The Master Ball in Pokémon Silver is best reserved for capturing the elusive and difficult-to-catch roaming Legendary Pokémon: Raikou, Entei, or Suicune.
The Master Ball: Your Ultimate Catching Tool
The Master Ball is a unique and incredibly valuable item in Pokémon Silver, guaranteeing a 100% catch rate on any Pokémon without fail. You receive this one-of-a-kind Poké Ball as a reward for demonstrating your battling expertise during your journey. Its absolute reliability makes it the most powerful catching tool in the game, and consequently, its use requires careful consideration since you only ever receive one.
Ideal Targets: Roaming Legendary Pokémon
The most strategic and widely recommended use for your Master Ball in Pokémon Silver is on one of the three roaming Legendary Beasts: Raikou, Entei, or Suicune. These Pokémon become available after encountering them in the Burnt Tower in Ecruteak City and will then roam randomly across the Johto region's routes.
Why They Are the Perfect Choice
- Elusiveness: Raikou, Entei, and Suicune are notoriously difficult to catch because they will flee from battle on the first turn every single time. This makes traditional methods of weakening them and applying status conditions incredibly frustrating and time-consuming, often requiring numerous encounters.
- Battle Difficulty: Beyond their tendency to flee, these Pokémon are strong, boasting high stats. This means that even if you manage to get a hit in, lowering their HP and inflicting a status condition before they escape is a significant challenge, often resulting in them knocking out your Pokémon or simply running away.
- Uniqueness: Like all Legendary Pokémon, there is only one of each in the game. Missing out on one due to an unexpected critical hit or a failed catch attempt can be very disappointing.
Using the Master Ball on one of these roamers eliminates all the difficulty and risk, securing the catch instantly and effortlessly.
Here's a breakdown of why they are the prime candidates:
| Target Pokémon | Reason for Master Ball Use |
|---|---|
| Raikou, Entei, Suicune | They flee combat instantly, possess high stats, are difficult to track, and can only be weakened slowly over many encounters. The Master Ball bypasses all these challenges. |
Other Potential (But Less Recommended) Uses
While the roaming Legendary Beasts are the primary targets, the Master Ball can technically be used on any Pokémon. However, using it on anything else is generally considered wasteful given its unique power and your limited supply.
Non-Roaming Legendary Pokémon
Pokémon like Lugia and Ho-Oh, while powerful and legendary, do not flee battle. This means you can use conventional strategies to weaken them, inflict status conditions (like Sleep or Paralysis), and then use Great Balls, Ultra Balls, or even standard Poké Balls to catch them. Saving your Master Ball for these encounters is often unnecessary.
Shiny Pokémon
In rare instances, if you encounter a Shiny Pokémon that has moves like "Roar" (forcing you out of battle) or "Self-Destruct" / "Explosion" (knocking itself out), a Master Ball could be a justifiable use to ensure the capture of such a rare variant. However, most Shiny Pokémon can be caught with careful play and other Poké Balls.
Any Difficult Pokémon
The Master Ball could be used on any Pokémon that proves incredibly difficult to catch, perhaps due to low catch rate, high level, or tricky movesets. However, for most non-legendary Pokémon, a combination of status conditions (like Sleep or Freeze), low HP, and a high-quality Poké Ball (like an Ultra Ball) is usually sufficient. Using your Master Ball for anything less than a roaming legendary is often seen as overkill.
Making the Most of Your Master Ball
Given that you only obtain one Master Ball in Pokémon Silver, its use is a significant strategic decision. Saving it for Raikou, Entei, or Suicune provides the greatest benefit, saving you countless hours of frustrating resets, tracking, and battling with these elusive creatures. By using it wisely, you ensure a stress-free capture of one of the most challenging Pokémon in the Johto region.
