Pokemon Focus: #250 - Ho-oh

Introduction

Ho-oh, the star of Gold (and HeartGold) Version. Unlike the games that came afterwards, it is possible to get it in Silver/SoulSilver as well, meaning neither bird gets left behind! Yay! In Ho-oh's case, as opposed to Lugia, who was simply designed to soak up as many hits as possible, Ho-oh is more of an offensive force, striking hard while still having some nice defensive stats that allow it to take some damage. Just watch out for Stealth Rocks.

Capture/Training

Unlike future games, where only one of the "star legendaries" can be caught, HeartGold and SoulSilver offers both up for capture, although the non-starring legendary will be found much later, at a much higher level. In this case, it will be at Level 70. Be prepared, especially if we want to catch it with a Friend Ball. Don't even bother with soft-resets.

Stats

106 HP, 130 Atk, 90 Def, 110 Sp. Atk, 154 Sp. Def, 90 Spd

Great stats. While Lugia is very much defensively oriented, Ho-oh is more oriented towards offense, though that ridiculously high 154 Special Defense is nothing to ignore. It can dish out hits, and it can certainly take them, too.

Abilities

Pressure appears again, and once again, it helps stall out opponents who strike at its high Special Defense.

Recommended Moves

Sacred Fire is Ho-oh's signature move, and doubles as its primary physical Fire attack. Yes, physical. For whatever reason, Sacred Fire does physical damage, likely to take advantage of its higher Attack stat. There's really no other reason for it. It does heavy damage, but more importantly, that 50% burn rate can really mess up an opponent. Brave Bird is its primary physical Flying attack, and also does massive damage. The recoil can hurt, though. Ho-oh does have special options on the Fire side in the form of Flamethrower, Heat Wave, Fire Blast, and Overheat (although the last one is a non-replenishable TM), and can use them fairly well thanks to a fairly high base Special Attack. There isn't really anything in the way of special Flying attacks, though.

With the ability to hit hard on both the physical and special side of the spectrum, it's a good thing Ho-oh has a healthy choice of secondary attacks to choose from. We can't mention the physical side without bringing up Earthquake. Punishment is an interesting attack, and can really hurt anyone who tries to stat-up against you. Zen Headbutt and Iron Head are additional options for those interested, as is Return. On the Special side, Thunderbolt and Thunder work well, depending on whether rain might be seen around or not. Other workable moves include Shadow Ball, Earth Power, Extrasensory/Psychic, and the weather-dependent Solarbeam and Weather Ball.

Recover is the main way Ho-oh will be healing itself without resorting to using non-replenishable TMs.

Whirlwind is best used with entry hazards on the field.

Reflect helps cover Ho-oh's weaker Defense stat, while Light Screen makes Ho-oh nearly impenetrable to special attacks. Safeguard protects Ho-oh from status. All three can also be used to support the team.

Toxic is an option to stall enemies out. Thunder Wave can also cripple opponents, and might be especially helpful due to Ho-oh's comparatively low Speed.

Calm Mind is another way Ho-oh can boost its stats.

Substitute is a great move, as always.

Generally speaking, Ho-oh functions best when strong sunlight is available. It can supply its own sunlight with Sunny Day, but overall, it's probably better to just let Groudon light up the arena.

Teammates

Ho-oh loves sunlight, and as such, Groudon makes a great teammate. As a bonus, Ho-oh can soak up Grass-type attacks launched at Groudon (as well as special-type Ice attacks, with the bonus that if it were to get frozen, using Sacred Fire thaws it out). Meanwhile, Groudon takes the Electric and Rock attacks Ho-oh hates. Stealth Rock, if it were to appear, could be a real pain, and as such, a Rapid Spinner is also handy. In competitive battling, a Forretress is the most common teammate used for such.

Effective Movesets

1. Substitute/Recover
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Substitute
- Recover
Item: Life Orb/Leftovers
Comments: Use Life Orb for power, Leftovers to be a resilient attacker.

2. Three Attacks
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Earthquake
- Recover
Item: Leftovers
Comments: To be used more as a defensive Pokemon, hence no Life Orb. Earthquake gives it some much-needed coverage.

3. Choice Band
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Earthquake
- Punishment
Item: Choice Band/Choice Scarf
Comments: With two attacks, it is a powerful Substitute abuser. With three attacks, a near-unbreakable special-defensive tank with great coverage. With four attacks, a threatening Choice user.

4. Choice Specs
- Fire Blast
- Thunder/Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
- Earth Power
Item: Choice Specs
Comments: 110 base Sp. Atk makes Ho-oh quite a threat on the special side, too.

5. Mixed Choice Scarf
- Sacred Fire
- Thunder
- Earthquake
- Punishment/Brave Bird
Item: Choice Scarf

6. Calm Mind
- Calm Mind
- Flamethrower
- Thunder/Thunderbolt
- Recover

7. Toxic Staller
- Toxic
- Light Screen
- Sacred Fire
- Recover

8. Thunder Wave
- Sacred Fire
- Brave Bird
- Thunder Wave
- Recover