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Poké Ball

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A Poké Ball (Japanese: モンスターボール Monster Ball) is a type of item that is critical to a Trainer's quest, used for catching and storing Pokémon. 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 modern Pokémon world. Up to six Pokémon can be carried with a Trainer in Poké Balls, while more Poké Balls can be held in the Bag 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 as Ash's Pikachu.

The 27 Poké Ball variants found in the core series
Original concept

The strength of a Poké Ball is determined by how much it raises a wild Pokémon's catch 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.

Stylized Poké Balls are used in many places to symbolize Pokémon in general: the logos of the Battle Frontiers, the Pokémon Contests, the Pokéathlon, and the Pokémon Musical all feature a Poké Ball in their design, while several Poké Balls can be seen in every Pokémon Center. The headgear of the protagonists of Kanto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova-based games feature Poké Ball designs, as do the Bags of the protagonists of Johto-based games. Ethan's headgear is also similar to the top half of an Ultra Ball, and Lucas's Bag prominently features a Poké Ball.

History

Main article: History of Poké Balls

The invention of Poké Balls occurred in the Johto region, where Apricorns grow; these fruit were cut apart and carved out, then fitted with a special device, and used to catch wild Pokémon prior to the mass production of the Balls that occurs in modern times under Silph Co., the Devon Corporation, and the Kalos Poké Ball Factory. Some Trainers still use Poké Balls made from Apricorns, while Kurt, a resident of Azalea Town, still constructs them. In the games, in the Memory Link event A New Light, Drayden claims that Poké Balls did not exist during his childhood. In the anime, in A Shipful of Shivers, Poké Balls are found in the ghost ship, implying that Poké Balls were first made at least 300 years ago. According to the Encyclopedia Pokemonica and a Pokémon Daisuki Club site describing the Pokémon world, modern Poké Balls were developed in 1925 from the research of Professor Westwood of Celadon University.

According to Pocket 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 Pokémon Primeape 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.

Mechanics and design

A schematic displaying Poké Ball size, storage, and mechanics

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 a Pokémon 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, convert the Pokémon to a form of energy, pull it into its center, and close. A Pokémon in this state is given a chance to struggle to attempt to break free from the ball and escape, being instantly re-converted from energy into matter. Should a Pokémon escape a Poké Ball, the device will either be destroyed (in the games and some manga) or will return to the Trainer (anime), who can attempt once again to catch the Pokémon. A Pokémon who does not escape the Ball will be caught.

Poké Balls are specifically constructed for Pokémon capture, transport and training. As well as being physically difficult to escape from (as they seal tightly shut as soon as a Pokémon is taken into them) the environment of a Poké Ball is designed to be attractive to Pokémon also; according to Lucian of the Sinnoh Elite Four, weakened Pokémon instinctively curl up tight in an attempt to heal themselves, an action that the environment of the Poké Ball encourages. Furthermore, while it is not known how caught Pokémon perceives their time inside their Ball, the device is said to replicate a "Pokémon-friendly" environment that is "designed for comfort". 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.

Interior of a Poké Ball from the anime

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 a baseball, to a smaller size, about that of a ping-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.

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 several anime episodes such as Gulpin it Down! and Claydol 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 as Pokémopolis also discovered new technologies that more closely resembled modern Poké Ball technology, such as the Dark Device and the Unearthly 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.

Paul releasing Chimchar

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 materialize 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 in the anime. 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 in Crossing Paths. If a Trainer has done so accidentally, it must somehow be fixed before the Pokémon can be recalled. This was seen in Pokémon 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 the Pokémon Adventures manga, such as during Red's battle against Giovanni, where the opening mechanism for the Poké Balls of Red's Venusaur and Gyarados were damaged, preventing either of them from being used in the match.

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 them Jessie's Wobbuffet, Misty's Psyduck, Ash's Oshawott, Brock's Croagunk, and Clemont's Chespin which tend to do so in every episode they appear in. In Dig Those Diglett!, many Pokémon belonging to Gary 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 shown to be able to hear orders given by their Trainer right before they are sent out.

Iris's Dragonite inside a Poké Ball in the anime

Poké Balls are able to communicate with a Trainer's Pokédex, 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 the Pokémon Storage System that the Trainer is using. As shown in Two 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 in Bad 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. In Charmander – The Stray Pokémon, Ash was able to catch his Charmander in a Poké Ball despite his previous ownership by another Trainer, though it may have lost its "mark" when it abandoned its previous Trainer by refusing to return to its old Poké Ball. Earlier in the same episode, Ash failed to catch the same Charmander while it still held its loyalty, despite its weak condition.

Other wireless capabilities of Poké Balls are shown in Destiny Deoxys, as when the electricity of the city is down, Rebecca claims that the "Poké Ball Management System" was no longer working without power. There has been no mention of any such system since.

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 the anime. Additionally, a Ball Capsule can be used in combination with Seals to create special effects when the Pokémon is sent out.

Poké Ball accuracy

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 the Generation 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 the Pokémon!".
  • In the Generation I games and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, the ghosts in Lavender Town's Pokémon Tower dodge any ball thrown at them before being unmasked by the Silph Scope. The Marowak ghost will dodge all Poké Balls even if it is unmasked.

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 current Box are full, the player cannot throw a Poké Ball.
  • In the core series games, in wild battles the player cannot throw a Poké Ball if there are multiple opponents—such as in wild Double Battles, Horde Encounters, or SOS Battles—with the game claiming that it's impossible to aim.
  • From Pokémon Diamond and Pearl onward, it is not possible to throw a Poké Ball if the opposing Pokémon is in the semi-invulnerable state of a move (such as Fly or Dig).
  • Starting in Generation V, in Double and Triple 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.
  • In Black 2 and White 2, Ghetsis uses his cane to control a wild Kyurem and orders it to attack the player. The cane also emits signals that disrupt the use of empty Poké Balls, preventing Kyurem from being captured during the climax.
  • In Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, the player is forbidden from throwing Poké Balls at wild Pokémon in a trial 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 throughout Aether Paradise to protect the Pokémon living there. This prevents the player from capturing the wild Nihilego that attacks them on their first visit to the facility.
  • In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the player cannot use a Poké Ball on a Necrozma that has fused with a Solgaleo or Lunala.

Capture chances

Main article: Catch rate

Types of Poké Balls

A Double Battle beginning in Pokémon Battle Revolution

In the Pokémon games so far, there have been 27 different varieties of Poké Balls, all differing from each other in some effect, 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. From Generation III onward, each variety of the Poké Ball has a unique animation when they open to draw in a Pokémon and when a Pokémon is sent out, and the type of Poké Ball used to catch the Pokémon is preserved on its status screen.

Prior to Generation VI, all hatched Pokémon are in a standard Poké Ball. In Generation VI, a bred Pokémon will be in the same Poké Ball as its mother, unless its mother was in a Cherish Ball or Master Ball in which case the Pokémon will be in a Poké Ball; Pokémon bred from a male or genderless Pokémon and Ditto will hatch in a standard Poké Ball. In Generation VII, Pokémon bred from a male and a Ditto will inherit the father's ball as well and if two Pokémon of the same species in different balls are bred, the resulting offspring will be in either the mothers or father's ball.

Introduced in Generation I

The following Poké Balls were introduced in Pokémon Red and Green, and have appeared and been available in all games since then, with the exception of the Safari Ball, which is only available in Generations I, III, and IV. They were developed by Silph Co., with the development of the Master Ball factoring into the plot of the Generation I games and their remakes heavily.

Introduced in Generation II

The following Poké Balls were introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver. These Poké Balls were not available in Generation III or in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, but made their return in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. Seven of them are made from Apricorns by Kurt, while the last, which is not made from Apricorns, is seen by some to be a counterpart to the Safari Ball, since is only used in the Bug-Catching Contest in National Park. All eight of these Poké Balls have the same animation as a normal Poké Ball when sending out or recalling a Pokémon, rather than the variety of colors and special effects the Poké Ball variants released in other generations have.

When a Pokémon in one of these Balls is used in a link battle in Generation IV, it will appear as an ordinary Poké Ball, regardless of if the link is made with a Johto or Sinnoh-based game. Using a Pokémon in one of these Balls in one of the Battle Frontier facilities will show it as it should appear during the battle, but as an ordinary Poké Ball if the battle is saved to the Vs. Recorder and played back. Trading a Pokémon in one of these Poké Ball variations into Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum or registering it in Pokémon Battle Revolution will cause it to display as a normal Poké Ball, though if the Pokémon is traded back into a Johto-based game or transferred forward into Generation V, it will regain its variant Ball.

In Generation IV, none of these Poké Balls can be held due to not existing in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum.

