Professor Oak (anime)

is a character appearing in Pokémon the Series. He is a Pokémon professor and researcher who was once a competitive Trainer and is generally considered to be the best in his field of research.
He also hosts post-episode lectures that are exclusive to the original Japanese version, five in total: Pokémon Lecture, Great Pokémon Encyclopedia, Great Pokémon Examination, Pokémon Xtransceiver, and Pokémon Holo Caster.
==Appearance==
Professor Oak is a middle-aged man with peach skin, gray hair, and thick, bushy eyebrows. He wears a white lab coat, a light maroon polo shirt, a brown belt and beige pants, and matching brown loafers. He has also occasionally been shown to wear blue boxers, which are usually revealed when a Pokémon gets angry and attacks him.
As a child, Professor Oak had short brown hair with a long fringe on each side and a full fringe in the front. He wore a white buttoned shirt, a brown belt, green pants, white shoes, and an olive green backpack.
==Personality==
Professor Oak lives up the road from Delia Ketchum and her son, and he and Delia often appear together as they are good friends. His known family are his grandson Gary, his cousin Samson and his great-grandfather grand Oak.
His often-forgetful attitude and other antics are also notorious. He also has a hobby of composing senryū, haiku-like poems about Pokémon or Pokémon-related themes.
In the novelizations written by Takeshi Shudō, Professor Oak comes from a prestigious family. He has two brothers, one of whom is the mayor of Pallet Town while the other is its postmaster. His grandfather was the first Trainer from Pallet Town to receive widespread recognition, while Samuel himself gained prominence after he published a research paper on Pokémon at the age of 20. It is also stated that he became a professor at Celadon University at the age of 25. According to Professor Elm, Professor Oak's studies and research mostly focus on how humans and Pokémon interact with each other.
In , Professor Oak is very close towards his cousin, Samson Oak, when he visits with Professor Kukui, Ash and his Alolan friends at his lab in Pallet Town.
==Etymology==
The last name Oak could possibly originate from the "oak" tree.
His Japanese surname, Ookido, possibly comes from "orchid".
==Biography==
===Anime===
When Professor Oak was a young kid, he visited a museum. It depicted an Omanyte shell, which impressed the young Oak back then.
He appears as a young boy, Sam (Japanese: ユキナリ Yukinari) and the deuteragonist in the fourth film, . Ash befriends the young Oak, who, due to traveling from 40 years in the past, is around the same age as him. The revelation that Sam is Oak, while able to be speculated because Oak's first name was revealed in the second movie, , comes only at the end of the movie, when Oak knows that Ash's friend's name was Sam despite Ash never telling him so, and Tracey finding the sketchbook in which young Sam drew Pikachu sleeping with Celebi in Oak's closet.
Oak later tutored Professor Elm, who became friends with the professor. When Ash was young, he saw a comedy featuring a Trainer in red clothes, along with his Clefairy and Pikachu. His mom, as well as Professor Oak and Gary, watched this movie as well.
====Pokémon the Series: The Beginning====
Professor Oak was having a broadcast on a channel, where he was describing the qualities of the three Starter Pokémon: Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle. Ash, a Trainer from Pallet Town, wanted to meet with the professor to obtain one of these Pokémon. However, the alarm clock he had was broken and he arrived late to meet with Professor Oak. Since the latter already gave all of the Pokémon away, Oak offered Ash a fourth Pokémon: a Pikachu. Despite the professor's warnings that it was not for beginner Trainers, Ash nevertheless obtained Pikachu but got electrocuted by it. Oak also gave Ash some Poké Balls and a Pokédex, but he, too, was electrocuted by Pikachu. After Ash reached Viridian City, he was contacted by Professor Oak. The latter expected Ash to have reached there, as did the Trainers that he gave the Starter Pokémon to. Ash also spoke about a mysterious Pokémon he encountered on his way to the city, before ending the call.
When Ash caught Krabby, the Poké Ball he used to catch it disappeared. Realizing that he could only carry 6 Pokémon at a time, Ash noted that the Pokémon had been teleported to the professor's lab. He contacted the professor about this, worried that he was cooking his Krabby. The professor denied that, showing that his Krabby was put in a special container, next to Gary's Krabby, who was much bigger. Ash became mad to hear that Gary caught many more Pokémon than he did, while the professor learned that he was at Bill's lighthouse. Before ending the call, Oak asked of Ash to say hello to Bill, as they knew each other. The professor went with Ash's mom, Delia, to Porta Vista, where they met up with Ash and his friends - Misty and Brock. The two watched the girls' competition, and heard some good words from Moe, who met with the heroes. After the day was over, the heroes bid farewell with Oak and Ash's mom.
Having won the Gym Battle in Saffron City, Ash called Professor Oak, showing his new Gym Badges. The professor was not impressed much, explaining that other Trainers that left the journey collected five Badges so far, and even caught many more Pokémon. He reminded that Gary caught 30 new ones, and suggested to Ash to catch new ones to become a better Trainer. Ash became upset, and ended the call. After Ash caught a new Pokémon, the professor became curious as to which Pokémon it was. Much to his disgust, Oak covered his nose as that Pokémon was a Muk. Arriving to the Safari Zone, the heroes met up with a suspicious man named Kaiser. They called Professor Oak to gain more background about this, and were told that Kaiser protected the Safari Zone, since Trainers arrived there to capture many Pokémon, nearly destroying the ecosystem. Oak also spoke that there was a Dratini reported to be there, but hasn't been seen in a long time. At the end of the day, Oak was running away from 30 Tauros that Ash had caught in the Safari Zone.
At the moment Pikachu was to separate from Ash and live among a group of wild Pikachu, Ash remembered the moment Oak gave Pikachu to him. After Ash won his eight Badge, he went back to Pallet Town to meet up with Professor Oak. He was displeased to see Gary there as well, but Oak, who arrived as well, reminded that they both were promising Trainers. He added that the others that went on the journey did not have much success as they had, while Ash and Gary were competent enough to take on the Pokémon League. He revealed the tournament would be held at the Indigo League in two months. Ash and Gary started to bicker who was a better Trainer, to which Oak added that Ash had seen many more Pokémon than Gary did, while the latter caught more Pokémon that Ash did. He took the Trainers, showing some of the Pokémon they caught, and noted that their personalities matched that of their Trainers'.
