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 any one of 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.
In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, each slide puzzle that is completed unlocks a specific subset of the 26 alphabetic forms of Unown. To unlock all 26 alphabetic forms, all four slide puzzles must be activated. The slide 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 entrance room of the ruins will have a gold plate that reads "Our friends look up and heartily congratulate us". Reading the plate causes one of the researchers to speak to the player, after which the ! and ? forms can be encountered in the entrance room.
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. In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, 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.
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, where the player can get many items and 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.
Falling through to the floor below reveals the following message spelled out on the ground in Unown:
Our words shall remain here for the agesC Our clan engraved words in this placeHGSS
In HeartGold/SoulSilver, this chamber contains a touchscreen puzzle that forms Kabuto. Once completed, the A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J forms of Unown are unlocked in the main chamber.
Second chamber
In the southeastern-most chamber, the far wall reads light.
Getting a Pokémon to use the field move Flash will open the hidden room which contains the following:
Thus we shall erect a Pokémon statue outsideC Our clan created Pokémon statue outsideHGSS
In HeartGold/SoulSilver, this chamber contains a touchscreen puzzle that forms Aerodactyl. Once completed, the R, S, T, U, and V forms of Unown are unlocked in the main chamber.
Third chamber
Artwork of Ethan at the entrance of the Ruins of Alph
The hidden room will open if the player has a Water Stone in their inventory, though, in HeartGold and SoulSilver Versions, the player is required to select "Use" from the items menu while facing the wall for the room to open. Inside, they can find:
They possess great insight and refuse the outside worldC They possess power to sense with mind and reject outsideHGSS
In HeartGold/SoulSilver, this chamber contains a touchscreen puzzle that forms Omanyte. Once completed, the K, L, M, N, O, P, and Q forms of Unown are unlocked in the main chamber.
Fourth chamber
The fourth chamber is also accessed through Union Cave. The far wall reads Ho Oh.
We humans must learn to walk in harmony with them. We depart for their sakesC We humans need to walk with them. We leave here for the sake of themHGSS
In HeartGold/SoulSilver, this chamber contains a touchscreen puzzle that forms Ho-Oh. Once completed, the W, X, Y, and Z forms of Unown are unlocked in the main chamber.
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.
Trainers with a telephone symbol by their names will give their Pokégear number to the player, and may call or be called for a rematch with higher-level Pokémon.
Trainers with a telephone symbol by their names will give their Pokégear number to the player, and may call or be called for a rematch with higher-level Pokémon.
Unown makes a strange sound, starts spinning around in circles, growls in a way that sounds almost like speech, stops moving, and seems to be singing something.
All walking Pokémon, including Unown, stare intently at nothing, gaze around restlessly, suddenly turn around and sometimes start barking, scratch at the ground as if searching for something, look down steadily and sometimes poke at the ground, look very interested, and wander around listening to the different sounds.
In the anime
Ruins of Alph in the anime
The Ruins of Alph appeared in Fossil Fools, where Ash and his friends visited them, meeting Professor Oak upin their arrival. Unlike the games, no Unown were featured there. Instead, it was a site where multiple Fossils had been dug out. One of the scientists working at the site was Foster, one of Professor Oak's former top students at the Celadon University. Soon Ash, his friends, and Professor Oak found out that Foster had discovered living Omanyte and Omastar at the ruins, which he was trying to protect by keeping them a secret. After rescuing the Fossil Pokémon from being stolen by Team Rocket, the group agreed that the ancient Pokémon should be left alone, and promised Foster not to tell anyone about them.
In the manga
Ruins of Alph in Pokémon AdventuresRuins of Alph in Pokémon Pocket Monsters
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
The Ruins of Alph first appeared in Into the Unown as the location where Gold met Bugsy for the first time. He helped Bugsy rescue his research team who were trapped in the ruins, and also foiled a Team Rocket plan to capture the Unown.
In Hurray for Heracross, while doing research at the ruins, Bugsy was challenged by Suicune, who was seeking a worthy Trainer to stand on its side during the upcoming confrontation with the Masked Man. Bugsy did his best, but in the end, he was unable to defeat and capture the Legendary Pokémon.
In the HeartGold & SoulSilver arc, Gold, having rescued Bugsy after Ecruteak City's Gym was destroyed by Arceus, chased Arceus towards the Ruins of Alph, where he also found an injured Lance. After leaving Lance in Bugsy's care, Gold confronted Arceus by himself. When Silver and Crystal soon arrived at the site, with Silver having managed to collect the 16 Plates from across Johto, Arceus transported the Pokédex holders to the Sinjoh Ruins, unintentionally bringing the four Team Rocket Executives along as well. Later, Arceus returned the Pokédex holders, Executives, Lance, Giovanni, and Pryce to the Ruins of Alph.
In the Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arc, it was revealed that Archie and Maxie had appeared at the Ruins of Alph after their spirits had been pulled out of the Distortion World during the events of the HeartGold & SoulSilver chapter.
This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring the Ruins of Alph in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
Related cards Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Morning (Unown S)
Day/Evening (Unown G)
Night (Unown T)
