In defence of Laventon, it's clear that ALL of the Pokedex entries are written by him. He sometimes put little anecdotes about how he feels, or about his past or where he's from. He's clearly very dedicated to his subject
It's especially clear in the entries for Raichu and the Porygon-line. He mentions "The Copperajah of his homeland" in Raichu's and he's just very confused and frightened by the Porygon-line.
@@dracos0024 Imagine digging out the ancient Hisui Dex by Professor Laventon, and finding accounts of Porygon, the first man-made pokemon, that you just invented.
@@dracos0024 Every time I read that, I just imagine the player character walking up to Laventon with this weird, floating, bright pink creature and him pre-enacting the “Oh my god, what is that?‽” meme
The best professors are the children they send out to get all the pokemon. They're the ones doing actual research with a device that magically knows everything about a pokemon right away.
That description of Kukui having a history teacher/football coach energy is spot on. He’s the kind of teacher who you can learn a lot from but can also be easily manipulated into wasting class time with stories.
Prof. Kukui almost definitely has Pokemon battles with his students in the middle of class. Sometimes for lessons, sure - his specialty is Pokemon moves - but also sometimes just for fun.
I mean, when your classroom is a Hawaiian beachside deck porch in a tropical paradise, kinda hard not to get distracted by every little thing possible! Dear God, my ADD would be in overload trying to study in Kukui's class.
I think Laventon ought to be higher than D-tier. I think his speech can mostly be explained by the fact that PLA takes place around the Pokemon 1800s, and the dangerous environment isn't really his fault at all. He didn't come to the Hisui region to teach, he's there for research. His actual teaching was probably done back in Galar, where he presumably has a safer environment.
I think you also have to take into account old 1800s British speak as well, since Galar is based off England. Him saying things like "my girl" or "my child" isn't that weird anymore, considering this. i always imagine him talking with the goofiest of british accents.
It's a Britishism. A very stereotypical one, he's from Galar but because this is the Pokemon world, they had to highlight that everytime they could. It isn't creepy if you know anything about how the British are portrayed. "Jolly good, my boy," is something an older man might say to a pre-teen boy. I don't think they would say "my girl," it seems gendered, so when they use the same script for the female character it comes across much weirder.
@@queenpurr4275 Yeah. You can also infer from the rest of his speech patterns that he’s meant to be either British or using British phrases/terminology. I don’t have any of his lines in front of me at the moment but that was the sense I got.
Speaking on Prof. Juniper, while it's not stated that in the games that she has formal teaching experience, she does mentor the mc and rival characters throughout the game, checking in on their progress throughout the the game and even acts as a supportive mentor figure to Bianca, one of the characters in the game . This Bianca ends up realizing her dream of being a Pokemon Professor and ends up being studying as an assistant to Juniper. Juniper also has experience on the field as she is often seen throughout the game studying and researching Pokemon in different environments and often comments and gives advice about the various locations of the game. Finally, Juniper is very receptive to criticism and different points of view. This is reflected in how she is a guiding force to the player and rival characters despite all of them having different goals and beliefs and the way she takes the antagonists' criticism of her "documenting and enslaving" Pokemon. She acknowledges his feelings and his point of view and even points out that he has valid criticisms while also trying push back and provide other perspectives and how others could come to those conclusion. She is never harsh to the antagonist for his rigid and hostile way of thinking, but is willing to have an open dialogue to ideas she clearly disagrees with. This is fitting since the main theme of Black and White is about how people are different with different ideas, identities and cultures but can still come together in spite and because of those differences by sharing and respect those differences. That's why each city and town look completely unique and why there are so many bridges, they represent being able to connect with others despite our differences. I would wholeheartedly recommend playing the Black/Whiter series of games. Not only are they some of the most polished Pokemon games mechanically and aesthetically, but the themes and characters of the games are pretty interesting. It's no masterpiece in storytelling, but it is intriguing nonetheless. Black and White are one of my favourite games of all time, not just Pokemon games.
I mean, the story telling itself is interesting because of the themes that play within it. For someone who played the White when it first came out, the story was enthralling and really sucked you in once you met team plasma, given the previous 4 generations where it was some variation of regular crime whereas Plasma was very much had a mythos and creed and was themed extremely well. Though that's not what made the game stand up in that regard. That was N. Enigmatic, mysterious, charismatic, and started his quest with what he believed to be altruistic reasons, and stood up better than any other game antagonist up to that point. So good that it made him seem like your rival, and not your actual rival. In fact it was done so well I went on a hunt for N when I got done with the extra story content because there was a hook dropped in the final mission on where he might of went... And did that for about 100 save-game clocked hours looking high and low and eventually lost interest in the game entirely. And then cue Black and White 2 which is where his story picks up. My disappointment was immeasurable. Doesn't help that several months down the line I lost my White cartrige and my fairly newly acquired black, which has killed my interest in the generations since. N as a character and the story plot as a whole is pretty much what propelled Black and White to the status of one of the best trainer games of all time for me, tbh. Add in the quality of life upgrades, post story content, easier access to online trading(while it lasted), and striking scenery and imagery, and it is by far one of the best video games ever made in my humble opinion. But I also haven't played any of the newer generations of pokemon games other than mystery dungeon, so I may have a bias.
Completely agree Idk what your problem with the story telling was tho, it has the best story in the franchise imo and for a pokemon game the story was conveyed pretty well
Defense for laventon: I might be wrong but I believe “my boy/girl” is a phrase that used to be common sometime in the past or something, so in the context of the game it makes perfect sense. It is at least a stereotypical old English “ politely refer to younger person” phrase
I feel like Laventon got a bit shafted here. For one, he doesn't call you "my child," like you're his actual child. He calls you "my boy" or "my girl," which has a much more casual connotation to it. It really gives off, like, old British guy vibes more than anything. And he isn't any more friendly towards the female protagonist than the male protagonist, so it's not a creepy thing either. He's being a (relatively) welcoming, comforting figure for the undoubtedly confused and traumatized main character. Also, it's not really fair to him that the world as a whole is dangerous. He can only work with what already exists, and it's not like he created the setting full of wild, dangerous pokemon.
Yeah, that was absolute fucking bullshit on her part tbh. Would she fault teachers in bad neighbourhoods for the dangers of the location? Also, my favourite teacher ever called people "my child" and wasn't remotely creepy. Anyone with half a brain knows it doesn't imply relation
He is also from a more ancient time period than the protagonist so him speaking in an older dialect makes sense. Kinda like how today you don’t really hear people use the term “old sport” to refer to someone but if you read books written in or set in the 1920s, such as “Great Gatsby,” he uses that term a lot
Aw, the only disagreement I have is Laventon! His lab is excellent, if not a bit messy, but you get to take research tasks off of his chalkboard and observe Pokemon. He cares for our needs, he's the only reason we're even allowed into the city, otherwise we would be dead meat! He's also thorough, the Pokedex we work on requires SO much information in all sorts of areas, something no professor has ever asked of us before. Laventon can't help the world itself is cruel, he's just trying to be the sunshine through it. Plus, he's Leon and Hop's ancestor, which is kinda neat!
Re: The lack of chairs. I've always assumed that the pokemon games environments are meant to presented from a child's point of view. What the player sees is all the stuff the child they are RPs would see. In a professor's office, they would focus on the books, the machines, the table with the pokemon balls on it and ignore normal every day stuff like the chairs, but would notice them in a random NPC's houses. I also feels like this explains why the cities/towns are so small: they only put in the places the child remembers in that place. All those houses that don't have doors? The child has never been in them.
That would also explain why everything in the game is child safe. Nobody curses? really? Suspicious if you ask me. Hey but it's just a theory A GAME TH.. I'll see myself out.
I actually use this viewpoint when looking at the Pokedex too. They literally have 10 year olds doing the entries, no wonder everything is so exaggerated
I think the "My Girl" and "My boy" thing is just old-timey speak As well for Professor Laventon: -Wrote the First Pokédex entries AND only is able to do so after rigorous testing and research data is conducted -Is a ride or die bitch for the player even after the player is exiled -Sets his employees up with food and living space -Studies Pokémon specifically so he can find a way to live alongside them so that research expeditions will be less dangerous -not only does he have chairs, he has a FIREPLACE. Indoor heating in the coldest region? Sign me UP -has a sick hat
considering that, as far as I know, he is the only scholar in the region and there is no university known to exist, he probably gave that title to himself
Tbf, the food and shelter thing is more Cyllene's job. Though Laventon did vouch for the MC to her. Also his hat is atrocious what are you talking about.
I am generally in agreement but Kukui is S Tier. He's never put the wrestling before being a professor and I think professors should be allowed to have hobbies which, while he's professional at wrestling, it's always just a personal passion. Beyond that, we get to see him a lot and learn a lot about his teaching method. He's adaptive, he does multiple methods, he works to help shore up weak areas in a student while elevating strong areas to new heights. I love Kukui. Though... perhaps you are right that Burnet is even more amazing.
I wholeheartedly agree with this, and would like to add: Kukui's field of expertise is Pokémon battles. While wrestling is a hobby for him, it could technically count as field work.
You're obsessing over chairs and learning environement yet Laventon actually does have the most confortable sitting area for learning, which is a warm kotatsu. He deserves the S tier.
“My child” isn’t creepy, it’s just context. He is old and British so he likes to hold himself as a teaching father figure. Now if he followed that by “give me a hug” or “let me give you a massage” or complementing their looks in a none professional THEN they be creepy. Also for the dangerous part, people didn’t have the luxury of safety and a childhood in their teens back then, you were a man or a woman by the age of 14+ and started to help around the home. Also might as well be Japanese Wild West (or in this case wild north) so you have to carry your own weight.
Bold of you to assume 14 is the age of maturity, most cultures consider puberty as the onset of maturity especially since actual age wasn’t really measured most of the time so I would’ve been 9-14
@@abd_md bold of you to misconstrue what I said and ignore the + in the 14. Japan for instance has the sexual consent age at 13 and obviously the + means that the range did not stop at 14. Some cultures saw you as adult when you take a right of passage, some when your facial hair began to grow ( and we know how diverse that age bracket is). So me others saw bleeding to down there to be at cusp of adulthood. You must also remember or learn that people did not live as long as we did back then ( specially if you don’t have the resources to keep healthy or healed). And like I said, times were tough so proving you can pull your weight was a good sign of entering adulthood.
@@Amadeo790 + means above the age of 14 also I’m agreeing with you. I just pointed out that it’s not exclusive to japan and it’s a global thing. I also said it could be even younger. Regardless puberty is usually adulthood back then. Most rituals or rites are performed after puberty anyways and facial hair is a product of puberty sooo we agree???
On the "My Girl!" or "My Boy!" thing from Laventon, I just kinda took that as him being like... olde timey British. All, "Well, yes, my dear boy, of course Pikachu will zap you if you squeeze its cheeks too hard!" or whatever. Throw on an Old British Professor accent and say that. It makes soooo much sense.
Which is *so weird*, since the game aesthetic is extremely Japanese, and the English region was from Sword and Shield, not Sinnoh? It feels like the localization team got in a UK rhythm and wasn't able to disengage before this game. It's a tangent but it really bugs me.
@@JoshTheValiant agreed, but I just kinda rolled with it, since Galaxy Team was supposed to be from a different region. Doesn't quite square, since so many of their names are Japanese, but still.
@@JoshTheValiant not really that weird, since the parallel of PLA irl is probably mid 1800s Hokkaido. During that time, Japan has opened up its borders after 2 centuries or so of isolation. So not really odd to have foreigners that would like to study the region. Oh and if you pick other languages besides English in game, Laventon will sometimes speak to you in English.
I love it's ability Normalize. I run it on a Balanced Hackmons team with a fast Ghost type like Dragapult or Mega-Gengar and Entrainment to give it to other Pokemon.
Can I just say about Laventon, the my child thing I took as a more parental approach since you don't have ANYBODY in the region that knows you (and he knows that too), and he did always vouch and side with you whenever he could. I'd also associate the danger as an "uncontrollable workplace hazard" if laventon could make things not dangerous he would, but he's a professor for an expedition to a new wild region. Also Also, he IS technically always out in the field with you to and always walks back with you, which shows he does spend a lot of time with our player character too. (I really enjoyed the video btw, I just think Laventon passed the vibe check! So thanks for putting him in S Teir. Also I am a Sycamore Simp, so I'd put him in S teir out of bias, same goes for Kukui lmao)
A flaw in the criteria. Not all professors teach, IRL, currently, this is rarely the case; in past history, most professors (or similar kinds) purely researched & rarely had students unless they chose to teach what they know. Di Vinci for example was a researcher, he strived to learn a lot. He however, rarely taught and prefered solitude, research, and designing.
