Is Ho-oh a Stalker?*SPOILERS*

[Mikey]

Well, as everyone knows Ho-oh was seen by Ash the day he started his journey. Well in an upcoming episode "The Parting With Pikachu", Ash once again sees Ho-oh, this time a lot clearer. Now, Ash could just be lucky and spot the Pokemon as it flies by, but I think there is something here we don't suspect. Ho-oh is possibly watching over Ash and sees him as the connection between humans and Pokemon that it so dilegently searches for. What do you think. Is Ho-oh secretly watching Ash or is he just lucky?

EDIT- Don't ask why I put spoilers in the title. Used to serebii boards...

[DannyBoy]

I never thought about that but that sounds freaky. Ho-oh has should up more times than any legenday besides Suicune I think. Well Lugia has been in a lot to. But yea. I think Ash might meet it in the last eppie. I think that would be a cool thing to see.

[Rei_Zero]

I think Ho-oh watching Ash represents Ho-oh watching the bond between human and pokemon, and Ash seems to have the strongest bond between his pokemon. Perhaps Ho-oh is looking at Ash because Ash is the greatest representative that humans and pokemon are regaining each other's trust and friendship. I wouldn't be suprised in a special or movie some bad people violate Ho-oh's trust to show that not all humans are trustworthy and then Ash finds out and saves Ho-oh.

[Laz-E-Boy]

Hopefully, Ho-oh doesn't become another "GS ball"...:mad:

[Rei_Zero]

It won't. You know why?
It lead Ash to Hoenn. It let Ash see it in the beginning. The mere fact that Ash is the only person to see it in 500 years show's you the severity the writers are taking with the Ash Ho-oh connection.

[AKA Pokemon Fan]

Actually it was three hundred years ago. From Clair we learn that 500 years ago the people in Johto were enemies with Pokemon.


Well, as everyone knows Ho-oh was seen by Ash the day he started his journey. Well in an upcoming episode "The Parting With Pikachu", Ash once again sees Ho-oh, this time a lot clearer. Now, Ash could just be lucky and spot the Pokemon as it flies by, but I think there is something here we don't suspect. Ho-oh is possibly watching over Ash and sees him as the connection between humans and Pokemon that it so dilegently searches for. What do you think. Is Ho-oh secretly watching Ash or is he just lucky?
It is definately no coincidence. Just look at the evidence.

Ash sees Ho-oh on the first day of his journey of all days, and right after he has overcome the first great challenges of his journey (surviving the Spearow and gaining Pikachu's trust).

Professor Oak refuses to believe Ash saw Ho-oh (though the engraving is of a Articuno it may have been an artist's mistake) reasoning that trainers search their entire lives and never see it.

In the Orange Islands, Prima?Lorelai of the Elite Four when explaining to Ash the qualities of a truly great trainer says that one can attain a bond with them that allows them to "share their heart with their Pokemon."

From Morty we learn that Ho-oh is an ancient, elite Legendary Pokemon of godlike status that even in ancient times rarely showed itself to anyone, only special priests once a year. It came as a display a trust between humans and Pokemon.

Some time later, Ho-oh's sanctuary is attacked by an army of ruthless men who seek its power. Betrayed, its tower destroyed, Ho-oh flees the world of humanity. Before doing so however, it ressurrects three Pokemon from the flames of the burned tower and sends them out into the world to watch over Pokemon and man. Ho-oh watches from the heavens, awaiting the day when humans and Pokemon prove they can live in peace, as Morty says "when the hearts of Pokemon and humans beat as one," words surprisngly similar to Prima's.

Morty does not at first believe Ash saw Ho-oh, as after that fire centuries ago, NO ONE has seen Ho-oh for over three hundred years. But after seeing the bond between Ash and his Pokemon he eventually becomes convinced.

Eusine refuses to believe Ash met Suicune, let alone saw Ho-oh as Suicune only appears to the msot skilled trainer's, not to mention after a lifetime of searching Eusine has never even caught a glimpse of Suicune.

The instant Ash is about to be struck by the Tangela Suicune intervenes. Then when Ash moves into the clearing Suicune is staring down RIGHT AT HIM, completely ignoring Eusine and the others. Later Ho-oh's power from above the clouds heals the city.

Morty believes there is a mysterious connection between Ho-oh and Ash's journey.

Then, at a huge turning point in Ash's journey it happens again. For the first time facing the prospect of going on a journey without Misty or Brock, alone, Ash rests in a tree wondering of what he should do next, if he should go to Hoenn. Then in the sky above he sees Ho-oh again, this time very clearly, and it's FLYING TOWARD HOENN! Convinced of his path, Ash and Pikachu resolve to compete in the Hoenn league.

Ho-oh has guided Ash and perhaps blessed his journey. Its presence and many other things hint at Ash being an extremely unique trainer. What's more, he may be a key figure that helps bring about the prophecy of Ho-oh, he may be the one whose heart becomes as one with his Pokemon. It all remains to be seen.

[Rei_Zero]

I believe the mistake was on Ash's part when he mentioned Ho-oh. Articuno or Moltres has a strong likelyness to Ho-oh and Ash, having not seen Ho-oh clearly, probably made a mistake.

