Dash Arrow

The Dash Arrow (Japanese: ダッシュプレート Dash Plate) is a moving blue triangle shape in the Blue Field of Pokémon Pinball. This arrow is located at the top screen, between Slowpoke and Cloyster. It may point up, down, left, or right. If the ball touches the Dash Arrow, the ball is sent to the direction where the arrow is pointing.

Comparison with other Arrows

The Dash Arrow is visually identical to various other Arrows (blue triangles) found in Pokémon Pinball. However, the Dash Arrow is the only moving Arrow, and the only one able to change the direction of the ball. Other Arrows are stationary; they turn on an off to point to places where the ball is able to go.

In Japanese, other Arrows are named with the word "Light", which is related to their function of turning on and off. For instance, a Catch 'em Arrow (Japanese: ゲットライト Get Light) and Evolution Arrow (Japanese: 進化ライト Evolution Light). The Dash Arrow's Japanese name includes the word "Plate" instead.

Directions

Image	Direction	Field mechanics found
	Left	Slowpoke (which is able to start the Evolution Mode to evolve a Pokémon, or to open the Bonus Cave in the Map Mode)
	Right	Cloyster (which is able to start the Catch 'em Mode to catch a Pokémon, or to open the Bonus Cave in the Map Mode)
	Up	3× Shellder (which are hit during the Catch 'em Mode to reveal the Pokémon to be caught) 3× Field Multiplier Lanes (which upgrade the Poké Ball for the purpose of multiplying points received during the game).
	Down	Return to the bottom screen

Movement

Some circumstances change the direction where the Dash Arrow is pointing:

• The arrow constantly changes to random directions.
• If the ball is above the arrow, in the area with the three Shellder, the arrow may sometimes point up and block the ball from falling. The arrow will often point down, which allows the ball to go to the bottom screen. Other circumstances may cause it to point left or right to reach the Slowpoke or the Shellder.
• If the ball is at the left or right of the arrow, in one of the spaces with Slowpoke or Cloyster, the arrow points down.
• If the ball is coming up from the bottom screen, the arrow will usually point up. Other circumstances may cause it to point left or right to reach the Slowpoke or the Shellder.
• If at least two of the three Catch 'em Arrows below the Right Loop are lit, the Dash Arrow often points right to allow the ball to reach the Cloyster and start the Catch 'em Mode.
• If the three Evolution Arrows below the Left Loop are lit, the Dash Arrow often points left to allow the ball to reach the Slowpoke and start the Evolution Mode.
• If the Map Mode is active, the arrow often points to the side needed to make the Bonus Cave appear, which is either left or right. The player travels to another area if the ball enters the Bonus Cave during the Map Mode.
  • Specifically, if the player has activated the Map Mode by hitting the Poliwag at the left side three times, then the arrow points left because hitting the Slowpoke activates the Bonus Cave.
  • Likewise, if the player has activated the Map Mode by hitting the Psyduck at the right side three times, then the arrow points right because hitting the Cloyster activates the Bonus Cave.
  • Even if the Bonus Cave is already active during the Map Mode, the arrow still often points to the side that would be needed to make the Bonus Cave appear.
• If the Catch 'em Mode or the Evolution Mode are active, the arrow randomly points to left and right, which may cause the ball to hit Slowpoke and Shellder. They are unable to start the Catch 'em Mode or the Evolution Mode if one of them is already active.

Gallery

The ball sent to the left side	The ball sent to the right side

This article is part of Project Sidegames, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon Sidegames.