Is the Turnback Cave Giratina the Altered Forme in Diamond and Pearl?

Yes. Reach Turnback Cave through the Spring Path off Route 214, past Sendoff Spring, after you obtain the National Pokedex. Inside is a fog-filled, randomly generated maze where you find three pillar rooms within 30 rooms total, and the room right after the third is Giratina's. It waits there as the Altered Forme at Level 70 with Pressure. The Origin Forme, the Griseous Orb, and the Distortion World route to Giratina are all Platinum additions.

Diamond & Pearl Turnback Cave

Turnback Cave bends your sense of direction, looping you back to the door unless you read its shifting rooms right. Deep inside waits Giratina, the banished dragon of another world.

Turnback Cave is in Sinnoh. In the story you arrive from Sendoff Spring to the north and it comes before Snowpoint Temple.

TURNBACK CAVE MAP

Past Sendoff Spring, this cave reshuffles every time you step through a door, the rooms between the entrance and the final chamber random on each pass. Reach the end within thirty rooms and the way opens; overshoot and a door loops you back to the start.

Pokemon Encounters

Giratina lurks at the heart of this shifting cave, but the wild list around it is no pushover, Haunter, Golbat, and Bronzong climbing from level 44 toward the 60s. The deeper you push through the rooms, the higher those levels run.

Type

✦Special encounters1

#487Giratina

Legendary Lv 70

#437Bronzong

35% - Lv 45–66

#042Golbat

30% - Lv 45–66

#093Haunter

30% - Lv 44–66

#337Lunatone

8% - Lv 44–66

Pokémon Sapphire in GBA slot

#338Solrock

8% - Lv 44–66

Pokémon Ruby in GBA slot

#436Bronzor

5% - Lv 44–64

Legendary

#487

Giratina

GhostDragon

Level

EV yield

3 HP

Acquisition

Legendary

Found deep in Turnback Cave after obtaining the National Dex.

at Section 4

Sealed locationSection 4Turnback CaveView on map

One-of-a-kind. You only get a single shot per cartridge — knock it out or run, and it is gone for the run. Save before engaging.

Giratina page →

#437

Bronzong

SteelPsychic

Encounter rate

35% Common

Level

45–66

EV yield

1 Defense, 1 Sp. Def

1 in 3wild encounters

will be Bronzong — about 1m of walking through grass to catch one.

Catch odds

~4m-8m

to catch one

Poke Ball12%

Great Ball18%

Ultra Ball24%

Nuzlocke

community tier

Score80

PickReliable

SourceDerived

EV - Defense, 1 Sp. Def

fights to cap

Raw255 fights

+ Power29 fights

+ Pokerus128 fights

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected117h 2m

Also found in 1 other location

Mt. CoronetLv 38–42

25%

Bronzong page →

#042

Golbat

PoisonFlying

Evolves into Crobat via friendship

Encounter rate

30% Common

Level

45–66

EV yield

2 Speed

1 in 3wild encounters

will be Golbat — about 1m of walking through grass to catch one.

Catch odds

~5m-10m

to catch one

Poke Ball12%

Great Ball18%

Ultra Ball24%

Nuzlocke

30%

first wild (est.)

TierHigh

PickReliable

EV - Speed

fights to cap

Raw128 fights

+ Power26 fights

+ Pokerus64 fights

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected136h 32m

Also found in 9 other locations

Victory RoadLv 35–55

100%Snowpoint TempleLv 50–56

35%Iron IslandLv 30–32

20%Mt. CoronetLv 20–41

20%Lost TowerLv 19–23

10%Stark MountainLv 54–56

10%Route 227Lv 54–54

10%Oreburgh GateLv 20–40

5%Ravaged PathLv 20–40

Golbat page →

#093

Haunter

GhostPoison

Evolves into Gengar via trade

Encounter rate

30% Common

Level

44–66

EV yield

2 Sp. Atk

1 in 3wild encounters

will be Haunter — about 1m of walking through grass to catch one.

Catch odds

~5m-10m

to catch one

Poke Ball12%

Great Ball18%

Ultra Ball24%

Nuzlocke

community tier

Score40

PickRisky

SourceDerived

EV - Sp. Atk

fights to cap

Raw128 fights

+ Power26 fights

+ Pokerus64 fights

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected136h 32m

Also found in 2 other locations

Snowpoint CityLv ?–?

