Voltorb looked very much like a Poké Ball. In fact, even now, rumors persisted that humans had based the original design of modern Poké Balls on its appearance.
Although this was only a rumor or a joke, plenty of people firmly believed it, and in terms of appearance and features, it really did look very much like a Poké Ball.
First, it had neither hands nor feet, only a round body. Its coloring was simple too: red on the upper half and white on the lower half, with nothing but a pair of eyes on its body!
Strangest of all, Voltorb had only been discovered around the same time Poké Balls went on sale. Supposedly, it was first found at a company that manufactured Poké Balls, and it also appeared in places such as power plants. No one knew why it looked so similar to a Poké Ball, which only strengthened people's belief that there was some connection between the two. What that connection was, however, remained a mystery.
There were even rumors that it had been born when a Poké Ball was exposed to a powerful pulse. Its resemblance to a Poké Ball served as camouflage, leaving people unable to tell them apart. Many mistook it for a Poké Ball and touched it, only to be numbed by an electric shock. Even the slightest stimulus could trigger its Explosion, so even experienced Pokémon Trainers were extremely cautious when using Voltorb.
Despite these dangers, however, it remained very popular among Electric-type Trainers.
Wattson was just such an example. For him to use this Pokémon in the very first battle showed that he must know Voltorb inside out and certainly would not let it hurt him easily.
At the edge of the battlefield, seeing that both Pokémon were ready, Watt gave