Pokemon Colosseum

Pokemon Coliseum is a Pokemon game released for the Nintendo Gamecube that marked the first Pokemon RPG in three dimensions. The previous three dimensional games, Pokemon Stadium and its sequel, had merely been tournament games.

The main character is an ex-Pokemon-thief who destroyed his society's hideout upon quitting. He uses a "snag machine" to steal Pokemon from other trainers. The Pokemon are then turned into "shadow Pokemon" who have "the door to their hearts closed" and use only the take-down like attack "shadow rush" until it has been "purified" enough to reaquire its old techniques. Its fourth technique can only be reacquried upon purification at the Celebi Stone, which is discovered later in the game. The Celebi Stone will only purify a Pokemon after it has been battled with enough that "its heart is almost open". Using shadow rush will also occasionally put it into "hyper mode", which will increase the power of shadow rush greatly but will make the Pokemon more disobedient. While in hyper mode, items cannot be used on Pokemon. Levels are not gained until after full purification, and is the same for evolution. Unlike past Pokemon games, Pokemon must be acquired as shadow Pokemon from trainers instead of in the wild. Item boxes replace Pokeballs and hidden items are revealed through a glint. The only way a shadow Pokemon can be determined, however, is by a girl who posesses the power to detect the dark aura surrounding them. Shadow Pokemon are also unafraid to attack humans.

The game was succeeded by Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness.