Proof that the remaining 10% is worth getting mobbed in a Monster House for here:
These are recommendations made by tropers for Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Fanfics, all of which have been signed. After a few samples, you will be able to judge whether you might be interested in the 'fic, based on who recommended it. No-name recommendations will be zapped. Nobody would back up the rec. Ddussion of the recommendation is welcome on the discussion page. As such discussion is important, do remember to add the discussion page to the watchlist, if need be.
Do warn when a fanfic may head into shipping or non-canon territory. Some people just don't like it, and as we all know, Shipping is Serious Business.
Authors and Websites
- Recommended by: Netbug009, Werebunny131
- Comments: Seriously, just anything by this author. There's some amazing control of the characters here.
Aimee
by Saturn Jupiter.
- Recommended by: mysterynovelist2010
- Status: Dead (last updated August 2010)
- 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.
Add ReviewBackfire by Hollyflash
- Recommended by: eeveelutionlover2000
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Uxie’s powers aren’t just limited to his lake, and affect all memories which could be traced back to the Time Gears. It’s easy to imagine the mental catastrophe this could cause in the mind of someone who’s spent nearly their entire life looking into them. In his defense, Uxie was really mad at Grovyle.
- Recommended by: Pykrete
- Status: Hiatus (last updated October 2014)
- 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 TV Tropes, 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.
- 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."
The Five by various authors.
- Recommended by: NegaPoke
- Status: Dead
- 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.
Fukakai no Unemi by Kamentantei
- Recommended by: Higurashiblood98
- Status: Dormant (last updated July 2019)
- 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.
Gates to the Abyss by CitrusChickadee
- Recommended by: Star Hunter
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: The protagonist wasn't the only human Hydreigon summoned to the Pokémon world. What happened to some of the other ones? An alternate look at Gates to Infinity.
- Comments: Exactly what it sounds like: the adventures of two of the other off-screen humans during the events of Gates to Infinity. A bit of a Tear Jerker in the end, but also pretty interesting.
Innocence 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.
Metacognition by HealthInspector
- Recommended by: Star Hunter
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Mew awakes in an unfamiliar jungle, their memories gone, and they come across a stranger who doesn't seem too happy to see them. As Mew uncovers more about the world they inhabit, unfamiliar memories haunt them—memories of a calamity and a little village tucked between a pair of mountains. (PSMD novella focused on Mew's role in the postgame.)
- Comments: A deep dive into Mew's thoughts and feelings, and their connection to the partner. There's some excellent emotional work in here, and Mew's role is examined quite well here.
- The story takes what the game showed and expanded it, taking its time to explore the inner thoughts of Mew, how they feel, and really helps make the characters feel real in a way the games weren't quite able to express.
Missing Scenes and its companion fic, The World's Treasure Part 1: The Rainbow by Catflower Queen
- Recommended by: OrangenChan
- Status: Dormant (last updated December 2019) and 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.
Pokemon Abridgestery Dungeon by ThatOneAceGuy
- Recommended by: TheAndyMac, Mitis
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A retelling of the story to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team in the style of an abridged series, where instead of a semi-silent protagonist some poor meme loving fool wakes up one day in the woods with no memory of how or why he's a small blue amphibian, only to be thrust into a world far beyond his norms. Tomfoolery, intrigue, and the adventure of a life time await him and his new friend.
- Comments: A webcomic that blends both humor and genuine, heartfelt emotion in the vein of the best abridged series out there, Abridgestery Dungeon is a wild retelling of the first Pokémon Mystery Dungeon's story that manages to squeeze character into even the briefest of character appearances. Additionally, the author includes occasional audio clips to give the characters a voice, which are quite well done indeed.
PMD: Defenders of Warmth by Arrowfoot the Dragon now has its own page.
- Recommended by: Bwburke94, 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.
- Recommended by: Navarchu
- Status: Dead (discontinued)
- Synopsis: A young man awakens on a beach, having been unceremoniously transformed into a lucario and dropped into a world of sentient pokemon. Follow him as he reluctantly forges friendships, squares off against fearsome foes, and delves into treacherous dungeons, all in a bid to return home.
- Comments: There's not enough good things I can say about this fic. Despite being the very first story by this author, he manages to catch attention fairly quickly, and develops the plot at a reasonable pace. His worldbuilding is great, and right from the start, there's a layer of mystery surrounding Jay's situation, as well as how heroic his species tends to be in the world. The supportincast works well enough for the setting, and they all have a clear goal in mind.
