Those Professors

Started by moon June 8th, 2013 2:58 AM
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moon

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Which of the main pokémon professors is your favorite, and why?
Do you like them better in the games or in some other media?

Is there any of them you don't like? Why would that be?

Do you think the professors suit their region well or would you like some of them to change places?

Do you think it is a good or bad thing that there is only one female professor, or are you neutral about it? Would you want it to be more equal?

There are some minor researches in the games, anime and other media that aren't the main professors of the region. Examples: Fennel, Bill, Colress, Cedric Juniper and even Blaine in some incarnations. Do you think any of those characters would have been better or more interesting to have as the main professors?

jsyk:

Professor Oak studies the relationship between humans and pokémon,
Elm studies abilities and evolution,
Birch studies habitats and distribution,
Rowan specializes in evolution,
Juniper researches the origins of pokémon.

Of course you don't have to answer every question posed here; just post your thoughts on the subject of pokémon professors and researchers!

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Amore

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Which of the main pokémon professors is your favorite, and why?

Tough one...probably Birch because he gave me my first pokémon :P Although he brought May to the pokémon league...so that's a bit of a fall in my estimation of him.
Elm's probably my least favourite, seems a little bit too...overawed by Oak? Inferior? Something like that.

Do you like them better in the games or in some other media?

Oak's quite cool in Pokémon Adventures. It's kinda implied that he's the only one who knows how to create a Pokédex, and he's kinda like an Emperor, with all the 'dex holders being his Imperial Guard :P
Also most of the other professors have much less attention given, from what I remember.

Is there any of them you don't like? Why would that be?

Not especially, but like I said before Elm's probably my least favourite.

Do you think the professors suit their region well or would you like some of them to change places?

Na, they're all kinda worked into their regions quite well. And with Hoenn being a shift away from the previous Gens it makes sense that there's no mention of Oak, same with Unova. Sinnoh on the other hand, is much less fussy about distancing itself from the other regions, it makes sense that Prof. Rowan knows Prof. Oak. Especially as they seem to be similar ages.
Birch's shorts fit the fact that he's working in a more tropical climate (although the Battle Zone suggests there's something different to the tri-cellular model going on in pokémon).

Do you think it is a good or bad thing that there is only one female professor, or are you neutral about it? Would you want it to be more equal?

I have no evidence, but it probably reflects on the gender balance in academia (Sciences at least). I don't really want it more equal. Although I probably won't play Gen VI, I think there should be another male professor. Maybe another female one in Gen VII.

There are some minor researches in the games, anime and other media that aren't the main professors of the region. Examples: Fennel, Bill, Colress, Cedric Juniper and even Blaine in some incarnations. Do you think any of those characters would have been better or more interesting to have as the main professors?

No. Except maybe Cedric Juniper (There's potential to have a game set in Unova a few years earlier, around the time of FRLGRSE, as opposed to BW and B2W2 which appear to take place after HGSSDPPt). Bill's quite interesting, but you'd have to show how he got his Eevee at some point...which'd ruin the mystery. Starting with an Eevee like in the GameCube games would be good though.


EDIT: @007_eleven - it's formal fridays xD shorts Sundays maybe?

PlatinumDude

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I like Professor Birch because he actually studies Pokémon out in the field and not just in the lab. I don't like Elm that much because his scatterbrainedness somewhat hinders him at his job. I'm neutral towards having a female professor in the games; to me, it was an interesting touch.

Eruption

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It has to be Oak. I try to refrain from just picking the first gen on choices like this, but he's been explored the most in all media and has the largest part in his game.

I like him most in the anime has provides a few funny moments (at least he did in indigo league and chronicles) which were hilarious as a kid.

Elm is maybe my least favourite as all he does is annoy you about the mystery egg on your pokegear. Plus oak still nearly gets as much involvement in his game. He has the worst design too.

I have no feelings either way about how they fit into their region. It's difficult to come up with much reasoning either way.

