May's Blaziken (Japanese: ハルカのバシャーモ Haruka's Bursyamo) was the first Pokémon acquired by May at the beginning of her travels in Hoenn. Its Japanese voice actor is 小西克幸 Katsuyuki Konishi and its English voice actor is Bill Rogers. In Japanese, 西村ちなみ Chinami Nishimura voiced it as both a Torchic and Combusken (during her leave, it was voiced by Rikako Aikawa). In English, Rachael Lillis voiced it as a Torchic, as a Combusken it was voiced by Darren Dunstan (4Kids dub) and Bill Rogers (PUSA/TAJ dub).
In Get the Show on the Road!, Blaziken was given to May by Professor Birch in Littleroot Town when it was still a Torchic. She chose it as her starter Pokémon because she thought Treecko was ugly and scary, while the starter Mudkip had attacked her earlier. However, she seemed to like Torchic's cute appearance and sweet nature. Early on in the journey, Torchic was very inexperienced and ditzy. It did not know how to battle, and it tended to wander around obliviously; it also tended to panic when in dangerous situations.
When May started to ignore Torchic in favor of her new Beautifly, Torchic's personality began to change; it grew more determined to improve itself and recapture May's attention. Its competitive streak continued to grow as it lost most of its childishness and confusion; this culminated in its evolution into Combusken during A Shroomish Skirmish. Combusken itself had a period of being highly aggressive, but this seems to have passed and its personality seems to have evened out more now that it apparently feels that it no longer has to overcompensate.
In Once More with Reeling, during the break of a Pokémon Contest, Ash and co were trying to stop Team Rocket from stealing Pikachu and other Pokémon. In the midst of the ensuing battle, Combusken evolved into Blaziken, and used its Blaze Kick to send Team Rocket flying. May then used Blaziken in the Battle Phase against Ash's Sceptile.
