History Characters / PokemonProfessors

[[center:[[WMG:''{{Franchise/Pokemon}}'' '''[[Characters/{{Pokemon}} characters Index]]''' ''([[Characters/PokemonTypes Pokémon Types]], [[Characters/PokemonRecurringArchetypes Recurring Pokémon Archetypes]])''\\
[-'''Pokémon Family Species:''' [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIFamilies Gen I]] ([[Characters/PokemonGenerationIBulbasaurToParasect Bulbasaur to Parasect]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIVenonatToCloyster Venonat to Cloyster]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIGastlyToMiltank Gastly to Miltank]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIMagikarpToMew Magikarp to Mew]]) | [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIIFamilies Gen II]] ([[Characters/PokemonGenerationIIChikoritaToGranbull Chikorita to Granbull]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIIQwilfishToCelebi Qwilfish to Celebi]]) | [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIIIFamilies Gen III]] ([[Characters/PokemonGenerationIIITreeckoToSharpedo Treecko to Sharpedo]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIIIWailmerToDeoxys Wailmer to Deoxys]]) | [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIVFamilies Gen IV]] ([[Characters/PokemonGenerationIVTurtwigToBronzong Turtwig to Bronzong]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIVChatotToArceus Chatot to Arceus]]) | [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVFamilies Gen V]] ([[Characters/PokemonGenerationVVictiniToZoroark Victini to Zoroark]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVMinccinoToGenesect Minccino to Genesect]]) | [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIFamilies Gen VI]] ([[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIChespinToHawlucha Chespin to Hawlucha]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIDedenneToVolcanion Dedenne to Volcanion]]) | [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIIFamilies Gen VII]] ([[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIIRowletToComfey Rowlet to Comfey]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIIOranguruToMelmetal Oranguru to Melmetal]] / [[Characters/PokemonUltraBeasts Ultra Beasts]]) | [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIIIFamilies Gen VIII]] ([[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIIIGrookeyToHatterene Grookey to Hatterene]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIIIImpidimpToCalyrex Impidimp to Calyrex]]) | [[Characters/PokemonGlitches Glitches]]\\
'''Pokémon Human Characters:''' [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivals Protagonists and Rivals]] ([[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsKanto Kanto]] / [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsJohto Johto]] / [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsHoenn Hoenn]] / [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsSinnoh Sinnoh]] / [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsUnova Unova]] / [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsKalos Kalos]] / [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsAlola Alola]] / [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsGalar Galar]]) | '''Professors''' | [[Characters/PokemonGymLeaders Gym Leaders]] ([[Characters/PokemonGymLeadersKanto Kanto]] / [[Characters/PokemonGymLeadersJohto Johto]] / [[Characters/PokemonGymLeadersHoenn Hoenn]] / [[Characters/PokemonGymLeadersSinnoh Sinnoh]] / [[Characters/PokemonGymLeadersUnova Unova]] / [[Characters/PokemonGymLeadersKalos Kalos]] / [[Characters/PokemonGymLeadersGalar Galar]]) | [[Characters/PokemonTrialCaptainsAndKahunas Trial Captains and Kahunas]] | [[Characters/PokemonEliteFour Elite Four]] | [[Characters/PokemonChampions Champions]]\\
'''[[Characters/PokemonVillainTeams Pokémon Villain Teams]]:''' [[Characters/PokemonVillainTeamRocket Team Rocket]] / [[Characters/PokemonVillainTeamAquaMagma Team Aqua/Magma]] / [[Characters/PokemonVillainTeamGalactic Team Galactic]] / [[Characters/PokemonVillainTeamPlasma Team Plasma]] / [[Characters/PokemonVillainTeamFlare Team Flare]] / [[Characters/PokemonVillainTeamSkull Team Skull]] / [[Characters/PokemonTeamYell Team Yell]]\\
[[Characters/PokemonFrontierBrainsAndOtherFacilityHeads Frontier Brains and Other Facility Heads]] | [[Characters/PokemonTrainerClasses Trainer Classes]] | [[Characters/PokemonOtherNonPlayableCharacters Other NPCs]] ([[Characters/PokemonAetherFoundation Aether Foundation]] / [[Characters/PokemonUltraReconSquad Ultra Recon Squad]] / [[Characters/PokemonMacroCosmos Macro Cosmos]])\\
[[Characters/PokemonLegendsArceus Pokémon Legends: Arceus]]-]]]]]

Professors are considered experts on Pokémon in their respective regions. They are often researchers and are the ones responsible for distributing Pokédexes and starter Pokémon. The professors also introduce and guide the player throughout the games. [[ThemeNaming In Western languages, they are all named after trees.]]
----
[[foldercontrol]]

