Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness Mechanics GuideIntroductionPokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness were the first 3-D RPG Pokémon games created for the Nintendo GameCube. Colosseum is the first in the series, while XD serves as its direct sequel. What separates the GameCube entries from the mainline handheld entries is the frequent use of double battles, the land of Orre having little to no wild Pokémon, and the existence of Shadow Pokémon, a unique type of Pokémon obtainable only in these games. Shadow Pokémon are different from standard Pokémon due to their hearts artificially being closed, which makes them battle machines. The player can snag these Shadow Pokémon away from the trainers with the use of the Snag Machine and proceed to go through the process of purification to open the Pokémon's heart. Pokémon Colosseum's main purpose, besides being a way to battle in 3-D, was to give access to Pokémon missing from Ruby and Sapphire, mainly the Johto starters and the legendary beasts. This lead to Colosseum having a very limited pool of Pokémon to use for its main adventure. The sequel, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, has more liberty in its Pokémon selection, as when it came out, Fire Red, Leaf Green, and Emerald were already released. XD made many improvements over Colosseum with nearly every aspect, as the Shadow Pokémon mechanics are much more fleshed out, wild Pokémon were added, and the animations and graphics were improved, to name a few. Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness can be rather confusing to players, as they explain their new mechanics through character dialogue post-battle or memos and not through a tutorial like most other Pokémon games. This guide will attempt to explain these mechanics in a streamlined manner. Table of ContentsDouble BattlesBrief IntroductionDouble Battles are a battle format introduced in Generation 3. Although doubles is the main format in Pokémon VGC, they are seldom used in the traditional games' story mode. In fact, Pokémon Colosseum and XD are the first (and only) games where doubles take center stage. The doubles format is interesting, as each attack must be directed at a target. This also includes your own ally. While the singles format tends to favor fast sweepers, bulkier Pokémon and Pokémon with status-based movepools have heightened importance in the Doubles format. Moves that were once niche options like Fake Out and Protect now become optimal choices. Abilities that were (borderline) useless like Lightning Rod now serve a purpose. You might be surprised to see a Pokémon you otherwise wouldn't consider become a major threat in doubles, and vice versa. MechanicsDouble battles have a few different mechanics than single battles. Sometimes choosing an ally to target might be a good idea, such as to easily activate an ability like Water Absorb or Flash Fire. There are also a few moves like Helping Hand that can now be utilized. Unlike the handheld games, where you can avoid certain double battles if you only have one active/healthy Pokémon available, battles will still commence in the doubles format if you have only one Pokémon available in either Colosseum or XD. Unique to Gen 3, if a Pokémon faints, the next one is immediately sent out before the next Pokémon in the turn order moves. In double battles in Gen 4 and beyond, however, the Pokémon is sent out at the end of the turn. With how Gen 3 treats double battles, this means you can potentially KO all of the opposing Pokémon in a single turn. This even plays a role in XD's Battle CD 11. Item usage in Colosseum and XD is slightly different. Recovery items can be used for any Pokémon in the party. Using these items, however, uses up that specific Pokémon's turn. Items like X-Items or the Yellow Flute must be used on that specific Pokémon. There is a glitch with the X-Items that allows it to be used on the other Pokémon (further explained in the Glitches section). Unlike with Gen 5, where using a Poké Ball in a double battle required the use of both Pokémon's turn and for one opposing Pokémon to have fainted, no Pokémon needs to have fainted in the GameCube entries. Spread MovesCertain moves in doubles have the ability to affect both opposing Pokémon, affect the opposing Pokémon and ally, or affect all Pokémon on the field. Moves such as Surf, Razor Leaf, and Icy Wind affect both foes but have their power cut in half to compensate. Moves such as Earthquake and Explosion hit all Pokémon on the field. In Gen 3, these moves did not have their power cut due to the