This is a character sheet for Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon. Beware of spoilers.
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Protagonists
The Player
A human who has been transformed into a Pokémon, and struck with amnesia.
- All-Loving Hero: The player can connect and make friends with every single species of Pokémon up to this point in the series. Even Pokémon who were their enemies in the main story can be connected with. Several NPC Pokémon even comment on how kind and approachable the player character is.
- Ambiguous Gender: Your player character's gender is not specified, since your player character is meant to represent you, the player. This, however, gets caught in a snag if the player's Pokémon has gender differences, (e.g. Female Pikachu have a notch in its tail to look heart-shaped.) as the appearance defaults to a male Pokémon's appearance.
- Ambiguous Situation: The Hydreigon from Gates to Infinity, when talked to, is surprised that the player cannot recognize him. This implies they have met at some point, but no more details are given about this.
- Amnesiac Hero: They're Mew's human partner, who helped defeat Dark Matter originally.
- Back from the Dead: After being petrified by Nuzleaf and Yveltal, they and their partner travel over the voidlands, the game equivalent of Hell, to return back to life.
- Big Brother Instinct: Or whatever kind of sibling you would be. They're very quick to jump at the chance to save any child. When Goomy was trapped in a forest, they decided to go save him when no one else would. When they hear of a little girl going into a dangerous dungeon full of aggressive insects, they instantly cut school to go save her. When Mew, someone considered a child, was missing after they regained consciousness, they stopped at nothing to look for him.
- Brutal Honesty: They have their moments. Most notably when they tell Nuzleaf that they didn't miss him at all during his first absence.
- Part of the reason for their Brutal Honesty tendencies may be
because the player only gets to see their thoughts, so it's not actually clear how much of their ruder comments get voiced. Here's one example from after the PC reveals they are a human to the expedition society.Partner: "Even though Jirachi told everyone about your past, they just accepted it like it was no big deal."Player: (That's one way of looking at it...but I'm pretty sure everyone just wanted to hurry up and eat.)
- Part of the reason for their Brutal Honesty tendencies may be
- But Now I Must Go: Lampshaded by the player, as they realize that with Dark Matter defeated, it must mean they have to go back home to the human world. In one of the most heartbreaking moments in the whole Mystery Dungeon sub-franchise of games (which is saying a lot), this is cruelly subverted, in that it's your partner that must leave instead.
- Cassandra Truth: When the player tells the class about how they were a human, Pancham's jerkassery convinces everyone (but the partner) into thinking they're a liar. Ultimately averted when the player and partner rescue Budew in Nectar Meadow.
- Decoy Protagonist: The story centers much more on the partner than the Player.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Pancham may give them a pass for rescuing Budew, but the guy doesn't think too highly of them anyway, much less to their partner.
- First-Person Smartass: Easily the snarkiest of the PMD protagonists so far, even if they don't always speak their mind. Seriously. They can rival Phoenix Wright in terms of internal snark at points.
- Foil: To your Partner. Both are school-aged, amnesiac kids adopted by local adults at Serene Village, but your Partner is loud, mischievous, and outgoing compared to your more responsible, quiet, introspective attitude.
- Fountain of Youth: It's heavily implied that their transformation into a Pokémon also aged them down quite a bit, as they act far more mature than a kid would, and even lampshade when people start referring to them as such.
- Kid Hero: Zigzagged. Their Pokémon body is apparently grade-school-aged, but their thought processes strongly suggest that their mind is actually a lot older than that.
- Kleptomaniac Hero: They can find shining spots outside of dungeons that give them a free item, even if it's inside another Pokémon's house. Naturally, they have no problem swiping them regardless.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners / Platonic Life-Partners: Starts a little rocky, but they eventually turn to this for the partner.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: As per usual for the series. This time, it's to avoid whatever mistakes the player and Mew did in the past against Dark Matter.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: When the partner leaves the Pokémon world, they say that "this wasn't supposed to happen," referencing how it's normally the player who leaves in all the other games, not the partner.
- Nice Guy: Similarly to the Partner, they are usually sweet Pokémon.
- Older Than They Look: Possibly. Especially given your surprise that you "look like a kid" to the other Pokémon.
- Open Mouth, Insert Foot: At several points, the player says things that lead to disbelief and misunderstandings. Most notably, when your partner asks if you find them annoying, regardless of your answer, you'll phrase it in a way that hurts their feelings and makes them avoid you for several days.
- Our Hero Is Dead: The player is turned to stone after Nuzleaf decides they have outlived their usefulness. Since Pokémon are turned to stone by having their life energy sent to the Voidlands, it's similar enough to this trope. They get better, though.
- Out of Focus: Compared to the Partner, who the story is more centered around. The player doesn't have any special abilities or mysteries to their character aside from their amnesia, and while their backstory as Mew's human partner from the past is touched upon during an endgame Infodump, it's never expanded upon beyond that, not even during the post-credits content.
- Puppy-Dog Eyes: How they convince Nuzleaf to accompany them.
- Nuzleaf: Consarn it all, don't go lookin' at me with those baby-doll eyes!
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The more quiet blue to the Partner's outgoing red.
- The Reveal: They were actually the legendary partner of Mew in the past, and they were sent forward into the future to safeguard it from an ancient threat.
- Silent Snarker: You can read their Inner Monologue, and it's pretty snarky.
- Supporting Protagonist: The story is more about the player character's partner. The player's character acts more as a conduit for which the partner goes through Character Development.
- The Voiceless: Kind of. While the player character clearly speaks to the other characters on a few occasions, you're never actually shown what they are saying. Instead, you can only see their thoughts. There are several points where you might easily confuse said thoughts with actual dialogue, given how other characters react. Subverted at one point of the post-game, where the player speaks actual dialogue.
- This gets especially ridiculous when you realize that even one-word exclamations, like the PC happily screaming their Partner's name, is still represented as a thought, instead of actual spoken words. One has to wonder why didn't just remove the parentheses whenever the player actually speaks outside of their Internal Monologue like in the past three games.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: After Dark Matter is defeated, The Player assumes that with the job done, it's The Player's time to depart from the Pokémon world. This suposition goes as per the norm in the previous games from the series, but it is actually The Partner who has to leave.
The Partner
The player's most trusted partner and best friend. They attend the local school in Serene Village, but dream of becoming part of the Expedition Society in Lively Town.
- All-Loving Hero: One of their defining traits, this shows up at several key points in the game, and in fact, is what ultimately motivates many characters to change. (spoilers ahead)
- When facing down Giratina, it tells them that they can go if they just leave the school bullies, Pancham and Shelmet. Partner refuses, and exclaims that bully or not, they're still friends.
- After defeating the emissary, and finding out that Giratina was just an illusion created by a bunch of homeless Litwick who need to scare people to feed, Partner is willing to let Litwick stay in Serene Village, on the condition that they do nice things for the villagers as well.
- When seeing Latias get turned to stone on the Air Continent, Partner is instantly willing to rush over to help, and their kind nature paired with Archen's vouching is ultimately what convinces Entei that you're not the culprit.
- In the finale, you're facing down Dark Matter, a Nigh-Invulnerable villain who is born from discontent and therefore supposedly unkillable. Partner, however, defeats him by accepting him, and accepting that discontent will always be a part of life; a concept so foreign that Dark Matter can't do anything in response.
- Ambiguous Gender: Contrary to popular belief, the cool and cute, options do not determine the partner's gender, just which Pokémon the partner is more likely to be selected as by the quiz. Their gender is never actually specified, unless you choose Pikachu, in which case they either do or don't have a notch in their tail. And either way, the gender question is further complicated by being an aspect of Mew, a Pokémon with No Biological Sex.
