Line #136 VideoGame/PokemonXDGaleOfDarkness


1	! Spoilers for ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum'' are unmarked. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned!
2	[[quoteright:257:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pokemonxd_4136.png]]
3	[[caption-width-right:257:Those letters stand for eXtra-Dimension; it wasn't intentionally made to resemble the {{Emoticon}}.]]
4
5	''Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness'' is a SpinOff game in the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' series, developed by Creator/GeniusSonority and released for the Platform/NintendoGameCube in 2005. The game is a sequel to ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum'', released on the same system.
6
7	5 years after the events of ''Colosseum'', Cipher has reemerged with a new mysterious boss and renewed vigor. They bided their time to further perfect their tainting process and managed to create Shadow Lugia, the most powerful Shadow Pokémon of all and allegedly immune to purification. Thankfully, a group of CrazyPrepared scientists feared for this eventuality and also spent the time and money to create numerous countermeasures, such as a new Snag Machine and a more efficient purification process.
8
9	Similar to its predecessor, the gameplay revolves stealing Pokémon from the bad guys in the Double Battle format. Despite the DarkerAndEdgier look presented by the cover, ''XD'' scales things back a few notches by replacing the AntiHero main character with a KidHero named Michael, and cleaning up Orre so that it's not quite as gritty as before. The plot this time revolves around "[=XD001=]": a [[OlympusMons Lugia]] transformed by the reborn Cipher crime syndicate into a Shadow Pokémon supposedly immune to purification.
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11	''XD: Gale of Darkness'' added a few new features, such as "Poké Spots", small areas where you could lure and catch wild Pokémon, and a method for mass purifying Shadow Pokémon. In addition, Shadow Pokémon now have a much greater variety of moves and there are far more to catch than before.
12	----
13	!!Tropes present in ''Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness'':
14	* AbhorrentAdmirer: Cipher Peon Rixor is a fan of the newscaster, Ancha. During Cipher's invasion of ONBS, he can be found trying to get Ancha's autograph.
15	* AerithAndBob: Just like in ''Colosseum'', there's a handful of trainers with normal sounding names like "Michael" or "Lovrina" for trainers...but most of them have absolutely weird names like "Snattle", "Ardos" or "Greevil", to name a few.
16	* AscendedExtra: Miror B. went from relatively minor but memorably quirky StarterVillain to a decent sized part of the plot and gameplay in ''XD''.
17	* AntiFrustrationFeatures:
18	** One for Pokédex completionists: The majority of endgame Shadow Pokémon are of species that, while they can be found in the wild in [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue FireRed and LeafGreen]], have notoriously low (1-5%) chances of appearing (and some have the added annoyance of being found only in the Safari Zone). Additionally, the Hoenn Dex Pokémon unavailable in Emerald (Surskit, Roselia, Meditite, Lunatone and Zangoose) are available here, eliminating the need to trade with Ruby and Sapphire.
19	** In ''Colosseum'', Shadow Pokémon could easily [=KO=] themselves using Shadow Rush, since it deals recoil to the user. Here, while some Shadow moves do hurt the user, they cannot cause the user to faint (Shadow Half and Shadow End reduce the user's HP by half its current value). Tracking down missed Shadow Pokémon is also easier, since they'll go straight to Miror B. for an immediate second chance rather than requiring you to wait until a postgame rematch.
20	** Much like in ''Colosseum'', several Shadow Pokémon have had their [[https://www.dragonflycave.com/update/07-21-20 catch rates adjusted]]. This time though all adjustments were to increase catch rates, including every member of the final boss's team except Shadow Lugia.
21	** The saving feature from ''Colosseum'' is removed where accessing a PC is required and is replaced by traditional saving methods found in the mainline Pokémon games.
22	* ArtEvolution: The graphics have notably improved since ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum''. Human characters now have smoother, higher-quality models with more facial animations.
23	* AwesomeButImpractical: Robo Groudon. Sure, Chobin looks awesome and gets boss battle music in it, but it doesn't make him a better trainer (though he does evolve his Sunkern and get two more Pokémon when you first battle him with it). Every time you defeat Chobin when he's controlling Robo Groudon, it malfunctions and starts smoking from its mouth.
