Dungeon survival: turns, hunger and your rescue team
Learn turn-based movement, the original 20-item Toolbox, move PP, Friend Area recruitment and post-story evolution in Blue Rescue Team.
Original Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team for Nintendo DS. First released in Japan on 17 November 2005; North America on 18 September 2006, Australia on 28 September 2006 and Europe on 10 November 2006. Red Rescue Team is the paired Game Boy Advance game. Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky have their own stories and rules.
Think before spending a turn
Steps, attacks and using items advance turns. The enemy does not demand an immediate response while you consider the situation. Check the map, your partner and nearby threats, then act. Corridors can help keep enemies in a manageable line; entering a room without looking at its occupants can expose the team to several attacks.
Keep food, HP and PP separate
Apples restore Belly, Oran Berries restore HP and Max Elixirs restore move PP. The original Toolbox holds up to twenty items. Leave room for useful finds, and carry supplies for the expected trip length. Resting advances turns too: recovering HP by waiting spends Belly and lets enemies approach.
Read moves and team tactics
Learn one dependable move and read its range before relying on it. A move that works on an adjacent target may be the wrong choice across a room. Set useful moves for quick access and inspect your partner’s tactics. Gulpin’s shop can link moves into one turn, which makes checking their PP especially useful during preparation.
Recruitment needs more than winning a battle
Ordinary recruitment becomes available after Mt. Steel, when Friend Areas open. For an eligible wild Pokémon, have its required Friend Area, enough party and body-size room, and let the leader deliver the finishing blow while adjacent to it. An offer is chance-based. Protect a new recruit until you leave successfully; losing it or the leader before departure can lose the recruit.
Evolution opens after the main story
Luminous Cave appears at Whiscash Pond after the main story. Only one Pokémon enters at a time, and it must meet its species’ evolution conditions. A starter does not automatically evolve on reaching an ordinary level during the campaign. Check the cave’s explanation and the required level or original evolution item before returning.
Before entering: check Belly supplies, recovery, PP and the partner’s tactics. A safe exit is part of successful recruitment.