Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time (Japanese: ポケモン不思議のダンジョン　時の探検隊 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time) and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (Japanese: ポケモン不思議のダンジョン　闇の探検隊 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness) are a matched pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS. These games are the second pair of entries in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, an adaptation of the games for Pokémon.

The games are successors to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team. They include the new Generation IV Pokémon and have some Wi-Fi features, as well as more dual-screen features than their predecessor for the same system (Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team).

An anime adaptation of these games has been produced.

These games feature 491 Pokémon; and  were excluded for they had yet to be officially revealed when the games were released. The games were released on April 20, 2008.

A third installment was developed by Chunsoft and was released on April 18, 2009 in Japan.

Plot
The story begins with a cut-scene where the undefined is to have been unconscious on a beach due to a time-traveling accident, causing him/her to become a Pokémon. Meanwhile, the partner is nervous about joining the Wigglytuff's Guild, a local exploration club, and gives up early. Walking along the beach, the partner encounters the player, and informs that the player has been turned into a Pokémon. The Relic Fragment the partner holds is then stolen by and, members of , which the player helps recover. After a brief exchange, the partner explains their motivation for joining the guild. The player's partner loves legend and lore and their life dream is to find the secret of their personal treasure—a Relic Fragment with a strange pattern on it. The partner, reinvigorated by the player's courage, joins the Guild as a new team with the player.

Over the next few days, the team gets accustomed to life at the Guild and the nearby Treasure Town. Among the folks they meet are, the kindhearted Guild Leader, , the hot-tempered yet well-meaning second-in-command, , the newest recruit prior to the team joining, the Guild chef (also in charge of maintaining the team),  and , the Guild sentries, , maintainers of the job boards, , the local sheriff, and other exploration teams. As they are introduced to the Guild, they learn of the fact that rogue Pokémon have been wreaking havoc in the world due to the disruption of time, Pokémon cannot evolve, and new "Mystery Dungeons" have been revealed and open to exploration.

The player discovers not too long after that he/she has the ability to spontaneously see things in the past and future, but only when touching an object of some kind. This is known as the Dimensional Scream, as revealed later by.

The legend of the Time Gears
On the night after the player and partner arrest, the partner tells the player the story of the Time Gears; the artifacts that maintain the flow of time in their respective regions. The partner theorizes that if a Time Gear is stolen, time in that area will stop. Despite this, a mysterious thief is seen stealing a Time Gear.

One day, the player and partner, along with the Guild and Team Skull (as special guests), make an expedition to a location called Fogbound Lake, a lake seemingly covered in fog. Arriving there, the player recalls the place as being familiar, but cannot ascertain as to why. At the top, they find and defeat to find out that it was only an illusion made by the Lake Guardian,, who is said to be able to erase the memories of all who arrive there. Uxie does not trust the Guild, fearing that they may take the Time Gear at the center of the lake, hence the reason for erasing the memories. However, after an appeal from the partner, the Guild earns Uxie's trust, and Uxie decides not to erase the memories of the Guild or the lake's treasure.

Returning home, they meet a famous explorer named, who explains that the player's ability to see through time is called the Dimensional Scream. Asking Dusknoir how the player had arrived in their condition, they surprisingly get no results. Nevertheless, Dusknoir offers their help in uncovering the secret behind the player's transformation. Just then, however, the Guild reports that the Time Gear from Fogbound Lake has been stolen, and an all-points bulletin has been posted for the arrest of. As a result, Wigglytuff has the Guild focus their energies on bringing Grovyle to justice, to which Dusknoir also offers his assistance. The Guild splits up to look for the other Time Gears, while the player's team eventually discovers an underground lake beneath the Northern Desert, which is home to a Time Gear. The Time Gear is guarded over by, which the team defeats. Just as the partner explains that they are not there to steal the Time Gear, Grovyle appears. Grovyle easily dispatches the team and the weakened Mesprit, and steals the Time Gear. Fortunately, the team and Mesprit manages to escape before they are frozen in time.

