Main Character Index > Pokémon Mystery Dungeon > Red/Blue Rescue TeamThe Protagonists
The Hero
A human who wakes up in a forest to find they've been
mysteriously transformed into
a Pokémon, with no memory of how or why... or
much of anything beyond
their own name. And as time goes on, they gradually start to see a vision of Gardevoir (both in dreams and in reality), who seems to know much about the player's past...
- Audience Surrogate: Naturally, thanks to being the player's stand-in and having amnesia, thus needing things explained to them just like the player would.
- Back from the Dead: After stopping The End of the World as We Know It, both the player and the partner find themselves in some sort of Underworld, making them technically dead until Gengar comes and fishes their souls back from the Underworld.
- Badass Boast: The player can do this to some Pokémon discussing whether Rayquaza or Groudon is stronger. When they ask for the player's opinion, the player can reply with "Me" instead. None of the Pokémon will believe the player, but the player not only has already defeated both at this point, but also has a chance to further back it up after the cutscene ends with the unlocking of Western Cave, the dungeon containing Mewtwo.
- Can't Drop the Hero: You can't switch them out of the party until the end of the main storyline. Partially averted in DX, where you can drop them during run-of-the-mill rescue missions, but are still required to use them during story missions.
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: You can play your character as this if you go with the more goofy answers. Needless to say, your partner will not find it amusing.
- Cursed with Awesome: And they know it.
- Disappears into Light: Happens to them at the end of the main story, though it doesn't stick.
- Hello, [Insert Name Here]: You get the chance to name yourself.
- Heroic Mime: The player is privy to their hero's thoughts, but anything they say is left to the imagination (and others' reactions). Though they do talk after level-ups and during the ending.
- Heroic Sacrifice: They agree to let Rayquaza destroy the meteor, despite knowing that it will probably kill them.
- Involuntary Shapeshifting: They are an amnesiac human who wakes up one day, having suddenly transformed into a Pokémon. They eventually learn that they actually came to the world of Pokémon of their own accord, though it is unclear whether or not they expected to actually turn into a Pokémon.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: The player has no memories of their life as a human, but presumably remembers everything else including the fact that they used to be a human. Taking things further, they actually requested that their memories be erased during the trip to the Pokémon world; in other words, the amnesia was self-inflicted.
- Magnetic Hero: Pokémon that they defeat occasionally want to join their rescue team.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Due to their amnesia, they have no way of knowing whether or not they were the human in the Ninetales legend - and for a while, they genuinely believe they might be. If they hadn't willingly deleted their memories, the whole misunderstanding could have been avoided.
- Standardized Leader: Although many of the dialogue options allow you to goof off a little bit, the player character is generally defined by being reliable, nice, and willing to put themselves in danger for the sake of others.
- Trapped in Another World: They have been transported to the world of Pokemon, with no way to get home.
- We Cannot Go On Without You: Allowing them to faint during the main game triggers a game over. Though this is averted in DX; in this situation, your Partner becomes the leader for the rest of the dungeon.
The Partner
A Pokémon who dreams of founding a Rescue Team, but doesn't have anyone to form the team with... until the player comes into the Pokémon world. After rescuing a Caterpie from a forest, the rescue team is formed by the player and the partner. The partner also provides the player a team base/home at the very beginning.
- Back from the Dead: See explanation above.
- Compressed Vice: Briefly shows cowardice twice, claiming a bad stomachache in order to beg out of an impending boss fight. This doesn't work, and is never referred to thereafter. Later on they show a bit of ego by asking Xatu if he came to Pokemon Square commend them for their greatness.
- Demoted to Extra: After the credits roll, they get relegated to just another member of the Rescue Team. DX alleviates this a bit by having them continue to follow the player while in Pokémon Square.
- Flat Character: Doesn't get as much Character Development as the Explorers partner received.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Like the player character, they agree to have the meteor destroyed despite knowing that it will probably kill them.
- Required Party Member: You can't remove them from your team during the main game. Similar to the Hero, DX allows you to, from the start, remove them during simple rescue missions, but you're still required to use them during story missions.
