Master Ball

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Master Ball
マスターボール
Master Ball
Bag Master Ball Sprite.png
Master Ball
Artwork by Ken Sugimori
Introduced in Generation I
Pocket
Generation I Bag Items pocket icon.png Items
Generation II Bag Poké Balls pocket icon.png Poké Balls
Generation III Bag Poké Balls pocket icon.png Poké Balls
Generation IV Bag Poké Balls pocket icon.png Poké Balls
Generation V Bag Items pocket icon.png Items (Poké Balls)
Generation VI Bag Items pocket icon.png Items
Generation VII Bag Items pocket icon.png Items

The Master Ball (Japanese: マスターボール Master Ball) is a type of Poké Ball introduced in Generation I.

The Master Ball, like all Poké Balls, is spherical in shape. The top and bottom halves are divided by a horizontal black band, on which the button is found on all Poké Balls. The top half of the Master Ball is purple, with a white letter "M" on the front, with a pink circle on either side. Master Balls are developed by Silph Co.

In the core series games

Price

Games Cost Sell price
RGBY/RBY
GSC
N/A $0
RSEFRLG
DPPtHGSS
BWB2W2
XYORAS
SM
N/A N/A

Effect

Manual activation

In a wild encounter, it can catch a single wild Pokémon without fail (with the exception of the ghost Marowak in Pokémon Tower and Kyurem while it is under Ghetsis's control).

Held item

A Master Ball can be held, but it will have no effect. Fling will fail if used while holding a Master Ball.

Description

Games Description
Stad A Ball that captures any wild Pokémon without fail.
GSC The best Ball. It never misses.
RSE
Colo.XD
The best Ball that catches a Pokémon without fail.
FRLG The best Ball with the ultimate performance. It will catch any wild Pokémon without fail.
DPPtHGSS
BWB2W2
The best Ball with the ultimate level of performance. It will catch any wild Pokémon without fail.
XYORAS
SM
The best Poké Ball with the ultimate level of performance. With it, you will catch any wild Pokémon without fail.


Acquisition

Games Finite methods Repeatable methods
RGBY
RBY
Silph Co. (from president after defeating Giovanni)
GSC New Bark Town (from Professor Elm after all eight Johto Badges) Goldenrod Radio Tower (match all 5 digits in the Lucky Channel)
RS Magma HideoutR/Aqua HideoutS (entrance sealed after defeating Tate and Liza) Lilycove Department Store (match all 5 digits in the Pokémon Lottery Corner)
E Aqua Hideout Lilycove Department Store (match all 5 digits in the Pokémon Lottery Corner)
FRLG Silph Co. (from president after defeating Giovanni)
Colo. Agate Village (read incomplete email from Eagun in Realgam Tower)
XD Pokémon HQ Lab (from Professor Krane before heading to Citadark Isle)
DPPt Galactic Veilstone Building (after defeating Cyrus) Jubilife TV (match all 5 digits in the Pokémon Lottery Corner)
HGSS New Bark Town (from Professor Elm after all eight Johto Badges) Goldenrod Radio Tower (match all 5 digits in the Lucky Channel)
BW Opelucid City (from Professor Juniper after earning all eight Unova Badges),
Castelia City Pokémon Center (have outsider Pokémon from 50 different original Trainers)
B2W2 Mistralton City (from Professor Juniper), Plasma Frigate (defeat Colress after entering the Hall of Fame) Join Avenue (grand prize from Raffle Shops)
XY Poké Ball Factory (defeat Celosia and Bryony) Loto-ID Center (match all 5 digits)
ORAS Team Magma HideoutOR/Team Aqua HideoutAS Pokémon Lottery Corner (match all 5 digits)
PMC Mine Cart Adventure
SM Aether Paradise (from Gladion after defeating Lusamine) Loto-ID Center (match 5 digits), Big Dreams (Prize No. 1)

Distribution

Generation V
Bulbanews
Bulbanews has an article related to this subject:

The Master Ball was distributed at Pokémon Center stores throughout Japan from November 19 to December 3, 2011. It was also distributed at the Tohoku Pokémon Center individually from February 28 to March 16, 2012 due to the Tohoku Pokémon Center not being open at the time of the initial distribution.

