This article is about the type of item. For the item called Poké Ball, seePoké Ball (item).

APoké Ball (Japanese:モンスターボールMonster Ball) is a type ofitem that is critical to aTrainer's quest, used forcatching and storingPokémon. Both a general term used to describe the various kinds as well as a specific term to refer to the most basic among these variations, Poké Balls are ubiquitous in the modernPokémon world.

Up to six Pokémon can be carried with aTrainer in Poké Balls, while more Poké Balls can be held in theBag for later use. These six Pokémon in the Poké Balls can be attached to the user's belt for carrying them around. Some Pokémon do not like to be carried around in Poké Balls, such asAsh's Pikachu.

Stylized Poké Balls are used in many places to symbolize Pokémon in general: the logos of theBattle Frontiers, thePokémon Contests, thePokéathlon, and thePokémon Musical all feature a Poké Ball in their design, while several Poké Balls can be seen in everyPokémon Center. The headgear of the protagonists ofKanto,Hoenn,Sinnoh, andUnova-based games feature Poké Ball designs, as do theBags of the protagonists ofJohto-based games.Ethan's headgear is also similar to the top half of an Ultra Ball, andLucas's Bag prominently features a Poké Ball.

In the core series games

The strength of a Poké Ball is determined by how much it raises awild Pokémon'scatch rate, and may in fact vary depending on the conditions of the battle. Poké Balls limit the power of Pokémon contained inside, taming them, though they do not cause the Pokémon inside to always obey the Trainer.

History

Main article:History of Poké Balls

The invention of Poké Balls occurred in theJohto region, whereApricorns grow; these fruits were cut apart and carved out, then fitted with a special device, and used to catch wild Pokémon. Some Trainers still use Poké Balls made from Apricorns, whileKurt, a resident ofAzalea Town, still constructs them.Pokémon Legends: Arceus shows that the first settlers of theSinnoh region, back when it was known as theHisui region, used pre-modern Poké Balls made ofTumblestone and Apricorns, withProfessor Laventon claiming they were a more recent invention. According toProfessor Elm, before the invention of the Poké Ball, people wouldwalk with their Pokémon.

In the games, in theMemory Link eventA New Light,Drayden claims that Poké Balls did not exist during his childhood.

Modern Poké Balls are not normally made from Apricorns, with the exception of specialist Poké Balls such as theMoon Ball. Modern Poké Balls are manufactured bySilph Co., theDevon Corporation, and the KalosPoké Ball Factory.

Mechanics and design

Though the technology behind a Poké Ball remains unknown and has evolved through the centuries to accommodate the diverse requirements of their creators, the basic mechanics are simple enough to understand and tend to remain constant: in aPokémon battle, once an opposing wild Pokémon has been weakened, the Pokémon Trainer can throw a Poké Ball at it. When a Poké Ball hits the Pokémon, as long as it is not deflected, the Poké Ball will open, cause the Pokémon to shrink, store it inside, and close. A Pokémon in this state is given a chance to struggle to attempt to break free from the ball and escape, instantly growing back in size if successful. Should a Pokémon escape a Poké Ball, the device is destroyed in the games, unlike in the animated series. A Pokémon that does not escape the Ball will becaught.Pokémon Legends: Arceus elaborates a bit on how the Pokémon are contained in a Poké Ball, withProfessor Laventon explaining that Pokémon have the ability to reduce their size to miniscule, and Poké Balls take advantage of this to contain them.

Poké Balls are specifically constructed for Pokémon capture, transport, and training. As well as being physically difficult to escape from, due to sealing tightly shut as soon as a Pokémon enters one, the environment of a Poké Ball is designed to be attractive to Pokémon also; according toLucian of theSinnohElite Four, weakened Pokémon instinctively curl up tight in an attempt to heal themselves, an action that the environment of the Poké Ball encourages. Although it is not known how a caught Pokémon perceives its time inside of its Ball, the device is said to create an environment that is "incredibly comfortable for Pokémon."^[1]Junichi Masuda compared the interior of a Poké Ball to "a high-end suite room in a fancy hotel.”^[2] All of these factors strongly discourage Pokémon from escaping their Balls. In the manga, Bugsy refers to his "capture net" as being the net that is supposedly inside a Poké Ball, but visible and already deployed. According to Kurt, this invisible net captures and physically stores a Pokémon.

However, inPokémon Scarlet and Violet, the protagonist'sKoraidon^S/Miraidon^V repeatedly shows that it can enter and leave its Poké Ball as it wishes.

When a TrainerDynamaxes orGigantamaxes a Pokémon, the Poké Ball expands to the size of anassociation football.

In some games, aBall Capsule can be used in combination withStickers to create special effects when the Pokémon is sent out.

Poké Ball accuracy

See also:Catch rate

In some scenarios, a Poké Ball can miss the wild Pokémon completely (in contrast to breaking if the Poké Ball does not successfully capture the Pokémon):

• In theGeneration I games, it was possible for a ball to miss the Pokémon when the likelihood of catching the Pokémon in question was particularly low—rather than the ball throwing animation playing and the ball wiggling zero times, a message would come up stating "You missed thePokémon!".
• In the Generation I games andPokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, theghosts inLavender Town'sPokémon Tower dodge any ball thrown at them before being unmasked by theSilph Scope. TheMarowak ghost will dodge all Poké Balls even if it is unmasked.
• InPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!,Pokémon Legends: Arceus outside of battle, andPokémon Legends: Z-A, Poké Balls are thrown manually, and the player must aim properly to hit the Pokémon. In Legends: Arceus,Heavy Ball andFeather Ball items have noticeably different throwing distances and trajectories compared to the standard variations.
  • In Legends: Z-A, the player's Poké Balls that were thrown and missed can be retrieved by alost Poké Ball collector, located outside eachPokémon Center.

In other scenarios, it is simply not possible to use Poké Balls in the first place:

• In the Generation I and II core series games, if both the player's party and their currentBox are full, the player cannot throw a Poké Ball.
• In non-Legendscore series games, inwild battles the player cannot throw a Poké Ball if there are multiple opponents—such as in wildDouble Battles,Horde Encounters, orSOS Battles—with the game claiming that it's impossible to aim.
  • This is not the case inPokémon Legends: Arceus andPokémon Legends: Z-A.
• FromPokémon Diamond and Pearl onward, it is not possible to throw a Poké Ball if the opposing Pokémon is in thesemi-invulnerable turn of a move (such asFly orDig).
• Starting inGeneration V, inDouble andTriple Battles, it is not possible to issue a command to one Pokémon and then throw a Poké Ball as the second Pokémon's turn. However, it is still possible to throw a Poké Ball if one Pokémon is in the middle of a two-turn move.
• InBlack 2 and White 2,Ghetsis uses his cane to control a wildKyurem and orders it to attack theplayer. The cane also emits signals that disrupt the use of empty Poké Balls, preventing Kyurem from being captured during the climax.
• InSun, Moon,Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, the player is forbidden from throwing Poké Balls at wild Pokémon in atrial site until the trial has been cleared.
• In Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, a signal that prevents the use of empty Poké Balls is broadcast throughoutAether Paradise to protect the Pokémon living there. This prevents the player from capturing the wildNihilego that attacks them on their first visit to the facility.
• In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the player cannot use a Poké Ball on aNecrozma that hasfused with aSolgaleo orLunala.
• InPokémon Sword and Shield, the player cannot catch a Pokémon whose level is above the limit the player's currentBadges can allow. Such Pokémon is described as "very strong-looking".
• InThe Crown Tundra expansion, the player cannot catchSpectrier orGlastrier during the encounter with it in the village because "It won't let its guard down!"
• InPokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the player cannot catch theOrigin FormeGiratina encountered inside the Distortion Room inRamanas Park.
• InPokémon Legends: Arceus, the player cannot catch certain Pokémon, includingnoble Pokémon andArceus.
• InPokémon Scarlet and Violet, the player cannot throw a Poké Ball at a wildTera Pokémon until it is sufficiently weakened, breaking through its transformation.

Pokémon's Poké Ball

Starting inGeneration III, each owned Pokémon'sdata stores theindex number of the type of Poké Ball used to catch it or received in. An owned Pokémon's Poké Ball cannot be legitimately changed and is displayed in the Pokémon'ssummary screen.

There are special cases in how Poké Ball are assigned when obtaining Pokémon:

• Bred Pokémon:
  • Prior to Generation VI, all hatched Pokémon are in astandard Poké Ball.
  • InGeneration VI, a bred Pokémon will be in the same Poké Ball as its mother. Pokémon bred from a male or gender-unknown Pokémon andDitto will hatch in a standard Poké Ball.
  • SinceGeneration VII, in addition to inheriting its mother's Poké Ball, a bred Pokémon can now inherit the non-Ditto parent's Poké Ball if bred with Ditto. If two Pokémon of the same species in different balls (regardless of theirform) are bred, the resulting offspring will have an equal chance to inherit either parent's Poké Ball.
  • In all generations,Master Ball,Cherish Ball, andStrange Ball cannot be inherited. If an offspring would inherit one of these balls, they will be in a standard Poké Ball instead.
• Pokémontransferred from another game:
  • Despite transferring Pokémon fromGen III toIV games inPal Park involves catching them withPark Balls, they retain their original Poké Ball and index number from Gen III games instead of being reassigned to Park Balls.
  • Pokémon fromPokéwalker toHeartGold or SoulSilver are contained in standard Poké Balls.
  • Pokémon fromPokémon Dream Radar toBlack 2 or White 2 are contained inDream Balls.
  • Pokémon transferred fromVirtual Console versions ofGen I andII games toPokémon Bank viaPoké Transporter are in standard Poké Balls, because Gen I and II games do not keep track of Pokémon's Poké Ball.
• Shedinja if obtained from evolvingNincada:
  • In Gen III, Shedinja copies its parent Nincada's ball.
  • Since Gen IV, obtaining Shedinja additionally requires owning a standard Poké Ball in inventory, which is consumed upon evolution. The resulting Shedinja will then be in the standard Poké Ball.
  • InDiamond, Pearl, andPlatinum only, evolving Shedinja in anyApricorn Balls or theSport Ball (which, in Gen IV, are only coded to exist inHeartGold and SoulSilver) will copy the ball to Shedinja without reassigning it to have a standard Poké Ball. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, as Nincada is only found in theBug Catching Contest which only permits Sport Balls, only Sport Balls can be legitimately copied to Shedinja in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum this way.
• InPokémon Sword and Shield, if the player has at least one standard Poké Ball,Great Ball, orUltra Ball, cookingcurry may attract a wild Pokémon that requests to join the player without a battle. If accepted, one Poké Ball is consumed to contain the Pokémon, prioritizing the first available type in the following order: a standard Poké Ball, a Great Ball, and then an Ultra Ball.
• In Pokémon Sword and Shield, catchingCalyrex in its Ice Rider or Shadow Rider forms will assign the ball used to both Calyrex and its steed (Glastrier orSpectrier, respectively).

