The Pokemon franchise has been around for almost three decades, and over time fans have poured in from the anime, a plethora of handheld video games, or its vast array of spin-offs. But with such a vast fanbase, there's bound to be some differing opinions. The's discourse on just about every facet of the brand, from the best game in the Pokemon franchise, the best anime series, the best movie, or the best set of trading cards.
There's one category that fans tend to agree on, and that's the most useful Poke Balls in the franchise. While every fan has personal favorites, the best Poke Ball to use in a given situation is usually objective, and over the years people have come to a consensus on what Poke Balls are the most useful across the Pokemon game library.
Ultra Ball
As nostalgic as it is useful, the Ultra Ball was present in the very first Pokemon games and has remained one of the most useful tools ever since. Though they're more expensive than the standard and Great Ball variants, the Ultra Ball also has a 2x catch rate, making it significantly more useful.
Along with a slick black-and-yellow design that remains one of the most memorable in the franchise, the Ultra Ball is one of the easiest to use, with no attached gimmicks or oddities. Players simply need to lob an Ultra Ball at a Pokemon, and let probability do the rest.
Quick Ball
First introduced in Generation 4, the Quick Ball has an incredibly high catch rate of 4x if it's thrown on the first turn of an encounter. In subsequent Generations, the Quick Ball has a higher catch rate of 5x, though this drop to the standard 1x after the first turn. For players looking to quickly nab a higher-level Pokemon, the Quick Ball is a solid option.
Timer Ball
On the other end of the spectrum is the Timer Ball. Introduced in Generation 3, the Timer Ball's catch rate increases with every consecutive turn in an encounter. As the player continues to battle wild Pokemon, the Timer Ball will become more powerful, eventually maxing out its catch rate at 4x after around 20 turns. The Timer Ball is perfect for longer battles against Pokemon's stronger legendary monsters, as by the time a player has whittled down their health enough, the ball will be fully primed.
Dusk Ball
Moving onto the more gimmicky Poke Ball variants, the Dusk Ball was introduced with a very high catch rate of 3.5x as long as the player is in darker areas such as caves, or using it during nighttime encounters. Throwing the Dusk Ball is a no-brainer for players adventuring at night or through a cavern, but it should be noted that post-Generation 7 Pokemon games have nerfed the Dusk Ball to a 3x catch rate.
Net Ball
Another experimental ball from Generation 3, the Net Ball has a 3x catch rate for any Water of Bug-type Pokemon. As these Pokemon make up a large chunk of the games' full Pokedex, the Net Ball is by far one of the most useful in the series. As a bonus, the Net Ball received a buff after Generation 7, giving it a 3.5x catch rate.
Master Ball
The most iconic Poke Ball next to the classic red-and-white, the Master Ball is known as being the most powerful ball ever made - but also one of the rarest. The Master Ball was introduced in 1996 with Pokemon Red and Blue, and is capable of capturing any Pokemon instantly, with no chance of failure. The big drawback of the Master Ball is that there's typically only one in the entire game, leading to childhood stress for those early Pokemon fans who weren't sure when to use it.
