Authors and Websites
Usami
- Recommended by Netbug009, Werebunny131
- Comments: Seriously, just anything by this author. There's some amazing control of the characters here.
- Recommended by Foomin Blue, Gorsecloud, Nothingtoseehere, TheOrange, Aqua Sableye
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: A human wakes up to find himself transformed into a Charmander, unable to remember even his own name... only his conviction that he was once human, and this is not his world. Teaming up with a fugitive Bulbasaur, he is drawn into the resistance movement against the mysterious and all-powerful Master.
- Comments: Silver Resistance strives to be a worthy successor to the plot-driven Rescue Team and Explorers PMD games. Its Darker and Edgier leanings are tempered with the author's willingness to joke around and make frequent Shout Outs to the actual series; he also put real thought into the internal workings of the original setting, and it boasts a large, decently developed cast.
by Ember A. Keelty
- Recommended by Foomin Blue
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Sometimes forgetting is the greatest mercy you could ask for. Sometimes it isn't.
- Comments: A succinct and heartbreaking take on what life was like for the heroine before the adventure began. While the ending is technically Jossed by Sky, that doesn't dull its impact.
- Recommended by Samurai Yoshi
- Status: Dormant
- Synopsis: When an evil Pokemon takes Palkia and Dialga as captives and drives the world into chaos, it's up to a human that was turned into a pokemon-and his team-to stop him.
- Comments: A pretty good 'fic, generally revolving around the friendship and adventures of Team Pokesquad, with a developing plot. Gets better as you read on.
, its sequel Unexpected Explorations, and its extension Trials of a Pokemon Trainer by LionsMane10
- Recommended by Canary In The Coal Mine, Bwburke94
- Status
- Variations: Complete
- Unexpected Explorations: Complete
- Trials of a Pokemon Trainer: Complete
- Synopsis:
- Variations is a sequel to the Explorers of Time/Darkness storyline. Dialga is predicting a new disaster that can destroy both the Pokemon world and Earth, but this time originating from Earth. Can Leo and Blaze figure out what it is and stop it in time? Can Leo survive returning to Earth and confronting everything he left behind? The story is completed.
- Unexpected Explorations is a sequel to the first fic. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll leave it at that.
- Trials of a Pokemon Trainer is the side story/sequel to that storyline, involving Leo attempting to become a Pokemon trainer on Earth, despite being a Pokemon himself. The story is completed.
- Comments:
- Variations is most definitely a work of love, examining the emotional bond between the main character and his partner as they visit Earth, as well as the main character's past. Highly recommended for a take on PMD 2's characters and storyline.
- Unexpected Explorations is unique due to turning a certain OC's portrayal from the first fic on its head and then some.
- Trials of a Pokemon Trainer is a humorous side story of the main character trying to learn how to be a Pokemon trainer again, but still stuck as a Pokemon himself.
by WedgePalmer
- Recommended by Dialga X
- Status: Dead
- Synopsis: When an evil warlord gathers an Army of Pokemon and invades the region of Kind, can a tiny rescue team formed by a Cyndaquil and his manservant Treecko fight the darkness
- Comments: It takes place in a Pokémon Mystery Dungeon styled world but other than that, it shares little with the actual games. However, this story is very dark, even darker than the Explorers of Time/Darkness. Sadly, it is dead but the 2 chapters that are present are very, very good.
- Recommended by Pykrete
- Status: Dormant
- Synopsis: The sequel to Latias' Journey, which was sitting on the Pokémon recs page for a while before Mystery Dungeon got its own page. Starts after the end of the Red/Blue Rescue game, whose human-turned-Pokemon protagonist was apparently Ash (as a Lucario) — and he's not the only familiar face. Trouble starts brewing when a cult starts trying to destroy life and the fabric of the universe, and things kinda go downhill from there.
