Pokémon Professor

A Pokémon Professor (Japanese: ポケモン博士 Pokémon Expert) is considered an expert on Pokémon in his or her respective region. Pokémon Professors are often researchers as well, and many times they are the ones responsible for distributing Pokédexes and giving the player their first Pokémon. The first Pokémon Professor introduced in the games and anime, Professor Oak, was also the first NPC ever seen in the main series games. He also, has made the most appearances in the main series games, appearing in alk games but the Hoenn-based ones.

Pokémon Professors from regions in the main series of Pokémon games are all named after trees.

According to a comment Professor Birch makes when grading a player's Pokédex, catching a large number of Pokémon species helps to qualify one as a Pokémon Professor. However, as Professor Oak mentions he has not completed the Pokédex, this is presumably not the only way to become one.

List of Pokémon professors

• Professor Oak of the Kanto region
• Professor Ivy of the Orange Islands
• Professor Elm of the Johto region
• Professor Birch of the Hoenn region
• Professor Rowan of the Sinnoh region
• Professor Krane of the Orre region
• Professor P of the unnamed region featured in Pokémon Trozei!
• Professor Hastings of the Fiore and Almia regions

Other professors in the anime include:

• Dr. Akihabara
• Dr. Fuji
• Dr. Gordon of Saffron City, Kanto
• Dr. Yung
• Professor Westwood V of the Seafoam Islands, Kanto
• Professor Hale of Greenfield, Johto
• Professor Brown
• Professor Telesu
• Professor Alden of Oldale Town, Hoenn
• Professor Cozmo of Fallarbor Town, Hoenn
• Professor Jacuzzi
• Professor Lund of LaRousse City, Hoenn
• Professor Proctor of Wales Island, Hoenn
• Professor Sarina of Bomba Island, Hoenn
• Dr. Kenzo of Oreburgh City, Sinnoh
• Professor Carolina of Celestic Town, Sinnoh
• Professor Kodama
• Gary Oak of Pallet Town, Kanto, while not a Pokémon Professor as such, is a Pokémon researcher. He is known to have done work in resurrection of fossil Pokémon and successfully resurrected a living Aerodactyl. He has also shown interest in the legendary Pokémon of Sinnoh.