- Amnesiac Hero: They are an aspect of Mew, who doesn't remember their previous life until the epilogue of the game.
- Back from the Dead: At the epilogue, the player character's deepest wish of being reunited with their partner, paired with their determination to protect Mew at Purity Cave, managed to bring back their friend from non-existence.
- And before that, they escaped the Voidlands, the equivalant of hell, after being turned to stone by Nuzleaf and Yveltal alongside the player.
- Bad Liar: They do lie on occasion, but will almost always turn around and tell the truth immediately after the fact.
- Big Eater: Although not quite to the level of Swirlix, they're still shown to be a pretty heavy eater, and are often quite excited for food.Partner: (after complaining about a heat wave) "It's times like this, that you just have to eat a ton!"
- Brutal Honesty: While they sometimes try to lie, they don't really have much tact when it comes to telling the truth.Partner: "Nobody believes anything you have to say right now, {Player Name}."Player: (Wow, no punches pulled there...)
- But Now I Must Go: In a major twist of the formula, The Partner has to disappear instead of you.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Kicks Beheeyem's ass after escaping from the Void Lands.
- Cheerful Child: To the point that the other kids find them annoying. Later in the story, the partner's optimism is critical as a Hope Spot for the player character.
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: They're totally off-the-wall crazy. Best captured during a sequence where they straight-up admit to a bunch of Drilbur that they intend to sneak past them.Partner: "It's okay! We'll be super sneaky so you won't even notice!"
- Notably also, they're the only person who believes your story about being a transformed human right away, despite the other kids pointing out how illogical the story sounds.
- They at one point admit that heat turns their brain "flunky."
- There's also this exchange with their dad:
Carracosta: "It's not just me who thinks so! Everyone in the village agrees! Don't you have any common sense?"Partner: "I guess I don't!" - Character Development: Starts off as immature and rambunctious, but they mature throughout the game.
- Curse Cut Short: By itself, when the Legendary Beasts are getting to their nastiest towards itself and the player, it is about to try to shut them up, but decides against it. His Internal Monologue implies it was going to be kind of rude, if not outright this trope:Partner: Hey... (I guess I know what would happen if I said what I wanted to say. They'd just growl at us angrily again, so I won't say it.)
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: The partner takes it more personally than the main protagonist. His Cloud Cuckoo Lander attitude is a reason why Pacham bullies them often, deeming him annoying, and why Watchdog chews them out more than the other teachers.
- Establishing Character Moment: First time you meet them, they basically are very excited to meet you, push you into town before you get a chance to speak, then all the adults yell at them because the kid did something irresponsible and run after them.
- Extreme Mêlée Revenge: Implied, when your partner rescues you and Espurr from one of the Beheeyem in the Expedition Society, the camera cuts away while they furiously ask them how the Beheeyem could attack Carracosta and the rest of Serene Village. Espurr then pulls them away and points out that the Beheeyem isn't even fighting back anymore.
- Genius Ditz: Pretty strange at times, but they have their moments of insight.
- God Was My Copilot: They are a living aspect of Mew.
- Happily Adopted: Just like you, they woke up with amnesia in the forest and were adopted by a local adult. In their case, Carracosta serves as their guardian, and though he scolds them a lot, they clearly have a good, loving relationship.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners / Platonic Life-Partners: With the main protagonist, soon enough.
- I Just Want to Have Friends: Their whole goal in life is just a have a ton of friends, which is why they go so far out of their way to be friendly to you early on.Partner: One day, we'll have more [friends] than we can count. Just like the stars in the sky!
- Kid Hero: A school age Pokémon destined to save the world.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Or whatever; they certainly fit the mold, constantly running off on mischievous adventures and dragging you into trouble with them.
- Naughty Is Good: They have a crazy reputation across town for being a naughty troublemaker, but regardless, their adventurous, fun-loving spirit is only ever portrayed as a good thing.
- Nice Guy:
- Your partner immediately offers to show you around the village a minute after meeting you, although they're rambunctious about it.
- Also, even though Pancham and Shelmet have been jerks to your partner and your partner is shaking in terror, your partner defiantly refuses to sacrifice their spirits to the Dark Emissary.
- The Pollyanna: Even being disliked and doubted by all of the people of their hometown only makes them even more determined.
- Purely Aesthetic Gender: When the personality quiz asks you if your partner is "cute" or "cool," you're actually deciding their gender (specifically, if you pick "cool", your partner is male, whereas if you pick "cute", your partner is female). But unless your partner is a Pikachu, you aren't likely to notice, as none of the other Pokémon have gender differences, and normally gender-specific moves like Attract work on all Pokémon in the Mystery Dungeon games.
- Rage Breaking Point: After getting back out of the Void Lands and finding everyone, including their adoptive father, turned to stone, they do their best to hold it all in because of the sheer desperate situation they're in, and manage to hold up all the way until they make it back to Lively Town and find everyone there turned to stone too. At this point, the partner has to take a moment by themselves and heads off to another part of the expedition building. The Player and Espurr are then attacked by a Beheeyem, and when the partner comes back to see this, they finally can't take it anymore and nearly beat the Beheeyem into unconsciousness before the Player and Espurr are able to calm them down again.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The rambunctious red to the Player's quiet blue.
- Stock Shōnen Hero: Fits all of the check boxes (while potentially being a rare female example), being adventurous, determined, and despite being Book Dumb, are very motivated to make a name for themselves while making new friends. They are a Decon-Recon Switch of sorts; at the start of the game the above traits are exaggerated to the point of them alienating others and being viewed as glory-seeking lazy trouble maker by their village. Their Character Development focuses on maturing themselves to become a real hero that expresses those traits positively.
- Too Dumb to Fool: Early in the game, the vice principal Watchog is teaching a class on looplets. He explains that since it is impossible for him to show them what the emeras inside them look like (since they're outside a dungeon), he offers to use his power as the vice principal to put the image in their minds of an emera. It works! Until...Partner: "Isn't that just a drawing?"
- Walking Spoiler: They were a form of Mew; a previous legendary war hero against Dark Matter.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Has a fear of ghosts which made the to trip to the Ancient Barrow that much harder on them.
Mew
A carefree Pokemon who is actually the legendary hero that defeated Dark Matter in the past. They replace the Partner during the epilogue.
- Amnesiac Hero: This reincarnation of Mew doesn't remember the past lives they had as the Hero against the Dark Matter or as your Partner.
- Badass Adorable: Mew pretty much had the battle against Beheeyem and Nuzleaf in the bag before you had the chance to rescue them.
- As for the adorable part, well, the player even comments on it!Player: (Mew gets sleepy so easily... I suppose kids are like that, huh? Mew is pretty adorable, I guess...)
- In fact, Mew is so cute, a whole bunch of random NPC's comment on it too.Togepi: "Who is that kid with you? Such a cute shade of pink!"Fletchling: "That kid is cute!"Goomy: "What a cutie!'''
- As for the adorable part, well, the player even comments on it!
- Cheerful Child: Is called a child multiple times and is rather happy-go-lucky just like the Partner.
- Expecting Someone Taller: Despite being the hero of legend, they have a laid-back attitude and a cutesy appearance that takes the Player character off-guard.Player: "YOU'RE Mew?"Mew: "Yup, I'm Mew! Why? Am I famous or something?"
- Living Legend: Mew and a human (you) led a rebellion that narrowly defeated Dark Matter in the past, though they couldn't get rid of him for good.
- Subverted later, it seems, as in the epilogue, none of the other expedition society members seem to recognize him, nor are they particularly thrilled to have him on-board.