PMD: Hands of Creation by Namohysip
- Recommended by: Dr. Glutamate
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Follows a Charmander named Owen as he discovers the truths that have been kept from him his entire life and gets caught up in a centuries-old conflict.
- Comments: The first word that comes to mind when describing Hands of Creation is "unique". Owen isn't a transformed, amnesiac human, and the world operates on a very interesting set of rules that set it apart from other PMD stories. It has a large cast of characters, but does a great job of making them unique and memorable, so it's easy to not get them mixed up. Plus, Owen himself is precious.
PMD: Victory Fire by sulfurbunny
- 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.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Broken Ideals by ShadowVulpi
- Recommended by: thezogg, Yo Kai Shoubiao
- Status: Complete
- 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 Surprisingly Realistic Outcome, 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.
- Has a sequel, Shattered Selves (ongoing)
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Galaxies Above series by Lucky_Guardian
- Recommended by: eeveelutionlover2000
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Follow the adventures of Team Galaxy, lead by Nelvana, the human turned cubone, and Keahi, the enthusiastic torchic, as they do their best to help others, explore, and figure out the mysteries to the imbalance of this world. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon AU, where PMD Red/Blue Rescue Team and Explorers of Time/Sky/Darkness (in the PMD1 setting) have been combined, as well as some original characters, headcanons, and other little details to spice things up.
- Galaxies Above - Arc 1 : In a distant future on another land, the land is black and white and the sun never rises. Supplies are low and survival is the most important thing. A human and grovyle pair, as well as the time-traveling mythical Celebi decide to team up, and go back in time to change the event that caused all this struggle in the first place; the impact of a huge meteor on another continent. .. However, things don’t always work as planned. .. Celebi is unable to follow right away, and the other two get separated from each other in the past, with something along the way causing the human, Nelvana, to transform into a cubone and lose her memories. Now lost and confused, with nothing from her own past to guide her in this unfamiliar land, she meets an enthusiastic torchic named Keahi, and together, the two form Team Galaxy; a rescue team that hopes to do their best to help out others and solve the many mysteries surrounding this world, such as: What is causing all these natural disasters? Who is this Gardevoir that keeps popping up in dreams? Why is Gengar being such a jerk? Is there more danger lurking around than expected?
- Galaxies Above - Arc 2 : One week has passed since the destruction of a meteor that had threatened the future of this distant land. Slowly, the world's balance begins to fix itself, and the gold-ranked rescue team, Team Galaxy, starts trying to settle into a more normal lifestyle. .. However, dissatisfaction pricks at Nelvana, the human turned cubone and co-leader of Team Galaxy. Gardevoir hasn't gotten the happy ending that everyone else seems to have received, despite all her help. Nelvana makes the decision that she wants to break the curse that traps her friend as a spirit guide, but she realizes that she won't be able to pull this off on her own. She has to search for the help from the other human turned pokemon in the area... the selfish ghost-poison-type leader of Team Meanies. .. In the meantime, it's becoming increasingly apparent that not everything was fixed when the meteor was destroyed, and a new danger is rising up to tip the balance they had worked so hard to right. That normal lifestyle will have to wait when adventure comes knocking at the door...
- Galaxies Above - Arc 1
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Guiding Light by Ambyssin
- Recommended by: anotherdragon
- Status: Complete
- Trope page here
- Synopsis: Stop me if you've heard this one before. You wake up somewhere you don't recognize, only to find you've been turned into a Pokémon! Before you know it, you're off on a globe-trotting adventure. Dream come true, right? Well, for one human, that dream quickly turns into a waking nightmare. Can he fend off an otherworldly force threatening to rip the fabric of reality apart?
- Comments: At first, it looks like this fic will be another mediocre story playing off the story format of the Explorers games, but with a Gen VII flavor. Then, Shane wakes up and begins snarking at his would-be Riolu partner, Tessa. His memories are intact, but Gen VII doesn't exist in the world he's from, leading to a lot of cases of Wrong Genre Savvy and a tense relationship with Tessa, as opposed to the usual instant friendships seen in PMD. Like most PMD games, things start slowly. However, once Shane and Tessa start facing down the main threat, you're in for a wild ride filled with crazy battles, extensive lore, lots of character development, and numerous references to the canon games. It's got everything you'd wish for in a fic and you'd be missing something magnificent by not reading it.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Legendary & Ancient Discoveries by PlatinumYoshi4000000000
- Recommended by: Samurai Yoshi
- Status: Dead (last updated December 2010)
- 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.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Power Trip 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
PMD: Purity Wishes by BlazingBuizel
- Recommended by: Navarchu
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: After waking up without a single memory to his name (or a name, for that matter), a young buizel has to find his way in a completely new world. Over the coming weeks, he'll make lifelong friends, face mysteries far greater than his unexplained appearance, and struggle to discover what exactly his place is in the world he finds himself in.
