Turnback Cave

Turnback Cave is in need of spading. See its section on the spading page for more information, and how you can help. Is there a way to consistently get through the cave?

---

Turnback Cave もどりのどうくつ Returning Cave "Wild Missingno. appeared!"
File:Spring Giratina.png
Map description:	{{{mapdesc}}}
Location:	Sendoff Spring
Region:	Sinnoh
Generations:	IV
Location of Turnback Cave in Sinnoh.
Pokémon world locations

Turnback Cave (Japanese: もどりのどうくつ Returning Cave) is a maze-like cave filled with dense fog which is home to the Legendary Pokémon, Giratina. Turnback Cave is located at the north-central region of Sendoff Spring, which itself may only be accessed through the Spring Path. In Diamond and Pearl, in the room Giratina resides in is an inscription that implies the cave is a location where the separation between the real world and the Distortion World is weaker. This is more or less confirmed in Platinum, where a portal to the Distortion World appears in front of the inscription.

The only way to locate Giratina is to pass the three pillars before passing through thirty rooms. There is no way to consistently traverse the cave as rooms are always randomized upon entry, but the best hint to navigate the puzzle is to look at the pattern of rocks on the floor of each room, and enter the door out of the three which has the odd pattern. When the three pillars have been encountered the first time, Giratina will be in the next room. Escape Ropes are not usable, but if one turns back and leaves through the door from which they entered, it will warp them directly to the first room. 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 have been passed through on the way to it.

After catching Giratina, one can return through the cave to obtain a rare item, depending on how many rooms it takes to reach Giratina's room again. In just 3 rooms, the item will be a Reaper Cloth; 4 to 15 will earn a Rare Bone; 16 to 30 will earn a Stardust. Over 30 rooms, of course, will return the player to the entrance. Riding the Bicycle seems to increase the chance of next entering a pillar room. Rare items regenerate by returning to the cave each time, and they can even be received with Giratina still in the room. In Pokémon Platinum, it will have an item and the portal to the Distortion World.

Geography

Rooms and pillars

File:Turnback pillar.PNG

A pillar

There is much mystery shrouding Turnback Cave, in relation to getting consistently to Giratina's room. Rooms occur randomly when the player goes through an entrance. The only way to locate Giratina is to pass the three pillars before passing through thirty rooms. The best hint to navigate the puzzle is to look at the pattern of rocks on the floor of each room, and enter the door out of the three which has the odd pattern. Riding the Bicycle also seems to help. Some players have tried to enter a certain door repeatedly —like the northern door— and sometimes this oddly works, however this is only a coincidence. When the three pillars have been encountered the first time, Giratina will be in the next room. Each pillar has two numbers on it: the top number indicates which pillar the player is looking at, and the bottom indicates how many rooms have been passed through on the way to it.

Version	Between Entry and 1st Pillar	Between 1st and 2nd Pillar	Between 2nd and 3rd Pillar	Giratina's Room
Diamond	File:Turnbackcave 1.png	File:Turnbackcave 5.png	File:Turnbackcave 6.png	File:Spring Giratina.png
Pearl
Platinum		File:Turnbackcave 2.png	File:Turnbackcave 3.png	File:Turnbackcave 4.png

Items

Item		Location	Games

Pokémon

File:Giratina altered platinum.png

Altered Forme Giratina at Turnback Cave in Platinum

Pokémon		Games			Location	Levels	Rate
All times
	Golbat	D	P	Pt	Cave	45, 46	30%
	Haunter	D	P	Pt	Cave	44, 45	30%
	Bronzor	D	P	Pt	Cave	44, 45	5%
	Bronzong	D	P	Pt	Cave	45, 46	35%
	Golbat	D	P	Pt	Cave	17,18
	Gastly	D	P	Pt	Cave	15-17
	Dusclops	D	P	Pt	Cave	16
	Haunter	D	P	Pt	Cave	25-27	*
	Chimecho	D	P	Pt	Cave	36	*
	Chingling	D	P	Pt	Cave	26	*
	Bronzor	D	P	Pt	Cave	25	*
	Bronzong	D	P	Pt	Cave	35	*
Special Pokémon
	Lunatone	D	P	Pt	Dongle (Sapphire)	44, 46, 18	8%
	Solrock	D	P	Pt	Dongle (Ruby)	44, 46, 18	8%
	Giratina Altered Forme	D	P	Pt	Cave	70	Only one
	Giratina Altered Forme	D	P	Pt	Cave	47	Only one*
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. Note: Listed levels are for Pokémon encountered before the first pillar. Levels of Pokémon encountered increase by 10 for every pillar that has been passed. Otherwise, encounter rate is the same.

Trivia

• In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, the item that can be obtained in the last room can be found right behind Giratina, hidden out of sight.
• In Pokémon Platinum, if Giratina is not caught in the Distortion World then it will appear here, in the final room instead of the portal to the Distortion World. However, after it has been battled, the portal will appear where it was.
• Turnback Cave is similar to locations in Kanto and Hoenn. In Kanto, Cerulean Cave can only be visited after obtaining the National Pokédex, and is home to high level Pokémon and a level 70 legendary Pokémon. However, Hoenn's Sky Pillar is perhaps more similar, since while it is home to high level Pokémon and a level 70 legendary, in the third game of that region, it can be visited before the Elite Four.
• 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.

