Pokémon: Advanced Challenge is the seventh season of Pokémon and the second season of Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire, known in Japan as Pocket Monsters: Advanced Generation (ポケットモンスター アドバンスジェネレーション, Poketto Monsutā Adobansu Jenerēshon). It originally aired in Japan from September 4, 2003 to September 2, 2004 on TV Tokyo, and in the United States from September 11, 2004 to September 10, 2005 on Kids' WB.
Set in the fictional Hoenn region, the season follows the adventures of the ten-year-old Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum, and his electric mouse partner Pikachu as they collect Gym Badges so they can compete in the Hoenn League competition. Along the way, they are joined by Brock, the leader of the Pewter City Gym, and the Pokémon coordinator May and her brother, Max, as May competes in Pokémon Contests with the aim of earning Ribbons so she can enter the Hoenn Grand Festival.
The episodes were directed by Masamitsu Hidaka and produced by the animation studio OLM.
The Japanese opening songs are "Advance Adventure" (アドバンスアドベンチャー, Adobansu Adobenchā) by GARDEN for 30 episodes, and "Challenger!!" (チャレンジャー！！, Charenjā!!) by Rika Matsumoto. The ending songs are "Polka O Dolka" (ポルカ・オ・ドルカ, Poruka O Doruka) by Inuko Inuyama and Nolsol Chorus Group for 4 episodes, "Because the Sky is There" (そこに空があるから, Soko ni Sora ga Aru Kara) for 7 episodes and "Smile" (スマイル, Sumairu) by Toshiko Ezaki for 42 episodes, and "Full of Summer!!" (いっぱいスーマ!!, Ippai Sumā!!) by Naomi Tamura and Himawari Chorus for 8 episodes. The English opening song is "This Dream" by David Rolfe. A shortened version is used as the end credit song.