- Mythology Gag: Mew is first found in the Mystery Jungle, the place where, in the Explorers games, Mew guarded one of the Seven Treasures.
- Poor Communication Kills: Mew was casually beating up Nuzleaf and the Beheeyem before they had any chance to tell them the kidnapping was faked. Once they do that, Mew stops and starts playing along.
- Replacement Goldfish: Replaces the partner for a short amount of time during the epilogue.
- The Thing That Would Not Leave: After you find them at the end of Mystery Forest, they just decide to stick around, even though the PC is clearly distressed at this development.Mew: (Cheerfully Oblivious) "Well then, let's go! I'm with you!"
- Later commented on by your fellow Expedition Society members.Archen: "So basically what you're saying is... Mew followed you home, and now we have a new member?"Jirachi: "Not another kid..."
- Later commented on by your fellow Expedition Society members.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: In spite of Mew being a Mythical Pokémon and a Living Legend, none of the NPCs treat them as anything special. Justified in that most of them don't even realize Mew is a Mythical Pokémon, and those that do were already familiar with one, so they don't find it to be a big deal.
- Walking Spoiler: Once the main story is finished it's no longer possible to seperate the connections between Mew and your partner.
- You Remind Me of X: A lot of NPC's comment that Mew reminds them of your Partner. This is especially heartbreaking if you go back to Serene Village and talk to Carracosta.Carracosta: (Happy) "Oh it's you, [Player]!" (Looks at Mew, shocked) "Huh!? Is that [Partner]...?" (Crestfallen) "Nope, it isn't...What's wrong with me? They don't look anything alike. I guess I'm getting old..."
Serene Villagers
Nuzleaf (Unmarked Spoilers)
A Pokémon who had only recently moved to Serene Village, and isn't entirely familiar with their ways. He adopts the player after finding them in the forest.
- The Atoner: Nuzleaf remembers all the misdeeds he caused while being possessed, and so he works hard in the post-game story to give the player another chance to reunite with their departed partner.
- Big Damn Heroes: He, Yveltal, and the Beheeyem take this role during the Boss Fight against Dark Matter. They didn't last long, and it's up for the player to clean it up.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Pretends to be the character's guardian in order to get them to activate the Luminous Spring so he could destroy it. Subverted in that he's not really evil, but being controlled by Dark Matter.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Just like Yveltal and the Beheeyem, he's controlled by Dark Matter.
- Dark Is Evil: A Dark-type Pokémon that happens to be one of the antagonists. Ultimately subverted, as it turned out he was Brainwashed and Crazy. He ultimately tries to earn forgiveness in the epilogue.
- The Dragon: Being the one pulling the strings to make sure everything goes smoothly, Nuzleaf is either this to Yveltal or is one of Dark Matter's Co-Dragons with the former. The chain of command is unclear due to how little they interact with each other onscreen.
- Foreshadowing: When he joins the player in Open Pass, as well as the player and partner when attempting to climb Revelation Mountain, there is one oddly out-of-place move in his arsenal: Frustration.
- Eviler than Thou: His first act of evil onscreen is to petrify Krookodile, who seemed to be the antagonist until then.
- Funetik Aksent: The way his dialogue is written suggests he has a Southern accent.
- Hands-Off Parenting: In stark contrast to Carracosta, your Partner's rather strict father figure, Nuzleaf is basically never around, and pretty much just lets you do whatever you want.
- The Heavy: Even though Yveltal's presence is revealed shortly after Nuzleaf betrays The Player, and Dark Matter's is the actual Big Bad, Nuzleaf is the main antagonist for most of the second half of the story.
- Heel–Face Turn: After being released from Dark Matter's influence.
- Hold Your Hippogriffs: He speaks like this a lot.
- Manipulative Bastard: Possessed Nuzleaf certainly qualifies, as after one of the Beheeyem's psychic attacks induced amnesia on the Player, who was fighting him before that, he pretended to be a father to them, as he was leading them to destroy the Spring that only they can access.
- Mighty Glacier: Nuzleaf has a very strangely high amount of HP for being lower than level 30, while way too many allies won't even get to triple digits until level 70 or so.
- My God, What Have I Done?: After the events in the storyline, Nuzleaf deeply regrets his actions and can't bother showing his face around Serene Village. He redeems himself somewhat in the epilogue, however.
- My Greatest Failure: Can't bring himself to show his face to the Player after what he has done.
- Open-Minded Parent: Nuzleaf is more lenient when it comes to the player running around playing. He can't stop them from running around exploring, just as long as they are careful.
- Out-Gambitted: By Ampharos. Nuzleaf never saw his plan coming, and it was derailed quickly as a result.
- Parental Substitute: Acts as the father figure to the player. This turns out to be a ruse to trick the Player Character into doing what he wants.
- Put on a Bus: He leaves Serene Village, never to be seen again, due to feeling shame for what he has done to the player. But he told Carracosta to let them know that they will see each other again somehow, somewhere.
- The Bus Came Back: At the very end of the epilogue, he and the Beheeyem kidnapped Mew to get the Player to follow them and trick them by making them think that they were going to kill the little guy. Turns out to be false, as they needed the Player to show enough resolve to deny that, so that the Partner could come back. He redeemed himself. He and the Beheeyem are now living in Serene Village, and when you talk to him, he greets you with open arms and a smile.
- Southern Gentleman: A fake one at first, though this becomes genuine after his Heel–Face Turn.
- Walking Spoiler: Due to his Brainwashed and Crazy nature.
Carracosta
The Partner's adoptive strict father. Though he scolds them a lot, he is actually a sweet-natured person (and apparently a great chef).
- Anger Born of Worry: He was severely angry when he found out that the Partner and the Player snuck out from their houses at night and went to a forbidden place. His anger gets directed towards you when your partner falls asleep, but according to Nuzleaf, he was angry because he was so worried about them.
- Break Them by Talking: Apparently, Carracosta is infamous for his long, overbearing lectures, and you face the full brunt of it as punishment for sneaking out at night in one chapter (your partner is asleep due to exhaustion, but that's another story, and they face their own punishment later). This lasts until the break of dawn, literally, and you become exhausted yourself, even after you try to sleep back in your own house.
- Character Catchphrase: "You FOOLS!!"
- Fantasy-Forbidding Father: He starts off this way, always telling your partner not to go on adventures and specifically forbidding them from leaving for Lively Town to join the Expedition Society. Ultimately subverted when he sends a letter to your partner supporting their dreams right before they leave.Your adventurous spirit can't be contained. See you when you get back! -Carracosta
- Foil: To Nuzleaf. Both are local adults at Serene Village who adopted amnesiac children they found in the woods, but Nuzleaf is very hands-off, not often around, but open-minded and lenient whereas Carracosta is very involved, strict, and sometimes overbearing. And in spite of his attitude, Carracosta is genuinely good, whereas Nuzleaf was Brainwashed and Crazy.
- Friend to All Children: Carracosta could be considered this, as his protectiveness doesn't extend to just your Partner but to the Player as well. Not to add his explanation to Budew about the Honey making season, and gently advising (maybe more ordering for his nature) to Budew to stay away from the area where they're making Honey, since the workers there are rather aggressive around that time as well. Basically, from what has been seen, as long as a child doesn't step out of line, he's really friendly & nice towards them.
- Good Parents: In stark contrast to Nuzleaf, the player's father figure, Carracosta is caring, involved in his child's life, not secretly brainwashed and evil, and ultimately supportive and loving of your Partner.
