S09
Template:EpisodePrevNext Pokémon: Battle Frontier is the ninth season of the Pokémon anime and the final season of the Advanced Generation English-language dub. It follows Ash Ketchum as he continues to collect symbols from the Kanto Battle Frontier while May participates in Pokémon contests. It began with Fear Factor Phony, which originally aired on September 8, 2006 in the United States, and is expected by fans to end with Home is Where the Start Is.
The dub underwent many changes at the start of the season. Pokémon USA took the dubbing rights from 4Kids Entertainment, resulting in a recasting controversy. Meanwhile, Kids' WB! (a broadcast network) dropped all anime from its lineup leading to Cartoon Network (a cable network) picking up the series.
It is preceded by Pokémon: Advanced Battle and is succeeded by the as-of-yet unnamed season that starts the saga based on the upcoming Diamond and Pearl games. It should be noted that the concept of seasons does not exist in Japan. An invention of the American animation and television industry, a season is the only way to differentiate one story arc, such as Advanced Battle, from any other in the Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation series. Unlike in Japan, where episodes are aired almost every week of the year, in America episodes are aired in usually 52-episode blocs, or "seasons," for several months before taking a break of several months to allow production on the next batch of episodes to begin.
See the list of Advanced Generation episodes for a list of Pokémon: Battle Frontier episodes.
Important events
- May participates in the Kanto Grand Festival located at the Indigo Plateau. She ends up in the top four after defeating Harley and Drew, and then losing to Solidad.
- Ash and his friends learn about Sinnoh, a region located north of Kanto.
- Ash completes the Battle Frontier with his victory at the Battle Pyramid. He is offered a position as a Frontier Brain, but he declines.
- May decides to compete in Pokémon contests in the Johto region after leaving Kanto.
- The group parts ways. Ash returns to Pallet Town and meets up with Gary, who came from Sinnoh. Ash and Gary battle, with Ash's Pokémon losing to Gary's Electivire.
- Ash decides to follow Gary back into Sinnoh, and leaves all his Pokémon, except Pikachu, at Professor Oak's ranch. However, Aipom quickly follows Ash and rejoins him.
- Team Rocket continues to follow Ash into Sinnoh.
- Brock travels home to Pewter City before later meeting up with Ash and Hikari(a) in Sinnoh.
Party changes
Additions
The following Pokémon are obtained:
Evolutions
The following Pokémon evolve:
- Ash's Phanpy → Ash's Donphan (AG154)
- Ash's Grovyle → Ash's Sceptile (AG161)
- Brock's Mudkip → Brock's Marshtomp (AG148)
- Brock's Onix → Brock's Steelix (while under Forest's care; debut in AG176)
- May's Combusken → May's Blaziken (AG190)
Releases
The following Pokémon are released, stored, or left at home:
- James's Chimecho - Left with the caretakers of James's summer home (AG147)
- Ash's Sceptile - Left at Professor Oak's lab (AG191)
- Ash's Corphish - Left at Professor Oak's lab (AG191)
- Ash's Swellow - Left at Professor Oak's lab (AG191)
- Ash's Donphan - Left at Professor Oak's lab (AG191)
Pokémon contests
May wins Pokémon contests in these locations:
- Silver Town
- Chrysanthemum Island
- Gardenia Town
- Mulberry Town
Battle Frontier
Ash defeats the following Frontier Brains:
