Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire

Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire (Japanese: ポケモンボックス ルビー＆サファイア Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire) is a Nintendo GameCube Pokémon utility. Pokémon Box itself is not so much a game as it is a storage system for Trainers' Pokémon.

Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire ポケモンボックス ルビー＆サファイア
Boxart of Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire
Basic info
Platform:	Nintendo GameCube
Category:	Utility
Players:	1
Connectivity:	GameCube Game Boy Advance cable
Developer:	Nintendo Game Freak
Publisher:	Nintendo
Part of:	Generation III side series
Ratings
CERO:	All
ESRB:	E
ACB:	G
OFLC:	G8+
PEGI:	3
GRAC:	N/A
GSRR:	N/A
Release dates
Japan:	May 30, 2003
North America:	July 11, 2004
Australia:	July 16, 2004
Europe:	May 14, 2004
South Korea:	N/A
Hong Kong:	N/A
Taiwan:	N/A
Websites
Japanese:	Pokémon.co.jp Nintendo.co.jp
English:	Pokémon.com
Japanese boxart Japanese boxart of Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire

English title screen

It was released on May 30, 2003 in Japan and on July 11, 2004 in North America. In North America, however, it was only available at the Pokémon Center New York and the Pokémon Center website. In Europe, it could be purchased in a GameCube Bundle called the Pokémon Colosseum Mega Pak which included Pokémon Colosseum, a memory card, and a GameCube-Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable; there were also a limited number of Pokémon Box games available on the Stars Catalogue on the Nintendo of Europe website.

Blurb

The Ultimate Utility for the Poké-Maniac Is Here!

• Store up to 1,500 Pokémon from Pokémon Ruby or Pokémon Sapphire!
• Organize, collect, sort and search your Pokémon!
• Play Pokémon Ruby or Pokémon Sapphire on your TV!
• Display your Pokémon on a Showcase stage! Customize the stage and background then display your Pokémon!

Features

Trainers can store up to 1,500 Pokémon in twenty-five boxes that hold 60 Pokémon each and trade between Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, as well as FireRed and LeafGreen. All of the Pokémon can be stored on a GameCube memory card, requiring a full 59 block memory card for save data. A special edition Ruby and Sapphire Memory Card 59 is included with most versions of the game for players to use (the European version just comes with a normal memory card). Due to how the game was coded there may be compatibility errors with memory cards larger than 59 blocks on the Japanese version.

The host of the game, Brigette, is the creator of the mass storage system, and is the sister of Lanette, who developed the standard storage system along with Bill.

Aside from the standalone European version, most versions of the game also come with a GameCube-to-Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable, which allows Trainers to deposit Pokémon from their Game Boy Advance game to Box without the need to trade.

Once a Pokémon is in a Box, Trainers can examine the stats of their Pokémon and, using the "Go to List" option, open a spreadsheet-style graph with numerous categories such as original Trainer, moves, Pokémon Contest stats, friendship, and level. This layout is similar to the List view found in Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2 when using the Box feature found within both of those games.

If a Ruby or Sapphire game that does not have the National Pokédex is connected to Pokémon Box and there are Pokémon in Pokémon Box not in that game's regional Pokédex, those Pokémon will not have their Pokédex numbers displayed. If a game with the National Pokédex is connected to Pokémon Box, Pokémon Box's Pokédex Mode is upgraded to the National Mode so non-regional Pokédex numbers will be displayed from then on regardless of whether a Ruby or Sapphire player has acquired the Nat Dex or not.

Players may also display their Pokémon using the "Showcase" option from the main menu in Brigette's Room. This feature allows players to create a stage from a combination of ten backgrounds, ten stage patterns, and five types of display pieces. They are also able to choose from one of eight music tracks, all of which have been remixed or ported from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. However, this view is only for show, and does not display any statistics about the Pokémon that are being displayed.

