Double Performance

A Double Performance (Japanese: ダブルパフォーマンス Double Performance) is a performance featuring two Pokémon at a time. It was introduced in A Stand-Up Sit-Down! as a variation of the standard Pokémon Contest format.

A Roserade and a Purugly performing together

Double Performance events are relatively rare occurrences in Sinnoh, with only three known competitions adhering to the format during the entirety of Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl. It is unknown if Double Performances are conducted in other regions, although Double Contest Battles have been featured in both the Hoenn Grand Festival and the Kanto Grand Festival.

Procedure

As the name suggests, Double Performances are a type of performance in which Pokémon Coordinators showcase two of their Pokémon at once. In Pokémon Contests adhering to the format, the Battle Stage will consist of two-on-two Contest Battles.

When training their Pokémon for a Double Performance event, Coordinators have to focus on giving both Pokémon appropriate attention, coordinating the course of action each Pokémon will follow in order to ensure that their style and skill will be displayed properly. Such being the case, the order the Pokémon are presented in must be considered. The Pokémon can be shown using moves one at a time or performing simultaneously. Once this has been decided, Coordinators need to find a good way to get their Pokémon to pose after they have completed their moves.

Even if performed in sequence rather than in concurrence, the moves must complement one another as the Pokémon are judged as a pair. Coordinators have to devise a performance that showcases the teamwork of their Pokémon, as opposed to creating two separate set pieces for the Pokémon to perform individually. In addition, combining the moves of the Pokémon is an effective way of catching the judges' attention.

During a Double Performance, the Contest Judges evaluate the collaborative effort of the two Pokémon as well as their synchronicity with the Coordinator. As in regular performances, they also observe other aspects, such as the Pokémon's wellness and their appearances. The way a Pokémon takes the stage is also observed. On that account, some Coordinators will use one kind of Seal for each Ball Capsule, while others will use the same kind for both Capsules.

Use

Double Performances were introduced in A Stand-Up Sit-Down!, in which Zoey used her laptop to show Dawn a video of a Double Performance delivered by Top Coordinator Marina. The video was hosted in the official Pokémon Contest website and featured Wani-Wani and Pink. After showing Dawn the video, Zoey told her that the Hearthome City Pokémon Contest and the Sinnoh Grand Festival would follow the format and helped her with training her Pokémon for this kind of performance.

The Double Performance format was first seen in use in the Hearthome Contest, which took place in Dawn's Early Night!. Dawn and her rivals Zoey, Jessilina, and Nando entered the event, which was won by Nando.

In Unlocking the Red Chain of Events!, Marian announced that the Daybreak Town Pokémon Contest would follow the format and showed a clip of a Double Performance featuring a Lucario and a Froslass. The Daybreak Contest took place from Yes in Dee Dee, It's Dawn! to Playing the Performance Encore! and had Dawn, Ursula, and Jessilina among the competitors. In the end, Dawn won the event, earning her fifth Ribbon.

The Sinnoh Grand Festival was held from Last Call — First Round! to A Grand Fight for Winning! and had 108 entrants, including Dawn, Zoey, Kenny, Ursula, Nando, and Jessilina. After evaluating the Double Performances, the panel of judges narrowed this number down to 32. The event was won by Zoey.

Below is a list of Double Performances delivered by main and regular animation characters. If the performance was a success, it means that the Contest Judges allowed the Coordinator to advance to the Battle Stage. If the performance was a failure, it means that the Coordinator was eliminated from the competition.

Hearthome City Pokémon Contest

Screenshot	Description	Coordinator	Result
	Sunflora uses Grass Whistle and Kricketune follows with Sing. The sound-based moves combine to create soothing sound waves that please the judges and the audience.	Nando	✔ Success
	Pachirisu uses Sweet Kiss as Piplup runs across the stage using Bubble Beam. While floating in the air, the pink hearts are encased by the blue bubbles. Then Pachirisu uses Discharge and Piplup uses Whirlpool. The Electric-type move surrounds the swirling whirlpool, dissipating it in a flash of sparkles.	Dawn	✘ Failure
	Mime Jr. and Cacnea hug Jessilina and spin her around the stage, with Mime Jr. using Tickle on her. Then Cacnea uses Pin Missile and Mime Jr. follows with Mimic to copy its partner's move. The clash of the needle-like projectiles results in a fireworks display that showers Jessilina and her Pokémon with sparkles as they pose together.	Jessilina	✔ Success
	Shellos uses Mud Bomb and Glameow uses Iron Tail to destroy the balls of mud. Then Glameow uses Secret Power to release a pink wave from its body before using Shadow Claw, whose intense glow combines with the pink aura covering the stage to produce rainbow-colored light. After that, Shellos uses Water Pulse to surround Glameow with a spiraling stream of water and Glameow uses its claws to split the stream in two, causing the water to merge with the colored light to create a rainbow.	Zoey	✔ Success

