What Was The Worlds First Pokeball? - Pokemon Theory

[@Zivillyn]

It could be possible that Oak's pokeball was the first mass produced design, and older balls, like Lokoko's ball, were handcrafted for specific pokemon partners. It's possible that the modern design has been in use for centuries, but before the modern balls existed, they had to painstakingly crafted by hand from things like Apricorns, and the capsule ball that young Oak uses is an early attempt at mechanizing that process. Not quite as well crafted, but made cheaply enough that most people can get them.

[@drakephoenixfeather4056]

I was going to say something similar actually

[@skelitonking117]

I also believe relics like those found at Pokéopolis are also an ancient form of Pokéball, designed to store a specific one per relic but still. It also coincides with the Stone Pokéball used to catch Claydoll, Perhaps they originally used the relics on real pokemon, but they devised the actual pokeball to use on their artificial construct pokemon; like the Baltoy line, the Reggies, Sigiglyph, or even the Golurk line. Maybe they just switched over to those because they were more effective and not limited to a single individual pokemon? Perhaps that’s when they discovered Apricorns, and the traditional way of Ball crafting was formed; then somewhere down the line the first mass produced pokeballs emerged, similar to the one Oak had as a child?

[@loturzelrestaurant]

@@skelitonking117 The Pokeball-Imagery known before the Pokeballs-Imagery was invented is EASILY EXPLAINED BY FUTURE VISION! More than just Xatu and its Evolution can see into the Future!! Get it?

[@TheDeathmail]

Okay, here is one thing though... what if that symbol... the symbol of the Pokeball... is actually an ancient symbol used through out the world... and the modern Pokeball is based off of that symbol? That would explain a lot...

[@ChrispyCulture]

I'd say that's confirmed.

[@nickdentoom1173]

But... What if the ancient Symbol is based off Foongus and Amoonguss.

[@BenHughes877]

Though so myself following the theory

[@lewislast1603]

@@nickdentoom1173 or voltorb

[@nickdentoom1173]

@@lewislast1603 Voltorb was most likely a thing after the Pokeballs were invented.

[@_Banjo_]

Sidenote, i genuinly love how Kalos included a Pokeball Factory in the game. Thats such an awesome idea, genuinly insane to think...oh yeah they must be made somewhere in large amounts.

[@Wheeler07]

Plus it had sick music so that's pretty pog

[@M_Alexander]

And they're obviously mass produced as a standard Pokéball costs only ¥200 and are available *everywhere*

[@IAmMissingnoMaster]

About that Poké Ball Factory- am I the only one who sees it as such a missed opportunity that there are no Voltorb or Electrode to be found there? They're even in the right section of the Kalos Dex for this!

[@M_Alexander]

@@IAmMissingnoMaster it does seem strange that there weren't any but I also don't want every mystery answered.

[@v.v365]

You bringing up infinity energy made me think, “huh, what if when the ultimate weapon was fired the beam hit an asteroid belt, giving Pokémon life energy to rocks in space that eventually fell down to earth, making the more alien-like rock/ice/steel Pokémon?”

[@BirdKeeperToby]

That could make sense, many theories that that is how Deoxys came into being

[@megaplays2748]

@@BirdKeeperToby Only issue with Deoxys is how could it exist in the non Mega timeline if, according to how we classify its difference from the Mega timeline, the Ultimate Weapon was never fired

[@loturzelrestaurant]

@@BirdKeeperToby The Pokeball-Imagery known before the Pokeballs-Imagery was invented is EASILY EXPLAINED BY FUTURE VISION! More than just Xatu and its Evolution can see into the Future!! Get it?

[@Thepaintingwick]

Toby: "This is my theory of how pokeballs came to be." Pokemon legends arceus: "hold my beer."

[@PansyPops]

I like to think the first pokeball was the giant stone pokeball used in the anime to catch a giant Claydol.

[@PansyPops]

13:12 this was actually bought up in the video. I didn’t actually really know this, great minds think alike!

[@sandganggoalis35sus45]

true

[@jerjerme69]

there is also the pokemon movie with lucario

[@timwoods2852]

If it came through a wormhole, it could have been a Dinamax ball, possibly an unperfected prototype.

