---- 9 > Ruins of Alph and Union Cave ----
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Video Playthrough Link (Violet City, Ruins Alph, Route 32, Union Cave, to Azalea
Town): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v-n0Z0CQsg

Video Playthrough Link (Slowpoke Well, Azalea Town Gym, Ilex Forest, Goldenrod
City Gym): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSEriFoAxC0

|-----------|
|Violet City|
|-----------|

Right after you leave the gym, you should receive a phone call from Professor
Elm. He tells you to pick up something important at the Pokémon Center from his
aide. Apparently you are now doing volunteer work for the Professor for no extra
pay. When you get to the Pokémon Center, you will see Professor Elm's aide, the
guy by the counter. He will give you a Pokémon egg. The egg will hatch in about
1,000 steps. Leave the Violet City Gym and go to the Pokémon Center. It is
Togepi in egg form. There is one way to not keep Togepi on your team while it's
in egg form. Just put it in one of the Pokémon boxes (while it's an egg form)
and keep it there. 

Heal, buy at least 10 Pokeballs, then head west from the Violet City Gym.
Continue on the path north and then west until you enter Route 36.

|--------|
|Route 36|
|--------|

Talking to the two people on the route, you'll find out that a supposed tree is
blocking the way. Ignore that for now and head south past the house to the Ruins
of Alph.

|-------------|
|Ruins of Alph|
|-------------|

Pokémon found in or outside the Ruins of Alph:

#177 Natu
#194 Wooper (Surfing)
#201 Unown
#235 Smeargle

Item found in the Ruins of Alph:

Unown Pokedex

After you go through the route-changing station, enter the first cave on the
right that you see. Talk to the two people inside, go up to the left panel, and
then solve the Kabuto puzzle. The corner pieces should be obvious, so start from
there and work to the middle. It will look circular, but the eyes point
out...remember that. You are then dropped to the next floor, and you will find
yourself in another cave you could enter on the left side.

This will allow you to catch a new Pokémon, #201 Unown, in its 28 forms. The
forms include all 26 letters of the English alphabet, plus two punctuation marks
(? and !). The lower passageway eventually leads up to a ladder that you can
climb up. But you might have fun catching some of the Unown alphabet while
you're here.

Thanks to Thard_Verad for correcting the typing for Unown, who also comments:
"It's also a terrible addition to one's party. Bad stats and can only learn
Hidden Power."

If you catch at least three different Unown letters in the Ruins of Alph when
you exit the cave at the bottom with the ladder, a professor assistant will
greet you and give you an Unown Pokedex add-on.

For when you later have access to radio stations, Thard_Verad comments, "There's
a mysterious radio signal in the Ruins of Alph. It's on frequency 213.5 if you
want to listen."

There's another puzzle you can do here once you have HM03 Surf. When you do,
surf across the narrow lake south of where you were (where you can catch a
Wooper, by the way) to the other side. Enter that part of the Ruins of Alph and
you can solve an Aerodactyl puzzle. It'll be easier to the corner and side
pieces first because it will come with that white background.

After exiting the cave, go south, and then east. You will come up to another
route changing house. Welcome to Route 32.

|--------|
|Route 32|
|--------|

Pokémon found in Route 32:

#019 Rattata
#023 Ekans
#041 Zubat
#069 Bellsprout
#179 Mareep
#187 Hoppip
#194 Wooper

Items found in Route 32:

Great Ball
Miracle Seed
Poison Barb
Potion
Old Rod
Repel
TM05

After exiting the house, go a little east and then up into Violet City to grab
that PRZCure Berry, then head back south onto Route 32. Talk to the first guy
you see and you will get Miracle Seed. Grass moves will then be increased in
power by 20%. Keep heading south and getting easy experience points fighting
silly Pokémon like Ekans. 

Depending on what starter you have, you may want to catch both a Bellsprout and
a Wooper (starting with Cyndaquil), just Wooper (starter being Chikorita), or
just Bellsprout (starter being Totodile), for the HMs Cut and Surf later on. Use
quick attack from a non-starter Pokémon to a yellow or HP range, then catch
those Pokémon. Wooper will be a bit harder to find than Bellsprout. Then keep
going down till you see the first trainer.

Youngster Albert
Level 6 Rattata (72 EXP)
Level 8 Zubat (91 EXP)
You get: 128G

Now there's a fork. Take the left path and get the Repel, then head back to the
right to talk to the girl who will fight you while being on the phone. So
talkie.

Picnicker Liz
Level 9 Nidoran (F) (110 EXP)
You get: 180G

Talk to her again and you'll even get her phone number and vice versa. Anyway,
head down and take the grassy eastern route along the lake. Go down and talk to
the first fisherman you reach for a nice battle. Easy battle versus Magikarps
who can barely splash, except for the Level 15 one.

