Max

History

Pokémon the Series

Pre-series

Max grew up at Petalburg City in the Hoenn region with his parents, Caroline and Petalburg Gym Leader Norman, and older sister, May. Max also looks up to his father and hoped to become a Pokémon Trainer just like him someday.

Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire

Max first appeared in There's no Place Like Hoenn. He was inside the Petalburg Gym when May returned home with Ash. When he saw Ash, he claimed that he was the Gym Leader and questioned Ash about the Silver Conference, saying that he had watched the tournament live when Ash was a participant and was not impressed with his performance. As the two began to bicker over how Ash could have won his battle against Harrison, May arrived with her parents and revealed that Norman was the actual Gym Leader instead of Max, leaving Ash irritated. Max watched the match between Norman and Ash until it was interrupted by Team Rocket. He went after Team Rocket and fell for their pit traps when he found Torchic. Later, with Norman and Caroline's permission, he decided to join Ash and May on their journey when they were setting off to Petalburg Woods, receiving a PokéNav from his parents as a parting gift.

Max and Tommy

In In the Knicker of Time!, Max went off to find Nicholai when he insulted Norman after defeating May. He brought along a pile of Berries, which attracted the Zigzagoon's attention. They got angry when Max ran out of Berries; and Ash, May, Brock, and Nicholai arrived to save Max. When Nicholai led the Zigzagoon away from the group, Max apologized for his actions earlier.

Max took a liking to Katrina's Poochyena in A Bite to Remember. Seeing that Katrina owned three Mightyena, Max attempted to get Poochyena to evolve. He trained it with May's Torchic, but was unsuccessful due to Torchic attacking both Max and Poochyena. Max then ran off with Poochyena after Ash told him that some Pokémon are happy the way they are. When Poochyena was caught by Team Rocket, Max encouraged it to bite through the net to free itself and the other Pokémon as well. Afterwards, Poochyena was able to evolve into Mightyena.

In Gonna Rule the School!, Max spent a day at Roxanne's Trainers' School, where he battled Tommy's Magby using a Poliwag. He used the strategy in increasing Poliwag's defense as much as possible with Defense Curl, but this backfired when Magby's repeated attacks began to wear Poliwag down.

In Candid Camerupt, Max borrowed Ash's Corphish during the battle with Vivi, who had a crush on him. Since Corphish was Ash's Pokémon, Corphish recklessly attacked Marill even though Max wanted Corphish to go easy on Marill. This victory caused Vivi to no longer be interested in him.

Max and his doppelgänger

Max met a lookalike with the same name as him in Maxxed Out!. Both of them were fighting when the brown-haired one criticized the blue-haired Max about how only skilled Trainers can handle Skitty as he thought that the Skitty was his. Max met up with the brown-haired Max by the lake when a Surskit was dancing around there. May suggested to both Maxes that they should be friends but it resulted in them fighting. When Team Rocket arrived with their goal in catching Surskit for their boss, the blue-haired Max and the brown-haired one went off and found Surskit as it ran away. They found it in a new water spring located in the forest. When Team Rocket returned to capture the Surskit, both Maxes worked together to take on the trio and Surskit finished them off. After Team Rocket's defeat, both Maxes became friends and the brown-haired Max promised the blue-haired one that he will become a Trainer someday.

In Take This House and Shuppet, Max and the gang went to a mansion. He separated from the group after he got into a sibling rivalry with May when they both accused each other of ending up in the mansion. When Max was still upset about May, a Shuppet covered him with red aura and Max noticed it. They played with each other and Shuppet showed Max a secret room containing a playground. Still mad about May, Max had Shuppet play a prank on Ash, May, and Brock by lifting up items in the kitchen when the three were headed there. When Team Rocket was about to get May's Torchic, Max blocked their way until May arrived. Max stood back as May took things from there with her Torchic and was about to get crushed by a falling shelf until Shuppet saved them by lifting the shelf.

