So, is Professor Oak the smartest of all the professors?

[Ayselipera]

I don't believe Professor Oak to be the smartest one. I've seen him as more of one of the most highly respected or highly regarded professors. Inventing the Pokedex is a huge accomplishment in the Pokemon world that has spread to every region that we know of. So that alone already makes him a very important figure. Then off of that he's known to keep and study a variety of Pokemon at his research lab so we know he's very knowledgeable in the field that he studies.

If you look at it from a consumer standpoint it could also be that the people behind Pokemon want a recognizable knowledgeable character in the franchise that people can associate with being a prominent Pokemon professor.

Wasn't Elm the one who was fairly.... dumb?

I don't think he was dumb as much as he was eccentric and a little too passionate about his work and besting Professor Oak.

 

[Andrew McKenzie]

He's more world renown, but most likely not THE smartest of them all.

Each of the professors is known to study different subjects on top of the normal general Pokemon stuff.

For instance, Elm is known to study Pokemon Breeding, specifically creditted with the discovery of Pokemon Eggs, even though Mr. Pokemon found it first!
He's also quoted to be "the best when it comes to the research of Pokémon evolution" which means he and Rowan share an interest in a certain study.
He also isn't dumb, or generally un-smart, after all he is a professor.
He's just scatter brained, and absent minded.

Professor Birch is known to mainly study Wild Pokemon behaviour.
This is why he's mostly field studying.

Professor Rowan is known to study the mysteries of Pokemon Evolution.

Professor Juniper, we know little about thus far.

As for THE Professor Oak himself...
According to Elm, Oak concentrates on Pokémon and human relationships as a profession.

Also, an added note for Elm, he is known to have been Oak's top student at one point.

So yeah, none of them are the smartest or the dumbest.
Some professors know more on certain subjects than the others.
Even Oak himself admitted that another professor knew more on other subjects than himself.

 

[PatJamma]

well lets see:
Oak: thought there was 150 pokemon, wasn't smart enough to find johto and the 100 pokemon that live there, can't remember his grandson's name, can't tell the difference between male and female children

Elm: discovered pokemon eggs, steel and dark types, baby pokemon

Birch: go chased by a poochyana, so dumb he couldn't grab a pokeball from the bag that was like three steps away, can't tell the difference between male and female children

Rowan: trusts a 10 year old to be his assistant, can't tell the difference between male and female children

so I would saw it would have to be Elm is the smartest not Oak. in order it would go: Elm, Rowan, Oak, Birch. Birch is just a idiot. It's a miracle they let him be a professor

 

[bobandbill]

Elm: discovered pokemon eggs, steel and dark types, baby pokemon

But... the games never said he discovered steel OR dark types - he had nothing to do with that. ._. Furthermore, he hadn't been the first to discover baby Pokemon - the egg came from the Day Care Centre to Mr Pokemon, he didn't breed them himself (and expressed much shock at the egg when presented to him because who knows where eggs come from!? -_- Ignoring the fact he has a son to boot...).

Oak not knowing the name of his grandson is more just a game mechanic too to allow you to name your rival along with yourself, which was dropped in later games like RSE and DPPt...and every professor asks about your gender as well because that is also a game mechanic, so that makes that point rather null and void too imo - why list that? =/

 

[PatJamma]

But... the games never said he discovered steel OR dark types - he had nothing to do with that. ._. Furthermore, he hadn't been the first to discover baby Pokemon - the egg came from the Day Care Centre to Mr Pokemon, he didn't breed them himself (and expressed much shock at the egg when presented to him because who knows where eggs come from!? -_- Ignoring the fact he has a son to boot...).

Oak not knowing the name of his grandson is more just a game mechanic too to allow you to name your rival along with yourself, which was dropped in later games like RSE and DPPt...and every professor asks about your gender as well because that is also a game mechanic, so that makes that point rather null and void too imo - why list that? =/

huh. you know last time I checked the NPCs in GSC in newbark town say Elm discovered baby pokemon and eggs. and in jasmine's gym the gym guy said steel was a recently discovered type and as we all know unless a professor "discovers" it, it wasn't discovered.
And the thing with names could be different like "Oh this is Gary, my grandson, err what was that nickname you always called him?" or something like that

 

[mochilicious]

To be honest, he's the only one I really pay attention to, as in remembering his name and stuff. The only other one I really remember is Rowan xD Plus, Gen. I is my favorite, so yeah, he's also my favorite. Wouldn't say he's the "best" though.

 

[Queen]

Professor Oak is the smartest in my opinion.

 

[Aquacorde]

I don't know about the smartest, really. All the professors are very intelligent in their own ways. I think Oak just seems the most knowledgeable all around, because he seems to study all kinds of aspects of Pokemon.