Bill might have been cool. Also Gary Oak becomes a professor in chronicles, it could've been cool if Blue was a professor in a later game.

moon

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I like Prof. Birch, he clearly got the office memo about casual fridays, those shorts :P Oak has the most style though :) It's nice that each Professor studies a different field of science relating to the Pokemon world.
Haha, yeah! Birch looks really friendly and relaxed compared to the others. Professor Oak appeals to me in style mostly because he was the very first professor, I guess.

It's very nice that they have made them focus on different things, yes :] Except for maybe Elm and Rowan, but I think maybe they changed Elm's focus a bit in HG/SS? To let Rowan be the authority on evolution and give Elm more about breeding and eggs and stuff. Since he was the one to discover pokémon eggs.

Oak's quite cool in Pokémon Adventures. It's kinda implied that he's the only one who knows how to create a Pokédex, and he's kinda like an Emperor, with all the 'dex holders being his Imperial Guard :P
Also most of the other professors have much less attention given, from what I remember.
Yeah, I agree with them. It's like prof Oak is like Professor Xavier and the 'dex holders are his X-men xD Which is pretty awesome.

Bill get some attention in Yellow/Crystal/FR/LG arcs and I really like him as a researcher (and character overall) in the PokéSpe manga.

Do you think it is a good or bad thing that there is only one female professor, or are you neutral about it? Would you want it to be more equal?

I have no evidence, but it probably reflects on the gender balance in academia (Sciences at least). I don't really want it more equal. Although I probably won't play Gen VI, I think there should be another male professor. Maybe another female one in Gen VII.
That might be so, people feel that it's natural to have lots of male professors.

Bill might have been cool. Also Gary Oak becomes a professor in chronicles, it could've been cool if Blue was a professor in a later game.
Yeah, Bill!

It would have been fun if Blue was a professor in Sinnoh or Unova, set a few years after G/S/C so that he had stopped being a gym leader. That would also tie in with Gary being a professor in the anime, yeah.


As for my preferences, I've got to say I don't really like Elm much. Only his name. He looks silly and was mostly annoying in the game (and manga). Don't remember him from the anime other than that he held a Cyndaquil in his arms once. But the worst has got to be Rowan. He is just... too stern looking and not really interesting in any way. I always saw him as a more serious Oak-clone in the games and manga. In the anime, I'm not sure I have even seen him actually :x

I used to think Birch was really weird, having shorts and being all hearty compared to the bland Oak and nervous Elm. But now that I think about it, I think I really like Birch. He is even a bit cute! /shot
And it was a nice change to have a professor who did his studies a bit differently. I think he should have been a more vital part of the games though; he did more in the manga with being Sapphire's father and trying to give Emerald his pokémon and all.

And I do really like Juniper. I was happy that we got a female professor and I think more should have been female already. Think of a nervous female professor instead of Elm, that would have been more fun. I doubt we'll get a female professor for X & Y but I really hope we do. A smart and sort of smug middle aged / old woman, I'd want. Preferably with a crucial part in the plot.

But yeah, that'll likely not happen :<
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Aquacorde

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Hmm well I was just thinking of this thread and realized that Rowan and Juniper... their specialities could have (should have?) been switched? Rowan is a native of Sinnoh, growing up amongst legends and lore and ancient sites all preserved. He's from the region of the gods; why does he not study origins? And Juniper, from the urbanized land always pushing forward in technology, with Pokémon that evolve only under very specialized circumstances with (apparently) the proper technology- why does she not specialize in evolution?

Juniper in the anime seems to be more interested in evolution than her description dictates. There were three episodes that have her working directly in the evolutionary field- she revives Archen with Fennel, which evolved into Archeops. Later, she spends an episode talking about her research into the evolutions of Shelmet and Karrablast and then the next actually evolving and dealing with the Pokémon. In the anime, it seems like Cedric is the one more interested in legends and origins. Also he's basically a sillier Indiana Jones and he's awesome.

On the other hand, maybe Juniper is interested in origins because the world around her is being pushed forward at an alarming pace. Maybe Rowan studies evolution because he loves to see even the smallest amount of change in a place where everyone is stuck in the past. Perhaps these two aren't inspired by what they see so often, but rather what is absent from their lives.

