Master Ball, Now in Pokémon Go

Along with Shadow Raids, something new has also appeared in Pokémon Go. Actually, it's something old for long-in-the-tooth fans of Pokémon in general, but it's nonetheless new for Pokémon Go; it's also something that some may have waited a long time for. For those who have decried missing an important capture - perhaps a Legendary raid boss with (close to) the best IV - or have concerns of such a situation, the answer is now present, in the form of the Poké Ball that never misses. And yes, it's the Master Ball.

Since last week, Trainers are now able to earn their first (and thus far, only) Master Ball by completing the "Let's Go!" Special Research set - which should have been obtained since two months ago and can be obtained until the end of this month - to the fifth page, which then rewards the highly coveted and very important capture ball. Once obtained, it can then be used as necessary in any situation where capturing Pokémon is necessary, including bonus encounters after raids or Team Go Rocket battles. This situation also makes it the first capture ball other than Premier Balls that may be used in those circumstances.

Using the Master Ball is simple. The capture ball drawer is pulled out and the Master Ball is selected, at which point a confirmation prompt (and the only one) is displayed to ascertain its use. Selecting "Use" will put the ball at the ready position to be thrown; when thrown, it displays a "galactic" cutscene of several seconds that ends with the ball definitively capturing the Pokémon. Any throw may be made for this purpose, even if the throw were to end up missing the Pokémon in any direction, and essentially, this throwing gesture is the final affirmation for its use, as it will never miss no matter what one does.

Yet as expected, circumstances regarding its "misuse" has come to light, even with the only failsafe above. There have been reports that the ball has been used to capture common Pokémon by parties that don't understand its purpose, while other reports indicate that it may conflict with the usage of a Go Plus device of any sort, especially for Pokémon that have already fled without this situation being known. Of course, by this point, still others have sacrificed their Master Ball for a common Pokémon... but this was done knowingly and for the purpose of documentation, so it's less of a "misuse" than the other two situations above.

In light of the above, some precautions and guidelines may need to be established. If possible, it may be best to defer completion of the Special Research for as long as possible; once the Master Ball is obtained, it may be necessary to exercise caution in all capture circumstances - especially when a Go Plus device is in use - and not to entrust capture to external parties, particularly those unaware of the Master Ball. As for usage, two candidates are already obvious: good raid bosses with the best stats as well as the Galarian birds that seem to run away no matter what one does... or one can just save it (carefully) for future shenanigans.

There's an old adage that states that great power demands great responsibility. In this case, that great power is the godly Master Ball, now available for use in Pokémon Go, while the great responsibility is making sure that it is preserved well and used appropriately. It's an "old new thing" that has finally made it into Pokémon Go, and it may just make good situations better (and hopefully not bad situations worse). Certainly, like the other games it has appeared in, the Master Ball in Pokémon Go should take things one step closer to "mastery".

One year ago: Chasing Competitive Dreams

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Event Rollup, 5/28/2021

Three years ago: Pro Job, Fun Job

Four years ago: Memories of Sinnoh

Five years ago: Helix Fossil Understands

Six years ago: Takara Tomy Pokémon XY Pikachu Plush Doll