Which ball is which
If you only played the games once as a child, here is a quick refresher. The red and white Poké Ball is the standard one you start with. The Great Ball is the blue one with red stripes, a step up in catch rate, and the yellow and black Ultra Ball is better again. At the top sits the purple Master Ball, which catches any wild Pokémon without fail. Most games only give you one, so players tend to save it for a Legendary.
Two of our more unusual balls come from older games. The Safari Ball was used in the Safari Zone in Fuchsia City, back in Pokémon Red and Blue. The gold and silver GS Ball turned up in the Johto games and as a long-running mystery in the anime, where Ash carried it around for weeks without anyone knowing what was inside. Older fans tend to recognise both straight away, which makes them a nice small gift for a grown-up.
Balls with a Pokémon inside
The most popular toys here are the simplest idea: open the ball and a Pokémon figure is waiting inside. Pikachu, Charmander, Squirtle and Eevee are the usual favourites. There is an extra-large ball for a bigger figure, and an Eevee Evolutions ball for a child who cannot decide which Eeveelution to pick.
The Throw 'n' Pop Poké Ball is made to be thrown on the lawn, and it pops open when it lands. For full role play, the Trainer belt set comes with two Poké Balls, a figure and a belt to clip them to. Add an outfit from Pokémon costumes & cosplay and you have a Trainer ready for World Book Day or a fancy dress party.
Transforming Poké Balls
Transforming Poké Balls fold out into the Pokémon itself. Gyarados opens up to 22cm and Mewtwo to 12cm. Pikachu is in the range, along with Psyduck and the final forms of the Kanto starters: Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise. Solgaleo and Lunala, the two Legendaries from Pokémon Sun and Moon, make a good pair for a fan of the Alola games.
They are halfway between a toy and a figure. Children enjoy the click of folding them back into a ball, and adults tend to leave them open on a shelf. For a ball that also carries a fixed model of the Pokémon on top, look at the Poké Ball toys in Pokémon toys & games.
Soft Poké Balls for little ones
For toddlers, a plastic ball with small figures inside is not the right choice. The plush Poké Ball is 7cm and soft enough to throw around the living room, and you can pick it as a Poké Ball, Great Ball, Ultra Ball or Master Ball. A set of ten soft balls is good for a nursery corner or a game of catch in the garden. For bigger soft toys of the Pokémon themselves, see Pokémon plush toys.
Party packs and Trainer kits
Multi-packs are made for parties. There are 12 mini Poké Balls with 12 figures, 13 Master Balls with 15 figures, a pack of 20 empty balls to fill yourself with sweets or stickers, and a big pack of 30 balls with 30 random figures, at £71.90, for a whole class. One ball per party bag goes a long way. For balloons, plates and the rest of the party, see Pokémon party & gifts.
A single Poké Ball with a figure also fits nicely in a stocking, and there are more ideas at that size under Pokémon stocking fillers. If your child likes the feel of popping things, the Poké Ball stress ball lives on our Pokémon Pop It fidget toys page.
Poké Balls for the shelf
Adult collectors usually want the balls on display. The Master Ball Collection puts a row of purple balls together. The Pokémon Terrarium Collection has six clear 7cm Poké Balls, each with a small Pokémon inside, among them Squirtle, Psyduck, Charizard and Articuno. It looks good on a windowsill, as long as it is out of the hard midday sun.
For a Poké Ball you build yourself, brick by brick, see Pokémon building blocks. And if you want more figures to put in all those balls, our Pokémon figures range has sets of minis to share out between them.