The second series of the Pokémon anime and is based on the events of the core series Generation III Pokémon games. It follows the original series and was succeeded by Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl. It ran from November 21, 2002 to September 14, 2006 in Japan and from November 1, 2003 to March 3, 2007 in the United States
In this series, Ash travels through the Hoenn region in an effort to compete in the Hoenn League there. He is joined not by Misty, who had been his continuous companion for the entirety of the original series, but May, a rookie Trainer from Petalburg City who at first merely wishes to travel. Eventually, she learns of Pokémon Contests and declares herself a Pokémon Coordinator, training to win Ribbons so she can enter the Hoenn Grand Festival. May's brother, Max, also travels with the group and helps map out routes to take using his PokéNav. However, Max is too young to have his own Pokémon. Brock, Ash's near-constant adviser, returns soon after the start of the series.
