Takeshi Shudo, it’s creator and the initial director of the Pokémon anime, intended Lugia to be a Mother-like god Pokémon that he felt never got to live up to his initial idea in the Pokémon franchise.
He was an addict, and he created Lugia in the peak of his drug addiction. The second generation of games, the second movie, and anything Pokémon at that time was very stressful on it’s workers. They recognized it as a worldwide phenomenon, but the future seemed unsure. They did not know if they could keep the same level of attention or if it’d be a lasting series in the public’s eyes, or just another fad to be forgotten about months later. They took a huge gamble investing into more content for the series.
Shudo was an alcoholic and he struggled with a pill addiction. He looked to intoxication for his writing ideas, and he saw Lugia as the savior of the franchise in his dark state of mind. To him, Lugia was his god. This Pokémon could tell a meaningful story that would give Pokémon enough depth to intrigue the public and keep it’s popularity. He felt that the Pokémon company was becoming too “safe” and that they will cost them all their honor and integrity as creators. He wanted Pokémon to push for something more than what it was doing, especially the anime. He grew sick of ash and it’s episodic monotony. Though the second gen was a massive success, and saved the series, he himself felt bittersweet, and thought that the series should have ended before it burnt out if it wasn’t going to take a more serious turn. He never truly was happy even to his death, and in his final days spoke a lot about Lugia and the image of it he wanted to portray in his blogs. Some of which have not been translated yet.