Professor Elm

Professor Elm (Japanese: ウツギ博士 Dr. Utsugi) is the resident Pokémon Professor of New Bark Town in the Johto region. Saying so himself, Professor Elm studies unusual Pokémon. He also specializes in Pokémon breeding, and is credited with the discovery of Pokémon Eggs. According to Professor Oak, in, Professor Elm "is the best when it comes to the research of Pokémon evolution."

Elm gives one of the three starter Pokémon of Johto—,, and —to , , or so that he or she will have an easier time getting to Mr. Pokémon's house.

In the games
Professor Elm works at his Laboratory in New Bark Town with his aide. He lives in a small house near his laboratory with his wife and son, who wants to grow up to be a Pokémon Professor like his dad. Elm is known for being a little scatterbrained and disorganized when he gets wrapped up with his research; according to his wife, Elm also sometimes forgets to eat when he's caught up in research. He holds Professor Oak in high regards. At the start of Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver. he gives the undefined his or her first starter Pokémon.

After successfully hatching the containing, he gives the player an Everstone.

After obtaining all eight Johto Badges, Elm gives the player a Master Ball; after defeating the Elite Four, he gives the player a ticket to the S.S. Aqua, allowing them to travel to Kanto.

In Generation II
In Gold, Silver, and Crystal, Professor Elm will give out one of these Pokémon to Trainers.

In Generation IV
As in Gold, Silver and Crystal, Elm will give out one of these Pokémon in HeartGold and SoulSilver.

Gold, Silver and Crystal
New Bark Town
 * " ! There you are! I needed to ask you a favor. I have an acquaintance called Mr. Pokémon. He keeps finding weird things and raving about his discoveries. Anyway, I just got an e-mail from him saying that this time it's real. It is intriguing, but we're busy with our Pokémon research. Could you look into it for us? I'll give you a Pokémon for a partner. They're all rare Pokémon that we just found. Go on. Pick one!"
 * " ! There you are! I needed to ask you a favor. I'm conducting new Pokémon research right now. I was wondering if you could help me with it, . You see... I'm writing a paper that I want to present at a conference. But there are some things I don't quite understand yet. So! I'd like you to raise a Pokémon that I recently caught."


 * If No
 * "But... Please, I need your help!"


 * If Yes
 * "Thanks, ! You're a great help! When I announce my findings, I'm sure we'll delve a bit deeper into the many mysteries of Pokémon. You can count on it! Oh, hey! I got an e-mail! .................. Hm... Uh-huh... Okay... Hey, listen. I have an acquaintance called Mr. Pokémon. He keeps finding weird things and raving about his discoveries. Anyway, I just got an e-mail from him saying that this time it's real. It is intriguing, but we're busy with our Pokémon</sc> research... Wait! I know!, can you go in our place? I want you to raise one of the Pokémon</sc> contained in these Balls</sc>. You'll be that Pokémon</sc>'s first partner, ! Go on. Pick one!"


 * If player tries to go away
 * "Wait! Where are you going?"


 * If talked to before choosing Pokémon
 * "If a wild Pokémon</sc> appears, let your Pokémon</sc> battle it!"


 * Player is choosing Cyndaquil
 * "You'll take Cyndaquil</sc>, the fire Pokémon</sc>?"


 * Player is choosing Totodile
 * "Do you want the Totodile</sc>, the water Pokémon</sc>?"


 * Player is choosing Chikorita
 * "So, you like Chikorita</sc>, the grass Pokémon</sc>?"


 * If player answered no when choosing
 * "Think it over carefully. Your partner is important."


 * After player chose Pokémon
 * "I think that's a great Pokémon</sc>, too! Mr. Pokémon</sc> lives near </sc>, the next city. It's almost a direct route to there. If your Pokémon</sc> is hurt, you should heal it with this machine. Oh, here's my phone number. Call me if something comes up." (registers number)
 * "I think that's a great <sc>Pokémon</sc>, too! <sc>Mr. Pokémon</sc> lives a little bit beyond <sc></sc>, the next city over. It's almost a direct route there, so you can't miss it. But just in case, here's my phone number. Call me if anything comes up!" (registers number) "If your <sc>Pokémon</sc> is hurt, you should heal it with this machine. Feel free to use it anytime., I'm counting on you!"


