Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky (Nintendo DS)

Titles	Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky ポケモン不思議のダンジョン 空の探検隊 (Pokémon Fushigi no Dungeon: Sora no Tankentai)
Platform	Nintendo DS (DS Wireless and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection)
Developer	Chunsoft
Publisher	Nintendo (The Pokémon Company in Japan)
Directors	Seiichiro Nagahata · Hironori Ishigami
Music	Arata Iiyoshi · Hideki Sakamoto · Keisuke Ito · Ken-ichi Saito · Yoshihiro Maeda
Players	Single player (wireless and Wi-Fi rescues, Sky Gifts)
Genre	Roguelike dungeon crawler
Pokémon	492, Bulbasaur to Shaymin (Arceus appears only as a statue)
Special Episodes	5, each with its own leader
Released	18 April 2009 (Japan, Taiwan) · 12 October 2009 (North America) · 12 November 2009 (Australia) · 20 November 2009 (Europe)
Re-releases	Wii U Virtual Console: 23 June 2016 (North America) · 20 July 2016 (Japan) · 18 August 2016 (Europe, Australia)
Rating	ESRB E · PEGI 3 · CERO A · OFLC G
Predecessor	Explorers of Time & Darkness (2007)
Successor	Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity (Nintendo 3DS, 2012) – the Japan-only WiiWare Adventure Squad games came first (August 2009)
Sales	1.40 million by March 2010 (Nintendo) · 417,226 in Japan in 2009 (Famitsu)

Overview · Quick Answers · Story · Pokémon · New Gameplay Features · Sky vs Time & Darkness · Regional Variations · Glitches · Videos · Trivia · Legacy · Sales & Reviews · Media

Overview

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky is the fifth game in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series and the sister to the games Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness.

The game follows the same story as its predecessors, but with the addition of Special Episodes in which the player can visit the past of many characters and witness important events. Many new features were also added to the game, as well as new playable characters and new locations.

The game would later be succeeded by Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity for the Nintendo 3DS, the next main game in the series, although three Japan-only WiiWare games, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Adventure Squad, came out in between.

Quick Answers

The questions people ask about Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, answered first and explained further down the page.

How do you unlock the Special Episodes in Explorers of Sky?

They open one by one as the main story moves on, not all at the end. Bidoof’s Wish appears after Drowzee is arrested, Igglybuff the Prodigy after the Fogbound Lake Time Gear, Today’s “Oh My Gosh” when the Guild plans Grovyle’s capture, Here Comes Team Charm! after the return from the future, and In the Future of Darkness after graduation. More →

Which Pokémon can you be in Explorers of Sky?

There are 19 possible heroes. The quiz gives you one of 16 natures and your gender settles the species, so a Hasty boy becomes Shinx and a Hasty girl becomes Pikachu. Riolu, Shinx and Phanpy are boys only; Vulpix, Eevee and Skitty are girls only. Meowth and Munchlax are now partner-only, and your partner must differ in type from you. More →

What is the difference between Explorers of Sky and Explorers of Time and Darkness?

Sky keeps the same main story and adds five Special Episodes, Spinda’s Café with its Juice Bar and Recycle Shop, the Secret Bazaar, Shaymin Village and Sky Peak, Destiny Tower, the Sky Jukebox and five new heroes. Wonder Mail S replaces the old codes, which no longer work, and fainting now costs only half your money. More →

Can you still play Explorers of Sky, and is it on Nintendo Switch Online?

It isn’t on Switch Online: as of October 2026, Nintendo Classics has no Nintendo DS library. The game reached the Wii U Virtual Console in 2016, but that version came off sale when the Wii U eShop closed on 27 March 2023, so the original cartridge on a DS, DSi, 2DS or 3DS is now the usual way to play. More →

How do you unlock Shaymin Village and recruit Shaymin?

Graduate from Wigglytuff’s Guild, let a day pass and finish a job; a commotion at Spinda’s Café then puts Shaymin Village on the map. Climb Sky Peak’s ten stations with a Shaymin guide and help from Team Frontier, and clear the polluted summit. The second time you reach the top, the Shaymin asks to join you. More →

How do you recruit Raikou, Entei, Suicune, Mewtwo and Jirachi in Explorers of Sky?

They come as Challenge Letters from customers at Spinda’s Café once your team has reached Secret Rank. Raikou waits in Southeastern Islands, Entei in Inferno Cave, Suicune in Treacherous Waters, Mewtwo in Sky Stairway and Jirachi in Star Cave, which also needs Bidoof’s Wish cleared. Beat the challenger and it joins once the job is done. More →

Story

The main story is the same as that of PMD: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, but new stories have been added in Explorers of Sky – check them out below.

The main story in brief

A human wakes on a beach near Treasure Town as a Pokémon with no memory of the past, and teams up with a timid Pokémon who dreams of joining Wigglytuff’s Guild. As apprentices, the pair take jobs, chase outlaws and join the Guild’s expedition to Fogbound Lake, while someone steals the Time Gears that keep time flowing. The thief is Grovyle, and the celebrated explorer Dusknoir helps the Guild catch him, only to drag Grovyle, the hero and the partner through the Passage of Time into a dark future where time has stopped. There Dusknoir is unmasked as Primal Dialga’s agent, and Grovyle reveals that the hero was his human companion, sent back to stop the planet’s paralysis. Celebi helps the three escape to the present. When Dusknoir follows them to the Hidden Land, Grovyle drags him back into the future, leaving the hero and partner to climb Temporal Tower, defeat Primal Dialga and restore the Time Gears. The hero fades away as history changes but is brought back by Dialga. After graduation, Darkrai is exposed as the cause of the hero’s lost memory and is beaten in Dark Crater. Explorers of Sky adds five Special Episodes, ending with Grovyle and a reformed Dusknoir saving the future, and a post-game climb of Sky Peak with Shaymin.