It seems most of the pokemon professors are research professors and if they are educators we only see one of their primary teaching space which its self may only be secondary space.
Kukui strikes me as a good teacher - as in, like, middle schoolish level - but not at university level. He seems like he'd be great at making young kids excited to learn and connecting with them on their level, but maybe less so at getting across complex undergrad level material.
I mean... Thats what he does. He teaches the player character or ash and similar aged friends in the anime. He doesn't even have assistants while for Example Burnet is more pf a researcher that operates full-time in the Lab
I think Kukui would do just fine teaching at higher levels. The protagonists are always middle schoolers, so that’s how he adapts. His wife is doing wormhole research and he keeps up with her just fine, it’s just not where he chooses to focus his efforts-he’s far more interested in giving younger generations a solid foundation, studying battling from both a theoretical and sociological perspective, as well as his own Dream of elevating Alola in the eyes of other regions (ie, pushing back against the neo colonialism seen with the tourism.)
Just wanna point out the Japanese word for Professor is the same as the word for Doctor, Scientist, Researcher, or any particularly respected expert on a subject. Most of the Pokémon professors are somewhere between with a definite bent towards research
Heck, in Japanese all the "Professors" have the title Doctor, with only one exception: Professor Hastings, from the Pokemon Ranger series, is a Professor even in Japanese.
Yeah, this detail was kind of bugging me while watching the video. It's still a fun video, but it was a bit frustrating to have the characters judged on things like teaching experience and classroom set-ups when they're never really claimed to be teaching professors.
In defense of Laventon: Aa far as I can tell, he's the one who ACTUALLY does his research in the Pokedex. If you read the entries, it's clear he observes the pokemon and writes the entities himself. We can tell because it's easy to spot how he speaks and writes, as it's very proper. Hes always adding in bits like "I suspect" and "I believe that", in the entry for raichu, he even spekasnif his home region. So I would say A tier as he does his research and doesnt have an automatic computer to fill anything out for him. My favorite entries are the Porygon line. He seems confused by Porygon, and calls it a "bizarre anomaly". He is then more confused by Porygon 2, calling its biology "inscrutable". By Porygon Z he states his concern. He clearly doenst know what is going on, and as a researcher, it worries him. I like that the entire are his own. I feel like you didnt really pay attention to the DeX entries in legends because why would you. But his intelligence really shines in them. You should read them over
I'd cut Laventon a bit of slack. It's hundreds of years in the past and his speech patterns come off as normal for his time period. Since it's times where education is tough due to lack of technology, he does his best with what he has. Not to mention his contributions of creating the first Pokedex which was crucial to modern Pokémon education.
One thing I didn’t like about the Pokémon professors (until Laventon) is that they say they are Professors, when they act more like researchers, so I love the idea of trying to see how well they would do as actually professors.
I believe the reason why they don't act like professors is because in the original Japanese games/anime they're called as 博士(hakase), which translates just as a person with rich knowledge of a specific field. So they're actually not supposed to teach anything.
@@FiveOClockTea To be clear with what I meant, it never felt like the Professors were teaching. It always felt as though they were using us to help with research rather than attempting to teach us about Pokemon.
@@periodicgaming5159 I guess I könnte what you mean, but I always felt like it was a research project where you do research yourself and just go to the professor to present your work out maybe ask a question 😅
Some extra comments: Rowan is gruff and strict, but he's also frequently described as cool by other kids - Barry (the rival from DPPt) has nothing but praise for him the second he talks to the man for more than 2 seconds. He also remarks that, even after 60 years, the thrill he gets from travelling with Pokemon is fresh and he wants to foster that in you. He's the professor who looks scary but will tell you stories about that time he went to a protest and bricked someone's window. (He also teaches you the premise and controls in the intro, if you need it) Juniper at least has some teaching experience - in the 2 years between BW and B2W2, she took on Bianca as an assistant to mould her into a Professor, and Bianca perform the job admirably, even heading out to far-off Aspertia City to deliver Trainers their first Pokemon. Juniper also goes and explains what she wants you to do to your mother personally, and delivers Pokemon directly to your house, so she clearly cares about feedback to students and parents alike. Sycamore should be lower - he's clearly trusting but a terrible judge of character, and tends to put faith in people because he knows them well more than because they're actually doing good research - he hasn't been keeping track of Alain's wellbeing very well, gives you incredibly powerful artefacts that you don't know how to use before you've really proven yourself, and his best friend is an elitist eugenicist terrorist who isn't really that subtle about it. He's not even the best teacher in the region in his specialty subject (Mega Evolution is better explained to you by Gurkinn). Sycamore is the Easy A professor, like Slughorn in Harry Potter - great connections, not great as an educator. Kukui should be S Tier. You are approached by a kid younger than you on Route 1 when Kukui takes you to Iki Town, and the kid reveals that Kukui's been tutoring him and he's been putting those lessons into practise. That same kid is a potential challenger to your title as Champion, and he is pretty good! Kukui also keeps best track of your progress, and became a Professor out of love of teaching. Oak has a weekly radio show too, so he should be docked for a part-time job if Kukui is. Burnet's less of a teacher and more of a researcher, but she does teach you a lot about Ultra Wormholes and liminal space. Magnolia is already kind of retired by SwSh. You get your starter from Leon, and she leaves most of your tutorialising to Sonia. She's the Professor who doesn't teach full-time anymore, but is popular as a guest lecturer. Laventon has the mixed blessing of being 100-150 years before the others, and clearly has such a respected position because he's the only one with a scientific understanding of Pokemon. He's thorough, but he's a bit cowardly - understandable in a world where Pokemon are still mostly feral and civilisation isn't as safe as it will be. He basically adopts you because he recognises that you have no support, which is kind of a professional oversight, but he also has very few standards to adhere to. His vibe is kind and curious, but he's a little incompetent. Still a D Tier teacher, though - most of how you actually do the business of Pokemoning comes from characters like Rei/Akari, Cyllene, Adaman and Irida.
Given the radio show, I'd put Oak as more of a science communicator than a teacher by the time the games take place. Like a Richard Dawkins-type, minus the part where he's a prick.
I don’t think Laventon should get points docked because of other characters also teaching the player about Pokémon, especially since they teach different aspects of them. Cyllene mostly teaches you on how to procede in the world without dying, Adaman/Irida teach the history and lore of the region and Pokémon, and Akari/Rei are Laventon’s assistant, so likely what they teach you was taught to them BY Laventon. He’s also very involved with the work he gives you, and has made a list of simple to understand and execute research goals for EVERY SINGLE Pokémon in the region, and then writes every Pokédex entry BY HAND with the data you give him. Also, if you’re going to dock points from Laventon for taking the player character in, you should take even more points off of Kukui. Laventon procures you your own personal house (really him “taking you in” is better described as him vouching for you and giving you a job so that you don’t get kicked out of the village and left to die). Meanwhile Lilly is staying IN Kukui’s house and as far as I can tell, doesn’t even get the luxury of walls or a door. Who out of these two professors seems the most responsible when handling the situation of a lost, confused and traumatised child?
Rowan also doesn't take shit from anyone and was ready to throw hands with Team Galactic Grunts until he saw you and thought 'hey, why not let the youngsters deal with this, it'll be good experience for them'
Laventon has to be S tier honestly. He started the work, his work is the basis of all the work that comes after. Obviously the player character does the actual catching, as is the case in all the games, but Laventon clearly writes each entry and does a lot of novel research as basically everything in the original pokedex is his work (well......and a time/space traveling kid and gods.....and thats not a spoiler as its in the intro. But if we ignore how much literal poke god actually did, Laventon is a heavy hitter). His influence is unparalleled in the canon story. Of course Oak is the original in terms of player experienced time line but in terms of in game history OG its Laventon. Addiitonally a whole lot of passes have to be given for his time era being so different. Its so far in the past. I know its written by modern people and in a way that all the characters act essentially as modern people but in a distant past looking time (which I always find annoying) but still. I would not judge Aristotle on modern scientific practices for instance.
Professor Laventon is actually pretty good in my opinion. Sure his knowledge is limited, but at the same time it's way ahead of everyone else at the time. He is also very good at seeing his students. He holds your hand before he has had the opportunity to judge your skill, but has full confidence in you when you've proved that you can handle it. He is also one of the most sensible professors. We've seen multiple other professors walk into the snowy regions with nothing to protect them from the cold because they care more about their looks than their health. Laventon on the other hand knows that Sinnoh is a cold unforgiving land and is always prepared with a cozy hat.
I have great respect for Laventon too. This is a professor who balances research and mentoring well. He's the least absent of the teachers, imo; he's always with the player out in the wilds, in a little ol campsite where he himself could very well perish to the elements or monsters; he is nothing but encouraging and positive to the player, and essentially funds the player (so here's a teacher who knows how to incentivize learning and research). He doesnt just say "get out there and fill up the dex", he rewards it and is also out there in the field with you. He eats with his students, and while i know some students might prefer a barrier betwn teacher and students, i never saw Laventon's actions as creepy; rather, the teacher-student barrier doesnt even occur to him - the man is treating the player and rival as his colleagues, and also more importantly but less inferrably, as equals. With Laventon, there's no sense of rank, so to speak, he treats you as a subject matter expert in your field as much as you treat him as an sme in his. Some more points: - he has a help bulletin board in his lab. Here's a prof who cares beyond his profession; he even created an avenue for the player to get information on and to assist the local community. Laventon is more than a prof, more than a teacher: he's a good person. - Laventon is the only prof we've seen thus far in the games where the starter(s) you did not pick are shown to be given free range outside of the pokeballs, and comfily nestled in the lab in their respective spots that he constructed specifically to resemble their natural biomes. This man genuinely loves pokemon in a world that is terrified of them. Finally, I also assumed in good faith that his calling of the children "child" is moreso Gamefreak trying to create an ancient setting and thus trying to make him sound archaic, but i agree, in a modern-day setting, that would ofc sound cheesy haha!
Also on the "free range" aspect, the pokemon that you, player, have captured but are not keeping on hand, are explicitly put in pastures, and you can see some of them hanging out in the village. It's a world that treats pokeballs as a mean to transport pokemons, not as something they should be permanently confined to.
I mean, XX century science was more of a "what will try today boys" approach. A lot of hitting and seeing what sticks. It fits with a professor cataloguing an unexplored zone ecosistem
One interesting point in the games is that we actually see the results of rowan's mentorship through cynthia, who remarks nostalgically in the hall of fame about how it reminds her of when he first helped her. In many ways I feel like she ended up kind of like him, shes clearly caring and kind, but there's something inherently intimidating about her too. Whats more they both show good results in their given professions while also remaining dedicated to taking the extra time to help those in need
I will gladly go to bat for Professor Kukui, the BEST professor, both in personality and in teaching. He has thee best classroom (even better than Magnolia): completely open air with desks he freely moves around, a giant slide AND a secret superhero lair underneath. He's not only the ONLY professor who teaches full time, ALONG with being a professional wrestler AND father (even before he has his own kid, he is Ash's father change my mind). He pays attention to the individual needs of all his students and caters lessons around those needs (Lillie especially, who he gently encourages to help her overcome her fear of pokemon). He takes the kids on TONS of field trips and brings in lots of outside instructors like the kahunas to teach the kids Alolan history. He's such a good teacher that he got Ash to the Alola League and was the only mentor who was actually able to coach him into winning a league! Kukui is S tier and I will not stand for this slander of his abilities. Jocks can be smart too!
Since Oak “forgetting” the name of his grandson is part of the game mechanic that allows the player to personalize their experience by naming their rival, I wouldn’t deduct any points.
His personality has changed since the early days too. These days if Ash told him he saw Ho-Oh, he'd probably just tell him some stories about Ho-Oh. The writers just didn't have his personality down yet.
Prof. Elm also has a wife and child in the games. However it's implied he overworks and rarely is home. Also his research is based on Pokemon Eggs, Baby Pokemon, and breeding. Of which he barely touches on and practically ignores.