!Main Professors
[[folder:General Professor Tropes]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pokemon_professors.png]]
* FloralThemeNaming: They all have trees for surnames. Juniper is the only one to be named after a coniferous tree, everyone else is named after a deciduous one. In Japanese, their names up until Rowan are all that of flowers.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: They always specialize in whatever new theme/feature their corresponding game is about.
* MrExposition: They're usually the ones to introduce the world of Pokémon to the protagonist (and the audience).
* OnlyOneName: The only ones who subvert this trope are Samuel Oak, Aurea Juniper (in English at least), and Augustine Sycamore, played straight with the other main professors.
* RecurringElement: The professors are a mainstay in the games. They're the local experts on Pokémon, and the player will usually get their starter Pokémon and Pokédexes from them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professor Oak ''[-(Prof. Ohkido)-]'']]
!!Professor Samuel Oak / Prof. Yukinari Ohkido (オーキド・ユキナリ博士 ''ookido yukinari hakase'')
[[quoteright:180:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/prof_oak_lets_go.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/UnshoIshizuka (JP, ''VideoGame/PokemonSnap''), Stan Hart (EN, ''Pokémon Snap''), Tadashi Wakabayashi (JP, ''The Two Professors''), Creator/BenDiskin (EN, ''The Two Professors''), Joe J. Thomas (''VideoGame/PokemonMasters'' - EN), Creator/KenichiOgata (''Pokémon Masters'' - JP)

The Pokémon Professor native to the Kanto region who specializes in the study of the relationships between humans and Pokémon. He is the grandfather of the player character's rival in [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, and their remakes]]. He has a cousin named Samson.
----
* AbsentMindedProfessor: He doesn't even remember his own grandson's name, and has to be reminded by the player (who he also can't remember the name of) at the beginning of the game. He apparently also has problems with telling the difference between male and female children, but then again so do the other professors.
* BigOlEyebrows: Just look at them!
* ButtMonkey: At least in the ''Professor Oak's Big Pokémon Examination'' post-episode segments. In 90 percent of the still pictures on Bulbapedia, he's being attacked by the Mon being shown.
* ColorfulThemeNaming: His Japanese name, Ookido, is a Japanese transliteration of the word "orchid". Orchids are a shade of light purple, hence why he's shown wearing a purple shirt in his original outfit.
* CoolOldGuy: He's a NiceGuy, a skilled Pokémon Professor, and a RetiredBadass. Can't get much cooler than that.
* IWasQuiteALooker: According to Agatha.
* MrExposition: At the beginning of the games, setting a tradition with succeeding Professors.
* NiceGuy: He adores Pokémon and people alike, and gives the player their starter.
* OddNameOut: In the original Japanese, he was the only one to ''[[AvertedTrope avert]]'' OnlyOneName until his cousin came along in the seventh generation. In the English translation, the professors of the fifth and sixth generations also have first names. [[note]]In the games alone, he did not have an English first name until ''Sun'' and ''Moon'', but the anime had long established his first name as Samuel.[[/note]]
* OldMaster: Implied in the games proper since it's alluded to that he was Champion at some point, and cemented further by his unused battle in Generation I where his team is even stronger than the current Champion's.
* OlympusMons: In ''Masters'', he forms a sync pair with Mew. Notably, he is the first character to form a sync pair with a Mythical Pokémon in the game.
* RetiredBadass: According to Agatha. It's also implied he was the Champion at one point since he can enter the Hall of Fame.
* SignatureMon: Nidorino, as revealed in his Sync Pair Story in ''Masters''. Since his old rival Agatha has a Gengar, this serves as a MythologyGag: a Nidorino and Gengar battled each other in the opening of ''Red and Blue''. Otherwise he uses Mew in ''Masters''.
* ThemeNaming: Oak kicks off the tradition of naming the regional professors after trees.
* VagueAge: Widely believed to be 47 years old at the time of Generation I, despite no official source ever stating such. The anime confirms him to be 50, which occurred during Generation II, so it's likely the three years between the two games were subtracted to arrive at 47 without accounting for the anime's ComicBookTime nature. The only official word we can go on is that Oak is Professor Rowan's junior in terms of seniority, which would put him at age 59 at most as of Generation IV, being that Rowan himself claims to be 60 years old.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professor Elm ''[-(Dr. Utsugi)-]'']]
!!Professor Elm / Dr. Utsugi (ウツギ博士 ''utsugi hakase'')
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/prof_elm_hgss.png]]

The Pokémon Professor native to the Johto region who specializes in the study of Pokémon breeding. According to Professor Oak, in [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver]], he's also "the best when it comes to the research of Pokémon evolution."
----
* AbsentMindedProfessor: One of the Johto starters was stolen from him while he was working.
* AscendedFanboy: A phone call mentions that he used to be one of Oak's assistants.
* DitzyGenius: His official artwork for ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver]]'' seems to portray him this way.
* ForgetsToEat: What he sometimes does.
* GeekPhysiques: Thin and lanky.
* HappilyMarried: He has a wife and son.
* MrExposition: Subverted in that he is the only regional professor who doesn't get to introduce the player to the "world of Pokémon." (Prof. Oak does the intro for the Gen II games.)
* NiceGuy: Like Oak, he gives the player their starter and is very encouraging.
* OnlyOneName: We don't get his first name.
* SmartPeopleWearGlasses: You don't get to be a professor by being an idiot.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professor Birch ''[-(Dr. Odamaki)-]'']]
!!Professor Birch / Dr. Odamaki (オダマキ博士 ''odamaki hakase'')
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/prof_birch_oras.png]]