In Pokémon data, information for these Poké Balls on the status screen and in battle is stored in a separate location from the variants introduced in other generations, so that the Pokémon can be traded back to Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum from HeartGold and SoulSilver and display an ordinary Poké Ball there (the data space for these balls being ignored in the earlier games).

In Generation VII, one of each ball (barring the Sport Ball) can be obtained, either on Mount Hokulani or from Samson Oak, but they cannot be sold. In addition, in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon only, one of each ball can be obtained from a Game Freak employee in Heahea City if the player shows him a Pokémon from a Virtual Console version of a Generation II game.

Introduced in Generation III

The following Poké Balls were introduced in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. While the main four Poké Balls and the Safari Ball returned to central usage, these specialty Balls were only available at certain Poké Marts in the Hoenn region, and the Luxury Ball only available via completion of certain quests in the games. Generally, they can be seen to be counterparts to Generation II's Apricorn Balls, which were not available in the Generation III games, with the Nest Ball and Level Ball, Net Ball and Lure Ball, and Luxury Ball and Friend Ball being very similar in effect to each other.

The Premier Ball is functionally identical to the standard Poké Ball; it is simply a premium (hence the name) given with the purchase of ten Poké Balls. Only one is given with each purchase of ten or more, so buying 20 or more Poké Balls still only yields one gift Premier Ball. To obtain multiple Premier Balls, the Poké Balls must be purchased in separate transactions of 10 at a time.

These Ball variants continued to be available in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, though most must be traded in from a Hoenn-based game, with only the Timer Ball and Repeat Ball available to be bought, and even then, only in Two Island. The Dive Ball's effect was altered, with it now having greater chance to catch Pokémon encountered on water rather than under it, as Hoenn-based games are the only ones where wild Pokémon can be encountered while using Dive. In Generation IV, all but the Dive Ball are readily available to be bought, though the Dive Ball can still be obtained through use of Pal Park and other special events. The Johto-based HeartGold and SoulSilver make the Timer, Repeat, and Luxury Balls hard to find once more, though the returning Apricorn Balls help to take their place. All of these Poké Balls can be purchased in Generation V. Additionally, the Timer Ball's effectiveness now increases much more quickly as the battle goes on.

Unlike the Poké Balls introduced in Generation I, these Poké Balls were developed by the Devon Corporation.

Introduced in Generation IV

The following Poké Balls were introduced in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. The set of seven introduced in Generation III, as well as the original set of five, are preserved in this generation, and are available either for purchase or by trade in all Generation IV games.

Introduced in Generation V

Only one new Poké Ball was introduced in Pokémon Black and White, though all Poké Balls of previous generations are programmed into the game, both as items and on the status screen. If the player cheats to get them into the game, the Apricorn Balls, Sport Ball, and Park Ball cannot be used to catch wild Pokémon, though the Safari Ball and Cherish Ball can. If a Pokémon is transferred to Generation V from an earlier generation with the Poké Transfer, it will appear to have the same ball it was originally caught with.

In the Entree Forest, when a player "speaks" to a Pokémon, a Dream Ball appears in the player's Bag. As Poké Balls never fail in the Entree Forest and the Dream Ball can only be used there, the Dream Ball effectively never fails. However, any Poké Ball in the Bag can be used in the Entree Forest, not just the Dream Ball. Pokémon transferred from Pokémon Dream Radar are obtained in Dream Balls.

Introduced in Generation VII

Much like in Generation V, only one new type of Poké Ball was introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon: the Beast Ball, specifically designed to catch Ultra Beasts. Other Poké Balls (except the Master Ball) will only work as well as a standard Poké Ball when used against Ultra Beasts[citation needed]. Conversely, Beast Balls are barely effective against Pokémon other than Ultra Beasts, only being 10% as effective as a regular Poké Ball. In Pokémon Sun and Moon, Beast Balls were apparently developed by Faba, building on the work of a predecessor. In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, they were created by the Aether Foundation, with help of the Ultra Recon Squad.

In addition, the Apricorn Balls are once again available in Generation VII, although only oneSM/twoUSUM of each can be obtained per game without trading.

In other games

Pokémon GO

Using Poké Balls in Pokémon GO is a more detailed process than in most other games. The primary factor is the player's aim. The player must press their finger on the Ball, move it, and release it in order to throw the Ball. The Ball and Pokémon exist in a 3D environment, so if the player moves their finger too far or too quickly, the ball can go past the Pokémon, or the Ball can fall short or go to either side if the player otherwise misjudges.

So long as a thrown Ball hits a Pokémon's model, the game will attempt to catch it, in much the same random process influenced by the Ball type as in the core games. A shrinking colored circle over the Pokémon indicates how easy the Pokémon will be to catch (given the type of Ball currently being used), with green being easiest and red being hardest; usually this corresponds to the Pokémon's CP (higher being harder). Hitting the Pokémon is complicated by the Pokémon's actions, however. Every few seconds, the Pokémon has a chance to jump or move around the area, potentially making a throw miss, or they may attack, temporarily making them invulnerable to capture.

Two factors can also improve the chances of catching a Pokémon based on the player's technique. One is aiming for the shrinking colored circle over the Pokémon. If the player's throw lands inside this circle, they will get a ‘nice’, ‘great’ or ‘excellent’ throw bonus depending on how small the circle was. When the circle shrinks to nothing, it resets to its widest and continues to shrink again. The other factor is 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.

Using Berries can also help the player catch a Pokémon. The player can select a Berry (if they have any) with the button in the lower-left corner of the screen. Only one Berry can be used at a time, and if the Pokémon breaks out of a thrown Ball, the Berry's effect will disappear. A Razz Berry will improve the chance of the Pokémon being caught, while a Golden Razz Berry will increase the chance by a greater amount. A Nanab Berry will cause the Pokémon to move and attack less, making it easier to hit. A Pinap Berry will double the amount of of Candy the player receives if it is caught.

Additionally, medals can improve the player's chances to catch Pokémon of a specific type. If a Pokémon has two types, the bonus of both applicable medals is averaged.

When the player catches a Pokémon, they earn XP, Candy, and Stardust.

Three types of Poké Balls are primarily available in Pokémon GO: regular Poké Balls, Great Balls, and Ultra Balls. They can be found by searching PokéStops or Gyms or as rewards for leveling up. Regular Poké Balls are available immediately from level 1, while Great Balls become available starting at level 12 and Ultra Balls at level 20. Regular Poké Balls can also be bought with PokéCoins at the Shop; all three types of balls have also been available in limited-time Box deals.

Premier Balls are also available in Pokémon GO exclusively for use in catching Raid Bosses; Raid Bosses can only be caught with Premier Balls and if the player runs out, the Raid Boss will flee. A number of Premier Balls are awarded to the player after a Raid Battle based on how well they battled. Even if the player does not use some of their Premier Balls, they will not retain any when they fight the next Raid Boss.

Master Balls are also coded into Pokémon GO, but they have not yet been made available.

In the anime

In the main series

Ash pulling out a Poké Ball, preparing to catch a Pokémon

In the anime, 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. Even Ash's Pikachu, the most prominent Pokémon in the anime which spends all its time outside with Ash, has a plain Poké Ball that differs from others only by the small yellow lightning bolt symbol on it, as seen in Pokémon - I Choose You!.

Despite this, the various other types of Poké Ball have been seen in the anime, 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 anime 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 of the Sun & Moon series, possibly to reflect the fact that NPC Trainers in Generation 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 in EP035, 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 of Tauros. They appeared in Safari Balls in Showdown 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.

A Poké Ball after catching a Pokémon in the Sun & Moon series

The GS Ball was the second of the variant Poké Balls to appear in the anime, this time with a special purpose. This mysterious ball was unable to be opened by Professor Ivy, and served as the reason for Ash's journeys to the Orange Archipelago (to pick it up) and Johto (to deliver it to Kurt), so that what was contained within it could be discovered. Celebi was long rumored to be related to the ball, something which the Pokémon Adventures and game canons verify, while a director of the anime confirmed that, had it not been insisted that Celebi appear in a central role in the 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, the Apricorn balls, made an appearance in the anime, and several were given to the members of the main cast. All three members of the main cast received a Fast Ball each in Going Apricorn!, with Brock using his to catch a Pineco shortly after receiving it. Many other Apricorn Poké Balls also appeared in a fantasy in this episode. In the next episode, Brock received a Heavy Ball, while Ash and Misty 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 a Totodile and Corsola, respectively. Another Heavy Ball appeared in Gulpin It Down, where it was used to capture a giant Gulpin, though this was not the one belonging to Brock. In Trouble's Brewing, the Kimono Sisters (excluding Sakura) were shown keeping their Eeveelutions inside Apricorn Poké Balls, with Satsuki's Jolteon's ball being a Moon Ball, Sumomo's Vaporeon's ball being a Lure Ball, and Satsuki's Umbreon's ball being a Fast Ball. While Koume's Flareon's ball wasn't shown, her kimono pattern indicates it being a Love Ball.

