Pokémon Platinum Repeat Balls: How They Work + All Locations

Repeat Ball Acquisition Methods
#	Method	Repeatable?
1	Available at the following Poké Marts for 1,000p each: Canalave City and the Pokémon League	Yes
2	Solaceon Town—Given to you as a reward for bringing a requested Pokémon to the Pokémon News Press reporter	Yes
3	Route 224—On the right side of the island, southeast of the white rock (requires Rock Climb, Surf, and Waterfall)(requires National Pokédex)	No

Repeat Balls are extremely rare throughout most of the game. Only two Poké Marts (Canalave City and the Pokémon League) sell them directly, and you won’t have access to either of those marts until late in your adventure.

You can get Repeat Balls much earlier by taking Pokémon requests from the Pokémon News Press in Solaceon Town, but this is a much slower and less reliable way of accumulating them.

Besides the two repeatable methods, you can also grab one free Repeat Ball on an island on Route 224. Bear in mind that this Route will remain closed off until after you’ve entered the Hall of Fame and received the National Pokédex upgrade.

How Do Repeat Balls Work?

The in-game description of the Repeat Ball.

Repeat Balls are special Poké Balls that have a high catch rate when used on Pokémon you’ve already caught before (listed as “Obtained” in your Pokédex). Against Pokémon you’ve never caught, Repeat Balls have the same catching ability as regular Poké Balls.

The following table compares the catch rates between Repeat Balls other Poké Balls:

Type of Poké Ball	Catch Rate Modifier
Poké Ball	1x
Great Ball	1.5x
Ultra Ball	2x
Repeat Ball (when used on a Pokémon the player has caught before)	3x
Repeat Ball (all other encounters)	1x

Whether or not Repeat Balls will be useful to you depends on how you’re playing the game.

If you’re strictly into collecting one of every Pokémon, you may never have a need to touch a Repeat Ball.

However if you’re breeding Pokémon in order to create the most powerful offspring, you’ll often need to catch several of the same species in order to find those with the most preferable Natures to pass down. In this case, Repeat Balls are far superior to Ultra Balls.

Repeat Balls are also helpful when chaining with the Poké Radar to search for shiny Pokémon; that is, catching or defeating the same Pokémon over and over to boost your odds of encountering a shiny version of that Pokémon.

Since catching (instead of knocking out) each Pokémon in a chain will give a 10% boost to the likelihood that the next Pokémon will be of the same species, having a ton of Repeat Balls on hand before starting the process can make a huge difference.

Acquiring Repeat Balls

The following sections list all the ways you can add Repeat Balls to your stock.

Keep in mind that Repeat Balls are among the hardest Poké Balls to get your hands on throughout most of the game, and you’ll only have unlimited access to them once you arrive in Canalave City.

Method 1: Poké Marts (Repeatable)

There are two shops in Sinnoh that offer an unlimited stock of Repeat Balls, purchasable for 1,000p each. These shops are:

The Canalave City Poké Mart
The Poké Mart located inside the Pokémon League

Purchasing Repeat Balls at the Canalave City Poké Mart.

Canalave City doesn’t become reachable until about 75% of the way through the main game; although this is the easiest method of getting Repeat Balls, you’ll have to wait a while before you can use it.

Method 2: Pokémon News Press (Repeatable)

A sooner—but far less reliable—way to get Repeat Balls is to bring specific types of Pokémon to the Pokémon News Press reporter in Solaceon Town as he requests them.

To take a Pokémon request, head to Solaceon Town and enter the Pokémon News Press building next door to the Pokémon Center.

Entering the Pokémon News Press building in Solaceon Town.

You’ll find two men inside; the one on the left is who you’ll be speaking to.

Note: Save your game before talking to this guy.

Identifying the Pokémon News Press reporter.

The man will introduce himself as a reporter for the Pokémon News Press.

He needs help writing an article, and he will task you with showing him a certain species of Pokémon that he can write an article on.

The Pokémon he asks for will always be a random species of Pokémon that you have seen or owned at some point.

The Pokémon News Press reporter asking you to show him a Scyther.

The Pokémon that the reporter asks to see isn’t necessarily one that you currently own, but saving the game before speaking to him allows you to reset and try for an easier request.

