Partner Pokémon (Mystery Dungeon)
The partner Pokémon[a] (Japanese: パートナーのポケモン or パートナーポケモン partner Pokémon) or partner[b] is a Pokémon with a major role in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, serving as the hero Pokémon's partner.
In the games
The partner Pokémon has a major role to play in every Mystery Dungeon game. It is a Pokémon, chosen by the player after the hero Pokémon is determined, to accompany it in the adventure. The partner cannot be of the same species or type as the hero.
In the main storyline from the Rescue Team and Explorers titles, the partner is always following the hero, and the mission fails if the partner faints (with no means to revive it such as a Reviver Seed). The partner often has dialogue interacting with the hero during the storyline. In the post-game, the player is no longer required to play as the hero, and may choose to play as any Pokémon in the team, including the partner.
Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team and Rescue Team DX
At the beginning of the game, the player is presented with a quiz that decides which Pokémon they will play as, and then the partner is chosen (see below). The hero and partner are the only playable Pokémon until the first mission is completed and a Friend Area (Camp in Rescue Team DX) is purchased.
In the original games only, the partner will be in one of three personality groups depending on their species, which will affect their dialogue. In the Japanese versions, this will notably decide the first-person personal pronoun they will use: group 1 uses おいら oira, group 2 uses ぼく boku, and group 3 uses わたし watashi.
Personality and role
The partner is first seen awakening the hero, who had just become a Pokémon. After rescuing a lost Caterpie from a Mystery Dungeon, the partner helps the hero settle into a Team Base, and the two of them form a Rescue Team. The hero and partner undertake a series of missions, meeting other rescue teams along the way. When the hero is accused for the ongoing world calamities by Gengar, the partner still believes in the hero and helps them to escape, becoming a fugitive with them.
After having their names cleared, the partner accompanies the hero to rescue Alakazam's team, defeat Groudon and Rayquaza, and convince the latter to destroy the incoming meteor.
The partner is shocked and saddened when the hero leaves to return to the human world, but is relieved when the hero reappears at the Team Base after deciding to return to the Pokémon world.
| Pokémon | Personality | |
|---|---|---|
|
Bulbasaur | 2 |
|
Charmander | 2 |
|
Squirtle | 1 |
|
Pikachu | 2 |
|
Chikorita | 3 |
|
Cyndaquil | 2 |
|
Totodile | 1 |
|
Treecko | 2 |
|
Torchic | 3 |
|
Mudkip | 2 |
Every playable character from Red and Blue Rescue Team returns. Unlike in the original, Meowth, Psyduck, Machop, Cubone, Eevee and Skitty can now be chosen as the partner, and the hero and partner will always walk around together in Pokémon Square, even during the post-game. Additionally, both the hero and partner Pokémon, as well as the third team member (if there is one) must be knocked out during missions in order for it to count as a failure of the mission.
The player can choose to have a male or a female partner, and the corresponding gender differences are applied for Pikachu and Eevee. In addition, whether the partner is male or female changes their dialogue.
Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness
The game starts with a quiz to decide what Pokémon the player starts as, and then the player chooses a partner. The partner is always in the player's party until the main story is completed. However, even in the post-game, the hero and partner will still walk around together in Treasure Town.
As in Red and Blue Rescue Team, the partner will be in one of three personality groups depending on their species, which will affect their dialogue. In the Japanese versions, this will also decide their first-person personal pronoun.
Personality and role
At the start of the game, the partner is extremely timid and lacking in confidence. The partner constantly carries around a piece of personal treasure called the Relic Fragment to help boost its confidence. It tries to join Wigglytuff's Guild, but runs away before it could make it past the front gate. The partner goes to the beach to lift its spirits, then discovers the hero washed ashore on the beach, helping them up. The hero agrees to form a team with the partner, and later they manage to join Wigglytuff Guild.
As they go on more missions and expeditions, the partner begins to gain the confidence to take charge. One example of this is when they lead the hero and Bidoof through the Foggy Forest and work with them to find the entrance to Steam Cave.
The partner, like everyone else in the guild, is fooled by Dusknoir's heroic facade, and has several run-ins with Grovyle, whom they failed to stop.
After Dusknoir captures Grovyle, the partner is grabbed by Dusknoir and sent to the future with the hero. The partner and the hero awaken in captivity with Grovyle. The partner is initially skeptical of Grovyle, but they and the hero team up with him and to return to the past.
