In the anime/manga fan community, there are many strange questions raised around the works that fans love. Pokémon is no exception. For example: “Can a Pokémon catch another Pokémon with a Poké Ball?”.
This question seems difficult to answer but has an answer, it is found in the Pokémon anime itself, illustrated by the actions of Pikachu and Meowth.
In an episode titled “A Frenzied Factory Fiasco”, from the Pokémon XY series, the plot opens with Team Rocket taking control of a Poké Ball factory. They lure Ash and his group into a trap, from which only Pikachu can escape. During his escape, Meowth attempted to recapture Pikachu with a Poké Ball.
A fierce chase leads Pikachu and Meowth to the factory assembly line, where many types of Poké Balls are produced. In a decisive moment, Pikachu uses the Luxury Ball to try to capture Meowth and succeeds. Meowth ends up being sucked into the Poké Ball, but manages to escape after a while.
This incident not only highlighted the first time a Pokémon used a Poké Ball against another Pokémon, but also demonstrated that the process is similar to a trainer catching a Pokémon. Although Meowth is not completely captured, the episode hints at the Pokémon’s ability to control others through Poké Balls.
A similar example occurs in the movie “Mewtwo Strikes Back”. Mewtwo created his own Poké Balls to capture and clone Pokémon. However, Mewtwo does not command captured Pokémon like a trainer.
The interactions between Pokémon and Poké Balls pave the way for several theories, such as humanoid Pokémon commanding a squad consisting of other Pokémon.