- This is especially apparent at the end of the game, where Carracosta comes to tell your Partner how proud he is of them, but Nuzleaf doesn't come at all, because he can't bear to face the player after everything he's done.Dialog Box: At the end of the night, everyone went home, except for [Player], who had nowhere to go besides the empty house Nuzleaf had left behind. Instead, [Player] stayed the night in the warm home that [Partner] had grown up in. And Carracosta was all too happy to have them both home again.
- This is especially apparent at the end of the game, where Carracosta comes to tell your Partner how proud he is of them, but Nuzleaf doesn't come at all, because he can't bear to face the player after everything he's done.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: It does not take much for him to scream at you.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Carracosta is grumpy, short-tempered, and strict, but he does care for the Partner.
- No Indoor Voice: Is constantly shouting. In A Day In The Life Of My Old Pops,
he even says he cannot go a day without yelling at somebody. - Not So Above It All: When your Partner compliments his cooking, he first criticizes them for not eating with decorum before blushing heartily and accepting the compliment.
- In general, in your interactions with him, he really appreciates compliments about his food.
- Pre-Asskicking One-Liner: After finding out that Swirlix and Ampharos ate his dinner in "A Day In The Life Of My Old Pops", he yells out "You FOOLS!" right before beating them.
- The Perfectionist: Towards cooking. In "A Day in the Life of My Old Pops", he claims his food must be perfect once he realized he missed one ingredient... although it was very good to begin with, if Ampharos and Swirlix eating it are proof for that.
- Real Men Cook: He's described as an amazing chef by your Partner, and the Player character seems to agree.
- So Proud of You: He says this to your Partner after you come back from saving the world.Carracosta: "You know...when I think on it now...In all the years we've shared, I don't believe I've once told you how proud I am of you. We may not share blood, but that's no excuse for me to not be a better parent. Forgive me. You did good, [Partner]! And I thank you for it."
- Supreme Chef: The food he prepares is considered to be very delicious by those that are known to have tasted it: the partner, the player, Ampharos and Swirlix (the latter two in "A Day in the Life of My Old Pops").
- You Fool!: His catchphrase.
The Students
As a Whole:
- Demoted to Extra: Sadly after you set off to Lively Town, They (sans Espurr) never appear again until the end and even then they can't even be recruited for expeditions until after the Epilogue chapter.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Deerling and Goomy, respectively
- Nice Mean And In Between: The boys; Goomy, Pancham and Shelmet, respectively.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Deerling (Red: Hot-Blooded and Feisty) and Espurr (Blue: calm and emotionless)
- True Companions: Despite their differences they are close friends with one another, as demonstrated when they unhesitatingly go into the Ancient Barrow to rescue Pancham and Shelmet, Pancham and Shelmet are even willing to see the player and partner off when the set off for Lively Town
Espurr
- Action Girl: To the point where even Pancham admits up front that she "has real talent." Even more than Deerling, she's not afraid of danger, and she's the highest-level fighter among all the kids.
- Badass Adorable: Pulls this off with her charm and exceptional competency. In fact, she's so badass that she actually ends up being one of your final party members, standing among powerful elite Pokémon such as Ampharos and Celebi.
- She claims she was a Double Reverse Quadruple Agent and Fake Defector to escape being Taken for Granite, not out of fear or cowardace, but because the predicament doesn't sound very "interesting". She also claims she is not affected by threats, which the partner finds "terrifying".
- Bait-and-Switch: Following Nuzleaf and Yveltal's attack on Serene Village, Espurr claims to have survived and joins Ampharos, eventually ending up in Lively Town where you eventually meet. Later, she seemingly betrays you to save her own skin from Nuzleaf, which may make the player angry at having trusted Espurr. Actually, Espurr only joined Nuzleaf so she could communicate Nuzleaf's movements to Ampharos and Jirachi, while making Nuzleaf think she's giving him information on Ampharos; Espurr is still genuinely on your side.
- Break the Cutie: When she is the only one remaining when her Village gets turned into stone. When meeting up with her, it takes a moment before she breaks down.
- Demoted to Extra: Espurr is notable among the school children in that she averts this trope. While she doesn't appear between the moment the player and the partner leave Serene Village until they go back to Revelation Mountain, her role in the story becomes very noticeable.
- Double Reverse Quadruple Agent: Pulls off the act spectacularly in the latter half of the game (see Bait-and-Switch above). She even lampshades it at one point.
- Emotionless Girl: Appears to be this way at first, especially given Espurr's character portraits and dialogue. Some situations tend to subvert this, however.
- Fake Defector: Nuzleaf makes her join his side by threatening to turn her into stone. She does, but only to help the heroes by informing Ampharos and Jirachi of Nuzleaf's movements, which allows Ampharos to come and save the heroes' lives.
- Heartwarming Orphan: Unlike the other kids in the village, she lives by herself. It's implied that she lacks any parental figures as as it is never revealed if they are alive or not.Espurr: Getting yelled at a bit might be a good thing. I don't have any parents around to do that much.
- Irony: As mentioned below, Espurr isn't scared of ghosts, which is a bit odd considering that Espurr is a pure Psychic type and is naturally weak to the Ghost type.
- The Lancer: For being Just a Kid, Espurr does a lot on her own that massively helps the party; you'll be asking yourself why she doesn't consider joining the Expedition Society.
- Long-Range Fighter: She prefers to support her team by sniping enemy Pokémon from a long distance with Psybeam. She can also use Disarming Voice to damage foes around corners.
- Mission Control: She serves as this a couple times because of her telepathy powers.
- Nightmare Fetishist: The only one who didn't faint in the middle of the school haunting... because she thought the ghosts were neat.
- Not So Above It All: Occasionally joins in on causing trouble.
- Not So Stoic: Very few things get to her. In one case, Espurr breaks down into tears when she finds out that the player character and partner were brought back from being Taken for Granite.
- Perky Goth: Gives off that vibe, especially when she admits to loving ghosts.
- Telepathy: Uses this ability to contact others. She doesn't appear to have any range limitations, either.
- Spanner in the Works: Her own movements during the climax of the game easily translate to big problems for the Big Bad.
- Even before that, she invokes this to help the player, by faking admiration for the Vice Principal to let you and your partner sneak through.
- The Stoic: Has a rather calm demeanor throughout the game, with a barely changing expression.
- Wise Beyond Her Years: Responsible enough to take care of and live by herself. Even smart enough to escape being turned to stone by becoming a Fake Defector.
Deerling
- The Ace: She's talented and idolized by the other kids, and as a party member, she's noticeably stronger than all the others (besides Espurr).
- Action Girl: She's always the first to suggest running headlong into danger to save her friends, whether it's Goomy or Pancham.
- Bully Hunter: After a fashion. Though she never actually attacks Pancham or Shelmet, she is the only one who consistently stands up to them. (Which is especially impressive considering that she has a type disadvantage against both.)
- Brutal Honesty: Sometimes.
- Berserk Button:
- Never hurt Goomy.
- A lot of the things that come out of Pancham's mouth ticks her off.
- Establishing Character Moment: The first thing you see her do is standing up to the school bullies for her friend, Goomy.
- The Lad-ette/One of the Boys: Despite being all pink, a lot of her behavior is decidedly un-feminine, and her best friend is a boy, Goomy. The Player Character even acts surprised the one time they see her hang out with Espurr instead of the guys. Then again, she is one of the only two girls in the same class/age (or three or four, depending on the genders of you and your partner).
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Usually when around Pancham.
- Nice Girl: She may be hot-headed, but is one of the sweetest of the school kids.
- Pink Means Feminine: Her character model is always the all-pink Spring Form variation, even after summer vacation starts.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Pancham and Shelmet, she dislikes their bullying to Goomy and the partner but she does consider them her close friends even willing to save them when they're kidnapped by ghosts.
