How to catch Ho-Oh in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk

The Pokémon Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk DLC brought back 25 Legendary Pokémon from past generations, including Gen II’s rainbow bird, Ho-Oh. The Fire/Flying Legendary first flapped its wings back in the Johto region—and now it’s back in Gen IX’s Paldea if you have the DLC.

But before you head out to search for Ho-Oh and the other Legendaries, some prerequisites need to be taken care of first. We’ll walk you through what exactly needs to be done to make Ho-Oh appear in the game so you can catch it.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk: Ho-Oh location and unlock requirements

Ho-Oh will only spawn in The Indigo Disk after you have your hands on the Ho-Oh Treat. This snack is one of the rewards for completing Blueberry Quests (BBQs). Claim the reward by speaking to Snacksworth, a character who appears at the entrance to Blueberry Academy after playing through the whole story. He hands out different treats for different Legendaries, so if he doesn’t immediately give you the Ho-Oh Treat, keep speaking with him and completing more BBQs until you finally get the right snack.

Eventually, you’ll end up with the Ho-Oh Treat, and when you do, the Rainbow Pokémon will spawn in the Paldea region. More specifically, Ho-Oh can be encountered in the southwest part of the map near Alfornada. If you start at Alfornada, head east, working your way through South Province (Area Six) until you reach South Province (Area Four). Ho-Oh is waiting for you on a grassy plateau looking over the South Paldean Sea.

Keep in mind this is a one-time static encounter, meaning you’ll only be able to catch one Ho-Oh in the game. This one will be level 70 and Shiny-locked, so don’t be tempted to hunt for a Shiny rainbow bird, no matter how cool that sounds.