Voltorb are spherical Pokémon with no arms or legs. They look like a Poké Ball with a face, minus the button; their top half is red, while their bottom half is white. They were first seen in the plant where modern Poké Balls were invented. Voltorb and their evolution, Electrode, could be forms of energy, but it is unknown where that energy came from or how it created them. Because of the similarities with the Poké Ball, it has been suggested that Voltorb are artificial Pokémon, created with some form of human involvement.
Gender differences
Voltorb is a genderless species.
Special abilities
If agitated, Voltorb may explode. They can also wield powerful Electric-type moves.
Behavior
Voltorb are easily agitated, and are known to self-destruct due to anger.
Voltorb are generally found in power plants and other areas with electric fields, and due to their volatile temper and habit of exploding out of anger are generally considered pests. They are also found on farms guarding the crops and fruit there, and are usually painted the same color as the fruits they guard. It is common in Kanto, Johto and Hoenn, but has been seen in Sinnoh from time to time.
Voltorb also appeared in So Near, Yet So Farfetch'd. Team Rocket received them from the Backpack-switching thief, thinking they were Poké Balls with rarePokémon in them, as well as their Arbok, Lickitung and Weezing. When Team Rocket found out they were not, the Voltorb started to explode in their balloon. They dumped most of the Voltorb on the thief, prompting him to quit his crime spree, but a single Voltorb sent them blasting off.
Ash is shown to have a clock that is shaped like a Voltorb in Pokémon - I Choose You!. The clock can open up across the middle, showing the time and making a Pidgey pops out of it.
In Love, Pokémon Style, three Voltorb were the cause of Ash's Kingler's injury. They rolled down a hill but were caught by Kingler, shocking it in the process.
A Voltorb disguised as a watermelon appeared in the credits of Arceus and the Jewel of Life. It exploded when Jessie and James picked it up after falling for its disguise.
Voltorb. This mysterious Pokémon uses strong Electric attacks, and is often found near power plants. Use extreme caution; Voltorb may explode without warning.
Voltorb is a Pokémon that looks just like a Poké Ball, even in its height. It debuted in the Red, Green & Blue arc in its own round, Danger: High Voltorb. Here, Red tries to touch one aboard the S.S. Anne thinking that is only a Poké Ball, but is zapped by it.
Pokémon Pinball: Three Voltorb appear on the Red Table and give the player points when hit. When Catch'em Mode is activated, they also reveal the silhouette of the Pokémon attempting to be captured upon being hit.
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation I.
Voltorb was first sighted at a company that manufactures Poké Balls. The link between that sighting and the fact that this Pokémon looks very similar to a Poké Ball remains a mystery.
Voltorb is extremely sensitive - it explodes at the slightest of shocks. It is rumored that it was first created when a Poké Ball was exposed to a powerful pulse of energy.
It bears an uncanny and unexplained resemblance to a Poké Ball. Because it explodes at the slightest shock, even veteran trainers treat it with caution.
Although Voltorb is an Electric-type, it could not learn any Electric attacks via level-up until Generation III.
Though it is said that Voltorb are often mistaken for Poké Balls, Voltorb is over one foot in height, far larger than any modern Poké Ball.
In the English and European versions of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, a game called Voltorb Flip is introduced in place of slot machines. The game is similar to Minesweeper, and largely focuses on flipping over cards to multiply the coins currently earned. Some cards, however, have Voltorb on them which will cause the player to lose coins when flipped.
Voltorb and Electrode exist in Oblivia's past, despite both Pokémon being brought into origin in more recent times. Whether this was an oversight or not is unknown. A similar situation occurs with Porygon-Z.
Due to their almost identical appearance, Voltorb was often confused with Electrode by the dub voice actors. The same situation happened with Poliwhirl and Poliwrath.
Voltorb has the lowest Attack stat of all Electric-type Pokémon.
Origin
It seems to be based upon the concept of a living Poké Ball (with its Shiny form possibly being based on a Great Ball). The idea of them being mistaken for the standard Item Balls is similar to "Mimic" monsters found in other RPGs. Given its tendency to explode, it could also be based on a bomb. The design concept may be inheritance from the time when the franchise was known as Capsule Monsters, as early artworks show Poké Balls without the button in the middle.
Name origin
Voltorb is a combination of volt and orb.
Biriridama may be a combination of びりびり biribiri (like an electric shock) and 玉 tama (sphere).
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
Magnet (100%)
For other sprites and images, please see Voltorb images on Bulbagarden Archives.
