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{{Featured|May 9, 2007}}
{{search|type of item|the item called Poké Ball|Poké Ball (item)}}
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[[File:Poké Balls GL.png|thumb|250px|27 Poké Ball variants found in the [[core series]]]]
[[File:Poké Ball sketch.png|thumb|250px|Original concept<!-- - 背面のボタンで開閉する open / close by the button on the back-->]]
A '''Poké Ball''' (Japanese: '''モンスターボール''' ''Monster Ball'') is a type of [[item]] that is critical to a {{pkmn|Trainer}}'s quest, used for {{pkmn2|caught|catching}} and storing {{OBP|Pokémon|species}}. 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 {{pkmn|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 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 Frontier]]s, the [[Pokémon Contest]]s, 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 [[Bag]]s of the protagonists of [[Johto]]-based games. {{ga|Ethan}}'s headgear is also similar to the top half of an Ultra Ball, and {{ga|Lucas}}'s Bag prominently features a Poké Ball.

==History==
{{main|History of Poké Balls}}
[[File:Legends Arceus Poké Ball.png|thumb|150px|left|A Poké Ball used by those who explored the Hisui region.]] 
The invention of Poké Balls occurred in the [[Johto]] region, where [[Apricorn]]s grow; these fruit were cut apart and carved out, then fitted with a special device, and used to catch wild Pokémon. Some Trainers still use Poké Balls made from Apricorns, while [[Kurt]], a resident of [[Azalea Town]], still constructs them. [[Pokémon Legends: Arceus]] shows that the first settlers of the [[Sinnoh]] region, back when it was known as the [[Hisui]] region, used pre-modern Poké Balls made of [[Tumblestone]] and Apricorns, with [[Professor Laventon]] claiming they were a more recent invention. According to [[Professor Elm]], before the invention of the Poké Ball, people would [[Walking Pokémon|walk with their Pokémon]].

In the games, in the [[Memory Link]] event {{DL|Memory Link|A New Light}}, [[Drayden]] claims that Poké Balls did not exist during his childhood. According to the [[Encyclopedia Pokemonica]], [[Pocket Monsters Encyclopedia]], 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]].

Modern Poké Balls are not normally made from Apricorns, with the exception of specialist Poké Balls such as the [[Moon Ball]]. Modern Poké Balls are manufactured by [[Silph Co.]], the [[Devon Corporation]], and the Kalos [[Poké Ball Factory]].

In the anime, in ''[[EP095|A Shipful of Shivers]]'', modern Poké Balls are found in the [[ghost ship]], implying that modern Poké Balls were first made at least 300 years ago. 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 {{p|Primeape}} and its notoriously violent nature was directly responsible for their creation.

In the anime, prior to the invention of Poké Balls, Pokémon were referred to as magical creatures (Japanese: {{tt|魔獣|まじゅう}} ''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.
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==Mechanics and design==
[[File:Anime Poke Ball Mechanics.jpg|thumb|220px|A schematic displaying Poké Ball size, storage, and mechanics<!-- - モンスターボール monster ball ○ゆ yu (someone's signature?) ○改 revised ①普段ピンポン玉位 usually about ping-pong ball ②まん中のボタンをプチッと押す push the button on the center like puchi(onomatopoeia) ③ソフトボール位になる become about softball (2K中2位) about 2-koma-naka-2 (show each picture 2 frames, 2 inbetweens) ④投げる throw ○赤 red ○白 white 開く open Hi色トレス Hi(highlight)-color trace くぼんでる have a dent ミラーっぽいかんじでカゲ入れて下さい please apply shades like a mirror 赤い方 the red part モンスターボール サトシは常に6コベルトに装着 monster ball: Satoshi always attatchs 6 of them on his belt ボールなんとなくくっついてる balls sticks in some vague way-->]]
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, cause the Pokémon to shrink, store it inside, and close. A Pokémon in this state is given a chance to struggle to attempt to break free from the ball and escape, being instantly growing back in size. 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 {{pkmn2|caught}}. [[Pokémon Legends: Arceus]] elaborates a bit on how the Pokémon are contained in a Poké Ball, with [[Professor Laventon]] explaining that Pokémon have the ability to reduce their size to miniscule, and Poké Balls take advantage of this to contain them.

Poké Balls are specifically constructed for Pokémon capture, transport, and training. As well as being physically difficult to escape from (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.

[[File:Poke Ball Interior.png|thumb|left|220px|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 {{wp|Baseball (object)|baseball}}, to a smaller size, about that of a {{wp|Table tennis#The ball|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. When a Trainer [[Dynamax|Dynamaxes]] or [[Gigantamax|Gigantamaxes]] a Pokémon, the Poké Ball expands to the size of an {{wp|Ball (association football)|association football}}.

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 ''[[AG065|Gulpin it Down!]]'' and ''[[AG104|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 [[Pokémopolis#Pokémopolis artifacts|Dark Device]] and the [[Pokémopolis#Pokémopolis artifacts|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.

[[File:Paul Chimchar release.png|thumb|220px|[[Paul]] releasing {{TP|Paul|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.

[[Released Pokémon|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 ''[[DP073|Crossing Paths]]''. If a Trainer has done so accidentally, it must somehow be fixed before the Pokémon can be recalled. This was seen in ''[[EP107|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 {{adv|Red}}'s battle against {{adv|Giovanni}}, where the opening mechanism for the Poké Balls of Red's [[Saur|Venusaur]] and [[Gyara]]dos were damaged, preventing either of them from being used in the match.

[[File:Iris Dragonite inside Poké Ball.png|thumb|left|250px|[[Iris's Dragonite]] inside a Poké Ball in the anime]]
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]], who tend to do so in every episode that they appear in. In ''[[EP031|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.

Pokémon can even make their Poké Ball jump and roll around at high speeds, while also being able to navigate, as seen in [[Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!]], when the {{ga|partner Pokémon}} moves its Poké Ball onto an empty pedestal in [[Professor Oak's Laboratory]] after being caught in [[Pallet Town]].

[[File:Ash Pikachu failed catch.png|thumb|220px|A Poké Ball failing to catch an already owned Pokémon]]
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 ''[[DP002|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 ''[[EP073|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 ''[[EP011|Charmander – The Stray Pokémon]]'', Ash was able to catch his {{AP|Charmander}} in a Poké Ball despite his previous ownership by [[Damian|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 ''[[M07|Destiny Deoxys]]'', as when the electricity of the city is down, {{OBP|Rebecca|M07}} claims that the "Poké Ball Management System" was no longer working without power. A similar mechanism is suggested to exist in the games, with the Paradise Protection Protocol issuing a lock signal that disables the use of any Poké Balls that do not have a specific ID.

Poké Balls are able to be decorated to no ill effect, with several Poké Balls that have been painted with special colors being seen in the anime. Additionally, a [[Ball Capsule]] can be used in combination with [[Seal]]s to create special effects when the Pokémon is sent out.
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==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 <sc>Pokémon</sc>!".
* In the Generation I games and {{game|FireRed and LeafGreen|s}}, the {{OBP|ghost|Pokémon Tower}}s in [[Lavender Town]]'s [[Pokémon Tower]] dodge any ball thrown at them before being unmasked by the [[Silph Scope]]. The [[Marowak (ghost)|Marowak ghost]] will dodge all Poké Balls even if it is unmasked.
* In {{g|Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!}}, and in {{g|Legends: Arceus}} outside of battle, Poké Balls are thrown manually, and the player must aim properly to hit the Pokémon. Some Poké Balls, namely the {{hi|Heavy Ball}} and [[Feather Ball]] lines, have noticeably different throwing distances and trajectories compared to the standard variations.

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 [[Pokémon Storage System|Box]] are full, the player cannot throw a Poké Ball.
* In the [[core series]] games, in {{pkmn2|wild}} battles the player cannot throw a Poké Ball if there are multiple opponents—such as in wild [[Double Battle]]s, [[Horde Encounter]]s, or [[SOS Battle]]s—with the game claiming that it's impossible to aim.
** This is not the case in {{g|Legends: Arceus}}.
** In {{g|Colosseum}} and {{g|XD: Gale of Darkness}}, it is possible to snag a [[Shadow Pokémon]] even if there are two on the opposing side of the field.
* From {{game|Diamond and Pearl|s}} onward, it is not possible to throw a Poké Ball if the opposing Pokémon is in the [[semi-invulnerable turn]] of a move (such as {{m|Fly}} or {{m|Dig}}).
* Starting in [[Generation V]], in [[Double Battle|Double]] and [[Triple Battle]]s, 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 {{2v2|Black|White|2}}, [[Ghetsis]] uses his cane to control a wild {{p|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 {{pkmn|Sun and Moon|Sun, Moon}}, {{pkmn|Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon|Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon}}, the player is forbidden from throwing Poké Balls at wild Pokémon in a [[Island challenge|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 {{p|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 {{p|Necrozma}} that has {{form|Necrozma|fused}} with a {{p|Solgaleo}} or {{p|Lunala}}.
* In {{g|Sword and Shield}}, the player cannot catch a Pokémon whose level is above the limit the player's current [[Badge]]s can allow. Such Pokémon is described as "very strong-looking".
* In [[The Crown Tundra]] expansion, the player cannot catch {{p|Spectrier}} or {{p|Glastrier}} during the encounter with it in the village because "It won't let its guard down!"
* In {{g|Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl}}, the player cannot catch the {{form|Giratina|Origin Forme}} {{p|Giratina}} encountered inside the Distortion Room in [[Ramanas Park]].
* In {{g|Legends: Arceus}}, the player cannot catch certain Pokémon, including [[noble Pokémon]] and {{p|Arceus}}.
* In {{g|Scarlet and Violet}}, the player cannot throw a Poké Ball at a [[Terastal phenomenon|Tera Pokémon]] until it is sufficiently weakened, breaking through its transformation.

