Where To Get Friend Balls & Green Apricorns (Pokémon HGSS)

Green Apricorn Tree next to Moo Moo Farms (HeartGold)

Kurt in Azalea Town will use any Green Apricorns you bring him to create Friend Balls. When you catch any Pokémon with a Friend Ball, it will set their default happiness to 200. This is particularly excellent for Pokémon whose evolution method requires high happiness.

You can collect Green Apricorns in HeartGold & SoulSilver with the following methods:

  • Pick them from special trees on Route 29, Route 30, Route 35, Route 39, Route 42, Route 46, and Route 11.
  • Buy them for 200 points at the Pokéathlon Dome on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

This guide will show you step-by-step exactly where each Green Apricorn tree is located, how to turn them into Friendship Balls, and explain in more detail what Friendship Balls do.

How To Get Friend Balls

You gain access to Friend Balls as soon as you’ve cleared Team Rocket out of Slowpoke Well in Azalea Town.

After this point, Kurt will turn any Apricorns you find into special Pokéballs. You’ll find his house in the top left corner of town.

It takes a day for him to create Friend Balls from your Apricorns, and he’ll contact you via your Pokégear when he’s finished.

Kurt can only create one type of ball at a time, but you can give him multiple of the same color of Apricorns at once.

The outside of Kurt's house in Azalea Town / Pokémon HGSS
The outside of Kurt’s house in Azalea Town

If you find that you can’t carry Apricorns, that’s because you missed the Apricorn Box at the beginning of the game.

The man who gives it to you lives on Route 30, just above Cherrygrove City’s north exit (pictured below). There’s even a Green Apricorn growing in his garden!

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

All Green Apricorn Tree Locations

In the following sections, we’ll show you where each Green Apricorn can be found.

Apricorn trees grow new fruit daily, so you can refill your stocks regularly.

Route 29

The very first Apricorn tree in the game is a green one, and it is most easily accessed from Cherrygrove City’s east exit.

Simply follow the path until you get to the spot pictured below.

The path on Route 29 / Pokémon HGSS
The path on Route 29

Once you’ve reached the gap between the ledges, head up north through each gap.

Your first Green Apricorn tree awaits you at the top.

The location of the Green Apricorn tree on Route 29 / Pokémon HGSS
The location of the Green Apricorn tree on Route 29

Route 35

The next Green Apricorn can be found on Route 35, accessed through Goldenrod City’s north gate. Despite its early placement in the game, you will need a Pokémon with Surf to be able to reach it.

After leaving Goldenrod City, follow the path up until you come to the body of water pictured below.

The body of water on Route 35 / Pokémon HGSS
The body of water on Route 35

Surf over the water directly to the west.

You’ll find your Green Apricorn tree on the other side.

The location of the Green Apricorn tree on Route 35 / Pokémon HGSS
The location of the Green Apricorn tree on Route 35

Route 39

The Green Apricorn tree on Route 39 is located on Moomoo Farm.

It’s easy to reach from Olivine City or Ecruteak City, but this guide will use Olivine, as it’s slightly quicker.

Begin by leaving Olivine City through the north exit.

Route 39, as seen from Olivine City's north exit / Pokémon HGSS
Route 39, as seen from Olivine City’s north exit

Follow the path up until you reach some steps, climb them and carry on north.

The steps on Route 39 / Pokémon HGSS
The steps on Route 39

As you’re heading north, you’ll see the entrance to Moomoo Farm to your left.

Head inside and you’ll find the tree right next to the farmhouse.

The location of the Green Apricorn tree on Route 39 / Pokémon HGSS
The location of the Green Apricorn tree on Route 39

Route 42

The Green Apricorn tree on Route 42 is simple to get to. However, you will need to bring Pokémon with Surf and Cut to reach it.

Begin by taking Ecruteak City’s east gate onto Route 42 and surfing on the water immediately to the east.

The water on Route 42 / Pokémon HGSS
The water on Route 42

Surf across the water and disembark on the other side.

There you should see a Cut-able tree. Chop it down and collect three Apricorns, a green one included.

The location of the Green Apricorn tree on Route 42 / Pokémon HGSS
The location of the Green Apricorn tree on Route 42

Route 46

The Green Apricorn tree on Route 46 is a bit of a pain to reach.