The Pokémon Professor native to the Hoenn region who specializes in the study of Pokémon habitats and distributions. He is the father of the player character's rival in [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and their remakes]].
----
* DitzyGenius: The third and fourth times he is chased and calls for the player's help, he's mistaken the moving company Machoke and his wife for wild Pokémon.
* GeekPhysiques: The rotund/chubby type.
* HappilyMarried: And has a kid (two in [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Pokémon Emerald]]).
* NatureLover: In comparison with the other professors. He studies Pokémon behavior in the wild, so his research often takes him outside, where he stays for long periods.
* NiceGuy: One of the nicest of the professors. That said, he is the only Professor to get snarky with the player if they decide not to give the starter a nickname (in ''Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire'').
-->"Oh, so that's how you like to do things? Not even going to give it a nickname, are you?"
* OffModel: His introduction sprite in RSE makes him a lot slimmer compared to the official art.
* OnlyOneName: We don't get his first name.
* RenaissanceMan: ''Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire'' show that he's written books on Hoenn's history in general as well as on its Pokémon.
* RunningGag: In a bit of a literal sense, getting chased by something north of Littleroot Town and yelling for the player's help in ''Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire'', each situation more ridiculous (and non-threatening) than the last. His artwork even shows him running.
** The first time it was a wild Poochyena, which is a fairly vicious dark-type dog Pokémon.
** Then it was a stirred-up wild Shroomish, an easier to handle grass-type.
** Then it is a Machoke from Pokémon Postal Service, a captured Pokémon.
** Then it is his wife.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professor Rowan ''[-(Dr. Nanakamado)-]'']]
!!Professor Rowan / Dr. Nanakamado (ナナカマド博士 ''nanakamado hakase'')
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/prof_rowan.png]]

The Pokémon Professor native to the [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Sinnoh]] region who specializes in the study of Pokémon evolution.
----
* BadassBookworm: Takes on a load of Galactic Grunts in order to stop them from overpowering Dawn[=/=]Lucas, much to their fury. With his bare hands!
* BadassLongcoat: To contrast with the previous professors, who all had labcoats.
* BadassNormal: When he fights a load of Galactic Grunts, he does it ''with his bare hands''.
* CoolOldGuy: He's an old guy, but won't hesitate to go out in the field and help you.
* DeathGlare: Presumably what the menacing ellipses are meant to represent.
* GeniusSweetTooth: The fridge in his lab is filled with nothing but sweets. In the post-game, you can also meet him in Veilstone Department Store, where he complains about how they're sold out of Rage Candy Bars.
* IdenticalGrandson: ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'' reveals that he has an ancestor named Kamado who looks very similar to him.
* MentorArchetype: ''X and Y'' reveals that he was one to Professor Sycamore.
* OnlyOneName: We don't get his first name.
* RetiredBadass: Stated in the English localization to be sixty at the very least, yet can put up a good fight. It's also implied he was the Champion at one point since he can enter the Hall of Fame.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professor Juniper ''[-(Dr. Araragi)-]'']]
!!Professor Aurea Juniper / Dr. Araragi (アララギ博士 ''araragi hakase'')
[[quoteright:163:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Professor_Araragi1_9253.png]]

The Pokémon Professor native to the [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Unova]] region who specializes in the study of the origins of Pokémon. She is the first female Pokémon Professor in the main series.
----
* AllThereInTheManual: According to the official English guidebook, her first name is "Aurea". This isn't mentioned in-game until ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2''.
* BrainyBrunette: Ditziness aside.
* DitzyGenius: She's bright, but not always focused.
* EightiesHair: It thumbs its nose at gravity. When viewed from the right angle, it looks like soft-serve ice cream.
* GenerationXerox: Apparently she is very similar to her father in terms of looks, personality, and general work.
* GenkiGirl: She is very energetic and acts on something she has decided ''immediately''. This is noted by the Player Character's mother in Black 2/White 2 where she is happy that Juniper offers their child a Pokémon and Pokédex, but gets annoyed she already sent Bianca before informing your mother.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Fennel, as they used to be college buddies.
* HotScientist: Being the first female scientist of the series, it'd be hard to believe if the creators had passed this trope up.
%%* NiceGirl
* OneSteveLimit: Averted in the in the Japanese version, where she and her father are both referred to as "Araragi." Played straight in the English version, as her father is given a first name -- Cedric.
* SignatureMon: While she's never actually seen battling, she seems to have an affinity for the Minccino line. As a Minccino shows up in the introduction to Pokémon at the beginning of ''Black and White'' (which strangely has a chance to be generated as a shiny) and it appears in her lab. It appears again as a Cinccino in ''Black 2 and White 2''.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Out of the eight main professors, she was the only woman until Magnolia was introduced.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professor Sycamore ''[-(Dr. Platane)-]'']]
!!Professor Augustine Sycamore / Dr. Platane (プラターヌ博士 ''purataanu hakase'')
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/prof_sycamore.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KatsuyukiKonishi (Pokémon Masters - JP), Creator/BenLepley (Pokémon Masters - EN)

The Pokémon Professor who resides in the [[VideoGame/PokemonXAndY Kalos]] Region who specializes in the research of Mega Evolution. He was once studying under Prof. Rowan, who also shares a similar research approach.