If a Pokémon is traded to a game that does not support its Poké Ball:

• Pokémon fromHeartGold and SoulSilver caught in Apricorn Balls or aSport Ball will be displayed in a standard Poké Ball inPokémon Diamond, Pearl, andPlatinum. The original Poké Ball data is preserved and will be correctly displayed again when traded back to HeartGold or SoulSilver.
• Pokémon originating from Legends: Arceus transferred toPokémon Sword and Shield will have their ball converted into a standard Poké Ball, with their original ball data being stored inPokémon HOME's server.
• Pokémon originating fromPokémon Legends: Arceus which are then transferred into another game (vice versa for those caught outside Legends: Arceus and then transferred in) will be displayed inStrange Balls while in a game where the Pokémon's ball is not programmed into the game, but will still retain its original index number.

Other gameplay mechanics

• From Generation III onward, each variety of Poké Ball has a unique animation when it catches or sends out a Pokémon, except inPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! andPokémon Legends: Arceus.
• Fling will fail if the user is holding any type of Poké Ball.

Types of Poké Balls

In the Pokémon games so far, there have been 34 (38 if the Hisuian Poké Ball, Great Ball, Ultra Ball, and Heavy Ball are considered distinct from their modern-day counterparts) different varieties of Poké Balls, all differing from each other in some way, whether it be an increased ability to catch a Pokémon from the wild or an effect which occurs only after the Pokémon has been caught.

Every Poké Ball (except the Beast Ball and Master Ball) has a 0.1× catch rate modifier when attempting to catch anUltra Beast.

	Name	Gen.	#	Hex	Catch rate modifier	Notes
	Master Ball	I	1	0x01	N/A (guaranteed capture)	The only Poké Ball other than the Beast Ball that does not have a 0.1× catch modifier when used on an Ultra Beast.
	Ultra Ball	I	2	0x02	2×
	Great Ball	I	3	0x03	1.5×
	Poké Ball	I	4	0x04	1×	Must be in the player'sBag with an empty space in theparty to obtain aShedinja whenNincadaevolves fromGeneration IV onwards.
	Safari Ball	I	5	0x05	1×	Prior toGeneration VIII, it was only usable withinSafari Zones.
	Net Ball	III	6	0x06	3.5× if used on aWater orBug-type Pokémon 1× otherwise
	Dive Ball	III	7	0x07	3.5× if used whilesurfing,fishing, orunderwater 1× otherwise	InGeneration III, it only had an increased catch rateunderwater.
	Nest Ball	III	8	0x08	((41 - Pokémon's level) ÷ 10)× if Pokémon's level is between 1 and 29 1× otherwise
	Repeat Ball	III	9	0x09	3.5× if used on a Pokémon that is registered in the player'sPokédex as caught 1× otherwise
	Timer Ball	III	10	0x0A	(1 + number of turns passed in battle *1229/4096)×, maximum 4× at 10 turns	Greater than an Ultra Ball at 4 turns. InPokémon Legends: Z-A, the total number of moves used since the beginning of the battle by both the wild Pokémon and the player's active Pokémon is used as the turn counter instead.
	Luxury Ball	III	11	0x0B	1×	Doubles the rate at which the contained Pokémon'sfriendship increases.
	Premier Ball	III	12	0x0C	1×
	Dusk Ball	IV	13	0x0D	3× if used in a cave or at night 1× otherwise
	Heal Ball	IV	14	0x0E	1×	Fully restores a caught Pokémon'sHP andPP and removes theirstatus conditions.
	Quick Ball	IV	15	0x0F	5× if used on the first turn of a battle 1× otherwise	InPokémon Legends: Z-A, the increased catch rate is instead applied if neither the wild Pokémon nor the player's active Pokémon have used any moves since the beginning of the battle.
	Cherish Ball	IV	16	0x10	1×	Unobtainable by the player, but used for variousevent Pokémon.
	Fast Ball	II	17	0x11	4× if used on a Pokémon with a baseSpeedof at least 100 1× otherwise	InGeneration II, it was intended to have a 4× catch modifier for Pokémon that canflee, but it only does for three of them:Magnemite,Grimer andTangela.
	Level Ball	II	18	0x12	1× if the player's Pokémon is the same level as or a lower level than the wild Pokémon 2× if the player's Pokémon is at a higher level than the wild Pokémon but less than double it 4× if the player's Pokémon is more than double but less than four times the level of the wild Pokémon 8× if the player's Pokémon is of a level four times or more than that of the wild Pokémon	InPokémon Legends: Z-A, if the player does not have a Pokémon out, the Level Ball will always have a catch rate modifier of 1×.
	Lure Ball	II	19	0x13	4× if used on a Pokémon encountered whilefishing 1× otherwise	InJohto, the bonus was 3x while inAlola, the bonus was 5x InGeneration IX, it instead had an increased catch rate if used on Pokémon that are currently on or in water.
	Heavy Ball	II	20	0x14	-20 if used on a Pokémon weighing220.2 lbs. (99.9 kg) or less ±0 if used on a Pokémon weighing220.5 lbs. (100.0 kg) –440.7 lbs. (199.9 kg) +20 if used on a Pokémon weighing440.9 lbs. (200.0 kg) –661.2 lbs. (299.9 kg) +30 if used on a Pokémon weighing661.4 lbs. (300.0 kg) or more	InPokémon Crystal only, there is a glitch that causes the retrieved weights of Pokémon whose index numbers are divisible by 64 (Kadabra,Tauros, andSunflora) to become junk data that are, in turn, interpreted as massive weights, causing these particular Pokémon to receive the +40 capture modifier. InPokémon Sun and Moon only, a Heavy Ball will always fail to catch a Pokémon whose weight is less than 220.46 lbs (100.0 kg) and whose catch rate is less than or equal to 20. This is because the game will set the catch rate to 0 when the catch rate becomes negative due to the -20 modifier that is applied.
	Love Ball	II	21	0x15	8× if used on a Pokémon of the same species but opposite gender of the player's Pokémon 1× otherwise	InGeneration II, it has an 8× catch modifier if both Pokémon are the same speciesand gender. InPokémon Legends: Z-A, if the player does not have a Pokémon out, the Love Ball will always have a catch rate modifier of 1×.
	Friend Ball	II	22	0x16	1×	Sets caught Pokémon'sfriendship to 200Gen II-VII, or 150Gen VIII+
	Moon Ball	II	23	0x17	4× if used on a Pokémon that evolves by using aMoon Stone 1× otherwise	InGeneration II, it always has a 1× catch modifier due to aprogramming error.
	Sport Ball*	II	24	0x18	1×	Prior toGeneration VIII, it was only usable during theBug-Catching Contest.
	Dream Ball	V	25	0x19	4× if used on asleeping ordrowsy Pokémon 1× otherwise	Used only inEntree Forest prior toGeneration VIII. Guaranteed capture inGeneration V.
	Beast Ball	VII	26	0x1A	5× if used on anUltra Beast 0.1× otherwise	If any other Poké Ball (except the Master Ball) is used on an Ultra Beast, it has a 0.1× catch modifier.
	Park Ball	IV	27	0x1B	N/A (guaranteed capture if used inPal Park) 1× otherwise	Unobtainable by the player, but used inPal Park.
	Strange Ball	VIII	27	0x1B	0.75×	Unobtainable by the player. Pokémon inPokémon Legends: Arceus that were transferred from other games viaPokémon HOME, as well as Pokémon from Legends: Arceus inPokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl orPokémon Scarlet and Violet will be displayed in this ball.
	Poké Ball	VIII	28	0x1C	0.75×
	Great Ball	VIII	29	0x1D	1.5×
	Ultra Ball	VIII	30	0x1E	2.25×
	Feather Ball	VIII	31	0x1F	1× 1.25× when boosted	Can be thrown further than a regular Poké Ball. Is more effective for catching Pokémonthat fly high in the air.
	Wing Ball	VIII	32	0x20	1.5× 1.75× when boosted	Can be thrown further than a Feather Ball. Is more effective for catching Pokémonthat fly high in the air.
	Jet Ball	VIII	33	0x21	2× 2.75× when boosted	Can be thrown further than a Wing Ball. Is more effective for catching Pokémonthat fly high in the air.
	Heavy Ball	VIII	34	0x22	1× 1.25× when boosted	Doesn't fly far, but is more effective if the Pokémonhasn't noticed the player.
	Leaden Ball	VIII	35	0x23	1.75× 2× when boosted	Upgraded version of the Heavy Ball. Doesn't fly far, but is more effective if the Pokémonhasn't noticed the player.
	Gigaton Ball	VIII	36	0x24	2.5× 2.75× when boosted	Upgraded version of the Leaden Ball. Doesn't fly far, but is more effective if the Pokémonhasn't noticed the player.
	Origin Ball	VIII	37	0x25	N/A	Automatically catchesOrigin FormeDialga orPalkia at the end of the main story inPokémon Legends: Arceus.
All details are accurate toGeneration VIII games. For details that have changed between generations, please see an individual item's page.

Other variants

This section is missing one or more images. Please feel free to add any missing images to this section. Needed images can beuploaded to the Bulbagarden Archives. Reason: Add image of the blue Poké Ball from the Poké Transfer

• InPokémon Red, Blue,Yellow,FireRed, and LeafGreen,Professor Oak mentions that hisParcel contains a custom Poké Ball. However, this is not said inPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!.
• TheGS Ball is an event item that appears only inPokémon Crystal, where it was part of a giveaway on theMobile System GB for Japanese games, similar toevent items given out viaNintendo Wi-Fi Connection andNintendo Network fromGeneration IV onward. It was not used to catch any Pokémon and was placed in theKey Items pocket. If given toKurt for inspection, it will activate an event where the player can catch aCelebi inIlex Forest.
• When transferring Pokémon viaPoké Transfer, a blue Poké Ball is used to catch the Pokémon in the minigame. They are shot using a bow.
• In theTimegate Traveler Series featured inPokéstar Studios, the future is ruled byBug-type Pokémon that capture wild humans in Human Balls (Japanese:ヒューマンボールHuman Ball) instead of the other way around. They have no visual difference to Poké Balls.
• InPokémon Sword and Shield, theDynamax Band allows Trainers to increase the size of Poké Balls, making them look like giantPremier Balls.
  • When a Pokémon isDynamaxed (includingGigantamaxing) with a Dynamax Band, the Trainer returns their active Pokémon to its Poké Ball, then turns the Poké Ball into a giant Poké Ball. This giant Poké Ball is then thrown, sending out the Dynamax Pokémon.
  • InMax Raid Battles andDynamax Adventures, when thewild Dynamax Pokémon is defeated, the Trainer turns an empty Poké Ball into a giant Poké Ball, then throws it at the wild Dynamax Pokémon in an attempt to catch it.

