When Pokémon introduced its fifth generation of games to the world, it brought with it the series’ first female Pokémon Professor, Professor Juniper. While Juniper is a relatively minor addition to Pokémon Black & White, many fans of the game were delighted that a woman was finally playing such an integral role. However, the anime hit that particular goal from its second season with the debut of Professor Ivy of the Orange Islands.
The Orange Islands is an area created specifically for the Pokémon anime, intended to buy some time for the creators of the series while the Gold and Silver games wrap up. Because the anime created this area from the ground up, the creators have more freedom than they usually do in how they portray things, leading to a number of firsts: the first time one of the friends, for example Ash’s companion was replaced, when Brock left the group and Tracey joined. It also revealed the franchise’s first use of regional variant Pokémon with an exclusive appearance for the Orange Islands for Pokémon like Butterfree and Vileplume. More than any of that, however, is the introduction of Professor Ivy, the first female Pokémon professor.
Pokémon’s Orange Islands introduces Professor Ivy
Professor Ivy is introduced as a colleague of Professor Oak, who is quite fond of him and approaches him about a mysterious Poké Ball, known as the GS Ball, that Ash is sent to pick up. When Ash, Misty, and Brock arrive on Valencia Island, they meet Professor Ivy, with whom Brock immediately falls in love. However, things are a bit more serious this time around, as Brock’s knowledge of Pokémon food helps them treat the sick Butterfree, and he quickly gets a position at the same lab. with the professor. Brock will stay with Professor Ivy for the duration of the Orange Islands section, only to rejoin later with the implication that something extremely devastating has happened between the two of them, a fact he has never seen before. explain details.
Professor Ivy . character
Professor Ivy is said to be an expert on regional Pokémon variations in various locations, with a published study of her mentioned by Oak, showing that Pokémon Professors do real research. and publish their results in journals like real scientists. She is also depicted as extremely beautiful, although really only Brock reacts to her in that way, and Oak shows nothing but respect for her. Ivy’s nature is also shown to be rather messy, in contrast to the orderly nature of her work. Cleaning and tidying the room is one of the things Brock has to help, further inverting the scenario away from traditional gender roles. Professor Ivy will also appear in Pokémon the Movie 2000, where she works alongside Professor Oak to keep everyone calm while the legendary bird Pokémon battles it.
While there are now a lot of female Pokémon Professors in the series, including the aforementioned Professor Juniper (whom Ash will eventually meet in Black and White), Professor Ivy is still the first to show up. in any Pokémon. Pokémon media, proving to children around the world that becoming a Pokémon expert is a dream anyone can aspire to.