April 2007 saw Cartoon Network debut a “movie” of Pokemon: Diamond & Pearl, the latest installment in the long-running Pokemon television series. This was followed by the official debut of the series in June 2007. This season, Ash Ketchum arrives in the Sinnoh region. He needs to battle Sinnoh Gym Leaders and earn eight badges so he can enter the Sinnoh League. As expected, Brock joins him again on this journey. However, May and Max, who had traveled with Ash throughout the Hoenn region, do not journey with Ash to Sinnoh. Instead, Pokemon: Diamond & Pearl introduces a new character named Dawn, who is the daughter of a Pokemon Contest Coordinator. Dawn wants to follow in her mother’s footsteps.

As usual, Team Rocket follows Ash and his friends, still bungling in their attempts to capture Pikachu. Soon after arriving in the Sinnoh region, Ash makes a new rival out of Paul, a stoic and strict Pokemon trainer. If Paul is dissatisfied with the performance of a Pokemon, he prefers to release it instead of trying to train it. Dawn already has two rivals: Zoey and Kenny. Zoey is a top Pokemon coordinator, but she is helpful to Dawn and appears to be greeted as a friend. Kenny, however, is Dawn’s childhood friend, who she thinks is a pain. Dawn and Kenny compete against each other in Pokemon contests.

In the series, Ash has encountered one Gym Leader so far in the Sinnoh region: Roark of the Oreburgh Gym. Roark is a coal miner, and he specializes in Rock-type Pokemon; any trainers that defeat him in battle earn the Coal badge. Ash will also encounter Gardenia of the Eterna Gym. Trainers who defeat Gardenia in a battle earn the Forest badge.

Several new Pokemon have been introduced this season. Ash has obtained a Starly, a bird Pokemon; it has already evolved into a Staravia. He has also obtained a Turtwig, which is turtle-like Pokemon. All of Dawn’s Pokemon come from the Sinnoh region: Piplup (a blue-and-white penguin Pokemon), Buneary (a rabbit Pokemon), and Pachirisu (a squirrel-like Pokemon). Brock has also acquired a new Pokemon in the Sinnoh region: Croagunk (a poison/fighting-type Pokemon). Now, whenever Brock flirts, Croagunk uses Poison Jab on him and drags him away. James also acquires a Carnivine; this is a childhood friend of James, and its Pokeball was hidden inside a box of bottle caps at his family’s Sinnoh Region home. Another new Pokemon introduced this season is Chimchar, a Fire-type monkey Pokemon.

According to published episode lists from the Japanese series, there are 47 episodes in Pokemon: Diamond & Pearl. It will be interesting, after ten seasons of the Pokemon franchise, just how much longer the Japanese studio can keep coming up with stories and characters that will keep viewers interested in the series.