Professor Oak's Laboratory

*Okido Institute*

**Professor Oak's Laboratory** (Japanese: **オーキド研究所** *Okido Institute*), also called the **Oak Pokémon Research Lab** (Japanese: **オーキド博士のポケモン研究所** *Professor Oak's Pokémon Research Lab*), is a Pokémon lab located in Pallet Town that is directed by Professor Samuel Oak. Its functions are to research Pokémon, unravel the mysteries of these creatures, and study their characteristics and behavior in a natural environment. Another important job is to take care of the Pokémon that belong to Pallet Town's Trainers.

The lab has many different environments for the correct development of all kinds of Pokémon. There are areas of grass, sand, rocks and lakes to promote good interaction between the different types of creatures. The laboratory has the technology to keep Pokémon healthy, and to make the largest scientific investigations in the country.

## In the games

Professor Oak's Laboratory appears in Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. In Generation I and the Generation III remakes, it is where Oak gives the playertheir starter Pokémon and a Pokédex.

The lab is a small building near the player's house that has been slightly modified in every game. In Pokémon Red and Blue the sign says "*Here is the Institute of Dr. Okido.*" in Japanese, and "*Oak Pokémon Research Lab*" in the English language versions. Inside are three of Professor Oak's aides, two men and one woman, a couple of shelves full of books, a table with three Poké Balls, a computer, two blank Pokédexes, and two tips for the player. In Pokémon Yellow the lab is the same as Red and Blue, except there is only one Poké Ball on the table, and next to the table stands a trash can. Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal have the lab almost unchanged except recoloring, only adding two windows, removing a table and adding another shelf to bookshelves. In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, other than the significant graphical enhancements, the laboratory also has two plants in the entrance, a mysterious machine, books on the floor, two regular machines in the corner, and a window. In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the building is modified to look 3D, but still has the overall design from Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.

### Trainers

In every game where the player gets their starter at Oak's, they will also have their first Trainer battle at the Laboratory against their rival.

### Appearance

#### Outside

* Red and Green (Japanese)
* Red and Blue (International) and Blue (Japanese)
* Yellow
* Gold, Silver and Crystal
* FireRed and LeafGreen
* HeartGold and SoulSilver

#### Inside

* Red and Blue
* Yellow
* Gold, Silver, and Crystal
* FireRed and LeafGreen
* HeartGold and SoulSilver

## In spin-off games

### Pokémon Snap

Professor Oak's Laboratory also appears in Pokémon Snap, shown as the background of the main menu of the game. Todd Snapreports back here regularly to show his photos to Professor Oak. Presumably, the professor keeps information like the Pokémon Report, Pokémon Album, and all information on Pokémon signs in his laboratory. It appears the same way in this game that it does in the anime.

### Pokémon Puzzle League

In Pokémon Puzzle League for the Nintendo 64, an area called "Prof. Oak's Labs" acts as tutorial area. Professor Oak will teach the player how to play the game.

## In the anime

### In the main series

Ash and his friends talking in the Lobby

The laboratory debuted in the first episode, *Pokémon - I Choose You!*, when Ash received his Pikachu. Since then, it has been seen in many episodes, mostly in the start and ending of a region adventure, but also in Pokémon Chronicles and in the movies. The building stands out in Pallet Town for its wind turbine, the three windows of the inner balcony, and for the four windows of the second floor. Every time Ash captures a Pokémon when he has six already with him, the new Pokémon is automatically transported here. Ash also has a habit of leaving all of his Pokémon besides Pikachu here each time he leaves for a new region, starting with Hoenn.

#### Structure

##### Infrastructure

Butch and Cassidy find the storage room

The lab is composed of two floors. Inside the entrance door is a hallway with several doors, and to the left is a chest of drawers and the stairway to the second floor.

The living room is the space where Professor Oak hosts, eats, relaxes, and presumably studies. On a pink carpet (sometimes shown as green) are two couches and a table. To the side are a computer and bookshelves. This is where many scenes in the lab take place. There are also two science rooms full of various machines.

The Poké Ball Storage Room stores the extra Pokémon of every Trainer born in Pallet Town. This treasure of hundreds of Pokémon has been the target of attempted robberies by Team Rocket. In addition, the lab has a library, composed of two rooms. One is a study room with a large bookshelf and a pair of windows. The other, in the back, is a storage room full of books, including Oak's old sketchbook.