24	* BagOfSpilling: While the player character is separate between the two games, a few returning [=NPCs=] have had their levels fall ''hard''. Miror B. is inexplicably missing his trademark Ludicolo quartet until an optional postgame fight, and is nowhere near the level seen in his endgame appearance in ''Colosseum'' until said fight. The same is true for various other Trainers fought (as ''XD'' starts with Level 10 opponents instead of 25/26). Eagun's Pikachu takes the largest hit, as in ''Colosseum'' it was Lv. 50, but in ''XD'' it's only Lv. 12. Though Eagun states before battling you that it's his first time in five years, so the reduced level is probably supposed to represent Pikachu being out of shape - after beating the final boss, when faced at the Pokémon HQ Lab, Pikachu is back to Lv. 50.
25	* BalanceBuff: Shadow Pokémon have been mechanically overhauled to make them more useful in battle. There are more Shadow moves for them to use with various effects instead of just Shadow Rush, they resist opposing Shadow moves to help with Snagging, and the type is now an InfinityPlusOneElement that's super effective against almost everything.
26	* BookEnds: The game begins with you getting the Snag Machine. If you Snag every Shadow Pokémon and beat the FinalBoss, the game ends with you putting the Snag Machine back on its stand, never to be used again.
27	* BossBonanza: Lovrina rematches you near the beginning of the final area, while the end is a nearly uninterrupted series of boss fights. Once you reach the top, Snattle rematches you. After beating him, you can fight [[spoiler:Ardos]] right away, but you'll likely need to heal after Snattle and the DoorToBefore is rigged with a Cipher Peon encounter. After [[spoiler:Ardos]] is a rematch with Gorigan, followed by a brief interruption in the bosses with a Cipher Peon battle. The boss fights resume with [[spoiler:Eldes]], Shadow Lugia, and finally Greevil.
28	* BossRush: The Orre Colosseum consists of 7 challenges, the final round of each being against a boss from the game (Not just the Cipher Admins, but also ones like Robo Groudon Chobin). They can be re-challenged freely, too, but bear in mind these are those "enemy team is scaled to yours" kinds of fights, so you'll likely need to import heavy-hitters from other games.
29	* BrickJoke: Some with the minor background characters of ''Colosseum'', actually.
30	** First, and plot relevantly, the lady who lived with Es Cade during ''Colosseum'' [[spoiler:is revealed to be a Cipher Peon in ''XD'', which makes sense Es Cade, or rather Evice, was Cipher's boss in ''Colosseum''. In ''XD'', you need to distract and then fight her.]]
31	** Second, and really minor unless you remembered every minor trainer's dialogue involves a cooltrainer in front of the Agate Village Pokémon Center. In ''Colosseum'', it's a male named Dury (Takato in Japanese), who's a battle-able trainer. In ''XD'', the cooltrainer is a female named Cida (Takami in Japanese, for maximum StealthPun) who explicitly mentions she's the younger sister of Dury and has come to the village to study like he did because she's jealous of how strong he became after studying here.
32	** Next is Makan, who did have a minor role in ''Colosseum'' as Perr's grandfather, is essential to defeating Cipher in this game.
33	** Similarly Ancha the star newscaster from ONBS [[spoiler:is the one who had the battle against Wes's imposter filmed at the very end of the game, saving his reputation.]]
34	** Lastly, is the story from an old man in The Under in ''Colosseum'' where he discusses that some guy got VERY RICH from mining in The Under, and left and hoped he did it for good. This is foreshadowing Mr. Verich [[spoiler:or rather Grand Master Greevil of Cipher, who most definitely did NOT use it for good.]]
35	* ButThouMust: When you first meet Miror B., he will ask if you want to join his group. Answering "Yes" will have him explain how you don't ''really'' want to, looping back around to the option prompt.
36	* CeilingCling: Just like in ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum'', Cipher Peons tend to hang from the ceiling just out of sight while waiting to ambush whoever passes by. A grunt in the ONBS raid chills in an elevator and gets the jump on you as you leave; a grunt on Citadark Isle does the same.
37	* CoolVersusAwesome: "Operation Zero", Battle CD number 46 that can be found on the final boss' desk after defeating him once. [[spoiler:It pits an Eevee and all five of its (then-known) evolutions against Mew.]]
38	* ChekhovsGun: After beating Robo Groudon Chobin early in the game, a frustrated Kaminko decides to scrap the Robo Kyogre in production and demands that Makan get rid of it. Makan, seeing the potential in the machine as a high-speed boat, fixes it up and gets it working, and it turns out that it's the only way to get to Cipher's base on Citadark Isle.
