SS020

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness (Japanese: ポケモン不思議のダンジョン　時の探検隊・闇の探検隊 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Time Expedition & Darkness Expedition) is a special episode of the Pokémon anime.

It was first broadcast in Japan on September 9, 2007, as part of Pokémon Sunday. It was also streamed online in Japanese on September 13, 2007.

It was released in North America on DVD on August 17, 2008 as part of a limited edition Pokémon pack which included the DVD, a and  Onyx Nintendo DS Lite, a carrying case, and a mini-poster of. In the United Kingdom, it was released on DVD as part of a goodie bag with an event. It was also available in the United Kingdom at stores, coming free with a purchase of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness and Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. It was aired on on September 1, 2008, as a part of a Pokémon Diamond & Pearl: Battle Dimension marathon.

This episode was released on the Japanese and English Pokémon channels on July 3, 2015 and October 22, 2015, respectively, for the release of Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon. This episode was also made available on Pokémon TV.

Unlike previous special episodes, this does not take place in any continuity of the main storyline. Instead, the plot is based on the spinoff games, the two versions of.

Blurb
Welcome to a world...where Pokémon, and ONLY Pokémon, live. A world where Pokémon can talk -- just like we do. Meet a boy who has mysteriously turned into a Piplup!

This Piplup soon meets a Chimchar, who dreams of joining a brave Exploration Team. And at that magical moment, an exciting new adventure begins!

Join us... After all, a whole new world of mystery and exploration awaits! Life is full of adventure, so get ready to explore!

Plot
steals a Time Gear, and as he makes off with it, time freezes/stand still in that area. Meanwhile,, who is anxious to start an Exploration Team by joining Wigglytuff's Guild. As he walks toward the entrance, Team Razor Wind is blasted out by 's (because of arguing about the reward for their mission), and members of the Wigglytuff Guild notice Chimchar's footprints, thinking he's an intruder. This scares Chimchar into running away from the beach, where he meets an unconscious. After he wakes up, Piplup, claiming to be a human, is scared to find out that he has turned into a Pokémon. Chimchar thus convinces Piplup to go with him to meet Wigglytuff and start an Exploration Team, in the hopes that he'll find out what has happened to him.

They then enter the Wigglytuff Guild, and after causing a slight ruckus (the guild thought that they were intruders), they are able to talk to Wigglytuff himself. After, Wigglytuff's right-hand man, explains the strangeness going on in their world with the Time Gears being stolen, Piplup and Chimchar receive an Exploration Team Starter Kit as well as Rescue Team Badges, officially joining the guild as Team Poképals. That night, Piplup and Chimchar rest in the guild. When Chimchar accidentally rolls on top of Piplup, Piplup receives a vision of the future: in this case exactly what the third member of his rescue team will buy at Treasure Town.

The next day, after the guild oath recital, Piplup and Chimchar receive their first rescue mission: they must go into Labyrinth Cave and retrieve a Scale, in order to cure a young 's sister's sickness. To help them on this presumably dangerous mission is guild veteran. They first go to 's to stock up on items, and it is there that Piplup's vision is fulfilled: Sunflora buys a Joy Ribbon, Defense Scarf, and Power Band for Piplup, Chimchar, and herself respectively, exactly as it happened in Piplup's vision. Team Razor Wind spots them and secretly decides that they should go retrieve the Gabite Scale, since Team Poképals is too inexperienced. Team Poképals then enters the cave, but it's not long before Chimchar gets attacked by a wild swarm. After Sunflora attacks them with, she explains the usefulness of the items; the Power Band made her attack stronger, and the Defense Scarf saved Chimchar from injury. As they proceed, Piplup almost falls into a pit, but Chimchar grabs his hand and saves him. This triggers another one of Piplup's visions of the future: a stone bridge collapses into a pit. When they come to the bridge, Chimchar insists on crossing it, but Piplup remembers his vision and stops Chimchar from crossing it. The bridge then collapses, and Chimchar is thankful.

A bit deeper into the cave, they find a beat-up Team Razor Wind, who explain that they had just been challenged and defeated by Gabite when they asked for his scale. Team Poképals then heads further in to find the Gabite. When they ask and beg for his scale, he refuses and insists that they battle him for it. To which Piplup agrees.

Gabite starts by using. Chimchar tries to use, but the attack can't break through. Piplup then uses, which clears the storm. Gabite then uses on Chimchar and Piplup, knocking them down. In response, Sunflora uses, which due to the Power Band is very strong. She then prepares to use, but before she execute the attack, Gabite uses , leaving Sunflora heartstruck and unable to fight. Noticing Sunflora cannot battle, Piplup uses, to which Gabite laughs at its puny power, knocking him down again with Dragon Claw. Seeing Piplup go down, Chimchar uses on Gabite, and while he is occupied, Piplup uses what he thinks is Bubble. Chimchar, however, comments that the attack is actually, which Piplup learned through experience from the Joy Ribbon. Piplup then uses BubbleBeam one more time on Gabite, knocking Gabite out. Sunflora is freed from her love trance, and the team then regroups and recuperates. However, Gabite slowly gets back up. The team prepares for battle once again when Gabite tells them not to worry: he had a worthy and exciting battle with them. He then presents them with one of his scales as their reward, thus completing their mission.

