Talk:Poké Ball/Archive 2

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It contains old discussions of topics relating to the article. Please do not add or remove any content from it.

Section from Archive 1 that still needs answering

At this point it claims that Premier Balls can be obtained at the Pokémon News Press, but over here it lists Premier Balls as one of the five types of Balls that are not available there. I'm confused now as to which is right, so could someone who knows for sure fix it? I♥Togetic 20:29, 31 December 2011 (UTC)

Official guidebook says you can't get Premier Balls there. --SnorlaxMonster 10:51, 1 January 2012 (UTC)

Catch rate of Dusk Ball

Japanese Wiki says its catch rate is 4×, not 3.5×. --847418742/Nick:Togekiss of Moon 13:34, 2 January 2012 (UTC)

Apparently, that is a common misconception. The sources linked in that edit summary explain that someone actually checked the game's code and found that. --SnorlaxMonster 13:40, 2 January 2012 (UTC)

Ultra Ball in Platinum

This article states that Ultra Balls are sold after earning 7 badges. However, I'm playing Platinum, have only 6 badges, but pokemarts already sell Ultra Balls to me (as I remember, they began it after 5 badges). Ruxax 14:48, 5 February 2012 (UTC)

27th type of pokéball?

So browsing through my PC boxes full of pokémon I noticed what seems to be a 27th type of pokéball. Its pattern appears similar to that of an ultra ball but with a teal coloring in place of the black/gray and white in place of the yellow. The only pokémon in this "new" pokéball which I can confirm the sources of are my Dreamworld Arceus and Fateful encounter Zorua. I know I can't be the first to notice this, but from my "extensive" googling (10 minutes) and looking through this talk page and the archive I can't find any mention of it. Apache Manthong 10:42, 20 February 2012 (UTC)

Are you sure you're not just seeing things? Or maybe it's some weird glitch, although I don't know how it'd be possible for the game to draw a non-existant sprite. What kind of ball did you use to catch your Arceus? Once a Pokémon is caught the ball isn't supposed to change... are you sure that whatever that ball is, it's not the one you caught him in? Dannyjenn 17:21, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

Calling out.

I mean, how do the characters know which Pokemon they are calling out of their pokeballs? was there any mention of this? AquaMaster 13:57, 9 March 2012 (UTC)

I guess they memorize the order in which they put the Poké Balls on their belt. And that doesn't always work. Remember the episode where Ash's Snorlax learned Hyper Beam? Ash tried to call out Charizard, but grabbed Squirtle's Poké Ball by mistake, and then Snorlax's? - unsigned comment from Missingno. Master (talk • contribs) 14:08, 9 March 2012 (UTC)

I guess :/ just seems a bit strange that the majority of the time they get it right when they look all the same, cause in prof oak's lab remember they had the stickers on them of the type, that seems legit AquaMaster 14:14, 9 March 2012 (UTC)

They either memorize them or they mark them (like you said, the Starter Pokémon and Pikachu all had their names or a symbol on them). Usually it's done through memory, as seen by Missingno. Master's coment... and remember the second (?) episode when they were in the Pokémon Center and Team Rocket attacked and Misty had the idea to use the Pokémon to fight Team Rocket... and tehy were unable to tell which Pokémon were in which Pokéball (or if the ball was even occupied)? And in that one episode toward the end of the season no one's Pokéballs could be told apart except for Ritchie's, because he put stickers on them.

In one of the manga, the Pokéballs have a transparent top so you can see who's inside. Which is discussed in the article. Dannyjenn 15:46, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

Heavy Ball

What does a "+30 modifier" mean? For example, if I throw a Heavy Ball at a Wailord (weight 877.4 lb, modifier +30, original catch rate 60) then I assume that the catch rate will go up to 90. However, will this be equivalent to using a Poke Ball on a Zangoose (catch rate 90)? In other words, after the catch rate of the Pokemon is modified, what is the catch rate of the ball? Tk3141 00:20, 13 March 2012 (UTC)

See catch rate. --SnorlaxMonster 12:59, 14 March 2012 (UTC)

Sorry for being so obtuse, but I still don't quite understand. There is a formula for the probability of a Pokemon being caught, involving both the multiplier of the ball and the catch rate of the Pokemon. On this page (and the catch rate page), most Poke Balls are given a multiplier (such as "x2" for the Ultra Ball). However, the Heavy Ball is given a "catch rate modifier" which varies depending on the weight of the Pokemon. For example, if a Pokemon has a catch rate of 100 and a heavy ball modifier of +20, the number 120 will be plugged into the formula as the Pokemon's catch rate. However, what will go in as multiplier of the ball? Tk3141 21:40, 4 April 2012 (UTC)