39	* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome:
40	** While Miror B. returns in this game and is no longer part of Cipher, and Evice is stated to still be behind bars, what became of the other Cipher Admins from ''Colosseum'' is never mentioned. And while Folly and Trudly still work for Miror B., Reath and Ferma are absent.
41	** Wes and Rui, the leads from ''Colosseum'', only get vague mentions, and there is no indication of what happened to them after the end of their adventure.
42	* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: The Hexagon Brother all wear colored outfits that (mostly) correspond to the type of Pokémon they primarily use. Resix wears red and uses Fire-types, Blusix wears blue and uses Water, Yellosix wears yellow and uses Electric, Purpsix wears purple and uses Poison, and Greesix wears green and ues Grass. The only exception is Browsix; while brown would match Rock- or Ground-types, and he initially has a Shadow Baltoy (a Ground-type), he uses Normal-types.
43	* ContrastingSequelAntagonist: Downplayed, as Shadow Lugia is the only antagonist of the two. ''Colosseum'' featured Ho-Oh during the ending and gave him to the player for completing a certain Battle Mode challenge with a team from the Story Mode after purifying every Shadow Pokémon. Shadow Lugia, on the other hand, is a villain in the main story, during which it is also available to be snagged.
44	* ConvectionSchmonvection: One room in Cipher's lair on Citadark Isle is a lava puzzle that you solve by pushing steel crates to the ground. With the lava blocked, the ground instantly cools enough to walk on, and the crates don't show any signs of getting red-hot either. You are told it's too hot to approach the chest if you try to get it before you drop the chest, and the peon who drops down as you're about to run through the door says he got hot waiting for you, but that's it.
45	* CoolShip: The Robo Kyogre is an {{Olympus Mon\|s}}-shaped HumongousMecha reworked into sea craft. It's the only way to get to Cipher's base.
46	* CrutchCharacter:
47	** Shadow Pokémon have moves super effective against everything but one another, but they can't level up until they're purified.
48	** Poochyena gets Bite and Dig for decent coverage early on, but it will quickly get overshadowed by other Shadow Pokémon you catch.
49	* CueTheSun: In the final cutscene after you defeat the FinalBoss, the clouds dissipate and the sun breaks through, likely symbolizing the end of Shadow Pokémon. It makes sense in-universe too, since Cipher was actually artificially causing the storms surrounding their headquarters. Once the protagonist shuts down their operations, the machine is presumably turned off, calming the weather.
50	* CurbStompBattle:
51	** During your first trip into Gateon port, Michael's little sister bumps into a thug, Zook. They're saved by one of Mr. Verich's bodyguards, whose Lv.44 Alakazam wipes the floor with Zook's Shadow Zangoose. [[spoiler:[[IWasJustPassingThrough This turns out to be less about saving Michael and Jovi than it is about having Zook flaunt his Shadow Zangoose in public.]]]]
52	** When you first reach the Cipher Key Lair, you watch as Zook easily defeats Team Snagem Biden's Oddish in 1 turn with his Shadow Zangoose.
53	* CuttingTheKnot: Rather than challenge you to a battle for your Snag Machine, [[spoiler:Team Snagem instead just knocks you out with Gloom's Sleep Powder and steals it while you're asleep]].
54	* DamageOverTime:
55	** Shadow Pokémon who enter "Reverse Mode" in battle take damage at the end of each turn.
56	** Non-Shadow Pokémon take a little damage at the end of each turn while the "Shadow Sky" weather is active.
57	* DarkerAndEdgier: Ironically enough, from ''Colosseum''. In ''XD'', Cipher is quite obviously playing for keeps: they've got an army of more Shadow Pokémon than ever, led by a Legendary Pokémon so corrupted that it's form has been dramatically altered; they're pulling off dramatic, showy heists in full-view of the public; and they're pushing Shadow Pokémon so hard that Michael has to steal them back from ''innocent people''.
58	* DefeatMeansFriendship:
59	** Lovrina, Snattle and Gorigan all come to respect you once you defeat them in the EndgamePlus colosseum.
60	** [[spoiler:Eldes]] starts to respect you before you fight him, and ultimately [[spoiler:brings down Cipher and performs a HeelFaceTurn]] after his defeat.
61	* DefeatMeansPlayable: Several Battle [=CDs=] are "double-sided" discs, which in practice means that winning Side A unlocks access to Side B. Side B lets you use the team that you were originally fighting against on Side A, though there are occasionally differences for balance (e.g. Latios and Latias have Soul Dew when you're fighting against them on Disc 47, but lose the item when you use them on Disc 48).
