History VideoGame / PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers

** [[spoiler:The partner is ''so'' heartbroken over the player's disappearance that after the credits roll, Dialga decides to return the favor for repairing Temporal Tower by summoning the player back into existence, on the same beach shore where the player and partner first met.]]
** At the end of ''Sky'''s fifth Special Episode, [[spoiler:The Pokémon of the BadFuture survive the changes made to the timeline without being {{Ret Gone}}d due to what is strongly implied to be literal divine intervention]].

** Should you lose a boss battle you were supposed to beat in order to advance the story, the events leading up to it will be suitably altered during your follow-up attempt. Most of the time that means bosses skip their introduction, but it varies. [[spoiler: For example, in "Igglybuff the Prodigy", Igglybuff will think that Armaldo enjoys traps because they fall into the same trap they did before... even though they already knew it was there. Similarly, in the graduation dungeon in the post-game story, Wigglytuff is forced to shove the player and the partner into the pit since they already know about it and would logically avoid it if given the chance. This goes in tandem with everyone involved in the graduation battle ([[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Except for Wigglytuff]]) [[VisibleSilence not saying anything if you talk to them before returning]]]].
** [[spoiler:If, at the Hidden Land, you go back to talk to Lapras after Grovyle has returned to the future (as he's no longer in your party), you get a special conversation with Lapras as they express concern and sadness for Grovyle before offering to take you back to Treasure Town.]]

[[caption-width-right:279:Things are about to get dark. And [[Series/DoctorWho timey-wimey]].]]

The second [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo entries]]) in the {{roguelike}} ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' SpinOff series ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'', ''Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness'' and ''Explorers of Time'' were released for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS in 2008.

* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Team Skull discovers the hard way that one does not attempt to harm Guildmaster Wigglytuff. Whether this is ObfuscatingStupidity or not is up for debate.
** [[PaperThinDisguise "The Grand Master of All Things Bad"]], on the other hand, is quite the cunning foe...
** Chatot, on the other hand, plays this much straighter, ''particularly'' with Team Skull. For most of the game he plays the role of SmallNameBigEgo, and even finds himself stupefied to the point of ''rage'' that trio of Team Skull actually ''is'' a group of {{Jerkass}}es. But when push comes to shove, there's a reason he's Wigglytuff's right hand.

** Invoked near the end of Bidoof's Wish, after [[spoiler:Snover, Bagon and Gligar all triple team Bidoof.]] And then it gets flipped around and done ''again'' when [[spoiler:[[TheCavalry Wigglytuff's Guild swoops in]] and fights the trio. [[BigDamnHeroes All eight members.]]]]
** [[spoiler:Wigglytuff gives one to Team Skull]]. It's offscreen, but it's clear they didn't stand a chance.
* CuttingTheKnot: During Wigglytuff's [[ADayInTheLimelight special episode]]. Armaldo observes and discusses the various puzzles and traps protecting a door on an expedition, only to watch the young Igglybuff smash the door down.
* CueTheSun: After returning from [[spoiler:the future's eternal night]], one of the first things the partner does is take in the awe of a morning sunrise. ''Explorers of Sky'' also has [[spoiler:Grovyle's final battle set against a sunrise, which indicates that the future is beginning to change.]]
* DarkerAndEdgier: The sequel to the family-friendly original. Not in a bad way, but some parts of the story are deeply disturbing.
** [[spoiler:Darkrai and Dusknoir]] are both surprisingly sinister for a Pokémon game.
** After the main plot has been completed, Cresselia appears in the player's dreams and tells them that to save the world [[spoiler:they need to kill themselves.]] Turns out that [[spoiler:it's not actually Cresselia, but Darkrai, trying to get the heroes out of the way so they won't ruin his plans]].
* DarkIsNotEvil: Dusknoir, [[spoiler: at least at first. It turns out that he IS evil and is one of the main enforcers of Primal Dialga, although he does switch back to this trope towards the very end of his special episode.]]
** Team AWD qualifies, at least in the present day. Although Weavile is a bit of a bitch, they are overall relatively pleasant to the hero and partner and talk about Zero Isle to them. Further supported by the fact that they hang around Treasure Town and the guild just fine, and that they would very likely have been apprehended already if they were genuinely up to no good.
** Banette and Skorupi in Igglybuff's special episode. They're described as bullies and somewhat mean, but they ''do'' care for Igglybuff's safety when he repeatedly goes into the Murky Forest and even follow Magnezone and Nidoking along with the rest of Igglybuff's friends and family to make sure he's safe.