Back at the guild, the failure of the team to stop Grovyle meant that there are no leads to his next location. However, Dusknoir determines that, as Uxie is the being of knowledge, and Mesprit is the being of emotion, thus, the being of willpower, is likely to be guarding another Time Gear. Dusknoir further explains that as Uxie and Mesprit were encountered in lakes, Azelf is also likely to be found in a lake area. Hoping to find a lead, Dusknoir asks the player to touch a treasure that Bidoof took with him at Crystal Cave, in order to trigger a Dimensional Scream. Indeed, after touching it, the player sees a vision where Azelf is defeated at the hands of Grovyle. However, Chimecho is unsure—because the Dimensional Scream cannot tell the difference between past and future, Grovyle may have already made off with the Time Gear. Dusknoir remains confident that it is of the future, as the partner had never heard Azelf's name before Dusknoir had mentioned it. Because there is a chance that the Dimensional Scream is describing the future, the Guild decides to have all hands search the cave. The team arrives at the lake in the middle of the cave, where they find Azelf about to be defeated by Grovyle. However, just as Grovyle is about to steal the Time Gear, Azelf activates a fail-safe trap. The trap covers the lake in crystals, preventing Grovyle from submerging underwater and reaching the Time Gear. This does not deter Grovyle, and the team is knocked unconscious and the partner is badly wounded. Before Grovyle can finish the partner off, Dusknoir appears. The team discovers that Dusknoir and Grovyle have been long acquainted, but before they can delve any further, Grovyle makes his getaway, and Dusknoir chases after the Pokémon. Just then, the Guild finds the team, and cart them back to the guild.

Some time later, the team reawakens back at the guild. The partner recalls the exchange between Dusknoir and Grovyle, and the information is shared with the Guild and Azelf. Just then, the Guild's emergency alarm sounds, requiring everyone to be in attendance at a town meeting. In town, they find Dusknoir, who reminds everyone that Grovyle is still at large. Dusknoir further claims that Grovyle is a Pokémon from the future—there, Grovyle was a criminal, who fled to the past to avoid being captured. He plots to steal the Time Gears, which in turn would freeze the world in time, thus causing the planet's paralysis. Water would not flow, the sun would not rise, the seasons would not change, and darkness would cover the world. When is curious as to why Dusknoir knows all of this, Dusknoir reveals that he, too, is from the future, sent back in time to capture Grovyle and bring him to justice. The Guild and townsfolk all agree to help Dusknoir stop Grovyle. Azelf has a plan to trap Grovyle—as the Time Gear in Crystal Lake still remains, they are certain that Grovyle will return for it. In order to lure Grovyle, the townsfolk spread a false rumor that the lake trio will try to seal the Time Gear away permanently, while the trio will be defending the Time Gear, awaiting the moment to make the jump on Grovyle. Although everyone wants to help, Dusknoir insists on doing so alone as to avoid suspicion.

A few days later, a report from Magnezone arrives, indicating that Grovyle has been captured, and that Dusknoir plans to take Grovyle back to the future to face justice. To do so, Dusknoir has opened a Dimensional Hole in the middle of town square. In town, the townsfolk find the Dimensional Hole, but no sign of Dusknoir. As the lake trio explain to the partner that the Time Gears were recovered and were returned, Dusknoir appears with Grovyle and two. As Grovyle is carted off into the Dimensional Hole, Dusknoir gives his farewell. But before he steps through the portal, he asks the player's team to step forward. When they step next to the portal, the partner explains a sad farewell, but then, Dusknoir suddenly grabs the team and drags them into the portal. Before the townsfolk can react, the Dimensional Hole closes and disappears suddenly.

Escape from the future
The player is woken up by the partner, who reveals that they have been locked in a cell. Just then, they encounter some guards—a group of. Six Sableye blindfold them and take them to another room, where they find themselves bound to a pole, awaiting execution. Along with the two is Grovyle, also tied up. Dusknoir appears, giving the orders to the Sableye to execute the three. Grovyle convinces the team to cooperate - while the Sableye to attack the ropes that tie them to the stake, there is a slight chance of breaking the ropes, and it may allow the three to escape. Fortunately, the ropes break free, and the three overwhelm the Sableye. This allows Grovyle to use a, and take the team to safety. Back outside, Grovyle reveals that they are indeed in the future, but despite the lake trio returning the Time Gears back to their original places, the planet has been paralyzed.