Begin by leaving Blackthorn City via the south exit.

Blackthorn City's south exit / Pokémon HGSS
Blackthorn City’s south exit

Head straight down until you reach the bridge leading to the west, as shown below.

The westward-leading bridge on Route 46 / Pokémon HGSS
The westward-leading bridge on Route 46

Carry on further west past the entrance to Dark Cave.

The entrance to Dark Cave on Route 46 / Pokémon HGSS
The entrance to Dark Cave on Route 46

Now it’s time for the long walk down.

If you haven’t taken this route before, there will be trainers to battle and items to collect. Even if you’ve already explored here, there’s long grass with wild Pokémon.

Carry on heading south, hopping ledges, and staying in a straight line until you reach the point shown below.

The point at which you should stop running directly down on Route 46 / Pokémon HGSS
The point at which you should stop running directly down on Route 46

Walk down the steps to your left and head west past Dark Cave’s other entrance.

The second entrance to Dark Cave on 46 / Pokémon HGSS
The second entrance to Dark Cave on 46

Just outside the cave’s entrance, you’ll see a thin passageway in the trees.

Follow it to find your Green Apricorn tree.

The location of the Green Apricorn tree on Route 46 / Pokémon HGSS
The location of the Green Apricorn tree on Route 46

Route 11

The final Green Apricorn tree is further along in the game, in the Kanto region.

It’s best approached from Vermilion City’s east gate, as long as you’ve moved the sleeping Snorlax. Otherwise, you’ll have to take the long way round from Lavender Town.

We’ll show you the Vermillion City route first.

Route 11, as seen from Vermillion City's east entrance after moving the sleeping Snorlax / Pokémon HGSS
Route 11, as seen from Vermillion City’s east entrance after moving the sleeping Snorlax

From here, simply carry on walking eastward through the long grass.

The Pokémon here are very low levels, so they shouldn’t bother you much. The trainers, if you haven’t battled them before, are much stronger though.

Soon enough, you’ll come to the Green Apricorn tree.

The location of the Green Apricorn tree on Route 11 / Pokémon HGSS
The location of the Green Apricorn tree on Route 11

If you haven’t yet moved the Snorlax blocking your path on Route 11, you’ll need to start your journey in Lavender Town.

From Lavender Town, take the south exit onto Route 12.

Route 12, as seen from Lavender Town's south exit / Pokémon HGSS
Route 12, as seen from Lavender Town’s south exit

Keep heading south until you’ve just passed the pair of trainers pictured below.

Then, take the left turn and head through the gate onto Route 11.

The turn just after the pair of trainers on Route 12 / Pokémon HGSS
The turn just after the pair of trainers on Route 12

Once you’ve passed through the gate, walk west in a straight line until you reach the Green Apricorn tree.

Route 11, as seen from the gate from Route 12 / Pokémon HGSS
Route 11, as seen from the gate from Route 12

Alternate Method: Winning Apricorns at the Pokéathlon Dome

You can also buy Green Apricorns at the Pokéathlon Dome.

However, as there are so many Green Apricorn trees in the game, this only makes sense if you really love the Pokéathlon minigames.

The Pokéathlon Dome can be found at the top of Route 35, through the same entrance as the National Park.

The Pokéathlon Dome, at the top of Route 35 / Pokémon HGSS
The Pokéathlon Dome, at the top of Route 35

Green Apricorns are sold here for 200 points each on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

The Athlete Shop, in the top right corner of the building, stocks them.

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

Friend Ball Mechanics

Friend Balls have the same catch rate as a regular Pokéball.

However, their advantage comes in the fact they set the happiness of any Pokémon caught to 200.

For reference, the maximum happiness level is 255.

This makes Friend Balls ideal for catching Pokémon that evolve from high happiness. These are:

  • Chansey
  • Eevee
  • Zubat/Golbat
  • All baby Pokémon

A high happiness comes in handy for other reasons too, such as maximizing the damage done by the move Return.

Successfully capturing a wild Golbat in a Friend Ball / Pokémon HGSS
Successfully capturing a wild Golbat in a Friend Ball

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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