>>35833424No, they didn't have those types before they were revived. Ho-Oh's reincarnation is what gave them those elements, because they represented the lightning that struck the tower, the fire that burned and the rains that doused the fire.
So having the same types as the Eeveelutions is actually proof that this is false, not that it's true.
In fairness, the possibility that they were all Eevee isn't technically discounted by this, so you could argue that. I've personally never really been a fan of the idea, though.
In the end, it's all headcanon anyway, so think what you want. I personally don't believe they were meant to be any specific existing Pokémon.
To me, it's kind of like the Swords of Justice (and especially Keldeo) - they weren't anything special before their stories took place, but they're still unique species with no reason to believe they were ever common Pokémon of another kind.
In addition, Raikou, Entei and Suicune, before they died, were said to be "three nameless Pokémon" according to a man in Ecruteak - I personally would interpret that as still being unique Pokémon that weren't known species, but just non-elemental versions, later named for their elements after their revival.
There is room for other interpretations, of course, but this is the one that sits the best with me.