Continuing to elude the Sableye, the partner loses confidence on whether they will ever return home. The player then proposes to the partner to catch up to the Grovyle, and ask how he had traveled back to the past in the first place. They eventually catch up to Grovyle, and save him from the who had knocked him out earlier. Though Grovyle is reluctant to help them (because the partner still does not trust him), he proceeds to tell his side of the story. The world's paralysis dated back to the present day, with the collapse of the Temporal Tower, governed by, the legendary Pokémon that controls time. When the tower collapsed, Dialga lost control of time, and it too lost all control. Dialga turned berserk, becoming Primal Dialga. Seeking only self-preservation, Primal Dialga tried to prevent history from changing, and hence its need to exterminate Grovyle and the team. The partner is visibly shocked by this revelation—and even more so when Grovyle reveals that he collected the Time Gears to prevent the tower from collapsing. Grovyle continues, claiming that the time stop caused by the removal of the Time Gears is merely temporary—the area affected would return to normal once the gears were placed in Temporal Tower. Grovyle then further revealed that Dusknoir is an agent of Primal Dialga sent to stop him and the team, and had everyone in the past played for fools.

Though the partner does not believe Grovyle, the player believes that Grovyle's assertions are reasonable, and that the partner cannot seem to accept the truth. The partner even thought of going back to the stockade and ask Dusknoir to reveal the truth. Grovyle leaves to find, the time-traveling Pokémon, to start his mission anew. Although the player is determined to follow Grovyle, the partner is more reluctant. Nevertheless, the partner agrees to follow, if only to find a way to return to the present. The group eventually manages to find Celebi, who replied that the player is Grovyle's friend. However, Grovyle didn't hear what Celebi said, and before the team can react, Grovyle reminds the team to get a move on. Celebi leads the group to the Passage of Time—a secret corridor spanning multiple dimensions. However, before they can go through the passage, they are stopped by Dusknoir and the Sableye, who had caught up to them. Surrounded, the group has no choice but to overpower Dusknoir and the Sableye. However, when Primal Dialga appears, Grovyle, believing that they are outmatched, has no choice but to surrender. He contends that at least hope will remain, for he had not time traveled alone before. When he first traveled back to the past, he and his human partner had been separated. Dusknoir, however, believes otherwise, and forces Grovyle to tell the name of his partner - the player. The partner is surprised at this revelation—and Grovyle and Celebi are even more surprised that the player is standing with them. Grovyle refuses to believe that the player has been turned into a Pokémon, but Dusknoir had planned to eliminate the player and Grovyle, and had merely befriended the team and the Guild so as to destroy them all in one shot.

The partner is shocked by the revelation, partly because at one point they had idolized Dusknoir, and partly from sticking with the player. The partner has a plan to elude Dusknoir and his underlings—all that is needed is to have Celebi teleport them closer to the Passage. Although Celebi recognizes that Dialga could detect them, Celebi agrees to the partner's idea. They fail to escape Dusknoir, but they get to the Passage. Celebi implores the rest of the group to leave through the Passage, leaving Dusknoir to herself. It is believed that Celebi managed to elude capture as the group returned back to the present.

Racing the clock
Arriving back to the present, the partner explains that the beach that they are on was where the player was first found. However, before the partner can lead Grovyle back to the Guild to plan their next move, he reminds them that in the present time, Grovyle is a criminal. The partner, seeing the complications this may cause, instead takes the player and Grovyle to a cliff known as Sharpedo Bluff (named as the cliff is in the shape of a ), which was the home of the partner prior to joining the Guild. That night, Grovyle explains to the partner the common history between himself and the player. The player and Grovyle had been a formidable team investigating the planet's paralysis. The player had the ability to perform the Dimensional Scream, but only in the presence of a trusted partner. Grovyle further explains that the Dimensional Scream is set off by triggers tied to places where Time Gears were hidden. The partner realizes that the player had a lot of trust in them, largely due to having witnessed the Dimensional Scream. However, the partner also realizes that perhaps Dimensional Screams had worked differently in the past, as the player had experienced them in incidents unrelated to Time Gears. In any event, the three quickly agree to plot a new plan to take the Time Gears. Later, the partner shares their story of the Relic Fragment with Grovyle. Grovyle and the partner agree that the player has a connection to the both of them - the player had made each of them stronger. The trio redoubles their efforts to retake the Time Gears, starting with the one in Treeshroud Forest, where Grovyle had found the one unguarded. However, after arriving there, they find that, despite the presence of the Time Gear, time has stopped—a sign that Temporal Tower is already starting to collapse.

