>>46585427You can kind of see a gold and silver motif with her (also the black part of her top), and that may just be a reference to the games themselves with a little bit of darkness. But I think it's how pale her skin is and how her hair is simultaneously washed out and dark, almost grey and grim, that gives her the feeling of dark. The Dark-type is the あくタイプ (悪タイプ; Evil Type) in Japan, and back in Gen II it was associated with dirty fighting rather than literal elemental darkness. Fighting and Psychic were a pair, and Dark works as a third pillar by being underhanded and tricky, a different type of fighting to outright physical combat or mind powers.
Karen herself captures the 大人のお姉さん (Adult Lady/Beauty) Trainer class vibe quite well, and associating Dark with seductiveness, confidence, and risqué clothing works nicely. I think they managed to capture her well without going overkill like the original art.
