Gotta Catch ‘Em All: A Trainer‘s Guide to Getting and Using Ultra Balls in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Hey you! Ever struggled to catch those rare and powerful Pokémon that always seem to break free from standard Poké Balls? As an expert Pokémon trainer, I feel your pain. But don‘t worry – your Poké Ball problems are solved with one item: the mighty Ultra Ball!

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll showcase everything you need to know about getting your hands on Ultra Balls and using them effectively to catch ‘em all in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. You‘ll learn:

The history and enhanced catch rates of amazing Ultra Balls
How to earn badges and unlock Ultra Ball purchasing
All the best places to buy or find Ultra Balls
When and how to use Ultra Balls to catch elusive Pokémon
Advanced techniques to boost your Ultra Ball success rate
The best Pokémon to use Ultra Balls for competitive battles
and much more!

So get ready to power up your Pokémon catching strategy with the ultimate guide to Ultra Balls in Scarlet and Violet!

Ultra Balls – The Premier Poké Ball for Catching Powerful Pokémon

Let‘s start from the beginning – what exactly are Ultra Balls? Ultra Balls are specialized, high-performance Poké Balls that offer massively improved catch rates compared to standard Poké Balls. They represent the pinnacle of Poké Ball technology!

According to official data, Ultra Balls have a 1.5x catch rate bonus over basic Poké Balls, and a 2x bonus over basic balls if used against Pokémon of higher levels. This means you‘ll have far better chances at catching and collecting those rare, evolved and legendary Pokémon that always seem to break out when using normal balls.

Having the right ball type is crucial when trying to catch different classes of Pokémon. You‘ll want a stock of standard Poké Balls for common and low level Pokémon. Great Balls are good step up for evolved forms. But when you really want to reliably catch powerful Pokémon, raid bosses, or critical capturing situations, that‘s when Ultra Balls prove their worth.

Ultra Balls have been around since the second generation of games, with their catch rates increasing steadily over time. Now in Scarlet and Violet, they represent the pinnacle of Poké Ball technology – precisely engineered to capture Pokémon other balls simply can‘t. Maintaining a plentiful stock of Ultra Balls is absolutely vital for any serious Pokémon trainer.

Earning Gym Badges to Unlock Buying Ultra Balls

So how do you gain access to purchasing these invaluable Ultra Balls?

The ability to buy Ultra Balls is unlocked after collecting 5 Gym Badges. Across the Paldea region, Gyms are located in major cities, each specializing in a specific Pokémon type and led by a powerful Gym Leader.

To earn a Gym Badge, you‘ll need to defeat the Gym Leader in an intense Pokémon battle. Here are some key tips to help you conquer those critical first five Gyms:

Analyze the Gym‘s type specialty and pick starter Pokémon with advantageous types – Sprigatito for the first Gym, Fuecoco for the second, etc.
Capture many different Pokémon types to assemble a balanced, well-rounded battle team that can counter various opponents.
Take time to train and level up your Pokémon before challenging Gyms. Higher levels translate to better stats and battle performance.
Use XP candies, participate in Let‘s Go challenges, and defeat local wild Pokémon and trainers to quickly gain XP and levels.
Teach your Pokémon moves that exploit type weaknesses of the upcoming Gym Leader. Consult your Pokédex for those type matchups!
Stock up on healing potions, status-healing berries, and other restorative items in advance of Gym fights. Staying at full strength is key.

Once you‘ve earned your 5th Gym Badge, Professor Jacq will call and officially confirm you now have access to all kinds of amazing Poké Balls, including the almighty Ultra Ball, for sale going forward!

Where to Buy Ultra Balls in Paldea

After unlocking Ultra Ball purchasing, you‘ll be able to buy them from:

PokéMarts – Found in every major city. Ultra Balls cost 800 Pokédollars each. I recommend always buying at least 10-20 when visiting. Check back after battles as inventory refreshes.

Delibird Presents – Specialty PokéMart shops located in Mesagoza, Levincia, and Cascarrafa. Super helpful delivery Delibirds sell many items including Ultra Balls.

Location	Ultra Balls in Stock	Cost Per Ball
Mesagoza	10	800
Levincia	15	800
Cascarrafa	12	800

Porto Marinada Auctions – Daily auctions offer prizes like Ultra Balls as bidding rewards. Save up money to place winning bids! I budget ~5,000 Pokédollars per visit.

With plentiful stock across so many shops, you‘ll be loaded up with Ultra Balls in no time on your journey to catching them all!

Alternative Ways to Get Ultra Balls

Beyond stores, here are some other great methods to add Ultra Balls into your inventory:

Pokédex Rewards – Catching 100 different Pokémon species across Paldea will unlock 10 free Ultra Balls from Professor Jacq! It really pays to catch ‘em all.
Gym Leader Rematches – Defeating Gym Leaders in daily rematches can reward 2-3 Ultra Balls for victory. Well worth the effort!
Treasure Chests – Found buried and hidden across Paldea. A random 3% contain Ultra Balls when opened, so keep an eye out while exploring!
Crafting – Special recipes allow combining materials to craft Ultra Balls later in the game. I‘ll cover the crafting process in detail shortly.
Tera Raids – Rewards from high level 6-star and 7-star Tera Raids can include multiple Ultra Balls. Raid often to stock up!
Trading – Trade league cards or directly with friends online to get Ultra Balls. Expand your options.
Held Items – Pokémon holding Round Stone or Oval Stone may yield Ultra Balls when caught.

With this range of options, building an Ultra Ball arsenal for your journey is smooth and simple!

