Where To Get Heavy Balls & Black Apricorns (Pokémon HGSS)

Kurt in Azalea Town will turn your Black Apricorns into Heavy Balls, which have a higher catch rate the heavier a wild Pokémon is.

In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Black Apricorns can only be found:

Growing on special trees on Route 37, Route 33, Route 31, Route 43, and Route 1
On sale for 200 points at the Pokéathlon Dome on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays

Below we’ll provide a step-by-step guide to finding each Apricorn tree, show you how to turn them into Heavy Balls, and explain how Heavy Balls work.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

How To Get Heavy Balls
All Black Apricorn Tree Locations
- Route 31
- Route 33
- Route 37
- Route 43
- Route 1
Alternate Method: Winning Apricorns at the Pokéathlon Dome
Heavy Ball Mechanics

How To Get Heavy Balls

You’re able to make your first Heavy Ball once you’ve cleared Team Rocket out of Slowpoke Well in Azalea Town.

Afterwards, head to Kurt’s house in the top left corner of town and give him your Black Apricorns. It’ll take him a day to turn them into Heavy Balls. He’ll call your Pokégear when he’s done.

Kurt can only make one type of Pokéball at a time, but you can give him multiple of the same color of Apricorn at the same time.

Kurt’s house in Azalea Town, with a White Apricorn tree outside

If you don’t have an Apricorn Box, you’ll be unable to harvest Apricorns you find.

You can get one by returning to the house on Route 30, just north of Cherrygrove City.

The house on Route 30 containing the man who gifts you an Apricorn Box

All Black Apricorn Tree Locations

The following sections will give you step-by-step instructions on where to find each Black Apricorn tree.

Apricorns re-grow daily, so you can revisit them every day.

Route 31

The first Black Apricorn tree in the game is most easily accessed from Violet City’s east gate.

Immediately after leaving the city going east, follow the path further east and hop over the ledge. The tree will be right in front of you.

The location of the Black Apricorn tree on Route 31

Route 33

The next Black Apricorn is located just to the east of Azalea Town, on Route 33.

To find it, simply exit the town to the east and follow the path to Union Cave. Just south of the cave’s entrance, you’ll see two Apricorn trees.

The location of the Black Apricorn tree on Route 33

Route 37

The next Black Apricorn tree is another easy one.

The fastest way to get to it is from Ecruteak City’s south exit.

The south exit of Ecruteak City onto Route 37

After passing under the arch, take the right turn and hop over the ledge

You’ll see three Apricorn trees, including one black one.

The location of the Black Apricorn tree on Route 37

Route 43

The next Black Apricorn tree is on Route 43, between Mahogany Town and the Lake of Rage.

You’ll need to bring Pokémon with Surf and Cut to reach it.

First, Fly to Mahogany Town and then take the north gate to Route 43.

Route 43, as seen from Mahogany Town’s north gate

Walk north through the first patch of long grass you encounter, pictured above.

Soon you’ll come to a body of water on your left.

The body of water on Route 43

Surf to the west over the water.

You’ll see a small clearing with a Cut-able tree. Behind it is the Black Apricorn tree.

The location of the Black Apricorn tree on Route 43

Route 1 (Kanto)

The final Black Apricorn tree is another easy-to-reach one. However, it’s far through the game, near the end of your journey through Kanto.

To find it, first Fly to Viridian City and then leave through the south exit onto Route 1.

When you come out of the gate, hop over the ledge to the southwest. The Black Apricorn tree is just on the other side.

The location of the Black Apricorn tree on Route 1

Alternate Method: Winning Apricorns at the Pokéathlon Dome

Black Apricorns are also up for grabs as prizes at the Pokéathlon Dome.

This is handy if you enjoy the minigames, but they’re probably much easier to harvest by hand if you don’t.

The Pokéathlon Dome is at the top of Route 35, sharing an entrance with the National Park.

The Pokéathlon Dome, at the top of Route 35

Black Apricorns are sold here for 200 points each on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

You’ll find them in the Athlete Shop, inside in the top right corner.

The Athlete Shop in the Pokéathlon Dome, where you can buy Apricorns

Heavy Ball Mechanics

Heavy Balls become more effective when they’re used on heavier wild Pokémon. The weight is based on their HG/SS Pokedex entry information.

Note: If a Pokémon is extremely light, then these balls become less effective than even a Pokéball.

The weight categories and their catch rate multipliers are as follows:

Catch Multiplier	Weight
-x2	451.3 lbs (204.7 kg)
x2	451.5 lbs – 677 lbs (204.8 kg – 307.1 kg)
x3	677.3 lbs – 902.8 lbs (307.2 kg – 409.5 kg)
x4	903+ lbs (409.6+ kg)

Using a Heavy Ball to successfully catch a wild Graveler

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Louie Neale

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Full-time freelance copywriter and long-time Pokémon trainer, currently rediscovering my childhood love for the classic games by bringing you all the info you need.

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