TV-Series
Description
Professor Samuel Eich is the Pokémon Professor of the Kanto region and one of the most respected researchers in the Pokémon world. He lives in Alabastia, where he runs a laboratory and serves as the starting point for many young trainers. In the anime, he gives new trainers from Alabastia their first Pokémon; his grandson Gary receives a Squirtle, while Ash receives a Pikachu, the only starter left after Ash overslept. He also helped develop the Pokédex and takes care of the Pokémon of trainers from his hometown, receiving any that exceed the usual limit of six, as happens with Ash's Krabby.
As a person, Eich is warm, patient, and slightly absent-minded, with a playful fondness for rhymes and wordplay; he composes Pokémon-themed poems and occasionally appears on radio programs. He is modest about his standing as a leading expert, even though colleagues and trainers alike hold him in high regard. His main motivation is completing the Pokédex and deepening human understanding of Pokémon. Because of his age, he entrusts younger trainers with much of the fieldwork, guiding them with advice and encouragement rather than conducting all the research himself. In his youth he was an accomplished and ambitious trainer who shared a fierce rivalry with Agathe, who later became the Champion of the Kanto Pokémon League.
In the story, Eich acts as a mentor and steady contact for Ash throughout his journey. Ash regularly calls him by video phone for Pokédex updates and guidance, and Eich often keeps Pokémon for him when needed. He also appears in person on several occasions, including a trip to the Einall region alongside Ash and his mother to visit Professor Esche, and a visit to the Decolora Archipelago, where he catches a mischievous Rotom. A special episode shows him confronting an artificial Pokémon threat, during which he relies on his Dragonite. In the fourth Pokémon film, Ash meets Eich as a boy in the past, revealing that his fascination with Pokémon and his dream of creating a complete record of them go back to childhood.
His key relationships are rooted in family and scholarship. He is the grandfather of Gary, a young trainer who begins as a rival to Ash, and of Sarah, a gifted Pokémon breeder. He is the mentor of Professor Lind from Johto, who studied under him and admires him greatly, and he is the cousin of Heinrich Eich, a professor researching regional forms in Alola. With Ash he shares a warm bond of trust, and he cares for the Pokémon left in his laboratory with genuine affection; his close and often comical connection to Ash's Muk becomes a notable trait.
Although he rarely battles anymore, Eich remains highly capable. His knowledge of Pokémon behavior, evolution, and technology makes him a sought-after authority, and he is known to keep a few Pokémon of his own, such as a Dragonite, a Pidgey, and later a Rotom, using them when a situation demands action rather than study.
As a person, Eich is warm, patient, and slightly absent-minded, with a playful fondness for rhymes and wordplay; he composes Pokémon-themed poems and occasionally appears on radio programs. He is modest about his standing as a leading expert, even though colleagues and trainers alike hold him in high regard. His main motivation is completing the Pokédex and deepening human understanding of Pokémon. Because of his age, he entrusts younger trainers with much of the fieldwork, guiding them with advice and encouragement rather than conducting all the research himself. In his youth he was an accomplished and ambitious trainer who shared a fierce rivalry with Agathe, who later became the Champion of the Kanto Pokémon League.
In the story, Eich acts as a mentor and steady contact for Ash throughout his journey. Ash regularly calls him by video phone for Pokédex updates and guidance, and Eich often keeps Pokémon for him when needed. He also appears in person on several occasions, including a trip to the Einall region alongside Ash and his mother to visit Professor Esche, and a visit to the Decolora Archipelago, where he catches a mischievous Rotom. A special episode shows him confronting an artificial Pokémon threat, during which he relies on his Dragonite. In the fourth Pokémon film, Ash meets Eich as a boy in the past, revealing that his fascination with Pokémon and his dream of creating a complete record of them go back to childhood.
His key relationships are rooted in family and scholarship. He is the grandfather of Gary, a young trainer who begins as a rival to Ash, and of Sarah, a gifted Pokémon breeder. He is the mentor of Professor Lind from Johto, who studied under him and admires him greatly, and he is the cousin of Heinrich Eich, a professor researching regional forms in Alola. With Ash he shares a warm bond of trust, and he cares for the Pokémon left in his laboratory with genuine affection; his close and often comical connection to Ash's Muk becomes a notable trait.
Although he rarely battles anymore, Eich remains highly capable. His knowledge of Pokémon behavior, evolution, and technology makes him a sought-after authority, and he is known to keep a few Pokémon of his own, such as a Dragonite, a Pidgey, and later a Rotom, using them when a situation demands action rather than study.