Though modern Pokemon titles offer plenty of creative ways to navigate the world around you and break through some of its obstacles, Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen are of an older generation where we needed HMs – Hidden Machines – to teach our Pokemon some critical moves for exploration.
There are seven HM moves in Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen that you’ll need to obtain to fully explore this wonderfully pixelated rendition of the Kanto region, and they’re rather scattered about! This guide will help you find every HM in Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen so you can truly travel across the land.
All HMs And Where To Get Them
Though you’ve been obtaining a number of new moves for your Pokemon in the form of TMs – Technical Machines – the older generations of Pokemon games feature the HM mechanic as well. HMs are items to teach Pokemon a move that can be used any number of times to help you continue to navigate the world around you.
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While TMs are single-use, you’re thankfully able to use HMs as much as you need throughout the game – once they’re earned, they’ll remain in your bag for reuse later as needed.
This is because, contained within these HMs are essential travel and navigation moves that you’ll be unable to fully navigate Kanto without. From generation seven onward, the moves you learned in HMs were replaced by other functionalities or in-game services offered for a price, but in these generation one remakes, you’re going to be fully reliant on HMs to explore.
These moves can be used in battle like any other move learned through TMs or leveling up, but they cannot be overwritten when a Pokemon is learning a new move. You’ll need to visit the Move Deleter to get rid of HMs in Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen after giving one to a Pokemon to learn.
Unlike other moves, though, HMs can and regularly will be used outside of battle to affect the world around you. Have you seen trees blocking paths, or bodies of water with items visible on the other side? HMs will help you navigate the world and find new areas – required and optional – throughout the game.
If you got an HM sooner than you were meant to and find yourself stuck on a puzzle later, check your HMs and see what you can do to change the terrain around your trainer to proceed. Also, be sure to retrace your steps to find all kinds of treasures hidden behind breakable items on early-game pathways you couldn’t break through when you first visited!
Unsurprisingly, like most things in each area, you’ll find that you need specific badges to use HMs even after you’ve obtained them. Given the power of some of these moves, it makes sense that Pokemon can’t learn them before you can even control Pokemon of that level!
Every HM In Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen And What It Does
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HM Information |
How to Get |
|---|---|
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HM01: Cut Cut down trees blocking walkable paths.
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Give the Captain of the SS Anne a back rub. (Requires the Cascade Badge) |
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HM02: Fly * Travel instantly between towns you’ve already visited.
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On Route 16, use Cut on the tree leading to the northwest area and speak to the girl you meet in the house here. (Requires the Thunder Badge) |
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HM03: Surf Hop on your Pokemon and cross bodies on water on their back.
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The man inside the Secret House in the western section, Area 3, of the Safari Zone. (Requires the Soul Badge) |
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HM04: Strength Moves large boulders blocking walkable paths.
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Give the teeth you find in the Safari Zone and give them to the Safari Zone Warden when you meet him at his house in Fuchsia City. (Requires the Rainbow Badge) |
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HM05: Flash Illuminates dark areas. **
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After using Cut on a tree blocking your way on Route 2, speak to Oak’s Assistant here and show them that you’ve logged at least 10 Pokemon in your Pokedex. (Requires the Boulder Badge) |
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HM06: Rock Smash Breaks rocks blocking walkable paths.
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Speak to the old man between waterfalls at the spa on Knot Island (One Island) in the Sevii Islands. (Requires the Marsh Badge) |
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HM07: Waterfall Swim directly upwards and climb waterfalls.
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Enter the area in the southeast section of Icefall Cave on Floe Island (Four Island) in the Sevii Islands. (Requires the Volcano Badge) |
* When used in battle, Fly takes two turns to execute. Your Pokemon will rise into the sky on their first turn when you tell them to use the move (and be unreachable by plenty of attacks in the meantime), and you won’t need to command them on the next move: they’ll plunge down to deal damage as soon as it’s their turn again.
** When used in battle, Flash lowers your opponents’ Accuracy, since it doesn’t have much practical offensive use.
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