Featured Image Credit: The Pokemon Company
For years I've wondered what actually happens to Pokémon when they're inside a Poké Ball, although I've always been a little too scared to really dig into it.
I'll admit I'm not an avid watched of the anime anymore, but I remember the red beam of energy enveloping a Pokémon before they were effectively absorbed into their Poké Ball.
What did this mean? Were they being compressed by some kind of barbaric laser? Did the Poké Ball make use of TARDIS technology to ensure it was bigger on the inside? Were the Pokémon happy in there? Why was Pikachu so against ever going inside one?
Thoughts tumbled around in my head like Voltorb in a washing machine. Except, as it turns out, Pokémon gave us a canonical answer to this very question not that long ago. And it turns out I needn't have worried.
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As pointed out on the Pokémon subreddit about a year ago, an episode of Pokémon Horizons showed us exactly what goes on inside a Poké Ball.
In the episode we see Quaxly lounging inside a Luxury Ball, which turns out to basically be a bougie apartment with just the right habitat for a water Pokémon like Quaxly.
Obviously a Luxury Ball is always going to offer a better experience (that's kind of the whole point of them in the games), but we can take away from this glimpse that all Poké Balls offer their respective Pokémon a bespoke place to relax, with an environment specifically tailored to their needs.
It's worth noting that the games and shows have at various points attempted to tease what goes on inside a Poké Ball. But given this is our most detailed - and most recent - look yet, I would give it more weight.
Further proof, if any were needed, that Ash's Pikachu is actually just a massive divia.
