Could Jacq be Considered Scarlet and Violet’s Professor?
Every game comes with its own professor. Usually named after trees, they provide the player with everything they need to start their journey as well as a little reward once you complete the PokéDex (i.e. a certificate and the Shiny Charm). In Scarlet and Violet, players got a bit of a unique take on the professor. That being version exclusive professors in the form of Sada (Scarlet) and Turo (Violet). They play the official role of professor, though due to their research in Area Zero, they aren’t physically there to help you along the way.
However, while they do play a role as the region’s official professor, there is one other character that I feel could fill the role out in a more traditional sense. That being the biology professor, Jacq.
What Criteria am I Following for Professors in the “Traditional Sense”?
For this discussion, I’m following a few traits.
They are involved with the PokéDex. More specifically, they’re the ones behind creating it.
They give you the Shiny Charm upon completing the PokéDex.
They’re area of study involves the gimmick of the region (ex. Mega Evolutions in Gen 6, Baby Pokémon/Breeding in Generation 2, and so on).
Their name is derived from a tree, shrub, or other plant based names. Sada and Turo, as the official professors, are the exceptions to this rule since their names are more a play off of the fact that their area of study and their respective Paradox Pokémon relate to the past (Sada) or future (Turo).
Could Clavell Count Since He Gives the Player Their Starter and Installs the PokéDex?
While cruising through one of the Pokémon subreddits I’m in, I left a comment on a post about unpopular opinions. I left a comment stating how I felt that Jacq was more of a professor for the games than Sada/Turo were. One of the replies I got stated how they could see it as well as Clavell playing more of a role in that regard too since he gives the player the Paldea starter.
To a degree, I can see Clavell playing a sort of professor role, or a professor adjacent role. He may not be as tied to Paradox Pokémon, but he is tied to Sada and Turo as their previous mentor and the director of the academy Arven attends. And while he didn’t create the PokéDex, he is the one who installs it onto your Rotom Phone. He’s also the one who awards the player with the certificate alongside Jacq, who gives you the shiny charm.
So I could see Clavell as a sort of minor professor or assistant professor. Just with the added storyline of investigating Team Star.
Why Jacq Wouldn’t Be/Isn’t the Paldea Professor?
The most likely reason is the fact that Jacq’s role isn’t as major when compared to Sada and Turo. Jacq does play a significant role as the player’s homeroom teacher and the creator of the PokéDex app. However, Sada/Turo are directly tied to both Arven’s story and the final story (The Way Home). His storyline being tied to the classes, briefly in the Teal Mask. As well as him being a challenger in the Academy Ace Tournament and if players invite him to the Blueberry Academy League Room. And while Bulbapedia does confirm that Jacq studied under Clavell around the same time that Sada and Turo would have, what Jacq did isn’t as explored.
All in all, when comparing how big of a role they have Sada/Turo’s is bigger than Jacq’s. So while he may have a lot of qualifications, the story is what most likely hinders his chance at being the official professor for Scarlet and Violet.
Why Jacq Could be Considered Paldea’s Professor
Following the criteria I listed, Jacq could easily fit into the professor category. Though he is the biology teacher, his specialty does relate to Paradox Pokémon. He also develop the PokéDex app and gives you the shiny charm. And while Clavell is the one to give the player a Paldea starter, he would give the player a different, random starter. As for his name, while Jacq is more closely related to the French equivalent of John, his Japanese name is closely related to a plant.
Convergent Evolutions
Convergent Evolutions, or “ecologically similar” Pokémon, are Pokémon that look similar to other Pokémon, but are completely different species. Examples include Toadscoo/Toadscruel, Wiglet/Wigtrio, and Polchageist/Sinistcha. This isn’t to be confused with Regional Form since Regional Forms are just different forms of preexisting Pokemon (ex. Kantonian, Alolan, and Galarian Meowth) that live in a different region. Though I do have a theory that Regional forms could be a subsection of Convergent Pokémon or vice versa because they involve Pokémon that look similar (but that’s just my theory anyways).
According to Bulbapedia, these evolutions are similar to Paradox Pokémon because they look similar to Pokémon they aren’t related to (ex Great Tusk, Iron Tusk, and Donphan). Because of that, it would be reasonable to assume that Jacq would study Paradox Pokémon had he been given the clearance to go to Area Zero. The only reason he doesn’t is because people aren’t allowed into Area Zero and the fact that he is the biology teacher. As well as the fact that it isn’t outright stated whether or not Paradox Pokémon are Convergent Pokémon.
So while it might not be outright stated that his specialization includes Paradox Pokémon, it most likely overlaps with it. And even if Paradox Pokémon weren’t officially included, his specialization could still work as a generation specific gimmick since Convergent Pokémon were introduced in generation nine.
