You've finally made it. You have eight badges sitting in your Case, you've survived the Silph Co. takeover, and you've probably spent way too much time gambling for a Porygon in Celadon City. Now, there is only one thing standing between you and the Indigo Plateau: Victory Road Fire Red. It's the final exam. But honestly, it’s less of an exam and more of a massive, rocky migraine filled with Strength puzzles and some of the most annoying encounter rates in the entire Kanto region.
If you're coming from the original Game Boy games, you might think you know the layout. You don't. While the bones are the same, the 2004 remakes added layers of polish—and frustration—that catch people off guard.
The Strength Problem Nobody Prepared You For
Most caves in Pokémon are about finding the ladder. Victory Road is about moving furniture. Specifically, heavy white boulders that seem to exist solely to ruin your day if you push them into a corner.
Basically, if you don't have a Pokémon that knows Strength, you aren't getting through. Period. You need to shove these boulders onto specific circular switches. These switches act like doorstops; they hold down the transparent barriers that block your path to the ladders. It sounds simple until you realize that one wrong move means you have to walk out of the room, reset the floor, and do it all over again.
Floor One: The Warm-Up
The first floor is a bit of a tease. You walk in from Route 23, and the music hits—that iconic, driving theme that tells you things are getting serious. You’ll see a boulder right at the start. Push it onto the switch to the left. If you mess this up, you're already failing. There's an Rare Candy hidden around here too, but most people miss it because they're too busy dodging the Geodudes.
I've seen players get stuck here for twenty minutes just because they forgot how the grid-based movement works. Don't be that person. Just line up the boulder and commit.
Why Victory Road Fire Red is the Ultimate Level Curve
Let’s talk about the level jump. It’s brutal. One minute you're fighting Giovanni’s Level 45-50 team, and the next, you're staring down Elite Four members with Pokémon pushing Level 60. Victory Road is designed to close that gap.
The Wild Pokémon here aren't just fodder. You’re going to run into Machoke, Primeape, and Marowak. If you’re lucky, you might even stumble upon a Moltres (it’s still here, tucked away on the second floor, unlike in Pokémon Yellow where it moved). Most people use this cave to grind, but honestly, the trainers here are better for XP. They have varied teams—Cooltrainers with diverse movepools that actually use strategy. They will use Full Restores. They will use Dragon Rage. They will make you regret not buying more Revives at the Viridian Poké Mart.
Honestly, the encounter rate is the real villain. Every three steps, a Level 42 Zubat or Onix wants to say hello. Max Repels are not a luxury; they are a human right in this cave. Buy twenty. No, buy thirty.
Navigating the Second Floor Chaos
This is where the geography gets weird. The second floor is massive. It’s a multi-layered mess where you have to drop down holes to reach new areas.
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Wait.
The holes are the key. You'll find boulders that need to be pushed into pits. Once they fall through, they land on switches on the floor below. It’s a vertical puzzle that Game Freak clearly loved, because they kept it for almost every generation afterward.
Finding Moltres
Since we’re playing Fire Red, Moltres is sitting right there on the second floor. It’s at Level 50. It’s a Fire/Flying type, obviously, but catching it is a chore because of its Pressure ability. It eats through your PP. If you’re trying to complete the Pokédex, do not kill it. Save your game before you even take a step toward it. Use Ultra Balls, or if you're feeling lazy, the Master Ball (though you should probably save that for Mewtwo or a roaming Entei/Raikou/Suicune later).
The Infamous "Move Tutor" Trap
Near the exit, there's a guy who offers to teach your Pokémon "Double-Edge." Most people click through the dialogue and say yes.
Stop.
Think about your team. Double-Edge is a massive Normal-type move, but the recoil is nasty. Unless you have a Pokémon with the Rock Head ability—like an Aerodactyl or a Rhydon—you’re just going to end up knocking yourself out against the Elite Four. It’s a one-time deal. Don't waste it on a Raticate you’re planning to box.
Survival Gear for the Indigo Plateau
You aren't just passing through; you're preparing for the end-game. By the time you reach the exit of Victory Road Fire Red, your bag should look like a pharmacy.
- Full Restores: Buy as many as you can afford.
- Revives: At least 15. The Elite Four loves to crit at the worst times.
- Ether/Elixir: You can't buy these, so use the ones you found in the cave wisely.
- Escape Rope: Just in case you realize your team is at 2 HP and you're still three floors away from the exit.
The trainers here are a litmus test. If you are struggling to beat "Cooltrainer Alexa" or "Cooltrainer George," you are going to get absolutely demolished by Lorelei’s Ice-types. Use the walk through the cave to see where your team's holes are. Do you have a way to deal with Psychic types? If not, you're going to have a very bad time when you meet Agatha.
That One Boulder on the Third Floor
There is one specific puzzle on the third floor that breaks everyone’s brain. You have to push a boulder all the way across the screen, around a series of walls, and into a hole. If you push it against the top wall, you can't get behind it to push it back down.
It’s the ultimate "gotcha" moment.
If you get it stuck, just take the ladder back down and up again. It resets the room. It’s frustrating, sure, but it’s part of the ritual. Everyone who has ever beaten Pokémon Fire Red has felt that specific sting of realizing they just blocked their own path.
The Finish Line
Once you emerge from the northern exit, the music changes. It's quiet. The statues of the Elite Four loom over you. You've survived the most difficult navigation challenge in the game.
But Victory Road isn't just about the boulders or the Moltres. It’s the final barrier that ensures only the players who actually understand the mechanics—HM usage, resource management, and type advantages—reach the champion. It forces you to manage your resources. If you arrive at the Indigo Plateau with a fully healthy team and plenty of items, you've passed the test.
Your Next Steps:
- Check your HMs: Before you enter the Indigo Plateau, head to the Move Deleter in Fuchsia City. You’ll want to get rid of Strength or Rock Smash on your primary attackers to make room for high-damage moves like Thunderbolt or Ice Beam.
- Level Check: Ensure your lead Pokémon is at least Level 55. If it’s lower, go back into Victory Road and pick fights with the wild Marowaks until you’re ready.
- Element Balance: Make sure you have an Electric or Grass move for Lorelei, a Psychic move for Bruno and Agatha, and a strong Ice or Dragon move for Lance. Without these, the trek through Victory Road was for nothing.
Victory Road is meant to be a grind. It’s meant to be exhausting. But when you finally step onto that carpet in the Indigo Plateau, knowing you solved every puzzle and outlasted every wild encounter, it makes the upcoming battle for the Hall of Fame feel earned.