The Pokéball is a spherical portable transportation device, used primarily for the capture of Pokémon. It is the invention of this device that generated the classification 'Pokémon' for Magilia.

When maximized and thrown at its target, the Pokéball opens to expose its innards, harnessing the Pokémon in a reddish light. The Pokémon is then retracted into the ball which automatically shuts before running its registration procedure. Should the Pokémon be too agitated for the device to read, it automatically ejects it. Pokéballs that have been involved in a failed capture are rendered unusable and have to be taken to a specialist for resetting.

Modern Pokéballs are also automatically programmed to reject the capture of Pokémon that have already been previously caught. Failsafe mechanisms will also release a captured Pokémon if the Pokéball experiences an unrecoverable error, or is running low on power.

A Pokéball only needs to be opened when capturing or releasing a Pokémon. This is due to the fact that retrieving an already-caught Pokémon requires less precision.

A large majority of mass-produced Pokéballs rely on the PMI network for their correct operation.

Composition

All modern day Pokéballs bear the same 'flip open' design and are constructed from the following materials.

Digita Material
This forms the outer casing, giving a Pokéball its ability to alter sizes with a quick tap of the frontal command button.

Cryocite
The 'windows' that surround the inner portion of a Pokéball are made from a synthetic version of this Taragirite variant. Cryocite is the material responsible for keeping a Pokémon in stasis and its ring like set pattern deliberately mimics the circular patterns set by psychic Pokémon for the even distribution of aura and data.

The Cryocite systems on older Pokéball models are known to malfunction in extreme low temperatures, completely restoring the consciousness of the Pokémon within, but causing errors in the wake up procedure.

Edilite
The material responsible for reducing a Pokémon to its component parts for storage within the Pokéball. Edilite is situated in tiny dots between each Cryocite panel and works in a circuit which is activated by holding down the command button.

ID Tag Implementation Unit
To prevent the recapture of a previously caught Pokémon, the Pokéball scans for a trainer ID tag. If no ID tag is found, the Pokéball writes one to the captured Pokémon's data. This ID tag also is used by the PMI to keep track of how many Pokémon a trainer is carrying.
Illegally-hacked or old model Pokéballs lack this unit, making it possible for those wielding them to carry amounts of Pokémon far exceeding league standards.

Variants

Great Ball
Thought to be an attempt to create a synthetic version of the Master Ball, the Great Ball proved cheap to make and stronger than conventional Pokéballs, but not infallible in the field of capture.

Ultra Ball
This adjusted Great Ball is capable of storing a pokémon and any accessories they may be wearing or holding. Ultra ball internal mechanisms are most frequently used in Pokéballs belonging to wealthy citizens.

Lure Ball
Created using a blue Apricorn which is particularly buoyant. This Pokéball is designed to be attached to the end of a fishing rod.

Heavy Ball
Created using a black Apricorn, this Pokéball is particularly effective on any pokémon whose physical mass is too large to be contained by conventional Pokéballs.

Friend Ball
Created using a green Apricorn, the fragrance of which has a calming effect. A pokémon caught in this ball is more likely to become amiable to its trainer quicker.

Moon Ball
Created using a yellow Apricorn, one of the rarer Apricorn types. This ball appears to be particularly effective on Lunari pokémon.

Fast Ball
Created using a white Apricorn, this Pokéball is lighter than most and shaped for better aerodynamics - giving it increased speed when thrown.

Net Ball
Specially designed for the better capture of bug or water type pokémon.

Dive Ball
Developed for underwater use. Dive balls incorporate a tiny in-built thrust for faster movement through liquids.

Timer Ball
This Pokéball contains a capture mechanism which is powerful, but takes some time to gain full strength.

Heal Ball
This expensive Pokéball contains a tiny single-use restoration module which heals the pokémon entirely upon capture.

Dusk Ball
Not to be confused with a Dark Ball, these Pokéballs have a built in scanner and heat-seeking mechanism for improved capture in dimly lit or dark areas.

Safari/Park Ball
These Pokéballs are IDed to the pokémon park areas which own them.

