Hobbies And Interests
The Battle Frontier
The Battle Frontier can be accessed at any time after the Elite Four is defeated. To get there, travel to Olivine City and leave using the western exit to access Route 40. The Battle Frontier entrance, a blue building, is located a few steps west on Route 40. Once inside, players have access to an information desk, a Pokemon Center, a Pokemart and the Battle Frontier itself. The Battle Frontier is split into five separate buildings: the Battle Factory, Battle Tower, Battle Castle, Battle Arcade and Battle Hall. Each building has its own set of rules that must be followed when battling.
Rules for the Battle Frontier
Each Battle Frontier building has its own ruleset that is explained when you enter the building. For example, the Battle Factory only allows you to use Pokemon that are given to you -- you cannot use your own Pokemon. Additionally, almost all of the legendary Pokemon, such as Mewtwo or Celebi, are not allowed to be used in Battle Frontier battles. Each of the five buildings is run by a Frontier Brain. A Frontier Brain is similar to a Gym Leader, in that their Pokemon are often better than the trainers before them. There are five Frontier Brains total: Dahlia, Darach and Caitlin, Thorton, Argenta and Palmer.
The Frontier Brains
Unlike Gym Leaders, Frontier Brains are not available to fight until special conditions have been met. All Frontier Brains have the same condition -- you must win a varying number of fights in a row before a Brain challenges you. This number varies based on which location you are fighting in. For example, Palmer in the Battle Tower fights you after your 21st win, but Argenta in the Battle Hall fights you after your 50th win. Once a Brain is beaten, it challenges you a second time with stronger Pokemon if you defeat even more opponents. For example, Palmer challenges you a second time when you have beaten 48 opponents in a row in the Battle Tower.
Rewards for Beating the Frontier Brains
For defeating a Frontier Brain the first time, you are awarded a silver medal and additional Battle Points -- these Battle Points can be spent in the Battle Frontier for items your Pokemon can hold or items to increase a Pokemon's statistics. After defeating a Frontier Brain for the second time, you are awarded the Colored Medal. Medals are for cosmetic purposes only and do not serve any other purpose than as proof you defeated a Frontier Brain. If you lose against the Frontier Brain, you must defeat the appropriate amount of opponents to fight a Frontier Brain again.