The Lake Guardians (Japanese: レイクトリオ, Hepburn: Reiku Torio) is a trio of Legendary Pokémon consisting of Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. They were introduced in Generation IV, and all of them are native to the Sinnoh region.
Members
| Pokédex number | Image | Pokémon | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0480 | 
|
Uxie | Psychic |
| 0481 | 
|
Mesprit | |
| 0482 | 
|
Azelf |
Description
The Lake Guardians had been created by Arceus to protect and embody certain concepts, and later, taught humans these traits. They have the ability to calm the Creation Trio.
Physical appearance
The Lake Guardians are mystical, levitating creatures with a light blue body. Their heads are differently colored, with a red gem on their forehead, and have their eyes aligned to different extents, with Uxie's being completely closed, Mesprit's being partly open, and Azelf's being fully open. Their two tails each have a red gem-like adornment.
In the Pokédex, the Lake Guardians are shown to all weigh 0.7 lbs (0.3 kg) and have an exact height of 1 ft (0.3 m). All three Lake Guardians have the same footprint.
Capabilities
Every Lake Guardian is a pure Psychic type, though it corresponds to their capabilities differently. Uxie represents knowledge, and it can wipe the memories of anyone who sees its eyes; Mesprit represents emotion, and it can drain the emotions of anyone who touches it; Azelf represents willpower or spirit, and it can revoke the willpower of whomever it deems a threat.
All three Lake Guardians have Levitate as their Ability.
Moves
The Lake Guardians all learn moves at levels that are multiples of 7, many of which they learn the same moves. All of three have Mystical Power as their signature move. All members of the Lake Guardians learn Confusion and Rest at level 1, Swift at level 7, Psybeam at 21, Imprison at 28, Extrasensory at 35, Psychic at 49, Future Sight at 63, and their signature move, Mystical Power, at 84.
For their status moves, Uxie has defense-based ones like Amnesia or Memento, Azelf has offense-based moves like Nasty Plot or Explosion, and Mesprit has healing moves like Healing Wish.
Stats
The Lake Guardians all have the same base stat total, but their individual statistics are arranged differently. Uxie is more advantaged with its Defense and Special Defense, Azelf has higher Attack and Special Attack, and Mesprit's stats are more balanced.
Below is a table listing the base stats of each Lake Guardian:
| Pokémon | HP | Attack | Defense | Special Attack | Special Defense | Speed | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uxie | 75 | 75 | 130 | 75 | 130 | 95 | 580 |
| Mesprit | 80 | 105 | 105 | 105 | 105 | 80 | 580 |
| Azelf | 75 | 125 | 70 | 125 | 70 | 115 | 580 |
Etymology
Uxie and Mesprit's names are derived from combining the words of a personal pronoun and a magical creature: Uxie's name combines "you" and "pixie," while Mesprit's name combines "me" and "sprite." Azelf's name also has a magical creature as its suffix, "elf", but it does not appear to have a personal pronoun as a prefix.
Appearances
Core series
Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version and remakes
In Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version and the remakes Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf inhabit a cave in each of the three lakes of Sinnoh. Uxie lives in Acuity Cavern in Lake Acuity, Mesprit lives in Verity Cavern in Lake Verity, and Azelf inhabits Valor Cavern in Lake Valor. The three lakes are arranged in a triangle, at the center of which is Spear Pillar atop Mt. Coronet. This triangular distribution is also shown in the pools of water within each of the caves, showing where the Lake Guardians are located.
At one point, Team Galactic plans an attack on the three lakes to capture the Lake Guardians, so Professor Rowan sends the player, their rival, and Dawn/Lucas to try and stop it. They are unsuccessful, as Saturn sets off a Galactic Bomb in Lake Valor to take Azelf, Mars serves as a diversion to Dawn/Lucas in Lake Verity as other members of Team Galactic steal Mesprit, and Jupiter defeats the rival in a battle at Lake Acuity and steals Uxie.
With the three Lake Guardians in their possession, Team Galactic returns with them to Team Galactic HQ in Veilstone City. Here, the player discovers that Team Galactic boss Cyrus caught the Lake Guardians so that he could use the gemstones in each one's tails to create a Red Chain, allowing him to take control of Dialga in Pokémon Diamond Version or Palkia in Pokémon Pearl Version. Cyrus loses to the player in a battle and departs to Spear Pillar, but the player manages to free the Lake Guardians.
Later, as the player witnesses Cyrus use a Red Chain on Dialga in Pokémon Diamond Version or Palkia in Pokémon Pearl Version to recreate the world, the Lake Guardians arrive and manage to calm the Legendary Pokémon, thwarting Cyrus' schemes. Later, when the player leaves Spear Pillar, they can encounter the Lake Guardians in their respective home lakes. Mesprit, unlike the other two, flees from its cave when encounters before it starts to roam around Sinnoh.
