Ruins of Alph

## Dark Cave

A place where you can find a former adventure.

## Location

Location of Dark Cave in Johto

The Ruins of Alph are located in Johto near Violet City, with entrances to the south of Route 36 and west of Route 32. The ruins are filled with Unown once any of the four slide puzzles inside the chambers have been activated. The name may come from the first four letters of "alphabet," which the Unown inside represent.

If the player listens to the Pokégear radio while near or inside the ruins, they will hear strange noises known as Mysterious Transmission on channel 13.5. The player must be inside one of the chambers, and tuning the radio near the center will broadcast these noises. Some of those noises are actually Ho-Oh's distorted cries, and the melody of the Azure Flute. It also increases the chance of encountering an Unown shape the player has not yet encountered.

## Description

### Outside the ruins

There are several scientists in the area listening and studying the ruins to discover more about them. They say it is more than it seems and that the puzzles in the caves must have something to do with the mystery of the past of the Ruins of Alph.

### Puzzle chambers

Four small chambers in the ruins hold slide puzzles that, when solved, cause the floor below the player to break, dropping the player into the underground hall of the ruins. The puzzles also cause Unown to appear in the underground hall. Each puzzle corresponds to a specific subset of the 26 alphabetic forms of Unown. To unlock all 26 alphabetic forms, all four slide puzzles must be activated. The puzzles can be completed in any order.

The first completed slide puzzle will cause a man to give the player the Unown Report. Once the first seven pages of the report are complete and the 26 alphabetic Unown forms have been caught, the ! and ? forms can be encountered in the entrance room.

Each puzzle chamber has a word on the far wall that is a hint to unlocking a secret room. When the player completes a certain criterion, the secret room opens, revealing several items. Additionally, in these games, completing the slide puzzles reveals part of the history of Unown written on the floor of the underground hall.

#### Upper-right entrance 1

The upper-right entrance 1, near the Route 36 entrance, requires no HMs to access. The far wall reads escape upon inspection. Using an Escape Rope there opens a hidden room. The item is not consumed.

The chamber's puzzle forms an image of Kabuto. Completing this puzzle and falling through to the floor below reveals the following message spelled out on the ground in Unown:

*Our clan engraved words in this place*

#### Lower-right entrance 1

The lower-right entrance 1 requires HM - Surf to cross the pond on the south side of the ruins. The far wall reads light. HM - Flash will open the hidden room.

The chamber's puzzle forms an image of Aerodactyl. Completing this puzzle and falling through to the floor below reveals the following message spelled out on the ground in Unown:

*Our clan created Pokémon statue outside*

#### Upper-left entrance 1

The upper-left entrance 1 is accessible only from the basement of Union Cave, which requires HM - Surf to navigate. The far wall reads Ho Oh. The hidden room will open if Ho-Oh is anywhere in the player's party.

The chamber's puzzle forms an image of Ho-Oh. Completing this puzzle and falling through to the floor below reveals the following message spelled out on the ground in Unown:

*We humans need to walk with them. We leave here for the sake of them*

#### Lower-left entrance 1

The lower-left entrance 1 is accessible only by moving a boulder in the basement of Union Cave, which requires HM - Surf to navigate as well as HM - Strength. The far wall reads water. It will open when the player selects "Use" on a Water Stone from the Bag while facing the wall. This act will not consume the item.

The chamber's puzzle forms an image of Omanyte. Completing this puzzle and falling through to the floor below reveals the following message spelled out on the ground in Unown:

*They possess power to sense with mind and reject outside*

## Trainers

 * Class: Psychic
* Reward: $832
* Rematch: No