Alto Mare

Alto Mare アルトマーレ Altomare
Alto Mare
Region	Johto
Debut	Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias

Alto Mare (Japanese: アルトマーレ Altomare), also known as the City of Water (Japanese: 水の都 City of Water), is an animated series-exclusive location in Johto and the setting of Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias.

In animation

The guardians of Alto Mare

Alto Mare is an isolated island south of Azalea Town. It is accessible via ferries near Cherrygrove City. It is a city of canals; a major mode of transport is by gondola.

The city is guarded by the Legendary Pokémon Latias and Latios, which are both commemorated in the city's Guardian Columns. In the distant past, the pair saved Alto Mare from the evils of a Trainer and their rampaging Pokémon Aerodactyl and Kabutops who sought to flood the city. The city gained its name of Alto Mare, which means "high sea", from this very event.

Many other species of Pokémon can be found in Alto Mare, including Pidgey, Yanma, Murkrow, Quagsire, Chinchou and Remoraid.

The Tour de Alto Mare, a water chariot race, is held annually. Trainers race on floating platforms pulled by their Pokémon. One year, the competition was won by Misty and her Corsola. The year prior, it was won by Ross and his Wailmer. Winners are awarded a glass medallion, depicting Latias and Latios.

Alto Mare briefly reappeared in the opening sequence of Jirachi: Wish Maker, where Latios and Latias were shown flying under one of its bridges.

Alto Mare briefly reappeared in Ash and Latios, when Latios and Latias flew through there after Ash had saved them from a Pokémon hunter.

Places of interest

Alto Mare Museum

The Alto Mare Museum exhibits the Defense Mechanism of Alto Mare (DMA). The Fossils of Pokémon that attacked Alto Mare in the past, Aerodactyl and Kabutops, can also be seen on the museum's floor. Lorenzo and his granddaughter, Bianca, are the caretakers of the museum.

Secret Garden

Main article: Secret Garden

The Secret Garden is where Latias and Latios reside and it is located near the museum. Located in a small pond is the Soul Dew. If removed, it can be used to control the DMA, but this will cause all the water to drain from the city. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the two Eon Pokémon to protect the Soul Dew.

Gallery

Alto Mare Museum	DMA	Gondola workshop
Guardian Columns of Alto Mare	Coastline	Secret Garden

In the TCG

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

Alto Mare'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	#
Alto Mare's Xatu					Theater Limited VS Pack		006/018
Alto Mare's Kabutops					Theater Limited VS Pack		008/018
Alto Mare's Aerodactyl					Theater Limited VS Pack		009/018
Alto Mare's Pidgeotto					Theater Limited VS Pack		010/018
Alto Mare's Latias					Theater Limited VS Pack		011/018
Alto Mare's Latios					Theater Limited VS Pack		012/018
Alto Mare's Latias					10th Movie Commemoration Set
Alto Mare's Latios					10th Movie Commemoration Set
Other related cards
Card	Type	English Expansion	Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion	Rarity	#
Alto Mare Cube	T [TM]				Theater Limited VS Pack		018/018

Trivia

A gate featuring the image of Entei

• Alto Mare is the first movie-made city based on a real city outside Japan.
• The large numbers of Pidgey found in Alto Mare seems to be a reference to the pigeons of Venice.
• A gate in Alto Mare that Team Rocket tries to climb over features an image of Entei.
• Alto Mare contains a lot of Easter eggs, such as a gondola based on Lugia and some (mural) drawings that resemble Pokémon.
• A town similar in appearance to Alto Mare appears in the opening sequence of Hoopa and the Clash of Ages, along with Latios and Latias.

Origin

Alto Mare is based on Venice, Italy. Alto Mare means high sea in Italian.

Names

Language	Name	Origin
Japanese	アルトマーレ Altomare	Italian for "high sea"
Chinese (Mandarin)	奧多馬雷 / 奥多马雷 Àoduōmǎléi	Transliteration of its Japanese name
Thai	อัลโต้มาเร่ Altomare	Transliteration of its Japanese name

Related articles

Animated series-exclusive locations in Johto Alto Mare • Arborville • Battle Park • Big Town • Bloomingvale • Bluefinland • Blue Lagoon • Blue Moon Falls • Blue Point Isle • Bonitaville • Catallia City Charicific Valley • Coastline Gym • Colossal Tree Tribe ruins • Diglett Village • Dragon Holy Land • Eclipse Castle • Eggseter • Florando • Greenfield • Happy Town Ho-Oh Shrine • I.S.S. Raspberry shipwreck • Inland City • Kasado City • Lake Lucid • Lake of Life • Lake Slowpoke • Len Town • Marine Pokémon Laboratory Marion Town • Maroon Town • Megi City • Mount Quena • Ogi City • Ogi Isle • Onix Tunnel • Palm Hills • Palmpona • Pokémon Jujitsu Academy • Pudgy Pidgey Isle Red Rock Isle • Remoraid Mountain • Rikishii Town • Scarlet City • Secret Garden • Silver Rock Isle • Silver Town • Slowpoke Temple • Snowtop Mountain Sunflora Lodge • Transit Town • Way Away Island • Whitestone • Wobbuffet Village • Yellow Rock Isle Animated series-exclusive location templates Kanto • Orange Islands • Johto • Hoenn • Sinnoh • Unova • Decolore Islands • Kalos • Alola • Galar • Paldea • Kitakami • Other

This article is part of both Project Anime and Project Locations, Bulbapedia projects that, together, aim to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon Anime and Locations, respectively.