There are those even today who claim that Ho-oh perished in the flames which burnt down the Brass Tower, that even a fire-type could not survive that inferno, and that any claims to the contrary are the work of a priesthood trying to regain its relevance after Ecruteak turned its back on its god. There are a few who claim that Ho-oh never left, that it made a nest on the neighboring Tin Tower and watches silently and protectively over Ecruteak to this day. And there is the story which every child knows, which the priests teach to this day:
Ho-oh, its tower burned while war raged around it, rose from the ashes only to turn its back on the world. It will return only when humans and pokemon have truly learned to live together in harmony. Before it flew away, it left behind two holy items. One, a Sacred Fire it lit in the center of the ruins, maintained by the priesthood, which has burnt for centuries without consuming a thing. The other, the pile of Sacred Ash it rose from, which is said to be infused with the power to raise pokemon from the dead. Many pilgrims visit the ash every year in the hopes of not having to lay their dear pokemon to rest, though few are rewarded for their journey.
Today, humans and pokemon rarely wage open war, and this age is more peaceful than the time when Ho-oh first came to Ecruteak. However, the time for Ho-oh's return has still not come, for too often pokemon habitat is seized by civilization, and too many trainers treat their pokemon more like servants than friends. Yet sometimes, when people are truly kind to pokemon, a rainbow appears without rain; it is said to be Ho-oh's approving wing.