Guest Post by Andrew, ENTJ

Pokémon Anime Franchise

Introverted Thinking (Ti): As one of the foremost researchers into Pokemon, Professor Oak is naturally intrigued with the whys and hows of everything Pokemon-related.  He pours his entire being into finding answers to his questions even in his old age, looking into Pokemon evolutionary theory, behavior, social interactions, and everything else under the sun.  He thinks that individual exploration of logical questions is best; he once broke up an argument about the best training style between Ash and Gary by saying that both boys’ training styles were acceptable; neither one was “wrong,” regardless of the end product.  Professor Oak has also broken rules for Ash; he gave Ash a Pikachu as his first Pokemon when he would normally give out Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle in this capacity; plus, the reason for giving Ash such an unorthodox starter Pokemon was that Ash had arrived at his lab late, after the usual starter Pokemon had been taken.

Extroverted Intuition (Ne): As part of his research, Professor Oak constructs his own theories based on his findings.  He derives great pleasure in doing so, and becomes visibly frustrated when it takes him longer than he expected to come up with a plausible theory.  He can be very spontaneous in his actions when he has a hunch; he once caught a Pidgey on a whim while on the way to a radio interview, thinking that it “might be useful” (he was right).  Professor Oak also has a hobby of composing Pokemon poetry; when confronted with an impostor, he proved that he was the real Professor Oak by composing a poem.

Introverted Sensing (Si): Professor Oak puts a lot of stock in having all of the information.  When advancing a prospective theory, he first checks it against all of the information at his disposal to determine if it makes sense.  When measuring the progress that Ash and Gary made after they both qualified for the Pokemon league, the first thing he does is check their Pokedexes; he wants to see how much data each trainer has gathered about all the Pokemon around them.  Professor Oak also likes to get comfortable in a routine that incorporates chores, research, and other activities when he has the time.

Extroverted Feeling (Fe): When Professor Oak breaks the rules by giving him Pikachu due to his tardiness (see above), he is doing so to spare Ash any hard feelings.  Still, he often inadvertently steps on Ash’s toes whenever he gives an update on Gary’s journey, often deflating Ash’s triumphant mood by doing so.  Though repulsed by the horrible smell of Ash’s very affectionate Muk, he appreciates when Muk gives him attention.  He also took on Tracey as his assistant upon request.