Note: This guide is written for the original Pokémon Emerald on Game Boy Advance. If you are playing a ROM hack, remake, randomizer, or modded version, item locations and mechanics may be different.
In Pokémon Emerald, the Master Ball is the crown jewel of Poké Balls: purple, iconic, and basically the “I have decided you are coming with me” button. It catches any wild Pokémon without fail, which makes it perfect for legendary Pokémon like Rayquaza, Latios, Latias, Kyogre, Groudon, and roaming Pokémon that flee faster than your motivation on a Monday morning.
The catch? The game does not hand out Master Balls like free samples at a grocery store. In a normal playthrough, you get one guaranteed Master Ball. More are possible, but you need to understand the difference between legitimate methods, lucky methods, trading methods, glitches, and cheats. This guide explains how to get more Master Balls on Pokémon Emerald in nine practical steps, with clear advice on what is safe, what is repeatable, and what can mess with your save file if you treat your cartridge like a science experiment.
Step 1: Get the Guaranteed Master Ball in Team Aqua’s Hideout
The first and most important step is getting the one Master Ball the game gives you during the story. In Pokémon Emerald, you can find it inside Team Aqua’s Hideout, located near Lilycove City. This area becomes available after Team Aqua steals the submarine from Slateport City and you continue the main storyline toward Lilycove.
Inside the hideout, you will find warp panels, Team Aqua Grunts, and a room with four item balls. Do not run in there grabbing everything like a Zigzagoon with caffeine. Two of the balls are actually Electrode encounters, one is a Nugget, and one is the Master Ball. The Master Ball is usually identified as the top-left item ball in that four-ball room.
Why this step matters
If you skip this Master Ball and move too far ahead in the story, you may lose easy access depending on your version and progression. So before continuing toward Mossdeep, Seafloor Cavern, and the late-game legendary drama, check Team Aqua’s Hideout carefully. This is your most reliable Master Ball, and unlike the lottery, it does not require cosmic luck.
Step 2: Save Before Picking It Up
Before collecting the Master Ball, save your game. This sounds boring, but saving before major items is the Pokémon equivalent of wearing a seatbelt. It is not exciting until you need it.
Saving helps if you accidentally reset, battle the wrong Electrode, or realize you are in the wrong room. It also gives you a clean checkpoint before you decide what to do with your Master Ball later. Since the Master Ball is so rare, treat it like a legendary item, not like another Potion you found behind a suspicious rock.
Smart save habit
Use multiple save points wisely if you are playing on an emulator, but if you are on the original cartridge, simply save before important choices. If your internal battery is dry, daily events may behave differently, so keep that in mind when trying lottery-based methods later.
Step 3: Use the Lilycove Department Store Lottery
The next legitimate way to get another Master Ball is through the Pokémon Lottery Corner on the first floor of the Lilycove Department Store. The lottery checks a daily number against the Trainer ID numbers of Pokémon you own. If all five digits match, you win a Master Ball.
Sounds easy, right? Just match five digits. While we are at it, just casually win the real-world lottery and buy a private island shaped like Pikachu. The odds are low, but this is a real in-game method and does not require cheating or glitches.
How the lottery works
The game compares the daily winning number with the ID numbers of Pokémon in your party and PC boxes. More Pokémon with different Trainer IDs means more chances to match. If all digits match, the top prize is a Master Ball. If only some ending digits match, you may receive smaller prizes instead.
Because the lottery checks Pokémon IDs, catching 200 Pokémon yourself does not help as much as having Pokémon from different trainers. That leads directly to the next step.
Step 4: Trade for Pokémon With Different Trainer IDs
To improve your odds in the Lilycove lottery, trade with other players. Every traded Pokémon with a different original Trainer ID gives you another possible number that can match the daily lottery draw. The more unique IDs you collect, the better your chances become.
In the Game Boy Advance era, this meant trading with Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, or another copy of Emerald using a link cable or wireless adapter. Today, if you are playing on original hardware, you still need compatible systems and games. If you are using an emulator, trading depends on the emulator’s features and setup.
Best trading strategy
Trade for common Pokémon, not rare ones. You do not need someone’s prized shiny Metagross just to improve your lottery odds. A humble Wurmple from another trainer works fine. The lottery cares about the Trainer ID, not whether the Pokémon is cool enough to wear sunglasses indoors.
Try to fill PC boxes with Pokémon from many different trainers. If you have access to multiple cartridges or friends who still enjoy Generation III games, this method becomes much more practical.
Step 5: Check the Lottery Every Day
Once you have many different Trainer IDs in your collection, visit the Lilycove Department Store lottery daily. This method is slow, but it is clean, legitimate, and repeatable. No glitches, no external devices, no save-file gymnastics.