The group suddenly encountered Team Rocket, to which Oak and Gary were in shock to witness a talking Meowth. Team Rocket attempted to snatch some of the Pokémon, but were blasted away by Ash's thirty Tauros. Oak stated while Ash did save the day with his Tauros, he reminded that he still had to repair the fence that the Tauros broke. While Misty and Brock left Ash for training for the Pokémon League, Ash went to the professor's lab. Oak was having trouble in his evolution research regarding Shellder and Slowpoke. He knew that Slowpoke, once Shellder clamped onto its tail, evolved into a Slowbro, but did not know much about this process. He wanted to speak with Professor Westwood V, who worked on making the Pokédex, who lived on Seafoam Islands. This motivated Ash instead to visit that professor.
When the heroes encountered Florinda and her Gloom, who would not evolve with the use of the Leaf Stone, Professor Oak came to resolve the situation. He made a note that this wasn't about loving a Pokémon, but the fact that the Leaf Stone Florinda was using was a fake, which she bought from shady dealers, who were Team Rocket in disguise. The heroes were working with archaeologists on facing giant ancient Pokémon, Gengar. Oak, from a distance, mistook that a storm was approaching. Ash was going to the professor for training, but Oak asked of Ash to give up. Instead, Oak claimed that Ash should be going to the Indigo League and train there. Ash decided to do so, to which Oak wished him luck in the tournament. Oak watched the first rounds of the Indigo League battles, with Delia and some of the citizens of Pallet Town.
Professor Oak and Delia went to the Indigo League, meeting up with the heroes. While Ash's mom went to prepare some food, Oak gave Ash some information on the next rounds: he would have to use his six Pokémon, and reminded he had to choose carefully which ones to use. However, he did promise support so that Ash could swap his Pokémon at any time. He exclaimed that Ash should try and give his best to earn the victory. Suddenly, they met with a boy in the elevator, who was interested in Ash's Pikachu. When the elevator's power went down, Oak attempted to repair it but failed. Instead, the boy used Ash's Pikachu to repair the elevator and succeeded. It made Oak see that the kid, Ritchie, was quite mature for his age.
Oak and Delia were among the audience, to watch Ash's battle against Ritchie. Since Ash did not show up at the intended time, Delia became worried, but Oak calmed her down, thinking he would get out of whatever trouble he had been in. He watched the battle, noting that Ash's Charizard refused to fight Ritchie's Sparky, because it viewed the latter as an opponent not worthy to fight. While Ash lost the battle, Oak believed Ash could still feel hopeful, as he wanted to become a Pokémon Master. Oak, Delia and Ash's friends waited for Ash at the door, knowing he was feeling bad for his loss. Oak noted that strength and power was what had earned Ash victories so far, and suspected he could've won more battles if he had trained his Charizard properly. After the League was closed, Ash went with his friends, his mom and the professor back to Pallet Town.
Back home, Oak arranged a party for Ash to celebrate his participation at the Indigo League. After dealing with Team Rocket, who came to capture Pokémon, Oak healed Ash's Pidgeotto, who got poisoned by Poison Sting. Pidgeotto showed affection towards Ash, who hoped Charizard would feel the same one day. Oak was moved by this enthusiasm, and asked of Ash to go to Orange Islands' Valencia Island, to pick up a mysterious Poké Ball. However, he could not have it transported by the teleporter, and Gary had already left on another journey. Ash decided to do so, and later set out to the new region. Once Ash arrived there, and met up with Professor Ivy, he contacted Oak. Oak was pleased that Ash got the GS Ball. He also met Professor Ivy, whose articles Oak had read before. At any rate, Oak was counting on Ash to deliver the ball to him.
Later, Ash contacted Professor Oak, whom his new friend, Tracey, has met. Ash also showed that he had caught a Lapras. Oak reminded him he had to take good care of it, before he got knocked out by Ash's Muk trying to hug him. As Pikachu abandoned Ash, and the latter was electrocuted by Electric-type Pokémon, he called Oak for advice. Oak asked of Ash to calm down, and attempt to find Pikachu. Since Officer Jenny's Gastly was unaffected, Jenny and Oak felt that a psychic power was at use, which caused Electric-type Pokémon to become hostile. Arriving to an island with many pink-colored Pokémon, the heroes called Professor Oak. Oak remembered that Pinkan Island was protected by many whirlpools, and was kept in secret, for many poachers would come and snatch these rare Pokémon. Before ending the call, Oak was hugged by Ash's Muk once more. After helping out Kay and her Raichu get over their stage fright, they called Professor Oak. The latter was interested in seeing their show, which featured Raichu imitating human speech.
Having arrived on Moro Island, the heroes called Professor Oak. The latter stated they were lucky, as they could visit the museum, which depicted a 300-year-old trophy of the Orange Islands League, which had been uncovered recently. Encountering two Scyther, who were fighting one another, the heroes contacted Oak. Oak suspected that the older one was defeated in the fight for leadership. As it still wanted to earn the title of the leader, Oak advised Tracey to help Scyther reclaim that title. Ash eventually collected the shells of the Orange Islands, and went to compete in the Orange League. He called Professor Oak to swap his team, to which he suggested using Tauros, Kingler or Muk. Ash chose Tauros to use, which made Tauros very happy with the decision. Returning home, the heroes encountered a number of scared Lapras, who ignored Ash's Lapras. Oak, who was contacted about this, suspected that the Lapras did not trust humans: Officer Jenny confirmed this, as she was trying to apprehend the pirate poachers, who were stealing Lapras.
