Ash finally arrives at the location of the Battle Pike, ready to battle. Team Rocket tricks him into coming into their own fake Battle Pike where they capture Pikachu. With the help of the real Frontier Brain—Pike Queen Lucy—they save Pikachu. Ash challenges Lucy to a battle, and even though it is her day off, she accepts as she has a crush on Brock. As the two begin their battle, Ash realizes Lucy is no pushover. Can Ash win? And who will Brock cheer for?

As Ash and the others finally arrive at the Battle Tower, Ash does some last minute training with Pikachu. He is suddenly attacked by a Beedrill and a girl comes to his rescue. After sending Beedrill away, they are attacked by a Gyarados and she once again talks to it and helps it calm down. Soon, Team Rocket attacks wanting Pikachu and this human who can talk to Pokémon. After fending Team Rocket off, she introduces herself as Anabel. Before Anabel can properly introduce herself, Ash runs off to the Battle Tower only to find out Anabel is the Frontier Brain. As the battle begins, Ash quickly falls behind as Anabel can speak with Pokémon through telepathy. Can Ash manage to get past her special ability and win his sixth Frontier Symbol?

After a devastating defeat at the hands of Anabel, Ash is eager to challenge her again, except this time he plans to think with his Pokémon like Anabel instead of rushing in. While training for the rematch, Ash is once again attacked by Beedrill and then Team Rocket after eating their lunch. After sending Team Rocket away, Ash and May try to learn how to talk to their Pokémon just like Anabel, however Corphish and Combusken just look on with blank looks. After finishing his little "lesson", Ash begins his battle with Anabel. Just like the last time, Anabel uses her telepathy ability to fight. Even though Ash is at disadvantage, he surprisingly does better than last time, even managing to win in the first round! Will Anabel prove to be too powerful with her telepathy or will Ash overcome it to win his sixth Frontier Symbol?

At the Fennel Valley Pokémon Center, Ash gets a special delivery from Oak's Lab—his Bulbasaur. Officer Jenny soon arrives with his Squirtle, and his Charizard flies in too. Ash is going on a retreat with these three Pokémon and Pikachu to train for his upcoming rematch with Brandon. Out in the forest, the four Pokémon work together to build a bed to sleep on, but Charizard hogs it at first and starts a fight. Eventually they calm down and rebuild the bed, get some food, and even practice their moves. That night Charizard lights a campfire, and Ash remembers how he met Pikachu, Charizard, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur.

With Charizard out of the battle for his rematch against Pyramid King Brandon, Ash calls out Bulbasaur. Dusclops performs Mean Look again, while Bulbasaur wraps the Ghost-type with Leech Seed. The two Pokémon are evenly matched, but Bulbasaur takes a beating from the Fire-type move Will-O-Wisp and is affected by Confuse Ray, which causes it to use Vine Whip on itself. Because Leech Seed is taking energy from Dusclops and giving it to Bulbasaur, the Grass-type manages to stay in the fight, using SolarBeam to knock Dusclops out.

The kids are at Terracotta Town, where May and Max will catch a boat back home to Hoenn. The town happens to be hosting a festival, complete with its very own Pokémon Contest. Ash figures it's unofficial, so he wants to compete. Both Ash and May sign up, with Ash using Pikachu and Sceptile, and May using her Eevee and Combusken. Nurse Joy is the MC, doing her best Lillian impersonation. May goes first, impressing the crowd by having Eevee use Dig and Shadow Ball to create a fireworks display. Ash is equally impressive when Pikachu uses Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, and Iron Tail to create electric rings that buzz around the arena. At the end of the first round, May is in first place with Ash a close second, both of them advancing to the finals against each other.

The smoke finally clears at the Terracotta Town Pokémon Contest, and the winner is revealed—it is a tie between May and Ash! Both are declared the winner with only one prize medal between the two, so Sceptile cuts it neatly in half. That night, during dinner, May announces her intention to go to Johto and compete in Pokémon Contests. She doesn't want Max to come, though, because she'd depend on her brother too much. Max is sad, but Ash cheers him up by promising to battle some day.

When May's Munchlax and James' Chimecho both have fallen ill, they seek the Pokémon healing skills of an elderly couple named Nanny and Pop-Pop, who happens to be James grandparents. Team Rocket and the gang call a temporary truce until their Pokémon get better. Meanwhile, James tries to impress Nanny and Pop-Pop by pretending to be a business owner while also hiding his status as a member of Team Rocket.

During a training battle against Ash's Grovyle, Brock's Mudkip evolves into a Marshtomp. However, Brock's new evolved Pokémon accidentally hits a girls Flaaffy but is able to heal her Pokémon through a drug store. While there, Brock and Marshtomp both want to date the girl alongside her Flaaffy. However, little do Brock and Marshtomp know, the girl and her Flaaffy have feelings for someone else.

Ash finally arrives at the second Battle Frontier venue where he challenges the Battle Arena Brain Greta to a match. Will Ash be able to defeat Greta and get his second Battle Frontier symbol.

After winning the Guts Symbol at the Battle Arena, Ash's next challenge is the Battle Dome. However, before the continue their journey to their next destination, Ash and his friends come across a Pokémon Egg Shop. During their stay, May offers advice to the owner's daughter about Pokémon contest and how to be a coordinator.

