Tower duo
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The subject of this article has no official name. The name currently in use is a fan designator; see below for more information. |
The Tower duo is the duo[1][2] of Legendary Pokémon consisting of Lugia and Ho-Oh. They were first discovered in the Johto region. Lugia is considered the guardian of the seas while Ho-Oh is considered the guardians of the skies.
Lugia, the mascot of Pokémon Silver and Pokémon SoulSilver, represents the sea, storms, and the color silver. Ho-Oh, the mascot of Pokémon Gold and Pokémon HeartGold, represents the sky, rainbows, and the color gold. Both are also associated with their own Legendary trios: Lugia is sometimes associated with the legendary birds, while Ho-Oh is associated with the Legendary beasts.
The relationship between Ho-Oh and Lugia can be seen as a symbol of duality, reflecting contrast and coexistence, a motif explored more deeply in a later generation. The duo is said to represent the sun and moon, day and night, light and shadow, the sky and the depths of the sea, the above and the below.[3]
History
In the core series games
According to legend, about 700 years before the events of Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver, the people of Ecruteak City built two nine-tier towers, Brass Tower and Bell Tower, in hopes of fostering both friendship and hope between Pokémon and humans. The west tower was said to awaken Pokémon, while in the east tower, the Pokémon chose to stop and rest there. Both towers were also the homes of Lugia and Ho-Oh. Lugia resides in Brass Tower and Ho-Oh resides in the Bell Tower. For a time, there was peace and a close bond between the people and the Tower duo.
However, about 550 years later, a tragedy happened one night under the moon. Lugia's slumber was disturbed by a lightning storm that struck the Brass Tower with a powerful lightning bolt, engulfing it in flames for three days. Lugia attempted to use the winds to stop the flame, but this action put Ecruteak City in grave danger. Because of this, Lugia instead chose to call upon rain to put out the fire.
However, it was too late to save the Brass Tower, as it burned to the ground due to the damage. During this tragic event, three nameless Pokémon were tragically killed in the fire, much to the despair of the people. Fortunately, Ho-Oh descended from the sky and used its power to revive them. The Pokémon were reborn as Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. While this filled the people with awe, it also led to them fearing Ho-Oh due to its power to manipulate life. Ho-Oh and the Legendary beasts fled due to the violence of the people who feared Ho-Oh's power.
In despair of the destruction of the Brass Tower, Lugia flew away and chose to live in the ocean's depths. Lugia eventually settled at the Whirl Islands. According to the island's legend, at some point, the two countries fought each other over the island. In great anger, Lugia unleashed several lightning bolts to split the island into four separate islands. Lugia then dove into the deep end of the waterfall basin, disappearing in the process.
The Tower duo was never seen again after the fire and violence of the humans. The Brass Tower was never repaired, left as a reminder of what can be lost and regained, becoming what is now known as the Burned Tower. Two legends reveal when Lugia and Ho-Oh will return to Ecruteak City. When a Trainer who can touch the souls of Pokémon appears, Ho-Oh will return from the heavens to the Bell Tower. Lugia is said to return only when a human with a pure heart appears before Lugia and that the invisible trust between people and Pokémon returns.
Pokémon the Series
In A Ghost of a Chance, Morty claimed that the two towers are the original Tin Tower, which burned down, and a rebuilt one. According to that legend, invaders came and tried to steal Ho-Oh. This invasion failed as Ho-Oh resisted and flew away. In retaliation, the invaders burned down the Tin Tower. However, in For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll!, the story follows the game version, though retains the war aspect.
In the core series games
Lugia
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- Main article: Lugia (Pokémon)
Lugia, the Diving Pokémon, can be found in the Generation II games, XD: Gale of Darkness, SoulSilver, Alpha Sapphire, and Ultra Moon.
Lugia's stats are more defensive than its counterpart, whose stats are more on the offensive side. It is also faster than Ho-Oh. Both share equal HP and Special Defense stats at 106 and 154, respectively. Lugia's signature move, Aeroblast, deals damage and has an increased critical hit ratio and can hit non-adjacent opponents in Triple Battles.
Ho-Oh
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- Main article: Ho-Oh (Pokémon)
Ho-Oh, the Rainbow Pokémon, can be found in any Generation II games, Colosseum, HeartGold, Omega Ruby, and Ultra Sun.