Having arrived to Pallet Town, the heroes met up with Brock and went to Prof. Oak's lab. There, they found him under Muk, who was hugging him. The heroes greeted Professor Oak, before they, too, got engulfed by Muk. Either way, Oak gave Brock regards from Professor Ivy, and received Ash's GS Ball. Ash apologized for making Oak wait for a long time to give the ball, but Oak was nevertheless pleased that Ash received more experience from the Orange Islands, and went to study the GS Ball. They went outside, looking at the Pokémon that were under Oak's care. Tracey went to make a sketch, which Oak wanted to look at. Travey became nervous, but Oak saw that they were good drawings. Suddenly, the group was assaulted by Team Rocket: they trapped the group and went to capture the Pokémon from the lab, but were stopped by Gary. Gary had his Nidoqueen and Eevee blast them off.
The group watched Ash battle Gary, and the latter won that battle. Professor Oak complimented his grandson for the victory. Later, he analyzed the GS Ball, but could not make much of it. Ash went to the professor, learning that Gary had already left for another journey to Johto region. Since Ash wanted to go to Johto as well, Oak gave him the GS Ball, asking of Ash to give the ball to his friend, Kurt, on his way. As Ash was interested in competing in the Johto League, Oak informed him he could enlist at New Bark Town. At dinner, Oak reminded Ash he could encounter new Pokémon in Johto, and gave him a new Pokédex for that reason. Tracey decided to stay behind and become Professor Oak's assistant, to which Oak anticipated that. As Team Rocket attempted to capture the Pokémon, the heroes battled them and defeated them, which pleased Oak that they protected Delia's garden.
The next day, before departing, Oak reminded Ash to pass the GS Ball to Kurt. He also asked of the heroes to help each other out, and even Ash's Pikachu promised that oath. With the heroes having left, Oak believed it was difficult to Ash's mom to see her son leave. She admitted that, as her son was her greatest treasure.
====Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver====
Having arrived to Johto's New Bark Town, Ash contacted Professor Oak. He introduced him to Elm, who started having a discussion wit the professor, whom he had been his student. The heroes encountered some Quagsire, and wanted to catch them. However, they were nearly arrested by Officer Jenny for disturbing these wild Pokémon. Oak was called for, and he promised that Ash and his friends didn't mean any harm. Jenny dropped the charges, while Oak reminded Ash about his task before logging out. After delivering the GS Ball to Kurt, the heroes called Professor Oak. The latter was surprised that even Kurt did not know much about it, and asked of them to contact him once he finds more about it. Ash wanted to know why they gave the ball to Kurt, and was told the latter was very proficient about Poké Balls, since he crafted them out of Apricorns.
Seeing a small tournament composed of Tauros, Ash contacted Professor Oak to send him one of his Tauros. Oak reminded that Ash had six Pokémon on his team, so Ash swapped Heracross for Tauros. Ash wanted later return his Tauros to Professor Oak, who was having a bit of trouble with Ash's Heracross, who grew fond of the professor. Oak wanted to study Heracross some more, so Ash asked of his Pokémon to listen what Oak had to say to him. After Ash transported Tauros to Oak's lab, he logged out. When Ash received an interview from DJ Mary of the Goldenrod Radio Tower, he called the professor so he could listen to the radio. Oak was already aware of that, since the station called Ash's mom about that. He asked of Ash to calm down and relax, since the latter was quite nervous. Oak later listened to the radio, and joked how Ash would "kill the radio" by his nervous tone.
The heroes noticed a fossil, believing it to be from an Aerodactyl, to which the professor noted its arrow-shaped tail. Oak personally came to the Ruins of Alph, explaining there was a fossil excavation, and went to meet up with his student, Foster, from Celadon University. The latter arrived as well, asking of Oak for some discretion, as many people would come to the ruins. Oak believed the kids could be trusted, since they are all honorable Trainers, so Foster let them stay. Foster led them to a fossil of a Kabutops, which Foster believed to be 20,000 years old. Showing some moss, Oak realized it was lyckin, which was a proof that fossils were in the area. Much to the group's shock, they saw Foster interacting with living Omanyte and Omastar.
Foster admitted he found these living Fossil Pokémon, and kept them in his care. Foster pointed out if more of these Fossil Pokémon were around, they had to be protected from being caught by other Trainers, which was why he asked of Oak to come and give advice on what to do. As the excavation team ran out of water, Ash had Noctowl search the cause of the lack of water, finding Team Rocket draining the source. Oak realized that Omanyte and Omastar were disturbed because of Team Rocket's activities. Team Rocket was quickly defeated, and Omanyte and Omastar returned to their habitat. Oak believed it was for the best to let these Pokémon live in their habitat, where nobody would disturb them. With the day over, Foster and Oak parted ways with the group, who continued onwards.
Ash wanted to enter the Sumo Competition with his Snorlax, and contacted Oak. Since Ash had six Pokémon on his team already, he was persuaded by Oak to swap his Noctowl, to let the professor study its distinctive color. Encountering a man, who conversed with Pokémon, Ash called Oak if he knew more about such cases. Oak doubted that, since any case of people talking with Pokémon was written in fairy tales. After spending a day at the Whirl Islands with Professor Elm, the heroes called Professor Oak. The latter was intrigued, and started conversing with Elm. Finding some Chinchou at the mountain, the heroes asked the professor the reason behind this. Oak suspected it was because long ago, the mountain was formed from seismic activities, causing the sea level to increase for a while. He explained the Chinchou have lived on the mountain's lagoo, and sometimes descend from the mountain to the sea.
The heroes enlisted for the Whirl Cup tournament, and went to report to Oak about their experiences. They were a bit shocked to see Oak being hurt, as Ash's Bayleef was in distress that she was not with her Trainer. To ease Professor Oak, Ash swapped his Kingler with Bayleef. Going back to Ecruteak City, Ash contacted Professor Oak, but was surprised to see Mimey answering the phone. Tracey and Oak soon arrived, and the latter explained that two groups of Pokémon were arguing in the lab, causing a lot of distress. Per Oak's request, Ash sent Bulbasaur to settle down the situation. Oak and Tracey followed Bulbasaur, who launched Solar Beam to the sky to gather Pokémon's attention. It made Oak believe he had to make another lake to settle the tensions between Water-type Pokémon.
