DP122

Stopped in the Name of Love! (Japanese: 進化！その時ポッチャマは！？ Evolution! This Time for !?) is the 122nd episode of the, and the 588th episode of the Pokémon anime. It first aired in Japan on April 2, 2009, as part of a one-hour special along with DP121 and aired in the United States on August 29, 2009.

Blurb
When Dawn and Ash reach Sandalstraw Town, they meet two familiar friends: Kenny and Barry! Kenny plans to enter the Sandalstraw Contest, while Barry is training for the upcoming Pokémon Ping-Pong competition—but their conversation is cut short when Piplup glows as if it's ready to evolve! However, Piplup isn't well, so it's off the Pokémon Center so Piplup can rest. Dawn uses this opportunity to talk to Piplup about Evolution, but it gets upset and runs away!

Everyone splits up to search the nearby forest, and Dawn finds Piplup using Bide to stop its Evolution. She doesn't understand why it won't evolve, and that makes Piplup angry enough to run from her again. When Dawn chases Piplup deeper into the forest, she finds it stuck in an Ariados web. Dawn saves Piplup from the Ariados, but then they're surrounded by an entire swarm of Ariados! Piplup uses Bide to defeat them, and Dawn realizes this is just like the day when she and Piplup first met.

Barry and Kenny are also searching the forest for Piplup, but Barry's Empoleon and Kenny's Prinplup are kidnapped by Team Rocket's giant Piprinoleon robot! The robot finds and grabs Piplup too, so Dawn sneaks inside the robot and confronts Team Rocket. Piplup forces its way through a duct in the robot to reach Dawn and back her up; all this time, it's wanted to remain a Piplup so it can protect Dawn. Piplup uses Whirlpool to bust open the robot, and Dawn's friends arrive to provide support. With their help, Piplup sends Team Rocket shooting into the sky, and Dawn promises to always be partners with her Piplup. No Evolution needed!

Later, at the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy gives Dawn an Everstone to prevent Piplup from evolving. Now everyone can concentrate on the Sandalstraw Contest—as well as practicing their Pokémon Ping-Pong!

Plot
As 's upcoming Pokémon Contest in Sandalstraw Town approaches, she and the others stops at a local Pokémon Center. Dawn decides to and summons, knowing she only needs one more Ribbon to enter the Grand Festival. runs forward and collapses, everyone asking if he is okay. Piplup tries to get up and falls again, concerning Dawn. suddenly appears and crashes into as usual. also appears and after calling Dawn Dee-Dee (much to her annoyance), asks if she's entering the Sandalstraw Contest. Barry reveals that he is best friends with Kenny despite having met him only recently and that they stopped by Sandalstraw Town because Kenny plans to enter the Pokémon Contest while Barry has his eyes on the upcoming Pokémon Ping Pong Tournament. Barry shows Ash a flyer about the event and mentions that a  and one of his or her  will partner up as a team to enter. Barry summons in order to train, planning to enter with it. As everyone watches, Piplup starts to glow, causing Piplup to jump around. Kenny mentions that Piplup is starting to evolve into. Everyone's excited, but Piplup braces himself, stopping the evolution and becoming so exhausted to the point of collapse. Brock urges everyone to go to the Pokémon Center.

At the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy checks Piplup as she reassures Dawn that Piplup only needs to rest. During dinner, Dawn mentions that it still surprises her that Piplup will evolve. Kenny tells Dawn it's no surprise considering how well she's raised him and Barry also congratulates Dawn on a good job but advises that the evolution path from Piplup to Empoleon only gets harder. Kenny then mentions that as Prinplup is double the size of Piplup, she'll have more to show off in Pokémon Contests while Ash mentions that she will need to adapt her battling style just as he adapted when evolved into. Although Ash is skeptical of Dawn mentioning her adaptation to, Dawn is still excited, but Brock displays concern. Outside, listens in and decides to steal the Piplup evolutionary line.

During the night, Piplup wakes up and looks at himself in the window's reflection, imagining himself as Prinplup. Dawn comes up from behind and presents Piplup with, but he refuses. Dawn reveals her excitement for Piplup's evolution, but Piplup doesn't seem enthusiastic as Dawn tries to reassure Piplup. Piplup jumps around as he begins to glow again, the evolution process starting. Dawn tries to get Piplup just let the evolution happen, but Piplup uses to stop evolving, exhausting himself in the progress. Dawn questions Piplup's motives and brings up the positives of evolution, but Piplup gets angry that Dawn appears to be ignoring his unwillingness to evolve and jumps out the window and flees the Center, prompting Dawn to follow. Barry and Empoleon pressure Brock, Kenny and Ash to train for the Ping-Pong tournament (despite the fact that Brock and Kenny don't plan to enter), but Dawn shows up and mentions her situation. Outside, Brock mentions his concerns that Piplup does not want to evolve, using Bide to stop evolution and expend energy. Everyone splits up to search as Kenny summons to help search. As Dawn searches on her own, she spots a light in the forest.

Piplup sits under a waterfall, stopping the evolution into Prinplup but collapses into the water. Dawn arrives and picks up Piplup, questioning his reason to not evolve. Piplup gets angry again and jumps out of Dawn's hands before firing and running off. Dawn searches as she spots Piplup stuck in a web. She runs forward as an attacks her with. While she dodges, Piplup uses Bubble Beam to stall Ariados. Dawn runs forward as another Sludge Bomb grazes the top of her head, causing her to trip. The attack frees Piplup and sends him airborne, but Dawn quickly catches Piplup. However, multiple Ariados confront the two and all prepare to fire. Just before the attacks hit, Piplup jumps forward and uses Bide to take the attacks before retaliating, sending all the Ariados flying. Piplup collapses exhausted as Dawn picks up Piplup.