Fisher Justin
Level 5 Magikarp (21 EXP)
Level 5 Magikarp (21 EXP)
Level 15 Magikarp (63 EXP)
Level 5 Magikarp (21 EXP)
You get: 200G

Talk to the fisherman to the left of Justin and you'll have an actual fight.

Fisher Henry
Level 8 Poliwag (128 EXP)
Level 8 Poliwag (132 EXP)
You get: 320G

Keep going south till that next fisherman spots you.

Fisher Ralph
Level 10 Goldeen (237 EXP)
You get: 400G

Exhausted with all the battles now? Take your trip back north to that PRZCure
Berry you saw earlier, after your Mom gives you that call. She apparently buys
something with your money. You can check that at the Pokémon Center.

Thard_Verad adds, "Mom will buy something once your savings reach certain
thresholds. The items are pretty forgettable, but the dolls (AFAIK) are unique
to her shopping trips."

Anyway, heal, withdraw the item (a Super Potion), then come back down the same
route, but take the LEFT path instead and immediately you see a trainer that
wants to fight you. Oh no!

Camper Roland
Level 9 Nidoran (M) (115 EXP)
You get: 180G

Go south then back up to grab the Great Ball, then head south once more to fight
the trainer below you.

Youngster Gordon
Level 10 Wooper (111 EXP)
You get: 160G

Go back up the right/fishing route to talk to Fisher Ralph to exchange phone
numbers. Keep going down the route and someone wants a million dollars for a
Slowpoke tail. Go up to the girl and she'll give you a Poison Barb. Now heal at
that Pokémon Center in the middle of nowhere. Some rando fisher will give you an
Old Rod. Keep heading south and there's yet another trainer. Finally a trainer
that knows you have one badge!

Bird Keeper Peter
Level 6 Pidgey (70 EXP)
Level 6 Pidgey (70 EXP)
Level 8 Spearow (99 EXP)
To get: 192G

Well, that was easy. Now that you're at the Union Cave entrance, you should
enter Union Cave.

|----------|
|Union Cave|
|----------|

Pokémon in Union Cave:
 
#019 Rattata
#041 Zubat
#074 Geodude

Items in Union Cave:

Potion
X Attack
TM39 Swift

Now that you're finished with Route 32, it's time to bring the fighting into
Union Cave. There isn't that much to do in Union Cave, however.

Your lineup (if you are balancing out a starter and Rattata) should now be:

Level 3 Pidgey
Level 4 Wooper
Level 5 Mystery Egg
Level 7 Bellsprout
Level 15 Rattata
Level 15 Starter

Keep heading along the path westward and you'll see a lot of silly, silly
Geodudes. Take the Great Ball, and go south to fight your first trainer battle
in Union Cave.

Hiker Daniel
Level 11 Onix (252 EXP)
You get: 352G

Head east to the next trainer, who will ask if you are truly ready for Azalea's
gym. Show that you are!

Hiker Russell
Level 4 Geodude (82 EXP)
Level 6 Geodude (109 EXP)
Level 8 Geodude (147 EXP)
You get: 256G

Firebreather Bill
Level 6 Koffing (145 EXP)
Level 6 Koffing (145 EXP)
You get: 288G

Grab the X Attack below Bill, then head back up to Bill and go left. Don't miss
the item to the far left. It's a Potion. Go south and then up the ledge.

PoKeManiac Larry
Level 10 Slowpoke (211 EXP)
You get: 600G

Now go up and down the ladder. Head left to get TM39 Swift, then back east past
the ledge you went down, to get the item X Defend. Head back thus the way you
came, head down the ledge, and grab the Awakening Item to the southeast. Then go
east to fight the last trainer.

Firebreather Ray
Level 9 Vulpix (121 EXP)
You get: 432G

Afterwards, you can go right and down and out the door to Route 33.

Note that when you have obtained HMs Strength and Surf you should return back to
Union Cave and explore the lower levels. If you do you will find a Lapras, who
only appears on Friday, plus the entrance to more of the Ruins of Alph.

|--------|
|Route 33|
|--------|

Pokémon found in Route 33:

#019 Rattata
#021 Spearow
#023 Ekans
#041 Zubat
#187 Hoppip

Items found in Route 33:

PSNCure Berry

After exiting the Union Cave, go a little down to grab the PSNCure Berry from
the tree, then head west. You'll meet just one trainer in the way: Hiker
Anthony. He says he's got plenty of energy left to battle you.

Hiker Anthony
Level 11 Geodude (202 EXP)
Level 11 Machop (207 EXP)
You get: 352G

Now that he is defeated, head west into Azalea Town. 

If you chose to switch leveling up your starter and Rattata, your lineup should
be around:

Level 17 Starter
Level 16 Rattata
Level 8 Bellsprout
Level 5 Mystery Egg
Level 4 Wooper
Level 3 Pidgey

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