- Comments: Reading Latias' Journey isn't strictly necessary to understand what's going on, but it's set up a bit better if you did (for instance, why Pikachu has a sword — don't think about it, just run with it — and who some of the extras are). Like the previous work, it gleefully stretches both ends of the Sliding Scale of Comedy and Horror beyond the breaking point, often in the same paragraph, so expect to be assaulted by major Squick and major weirdness at the same time. Additionally, at some point between Journey and here, the author discovered TVTropes, and the first new member of the team is a Troper too...and he knows how to use Bulbapedia.
- Also, it has a massive word count at 2,065,048 words.
by Saturn Jupiter.
- Recommended by: mysterynovelist2010
- Status: Dead
- Synopsis: A young girl's mind is trapped inside the body of a Pokemon whilst her body lies in a coma elsewhere. Her loyal Pokemon watch over her comatose body while her mind is threatened by a faction of dark type Pokemon wishing to resurrect the legendary Darkrai.
- Comments: The first great PMD fic that didn't involve a retelling of the entire game that I've ever found. What I especially like is how the author does a side-by-side comparison of the young girl (called Aimee) as an Eevee in the PMD world and her comatose body in the real world and the effects of both Aimees to those around her. Bonus points go to the fact that she has all her chapter titles in French.
by GreenSonic21
- Recommended by: mydoctor93
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Based off the first anime special (yes, there were multiple anime specials.) Squirtle, Charmander and Chikorita continue on with their Rescue Team work after their first mission. Author's preview of the story: "I recently watched the first Pokemon Mystery Dungeon special again, and thought about trying to continue it. Team Go-Getters continue their work, but they may be in for more than they bargained for. Follows the game storyline with some later differences." The later differences mentioned are related with who Squirtle really was as a human.
- Comments: It expands on the basic plot of the first PMD games; the author prevents the story from going trite by tweaking parts of the plot, which includes setting up Gengar as a henchman of another, more sinister villain by the name of Faust, and manages to work up an acceptable compromise between originality and quality. The plot may still sound banal for some people, but other than that it is a good story.
by Pocket-Fulla-Shells
- Recommended by Phaaze 22
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Somewhat based on Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Sky, Floyd finds himself in a world without humans, and as been turned into a pokemon himself, and sets out to discover the truth and the way home, only to discover things that would undermine his own sanity
- Comments: An alternate take on the story of PMD Sky, with a main character roster of somewhat different personalities, making it, whilst all the more hilarious, also all the more gripping and exciting. Also adds some interesting expansions to the universe as a whole. Good stuff.
and its sequel Life in Flames by Gamerfan 411
- Recommended by RLYoshi
- Status: Complete, Complete
- Synopsis: Somewhat Exactly What It Says on the Tin; it's a novelization of the famous Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games this section is for, but with a few twists and turns by the author. The sequel, while still based on the games, is more original and doesn't rely strictly on the game's plot for its own story.
- Novelization: Alex wakes up on the beach one day as a Pikachu, remembering nothing about himself other than his name and that he used to be a human. After meeting a friendly Eevee girl, they form an exploration team and go out to save the world...twice. Contains some minor shipping between the hero and partner.
- Life in Flames: Elisa is a girl who never liked Pokemon, but she wakes up one day as a Vulpix saved from a forest fire in a faraway place. After she gets used to this situation, she meets a friendly Riolu and soon reluctantly joins him as an exploration team. Several events cause this to be very different from the games, in contrast to the previous story.
- Comments: Definitely one of my favourite Pokemon fanfics. There is quite a bit of characterization, as well as some well-needed backstory. The series is also updating very frequently; the sequel started on September 4th and already has 14 chapters by the 26th.
by various authors.
- Recommended by: NegaPoke
- Status: Dormant
- Synopsis Set in a region known as Daseos, there are five guilds. Each specializes in three types, and have their own unique terrain and specialties in Missions. Despite being an RP, the story is action-packed at some points, with betrayal, world-saving, and other things.
