Master Ball (Gym Challenge 116)

Trainer Item

Master Ball マスターボール Master Ball

Gym Challenge print Illus. Keiji Kinebuchi Release information Japanese expansion Extended Sheet 2 Japanese Rarity Japanese Deck Kit Quick Starter Gift Set Japanese Deck Red Deck Japanese Deck Kit Quick Starter Gift Set Japanese Deck Green Deck Expansion Gym Challenge Rarity English card no. 116/132 Japanese Half Deck Yamabuki City Gym Card GB 2 set Sky Flying Pokémon Card GB 2 ID F55 Japanese expansion Intro Pack Neo Japanese Half Deck Chikorita Half Deck Japanese card no. 21 Japanese expansion Intro Pack Neo Japanese Half Deck Totodile Half Deck Japanese card no. 22 Japanese expansion Pokémon VS Japanese Rarity Japanese card no. 141/141 English expansion Expedition Base Set Rarity English card no. 143/165 Japanese expansion Base Expansion Pack Japanese Rarity Japanese card no. 061/128 Japanese Deck Kit Gift Box Japanese Half Deck Latias Half Deck Latios Half Deck Japanese card no. 016/018 Expansion EX Deoxys Rarity English card no. 88/107 Japanese Half Deck Deoxys Constructed Starter Deck Rayquaza Constructed Starter Deck Japanese card no. 012/015 Japanese expansion PLAY Promotional cards Japanese card no. 018/PLAY Expansion EX Delta Species Rarity English card no. 99/113 Japanese Quarter Deck Holon Research Tower Water Quarter Deck Japanese card no. 009/015 Japanese Deck Kit Gift Box Mew • Lucario Japanese Quarter Deck Mew Quarter Deck Japanese card no. 008/015 English expansion EX Power Keepers Rarity English card no. 78/108 Japanese expansion World Champions Pack Japanese Rarity Japanese card no. 089/108 Expansion Plasma Blast Rarity English card no. 94/101 Japanese Deck Blastoise + Kyurem-EX Combo Deck Japanese card no. 017/018

Master Ball (Japanese: マスターボール Master Ball) is an Ace Spec Item card. It was first released in the Gym Challenge expansion as a Trainer card.

Card text

Gym Challenge print

You can't have more than 1 ACE SPEC card in your deck.

You can't have more than 1 ACE SPEC card in your deck.

Team Plasma

Team Plasma

You can't have more than 1 ACE SPEC card in your deck.

FLARE

(Prism Star) Rule You can't have more than 1 card with the same name in your deck. If a card would go to the discard pile, put it in the Lost Zone instead.

TAG TEAM

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VSTAR Power

Look at 7 cards from the top of your deck. You may choose a Basic Pokémon or Evolution card from those cards, show it your opponent, then put it into your hand. Shuffle the rest into your deck.

Do Nothing   At the beginning of your turn, flip a coin. If heads, you can do nothing during your turn. If tails, your opponent can do nothing during his or her next turn.

Do Nothing   At the beginning of your turn, flip a coin. If heads, you can do nothing during your turn. If tails, your opponent can do nothing during his or her next turn.

Do Nothing   At the beginning of your turn, flip a coin. If heads, you can do nothing during your turn. If tails, your opponent can do nothing during his or her next turn.

Expedition Base Set print

You can't have more than 1 ACE SPEC card in your deck.

You can't have more than 1 ACE SPEC card in your deck.

Team Plasma

Team Plasma

You can't have more than 1 ACE SPEC card in your deck.

FLARE

(Prism Star) Rule You can't have more than 1 card with the same name in your deck. If a card would go to the discard pile, put it in the Lost Zone instead.

TAG TEAM

display:none;

display:none;

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display:none;

{{{ruletext}}}

VSTAR Power

Look at 7 cards from the top of your deck. You may choose a Basic Pokémon or Evolution card from those cards, show it your opponent, and put it into your hand. Shuffle the rest into your deck.

Do Nothing   At the beginning of your turn, flip a coin. If heads, you can do nothing during your turn. If tails, your opponent can do nothing during his or her next turn.

Do Nothing   At the beginning of your turn, flip a coin. If heads, you can do nothing during your turn. If tails, your opponent can do nothing during his or her next turn.

Do Nothing   At the beginning of your turn, flip a coin. If heads, you can do nothing during your turn. If tails, your opponent can do nothing during his or her next turn.

EX Deoxys print

You can't have more than 1 ACE SPEC card in your deck.