The Special Episodes

As the main story moves on, the player will unlock the Special Episodes, which further explain the past of some characters or the outcome of certain events. Each episode opens at a set point in the story, with Bidoof’s Wish being the first to be played and In the Future of Darkness, which unlocks after graduation, the last. In each episode, the Pokémon around which the events revolve is the playable character (Lopunny leads Team Charm in theirs). There are five episodes in total, and they are as follows:

Episode 1: Bidoof’s Wish

Following his quest to become the best explorer ever, Bidoof leaves his family’s house and starts his adventure. He learns of the Guild and starts training with them, soon becoming an apprentice. Although Bidoof is a hard worker, he’s too clumsy. His clumsiness causes him to mess up most of the tasks he’s entrusted with, such as giving a Doom Seed to Loudred or eating all of Wigglytuff’s Perfect Apples by mistake.

This affects his mental state deeply, causing the Pokémon despair and discomfort. One day, Bidoof is asked by Chatot to check the number of Oran Berries at the Kecleon Market. Bidoof, who is tired of doing small tasks, asks Chatot to allow him to do one of the jobs from the bulletin board, but Chatot refuses, reminding Bidoof of his clumsiness and asking him to be patient, for greatness can only be attained with time.

Bidoof then heads to the Kecleon Market, only to find that the Kecleon are selling just two Oran Berries. With his task finished, he starts chatting with the Kecleon, telling them about his dream of becoming a great explorer. One of the Kecleon offers Bidoof a TM called Hidden Power for 6,500 Poké, emphasising that it will definitely make him a great apprentice at the Guild. The clumsy Pokémon checks the money he has – 7,000 Poké that his mother gave him when he left home – which is more than the sum required, but still rejects the offer, as remembering his mother stops him from spending it.

Suddenly, a strange Pokémon runs into Bidoof and gives him an item. A few moments later, as Bidoof is trying to understand the situation, a Bagon and a Gligar show up hot on the Pokémon’s trail, asking which way he went. Bidoof tells them the direction the Pokémon ran off in and returns to the Guild.

At night, Bidoof keeps recalling the events at the Kecleon Market, and examines the item the mysterious Pokémon left behind, which turns out to be a map leading to Star Cave. Bidoof fantasises about exploring the cave until he falls asleep. In the morning, Bidoof asks Chatot about Star Cave, which turns out to be the home of Jirachi, a Legendary Pokémon that can grant any wish – but the cave’s location is unknown, and it is mostly thought to be a myth. The idea that Jirachi might be able to grant Bidoof his wish of becoming a great explorer excites him.

Later, Bidoof learns that he has a visitor waiting. It turns out to be a Snover, who was the mysterious Pokémon that gave Bidoof the map. Snover thanks Bidoof for keeping the map safe and asks for his help exploring Star Cave. Bidoof accepts and gets everything ready, while telling Chatot that he is ill so that he can skip training. Although Chatot is suspicious, he lets Bidoof go. After meeting Snover, Bidoof accompanies him to Star Cave. In Deep Star Cave they get attacked by the Bagon and Gligar, who turn out to be Snover’s accomplices, the three Pokémon being thieves who wanted to lure Bidoof out and steal his money.

Team Rogue, as the three thieves are called, start to battle Bidoof and overwhelm him, but soon Chatot, who had followed Bidoof, and the rest of Wigglytuff’s Guild show up and help him in the battle. The thieves run away, and Wigglytuff manages to find a secret path in the cave. Everyone is excited to explore the cave, but Wigglytuff allows only Bidoof to continue further. Bidoof explores deeper and deeper into the cave, but finds no trace of Jirachi. As he starts getting desperate, he hears some strange mumbling, coming from a Jirachi who’s sleepwalking. Jirachi attacks Bidoof in its sleep, but Bidoof manages to defeat it and wake it up. Now that it’s awake, Jirachi agrees to grant Bidoof a wish.

After thinking long and hard, Bidoof asks to become the greatest explorer who has ever existed, but then backs away from his decision, as he wants to become the greatest through his own hard work and discipline. Instead, he asks that some new recruits join the Guild, so he can befriend and guide them. Jirachi assures Bidoof that his wish shall be granted. The new recruits are assumed to be the player and their partner.

• Jirachithe wish-maker of Star Cave

Episode 2: Igglybuff the Prodigy

One night, while Wigglytuff is eating a Perfect Apple that Chatot got him, he drops his Defend Globe and gets terrified, thinking it may have broken. After checking the item, it turns out to be intact; nonetheless, the fact that Wigglytuff holds so dearly to a Defend Globe that only affects Bug-type Pokémon makes Chatot curious.

Wigglytuff reveals that it is a token from his past, from when he started out as an explorer. When he was young, Wigglytuff lived with his parents as an Igglybuff. He was the courageous and curious type. While Igglybuff was hanging out with his friends eating Gummis, a Skorupi and a Banette tried to bully the bunch by taking away their Gummis. Although Igglybuff wasn’t the least bit scared of them, he still gave them the Gummis, to avoid conflict.

The day after, Skorupi and Banette ask Igglybuff and his friends to accompany them to the Murky Forest, which they plan to explore. Remembering the legend of the monster living in the forest, Igglybuff’s friends refuse the offer, but Igglybuff accepts. As the group is exploring the forest, an Armaldo appears and scares Banette and Skorupi away. Igglybuff stays, despite the fact that Armaldo demands he leave.

The curious little Pokémon asks Armaldo why he is staying in the forest. Armaldo takes Igglybuff to a cave within the forest and tells him that he’s been trying to explore it for so long, but can’t seem to find a way in. He then shows Igglybuff a map of the cave, which accidentally catches fire. The shocked Armaldo quickly puts it out with Water Gun, but Igglybuff had already suspected that there was a hidden layer in the map, as it was unusually thick. Armaldo brushes off the burnt layer and, to his surprise, finds a second map underneath.

The new map layer shows a cave called Eastern Cave, which Igglybuff wants to explore together with Armaldo. Although Armaldo says he’s a retired explorer and is tired, Igglybuff still convinces him to come along. At the bottom of Eastern Cave they find a treasure chest holding a Defend Globe, which Armaldo picks up. The two go on several more expeditions together, and when they set off for a new dungeon, Fortune Ravine, a Nidoking starts watching them from the shadows. Meanwhile, Igglybuff’s friends tell his parents where he has been, and Nidoking calls at Igglybuff’s house to report what he has seen.

