Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Arceus Void Day

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

This is going to be your step-to-step guide on how to find Arceus in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Today’s date reflects two of the numbers (2015 and 512) in this route to finding Arceus through the tweaking and void glitches in the game.

This year’s number, 2015, happens to be the number of steps westward you must travel after tweaking into the Pokétch Co. building in Jubilife City. Once you complete that step, the next step requires you to travel 512 steps south, then save the game and reset. Note that 512 is the MM/YY code for today’s date (“5/12” has the same digits, in the same order, as “512”).

Note that going into the void can mess with the RAM and can cost you your save file if you don’t follow the steps properly. If you catch Arceus and make it back safely to the Pal Park building, you’re safe! However, one small misstep in the void can brick your save file, rendering it unusable and requiring you to start a new save file, so be extremely careful; if you are going to attempt this, we highly recommend using a spare copy of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl that you don’t mind losing.

Before you can attempt this glitch, you must have at least two Gym Badges, as that is when the Bicycle is unlocked. You will need the following:

Bicycle: You can get the Bicycle from the bike shop in Eterna City after defeating Gardenia at Eterna Gym (which gets you the second badge, the Forest Badge), then defeating Jupiter at the Team Galactic building.
Explorer Kit: You get the Explorer Kit from the Underground Man’s house in Eterna City. You must also have used the Explorer Kit at least once.
A Pokémon with “Fly” or “Teleport.” This allows you to escape from any void or non-void location where these field moves are permitted, in case you get stuck.
The Step Counter.

In addition to having the Explorer Kit in the bag, it is also necessary to go underground with it at least once before entering the void. This is because while traveling through the void, you will often travel through areas designated by the game as the underground (with the underground’s music playing). In any file of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, there is a cutscene the first time you go underground, in which Roark will greet you and introduce you to the area. If you reach the underground through the void, the game will try to play this cutscene in the void, which causes the game to crash.
- If you tweak into Pokétch Co. and take the west route, and you have not been to the underground on that save file yet, the game will crash at 222 steps west.
- Once you’ve been underground at least once, subsequent visits do not have a cutscene upon arrival, so the game will no longer crash at 222 steps west, allowing you to move westward through the void indefinitely.
- The first time you visit the Contest Hall in Hearthome City, a cutscene plays. Along your journey through the void, sometimes you will pass through an area called “Contest Hall” (with the Contest Hall music playing), which triggers the cutscene. This happens at 1,727 steps west.

Go to Jubilife City. Go to the set of lamps at the bottom entrance, connecting Route 202 and Jubilife City.
Get on the bicycle, and use the slower gear. You can switch between the fast gear and the slow gear by pressing “B.” Go five steps above the left lamp, then travel in an L-shaped path towards the right lamp, as shown in the first three seconds of this video. It will take some practice, so be patient! Once you’ve done it correctly, you will see that the area left of the Trainer’s School was replaced with a black abyss, while northwest Jubilife City now looks like Route 203. Follow the video so that you know exactly where to go. Once you are next to the middle of three trees, as shown at 0:07 in the video, open your menu and view your Pokédex or bag (any action that occupies the entire screen), then close it. If you press the “down” button on the direction pad, you will see that you are now in the Pokétch building, and you can now walk south into the void. Your journey into the void has now officially begun!
On the bottom screen showing the Pokétch, press the button until you bring up the Step Counter. If you were already using that app, great! Take a step south (just one); you are now in the void below the Pokétch building.
Go 17 steps west.
Go 14 steps north.
Go 2015 steps west. Once you have traveled 127 steps west, you will see the “Mystery Zone” header, and at this point, you are now able to use your bicycle. We highly recommend doing this, as this will make the rest of this journey a lot faster.
- Important Note: When inside the void, you must watch your steps; the route requires very specific numbers of steps, and you cannot afford to exceed any of the amounts. You may ruin your save file if you do. Once you start getting close to the number, we strongly recommend that you slow down to avoid going over the required number of steps. It is also a good idea to watch this video and follow along.
Go 512 steps south.
At this point, the header says “Jubilife City,” and you are now hearing Jubilife City’s music. Save the game, and reset.
Go 32 steps east.
Go 384 steps south.
Go 32 steps west.
Go 1792 steps south.
Go 128 steps west.
Go 32 steps south.
Go 192 steps west.
Go 64 steps south.
Go 160 steps west.
Go 96 steps south.
Go 96 steps east.
Go 32 steps south.
Go 63 steps east. [Note: If you have already been to Pal Park before, go 64 steps east instead.]
- Here, a cutscene plays. In normal gameplay, this is the cutscene that plays on your first visit to the Pal Park building on Route 221.
After the cutscene, go a single step north, then go 63 steps east.
Go 191 steps north. After another step north, the game counts down for the Pal Park show, and Pal Park mode is now active. For the rest of this journey, your menu now has a “Retire” feature.
Go 192 steps east.
Go 66 steps south.