May is the female protagonist of the Pokémon games, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire, as well as one of Ash Ketchum's companions in the anime. In the games, her main Pokémon would be of the Torchic, Mudkip, or Treecko evolutionary lines, while in the anime it was a Torchic specifically.

In the games, her rival was the male protagonist, Brendan.