Oak called Ash, requesting of him to let Bulbasaur stay longer at the lab, which Ash accepted. The next day, Oak went with Tracey and the Pokémon to find a new spot for the lake. The Pokémon started spurting water to form a new lake, but a rock nearly fell on Bulbasaur. Oak pushed the rock away, seeing Bulbasaur dug out a hole to save itself. Tracey remarked that Bulbasaur doesn't normally know how to use Dig, but Oak felt that it was a dire situation, which led to Bulbasaur use something it could not normally know. With the situation resolved, Oak saw that Bulbasaur had to stay longer. Ash was sad to hear that, but let Bulbasaur remain with the professor, as Bulbasaur wanted to be there.
The heroes heard DJ Mary's broadcast with Professor Oak, who was analyzing a Starmie, stating it could originate from outer world. DJ Mary let the audience know that Oak would be a guest at Marune Town, where he would answer some questions from the audience. The heroes agreed to go there, since it was not far from where they were currently. However, Team Rocket attempted to use the situation, as James posed as Professor Oak to extort some free lunches. When DJ Mary and the real Professor Oak arrived, they noticed the pretenders, who gave false answers to a number of children's questions. Since neither side wanted to leave, Misty proposed a quiz to determine the real Professor Oak. The real Professor Oak noted if he were to fail, he had to study Pokémon even more than he had to.
The two "professors" were asked about Slowpoke's evolution (Slowbro), the move it learns after Level 46 (Amnesia), and a silhouette of a Pokémon (an Aipom's tail). The final challenge was to make up a poem. Oak recited a poem, which did not sit well with the audience. James did as well, but Nurse Joy, who was the judge, evaluated that Professor Oak's poem was better, since she was into poems. She reminded that the poem's true message was not something to be taken literally, and declared that the false Professor Oak was James. With Team Rocket's disguises off, they attempted to attack, but were blown away by Professor Oak's Pidgey. The children also apologized for doubting Professor Oak, who took their apology. After obtaining all eight Badges from Johto region, Ash called Professor Oak. The latter felt that Ash had a lot of respect from his Pokémon to have accomplished that. However, he was crushed by Ash's Muk, Kingler, Snorlax and Muk, so he logged out.
After Ash's egg hatched into a Larvitar, the latter began to shake from cold. It was taken to the Pokémon Center, from where they contacted Elm, and saw him with Ash's mom and Professor Oak, to tell them about what happened. The next day, Oak and Elm started to argue about Pokémon's personalities, until they received an e-mail from Nurse Joy. The group went to the heroes to inspect Larvitar, and managed to stabilize its body temperature. They were concerned, however, that it would not eat anything. Team Rocket attempted to capture it, but were blown away by its Hidden Power. With Larvitar's health restored, Oak and Elm asked of Ash to return it to Mt. Silver. Ash accepted the task, and parted ways with the group as he went with Misty and Brock to that mountain. On the day of the opening ceremony of the Johto League, Oak watched the broadcast with Tracey. They were surprised to see Ash carrying the torch once more.
With the tournament having started, Oak passed all of Ash's Pokémon to Nurse Joy, so Ash could swap them at any time. He later watched the first battles of the Johto League on TV. Oak later came to the stadium with Ash's mom to support Ash, as well as Gary. The latter two were bickering, so Oak asked of them to stop and save their strength for the battle. He also updated their Pokédexes. Gary left, to which Oak became concerned. Still, he noted that these two rivals would battle each other soon. Once the battle started, Ash sent Tauros and Heracross, whom Oak knew well from their activities in the garden. Oak continued cheering, seeing Ash's Muk having been sent out. He noted that the two rivals were determined, but Gary wouldn't admit that Ash was important to him.
Oak was watching the battle between Ash and Harrison. He noted that Ash was trying to reach the top, whereas Harrison had made other strategies on overcoming Ash's battle style. As the battle continued, Oak wondered if Ash had a trick up his sleeve. Once Harrison sent Blaziken, Oak realized that Pokémon was native to Hoenn region. Oak continued to watch, and cheered on Charizard to confront Blaziken. However, Charizard was unable to continue the battle, which made Oak see that it took slightly more damage than Blaziken did. Without further ado, Oak and Delia decided to return to Pallet Town. Ash promised to return Charizard to Liza, where it could recuperate. Ash later returned to Pallet Town, where he was informed that Gary had left to pursue his inspirations. Ash decided to go to Hoenn region, so Oak gave him a new Pokédex, and promised with Tracey that they would look after his Pokémon in his absence.
====Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire====
After arriving to Oldale Town in Hoenn, Ash called Professor Oak. The latter was pleased to see Ash, who got May as a new travelling friend. May admitted that her brother watched his shows all the time, which pleased Oak, who felt that Ash and May would do well with each other's company. The heroes found Oak presenting class through a screen in Rustboro City. Oak greeted Ash and his friends, and asked if they had a Gym Battle recently. Ash admitted they hadn't got the time until now, to which Roxanne wanted to postpone the battle to teach her students. Oak wanted to end the call, but Max wanted to admit he respected Professor Oak, for he watched many shows, and read many of his books. Oak felt honored to have such a fan, and logged out. After winning the battle, Ash called Professor Oak. The latter was thrilled to hear about Ash's new Badge, as well as that Pikachu learned the Iron Tail move.
Oak was making up a new poem, and asked Tracey what rhymed with Tauros. Tracey answered Carbos, and walked outside. Suddenly, the Magikarp Salesman arrived, wanting to sell a Magikarp. This angered Oak, who dismissed the salesman, for Pokémon shouldn't be bartered with money. He later spoke with Delia, telling that Ash made it to Petalburg City. It made her wish to see a Zizagoon from Hoenn. Some of Ash's Pokémon tried to grab Professor Oak's attention by tapping on the window, but he was busy and dismissed them. Tracey noticed the window being opened from inside, and warned Oak. It made the latter alerted, and they saw that the Poké Balls have been stolen.