Ash calling out a Pokémon

The Master Ball itself has only appeared once as an actual Poké Ball, in Whiscash and Ash, where it was used by Sullivan in a last resort attempt to catch a wild Whiscash called "Nero". Despite the fact that a Master Ball cannot be escaped from, the Whiscash swallowed 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 in Beauty and the Beach and A Hot Water Battle.

The Generation III specialty balls have mostly been seen in cameos. The Repeat Ball and Luxury Ball appeared in the opening of Jirachi: Wish Maker. These balls contained Brendan's Shiftry and Aggron, respectively.

The debut of most of the specialty balls, both from Generation III and IV, came in the ending Which One ~ Is It?, which contained the first appearance of the Great Ball and Ultra Ball, as well as the first anime 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 in A Frenzied Factory Fiasco!, where these balls were seen being manufactured at the Poké Ball Factory, in addition to normal Poké Balls, Luxury Balls, and Safari Balls, although the last one was not shown. Although James did mention a Quick Ball in the Japanese version, one was never shown in the episode (a fact that was picked up by the dub, which removed the Quick Ball reference). Team Rocket tried to steal many of these Poké Balls, but were foiled by Ash and his friends.

Dawn's Poké Balls with Ball Capsules and Seals

It was revealed in First Catch in Alola, Ketchum-Style! that James had been collecting Poké Balls. When Jessie's attempt to catch a Mimikyu with a typical Poké Ball 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 in Acting True to Form!, where it was revealed to also contain a Great, Ultra, Premier, Dusk, Heal, and Quick Ball, marking the first proper anime appearance of a Quick Ball.

Gladion keeps all of his known Pokémon in special Poké Balls. His Lycanroc is kept in an Ultra Ball (as first seen in A Glaring Rivalry!), his Silvally is kept in a Premier Ball (as first seen in Rising from the Ruins!), and his Umbreon is kept in a Heal Ball (as first seen in Rescuing the Unwilling!).

James's Poké Ball collection

In The Professors' New Adventure!, a chandelier stand based on a Love Ball was seen during Professor Kukui and Professor Burnet's wedding.

Beast Balls debuted in A Mission of Ultra Urgency!, in which the Aether Foundation provided multiple of them for Ash and his classmates to use during their Ultra Guardian missions. In the same episode, Ash used one of them to temporarily catch a Buzzwole. In Love at First Twirl!, Ash used almost every Beast Ball provided to the group to try and catch a Poipole in order to take care of it until the location of its Ultra Wormhole could be discovered. He eventually succeeded with the last one in the box. In Rise and Shine, Starship!, Ash and Kiawe tried to use Beast Balls to capture a Celesteela, but failed due to it being rooted down at the time. In Twirling with a Bang!, Lana and Lillie used a pair of Beast Balls to temporarily catch a Xurkitree and a Blacephalon, respectively. In SM085, the Ash, Lana, Kiawe, and Mallow each tried to catch a Stakataka with multiple Beast Balls, but it effortlessly dodged them all. Eventually, Ash was able to successfully catch Stakataka after getting rid of the Viren statue that was placed on top of its body.

In SM081, Viren was revealed to keep his Pangoro in a Luxury Ball.

Many other Poké Balls have been shown in the anime; 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 and Seals can also be used to customize a Poké Ball's appearance, and they add special effects when the Pokémon is sent out. In the anime, they are mostly used by Coordinators during Pokémon 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 and Gary, symbolizing their rivalry. After Ash defeated Gary during the Silver Conference, Gary gave his half of the Ball to Ash as a sign of ending their rivalry.

In Mystery 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 regional Professor. 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.

History

Main article: History of Poké Balls

Appearance

  • The Master Ball

    The Master Ball

  • An early Safari Ball

    An early Safari Ball

  • The GS Ball

    The GS Ball

  • A Love, Friend, Moon, and Level Ball

    A Love, Friend, Moon, and Level Ball

  • Fast Balls

    Fast Balls

  • Two Lure Balls and a Heavy Ball

    Two Lure Balls and a Heavy Ball

  • A Park Ball (called Sport Ball in Generation IV)

    A Park Ball (called Sport Ball in Generation IV)

  • A Luxury Ball and Repeat Ball

    A Luxury Ball and Repeat Ball

  • A Luxury Ball

    A Luxury Ball

  • A Dive Ball

    A Dive Ball

  • Nest, Dusk, and Great Balls

    Nest, Dusk, and Great Balls

  • A Premier Ball and Net Ball

    A Premier Ball and Net Ball

  • Repeat Balls

    Repeat Balls

  • Ultra Balls

    Ultra Balls

  • A Heal Ball

    A Heal Ball

  • A Premier Ball

    A Premier Ball

  • A Beast Ball

    A Beast Ball

Pokédex entries

Episode Subject Source Entry
EP001 Poké Ball Ash's Pokédex While being trained, a Pokémon usually stays inside its Poké Ball. However, there are many exceptions. Some Pokémon hate being confined.

In Pokémon Origins

Besides the regular Poké Ball, the other Generation I variations of it were also seen during the Pokémon Origins mini-series. In File 3: Giovanni, it was shown that Giovanni kept his strongest Pokémon, Rhyhorn and Rhydon, within Ultra Balls. In File 4: Charizard, Red was seen catching an Arbok with a Great Ball and a Chansey with a Safari Ball. He also used Ultra Balls to capture the Legendary Pokémon Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Mewtwo.

The Master Ball only appeared in a demonstration in File 3: Giovanni, as it was still under development at the time. After Team Rocket was driven out of the Silph 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 the main Pokémon anime, more resembling the effects seen in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.

  • A Great Ball

    A Great Ball

  • An Ultra Ball

    An Ultra Ball

  • Red holding a Safari Ball

    Red holding a Safari Ball

  • The Master Ball

    The Master Ball

In Pokémon Generations

An Ultra Ball in Pokémon Generations

The only Poké Ball variant seen in Pokémon Generations was an Ultra Ball, which appeared in The Scoop. It was shown being used by a Trainer to catch a Deoxys.

In the manga

A Poké Ball in The Electric Tale of Pikachu

In the various Pokémon 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 anime, developed at a time when the games could not keep track of the ball a Pokémon was contained in.

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga

In the manga The Electric Tale of Pikachu, the rules are more similar to the anime; 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. In Days 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.

In the Magical Pokémon Journey manga

In Magical Pokémon Journey, the main characters generally do not capture Pokémon, rather, they befriend them. Although Almond, one of the main characters, is known to be a Pokémon Trainer, he is not actually depicted capturing or raising any Pokémon. In fact, in the bonus materials of Volume 2, in which the cast of the manga meet Ash, Misty and Brock in a series of crossovers, it is revealed that Hazel and Coconut 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.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Yellow's Seadra inside his Poké Ball in Pokémon Adventures

In the Pokémon 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 anime, Pokémon already captured can be recaught in another Poké Ball, as is seen when Red recatches Misty's Gyarados in Gyarados Splashes In! (though Blue states that catching a Pokémon that belongs to another is not possible in Lapras Lazily).

Like in the anime and the games, specialty balls do exist, although they are much more commonly used than in the anime. In Holy Moltres, Team Rocket was shown to have caught the Legendary birds in Ultra Balls. In And Mewtwo... Three!, Blaine gave Red the Master Ball, which Red used to catch Mewtwo shortly afterwards. In Teddiursa's Picnic, Gold and Silver received a Friend Ball and Heavy Ball, respectively, with Silver using his ball to catch an Ursaring, while Gold used his to catch a Teddiursa for Maizie. Close to the end of the Gold, Silver & Crystal arc, the Masked Man was shown creating a GS Ball and using it to catch Celebi. In Innocent Scientist, Blake used Luxury Balls while trying to catch the Genesect controlled by Colress, eventually succeeding. In Scizor Defends, a Quick Ball was seen amongst the Poké Balls that Y had used while trying to catch an Absol. Safari Balls have been seen being used by Red at the Kanto Safari Zone, by Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum at the Great Marsh, and by Silver at the Johto Safari Zone. Crystal and Emerald have also been shown using special balls to catch Pokémon, with Crystal specializing in Apricorn balls and Emerald specializing in Poké Balls introduced in Generation 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, and Elite Four members and Frontier Brains use Ultra Balls.

