The MDU

The Mystery Dungeon Universe contains all of my miscellaneous Pokémon characters who fit into the worlds of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. Characters in this universe are not eligible for interaction with the Clocktwisters and similar characters, nor do they know of any characters of their kind.

Comic fantasy

Nobody quite knows how the Mystery Dungeon universe came to be, as that’s a question for the developers of the games. However, it is known that at least in the original Pokémon world it is believed that the Legendary Pokémon Arceus (possibly assisted by the mythical Mew) created all life as they know it. Arceus, in this universe, is a known entity and has interacted with the world’s inhabitants on several occasions, while Mew is a mythological hero and recently saved the world in the form of a Froakie. It is not known if they truly are the creators of the Mystery Dungeon universe or not, and they have refused to answer questions on the issue in the times where they have chosen to appear to the public.

(Keep in mind that this is NOT canon history; this is simply the canon of my own interpretation of the Mystery Dungeon universe, involving my own characters and plotlines interweaved in the canon continuity of the games. There’s no current explanation by the game developers as to why things happen as they do, so it’s up to us fans to figure it out on our own.)

...

Long, long ago, before even the birth of our oldest friend Algor, a curious plague of beings called genesicadas stormed across the PokéEarth. Nobody knows where they came from, or how they got to they got here, but what we do know is that they carried a deadly secret — when they beat their wings, strange psychic wavelengths would vibrate out, which, upon exposure, would eventually shut down the more advanced sections of the brain, leaving only primitive functions and a desire straight from the bugs to attack and expose any non-affected Pokémon.

Widespread panic occurred across the ancient PokéEarth. Loved ones and friends, even children were falling to the waves of genesicadas and turning on their villages. The only ones unaffected were those with superior mental capabilities or powers — those known as mythicals and legendaries in particular. Some of these legendaries even had previously obstructed abilities awakened in accordance with the appearance of these genesicadas — some prime examples are those of the Kyogre and Groudon species. Those immune and those determined to bring back their loved ones fought the psycadas, while the ones with therapeutic skills attempted to help those affected by them.

Slowly but surely, the plague was driven back. Many lives were lost in the effort. Eventually, the Pokémon of the PokéEarth managed to protect their villages from the primitive Pokémon, though the genesicadas and their minions still ran wild in the forests and caves which were now labelled as dungeons. However, a problem soon arose: those who had had their minds touched by the brain waves emitted by the genesicadas’ wings could not be reverted to their past selves. Though their levels of hostility could certainly be lowered, their primitive instincts and personalities would never go away. Some villages kept the affected, though they would never be the same as they were before. Others feared them, and banished them away to what would later be known as dungeons.

Nevertheless, these dungeons still exist today, and the genesicadas and their minions remain thoroughly persistent. Despite this, most Pokémon of the protected villages view them in pity or as jokes, not as serious enemies at all, and so many Pokémon venture into these dungeons to get materials or food. After all of these years, most of the dungeon Pokémon are very weak, or simply incapable of rational thought or planning. In fact, teams of just three regular Pokémon (usually called “rescue teams”) could easily defeat a hundred.
There are currently scientists researching the psychological effects of genesicadas’ wing waves, in hopes to find an antidote to their effects. Other organizations, such as the Pacification Association (led by the Heliolisk Kira) take root in the heart of dungeons and attempt to communicate with or build friendships with the dungeon Pokémon. Most who venture into dungeons, however, are part of rescue teams, which are often part of larger team guilds, such as Wigglytuff’s Guild, Silvally Rescue Services, or the Exploration Society. Famous rescue teams include the Windchasers (composed of Lady Celadon the Venusaur, Baron Mickey the Greninja, and Victor the Victini), Team Blackout (composed of Rocket the Beldum, Scissors the Gliscor, and Lyra the Umbreon), and the Forests’ Flames (composed of Cynder the Typhlosion, Sage the Serperior, and Flame the Ninetales).

As with all Pokémon in separate universes, the mon in the Mystery Dungeon universe retain their abilities to bend elements such as fire, water, electricity, earth, aura, and nature to their will.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
PokéPark
PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond

In the Mystery Dungeon universe, humans do not exist; at least, they only exist in an alternate universe to the PokéEarth. Nevertheless, there are Pokémon who claim to be these humans transported here from another world and turned into a Pokémon, such as Lady Celedon of the Windchasers (a renowned rescue team who very much did save the lives of all on the planet). Humans appear frequently in legends are are akin to fairies, dragons, giants and similar in our culture; mystical and wondrous, yet of course fictional.

If I do end up ever making PokéPark characters, they will end up deposited here alongside the Mystery Dungeon ones, since the two series are so similar (and my headcanon is that they actually take place in the same universe). But as of right now, I don’t have any, and so all of the characters in here are safely and completely that of the Mystery Dungeon series.