Sphere

A sphere (Japanese: タマ sphere) is a special type of currency that can be found by mining and used to trade with vendors in the Underground^DPPt and the Grand Underground^BDSP.

A Green Sphere L and a Blue Sphere L in the Grand Underground

The term "Sphere" is treated as a proper noun in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, but is capitalized normally in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

In the core series games

Spheres come in five varieties: Red, Blue, Green, Prism, and Pale. Red, Blue, and Green Spheres are more common than Prism and Pale Spheres; Prism Spheres are more common in Pokémon Diamond, while Pale Spheres are more common in Pokémon Pearl.

In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, they range in size from 1 to 99. Mined Spheres can range in size from 1 to 23. When mining, small Spheres take up 2×2 tiles and range in size from 1 to 13, while large Spheres take up 3×3 tiles and range in size from 11 to 23. Bigger sizes are more common if the player mines carefully and does not let the wall collapse. In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, spheres come in two discrete sizes: S and L.

In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, players can only carry a total of 40 Spheres at any time. A full Sphere inventory will prevent acquiring any more Spheres, with any newly mined spheres in excess of their Bag space being automatically discarded. If a player attempts to dig up one of their buried Spheres with a full Bag, the game prevents them from doing so, saying that the player left it where it is. In Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, players can carry up to 999 of each type of sphere.

Exchange

Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum

Location of the Hikers who sell and buy Spheres from players in Generation IV

Main article: Underground → Vendors

Spheres can be used to exchange for goods to decorate the player's Secret Base, as well as Traps which can be set up throughout the Underground. There are three types of vendors in the Underground:

• Treasure vendors will accept the player's treasures and give them spheres in return.
• Goods vendors will trade Spheres for goods and vice-versa.
• Trap vendors will trade Spheres for Traps and vice-versa.

The price that an item is listed for is the minimum-size Sphere that the Hiker will take for it, though larger ones may be used.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Main article: Grand Underground → Merchants

Spheres can be used to exchange for pedestals and various items, such as TMs. There are three types of vendors in the Grand Underground:

• Small-sphere vendors allow the player to purchase additional Digger Drills, small or medium pedestals, and TMs which change daily.
• Large-sphere vendors who offer large or extra-large pedestals, and a different set of TMs.
• The item exchange vendor will give spheres in exchange for items that can be dug out. Additionally, he can also be paid spheres to expand the player's Secret Base.

Burying Spheres

In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, the player can bury Spheres to combine or grow them, up to the maximum size of 99. A player can only bury 100 Spheres at a time; attempting to bury more causes the oldest buried Sphere to disappear. A Sphere Radar can be unlocked for a player's base, which can be used to help the player find the Spheres they have buried. Other players in the Underground cannot see or interact with buried Spheres that are not theirs.

Growing Spheres

Buried Spheres grow naturally over time, at a rate depending on their color:

• Prism and Pale: 1 to 2 sizes per day
• Red and Blue: 3 to 6 sizes per day
• Green: 5 to 9 sizes per day

Each possible growth size is equally likely.

Combining Spheres

Spheres of the same color can combined by burying them in the same spot, in order to produce a single larger Sphere.

When combined, the size of the resulting Sphere is determined by the following formula (capped at 99):

$newsize=size_{buried}+\left(\left\lfloor {size_{1} \over 5}\right\rfloor +1\right)+\left(\left\lfloor {size_{2} \over 5}\right\rfloor +1\right)+\left(\left\lfloor {size_{3} \over 5}\right\rfloor +1\right)\ldots$

Where:

• $size_{buried}$ is the current size of the Sphere buried in the spot you are burying other Spheres in, including any growth it has undergone
• $size_{n}$ are the respective sizes of the buried spheres (excluding the previously-buried or grown Sphere)

Example

Burying a Prism Sphere 15, a Prism Sphere 12, a Prism Sphere 7, and two Prism Sphere 1s yields a Prism Sphere 22.

${\begin{aligned}newsize&=15+\left(\left\lfloor {12 \over 5}\right\rfloor +1\right)+\left(\left\lfloor {7 \over 5}\right\rfloor +1\right)+\left(\left\lfloor {1 \over 5}\right\rfloor +1\right)+\left(\left\lfloor {1 \over 5}\right\rfloor +1\right)\\&=15+\left(\left\lfloor {2.4}\right\rfloor +1\right)+\left(\left\lfloor {1.4}\right\rfloor +1\right)+\left(\left\lfloor {0.2}\right\rfloor +1\right)+\left(\left\lfloor {0.2}\right\rfloor +1\right)\\&=15+\left(2+1\right)+\left(1+1\right)+\left(0+1\right)+\left(0+1\right)\\&=15+3+2+1+1\\&=22\end{aligned}}$

Burying a Blue Sphere 15, Blue Sphere 3, Blue Sphere 22, on top of a Blue Sphere 3 that has grown by 2 (i.e. now a Blue Sphere 5) yields a Blue Sphere 15, which will announce that it has grown by 2 once it is dug up.