Glad to hear my Gen 5 bias is further justified in this tier list. It was fun to see you branch out into other topics, this video is nothing to shake a stick at. I could say more, but I'll leaf it at that, wouldn't want to grow Sycamore puns.
I think Laventon is implied to be from Galar (aka the UK), and the localization went for the somewhat stereotypical "my boy", which with the female protag ends up becoming "my girl" which sounds a lot less innocent, even though that probably was not the intention they had.
Playing through Legends: Arceus, I always saw Laventon more as a colleague than my teacher. Since people know so very little about Pokémon at the time, Laventon is learning along with you and you're just helping, almost like the two of you are in two different departments and are collaborating on research or lesson plans.
One important thing about Kukui that wasn't mentioned: He's responsible for bringing the Pokemon league tournament to Alola and establishing more opportunities for the people there. Kinda like how good teachers and professors bring more opportunities to their schools by obtaining grants. As the player, you get to participate in the first Alolan Pokemon League tournament so you actively get to see the results of Kukui's work.
A thing that matters in regards to Lavington is that he does sort of adopt the player in the first 5 minutes of Legends Arceus. Remember Galatic was going to leave you outside with those murderous monsters until he steps to vouch for the player AND take responsibility if the player makes a mess of things... They might have forgotten that bit in the story but that isn't relevant.
To me, I envision Laventon saying “my boy” or “my girl” in an endearing way, like “kid” or “my man”. It was probably late 1800s early 1900s in the game so really he would use kinda old-fashioned wording like that. Also played all the way through PLA and let me say this man has a really strong lab/research area and is the combination of Prof Birch and Prof Kukui or Elm. Man’s just a goofy guy who loves Pokémon. Though I completely understand the whole “Pokémon can actually kill you” thing, but other characters emphasize it, and SPOILERS [when you get kicked out of Jubilife, he’s one of the only people who bothers to check on you, and almost cries when he knows you’re safe and unharmed by the time you return]. Wait shit why didn’t I wait till the end of the video oof. Am I taking this too seriously? What
I'd like to point out that every professor has a different topic of expertise. Kukui, for example, studies moves. Makes sense, considering Alola's unique z-moves.
When I played Platinum I always felt like Rowan treated the protagonist and his assistant both as valuable students but also kind of as equals, as fellow researchers
Speaking as a former professional wrestler, you did Kukui mega dirty. Professional wrestling doesn't pay much, if you get paid at all, at the independent level, so working other jobs is essential. He may seem like a mega star, because so many people know his character, but this isn't uncommon at a local independent level. We see that he has to work the two jobs, so we know he isn't actually famous or particularly successful as a wrestler. All that is to say I have been at that level, knew a lot of people at that level, including a legitimate university professor, and I know first hand it is barely an inconvenience to separate wrestling from the other things you have going on in your life. You aren't any less dedicated to one job, because you work a second job.
I have little experience with Pokémon Legends: Arceus, so I only know what you describe, but Professor Laventon sounds like the typical ancient historian who just says, "I heard this thing. I will chronicle it," which I find cool and befitting of the setting.
I think Laventon should be an A+ tier because he's the only teacher that we see working, and I would give some forgiving points to his bad things because he lives in 200 years ago
Laventon is really interesting to me because of how he immediately wanted to help the player find somewhere to stay and knew they needed a support network, and I think he has all of his blankets on that chair because he immediately moved out of the house just next door to the headquarters in order to give the player somewhere to stay the vibes I get are very casual father figure in a good way, he just cares a lot about this poor temporally displaced kid, and I think his relationship with Akari/Rei/the npc kid looks very close but also like appropriate yanno? That's just my headcanons though, I feel like he's the guy who found funding and then stopped really teaching back in his old home so he could pursue field research in Hisui and his pokedex methodology is INCREDIBLE My god never in a pokemon game have they actually cared about SAMPLE SIZES
Not only sample sizes, but specifically looking for variations. It you only catch one pokemon, the Pokedex only lists one size. But if you catch multiple, the Pokedex updates for a range between the smallest and biggest you've caught. In addition, for certain pokemon with different form (like Wormadam) Laventon actually has separate Pokedex entries for each form. And if you catch a pokemon that has minor variations (like male and female Pikachu or a shiny) he includes a picture of each variant.
The only ranking I disagree with is Laventon. The conditions he's teaching in aren't really his fault, and while I agree he was be a bit too nice, at least its directed towards everyone, so it isn't creepy, in my mind. He also has a great desire to further his research and learn more about this world so he can teach people how to deal with Pokémon and thrive in this dangerous world. I really wouldn't put him above B tier, probably high C tier in my mind, but D tier is a bit too low.
Funny story: I had a professor that could have been the real life Birch. Same type of outfit (minus the coat), hair, sandals and body type. The part where you mentioned "he does most of teaching in the field". That's totally him, though he was also great in a classroom setting.
Ranking laventon is difficult as its almost a completely different standard. Imagine running Newton or Gibbon through your system. Newton wouldn't have any chairs as he would have thrown them out the window at a noisy passer by. The problem is, is the job of a professor to get people up to speed of current learning, to manage the future assets of research (getting the students to expand the field of knowledge) or to utilise departmental resource, including students, to break new ground themselves. Whichever answer you pick laventon ticks all boxes.
Wait. Is "My child" considered something creepy? I always thought of it as something old people just tend to say to younger people. Also, Hissui isn't exactly the only region that's ridiculously dangerous. The other regions are almost as bad. The games just don't present it as such, but if you think about it, they're pretty bad.
Hissui is definitely the most dangerpous place out of all games because people still havn't figure out what to do with Pokémon yet. Sure, the world of Pokémon is always dangerous, but in modern world, that's a bunch of strong trainers near by ready to help you if a wild Ursaring tried to shank you.
@@dragonairdragon6173 yeah exactly in terms of protection in hisui its your dodging skills and your own pokemon because there's really no other trainers around
@@dragonairdragon6173 The Orre region is a very harsh desert landscape with Pokemon who actively get turned into evil versions of themselves, you know active maliciousness rather than instinctive maliciousness like the Pokemon in Legends Arceus.
I think Laventon calling the player “my girl/boy” is more of a time period thing they tried to do. In the same way someone might say “lad” or “lass.” Laventon is speculated to be Hop and Leon’s ancestor so he may be from Galar if that’s the case. He still gets a low rating for tossing children into the unknown wilds while he sits back and reaps the rewards though. 😅
Laventon passes the vibe check, I feel. He's got real "ditsy goofball" energy while still being studious. Bad for a professor perhaps, but GREAT for a person in general. He's got that energy of a scientist who says "Pushing this button just caused lightning to strike me and stop my heart. Well golly gee, now I gotta see if it does that every time or if it has a bunch of effects and I just got unlucky." So he at least passes the vibe check of being a loveable goofball of a person. As others have said as well, the "my (boy/girl)" thing is just a way of speaking, stereotypically in old Britain. Like it's something Sherlock Holmes would probably say, if that helps. And as others have said, he's clearly the one who wrote every Pokedex entry. But some of those entries can be a bit silly and fun as well. All in all, I'd say he's probably a great person and great researcher but horrible teacher. Like he's probably incredibly smart but just doesn't do a good job of explaining things and often times overthinks and misses the obvious solution.
I feel like you judged the early generation Professors a bit unfairly, using their original game labs back when hardware and memory power limitation was an issue the game makers had to circumvent. In order to compare them fairly, I would suggest that you looked at Generation 1-4 as they are presented in their latest iteration, Let's Go Eevee/Pikachu, Heart Gold/Soul Silver, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Also, since you occasionally use the anime as a source I would recommend looking at the latest version of the anime, Journeys, as well. Oak's lab set-up has been considerably improved. Excellent video though, nonetheless!
Sonia is so relatable outside of the professor aspect. Someone in her early to mid 20s who doesn't know where she is going with her life? I felt like that a lot.
Yes, we need professors that give easy A, as long as the messed up grading system is implemented, as pointed out by another on point video of yours. Espeon and Espurr are incredibly cute as well, just saying...
For Laventon, it’s alluded that he’s from Galar. In the real world equivalent of the UK, especially for old timers, “my boy/girl” is a reference to someone younger than them and isn’t creepy in the slightest
Tbh, Laventon is the BEST professor. He wrote all 200 something Pokédex entries, and when we complete all Pokédex entries he even congratulates us in a way, and helped us from falling from the Space Time Destortion. He and the other gender player character (Akari/Rei) during when you were kicked out of the Galaxy Expidition Team they were sad, meaning that they never thought we would die out there. Also him being a nice guy aswell. Edit: I wanted to add this, Laventon also is learning about pokemon with you, since this is the _First Pokédex_ of the World/Hisui/Sinnoh
in absolute fairness to Laventon, he's clearly meant to be based more on a _Victorian_ idea of a professor? But... by those standards he's also kind of a goofball and not 'serious' enough.
I feel like not all of these reviews touched on the professors' level of knowledge enough. I got my bachelor's in non-medical biology, which is the closest field to what the Pokémon professors are teaching. There were some courses where it was clear that the prof didn't know all that much about one or more of the course subjects, and they were only teaching it because the curriculum required someone teach those subjects. And let me tell you: No amount of chairs can fix a course like that.
@@eddie-roo You can be ignorant of a subject and a good teacher in general, but you can't be a good teacher of a subject you know little about. Some of the professors described in my initial comment were great teachers in other (parts of) courses, because they were good teachers in general and in those other (parts of) courses they were teaching subjects they knew and understood a lot about. But in the (parts of) courses where they had to teach subjects they knew little about, they were bad teachers.
To be fair, the player isn't learning things from Professor Laventon, and we have no idea where he delivers his classes (Possibly in the Galaxy hall I guess). The striking difference in Legend Arceus is that the player is hired by Professor Laventon for helping his survey (catching Pokemon). He literally pays you for each Pokemon you catch, and yeah I would argue the pay should be a lot higher for a survey job on animals and zombie bugs that can kill you... You know what, I kinda agree a professor that is heartless enough to ask Azelf to selfdestruct 40 times isn't really good. You make a point.
Basically, you're a research assistant, and your employer Laventon - actually reading the above comment he is more like your coworker or supervisor, never mind.
Laventon finds you alone with no one else on a beach and decides to unconditionally trust you cause you're good with pokemon. He helps you find your footing in a dangerous world and, while he made you have a dangerous job, it was a job that coincided with one of your other goals and was also one of the only ways to convince the other villagers to accept you when you were still just a strange outcast. He also goes outside the village with you whenever you leave rather than staying in his lab and making you come all the way back. As for the 'My child thing,' I thought him saying 'my boy' to my character was just like that one English phrase than him actually saying 'my child.' I guess 'my girl' is weirder but probably just a clumsy word replacement on Game Freak's part. I feel like if he were in the future where it wasn't essential to endanger himself and others to get his research done, he'd be a pretty great professor.
I’ve seen professors moonlight in odd jobs (many entertainment) all through my college career. It hasnkt hurt their ability to teach in the slightest. Kukui is definitely a capable professor.
Yeah, and implying that a professor can't or shouldn't have hobbies they pursue outside of teaching is just... I don't like using the word, but problematic.
@@jackmanleblanc2518 i wouldnt go so far as to say problematic, but literally just her opinion i guess. Maybe as a professor herself, she would see it too tough to do something as strenuous and physically exhausting as wrestling whilst also being a professor (and the champion too i guess?) problematic is too harsh a word
NGL Professor Laventon is my favorite professor! His lab made me love him even more because he has a place for the starters to comfortably live in, and just feels more lived in.
The most simple criticism is also the most technical one. Professor in Japanese means a lot of things, and professors are historically rarely teachers. In Japan especially, they have a specific term for a teacher: Sensei. Professor means researcher in the context of the pokemon games, and by that context, Laventon is probably the best, because he is a pioneer for all the rest.
Yeah, I think that Kukui probably agrees with what you said about him, which is why he does more research off elsewhere while his wife remains at the university
I was kinda frustrated watching because of the focus on teaching. In most of the world (UK, Europe, Africa, Australia) a "professor" is a distinction given for having the highest levels of scholarly/research achievements. Nothing to do with teaching (oh, and it would be shocking to get appointed professor before you received tenure). But when I looked it up it seems that in America being a professor just means having a teaching position (I'm guessing only in a higher education context). Further, it also seems that the Japanese universities ranking system is modeled off the US one. So... I guess I'm wrong.
