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Every Poké Ball. When to use it.

38 balls · 9 specialist · 6 Apricorn · 9 Hisui

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38 of 38 balls

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Catch modifier
A higher modifier improves the capture calculation, but HP, status, species catch rate, and game-specific rules still matter.
Specialist balls
Quick, Dusk, Timer, Net, Repeat, and similar balls can beat Ultra Ball when their condition is active.
Cosmetic value
Some balls are mainly about friendship, healing, event origin, or the animation/style shown when the Pokémon is sent out.
Basic

Poké Ball

Basic1x
GenI
Rate1x
RoleBasic

The baseline ball. It tries to catch a wild Pokémon without any special condition or bonus.

Gen IDefault capture
Best use
Common early-game Pokémon, collection aesthetics, and low-risk catches.
Watch out
It has no bonus, so rarer or low-catch-rate Pokémon usually deserve a stronger option.
Basic

Great Ball

Basic1.5x
GenI
Rate1.5x
RoleBasic

A direct upgrade over a Poké Ball with a better general catch modifier.

Gen IFlat upgrade
Best use
Middle-game catches when Ultra Balls are not available or feel wasteful.
Watch out
Specialist balls can outperform it when their condition is active.
Basic

Ultra Ball

Basic2x
GenI
Rate2x
RoleBasic

The strongest common store-bought general ball in most mainline games.

Gen IFlat upgrade
Best use
Reliable general-purpose catching when no specialist condition applies.
Watch out
It is not always the best value; Quick, Dusk, Timer, Net, and Repeat Balls can beat it.
Event

Master Ball

EventGuaranteed
GenI
RateGuaranteed
RoleEvent

The guaranteed capture ball. If the game allows the throw, the catch succeeds.

Gen IAlways catches
Best use
One-time legendary, roaming, shiny, or self-destruct risk catches you refuse to lose.
Watch out
Usually limited to one or very few per save file, so spend it deliberately.
Basic

Safari Ball

BasicVaries
GenI
RateVaries
RoleBasic

A special ball associated with Safari-style catching areas and later rare distribution.

Gen ISafari-style encounters
Best use
Safari Zone, Great Marsh, or later-game availability when you want the green ball style.
Watch out
Older games restrict where it can be used, and its modifier depends on the game.
Event

Sport Ball

Event1x
GenII
Rate1x
RoleEvent

A contest-linked ball originally used for Johto Bug-Catching Contest Pokémon.

Gen IIBug-Catching Contest
Best use
Bug-Catching Contest captures or collection themes where the red-and-white sport style matters.
Watch out
Historically tied to contest rules, with broader availability only in later games.
Apricorn

Fast Ball

Apricorn4x
GenII
Rate4x
RoleApricorn

An Apricorn ball that rewards using it on Pokémon with high Speed.

Gen IIVery fast targets
Best use
High base-Speed Pokémon such as speedy roamers or naturally fast species.
Watch out
The bonus is conditional; slow Pokémon reduce it to ordinary ball strength.
Apricorn

Level Ball

Apricorn1x-8x
GenII
Rate1x-8x
RoleApricorn

An Apricorn ball that scales up when your active Pokémon outlevels the wild Pokémon.

Gen IIYour Pokémon is higher level
Best use
Catching much lower-level Pokémon with a high-level lead Pokémon.
Watch out
It becomes unimpressive if your active Pokémon is not clearly higher level.
Apricorn

Lure Ball

Apricorn3x-5x
GenII
Rate3x-5x
RoleApricorn

An Apricorn ball for Pokémon encountered through fishing or water-related conditions.

Gen IIFishing or water encounters
Best use
Fishing targets and water-area catches, depending on the generation.
Watch out
Away from its water or fishing condition, it usually behaves like a normal ball.
Apricorn

Heavy Ball

ApricornWeight based
GenII
RateWeight based
RoleApricorn

An Apricorn ball that changes catch odds based on the target Pokémon’s weight.

Gen IIHeavy targets
Best use
Large, heavy Pokémon where the flat catch-rate bonus can matter.
Watch out
Light Pokémon can receive no benefit or even a penalty in some rulesets.
Apricorn

Love Ball

Apricorn8x
GenII
Rate8x
RoleApricorn

An Apricorn ball with a huge bonus for opposite-gender Pokémon of the same species as your active Pokémon.

Gen IISame species, opposite gender
Best use
Breeding projects where your lead matches the target species and opposite gender.
Watch out
Without the exact species and gender setup, it drops back to normal strength.
Comfort

Friend Ball

Comfort1x
GenII
Rate1x
RoleComfort

A ball that starts the caught Pokémon with elevated friendship.