The study room of Professor Oak

Upstairs is the research floor. Here are all the technological pieces, the heart of the laboratory. It includes several machines used for Pokémon testing and a table with various chemicals on it. Nearby is a blue chair. In front of it are the status screen, which shows the health and power of a Pokémon, and Professor Oak's computer, where he records his research. This computer doubles as a videophone, which he uses to communicate with other professors or Trainers. Beside the computer is the Poké Ball Transfer machine, for the transportation of Pokémon to their Trainers in a Pokémon Center. The room also includes a bookshelf, a desk with a lamp, a brown couch, and a drawing board. A few machines are connected to a glass container full of water, possibly to study aquatic Pokémon. Hanging from the ceiling is a large lamp.

The stairs lead up to an inner balcony, which has a door and the three large windows seen in most outside views of the lab.

A full view of the research floor

##### Superstructure

The Oak Corral is a natural environment for Pokémon development. It is divided into regions according to type; there are areas that are perfect for Rock Pokémon, desert areas for Ground and Fire types, grassy regions, and several lakes. Sometimes the Pokémon don't get along; for this reason, some Pokémon, such as Ash's Bulbasaur, act as mediators between quarreling Pokémon.

A panoramic view to the Oak Corral

### In Pokémon Origins

Professor Oak's laboratory in Pokémon Origins

Professor Oak's laboratory first appeared in *File 1: Red*, where Red and Blue got their first Pokémon.

* *This section is a stub. You can helpBulbapedia by expanding it*.

### In *I Choose You!*

Professor Oak's Laboratory in *I Choose You!*

Professor Oak's Laboratory appeared at the beginning of *I Choose You!*. It was where Ashobtained his Pikachu.

## In the manga

### In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Professor Oak's Laboratory in Pokémon Adventures

The laboratory first appeared in *A Glimpse of the Glow*, where Red went to see Professor Oak. The first view of the inside of the lab was seen in *Bulbasaur, Come Home!*, and was shown to have machines, tables, bookshelves, a glass container full of water and a Poké Ballstorage area. Red accidentally let all the Pokémon in the laboratory out of their Poké Balls, with some even escaping the building altogether, forcing Red and Professor Oak to chase them.

In *Kalling Kadabra*, Sabrina's Kadabradisguised itself as Professor Oak, rampaging around the place in front of Red. Sabrinaherself also briefly appeared, giving Red a message to come to Saffron City. Blue then arrived with his Charizard, showing Red a picture of Saffron City, which had been taken over by Team Rocket and was where they kept the citizens of Pallet Town they had imprisoned.

The laboratory was once again seen in *Return to Pallet Town*, when Red and Blue received messages from Professor Oak to return their Pokédexes. This was later revealed to be a trap set by Team Rocket, intending to force Professor Oak to create them their own version of the Pokédex in preparation to capture Deoxys.

In Pokémon Adventures, Crystal works as Professor Oak's assistant at the lab.

Professor Oak's Laboratory in Pokémon Pocket Monsters

Professor Oak's Laboratory in Pokémon Zensho

### In the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga

Professor Oak's lab debuted in *Introducing the Pokémon Clefairy!!* of Pokémon Pocket Monsters. This was where Red chose Clefairyand Green chose Charmander. Unlike other media, Professor Oak has different laboratories in various regions. Similar to many of the buildings in the series, they would often get destroyed or burnt by Clefairy's antics.

### In the Pokémon Zensho manga

The lab appeared in *Prologue: Pallet Town*where Satoshi chose his Charmander and Shigeru chose Squirtle. Satoshi had his first battle there with Shigeru and emerged victorious.

## Trivia

* + If the player's Pokémon takes damage in his/her first battle against their rival in FireRed and LeafGreen, their Pokémon will be healed after the battle.
	+ Professor Oak's lab's iconic theme is not played in Generation IV, with the background music instead being Pallet Town's theme. The only way to hear the lab theme is to listen to the Pokégear radio.
	+ In Pokémon Yellow, there is a trash can is on the right side of the table containing the starter Pokémon, unlike in Pokémon Red and Blue. This effectively blocks the player from walking to the other side of the table to collect Eevee where the rival can't push them.