Pokéballs : how do they work anyway?

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This has been discussed before, but it too warrants its own thread. Pokéballs are one of the most advanced technology of the pokémon world. They are able to absorb and store in a limited amount of space creatures of gigantic mass and size.

How can they do that? Is it a special property of the pokémon? Something to do with a technology they have that we know nothing of? (in that case, would pokéball be able to work on humans? One would assume that they have built-in safeguards against catching humans, if it would be otherwise possible...)

Thoughts?
 
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Two words: Pym Particles. If Ledian X reads this, he'll understand PERFECTLY what I mean. And maybe he'll be able to explain it better than I could.
 
The way I see it, the defining characteristic of any pokeball, from whatever time period, is that it forms a physical boundary around a sort of subspace pocket. One of the defining traits of pokemon is that when the boundary is incomplete (i.e. when the ball is open), they can enter and leave such a pocket at will. When the boundary is complete (ball is closed and latched), it takes considerable effort to break through.

When a pokemon spends time in a subspace pocket, it and that particular pocket tend to become attuned to each other, which is why (but for a few exceptional cases) a pokeball cannot be used to capture an owned pokemon against its will.

In the relatively recent past, it was discovered that a properly modulated laser beam could be used to temporarily extend the pocket beyond the boundary, allowing for the recall beam found in modern pokeballs. Other features have also been added, but they are mostly for ease of use, and have little to do with the core functions of the ball.
 
Question on that theory, Murg. Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis, is that the same principle as the one used by the object that trapped Jessie and James (among others)?
 
As far as Pokemon Special and the original games (RGB) are concerned, though, it seems more like Pokeballs shrink the Pokemon and contain it, rather than doing anything truly metaphysical with it - such as turning into energy or dumping it into a parallel pocket dimension.
 
Damian Silverblade said:
Question on that theory, Murg. Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis, is that the same principle as the one used by the object that trapped Jessie and James (among others)?
Click to expand...
Same fundamental principle, though probably implemented somewhat differently by the Pokemopolitans than in the modern pokeball.
(To expand on the theory slightly, while pokemon can enter and exit these subspace pockets at will, other items (including humans) can be brought in and out by other means, such as by psychic or related powers.)
 
I'm wondering about the apricorns. How can the outer shells of nuts be crafted into complex machines for catching specific biosigns?
 
That was one of the questions that led me to create my theory. My solution is simple: the question is based on a false premise. Complex machinery is not a critical component of pokéballs. Old apricorn balls were technologically unsophisticated, and modern ones have the machinery adjoined just inside the shell.
 
Before you hop into quantum physics; if you've ever played the Gold/Silver/Cyrstal generations games, it's stated primitive pokeballs were hollowed out Apricorn with a simple mechanism inside in ancient times. Pokemon, most likely are able to easily convert into energy; say bundled photons and use the apparent mirrors inside to concave and focus into one point, storing? Then again, this is eliminated by the Primeape episode where Ash catches a donut(riceball in jap. version) in his pokeball.
 
I'd go with the folded space theory of Murg's. Perhaps there is an element that can bend space into a pocket when energized that Apricorn trees absorb into the Apricorns (for reference let's call it Quantinium). The Quantinium in the apricorns is what makes the whole operation works. A little energy causes the space folding and the Pokemon is trapped in the folded space.

However, what about snag balls. Does the snag machine scan the target for it's frequency and match the ball's quantium frequency to it.

It probably one of those things that's very simple in practice but very complicated in explanation.
 
According to Pokémon.com, the inside of a Pokéball is a full environment for that Pokémon containing whatever terrain it likes best - fields, rivers, caves, whatever.

We also know that Pokémon appear from and disappear into Pokéballs in a beam of light.

This suggests, to me, that the Pokéball converts the Pokémon's matter to energy, and stores it as energy until it is again called upon, using the premise that mass is equivalent to energy (Einstein's equation: E[sub]0[/sub] = mc2, E[sub]0[/sub] being the rest energy of a body).

And I note that this board doesn't have the capacity for subscripts and superscripts.
 
Divergent Analysis said:
According to Pokémon.com, the inside of a Pokéball is a full environment for that Pokémon containing whatever terrain it likes best - fields, rivers, caves, whatever.
Click to expand...

I don't think that's so. If it was, what reason would Oak have for letting them out?
 
Thanks very much, Zhen Lin.

I suppose that Oak lets them out so they have other Pokémon to interact with. A life in a Pokéball would be very lonely.
 
It wouldn't explain what we saw with Psyduck at the end of Hypno's Naptime. (Unless Psyduck prefers mysterious dark places...?)
 
Please note: The thread is from 20 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
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