* DelayedRippleEffect: After repairing Temporal Tower and saving the future, [[spoiler:the player has just enough time to say goodbye before they disappear]]. This also happens in the fifth Special Episode, where [[spoiler:Grovyle, Celebi, Dusknoir, and Primal Dialga all have enough time for a FinalBoss fight even as they begin to fade from existence.]]

* DeniedFoodAsPunishment: Both the player and their partner are denied dinner on one occasion due to not being able to restock Wigglytuff's supply of Perfect Apples (the only food he will eat). [[OneSideOfTheStory This is due to Chatot refusing to hear out your partner’s explanation of what happened.]] (Team Skull sabotaged their mission for their personal gain.) Fortunately, a few friends of the player and partner saved parts of their dinners so the two could get a meal the next morning. Players will also receive this punishment if they do poorly in the Sentry Duty minigame with Loudred being angry with them.
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: "I'm Wigglytuff! I'm the guild's Guildmaster!" Do note the Guild is called "Wigglytuff Guild", hence redundancy.

The second entry (or rather, [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo entries]]) in the {{roguelike}} ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' SpinOff series known as ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'', ''Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness'' and ''Explorers of Time'' were released for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS in 2008.

The story becomes much more serious than those of the game's predecessors, and has several considerably dark moments in its later chapters.

The games were followed up by an UpdatedRerelease called ''Explorers of Sky'' in 2009. Outside of some minor balance changes, ''Sky'' also features [[ADayInTheLimelight Special Episodes focusing on members of the Wigglytuff Guild]], the Spinda Juice Bar, and a couple new sidequests.

* AdaptationSpeciesChange: The Luxray Tribe in ''Time'' and ''Darkness'' are the Manectric Tribe in ''Sky''. This may have been done because Shinx was made a starter in the latter game.
* AdventurersClub: ''Sky'' adds a new location called 'Spinda's Café', a shop that is designed for the local exploration teams. In it, the player can brew drinks that increase their stats, or trade in useless items for prize tickets for a chance of winning something better. Later on you get access to new dungeons that can only be unlocked from the Café, and the NPC's that hang around in it are fellow explorers who discuss their recent explorations, or Pokémon who came in with mission requests.
* AffablyEvil: Grovyle, who is attempting to steal the Time Gears, is nothing but cordial and [[ApologeticAttacker apologetic]] with his victims. [[spoiler: Of course, that's because he's not actually evil. He just doesn't bother to explain his actions.]]
* AffectionateParody: Wigglytuff's Guild is a send-up of typical large Japanese businesses. Yes, there are manufacturing companies with routine morning cheers. The situation with [[ThePollyanna Wigglytuff]] and [[PointyHairedBoss Chatot]] is also a dead ringer for "ame to muchi" ("sweets and whips"), an unfortunately common way of ensuring employee zeal: Rewards ("ame") for good results, but public castigation and demerits ("muchi") when you fall short.
* AllInARow: The partner always follows the player outside of dungeons. Before the epilogue, the extra members of the party will do the same. In the post-game, however, you can make it so the player travels alone in dungeons, though they'll still need the partner when going to the Hidden Land or [[spoiler:being abducted by Palkia or confronting Darkrai.]]
* AmazonBrigade: Team Charm, an elite all-female exploration team complete with their own unique BattleThemeMusic and FightWoosh, too!

