Norrvalo

Norrvalo is a small, autonomous region of the Pokémon World.

Geography and climate

The Isle of Norrvalo is a small island situated in the icy northern oceans of the Pokémon World, somewhere to the north-northeast of Galar. A combination of ocean currents, geothermal activity and elemental energy confluxes keeps the climate more temperate than one may expect from its latitude – with the areas around the southern coastline typically seeing more rainfall than the drier and colder northern coastline. The coasts themselves are rocky and lined with fjords and sea caves, whereas the inland regions are dominated by a tapestry of boreal forests and rugged tundra, dotted with beautiful glacial lakes and some rather alien-looking volcanic and geothermal hotspots. At the heart of the island lie the snow-capped peaks of Mount Ravuori, greatest of Norrvalo’s mountains and a centerpiece of much local myth and legend.

Biogeography

Being an island, it is inhabited by a relatively small number of Pokémon species, a fair many of which are birds that formed nesting colonies on the island and sea creatures that inhabit the waters surrounding it. As with many other insular habitats, some isolated populations of its resident Pokémon gave rise to new species now endemic to the island, and several other species (most famously herds of Wooloo, but also Bunnelby and Galarian Meowth) were brought in by human settlers and took root there, readily becoming part of the local ecosystem.

People and history

Humans arrived in Norrvalo some thousands of years ago, and the island was independently settled by Galarian explorers from the southwest and seafaring folk from the lands further to the east. At first these groups of settlers had little to no contact with each other, though as time passed and their people began to interact and trade with one another, their formerly disparate cultures blended and integrated, forming a new cultural identity unique to the island, complete with its own creole language. The island’s name itself is a product of this language, meaning “Northern Light”, in honor of the breathtaking auroras that frequently dominate its skies in the long winter months. Increased globalization and the rising prevalence of Pokémon World Common led to the Norrvalo creole to be largely displaced in everyday use, though the language is still taught in schools and regarded with pride as part of the island’s cultural heritage.

Norrvalo has a rich tradition of folklore and legend. Some of these stories can trace their origins to the folklores of the regions out of which the folk of the island originated, some are a synthesis of loosely similar tales that blended together over the years, and others still are wholly new and unique to the island – revolving around the land, its history and its inhabitants, both human and Pokémon – with some embellishments, of course, as one may come to expect. Traditional Norrvaloan music, likewise, evolved from points of overlap between the folk music traditions of the original settlers, often featuring 'call-and-response' sequences between instrument groups of different origins. An overlap of song, dance and storytelling traditions resulted, inevitably, in a tradition of musical theatre as well. In more modern times, Norrvalo had also developed a rather robust rock and metal scene - and several bands from the island (including few who weave elements of traditional Norrvaloan music into their repertoire) of have gained international acclaim as well.

The cuisine of Norrvalo leans less on age-old traditional methods of cookery and more on making the most of available ingredients. Dominant ingredients in the island's cuisine include fish and seafood, lamb, dairy, berries, mushrooms, root vegetables and certain herbs. Soft cheeses along with cured meats and fish (typically smoked or salt-cured and flavored with herbs) are a staple, along with soups and stews that often combine flavors of both sea and forest. Norrvaloan breads are often made of a combination of rye and flours made of a hardy local root vegetable and tend to be on the denser side and slightly sweet. Norrvaloan desserts often involve dairy and berries in some way.

Despite its small size – at a comfortable walking pace, it is quite possible to circumnavigate the entire island within the scope of a month or two – and its rather sparse population, Norrvalo constitutes an independent, autonomous and self-governing region – supported by its rich geothermal and hydroelectric energy industry, tourism, fishing and sea trade. Most of Norrvalo’s population is centered in and around the city of Port Alda, the region’s capital and only major city, and the countryside settlements that emerged on its outskirts and work what few patches of arable land that may be found between the coastline and the forests. The rest of the island’s population is scattered across a few towns and smaller settlements – most of them relatively close to the coast still, as conditions further inland are typically deemed less suited for permanent human habitation – with a few notable exceptions. Despite having no officially-sanctioned Pokémon League of its own, the island nonetheless has a storied history of Pokémon training and adventuring, both on the island itself and in far-off lands.

Locations of note in Norrvalo

Port Alda

Norrvalo’s only major city, Port Alda (named after a word meaning ‘wave’) is the region’s capital and its gateway to the outside world. Aside from being a bustling port city (or at least, as bustling as a city on such a small island can be), Port Alda is also home to the island’s storied educational institution for Pokémon Trainers, Reise Academy.

The Outskirts Villages of Port Alda

The area around Port Alda holds a significant portion of Norrvalo’s arable land, and as such mostly dominated by Small rural villages, farmland and Wooloo grazing pastures. The villages tend to bear the name of vegetation one might find along the coasts of Norrvalo, and include villages such as Seaholly Village, the proximity of which to Port Alda on one side and a patch of forest on the other makes it somewhat of a border between two worlds.

