As an academic-in-training, what pokemon do you think you would benefit most from befriending in real life and why?

Well, I’ve been asked a couple of times which Pokémon I would most like to have in real life, and my usual answer – Claydol – was chosen at least partially because I think it’d be really handy to have on an archaeological dig.  I think Claydol would still be my first choice, but since you asked, and that’s a bit of a cop-out, let’s pick another one.  Hmm.  How about Xatu?  I pick Xatu solely for her ability to see into the past.  This would almost certainly not work as advertised, and would be far more complicated and fallible than one might hope, even assuming Xatu is able to communicate her visions effectively to humans.  On the other hand, she can see into the past.  It almost doesn’t even matter what conditions there are on that ability; it’s still a totally new perspective from which to derive information about past people and cultures.  As far as I’m concerned, that’s a win, even if it takes decades to figure out a way to ensure the information’s reliability.