Poke Balls stand as one of the most useful tools in the Pokemon universe. The iconic items are essential to anyone looking to set out into the world of Gym battles and Pokemon training, as well as anyone else looking to capture some Pokemon of their own.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus’ new Apricorn Poke Ball has introduced yet another variant to the mix. While the core series and side games have established more than 27 kinds of Poke Balls over the years, the Pokemon anime has its own in-depth history fans can acquaint themselves with. Poke Balls have changed substantially in the Pokemon anime, with the series having worked in some interesting ideas that the games never approached.
Ancient Predecessors to the Poke Ball
The anime introduced an ancient civilization called Pokemopolis, located close to Kanto’s Pallet Town. It was only briefly featured in the show but introduced a plethora of artifacts and historical revelations that really added to the anime’s lore. One of the most intriguing discoveries was the existence of artifacts used to seal giant Pokemon.
In the episode, The Ancient Puzzle of Pokemopolis, Dr. Eve discovered certain relics that she deduced were used to contain ancient Pokemon. These artifacts didn’t resemble the classic round shape of traditional Poke Balls and instead seemed more like sealing devices rather than the readily usable tools for capture utilized by modern-day Pokemon Trainers.
The most notable of these devices were the Unearthly Urn, the Dark Device, and a paintbrush in the shape of a Dotaku bell. The Urn contained a giant Alakazam while the Dark Device and paintbrush contained a giant Gengar and Jigglypuff respectively.
Each of these items required some sort of accompanying device or condition to be activated. While Poke Balls can be used regularly, these items were created to contain rather than to capture and transport. In the case of the Unearthly Urn, it would be activated when inserted with the Unearthly Spoon, functioning similar to a lock and key mechanism. What triggers the Dark Device’s activation remains a mystery, though it might not need a physical trigger, as illustrated with the giant Jigglypuff being freed by the song of a normal Jigglypuff.
Historical Variants
Plenty of contemporary Poke Ball variants have been introduced on the anime, with many of them seeming like prototype models of what modern Poke Balls would become. In the movie, Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, Sir Aaron’s Lucario is held in a staff that has a Poke Ball-like object attached to it. Though it lacked the distinct characteristics of the modern design, it was essentially the exact same in how it functioned.
Odd Keystones are most similar to modern Poke Balls in how they function, but they’re limited to capturing Spirittomb. Just how these are able to capture and contain these Pokemon has never been revealed and like the Pokemopolis artifacts, these are more so used to seal and contain rather than to capture.
Various devices comparable to modern Poke Balls have appeared throughout the anime, both having a similar design and serving a similar function to the more common balls used by trainers. In the episode, Claydol Big and Tall, a massive stone Poke Ball is discovered which is later revealed to have been used to contain an aggressive Claydol. This too served a similar purpose to the ancient artifacts found in Pokemopolis, but actually resembled a traditional Poke Ball rather than the abstract designs used with those.
Things like the old Orange League Winner's Trophy and Captain’s Poke Balls from the A Shipful of Shivers episode, both over 300 years old, heavily resemble the modern Poke Ball design. Lokoko’s Poke Ball, which is over 200 years old, seems to function as a contemporary Poke Ball does, but has a different design. This variant is incredibly fragile and has its button on top rather than in the middle.
A more modern variant is revealed in the film, Pokmon 4Ever - Celebi: The Voice of the Forest. Sam, a young trainer from the past, possesses a unique-looking Poke Ball that is activated by turning its red twist top, releasing the Pokemon contained inside. This is a more mechanical variant that existed 40 years prior to the events of the film. It can be seen as the closest relative to the current iteration of Poke Balls both design-wise and in terms of functionality.
Non-Poke Balls With Similar Functions
Though not the same as Poke Balls, the anime has featured many different items trainers have used to control Pokemon, rather than capture and train them in the traditional way. The Queen's mask and staff utilize frequencies to control Pokemon within a certain range. Unlike a normal Poke Ball, this method was limited to distance, and so wouldn’t afford trainers the same freedom in their adventures.
The colored orbs allow their users control over Groudon, Kyogre, and, Rayquaza respectively. These items afford those in possession absolute control over the Hoenn legendaries, but at the cost of their own agency as well. Users are possessed by the strength of the orbs, as shown with Ash’s Pikachu and Archie.
The classic Poke Ball design will always be a fan favorite. While the games continue to experiment with different variants of varying effects and uses, the anime has established an interesting history of its own. Many of these will likely never make it into the core series or even spin-offs but have helped in making the anime’s world feel that much more fleshed out.