When Do You Get Fly In Fire Red
Ah, FireRed. The nostalgia. The red cartridge. The pure, unadulterated joy of being a kid again, tasked with becoming the very best. We all remember it. The starter Pokémon, the first rival battle, the sheer panic when a wild Rattata popped up for the hundredth time. But there's one burning question, a philosophical dilemma that has plagued trainers for generations. When, oh when, do you get Fly in Pokémon FireRed?
Now, I know what you're thinking. "It's obvious! You get it from that guy in that town!" And yes, theoretically, you're right. But let's be honest, for most of us, the acquisition of Fly wasn't a neat, planned event. It was more of a desperate, last-minute scramble. A Hail Mary pass thrown into the digital ether. You’re miles away from where you need to be, battling trainers you’ve already beaten seventeen times, just praying that the Pokémon gods will smile upon you and grant you the ability to zip across the map.
Think about it. You've just defeated Lt. Surge, the electrifying Gym Leader of Vermilion City. You're feeling pretty smug, pretty powerful. You've got a solid team, you're ready to conquer the world. And then you realize, "Oh. Right. I have to go all the way back to Cerulean City." Suddenly, that smugness evaporates faster than a Pidgey in a hurricane. The sprawling landscape of Kanto feels less like an adventure and more like an endless, agonizing trek. Every step is a reminder of the miles you've traversed, and the miles you're about to traverse again.
This is where the elusive HM02, also known as Fly, enters the picture. It's the key to freedom. It's the turbo boost for your digital dreams. And yet, it feels like it's always just out of reach. You wander through towns, talking to every single NPC, hoping for a hint, a clue, anything. You bombard shopkeepers with questions, you pester random trainers, you even try talking to the trees, just in case. The anticipation builds. Will it be in a dusty old house? Tucked away in a secret cave? Guarded by a ridiculously overpowered Pokémon that you definitely can't beat yet?
The truth, as I see it, is that you get Fly precisely when you've given up hope of ever getting it. It's like that one sock that goes missing in the laundry. You search everywhere, you buy new ones, you resign yourself to a life of mismatched feet. And then, one day, you find it in the most obvious place, mocking you with its return. Similarly, you’ll be trudging back to Cerulean City, perhaps contemplating a career change to professional walking simulator, when BAM! There he is. The guy. The one with the Farfetch'd. The keeper of the sacred Fly.
And often, you've already gotten the Cut, and the Strength, and maybe even the Surf, and you're thinking, "Is this it? Is this the end of my geographical suffering?"
It's usually after you've done a good chunk of the game, isn't it? You're not a fresh-faced beginner anymore. You've faced down Team Rocket, you've navigated the treacherous paths of Mt. Moon, you've probably even caught a handful of Pokémon that aren't just fodder for the chopping block. You’ve earned your wings, metaphorically speaking, and now you’re about to get them, literally. It’s a reward, of sorts, for your perseverance. Or maybe it’s just the game developers’ way of saying, “Okay, kid, you’ve suffered enough. Here’s your fast travel. Go wild.”
And let’s not forget the sheer, unadulterated relief. The moment you select Fly from your Pokémon’s move list. The wind rushing past. The iconic animation of your chosen Pokémon soaring through the sky. It's a feeling of liberation that’s hard to replicate. Suddenly, all those agonizing walks, all those wasted minutes battling wild Pokémon, are a distant memory. You can teleport. You can fly. The world of Kanto shrinks, becoming manageable, accessible.
So, when do you get Fly in Fire Red? I'll tell you when. You get it when you’re just about to throw your controller across the room in frustration. You get it when you’ve accepted your fate as a lifelong pedestrian in the digital world. You get it when you’re finally, truly, ready to leave the ground behind. And in that moment, it’s pure magic. It’s the greatest victory of all. Well, after beating the Elite Four, maybe. But still, pretty darn close.