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Mystery Zone

Error prevention and placeholders in the Pokémon games:



?????????? | ????? | ! | Abnormal Pokémon | Bad Egg | Enigma Berry (Generation III) | Error! | Error codes (Generations I and II) | Error traps for damaged save data | Error traps to prevent impossible progress | Event data debugging messages | Instant victory effect (Generation II) | Mystery Zone | N/A | Pokégear instruction booklet trap | Rhydon trap | Special (location) | This Game Pak is designed only for use on the Game Boy Color. | This Pokémon cannot be traded.

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Unused maps and placeholder map names within the Pokémon games

Alternative map locations (Generation I) | Alternative Route 104 map | Battle Park (Platinum) | Generation II Safari Zone | Haunted House | Jubilife Condominiums floors 3 and 4 | Map 0x0B (Generation I) | Map 0x6F (Generation I) | Mystery Zone | Record Corner (FireRed/LeafGreen) | R/S Flower Shop (Festa 2002 demo) | Special (location) | Special Area | Sevii Islands 8 and 9 | Unused Olivine City house | Unused Sunyshore City house | Unused Celadon City house

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In the Generation IV handheld Pokémon games; a 'Mystery Zone' (Japanese: なぞのばしょ) refers to any of many areas which act as placeholders. This refers to any unused map, but the most common examples are Map 0 and Map 1. In the Japanese versions of Pokémon Platinum and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the location header is changed from なぞのばしょ to ---- but the old header is still present and is used when a Pokémon has a "caught" location set to the Mystery Zone. These areas are most commonly seen consisting of either blank space, several rows of trees, water or any combination of these features. In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, when you are in the Mystery Zone the music for Routes 206, 207, 208 and 211 usually plays; however the Mystery Zone plays a slightly off-key version of these routes. This music corresponds to its own unique variable and is normally never used in game. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, the Route 29 theme is played instead.

In Japanese version 1.0 of Diamond and Pearl it was possible to use the menu and other key items such as the Explorer Kit inside of Mystery zones, regardless of being tied to Sinnoh or not. This can be exploited for an exclusive Wrong Warp and a strategy using this is currently the fastest method of completing the game. The usage of the Menu and Explorer Kit was patched in all international releases, but certain glitches allow the player to bypass these restrictions entirely. Since Map 0 is available nearly anywhere in ram, and the menu is not disable on Japanese 1.0 versions, void traversal to exterior Sinnoh is both faster and easier on that version.

Map 0 'EVERYTHING'

The purpose of Map 0 is as placeholder for the areas in between cities in Sinnoh exterior. Generation IV features 'dynamic' maps where your location is based on global coordinates, rather than map specific coordinates like in Generation I. This is only true for all routes and cities, as these are still separate from interior areas such as houses. Since not every area surrounding a city connects directly to a route or other city, placeholder maps surround them, which is Map 0, Mystery Zone.

Map 1 'NOTHING'

The purpose of Map 1 is not entirely clear, but as the title suggests it has no real purpose rather than being 'Nothing'.

Map 2 (DPP) 'UNDERGROUND'

The purpose of Map 2 is due to the fact that when entering the underground, there is no visual change of map header. Since there is no map header listed, it becomes Mystery Zone. This is therefore not an unused map, but one without any map header. The underground, despite not existing in HGSS, is referenced as Map 3, it is however has no specific Matrix attached and is a part of Sinnoh.

Map 466 (DPP) and Map 2 (HGSS) 'UNION'

The Union interior is another case of a used map without any map header. When entering the UNION room by talking to the waitress at the top of the Pokémon center, no map header is shown. Since it never has to be shown in usual gameplay, it becomes Mystery Zone.

The following are all exclusive to DP(P)

Map 206 'Mt. Coronet'

Blank. This map's matrix is Sinnoh, despite map 206 not being available anywhere within Sinnoh.

Map 221 'Mt. Coronet R1-15'

This map's models are a direct copy of Map 220 Spear Pillar, but has no active NPC's. It is presumed to be used for testing.

