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Choosing your duo
The hero and the partner are chosen from the starter Pokémon of the whole Mystery Dungeon series, or through the personality quiz. Who is available, what differs between the two, and why no choice closes off the story.
On this page
In short
- Two different Pokémon: a hero, whom you control, and a partner, who follows you and fights according to its tactic.
- 33 possible heroes and 34 partners: the starters of Rescue Team, Explorers, Gates to Infinity, Super Mystery Dungeon, and the community’s picks. Munchlax can only be a partner, as in Explorers.
- Every duo can finish the story: types matter in battle, but no choice blocks a chapter.
The starter Pokémon
| Original game | Pokémon |
|---|---|
| Rescue Team |  Bulbasaur  Charmander  Squirtle  Pikachu  Meowth  Psyduck  Machop  Cubone  Eevee  Chikorita  Cyndaquil  Totodile  Treecko  Torchic  Mudkip  Skitty |
| Explorers |  Turtwig  Chimchar  Piplup  Munchlax (partner only)  Vulpix  Phanpy  Riolu  Shinx |
| Gates to Infinity |  Snivy  Tepig  Oshawott  Axew |
| Super Mystery Dungeon |  Chespin  Fennekin  Froakie |
| Community picks |  Ralts  Zorua  Pawniard |
The three community picks were added by a vote on the Discord server. Dupin, for his part, remains a character of the story: he is never up for choice.
The personality quiz
At the start of the adventure, you can take the Explorers of Sky personality quiz: nine questions drawn from the original game’s sixty-four, whose answers reveal your nature. Your nature and your choice (boy or girl) give you your Pokémon, just like in the original game. The full table of natures is on the Starter Pokémon page, and the quiz can also be taken on the site, without launching the game: Personality quiz.
The quiz suggests; you decide. You can turn down the Pokémon your nature points to and pick another one from the list.
What differs between hero and partner
- The hero is you: every step, every hit, every item. Its Belly empties as it walks, it is the one who talks to wild Pokémon, and its final blow is most often what decides a recruitment.
- The partner follows its tactic, set from its card: Balanced to begin with. You can take control of it at any time by switching the Pokémon you control.
- Both gain experience together, and both can go through their Molt when the time comes.
Nicknames
From a Pokémon’s card, in the Hollow, you can give it a nickname: it shows everywhere, in battle as in dialogue. A nickname cannot be an address or a link.
See also
- Getting startedFirst stepsNew to PDMN? Here is the essential to get off to a good start, from the Hollow to the bottom of the first dungeons: the duo, the camp, turn-based play, items, recruiting, the Molt, saving.
- BattleTeam tacticsEach teammate follows a tactic you set from its card: Balanced, Aggressive, Cautious, Peaceful or Stay Put. What each one really does, and how they help you recruit.