100%Old ChateauLv 16–16

Haunter page →

#337

Lunatone

RockPsychic

Encounter rate

8% Rare

Level

44–66

EV yield

2 Sp. Atk

1 in 13wild encounters

will be Lunatone — about 9m of walking through grass to catch one.

Catch odds

~33m-1h 5m

to catch one

Poke Ball6%

Great Ball9%

Ultra Ball12%

Nuzlocke

first wild (est.)

TierLow

PickLottery

EV - Sp. Atk

fights to cap

Raw128 fights

+ Power26 fights

+ Pokerus64 fights

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected512h

Also found in 5 other locations

Lake ValorLv 35–35

8%Lake AcuityLv 34–36

8%Lake VerityLv 4–4

8%Mt. CoronetLv 36–41

8%Sendoff SpringLv 52–52

Lunatone page →

#338

Solrock

RockPsychic

Encounter rate

8% Rare

Level

44–66

EV yield

2 Attack

1 in 13wild encounters

will be Solrock — about 9m of walking through grass to catch one.

Catch odds

~33m-1h 5m

to catch one

Poke Ball6%

Great Ball9%

Ultra Ball12%

Nuzlocke

first wild (est.)

TierLow

PickLottery

EV - Attack

fights to cap

Raw128 fights

+ Power26 fights

+ Pokerus64 fights

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected512h

Solrock page →

#436

Bronzor

SteelPsychic

Evolves into Bronzong at Lv 33

Encounter rate

5% V.Rare

Level

44–64

EV yield

1 Defense

+10

1 in 20wild encounters

will be Bronzor — about 20m of walking through grass to catch one.

Catch odds

~9m-18m

to catch one

Poke Ball33%

Great Ball50%

Ultra Ball67%

Nuzlocke

first wild (est.)

TierLow

PickLottery

EV - Defense

fights to cap

Raw255 fights

+ Power29 fights

+ Pokerus128 fights

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected819h 12m

Also found in 3 other locations

Wayward CaveLv 14–17

40%Route 206Lv 15–15

10%Mt. CoronetLv 36–36

Bronzor page →

ITEMS

The shifting cave holds a second Reaper Cloth for anyone who skipped the first, plus a Rare Bone that fetches a tidy sum from collectors.

Item ball3

Rare Bone

Reaper Cloth

Stardust

ITEM BALL

Rare Bone

Giratina's room, if the player reached it by passing through 4-14 rooms and Giratina is not present (reappears each time)

Effect

Sell for 5000 Pokédollars, or to Bone Man for 10000 Pokédollars.

ITEM BALL

Reaper Cloth

Giratina's room, if the player reached it by passing through only 3 rooms and Giratina is not present (reappears each time)

Effect

A cloth imbued with horrifyingly strong spiritual energy. It is loved by a certain Pokemon.

ITEM BALL

Stardust

Giratina's room, if the player reached it by passing through 15-30 rooms and Giratina is not present (reappears each time)

Effect

Lovely, red-colored sand with a loose, silky feel. It can be sold at a high price to shops.

Item ball3

Rare Bone

ITEM BALL

Rare Bone

Giratina's room, if the player reached it by passing through 4-14 rooms and Giratina is not present (reappears each time)

Effect

Sell for 5000 Pokédollars, or to Bone Man for 10000 Pokédollars.

Reaper Cloth

ITEM BALL

Reaper Cloth

Giratina's room, if the player reached it by passing through only 3 rooms and Giratina is not present (reappears each time)

Effect

A cloth imbued with horrifyingly strong spiritual energy. It is loved by a certain Pokemon.

Stardust

ITEM BALL

Stardust

Giratina's room, if the player reached it by passing through 15-30 rooms and Giratina is not present (reappears each time)

Effect

Lovely, red-colored sand with a loose, silky feel. It can be sold at a high price to shops.

Turnback Cave Guide

Yes. Reach Turnback Cave through the Spring Path off Route 214, past Sendoff Spring, after you obtain the National Pokedex. Inside is a fog-filled, randomly generated maze where you find three pillar rooms within 30 rooms total, and the room right after the third is Giratina's. It waits there as the Altered Forme at Level 70 with Pressure. The Origin Forme, the Griseous Orb, and the Distortion World route to Giratina are all Platinum additions.