You can't have more than 1 ACE SPEC card in your deck.

Team Plasma

Team Plasma

You can't have more than 1 ACE SPEC card in your deck.

FLARE

(Prism Star) Rule You can't have more than 1 card with the same name in your deck. If a card would go to the discard pile, put it in the Lost Zone instead.

TAG TEAM

display:none;

display:none;

display:none;

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display:none;

{{{ruletext}}}

VSTAR Power

Look at the top 7 cards from your deck. Choose a Basic Pokémon or Evolution card from those cards, show it to your opponent, and put it into your hand. Put the other 6 cards back on top of your deck. Shuffle your deck afterward.

Do Nothing   At the beginning of your turn, flip a coin. If heads, you can do nothing during your turn. If tails, your opponent can do nothing during his or her next turn.

Do Nothing   At the beginning of your turn, flip a coin. If heads, you can do nothing during your turn. If tails, your opponent can do nothing during his or her next turn.

Do Nothing   At the beginning of your turn, flip a coin. If heads, you can do nothing during your turn. If tails, your opponent can do nothing during his or her next turn.

Plasma Blast print

You can't have more than 1 ACE SPEC card in your deck.

You can't have more than 1 ACE SPEC card in your deck.

Team Plasma

Team Plasma

You can't have more than 1 ACE SPEC card in your deck.

FLARE

(Prism Star) Rule You can't have more than 1 card with the same name in your deck. If a card would go to the discard pile, put it in the Lost Zone instead.

TAG TEAM

display:none;

display:none;

display:none;

display:none;

display:none;

{{{ruletext}}}

VSTAR Power

Search your deck for a Pokémon, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Shuffle your deck afterward.

Do Nothing   At the beginning of your turn, flip a coin. If heads, you can do nothing during your turn. If tails, your opponent can do nothing during his or her next turn.

Do Nothing   At the beginning of your turn, flip a coin. If heads, you can do nothing during your turn. If tails, your opponent can do nothing during his or her next turn.

Do Nothing   At the beginning of your turn, flip a coin. If heads, you can do nothing during your turn. If tails, your opponent can do nothing during his or her next turn.

You may play as many Item cards as you like during your turn (before your attack).

Release information

In Japan, this card was first released as part of the Extended Sheet 2 of the Vending Machine cards. It was reprinted in the Pokémon VS, Base Expansion Pack, and World Champions Pack expansions. It was also reprinted in the Quick Starter Gift Set as an exclusive Holofoil card, and had regular reprints in the Gift Box, Gift Box Mew • Lucario, Deoxys and Rayquaza Constructed Starter Decks and the Holon Research Tower Water Quarter Deck. It was included in the English Expedition Base Set, EX Deoxys, EX Delta Species and EX Power Keepers expansions. In Japan during Spring 2004, it was released as one of the PLAY Promotional cards awarded to those who participated in the Spring 2004 Battle Roads. It was later included in the English Plasma Blast expansion, originating from the Japanese Blastoise + Kyurem-EX Combo Deck, as an Ace Spec Item card with different artwork by 5ban Graphics.

Gallery

Gym Challenge print Illus. Keiji Kinebuchi	Plasma Blast print Illus. 5ban Graphics	Diamond & Pearl print Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print Illus. Ken Sugimori	Diamond & Pearl print Illus. Ken Sugimori	Diamond & Pearl print Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print Illus. Ken Sugimori	Diamond & Pearl print Illus. Ken Sugimori	Diamond & Pearl print Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print Illus. Ken Sugimori	Diamond & Pearl print Illus. Ken Sugimori	Diamond & Pearl print Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print Illus. Ken Sugimori	Diamond & Pearl print Illus. Ken Sugimori	Diamond & Pearl print Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print Illus. Ken Sugimori	Diamond & Pearl print Illus. Ken Sugimori	Diamond & Pearl print Illus. Ken Sugimori

Trivia

Both the Gym Challenge and Expedition Base Set prints of this card have a clause that reads "show it your opponent". It should read "show it to your opponent". The EX Deoxys print fixes this error.

Origin

The Master Ball is a type of Poké Ball in the Pokémon games notable for having a 100% chance of catching the Pokémon it is used on. Its inclusion as an Ace Spec card is particularly fitting as only one is ever encountered through normal gameplay, with additional copies requiring ownership of Pokémon with many different Original Trainers or extreme luck in an in-game lottery to obtain without external intervention such as a trade or event.

This article is part of Project TCG, a Bulbapedia project that aims to report on every aspect of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.