I still think Birch is the coolest though. <3

 

[Alternative]

I honestly think that Prof. Oak isn't the smartest, despite discovering that 90% of Pokemon are somehow linked to Evolution. Prof. Elm, despite his timid ways discovered eggs and breeding, so imo Elm is the smartest.

Although Prof. Juniper/Araragi is also smart for taking a profession that isn't hospitality. :P

 

[LuVrDiSC]

Professor Ivy is the most intelligent !!

 

[cyan.]

i always thought that oak was the smartest. guess i was wrong.
the only thing i never understood was if oak would ever stop being a professor. i mean, he's been one for a long time now, and theres lots of info on pokemon and other professors. guess it just wouldn't be the same?

 

[iCoffee~♥]

Professor Oak said:

Spoiler:

Professor Oak, the smartest? Perhaps, people think he his, even in the anime. (Remember the episode when I think James pretended to be Professor Oak and they had a challenge regarding Pokemon abilities and skills?).. As for me, he's the most famous not the smartest since each professor in every region has their own specialties too, so not..

 

[Phantasmagoria]

I'm not too sure about smart, but out of the Professors, it's either him or Professor Rowan that are the eldest. So in a sense, he's knowledgeable due to... age?

But it's like what others have said before. Each Professor have their specialties when it comes to their research.

 

[Ghostie]

I know everyone thinks that Oak is this genius, and I guess it would take one to invent something like the Pokedex, but I honestly don't think he's that smart because...
During the first generation of Pokemon, he said that there were only 150 known Pokemon.
Since that time, so many more Pokemon have been discovered that it makes that belief incredibly ridiculous.
Did he live under a rock or what? How did the authority on Pokemon miss HUNDREDS OF SPECIES?
Sadly though, I think he is the smartest and most famous. I think this because he appears in every generation game except Black and White.
It's sad, because it makes the other Professors look like complete morons.

 

[Ryan Hekk]

I reckon Oak isn't the smartest. I remember seeing in the anime that he couldn't figure out what the GS ball and referenced to Prof. Ivy as being more knowledgable. However, as far as I remember, Ivy didn't figure out what the GS Ball was either and instead, passed it onto Kurt.

In conclusion, Kurt is the smartest Professor :P.

(Did the GS Ball just die off after that? I got up to Hoenn and it still hadnt revealed anything about the ball?)

 

[Ghostie]

In an interview with Masamitsu Hidaka in 2008 by the webmaster of PokéBeach, it was explained that the GS Ball was meant to contain a Celebi that was to be the star of a large arc of the Johto saga. However, it was decided that Celebi would be the star of the fourth movie, so the story arc was viewed as redundant and shelved. The ball was left with Kurt with the hopes that viewers would eventually forget about it. This plan, however, failed, as the GS Ball remained one of the most talked-about anime mysteries until the interview.

There ya go!
Bulbapedia

 

[Chamomile13]

I know everyone thinks that Oak is this genius, and I guess it would take one to invent something like the Pokedex, but I honestly don't think he's that smart because...
During the first generation of Pokemon, he said that there were only 150 known Pokemon.
Since that time, so many more Pokemon have been discovered that it makes that belief incredibly ridiculous.
Did he live under a rock or what? How did the authority on Pokemon miss HUNDREDS OF SPECIES?
Sadly though, I think he is the smartest and most famous. I think this because he appears in every generation game except Black and White.
It's sad, because it makes the other Professors look like complete morons.

How would you have fixed this? Only add a dozen or so new Pokemon in each generation, so that Professor Oak's initial estimate is never significantly wrong? Just paint Professor Oak, the guy we'd all gotten to know, love, and respect as the Pokemon authority generation I as a total moron from generation II and on? Sure, it doesn't really make sense that one of the greatest Pokemon authorities be unaware of two-thirds of the Pokemon species in the world (and counting), but the alternatives are much worse.

 

[Ninja Caterpie]

Oak is the all-rounder. Each other professor studies some particular aspect of Pokemon:

Elm - Eggs and Pokemon breeding
Birch - The field and Pokemon habitats
Rowan - Leveling and Pokemon evolution
Araragi (forgot her English name o_e) - IDK.

To put it another way, though, it took Oak 15 years to realise there are 650 species rather than 150. There are definitely more, and he doesn't know about them. :|

 

[Ghostie]

The creators of Pokemon knew that they were going to introduce more Pokemon, maybe a lot more. They shouldn't have had Oak say that there are 150 or more species. He could have said that there were 150 Pokemon 'native to Kanto'
That would have been a sight better.
But then they would have given away that there are more regions, huh?
Even though common sense gives THAT away too!
I love Oak as much as the next person, but add to the fact that he doesn't even remember his own Grandson's name in the games, and we have a complete moron on our hands. How he got to be this acclaimed Professor, the world may never know!