I'm not entirely sure, but I believe the number is added to the base catch rate, rather than multiplied by it like the multipliers are. --SnorlaxMonster 07:58, 11 April 2012 (UTC)

So would the actual multiplier (analogous to "x2" for the Ultra Ball) be "x1"? Tk3141 23:50, 14 April 2012 (UTC)

Green Poké Ball

That is a Safari Ball. That's how they look in the anime. I have no idea why an Onix was in one, but it's definitely a Safari Ball (just look at the balls that Ash's Tauros are in... they look exactly the same). Dannyjenn 15:55, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

It isn't. Safari balls have an "S' on them. The Green ball didn't.--Force Fire 04:49, 21 March 2012 (UTC)

Items in Poké Balls

Items aren't in "Poké Balls". They're in "item balls". And items being in Poké Balls was never shown in the anime except that one scene where Ash caught a doughnut / rice ball. Which I think was done as a joke, not seriously showing that items can be in Poké Balls. Dannyjenn 16:02, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

There is no instance where it states the Items are in Poké Balls.--Force Fire 04:49, 21 March 2012 (UTC)

Yes it does... it says, "In both the anime and games, it has been shown that items can be contained in Poké Balls." Which is incorrect... in Red and Blue they are specifically referred to as "item balls". I don't know about in other games, but I assume that this concept doesn't change. Dannyjenn 05:00, 21 March 2012 (UTC)

Dannyjenn is right, Force Fire. A guy in Fuschia City says something along the lines of "I really want to grab that ITEM BALL in there. Oh, its a VOLTORB?" Item Ball is even written in capital letters, like all proper nouns in those games. Me, Hurray! (talk) 15:27, 13 September 2012 (UTC)

While that is in the game, item ball isn't in capitals. The exact quote is "That item ball in there… Were you wanting that? Me, too! …Huh? That’s a POKéMON?" in FRLG, and "That item ball in there is really a POKéMON." in RBY (text dumps: FireRed, Red). --SnorlaxMonster 15:39, 13 September 2012 (UTC)

How about the TM Item Balls? (yellow/white) ReignBough (talk) 04:41, 12 July 2021 (UTC)

Raising the catch rate

Should it be mentioned that back in Generation I, it was commonly (falsely) believed that certain button presses with the correct timing would cause a regular Poké Ball to function as a Great Ball or Ultra Ball? This rumour was further spread when Ninendo themselves posted it on their website (probably by accident)? http://web.archive.org/web/200012071115/http://www.nintendo.com/codes/gb/pokeacutemonyellowversionspecialpikachuedition.html Dannyjenn 17:33, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

No.--Force Fire 04:49, 21 March 2012 (UTC)

I think that a "rumors" section wouldn't be that outrageous. Things like the truck and Mossdeep Space Center rumors are noted on their pages, and especially since this even has an official source, I think it deserves a mention. --SnorlaxMonster 09:39, 21 March 2012 (UTC)

Dream Ball catch rate

Does the Dream Ball actually have a catch rate of 255, or is that just a feature of the Entree Forest itself? I've noticed that using ordinary pokeballs in the forest always results in a catch immediately, no matter what pokemon they're used on. I nabbed the event Arceus with a Premier ball, for example... --ACDragonMaster 06:37, 7 April 2012 (UTC)

Moon Ball and Munna

"" The paragraph in "Introduced in Generation V" doesn't say Moon Balls have no effect in Generation V, so why can't one catch a Munna (or Musharna) with a Moon Ball with 4× effectiveness? ~Enervation 22:03, 3 June 2012 (UTC)

Because Moon Balls are not usable items in Gen V. They are useless if you hack to get them. ☆The Solar Dragon☆ 22:52, 3 June 2012 (UTC)

Dive Ball

This page claims that Dive Ball is more effective when used on water-dwelling Pokémon even in Pokémon Black and White. ~Enervation 21:26, 11 June 2012 (UTC)

I don't see the problem if it's true... Frozen Fennec 21:40, 11 June 2012 (UTC)

Well, they changed the bag description to say that it is for Pokémon that live underwater, so I don't see why they would intentionally change it if that wasn't the case. --SnorlaxMonster 15:15, 17 June 2012 (UTC)

Not exactly ABSOLUTE proof, but I think the fact I just caught 8 undamaged/unstatused Staryu (from Surfing in Humilau City) in a row first-time with Dive Balls (in White 2) seems to make the fact it still works on Surf Pokémon likely. Of course, this may be different in Black/White, but I don't particularly feel like testing in that. (Already happened to have White 2 on.) RiverShock (talk) 14:47, 18 October 2012 (UTC)

PA & somethin' else

"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."