[@darknes2742]

@@timwoods2852 that's what I thought when I heard giant stone pokeball. Could the first Pokemon ball be related to the dynamax energy and specifically the galar region. Which we now know contains a breeding ground for legendary pokemon.

[@dolcethesmorse7362]

He nearly just said “but hey, that’s just a theory. A Pokemon theory.”

[@Tchadkid]

AAAAAAAAAND CUT

[@TsuriaDragon]

Yeah it’s like a bad reality tv show tune in next time

[@loturzelrestaurant]

The Pokeball-Imagery known before the Pokeballs-Imagery was invented is EASILY EXPLAINED BY FUTURE VISION! More than just Xatu and its Evolution can see into the Future!! Get it?

[@gabriellockwood2780]

Hoenn: *2020- GROUDON, KYOGRE, RAYQUAZA, DEOXYS, METEORITE STORMS, etc.*

[@ChrispyCulture]

Lol Deoxys is a virus and an alien. 2 for 1.

[@Conorator]

groodon keyogeree

[@namesdontmattergaming2756]

Me when I heard Toby’s intro talk: Everyone asks “What’s in the pokeball?” but never “What’s the pokeball?”

[@dubbingsync]

But they never ask “how’s the pokeball?”

[@namesdontmattergaming2756]

Rhys Causon Or “When is the pokeball?”

[@dubbingsync]

Otakuhipster gaming why is a pokeball?

[@namesdontmattergaming2756]

Rhys Causon Can’t forget “Who pokeball?”

[@Scififan926]

Where is the Pokeball?

[@BirdKeeperToby]

Look out for some HUGE announcements coming before the end of the month! :D

[@shadowleaderdon733]

Why do I have a bad feeling about it

[@martyrhodes]

Yay Maybe

[@PansyPops]

Ooh, sounds very intriguing!

[@zanepickens8706]

what if fthe pokeball design originated from a cultural symbol of old. So like the pokemon worlds yin yang, or sun wheel, or (insert ancient symbol here) that as opportunities for creating things like megearna and pokeballs, it was one of the more widely known symbols. it couldve just been a symbol that was drawn or jewelry made way in the ancient days that symbolized a bond with pokemon. and thus when people started making pokeballs that was the natural choice. but if its such a recurring sybol throughout time, its likely that it didnt start out as a pokeball and wouldve been adaptedd to that purpose when technology allowed

[@nickdentoom1173]

@@zanepickens8706 The Pokeball design can come from Foongus and Amoonguss, who have that Pokeball pattern.

[@WarmLillie]

*Lillie holds a Rotom-dex as she goes to Galar upgrade to a Roto-Phone* Technically is evolving so fast... I wonder how the next pokeball will look like soon?

[@PansyPops]

If it’s anything like our real world technology, and how we progress with technology, it’ll look a lot smaller, be a lot more efficient, and perhaps store multiple Pokemon. I doubt this will happen though, it will be too overpowered.

[@nicholasjames695]

I'm thinking the Pokeballs will become more like Great balls and so forth. Thinking about how animals evolve, I wouldn't be surprised if the next games introduce pokemon that are stronger, and stats will start off higher than in previous games. We'll probably be seeing pokemon that aren't Legendaries but have similar stats as the cap.

[@revolvingworld2676]

@Charlie Henry Rotom Pokeball is already theorized by many people to be Voltorb. But since Pokeballs are literally meant to capture Pokemon its soul is stuck there fused with the pokeball itself.

[@michelzwiers7742]

It becomes even more convincing when looking at the Original Colour Magearna, with it having almost the same colours as a modern day pokeball

[@Sagewinds]

I would say the symbol we see as the pokeball, the large ring with two smaller rings and the line across, is an ancient symbol associated with Pokémon and Sylph and Devon choose to decorate their versions with it as a nod to the symbol.

[@KogawaYuri-ENVtuber]

Toby, you should revisit this sometime because now that Pokémon legends Arceus is out, we now know that the pokeball was a “recent invention” So what does that mean for the original pokeball’s creation?