===Capture chances===
{{main|Catch rate}}

==Types of Poké Balls==
In the Pokémon games so far, there have been 34 (38 if the Hisuian Poké Ball, Great Ball, Ultra Ball, and Heavy Ball) are counted as individual varieties) different varieties of Poké Balls, all differing from each other in some way, whether it be an increased ability to catch a Pokémon from the wild or an effect which occurs only after the Pokémon has been caught. From Generation III onward, each variety of Poké Ball has a unique animation when it sends out a Pokémon (and also when it catches one prior to Generation VI), and the type of Poké Ball used to catch the Pokémon is preserved on its [[summary]] screen.

Prior to Generation VI, all hatched Pokémon are in a standard Poké Ball. In [[Generation VI]], a [[Pokémon breeding|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 standard Poké Ball; Pokémon bred from a male or gender-unknown Pokémon and {{p|Ditto}} will hatch in a standard Poké Ball. Since [[Generation VII]], Pokémon bred from a male and a Ditto 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 mother's or father's ball.

Regardless of type of Poké Ball, {{m|Fling}} will fail if the user is holding one.

Starting in [[Generation III]], each type of Poké Ball has an [[index number]] associated with it that is stored in the [[Pokémon data substructures (Generation_III)#Origins|data structure]] of the Pokémon when {{pkmn2|caught}} or otherwise obtained a given type of ball. [[Generation I]] and [[Generation II|II]] did not store this data, resulting in any Pokémon [[transfer]]red from [[Virtual Console]] via [[Poké Transporter]] being placed into standard Poké Balls. Pokémon caught in [[Park Ball]]s within [[Pal Park]] will retain their original Poké Ball and index number from Generation III. Pokémon originating from {{g|Legends: Arceus}} which are then transferred into another game, (vice versa for those caught outside Legends: Arceus and then transferred in), will be displayed in [[Strange Ball]]s while visiting a game where the Pokémon's ball is not programmed into the game, but will still retain its original index number. Pokémon originating from Legends: Arceus visiting {{g|Sword and Shield}} will temporarily have their ball converted into a standard Poké Ball, with their original ball data being stored in [[Pokemon HOME]]'s server.

