Professor Juniper

Professor Juniper in Black and White.
Professor Juniper
Real Name	Aurea Juniper
Species	Human
Hair color	Brown
Eye color	Green
Base	Nuvema Town
Relatives	Cedric Juniper (father)
Debut	Pokémon: Black and White Versions

Professor Aurea Juniper is the Pokémon professor native to the Unova region who is featured in Pokémon: Black and White Versions. Her research specializes in the origins of Pokémon.

Background

She was the daughter of the prestigious Professor Cedric Juniper. She wound up following in her father's footsteps and attended college, where she formed a strong friendship with a young scientist named Fennel. After graduation, she wound up inhabiting her father's old lab, although Cedric still stayed there often. The events of Black and White apparently began when the local mothers thought it was time for their children to see the world, and Juniper herself thought they ahd potential. So the professor had a box filled with three starter Pokémon (Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott) sent to the house of Hilbert/Hilda, for that trainer and their two friends Bianca and Cheren to choose between. She then had them come to her lab, where she gave them a Pokédex and Pokéballs, and she also demonstrated how to catch a Pokémon before sending them off.

Professor Juniper kept in touch with the trainers at various points of their journey, often using the Xtransceiver. Shortly after they left on their journey, she contacted them to suggest that they visit Fennel. She also appeared at Victory Island after Hilbert/Hilda took care of the Team Plasma presence there assuming the player took part i the Victini event, and Juniper explained some of Victini's background to the trainer. Professor Juniper later appeared by the gate to Nimbasa City after talking to the gym leader Elesa and called the trainers to meet up with her, although she could not reach Bianca. Hilbert/Hilda and Cheren still showed up, and she gave them some Ultra Balls. Professor Juniper later traveled to the Chargestone Cave at her father's suggestion to investigate the history of Klink, and she was accompanied by Bianca who acted as her bodyguard.

Her research eventually ended with the conclusion that Klink must have suddenly appeared in the cave a hundred years ago due to finding no prior records of their existence. They ran into Hilbert/Hilda throughout the cave, giving the trainer a Lucky Egg at one pont, and towards the end of the cave they had a run-in with N. N questioned Professor Juniper and the way she tried to categorize Pokémon, but she told him that both of their opinions were equally understandable and that all people should choose for themselves how to relate to Pokémon. N soon left, but Professor Juniper hoped he would at least think about what she said and then returned to collect more data with Bianca. Later on, Cedric called her after doing analysis of the Dragonspiral Tower and finding elements which dated back to the same time period as an unidentified stone at Nacrene City's museum. Professor Juniper went to museum and identified it as either the Light Stone in Black or the Dark Stone in White, which Hilbert/Hilda needed for the big battle with N. She then gave an urgent Xtransceiver call to Hilbert/Hilda so that they could come to Nacrene and receive the stone.

She then tried researching how Hilbert/Hilda could revive the legendary Dragon-type Pokémon (Reshiram or Zekrom) from the stone, but she had no luck. Professor Juniper still met up with Hilbert/Hilda outside Opleucid City's gym after they defeated the gym leader there and earned their eighth and final badge. She congratulated Hilbert/Hilda on how much stronger they have gotten since leaving Nuvema Town and let the trainer have a Master Ball. She also showed them the way to Victory Road and asked them if they regretted their journey.

Professor Juniper would also appear at the Desert Resort outside the entrance to the Relic Castle when the player returned there following the defeat of Team Plasma. She explained the Darmanitan that were turned into stone there and gave the trainer a RageCandyBar that could revive one of them. She could also be found in her laboratory throughout the game, where she would analyze the player's Unova Pokédex and give them TMs after they collected certain amounts of Pokémon.

Pokémon Roster

The only Pokémon she is shown to use for battle is a Minccino. She uses it to catch a Patrat as a tutorial early in the game, and the Patrat could then be seen roaming freely in the laboratory.

Other Appearances

Other Media

• In the Pokémon anime, Professor Juniper was introduced in the first episode of the Black and White series, where she drove Ash, Professor Oak and Daisy Ketchum to her laboratory after they arrived in Unova. She gave new trainer Trip a Pokédex and a Snivy as his starter Pokémon, and her Oshawott wound up following Ash. In later episodes, she sent Ash Oshawott's Pokéball, a Badge Case with Bianca and spoke with Ash over her Xtransceiver.

Trivia

• She is named after the juniper tree, continuing the tradition of professors named after trees. The name Aurea seems to come from a butterfly genus.
• Her first name of Aurea was only mentioned in an official strategy guide and only in English editions. This makes her the only regional professor with a canon first name in the games so far (Professor Oak only had a first name in the anime).
• Professor Juniper's design was based on the image of a New York businesswoman.
• She is the first female professor to be featured in the games.
• The original concept for the game's professor when the generation's production began was that of a chubby older man who would have an even older father.