Ho-Oh's stats are on the offensive side, unlike Lugia, whose stats are more defensive. Both share an equal HP and Special Defense stats at 106 and 154, respectively. Ho-Oh's former signature move, Sacred Fire, inflicts damage, with a 50% chance of burning the target
Pokémon Gold and Silver
In Pokémon Silver, Lugia can be encountered at the Whirl Islands after defeating Team Rocket and obtaining the Silver Wing from the Radio Tower director. Upon entering the Hall of Fame and obtaining the Rainbow Wing from a man in Pewter City, Ho-Oh can be encountered at the Tin Tower.
In Pokémon Gold, Ho-Oh can be encountered at the Tin Tower after defeating Team Rocket and obtaining the Rainbow Wing from the Radio Tower director. Upon entering the Hall of Fame and obtaining the Silver Wing from a man in Pewter City, Lugia can be encountered at the Whirl Islands.
Pokémon Crystal
Lugia and Ho-Oh can be encountered after entering the Hall of Fame for the first time and obtaining a unique item from a man in Pewter City. Lugia will appear at the Whirl Islands after the player obtains the Silver Wing, and Ho-Oh will appear in the Tin Tower after the player obtains the Rainbow Wing and has captured all three of the Legendary beasts.
Pokémon FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald
Lugia and Ho-Oh can be found on Navel Rock if the player has the MysticTicket. Lugia will appear in the depths of Navel Rock, while Ho-Oh will appear at the top of Navel Rock.
Because the MysticTicket was not available in normal gameplay, only being distributed in events, Lugia and Ho-Oh are not required for the player to receive a star on their Trainer Card in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
In Pokémon SoulSilver, Lugia will appear at the Whirl Islands after the player obtains the Silver Wing and Tidal Bell. Upon entering the Hall of Fame for the first time and obtaining the Rainbow Wing from a man in Pewter City, Ho-Oh will appear at the Bell Tower.
In Pokémon HeartGold, Ho-Oh will appear at the Bell Tower after the player obtains the Rainbow Wing and Clear Bell. Upon entering the Hall of Fame for the first time and obtaining the Silver Wing from a man in Pewter City, Lugia will appear at the Whirl Islands.
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
In Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, Lugia can be encountered in the Sea Mauville after defeating or capturing Primal Kyogre and trading a Scanner to Captain Stern in exchange for the Tidal Bell.
In Pokémon Omega Ruby, Ho-Oh can be encountered in the Sea Mauville after defeating or capturing Primal Groudon and trading a Scanner to Captain Stern in exchange for the Clear Bell.
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon
In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, both members of the Tower Duo can be encountered in the Ultra Space Wilds through Ultra Warp Ride. In Ultra Sun, Ho-Oh can be encountered in the Cliff World through a red warp hole, and in Ultra Moon, Lugia can be encountered in the Water World through a blue warp hole.
Pokémon Sword and Shield
In The Crown Tundra, Lugia and Ho-Oh be found at the Max Lair during Dynamax Adventures. Lugia can be found in Pokémon Shield, while Ho-Oh can be found in Pokémon Sword; however, the player can get the other Legendary by participating in other players' Dynamax Adventures.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
In Pokémon Shining Pearl, Lugia can be encountered by inserting the Squall Slate in the Squall Room at Ramanas Park after capturing Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Latias, and Latios.
In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond, Ho-Oh can be encountered by inserting the Rainbow Slate in the Rainbow Room at Ramanas Park after capturing Entei, Raikou, Suicune, Latias, and Latios.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
In The Indigo Disk, Lugia and Ho-Oh can be obtained via snacks from Snacksworth. Lugia can be encountered at the North Paldean Sea after obtaining the Lugia Treat, and Ho-Oh can be encountered in South Province (Area Four) after obtaining the Ho-Oh Treat. In Pokémon Violet, the player obtains the Lugia Treat by completing 10 solo quests and the Ho-Oh Treat by completing 1 group quest. In Pokémon Scarlet, the player obtains the Ho-Oh Treat by completing 10 solo quests and the Lugia Treat by completing 1 group quest.