{| class="roundtable sortable" style="background: #{{Poké Balls color light}}; border:3px solid #{{Poké Balls color dark}}"
! class="unsortable" | 
! Name
! Debut<br>Gen.
! [[Index number|Index]]<br>#
! class="unsortable" | {{wp|Hexadecimal|Hex}}
! class="unsortable" | Catch rate modifier
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|{{bag/s|Poké Ball|SV|Poké Ball (item)}}
|{{i|Poké Ball}}
| style="background: #{{Gen I color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen I color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=1 | '''I'''
| style="text-align: center" | 4
| style="text-align: center" | 04
| 1×
| Must be in the player's [[Bag]] with an empty space in the [[party]] to obtain a {{p|Shedinja}} when {{p|Nincada}} [[Evolution|evolves]] from [[Generation IV]] onwards.
|-
|{{bag/s|Great Ball|SV}}
|[[Great Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen I color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen I color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=1 | '''I'''
| style="text-align: center" | 3
| style="text-align: center" | 03
| 1.5×
|
|-
|{{bag/s|Ultra Ball|SV}}
|[[Ultra Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen I color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen I color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=1 | '''I'''
| style="text-align: center" | 2
| style="text-align: center" | 02
| 2×
|
|-
|{{bag/s|Master Ball|SV}}
|[[Master Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen I color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen I color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=1 | '''I'''
| style="text-align: center" | 1
| style="text-align: center" | 01
| 255× (guaranteed capture)
| The only Poké Ball other than the Beast Ball that does not have a 0.1× catch modifier when used on an Ultra Beast.
|-
|{{bag/s|Safari Ball|SV}}
|[[Safari Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen I color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen I color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=1 | '''I'''
| style="text-align: center" | 5
| style="text-align: center" | 05
| {{tt|1×|1.5× prior to Generation VIII; 1.8× in BDSP}}
| Prior to [[Generation VIII]], it could not be obtained in normal gameplay, and was only usable within [[Safari Zone]]s.
|-
|{{bag/s|Fast Ball|SV}}
|[[Fast Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen II color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen II color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=2 | '''II'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=17 | 17
| style="text-align: center" | 11
| 4× if used on a Pokémon with a base {{stat|Speed}} {{cat|Pokémon whose base Speed stat is greater than 100|of at least 100}}<br>1× otherwise
| In [[Generation II]], it was intended to have a 4× catch modifier for Pokémon that can [[Escape#Wild Pokémon|flee]], but it only does for three of them: {{p|Magnemite}}, {{p|Grimer}} and {{p|Tangela}}.
|-
|{{bag/s|Level Ball|SV}}
|[[Level Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen II color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen II color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=2 | '''II'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=18 | 18
| style="text-align: center" | 12
| 1× if the player's Pokémon is the same level as or a lower level than the wild Pokémon<br>2× if the player's Pokémon is at a higher level than the wild Pokémon but less than double it<br>4× if the player's Pokémon is more than double but less than four times the level of the wild Pokémon<br>8× if the player's Pokémon is of a level four times or more than that of the wild Pokémon
| 
|-
|{{bag/s|Lure Ball|SV}}
|[[Lure Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen II color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen II color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=2 | '''II'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=19 | 19
| style="text-align: center" | 13
| 4× if used on a Pokémon encountered while [[fishing]]<br>1× otherwise
| 
|-
|{{bag/s|Heavy Ball|SV}}
|[[Heavy Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen II color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen II color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=2 | '''II'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=20 | 20
| style="text-align: center" | 14
| -20 if used on a Pokémon weighing [[List of Pokémon by weight#218.3 lbs. to 220.2 lbs. (99.0 kg to 99.9 kg)|220.2&nbsp;lbs. (99.9&nbsp;kg)]] or less<br>±0 if used on a Pokémon weighing [[List of Pokémon by weight#220.5 lbs. to 225.5 lbs. (100.0 kg to 102.3 kg)|220.5&nbsp;lbs. (100.0&nbsp;kg)]] – [[List of Pokémon by weight#330.7 lbs. to 440.7 lbs. (150.0 kg to 199.9 kg)|440.7&nbsp;lbs. (199.9&nbsp;kg)]]<br>+20 if used on a Pokémon weighing [[List of Pokémon by weight#440.9 lbs. to 451.3 lbs. (200.0 kg to 204.7 kg)|440.9&nbsp;lbs. (200.0&nbsp;kg)]] – [[List of Pokémon by weight#617.3 lbs. to 661.2 lbs. (280.0 kg to 299.9 kg)|661.2&nbsp;lbs. (299.9&nbsp;kg)]]<br>+30 if used on a Pokémon weighing [[List of Pokémon by weight#661.4 lbs. to 677.0 lbs. (300.0 kg to 307.1 kg)|661.4&nbsp;lbs. (300.0&nbsp;kg)]] or more
| In {{g|Sun and Moon}} only, a Heavy Ball will always fail to catch a Pokémon whose weight is less than 220.46&nbsp;lbs (100.0&nbsp;kg) and whose catch rate is less than or equal to 20. This is because the game will set the catch rate to 0 when the catch rate becomes negative due to the -20 modifier that is applied.
|-
|{{bag/s|Love Ball|SV}}
|[[Love Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen II color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen II color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=2 | '''II'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=21 | 21
| style="text-align: center" | 15
| 8× if used on a Pokémon of the same species but opposite gender of the player's Pokémon<br>1× otherwise
| In [[Generation II]], it has an 8× catch modifier if both Pokémon are the same species ''and'' gender.
|-
|{{bag/s|Friend Ball|SV}}
|[[Friend Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen II color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen II color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=2 | '''II'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=22 | 22
| style="text-align: center" | 16
| 1×
| Sets caught Pokémon's [[friendship]] to 200<sup>[[Generation II|Gen II]]-[[Generation VII|VII]]</sup>, or 150<sup>[[Generation VIII|Gen VIII]]</sup>
|-
|{{bag/s|Moon Ball|SV}}
|[[Moon Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen II color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen II color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=2 | '''II'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=23 | 23
| style="text-align: center" | 17
| 4× if used on a Pokémon that belongs to an evolutionary family which includes a Pokémon that evolves by using a [[Moon Stone]]<br>1× otherwise
| In [[Generation II]], it always has a 1× catch modifier due to a [[List of glitches (Generation II)#Catch rate|programming error]].
|-
|{{bag/s|Sport Ball|SV}}
|[[Sport Ball]]{{tt|*|Park Ball in Generation II}}
| style="background: #{{Gen II color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen I color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=2 | '''II'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=24 | 24
| style="text-align: center" | 18
| {{tt|1×|1.5× prior to Generation VIII}}
| Prior to [[Generation VIII]], it could not be obtained in normal gameplay, and was only usable during the [[Bug-Catching Contest]].
|-
|{{bag/s|Net Ball|SV}}
|[[Net Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen III color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen III color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=3 | '''III'''
| style="text-align: center" | 6
| style="text-align: center" | 06
| 3.5× if used on a {{t|Water}} or {{type|Bug}} Pokémon<br>1× otherwise
| 
|-
|{{bag/s|Dive Ball|SV}}
|[[Dive Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen III color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen III color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=3 | '''III'''
| style="text-align: center" | 7
| style="text-align: center" | 07
| 3.5× if used on a water-dwelling Pokémon<br>1× otherwise
|
|-
|{{bag/s|Nest Ball|SV}}
|[[Nest Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen III color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen III color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=3 | '''III'''
| style="text-align: center" | 8
| style="text-align: center" | 08
| ((41 - Pokémon's level) ÷ 10)× if Pokémon's level is between 1 and 29<br>1× otherwise
| 
|-
|{{bag/s|Repeat Ball|SV}}
|[[Repeat Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen III color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen III color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=3 | '''III'''
| style="text-align: center" | 9
| style="text-align: center" | 09
| 3.5× if used on a Pokémon that is registered in the player's [[Pokédex]] as caught<br>1× otherwise
| 
|-
|{{bag/s|Timer Ball|SV}}
|[[Timer Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen III color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen III color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=3 | '''III'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=10 | 10
| style="text-align: center" | 0A
| (1 + number of turns passed in battle * {{tt|1229/4096|approx. 0.3}})×, maximum 4× at 10 turns
| 
|-
|{{bag/s|Luxury Ball|SV}}
|[[Luxury Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen III color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen III color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=3 | '''III'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=11 | 11
| style="text-align: center" | 0B
| 1×
| Doubles the rate at which the contained Pokémon's [[friendship]] increases.
|-
|{{bag/s|Premier Ball|SV}}
|[[Premier Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen III color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen III color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=3 | '''III'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=12 | 12
| style="text-align: center" | 0C
| 1×
|
|-
|{{bag/s|Dusk Ball|SV}}
|[[Dusk Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen IV color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen III color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=4 | '''IV'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=13 | 13
| style="text-align: center" | 0D
| 3× if used in a cave or at night<br>1× otherwise
|
|-
|{{bag/s|Heal Ball|SV}}
|[[Heal Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen IV color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen IV color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=4 | '''IV'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=14 | 14
| style="text-align: center" | 0E
| 1×
| Fully restores a caught Pokémon's {{stat|HP}} and [[PP]] and removes their [[status condition]]s.
|-
|{{bag/s|Quick Ball|SV}}
|[[Quick Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen IV color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen IV color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=4 | '''IV'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=15 | 15
| style="text-align: center" | 0F
| 5× if used on the first turn of a battle<br>1× otherwise
| 
|-
|{{bag/s|Cherish Ball|SV}}
|[[Cherish Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen IV color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen IV color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=4 | '''IV'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=16 | 16
| style="text-align: center" | 10
| 1×
| Unobtainable by the player, but used for various [[event Pokémon]].
|-
|{{bag/s|Park Ball|SV}}
|[[Park Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen IV color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen IV color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=4 | '''IV'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=27 | {{tt|27|Prior to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the Park Ball occupied this index value. This index value was reallocated to the Strange Ball, games released from BDSP onwards have no programmed index number for the Park Ball.}}
| style="text-align: center" | 1B
| 255× (guaranteed capture if used in [[Pal Park]])<br>{{tt|1× otherwise|If used outside of Pal Park, the game will behave as if the player had thrown a standard Poké Ball instead.}}
| Unobtainable by the player, but used in [[Pal Park]].
|-
|{{bag/s|Dream Ball|SV}}
|[[Dream Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen V color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen V color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=5 | '''V'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=25 | 25
| style="text-align: center" | 19
| 4× if used on a {{status|sleep}}ing Pokémon<br>1× otherwise
| Used only in [[Entralink|Entree Forest]] prior to [[Generation VIII]].<br>Catch rate modifier 255× (guaranteed capture) in [[Generation V]].
|-
|{{bag/s|Beast Ball|SV}}
|[[Beast Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen VII color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen VII color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=6 | '''VII'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=26 | 26
| style="text-align: center" | 1A
| 5× if used on an [[Ultra Beast]]<br>0.1× otherwise
| If any other Poké Ball (except the Master Ball) is used on an Ultra Beast, it has a 0.1× catch modifier.
|-
|{{Bag/s|Strange Ball|SV}}
|[[Strange Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen VIII color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen VIII color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=7 | '''VIII'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=27 | {{tt|27|Starting in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the Strange Ball was assigned this index number, replacing the Park Ball. From BDSP onwards, the Park Ball has no programmed index number, with the Strange Ball occupying its previous value.}}
| style="text-align: center" | 1B
| {{tt|0.75×|Defaults to Poké Ball (Hisui) catchrate in Legends: Arceus if obtained via cheating; has no catchrate in BDSP due to a lack of item data.}}
| Unobtainable by the player. Pokémon in [[Pokémon Legends: Arceus]] that were transferred from other games via [[Pokémon HOME]], as well as Pokémon from Legends: Arceus in [[Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl]] will be displayed in this ball.
|-
|{{Bag/s|Poké Ball|LA|Poké Ball (Hisui)}}
|[[Poké Ball (Hisui)]]
| style="background: #{{Gen VIII color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen VIII color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=8 | '''VIII'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=28 | 28
| style="text-align: center" | 1C
| 0.75×
| 
|-
|{{Bag/s|Great Ball|LA|Great Ball (Hisui)}}
|[[Great Ball (Hisui)]]
| style="background: #{{Gen VIII color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen VIII color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=8 | '''VIII'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=29 | 29
| style="text-align: center" | 1D
| 1.5×
| 
|-
|{{Bag/s|Ultra Ball|LA|Ultra Ball (Hisui)}}
|[[Ultra Ball (Hisui)]]
| style="background: #{{Gen VIII color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen VIII color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=8 | '''VIII'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=30 | 30
| style="text-align: center" | 1E
| 2.25×
| 
|-
|{{Bag/s|Feather Ball|LA}}
|[[Feather Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen VIII color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen VIII color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=8 | '''VIII'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=31 | 31
| style="text-align: center" | 1F
| 1×<br>1.25× when boosted
| Can be thrown further than a regular Poké Ball. Is more effective for catching Pokémon {{tt|that fly high in the air|This only applies to specific flying encounters that fly well above the terrain.}}.
|-
|{{Bag/s|Wing Ball|LA}}
|[[Wing Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen VIII color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen VIII color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=8 | '''VIII'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=32 | 32
| style="text-align: center" | 20
| 1.5×<br>1.75× when boosted
| Can be thrown further than a Feather Ball. Is more effective for catching Pokémon {{tt|that fly high in the air|This only applies to specific flying encounters that fly well above the terrain.}}.
|-
|{{Bag/s|Jet Ball|LA}}
|[[Jet Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen VIII color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen VIII color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=8 | '''VIII'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=33 | 33
| style="text-align: center" | 21
| 2×<br>2.75× when boosted
| Can be thrown further than a Wing Ball. Is more effective for catching Pokémon {{tt|that fly high in the air|This only applies to specific flying encounters that fly well above the terrain.}}.
|-
|{{Bag/s|Heavy Ball|LA|Heavy Ball (Hisui)}}
|[[Heavy Ball (Hisui)]]
| style="background: #{{Gen VIII color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen VIII color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=8 | '''VIII'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=34 | 34
| style="text-align: center" | 22
| 1×<br>1.25× when boosted
| Doesn't fly far, but is more effective if the Pokémon {{tt|hasn't noticed the player|This bonus is always active during battle, regardless of whether the player was noticed prior to starting the battle. Therefore, the boosted catch rate will always apply in battle.}}.
|-
|{{Bag/s|Leaden Ball|LA}}
|[[Leaden Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen VIII color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen VIII color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=8 | '''VIII'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=35 | 35
| style="text-align: center" | 23
| 1.75×<br>2× when boosted
| Upgraded version of the Heavy Ball. Doesn't fly far, but is more effective if the Pokémon {{tt|hasn't noticed the player|This bonus is always active during battle, regardless of whether the player was noticed prior to starting the battle. Therefore, the boosted catch rate will always apply in battle.}}.
|-
|{{Bag/s|Gigaton Ball|LA}}
|[[Gigaton Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen VIII color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen VIII color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=8 | '''VIII'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=36 | 36
| style="text-align: center" | 24
| 2.5×<br>2.75× when boosted
| Upgraded version of the Leaden Ball. Doesn't fly far, but is more effective if the Pokémon {{tt|hasn't noticed the player|This bonus is always active during battle, regardless of whether the player was noticed prior to starting the battle. Therefore, the boosted catch rate will always apply in battle.}}.
|-
|{{Bag/s|Origin Ball|LA}}
|[[Origin Ball]]
| style="background: #{{Gen VIII color light}}; border: 1px solid #{{Gen VIII color dark}}; text-align: center" data-sort-value=8 | '''VIII'''
| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value=37 | 37
| style="text-align: center" | 25
| {{tt|N/A|Has no programmed catch rate, as it cannot be thrown outside of battle nor selected during battle, even if moved from Key Items to the player's normal inventory via cheating.}}
| Automatically catches {{form|Dialga and Palkia|Origin Forme}} {{p|Dialga}} or {{p|Palkia}} at the end of the main story in [[Pokémon Legends: Arceus]].
|- class="unsortable"
! colspan="7" style="background:#{{Poké Balls color light}}; {{roundybottom|8px}}" | <small>All details are accurate to {{color2|000|Generation VIII}} games. For details that have changed between generations, please see an individual item's page.</small>
|}