No, you’re right. In America at least in STEM/environmental biology there’s more of a focus on research and mentoring grad students (which is what the Poke profs do) instead of just a glorified teacher. I think the person who made this video is an English professor (?) which is probably why their focus is weirdly pinpointed on teaching classes of students. (Whereas typically in the context of Pokémon/environmental biology the focus would be much more on research) (I am a PhD student in the US)
In the case of Laventon, he's in a time where people are just meeting Pokemon, so there's nobody to real mentor or teach. He's more a researcher and author than an educator.
My English teacher is literally Professor Sonia, in terms of both fashion and vibe, which is why she is my favorite teacher :3 -And also why I pay attention in class-
The ranking I didn't know I needed! The chairismatic Professor Birch is subjectively my favourite prof, he's got one whole chair in his lab after all. (Actually I love him for the same reasons you do)
Man, poor Laventon. I would rate him S tier because he's at a time where society if first really forming, but he is a professor in being very dedicated to studying Pokemon and completing the first Dex. He accompanies you on trips, acknowledges his own short comings (he cannot really catch pokemon, but loves to study them) but tries to support you and everyone else on the survey team and guide your efforts. He compiles all the information and obviously is very knowledgeable. He makes the first "masterball" just with limited technology and the help of a skilled crafter in Rei/Akari. He's way more involved in actually trying to discover things and find solutions to problems compared to many other professors, but it might be my bias because I never really watched the anime and only played the games. I could understand the weirdness of Laventon as I initially found it weird that he uses "my child," but recognized it as an old-time English way to refer to a younger person. I think it would track better if he did it only after getting to know you more, but he is also suppose to be your first and primary advocate in a town that doesn't generally trust you so they were making him the quick almost adoptive parent which seems odd to do with a professor with looking through a modern lense.
Professor Laventon is not only from 200 years ago, but from Galar and now in the Hisui/Shinno region. So of course he's gonna come off as weird. And you are "old enough to pull your weight". So he's just probably being polite... and VERY Galarian. (aka Very British). And on sabattical helping out in Hisiu. I'd say he'd be considered very soft and odd by the mesures of his day. Since a proper Galarian Professor might be CANING you or something for screwing up.
Let’s get a part two with other Pokémon professors, teachers and educators, like Lenora, profesor Brunet, Roxanne, Cheren, etc. Maybe the professors in training like Hop and Bianca as well.
I think part of the lack of chairs in the first 4 gens (especially in kanto, and ESPECIALLY in the very traditionalist johto region. This still applies to hoenn/sinnoh too, but not as much as the first 2 gens) is because theyre probably using short chabudai instead of the taller western-style tables. I dont think the short height of the tables is neccesarily just an artistic choice. A lot of the "tables" have zabuton or tatami around/under them too, which also points to them being chabudai.
I think we can't judge Laventon on the same scale as the rest of the Pokémon Professors. Pokémon Legends Arceus (PLA) acts as deconstruction of the various tropes that make up Pokémon: the region lacks PokéCenters and PokéMarts. The NPCs lac any central understanding of how Pokémon actually work, and, most importantly, the Pokémon are actually dangerous. Hisui's pokémon don't appear, wait for you to throw one of your own pokémon, then begin battling. They will straight up attack any human who gets too close. In the middle of all this danger and uncertainty, Team Galaxy is trying to set up a town that hopefully won't get attacked in the middle of the night by some alpha pokémon, and, amidst their work, this dude with a camera is like "I'm going to figure out how these creatures work and show they can be partners to humans." He's no formal professor, and his ideas are likely to get anyone not trained or highly skilled with working with these dangerous beasts killed. Yet, he needs actual research to figure out how these creatures behave and interact with their world. Unlike the other Pokédexes, which just need a trainer to capture a single creature, the Hisuian Dex requires the player character to do actual research. They need to capture multiple creatures, often with specified variances (like size or weight) or specific circumstances (like not being seen beforehand or at a specific time of day), and they need to watch these creatures actually fight, witnessing how these pokémon use their moves and respond to moves they're weak against. In short, Team Galaxy and Laventon need the player character to complete actual research and write up their findings. Laventon, to me, is like the one scientist a expeditionary force brought with them incase they came across something weird who got lucky when the world's most perfect research assistant literally fell from the sky. He's the archetype of a professor, but we can't judge him on his lacking skills because who could possible expect him to teach? Since he actually requires effective research methodologies, has a fairly effective space for the two (maybe only 1) students he's been assigned to teach, and didn't even receive training in how to teach, I'd place him much higher up in the tier list.
Kukui being the professor, wrestler, champion, etc. in just the time the player does their thing is kinda insane. He also orangized Alola's entire pokemon leauge and system.
From the issues with grading as a concept to why I shouldn't necessarily always take the advice of outlook when it makes a suggestion to improve conciseness, I'm learning a lot from this channel. And this video was just fun. I love the diversity of content.
How I feel the profs would be as PIs/PhD advisors Oak: very well renowned, but can be disappointing as an advisor. Tells you exactly what he thinks your project should be, not very flexible. Forgetful about anything outside of research Elm: scatter-brained, very timid, when you go to him for advice he doesn't really say anything helpful. Means well. Hates giving lectures Birch: loooooves field work, is always trying to sneak in a mandatory camping trip in every course he teaches. But you KNOW all that data he collects just sits on his desk for months and his computer is a mess Rowan: very strict, all other students are scared of him, but students in his lab appreciate him. If you can make it in his lab, you can make it anywhere. Very old school though, expects you to be in lab 8 am-6 pm everyday Juniper: definitely the youngest in her department. A mover and a shaker in her field. Loves outreach. Definitely the go-to guest on many podcasts, has a very popular science Twitter/tiktok account Sycamore: very charismatic, teaches a lot of the intro undergrad lectures. Very popular with young students, his grad students and post docs get frustrated with how unreliable he can be Kukui: very rough it and tough it. Will always come back from the field with an injury. Maybe made the pokemon universe's equivalence to the Schmidt index. Has a small tight knit lab with dinner at his house on fridays Magnolia: very old-fashioned, from rowan's generation. Very sparing with her praise but will definitely let you know where she think you need improvement. You think she hates you but secretly she's very proud of you
"Even grumpy old men can be good teachers." Rowan reminds me of a science teacher in high school. Man was always bitching and being a smartass but it jived well with students and he had genuine interest in teaching. He held expectations of each student but didn't look down on them rather just wanted them to rise up to their potential. I still remember more of his teachings then most of my other teachers.
All the things you said about Elm remind me of my undergrad research mentor and I love it! I know he may not be the best prof to have but that's all I ask for- who needs to get my tests returned if the vibes are impeccable.
Professor Lavington should get more points for his groundbreaking research. He’s 200 years older than everyone else old the list, and appears to have set the standards that they all operate by today. Lavington shouldn’t be judged the same way as modern professors, 200 years ago child endangerment was considered less of an issue.
Kukui is S tier by virtue of being cool alone. And, how many professors do you know that can easily beat you up on command? Actually, that might not be a bonus, now that I think about it... but he would never actually do that! So bonus points!
I once ran into a professor of mine as he was heading home after working out at the on-campus gym. He could definitely beat me up. But he was also THE BEST teacher!
In some small level of fairness towards Laventon, he is from the distant past, so his, uh, knack for calling his students “my boy” or “my girl” might be something that was more culturally acceptable during his time. Also, he is probably British, judging by what little we know of his backstory. Neither of which necessarily completely erases the slight creepiness, but both are worth noting.
Professor Sycamore in the anime has a pretty amazing lab. They don't show it in the game, but in the anime, the lab has a massive greenhouse where students get hands-on learning with pokemon who live in the building. Sycamore also was able to calm down a Garchomp so that's something.
In defence of Laventon, it's clear that ALL of the Pokedex entries are written by him. He sometimes put little anecdotes about how he feels, or about his past or where he's from. He's clearly very dedicated to his subject
It's especially clear in the entries for Raichu and the Porygon-line. He mentions "The Copperajah of his homeland" in Raichu's and he's just very confused and frightened by the Porygon-line.
@@dracos0024 Imagine digging out the ancient Hisui Dex by Professor Laventon, and finding accounts of Porygon, the first man-made pokemon, that you just invented.
@@dracos0024 Every time I read that, I just imagine the player character walking up to Laventon with this weird, floating, bright pink creature and him pre-enacting the “Oh my god, what is that?‽” meme
@@dracos0024 as he should be like what the fuck
He's professor drip
The best professors are the children they send out to get all the pokemon. They're the ones doing actual research with a device that magically knows everything about a pokemon right away.
I believe those are normally referred to as "graduate students."
@@michaelmills8205 With the life skills and income of children? Adds up honestly.
But the kids have the cruel drive to let their pocket monsters battle to near death.
Honestly, I like how Legends tackles the Pokedex. It doesn't just magically know everything, and you have to make several observations.
@@michaelmills8205 came here to say this.
Personal experience: yep, that checks out.
That description of Kukui having a history teacher/football coach energy is spot on. He’s the kind of teacher who you can learn a lot from but can also be easily manipulated into wasting class time with stories.
Prof. Kukui almost definitely has Pokemon battles with his students in the middle of class. Sometimes for lessons, sure - his specialty is Pokemon moves - but also sometimes just for fun.
I mean, when your classroom is a Hawaiian beachside deck porch in a tropical paradise, kinda hard not to get distracted by every little thing possible!
Dear God, my ADD would be in overload trying to study in Kukui's class.
I’m that teacher lol
You know most of the time teachers just wanna waste time as well even if they get side tracked sometimes
A teacher's stories sometimes come from their experiences
I'm very confused on why you called Kukui a "professional wrestler" and then showed a clip of the Masked Royale, a completely different person
xD
God I wish I knew who the Masked Royale was. What a cool dude.
I want to know who he is
Hearts, doesn’t elaborate
Almost as silly as when people say Clavell and Clive are the same 😂
I think Laventon ought to be higher than D-tier. I think his speech can mostly be explained by the fact that PLA takes place around the Pokemon 1800s, and the dangerous environment isn't really his fault at all. He didn't come to the Hisui region to teach, he's there for research. His actual teaching was probably done back in Galar, where he presumably has a safer environment.
I think you also have to take into account old 1800s British speak as well, since Galar is based off England. Him saying things like "my girl" or "my child" isn't that weird anymore, considering this. i always imagine him talking with the goofiest of british accents.
It's a Britishism. A very stereotypical one, he's from Galar but because this is the Pokemon world, they had to highlight that everytime they could. It isn't creepy if you know anything about how the British are portrayed. "Jolly good, my boy," is something an older man might say to a pre-teen boy. I don't think they would say "my girl," it seems gendered, so when they use the same script for the female character it comes across much weirder.
@@enderoctanus ?
@@queenpurr4275 Yeah. You can also infer from the rest of his speech patterns that he’s meant to be either British or using British phrases/terminology. I don’t have any of his lines in front of me at the moment but that was the sense I got.
@@queenpurr4275 yes but Hisui is based of an older Johto that i know of
Speaking on Prof. Juniper, while it's not stated that in the games that she has formal teaching experience, she does mentor the mc and rival characters throughout the game, checking in on their progress throughout the the game and even acts as a supportive mentor figure to Bianca, one of the characters in the game . This Bianca ends up realizing her dream of being a Pokemon Professor and ends up being studying as an assistant to Juniper.
Juniper also has experience on the field as she is often seen throughout the game studying and researching Pokemon in different environments and often comments and gives advice about the various locations of the game.
Finally, Juniper is very receptive to criticism and different points of view. This is reflected in how she is a guiding force to the player and rival characters despite all of them having different goals and beliefs and the way she takes the antagonists' criticism of her "documenting and enslaving" Pokemon. She acknowledges his feelings and his point of view and even points out that he has valid criticisms while also trying push back and provide other perspectives and how others could come to those conclusion. She is never harsh to the antagonist for his rigid and hostile way of thinking, but is willing to have an open dialogue to ideas she clearly disagrees with. This is fitting since the main theme of Black and White is about how people are different with different ideas, identities and cultures but can still come together in spite and because of those differences by sharing and respect those differences. That's why each city and town look completely unique and why there are so many bridges, they represent being able to connect with others despite our differences.
