Is Ho-Oh with Sacred Fire good in Pokemon GO PvP and PvE?

Ho-Oh with Sacred Fire has been available in Pokemon GO since 2022's Johto Tour. It returns to the game on special occasions, and the Ho-Oh Shadow Raid Day on January 19, 2025, is one such event. It increases the Charged Attack's availability, allowing both new and returning players to get their hands on the powerful Legendary Pokemon with its signature move.

This article breaks down the PvP and PvE viability of Ho-Oh with Sacred Fire in Pokemon GO.

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Is Ho-Oh with Sacred Fire good in Pokemon GO PvP?

Ho-Oh in the anime (Image via TPC)

Irrespective of the variant of Ho-Oh you use — Shadow or regular — you'd want Sacred Fire on its moveset. Across all eligible formats, Sacred Fire is a necessary move for the Fire-type Legendary to be successful.

In trainer battles, Sacred Fire is a Fire-type Charged Attack that deals 130 (156 with STAB) damage for 65 energy. It also has a 50% chance of lowering the target's Attack stat by one stage.

With Ho-Oh's incredible Attack stat, Sacred Fire deals heavy damage. Since Ho-Oh only has high-energy moves (Brave Bird costs slightly less energy but debuffs the user), Sacred Fire is a must-have.

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Is Ho-Oh with Sacred Fire good in Pokemon GO PvE?

Sacred Fire is Ho-Oh's best Fire-type Charged Move, and if you're using it in raids, this is the attack you want — especially in cases where little differences in DPS matter a lot.

In PvE battles, Sacred Fire is a 120-damage Charged Move that costs 100 energy. Its appeal lies over Fire Blast, which has a higher damage-to-energy ratio in the fact that the former has a lower cooldown and, therefore, a higher DPS value.

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How to get Ho-Oh with Sacred Fire in Pokemon GO

Ho-Oh Shadow Raid Day (Image via TPC)

To get a Ho-Oh that knows Sacred Fire, you must capture it during special events. Other occasions, like the Shadow Raid Day on January 19, 2025, make the move accessible using regular Charged TMs. This means that when you remove Frustration from Shadow Ho-Oh, you can get Sacred Fire.

However, if you purify Shadow Ho-Oh after removing Frustration, Return will override the regular move. You'll have to use another Charged TM to get Sacred Fire — or any other move.

Outside of special events, you'll need to use an Elite Charged TM to get Ho-Oh with Sacred Fire.

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Check out our other Pokemon GO guides:

• Ditto disguises
• Buddy Evolution Adventure Together guide
• Best Fast Attacks in Pokemon GO
• Sierra counters
• Cliff counters
• Arlo counters
• Giovanni counters
• Team GO Rocket Grunts
• Pokemon GO Evolution Calculator