Max found an injured Ralts in Do I Hear a Ralts?. He took it back to the campsite where Snorunt successfully cheered it up using Ash's hat and Max's glasses. Max took Ralts to a Pokémon Center after Brock pointed out that Ralts was running a fever. While Ash, May, and Brock were battling Team Rocket when they were attempting to steal Ralts for their boss, Max made a run for the Pokémon Center with Snorunt tagging along. Along the way, Max dealt with Team Rocket again but they were stopped by Ralts's friends, a Kirlia and a Gardevoir. Max explained to them about Ralts's condition but Kirlia was about to attack him until Ralts protected him with Safeguard despite being in worse condition. Seeing that Ralts was willing to trust Max, Kirlia and Gardevoir teleported away. Max finally arrived in a Pokémon Center and reunited with Ash, May, and Brock. Max was happy to see that Ralts was healed up, but became sad when he had to say goodbye to it. However, before Ralts left with Kirlia and Gardevoir, the two embraced and Max promised to return for it one day when he was old enough to become a Trainer.

Max's farewell

In Pokémon Ranger - Deoxys' Crisis! Parts 1 and 2, Max went with the group and Solana to a cave where they found out about a meteorite relating to Deoxys. Max was willing to communicate with it and Deoxys took him and Meowth to another dimension. Deoxys possessed Meowth as it explained to Max that it was scared during the space flight. Deoxys then explained to Max about the meteor landing and outer space, and that it was alone without a friend to hangout with. When Ash and his friends arrived in the cave again, Ash's Swellow and Sceptile, May's Combusken, and Brock's Marshtomp signaled their arrival and Max was happy to see them again. When Deoxys battled the group outside the cave, it caused some friction inside the alternate dimension that made Max and Meowth bounce around. However, they were able to get out with the help of May and Jessie. After the battle, Deoxys possessed Meowth again where it thanked Max for everything and fled off, wanting to explore the planet even more.

At the end of Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire, May announced that she wished to travel to the Johto region alone. This initially upset Max but Ash cheered him up with the promise of a battle between the two when Max becomes a Pokémon Trainer. He arrived home in Petalburg City where he took lessons from his father and helped to look after the Gym Pokémon.

Max, Ash, Brock, and May

Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl

Max appeared in a flashback in A Full Course Tag Battle!. May revealed that Max became a helper at the Petalburg Gym using everything he learned from Brock.

In Staging a Heroes' Welcome! and Strategy with a Smile!, Max and his parents watched May participate in the Wallace Cup.

He also appeared in another flashback in To Thine Own Pokémon Be True!, when Ash, Dawn, and Brock said goodbye to Dawn's Ambipom.

Max reappeared in the special episode DPS02, in a picture on Brock's memory wall.

Pokémon the Series: Black & White

Max reappeared in a fantasy in The Dream Continues!.

Max in Pokémon Journeys: The Series

Pokémon Journeys: The Series

In Partners in Time!, Max appeared alongside May, Serena, and Lisia, watching Ash's Masters Eight Tournament match against Leon.

I Choose You!

Max made a cameo appearance in the ending credits of I Choose You! alongside May.

Character

Max pulling Brock's ears

In his debut episode, Max was a bit of a know-it-all who was proud of his book smarts. For example, in In the Knicker of Time!, Max did not approve of how Ash had used Pikachu in battle and spent a portion of the episode lecturing him on what he thought was a better way to command the Pokémon. He can also be quite petty and vindictive, going out of his to try and ruin Nicholai's attempts on catching a Zigzagoon simply because he felt insulted when Nicholai claimed that defeating Norman would be easy based on May's lack of battling experience since she is his daughter. But despite this attitude, Max was not a close-minded person and was always eager to learn about Pokémon first-hand. He would become particularly excited when he could experience a Pokémon's move or Ability, such as Jigglypuff's Sing or Sharpedo's Rough Skin.

Over the course of Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire, Max went under Brock's tutelage for real-world knowledge of Pokémon and how to care for them. He developed a friendly relationship with Brock, though he did adopt Misty's habit for yanking him by the ear whenever Brock saw a pretty woman. Despite getting off to a rocky start with Ash, Max truly admires him and has proven it on numerous occasions. Over time, Max saw how Ash's unorthodox battle strategies could be beneficial, and by the end of his travels through Kanto, Max was no longer criticizing Ash's battling style.