- Satellite Character: See above. Aside from their brief bit of pre-boss faked illness, everything about the partner revolves solely around the hero.
- Undying Loyalty: They are incredibly loyal to the player character - unquestioningly trusting the player's innocence, and joining them as a fugitive despite only knowing them for a couple weeks.
- We Cannot Go On Without You: Allowing them to faint during the main game triggers a game over. DX averts this by allowing you go on without them, even in the main game; should both you and your partner faint, your third member of the team becomes leader for the rest of the dungeon (if you didn't bring a third member, it's game over).
Other Rescue Teams
Team Meanies
A trio consisting of Gengar, Medicham, and Ekans, who wants to use this rescue team business as a part of their plan to gain power and riches. Led by Gengar, and is the second boss of the game.
- The Atoner: After using Dream Eater to spy into the player character's conversations with Gardevoir, Gengar learns that the latter is still alive and has no hard feelings about having been abandoned. He starts atoning for his actions towards both of them, by helping create the teleport gem that lets your team go to Sky Tower in the finale, saving your team's lives after the meteor is destroyed under the guise of failing to take the player character to "the dark world", and ultimately setting out to get rid of the curse on Gardevoir.
- Big Bad: Gengar is the primary antagonist of the main story. Despite not being the ultimate threat, Gengar and his team relentlessly torment the protagonists and are the cause of the majority of their problems throughout the game.
- Big, Thin, Short Trio: Gengar, Medicham and Ekans; respectively.
- Card-Carrying Villain: Gengar openly and proudly states his "hidden motives" for starting a rescue team. Really, the team name is a dead giveaway.
- Easily Forgiven: Gardevoir tells the player character that she has no hard feelings towards the human who abandoned her. Gengar, who is revealed in the postgame to have been that human, was listening in by using Dream Eater, and this eventually sets off his postgame plotline to atone by getting the curse undone.
- Evil Hero: They are a rescue team, but only care about the reward money and want to use it for world domination.
- Heel–Face Turn: Gengar. He saves the protagonist and the partner from the Underworld as well as helping crafting the Teleport Crystal for the duo to go to the Sky Tower. Also, turns out he was the "cursed" human from the Ninetales legend and he goes into remorse to break that curse on Gardevoir.
- Hypocrite: Gengar accuses you of being the human involved in the Ninetales legend curse, and thus the cause behind the natural disasters, even though he's said human (although he has nothing to do with the disasters).
- Mundane Utility: In the post-game, Ekans tells Medicham that, if he could make a wish for Jirachi, he'd want the ability to swallow larger food.
- Noblewoman's Laugh: Medicham in the Japanese version.
- Obviously Evil: It's difficult to trust a team called Meanies at first sight.
- Poison Is Evil: Ekans and Gengar although subverted with Gengar later, as he undergoes a Heel–Face Turn.
- Psychopomp: Gengar apparently has the ability to travel between the afterlife and the land of the living. After the player character and their partner are caught in the blast radius of the meteor's destruction, Gengar shows up and announces that he will personally drag the them to the underworld. After he takes a "wrong turn", he decides to leave them where they are - back in the world of the living. It's left ambiguous whether this was intentional or not until the postgame, where it is explained that he isn't consciously aware of his true feelings and desires anymore.
- Terrible Trio: A team of three, they function as the game's main villains.
- Villain with Good Publicity: Deliberately trying to invoke this via their "rescue team" status.
- Was Once a Man: Gengar is revealed to be the cursed human.
Team ACT
A trio of
Alakazam,
Charizard, and
Tyranitar who are said to be the best rescue team around, due to their Gold Rank achievement.
- The Ace: As the only Gold-ranked rescue team, they are considered "the best of the best," and many Pokemon in town look up to them.
- All There in the Manual: The name "Team ACT" is never said in the game proper, it comes from the anime special.
- Always Someone Better: Alakazam mentions having a lot of respect for a famous Lucario explorer.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Tyranitar.
- Fun with Acronyms: Their team name.