The hero and partner go to the Hidden Highland with Grovyle, and the partner uses its Relic Fragment to activate the Rainbow Stoneship, taking the Time Gears with them. The partner ascends Temporal Tower with the hero. After defeating Primal Dialga, the partner hurriedly puts the Time Gears in place.
On the way back to the Rainbow Stoneship, the hero starts to disappear. The partner then learns the harsh truth about the hero's destiny, being from the future. As the partner's shock turns into grief and sorrow, the hero expresses one last wish for its partner to carry out. Months later, the partner goes out for a stroll at the beach, remembering their meeting the hero and internally wishing the hero would return. The partner collapses in tears on Bidoof, who had just arrived. At the Temporal Tower, Dialga decides to grant the partner's wish, and revives the hero behind the partner at the beach.
In the post-game story, the partner takes part in their graduation mission with the hero. After defeating their guild colleagues, the hero and partner find the Luminous Spring, which allows Pokémon to evolve. The partner tries to evolve at the spring, but fails due to a mysterious distortion in the fabric of space.
After going on a few explorations, the hero and partner encounter Cresselia in the dreams of Azurill and Palkia, who insists upon their disappearance. However, a second Cresselia appears, exposing the first Cresselia to be Darkrai.
The partner joins the hero and Cresselia to challenge Darkrai at Dark Crater. There, the partner learns about Darkrai's true plan and actions up to that point. Darkrai offers to have the hero and partner join him. The partner appears to have accepted the offer, but this is only an illusion, which the hero sees through. The hero and partner defeat Darkrai, returning to Treasure Town afterward. The consequent cutscene is narrated in the partner's voice, where it mentions that it still cannot evolve. This remains the case until Marine Resort is unlockedS and Palkia joins the exploration team.TD
The player cannot customize their partner's gender. The partner can only be a fixed gender for the species.
| Pokémon | Personality | Pokémon.com description | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bulbasaur♂ | 2 | Bulbasaur's Overgrow Ability powers up Grass-type moves when it's weakened. |
|
|
Charmander♂ | 2 | This starter Pokémon wears its emotions on its tail—the flame on its tail, that is! |
|
Squirtle♂ | 1 | With its Water Terrain Ability, Squirtle can lead you across rivers and lakes! |
|
|
Pikachu♂ | 2 | Pikachu is one of the starters you can choose from! We wonder if its Ability, Static, will come in to play? |
|
Chikorita♀ | 3 | Grass-type Pokémon like Chikorita can be found in forests. |
|
|
Cyndaquil♂ | 2 | Cyndaquil delivers a warm reception when it's angered or startled—its back erupts with fire! |
|
|
Totodile♂ | 1 | Even its friends need to be careful of Totodile—it has a habit of biting anything with its developed jaws. |
|
|
Treecko♂ | 2 | After you battle in the Explorer Maze, Treecko shows up to request a job. |
|
|
Torchic♀ | 3 | Those who hug Torchic get an extra warm feeling because a fire burns inside its body! |
|
|
Mudkip♂ | 2 | Skilled in Water-type moves, Mudkip checks its surroundings using the fin on its head. |
|
Turtwig♂ | 2 | Turtwig is a Grass-type Pokémon. Will it be powerful in grassy areas? |
|
Chimchar♂ | 1 | Using Fire-type moves with Chimchar will definitely help you out in a pinch. |
|
Piplup♂ | 2 | Piplup is friendly and enthusiastic. It will make a great Pokémon adventurer! |
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
As in Explorers of Time and Darkness, the game starts with a quiz to decide what Pokémon the player starts as, and then the player chooses a partner. The partner has to tag along and the player will automatically lose should the partner Pokémon be knocked out until the main story is completed. However, the hero and partner will still walk around in Treasure Town.
Once again, the partner will be in one of three personality groups depending on their species, affecting their dialogue. In the Japanese version, this will once more decide their first-person personal pronoun.