I would wholeheartedly recommend playing the Black/Whiter series of games. Not only are they some of the most polished Pokemon games mechanically and aesthetically, but the themes and characters of the games are pretty interesting. It's no masterpiece in storytelling, but it is intriguing nonetheless. Black and White are one of my favourite games of all time, not just Pokemon games.
I mean, the story telling itself is interesting because of the themes that play within it. For someone who played the White when it first came out, the story was enthralling and really sucked you in once you met team plasma, given the previous 4 generations where it was some variation of regular crime whereas Plasma was very much had a mythos and creed and was themed extremely well. Though that's not what made the game stand up in that regard. That was N. Enigmatic, mysterious, charismatic, and started his quest with what he believed to be altruistic reasons, and stood up better than any other game antagonist up to that point. So good that it made him seem like your rival, and not your actual rival.
In fact it was done so well I went on a hunt for N when I got done with the extra story content because there was a hook dropped in the final mission on where he might of went... And did that for about 100 save-game clocked hours looking high and low and eventually lost interest in the game entirely. And then cue Black and White 2 which is where his story picks up. My disappointment was immeasurable. Doesn't help that several months down the line I lost my White cartrige and my fairly newly acquired black, which has killed my interest in the generations since.
N as a character and the story plot as a whole is pretty much what propelled Black and White to the status of one of the best trainer games of all time for me, tbh. Add in the quality of life upgrades, post story content, easier access to online trading(while it lasted), and striking scenery and imagery, and it is by far one of the best video games ever made in my humble opinion. But I also haven't played any of the newer generations of pokemon games other than mystery dungeon, so I may have a bias.
Completely agree
Idk what your problem with the story telling was tho, it has the best story in the franchise imo and for a pokemon game the story was conveyed pretty well
@@DjayT. i mean "best story in the pokemon franchise" still doesn't imply masterpiece, which is all op was saying
Beautifully said!
I kinda agree with the first part of your essay, but had to stop at the half.
Defense for laventon: I might be wrong but I believe “my boy/girl” is a phrase that used to be common sometime in the past or something, so in the context of the game it makes perfect sense. It is at least a stereotypical old English “ politely refer to younger person” phrase
It is heavily hinted that he's originally from Galar (or at least a lot of people around him are)
@@thalnir9013 I think he is from the Pokemon Equivalent of India
He's definitely from Galar
He sometimes uses English words in the French version of the game
My Boy, this peace is what all true warriors strive for.
-Some King, probably
yeah he also obviously gets super upset when you (spoilers)
get exiled from jubilife
An intellectual version of Markiplier's "Smash or pass: all 898 pokemon"
Markiplier produces vitriol
@@solouno2280 Vitriol:
1. cruel and bitter criticism.
2. sulfuric acid
So, uh, pretty clear you meant neither of these, what did you actually mean?
@@Aryc11 Probably used “big-brained” words to make himself seem smarter.
@@asmagamer728 Alternatively: Perhaps Markiplier is an alien that produces sulfuric acid.
@@Aryc11 I mean he’s a masochist too so he probably enjoys sulphuric acid being poured on his reproductive organ or something
I feel like Laventon got a bit shafted here.
For one, he doesn't call you "my child," like you're his actual child. He calls you "my boy" or "my girl," which has a much more casual connotation to it. It really gives off, like, old British guy vibes more than anything.
And he isn't any more friendly towards the female protagonist than the male protagonist, so it's not a creepy thing either. He's being a (relatively) welcoming, comforting figure for the undoubtedly confused and traumatized main character.
Also, it's not really fair to him that the world as a whole is dangerous. He can only work with what already exists, and it's not like he created the setting full of wild, dangerous pokemon.
Yeah, that was absolute fucking bullshit on her part tbh. Would she fault teachers in bad neighbourhoods for the dangers of the location? Also, my favourite teacher ever called people "my child" and wasn't remotely creepy. Anyone with half a brain knows it doesn't imply relation
He is also from a more ancient time period than the protagonist so him speaking in an older dialect makes sense. Kinda like how today you don’t really hear people use the term “old sport” to refer to someone but if you read books written in or set in the 1920s, such as “Great Gatsby,” he uses that term a lot
Aw, the only disagreement I have is Laventon! His lab is excellent, if not a bit messy, but you get to take research tasks off of his chalkboard and observe Pokemon. He cares for our needs, he's the only reason we're even allowed into the city, otherwise we would be dead meat! He's also thorough, the Pokedex we work on requires SO much information in all sorts of areas, something no professor has ever asked of us before. Laventon can't help the world itself is cruel, he's just trying to be the sunshine through it. Plus, he's Leon and Hop's ancestor, which is kinda neat!
Re: The lack of chairs. I've always assumed that the pokemon games environments are meant to presented from a child's point of view. What the player sees is all the stuff the child they are RPs would see. In a professor's office, they would focus on the books, the machines, the table with the pokemon balls on it and ignore normal every day stuff like the chairs, but would notice them in a random NPC's houses. I also feels like this explains why the cities/towns are so small: they only put in the places the child remembers in that place. All those houses that don't have doors? The child has never been in them.
That is a really interesting theory! I never thought of it that way, but now that you mention it, it does make sense!
That would also explain why everything in the game is child safe. Nobody curses? really? Suspicious if you ask me. Hey but it's just a theory A GAME TH.. I'll see myself out.
This is such an adorable theory wtf
I actually use this viewpoint when looking at the Pokedex too. They literally have 10 year olds doing the entries, no wonder everything is so exaggerated
Heh, that's really sweet way to give a "lore" explanation to game design limitations like that!
I think the "My Girl" and "My boy" thing is just old-timey speak
As well for Professor Laventon:
-Wrote the First Pokédex entries AND only is able to do so after rigorous testing and research data is conducted
-Is a ride or die bitch for the player even after the player is exiled
-Sets his employees up with food and living space
-Studies Pokémon specifically so he can find a way to live alongside them so that research expeditions will be less dangerous
-not only does he have chairs, he has a FIREPLACE. Indoor heating in the coldest region? Sign me UP
-has a sick hat
considering that, as far as I know, he is the only scholar in the region and there is no university known to exist, he probably gave that title to himself
Tbf, the food and shelter thing is more Cyllene's job. Though Laventon did vouch for the MC to her.
Also his hat is atrocious what are you talking about.
@@dracos0024 oh I meant the potato mochi mostly. A boss that gets you food EVERYDAY? FUCK YEAH
@@altonblast5 I'm pretty sure it's not out of Laventon's pocket, though. It's probably just from the Galaxy Team funds.
@@dracos0024 but still it's all thanks to laventon that convinced Kamado in the first place, also he is always with you on your expeditions
I am generally in agreement but Kukui is S Tier. He's never put the wrestling before being a professor and I think professors should be allowed to have hobbies which, while he's professional at wrestling, it's always just a personal passion. Beyond that, we get to see him a lot and learn a lot about his teaching method. He's adaptive, he does multiple methods, he works to help shore up weak areas in a student while elevating strong areas to new heights.
I love Kukui. Though... perhaps you are right that Burnet is even more amazing.
I wholeheartedly agree with this, and would like to add: Kukui's field of expertise is Pokémon battles. While wrestling is a hobby for him, it could technically count as field work.
@@howdoiturnssj3 True. I'd count it!
agreed.
So, Kukui is the pokemon version of Plato being a philosopher, and also a proffesional wrestler.
The couple is honestly just fire.
You're obsessing over chairs and learning environement yet Laventon actually does have the most confortable sitting area for learning, which is a warm kotatsu. He deserves the S tier.
He loses points for his hat sorry
There isn’t a point system
@@Lonewulf321 HIS HAT IS AMAZING SHUT UP /lh
@@tigersandflowers agree
@@Lonewulf321 he gains 1000 points for his music
@@YooranKujara facts
“My child” isn’t creepy, it’s just context. He is old and British so he likes to hold himself as a teaching father figure. Now if he followed that by “give me a hug” or “let me give you a massage” or complementing their looks in a none professional THEN they be creepy. Also for the dangerous part, people didn’t have the luxury of safety and a childhood in their teens back then, you were a man or a woman by the age of 14+ and started to help around the home. Also might as well be Japanese Wild West (or in this case wild north) so you have to carry your own weight.
Bold of you to assume 14 is the age of maturity, most cultures consider puberty as the onset of maturity especially since actual age wasn’t really measured most of the time so I would’ve been 9-14
@@abd_md bold of you to misconstrue what I said and ignore the + in the 14. Japan for instance has the sexual consent age at 13 and obviously the + means that the range did not stop at 14. Some cultures saw you as adult when you take a right of passage, some when your facial hair began to grow ( and we know how diverse that age bracket is). So me others saw bleeding to down there to be at cusp of adulthood. You must also remember or learn that people did not live as long as we did back then ( specially if you don’t have the resources to keep healthy or healed). And like I said, times were tough so proving you can pull your weight was a good sign of entering adulthood.
@@Amadeo790 + means above the age of 14 also I’m agreeing with you. I just pointed out that it’s not exclusive to japan and it’s a global thing. I also said it could be even younger. Regardless puberty is usually adulthood back then. Most rituals or rites are performed after puberty anyways and facial hair is a product of puberty sooo we agree???
@@abd_md ah yes we agree. Sorry if I seemed antagonistic Lol.
@@Amadeo790 np
On the "My Girl!" or "My Boy!" thing from Laventon, I just kinda took that as him being like... olde timey British. All, "Well, yes, my dear boy, of course Pikachu will zap you if you squeeze its cheeks too hard!" or whatever. Throw on an Old British Professor accent and say that. It makes soooo much sense.
Which is *so weird*, since the game aesthetic is extremely Japanese, and the English region was from Sword and Shield, not Sinnoh? It feels like the localization team got in a UK rhythm and wasn't able to disengage before this game.
It's a tangent but it really bugs me.
@@JoshTheValiant agreed, but I just kinda rolled with it, since Galaxy Team was supposed to be from a different region. Doesn't quite square, since so many of their names are Japanese, but still.
@@JoshTheValiant not really that weird, since the parallel of PLA irl is probably mid 1800s Hokkaido. During that time, Japan has opened up its borders after 2 centuries or so of isolation. So not really odd to have foreigners that would like to study the region. Oh and if you pick other languages besides English in game, Laventon will sometimes speak to you in English.
@@JoshTheValiant Laventon is from Galar I think, there are some lines of dialogue hinting at that.
@@JoshTheValiant isn’t he from Galar, the region based on English…
Delcatty is the best cat Pokemon, and you can't change my mind. (edit: Sprigatito is a TREASURE and should be PROTECTED and SHOWERED WITH LOVE)
* Immediately becomes a member on patreon *
Trubbish
I love it's ability Normalize. I run it on a Balanced Hackmons team with a fast Ghost type like Dragapult or Mega-Gengar and Entrainment to give it to other Pokemon.
i like torracat the best
Snubbull is the cutest in-universe
Can I just say about Laventon, the my child thing I took as a more parental approach since you don't have ANYBODY in the region that knows you (and he knows that too), and he did always vouch and side with you whenever he could. I'd also associate the danger as an "uncontrollable workplace hazard" if laventon could make things not dangerous he would, but he's a professor for an expedition to a new wild region. Also Also, he IS technically always out in the field with you to and always walks back with you, which shows he does spend a lot of time with our player character too. (I really enjoyed the video btw, I just think Laventon passed the vibe check! So thanks for putting him in S Teir. Also I am a Sycamore Simp, so I'd put him in S teir out of bias, same goes for Kukui lmao)
Hey, no judgment here, friend 😅
@@zoe_bee love your stuff! Keep it up!
I second this comment as I’m a Laventon apologist
The S in S-tier stands for Sycamore.
“When you meet a literal child who falls out of the sky you don’t immediately call them my child!”
Are we gonna talk about Toriel then….?
exactly my thoughts
Yeah, it's almost like parental instincts aren't a thing.
@@Nakia11798 good point
nutdealer 2?
Goat Momma!!!
A flaw in the criteria.
Not all professors teach, IRL, currently, this is rarely the case; in past history, most professors (or similar kinds) purely researched & rarely had students unless they chose to teach what they know.
Di Vinci for example was a researcher, he strived to learn a lot. He however, rarely taught and prefered solitude, research, and designing.
It seems most of the pokemon professors are research professors and if they are educators we only see one of their primary teaching space which its self may only be secondary space.
