Valentine survived his decommissioning in the institute, a large hidden group of scientists who the people called the 'boogeymen' of the common wealth. Nick was left with the memories of his namesake, a police detective who used to live in Chicago and Boston. Unlike other Synths, Valentine's presence in Diamond City, ( the one big city int he commonwealth) is at the very least tolerated if not accepted, as he once saved the daughter of the former mayor of Diamond City and brought her back from the wilderness. Initially concerned only about his own survival, Valentine soon found out that helping others was his true calling, and it took him months before he started charging for his services. His benevolent reputation grew as more residents approach him to assist with private investigations or to locate missing people. Valentine eventually came to terms with who he is, accepted the role his memories played in shaping his own personality, and decided to work as a professional private investigator. He started dressing up like an archetypal "gumshoe", a slang term for a stereotypical private detective who wore street shoes with a thick, soft and quiet rubber sole.