What is the correct path through the Lost Cave?

From the first room: east, north, south, south, east, west, south, east, then north into Selphy’s room.

How do I know which way to go in each room?

Count the rocks on the floor and read the number as a clock face — 3 is east, 6 is south, 9 is west, 12 is north.

Why do I keep ending up in the same room?

Any wrong exit warps you back to the first room, the one with the ladder and Lawson. Nothing is broken — it is the cave’s single punishment.

Where is the Rare Candy in the Lost Cave?

Go west out of room 8 instead of east. The room beyond holds the Rare Candy and sends you back to the start.

Can I collect every item in one trip?

No. Each item room has one exit and it returns you to the first room, so every item costs a fresh run down the path.

Is the Lost Cave the same in LeafGreen?

The path, the rooms and the items are identical. The only difference is the rare encounter slot: FireRed puts Murkrow there, LeafGreen puts Misdreavus.

When can I enter the Lost Cave?

Only after the Rainbow Pass opens Four to Seven Island, which happens once you have given Celio the Ruby from Mt. Ember.

Lost Cave in FireRed: The Exact Path Through Every Room

Nine turns from the entrance to Selphy: the exact Lost Cave route on Five Island, what the rock count in each room means, and every item detour.

Published September 11, 2026

The Lost Cave is nine turns deep: from the first room go east, north, south, south, east, west, south, east, north, and the ninth turn opens the room where Lady Selphy is waiting. Every other exit drops you back at the room with the ladder, which is why the cave feels endless — it is not a maze you can wander out of, it is a nine-answer quiz.

Game: FireRed LeafGreen
Where: East of Resort Gorgeous on Five Island
You need: The Rainbow Pass and Surf — the cave is postgame only
Reward: Rare Candy, Lax Incense, Sea Incense, Max Revive, Silk Scarf

Resort Gorgeous on Five Island, where the water east of the beach leads to the Lost Cave — Surf east off Resort Gorgeous on Five Island — the Lost Cave entrance sits on the far shore.

How the Lost Cave works: count the rocks

Each room has four exits and only one of them leads deeper. The room tells you which one: count the rocks lying on its floor and read the number as a clock face. Three rocks means three o’clock, so east. Six means south, nine means west, twelve means north. Take any other exit and the game warps you straight back to the first room, where Lawson stands beside the ladder.

The second room of the Lost Cave with twelve rocks on its floor — Room 2 carries twelve rocks — twelve o’clock, so the north exit is the one that leads on.

Tip — You cannot get stuck: A wrong exit costs you the run, never the trip: it returns you to the first room with everything you picked up still in the bag. There is no dead end to escape from and nothing to reset.

The path, room by room

Nine rooms, nine turns. The rock count is listed beside each one so you can check the room you are standing in against the table instead of trusting the order blindly.

Lost Cave — the route from the entrance to Selphy
#	Room	Rocks	Go	Note
1	Room 1	3	East	The room with the ladder and Lawson.
2	Room 2	12	North	South here is the Lax Incense.
3	Room 3	6	South	No detour — three exits loop back.
4	Room 4	6	South	North here is the Sea Incense.
5	Room 5	3	East	No detour — three exits loop back.
6	Room 6	9	West	East here is the Max Revive.
7	Room 7	6	South	No detour — three exits loop back.
8	Room 8	3	East	West here is the Rare Candy.
9	Room 9	12	North	North opens the last room.

The third room of the Lost Cave with six rocks on its floor — Room 3 has six rocks — six o’clock, so leave through the south exit.

Every item, and what the detour costs

Four of the items sit one wrong turn off the correct path. Taking one is not a shortcut you can chain: the item room has a single exit and it leads back to the first room, so every pickup costs you the whole route back. Plan one item per run, or clear the cave first and collect them afterwards.