I always thought pressing the button makes the Pokémon come out, like on the toys. Is this true? Also, in Pokémon Adventures it seems that Balls have letters on them, for some reason. -- Pringles 00:15, 20 June 2012 (UTC)

The anime shows the button to change its size and send out, recall, and release the Pokémon. It seems to be an all-purpose button. --SnorlaxMonster 14:01, 24 August 2012 (UTC)

Pokémon's Perception inside

In "Hypno's Naptime" at the end of the episode it shows a shot of Psyduck in its poké ball which is perceived to be an empty sphere. Glalie Power (talk) 14:45, 13 August 2012 (UTC)

great ball

in pokemon black and white if you swith out a pokemon that was caught in a great ball the pokeball will be completely yellow Pachirisupancakes (talk) 13:31, 24 August 2012 (UTC)

Timer Ball Approximate Catch Rates Chart (Gen V)

I decided to take the time to figure out what the Timer Ball's approximate catch rates are. I'm most likely wrong, since I'm no big math person, and I probably misinterpreted some stuff, but here it is.

The formula I used for the increment was 1229/((4096(.3))t) (and then 1× + this), where t = turns passed. Then I added this to the total increment before rounding up to the catch rate. I didn't do it exactly as I should've/could've, since I just entered what was on the calculator exactly (hence the ≈'s), but I don't have that much time. The Turn # column is to remind you which turn it is at that point in time.

t	TURN #	INCREMENT	TOTAL INC.	CATCH RATE
0	1st	0	1×+0	1×
1	2nd	1.00016276	1×+1.00016276	≈2×
2	3rd	0.50008138	1×+1.50024414	≈2.5×
3	4th	≈0.333387587	1×+≈1.833631727	≈2.8×
4	5th	0.25004069	1×+≈2.085872417	≈3.1×
5	6th	≈0.200032552	1×+≈2.285904969	≈3.3×
6	7th	≈0.166693793	1×+≈2.452598762	≈3.5×
7	8th	≈0.142880394	1×+≈2.595479156	≈3.6×
8	9th	≈0.125020345	1×+≈2.720499501	≈3.7×
9	10th	≈0.111129196	1×+≈2.831628697	≈3.8×
10	11th	≈0.100016276	1×+≈2.931644973	≈3.9×
11	12th	≈0.090923887	1×+≈3.02256886	≈4.02× → 4× MAX

So, taking into account I didn't do things as exactly as I could've, we're right--after ten turns, you're gonna have a 4× catch rate with a Timer Ball. If I'm totally right (which I'm not), you can bet you'll be able to have a 4× catch rate on your 12th turn.

Regardless, it appears that, if you don't have any better ball to use than an Ultra Ball (i.e., catching a non-Water or -Bug Legendary in the daytime), you might want to start chucking Timer Balls after 2 or more turns, since you'll already be getting a better catch rate than a normal Ultra Ball. (The only issue there is how much money you have to buy said Timer Balls...)

Sorry for spamming or whatever—just thought this was interesting. —FerreTrip (talk) 20:10, 15 October 2012 (UTC)

What game is this from? The formula differs between III-IV and V. --Abcboy (talk) 20:24, 15 October 2012 (UTC)

Sorry about that ^^; Clarified the title to include which game I refer to. This is for the Gen V formula. —FerreTrip (talk) 20:30, 15 October 2012 (UTC)

I misread the formula too (I think), although in a different way. When it says 1229 ÷ 4096x (.3x), it seems to actually mean that 0.3 is the simplification of that fraction; I think it's saying that CatchRate=1+(0.3*t), where t is # of turns passed.

In any case, the math provided is a bit sloppy/misleading and could use clean-up (I originally read it as Rate=1+1229/4096*0.3*t ).

--Axis (talk) 09:30, 5 May 2014 (UTC)

The Dive Ball issue

Does anyone have any confirmation on how it works? Because if I surf and find Jellicent, I've found a Pokémon that lives underwater. --Abcboy (talk) 03:59, 22 October 2012 (UTC)

The Dive Ball specifically works better while you're diving in RSE and BW/B2W2, since those are the only games you can dive in. In the other games, the effect works on anything Water-type you find surfing and fishing, like the Net Ball. Basically, in RSE and BW/B2W2, the Dive Ball won't have the increased catch rate. R.A. Hunter Blade 04:07, 22 October 2012 (UTC)

Any source? (I've found several sources stating Dive Balls worked exceptionally well on their Pokémon encountered by surfing and fishing in BWB2W2) --Abcboy (talk) 04:09, 22 October 2012 (UTC)

