The newest Hisuian Pokemon to be introduced before the release of Pokemon Legends: Arceus has raised an interesting question. Traditionally Voltorb has been known to imitate the appearance of Poke Balls, and has widely been regarded as coming into existence after their invention. With the addition of Hisuian Voltorb to Pokemon Legends: Arceus fans are now left wondering which came first: are Hisuian Voltorb mimicking early Poke Balls, or are the original Poke Balls modeled after Hisuian Voltorb.
Answering this question could become difficult for Pokemon and start to mess with some of the series' current canon. While Pokemon Legends: Arceus looks like it will have a narrative focus on Pokemon’s ancient past, fans anticipated it would be addressing Legendary Pokemon like Arceus rather than the gradual evolution of Voltorb. At the same time, it’s an interesting piece of lore that should be addressed following the reveal of Hisuian Voltorb. There are several Pokemon throughout the franchise which have appearances based on common items, and Voltorb is only the start to several that may have looked entirely different in the ancient past.
Hisuian Voltorb in Pokemon
As whimsical as the idea of Hisuian Voltorb is, its lore problems are pretty noticeable. Whether or not Hisuian Voltorb or all the different Poke Balls came first is a question that will ultimately deviate. As they stand in the series, many Pokedex entries suggest it is camoflaging as a Poke Ball, and that there is likely some connection between its appearance and the introduction of these tools. Its evolution Electrode is also said to eat electricity, which is part of the reason that Voltorb is so common in areas like power plants. If Voltorb predates the widespread use of both electricity and modern Poke Balls, there are a couple of inconsistencies that will need to be addressed when incorporating Hisuian Voltorb into the Pokemon franchise.
Still, this is also a great opportunity to better understand an interesting, albeit minute, piece of Pokemon lore. Even though Voltorb is said to be first discovered at a Poke Ball factory, the understanding people have of it in the world of Pokemon is relatively minimal. People know that Voltorb’s components aren’t found in nature according to Pokemon Crystal, and they know it’s a Pokemon that looks like a Poke Ball, but not much more information is offered up. Building on this kind of open-ended and vague information is often a strong point for the Pokemon franchise, and is part of why Mythical and Legendary Pokemon remain so influential and popular.
Hisuian Voltorb isn’t likely to get this level of popularity or eclipse all the starters in Pokemon, but it is a start to better understanding the world of Pokemon. The unique nature of Voltorb makes it an interesting choice for a Hisuian form, and this also means that a lot more than players might have expected will be addressed in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. While the game itself has a more mature look than previous installments, what it will incorporate into its story remains a mystery.
In this regard, the reveal of Hisuian Voltorb points to a narrative that, like few others, is focused on how Pokemon and people grow alongside one another. This is something which has already been emphasized with Hisuian Zorua and Zoroark and continues to be a trend with Hisuian form Pokemon. Their proximity to humans and the harsh nature of the Hisui region has molded a lot of Pokemon in ways that aren’t traditionally seen. While Hisuian Voltorb seems friendly and excitable, how its lore is described and its relationship with humans plays out will likely be what introduces players to its contemporary Kanto counterparts. This series of events could also address whether the Voltorb or the Poke Ball came first.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus releases for Nintendo Switch on January 28, 2022.