Lake Valor (Japanese: リッシこ Risshi Lake) is a location in the Sinnoh region. Here, Team Galactic's Commander Saturn is battled for the first time. Within the cave in the center of the lake resides the Legendary Pokémon Azelf.
The entrance to Lake Valor is blocked by two Cameramen until the player talks to Professor Rowan at the Canalave Library after earning the Mine Badge.
History
During the events of Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, Team Galactic uses a Galactic Bomb to dry up the lake. The resulting earthquake is felt in Canalave City, located at the opposite side of Sinnoh. While dried-up, what appears to be the remains of a river that flows into the lake is located to the northwest of the lake. When the lake is restored, the remnants of the river disappear and are replaced by trees. While the lake is dried up, the cavern entrance is at the level of the lakebed, but while it is filled, the entrance is at the water level.
After DialgaD/PalkiaP/GiratinaPt has been caught or defeated at Mt. CoronetDP/the Distortion WorldPt, the lake will have been rejuvenated and can be Surfed on.
Items
Pokémon
| Pokémon
|
Games
|
Location
|
Levels
|
Rate
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
35-36
|
20%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
38-39
|
15%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
40-41
|
15%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
34, 36
|
0%
|
0%
|
20%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
34-36
|
25%
|
25%
|
5%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
38, 40
|
35%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
34-36
|
45%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
39, 41
|
35%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
35-36
|
10%
|
| Surfing
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
20-40
|
90%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
20-30
|
90%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
20-40
|
10%
|
| Fishing
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
3-10
|
100%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
3-15
|
100%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
10-25
|
45%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
15-20
|
40%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
25-35
|
5%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
10-25
|
55%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
20-50
|
45%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
30-55
|
45%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
30-55
|
55%
|
| Swarm
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
34, 36
|
40%
|
| Special Pokémon
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
35, 36
|
22%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
38, 40, 41
|
22%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
35
|
8%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
40-41
|
8%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
35
|
8%
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
40-41
|
8%
|
| A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
|
Valor Cavern
| Pokémon
|
Games
|
Location
|
Levels
|
Rate
|
|
|
D
|
P
|
Pt
|
|
Only one
|
|
50
|
One
|
| A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
|
Trainers
Lake Valor proper
| Trainer
|
Pokémon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Trainers with a Vs. Seeker by their names, when alerted for a rematch using the item, may use higher-level Pokémon.
|
Valor Cavern
|
|
Reward: $2960
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lake Valor proper
| Trainer
|
Pokémon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Trainers with a Vs. Seeker by their names, when alerted for a rematch using the item, may use higher-level Pokémon.
|
Valor Cavern
|
|
|
Reward: $3200
|
|
|
|
|
|
Layout
In the anime
In the anime, Lake Valor has a Contest Hall where two important tournaments organized by the Pokémon Activities Committee were held: the Wallace Cup and the Sinnoh Grand Festival. Like in the games, the Hotel Grand Lake and the Seven Stars Restaurant are located nearby. Due to its landmarks and the Pokémon competitions taking place there, Lake Valor is a popular tourist destination. The Pokémon Contest events are also responsible for bringing vendors to the area, with food and merchandise stalls lining up in the large street leading to the stadium. The lake is said to be the home of Azelf, the Legendary Pokémon known as "The Being of Willpower".
Ash and his friends arrived at Lake Valor for the Wallace Cup in A Full Course Tag Battle!. They were soon joined by May, who traveled all the way from Johto to compete for the Aqua Ribbon. Since the competition would not start until the next day, the group decided to visit the Seven Stars Restaurant, where they formed pairs to face off against the owners of the restaurant, Roman and Kylie, in Tag Battles, as it is required for customers to defeat them before sitting down to have a meal.
The Wallace Cup took place between Staging a Heroes' Welcome! and Strategy with a Smile! with Wallace as one of the Contest Judges. Dawn, Ash, May, Zoey, Jessilina, and Kyle were among the several Pokémon Coordinators taking part in the event. The final round pit Dawn against May and the two had a hard-fought match, with Dawn using her Piplup against May's Glaceon. When time ran out, Marian announced that Dawn had won. As a result, she was awarded the prestigious Aqua Ribbon, her second Contest Ribbon overall.
Tourists passing by the food and merch stalls
In Pruning a Passel of Pals!, Ash decided to go for a walk with Pikachu after falling out of bed. At the lake, he briefly saw the silhouette of Azelf hovering over the lake's surface. Ash's encounter with the Willpower Pokémon shares similarities to Dawn's encounter with Mesprit in Following A Maiden's Voyage! and Brock's encounter with Uxie in Uncrushing Defeat!.