Well, it could be presented as a question on Spading and have someone who can do so research it. (Likely it would be formatted somewhat like the Heavy Ball question on said page.) --Super goku (talk) 04:39, 22 October 2012 (UTC)

I've looked at the game code in Black 2, and I can say with 100% certainty that the Dive Ball will have its increased catch rate when used while surfing or fishing. If you want to see for yourself, the code for Dive Ball is at 0x021AF926 (US Black 2) when in-battle. There are two checks: the first checks if you're fishing, the second checks if the battle field is water. I assume it's be the same for Black/White. There aren't even any Pokémon underwater in either game to begin with... --Prof. 9 (talk) 16:06, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Timer Ball

The article says, the Formula for Gen III & IV for a Timer Ball is: ((number of turns passed in battle + 10) ÷ 10)× But then a Timer Ball would NEVER have 1x, because it would have 1,1x already when the battle just begins. So does it not should be like: ((number of turns passed in battle + 9) ÷ 10)× ? - Pokémon _Questions? -- 19:01, 14 April 2013 (UTC)

No, it's 1.1 from the start. MF 23 1 23:43, 14 April 2013 (UTC)

The timerball says, for generations V+, that the catch rate is "1× + 1229 ÷ 4096× (0.3×) per turn passed in the battle, maximum 4×". I feel that this could be worded better such as "min(1+(1229/4096)t);4)× where t is the number of turns passed". The reasoning is because the current formula can be ambiguous to whether 1229/4096 is added, or (1229/4096)*(0.3)× is added. Zombiedude347 (talk) 22:49, 3 August 2014 (UTC)

It certainly could be worded better (is, now), but it doesn't need to be so technical as to use "min(x,y)". It may be a bit more concise, but (even when I know exactly how the min function works), it's not as easy to understand as just writing out "maximum 4x". Tiddlywinks (talk) 05:03, 4 August 2014 (UTC)

I also have a question. On the serebii.net page for the time ball (http://www.serebii.net/itemdex/timerball.shtml) it states "The Timer Ball is a PokéBall that works best on Pokémon as the duration of battle increases. If up to 10 turns have taken place, the Capture Rate is 1. If between 11 & 20 turns have taken place then the Capture Rate is 2. If between 21 & 30 turns have taken place then the Capture Rate is 3. Finally, if over 30 turns have taken place, the Capture Rate is 4." this doesn't seem to match the information on this page. I am asking because most of the time, serebii is accurate. Which values are most accurate/up to date? Zombiedude347 (talk) 14:30, 4 May 2015 (UTC)

You mean the Gen V+ part? I can't verify the chances myself, but it's a bit more likely that the information on Serebii simply hasn't been properly updated since Gen V. Serebii is pretty good, but there are still a number of things Serebii isn't perfect on, so don't hold it on too high a pedestal. Tiddlywinks (talk) 08:33, 5 May 2015 (UTC)

Link in fast ball section

The effect of the Fast Ball (in HGSS) says it works on Pokemon whose base speed is at least 100, but the link goes to the category of Pokemon who have a base speed of greater than 100, meaning all Pokemon who have a speed of 100 exactly (Entei, for example), aren't included in the linked page. Schiffy (Speak to me|What I've done) 16:06, 15 April 2013 (UTC)

I noticed this as well and am equally curious which is correct. Theroux (talk) 05:54, 1 May 2019 (UTC)

The authority on capture mechanics says >= 100 https://www.dragonflycave.com/mechanics/gen-iii-iv-capturing - so the link needs changing. JMVB - literally it doesn't stand for anything (talk) 10:36, 3 May 2019 (UTC)

Can a Master Ball miss?

I keep hearing this rumour that Master Balls are subject to the same programming error as attacks in generation 1, meaning they have 1/256 chance of failing to catch the target. I've even heard that the opposite is true - that they have a 1/256 failure rate in generations 2 and onward. Is there any truth to this? ⬡ (talk) 01:20, 7 July 2013 (UTC)

Sport Ball / Park Ball

"Sport Balls" were not introduced in Generation II. The balls for the bug-catching contest in the original Gold/Silver/Crystal were called "Park Balls"... it wasn't until HG/SS that they were renamed "Sport Balls," probably because Diamond/Pearl introduced another new ball type that was also called "Park Ball." This should probably be noted somewhere. I don't know if the 2nd and 4th-gen versions of the bug-catching contest balls had the same name in Japanese or not, but they definitely didn't have the same name in English... and someone reading this page (without already knowing about the name change) would never know that. --FnrrfYgmSchnish (talk) 02:20, 14 July 2013 (UTC)