Make it a habit: fly to Lilycove, enter the department store, talk to the lottery receptionist, check the number, and move on. It takes less than a minute. Most days you will not win the Master Ball. Some days you may get smaller prizes. One glorious day, the stars may align and the game may finally say, “Fine, take the purple miracle ball.”
Important reminder about daily events
If you are playing on an original cartridge with a dry internal battery, time-based events may not function normally. Since the lottery is a daily event, battery issues can affect your ability to use it as intended. In that case, the lottery may not refresh properly.
Step 6: Trade Pokémon Holding Master Balls From Other Games
Another way to get more Master Balls in Pokémon Emerald is to trade Pokémon that are holding Master Balls. In Generation III, Pokémon can hold items, and those held items can come with them during trades between compatible games.
For example, if you have another save file in Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, or another Emerald, you can give that game’s Master Ball to a Pokémon and trade it into your main Emerald save. This is one of the cleanest ways to collect extra Master Balls without using glitches.
When this method is useful
This is ideal if you own multiple cartridges or are replaying a second game. You can collect the Master Ball in that game, attach it to an easy-to-trade Pokémon, and send it over. It is slower than cloning, but it keeps your save file completely normal.
The downside is obvious: each donor save usually has only one guaranteed Master Ball too. So unless you enjoy replaying old Pokémon games, this method is reliable but not exactly fast. Still, it is perfect for players who want extra Master Balls without touching glitches or cheat codes.
Step 7: Use the Battle Tower Cloning Glitch Carefully
Now we reach the famous method: the Pokémon Emerald Battle Tower cloning glitch. This glitch can duplicate Pokémon and held items, including Master Balls. It is one of the best-known glitches in Generation III and is often used by players to duplicate rare candies, TMs, berries, and yes, Master Balls.
However, this is not an intended feature. It involves saving, depositing or withdrawing Pokémon, interacting with the Battle Tower, and interrupting the game during a specific save-related moment. If done incorrectly, it can risk data issues. Many players have used it successfully for years, but “many players did it” is not the same as “nothing can ever go wrong.”
Basic concept of the cloning glitch
The basic idea is simple: give a Pokémon a Master Ball to hold, use the PC and Battle Tower save sequence in a specific way, and cause the game to duplicate the Pokémon or item state. When the glitch works, you end up with extra copies of the Pokémon or the held item.
If you decide to use this method, practice first with a common Pokémon holding a low-value item. Do not begin with your only Master Ball unless you enjoy emotional damage. Test with something like a Potion or a common berry. Once you understand the timing and results, then consider duplicating rare items.
Step 8: Avoid Risky Cheat Codes Unless You Accept the Consequences
Cheat devices and emulator codes can create Master Balls instantly, usually by changing shop inventories or item slots. This is the fastest method, but it is also the least “natural” method. It can cause bugs if you enter the wrong code, stack incompatible codes, or save after something weird happens.
For casual experimentation, cheats can be fun. For a beloved childhood save file with years of memories, maybe do not treat it like a crash-test dummy. If you use cheats on an emulator, create a backup save first. If you use original hardware and external devices, understand that corrupted saves are possible.
Cheat method vs. glitch method
The cloning glitch uses the game’s own mechanics in an unintended way. Cheat codes use external manipulation. Both can give you more Master Balls, but they are not the same. If you care about keeping your save “legit,” stick to the Team Aqua Hideout, lottery, and trading methods. If you are simply playing for fun and do not care about purity, cheats are an optionbut they come with responsibility.
Step 9: Spend Master Balls Strategically
Getting more Master Balls is exciting, but using them wisely matters too. In Pokémon Emerald, the best Master Ball targets are usually roaming Pokémon or high-value legendaries. Rayquaza is strong but stationary, meaning you can save before battling it and retry if needed. Latios or Latias, depending on your post-game choice, can roam and flee, making them more annoying to catch normally.
If you have only one Master Ball, many players save it for the roaming Lati twin. If you have several, you can use them on Rayquaza, Kyogre, Groudon, Regirock, Regice, Registeel, or any shiny Pokémon that appears when you least expect it. Nothing tests your nerves like finding a shiny and realizing your best Poké Ball is optimism.
Best use priorities
Use Master Balls on Pokémon that are rare, hard to catch, likely to flee, or personally important to you. A legendary Pokémon can usually be retried if you save first. A random shiny in the wild may not give you that luxury. If a shiny Pokémon appears and you have a Master Ball, throw it. This is not the time for pride. This is the time for purple-ball insurance.