That night, back at Sharpedo Bluff, the partner reveals, after a fact-finding mission, that time in other places is also stopped, despite the return of the Time Gears. It appears that the only way to restore time is to take the Time Gears to Temporal Tower. This is easier said than done, though; the Tower is located in the Hidden Land, and no one knows where the Hidden Land is. Desperate, and running out of options and time, the player convinces the partner to return back to the Guild. The Guild is surprised to find that the team has returned, but is more surprised when the team reveals their story. The Guild, though shocked at the revelations brought forth by the team, agrees to help retrieve the Time Gears, and tells the lake trio to allow Grovyle to reclaim the ones they guard. The team is recommended by Wigglytuff to see, the town elder, for advice on finding the Hidden Land. At the hot springs, Torkoal reveals that the Hidden Land is a place beyond the oceans, but also a place which only appears to those with sufficient "proof". However, Torkoal does not recall what is needed for such "proof". The next day, however, Torkoal arrives at the Guild Hall with one new recollection—the "proof" is an inscription of a certain pattern—the same pattern found in the Relic Fragment. What is more surprising is that Wigglytuff and Chatot have also seen the same pattern—found in a distant place called Brine Cave, where bandits had scared the two in an earlier adventure. Nevertheless, the Guild decides to make an expedition to Brine Cave. Meanwhile, the team hears word that Grovyle has taken all the Time Gears, but warns that Dusknoir may also return from the future to hunt them down.

The next day, The Guild (without Wigglytuff) arrives at Brine Cave, where they split up to reach the innermost part, with Chatot following the team. However, partway into the cave, they are ambushed by Team Skull, who steal the Relic Fragment. Though Chatot gives chase and manages to catch them, by the time the team manages to catch up, they find both Team Skull and Chatot severely wounded, due to themselves having been ambushed by two and. After dispatching them, the team tend to Chatot. Just then, Wigglytuff and Grovyle arrive, with the rest of the Guild in tow. Wigglytuff is particularly concerned, as Chatot had been severely injured by the Omastar and Kabutops protecting Wigglytuff in their last trip to Brine Cave. Urging the team and Grovyle to continue, the Guild return home to tend to Chatot's wounds. Further in, the team discovers a rock wall pointing out to sea, on which is a wall pattern similar to the one found on the Relic Fragment. When the Relic Fragment is presented, a light shines out towards the sea. Just then, a arrives. At the same time, back at the Guild, Wigglytuff explains to the Guild the story of how he and Chatot had previously encountered the pattern on the Relic Fragment: Chatot had been injured by Omastar and Kabutops while protecting Wigglytuff. Though Wigglytuff had fended off the Omastar and Kabutops, he had felt helpless because he could not help Chatot. Just then, Lapras had appeared to help Chatot, on the condition that they not explore the wall pattern further. Back with the team, Lapras, while ferrying the team and Grovyle, explains that she is the gatekeeper to the Hidden Land, a land that exists in a different dimension—within a moment of time. The Hidden Land is as such because Dialga had feared that interference by exploration teams or bad Pokémon could affect the flow of time. Dialga had, however, left one key to entering the Hidden Land, within the Relic Fragment. Wigglytuff had known this, and had realized that the promise to Lapras could not be kept in the interests of saving the world, and thus had set off towards Brine Cave ahead of the Guild to find Lapras. Lapras explained to Wigglytuff then that the Relic Fragment chooses who may visit the Hidden Land, and it had chosen the partner due to the partner's purity of heart. Now, it lies upon the team to explore the land and save the world.