Well, looking a bit closer, it IS noted... in one little line of fine print that only appears if you expand the "2nd-gen Sport Ball" section. Why not just have two entries for the ball, one in the 2nd-gen section (named Park Ball) and another in the 4th-gen one (named Sport Ball)? Especially since it seems they were called Park Balls in Japanese too (going by the katakana name in the small-print line), so the renaming happened both in the original language and in the English games, and it's not just a translation difference to account for the D/P Park Ball but an actual name change. --FnrrfYgmSchnish (talk) 02:25, 14 July 2013 (UTC)

We don't have two entries for the ball for the same reason that we don't have two separate pages for Magnemite, Magneton, Gardevoir, Marill, Jigglypuff, and other things that have significant changes between generations: the newer version of canon supersedes the older version, so it's less confusing to merge them and note the differences than to have two separate articles/sections/entries/whatever for the same thing. Pumpkinking0192 (talk) 04:54, 14 July 2013 (UTC)

The canon are mixed!

It bothers me, and I think a lot of other people too, that the 'Mechanics and design'-section tells about all different canon in one big mess! An example: '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.' < This whole text is only true for the anime-canon, and that isn't even noted! I mean, come on, has anybody ever seen a Pokéball shrinking in the games? Or just any note of that by an npc? I think we should use different subsections for the anime, manga and games. So not to confuse anybody. Nickvang (talk) 17:24, 1 September 2013 (UTC)

Pokéball management system

In Destiny Deyoxys, at about 53:45, Rebecca mentions that "the Pokéball Management System isn't functioning." Shouldn't this be in the article, or at least in the anime section?--ZeroLinkYoshi (talk) 16:13, 4 November 2013 (UTC)

EDIT: I found a mention of the Management system. Disregard this please, my mistake! --ZeroLinkYoshi (talk) 16:20, 4 November 2013 (UTC)

Poké Balls in Generation VI

Can anyone add a trivia about not introducing new types of Poké Balls in Generation VI? Thank you! Cinday123 (talk) 23:29, 16 November 2013 (UTC)

Feel free to do it yourself! The page isn't locked, so there's nothing stopping you. Pumpkinking0192 (talk) 23:33, 16 November 2013 (UTC)

Added. I'm assuming this is noteworthy trivia. ----NateVirus(Talk|Contributions) 23:40, 16 November 2013 (UTC)

Thanks! Cinday123 (talk) 00:03, 17 November 2013 (UTC)

Meanwhile technically not an usable Poké Ball, Gen VI did start making TMs on the overworld be represented by yellow Poké Balls, should this be noted? ChReNiC (talk) 04:27, 7 December 2013 (UTC)

I think it the article should also mention the new breeding mechanics. Before Gen VI, a Pokémon hatched from an egg is always in a regular Poké Ball. In Gen VI, however, the offspring is in whatever type of Poké Ball its mother is in. (But it will still be in a regular Poké Ball if it is bred from a Ditto, or if the mother is in a Master Ball or a Cherish Ball.) ----Zewis (29) 15:06, 29 December 2014 (UTC)

Inconsistency about the Fast Ball on this page and the Escape page

Does the Fast Ball really only work on the three Pokémon listed on this page or on all the Pokémon listed at Escape#Wild_Pokémon? Ampere (talk) 09:27, 10 February 2014 (UTC)

I did some research and found that it is indeed true, only those three are affected by the ball. Like the Moon Ball they really screwed up the implementation in Gen II. EV Love (talk) 03:54, 7 March 2014 (UTC)

But there are more Pokémon that can flee, right? Like Quagsire. TeudowEthan (talk) 20:49, 7 March 2014 (UTC)

Right. --Wynd Fox 21:30, 7 March 2014 (UTC)

Grammar Repeat Ball

"works better on Pokémon who is registered in the Pokédex as caught."

I'm not an expert at English, but this doesn't sound right.TeudowEthan (talk) 20:46, 7 March 2014 (UTC)

Sport Ball's S?

In the Dream World art, it has an S, while every other appearance has it with aPoké Ball design (Poké Ball on a Poké Ball... somewhat redundant). Is this notable for trivia? Pikachu Bros. (talk) 00:06, 4 April 2014 (UTC)

Distortion World

Does the Distortion World when you catch Giratina in Platinum count as a Cave for the Dusk Ball's primary mechanics to work? Shiramu Kuromu (talk) 13:48, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

Incorrect Gen II sell prices

The sell prices for Kurt's balls (at least according to my US Pokémon Crystal cartridge; someone would have to confirm the other versions) are all 75P, not 150P. In other words, they're ironically valued at less than raw Apricorns (100P). Tgev (talk) 02:20, 1 July 2014 (UTC)

Yes, for Crystal, Kurt's Pokeballs are sold for 75P each. Can someone change this? AK712 (talk) 02:04, 27 March 2016 (UTC)

Kalos Pokeball Factory

The article says "and used to catch wild Pokémon prior to the mass production of the Balls that occurs in modern times under Silph Co. and the Devon Corporation", but doesn't mention anything about the Kalos Pokeball Factory. I know it's not an actual company, but it's the only Pokeball Production Center in the games, as far as I can think. Deserves a mention, eh? NotMateo (talk) 19:56, 2 August 2014 (UTC)

Anti-Theft System?