- Hero Antagonist: Midway through the game, They are the main team to hunt you and your partner down after you become fugitives. However, they are only doing this because everyone's convinced your death will end the natural disasters. They also become more sympathetic by delaying the mob as long as they can, and refusing to prosecute the Pokémon who also help you escape (Caterpie, Shiftry, etc).
- The Unfought: They only attack your team in a cutscene, and can't be challenged to a battle in the postgame like some other NPC rescue teams.
- The Worf Effect: They're said to be the most powerful team around, yet when they chase the hero and partner down and fight them, the match is pretty equal. Then, later, they're beaten completely by Groudon, which the player's team then proceeds to take down.
Pokemon Square Villagers
The Kecleon Brothers
Two brother Kecleon who run the local Item Shop. The older green Kecleon sells food and berries, and the younger purple Kecleon sells orbs and Technical Machines. They also can be found manning the occasional
Dungeon Shop (but beware:
Shoplift and Die).
- Dungeon Shop: They can be found while going through the dungeons on a few occasions.
- Easily Angered Shopkeeper: In the town square, they're friendly enough. In dungeons, however, they turn into this.
- Palette Swap: One brother is purple instead of green so that they can be told apart from each other.
- Shoplift and Die: Hoo boy, they will make you regret stealing from them.
- Tender Tears: The purple Kecleon tends to get easily choked up after important plot events, either congratulating or apologizing to the player while tearing up.
Kangaskhan
A matronly Kangaskhan who takes care of the locals' Storage. Always has kind words for everyone, and calls others terms of endearment like 'dear' or 'sweetie'.
- Nice Girl: She's always kind and sweet to everyone.
- Team Mom: Acts like one to the hero's team. The Team even refers to her as "Auntie Kangaskhan" in the anime.
Gulpin
A Gulpin who runs the Gulpin Link Shop, where he teaches customers how to link moves together. He can also help Pokémon remember any moves they've forgotten.
Persian
Teller of the "Felicity Bank", who jealously watches over money Pokémon store so they don't lose it if a dungeon expedition goes horribly wrong.
- In-Game Banking Services: Provides the trope image. He'll watch over any money you deposit and even provide a free item once a day for making a deposit or withdrawl.
Wigglytuff
A Wigglytuff who runs the Friend Area Shop, where Pokémon can buy friend areas/Rescue Team Camps to recruit more kinds of Pokémon. Only available after clearing Skarmory in Mt. Steel.
- Cloudcuckoo Lander: Though it's not shown nearly as often as Explorers' Wigglytuff, given this one is just a shopkeeper. DX gives them interactions after certain events showing a lot of it.
Makuhita
The head of the Makuhita Dojo, where Pokémon can train in special type-themed dungeons, and even in some dungeons where they can battle the other rescue teams. In
DX, rescue team enters his mazes to gain experience by consistently beating up Pokémon in there.
- The Mentor: Teaches you the basics of Mystery Dungeon and helps you level up.
- No-Holds-Barred Contest: When Makuhita first started his dojo, he consequently beat up any of the rescue team challengers with him hating to lose.
- Peninsula of Power Leveling: His service allows the player to train up any Pokémon they wish.
Caterpie and Metapod
Two friends who are on friendly terms with the protagonists. They had to be rescued in Tiny Woods and Sinister Woods, respectively.
Diglett and Dugtrio
A father-son duo who are usually found overlooking the ocean. Dugtrio
loves telling tall tales about his exploits and abilities.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: Diglett appears one day earlier in DX compared to the original games, accidentally creating a hole that allows the player to go from their home to the Pelipper Post Office.
- Large Ham: Dugtrio.
- Wacky Parent, Serious Child: Diglett comes across this way due to being doubtful of some of his father's over-the-top displays.
Whiscash
An elderly Pokemon who knows all the ancient legends and lore.
- Cool Old Guy: He's one of the older Pokémon in town, and he's pretty friendly to the player.
- Friend to All Children: Implied; he's quite fond of Caterpie and Metapod, and they're often seen hanging out near his pond.
