How do I make Unown appear in the Ruins of Alph?

Solve the sliding-tile puzzles. The Ruins hide four of them, and finishing any one opens that chamber to wild Unown, the puzzle-piece Pokemon that come in twenty-six shapes from A to Z. A couple of the puzzles sit behind Surf or Strength, so you'll clear the rest on later passes through Johto.

Gold & Silver Ruins of Alph

Ancient stone chambers south of Violet, their walls carved with strange writing. Solve the sliding tile puzzles to release the Unown and open the study beneath.

Ruins of Alph is in Johto, with Route 36 to the north. In the story you arrive from Route 32 to the south and it comes before Union Cave.

RUINS OF ALPH MAP

Solve the sliding-tile puzzles at the Ruins of Alph and the floor opens to a hidden chamber beneath. Four puzzle rooms ring a central research center, with Surf and Strength needed to reach the farther two.

Pokemon Encounters

The chambers are wall to wall Unown, the only place to catch the puzzle Pokemon in its many letter shapes. Smeargle waits outside at 10 percent, and the water holds Wooper and Quagsire.

Type

▾Inside1

Walking1

#201Unown

100% - Lv 5

After you solve a Ruins of Alph puzzle: Kabuto unlocks Unown A to K, Omanyte L to R, Aerodactyl S to W, Ho-Oh X to Z

▾Outside10

Walking2

#177Natu

90% - Lv 18–24

#235Smeargle

10% - Lv 20–22

Surf2

#194Wooper

60% - Lv 15–19

#195Quagsire

40% - Lv 15–24

Fish6

Old Rod2

#129Magikarp

85% - Lv 10

#060Poliwag

15% - Lv 10

Good Rod2

#060Poliwag

65% - Lv 20

#129Magikarp

35% - Lv 20

Super Rod2

#060Poliwag

80% - Lv 40

#129Magikarp

20% - Lv 40

#201

Unown

Psychic

Encounter rate

100% Common

Level

1 in 1wild encounters

will be Unown — about 36s of walking through grass to catch one.

Catch odds

~54s-1m

to catch one

Poke Ball30%

Great Ball34%

Ultra Ball34%

Nuzlocke

community tier

Score20

PickLottery

SourceDerived

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected40h 58m

Unown only spawns wild here in this region. Catch one while you can.

Unown page →

#177

Natu

PsychicFlying

Evolves into Xatu at Lv 25

Encounter rate

90% Common

Level

18–24

EV yield

1 Sp. Atk

1 in 1wild encounters

will be Natu — about 36s of walking through grass to catch one.

Catch odds

~2m

to catch one

Poke Ball25%

Great Ball34%

Ultra Ball34%

Nuzlocke

community tier

Score20

PickLottery

SourceEstimated

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected45h 31m

Natu only spawns wild here in this region. Catch one while you can.

Natu page →

#129

Magikarp

Water

Evolves into Gyarados at Lv 20

Encounter rate

85% Common

Level

EV yield

1 Speed

1 in 1wild encounters

will be Magikarp — about 36s of fishing to catch one.

Catch odds

~2m

to catch one

Poke Ball34%

Great Ball34%

Ultra Ball34%

Nuzlocke

community tier

Score20

PickLottery

SourceEstimated

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected48h 11m

Also found in 51 other locations

Blackthorn CityLv 5–40

100%Dark CaveLv 5–40

100%Dragon's DenLv 10–40

100%Lake of RageLv 10–40

100%Route 45Lv 5–24

100%Route 43Lv 10–40

100%Fuchsia CityLv 10–40

100%Cherrygrove CityLv 10–20

85%Goldenrod CityLv 10–20

85%Ecruteak CityLv 10–40

85%Ilex ForestLv 10–40

85%Mt. MortarLv 10–40

85%New Bark TownLv 10–20

85%Cianwood CityLv 10–20

85%Route 30Lv 10–40

85%Route 31Lv 10–40

85%Route 34Lv 10–20

85%Olivine CityLv 10–20

85%Route 32Lv 5–40

85%Mt. SilverLv 10–40

85%Slowpoke WellLv 10–40

85%Union CaveLv 10–40

85%Whirl IslandsLv 10–20

85%Violet CityLv 10–40

85%Route 35Lv 10–40

85%Cerulean CityLv 10–40

85%Cinnabar IslandLv 10–20

85%Pallet TownLv 10–20

85%Tohjo FallsLv 10–40

85%Viridian CityLv 10–40

85%Vermilion CityLv 10–20

85%Cerulean GymLv 10–20

85%

Magikarp page →

#060

Poliwag

Water

Evolves into Poliwhirl at Lv 25

Encounter rate

80% Common

Level

EV yield

1 Speed

1 in 1wild encounters

will be Poliwag — about 36s of fishing to catch one.

