Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Bioterrorists and Kings

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Bioterrorists and Kings - Origins of Al-Waqt is a new Pokémon Mystery Dungeon game developed by Spike Chunsoft, which starts the Mystery Dungeon spin-off series "Mystery Dungeon of Al-Waqt", which is darker and more mature (though it retains the usual silliness of Pokémon, overall going for a JRPG-like tone). It's one of the only Pokémon games to come out on the PS5 other than Nintendo Switch, and one of the only few Pokémon series where the word "death" is said often. 
It deals with Paradox Pokémon (also known as "Devious" by normal Pokémon) invading the Pokémon world from both the past and the future. Unlike normal Pokémon, Devious have individual names, usually Japanese for future ones and Greek/Roman for ancient ones. 
Unlike most games, it doesn't have a starter choice, but it stars two established and named protagonists, two "Devious" named Tatsuhiro (an Iron Moth who used to live in the future as an assassin) and Valerius (a Slither Wing who used to be the heir of a great clan that got exterminated). Those two protagonists both talk in cutscenes. They join forces to form a gang of shady yet well-meaning vigilantes called Team Al-Waqt and become feared in the whole region.
The main plot points are not only Koraidon and Miraidon, but also the two Paradox Zygardes called the King in the Mountain (ancient Zygarde fused with Xerneas, also known as Tseikuri) and the Extermination Unit 731 (future Zygarde fused with Yveltal, also known as Kovashist). 
This game shows how Al-Waqt evolves from a team of vigilantes to one of the most feared presences in the Mystery Dungeon World's criminal underworld.
== Worldbuilding ==
The game mostly takes place in Al-Zala, a large Middle Eastern-style city in the Sand Continent, in the midst of the distorted area called Hall of Magic. 
Al-Zala is a large city, with a monumental castle called the Qasr Al-Shams-wal-Qamar (castle of the sun and moon in Zalan language), where the day and the night seem to merge with each other. King Shams the Solgaleo and Qamar the Lunala rule the city together in an absolute yet enlightened holy diarchy. Under them are various feudal lords known as Liqtaei who hold control over towns.
Meanwhile, the lower levels of the city are filled with criminals and bandits, and are a good place to deal in shady business. Team al-Waqt makes their hideout in a run-down apartment in the lower levels. Criminal forces prominent in the city include the rival street gangs Team Sand (comprised of various Pokémon, especially Ground and Steel, riding Cyclizars, and led by Tams the Excadrill) and Team Nocturne (composed of Ghost Pokémon and led by Layla the Hoopa, who however hides a mysterious secret). 
Around the city are many dungeons and other towns, the most important of which is Sahra Town, now turned into the stronghold of the Roaring Moons. 
A powerful organizations that has spread throughout the whole continent is the Daw' Mutawahij, something in between a mafia organization and a cult, with a huge emphasis on mysticism and honor, which hails from the Dunes of Spirits and is led by the region's Liqtaei, Daw the Volcarona. It usually controls the underworld and acts as "vigilantes" that keep in check all potentially threatening foreign criminal forces. 
The Hailstorm Pirates, a group of feared mercenaries led by Barad the Walrein, make their hideout in the Snowy Cave. Barad sees Daw the Volcarona as a sworn rival, having fought his men many times. 
An organization composed of future Paradox Pokémon, known as "the Bioterrorists" or "the Iron Valiants", led by Haruka (a future Gallade, also known as Iron Valiant), have appeared from nowhere and their agenda is shrouded in mystery, but it seems they want to destroy some weird evil called "The Distortion" by awakening a mysterious Extermination Unit 731 (actually a future Zygarde-Yveltal fusion Paradox). A villainous group is the Roaring Moons led by Cornelius (a past Salamence, also known as a Roaring Moon), Roaring Moons come from the past, nobles from the ancient Koraidon Empire, and want to reform it through conquest and then awaken the ancient King in the Mountain (actually a past Zygarde-Xerneas fusion Paradox). The Roaring Moons recruited men in the criminal underworld and now are steadily rising, to the point of breaking taboos set by Daw. 
== Trivia ==
* Unlike Wigglytuff's Guild, Team Al-Waqt is technically an evil team, though it's led by two anti-hero protagonists. 
* This Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series has Pokémon characters have individual names rather than call themselves the name of their species: names are usually very personal and rarely used except in familiar contexts, but they do exist and when a Pokémon that is not a legendary is in a command position, their personal name becomes public. 
* Al-Waqt's Mystery Dungeon wants to do for Pokémon what Sonic Adventure did for Sonic, an "edgification" of a popular kids' series. However, in case of the Al-Waqt series, it doesn't take place in a main series Pokémon universe.
Category:Pokémon (series)
Category:Pokémon Games
Category:Pokémon Spin-offs
Category:Pokémon Mystery Dungeon (series)
Category:Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Games
Category:Al-Waqt (series)