In Crystal, Ho-oh is a Legendary Pokemon rated S-Tier. At 680 BST, it hits hard. It excels as a wallbreaker. Base 154 Sp. Def stands out.

What is Ho-oh weak to?

In Crystal, Ho-oh's biggest threats include Aerodactyl (Rock), Gyarados (Water), and Raikou (Electric), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Aerodactyl is the most dangerous since Rock moves deal 4x damage. Ho-oh has enough bulk to absorb a hit, but don't push the matchup. Pivot to a teammate that resists.

What role does Ho-oh play in battle?

Base 90 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Ho-oh is a mixed attacker with base 130 Attack and 110 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Tanky enough to absorb a few hits. Best used as a wallbreaker.

In Crystal, the best way to handle Ho-oh: Status moves (Toxic, Will-O-Wisp) wear it down. Setup sweepers can use it as a boost opportunity. Special attackers bypass its physical bulk.

Where can you catch Ho-oh?

Ho-oh is catchable in Crystal as a fixed Legendary encounter. One per save file, so bring your best Poke Balls. Check Locations above for the exact spot. It also appears in 16 other games across the series.

Ho-oh - Weakness, Evolution, Moveset, EVs & Stats

Mixed

Wallbreaker

STier

90Speed · Above Avg

Stats & Training

Sp. Def and Attack carry most of Ho-oh's stat budget. Defense's the obvious dump stat. Near-impossible to catch and yields 3 Sp. Def stat exp. Follows a slow 1.25M XP grind.

Base Stats

Legend

HP106

Attack130

Defense90

Sp. Atk110

Sp. Def154

Speed90

Total680

Details

Catch Rate

Legendary3 / 255

Growth Rate

Slow1.25M XP

Height3.8 m

Weight199.0 kg

Base XP306

Abilities

Abilities were introduced in Generation III. Shown below for reference.

Pressure

Increases the PP cost of moves targetting the Pokémon by one.

RegeneratorHA

Heals for 1/3 max HP upon switching out.

EV Yield

HPAtkDefSpASpD+3Spe

Strong Special Defense training target

Pokedex Entries

It will reveal itself before a pure-hearted trainer by shining its bright rainbow-colored wings.

Crystal

Ho-oh Weakness

Type-wise, Ho Oh takes extra damage from Rock, Water, and Electric. Watch out for Rock attacks, those deal 4x damage. Ground moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. 5 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Ho Oh's special bulk (base 154 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.

Ho Oh Weakness and Resistance Chart
Damage	Types
4x (Critical)	Rock
2x (Weak)	Water, Electric
0.5x (Resist)	Fire, Fighting, Steel
0.25x (Resist)	Grass, Bug
0x (Immune)	Ground

Type ChartGood

3Weak

5Resist

1Immune

Score+2

Gen II Type Chart

Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
Special stat split into Sp.Atk and Sp.Def

4xCritical

2xWeak

½xResist

¼xResist

0xImmune

STAB (5)

Grass Ice Bug Steel Fighting

How to Beat Ho Oh in Crystal (Best Counters)

In Crystal, Golem's Explosion hits Ho Oh for 65-76%. Jolteon's Thunderbolt hits Ho Oh for 42-49%. Vaporeon deals 42-49% with Surf.

Golem RockGround	A
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves EarthquakeSTAB Explosion Rapid Spin RoarUtility Damage vs Ho Oh Explosion 65-76% Rapid Spin 13-16% View Golem builds →
Jolteon Electric	A
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves ThunderboltSTAB Baton Pass Thunder Wave GrowthSetup Damage vs Ho Oh Thunderbolt 2x 42-49% View Jolteon builds →
Vaporeon Water	B
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves GrowthSetup SurfSTAB RestRecovery Acid Armor Damage vs Ho Oh Surf 2x 42-49% View Vaporeon builds →
Gyarados WaterFlying	C
Recommended Build ItemLeftovers Moves SurfSTAB Hydro Pump Body Slam Hidden Power Flying Damage vs Ho Oh Surf 2x 26-31% Hydro Pump 2x 31-37% Body Slam 23-27% View Gyarados builds →

Crystal Evolution

No breeding, no evolution. Ho Oh is a Fire/Flying legendary with 680 base stat total that you obtain once and build around. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.

