Pokémon: Advanced is the sixth season of Pokémon and the first 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 November 21, 2002 to August 28, 2003 on TV Tokyo, and in the United States from November 1, 2003 to September 4, 2004 on Kids' WB/The 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 song is "Advance Adventure" (アドバンスアドベンチャー, Adobansu Adobenchā) by GARDEN. The ending songs are "Because the Sky is There" (そこに空があるから, Soko ni Sora ga Aru Kara) by Toshiko Ezaki for 18 episodes, and "Polka O Dolka" (ポルカ・ドルカ, Poruka O Doruka) by Inuko Inuyama (Meowth) and Nolsol Chorus Group. The English opening song is "I Wanna Be a Hero" by David Rolfe. A shortened version of the English opening song was used for the end credits.