• 
  "Ah! This is the custom POKé BALL I ordered! Thank you!"
• 
  TheGS Ball
• 
  Concept art of a giant Poké Ball for Dynamax byKen Sugimori^[3]

Palette limitations

In the games, certain Poké Balls appear off-color due to palette limitations. They are most likely intended to be standard Poké Balls rather than variations.

• InGeneration I, during aPokémon battle, the multiple kinds of Poké Ball have different throwing animations but otherwise look the same. They all appear with a black top and white bottom. This black and white design is clearly seen when the Poké Ball is shaking in an attempt to catch the wild Pokémon.
  • InGeneration II, all kinds of Poké Ball look the same when used in-battle except they have different color palettes. Unlike in the previous generation, all Poké Balls use the same throwing animation, save for theMaster Ball.
  • In both Generations I and II, the Poké Ball changes color once the wild Pokémon is successfully caught, shortly appearing with the color palette of the caught Pokémon. For instance, no matter what kind of Poké Ball, it appears to be green once a green Pokémon is caught, or pink once a pink Pokémon is caught.
• In Generation I, thetrade animation invariably displays both Pokémon using the Poké Ball design with the black top and white bottom, the same design seen in Pokémon battles.
  • In Generation II, the trade animation uses a red color palette for both traded Pokémon, specifically a darker red at the top and a lighter red at the bottom.
• In the Generations from I toIII, several Trainer sprites have off-color Poké Balls. They often reuse the same colors seen elsewhere in the sprites such as the character's hair or clothes.

• 
  A black Poké Ball at the start of a trade in Red and Blue
• 
  Red with a purple Poké Ball in theintro of Red and Blue
• 
  Blue with a black Poké Ball asChampion in Red and Blue
• 
  Professor Oak with an olive Poké Ball inGeneration II
• 
  Morty with a purple Poké Ball in Generation II
• 
  Erika with a green Poké Ball in Generation II
• 
  AYoungster with a blue Poké Ball in Generation II
• 
  ASuper Nerd with gray Poké Balls in Generation II
• 
  ABoarder with a yellow Poké Ball in Generation II
• 
  Twins with pink Poké Balls in Generation II
• 
  Glacia with a yellow Poké Ball inGeneration III
• 
  APsychic with purple Poké Balls in FireRed and LeafGreen

Item balls

Main article:Item → Obtaining items

Items contained in Poké Balls have been present from the very first games, with many items that are found on the field being found in Poké Balls in conspicuous locations. These items are sometimes important, and usually will be among the required items for pickup along the way. Sometimes, even Poké Ball variants can be found in item balls, though it may be that the item ball itself is supposed to represent the item that is found (whenever or not it's a Poké Ball). Many other items, however, are hidden, and are not in item balls, instead being directly on the field, and can be found more easily using an Itemfinder orDowsing Machine.

Voltorb,Electrode,Foongus,Amoonguss, andGalarianStunfisk appear as item balls in the overworld, but attack when interacted with (or if at close range for Galarian Stunfisk), except the Foongus inAccumula Town. InPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, fake item balls appear upside down.

Game icons

Poké Balls are often featured in the icons for Pokémon games, which are used on the home screens for theNintendo DS,3DS,Switch, and mobile devices.

D  P

Pt

HG  SS

B  W

B2  W2

X  Y

OR  AS

OR  AS  (Demo)

S  M

S  M  (Demo)

US  UM

P  E

Transporter

Bank

HOME (Switch)

HOME (Mobile)

GO

In the side series games

Pokémon Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness

InPokémon Colosseum andPokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, aSnag Ball is not a single, separate type of Poké Ball, but rather any type of existing Poké Ball that has been "unlocked" by the Snag Machine, allowing it tosnag an already-caught Pokémon during abattle. While it isable to be used on any Pokémon,Rui will only allowWes to use it onShadow Pokémon, whileMichael's Aura Reader will render the Snag Machine inoperable when a Pokémon other than a Shadow Pokémon is targeted.

It is possible to snag aShadow Pokémon even if there are two on the opposing side of the field, unlike catching Pokémon in the core series games.

In the spin-off games

Pokémon GO

Players do not battle wild Pokémon inPokémon GO, and using Poké Balls is a matter of the player's aim. To throw one, the player must press their finger on the Poké Ball, move it, and release it. The Ball and Pokémon exist in a 3D environment, so the player may miss the Pokémon by throwing the Ball the wrong distance or too far to the side. Additionally, the wild Pokémon may attempt to dodge or attack every few seconds. When a Pokémon is attacking, any Poké Balls that hit it will be deflected. When a Pokémon dodges, it will move around but can still be hit by a thrown Ball.

See more:Caught Pokémon → Pokémon GO

On the aiming screen, a colored circle displays over the Pokémon, gradually shrinks to nothing, then resets to its widest before continuing to shrink again. If the player's throw lands inside this circle, they will get a "Nice!", "Great!", or "Excellent!" catch chance bonus depending on how small the circle was. The player can also improve their catch chance by throwing a curveball. If the player spins the Ball while holding it, it will temporarily retain the spin and curve left or right when thrown.

See more:Catch rate (GO)

Three types of Poké Balls were available in Pokémon GO upon release: regular Poké Balls, Great Balls, and Ultra Balls. These remain the only types of Poké Balls that are generally available. They can be repeatably obtained by:

• SpinningPokéStops orGyms (Lv. 12+ for Great Balls and Lv. 20+ for Ultra Balls)
• Opening aGift (Lv. 12+ for Great Balls and Lv. 20+ for Ultra Balls)
• Completing certainField Research orSpecial Research tasks
• WeeklyAdventure Sync rewards

The player also receives Poké Balls uponleveling up.

• Poké Balls awarded up to level 11 (including 50 Poké Balls starting at level 1)
• Great Balls awarded from level 12 to level 19
• Ultra Balls awarded starting level 20

Regular Poké Balls may be purchased in the Shop at the following rates:

• 20 for100
• 100 for460
• 200 for800

All three types of balls have also been available in limited-time Box deals.

Premier Balls debuted in Pokémon GO on June 20, 2017,^{[citation needed]} a few days after its first anniversary with the introduction ofRaid Battles. They can only be used for catching Raid Bosses andShadow Pokémon, and other types of Poké Balls cannot be used on them. If the player runs out, the Raid Boss or Shadow Pokémon will flee. The number of Premier Balls are awarded to the player after a Raid Battle orTeam GO Rocket battle is based on how well they battled. Unused Premier Balls are not retained and do not roll over to future challenges. Like in the main series, Premier Balls are just as effective as regular Poké Balls.

Beast Balls debuted in Pokémon GO on July 1, 2022 at Pokémon GO Fest 2022 Berlin.^{[citation needed]} They can only be used for catchingUltra Beasts, and other types of Poké Balls cannot be used on them. Currently, an unlimited number of Beast Balls are provided to the player during an Ultra Beast encounter.

Master Balls have existed in Pokémon GO's coding since release, but they didn't debut until May 22, 2023, as a reward from the Let's GO!Special Research. Future opportunities to get Master Balls are planned.^[4]

GO Safari Balls will debut in Pokémon GO on November 16, 2024 at Pokémon GO Wild Area. The GO Safari Ball will be made available in Pokémon GO during theGO Wild Area event. They have a higher catch rate. When this event is active, players will receive GO Safari Balls from Timed Research and can use them in wild encounters.^[5] All unused GO Safari Balls expire and disappear from the player'sBag at the end of each day of the event.^[6][7] Pokémon caught in GO Safari Balls are unable to be sent to Pokémon HOME via theGO Transporter.

Description

Image	English name	Japanese name	Description
	Poké Ball	モンスターボール Monster Ball	A device for catching wild Pokémon. It's thrown like a ball, comfortably encapsulating its target.
	Great Ball	スーパーボール Super Ball	A high-performance Ball with a higher catch rate than a standard Poké Ball.
	Ultra Ball	ハイパーボール Hyper Ball	An ultra-performance Ball with a higher catch rate than a Great Ball.
	Master Ball	マスターボール Master Ball	The best Poké Ball with the ultimate level of performance. With it, you will catch any wild Pokémon without fail.
	Premier Ball	プレミアボール Premier Ball	A somewhat rare Poké Ball made to commemorate a special occasion of some sort.
	Beast Ball	ウルトラボール Ultra Ball	N/A
	GO Safari Ball	サファリボール Safari Ball	N/A

Pokémon Snap

InPokémon Snap, thePester Balls appear similar to Poké Balls at a glance. However, they are not used to catch Pokémon, and instead will release a Pokémon repellent on contact.

Pokémon UNITE

InPokémon UNITE, Trainers use regular Poké Balls to send out their own Pokémon, after they have beenknocked out in battle. (At the start of a Unite Battle, all Pokémon are present on the field.) During the game's tutorial, aPikachu from theAeos Research Institute is sent out from a Poké Ball twice. This happens before Tutorial (Basics 1) and Tutorial (Basics 2).

A unique variety of Poké Ball, theUnite Ball, is used as part of Unite Battles. (They are also known asAeos Balls) Unite Balls are orange, purple, and yellow in colour, with a yellow stripe around in the middle and a white button. The pattern gives the Unite Ball a "U" design. Each Trainer has a Unite Ball, and uses it tocatch thewild Pokémon their Pokémonknocks out in Unite Battles. After doing so, the Unite Ball stores theAeos energy the Pokémon held. The stored energy is used by Pokémon to score atgoal zones. At the start of an Unite Battle, the player's Unite Ball only holds a maximum of 30 Aeos energy. After their Pokémon reachesLevel 9, the capacity increases to 40. At level 12, the capacity is boosted again to 50. Trainers only have one Unite Ball canonically, and the interface only depicts a single Unite Ball. Regardless, Trainers throw a Unite Ball for every wild Pokémon defeated even if more than one is defeated at the same time.