"Thief" and other related words don't show up in the article, and "steal" shows up only in reference to stealing the balls themselves. Is it proven or not that once a Pokémon is captured in a ball, no other ball is able to capture said Pokémon due to some security system (apart from the Trainer blocking the ball)? FerreTrip (talk) 16:41, 4 December 2014 (UTC)

Is the Level Ball glitched in HGSS?

I was in the middle of trying to catch a Level 4 Rattata and had my Level 46 Zangoose out when I forgot to False Swipe it before throwing a Level Ball. Despite the fact that Rattata's catch rate combined with the 8x rate of the Level Ball when used on a wild Pokémon whose level is less than a quarter of that of your current Pokémon, which should in theory guarantee a capture, it still managed to break out. This really bewildered me, considering that if you threw a Repeat Ball or a Quick Ball at it, both of those would lead to certain capture at full health. Diving around several capture calculators led me to discover that at full health, throwing a maximally-effective Level Ball at a Pokémon with a catch rate of 255 at full health would be no better than throwing a mere Poké Ball at it as both would still have the base roughly 33% success rate, and that the supposed catch rate only begins to come into effect as you weaken it, just like any other ball. As aforementioned, putting a Repeat or Quick Ball into the calculator with said Pokémon displayed a 100% success rate as normal, even though their catch rate multipliers are both dwarfed by that of an 8x Level Ball. So is there something up with the Level Ball's mechanics, just like how half of the Apricorn Balls were glitch-ridden to the point of having no special effect back in Generation II? Azureprism (talk) 14:00, 20 June 2015 (UTC)

Per catch rate:

The formula is slightly different when applied to the apricorn balls in HeartGold and SoulSilver. The modifiers for these balls are applied directly to the Pokémon's catch rate, rather than in the formula as bonusball is always 1, and the catch rate can not go higher than 255. This means that for Pokémon whose catch rate is already 255, such as Rattata, the apricorn balls do not make the capture anymore likely than a regular Poké Ball. --Abcboy (talk) 14:06, 20 June 2015 (UTC)

I wrote the above entry in the catch rate article. But it was an experience very similar to the OP's that caused me to delve deeper into the capture mechanics. Horray for Cave of Dragonflies :-p

The numbers under the apricorn balls are a little mis-leading, especially as they are in the same format as the rest of the balls so the implication is that you can make a direct comparison. Maybe an asterisk on each rate that explains that it is a max rate, or "rate equals 255/catch rate or x8 whichever is smaller". That will get really messy though. Especially as the 255 cap applies to all balls in GSC.

Anyone got any better ideas?JMVB - I don't what to put here. (talk) 20:58, 25 June 2015 (UTC)

Why does it say that some Poke balls introduced in Gen IV go to the Items pocket and not the Poke Balls pocket?

Do I have permission to attempt to fix this?sumwun (talk) 01:47, 22 January 2016 (UTC)

Poké Balls in BWB2W2XYORAS are in the Items pocket. Some Poké Balls haven't been obtainable since DPPtHGSS, when they were in the Poké Balls pocket. We list the pocket as of the most recent game it is legitimately available in, so that's why they are inconsistent. --Abcboy (talk) 01:54, 22 January 2016 (UTC)

Trivia regarding Pokémon that can be caught in most Poké Ball variants

The listing includes Heracross, which is claimed to not be able to be caught only in a Sport Ball, yet it can be caught through the Bug-Catching Contest, so... doesn't that mean that Heracross can in fact be found in all Poké Ball variants then? ^ht 14 16:43, 9 June 2016 (UTC)

Our page for the Bug-Catching Contest doesn't list Heracross, at least unless I've overlooked it. Pumpkinking0192 (talk) 16:55, 9 June 2016 (UTC)

Oh right, good call; I was thinking of Scyther, not Heracross. ^ht 14 19:06, 9 June 2016 (UTC)

Capitalization of "ball"

When the word "ball" is used on its own without a prefix (Poké, Ultra, etc.), should it be capitalized? Currently the article is inconsistent on this.

