History Main / CaptureBalls

Compare SupernaturalSealing, CapturedSuperEntity, WeaponsThatSuck and BagOfHolding. See also TheCollector.

* ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'': Played With. All the series alien experiments by default are contained in small dehydrated marbles that activate after getting wet. While usually Lilo tries to find the experiment a job they can do while awakened, for a select few she resorts to dehydration to seal them back into their pod form (such as 627 [[TheIrredeemableException who was designed to be irredeemable]]).

Often they become a rudimentary type of SummonMagic, which enables you to release and recall a summon from a portable storage device at will. This may also come with some form of [[AllAnimalsAreDomesticated magical domestication]] to make the creature obey their owner post-capture (although this can blur into SlaveMooks and EvilPoacher territory depending on the tone). Some Mons even come ''pre-installed'' with a "capture ball state" as part of their biology, as if they were designed for it, skipping the "capture" part altogether.

Capture Balls needn't always be used for summoning however, and may just function as a portable PrisonDimension. This is favored in series with regular MonsterOfTheWeek, as it lets the threat be wrapped up without having to worry about the logistics of containment. Typically you can only capture severely weakened or defeated opponents in this manner, to prevent it from [[StoryBreakerPower instantly nullifying all threat]].

The mechanics of how the device capture itself works can vary. It might convert the creature into light, shrink them, or just be BiggerOnTheInside. This naturally comes with some AndIMustScream implications if the creature remains sentient while caught, although in more lighthearted settings they may just be UnPaused upon release. Beings within a Capture Ball typically don't need to eat / drink / sleep / breathe, which makes them very convenient for keeping large numbers of creatures without spending most of one's time taking care of them.

The mechanics of how the device capture itself works can vary. It might convert the creature into light, shrink them, or just be BiggerOnTheInside. This naturally comes with some AndIMustScream implications if the creature remains sentient while caught, although in more lighthearted settings they may just be UnPaused upon release. Beings within a Capture Ball typically don't need to eat / drink / sleep, which makes them very convenient for keeping large numbers of creatures without spending most of one's time taking care of them.

In relationship to SealedIndexInACan, these could be considered a handheld on-demand can. Sister trope to GenieInABottle (which describes a different genre of can).

In relationship to SealedIndexInACan, these could be considered handheld on-demand cans.

Compare SupernaturalSealing, GenieInABottle and CapturedSuperEntity, Also compare WeaponsThatSuck and BagOfHolding. See also TheCollector.