/end character analysis .3.
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Seen February 26th, 2015
Posted February 8th, 2015
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10.3 Years
TREE
is the word that defines them.
Oak - Oak Tree
Elm - Elm Tree
Birch - Birch Tree
Rowan - Rowan Tree
Juniper - Juniper Tree

Like the variety of their namesakes, they are also different in peculiar ways. Like Oak is a bit stringent and strict, and he seldom changes his thoughts. He's the kind of person who's very secure, and has been in the scene for quite some time. But of count, he is also really funny and likeable, although that usually comes along with his concern of work.
Elm is a bit... of a changer type. A little quirky (reference to manga) but still little strong and strict like our nice old Professor Oak. But he isn't as experienced as Oak is, and that's because of the age difference, I guess. He isn't that different than Professor Oak, I guess.
Birch is gotta be the favourite. Irresponsible, or rather a little unbalanced type of guy. He gets engrossed in his work too much to be wary of other things (reference to comical chase by wild Poocheyena/Zigzagoon). He hasn't been researching for that long a time, but his engrossment in work compensates to that.
Rowan is a imposing figure. Standing tall and hefty, he is more formal than his nature allows him to be. Even though kind, the fact that he is very strict isn't ruled out of the book. In fact, sympathy is a concept understood by him much. He is always very consistent and makes sure the task is set through as right as rain.
Juniper is a nice person. Unlike previous professors, she is both secure and smart, and kind and nice. This makes her the most approachable person of the five, and that's a credit that she withstands all along. It should also be noted that she interacts with every trainer she sponsors, and makes sure that that trainer gets to use the best of his/her abilities (reference to Bianca becoming an assistant).

As of all the other researchers... Bill is the BEST OF THE WORLD FALLEN DOWN 42 TIMES.
+Awesome
+Friendly
+Careless
+Experimental
+Helpful
+Interactive
+Likeable
+Memorable
+The Reason Why We Are Able To Store Pokémon In PC

Cheers to him!~
PS : Rowan is the only one wearing a tux, that's weird, isn't it?
~

physi1

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Posted August 5th, 2013
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9.9 Years
TREE
is the word that defines them.
Oak - Oak Tree
Elm - Elm Tree
Birch - Birch Tree
Rowan - Rowan Tree
Juniper - Juniper Tree
It may just be me, but I only just yesterday made the connection that the professors are named after trees and I was wondering if i'm not alone or if i'm late to the party/conference.

As for the profs.,oak never did it for me purely because if he's a world expert why does he forget half of the things about his own grandson including his name?
Elm didn't even make enough of an impression for me to remember what he was like.
Birch was cool but didn't really do much.
Rowan was the guy who seems scary but is actually quite nice and he has some great moments exacting authority and is my favourite.
Juniper was Okay. Too cheerful if anything. As for female professors I don't think it's overly easy to make a comparison from one's head as they would be designed differently.
remember, nothing is too precious.

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Arlyn Aquos

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Professor Elm actually studies Pokemon Eggs and Abilities, not Evolution. but by far Professor Rowan is my personal favorite because he gave me my partner Arlyn the Empoleon.

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moon

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As of all the other researchers... Bill is the BEST OF THE WORLD FALLEN DOWN 42 TIMES.
+Awesome
+Friendly
+Careless
+Experimental
+Helpful
+Interactive
+Likeable
+Memorable
+The Reason Why We Are Able To Store Pokémon In PC

Cheers to him!~
TOTALLY agree with you. Bill is so amazingly awesome, especially in the PokéSpe manga, haha. he should wear a tux

Professor Elm actually studies Pokemon Eggs and Abilities, not Evolution.
Isn't that mostly after HG/SS though? In G/S/C I think he studied evolution much but they retconned that. Or maybe I'm wrong. Either way it's nicer to think that he studies eggs and abilities, yeah, since Rowan is about evolution.


