Pokemon Fire Ash Walkthrough Tips – Getting Started

Pokemon Fire Ash is a massive fan-made RPG that follows Ash Ketchum’s journey from Kanto through Alola, including the Orange Islands and the Battle Frontier. With over 50 gyms, 900+ Pokémon, and mechanics from eight generations, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. These tips cover team building, navigation, key items, and post-game content so you can play through every region without getting stuck.

Build a Team That Mirrors Ash’s Adventures

The game is designed around recreating Ash’s anime teams. You’ll want to catch Pokémon that match his captures in each region to keep the experience authentic and make battles easier.

Kanto: Pikachu is your starter and follows on your overworld sprite. Catch a Butterfree early (Viridian Forest) and a Pidgeotto on Route 1. Ash’s Kanto team usually includes Charizard, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and a Snorlax later.
Johto: After the Orange Islands, you’ll want Heracross, Noctowl, and the Johto starters. Keep an eye out for a Phanpy in the Route around Violet City.
Hoenn: Ash’s Hoenn team includes Sceptile, Swellow, Corphish, Torkoal, and Glalie. You can find Treecko early in Petalburg Woods.
Sinnoh: Infernape, Staraptor, Torterra, Buizel, Gliscor, and Gible are key. Gible is available in the post-game of Sinnoh.
Unova, Kalos, Alola, Galar: Each region has its own team. You’ll encounter the same Pokémon Ash caught in the anime, often at the same points in the story.

Use the in-game Pokédex to track locations. The game also has a search function in the PC (added in v3.6 Part 2) that lets you find Pokémon by name or type.

Master the Warp System – No HMs Required

Unlike the official games, Pokemon Fire Ash removes HMs completely. Instead, you get a Fly replacement that unlocks after a certain point: a warp system accessed from Pokémon Centers. This lets you teleport to any previously visited town with a Center.

Early game: You cannot warp until you reach a certain point. Rely on walking and the bicycle.
Orange Islands: The warp system is especially useful here because the islands are spread out. After the Orange League, you unlock more teleport points.
Sinnoh: Some towns lack Pokémon Centers, but the v3.6 Part 2 update added a way to teleport to Twinleaf Town, Veilstone City, Valor Lakefront, and Celestic Town.

Always check the map in your menu – it shows your current region and all available warp points.

Key Items You Should Get Early

Mega Ring: Unlocked during the Kalos arc. You need to find Mega Stones for your Pokémon. These are scattered across all regions.
Z-Crystals: Available in Alola. Talk to the local Kahuna or complete trials.
Dynamax Band: Automatically given during the Galar arc. Dynamax is usable in gym battles and the post-game.
Ash-Greninja: Obtainable after a specific event in Kalos. Greninja with Battle Bond transforms into Ash-Greninja.
Rotom Phone: Gives you navigation hints during the Journeys arc. It can also tell you where to go next.

Trade Evolutions Are Now Level or Item-Based

Every Pokémon that originally required trading now evolves by either reaching a certain level or using a specific item. For example:

Haunter → Gengar: Level up Haunter to level 40 instead of trading.
Machoke → Machamp: Level 40.
Kadabra → Alakazam: Level 40.
Graveler → Golem: Level 40.

Some trade evolutions require an item like a Link Cable (available from certain PokéMart vendors). Check the game’s built-in documentation or the Pokemon Fire Ash Guide for exact evolution methods.

Where to Find Rare Pokémon (and Legendaries)

The game includes every Pokémon up to Generation 8, including many legendaries. Most are encountered during the story as part of Ash’s anime events.

Mewtwo: Found in Cerulean Cave after the Kanto Elite Four.
Legendary birds (Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres): Roam in specific routes – check the location list.
Ho-Oh, Lugia: Available after the Orange Islands and Johto arcs.
Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza: Encountered during the Hoenn arc.
Dialga, Palkia, Giratina: In Sinnoh.
Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem: Unova story.
Xerneas, Yveltal, Zygarde: Kalos.
Solgaleo, Lunala, Necrozma: Alola.
Zacian, Zamazenta, Eternatus: Galar.

Post-game legendaries like Enamorus can be found in the Grandeur Club after beating the Masters 8 rematch.

Post-Game Content: The Grandeur Club

After completing the main story (becoming World Champion), you unlock the Grandeur Club in the post-game. This is a battle facility with multiple challenge modes:

Sync Challenge: Damage taken is reduced to 25%, making battles strategic rather than one-hit KO. You can buy buffs (HP recovery, PP recovery, status immunity, etc.) between battles.
Titan Challenge: Fights against overpowered opponents.
Practice and Club Battles: Uses your existing teams against AI trainers.
??? Challenge: Unlockable under certain conditions (you need to complete the initial challenges).

The Grandeur Club also has a Vending Machine that can give the opponent buffs for extra GC Credits. Use the built-in cheats menu (swipe down on Android) to access quick options if you get stuck.

Android Tips: JoiPlay and Built-in Cheats

To play Pokemon Fire Ash on Android, you need JoiPlay (an RPG Maker XP emulator). Follow the How to Download and Play Pokemon Fire Ash on PC and Android guide for installation steps.

Built-in cheats menu: Swipe down from the top of the screen in JoiPlay to open a menu where you can enable cheats like infinite money, walk through walls, and more.
Speed up: The v3.6 Part 2 update keeps the speed up setting even after closing the game. Use it to grind faster.
Common issues: If you see a black screen outside, try updating JoiPlay and the RPG Maker plugin. The “OpenAL device” error usually means you need to install the OpenAL driver on PC or use the correct audio plugin on Android.

Avoid Softlocks and Save Often

The game is mostly stable, but a few bugs can cause softlocks:

Kalos Route 8 (To Be a Pokémon Master arc): Avoid the trainer with a long line of sight – reduced in v3.6 Part 2.
Lake of Rage Red Gyarados: If you lose to it, the game may softlock. Save before the encounter.
Stow-on-Side from Glimwood Tangle: A softlock was fixed, but still save before entering.
Cianwood City: If you black out after not healing at the Pokémon Center, you may not be able to return. Heal before leaving.

Use multiple save slots. The game now shares game options across all save files (v3.6 Part 2), so you can switch between files without losing settings.

Final Advice

Pokemon Fire Ash is a labor of love that covers every major anime arc. Take your time, explore each region, and talk to every NPC – many give hints or items. If you ever feel lost, the in-game Rotom Phone can guide you. For a complete list of features, regions, and version history, read the Pokemon Fire Ash Guide. And if you haven’t downloaded the game yet, check the download guide for PC and Android instructions.

Remember: the game is still being updated, so check for the latest version (currently 3.6 Part 2.1) to get the best experience. Happy adventuring, champion!