Pokeball

Poké Ball classic, used as the main icon of the Pokémon franchise.

The Poké Ball, known in Japan as the Monster Ball (Monsutābōru, Monster Ball^?),Pokéball in Spain and Pokébola in Latin America, in the fictional world of anime and RPG video games, Pokémon is a spherical device that fits in the palm of the hand used to capture and transport Pokémon. It is also one of the most important objects for the role of the Pokémon trainer.

These are kept inside "resting" (but not recovering). There are different classes of Poké Balls, with the Master Ball being the most powerful of all balls, catching a wild Pokémon 100% of the time.

Its name comes from Pocket Ball, or pocket ball, which is due to its small size or the name of the Pokémon itself.

Concept

The creator of the Pokémon franchise Satoshi Tajiri as a child liked to collect insects and classify them, this concept motivated him to bring an experience similar to a video game where capturing creatures and knowing them is the main objective. The concept of portability led him to present his idea under the name Capsule Monsters, however Nintendo rejected the name idea and Satoshi changed it to Pocket Monsters, which literally means "pocket monsters". and is abbreviated to Pokémon. Poké Balls have been around since the start of the franchise and are the device used to capture and carry the Pokémon themselves.

External appearance

Person holding a Poké Ball in his hand.

From the anime series, the Poké Ball can be described as a small ball that opens in two halves, a red and a white hemisphere, joined by a hinge and sealed with a white button, the size of the ball is he says that it fits in the fist of a ten-year-old child, which makes him estimate its size at about 4 or 5 centimeters in diameter. To load them, a trainer presses the button in the center compressing their size to around 1 cm in diameter, which they can carry on their belt.

In the first representations of the videogames, the button did not appear nor did the hemispheres stay together by a hinge, both halves completely separating when opened.

Interior

From the anime series, a series of internal mirrors are distinguished, Pokémon become energy beams when stored inside and are captured. It is not known for certain what happens to Pokémon inside Poké Balls, and various arguments and theories have arisen in this regard. The true premise is that they become energy stored inside the ball, and that no matter the size of the Pokémon, whether small or large (such as Snorlax) they can always be captured. inside a Poké Ball.

Junichi Masuda, lead developer of several games in the franchise, has said that the interior of the Poké Balls "It's a very comfortable environment, like a large bathroom in a luxury hotel& #34;, affirming its comfort and pleasant environment. The CBR website infers from Masuda's announcement that a kind of virtual reality specific to each Pokémon species is generated within the Poké Balls, these being a perfect ecosystem of privacy and comfort. However, other opinions or observations in the series suggest that the Pokémon are bored inside their sphere, or lose their state of consciousness inside the Poké Balls, or that they become energy and that that would explain the ray of light that can be seen in the series, also, it is a known fact that Ash Ketchum's Pikachu, protagonist of the anime series, always refuses to enter his Poké Ball, which could be due to the loneliness within them.

Capture

Getting all the Pokémon is one of the main goals of the video games and the opening song and catchphrase of the anime series ("Catch 'em now"/"Get them all") encourages its capture, which is done with this device. Pokémon can be found in various environments and biomes, such as tall grass, caves, seas, fishing, and even at different times; on the other hand, some species can also be obtained in special events as prizes or through exchange with another trainer.

To capture a Pokémon, a trainer must throw the Poké Ball directly at it. Upon impact, it will open, capturing it with an energetic beam and storing it inside. Although it is not essential to fight the wild Pokémon beforehand, it is highly recommended that said Pokémon be weakened but not completely, it is also recommended that the wild Pokémon be asleep, or poisoned, since both conditions increase the chances of success, if not no capture, the same Poké Ball cannot be used again, so more than one may be needed. In handheld RPGs, it is not possible to capture Pokémon from other trainers, as it is considered stealing.

There is a myth that in the main series video games, pressing certain buttons increases the probability of capture, however the website TheGamer disproves this myth.

When a Pokémon is captured, it obeys its captor because it recognizes it as its trainer. The latter can use the Pokémon in different circumstances, the most common being battles or contests.

If a Pokemon is captured and the trainer already has six Pokemon with him, the captured Pokemon is automatically sent to a Pokemon storage system. Once captured, it can be given a nickname.

Types

Different types of Poké Ball have different effects that can make it easier to catch under certain conditions, or also add particular characteristics to the captured Pokémon.

Poké Balls from all games

The following table lists the most common Poké Balls, present in all games in the main series of the franchise.

Poké Balls made from Bonguris/Apricorns

These Poké Balls are only available in the Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal games, to later disappear in the following Game Boy Advance games. They reappeared in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver as remakes of the aforementioned games, but cannot be traded to Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum. Additionally, any Pokemon that is caught with one of these and transferred to those editions, other than appearing to have been caught in a Distant Land, will appear caught with a standard Poké Ball.

Generation 3 Poké Balls

Poké Balls from the fourth generation onwards

Seventh Generation Poké Balls

Poké Balls obtained in special events

In the anime series

Except for Poké Balls made from Apricorns, a different Poké Ball than the standard one is rarely shown in the series. A special and different Poké Ball present in the series was the Poké Ball GS/GS Ball, a mysterious Golden Poké Ball that the protagonist Ash Ketchum receives from Professor Oak to be studied by an expert artisan of Poké Balls, after Ash carried out the order, no more was known about it, so various fans made theories and rumors about it, However, Masamitsu Hidaka, writer of the series, responded years later that the Poké Ball GS/GS Ball contained Celebi, a legendary Pokémon that would have a leading role in the following season, but that in the end it was decided to forget that plot of the Poké Ball GS/GS Ball and making a movie about Celebi. This Poké Ball was available as a key item in the Pokémon Crystal video game, but it was obtainable only through a special event only available in Japan, said key item allowed the Celebi's appearance within the game.