Kukui strikes me as a good teacher - as in, like, middle schoolish level - but not at university level. He seems like he'd be great at making young kids excited to learn and connecting with them on their level, but maybe less so at getting across complex undergrad level material.
I mean... Thats what he does.
He teaches the player character or ash and similar aged friends in the anime.
He doesn't even have assistants while for Example Burnet is more pf a researcher that operates full-time in the Lab
I think Kukui would do just fine teaching at higher levels. The protagonists are always middle schoolers, so that’s how he adapts. His wife is doing wormhole research and he keeps up with her just fine, it’s just not where he chooses to focus his efforts-he’s far more interested in giving younger generations a solid foundation, studying battling from both a theoretical and sociological perspective, as well as his own Dream of elevating Alola in the eyes of other regions (ie, pushing back against the neo colonialism seen with the tourism.)
Just wanna point out the Japanese word for Professor is the same as the word for Doctor, Scientist, Researcher, or any particularly respected expert on a subject. Most of the Pokémon professors are somewhere between with a definite bent towards research
Heck, in Japanese all the "Professors" have the title Doctor, with only one exception: Professor Hastings, from the Pokemon Ranger series, is a Professor even in Japanese.
@@wavewatcher_ partially, yeah, but it still has entertainment value, like "aunt/uncle tier list for league of legends characters" or similar
Yeah, this detail was kind of bugging me while watching the video. It's still a fun video, but it was a bit frustrating to have the characters judged on things like teaching experience and classroom set-ups when they're never really claimed to be teaching professors.
She gets to talk about Pokémon and she’s absolutely glowing. Look at that enthusiasm!
In defense of Laventon: Aa far as I can tell, he's the one who ACTUALLY does his research in the Pokedex. If you read the entries, it's clear he observes the pokemon and writes the entities himself. We can tell because it's easy to spot how he speaks and writes, as it's very proper. Hes always adding in bits like "I suspect" and "I believe that", in the entry for raichu, he even spekasnif his home region. So I would say A tier as he does his research and doesnt have an automatic computer to fill anything out for him.
My favorite entries are the Porygon line. He seems confused by Porygon, and calls it a "bizarre anomaly". He is then more confused by Porygon 2, calling its biology "inscrutable". By Porygon Z he states his concern. He clearly doenst know what is going on, and as a researcher, it worries him. I like that the entire are his own. I feel like you didnt really pay attention to the DeX entries in legends because why would you. But his intelligence really shines in them. You should read them over
I'd cut Laventon a bit of slack. It's hundreds of years in the past and his speech patterns come off as normal for his time period. Since it's times where education is tough due to lack of technology, he does his best with what he has. Not to mention his contributions of creating the first Pokedex which was crucial to modern Pokémon education.
Sonia also help Hop figures out he wants to be a professor too (just like Juniper did), so while she's young, she's already inspiring others.
Kukui being the professor you take for an easy A is a good take I'm glad to hear.
One thing I didn’t like about the Pokémon professors (until Laventon) is that they say they are Professors, when they act more like researchers, so I love the idea of trying to see how well they would do as actually professors.
I believe the reason why they don't act like professors is because in the original Japanese games/anime they're called as 博士(hakase), which translates just as a person with rich knowledge of a specific field. So they're actually not supposed to teach anything.
@@HA-pu6ce I assumed it was something like that. Thanks for the translation!
Professors *do* research though. All of. My professors at university had laboratories and did experiments and published papers
@@FiveOClockTea To be clear with what I meant, it never felt like the Professors were teaching. It always felt as though they were using us to help with research rather than attempting to teach us about Pokemon.
@@periodicgaming5159 I guess I könnte what you mean, but I always felt like it was a research project where you do research yourself and just go to the professor to present your work out maybe ask a question 😅
Some extra comments:
Rowan is gruff and strict, but he's also frequently described as cool by other kids - Barry (the rival from DPPt) has nothing but praise for him the second he talks to the man for more than 2 seconds. He also remarks that, even after 60 years, the thrill he gets from travelling with Pokemon is fresh and he wants to foster that in you. He's the professor who looks scary but will tell you stories about that time he went to a protest and bricked someone's window. (He also teaches you the premise and controls in the intro, if you need it)
Juniper at least has some teaching experience - in the 2 years between BW and B2W2, she took on Bianca as an assistant to mould her into a Professor, and Bianca perform the job admirably, even heading out to far-off Aspertia City to deliver Trainers their first Pokemon. Juniper also goes and explains what she wants you to do to your mother personally, and delivers Pokemon directly to your house, so she clearly cares about feedback to students and parents alike.
Sycamore should be lower - he's clearly trusting but a terrible judge of character, and tends to put faith in people because he knows them well more than because they're actually doing good research - he hasn't been keeping track of Alain's wellbeing very well, gives you incredibly powerful artefacts that you don't know how to use before you've really proven yourself, and his best friend is an elitist eugenicist terrorist who isn't really that subtle about it. He's not even the best teacher in the region in his specialty subject (Mega Evolution is better explained to you by Gurkinn). Sycamore is the Easy A professor, like Slughorn in Harry Potter - great connections, not great as an educator.
Kukui should be S Tier. You are approached by a kid younger than you on Route 1 when Kukui takes you to Iki Town, and the kid reveals that Kukui's been tutoring him and he's been putting those lessons into practise. That same kid is a potential challenger to your title as Champion, and he is pretty good! Kukui also keeps best track of your progress, and became a Professor out of love of teaching. Oak has a weekly radio show too, so he should be docked for a part-time job if Kukui is. Burnet's less of a teacher and more of a researcher, but she does teach you a lot about Ultra Wormholes and liminal space.
Magnolia is already kind of retired by SwSh. You get your starter from Leon, and she leaves most of your tutorialising to Sonia. She's the Professor who doesn't teach full-time anymore, but is popular as a guest lecturer.
Laventon has the mixed blessing of being 100-150 years before the others, and clearly has such a respected position because he's the only one with a scientific understanding of Pokemon. He's thorough, but he's a bit cowardly - understandable in a world where Pokemon are still mostly feral and civilisation isn't as safe as it will be. He basically adopts you because he recognises that you have no support, which is kind of a professional oversight, but he also has very few standards to adhere to. His vibe is kind and curious, but he's a little incompetent. Still a D Tier teacher, though - most of how you actually do the business of Pokemoning comes from characters like Rei/Akari, Cyllene, Adaman and Irida.
Given the radio show, I'd put Oak as more of a science communicator than a teacher by the time the games take place. Like a Richard Dawkins-type, minus the part where he's a prick.
I don’t think Laventon should get points docked because of other characters also teaching the player about Pokémon, especially since they teach different aspects of them. Cyllene mostly teaches you on how to procede in the world without dying, Adaman/Irida teach the history and lore of the region and Pokémon, and Akari/Rei are Laventon’s assistant, so likely what they teach you was taught to them BY Laventon.
He’s also very involved with the work he gives you, and has made a list of simple to understand and execute research goals for EVERY SINGLE Pokémon in the region, and then writes every Pokédex entry BY HAND with the data you give him.
Also, if you’re going to dock points from Laventon for taking the player character in, you should take even more points off of Kukui. Laventon procures you your own personal house (really him “taking you in” is better described as him vouching for you and giving you a job so that you don’t get kicked out of the village and left to die). Meanwhile Lilly is staying IN Kukui’s house and as far as I can tell, doesn’t even get the luxury of walls or a door.
Who out of these two professors seems the most responsible when handling the situation of a lost, confused and traumatised child?
Rowan also doesn't take shit from anyone and was ready to throw hands with Team Galactic Grunts until he saw you and thought 'hey, why not let the youngsters deal with this, it'll be good experience for them'
Laventon has to be S tier honestly. He started the work, his work is the basis of all the work that comes after. Obviously the player character does the actual catching, as is the case in all the games, but Laventon clearly writes each entry and does a lot of novel research as basically everything in the original pokedex is his work (well......and a time/space traveling kid and gods.....and thats not a spoiler as its in the intro. But if we ignore how much literal poke god actually did, Laventon is a heavy hitter).
His influence is unparalleled in the canon story. Of course Oak is the original in terms of player experienced time line but in terms of in game history OG its Laventon.
Addiitonally a whole lot of passes have to be given for his time era being so different. Its so far in the past. I know its written by modern people and in a way that all the characters act essentially as modern people but in a distant past looking time (which I always find annoying) but still. I would not judge Aristotle on modern scientific practices for instance.
Professor Laventon is actually pretty good in my opinion. Sure his knowledge is limited, but at the same time it's way ahead of everyone else at the time. He is also very good at seeing his students. He holds your hand before he has had the opportunity to judge your skill, but has full confidence in you when you've proved that you can handle it. He is also one of the most sensible professors. We've seen multiple other professors walk into the snowy regions with nothing to protect them from the cold because they care more about their looks than their health. Laventon on the other hand knows that Sinnoh is a cold unforgiving land and is always prepared with a cozy hat.
I have great respect for Laventon too. This is a professor who balances research and mentoring well. He's the least absent of the teachers, imo; he's always with the player out in the wilds, in a little ol campsite where he himself could very well perish to the elements or monsters; he is nothing but encouraging and positive to the player, and essentially funds the player (so here's a teacher who knows how to incentivize learning and research). He doesnt just say "get out there and fill up the dex", he rewards it and is also out there in the field with you. He eats with his students, and while i know some students might prefer a barrier betwn teacher and students, i never saw Laventon's actions as creepy; rather, the teacher-student barrier doesnt even occur to him - the man is treating the player and rival as his colleagues, and also more importantly but less inferrably, as equals. With Laventon, there's no sense of rank, so to speak, he treats you as a subject matter expert in your field as much as you treat him as an sme in his.
Some more points:
- he has a help bulletin board in his lab. Here's a prof who cares beyond his profession; he even created an avenue for the player to get information on and to assist the local community. Laventon is more than a prof, more than a teacher: he's a good person.
- Laventon is the only prof we've seen thus far in the games where the starter(s) you did not pick are shown to be given free range outside of the pokeballs, and comfily nestled in the lab in their respective spots that he constructed specifically to resemble their natural biomes. This man genuinely loves pokemon in a world that is terrified of them.
Finally, I also assumed in good faith that his calling of the children "child" is moreso Gamefreak trying to create an ancient setting and thus trying to make him sound archaic, but i agree, in a modern-day setting, that would ofc sound cheesy haha!
Also on the "free range" aspect, the pokemon that you, player, have captured but are not keeping on hand, are explicitly put in pastures, and you can see some of them hanging out in the village.
It's a world that treats pokeballs as a mean to transport pokemons, not as something they should be permanently confined to.
I mean, XX century science was more of a "what will try today boys" approach.
A lot of hitting and seeing what sticks.
It fits with a professor cataloguing an unexplored zone ecosistem
One interesting point in the games is that we actually see the results of rowan's mentorship through cynthia, who remarks nostalgically in the hall of fame about how it reminds her of when he first helped her. In many ways I feel like she ended up kind of like him, shes clearly caring and kind, but there's something inherently intimidating about her too. Whats more they both show good results in their given professions while also remaining dedicated to taking the extra time to help those in need
"there's something inherently intimidating about her too."
No kidding... *piano music intensifies*
@@peterbraunschweig2779 her _appearing_ makes the game go "we need boss music"
@@peterbraunschweig2779 Legends Arceus spoilers but
that intimidation via piano is genetic
😭
I will gladly go to bat for Professor Kukui, the BEST professor, both in personality and in teaching. He has thee best classroom (even better than Magnolia): completely open air with desks he freely moves around, a giant slide AND a secret superhero lair underneath. He's not only the ONLY professor who teaches full time, ALONG with being a professional wrestler AND father (even before he has his own kid, he is Ash's father change my mind). He pays attention to the individual needs of all his students and caters lessons around those needs (Lillie especially, who he gently encourages to help her overcome her fear of pokemon). He takes the kids on TONS of field trips and brings in lots of outside instructors like the kahunas to teach the kids Alolan history. He's such a good teacher that he got Ash to the Alola League and was the only mentor who was actually able to coach him into winning a league! Kukui is S tier and I will not stand for this slander of his abilities. Jocks can be smart too!
Since Oak “forgetting” the name of his grandson is part of the game mechanic that allows the player to personalize their experience by naming their rival, I wouldn’t deduct any points.
His personality has changed since the early days too. These days if Ash told him he saw Ho-Oh, he'd probably just tell him some stories about Ho-Oh. The writers just didn't have his personality down yet.