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

:''See more: [[Caught Pokémon#Pokémon GO|Caught Pokémon → Pokémon GO]]

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

:''See more: [[Catch rate (GO)]]

Three types of Poké Balls were available in Pokémon GO upon release: regular Poké Balls, Great Balls, and Ultra Balls. These remain the only types of Poké Balls that are generally available. They can be repeatably obtained by:
* Spinning [[PokéStop]]s or {{OBP|Gym|GO}}s (Lv. 12+ for Great Balls and Lv. 20+ for Ultra Balls)
* Opening a [[Gift]] (Lv. 12+ for Great Balls and Lv. 20+ for Ultra Balls)
* Completing certain [[Field Research]] or [[Special Research]] tasks
* Weekly [[Adventure Sync]] rewards

The player also receives Poké Balls upon [[Trainer level|leveling up]].
* Poké Balls awarded up to level 11 (including 50 Poké Balls starting at level 1)
* Great Balls awarded from level 12 to level 19
* Ultra Balls awarded starting level 20

Regular Poké Balls may be purchased in the Shop at the following rates:
* 20 for {{PCoin}}100
* 100 for {{PCoin}}460
* 200 for {{PCoin}}800

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

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

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

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

====Description====
{| class="roundy" style="background:#{{night color}}; border:3px solid #{{blue color light}}"
|- style="color:#fff"
! style="background:#{{blue color light}}; {{roundytl|5px}}" | Image
! style="background:#{{blue color light}}" | English name
! style="background:#{{blue color light}}" | Japanese name
! style="background:#{{blue color light}}; {{roundytr|5px}}" | Description
|- style="background:#fff"
| [[File:GO Poké Ball.png|40px]]
| {{i|Poké Ball}}
| モンスターボール<br>''Monster Ball''
| A device for catching wild Pokémon. It's thrown like a ball, comfortably encapsulating its target.
|- style="background:#fff"
| [[File:GO Great Ball.png|40px]]
| [[Great Ball]]
| スーパーボール<br>''Super Ball''
| A high-performance Ball with a higher catch rate than a standard Poké Ball.
|- style="background:#fff"
| [[File:GO Ultra Ball.png|40px]]
| [[Ultra Ball]]
| ハイパーボール<br>''Hyper Ball''
| An ultra-performance Ball with a higher catch rate than a Great Ball.
|- style="background:#fff"
| style="{{roundybl|5px}}" | [[File:GO Master Ball.png|40px]]
| [[Master Ball]]
| マスターボール<br>''Master Ball''
| style="{{roundybr|5px}}" | The best Poké Ball with the ultimate level of performance. With it, you will catch any wild Pokémon without fail.
|- style="background:#fff"
| [[File:GO Premier Ball.png|40px]]
| [[Premier Ball]]
| プレミアボール<br>''Premier Ball''
| A somewhat rare Poké Ball made to commemorate a special occasion of some sort.
|- style="background:#fff"
| [[File:GO Beast Ball.png|40px]]
| [[Beast Ball]]
| ウルトラボール<br>''Ultra Ball''
| N/A
|}

===Pokémon Pinball series===
{{main|Ball Upgrade (Pinball)}}

In [[Pokémon Pinball]] and [[Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire]], the [[Poké Ball (item)|Poké Ball]], [[Great Ball]], [[Ultra Ball]], and [[Master Ball]] are available.

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

====Bonus points====
* The [[Poké Ball (item)|Poké Ball]] has no bonus multiplier.
* The [[Great Ball]] multiplies bonus points by ×2.
* The [[Ultra Ball]] multiplies bonus points by ×3.
* The [[Master Ball]] multiplies bonus points by ×4 in [[Pokémon Pinball]] and by ×5 in [[Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire]].

====Gallery====
=====Pokémon Pinball=====
{| style="margin:auto; text-align:center; {{roundy|10px}} border: 2px solid #{{Poké Balls color dark}}; background: #{{Poké Balls color}}"
| style="{{roundy|10px}} border: 2px solid #{{Poké Balls color dark}}; background: #{{Poké Balls color light}}; width:80px; height:20px" | [[File:Pinball Poké Ball.png]]
| style="{{roundy|10px}} border: 2px solid #{{Poké Balls color dark}}; background: #{{Poké Balls color light}}; width:80px; height:20px" | [[File:Pinball Great Ball.png]]
| style="{{roundy|10px}} border: 2px solid #{{Poké Balls color dark}}; background: #{{Poké Balls color light}}; width:80px; height:20px" | [[File:Pinball Ultra Ball.png]]
| style="{{roundy|10px}} border: 2px solid #{{Poké Balls color dark}}; background: #{{Poké Balls color light}}; width:80px; height:20px" | [[File:Pinball Master Ball.png]]
|- style="font-size:80%"
| {{color2|000|Poké Ball (item)|Poké Ball}}
| {{color2|000|Great Ball}}
| {{color2|000|Ultra Ball}}
| {{color2|000|Master Ball}}
|}

=====Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire=====
{| style="margin:auto; text-align:center; {{roundy|10px}} border: 2px solid #{{Poké Balls color dark}}; background: #{{Poké Balls color}}"
| style="{{roundy|10px}} border: 2px solid #{{Poké Balls color dark}}; background: #{{Poké Balls color light}}; width:80px; height:20px" | [[File:Pinball RS Poké Ball.png]]
| style="{{roundy|10px}} border: 2px solid #{{Poké Balls color dark}}; background: #{{Poké Balls color light}}; width:80px; height:20px" | [[File:Pinball RS Great Ball.png]]
| style="{{roundy|10px}} border: 2px solid #{{Poké Balls color dark}}; background: #{{Poké Balls color light}}; width:80px; height:20px" | [[File:Pinball RS Ultra Ball.png]]
| style="{{roundy|10px}} border: 2px solid #{{Poké Balls color dark}}; background: #{{Poké Balls color light}}; width:80px; height:20px" | [[File:Pinball RS Master Ball.png]]
|- style="font-size:80%"
| {{color2|000|Poké Ball (item)|Poké Ball}}
| {{color2|000|Great Ball}}
| {{color2|000|Ultra Ball}}
| {{color2|000|Master Ball}}
|}

==In the anime==
===Main series===
[[File:Ashball.png|thumb|250px|{{Ash}} pulling out a Poké Ball, preparing to catch a Pokémon]]
In the {{pkmn|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 [[walking Pokémon|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 ''[[EP001|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 ''[[Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon]]'', 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 {{AP|Tauros}}. They appeared in Safari Balls in ''[[EP065|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.

[[File:Poké Ball success.png|thumb|left|250px|A Poké Ball after catching a Pokémon in ''[[Pokémon Horizons: The Series]]'']]
The [[GS Ball]] was the second of the variant Poké Balls to [[EP083|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. {{p|Celebi}} was long rumored to be related to the ball, something which the [[Pokémon Adventures]] and game canons verify, while [[Masamitsu Hidaka|a director of the anime]] confirmed that, had it not been insisted that {{OBP|Celebi|M04}} appear in a central role in [[M04|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 ''[[EP143|Going Apricorn!]]'', with {{an|Brock}} using his to catch a {{TP|Brock|Pineco}} shortly after receiving it. Many other Apricorn Poké Balls also appeared in a fantasy in this episode. In the [[EP144|next episode]], Brock received a Heavy Ball, while Ash and {{an|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 {{AP|Totodile}} and {{TP|Misty|Corsola}}, respectively. Another Heavy Ball appeared in ''[[AG065|Gulpin It Down]]'', where it was used to capture a {{pkmn2|giant}} {{p|Gulpin}}, though this was not the one belonging to Brock. In ''[[EP183|Trouble's Brewing]]'', the {{DL|Kimono Girl|In the anime|Kimono Sisters}} (excluding [[Sakura]]) were shown keeping their [[Eeveelution]]s inside Apricorn Poké Balls, with Satsuki's {{p|Jolteon}}'s ball being a Moon Ball, Sumomo's {{p|Vaporeon}}'s ball being a Lure Ball, and Tamao's {{p|Umbreon}}'s ball being a Fast Ball. While Koume's {{p|Flareon}}'s ball wasn't shown, her kimono pattern indicates it being a Love Ball.
[[File:Ash Poké Ball.png|thumb|250px|Ash calling out a Pokémon]]
The Master Ball itself has only appeared once as an actual Poké Ball, in ''[[AG075|Whiscash and Ash]]'', where it was used by [[Sullivan]] in a last resort attempt to catch a wild {{p|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 ''[[EP018|Beauty and the Beach]]'' and ''[[EP167|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 ''[[M06|Jirachi: Wish Maker]]''. These balls contained {{ga|Brendan}}'s {{p|Shiftry}} and {{p|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 ''[[XY079|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 ones were 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). {{TRT}} tried to steal many of these Poké Balls, but were foiled by Ash and his friends.

