Wallace

"Artist, and Lover of Water"
Wallace
Species	Human
Hair color	Green
Base	Sootopolis City
Relatives	Older Sister Lisia (niece)
Voiced by	Michael Christopher (2020)
Debut	Pokémon: Ruby/Sapphire Versions

This article is about the Pokémon character, for the Fire Emblem character, see Wallace (Fire Emblem).

Wallace is a Pokémon trainer who originally appeared as the eighth and final Hoenn gym leader who must be battled in Pokémon: Ruby and Sapphire Versions and later in the remakes Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. He also alternately appeared as the Elite Four Champion in Pokémon: Emerald Version. Wallace specializes in Water-type Pokémon.

Background

Wallace was the gym leader of the Sootopolis City gym. He learned under the previous gym leader, Juan. As a descendant of the ancient Sootopolitans and a keeper of their traditions known as a Lorekeeper, Wallace was charged with protecting the Cave of Origin and was one of the only people capable of undoing the seal on the entrance to the Sky Pillar. He was admired throughout Sootopolis for his skills in battle as well as for his looks. He believed in dignity and respect, and he preferred Pokémon of grace. Wallace liked to use his Pokémon to perform aquatic illusions. He even competed in Pokémon Contests for some time and acted as a mentor to his niece Lisia. Once he saw that her talent surpassed his, he felt content focusing on being a gym leader.

He was also close friends with the young champion of Hoenn's Pokémon League, Steven Stone.

Ruby/Sapphire

He first appeared during the crisis in which either Groudon or Kyogre were awakened. He and Steven guided Brendan/May to the Cave of Origin, because the trainer had either the Red or Blue Orb, which was needed to battle and defeat Groudon or Kygore, and natives of Sootopolis were not allowed to enter the cave. After the crisis was averted, Wallace returned to his gym and waited there until Brendan/May challenged and defeated him. He awarded the trainer with the Rain Badge as well as TM 03: Water Pulse (or HM05: Waterfall in Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire). In Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, he proceeded to tell the trainer that many paths were open to them. He directed them on one path, which was to Ever Grande City where they could take on the Elite Four. He also advised them that if they wanted to seek the path of completing the Pokédex, they should seek out Professor Birch and his advanced Pokédex.

Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire

Wallace later played a role in the Delta Episode of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, where Steven eventually asked him to open the path to the Sky Pillar for Brendan/May. Wallace agreed and met with the trainer by the entrance, but before he allowed them to enter, he challenged them to a battle as a trial required by ancient tradition. Brendan/May defeated Wallace once again, and he applauded their performance with poetic descriptions. He himself could not enter a holy place like the Sky Pillar due to it being forbidden for Sootopolitans, so he decided to return to the city to try to think of a contingency plan just in case the worst came to pass. Wallace apologized to the young trainer for leaving the fate of the world in their hands once again and wished them luck.

After the crisis was averted, Steven talked with Wallace about his intentions to travel and see the world, and he expressed his hopes that Wallace would be behind him to lend a hand. Wallace agreed to, as he jokingly put it, "bow to the whims of the pampered heir" and do what he asked of him.

He also entered Pokémon Contest Spectaculars, and Brendan/May could compete against him in a Master Rank contest of the Beauty category. In the aftermath, Lisia attempted to introduce Brendan/May to him, only to realize that they had already met. He remarked that there was an equal beauty in both battling and Pokémon contests, and he told told them that they were both fine trainers with bright futures ahead of them. He also claimed that Lisia's natural talent at Contests outshone his own and caused him to feel better about dedicating himself as a Gym Leader. As for his own future, he mentioned that he was considering giving Contests another try, but he also teased the idea of taking the title of Pokémon League Champion from Brendan/May.

Emerald

Wallace left the gym with Juan in charge to take Steven's place as the champion of the Pokémon League, although he still considered Steven to be superior to him. He still returned to Sootopolis during the crisis of Groudon and Kyogre's battle, due to his duty protecting the Cave of Origin. Brendan/May found Wallace in the Cave of Origin, where he hypothesized that Rayquaza could stop the crisis if they found their way to the Sky Pillar. Wallace went there ahead of Brendan/May and unlocked it, but soon after they arrived, Wallace decided to return to Sootopolis because he had grown worried.