In ''Pokémon Sun and Moon'', it's revealed that he discovered the Zygarde Cube that Dexio and Sina give to the player.
----
* AscendedMeme: A running joke amongst the fanbase is that Professor Oak sent the player on his or her journey, just to give him romantic alone time with their mother. In ''X and Y'' Professor Sycamore sends a letter to the player character's mother informing her that he is sending her child on a Pokémon journey, which she thinks is a love letter. He's also one to the rumor that you could battle Professor Oak as a secret, being the first Professor that you actually battle against.
* AwesomeMcCoolName: ''Augustine Sycamore'' is one classy name.
* BadassBookworm: He battles the player during the game, a first for Professors. The first time you battle him he admits he's not very good at it, but he challenges you again much later, where he is pretty tough.
* BadassLabcoat: Like the other Professors, he wears a labcoat. Unlike the other professors, he battles the player in friendly matches and has fairly strong Pokémon.
* GenderBlenderName: Anyone who knows French may be somewhat amused to see his first name, since "Augustine" is actually a ''feminine'' name. It even has SpearCounterpart in "Augustin", with the "e" at the end having a similar effect to an "a" at the end of an English name.
* GratuitousFrench: More than any other character in ''X'' and ''Y''.
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: He reacts to Lysandre making a [[MotiveRant speech about "cleansing the world of filth"]] by praising the man's passion. Thankfully gets to have a chance to correct this in ''Masters''.
* HotScientist: He's pretty young for a Professor and quite attractive.
* ItMayHelpYouOnYourQuest: He gives you a Gen 1 starter holding a Mega Stone in addition to the normal one fairly early into the game.
* ItWasAGift: He gives you one of the three Kanto starters early on in the game.
* MyGreatestFailure: He feels that he could have prevented [[spoiler:his former pupil Lysandre's descent into villainy]] himself years ago.
* NiceGuy: This guy is probably ''the'' most pleasant person to be around in the Pokémon World.
* OlympusMons: In ''Masters'', he forms a sync pair with Xerneas.
* PermaStubble: Easy to miss, but the opening sequence shows a bit of it.
* RecurringBoss: Faced once early in his lab packing all three Kanto starters, and once much later in the game, where he has the Kanto starters' fully evolved versions.
%%* ReasonableAuthorityFigure
* ScrewDestiny: Non-violent example. He does believe in Lysandre's disgust in [[spoiler:people wasting away resources and stealing from others that at times it feels futile to rectify without actually killing them all]], but Sycamore has a better non-lethal way to go about it and believes it can be solved peacefully.
* SignatureMon: In ''Masters'', he pairs up with Xerneas. Before forming a sync pair in the game's "Give and Take" Legendary story event, his sync partner is Bulbasaur.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professor Kukui]]
!!Professor Kukui (ククイ博士 ''kukui hakase'')
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/prof_kukui.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/AlejandroSaab (Pokémon Masters - EN), Creator/JunichiSuwabe (Pokémon Masters - JP)

