How to get it
- Spin PokéStops and Gym Photo Discs once this ball is unlocked.
- Open Gifts and claim research, level-up, or Adventure Sync rewards that include it.
- Check shop bundles and free boxes; their contents vary.
How to use it
- Open a wild or eligible research encounter, tap the ball selector, and choose this ball.
- Land the throw while the Pokémon is catchable. A ball is spent when thrown, even if you miss.
Worth knowing
Use these for moderately difficult catches when you want to preserve Ultra Balls for rare Pokémon. The throw and berry still matter.
Ordinary bag balls cannot replace the allotted Premier Balls in a raid bonus encounter.
What the catch multiplier actually means
The multiplier changes the exponent in the catch formula; it does not simply multiply the final percentage. Holding every other factor constant, a 20% Poké Ball chance becomes about 28.4% with a Great Ball and 36% with an Ultra Ball. These are illustrative calculations, not a prediction for every encounter.
Combine the ball with your throw and berry
Ball quality, a catch-enhancing berry, throw accuracy, curveballs, medals, and certain encounter effects all contribute to the catch formula. A curveball contributes a 1.7× throw factor, while a smaller successful target circle improves the accuracy factor.
As an illustrative comparison, suppose a plain Poké Ball throw has a 20% chance and all other conditions stay fixed. An Ultra Ball gives 36%; adding a Golden Razz Berry gives about 67.2%; adding a curveball as well gives about 85.0%. These numbers come from 1 − (1 − 0.20)^m with combined factors of 2, 5, and 8.5.
The calculation assumes the ball actually connects. Spending a stronger ball does not compensate for repeatedly hitting during the Pokémon’s attack animation. Reliable throws remain part of the resource decision.
Sources & further reading
- Pokémon GO: A Quantitative Approach by nick blackVersion 1.0.6 (October 4, 2026), §5.2, pp. 30–32; Table 5.3; Tables 5.3–5.4
Event rewards, shop offers, and limits can change. Check the current in-game description for event-specific rules. Worked examples are illustrative calculations.