He shares a deep bond with his older sister, May, and their bond only grew stronger while they traveled together through Hoenn with Ash and Brock. He is very proud of May's accomplishments as a Pokémon Coordinator and is always cheering for her when she takes part in a Pokémon Contest. However, the siblings were occasionally aggressive towards each other, like when Max told Harley embarrassing stories about May.

Max taking care of Norman's Slaking

Another example occurred in the movie Jirachi: Wish Maker, when May asked Jirachi to "get rid of the problem," referring to the large pile of candy in the room. Jirachi, who was reading Max's thoughts, teleported May away, which suggests that Max had been thinking that May was the real problem. Despite their arguments, the two siblings care for each other very much.

The question of Max's first partner Pokémon was raised a number of times while he was traveling in Hoenn. Among the Hoenn first partner Pokémon, he said that he would have chosen a Treecko. However, in Having a Wailord of a Time, he commented that he could really receive anything. Not knowing who his first partner Pokémon would be led to some of the conflict with his doppelgänger, whose name was also Max, in Maxxed Out!. At the end of that episode, he stated that Max is lucky that he already knows the Pokémon he will start his training with.

Max finally did meet his future partner in Do I Hear a Ralts? when he befriended a weakened Ralts. Wanting to demonstrate that he could be responsible for a Pokémon, he took care of it and brought it to a Pokémon Center with a little help from Snorunt. When Max and Ralts parted ways at the end of the episode, they promised to meet up again when Max was eligible to be a Trainer.

Pokémon

Due to not being a Pokémon Trainer yet, Max is unable to raise his own Pokémon. Nevertheless, he has befriended a variety of Pokémon during his travels. He has also occasionally borrowed May's Munchlax, such as in Off the Unbeaten Path! when he needed a Pokémon to take part in the Pokémon Orienteering being held in Potpourri Island.

Despite this, Max has been in a couple of Pokémon battles, such as the ones with Tommy and Vivi Winstrate. When he battles, he focuses on defensive moves such as Protect or Defense Curl instead of offensive, damage-dealing moves.

This listing is of the Pokémon Max befriended or temporarily used in Pokémon the Series:

Befriended

Shroomish

Debut	Taming of the Shroomish
Voice actors
Japanese	Makoto Tsumura

Shroomish is a Pokémon that Max met very early on in his journey. Max met the seemingly unhappy Shroomish while returning from a burger run with Ash. Max wanted to feed it and make friends with it, so Ash gave Max some Pokémon food to feed it. Shroomish was suspicious and used Stun Spore, causing Ash and Max to quickly back away in surprise.

Ash and Max noted that Shroomish was in the city instead of the forest, where its kind normally would live. Figuring that it might have been separated from its Trainer, they decided that they should take it to a Pokémon Center. Max took out a handkerchief and tied it around the top of Shroomish's head as a gift. The gift made Shroomish very happy. Max picked up Shroomish and they headed off.

After another failed Pika-Team Rocket plan, Shroomish, still in Max's arms, got very distressed and ran off. Ash and Max followed it. Shroomish went into the mansion through a broken window. In the end, Shroomish stayed in the mansion with Alex who promised to replant the forest.

Shroomish's known moves are Stun Spore and Leech Seed.

Poochyena → Mightyena

Debut	A Bite to Remember
Voice actors
Japanese	Katsuyuki Konishi
English	Katsuyuki Konishi

During their travels, Max met up with Katrina who had a pack of Mightyena and a lone Poochyena which didn't evolve with the others. Noting that it shouldn't be left out, Max decided to start training it so it could evolve. After battling with it against May's Pokémon and a fight with Team Rocket, it eventually evolved.

Mightyena's known moves are Tackle and Bite.

