Poké Ball

Poké Balls are devices used by trainers to capture and store their Pokémon.

## Capabilities

In a wild Pokémon battle, the trainer can throw a Poké Ball at the wild Pokémon. 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 itsself and close. The Pokémon is given a chance 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 or will return to the trainer, who can reuse it. A Pokémon who does not escape the Poké Ball will be caught.

Poké Balls are specifically constructed for Pokémon capture, transport and training. As well as being physically difficult to escape from (prior from being completely caught) 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 Pokémon perceives their time inside their Poké 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 Poké Ball.

Poké Ball size can be changed. 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.

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 that 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 replaced by more advanced Poké Balls.

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. In the games, this bright light has been shown to vary in color depending on the type of Poké Ball in which the Pokémon is contained in. 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 Poké 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. Some Pokémon have shown able to return to the Poké Ball themselves by touching it.

Releasing a Pokémon from a Trainer's ownership, unlike normally sending the Pokémon out, will release a blue light instead of white, and the Pokémon will be released from the trainer's ownership, making a wild Pokémon again.

Pokémon appear to be conscious while inside Poké Balls, with several Pokémon able to leave their Poké Ball of their own free will, or prevent themselves from being let out. Pokémon have shown to be able to hear orders given by their trainer right before they are sent out.

Poké Balls are able to communicate with a Pokédex, as the Pokédex updates itself with information on newly-caught Pokémon and use it to determine what moves the Pokémon can use. If a trainer catches a new Pokémon with a full team already with them, the Pokédex will automatically send the newly-caught Pokémon to the Pokémon Storage System that the trainer is using.

Poké Balls are able to be decorated, with several Poké Balls that have been painted with special colors or having diamonds encrusted into them. Additionally, a Ball Capsule can be used in combination with Seals to create special effects when the Pokémon is sent out.

## Weaknesses

A Poké Ball can be broken. If completely destroyed, the Pokémon that the Poké Ball contains will automatically be released. However, if still salvageable, the Pokémon will still remain under the trainer's ownership, but be unable to be returned / let out of the Poké Ball until the damage is repaired.

If a Poké Ball attempts to catch a Pokémon already caught by another Poké Ball, it will open and cause a red glow to appear around the Pokémon, but it will break off and the Poké Ball will return to the trainer who threw it. In some cases where a Pokémon doesn't want to be caught, it can deflect or catch the Poké Ball, preventing it from catching them.