[@LittleListy21]

hearing you describe this is cool and all, but all I could think of was how absolutely BONKERS and cool it would be if we got a Pokemon Colisseum 3 kind of game, big open rpg, combining all the different regions and Pokedexs, with the premise being that Pokeballs are acting up and not working around the world, and it turns out to be a plot from a defector within Silph Co. or Devon, maybe ex-employees from both companies forming a third underground one, something like that. I didn't even know I wanted it and now it's all I want from the next Pokemon game.

[@silvercyndaquil8472]

Toby: Listing stuff that controlled Pokemon. Me: Waiting for him to mention Ranger Styluses.

[@loturzelrestaurant]

The Pokeball-Imagery known before the Pokeballs-Imagery was invented is EASILY EXPLAINED BY FUTURE VISION! More than just Xatu and its Evolution can see into the Future!! Get it?

[@brandonm8901]

This might have a re-look since Pokemon Legends Arceus has been announced

[@timwoods2852]

BKT: "They perfected the technology." Voltorb: *Explodes*

[@Dusxio]

I'll give you two supporting points: Considering Lokoko's pokeball, it might have beeon one of the handcrafted ones make by a ball-smith, while Sam's is one of the early attempts to industrialize the creation. Considering their similar looks and means of use, it's the artistic vs industrial versions. And to the ever present imagery, it might be the concept and philosphy of the 'capture device'. The spherical shape best for containing something, with the crack being important. Spiritomb's entry says the spirits were bound to the crack in the stone. So that split and central circle might be the symbolic or functional control cap and release point for the energy.

[@journii8930]

Awesome theory Toby! You've now got me asking how Kurt and others even go about making PokéBalls? Especially when these people don't seem to be inherently magical in nature. Infinity Energy seems way more commercial than the means by which they obtain it.

[@chrispickett7301]

Also with 108 in Pokemon GO, for the Halloween events you usually have to catch 108 pokemen, use 108 berries, do all sorts of 108 things. I never knew this about Spiritomb but it has been a reward catchie from the Halloween stuff so it all tracks. Interesting. Thanks for the video.

[@dracish123456789]

I think this power aura among humans could explain how some humans can raise their pokemon so strong so quick and why there isn't many people who train up absurdly high level mons

[@samaccardi]

I was thinking about that Hot Fuzz clip milliseconds before it played. Thank you XD

[@BirdKeeperToby]

haha welcome!

[@dubbingsync]

It’s a constant invasive thought whenever I hear the phrase “the greater good” now.

[@luckyday5721]

Before watching want to state what I've noticed is the classic pokeball design does appear in nature and is even used to lure or distract pokemon like on Amoongus and more recently on galarian Stunfisk as something to draw them in. Just something I've noticed that may have popularized the design.

[@AlmightyArceus]

I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for a video like this. Spectacular work, Toby!

[@mally60]

i love how your phone wallpaper is master chief. many people think hes a guy who shoots good but i know that he is a guy who shoots good because he has a tragic backstory. i love the theory as well, history is one of my stronger subjects so obviously i enjoy this sort of stuff.

[@_Banjo_]

2:50 and you met up with people at specific times in places, and if they were running late..you'd never know

[@loturzelrestaurant]

The Pokeball-Imagery known before the Pokeballs-Imagery was invented is EASILY EXPLAINED BY FUTURE VISION! More than just Xatu and its Evolution can see into the Future!!

[@madnessarcade7447]

My house didn’t get WiFi till I was in middle school which was 2010 So I went through the whole dial up phone internet later than the rest of the world lmao

[@danielsimmich1858]

Madness Arcade same here haha

[@mildlycornfield]

Oak's pokeball definitely looks like it's made of metal and plastic rather than out of Apricorns, which makes me think it was an early attempt of using manmade materials to make a pokeball

[@Alexdluffy2451]

How do we know that the symbol of the poke ball is actually representing a poke ball it could have represented something else but over time it was adopted to actually become the main design element of the the modern day pokeball. They could have just been the symbol of Pokémon in the Old days

[@animorph17]

Bonus points, the Premiere ball is actually just pure white. Putting on a Red/White design was what they did afterword.