fact that they can affect your ally as well, but in later entries, these moves were cut down to 75% of their Base Power when targeting multiple Pokémon. Moves that affect both opposing Pokémon or every Pokémon on the field such as Shadow Wave and Storm, and Shadow Half and Sky, respectively, are exclusive to XD. Shadow PokémonShadow PokémonShadow Pokémon are Colosseum's and XD's main gimmick. As explained above, Shadow Pokémon are Pokémon whose hearts have been artificially closed. What separates them from normal Pokémon is that Shadow Pokémon only belong to trainers, they have an exclusive Shadow type, move or moves, they cannot level up or be taught new moves until purified, they cannot access certain areas (Phenac Colosseum in Colosseum, Orre Colosseum and the Day Care in XD, and the multiplayer modes in both Colosseum and XD), they have access to an exclusive condition called Hyper Mode (Colosseum only) and Reverse Mode (XD only), they cannot use items while in Hyper or Reverse Mode (with the exception of Scents), and their experience bar is replaced by a Heart Gauge. There are a total of 48 Shadow Pokémon in Colosseum and 83 in XD. In Colosseum and XD the mechanics of capturing Shadow Pokémon are slightly different. When a Shadow Pokémon is caught in Colosseum, it is immediately sent to the PC or your party if an open slot is available, while in XD the Pokémon is only sent to the PC or party when the battle is won. Shadow Type and Shadow MovesShadow type is a type exclusive to Colosseum and XD but has various differences. Shadow type is not a type that Pokémon can have, but it has certain attributes. All Shadow-type moves have infinite PP in both Colosseum and XD. Shadow type in Colosseum acts as a neutral attacking type. It can hit all Pokémon in the game for neutral damage. The only Shadow move in Colosseum is Shadow Rush. Shadow Rush is a 90-Base Power physical move and the user suffers 1/16 of its maximum health as recoil damage. This also applies to NPCs using Shadow Pokémon, and thus these Pokémon have the potential to faint. In XD, Shadow moves gain an extensive overhaul. There are now various Shadow-type moves that deal status effects, and certain Shadow moves will hit based on either Attack or Special Attack. XD actually makes the first instance of a physical/special split in the Pokémon games, and this is only apparent with Shadow moves. All other moves are physical or special based on their typing, as the standard games. What makes Shadow-types unique is that Shadow moves deal super-effective damage to all standard Pokémon while being not very effective against Shadow Pokémon. There are a total of 18 Shadow moves in XD. Keep in mind that no Pokémon gain STAB with Shadow moves, as the Shadow-type is only available through moves, similar to Curse's pre-Gen 5 typing. Shadow BoostCourtesy of Zari for the research of said mechanic Exclusive to XD, you'll notice that every Shadow Pokémon has a particular "+" next to their level. This means that (nearly) every Shadow Pokémon in the game is actually fought at a higher level than what they are encountered at. You may have noticed a + next to the level of the Shadow Pokémon you encounter. The meaning behind this sign refers to a small boost in all of its stats, dubbed the Shadow Boost. Almost every Shadow Pokémon has one of these Shadow Boosts, but they lose it upon capture. The Legendary Kanto Birds are not affected by this mechanic. Basically, this means that every Shadow Pokémon has a hidden boost to their stats, with early-game Pokémon having a smaller boost and late- game Pokémon typically having a larger boost. Now it starts to make more sense as to why that Shadow Zangoose outsped your Pokémon when it otherwise couldn't have in a normal situation, as well as that Shadow Lunatone tanking a hit that would have otherwise OHKO it. The Shadow Boost factor can play an important role in figuring out speed IVs for the desired Shadow Pokémon. Heart GaugeThe Heart Gauge is a bar that takes the place of the Exp. Points bar for every Shadow Pokémon obtainable. The bar is represented by 5 divisions that all represent specific aspects and ranges. Each filled bar is represented by purple, and each cleared bar is represented by white. As the Heart Gauge depletes, the Shadow Pokémon regains certain aspects, until it is fully depleted. Important Note: In Colosseum, Shadow Pokémon do not gain experience or happiness until the first two bars of the Heart Gauge are depleted. It is recommended to deplete those two bars as fast as possible. This does not apply to XD; Shadow Pokémon can gain experience and happiness the moment they are captured.