- It's All My Fault: He blames himself for the player and partner getting kicked out of town, since it happens as a result of his storytelling.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: He knows and relates the legend of Ninetales' curse, which directly contributes to the hero being Misblamed and run out of town. To his credit, he had no clue this would occur, and he clearly feels guilty about it.
Gardevoir
A mysterious Pokemon that haunts the players dreams.
It's revealed she protected her trainer, now Gengar, from getting cursed by Ninetales.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: After her physical form is restored, she loses all memories of her past.
- Gameplay and Story Integration: If the player chooses to recruit her after the storyline, she's level 5, which shows that she has forgotten fighting. Kirlia normally evolves into Gardevoir at level 30. In the DX remake, this is changed to Gardevoir joining you at level 50.
- Mr. Exposition: She's the one who tells the player about the whole reason they are in the Pokémon World to begin with.
- Spirit Advisor: Appears as a spirit in the player character's dreams, and once on the way to Mt. Freeze and is not seen by the partner. Although she does return to her physical form later.
- Taking the Bullet: For her old trainer, who is revealed to be who Gengar once was.
- Walking Spoiler: It's almost impossible to talk about her without revealing that she's the same Gardevoir from the Ninetales legend.
Ninetales
A legendary Pokémon residing in Mt. Freeze. It's soon believed that she cursed the player character to turn into a Pokémon
after they ran away when Gardevoir protected them. It's revealed to be false, as the player is not the human in the story; Gengar is.
- Clear My Name: Does this to the player and their partner by revealing the player isn't the human that was abandoned Gardevoir. As a bonus, she points out that, even if they were, that human becoming a Pokémon isn't what caused the natural disasters to flare up like they are.
- No Ontological Inertia: Gengar of Team Meanies thinks this applies, proposing to defeat Ninetales in a fight in order to undo the curse on Gardevoir. Ninetales clarifies this isn't the case, but explains another way to end the curse.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: The story about the curse she lay on that human being passed around in Pokémon Square is what kickstarted the Fugitive Arc. Fortunately, she puts an end to it by revealing the player isn't that human and it wasn't even related to the disasters.
Latios and Latias
A brother and sister pair of legendary dragons that frequently travel across the world. They star in a major sidequest in which Latias crash-landed into Pitfall Valley, prompting Latios to steal TMs to rescue her.
- The Atoner: After Latias is rescued Latios asks the protagonists to join their rescue team to make up for his petty theft, which he wanted to do before his crime.
- Badass in Distress: Poor Latias...
- Bruiser with a Soft Center: Latios has no problems declaring a fight against the protagonists, but ends up melting like butter when he's reunited with his sister.
- I Owe You My Life: Both of them were more than willing to join the rescue team as thanks for saving Latias.
- Justified Criminal: Kecleon doesn't bear a grudge on Latios after hearing that he stole TMs to save Latias.
- Knight Templar Big Brother: Latios was willing to resort to thievery in order to save his sister, and didn't bother asking for help before being beaten into submission.
- Living Emotional Crutch: Latios admits he was far from the best frame of mind when separated from his sister.
- Martyr Without a Cause: Alakazam chews out Latios over that he doesn't care if he gets stranded with Latias, saying that she wouldn't want him to give up his freedom and well being while changing nothing about her fate.
Absol
A Pokémon that can predict disasters and resides in the Frosty Forest area. He joins your partner and you during
the fugitive arc.
- Big Damn Heroes: He's able to stop Articuno from attacking you before it's too late.
- Dark Is Not Evil: It's a Dark-type, but it's very helpful and understanding.
- Demoted to Extra: Immediately after the Fugitive Arc ends, he's demoted to just another team member. Slightly alleviated in DX, as he is present when the player and the partner return to Pokémon Square, and once the main story is complete, he's seen standing by the path that leads to dungeons. Talk to him, and he'll mention the promise made to Articuno that they'd discover what was causing the calamities and suggest you go pay them a visit, acting as a Player Nudge to go fight the legendary birds again and kick off one of the post-game arcs.
- Sixth Ranger: During The Fugitive Arc, it joins the team for the last dungeon.