Daybreak Town Pokémon Contest

Screenshot	Description	Coordinator	Result
	Carnivine walks into the stage alongside Jessilina with Seviper's Poké Ball inside its mouth. When Jessilina begins playing her Arbok-shaped flute, Seviper pops out of its Poké Ball and joins Carnivine. The two perform a synchronized routine before Seviper jumps into the air and spins in a circle. Carnivine then fires Bullet Seed towards Seviper, creating a fireworks display.	Jessilina	✔ Success
	Piplup uses Bubble Beam and Buneary follows with Ice Beam, freezing the bubbles floating around the arena. After that, Buneary uses Bounce to leap in the frozen bubbles, displaying its footwork. Buneary and Piplup then use a variation of the technique they perfected in Wild in the Streets! and Piplup does so while simultaneously using Peck. The two of them finish the performance by popping up the bubbles to send a shower of sparkles down to the crowd.	Dawn	✔ Success
	Jigglypuff uses Rollout to roll over Gabite's body and Gabite uses Iron Tail to launch Jigglypuff into the air. Gabite then uses Stone Edge, which Jigglypuff destroys with Hyper Voice. After that, Jigglypuff uses Gyro Ball to spin over the sand dunes created by Gabite's Sand Tomb, the clash generating rainbow-colored dust. The presentation ends with Gabite using Dragon Claw while Jigglypuff spins on her claw.	Ursula	✔ Success
For the screen showing all the Coordinators who cleared the first stage, see here.

Sinnoh Grand Festival

Screenshot	Description	Coordinator	Result
	Ursula's two Eevee exchange Iron Tail attacks and then use Hidden Power, which creates multiple small luminous balls. After that, Ursula tosses a Fire Stone and a Water Stone in the air and each Eevee grabs an Evolution stone, causing them to evolve into Flareon and Vaporeon and the luminous balls to change color. Flareon and Vaporeon then fire the Hidden Power before landing onstage.	Ursula	✔ Success
	Kricketot and Altaria start by floating through the air, with Kricketot circling Altaria. Altaria then goes upward using Perish Song and Kricketot follows with Sing. The two moves combine and the musical notes from Sing become surrounded by the colored aura from Perish Song.	Nando	✔ Success
	Seviper uses Haze to create a circular spiral of smoke around itself. Jessilina then jumps and lands onto Seviper's head without disturbing the Haze. After that, Yanmega uses Sonic Boom and aims it directly at Jessilina, causing a brilliant glow. The attack shreds Jessilina's original outfit, revealing a brand new one beneath it.	Jessilina	✔ Success
	After the stage opens to reveal a pool, Lumineon and Gastrodon blast out of it. Lumineon then uses Aqua Ring while Gastrodon uses Water Pulse and the two moves fuse to form rings with a water veil. As the rings float over the water's surface, Lumineon and Gastrodon jump through them before they float closer to the surface and flatten out to shoot up whirlwinds of water. Zoey finishes by jumping onto the whirlwind in the center as her Pokémon stand next to her.	Zoey	✔ Success
	Floatzel uses Aqua Jet upwards and Empoleon uses Hydro Cannon at the Aqua Jet trail, turning it into a large waterfall. Floatzel then uses Razor Wind, which disperses the water around himself into multiple flying discs, and Empoleon follows with Metal Claw, shattering the discs to create a colorful mist. Floatzel uses Whirlpool and turns it sideways to face Empoleon, who uses Flash Cannon at the Whirlpool. The move is too powerful to be contained; the Whirlpool collapses and Floatzel is thrown back.	Kenny	✘ Failure
	Buneary uses Ice Beam to create a large frozen path resembling a roller coaster. Cyndaquil then uses Flame Wheel, rolling over the path and melting a trench for Buneary to slide on. After that, Buneary charges an Ice Beam and Cyndaquil uses Smokescreen in order to cloak themselves above a large frozen spike. When the smoke is blown away, Buneary is seen inside a Poké Ball made of ice as Cyndaquil stands on top with the flames on its back ignited and looking like wings of fire.	Dawn	✔ Success
For the screen showing all the Coordinators who cleared the first stage, see here.

Trivia

• Although players cannot use two Pokémon at once during Pokémon Contest Spectaculars in the games, May is seen performing with a Mega Altaria and a Mega Audino in the Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire Animated Trailer.

In other languages

Language Title Mandarin Chinese 雙人演出 Double Performance Finnish Tuplaesitys French Double Performance German Doppelperformance Italian Doppia Performance Korean 더블 퍼포먼스 Double Performance* 이중 퍼포먼스 Ijung Performance* Polish Podwójny Występ Portuguese Apresentação Dupla Spanish Presentación Doble Thai ดับเบิลเพอร์ฟอร์มานซ์ Double Performance

See also

• Double Battle

This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.