InMer Stadium'sCatch 'Em battles, certain wild Pokémon have a white glow around them. When these Pokémon are defeated and captured, the player can send them out from their Unite Ball to temporarily take the place of their selected Pokémon. This function replaces the Trainer'sBattle Items. Additionally, after enough time has passed, the Battle Item will return to normal and that Pokémon will not be able to be switched into battle. If the captured Pokémon is sent out, a timer is set. When that timer elapses or the Pokémon faints, the Trainer's original Pokémon is sent back into battle from its Poké Ball. Defeating a Wild Pokémon while currently using aCaught Pokémon does not allow the player to switch to the defeated Wild Pokémon.

InPanic Parade, certain wild Pokémon have a white glow around them and a Aeos Ball icon over their heads. When these Pokémon are defeated and captured, the player can send them out from their Unite Ball. This function replaces the Trainer'sBattle Item, and after using the Battle Item will return to normal. (Although "normal" in Panic Parade means no Battle Item at all.) If another item is picked up or another capturable Pokémon is captured, the first Pokémon is lost. The sent out Pokémon wanders to the nearest opposing Pokémon, uses theirUnite Move, then is recalled and leaves the battle.

Unite Balls (mislabeled Poké Balls) are used as part of the Prize Machine menu. By throwing Unite Balls at one of the items on display, the prize gauge for that item is increased. When the prize gauge of an item is full, the item is obtained. A single Unite Ball has a 66% chance to add 1 unit to the prize gauge, a 30% chance to add 2 units to the prize gauge, a 3.3% chance to add 3 units, a 0.6% chance to add 5 units, and a 0.1% chance to add 10 units. Players have two Unite Balls to use in this menu. After using a Unite Ball, players must wait 12 hours before it can be used again. Players can spendAeos gems to hasten this timer. Some events provide additional Unite Balls in the Prize Machine menu, under the umbrella nameNo-cost Holiday Balls. When available, only 10 of these Poké Balls can be obtained per day, and they are lost if they are not used before the next day begins. Usually there is a cap on the number of No-cost Holiday Balls obtainable per event, with that cap usually being 100. Sometimes, these additional Unite Balls have alternate names, such asHoliday Balls orAnniversary Balls. (Oddly, the menu's text states that "Poké Balls always hit their target..." in this mode, even though Unite Balls have never been shown to miss in any media.)

Pokémon Pinball series

Main article:Ball Upgrade

InPokémon Pinball andPokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire, thePoké Ball,Great Ball,Ultra Ball, andMaster Ball are available.

The Poké Ball is the normal ball used in the pinball tables since the beginning of the game. In both games, if the player lights up the three Field Multiplier Lanes found in all tables, the ball is upgraded to the next kind of Poké Ball (a Poké Ball is upgraded into a Great Ball, a Great Ball into an Ultra Ball, and an Ultra Ball into a Master Ball). If a minute passes without new Poké Ball upgrades, the ball returns to the previous state. If the player loses a ball, the next ball is a Poké Ball.

The bonus points are as follows:

• ThePoké Ball has no bonus multiplier.
• TheGreat Ball multiplies bonus points by ×2.
• TheUltra Ball multiplies bonus points by ×3.
• TheMaster Ball multiplies bonus points by ×4 inPokémon Pinball and by ×5 inPokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire.

Pokémon Pinball

Poké Ball	Great Ball	Ultra Ball	Master Ball

Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire

Poké Ball	Great Ball	Ultra Ball	Master Ball

Learn with Pokémon: Typing Adventure

InLearn with Pokémon: Typing Adventure, the Typing Balls are thrown after one successfully types a Pokémon's name. It has the overall design like that of a normal Poké Ball, only having an additional vertical line at the bottom, resembling the letter "T".

• 
  A Typing Ball

Super Smash Bros. series

SmashWiki has more about this subject:

Poké Ball

In theSuper Smash Bros. series, Poké Balls appear as items, which fighters can pick up and throw to release a random Pokémon. These Pokémon will typically attack the opponents of the player who summoned them, but may also have other effects. Starting inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, the Master Ball also appears as an item, which has the same effect as Poké Balls but can only summonLegendary orMythical Pokémon (orGoldeen).

The Pokémon that can appear from Poké Balls differ between the games. ThePoké Ball Pokémon inSuper Smash Bros. all come fromGeneration I, thePoké Ball Pokémon inSuper Smash Bros. Melee come from up toGeneration II, thePoké Ball Pokémon inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl come from up toGeneration IV, thePoké Ball Pokémon inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U come from up toGeneration VI, and thePoké Ball Pokémon inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate come from up toGeneration VII. The only Pokémon that have appeared in all of the Super Smash Bros. games as Poké Ball Pokémon areGoldeen,Snorlax, andMew.

• 
  The Poké Ball in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
• 
  The Master Ball in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS

The Pokémon series as a whole is represented by a Poké Ball logo in the Super Smash Bros. series. The logo was updated inBrawl.

• 
  The Pokémon series' symbol fromSSB andMelee
• 
  The Pokémon series' symbol fromBrawl,SSB4, andUltimate.

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Poké Ball trophy

These balls are used to catch and contain wild Pokémon. Most Pokémon must be weakened in some way before they can be caught, but once they're inside a Poké Ball, they enjoy their new home, since Poké Balls contain an environment specially designed for Pokémon comfort.Master Balls are the strongest type.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Poké Ball trophy

"An item used for capturing Pokémon and calling them out into battle. Pokémon live in these items which despite appearances, actually contain a wide, comfortable Pokémon-friendly world inside them. In Super Smash Bros., Pokémon give temporary support to who calls them out. You never know which you will get, but some are devastatingly powerful."

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U

Poké Ball trophy

NA:An item used to call out different Pokémon. Which Pokémon emerges is a mystery, but it will aid whoever threw the Poké Ball. Some of the Pokémon contained inside are extremely powerful and will really intensify the battle. It's definitely worth beating your opponents to these!

PAL:A ball holding one of any number of Pokémon just waiting to burst out and help you in battle. Which kind will it be? Well, that's a surprise, but whichever one it is, it'll definitely up the intensity of the battle! If you see one, make sure you're the one to grab it!

Master Ball trophy

NA:These valuable, powerful balls can capture any wild Pokémon. In Smash Bros., hard-to-find Pokémon often pop out of them. You can easily identify a Master Ball by the distinct purple appearance and large M on the top. A Pokémon within a Master Ball may turn the tide of battle.

PAL:A rare type of Poké Ball that never fails to catch a Pokémon. Throw one in this game, and the Mythical or Legendary Pokémon inside will come to your aid. Master Balls are easy to identify due to their purple colour and the large M on them. Use one to quickly turn the tide of any battle!

Pokémon Tower Battle

InPokémon Tower Battle, the featured Pokémon come fromPoké Balls, with some rare Pokémon fromUltra Balls andMaster Balls.

Camp Pokémon

This section is astub. You canhelp Bulbapedia byexpanding it.

InCamp Pokémon, the Poké Ball Roll minigame features the Poké Ball, Great Ball, Ultra Ball, and Master Ball.

Pokémon Sleep

Main article:Poké Biscuit

Poké Balls do not exist inPokémon Sleep. Instead,Poké Biscuits are used to "befriend" Pokémon (which is the same mechanic as catching them in the core series games).

In animation

Pokémon the Series

Mechanics

InPokémon the Series, Poké Balls are not always at full size. Pressing the button on the front will convert it between its full size, about the size of abaseball, to a smaller size, about that of aping-pong ball, and back again. The larger size makes throwing the ball easier, while the smaller one makes for easier storage on a belt clip, in pockets, and in Bags.

When a Pokémon is sent out from a Poké Ball, it will be accompanied by a distinctive sound effect and a bright light as it returns from its energy form and materializes nearby, often on the ground. This bright light has been shown to vary depending on the type of Ball in which the Pokémon is contained in the games, while it has always been shown to be white inPokémon the Series. Pokémon are recalled to their Poké Ball by holding up the Poké Ball with its button pointed at the Pokémon. A beam of red, white, or blue light will shoot from the button, converting the Pokémon back into energy and returning it to the Ball. The beam, however, has a limited range and can be dodged by the Pokémon. If the beam hits a person, they will be stunned for a moment, but aside from that, no ill effects will make themselves apparent.

Releasing a Pokémon from a Trainer's ownership, unlike normally sending the Pokémon out, will bathe the Pokémon in a blue glow, and the Poké Ball will no longer mark it, making it able to be caught by another Trainer's Poké Ball.

A Poké Ball can also be broken, which will release it from ownership, as seen when Jessie releases her Dustox inCrossing Paths. If a Trainer has done so accidentally, it must somehow be fixed before the Pokémon can be recalled. This was seen inPokémon Food Fight!, where Ash becomes unable to recall Snorlax after its Poké Ball is broken. In the manga, if a Poké Ball is broken before a Pokémon is sent out, then that particular Pokémon cannot be used until their Poké Ball has been repaired. This happened several times in thePokémon Adventures manga, such as duringRed's battle againstGiovanni, where the opening mechanism for the Poké Balls of Red'sVenusaur andGyarados were damaged, preventing either of them from being used in the match.

InJust Waiting On A Friend, an old Poké Ball was shown to bind the Pokémon caught with it, aNinetales, to staying close to it, making it unable to leave its home until the Poké Ball was broken. This seems to be a quality unique to this particular Poké Ball, as later series have featured Pokémon venturing a long distance away from their Poké Balls, such asGoh's Suicune, which was able to remain as aroaming Pokémon despite not leavingGoh's ownership.

Pokémon appear to be conscious while inside Poké Balls. Several Pokémon have shown the ability to leave and return to their Poké Balls at will, most notably among themJessie's Wobbuffet,Misty's Psyduck,Ash's Oshawott,Brock's Croagunk, andClemont's Chespin, who tend to do so in every episode that they appear in. InDig Those Diglett!, many Pokémon belonging toGary Oak, as well as other Trainers, including Ash Ketchum, demonstrated the ability to prevent themselves from being sent from their Poké Balls, as they refused to fight against the Diglett, though this has not been demonstrated since. Pokémon have also been shown to be able to hear orders given by their Trainer right before they are sent out.

Pokémon can even make their Poké Ball jump and roll around at high speeds, while also being able to navigate, as seen inPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, when thepartner Pokémon moves its Poké Ball onto an empty pedestal inProfessor Oak's Laboratory after being caught inPallet Town.

