How to get another Master Ball in Pokemon Sword & Shield

Master Balls are one of the most precious commodities in Pokemon Sword and Shield, as they allow trainers the one-off chance of a guaranteed catch. So, how do you get more than one?

The Galar Region is a vast spread of land, and despite being seen for the first time back in November 2019, not every person who jumps into Game Freak’s latest Nintendo Switch titles will know of all its mysteries.

If you’re one of those trainers that are on the hunt for even more Master Balls and don’t know how to get them, we’ve got a trick for you.

After completing the main story, you will be handed you customary first Master Ball of the region, which is presented to you by Professor Magnolia at your home. This can be used to catch any Pokemon of your choosing, but it is best waiting for something rare to appear.

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Trainers don’t have to settle for that one-handed to them in the story, however, and with luck in your favor you might end up with multiple. So, let’s take a look at how to do it.

Get multiple Master Balls in Pokemon Sword & Shield

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to get another Master Ball in the Galar Region. It’s not too difficult to try out, either, but your chances of getting one are perhaps slim – to say the least.

1. Head over to your nearest Pokemon Center.
2. Approach and interact with the Rotom System.
3. The Loto-ID system picks a randomly generated five-digit number, and compares it to that of your Pokemon ID number.
4. If at least one number matches, the trainer will get a prize.
5. To get the Master Ball, you need all five to match after using the Rotom system. You can only play once a day.

Pokemon Lottery prizes: How to Play

The Rotom Lottery has five different prizes available to win, with the Master Ball – of course – being one of them.

A full list of these prizes can be found below.

• Moomoo Milk (1 last digits matching)
• PP Up (2 last digits matching)
• PP Max (3 last digits matching)
• Rare Candy (4 last digits matching)
• Master Ball (5 last digits matching)

Increasing chances of winning Pokemon lottery

Your chances of winning the lottery in Pokemon Sword and Shield might look slim at first, as – with just your usual Pokemon IDs – there’s a 1/30240 chance of actually scooping the grand prize.

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To increase that possibility, trading Pokemon to get ID numbers from other trainers is one way that can help. According to YouTuber Austin John Plays, that probability jumps down to 1/3024 if you have made 10 trades in-game. Then, it goes to 1/1008 if you have a full box of traded Pokemon, 1/504 for two boxes, and 1/252 with four boxes.

As you can see here, based on what we know, the more you trade the greater the chance will be of grabbing a Master Ball. One row brings the chance of winning one to 1/126.

Pokemon lottery exploit in Sword and Shield

Austin John Plays also reveals a potential exploit, of changing your location and time settings each time you play the lottery. This switches the in-game time from online to system date and time, meaning that you can play the Rotom system’s lottery more frequently than the normal once a day.

This will increase your chances even further, as seen in the video above, but doesn’t guarantee you’ll get one.

These methods, nevertheless, show you exactly how trainers are grabbing more Master Balls than just the single one given to them in the story mode. With more Master Balls at your disposal, you will be impossible to stop next time you see a shiny Gigantamax Pokemon in a Max Raid Battle. Without one, well, you might just come up short.