At the deepest part of Fortune Ravine, a Claydol, a Camerupt, a Yanmega, a Probopass, an Exploud and a Vespiquen attack Armaldo and Igglybuff, forcing them to fight. After winning, the two exit the dungeon to find Igglybuff’s parents and friends, Nidoking and a Magnezone waiting for them. Magnezone announces that Armaldo is a B-Rank outlaw and must be arrested. Igglybuff is shocked to learn that this Pokémon he now admires as an explorer is a criminal. As Igglybuff is about to start crying, Armaldo calms him, then confesses his crimes and accepts arrest. As he leaves with Magnezone and Nidoking, Armaldo throws the Defend Globe they found in Eastern Cave to Igglybuff, telling him to keep it as a reminder of their adventure.

The flashback ends, and Chatot now understands why Wigglytuff holds the item so dearly. Wigglytuff says that not all Pokémon outlaws are evil after all, and the episode ends.

• Armaldoretired explorer
• SkorupiBanette’s fellow bully
• Nidokingtails the pair
• Magnezonethe arresting officer

Episode 3: Today’s “Oh My Gosh”

One night, while Sunflora is writing in her diary, her roommate Chimecho tries to take a peek at the writing, which gets her all embarrassed. Lately, it seems that Sunflora has been arguing a lot with Loudred, as he rushes things too much and doesn’t listen to her at all during dungeon exploration.

One day Sunflora is tasked with capturing the infamous outlaw ‘Invincible Haunter’, who’s been seen lurking in Spring Cave. The criminal earned the title ‘Invincible’ because he always gets back up after losing a fight. Wigglytuff warns Sunflora of the disadvantages, as Haunter is a Poison type, which she is weak to, and the cave itself is near a hot spring inhabited by Fire-type Pokémon, making the task quite dangerous for a Grass Pokémon. Despite the warning, Sunflora gladly accepts the challenge and heads to the cave.

After clearing several levels of Spring Cave, she finally encounters the Haunter, beating him in battle. Inexplicably, a flash of light occurs, and the Haunter is totally healed. He taunts Sunflora and goes even deeper into the dungeon. Sunflora follows the outlaw and manages to defeat him again. But yet again, the Haunter mysteriously recovers to full health, and even summons two Slugma that chase Sunflora and corner her. As they are about to finish her off, Loudred appears out of nowhere and saves her, saying it was on Chatot’s orders and that he’s not concerned for her sake.

The two argue, as usual, and Loudred storms off. Sunflora, one of the smartest explorers, works out Haunter’s trick. As she finds him for the third time, she explains that there are two other Haunter that swap with each other every time one of the three gets knocked out. The two other Haunter reveal themselves, but say that it is too late, as Sunflora has unwittingly followed them into a trap. In fact, the three have led her to an area where fire emerges from the ground. The fire damages Sunflora, but she’s still willing to fight the criminals.

Once again, Loudred appears out of nowhere and decides to help her. Together they arrest the outlaws and succeed in the mission. Officer Magnezone then praises Sunflora for her efforts and gives her a Sun Scarf, which will protect her from Fire-type attacks.

As Chatot thanks Sunflora too for her remarkable deed, she asks about Loudred. Chatot gets angry and tells her that he hasn’t been following orders all day, leaving his duties and post several times. As a punishment, he has to collect Perfect Apples from Apple Woods. Sunflora tells Chatot what happened and how Loudred rescued her, but Chatot doesn’t cancel the punishment. Sunflora realises that Loudred secretly does care about her. At night, she writes in her diary about the day and how she wants to apologise to Loudred and become friends with him. Chimecho tries to look at what she’s writing, making her embarrassed.

• Haunterthree of them
• SlugmaLower Spring Cave
• ChimechoSunflora’s roommate

Episode 4: Here Comes Team Charm!

The first scene of the episode shows a Graveler finding a treasure, which turns out to have already been claimed by a group of three female Pokémon. Team Charm, as the group is called, is made up of Gardevoir, Lopunny and Medicham. The three Pokémon make a formidable team, able to get their hands on all kinds of treasures, thinking that no treasure can escape them.

One day, the trio goes after a legendary treasure, said to be hidden in Boulder Quarry, which is located in Southern Jungle. Within the jungle they meet a Bellossom that denies the treasure’s existence, telling them that even the jungle’s locals believe it’s a myth. Nonetheless, the group still continues its journey, when they suddenly hear a weird noise. They follow it and find a collapsed Pokémon. It turns out to be a Wigglytuff who has collapsed from hunger, as some thief stole his food supply.

Medicham gives him a Perfect Apple, which helps him recover. The group says farewell to Wigglytuff and heads towards Boulder Quarry. They reach Boulder Quarry and soon learn that it is a maze where everyone keeps running in circles. At the entrance, a group of thieves called Team AWD, consisting of Weavile, Arbok and Drapion, are harassing other Pokémon into leaving the place.

The female group isn’t intimidated by them and faces them down. Team AWD declares that Team Charm are now their enemies and then enter the maze. As Team AWD leave, a Sentret, who was apparently hiding, talks to Team Charm, revealing that those bullies made his team partners quit exploration forever. Team Charm are angered by the news and vow to pay Team AWD back for it.

Entering the maze, the group is confronted by an Aggron and his pack of Lairon, who say they have entered their territory. Although Team Charm explain that they meant no harm, a fight still ensues, and Team Charm win it. After defeating Aggron and the Lairon pack, the team continues exploring, until they find two passages. They take no risks and explore both of them, but it seems that both lead back to the start.

A Perfect Apple appears, and Wigglytuff appears chasing after it. He grabs the apple and starts eating it, while Team Charm try to ask him about the area. Seeing that he isn’t paying attention, the group decides to move on, but Wigglytuff interrupts them and confirms that he listened to everything they said. He then thanks them for the help, but while he’s talking, he loses his grip on the Perfect Apple, which rolls away and passes through a wall. Wigglytuff follows it and goes through the wall too.