Poké Balls are able to communicate with a Trainer'sPokédex, as the system updates itself with information on newly caught Pokémon, and keeps track of how many Pokémon the Trainer has with them. If a Trainer catches a new Pokémon with the full six already with them, the Pokédex will automatically send the newly caught Pokémon in its Poké Ball to thePokémon Storage System that the Trainer is using. As shown inTwo Degrees of Separation!, a Pokémon caught by a Poké Ball is "marked" by it, and thus most Poké Balls thrown at it will have no effect aside from temporarily stunning it. In the games, as well as inBad To The Bone, however, the Trainer of the Pokémon will block a Poké Ball thrown by another, though it is possible that this is more out of courtesy to their Pokémon than to prevent capture outright. InCharmander – The Stray Pokémon, Ash was able to catch hisCharmander in a Poké Ball despite his previous ownership byanother Trainer, though he may have lost his "mark" when he abandoned his previous Trainer by refusing to return to his old Poké Ball. Earlier in the same episode, Ash failed to catch the same Charmander while he still held his loyalty, despite his weakened state.

Other wireless capabilities of Poké Balls are shown inDestiny Deoxys, as when the electricity of the city is down,Rebecca claims that the "Poké Ball Management System" was no longer working without power. A similar mechanism is suggested to exist in the games, with the Paradise Protection Protocol issuing a lock signal that disables the use of any Poké Balls that do not have a specific ID.

Poké Balls are able to be decorated to no ill effect, with several Poké Balls that have been painted with special colors being seen in thePokémon the Series.

Should a Pokémon escape a Poké Ball, the device will return to the Trainer, who can attempt once again to catch the Pokémon.

It has sometimes been shown thatitems can be contained in Poké Balls, apparently able to be captured in much the same way as a Pokémon.Pokémon the Series has used this as a gag on several occasions, most notably inPrimeape Goes Bananas, whereAsh accidentally catches arice ball when he throws a Poké Ball in an attempt to catch a wild Mankey.

Types of Poké Balls

InPokémon the Series, the basic Poké Ball is the most commonly used of all varieties, with other varieties appearing either very few times or not at all. A vast majority of Pokémon are shown to be stored in regular Poké Balls, to the point that large collections of Poké Balls can be seen with no variation among them. EvenAsh's Pikachu, the most prominent Pokémon in the series, which spends all its timeoutside with Ash, has a plain Poké Ball that differs from others only by the small yellow lightning bolt symbol on it, as seen inPokémon - I Choose You!.

Despite this, the various other types of Poké Ball have been seen inPokémon the Series, usually to illustrate a special property about that particular ball. The lack of the different types is unsurprising, however, due to the fact that, when the animated series was first created, the games themselves did not even keep track of the Poké Ball that a Pokémon was caught in, and thus, it made no difference in sending a Pokémon out. This has recently become less common as ofPokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, possibly to reflect the fact that NPC Trainers inGeneration VII have certain types of Poké Balls associated with them.

The first time that a Poké Ball aside from the normal variation was seen was inEP035, where Ash was given 30 Safari Balls in order to compete in the Safari Game. With these 30 Safari Balls, Ash attempted to catch various rare Pokémon; however, he only managed to capture an entire herd ofTauros. They appeared in Safari Balls inShowdown at the Po-Ké Corral; however, whenever Ash uses one of his Tauros in a battle, it is sent out from a standard Poké Ball.

TheGS Ball was the second of the variant Poké Balls to appear inPokémon the Series, first appearing inPoké Ball Peril, this time with a special purpose. This mysterious ball was unable to be opened byProfessor Ivy, and served as the reason for Ash's journeys to theOrange Islands (to pick it up) andJohto (to deliver it toKurt), so that what was contained within it could be discovered.Celebi was long rumored to be related to the ball, something which thePokémon Adventures and game canons verify, whilea director of the animated series confirmed that, had it not been insisted thatCelebi appear in a central role inthe fourth movie, the GS Ball arc would have concluded with Celebi being released from the ball and traveling with Ash and his friends.

Also related to Kurt, as in the games, the first non-standard Poké Ball variants, theApricorn balls, made an appearance inPokémon the Series, and several were given to the members of the main cast. All three members of the main cast received a Fast Ball each inGoing Apricorn!, withBrock using his to catch aPineco shortly after receiving it. Many other Apricorn Poké Balls also appeared in a fantasy in this episode. In thenext episode, Brock received a Heavy Ball, while Ash andMisty received a Lure Ball each. While Brock's Heavy Ball and Ash and Misty's Fast Balls would remain unused (and have not been mentioned since), both Ash and Misty would use their Lure Balls to capture aTotodile andCorsola, respectively. Another Heavy Ball appeared inGulpin It Down, where it was used to capture agiantGulpin, though this was not the one belonging to Brock. InTrouble's Brewing, theKimono Sisters (excludingSakura) were shown keeping theirEeveelutions inside Apricorn Poké Balls, with Satsuki'sJolteon's ball being a Moon Ball, Sumomo'sVaporeon's ball being a Lure Ball, and Tamao'sUmbreon's ball being a Fast Ball. While Koume'sFlareon's ball wasn't shown, her kimono pattern indicates it being a Love Ball.

The Master Ball itself has only appeared once as an actual Poké Ball, inWhiscash and Ash, where it was used bySullivan in a last resort attempt to catch a wildWhiscash called "Nero". Despite the fact that a Master Ball cannot be escaped from, the Whiscashswallowed the Master Ball, thus preventing capture, and disappeared back into the water. While not a Poké Ball itself, Misty owns a beach ball that is designed like the Master Ball, which can be seen inBeauty and the Beach andA Hot Water Battle.

The Generation III specialty balls have mostly been seen in cameos. The Repeat Ball and Luxury Ball appeared in the opening ofJirachi: Wish Maker. These balls containedBrendan'sShiftry andAggron, respectively.

The debut of most of the specialty balls, both from Generation III and IV, came in the endingWhich One ~ Is It?, which contained the first appearance of the Great Ball and Ultra Ball, as well as the first animated series appearance of the Premier, Heal, Net, Dusk, Nest, Quick, Timer, and Dive Balls.

The first proper appearance of the Great, Ultra, Net, Nest, Dusk, Dive, Repeat, Premier, and Heal Balls was inA Frenzied Factory Fiasco!, where these balls were seen being manufactured at thePoké Ball Factory, in addition to normal Poké Balls, Luxury Balls, and Safari Balls, although the last ones were not shown. AlthoughJames did mention a Quick Ball in the Japanese version, one was never shown in the episode (a fact that was picked up by thedub, which removed the Quick Ball reference).Team Rocket tried to steal many of these Poké Balls, but were foiled by Ash and his friends.

It was revealed inFirst Catch in Alola, Ketchum-Style! that James had been collecting Poké Balls. When Jessie's attempts to catch aMimikyu with typical Poké Balls had failed, she grabbed the Luxury Ball James had been polishing and used it instead, capturing Mimikyu, much to James's dismay. The rest of James's collection appeared inActing True to Form!, where it was revealed to also contain a Great, Ultra, Premier, Dusk, Heal, and Quick Ball, marking the first animated series appearance of a Quick Ball. The collection reappeared inSplash, Dash, and Smash for the Crown!, where it now consisted of a Premier, Dive, Nest, Quick, Heal, and Dusk Ball.

Gladion keeps all of his known Pokémon in special Poké Balls. HisLycanroc is kept in an Ultra Ball (as first seen inA Glaring Rivalry!), hisSilvally is kept in a Premier Ball (as first seen inRising from the Ruins!), hisUmbreon is kept in a Heal Ball (as first seen inRescuing the Unwilling!), hisZoroark is kept in a Dusk Ball (as first seen in thePoké Problem extra scene ofSM127), and hisNihilego is kept in a Beast Ball (as first seen inThe Homecoming Crown!).

Beast Balls debuted inA Mission of Ultra Urgency!, in which theAether Foundation provided multiple of them for Ash andhis classmates to use during their missions asUltra Guardians. Since then, Beast Balls have appeared ina number of episodes. Most of the time they are only used to temporarily holdUltra Beasts until they are released back intoUltra Space. The only Ultra Beasts that have been kept in a Beast Ball for longer than one episode areAsh's Naganadel and Gladion'sNihilego.

InSword and Shield... The Legends Awaken!,Leon used an Ultra Ball in an attempt to catchEternatus, only for Eternatus to break out.

Many other Poké Balls have been shown inPokémon the Series; however, most of these are cosmetic alterations alone, such as Poké Balls with gold plating, diamond studded Poké Balls, and Poké Balls with stickers or special designs on them, usually to denote an organization.Ball Capsules andSeals can also be used to customize a Poké Ball's appearance, and they add special effects when the Pokémon is sent out. In the series, they are mostly used byCoordinators duringPokémon Contests to create a showy entrance and ensure that the Pokémon will make a good impression right out of the Poké Ball.

Notably, a broken Poké Ball, snapped in half at its rusted hinges, was kept by both Ash andGary, symbolizing their rivalry. After Ash defeated Gary during theSilver Conference, Gary gave his half of the Ball to Ash as a sign of ending their rivalry.

InMystery at the Lighthouse, it was shown that if a Trainer catches a Pokémon while they already have six on hand, it is automatically sent to the regionalProfessor.Sewaddle and Burgh in Pinwheel Forest shows a major difference in what happens after a Pokémon is captured. Instead of being automatically sent to the regional Professor, the Poké Ball is sealed and the button becomes red. The Pokémon is kept inactive until it is switched out by another actively in the Trainer's party.

