LaRousse City

LaRousse City
ラルース LaRousse
LaRousse City from above.png
Sky view of LaRousse City
Region Hoenn
Debut Destiny Deoxys

LaRousse City (Japanese: ラルース LaRousse) is an animated series-exclusive location in the Hoenn region. It is the setting of Destiny Deoxys. According to promotional maps, LaRousse City is located near Lilycove City.

Deoxys overlooking LaRousse City

It is a technologically advanced city with moving walkways and an enormous presence of Block Bots. All LaRousse residents and visitors receive a special passport, which acts as ID and enables them to shop. The city's main power source seems to be its wind turbines. The most famous attraction is the Battle Tower.

The city is located at the confluence of two rivers in northern Hoenn. The city mainly lies on an island, including the huge park, the Battle Tower, and most of the business districts. On the shores of the river, presumably mainland Hoenn, lies more areas of the city, and presumably other cities such as South City. Access to the island is via monorail, which wraps around the island, and a bridge over the northern part of the island.

In animation

In Destiny Deoxys, a Deoxys awakened after four years and made its way to LaRousse to rescue its friend, who had been taken by Professor Lund for research.

Deoxys unleashed a powerful electromagnetic force field over LaRousse City to stop its search from being disrupted. The electromagnetic power also affected the city’s Block Bots and electricity system, leaving many unable to leave. While Officer Jenny and Professor Lund coordinated a rescue mission, Deoxys was seemingly kidnapping everyone in sight with its army of clones. Among the trapped, Ash, his friends, Rafe, Rebecca, Sid, Audrey and Kathryn, Tory and Yuko realized Deoxys’s intentions and worked together to restore the green Deoxys core.

However the situation became complicated with the arrival of Rayquaza, who was determined to fight the Deoxys to protect its territory. The Deoxys later befriended Rayquaza after rescuing it from the rogue Block Bots, and they soon left LaRousse City to return to their respective homes.

LaRousse City later made cameo appearances in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew and Giratina and the Sky Warrior.

Places of Interest

Battle Tower

Main article: Battle Tower

The Battle Tower is LaRousse City’s most famous attractions. Ash and his friends traveled to LaRousse just so Ash could compete against some tough opponents. He met his match against Sid and Rafe, though the loss was somewhat his impromptu battle partner Tory’s hesitance to battle that cost Ash the match.

Monorail

The monorail is the main entry into LaRousse City. There are three known train stations on the island, one of which is a large building that also includes a shopping mall.

Parkland

LaRousse City has a large array of parks and public facilities on offer. Tory particularly likes hanging out in the city’s greenhouse, which houses some rare plants and where he originally met a Deoxys who only appeared to him as a sprite.

Pokémon Center

Main article: Pokémon Center

Ash, his friends, Rafe, Rebecca, Sid, Audrey and Kathryn all stayed at the local Pokémon Center while in LaRousse City.

Professor Lund’s laboratory

Professor Lund and his research assistant Yuko operate a laboratory, where they studied a green core Deoxys over four years. They experimented with different frequencies and lazers in an attempt to regenerate Deoxys. In Destiny Deoxys, Yuko succeeded and the revitalized Deoxys reunited with its friend.

Gallery

Battle Tower Wind park Greenhouse
LaRousse Battle Tower.png LaRousse City wind park.png LaRousse City greenhouse.png
Shopping mall Monorail station
LaRousse City shopping mall.png LaRousse City monorail station.png

In the TCG

This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring LaRousse City or Pokémon that reside there in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

LaRousse's Pokémon
Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format.
Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Card Type English
Expansion
Rarity # Japanese
Expansion
Rarity #
LaRousse's Plusle Lightning       Movie Commemoration VS Pack: Sky-Splitting Deoxys   004/019
LaRousse's Minun Lightning       Movie Commemoration VS Pack: Sky-Splitting Deoxys   005/019
LaRousse's Munchlax Colorless       Movie Commemoration VS Pack: Sky-Splitting Deoxys   006/019
      PCG-P Promotional cards   020/PCG-P
      PCG-P Promotional cards   025/PCG-P
 


Trivia

  • LaRousse City is the hometown of May's main rival, Drew, as revealed in May, We Harley Drew'd Ya!.
  • This is the second time a movie-made city was based on a real city outside of Japan.
  • LaRousse City was one of the first movie settings to feature a highly-efficient, eco-friendly city. This is now a recurring theme in the Pokémon franchise. It is implied in the seventh movie that the city relies heavily on wind turbines and other alternative energy sources, which create a healthy, non-polluting environment.
  • LaRousse City seems to have its own city symbol, consisting of a circle with a Poké Ball symbol on an A-frame and a base line below.

Origin

LaRousse is based on Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Names

Language Name Origin
Japanese ラルース LaRousse Possibly from the French la rousse (the redhead) and roux (russet) or the Spanish la luz (the light)
English, German,
Italian, Spanish
LaRousse City From its Japanese name.
French Dicoville From dico, an informal term for dictionary (possibly a reference to Éditions Larousse).
Korean 랄스시티 Ralseu City Rough transcription of its Japanese name
Chinese (Mandarin) 拉魯斯市 / 拉鲁斯市 Lālǔsī Shì Transliteration of its Japanese name.


Animated series-exclusive locations in Hoenn
A-B-C IslandsAnthony's GymBaltoy civilization ruinsBanana Slakoth GardenBomba IslandCerosi TownCrossgate TownDonto Island
Foothill TownForbidden ForestForinaGiban IslandIzabe IslandIzabe LakeKirikiri MountainLake MayLaRousse CityMaisie IslandMirage Kingdom
Misty VillageMonsu IslandMountain LighthouseMuscle IslandNorth PetalburgOldale RuinsPokémon Battle Judge Training InstitutePurika City
Rinshin TownRiyado TownRubello TownS.S. St. FlowerShroomish ForestSouth CitySquare TopThe Green LodgeThe GreenhouseTogepi Paradise
Trapinch underground labyrinthValley of SteelVolley TownWailmer IslandWales IslandWazoo Island
Animated series-exclusive location templates
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