Ho-oh is a powerful anti-metagame Pokemon. He hits common Pokemon like Metagross, Groudon, and Ludicolo hard, while being quite bulky. However, if the weather is not in Ho-oh's favor, he can be easily knocked out by a fast Kyogre.

Base Stats:

HP: 106
Att: 130
Def: 90
Sp Att: 110
Sp Def: 154
Spd: 90

Moveset Explaination

Sacred Fire, Ho-oh's signature move, is also his most useful move. It's 50% burn rate is especially helpful against Pokemon like Metagross and Groudon, and makes Tyranitar think twice about switching in. However, Kyogre's rain weakens Sacred Fire, and Palkia 4x resists it so keep that in mind before firing off Sacred Fire whenever you get the chance. Giving a free switch in to those two could cost you the game. Brave Bird is a new move Ho-oh got from HG/SS, and is the perfect move for him. Brave Bird hits a lot of his common switchins hard, such as Palkia, Giratina, and Kyogre. The recoil can add up, especially against pokemon with a lot of HP like Giratina, so use Brave Bird sparingly. Protect and Substitute help guard against Explosion and status, and ease prediction when facing Kyogre or predicting a switch. Earthquake takes care of Tyranitar who walls Ho-oh otherwise. Although recovery moves are not too good in doubles, Roost can be useful for removing Ho-oh's electric and 4x rock weakness.

Notes

Although Ho-oh has very powerful STAB moves that hit most of the metagame very hard, his weakness to rain teams and Tyranitar limit his ability to dominate a match. However, if your opponent lets you get up a substitute, or does not take Ho-oh into consideration when building their team, it will do significant damage or sweep. Other options include Iron Head instead of Earthquake. Iron Head still hits Tyranitar hard, has a flinch chance, and does not require a levitating partner. A special set is optional, but not recommended. Ubers generally have a better Special Defense stat(And Light Screen is more popular than Reflect) so it is better to take advantage of Ho-oh's high Attack stat. Also, there are no special based moves that are even close to as powerful as Sacred Fire and Brave Bird. Ho-oh can also use support moves such as Will-o-wisp, Thunder Wave, Light Screen, and Reflect since he has decent bulk, but his high attack stat and base power STAB moves are what make Ho-oh dangerous. Also, Sacred Fire has a 50% burn rate and deals significant damage, which outclasses the 75% accurate Will-o-wisp. Ho-oh can also thrive on a Trick Room team. Since his biggest weakness is being outsped, using a Brave nature and 0 speed IV's under Trick Room will make it much easier for him to sweep. Make sure to adjust the EV spread by removing the speed EVs and placing them in HP and/or a defensive stat.