Pancham
- The Bully: His primary role until he Took a Level in Kindness.
- Bully Turned Buddy: He can't stand the Partner and does whatever he can to pester him. After being rescued by all of the students, he becomes a little friendlier.
- Jerkass: He has coaxed Goomy and the Player Character (also the Partner, though they really just invited themselves) into going into a dangerous dungeon, and would call them cowards if they don't. When the Player attempts to tell them that they are a human from the human world, he outright calls them a liar, and when he sees that the Partner is afraid of ghosts, he calls them a scaredy cat. Fittingly, since Pancham's Pokédex entry in the main series describes it as "The Naughty Pokémon".
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Proves himself as this after getting rescued from the ghosts.
- Irony: The Pokémon X and Y Flavor Text for Pancham's evolution, Pangoro, describes it as defending others from bullies.
- Miles Gloriosus: Despite always daring other kids to go into danger, he's often too scared to go himself.
- Pet the Dog: At the beginning of the Epilogue chapter when you talk to Pancham he gives his condolences for your partner disappearing.
- Reformed Bully: After he's saved from the ghosts, he stops bullying the protagonists.
- The Rival: He acts this way to your partner at first.
- Took a Level in Kindness: After the group saves them from the ghosts, however, he starts to become nicer, even seeing the two main characters off as they set out for Lively Town.
- Tsundere: A male example; it's always been hinted that Pancham does consider the main characters his friends, but he hides it behind a tough exterior; this is Lampshaded by the Partner who claims deep down Pancham does want to be friends. Pancham is also one of the few in Serene Village who gives his condolences for the partners disappearance
Shelmet
- Bully Turned Buddy: Along with Pancham
- Kidanova: Or rather a Kidanova Wannabe. He hits on the girls and ladies of the village, but there appears to be no luck.
- Precocious Crush: He seems to have one on Audino.
Goomy
- Butt-Monkey: Gets picked on a lot by Pancham and Shelmet.
- Cowardly Lion: Although Goomy is able to kick some good butt whenever the situation calls for it, he never really gets over his fearful tendencies.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Despite his meek personality and seeming inexperience, he is quite capable of packing a punch and defending himself on the field. He might even sit a few levels above you and your partner when he first temporarily joins the team.
- Lovable Coward: Goomy is normally very timid, which leads to him being picked on by Pancham and Shelmet. Granted as he is one of the weakest pokemon lore-wise. He does get along well with the player, partner, Deerling, and Espurr, though.
- Nobody Calls Me "Chicken"!: How Pancham and Shelmet are able to goad him into doing dangerous things.
Budew
Roselia's daughter, who is younger than you.
- Mama's Boy: Or, girl in this case. She offers her entire allowance to a field of dangerous (and suspicious) Beedrill and Combee, because her mother's been feeling tired lately, and she hopes the nutritious honey will help her feel better. Awww!
Simipour
The principal of the school.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Sometimes he doesn't know what he's talking about. When the schoolkids argue about whether The Player is telling the truth about being a human, Simipour interrupts and encourages them to look at the situation from another point of view, and that The Player may be right about what they're saying. Or it could be because he didn't hear what The Player said.
- Cool Teacher: The most friendly and encouraging of all the school faculty members besides Audino. He also actively encourages his peers and the schoolkids to look at a situation from multiple perspectives.
- Dude Looks Like a Lady: No less feminine looking like other Simipour, but regarded as a male.
- Eyes Always Shut: His eyes never open.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Although he chastises you slightly for ditching class, he is willing to forgive you as you did it in order to save Budew, and says that it's important for you to decide for yourself what's right and what's wrong.
- He later sends a letter supporting your leaving the village.
A child's dream cannot be destroyed by adults. Farewell! -Simipour
Watchog
The vice-principal of the school. He dreams of one day becoming the principal.
- Mr. Exposition: His main purpose in the game is to explain certain aspects of dungeoneering, like Loopets. Justified, given his occupation as a teacher.
- Not So Above It All / Imagine Spot: At one point, you can catch him alone in the principal's office pretending to be the principal giving an announcement.
- Watchog: (embarrassed) "Say something if you're standing there!"
- Espurr is able to sneak you and your partner past him by praising him with telepathy, saying he's better than Simipour, which causes him to blush and become extremely distracted.
- When he's posted for guard duty due to rumors of ghosts haunting the school, he considers leaving to get a drink instead.
- Later, after the haunting, you can find him feeling extremely embarrassed that he fainted at the sight of the ghosts. (And he's a Normal type!!!)
- Sadist Teacher: He's a stickler for the rules, and specifically goes out of his way to target you and, to a greater extent, your partner. This can be reasonably justified, however, since, long before you arrived, your partner has been known for causing trouble in the village. Even when you ditch class at one point to save a younger kid's life, he still chews you out regardless. Luckily, Principal Simipour arrives to forgive and commend you for this, and the other kids apologize for not supporting you.
- Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: Is this to the partner, viewing them as nothing more than a troublemaker.
- Small Name, Big Ego: He sees himself as superior to Simipour, even though the students see though him.
- He says a number of things to this effect, most notably after you and your partner come home from saving the world.Watchog: "I knew you could do it. I knew all along...that it was all because you had a great teacher like me to guide you!"
- He says a number of things to this effect, most notably after you and your partner come home from saving the world.
- Through a Face Full of Fur: He blushes a lot.
Farfetch'd
A fellow teacher at Serene village school.
- Cool Teacher: He seems fairly well-liked by the students, and cracks jokes.Pancham: "Hey Teach, why are you always carrying a leek around anyway?"Farfetch'd: "Well, it would be pretty 'far fetched' for me not to carry a tool around, eh?"
- Nap-Inducing Speak: Some of his lessons put the class to sleep.
Audino
Both the school nurse and resident health professional in Serene Village.
- Nice Girl: Next to Simipur, and compared to the rest of the faculty.
- School Nurse: While she explains this is not her only job (as she's the village doctor as well), she also serves as the school nurse while school is in session.
Expedition Society
Ampharos
The leader of the Expedition Society. Refers to himself as "The Dashing Wanderer".
- Agent Peacock: He does everything in style and is rather flamboyant, and his starting moves include Swagger. When it gets down to it, however, he is a good leader.
- Bad Liar: Cannot come up with a reasonably decent lie to conceal the fact he and Swirlix ate Carracosta's food in "A Day in the Life of My Old Pops".
- Big Eater: Not as much as Swirlix, but he has been known to love food. He almost went ahead with dinner before others came back and ate from Swirlix's secret stash.
- Beware the Silly Ones: He's level 56 when you are paired up with him, and he fights well. Do not let his flakiness fool you.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: He is flamboyant and cannot navigate to the point an assistant is needed at all times, but there is a very good reason he is in charge.
- The Chessmaster: Even moreso than Nuzleaf. If Dark Matter could be stopped in time, it's mostly because Ampharos thought quickly and set up a mole and a trap to reach the Tree of Life as soon as possible. He pulls this again in the epilogue — after finding out Mew was ill, he quickly set up a fake kidnapping with Nuzleaf and the Beheeyem so that they would pretend they wanted to kill Mew because Dark Matter was within it. This was done so that The Player's genuine desperate wish to save Mew could bring The Partner back.
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: More downplayed compared to Wigglytuff, but he has very little sense of direction, to the point that he wanders everywhere and bumps into things until he gets somewhere. And when he does, he has no idea where he is anyways.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: An Agent Peacock that has No Sense of Direction at all. Yet, he is capable of always being one step ahead of the antagonistic chessmaster Nuzleaf. Even having the entire society (bar him, Swirlix, and Jirachi) turned into stone was no significant setback in his plan to thwart Dark Matter's intentions.
