Guides

How To Get Light Balls in Pokémon Platinum

by Chris Haygood
Standing outside the Pokémon Mansion on Route 212 (Platinum)

The only way to get Light Balls is to take them from wild Pikachu as held items. Each wild Pikachu has a 5% chance of holding a Light Ball, and when you find one you can either catch it and take the item, or use an item stealing move.

Wild Pikachu are only found in the Trophy Garden behind Route 212’s Pokémon Mansion.

Getting Light Balls

Pikachu’s Sinnoh location according to the Pokédex / Pokémon Platinum
Pikachu’s Sinnoh location according to the Pokédex.

Every Pikachu you encounter in the wild has a chance of carrying a Light Ball as its held item.

Usually, the odds that a wild Pikachu will be holding a Light Ball are 5%. However, you can vastly raise those odds by putting together a dedicated item-farming team, which uses the Abilities Compoundeyes and Frisk to make the process much faster.

Hunting wild Pikachu in the Trophy Garden / Pokémon Platinum
Hunting wild Pikachu in the Trophy Garden.

Wild Pikachu are only found in the Trophy Garden – this is the tall grass behind northern Route 212’s Pokémon Mansion.

Encountering a wild Pikachu / Pokémon Platinum
Encountering a wild Pikachu.
Using Frisk to identify the Pikachu’s held item slot / Pokémon Platinum
Using Frisk to identify the Pikachu’s held item slot.

So when you’ve found a wild Pikachu holding the Light Ball, either catch it, or use a stealing move like Thief or Trick to obtain the item.

Stealing a Light Ball using Trick / Pokémon Platinum
Stealing a Light Ball using Trick.

Once you have the Light Ball you can end the battle however you prefer; you’ll hold on to the item even if you flee.

What Does the Light Ball Do?

The in-game description of the Light Ball / Pokémon Platinum
The in-game description of the Light Ball.

The Light Ball is a held item that doubles a Pikachu’s Attack and Special Attack stats.

This is a strange and interesting item, since it works only on a Pikachu (even Raichu can’t use it). And at first it seems like the Light Ball would turn a Pikachu into an electrostatic powerhouse, allowing the speedy Pokémon’s Attack and Special Attack stat both to reach 100+.

Unfortunately, Pikachu’s defenses are appalling—even worse than those of Kadabra and Haunter.

Moves like Substitute can help stall the inevitable KO. But if the Pikachu is hit by even a moderate attack, it’s unlikely to get back up.

A Light Ball Pikachu is a fun Pokémon to surprise casual opponents with, but if the goal is to win the match at all costs, go with another option.

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Chris Haygood

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Chris is an American freelance writer and lifelong gamer. RPGs have been his genre of choice ever since he got Pokémon Blue in 1867, but if he finds a good rhythm game, he will prioritize playing it over both eating and breathing.

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