Saving the world
Arriving at the Hidden Land, Lapras tells them that in order to reach the Temporal Tower, they must take the Rainbow Stoneship, located inside an old ruin. Finding the ruin, the partner is astounded at what they can find—pictures of legendary Pokémon, , , , and engraved on the wall. Proceeding further, they find a temple where, at the top, they find the Ruin Fragment pattern. The team discovers that the temple itself is the Rainbow Stoneship, and in order for the ship to operate, the Relic Fragment must be slotted in one of the indentations. But before the partner can do so, they are captured by Dusknoir and the Sableye entourage. Dusknoir takes their captives to a nearby Dimensional Hole, but before the team can be put through it, they overwhelm the Sableye, prompting Dusknoir to fight back. The team is able to defeat Dusknoir in battle, but while the partner goes to activate the Rainbow Stoneship, Dusknoir warns that should they succeed in their quest, the Pokémon of the future, including the player and Grovyle, will be erased from existence, because they are from a future that will no longer exist. Grovyle admits that this is the case, but that their sacrifice is worth the trouble if it means that the future can be saved. The player accepts this fate, even though the player knows that the partner will not take it as easily as the player or Grovyle.

Meanwhile, the partner succeeds in activating the Rainbow Stoneship, but Dusknoir manages to recover and attack the player before either the player or Grovyle is on board. Just as Dusknoir tries to finish off the player, Grovyle intervenes. In a move of desperation, Grovyle pushes Dusknoir towards the Dimensional Hole, hoping that in his own sacrifice, Grovyle will erase Dusknoir from existence. Dropping the Time Gears, Grovyle pushes Dusknoir and himself through the Dimensional Hole, but not without giving his last goodbye. The partner recovers the Time Gears, and the team proceed on the Rainbow Stoneship, with the player keeping silent to the partner about his/her fate. With a heavy heart, the team head towards Temporal Tower to take on their final mission.

Arriving at the top of Temporal Tower as the tower itself is collapsing, they find a mystical relic with five indentations. Before the partner slots in the Time Gears into the indentations, the team is attacked by none other than Primal Dialga, having just gone berserk. Realizing that there is no reasoning with Primal Dialga, the team prepare to battle it out to the end. After a long battle, Primal Dialga is defeated, and the partner takes the opportunity to install the Time Gears. The earthquakes destroying the tower eventually stop, and Dialga is restored back to normal. Dialga quickly uses its powers to restore the world back to normal, though Temporal Tower remains heavily damaged. Dialga explains that the world's paralysis has been prevented with the installation of the Time Gears, and that peace has been restored. Dialga says its thanks to the team, but also warns that the world can only be back to normal in time. Dialga shows the team out of the Temporal Tower, where the Rainbow Stoneship and Lapras are awaiting them for their ride home.

On the way back, the player feels the effects of being slowly erased from existence. The partner notices this, and wonders what is wrong. The player says his/her goodbyes, regretting that the partner was kept in the dark on the player's situation. The player slowly fades out of existence as the partner makes their tearful goodbye. The partner returns home, crying, but knowing that the player has made the partner stronger. Back home, the partner tells the townsfolk and the guild everything—how they had traveled across the Hidden Land, how Grovyle and the player had sacrificed themselves, and how they had saved the world.

Months have passed since the incident. The damages from time have slowly been healed, and life has returned to normal for most... but not for the partner, still mourning over the player's disappearance. At the beach, the partner is taking a walk, when the partner is reminded of the player and their adventures together, and how now the player is gone—erased from existence. The partner collapses on the beach out of extreme sadness, and starts crying. The end credits roll at this point.

After the credits, Dialga feels the partner's great sorrow in the distance. Using its powers, Dialga brings the player back to life, as thanks for bringing it back in control. The player reappears at the beach, where the partner and Bidoof are crying, overjoyed to find the player alive.