- Comments: Definetely a story with amazing potential. The two main haracters, Henry and Maple, are a fun duo to read, and Henry himself is a strategist, even if his plans are weird. Overall, it's a gun experience and a new take on the concept of Mystery Dungeon fics.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Reflecting Balance by Darker Shining
- 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.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Shadows of Ganderosa by MasterKnight2142
- Recommended by: jakeroo123
- Status: Dormant; last updated October 2020
- Synopsis: Dillan is a regular guy who does regular things, or so he thought. Now, he doesn't know what to believe. While he struggles with amnesia, him and his friends will have to work together to uncover the secrets of Ganderosa and find out how to put an end to the issue that has plagued the kingdom for generations (Reviews may/may not contain potential spoilers. Read at your own risk).
- Comments: It's a Pokemon Mystery Dungeon story taking place in an original region with an original plot. Dillan the Gabite himself may not be all that interesting, being mostly the typical amnesiac human (although he doesn't know he's human at first). His partner, Ryan the Pachirisu, has a Mysterious Past and at time struggles with how to do the right thing. The third member, Hazel the Charmeleon, is fairly normal but seems to be more than she appears. The story makes good use of foreshadowing, with some of the plot points being teased far back if you know what to look for. While there is suggested to be the sort of Eldritch Abomination enemy typical to Mystery Dungeon, the story so far focuses more on the Grey-and-Gray Morality of the guild, the king, and the people who want them gone.
- Recommended by: Tigerhawk 7109
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: It's an open secret that whenever there's some universal threat to the Pokémon world, a bunch of cosmic forces will summon a human or two to fix things up. But no one's perfect, and someone along the way might have overestimated the severity of the upcoming disaster by a factor of 10 or so.
At some point, you almost pity the harbinger of the apocalypse.
- Comments: Holy hell, was this good. A full novel-length adventure starring not one, not two, but the titular Sierra Ten humans. Well-written with likable characters, (deliberately unlikable but likable all the same, in the case of the Prince,) Sierra Ten is absolutely fantastic. I'll warn you: you won't see the plot twists coming. If you end up reading Sierra 10, which I highly recommend you do, you're in for a hell of a ride.
- Agreed. The characters are all distinct and memorable, while they may come off as somewhat generic or cliché, the characters are all wonderfully written that it doesn't matter. The main cast is full of wonderfully diverse personalities that have practically no place working together yet manage to pull through time and time again, taking itself just the right amount of serious to tell a compelling story without falling into the trap that many other fanfics do and becoming overly dark. A fun, yet serious romp that never loses that spark of joy all throughout.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Silver Resistance by ScytheRider
- 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.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: True Colours by GigaBowserNS
- Recommended by: Arctic1129
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Sparks the Raichu has seen a lot. He's been working for the guild in Radiant City for many, many years, and has seen his share of suffering in the world. He doesn't let that get in the way of his optimistic views on life, though, and even though he's a little older now he still continues to try and make the world a better place. One day, Sparks comes across a starving, terrified little homeless Buizel who's stealing food to survive and has covered himself in mud. Sparks wants to help this young Buizel, named Ziggy, but the odds are not in his favour... Ziggy is a shiny Pokémon. Unfortunately, most of the Pokémon world has a different name for Pokémon like him: "Freaks"
- Comments: This is by far one my favorite PMD fanfics that I have ever read. The initial premise of Shiny Pokemon being discriminated against was what initially drew me in, not to mention the pacing which feels really good. Ziggy is a great character, he starts out with a suite of personality traits you would expect a street urchin living on his own for years who is hated for something he can't control would have; paranoia, pessimism, and generally being downright miserable. This is also why the real joy of reading this fanfic was seeing the Character Development Ziggy has throughout the events of the story, seeing him gradually get better is a real treat and it makes the setbacks he has along the way all the more frustrating. This is supported even more by the relationship Ziggy and Sparks develop as the story progresses. And that's all without mentioning one of the best gay romance subplots I've ever seen in a fanfiction between two of the side characters, and the sudden appearance of the Ultra Beasts. Overall, I highly recommend you check this fanfic out if you're looking for something a little different from the "human turned pokemon that finds a partner and saves the world" plot that the series is known for. I loved it from beginning to end, and hope to see more PMD stories from this author.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2: A Novelization and its sequel Life in Flames by Gamerfan411
- Recommended by: RLYoshi
- Status: Complete (both)
- 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.