The player cannot customize their partner's gender. The partner can only be a fixed gender for the species.
| Pokémon | Personality | Egg Move | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Bulbasaur♂ | 2 | — |
|
|
Charmander♂ | 2 | — |
|
|
Squirtle♂ | 1 | — |
|
|
Pikachu♂ | 2 | — |
|
Vulpix♀ | 3 | Faint Attack |
|
Meowth♂ | 1 | Hypnosis |
|
Eevee♀ | 3 | Flail |
|
|
Chikorita♀ | 3 | — |
|
|
Cyndaquil♂ | 2 | — |
|
|
Totodile♂ | 1 | — |
|
Phanpy♂ | 2 | AncientPower |
|
|
Treecko♂ | 2 | — |
|
|
Torchic♀ | 3 | — |
|
|
Mudkip♂ | 2 | — |
|
Skitty♀ | 3 | Zen Headbutt |
|
|
Turtwig♂ | 2 | — |
|
|
Chimchar♂ | 1 | — |
|
|
Piplup♂ | 2 | — |
|
Shinx♂ | 2 | Quick Attack |
|
Munchlax♂ | 1 | Zen Headbutt |
|
Riolu♂ | 2 | Bite |
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon (WiiWare)
The partner is chosen by a selection screen.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
The player can choose between the Unova first partner Pokémon, Pikachu, and Axew.
In the Japanese version, the player can choose whether the partner is male or female. If the player chooses to have a female Pikachu as their partner, it will erroneously not have the gender difference applied. The partner can only be male in the international versions.
 Pikachu |
 Snivy |
 Tepig |
 Oshawott |
 Axew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric | Grass | Fire | Water | Dragon |
Personality and role
- Main article: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity#Plot
In this game, the partner is a Pokémon with a good moral compass. They see trust in others as a valuable thing and try to see the good in others.
The partner is the first Pokémon the player meets on their adventure. They request the player's help to fulfill their lifelong dream: to build a Pokémon Paradise on land bought from Quagsire, starting with a house to stay in.
The partner and the player complete many Requests together, recruiting Pokémon and making friends along the way, including Dunsparce, Emolga, Virizion, Espeon and Umbreon.
The partner joins the trip to the Glacier Palace, and is visibly entertained by the Frisms found there. However, the partner later collapses with all the other Pokémon except the player upon attempting to go further into the palace. The group leaves with treasures from Kyurem.
The partner then goes with the player to respond to the plea for help that the latter received from Munna in a series of dreams. This is, however, a trap that results in the partner being captured by Munna and her allies.
In the Holehills, the player rescues the partner, aided by Hydreigon. Kyurem attacks the group during their escape, causing Hydreigon to disappear. Kyurem then attacks the player and the partner. Just as Kyurem is about to finish off the player, the partner stands in the way, begging him to stop. Kyurem, upon seeing the partner's will to fight gone in the moment, spares them and the player, walking away.
Upon arriving home, the partner tells the people of Post Town what had happened, and comes up with a plan to avenge Hydreigon. The partner once again goes to Glacier Palace with the player and their friends to stand up to Munna, Kyurem and the Bittercold. The partner is the only one who accompanies the player to fight Kyurem, but much like the others had before (excluding the player), collapses in proximity to the Bittercold's power.
The partner escapes with the player after the Bittercold is defeated, being transported back to the Pokémon Paradise. Later on, the partner speaks with Hydreigon, learning that the player would soon return to the human world. The partner is disheartened, but prepares a goodbye message in their Frism for the player.
In the player's absence, the partner manages Paradise. However, it is not long before they venture into Worldcore to wish for the player to return. If the player accepts and completes one more dungeon with the partner, the partner may evolve, and is no longer a mandatory inclusion in the party.
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon
Every core series first partner Pokémon as of Generation VI, as well as Pikachu and Riolu, can be chosen as the player or partner. They can either be selected by quiz or selected by the player.
If the player chooses for their partner to be "Cool", Pikachu will be male. If the player chooses for their partner to be "Cute", Pikachu will be female.
Personality and role
- Main article: Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon#Plot
The partner is infamous in Serene Village for being mischievous, and causing trouble for everyone, especially at school. Despite this, they are good hearted, and they dream of joining the Expedition Society to explore the world and help Pokémon in need. The partner is the adopted child of Carracosta, who found him on his doorstep wrapped in Harmony Scarves. The partner and the player soon meet Ampharos and, after leaving Serene Village for Lively Town, become full-fledged Expedition Society members.
