Summary
- There are 38 different Poke Balls throughout the games, each with unique functions and rarities.
- Some balls, like the Strange Ball and Gigaton Ball, are not usable in the latest games.
- Special balls like the Origin Ball and Beast Ball have specific purposes, like catching Legendary or Ultra Beasts.
When people think of the Poke Balls available in Pokemon, the standard Poke Ball is what most people think of, alongside iconic colors such as the Great and Ultra Ball options. But, some casual players may not be aware that there are just an absolute ton of Poke Ball options out there. Each one has a different function, and they sometimes can be as rare as the rarest Pokemon.
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When it's sometimes a mad dash to try to catch a Pokemon, some pro players even get pretty picky about what ball they put specific Pokemon in for cosmetic reasons. Let's take a look at the 15 best types of Poke Balls in the Pokemon games, including some of the lesser-known catching devices out there.
Updated July 20, 2024 by Ben Painter: The red and white Poke Ball is one of the most iconic items in video game history. But casual fans may not know that there isn't just one Poke Ball; there are 38 different Poke Balls throughout the games, with some being just better variants.
For the sake of this list, the different balls in Pokemon: Legends Arceus are grouped into one. Some are more useful than others, and some are not even usable in the latest games, like Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. This updated list adds some more context to each item.
1 Strange Ball
An Unusable Ball That Only Appears If A Pokemon Is Transferred
- Generation Introduced: 8
- Game Introduced In: Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
- Catch rate: 0.75x (unobtainable to actually use)
The Strange Ball, as its name suggests, is strange. It is not able to be found or bought in games and is only acquired by trading a Pokemon from Pokemon: Legends Arceus into Brilliant Diamond, Shinning Pearl, Scarlet, or Violet.
Instead of being in one of the ancient Hisui Poke Balls, it will instead be placed inside a strange ball. This is useful for getting one of the Pokemon exclusive to Hisui into one of the newer games. Perfect for Pokedex completionists. This teal-colored ball has no additional effects or anything else special around it other than its appearance.
How To Acquire Strange Balls In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
Trade a Pokemon from Legends: Arceus and the Pokemon will be placed inside of the Strange Ball, they cannot be acquired any other way in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.
2 Park Ball
Only Used In Pal Park
- Generation Introduced: 4
- Game Introduced In: Pokemon Diamond & Pearl
- Catch rate: 255x (guaranteed capture if used in Pal Park)
Before the days of Pokemon Home, to transfer a Pokemon from a Generation 3 game into the DS, the player must insert the Game Boy cartridge into the DS and head to Pal Park. The Pokemon would be released in the park and the player must recapture the Pokemon using the Park Balls.
The Pokemon captured doesn't even remain in the Park Ball, it returns to the Pokeball that it was captured in in the Gen 3 game. As this feature is now obsolete, there is no need for the Park Ball. Although balls of this similar ilk have been repurposed, this one is left in Generation 4.
How To Acquire Park Balls In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
Park Balls can't be purchased or acquired in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.
3 Hisui Poke Balls
The Standard Poke Ball With An Older Look
- Generation Introduced: 8
- Game Introduced In: Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Catch rate: 0.75x (Poke Ball), 1.5x (Great Ball), 2.25x (Ultra Ball)
For the purpose of this list, all Hisui base Pokeballs have been grouped as one, as they have no difference from their regular counterparts. Pokemon Legends: Arceus is set in the past; thus, in Hisui they did not have the technology to match the modern Pokeballs.
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Functionally, they work the same as regular balls, with the Poke Ball being the weakest, the Great Ball having a better catch rate and Ultra Balls working even better. The Hisuian Poke Ball is weaker than the regular one, with a 0.75x catch rate as opposed to the 1x of the Poke Ball. They look perfect as an ancient Poke Ball and can be crafted in-game using materials found across the map.
How To Acquire Hisui Poke Balls In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
They can't be purchased or acquired in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. When a Pokemon from Legends: Arceus is traded up to S&V and caught in any ball from the game, it is stored inside a 'Strange Ball' instead.