Team Charm do the same and find the wall to be a camouflaged secret passage, which leads into Limestone Cavern. Although they can’t find Wigglytuff anywhere, they still continue along the passage, reaching the end of the dungeon. At the end, they find a treasure chest, which they open and which turns out to be empty. Team AWD then shows up and demands the treasure. Although Team Charm say that the chest was empty, Team AWD believes that the three female Pokémon are hiding the real treasure. The two teams end up fighting, and Team Charm win.

Even after this, Team AWD immediately prepare to attack again, until Wigglytuff appears and stops them, revealing that there’s a boss in the dungeon who has set them all up. Surprisingly, the treasure chest turns into a Ditto, who reveals he’s the guardian of the dungeon. Ditto also reveals that he transformed into the Bellossom that tried to dash Team Charm’s hopes. He’s also the one who stole Wigglytuff’s food and transformed into Sentret to fuel Team Charm’s hatred of Team AWD.

Ditto then explains that the treasure is a Time Gear, which is why it had to be kept safe at all costs. Team AWD decide to leave, as they’ve lost interest. Team Charm ask them why they’re leaving empty-handed, and the thieves reply that although they do bad things, they are smart enough to avoid stealing a Time Gear, which could cause a catastrophe if it’s removed.

Everyone leaves Boulder Quarry, and Team AWD promises that they’ll still get Team Charm next time. Team Charm feel that their journey was actually successful, and that they found the treasure even if they didn’t take it for themselves. They then ask Wigglytuff to join their team, so they can explore together. Wigglytuff hesitates, but soon accepts as Lopunny tempts him with a Perfect Apple. The group leaves and he follows them, as their new member.

• Dittothe dungeon’s guardian
• BellossomDitto in disguise
• SentretDitto again
• Aggronleader of the Lairon

Episode 5: In the Future of Darkness

After going through the future portal, Grovyle wakes up near an unconscious Dusknoir. It seems that the future hasn’t been changed yet, and Grovyle believes that the player and their partner probably haven’t placed the Time Gears yet. He then decides to head to the Temporal Tower and face Primal Dialga.

Dusknoir wakes up and is unable to attack Grovyle, as he’s badly injured. He decides just to pursue him for now. At Barren Valley Clearing, Dusknoir, followed by a group of Sableye, catches up with Grovyle and attacks him. Unusually, the Sableye attack Dusknoir too, forcing him to fight alongside Grovyle to beat them.

Dusknoir asks Grovyle to team up for a short time, until he figures out why his minions are attacking him. When they get to the Dark Wasteland, Grovyle manages to capture a Sableye, which they both question. It seems that Primal Dialga has a new officer, whom he has assigned the task of returning to the past and eliminating the player. The new officer is the one who ordered the Sableye to eliminate Dusknoir as well. Upon hearing those words, Dusknoir gets enraged and decides to tag along with Grovyle for the time being.

Upon reaching the Temporal Pinnacle, they find that Primal Dialga has left the place, and work out that it may be heading for Dusk Forest, where it could send its officers back in time using the Passage of Time located there. Grovyle worries that Primal Dialga might also capture Celebi, who lives there. The two head there and soon learn that Celebi has been captured and taken to Frozen Island.

Dusknoir tells Grovyle that it’s a very faraway place that can only be reached with the help of Porygon. The odd duo manage to find the Porygon in Spacial Cliffs. They then get warped to Frozen Island, and at the summit of Dark Ice Mountain, Dusknoir saves Grovyle from a falling ice shard and takes the damage in his stead. They then encounter a Mamoswine accompanied by four Glalie, which they fight and beat.

The two hide in a crack in an ice wall, letting Dusknoir recover. At that moment, Dusknoir asks Grovyle why he is so determined to change the past, even though it will lead to his own demise. Grovyle simply replies that even if he only lives a short life now, it will at least be meaningful, and his actions will live on eternally. Dusknoir keeps thinking about those words as the two of them travel further.

They meet a Snorunt that tells them where Celebi is. Grovyle and Dusknoir follow Snorunt’s directions and enter a dungeon, Icicle Forest, at the end of which they find a Spiritomb holding Celebi prisoner. Out of nowhere, an electric shock hits Grovyle, and Dusknoir starts laughing maniacally. It turns out that this was all a plot developed by Dusknoir to trap Grovyle. He’s planning to take control of Grovyle’s body after Grovyle’s spirit fades away from the intense electric shock. Then Dusknoir will go to the past as Grovyle and ruin it, in splendid fashion, as the player will trust him by then. He reveals that Primal Dialga’s new officer will be Grovyle himself. Grovyle is confused at first about how Dusknoir managed to contact his minions and plot everything, but realises that he must have been knocked out for too long, and that Dusknoir woke up early, made his plans and then pretended to be unconscious.

Although he has been betrayed by Dusknoir, Grovyle believes that the evil Pokémon is starting to change, and that he witnessed it on their journey together. Grovyle starts to convince Dusknoir of the wrongness of his actions and that there can be a better future, while telling the Sableye the same. As the electric shock intensifies, Grovyle is about to pass out, but Dusknoir steps in and saves him. Everyone is moved by Dusknoir’s act.

An enraged Dialga appears and attacks Dusknoir. The Sableye try to defend him by fending it off, but in vain, as Dialga is too powerful. The Spiritomb runs away, releasing Celebi. In the confusion, a splendid aurora appears in the sky, confirming the player’s success in placing the Time Gears.

Time around everyone in the dark future starts moving again. This drives Primal Dialga completely mad, and it leaves for the Vast Ice Mountain. Dusknoir concludes that Dialga is trying to destroy the second Passage of Time, which could lead to irreversible devastation. As time is changing, Grovyle, Celebi and Dusknoir start vanishing. They realise that there’s no time to waste and follow Dialga. They face Dialga and beat it, preventing the catastrophe.