- Distinction Without a Difference: He claims to not be a member of the Expedition Society. When it is later revealed that he is part of it, he explains that he's actually the leader that makes the rest of the Society do the work. His fellow members see this as grossly obnoxious and threatened (pretended) to quit the group.
- Double-Meaning Title: He is called the Dashing Wanderer because he claims to do things in style. The Wanderer part is more accurately tied to his No Sense of Direction, easily getting lost.
- Irony: The Lighthouse Pokémon known for preventing people from getting lost in the home series cannot navigate to save his life.
- Meaningful Titles: Refers to himself as "The Dashing Wanderer" due to his Agent Peacock style. The "Wanderer" part is especially and ironically due to having...
- No Sense of Direction: The dude's so bad at knowing where he's going, that he walks into buildings while trying to walk a straight path. Actually getting to the location he's trying to reach is considered nothing less than a miracle according to Dedene. According to her, he's not supposed to go anywhere by himself.
- The Klutz: Very clumsy and is always bumping into things.
Mawile
Ampharos' second in command. Has a good head on her shoulders.
- Badass Bookworm: Intervenes to intercept a fire attack aimed at Ampharos by Entei and dispels it effortlessly. Keep in mind that she is weak to fire.
- Gameplay and Story Segregation: While she is a powerful ally who managed to block even a fire attack from Entei, she realistically wouldn't last a few seconds against him in a regular fight, considering their respective typings and levels.
- Genius Bruiser: An archaeologist who effortlessly blocks incoming fire attacks from Entei. To be fair, she's level 50.
- Heroic Sacrifice: At the end of the Voidlands, your party discovers a ray of light that can take you back to the real world, but Void Shadows keep appearing and covering up the light. Entei asks Mawile to do something for him, and she agrees. The plan is to take out a group of Void Shadows, temporarily revealing the light before more appear to cover it up, and then have Mawile knock your player character and your partner over to the ray of light; Mawile stays behind in the Voidlands with the other Legendary Pokémon so you and your partner can escape.
- Number Two: Ampharos is hardly seen without her. She serves as the leader when Ampharos is absent.
- Only Sane Man: She has more restraint and more of a head on her shoulders compared to the rest of the eccentric society.
Dedenne
The communicator for the Society. She's very diligent about her work.
- Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: Is always the first to chastise anyone who acts out of line (i.e. when Ampharos wanders off, when Swirlix eats all the food). That doesn't mean that she doesn't have her moments of silliness, though.
- Killer Rabbit: In her anger towards Swirlix, when she ate all the food, she managed to create an electric bolt so powerful that she managed to destroy the Nexus.
- Mission Control: She's the communicator of the team, keeping in contact with them through electrical frequencies to their Connection Orb.
- Not So Above It All: The second-most sane of the Society, but can be this sometimes.
Buizel
A member of the society. He serves as an explorer for marine missions.
- Big Brother Instinct: Is quick to defend the heroes in the fight against Entei, though it ended in a Curb-Stomp Battle.
- Blood Knight: Or possibly Worthy Opponent. When Ampharos warns him not to engage Entei if he encounters him, Buizel pretty much says that he can't make any promises, as he's keen to try his strength against the Legendary.
- Crutch Character: Can be this if your team isn't particularly fantastic at fighting a multitude of Fire- and Ground-types in Fire Island Volcano. The crutch gets kicked soon enough after Entei severely injures Buizel, disabling him from fighting in the incoming boss fight.
- Long-Range Fighter: Most of Buizel's default movepool revolves around attacking foes from a distance. Hydro Pump in particular is extremely helpful if your team must defeat multiple enemy Pokémon in an alley or hallway.
Jirachi
The Astronomer and technician of the Society; when he's awake, anyway. He dreams of observing and charting the stars.
- Ascended Extra: This is the exact same Jirachi that had a minor role in Explorers of Sky, only now he’s part of the main cast.
- Ambiguous Gender: Subverted despite Jirachi being a genderless Pokémon in the mainline games this Jirachi is specifically stated to be male.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: His big ego for his genius is annoying, but his power is the real deal.
- Call-Back: This is the exact same Jirachi from Explorers of Sky, as he says he is born in Star Cave. His boss fight is even similar down to the dialogue in "Bidoof's Wish"; both have him state that he may attack others while sleeping.Jirachi: "I make everybody's wishes come true. Maybe ~♥"
- Later, when you tell him that you're actually a human, he believes you right away (to the surprise of you and your partner). While it may seem odd at first, this is actually a bit of Fridge Brilliance; it makes sense that he wouldn't be surprised, as this is the same Jirachi from the previous games, so he would have been acquainted with the previous human protagonists.
Jirachi: (On the Player character being turned into a Pokémon) "Well, this happens all the time, doesn't it?" - Later, when you tell him that you're actually a human, he believes you right away (to the surprise of you and your partner). While it may seem odd at first, this is actually a bit of
- Combat Medic: In addition to packing a fair punch with a few powerful attacks in his default movepool, he can use Wish to restore his teammates' health if the player allows him to.
- Don't Wake the Sleeper: To the point where it is an official (and dreaded) duty to have to wake him up when things need fixing.
- Later, if you attempt to talk to him while he is asleep, you simply get a message warning you away from doing so.
Dialog Box: Let's just tiptoe away quietly, shall we? - Heavy Sleeper / Sleepwalking: Or rather, sleep-fighting. Such a heavy sleeper, that only catastrophic injury can wake him from his rest.
- Insufferable Genius: Jirachi enjoys flaunting his intelligence; one such example is his blackboard of calculations, which also says, "I'm a genius" at the corner. He is also proud of creating the Nexus and Exploration Gadgets. To Archen's disappointment, however, Jirachi isn't enough of a genius to salvage the Nexus data lost from Dedene's attack.
- Pals with Jesus: He's a Mythical Pokémon who is a member of the Expedition Society and lives at their HQ with them.
- Sleepyhead: Jirachi is apparently a narcoleptic, because not only does he fall asleep randomly, he even does it the second after you fight to wake him up.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Nobody seems to mind Jirachi's status as a Mythical Pokémon. This is lampshaded when Dedenne finds out Mew is a new member in the Expedition Society. She's delighted about the opportunity to work with a Mythical Pokémon given how rare they are, while Jirachi has to remind her she was already working with one.
Swirlix
The cook of the Expedition Society. When she's not emptying the food reserves herself, that is.
- Big Eater: Not only does she cook for the other members, but she has a habit of eating before they can. In fact, she stashes away the other members' leftovers (which Ampharos finds, and eats from, much to her dismay).Swirlix: Stop! For the love of all that is tasty, stop!
- The Ditz: Her second most-obvious trait.
- Establishing Character Moment: The first time you see her, she's being chased by the rest of the Expedition Society for eating all of their food.
- Fat Idiot: A bit dim, and has a bigger belly than the other members of the Society. Must be from how much she eats.
- Obsessed with Food: To the point where she actively scouts for opportunities to stuff her face, even in the most inappropriate settings including inside of a Legendary Pokémon's lair, and during her last dying moments before being turned to stone.Swirlix's Sign: "If you have any leftovers, I'll take care of them! Please leave them to me! Please!"
- In fact, all of her dialogue, regardless if she's wishing you luck, or feeling excited about the Society's big trip, goes back to food somehow.
- Perpetual Smiler: While other Swirlix in the mainstream games and the anime display their emotions, such as anger, more obviously, this Swirlix appears to be smiling all the time, even when she is surprised or saddened.