Starting in Generation III, all Poké Ball types have a special effect that appears whenever the ball is opened.
versus
Starting in Generation III, all Poké Ball types have a special effect that appears whenever the Ball is opened.

Randomwaffle23 (talk) 21:51, 13 December 2016 (UTC)

When you use it as common noun, it's ball in lowercase. There's countless examples in the series: "Hello there! It's your good friend Ball Guy! Don't you worry—I'll always make sure every Gym Challenger has a ball! It's my duty as the volunteer mascot of the Gym Challenge!" - Ball Guy, Galar. Otherwise, the name is a proper noun, Poké Ball, hence it's capitalized. Williamgg (talk) 08:10, 8 August 2024 (UTC)

dusk ball bonus

"A somewhat different Poké Ball that makes it easier to catch wild Pokémon at night or in dark places like caves."

Does the bonus only works in caves? Does it work when catching pokemon indoors? Most of the fansites only states that the bonus is in effect when catching in caves. The Sun and Moon guide is the first guide to mention that Dusk Ball is effective in indoor which are Thrifty Megamart and the Tapu Ruins in sun and moon. I had not checked the guides for previous games, but does it always work in indoor battles or is this changed in sun and moon? even the article did not mention anything about indoor. -Pokeant (talk) 04:47, 3 February 2017 (UTC)

Ultra Beasts and other kinds of Balls

This article currently states the following:

Beast Balls use a x0.1 multiplier against non-UBs
other Poké Balls use a x1 multiplier against Ultra Beasts

As I brought up several months ago, a friend of mine inspected the capture routine and says both of these use a x0.1 multiplier, i.e. that our numbers are wrong for normal Poké Balls against Ultra Beasts. Can anyone look closer at this and verify it, please? Pumpkinking0192 (talk) 00:24, 10 October 2017 (UTC)

Interesting. Did Butterfree confirm that this applies to the Heavy Ball also? JMVB - literally it doesn't stand for anything (talk) 15:04, 10 October 2017 (UTC)

Since she says the capture routine "overwrit(es) the ball bonus value with 0.1 if the item ID is not 851 and (some mystery condition calculated based on the Pokémon)", I assume this applies to the Heavy Ball also since the Heavy Ball's item ID is not 851. But I don't really know enough about the back end of things to be qualified to judge whether her analysis is plausible or not, so that's why I'm asking for verification. Pumpkinking0192 (talk) 15:43, 10 October 2017 (UTC)

Russian name

In Pokemon anime it called "Pokeboll", when "Pokeshar" used only in 12 or 13 season (I don't remember), it uses English name in new seasons Michail2003 (talk) 16:43, 8 January 2018 (UTC)

Separate Articles for each Poke Ball?

I noticed recently that most items have their own page, including the Mega Stones and held items with a very little information, but the Poke Balls are still in one article. Shouldn't each Poke Ball have each own article? The Mega Stones are separated although they pretty much the same. Yaronos (talk) 09:38, 4 June 2018 (UTC)

Personally I think there's more benefit of having them on a single page, as it means you can compare and contrast their effects. But I guess we could do both JMVB - literally it doesn't stand for anything (talk) 22:40, 4 June 2018 (UTC)

New trivia bit

I noticed that the Beast Ball is the only variation that can never have a 1x catch rate. Is it notable enough to include? It certainly is unique. Kikugi (talk) 13:17, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

The Great Ball never has a 1x catch rate...AFAIK. Tiddlywinks (talk) 13:00, 8 September 2018 (UTC)

Hm, I'm sure I intended to say it differently back then... Though if I had phrased it another way, this definitely would be something too situational. So it's not worth mentioning in the end. My bad. Kikugi (talk) 13:10, 8 September 2018 (UTC)

Maju

It says in a paragraph that pokemon used to be known as maju. Where is the source for that?- unsigned comment from Volcaronium (talk • contribs)

Splitting Article

I know this has been brought up numerous times, but largely ignored. Why don't the specific Poke Balls have their own pages? Many of them have a lot of content and background to fill up a full-sized article on its own, even more so than a Medicine or etc. Should someone first draft version for a User Space before it's considered? TehPerson (talk) 19:28, 19 April 2019 (UTC)

I strongly strongly agree. We did this for all other item categories and the result was a success. I think this overall page should be kept but individual pages should definitely be created. --celadonk (talk) 13:39, 20 April 2019 (UTC)

I definitely agree with this, seeing as how all the individual item pages have worked quite well.Animaltamer708:38, 21 April 2019 (UTC)

I am currently working on the following User Space pages in hopes of getting them mainspaced eventually. If anyone wants to jump in and help, please do.

