Generation 8 brought us the first real cut of the national dex, which has been since problematic when it comes to getting all the ribbons in one Pokémon. This is specially annoying when the Pokémon comes from older generations and has to do a very long trip until it reaches the newest games. The most affected ones are the shadow Pokémon.

In this guide you will find a list of all the games each shadow Pokémon is available in, and which ribbons your ribbon master may miss in these games. This list will be updated when there is official information about new releases and the Pokémon that appear in those games. The contents of this page are limited to the shadow Pokémon and any other Pokémon obtainable in the Gamecube games, not their preevolutions and evolutions, as they are assumed to be included (unless there's some exception, like regional variants).

1. Colosseum's Shadow Pokémon.

Out of the 51 shadow Pokémon available in Colosseum (without counting any preevolutions or evolutions): 26 of them are present in Sword and Shield (50.9%), all of them in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, 17 in Legends: Arceus (33.3%), and 40 in Scarlet and Violet (78.4%). Out of the 26 in Sword and Shield, 1 was added in the Isle of Armor, and 6 were added in the Crown Tundra. Out of the 40 in Scarlet and Violet, 8 were added in the Teal Mask, and 9 were added in the Indigo Disk.

2. XD: Gale of Darkness' Shadow Pokémon.

Out of the 83 shadow Pokémon available in XD: Gale of Darkness (without counting any preevolutions or evolutions): 51 of them are present in Sword and Shield (61.4%), all of them in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, 23 in Legends: Arceus (27.7%), and 50 in Scarlet and Violet (60.2%). Out of the 51 in Sword and Shield, 11 were added in the Isle of Armor, and 10 were added in the Crown Tundra. Out of the 50 in Scarlet and Violet, 11 were added in the Teal Mask, and 10 were added in the Indigo Disk.

3. Extra Pokémon.

Out of the 24 non-shadow Pokémon obtainable in Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness: 15 of them are present in Sword and Shield (62.5%), all of them in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, 9 in Legends: Arceus (37.5%), and 20 in Scarlet and Violet (83.3%). Out of the 15 in Sword and Shield, 4 were added in the Crown Tundra. Out of the 20 in Scarlet and Violet, 2 were added in the Teal Mask, and 6 were added in the Indigo Disk.

4. Generation 8+ ribbons.

These are the ribbons added in generation 8+, which your ribbon master may or may not miss, depending on its availability on each game. Keep in mind that these are only the ones that are added newly to the series. For example, the Sinnoh champion ribbon from generation 4 and the remakes count as the same one, so it won't be listed here.

4.1. Sword and Shield.

Colosseum shadow Pokémon that can obtain these ribbons: Noctowl, Quagsire, Remoraid, Mantine, Qwilfish, Dunsparce, Meditite, Swablu, Sudowoodo, Hitmontop, Entei, Suicune, Sneasel, Piloswine, Vibrava, Raikou, Delibird, Heracross, Skarmory, Miltank, Absol, Metagross, Tyranitar, Shuckle, Togetic, Togepi, and Scizor.

XD: Gale of Darkness shadow Pokémon that can obtain these ribbons: Spheal, Baltoy, Seedot, Vulpix, Ralts, Duskull, Mawile, Snorunt, Natu, Roselia, Meowth, Swinub, Lunatone, Togepi, Growlithe, Shellder, Butterfree, Tangela, Magneton, Golduck, Sableye, Farfetch'd, Altaria, Kangaskhan, Magmar, Pinsir, Rapidash, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, Lickitung, Scyther, Chansey, Starmie, Solrock, Electabuzz, Snorlax, Mr. Mime, Poliwrath, Dugtrio, Salamence, Lapras, Manectric, Marowak, Lugia, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Tauros, Exeggutor, Rhydon, and Dragonite.

Non-shadow Pokémon that can obtain these ribbons: Umbreon, Espeon, Celebi, Jirachi, Pikachu, Ho-oh, Shuckle, Larvitar, Elekid, Zubat, Aron, Wooper, Sandshrew, Trapinch, and Eevee.

4.2. Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

Here you also get access to the tower master ribbon, so in case your Pokémon wasn't available in Sword and Shield, you can grab it here, as all the shadow Pokémon are present in these games. Because of this, it's also listed even if it also appears in the Sword and Shield section.

All shadow and non-shadow Pokémon can obtain these ribbons.

4.3. Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

The only obtainable ribbon here will only show up in Pokémon Home and the generation 9 games.

Colosseum shadow Pokémon that can obtain this ribbon: Quilava, Misdreavus, Yanma, Remoraid, Mantine, Sudowoodo, Gligar, Sneasel, Piloswine, Stantler, Aipom, Heracross, Ursaring, Togetic, Togepi, and Scizor.

XD: Gale of Darkness shadow Pokémon that can obtain this ribbon: Teddiursa, Spheal, Vulpix, Ralts, Duskull, Snorunt, Roselia, Swinub, Nosepass, Togepi, Paras Tangela, Magneton, Golduck, Magmar, Rapidash, Lickitung, Scyther, Chansey, Electabuzz, Snorlax, Mr. Mime, and Rhydon.