Premier Ball/Luxury Ball/Cherish Ball
Given away only at special events, these are Pokéballs with beautified outer casings

Master Ball
Created using an extremely rare Apricorn, this valuable Pokéball is capable of capturing a -pokémon on first impact, regardless of whether the target has been weakened or not.


Dark Ball
See 'Dark Ball'

Rocket Ball
Utilizing Orre's Snag Machine technology, a Rocket Ball has the ability to override the existing trainer ID of a pokémon.

Pokéball-like Items

GS Ball
See 'GS Ball'

Pester Ball
An object containing a gaseous repellent, intended to be thrown distances for defence against wild pokémon.

Customization

Pokéballs are known for their great customizability, a process undertaken by many to show their job position or social status. Guardsmen members and those belonging to the NU both use Pokéballs with personalized outer designs.

Ball capsules and seals are used at Pokémon Contests for increased flair to a pokémon's entrance. These capsules are specially-designed with artificial Ignicite to project various images upon the pokémon within being released.

History

The first "Pokéball" -or at least a capture device with this resemblance- is thought to have existed almost 3000 years ago. It was incredibly large and made from stone - a prototype containment artefact for an oversized Claydol created somewhere in the Izabe Islands near Hoenn. The specific engravings upon this artefact have inspired the designs of the many Pokéballs that followed.

Early handheld Pokéballs were known as "Apricles", due to being constructed from the specially-treated shells of Apricorns - an odd, pithy fruit grown more for its material use than its nutritional value. Due to the small Apricorn crops and the time it took to grow them, Apricles were very rare and only available to those with a considerable amount of wealth.

The first mass-produced Pokéballs came into existence in the 1930s, when the father of Samuel Oak offered his schematics to a Johtoan engineering firm. Though still fairly cumbersome at around 8cm in diameter, these alloy-based devices gained the title "Pocket Ball" due to their nigh compact nature. As the popularity of Pocket Balls spread, the creatures these devices were designed to capture were reclassified as "Pocket Monsters". The usage of their names and consequential shorthand versions spread from Johto, across Oci.

The discovery of Digita Material five years later gave Pokéballs the ability to minimize to 3cm diameter for portability.

In 1998, a DNA recognition upgrade was applied to Pokéball devices. This was to prevent the capture of anything BUT a Pokémon. However it is possible to dupe the device should a living organism contain mixed DNA.

Newer versions of Pokéballs thrown at humans have been known to cause temporary paralysis due to exposure to the DNA recognition system. Work is currently being undertaken to resolve this.

Ethics

While the presence of Pokéballs in modern Ocian lifestyles is now accepted as normal, controversy remains over their use. The synthesized Linking procedure is considered by some people to be enforced, despite manufacturers' insistence that Pokéballs reject Pokémon that exhibit no desire for human association.

Others are concerned that the ability to keep large numbers of Pokemon in suspended states devalues people's view of Pokemon as living beings. While there have been some measures taken to allow only 6 Pokemon to be handled at any one time, this concern still remains. Pokéball manufacturers consistently emphasize the device's use as transportation and not storage - advising trainers to allow their pokémon to roam freely at least once a day to prevent disorientation from Pokéball stasis.

There is a great debate as to a pokémon's level of awareness while inside a Pokéball. While pokémon are kept in a sleep like state without need for oxygen or food, their level of awareness depends on the pokémon in question combined with the mood they were in upon being returned to their Pokéball. Aggravated states cause aura flux which interferes with a Pokéball's Cryocite network.

During the few seconds between Pokéball activation and pokémon release, the Pokéball initiates a procedure not unlike those of dream states, allowing the pokémon to "wake up" over the course of -what seems to its own mind- several minutes. This means released pokémon will always be alert and ready for instruction. Of course there are sometimes exceptions.

Psychic pokémon are known to be generally more aware of their surroundings while inside a Pokéball, due to ESP.

Some pokémon have been known to become travel sick as a result of being stored in Pokéballs, contributing to their personal dislike of them.