Season 9 of the GO Battle League started on August 30, 2021 and ended on November 29, 2021. Trainers who reached Legend rank during Season 9 qualified for the Pokémon GO Championship Series (PGO) where the winners of the Championship Series advance to the 2022 Pokémon World Championship. The season introduced the Little Jungle Cup, where only Pokémon under 500 CP and with Normal, Grass, Electric, Poison, Ground, Flying, Bug, and Dark types were allowed. Shuckle and Smeargle were banned in the Cup. Furthermore, GO Battle Days replaced GO Battle Nights, to make them more accessible. The season also marked the return of the Kanto Cup, selected by vote on Twitter, in which players would earn 3 times more Stardust from win rewards. It also brought back the Premier Classic for both Master and Ultra leagues.
