Pokémon Balloon Race

The setting for the competition

The Pokémon Balloon Race (Japanese: ポケモンききゅうだいレース The Big Pokémon Balloon Race) is an anime-exclusive competition held in Johto. It was featured in The Big Balloon Blow-Up.

Trainers ride in hot-air balloons shaped like various Pokémon. They can use Flying-type Pokémon to steer, and Fire-type Pokémon for hot-air. The balloons must first ascend to 1,000 feet up in the air and race towards a target on the ground. They then must drop a weight and try to land as close to the X on the target as possible.

In one race, Brock, Misty, and Ash tied for first place with Skyler and Tenma. Because there was only one prize of a new balloon engine available, Ash and his friends decided that Skyler should have it as participating and learning about ballooning was enough of a prize for them. Team Rocket also competed in this race but failed to finish.

Known competitors

Participant	Place
Ash, Misty, and Brock	Winners (tie)
Skyler and Tenma	Winners (tie)
Team Rocket	DNF

Pokémon used in the Pokémon Balloon Race

Ash, Misty, and Brock

Noctowl

Cyndaquil

Team Rocket

Meowth ♂

Skyler and Tenma

Fearow

Other competitors

Hoppip (×9)

Magmar

Azumarill

Heracross (×2)

In other languages

Language Title German Heißluftballon-Wettbewerb Italian Gara di Mongolfiere Pokémon Polish Wielkie Zawody Balonów Portuguese Corrida de Balões Pokémon Spanish Competición de globos aerostáticos Pokémon

Animated series-exclusive Pokémon competitions

Multiregional Grand Festival • Pokémon Baccer World Cup • Pokémon League Conference • PokéRinger • Wallace Cup World Coronation Series (Masters Eight Tournament) Kanto Aura Guardian Festival • Beach Beauty and Pokémon Costume Contest • Big P Pokémon Race • Indigo Plateau Conference Kanto Grand Festival • Magikarp High Jump Competition • P1 Grand Prix • Pokémon Grand Eating Contest • Pokémon Orienteering Queen of the Princess Festival Johto Extreme Pokémon Race • Fire and Rescue Grand Prix • Grass Tournament • Mareep Festival • Pokémon Balloon Race Pokémon Beauty Contest • Rock and Tumble One-on-One Tauros Competition • Running of the Tauros Seaking Catching Competition • Silver Conference • Sumo Conference • Sunflora Festival • Tour de Alto Mare • Whirl Cup Hoenn Battle Frontier Flute Cup • Crossgate PokéRinger • Ever Grande Conference • Friendship Festival • Hoenn Grand Festival Marine Athletic Race • Trick House Contest Sinnoh Croagunk Festival • Festival Battle Challenge • Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition • Hearthome Collection Lily of the Valley Conference • Pokémon Dress-Up Contest • Pokémon Iceberg Race • Pokémon Ping Pong Tournament Pokémon Summer Academy • Pokémon Triathlon • Sinnoh Grand Festival • Sinnoh Pokémon Hustle • Squallville PokéRinger Unova Club Battle • Clubsplosion • Eindoak Harvest Festival • Pokémon Performance Competition • Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup Pokéstar Studios Film Competition • Subway Bosses' Stamp Rally • Vertress Conference • Wishing Bell Festival Decolore Marine Cup Tournament • Pokémon Sumo Tournament • Scalchop King Competition Kalos Lumiose Conference • Poké Puff Contest • Pokémon Showcase • Pokémon Sky Relay • Pokémon Summer Camp Alola Alola Bread Festival • Charjabug race • Manalo Conference‎‎ • Pokémon Catch Adventure Race • Pokémon Pancake Race Pokémon Ping-Pong tournament • Pokémon Sled Jump Games • Vikavolt race Galar All-Alcremie Decoration Challenge Paldea Elite Four Tag Battle Unknown Pigton Town Multi Battle Tournament • Pokémon Catch Race

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