In Let's Go it's established that the "what was his name again?" thing is a joke he tells.
Your comment got liked 60 times.
Prof. Elm also has a wife and child in the games. However it's implied he overworks and rarely is home. Also his research is based on Pokemon Eggs, Baby Pokemon, and breeding. Of which he barely touches on and practically ignores.
Glad to hear my Gen 5 bias is further justified in this tier list. It was fun to see you branch out into other topics, this video is nothing to shake a stick at. I could say more, but I'll leaf it at that, wouldn't want to grow Sycamore puns.
Gen 5 also has Adler in a teacher/mentor role. He doesn't even know how a PC works, but he has a pretty great mentality.
No-
I think Laventon is implied to be from Galar (aka the UK), and the localization went for the somewhat stereotypical "my boy", which with the female protag ends up becoming "my girl" which sounds a lot less innocent, even though that probably was not the intention they had.
Playing through Legends: Arceus, I always saw Laventon more as a colleague than my teacher. Since people know so very little about Pokémon at the time, Laventon is learning along with you and you're just helping, almost like the two of you are in two different departments and are collaborating on research or lesson plans.
One important thing about Kukui that wasn't mentioned: He's responsible for bringing the Pokemon league tournament to Alola and establishing more opportunities for the people there. Kinda like how good teachers and professors bring more opportunities to their schools by obtaining grants. As the player, you get to participate in the first Alolan Pokemon League tournament so you actively get to see the results of Kukui's work.
A thing that matters in regards to Lavington is that he does sort of adopt the player in the first 5 minutes of Legends Arceus. Remember Galatic was going to leave you outside with those murderous monsters until he steps to vouch for the player AND take responsibility if the player makes a mess of things...
They might have forgotten that bit in the story but that isn't relevant.
To me, I envision Laventon saying “my boy” or “my girl” in an endearing way, like “kid” or “my man”. It was probably late 1800s early 1900s in the game so really he would use kinda old-fashioned wording like that. Also played all the way through PLA and let me say this man has a really strong lab/research area and is the combination of Prof Birch and Prof Kukui or Elm. Man’s just a goofy guy who loves Pokémon. Though I completely understand the whole “Pokémon can actually kill you” thing, but other characters emphasize it, and SPOILERS [when you get kicked out of Jubilife, he’s one of the only people who bothers to check on you, and almost cries when he knows you’re safe and unharmed by the time you return].
Wait shit why didn’t I wait till the end of the video oof. Am I taking this too seriously? What
I'd like to point out that every professor has a different topic of expertise. Kukui, for example, studies moves. Makes sense, considering Alola's unique z-moves.
When I played Platinum I always felt like Rowan treated the protagonist and his assistant both as valuable students but also kind of as equals, as fellow researchers
Yeah like grooming them to be the next professers or something one in the field and the other one I the lab
Speaking as a former professional wrestler, you did Kukui mega dirty. Professional wrestling doesn't pay much, if you get paid at all, at the independent level, so working other jobs is essential. He may seem like a mega star, because so many people know his character, but this isn't uncommon at a local independent level. We see that he has to work the two jobs, so we know he isn't actually famous or particularly successful as a wrestler. All that is to say I have been at that level, knew a lot of people at that level, including a legitimate university professor, and I know first hand it is barely an inconvenience to separate wrestling from the other things you have going on in your life. You aren't any less dedicated to one job, because you work a second job.
Does Oak not get points for having his own radio show, thus being able to reach more students?
(The tail whip sound effects you added were perfect)
hi verified
I have little experience with Pokémon Legends: Arceus, so I only know what you describe, but Professor Laventon sounds like the typical ancient historian who just says, "I heard this thing. I will chronicle it," which I find cool and befitting of the setting.
I think Laventon should be an A+ tier because he's the only teacher that we see working, and I would give some forgiving points to his bad things because he lives in 200 years ago
This is technically incorrect, we see Kukui actively teaching people throughout the SuMo anime.
@@Zoroarkarceus123 I'm don't watch the anime so my opinion is purely on the games
@@Veinelso that's fair
Wow, a comment chain that didn’t turn into a flame war… I LOVE IT!!! 😍
Laventon is really interesting to me because of how he immediately wanted to help the player find somewhere to stay and knew they needed a support network, and I think he has all of his blankets on that chair because he immediately moved out of the house just next door to the headquarters in order to give the player somewhere to stay
the vibes I get are very casual father figure in a good way, he just cares a lot about this poor temporally displaced kid, and I think his relationship with Akari/Rei/the npc kid looks very close but also like appropriate yanno?
That's just my headcanons though, I feel like he's the guy who found funding and then stopped really teaching back in his old home so he could pursue field research in Hisui and his pokedex methodology is INCREDIBLE
My god never in a pokemon game have they actually cared about SAMPLE SIZES
Not only sample sizes, but specifically looking for variations. It you only catch one pokemon, the Pokedex only lists one size. But if you catch multiple, the Pokedex updates for a range between the smallest and biggest you've caught.
In addition, for certain pokemon with different form (like Wormadam) Laventon actually has separate Pokedex entries for each form. And if you catch a pokemon that has minor variations (like male and female Pikachu or a shiny) he includes a picture of each variant.
Definitely S Tier!!
The only ranking I disagree with is Laventon. The conditions he's teaching in aren't really his fault, and while I agree he was be a bit too nice, at least its directed towards everyone, so it isn't creepy, in my mind. He also has a great desire to further his research and learn more about this world so he can teach people how to deal with Pokémon and thrive in this dangerous world. I really wouldn't put him above B tier, probably high C tier in my mind, but D tier is a bit too low.
Funny story: I had a professor that could have been the real life Birch. Same type of outfit (minus the coat), hair, sandals and body type. The part where you mentioned "he does most of teaching in the field". That's totally him, though he was also great in a classroom setting.
Birch in real
In real life
I love how the bar for good classrooms are how many chairs there are
Ranking laventon is difficult as its almost a completely different standard. Imagine running Newton or Gibbon through your system. Newton wouldn't have any chairs as he would have thrown them out the window at a noisy passer by. The problem is, is the job of a professor to get people up to speed of current learning, to manage the future assets of research (getting the students to expand the field of knowledge) or to utilise departmental resource, including students, to break new ground themselves. Whichever answer you pick laventon ticks all boxes.
Wait. Is "My child" considered something creepy? I always thought of it as something old people just tend to say to younger people.
Also, Hissui isn't exactly the only region that's ridiculously dangerous. The other regions are almost as bad. The games just don't present it as such, but if you think about it, they're pretty bad.
I think "my girl" just comes across a little creepier than "my boy", so a case of poor nickname equivalation I guess.
Hissui is definitely the most dangerpous place out of all games because people still havn't figure out what to do with Pokémon yet. Sure, the world of Pokémon is always dangerous, but in modern world, that's a bunch of strong trainers near by ready to help you if a wild Ursaring tried to shank you.
@@dragonairdragon6173 yeah exactly in terms of protection in hisui its your dodging skills and your own pokemon because there's really no other trainers around
@@dracos0024 i feel like that’s more of a you issue if you find it creepy at all tbh
@@dragonairdragon6173 The Orre region is a very harsh desert landscape with Pokemon who actively get turned into evil versions of themselves, you know active maliciousness rather than instinctive maliciousness like the Pokemon in Legends Arceus.
I think Laventon calling the player “my girl/boy” is more of a time period thing they tried to do. In the same way someone might say “lad” or “lass.” Laventon is speculated to be Hop and Leon’s ancestor so he may be from Galar if that’s the case. He still gets a low rating for tossing children into the unknown wilds while he sits back and reaps the rewards though. 😅
Eh, that's actually Cyllene who's making them go out. Her whole thong is "go out there and contribute if you want to live in this village".
Laventon passes the vibe check, I feel. He's got real "ditsy goofball" energy while still being studious. Bad for a professor perhaps, but GREAT for a person in general. He's got that energy of a scientist who says "Pushing this button just caused lightning to strike me and stop my heart. Well golly gee, now I gotta see if it does that every time or if it has a bunch of effects and I just got unlucky." So he at least passes the vibe check of being a loveable goofball of a person. As others have said as well, the "my (boy/girl)" thing is just a way of speaking, stereotypically in old Britain. Like it's something Sherlock Holmes would probably say, if that helps. And as others have said, he's clearly the one who wrote every Pokedex entry. But some of those entries can be a bit silly and fun as well. All in all, I'd say he's probably a great person and great researcher but horrible teacher. Like he's probably incredibly smart but just doesn't do a good job of explaining things and often times overthinks and misses the obvious solution.
I feel like you judged the early generation Professors a bit unfairly, using their original game labs back when hardware and memory power limitation was an issue the game makers had to circumvent.
In order to compare them fairly, I would suggest that you looked at Generation 1-4 as they are presented in their latest iteration, Let's Go Eevee/Pikachu, Heart Gold/Soul Silver, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
Also, since you occasionally use the anime as a source I would recommend looking at the latest version of the anime, Journeys, as well. Oak's lab set-up has been considerably improved.
Excellent video though, nonetheless!
Sonia is so relatable outside of the professor aspect. Someone in her early to mid 20s who doesn't know where she is going with her life? I felt like that a lot.
Yes, we need professors that give easy A, as long as the messed up grading system is implemented, as pointed out by another on point video of yours. Espeon and Espurr are incredibly cute as well, just saying...
I think eevee (and its evolutions) read more as foxes than cats.
@@ilovethelegend Espeon as a stand-alone has a LOT of nekomata inspiration, I count it as a cat rather than a fox.
@@LotusHearted I just shove it under "some kind of small carnivoran"
For Laventon, it’s alluded that he’s from Galar. In the real world equivalent of the UK, especially for old timers, “my boy/girl” is a reference to someone younger than them and isn’t creepy in the slightest
Tbh, Laventon is the BEST professor. He wrote all 200 something Pokédex entries, and when we complete all Pokédex entries he even congratulates us in a way, and helped us from falling from the Space Time Destortion. He and the other gender player character (Akari/Rei) during when you were kicked out of the Galaxy Expidition Team they were sad, meaning that they never thought we would die out there. Also him being a nice guy aswell.
Edit: I wanted to add this, Laventon also is learning about pokemon with you, since this is the _First Pokédex_ of the World/Hisui/Sinnoh
in absolute fairness to Laventon, he's clearly meant to be based more on a _Victorian_ idea of a professor? But... by those standards he's also kind of a goofball and not 'serious' enough.
I mean, there's already Cyllene and Kamado. If that place had any more grumpy mentor figures no one would want to go there at all.
@@dracos0024 He’s probably hamming it up to compensate for Not-Professor-Rowan and the LITERAL DEATH CULT waiting to happen.
I feel like not all of these reviews touched on the professors' level of knowledge enough. I got my bachelor's in non-medical biology, which is the closest field to what the Pokémon professors are teaching. There were some courses where it was clear that the prof didn't know all that much about one or more of the course subjects, and they were only teaching it because the curriculum required someone teach those subjects. And let me tell you: No amount of chairs can fix a course like that.
You can be knowledgeable and a bad teacher or ignorant and a good teacher
@@eddie-roo You can be ignorant of a subject and a good teacher in general, but you can't be a good teacher of a subject you know little about. Some of the professors described in my initial comment were great teachers in other (parts of) courses, because they were good teachers in general and in those other (parts of) courses they were teaching subjects they knew and understood a lot about. But in the (parts of) courses where they had to teach subjects they knew little about, they were bad teachers.
Wouldn't some field of zoology be the closest?
@@BJGvideos That was considered a sub-field of non-medical biology, at least at my uni.
@@lasschesteven Huh!
To be fair, the player isn't learning things from Professor Laventon, and we have no idea where he delivers his classes (Possibly in the Galaxy hall I guess). The striking difference in Legend Arceus is that the player is hired by Professor Laventon for helping his survey (catching Pokemon). He literally pays you for each Pokemon you catch, and yeah I would argue the pay should be a lot higher for a survey job on animals and zombie bugs that can kill you... You know what, I kinda agree a professor that is heartless enough to ask Azelf to selfdestruct 40 times isn't really good. You make a point.
Even more than that, you're his co-worker more than his student, as you both work for The Galaxy Team.