As Barry and Kenny continue searching, a attack knocks down Prinplup and Empoleon before two mecha arms grab them. Empoleon and Prinplup try to use and Bubble Beam, but the hands spin and disorient them as Kenny and Barry notice a large mecha. Meanwhile, Dawn carries Piplup to a lake as Piplup wakes up, Dawn thanking her Pokémon. Dawn mentions how a similar situation occurred when they first met and how Dawn chose Piplup. Ash and Brock find Dawn and are relieved that they're okay. Suddenly, another mecha arm grabs Piplup as a giant Prinplup mecha shows up, revealing the captured Piplup evolutionary line. Team Rocket recites their motto but Barry cuts them off. Ash has fire, but the mecha redirects the attack to harm Prinplup and Empoleon.

The mecha deploys tank treads and proceeds to escape, but Dawn spots Piplup and decides to run after the mecha, getting on the side. Dawn notices a hatch up top and gets in that way. While Dawn demands her Pokémon back, Piplup destroys the ventilation gates with and Bubble Beam, getting into the control room with Dawn. Piplup's talk as he plans to take them down and that he wants to protect Dawn just like the first time, revealing that past events have motivated him to stay the way he is. Dawn accepts Piplup's decision and has him attack with, destroying the mecha and freeing everyone. Outside, Team Rocket gets up and summons and. They attack with and, but Piplup's Bubble Beam stops both in their tracks. Piplup starts to glow again as he tries to stop the evolution, leaving him and Dawn vulnerable. James wants Piplup to not evolve to maintain the family, but Jessie opts to let it and instead present the boss with Empoleon triplets. Seviper and Carnivine rush to attack the defenseless Piplup, but Pikachu's Thunderbolt stops both Pokémon, Ash and the others arriving on site. Piplup is still immobile as Seviper and Carnivine attack again with Bullet Seed and Poison Tail, but Pikachu defends with Thunderbolt. Piplup manages to stop evolving and attacks with Whirlpool, sending Team Rocket flying away.

Dawn thanks Piplup for saving her again, and realizes that Piplup's memory of their first day together is why he wants to stay as he is, and tearfully apologizes to her Pokémon for not understanding his feelings. Piplup tells Dawn that it's ok and with her friends watching on, Dawn happily picks up her partner and best friend telling him she's happy for him to remain as her Piplup forever which delights Piplup, and the two reaffirm their bond together.

At the Center, Nurse Joy finishes tending to Piplup, Prinplup and Empoleon and the three Pokémon happily run to their respective Trainers. Nurse Joy then tells Dawn she has something for her, and presents Dawn with an Everstone, which has the power to prevent a Pokémon from evolving for as long as it wants. Dawn and Piplup gratefully accept the gift, knowing this means Piplup won't have to use Bide to prevent the evolution anymore. With the excitement over for now, Ash and Barry start training for the Ping Pong competition while Dawn and Kenny practice for the Sandalstraw Contest, everyone as determined as ever on achieving their goals.

Major events

 * and arrive in Sandalstraw Town and meet up with  and  again.
 * The group learns about an upcoming Pokémon Ping Pong Tournament, which Barry is planning to enter.
 * Dawn's Piplup begins to evolve, but chooses not to.
 * Nurse Joy gives an Everstone to prevent Piplup's evolution.

Humans

 * Jessie
 * James
 * Nurse Joy
 * Jessie
 * James
 * Nurse Joy
 * Nurse Joy
 * Nurse Joy

Pokémon

 * (×8)
 * (×8)
 * (×8)
 * (×8)
 * (×8)
 * (×8)
 * (×8)
 * (×8)
 * (×8)
 * (×8)
 * (×8)
 * (×8)
 * (×8)
 * (×8)

Trivia

 * This was chosen by Shiori Sato as the fourth episode of Pocket Monsters Anime Premier 10.
 * There is no Professor Oak's Big Pokémon Examination following this episode.
 * and replace  and  respectively in their appearance before and after the preview of the next episode.
 * Music from Pikachu and Pichu, Celebi: The Voice of the Forest, and Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias is used during this episode.
 * In this episode, Dawn and Piplup underwent the same experience against a group of wild Ariados as when they first met; the same encounter that helped Piplup trust Dawn.
 * This episode is similar to Bulbasaur's Mysterious Garden, where Ash's Bulbasaur was in the process of evolving and ultimately decided not to.
 * When the dub's title was revealed, it was originally thought to air with Old Rivals, New Tricks! on September 5, 2009 but was pulled back to August 29, 2009.
 * The dub title is a reference to , a song recorded by.

Errors

 * After Piplup uses Whirlpool and destroys the mecha, when Piplup checks on Prinplup, its wings are the same color as its head and "cape" for a split second.
 * While Team Rocket is blasting off, the background keeps repeating clouds, despite the fact that they are going up, and not sideways.
 * Also, the background repeats the same frame the whole time.
 * When is first sent out, the claws on its left flipper are missing.

Dub edits

 * In the European Portuguese dub, reads the title card.

In other languages
Stopp! Im Namen der Liebe! EP591 DP122 DP編第122話 精灵宝可梦 钻石＆珍珠 第120集