History NightmareFuel / PokemonColosseum

*** In Pokémon XD, Shadow Pokémon are no longer capable of using any attacks aside from Shadow ones (at least when first caught), and there is a much wider variety than just Shadow Rush. They often affect both Pokémon in double battles, including status moves that cause confusion or harshly lower the Defense stat. Additionally, their Reverse Mode will still harm them but will not cause them to disobey or attack their trainer. In other words, Cipher had improved on the old Hyper Mode and made the Shadow Pokémon much more efficient.

* Ein, the man who created the Shadow Pokémon project. Everything about him is chilling, from his total lack of remorse for mind-raping numerous Pokémon to his resemblance to [[{{Anime/Bleach}} Sosuke Aizen]] to the fact that he wants to make it impossible to purify Shadow Pokémon.

* Phenac City, with ''Colosseum's'' BigBad Evice as its mayor. The fact that the chief of the biggest crime syndicate in Orre is running the city should give anyone nightmares, but ''XD'' manages to top that with not just the mayor, but [[TrumanShowPlot nearly everyone in town]] - the real civilians are locked below the Gym, the Gym Leader included - being a Cipher agent in disguise. It's immediately clear that there's something wrong when you arrive, with the music [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYCNKKARcy8 shifting between the tranquil Phenac City music from the previous game and ominousness.]]

* The [[CeilingCling Ceiling Peon]] is the last thing players need when their team is on its last legs. Struggling through some abandoned complex looking for a healing machine, and a Peon drops right in front of trainers, pulls out their Pokémon, and whips theirs out. Unlike the other teams, Cipher employs Ceiling Peons regularly in all of its installations. Taking this even further, one Ceiling Peon ambushes the player on the elevator during the ONBS raid.

** The MindRape can also be seen as an unnervingly accurate metaphor for real-life cases of shock and self-injury stemming from abuse or trauma. Multiple continuities show Pokémon having personalities similar to young children, especially Togepi who is said to share its happiness with others: this doesn't keep an ex-R&D Hordel in ''XD'' from giving players a Shadow Togepi with a request of purifying it.
** It also is highly disturbing when one realizes that Shadow Pokémon include such peaceful, naturally kind creatures such as Miltank, Chansey, and Kangaskhan. The idea of them being turned into horrible, heartless monsters is not something one wants to comprehend

* The [[CeilingCling Ceiling Peon]] is the last thing players need when their team is on its last legs. Struggling through some abandoned complex looking for a healing machine, and a Peon drops right in front of trainers, pulls out their Pokémon, and wipes theirs out. Unlike the other teams, Cipher employs Ceiling Peons regularly in all of its installations. Taking this even further, one Ceiling Peon ambushes the player on the elevator during the ONBS raid.

* Cipher's plan is just as bad as the organization itself. "Seal the hearts of Pokémon" may ''sound'' cheesy for an EvilPlan, but the real horror is what it implies in practice - they MindRape a Pokémon by stripping it of all sense of compassion, emotion, and empathy, leaving nothing but a soulless, heartless killing machine behind. It's also a DeadlyUpgrade in ''XD'', thanks to the Pokémon refusing to receive items from the trainer and sustaining damage at the end of each and every turn of the battle (when in Reverse Mode at least.) Not even [[TraumaInn Pokémon Centers]] can do anything about Shadow Pokémon other than healing them.

*** Hyper Mode can be seen as a form of SanitySlippage. These Pokémon have such corrupted hearts that they will attack anything; [[BodyguardBetrayal even their own table-flippin' trainers.]] They also deny help in the form of Items from their trainers, and their Shadow Rush move, a move that can only be known if a Pokémon is a Shadow Pokémon, has an increased chance of getting a Critical Hit. They are practically denying any Trainer's help and doing the fighting themselves.

*** Shadow Pokémon were considered in-game by Cipher to be Pokémon that were turned into weapons incapable of feeling love. They're denied true emotion and can feel nothing but ''rage.'' Kind of like the [[Series/DoctorWho Daleks]], but can be cured.

* The actual owners of Shadow Pokémon fall into four categories - people who want to set them right (Wes, Rui, and Michael), people who don't know the bum deal they got, people who want them for their power, and the members of Cipher. Ranks in said organization are typically indicated by how many Shadow Pokémon the members possess - lowly grunts typically have one or two, with higher-ups having up to four. [[BigBad Greevil]] has a grand total of seven, four of which are ''legendaries'', and one of which ([=XD001=], that is, Shadow Lugia) is so thoroughly corrupted that its physical appearance even changed to reflect this. Considering [[LouisCypher Cipher]] is one of those NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast, it's easy to see how the whole group beats out Cyrus in terms of sheer evil.

** Also, when fighting him there is [[NothingIsScarier no music]] at all. All that can be heard is the crowd chanting "BATTLE! BATTLE! BATTLE!" endlessly. Every time you faint his Pokémon, they boo as one voice; every time the player's party suffers a defeat, they all cheer for him. Basically, the definition of VillainWithGoodPublicity taken to a ridiculous extreme with a colosseum full of Es Cade's fans.