Oak suspected Jessie, James and Meowth of breaking in, but Tracey felt that their plans would usually fail. Instead, Oak went to contact the authorities about this. The group spread out the remaining Pokémon to search the area: Totodile led them to Butch and Cassidy, who were attempting to get away in their helicopter. Oak reminded that these Pokémon already belonged to their Trainers, and they shouldn't steal. Butch and Cassidy decided to fight things over, sending Hitmontop and Houndour against Professor Oak (who used Ash's Bulbasaur) and Tracey's Scyther, along with Delia's Mimey. The Team Rocket duo were eventually defeated, which made Oak remark that they didn't need any security system because their Pokémon protected them.
DJ Mary was rehearsing with Professor Oak before their broadcast began. When they went to get some lunch, a bunch of suspicious people approached Professor Oak, wanting to get his attention on something. Oak parted ways with DJ Mary for a bit, but the latter did not see him for a while, making her think that he was abducted. These scientists were Butch and Cassidy in disguise, who fooled Oak into examining a fake egg. A smoke caused Oak to fall unconscious, so the two placed Oak in a Nidoqueen disguise to fool others and place him in a truck, and deliver him to a secluded place. There, they woke Oak up so he could speak to their superior, Dr. Namba. Dr. Namba wanted Oak to force Oak to reveal information about the Pokérus, a virus that boosted a Pokémon's growth, as well as where could one find such samples. Oak refused to answer, so Butch and Cassidy attempted to torture him by shrieking sound by a nail on a board.
However, Ritchie and Tracey arrived with Officer Jenny to rescue Oak. Butch and Cassidy attempted to flee, capturing Oak in a truck. Ritchie used his Zippo to attack Team Rocket, nearly burning Professor Oak in battle by accident. Oak was rescued, and Butch and Cassidy were defeated soon afterwards. Oak had his broadcast with DJ Mary, before being approached by Ritchie for tips on how to raise his Eevee. Oak thought Ritchie could remain with him for some time, to learn the answer to that question. Ritchie and Tracey went to participate in a game show with DJ Mary in the Goldenrod Radio Tower, whereas Oak wanted to learn more about the Pokérus.
Oak was overworked one day, and he even sped up his breakfast. Tracey asked of him to slow down, as a Trainer would come to choose his Starter Pokémon, and has to check up on them. Oak realized that the Trainer was the mayor's son, so he went to inspect Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur. However, a previous incident startled Tauros, who broke through the wall, causing a rampage. The Starter Pokémon became scared and ran off. The Trainer, Gilbert, arrived, and was not impressed by the Starter Pokémon, wishing one from the Hoenn region. Oak explained it did not matter, since they had to return the missing Pokémon. Gilbert even wanted a Pikachu, which annoyed Tracey. Oak stopped the feud, and went to find the Pokémon with Gilbert. As they went to the mountain, they were stopped by an old woman, Masae, who showed them a Pokémon Magazine. Oak reminded they were in a hurry and had no time reading it.
Crossing a narrow mountain, Gilbert became afraid of falling down, but Oak reminded that he would have to encounter much more dangerous obstacles. Gilbert believed he would have his Pokémon there to protect him, but Oak made him question that. Suddenly, they found the lone Squirtle on a tree. Gilbert nearly fell down, but were pulled up by Ash's Bulbasaur. Professor Oak caught Squirtle, but nearly fell as well, though was saved by Ash's Bulbasaur. Squirtle was afraid, so Gilbert made an impression of Professor Oak, and made grimaces, to make Squirtle laugh and come out of its shell. With Squirtle saved, the two met up with Delia and Tracey, who have found Charmander. They heard Masae talking about a Bulbasaur in the surroundings. They found Bulbasaur being intimidated by a number of angry Primeape.
Oak tried to calm Mankey down, but failed. Since they couldn't battle, the group ran off, being chased by Primeape. Gilbert was cornered to an edge of the cliff by a Primeape, but was once more saved by Ash's Bulbasaur. After the situation had resolved, Gilbert returned to Oak's lab, choosing Bulbasaur as his Starter Pokémon. Oak smiled, seeing Gilbert had gained some courage, and saw him off. Oak went to the docks, purchasing souvenirs for Ash's mom. He went with Tracey on a boat to visit Gary, who was studying there. They met up with a scientist named Jared, who drove them to the facility. He explained that Gary was finishing the project he was assigned to. Tracey noticed a school of Seaking, which reminded Oak that he also had a Seaking that swam against the current. Suddenly, the group saw an Aerodactyl passing them by. They had a small tour of the facility, which researched fossils, and met up with Gary.
Gary explained that they researched fossils, and found a way to revive them. However, after reviving Aerodactyl, it went on a rampage, and was why they wanted to retrieve it. A girl named Crystal accompanied them, and summoned some Pokémon with her whistle to help her find Aerodactyl. As they were looking for Aerodactyl, Gary blamed himself for the mistake. Oak reminded that it was an accomplishment that he revived an Aerodactyl, and claimed that someone like Ash would not give up. It made Gary hopeful, and asked how Ash was doing. Hearing that Ash collected new Badges and Pokémon, Gary felt that he could've been a Trainer instead. However, Oak explained that he already has become a scientist, which made his grandfather proud. They found Aerodactyl, but by mistake, woke it up. Butch and Cassidy arrived as well to steal it, but their efforts were thwarted by Tracey and Gary.
