Turnback Cave: Difference between revisions

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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. It reads:

This is... That where life sparkles... That where life has faded... A place where two worlds overlap...

The only way to locate Giratina is to pass the three pillars before passing through thirty rooms as the inscription says:

...Past three pillars...offer up... to the... ...before 30 is surpassed...

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

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.

Items

Pokémon

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.

Pokémon	Games						Location	Levels	Rate
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		Dual-slot Sapphire	44, 46, 18	8%
Solrock	D		P		Pt		Dual-slot Ruby	44, 46, 18	8%
Giratina	D		P		Pt		Only one	70	One
Giratina	D		P		Pt		Only one	47	If KO'd in the Distortion World
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.

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. Giratina does not have to be battled to obtain the item.
• 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 defeating the Elite Four (Generation I) or obtaining the National Pokédex (Generations III and IV), and is home to high level Pokémon and a level 70 legendary Pokémon.
  • In Hoenn, Sky Pillar is home to high level Pokémon and a level 70 legendary Pokémon, and in the third version it can be visited before the Elite Four.
• Turnback Cave's system of seemingly random room layout may be an advanced version of the system used in Lost Cave in the Sevii Islands in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.

*Coincidentally, the system of semmingly random room layout is the same as the Relic Castle in Pokémon Black & White Version.

• 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

Language Title European French Grotte Retour German Höhle der Umkehr Italian Grotta Ritorno European Spanish Cueva Retorno

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

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