You will receive HM01 Cut during your first visit to Eterna City, just after your trip through Eterna Forest.
On your way back from examining the giant statue in the northeastern corner of town, Cynthia will stop you in the street, introduce herself, and hand over the HM.
HM01 Cut allows you to chop down all those little trees that have been barring you from certain paths in the game.
Before you can use it, however, you must first win the Forest Badge from Eterna City’s Gym Leader, Gardenia.
Cut can also be used in battle as a Normal-type, physical attack move.
HM01 Cut Location (Step-by-Step)
After defeating Team Galactic’s Mars at the Valley Windworks facility on Route 205, head north and travel all the way through Eterna Forest.
Once on the other side and back on Route 205, head east across the bridge with all the Fisherman NPCs until you reach Eterna City.
As soon as you try exploring the north side of the city, your Rival will show up and crash into you.
He’ll offer a brief dialogue before dragging you to Eterna’s famous statue in the northeast corner of town. A short scene involving Team Galactic’s Cyrus will ensue.
Afterward, your Rival will leave you to examine the statue on your own time.
Now start walking back west. Before you get very far, a blonde woman will stop you in your tracks. She will introduce herself as Cynthia and give you HM01 Cut, one of the most-used HMs in the game.
Although you can teach Cut to a Pokémon as soon as you have the HM for it, you won’t actually be able to use the move until you defeat Eterna City’s Gym Leader, Gardenia, and are in possession of the Forest Badge.
Cut Move Details & Uses
In the field, Cut is used to remove those tree barriers you’ve been seeing on your journey so far.
After teaching it to a Pokémon, simply face one of the obstacles, press A, and when asked if you would like to cut the tree down, select Yes.
HM01 Cut can also be used in battle as a physical attack.
| Cut Move Details | |
|---|---|
| Type | Normal |
| Category | Physical |
| Power | 50 |
| Accuracy | 95% |
| PP | 30 (max. 48) |
However, while Cut is extremely useful as a field move, it makes for a poor attack in battle.
With only 50 power, no Type advantages, and no secondary effects, Cut is not a recommended move to teach any of the Pokémon on your primary battle team.
Rather, reserving a slot in your party for a dedicated “HM mule,” or a Pokémon whose sole purpose in joining you is to learn and use Hidden Moves in the field, is generally the most efficient way to have HMs on you at all times.
Bidoof/Bibarel is a good choice for an HM mule, since it is obtainable early in the game and can learn 4 HM moves:
- Cut
- Rock Smash
- Surf
- Strength
Exploring With Cut
Now that you’ve obtained Cut, it’s worth backtracking through the Routes and Towns you’ve passed on your way to Eterna City, as there are several previously-barred paths suddenly available to you to explore.
To try it out, one path that’s just a short walk from Eterna City lies just inside Eterna Forest.
Head back into the Forest from Eterna City, and you’ll see Leader Gardenia standing in front of some cuttable trees.
Speak to her, and she will leave you to your own devices. Stand in front of one of these trees and cut it down.
Now you have access to the previously-blocked path leading up to the haunted manor known as the Old Chateau.
This is just one example of how Cut adds variety to Pokémon Platinum.
Keep an eye out for these blockaded paths to find items, TMs, Pokémon, and sometimes entire new map regions you wouldn’t be able to reach without HM01.
Guide Navigation
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Pokémon Platinum
- How To Get HM01 Cut in Pokémon Platinum
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