Aerodactyl flew off in a direction, which made Gary realize that it wasn't fleeing, but rather trying to find some food on the island. Oak suspected he was right, and Tracey added that it felt frightened, due to Team Rocket's attack. Oak planned that they could offer food to calm it down. As they set the bait, Team Rocket reappeared to snatch Aerodactyl. This time, Aerodactyl, after Gary and Tracey's efforts, used Hyper Beam to blast Butch and Cassidy away. Gary offered Aerodactyl some fruit, which it chomped happily. With Aerodactyl returned to the facility, Oak had confidence in Gary to become a great researcher on prehistoric Pokémon. He promised to return to this facility someday, and was given a drawing by Crystal. Oak and Tracey bid farewell, sailing on a boat back home, and the former felt that his grandson was already an important researcher.
Oak eventually went to Hoenn's Littleroot Town, where he was supposed to meet with Professor Birch. May and Max remained at the lab, where Professor Oak went to, and the latter bumped into Max, who was honored by his presence. Max showed some magazines featuring Professor Oak, who signed an autograph for him. Since Birch went with Ash and Brock to pick up Birch's assistants, Oak remained behind, and spoke to Max about Kanto Starter Pokémon. Oak showed them Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander, who were sent out, which excited Max. Max touched these Pokémon, knowing much about them from Oak's lectures. However, the Pokémon were annoyed and attacked Max, to which Oak joked that he learned much by getting hit by these Pokémon. Suddenly, the Pokémon were stolen by Team Rocket in a giant Skiploom robot, so the group went after them. Oak suspected they couldn't have gone far, and noticed a cave behind a waterfall. The group attempted to sneak into their base, but triggered the traps, alarming Team Rocket.
The group attempted to hurry up but fell in one of Team Rocket's holes. In order to reverse the situation, Oak had displayed one of his photos from Max's magazine to fool Team Rocket's security cameras. Max managed to bypass the security and rescue the Starter Pokémon, who helped Oak and May escape the trap. Oak attempted to scare Team Rocket, using Zubat's Supersonic to distract them, while Bulbasaur retrieved May's Poké Balls to her. Team Rocket were alarmed of these events, to which the group escaped by a Dugtrio's tunnel outside the cave. They came to the exit, but found it sealed, and beyond it heard Ash, Brock and Birch's voices. Pikachu, Lombre and Mudkip's attacks combined to destroy the door, rescuing Oak, May and Max.
Team Rocket reappeared to battle them in their robot, but with the heroes' Pokémon combined, the robot was destroyed. At the end of the day, the heroes parted ways with Oak and Birch, sailing towards their next destination. The heroes later contacted Professor Oak, showing May's Bulbasaur, which was recently caught. Ash also asked about his Bulbasaur, who was on the screen, pleased to see Ash. On Ash's request, Oak sent Bulbasaur to Ash, to teach May's Bulbasaur some new moves. At the end of the day, Ash returned Bulbasaur to Oak, as the latter reported that the Pokémon at the lab were arguing, to which only Bulbasaur could settle the conflicts.
Ash eventually obtained all the Badges, so he contacted Oak. Oak became thrilled, and announced a party at Pallet Town. He reminded Ash not to underestimate his opponents, who understood. Oak promised to cheer him on, and logged out. After reaching Ever Grande City, Ash called Professor Oak, explaining he was participating in the Hoenn League. Oak offered to swap some of his Pokémon, but Ash refused, since he wanted to use only the Pokémon from Hoenn. Oak saw the point in that, and since Ash had made up his mind, Oak respected his decision. He logged out, after wishing him luck. Oak watched the opening ceremony of the Hoenn League with Tracey. He then watched the next rounds of the Hoenn League.
With the Hoenn League over, Ash returned to Pallet Town, where he was welcomed by Professor Oak, Tracey and his mom. He was also greeted Misty as well, who came when Oak invited her. They were also visited by Professor Birch and Max. The next day, Oak noticed Ash's mom in distress, as she expected her son to leave on another journey. Oak anticipated that, and later watched them battle Team Rocket. After having won the battle, Oak upgraded Ash and May's Pokédexes. Professor Birch then recited poetry, before being corrected by Oak, who knew about poetry much better. As the heroes unveiled a scheme by Cassidy and Butch of Team Rocket, they were reminded that their Pokémon also represented their memories, to which Ash remembered his first encounter with Professor Oak and Pikachu.
Confronting the final Frontier Brain, Ash called Oak for more information about Registeel. Oak explained that the Pokémon is composed of metal, which is not from this world. To battle it, Ash requested a Pokémon, to which Oak stated that the Pokémon even learned a new move. Ash swapped it for his Aipom, who, upon coming out, pounded the professor. Oak personally came to Ash to the Battle Pyramid, giving him a plaquette of all of Pokémon's footprints, to show him their support. Oak also gave Ash a lure from Misty, a lunch from his mom and even a postcard from Gary, to show they pledged their support, too. Oak remarked that Gary went to Sinnoh, a region to the north. Ash became confident, realizing that Gary wouldn't waste time on someone who would quit. Oak also met with Scott and Nurse Joy. He recited some poetry, which inspired Nurse Joy to ask him for an autograph.
One day, Nurse Joy near the Battle Pyramid was having a flu. Oak asked of her to rest, while the rest took on her duties. As a bus with Pokésitter's Pokémon crashed, the group took the Pokémon to the center. One Bagon chased after a Butterfree, so Oak and others but Ash and the Pokésitter remained behind to watch over the Pokémon. He examined the Pokémon, and concluded that they were all healthy. The Bagon that Ash took back in got sick, so Oak went with Brock to heal it. They attempted, but failed to heal it. In that moment, Nurse Joy arrived, who recovered and went to heal Bagon herself. The next day, the Pokésitter, Matt, continued on and bid farewell to others. Before Brandon arrived for a rematch, Oak gave Ash his Bulbasaur back. Ash gathered his Squirtle and Charizard as well for special training before the rematch. Once Ash returned with Brandon, Professor Oak sat with the rest to watch their rematch. Oak continued to watch the battle with the rest of Ash's friends. With the battle over, Professor Oak went with Bulbasaur in his car back to Pallet Town.
