You finally beat the Elite Four. Blue is crying in the corner, Professor Oak is lecturing you about love or whatever, and the credits roll. Most people just put the Game Boy Advance down right there. Big mistake. Honestly, if you haven't spent hours wandering around Six Island Fire Red version, you’ve basically missed the actual "end" of the game. It’s not just a patch of grass in the middle of the ocean. It’s where the story actually gets weird.
The Sevii Islands were a massive addition back in 2004. Before FireRed and LeafGreen, post-game content was usually just "go catch Mewtwo and leave." But Six Island—formally known as Fortune Island—is different. It’s rugged. It’s frustrating. It feels significantly more "wild" than anything on the Kanto mainland.
The Lore Most People Miss
Six Island isn’t just a place to catch Yanma. It serves a functional purpose in the lore of the Kanto-Hoenn connection. You’re here because Celio needs the Sapphire. Remember the Ruby you found on Mt. Ember? This is the second half of that equation. Without the Sapphire from Six Island, you can’t trade with Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald.
That’s the mechanical reason. But the vibe of the island is what stays with you. It’s largely undeveloped. While Three Island has a bustling town and Two Island has a Cape Brink, Six Island feels like a frontier. It’s home to the Dotted Hole, a mysterious ruin that reacts to Braille. This was a huge deal in 2004. There was no widespread smartphone access to just Google the solution. You had to actually look at the back of the game manual to decode the Braille.
Navigating the Dotted Hole
If you're looking for the Sapphire, you’re headed to the Dotted Hole. It’s located in the Ruin Valley. Getting there is a trek. You'll deal with a lot of Hiker NPCs and some genuinely annoying tall grass.
Once you’re at the door, you need Cut. Yes, the most hated HM in the game is the key to ancient ruins. Inside, the puzzle is basically a test of your ability to read Braille (or your ability to guess).
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- Up
- Left
- Right
- Down
If you mess it up, you just drop through a hole and start over. It’s tedious. But when you finally reach the bottom and see that blue stone, it feels earned. Then, of course, a scientist named Gideon jumps out and steals it. He’s the worst. This sets up the final confrontation at the Rocket Warehouse on Five Island, but Six Island is where the emotional stakes actually happen.
Why Ruin Valley is a Training Goldmine
Ruin Valley is arguably one of the best spots in the game for specific types of training. Most players stick to One Island’s Kindle Road for the Ember Spa healing and the easy levels, but Six Island has more variety. You’ve got Natu, Marill, and Yanma.
Yanma is actually a 10% encounter rate here. If you’re trying to complete the National Dex, you’re going to spend a lot of time in this specific patch of grass. It’s also one of the few places where you can find Wooper in the wild in a Kanto-based game. There’s something deeply nostalgic about seeing Johto Pokémon appearing in the Kanto engine. It felt like the world was finally opening up.
Pattern Bush and the Bug Catcher Nightmare
North of the town is Pattern Bush. It’s a literal giant pattern in the grass that looks like a circuit board (or a bug’s footprint, depending on who you ask).
It is crawling with Bug Catchers.
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Usually, Bug Catchers are a joke. You beat them in the first ten minutes of the game. But the trainers in Pattern Bush have evolved Pokémon. They have Heracross. They have high-level Pinsirs. If you’re bringing a Psychic-type lead, you’re going to have a bad time. The area is also the only place to find Ledyba and Spinarak. It’s a dense, green maze that feels claustrophobic in a way the rest of the game doesn't.
The Mystery of the Altering Cave
Then there’s the Altering Cave. This is probably the biggest "what if" in Pokémon history. If you go there normally, it’s just full of Zubats. Thousands of them. It’s a nightmare.
However, the cave was designed to work with Mystery Gift. In theory, Nintendo was going to release "e-Reader" cards or special distributions that would change the Pokémon in the cave. You were supposed to be able to find Mareep, Houndour, or Smeargle there.
But it never really happened. Outside of a few very specific Japanese events, the Altering Cave remained a Zubat colony forever. It’s a monument to "feature creep" and abandoned ideas. It adds to the eerie, unfinished feeling of Six Island. It’s a place where secrets were supposed to live, but they just... stayed secret.
Combatting the "Post-Game Blues"
Many players hit a wall after the Elite Four. The jump in levels for the Sevii Islands trainers is significant. If you head to Six Island with a team in the mid-50s, the trainers in the Ruin Valley will actually give you a run for your money.
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The complexity of the island is its greatest strength. It isn't linear. You have the Water Path, the Ruin Valley, the Dotted Hole, and the Pattern Bush. You’re constantly backtracking. You’re using HMs you thought you were done with.
The "Hidden" Pokémon of Six Island
For the collectors, Six Island is mandatory. You aren't just here for the Sapphire.
- Heracross: You need to use Headbutt on trees in the Pattern Bush. It’s a rare encounter, but Heracross is a beast in the FireRed meta.
- Dunsparce: Located at Three Island, but often confused with Six Island encounters because of the "Three-Point Isle" naming conventions. Actually, stick to the Three Island port for this one.
- Wobbuffet: Found in the Ruin Valley. If you run into one without a Poké Doll or a Ghost-type, "Shadow Tag" will keep you trapped there until one of you faints. It’s terrifying.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Playthrough
If you’re dusting off your GBA or pulling up an emulator, don't rush through Six Island. It’s easy to just grab the Sapphire and sprint to the Rocket Warehouse. Don't do that.
First, bring a Pokémon with Sweet Scent. The encounter rates for Yanma and Heracross are low enough that you'll want to force battles. Second, don't forget to check the Outcast Island to the north. It’s a small, out-of-the-way spot where you can find the TM for Giga Drain.
Most importantly, treat Six Island as the bridge it is. It’s the connective tissue between the Kanto we knew in the 90s and the larger Pokémon world that was expanding in the mid-2000s. It’s arguably the most "Johto" part of a Kanto game.
To maximize your time here, make sure you've dealt with the Lorelei sub-plot on Four Island first. You won't be able to access certain areas of the Sevii chain until you’ve helped her deal with the Rockets in Icefall Cave. Once that's done, Six Island opens up completely. It’s the perfect place to level up before your inevitable rematch with the Elite Four, whose Pokémon jump about 10 to 15 levels for the second round.
Grab a Max Repel, pack a Pokémon that knows Cut, and actually read the Braille. It’s a lot more rewarding than just looking up a map.