Our complete walkthrough of Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon follows the story chapter by chapter, from the foreword to the epilogue. This page is the summary: each step is described in one line and linked to its detailed page, with the dungeons and bosses. The summaries avoid most spoilers, but the titles of the last chapters inevitably give a little away.
The twenty-five steps
| Chapter | In brief |
|---|---|
| Foreword | The personality quiz, choosing your Pokémon and your partner. |
| 1. The Residents of This World and an Unexpected Visitor | The hero wakes up transformed into a Pokémon, flees from three Beheeyem with Nuzleaf’s help and reaches Serene Village. |
| 2. Meeting the Partner | A tour of the village with the partner, then the first rescue: a Goomy lost in the Mystifying Forest. |
| 3. Up on the Hill with the Big Tree | First day of school, Pancham’s challenge at Drilbur Mine and a meeting with Gabite. |
| 4. The School Trip | Two outings: Tangled Forest for items, Sparkling Mountain for Looplets and Emeras. |
| 5. The Friendship Scarves | Rescuing Budew at Nectar Plains, facing Combee and Vespiquen, seals the duo’s friendship. |
| 6. Hello, Apprentice Explorers! | Ampharos loses his Connection Orb; after Poliwrath River, he makes the duo Apprentice Explorers. |
| 7. Summer Vacation | Missions, an expanding web of bonds, and a rumor of a ghost haunting the school at night. |
| 8. The Test of Courage | The class at the night school, the Ancient Ossuary and the mystery of the Litwick. |
| 9. The Village Shrine | A mission with a classmate, then Revelation Mountain, guarded by the sheriffs. |
| 10. Setting Out | The hero wants to protect the village; the partner decides to follow him to Lively Town. |
| 11. Beyond the Mountains | Steep Massif, Gentle Slope Cave, arrival in Lively Town and joining the Expedition Society. |
| 12. Daily Life of the Expedition Society | Jirachi repairs the Atlas Pillar; the duo must map the world. Krokorok and Krookodile lurk. |
| 13. Across the Sea | First Lapras Voyage to the Wind Land; Latios and Latias are turned to stone, and Entei accuses the group. |
| 14. The Joys of Expeditions | Expedition to the Fire Island Volcano and a battle against Entei; the hero’s secret is revealed. |
| 15. Another Warning | Great Battle Pass, a petrified Entei and a Poké Glyph tablet left by Krookodile. |
| 16. The Sealed Spring | Revelation Mountain, the Shining Water spring and the story’s big twist. |
| 17. The World of Nothingness | The petrified Pokémon awaken in Nothingness; the Poké Glyphs reveal the existence of Dark Matter. |
| 18. Hope | The Shadows of Nothingness, help from Raikou, Entei and Suicune, and the return to a deserted world. |
| 19. The Fate of Our Planet | Lively Town turned to stone, an unmasked Beheeyem and a lead to the Tree of Life. |
| 20. The Ancient Ruins | The Undersea Cave and the Ancient Ruins, a trap, and the rescue by Ampharos, Jirachi and Celebi. |
| 21. Dark Matter | The secret of the Harmony Scarves and of Mew, the Initial Forest Road, then Arceus steps in. |
| 22. Battle in the Stratosphere | The ascent of the Tree of Life and the final fight against Dark Matter. |
| Final Chapter: Between the Branches and the Clouds | Xerneas, the party in Serene Village and a farewell. |
| Epilogue | Spirit Reg, Mystic Jungle, Mew and the Cave of Purity, before the post-game opens. |
The three phases of the adventure
Serene Village (chapters 1 to 10)
The first part takes place around the village and its school. The dungeons are short and serve as tutorials: items, Looplets and Emeras, Link Moves. These chapters take a long time to play, but they set up the characters, the partner, Nuzleaf, the classmates and Grandpa Carracosta, who will matter later.
Lively Town and the continents (chapters 11 to 16)
In Lively Town, the duo joins Ampharos‘s Expedition Society and discovers the Connection Orb, missions and ranks. The Lapras Voyages open up the Wind Land and the other continents. Meanwhile, legendary Pokémon are turned to stone one after another, and the investigation leads to Revelation Mountain.
Nothingness and the Tree of Life (chapter 17 to the epilogue)
The last part strings together the toughest dungeons and the major battles. Bring a well-trained team, healing items and plenty of Apples. After the epilogue, the post-game opens: evolutions with Xerneas, new dungeons, and recruiting every Pokémon, legendaries included, with the Connection Orb.