May enters the Silver Town Pokémon Contest and battles Jeremy, an unusual contestant. However, Jeremy shocks May when he appears playing electric guitar and wearing leather.

On the way to the Battle Dome, Ash and the others decide to stop at a famous fishing spot but the lake is deserted. Tiffany, the owner of a fishing house tells them that a company wants to buy the lake and turn the land into a resort. In order to scare people away from the land so Tiffany and her Grandma get no business, the head of the company uses his Crawdaunt to terrorise the lake. Can Ash and his friends help them stop the company from getting the land or will he succeeded.

Ash finally arrives at the third Battle Frontier location where he challenges the Battle Dome Brain Tucker to a match. The battle begins with Ash using his Swellow and Corphish against Tucker's Arcanine and Swampert. During the battle, Ash learns how to combine his Pokémon's attacks and uses their power to defeat Tucker.

After Ash wins his third Battle Frontier Symbol, the Tactics Symbol, he and his go to their next Battle Frontier location, the Battle Pike. However, during an encounter with a wild Elekid, May's egg becomes stuck in the Electric Pokémon antenna and runs off. Now Ash and the others must find Elekid and get May's egg back.

On their way to the Battle Pike, Ash and his friends decide to ride along the Cycling Road. However, it is closed and they must go through the forest. After hearing a noise, Pikachu wanders off and finds an wild injured Celebi under some thick vines. Ash and the others then meet a Pokémon Ranger named Solana who agrees to help them find Pikachu. When they finally find Pikachu and Celebi, the reunion is cut short as Team Rocket shows up to steal Celebi.

Ash and friends arrive at a Ninja School. There they meet a wild Bonsly who cries a lot and does not get along with the other Pokémon at the school. However, Team Rocket appear and decide to capture all of the Pokémon in the school, including Ash and his friends.

After May's Squirtle runs away, May goes searching for her Pokémon. Once she finds Squirtle, May finds an elderly woman, Edna, waiting for a train. After hearing the sad story about Edna's past, Meowth and May go back in time in order to change history.

On their way to the Battle Palace, Ash and friends stop at Potpourri Island where they learn about the Pokémon Orienteering Contest. The contest is a race around the island where a trainer and one Pokémon must go to five different locations and get the special stamps at those locations. The winner will receive a special medal along with a ton of fruit. As the contest begins, Ash goes with Pikachu, May goes with her new Eevee, Brock goes with Bonsly, Max goes with Munchlax (lent to him by May), James with Mime Jr, and Jessie with Meowth. Who will win the contest and win all that fruit? That is if Jessie and Meowth don't succeed in stealing it along with Ash, May and Brock's Pokémon!

Ash and friends finally arrive in Wisteria Town where May prepares for her next contest. However, Harley shows up and this time he is not so friendly with everyone. Harley declares that he will win this contest and his Fourth Ribbon against May. Meanwhile, Team Rocket try to convince Harley to work with them as they'll help him beat May while he helps them get Ash's Pikachu. Will Harley accept Team Rocket's offer for their help or decides to beat May fair and square.

While on the way to May's next Pokémon Contest, Ash and friends must stop at a nearby island to switch to ferry to the next island. They let their Pokémon out to play and Donphan, still as playful as ever, tries to play with some Rhyhorn, only to be chased by their parents. After being saved by Nurse Joy and her Meganium, Grovyle gets into a conflict with a wild Tropius and is beaten badly. Meganium heals Grovyle and Grovyle falls in love with the Herb Pokémon. However, it is later revealed that Tropius also has feelings for Meganium. Grovyle decides to have a rematch against Tropius to see who will come out on top.

After losing a ribbon to Harley, May arrives on Chrysanthemum Island, ready to win her third ribbon. Ash is also working hard trying to help Sceptile regain its ability to use Grass-type attacks after breaking its heart. When Drew shows up, May finds out he didn't send her the letter. Later, while training on the beach, she meets a girl named Brianna who reveals that she sent the letter and rose to May. When Brianna finds out May knows Drew, she grows embarrassed as she has a crush on Drew and intended the letter and Rose to be sent to him. When she finally meets Drew, Brianna claims that she will beat May in the contest and win Drew's respect and love! Meanwhile, Jessie also enters the contest with James' Mime Jr.

Ash and co have arrived on the island of the Battle Palace, which happens to be a massive jungle. Ash, eager to make his upcoming battle with the Brain as good as it can be, decides to put extra emphasis on helping his recently evolved Sceptile to be able to use its attacks. However in the process, Ash and Sceptile get separated from the group and meet with the Frontier Brain, Spenser. Will Ash and Spenser get Sceptile to be able to use attacks again?

Ash finally arrives at the Battle Palace, ready to take on Spenser for the Spirit Symbol. As they head out to the battlefield, Ash learns that he has the entire surrounding jungle to battle in! As the battle begins, May, Brock and Max head up in a balloon with Scott to watch the battle. As the battle begins, Ash pits his newly "revived" Sceptile against Spenser's Shiftry and the battle quickly takes into the forest. Will Ash be able to beat Spenser while battling in a forest? And does he have a secret weapon waiting in the wings?

After a battle with Team Rocket, Pikachu, Meowth, Bonsly & Manene are seperated from their respective trainers. Lost in a town, the four Pokémon decide to team up to find their trainers...however three strange men have their eyes set on Bonsly & Manene. Will the Pokémon get back to their trainers?