The new Pokemon games Scarlet and Violet have finally arrived, taking players to the stunning open world of the Paldea region. As a social media marketing expert and longtime Pokemon fan, I‘m excited to share this comprehensive guide on one of the most important items for Pokemon trainers – the Ultra Ball. With new Pokemon to discover, Gym challenges to conquer, Titan Pokemon to battle and mysteries of the region to uncover, having a reliable stock of Ultra Balls is essential.
In this extensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how to get these highly effective Poke Balls and use them successfully in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
What are Ultra Balls and Why Are They Important?
Ultra Balls are enhanced Poke Balls that have a significantly higher chance of successfully catching a wild Pokemon compared to a standard Poke Ball. With a 2x catch rate modifier, Ultra Balls double your chance of capturing a Pokemon encounter. This makes them extremely valuable when you want to ensure you catch an elusive or high-level Pokemon.
As a Pokemon trainer, having a stock of Ultra Balls prepared will give you the best odds of adding powerful and rare Pokemon to your team. I‘ve played every Pokemon game to date, and a supply of Ultra Balls has helped me construct teams of formidable Pokemon in each new region. Their increased catch rate has allowed me to snag legendary Pokemon like Suicune and the Ultra Beasts that can be challenging to pin down.
In Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, with new extremely rare Pokemon like the Paradox Pokemon scattering the Paldea region, Ultra Balls will be more important than ever for successfully catching impactful team members. Having them on hand could make the difference between catching that 1% spawn Pokemon or losing it forever.
When Do Ultra Balls Unlock in Scarlet and Violet?
Ultra Balls are not available immediately to purchase in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Instead, you’ll need to make some degree of progress in the game first before shops begin selling Ultra Balls.
Specifically, Ultra Balls only become available for purchase once you have acquired 5 Gym Badges. This means you’ll need to defeat the Gym Leaders in Artazon, Levincia, Cascarrafa and either Medali or Montenevera depending on your version.
Defeating 5 Gyms and their powerful Gym Leader teams will take some time and effort. Based on my playthrough, it required me to train my Pokemon into their 30s before being ready to take on these mid-game Gym challenges. Once your team is strong enough, make sure to battle your way through these Gyms in Artazon, Levincia, Cascarrafa, and Medali/Montenevera.
Only once you’re holding 5 Sparkling Gym Badges will NPCs then begin telling you that Ultra Balls are now available in shops. This checkpoint is put in place to make sure trainers aren’t acquiring access to these powerful Poke Balls too early in the game. So get ready to put in some work before you can buy yourself some Ultra Balls!
Where Can You Buy Ultra Balls in Paldea?
Once unlocked, you’ll be able to purchase Ultra Balls from PokeMarts and Delibird Presents stores located around the Paldea region. Here are the key locations that will begin selling Ultra Balls after you get 5 badges:
PokeMarts
The main location to buy Poke Balls in any Pokemon game is the PokeMart. Once Ultra Balls are available, you’ll be able to purchase them from:
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Mesagoza PokeMart – The first major city you reach in Paldea, located in the center of the map. Ultra Balls will cost 800 Pokedollars here.
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Levincia PokeMart – This northern city is the 5th Gym location. Stock up on Ultra Balls here before challenging the Gym.
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Cascarrafa PokeMart – The eastern coast city contains the 6th Gym. Its PokeMart will sell Ultra Balls.
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Other PokeMarts – Later in the game, more PokeMarts such as in Cortondo will also carry Ultra Balls once you progress the story further.
I recommend buying at least 20-30 Ultra Balls anytime you’re passing through a shop selling them. You’ll burn through them faster than you think!
Delibird Presents
These Pokémon Centers run by the delivery Pokemon Delibird also sell helpful trainer items in Scarlet and Violet. Once again, the Presents stores in the areas of Mesagoza, Levincia and Cascarrafa will start stocking Ultra Balls after you have 5 badges.
Delibird Presents can be great places to pick up extra Ultra Balls while you’re healing your Pokemon at the Pokémon Center. I would swing by and grab a few extras anytime I was stopping in these major cities.
Other Methods to Get Ultra Balls
Aside from shops, there are a couple alternative methods to get your hands on Ultra Balls:
Porto Marinada Auctions
This unique location in Levincia allows you to bid League Points earned from Tera Raids at auctions for rare items. Once reaching Cascarrafa, Ultra Balls have a chance of appearing here as auction offerings if you get lucky.
I recommend checking back here often after reaching that point in the game. I was able to snag bundles of 5 Ultra Balls several times for reasonable League Point bids.
