Steel is the Lockdown Gym leader. The Lock-down gym is famous for developing alternative methods of capturing and restraining pokemon, and renowned for its severe methods of training especially dangerous and problematic pokemon using a combination of restraining, stimulation, denial and punishment.

The pokeballs on his belt are not regular pokeballs, but his own variation of a Master Ball. These balls contain the specialized restraining gear used in the Lockdown gym. When the ball hits the target (be they human or pokemon) the gear expands and captures him, binding him and bringing him to submission, starting the process to show them who’s Master.*

There are different kinds of restraining gear designed to capture different kinds of pokemon.