Lost Cave items and the turn that reaches them
Item	Leave from	Direction	Cost
Lax Incense	Room 2	South	Back to room 1 — one turn spent
Sea Incense	Room 4	North	Back to room 1 — three turns spent
Max Revive	Room 6	East	Back to room 1 — five turns spent
Rare Candy	Room 8	West	Back to room 1 — seven turns spent
Silk Scarf	Room 10	On the path	None — it lies in Selphy’s room

Note — Why the incenses are worth the walk: The Sea Incense and Lax Incense exist nowhere else in FireRed and LeafGreen, and a held incense is how Marill and Wobbuffet breed into Azurill and Wynaut in the Generation 3 games that have them.

Lady Selphy at the end

The last room holds Lady Selphy, the daughter of the mansion at Resort Gorgeous, who wandered in and could not find her way out. Battle her, and she goes home. Afterwards you can visit her in the mansion on Resort Gorgeous, where she asks to see particular Pokémon and pays for the privilege — the same stretch of coast the cave sits on.

What lives in the Lost Cave

The cave is a Ghost and Poison den: Zubat, Golbat, Gastly and Haunter up to level 52. One slot is an edition split — FireRed puts Murkrow there at level 22, LeafGreen puts Misdreavus in the same slot, and in both games this cave is the only place in Kanto and the Sevii Islands that has it. Encounters are rare here, so a lap of the maze is not a reliable way to hunt one.

Quick answers

What is the correct path through the Lost Cave?: From the first room: east, north, south, south, east, west, south, east, then north into Selphy’s room.
How do I know which way to go in each room?: Count the rocks on the floor and read the number as a clock face — 3 is east, 6 is south, 9 is west, 12 is north.
Why do I keep ending up in the same room?: Any wrong exit warps you back to the first room, the one with the ladder and Lawson. Nothing is broken — it is the cave’s single punishment.
Where is the Rare Candy in the Lost Cave?: Go west out of room 8 instead of east. The room beyond holds the Rare Candy and sends you back to the start.
Can I collect every item in one trip?: No. Each item room has one exit and it returns you to the first room, so every item costs a fresh run down the path.
Is the Lost Cave the same in LeafGreen?: The path, the rooms and the items are identical. The only difference is the rare encounter slot: FireRed puts Murkrow there, LeafGreen puts Misdreavus.
When can I enter the Lost Cave?: Only after the Rainbow Pass opens Four to Seven Island, which happens once you have given Celio the Ruby from Mt. Ember.

The Lost Cave is one stop on the Five Island leg of the Sevii Islands as a whole; the island’s other postgame errand is the Rocket Warehouse in Five Isle Meadow.

More guides for this game

Sevii Islands Guide: All 7 Islands in FireRed & LeafGreen — How to reach every Sevii Island in FireRed and LeafGreen: the Tri-Pass and Rainbow Pass chain, what each island holds, and the postgame order.
Where to Find the Ruby & Sapphire in FireRed & LeafGreen — The Ruby is under Mt. Ember, the Sapphire in Dotted Hole — then Gideon steals it. Every step to Celio’s machine, plus both warehouse passwords.
Tanoby Ruins & Unown in FireRed: Open All 7 Chambers — Solve the Tanoby Key boulder puzzle in Sevault Canyon to fill all seven chambers with Unown — and see which chamber holds which of the 28 forms.
Pokémon Transfer Chart: How to Move Pokémon Between Games — Interactive Pokémon transfer chart from Red and Blue through DS and 3DS to Switch and HOME, including Pal Park, Poké Transporter, Bank and GO.
Before Pokémon Bank Shuts Down: The DS, 3DS & GBA Checklist — Pokémon Bank ends 25 Feb 2027. A tickable checklist of the Pokémon, events and ribbons to secure on old cartridges before the last bridge to HOME closes.
Pokémon EV Training Guide: Effort Values & the Best Spots Per Generation — What Effort Values do, how the 510 and 252 caps work, and the fastest EV training spot for every stat in Generations 3 to 9.

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