Pokedex Reward
An easy way to get free Ultra Balls is by completing Pokedex milestones. When you have caught and registered 100 different Pokemon species in your Pokedex, speak to Jacq at the research lab in Mesagoza.
For reaching this milestone, he will reward you with 3 free Ultra Balls! I was thrilled when Jacq handed me a few free Ultra Balls for filling a decent chunk of my Pokedex.
Other NPCs
Occasionally other NPCs may also gift you an Ultra Ball for completing story objectives, side quests or reaching certain areas. Help people out as you explore Paldea and you may be rewarded with a surprise Ultra Ball!
How to Use Ultra Balls Effectively
Now that you know where to buy or find Ultra Balls, let’s go over some tips for using them effectively:
Choose Your Targets Carefully
Ultra Balls have a much higher catch rate than standard Poke Balls, but they are still limited in number. Be selective about when to use them. I recommend saving Ultra Balls for catching the following types of Pokemon:
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Rare spawns – Use your Ultra Balls on Pokemon marked in green that are rare spawns for that area. You don’t want these 1% encounters fleeing!
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Powerful Pokemon – High level Pokemon you encounter will break out of standard Poke Balls more easily. Ultra Balls give you a better shot.
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Shiny Pokemon – Nothing is worse than accidentally knocking out or having a Shiny Pokemon flee before you can catch it! Bust out your Ultra Balls to secure that shiny.
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Legendaries – Down the line when you encounter Legendary and Mythical Pokemon like Koraidon, Miraidon or The Box Legend, you’ll want Ultra Balls equipped.
Get Pokemon to Low HP First
One of the best ways to improve your chances of catching a Pokemon with any type of Poke Ball is to lower its HP beforehand. Get the target Pokemon into red health or inflict a status condition like Sleep or Paralysis before throwing your Ultra Ball. This will make the Pokemon weaker and easier to catch.
I like to use hard-hitting moves like Take Down to get a Pokemon low, then paralyze them with Thunder Wave or Stun Spore. My catch rate with Ultra Balls improves dramatically after I’ve weakened the Pokemon first.
Use Held Items
Equipping a Pokemon with certain held items can also boost your catch rate. Give a Pokemon the Smoke Ball item to make wild Pokemon less likely to flee. Or equip the Decorate Ribbon to mesmerize Pokemon and make them pause.
Smoke Balls helped me immensely when trying to catch more skittish Pokemon like Eevee that are prone to running away. And I used Decorate to stop a Ditto from Transforming so I could hit it with a status move. Take advantage of these helpful items!
Consider Using Berries
Bringing along berries that can influence wild Pokemon is another catch rate strategy. Spray a Nanab Berry to calm an agitated Pokemon before throwing your Ultra Ball. Or feed a Razz Berry to make a Pokemon friendlier to being caught.
When trying to catch a surly Ursaring that kept breaking out, I finally fed it a Razz Berry which noticeably improved its catch rate. Carry these inexpensive berries to give your Ultra Balls an extra edge!
Ultra Balls vs. Other Poke Ball Types
Now that we’ve covered how to get and use Ultra Balls effectively, let’s compare them to other Poke Ball varieties:
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Standard Poke Ball – Has a 1x catch rate with no bonuses. Ultra Balls are far superior for difficult catches.
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Great Ball – These have a 1.5x catch rate, so better than standard but still weaker than Ultra Balls.
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Master Ball – Master Balls have a 100% catch rate, but are extremely rare. Ultra Balls are the next best thing.
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Quick Ball – These work best on the first turn, then become weaker than Ultra Balls. Good for quick catches.
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Timer Ball – Gains power the longer a battle goes on. Situational based on the battle length.
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Dusk Ball – Excellent at night or in caves, surpassing Ultra Balls in those settings.
As you can see, Ultra Balls are near the top – only Master Balls and Dusk Balls in specific situations exceed their 2x catch rate. Having Ultra Balls will cover you in most standard catching scenarios as you explore Paldea.
In Conclusion
That covers everything you need to know about getting your hands on the extremely useful Ultra Balls in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Here are some key tips to recap:
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You need to acquire 5 Gym Badges before Ultra Balls unlock
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Buy them at PokeMarts and Delibird Presents once available
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Check auctions and Pokedex rewards for freebies
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Save Ultra Balls for catching rare and strong Pokemon
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Weaken Pokemon and use items to improve catch rate
Keep these tips in mind as you amass your stockpile of Ultra Balls. Now get out there, become the champion, and catch ‘em all in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet with the help of these ultra-effective Poke Balls!