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

  • A Great Ball

    A Great Ball

  • An Ultra Ball

    An Ultra Ball

  • The Master Ball

    The Master Ball

  • An early Safari Ball

    An early Safari Ball

  • A Safari Ball

    A Safari Ball

  • The GS Ball

    The GS Ball

  • A Heavy Ball

    A Heavy Ball

  • A Friend Ball

    A Friend Ball

  • A Fast Ball

    A Fast Ball

  • Level Balls

    Level Balls

  • A Lure, Moon, and Love Ball

    A Lure, Moon, and Love Ball

  • Generation III Poké Balls (Net, Dive, Nest, Repeat, Timer, Luxury, and Premier Balls)

    Generation III Poké Balls (Net, Dive, Nest, Repeat, Timer, Luxury, and Premier Balls)

  • A Luxury Ball

    A Luxury Ball

  • A Quick Ball

    A Quick Ball

In the Pokémon Gotta Catch 'Em All manga

In Pokémon Gotta Catch 'Em All, Poké Balls are depicted as solid, with no visual identification as to which Poké Ball is which. In Special Chapter - Get Pikachu!, it is revealed that when Shu met Pikachu, 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.

In the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga

In Pokémon 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 in Bring Down the Powerful Opponent Onix!!, when Clefairy sees Pikachu inside his Poké Ball, and they talk to each other. In Introducing the Pokémon Clefairy!!, when Green is choosing Charmander as his starter Pokémon, he is shown to be able to pick up and lift Charmander directly from the Poké Ball without throwing it first.

In the TCG

Ultra Ball

Several variants of Poké Ball have been released in card form in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, ranging from the standard variants found in the games and other media to variants specific to the TCG.

  • The standard Poké Ball card, which was the first released, debuted in the Jungle expansion and has since been featured in many others. It features a TCG-centric mechanic, requiring a coin flip to search the deck for a Pokémon to be put in the hand. Most of the Poké Ball variants, both adapted from the games and exclusive to the TCG, are similar to this, with several requiring coin flips to use their effect.
  • The Ultra Ball can be seen in the artwork of Rocket's Sneak Attack, from the Team Rocket expansion. The 'H' on this Ultra Ball is derived from its Japanese name, Hyper Ball. The Ultra Ball itself would appear in Dark Explorers, with its effect requiring the player to discard 2 cards from the hand to search the deck for a Pokémon.
  • The Great Ball, which first appeared in the TCG expansion coinciding with the remakes of the Generation 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, in Emerging 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.
  • The Master Ball, first appearing in the Gym 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. One Pokémon found in these seven can be put into the hand, while the rest must be shuffled back into the deck. In Plasma Blast, the Master Ball was changed to an Ace Spec that allowed the player to search the entire deck for any one Pokémon.
  • Debuting in the Skyridge expansion, the Lure Ball is different from the basic Poké Balls in that it draws from the discard pile rather than the deck. For each heads flipped, with a maximum of three, an Evolution card can be returned from the discard pile and put into the hand. It has not appeared since.
  • Also debuting in Skyridge, the Friend Ball, another Apricorn Ball, has a unique effect entirely, allowing the user to search their deck for a Pokémon of the same type as one of the opponent's Pokémon, making it effective in decks that typically match up well against their own type. It also has not appeared since.
  • The Fast Ball allows the player to go through their deck, turning over cards one at a time until they find the first evolution card, and then taking that into their hand, shuffling afterward. Like the other two Apricorn Balls, it debuted in Skyridge and has not appeared since.
  • The Premier Ball, debuting in the Great Encounters expansion, is special, much as in the games, and allows the player to search either the deck or the discard pile for a Pokémon LV.X to put into their hand.
  • The Luxury Ball, first found in the Stormfront 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.
  • The Quick Ball released in the Mysterious 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 Dusk Ball, also first found in Mysterious Treasures, features an effect somewhat opposite from the Master Ball's: 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.
  • The Heavy Ball, first found in Next Destinies, allows the player to search through their deck for a Pokémon who has a retreat cost of 3 or more and put it in their hand, whereas the Level Ball, also found in Next Destinies, allows them to do the same with a Pokémon that has 90 HP or less.

In the Super Smash Bros. series

Render of a Poké Ball from Super Smash Bros. Brawl
SmashWiki
SmashWiki has more about this subject:

In the Super Smash Bros. series, Poké Balls mainly appear as items which a character can pick up and throw to release a random Pokémon. Most Pokémon will perform a direct attack against the characters on the stage, but some may have other effects. Like many other items, the Poké Balls also do damage simply by hitting other characters. The fourth game in the series also introduced a Master Ball variant on the Poké Ball, which essentially functions the same as a Poké Ball except that it usually contains a Legendary or Mythical Pokémon.

The Pokémon that can appear from Poké Balls differ between the games. The Poké Ball Pokémon in Super Smash Bros. all come from Generation I, the Poké Ball Pokémon in Super Smash Bros. Melee come from up to Generation II, the Poké Ball Pokémon in Super Smash Bros. Brawl come from up to Generation IV, and the Poké Ball Pokémon in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U come from up to Generation VI. The only Pokémon that have appeared in all 5 games are Goldeen, Snorlax, and Mew.

The Poké Ball also features in a couple of other ways in the Super Smash Bros. series. In Brawl, in The Subspace Emissary, Pokémon Trainer is shown to push the button on the Poké Ball to send out his Pokémon, a mechanic that has not been shown in the anime. A Poké Ball logo is also used to represent the Pokémon games in the Super Smash Bros. series. In the third and fourth games, this logo is updated to match Generation IV's redesigned icon.

  • The Pokémon series's symbol from SSB and Melee

    The Pokémon series's symbol from SSB and Melee

  • The Pokémon series's symbol from Brawl and SSB4

    The Pokémon series's symbol from Brawl and SSB4

Super Smash Bros. Melee Trophy information

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 Trophy information

"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 Trophy information

Poké Ball

The Poké Ball in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS

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

The Master Ball in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS

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!

Other variants

The following Poké Ball variants are found outside of the standard games. They are often very unusual compared to the 27 types found in the games, and it is sometimes questionable whether or not they even qualify as Poké Balls. Many have separate articles, where their unique properties are described in greater detail.

In the games

  • Pester Balls: These objects, which appear similar to Poké Balls at a glance, are not used to catch Pokémon, and instead will release a Pokémon repellent on contact. They are only found in Pokémon Snap.
  • The GS Ball is an event item that appears only in Pokémon Crystal, where it was part of a giveaway on the Pokémon Mobile System GB for Japanese games, similar to event items given out via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and Nintendo Network from Generation IV onward. It was not used to catch any Pokémon, and was placed in the Key Items pocket. If given to Kurt for inspection, it will activate an event where the player can catch a Celebi in Ilex Forest.
  • A Snag 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 to snag an already-caught Pokémon during a battle. While it is able to be used on any Pokémon, Rui will only allow Wes to use it on Shadow Pokémon, while Michael's Aura Reader will render the Snag Machine inoperable when a Pokémon other than a Shadow Pokémon is targeted.
  • When transferring Pokémon via Poké Transfer, a blue-colored Poké Ball is used to catch the Pokémon in the mingame. They are shot using a bow.
  • Typing Balls are used in Learn with Pokémon: Typing Adventure. They 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".
  • In the Timegate Traveler Series featured in Pokéstar Studios, the future is ruled by Bug-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.
  • Original Great Ball artwork from Red and Green, with the 'S' from its Japanese name 'Super Ball'

    Original Great Ball artwork from Red and Green, with the 'S' from its Japanese name 'Super Ball'

  • A Pester Ball

    A Pester Ball

  • Wes about to throw a Great Ball turned into a Snag Ball

    Wes about to throw a Great Ball turned into a Snag Ball

  • A Typing Ball

    A Typing Ball

In the anime

  • A green Poké Ball appeared in Pokémon - I Choose You!. Interestingly, the cover of the book Grass Pokédex greatly resembles this Poké Ball, and is labeled as a Safari 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 in The Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis. Smaller objects have also been used, such as the staff belonging to Sir Aaron, which contained his partner, Lucario, until Ash released it in the current era. Special armor developed by Marcus was used to control Pokémon in ancient Michina Town, though it did not directly contain 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 in Mewtwo 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. They have been called by several names by fans, such as "Mewtwo Balls" and "Clone Balls".
  • Molly Hale, whose imagination caused the power of the Unown to change the world around them, was able to use strange, crystalline Poké Balls when she challenged Brock and Misty in Spell of the Unown: Entei. 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.
  • A special variant of Poké Ball, the Lake Ball, was used during the Seaking Catching Competition in Hook, Line, and Stinker; this is viewed by many to be similar to the Sport Ball used in the Bug-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.
  • Older Poké Balls have also appeared in the anime, specifically the one carried by Sammy in Celebi: 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.
  • The Iron-Masked Marauder, an agent of Team Rocket, used special Dark 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 the Mythical Celebi and a powerful Tyranitar. They seem capable of catching any Pokémon without fail.
  • As in the games, the GS Ball appeared in the anime, and was the primary motivation for Ash's trip to the Orange Archipelago, where he would compete in his second Pokémon League. It also served as the catalyst for his journey to Johto, as he needed to deliver the ball to Kurt. Former director Masamitsu Hidaka revealed that a shelved storyline, that would have concluded the GS Ball's arc, involved a Celebi 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 Ball", a huge Poké Ball made of stone used to keep an evil, giant Claydol that levied destruction everywhere. This Poké Ball is about the size of a 2-story house.
  • In Battling the Enemy Within!, an ancient relic resembling a Poké Ball was first mentioned by Brandon, who told Ash and his friends a story about the King of Pokélantis, who had once tried to control Ho-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.
  • In A 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.

