A theory about Pokeballs:

[Jirachi]

Pokémon are 96% pure energy. The energy is capable of converting the 4% of matter into another type of energy. However, by default this won't happen naturally.

Apricorns. Those nut-like things people made Pokéballs out of in ancient times. The inside of an Apricorn's shell contains "black holes" for energy - they suck it in and won't let it go. I've decided to call those "black holes" energy drainers just for convenience. Different types of Apricorns contain different kinds of energy drainers which suck in different types of energy - usually some form which is dominant in some Pokémon and not others (such as Water Pokémon, fast Pokémon, heavy Pokémon, etc.). All Pokémon contain all types of energy, though, and so do humans. This means that short-term effects of being too near Apricorns include headaches and tiredness, and the long-term effects permanently affect the subject's health.

However, since Pokémon are 96% energy, touching an Apricorn will result in being sucked in for a Pokémon. Only a very strong Pokémon can break the shell of an Apricorn once inside it, unless the shell is cracked open from the outside. The Apricorn's shell is very strong so cracking it open at all will require a lot of strength, though.

Ball makers like for example Kurt have special tools for that. They open the Apricorns, hollow them out (the energy drainers are in the inside of the shell and still covered with a glossy substance which prevents a Pokémon from being divided between the energy drainers and never getting out) and then close them with hinges that will, as regular Pokéballs, open upon harsh impact with the ground (hence the need to throw the balls instead of just dropping them) or touching something that has enough energy in it to possibly be a Pokémon (which caused Ash to catch a rice ball once; I mean, something they only eat twice a month or something has got to contain a lot of energy). The holes in the Apricorn's shell are also filled in, making the Apricorn balls harmless to trainers carrying them. This, of course, greatly increases a Pokémon's chance to escape from the ball.

In a normal Pokéball, different types of energy drainers have been put behind a few mirrors. The mirrors work like the glossy inside of an Apricorn's shell, reflecting the Pokémon so that it doesn't get divided between the energy drainers. They have different types so that the ball will have an equal chance of catching all Pokémon.

Lastly, a Pokémon inside a Pokéball is put into a virtual reality rather like The Matrix, except that it's just one room. The fancier the ball is, the better the room looks, with Luxury ball looking the best.

[Jesus Freak Josh]

Wow! That was a good thoery! Where did you get that theory?

[HiKaizer]

I always thought it simply put them in a kind of stasis...

Interesting but a bit long winded, but good job

[Kairyu]

Originally Posted by Batesy

Wow! That was a good thoery! Where did you get that theory?

From her twisted and interesting deductions that is contained within her cranial capacity, also known as the brain =P. At least, I think so.

Hmm, that is a somewhat sound theory you got there but that doesn't explain how the heck the pokeballs are able to expand and contract by the push of a button. I mean, would that suggest that it is made out of a material other than Apricorns? Maybe a polymer of some kind.

This pokeball technology is the only thing that convinces me that the pokemon universe is set way and I do mean way into the future(on top of the fact that there are pokemon running around all over the place.) lol.
But the Matter > Energy conversion does make sense. It just the Energy > Matter theory is *at a loss for a better word* ..a little odd XD.

Edit: Oops! I just realized something, if you're right.. then how would a typical trainer be able to lift a pokeball? You say this blackhole has enough "power" to pull in one's pokemon and somehow turn it into energy thereby storing it unharmed *I'm assuming of course* BUT! that would mean this blackhole would have to be extremely dense. I'd say it would weigh at least the same a few city blocks, easy. lol, I'll just leave my comment right there, if I go any futher I might ramble on for a couple pages, rofl!