62	* DemotedToExtra: Many characters in Colosseum get little or no plot mandated screen time and are only present to [[AvertedTrope avert]] NoEndorHolocaust. The list includes Silva, Beluh, and Dash the Athlete, who all had major, if short, appearances in the previous game, are now at best random [=NPC=]'s (Silva, Beluh) or part of an optional post-game sidequest (Dash).
63	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: You can end up with two Electabuzz in the game. One from evolving Zaprong the Elekid obtained from trading the purified Shadow Togepi, and a Shadow Electabuzz to snag from Ardos. You're better off using an evolved Zaprong than the Shadow Electabuzz, as not only does the traded status grants Zaprong the extra experience points, but it also comes with the [[ElementalPunch three Elemental Punches]], granting much better coverage than Ardos' Electabuzz.
64	* DevelopersForesight: Bonsly, which is playable in the game’s mini game, knows Struggle. This is likely to guard against a game crash if it’s hacked into the player’s team outside of the game (Doing it with Munchlax will crash the game though).
65	* DisappearedDad: Your dad is explicitly said to be dead ("passed away").
66	* DiscOneNuke: Espeon once again, if you choose to evolve your Eevee into one. It's arguably worse due to the lower starting levels, but this Espeon has access to Bite for added coverage. Jolteon may count as a milder example, also being a fair notch above the early game foes statistically.
67	* DubNameChange: Michael is "Ryuto" in Japanese.
68	* EnemyMine: [[spoiler:Gonzap keeps his word by returning Michael's Snag Machine after being defeated, and explains that Team Snagem doesn't need to make things difficult for Michael; since Michael is trying to take down Cipher himself, they're both on the same side. They even end up helping Michael out later on.]]
69	* EternalEngine: The Cipher Lab returns here but is swiftly overshadowed by the Cipher Key Lair, which is the new place where Shadow Pokémon are created.
70	* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: [[spoiler:Greevil]] may be [[spoiler:the leader of Cipher,]] but he still cares for his sons. [[spoiler:His son Eldes even convinces him to disband Cipher.]]
71	* EvenEvilHasStandards:
72	** Subverted. Dr. Krane gives Naps, Lovrina's number two and brother, an earful about the misdeeds he's committing with Cipher. Naps acknowledges that it's evil, but still refuses to quit. Apparently, [[KickTheDog Poochyena soccer]] is the bare minimum to remain employed in his line of work. [[note]]Alternatively, given who his sister is and her [[BadBoss behavior toward her underlings]]... it's possible he's been abused by her too, and is too terrified/broken to try and defy her orders.[[/note]]
73	** Played straight later with [[MookFaceTurn Hordel]] who signed up for Cipher but was horrified when he actually saw the Cipher Key Lair. [[spoiler:And later with Eldes, who put up with a lot out of loyalty toward his father but drew the line at blowing up Citadark Isle to get rid of Michael.]]
74	** When you first meet Miror B. and he asks you to join his gang, he won't accept a "yes" from you because he can tell your heart isn't in it, and he says that you need to think hard before taking on a life of crime.
75	* EyesAlwaysShut: Prof. Krane and Mr Verich's character models never open their eyes. [[spoiler: Eventually subverted with Verich, or rather Greevil as just before the final battle, he opens them to reveal [[RedRightHand his huge, yellow eyes]]]].
76	* FinalBossPreview: [[spoiler:The same Alakazam that saves Jovi from Zook's Zangoose (which coincidentally is also fought later on in the game) is on Ardos's team when you fight him. It's even the same level.]]
77	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
78	** One of the citizens of Gateon Port notes that Mr. Verich has a lot of money as his name suggests. Not to mention his powerful bodyguards.
79	** When Zook is at the factory acting as a gatekeeper, he questions how Gorigan heard of the fact that he was flaunting his Shadow Zangoose in Gateon Port, leading him to get punished. [[spoiler:It's because he showed off that Zangoose right before the Grand Master Greevil's eyes, under the guise of Mr. Verich.]]
80	* FunnyAfro: Miror B. still has his Poké Ball-esque afro. It seems to be even larger than it was in ''Colosseum''.
81	* FuturisticPyramid: The Cipher Key Lair is a giant pyramid-shaped building with a black glass exterior.