[@jeffbrownstain]

This is my favorite video you've ever made and this topic would make for a great Lockstin crossover. He's all about that Mystery Science shizz.

[@martyrhodes]

The intros are really funny

[@BirdKeeperToby]

ahaha I try :')

[@PansyPops]

Bird Keeper Toby it was really good. Keep up the good work!

[@Divineskulls1]

Okay but how about: a circle with a smaller circle inside with a line through it being a commonly used image for controlling pokemon in general. The modern pokeball was designed to have the front of it look like this symbol.

[@msart2023]

The theory that pokemon sword and shield being far into the future makes sense since we haven't gotten any character-crossovers like in most pokemon games.

[@timzoat]

Really fascinating video! It all makes so much sense, I want to believe its canon now. Especially with time walks (we know they exist due to Dialga) the modern image and symbol of the Pokeball could have been transferred into any time where humans existed in the Pokemon World.

[@pinkzeppelin98]

I feel like it would make more sense that the Pokeballs manipulate Infinity Energy instead of it being used in its creation. I doubt Devon and Silph are absorbing IE en masse

[@5Porygon]

Thank you so much for all videos you made. You are one of my absolutely best youtubers ever. :) Jsi borec. Mám moc rád tvoji tvorbu.

[@rainiosvids]

I belive the "Lococo" throwable pokeball was the most efficient design since it allowed for the trainer to keep at a safe range while catching the pokemon. I theorize the pokeball goes back around 600 years ago and the idea spread around the world, but the technology to capture the pokemon wasnt refined so it was dropped. On and off throughout the years, scientists and alchamists kept trying to increase the capture rate for wild pokemon untill a young Samuel Oak and Kurt cracked the code and allowed for Sylf Co to use the their technology to improve on it, recreating a reliable modern day pokeball.

[@ctbarrel8974]

Mini theory: the pokeball design is a common one, much like spirals and stars are in our world. It just made sense to apply it to the revolutionary new device known as a Pokeball

[@DragonxFlutter]

Wait. New Mauville. That’s literally the backstory to The Vaults in _Fallout._ Devon Corp. is VaultTech confirmed???? EDIT: Perhaps the iconic PokéBall shape (a circle divided horizontally into two semicircles with a smaller circle between) is an example of a type of symbol that has had universal importance in the PokéWorld. Many fictional worlds have such symbols in their respective mythologies. It may be a symbol that has always been used in a related manner to the Pokémon creatures. Maybe that specific symbol represents Infinity Energy????

[@pathfinderGM]

2 things: i like the idea that the idea /shape of a pokeball is based off a 2d drawing of binding a pokemon in energy form (small circle) and 2 parts to bind it. Top is the item based on the Smith and thats why it gains the details. Bottom is the the creature masters or aura masters. It takes both to fully seal up the pokemon in this form to be carried around. Other thing is that this can be an explanation as to why you cannot catch a fainted pokemon and how a pokemon can break free if it really doesnt want to be captured. It be required to use the pokemon's own aura to power the pokeball. The pokemon fights to regain control of its aura and breaks the seals. This is why a pokeball has only one try. And why you can make pokeballs that are better at catching certain pokemon. The seals inside are already pre geared for that type of aura and can control and bind that pokemon more easily. This would make masterballs really dark because if it always works then that means it already has a full battery of life energy in it that is so strong that the pokemon's energy cant break the seals. "How did they harness that much life energy to do that?" Maybe that's why there is only one masterball per game. Plus it leans into the anime and manga a bit with the friendship thing because if a pokemon choses to not fight and lets its aura be used then it is captured regardless of pokeball used. Leaning back to the pokemon choses the trainer. Oh and perhaps the seal in the pokeball for loyalty or whatever is linked to whoever throws the pokeball. Thats why traded pokemon require gym badges. Excpet that doesnt work with gift pokemon... You are the theorist figure it out I'm giving you gold on a player here.

[@WarmLillie]

The pokeball is one device that well known item but has a lot of unknown history.

