Ash, Dawn, Brock and of course Pikachu are still acquiring and training new Pokemon, and their old arch nemesis Team Rocket are still attacking Ash and his friends with their Pokemon.
 
In this volume, Ash trains his newest Pokemon Chimchar, and Dawn trades her Pokemon named Buizel to Ash for his Aipom. During the journey through the Sinnoh region, Buizel accidentally destroys the Hallowed Tower where the Pokemon Spiritomb is sealed. The vicious Spiritomb tries to attack Ash, his friends and a nearby village. Then, the next episode introduces another new face, Probopass, a weird looking Pokemon on Mt. Coronet. But the biggest challenge that Ash faces in this set is Team Galactic.
 
Don’t be confused by this box set 1 showing volumes 1 and 2 because Diamond and Pearl Battle Dimension is the title of the eleventh season of the long running Pokemon series. As expected from an anime show targeted at young children, this series has very simplistic plots and themes. While I was sometimes overwhelmed with past episode references and the large number of characters, I was also a little bit bored with the same routine – collecting, training and battling. I have cynically called the concept of the Pokemon a clever idea for the sole purpose of marketing toys and games. Nonetheless, I could see why some children enjoy watching this show. The monsters are often cute and have different features, skills and personalities so that it is easy for children to distinguish them.
 
Pokemon is a repetitive anime series, and this volume neither answers your ultimate question (will Ash be the best Pokemon master?) nor reveals any significant secret.  Because of the repetitiveness, Diamond and Pearl Battle Dimension may be considered lame and dull even by some young children. On the other hand, because of the consistency, this set may be able to keep other children’s attention, and leave them entertained for a few hours.
 
Episodes:
1 Tears for Fear
2 Once There Where Greenfields
3 Throwing the Track Switch
4 The Keystone Pops
5 Bibarel Gnaws Best
6 Nosing ‘Round the Mountain
7 Luxray Vision
8 Journey to the Unown
9 Team Shocker
10 Tanks for the Memories
11 Hot Springing a Leak
12 Riding the Winds of Change
13 Sleight of Sand
14 Lost Leader Strategy
15 Crossing the Battle Line
16 A Triple Fighting Chance
17 Enter Galactic