Bunnelby
A member of the Society. He serves as an explorer for underground areas.
- Informed Attribute: An explorer for underground missions, yet all of that is done off-screen.
- Out of Focus: The only unlucky member who barely gets any focus. He doesn't even get to tag team with the main duo alone on a mission. What's more, he's one of the earliest party members to get absorbed by the Dark Matter, further pushing him away from the spotlight.
- Sacrificial Lion: His only real purpose in the story is to get turned to stone, to show what a threat the villain is.
- Something Only They Would Say: A very extremely small nitpick Mawile picks on Bunnelby that forces her to attack him to reveal the fact the impostor at the Voidlands is faking being Bunnelby, who only says "seen" instead of "saw".
Archen
A member of the Society. He serves as an explorer for sky-related missions, despite the fact that he can't actually fly.
- Damned by Faint Praise: A sky explorer that is known as "the Flightless". That being said, while the title showcases an irony, he does prove why he has a title in the first place.
- Glass Cannon: He can deal as much damage, if not more (thanks to Acrobatics), than the likes of Ampharos and Mawile, even though he's at least 10 levels lower than both in the story missions. The lower level means he cannot take nearly as much damage, however, and if Defeatist takes effect, he becomes a Joke Character.
- Irony: The sky explorer who can't even fly, and he admits it.
- The Magnificent: He is famed outside of the society as "Archen the Flightless," and is apparently well-known enough that even Entei recognizes him on the spot.
- Nerves of Steel: Manages to gather enough inner courage to stop Entei from immediately mauling the player and their partner on their first encounter.
- Sour Supporter: He complains mightily when you first get to the Air Continent, and laments most his lost work when the Nexus gets destroyed (apparently, it's not the first time, either), but when an actual crisis comes, say, when Latios and Latias are turned to stone and crash-land in the forest, he's one of the first on the scene.
Villains (Unmarked spoilers below)
Beheeyem
Strange beings who attack you straight out of nowhere when you wake up.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Like Nuzleaf and Yveltal, they are under the control of the Dark Matter. One, however, managed to escape their control.
- The Dragon: To Nuzleaf, who they take orders from.
- Heel–Face Door-Slam: The one that breaks free ends up getting turned to stone by Nuzleaf.
- Hero Killer: They petrify Mawile, Dedenne, Buizel, and Bunnelby as they march to the Submerged Cave.
- My God, What Have I Done?: It's implied that the Beheeyem who broke free went through this as he realized that he was the one who is responsible for the Player's amnesia, causing them to be played by Nuzleaf. His regret is clearly voiced when he refuses to speak about it.
- Oh, Crap!: The Beheeyem who breaks free definitely regrets what he did, but fears going to the Voidlands far more.
Yveltal
The Destruction Pokémon. Appears late during the story to reveal its true intentions.
- The Atoner: Fully regrets everything he has done while under Dark Matter's control. Near the end of his Connection Orb Mission, he willingly and immediately joins the team in hopes that it will somehow compensate for his actions.
- Big Damn Heroes: Manages to fire one final Oblivion Wing against Dark Matter in a last-resort attack.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Like Nuzleaf and the Beheeyem, he has been under a form of mind control from Dark Matter.
- The Brute: Where Nuzleaf is the brains, manipulating everyone, Yveltal is the brawn, saving the former when he was surrounded by The Player, The Partner, Archen, Suicune, and Raikou by petrifying them all at the same time, then begins a planet-wide petrification of life. In the boss fight against him, Nuzleaf, and the Beheyeem near the Tree of Life, Yveltal is the strongest by far.
- Dark Is Evil: A Dark-type Pokémon that happens to be one of the antagonists. Ultimately subverted, as it turned out he was Brainwashed and Crazy. He becomes The Atoner in the post-game.
- Dark Is Not Evil: He may be the Destruction Pokémon, but he's not at all evil, and is simply under Dark Matter's control.
- The Dragon: To Dark Matter as its most powerful minion. Possibly Co-Dragons with Nuzleaf.
- Hero Killer: He petrifies The Player, The Partner, Archen, Suicune, and Raikou at Revelation Mountain.
- Knight of Cerebus: Even more so than Entei. His initial and battle themes give a dark intense vibe.
- Secret Art:
- Oblivion Wing, which deals catastrophic damage in a wide, straight line. Thanks to game mechanics, Yveltal's humongous size allows Oblivion Wing to hit three spaces wide, giving the attack a total of thirty hitting spaces.
- Yveltal's ability, Dark Aura, which makes Snarl and Nuzleaf's Dark-type attacks quite a bit more painful.
Dark Matter
Dark Matter
The Big Bad of the game. A culmination of all negative emotions ever created.
- As Long as There Is Evil: As long as there are negative emotions, Dark Matter cannot truly be destroyed, unless it is accepted as a part of everyone.
- Barrier Change Boss: Changes type as you fight it, going from typeless to three other types.
- Dark Is Evil: It manifests as sinister black goop and ultimately a huge sphere of darkness.
- Eldritch Abomination: Like the preceding villain, this monster isn't a Pokémon. Its threat goes so far that it can turn legendary Pokémon, including Arceus, into stone.
- Easily Forgiven: Downplayed. Mew could not forgive it for the trouble it caused in the past before the events of the game, and their emotions allow it to survive. The partner at the end of the main story doesn't forgive it, so much as they are willing to accept it since both good and bad emotions go hand in hand.
- Expy:
- The Heartless: A textbook example; a dark entity formed from the negativity in the hearts of Pokémon.
- Hurl It into the Sun: It plans to detach the Tree of Life by draining its energy, forcing the Tree, followed by the planet, to self-destruct in the sun.
- I Don't Want to Die: Screams this as part of their Wounded Gazelle Gambit.
- Logical Weakness: As a being made out of pure negativity, Dark Matter simply cannot exist if negative emotions are accepted as part of everyone.
- Made of Evil: It is made of all negative emotions to have ever existed.
- The Man Behind the Man: While Yveltal is initially considered to be the Big Bad and Nuzleaf The Heavy, both are under Dark Matter's control and work for it.
- Non-Elemental: Its attacks do not have types.
- Omnicidal Maniac: Desires to "return everything back to the void".
- Outside-Context Problem: Not only is Dark Matter not even close to being a Pokémon, but to put it in simple terms, its existence is completely unknown until the last third of the main story. Up to that point, the player character and their partner know that Nuzleaf can petrify Pokemon and is in cahoots with Yveltal, who can do the same on a larger scale, but it takes a trip to the voidlands to even consider the possibility of there being something controlling them.
- Peaceful in Death: When the player character's partner says that they accept negativity as a part of who they are before smashing Dark Matter's core to bits, Dark Matter can be seen saying "thank you" through the burst of white light.
- The Power of Hate: The only thing that fuels its existence. Even after its physical body is destroyed by the heroes, it merely states that their own hatred of it plus all the negative feelings in the world will allow it to reform eventually anyway, thus only delaying the inevitable. Defied utterly by the partner, who accepts Dark Matter completely as a part of all of themselves, which not only completely shocks it, but is implied to utterly negate its existence once and for all.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To the Bittercold from Gates of Infinity, being a non-Pokémon entity that serves as the Final Boss and Big Bad of the game.
- Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: When you think Pokémon, apparently the first thing to come to mind is an Eldritch Abomination responsible for (functionally) killing gods and turning your foster dad into a serial murderer.
- Voice of the Legion: Your character notes when first hearing it speak that it sounds like a number of different voices speaking together, and it alternates between referring to itself as "I" and "we". This is likely because it was born of the negative emotions of countless Pokémon.