Gen IIFriendship boost
Best use
Pokémon that evolve by friendship or teams where friendship moves matter.
Watch out
It does not make the catch easier; the value comes after the catch.
Apricorn

Moon Ball

Apricorn4x
GenII
Rate4x
RoleApricorn

An Apricorn ball designed for Pokémon families connected to Moon Stone evolution.

Gen IIMoon Stone evolution families
Best use
Clefairy, Jigglypuff, Nidoran, Skitty, Munna, and other Moon Stone evolution lines.
Watch out
It is only special for Moon Stone families; otherwise it is mostly cosmetic.
Specialist

Net Ball

Specialist3x-3.5x
GenIII
Rate3x-3.5x
RoleSpecialist

A specialist ball that is much stronger against Water- and Bug-type Pokémon.

Gen IIIWater or Bug type
Best use
Water-type and Bug-type Pokémon, especially when available before Ultra Balls.
Watch out
On other types, it falls back to ordinary strength.
Specialist

Dive Ball

Specialist3.5x
GenIII
Rate3.5x
RoleSpecialist

A water-location ball that rewards catching Pokémon in aquatic encounter contexts.

Gen IIIWater-area encounters
Best use
Surfing, fishing, underwater, or water-area Pokémon depending on the game.
Watch out
Its exact trigger changed across generations, so check the current game context.
Specialist

Nest Ball

Specialist1x-4x
GenIII
Rate1x-4x
RoleSpecialist

A specialist ball that is strongest on low-level Pokémon.

Gen IIILow-level targets
Best use
Early-route Pokémon, low-level dex cleanup, and weak overworld spawns.
Watch out
The bonus fades as the target’s level rises and bottoms out near normal strength.
Specialist

Repeat Ball

Specialist3x-3.5x
GenIII
Rate3x-3.5x
RoleSpecialist

A specialist ball for catching another Pokémon from a species you already own.

Gen IIISpecies already caught
Best use
Catching duplicates for natures, marks, abilities, trading, or alternate forms.
Watch out
It needs the species already registered as caught, not merely seen.
Specialist

Timer Ball

SpecialistUp to 4x
GenIII
RateUp to 4x
RoleSpecialist

A specialist ball that gets stronger as the battle goes longer.

Gen IIILong battles
Best use
Legendaries and stubborn targets after several turns of weakening and status setup.
Watch out
It starts weak, so it is not the best opening throw.
Comfort

Luxury Ball

Comfort1x
GenIII
Rate1x
RoleComfort

A stylish ball that helps the caught Pokémon gain friendship faster.

Gen IIIFriendship gain
Best use
Friendship evolution, style collections, and Pokémon you plan to keep in-party.
Watch out
It does not increase catch odds; it improves friendship growth after capture.
Basic

Premier Ball

Basic1x
GenIII
Rate1x
RoleBasic

A commemorative ball with standard catch performance and a distinct white design.

Gen IIICommemorative style
Best use
Collectors who want a clean white ball without changing catch mechanics.
Watch out
It is mostly cosmetic and has no catch bonus.
Specialist

Dusk Ball

Specialist3x-3.5x
GenIV
Rate3x-3.5x
RoleSpecialist

A specialist ball for dark conditions, usually night and cave encounters.

Gen IVNight or caves
Best use
Night hunts, caves, and dark-area legendary encounters.
Watch out
During the day or outside its valid areas, it loses the bonus.
Comfort

Heal Ball

Comfort1x
GenIV
Rate1x
RoleComfort

A comfort ball that fully heals the caught Pokémon after capture.

Gen IVPost-catch healing
Best use
Early-game catches when you want the Pokémon ready immediately after capture.
Watch out
It does not make the catch easier; it heals after a successful catch.
Specialist

Quick Ball

Specialist4x-5x
GenIV
Rate4x-5x
RoleSpecialist

A specialist ball with a very strong first-turn catch bonus.

Gen IVFirst turn
Best use
Opening throw on almost anything, especially dex cleanup and roaming targets.
Watch out
After the opening turn, it drops to normal strength.
Event

Cherish Ball

Event1x
GenIV
Rate1x
RoleEvent

An event-focused ball commonly used to hold distributed special Pokémon.

Gen IVEvent Pokémon
Best use
Mystery Gift and event distributions where the ball signals provenance.
Watch out
Players generally do not choose it during normal wild encounters.
Event

Park Ball

EventGuaranteed
GenIV
RateGuaranteed
RoleEvent

A transfer-feature ball used for Pal Park catches, where capture is guaranteed.