Players can take screenshots using the "Take Pictures" option. The picture taken this way can be used as wallpaper in the Memory Boxes, but only one picture taken this way can be stored at a time. Once the picture is registered, "My Wallpaper" will be added to the Special category of the Wallpaper section.

Along with having saved data at a Pokémon Center, specific conditions in each game must be met before Pokémon Box can be fully utilized:

Ruby and Sapphire

• Players must have received the Pokédex from Professor Birch before they can deposit their Pokémon.
• Players must have 100 Pokémon caught in the Pokédex before they can withdraw any Pokémon which they did not deposit.
  • Pokémon not in the Hoenn Pokédex are not registered in the Pokédex until the player obtains the National Pokédex, so are not counted towards this total until the player obtains the National Pokédex.

Emerald

• Players must have Hall of Fame data and must have received the National Pokédex before they can deposit their Pokémon.
• Players must have 100 Pokémon caught in the Pokédex before they can withdraw any Pokémon which they did not deposit.

FireRed and LeafGreen

• Players must have finished the Sevii Islands quest and activated trades with Hoenn-based games with the Ruby and Sapphire before they can deposit or withdraw any Pokémon.
• Players must have 100 Pokémon caught in the Pokédex before they can withdraw any Pokémon which they did not deposit.

Bonus Eggs

When a certain number of Pokémon are deposited from a game cartridge, an additional Pokémon Egg will be deposited. The Pokémon that hatches will know a special move that it would not learn normally and that cannot be passed down through breeding. The deposited Pokémon do not all need to have the same original Trainer ID number, but must be transferred from the same game cartridge into Pokémon Box. This means that, in cases where a player has access to multiple games, all of the Pokémon can be transferred to one, then moved into Box. A player can get 1 of each egg per GBA game save file. All 4 eggs can be hatched Shiny in the same save file which received them. The Pokémon that are available from the special Eggs are:

Swablu Egg

This special Swablu Egg can be received at the start of the game.

Pokémon Info				Trainer Memo	Battle Moves		Ribbons
SWABLU*	♂/♀	Dex No.	0333	Random nature.	Flying	Peck	None
Lv5		Type		Hatched: (Location hatched)	Normal	Growl
		Normal	Flying	at Lv 5.	Normal	False Swipe
		OT	(Hatcher's) (Hatcher's)		--	--
		ID No.	(Hatcher's)	There is no limit to this Pokémon's availability. It may be obtained on any date, beginning from when it was released. It was available in all regions.
Item		Ability
None		Natural Cure
This Pokémon is English in origin.
This Pokémon was distributed as an Egg. The OT and ID No. of this Pokémon is the same as its hatcher's.
Can be obtained with: R S FR LG E
Obtained from: Colo XD Box Chn Distribution

Zigzagoon Egg

This special Zigzagoon Egg can be received if at least 100 Pokémon are in the Box.

Pokémon Info				Trainer Memo	Battle Moves		Ribbons
ZIGZAGOON*	♂/♀	Dex No.	0263	Random nature.	Normal	Tackle	None
Lv5		Type		Hatched: (Location hatched)	Normal	Growl
		Normal		Unknown	at Lv 5.	Normal		Tail Whip
		OT	(Hatcher's) (Hatcher's)		Normal	ExtremeSpeed
		ID No.	(Hatcher's)	There is no limit to this Pokémon's availability. It may be obtained on any date, beginning from when it was released. It was available in all regions.
Item		Ability
None		Pickup
This Pokémon is English in origin.
This Pokémon was distributed as an Egg. The OT and ID No. of this Pokémon is the same as its hatcher's.
Can be obtained with: R S FR LG E
Obtained from: Colo XD Box Chn Distribution

Skitty Egg

This special Skitty Egg can be received if at least 500 Pokémon are in the Box.