Post-game story
As with previous games, there is a post-credits story. Several months after the player was brought back, decides that the player's team is ready for an exam to qualify for graduation from the Guild (apparently only accepting one team per year). They are told to go find the treasure found in Luminous Spring, a place where Pokémon used to go to evolve, but are also warned to avoid the "grand master of all things bad" who lives there with his minions. Although is not allowed to speak of the test, having taken it the year before,  and, two Treasure Town locals, claim of going to the springs before and meeting no such "Grand Master". Upon reaching the spring, the team run into Ursaring and Teddiursa and conclude that the "Grand Master" does not exist before falling into the lair of the "Grand Master", who turns out to be none other than Wigglytuff and the guild members (revealed by a slip up by, who continues to deny it till the end). After defeating the whole guild, the team continues their journey with Ursaring and Teddiursa. They find that the treasure is actually a left in a chest by Wigglytuff himself (through the help of the player's Dimensional Scream). They also find the Luminous Spring to be able to evolve Pokémon again, as Teddiursa evolves into an Ursaring after she steps into the spring and made her choice to evolve. The team, however, is told by the voice of the spring that they couldn't evolve yet, due to time being distorted. Later, they return the treasure to the guild and graduate, finding that the only benefit is that they can explore on their own and change the group leader, but they still have to give most of their reward money to the guild. Having graduated, the team moves their headquarters to Sharpedo Bluff.

Then, appears in Treasure Town stating the famous explorer  has been missing in a place called the Blizzard Island. The team pays a visit and finds Scizor frozen solid by. After they rescue Scizor, Scizor gives the team the "Secret Rank" which the team and everyone else knows nothing about. This rank is used for the 7 dungeons home to the great Seven Treasures.

One day, the player finds Corphish at the Guild's intersection, saying to go talk to about something. When Sunflora is found on the lower level, she says that there is a land that has recently become possible to enter. This dungeon is called the Surrounded Sea, supposedly home to hundreds of rare treasures brought by the currents that run through it. At the end of Surrounded Sea, there are three Deluxe Boxes and a, along with a warp tile that will get the player out of the dungeon. The next morning, the Egg hatches into a. The team goes to see Chatot, who says that Manaphy are extremely rare. This makes the team take extra good care of it. A day later, the team takes Manaphy for a walk by the beach, which makes baby Manaphy incredibly happy. That night, however, when the team is asleep, Manaphy stays up and longingly stares out at the sea, eventually resorting to go to the shore. When the team wakes and finds Manaphy missing in the morning, they run around in a panic, trying to find it. They finally find it at the beach, where it suddenly keels over in the sand. Once the team reports to Chatot, the bird says that Manaphy are really supposed to grow up in the ocean. However, Manaphy's current ailment could only be cured by the Phione Dew, located in Miracle Sea. At the end of the dungeon, there are six, who are driven away suddenly by an enraged, treasure-seeking. After defeating Gyarados, he runs away, and in their thanks, the Phione gives the player the Phione Dew. After Manaphy is cured and with a few days of rest, a Pokémon named is told by Chatot to take care of Manaphy under the sea. With a tearful farewell, Manaphy is taken to its home. After the player saves Manaphy and after a couple of days of plain jobs, Team Charm pays a visit to the Guild. Team Charm consists of, , and. This trio is legendary for their rank, which is the Master Rank, and for their style of treasure hunting. A former member, surprisingly, is Wigglytuff. Team Charm came because they're stuck on a hunt for treasure because they don't have a key. They ask Wigglytuff and Wigglytuff "claims" that he doesn't have it. But just before everyone thinks Team Charm will leave, Lopunny gives Wigglytuff a Perfect Apple and Wigglytuff finds the key with a big bang from his room. When Team Charm is leaving, everyone asks if they can go to the Aegis Cave, including the player's team. Lopunny, the leader of Team Charm, agrees and says everyone can go after they open Aegis Cave with the key. The treasure of Aegis Cave is guarded by three legendary beings,, , and. After defeating them, Team Charm assists the player in fighting.