** After completing the "Surrounded Sea" for the first time, the player will find an egg [[spoiler: that hatches into a Manaphy]].
* AnswerCut: The night before the Amp Plains mission, your partner wonders aloud how [[spoiler:Uxie is doing. The next scene shows Uxie being attacked by Grovyle for the Time Gear.]]
* AntidoteEffect: Certain berries cure exactly one status effect, like poison, paralysis etc. However, they consume valuable inventory space, there are items that heal all status effects, and said effects reset once you reach a new level in the dungeon. Therefore, these berries end up being nigh useless (except for the slight stomach filling).

** If you fail to find Spoink's pearl a few times, Wigglytuff will give you a few helpful items to aid you in your next attempt, though since this is in the beginning of the game, you have to be pretty much trying to fail.

* ArtificialStupidity: Affects both friendly and hostile [=NPCs=] alike. Worse when compounded with uncontrollable [[EscortMission escorted]] [[TheLoad clients and other NPCs required in story missions]]. Some of this seems to actually be very deliberate, as some IQ Skills exist solely to fix idiotic AI behavior.

** If you aren't in their line of sight, party members will wander off in random directions away from each other looking for you, even if they can see other party members following you. This isn't so bad once you can change their tactic to "wait there", but you can't change the tactics of [[EscortMission anyone who isn't part of your exploration team]], [[TheLoad such as clients]].

* AutoRevive: Reviver seeds automatically trigger once you or one of your teammates is defeated. It restores all HP, nullifies all status effects and gives back all attack points.

** Also, in the special episodes in ''Sky'', you can freely send items to or get things from your main-game storage via Kangaskhan Rocks. This is especially odd since two of them take place before the events of the game, and one takes place in [[BadFuture the future]]. Furthermore, any money or items you obtain during the episodes will automatically get sent to the player's bank and storage at the episode's end.

** In Bidoof's Sub-Episode in ''Sky'', the aforementioned character is [[HopelessBossFight beaten down and subsequently cornered by a villainous team]]. [[spoiler:Enter Wigglytuff's Guild to tip the scales and deliver a CurbStompBattle.]]

%%** In a non-beach example, the last cutscene of the post-game story includes a flashback to the first cutscene of the game.

* BossInMookClothing: "Outlaw" Pokémon have at least [[DamageSpongeBoss three times as much health]] as a normal enemy Pokémon of that type and level. They have BattleThemeMusic to announce their presence, and in ''Sky'', some are specifically fought in Monster Houses, and some are even [[FlunkyBoss flanked by minions]] (usually a lesser evolutionary level of the outlaw, though occasionally a higher one that's still weaker than the fun-size boss) with the normal dungeon floor replaced with a boss-like arena.
* BrokenPedestal:
** [[spoiler:Armaldo, Wigglytuff's old mentor]], is revealed to be a wanted criminal. Though the pedestal may not be completely broken, as [[spoiler:Wigglytuff]] still looks back fondly on those times, and the outlaw isn't all that bad.
** The partner and Chatot especially have a hard time accepting that [[spoiler:Dusknoir is actually TheDragon]].

** In chapter 14, [[spoiler:the pillars that you find yourself tied to are referred to as "stockades" in English, and an "execution site" in Japanese.]]

* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler:Manaphy winds up terribly sick for an unknown reason, which is later found out to be caused by being out of the ocean for too long. You're then ''forced'' to abandon your child in a tear-jerking scene as Walrein takes Manaphy into the sea.]]
* CallForward: Armaldo on the Crystal Puzzle. Obviously a reference (or {{foreshadowing}}, if you play the Special Episode before the plot) to the Crystal Cave Exploration.
-->"Hmm.. A Crystal, you'll probably touch it and it changes color. Match the colors and something will rise out of the ground."
* CarnivoreConfusion: "Team Tasty" is comprised of a Swellow (a large, fully-evolved bird Pokémon) and a Wurmple (a small, unevolved caterpillar Pokémon whom Swellow are said to prey on). Wurmple's greatest fear is the possibility of getting [[EatTheDog eaten by his friend]] -- he breaks out in a cold sweat any time his partner even ''thinks'' about food (which [[RunningGag happens a lot]]). Swellow, on the other hand, is completely oblivious to this, to the point that when Wurmple finally tells him, he considers himself a poor leader for his teammate to be so uncomfortable around him.
** Wigglytuff's Guild side-steps this trope by only ever showing apples and berries being eaten during the nightly dinner scenes. Apparently you and your partner can survive on an all-plant diet no matter what species you are (even if you picked Totodile or Meowth).