In the manga

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga

  • In Haunting My Dreams, a giant Poké Ball named the Enormo Poké Ball-X1 (Japanese: ビッグモンスターボールX1 Big Monster Ball-X1) or EPB-X1 for short, was created to capture the gigantic Haunter, Black Fog. It was destroyed when the Black Fog used Explosion to free itself after being captured.
  • The Enormo Poké Ball-X1

    The Enormo Poké Ball-X1

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

In addition to various Poké Balls introduced in the games, Pokémon Adventures also has several Trainers modifying their Poké Balls to suit their fighting styles.

  • Bruno has modified his Poké Balls so that they are fitted onto the ends of his nunchucks. 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 daughter Janine modified their Poké Balls into shuriken 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 had Kurt 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 his Skarmory. 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 modified her Poké Balls to be at the end of her arrows.
  • Bruno's nunchuck with Poké Balls on them

    Bruno's nunchuck with Poké Balls on them

  • Koga's shuriken Poké Ball

    Koga's shuriken Poké Ball

  • Bugsy's Capture Net

    Bugsy's Capture Net

  • Falkner's boomerang Poké Balls

    Falkner's boomerang Poké Balls

  • Erika with one of her Poké Ball arrows

    Erika with one of her Poké Ball arrows

In the TCG

  • The Dual Ball is merely two Poké Balls together, and has a similar effect to using two plain Poké Ball cards, requiring two coin flips to search for up to two Pokémon, depending on how many heads appear.
  • The Team Magma Ball is Team Magma's Poké Ball variant, found only in the EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua expansion. It works similarly to a Poké Ball, however, it only can be used to find Team Magma's Pokémon, and will still allow a player to find a Pokémon, though only a Basic one, if the coin flip results in tails.
  • The Team Aqua Ball is Team Aqua's Poké Ball variant, also found only in the EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua expansion. It works exactly the same as the Team Magma Ball, with the exception that it can only search out Team Aqua's Pokémon instead.
  • The Rocket's Poké Ball is the Team Rocket variation on the Poké Ball, found in the EX Team Rocket Returns expansion. No coin flip is required, and it simply allows the player to search for a Dark Pokémon.
  • The Team Plasma Ball is the Team Plasma variant of the Poké Ball, found in the Plasma Freeze expansion. It allows the user to search for a Team Plasma Pokémon without a coin flip required.
  • Team Magma Ball

    Team Magma Ball

  • Team Aqua Ball

    Team Aqua Ball

  • Rocket's Poké Ball

    Rocket's Poké Ball

Item balls

Main article: Item → Obtaining items
Red finds an item ball on Route 2
Ash catches a rice ball thrown by a wild Mankey

In both the anime and games, it has been shown that items can be contained in Poké Balls, apparently able to be captured in much the same way as a Pokémon. The anime has used this as a gag on several occasions, most notably in Primeape Goes Bananas, where Ash accidentally catches a rice ball when he throws a Poké Ball in an attempt to catch a wild Mankey.

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 ball that is found. 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 or Dowsing Machine.

Voltorb, Electrode, Foongus, and Amoonguss often appear as item balls in the overworld, but attack when interacted with except the Foongus in Accumula Town.

Artwork

SugimoriPokeBall.png SugimoriGreatBall.png SugimoriUltraBall.png SugimoriMasterBall.png SugimoriSafariBall.png
Poké Ball Great Ball Ultra Ball Master Ball Safari Ball
SugimoriLevelBall.png SugimoriLureBall.png SugimoriMoonBall.png SugimoriFriendBall.png SugimoriLoveBall.png
Level Ball Lure Ball Moon Ball Friend Ball Love Ball
SugimoriHeavyBall.png SugimoriFastBall.png SugimoriPremierBall.png SugimoriRepeatBall.png SugimoriTimerBall.png
Heavy Ball Fast Ball Premier Ball Repeat Ball Timer Ball
SugimoriNestBall.png SugimoriNetBall.png SugimoriDiveBall.png SugimoriLuxuryBall.png SugimoriHealBall.png
Nest Ball Net Ball Dive Ball Luxury Ball Heal Ball
SugimoriQuickBall.png SugimoriDuskBall.png SugimoriCherishBall.png
Quick Ball Dusk Ball Cherish Ball


These are artwork of the items as seen in the Pokémon Dream World and Pokémon Global Link.

Dream Poké Ball Sprite.png Dream Great Ball Sprite.png Dream Ultra Ball Sprite.png Dream Master Ball Sprite.png Dream Safari Ball Sprite.png
Poké Ball Great Ball Ultra Ball Master Ball Safari Ball
Dream Level Ball Sprite.png Dream Lure Ball Sprite.png Dream Moon Ball Sprite.png Dream Friend Ball Sprite.png Dream Love Ball Sprite.png
Level Ball Lure Ball Moon Ball Friend Ball Love Ball
Dream Heavy Ball Sprite.png Dream Fast Ball Sprite.png Dream Sport Ball Sprite.png Dream Premier Ball Sprite.png Dream Repeat Ball Sprite.png
Heavy Ball Fast Ball Sport Ball Premier Ball Repeat Ball
Dream Timer Ball Sprite.png Dream Nest Ball Sprite.png Dream Net Ball Sprite.png Dream Dive Ball Sprite.png Dream Luxury Ball Sprite.png
Timer Ball Nest Ball Net Ball Dive Ball Luxury Ball
Dream Heal Ball Sprite.png Dream Quick Ball Sprite.png Dream Dusk Ball Sprite.png Dream Cherish Ball Sprite.png Dream Park Ball Sprite.png
Heal Ball Quick Ball Dusk Ball Cherish Ball Park Ball
Dream Dream Ball Sprite.png Dream Beast Ball Sprite.png
Dream Ball Beast Ball


These are artwork of the items as seen in Pokémon Red and Green.

Poke Ball RG.png RG super ball.png RG master ball.png
Poké Ball Great Ball Master Ball


These are artwork of the items as seen in Pokémon GO.

GO Poké Ball.png GO Great Ball.png GO Ultra Ball.png GO Master Ball.png GO Premier Ball.png
Poké Ball Great Ball Ultra Ball Master Ball Premier Ball


Summary sprites

Generation III

Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald

Battle sprites are the same as summary sprites.

Poké Ball Poké Ball III.png Great Ball Great Ball III.png Ultra Ball File:Ultra Ball III.png Master Ball Master Ball III.png
Safari Ball Safari Ball III.png Premier Ball Premier Ball III.png Repeat Ball Repeat Ball III.png Timer Ball Timer Ball III.png
Nest Ball Nest Ball III.png Net Ball Net Ball III.png Dive Ball Dive Ball III.png Luxury Ball Luxury Ball III.png


Colosseum
Poké Ball Poké Ball summary Colo.png Great Ball Great Ball summary Colo.png Ultra Ball Ultra Ball summary Colo.png Master Ball Master Ball summary Colo.png
Safari Ball Safari Ball summary Colo.png Premier Ball Premier Ball summary Colo.png Repeat Ball Repeat Ball summary Colo.png Timer Ball Timer Ball summary Colo.png
Nest Ball Nest Ball summary Colo.png Net Ball Net Ball summary Colo.png Dive Ball Dive Ball summary Colo.png Luxury Ball Luxury Ball summary Colo.png


XD
Poké Ball Poké Ball summary XD.png Great Ball Great Ball summary XD.png Ultra Ball Ultra Ball summary XD.png Master Ball Master Ball summary XD.png
Safari Ball Safari Ball summary XD.png Premier Ball Premier Ball summary XD.png Repeat Ball Repeat Ball summary XD.png Timer Ball Timer Ball summary XD.png
Nest Ball Nest Ball summary XD.png Net Ball Net Ball summary XD.png Dive Ball Dive Ball summary XD.png Luxury Ball Luxury Ball summary XD.png


