Why do people always assume pokeballs are uncomfortable? Are they right?

Peppermint Phoenix

Peppermint Phoenix

The one once known as Alphaphlare
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I always assumed that Pokeballs that pokeballs were very comfortable. I mean you are turned to energy moves around a lot so it is not like you can get claustrophobic and in the anime resting in the pokeballs seem to do a lot for the pokemon. I even go as far as to say that's part of the reson pokeballs work is because they are comfortable. So I get annoyed when people make the old joke about how fucked up pokemon is by saying people cram them into balls cause if you look at it is not cramming.
 
I think according to Super Smash Bros. Melee, the Poké Balls are comfortable.
That still doesn't mean that Pokémon enjoy being in them though... especially since in the anime Ash's Pikachu (and in Yellow Version the starter Pikachu) are specifically mentioned to not like being in Poké Balls.
Also it's sort of like imprisonment... if you are captured by the police / military and forced to remain in a room for a long time (even a luxury hotel room) then you still might not like it.
 
The only instance I can think of where a Pokemon was shown inside its Pokeball was at the end of the "Hypno's Naptime" episode of the Anime, where Misty's new Psyduck looked very cramped. Maybe that's where the assumptions come from.
 
Regardless to that episode evidence, it seems kind of illogical for them to be comfortable or not. When a pokemon is put into a pokeball it is retracted into the ball in sort of holographic form, and when the ball is opened it is in that same form until it comes out. Therefore it seems as if they are in a sort of hibernation state inside the pokeball, and therefore it can't really be either--since they are a form of light instead of their bodily form. Thats why it makes sense that a huge snorlax can fit inside a miniscule great ball. Maybe if we had weight and height specific pokeballs less people would be questioning whether the balls are comfortable.
 
Since most Pokemon seem totally fine in the anime with being in a PokeBall, chances are they are confortable, or probably remain as a mass of energy/light.

It's no different for a dog being required to remain in a cage or on a chain. You become the owner of the Pokemon, so it is your responsibility to keep them from potentially causing problems.
 
The whole concept of keeping Pokémon in Poké Balls is somewhat vague, in the anime at least. Pokémon are shown to need to be kept outside their Poké Balls, as seen by the fact that Prof. Oak owns a huge amount of land to allow the Pokémon to run free and he constantly feeds them all, etc. And also there's the fact that Ash tends to let his Pokémon come out of their Poké Balls often, and he feeds them, etc. It makes it seem like, if you leave a Pokémon in a Poké Ball for too long, especially with no food, it will die or something. This is contradicted by other episodes though, where a Poké Ball has been shown to have been left ome place for a very long time, maybe years or even decades, without the Pokémon coming out and they seem perfectly fine.
 
I think not.

Lucian said:
One article addresses the question why Pokémon would go into a Poké Ball. According to this article, this behavior is based on instinct. A weakened Pokémon will curl up tight in an effort to heal itself. The Poké Ball was invented to take advantage of that protective instinct.
Click to expand...
 
Mind the anime and videogames are different things.


However, it must be noted that pokémon are aware to an extent of their surroundings even inside of the pokéball, getting closer to the trainer just by being with them.

And then there are the different types of pokéballs... In particular, the Luxury Ball seems to show that they in fact can be more or less comfortable.


The principal reason N seemed to make a big deal about it, and probably that Pikachu and others, is the confinement part. Generally a Pokémon can't get out unless called upon, so it does limit them.
But there isn't really anything wrong with being inside it itself, given the pokémon isn't even in a physical state. The problem is not being able to freely interact with the outside, which is why they are often let out.
 
Infinity Mk-II said:
Mind the anime and videogames are different things.


However, it must be noted that pokémon are aware to an extent of their surroundings even inside of the pokéball, getting closer to the trainer just by being with them.

And then there are the different types of pokéballs... In particular, the Luxury Ball seems to show that they in fact can be more or less comfortable.


