Ball saver

References

1. ^ abEach table starts with a 20-second ball saver, and every ball lost for good starts a new one. While it runs, a drained ball is saved: the first save leaves the timer alone, and the second cuts it to 1 second and 1 frame. The timer counts down 60 frames a second, and not while the ball is at x 154 or more. Set to 20 seconds, it lasts 1,259 frames, about 21 seconds, if the ball stays left of x 154 throughout (computed). The slot cave can award 30, 60, or 90 seconds instead.Codepret/pokepinballrevised
   How we know

   1Start20SecondSaverTimer: ; 0xdbba
   ⋮
   6	ld a, 59
   7	ld [wBallSaverTimerFrames], a
   8	ld a, 20
   9	ld [wBallSaverTimerSeconds], a
   10	ld a, $2
   11	ld [wNumTimesBallSavedTextWillDisplay], a
   

   1HandleBallLossRedField: ; 0xdd76
   2	ld a, [wBallSaverTimerFrames]
   3	ld hl, wBallSaverTimerSeconds
   4	or [hl]
   5	jr z, .youLose
   6	ld a, [wNumTimesBallSavedTextWillDisplay]
   7	bit 7, a
   8	jr nz, .skip_save_text
   9	dec a
   10	ld [wNumTimesBallSavedTextWillDisplay], a
   ⋮
   15	jr nz, .skip_save_text
   16	ld a, $1
   ⋮
   

   54UpdateBallSaverState: ; 0x146a9
   55	ld a, [wBallSaverTimerFrames]
   56	ld hl, wBallSaverTimerSeconds
   57	or [hl] ;skip if timer ran out
   58	ret z
   59	ld a, [wBallXPos + 1]
   60	cp 154 ;if high? Byte of ball X pos is >= 154, don't update timers
   61	jr nc, .SkipSecondsOrFramesUpdate
   62	ld a, [wBallSaverTimerFrames]
   63	dec a
   64	ld [wBallSaverTimerFrames], a
   65	bit 7, a
   ⋮
   

   43	callba Start20SecondSaverTimer
   

   161SlotRewards_CallTable: ; 0xeeca
   162	dw Start30SecondSaverTimer
   163	dw Start60SecondSaverTimer
   164	dw Start90SecondSaverTimer
   

   Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-22.

   Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-22.

   In the claim ledger

2. ^ abEvery Pokémon gets the same 2 minutes to be caught: all 151 entries of CatchEmTimerData are 0 seconds and 2 minutes. Starting the mode also starts a 60-second ball saver that saves without limit, and the saver from before is restored when the mode ends.Codepret/pokepinballrevised
   How we know

   1CatchEmTimerData: ; 0x12a22
   2; Each 2-byte entry represents the total time you have to catch a Pokemon.
   3; They're all exactly 2 minutes, 0 seconds, but they can be changed to make
   4; different pokemon have different times, in order to add difficulty.
   5; First byte  = seconds value
   6; Second byte = minutes value
   7	db $00, $02  ; BULBASAUR
   ⋮
   157	db $00, $02  ; MEW
   

   123	ld hl, CatchEmTimerData ;contains how long each mon stays on screen, all are 2 minutes by default
   ⋮
   129	callba StartTimer
   130	callba InitBallSaverForCatchEmMode
   

   1InitBallSaverForCatchEmMode: ; 0xdbd4
   ⋮
   10	ld a, $ff
   ⋮
   14	ld a, 60
   15	ld [wBallSaverTimerSeconds], a
   16	ld a, $ff
   17	ld [wNumTimesBallSavedTextWillDisplay], a
   18	ret
   ⋮
   20RestoreBallSaverAfterCatchEmMode: ; 0xdc00
   ⋮
   24	ld [wBallSaverTimerSeconds], a
   ⋮
   26	ld [wNumTimesBallSavedTextWillDisplay], a
   

   Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-22.

   Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-22.

   In the claim ledger