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With Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness finally included on Nintendo Switch Online GameCube, there’s an influx of new players that have no idea what this game is all about and its many features.
So I decided to write a quick tips and tricks guide with as few spoilers as possible so you avoid some crucial mistakes.
You don’t need to play Pokémon Colosseum before?
While Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness is a direct sequel to Pokémon Colosseum, its story is self-contained and requires no prior knowledge to be enjoyed. However, just like in Colosseum, there are no wild encounters!
Outside of gift Pokémon, in-game trades, and Poké Spots, the only way of capturing new members for your team is by snagging them from your opponent. This sounds terrible, but it’s not as bad as you think, because the Pokémon you’ll be snagging were corrupted and turned into Shadow Pokémon.
Always Snag a Shadow Pokémon When You Get the Chance
Shadow Pokémon are only available through battle with other trainers, and you should capture them as soon as you get the chance. Miss your chance, and you’ll have to rely on RNG for the possibility to capture it again later in the game.
It is advised to save before any trainer encounter, but in the NSO you can do something even better, create a save state before you attempt to capture a Shadow Pokémon. This will save you a lot of time when compared with the old method.
But even so, capturing a Shadow Pokémon is not an easy task due to a certain feature.
Almost every battle is a Double Battle
If you come from Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen, you know how scarce Double Battles are, but in Gale of Darkness, double battles are the main focus. This makes it a bit more challenging and also difficult to capture Shadow Pokémon.
When battling, make sure you have some status moves that don’t do damage for situations where you want to go with just one more tiny attack on a single Pokémon. Just enough to weaken the Shadow Pokémon and capture it.
Other than this, I’d say have fun and experiment with the quirks of having two Pokémon on the field and discover how moves and abilities synergize with each other. Double Battles are my favorite and the main reason why I still love watching VGC to this day!
The Physical/Special Split Doesn’t Work Like You Think
Gale of Darkness is a 3rd Gen game, meaning the physical and special split in moves is just like in Pokémon FireRed and unlike any other games from Gen 4 onwards.
Here’s a quick list you can consult:
Special Moves: Grass, Water, Fire, Electric, Ice, Dark, Psychic, Poison, Dragon
Physical Moves: Normal, Flying, Ghost, Fighting, Steel, Rock, Ground, Bug
Crunch being a special move will forever be weird, and the same with any Ghost moves… I know it’s counterintuitive, but you’ll get the hang of it. One quick way to remember this list is by noting that every Eevelution type corresponds to special moves. Then, just add Poison and Dragon. Everything else is physical!
What Pokémon Can You Obtain in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
I’ve scoured the internet for the exact number you can obtain, and I could not find one. The number you’ll see most often is 83, which corresponds to the number of Shadow Pokémon available.
So, I went to Serebii and Bulbapedia, and after cross-referencing their information, I got to a number of roughly 160 Pokémon available in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.
This number considers not just the Shadow Pokémon you can capture but also their evolutions, pre-evolutions, gift Pokémon, Legendaries, in-game trades, and Poké Spot Pokémon. Which is good for a spin-off title!
However, you could transfer all 385 Pokémon available at that time into the game. But since we’re playing on NSO, we’re out of luck!
From my knowledge, there is no way of obtaining all Eevelution in the same file, so make sure you choose wisely. Also, as you play through the game, you might come across a Munchlax and a Bonsly, which are Gen 4 Pokémon, unfortunately, these are unobtainable.
You Can Shiny Hunt in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
For every Shiny Hunter out there, I have good news and bad news.
- Good news: You can shiny hunt in Gale of Darkness.
- Bad news: Every single Shadow Pokémon is shiny-locked, leaving you with limited options.
So, what can you shiny hunt in Gale of Darkness? Every in-game trade, gift Pokémon, your starter Eevee, and Poké Spot spawns can be reset and shiny hunted.
But please, consider that we’re talking about full odds shiny hunting here with no way of halving it. This, paired with the fact that you’ll be playing a game tied to a subscription that can disappear at any moment, makes you wonder whether it’s worth it at all. I know I will not attempt it!
No Pokémon HOME Connectivity
I’ll be repeating myself, but this is an NSO title, meaning there will be no connectivity with Pokémon Home. This is a closed experience with no way of getting every available Pokémon.
If this matters to you, you might choose not to play the game, but I think it’s worth at least a single playthrough!
And These Were My 7 Tips for Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness is a great and unique Pokémon entry that’s been unavailable for years. Although I wish I could purchase it like Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen, playing it on NSO is super enjoyable.
I hope you have fun with it too, and I hope I was able to set your expectations with this guide.
Thanks for reading, and if everything goes well, I’ll be seeing you again next time with brand-new content.
