TV Special
Description
Professeur Platane, whose full name is Augustine Sycamore, is the Pokémon Professor of the Kalos region and works from his laboratory in Lumiose City. His principal area of research is Mega Evolution, a subject he studies with great dedication, and he obtained a Garchomp specifically to observe the phenomenon from close range. In his youth he studied Pokémon alongside Professor Rowan in the Sinnoh region. He is also an old acquaintance of Lysandre and of his assistants Dexio and Sina, and he is the professor responsible for entrusting the Kalos starter Pokémon to new trainers, including Froakie to Ash, Fennekin to Serena, and Chespin to Clemont.
In personality, Platane is cheerful, warm, and approachable, with a genuine enthusiasm for Pokémon that he readily shares with others. He is generous with his time and knowledge, cares for injured Pokémon, and takes pride in maintaining a polished and orderly appearance. His openness and goodwill can make him trusting, a trait that becomes significant in his friendship with Lysandre, whose later actions take place largely without Platane's awareness.
His central motivation is to understand the mysteries of Mega Evolution, especially the bond between trainer and Pokémon and the profound change that this transformation represents. This ambition indirectly drives much of the surrounding conflict, because Lysandre believes that publishing the secrets of Mega Evolution would lead humanity to misuse that power. To protect both the professor and his research, Lysandre recruits Alain, Platane's former assistant, into his plans without the professor's knowledge.
In Pokémon: Mega Evolution Special III, Platane's role is brief but meaningful. He is shown watching a television report of Alain battling Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Mega Rayquaza in Hoenn, and he is visibly shocked to see his former assistant caught up in such a dangerous confrontation. The scene underlines his ongoing concern for Alain, who had left the laboratory some time earlier to travel and train his Charizard in Mega Evolution.
The most significant relationship in his life is with Alain. Platane mentored Alain as his assistant and helped shape his understanding of Pokémon, and even after Alain departed, the two remain connected; Alain's decision to cooperate with Lysandre is partly motivated by his loyalty to the professor. Platane also maintains a friendship with Lysandre that predates the Team Flare leader's turn toward extremism, and he serves as a supportive figure to Ash and his travelling companions in Kalos. His Garchomp is his constant partner, and he is able to Mega Evolve it using a Key Stone and a Garchompite, making him both a researcher of Mega Evolution and a capable practitioner of it.
Platane does not undergo major personal change within the special itself, where he appears mainly as a concerned observer, but his broader role in the anime shows him growing from a laboratory-based researcher into a trusted mentor. He continues to support Alain from afar, and the bond between them endures beyond the events of the specials.
In personality, Platane is cheerful, warm, and approachable, with a genuine enthusiasm for Pokémon that he readily shares with others. He is generous with his time and knowledge, cares for injured Pokémon, and takes pride in maintaining a polished and orderly appearance. His openness and goodwill can make him trusting, a trait that becomes significant in his friendship with Lysandre, whose later actions take place largely without Platane's awareness.
His central motivation is to understand the mysteries of Mega Evolution, especially the bond between trainer and Pokémon and the profound change that this transformation represents. This ambition indirectly drives much of the surrounding conflict, because Lysandre believes that publishing the secrets of Mega Evolution would lead humanity to misuse that power. To protect both the professor and his research, Lysandre recruits Alain, Platane's former assistant, into his plans without the professor's knowledge.
In Pokémon: Mega Evolution Special III, Platane's role is brief but meaningful. He is shown watching a television report of Alain battling Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Mega Rayquaza in Hoenn, and he is visibly shocked to see his former assistant caught up in such a dangerous confrontation. The scene underlines his ongoing concern for Alain, who had left the laboratory some time earlier to travel and train his Charizard in Mega Evolution.
The most significant relationship in his life is with Alain. Platane mentored Alain as his assistant and helped shape his understanding of Pokémon, and even after Alain departed, the two remain connected; Alain's decision to cooperate with Lysandre is partly motivated by his loyalty to the professor. Platane also maintains a friendship with Lysandre that predates the Team Flare leader's turn toward extremism, and he serves as a supportive figure to Ash and his travelling companions in Kalos. His Garchomp is his constant partner, and he is able to Mega Evolve it using a Key Stone and a Garchompite, making him both a researcher of Mega Evolution and a capable practitioner of it.
Platane does not undergo major personal change within the special itself, where he appears mainly as a concerned observer, but his broader role in the anime shows him growing from a laboratory-based researcher into a trusted mentor. He continues to support Alain from afar, and the bond between them endures beyond the events of the specials.