Max
- If you were looking for the character of the day from Maxxed Out!, see Max (AG049).
| Max マサト Masato | |
 Max | |
| Age | 7 (as of debut) |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Eye color | Black |
| Hair color | Oxford Blue |
| Hometown | Petalburg City |
| Region | Hoenn |
| Relatives | May (sister), Norman (father), Caroline (mother) |
| Animated debut | There's no Place Like Hoenn |
| English voice actor | Amy Birnbaum (AG003-AG145) Jamie Peacock (AG146-present) |
| Japanese voice actor | Fushigi Yamada |
Max (Japanese: マサト Masato) is a young boy from the anime and a former traveling companion of Ash. He is not a Pokémon Trainer and he did not own any Pokémon during the entire Advanced Generation series. He is the younger brother of May and the son of Norman—the Petalburg Gym Leader—and Caroline.
Character
In his debut episode, Max was presented somewhat 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. 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 attack or Ability, such as Jigglypuff's Sing or Sharpedo's Rough Skin. Max went under Brock's tutelage for real-world knowledge of Pokémon and how to care for them. Max developed a friendly relationship with Brock, though he did adopt Misty's habit for yanking Brock by the ear whenever Brock saw a pretty woman.
Despite getting off to a rocky start with Ash, Max truly admires him and has been proven it on numerous occasions. Over time, Max saw how Ash's unorthodox battle strategies could be beneficial, and by the end of the Advanced Generation series 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 travelled together through Hoenn with Ash and Brock. However, the siblings were occasionally aggressive towards each other, like when Max told Harley embarrassing stories about May. 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 starter Pokémon was raised a number of times while he was traveling in Hoenn. Between the Hoenn starters, 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 starter would be lead 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.
History
Max first appeared in There's no Place Like Hoenn where he was inside the Petalburg Gym when May returned home with Ash. When he saw Ash, he claimed that he was the Gym Leader. He questioned Ash about the Silver Conference, saying that he had watched the Silver Conference 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 Silver Conference battle against Harrison, May arrived with her parents and revealed that Norman was the actual Gym Leader instead of Ash. Max watched the match between Norman and Ash until it was interrupted by Team Rocket. He goes after Team Rocket and falls for their pit traps when he found Torchic. Later, he decided to join Ash and May when they were setting off to Petalburg Woods.
In In the Knicker of Time!, Max goes 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 get angry when Max ran out of berries and Ash, May, Brock, and Nicholai arrive to save Max. When Nicholai led the Zigzagoon away from the group, Max apologized for his actions earlier.
Max takes a liking to Katrina's Poochyena in A Bite to Remember. Seeing that Katrina owned three Mightyena, Max attempts to get Poochyena to evolve. He trains it with 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 encourages 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 Trainer's School where he battled with a Poliwag against a Magby. 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 meets a look-alike of his who has the same name in Maxxed Out!. Both of them were fighting when the brown-haired one criticized the green-haired Max about how skilled Trainers can only handle Skitty as he thought that the Skitty was his. Max meets 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 the boss, the green-haired Max and the brown-haired one go off and find Surskit as it ran away. They find it in a new water spring located in the forest. When Team Rocket returned to capture the Surskit, both Maxes work together to take on the trio and Surskit finished them off. After Team Rocket's defeat, both Maxes become friends and the brown-haired Max promised the green-haired one that he will become a Trainer someday.
In Take This House and Shuppet, Max and the gang go 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 finds 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 takes Ralts to a Pokémon Center after Brock pointed out that Ralts was running a fever. While Ash, May, and Brock were battling Team Rocket while the latter was 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 Kirlia and 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 teleport 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. However, he was sad to say goodbye to it after it left with Kirlia and Gardevoir.
In Pokémon Ranger - Deoxys' Crisis!, Max goes with the group and Solana to meteorite cave where they find out about a meteorite relating to Deoxys there. Max was willing to communicate with it and Deoxys takes him and Meowth to another dimension. Deoxys possesses 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 possesses Meowth again where it thanked Max for everything and flew off, wanting to explore the planet even more.
At the end of Advanced Generation, May announced that she wished to travel to Johto alone. This initially upset Max but Ash cheered him up with the promise of a battle between the two when Max becomes a Trainer. He arrived home in Petalburg City where he took lessons from his father and helped to look after the Gym Pokémon. Max has received just two cameos since his departure, triggered by May's brief return for the Wallace Cup arc.
Max later reappeared in a flashback in The Dream Continues!.
Pokémon
Due to not being a Trainer, he is unable to train his own Pokémon. Nevertheless, he has befriended a variety of Pokémon during his travels. Max has also occasionally borrowed May's Munchlax, such as in Off the Unbeaten Path! when he needed a Pokémon to take part in an Orienteering contest.
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 moves.
Befriended
| Debut | Taming of the Shroomish |
|---|
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.
| Debut | A Bite to Remember |
|---|
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.
| 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 a fake 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.
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.
| Debut | Do I Hear a Ralts? |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Ikue Ohtani |
| English | Rachael Lillis |
It appeared in the episode Do I Hear A Ralts?. Max first heard it 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. It has not been seen since.
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.
Deoxys's known moves are Psycho Boost, Safeguard, Psychic and Recover.
Borrowed
These are Pokémon Max has borrowed either for a battle or an event.
| Debut | Gonna Rule The School! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Shin'ichirō Miki |
| English | Rachael Lillis |
Max borrowed Poliwag when he attended Pokémon Trainer's 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.
| Debut | Candid Camerupt! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Katsuyuki Konishi |
| English | Maddie Blaustein |
- Main article: Ash's Corphish
Ash gave Max his Corphish in Candid Camerupt!. He used it to battle Vivi Winstrate's Marill. During the battle, Corphish listened to none of Max's commands 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.
| Debut | Off the Unbeaten Path |
|---|---|
| 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.
Achievements
- Pokémon Orienteering - Runner-up (participated with May's Munchlax)
Voice actors
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In the manga
In the Ash and Pikachu manga
Max appears in the Ash and Pikachu manga where he became a traveling partner of Ash beginning in The Keeper Of The Tree, Treecko!!.
Pokémon
Befriended
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
- Main article: Ash's Corphish
During the battle against Vivi Winstrate, Max borrowed Ash's Corphish where it battled against Vivi's Marill and easily won.
Trivia
- His appearance is based upon the School Kid Trainer class.
- The School Kid Trainer class in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire closely resembles 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.
- In the Ruby and Sapphire versions, an overworld character walking around Brendan/May's house looks much like Max. In Emerald, he was changed to a generic kid sprite.
- Max befriending a Ralts mirrors Wally's first Pokémon.
- This may also be due to two School Kids using a Ralts in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald.
- Max is the youngest male protagonist.
- He is Ash's first companion who is too young to be a Trainer. The second would be Bonnie.
Names
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | マサト Masato | Can be taken from 正人, a Japanese given name which literally means correct/elegant man, possibly referring to his intelligence. |
| English & French & German | Max | Similar in sound to "Masato". Shares the first two letters with May. |
| Korean | 정인 Jeong'in | From the name 正人 Masato, which can be read as 정인 in Korean Hanja reading. |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 小勝 / 小胜 Xiǎo Shèng | 勝 may be taken from 勝人, an alternate spelling of Masato. Can mean "small victory" or "young success". |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 小勝 Síu Sīng | Same as Mandarin name. |
| Thai | มาซาโตะ Masato | Same as his Japanese name. |
Related articles
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This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation. |