Ho-Oh (Pokémon)

**Ho-Oh** is a dual-type Fire/Flying Legendary Pokémon.

It is not known to evolve into or from any other Pokémon.

Along with Lugia, it is part of the tower duo. It is also the group master of the Legendary beasts.

## Biology

Ho-Oh is an avian Pokémon resembling a phoenix and a peacock. Its feathers are predominantly gold and red, with yellow tail-feathers, a white underside and green feathers at the tip of its wings. Ho-Oh has a green stripe on its neck, a yellow beak, black rings around its red eyes and a feathered, yellow crest on its head. Ho-Oh's wings are prismatic, causing it to trail a rainbow behind it. It has darkly colored feet and legs with four toes and long talons.

Ho-Oh is considered the guardian of the skies and has a mythical power to resurrect the dead. It is said that when it flies its huge wings create bright, colorful rainbows. The rare few who bear witness to Ho-Oh are promised eternal happiness. Ho-Oh used to perch at the top of the various towers located across the Johto region: the Bell Tower until the Brass Tower was destroyed by fire and the Goldenrod Tower in ancient times. It now presumably flies through the world's skies in search of a Trainer with a pure heart.

## Game data

### Stats

* Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and (if applicable) a helpful nature.

### Learnset

#### By breeding

 * Moves marked with an asterisk (\*) must be chain bred onto Ho-Oh
* **Bold** indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Ho-Oh
* *Italic* indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an evolution of Ho-Oh

## Trivia

* Ho-Oh's name is a palindrome.
* Ho-Oh has the highest base Special Defense stat of all Fire-type Pokémon and is tied with Lugia for the highest base Special Defense stat of all Flying-type Pokémon.
* It is directly implied in a myth that Ho-Oh revived Raikou, Entei and Suicune upon their original deaths.
* Ho-Oh is the heaviest Pokémon that can be taken to the sky by using Sky Drop.
* Ho-Oh is the only Legendary Pokémon that can be legally encountered multiple times, since it regularly spawns in Route 1 just like any wild Pokémon.
	+ It shares this peculiarity with Mewtwo, who can be battled unlimited times due to a glitch: if the player loses the Gym Battle against the Team Rocket at the Viridian Gym, which happens immediately after battling Mewtwo, it will still be waiting the player for the battle when they get back in the Gym. Once the Team Rocket is defeated, though, Mewtwo can no longer be encountered there.
	+ Due to being met in the wild at level 50, Ho-Oh provides one of the best XP grinding spots in the game.

### Origin

Ho-Oh may be based on the legend of the phoenix, specifically the Fenghuang, the immortal phoenix of China from which it derives its name. It may also be based on the Huma bird, a legendary bird that is said to never rest, living its entire life flying continuously and resurrects itself and others in its ashes and flames; it is a symbol of fortune and friendship and will bestow happiness to anyone who simply glimpses it. Many cultures view the Phoenix and Huma as symbols of resurrection; this is seen in Ho-Oh, which was reborn rising from its ashes and had a hand in resurrecting Suicune, Raikou and Entei; additionally, this is also reflected by its Hidden Ability Regenerator.

Given its category, it may also be an embodiment of the rainbow, very likely inspired by the multicolored aspect of the Fenghuang or by the rainbow-feathered bird god Achiyalabopa. It could also be inspired by many other firebirds; some notable examples are the three-legged bird, Simurgh and the Ember Bird.

#### Name origin

Ho-Oh may be derived from 鳳凰 *Hōō*, Japanese reading of the *Fènghuáng* (Chinese phoenix). It may also be derived from 皇 *ō* (emperor) or 王 *ō* (king).