Where To Get Love Balls & Pink Apricorns (Pokémon HGSS)

Outside the day care in Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver

Kurt in Azalea town will turn any Pink Apricorns you give him into Love Balls, which provide a huge catch rate bonus when used on Pokémon of the opposite gender & the same species as your active Pokémon.

This makes Love Balls ideal for catching breeding pairs.

Pink Apricorns in HeartGold/SoulSilver can be found:

  • Growing on trees on Route 30, Route 33, Route 42, and Route 2.
  • On sale for 200 points at the Pokéathlon Dome on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Below we’ll show you the exact location of each Pink Apricorn tree below, as well info on how to craft Love Balls and how they work.

How To Get Love Balls

You’re able to make Love Balls as soon as you’ve defeated Team Rocket in Slowpoke Well near Azalea Town.

Once you’ve done that, visit Kurt in his house in the top left corner of Azalea Town. He’ll take a day to craft your Pink Apricorns into Love Balls.

He can only craft one type of Pokéball at a time, but you can give him more than one of the same color Apricorn at once.

Kurt's house in Azalea Town, with a White Apricorn tree outside / Pokémon HGSS
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 / Pokémon HGSS
The house on Route 30 containing the man who gifts you an Apricorn Box

All Pink Apricorn Tree Locations

Let’s look into the exact location of each Pink Apricorn tree in HeartGold & SoulSilver.

All Apricorns take a single day to re-grow once picked, so you can always pick another tomorrow.

Route 30

The first Pink Apricorn tree is very close to the beginning of the game, north of Cherrygrove City on Route 30.

To find it, keep heading north past the Apricorn Box man’s house pictured in the section above.

The Pink Apricorn tree is just outside Mr. Pokémon’s house.

The location of the Pink Apricorn tree on Route 30 / Pokémon HGSS
The location of the Pink Apricorn tree on Route 30

Route 33

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

Leave town to the east, as if you were heading to Union Cave. The Pink Apricorn tree is just south of the cave’s entrance.

The location of the Pink Apricorn tree on Route 33 / Pokémon HGSS
The location of the Pink Apricorn tree on Route 33

Route 42

The Pink Apricorn tree on Route 42 is easy to find, but you’ll need to bring Pokémon with both Surf and Cut.

Begin by leaving Ecruteak City’s east gate and walk further east until you reach the water.

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

Surf east over the water to the other side.

Once you’ve landed, chop down the Cut-able tree. Behind it, you’ll find three Apricorn trees, a pink one among them.

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

Route 2

The final Pink Apricorn tree is located toward the end of your Pokémon journey, near Kanto’s Pewter City.

You’ll need to bring a Pokémon with Cut along to reach it.

Fly to Pewter City, then take the south exit toward Viridian Forest. Before you reach the forest itself, you’ll see a Cut-able tree. Chop it down and follow the path through the trees.

The Cut-able tree on Route 2 / Pokémon HGSS
The Cut-able tree on Route 2

When you emerge from the passage, walk south for a few steps until you see a house.

You’ll find a Pink Apricorn tree outside.

The location of the Pink Apricorn tree on Route 2 / Pokémon HGSS
The location of the Pink Apricorn tree on Route 2

Alternate Method: Winning Apricorns at the Pokéathlon Dome

You also have the option of playing Pokéathlon Dome minigames to earn your Pink Apricorns.

It’s probably only worth doing this if you enjoy the minigames, as it’s much less effort to pick them by hand.

The Pokéathlon Dome is located right at the top of Route 35; sharing 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

Pink Apricorns are sold here for 200 points each on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

The Athlete Shop that sells them can be found in the building’s top right corner.

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

Love Ball Mechanics

Love Balls are incredibly effective against Pokémon of the same species and opposite gender to your current Pokémon, providing an 8x catch rate multiplier.

For reference, an Ultra Ball provides a 2x multiplier.

However, if these balls are used against a Pokémon of the same gender or a different species, they have the equivalent catch rate of a regular Pokéball.

Using a Love Ball to successfully catch a wild Shuckle / Pokémon HGSS
Using a Love Ball to successfully catch a wild Shuckle

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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