4 Sport Ball (Park Ball)
Originally Only Used In The Johto Bug Catching Contest
- Generation Introduced: 2
- Game Introduced In: Pokemon Gold & Silver
- Catch rate: 1x (before Generation 8, this was only used as part of the Johto bug-catching contest)
The Sport Ball, or as it was formerly known as the Park Ball, is a unique item in that it was originally only accessed as part of the Bug-Catching Contest in the Johto region. The Park Ball was renamed as the Sport Ball due to the Park Ball being used as the ball in Pal Park, a method of transferring Pokemon from previous games in Pokemon Diamond & Pearl.
In the anime, it has a very different appearance, but in modern entries, it is essentially just a Poke Ball with a design on the red part of it. Starting in Generation 8, Pokemon Sword & Shield, the Sport Ball was reintroduced in the franchise but with no additional effects. It functions the same as a regular Poke Ball.
How To Acquire The Sport Ball In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
The Sport Ball can be found in the Savanna Biome as part of the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC, it can also be crafted from the Item Printer as part of the Poke Ball Lotto, a rare item in the game for sure.
5 Moon Ball
A Ball Better For Pokemon That Evolve With A Moon Stone
- Generation Introduced: 2
- Game Introduced In: Pokemon Gold & Silver
- Catch rate: 4x when used on a Pokemon that evolves by using a Moon Stone
Pokemon Gold & Silver introduced a lot of different Pokemon Balls as part of the Apricorn crafting mechanic. Although a lot of these balls have tons of uses, the Moon Ball doesn't fit into this category.
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The Moon Ball gives a 4x boost to the catch rate if a Moon Stone can evolve the Pokemon. There are only six Pokemon that fit into this, and two of these did not even exist when Pokemon Gold & Silver first came out. Given that G&S introduced a day-and-night cycle into the franchise, the Moon Ball should have been the ball that boosted the catch rate at night. This was, however, given to the Dusk Ball in Generation 4. It is also worth noting that the Moon Ball only had a 1x catch rate modifier in Generation 2 due to a programming error. The ball was actually useless.
How To Acquire The Moon Ball In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
The Moon Ball can be found, with its correct programming, in the Nintendo Switch games and its DLCs as a reward for registering 340 Pokemon in the Paldea Pokedex, 200 Pokemon in the Kitakami Pokedex, 180 Pokemon in the Blueberry Pokedex and also from the Porto Marinda Auction, Acadamey Ace Tournament and from the Item Printer as part of the Poke Ball Lotto.
6 Level Ball
The Higher Level The User's Pokemon Is To The Wild Pokemon, The Better This Ball Is
- Generation Introduced: 2
- Game Introduced In: Pokemon Gold & Silver
- Catch rate: 1× if the player's Pokémon is the same level as or a lower level than the wild Pokémon
- 2× if the player's Pokémon is at a higher level than the wild Pokémon but less than double it
- 4× if the player's Pokémon is more than double but less than four times the level of the wild Pokémon
- 8× if the player's Pokémon is of a level four times or more than that of the wild Pokémon
The Level Ball may be tricky to work out, but essentially, it is a ball that works better the higher the trainer's Pokemon's level is than the Pokemon said trainer is trying to catch. If the wild Pokemon is level 2 then the trainer's Pokemon will need to be level 8 or higher to get an 8x catch rate.
Although the idea may be good in theory, there is no real use for this ball as Pokemon which require a ball with a higher catch rate are usually a higher level than the trainers, so it does kind of render the Level Ball useless.
How To Acquire Level Balls In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
To use a Level Ball in the latest entry, gamers must register 280 Pokemon in the Paldea Pokedex or get lucky at the Porto Marinda Auction, Acadamey Ace Tournament, or from the Item Printer as part of the Poke Ball Lotto at the Blueberry Academy in the Indigo Disk DLC.