 * If talked to after choosing Pokémon
 * "<sc>Mr. Pokémon</sc> goes everywhere and finds rarities. Too bad they're just rare and not very useful..., I'm counting on you!"
 * "<sc>Mr. Pokémon</sc> goes everywhere and finds rarities. Too bad they're just rare and not very useful..."


 * If talked to after steals Pokémon
 * ", this is terrible... Oh, yes, what was <sc>Mr.Pokémon</sc>'s big discovery?" (player hands over egg) "This? But... Is it a <sc>Pokémon Egg</sc>? If it is, it is a great discovery! What?!?! <sc>Prof.Oak</sc> gave you a <sc>Pokédex</sc>? , is that true? Th-that's incredible! He is superb at seeing the potential of people as Trainers. Wow, . You may have what it takes to become the <sc>Champion</sc>. You seem to be getting on great with <sc>Pokémon</sc> too. You should take the <sc>Pokémon Gym</sc> challenge. The closest <sc>Gym</sc> would be the one in <sc>Violet City</sc>. ... . The road to the championship will be a long one. Before you leave, make sure that you talk to your mom."


 * If talked to again after theft
 * "Don't give up! I'll call if I learn anything about that <sc>Egg</sc>!"


 * If the player travels back to New Bark Town without picking up the Egg
 * " ? Didn't you meet my assistant? He should have met you with the <sc>Egg</sc> at <sc>Violet City</sc>'s <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon Center</sc>. You must have just missed him. Try to catch him there."


 * Before hatching the Egg
 * "Hey, has that <sc>Egg</sc> changed any?"


 * After hatching the Egg
 * ", you look great!" [!] "What? That <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc>!?! The <sc>Egg</sc> hatched! So, <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> are born from <sc>Eggs</sc>... No, perhaps not all <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> are. Wow, there's still a lot of research to be done. Thanks, ! You're helping unravel <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> mysteries for us! I want you to have this as a token of our appreciation."


 * After giving the player an Everstone
 * "That's an <sc>Everstone</sc>. Some species of <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> evolve when they grow to certain levels. A <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> holding an <sc>Everstone</sc> won't evolve. Give it to a <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> you don't want to evolve."


 * If talked to after the previous conversation
 * ", I'll call you if anything comes up."

PokéGear call
 * When going to Mr. Pokémon
 * "Hello, ? Try not to overdo it. Be sure to heal your <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> if they are hurt."


 * After visiting Mr. Pokémon
 * "Hello, ? Did you meet <sc>Mr. <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc>? Great! Come back safely!"


 * After exiting Mr. Pokémon's house (automatic call)
 * "H-hello? ? It's a disaster! Uh, um, it's just terrible! What should I do? It... Oh, no... Please get back here now!"


 * After Silver steals Pokémon
 * " ? I'm very upset now. We had a <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> stolen from here. How could anyone do that?"


 * After handing over Egg
 * "Hello, ? We're checking the <sc>Egg</sc> now. It does appear to be a <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon Egg</sc>."


 * After collecting 1st Badge (automatic call)
 * "Hello, ? We discovered something about the <sc>Egg</sc>! My assistant is at the <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon Center</sc> in <sc>Violet City</sc>. Could you talk to him?"


 * Before collecting the Egg
 * "Hello, ? Did you see my assistant? He's at the <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon Center</sc> in <sc>Violet City</sc>."


 * Before Egg hatches
 * "Hello, ? How's the <sc>Egg</sc>? Has anything changed? If anything happens, please call."


 * After Egg hatches
 * "Hello, ? How is the <sc>Egg</sc>? What? It hatched? Wow! What kind of <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> is it? Please come show me now!"


 * After being shown the Egg:
 * "Hello, ? I just made a new discovery. The time it takes for an <sc>Egg</sc> to hatch depends on the <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc>."


 * After collecting 7th Badge (automatic call)
 * ", how are things going? I called because something weird is happening with the radio broadcasts. They were talking about <sc>Team Rocket</sc>. , do you know anything about it? Maybe <sc>Team Rocket</sc> has returned. No, that just can't be true. Sorry to bug you. Take care!"