- Comments: Despite being a Roleplay, it is interesting and fun to read. Besides the occasional chat from the roleplayers and new sign-up forms interrupting the story, it is clear who our main heroes are. The Five mostly features the adventures of Team Blast, Team Quake, and an Umbreon named Kai. Four of them, including Yujin`s own Guildmaster and younger brother of Typh, Vulcan, are revealed to be humans in a long lost legend of four humans transformed into Pokemon to be punished for their actions. It is an interesting read, and again, despite being a Roleplay, it is amazing.
by Kamentantei
- Recommended by: Higurashiblood 98
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: A despot and his minions seize power with their racist ideologies and ensnare the earth with evil. The hero and his partner are gradually consumed by this evil themselves. What does it mean to be good or evil? Outcasts from society will find the truth. Note:This story is extremely AU and does loosely follow the events of the main storyline.
- Comments: This story is very unique in its spectrum. Basically, the Guild is a messed-up cult full of racist bigots who are brainwashed into believing anyone outside their cult "outsiders", is basically garbage. Most characters like Chatot and Wigglytuff are extremely different from their video game counterparts. Also, the story follows its own unique storyline, instead of blatantly ripping off the premise of the human turned Pokemon and telling a cliched story, the plot focuses more on the characters and their development, their pain, their scars, and their flaws. The hero and partner are deeply tested throughout all of this. Be warned that this fanfic is Darkerand Edgier than its cheerful counterpart. There is some cursing, mature themes of brainwashing and religion, some blood and gore, and a few major characters even DIE. Yes, this is an extremely dark fanfic that loves to tread a path where few have gone before. The main characters are eventually shoved aside for the interesting minor characters, who grow and change over the course of the story. So far, it's had more than its share of Nightmare Fuel, Tear Jerker, and Mind Screw moments. This story is highly recommended.
- Recommended by TheOrange, Madd The Sane
- Status: In progress
- Synopsis: A Victini plots an evil plan using Darkrai. Meanwhile, a little girl wakes up to find herself as an Audino and being chased by a group of Houndoom. Then she runs into Gengar's territory...
- Comments: It has a very good plot, tying not only PMD 1 and PMD 2 but also Pokemon XD and Black and White. It has a good drawings too.
and its companion fic, The World's Treasure Part 1: The Rainbow by Catflower Queen
- Recommended by OrangenChan
- Status: Dormant, Complete
- Synopsis: Missing Scenes contains humorous, dramatic, or just general scenes that happen "off-screen" during PMD2, and The World's Treasure goes in-depth on the author's theories on what, exactly, was the hero's role in PMD2's mythos. The two use the same heroines and minor references are made to each other in each one.
- Comments: May not be totally canon, but these are definitely worth a read for the author's interesting theories on PMD2's backstory, and the sheer amount of Chekhov's Gun and Foreshadowing. The characters are quite well-done too, with the canon cast being quite in-character and some very unique OCs. Both are currently on-going.
by Arrowfoot the Dragon now has its own page.
- Recommended by Bwburke94
- Seconded by Aqua Sableye
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: (From FFN) Several humans, each with varying amounts of memory, wake up as Pokémon in a Pokéworld that is rapidly changing for the worse. As they go on their respective journeys, will they find out who they are and why they're there? Can they survive?
- Comments: You may want to read the author's prior fic The Language of Life (which is based on the main series) before you read this one. They aren't directly connected, so it's not needed, but a good idea.
- AquaSableye: This story, as suggested by the title, follows the journey of several humans that have been turned into Pokemon. As to be expected, the story follows multiple perspectives, namely, the three humans introduced at the beginning. The first is a Vulpix who is unable to remember literally anything about herself and joins a Bulbasaur to form the usual PMD team. Her perspective focuses on trying to remember her past. The second human is a Zigzagoon by the name of Cody, who is able to remember everything about himself, except why he's a Pokemon. He joins a pre-established team with some force and his perspective mainly follows trying to cope with the team. The third human is an Archen named Max, who can only remember one thing about his human life that he loathes to think of. His story focuses on the aspect of learning to overcome his cowardly nature through the various hardships he faces. The story itself is quite a read, even if the plot was predictable at times. Yet, what it lacks in plot, it makes up for it in wonderful characters and their development through the journeys. Recommended for those who wish to see a PMD story in a new, multi-perspective light.
by ShadowVulpi
- Recommended by: thezogg, Yo Kai Shoubiao
- Status: Complete as of 10/12/2016
- Synopsis: A former human, now an amnesic Cubone, finds himself in a world infested with demented creatures that ravage the land like a wildfire. He teams up with a Zorua, where they seek a way to end the madness. However, they soon find that perhaps it was better not to become involved with the creatures. Contains gore, disturbing imagery, and dark themes.