Generations IV and V

Poké Ball Poké Ball summary IV.png Great Ball Great Ball summary IV.png Ultra Ball Ultra Ball summary IV.png Master Ball Master Ball summary IV.png Safari Ball Safari Ball summary IV.png
Level Ball Level Ball summary IV.png Lure Ball Generation IV
Generation V 		Moon Ball Moon Ball summary IV.png Friend Ball Friend Ball summary IV.png Love Ball Love Ball summary IV.png
Heavy Ball Heavy Ball summary IV.png Fast Ball Fast Ball summary IV.png Sport Ball Sport Ball summary IV.png Premier Ball Premier Ball summary IV.png Repeat Ball Repeat Ball summary IV.png
Timer Ball Timer Ball summary IV.png Nest Ball Nest Ball summary IV.png Net Ball Net Ball summary IV.png Dive Ball Dive Ball summary IV.png Luxury Ball Luxury Ball summary IV.png
Heal Ball Heal Ball summary IV.png Quick Ball Quick Ball summary IV.png Dusk Ball Dusk Ball summary IV.png Cherish Ball Cherish Ball summary IV.png Dream Ball Dream Ball summary.png


In battle sprites

Generation I

Any Poké Ball Poké Ball battle I.png

Generation II

Poké Ball
Love Ball 		Poké Ball Love Ball battle II.png Great Ball
Lure Ball
Fast Ball 		Great Ball Lure Ball Fast Ball battle II.png Ultra Ball
Friend Ball 		Ultra Ball Friend Ball battle II.png Master Ball Master Ball battle II.png Level Ball Level Ball battle II.png Moon Ball
Heavy Ball
Park Ball 		Moon Ball Heavy Ball Park Ball battle II.png


Generation III

Battle sprites are the same as summary sprites.

Generation IV

Poké Ball Poké Ball battle IV.png Great Ball Great Ball battle IV.png Ultra Ball Ultra Ball battle IV.png Master Ball Master Ball battle IV.png Safari Ball Safari Ball battle IV.png
Level Ball Level Ball battle IV.png Lure Ball Lure Ball battle IV.png Moon Ball Moon Ball battle IV.png Friend Ball Friend Ball battle IV.png Love Ball Love Ball battle IV.png
Heavy Ball Heavy Ball battle IV.png Fast Ball Fast Ball battle IV.png Sport Ball Sport Ball battle IV.png Premier Ball Premier Ball battle IV.png Repeat Ball Repeat Ball battle IV.png
Timer Ball Timer Ball battle IV.png Nest Ball Nest Ball battle IV.png Net Ball Net Ball battle IV.png Dive Ball Dive Ball battle IV.png Luxury Ball Luxury Ball battle IV.png
Heal Ball Heal Ball battle IV.png Quick Ball Quick Ball battle IV.png Dusk Ball Dusk Ball battle IV.png Cherish Ball Cherish Ball battle IV.png Park Ball Park Ball battle IV.png


Generation V

The Apricorn Poké Balls, the Safari Ball, and the Sport Ball, while programmed into the game, cannot be used to catch Pokémon and can be seen only in the Pokémon summary screen or when sending out a Pokémon. Sprites seen below are at full size as they are seen as they are when player's Pokémon is sent out after a switch.

Poké Ball Poké Ball battle V.png Great Ball Great Ball battle V.png Ultra Ball Ultra Ball battle V.png Master Ball Master Ball battle V.png Safari Ball Safari Ball battle V.png
Level Ball Level Ball battle V.png Lure Ball Lure Ball battle V.png Moon Ball Moon Ball battle V.png Friend Ball Friend Ball battle V.png Love Ball Love Ball battle V.png
Heavy Ball Heavy Ball battle V.png Fast Ball Fast Ball battle V.png Sport Ball Sport Ball battle V.png Premier Ball Premier Ball battle V.png Repeat Ball Repeat Ball battle V.png
Timer Ball Timer Ball battle V.png Nest Ball Nest Ball battle V.png Net Ball Net Ball battle V.png Dive Ball Dive Ball battle V.png Luxury Ball Luxury Ball battle V.png
Heal Ball Heal Ball battle V.png Quick Ball Quick Ball battle V.png Dusk Ball Dusk Ball battle V.png Cherish Ball Cherish Ball battle V.png Dream Ball Dream Ball battle V.png


Pokémon Stadium

Stadium Poké Ball.png Stadium 2 Poké Ball.png
Poké Ball from
Pokémon Stadium 		Poké Ball from
Pokémon Stadium 2

Outside of battles, Generation I Poké Balls (except the Safari Ball) are all seen in the minigame Furret's Frolic in Pokémon Stadium 2. Poké Ball is worth 1 point, Great Ball 2, Ultra Ball 3 and Master Ball 5.

Furret's Frolic

Poké Ball Furret Frolic Poké Ball.png Great Ball Furret Frolic Great Ball.png Ultra Ball Furret Frolic Ultra Ball.png Master Ball Furret Frolic Master Ball.png
On instructions screen
Poké Ball Furret Frolic Poké Ball instructions.png Great Ball Furret Frolic Great Ball instructions.png Ultra Ball Furret Frolic Ultra Ball instructions.png Master Ball Furret Frolic Master Ball instructions.png

Trivia

  • Professor Oak has written senryū about the Poké Ball in two of his lectures:
  • Only the Scyther family and Pinsir can legitimately be obtained in all of the 27 in-game Poké Ball variants.
  • In Pokémon Pinball, the Poké Balls serve as the balls in the machine; they can be used to capture Pokémon and are upgraded depending on the multiplier bonus at the time.
  • In Generation II, the Park Ball's name is written as one word on the in-battle menu during the Bug-Catching Contest, where it takes the place of the Pack command. However, when the ball is used, its name is formatted properly.
  • In some early artwork for Pokémon 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 in Generation I also do not show the button on the ball. In Generation II, Poké Balls split in half when capturing a Pokémon as part of their animation, while the anime had been using the hinge style since the very first episode.
  • Poké Balls are inspired by the capsules for gashapon machines, which contain small, handheld toys.
  • In HeartGold and SoulSilver and the TCG, Lure Balls are shown to have a green outer coloring; however, in official artwork and the anime, they are shown to have a blue outer coloring. In later games, the Lure Ball's color is changed to the official blue color.
    • Similarly, the Fast Ball is shown to be red in official art; however, it is orange in its Bag and status screen sprites, and only appears red in battle in Generation V.
  • 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.
  • Both the Safari Ball and Generation II Park Ball appeared in the anime prior to sprites being introduced for items in the games, in EP035 and The Bug Stops Here, respectively. In these appearances, their designs were vastly different from their later-introduced in-game sprites.
  • When the player uses a Master Ball in Generation II, stars appear and a sound effect is played before the ball closes and captures the Pokémon.
    • A similar effect would later be used in subsequent generations for all Poké Ball captures (regardless of the variety of Poké Ball used), beginning with Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.
  • 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 in Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. In Generation IV, customizable special effects are available through Seals.
  • Although the Hyper Ball was renamed the Ultra Ball in the English versions of the games, its design still incorporates a stylized H on the top half.
  • In Pokémon Shuffle, the Great Ball is twice as effective as the Poké Ball.
  • In Pokémon Sun and Moon only, a Heavy Ball will always fail to catch a Pokémon whose weight is less than 220.46 lbs 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. The only catchable Pokémon that this affects are Beldum and the guardian deities.
  • The Global Link artwork for the Sport Ball has the letter S on the top dome instead of an image of a Poké Ball.

In other languages

Poké Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese モンスターボール Monster Ball
The Arab world Flag.png Arabic كرة البوكي Kurt Al-Poké
Chinese Cantonese 精靈球 Jīnglìhng Kàuh
Mandarin 精靈球 / 精灵球 Jīnglíng Qiú *
寶貝球 / 宝贝球 Bǎobèi Qiú *
Croatia Flag.png Croatian Pokélopta
Denmark Flag.png Danish Pokéball
The Netherlands Flag.png Dutch PokéBal*
Finland Flag.png Finnish Poképallo
France Flag.png French Poké Ball
Germany Flag.png German Pokéball
Israel Flag.png Hebrew פוקדור Pokadur
India Flag.png Hindi पोकेबॉल Pokéball
Hungary Flag.png Hungarian Pokélabda
Iceland Flag.png Icelandic Pokébolti
Italy Flag.png Italian Poké Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 몬스터볼 Monster Ball
Malaysia Flag.png Malaysian Pokéball
Poland Flag.png Polish Pokéball
Portuguese Brazil Flag.png Brazil Poké Bola *
Poké Ball *
Pokébola *
Portugal Flag.png Portugal Pokébola
Romania Flag.png Romanian Poké-minge
Russia Flag.png Russian Поке-Болл Poké-Boll *
Покешар Pokéshar *
Spanish CELAC Flag.png Latin America Pokébola
Spain Flag.png Spain Poké Ball
Sweden Flag.png Swedish Poké Ball
Pokéboll
Pokéklot*
Poké-klot*
Tamil Flag.png Tamil போகிபால் Pokéball
India Flag.png Telugu పోకెబాల్ Pokéball
Thailand Flag.png Thai มอนสเตอร์บอล Monster Ball
โปเกบอล Poké Ball *
Turkey Flag.png Turkish Poké Topu
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng chứa Pokémon