Jirachi

Debut	Jirachi: Wish Maker
Voice actors
Japanese	Tomiko Suzuki
English	Kerry Williams

Main article: Jirachi (M06)

In the movie, Jirachi awakened for seven days from a mysterious rock while the Millennium Comet was nearby. Jirachi had been taken by Butler, who was hoping to use Jirachi's powers for his own gain. Butler's girlfriend Diane realized what he was doing, and informed Ash and his friends. They decided to bring Jirachi to its home of Forina. Unfortunately, Butler followed them and got a hold of Jirachi. Using the Psychic Pokémon, he unwittingly created Meta Groudon which wrought havoc all over the forests of Forina. Fortunately, Jirachi was saved by Ash and then used its Doom Desire to obliterate the false Groudon.

After the ordeal, Jirachi went back to sleep, and Ash and the others continued their journey.

During this time, Jirachi grew attached to Max, and formed a special bond with him. It is believed that Max was the one who enabled Jirachi to emerge from the Millennium Comet. He was sad to see Jirachi leave, but he knew that they would always remain friends.

Shuppet

Debut	Take This House and Shuppet
Voice actors
Japanese	Satomi Korogi

Max befriended Shuppet in a mansion while he was on his travels. Shuppet was inhabiting the mansion as it has been there for quite a while. After meeting up with Max, they decided to have fun and scare some people. Shuppet is incredibly mischievous but does care about its friends and does defend them in battle. In the end it stayed in the mansion with Emily.

Shuppet's only known move is Psychic.

Ralts

Debut	Do I Hear a Ralts?
Voice actors
Japanese	Ikue Otani
English	Ikue Otani Rachael Lillis (when speaking telepathically)

Max first heard Ralts calling out to him telepathically. He then found it near a lake and it was very sick. Max insisted on taking Ralts to the nearest Pokémon Center, with Ash's Snorunt. He convinced Ralts's family, Kirlia and Gardevoir, that he would help Ralts. He eventually reached the Pokémon Center, where Ralts made a full recovery from pneumonia. When Team Rocket tried to steal Ralts, it blasted them away with a powerful Psychic. Afterwards, Kirlia and Gardevoir arrived to take back Ralts, but it did not want to leave Max and wanted to go with him. Max promised that he would return for it when he is old enough to become a Pokémon Trainer.

Ralts's known moves are Psychic, Safeguard, and Teleport.

Deoxys

Debut	Pokémon Ranger! - Deoxys Crisis!

Main article: Deoxys (anime)

Deoxys crashed onto the planet and started causing disturbances in the area. When found, it kidnapped Max and Meowth and took them to an alternate dimension. In this time, Max befriended Deoxys and learned that it just wanted to be able to leave and get on with its life. With the help of Ash and his friends, along with Solana, this was accomplished.

Borrowed

These are Pokémon Max has borrowed either for a battle or an event.

Poliwag

Debut	Gonna Rule The School!
Voice actors
Japanese	Makoto Tsumura
English	Rachael Lillis

Max borrowed Poliwag when he attended Pokémon Trainers' School. Max found it under a bench and returned it to Roxanne, who said it was Kenny's, but he was afraid of touching it. Later, when Tommy accidentally stepped on Poliwag's tail, it sparked a fight between Tommy and Max. In battle practice, Max then used Poliwag against Tommy's Magby.

Tommy began with a Flamethrower, which Max countered with Defense Curl. When Tommy tried again, Max used Belly Drum. With increased attack and defense power, Max chose not to go forward and attack, and on Tommy's next attempt with Flamethrower, it was replied with another Defense Curl - however, repeated hits were taking its toll on Poliwag. Suddenly Team Rocket attacked, but Max was able to cooperate with Kenny and Anita to send them blasting off.

Poliwag's known moves are Defense Curl, Belly Drum, Water Gun, and Protect.

Corphish ♂

Debut	Gone Corphishin'!
Voice actors
Japanese	Katsuyuki Konishi
English	Maddie Blaustein

Main article: Ash's Corphish

Ash let Max borrow his Corphish in Candid Camerupt! to battle Vivi Winstrate's Marill. During the battle, Max told Corphish to simply tire Marill out with Harden, but Corphish ignored his orders and went for the offense on the Aqua Mouse Pokémon, defeating it in the process. This caused Max's and Vivi's relationship to break apart, upsetting Max. However, Corphish was there to cheer up Max in the end.

Kanto and Hoenn first partner Pokémon

Debut	A Six Pack Attack!

