Hidden Moves
HMs are special “hidden” moves that you can use outside of battle to solve the various puzzles you’ll find scattered throughout “Pokemon Red and Blue.” They’re pretty simple to find and use (unlike catching Mew) and it’s usually easy to figure out where you need to use said moves, but if it’s your first playthrough you may be struggling.
HM01 - Cut
This is one of the easiest HMs to find. You’ll need to have entered the S.S. Anne, which you need an S.S. Ticket for. You will get this by helping out Bill during his unfortunate teleportation accident that turns him into a Pokemon. You’ll have to head to Vermilion City to board the S.S. Anne and fight your rival. Once you fight and defeat your rival, you can enter the Captain’s quarters. You’ll find an older man there who’s seasick. If you give him a backrub, you’ll be rewarded with HM01, which is Cut. You can use it in and out of battle, either as a powerful attack or to cut the bushes in your way here and there throughout the entirety of the game. It’s an absolute necessity like the rest of the HMs, so make sure you get it as soon as possible in the game so you can open up additional areas to explore.
HM02 - Fly
This HM is one of the most useful and also one of the easiest to obtain. You need only, after obtaining the Thunder Badge in Vermilion City, head to Route 16. You’ll find a girl there who is in a “secret” resort area. In return for your silence and not telling anyone where she is, she’ll give you HM02 - Fly. This will then enable you to travel all over the world at the drop of a hat using a flying Pokemon. You’ll be able to get to places without traveling there on foot, an obvious boon if you’re tired of walking everywhere and wasting valuable time!
HM03 - Surf
This skill is essential if you want to exploit the Missingno. glitch or other tricks in the game, so you’ll definitely want it, especially as a powerful water-type move. You’ll find it in the Safari Zone, and you will purchase it for 500 of the Pokemon currency. It’s the only HM that you’re actually required to purchase in order to obtain it, but you have to do so in order to finish the game. You’re going to want to.
HM04 - Strength
If you’ve seen boulders or similar items in the Pokemon world, you’ve probably been curious about how to get them out of your way or if you even can. You can, and it requires the HM04 - Strength item. You’ll have to head back to the Safari Zone in order to find this HM. While in Fuschia City you’ll find a Warden who’s lost his Gold Teeth. You’ve got to go into the Safari Zone to find them. Explore the bushes until you see a Poke Ball item after walking down a few steps and you’ll find the Gold Teeth. Go to the left of the screen after you pick up the item and go into the house to get Surf if you haven’t done that already, and then walk around until you automatically exit the Safari Zone. Go back to Fuschia City and present them to the Warden. You’ll then be rewarded with HM04 - Strength.
HM05 - Flash
This is one of the easiest HMs in the game to get, and you’ll be given it very early around the Boulder Badge state in Pewter City. It’s found in Route 2, south of there. If you had a Pokemon who knows Cut, you’ll be able to continue through this pathway until you see an area close to Viridian Forest. There’s a Professor’s Aide waiting here to offer you Flash if you have caught up to 10 Pokemon before that point.