Glasmöntull Town

The second largest settlement in Norrvalo, Glasmöntull Town is situated along the eastern shore of Norrvalo, and is naturally integrated into the ancient forest which dominates the area – indeed, both the forest and the town now bear the same name. It is said that the town was established as an outpost for lumber harvesting and had a different name once - but after violent clashes with the native Pokémon of the forest protecting their home against the encroaching threat nearly razed it to the ground, the locals sought to reach a compromise – and with the help of a wise, ancient Pokémon that served as arbiter and mediator, an accord was eventually struck that allowed the city to thrive and prosper in a sustainable manner, in tune with the forest rather than against it.

Glasmöntull Forest

While sparser woodlands can be found dotting the lowlands of Norrvalo, none of them can hold a candle to this largest and densest of old growth boreal forests that dominates its northeastern side. Beneath the boughs of its verdant canopy (its name, in fact, means “Green Cloak”), Glasmöntull Forest conceals several small lakes and waterfalls, and it serves as a habitat for a great wealth of both plant-life and Pokémon.

There is a spot at the heart of Glasmöntull Forest where the moss-covered remains of an ancient, massive Arbithunder – the very same one that once struck the accord with the humans of what is now Glasmöntull Town – stand, hammer planted firmly in the ground in front of it. A small shrine had been built at the foot of the hammer, and people – and some Pokémon – still leave wreaths of wildflowers there to this day in tribute and memory. Though the Pokémon itself is long since departed - and smaller Pokémon live and nest among the hollows of its shell – the branches atop its hammer still blossom in clusters of pale golden flowers.

Mount Ravouri

Greatest and oldest of Norrvalo’s mountains, Mount Ravouri (“Amber Mountain”) is believed to be the volcano around which the entire island of Norrvalo had first formed, though it had been many, many years since it had last erupted, and its peaks now sport a fairly heavy snow cover. The mountain itself is home to vast systems of caverns formed in a variety of ways, which include resplendent crystal caves that appear to have formed through elemental forces. The mountain had long been a centerpiece of the island’s folklore and mythology, and some still believe that it yet keeps its most wondrous secrets to itself…

Lake Askalinne

A relatively shallow lake formed by volcanic activity to the northeast of Mount Ravouri and surrounded by a patch of wetlands, the lake is infamous for the droves of Swarmidge that emerge from its waters in the summertime, providing a veritable feast for bug-eating Pokémon. It is said that the lake was given its name – loosely translated into "ash pond" – not because of its volcanic origin, but because of the black-and-grey clouds of Swarmidge seeming to blanket it like an ash cloud on such emergences.

Lake Fivrelde

A great, clear-blue lake set between Mount Ravouri and a lesser peak, the gap between which divides its into two ‘wings’, giving it the distinctive butterfly form for which it was named when viewed from above. It is believed to have been formed by both glacial and elemental forces, and it serves as the point of origin for a river or two.

Asphodale Town

A tiny, idyllic town known for its natural beauty and peacefulness, surrounded by vibrant wildflower meadows on the shore of Lake Fivrelde, at the foot of Mount Ravouri, in close proximity to what is perhaps the most well-known (and readily accessible) entrance into the vast cave system that run through its depth. Local folklore has long referred to the area as a gate to the netherworld, and local Ghost-type Pokémon activity certainly seems to have contributed to the myths…

Tevesi Town

Built in close proximity to a cluster of spectacular hot springs, Tevesi Town was established both as a resort town and as a regular place of residence for the staff of the nearby Norrvalo Geothermal Energy Complex.

Norrvalo Geothermal Energy Complex

An array of geothermal energy production facilities that provides a substantial part of Norrvalo’s electricity. While most of the functional facilities are not open to the public, the complex has a visitor center and a small museum dedicated to power generation in the region itself and the machinery, people and Pokémon involved in the process. As with other sites of energy generation, the area tends to attract electric-type Pokémon.

The Crucible

Though a great deal of Norrvalo’s highlands show the signs of volcanic activity past and present, The Crucible is perhaps the most active volcanic zone on the island. It is rather inhospitable to human life, and visitors are few and far between – however, it also serves as an important place of power for the Fire-type Pokémon that make the area their home.

Olmvindur Cliffs

Glaciers have carved deep ravines in these sheer cliffs at the northwestern side of Norrvalo, forming a labyrinthine network of fairly narrow canyons – where the winds blow fiercely (“Olmvindur” means “Furious Wind”) and, in places, rivers still flow. Such conditions provide ideal nesting grounds for Pokémon of the Valts line – and wandering too far off the charted and marked trails is deeply inadvisable, lest one attract unwanted attention from the very same.

Endemic Species and Regional Forms

Norrvalo is home to a relatively small number of endemic species and regional forms, alongside a variety of Pokémon species found elsewhere.

Ndex	MS	Pokémon	Species	Type
#???		Carbright	Ruby Light
#???		Levinome	Wood Sprite
#???		Arbithunder	Striking Tree
#???		Valts	Hatchling
#???		Valkyrlia	Twirling
#???		Valkyroir	Vortex
#???		Vallade	Diving
#???		Swarmidge	Lake Midge
#???		Gnaterminus	Horror Fly
#???		Misdreavus Norrvalo Form	Medium
#???		Mismagius Norrvalo Form	Divination
#???		Psyduck Norrvalo Form	Duck
#???	Mergeyser	Mergeyser	Duck