The Pokémon Professor who lives in the [[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Alola]] Region who specializes in researching Pokémon moves up-close.
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* TheAce: He is the Alola region's most prominent and respected researcher, and became so at a fairly young age. On top of that, he's also a famous [[WrestlerInAllOfUs pro wrestler]] and is on familiar terms with most of the kahunas and Trial Captains of his region, all of whom are fairly important and influential individuals. [[spoiler:He's also one of the region's strongest trainers and is powerful enough to serve as the storyline's FinalBoss, and was also strong enough to make it to the Final Elite Four or Champion battle of the Indigo League as well.]]
* AudienceSurrogate: For the people who first played ''Pokémon'' 20 years ago. Like them, he went though [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue the Kanto League]] and knows how hard it was, but still has fond memories of it, [[spoiler:to the point of bringing a Pokémon League to Alola while using the island challenge in place of Gyms.]] He also enjoys sharing his love of Pokémon battles and teaching the younger generation about them, just like most people passing down their love of Pokémon. On top of that, [[spoiler:his team is properly IV'd like any older, competitive Pokémon players, and he uses legitimate competitive strategies]].
* BadassBookworm:
** Watch Pokémon moves to study them? He ''takes them'' at times. [[spoiler:He's also badass enough to try and take the title of Champion from you and it's hinted that he was able to put up a fight against [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Lance]].]]
** In Hau'oli City's Trainer School you can find a blackboard on the top floor that has battle damage calculations even taking into account items and Abilities, all written out by him.
** His secondary occupation is a pro wrestler, so even if the matches themselves are staged/scripted he's still need to be in top physical conditions to do the moves and take all the bumps.
* BadassLabcoat: Noted as having it unbuttoned to show his torso and his unique style.
* BigBrotherMentor: Breaking tradition of regional professors from past games, Kukui actually spends a good chunk of the story traveling alongside you on your quest to complete the Alola Challenge. Kukui acts as a guide, teaching you about Alolan culture and mentoring you through the challenge. [[spoiler:In hindsight, Professor Kukui takes the mentor role that many regional Champions have had, which is appropriate since he's the final boss of ''Sun and Moon''.]] In fact, he even calls the player character "cousin". Helps with his being an AudienceSurrogate for the older players since Generation I.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: His notable quirks include walking around with an open lab coat with no shirt underneath it, and researching Pokémon moves by letting himself get hit directly by Pokémon, but he is also a highly respected researcher in Alola [[spoiler:and one of the region's strongest trainers]].
* CombatPragmatist: [[spoiler:If you don't screw up his strategy by one-shotting either Pokémon before they can act, his first tactic will be to have his Lycanroc set up Stealth Rock, then spam Whirlwind with his Braviary for free damage on your entire team as long as the bird can keep it up.]]
* ExposedToTheElements: Male example -- he retains his [[WalkingShirtlessScene getup]] on snowy Mt. Lanakila. You can even lampshade it with "Aren't you cold?"
* FinalBoss: [[spoiler:He's the final trainer you have to beat to keep your title as Champion in ''Sun and Moon'', though Hau takes his place in ''Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon'']].
* TheGlassesComeOff: [[spoiler:He takes off his sunglasses when he battles you for the spot of Champion.]]
* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler: Though visibly a bit disappointed after losing to the player, he is still ecstatic for them becoming Alola's first champion and heartily congratulates them.]]
* HappilyMarried: To Professor Burnet. (Sorry, fanboys and fangirls.)
* HiddenBadass: [[spoiler:Kukui usually only talks about his battling skill self-deprecatingly, mentioning how he was no match for the gym leaders of Kanto, and talking about how the Kahunas are too tough for "normal people" such as himself to defeat. Turns out he is actually one of the greatest trainers in Alola, and strong enough to challenge your character for the title of Champion. The only time he hints at his true prowess prior to the League is when he is confronted by Guzma, and even then he quickly lets the player character handle the situation as soon as they show up.]]
* InterfaceSpoiler: The first time you meet [[spoiler:his wrestling alter-ego]], the first time you get a choice popup, one of the options is "Professor Kukui?"
* {{Kayfabe}}: [[spoiler:He keeps his Masked Royal persona separate from his normal life as the Professor. The game itself is ambiguous about whether his own wife Burnet is in on it. The ending gives her a "Wait, could he be...?" realization moment, but she shrugs it off.]]
* MadLibsCatchphrase: He tends to count things in fours, holding up four fingers to drive his points.
* MadeOfIron: The official description details how he sometimes ''takes the hits'' from Pokémon moves himself if there is something to be learned from them.
* MaskedLuchador: [[spoiler:His identity as Masked Royal is such.]]
* MeaningfulName: Like all professors, he's named after a tree, in his case the Kukui or Candlenut tree, a tree found throughout the tropics and the state tree of Hawaii.
* MrFanservice: Young and tanned professor? Wears an open shirt showing his bare torso? Doesn't fear taking Pokémon hits himself? [[spoiler:Sheds his top completely when he wrestles?]] ''Oh yeah''.
* NoShirtLongJacket: He does have his lab coat, but it's completely open, and there's no shirt underneath. In fact, when you meet him at the Pokémon League site[[note]]which is atop a snowing mountain[[/note]] one of the responses is "Aren't you cold?". It's also lampshaded in Lillie's diary where she wonders if everyone from Alola wears outfits like that.
* PaperThinDisguise: [[spoiler:His Masked Royal wrestling persona. Heck, one of the first things you can say to him is "...Professor?".]] Funnily enough, of all people, his own ''wife'' can't make the connection. [[spoiler:She appears to in the ending cutscene, but just as quickly laughs it off as coincidence.]]
* OnlyOneName: We don't get his first name.
* ParentalSubstitute: Lillie is living with him at the beginning of the game.
* PatrioticFervor: Mentioned as his motivation for building the Alolan League. He wants to show the world how good his beloved archipelago's Trainers truly are, and what better way is there than turn the Island Challenge tradition into something officially recognized worldwide?
* ShownTheirWork: [[spoiler:He uses actual competitive strategies when you battle him in the end]].
* SignatureMon: [[spoiler:He has two when fighting you for the spot of Champion, Midday Form Lycanroc, and the starter that's strong against yours, which carries over to ''Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon'' during the Title Defense. Interestingly enough, his appearance as a tag partner in the Battle Tree sees his Decidueye with no Z-Crystal while his other starter Pokémon do. He also uses Lycanroc in ''Masters'', with him switching to using Incineroar under his Masked Royal alias.]]
* {{Superboss}}: [[spoiler:Is one of the challengers you can meet when defending your Champion Title after defeating the Elite Four again. He's also the strongest of them all (in ''Sun and Moon''), and like in his first battle, he carries a full team of six Pokémon. In ''Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon'', he's now on par with Guzma and Lusamine, and below Hapu, Hau, and Gladion, but also is the only trainer to use a full team of 6 besides Hau and Gladion.]]
* TalkingIsAFreeAction: In ''Masters'', he has some of the longest battle lines that last beyond when he wins or loses.
* VerbalTic: He often uses the word "Yeah" like a punctuation, occasionally switching things up with "Oh yeah". He's also prone to let out a "[[Wrestling/RicFlair Woo]]!"
* WalkingShirtlessScene: He only wears a lab coat with no shirt underneath it. The game loves to lampshade it. Lillie even writes in her diary that "he walks around half-naked all the time!" His [[spoiler:Masked Royal]] persona forgoes the jacket completely.
-->'''Olivia''': Still haven't found a shirt that goes with your labcoat?
* WeakButSkilled: [[spoiler:Compared to other recent {{Final Boss}}es in the series, Kukui's team is rather unremarkable on paper, having no pseudo-legendary (unlike Steven, Cynthia, Ghetsis, Iris or Leon) or a Mega Evolution (unlike Diantha), yet he makes up for it in strategy. To summarize, he leads with a Pokémon that can set up Stealth Rock (and is so fast it will almost always be set), another one has Tailwind to turn Kukui's {{Mighty Glacier}}s into {{Lightning Bruiser}}s as well as Whirlwind to take advantage of Stealth Rock, another one has Safeguard to protect his team from status and another has Sturdy and Mirror Coat to surprise special attackers. Furthermore, his team is almost entirely made of Pokémon the player can obtain very early in the game, with only Ninetales not being available to obtain before defeating Hala the first time]].
* WrestlerInAllOfUs: [[spoiler:Is secretly a pro-wrestler; he refers to this identity as the Masked Royal.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professor Magnolia]]
!!Professor Magnolia (マグノリア博士 ''magunoria hakase'')
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/professor_magnolia.png]]