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon: Here Comes The Hydroflames by Ikcatcher
- Recommended by: LucarioKnight
- Status: Dead (discontinued)
- 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 destruction.
- 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.
Pokemon: The Unknown Continuum by Pocket-Fulla-Shells
- Recommended by: Phaaze22
- 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.
Rescue Team Freedom: Ravages of War by WedgePalmer
- Recommended by: Dialga X
- Status: Dead (last updated October 2008)
- 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.
Team GoGetters: Beyond the First Gate by GreenSonic21
- Recommended by: mydoctor93, Mitis
- 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.
Variations, its sequel Unexpected Explorations, and its extension Trials of a Pokémon Trainer by LionsMane10
- Recommended by: Canary In The Coal Mine, Bwburke94
- Status: Complete (all)
- 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 PMD2'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.
Whispers of the Abyss by ShadowVulpi
- Recommended by Nitro Indigo
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: An Elsewhere Fic about a Corvisquire who wanders into a mystery dungeon with extreme time dilation.
- Comments: This fic perfectly balances its cosmic horror elements with its characters' inner demons, and the ending is unexpectedly heartwarming. There's a lot of nice, subtle worldbuilding details as well.
Lost Together by Baroness-Faron
- Recommended by: Blazing Larvesta
- Pairing: EoS Hero (A Ninetales named Nikko) X Darkrai
- Status: Complete; Also has a French translation by TheFireHana
- Synopsis: Over three centuries have passed since the events of Explorers of Sky. Following the passing of her dear partner, Hana, Nikko has founded her own guild and leads the newer generation on their own expeditions. Suddenly, an old enemy from the past emerges right before her, lost and alone. This could be the chance for redemption Darkrai never asked for.
- Comments: A beautiful and emotional story that takes itself in a unique direction. This story serves as a Distant Finale to the events of Explorers of Sky, with the partner, a Delcatty named Hana, having long since passed, and Nikko, now a Long-Lived Ninetales, having a chance encounter with Darkrai, who suddenly re-emerges right after being banished by Palkia back in Dark Crater, completely without his memories intact. Despite suffering from evil instincts and facing initial distrust from both Nikko and eventually Cresselia, Darkrai attempts to make amends for his past sins and winds up developing an unlikely bond with the hero of ages past. Though a short read at only 4 chapters, this story still manages to serve as a satisfying epilogue to the war between Darkrai and the EoS hero.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Team Twilight 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.
The Story of Team Fate and its sequel The Tale of Team Longshot by flareon71.
- Recommended by: Luxray1000
- Status: Complete and Erased
- 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!For the Future 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.
The Greatest Loss of All 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.
PMD2 - DON'T EVER FORGET - Orchestral Remix by OWN EYE MUSIC (or ORCHESTRA OEREMIX)
- Recommended by: eeveelutionlover2000
- Synopsis: A Truly Epic Remix. It is very powerful, and moves you to tears. This will make you never forget the memories you made as you played this game.
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.
- JackmanB: Good gravy, seconding!
- CAD: Thirding! Amazing use of oldschool chiptune square-wave, too.
- Roihu: Fourth'd. Really, after this mix, nobody should ever really try to even mix this song again lest they end in humiliation.
- Zero Tw0: 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.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Sky Tower Remix 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.
Temporal Tower 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 PMD2 remixes by the same remixer are highly recommended as well and is just getting started. Watch this space!
What Makes a GOOD Leitmotif? | Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky by 8-bit Music Theory
- Recommended by: eeveelutionlover2000
- Synopsis: Leitmotifs are great. Drawing associations between different melodic figures and characters, places, or elements within a story are a great way to enrich the storytelling of a game while simultaneously giving players an easy way to connect with the music. All great leitmotifs are great musical ideas, but not all great musical ideas make great leitmotifs. Join me as I take a look at the leitmotif-heavy soundtrack of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky games to try and figure out what kind of musical ideas make for great leitmotifs.
