When a {{player}} exits a room, the next will be randomly chosen from a selection of possible rooms. If the player walks out the door through which they entered a room, they will return to the entrance room; from the entrance room, the player can exit to [[Sendoff Spring]]. If the player navigates 30 rooms without finding the third pillar, the next door returns them to the entrance room. [[Escape Rope]]s and {{m|Dig}} cannot be used to escape. The inscription in the pillar at the entrance room reads:
Turnback Cave has four types of room overall. The two fixed points are the entrance room and Giratina's room. The rooms between those points are like a randomized maze, which contains two types of rooms: rooms with only a pillar in the middle and rooms with odd patterns of rocks around the room.
: ''...Past three pillars...to the sleeping... ...before 30 is surpassed...''
In order to reach Giratina, the {{player}} must find three pillar rooms; the room immediately after the third will be Giratina's room. (All doors from Giratina's room return to the entrance room.) If the player passes through a total of 30 rooms before arriving at Giratina's room, the next door will return them to the entrance room (where the count resets). In addition, if the player exits a room through the door by which they entered it, they will also be returned to the entrance room (except from the third pillar room, or the door from the entrance room leading to [[Sendoff Spring]]). Any other door leads completely randomly to another room, even if the game is saved and reloaded. If a saved game is loaded in an intermediate room, the door the player originally entered by will not be remembered (meaning no door will lead to the entrance, unless the room is already number 30). [[Escape Rope]]s and {{m|Dig}} cannot be used to leave Turnback Cave.
After the player has found three pillar rooms, the next room will be Giratina's room. In Pokémon Platinum, Giratina will only be in this room if the player did not catch it in the [[Distortion World]]. If Giratina is not present, there will be an item each time it is reached, with the item depending on the number of rooms the player navigated to reach it: a [[Reaper Cloth]] if they reach it in 3 rooms, a [[Rare Bone]] if they reach it in 4 to 15, and a [[Stardust]] if they reach it in 16 to 30. In {{game|Platinum}}, after catching Giratina, there will also be a portal to the [[Distortion World]], where the player can obtain the [[Griseous Orb]].
Giratina's room contains either Giratina or an item. In {{game|Platinum}}, Giratina will only be present if the player did not catch it in the [[Distortion World]]. Also in Pokémon Platinum, there will be a portal to a section of the Distortion World where the player can find the [[Griseous Orb]]. If Giratina is not present, the item found depends on the number of rooms traversed before reaching Giratina's room: for 3 rooms, a [[Reaper Cloth]]; for 4 to 15, a [[Rare Bone]]; and for 16 to 30, a [[Stardust]].
When the player reaches a pillar and examines it two numbers will appear: the top number indicates which pillar the player is looking at, and the bottom indicates how many rooms the player passed through on the way to it.
In the entrance room, the inscription on a wall reads:
: ''...Past three pillars...to the sleeping... ...before 30 is surpassed...''
In Giratina's room, the inscription on a wall reads:
: ''This is... That where life sparkles... That where life has faded... A place where two worlds overlap...''
The inscription at the base of pillars in pillar rooms between the entrance and Giratina's room has two numbers. The first denotes which pillar room the player is in, while the second denotes how many total rooms the player has traversed (including the current room) since leaving the entrance room.
Turnback Cave (Japanese: 戻りの洞窟Returning Cave) is a maze-like cave filled with dense fog which is home to the Legendary PokémonGiratina. Turnback Cave is located at the north-central region of Sendoff Spring, which itself may only be accessed through the Spring Path.
Turnback Cave has four types of room overall. The two fixed points are the entrance room and Giratina's room. The rooms between those points are like a randomized maze, which contains two types of rooms: rooms with only a pillar in the middle and rooms with odd patterns of rocks around the room.
In order to reach Giratina, the player must find three pillar rooms; the room immediately after the third will be Giratina's room. (All doors from Giratina's room return to the entrance room.) If the player passes through a total of 30 rooms before arriving at Giratina's room, the next door will return them to the entrance room (where the count resets). In addition, if the player exits a room through the door by which they entered it, they will also be returned to the entrance room (except from the third pillar room, or the door from the entrance room leading to Sendoff Spring). Any other door leads completely randomly to another room, even if the game is saved and reloaded. If a saved game is loaded in an intermediate room, the door the player originally entered by will not be remembered (meaning no door will lead to the entrance, unless the room is already number 30). Escape Ropes and Dig cannot be used to leave Turnback Cave.
Giratina's room contains either Giratina or an item. In Pokémon Platinum, Giratina will only be present if the player did not catch it in the Distortion World. Also in Pokémon Platinum, there will be a portal to a section of the Distortion World where the player can find the Griseous Orb. If Giratina is not present, the item found depends on the number of rooms traversed before reaching Giratina's room: for 3 rooms, a Reaper Cloth; for 4 to 15, a Rare Bone; and for 16 to 30, a Stardust.
In the entrance room, the inscription on a wall reads:
...Past three pillars...to the sleeping... ...before 30 is surpassed...
In Giratina's room, the inscription on a wall reads:
This is... That where life sparkles... That where life has faded... A place where two worlds overlap...
The inscription at the base of pillars in pillar rooms between the entrance and Giratina's room has two numbers. The first denotes which pillar room the player is in, while the second denotes how many total rooms the player has traversed (including the current room) since leaving the entrance room.
Items
Before being able to obtain the item at the end of the cave, the player must first catch or defeat Giratina. In Pokémon Platinum, if the player defeated Giratina in the Distortion World, they must defeat or catch it here and traverse through the cave again in order to be able to obtain items here.
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
Between second and third pillars
Only five of the six possible rooms have wild encounters; the second of the possible rooms between these pillars never has wild encounters.
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.
Turnback Cave appeared in Enter the Distortion World!. After managing to make Kaisei spill out how to get to the Distortion World, Charon traveled to the cave and entered Giratina's realm through it with Kaisei, followed by Hareta, Koya, and Jun.
Trivia
Turnback Cave is similar to certain locations in Kanto and Hoenn:
Turnback Cave and the Distortion World may draw some inspiration from the Japanese underworld, Yomi. Giratina itself can be seen as a parallel to the kami Izanami.
Turnback Cave shares its music with that of the Old Chateau. However, in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, the version of the track used in Turnback Cave and the surrounding areas is noticeably lacking certain soundfonts. Interestingly, this variation is not recognized as a separate track in the game's audio files and the normal variation of the track is used in Pokémon Platinum, suggesting the difference between the versions was unintentional.
