Ash sees Ho-Oh flying over him in the first Pokémon anime episode. The brief sighting occurs after Pikachu defeats a flock of Spearow with a powerful electric attack.
At the time of the episode’s original broadcast, Ho-Oh was a mysterious Pokémon whose information was not included in the Pokédex shown in the series. This made the scene memorable and encouraged viewers to wonder about the creature’s identity.
Ho-Oh later became closely associated with Pokémon Gold and Silver, where it appears as a legendary Pokémon and the mascot of Pokémon Gold. Its early anime appearance therefore preceded its full role in the second-generation games.
Lugia is another legendary Pokémon strongly linked with the anime because it stars in the second Pokémon film. Moltres and Articuno are also flying legendary Pokémon, but neither is the creature seen in the premiere’s closing scene.