Poké Ball

Poké Ball
Official artwork of the Poké Ball.
Universe	Pokémon
Debut	Pokémon Red and Green Versions (1996)
Appears in	SSB Melee Brawl SSB4 Ultimate
Item class	Throwing/Summoning
Most recent non-Smash appearance	Pokémon Legends: Z-A (2025)
Article on Bulbapedia	Poké Ball (item)

“	When thrown, the ball opens up, and a Pokémon™ pops out. The Pokémon that appears is random; it performs its special skill then leaves.	”
—Super Smash Bros. instruction booklet description

The Poké Ball (モンスターボール, Monster Ball) is an item from the Pokémon universe.

Origin

A Poké Ball in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, having just caught a wild Pokémon.

Poké Balls are the most important items in the core Pokémon games and several spin-offs, where they are used by Pokémon Trainers to catch wild Pokémon, store caught Pokémon and conveniently carry them around. Several different types of Poké Balls exist, which either increase the likelihood of catching a wild Pokémon in specific conditions, have a unique effect on the caught Pokémon, or simply have cosmetic differences when acquired during certain events. During battles, Pokémon are sent out by trainers by throwing the Poké Ball into the battlefield, which releases the chosen Pokémon with a burst of light. The Poké Ball serves as the series symbol for the Pokémon series.

Since the Poké Ball's debut in the Smash series, the characteristic sound effects from the Pokémon anime have been incorporated into its design. From Brawl onwards, the Poké Ball makes a distinct, hollow noise when it lands on the battlefield. The sound, initially used only when switching Pokémon in the games, was first associated with landing Poké Balls in the anime. This behavior was later incorporated into the games starting with Gold and Silver, and has since consistently appeared in each subsequent installment.

Overview

Pikachu being released from a Poké Ball in its on-screen appearance.

When thrown, it releases a random Pokémon upon landing. Each Pokémon has a different effect, such as attacking the summoner's opponents, changing the properties of the stage, and inducing status effects. The Pokémon available change between games, with every new release adding several Pokémon which tend to come from the most recent generations. Not every Pokémon returns in subsequent games, with some being replaced in function by newer Pokémon and some others disappearing completely.

Since Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Poké Ball makes a unique sound effect when it hits the floor (the Poké Ball bouncing sound from the Pokémon games and anime), thus alerting players to its presence even if it appears off-screen. Also, reflecting a thrown Poké Ball will change its ownership, and the Pokémon summoned from it will belong to the reflector rather than the thrower.

In the first Super Smash Bros., up to 4 Poké Balls can be on-screen at the same time. This number was increased to 12 in Super Smash Bros. Melee. The number was reduced to 3 in Brawl and remains 3 in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS the limit is only 1, due to limited rendering power.

Another version of the Poké Ball, the Master Ball, was introduced in Smash 4, which has the same function as the Poké Ball but only releases Legendary Pokémon, with a couple of exceptions.

Non-item Poké Balls appear during the on-screen appearances of most playable Pokémon in every game except for Melee, and are thrown by the Pokémon Trainer for his Pokémon Change. Only Mewtwo and Lucario do not emerge from a Poké Ball during their on-screen appearances.

Damage

In SSB4, damage varies based on distance. Projectiles thrown point-blank do more damage. Projectiles thrown or dropped vertically will do more damage at a greater distance. However, in most cases, the Poké Ball either does fixed damage or doesn't even hit.

	SSB	Melee	Brawl	SSB4	Ultimate
Throw	16%	13%	13%	13%	13%
Up tilt throw	17%	12%	12%	12-15%	12-15%
Down tilt throw	13%	15%	N/A	15%	15%
Dash throw	21%	15%	15%	15%	15%
Forward smash throw	20%	16%	13%	16%	16%
Up smash throw	21%	12%	12%	15-18%	15-18%
Down smash throw	13%	19%	N/A	19%	19%
Aerial throw	18%	15%	15%	13%	13%
Aerial drop	N/A	12%	12%	5-12%	5-12%
Aerial up tilt throw	20%	12%	12%	13-15%	13-15%
Aerial down tilt throw	21%	15%	15%	12%	12%
Aerial forward smash throw	21%	15%	15%	13%	13%
Aerial up smash throw	24%	12%	12%	12-15%	12-15%
Aerial down smash throw	24%	15%	15%	12-15%	12-25%

List of Pokémon in Poké Ball and Master Ball

National Pokédex #	Pokémon	Move
460	Abomasnow	Blizzard, Ice Punch
063	Abra	Teleport
493	Arceus	Gravity
144	Articuno	Icy Wind
015	Beedrill	Take Down
182	Bellossom	Sweet Scent
760	Bewear	Brutal Swing
009	Blastoise	Hydro Pump
438	Bonsly	Tackle
251	Celebi	Fly
113	Chansey	Softboiled
006	Charizard	Flamethrower
650	Chespin	Seed Bomb
152	Chikorita	Razor Leaf
035	Clefairy	Metronome
155	Cyndaquil	Flamethrower
491	Darkrai	Dark Void
702	Dedenne	Discharge
386	Deoxys	Hyper Beam
132	Ditto	Transform
133	Eevee	Take Down
101	Electrode	Explosion
244	Entei	Fire Spin
103	Alolan Exeggutor	Block
653	Fennekin	Incinerate
661	Fletchling	Peck
282	Gardevoir	Reflect
649	Genesect	Techno Blast
487	Giratina	Dragon Breath
673	Gogoat	Take Down Horn Leech
118	Goldeen	Splash
383	Groudon	Overheat
316	Gulpin	Swallow
106	Hitmonlee	Jump Kick
250	Ho-Oh	Sacred Fire
686	Inkay	Topsy-Turvy