They realise Dialga itself is affected by the change in time, and it starts to vanish. Dialga vanishes first, followed by Dusknoir, who asks whether he did the right thing and whether this will allow his spirit to live on eternally through his actions. Grovyle confirms it, and Dusknoir vanishes. Grovyle is then vanishing too, as he holds Celebi in his arms and contemplates the beautiful sunrise. The two of them vanish away. Now the course of time is fixed and everything is back to normal. Suddenly, Grovyle, Celebi and Dusknoir reappear, and Dialga reappears after them, in its normal form. Dialga expresses its gratitude to them and explains that some greater being, even greater than Dialga itself, has restored everyone to life. At that moment, Grovyle thinks about the player and promises to make the future a better place.

• Porygonthe warp at Spacial Cliffs
• MamoswineDark Ice Mountain
• SpiritombCelebi’s jailer
• Celebijoins for the finale
• DialgaPrimal, then restored

Pokémon

The game features all the Pokémon up to the fourth generation, excluding only Arceus. Shaymin, which wasn’t present in Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, was added to the game.

The playable Pokémon list has been slightly altered, with the removal of Munchlax and Meowth, while Vulpix, Riolu, Shinx, Eevee and Phanpy were added. The Pokémon played will be selected according to the quiz at the start of the game.

Playable Pokémon

These are the playable Pokémon and the natures, set by the quiz, needed to get them as a female or a male character:

• PikachuHasty ♀ · Brave ♂
• Shinx– ♀ · Hasty ♂
• Riolu– ♀ · Sassy ♂
• Phanpy– ♀ · Relaxed ♂
• EeveeJolly ♀ · – ♂
• SkittyNaive ♀ · – ♂
• TurtwigTimid ♀ · Bold ♂
• TreeckoHardy ♀ · Quiet ♂
• ChikoritaQuiet ♀ · Calm ♂
• BulbasaurDocile ♀ · Lonely ♂
• VulpixRelaxed ♀ · – ♂
• ChimcharImpish ♀ · Naive ♂
• TorchicRash ♀ · Hardy ♂
• CyndaquilCalm ♀ · Timid ♂
• CharmanderBrave ♀ · Docile ♂
• PiplupQuirky ♀ · Impish ♂
• MudkipLonely ♀ · Rash ♂
• TotodileSassy ♀ · Jolly ♂
• SquirtleBold ♀ · Quirky ♂

Choosing still follows the same process, and is done after the player gets their starter Pokémon. The partner Pokémon can be any Pokémon from the playable Pokémon list, plus Meowth and Munchlax, as long as it isn’t the same type as the hero.

Meowth and Munchlax can now only be partners:

• Meowthpartner only
• Munchlaxpartner only

Challenge Letters: the legendary challengers

In Time and Darkness, Raikou, Entei and Suicune were rare encounters on set floors of existing dungeons. In Sky they come through Challenge Letters, along with Mewtwo and Jirachi:

• MewtwoSky Stairway
• RaikouSoutheastern Islands
• EnteiInferno Cave
• SuicuneTreacherous Waters
• JirachiStar Cave

Pokémon the player faces as bosses

Notable Pokémon

Explorers of Sky has 492 species, every Pokémon from Bulbasaur to Shaymin; Arceus is seen only as a statue at the top of Destiny Tower. Shaymin is new to the Explorers games and can be recruited after the Sky Peak climb, and Giratina takes its Origin Forme in the newly added dungeons. Nineteen species can be the hero, set by the personality quiz, and 21 can be the partner. Most others are recruited in dungeons or through the café’s Eggs and volunteers, while five legendaries arrive through Challenge Letters.

• Shaymin#492
• Arceus#493
• Giratina#487
• Manectric#310

• Shaymin – New to the Explorers games; guides the Sky Peak climb, joins on the second visit to the summit and changes to Sky Forme with a Gracidea.
• Arceus – Not obtainable; its statue at Destiny Tower Pinnacle is its only appearance.
• Giratina – Appears in Origin Forme in Sky Peak, Star Cave and Destiny Tower, and in Altered Forme elsewhere.
• Jirachi – Final boss of Bidoof’s Wish and later a Challenge Letter opponent in Star Cave.
• Shinx – New hero for Hasty boys, starting with Quick Attack; its arrival is the likely reason Amp Plains’ boss changed.
• Riolu – New hero for Sassy boys, starting with the Egg Move Bite.
• Phanpy – New hero for Relaxed boys, starting with AncientPower.
• Vulpix – New hero for Relaxed girls, starting with Faint Attack.
• Eevee – Back as a hero (Jolly girls) after missing out in Time and Darkness; starts with Flail.
• Manectric – Leads the Electrike tribe at Amp Plains in place of Luxray.

New Gameplay Features

New locations

Shaymin Village: A village inhabited by a tribe of Shaymin, only unlocked after the player graduates from Wigglytuff’s Guild: once a day has passed and a job has been finished, a commotion at Spinda’s Café leads Spinda to reveal the way. Upon visiting the village, the player will team up with a Shaymin from the tribe, with help from Team Frontier, to climb Sky Peak itself – ten stations and 40 floors in all. After finishing the climb, Shaymin will be available for recruitment, asking to join the team on the player’s second visit to the summit.

Sky PeakThe post-game climb from Shaymin Village is split into ten stations of three to five floors each, 40 floors in all, with a clearing to rest in after every pass. On the first ascent a Shaymin guides the team, Team Frontier (Machoke, Breloom and Mawile) runs storage bases at the 2nd, 4th and 6th clearings, five Carnivine pick a fight at the 5th, and Grimer and Muk hold the smog-covered summit until Shaymin purifies it. Reaching the top earns the Sky Jukebox, and a Drifblim gondola shortens later trips.

The Shaymin of Shaymin VillageSeven Shaymin live in the village at the foot of Sky Peak. One leads the team on the first climb, cleans the polluted summit by absorbing its dirty energy, and uses a Gracidea to change form and fly everyone home. It asks to join on a second visit to the summit, and another villager hands out one Gracidea per day so it can take its Sky Forme in dungeons.

Secret Bazaar: A bazaar run by Kirlia, reached by a hidden staircase that appears randomly in dungeons, containing different stalls that offer various services:

• Shedinja’s stall lets the player’s party leave the dungeon early for 100 Poké, just like an Escape Orb.
• Swalot’s Grab Bag Shop sells Grab Bags for 100 Poké each. Every bag holds a random item from a list that depends on the dungeon, although about half the time it turns out to be an Oran Berry.
• Lickilicky’s stall, for a fee of 100 Poké, can clean the player’s sticky items.
• Mime Jr.’s stall restores the whole team’s HP and PP, refills their Belly and cures status problems, for 100 Poké.