Developing the PokéDex App
Generally speaking, the region’s professor is the one behind the creation of the PokéDex. Up until generation seven, it’s its own piece of tech. From generation seven onward, Rotom inhabited devices would have the PokéDex built inside of it. Whether that be a phone or Rotomi (the Box System in Sword and Shield), how the PokéDex was implemented was changed.
In generation seven, it was a Rotom possessed PokéDex . In generations eight and nine, the PokéDex is built into the Rotom Phones like an app. As such, it’s no longer a separate device. Which means the PokéDex would have to be programmed and implemented into the phones.
All of this to say, while Jacq didn’t create the PokéDex as a device, he did create the PokéDex for the Paldea Region. Making this the second area to qualify Jacq as a professor.
Giving the Player the Shiny Charm
While shiny Pokémon have existed since generation two, the Shiny Charm is a relatively new item. Introduced in generation five, the Shiny Charm increased your chances of encountering a shiny (via wild encounters and breeding) by fifty percent. And ever since, it’s been obtainable once the player completely fills out the PokéDex via the region’s professor.
In the case of Scarlet and Violet, it isn’t Sada/Turo that gives you the Shiny Charm. It’s Jacq. This primarily has to do with the fact that he is the one who developed the PokéDex App. However, there’s also the fact that he is the only character who will ask about it. And since he doesn’t have a set of side quests like the rest of the teachers, filling it out would be his.
And while it’s Clavell who gives the player the certificate for completing the PokéDex, the fact that Jacq, like the previous professors, gives the player the Shiny Charm is another reason why he could be considered as Paldea’s professor.
Giving the Player a Sinnoh Starter Egg
Where Clavell gives the player a Paldea starter, Jacq gives you a random Sinnoh starter as an egg. Once the player has started the Teal Mask and unlocked Kitakami, Jacq can be found right outside of Mossui Town right by the first set of trees on Reveler’s Road. The first time the player talks to him, he’ll greet them and offer to make them a sandwich. He’s there to do fieldwork, but while he has the player there, he figured he’d take a little break.
It’s here that he gives the player an egg. He states how it was given to him, but believes that the Pokemon would be better off with the player. The starter is rando, however, with it being a starter, it is another example of Jacq being a professor.
Zinnia: Jacq’s Plant Based Name
All of the professors are plant themed. Their names are usually based on a tree or shrub (ex. Oak, Sycamore, Burnet, and Juniper). This can be a first name or last name. For instance, Professor Sycamore is Augustine Sycamore, Professor Oak’s full name is Samuel Oak, and Professor Kukui doesn’t have a official last name.
I mention this since characters’ first names in tend to be different in different languages (with some exceptions). A few examples include:
Satoshi is Ash’s name in Japan.
Nemona’s is Nemo, and
Steven Stone, who also happens to have a different first and last name, is Daigo Tsuwabuki.
A few exceptions do exist. For example, Kukui’s name comes from the Hawaiian word for candlenut, and stays the same in every language but French, which uses Euphorbias as his name (which is derived from the genus for spurge and Euphorbiacese, the family that candlenuts fall under). Another example is Sonia, who also keeps her name across the board. According to Bulbapedia, her name may originate one of two flowers, the sandersonia or the parkinsonia. Which works with the plant theme.
That said, it isn’t uncommon for a character’s name (or even Pokémon for that matter) to change when localizing Pokémon outside of Japan. It just has its exceptions. Jacq, however, is not one of them.
Jacq’s Japanese name is Zinnia (not to be confused with Zinnia a.k.a. Higana from Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire’s Delta Episode). Zinnia, for those who may not know, is an annual flower that originates from Mexico and Central America. It’s part of the Asteraceae family which includes flowers like daisies, dahlias, and sunflowers.
As such, Jacq would fit into the plant naming system that the official professors follow. Even if he doesn’t always go by Zinnia when Scarlet and Violet were translated outside of Japan.
Conclusion
While Sada and Tuto are Scarlet and Violet’s defacto professors, there are a number of factors that make Jacq just as qualified to have the title of professor. He created the PokéDex app, specializes in an area introduced in these games, and his Japanese name is derived from a plant. And though he doesn’t give you a Paldea starter, he does give you a Sinnoh starter in The Teal Mask. The only thing holding him back is the fact that he is the designated biology teacher and isn’t as tied to the Miraidon/Koraidon or Arven plot as Sada and Turo.
What do you think? Do you think that Jacq could be considered Paldea’s professor, fully or to an extent? Why or why not? Do you think Clavell could also be considered for the professor role since he gives you the Paldea starter and has a background in research?