82	* GameplayAndStorySegregation: After you snag and purify all 83 Shadow Pokémon, if you go re-battle Greevil, you get a little additional scene in the ending. It has Michael, looking at the no-longer-needed snag machine, which is lying on a table in the lab. However, after the credits roll and the game re-starts, he's still wearing the machine. Hard to explain, since a plot point of the game ensures there is data for Michael without the machine programmed in.
83	* GogglesDoNothing: Gorigan has two pairs of goggles. One he wears as intended, the other he wears on his neck.
84	* GoldenEnding: A minor one after you snag and purify all the Shadow Pokémon. The last cutscene has an addition where Michael's in the lab, looking at the now unneeded snag machine, lying on a table.
85	* GoldfishPoopGang: The Hexagon Brothers are a group of six Cipher Peons with colorful outfits and very little competence. They show up occasionally to slightly inconvenience you.
86	* GoshDangItToHeck: Two scientists who have designed a method for serial abuse of Pokémon use "gosh" and "gadzooks."
87	* GotMeDoingIt: At least one of [[ValleyGirl Lovrina's]] henchmen has ''so'' picked up Lovrina's habit of constantly saying ''so'' all the time.
88	* GreenHillZone: Agate Village returns from the first game and is just as green as ever.
89	* GroundPunch: This is how Earthquake is animated depending on which Pokémon uses the move. The user punches the ground and ripples travel out to break the ground under everyone else.
90	* HailfirePeaks: The desert wreck of the ''SS Libra'' combines ShipLevel with ShiftingSandLand.
91	* IfMyCalculationsAreCorrect: Cipher Peon Snidle always quotes probabilities, which are clearly just pulled out of thin air. The only one that seems accurate is about how likely you are to wreck their plans if not stopped.
92	* InconsistentDub: When ''Colosseum'' was translated, Battlus had his name [[DubNameChange changed]] to Somek, but his name is Battlus in ''XD''.
93	* InfinityPlusOneElement: Shadow moves are not effective against other Shadow Pokémon, but super effective against ''everything else''. This makes Shadow Pokémon both very useful when used by the player and very dangerous in the hands of [=NPCs=].
94	* InformedAbility: Razell and Dazell are hailed as great performers by all the sailors in the Krabby Club and are even good enough to perform on TV. All they do is juggle color-changing pins.
95	* JokeCharacter: One of the Battle Bingo cards only contains Pokémon with a secondary Flying type. One of them is a Gligar... whose only move is Earthquake. [[ElementalRockPaperScissors Earthquake doesn't work on Flying types.]] And if you plan out your moves wrong, you could be ''forced'' to catch it just to have enough EP to continue.
96	* KarmaHoudini: The main villains get off scot-free in the end, even being free for battle in the postgame.
97	* LethalLavaLand: Citadark Isle is a large island with a volcano which is home to Cipher's headquarters.
98	* LevelInReverse: The Cipher Lab returns from ''Colosseum'', now renamed from Shadow Pokémon Lab. It is explored in reverse here, with Ein's lab (the last room in the previous game) now being one of the first parts visited.
99	* LighterAndSofter: While Orre still has some dark patches, it's far less bleak than in ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum''. The region isn't as much of a wasteland with grass and trees growing and water spreading, there seems to be more Pokémon League presence in the region, while one WretchedHive is shut down and the other has a now clean white building in it whose inhabitants are dedicated to being helpful. The game makes it pretty clear that Wes shook up the region's status quo pretty good.
100	* LocomotiveLevel: The Outskirt Stand returns complete with its diner inside an old locomotive engine. However, it does not play quite as big a role as in the first game.
101	* LuckBasedMission: To win Battle [=CD=] 8, you are required to get {{Critical Hit}}s to overpower the opponent's Cradily and its Defense boosts. The Zangoose you're given knows Focus Energy and is holding a Scope Lens to help increase your chances to land the crits, but you still have to rely on getting multiple random procs to overpower the enemy.
102	* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:Greevil is this to Evice. Chief Sherles states that Evice was only the boss of the Orre branch of Cipher.]]
103	* MeaningfulName: In Japanese, the hero's default name is Ryuuto, which is very close to ''ryuutou'', which are sacrificial lights placed on an alter to the gods. In English, he's Michael: "[[ArchangelMichael who is like God?]]". His other default English names are Adam and David.
104	* MickeyMousing: Each time he's fought, Miror B. snaps his fingers in time with the first percussion pause of his battle music. There are even stars coming out of his fingers as he does it.