By the way, we have a new professor to add to the discussion. Platane (jp) or Sycamore (en) of Kalos! I for one think he looks a bit strange, but really nice in some way. Not much is known about him yet. In Spain he is apparently called Professor Cipres (which means cypress) though. I like that better than Sycamore O.o

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Austin1395

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Posted December 16th, 2013
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9.9 Years
I don't quite have a particular fondness to any of the Professors. If any, I guess I'd have to say Oak, since he gave me my first Pokemon. I don't have any problem with any of the Professors. I don't see any reason why any of the Professors wouldn't suit their respective region, I think that they're all good where they're at. I don't see it as a good/bad thing there is only one female Professor, I'm pretty neutral about it. I don't see any reason to make it equal but, that doesn't mean don't make female Professors again. There should be more than one eventually. I don't think any of the "minor" researchers should replace the official regional Professors but, I do think they should have bigger roles in the games. I love that each Professor has a specialty, although I'm not in love with any of their areas of expertise.

And, I wanted to say a little about our Professor in Kalos, Professor Sycamore! I must say, I love that he's a younger Professor and that, according to rumor, he actually battles you at some point(s). I hope his area of expertise is something is something unexpected and very new. I am also liking that, if I've done my reading correctly, he isn't the one who gives you your starter and also isn't in the starting town. I am actually really liking that idea. All in all, Sycamore is my favorite so far and hope they continue with a similar pattern.

waveguidebuizel

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I like the professors, especially for the fact that they all have different areas of expertise, as well as their varied personalities. On that note, given the information so far, I'm thinking that Prof. Sycamore would probably study battles or move usage or something to that effect.

As for my favorite, I can't really decide. Probably Rowan? The way he schooled the Galactic grunts in Jubilife was great! Also, he has a sweet tooth, which seems to belie his stern exterior. =P
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ganesha

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13.2 Years
I like Professor Oak he has the most awesome personality in the anime and he's the most famous of all the Professors in the PokéWorld. Coming to games he's the only one who appears in two generations.

In Unova it would have been better to have Colress was the Professor and Professor Rowan should have been researching on something other than evolution like myths and legends as of all the games only Unova has the highest number of myths I guess.

Ninetales1

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You know, I really wanted to like Professor Juniper. But her personality is rather bland, and she seems to be set up not as a character, but rather as just a helper to aid you on your Pokemon journey. But I do like how there have been other professors who had family members assist them (Oak and Birch, most notably), but Juniper's the first to have such a family member who's older rather than younger than her.

I think Professor Oak is still my favourite, mostly because of how he acts in the anime and how he acts almost cranky-old-man-ish in the games (even little things like him being too slow to catch your battle with his grandson in the Pokemon League). And he's also one of the very few professors with a backstory. According to Agatha of the Elite Four, he used to be this hotshot-trainer-type who was all about battling and being the strongest. Now I know where Gary gets his personality from.

Also, what's this about Juniper being the first and/or only female professor? Although she never appeared in the games, there was Professor Ivy of the Orange Islands. Granted, she wasn't really that interesting besides being another love interest for Brock. I think her research was about how a Pokemon's living environment affects its appearance and behaviour, hence the differences in the island Pokemon from the way they were in Kanto. It's been a while since I watched Season 2 of the anime, so...

As for secondary researchers, my hands-down favourite is Fennel, to the point where I think she could be a very good replacement for Professor Juniper. I love how her research is into the dreams of Pokemon, which is quite unique from what the other professors have been studying. And also how this choice in research, plus the fact that she keeps a Musharna with her, makes her seem like a sweet mad scientist who's perhaps a little too hopped up on dream gas. This is further evidenced by the fact that she has an assistant named Amanita, which is a genus of mushrooms that are either poisonous or hallucinogenic.



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10.1 Years
I adore Professor Birch the most. Mostly because he does his study both inside his lab and out in the fields and because he has a hot daughter.
DAMMIT that was gonna be my line :( Oh well better say it anyways

I love Birch. He is so chill and I love that he needs help being rescued from a Lv 2 Zigzagoon. He gave me my first ever Pokemon, Alfie the Torchic.

