Guides

Where To Get TM53 Energy Ball in Pokémon HGSS

by J. Cloverfield
Battle Frontier Access Area with a Gloom (HeartGold)

TM53 Energy Ball is one of the many TMs only available at the Battle Frontier. You will need to accrue Battle Points (BP) to get this TM.

More specifically, it costs 64 BP, and you can get as many copies as you want.

Finding TM53 Energy Ball

The Battle Frontier is to the left of Olivine City.

If you’ve never gone to the Battle Frontier before, you can start by taking Olivine City’s west exit.

Just go west past Olivine City’s Pokémon Center and keep walking onto Route 40.

The player on their way to leaving Olivine City, heading past the local Pokémon Center / Pokemon HGSS
The player on their way to leaving Olivine City, heading past the local Pokémon Center

From here, keep going west and then enter the gate located in the the upper left corner of the route.

Reading the sign in front of the gate leading to the Battle Frontier on the upper left of Route 40 / Pokemon HGSS
Reading the sign in front of the gate leading to the Battle Frontier on the upper left of Route 40

If you have already beaten the Pokémon League, the NPC managing the gate will not block your way.

Proceed through the gate and you should find yourself in the Frontier Access area.

The player entering the Frontier Access from the Route 40 entrance / Pokemon HGSS
The player entering the Frontier Access from the Route 40 entrance

Continue heading north through the Frontier Access area until you come across a sheltered entrance.

This will take you into the Battle Frontier gate, which has several NPCs behind two counters on the sides of the entrance hall.

The player receiving a welcome from the attendants at the Battle Frontier entrance after entering for the first time / Pokemon HGSS
The player receiving a welcome from the attendants at the Battle Frontier entrance after entering for the first time

Leave through the opposite end of the entrance hall to get to the actual Battle Frontier grounds.

You will see a set of stalls not far from the entrance. These stalls carry different kinds of items that you can get by exchanging Battle Points.

The player entering the Battle Frontier grounds, standing close to a pair of BP exchange stalls / Pokemon HGSS
The player entering the Battle Frontier grounds, standing close to a pair of BP exchange stalls

The red-striped stall is the one that offers TMs. From the entrance, this would be the closest to your right.

The TM category selection menu at the Battle Frontier’s TM exchange stall, with the Special Attacks set highlighted in red / Pokemon HGSS
The TM category selection menu at the Battle Frontier’s TM exchange stall, with the Special Attacks set highlighted in red

Speak to the NPC at this stall and you’ll be asked to select from 3 different categories of moves.

Choose the Physical Attacks category to find TM53 Energy Ball.

The set of Special Attacks TMs in the Battle Frontier’s TM exchange stall, with a red highlight around TM 53 Energy Ball / Pokemon HGSS
The set of Special Attacks TMs in the Battle Frontier’s TM exchange stall, with a red highlight around TM 53 Energy Ball

Using Energy Ball

Energy Ball Move Details
Type Grass
Category Special
Power 80
Accuracy 100
PP 10

Energy Ball is a special Grass-type attack move with 80 base power.

There is also a 10% chance that it will reduce the opponent’s Special Defense by 1 stage.

A Gloom using Energy Ball in a battle / Pokemon HGSS
A Gloom using Energy Ball in a battle

There are many other Special Grass-type moves to choose from in HeartGold/SoulSilver.

Energy Ball’s biggest advantage is its balance of good base power and reliable accuracy, without any negative secondary effects.

Other similar Grass-type moves you might choose are those that deal much more damage, like:

  • Solar Beam
  • Petal Dance
  • Or Leaf Storm

However, these moves have their own drawbacks.

  • Solar Beam’s charge time
  • Petal Dance’s move-lock and potential confusion
  • And Leaf Storm’s Special Attack reduction

These might all be inconvenient to work around.

And then to consider a few more alternatives:

  • Giga Drain and Magical Leaf are much weaker with their 60 base power.
  • Grass Knot can also potentially deal higher damage than Energy Ball, but its power will not be consistent.

This all makes Energy Ball a fantastic move to use once you can access the TM. And since Energy Ball is a Special move, be sure to give it to Pokémon with good Special Attack.

Here’s a list of some good options for Energy Ball users:

  • Ninetales
  • Roserade
  • Octillery
  • Vileplume
  • Meganium
  • Venusaur
  • Mismagius
  • Ludicolo
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J. Cloverfield

23 articles

She's a social science major and hobbyist illustrator known for her shyness, temper, and love of pink. Her first try at gaming was with a Pokémon Silver bootleg as a preschooler, and by now she's played nearly all of the Pokémon games—spin-offs included. Zero Escape, Ace Attorney, Danganronpa, Shin Megami Tensei, Fire Emblem, and Story of Seasons are some of her other favorite franchises.

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