105	* MyopicArchitecture: To prevent Michael from interfering with his plans, [[spoiler:Greevil]] lowers a barrier made from unbreakable glass to separate them. However, said barrier is easy to get around; just exit the room, go down the hall and enter where [[spoiler:Greevil]] is through a side door.
106	* MythologyGag: One trainer within Mt. Battle tells the player that she heard about another trainer who used the same team as she did. The Pokémon on her team are Chimecho and Cacnea, the same team Team Rocket's James from ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' had during the Hoenn saga.
107	* NerdGlasses: Chobin wears the spiral variety, and is also BlindWithoutEm.
108	* NeverSayDie: It's made blatantly obvious that [[spoiler:Cipher used Shadow Lugia to outright '''murder''' the S.S. Libra crew down to the last man]], but since this is still an 'E' game, the story does its best to gloss over this fact.
109	* NoGearLevel: [[spoiler:Team Snagem steals your Snag Machine after the S.S. Libra, forcing you to fight Shadow Zangoose and Shadow Nosepass normally until you get it back.]]
110	* ObfuscatingStupidity: Some bimbo doesn't get a job as an Admin in the lab coincidentally. Lovrina must be one crazy scientist, especially if she claims to have made [=XD001=] unpurifiable. She just pretends to be a ValleyGirl so people underestimate her [[TheEvilGenius ginormous brain.]] She still maintains a GenkiGirl demeanor in the postgame, so she might be a very high-functioning GeniusDitz.
111	* TheOneGuy: Area 4 of Mt. Battle is almost entirely comprised of female trainers. The one exception is Area Leader [[PunnyName Boyden]] and he [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this right before you battle him.
112	* OpenEndedBossBattle: The fight against Cipher Commander Exol on top of ONBS serves as a rare case of this in the series. Lose to him, and the game will continue rather than causing a white-out, with him walking off with the data rom he took from Nett ([[WhatHappenedToTheMouse and leaving the story]]). Beat him, and while he'll be frustrated, he still has the data ROM and will leave with it anyway.
113	* OptionalBoss: All but two encounters with Miror B. are optional, as he'll only show up at a Colosseum if you fail to snag a Shadow Pokémon. And catching all the Shadow Pokémon is itself optional outside of HundredPercentCompletion, so nothing is stopping you from ignoring Miror B. if he shows up.
114	* OutsideTheBoxTactic: Due to the fact that any Shadow Pokémon knocked out immediately go to Miror B., and he does not bother to level up his non-Shadow team members [[spoiler:until the battle for the Shadow Dragonite]], rather than immediately catching a Shadow Pokémon like the game suggests, it's often easier to knock one out, then hunt down Miror B. and tank/sweep through his pitiful Ludicolo collection while focusing on catching the Shadow Pokémon instead of trying to fend off more powerful regular foes while doing so.
115	* OverlordJr: [[spoiler: Ardos and Eldes are Greevil's two sons, though only the former truly believes in what Cipher stands for.]].
116	* PercentDamageAttack: The Shadow move "Shadow Half" reduces all combatants' HP by 50% -- friends and foes all included. It also requires an additional turn to recharge after use.
117	* PerkyFemaleMinion: Lovrina is so this. As mentioned above in ObfuscatingStupidity, while she may act like a stereotypical ValleyGirl she is more than capable among Cipher's R&D considering [[spoiler:she led the development of [=XD001=] itself]].
118	* PermanentlyMissableContent:
119	** Picking the wrong questions in an interview (you have to answer all completely truthfully) will make the Amulet Coin inaccessible without trading; you instead get a much less useful item that can be found elsewhere.
120	** If you don't return Kandee to her mother in ONBS before Cipher invades the building, you can't get a Soothe Bell without trading it in from another game.
121	** The Shadow Voltorb is missing a flag that makes it respawn should you lose to Miror B in the first battle at the Cave Poké Spot, which locks you out of catching it. And as Shadow Dragonite requires you to catch all other Shadow Pokémon, being unable to acquire Voltorb means you are locked out of Dragonite too. No other Shadow Pokémon you can lose to while still progressing through the story is missing this flag, so you cannot be locked out of them.
122	* PortTown: As its name would suggest, Gateon Port is a port town on the seaside.
123	* PostEndGameContent:
124	** Aside from being able to have rematches with several Trainers across Orre (the teams of which are all at Level 50) there is the [[HarderThanHard Orre Colosseum]], snagging any remaining Shadow Pokémon you did not obtain on the first try from Miror B before being able to battle him one final time to snag his Shadow Dragonite, purifying all the remaining Shadow Pokémon, and the [[https://www.serebii.net/xd/luckyegg.shtml Lucky Egg quest]].
