| Iron Ball | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | Method | Repeatable? |
| 1 | Battle Maison’s Exchange Service Corner – 48 BP | Yes |
| 2 | Pickup (Levels 41–60) – 1% chance | Yes |
| 3 | (OR) Held item from wild Mawile found on Granite Cave, Cave of Origin, Victory Road, Sky Pillar – 5% chance | Yes |
There are three different ways to obtain an Iron Ball in ORAS, and all of these methods are repeatable.
#1: At the Battle Maison’s Exchange Service Corner you can trade 48 Battle Points (BP) for an Iron Ball.
#2: Using the Pickup ability on a Pokémon between levels 41-60. You’ll have a 1% chance of picking up an Iron Ball after each battle, even if the Pickup Pokémon isn’t involved in the fight.
#3: You can also find Iron Balls as held items on wild Mawile, which are exclusively found in Omega Ruby. Mawile can be found in Granite Cave, Cave of Origin, Sky Pillar, and Victory Road.
Uses
The Iron Ball is a held item that reduces the Speed of its holder by 50% and grounds them, negating their immunity to Ground-type moves.
This makes previously ungrounded Pokémon, such as Flying-types, vulnerable to Ground-type moves.
Ungrounded Pokémon that can be grounded with an Iron Ball include:
- Flying-type Pokémon
- Pokémon with the Levitate ability
- Pokémon holding an Air Balloon
- Pokémon under the effects of Magnet Rise or Telekinesis.
Here are some strategies you can use with the Iron Ball:
- Fling + Iron Ball Combo. The move Fling, when used with Iron Ball, has a massive base power of 130. This makes Iron Balls the strongest held item to Fling. However, be cautious of Protect, as Fling can only be used once since the Iron Ball is consumed in the process.
- Swapping items with Trick/Switcheroo. The moves Trick or Switcheroo can swap the holder’s Iron Ball with the opponent’s held item. This strategy not only halves the opponent’s Speed but it also leaves ungrounded Pokémon vulnerable to Ground-type moves.
- Iron Ball’s Speed Reduction in Trick Room. Trick Room, a move that inverses speed priority, works great with an Iron Ball. By further reducing a Pokémon’s Speed, Iron Ball can make your slow Pokémon sweep the enemy team while Trick Room is active.
- Enhancing Damage of Certain Moves. Some moves like Avalanche, Gyro Ball, or Revenge can become more powerful when the user moves later in the turn. The Speed reduction provided by the Iron Ball can be beneficial in maximizing the damage dealt by these moves.
