which smashes the cage, setting Pikachu and Piplup free. Piplup notices Dawn and runs to her and they hug each other. Ash apologizes and promises he and Gible will be careful not to hit him. Jessie sends Seviper and James his Carnivine. Ash sends Grotle and per his wish, Dawn sends Piplup.
Seviper uses Haze, but gets defeated by Energy Ball. Piplup uses BubbleBeam, which gets in collision with Carnivine's Bullet Seed. Carnivine uses Vine Whip, which hits Piplup. Piplup, bearing a powerful rage, learns a new move, as it uses Hydro Pump to sweep Team Rocket and blasting them off. Rhyperior goes towards them, but a boy comes and finds him and they go away. Dawn and Piplup promise not to get separated and go with Ash and Brock towards Sunyshore City.
==Trivia==
* This episode's name is a reference to Superman's catchphrase "Up, up and away!".
==Gallery==
==References==
Category:Episodes focusing on Team Rocket
Category:Episodes focusing on Piplup
Category:Episodes featuring a main character's Pokémon learning a new move