125	** Other minor activities include the Colosseum battles in Pyrite and Realgam Tower[[note]]By the end-game, Pyrite Colosseum will be a cakewalk unless you have other Pokémon at around Level 20 that need some experience[[/note]], completing the Mt. Battle challenge, obtaining and completing all 50 Battle [=CDs=], and clearing all eleven Battle Bingo cards. Of course since the game does not show your progress towards HundredPercentCompletion, this is more for the sake of obtaining [[BraggingrightsReward bragging rights]].
126	* ProperlyParanoid: Professor Krane spent five years studying Shadow Pokémon and how to purify them on the off chance that Cipher would re-emerge. His concerns are proven to be justified when Cipher goons show up to kidnap him and stop his research.
127	* PuzzleBoss: Battle [=CDs=] are optional fights that put you in various scenarios with preset teams of Pokémon on both sides. The vast majority of these are puzzles that require you figure out a specific order of operations to execute so you can achieve victory.
128	* QuirkyMinibossSquad: The Hexagon Brothers are a group of Cipher {{mooks}} found outside of the Shadow Pokémon Lab that are ''barely'' competent at their jobs. They all have [[ThemeNaming names related to a specific color (with "six" at the end)]], wear different color uniforms related to their names, and use Shadow Pokémon whose types are related to said colors. For example, Resix sports red and has the Fire-type Houndour.
129	* RecurringBoss: After you run into Miror B., can be randomly encountered at the Colosseums. He'll have any Shadow Pokémon you missed snagging when fought, giving you a second catch at them.
130	* RecurringRiff: A segment of the Cipher Admin theme from ''Colosseum'' can be heard during the opening cutscene with the S.S. Libra.
131	* RunningGag:
132	** The Hexagon Brothers can't do roll call to save their lives.
133	** Eagun's exaggerated ineptitude with computers, as proven by the antics related to him either accidentally sending a blank e-mail or him accidentally sending e-mails that are cut off.
134	* SaharanShipwreck: The ''SS Libra'' is discovered in the middle of Orre's deserts. [=XD001=] dropped it by accident while carrying it to Cipher Key Lair.
135	* SequelHook: Once you beat the BigBad and win the game, [[spoiler:Ardos storms out of Citadark Isle vowing to resurrect Cipher]]. If defeated in the Orre Colosseum (accessible in the EndgamePlus), [[spoiler:he also brands you as Cipher's Biggest Enemy and notes that he will be watching you]].
136	* ShiftingSandLand: Of course Orre is a vast desert region.
137	* ShipLevel: The desert wreck of the SS Libra.
138	* SlasherSmile: [[spoiler:Greevil flashes one once he is no longer hiding his status as Cipher's mastermind.]]
139	* SleazyPolitician: Snattle's dreams of governorship over Orre were all-consuming for him -- so much so that he [[DealWithTheDevil joined with Cipher]] to achieve it... and stayed onboard because EvilFeelsGood.
140	* StartMyOwn: Miror B. is no longer a Cipher admin, and has started his own evil organization. It consists of... [[OddlySmallOrganization him and his two minions]].
141	* StatusBuffDispel: Aside from the series's existing "Haze" move, the Shadow move "Shadow Shed" instantly dispels barriers like Reflect and Light Screen from the opposing party.
142	* {{Superboss}}: Two characters can be battled in the postgame whose teams are more powerful than the final boss's:
143	** First is Miror B's final battle on top of Gateon Port's lighthouse, where all five of his Ludicolos are Level 57 while his Shadow Dragonite is at Level 55.
144	** Then there is Battlus atop Mt. Battle. His team has Eon Duo Latios & Latias along with pseudo-legendaries Metagross and Salamence with all of his Pokémon being at Level 70.
145	* SurprisinglyCreepyMoment:
146	** Moreso than ''Colosseum'' - the game starts out much more lighthearted, and Orre's been cleaned up quite a bit. [[spoiler:Then the wreckage of the Libra is discovered, with its crew members' fates left unknown, but are heavily implied to be dead.]]
147	** In ''Colosseum'', you start in the south-eastern corner of Orre and work your way northwest, while in ''XD'' you work backwards. The game keeps you waiting before you make it back to familiar locations like Phenac City... so as to maximize the dissonance when you realize that there's something not quite right.
