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.

A player enters one of many placeholder maps which the game denotes as 'Mystery Zone' consisting of several rows of trees in Pokémon Platinum.

In the Japanese versions of Pokémon Heartgold and Soulsilver, for unknown reasons placeholder maps are named '----'. In the English versions, they are named 'Mystery Zone'.

Bulbapedia also has an article about Mystery Zone.

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

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

Map 221

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

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

Map 224

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

Map 243

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

Map 250

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

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

Map 266

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

Map 275

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.

Battle Tower R1-02

No NPC's are present.

Map 304

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

Map 324

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. Due to it's Map Id value, name and layout, it is presumed to be an unfinished Battle Tower relic.

Map 352

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

When a player travels through a Mystery Zone he or she is unable to open the menu or even operate the touch screen.

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.

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

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

1. Use a game-altering device to walk through walls.
2. 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

1. Players can use the Tweaking Glitch to access the 'void', and then get to the Mystery Zone from there.
2. 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

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

External Links

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