* Cipher itself is easily the most despicable villainous organization in '''all of Pokémon history''' and the most dangerous and competent. The ''first admin'' Wes runs into in ''Colosseum'', Miror B., might look and act like a silly DiscoDan, but he's competent enough to overrun a town by himself, something that not even ''Ghetsis'' succeeded in despite having vastly more resources, and it only gets worse from here. Taking control of the economy is also only their stage one -- their true head Greevil wants to create a group of impossible to purify Shadow Pokémon to take over the world.

* Cipher itself is easily the most despicable villainous organization in '''all of Pokémon history''' and the most dangerous and competent. The ''first admin'' Wes runs into in ''Colosseum'', Miror B., might look and act like a silly DiscoDan, but he's competent enough to overrun a town by himself, something that not even ''Ghetsis'' succeeded in despite having vastly more resources, and it only gets worse from here. Taking control of the economy is only a means to the end unlike Team Plasma -- their true head Greevil wants to create a group of impossible to purify Shadow Pokémon to take over the world.

* Cipher. "Seal the hearts of Pokémon" may ''sound'' cheesy for an EvilPlan, but the real horror is what it implies in practice - they MindRape a Pokémon by stripping it of all sense of compassion, emotion, and empathy, leaving nothing but a soulless, heartless killing machine behind. It's also a DeadlyUpgrade in ''XD'', thanks to the Pokémon refusing to receive items from the trainer and sustaining damage at the end of each and every turn of the battle (when in Reverse Mode at least.) Not even [[TraumaInn Pokémon Centers]] can do anything about Shadow Pokémon other than healing them.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hyper_mode.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"[[Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie Pokémon aren't meant to fight. Not like this.]]"'']]

* Lovrina's DeathGlare when she's ready to battle for the second time. You [[BewareTheSillyOnes suddenly realize then that you've underestimated her.]] And even long before that, she be fairly creepy despite her PerkyFemaleMinion attitude, such as promising to "punish" her underlings multiple times and sporting a SlasherSmile in her battle intro, implying she's more evil than she seems on the surface. She thankfully becomes a FriendlyEnemy to you in post-game coliseum battles, and knowing what she's capable of, you'd best hope it stays that way.

** Also, how a ship got out in the middle of the desert in the first place - the Pokémon onboard were jacked by Cipher while the ship itself was being psychically carried by [=XD001=]. ''[[OlympusMons A Lugia.]]'' This time the syndicate doesn't fool around: they beach a ship ''as a weapons test''.
*** They weren't even ''trying'' to beach the ship - they wanted it brought intact to their base so they could MindRape all the Pokémon inside. Lugia somehow wound up dropping the ship. Imagine being carried through the air on a terrifying voyage, only for gravity to suddenly reassert itself and send you hurtling to your doom.
*** Lugia dropped it there on purpose so Cipher could capture the Pokémon (but never found Bonsly) inside. But in the beginning, you can see two crewmen get thrown overboard as Cipher steals the ship. They're reported missing, ''but never found''.

** The MindRape is no more evident than a rather uncommon occurrence in Colosseum; '''''HYPER MODE.'''''

*** In Pokémon XD, Shadow Pokémon are no longer capable of using any attacks aside from Shadow ones (at least when first caught), and there is a much wider variety than just Shadow Rush. They often affect both Pokémon in double battles, including status moves that cause confusion or harshly lower the Defense stat. Additionally, their Reverse Mode will still harm them but will not cause them to disobey or attack their trainer. In other words, Cipher had improved on the old Hyper Mode and made the Shadow Pokémon more efficient.

** Another thing to consider. ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum'' was released in the early 2000s. ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' was released 2010-2011. Cipher was the undisputed bottom of the morality barrel for nearly a decade, and even with Ghetsis showing up, all that's changed is the "undisputed". And not even Ghetsis has dared to challenge their title as the patron saints of ParanoiaFuel.
*** One could argue that Cipher still undisputed as the most immoral part of the franchise. Ghetsis is undeniably one of the most evil, if not '''the''' most evil, villain in the entire franchise, yet the most we ever see or hear about him mistreating Pokémon is the max-power Frustration attack of his Hydreigon and the only thing that arguably makes him stand out from the likes of Cyrus and Lysandre is being an irredeemable ManipulativeBastard and an AbusiveParent to N. There's no clear evidence of his cruelty to Pokémon going into MindRape territory, and despite how hard he tried to, he still failed achieve what Cipher ''already did from the beginning effortlessly''; manipulating and controlling a whole region's economy and livelihood to his favor.

* The [[CeilingCling Ceiling Peon]] is the last thing players need when their team is on its last legs. Struggling through some abandoned complex looking for a healing machine, and a Peon drops right in front of trainers, pulls out his Pokémon, and wipes theirs out. Unlike the other teams, Cipher employs Ceiling Peons regularly in all of its installations. Taking this even further, one Ceiling Peon ambushes the player on the elevator during the ONBS raid.