[[File:Dawn Poké Ball.png|thumb|left|250px|{{an|Dawn}}'s Poké Balls with Ball Capsules and Seals]]
It was revealed in ''[[SM004|First Catch in Alola, Ketchum-Style!]]'' that James had been collecting Poké Balls. When Jessie's attempts to catch a {{TP|Jessie|Mimikyu}} with typical Poké Balls had failed, she grabbed the Luxury Ball James had been polishing and used it instead, capturing Mimikyu, much to James's dismay. The rest of James's collection appeared in ''[[SM062|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. The collection reappeared in ''[[JN026|Splash, Dash, and Smash for the Crown!]]'', where it now consisted of a Premier, Dive, Nest, Quick, Heal, and Dusk Ball.

{{an|Gladion}} keeps all of his known Pokémon in special Poké Balls. His {{TP|Gladion|Lycanroc}} is kept in an Ultra Ball (as first seen in ''[[SM027|A Glaring Rivalry!]]''), his {{TP|Gladion|Silvally}} is kept in a Premier Ball (as first seen in ''[[SM037|Rising from the Ruins!]]''), his {{TP|Gladion|Umbreon}} is kept in a Heal Ball (as first seen in ''[[SM053|Rescuing the Unwilling!]]''), his {{TP|Gladion|Zoroark}} is kept in a Dusk Ball (as first seen in the [[Poké Problem]] extra scene of [[SM127]]), and his {{DL|Ultra Beasts (anime)|Lillie|Nihilego}} is kept in a Beast Ball (as first seen in ''[[JN111|The Homecoming Crown!]]'').

[[File:James Poké Ball collection.png|thumb|250px|James's Poké Ball collection]]
Beast Balls debuted in ''[[SM061|A Mission of Ultra Urgency!]]'', in which the [[Aether Foundation]] provided multiple of them for Ash and {{ashcl}} to use during their missions as [[Ultra Guardians]]. Since then, Beast Balls have appeared in {{cat|Ultra Guardians episodes|a number of episodes}}. Most of the time they are only used to temporarily hold {{an|Ultra Beasts}} until they are released back into [[Ultra Space]]. The only Ultra Beasts that have been kept in a Beast Ball for longer than one episode are [[Ash's Naganadel]] and Gladion's {{p|Nihilego}}.

In ''[[JN045|Sword and Shield... The Legends Awaken!]]'', {{an|Leon}} used an Ultra Ball in an attempt to catch {{TP|Goh|Eternatus}}, only for Eternatus to break out.
[[File:Sealed Poké Ball anime.png|thumb|250px|left|A sealed Poké 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 Capsule]]s and [[Seal]]s 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 {{pkmn|Coordinator}}s during [[Pokémon Contest]]s 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 ''[[EP013|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 {{pkmn|Professor}}. ''[[BW018|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|History of Poké Balls}}

====Pokédex entries====
{{Animedexheader|Kanto|no}}
{{Animedexbody|EP001|Poké Ball|Ash's Pokédex|While being {{pkmn|training|trained}}, a Pokémon ''usually'' stays inside its Poké Ball. However, there are many exceptions. Some Pokémon hate being confined.}}
{{Animedexfooter/Pokémon|Kanto}}

===Pokémon Origins===
[[File:Poké Ball PO.png|thumb|250px|A Poké Ball in Pokémon Origins]]
Besides the regular Poké Ball, the other Generation I variations of it were also seen during the [[Pokémon Origins]] miniseries. In ''[[PO03|File 3: Giovanni]]'', it was shown that [[Giovanni]] kept his strongest Pokémon, {{p|Rhyhorn}} and {{p|Rhydon}}, within Ultra Balls. In ''[[PO04|File 4: Charizard]]'', {{OBP|Red|Origins}} was seen catching an {{p|Arbok}} with a Great Ball and a {{p|Chansey}} with a Safari Ball. He also used Ultra Balls to capture the [[Legendary Pokémon]] {{p|Articuno}}, {{p|Zapdos}}, {{p|Moltres}}, and {{p|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 {{game|FireRed and LeafGreen|s}}.
{{-}}

===Pokémon Generations===
[[File:Ultra Ball PG.png|thumb|250px|An Ultra Ball in [[Pokémon Generations]]]]
The only Poké Ball variant seen in [[Pokémon Generations]] was an Ultra Ball, which appeared in ''[[PG09|The Scoop]]''. It was shown being used by {{player|a Trainer}} to catch a {{p|Deoxys}} in outer space.
{{-}}

==In the manga==
[[File:Poké Ball EToP.png|thumb|200px|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.

===The Electric Tale of Pikachu===
In [[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 ''[[ET11|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.

===Magical Pokémon Journey===
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 {{Vol|Magical Pokémon Journey|2}}, in which the cast of the manga meet {{Ash}}, {{an|Misty}} and {{an|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.

===Pokémon Adventures===
[[File:Yellow Seadra Poké Ball.png|thumb|200px|{{adv|Yellow}}'s {{p|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 {{adv|Red}} recatches [[Gyara|Misty's Gyarados]] in ''[[PS006|Gyarados Splashes In!]]'' (though {{adv|Blue}} states that catching a Pokémon that belongs to another is not possible in ''[[PS050|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 ''[[PS026|Holy Moltres]]'', [[Team Rocket]] was shown to have caught the {{adv|Legendary birds}} in Ultra Balls. In ''[[PS035|And Mewtwo... Three!]]'', [[Blaine]] gave Red the [[Master Ball]], which Red used to catch {{adv|Mewtwo}} shortly afterwards. In ''[[PS101|Teddiursa's Picnic]]'', {{adv|Gold}} and {{adv|Silver}} received a Friend Ball and Heavy Ball, respectively, with Silver using his ball to catch an {{TP|Silver|Ursaring}}, while Gold used his to catch a {{p|Teddiursa}} for [[Maizie]]. Close to the end of the {{chap|Gold, Silver & Crystal}}, the [[Masked Man]] was shown creating a [[GS Ball]] and using it to catch {{adv|Celebi}}. In ''[[PS528|Innocent Scientist]]'', {{adv|Blake}} used Luxury Balls while trying to catch the {{p|Genesect}} controlled by [[Colress]], eventually succeeding. In ''[[PS583|Scizor Defends]]'', a Quick Ball was seen amongst the Poké Balls that {{adv|Y}} had used while trying to catch an {{p|Absol}}. Safari Balls have been seen being used by Red at the {{safari|Kanto|Kanto Safari Zone}}, by {{adv|Diamond}}, {{adv|Pearl}}, and {{adv|Platinum}} at the [[Great Marsh]], and by Silver at the {{safari|Johto|Johto Safari Zone}}. {{adv|Crystal}} and {{adv|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 Leader]]s use Great Balls, and [[Elite Four]] members use Ultra Balls.

In the {{chap|Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon}}, Beast Balls were created for the [[Aether Foundation]] by Colress as a means of catching [[Ultra Beast]]s.

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

===Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys===
Besides regular Poké Balls, Apricorn Poké Balls also received notable attention in the [[Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys]] manga. They were first featured in ''[[GB07|The Great Search! Let's Rescue The Slowpoke!]]'', where {{GnB|Gold}} and [[Kurt]] used some of Kurt's hand-made Poké Balls to save a group of {{p|Slowpoke}} from drowning in the flooding [[Slowpoke Well]]. Kurt's Level Ball also proved crucial in stopping the [[Black Tyranitar]]'s rampage during the manga's climax.

===Pokémon Gotta Catch 'Em All===
[[File:Poké Ball PM.png|thumb|200px|A Poké Ball in [[Pokémon Pocket Monsters]]]]
In [[Pokémon Gotta Catch 'Em All]], Poké Balls are depicted as solid, with no visual identification as to which Poké Ball is which. In ''[[GDZ15|Special Chapter - Get Pikachu!]]'', it is revealed that when [[Shu]] met {{TP|Shu|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.

===Pokémon Pocket Monsters===
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 ''[[PM003|Bring Down the Powerful Opponent Onix!!]]'', when {{TP|Red|Clefairy}} sees {{OBP|Red's Pikachu|Pocket Monsters|Pikachu}} inside his Poké Ball, and they talk to each other. In ''[[PM001|Introducing the Pokémon Clefairy!!]]'', when {{PPM|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.