*** May or may not be related to the crabs in ''Finding Nemo'', who say "Hey" repeatedly at passerby.

* CaveBehindTheFalls: The [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Waterfall Cave]].
* CeilingCling: The Brine Cave bosses' preferred method of entry, which is how they clobbered Chatot and Wigglytuff the first time.
* CerebusSyndrome: ''Explorers'' starts off a bit on the silly side, becomes a little serious with [[spoiler:Drowzee]], becomes very serious with [[spoiler:the BadFuture (see WhamEpisode)]], and then becomes even darker with the post-end plot, exploring the topics of self-worth and suicide.
* ChekhovsGun: Bidoof takes a crystal from Crystal Cave around halfway into the main story. Later, [[spoiler:Dusknoir has the player character touch it to trigger a Dimensional Scream.]]
** [[spoiler:The partner's Relic Fragment]] also qualifies, as it is the only way to access the final dungeon of the main story.

** Torkoal, who [[spoiler:reveals the nature of the Relic Fragment and how to get to the hidden land towards the end of the game.]]
** There's also [[spoiler:Drowzee, the first Outlaw Pokémon you fight.]] He appears again in the post game where he helps the main characters when [[spoiler:Azurill gets stuck in a never-ending nightmare.]]
* ChekhovsSkill: The player character's Dimensional Scream ability is first seen fairly early in the game. The usefulness of this ability becomes evident early on, but its true nature is not explained until much later in the plot.
** Possibly even a ChekhovsBoomerang, in that the player retains this ability even after the main arc is completed.
* TheChessmaster: The epilogue arc reveals that [[spoiler:Darkrai]] was secretly behind the events of the main story arc.
** [[spoiler:Ditto]] is an example of a heroic chessmaster, manipulating both Team Charm and Team AWD into fighting each other [[spoiler:to protect a Time Gear.]]

* TheChosenOne: It turns out that [[spoiler:your partner was chosen as the one worthy of entering the Hidden Land before you even arrived]]. This is possibly a result of [[spoiler:Bidoof's Wish at the end of his bonus chapter]], though it's not exactly clear.

* ColourCodedTimestop: Of the DeliberatelyMonochrome variety (especially [[spoiler:the BadFuture]]).
* TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong: Chatot gets elements of this at certain points. Sometimes, however, he's allowed to be right.
** Averted with Loudred and everyone else who had doubts about Team Skull.
* ContractualBossImmunity: {{Averted|Trope}}, for the most part, unless they have an ability or IQ skill that makes them immune. Some bosses can be trivialized with disabling status effects like paralysis, imprison, sleep, or confusion-- not to mention that they're also vulnerable to some of the more broken seeds like hunger seeds.

** Also, in ''Sky'', you can freely send items to or get things from your main-game storage via Kangaskhan Rocks. This is especially odd since two of them take place before the events of the game, and one takes place in [[BadFuture the future]]. Furthermore, any money or items you obtain during the episodes will automatically get sent to the player's bank and storage at the episode's end.

* HelplessWithLaughter: One of the new items introduced in Explorers of Sky is the Reviser Seed, which upon reviving the Pokemon leads to them laughing so hard that they faint again.

* BagOfSharing: In the story, you (the player character) receive an explorer bag where you store all items. However, if your team gets split up in a dungeon, there is absolutely nothing stopping you from giving items to your teammate on the other side of the map.

* UnexpectedlyRealisticGameplay: The Guild needs to get money from somewhere for it to keep operating. Registration may be free, but that means the Guild takes a huge cut out of mission rewards. That said, they still take a cut of the money even when [[spoiler: your team graduates.]]