Each Pokémon has a certain amount of Heart Gauge, which in the programming is represented by a number. The values can be seen here (second tab). The numbers to the left of the "/" are related to Colosseum, while the numbers to the right are for XD. Hyper Mode, Reverse Mode, and the Call FeatureIn Colosseum, when using Pokémon in battle, they can sometimes undergo this special condition called Hyper Mode. Hyper Mode can only be accessed by using Shadow Rush. Accessing Hyper Mode is random and uses up a turn. In Hyper Mode, Shadow Rush gets a drastically increased critical hit ratio, but if they use other moves, the Pokémon may disobey the trainer and do various actions such as ignore them, use another move, fall asleep, use a held item (even if it's not holding one), go back into its ball, or even attack the player and NPC trainer. Pokémon in Hyper Mode cannot use consumable bag items from the trainer. The only three ways to exit Hyper Mode is to either have the Pokémon faint, use the Call function, or use a Scent after battle. Some like to use Hyper Mode to increase the battle viability of a Pokémon due to the increased critical hit chance, while others tend to end Hyper Mode as soon as it appears to go through purification more quickly. In XD, what replaces Hyper Mode is Reverse Mode. Reverse Mode does have differences to Hyper Mode. Unlike Hyper Mode, Reverse Mode does not increase the Shadow moves critical hit rate, but similarly to Hyper Mode, it prevents the use of consumable bag items and can only be exited through the above three methods. Other non-Shadow type moves can be used at a greater frequency in Reverse Mode, but sometimes the Pokémon may disobey the trainer. The biggest difference of Reverse Mode is that it can activate whether or not Shadow-type moves are used; it activates at the end of the respective Shadow Pokémon's battle phase (even if the opposing trainer is defeated), and it deals recoil at the end of the turn, so it is best to exit it as soon as possible. The Call feature in Colosseum and XD replaces the "Run" feature from the mainline games. Its main use is to call Pokémon out of Hyper/Reverse mode and lower the gauge. It can also be used to wake up a sleeping Pokémon, acting like the game's Poké Flute. In Colosseum, if Call is used on a non-Hyper Mode or sleeping Pokémon, it will do nothing, effectively wasting a turn. This can actually come in handy in some situations where you don't want to waste PP when capturing a Shadow Pokémon. In XD, it has greater use. When used on a non-Reverse Mode or sleeping Pokémon, it will instead raise the Pokémon's accuracy by one stage. Opening the HeartColosseum and XD have various methods of opening the Pokémon's heart. What most people do not realize at first is that natures all affect how much or how little a Pokémon's heart opens to the methods. The values and the effects natures have on them can be seen here. The numbers to the left of the "/" are related to Colosseum, while the numbers to the right are for XD.
Purification ProcessOnce all the bars of the Heart Gauge are depleted, the Pokémon can now be completely purified. In Colosseum, the only method of the purification process is to go to the Relic Stone in Agate Village. One can only access Agate Village once the Pyrite Town portion of the story is completed. This happens pretty far into the game, almost a good 1/4th of the main story. In XD, Agate Village is far earlier into the story. In XD, the Purification Chamber can also be used to purify Pokémon. Also, in XD, when Pokémon are purified, all Shadow Pokémon have access to one TM move, sometimes one egg move, and one special move they otherwise could not learn. Some examples of these special moves are Refresh, Heal Bell, and Helping Hand. Purify ChamberThe Purify Chamber is an area exclusive to XD. The Purify Chamber acts as a facility, in a way replacing the Day Care's function to purify Shadow Pokémon in Colosseum, where Pokémon can be purified faster and more easily. There are 9 chambers that all start out empty. Four standard Pokémon in total can be placed on the outer circle of the chamber, and a Shadow Pokémon can be placed in the middle. Depending on the Pokémon put in the chamber, the tempo and flow will increase. If all the Pokémon in the circle do super-effective damage in a clockwise motion, the tempo and flow will be maxed. If every Pokémon in the chamber has no repeating types, the flow will gain a mark depending on how many chambers meet this requirement. For example, if the Shadow Pokémon is an Ice-type and then