<gallery>
Brock Pikachu PM.png|{{PPM|Red's Pikachu}} inside his Poké Ball, in his debut appearance
Green Charmander Poké Ball PPM.png|[[Green's Charmander]] being lifted from its Poké Ball
</gallery>

==In the TCG==
[[File:Rocket Sneak Attack artwork.png|thumb|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 {{TCG ID|Jungle|Poké Ball|64}} card, which was the first released, debuted in the {{TCG|Jungle}} expansion and has since been featured in many others. It features a TCG-centric mechanic, requiring a {{TCG|coin}} flip to search the deck for a {{TCG|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 {{TCG ID|Team Rocket|Rocket's Sneak Attack|16}}, from the {{TCG|Team Rocket}} expansion. The 'H' on this Ultra Ball is derived from its Japanese name, ''Hyper Ball''. The {{TCG ID|Dark Explorers|Ultra Ball|102}} itself would appear in {{TCG|Dark Explorers}}, with its effect requiring the player to discard 2 cards from the hand to search the deck for a Pokémon.
* The {{TCG ID|EX FireRed & LeafGreen|Great Ball|92}}, which first appeared in the {{TCG|EX FireRed & LeafGreen|TCG expansion}} coinciding with the {{game|FireRed and LeafGreen|s|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 {{TCG|Emerging Powers}}, {{TCG ID|Emerging Powers|Great Ball|93}}'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 {{TCG ID|Gym Challenge|Master Ball|116}}, first appearing in the {{TCG|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 {{TCG|Pokémon}} found in these seven can be put into the hand, while the rest must be shuffled back into the deck. In {{TCG|Plasma Blast}}, the {{TCG ID|Plasma Blast|Master Ball|94}} was changed to an [[Ace Spec]] that allowed the player to search the entire deck for any one Pokémon.
* Debuting in the {{TCG|Skyridge}} expansion, the {{TCG ID|Skyridge|Lure Ball|128}} is different from the basic Poké Balls in that it draws from the {{TCG|discard pile}} rather than the deck. For each heads flipped, with a maximum of three, an {{TCG|Evolution card}} can be returned from the discard pile and put into the hand. It has since been reprinted in {{TCG|Celestial Storm}}.
* Also debuting in Skyridge, the {{TCG ID|Skyridge|Friend Ball|126}}, another [[Apricorn]] Ball, has a unique effect entirely, allowing the user to search their deck for a Pokémon of the same {{TCG|type}} as one of the opponent's Pokémon, making it effective in decks that typically match up well against their own type. It was also reprinted in Celestial Storm.
* The {{TCG ID|Skyridge|Fast Ball|124}} 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, but unlike the others, it has not appeared since.
* The {{TCG ID|Great Encounters|Premier Ball|101}}, debuting in the {{TCG|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 {{TCG|Pokémon LV.X}} to put into their hand.
* The {{TCG ID|Stormfront|Luxury Ball|86}}, first found in the {{TCG|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-{{TCG|Pokémon LV.X|LV.X}} Pokémon to be searched from the deck, but only if another Luxury Ball card is not in the discard pile.
* The {{TCG ID|Mysterious Treasures|Quick Ball|114}} released in the {{TCG|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 {{TCG ID|Mysterious Treasures|Dusk Ball|110}}, 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 {{TCG ID|Next Destinies|Heavy Ball|88}}, first found in {{TCG|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 {{TCG ID|Next Destinies|Level Ball|89}}, also found in {{TCG|Next Destinies}}, allows them to do the same with a Pokémon that has 90 HP or less.
* The {{TCG ID|Primal Clash|Repeat Ball|136}}, found only in {{TCG|Primal Clash}}, allows the player to search their deck for a Pokémon with the same name as one of their Pokémon in play.
* The {{TCG ID|Sun & Moon|Nest Ball|123}}, first found in {{TCG|Sun & Moon}}, allows the player to search their deck for a Basic Pokémon and put it on their bench, whereas the {{TCG ID|Sun & Moon|Timer Ball|134}}, also found in {{TCG|Sun & Moon}}, allows them to search for Evolution Pokémon for the amount of heads from flipping two coins.
* The {{TCG ID|Lost Thunder|Net Ball|187}}, first found in {{TCG|Lost Thunder}}, allows the player to search their deck for a Basic {{e|Grass}} Pokémon or a {{e|Grass}} Energy card and put it into their hand.
* The {{TCG ID|Celestial Storm|Beast Ball|125}}, first found in {{TCG|Celestial Storm}}, allows the player to look at their Prize Cards, and swap an [[Ultra Beast]] found there with the Beast Ball card.
* The {{TCG ID|Unified Minds|Cherish Ball|191}}, first found in {{TCG|Unified Minds}}, allows the player to search their deck for any {{TCG|Pokémon-GX}} and put it into their hand.
* The {{TCG ID|Evolving Skies|Dream Ball|146}}, first found in {{TCG|Evolving Skies}}, allows the player to search their deck for a Pokémon and put it on their bench, but the card can only be played if the player took it as a face down Prize card.
* The {{TCG ID|Astral Radiance|Feather Ball|141}}, first found in {{TCG|Astral Radiance}}, allows the player to search their deck for a Pokémon with no Retreat Cost and put it into their hand.
* The {{TCG ID|Astral Radiance|Hisuian Heavy Ball|146}}, first found in Astral Radiance, allows the player to look at their Prize cards, and swap a Basic Pokémon found there with the Hisuian Heavy Ball card.

==In the Super Smash Bros. series==
[[File:Poké Ball SSBB.png|thumb|right|Render of a Poké Ball from [[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]]]
{{smashWiki|Poké Ball}}
In the {{sbw|Super Smash Bros. series}}, Poké Balls appear as items, which fighters can pick up and throw to release a random Pokémon. These Pokémon will typically attack the opponents of the player who summoned them, but may also have other effects. Starting in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U'', the Master Ball also appears as an item, which has the same effect as Poké Balls but can only summon {{pkmn2|Legendary}} or [[Mythical Pokémon]] (or {{p|Goldeen}}).

The Pokémon that can appear from Poké Balls differ between the games. The {{DL|Super Smash Bros.|Poké Ball Pokémon}} in [[Super Smash Bros.]] all come from [[Generation I]], the {{DL|Super Smash Bros. Melee|Poké Ball Pokémon}} in [[Super Smash Bros. Melee]] come from up to [[Generation II]], the {{DL|Super Smash Bros. Brawl|Poké Ball Pokémon}} in [[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]] come from up to [[Generation IV]], the {{DL|Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U|Poké Ball and Master Ball Pokémon|Poké Ball Pokémon}} in [[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U]] come from up to [[Generation VI]], and the {{DL|Super Smash Bros. Ultimate|Poké Ball and Master Ball Pokémon|Poké Ball Pokémon}} in [[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]] come from up to [[Generation VII]]. The only Pokémon that have appeared in all of the Super Smash Bros. games as Poké Ball Pokémon are {{p|Goldeen}}, {{p|Snorlax}}, and {{p|Mew}}.

<gallery>
Poké Ball SSB4.png|The Poké Ball in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
Master Ball SSB4.png|The Master Ball in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
</gallery>

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

<gallery>
Smash Bros Pokemon Symbol.png|The Pokémon series's symbol from ''SSB'' and ''Melee''
Smash Bros Brawl Pokemon Symbol.png|The Pokémon series's symbol from ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4''
</gallery>

===Trophy information===
====[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]====
''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 Ball]]s are the strongest type.''

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

====[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U]]====
=====Poké Ball=====
[[File:Poké Ball 3DS trophy SSB4.png|thumb|150px|Poké Ball trophy 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=====
[[File:Master Ball 3DS trophy SSB4.png|thumb|150px|Master Ball trophy 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 Ball]]s: 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 {{g|Snap}}.
* The [[GS Ball]] is an event item that appears only in {{game|Crystal}}, where it was part of a giveaway on the [[Mobile System GB]] for Japanese games, similar to [[event item]]s 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 {{p|Celebi}} in [[Ilex Forest]].
* Numerous sprites in the [[Generation III]] core series games have off-color Poké Balls due to sprite palette limitations. While they are most likely intended to be standard Poké Balls, their color scheme is sometimes distinct from the usual color scheme.
* 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 [[snagging|snag]] an already-[[caught Pokémon]] during a {{pkmn|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 minigame. 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 {{type|Bug}} Pokémon that capture wild humans in Human Balls (Japanese: '''ヒューマンボール''' ''Human Ball'') instead of the other way around. They have no visual difference to Poké Balls.
* In {{g|Sword and Shield}}, the [[Dynamax Band]] allows Trainers to increase the size of Poké Balls, making them look like giant [[Premier Ball]]s.
** When a Pokémon is [[Dynamax]]ed (including [[Gigantamax]]ing) with a Dynamax Band, the Trainer returns their active Pokémon to its Poké Ball, then turns the Poké Ball into a giant Poké Ball. This giant Poké Ball is then thrown, sending out the Dynamax Pokémon.
** In [[Max Raid Battle]]s and [[Dynamax Adventure]]s, when the {{pkmn2|wild}} Dynamax Pokémon is defeated, the Trainer turns an empty Poké Ball into a giant Poké Ball, then throws it at the wild Dynamax Pokémon in an attempt to catch it.
* In {{g|UNITE}}, in addition to the regular Poké Balls a Trainer will use to send out their own Pokémon, they use a unique variety of Poké Ball. These Poké Balls are orange, purple, and yellow in colour, with a yellow stripe around in the middle and a white button. The pattern gives the Poké Ball a "U" design. These Poké Balls are used to catch Pokémon in UNITE battles, and appear to have a 100% catch rate. They also determine the amount of points a Trainer's current Pokémon has. A Trainer can throw multiple balls at once.