Gen IVPal Park
Best use
Pal Park transfer encounters in games that use that system.
Watch out
It is tied to a specific transfer feature rather than normal catching.
Specialist

Dream Ball

Specialist4x
GenV
Rate4x
RoleSpecialist

A dream-themed ball that is strong on sleeping or drowsy Pokémon in modern rules.

Gen VSleeping or drowsy targets
Best use
Sleep-status catches and dream-themed collections.
Watch out
Older games used it differently, including Dream World and Entree Forest contexts.
Specialist

Beast Ball

Specialist5x / 0.1x
GenVII
Rate5x / 0.1x
RoleSpecialist

A specialist ball made for Ultra Beasts, with a severe penalty on almost everything else.

Gen VIIUltra Beasts
Best use
Ultra Beast captures or high-risk style catches for collectors.
Watch out
It is intentionally terrible on ordinary Pokémon.
Event

Strange Ball

EventDisplay
GenVIII
RateDisplay
RoleEvent

A display ball used when a transferred Pokémon’s original ball is not supported in the destination game.

Gen VIIITransfer placeholder
Best use
Understanding why transferred Pokémon may show a green ball in games without their original ball.
Watch out
It is not a normal player-selected capture option.
Hisui

Hisuian Poké Ball

Hisui0.75x
GenVIII
Rate0.75x
RoleHisui

The Hisui-era baseline ball, built for overworld throwing in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Gen VIIILegends: Arceus field throw
Best use
Basic Hisui field captures and low-risk sneaking throws.
Watch out
It is a Legends: Arceus ruleset ball and may display differently after transfer.
Hisui

Hisuian Great Ball

Hisui1.5x
GenVIII
Rate1.5x
RoleHisui

A stronger Hisui-era field ball for routine captures in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Gen VIIILegends: Arceus field throw
Best use
General Hisui captures once you want a stronger common ball.
Watch out
It follows Legends: Arceus field-capture rules, not standard battle-only assumptions.
Hisui

Hisuian Ultra Ball

Hisui2.25x
GenVIII
Rate2.25x
RoleHisui

The high-grade Hisui-era general ball for stronger field catches.

Gen VIIILegends: Arceus field throw
Best use
Tougher Hisui wild Pokémon when you need a reliable general ball.
Watch out
It is not the same item as the modern Ultra Ball for transfer display purposes.
Hisui

Feather Ball

Hisui1x+
GenVIII
Rate1x+
RoleHisui

A light Hisui ball that flies farther and flatter for distant or airborne Pokémon.

Gen VIIIFlying or distant targets
Best use
Pokémon flying high, standing far away, or hard to reach with standard arcs.
Watch out
It favors range and trajectory more than raw catch power.
Hisui

Wing Ball

Hisui1.5x+
GenVIII
Rate1.5x+
RoleHisui

An upgraded Feather Ball with better catch power and long-range throwing behavior.

Gen VIIIFlying or distant targets
Best use
Longer-range catches where Feather Ball reach is useful but too weak.
Watch out
Still specialized around trajectory and field positioning.
Hisui

Jet Ball

Hisui2x+
GenVIII
Rate2x+
RoleHisui

The strongest long-range Hisui ball, built for fast, flat throws at distant targets.

Gen VIIIFlying or distant targets
Best use
High-value distant targets and flying Pokémon in Legends: Arceus.
Watch out
It is specialized; close stealth catches may prefer Heavy-line balls.
Hisui

Hisuian Heavy Ball

Hisui1x+
GenVIII
Rate1x+
RoleHisui

A short-range Hisui ball that is better when the target is unaware of the player.

Gen VIIIUnaware close targets
Best use
Back strikes and short-range stealth catches on Pokémon that have not noticed you.
Watch out
It does not travel far, so positioning matters.
Hisui

Leaden Ball

Hisui1.75x+
GenVIII
Rate1.75x+
RoleHisui

An upgraded Hisuian Heavy Ball for close, stealth-focused field catches.

Gen VIIIUnaware close targets
Best use
Stronger stealth captures when you can get close safely.
Watch out
Its short range makes it poor for distant or alert targets.
Hisui

Gigaton Ball

Hisui2.5x+
GenVIII
Rate2.5x+
RoleHisui

The strongest short-range Hisui ball for unaware Pokémon.

Gen VIIIUnaware close targets
Best use
High-stakes close stealth catches in Legends: Arceus.
Watch out
It is powerful but awkward outside short-range stealth situations.
Event

Origin Ball

EventStory
GenVIII
RateStory
RoleEvent

A story-specific ball used for the climactic Origin Forme legendary capture in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Gen VIIILegends: Arceus story capture
Best use
Understanding the special story capture for Origin Forme Dialga or Palkia.
Watch out
It is not a normal inventory ball for repeatable catching.
Showing 38 Poké Balls