Honestly, the GameCube era was a weird time for Nintendo. They were taking massive risks. They were letting developers get experimental with their biggest franchises. Nowhere is that more obvious than in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.
It’s been decades. People still talk about it. Why? Because it’s essentially the "edgy" teen years of the Pokémon franchise. Developed by Genius Sonority and released in 2005, this wasn't your typical gym-badge-collecting simulator. It was a gritty—well, as gritty as Pokémon gets—sequel to Pokémon Colosseum that swapped out the bright, hopeful vibes of the Kanto or Hoenn regions for the dusty, desolate Orre region. It’s a place where wild Pokémon basically don’t exist and people just steal from each other.
If you played it back then, you remember the vibes. The music was jazzier. The stakes felt higher. You weren't a ten-year-old leaving home for the first time; you were a kid with a high-tech "Snag Machine" strapped to your arm, literally ripping Pokémon away from criminals to save their souls.
The Shadow Lugia Problem
Let’s talk about the mascot. Shadow Lugia, or "XD001."
Most "Shadow Pokémon" in the game just have a purple aura. They look normal, they just act mean. But Lugia? Lugia got a total overhaul. It was purple, jagged, and terrifying. It looked like something out of an early 2000s anime opening. This wasn't just a marketing gimmick; it represented the peak of Cipher’s cruelty. Cipher, the antagonistic group in Orre, wasn't just trying to conquer the world with power—they were trying to create a Pokémon that was physically incapable of being purified.
That’s a heavy concept for a kid's game.
Actually, the mechanics of purification are where Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness really separated itself from the main series. In Ruby or Sapphire, you just fought and caught. Here, you had to "open the door to the heart." You used them in battle, you rubbed scents on them, and you eventually took them to Agate Village. But XD introduced the Purify Chamber. It was a complex system where you set up "circles" of regular Pokémon to help cleanse the Shadow ones. It rewarded you for actually understanding the type chart—a subtle way to teach kids how the game worked without a boring tutorial.
📖 Related: Solitaire Games Free Online Klondike: What Most People Get Wrong
The Orre Region: A Desert Without Wild Pokémon
The Orre region is arguably the most unique setting in the entire franchise history. It’s based on Arizona. It’s mostly sand. In the original Colosseum, there were zero wild encounters. If you wanted a Pokémon, you had to steal it from a trainer.
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness changed that—sorta. They added "Poké Spots." You’d put some snacks down, wait for a beep on your P★DA, and hope a Sandshrew or a Gligar showed up. It was clunky. It was frustrating. But it made every single capture feel like a massive victory. When you finally found a wild Trapinch, it felt like discovering gold in the desert.
The lack of traditional wild encounters meant your team was almost entirely composed of "Snagged" Pokémon. You’re using a Teddiursa you took from a Spy, or a Houndoom you rescued from a Cipher Admin. This created a weirdly personal bond with your team. You didn't just find them in the grass; you rescued them from a life of misery.
Combat, Double Battles, and the Meta
If you hate Double Battles, this game isn't for you. Almost every single fight in XD is a 2v2.
Genius Sonority leaned into this hard. While the mainline games were still hyper-focused on 1v1 encounters, XD forced you to think about synergy. How does my Jolteon work with my Vaporeon? (You start with Eevee, by the way—the ultimate fan-service move). Because Shadow moves were "Super Effective" against everything except other Shadow Pokémon, the strategy was totally different. You couldn't just sweep with one high-level starter. You had to manage your "Heart Gauge" while trying not to accidentally faint the Shadow Pokémon you were trying to catch.
It was stressful. It was tactical. Honestly, it was a precursor to the VGC (Video Game Championships) format we see today.
👉 See also: Does Shedletsky Have Kids? What Most People Get Wrong
What Most People Get Wrong About XD
There's this weird myth that Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness is just a "fixed" version of Colosseum. That's not really fair to either game.
While XD definitely improved the graphics and added more Pokémon (the roster went from 48 Shadow Pokémon to 83), it lost some of the "wasteland" grit of the first game. The protagonist in Colosseum, Wes, was an ex-criminal with a motorcycle. The protagonist in XD, Michael, is a kid living in a lab with his mom. It’s a bit more "traditional Pokémon," which some fans actually disliked at the time.
However, XD gave us things Colosseum didn't:
- Mirror B. and his incredible disco theme.
- The ability to actually catch Lugia.
- The Lucky Egg (which was notoriously hard to get in Gen 3).
- Mt. Battle’s 100-trainer challenge (which gave you a Ho-Oh if you did it right in the first game, but offered different rewards here).
The technical side of things was also impressive for the time. Seeing Pokémon like Groudon or Rayquaza in full 3D on a television screen in 2005 was mind-blowing. The animations had personality. When a Ludicolo fainted, it didn't just blink out of existence; it did a dramatic dance. Modern Switch games could honestly learn a thing or two from the expressiveness of these GameCube models.
The Rarity Factor: Why Is This Game So Expensive?
If you want to buy a physical copy of Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness today, be prepared to skip a car payment. It’s expensive.
It didn't sell nearly as well as the handheld titles. Because it required a GameCube (and later a Wii), the barrier to entry was high. Plus, it came out right at the tail end of the GameCube’s lifecycle. By the time people realized how good it was, it was out of print.
✨ Don't miss: Stalker Survival: How to Handle the Vampire Survivors Green Reaper Without Losing Your Mind
But the real value lies in the "Purified" moves. Certain Pokémon caught in XD have moves they can't learn anywhere else. A Snorlax with Refresh? A Zapdos with Metal Sound? These were niche but powerful tools for competitive players who had the patience to transfer their Pokémon through three different console generations to get them into the modern games.
How to Play It Now (and Why You Should)
You have two real options. You can hunt down a used copy and a functional Wii or GameCube, or you can use an emulator like Dolphin.
If you’re a fan of the "Catch 'em all" grind, this game might frustrate you. But if you want a Pokémon game with a legitimate story, a high difficulty curve, and a soundtrack that absolutely slaps, XD is a masterpiece. It represents a time when the Pokémon Company was willing to let outside developers play with their toys and make something genuinely different.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you're looking to dive back into the Orre region, here is how you should approach it to get the most out of the experience:
- Don't Evolve Eevee Immediately: Wait until you see what Shadow Pokémon you snag in the first few hours. If you snag a Mareep, you might not need a Jolteon. Espeon and Umbreon are the classic choices, but Vaporeon’s bulk is a lifesaver in the late-game Double Battles.
- Focus on the Purify Chamber: Don't just walk around to purify your Pokémon. Set up the Chamber early. It saves hours of grinding and lets you use your new teammates much faster.
- Hunt for the "Special" Moves: If you are a competitive player or a collector, look up the list of exclusive moves for XD Pokémon. Some of them are still unique in the modern Home ecosystem.
- Check the TV in-game: The news reports in the Orre region actually change based on your actions. It’s a small detail that makes the world feel alive in a way most Pokémon games don't.
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness isn't just a spin-off. It’s a glimpse into an alternate reality where Pokémon games were harder, weirder, and a little bit darker. It’s a cult classic for a reason.