Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers (2026 film)

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers is a 2026 animated film and the second installment of the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon film series. A short film based on the continuation of the film, called "Somewhere Only We Know", was released in April (Japan)/July (USA) 2026.

Plot
Junko, a 16-year old girl turned into a Cyndaquill, is washed ashore by a storm and is discovered by Puff, a timid Skitty who dreams of forming an exploration team.

After teaming up to recover Puff's Relic Fragment from some bullies, Junko, who has lost all memories except her name and the fact that she used to be human, agrees to form an exploration team to piece together her identity. The two enlist at the Wigglytuff Guild and begin training as adventurers.

During this time, Junko discovers that she can have visions of the future or past. Eventually, the authorities alert the guild that a criminal named Grovyle has been stealing artifacts called the Time Gears, which stabilize the flow of time in each region and cause time to stop when stolen. Junko and Puff attempt to intercept Grovyle, but are defeated.

Afterwards, the guild enlists the aid of a famous explorer named Dusknoir, who explains that Junko's ability to see through time is called the Dimensional Scream.

Dusknoir reveals that he and Grovyle are from the future and that if the Time Gears are stolen, the Pokémon world will become paralyzed and turn into a dark, dismal region filled with scared and corrupted Pokémon.

With assistance from the guardians of the Time Gears, Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf, Dusknoir successfully captures Grovyle and returns the Time Gears to their rightful places. Back in town, Dusknoir opens a Dimensional Hole to take Grovyle back to the future to face justice and bids farewell to the villagers, but suddenly grabs Junko and Puff and drags them into the portal with him.

Junko and Puff awaken in a prison in the future. After escaping a near execution with Grovyle by Dusknoir, they discover the world is still paralyzed. They learn from Grovyle that the paralysis was caused because of the collapse of Temporal Tower, which also corrupted its head occupant, Dialga, into a tyrannical being known as Primal Dialga.

Grovyle exposes Dusknoir as a villainous agent sent to the present to capture him and reveals that he and a human companion traveled back in time to take the Time Gears to Temporal Tower in order to save the world; the human is actually Junko's mother. With the help of Celebi, a friend of Grovyle, the group manages to escape Dusknoir's group and return to the present.

Grovyle reveals that, while it is true that time stops when a Time Gear is taken (not "stolen"), this effect is only temporary and that once the Time Gears are returned to Temporal Tower, time is permanently restored in all locations.

Arriving back to the present, the group enlists the help of the guild to take the Time Gears to Temporal Tower to restore time. While Grovyle gathers the Time Gears, the guild investigates Temporal Tower and discovers a way to reach the Hidden Land where it lies, using Puff's Relic Fragment.

Junko, Puff, and Grovyle travel to the Hidden Land, and are accosted by Dusknoir. He reveals to Junko that if she succeeds in changing the future, she and Grovyle will be erased from existence. Grovyle sacrifices himself to drag Dusknoir back to the future, and Junko presses onward.

She and Puff make their way to the top of Temporal Tower, defeat Primal Dialga and restore it to sanity, and replace the Time Gears and stop the planet's paralysis. On the way back, Junko says a final goodbye to Puff before vanishing.

After returning to her timeline, Junko arrives home and reunites with her family. It’s also revealed that Junko's the granddaughter of Hinata from the first film.

Years later, Junko has graduated high school and has been accepted into a Pokémon-training college, where she meets and befriends a timid Collage student who looks similar to Puff.