Great Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese スーパーボール Super Ball
Chinese Cantonese 超級球 Chīukāp Kàuh
Mandarin 超級球 / 超级球 Chāojí Qiú
Finland Flag.png Finnish Tehopallo
France Flag.png French Super Ball
Germany Flag.png German Superball
Italy Flag.png Italian Mega Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 수퍼볼 Super Ball
Poland Flag.png Polish Superball
Portuguese Brazil Flag.png Brazil Grande Bola
Portugal Flag.png Portugal Bola Grande
Russia Flag.png Russian Мега-Болл Mega-Boll
Spanish CELAC Flag.png Latin America Súper Bola
Spain Flag.png Spain Súper Ball *
Superball *
Sweden Flag.png Swedish Stor boll
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Super

Ultra Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese ハイパーボール Hyper Ball
Chinese Cantonese 高級球 Gōukāp Kàuh
Mandarin 高級球 / 高级球 Gāojí Qiú
Finland Flag.png Finnish Ultrapallo
France Flag.png French Hyper Ball
Germany Flag.png German Hyperball
India Flag.png Hindi अल्ट्रा बॉल Ultra Ball
Italy Flag.png Italian Ultra Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 하이퍼볼 Hyper Ball
Poland Flag.png Polish Ultraball
Portuguese Brazil Flag.png Brazil Ultra Bola*
Ultra Ball*
Ultrabola*
Portugal Flag.png Portugal Bola Ultra
Russia Flag.png Russian Ультра-Болл Ul'tra-Boll
Spanish CELAC Flag.png Latin America Ultra Bola
Spain Flag.png Spain Ultra Ball *
Ultraball *
Sweden Flag.png Swedish Ultraboll
Tamil Flag.png Tamil அல்ட்ரா பால் Ultra Ball
India Flag.png Telugu అల్ట్రా బాల్ Ultra Ball
Thailand Flag.png Thai อัลตร้าบอล Ultra Ball *
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Hyper

Safari Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese サファリボール Safari Ball
Chinese Cantonese 狩獵球 Sáulihp Kàuh
Mandarin 狩獵球 / 狩猎球 Shòuliè Qiú *
原野區寶貝球 Yuányěqū Bǎobèi Qiú *
野生原野精灵球 Yěshēng Yuányě Jīnglíng Qiú *
野生原野寶貝球 Yěshēng Yuányě Bǎobèi Qiú *
丛林球 Cónglín Qiú *
Finland Flag.png Finnish Safaripallo
France Flag.png French Safari Ball
Germany Flag.png German Safariball
India Flag.png Hindi सफारी बॉल Safari Ball
Italy Flag.png Italian Safari Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 사파리볼 Safari Ball
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Safari Ball*
Bola Safári*
Spain Flag.png Spanish Safari Ball
Sweden Flag.png Swedish Mästarboll*
Tamil Flag.png Tamil சஃபாரி பால் Safari Ball
India Flag.png Telugu సఫారీ బాల్ Safari Ball
Thailand Flag.png Thai ซาฟารีบอล Safari Ball
Turkey Flag.png Turkish Safari Topu
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Safari

Level Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese レベルボール Level Ball
Chinese Cantonese 等級球 Dángkāp Kàuh
Mandarin 等級球 / 等级球 Děngjí Qiú
France Flag.png French Niveau Ball
Germany Flag.png German Levelball
Italy Flag.png Italian Level Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 레벨볼 Level Ball
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Bola de Nível
Russia Flag.png Russian Уровневый Болл Urovnevyy Boll
Spanish CELAC Flag.png Latin America Bola Niveladora
Spain Flag.png Spain Nivel Ball
Turkey Flag.png Turkish Seviye Topu
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Level

Lure Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese ルアーボール Lure Ball
Chinese Cantonese 誘餌球 Yáuhneih Kàuh
Mandarin 誘餌球 / 诱饵球 Yòu'ěr qiú
France Flag.png French Appat Ball
Germany Flag.png German Köderball
Italy Flag.png Italian Esca Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 루어볼 Lure Ball
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Bola Isca
Spanish CELAC Flag.png Latin America Bola de Atracción
Spain Flag.png Spain Cebo Ball
Turkey Flag.png Turkish Cazibe Topu
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Lure

Moon Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese ムーンボール Moon Ball
Chinese Cantonese 月亮球 Yuhtleuhng Kàuh
Mandarin 月亮球 Yuèliàng Qiú
France Flag.png French Lune Ball
Germany Flag.png German Mondball
Italy Flag.png Italian Luna Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 문볼 Moon Ball
Spanish CELAC Flag.png Latin America Bola Luna
Spain Flag.png Spain Luna Ball
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Moon

Friend Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese フレンドボール Friend Ball
Chinese Cantonese 友友球 Yáuhyáuh Kàuh
Mandarin 友友球 Yǒuyǒu Qiú
France Flag.png French Copain Ball
Germany Flag.png German Freundesball
Italy Flag.png Italian Friend Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 프랜드볼 Friend Ball
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Bola Amizade*
Poké Bola Amiga*
Spanish CELAC Flag.png Latin America Bola Amigo
Spain Flag.png Spain Amigo Ball
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Friend

Love Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese ラブラブボール Love-Love Ball
Chinese Cantonese 甜蜜球 Tìhmmaht Kàuh
Mandarin 甜蜜球 Tiánmì Qiú
France Flag.png French Love Ball
Germany Flag.png German Sympaball
Italy Flag.png Italian Love Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 러브러브볼 Love-Love Ball
Spanish CELAC Flag.png Latin America Bola de Amor
Spain Flag.png Spain Amor Ball
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Love

Heavy Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese ヘビーボール Heavy Ball
Chinese Cantonese 沉重球 Chàhmchúhng Kàuh
Mandarin 沉重球 Chénzhòng Qiú
Finland Flag.png Finnish Kilopallo
France Flag.png French Masse Ball
Germany Flag.png German Schwerball
Italy Flag.png Italian Peso Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 헤비볼 Heavy Ball
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Bola Pesada*
Poké Bola Pesada*
Russia Flag.png Russian Тяжёлый Болл Tyazhyolyy Boll *
Тяжёлый Шар Tyazhyolyy Shar *
Spanish CELAC Flag.png Latin America Bola Pesada
Spain Flag.png Spain Peso Ball
Turkey Flag.png Turkish Ağır Top
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Heavy

Fast Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese スピードボール Speed Ball
Chinese Cantonese 速度球 Chūkdouh Kàuh
Mandarin 速度球 Sùdù Qiú
France Flag.png French Speed Ball
Germany Flag.png German Turboball
Italy Flag.png Italian Rapid Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 스피드볼 Speed Ball
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Poké Bola Veloz
Spanish CELAC Flag.png Latin America Pokébola (Bola) Rápida
Spain Flag.png Spain Rapid Ball
Turkey Flag.png Turkish Hız Topu
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Speed

Sport Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese コンペボール Compe Ball
Chinese Cantonese 競賽球 Gihngchoi Kàuh
Mandarin 競賽球 / 竞赛球 Jìngsài Qiú
France Flag.png French Compét'Ball
Germany Flag.png German Turnierball
Italy Flag.png Italian Gara Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 콤페볼 Kompe Ball
Spain Flag.png Spanish Competi Ball

Premier Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese プレミアボール Premier Ball
Chinese Cantonese 紀念球 Géinihm Kàuh
Mandarin 紀念球 / 纪念球 Jìniàn Qiú
Finland Flag.png Finnish Mahtipallo
France Flag.png French Honor Ball
Germany Flag.png German Premierball
Italy Flag.png Italian Premier Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 프레미어볼 Premier Ball
Poland Flag.png Polish Premierball
Portuguese Brazil Flag.png Brazil Bola Presenteada
Portugal Flag.png Portugal Bola Prémio
Spanish CELAC Flag.png Latin America Honor Bola
Spain Flag.png Spain Honor Ball
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Premier

Repeat Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese リピートボール Repeat Ball
Chinese Cantonese 重複球 Chùhngfūk Kàuh
Mandarin 重複球 / 重复球 Chóngfù Qiú
France Flag.png French Bis Ball
Germany Flag.png German Wiederball
Italy Flag.png Italian Bis Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 리피드볼 Repeat Ball
Portuguese Brazil Flag.png Brazil Bola de Repetição
Portugal Flag.png Portugal Repeat bola
Russia Flag.png Russian Повтора-Болл Povtora-Boll
Spain Flag.png Spanish Acopio Ball
Sweden Flag.png Swedish Uppreningsboll
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Repeat