TehPerson (talk) 20:05, 21 April 2019 (UTC)

Looks good. However, I'd recommend using the Global Link artwork in the infobox even when there's Sugimori art, and putting the Sugimori art in a gallery section underneath, to keep all the Poke Ball pages consistent with each other. --celadonk (talk) 21:36, 21 April 2019 (UTC)

I have to say I really support the idea of getting individual articles, and the ones from TehPerson seem to be going very well so far. Since Poké Balls are very distinct items and since we have the opportunity to start the articles from scratch, I say we should get a whole new infobox for them, just like we have for the berries. The template could then have a specific part about the catch rates (probably covering the different possible conditions), and maybe a different color (also like the berries template has).

I may be able to begin sketching a new template in about a week, but if this idea is well received and somebody starts it first, it would also be very good. Suic (talk) 02:53, 22 April 2019 (UTC)

There may be an opportunity, but I think I'd rather not use it. (In fact I didn't when I made Z-Crystal and Apricorn pages.)

There's something valuable about a standardized infobox between items. I believe readers are used to those, and if they want some ball-specific information, they would just briefly scan the infobox and then search within the article (i.e., unless they're looking for a Bag pocket to find it in). The colorscheme does set them apart quite sufficiently, in my opinion.

In fact, I think the current Berry template somewhat obfuscates the information hidden within it; it's too complex. If anything, I believe the Berry pages should be changed. (Also see here and here.)

Meanwhile, I've edited Love Ball, you might wanna take a look. Nescientist (talk) 13:23, 22 April 2019 (UTC)

I think the Berry infobox should stay the way it is-- Berries have arguably more special information involved than any other type of item-- but for any other item, including Pokeballs, I think the regular item infobox is sufficient. --celadonk (talk) 13:38, 22 April 2019 (UTC)

Just FYI, what I was talking about is this; I need way too long to find out Pecha heals Poison etc. Other than that, I think both ways could work. Nescientist (talk) 13:57, 22 April 2019 (UTC)

Regarding the idea of making a whole new template, that's not entirely necessary. If Catch Rate is all you want to show, then make another version of Template:ItemInfobox/Fling, but with a different caption. TehPerson (talk) 14:06, 22 April 2019 (UTC)

Well, all right then, no new template for the Poké Balls. I still think that having the catch rate in the infobox would be useful, though. We could see how it looks with a version of iteminfobox/fling, as suggested. Suic (talk) 16:29, 22 April 2019 (UTC)

You can always create it as a user sub page and see how it looks like. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 20:08, 22 April 2019 (UTC)

Yeah, that's what I intend to do when I get the time. Suic (talk) 20:44, 22 April 2019 (UTC)

Revamping the article

I would like to put it to a suggestion that this article — and perhaps others, actually — be revamped entirely. Pokémon is not a series of a single continuity. The main canon and timeline are the games, and I would argue that is what this article ought to focus on. I see a lot of anime information scattered around here, none of which applies to the games in any real sense. And now that Arceus is coming out, shedding further light on early Poké Ball design, I feel it would be as good a time as any. There's already a section specifically for the anime, so I figure anime-only information could be moved there. Not sure this will get any attention, but I implore you to consider it.–Darknesslover5000 (talk) 01:30, 27 February 2021 (UTC)

Going to bump this. I'd actually redo the entire article myself, but I know that the edit would simply be reverted and that'd be a day of hard work down the drain. I do heavily suggest this article be redone entirely, however, to better split the anime and game continuities.--Darknesslover5000 (talk) 17:44, 26 June 2021 (UTC)

This makes a lot of sense to me. In particular, I would suggest starting with the History of Poké Balls article, which at the moment is really just anime history. --SnorlaxMonster 09:12, 27 June 2021 (UTC)

This should probably be bumped, since the Legends explanation for how Poké Balls work is that all Pokémon are able to shrink themselves to fit inside of the balls. I honestly love how fuzzy and inconsistent Pokémon is with its lore, and that feels like something the article should reflect. B0undarybreaker (talk) 13:19, 5 February 2022 (UTC)

Pokéspe Smoke

A small detail about the way Poké Balls work in Pokémon Adventures I don't see noted is that, instead of the flashes of commonly red light popularized by the anime, Pokémon are captured and released in puffs of smoke. This is latter fazed out for more generic localized bursts, but I figure it is notable in relating back to the original Capsule inspirations of Poké Balls. --Rererej (talk) 19:01, 11 November 2022 (UTC)

Sure, I guess, if you would want to add that!? Nescientist (talk) 12:45, 12 November 2022 (UTC)