it points to the Grass-type, in a clockwise method which goes Grass > Water > Rock > Fire and then back to Grass, the chamber will have max tempo, flow, and a mark in the flow gauge. If the chamber has a type matchup in the method of Poison/Flying > Fighting/Grass > Steel > Ice/Water and back to Poison/Flying, but the Shadow Pokémon is Bug/Flying, because there are two Flying-types in the chamber, it will still reach max tempo and flow but will not have the extra mark. The Purify Chamber decreases the Heart Gauge based on walking and battling with a combination of natures: Walking seems to have the lowest multiplier, while partaking in battles has the highest multiplier. When a Pokémon is ready to be purified, a notification will pop up on the screen. The Purify Chamber can be accessed from the PC to arrange and rearrange Pokémon, but Pokémon can only be purified by physically going to the Pokémon HQ. The Purify Chamber is a very important aspect, as having all 9 chambers have max tempo and flow is the only way to purify Shadow Lugia, which cannot be purified by no other normal means. ItemsScentsScents are an exclusive item to the GameCube games and come in three varieties: Joy, Excite, and Vivid Scent. Joy, Excite, and Vivid Scents are 1x, 2x, and 3x multipliers of increasing friendship, respectively. They each go for 600, 800, and 1200 Poké Dollars. The items also lower the Heart Gauge of Shadow Pokémon. They can only be bought in Agate Village and can only be held in a Cologne Case. Time FluteThe Time Flute is an item exclusive to Colosseum. This item, when used at the Relic Stone, can summon Celebi, which instantly purifies any Shadow Pokémon, no matter how much of the Heart Gauge is filled. The Time Flute is a limited item, with only three being obtainable in the entire game. One is given to you after the Mt. Battle story portion is completed, and the other two are optional finds: one being in The Under via the use of the U-Disk and one being found at the summit of Mt. Battle, right before the 100th battle. It's best to use these limited items on Pokémon that take a while to purify, such as the Beasts or pseudo legendary Pokémon. Poké SnacksPoké Snacks are an item exclusive to XD that allow you to attract wild Pokémon to specific landmarks in the Orre region. These snacks can be bought at any Poké Mart for 300 Poké Dollars once the Poké Spot storyline is completed and one talks to Duking. Snag Machine and Snag BallsIn these games, the main character utilizes a handheld Snag Machine to steal Pokémon from trainers. In Colosseum, you have a partner named Rui who has a special power that can detect these Shadow Pokémon, while in XD, you simply use a scouter called the Aura Reader. Outside of narrative purposes, the Snag Balls do not act any differently than regular Poké Balls and can only be used on Shadow Pokémon. Only one Poké Ball can be thrown per turn. Areas of InterestStadiums and ColosseumsLike the name suggests, both Colosseum and XD contain colosseums. Each stadium/colosseum contains 4 rounds with 4 battles fought in a row with a cash prize (can be influenced by Amulet Coin) given out if the player successfully completes them, as well as a TM for the first time each round is completed Phenac StadiumIn Colosseum, the levels range from 40-42, containing weak or first stage Pokémon. The TMs given out in order of round completion are TM18 (Rain Dance), TM11 (Sunny Day), TM19 (Giga Drain), and TM22 (Solarbeam). This stadium, in particular, is special, as it is the only story mode area where Shadow Pokémon are unable to enter. In XD, the Phenac Stadium serves a plot-related role instead. Pyrite ColosseumIn Colosseum (after the mandatory plot-related segment), levels range from 50-55. Most Pokémon are mid-stage or first-stage, but there are a few Pokémon that are fully evolved. The TMs rewarded are TM01 (Focus Punch), TM07 (Hail), TM05 (Roar), and TM31 (Brick Break). In XD, the levels are a flat 20. The TMs rewarded are TM31 (Brick Break), TM12 (Taunt), TM41 (Torment), and TM05 (Roar). Under ColosseumIn Colosseum, levels range from 55-59. Pokémon are a blend of mid-stage Pokémon and no-evolution Pokémon. The final battles of each round contain fully-evolved Pokémon. TMs rewarded are TM37 (Sandstorm), TM36 (Sludge Bomb), TM30 (Shadow Ball), and TM23 (Iron Tail). As The Under is inaccessible in XD, Under Colosseum does not exist. Realgam ColosseumIn Colosseum, it serves as the final area for the main storyline. In XD, even though it is a part of the Realgam Tower, which is unlocked when the Phenac City plotline starts, the Colosseum itself