Pokémon Colosseum is unlike any other Pokémon game: no wild Pokémon, battles that are almost always two against two, and only one way to grow your team, stealing the villains’ Pokémon. Here is what you need to know before you start.

Wes, a former member of Team Snagem and the hero of Pokémon Colosseum.

The story in a nutshell

Wes, 17, used to be part of Team Snagem. At the start of the game, he blows up his former accomplices’ hideout and runs off with their weapon: the Snag Machine, which lets you capture another Trainer’s Pokémon. In Phenac City, he meets Rui, a young girl who can see the aura of Shadow Pokémon. Together, they set out to take on Team Cipher, the organization that closes Pokémon’s hearts to turn them into fighting machines.

The Snag Machine, on Wes’s arm.
Choosing the hero’s name: in our 2004 playthrough, Wes was called Might.

What’s different from the Game Boy games

  • No wild Pokémon: no tall grass and no random encounters. The only Pokémon to capture are the 48 Shadow Pokémon held by enemy Trainers (the complete list).
  • Double Battles: almost every battle is played with two Pokémon against two. Moves that hit both opponents, like Surf or Earthquake, come into their own (see our Double Battle tips).
  • Two starter Pokémon: Espeon and Umbreon, already evolved, at levels 25 and 26.
  • The PDA replaces the Pokédex: it records the Pokémon you have encountered, the purification status of your Shadow Pokémon, your mail and the map of Orre.
  • A motorbike for traveling: you pick your destination on the map of Orre, without crossing any routes.
Espeon, at level 25.
Umbreon, at level 26.
A Double Battle: two Pokémon on each side.
The map of Orre, where you choose your destination.

Catching a Shadow Pokémon

  1. Spot it: Rui warns you when a Shadow Pokémon enters a battle; it is surrounded by a purple aura.
  2. Weaken it without knocking it out: as long as it is in its shadow state, it uses Shadow Rush, a very powerful move. Aim for a red HP bar.
  3. Throw a Poké Ball: thanks to the Snag Machine, catching works like on a wild Pokémon. Great Balls and Ultra Balls improve your chances.
  4. If you fail, don’t panic: a Shadow Pokémon that has been knocked out usually reappears later in the adventure.
Phenac City, the oasis (our 2004 playthrough).

Purifying your Pokémon

A captured Shadow Pokémon doesn’t gain experience and can go into Hyper Mode, where it no longer obeys you. To restore its true nature, keep it in your party, battle with it and call it back to order when it gets carried away. When its purification gauge is empty, purify it at the Relic Stone in Agate Village. It’s all explained in the purification page.

Agate Village, where the Relic Stone is found.

Our five tips for a good start

  1. Balance Espeon and Umbreon: one attacks, the other takes hits. They will remain the pillars of your team for a long time.
  2. Catch everything: there are only 48 Shadow Pokémon, and every one counts. The first, Makuhita, is found as early as Phenac City.
  3. Keep items that cure status conditions: Orre’s Trainers readily use sleep and poison, and Double Battles multiply the threats.
  4. Enter the Colosseum tournaments, in Phenac City and then in Pyrite Town: they move the story forward and earn you money.
  5. Purify as you go: a purified Pokémon immediately recovers all the experience accumulated while it was in its shadow state.

What comes next: chapter 1 of the walkthrough.