A Pokeball is the primary means of catching a Pokemon in Pokemon Sword and Shield. These powerful yet mysterious devices come in many different forms, each with their own unique purpose. Pokemon Sword and Shield have 13 different types of Pokeballs that trainers can purchase and use to catch Pokemon.
While there are 23 types of Pokeballs total in Pokemon Sword and Shield, this guide is meant to help players find and understand the purpose of each of the 13 that players can purchase an infinite amount of. The different Pokeballs this guide will cover are Pokeballs, Great Balls, Ultra Balls, Premier Balls, Quick Balls, Repeat Balls, Luxury Balls, Net Balls, Heal Balls, Nest Balls, Dive Balls, Dusk Balls, and Timer Balls.
The Basic Pokeballs in Pokemon Sword and Shield
Pokeballs, Great Balls, and Ultra Balls are among the most common Pokeballs a trainer can obtain. Pokeballs are available to purchase from the start of the game from any Pokecenter. As players progress through the store and collect gym badges Great balls and Ultra balls will be available to purchase as well.
Different types of Pokeballs have different odds of catching a Pokemon, and each Pokemon has its own base rate at which it will be caught. For example, Pikachu has a base catch rate of 35%. With a normal Pokeball, which has a 1x catch rate multiplier, a trainer's odds of catching a Pikachu will stay at 35%. But if a trainer uses a different type of Pokeball those odds could increase making it easier to catch a Pokemon.
The basic types of Pokeballs have multipliers that apply to all Pokemon. Pokeballs have a 1x multiplier, Great Balls have a 1.5x, and Ultra Balls have a 2x multiplier. As such, the price of each ball increases with its ability. A Pokeball costs 200 Pokedollars, a Great Ball costs 600, and an Ultra Ball costs 800.
In addition to these three balls, another basic ball is the Premier Ball. This is a special Pokeball that is given to players every time they buy Pokeballs in quantities of 10. If a player buys 10 Pokeballs they will receive one Premier Ball. If a player buys 90 Pokeballs they will receive 9 Premier Balls. However, if a player buys 65 Pokeballs they will only receive 6 Premiere Balls. Premier Balls only have a 1x catch rate multiplier which makes them not much more valuable than Pokeballs, but that is probably why they are giving them away for free.
Quick Balls in Pokemon Sword and Shield
Now let's get into some of the more interesting and valuable Pokeballs in Sword and Shield. One of the most useful and all-around best Pokeballs in Sword and Shield is the Quick Ball. This especially applies to those who are trying to complete their Pokedex quickly and do not want to deal with battling and catch all 400 Pokemon traditionally.
The Quick Ball is unique as it has a 5x catch rate multiplier if it is used at the first turn of the battle. If used any other time there is only a 1x catch rate. The Quick Ball can help players quickly widdle away the task of completing their Pokedex.
Quick Balls can be purchased from the Wyndon Pokecenter at a whopping 1,000 Pokedollars, or they can be purchased from Watt Traders in the Wild Area for only 50 watts. Watt traders cycle their inventories and some days none of them will offer Quick Balls so players should fill their inventories with these balls whenever they have the chance.
Repeat Balls in Pokemon Sword and Shield
These next Pokeballs won't help trainers complete their Pokedex, but will come in handy once players have already completed it. The Repeat Ball is unique in the fact that it increases the odds of catching a Pokemon that trainers have already caught. If a trainer is looking for a Pokemon with a specific nature, ability, or gender and do not want to breed to find one, they can use the Repeat Ball to catch Pokemon they have already caught at a much higher chance of success.
The Repeat Ball increases the catch rate by 3.5x if the trainer has already caught one of that species of Pokemon. Otherwise, the Repeat Ball only has a 1x catch multiplier.
Repeat Balls can only be purchased from the Wyndon Pokecenter for 1,000 Pokedollars each.
Luxury Balls in Pokemon Sword and Shield
While the Luxury Ball can be helpful, they are also very pricey. Luxury Balls are luxurious homes for Pokemon that have the ability to make Pokemon friendlier faster. This is especially helpful when attempting to evolve Pokemon whos evolution requires max friendship such as Espeon, Umbreon, or Togepi.