* Lovrina's DeathGlare when she's ready to battle for the second time. You [[BewareTheSillyOnes suddenly realize then that you've underestimated her.]] Lovrina herself can be fairly creepy despite her PerkyFemaleMinion attitude, such as promising to "punish" her underlings multiple times and sporting a SlasherSmile in her battle intro, implying she's more evil than she seems on the surface. She thankfully becomes a FriendlyEnemy to you in post-game coliseum battles, and knowing what she's capable of, you'd best hope it stays that way.

** He set a record for his time as to how low a villain will stoop to deal with the player trainer -- whereas the leaders of Teams Rocket, Magma, and Aqua all ceded when their plans tanked, he suggested to BigBad Greevil that they take off and detonate Citadark Isle ''with you on it''! He advised mass murder (the Peons still on Citadark are [[WeHaveReserves apparently expendable]]) as a way of dealing with you. Not even Ghetsis in the video games and Lusamine pre-Ultra would willingly approach this level of depravity. Ardos' actions would easily be '''overkill''' compared to Ghetsis, and Lusamine had to be intoxicated by Nihilego to even go far enough.

** Speaking of Ardos and Greevil, the entire thing with their family is a nightmare. Greevil forced Ardos and his brother to watch as he created his Shadow Pokémon empire from the ground up, and what's worse is that he never even called them his sons. N as a PuppetKing was bad, but when it comes to Ardos, it's much worse; if there ever was any goodness in him, it's long gone.

* Cipher. [[{{Narm}} "Seal the hearts of Pokémon" may sound cheesy]] for an EvilPlan, but the real horror is what it implies - they MindRape a Pokémon by stripping it of all sense of compassion, emotion, and empathy, leaving nothing but a soulless, heartless killing machine behind. Any remotely "scary" Pokémon becomes suddenly even worse, much worse. It's also a DeadlyUpgrade in ''XD'', thanks to the Pokémon refusing to receive items from the trainer and sustaining damage at the end of each and every turn of the battle (when in Reverse Mode at least.) Not even [[TraumaInn Pokémon Centers]] can do anything about Shadow Pokémon other than healing them.

** Last but not least, ''this guy is still at large.'' And [[NothingIsScarier we don't even get any confirmation on where he ends up after this]]. Volo is the only person comparable to Ardos in terms of heinousness (and their approaches were different) and faces no real accountability over his schemes, but at least we can be sure he won't be there for another around. Ardos obviously does and he outright tells Michael that he WILL.

** Last but not least, ''this guy is still at large.'' And [[NothingIsScarier we don't even get any confirmation on where he end up after this]]. Volo is the only person comparable to Ardos in terms of heinousness (and their approaches were different) and faces no real accountability over his schemes, but at least we can be sure he won't be there for another around. Ardos obviously does and he outright tells Michael that he WILL.

* Ardos is one of the big reasons the people of Orre have trouble sleeping at night. Also, just like Ein, he's still at large as far as we know.

** Last but not least, ''this guy is still at large.'' And [[NothingIsScarier we don't even get any confirmation on where he end up after this]]. Volo is the only person comparable to Ardos in terms of heinousness (and their approaches were different) and faces no real accountability over his schemes, but at least we can be sure he won't be there for another around. Ardos is still ready for another round even after everyone else isn't.

** He set a record for his time as to how low a villain will stoop to deal with the player trainer -- whereas the leaders of Teams Rocket, Magma, and Aqua all ceded when their plans tanked, he suggested to BigBad Greevil that they take off and detonate Citadark Isle ''with you on it''! He advised mass murder (the Peons still on Citadark are [[WeHaveReserves apparently expendable]]) as a way of dealing with you. Not even Ghetsis and Lusamine (pre-Ultra) would willingly approach this level of depravity, Ardos' actions would easily be '''overkill''' compared to Ghetsis, and Lusamine had to be intoxicated by Nihilego to even go far enough.

* Phenac City, with ''Colosseum's'' BigBad Evice as its mayor. The fact that the chief of the biggest crime syndicate in Orre is running the city should give anyone nightmares, but ''XD'' manages to top that with not just the mayor, but [[TrumanShowPlot nearly everyone in town]] - the real civilians are locked below the Gym, the Gym Leader included - being a Cipher agent in disguise. It's immediately clear that there's something wrong when you arrive, with the music [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYCNKKARcy8 shifts between the tranquil Phenac City music from the previous game and ominousness.]]

** Greevil's intended endgame with the XD project involved developing Shadow Pokémon that did not rely upon trainers, and could act autonomously for the leader's interests. While this project is nightmarish in and of itself, Ardos is hellbent on rebuilding Cipher and all its work, and not even Arceus knows where that research will lead. Suddenly, one becomes quite grateful for Cipher's absence from the Rainbow Resort...