Pokemon Ruby Cheats and Codes: What Most People Get Wrong

You’re staring at a level 50 Groudon, your team is fainted, and you’ve got exactly one Ultra Ball left. It’s frustrating. We've all been there, squinting at a Game Boy Advance screen or an emulator window, wondering if there’s a faster way to reach the Elite Four without the endless grind of Zubats in Meteor Falls.

Honestly, using pokemon ruby cheats and codes isn't just about "breaking" the game. It’s about tailoring the experience. Maybe you missed the Southern Island event back in 2003 because you were, well, a literal child. Or maybe you just want to see what a Level 100 Surskit can actually do to Steven’s Metagross.

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Whatever the reason, if you don't use these codes correctly, you're going to end up with a "Bad EGG" or a crashed save file that wipes thirty hours of progress.

The Foundation: Master Codes and How Not to Break Your Game

Before you even think about spawning a Rayquaza in Route 101, you have to talk about the Master Code. Think of it as the "handshake" between your cheat device (like GameShark or Action Replay) and the game's memory. If the handshake fails, nothing happens. Or worse, the game freezes.

For the North American version of Pokemon Ruby, the Master Code usually looks like this:

9E6AC862 823AB7A8
46B7D9E4 A709E9E1

You've got to enter this first. Always. If you're using an emulator like mGBA or VBA-M, you usually select "Cheat List" and add it as a "GameShark V3" or "Action Replay" type.

One big mistake? Leaving too many codes on at once. If you've got "Walk Through Walls" and "Infinite Rare Candies" and "Always Shiny" running simultaneously, the GBA's limited RAM starts screaming. Basically, the game tries to rewrite too many addresses at once, leading to the dreaded black screen.

Essential Pokemon Ruby Cheats and Codes for Every Player

Most people search for the "big three": money, levels, and catching. Here is the reality of how they work in 2026.

1. The Rare Candy Shortcut

Grinding is the worst part of Hoenn. To get Unlimited Rare Candies, use this code: 280EA266 88A62E5C.

Here is the trick: This code doesn't just put them in your bag. Usually, it replaces the first slot of your PC storage. You’ll need to go to a Pokemon Center, access your PC, and "Withdraw Item." Don't be alarmed if the quantity says 0; often, you can withdraw hundreds before it actually runs out.

2. The Master Ball Glitch-Fix

If you want Infinite Master Balls, the code is 91B85743 27069397.

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Just like the Rare Candies, check your PC. A common pitfall here is having a full "Items" pocket in your bag. If your bag is full, the game might crash when you try to withdraw a cheated item. Toss out those useless Berries first.

3. Infinite Money (The Poke-Millionaire)

Tired of being broke? Use E51e97c3 7858e4eb.
Once you toggle this on and trigger a transaction—like buying a single Potion at the Mart—your wallet will max out at 999,999. You can then disable the code and keep the cash.

Walking Through Walls: The Double-Edged Sword

The Walk Through Walls code is legendary. It’s also the most dangerous.
Code: E03B0649 5D67050C 78DA95DF 44018CB4.

It lets you skip the Long Grass, bypass gym puzzles, and even walk on water without Surf. But here’s the catch: if you walk out of the "defined" map boundaries, you can get stuck in a void. If you save your game while standing in a wall and then turn the cheat off, your character is stuck forever.

Pro Tip: Only turn this on to get past a specific obstacle. Once you're on "legal" ground again, turn it off and save.

Encountering Specific Pokemon

Want a Celebi? A Deoxys? In Ruby, wild encounter modifiers are multi-line beasts.

To encounter a specific Pokemon, you often need the Encounter Master Code followed by the specific ID for that creature. For example, to find a wild Lugia (which wasn't even natively in the game without events), you'd use:

1. Master: 39E924C4 4136A9DD
2. Lugia ID: 545C676A 51FFDC1C

You’ll run into it in the very next patch of tall grass. It’s sort of surreal seeing a legendary bird in the middle of Route 102, but it works.

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A Note on "Bad EGGs"

If you use an encounter code and the Pokemon comes out with weird symbols or a glitched name, do not catch it. This is the game's way of saying the data is corrupted. Catching a "Bad EGG" can eventually corrupt your entire Hall of Fame or your party data.

Why Codes Sometimes Fail

"I entered the code and nothing happened!"

I hear this a lot. Usually, it's one of three things:

• Version Mismatch: You’re using a European (PAL) code on a US (NTSC) ROM. The memory addresses are slightly shifted in different regions.
• The "L+R" Trigger: Some codes require you to press the L and R shoulder buttons at the same time to "activate" the script in-game.
• DMA (Dynamic Memory Allocation): This is technical, but basically, modern emulators sometimes move data around in a way the old codes don't expect. If you're on an emulator, look for an "Anti-DMA" code or a "DMA Disabler."

Actionable Steps for a Clean Experience

If you're ready to start using pokemon ruby cheats and codes, follow this workflow to keep your save file healthy:

1. Create a Backup Save: If you’re on an emulator, copy your .sav file. If you're on a physical cart with a GameShark, just accept that there's always a 1% risk of a "blue screen."
2. Input the Master Code First: Never skip this. It's the "on" switch.
3. One Code at a Time: Want money and Rare Candies? Do the money code, save, turn it off. Then do the Rare Candy code.
4. Check the PC: Most "item" cheats in Ruby target the PC storage, not the bag.
5. Test the Catch: If you cheated to find a specific Pokemon, check its stats immediately. If the "Nature" or "Ability" looks like gibberish, restart without saving.

The Hoenn region is huge, and while the "authentic" experience is great, sometimes you just want to fly over the grind on a shiny Latios you "found" in the grass. Just be smart about how you rewrite the rules.

To ensure your game stays stable, verify your ROM version (v1.0 vs v1.1) as many older GameShark codes only work on the initial 1.0 release of the game. Once confirmed, start with a simple "Infinite Money" code to test if your master code is functioning before moving on to more complex "Walk Through Walls" or encounter modifiers.