[@TheKiwiCache]

“I used the Pokémon to control the Pokémon”

[@ShayTheValiant]

I'm pretty sure Sir Aaron didn't put Lucario in and out of the staff like a Poké Ball multiple times. He sealed Lucario in his staff so he couldn't stop him from saving the Tree of Beginning. It was just the one time.

[@iv5480]

Small dip into the origin of how pokeballs were made into reality turns into building a utopia blindly and forcibly *love it*

[@themega108]

8:23 - "6...." *procedes to show 9* Gotta love the little hiccups lol

[@SeltzerPlease]

I DO INDEED WONDER ABOUT THESE THINGS OFTEN. The Spiritomb point is new to me! Thinking along these lines, it seems the advent of the modern Pokéball would lead to a lot of over-catching...kinda exemplified by Gou in the most recent season (as much as I love the kid). I wonder if this has been a source of conflict between Pokémon and humans before (Great War?), or if it will be in the future. Great vid! :D

[@kellygingrich4302]

Brilliant! That's some deep lore about such a fundamental piece of the Pokemon world - love it!

[@derrabbit7289]

Makes so much sense! I always suspected that aura is the reason for so much in the Pokémon world. It’s what protects Pokémon in battles from truly getting hurt and protects trainers from their Pokémon’s attacks. So a Pokémon can’t hop Pokémon balls because it’s life force is bound to that one? Well that explains why it’s one shot or nothing

[@alexpine8295]

“Transition! Into! Intro!” -BirdKeeperToby 2020

[@GiubileiFernando]

1- Modern pokeballs can be a rediscovery of ancient and lost technology. 2- France 3- Pokeballs, at least in the anime, seem to be a modern and technological version of magical containment vessels. Like those shown in the Pokemopolis episode, or a genie's lamp, or Dragon Ball's thermos used to contain people with the Mafuba. They may even still be just a technological way to basically do a magic sealing spell. After all, Pokemon are basically just yokai.

[@leftygurl]

i think it’s possible that oak’s pokeball wasn’t necessarily how all pokeballs were back then, maybe it was just the kind that were available at retail or to young trainers at the time, because the tech was either very expensive or difficult to produce commercially

[@jozzywolf7520]

What if Oak's pokeball was just the first kind able to be mass produced? And the more fancy ones were all handmade?

[@ssvegeta350]

Celebi's time travel power can solve the mystery of modern pokeballs in the past and the rest of the theory holds

[@freddyshawww]

This sounds interesting!

[@ironkeepgaming1936]

I made a whole story of a Pokémon region based on Mexico and South America, I also made a Dark/Poison Roach Pokemon for the region

[@ironkeepgaming1936]

And the Villan is a Tomb Raider with a Split Personality Disorder which makes him fail a battle always the first time

[@adamjoyce8329]

I wish Toby was my history teacher!😂

[@mushymcmushington7176]

In all fairness, with how much time-travel there is in Pokémon, it's probably safe to just explain everything with "wibbly wobbly timey wimey".

[@animorph17]

Something to keep in mind about the keystone, it isn't pokemon souls getting bound to the rock dude. It's actually human souls getting mashed together until the conglomeration of all those ghosts becomes a new pokemon, with each dead human just becoming a part it's body, a whisper in the back of it's mind. The pokemon itself is an entirely new entity

[@static_irony]

Not sure if you've already done it but I'd love to hear you expand on your theory that SwSh is set far into the future

[@monsterno.definablenever.3484]

14:45 Some guy saw that massive stone pokeball, drew pictures of it, and someone else made gold art of it?

[@madnessarcade7447]

I think sword and shield takes place around the same time as sm and usum Since there is a Gmax toxtricity poster in sm

[@M_Alexander]

Wait where?

[@supercat765]

Where? I played those games, I don't recall anything like that... But it was a while ago so I could be wrong. But location please, I would like to pull up the game see it if it exists.

