Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is here, and there is a lot to do and explore. Like most every Pokemon game before it, it features a host of both Legendary and Mythical Pokemon which the player has the opportunity to recruit onto their team. Naturally, the prospect of having powerful legendary Pokemon on one's team is always an enticing one, especially given the important role some of them play in this game's story, but what legendary Pokemon are actually available in the Pokemon franchise's first non-main entry remake game? The short answer is that all the legendary and mythical Pokemon from the first three generations of games are included, but more detail can be found further on.
For those unaware, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX tells the story of a human who has been turned into a Pokemon and the many adventures that follow. While adventuring through the world of Pokemon, the player has the opportunity to recruit the many other Pokemon they meet along the way, and this even extends to the numerous Legendary and Mythical Pokemon which roam the world towards the end of the game. The first three generations of Pokemon, comprising Pokemon Red and Blue, Pokemon Gold and Silver, and Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire are all included in this game.
Legendary Birds - Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres
Being some of the first Legendary Pokemon ever, it is no surprise that the legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres all make appearances in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX. All three of these flying type Pokemon are encountered during the main story of the game, but cannot yet be befriended. In order to recruit these powerful birds, the player must return to the Freezy Forest, Mt. Thunder, and Mt. Blaze respectively and defeat the Pokemon in combat. As with many legendary Pokemon, these three have Pressure as their ability, forcing other Pokemon to spend more PP to use moves.
Mewtwo and Mew
While technically Mew is considered a mythical Pokemon, it is very closely related to Mewtwo, the latter being a clone made from the former's DNA. The task of recruiting Mewtwo is a lengthy one, as first the player must manage to recruit another legendary Pokemon, Ho-Oh, but it is well worth the trouble given the Pokemon's impressive power and access to the potent Rare Quality Skill, Steamroll. Mew is even harder to recruit, with a laundry list of requirements that must be met topped off by a random chance for recruitment upon defeating it, but has access to the coveted XP Boost Rare Skill.
Legendary Beasts - Raikou, Entei, and Suicune
Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, similar to the Legendary Birds, come in a trio and each represent a certain element. Each of these three Pokemon is encountered first in an effort to restore color to the Rainbow Wing (necessary to meet and befriend Ho-Oh), but can be found again and recruited later. Their Rare Skills, Raikou's Leap Ahead, Entei's Riled Up, and Suicune's Strike Back are of varying degrees of usefulness, with Strike Back being widely considered the best of the three.
Lugia and Ho-Oh
These two, Lugia and Ho-Oh, were the flagship Legendary Pokemon of Gold and Silver. Similarly to their appearance in the games in which they first appeared, Ho-Oh is somewhat easier to befriend than Lugia. After befriending the three Legendary Beasts, Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, a 60 floor dungeon, Mt. Faraway, becomes available with Ho-Oh at the end. Lugia, by contrast, becomes available after befriending the Legendary Birds, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, and is found at the end of a massive, 99 floor dungeon. Though their Rare Skills, Recoil Boost and Notorious Healing, are nothing to write home about, these Pokemon are solid additions to any team regardless.
Regirock, Regice, and Registeel
This odd trio of golems, Regirock, Regice, and Registeel, can only be encountered in the Buried Relic dungeon after the player beats Kyogre. The three are fought in the listed order at floors 15, 25, and 35 respectively of the lengthy, 99 floor dungeon, and they must be defeated once before recruitment becomes possible. Unlike most other legendary Pokemon, the Regi group have Clear Body as their ability, meaning their stats cannot be lowered in combat by opponent's moves or traps. Defeating these three is necessary to create the music box which draws Mew out of hiding in the later floors of this dungeon.
Latias and Latios
The quest to recruit Latias and Latios is a rather interesting one, as it begins with a robbery at Kecleon's shop. After following the perpetrators, the player finds Latios and must defeat the Pokemon in battle. Afterwards, Latios reveals that Latias is trapped in the Pitfall Valley dungeon, and upon rescuing Latias, both Pokemon will join the player's team. While both of these Pokemon's Rare Skills are considered mediocre at best, they both have levitate and are extremely powerful in their own right.
Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza
The flagship Pokemon of the third generation's Sapphire, Ruby, and Emerald, Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza are also available for recruitment in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX. Rayquaza and Groudon both make appearances during the main story, but are not recruitable at that time. Instead, players must return after completing the game and face down these three Pokemon, each of which will Mega Evolve or undergo Primal Reversion, in order to recruit them. Naturally, all three of these legendary Pokemon are extremely powerful and useful to have on a team.
Mythical Pokemon - Mew, Celebi, Jirachi, and Deoxys
Mythical Pokemon are a group of Pokemon which are even rarer than legendary Pokemon, a fact which leads some to not even believe in their existence. Pokemon like Mew, Celebi, Jirachi, and Deoxys all fall in this category, and have very difficult recruitment requirements. Befriending Jirachi and Celebi both require that the player has recruited Latias and Latios, but must be found at the end of two separate 99 floor dungeons, while Deoxys requires that the player has defeated Lugia instead. Each of these Pokemon also have very potent Abilities and Rare Skills.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is available now exclusively for Nintendo Switch.