* SimilarItemConfusion: The game introduces 'lookalike items,' meant to trick the player into using them.
** Is that a healing Oran berry, or a poisonous Oren berry?
** Will the Sleep Seed help knock out your foe, or is it a Slip Seed that will make them able to walk on water?

* ReallyDeadMontage: At the end, in regard to [[spoiler:the player character. Then subverted; the player's partner is ''so'' heartbroken that Dialga asserts his DeusExMachina power over the flow of time to [[BackFromTheDead bring the player back]] from their RetGone]].

* RetGone: Changing the future means that everyone ''from'' that future disappears from the world forever.

* SuicideMission: The final mission to save the world is this for [[spoiler:the player and Grovyle, who will both be [[RetGone erased from the timestream]] should they succeed]].

* CrystalLandscape: The dungeons Crystal Cave and Crystal Crossing almost exclusively consist of big, shining gemstones. Between them is a crystal-themed puzzle.

* AdaptationExplanationExtrication: In '' Explorers of Time'' and ''Darkness'', Luxray can see the team hiding behind a rock using his X-ray vision. He's changed to a Manectric in ''Sky'', who senses their presence... somehow.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: After your first mission for the guild, you're paid a lot of money… only for Chatot to take it away from you and give you a small percentage of it, because the rest of that money goes to maintaining the guild. Just like getting a job in real life, your paycheck may seem like a lot at first, but then you have to consider all the housing bills you have to pay and the money you need to save for food, clothes, and so on, so you're not left with much to spend on luxuries at first, unlike most other [=RPGs=] where a quest's advertised reward just goes directly to your funds.

* UselessItem: If you use a Technical Machine in dungeon, you will be left with a "used TM" in your bag. While you can use the move Recycle to get the TM back, the game does not stop you from ''using'' the item either. Using it does nothing... and the used TM disappears.

* AdultFear:
** [[spoiler:Drowzee]], the "extortionist", who acts trustworthy to convince a child to come with him to a mountain alone, then threatens the child into doing a favor for him (getting a treasure that's hidden in the mountain).
** In Igglybuff's story, imagine your child going off on his own everyday, you don't know where he goes, you investigate and find out he's hanging out with a shady adult, even further [[spoiler:a former criminal.]]
** You and your partner find an egg that hatches into a [[spoiler:Manaphy]]. After a few days, you both wake up to find [[spoiler:Manaphy's]] bed empty.
** [[spoiler:Manaphy winds up terribly sick for an unknown reason, which is later found out to be caused by being out of the ocean for too long. You're then ''forced'' to abandon your child in a tear-jerking scene as Walrein takes Manaphy into the sea.]]

* BetterOffSold: Most bands provide useful passive buffs for the Pokémon who wears it. However, every Pokémon can only wear one at a time. Given that you find these bands everywhere, you're better off selling them - and they pay nicely, compared to most other items.

* ClairvoyantSecurityForces: It's nigh impossible to steal from a Kecleon shop without being noticed. Even when you use a warp seed, Kecleon will still immediately know that you were the thief. And then, dozens of Kecleons appear out of nowhere and attack you.

* HopelessBossFight:a

* HopelessBossFight:

* NoGearLevel: The dungeon Zero-Isle South forbids you to bring any items, and furthermore your level is temporarily set to Lv. 1.

* AnEconomyIsYou: A justified example. All the shops in Treasure Town center around the needs of Exploration Teams, but it's a city full of those and the main hub in the world for all exploration tasks.

* FakeLongevity: All shop interactions take way longer than reasonably needed. You have to interact with at least four shops[[note]]Kangaskhan Storage, Xatu Appraisal, Duskull Bank, Chimecho's team service and the Pandir Café in ''Sky' '[[/note]]. Most of these shops don't have bulk transactions ready, and for every transaction they play an overly long dialog option that is not skippable. You'll easily spend ten minutes between every real mission just interacting with the shops.