[@madnessarcade7447]

Bryan Hinze kzbin.info/www/bejne/p52vgoCpgdiUiNk It’s a blink and you’ll miss it moment

[@madnessarcade7447]

M Alexander kzbin.info/www/bejne/p52vgoCpgdiUiNk It’s a blink and you’ll miss it moment

[@OzCroc]

I mean g max toxtricity existed before the timeline of swsh, it existed possibly even thousands of years ago during the darkest day

[@NickCharles]

This was a very interesting topic! I wonder if you could apply a multiverse theory to the pokeball timeline to figure out why the outliers exist...

[@kurama251]

Sooo what your saying is we should have still beat ghistus and not necessarily thrown N's free your pokemom and live with them in harmony idea out the window so fast....damn I I didn't care for black and white but I did enjoy the story and when you hear this theory it just made it so much darker lol great video.

[@izzyt5914]

imo the pokeball design was just a popular image a couple hundred years before, and was used for modern pokeballs simply because it was a familiar, iconic image in history

[@Rioluman10]

15:27 There's another outlier. In Ep232, Waiting on a Friend, there's a Ninetales with a Pokeball that's been waiting for its trainer for 200 years. There are several explanations for these inconsistencies: 1. They're non-canon, ignore them. This leaves me unsatisfied so I will delve into my preferred explanations. 2. The appearance of the Pokeball predates modern Pokeball designs. People misinterpret out of place artifacts all of the time in our world. Why should the world of Pokemon be any different? This ties in with some of my other explanations 3. They're apricorn balls. My interpretation of Apricorns is wildly different from Toby's. Toby seems to think they just provide the shell. I believe that capture mechanism is actually a natural defense of the plant. 4. Pokeballs are actually much older than originally thought. Don't get me wrong, they probably weren't commonplace until the aforementioned 30-40 years ago, but it's similar to Ford and cars. Before that point, they were a rich man's novelty and had rather poor accuracy and quality control.

[@ProfessorDeku-kh7ek]

I like the idea of Baltoys being ancient pokeballs used to trap “magical creatures”inside look at the back and belly

[@Dusxio]

I'll ask though, considering what we see in the anime from Faba with the shrinking ray, and what we see in both the games and show with practically hammerspace bags, how do you think the pokeball connects to item storage?

[@Foolish_Hope]

Toby your phone back in the day was equal in durability to thor's hammer...😁

[@Frogboyaidan]

Thor's hammer was easily broken by hella crushing it.

[@blankandgone]

Mjolnir vs Toby's Phone

[@PansyPops]

Try Stormbreaker, so strong Thanos himself (even with the help of the power stone). Yes, I am a nerd

[@blankandgone]

@@PansyPops not really. I know of much more than you have been graced with in that regard.

[@ad-skyobsidion4267]

But he didn’t have Nokia 3310 he had the 3210

[@esteluznante360]

Great video! I really like exploring how the existence of Pokemon has shaped the society and technology of the Pokemon world. It’s also scary to think the power Silph co and Devon have and what the could do with it. Thank Arceus they made the pokeball accesible to all the population.

[@1q1p1]

the tech could be new but the design may be so old it took a good while to fit the tech into it?

[@orangepumpkin493]

The GS ball in the manga is used to catch celebi and has the title of "the pokeball that can capture time itself" And the capture net is made of the rainbow wing and silver wing

[@Gfreak250]

The second you said 'The Greater Good' I knew where you we're going and wasn't disappointed when you did 😅

[@eraserhead2620]

We live you Toby!!!

[@GeneralNickles]

It's entirely possible that pokeballs as we know them now had already existed for a while when oak was a kid, but they were exorbitantly expensive and only the richest people had ever seen or used them. Kinda like how cell phones and personal computers were so expensive back in the 70s and 80s. It's also possible that the ability to bind a pokemon's essence and life force to an object has basically always existed across all cultures in the pokemon world, but the methods used to do so can vary wildly from one culture to another. A bit like how the idea of dragons existed in pretty much every ancient culture in the world seemingly completely independently of one another. Across all these civilizations, the details can vary greatly, but the basic idea of what a dragon is and does is relatively consistent all over the ancient world.

[@ProjectEchoshadow]

I want a spin off game that’s all about the Devon and Silph companies rivalry. Like the type of pokeballs you use are branded one company or the other. The two companies start trying to compete in underhanded ways.