Professor Oak awaited Ash in Pallet Town with Ash's mom and Gary. The group wanted to celebrate Ash's victory in the Battle Frontier, to which Ash simply wanted to challenge Gary. After having the match with Gary, Ash expressed his desire to go to Sinnoh. Oak anticipated this one, so he asked of Ash to visit Professor Rowan in Sandgem Town. Before Ash departed to Sinnoh, the professor gave him a new Pokédex for his journey.
====Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl====
Arriving to Sinnoh, Ash called Professor Oak to say that Aipom had accompanied him in secret. Thus, Oak went to send Aipom's Poké Ball to Ash. Ash's Pikachu was taken by Team Rocket, but with the help of Brock and Dawn, Ash retrieved it. He called Oak about that, and introduced him to Dawn, who remembered his poetry. Professor Rowan came to the call as well, and wanted to speak with Oak in private. In order to fool the heroes and capture a Spiritomb, Team Rocket dressed as psychics to attempt to "talk" to Spiritomb. In order to convince the heroes that their powers were real, they stated that Ash's mentor in life was Professor Oak, which made Ash reminiscence about the professor.
Ash later called the professor to give him tips on raising his Gliscor. The professor reminded him to watch out about its weak spots. He also turned to Dawn, advising that she could exchange tips and info with other Trainers for her Contests. The heroes arrived to Twinleaf Town for the festival, and called Professor Oak. Oak advised them to train, but to have fun as well. Johanna also reminded the heroes that Oak would come to the town for the festival as well. Professor Oak went to Twinleaf Town, but his car's tire got pierced. He caught glimpse of some Pokémon in a marsh, so he let the driver fix the car while he went to investigate. He noticed a Politoed, but the latter alarmed some Quagsire, who dragged the professor away. The heroes noticed that, and went to save the professor, but lost the sight of him.
They found the professor in a cave, trying to help a Lombre smile. He suspected that the marsh's Politoed wanted to cheer Lombre up, but failed. Dawn was amazed how much the professor knew, to which the latter explained that by opening one's heart, they could understand much about Pokémon. Thus, he gave a Politoed a Water Stone, who used it to evolve Lombre into a Ludicolo. Ludicolo became happy in an instant, pleasing the group. However, they noticed that Professor Oak was late for the lecutre, to they sped up back to Twinleaf Town. Upon returning, they saw the fake Professor Oak (James in disguise). In order to resolve the situation, a boy sent Tyranitar, asking what was wrong with it, as it did not listen to any of its commands. James approached Tyranitar, causing the latter to attack and blast it off. Oak noticed a splinter in its foot and took it out, which relieved Tyranitar, and everyone trusted that to be the real Professor Oak.
Arriving to the site of the Sinnoh League, Ash called Professor Oak, who promised to be available to swap Ash's Pokémon. He noted they were in fine health, though he got hugged by Ash's Muk. However, a scheme pulled by Team Rocket made them run away with Ash's Pokémon, so Pikachu blasted them off. Ash later retrieved his Pokémon, even the ones he didn't actually request, and later explained to Professor Oak that his Cyndaquil evolved into a Quilava and even learned a new move. Ash, knowing he would face against Paul in the next round, swapped his Noctowl with Buizel. Oak asked Ash what would his final Pokémon be, to which Ash stated it would arrive soon.
====Pokémon the Series: Black & White====
Oak, dressed as a tourist, went in his car to Ash's house. He picked up Ash and his mom, taking them to Unova region. While in the airplane, Oak mentioned to Ash that there were many Pokémon located in Unova, not native to other regions. Ash noticed a thunderstorm with Pikachu once they landed, concerning him. However, the group was picked up by Professor Juniper, who took them to her lab, for she wanted to ask about Kanto Pokémon, since they were rare in Unova. Later, the group noticed Pikachu could not use electric-type moves, as it was struck by Zekrom, the Legendary Unova Pokémon. However, Zekrom eventually left, which restored Pikachu to his old self. Oak wanted to learn more about Zekrom, while Ash decided to remain in Unova region for his new journey. Oak promised to take care of his Pokémon at the lab, and the next day, he bid farewell to Ash with his mother.
Having spent some time in Unova, Ash called Professor Oak in Nimbasa City. Just as the were to continue their talk, Team Rocket disrupted the communication systems, causing Ash to end his call with Oak. For a Kanto festival held in Unova, Professor Oak gave a lecture from a screen. It made Ash reminiscence about his Charizard, so he called Professor Oak, swapping his Unfezant for Charizard, who came recently from Charicific Valley. With his adventures in Unova over, Ash decided to return to Kanto. He called Professor Oak, and decided to have his Unova Pokémon being transferred from Juniper's lab to his. Oak believed that to be a good idea, and got hugged by Muk in that moment.
While going around Decolore Islands, Professor Oak met up with Ash and his friends, Iris and Cilan. He announced he came to catch a Rotom, who was native to the Sinnoh region. He wanted to catch one to write about its form changes, since it could enter an electrical appliance and merge with it. The heroes promised to help Oak catch it, who noticed that the lights in the Pokémon Center suddenly went out. He suspected Rotom was at work, since it ate electricity. They soon noticed there were three Rotom, who were at a "playground" with electrical appliances to have fun with.
Oak attempted to catch one with a Poké Ball, but Rotom came out and electrocuted him with a Thunderbolt. Iris was in shock that Oak resisted this attack, but he reminded that he dealt with much tougher Pokémon at his lab. He approached Rotom, wanting to be its friend. He had Pikachu, Iris' Emolga and Cilan's Stunfisk emit electricity to appease Rotom, who was not pleased from Stunfisk. Emolga managed to gather Rotom's attention and use Attract on it, but Rotom was a genderless Pokémon and the move failed. The Rotom became mischievous, entering the devices and firing Overheat and Hydro Pump. Oak noticed that they gained new types and moves, based on the appliance they entered. Team Rocket attempted to gain an advantage by powering the appliances, and attempt to catch them. However, the heroes battled Team Rocket, whom the Rotom electrocuted.