Spinda’s Café: A special café by the crossroads. Spinda is first seen there the day after Mt. Bristle, and the café opens on the day Chatot sends the team to Waterfall Cave, when Wynaut and Wobbuffet invite them in. The Pokémon from the player’s current team will be found at Spinda’s Café once it’s open.

The Café contains two shop counters inside: the Recycle Shop and Spinda’s Juice Bar.

The Recycle Shop, run by Wynaut with help from Wobbuffet, allows the player to exchange items they find useless or unwanted for Prize Tickets. The Prize Tickets come in various grades and provide different rewards. Ordinary tickets come in red, blue or yellow – the colour makes no difference – and mostly provide good-quality items. Silver Tickets, which are only available from Silver Rank once Spinda has announced Project P, offer better-quality items and require 6 items to be traded. Gold Tickets, from Gold Rank, offer very rare items, most of which are TMs, in exchange for 8 items. The best are Prism Tickets, available from Hyper Rank for 10 items, which mostly give TMs, with big wins such as IQ Boosters, Miracle Chests and Wonder Gummis.

Once the player gets their tickets, they can decide whether they want to spin the wheel and get a prize right away, or save the ticket for later. There is a chance that the spin will end up a loss, and the player will receive no reward. Note, though, that stackable items cannot be traded here.

As for Spinda’s Juice Bar, it allows the player to turn edible items into drinks. These drinks will sometimes boost the Pokémon’s IQ and stats. Sometimes, after the player finishes their drink, Spinda will check the cup and tell the player that they’ve won a special reward.

One of a few unexplored dungeons will then be unlocked. The dungeon can only be one of the following: Serenity River, Lost Wilderness, Destiny Tower, Lush Prairie, Mt. Mistral and Happy Outlook. Moreover, after talking to Spinda, some random Pokémon will either give the player a random Pokémon Egg or simply ask to join their team. The Café has one final feature, as it allows the player to meet some clients near its exit, who will offer them a certain job or mission.

• Spinda: Spinda opens the café by the crossroads early in the story and runs its Juice Bar, gushing over every miracle drink. Spinda also launches ‘Project P’, which turns the team’s recycling into new places to explore, and in the post-game a commotion at the café ends with Spinda revealing the route to Shaymin Village and Sky Peak.
• Wynaut and Wobbuffet: The pair are first seen examining the rock at the crossroads where the café’s entrance later appears, and they invite the team inside on opening day. Wynaut runs the Recycle Shop counter, trading unwanted items for new ones or Prize Tickets and reporting when recycling has opened a new area, while Wobbuffet runs the ticket lottery.

Spinda’s Juice BarSpinda blends edible items into drinks. Gummi drinks always raise IQ and a stat, Wonder Gummis add 15 IQ, and most other ingredients carry a small chance of a ‘miracle’ drink worth two to five points of Max HP, IQ or a stat, while Hunger Seeds, Grimy Food and lookalike items can backfire. From Chapter 10, a note at the bottom of the cup may reveal a new dungeon, and after a drink a Pokémon your team has hit in a dungeon may hand over an Egg or ask to join at level 1.

Wobbuffet’s lottery and Project PWobbuffet’s lottery ends in a win, a loss or a big win. Spinda’s ‘Project P’ turns the team’s recycling total into new dungeons: Landslide Cave at 3, Tiny Meadow at 25 and Oran Forest at 60, then Lake Afar at 100 and Zero Isle Center at 150 after graduation.

Destiny TowerThe ultimate challenge in Sky is a 99-floor tower, one of the dungeons a Juice Bar cup can reveal. You go in alone, reset to level 1, with no items or money, no IQ skills and no Reviver Seeds; you can’t recruit or be rescued, and traps stay hidden until stepped on. Enemies climb to level 30 and grow cleverer in stages. At the Pinnacle stands a statue of Arceus, the species’ only appearance in the game, and the prize is the Space Globe, which doubles the power of its holder’s moves.

New items

Bottle mail: These are non-collectible bottles that will randomly wash up in the Beach area. Each bottle offers a single job to the player – a rescue, an escort, an item delivery, an outlaw, a Challenge Letter or a Treasure Memo, which gives only a floor number and a clue to where treasure is buried – and they can choose to accept or reject it. Bottles are the only source of Treasure Memos. The bottles will always stay on the beach, even after the player chooses to reject them. To make them disappear, the jobs offered must first be accepted, then discarded.

Sky Gift: A special treasure that can sometimes be found on Sky Peak’s Mountain Path, or received from Pachirisu at Spinda’s Café while the team is climbing Sky Peak. Whether the player finds one or receives one, it will contain nothing inside. The gift’s only purpose is to be sent to other Pokémon – a Guild member or the player’s partner – through Shaymin’s Delivery Service in Shaymin Village, or wirelessly to another player. The Pokémon that receives the gift will reply with a message at Spinda’s Café, showing its gratitude and giving the player a random item.

Other changes

• The outlaws the player has to pursue during jobs can now react in three different ways when they see the player: some just attack, some run away as if a Foe-Fear Orb was in use, and some lie in wait in a Monster House. The job’s wording hints at which to expect.
• It is now possible for the player to choose which Pokémon should go back to the Guild when starting an escort mission or finding a new recruit.
• Wonder Mail S has been given a new format, making it incompatible with Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness and rendering all their codes unusable.
• Another new feature added to the game is the Sky Jukebox. It is earned by reaching the summit of Sky Peak, is accessed from the main menu and lets the player listen to 141 of the game’s tracks. Some of the tracks only become available after finishing the Special Episodes.
• Instead of losing all their money when they faint in a dungeon, the player will now lose only half of it.
• After saving, it is now possible to choose whether to close the game or continue playing. Saving also takes less time.
• Answering ‘Yes’ when the player is asked about their experience with Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness will double the recruitment rate of some Pokémon in dungeons.
• Since Shinx, which evolves into Luxio and then Luxray, was added as a playable Pokémon, the Luxio and Luxray boss group in Amp Plains was replaced with an Electrike and Manectric boss group.
• The three Legendary beasts, Suicune, Entei and Raikou, are now found in Treacherous Waters, Inferno Cave and Southeastern Islands respectively, through Challenge Letters from customers at Spinda’s Café once the team has reached Secret Rank. Mewtwo is fought the same way in Sky Stairway.
• After finishing ‘Bidoof’s Wish’, Jirachi can be challenged in Star Cave through a Challenge Letter at Spinda’s Café or a Wonder Mail S code.