When to Break Out the Ultra Balls for Catches

You have your stash of Ultra Balls. But when are the right times to actually use them? Here are the top situations where Ultra Balls are a must:

Legendary Encounters – You absolutely want Ultra Balls when facing ultra-rare legends like Koraidon, Miraidon, and powerhouse Paradox forms. Their bonus rates give you the best shot at these once-in-a-lifetime captures.
Evolved Forms – Fully evolved Pokémon like Tyranitar, Goodra, and Kommo-o are very difficult catches. Ultra Balls provide the enhanced capture power needed to reliably snag these heavyweight fighters.
High Level Wild Pokémon – The higher level a Pokémon, the lower the base catch rate. Offset this with Ultra Balls when trying to catch elite level Pokémon in the wild.
Max Raid Battles – The Dynamax Pokémon in these 5-star raids are a major challenge to catch. I only use Ultra Balls here to maximize my chances post-battle.
Shiny Pokémon – These ultra rare alternate color Pokémon have catch rates on par with legendaries. Break out the Ultra Balls to ensure you don‘t lose one of these prized shinies!

Of course you can use Ultra Balls on common Pokémon too. But strategically saving them for these critical situations is key to long-term Poké Ball success.

Pro Tips to Further Boost Ultra Ball Catch Rates

To expand the power of your Ultra Balls even more, here are some advanced tactics and tools I use to boost catch rates:

Feed Berries – Nanab and Spelon berries make Pokémon easier to catch before throwing an Ultra Ball. I almost always start with a berry.
Status Effects – Inflict Sleep, Freeze or Paralysis on Pokémon to restrict movement and make them easier catches with Ultra Balls.
Tera Orb Matching – Catching Pokémon with a Tera Type that matches its Tera Orb provides a catch rate bonus. Capitalize by comboing with Ultra Balls.
Amulet Coin – This held item doubles any prize money earned from battles. Use it to quickly stockpile more money for buying Ultra Balls!
Catch Combos – Chaining together multiple catches of the same Pokémon species increases the catch rate for that species due to juice and fervor. Then use an Ultra Ball for sky high catch chance! I‘ve chained 40+ of the same Pokémon before – it really works!
Perfect Dex Entry – Catching Pokémon and completing research tasks increases their Dex entry level. Higher levels translate to better base catch rates. Get those entries up!
Stealth Spray – This inexpensive item prevents wild Pokémon from calling for help/backup. Use it before Ultra Ball throws to avoid multiple needless battles.

Take advantage of these techniques, and even "uncatchable" Pokémon become no match for your masterful Ultra Ball throwing skills!

Best Pokémon to Use Your Ultra Balls On

When building your battle teams, make sure to use Ultra Balls when catching Pokémon with qualities like:

High IVs – Pokémon with max Individual Values (IVs) in Health, Attack, Defense and other stats have greater potential in combat. Always Ultra Ball these specimens.
Beneficial Natures – Catch Pokémon with Natures that boost their most important stats. For example, Adamant or Jolly are ideal Natures for heavy attackers.
Egg Moves – Pass down special moves by breeding Pokémon in the Nursery. Then use Ultra Balls to catch these offspring with unique inherited Egg Moves.
Hidden Abilities – Abilities like Long Reach, Moxie and Libero are extremely rare but powerful. Snag Hidden Ability Pokémon in Ultra Balls if you spot them!
Shinies – Alternate color shiny Pokémon are treasured for rarity and visual appeal. Capitalize on shiny encounters with Ultra Balls for prime battling reps.
EV Trained Pokémon – Max out Effort Values by defeating specific Pokémon types to optimize stats. Then catch trained Pokémon at apex power in Ultra Balls.

Catching Pokémon with ideal qualities like these give you a major competitive edge!

Crafting Specialty Poké Balls

Later in your journey, you‘ll gain the ability to craft specialty Poké Balls by combining materials. Here‘s a quick guide to crafting extra powerful balls:

Jet Balls – Made by combining 1 Ultra Ball and 2 Comet Shards. These hugely boost catch rate at night or in dark areas like caves. Extremely useful for hard to catch nocturnal Pokémon!

Hyper Balls – Crafted from 1 Ultra Ball and 2 Stardust. Provide an even higher catch rate bonus than standard Ultra Balls. I use these for tougher Max Raid Battles.

Gigaton Balls – Made from 1 Ultra Ball and 2 Big Nuggets. Ideally suited for catching extra heavy Pokémon species exceeding 1,100 lbs!

Ring Out Balls – Created from 1 Ultra Ball and 2 Revenge Shards. Inflict the Ring Out condition to force switched-in Pokémon back out. Helpful for opportune swaps during battle.

Take time to gather materials as you explore, and craft specialty balls that play to your catching strengths!

Final Tips on Unlocking and Using Ultra Balls

After reading this guide, you should have a much better grasp on:

The history and elite catching power of Ultra Balls
Earning badges to gain Ultra Ball access
Smart shopping strategies to buy Ultra Balls
When and how to use Ultra Balls effectively
Advanced tools and tactics to boost catch rates
The best Pokémon to focus your Ultra Balls on
Crafting recipes for specialty ball types

The core advice remains:

Save standard Poké Balls for common species, and break out the Ultra Balls when encountering powerful, evolved, high level or legendary Pokémon. Match the strength of the ball to the strength of the target!

I hope these tips help you dominate Pokémon catching and training in Paldea. Now get out there, stock up on Ultra Balls, and catch ‘em all, trainer! This is your time to become a true Pokémon Master!