Pokemon Franchise Introduces New Kind of Poke Ball

A recently-aired episode of Pokemon Horizons has revealed a new kind of Poke Ball that’s never been seen in the series before. The unique design stands out from the rest of Pokemon‘s large assortment of Poke Ball designs, sparking curiosity in the fandom.

The Pokemon series has always had more than one kind of Poke Ball, but the number and uses for them have ballooned over the years. Whether Pokemon trainers are trying to catch a specific kind of Pokemon, like a Water-type or Bug-type, or need to try and catch a Pokemon after a battle has dragged on for too long, there’s a lot of clever ways to use Poke Balls to maximize one’s chances of a catch. However, the exact use of this new Poke Ball, if any, remains unclear.

Related

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Launch New Mass Outbreak and 5-Star Tera Raid Battles

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet reveal a new mass outbreak and 5-Star Tera Raid battle campaign as part of a leadup to a major raid event.

SPOILERS for the Pokemon Horizons anime follow.In a recent episode of Pokemon Horizons airing in Japan, a new Poke Ball has been shown to be used by Gibeon in a flashback. The moment happens in episode 75 of Pokemon Horizons, with a translated title of “The Entrusted Future, the Shine of This World.” The episode digs into the history of the Explorers and features an impressive Pokemon catch by Liko, but the Poke Ball is particularly curious. It’s the Poke Ball Gibeon uses to house his special white Zygarde.

Will This Mysterious Poke Ball Be Important?

Fans have been curious about the appearance of the Poke Ball, which has something of an almost steampunk-like design to it. The usual circle button of the ball has been replaced with a gear, with a white and brown color scheme accented by green and red accents. When shown in the Pokemon Horizons episode, the Poke Ball already contains Zygarde, so it’s not yet clear if there’s some special purpose to the Poke Ball or if it’s just a cosmetic difference.

Pokemon fans are already speculating about what the purpose of this new Poke Ball could be, and if it will even be important in the end. Many took the opportunity to bring up the forgotten GS Ball of the Gold and Silver era of the Pokemon anime. The GS Ball was originally intended to hold a Celebi that would be a major plot point, but the idea was scrapped and Celebi was shifted to the fourth Pokemon movie instead. As a result, the GS Ball was quietly left behind and purposefully written out of the plot, but clearly, not all Pokemon fans have forgotten about it as the show developers hoped.

At the time of airing this episode in Japan, the English-language broadcast of Pokemon Horizons was only up to episode 45. Fans shouldn’t expect to see a translated version of this episode for quite some time. Perhaps, by then, the purpose of this Poke Ball will have been revealed. Pokefans will have to wait and see.

Pokemon

Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokemon spans games, television, films, manga, merchandise, music, and more.
 

Created by

Satoshi Tajiri