In The Needs of the Three!, it was explained that Lake Valor, Lake Verity, and Lake Acuity are the entrances to another world where the lake guardians reside, and the Pokémon do not actually live in the lakes themselves. In order to draw Azelf out from its homeworld, Pokémon Hunter J, having been hired by Team Galactic, dropped the Galactic Bomb at the lake, which created a spatial anomaly that repelled the water and forced Azelf to appear.
After that, J proceeded to capture Azelf, prompting Mesprit and Uxie to appear at the lake. J tried to capture them as well but was challenged by Gary, who was monitoring the lake just as Professor Rowan and Professor Carolina were doing at Lake Verity and Lake Acuity, respectively. However, Gary's Umbreon and Electivire were no match to Saturn's Toxicroak and were quickly defeated. After J successfully captured all three lake guardians and delivered them to Saturn, her airship was struck by Mesprit and Uxie's Future Sight, which the two had used before being captured. This caused J's ship to crash and sink into Lake Valor. Soon after sinking, the ship exploded, leaving the fates of J and her henchmen unknown.
Although Marian announced in Fighting Ire with Fire! that the Sinnoh Grand Festival was going to be held at Lake Valor, Ash and his friends would only get there in Dealing With a Fierce Double Ditto Drama!. The competition began in Last Call — First Round! and was entered by 108 Coordinators who managed to collect five Ribbons from the Sinnoh region. Among them were Dawn and her rivals Zoey, Kenny, Nando, Ursula, and Jessilina. In the final round, which took place in A Grand Fight for Winning!, Dawn found herself against her longtime friend Zoey. After a fierce battle, Zoey emerged victorious, earning the Ribbon Cup and the title of Top Coordinator.
Gallery
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
Lake Valor in Pokémon Adventures
At the end of Bombastic Bibarel & Heroic Hippopotas, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, and Dr. Footstep were thrown to the Lake Valor lakeside by a sandstorm created by a wild Hippowdon. Diamond and Platinum ended up on the shore and while seeking for their comrades, Diamond told Platinum about a mysterious incident that happened to him when he was little at Lake Verity. After this, they encountered two Scientists, who intended to take them away, leading to a battle. Meanwhile, Pearl and Dr. Footstep had ended up on the opposite shore of the lake, but were thrown on an island in the middle of the lake by a wild Staraptor. In the midst of the battle between Diamond and Platinum and the Scientists, a strange light coming from the center of the lake gave Diamond and Platinum a chance to resolve the battle. Pearl and Dr. Footstep swam to the shore and saw the two Scientists tied up. After Diamond explained what had happened, Platinum fainted due to the burden of the battle. In the morning, she woke up, shocked upon noticing they had camped out the previous night, as opposed to her plan of staying at Hotel Grand Lake. After the first shock, she recovered and enjoyed the sunrise.
Later, after Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum decided to split up to stop Team Galactic, Pearl headed to Lake Valor. In Tackling Tangrowth, Team Galactic blew up the lake with a Galactic Bomb in order to awaken and capture the lake guardians. While being dragged into Valor Cavern by Saturn, Pearl revealed that he had seen a reflection of a blue-headed Pokémon on the surface of the puddle in the cavern while being there earlier. After Team Galactic had successfully captured Azelf, the dried-up lake was taken care of by Crasher Wake, who had his Quagsire and Floatzel use Rain Dance in order to refill it.
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure!
The lake makes its first appearance in The Legendary Pokémon, Captured where it was all dried up from the explosion caused by Saturn putting off a Galactic Bomb.
Trivia
- At each of Sinnoh's lakes, a TM can be found containing a powerful move of a different type. Lake Valor's TM is the Electric-type TM25 (Thunder).
- When the bomb is set off here, the blast is powerful enough to be felt in Canalave City on the other side of Sinnoh, but there is no damage to the Magikarp living in the lake or the surrounding area, besides the obvious crater and disappearance of water.
- Lake Valor is the only Sinnoh lake that is not entered from the south.
- The HP Up that can be obtained here is a missable item, which are very rare throughout the core series.
Name origin
Valor means "courage". This is fitting, as Azelf is the Willpower Pokémon.
Risshi is from 立志 risshi, "resolve" or "aspiration".
In other languages
