To become the very best trainer in the world of Pokémon, one must be able to raise their Pokémon with love, outsmart their opponent, and overcome any obstacle thrown their way. Perhaps most importantly, however, a trainer must first be able to capture their team of Pokémon and solidify a bond.
To catch Pokémon, trainers can use a variety of different Poké Balls depending on the situation. While many Balls will increase the odds of successfully capturing a Pokémon under certain conditions, other Balls are primarily for aesthetic purposes. The rarer and more unique Balls may be hard to come by in Sword & Shield, but this guide will help players track them down.
10 Quick Ball: Wyndon
The Quick Ball is a bold blue and yellow Ball with a sharp design overall. As its name suggests, the Quick Ball is best used at the start of an encounter with a wild Pokémon. If it is used on the first turn, it will multiply the catch rate by five.
Unlike the more standard Poké Balls on the market, Quick Balls cannot be found at every single Poké Mart. They can, however, be bought at the Southern Wyndon Poké Mart for 1,000 Pokémon Dollars.
9 Luxury Ball: Wyndon
The Luxury Ball is black with gold and red stripes for an expensive vibe. This particular Ball does not have any effect on the catch rate of a Pokémon, but it does serve a purpose after the Pokémon is successfully captured.
Any Pokémon in a Luxury Ball will increase their friendship level twice as fast, making it extremely useful for Pokémon whose evolution depends on friendship. Like the Quick Ball, Luxury Balls can be bought at the Southern Wyndon Poké Mart.
8 Heavy Ball: Stow-On-Side
The Heavy Ball is textured with blue bumps over its gray surface for one of the most unique Poké Ball designs in the game. As one would expect, it is most effective against heavier Pokémon. This may prove to be helpful against large Legendary Pokémon who generally have low catch rates.
In order to obtain the Heavy Ball, the player should look for the Ball Guy at Stow-on-Side Stadium. The Ball Guy is responsible for handing out many of the rarer Balls in the game.
7 Moon Ball: Circhester
Although the Moon Ball has a very nice design with a crescent moon over the blue and gray backdrop, its effect only applies to a small handful of Pokémon. As its name suggests, Moon Balls make it easier to catch Pokémon that evolve with a Moon Stone. This means it only applies to six different evolutionary lines in the entire Pokédex.
That being said, the Moon Ball is still a stunning Poké Ball to show off, regardless of its effect. It can be received from the Ball Guy at Circhester Stadium.
6 Lure Ball: Hulbury
With a bold blue and red design, the Lure Ball is sure to catch the eye of unsuspecting Water-type Pokémon. Naturally, it will be extra effective on any Pokémon that is encountered on a lure while fishing.
If there’s one place where the Lure Ball can be found, it would be in Hulbury, the seaport town of the Galar Region. Before challenging Nessa, the Water-type Gym Leader, be sure to talk to the Ball Guy to receive a free Lure Ball.
5 Dream Ball: Wyndon
Introduced in Generation V, the Dream Ball was a special kind of Ball that could previously only be used at the Entree Forest to catch any Pokémon found in the Dream World. In Sword & Shield, however, the Dream Ball has a completely different effect. It will now increase the catch rate of Pokémon that are asleep.
This dreamy, pink, and purple Ball can be obtained from the Ball Guy inside Wyndon Stadium before taking on the Champion Cup.
4 Fast Ball: Wild Area
The red and yellow Fast Ball is the perfect Ball for capturing the speediest wild Pokémon around. Any wild Pokémon that has a base Speed stat higher than 100 will be much easier to catch than slower ones. This can be convenient for Pokémon known for their speed, such as the Sword & Shield legendaries, Zacian and Zamazenta.
To obtain the Fast Ball, the player must enter the Wild Area and participate in the Rotom Rally with their bike. By completing the Rotom Rally eleven times, the player will finally be rewarded with a Fast Ball.
3 Beast Ball: Stow-On-Side
Generation VII introduced a new set of Pokémon known as Ultra Beasts who ventured to the Alola Region from Ultra Space. In order to catch these alien-like Pokémon, the Aether Foundation developed Beast Balls, which are extra effective on Ultra Beasts. At the same time, they actually reduce the catch rate of all other Pokémon.
Despite making it harder to catch most Pokémon aside from Ultra Beasts, Beast Balls are highly desired and valued for that reason. After becoming the champion, a Bast Ball can be obtained by speaking to one of the merchants in Stow-on-Side.
2 Friend Ball: Turffield
The green Ball with small petal-like marks is known as the Friend Ball. It is similar to the Luxury Ball in how it affects the captured Pokémon’s friendship level. The difference, however, is that the Friend Ball will boost the Pokémon’s friendship up to 200 rather than increasing it twice as fast.
To match its green aesthetic, the Friend Ball can be found at Turffield Stadium, home of the Grass-type Gym Leader, Milo. Coincidentally, this is the Ball Guy’s first opportunity to befriend the player.
1 Love Ball: Ballonlea
As one would expect, the Love Ball is pink with a heart symbol on it. If the player’s own Pokémon is of the same species and opposite gender, the opposing Pokémon will be easier to catch with the Love Ball.
Fittingly, the pink Love Ball can be found in Ballonlea, the lovely and mystical town of Fairy-type Pokémon. Inside Ballonlea Stadium, the Ball Guy will be thrilled to share a Love Ball with the player.
NEXT: Pokémon: The 10 Hardest Legendaries To Catch (Without Using A Master Ball)