[Hanada Tattsu]

I think that Ho-oh really is kind of like Ash's guardian. He is 'spying' on him because Ash is possibly the missing link between people and Pokemon, he has the strongest ties with his Pokemon.

[Jim Fuse]

i just think it's something the writers came up with to fill another 20 min for the ep- i see no connection whatsoever

[Rei_Zero]

Then why would they make Ho-oh appear so constantly? It was in the beginning. Then showed up in the Ecruteak episodes, and then leading Ash to Hoenn? If you ask me, they've never done anything like this to any other legendary pokemon.

[AKA Pokemon Fan]

Originally posted by Jim Fuse
i just think it's something the writers came up with to fill another 20 min for the ep- i see no connection whatsoever
Until you actually act like you read my post and refute my points I cannot take what you just said seriously.

Honestly what's the point of writing detailed explanation if people don't pay attention to them?

As said, the anime has gone to much further lengths than with any other Legendary Pokemon to show a connection between Ash and Ho-oh. It is one of the few plot elements that has been maintained and mentioned somewhat regularly throughout the series for years on end. From the end of the first movie to the end of Johto it has been a key figure in Ash's mind.

[Hanada Tattsu]

Well, John, IMHO people like Jim Fuse are too lazy to read the detailed posts, so they just read the topic title and post their thoughts on it, sorry if I'm wrong. ;D

[Cytrus]

*yawn* Ash is special enough, why make him more special? Well other than getting more cash? Now what I think, Ho-oH showed itself to Ash in first episode to show him that he will be watched, and not because he has the biggest bond n stuff, but because it needed an average trainer to decide if humans are worth of another chance. If you want to check if your students learned everything, you must be very strange to choose the best learning one, if you want the real result you take the average one. So I think Ash may have been choosen, but surely not because of his bond, the day he was choosen he didn't have much of the bond yet anyway.

[Rei_Zero]

But it has been stated that Ho-oh never appears to anyone unless they are *special*. Besides, Ash isn't that special. In fact, he is just an experienced trainer, in the ranks of Gary, Hazuki, possibly Ritchie, Drake, etc. Lance, Prima, and Bruno are like elites, while the Tournament Champs are the masters.

The only real thing that makes him special is saving or saving the earth from Mewtwo (although nearly no one remembers, cares, or knows), rescue his mom from evil Unowns, Meet Suicune and Celebi in some other time (I think, don't remember) in a secluded place (so no one would remember, care, knows, etc.), save Alto Mare from TR's plot with help from the Latis, save the world from Lugia, (about the only time he was kinda well known but quickly forgotten) and stop a plot of TM. That's a lot of stuff but its not stuff other trainers can't do, except for maybe concerning Mewtwo and Lugia.

[AKA Pokemon Fan]

That's the thing though. Sure Ash is an average person and trainer in many ways, but he also has something else about him that seems to be very "special." The second movie makes this especially clear whether its the dub or the Japanese version, in that Ash and ONLY Ash could make the treasures glow with his touch and he had to be the one to place them in the shrine.

Ash's incredible connection with Pokemon may not have been developed yet but it was still there in his heart and Ho-oh may have seen that on the first day of his journey. Later on we see it in times like when the mother Lugia was going on a rampage and Asha nd Richie were begging her to stop. It did listen to Richie but it was Ash's words that caught her attention. Then in the fourth movie it is Ash that first calms Celebi down before Sammy takes it. Then of course there is the fifth movie, where Latias is from the beginning drawn to Ash even before he knows she exists.

And yes, the anime, as well as the games and even mythology about the Japanese phoenix Ho-oh represents, makes it clear that the creature appears only to extremely special, blessed people with special purposes in life and great destinies. Ash is a regular guy, but then so is Tenchi Masaki, Shinji Ikari, Frodo Baggins and any other number of heroes. They're very special, they just don't act like it.:D

[Hanada Tattsu]

AFAIK in the Japanese version, Ash is not 'the chosen one'. He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. That whole diaglouge is all dub created.

[AKA Pokemon Fan]

Originally posted by Hanada Tattsu
AFAIK in the Japanese version, Ash is not 'the chosen one'. He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. That whole diaglouge is all dub created.
It's there in the original, it's just much more subtle. I've read a novelization of the original Japanese version (unfortunately it went off line years ago) and in it Lugia says Ash is "the closest one to saving this world."

And the fact remains through the animation that in both versions the orbs glow when Ash touches them and that in both versions Slowking specifies that ASH must place the orbs in the shrine.

People tend to be against the Chosen One theme because they think it excludes the efforts of everybody else like Lugia, Misty and Melody, without which Ash would have failed. But the Chosen One only meant that Ash was needed to do something no one else could at that time at least, not that he could do it alone.:yes:

[Cytrus]

Well maybe a young pokemon trainer was needed or something? Excluding Tracy who isn't really a trainer and James who, is the [sarcasm on] evil villian [/sarcasm on] there weren't any trainers... but I don't really see a reason not to make Ash the choosen one here, I would choose him too from the people avaible near. Dunno, the translations really make everything harder, if all people could speak with one language... *starts dreaming*

[Hanada Tattsu]

Yes, but still, in the dub they made oh such a big deal about it, it's like written in bold print, but I like the subtleness that the Japanese version made.