- SHADOW POKEMON

Learn about Shadow Pokemon in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, including their unique mechanics, restrictions, and the purification process.

Cipher has used artificial means to close the hearts of captured Pokemon and turn them into vicious fighting machines dubbed "Shadow Pokemon."

A Shadow Pokemon, when encountered, is generated similarly to a wild Pokemon in Generation III games, with its personality value and individual values generated together and no effort values. Shadow Pokemon don't have a set Nature or a set gender, but once encountered, the personality value, Nature, and IVs are saved to memory for the Shadow Monitor to track their exact status and location. This means that once a Shadow Pokemon is encountered for the first time, its Nature, IVs, and gender will remain the same for the rest of the game.

Restrictions

You can't do any of the following with a Shadow Pokemon until it is purified:

• Level it up.
• Evolve it.
• Use a Rare Candy on it.
• Change the order of its moves.
• Delete its moves.
• Give it a nickname.
• Trade it.
• Enter it in battles at Orre Colosseum.
• Leave it at the Agate Day Care.

Purification

The stages of Purification are as follows:

• 0% Purified - The door to the Pokemon's heart is tightly shut. Its nature is unknown. This is the state at which a Shadow Pokemon is snagged.
• 20% Purified - The door to the Pokemon's heart is opening up. It gains a Regular Move.
• 40% Purified - The door to the Pokemon's heart is opening wider. Its nature is revealed.
• 60% Purified - The door to the Pokemon's heart is nearly open. It gains another Regular Move.
• 80% Purified - The door to the Pokemon's heart is almost fully open. It will go into Reverse Mode more often.
• 100% Purified - The door to the Pokemon's heart is about to open. Undo the final lock through a Purification Ritual at the Relic Stone in Agate Village or at the Purify Chamber in HQ Lab.

The actions that can slowly open the door to a Pokemon's heart are as follows:

• Walking with a Shadow Pokemon.
• Sending a Shadow Pokemon into battle.
• Calling a Shadow Pokemon to its senses from Reverse Mode.
• Using a Cologne Scent on a Shadow Pokemon.
• Leaving a Shadow Pokemon with Regular Pokemon in a Set of the Purify Chamber.

Once a Pokemon is purified, any Shadow Moves are replaced with Regular Moves. It gains any Experience and Effort Values that it has earned in battles prior to the purification, meaning that it may gain one or more levels. The Pokemon receives a special Ribbon for "clearing all difficulties".

Shadow Moves

Shadow Moves are special moves that are used only by Shadow Pokemon. If a Regular Pokemon is hit by a Shadow Move, it will sustain heavy damage. Conversely, if a Shadow Move hits a Shadow Pokemon, it will not be very effective. Also, Shadow Moves don't use any Power Points (PP), so they can be used over and over again without limit.

Interestingly enough, Shadow attacks can be either physical or special. All the Shadow Moves in the game are listed below in alphabetical order.