Max borrowed Kanto and Hoenn first partner Pokémon from Professor Oak and Professor Birch respectively, in order to save them from Team Rocket.

Under his command Bulbasaur used Tackle, Treecko used Pound, Charmander and Torchic used Ember, and Squirtle and Mudkip used Water Gun and Tackle.

Munchlax

Debut	Berry, Berry Interesting
Voice actors
Japanese	Chie Satō
English	Billy Beach

Main article: May's Munchlax

May gave her brother Munchlax in Off the Unbeaten Path to use in a Pokémon Orienteering Contest. Max was also seen with Munchlax in other occasions other than the contest.

Buizel

Debut	Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea

Max borrowed Buizel from the Marina Group to help him reach an ancient ruin site.

None of Buizel's moves are known.

Pokémon competitions

Max has competed in the following Pokémon competitions:

• Trick House Contest - N/A (A Poké-BLOCK Party!)
• Pokémon Orienteering - N/A (Off the Unbeaten Path)

Voice actors

Artwork

Official artwork from Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire	Artwork from "After the story" [2]

Max in Ash & Pikachu

Ash & Pikachu

Max became a traveling partner of Ash beginning in The Keeper Of The Tree, Treecko!!. He served a similar role in the manga as in the animated series episodes it adapted.

Pokémon

Befriended

Ralts

Debut	The Birth Of The Invincible Team, Max And Ralts!!

Max found an injured Ralts lying down on some grass. He took it to a Pokémon Center where it was raining our and he encountered Team Rocket and their mecha along the way. However, Max did not give up and still pursued on taking Ralts to the Pokémon Center. After getting it healed up, Max was sad to leave it.

None of Ralts's moves are known.

Borrowed

Corphish

Debut	A Pokémon Battle Against An Entire Family?!

Main article: Ash's Corphish

During the battle against Vivi Winstrate, Max borrowed Ash's Corphish to battle against Vivi's Marill and easily won.

Movie adaptations

Max in Jirachi: Wish Maker

Max appeared in all of the Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire movie adaptations.

Pokémon

Befriended

Jirachi

Gallery

• 

  Max in Destiny Deoxys

Schoolkid artwork from Generation VI

The Max look-a-like

• A person with a resemblance to Max appeared in Cruisin' for a Losin'.
• Max's appearance may have been based on the School Kid Trainer class from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.
  • The Schoolkid artwork from Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire closely resembles Max.
  • When Max is first seen, he is even standing in the pose of a School Kid who challenges the player.
  • According to an interview with Tsunekazu Ishihara, Max was created during a conversation with Satoru Iwata. His glasses are the same model Iwata wore then, and his overall design was based on Iwata's son.
• In Pokémon Emerald (but not Ruby or Sapphire), the rival character (Brendan or May depending on the player's gender) has a little brother, who can be seen in the first floor of their house alongside their mother. This is most likely a reference to Max.
• Although Max took Misty's role of pinching Brock's ear when he sees a pretty girl, he didn't start doing that until he saw Misty do it in The Princess and The Togepi. However, he did drag Brock by the pants once in A Different Kind of Misty!.
• Max was the first main character besides Ash to have a lead role in a Pokémon movie, as all movies before Jirachi: Wish Maker had either Ash or a character of the day with the lead role.
• Max befriending a Ralts mirrors Wally's first Pokémon. Max also finds it sick, which is the reverse of the sickly Wally catching Ralts.
  • This may also be due to two School Kids using a Ralts in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald.
• Max is the youngest male protagonist.
• Max is Ash's first companion who is too young to be a Pokémon Trainer. The second would be Bonnie, although she does care for a Pokémon.
• Max is the only one of Ash's traveling companions introduced prior to Pokémon Journeys: The Series who has not reunited with him following his departure from the main cast.
  • Max is also Ash's only traveling companion introduced before Pokémon Journeys: The Series to not have received a speaking appearance outside their debut series.
  • Max is also the only one of Ash's traveling companions whose name is never mentioned in Pokémon Journeys: The Series.

• Episodes focusing on Max
• Images on the Bulbagarden Archives

This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.