Catch rate +20 from 204.8 kg, +30 from 307.2 kg, +40 from 409.6 kg — and −20 on anything lighter.
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In HeartGoldSoulSilver, 31 Apricorn trees across Johto and Kanto each drop one Apricorn a day, and Kurt in Azalea Town turns them into balls overnight: Red makes a Level Ball, Yellow a Moon Ball, Blue a Lure Ball, Green a Friend Ball, Pink a Love Ball, White a Fast Ball and Black a Heavy Ball.
Warning — The Heavy Ball punishes light Pokémon: Below 204.8 kg the Heavy Ball subtracts 20 from the catch rate, which makes it worse than a plain Poké Ball on almost everything you meet. Keep it for the heavyweights in the section below.
Where to find Kurt’s house in Azalea Town
Kurt’s house in Azalea Town. Map view; enter through the door on the south side.
How Kurt’s Apricorn Balls work: the Apricorn Box and a one-day wait
Get the Apricorn Box on Route 30
A man on Route 30 — by the path to Mr. Pokémon’s house, or later in his own house there — gives you the Apricorn Box. Without it you cannot pick Apricorns at all: the tree says there is nothing to put them in.
Talk to a tree to shake one Apricorn loose. A tree you picked stays bare until the next day. The box holds up to 99 of each colour; at 99 you have to leave the Apricorn on the tree.
Tip — Register Kurt in the Pokégear: When Kurt is back from the Slowpoke Well, his granddaughter offers his Pokégear number in that first conversation. Call him to hear whether your balls are ready and how many he made.
All 31 Apricorn tree locations in HGSS
Every tree always drops the same colour, and the list is identical in both games. Johto has 23 trees, Kanto 8. Route 37 and Route 42 have three trees each, the best single stops on a daily round.
The rarest colours are Red and White, three trees each. Red grows on Route 37, Route 44 and in Fuchsia City; White on Route 38, in Pewter City and in Azalea Town, a few steps from Kurt.
Heavy Ball: the best non-Master ball against heavy legendaries. Lugia (216 kg) and a Heavy Ball give catch rate 23; an Ultra Ball works out at 6. Snorlax (460 kg) goes from 25 to 65. It does not help with Ho-Oh at 199 kg — there it is a penalty.
Lure Ball: ×3 on anything you fish up, so Dratini or Gyarados (catch rate 45) are easier to land than with an Ultra Ball.
Level Ball: strongest early and on low-level catches. The ball compares the wild Pokémon with the one you have out when you throw it, so switch in your highest-levelled Pokémon first; it does nothing when the wild one is your level or higher.
Love Ball: ×8, the biggest multiplier, but only with a Pokémon of the same species and the opposite gender out. Genderless Pokémon never qualify.
Friend Ball: no help with the catch, but the 200 starting friendship speeds up friendship evolutions such as Golbat into Crobat or Eevee into Espeon and Umbreon.
Moon Ball: ×4, but its 14 species mostly have high catch rates already, so it is mostly a looks choice.
Colour-matching balls for three classic Apricorn Ball targets, from what HGSS sells and Kurt makes:
Lugia Normal: Dive Ball — Shiny: Premier Ball, Love Ball
Snorlax Normal: Net Ball, Heavy Ball, Moon Ball — Shiny: Heavy Ball, Moon Ball, Great Ball
Clefairy Normal: Love Ball, Heal Ball, Moon Ball — Shiny: Love Ball, Heal Ball, Moon Ball
Kurt’s Apricorn Balls in HGSS: FAQ
Which Apricorn makes which ball in HeartGold and SoulSilver?
Red: Level Ball. Yellow: Moon Ball. Blue: Lure Ball. Green: Friend Ball. Pink: Love Ball. White: Fast Ball. Black: Heavy Ball.
How long does Kurt take to make Apricorn Balls?
One day. Collect them on your next visit after the day changes.
Where do I get the Apricorn Box in HeartGold?
From a man on Route 30, on the way to Mr. Pokémon’s house.
Where do I find Black Apricorns in SoulSilver?
Routes 1, 31, 33, 37 and 43 — five trees.
Do Apricorn trees regrow in HGSS?
Yes. Every tree has one new Apricorn each day.
Is the Heavy Ball good in HGSS?
Only on Pokémon of 204.8 kg or more, such as Lugia or Snorlax. On anything lighter it lowers the catch rate.
Does the Fast Ball work on fleeing Pokémon in HGSS?
It works on species with base Speed 100 or more, whether or not they flee: Raikou and Entei yes, Suicune no.