Similar movesets
| Lv. |  Lugia Psychic Flying |
 Ho-Oh Fire Flying |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dragon Rush | |
| Whirlwind | ||
| Weather Ball* | ||
| Ancient Power | ||
| Gust | ||
| 9 | Mist | Life Dew |
| 18 | Safeguard | |
| 27 | Calm Mind | |
| 36 | Extrasensory* | |
| 45 | Recover | |
| 54 | Aeroblast | Sacred Fire |
| 63 | Rain Dance | Sunny Day |
| 72 | Hydro Pump | Fire Blast |
| 81 | Future Sight* | |
| 90 | Sky Attack | |
| 99 | Burn Up | |
| Moves in bold are STAB. Moves in italics do no damage. | ||
Similar base stats
| Pokémon | HP | Atk | Def | Sp. Atk | Sp. Def | Spd | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
106 | 90 | 130 | 90 | 154 | 110 | 680 |
 |
106 | 130 | 90 | 110 | 154 | 90 | 680 |
In the side series games
Pokémon Colosseum
In Pokémon Colosseum, Ho-Oh appears briefly during the story's climax after the player defeats Evice in the Tower Colosseum. After his defeat, Evice attempts to flee in a helicopter, but Ho-Oh appears and destroys the helicopter with Sacred Fire, foiling Evice's escape and causing both him and Nascour to be arrested by Sherles. After purifying all 48 Shadow Pokémon and then defeating all 100 Trainers in Mt. Battle during Battle Mode with their Story Mode party, the player will be rewarded with Ho-Oh, who will be placed in the first open spot in the player's PC.
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
In Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Shadow Lugia is a Lugia corrupted by the criminal organization Cipher, believed to be the ultimate Shadow Pokémon and completely immune to purification. As a sign of this corruption, its appearance is different from that of a normal Lugia, unlike other Shadow Pokémon who appear normal but possess a shadowy aura invisible to the naked eye.
In the spin-off games
Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs
In Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs, Lugia can be called with a Ranger Sign to allow the player to battle it again on the Eastern Sea. Ho-Oh can be called to battle again on Rainbow Dais with a Ranger Sign once the player completes the storyline.
Pokémon Masters EX
Both Lugia and Ho-Oh appear in Pokémon Masters EX, forming sync pairs with the following Trainers:
| Dex | Trainer | NDex | Pokémon | Type | Weakness | Role | EX role | Base potential | Availability | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #091 | 
|
Silver | #0250 | 
|
Ho-Oh |
Fire
|
Water
|
|
|
★★★★★☆EX | Legendary Adventures Pure Hearts and Rainbow Wings |
| #099 | 
|
Sygna Suit Morty |
#0250 | 
|
Ho-Oh |
Fire
|
Electric
|
|
|
★★★★★☆EX | Poké Fair Sync Pair Scout |
| #075 | 
|
Sygna Suit Ethan |
#0249 | 
|
Lugia  |
Flying
|
Ghost
|
|
|
★★★★★☆EX | Master Fair Sync Pair Scout |
| #075 | 
|
Ethan | #0250 |
|
Ho-Oh  |
Fire
|
Rock
|
|
|
★★★★★☆EX | Variety Sync Pair Scout |
| #091 | 
|
Arc Suit Silver |
#0250 |
|
Ho-Oh  |
Fire
|
Water
|
|
|
★★★★★☆EX | Arc Suit Fair Sync Pair Scout |
| #075 | 
|
Arc Suit Ethan |
#0249 |
|
Lugia |
Flying
|
Rock
|
|
|
★★★★★☆EX | Arc Suit Fair Sync Pair Scout |
In animation
Pokémon the Series
In Pokémon the Series, Ho-Oh and Lugia debuted separately, both having met Ash in one way or the other. Both have appeared variously throughout Pokémon the Series and related media, as well as in the intro of several movies such as Jirachi: Wish Maker, The Rise of Darkrai, Arceus and the Jewel of Life, and Zoroark: Master of Illusions.
Pokémon the Series: The Beginning
- Main article: Ho-Oh (anime)
Ho-Oh appeared to Ash at the end of the first episode, flying alongside a rainbow across the sky after a thunderstorm. This Ho-Oh would go on to make multiple recurring appearances in later series.
Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver
- Main article: Silver (Lugia) and Lugia (Silver's parent)
A Lugia and its child appeared as recurring Pokémon characters in Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver. They were sought after and briefly captured by Team Rocket, but were eventually freed by the combined efforts of Ash, his friends, Ritchie, and Oliver.
Pokémon Journeys: The Series
A Lugia appeared as a recurring character in Pokémon Journeys: The Series, debuting in Legend? Go! Friends? Go!, where it defeated a group of Trainers, including Ash, in a Raid Battle. Ash and Goh first met each other as they both wound up simultaneously riding this Lugia. It reappeared in Heroes Unite! and This Could be the Start of Something Big!, once again appearing before Ash and Goh, who briefly fought it in another Raid Battle and once again rode on its back.
Pokémon movies
- Main article: Lugia (M02)
Lugia was featured in The Power of One, central to the legend of Shamouti Island. It can communicate with humans through telepathy. It was sought after by Lawrence III, but he was ultimately unsuccessful in acquiring it.
A Lugia appeared in Hoopa and the Clash of Ages as one of the Legendary Pokémon summoned through Hoopa's rings.