Also dem shorts. I can just imagine him yelling, "I love shorts! They're comfy and easy to wear! Hey! You're not wearing your shorts! What's wrong with you?" When you rescue him.
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BubbleBeams

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Honestly I have a soft spot in my heart for Oak, simply because I love him in the anime. He cracks me up.

As far as the games go I really like Professor Juniper. I'm not really sure why, she just seems very relaxed and very encouraging.
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Hmm... Well, here's how I'd rank them.
1. Juniper/Oak. Oak is, well, Oak. The first professor you met, the only one who was in more than one Generation, excluding remakes (THREE! He was in THREE generations, people. Professor Oak gets around.), and finally, he was the professor of (in my opinion) the second best games (Firered and Leafgreen). And Juniper was the first main series female professor, and she did give you a Master Ball. Gotta love her for that.
2. Elm. Kind of stupid for a professor, but he was the main professor in my first game, so I have to like him.
3. Rowan. Grumpy old guy.
4. Birch. I liked him as a person, but I can't get over how inept he is. He needed saving from a level 2 Zigzagoon/Poochyena. He could just kick it and it would get out of his way.

And here's how I rank the side professors. I don't know much about them, but I'll try.

1. Fennel. I liked her. She's nice, she gives you an Eevee, and she's the first female side professor. She's pretty much the Juniper of side professors.
2. That lady from Dream Radar. I like her. I don't know why, but I do. She reminds me of Elm. For some reason.
3. The old guy from the Ranger series. Grumpy old guy. Just like Rowan. Except he came first.
4. Professor Krane. Didn't really like him much. I don't know why.
5. The professor from Pokemon Trozei. He wasn't really involved in the adventure. He was out doing other things.

When it comes to side professors, they're a lot like main series professors.
Fennel = Juniper.
Krane = Birch, sort of.
Pokemon Ranger Professor = Rowan (they're both grumpy old guys.)
Dream Rader Professor = Elm (I still don't get why I think she's so much like Elm.)
None = Oak. There's no replicating Oak.

ErikaInRainbowCity

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Posted August 26th, 2013
72 posts
9.8 Years
Which of the main pokémon professors is your favorite, and why?
Do you like them better in the games or in some other media?
Oak is definitely my favorite because of how awesome and funny he is in the anime :3 After that is prob Elm, he seems rather dorky but in an endearing way and I mean that game-wise.

Is there any of them you don't like? Why would that be?
Rowan is a little different that what I'm used to in professors but I don't dislike him.

Do you think the professors suit their region well or would you like some of them to change places?
I would think Rowan would study the origins of Pokemon instead of Juniper since that was 4th gen.'s whole main idea.

Do you think it is a good or bad thing that there is only one female professor, or are you neutral about it? Would you want it to be more equal?
Not really, I'm sure there will be more female professors in later games so I'm not too worked up over it. I'm neutral.

There are some minor researches in the games, anime and other media that aren't the main professors of the region. Examples: Fennel, Bill, Colress, Cedric Juniper and even Blaine in some incarnations. Do you think any of those characters would have been better or more interesting to have as the main professors?
Hmmm I think Blaine would be awfully interesting :3 This isn't on the list but a friend of mine once suggested that Gary Oak should succeed his grandfather as a Pokemon Professor.. now THAT I'd love to see :D

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14.4 Years
Which of the main pokémon professors is your favorite, and why?

Rowan because he was seemingly an intimidating man but he had a passion for Pokémon and seemed to very nice.

Do you like them better in the games or in some other media?

I feel you get to know them better through the games because in a sense you yourself are interacting with them personally as opposed to seeing Ash do so.

Is there any of them you don't like? Why would that be?

There was no one that I didn't like, they were all very likable characters.

Do you think the professors suit their region well or would you like some of them to change places?

Clearly Oak sees to visiting many different regions so there's that. I feel Rowan would be the type to leave to another area. But Elm and Birch are clearly attached to their respective regions. And Juniper's region is still very young.

Do you think it is a good or bad thing that there is only one female professor, or are you neutral about it? Would you want it to be more equal?

Don't care. A professor's a professor and gender doesn't change that. What bugs me most about Juniper is that people think her gender is a big deal and it's not.