[@belgumdire8314]

I'm comfortable enough with this theory to add it to my head canon lol

[@fade2535]

Something that helps you theory is the crown tundra, calyrex puts its power inside of the horse you choose to control it

[@aztralsea]

This has been my question exactly for so long!

[@skarmex3439]

So what about the MasterBall? A ball that has a perfect catch rate. What makes it so different? And why didn't they mass produce it? :)

[@Goldencat44]

Gyms haven’t been gyms for that long, but opals mother possibly ran a Pokémon tamer fight club over seventy years ago

[@monsterno.definablenever.3484]

Before watching: I'd guess AZ's advanced civilization made the first ones.

[@Warriorcat_Youtube]

It would make sense that Pokeballs use Infinity Energy to bind the soul or spirit of the pokemon to it. It could explain why pokemon can break out of balls, perhaps their willpower or aura overwhelms the power in the ball. It also would make sense how pokeballs can be used to catch gods like the creation trio and arceus themselves: it isn't just technology, but magic as well that makes it possible to control the Creator.

[@billymarksofficial7859]

In alot of the older games, they say that pokeballs were made originally with acorns back in the day.

[@broderickhann8628]

The button and twist designs couldve been 2 seperate concepts designed by 2 competing companies. The button design couldve been more appealing for simplicity or whatever. Eventually the twist design would've been scrapped due to the success of its competition.

[@edd2184]

Maybe the modern pokeball design, Was inspired by ancient art however they couldn't fit the technology into the package that's why professor oak's old style pokeball looked so strange. It also answers the question why Sliphco was so popular and became such a big company because they were the first to manufacture pokeballs that fit the ancient design cues.

[@BenSmith-ox3lm]

can you bring back the "mugs even" when you plug your merch 😂

[@JamesSmith-rb5lv]

Could have just been a popular design. Clay, stone, and digital tablets don't look so different but they are very different.

[@MadcatDX]

you forgot to mention Professor Westwood he is credited in the anime as the creator of the modern pokeball

[@nickdentoom1173]

Thats the anime though, which is non-canon to the games anyways.

[@M_Alexander]

Maybe the basic design is an ancient symbol that is the inspiration for the modern balls as well as Magearna. Some of the older balls could be various attempts to duplicate the ancient items

[@d-m.n_--2]

I would take the pokeball design down a Lockstin path and say that the 2 main shapes of the pokeball are actually a style of rune that is known to be able to contain and bind infinity energy. That is why most anything that functions as a pokeball has that type of shape.

[@fade2535]

Just a side note i have a theory that infinity energy and synergy from pokken are the same thing because both can allow pokemon to mega evolve, and both require a bond to unlock mega evolution or even synergy burst. The reason why certain pokemon mega i though was because pokemon adapted to use synergy to become stronger while others ended up just getting a power boost. Infinity energy and synergy are both the lifeforce of the pokemon world so its just something for you to consider making a theory about if you want.

[@Prima_Media]

Never considered Spiritomb to inspire the pokeball but it makes sense! Sucks that the Pokemon canon can sometimes be a real mess though xD. Although that's why theories exist to make it make sense!

[@_freebirdnerd]

Nice transition! 👍

[@frankbingham53]

Great theory bird keeper Toby.

[@k2basior]

Regarding Opal there was recently a theory that Diantha might be her daughter/granddaughter. They look a bit similar (compared to young Opal) and maybe since Diantha moved to Kalos she did not have a person to handle the Gym to. Also Garderovoir is part Fairy and has the same type combo as Hatterene (Bede/her successor Ace). Just some food for thought:-)

[@chloelavoie5568]

Good argument Unfortunately, *legends arceus*

[@TaliesinMyrddin]

Just assume ancient people saw a supernova that looked like a Pokeball symbol and it become some kind of moon-like symbol through history

[@CyborgCharlotte]

New Mauville is basically “In case of Apocalypse, break glass”

[@richardwalker2881]

Objection: in Pokemon special, which is regarded as canon, the gs ball was made with both the rainbow and silver wings