One of the Rotom became exhausted, so Oak sprayed a potion to make it feel better. Rotom became much friendlier, and decided to accompany Professor Oak, who caught it. At the end of the day, Oak offered to take the heroes in his plane to Kanto. They refused, wanting to see more of the islands. Oak understood, and bid them all farewell. Encountering a lone Caterpie, Ash was reminded of his Butterfree that he had released. He contacted Professor Oak, who was having a bit of trouble with the mischievous Rotom. At either rate, he took his Leavanny from the professor's lab, to help Caterpie evolve. With his journey over, Ash returned to Pallet Town with Alexa, who wanted to record his speech. Since Tracey went to Misty's Gym, Oak remained behind to take care of all the Pokémon. He did exclaim that he did not know about all the Pokémon in the universe.
Thus, Alexa sent her Helioptile and Noivern, which made the professor very interested in them. However, Helioptile electrocuted Oak, while Noivern blasted out sound ways to attack him. Oak reminded that they had to study a Pokémon's power to understand it. His Rotom arrived as well, for Oak wrote an article about it. Later, Ash was motivated by Alexa to go to Kalos region. Oak and Alexa encoruaged him, but Ash's mother left, which made the two think she didn't want her son to leave again. However, she merely returned to give Ash some new clothes for the Kalos journey. Thus, the next day, Oak and Delia saw Ash and Alexa off. Oak wished to see Ash catch new Pokémon, and wished him luck.
====Pokémon the Series: XY and XYZ====
Arriving to Kalos, Ash showed off his new Pokémon, a Froakie, to the professor. The latter was pleased, until he got electrocuted by his mischievous Rotom.
At the end of his Kalos journey, Ash called Oak and his mother to inform them he was returning to his hometown. However, Pikachu made grimaces to amuse them. Still, the two were pleased to hear Ash, and Delia wanted to speak with Ash's friends - Clemont, Serena and Bonnie - before the departure.
====Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon====
Ash and his mom played a lottery, earning a ticket to Alola region. This gave Oak a good opportunity to have them deliver an egg to his cousin, Samson, who was a principal in the school. Once they did so, they called Professor Oak, who was glad they succeeded in delivering the egg. For the 20th anniversary of the Alola Pokémon School, Samson Oak took the class to Kanto. There, they met up with Ash's friends, Brock and Misty, and got to Pallet Town to meet up with Professor Oak. The latter was pleased to see his cousin, and congratulated him on the school's anniversary. Samson then introduced the class to the professor, who spoke out a poem he made. At the end of the day, the professor attended a party with the group. Once the class was to depart back to Alola, Kukui admitted he wanted to form a Pokémon League in Alola region. Professor Oak supported his idea, and saw the group off to their airplane. Sophocles and others were watching TV, seeing Professor Oak reciting poems in one of the channels.
Finding a new Pokémon that nobody knew of, Ash and Kukui called Professor Oak. The latter was thrilled by this discovery, so he had Ash's Rotom deliver the information to analyze. The next day, Oak called Ash and Kukui, explaining that the Pokémon was Meltan, a Steel-type Pokémon, classified as a Hex-Nut. He applauded the group for the discovery, and was counting on them to observe more about Meltan, before logging out. At the finals of the Pokémon League, Ash awaited Professor Oak and his mother, who came to see Ash's battle. They congratulated Ash, but Oak also wanted to inspect Meltan. He pat Meltan on its head, which upset the Pokémon to fire a Flash Cannon to his face.
Suddenly, Meltan started to spin its head, surprising Oak. They saw a group of Meltan joining it, and they merged to evolve into a Melmetal. Oak remembered that this Pokémon was described in old books, but nobody saw it evolve. Rotom took photos of it, while Melmetal bashed its arms into the water to show off its strength. Kukui named it the Double Iron Bash move, which Oak claimed to be a fine name for this attack. The next day, Oak watched the final battle between Ash and Gladion. He and Ash's mom were ecstatic to see Ash having won the Alola League. They were also impressed by Ash, who held up the League trophy for his victory. With the arrival of Guzzlord, Professor Oak and Delia evacuated to the ship at the harbor.
Oak and Delia watched the exhibition match between Ash and Kukui. Oak made a poem through the battle, and noted that Torracat was facing its evolved form, Incineroar. While the latter was well-trained, Oak realized that Torracat absorbed its Blast Burn attack to power its next move up. Oak continued to watch the battle, commenting that Ash's Lycanroc was able to fend off Kukui's Braviary's attacks by Counter. Ash decided to call his Naganadel back, surprising Professor Oak, as he noted that Ash used many competitive Pokémon for his strategy. Oak saw the conclusion of the battle, happy to see Ash having won. He later departed with Delia back to Kanto region.
====Pokémon Journeys: The Series====
===Other appearances===
==Pokémon==
===On hand===
===Unknown===
===Temporary===
===Befriended===
===Gives to new Trainers===
===Given away===
===At his lab===
==Voice actors==
*Dutch: Jon van Eerd
*German: Achim Sauvage
*Polish: Grzegorz Pawlak
*Norwegian: Even Rasmussen
*Hungarian: Akos Koszegi
*Hindi: Firoz Chowdary (Cartoon Network dub)
==Trivia==
*In the novelizations written by Takeshi Shudō, Professor Oak comes from a prestigious family. He has two brothers, one is the mayor of Pallet Town and the other is the Postmaster, and his grandfather was the first Trainer from Pallet Town to receive widespread recognition.
*According to Professor Elm, Professor Oak's studies and research mostly focus on how humans and Pokémon interact with each other.
==Gallery==
Tracey, Professor Oak and Ash.png
ArOak.jpg|Professor Oak with Professor Juniper.
Professor Oak trophy SSBM.png|The Professor Oak trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee
Ash and Professor Oak.png
==References==
==See also==
*Professor Oak (Adventures)
*Professor Oak (ETP)
*Professor Oak (Origins)
*Professor Oak (MS020)
*Professor Oak (Masters trailer)
Category:Researcher
Category:Pokémon movie characters