Pokémon Info				Trainer Memo	Battle Moves		Ribbons
SKITTY*	♂/♀	Dex No.	0300	Random nature.	Normal	Tackle	None
Lv5		Type		Hatched: (Location hatched)	Normal	Growl
		Normal		Unknown	at Lv 5.	Normal		Tail Whip
		OT	(Hatcher's) (Hatcher's)		Normal	Pay Day
		ID No.	(Hatcher's)	There is no limit to this Pokémon's availability. It may be obtained on any date, beginning from when it was released. It was available in all regions.
Item		Ability
None		Cute Charm
This Pokémon is English in origin.
This Pokémon was distributed as an Egg. The OT and ID No. of this Pokémon is the same as its hatcher's.
Can be obtained with: R S FR LG E
Obtained from: Colo XD Box Chn Distribution

Pichu Egg

This special Pichu Egg can be received if 1499 Pokémon are in the Box.

Pokémon Info				Trainer Memo	Battle Moves		Ribbons
PICHU*	♂/♀	Dex No.	0172	Random nature.	Electric	Thunder Shock	None
Lv5		Type		Hatched: (Location hatched)	Normal	Charm
		Electric		Unknown	at Lv 5.	Water		Surf
		OT	(Hatcher's) (Hatcher's)		--	--
		ID No.	(Hatcher's)	There is no limit to this Pokémon's availability. It may be obtained on any date, beginning from when it was released. It was available in all regions.
Item		Ability
None		Static
This Pokémon is English in origin.
This Pokémon must forget the move Surf in order to be able to be sent to Pal Park.
This Pokémon was distributed as an Egg. The OT and ID No. of this Pokémon is the same as its hatcher's.
Can be obtained with: R S FR LG E
Obtained from: Colo XD Box Chn Distribution

Emulation

Aside from being a storage device, Pokémon Box can be used to play Ruby or Sapphire on a television without the Game Boy Player. Only those two versions (but not FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald) can be played and the storage system on the memory card cannot be accessed via the in-game PC, just the game cartridge's boxes. In this way, it is much like the Game Boy Tower of Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2. Players can access this feature by choosing the option "Go to Adventure" from the title menu. There are two borders available during emulation depending on the gender of the player character in the game being played. If the player is Brendan, there will be a metallic red and blue border themed off of Kyogre. If the player is May, the border is a goldish-yellow with silhouettes of three Hoenn First-Partner Pokémon on top. This is the only official way to play any handheld game (Pokémon or otherwise) on the Wii.

There is also a Take Pictures mode where the player can take a partial picture of something and apply different color modes to it, up to two at a time, on a spectrum. The player can save it as a wallpaper for boxes, but must save with Brigette.

Unlike “Go to Pokémon Box”, there are no conditions for using this feature.

B & W + Bright	Bright	Sepia + Bright
B & W	Normal	Sepia
B & W + Dark	Dark	Sepia + Dark

• 

  This border is displayed if the player character is male.

• 

  Trying to use a FireRed, LeafGreen, or Emerald cartridge.

• 

  This border is displayed if the player character is female.

Staff

Main article: Staff of Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire

Trivia

• Absol is the only non-Legendary Pokémon featured on the North American box art.
• The game was originally going to be translated as Pokémon Memory Magic in some parts of Europe, but ultimately, they used translations of Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire.
• This was the first Pokémon game released for the Nintendo GameCube.

In other languages

Language Title Japanese ポケモンボックス ルビー＆サファイア French Pokémon Box Rubis & Saphir German Pokémon Box Rubin & Saphir Italian Pokémon Box Rubino e Zaffiro Spanish Pokémon Box Rubí y Zafiro

References

Side series games

Stadium series

Stadium (Japanese) • Stadium • Stadium 2

Storage software

Box RS • My Pokémon Ranch • Bank (Poké Transporter) • HOME

Orre games

Colosseum • XD: Gale of Darkness

Other games

Battle Revolution • Pokéwalker • Dream World • Dream Radar

Pokémon games

Core series • Side series • Spin-off series • Pokémon mini • Individual spin-offs • Betas • Demos

This game-related article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.