Light Balls in Pokémon Crystal

You can get a Light Ball by trading the starter Pikachu from Pokémon Yellow into Pokémon Crystal through the Time Capsule.

Once this Pikachu enters your party of a gen 2 game, you’ll find the item in Pikachu’s held item slot.

The Time Capsule is unlocked after visiting Ecruteak City’s Pokémon Center for the first time and waiting one in-game day.

Getting a Light Ball

The starter Pikachu from Pokémon Yellow will arrive holding a Light Ball when traded into Pokémon Crystal through the Time Capsule.

Regular Pikachu arrive holding a Berry, so make sure to trade the one you get from Prof. Oak at the beginning of the game.

The first step is to meet Bill at Ecruteak City’s Pokémon Center, then wait a day. This will unlock the Time Capsule.

You probably have done this already by now.

Once you can access the Time Capsule, connect your Pokémon Crystal game to a Pokémon Yellow game where you have the starter Pikachu in your party.

Here’s how that works, depending on what platform you’re playing on:

• Game Boy / GBC: Connect both handhelds with a Nintendo Game Link Cable.
• Game Boy Advance: Connect both handhelds with a GBA Link Cable.
• 3DS: Virtual Console versions of Pokémon R/B/Y and Pokémon G/S/C can link up over the 3DS’s local wireless connection.

Note: Some emulator software allows you to do this as well. Well-known GBC/GBA emulator mGBA offers a built-in multiplayer option that makes it easy.

Then, go into any Pokémon Center in Crystal and climb the stairs to the second floor to find the Time Capsule.

It’s on the rightmost end of the room.

You’ll act like this is a regular trade in Pokémon Yellow. The NPC who handles trades is on the right side of the Pokémon Center.

Talk to the Time Capsule/Trade NPC simultaneously in both games. Save your game when prompted, then choose “Yes” when asked if you want to trade across time.

Note: Make sure you don’t have any Gen II Pokémon, Moves, or Items in your Pokémon Crystal party before trying to trade, or you’ll be turned away.

Once you’re inside the trading room, face the table in the middle of the room and press A (in both games) to start the trade.

Then, choose the Pokémon you’ll trade in both games and watch the cutscene.

It doesn’t matter what you send back from Pokémon Crystal.

Once the trade is complete, leave the Time Capsule and check your Pokémon party. The Pikachu you just received should be holding a Light Ball.

Note: This method can be repeated, but you’ll need a different starter Pikachu each time. Sending the same Pikachu back and forth won’t produce more Light Balls.

Light Ball Uses

The Light Ball is a held item that doubles any Pikachu’s Special Attack, significantly increasing the damage of their Electric-type moves.

This held item is ideal for players who don’t want to evolve their Pikachu into Raichu with a Thunderstone. Otherwise it’s a fairly useless item that probably isn’t worth all the trouble required to obtain it in Crystal.

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Nelson Chitty

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Nelson Chitty is a Venezuelan expat living in Argentina. He’s a writer and translator passionate about history and foreign cultures. His ideal weekend is spent between leisurely playing games of Civilization VI and looking for the next seinen anime to marathon.

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