Explorers of Sky vs Time & Darkness

Explorers of Sky is the only enhanced ‘third version’ in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. Rather than a new adventure, it reworks Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness into one expanded edition, with the same main story from the beach to Temporal Tower and beyond. If you already know the 2007 games, this is what changes:

• 5Special Episodes (none before)
• 19possible heroes, up from 16
• 492Pokémon, up from 491
• 141tracks in the Sky Jukebox

The main story itself is unchanged, so the full story on the Explorers of Time & Darkness page applies here too – the Special Episodes and the Sky Peak climb are what Sky adds on top.

Regional Variations

Japan had Explorers of Sky six months before North America, and a few things differ between the regions:

• The Japanese title, Pokémon Fushigi no Dungeon: Sora no Tankentai, means ‘Sky Exploration Team’; early English-language news in January 2009 called the game Explorers of the Sky.
• The Luminous Spring softlock that can strike when evolving a Pokémon with a ten-character name exists only in the North American and Australian releases; the European release fixed it.
• Some bugs are Japanese-only: Giratina’s form stat changes are wrongly applied to its opponent, a move-transference trick works, and Violent Seeds miscalculate when Attack is already lowered.
• Each region’s title screen uses its own Time Gear logo; the English European release borrows the American logo, while the other European languages keep a different font.
• The floor and level display on the dungeon status bar sits in a different position in the US version from the Japanese and European versions.
• Two leftover debug cutscenes (‘H Debug’ and ‘M Debug’, with Dusknoir, Corphish and Palkia) keep their dialogue only in Japanese; Western versions show blank text boxes, and H Debug crashes at its boss battle.
• Europe received English, French (Pokémon Donjon Mystère: Explorateurs du Ciel), German (Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Erkundungsteam Himmel), Italian (Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Esploratori del Cielo) and Spanish (Pokémon Mundo misterioso: Exploradores del cielo) versions.

Left in the data

• A hidden Test Dungeon, with glowing grid floors and walls and high-level Bug- and Grass-type Pokémon, can be reached with a cheat code and sits first on the dungeon list.
• An unused move called ‘$$$’ (7 PP) hits every enemy in the room using the user’s main type; it may have been meant as Arceus’s signature move.
• Leftovers from earlier games remain in the files: the Time and Darkness intro music and menu backgrounds, a Japanese Explorers of Time title graphic, and Blue Rescue Team menu screens.
• Debug features include toggles such as faster text and sound off, a mostly broken debug menu whose sound test still works, an updated debug room and a hidden chapter select on New Game.

Glitches, exploits and oddities

A ten-letter softlock, a Japanese-only Giratina bug and other oddities:

Luminous Spring softlock

In the North American and Australian releases, the game can freeze at Luminous Spring when evolving a Pokémon whose name or nickname is exactly ten characters long. The European release fixed it. The hero and partner are never affected, and other Pokémon are safe in several situations, depending on the next Pokémon in the recruit list: for example, if that recruit joined on a boss floor or in town, or is male, genderless or female-only with a National Dex number up to 229. Releasing the problem recruits also lets the stuck Pokémon evolve.

Giratina form modifier oversight

Sky gives Giratina’s forms fixed stat changes: Altered Forme has lower Attack and higher Defense, and Origin Forme the reverse. In the Japanese version, the Defense and Special Defense changes are applied to whichever Pokémon Giratina is facing rather than to Giratina itself, so Altered Forme ends up much weaker than intended and Origin Forme much stronger. The English-language releases are not affected.

Aggressive Kecleon

Hitting a shop Kecleon before taking anything, for example with Explosion or a Blast Seed, turns it hostile and lets the team defeat it, yet the shop music keeps playing and the price tags stay. Sky changed the rules so that the player only counts as a thief if they pick up an item after the Kecleon has been knocked out, but the oddity itself was never fully removed.

Wonder Mail S exploits

Sky’s new Wonder Mail S format can be abused with code generators. Crafted codes can turn the first floor of Beach Cave into the final floor of Zero Isle North, hand out Primal Dialga or several copies of one-off legendaries, and open dungeons early. These tricks are specific to Sky’s Wonder Mail S and don’t exist in Time and Darkness.

Videos & media

Check out these Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky videos, including a trailer, the intro and a TV commercial. Many more on our YouTube channel – go and take a look!

The opening / intro video.

The English trailer (the official US version).

A Japanese TV commercial.

Trivia & facts

• 

  Although Arceus is not in the game, there’s a statue of it in Destiny Tower, the most difficult dungeon in the game.

• Some fans believe that all the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games take place in the same world, pointing to similarities between the world map of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky and those of the earlier games in the series.
• Robbing Kecleon will now result in the Pokémon saying ‘My precious merchandise! Catch the thief!’ instead of ‘Robbed! I’ve been robbed! Catch the thief!’

Further trivia

• The Time Gear that Team Charm leave alone in Limestone Cavern is the second one Grovyle steals in the main story, even though the game reveals its location late.

• 

  A big win in the Recycle Shop lottery sends Ludicolo crashing through the café wall to dance with four Bellossom.

• The Sky Jukebox keeps playing through headphones with the DS closed, so it can double as a music player.
• Two Sky Jukebox titles are muddled: track 117, labelled ‘Lower Spring Cave’, is the music the third Special Episode uses for Upper Spring Cave, and track 118, ‘Spring Cave Depths’, is really the Lower Spring Cave theme.
• The Secret Bazaar plays the same music as Spinda’s Café.

