DP040

Top-Down Training! (Japanese: チャンピオン・シロナ登場！ Enter Champion !) is the 40th episode of the, and the 506th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on July 19, 2007 and in the United States on December 8, 2007.

Blurb
When word gets out that Champion League Master Cynthia is in town, our heroes can't resist a chance to meet her in person. But Paul is also in town, and he can't resist challenging Cynthia to a battle! The local Trainers are shocked that he has the nerve to challenge the Champion, and they're even more shocked when Cynthia agrees to a 6-on-6 battle. Against her mighty Garchomp, Paul's Pokémon don't stand a chance: Garchomp knocks out his Chimchar, Weavile, Murkrow, and even his Torterra!

The battle ends there, and Cynthia has to remind Paul to take his Pokémon to the Pokémon Center right away. She even helps care for his Pokémon when Nurse Joy is called away to another urgent case. Ash tries to convince Paul that his training methods are too harsh, but Paul doesn't care and Ash starts to lose his temper. Ever the diplomatic one, Cynthia steps in to gently remind Paul that there's more to traveling with Pokémon than simply trying to be strong.

While Cynthia gives our heroes a history lesson, Team Rocket sneaks into the Pokémon Center and steals Paul's Chimchar as it's sleeping. Paul and our heroes discover the kidnapping and Paul sends out yet another of his Pokémon—an Ursaring! Ursaring hits Team Rocket with a Hyper Beam and Chimchar escapes, but Paul is annoyed that it let itself be captured in the first place. Before she leaves for Celestic Town, Cynthia politely suggests that Paul take time to bond with his Pokémon. As for our heroes, she's given them something to think about... but it remains to be seen if her words managed to touch Paul!

Plot
In a stadium filled with people, Lucian and Cynthia are battling with their Pokémon, and. Bronzong used its on Garchomp which Garchomp was easily able to escape, coming out unscathed by blocking the attack with her fin.

and were sitting in a Pokémon Center, watching the  on television. Garchomp was able to use, knocking out Lucian's Bronzong. Ash was pumped as he watched the battle. He and the gang overheard someone say that Cynthia had shown up at a place called Amity Square.

The episode then switches to Cynthia and. Cynthia seemed indecisive about what kind of ice cream she wanted. She is later seen with a stone containing images of and. This is when Ash and friends show up, adding more to the people surrounding Cynthia. All of sudden, Paul shows up.

Ash is seemingly excited about seeing Paul, saying that he's finally got two Badges. After asking how many Paul has received, Paul brushes it off. He then challenges Cynthia to a battle. Many people in the crowd are shocked at this action, and even more so when Cynthia agrees. Paul requests a six-on-six match. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is watching the battle.

Cynthia calls out her Garchomp, while Paul chooses ; a choice that surprises Cynthia, as well as the crowd, due to its disadvantage as a Fire-type. Paul commands Chimchar to use and then. Once hit with Fire Spin, Garchomp also used Dig under Cynthia's command. The dig collided with Chimchar, knocking it out. As Paul recalls it, he scolds it for its loss, which isn't sitting too well with either Cynthia or Ash.

Paul then uses, a much better type matchup. He commands for his Weavile to use, and despite being a super-effective hit, it does not faze Garchomp at all. Garchomp then uses, which causes Weavile to freeze instead of trying to dodge. Paul tells Weavile to use. However, Garchomp was able to dodge the attack twice and slammed itself into Weavile, knocking it out cold.

Paul then sends out. Immediately, he tells Murkrow to use, which Garchomp dodges. Murkrow flies behind Garchomp (Ash compliments its Speed) and Paul tells it to use. Cynthia has Garchomp counter with Giga Impact. After returning his fallen Murkrow, Paul shows a rough smile while Ash, Dawn, Brock as well as Cynthia are confused as to why he is doing so, due to having lost half of his team in short order. Paul then, sends out.

He commands Torterra to use. Since Giga Impact left Garchomp unable to move, Giga Drain was able to hit and it causes Garchomp to kneel down, much to the surprise of the crowd. After Giga Drain, Torterra uses and it causes dust to kick up. When the dust clears Garchomp is seen blocking attack with her fins, much to Paul's astonishment. Cynthia then tells Garchomp to use. Garchomp pushes the vines from Frenzy Plant away and jumps into the air, hitting Torterra with Brick Break on its head, taking it down and out.

Paul then gives up the battle, to which the crowd responds by poking fun at him. Ash, with new found respect, rebukes the crowd and compliments Paul on a great battle. Paul says goodbye to Cynthia and walks away. Ash realizes that isn't where the Pokémon Center is, and Cynthia demands that Paul go to the Center to heal his Pokémon.

Unfortunately, when they get there, Nurse Joy claims that she needs to perform surgery on an injured Pokémon. Cynthia decides to heal Paul's Pokémon by herself, to which Brock says that he'd love to help out. comes out of his Poké Ball to use, but stops once he sees Cynthia, and blushes instead.

The episode switches to Cynthia treating Paul's Torterra. She moves over to Chimchar, giving it a pill. Chimchar falls asleep and the episode goes to Team Rocket, who are hiding outside the window. Team Rocket claims that they are going to steal Paul's Pokémon.