The principal reason N seemed to make a big deal about it, and probably that Pikachu and others, is the confinement part. Generally a Pokémon can't get out unless called upon, so it does limit them.
But there isn't really anything wrong with being inside it itself, given the pokémon isn't even in a physical state. The problem is not being able to freely interact with the outside, which is why they are often let out.
Click to expand...

Still, some pokemons can leave their pokeballs to their own will. Look at how Ash's Oshawott leaves his pokeball even when he's not called upon.
 
I don't know what's up with that... perhaps those Poké Balls are defective / don't work properly. None of the Pokémon were able to escape Mewtwo's balls and obviously they all wanted to, so it's not entirely up to will.
Pokémon have been shown to refuse to come out of thier Poké Balls though, e.g. the Diglett episode.
 
Yeah sometimes they have control as it seems like Diglett or Oshawott or Psyduck. Weird enough Charizard or Exadrill come out when they are ordered despite not wanting to obey.

It seems Pokemon know what is going on in the outside world as well, something that has always made me wonder but when a Pokemon is released from it's pokeball and told to use Flamethrower before it even comes out and attacks the right target without fail, so they must have some way of knowing what's going on outside.
 
In one episode Ash got lost with Sceptile and drop its pokeball. They went to sleep on the ground and Sceptile was uncomfortable, Ash apoligized saying he knows Sceptile would be more comfortable in its ball
 
Infinity Mk-II said:
Mind the anime and videogames are different things.


However, it must be noted that pokémon are aware to an extent of their surroundings even inside of the pokéball, getting closer to the trainer just by being with them.

And then there are the different types of pokéballs... In particular, the Luxury Ball seems to show that they in fact can be more or less comfortable.


The principal reason N seemed to make a big deal about it, and probably that Pikachu and others, is the confinement part. Generally a Pokémon can't get out unless called upon, so it does limit them.
But there isn't really anything wrong with being inside it itself, given the pokémon isn't even in a physical state. The problem is not being able to freely interact with the outside, which is why they are often let out.
Click to expand...
Honestly, I think the main reason N would have against it is that it represents a symbol of Pokémon's subservient status to humans since the general relation is that Pokémon are only to exist outside when called.
 
Yes Pokeballs have always been referenced as a place of rest for Pokemon to recuperate after a battle, or training. The Pokeballs have always been stated to be made specifically for the Pokemon's needs rather than a spherical prison, so yes they are comfortable for Pokemon and some Pokemon even prefer to be in them rather than out.

There are a few exceptions like of course the famous "Ash's Pikachu", which doesn't like to be in one regardless of the comfort the Pokeball provides.
 
Pokemon can come out of Pokeballs at will so they have to be comfortable otherwise the Pokemon would just come out instantly after they were caught, and stay out as much of the time as possible.
 
I have the feeling that Poké Balls are comfortable. I think Pikachu doesn't want to be in one for other reasons. First, out of defiance, because it hadn't warmed up to Ash yet. And once he did, he didn't want to go into the ball in order to constantly be around Ash. Just my take on things.
 
Missingno. Master said:
I have the feeling that Poké Balls are comfortable. I think Pikachu doesn't want to be in one for other reasons. First, out of defiance, because it hadn't warmed up to Ash yet. And once he did, he didn't want to go into the ball in order to constantly be around Ash. Just my take on things.
Click to expand...

Ha, with the anime going as long as it has, it's easy to forget that Pikachu couldn't stand Ash at first!

I agree, I think at first, Pikachu was just doing the rebel thing because it didn't like Ash. But, I also think there was something about being in the Poke Ball that Pikachu didn't like. Maybe it didn't like being turned into energy. And not that it was uncomfortable, but maybe Pikachu just has some kind of Poke Ball phobia. But, when Prof. Oak first released it from its Poke Ball, it didn't seem to act like it had been scared to death from being in the Poke Ball. But anyway, I agree with you, Pikachu probably is just really close to Ash because of all they've been through, so it chooses to travel outside of the Poke Ball with him.
 
No. Why would being stuck whether you like it or not in a ball that is up to less than 1/10 of your overall size for extended periods of time be uncomfortable? I do it all the time.
 
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