Back at the guild, Shinx is overwhelmed that his sister has gotten better, and thus thanks Team Poképals with a Luxray Fang as their reward. Chatot, however, swipes the fang, stating that it is a guild rule that all rewards go to Wigglytuff, to which Chimchar and Piplup are dismayed. , another member of the guild, then barges in and claims big news: Grovyle the Thief has stolen another Time Gear. Piplup then tells Chimchar that he would like to stay on Team Poképals, calling Chimchar his partner, in hopes that he will find out more about what has happened to him. Chimchar then excitedly approves and the two partners shake hands.

Major events

 * A human boy finds out he has turned into a.
 * Piplup forms Team Poképals along with a.
 * Piplup learns.

Characters

 * Team Poképals
 * Wigglytuff's Guild
 * Team Razor Wind
 * Treasure Town
 * (brother)
 * Shinx (sister)
 * brothers
 * Thieves
 * Others
 * (multiple)
 * Team Razor Wind
 * Treasure Town
 * (brother)
 * Shinx (sister)
 * brothers
 * Thieves
 * Others
 * (multiple)
 * Treasure Town
 * (brother)
 * Shinx (sister)
 * brothers
 * Thieves
 * Others
 * (multiple)
 * Others
 * (multiple)
 * Others
 * (multiple)
 * Others
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)

Comparison with the game

 * The Time Gear that steals is actually the second one he steals in the game.
 * The opening scenes at the beach and at the guild are very similar to the game.
 * However, the part where 's stone gets stolen by and  is omitted.
 * The visions triggered by the Dimensional Scream do not start so early in the game.
 * The guild does not take items given as payment, though it does take 90% of money received.
 * The Japanese Pokémon Mystery Dungeon 2 website revealed a code that allows players to obtain a mission that is similar to the special, with being the boss of the dungeon.
 * The music used in the special, like the previous special, are similar to the game.
 * Sunflora does not join the player's team in the games.
 * The "Morning Words of Encouragement" are said inside the guild, not out.
 * Sunflora does not say "oh my gosh!" that much in the game.
 * 's identity is not known until after 's Time Gear is stolen, not the one shown.

Trivia

 * This special was released between Ill-Will Hunting! and A Maze-ing Race! in Japan.
 * Daisuke Sakaguchi also played 's in Strategy Tomorrow - Comedy Tonight!.
 * Kiyotaka Furushima reprises his role as the brothers from the previous special.
 * The episode is animated by Team Ota, which had not worked on the Pokémon anime since All That Glitters is Not Golden.
 * The episode is storyboarded by Kunihiko Yuyama, who usually handles the movies.
 * The episode has music producers, which are usually only found in the movies, both short and long.
 * Most of the background music in the episode was taken from the game score, which was composed by Arata Iiyoshi and others. Unusually for the Pokémon anime, the music was not arranged by Miyazaki Shinji.
 * Also, when Team Poképals battles, the music from the battle with is used.
 * As with the previous Mystery Dungeon special, the episode ends with To be continued. Unlike the previous special, however, this episode really did get a sequel.
 * This special appeared first in parts of Europe before the United States. The same thing happened with the Pokémon Chronicles series.
 * The special aired in the US on Labor Day as part of a Pokémon Diamond & Pearl: Battle Dimension marathon.
 * Maddie Blaustein and Rachael Lillis return to voice Chatot and Sunflora and Shinx, respectively.
 * This was Blaustein's last role in the Pokémon series before her death on December 11th, 2008.
 * This was also Lillis's last role to date, as she did not reprise the role of Sunflora in the next special.

Errors

 * When Chatot is explaining about why bad Pokémon kept appearing, he said the Time Gears have been broken. But the Time Gears were not broken, instead they were stolen.
 * Although the Shinx sister and Gabite were supposed to be female and male, respectively, they are stylised with the opposite gender differences. Shinx's feet were not light blue and Gabite lacked a groove in his fin.
 * After Piplup counters Gabite's, Sunflora exclaims that Sand-types are weak against moves, meaning Ground. Also, Gabite is part , therefore, it would do normal damage.

Related articles

 * Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go Getters Out of the Gate!
 * Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Beyond Time & Darkness

de:Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Erkundungsteams Zeit und Dunkelheit EE06 fr:Pokémon Donjon Mystère : Explorateurs du Temps et de l'Ombre (dessin animé) SS020 ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 時の探検隊・闇の探検隊 (アニメ) 宝可梦☆星期天 第20集