You Just Need to Get Around Faster
You are deep in your Pokemon Fire Red adventure, exploring the vast Kanto region. The world feels huge, and you are tired of walking everywhere. You have heard about a move called Fly that lets you instantly travel between cities you have visited.
But you cannot find it. You have beaten gyms, caught Pokemon, and still, your character is stuck running back and forth on the same routes. This guide is for you. Getting the Fly HM is a critical turning point in the game, and the process is not immediately obvious.
This is not just about convenience. Fly unlocks efficient training, easy access to key locations, and completes your strategic toolkit. Let us break down exactly what you need to do, step by step.
Understanding HMs and Fly’s Role
In Pokemon Fire Red, HMs, or Hidden Machines, are special items that teach your Pokemon moves that are also used outside of battle to navigate the world. Fly is HM02.
Unlike regular TMs, HM moves cannot be forgotten by a Pokemon without visiting the Move Deleter in Fuchsia City. This makes choosing which Pokemon learns Fly an important decision. It is a powerful Flying-type move in battle and your fast-travel system.
The game gates Fly behind story progression. You cannot get it early. You must first prove yourself as a trainer by defeating a certain number of gym leaders and advancing the main plot.
The Prerequisites You Must Complete
Before you can even attempt to get the Fly HM, you need to have accomplished specific milestones. Do not skip ahead if you have not done these.
First, you must have earned the Cascade Badge from Misty in Cerulean City. This allows you to use the HM move Cut outside of battle, which is needed to reach the next major area.
Second, you must have defeated Lt. Surge in Vermilion City to obtain the Thunder Badge. This badge lets you use the HM move Flash outside of battle, though it is not strictly required for the Fly quest.
Most importantly, you must have rescued the captain of the S.S. Anne in Vermilion City, who gives you the HM for Cut as a thank you. This entire sequence is mandatory.
Finally, you must have traveled through Diglett’s Cave to reach Pewter City from the west, then gone through Rock Tunnel to finally arrive in Lavender Town. Your ultimate goal is to reach Celadon City.
The Step-by-Step Path to HM02 Fly
With the prerequisites met, you are ready for the main journey. Follow these steps precisely.
Reach Celadon City
From Lavender Town, head south onto Route 8. Navigate through the underground path to reach Route 7, which leads directly into Celadon City. Celadon is a massive metropolis, home to the fourth gym and the famous Celadon Department Store.
Your target is not the gym first. Instead, head to the Celadon Mansion. It is the large, multi-story building in the northwest part of the city, directly west of the Pokemon Center.
Find the Key Item on the Third Floor
Enter the Celadon Mansion. The building has several floors with NPCs to talk to, but you have a specific goal. Go up to the third floor.
On the third floor, you will see a series of rooms. In one of these rooms, you will find a Pokeball item sitting on the floor. Walk up to it and press the A button to pick it up.
This item is not Fly itself. It is the Tea item. This seemingly innocuous drink is the key to progressing. Do not use it; just keep it in your Key Items pocket.
Bypass the Saffron City Guards
Leave Celadon City and head west to Route 7, then take the underground path back to Route 8, heading north into Saffron City. The entrance to Saffron City is blocked by two Team Rocket members posing as guards.
They will not let you pass unless you give them a refreshing drink. Talk to the guard on the left. He will say he is parched. Select the Tea from your Key Items bag and give it to him.
He and his partner will drink it, find it delicious, and step aside, allowing you full access to Saffron City. This is a critical plot gate.
Defeat the Silph Co. Invasion
Once in Saffron City, you will find it under siege by Team Rocket. Their headquarters is inside the Silph Co. building, the tallest skyscraper in the city. You must enter and clear it.
Fight your way through the many floors of Team Rocket grunts and executives. You will eventually confront your rival and then the Rocket Boss, Giovanni. Defeating Giovanni here is a major story event.
After defeating Giovanni, the president of Silph Co. will thank you. As a reward for saving the company, he will hand you a very useful item: the Silph Scope. But more importantly for our goal, another NPC in the room will approach you.
Your Reward for Saving the Day
After receiving the Silph Scope, look for a man in a suit standing near the president. This is the Silph Co. employee who will give you your ultimate prize.
Talk to him. He will commend you for your bravery in routing Team Rocket. He will then say, “Please take this as a token of our gratitude.”
The item he gives you is HM02. Fly. It will now be registered in your Key Items bag. The long journey is over, and the skies of Kanto are now yours to travel.
