Shadow Lugia

Shadow Lugia ダークルギア Dark Lugia

Shadow Lugia

Debuts in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness Gender Gender unknown Ability Pressure Current location Citadark Isle or with the player

This Pokémon is fully evolved.

Shadow Lugia (Japanese: ダークルギア Dark Lugia), codenamed XD001, is a Lugia that has had the door to its heart shut by the criminal syndicate Cipher, believed to be the ultimate Shadow Pokémon and completely immune to purification. Its form is different from that of a normal Lugia. Unlike other Shadow Pokémon who appear normal but possess a shadowy aura, Shadow Lugia has jagged silver eye-spikes, a dark-purple body with white undersides, and glowing red eyes. It also has sharper toes that resemble claws, as well as a longer, more pointed tongue.

Shadow Lugia is the game mascot of Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, appearing on the boxart.

History

Shadow Lugia attacking the S.S. Libra

In the prologue of Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Shadow Lugia attacks the cruise ship S.S. Libra, which had been carrying many Pokémon to Orre. However, Shadow Lugia drops the ship in the middle of the desert, forcing Cipher to travel to the desert and catch the Pokémon left in the ship.

During the course of the game, Shadow Lugia is mentioned often (as XD001), but never seen. One of Cipher's administrators, Lovrina, tells Michael that it was she who created Shadow Lugia, as the first of an army of Shadow Pokémon immune to purification. She also reveals that the Shadow Pokémon was supposed to bring the S.S. Libra to Cipher's headquarters, but an instability in the corruption process led to it briefly breaking free of Cipher's control.

When Michael explores Citadark Isle, he again encounters Lovrina, who boasts that she has perfected Shadow Lugia, making it completely impossible to purify. Later, at the very pinnacle of Cipher's headquarters, Michael finally confronts the corrupted Lugia when it is sent out by Greevil to defeat the boy before the other six (also Shadow) members of his party.

After snagging the Lugia and defeating Greevil, Michael will find that Lovrina was apparently correct — Shadow Lugia cannot be purified through using it in battle, massaging it with Scents, keeping it in the active party, or by any other normal means. However, the Purify Chamber, the ultimate creation of Michael's father and Professor Krane, will be able to purify Shadow Lugia if all nine of the Sets within it are at maximum tempo.

Moves

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
Shadow moves	Level 50+	Purified moves
Shadow Blast		Psycho Boost	Psychic
Shadow Down		FeatherDance	Flying
Shadow Shed		Earthquake	Ground
Shadow Storm		Hydro Pump	Water

In the TCG

Main article: Shadow Lugia (Nintendo World promo)

Shadow Lugia was featured in the TCG as a promotional card. The English version was given out to attendants of the Nintendo Pre Electronic Entertainment Expo conference. This card was also distributed at the Nintendo World Store in New York in October 2005. This card was released as a Jumbo card and was therefore not legal to use in tournaments or official events. It has an unusual 300 HP and its only attack, Shadow Storm, does 1000 damage (tied with various other promotional cards for the highest amount of damage on any printed card without counting damage modifiers). It uses the same artwork as it does on the box art of Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.

Shadow Lugia Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Card	Type	English Expansion	Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion	Rarity	#
Shadow Lugia		Miscellaneous Promotional cards			Unnumbered Promotional cards

Trivia

Box artwork of Shadow Lugia

• Shadow Lugia, available in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, is the only way to get Lugia without an event in Generation III. Its counterpart, Ho-Oh, is only available by purifying all Shadow Pokémon in XD's predecessor, Pokémon Colosseum, and then defeating all 100 Trainers at Mt. Battle in Battle Mode without changing the party for the entire challenge.
• The text displayed by the Aura Reader is different for Shadow Lugia. Instead of showing, "Oh! A Shadow Pokémon!" it shows, "The Aura Reader is responding! It is a Shadow Pokémon!"
• Even though Shadow Lugia is never shown to be officially "owned" by a Trainer (as it appears to lack a Poké Ball and Greevil already has a full party), Michael still uses the Snag Machine on it.
• Assuming the player has all the necessary Pokémon for the Purify Chamber, Shadow Lugia can actually be purified with the least amount of effort, as it is purified instantly and the method doesn't work on any other Shadow Pokémon.
• Shadow Lugia has been made into a Poké Doll plush toy.
• In Super Smash Bros. 4 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, one of Mewtwo's alternate costumes resembles Shadow Lugia.
• Shadow Lugia was designed by James Turner. According to Turner, he chose Shadow Lugia's colors and finalized its design based on sketches drawn by Hiromoto-SIN-ichi.

In other languages

Language Title French Lugia Obscur German Crypto-Lugia Italian Lugia Ombra Norwegian Skygge-Lugia Spanish Lugia Oscuro Swedish Mörkrets Lugia

See also

For more information on this Pokémon's species, see Lugia.

Related articles

Pokémon forms and variants Permanent: Shiny Pokémon (GO) • Alternately colored Pokémon (animated series) Gender differences • Form differences (GO) • Brilliant Pokémon • Alpha Pokémon Transformations: Mega Evolution (Shuffle • Masters • GO) • Primal Reversion (GO) • Bond Phenomenon Ultra Burst • Dynamax (GO) • Gigantamax (GO) • Eternamax • Terastal phenomenon Groups: Totem Pokémon • Noble Pokémon • Titan Pokémon Regional forms: Alolan • Galarian • Hisuian • Paldean Analogous: Paradox Pokémon • Ecologically similar Pokémon Species-specific: Arbok variants • Pikachu variants (Surfing • Flying • Cosplay • Cap) • Ditto transformations Miscellaneous: Giant Pokémon • Spiky-eared Pichu • Partner Pokémon (LGPE) Fusions (GO) • Human–Pokémon transformation Side series original: Shadow Pokémon • Shadow Lugia Spin-off original: Shadow Pokémon (GO) • Primal Dialga • Toy Pokémon (Rusty Pokémon) Shadow Mewtwo • Pokéxel • Illumina phenomenon • Mighty Pokémon Animated series original: Pink Butterfree • Clone Pokémon • Crystal Onix Mirage Pokémon • Meta Groudon • Green-crystal Deoxys Manga original: Thu-Fi-Zer • Black Fog • Black Tyranitar

This game character article is part of Project CharacterDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in the Pokémon games.