${\begin{aligned}newsize&=(3+2)+\left(\left\lfloor {22 \over 5}\right\rfloor +1\right)+\left(\left\lfloor {15 \over 5}\right\rfloor +1\right)+\left(\left\lfloor {3 \over 5}\right\rfloor +1\right)\\&=5+\left(\left\lfloor {4.4}\right\rfloor +1\right)+\left(\left\lfloor {3}\right\rfloor +1\right)+\left(\left\lfloor {0.6}\right\rfloor +1\right)\\&=5+\left(4+1\right)+\left(3+1\right)+\left(0+1\right)\\&=5+5+4+1\\&=15\end{aligned}}$

Generating Mining Spots

Once daily, at midnight, each buried Sphere will cause a mining spot to appear in a random nearby wall. This mining spot lasts until the day ends or it is mined by a player. Other players can also see mining spots created this way.

Description

Games Description DPPt Red Sphere: A red sphere that glows like fire. It slowly grows when buried. Blue Sphere: A blue sphere that glistens like ice. It slowly glows when buried. Green Sphere: A green sphere glowing like sunlight in leaves. It slowly grows when buried. Prism Sphere: A crystal clear, hard sphere. It slowly grows when buried. Pale Sphere: A white sphere that glows in seven colors. It slowly grows when buried. BDSP Red Sphere S: A small red sphere that glows like fire. Red Sphere L: A large red sphere that glows like fire. Blue Sphere S: A small blue sphere that glistens like ice. Blue Sphere L: A large blue sphere that glistens like ice. Green Sphere S: A small green sphere that glows like sunlit leaves. Green Sphere L: A large green sphere that glows like sunlit leaves. Prism Sphere S: A small sphere that's clear enough to see through. Prism Sphere L: A large sphere that's clear enough to see through. Pale Sphere S: A small sphere that glows in seven colors. Pale Sphere L: A large sphere that glows in seven colors.

Gallery

Underground

These are sprites of the Spheres as seen in the Sinnoh Underground.

Red Sphere Small	Blue Sphere Small	Green Sphere Small	Prism Sphere Small	Pale Sphere Small
Red Sphere Large	Blue Sphere Large	Green Sphere Large	Prism Sphere Large	Pale Sphere Large

Grand Underground

These are sprites of the Spheres as seen in the Sinnoh Grand Underground.

Red Sphere S	Blue Sphere S	Green Sphere S	Prism Sphere S	Pale Sphere S
Red Sphere L	Blue Sphere L	Green Sphere L	Prism Sphere L	Pale Sphere L

This is artwork of the Spheres as seen in the Sinnoh Grand Underground.

Red Sphere S	Blue Sphere S	Green Sphere S	Prism Sphere S	Pale Sphere S
Red Sphere L	Blue Sphere L	Green Sphere L	Prism Sphere L	Pale Sphere L

In animation

Red, Blue, and Green Spheres in Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl

Pokémon the Series

Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl

Spheres first appeared in The Grass Menagerie! in Team Rocket's fantasy. They later found a Red Sphere and loads more Spheres of other colors, giving them money for a meal.

Trivia

• The five colors of Spheres correspond to different versions of the Pokémon games, with the first three matching the original colors of Red, Green and Blue (or perhaps Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald), and the Prism and Pale Spheres corresponding to Diamond and Pearl respectively.

In other languages

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 玉 Yuhk Mandarin 玉 Yù Finnish Kivi French Sphère German Sphäre Italian Bilia Korean 구슬 Guseul Polish Kryształ Portuguese Esfera Spanish Latin America Esfera Spain Gema

Red Sphere

Language Title Japanese べにタマ Beni Tama Chinese Cantonese 紅玉 Hùhngyuhk Mandarin 紅玉 / 红玉 Hóngyù Finnish Punainen kivi French Sphère Rouge German Purpursphäre Italian Bilia Rossa Korean 빨강구슬 Ppalgang Guseul Polish Czerwony Kryształ Portuguese Esfera Vermelha Spanish Gema Roja

Blue Sphere

Language Title Japanese あおタマ Ao Tama Chinese Cantonese 藍玉 Làahmyuhk Mandarin 藍玉 / 蓝玉 Lányù Finnish Sininen kivi French Sphère Bleue German Indigosphäre Italian Bilia Blu Korean 파랑구슬 Parang Guseul Polish Niebieski Kryształ Portuguese Esfera Azul Spanish Gema Azul

Green Sphere

Language Title Japanese みどりタマ Midori Tama Chinese Cantonese 綠玉 Luhkyuhk 青玉 Chēngyuhk * Mandarin 綠玉 / 绿玉 Lǜyù 青玉 Qīngyù * Finnish Vihreä kivi French Sphère Verte German Jadesphäre Italian Bilia Verde Korean 초록구슬 Chorok Guseul Polish Zielony Kryształ Portuguese Esfera Verde Spanish Gema Verde

Prism Sphere

Language Title Japanese こんごうダマ Kongō Dama Chinese Cantonese 金剛玉 Gāmgōngyuhk Mandarin 金剛玉 / 金刚玉 Jīngāngyù French Sphère Prisme German Prismensphäre Italian Bilia Prisma Korean 금강구슬 Geumgang Guseul Portuguese Esfera Prisma Spanish Gema Prisma

Pale Sphere

Language Title Japanese しらタマ Shira Tama Chinese Cantonese 白玉 Baahkyuhk Mandarin 白玉 Báiyù French Sphère Pâle German Weißsphäre Italian Bilia Tersa Korean 하양구슬 Hayang Guseul Portuguese Esfera Pálida Spanish Gema Blanca

This item article is part of Project ItemDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on all items.