Legacy

What came after

• Japanese and Taiwanese launch – 18 April 2009. Released at ¥4,800, it went straight to No. 1 on the Media Create chart
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Adventure Squad (WiiWare, Japan) – August 2009. Three Japan-only WiiWare spin-offs, the next games in the series
• North American launch – 12 October 2009. Preceded on 9 October by the English broadcast of the Beyond Time & Darkness anime special
• Australian launch – 12 November 2009
• European launch – 20 November 2009. English, French, German, Italian and Spanish versions
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity (Nintendo 3DS) – 23 November 2012. The next main game in the series; Japanese release date
• Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection shuts down – 20 May 2014. Online rescues end; Wonder Mail S passwords still work
• Wii U Virtual Console release – 23 June 2016. North America first; Japan followed on 20 July 2016, and Europe and Australia on 18 August 2016
• Wii U eShop closes – 27 March 2023. The Virtual Console version can no longer be bought
• Red Rescue Team joins Nintendo Classics – 9 August 2024. The only Mystery Dungeon game on Nintendo Switch Online; no DS library exists as of October 2026

Where to play it today

In 2016 Explorers of Sky joined the Nintendo DS games on the Wii U Virtual Console, arriving in North America on 23 June, Japan on 20 July and Europe and Australia on 18 August. It was a download-only release that played the DS game on the Wii U, with the touch screen on the GamePad, and it disappeared from sale with the rest of the Wii U eShop on 27 March 2023. As of October 2026, the original Nintendo DS cartridge is the only way to buy the game, and it runs on any DS, DSi, 2DS or 3DS; Nintendo Classics on Switch has no DS library. Online rescues ended with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in 2014, but Wonder Mail S codes still work.

How it was made

Explorers of Sky was made by Chunsoft, the studio that created the Mystery Dungeon series, and published by The Pokémon Company in Japan and Nintendo elsewhere. Seiichiro Nagahata and Hironori Ishigami directed, Shin-ichiro Tomie and Emiko Tanaka wrote the script, and the music is credited to Arata Iiyoshi, Hideki Sakamoto, Keisuke Ito, Ken-ichi Saito and Yoshihiro Maeda. Rather than a new adventure, it reworks Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness into one expanded edition, the only follow-up of its kind in the series. News of the game broke in mid-January 2009, a spring release was teased on 20 January, and the 18 April date followed about a month later. The English version appeared in a video at Nintendo’s E3 press event on 2 June 2009 with an autumn window, and Nintendo of America confirmed the 12 October date on 29 July. Tomie later said that Japanese fans’ letters called the trilogy his ‘magnum opus’.

Explorers of Sky elsewhere

Explorers of Sky – Beyond Time & DarknessA one-off anime special that aired in Japan in April 2009 and on US television on 9 October 2009. It continues the earlier Explorers special, with Piplup and Chimchar’s team racing Dusknoir and his Sableye for the Relic Fragment before heading to Temporal Tower to face Primal Dialga. GameStop gave an English DVD of it to Explorers of Sky pre-order customers, and it was later posted on the official Pokémon YouTube channels and Pokémon TV.

Sales & reviews

Sales figures

Within the first three weeks of its release, the game sold an estimated 238 thousand copies in Japan, 74 thousand in Europe and 103 thousand in the USA. Sales gradually increased, reaching an estimated 441 thousand copies in Japan, nearly 430 thousand in Europe, 519 thousand in the USA and approximately 1.56 million copies globally.

Those regional figures are estimates from tracking sites: Nintendo never published a breakdown for Europe or North America. Nintendo’s own results show 1.40 million copies shipped by 31 March 2010 – 480,000 in Japan and 920,000 overseas – which made Explorers of Sky a million-seller in its first year, and later CESA data puts it at 1.49 million. In Japan, it opened at No. 1 on the Media Create chart with about 142,000 copies in its launch week (13–19 April 2009), and Famitsu counted 417,226 copies sold there during 2009, 20th in its chart for the year. Together, Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky had passed 5.90 million copies by March 2010.

• 1.40mshipped by March 2010 (Nintendo)
• 417,226sold in Japan in 2009 (Famitsu)
• No. 1in Japan in its launch week
• 5.90mTime, Darkness & Sky by March 2010

Review scores

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky had a mixed reception, getting both good and bad scores on major review websites. Let’s take a look at these reviews:

• Jack DeVries from IGN was very disappointed with the game, thinking it was simply a rip-off of its two sister games, with no great additions, and stating “I just can’t recommend Explorers of Sky to anyone that has played the previous games.” He rated it 4.9/10, the equivalent of ‘Bad’ on the IGN scale.
• GameSpot didn’t review the game.
• On Metacritic, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky received an average score of 54, from 26 critics.
• Overall, whether the game is worth it or not will depend on the players themselves. People who are already familiar with Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness will find the game a little repetitive and will only enjoy the Special Episodes of the story.
• Those who haven’t played the previous games, on the other hand, will definitely enjoy the storyline and the missions. Nonetheless, like its sisters, Explorers of Sky still ends up with dull and repetitive gameplay once the main storyline is completed, with the player finding themselves doing the same thing over and over in numerous dungeons.

Western critics were lukewarm. With a Metascore of 54 and a GameRankings average just under 56%, Explorers of Sky was judged mainly as a re-release: reviewers complained that it repeated the story and dungeon-crawling of Explorers of Time and Darkness with the same dated look. IGN’s Jack DeVries was the harshest, calling it a rip-off for anyone who owned the earlier games, and RPGamer felt the additions fell flat. Nintendo Power was kinder, recommending the new content to players who like to squeeze every hour out of a game, while Official Nintendo Magazine found it surprisingly tough but too close to its predecessor. In Japan, Famitsu gave it 35 out of 40, and later reviews, such as Nintendo Life’s 2016 look at the Virtual Console version, praised its story despite the repetition.

Awards and honours:

Media & artwork

• Official artwork gallery from Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
• Box art from Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, including regional variations
• Screenshots from Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky

Further reading

More Mystery Dungeon and Nintendo DS links on the site: