View source for Friend Rescue

{{incomplete|needs=More documentation on mechanics, particularly on number of attempts, how it affects dungeon generation, Monster Houses in the Rescue Point room, etc.}}
'''Friend Rescue''' (Japanese: '''ともだちきゅうじょ''' ''Friend Rescue'') is a feature in the [[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series]] that allows players to rescue other players that have fainted in a dungeon. If a fainted player is rescued in this way, they can continue from the floor where they fainted and will not be subject to the fainting penalty of losing items and [[Poké]] from their bag.

==Mechanics==
The process works as follows:
#When a player faints in a dungeon, they have the option to send a call for help. This will send them back to the menu, where they can receive an '''"SOS Mail"''' (Japanese: '''たすけてメール''' ''Help Mail'') or '''"Help-Me Mail"'''{{sup/md|smd}} to send to another player. <!-- "Help-Me Mail" appears to be an alternate localization of the same term; the JP version of SMD uses "たすけてメール" like the older titles !-->
#The SOS Mail can be sent through password{{sup/md|rb}}{{sup/md|tds}}{{sup/md|St}}{{sup/md|Bl}}{{sup/md|L}}{{sup/md|smd}}{{sup/md|dx}}, [[QR Code]]{{sup/md|smd}}, [[Game Link Cable#Game Boy Advance Game Link cable|Game Boy Advance Game Link cable]]{{sup/md|R}}, local wireless communication{{sup/md|B}}{{sup/md|tds}}{{sup/md|smd}}, [[Dual-slot mode]]{{sup/md|B}}, [[Infrared]] communication{{sup/md|smd}}, [[Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection]]{{sup/md|tds}}{{sup/md|St}}{{sup/md|Bl}}{{sup/md|L}} (before it was officially shut down in 2014), or [[Nintendo Switch Online]]{{sup/md|dx}} to another player of a compatible game.
#The second player can accept the mission and go to the floor that the first player ended on, where the second player can revive them. If the second player faints during this mission, they cannot request a rescue for themselves.
#After completing the mission, the second player sends '''"A-OK Mail"''' (Japanese: '''ふっかつメール''' ''Revival Mail'') to the now-rescued first player. The second player also has an option to attach an item to this mail.
#The first player receives the A-OK Mail, which revives them on the dungeon floor where they were defeated. After returning to town, the first player may optionally send a '''"Thank-You Mail"'''  (Japanese: '''おれいのメール''' ''Mail of Gratitude'') to the second player, with the option to attach an item.

===Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team===
[[File:Helper Pokémon PMD RTRB.png|thumb|left|A helper Pokémon assisting during a boss fight.]]
[[File:Blue Rescue Team English Korean Friend Rescue.png|thumb|right|An SOS Mail from Korean Blue Rescue Team being received in an English version of the game. Since the latter does not contain hangul in its font, the name was corrupted.]]
In {{g|Mystery Dungeon: Red and Blue Rescue Team}}, Friend Rescues become available upon unlocking [[Mt. Steel]]. Passwords are displayed in rows of 17 characters: 5 white, 7 gold, 5 white. There are 2 rows in Japanese releases and 3 in other releases, making them incompatible. Korean Blue Rescue Team can still be rescued by the Western releases, though the name of the rescuee will be {{wp|mojibake|corrupted}} due to mismatched fonts. In these games, the client of a Friend Rescue is the team leader.

A-OK Mail sent via a Game Link cable or wireless communication is capable of sending a helper Pokémon to temporarily assist the rescued player. This Pokémon will stay on the player's team until they finish the dungeon: if the rescuee faints in the same trip, they can be sent another helper Pokémon to their team as long as there's room for it. This does not disable ability to use the chosen Pokémon in the original game, although the held item won't be transferred.
{{-}}

===Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky===
In [[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness|Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, Explorers of Time, Darkness]] [[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky|and Sky]], Friend Rescues become available upon reaching Chapter 5. Unlike in Red and Blue Rescue Team, Japanese versions use the same passwords as other versions, which are now displayed in 3 rows of 18 characters: 6 white, 6 gold, 6 white.

Unlike the previous games, Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky require the player to have completed the destination dungeon before they can rescue another player within it. The item pool will be from the version that was recognized as the rescuee. The rescuer can now send an item to the rescued player, provided the dungeon allows to bring items in. A player of Time or Darkness is capable of rescuing a player from Sky, as long as the request does not originate from a dungeon exclusive to Sky. In these games, the client of a Friend Rescue is listed as the team itself; if the game cannot decode the team name (for example, due to a Western version rescuing a Japanese version), it will default to team name '''Pokémones''' (Japanese: '''ポケモンズ''' ''Pokémons''). If the rescue is done via wireless communication, the player can attach a message to the mail, either by manually entering up to 54 characters, or using the stock phrase system. Additionally, the player awaiting the rescue can now explore already unlocked dungeons via the Standby Adventure feature on [[Pelipper Island]], although under some restrictions.

