Pokémon/Characters/Professor Rowan

Professor Rowan (ナナカマド博士, Nanakamado-hakase, Professor Nanakamado in original Japanese language versions), is the authority on Pokémon in the fictional Pokémon region of Sinnoh, the setting of the Pokémon video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Professor Rowan's name derives from the rowan tree, similar to the names of other Pokémon professors, such as Professors Oak, Elm and Birch, which similarly derive from the names of other trees.

Rowan's laboratory is located in Sandgem Town. Specializing in the research of Pokémon evolution, Rowan is an expert on the Pokémon of Sinnoh. He gives the player a Pokédex, and allows him or her and the rival to keep one of the three Sinnoh Starter Pokémon (Turtwig, Chimchar and Piplup) each after they are attacked by Starly while searching for a red Gyarados.

Professor Rowan appears in the first episode of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, "Following a Maiden's Voyage!" He meets Dawn and later gives her Piplup.

In the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl games, Rowan starts out as a professor whom introduces the players to the three starter Pokemons consisted of one of the three beginning elements as mentioned above. After that, Rowan becomes like the first three professors from the previous generations who stands in his lab and only waits for the players to talk with him for the purpose of rating their seens and captures in their Pokedex.

Rowan also later meets Professor Oak when the player has seen all 150 of the Pokemon in the Sinnoh region and gives him permission to allow the player to start up with the National Dex.