7 Dream Ball
Originally Only Used On Pokemon In The Dream World, Now Better On Sleeping Pokemon
- Generation Introduced: 5
- Game Introduced In: Pokemon Black & White
- Catch rate: 4x on a sleeping Pokemon (since Generation 8), 225x in Generation 5 only
Originally introduced in generation 5, the Dream Ball was used exclusively in Entree Forest to capture Pokemon found in the dreamy world. But from Pokemon Sword & Shield, it was reintroduced as a Poke Ball to work better on Pokemon that have been put to sleep, already an effective method of catching Pokemon.
With a very nice design, the Dream Balls are an effective tool in the player's arsenal as they have a 4x capture rate, much more effective than an Ultra Ball. Make sure to have a Pokemon with Hypnosis or Yawn and fire those balls away till the Pokemon is captured.
How To Acquire Dream Balls In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
There are a few ways to unlock the sleepy balls in Scarlet & Violet; they are unlocked as a reward for registering 360 Pokemon in the Paldea Pokedex and 200 Pokemon in the Blueberry Pokedex. They can also be earned as an award in the Academy Ace Tournament or purchased at the Porto Marinada Auction or the Item Printer Poke Ball Lotto.
8 Lure Ball
A Poke Ball That Is Best Used When Fishing
- Generation Introduced: 2
- Game Introduced In: Pokemon Gold & Silver
- Catch rate: 4x on a Pokemon encountered while fishing
In Pokemon Gold & Silver several new Poke Balls were introduced and manufactured by Kurt in Azalea City when given Apricorns. With Lure Balls it is the Blue Apricorn.
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Most special versions of Poke Ball work better on Pokemon under a certain criterion, and as the Lure Ball's name suggests, it works 4x more effectively when the Pokemon has been fished up. Fans of the anime may remember the Lure Ball as it held one of Ash Ketchum's Pokemon, Totodile. There was a whole episode around Ash and Misty fighting over who caught the fun-loving crocodile in a Lure Ball.
How To Acquire Lure Balls In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
To get some Lure Balls in the latest Nintendo Switch Pokemon entry, gamers must register 300 Pokemon in their Pokedex and they will receive some as a gift. Failing that they can be earned as an award in the Academy Ace Tournament, purchased at the Porto Marinada Auction or the Item Printer Poke Ball Lotto.
9 Gigaton Ball
An Ancient Version Of The Heavy Ball
- Generation Introduced: 8
- Game Introduced In: Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Catch rate: 2.5x, 2.75x when the Pokemon does not notice the player
Set in the ancient land of Hisui, Pokemon: Legends Arceus uses older forms of Poke Balls which have a more wooden look, which is a call back to the in-game origins of being made from Apricons.
The Gigaton Ball is an upgraded version of the Leaden Ball which is unlocked later in the game's story, the Leaden Ball is, in turn, an improved Heavy Ball. The Generation 2 ball is inspired by this older version of the ball, signified by the two smaller balls on top of the item. When using this in the game it will not fly too far, so it is ground because they can easily be snuck up on.
How To Acquire Gigaton Balls In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
The Gigaton Ball can't be purchased or acquired in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. When a Pokemon, from Legends: Arceus is traded up to S&V and caught in any ball from Legends: Arceus it is stored inside a "Strange Ball" instead.
10 Jet Ball
A Ball That Soars Through The Air
- Generation Introduced: 8
- Game Introduced In: Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Catch rate: 2.5x, 2.75x when the Pokemon does not notice the player
Just like the Gigaton Ball, the Jet Ball is a better version of the Feather Ball and the Wing Ball, with a superior catch rate. The Jet Ball can fly far through the air, so it is used on Pokemon that are flying or far away, as players must aim and throw Pokeballs themselves in Legends: Arceus.
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Unlike the Gigaton Ball, there is no modern incarnation of the Jet Ball, as there are no Poke Balls that work better on flying Pokemon. Perhaps this could be a feature used for future installments in the franchise.
How To Acquire Jet Balls In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
The Jet Ball can't be purchased or acquired in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. When a Pokemon, from Legends: Arceus is traded up to S&V and caught in any ball from Legends: Arceus it is stored inside a "Strange Ball" instead.