Cynthia then tells Paul that his Pokémon are all healed and well trained, especially his Torterra. This is where Paul reveals that Torterra was his very first Pokémon. He also says that he traveled around Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn, where he caught his Murkrow and Weavile, failing to win any of their Pokémon League Conferences, before coming back to Sinnoh, where he caught his Chimchar. When Cynthia compliments Chimchar, Paul complains that Chimchar didn't do well against Garchomp. Ash then argues that he didn't care how many Pokémon got hurt, to which Paul responds with "your point?". Ash asks why Paul doesn't care about his Pokémon. Paul claims that his Pokémon will then become spoiled and not try hard enough in battle, and Chimchar was the perfect example. Ash becomes angrier, saying that he has to support his Pokémon. Upon Paul saying that he wants to become stronger, Cynthia took them back to the stone tablet she was at earlier in Amity Square, and reads it to them. She claims that before reading this tablet, she used to train endlessly. Then she discovered that all Pokémon have different personalities and she wanted to get to know all of them.

Meanwhile, back at the Pokémon Center, Team Rocket hover over the still sleeping Chimchar. Before trying to steal all of Paul's Pokémon, Nurse Joy catches them. Team Rocket makes a run for it, just grabbing Chimchar. Outside the center, the gang is headed back and sees Team Rocket with Chimchar. They chase after Team Rocket, who try to make a get away in their balloon. Chimchar then wakes up, using on Team Rocket. Before Ash can react and call out, Paul sends out his and tells it to use. Chimchar jumps away from Team Rocket right before the attack collides with them, sending them blasting off.

Chimchar falls to the ground, getting injured once more. However, Paul doesn't care, calling Chimchar useless for being captured by Team Rocket. says that it wasn't Chimchar's fault since Chimchar was sleeping. Cynthia is able to stop the yelling, mentioning that what matters now is that Chimchar is okay. She advises Paul to stay the night at the Center.

The episode then switches to the Center, where Ash and the others are watching Sinnoh Now. The newscast mentions the ancient ruins in Celestic Town holding the Lustrous Orb, which is related to the legendary Pokémon. The Lustrous Orb is related to the Adamant Orb, on display in Eterna City. The Lustrous Orb is said to increase the powers of Palkia.

Cynthia then decides it is time to head to Celestic Town, saying goodbye to our heroes.

Major events

 * ,, and encounter Paul again.
 * Ash, Dawn, Brock, and Paul meet Cynthia, the Sinnoh League.
 * Paul's starter Pokémon is revealed to have been a, which has already evolved into a.
 * Paul is revealed to own a and a.
 * Paul has a Full Battle against Cynthia and loses by forfeit.
 * Paul's Chimchar is revealed to have learned.
 * Paul is revealed to have traveled through Hoenn, Johto, and Kanto and participated in their respective s.
 * The Lustrous Orb is discovered near Celestic Town.

Humans

 * Cynthia

Pokémon debuts

 * Paul's Murkrow
 * Paul's Murkrow

Humans

 * Jessie
 * James
 * Cynthia
 * Paul
 * Nurse Joy
 * Lucian (on TV)
 * Announcer
 * Sinnoh Now staff
 * Boys
 * s
 * Sinnoh Now staff
 * Boys
 * s
 * s

Pokémon

 * (Lucian's; on TV)
 * (debut)
 * (Paul's)
 * (inscription)
 * (tablet)
 * (tablet)
 * (debut)
 * (Paul's)
 * (inscription)
 * (tablet)
 * (tablet)
 * (inscription)
 * (tablet)
 * (tablet)
 * (tablet)
 * (tablet)

Trivia
"FRIEND SUBETE NO INOCHI HA BETSU NO INOCHI TO DEAI NANIKA WO UMIDASU"
 * No Professor Oak's Big Pokémon Encyclopedia was aired; instead, a promotion for The Rise of Darkrai aired.
 * The tablet that Cynthia was reading before battling Paul had on it. The inscription is the Japanese version of the inscription in Solaceon Ruins. The inscription is in, and is as follows (note that some parts of the inscription do not match the standard  system):
 * The translation which is recited by Cynthia in the dub is When every life meets another life, something will be born; this is correct, although she omits the "Friend" at the beginning of the inscription. It is also officially subtitled in English from Japanese as All life encounters other life and creates something new. The same Unown writing would later appear in Journey to the Unown!.


 * This episode was the first to air in Japan after the theatrical release of The Rise of Darkrai.
 * Music from Lucario and the Mystery of Mew was used as background music.
 * Music from Mewtwo Strikes Back is played when Brock's Croagunk shows affection for Cynthia.
 * narrates the preview for the next episode.
 * This is one of the few episodes of the where Dawn's Piplup does not appear.

Errors

 * Right before is hit by 's  and by the end of the episode, the top half of 's face was brown, instead of the normal green.

Dub edits

 * The dub places the setting of the episode as Amity Square, while the Japanese version just places it in a nature park that is unique to the anime.
 * In the dub, Brock says in one scene "It would be amazing to meet Dialga and Palkia!" The Japanese version of this episode was the first one to be aired after The Rise of Darkrai, while the English version did not premiere until after the entire season 10 was aired.

In other languages
Der große Traum der Meisterin! EP509 DP040 DP040 DP編第40話 精灵宝可梦 钻石＆珍珠 第40集