Other variants

• A green Poké Ball appeared inPokémon - I Choose You!. Interestingly, the cover of the bookGrass Pokédex greatly resembles this Poké Ball, and is labeled as a Safari Ball.
  • In addition to this, the artwork ofBrendan, inRuby and Sapphire, features Brendan holding a green Poké Ball.
• Several objects were used to contain and control Pokémon before Poké Balls themselves were developed. Large monumental objects have been shown several times in episodes to be containers for large ancient Pokémon, as seen most notably inThe Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis. Smaller objects have also been used, such as the staff belonging toSir Aaron, which contained his partner,Lucario, untilAsh released it in the current era. Special armor developed byMarcus was used to control Pokémon in ancientMichina Town, though it did not directlycontain the Pokémon; unlike other methods of using Pokémon, these Pokémon were enslaved, instead of befriended, and they turned against him the moment the armor was broken.
• Mewtwo had a collection of strange Poké Balls known as (Japanese:ミュウツーボールMewtwo Balls) inMewtwo Strikes Back, which incorporated an eye into their design, and were used primarily to capture Pokémon to be cloned. These balls had no trouble catching Pokémon which were already captured—even if they were already inside of Poké Balls.
• InSpell of the Unown: Entei,Molly Hale, whose imagination caused the power of theUnown to change the world around them, was able to use strange, crystalline Poké Balls when she challengedBrock andMisty. The Pokémon sent from these appeared normally, but dissolved into crystal, rather than being recalled. These crystal Poké Balls only appeared when used by her imagined older selves, and do not appear to actually exist.
• InA Shipful of Shivers, it was revealed that theCaptain kept hisHaunter andGastly inside contemporary looking Poké Balls, approximately 300 years before the present.
• A special variant of Poké Ball, the Lake Ball, was used during theSeaking Catching Competition inHook, Line, and Stinker; this is viewed by many to be similar to the Sport Ball used in theBug-Catching Contest. They appear as blue and white Poké Balls, with a fish pattern around the edge, and a yellow arrow on the top and bottom of the ball. They don't shake after capture, implying an automatic catch.
• InOne Trick Phony!, specially marked Poké Balls appeared at theBattle Park, containing the Park'srental Pokémon. They looked almost exactly like standard Poké Balls, except that they had the Park's stylized "BP" logo on the top.
• Older Poké Balls have also appeared inPokémon the Series, specifically the one carried bySam inCelebi: The Voice of the Forest, which was colored differently, and it had a knob that needed to be twisted before the Pokémon inside could be sent out. While it is unknown how these types were manufactured, it is likely that they were made by hand using Apricorns, prior to the standardization and mass production of modern-day Poké Balls.
• TheIron-Masked Marauder, an agent ofTeam Rocket, used specialDark Balls that corrupted Pokémon caught inside them and made them into mindless servants of the Trainer, as well as raising their power significantly. Multiple Pokémon were caught in these Poké Balls, including theMythicalCelebi and a powerfulTyranitar. They seem capable of catching any Pokémon without fail.
• As in the games, theGS Ball appeared inPokémon the Series, and was the primary motivation for Ash's trip to theOrange Islands, where he would compete in his second Pokémon League. It also served as the catalyst for his journey toJohto, as he needed to deliver the ball toKurt. Former directorMasamitsu Hidaka revealed that a shelved storyline, that would have concluded the GS Ball's arc, involved aCelebi that would have traveled with Ash and his friends through at least part of Johto. The storyline was viewed as redundant after the decision was made to introduce Celebi in the fourth movie instead.
• Claydol, Big and Tall featured the "Stone Balls", two huge Poké Balls made of stone used to seal away a destructivegiantClaydol that had caused devastation onIzabe Island in the past. One of the balls was destroyed byTeam Rocket, who wanted to get their hands on Claydol. When it proved to be uncontrollable, the trio was forced to team up with Ash and his friends in order to reseal it within the second ball.
• InBattling the Enemy Within!, an ancient relic resembling a Poké Ball was first mentioned byBrandon, who told Ash and his friends a story about theKing of Pokélantis, who had once tried to controlHo-Oh for his own evil purposes. When Ash later found the relic, it was revealed that the King of Pokélantis's spirit was actually sealed within it, and it possessed Ash until it was banished from his body and resealed back inside the relic.
• InA Fishing Connoisseur in a Fishy Competition!, a specially marked Poké Ball, called the "Fishing Poké Ball", was used in the fake fishing contest set up by Team Rocket. This Poké Ball highly resembled the regular red and white Poké Ball, except that it had a dark fish mark on its red part.
• InThe Power of Us, the participants of thePokémon Catch Race used special "Catch Race Poké Balls" to catch specifically marked Pokémon aroundFula City. These Poké Balls feature a blue-and-white color scheme, with a gold button.
• InPokémon Journeys: The Series, starting fromIvysaur's Mysterious Tower!, the Team Rocket trio was provided with theRocket Prize Master, a vending machine that lets them borrow random Pokémon from it, contained in special Team Rocket Poké Balls. When a Pokémon is sent out from them, these Balls drop a small leaflet explaining details about the Pokémon in question.
• Dynamaxed Poké Balls were first used inFlash of the Titans! duringLance andLeon'sWorld Coronation Seriesbattle. InSword and Shield... The Legends Awaken!,Goh, with Ash's help, used a Dynamaxed Poké Ball to catch a weakenedEternatus, which was later sealed away.

Gallery

• 
  A green Poké Ball inPokémon - I Choose You!
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  The Poké Ball containingBulbasaur inPokémon - I Choose You!
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  The Poké Ball containingCharmander inPokémon - I Choose You!
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  The Poké Ball containingSquirtle inPokémon - I Choose You!
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  The Poké Ball containingPikachu inPokémon - I Choose You!
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  The golden Poké Ball containingJames's Magikarp inPokémon Shipwreck
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  APIANurse Joy's Poké Ball inShowdown at Dark City
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  A diamond-encrusted Poké Ball inGo West Young Meowth
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  Mewtwo's Mewtwo Balls
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  Molly Hale holding a Crystal Poké Ball
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  300+ year old modern Poké Balls
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  The Lake Ball fromHook, Line, and Stinker
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  Lokoko's old Poké Ball fromJust Waiting On a Friend
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  A Poké Ball used in theBattle Park inOne Trick Phony!
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  ATeam Rocket Ball fromMewtwo Returns
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  Iron-Masked Marauder holding a Dark Ball
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  Sammy's old Poké Ball fromCelebi: The Voice of the Forest
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  Annie andOakley's Poké Balls fromPokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias
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  A promotional toy version of Annie and Oakley's Poké Balls, produced byTomy
• 
  Claydol's giant stone Poké Ball fromClaydol, Big and Tall
• 
  A relic holding theKing of Pokélantis's spirit
• 
  A Fishing Poké Ball fromA Fishing Connoisseur in a Fishy Competition!
• 
  A Catch Race Poké Ball fromThe Power of Us
• 
  Team Rocket Balls fromPokémon Journeys: The Series
• 
  ADynamaxed Poké Ball inSword and Shield... The Legends Awaken!

History

Main article:History of Poké Balls

As mentioned, the generic Poké Ball design is not constant and has been remodeled and altered innumerable times in order to create new Poké Balls that are adapted for specific conditions. For example, it is seen in severalPokémon the Series episodes such asGulpin it Down! andClaydol Big and Tall that normal Poké Balls have difficulty catching Pokémon which are extremely large or extremely heavy. In the latter episode, it is revealed that ancient civilizations overcame this issue by constructing immense Poké Balls many times the size of the standard model known today, and made from stone instead. Other civilizations such asPokémopolis also discovered new technologies that more closely resembled modern Poké Ball technology, such as theDark Device and theUnearthly Urn, which were also adapted for the capture and storage of massive Pokémon but in small containers. However, devices like these became lost to the ages and their roles were subsequently supplanted by Heavy Balls in the modern world.

InA Shipful of Shivers, modern Poké Balls are found in theghost ship, implying that modern Poké Balls were first made at least 300 years ago. According toPocket Monsters: The Animation, Poké Balls were developed to allow for various Trainers to efficiently capture and train Pokémon in relatively little risk to themselves, as the act of training a Pokémon often results in severe injuries and even death. It also claims that the PokémonPrimeape and its notoriously violent nature was directly responsible for their creation.

Prior to the invention of Poké Balls, Pokémon were referred to as magical creatures (Japanese:魔獣majū), indicating that the name Pokémon, short for Pocket Monster, did not come into common parlance as a term until Poké Balls allowed the various magical creatures to be stored easily.

Pokédex entries

Pokémon Horizons: The Series

Poké Balls inPokémon Horizons: The Series work the same way they do inPokémon the Series.

As shown inWhere the Adventure Leads, when a Trainer dies, their Poké Balls automatically release all of their Pokémon back into the wild.

Other variants

• Ancient Poké Balls are a special type of Poké Ball. The search for these Poké Balls is an important plot withinPokémon Horizons: The Series. The only known Ancient Poké Balls all belonged to the Ancient AdventurerLucius, who used them to capture the members of theSix Heroes. In addition to capturing Pokémon, they seem to have unique powers and react to certain stimuli, likeRystal'sTerapagos,Pagogo, and Lucius's other Ancient Poké Balls.
• InOrla and the Poké Ball Smith, several custom-made Poké Balls created byKarna were shown. These include the Rocket Ball, which has miniature rocket engines that boost its speed; the Boomerang Ball, which curves back around once thrown; the Bomb-Bomb Ball, which has a fuse that lights up when the ball is about to be thrown and causes the ball to explode when it burns out; the Chase Ball, which homes in on the target Pokémon on a set of wheels; and an unnamed Ball that Karna gave toOrla as a gift at the end of the episode.
• InThe Wonders of the World!,Gibeon was revealed to keep hisZygarde in a Poké Ball that resembles the Ancient Poké Ball used byLucius and are just as old as them.

Gallery

• 
  Ancient Poké Ball inPokémon Horizons: The Series
• 
  Some ofKarna's custom Poké Balls fromOrla and the Poké Ball Smith
• 
  A Rocket Ball fromOrla and the Poké Ball Smith
• 
  A Boomerang Ball fromOrla and the Poké Ball Smith
• 
  A Bomb-Bomb Ball fromOrla and the Poké Ball Smith
• 
  A Chase Ball fromOrla and the Poké Ball Smith
• 
  One of Karna's custom Poké Balls fromOrla and the Poké Ball Smith
• 
  One of Karna's custom Poké Balls fromOrla and the Poké Ball Smith
• 
  Gibeon's Poké Ball fromThe Earthshaking White Zygarde
• 
  Orla's custom Poké Ball fromWe Are the Rising Volt Tacklers!

Pokémon Origins

Besides the regular Poké Ball, the other Generation I variations of it were also seen during thePokémon Origins miniseries. InFile 3: Giovanni, it was shown thatGiovanni kept his strongest Pokémon,Rhyhorn andRhydon, within Ultra Balls. InFile 4: Charizard,Red was seen catching anArbok with a Great Ball and aChansey with a Safari Ball. He also used Ultra Balls to capture theLegendary PokémonArticuno,Zapdos,Moltres, andMewtwo.

The Master Ball only appeared in a demonstration inFile 3: Giovanni, as it was still under development at the time. AfterTeam Rocket was driven out of theSilph Co. building by Red, the development of the Master Ball was put on hold for a while.

Additionally, in Pokémon Origins, the sound effects and bright light used when a Trainer is catching, sending out, or recalling a Pokémon differ in comparison to the sound effects and lights that are used in theanimated series, more resembling the effects seen inPokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.

Pokémon Generations

The only Poké Ball variant seen inPokémon Generations was an Ultra Ball, which appeared inThe Scoop. It was shown being used bya Trainer to catch aDeoxys in outer space.

In live-action media

The Strength of the Master

In the Brazilian music videoThe Strength of the Master, there are CGI-animated Poké Balls with the stylized "E" logo of the performer Eliana.

