Net Balls

In: All Poké Balls

All Net Ball Locations
#	Location	Repeatable?
1	Rustboro City Poké Mart — Purchasable for 1000 Pokédollars each	Yes
2	Petalburg Woods — Defeat Bug Catcher James in a rematch (20% chance)	Yes
3	Route 120 — Defeat Bug Maniac Brandon in a rematch (20% chance)	Yes
4	Mossdeep City — Overworld item in the lower right corner of the city	Yes

The best way to get Net Balls is simply by unlocking them for sale. To do this, talk to a Devon employee on Route 116. After a brief conversation with him, you’ll unlock the option of buying Net Balls in the Rustboro City Poké Mart.

You can also obtain Net Balls by defeating Bug Catcher James and Bug Maniac Brandon. However, they only have a small chance of giving you a Net Ball. You can find Bug Catcher James in Petalburg Woods, while Bug Maniac Brandon is on Route 120.

Method 1: Rustboro City Poké Mart

The second clerk of the Rustboro Poké Mart selling Net Balls

Initially, The Rustboro Poké Mart does not sell Net Balls. You need to unlock the clerk who sells Net Balls.

Here’s how to get the option of buying Net Balls in the Rustboro City Poké Mart:

Step 1: Start by heading to Route 116, located at Rustboro City’s east exit.

Step 2: Continue going east until you reach the cave where you rescued Peeko.

The Devon Employee is standing outside the cave

Step 3: Talk to the Devon Employee, and he’ll give you a Repeat Ball.

Step 4: Go back to the Rustboro City Poké Mart, and a second clerk should appear. You can now buy Net Balls from him.

A second clerk is now in the Rustboro City Poké Mart

Note: Rustboro City’s mart is the only location that will sell Net Balls once they’re unlocked. Other marts will not have these in stock, so you’ll need to return to Rustboro if you ever want to buy more.

Method 2: Rematch with Bug Catcher James & Bug Maniac Brandon

Some trainers reward you with an item when you beat them in a rematch. Both Bug Catcher James and Bug Maniac Brandon have a 20% chance of giving you one Net Ball upon defeat.

Bug Catcher James’ Location

Bug Catcher James is located in Petalburg Woods. You can use its north entrance to reach Bug Catcher James more easily. If he’s ready to battle, simply talk to him to initiate the rematch.

Bug Maniac Brandon’s Location

Emerging from the tall grass on Route 120

If you want to battle Bug Maniac Brandon, he will walk along the tall grass on Route 120’s rainy area.

To get there, head south from Fortree City past the bridge until it rains in the overworld. This part of Route 120 will always be rainy.

Method 3: Mossdeep City Overworld Item

A map of Mossdeep City showing the Net Ball location

Lastly, there’s a free Net Ball if you go to Mossdeep City.

Start heading southeast from the Mossdeep City Pokémon Center until you get to a ledge at the corner of the island. A Net Ball should be on the ground.

Ball Mechanics

The Net Ball has a 3x catch rate modifier when used on Water or Bug-types; otherwise, it only has a 1x catch rate modifier.

Tip: Using the move Soak temporarily makes any Pokémon into a Water-type. Surprisingly, Net Ball’s catch rate bonus applies to Pokémon under the effect of Soak. This should make any Pokémon easier to catch with a Net Ball!

For comparison, here are the catch rate modifiers of the other commonly used Pokéballs:

Type of Pokéball	Catch Rate Modifier	Price
Pokéball	1x	200
Great Ball	1.5x	600
Ultra Ball	2x	1200
Net Ball (Water and Bug-types)	3x	1000
Net Ball (every other type)	1x	1000

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