Pokeballs - Handheld Weapons

Roughly 2 million years ago, the first humans had made a remarkable discovery: the use of tools other than their hands. Rocks and sticks and other hand size objects that could be modified and used as tools. With discoveries came ideas, and with ideas came development. The first humans picked up the most basic tools and discovered their potential uses such as cutting and crafting. This technological revolution set humanity on a path that would lead to further discoveries, and technological development. However, there was a dark side in every milestone. Everything that was used to improve humans' lives was also used as a weapon. To kill or enslave the enemy, or domesticate the inferior.  Throughout the age of man, as new inventions were created, they were eventually used as weapons or a means to best one another.

Pokéballs are no different. In fact there is no harmless use to these seemingly harmless devices. Even if not used in warfare, critics of this highly controversial technology argue that any use of the pokéball will have an unimaginable impact on everyone.

In the Pokemon Nation of Isshu, a five island region in the south Pacific, Pokéballs are as common tools as forks and knives. Here in this mystifying country, no one objects to the using of Pokéballs on animals, or other people for that matter. But everywhere else, the controversy burns like wildfire. According to animal rights and human rights advocates, the pokéball is the ultimate bane of every single right. According to religious groups, the pokeball is considered to be the tool of the devil. Health officials, lawyers and lawmakers consider the Pokeball a tool for murder.

Meanwhile inside Isshu, everyone considers Pokéballs to be completely harmless, despite the radioactive and toxic metals they are made from, and the deadly radiation they emit when in action.

How does a Pokeball work? A pokeball is an electronic device the size of a large baseball. It has its own built-in computer system and a tiny battery that can hold enough power to light up the streets of a large city for five years. A pokeball carries out a complex series of operations that enable it to scan and read the chemical compositions of the surrounding environment, and potential targets.
A typical pokeball is composed of a light but extremely tough metal alloy, which is harder than diamond. It's top is color coded indicating what type of pokeball it is and its power. A black belt lines the equator, on which the buttons are located. At its front, a large button-light.  

When activated a pokeball will beep and scan the surrounding environment with its sensors, and harmless beams, and pick up its target. The light serves as an eye that is jam-packed with sensors to enable it to better scan it's target. As a safety feature, The trainer will press the button to switch targets and shut off. If left on a target, the pokeball will scan it thoroughly, snap open and cast out its beam and vaporize the target and suck in the left over particle soup using its magnetic capabilities.

Basic Pokéballs require additional energy to be triggered into capturing prey, and thus, are thrown in the direction of the target. For safety reasons, basic Pokéballs will not do any more than scan potential targets unless thrown. Complex Pokéballs have additional buttons and functions, and can be programmed by a compatible mobile computer while basic ones must be taken to Pokémon centers to be processed, including healing, transferring and storing Pokémon.

Complex Pokéballs of any specialization can be set as traps; programmed to scan and catch any target that walks by. They can be programmed to catch the next animal to pass or only specific animals.

Pokeball targets are animals and sometimes humans. Once captured, the target is labelled a 'Pokémon,' or pocket monster. There is a national identification called the Pocket monster index, or Pokédex for short. Animals and even humans are listed, and identified with a number.

While capturing other humans is illegal, capturing animals is encouraged, with little thought given to local eco systems that these animals are part of. Animals on these islands have evolved high level unique abilities and some have even evolved a greater intelligence than humans. Even they aren't exempt from being captured.

The captured animals are trained to be loyal pets who will fight to the death against other trainers' pets in the popular blood sport called a Pokémon battle.
The regulatory body in charge of all Pokémon battles is the Pokémon League. Like a sports league, it is centered around the gladiator-like battles Pokémon fight under the command of their trainers. Trainer-Pokémon relationships are key in how a Pokémon performs. Contrary to popular belief, the Pokémon League is a blood sport and death and gore is a common sight on the arena floors. Even trainers themselves are injured or even killed by opponents' Pokémon.

But the Pokémon League isn't the only entity that uses Pokéballs. Law enforcement and military forces also use specialized Pokéballs for the purpose of capturing and arresting criminals. Crime gangs such as Team Rocket and Team Plasma have used Pokéballs for their own vile purposes in capturing animals and even humans, often selling them off in underground markets.

Even intelligent Pokémon use Pokéballs to capture, train and-or enslave lesser Pokémon or even humans. Since Pokémon themselves are not allowed into the Pokémon League as trainers, they operate their own underground battles and contests in the shady areas of Unova's cities and towns.

Often humans and Pokémon are pitted against each other and often fight to the death, with painful and violent motivation from their trainers. Even human trainers will use captive humans as Pokémon and force them to fight.

A social stigma labels anyone who has been caught by a Pokeball is a lesser being than others.

Recently, the Unova government sought to solve the criminal element by legalizing it and incorporating it into the Pokémon League and allow humans to be placed on the battle field as Pokémon and Pokémon to enter contests as trainers.

The Pokeball's manufacturer, state-owned Silph co has seen much success in pokeball technology that has transformed the economy and society of the Pokémon Nation. But Pokéballs aren't alone in this line of gadgets. Vast, complex computer systems facilitate the transfer of Pokémon to computer where the particle soup that was once a fox, a bird, or a man, to and from Pokéballs or other computers. But as Silph is drooling over much untapped economic potential and looking to expand world wide, it meets nothing but fierce opposition, but they won't go back without a fight, or at least until they've taken over Unova completely.