- Comments: A Darker and Edgier Mystery Dungeon story. It takes place in an original world with the two main protagonists being a human turned Cubone suffering complete amnesia who was named Terron by his partner, the supposedly plucky Zorua, Zekra. It rips apart the Mystery Dungeon genre with a heavy dose of Reality Ensues, such as many Pokémon being carnivores and Terron's reaction to it, the heroes are newbies who get their butts handed to them, and their version of Team Meanies is a sociopathic Weavile who easily curb stomps them. And of course there are the Big Bads, the Plagued Ones, a group of Eldritch Abomination Outside Context Problems that make Bittercold look like C-List Fodder. The ending is very powerful and heartbreaking, and the whole fic is a Tear Jerker in places, mainly because Anyone Can Die. It suffers from info dumps from time to time, but the compelling plot, each characters individual story arcs and conflicting agendas, and world building make it an excellent read.
- Recommended by rmctagg09
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: A Shinx and an Eevee befriend an amnesiac Mienfoo, who joins their rescue team. The three soon find themselves involved in helping with the search for the stolen crystals from Axis Tower, which help keep their world in balance. But who stole the crystals, and why? What secrets is the mysterious Elgyem keeping to herself? And what is the Mienfoo's true role in all of this?
- Comments: Following an entirely Original Generation cast far away from the events of the PMD games, Reflecting Balance as mentioned in the title follows the story of Sera the Eevee, Blitz the Shinx, and Chiaki the amnesiac Mienfoo as they attempt to find the crystals of the Axis Tower and get to the bottom of their companion's amnesia. It starts out light, but gets slightly darker by the time the main villain is revealed. It's also perfectly accessible to those who have never played a Mystery Dungeon game or even the franchise in general. With a fine plot, excellent characterization, and great battles, it's a definite must read.
- Recommended by Nothingtoseehere
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A brief look at the Explorers games as a Cosmic Horror Story.
"You can hear them mumbling their muffled joy, like a mantra, like a chant for the darkest legends in books you'll never read. The stone you loved so much when you could love hits your back, thunk, thunk, thunk.
so close we're so close we're so close
Their eyes see nothing but the twists and the turns and the enemies, experience, prey that will never be eaten. You will follow them to the end. There is no end. You will follow them. You can't do anything else."
by Talgoran
- Recommended by mydoctor93
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The balance of elements is upset. Amid a violent thunderstorm, a human finds himself transformed into a Squirtle. With the help of a journeying Cyndaquil, he chooses to take balance into his own claws in a new world of uncertainty and danger.
- Comments: One of the best, most intricately written PMD fics to date, hands down. The author says in his post-fic author's note that he was heavily inspired by Silver Resistance in the making of this fic; featuring colorful characters, numerous plot twists, and a heartbreaking finale, this fic is one that truly makes its mark within the multitude of PMD fics
by Ikcatcher
- Recommended by LucarioKnight
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Ian, once a human now turned Mudkip wakes up to find himself in a world only inhabited by Pokemon. Having no memories of his past, he meets up with a Fennekin named Patience who dreams of joining the Expedition Society. When an ancient evil awakens, turning any Pokemon in its way into stone. It is up to them to solve the mysteries of their past, and save the world from destrcution.
- Comments: The first, if not only ongoing Super Mystery Dungeon fanfic so far. Although the story starts off slow, with most of it being taken straight from the games itself, the story starts taking a completely direction with it's story from the games, with a slightly darker tone, expanded lore regarding the Mystery Dungeon universe, a mystery of the origins of our two main protagonists and callbacks to the previous Mystery Dungeons. It's one I'd definitely recommend to any fan who enjoyed Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon and are looking for more.
by HopeThePixii
- Recommended by: Shadowreaper51
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Set in the world of MD: Eo T, this fic stars a Charmander and a Treeko, both with scarred pasts, who join up to form a rescue team. The story is well written with quite a few sad moments, some when I cried, and some moments where all you can do is say "Awwwww".
