How Pokémon Age Makes Legends: Arceus' Poké Ball Change Even Darker

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Pokémon Legends: Arceus introduced plenty of changes to the familiar Pokémon formula that players have come to expect from the series’ mainline games, but few players expected the latest installment’s left-field explanation for how Poké Balls work. Fans have speculated about the technology and mechanics of these mysterious devices since the earliest days of the franchise, and some of the more popular theories have suggested that Poké Balls convert Pokémon into energy to keep them safe between battles and even store them digitally in the games’ PCs. However, Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ explanation not only raises a ton of new questions about how these iconic items work, but it also makes capturing Pokémon inside of them much darker considering the way that Pokémon age.

As of the release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, there are over 30 different types of Poké Balls in Pokémon's mainline canon, but the exact mechanics of their design have been cryptic at best. Still, the concept of catching a Pokémon with one is simple enough: when trainers toss a Poké Ball at a Pokémon, it opens and draws the Pokémon inside, giving the creature a brief opportunity to escape before sealing it in and turning it into the trainer’s newest companion. In previous games, the Pokémon would automatically be sent to the player’s PC, but in Legends: Arceus’ ancient setting, they’re sent to the Jubilife Village Pastures instead.

Related: Pokémon Legends: Arceus Proves Professor Oak Is A Liar

While some Pokémon are notably opposed to being inside of a Poké Ball, like Ash’s Pikachu in the anime series, Poké Balls are supposedly comfortable for Pokémon inside and provide them with an ideal environment. Pokémon producer and composer Junichi Masuda has even