We do know that he teaches people in the village about pokemon, because Bueregaurd says that he learned about Evolution from Laventon
Basically, you're a research assistant, and your employer Laventon - actually reading the above comment he is more like your coworker or supervisor, never mind.
Let's consider inflation though. The amount you got paid was probably more reasonable in that time.
Laventon finds you alone with no one else on a beach and decides to unconditionally trust you cause you're good with pokemon. He helps you find your footing in a dangerous world and, while he made you have a dangerous job, it was a job that coincided with one of your other goals and was also one of the only ways to convince the other villagers to accept you when you were still just a strange outcast. He also goes outside the village with you whenever you leave rather than staying in his lab and making you come all the way back. As for the 'My child thing,' I thought him saying 'my boy' to my character was just like that one English phrase than him actually saying 'my child.' I guess 'my girl' is weirder but probably just a clumsy word replacement on Game Freak's part. I feel like if he were in the future where it wasn't essential to endanger himself and others to get his research done, he'd be a pretty great professor.
"Why don't we have any good cat pokemon"
Sprigatito enters the chat
I’ve seen professors moonlight in odd jobs (many entertainment) all through my college career. It hasnkt hurt their ability to teach in the slightest. Kukui is definitely a capable professor.
Yeah, and implying that a professor can't or shouldn't have hobbies they pursue outside of teaching is just... I don't like using the word, but problematic.
@@jackmanleblanc2518 i wouldnt go so far as to say problematic, but literally just her opinion i guess. Maybe as a professor herself, she would see it too tough to do something as strenuous and physically exhausting as wrestling whilst also being a professor (and the champion too i guess?) problematic is too harsh a word
18:01 That's not Professor Kukui! That's the Masked Royal!!
With Cheese?
Were those Tail Whip sound effects when Desmond was waving his tail? Amazing
NGL Professor Laventon is my favorite professor! His lab made me love him even more because he has a place for the starters to comfortably live in, and just feels more lived in.
The most simple criticism is also the most technical one. Professor in Japanese means a lot of things, and professors are historically rarely teachers. In Japan especially, they have a specific term for a teacher: Sensei. Professor means researcher in the context of the pokemon games, and by that context, Laventon is probably the best, because he is a pioneer for all the rest.
Love this video--perfect for the mood I was in today, and the running jokes were good
So glad you liked it! I was worried it was a little TOO silly, haha
Yeah, I think that Kukui probably agrees with what you said about him, which is why he does more research off elsewhere while his wife remains at the university
I was kinda frustrated watching because of the focus on teaching. In most of the world (UK, Europe, Africa, Australia) a "professor" is a distinction given for having the highest levels of scholarly/research achievements. Nothing to do with teaching (oh, and it would be shocking to get appointed professor before you received tenure).
But when I looked it up it seems that in America being a professor just means having a teaching position (I'm guessing only in a higher education context). Further, it also seems that the Japanese universities ranking system is modeled off the US one.
So... I guess I'm wrong.
No, you’re right. In America at least in STEM/environmental biology there’s more of a focus on research and mentoring grad students (which is what the Poke profs do) instead of just a glorified teacher. I think the person who made this video is an English professor (?) which is probably why their focus is weirdly pinpointed on teaching classes of students. (Whereas typically in the context of Pokémon/environmental biology the focus would be much more on research)
(I am a PhD student in the US)
@@Biohazardia thanks for the input! it’s always good to learn more.
Even so I think my initial comment was harsh; ultimately I enjoyed the video.
In the case of Laventon, he's in a time where people are just meeting Pokemon, so there's nobody to real mentor or teach. He's more a researcher and author than an educator.
Birch is SSS tier cause he's not only the best prof. He's also the BEST DAD. I mean, dude sets you up with his daughter, what else would you want?
Or son if play female.
My English teacher is literally Professor Sonia, in terms of both fashion and vibe, which is why she is my favorite teacher :3
-And also why I pay attention in class-
Username checks out.
To be fair, Ho Oh is basically a sky god. Imagine if your student came in and told you that they saw a Thunder Bird
The ranking I didn't know I needed! The chairismatic Professor Birch is subjectively my favourite prof, he's got one whole chair in his lab after all. (Actually I love him for the same reasons you do)
Man, poor Laventon. I would rate him S tier because he's at a time where society if first really forming, but he is a professor in being very dedicated to studying Pokemon and completing the first Dex. He accompanies you on trips, acknowledges his own short comings (he cannot really catch pokemon, but loves to study them) but tries to support you and everyone else on the survey team and guide your efforts. He compiles all the information and obviously is very knowledgeable. He makes the first "masterball" just with limited technology and the help of a skilled crafter in Rei/Akari. He's way more involved in actually trying to discover things and find solutions to problems compared to many other professors, but it might be my bias because I never really watched the anime and only played the games. I could understand the weirdness of Laventon as I initially found it weird that he uses "my child," but recognized it as an old-time English way to refer to a younger person. I think it would track better if he did it only after getting to know you more, but he is also suppose to be your first and primary advocate in a town that doesn't generally trust you so they were making him the quick almost adoptive parent which seems odd to do with a professor with looking through a modern lense.
Professor Laventon is not only from 200 years ago, but from Galar and now in the Hisui/Shinno region. So of course he's gonna come off as weird. And you are "old enough to pull your weight". So he's just probably being polite... and VERY Galarian. (aka Very British). And on sabattical helping out in Hisiu. I'd say he'd be considered very soft and odd by the mesures of his day. Since a proper Galarian Professor might be CANING you or something for screwing up.
Let’s get a part two with other Pokémon professors, teachers and educators, like Lenora, profesor Brunet, Roxanne, Cheren, etc.
Maybe the professors in training like Hop and Bianca as well.
Professor Mirror! He's such a himbo.
Didn't pkmn snap have a professor? Throw him in for laughs too
don’t forget Willow from Pokemon Go
Gary!!
I think part of the lack of chairs in the first 4 gens (especially in kanto, and ESPECIALLY in the very traditionalist johto region. This still applies to hoenn/sinnoh too, but not as much as the first 2 gens) is because theyre probably using short chabudai instead of the taller western-style tables. I dont think the short height of the tables is neccesarily just an artistic choice. A lot of the "tables" have zabuton or tatami around/under them too, which also points to them being chabudai.
I think we can't judge Laventon on the same scale as the rest of the Pokémon Professors. Pokémon Legends Arceus (PLA) acts as deconstruction of the various tropes that make up Pokémon: the region lacks PokéCenters and PokéMarts. The NPCs lac any central understanding of how Pokémon actually work, and, most importantly, the Pokémon are actually dangerous. Hisui's pokémon don't appear, wait for you to throw one of your own pokémon, then begin battling. They will straight up attack any human who gets too close.
In the middle of all this danger and uncertainty, Team Galaxy is trying to set up a town that hopefully won't get attacked in the middle of the night by some alpha pokémon, and, amidst their work, this dude with a camera is like "I'm going to figure out how these creatures work and show they can be partners to humans." He's no formal professor, and his ideas are likely to get anyone not trained or highly skilled with working with these dangerous beasts killed. Yet, he needs actual research to figure out how these creatures behave and interact with their world.
Unlike the other Pokédexes, which just need a trainer to capture a single creature, the Hisuian Dex requires the player character to do actual research. They need to capture multiple creatures, often with specified variances (like size or weight) or specific circumstances (like not being seen beforehand or at a specific time of day), and they need to watch these creatures actually fight, witnessing how these pokémon use their moves and respond to moves they're weak against. In short, Team Galaxy and Laventon need the player character to complete actual research and write up their findings.
Laventon, to me, is like the one scientist a expeditionary force brought with them incase they came across something weird who got lucky when the world's most perfect research assistant literally fell from the sky. He's the archetype of a professor, but we can't judge him on his lacking skills because who could possible expect him to teach?
Since he actually requires effective research methodologies, has a fairly effective space for the two (maybe only 1) students he's been assigned to teach, and didn't even receive training in how to teach, I'd place him much higher up in the tier list.
16:19 "I recognise that his teaching style IS based" - Zoe
Kukui being the professor, wrestler, champion, etc. in just the time the player does their thing is kinda insane. He also orangized Alola's entire pokemon leauge and system.
To give Kukui some credit, he specializes in studying pokemon attacks. His pro wrestling doubles as his actual research.
From the issues with grading as a concept to why I shouldn't necessarily always take the advice of outlook when it makes a suggestion to improve conciseness, I'm learning a lot from this channel.
And this video was just fun. I love the diversity of content.
I love how you were using the who's-the-hottest-pokemon-professor-tierlist-maker to make this tierlist XD
PS: *FOUR* OCTOPUS PLUSHIES?!?!?!?
Shiny Octillery
How I feel the profs would be as PIs/PhD advisors
Oak: very well renowned, but can be disappointing as an advisor. Tells you exactly what he thinks your project should be, not very flexible. Forgetful about anything outside of research
Elm: scatter-brained, very timid, when you go to him for advice he doesn't really say anything helpful. Means well. Hates giving lectures
Birch: loooooves field work, is always trying to sneak in a mandatory camping trip in every course he teaches. But you KNOW all that data he collects just sits on his desk for months and his computer is a mess
Rowan: very strict, all other students are scared of him, but students in his lab appreciate him. If you can make it in his lab, you can make it anywhere. Very old school though, expects you to be in lab 8 am-6 pm everyday
Juniper: definitely the youngest in her department. A mover and a shaker in her field. Loves outreach. Definitely the go-to guest on many podcasts, has a very popular science Twitter/tiktok account
Sycamore: very charismatic, teaches a lot of the intro undergrad lectures. Very popular with young students, his grad students and post docs get frustrated with how unreliable he can be
Kukui: very rough it and tough it. Will always come back from the field with an injury. Maybe made the pokemon universe's equivalence to the Schmidt index. Has a small tight knit lab with dinner at his house on fridays
Magnolia: very old-fashioned, from rowan's generation. Very sparing with her praise but will definitely let you know where she think you need improvement. You think she hates you but secretly she's very proud of you
"Even grumpy old men can be good teachers." Rowan reminds me of a science teacher in high school. Man was always bitching and being a smartass but it jived well with students and he had genuine interest in teaching. He held expectations of each student but didn't look down on them rather just wanted them to rise up to their potential. I still remember more of his teachings then most of my other teachers.
All the things you said about Elm remind me of my undergrad research mentor and I love it! I know he may not be the best prof to have but that's all I ask for- who needs to get my tests returned if the vibes are impeccable.
That's the only type of videos I want to see from now on.
Honestly, if y'all want more Pokemon, I'm always happy to oblige! :)
@@zoe_bee Heck yeah
Yess. There's a lot to be learned here
Desmond is a prime example of the phrase "all orange cats share 1 brain cell" AND HE DOES NOT HAVE IT
Professor Lavington should get more points for his groundbreaking research. He’s 200 years older than everyone else old the list, and appears to have set the standards that they all operate by today. Lavington shouldn’t be judged the same way as modern professors, 200 years ago child endangerment was considered less of an issue.
The Professor Laventon defense squad is uniting the comments and I do declare that I am all for it! Let us give the old boy our support!
We can’t lose with obi wan on our side, especially if we manage to get above them
Kukui is S tier by virtue of being cool alone. And, how many professors do you know that can easily beat you up on command?
Actually, that might not be a bonus, now that I think about it... but he would never actually do that! So bonus points!
I once ran into a professor of mine as he was heading home after working out at the on-campus gym. He could definitely beat me up. But he was also THE BEST teacher!
He prefers to be beaten up by Pokemon.
For science, obviously.
@@shytendeakatamanoir9740 What that Rockruff doin’?
Everybody up in arms about Laventon
Legends Arceus will never be forgotten
In some small level of fairness towards Laventon, he is from the distant past, so his, uh, knack for calling his students “my boy” or “my girl” might be something that was more culturally acceptable during his time. Also, he is probably British, judging by what little we know of his backstory. Neither of which necessarily completely erases the slight creepiness, but both are worth noting.
personally i think Magnolia should've had points deducted for nepotism
Professor Sycamore in the anime has a pretty amazing lab. They don't show it in the game, but in the anime, the lab has a massive greenhouse where students get hands-on learning with pokemon who live in the building. Sycamore also was able to calm down a Garchomp so that's something.
That actually sounds really amazing. I'm a sucker for greenhouses!
And he sacrifices his own well being, I don’t remember if it was for ash or a Pokémon, but that also speaks really well for him