Ruins of Alph

Ruins of Alph アルフのいせき Ruins of Alph "Wild Missingno. appeared!"
File:HGSS Ruins of Alph Enter.png
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Location:	Southeast of Violet City
Region:	Johto
Generations:	II, IV
Location of Ruins of Alph in Johto.
Pokémon world locations

File:Alph.png

Inside the cave

File:Ruins of Alph HGSS.png

In Generation IV

The Ruins of Alph (Japanese: アルフのいせき Ruins of Alph) are located in Johto, with entrances to the south and west of Violet City. The ruins are filled with Unown once slide puzzles have been activated. Their name may come from the first four letters of "alphabet", which the Unown inside can represent.

If a Trainer listens to the PokéGear radio while near or inside the ruins, they will hear strange noises generated by it on channel 13.5.

File:Ruins of Alph.PNG

Ruins of Alph from outside in Generation II

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. In the area there are several small caves with puzzles; solving the puzzles cause Unown to appear in the main ruins. Pokémon Crystal later explains that these puzzles are signals that summon the Unown.

In Pokémon Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions, patterns appear on the walls of the puzzle chambers. When the patterns' directions are followed, doorways to hidden rooms appear, and the player can learn some of the history of the Unown. In the Japanese version of Pokémon Crystal, a scientist theorizes that the sudden appearance of these patterns is related to the newly-built Pokémon Communication Center and the radio waves emanating from it.

There is a secret entrance to a small part of the Ruins of Alph in Union Cave near Violet City, which leads to a patch of grass full of Natu and Smeargle.

Hidden rooms

In Crystal, HeartGold, and Soulsilver, it is possible to access 4 hidden rooms from the puzzle chambers.

First Chamber

In the northernmost chamber, the far wall reads escape upon inspection.
Using an Escape Rope there opens a secret room upon re-entering. Inside this room are four items:

• Berry (Oran Berry in Generation IV)
• PSNCureBerry (Pecha Berry in Generation IV)
• Energy Powder
• Heal Powder

Falling through to the floor below reveals the following message spelled out on the ground in Unown:
Our words shall remain here for the ages

Second Chamber

In the chamber to the south across a small lake and to the right, the far wall reads flash.
Getting a Pokémon to use the field move Flash will open the secret room containing the items:

• Heal Powder
• Energy Root
• Gold Berry(Sitrus Berry in Generation IV)
• Moon Stone

The floor below reveals the message
Thus we shall erect a Pokémon statue outside

Third Chamber

The third chamber is accessed through Union Cave but requires a boulder to be moved. The far wall reads water this time.
The secret chamber will open if the player has a Water Stone in their inventory. The chamber holds:

• Stardust
• Star Piece
• Mystery Berry
• Mystic Water

The floor below reads
They possess great insight and refuse the outside world

Fourth Chamber

The final chamber is also accessed through Union Cave. It's the cave just left of the third chamber. The far wall reads Ho Oh.
If Ho-Oh is the first Pokémon in the player's party,(in Generation IV having Ho-Oh anywhere in your party is good enough) the secret chamber opens containing the following items:

• Revival Herb
• Charcoal
• Gold Berry
• Mystery Berry

The floor below reads
We humans must learn to walk in harmony with them. We depart for their sakes

Shinto Ruins

Artwork of Arceus creating Palkia in the Shinto Ruins

File:Cynthiaarceus.jpg

Cynthia and Arceus in the Shinto Ruins

File:Shinto Ruins out HGSS.png

Outside the ruins

In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, taking an Arceus from a Nintendo event to the Ruins of Alph will unlock a new location called the (Japanese: シントいせき Shinto Ruins). This will only occur if the Arceus is currently the player's partner Pokémon and was traded from Diamond Diamond, Pearl and Pearl Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum. Cynthia will be found waiting for the player, and will tell them that Arceus has the ability to create newborn Pokémon. The player will get a choice to obtain only one of either Dialga, Palkia, or Giratina at level 1.

The basis of the name of these ruins is currently considered to have two meanings. Firstly, it may refer to the Japanese religion of Shinto, on which the legend of Dialga, Palkia, and Spear Pillar is based, and also seems to be a combination of シンオウ Shin'ō and ジョウト Jōto, just as Tohjo Falls is a combination of "Kantō" (トー) and "Jōto" (ジョウ). The background music in this area is an arrangement of themes used in and on Mt. Coronet, indicating a possible connection.

Pokémon

Generation II

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Pokémon		Games			Location	Levels	Rate
Inside Ruins
	Unown	G	S	C	Walking	5	100%
Outside
All times
	Natu	G	S	C	Grass	18-24	90%
	Smeargle	G	S	C	Grass	20-22	10%
	Poliwag	G	S	C	Old Rod	10	15%
	Magikarp	G	S	C	Old Rod	10	85%
	Poliwag	G	S	C	Good Rod	20	65%
	Magikarp	G	S	C	Good Rod	20	35%
	Poliwag	G	S	C	Super Rod	40	80%
	Magikarp	G	S	C	Super Rod	40	20%
	Wooper	G	S	C	Surf	15-19	60%
	Quagsire	G	S	C	Surf	15-24	40%
Morning
	Smeargle	G	S	C	Grass	20-22	10%
Day
	Smeargle	G	S	C	Grass	20-22	10%
Night
	Wooper	G	S	C	Grass	22	5%
	Smeargle	G	S	C	Grass	22	5%
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.

Generation IV

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Pokémon		Games		Location	Levels	Rate
Inside Ruins
	Unown	HG	SS	Walking	5	100%
Special Pokémon
	Dialga	HG	SS	Event	1	Only one
	Palkia	HG	SS	Event	1	Only one
	Giratina Origin Forme	HG	SS	Event	1	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.

In the anime

The Ruins of Alph appeared in Fossil Fools, in which Team Rocket tried to steal a group of Omanyte and Omastar living among the ruins. Unlike the games, no Unown were featured.

In other languages

• Spanish: Ruinas Alfa
• Italian: Rovine d'Alfa
• German: Alphruinen
• French: Ruines d'Alpha (Ruins of Alpha)

Trivia

• The Shinto Ruins are named after the Shinto Religion of Japan - a very traditional religion; and Johto happens to be based on a very traditional section of Japan.
• The Shinto Ruins are outside the range of the map, and therefore technically not part of the Ruins of Alph, or the regions of Johto and Kanto.

Johto
Settlements New Bark Town • Cherrygrove City • Violet City • Azalea Town • Goldenrod City • Ecruteak City Olivine City • Cianwood City • Mahogany Town • Blackthorn City • Safari Zone Gate • Frontier Access Routes 29 • 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 39 • 40 • 41 • 42 • 43 • 44 • 45 • 46 • 47 • 48 Landmarks Dark Cave • Sprout Tower • Ruins of Alph • Union Cave • Slowpoke Well • Ilex Forest • Radio Tower • Global Terminal Goldenrod Tunnel • National Park • Pokéathlon Dome • Bell Tower • Bellchime Trail • Burned Tower • Moomoo Farm • Olivine Lighthouse Battle Tower (Crystal • HGSS)/Frontier • Cliff Edge Gate • Cliff Cave • Embedded Tower • Safari Zone • Whirl Islands Mt. Mortar • Lake of Rage • Team Rocket HQ • Ice Path • Dragon's Den • S.S. Aqua • Mt. Silver (Cave) Access to Sinjoh Ruins • Kanto

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