Hero Pokémon

The hero Pokémon or hero is the protagonist and starting player character of the games in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. It is accompanied by the .
==Terminology==
===Hero Pokémon===
This is known as "hero Pokémon" in the manuals of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team. For instance:
* "You can see how to control the hero Pokémon by reading this section."
* "When you touch the hero Pokémon, it takes one step in the direction it's facing."
===Hero===
This has been shortened to "hero" in the manuals of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky. For instance:
* " and are only candidates for the partner. They are not available as candidates for the hero."
* "The hero moves by taking the shortest route and stops on reaching that spot."
* "If the heros Belly is empty, the hero loses 1 HP on every turn."
===Other terms===
The "leader" is the character currently being controlled by the player. Therefore, the hero Pokémon may or may not be the leader at a given point in time.
==In the games==
In the main storyline from the Rescue Team and Explorers titles, the hero is the only Pokémon that the player can control while the partner an other Pokémon (if any) follow the hero. In the post-game, the player is no longer required to play specifically as the hero, and can choose to play as any other Pokémon in the team, with the option to switch leaders while exploring the dungeon.
=== Personality and characteristics ===
The hero Pokémon rarely talks out loud; instead thinking to themselves in parenthecies. They lack a defined personality, because the player is intended to imagine themselves in their place.
=== Story role ===
==== Red Rescue Team, Blue Rescue Team, and Rescue Team DX ====
The hero first wakes up in the Tiny Woods to the voice of the partner. They tell the partner that they are a human, to which the partner points out that they look like a normal Pokémon. The hero is shocked by this, as they do not remember anything. Just then, comes shouting for help because her son Caterpie fell into a fissure and can't get out. The hero and partner head into the dungeon to rescue Caterpie. Afterwards, the partner says to the hero that since they don't have anywhere to go, they should follow them. The partner takes the hero to a vacant house that happens to be on the outskirts of Pokémon Square. There, the partner asks the hero if they would be interested in forming a rescue team with them. The hero agrees, and the next day, they find the partner sleeping outside, having waited for the hero outside their house since dawn. The partner checks the mailbox and finds the Rescue Team Starter Kit inside, which contains the Toolbox and Rescue Team Badges. Then Pelipper comes and delivers a rescue request from at Thunderwave Cave. They travel there and rescue the two Magnemite. Two days later, they meet , who is having fun digging tunnels outside. The next day, Diglett's father, , informs them that he has been kidnapped by a Pokémon named and taken to the summit of Mt. Steel. When they go to confront Skarmory, it claims that it kidnapped Diglett because the recent earthquakes are caused by its kind. The hero and partner defeat Skarmory, but they have no idea how to rescue Diglett, who is trapped on a cliff on the other side. Just then, the two Magnemite they rescued earlier show up, and help lift Diglett out. The partner realizes that adding more members to the rescue team would be a good idea. The next day, they go to the Camp Corner, run by Wigglytuff, where he sells Camps for recruits to live at. There is a special deal for new rescue teams where they get three free Camps. However, at the request of Magnemite, Wigglytuff also throws in the Power Plant camp for free, giving them four free Camps. As they are heading back home, they see a asking Shiftry to rescue its Jumpluff friend. Shiftry initially refuses, but when Team A.C.T., a famous Gold Rank rescue team consisting of , , and , shows up, he is pressured into accepting Jumpluff's request. A few days later, Team Meanies shows up at the rescue team base and steals their mail. Later, Caterpie from before shows up at the rescue team base and asks them to rescue his friend Metapod in Sinister Woods. Team Meanies then shows up, saying they'll be the first to rescue Metapod, and that Caterpie will join them as their reward since he has no Poké to give them. In Sinister Woods, Team Meanies tries to battle them to stop them from rescuing Metapod. They defeat Team Meanies however, and save Metapod. The next day, the Jumpluff from earlier has come seeking the rescue team's help because Shiftry never came back from the rescue mission. They head to the Silent Chasm to find Shiftry and Jumpluff. When they reach the end of the dungeon, they find Shiftry. However, soon appears and kidnaps Shiftry, challenging them to come to Mt. Thunder to rescue him.
==== Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky ====
The hero wakes up on the beach outside of Treasure Town after the partner finds them lying unconscious there. Soon after, and of Team Skull attack the partner and steal their Relic Fragment, fleeing to Beach Cave. After the hero and partner get the Relic Fragment back, the partner suggests that the two of them join Wigglytuff's Guild together.
==== Super Mystery Dungeon ====
The hero wakes up near a waterfall, discovering that they are a Pokemon. They are soon attacked by a group of Beheeyem. Upon escaping, they run into a Nuzleaf, who helps them get through two dungeons and on the way to a village.
===Available Pokémon===
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team, Blue Rescue Team, Explorers of Time, Explorers of Darkness, and Explorers of Sky, the player cannot directly choose their hero Pokémon. Instead, they have to complete a personality quiz, which then uses their gender and answers to determine which Pokémon they should be.
In the Adventure Squad games and Gates to Infinity, the hero Pokémon is chosen manually.
In Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, the player can choose the hero Pokémon directly or via a personality quiz.
====Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team, Blue Rescue Team, and Rescue Team DX====
							
							
							
							
Note that in the original Red and Blue Rescue Team, Meowth, Machop, and Cyndaquil can only be the hero if the player is a boy, while Chikorita, Skitty, and Eevee can only be the hero if the player is a girl. In Rescue Team DX, there are no gender restrictions. However, based on the player's gender, some Pokémon cannot be assigned by the quiz and must be chosen manually.
====Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness====
								
								
								
====Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky====
							
							
							
							
Note that Vulpix, Eevee, and Skitty are only available if the player is a girl, while Shinx, Phanpy, and Riolu are only available if the player is a boy.
====Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Keep Going! Blazing Adventure Squad!====
				
				
				
====Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Let's Go! Stormy Adventure Squad!====
					
					
					
====Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Go For It! Light Adventure Squad!====
				
				
				
====Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity====
				
				
====Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon====
					
					
					
					
					
==In the manga==
===Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team===
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team, Ginji has the role of the hero Pokémon. He is a boy who was turned into a .
== Trivia ==
* Gates to Infinity is the only game where the hero Pokémon does not have amnesia.
* Super Mystery Dungeon has the most choices for the hero Pokémon out of all the games, at 20.
* In Gates to Infinity, even if the hero Pokémon is a girl, Pikachu will not have the heart-shaped tail of female Pikachu. A female Pikachu model was not programmed into the game.
==External links==
* 
==Related articles==
* First partner Pokémon
* List of the player's first Pokémon
* Partner Pokémon (Mystery Dungeon)
Category:Pokémon Mystery Dungeon