148	** When you first visit Phenac City, it looks the same as it did in ''Colosseum''. Then the [=NPCs=] start saying very strange things to you, the shop is revealed to be closed, and Justy, the person you were sent to warn about Cipher, immediately laughs off your concerns. All the while, the background music gets more and more distorted as you wander around the city.
149	* ATasteOfPower: Right after the introductory cutscene, you're treated to a battle where you control a Lv. 50 Salamence against an NPC's Lv. 50 Metagross. It's only a simulation, however -- your real starter Pokémon is a Lv. 10 Eevee. Incidentally, a Salamence is one of the Shadow Pokémon that can be caught in the endgame.
150	* ThirdPersonPerson: Jovi and Chobin both speak in the third person to highlight their youth and general immaturity.
151	* TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon: [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace Citadark Isle]], Cipher's base. It's located on an active volcano surrounded by near-untraversable ocean currents (which you learn are generated artificially) with a perpetual storm overhead. It's enormous, to the point where almost half of the game's Shadow Pokémon are found within it.
152	* TooAwesomeToUse: ''XD'' is the only game in its generation where Sacred Ash can be obtained without real-life event items, as a prize for clearing Battle CD 46. It instantly heals all your Pokémon to full health, including fainted ones, but the only way to get another one is to start a new game.
153	* TookALevelInBadass: Prior to Generation IV, the only notable thing about Shadow Togepi was that if you evolved it before trading it, you'd only get a normal Elekid. After Generation IV introduced both the Physical-Special split and Togekiss, with its massive special attack, competitive players noticed Shadow Togepi has ''Tri-Attack'', which was now an immensely useful move.
154	* UnintentionallyUnwinnable: Beating Naps will cause the fight with Lovrina to trigger at the elevator to the lab's entrance. The only PC is past her, and there's no way to level grind or buy items, so if your party isn't strong enough to beat hers, you’re completely stuck if you saved your game after beating Naps. Thankfully, losing to Lovrina sends you back to the entrance of the Lab, meaning you aren't screwed completely.
155	* ViceCity: The downtrodden and nearly lawless Pyrite Town returns like it was in the first game, though it's been cleaned up a little.
156	* VillainForgotToLevelGrind:
157	** When [[spoiler:Ardos defeats Zook in Gateon Port at the beginning of the game]], his uses a [[spoiler:Level 44 Alakazam]]. When you battle him on Citadark Isle near the end of the game, his [[spoiler:Alakazam]] is the same level.
158	** When you first meet Miror B., his team is at a level that's a slight challenge. If you rematch him for Shadow Pokémon outside of the fight at the end, his core team is still at the same level as his first appearance, making him a more and more trivial battle as you progress through the game. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] for all of the Shadow Pokémon fought for a second time; they explicitly cannot gain levels (and thus level grind) until they've been purified.
159	* VillainWithGoodPublicity: The head of Cipher is [[spoiler:Mr. Verich, who plies everyone who frequently patrons the Krabby Club with free drinks]]. Nobody suspects his true intentions.
160	* VortexBarrier: [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Citadark Island]] is surrounded by [[WeatherControlMachine artificially strong]] currents and a nearly impenetrable fog. Only one ship [[spoiler:which belongs to [[BigBad the leader of Cipher]]]] is capable of reaching it in one piece. [[spoiler:At least, until the Robo Kyogre is operational, which becomes the [[PlayerCharacter protagonist]]'s way onto (and off) the island]].
161	* WelcomeToCorneria: Averted. As you progress through the story, [=NPCs=] will have different remarks on what's been happening. For example, if you return back to Krane after [[spoiler:Snagem steals your Snag Machine]], both him and Lily will notice it, even though you're not required to talk to them during that part of the game.
162	* WhoWouldBeStupidEnough: Dr. Kaminko's inventions are all useless junk, but at least three people actually bought them:
163	** A man in Pyrite bought ten "Poké Poles" only to later realize that they were just a bunch of red-and-white-painted metal rods that don't actually do anything.
164	** A man in Phenac bought the "Power-Saving Refrigerator", which stops refrigerating whenever the door is closed. He can't understand why his food is spoiling so quickly.
165	** A man in Agate bought the "Unhealthy Sandals" and wonders why he's feeling so sore all the time. You'd think the name alone would have tipped him off...
166	* YouDontLookLikeYou: Snagem members Wakin and Agrev have seemingly swapped bodies since ''Colosseum''.

Context VideoGame / PokemonXDGaleOfDarkness