Pokémon Advanced Generation (2002)

Pokémon AG — Advanced Generation — is a turning point in the series. It replaces Misty with May (Haruka) as a traveling companion and introduces the new concept of Pokémon Coordinator. Set entirely in the brand-new Hoenn region, it had a strong feeling of starting fresh from the beginning. Rating: ★4.0. The new ideas were fresh, and May worked as a compelling character in her own right.

What it’s about — Starting over in the Hoenn region

Ash leaves most of his home Pokémon behind and heads to the Hoenn region alone. There he meets May, a Pokémon Coordinator, and her younger brother Max, and they begin traveling together. Brock re-joins them to complete the new team. The series began airing in November 2002 and comprises a combined total of 192 episodes across the Hoenn League season and the Battle Frontier season. Direction is by Hidaka Masamitsu.

Direction — Coordinator battles, a new stage

AG’s biggest change is giving the main cast multiple goals. Rather than following only Ash’s League challenge, May’s Grand Festival challenge runs in parallel. Coordinator battles are directed with different aesthetic criteria from League battles — judging the flashiness of moves and the harmony between Pokémon — and the format is fresh. The quality of battle animation itself improves from the early episodes into the mid and late portions, with particularly impressive battles in the final Hoenn League and the Battle Pike sections.

Performance & characters — A series held up by May

May is the character who props up this series at its core. Her arc from a complete beginner who barely knows Pokémon to someone who gradually builds her skill is natural, and the competitive drive beneath her kindness is what creates drama. Ash follows the continuity of growth shown in previous series, and his finish as runner-up at the Hoenn League was a significant subject of discussion among fans at the time. Max’s comedy provides the light humor that suits a family anime.

What the work says — Pressing on even through failure

AG shows that the essence of the Pokémon journey is continuing forward through repeated challenge and failure. May’s growth arc seems at first as though it might remain in the role of supporting Ash’s goals, but as the series progresses she develops into a character moving independently toward her own objectives. The series also makes changes in the dynamic with Team Rocket — in pivotal moments there are more episodes where they cooperate with the protagonist’s side, giving them more dimensionality than a simple villain role.

Ratings & reception

Within TMDB and IMDb assessments of the entire Pokémon series, IMDb score is 7.6. Among fans, AG is frequently cited alongside DP as one of the golden eras of the Satoshi period. The conclusion of the Battle Frontier season — in which Ash refuses the offer to become a Frontier Brain champion — provoked significant debate at the time. Both positive interpretations and critical reactions to this ending coexist to this day.

What doesn’t quite work

With 192 episodes, there are clearly passages where the pacing drags. The Battle Frontier arc in particular loses a sense of direction after the Hoenn League and becomes somewhat tedious in the middle. Some of the newly introduced Hoenn region Pokémon lack enough personality to be memorable. Team Aqua and Team Magma as villain organizations feel less threatening compared to Team Rocket.

Verdict

Pokémon AG succeeded as a fresh start for the series. New region, new companions, new battle systems — all of them pulled their weight. Completing 192 episodes requires patience, but the battles in the Hoenn League and Battle Pike reward the effort. Rating: ★4.0. If you’re a Pokémon fan of any generation, AG is hard to skip.

More on what the show offers

Another contribution of the AG arc is the hint toward the Sinnoh region. In the latter half of the Battle Frontier season, the existence of Sinnoh is first implied, forming a natural bridge into the subsequent DP series. Of the many Pokémon that appear across 192 episodes, this was also the first season to give the third-generation Pokémon rich expression in TV animation. Episodes featuring legendary Pokémon like Giratina and Dialga were particularly special moments for game fans. On an episode-by-episode basis, certain Pokémon introduction episodes and event episodes inspired strong reactions among viewers at the time. The way Pokémon are expressed as personalities with individual character becomes noticeably richer starting from this series. The background music and color palette of the Hoenn region are sometimes cited by fans as the most beautiful visual design of any Pokémon season.

Recommended for

• Viewers from the late 1990s–early 2000s who moved from the original series to AG
• Those who first came to the series through the new region and characters
• Anyone curious about the distinctive Coordinator battle format