In I Choose You!, set in an alternate timeline from Pokémon the Series, Ash saw a Ho-Oh at the beginning of his journey and obtained a Rainbow Wing dropped by it. Meeting Ho-Oh again and battling it became Ash's main quest for most of the movie.
Lugia also appeared in The Power of Us!, serving a notable role in Fula City's annual Wind Festival.
Pokémon Generations
A wild Lugia appeared in The Adventure. A wild Ho-Oh appeared in Ecruteak City in The Reawakening.
Pokémon Evolutions
Both Lugia and Ho-Oh appeared as images in The Show, where the Kimono Girls performed the story of the Bell and Brass Tower. An actual Lugia also briefly appeared at the end of the episode.
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
- Main article: Tower duo (Adventures)
Past
Ho-Oh and Lugia were at one point captured by the Masked Man, Ho-Oh was once used to kidnap six children: Carl, Sham, Karen, Will, Green and Silver. He had plucked a Rainbow Wing and Silver Wing from them, but the items were stolen by Green who had escaped with Silver. Sometime after he had lost control of the two, where they escaped and flew to different locations.
Gold, Silver & Crystal arc
Ho-Oh first appeared as a silhouette in Just a Spearow Carrier, which shows a flashback of Green's capture, said event caused her to fear of bird Pokémon. It appeared again as a silhouette in Hitmonlee, Baby! (One More Time), when Green was explaining to Bill that she believes the Elite Four were the ones who controlled it to capture her.
Lugia had stayed dormant at Cerise Island, until the Kanto Elite Four summoned it with Badge Amplifier in an attempt to exterminate humans. It appeared before them in the form of a spirit in The Might of... Metapod?!. After Lance's defeat it flew to the west. The Diving Pokémon had returned to the Whirl Islands, before causing havoc around the S.S. Aqua in Sandslash Surprise, where it was properly identified as Lugia. Soon enough the Johto Dex Holders meet each other, where they make a plan to capture it in Lively Lugia (Part 1),II and III. They managed to weaken it but as it was about to be caught in Crystal's Poké Ball, the Masked Man had quickly thrown his own Poké Ball capturing it.
The Masked Man then attacked the Tin Tower using Team Rocket to prompt Ho-Oh to return to Ecruteak City, ultimately capturing the Rainbow Pokémon. Ho-Oh was later seen at Indigo Plateau under the Masked Man's control, alongside Lugia, wreaking havoc and destruction. They were then lent to Karen and Will to fight Green at Ilex Forest. They nearly defeated her legendary birds, but all the trainers' Pokémon from both Johto and Kanto were sent there with the use of the Pokémon Storage System, with the combined strength of all the Pokémon the two were freed from the Masked Man's control and flew off to parts unknown.
Diamond & Pearl arc
In High-tailing It from Haunter, Ho-Oh and Lugia were briefly seen when the Advanced level Grunt was talking to Diamond about the past accomplishments of the Pokédex holders.
Pokémon Pocket Monsters
Ho-Oh appeared in The Legendary Ho-oh!! and PMHGSS02. While Lugia appeared in Clefairy Rangers to the Rescue!! and Take me to the Dragon Palace!.
Pokémon: Yeah! I Got Pokémon!
Ho-Oh appeared in GDZ65. Shu captured Lugia once, but released it in order to let it continue protecting the ocean.
Trivia
- Despite the name being consistently used for Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, this pair of Pokémon has also occassionally been referred to as legendary birds in early casual material like magazines[4][5] and game guides[6].
References
- ↑ "Legendary Pokémon Duo Lugia and Ho-Oh" - Wisdom of Sea and Sky on Pokémon.com
- ↑ "Ho-Oh and Lugia are our final pair of Legendary Pokémon [...]" - "One Last Chance to Be Legendary" on Pokémon.com
- ↑ Nintendo DREAM vol.187 (November 2009 issue).
- ↑ "Q: Are Lugia and Ho-Oh both in Gold and Silver? I want them both! A: The two legendary birds are in both games. The question is, can you catch a Level-70 legendary bird? It's not that easy." - Nintendo Power #138, page 79
- ↑ "How do I catch Lugia and Ho-Oh? You can't see the Legendary Birds until you have the magical object related to each—The Silver Wing in Lugia's case, the Rainbow Wing in Ho-Oh's." - Nintendo Power #140, page 80
- ↑ "The Legendary Bird, Ho-Oh, is on the Tower's roof." - Pokémon Gold and Silver: Official Nintendo Player's Guide, page 40; Pokémon Crystal: Official Nintendo Player's Guide, page 45
Related articles
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This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms. |