Character from Pokémon Adventures by Hidenori Kusaka & Satoshi Yamamoto
Hoenn's field researcher and Sapphire's father — a hands-on professor who studies Pokémon in the wild rather than the lab, and whose rugged fieldwork style shaped his daughter's feral approach to training.
Professor Birch breaks the mold of the typical bookish researcher. He studies Pokémon habitats in the wild, crashing through underbrush and getting chased by wild Pokémon as part of his research methodology. Sapphire inherited his love of the outdoors and his physical toughness, though she took both far beyond what he expected. He provided the Hoenn starters and Pokédexes to Ruby and Sapphire, and his field knowledge proved invaluable during the Groudon/Kyogre crisis.
Burly man with brown hair and a short beard, wearing sandals, shorts, and a lab coat that's seen better days. Built more like a ranger than an academic. Often found outdoors, covered in dirt.
Also known as: Professor Birch, Prof. Birch