Does Master Ball have a really small percentage of failure?

Question

I have see some questions and some people say that Master Ball have a chance of failure.
I need someone that can really 100% prove it if it can fail.

If it fails, what are the chances of happening?

Answer 1

No, there is no chance that it will fail. Only Urban myth says that it can.

>The Master Ball CANNOT fail within the current parameters in the latest games. If you read the Catch rate article, the variable 'a' would equal 255 with maximum HP, no status condition, and the Master Ball, the "worst case scenario" when using it ((3xHPmax - 2xHPmax) 3 1 * 255 / 3xHPmax). Since the probability of catching a Pokemon is 1 if a equals 255, it will always work.

Bulbapedia talk ^
Also read Mew's answer here. He did the maths which I cbf to do since it's already been done.
Mew did the calculations for the modified catch rate "a" which always ended up at 255, meaning it would be caught every time.

Please note, previous gen formulas for calculating catch rate and all still stand in Gen 6.

Comments

Ok thanks. I only ask this because in the Question ''What is the difference in Pokeball catch rates?'' the top rated answer showed this : ''Master Ball, Dream Ball and Park Ball (x255)
(((3 x 100 - 2 x 100) x 225 x 255) / (3 x 100)) x 1 = 19,125
(There is actually a chance that the Master Ball can fail, believe it or not. It is an incredibly rare chance, but due to storage limitations it actually is possible.)''. So what he says is not right? Thanks anyway c:

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Yhrre is a question on DB that says giratina escaped master ball..

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i really think that master ball have like 1/10000 of fail.

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ik about the Giratina question and I think it's a sham.
Maths contradicts the theory that Master Ball can fail - and no reputable source ever, including Serebii or Bulbapedia has ever said that it can fail.

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Just a 1 in 65,355 or 0.0015%.

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No, the only sources which tell you that are like GameFAQ and random individuals
If you calculate the rates manually (a will always be larger than or equal to 255, which immediately guarantees a catch), or you check up on reputable sites like Bulbapedia and Serebii and their forums, it's considered that it is impossible for Master Ball to fail.
The only individual off the top of my head on DB who said that it can fail was Indi. Others like Mew and DT have all said that it is impossible.

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You are right, but for the wrong reason. The Master Ball does not give a 255x multiplier; it bypasses the formula completely. The very first thing every Pokémon game does when you throw a ball is check if it's a Master Ball, and if it is then it immediately skips to the part where you successfully capture the Pokémon. I say this having personally looked at the code.

Indigo's answer to that other question was wrong.

Answer 2

Master Ball cannot fail.

Some sites say it can, but Master Ball cannot fail, as it completely bypasses the mechanics that determine wether the Pokemon is caught or not, as stated by Bulbapedia:

Poké Balls that guarantee capture (the Master Ball and Park Ball, and any ball used in the Entree Forest) bypass the catching formula entirely.

Source also, it was asked before here.