Legitimate Ways vs. Glitch Ways vs. Cheat Ways
To keep everything clear, here is the practical breakdown. The guaranteed legitimate method is the Team Aqua Hideout Master Ball. The repeatable legitimate method is the Lilycove lottery, especially when you own many traded Pokémon with different Trainer IDs. The trade-based method is moving Master Balls from compatible Generation III games by attaching them to Pokémon. The glitch method is the Battle Tower cloning glitch. The cheat method uses external codes or devices.
There is no normal Poké Mart where you can simply buy Master Balls in unmodified Pokémon Emerald. If someone says, “Just buy them,” they are probably talking about cheat codes, ROM hacks, or a modified game. In the original game, the Master Ball is rare by design.
Common Mistakes Players Make
Using the Master Ball too early
Many players throw their only Master Ball at the first legendary they see. That is understandable, especially when the music gets dramatic and your palms start sweating. But in Emerald, it is often smarter to save it for a roaming Pokémon or unexpected shiny.
Ignoring the lottery
The lottery feels slow, so many players forget it exists. But if you collect traded Pokémon, your odds improve. It still takes patience, but it is the cleanest repeatable method.
Trying the cloning glitch without practice
The cloning glitch is powerful, but beginners should test it with common items first. Do not risk your only Master Ball, your starter, or your favorite Pokémon until you know exactly what you are doing.
Believing every online code
Not all cheat codes are safe or compatible with every emulator, cartridge, or device. A wrong code can create strange inventory bugs. Back up your save before experimenting.
Extra Experience: What It Feels Like Hunting More Master Balls in Pokémon Emerald
Getting more Master Balls in Pokémon Emerald is less like shopping and more like planning a tiny heist, except the security guards are Team Aqua Grunts and half the treasure chests are angry Electrode. The first time many players enter Team Aqua’s Hideout, they do not even realize the Master Ball is hiding there. The warp panels make the place feel like a corporate office designed by a confused Abra. You step on one tile, appear somewhere else, fight a Grunt, step on another tile, and suddenly wonder whether you are progressing or just being politely bullied by architecture.
The moment you find the four item balls is memorable. Veteran players know the top-left one is the prize, but new players often grab randomly and get jumped by Electrode. It is one of those classic Pokémon lessons: not every free item is your friend. Once you finally pick up the Master Ball, there is a small moment of power. You check your Bag, see it sitting there, and immediately become the most dangerous person in Hoenn. Not because your team is strong, but because one wild Pokémon, somewhere, is about to lose its right to say no.
The Lilycove lottery is a completely different experience. It is quiet, polite, and deeply humbling. You walk into a department store, talk to the receptionist, and hope today is the day. Usually, it is not the day. Then it is not the day again. Then it is still not the day. The lottery teaches patience, probability, and emotional restraint. It also teaches you to appreciate every traded Pokémon sitting in your PC boxes. That random Taillow from a friend suddenly feels like a lottery ticket with feathers.
Trading for extra Master Balls feels more controlled. If you have another cartridge, it almost becomes a supply chain. One game earns the Master Ball, a Pokémon holds it, and Emerald receives it like a secret delivery. It is slow, but it feels fair. There is something satisfying about building your collection through old-school trading, especially if you are using actual Game Boy Advance hardware. Link cables may look ancient now, but when they work, they feel like magic spaghetti.
The Battle Tower cloning glitch is where things get spicy. It has the energy of discovering a hidden trapdoor in the game’s code. Players who use it often remember the first successful clone clearly. You follow the steps, reset at the tense moment, reload the game, check your PC, and there it is: the duplicated item. Suddenly, one Master Ball can become two, then four, then enough to make every legendary in Hoenn nervous. Still, the method deserves respect. It is fun, but it is also a glitch. Practice, save carefully, and do not get greedy. Greed is how villains in Pokémon games end up awakening ancient weather monsters.
In the end, the best method depends on your play style. Purists should stick with the hideout, lottery, and trades. Experimenters may enjoy cloning. Casual players on emulators may prefer backups and codes. But no matter which path you choose, the real goal is the same: having enough Master Balls to catch the Pokémon you care about without turning every legendary battle into a twenty-minute Ultra Ball negotiation.
Conclusion
Learning how to get more Master Balls on Pokémon Emerald comes down to knowing your options. The game gives you one guaranteed Master Ball in Team Aqua’s Hideout. After that, you can try the Lilycove lottery, improve your odds with traded Pokémon, trade in Master Balls from other Generation III games, use the Battle Tower cloning glitch, or rely on cheat codes if you are comfortable with the risks.
For the safest experience, collect the hideout Master Ball, save it for a roaming legendary or shiny, and use trading plus the lottery for extra chances. For players who enjoy glitches, the Battle Tower cloning method can create more Master Balls, but practice first and protect your save. A Master Ball may catch anything, but sadly, it cannot catch a corrupted file and bring it back.