- Comments: It lives and breaths in the same world as mystery dungeon, but our titular main character, Pixii, is not a human, just an abused Charmander. Normally I don't go for these kinds of things, but this one is so filled with everything that makes a romance story great that I can't help but get drawn into the story. I've always said that if I can't stop reading it until I look up at the clock and it says 4 in the morning, then it is a great story. This has everything a good story needs. Romance, Drama, Action, Suspense, a dash of Angst, and more plot than you can shake a stick at.
and its sequel The Tale of Team Longshot by flareon71.
- Recommended by: Luxray1000
- Status:
- Team Fate: Complete
- Team Longshot: In progress
- Synopsis:
- Team Fate: A Shinx with vague memories of what his human life used to be comes across a lonely Vulpix who is in need of a helpful companion. As the two form an exploration team and the story goes on as things start to get out of hand, they soon learn more than just the fact that they are meant to be in more ways than one...
- Team Longshot: With nothing but memories of what seemed to be a human life and a name, a Riolu finds himself in the Pokémon world and is taken in by a Nuzleaf. Little does he know, he is in for much more than just him waking up with amnesia, especially since he isn't the only one with lost memories linked to an incoming apocalypse. (The Story of Team Fate sequel, rated T for the same reasons)
- Comments: A great pair of fics, which add their own unique twists to the story of PMD Explorers and PSMD, all the while with plenty of adorable moments throughout. Also plenty of humour, and some darker moments later on. Overall, a very good read.
Music
Fan remixes. ...What? Fan music counts!
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2: Primal Dialga Remix by PokeRemixStudio
- Recommended by Sparky Lurkdragon
- Synopsis: A six-and-a-half minute expansion on the already awesome Primal Dialga theme from Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2.
- Comments: This, right here, is PokeRemixStudio's masterpiece. The original theme is already very epic, suiting the grave situation faced by our heroes as they face a mad time god in battle over the world's fate. This remix? It feeds the song about a hundred Rare Candies.
- Jackman B: Good gravy, seconding!
- CAD: Thirding! Amazing use of oldschool chiptune square-wave, too.
- Fourth'd. Really, after this mix, nobody should ever really try to even mix this song again lest they end in humiliation.
- Zero Tw 0: I sort of love it and hate it. Love it because it is an unbelievably good remix, as it should be regarded. Hate it (somewhat unfairly) because a certain author I know associates this song with himself. It doesn't help that his writing ability is... rather poor, to say the least.
by GrovyleDDV
- Recommended by CAD
- Synopsis: Orchestrated rendering of the first Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game's final level music.
- Comments: Better than PokeRemixStudio's mix, in my opinion. Unlike his, this one is smooth, well-mastered, and mystical sounding, capturing both the epicness and sadness of the final stage.
by TheGuitahHeroe
- Recommended by SkyBlueFox
- Synopsis: Orchestrated remix of "Memories of You" from Explorers and "Run Away" from Rescue.
- Comments: One of the best remixes of Mystery Dungeon music I've ever heard. It takes the melancholy-yet-hopeful tone of both the songs and captures it beautifully with the choices of piano and flute to drive the melody.
by LegendaryHeropon
- Recommended by Ms Ami Classified
- Synopsis: A 16-minute orchestral medley of the music from Special Episode 5 of Sky.
- Comments: Moves and flows brilliantly, in accord with the progression of events of the episode, with a climax that will swell your heart and then drown it in tears. In case you thought you had become desensitized to the ending.
by OWN EYE MUSIC
- Recommended by 1Thunderfire
- Synopsis: An orchestrated remix of Temporal Tower from the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers games.
- Comments: Truly epic-sounding, absolutely capturing that final showdown stretch and powerful sensation. It's practically empowering in its own right. Other PMD 2 remixes by the same remixer are highly recommended as well and is just getting started. Watch this space!
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