Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire: Berry Glitch

What this glitch actually is
Berry Glitch is the catch-all nickname for a spread of glitches that occur in Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire approximately one real-time year after a new save has started. Basically, the game's day counter stops moving. This brings a halt to all time-based events such as berries growing, the Lilycove Dept Store's sale, and trainer re-battles. Luckily, Nintendo has used all subsequent Pokémon games as trojan horses to install a patch for this glitch, so serious players will probably never have to worry about it. This Gitch impacts all older Ruby and Sapphire games. Newer cartridges have had this glitch fixed.

How long does my saved game have to be for the "glitch" to activate?
About when the game is roughly 366 days old or approximately 8,760 hours. It has been recorded that the glitch can take place before or after the year passes, but it's roughly this amount.

Dead Battery
The Berry Glitch is not the same as when the internal battery inside the game cartridge dies. A game that had a dead battery will still save and can still be played, but the clock freezes, giving similar effects to the berry glitch. A game afflicted by a dead battery will have the following message: ''The internal battery has run dry. The game can be played, however, clock-based events will no longer occur.'' A game afflicted with the Berry Glitch will not show this message.

It has been reported that replacing the Internal battery may cause the glitch after roughly a year.

What does this glitch do?


 * Berries stop growing
 * People who give out berries will no longer do this
 * The rocket launch in Mossdeep City that happens once a week ceases to occur
 * Trainers stop wanting to re-battle
 * Your bedroom clock in the game stops
 * Lilycove Dept Store never has any sales


 * Game Corner never has any service days


 * The Energy Guru never sells vitamins cheap


 * The Return/Frustration man in Pacifidlog stops giving out TMs

How can I fix it?
Most of the Pokémon titles released after Ruby/Sapphire contain a routine to detect and patch this problem when linked to Ruby/Sapphire cartridges. There are several different methods of fixing the glitch.


 * If you are fixing the glitch with Pokémon Colosseum, Pokémon Box, Pokémon Channel or the Pokémon Colosseum bonus disc (all for Nintendo GameCube), then all you have to do is attempt any of the Gamecube-GBA link features in any of those discs. The Gamecube game will automatically detect if it is linked to an un-patched GBA game, and install a patch immediately.
 * Just like the Gamecube games, FireRed/LeafGreen will automatically patch Ruby/Sapphire if you attempt to link the two, but FireRed/LeafGreen also has a hidden routine to do nothing but distribute the patch, just in case you can't think of any other excuse to link the two games. To use this hidden feature in FR/LG, link one GBA with a FR/LG cartridge to another with your un-remedied R/S cart, making sure that FR/LG has the player one (purple) end of the link cable. Turn on FR/LG, and at the title screen, press Select and B, then press A to confirm. Next, hold Start and Select as you turn on the GBA containing Ruby or Sapphire. The FR/LG cart will detect the R/S cart, and install the patch.
 * Shortly after this glitch was first discovered, it was officially aknowledged by Nintendo, and a patch was available at many in-store Gamecube demo kiosks at locations such as Target and GameStop. As encouragement for players to come in and recieve the patch, the in-store kiosk program also included a gift of a "shiny" (specially colored) in-game Zigzagoon.
 * The Nintendo DS games do not patch games with the glitch.

Can I recreate this "glitch"?
Only if you have an older Ruby/Sapphire cartridge that has never interacted with any other, newer games.

Credits and acknowledgements

 * The gaming communty of course. For finding it.

Links
none

happy glitchin'