In other languages

• Spanish: Cueva Retorno
• German: Höhle der Umkehr
• Italian: Grotta Ritorno
• French: Grotte Retour

See also

• Sendoff Spring
• Spring Path
• Distortion World

Sinnoh
Settlements Twinleaf Town • Sandgem Town • Jubilife City • Oreburgh City • Floaroma Town • Eterna City • Hearthome City Solaceon Town • Veilstone City • Pastoria City • Celestic Town • Canalave City • Snowpoint City • Sunyshore City Pokémon League • Fight Area • Survival Area • Resort Area Routes 201 • 202 • 203 • 204 • 205 • 206 • 207 • 208 • 209 • 210 • 211 • 212 • 213 • 214 • 215 216 • 217 • 218 • 219 • 220 • 221 • 222 • 223 • 224 • 225 • 226 • 227 • 228 • 229 • 230 Landmarks Lake Verity (Lakefront) • Oreburgh Gate • Oreburgh Mine • Oreburgh Mining Museum • Global Terminal/Global Wonder Station Ravaged Path • Floaroma Meadow • Valley Windworks • Eterna Forest • Old Chateau • Underground/Grand Underground Wayward Cave • Mount Coronet • Amity Square • Lost Tower • Hallowed Tower • Solaceon Ruins • Maniac Tunnel • Lake Valor (Lakefront) Great Marsh • Pokémon Mansion • Trophy Garden • Fuego Ironworks • Iron Island • Lake Acuity (Lakefront) • Spear Pillar • Victory Road Pal Park/Ramanas Park • Contest Hall • Battle Zone • Battle Park • Battle Tower/Battle Frontier • Stark Mountain • Snowpoint Temple Spring Path • Sendoff Spring • Turnback Cave • Fullmoon Island • Newmoon Island • Seabreak Path • Flower Paradise • Hall of Origin Access to Distortion World See also Hisui

Game locations of Legendary and Mythical Pokémon

Kanto Seafoam Islands • Power Plant • Victory Road • Cerulean Cave Route 10 • Route 25 • Pewter City • Roaming Pokémon Sevii Islands Mt. Ember • Navel Rock • Birth Island Johto Ilex Forest • Bell Tower • Whirl Islands • Mt. Silver Cave Burned Tower • Embedded Tower • Roaming Pokémon Hoenn Desert Ruins • Island Cave • Ancient Tomb • Cave of Origin • Marine Cave Terra Cave • Sky Pillar • Southern Island • Sea Mauville • Scorched Slab Pathless Plain • Nameless Cavern • Fabled Cave • Gnarled Den Trackless Forest • Crescent Isle • Sky • Roaming Pokémon Sinnoh Acuity Cavern • Valor Cavern • Spear Pillar • Turnback Cave Rock Peak Ruins • Iceberg Ruins • Iron Ruins • Snowpoint Temple Stark Mountain • Newmoon Island • Flower Paradise • Hall of Origin Ramanas Park • Floaroma Town • Roaming Pokémon Unova Guidance Chamber • Trial Chamber • Rumination Field • N's Castle • Abundant Shrine Giant Chasm • Dragonspiral Tower • Liberty Garden • Route 11 • Route 13 • Route 22 Route 23 • Celestial Tower • Nacrene City • Underground Ruins • Twist Mountain Dreamyard • Marvelous Bridge • Reversal Mountain • Coastal Biome • Roaming Pokémon Kalos Sea Spirit's Den • Team Flare Secret HQ • Terminus Cave Unknown Dungeon • Roaming Pokémon Alola Route 16 • Altar of the Sunne • Altar of the Moone • Mount Lanakila • Mahalo Trail Ruins of Conflict • Ruins of Life • Ruins of Abundance • Ruins of Hope Aether Paradise • Ancient Poni Path • Lake of the Sunne • Lake of the Moone Ten Carat Hill • Resolution Cave Galar Tower summit • Battle Tower • Master Dojo • Crown Shrine • Max Lair Rock Peak Ruins • Iceberg Ruins • Iron Ruins • Split-Decision Ruins • Giant's Bed Frigid Sea • Lakeside Cave • Ballimere Lake • Freezington • Roaming Pokémon Hisui Seaside Hollow • Temple of Sinnoh • Acuity Cavern • Valor Cavern • Verity Cavern Lava Dome Sanctum • Moonview Arena • Snowpoint Temple • Turnback Cave • Bonechill Wastes Cobalt Coastlands • Ramanas Island • Scarlet Bog • Coronet Highlands • Floaro Gardens Paldea Grasswither Shrine • Icerend Shrine • Groundblight Shrine • Firescourge Shrine Poco Path • Area Zero • Area Zero Underdepths • Glaseado Mountain South Province (Area One) • Asado Desert • West Province (Area One) • East Province (Area Three) Casseroya Lake • North Paldean Sea • South Province (Area Four) • North Province (Area Two) Alfornada Cavern • Great Crater of Paldea • Tagtree Thicket • East Province (Area One) South Province (Area Five) • Dalizapa Passage • Pokémon League • Socarrat Trail Kitakami Paradise Barrens • Wistful Fields • Oni Mountain • Dreaded Den • Loyalty Plaza Other Faraway Island • Distortion World • Sinjoh Ruins • Ultra Space Wilds

This article is part of Project Locations, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on every location in the Pokémon world.