===Pokémon Mystery Dungeon (WiiWare)===
In the [[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon (WiiWare)|WiiWare games]], SOS Mail can only be sent and received through [[Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection]].

Similarly to the previous games, the player is only able to rescue another player if they have cleared the destination dungeon before. However, clearing a dungeon exclusive to one version will also allow the player to rescue other players in the other versions' counterparts; for example, clearing [[Sunset Rockland]] in Blazing Adventure Squad will also allow the player to go on a Friend Rescue in [[Cloudy Rockland]] and [[Shady Rockland]]. [[Pelipper Island]] makes a return in the Adventure Squad series, including the Standby Adventure feature.

===Gates to Infinity===
In [[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity|Gates to Infinity]], the Friend Rescue system instead uses [[StreetPass]]. If a player faints in a dungeon, they are able to send out a rescue request via StreetPass. Players can put up to 20 [[Reviver Seed]]s into their mailbox, and if they StreetPass a player that has requested a rescue, 1 seed will be consumed to revive that player. This is the only way to perform a Friend Rescue in Gates to Infinity - all previous methods mentioned above are unavailable.

===Super Mystery Dungeon===
{{g|Super Mystery Dungeon}} reintroduces passwords and local methods for performing a Friend Rescue, and also includes StreetPass functionality. Additionally, the game introduces the option for players to rescue themselves, using other Pokémon they have recruited that were not part of the fainted party.

===Rescue Team DX===
In {{g|Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX}}, the passwords are two rows, 15 characters each. The password entry allows only digits and letters <code>P</code>, <code>M</code>, <code>D</code>, and <code>X</code> to be input; however, each of these characters is grouped into sets featuring a flame, a heart, a water droplet, a diamond, and a star, giving 70 unique characters.

Players are once again able to rescue themselves using other recruited Pokémon.

Certain dungeons and boss arenas in each game prohibit rescuing. Rescues also cannot be performed when defeated by {{p|Kecleon}} or when ejected by surpassing the turn limit.

==In other languages==
{| style="float:left;"
|-
| style=vertical-align:top;"|
''Friend Rescue''
{{langtable|color={{MD color}}|bordercolor={{MD color light}}
|nl=Vriend redden{{tt|*|Explorers manual}}
|fr=Sauvetage Ami
|de=Freundrettung
|it=Pronto Intervento
|ko=친구 구조 ''Chingu Gujo''
|es=Rescate de amigos
}}
| style=vertical-align:top;"|
''SOS Mail''
{{langtable|color={{MD color}}|bordercolor={{MD color light}}
|nl=SOS-bericht{{tt|*|Explorers manual}}
|fr=Lettre S.O.S.
|de=SOS-Brief
|it=SOS
|ko=SOS 메일 ''SOS Meil''
|es=Carta de SOS
}}
| style=vertical-align:top;"|
''A-OK Mail''
{{langtable|color={{MD color}}|bordercolor={{MD color light}}
|nl='In-orde'-bericht{{tt|*|Explorers manual}}
|fr=Lettre O.K.
|de=Okay-Brief
|it=E-mail di OK
|ko=부활 메일 ''Buhwal Meil''
|es=Carta de misión cumplida
}}
| style=vertical-align:top;"|
''Thank-You Mail''
{{langtable|color={{MD color}}|bordercolor={{MD color light}}
|nl=Dankbericht{{tt|*|Explorers manual}}
|fr=Lettre Remerciement
|de=Danke-Brief
|it=Ringraziamento
|ko=사례 메일 ''Sarye Meil''
|es=Carta de agradecimiento
}}
|}

{{-}}

==External links==
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20080913190100/http://www.upokecenter.com/games/dungeon/guides/sosgen.php SOS Mail Generator for Blue and Red Rescue Team]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20080913124421/http://www.upokecenter.com/games/dungeon/guides/sosmail.php A-OK Mail Generator and Rescue Mail Converter for Blue and Red Rescue Team]
* [https://syphist.com/pmd/explorers/aok.php A-OK Mail Generator and Rescue Mail Converter for Explorers of Time and Darkness]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080913124457/http://www.upokecenter.com/games/dungeon2/guides/sosmail.php Rescue Mail Converter for Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky]
* [https://karthikb.dev/pmd-gen/ Friend Rescue Mail Generator and Revival Password Mail Generator for Rescue Team DX]
* [https://www.reddit.com/r/MysteryDungeon/wiki/generators/ Generators both online and for download]