doesn't unlock until the player first reaches Snagem Hideout. The trainers in the colosseum are at flat level 40. TMs rewarded are TM49 (Snatch), TM19 (Giga Drain), TM23 (Iron Tail), and TM22 (Solarbeam)., Deep ColosseumDeep Colosseum is a post-game area in Colosseum. This colosseum, in particular, is special, as it contains five rounds as opposed to the four rounds that all the other colosseums have. The Pokémon's levels range from 60-70. The TMs rewarded are TM 12 (Taunt), TM 48 (Skill Swap), TM 44 (Rest), and TM 02 (Dragon Claw). Round 5 does not reward you with a TM upon completion. In XD, as Deep Colosseum is part of The Under, and said location no longer exists within XD, neither does the colosseum. Mt. BattleMt. Battle is a facility in the Orre region where trainers can battle their way through 10 zones, each containing 10 trainers. Each zone can be repeated as many times as needed, but when a zone is started, the 10 trainers must be beaten. If one leaves the area, they must start the specific zone again from the very beginning. If the 10 trainers in a zone are defeated, one earns Poké Coupons (and a TM in XD on first completion), an exclusive currency to the Orre region that acts very similar to Battle Points and Festival Coins. Pokémon do gain experience and Pokémon are fully healed after every battle. Exclusive to Colosseum's Battle Mode is the Mt. Battle Challenge, where one must take their team from either the story mode or from the game carts, and partake in 100 single or double battles in a row. Battles are done in 3v3 (singles) or 4v4 (doubles), chosen from a pool of 6. These Pokémon do not gain experience. The Pokémon in the Challenge scale to your Pokémon's max level starting at 50. Unlike the story mode Mt. Battle, Pokémon cannot be switched out, nor can you quit out and return at a later time, but the process can be suspended. One can gain continues if they beat a trainer without losing any Pokémon. This method is also the only non-event way to obtain Ho-Oh in a Gen 3 game, but one must capture and purify all 48 shadow Pokémon as well as use a team from the Story Mode save file (this does not stop a person from trading Pokémon over from RSE or FRLG and using said Pokémon for the challenge, but that also requires the use of a GCN-GBA link cable). Poké SpotsPoké Spots are areas exclusive to XD that allow you to capture wild Pokémon. There are 3 Poké Spots in the game: Cave, Oasis, and Rock. The Following Pokémon can be found at each spot. Each Pokémon has a Common, Uncommon, and Rare chance of appearing, with it being 50%, 35%, and 15%, respectively.
The moment the Spot Monitor goes off, the species of Pokémon, its nature, and shininess are determined, but its level and IVs are determined when the battle is started so the latter can be soft-reset for. After a certain point in the game, there is a 10% chance that a Munchlax can be encountered, but it cannot be caught. It eats Poké Snacks at a much higher frequency. If it is seen before it eats the Poké Snacks, its owner will arrive and give you 10 Poké Snacks as well as a random herbal item. Realgam TowerThe Realgam Tower in Colosseum acts like the final dungeon for the main storyline. In XD, however, the Realgam Tower is unlocked once the player first reaches Phenac City. The area outside of the Realgam Colosseum contains two other points of interest: Battle CDsSpecial predetermined battles that test a person's knowledge of the Pokémon battle system. Some battles may require you to complete the battle in a limited amount of turns, while other battles may have something like "Legendary Beasts vs. Legendary Golems" or "All Metronome Battle." The CDs themselves are scattered all throughout the Orre region, and there are 50 in total (some CDs cannot be obtained until after the main storyline is completed). Each CD rewards you with an item when completed. such as a Full Heal or a Rare Candy. Completing all 50 CDs rewards the player with 15,000 Poké Coupons. Battle BingoBattle Bingo is bingo but with a Pokémon twist. The goal is to complete a 4x4 panel while using a Pokémon predetermined on the card. Entering a panel costs one Entry Point (EP) and you start with two EP and two Master Balls. The goal is to defeat or capture the Pokémon in the panel. Some panels contain an extra Master Ball or extra EPs. One EP is earned for every line completed. Each Pokémon only has one move available, and depending on the card, not every Pokémon will have a move corresponding to their typing. There are five difficulty settings: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert, Extra, and