The Eliana Poké Balls are sometimes seen slowly floating or flying fast in the air, and often used as screen transitions during the music video. Eliana is also shown throwing this Poké Ball. The Eliana Poké Balls usually appear in a red version (but with the white half at the top, as opposed to the regular Poké Ball), but there is also a blue version.

At some point, two Eliana Poké Balls float in the air and glow in front of a boy and a girl, magically causing them to wear cosplays ofAsh andMisty.

• 
  Eliana Poké Ball
• 
  Eliana Poké Ball (blue version)
• 
  Eliana Poké Balls floating
• 
  Eliana Poké Balls after causing the children to wear cosplays

In the manga

In the variousPokémon manga, Poké Balls have been shown to appear differently, as an attempt to explain how a Trainer knows which Pokémon is in which ball, as most Pokémon manga series were, like the animated series, developed at a time when the games could not keep track of the ball a Pokémon was contained in.

The Electric Tale of Pikachu

InThe Electric Tale of Pikachu, the rules are more similar to the animated series; however, Poké Balls are numbered on the outside, on the button, so that a Trainer knows which member of their team they are sending into battle. In The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Trainers must obtain a license before they are legally allowed to purchase Poké Balls.

It is also possible for a Pokémon to be placed inside a Poké Ball without it being owned by a Trainer. InDays of Gloom and Glory,Meowzie steals a Poké Ball from a shop and puts her kitten in it so that it will not be hurt by a flood affecting the city.

InHaunting My Dreams, a giant Poké Ball named the Enormo Poké Ball-X1 (Japanese:ビッグモンスターボールX1Big Monster Ball-X1) or EPB-X1 for short, was created to capture the giganticHaunter,Black Fog. It was destroyed when the Black Fog usedExplosion to free itself after being captured.

Magical Pokémon Journey

InMagical Pokémon Journey, the main characters generally do not capture Pokémon, rather, they befriend them. AlthoughAlmond, one of the main characters, is known to be aPokémon Trainer, he is not actually depicted capturing or raising any Pokémon. In fact, in the bonus materials ofVolume 2, in which the cast of the manga meetAsh,Misty, andBrock in a series of crossovers, it is revealed thatHazel andCoconut do not even know what Poké Balls are. When Ash and Misty explain that they are used to capture Pokémon, they both proceed to attempt to use them to capture Almond, as he is each of their love interest.

Pokémon Adventures

In thePokémon Adventures manga, the tops of Poké Balls are semitransparent, allowing the Pokémon inside, which is miniaturized, to be seen through the ball, while the Pokémon can likewise see out of the ball it is contained in. In this manga, unlike in the animated series, Pokémon already captured can be recaught in another Poké Ball, as is seen whenRed recatchesMisty's Gyarados inGyarados Splashes In! (thoughBlue states that catching a Pokémon that belongs to another is not possible inLapras Lazily).

Like in the animated series and the games, specialty balls do exist, although they are much more commonly used than in the animated series. InHoly Moltres,Team Rocket was shown to have caught thelegendary birds in Ultra Balls. InAnd Mewtwo... Three!,Blaine gave Red theMaster Ball, which Red used to catchMewtwo shortly afterwards;much later, Blaine himself caught Mewtwo with the Master Ball when Mewtwo decided to return to Blaine's training. InTeddiursa's Picnic,Gold andSilver received a Friend Ball and Heavy Ball, respectively, with Silver using his ball to catch anUrsaring, while Gold used his to catch aTeddiursa forMaizie. Close to the end of theGold, Silver & Crystal arc, theMasked Man was shown creating aGS Ball and using it to catchCelebi. InInnocent Scientist,Blake used Luxury Balls while trying to catch theGenesect controlled byColress, eventually succeeding. InAbyssal Ruins, Blake gaveWhitley a Quick Ball to catch aKarrablast. InScizor Defends, a Quick Ball was seen amongst the Poké Balls thatY had used while trying to catch anAbsol.

Safari Balls have been seen being used by Red at theKanto Safari Zone, byDiamond,Pearl, andPlatinum at theGreat Marsh, and by Silver at theJohto Safari Zone.Crystal andEmerald have also been shown using special balls to catch Pokémon, with Crystal specializing inApricorn balls and Emerald specializing in Poké Balls introduced inGeneration III.

Additionally, the three original types of Poké Ball are used to identify the Trainer's rank; most Trainers keep their Pokémon in Poké Balls,Gym Leaders use Great Balls, andElite Four members use Ultra Balls.

In theSun, Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon arc, Beast Balls were created for theAether Foundation by Blake, who was disguised as Colress, as a means of catchingUltra Beasts. Sun used one to catch hisStakataka inMadness!! Mother Lusamine!.

Like in the games, but unlike the animated series, Pokémon placed in their balls don't recover fromstatus conditions nor regain lost health, no matter how much time passes.

Variants

• Bruno has modified his Poké Balls so that they are fitted onto the ends of hisnunchucks. By swinging them quickly and throwing the nunchuck forward, Bruno can have his Pokémon quickly attack his opponent, giving him the advantage.
• Koga and his daughterJanine modified their Poké Balls intoshuriken to fit their ninja theme. In addition to being used as weapons, they can also be used to have their Pokémon pop up from different locations to surprise the opponent or to hold items to help an ally.
• Bugsy hadKurt modify his butterfly net into something he calls a Capture Net. His net has a Poké Ball nested into the middle of it. The bag of the net is made of the same material of the inside of a Poké Ball. Once a Pokémon is covered in the bag, they will automatically be sucked into the Poké Ball.
• Falkner has modified his Poké Balls into boomerangs using the feathers of hisSkarmory. Because of Skarmory's feathers being transparent, they have the tendency to turn invisible, confusing enemies when Falkner throws them in random directions only for them to turn around and go straight for them.
• Erika andMoon modified their Poké Balls to be at the end of their arrows.
• InIt Takes Patience, Knowledge and a Really Quick Beedrill,Giovanni used a specifically designed Poké Ball with the letters "DNA" on its top half to captureDeoxys.
• Multiple Dynamaxed Poké Balls appeared in theSword & Shield arc, being used to both capture Dynamax Pokémon and send them out.

• 
  Bruno's nunchuck with Poké Balls on them
• 
  Koga's shuriken Poké Ball
• 
  Bugsy's Capture Net
• 
  Falkner's boomerang Poké Balls
• 
  Erika with one of her Poké Ball arrows
• 
  Moon with one of her Poké Ball arrows
• 
  Giovanni's Deoxys Poké Ball
• 
  A Dynamaxed Poké Ball

Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys

Besides regular Poké Balls, Apricorn Poké Balls also received notable attention in thePokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys manga. They were first featured inThe Great Search! Let's Rescue The Slowpoke!, whereGold andKurt used some of Kurt's hand-made Poké Balls to save a group ofSlowpoke from drowning in the floodingSlowpoke Well. Kurt's Level Ball also proved crucial in stopping theBlack Tyranitar's rampage during the manga's climax.

Pokémon: Yeah! I Got Pokémon!

InPokémon: Yeah! I Got Pokémon!, Poké Balls are depicted as solid, with no visual identification as to which Poké Ball is which. InSpecial Chapter - Get Pikachu!, it is revealed that whenShu metPikachu, Pikachu's Poké Ball had been abandoned in a forest because it was defective and it was causing Pikachu's electricity to be released throughout the surrounding area.

Pokémon Pocket Monsters

InPokémon Pocket Monsters, Poké Balls are often shown as transparent to identify when a Pokémon is inside. They usually have their typical appearance from far away, suggesting that they may not always be transparent, or are only see-through from up close. Pokémon appear to be able to see the world outside of their Poké Balls, as shown inBring Down the Powerful Opponent Onix!!, whenClefairy seesPikachu inside his Poké Ball, and they talk to each other. InIntroducing the Pokémon Clefairy!!, whenGreen is choosing Charmander as hisfirst partner Pokémon, he is shown to be able to pick up and lift Charmander directly from the Poké Ball without throwing it first.

• 
  Red's Pikachu inside his Poké Ball, in his debut appearance
• 
  Green's Charmander being lifted from its Poké Ball

In the TCG

Many variants of Poké Ball have been released in card form in thePokémon Trading Card Game, ranging from the standard variants found in the games and other media to variants specific to the TCG. Generally, Poké Balls are depicted asItem cards that search the player'sdeck forPokémon and put them into the player'shand. Many Poké Ball cards require some number of successfulcoin flips in order to allow for the search to succeed, but some cards use the order of the player'sdeck to create inconsistency instead. There are even Poké Ball cards that are guaranteed to work, but these cards are balanced by only finding specific subsets of Pokémon, requiring some cost to be paid, or having another drawback.

Some cards, such asApricorn Maker andBall Guy, refer to Poké Ball cards as a group, using the phrase "Item cards that have the word “Ball” in their name". This phraseology excludes cards with "Balloon" in their name even though they otherwise meet the criteria. (An example of an excluded card wasBursting Balloon, before theerrata that changedPokémon Tool cards to be a subtype ofTrainer cards rather than Item cards.)