[Dizzy]

Why I havent seen such a good theory like that, you really are a true researcher! Please, join our team of Pokemon Professors http://pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=7692

[Chairman Kaga]

Heh...that's a nice theory...here's the one that I've always had:

Pokemon are set apart from all other animals because of the fact that they have greater control over their own energy (I have always said that pokemon should be classified as a sixth taxonomic kingdom). Because pokemon have a great deal of control over energy, when exposed to certain substances, they can be entirely turned into the type of energy they control. This is not to say that when they are turned into energy they are not still comprised of matter, though. Pokeballs are lined inside with a substance that causes the DNA of pokemon to break down to the atomic level, but they are able to retain what they are. Since brain function (especially that of pokemon) is greatly comprised of special and unknown types of energy, they still retain thoughts, memories, etc. even in their energy state. When they are in this special state, their DNA nucleotide particles are bound together by electron strings, which can be stretched, contorted, but not broken, allowing pokemon to conform to the shape of the pokeball that they are contained in. When they are made to go into the pokeball, an ultra-concentrated piece of the substance (in solid form) that triggers the reaction (and I would say that the reaction is electrical or magnetic, causing the pokemon's nucleotides to be repulsed from one another, causing a chain breakdown of molecular and cellular structures for the time that the pokemon is in the reaction proximity of the reaction compound ) causes a spontaneous and instant nucleotide breakdown in the pokemon, and another magnetic type of compound instantly draws a pokemon into the pokeball. Pokemon can only escape the pokeball if their level of energy is too great to be kept in energy form by the compound (thus allowing unweakened pokemon to escape) or if they can willingly cause an energy surge within themselves (how some tamed pokemon spontaneously pop out of their pokeballs). Once a pokemon is successfully captured, the capture compound leaves a print on the pokemon’s DNA, allowing that pokemon to be assigned to that ball and only to that ball, and giving the controller of that ball power over when that pokemon goes in or goes out of the ball. The way a pokemon can be released from the ball is by another type of compound causing a magnetic reaction opposite the one that draws the pokemon in. The antimagnetic reaction can be triggered by the trainer when he presses the ball while the pokemon is inside (a switch flips in the ball replacing the magnetic compound with the antimagnetic compound.) Balls like Great Balls, Ultra Balls, and Master Balls have increasingly high levels of the capture compound inside, thus giving the balls a greater probability of capturing a pokemon. Apricorn balls have different pheromones which make certain types of pokemon easier to capture when the apricorn is turned into a ball...and that’s basically what I believe the science of pokeballs to be.

And the reason pokeballs expand and contract is because the animators made it that way

[Jirachi]

Feel free to add any ideas or oppose mine.

[Pokedragonfire]

I bet Jirachi stole it from somewhere! She steals everything!

[Porygon]

Ummm… that's… interesting… *brain explodes*

You make this seem like Star Trek… lol…

[Ryoutarou]

umm....since it's a black hole wouldent it suck up all of earth once one is opeaned? Even if it was just for a split second we could all be dead. And how would you close it? The hole would just suck the pokeball cover in along with your arm would it not?

[Porygon]

Lol. Maybe it's a mini one. Like BlackHole Lite.

[Ryoutarou]

ya..thoese are white holes...and arent they a lot worse then a black whole? Becuse the whites whle's strip your body of it's atom's or something like that.

[Porygon]

Neither of them are good… let's just leave it at that…

[AJHalliwell]

Well, then simply, it isn't a black hole. Its an "unexplained quantum singularity" (StarTrek techno-babble does come in handy on this thread, lol)
And the one theory about the matrix is plausable! Maybe the rooms blue! Remember "Hypno's Bedtime" or something like that, we saw Pysduck in his pokeball at the end.
How ever, other problems.
In "Island of the Giant Pokemon", Pikachu got all the pokemon to come out (well, Charmand, Squirtle, and bulbasaur) by pressing those buttons.
Also intrsting, is the 200 year old ship in the orange islands, where a Haunter and Gastly were in pokeballs; implying how old the technology is.
I always thought that once their turned into energy, the bounce around inside the pokeballs in a kind of stasis (like said above). And those mirror-kind-a-things you can see when its open would, do something. lol.
Here's an intreiging idea, How does the pokeball fire that red beam at the pokemon to return them? I think that has something to do with it! Think, its the same redish color as the pokemon energy is. Also, their white energy when their release, but red when their returned. Random side note.
Hm- I always thought the pokeball was in some way responcible for turning pokemon into/from energy/matter.
Maybe it is like a startrek transporter. Think about it, they have transporters in pokemon. Oak has one, boxes. Krabby was 'beamed'.
The manga also offers an idea on this. You can 'see' inside the pokeballs in that. And, a pokemon can fall asleep inside it. (one of the few i read, a fearow had fallen asleep i think?)
Okay, my rambling for the night is done.
(Unrelated side note on the first episode: Gary, and the owners of bulbasaur and charmander left the pokeballs at Oaks! They were still there when ash got there!)