Pokémon Platinum Version
In Pokémon Platinum Version, the Lake Guardians have a similar role as before. However, at Spear Pillar, they do not manage to stop Dialga and Palkia, both of whom Cyrus has with him, since the Lake Guardians can only take on one of them at a time. A silhouette of Giratina suddenly appears unexpectedly and abducts Cyrus into the Distortion World, with a portal to the location opening. The three Lake Guardians enter the Distortion World, followed by the player and Cynthia. The Lake Guardians assist in the Distortion World by moving certain boulders along the way. At the end of the Distortion World, following an encounter with Giratina, the player can enter a portal to Sendoff Spring and venture out to capture the Lake Guardians, like in Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version, with Mesprit still appearing as a roaming Pokémon.
Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2
In Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2, the Lake Guardians are encountered in the Cave of Being. After the player wins a battle against Iris, the Lake Guardians can each be found on their corresponding pools of water, similarly to the Sinnoh games. When encountered, the Lake Guardians each retreat to a location corresponding to their respective natures: Uxie, representing wisdom, appears in Nacrene City, outside the Nacrene Museum, a location of knowledge and research; Mesprit, representing emotion, appears on top of Celestial Tower, where people grieve the deaths of their Pokémon; and Azelf, representing willpower, appears on Route 23, in front of Victory Road, a location which requires determination to complete.
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire
In Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, the Lake Guardians appear in Nameless Cavern, which is accessed by soaring, but the player is also required to have three Pokémon in their party with maximum friendship. The Lake Guardian that appears depends on the time of day: Uxie appears for nearly one hour, from 8:00 p.m. to 8:59 p.m.; Mesprit appears for nearly sixteen hours, from 4:00 a.m. to 7:59 p.m.; and Azelf appears for nearly seven hours, from 9:00 p.m. to 3:59 a.m. Overall, Uxie appears for the shortest time while Mesprit appears the longest.
Spinoffs
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf are tasked with protecting three of the Time Gears. Each of the Lake Guardians are encountered at a different lake, much like in the Sinnoh games: Uxie appears at Fogbound Lake, Mesprit at Underground Lake, and Azelf at Crystal Crossing.
Anime
The spirits of the Lake Guardians each debut in a different episode of Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl. Each of the Lake Guardians present themselves to a different protagonist and form a special bond with them. Mesprit first appears in "Following a Maiden's Voyage!", where it appears before Dawn and her Piplup. Azelf first appears in "Pruning a Passel of Pals!", in which its silhouette appears before Ash briefly as he contemplates the beauty of the lake before disappearing. Uxie first appears in "Uncrushing Defeat!", where Brock sees its silhouette at Lake Acuity.
In "The Needs of the Three!", the Lake Guardians have a major role and make their physical debut. Ash, Dawn, and Brock see all three Lake Guardians in their minds, trying to inform that the Lake Guardians are in danger before being trapped by mysterious shadows from the lake. Ash, Brock, and Dawn wake up and realize that they have all had the same dream about the Lake Guardians. J had been hired by Team Galactic to catch the Lake Guardians, with Azelf being the first to be caught. Mesprit and Uxie awaken and show up to Lake Valor after Azelf had been caught, attempting to rescue it, only to be caught as well. At one point, Saturn reveals that the Lake Guardians observe the Pokémon World through a different dimension through a portal resembling a lake.
With all three Lake Guardians caught, J hands them over to Team Galactic. At the company's headquarters, the Lake Guardians are given red chains to force them to obey Cyrus, experiencing excruciating pain as their power drained. Ash, Dawn, and Brock also feel this pain from their connection with their respective Lake Guardian, and are teleported over Team Galactic's headquarters.
The Lake Guardians also have a major role in "The Battle Finale of Legend!". At Spear Pillar, Cyrus has already started using the Lake Guardians to summon both Dialga and Palkia. The protagonists try to free the three Lake Guardians, but they are unable to communicate to them since the Lake Guardians are put under Cyrus' control through the Red Chains. Charon explains to the protagonists that according to legend, such powers had shaped the Pokémon World, making Pokémon incapable of resistance, and that Cyrus wants to use the powers to create a new world. After a short battle, Ash, Dawn, and Brock free the Lake Guardians their Red Chains, stopping Cyrus from being able to create another world. The Lake Guardians heal Dialga and Palkia's wounds caused by the Red Chains and create a portal that Dialga and Palkia enter, followed by the Lake Guardians themselves.
The Lake Guardians are one of the few Legendary Pokémon to not be featured in any film.