The professor of the [[Videogame/PokemonSwordandShield Galar]] region who specializes in researching the Dynamax phenomenon.
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* BrutalHonesty: And not even her own granddaughter is spared: Sonia heads off on her own adventure because Magnolia bluntly criticizes her for putting less effort into pursuing her own career than the protagonist and Hop, which [[LampshadeHanging even the protagonist winces at.]]
* ClassyCane: She walks with a cane topped with a wooden carving of a Corviknight.
%% ZCE * CoolOldLady: Not the first female professor (Juniper already beat her there), but she is notable in that she's the first elderly female professor, and the first elderly professor since Rowan back in Generation 4, which ended back in 2009/2010 with ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver HeartGold and SoulSilver]]'' and technically earlier than that in 2008/2009 with ''[[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Platinum]]''.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Her character design looks ''very similar'' to Queen Elizabeth II, the queen of Britain. Fitting, since the Galar region is based off of the United Kingdom.
* OutOfFocus: Compared to the professors that came before her, she doesn't get to do much in the game. The introduction to the world of role of Pokémon segment, typically done by professors, is handled by Chairman Rose, handing out starter Pokémon goes to Leon, and most, if not all, of the actual research in regards to the box legendaries is done by her granddaughter Sonia.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: [[spoiler: Her work researching the Dynamax phenomenon ended up being used by [[BigBad Chairman Rose]] to start another Darkest Day.]] The player's mom mentions she must feel horribly guilty about this in the post-game.
[[/folder]]


!Other Professors

[[folder:Cedric Juniper ''[-(Dr. Araragi)-]'']]
!!Cedric Juniper / Dr. Araragi (アララギ博士 ''araragi hakase'')
[[quoteright:143:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Black_White_Cedric_Juniper_1317.png]]

Professor Aurea Juniper's father. He was once a Pokémon researcher.
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* EightiesHair: Although not as much as his daughter.
* BigOlEyebrows: Not as big as Oak's, but they're still pretty large.
* CoolOldGuy: Or middle-aged guy, anyway.
* EarlyBirdCameo: You don't actually see him, but if you check out one of the pictures in his daughter's lab, it mentions her standing with a smiling man hinted to be him.
* MidSeasonUpgrade: He's the one who upgrades the Pokédex (not to National-level, though; that's for after finishing the game) upon first meeting him in Mistralton City.
* OneSteveLimit: In the Japanese version, both he and his daughter are referred to as "Araragi." In the English localization, he has a first name of "Cedric" to avoid having two characters being referred to by the same name.
** Lampshaded in the anime, where Ash says "Professor Juniper" and, after both respond, realizes that that's both of their names.
* OnlyOneName: Played straight in the original Japanese, averted in international releases. For example, the English translation gives him the full name and title of Professor Cedric Juniper.
* ParentsAsPeople: Well, his role sure isn't limited to the backstory!
* ThemeNaming: Just like his daughter.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professor Burnet]]
!!Professor Burnet (バーネット博士 ''baanetto hakase'')
[[quoteright:161:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Burnet_2247.png]]
[[caption-width-right:161:[[labelnote:Sun/Moon]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/140px_sun_moon_professor_burnet.png]][[/labelnote]]

The professor in charge of the Pokémon Dream Radar application, who specializes in the relationship between Pokémon and alternate dimensions. She searches for abnormalities in different spaces where Pokémon and items dwell. She makes her first main series appearance in ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon''.
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* TheBusCameBack: Returns in ''Sun and Moon'' having married Professor Kukui between appearances.
* CanonImmigrant: Debuted in the ''Dream Radar'' application before she came to the mainline games.
* DarkSkinnedBlonde: Keeps her white hair but gains a tan in ''Sun and Moon'', likely due to the tropical climate.
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: She built the radar so she could study Pokémon and the Dream World. She ended up helping catch the [[OlympusMons Kami Trio]]. And, if the player has any of the Generation IV game cards, she thinks about a theme, builds a new extension, and lets you ''catch the title Legendaries for those games.''
* EinsteinHair: Female variant, less balding.
* FailedASpotCheck: [[spoiler:She's apparently unaware of the fact that her husband is the Masked Royal. Or she might be in on the {{Kayfabe}}. It's a bit ambiguous.]]
* {{Fangirl}}: Of The Masked Royal. [[spoiler:Not surprising, given that she's married to him, although the ending implies she may or may not actually be aware of his real identity.]]
* GogglesDoSomethingUnusual: They are presumably the same type of goggles the player uses to interact with the Interdream Zone.
* HappilyMarried: To Kukui. Although they work on different islands, there's a lot of affection there.
* HotScientist: Look at her suit. If you don't get it, look again.
* LatexSpaceSuit: Never actually explained... In Alola, it's tied around her waist, indicating she probably wears it when having to interact with the Interdream Zone (or other dimensions).
* LikeASonToMe: Implied to feel this way towards [[spoiler:Lillie, whom she and Kukui took in prior to the events of the game, which is only compounded by the fact that Lillie sees her as an actual mother figure. (This is all the more tragic considering [[AbusiveParents Lillie's actual mother]]). Burnet is so upset by Lillie's departure that she couldn't bring herself to see her off.]]
* MarriedToTheJob: She makes a point of mentioning that she needs to go outside. Averted by the time of ''Sun and Moon''; although she and Kukui are dedicated to their research and work on different islands, there's nothing to indicate that this gets in the way of their marriage.
* MinimalistCast: Unless you count the [[OlympusMons Kami Trio]], she is the only character in the Dream Radar application.
* ParentalSubstitute: [[spoiler:She discovered Lillie on a beach some 3 months before the game begins, and took her in alongside Kukui. This ends up becoming more tragic in hindsight when more about Lillie is revealed later in the game]].
* RingOnANecklace: She wears her wedding ring this way. She's HappilyMarried but is also a scientist who presumably works with her hands a lot, so it would make sense for her to find another way to keep her ring close.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: May have all-white hair, but was in college with Fennel.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Samson Oak ''[-(Nariya Ōkido)-]'']]
!!Samson Oak / Nariya Ōkido (ナリヤ・オーキド ''nariya ookido'')
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/samson_oak.png]]