List of Poké Ball cards based on the games

• The standardPoké Ball card, which was the first released, debuted in theJungle expansion and has since been featured in many others. It requires the player to flip a coin and if it is successful, it searches the deck for aPokémon and puts it in the player's hand.
• The Ultra Ball can be seen in the artwork ofRocket's Sneak Attack, from theTeam Rocket expansion. The 'H' on this Ultra Ball is derived from its Japanese name,Hyper Ball. TheUltra Ball itself would debut inDark Explorers, with its effect requiring the player to discard 2 cards from the hand to search the deck for any single Pokémon.
• TheGreat Ball, which first appeared in theTCG expansion coinciding with theremakes of theGeneration I games, is somewhat of an upgrade to the Poké Ball, and does not require the coin flip that the Poké Ball does, instead restricting the search to Basic Pokémon. Later, inEmerging Powers,Great Ball's effect was changed to have the player search the top 7 cards of the deck for any one Pokémon card and put it in the hand.
• TheMaster Ball, first appearing in theGym Challenge expansion, and in the games the most powerful of the Poké Balls, provides a vastly different effect than the standard. Rather than searching the entire deck, only the top seven cards may be searched. OnePokémon found in these seven can be put into the hand, while the rest must be shuffled back into the deck. InPlasma Blast, theMaster Ball was changed to anACE SPEC card that allowed the player to search the entire deck for any one Pokémon. This effect is similar to Ultra Ball, but without the discard cost.
• Debuting in theSkyridge expansion, theLure Ball is different from the basic Poké Balls in that it draws from thediscard pile rather than the deck. For each heads flipped, with a maximum of three, anEvolution card can be returned from the discard pile and put into the hand. It has since been reprinted inCelestial Storm.
• Also debuting in Skyridge, theFriend Ball, anotherApricorn Ball, has a unique effect entirely, allowing the user to search their deck for a Pokémon of the sametype as one of the opponent's Pokémon and put it into their hand. It is effective in decks that typically match up well against their own type. It was also reprinted in Celestial Storm.
• TheFast Ball allows the player to go through their deck, turning over cards one at a time until they find the firstEvolution card, and then taking that into their hand, shuffling afterward. Like the other two Apricorn Balls, it debuted in Skyridge, but unlike the others, it has not appeared since.
• ThePremier Ball, debuting in theGreat Encounters expansion, is special, much as in the games, and allows the player to search either the deckor the discard pile for aPokémon LV.X to put into their hand.
• TheLuxury Ball, first released in theStormfront expansion, is among the rarest of the Poké Ball varieties in the games, though its catch rate is the same as that of a normal Poké Ball. Likewise it is so with the TCG, allowing a non-LV.X Pokémon to be searched from the deck, but only if another Luxury Ball card is not in the discard pile.
• TheQuick Ball released in theMysterious Treasures expansion has a similar effect to the Fast Ball released in Skyridge, allowing the player to uncover cards from their deck until they find a Pokémon. An expansion of the Fast Ball's use, any Pokémon can be found, though this may prove an issue if the player is looking for an Evolution card specifically and finds a Basic Pokémon first, and vice versa. The Quick Ball was rereleased in theSword & Shield expansion with a different effect, requiring players to discard 1 card in order to search their deck for a Basic Pokémon.
• TheDusk Ball, also first released in Mysterious Treasures, features an effect somewhat opposite from that of the pre-Plasma Blast version of Master Ball: Instead of the top seven cards being searched, only the bottom seven cards may be, and a Pokémon found there may be put into the player's hand.
• TheHeavy Ball, first released inNext Destinies, allows the player to search their deck for a Pokémon who has aRetreat Cost of 3 or more and put it into their hand.
• TheLevel Ball, also first released inNext Destinies, allows the player to search their deck for a Pokémon that has 90 HP or less and put it into their hand.
• TheDive Ball, released only inPrimal Clash, allows the player to search their deck for aWater-type Pokémon and put it into their hand.
• TheRepeat Ball, released only inPrimal Clash, allows the player to search their deck for a Pokémon with the same name as one of their Pokémon in play and put it into their hand.
• TheNest Ball, first released inSun & Moon, allows the player to search their deck for a Basic Pokémon and put it onto their Bench.
• TheTimer Ball, first released inSun & Moon, allows the player to search their deck for a number of Evolution Pokémon equal to the number of heads from flipping two coins.
• TheNet Ball, first released inLost Thunder, allows the player to search their deck for a Basic Pokémon or a Energy card and put it into their hand.
• TheBeast Ball, first released inCelestial Storm, allows the player to look at their Prize Cards, and swap anUltra Beast found there with the Beast Ball card.
• TheCherish Ball, first released inUnified Minds, allows the player to search their deck for anyPokémon-GX and put it into their hand.
• TheDream Ball, first released inEvolving Skies, allows the player to search their deck for a Pokémon and put it on their bench, but the card can only be played if the player took it as a face down Prize card.
• TheFeather Ball, first released inAstral Radiance, allows the player to search their deck for a Pokémon with no Retreat Cost and put it into their hand.
• TheHisuian Heavy Ball, first released in Astral Radiance, allows the player to look at their Prize cards, and swap a Basic Pokémon found there with the Hisuian Heavy Ball card.
• TheLove Ball, first released inTwilight Masquerade, is similar in effect to Friend Ball, except it allows the user to search their deck for a Pokémon of the same name (instead of the same type) as one of the opponent's Pokémon, and put it into their hand.

• 
  Poké Ball
• 
  Great Ball
• 
  Ultra Ball
• 
  Master Ball
• 
  Fast Ball
• 
  Level Ball
• 
  Lure Ball
• 
  Heavy Ball
• 
  Love Ball
• 
  Friend Ball
• 
  Net Ball
• 
  Nest Ball
• 
  Repeat Ball
• 
  Timer Ball
• 
  Luxury Ball
• 
  Premier Ball
• 
  Dive Ball
• 
  Dusk Ball
• 
  Quick Ball
• 
  Cherish Ball
• 
  Dream Ball
• 
  Beast Ball
• 
  Feather Ball
• 
  Hisuian Heavy Ball

List of Poké Balls original to the TCG

• TheDual Ball is two Poké Balls together, and has a similar (but not identical) effect to using two Poké Ball cards. The player flips two coins then searches their deck for one Basic Pokémon per heads result.
• TheTeam Magma Ball is aTeam Magma variation of the Poké Ball, released only in theEX Team Magma vs Team Aqua expansion. First, the player flips a coin. If it has a heads result, the card allows the user to search for a Team Magma's Pokémon. If that coin flip results in tails, the search is limited toBasic Team Magma Pokémon.
• TheTeam Aqua Ball is aTeam Aqua variation of the Poké Ball, also released only in theEX Team Magma vs Team Aqua expansion. It has the same effect as the Team Magma Ball, but searches for Team Aqua's Pokémon instead.
• TheRocket's Poké Ball is theTeam Rocket variation on the Poké Ball, released in theEX Team Rocket Returns expansion. It allows the player to search their deck for aDark Pokémon.
• TheTeam Plasma Ball is aTeam Plasma variation of the Poké Ball, released in thePlasma Freeze expansion. It allows the user to search their deck for aTeam Plasma Pokémon.
• TheTeam Magma's Great Ball is a Team Magma variation on the Great Ball, released in theDouble Crisis expansion. It searches the deck for a Basic Team Magma Pokémon and a Basic Energy.
• TheTeam Aqua's Great Ball is a Team Aqua variation on the Great Ball, also released in theDouble Crisis expansion. It searches the deck for a Basic Team Aqua Pokémon and a Basic Energy.
• TheTeam Rocket's Great Ball is a Team Rocket variation on the Great Ball, released in theDestined Rivals expansion. The player flips a coin then searches their deck for an EvolutionTeam Rocket's Pokémon for heads or a Basic Team Rocket's Pokémon for tails.

• 
  Dual Ball
• 
  Team Magma Ball
• 
  Team Aqua Ball
• 
  Rocket's Poké Ball
• 
  Team Plasma Ball
• 
  Team Magma's Great Ball
• 
  Team Aqua's Great Ball
• 
  Team Rocket's Great Ball

In the novels

Pocket Monsters: The Animation

InPocket Monsters: The Animation, it is said that Poké Balls were invented in 1925 byProfessor Nishinomori.

In the guidebooks

According to theEncyclopedia Pokemonica,Pocket Monsters Encyclopedia, and aPokémon Daisuki Club site describing thePokémon world, modern Poké Balls were developed in 1925 from the research ofProfessor Westwood ofCeladon University.

In real life

The Pokémon Company has occasionally partnered with certain companies in order to create certain products. This includes Poké Balls.

• The Pokémon Company has collaborated withTiffany & Co. in order to make a Poké Ball that also acts as a jewelry case.

• 
  TheTiffany & Co. Poké Ball.

Trivia

• In theGeneration I games, after defeating therival for the first time inRoute 22, if the player returns toProfessor Oak's Laboratory without any Poké Balls in the item bag,Professor Oak will then gift the player 5 Poké Balls.^[8]
  • SinceGeneration II onwards, the player is automatically awarded Poké Balls upon acquiring thePokédex, or shortly after.
• Professor Oak has writtensenryū about the Poké Ball in two ofhis lectures:
  • ForDP003, theProfessor Oak's Big Pokémon Encyclopedia featured this senryū: 「ゲットだぜ　なげかたいろいろ　モンスターボール」 "I caught a Pokémon!Monster Balls can be thrown in all sorts of ways."
  • ForBW002, theProfessor Oak's Pokémon Live Caster featured this senryū: 「あっポケモン　モンスターボール　わすれずに」 "Oh, a Pokémon; don't forget to bring yourMonster Balls."
• In some early artwork forPokémon Red and Green, Poké Balls are shown on the ground in two pieces while the Pokémon are in battle, rather than in the more familiar hinged form they take now. This may be a carryover from when Pokémon was known as Capsule Monsters, as the Poké Ball sprites inGeneration I also do not show the button on the ball. InGeneration II, Poké Balls split in half when capturing a Pokémon as part of their animation, while the animated series had been using the hinge style since the very first episode.
• In the earlier volumes of thePokémon Adventures manga, Poké Balls captured and released Pokémon in large puffs of smoke, often with a strong sound effect. This may have been based on the capture and release animations in Generation I and II. AsGeneration III onwards exchanged the smoke effect for Ball-specific animations, the effect in the manga shifted instead to bursts of light.
• Poké Balls are inspired by the capsules forgashapon machines, which contain small, handheld toys.
  • InPokémon Journeys: The Series, theRocket Prize Master (ロケット・ガチャット,Rocket Gachat), first appearing inIvysaur's Mysterious Tower!, acts as such a machine but dispenses Pokémon in Poké Balls rather than plastic toys.
• In Generation II, after catching a Pokémon, the Poké Ball's color palette changes to that of the Pokémon that was just caught. It then changes back to normal thereafter.
• Starting in Generation III, all Poké Ball types have a special effect that appears whenever the ball is opened. These special effects also can be seen inPokémon Colosseum,Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness andPokémon Battle Revolution. InGeneration IV andBrilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, customizable special effects are available throughStickers.
• InPokémon Diamond, Pearl, andPlatinum,Cyrus's computer indicates that a Poké Ball would limit the power ofDialga andPalkia. This leads toTeam Galactic creating theRed Chain instead to shackle them so they can control their full power.
• Generation VI is the only completed generation to date to not have introduced a new type of Poké Ball.

In other languages

References

Related articles

Poké Balls

Poké Ball

Great Ball

Ultra Ball

Master Ball

Safari Ball

Fast Ball

Level Ball

Lure Ball

Heavy Ball

Love Ball

Friend Ball

Moon Ball

Sport Ball

Net Ball

Nest Ball

Repeat Ball

Timer Ball

Luxury Ball

Premier Ball

Dive Ball

Dusk Ball

Heal Ball

Quick Ball

Cherish Ball

Park Ball

Dream Ball

Beast Ball

Strange Ball

Hisuian Poké Balls (exclusive toPokémon Legends: Arceus)

Poké Ball

Great Ball

Ultra Ball

Heavy Ball

Leaden Ball

Gigaton Ball

Feather Ball

Wing Ball

Jet Ball

Origin Ball

This item article is part ofProject ItemDex, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on allitems.

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