[Kenny_C.002]

Kaga, nice theory, but the main problem is that the pokemon retains all of its "matter" even within its pokeball, thus the mass of the pokemon would be directly protportional to the mass of the pokeball. With this being the case, then a snorlax trainer would not be able to carry its pokeball. Also, you've left out any theory on why a pokemon can leave its pokeball at will (e.g. Psyduck), the button, the red beam and white beams, etc.

also, the apricorn technology theory kinda doesn't work very well in a sense that apricorns really are just a type of fruit. Apricorns wouldn't have been able to sotre any sort of technology that could beam things, open/close at will, etc.

Of course, it's anime, it's not supposed to make sense.

[Chairman Kaga]

Hmm...the matter issue is a problem...do you think that the basic DNA sequence of the pokemon and any of its electrical thought sequences are retained and then multiplied somehow when it comes out of the pokeball to cut down on matter? I can't think of how the matter would be multiplied though *shruig*

And about pokemon being able to come out of their own pokeballs, I think I said that when in an energy state that they can manipulate their own energy in ways which can overpower the level of the lock device on the pokeball (unless it's a master ball...the levels of the capture compound placed in the ball are simply too high for any pokemon to get out...)

I have no idea...any theory is as good as the next where pokeballs are concerned, but the one thing that we can all agree on is that a lot of it doesn't make sense

[lil' jose]

When I first saw how pokemon were caught I was like "how the heck do they do that" and then I just read your therory and then I thought "how does he know that pokemon are 96% energy" I mean seriously where did you get that information from? thanks

[Porygon]

Hmmm… *thinks*

It's a theory, so you can theorize like that :D

[lil' jose]

I agree with what porygon and jirachi are saying. Hey Jirachi you could be the next Einstein!

[Jirachi]

Originally Posted by lil' jose

I agree with what porygon and jirachi are saying. Hey Jirachi you could be the next Einstein!

Thanks. *makes signature over 25 charactors long*

[AJHalliwell]

I feel I should put this info on here.
I just recently saw Pokemon 4ever, and the Darkballs, were *clearly* lab made. Note how, when small, the pokeball was all black, and smooth. but when it got bigger, it had ripples or something, like it unfolded. Normal pokeballs don't do that! lol.
ALSO! I should note 'Sammys' pokeball. He had to wind it up, or something. Maybe poke balls back then weren't as high tech (nooooooo.....) and it needed power to re-materialize the pokemon when it left the ball. The dark ball definatly made it look like a transporter.
Just more trouble to add to the thought. Oh, and what about the masterball. If it looks just like all other kinds, same shape, what is in there that locks the pokeball so the pokemon can't get out or something?

[ash_misty4ever]

Well, you know when there is so much energy, say like electrics, and you use too much at the same time, it causes a shortage. Well, maybe a Pokemon is like that. When you command it to return, and the red beams shoots to them, the beam could store just enough energy to turn the Pokemon into mirco peices. Therefore, once stored inside the Pokeball, it's energy regains while the Pokemon is still mini. Then once comanded back out, they use less enrgy then before, making the Pokemon back to it's normal size, like when you take away electronics from the socket, use only 1 electronic, and it will work again.


Just a theory though!

[PichuSecretBase]

Wierd thoery but awesome. I always thought of it like the pokemon got sent somewhere to like Prof. Oak but not the lab part but to a place where its alone and when the pokeball opens ints transported out *the white light* and is ready for battle!