Professor Cerise is a Pokémon Professor who serves as the director of the Cerise Laboratory, a research facility newly established in Vermilion City in the Kanto region. He is a middle-aged man with glasses and greying hair, and he commutes by car from his family home to the laboratory each day. Originally a student of Professor Oak, Cerise was recognized for his research ability from a young age, and he was eventually authorized by the Pokémon League to provide new trainers with their first partner Pokémon and Pokédex devices. In this role, he offers the Kanto starter Pokémon Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, and he also provides Rotom Phones to serve as Pokédexes.

Cerise's interest in Pokémon began in childhood, when he was inspired by a forest caretaker named Enoki. During that time, he encountered a lost Clefairy being chased by a swarm of Beedrill, and he spent time with the Pokémon before they parted ways. Years later, he witnessed a group of Clefairy performing an evolution ritual near a campsite and reunited with the Clefairy, which had since evolved into a Clefable. This personal history reflects his lifelong curiosity about the ways Pokémon live and his belief that knowing Pokémon is the same as knowing the world.

As a researcher, Cerise is enthusiastic, cheerful, and highly devoted to his work, though he can become flustered and sometimes gets so caught up in explaining Pokémon that he embarrasses his daughter. He has a calm and accepting attitude even toward strange events, such as the unusual phenomena that occasionally occur at his laboratory. His professional capabilities are considerable: he correctly deduces the appearance location of the Legendary Pokémon Lugia, gathers information about Ho-Oh, and manages a large indoor facility called Cerise Park, where the Pokémon caught by Ash and Goh are housed, observed, and analyzed. He is assisted in his work by his research assistants Chrysa and Ren.

Cerise's role in the story centers on establishing the Cerise Laboratory as the base of operations for the series' main duo. After learning that Ash and Goh had encountered Lugia, he is impressed by Ash's way of interacting with Pokémon and Goh's observational skills, and he invites them to become research fellows at his laboratory. Ash and Goh accept, living at the laboratory and traveling across many regions to research Pokémon while keeping their captured Pokémon at Cerise Park. Cerise supports their adventures from a researcher's standpoint, offering guidance, information, and encouragement.

In his family life, Cerise is the husband of Talia and the father of Chloe and Parker. His daughter Chloe calls him Dad, and while she is sometimes embarrassed by his enthusiasm for Pokémon, he remains a supportive parent. He also has a history of encouraging his wife to pursue her dreams; when Talia once considered giving up her ambition of becoming a manga artist, Cerise urged her not to abandon her dream.

Over the course of the series, Cerise's character develops from a primarily academic figure into a mentor and supporter of the younger generation. His personal reunion with the Clefable he knew as a child brings a sense of closure to his long-held fascination with Pokémon, and his encouragement of his family members' dreams highlights a warm, caring side beneath his scholarly demeanor.