How to Catch Moltres in Pokémon Fire Red

Last Updated: June 27, 2017

In Pokémon Fire Red, there are 3 Legendary birds that you can capture. One of those legendary birds is Moltres, a powerful Fire/Flying Pokémon that can be a valuable asset as you make your way to the Pokémon League. See Step 1 below to learn how to make Moltres yours.

Steps

1
Complete the Cinnabar Gym. In order to find Moltres, you will need to beat Blaine at the Cinnabar Gym and earn the Volcano Badge. You will receive a ferry ticket that will open up access to One Island and Mt. Ember where Moltres resides.
2
Assemble your team. Fighting Moltres is going to be a tough battle, so make sure that your team is up to the challenge. Moltres is a level 50 Fire/Flying type Pokémon. You'll want Pokémon that can take a beating and are hopefully effective against Fire-type Pokémon. Bringing along a Pokémon with the ability Flash Fire will make them immune to Moltres' only two attacking moves, meaning he can never deal damage to them. Ponyta can be caught in the grass outside Mt. Ember where Moltres is found.
- One of the most effective ways to catch Moltres is to have a Pokémon with False Swipe, which can get Moltres down to 1 HP without knocking it out.
- You should also have a Pokémon that can paralyze or put Moltres to sleep. This will make it much easier to catch.
- You will need a Pokémon with Strength or Rock Smash. You will receive Rock Smash on One Island.
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3
Stock up on essential items. If you want to be absolutely safe, stockpile at least 40-50 Ultra Balls. Moltres can take a lot of Poké Balls to lock down. Also bring lots of Revives and Hyper Potions to heal your team.
4
Head North upon reaching One Island. Once you get to the Island, head to the North. You will have to battle a lot of trainers along the way, but your team should be pretty powerful by now. You'll encounter wild Ponyta and Rapidash, which is the only place they can be found, so scoop one or two up if you feel like it.
5
Climb Mt. Ember. After reaching the top of Kindle Road, you'll need to Surf across a small body of water to reach Mt. Ember. Before crossing, you can heal up your Pokémon at Ember Spa.
- You will need to navigate the maze of boulders inside and out of Mt. ember in order to reach the summit.
6
Approach Moltres. At the summit of the mountain you will find Moltres nesting. Save your game before you start the fight. If you accidentally knock out Moltres or your party is wiped out, you can quickly reload and try the fight again. This is the only spot in the game to get Moltres, so better safe than sorry.
7
Start the fight. Start off with your power hitters, and try to drain as much of Moltres' HP as you can. Once it starts to get low, switch to your Pokémon with False Swipes. Keep using False Swipes until Moltres only has 1 HP left.
- Once Moltres' HP has been depleted, use a Sleep or Paralyze move to bind Moltres. This will make it much easier to catch. Switch back to your Flash Fire Pokémon if you brought one with you.
8
Start throwing Poké Balls. Now that you have Moltres where you want it, start chucking your Ultra Balls at it. The battle now becomes a test of patience. You may burn through almost all of your Poké Balls before you are able to catch Moltres, but it is possible. If Moltres wakes up or becomes unparalyzed, hit it with a special move again and resume throwing Poké Balls.

Community Q&A

Question

What happens if you kill him? Can you find him again?

Community Answer

If you kill Moltres, you kill Molters. It will never be possible to find him again. So it's just one chance, and it's the same with the other Two and Deoxys.
Question

I got to do this twice, but it killed them. Any ideas?

Community Answer

Get False Swipe and use that. It won't kill a Pokemon, it just leaves it with 1 HP.
Question

What if I accidentally beat him?

Community Answer

If you didn't save beforehand, you can't get Moltres on that playthrough. If you did save beforehad, reload that save and try capturing it again. Repeat this process (if needed) until you catch it.