Later, (disguised as ) appears in the player's dreams and tells the player that their continued existence is causing a distortion in space. On the night before going to for an explanation, Palkia itself attacks the team, spiriting them away to its domain, the Spacial Rift. They battle Palkia for answers, but it gets trapped in a nightmare. Darkrai (still disguised as Cresselia) tries to finish off the team using Palkia, but it is stopped by another Cresselia, who reveals that the first was an impostor by the name of Darkrai, who reveals itself to be the one distorting space. Although Darkrai invites the team to stop him, Cresselia thinks it is a trap, because normally Darkrai run away when found, doing its work in the shadows and only coming out to finish the job. The team decides to heed Darkrai's call, and Darkrai reveals his plans, by stopping time or space, the world would stop and be covered in darkness, and all Pokémon would share an everlasting nightmare, in which Darkrai would rule. In addition to this, Darkrai also reveals that he had been responsible for everything right from the beginning, from the collapse of Temporal Tower to the player's very own transformation and memory loss. Darkrai lets the team decide if they want to join him ruling the world in darkness. The player's partner decides that it's useless to resist, so he/she decides to join Darkrai, but it's not real. The player realizes this is just another illusion, and breaks free of it. With the partner back on the player's side, the team battles Darkrai and his minions and wins hopefully. Darkrai attempts to flee through a portal, but Palkia arrives and attempts to stop Darkrai from leaving by unleashing an attack on him. But instead of destroying him, he attacks the Dimensional Hole, thus erasing Darkrai's memories, much like what happened to the player. Darkrai has no more memory of his evil ambitions for good, and wanders the Pokémon world; his location is at that point unknown.

Blurb
Explore as a Pokémon in a world of Pokémon!

Discover secrets of Time and Darkness and form a team to explore the world!

Send out SOS Mails using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

Playable characters
In the beginning of the game, the player takes a quiz. The answers to these questions determine a nature that decides which Pokémon the player starts with. After the player's character is determined, they then choose their partner Pokémon. The partner can be any of the Starter Pokémon from the first four Generations, including. However, the partner cannot be the same type as the player.

Guild

 * - Leader of the Wigglytuff Guild.
 * - Chatot is Wigglytuff's assistant, whom assigns jobs to the guild as a whole on a daily basis, as well as taking charge when Wigglytuff dozes off.
 * - This Pokémon guards the guild entrance gate and wakes up the player in the morning.
 * - Diglett assists Loudred; he identifies visitors by examining their footprints.
 * - Calm and trustworthy, Dugtrio keeps the bulletin board current with the latest jobs.
 * - Chimecho runs the Chimecho Assembly and summons guild members when it's time to eat.
 * - Croagunk runs the guild's swap shop.
 * - Sunflora is always happy and seems to cheer people up easily. She is optimistic and keeps a journal by her bedside.
 * - Corphish is very high-spirited and is usually quick to trust the player in high-stress situations. He has a tendency to start nearly all of his sentences with the phrase "Hey, hey!".
 * - Bidoof is the previous newest guild member, prior to the player's arrival. He, too, keeps a journal at his bedside. Bidoof also has a habit of saying "yup yup" and "by golly," similar to Corphish's manner of speaking.

Treasure Town

 * - As in previous Mystery Dungeon series, she will store items in Kangaskhan Storage for the player, though this time around there is a storage limit.
 * - Xatu will tell you what's in your treasure box&mdash;for a price.
 * - As in previous Mystery Dungeon series, they run two shops, one for consumables, one for Wonder Orbs and TMs.
 * - Operates the Duskull Bank, where the player can store their extra cash.
 * - Electivire will link moves and allow the player to relearn forgotten moves.
 * - Chansey runs the Day Care, and she is happy to take care of your Egg until it hatches!
 * - Marowak runs the dojo where you can train and improve your battle skills.
 * - When you capture Pokémon fugitives, deliver them to Magnezone, the town sheriff.