<gallery>
Pester Ball.png|A Pester Ball
Snag Ball.png|[[Wes]] about to throw a [[Great Ball]] turned into a Snag Ball
Typing Ball.png|A Typing Ball
Spr RS Glacia.png|[[Glacia]] with a yellow Poké Ball
Dynamax Poké Ball Concept Art.jpg|Concept art of a giant Poké Ball for Dynamax by [[Ken Sugimori]]<ref>Shea, Brian (October 4, 2019). "[https://www.gameinformer.com/gallery/2019/10/04/exclusive-pokemon-sword-and-shield-concept-art-gallery Exclusive Pokémon Sword And Shield Concept Art Gallery]." ''Game Informer.''</ref>
UNITEPokeBall.PNG|A UNITE Poké Ball catching a Pokémon.
</gallery>

===In the anime===
* A green Poké Ball appeared in ''[[EP001|Pokémon - I Choose You!]]''. Interestingly, the cover of the book {{OBP|Grass Pokédex|book}} greatly resembles this Poké Ball, and is labeled as a Safari Ball.
** In addition to this, the artwork of {{ga|Brendan}}, in {{2v2|Ruby|Sapphire}}, features Brendan holding a green Poké Ball.
* Several objects were used to contain and control Pokémon before Poké Balls themselves were developed. Large monumental objects have been shown several times in episodes to be containers for large ancient Pokémon, as seen most notably in ''[[EP072|The Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis]]''. Smaller objects have also been used, such as the staff belonging to [[Sir Aaron]], which contained his partner, {{OBP|Lucario|M08}}, 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.
* {{OBP|Mewtwo|M01}} had a collection of strange Poké Balls known as (Japanese: '''ミュウツーボール''' ''Mewtwo Balls'') in ''[[M01|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.
* In ''[[M03|Spell of the Unown: Entei]]'', [[Molly Hale]], whose imagination caused the power of the {{OBP|Unown|M03}} to change the world around them, was able to use strange, crystalline Poké Balls when she challenged {{an|Brock}} and {{an|Misty}}. 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 ''[[EP168|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.
* In ''[[EP248|One Trick Phony!]]'', specially marked Poké Balls appeared at the {{jo|Battle Park}}, containing the Park's [[rental Pokémon]]. They looked almost exactly like standard Poké Balls, except that they had the Park's stylized "BP" logo on the top.
* Older Poké Balls have also appeared in the anime, specifically the one carried by [[Sam]] in ''[[M04|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 Ball]]s 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 {{pkmn2|Mythical}} {{OBP|Celebi|M04}} and a powerful {{p|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|Orange Islands]], 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 {{p|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.
* ''[[AG104|Claydol, Big and Tall]]'' featured the "Stone Ball", a huge Poké Ball made of stone used to keep an evil, giant {{p|Claydol}} that levied destruction everywhere. This Poké Ball is about the size of a two-story house.
* In ''[[AG178|Battling the Enemy Within!]]'', an ancient relic resembling a Poké Ball was first mentioned by {{an|Brandon}}, who told Ash and his friends a story about the [[King of Pokélantis]], who had once tried to control {{p|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 ''[[BW037|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 {{TRT}}. 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 ''[[M21|The Power of Us]]'', the participants of the [[Pokémon Catch Race]] used special "Catch Race Poké Balls" to catch specifically marked Pokémon around [[Fula City]]. These Poké Balls feature a blue-and-white color scheme, with a gold button.
* In ''[[Pokémon Journeys: The Series]]'', starting from ''[[JN003|Ivysaur's Mysterious Tower!]]'', the Team Rocket trio was provided with the [[Rocket Prize Master]], a vending machine that lets them borrow random Pokémon from it, contained in special Team Rocket Poké Balls. When a Pokémon is sent out from them, these Balls drop a small leaflet explaining details about the Pokémon in question.
* Dynamaxed Poké Balls were first used in ''[[JN012|Flash of the Titans!]]'' during {{an|Lance}} and {{an|Leon}}'s [[World Coronation Series]] {{pkmn|battle}}. In ''[[JN045|Sword and Shield... The Legends Awaken!]]'', [[Goh]], with Ash's help, used a Dynamaxed Poké Ball to catch a weakened {{TP|Goh|Eternatus}}, which was later sealed away.
* [[Roy]] is in possession of an antique Poké Ball that he refers to as the Ancient Poké Ball. It was found by [[Roy's grandfather|his grandfather]] and later given to him. It first appeared in [[HZ004]], where Roy mentioned how he had never managed to open it. In [[HZ006]], the ball reacted with [[Liko]]'s pendant and opened to reveal a {{Shiny}} {{p|Rayquaza}} that flew away soon after. The ball is said to have belonged to an ancient adventurer who once commanded Rayquaza.

<gallery>
Green Poké Ball anime.png|A green Poké Ball in ''[[EP001|Pokémon - I Choose You!]]''
Bulbasaur Ball.png|The Poké Ball containing {{p|Bulbasaur}} in ''[[EP001|Pokémon - I Choose You!]]''
Charmander Ball.png|The Poké Ball containing {{p|Charmander}} in ''[[EP001|Pokémon - I Choose You!]]''
Squirtle Ball.png|The Poké Ball containing {{TP|Gary|Squirtle|Blastoise}} in ''[[EP001|Pokémon - I Choose You!]]''
Ash Pikachu Poké Ball.png|The Poké Ball containing {{AP|Pikachu}} in ''[[EP001|Pokémon - I Choose You!]]''
Meowzie Poké Ball.png|A diamond-encrusted Poké Ball in ''[[EP070|Go West Young Meowth]]''
Clone Balls anime.png|{{OBP|Mewtwo|M01}}'s Mewtwo Balls
Crystal Ball anime.png|[[Molly Hale]] holding a Crystal Poké Ball
Lake Ball anime.png|The Lake Ball from ''[[EP168|Hook, Line, and Stinker]]''
Lokoko Poké Ball anime.png|[[Lokoko]]'s old Poké Ball from ''[[EP232|Just Waiting On a Friend]]''
Battle Park Ball.png|A Poké Ball used in the {{jo|Battle Park}} in ''[[EP248|One Trick Phony!]]''
Team Rocket Ball.png|A [[Team Rocket]] Ball from ''[[Mewtwo Returns]]''
Dark Ball anime.png|[[Iron-Masked Marauder]] holding a Dark Ball
Sammy Old Poké Ball.png|Sammy's old Poké Ball from ''[[M04|Celebi: The Voice of the Forest]]''
Annie Oakley Ball.png|{{OBP|Annie|M05}} and [[Oakley]]'s Poké Balls from ''[[M05|Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias]]''
Promo Annie Oakley Ball reverse.png|A promotional toy version of {{OBP|Annie|M05}} and [[Oakley]]'s Poké Balls, produced by [[Tomy]]
Giant stone Poké Ball anime.png|{{p|Claydol}}'s giant stone Poké Ball from ''[[AG104|Claydol, Big and Tall]]''
Pokélantis Poké Ball anime.png|A relic holding the [[King of Pokélantis]]'s spirit
Fishing Poké Ball.png|A Fishing Poké Ball from ''[[BW037|A Fishing Connoisseur in a Fishy Competition!]]''
Catch Race Poké Ball.png|A Catch Race Poké Ball from ''[[M21|The Power of Us]]''
Team Rocket Ball JN.png|Team Rocket Balls from ''[[Pokémon Journeys: The Series]]''
Dynamax Poké Ball anime.png|A [[Dynamax]]ed Poké Ball in ''[[JN045|Sword and Shield... The Legends Awaken!]]''
Roy Ancient Poké Ball anime.png|[[Roy]]'s Ancient Poké Ball in [[HZ006]]
</gallery>

===In the manga===
====The Electric Tale of Pikachu====
* In ''[[ET04|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 {{p|Haunter}}, [[Black Fog]]. It was destroyed when the Black Fog used {{m|Explosion}} to free itself after being captured.

<gallery>
Enormo Poké Ball EToP.png|The Enormo Poké Ball-X1
</gallery>

====Pokémon Adventures====
* [[Bruno]] has modified his Poké Balls so that they are fitted onto the ends of his {{wp|Nunchaku|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 {{wp|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 {{p|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]] and {{adv|Moon}} modified their Poké Balls to be at the end of their arrows.
* In ''[[PS283|It Takes Patience, Knowledge and a Really Quick Beedrill]]'', {{adv|Giovanni}} used a specifically designed Poké Ball with the letters "DNA" on its top half to capture {{adv|Deoxys}}.
* Multiple Dynamaxed Poké Balls have appeared in the {{chap|Sword & Shield}}, having been used to both capture Dynamax Pokémon and send them out.