Teaching Fly to Your Pokemon
Open your bag, go to the Key Items section, and select HM02 Fly. The game will ask if you want to use it. Select “Yes.”
You will then see your party of Pokemon. You can only teach Fly to a Pokemon that can learn it, which is typically any Flying-type Pokemon or Pokemon with the appropriate anatomy. Common early-game choices include:
– Pidgey or its evolutions (Pidgeotto, Pidgeot)
– Spearow or Fearow
– Zubat or Golbat (once it evolves)
– Doduo or Dodrio
Select the Pokemon you wish to teach it to. Remember, this move cannot be forgotten normally, so choose a Pokemon you plan to keep in your party long-term. Once taught, the move will appear in the Pokemon’s move list.
How to Use Fly for Fast Travel
Using Fly is simple. Open your Pokemon menu outside of battle and select the Pokemon that knows Fly. Choose the “Fly” command from its list of moves.
The game will then show you a map of the Kanto region. You can select any city or town where you have previously visited the Pokemon Center. This includes Pallet Town, Viridian City, Pewter City, Cerulean City, Vermilion City, Lavender Town, Celadon City, Fuchsia City, and Saffron City.
Select your destination. Your character will summon the Pokemon, hop on, and you will see a brief animation of flight before landing instantly in the chosen location. It saves an enormous amount of time.
Fly as a Battle Move
Do not underestimate Fly in combat. It is a powerful Flying-type move with 90 base power and 95% accuracy. When used, your Pokemon will fly up high on the first turn, avoiding most attacks, and then strike on the second turn.
This two-turn pattern can be strategic, but it also leaves you vulnerable to moves that hit “fly”ing Pokemon, like Gust or Thunder. It is an excellent move for taking down Fighting, Bug, and Grass-type Pokemon you encounter throughout your journey.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
If you are following the steps but cannot get Fly, here are the likely problems and solutions.
The Tea Is Not in My Bag
You might have missed it. Return to Celadon City and go back to the Celadon Mansion on the third floor. The Pokeball containing the Tea should still be there if you never picked it up. If it is gone, check your Key Items bag carefully; it might be listed there already.
The Guards in Saffron City Will Not Take the Tea
Make sure you are talking to the correct guard. It is the one on the left side of the entrance. If you have the Tea in your Key Items, the dialogue option to give it to him should appear. If it does not, double-check that you actually have the Tea and not some other beverage.
I Beat Giovanni But Did Not Get Fly
You must talk to everyone in the president’s room after the battle. The man who gives you Fly is not automatically triggered; you need to initiate the conversation. Walk up to each NPC and press A until you find the one who gives you the HM.
Also, ensure your bag has space for a new Key Item. If your bag was full, the game should have sent it to your PC’s storage. Check your PC under the “Key Items” section.
No Pokemon in My Party Can Learn Fly
This is a common oversight. If you do not have a Flying-type or compatible Pokemon, you cannot teach the HM. You will need to catch one. Fortunately, Pokemon like Pidgey, Spearow, and Zubat are very common on early routes like Route 1, 2, and 16.
Catch one, add it to your party, and then use the HM. You can also deposit a current party member at a PC to make room for a flyer.
Strategic Tips After Obtaining Fly
Now that you have Fly, your game experience changes dramatically. Here is how to leverage it.
First, use it to backtrack efficiently. Need to heal at your home in Pallet Town? Fly there in seconds. Want to challenge the gym in Pewter City again for rematches? Fly directly.
Second, it enables easy level grinding. You can Fly to areas with Pokemon that give high experience for your team, battle, then Fly back to a Pokemon Center to heal instantly, creating a very fast training loop.
Finally, it is essential for completing the Pokedex. Many Pokemon are version-exclusive or found in specific late-game areas only accessible after certain events. Fly makes traveling between these distant points trivial as you work on your collection.
Mastering Kanto’s Skies
Getting the Fly HM in Pokemon Fire Red is a rite of passage. It marks the point where the world truly opens up and you transition from a local trainer to a regional champion in the making.
The path requires patience, progression through the story, and careful attention to key items like the Tea. By defeating Team Rocket in Silph Co., you earn not just the gratitude of a corporation, but the ultimate tool for freedom of movement.
Teach it to a trusted Pokemon, open your menu, and take to the skies. Your journey across Kanto just became faster, smarter, and far more powerful. The next gym badge, the next legendary Pokemon, the next challenge is now just a short flight away.