Special. Every card, when completed, will give you a select amount of Poké Coupons as well as an item such as an Ether for the first time completed. Extra coupons are also given depending on how much EP or Master Balls you have left. When all ten cards from Beginner to Extra are completed, one unlocks 1-Panel mode where after the first panel is chosen, the next panel must be an adjacent one. If you cannot choose a panel, the game automatically ends. The Special panel can only be unlocked by obtaining the Bonsly Card, which is given to you when you rescue Bonsly. This marks the first time a Gen 4 Pokémon can be used in battle. Orre ColosseumOrre Colosseum in Colosseum is exclusive to the Battle Mode. It hosts level 50 or level 100 trainers in both Singles and Doubles format. There are 8 trainers in each format and they must all be beaten in a row. In XD, due to the lack of a Battle Mode, Orre Colosseum receives a significant overhaul. It can only be accessed in the post-game. The battles are in a 4v4 doubles format, with 7 rounds each consisting of 4 trainers. The levels start at 60 and scale with your Pokémon's max level. The facility is comparable to other post-game facilities found in the mainline games such as the Battle Frontier and the Pokémon World Tournament, and it requires extensive knowledge of Pokémon and/or EV training to successively be accomplished. It is very much possible (although very difficult) to beat the in-game portion with the Pokémon obtained in the game. (Useful) Bugs, Glitches and MiscellaneousColosseum and XD, like most games, have glitches contained in them. Some of these glitches are actually beneficial to the player. Master Ball GlitchThe Master Ball Glitch is the most known of Colosseum's glitches, as it allows the usage of Poké Balls without actually depleting the count. To utilize the glitch, one must use their first Pokémon, choose a Poké Ball from the bag and target a Shadow Pokémon. The second Pokémon must go into the bag and switch the placement of the ball using the X or Y button. For some reason, since the ball is not in the original place, it doesn't subtract from the count. Any ball can be used for the glitch, but it has the best usage with the Master Ball because of its 100% capture properties. This glitch makes snagging late-game or missed Pokémon very easy. Warning: If your second Pokémon utilizes a two-turn move like Solar Beam, Hyper Beam, or Razor Wind, and you attempt to use the glitch on the turn the move is charging, it will consume the ball because the second turn is "skipped." Agate Cliff BugIn both Colosseum and XD, if your character model walks into certain spots, it will cause the screen to shake. This actually counts as movement, unlike simply walking into a wall. The most well-known spot in both games is the left ledge near the entrance of Agate Village. If one combines this with the exploit of unplugging your Gamecube controller and replugging it with the control stick in the upward position, your character will automatically walk downward. Since the ledge is in a 6 o'clock position, the walking bug will commence without you even playing the game. This is especially useful for purifying Shadow Pokémon with a large Heart Gauge such as the legendary Pokémon and pseudo-legendary Pokémon in each game. In Colosseum, the corner of the wall in front of the stairs in Gonzap's office is also a spot that can be used for this bug. In XD, there is also a spot in Area 3 of Citadark Isle (the whirlpool area) between the bottom wall and the southeast room where you can trigger the shaking screen movement by walking into that corner. In XD, it's advisable to do this without any Pokémon in the Purify Chamber, snacks at the Poké Spots, or an active Miror B. Radar as their respective prompts will pop up a message that stops all movement. X-Item GlitchOne of the most recent glitches discovered was the ability to use two X-Items on a Pokémon. If you attempt to use an item on a Pokémon that would have no effect on it (full heal on a healthy Pokémon, potions on a max health Pokémon) and then immediately use an X-Item, the game will use the item on the Pokémon last selected. This means that if you have Pokémon 1 and Pokémon 2, use a full heal on a healthy Pokémon 2 with Pokémon 1's turn, then use X-Attack, it will apply the boost on Pokémon 2. Then you can use another X-Attack on Pokémon 2 during Pokémon 2's turn. It has its greatest use in speedruns but can be utilized just as well in casual playthroughs. Shiny PokémonShiny Pokémon in Colosseum/XD interact rather weirdly. In Colosseum, Shadow Pokémon can be shiny