- Walking Spoiler: Comes with the territory of being an Outside-Context Problem who appears towards the end of the game.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Fakes an overly-dramatic death to get the heroes to lower their guard. They don't buy it.
- You Cannot Grasp the True Form: All of its attacks are typeless, and they have vague descriptions that do not tend to be related to the effect they cause. Dark Matter itself starts out typeless and then changes types every time its core is cracked (to a type that resists the move that cracked the core), but this is not stated by the game.
Other Characters
Krookodile
A resident of Lively Town. Known around the parts as a dangerous crook.
- Determinator: Forget being confronted by six capable Pokémon, including two legendary beasts, he just wants his money!
- Dark Is Evil: Subverted; the Dark/Ground-type crocodile never actually does anything evil on-screen other than maul a couple of on-duty Serene Village gatekeepers. Additionally, he attempts and succeeds in turning over a new leaf during the epilogue.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: A famously-known common crook in Lively Town, impatiently demands money for suspicious jobs and services, and frequents the local cafe to "drown out sorrows".
- Heel–Face Turn: In the epilogue, he and Krokorok decide to turn over a new leaf and look for jobs. They eventually get jobs working for Miltank as milk deliverymen.
- Interspecies Romance: He develops a crush on his boss, Miltank.
- Only in It for the Money: He spread the warnings about the world's petrification only because Nuzleaf paid him to do it.
- The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: For a Pokémon with a reputation for being one of the biggest crooks in Lively Town, he is never shown robbing anything, or for that matter even trying to do so. Only his lackey Krokorok tried take The Partner's money when they first encountered each other. Krookodile's only evil act had nothing to do with the criminal activity he was known for.
- Red Herring: Krookodile becomes a prime suspect in turning multiple Pokémon into stone. While he's indeed the one leaving behind "warnings" in advance, he's not the culprit; the culprit promised Krookodile money if Krookodile would leave those warnings behind.
- The Unfought: Like with Skuntank in Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky, the player does not engage Krookodile in battle at all, despite story events leading up to such a scenario. Instead, you encounter a much, much bigger problem.
Krokorok
A resident of Lively Town, and Krookodile's lackey.
- The Bully: Pancham's replacement in Lively Town, although it never really goes anywhere as the protagonists have more pressing matters to attend to, and Buizel neutralizes him at every opportunity anyway.
- Dark Is Evil: Attempts to extort the player and their partner twice. Ultimately subverted, however, as he thanks the heroes for saving Krookodile (and the rest of the world) and turns over a new leaf with him.
- Heel–Face Turn: In the epilogue, he and Krookodile get jobs as milkmen under Miltank.
- The Unfought: Despite past confrontations and story events seemingly leading to a satisfying showdown, the protagonists do not engage Krokorok in battle at all.
- Would Hurt a Child: The player and partner being children doesn't stop him from extorting them and threatening them if they don't pay up.
Entei, Raikou, and Suicune
A trio of legendary beasts that the team encounters several times throughout the story.
- Comically Serious: Entei's harsh and strict personality becomes this when interacting with the Expedition Society.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Entei has no problem with killing anyone who so much as enters his territory.
- Good is Not Nice: Raikou and Entei will treat the protagonists like slave mules as the presence of a human is their only way of exiting the Voidlands, while Suicune is calmly indifferent at best.
- Guest-Star Party Member: All three of them have powerful stats and a wide selection of ranged attacks, making them extremely valuable assets in the Voidlands, where the player is limited in resources. Unfortunately, the player can only get a taste of their power for a few dungeons before leaving them behind.
- Hidden Heart of Gold: Turns out this was just an act so that the player and partner wouldn't be aware of their real intention to fight off the Void Shadows and stay behind in the Voidlands while they save the world.
- Irony: Entei is at least partially inspired by the Foo Dogs/Chinese Guard Lions, which are symbols of protection and good fortune. He's a Knight of Cerebus who almost fried the protagonists in his introduction.
- Knight of Cerebus: Entei pops up to try to kill the heroes right when the mystery of Pokémon turning into stone becomes the central plot. Despite not being a villain, every other scene he's in is played seriously.
- Olympus Mons: A trio consisting of powerful legendary Pokémon.
- Took a Level in Kindness: The three become far more respectful towards the heroes after they have been revived, and even end up asking to join their team.
- Wake-Up Call Boss: Think you could get away with siccing Buizel on every tough Fire-type in Fire Island Volcano? Think you're safe after wasting tons of Oran Berries and Reviver Seeds on the miniboss squad a few moments earlier? Entei's there to eventually put you back in shape after badly crippling Buizel.
- You Fool!: Raikou calls both the player and partner fools, even as he urges them to leave the Voidlands.
Latios and Latias
A brother and sister duo of legendary dragons who are searching for Celebi.
- Back for the Dead: They make a new appearance since Rescue Team in this series, only to be turned into stone minutes after their reintroduction.
- I Owe You My Life: At their postgame mission's end, the two thank the player character for reviving them, and saving the world, followed by joining their team.
- More Hero than Thou: One interpretation to why their arms are angled to each other is because they were both trying to hold off their pursuer to let their sibling escape, only to end up trying to push each other out of its sight before they both got petrified.
- Nice Guy: After being revived, the two arranged a meeting with the heroes to thank them for bringing them back from stone and saving the world before joining their team.
- Overrated and Underleveled: They are unlockable at the Master Rank, the second highest rank in the game, so by the point you can get them, you will have several teammates that have levels in the high 50's while Latias and Latios are only 38 and 40 respectively.
- Pursued Protagonist: They are introduced in the second act being chased by the force behind turning Pokémon into stone while searching for Celebi.
- Sacrificial Lion: Both got some character development in Rescue Team and have the "honor" of being the first Legenderies to be petrified.
- Small Role, Big Impact: The two only have a few lines before being turned into stone, but the petrification story got moved from being a subplot to the main plot when the protagonists came across their functional corpses and then opted to investigate who's behind those incidents.
- Together in Death: A look at the way their arms are angled while turned into stone heavily implies that they were embracing each other during their dying moments.
- The Worf Effect: Their Super-Speed was not much help against the culprit, which shows how much danger it poses.
Celebi
The mythical Time Travel Pokémon. Cooperates with the remaining members of the Expedition Society to save the world.
- Combat Medic: Uses Safeguard and Heal Bell to snap his teammates out of status conditions, while using Energy Ball and Confusion to hurt enemy Pokémon.
- Kryptonite Is Everywhere: Does NOT do well in his introductory chapter's boss fight due to his multiple weaknesses and lack of coverage against Yveltal and Nuzleaf. The best he can do is deal with the Beheeyem and pray for some Special Defense drops from Energy Ball.
- Pink Girl, Blue Boy: He's referred to as male, while the shiny Celebi from Explorers is referred to as female.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Seems to have established a temporary dynamic with his fellow Mythical Pokémon Jirachi, being the calm, reasonable presence in comparison to Jirachi's more hammy personality.
- Single Specimen Species: Averted. You can recruit both him and the shiny female Celebi from Explorers.
- Time Travel: Surprisingly averted. Unlike the shiny Celebi from Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky, it never occurs to this Celebi or the rest of the party to put his time-related powers to significant use, aside from perhaps the single time they needed to teleport.
Vespiquen
The queen of a hive of Beedrill and Combee. The Combee call her "Mama".
- The High Queen: Stops her hive from hurting you, your partner, and Budew, after finding out Budew wanted their honey to make her mother feel better.
- Think Nothing of It: Even though Budew brings her allowance to buy the honey, Vespiquen simply tells her to keep it, giving her the honey anyway.