But again, these Pokeballs aren't cheap. Luxury Balls can be purchased from the Wyndon Pokecenter for 3,000 Pokedollars a ball.
While the Luxury Ball doubles the rate at which Pokemon grow friendlier towards trainers, it only has a 1x catch rate multiplier.
Net Balls in Pokemon Sword and Shield
Some Pokeballs have different effects when used on different types of Pokemon. The Net Ball, for instance, has a 3.5x catch rate multiplier when used on Pokemon that are Water- and/or Bug-type.
Net Balls can be purchased from the Motostoke Pokecenter for 1,000 Pokedollars a ball or can be purchased from Watt Traders in the Wild Area for 50 watts a ball.
Heal Balls in Pokemon Sword and Shield
The Heal Ball is another ball that does not have a catch rate multiplier, however, it is useful when trainers want to use Pokemon they have just caught without having to go to the Pokecenter to heal them.
The Heal Ball fully restores the caught Pokemon's HP, PP, and status conditions. However, Heal Balls are only a one time use Pokeball having no effects after its first use. Luckily, Heal Balls are relatively cheap.
Heal Balls can be purchased from the Motostoke Pokecenter for 300 Pokedollars each or can be purchased from Watt Traders in the Wild Area for only 20 watts each.
Nest Balls in Pokemon Sword and Shield
Nest balls can be a bit confusing, but in short, they increase the catch rate of a Pokemon that has a low level. The lower the Pokemon's level the more effective a Nest Ball will be. However, this ball only increases the catch rate for Pokemon whos level is between 1 and 29.
For trainers who want a more specific answer on how much the catch rate is affected, a simple equation will give them the answer. Take the Pokemon's level and subtract it from 41. Then divide that number by 10. ((41-pokemon's level)÷10)x catch rate.
For example, if a Pokemon is level 15, the Nest Ball will have a 2.6x catch rate. However, if a Pokemon is above level 29, a Nest Ball will only have a 1x catch rate.
Nest Balls can be purchased from the Motostoke Pokecenter for 1,000 Pokedollars or from Watt Traders in the Wild Area for 50 watts each.
Dive Balls in Pokemon Sword and Shield
If a trainer is planning on hunting Pokemon in the water, they better take some Dive Balls with them. Dive Balls are special Pokeballs that work especially well on water-dwelling Pokemon.
A Dive Ball has a 3.5x catch rate multiplier when used on water-dwelling Pokemon. It is important to note there is a difference between Water-type and Water-dwelling. A Water-dwelling Pokemon is one that can be found in the water by either fishing or by encountering a Pokemon while riding your bike in the water.
Dive Balls can be purchased at the Hammerlocke Poke Center for 1,000 Pokedollars or from Watt Traders in the Wild Area for 50 watts.
Dusk Balls in Pokemon Sword and Shield
Dusk Balls are relatively useful balls for nighttime gamers or cave dwellers. These unique balls have a 3x catch rate multiplier if used inside of caves or at night time. Since the world of Pokemon Sword and Shield operate in real-time (the time your system is set at) Dusk Balls will not take effect outside of caves until around 8 p.m. IRL. If outside of a cave and it is not night time Dusk Balls will only have a 1x catch rate multiplier.
Dusk Balls can be purchased from the Hammerlock Pokecenter for 1,000 Pokedollars each or can be purchased from Watt Traders in the Wild Area for 50 watts.
Timer Balls in Pokemon Sword and Shield
Timer Balls can be incredibly useful when trying to catch a Pokemon of a high level or of a very low catch rate. The longer a battle goes on for the more effective a Timer Ball will be.
A Timer Ball's catch rate multiplier increases as more turns pass in battle. After every turn, the multiplier increases until 10 turns pass. Once 10 turns have passed a Timer Ball has hit its max catch rate multiplier of 4x.
Timer Balls can be purchased from the Hammerlocke Pokecenter for 1,000 Pokedollars each or from Watt Traders in the Wild Area for 50 watts each.
Pokemon Sword and Shield is available on the Nintendo Switch.