After Groudon and Kyogre's battle ended, Wallace thanked Brendan/May by giving them HM 07: Waterfall. Wallace then returned to the Pokémon League headquarters in Ever Grande City, where he remained until he was challenged by Brendan/May and defeated. He described the trainer as being "infuriatingly" elegant and then led them away to register them as Pokémon League champion.

Black 2/White 2

Wallace appeared in Black and White 2 as a competitor in the Pokémon World Tournament. He took part in the Champions Tournament, implying that he had canonically become a champion.

Pokémon Roster

Wallace uses the following Pokémon in his appearances:

Ruby/Sapphire/Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire

Wallace in Ruby and Sapphire

• Luvdisc
• Whiscash
• Sealeo
• Seaking
• Milotic

For the second battle with Wallace in the Delta Episode of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, he uses his roster from Emerald. He also uses his Milotic for Pokémon Contest Spectaculars.

Emerald

• Wailord
• Tentacruel
• Ludicolo
• Gyarados
• Whiscash
• Milotic

Black 2/White 2

• Milotic
• Sharpedo
• Walrein
• Ludicolo
• Swampert
• Starmie

In Other Pokémon Games

In Pokémon Masters EX, Wallace and his Milotic have been made available as a playable sync pair that can be recruited at random through the game's Sync Pair Scout feature, after being added to the game in April 2020. When fought as an opponent, he has sometimes partnered with other Pokémon such as Sealeo, Ludicolo and Tentacruel. In this appearance, Wallace was known only as a gym leader, while Steven was Hoenn's champion. Prior to being made available, Wallace was featured in the Story Event "The Strongest There Is", in which the player character and Barry tried to learn from Steven and Wallace while they were training together in the mountains. Steven and Wallace's teamwork was on full display, including working together to take down a number of Team Break members. Wallace also appeared in the Story Event "The Star of the Contest", where he took part in a sync pair contest along with Scottie/Bettie, Dawn and Fantina and ultimately lost. For that event, he was shown using a Sealeo instead of Milotic. Wallace was also shown supporting Lisia in the Story Event "Dizzingly Dazzling Battle". During the Solo Event "Hearts United", Steven chose him as his opponent for the Unity Gala, as his way of showing Wallace how much he had learned about Rayquaza from the lore that Wallace had provided. Wallace also acted as an opponent in a one-on-one battle that Selene had to win for her Dartrix to evolve into Decidueye within one of her Sync Pair Stories. The final battle of the Champion Stadium's Hoenn Challenge would also alternate between Steven Stone and Wallace, in reference to Wallce's role as champion in Emerald Version.

Other Appearances

Other Media

• Wallace appeared in several subsequent episodes of the Pokémon anime, though not during the third generation-based series. He did not appear until the Diamond and Pearl series, where he hosted and judged a Pokémon Contest called the Wallace Cup. His background as a gym leader and Hoenn champion was also mentioned.
• Wallace appeared in the Ruby/Sapphire arc of the Pokémon Adventures manga as a supporting character. He is introduced as being very flashy and a professional at Pokémon Contests, which initially attracts Ruby to him and leads to Ruby learning under him. However, Wallace also shows a level of responsibility which causes them to part after Ruby refuses to be responsible. Wallace is shown to have had a relationship in the past with Winona. In flashback it is shown that Wallace had become the Pokémon League champion by defeating Steven Stone, but he gave up the title so that he could succeed Juan as gym leader with the ulterior motive of being closer to Winona. However, their relationship (a parallel to Ruby and Sapphire's), leads to a falling-out with Winona hinting at her feeling suffocated by always having a stronger man around her. Near the end of the arc Steven passes the champion's cloak to him before sacrificing himself, although his death was later undone. Wallace and Winona make a brief appearance in an Emerald chapter, where they attended a wedding on a cruise with Ruby and Sapphire, with Winona confiding in Sapphire about their relationship's problems. He also appeared in the Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire arc, where he was among the Hoenn trainers who came together to help with the meteor crisis.

Trivia

• His English name may be intended to be evocative of the word 'water'. His Japanese name is "Mikuri", which is the Japanese word for a simplestem bur-reed and also connects to Japanese words for "beauty", "water" and possibly "sea".
• Although he only officially becomes champion of the Hoenn League in the Emerald version of canon, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire foreshadow the possibility of him becoming champion, which also matches up with his participation in the Champions Tournament in Black 2/White 2.
• In Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, he mentions having an older sister, who is Lisia's mother. Nothing else is known of her.