 * Pokérus comment (automatic call)
 * "Hello, ? I discovered an odd thing. Apparently there's something called <sc>Pokérus</sc> that infects <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc>. Yes, it's like a virus, so it's called <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>rus</sc>. It multiplies fast and infects other <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> too. But that's all. It doesn't seem to do anything, and it goes away over time. I guess it's nothing to worry about. Bye!"

HeartGold and SoulSilver
New Bark Town
 * "Hi, ! I've been waiting for you! Do you know anything about my research? As you know, Pokémon are carried in Poké Balls these days. But before Poké Ball was invented, people used to walk with Pokémon. Just like your friend Ethan/Lyra does! Poké Balls are great because you can carry many Pokémon. But walking with Pokémon must have some advantages. It could have something to do with how Pokémon grow or evolve... So I'm going to give you a Pokémon! Can you walk beside this Pokémon, outside of its Poké Ball, to see if this brings any special feelings or bonds between Pokémon and people? The device over there has some Pokémon you could choose from..."
 * "Oh, hey! I got an email! ... Hm... Uh-huh... OK... I have this acquaintance that people call Mr. Pokémon. He keeps finding weird things and raving about his discoveries. Anyway, I just got an email from him saying that this time it's real. It's probably another Pokémon Egg, but we're still so busy with our Pokémon research... Wait! I know! You can go in our place, right? Can we count on you? You can choose one of the Pokémon over there."


 * If talked to again
 * "If a wild Pokémon appears, let your Pokémon battle it!"


 * If player tries to go away
 * "Where are you going? The Poké Balls are in that device."


 * At the starter choice screen
 * "Touch a Poké Ball to see what Pokémon is inside!"


 * If player chooses
 * "So, you like <sc>Chikorita</sc>, the Grass-type Pokémon?"


 * If player chooses
 * "You'll take <sc>Cyndaquil</sc>, the Fire-type Pokémon?"


 * If player chooses
 * "Do you want <sc>Totodile</sc>, the Water-type Pokémon?"


 * After choosing starter
 * "How do you like walking with your Pokémon? It's not bad, is it? You can take it all the way to Mr. Pokémon's house. If your Pokémon gets hurt... You should heal it with this machine. It's so easy to use. Just check the PC on my desk! Mr. Pokémon goes everywhere and finds rarities. His house is past Cherrygrove City. Go north a little past Cherrygrove. I'm counting on you, !"


 * When exiting city after receiving Pokégear
 * "Wait one second!"
 * "I almost completely forgot about this... Here, I'll give you my number. (registers number) I'll call you if anything comes up."


 * After Silver steals Pokémon
 * ", this is terrible... Oh, yes, what was Mr.Pokémon's big discovery?" (player hands over egg) "Huh? This is an.. Egg, isn't it? This Egg may be something I've never seen...still it's just an Egg. Mr. Pokémon is always fascinated by Eggs. Well, since he gave it to us, we might as well find out what secret it holds. I'll keep it for a while to find out about the Egg. What?! Professor Oak gave you a Pokédex? , is that true? Th-that's incredible! He is superb at seeing the potential of people as Trainers. Wow, . I knew you were a little different. Things are going to be fun! Your Pokémon seem to really like you, so why don't you...take the Pokémon Gym challenge? If you manage to defeat all the Gym Leaders, you'll eventually challenge the Pokémon League Champion! ...Or not! Ha ha! Becoming the Champion is not at all easy, but you can certainly challenge Violet City's Gym. ... . Challenging the Gyms scattered around will be a long journey. Before you leave, make sure that you talk to your mom."


 * If talked to again after Silver steals Pokémon
 * "Don't give up! I'll call if I learn anything about that Egg!"

Pokégear
 * When on his errand
 * "Hello, ? Try not to overdo it. Be sure to heal your Pokémon if they are hurt."


 * After exiting Mr. Pokémon house (automatic call)
 * "H-hello? ? It's a disaster! Uh, um, it's just terrible! What should I do? It... Oh, no... Please get back here now!"


