Recruitment

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Smoochum asking to join the team

Recruitment is the main method of obtaining new Pokémon in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity. After defeating an enemy in a dungeon, it will occasionally offer to join the player's team.

In Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, if a newly-recruited Pokémon—a recruit who has never cleared or warped out of a dungeon—or the team's leader faints before making it out of the dungeon, it will leave the party permanently. Dungeons consisting of multiple parts—such as Mt. Thunder—will account reaching a checkpoint as making it out.

The games contain items that increase the chance of Pokémon asking to be recruited. These are important as the base recruit rate of certain Pokémon, most notably Kecleon, is below zero.

There is a limit of 413 Pokémon at one time in Red and Blue Rescue Teams. In Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky, the limit is 522 instead, and in Gates to Infinity it is 288.

In Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, recruitment works significantly differently, now being based off of connections.

Requirements

In addition to the prospective recruit having an effective recruit rate higher than zero, there are several other prerequisites for recruiting a certain Pokémon to be possible:

• In the first two games, offers will only be made if there is space in the current party. In the sequels, this requirement was removed, instead excess members simply warp out of the dungeon. In Explorers of Sky and Gates to Infinity, players can choose if they want to send home the recruited Pokémon or not.
• The team leader must deal the finishing blow that causes the enemy to faint.
• The enemy must be adjacent to the team leader when the finishing blow is delivered. However, Pokémon that are not immediately recruited when the final blow is dealt, but after a short cutscene (many Legendary Pokémon for instance), are an exception to this rule.
• Some Pokémon, such as Omastar in Brine Cave are unrecruitable. In addition, many boss legendary Pokémon cannot be recruited on the first visit. In Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, all but nine fully-evolved Pokémon cannot be recruited and have to be acquired via evolving.

Recruitment rate modifiers

Recruitment rate by level

Fast Friend

The IQ Skill "Fast Friend", available in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, raises the recruitment rate by 1%. It's important to notice this 1% is crucial for recruiting Kecleon, which has a recruitment rate of -49.5%, making it impossible to be recruited with only a high level Pokémon and a Golden Mask/Amber Tear.

Fast Friend is learned only by Pokémon in IQ Groups B and H.

Recruitment-affecting items

Friend Bow ともだちリボン Friend Ribbon   TREASURE BAG					INTRODUCED IN GEN III		Cannot be bought Sell for: 500* 650*
Effect: Raises recruitment rate by 10%.					Locations MDRB Mt. Faraway 30F (requires Key), shops in Joyous Tower MDTDS Zero Isle North, Marine Resort, Mt. Mistral, won as a prize at the recycle shop in Spinda's Café MDGTI DLC dungeons
Description MDRB When held by the team leader, this hold item makes it easier to recruit defeated Pokémon into the rescue team. MDTDS A team-leader held item that makes it easier for the leader to recruit defeated Pokémon to the team.

Amber Tear こはくのなみだ Amber Tear   TREASURE BAG					INTRODUCED IN GEN IV		Cannot be bought Cannot be sold
Effect: Raises recruitment rate by 24%.					Locations MDTDS Zero Isle West
Description MDTDS An amber liquid that sparkles like crystal-clear tears, rumored to be the most precious of even the rarest treasures. When held by the team leader, it is easier to recruit defeated Pokémon to the team.

Golden Mask おうごんかめん Golden Mask   TREASURE BAG					INTRODUCED IN GEN IV		Cannot be bought Cannot be sold
Effect: Raises recruitment rate by 24%.					Locations MDTDS Zero Isle North
Description MDTDS A legendary mask, rumored to be from a long-lost civilization. It has a beautiful glow that stirs up the emotions of all who see it. When held by the team leader, it is easier to recruit defeated Pokémon to the team.

Friend Bow

In Red and Blue Rescue Teams, the only such item to increase recruitment is the Friend Bow. When held by the leading Pokémon, it raises the recruitment rate by 10%. The bow is located behind a door needing a key to open on floor 30 of Mt. Faraway. Further Friend Bows can be purchased from Kecleon shops in Joyous Tower. In the Explorers of Time and Darkness, the Friend Bow is supplemented with a number of other items, but can still be bought from Kecleon Shops in Zero Isle North. In Explorers of Sky, the Friend Bow is able to be won as a prize item from the Recycle Shop in Spinda's Café.

The following Wonder Mail S mission allows the player to explore the Drenched Bluff and receive the Friend Bow as a reward.

Pokémon		Wonder Mail Code
	Rescue Pidgey	1PK1F	Q7C3HT6	6&J19
		C2T3R	+M98KJ	RN43F

Amber Tear

The Amber Tear can only be found in Explorers of Time and Darkness. The Amber Tear can be located on floor B40F of Zero Isle West, or given as a reward for a mission in search of the Amber Tear. It has the ability to maximally raise the user's recruitment rate.

Golden Mask

The Golden Mask can also only be found in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky. The Golden Mask maximally raises the user's recruitment rate. It can be found on floor B75 of Zero Isle North, or given as a reward for a mission in search of the Golden Mask.

The following Wonder Mail S mission allows the player to explore a Golden Chamber with Infernape and receive the Mask as a reward.

Pokémon		Wonder Mail Code
	Explore with Infernape	NN00S	655M=4Q	-+8J0
		N2%%%	NXQN4Y2	PQ&RN

The Seven Treasures

Main article: Seven Treasures

Each of the Seven Treasures raises the recruitment rate by 10% for Pokémon of one particular type among Ground, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ice, Water and Rock.

Gifts

Main article: Gift

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, a Gift raises the recruitment rate for Pokémon of one particular type. They are given to the Pokémon and the Pokémon will decide whether to accept the Gift and join the team or not. The Gift isn't lost from the items list after being rejected. These Gifts do not work on evolved Pokémon.

There are also Gifts for specific Pokémon.

Gifts are given as prizes after completing missions. They can be bought at Gift Shop. They are also available with specific passwords.

This article is part of both Project Sidegames and Project ItemDex, Bulbapedia projects that, together, aim to write comprehensive articles on items in the sidegames.