When you get a request you can complete, go out and place that Pokémon in your party. Then return to the News Press building.

Note: Save your game again before speaking to the reporter a second time.

Taking a Scyther out of a PC Box.

When the reporter sees you have fulfilled his request, he will become exceedingly enthusiastic.

The reporter becoming excited at seeing the Scyther he requested.

As a reward for bringing him the Pokémon, the reporter will hand you a Heart Scale and three Poké Balls of a specific model.

The type of Poké Balls he gives you is random, but this is why saving your game beforehand is useful: it allows you to reset and try again until you receive the Poké Balls you want.

Do this until the reporter gives you the Repeat Balls.

Receiving three Repeat Balls from the Pokémon News Press reporter.

The Pokémon News Press request can be repeated once per day. While it is a gradual method of obtaining Repeat Balls, it’s the only repeatable way of getting them in Pokémon Platinum without having to spend a ton of money.

Method 3: Route 224 (Step-by-Step)

After you’ve entered the Hall of Fame and received the National Dex from Professor Oak, a cave will open up inside Victory Road that leads to the post-game Route 224. You’ll find one Repeat Ball inside a Poké Ball on this Route.

There are no locations close to Route 224 that you can Fly to, so you’ll have to make a lengthy voyage through Victory Road every time you want to go there.

You should stock up on Max Repels and healing items, just in case.

You’ll also need Pokémon with the following Hidden Moves:

Defog (optional but recommended)
Rock Climb
Strength (if this is your first time visiting Route 224)
Surf
Waterfall

When you’re ready to make the exhausting trek, Fly to the Pokémon League. Head outdoors and Surf down the waterfall.

Riding down the waterfall to the south of the Pokémon League.

Step ashore and enter Victory Road to the southeast.

Entering the mouth of Victory Road.

Once inside, head south down the wide corridor.

Moving south down the corridor.

Cross the bridge and use Rock Climb to descend the rocky wall.

Using Rock Climb at the rocky wall.

Head west once you hit the ground, then turn north to pass under the bridge.

Passing under the bridge to the northwest.

Make a left turn at the Veteran trainer, head up the stairs behind him, and cross the bridge below you moving eastward.

Looping around and climbing the stairs to cross the bridge.

Pass eastward under the next bridge and through the newly-accessible entrance to the next cave chamber.

Entering the new entryway to the east.

In the next chamber, climb down the two staircases and head through the doorway.

Passing through the small chamber.

If this is your first time passing through the new cave, Marley will accompany you at this point and you will be unable to use Surf. In this case you will need to take the longer route to the north (which requires Strength to move the boulders).

Otherwise, use Surf on the water to the east.

Using Surf on the eastern lake.

Surf northward and disembark at the square-shaped patch of land to the east.

Surfing toward the terrain in the northeast.

Climb down the staircase and head southward.

Heading downstairs and turning south.

Circle around the rectangular lake and head north, passing the two Ace Trainers.

Skirting the rectangular lake.

Wind your way through the stone maze going east.

Moving through the linear path between the stones.

Head eastward until you can climb down the stairs at the far end of the pathway. Then Surf across the next lake.

Surfing northward across the next lake.

Head all the way to the northeastern corner of the cave, then take the exit to your right.

Taking the exit to the northeast.

The next room just contains one long staircase—climb it and head through the entryway at the top.

Leaving Victory Road to the east.

Now you’ll be on Route 224.

Turn northward here and descend the staircase.

Turning north on Route 224.

Continue northward until you reach Veteran Armando, then take a right.

Taking a right turn at Veteran Armando.

Head east across the beach, passing Black Belt Carl.

Heading eastward down the coast.

Turn north at the corner and start heading up.

Taking a north turn at the large boulder.

Wind through the various trainers as you head steadily northward.

Heading north by the row of Berry Plots.

Climb the sets of stairs until you find two descending staircases to your right. Take them down to the ocean and use Surf.

Heading downstairs to Surf on the water.

Surf to the right and step onto the island with two Poké Balls on it. Then head up and use Surf again to reach the Poké Ball item in the northeastern corner.

Heading for the Poké Ball item in the northeast corner of the island.

Pick up the item to add a Repeat Ball to your Bag.

Obtaining the Repeat Ball on Route 224.

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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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