When the Expedition Society takes a trip to Fire Island, during a confrontation with Entei, the player and the partner's Harmony Scarves activate, making them fully evolve, which gives them the power to defeat Entei. The Evolution is only temporary, and they revert back to normal afterwards. The partner then goes with the player and Nuzleaf to Revelation Mountain so as to access the spring of Luminous Water there. The partner mysteriously is capable of deciphering the stone tablet there, as it reads out the instructions to break the spring's barrier.
After the player breaks the barrier, Nuzleaf and Yveltal combine forces to turn the partner and everyone else present to stone. The partner and the player awaken in the Voidlands. With help from Raikou, Entei, Suicune, and Mawile, the two of them escape. After returning to the real world, they find out that many Pokemon have been turned to stone at that point, including, to the partner's dismay, Carracosta.
The player and the partner nearly fall into a trap set by Nuzleaf, but Celebi teleports them to Primeval Forest, close to the Tree of Life. The partner then learns that their Harmony Scarves were made from the Tree of Life to battle Dark Matter. As Dark Matter then starts lifting the Tree of Life out of the planet's atmosphere, the partner desperately jumps up the debris to reach the Tree of Life. Though they fail at first, they and the player are transported to the tree's roots by Arceus.
At the top of the tree, the player and the partner fight Dark Matter. They attempt to fight Dark Matter, but it regenerates itself and turns most of the remaining Pokemon left to stone. The partner, with what little strength they have, continues to struggle against Dark Matter, refusing to give up. The player joins in, as the spirits of every Pokemon in the world encourage them and give them strength. Dark Matter threatens to resurface again in the distant future, but the partner accepts this outcome, accepting Dark Matter as a part of the world, too. The player and the partner shatter Dark Matter's core in a final attack, stopping the world's destruction and returning everyone to normal. After celebrating their victory at Serene Village, the partner tells the player that Xerneas made them remember everything, including their true identity: Mew. The partner reveals that the time has come for them to disappear, saying goodbye to the player.
Later, the player embarks on a journey to the Sand Dune of Spirits, and later the Mystery Jungle to find Mew again. However, Mew has no memories of its time with the player. Still, the player is comforted by Mew's behaviors resembling those of their partner.
A few days later, Mew fell ill, due to a piece of Dark Matter still residing within it according to Xatu. Mew is soon kidnapped, with its abductor leaving a note stating that they intend to sacrifice Mew in Purifying Cave to eliminate Dark Matter once and for all. However, the kidnapping turned out to be a test of the player's desire to have their partner back, and the Harmony Scarves cure Mew before disappearing. Xatu reveals that it had not seen a piece of Dark Matter inside Mew, but the partner's spirit. The partner's spirit leaves Mew's body, incarnating into the species of Pokémon they were before.
In animation
In the main series
- See also: Team Go-Getters and Team Poképals
In the animated special Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate!, Charmander and Chikorita both act as animated series counterparts to the partner from Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, meeting an odd Squirtle who claims to have once been a human boy. The two of them welcome him into their Rescue Team, Team Go-Getters.
In the two animated specials Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Beyond Time & Darkness, the role of partner is fulfilled by a Chimchar, who finds the courage to join the Wigglytuff Guild after befriending a Piplup.
In the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Animated Shorts
In the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Animated Shorts, the partner Pokémon is a female Pikachu. Together with her friend, an Oshawott, the two work together to build her paradise.
In the manga
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team, Ginji's partner is a Mudkip. He is a cowardly Pokémon that slowly grows more assertive while adventuring with Ginji.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blazing Exploration Team, Honō's partner is a Totodile. Similar to Mudkip, Totodile gains confidence in itself as he journeys with his friend.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness, Chimchar's partner is a Turtwig.
References
- ↑ This character is referred to as the "partner Pokémon" in the manuals of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team. "The Pokémon which becomes your partner Pokémon will be one of the following ten. No matter which one you choose, it will help you in your adventure!"
- ↑ This character is referred to as the "partner" in the manuals of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky. "Meowth and Munchlax are only candidates for the partner. They are not available as candidates for the hero." "If you or your partner are defeated in a dungeon, the exploration team will be sent back to the guild, or in some cases to the last save point."
Related articles
|
This article is part of both Project CharacterDex and Project Sidegames, Bulbapedia projects that, together, aim to write comprehensive articles on characters in the spin-off games. | 
|