How to Evolve

No Evolution

#250Ho-ohDoes not evolve

Breeding

Unavailable

Undiscovered egg group

Crystal Ho-oh Best Moveset

Best Build

Gen 2 build content has limited support (no abilities).

Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.

Moves

Hard to wall, honestly. Ho Oh threatens 10 types beyond its own STAB, with Normal and Rock standing out. Pair that with Fire Blast and Sacred Fire and switchins need to think twice.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1

Sacred Fire

—100955Fire

Lv 11

Safeguard

D——25Normal

Lv 22

Gust

—4010035Flying

Lv 33

Recover

C——20Normal

Lv 44

Fire Blast

B120855Fire

Lv 55

Sunny Day

C——5Fire

Lv 66

Swift

C60—20Normal

Lv 77

Whirlwind-6

C——20Normal

Lv 88

Ancient Power

C601005Rock

Lv 99

Future Sight

—12010010Psychic

TM Moves

TM03

Curse

C——10Ghost

TM43

Detect+4

D——5Fighting

TM32

Double Team

———15Normal

TM24

Dragon Breath

C6010020Dragon

TM42

Dream Eater

—10010015Psychic

TM26

Earthquake

B10010010Ground

TM20

Endure+4

D——10Normal

TM38

Fire Blast

B120855Fire

HM05

Flash

D—7020Normal

HM02

Fly

B709515Flying

TM21

Frustration

D—10020Normal

TM19

Giga Drain

C751005Grass

TM10

Hidden Power

—6010015Normal

TM15

Hyper Beam

B150905Normal

TM31

Mud-Slap

D2010010Ground

TM50

Nightmare

——10015Ghost

TM17

Protect+4

C——10Normal

TM09

Psych Up

D——10Normal

TM29

Psychic

C9010010Psychic

TM18

Rain Dance

C——5Water

TM44

Rest

C——10Psychic

TM27

Return

D—10020Normal

TM05

Roar-6

C——20Normal

TM08

Rock Smash

—2010015Fighting

TM37

Sandstorm

D——10Rock

TM30

Shadow Ball

C8010015Ghost

TM35

Sleep Talk

C——10Normal

TM13

Snore

—4010015Normal

TM22

Solar Beam

B12010010Grass

TM47

Steel Wing

C709025Steel

HM04

Strength

C8010015Normal

TM11

Sunny Day

C——5Fire

TM34

Swagger

C—8515Normal

TM39

Swift

C60—20Normal

TM25

Thunder

C1207010Electric

TM06

Toxic

C—8510Poison

TM07

Zap Cannon

C100505Electric

Egg Moves

Ho-oh doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Tut

Tutor

Flamethrower

B9510015Fire

Tutor

Thunderbolt

C9510015Electric

How to Get Ho-oh in Crystal

Ho-oh is a fixed encounter, not a random spawn. Walk up to it, interact, and the battle starts immediately. Head to Tin Tower when your team is ready for the fight.

Best Locations to Catch Ho-oh in Crystal

Tin Tower - Summit

Interact with Pokemon Lv.60 Building

LimitedPost

Clear Rainbow Wing + Tin Tower

Ho-oh Guide

In Crystal, Ho-oh is a Legendary Pokemon rated S-Tier. At 680 BST, it hits hard. It excels as a wallbreaker. Base 154 Sp. Def stands out.
In Crystal, Ho-oh's biggest threats include Aerodactyl (Rock), Gyarados (Water), and Raikou (Electric), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Aerodactyl is the most dangerous since Rock moves deal 4x damage. Ho-oh has enough bulk to absorb a hit, but don't push the matchup. Pivot to a teammate that resists.
Base 90 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Ho-oh is a mixed attacker with base 130 Attack and 110 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Tanky enough to absorb a few hits. Best used as a wallbreaker.
In Crystal, the best way to handle Ho-oh: Status moves (Toxic, Will-O-Wisp) wear it down. Setup sweepers can use it as a boost opportunity. Special attackers bypass its physical bulk.
Ho-oh is catchable in Crystal as a fixed Legendary encounter. One per save file, so bring your best Poke Balls. Check Locations above for the exact spot. It also appears in 16 other games across the series.

Game Availability

First obtainable in Gold & Silver, Ho Oh has been featured in 17 titles across 9 generations. Legendary status means a single encounter per playthrough in most games.

Click a game to view version-specific details

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