Wonder Card
マスターボール プレゼント
いよいよ 646しゅるいの ポケモンの
じょうほうが あきらかに!
マスターボールを うけとって
まだつかまえていない ポケモンを
てにいれるための ぼうけんに でよう!


*ふしぎなカード
Bag Master Ball Sprite.png
マスターボール プレゼント
ポケモンを あそんでくれて
ありがとう!
おくりものは ポケモンセンタ-にいる
はいたついんから うけとってね!


Generation VI

A Master Ball was available to players via a serial code. Players who saw Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction in theaters could download a special stage for The Thieves and the 1000 Pokémon. After clearing that special stage players received a serial code to obtain the Master Ball. The serial code could be used to obtain the Master Ball in Japanese region Pokémon X and Y from July 19 to October 15, 2014.

Distribution

In all languages, the distribution text and title are in Japanese, but the Wonder Card uses the Pokémon Movie 2014 type text in the language of the receiving game.

マスターボール プレゼント
ポケモンえいがを げきじょうに
みにきてくれて ありがとう!
やせいの ポケモンを かならず
つかまえる ことが できる
マスターボールを プレゼント!


ふしぎなカード
マスターボール プレゼント
ポケモン映画2014を
てくれて ありがとう!
おくりものは ポケモンセンターにいる
配達員から ってね!

Cameo appearances

Pokémon Stadium 2

Master Ball as seen during the Stadium 2's mini-game
Furret Frolic Master Ball instructions.png

In Pokémon Stadium 2, Master Ball appears in the mini-game Furret's Frolic. It is the largest ball in that mini-game, appearing later than the rest and being worth 5 points.

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness

In Pokémon XD, Master Balls are used in the Battle Bingo game. The player starts with two and can gain an extra one from one of the ? spaces.

Pokémon Dream World

A Master Ball-themed rug from the Dream World

A decorative rug themed after the Master Ball could be found in the Hero's Catalogue in the Dream World.

Appearance

Master Ball battle II.png Master Ball III.png Master Ball Master Ball summary Colo.png Master Ball summary XD.png Master Ball summary IV.png Master Ball battle IV.png Master Ball battle V.png
Appearance in-battle in Generation II Appearance in-battle and on the Status screen in
Generation III
Bag sprite from FireRed and LeafGreen onwards Pokémon's summary sprite from Pokémon Colosseum Pokémon's summary sprite from Pokémon XD Pokémon's summary sprite from Generation IV onwards Appearance in-battle in Generation IV Appearance in-battle in Generation V

Artwork

In spin-off games

Pokémon Pinball series

In Pokémon Pinball and Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire, the Poké Ball that serves as the pinball is capable of being upgraded to a Great Ball, an Ultra Ball and a Master Ball. However, this serves solely as a score multiplier, as catching a Pokémon is always guaranteed, even with a regular Poké Ball.

Super Smash Bros. series

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Poké Ball trophy mentions the Master Ball, identifying it as the strongest variety of Poké Ball.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U

SmashWiki
SmashWiki has more about this subject:
Master Ball model in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, the Master Ball appears as a throwing item. It functions much like the Poké Ball item, but only summons rare and Legendary Pokémon or a Goldeen.

Trophy information

NA: These valuable, powerful balls can capture any wild Pokémon. In Smash Bros., hard- to-find Pokémon often pop out of them. You can easily identify a Master Ball by the distinct purple appearance and large M on the top. A Pokémon within a Master Ball may turn the tide of battle.

PAL: A rare type of Poké Ball that never fails to catch a Pokémon. Throw one in this game, and the Mythical or Legendary Pokémon inside will come to your aid. Master Balls are easy to identify due to their purple colour and the large M on them. Use one to quickly turn the tide of any battle!

In the anime

Master Ball in the anime

In the main series

In Beauty and the Beach and A Hot Water Battle, Misty has a beach ball that was decorated to look like a Master Ball. This Master Ball beach ball reappeared in the Pikachu short Pikachu's Ice Adventure. In The Song of Jigglypuff, a picture of a Master Ball appeared on a billboard on a building.

