Honey

Honey (Japanese: あまいミツ Sweet Honey) is an item that was introduced in Generation IV. This item is used on special, golden-colored trees in Sinnoh to attract Pokémon – most of which can only be caught in the wild by use of these trees.

Game mechanics

Once Honey is placed on one of the trees and at least 6 hours have passed, a Pokémon will appear on the tree. If a tree is left unchecked for 24 hours, both the honey and the Pokémon will be gone.

There are 21 trees spread throughout Sinnoh. Every tree has the same chance of finding a Pokémon from one of two sets of Pokémon and a 10% chance of finding nothing. Four trees have a 1% chance of finding a Munchlax and a 9% chance of finding no Pokémon.

If the tree of the previously encountered Pokémon is the same tree as the current one being slathered, and no other trees in between have been slathered, then there is a 90% chance that the same column is used and a 10% chance that a random column is used. If the previous Pokémon was a Munchlax and the same tree is the only one being slathered since the encounter, then there will be a 90% chance of encountering another Munchlax.

The Pokémon is determined at the time of slathering the tree. Saving the game, resetting, and re-checking a tree after a Pokémon has appeared will not change the Pokémon, but its level, gender, nature, IVs, and other random values will change. This is helpful for finding a male or female Burmy, which will have different evolutions depending on their gender, or Combee, which only evolves if female.

If used in tall grass, a cave, or in water, the Honey will activate a Sweet Scent effect, immediately initiating battle with a Pokémon if possible.

Technical mechanics

Each of the 21 Honey trees throughout the game occupy 8 bytes in the save file starting from 0x72E4.

0000000000000000

The red value represents the countdown timer of playing time. This value starts at 1440 minutes and when it reaches 720 minutes, the Pokémon will be on the tree. Once the countdown timer gets to 0, the player must put more honey on the tree and time has expired. The counter decreases by 1 every minute while playing the game.

The light blue value represents the column from which Pokémon will appear.

The dark blue value represents the row from which the Pokémon will appear.

The green value determines the light blue value. This value is referred to as X for purposes of representation in calculations.

The yellow value represents how much the tree will shake when the Pokémon is on it.

Determining the values

The Pokémon is determined by calling the game's pseudo-random number generator if the same tree was slathered, for X, the column, the row, and the shake value. If the same tree is slathered in a row, there is a 10% chance that a random column will be chosen and a 90% chance that the same column will be used.

Each of the 16-bit pseudo-random numbers generated are manipulated into a number between 0 and 99 using the following formula:

Let R be the pseudo-random number from 0 to 65535
E = ( R / 656 ) % 656

The game uses two lists to determine which Pokémon will appear on the tree, one for trees which may have a Munchlax, and another list for trees that will not. 4 out of the 21 trees will have a 1% possibility of encountering a Munchlax. Trees that may have a Munchlax is determined by the player's Trainer information.

If a different tree is slathered than the previous and the new tree will not have a Munchlax then a random column is chosen from E. If the random number is between 0 and 10, the tree will not attract any Pokémon. If the number is between 11 and 30, X is set to 1. If the number is between 31 and 100, X is set to 2.

If a different tree is slathered than the previous and the new tree may have a Munchlax then a random column is chosen from E. If the random number is 1, X is set to 3. If the number is between 2 and 10, the tree will not attract any Pokémon. If the number is between 11 and 30, X is set to 1. If the number is between 31 and 100, X is set to 2.

The light blue value is set by subtracting 1 from X where the value of X can be the following, as described above:

• 0 - No Pokémon will be encountered
• 1 - Column 0 Pokémon
• 2 - Column 1 Pokémon
• 3 - Column 2 Pokémon (Munchlax)

For the row, if the number is between 0 and 5, Pokémon 6 is used. If the number is between 6 and 10, Pokémon 5 is used. If the number is between 11 and 20, Pokémon 4 is used. If the number is between 21 and 40, Pokémon 3 is used. If the number is between 41 and 60, Pokémon 2 is used. If the number is between 61 and 100, Pokémon 1 is used. This is only determined when column 1 or 2 are chosen.

The chance of finding a Pokémon when a different tree is slathered can be calculated using the following formula:

Let P be the Pokémon to calculate.
Let C be the frequency of the column as listed in the encounter table.
Let R be the frequency of the Pokémon as listed in the encounter table.
Let E_P be the chance to find the Pokémon.

E_p = ( C₁ * R_1,P ) + ( C₂ * R_2,P ) + ( A₃ * R_3,P )

Example: Find the encounter rate of Burmy, in Diamond/Pearl.

• Burmy is on column 1, row 4 with a chance of 20% and column 2, row 2 with a chance of 5%.
• The chance of choosing column 1 is 20%, column 2 is 70%.

E_P = ( 0.20 * 0.20 ) + ( 0.70 * 0.05 )

E_P = 7.5%

The chance of finding a Pokémon when the same tree is slathered more than once in a row can be calculated using the following formula:

Let P be the Pokémon to calculate.
Let C be the column from the previous Pokémon encountered.
Let R be the chance to find the Pokémon for column C as listed in the encounter table.
Let T be the base chance to find the Pokémon as listed under the section Slathering a tree.
Let E_P be the chance to find the Pokémon.

E_P = ( 0.90 * R ) + ( 0.10 * T )

Example: Find the encounter rate of Aipom, in Platinum, where the previous Pokémon encountered was Heracross, for a tree which will not have a chance of encountering a Munchlax.

• Encountering Heracross indicates that the Honey Tree previously used column 2.
• Aipom is on rows 4 and 5 on column 2, with a total chance of 40%.
• The base chance to find Aipom in Platinum is 34%.