 * After Silver steals Pokémon
 * "Oh, ... I just stepped away for a second... How could...?"


 * After handing over Egg
 * "Hello, ? We're checking the Egg now. It does appear to be a Pokémon Egg. We'll do a few more tests!"


 * After hatching the Egg
 * "Hey,, this is great news! A Pokémon hatched from that Egg! I knew that giving that Egg to you, , was the right thing to do. I just knew it! You should come here and show me what kind of Pokémon it is!"


 * After beating Team Rocket
 * "Hello, is this ? Just one more Badge to go before you collect all the Johto Badges! Blackthorn's Gym Leader is said to be a pretty powerful Dragon Tamer! <sc>...Click!...</sc>"


 * Calling after defeating Clair
 * "Hello, ? I expect that there are some Pokémon in the Kanto region that I don't know. There are probably also methods of evolution that I'm not familiar with yet. I should use that perspective and discover what I can!"


 * Pokérus comment
 * After obtaining Pokérus for the first time (automatic call)
 * "Hello, ? I discovered an odd thing. Apparently there's something called Pokérus that infects <sc>Pokémon</sc>.Yes, it's like a virus, so it's called <sc>Pokérus</sc>.It multiplies fast and infects other <sc>Pokémon</sc> too. But that's all. It doesn't seem to do anything, and it goes away over time. I guess it's nothing to worry about. Bye!"
 * When called by the player
 * "Hello, ? It seems that <sc>Pokémon</sc> that have been infected with <sc>Pokérus</sc> level up better. We're not quite sure why..."

Pokémon Puzzle Challenge

 * Starting Easy Mode
 * "I've been waiting for you! How's the Challenge going? The more people you take on, the more fun you'll have. Up ahead, you'll battle the infamous Gym Leaders!!! They're expecting you. Good luck!"


 * Starting Normal Mode
 * "Hi! How's the Challenge so far? Opponents on the <sc>Normal</sc> path will be harder than those on the <sc>Easy</sc> path. You'll see trainers other than the Gym Leaders, too. When you beat those trainers... Well... Just wait and see. It will be tough, though."


 * After beating Clair in Normal mode
 * "Hello. This is Prof. Elm. What? You're looking for tougher opponents? Then keep going straight. The rest is up to you. Good luck!"


 * After beating Normal mode
 * "Hello. This is Prof. Elm. Great job! You've really polished your technique. Now it's time for you to take the <sc>Hard</sc> path. Are you mentally prepared? I'm rooting for you!"


 * Starting Hard Mode
 * "Hi there! Are you giving it your all? You must be pretty confident to try the <sc>Hard</sc> path. An enemy even more frightful than the Elite Four awaits. But that makes it more fun. Good luck!"


 * Starting Super Hard Mode
 * "Hi there! You're doing very well. <sc>Super Hard</sc>... is a very difficult level. You could say it's a battle against yourself. I'm sure you can handle it. Stay calm and don't panic. Good luck!


 * After beating Super Hard mode
 * "Hello. This is Prof. Elm. Great job! That's the way to overcome the pressure. I knew you could do it. That was amazing! I'm sure that whatever else may stand in your way, you'll overcome that, too! Actually, there is another level. You'll see how to get to it after the ending. I bet you can't wait."


 * Starting Intense Mode
 * ''"Hi there! You've already come this far? Since <sc>Super Hard</sc> wasn't enough, try the <sc>Intense</sc> path. It's incredibly difficult, so you can Continue as many times as you like, and it won't affect the ending. And even if you lose, you can still use any Pokémon you like, so just try to clear it. Oh! But you don't need any more advice, do you? OK, good luck!


 * After beating Intense mode
 * "Hello! It's Prof. Elm. Great job! That's the way to overcome the pressure. I knew you could do it. That was amazing! I'm sure that whatever else may stand in your way, you'll overcome that, too! And don't forget to thank all those who battled against you!"

In the anime
Elm was the top student of, and often argues with him over their research. He is also well known for his very long and unnecessary speeches. He is also absentminded and has a habit of getting incredibly wrapped up in his research to the point where he is completely oblivious to his surroundings.