This Oak is the cousin of Kanto's Professor Oak. Samson Oak is a researcher who is studying Pokémon who have taken on Alolan forms.
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* BigOlEyebrows: A trait he shares with his cousin.
* GoingNative: Most evident in Japanese, where he writes his given name first instead of his family name. That is, he goes by Nariya Ōkido, while his cousin goes by Ōkido Yukinari.
* MeaningfulName: The name "Samson" is not only similar to his cousin's name "Samuel", but it could also be a reference to the Biblical Samson and his long hair.
* ShapedLikeItself: Samson researches Alolan forms, and he can be seen as (and has even officially been joked to be) Professor Oak's Alolan form.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: A "variant" of a Kanto Professor who studies variants of Kanto Pokémon. Hmm.
* UncannyFamilyResemblance: Apart from the tanned look and mullet, he could be mistaken for his cousin.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Grand Oak]]
!!Grand Oak / Dai Ōkido (ダイオーキド)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grand_oak.png]]
This Oak is the host of Pokémon HOME, and his goal is to make a complete National Pokédex.
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* AmbiguouslyRelated: It's unknown how he's related to Samuel Oak, if at all.
* AnimeHair: His beard takes a sharp 90-degree turn.
* MakingASpectacleOfYourself: He wears green shades shaped like arrows.
* MeaningfulName: "Dai" is Japanese for "big", and his goals are ''huge'' compared to those of the other Oaks, let alone the other professors. The localization keeps the meaning by making his first name ''Grand'', which obviously means "big", but also stands for both ''grand''father, which he definitely looks like, and ''grand oak'', some of the largest and oldest trees in existence.
[[/folder]]
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* TheMentor: ''X and Y'' reveals that he was one to Professor Sycamore.

* SignatureMon: Paired up with Xerneas in ''Masters''.

* OldMaster: Implied in the games proper since it's alluded to that he was Champion at some point, and cemented further by his DummiedOut battle in Generation I where his team is even stronger than the current Champion's.
* OlympusMons: In ''Masters'', he’s paired with Mew.

* BigBrotherMentor: Breaking tradition from past games, Kukui actually spends a good chunk of the story traveling alongside you on your quest to complete the Alola Challenge. Kukui acts as a guide, teaching you about Alolan culture and mentoring you through the challenge. [[spoiler:In hindsight, Professor Kukui takes the mentor role that many Champions in the former games have had which is appropriate when he's the closest thing Sun and Moon has to that kind of character.]] In fact, he even calls the player character "cousin." Helps with his being an AudienceSurrogate for the older players since Generation I.
* BonusBoss: [[spoiler:Is one of the challengers you can meet when defending your Champion Title after defeating the Elite Four again. He's also the strongest of them all (in ''Sun and Moon''), and like in his first battle, he carries a full team of six Pokémon. In ''Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon'', he's now on par with Guzma and Lusamine, and below Hapu, Hau, and Gladion, but also is the only trainer to use a full team of 6 besides Hau and Gladion.]]

'''Pokémon Human Characters:''' [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivals Protagonists and Rivals]] ([[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsKanto Kanto]] / [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsJohto Johto]] / [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsHoenn Hoenn]] / [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsSinnoh Sinnoh]] / [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsUnova Unova]] / [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsKalos Kalos]] / [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsAlola Alola]] / [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsGalar Galar]] / [[Characters/PokemonProtagonistsAndRivalsHisui Hisui]]) | '''Professors''' | [[Characters/PokemonGymLeaders Gym Leaders]] ([[Characters/PokemonGymLeadersKanto Kanto]] / [[Characters/PokemonGymLeadersJohto Johto]] / [[Characters/PokemonGymLeadersHoenn Hoenn]] / [[Characters/PokemonGymLeadersSinnoh Sinnoh]] / [[Characters/PokemonGymLeadersUnova Unova]] / [[Characters/PokemonGymLeadersKalos Kalos]] / [[Characters/PokemonGymLeadersGalar Galar]]) | [[Characters/PokemonTrialCaptainsAndKahunas Trial Captains and Kahunas]] | [[Characters/PokemonEliteFour Elite Four]] | [[Characters/PokemonChampions Champions]]\\

[[Characters/PokemonFrontierBrainsAndOtherFacilityHeads Frontier Brains and Other Facility Heads]] | [[Characters/PokemonTrainerClasses Trainer Classes]] | [[Characters/PokemonOtherNonPlayableCharacters Other NPCs]] ([[Characters/PokemonAetherFoundation Aether Foundation]] / [[Characters/PokemonUltraReconSquad Ultra Recon Squad]] / [[Characters/PokemonMacroCosmos Macro Cosmos]])-]]]]]

* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: [[spoiler:He seems to have no problem with Lysandre's speech about making the world beautiful by cleansing it from filth and in fact praises the man for his burning passion.]] Thankfully gets to have a chance to correct this in ''Masters''.