E_P = ( 0.90 * 0.40 ) + ( 0.10 * 0.40 )

E_P = 40.0%

The shake value is determined by another pseudo-random number between 0 and 99 using the same formula.

If X is 1 and the number is between 0 and 19, the shake value is 2. If the number is between 20 and 78, the shake value is 1. If the number is between 79 and 98, the shake value is 0. If the number is 99, the shake value is 3.

If X is 2 and the number is between 0 and 74, the shake value is 2. If the number is between 75 and 94, the shake value is 1. If the number is 95, the shake value is 0. If the number is between 96 and 99, the shake value is 3.

If X is 3 (Munchlax) and the number is between 0 and 4, the shake value is 2. If the number is 5, the shake value is 1. If the number is 6, the shake value is 0. If the number is between 7 and 99, the shake value is 3.

Encounter table

• There is a 10% chance of not encountering any Pokémon for trees which do not have Munchlax.
• There is a 1% chance of encountering a Munchlax, and 9% chance of not encountering any Pokémon for trees which may have a Munchlax.

Location

There are many units of Honey scattered throughout the region; there is also a man in Floaroma Meadow that sells Honey for $100 each. Another way to find it easily is to use Combee's Template:A2.

Honey Tree locations

• Route 205 south
• Route 205 north
• Route 206
• Route 207
• Route 208
• Route 209
• Route 210 south
• Route 210 north
• Route 211
• Route 212 west
• Route 212 east
• Route 213
• Route 214
• Route 215
• Route 218
• Route 221
• Route 222
• Valley Windworks
• Eterna Forest southeast
• Fuego Ironworks
• Floaroma Meadow

Pokémon

Slathering a tree

Pokémon		Games			Location	Levels	Rate
All times
	Aipom	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	22%
	Aipom	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	40%
	Heracross	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	14%
	Heracross	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	28%
	Wurmple	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	29%
	Wurmple	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	1%
	Silcoon	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	1%
	Cascoon	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	1%
	Burmy Plant Cloak	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	7.5%
	Burmy Plant Cloak	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	5.5%
	Combee	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	5.5%
	Combee	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	8%
	Cherubi	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	11%
	Cherubi	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	7.5%
Tree with Munchlax
	Munchlax	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	1%
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

Slathering the same tree

• If the tree of the previously encountered Pokémon is the same tree as the current one being slathered, and no other trees in between have been slathered, then there is a 90% chance that the same column is used and a 10% chance that a random column is used.
• Identify which column the previous Pokémon originated from in the encounter table and use the list below to find the probability of encountering a particular Pokémon.

Column 0

Pokémon		Games			Location	Levels	Rate
All times
	Aipom	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	38.2%
	Aipom	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	58%
	Heracross	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	1.4%
	Heracross	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	2.8%
	Wurmple	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	7.4%
	Wurmple	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	4.6%
	Silcoon	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	5.5%
	Cascoon	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	5.5%
	Burmy Plant Cloak	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	18.75%
	Burmy Plant Cloak	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	9.55%
	Combee	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	9.55%
	Combee	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	5.3%
	Cherubi	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	19.1%
	Cherubi	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	18.75%
Tree with Munchlax
	Munchlax	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	0.1%
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

Column 1

Pokémon		Games			Location	Levels	Rate
All times
	Aipom	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	20.2%
	Aipom	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	40%
	Heracross	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	19.4%
	Heracross	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	38.8%
	Wurmple	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	38.9%
	Wurmple	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	0.1%
	Silcoon	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	0.5%
	Cascoon	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	0.5%
	Burmy Plant Cloak	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	5.25%
	Burmy Plant Cloak	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	5.05%
	Combee	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	5.05%
	Combee	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	9.8%
	Cherubi	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	10.1%
	Cherubi	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	5.25%
Tree with Munchlax
	Munchlax	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	0.1%
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

Column 2

• Anytime a Munchlax is encountered, it originated from column 2 of the encounter table, therefore if the player slathers the same tree without slathering others, there will be a higher likelihood of encountering another Munchlax.

Pokémon		Games			Location	Levels	Rate
All times
	Aipom	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	2.2%
	Aipom	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	4%
	Heracross	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	1.4%
	Heracross	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	2.8%
	Wurmple	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	2.9%
	Wurmple	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	0.1%
	Silcoon	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	0.1%
	Cascoon	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	0.1%
	Burmy Plant Cloak	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	0.75%
	Burmy Plant Cloak	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	0.55%
	Combee	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	0.55%
	Combee	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	0.8%
	Cherubi	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	1.1%
	Cherubi	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	0.75%
	Munchlax	D	P	Pt	Honey Trees	5-15	90.1%
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

• Note: Due to the nature of the random number generation used in Pokémon, the randomness of encountering a Pokémon on a Honey tree is not significantly random and therefore the percentages are estimated.

In the anime

Cheryl wanted to find Enchanted Honey in the Eterna Forest. With the help of Ash and his friends, and with her Mothim leading the way, she located the hive of a Vespiquen and its many worker Combee. After helping defend the hive from Team Rocket, the Vespiquen shared some of its Enchanted Honey with Cheryl, Ash, his friends, and some of their Pokémon. All of them loved the Enchanted Honey except Brock's Croagunk, who looked disgusted by the sweet flavor.

It was shown again in A Trainer and Child Reunion! where it attracted a Munchlax.

Trivia

• In Pokémon Gold and Silver, beta text has been found that mentions an item called "Sweet Honey," which could be used to attract Pokémon. It was possibly replaced by the move Sweet Scent and the ability to use Headbutt on small trees throughout the Johto region.
• When the Galactic Grunts are holding up the man who sells honey, one of them makes the comment, "We must have it (Sweet Honey) to attract Pokémon in great numbers." This phrase has gone on to become a Internet meme.