,, and first met Professor Elm in the episode Don't Touch That 'dile. After a period of travel, they met up again in Around the Whirlpool while he was studying in the Whirl Islands with Captain Marius, and yet again when Ash returned to New Bark Town in Hatch Me If You Can.

As the head of the Pokémon Preservation Council, Elm asked Ash to deliver an that had been poached from Mt. Silver to him. This hatched into a, which Professor Elm then asked Ash to deliver to its home. When Larvitar was sick, he and Professor Oak along with went to the Pokémon Center to see what was going on.

His most recent appearance was a short cameo in The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon.

Pokémon
This listing is of Professor Elm's known Pokémon in the :

In the Pokémon Adventures manga
In Pokémon Adventures, he was initially to be brought several Pokémon by Joey from Professor Oak, but before that happened, the Totodile that he was studying was stolen, and he was knocked unconscious before he could do anything. Gold then arrived and took Cyndaquil as well to catch the thief.

After Gold first battled with the Masked Man at the Ilex Forest and lost, Elm was able to get a sample of his clothing and found particles on them, but he did not know what they were. Elm then contacted Gold when he was battling the Masked Man for a second time, informing him that the particles on the clothes are the same substance used for Gym Badges, and that the Masked Man must be a Gym Leader. He tells Gold that he should not try to fight him, but Gold simply replies with, "It's too late."

A while beforehand, he decided that Gold was trustworthy enough to try to hatch an Egg for him, saying that it had not moved an inch while it was in the lab. While the Egg did hatch into a, due to Gold's habits of visiting arcades while it was an Egg, it learned how to play dice, pool, and poker, making Elm furious about how Gold had turned it into a delinquent. Little did he know, with Togepi's aggression came Gold's innate talent for bringing the fullest potential of baby Pokémon, allowing it to easily defeat the wild that tried to eat it right before it hatched (and the  that  borrowed from Lance).

Joey stays behind with him to help Elm with chores and research.

Afterwards, both Joey and Elm make a cameo in the, talking with Professor Rowan via videophone.

He is seen in Gold's flashback during the while Professor Oak gives Gold the task of meeting with Lance who has information about Team Rocket and their plan of obtaining.

In the Pokémon Gold and Silver: The Golden Boys manga
Professor Elm first appeared in Let's Go!! The Journey Towards The Championship of Pokémon Gold and Silver: The Golden Boys.

In the Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure manga
Professor Elm appeared in JBA1 and JBA6 of Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure.

In the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga
Professor Elm appears in the Johto saga of Pokémon Pocket Monsters. He recommends and  to Professor Oak as the chosen Trainers to get their first Pokémon. He even introduces them to. Unlike other media, he was not seen giving away the Johto starters to new Trainers yet. In Marill's Special Training to Surpass Pikachu!!, he was seen fighting Professor Oak after a came by and stole some food.

Professor Elm reappears in PMHGSS01 where he is in charge of the Pokéathlon. and has competed with Red in various events that went on. Elm reappears in PMHGSS20 along with the other professors. They were the judge of 's fight with. After their battle, Professor Elm got into a brawl with the other professors that was started by Clefairy. After watching the fight that was recorded, they worked together and fought Clefairy.

On hand
Here is a listing of Professor Elm's Pokémon.

Status unknown
These Pokémon were seen with him but it was not stated whether or not they belong to him.

Artwork
Artwork from the cards:

Cards
This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Professor Elm in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Trivia

 * Professor Elm is the only in the core series that does not welcome the player to the  at the start of the game. Professor Oak takes his place instead.
 * As such, he is also the only Professor without a large in-game sprite, having only the overworld sprite.
 * Professor Elm is also the only Professor to give the player character a starter Pokémon that does not also give them a Pokédex.
 * In the games, one of the townsfolk mentions that Professor Elm is the one who discovered that is an evolved Pokémon ( was only introduced in Generation II).
 * In the anime, Professor Elm is the only core series professor that did not give a starter Pokémon to a main character.

Related articles

 * Images on the Bulbagarden Archives

Professor Lind Profesor Elm Professeur Orme Professor Elm ウツギ博士 空木博士