Dark Pokémon (TCG)
- If you were looking for the TCG elemental type, see Darkness (TCG).
Dark Pokémon (card text: Pokémon with "Dark" in their names) are a type of Pokémon found in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, and often considered a corrupted version of their normal species. Their counterparts are Light Pokémon.
The first appearance of Dark Pokémon was in the Team Rocket Expansion, in which all evolved Pokémon are Dark Pokémon. This is because Team Rocket itself is a corrupt organization, and therefore the Pokémon they train become corrupt also.
Gym Heroes and Gym Challenge touched on the theme with the appearance of Rocket's Pokémon, similar in all respects to Dark Pokémon from the previous Expansion.
With the inclusion of Dark-type Pokémon in Generation II, it was thought that the corrupt counterparts would not surface again to avoid confusion The next Expansion to feature Dark Pokémon was Neo Destiny, which as the title suggests, revolves around the potential path or "destiny" a Pokémon can follow depending on how it is brought up by their Trainer. The set also illustrated that a Dark Pokémon differed to the Darkness type Pokémon with the appearance of Dark Houndoom.
In terms of card design, Dark Pokémon have a brown/black character window, evolution box and Pokédex box, as opposed to the regular gold. In terms of gameplay, Dark Pokémon tend to have higher attack damage and lower HPs compared to those of normal Pokémon, likely due to the highly offensive nature of the Trainer.
Dark Pokémon did not appear in the game again until EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua, although they did not include "Dark" in their name. Instead, they utilised the new game mechanic of dual-types, in which many evolved and Legendary Pokémon displayed a Darkness dual type. This also essentially rejected the difference between Dark Pokémon and Darkness type Pokémon as displayed in Neo Destiny. This would reamin for subsequent releases.
Dark Celebi, featured in Hidden Legends was the first card in the EX Series to include "Dark" in its name, and was included in the set likely due to its close ties with Pokémon 4Ever, in which Team Rocket member Vicious captures a Celebi using a Dark Ball and uses it to create chaos.
The latest appaerance of Dark Pokémon was in the EX Team Rocket Returns Expansion, in which all Dark Pokémon are dual Darknees types (with the exception of those that are normally Colorless) and all Pokémon belonging to Team Rocket are purely Darkness types.
List of Sets that contain Dark Pokémon
- Team Rocket
- Gym Heroes (Partially)
- Gym Challenge (Partially)
- Neo Destiny
- Legendary Collection
- Pokémon Web
- Best of Game
- EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua (Partially)
- Hidden Legends
- EX Team Rocket Returns
Normal Pokémon that have Dark counterparts
- Ivysaur
- Venusaur
- Charmeleon
- Charizard
- Wartortle
- Blastoise
- Raticate
- Fearow
- Arbok
- Sandslash
- Raichu
- Wigglytuff
- Golbat
- Vileplume
- Dugtrio
- Persian
- Golduck
- Primeape
- Kadabra
- Alakazam
- Machoke
- Machamp
- Rapidash
- Slowbro
- Magneton
- Muk
- Haunter
- Gengar
- Hypno
- Electrode
- Exeggutor
- Marowak
- Weezing
- Gyarados
- Vaporeon
- Jolteon
- Flareon
- Omanyte
- Omastar
- Dragonair
- Dragonite
- Quilava
- Typhlosion
- Croconaw
- Feraligatr
- Ariados
- Crobat
- Flaaffy
- Ampharos
- Espeon
- Slowking
- Forretress
- Steelix
- Scizor
- Ursaring
- Magcargo
- Octillery
- Houndoom
- Donphan
- Porygon2
- Pupitar
- Tyranitar
- Celebi