Kanto is a maze. If you grew up playing the original GameBoy games, you probably remember the sheer frustration of hitting a literal bush and realizing your entire journey had ground to a halt because you forgot to talk to some random guy in a house. Pokemon Fire Red doesn't make it any easier. These Hidden Machines, or HMs, are the mechanical backbone of the game. They're basically keys. Without them, you aren't seeing the Elite Four. Period.
It’s kinda funny how modern games have moved away from this. Now, you just call a taxi or ride a Charizard that lives in your pocket. But in Fire Red? You had to sacrifice a move slot on your best Pokémon. It was a commitment. You've got to plan your team around who can learn Cut or Strength, or you end up with a "HM Slave" like Meowth or Paras occupying a precious spot in your party.
Where the Pokemon Fire Red HM Moves are Hiding
Most players get stuck on the Safari Zone. It’s notorious. You’re running against a step counter, praying you find the Secret House before the timer dings. Inside that house is HM03 Surf. Honestly, if you miss this, you’re stuck in Fuchsia City forever. But before you even get there, you’ve got to deal with the SS Anne.
The SS Anne is where you get HM01 Cut. You have to rub the back of a seasick Captain. It’s a weird mental image, right? Once you have it, you can finally chop down those spindly trees blocking the gym in Vermilion City. Pro tip: don't let the ship leave before you grab it, or you're looking at some serious glitches or a restarted save file.
Then there's HM02 Fly. It’s tucked away. Most people just sprint through Route 16 trying to get to the Snorlax, but if you use Cut on a tree north of the cycling road entrance, there’s a secret house. A girl inside just gives it to you. She wants her privacy, and in exchange for your silence, she lets you fast-travel across the map. It’s the best trade in the game.
The Strength and Flash Struggle
HM04 Strength is another Fuchsia City special. You need to find the Gold Teeth in the Safari Zone—yeah, the warden lost his dentures—and bring them back to him. He rewards you by giving you the ability to move boulders. It’s a bit of a fetch quest, but necessary for Seafoam Islands and Victory Road.
HM05 Flash is the one everyone hates. It’s not even a good move in battle. It’s basically a glorified flashlight. To get it, you have to go through Diglett’s Cave, come out the other side near Pallet Town, and talk to one of Professor Oak’s aides. But there’s a catch: you need to have caught 10 different species of Pokémon. If you’ve been speedrunning with just a Charmander, you’re going to have to go back and throw some Pokeballs.
The Late Game Heavy Hitters: Whirlpool and Waterfall
If you’re playing the post-game Sevii Islands content, the rules change. You aren't just looking for the standard five anymore.
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- HM06 Rock Smash: You get this on One Island. Talk to the guy at Ember Spa. It lets you break those cracked rocks. It’s weak as a move, but it’s the only way to navigate the mountain paths.
- HM07 Waterfall: This is hidden deep in the Icefall Cave on Four Island. You need it to climb the literal waterfalls to find Lorelei.
You’ll notice I didn't mention HM08 Dive. That’s because it doesn't exist in Fire Red. A lot of people coming from Ruby or Sapphire get confused and spend hours looking for a way to go underwater. Save your time. Kanto stays on the surface.
Why HM Management Ruins (or Saves) Your Team
Let’s be real: HMs are mostly terrible in combat. Surf is the outlier. It’s actually a top-tier Water move with 95 power and 100 accuracy. You want that on your Blastoise or Lapras. Fly is okay for casual play, but it gives the opponent a free turn to switch or use Protect.
The rest? Garbage. Cut is a mediocre Normal move. Flash just lowers accuracy, which is the most unreliable stat in the game. Strength is just a worse version of Return.
Because you can't delete HM moves without visiting the Move Deleter in Fuchsia City, you have to be careful. If you teach Cut to your Charizard, that move is stuck there for a huge chunk of the game. This is why players use "HM Slaves."
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The Best HM Users in Fire Red
If you want to keep your main team "clean" for the Elite Four, you need utility players.
Nidoking and Nidoqueen are the royalty of HMs. They can learn almost everything. Surf? Check. Strength? Check. Rock Smash? Check. They are the Swiss Army knives of Kanto.
Paras or Parasect is the go-to for the early game. It handles Cut and Flash effortlessly. Later on, Lapras is a fantastic choice for the water-based HMs like Surf and Waterfall. Since you get a free Lapras in Silph Co., it’s an easy addition.
Krabbie and Kingler are also underrated. They can handle Cut, Surf, and Strength. If you’re fishing anyway, keep a crab in the PC just for chores.
Expert Strategies for Navigation
Don't wait until you reach a roadblock to go hunting. The pacing of Fire Red is designed to make you backtrack. For example, once you get the Poke Flute, your first instinct is to wake up Snorlax. But before you head down Route 17, make sure you've already visited the Oak's Aide for Flash. Trying to navigate Rock Tunnel without Flash is a rite of passage, but it's also a nightmare of Zubat encounters and hitting walls.
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Also, remember that Secret Power and Dig act like pseudo-HMs. Dig is a lifesaver in caves when your team is fainted and you’re miles from a Pokemon Center. You can find the TM for Dig in Cerulean City after the Rocket grunt robs the house.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
To make your run as smooth as possible, follow this specific order for HM acquisition:
- Get Cut immediately after clearing the SS Anne. Don't let the ship sail until you've checked your bag.
- Catch 10 species before entering Rock Tunnel. This ensures you can grab Flash from the aide south of Diglett's Cave.
- Head to the secret house on Route 16 as soon as you have Cut. Getting Fly early saves you hours of walking back and forth between Celadon and Lavender Town.
- Prioritize the Safari Zone. Don't mess around catching Chanseys until you have found both the Gold Teeth and the Secret House. Your money is limited per entry.
- Visit the Move Deleter in Fuchsia City before you head to Victory Road. This is your chance to scrub those weak moves off your starters and replace them with high-damage TMs like Ice Beam or Thunderbolt.
Managing HMs is a puzzle within the game itself. It forces you to balance raw power with utility. While it can be annoying to have a "Move Forgotten" notification, mastering the locations and the strategy behind who learns what is what separates a casual player from a Kanto Champion. Keep your Nidoking ready, hold onto those Gold Teeth, and stop trying to find Dive—it’s not happening.