Poké Ball

What it does

Poké Ball is a gamble card: flip a coin, and on heads search your deck for a Pokémon to add to your hand. The original Jungle wording limited the search to a Basic Pokémon or Evolution card revealed to the opponent, while the Diamond and Pearl wording widened this to any Pokémon, and Black and White softened the language from 'show' to 'reveal'.

Printing history

Poké Ball debuted in Jungle in 1999 with art by Keiji Kinebuchi. K. Hoshiba illustrated the EX era version, followed by Shin-ichi Yoshikawa and Ryo Ueda through Diamond and Pearl, and Studio Bora Inc. in the Sword and Shield era onward. It has appeared in starter decks, trainer kits, and mainline sets, and reached the Mega Evolution era in Perfect Order.

Trivia

The card's number in the Pokémon Card Game 25th Anniversary Creatures Deck, 011/008, nods to Creatures' founding date of November 8, 1995. In the games, a Poké Ball is the basic item used to capture wild Pokémon. The Jungle print was later reprinted in Base Set 2 and the Japanese Hanada City Gym and Kuchiba City Gym Theme Decks, and it was included in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon Trading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR! for Game Boy Color.

Cards to know

• Poké Ball (Jungle #64)

  Jungle printing is Poké Ball's first appearance, illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi

• Poké Ball (Diamond & Pearl #110)

  Diamond and Pearl printing widens the search to any Pokémon

• Poké Ball (Champion's Path #59)

  Champion's Path printing is a Common rarity Studio Bora Inc. reprint

• Poké Ball (Perfect Order #080)

  Perfect Order printing brings Poké Ball into the Mega Evolution era