How to Fix an Internal Battery on "Pokemon Ruby"

When you're playing Pokemon Ruby, or any other Pokemon game for a GameBoy system, the game will eventually present you with an error message stating that your internal battery has run dry. With Ruby, you will be able to continue playing the game normally, though time based-events like growing berries, tides and day/night evolutions will not work. To fix this issue, you will need to open up the cartridge and replace the coin cell battery. The battery is soldered in place, so you will need to carefully break it free before you can install your replacement.

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Tiny fla screwdriver
Triwing screwdriver
Electrical tape

Instructions

- 1
  
  Use the triwing screwdriver to remove the screw from the back of your Pokemon Ruby cartridge. Slide the front of the cartridge down and lift it up and off revealing the circuit board and coin-cell battery.
- 2
  
  Work the tiny flat screwdriver under the metal arm that holds the battery in place. You should see two solder points that you'll need to pop up. Pry up the metal arm carefully to avoid breaking it.
- 3
  
  Use your flat screw driver to pry the battery off the metal arm that is underneath it. The bottom arm is the same as the top one, though you won't be able to see it, so it will be a bit more difficult. Be careful not to break the metal arm off of the circuit board, you just want to break the solder points and pop the battery off.
- 4
  
  Insert your replacement 2025 coin-cell battery onto the bottom metal arm with the positive face down. Press the battery down firmly to bend out any kinks you put in the metal arm.
- 5
  
  Lay the upper metal arm over the battery and secure it with a small piece of electrical tape.
- 6
  
  Replace the front cover of the cartridge and tighten the screw. Insert the cartridge into your DS and test it. You should not see the battery error message any longer.

Tips & Warnings

This procedure works the same way for all handheld Nintendo Pokemon cartridges.
Older Pokemon games cannot save after the internal battery wears out.
If you are comfortable soldering, you can solder the battery back in place for a more secure connection. The electrical tape is faster and does an adequate job of keeping the battery in place however.