Exploration Teams

 * Team Razor Wind
 * Team Seedgey
 * Team Glee
 * Team Charm
 * Team Tasty
 * Team Poochy
 * ×3
 * Team Ebony
 * Team Slacker
 * Team Flame
 * Team AWD (Japanese: 盗賊団MAD Team MAD)
 * Team Raider
 * Team Charm
 * Team Tasty
 * Team Poochy
 * ×3
 * Team Ebony
 * Team Slacker
 * Team Flame
 * Team AWD (Japanese: 盗賊団MAD Team MAD)
 * Team Raider
 * Team Poochy
 * ×3
 * Team Ebony
 * Team Slacker
 * Team Flame
 * Team AWD (Japanese: 盗賊団MAD Team MAD)
 * Team Raider
 * Team Flame
 * Team AWD (Japanese: 盗賊団MAD Team MAD)
 * Team Raider
 * Team AWD (Japanese: 盗賊団MAD Team MAD)
 * Team Raider
 * Team AWD (Japanese: 盗賊団MAD Team MAD)
 * Team Raider
 * Team Raider
 * Team Raider
 * Team Raider
 * Team Raider

Bosses
While most of the Bosses in this game are the standard legendaries, there are some average Pokémon added to the mix. Unlike previous Mystery Dungeon games, the player may encounter multiple opponents that appear in certain dungeons. These are the list of boss battles are the following Dungeon based on the storyline order.

Wonder Mail exclusives
Like the previous Mystery Dungeon games, some dungeons are unlocked through Wonder Mail codes. However, unlike those in the previous game, the bosses (listed below) are obtained through these codes. There is no reward, other than the treasure, for the Guardians of the Seven Treasures. They are all top-secret and self-deleting. 's is more like a normal Wonder Mail mission. To take any of these missions players must have gained Secret Rank, excluding the mission involving Gabite.

Code-exclusive recruits
The following Pokémon can be found only in the domains of the Guardians of the Seven Treasures.

Shimmer Desert (Groudon's Domain)

Sky Stairway (Rayquaza's Domain)

Mystery Jungle (Mew's Domain)

Item-required bosses
Some bosses will need the either the Mystery Part or Secret Slab in the player's bag while traversing certain dungeons.

Miscellaneous NPCs

 * - They are the Pokémon that shoots out bubbles to the sky when sunset comes, it's really a great view!
 * - Who is Grovyle, and why is it hunting Time Gears?
 * - Advertises the newest shops that open in Treasure Town.
 * Spoink always has a spring in its step—until it loses its treasured pearl. Can you help?
 * Marill and his younger brother, Azurill, shop in Treasure Town. They might be looking for their Water Float.
 * Azurill and his older brother, Marill, shop in Treasure Town. They might be looking for their Water Float.
 * Celebi - A close friend of Grovyle in the future, and helps him to travel through time.
 * - Does it know the secret of the Hidden Land?
 * - A very wise elder.
 * - A legendary explorer until he disappeared while searching for a valuable treasure...
 * - She has been hunting Darkrai for years. Will she finally catch Darkrai?
 * - Manaphy has hatched from a mysterious Egg found at the surrounded sea.
 * - Phione are known for producing a dew that can act as a cure-all...

Version-exclusive Pokémon
Certain Pokémon are only in certain versions. However, if the undefined unlocks an exclusive Pokémon that is not from their version through Wonder Mail, they will be in the same place they would be in the game they were originally exclusive to.

While Combee and Burmy are exclusive to Time and Darkness, respectively, their evolutions can be found in both versions. Mewtwo and Celebi can be obtained in the opposite version through a Wi-Fi mission.

Version-exclusive items
There are also certain items that are only available in certain versions.

Exclusive to Time

 * &mdash; Reduces Defense and Special Defense when eaten.
 * &mdash; An item that afflicts all enemies on the floor with the Petrified status condition.
 * &mdash; An item that is used for Pokémon that usually evolve in the daytime.

Exclusive to Darkness

 * &mdash; Boosts Attack and Special Attack stats when eaten.
 * &mdash; An item that afflicts all enemies in the room with a Paused status condition.
 * &mdash; An Item used for Pokémon that usually evolve at nighttime.

Trivia

 * Unlike the previous Mystery Dungeon games, which only had a few characters with confirmed genders, this game provides a gender for most of the characters. Even Legendary Pokémon, who are usually genderless in the main series games, have a gender in this game.
 * The names of Temporal Tower and Spacial Rift are based directly on the names of  and, who are respectively the "Temporal Pokémon" and the "Spatial Pokémon". This is not the case in the Japanese version, however, where Spacial Rift is named Sky Fissure and Temporal Tower is named Dimension Tower.