>>34891859Yeah, they're counterparts, but they're treated very differently.
Lugia got M02. Ho-Oh took essentially a decade to appear in a film.
Ho-Oh was a sort of 'unseen presence' in the original run of the anime. Lugia appeared in a three-part arc during the Johto stretch. (In fact, there were two Lugia in the story.)
Ho-Oh was a gift Pokémon in Colosseum for clearing Mt Battle. Lugia was a Shadow Pokémon, and in fact an "eXtra Dark" Shadow Pokémon, in the sequel.
Lugia appeared in the first Gold/Silver era card set, Neo Genesis. Ho-Oh didn't appear until the third set, Neo Revelation. As well, years later, there was a 'Team Plasma' (re: Dark/"evil") Lugia in a Black/White era set. There was no counterpart Team Plasma Ho-Oh card.
As far as marketing/soft lore goes, Ho-Oh is essentially one of a kind, and wholly incorruptible. Lugia hasn't been kept so strictly true to form over the years.