Map 222 'Great Marsh'

Blank. This map's matrix is Sinnoh, despite map 222 not being available anywhere within Sinnoh.

Map 224 'Solaceon Ruins'

Blank. This map's matrix is Sinnoh, despite map 224 not being available anywhere within Sinnoh.

Map 243 'Victory Road'

Blank. This map's matrix is Sinnoh, despite map 243 not being available anywhere within Sinnoh.

Map 250 'Pal Park'

This map's models are a direct copy of Map 251 Pal Park, but has no active NPC's and doesn't default to Pal Park's texture set on its own.

Because of this, it appears white unless Pal Park's texture set is manually loaded. It is presumed to be used for testing.Map 255 'Floaroma Meadow'

This map has no valid texture set, so the game crashes when trying to view models.

Map 266 'Sendoff Spring'

Blank. This map's matrix is Sinnoh, despite map 243 not being available anywhere within Sinnoh.

Map 275 'Flower Paradise R1-01'

This map has it's own assigned Matrix, id 123. This Matrix id is used commonly throughout the game as a small house, and has a functional television. No NPC's are present. It's Id comes right after Map 274, which is Flower Paradise. There are no houses present, this may be tied to an early cut idea of the event.

Map 304 Old Chateau R10-01

This map has no valid texture set, so the game crashes when trying to view models. Map 324 Battle Tower R1-02

This map has it's own assigned Matrix, Id 232. This matrix is unfinished, and shows a couple of statues on each sides, with a mountain wall which has collision centered in the middle of the room. There are no textures despite having a valid texture set used by all Battle Towers. Due to it's Map Id value, name, texture set and layout, it is presumed to be an unfinished Battle Tower relic.

Map 325 Battle Tower R1-03

This map has it's own assigned Matrix, Id 233. this matrix is unfinished, and shows 4 statues in each corner. The rest of the room is empty, and there are no textures despite having a valid texture set used by all Battle Towers. Due to it's Map Id value, name, texture set and layout, it is presumed to be an unfinished Battle Tower relic.

Map 352 Route 206 R2-01

This map has no valid texture set, so the game crashes when trying to view models.

Map 408 Route 230

Blank. This map's matrix is Sinnoh, despite map 408 not being available anywhere within Sinnoh. The name suggests an extra route, 230, having been intended

to exist during development. A map header with 'route 230' was also found, but is not linked to any map.

Map 473 W233

Blank. This map's matrix is Sinnoh, despite map 473 not being available anywhere within Sinnoh.



Procedure (Diamond/Pearl/Platinum), (Heartgold/Soulsilver)



This is the most common method players have used to access a "Mystery Zone".

  • Use a game-altering device to walk through walls.
  • Attempt to move through objects surrounding the area into areas which are normally inaccessible.

    Alternative methods for accessing the Mystery Zones without a game-altering device



  • Players can use the Tweaking Glitch to access the 'void', and then get to the Mystery Zone from there.
  • On early versions of Japanese Pokémon Diamond and Pearl games the Surf through Elite Four door glitch allowed players (as the name of the glitch suggests) to be able to surf through Aaron; the first Elite Four member's door and then be able to walk through an extremely large area of blank space whilst passing various Mystery Zones and even areas such as Flower Paradise which were normally inaccessible without a special event.

    Reference in Generation V and VI



    In Generation V, the Mystery Zone is no longer accessible, but it appears as a possible location name for a Pokémon's summary.

    "Mystery Eggs" marked as originating from the Mystery Zone have appeared in the PC boxes of some players of Pokémon X and Y. They also have an obtained date of '0/0/2000'.

    In the Japanese versions, the name is also the same and if character mode is set to kanji, the name is rendered as なぞの場所; in kana-only mode, it is rendered like in Generation IV (なぞのばしょ).

    See also



  • Out of bounds - An article about going 'out of bounds' within the Pokémon games in general.



  • A player using a 'walk anywhere' code to access several Mystery Zones
  • An article about 'going out of bounds' on the forums
  • Using Tweaking to get into a Mystery Zone (DPPt)
  • Using Tweaking to get into a Mystery Zone (HGSS)

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