->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/UnshouIshizuka (JP, ''VideoGame/PokemonSnap''), Stan Hart (EN, ''Pokémon Snap''), Tadashi Wakabayashi (JP, ''The Two Professors''), Creator/BenDiskin (EN, ''The Two Professors''), Joe J. Thomas (''VideoGame/PokemonMasters'' - EN), Creator/KenichiOgata (''Pokémon Masters'' - JP)

[-'''Pokémon Family Species:''' [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIFamilies Gen I]] ([[Characters/PokemonGenerationIBulbasaurToParasect Bulbasaur to Parasect]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIVenonatToCloyster Venonat to Cloyster]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIGastlyToMiltank Gastly to Miltank]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIMagikarpToMew Magikarp to Mew]]) | [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIIFamilies Gen II]] ([[Characters/PokemonGenerationIIChikoritaToGranbull Chikorita to Granbull]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIIQwilfishToCelebi Qwilfish to Celebi]]) | [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIIIFamilies Gen III]] ([[Characters/PokemonGenerationIIITreeckoToSharpedo Treecko to Sharpedo]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIIIWailmerToDeoxys Wailmer to Deoxys]]) | [[Characters/PokemonGenerationIVFamilies Gen IV]] | [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVFamilies Gen V]] ([[Characters/PokemonGenerationVVictiniToZoroark Victini to Zoroark]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVMinccinoToGenesect Minccino to Genesect]]) | [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIFamilies Gen VI]] ([[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIChespinToHawlucha Chespin to Hawlucha]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIDedenneToVolcanion Dedenne to Volcanion]]) | [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIIFamilies Gen VII]] ([[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIIRowletToComfey Rowlet to Comfey]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIIOranguruToMelmetal Oranguru to Melmetal]] / [[Characters/PokemonUltraBeasts Ultra Beasts]]) | [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIIIFamilies Gen VIII]] ([[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIIIGrookeyToHatterene Grookey to Hatterene]] / [[Characters/PokemonGenerationVIIIImpidimpToCalyrex Impidimp to Calyrex]]) | [[Characters/PokemonGlitches Glitches]]\\

[[folder:Professor Laventon]]
[[quoteright:143:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/legendsarceusprofessorlaventon.png]]
A foreign professor who traveled to the [[Videogame/PokemonLegendsArceus Hisui]] region in order to create its first Pokédex.

* AmbiguouslyRelated: His skin tone, facial hair and the implication that he's from Galar implies that he might be Leon and Hop's ancestor.
* FunnyForeigner: Seen as this by some citizens due to his grand idea to make the dex in the first place. It's never clarified where he's from, but the amount of British vernacular in his speech and the fact that he describes Copperajah as being from his homeland implies that he's from either Galar or the region from which Copperajah were brought to Galar.
* GratuitousEnglish: In every language of the game except English (since obviously it wouldn't work there) he has a tendency to insert English phrases into his sentences. The English version gets this across by having him use British phrases such as "jolly good".
* LemonyNarrator: Of the Hisui Pokédex; alongside some of the more factual observations, some entries contain his personal opinions written in a first-person perspective, such as referencing his homeland or being worried about the erratic behavior of Porygon-Z.
* MeaningfulName: His name reflects the lavender color of the cloth wrapped around his head.
* NeverBareheaded: His hair is not visible under his head cloth.
* NiceGuy: Upon seeing the player character (a complete stranger wearing clothing unusual for the setting) fall from the space-time rift, he doesn't hesitate to ask if they need help, and after they demonstrate their ability to capture Pokémon, he offers them a chance to enter the Survey Corps, affording them food and a place to stay.
* StealthHiBye: He has a tendency of appearing out of the blue, often when someone is criticizing him.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Potato mochi. Likes eating it daily.
* UndyingLoyalty: After the protagonist [[spoiler:gets banished from Jubilife Village by Kamado]], he's willing alongside the rival to go fight [[spoiler:Kamado]] over it before Cyllene convinces them that it's better not to do something that [[spoiler:could lead to them getting banished too.]]
[[/folder]]

!Other Professors

[[folder:Cedric Juniper ''[-(Dr. Araragi)-]'']]
!!Cedric Juniper / Dr. Araragi (アララギ博士 ''araragi hakase'')
[[quoteright:143:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Black_White_Cedric_Juniper_1317.png]]

Professor Aurea Juniper's father. He was once a Pokémon researcher.
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* FunnyForeigner: Seen as this by some citizens due to his grand idea to make the dex in the first place. It's never clarified where he's from, but the amount of British vernacular in his speech and the fact that he describes Copperajah as being from his homeland implies that he's from Galar.

* MrExposition: They're usually the ones to introduce the world of Pokémon to the protagonist (and the audience).