Non-shadow Pokémon that can obtain these ribbons: Umbreon, Espeon, Pikachu, Elekid, Zubat, Gligar, Cyndaquil, and Eevee.

4.4. Scarlet and Violet.

Here you get another chance at obtaining the master rank ribbon, as the game also uses the same style of online battle ranks, in case your Pokémon isn't available in Sword and Shield.

Colosseum shadow Pokémon that can obtain these ribbons: Makuhita, Quilava, Misdreavus, Slugma, Flaaffy, Skiploom, Quagsire, Qwilfish, Dunsparce, Meditite, Swablu, Sudowoodo, Hitmontop, Entei, Suicune, Sneasel, Piloswine, Stantler, Ariados, Murkrow, Forretress, Granbull, Raikou Sunflora, Delibird, Heracross, Skarmory, Houndoom, Tropius, Tyranitar, Smeargle, Ursaring, Mareep, Scizor, Noctowl, Furret, Yanma, Gligar, Aipom, Vibrava, and Metagross.

XD: Gale of Darkness shadow Pokémon that can obtain these ribbons: Teddiursa, Houndour, Mareep, Gulpin, Numel, Shroomish, Voltorb, Makuhita, Ralts, Duskull, Pineco, Snorunt, Meowth, Swinub, Grimer, Nosepass, Zangoose, Growlithe, Shellder, Magneton, Weepinbell, Venomoth, Arbok, Hypno, Primeape, Golduck, Sableye, Altaria, Banette, Magcargo, Scyther, Chansey, Dugtrio, Salamence, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Tauros, Dragonite, Poochyena, Seedot, Vulpix, Seel, Snorlax, Poliwrath, Exeggutor, Dodrio, Magmar, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, Electabuzz, Lapras, Lugia, Rhydon.

Non-shadow Pokémon that can obtain these ribbons: Umbreon, Espeon, Pikachu, Meditite, Larvitar, Wooper, Sandshrew, Trapinch, Hoppip, Phanpy, Surskit, Cyndaquil, Eevee, Jirachi, Plusle, Ho-oh, Elekid, Chikorita, and Totodile.

5. Pokémon available in all games.

Currently, only a lucky few have access to all the generation 8+ games, and therefore, the ribbons. These are (for now) the safest choices for a ribbon master; the only Pokémon in the Gamecube games that will be able to collect all ribbons from generation 3, up to generation 9 (except the national ribbon, for the non-shadow ones).

6. Final thoughts.

Through the years, we kept receiving new ways to transfer our Pokémon from old games to the newest entry of the series, sometimes adding some cool mini-games, or (sadly) paid services. One way or the other, we have always been able to trade our digital friends to new adventures, to make new memories. The pokédex cut is something we have lived with for a few years now, and it's something we will probably have to get used to for an undefined amount of time. Nowadays, there's a different thing that creates more concern than the smaller amount of Pokémon and the national pokédex: the limited life of the transfer services.

As of 27th of March 2023, the 3DS and Wii U's e-shop's life comes to an end, and with it, multiple games that we won't be able to purchase, due to their digital-only nature. Although, this closure is not total, downloads of already owned games and programs are available. But this topic invites us to come up with another question: what will happen when the Pokémon Bank eventually closes down completely?

Back during the release of Ruby and Sapphire, there wasn't any way to transfer anything from generation 2 to generation 3, but, somehow, we got access to these Pokémon through other means (Kanto remake, shadow Pokémon, Emerald's safari zone extension...), and, although one may not be happy about the fact that your old Pokémon aren't able to travel to Hoenn, these were the patches we received, and, eventually, got used to. Years passed, and this hasn't been around people's minds as much, we are lucky to have gotten multiple top-tier games to create new memories with. Sadly, this thought has been slowly creeping around, while we get closer to this unknown day.

Over 20 years, 7 generations, and multiple games, and, for the first time, I feel like an era will end when we get the undesired announcement about Pokémon Bank. As of now, that's the future that awaits us, the big generational breach that will cut in half the franchise's retro compatibility, unless whoever is in charge decides to do something, which seems unlikely. It's understandable, a company's main focus is making money, and I don't blame them for it, but what I do blame them for is not giving us official options for this. Luckily, the community always finds a not-so-official way of getting away with things, but, is this really what we should settle for, and not demand the creators of the problem for a solution?

The virtual console releases were a prime example of things done right, preserving their existence over time while simultaneously giving a solution to the eternal problem of getting Pokémon out of generation 1 and 2. But one way or the other, we now have ended up with a virtual console locked behind a rather low-quality, paid subscription service, in the Nintendo Switch Online. There's no sign of any main series release in the foreseeable future, and even then, do we really want this cycle to repeat, in an even worse manner? Are we buying, or are we renting our games? Do we really own what we have?

Thanks for reading this guide, and good riddance on getting your Gamecube Pokémon all their ribbons, or maybe simply transfering them up to the new games. Check out the Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness guides on how to shiny hunt in those games, in case you're ready to ribbon master one of them but haven't decided which.