Catch odds

~2m

to catch one

Poke Ball34%

Great Ball34%

Ultra Ball34%

Nuzlocke

community tier

Score20

PickLottery

SourceEstimated

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected51h 12m

Also found in 14 other locations

Ecruteak CityLv 10–40

90%Route 30Lv 10–40

90%Route 31Lv 10–40

90%Route 44Lv 10–40

90%Violet CityLv 10–40

90%Route 22Lv 5–40

90%Route 28Lv 10–44

90%Viridian CityLv 5–40

90%Blackthorn CityLv 10–40

80%Ilex ForestLv 10–40

80%Mt. SilverLv 10–40

#060

Poliwag

Water

Evolves into Poliwhirl at Lv 25

Encounter rate

65% Common

Level

EV yield

1 Speed

1 in 2wild encounters

will be Poliwag — about 54s of fishing to catch one.

Catch odds

~2m

to catch one

Poke Ball34%

Great Ball34%

Ultra Ball34%

Nuzlocke

community tier

Score20

PickLottery

SourceEstimated

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected63h 1m

Poliwag page →

#194

Wooper

WaterGround

Evolves into Quagsire at Lv 20

Encounter rate

60% Common

Level

15–19

EV yield

1 HP

1 in 2wild encounters

will be Wooper — about 54s of surfing to catch one.

Catch odds

~2m

to catch one

Poke Ball34%

Great Ball34%

Ultra Ball34%

Nuzlocke

community tier

Score20

PickLottery

SourceEstimated

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected68h 16m

Also found in 2 other locations

#195

Quagsire

WaterGround

Encounter rate

40% Common

Level

15–24

EV yield

2 HP

1 in 3wild encounters

will be Quagsire — about 1m of surfing to catch one.

Catch odds

~4m-8m

to catch one

Poke Ball12%

Great Ball18%

Ultra Ball24%

Nuzlocke

community tier

Score60

PickRisky

SourceEstimated

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected102h 24m

Also found in 10 other locations

Route 27Lv 28–32

55%Mt. SilverLv 45–45

40%Union CaveLv 15–24

#129

Magikarp

Water

Evolves into Gyarados at Lv 20

Encounter rate

35% Common

Level

EV yield

1 Speed

1 in 3wild encounters

will be Magikarp — about 1m of fishing to catch one.

Catch odds

~3m

to catch one

Poke Ball34%

Great Ball34%

Ultra Ball34%

Nuzlocke

community tier

Score20

PickLottery

SourceEstimated

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected117h 2m

Magikarp page →

#129

Magikarp

Water

Evolves into Gyarados at Lv 20

Encounter rate

20% Uncommon

Level

EV yield

1 Speed

1 in 5wild encounters

will be Magikarp — about 2m of fishing to catch one.

Catch odds

~5m

to catch one

Poke Ball34%

Great Ball34%

Ultra Ball34%

Nuzlocke

community tier

Score20

PickLottery

SourceEstimated

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected204h 48m

Magikarp page →

#060

Poliwag

Water

Evolves into Poliwhirl at Lv 25

Encounter rate

15% Uncommon

Level

EV yield

1 Speed

1 in 7wild encounters

will be Poliwag — about 3m of fishing to catch one.

Catch odds

~6m

to catch one

Poke Ball34%

Great Ball34%

Ultra Ball34%

Nuzlocke

community tier

Score20

PickLottery

SourceEstimated

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected273h 4m

Poliwag page →

#235

Smeargle

Normal

Encounter rate

10% Rare

Level

20–22

EV yield

1 Speed

1 in 10wild encounters

will be Smeargle — about 7m of walking through grass to catch one.

Catch odds

~25m-50m

to catch one

Poke Ball6%

Great Ball9%

Ultra Ball12%

Nuzlocke

community tier

Score20

PickLottery

SourceEstimated

Shiny hunt

1/8,192

full odds

Base1/8,192

Expected409h 36m

Smeargle only spawns wild here in this region. Catch one while you can.

Smeargle page →

TRAINERS

1 trainer battle at Ruins of Alph. Team rosters, levels, and weakness coverage for each.

Psychic1

NathanLv 26₱832

PSYCHIC

Nathan

Party

Highest Lv

Reward

₱832

Party

Ability-NatureFixedItem-

Growl

Confusion

Stomp

Agility

Type

BUG

DARK

Win: ₱832

Ruins of Alph Guide

Solve the sliding-tile puzzles. The Ruins hide four of them, and finishing any one opens that chamber to wild Unown, the puzzle-piece Pokemon that come in twenty-six shapes from A to Z. A couple of the puzzles sit behind Surf or Strength, so you'll clear the rest on later passes through Johto.