In Whiscash and Ash, the fisherman Sullivan attempted to use a Master Ball in a last-ditch attempt to catch Nero, an oversized wild Whiscash that had long eluded him. However, Nero swallowed the Master Ball and disappeared back into the water, not being caught. At the end of the episode, Nero was seen playing with the Master Ball on its tongue.

In Pokémon Origins

Master Ball in Pokémon Origins

The Master Ball never made an actual appearance in Pokémon Origins, only appearing in Silph Co. president's secretary's demonstration in File 3: Giovanni. She mentioned that the Master Ball was still in development, and only existed as a prototype. She also told that it was why Team Rocket had taken over their office building; they intended to accelerate the development of the Master Ball and then steal it when it would be completed, making sure they would be the only ones possessing it. After Team Rocket was driven out of the building by Red, it was mentioned that the development of the Master Ball was put on hold for a while.

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Red used Pika to capture Mewtwo for Blaine with a Master Ball given to him by Blaine in And Mewtwo... Three!.

In the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure! manga

A Master Ball appeared under Professor Rowan's possession in Bonds Connect Across Space-Time... at the Spear Pillar. In an attempt to stop the battle between Dialga and Palkia, Hareta tried to use the Master Ball to capture Palkia, but Palkia, having total control over space, was able to make itself disappear out of Master Ball's way and then smack it aside.

In the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga

Red used a Master Ball in The Legendary Pokémon Appears!! to capture Articuno.

In the Pokémon Zensho manga

Satoshi obtained a Master Ball from the Silph Co.'s president in Saffron City as a thanks for rescuing his company from the hands of Team Rocket.

Gallery

In the TCG

Master Ball
Main article: Master Ball (Gym Challenge 116)

The Master Ball was introduced as a Trainer card in the Pokémon Trading Card Game in English during the Original Series in the Gym Challenge, and in Japanese during the Original Era in the Extended Sheet 2. It has been reprinted as a Trainer card in the Japanese-exclusive Intro Pack Neo (in the Neo Era), the Japanese-exclusive Pokémon VS expansion (in the VS Era), the English e-Card Series (the Japanese e-Card Era), and the English EX Series (the Japanese ADV Era and PCG Era). It was reprinted as an Ace Spec Item card during the English Black & White Series (the Japanese BW era), in the Plasma Blast expansion in English and the Blastoise + Kyurem-EX Combo Deck in Japanese.

As a Trainer card, this card allowed the player to look at the top 7 cards of their deck and add one Pokémon card from those cards to their hand, then shuffle their deck. As an Ace Spec Item card, this card allows the player to add 1 Pokémon card from their deck to their hand.

The Master Ball was also featured as a card in Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Team GR!

Trivia

Master Ball in Pokémon GO
  • The Master Ball is present in the game data of Pokémon GO, but is unused.
  • The infinite ball glitch is often known as the Master Ball glitch, due to Master Balls commonly being used in this glitch.

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 大師球 Daaihsī Kàuh *
掌門球 Jéungmùhn Kàuh *
掌門精靈球 Jéungmùhn Jīnglìhng Kàuh *
究極寵物小精靈球 Gaugihk Chúngmaht-Síujīnglìhng Kàuh *
精靈球 Jīnglìhng Kàuh *
Mandarin 大師球 / 大师球 Dàshī Qiú *
掌門球 / 掌门球 Zhǎngmén Qiú *
魔獸球 Móshòu Qiú *
究極神奇寶貝球 Jiūjí Shénqí-Bǎobèi Qiú *
终极神奇宝贝球 Zhōngjí Shénqí-Bǎobèi Qiú *
Finland Flag.png Finnish Mestaripallo
France Flag.png French Master Ball
Germany Flag.png German Meisterball
Italy Flag.png Italian Master Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 마스터볼 Master Ball
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Bola Mestra (TCG, The Official Pokémon Handbook)
Master Ball (manga)
Russia Flag.png Russian Мастер-Болл Master-Boll
Spanish CELAC Flag.png Latin America Bola Maestra
Spain Flag.png Spain Master Ball
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Master

External links


Project ItemDex logo.png This item article is part of Project ItemDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on all items.