upon encounter but may become regular upon capture. Conversely, they may be regular upon encounter but become shiny upon purification. The reason for this is because when encountered, the Shadow Pokémon are generated using their opponent's ID number rather than the player's. Because the IDs get overwritten with yours upon capture, while the PID remains static, a Pokémon that was shiny in battle may become regular upon capture. It also works the other way around - if the PID is shiny with your IDs but not your opponent's, it will appear normal in battle and then become shiny when you capture it. There is a very very slim chance that it will be shiny in both cases, but that requires the PID being shiny with both your IDs and your opponent's. In addition to this, the starter Umbreon and Espeon cannot be shiny under any circumstances, and neither can the MATTLE Ho-Oh nor the DUKING Plusle. On a bit of a tangent, the Jirachi from the Colosseum Bonus Disc can actually be shiny despite them coding in an anti-shiny mechanism - it is limited to very few natures/IV spreads. In XD, they implemented a shiny-lock feature whereby, if the Shadow Pokémon's generated PID is shiny with the player's IDs, it's rerolled until it is not shiny. This means that Shadow Pokémon in XD can never be shiny. However, there are more Pokémon in XD than just Shadow Pokémon; there are also Poké Spot Pokémon, the DUKING trade Pokémon, the Mt. Battle Johto starters, and the starter Eevee, all of which can be shiny. In-Game Trades and Gift PokémonJust like in the mainline titles, Colosseum and XD have a few gift Pokémon and in-game traded Pokémon that will gain boosted experience thanks to having a different trainer ID. All of these Pokémon come with a random nature, so it is possible to soft reset for your preferred nature. The Pokémon are as follow: Plusle (Colosseum)Plusle is gifted to you by Duking after defeating Miror B. the first time. Ho-Oh (Colosseum)Ho-Oh is a special case of a gifted Pokémon and has a few prerequisites before being obtained.
If you get through this monumental task, your Colosseum save file will be gifted a Level 70 Ho-Oh. It might seem like simple bragging rights or Pokédex completion for your GBA games, but it can be used for the colosseums in the Battle Mode section. Celebi (Colosseum; Japan Only)If you have access to the Japanese Bonus Disc as well as a Japanese version of Colosseum, your save file can receive a level 10 Celebi. The only requirement for this is to have all 48 Shadow Pokémon purified. Shuckle, Meditite, and Larvitar (XD)These Pokémon can be traded to Duking for Surskit, Trapinch, and Wooper, respectively, after completing the ONBS plotline. Togepi and Elekid (XD)Togepi is technically a gift Pokémon because it is the only Shadow Pokémon across both games that is simply gifted to you by Hordel but shares your Trainer ID. It is meant to be traded back to Hordel in exchange for an Elekid. This Elekid comes with the three elemental punches as well as Cross Chop at level 20. Cyndaquil, Totodile, and Chikorita (XD)The three Johto starters are obtainable in XD. Like Ho-Oh, they require certain prerequisites:
This can be achieved before completion of the main story, but in almost all situations it will be a post-game challenge, as Mt. Battle ends with Pokémon in the high 60's and low 70's and tends to make large level jumps every two areas (Areas 1-2 would be levels 9-14, Areas 3-4 would be 28-31, Areas 5-6 would be 42-45, Areas 7-8 would be 57-64, and Areas 9-10 would be 64-70). Each Johto starter starts out at level 5, comes with one egg move, as well as their respective elemental STAB move. In addition, Chikorita comes with Frenzy Plant, Cyndaquil comes with Blast Burn, and Totodile comes with Hydro Cannon. Regional Differences (Japanese Exclusives)E-ReaderIn the Japanese version of Colosseum, there is a room to the left of the lobby in Phenac Stadium. In this room, the player can scan e-Reader cards, which unlock challenges, allowing a shadow Togepi, Mareep, and Scizor to be obtained. This room is not accessible in the NTSC-U or PAL versions of the game, though. Japanese Bonus DiscExclusive to the Colosseum Japanese Bonus Disc is a Celebi that you can obtain. However, to obtain Celebi, you must obtain and purify all 48 Shadow Pokémon in Colosseum—a similar task to obtaining Ho-Oh. This only works for JPN region Colosseum games. After obtaining Colosseum, you can transfer up to 48 other Celebi to any GBA Pokémon game, with the only requirements being that the Elite Four/National Dex is obtained and the file is saved in a Pokémon Center. |