<gallery>
Bruno Nunchuck Poké Ball.png|Bruno's nunchuck with Poké Balls on them
Koga Shuriken Poké Ball.png|Koga's shuriken Poké Ball
Bugsy Poké Ball net.png|Bugsy's Capture Net
Falkner Boomerang Poké Ball.png|Falkner's boomerang Poké Balls
Erika Arrow Poké Ball.png|Erika with one of her Poké Ball arrows
Moon bow Adventures.png|Moon with one of her Poké Ball arrows
DNA Ball.png|Giovanni's Deoxys Poké Ball
Dynamax Poké Ball Adventures.png|A Dynamaxed Poké Ball
</gallery>

===In the TCG===
* The {{TCG ID|Expedition|Dual Ball|139}} 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 Basic Pokémon, depending on how many heads appear.
* The {{TCG ID|EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua|Team Magma Ball|80}} is [[Team Magma]]'s Poké Ball variant, found only in the {{TCG|EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua}} expansion. It allows the user to search for a Team Magma's Pokémon, but if a coin flip results in tails, the search is limited to {{TCG|Basic Pokémon|Basic}} Team Magma Pokémon.
* The {{TCG ID|EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua|Team Aqua Ball|75}} is [[Team Aqua]]'s Poké Ball variant, also found only in the {{TCG|EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua}} expansion. It works ''exactly'' the same as the Team Magma Ball, searching for Team Aqua's Pokémon instead.
* The {{TCG ID|EX Team Rocket Returns|Rocket's Poké Ball|89}} is the [[Team Rocket]] variation on the Poké Ball, found in the {{TCG|EX Team Rocket Returns}} expansion. No coin flip is required, and it simply allows the player to search for a {{TCG|Dark Pokémon}}.
* The {{TCG ID|Plasma Freeze|Team Plasma Ball|105}} is the [[Team Plasma]] variant of the Poké Ball, found in the {{TCG|Plasma Freeze}} expansion. It allows the user to search for a Team Plasma Pokémon without a coin flip required.
* The {{TCG ID|Double Crisis|Team Magma's Great Ball|31}} is another Team Magma Poké Ball variant, found in the {{TCG|Double Crisis}} expansion. It searches the deck for a Basic Team Magma Pokémon and a basic {{e|Fighting}} energy.
* The {{TCG ID|Double Crisis|Team Aqua's Great Ball|27}} is another Team Aqua Poké Ball variant, also found in the {{TCG|Double Crisis}} expansion. It searches the deck for a Basic Team Aqua Pokémon and a basic {{e|Water}} energy instead.

<gallery>
Magma Ball artwork.jpg|Team Magma Ball
Aqua Ball artwork.jpg|Team Aqua Ball
Rocket Ball artwork.jpg|Rocket's Poké Ball
Plasma Ball artwork.jpg|Team Plasma Ball
Magma Great Ball artwork.jpg|Team Magma's Great Ball
Aqua Great Ball artwork.jpg|Team Aqua's Great Ball
</gallery>

==Item balls==
{{main|Item#Obtaining items|Item → Obtaining items}}
[[File:Itemball.png|thumb|left|220px|{{ga|Red}} finding an item ball on {{rt|2|Kanto}}]]
[[File:Rice Ball Poké Ball.png|thumb|220px|Ash catching a [[rice ball]] thrown by a wild {{AP|Mankey|Primeape}}]]
In both the anime and games, it has been shown that [[item]]s 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 ''[[EP025|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]].

{{p|Voltorb}}, {{p|Electrode}}, {{p|Foongus}}, {{p|Amoonguss}}, and {{rf|Galarian}} {{p|Stunfisk}} appear as item balls in the overworld, but attack when interacted with (or if at close range for Galarian Stunfisk), except the Foongus in [[Accumula Town]]. In [[Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!]], fake item balls appear upside down.
{{-}}

==Trivia==
* {{an|Professor Oak}} has written {{wp|senryū}} about the Poké Ball in two of his lectures:
** For [[DP003]], the [[Professor Oak's Big Pokémon Encyclopedia]] featured this senryū: 「ゲットだぜ　なげかたいろいろ　モンスターボール」 ''"I caught a Pokémon! {{tt|Monster Balls|Poké Balls}} can be thrown in all sorts of ways."''
** For [[BW002]], the [[Professor Oak's Pokémon Live Caster]] featured this senryū: 「あっポケモン　モンスターボール　わすれずに」 ''"Oh, a Pokémon; don't forget to bring your {{tt|Monster Balls|Poké Balls}}."''
* In {{g|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 some early artwork for {{game|Red and Green|s}}, 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.
* In the earlier volumes of the [[Pokémon Adventures]] manga, Poké Balls captured and released Pokémon in large puffs of smoke, often with a strong sound effect. This may have been based on the capture and release animations in Generation I and II. As [[Generation III]] onwards exchanged the smoke effect for Ball-specific animations, the effect in the manga shifted instead to bursts of light. 
* Poké Balls are inspired by the capsules for {{wp|gashapon}} machines, which contain small, handheld toys.
* In Generation II, after catching a Pokémon, the Poké Ball's color palette changes to that of the Pokémon that was just caught. It then changes back to normal thereafter.
* Starting in Generation III, all Poké Ball types have a special effect that appears whenever the ball is opened. These special effects also can be seen in [[Pokémon Colosseum]] and [[Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness]]. In [[Generation IV]], customizable special effects are available through [[Seal]]s.
* In {{game2|Diamond|Pearl|Platinum}}, [[Cyrus]]'s computer indicates that a Poké Ball would limit the power of {{p|Dialga}} and {{p|Palkia}}. This leads to [[Team Galactic]] creating the [[Red Chain]] instead to shackle them so they can control their full power.

==In other languages==
{{langtable|color={{red color light}}|bordercolor={{red color}}
|ja=モンスターボール ''Monster Ball''
|ar=كرة البوكي ''Kurt Al-Poké''
|zh_yue=精靈球 ''{{tt|Jīnglìhng Kàuh|Monster Ball}}''
|zh_cmn=精靈球 / 精灵球 ''{{tt|Jīnglíng Qiú|Monster Ball}}'' {{tt|*|Games, Mainland China (1998 - 2005, 2011 - present)}}<br>寶貝球 / 宝贝球 ''{{tt|Bǎobèi Qiú|Creatures Ball}}'' {{tt|*|Taiwan and Mainland China (2005 - 2011)}}
|hr=Pokélopta
|cs=Pokébal
|da=Pokéball
|nl=PokéBal {{tt|*|TCG}}
|fi=Poképallo
|fr=Poké Ball
|de=Pokéball
|he=פוקדור ''Pokadur''
|hi=पोकेबॉल ''Pokéball''
|hu=Pokélabda
|id=Poké Ball<br>Bola Pokémon
|it=Poké Ball<br>Sfera Poké {{tt|*|Occasionally in the first 11 seasons of the anime}}
|ko=몬스터볼 ''Monster Ball''
|ms=Poké Ball<br>Pokéball
|pl=Pokéball
|pt_br=Poké Bola {{tt|*|Games, anime, TCG (HeartGold & SoulSilver-Unleashed, Sun & Moon-present), Adventures (PS091-present), The Official Pokémon Handbook, Pokémon Characters Guidebook}}<br>Poké bola {{tt|*|Adventures (PS135)}}<br>Poké Ball {{tt|*|TCG (Black & White-Generations), Adventures (PS001-PS085, PS461-PS518)}}<br>Pokébola {{tt|*|Early anime, The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Pokémon Club}}
|pt_eu=Pokébola<br>Bola Poké {{tt|*|Platinum manual}}
|ro=Poké-minge
|ru=Поке-Болл ''Poké-Boll'' {{tt|*|TCG, anime, GO}}<br>Покешар ''Pokéshar'' {{tt|*|Anime}}
|es_la=Pokébola
|es_eu=Poké Ball
|sv=Poké Ball<br>Pokéboll<br>Pokéklot {{tt|*|Black version manual}}<br>Poké-klot {{tt|*|Victini event pamphlet}}
|ta=போகிபால் ''Pokéball''
|te=పోకెబాల్ ''Pokéball''
|th=มอนสเตอร์บอล ''Monster Ball''<br>โปเกบอล ''Poké Ball'' {{tt|*|Medallion}}
|tr=Poké Topu
|vi=Bóng chứa Pokémon<br>Bóng Poké
|is=Pokébolti
}}
{{-}}

==References==
<references/>

{{Poké Balls}}<br/>
{{Items}}<br>
{{Smash Bros.}}<br>
{{Project ItemDex notice}}

[[Category:Poké Balls|*]]
[[Category:Groups of items]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. trophies]]

[[de:Pokébälle]]
[[es:Poké Ball]]
[[fr:Ball]]
[[it:Poké Ball]]
[[ja:モンスターボール (総称)]]
[[zh:精靈球]]