Timer Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese タイマーボール Timer Ball
Chinese Cantonese 計時球 Gaisìh Kàuh
Mandarin 計時球 / 计时球 Jìshí Qiú
France Flag.png French Chrono Ball
Germany Flag.png German Timerball
Italy Flag.png Italian Timer Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 타이마볼 Timer Ball
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Bola Tempo
Russia Flag.png Russian Хроно-Болл Khrono-Boll
Spain Flag.png Spanish Turno Ball
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Time

Nest Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese ネストボール Nest Ball
Chinese Cantonese 巢穴球 Chàauhyuht Kàuh
Mandarin 巢穴球 Cháoxué Qiú
France Flag.png French Faiblo Ball
Germany Flag.png German Nestball
Italy Flag.png Italian Minor Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 네스트볼 Nest Ball
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Bola de Ninho
Russia Flag.png Russian Гнездо-Болл Gnezdo-Boll
Spain Flag.png Spanish Nido Ball
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Nest

Net Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese ネットボール Net Ball
Chinese Cantonese 捕網球 Bouhmóhng Kàuh
Mandarin 捕網球 / 捕网球 Bǔwǎng Qiú
Finland Flag.png Finnish Verkkopallo
France Flag.png French Filet Ball
Germany Flag.png German Netzball
Italy Flag.png Italian Rete Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 넷트볼 Net Ball
Poland Flag.png Polish Siecioball
Portuguese Brazil Flag.png Brazil Bola Tela
Portugal Flag.png Portugal Bola Rede
Spanish CELAC Flag.png Latin America Malla Bola
Spain Flag.png Spain Malla Ball
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Net

Dive Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese ダイブボール Dive Ball
Chinese Cantonese 潛水球 Chìhmséui Kàuh
Mandarin 潛水球 / 潜水球 Qiánshuǐ Qiú
France Flag.png French Scuba Ball
Germany Flag.png German Tauchball
Italy Flag.png Italian Sub Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 다이브볼 Dive Ball
Portuguese Brazil Flag.png Brazil Bola Mergulho
Portugal Flag.png Portugal Dive bola
Russia Flag.png Russian Дайв-Болл Daiv-Boll
Spain Flag.png Spanish Buceo Ball
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Drive

Luxury Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese ゴージャスボール Gorgeous Ball
Chinese Cantonese 豪華球 Hòuhwàh Kàuh
Mandarin 豪華球 / 豪华球 Háohuá Qiú
Denmark Flag.png Danish Luxury Ball
The Netherlands Flag.png Dutch Weerdeball
Finland Flag.png Finnish Luksuspallo
France Flag.png French Luxe Ball
Germany Flag.png German Luxusball
Italy Flag.png Italian Chich Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 럭셔리볼 Luxury Ball
Norway Flag.png Norwegian Luxury Ball
Poland Flag.png Polish Luksball
Portuguese Brazil Flag.png Brazil Bola de Luxo
Bola Luxo*
Portugal Flag.png Portugal Bola Luxo
Russia Flag.png Russian Шик-Болл Shig-Boll
Spanish CELAC Flag.png Latin America Lujo Bola (XY079)
Bola de Lujo (SM003)
Spain Flag.png Spain Lujo Ball
Sweden Flag.png Swedish Luxury Ball
Turkey Flag.png Turkish Lüks Top
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Luxury

Heal Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese ヒールボール Heal Ball
Chinese Cantonese 治癒球 Jihyuh Kàuh
Mandarin 治癒球 / 治愈球 Zhìyù Qiú
France Flag.png French Soin Ball
Germany Flag.png German Heilball
Italy Flag.png Italian Cura Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 힐볼 Heal Ball
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Bola de Cura
Spain Flag.png Spanish Sana Ball

Quick Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese クイックボール Quick Ball
Chinese Cantonese 先機球 Sīngēi Kàuh *
超速球 Chīuchūk Kàuh *
Mandarin 先機球 / 先机球 Xiānjī Qiú *
超速球 Chāosù Qiú *
France Flag.png French Rapide Ball
Germany Flag.png German Flottball
Italy Flag.png Italian Velox Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 퀵볼 Quick Ball
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Poké Bola Rápida
Russia Flag.png Russian Быстрый шар Bystryy shar
Spain Flag.png Spanish Veloz Ball
Turkey Flag.png Turkish Hızlı Top

Dusk Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese ダークボール Dark Ball
Chinese Cantonese 黑暗球 Hākam Kàuh
Mandarin 黑暗球 Hēi'àn Qiú
The Netherlands Flag.png Dutch Schemerbal*
Finland Flag.png Finnish Hämäräpallo
France Flag.png French Sombre Ball
Germany Flag.png German Finsterball
Italy Flag.png Italian Scuro Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 다크볼 Dark Ball
Poland Flag.png Polish Mrokball
Portuguese Brazil Flag.png Brazil Bola de Penumbra
Portugal Flag.png Portugal Bola Crepúsculo
Spanish CELAC Flag.png Latin America Ocaso Bola
Spain Flag.png Spain Ocaso Ball

Cherish Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese プレシャスボール Precious Ball
Chinese Cantonese 貴重球 Gwaijuhng Kàuh
Mandarin 貴重球 / 贵重球 Guìzhòng Qiú *
珍貴球 Zhēnguì Qiú *
寶物球 Bǎowù Qiú *
France Flag.png French Mémoire Ball
Germany Flag.png German Jubelball
Italy Flag.png Italian Pregio Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 프레셔스볼 Precious Ball
Russia Flag.png Russian Драго-Болл Drago-Boll*
Охраняющий Шар Okhranyayushchit Shar*
Spain Flag.png Spanish Gloria Ball
Thailand Flag.png Thai พรีเชียสบอล Precious Ball

Park Ball (Generation IV)

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese パークボール Park Ball
Chinese Cantonese 公園球 Gūngyún Kàuh
Mandarin 公園球 / 公园球 Gōngyuán Qiú
France Flag.png French Parc Ball
Germany Flag.png German Parkball
Italy Flag.png Italian Parco Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 파크볼 Park Ball
Spain Flag.png Spanish Parque Ball
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Bóng Park

Dream Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese ドリームボール Dream Ball
Chinese Cantonese 夢境球 Muhnggíng Kàuh
Mandarin 夢境球 / 梦境球 Mèngjìng Qiú
France Flag.png French Rêve Ball
Germany Flag.png German Traumball
Italy Flag.png Italian Dream Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 드림볼 Dream Ball
Spain Flag.png Spanish Ensueño Ball

Beast Ball

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese ウルトラボール Ultra Ball
Chinese Cantonese 究極球 Gaugihk Kàuh
Mandarin 究極球 / 究极球 Jiūjí Qiú
Finland Flag.png Finnish Petopallo
France Flag.png French Ultra Ball
Germany Flag.png German Ultraball
Italy Flag.png Italian UC Ball
South Korea Flag.png Korean 울트라볼 Ultra Ball
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Bola Criatura
Spain Flag.png Spanish Ente Ball
Thailand Flag.png Thai อัลตร้าบอล Ultra Ball

Master Ball

Main article: Master Ball → In other languages


Types of items
General Evolution stones • Fossils • Flutes • Shards • Held items
Evolution items • Escape items • Exchangeable items • Valuable items
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Games: Super Smash Bros. • Super Smash Bros. Melee • Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Characters: Pikachu • Jigglypuff • Mewtwo • Pichu
Pokémon Trainer (Squirtle • Ivysaur • Charizard) • Lucario • Greninja • Incineroar
Stages: Saffron City • Pokémon Stadium • Poké Floats • Pokémon Stadium 2 • Spear Pillar
Prism Tower • Unova Pokémon League • Kalos Pokémon League
Poké Ball and Master Ball: Abomasnow • Abra • Alolan Exeggutor • Alolan Raichu • Alolan Vulpix • Arceus • Articuno • Beedrill
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Ho-Oh • Inkay • Jirachi • Keldeo • Koffing • Kyogre • Kyurem • Latias and Latios
Lugia • Lunala • Manaphy • Marill • Marshadow • Meloetta • Meowth • Mew • Metagross • Mimikyu
Moltres • Munchlax • Onix • Oshawott • Palkia • Piplup • Porygon2 • Pyukumuku • Raikou • Scizor • Snivy
Snorlax • Solgaleo • Spewpa • Staryu • Starmie • Suicune • Swirlix • Tapu Koko • Togedemaru • Togepi
Torchic • Unown • Venusaur • Victini • Vulpix • Weavile • Weezing • Wobbuffet • Xerneas • Zapdos • Zoroark
Collectables: Trophies (Melee • Brawl • for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U)
Stickers
Spirits
Misc: The Subspace Emissary • My Music • Final Smash • Pokémon Change • Brawl cameos


Project ItemDex logo.png This item article is part of Project ItemDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on all items.
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