Dr. Footstep

Dr. Footstep
フトマキ Futomaki
Dr Footstep Adventures.png
Dr. Footstep in Pokémon Adventures
Gender Male
Hometown Unknown
Region Sinnoh
Generation IV, VIII
Games Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Dr. Footstep (Japanese: フトマキ Futomaki) is a game character who lives on the southwest side of Route 213 in a small house on the beach. An expert on footprints, he gives the Footprint Ribbon to Trainers who have friendly Pokémon. He determines this based on their footprints. Somehow, he can tell how friendly a Pokémon is, even if it does not leave footprints.

In the core series games

Dr. Footstep's house in Diamond and Pearl

Different Pokémon have different sets of responses, such as Ghost Pokémon and those that look intimidating saying that they are scary and shunned, and more lethargic Pokémon beginning and ending their statements with "Hnurrr." Certain Pokémon that lack expressive features, such as Magnemite and Unown, give no real response, only making a noise that sounds like "Sssshhnnn." There are four classifications which could be loosely described as "Cute", "Tough", "Scary", and "Slow". In addition, Pokémon with footprints give different responses than those without footprints, making for a total of eight quote sets (excluding the silent group).

Quotes

Main article: Dr. Footstep/Quotes

Sprites and models

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: BDSP model
Collector OD.png
Overworld sprite from
Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Diamond & Pearl arc

Dr. Footstep debuts in Bombastic Bibarel & Heroic Hippopotas at the Seven Stars Restaurant where he is seen collecting the footprints of Pearl's Chatler, and waits outside so he can get more. After Pearl and Diamond finish a battle with some Trainers, Dr. Footstep appears to take the footprints of their Pokémon. He invites Platinum, Diamond, and Pearl to his house so he can show them his collection. Soon after, they find an angry wild Hippowdon that sends them flying after Dr. Footstep collects its footprint. Dr. Footstep and Pearl land at Lake Valor and are carried by a wild Staraptor that carries them to the island in the lake. They eventually manage to swim back to shore, where they find that Platinum and Diamond have defeated a pair of Scientists that attacked them. Dr. Footstep gives them a Footprint Ribbon as thanks and goes to take the scientists to the proper authorities, although he gets distracted by a wild Weavile along the way.

Much later, in Double Trouble with Dialga and Palkia V, Dr. Footstep is seen waiting impatiently at a police station for the interrogation of the scientists to end, so he can get the footprints of their Pokémon. He eventually decides to leave and once he exits the police station, he finds himself transported to the Spear Pillar where Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, and Cynthia are battling the leader of Team Galactic, Cyrus. When a Regigigas arrives to help the Sinnoh Pokédex holders battle Cyrus, Dr. Footstep takes its footprint to convey its feelings to everyone.

Platinum arc

Dr. Footstep, together with the Sinnoh Pokémon Association Chairman, joins Diamond and Pearl for a short while, but decides not to accompany them to Old Chateau when he realizes that Rotom does not leave footprints, instead waiting with the Chairman. He is last seen in The Final Dimensional Duel XI after the battle with Giratina, explaining that the Pokémon has calmed down.

Trivia

  • Aside from his real name, he's also referred to as Dr. Footstep (Japanese: あしあと博士 Dr. Footprint) in the Japanese versions. English and European versions don't reflect that, treating the title as if it were actually his name.
  • The noise that voiceless Pokémon make (such as Probopass), "Ssshhhnnn," is similar to Japanese "sound effect" for silence, "shiiiiiin."
  • In the Chuang Yi translations of the Pokémon Adventures manga, he is also referred to as Futomaki.
  • Croagunk talks about how it is an "oft-shunned" Pokémon, despite the fact that the Pokédex refers to it as popular.
  • Additionally, Slowking is in the "Slow Pokémon" category, despite it being referred to in several Pokédex entries as having intelligence on-par or even higher than humans.

Names

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Check if any other names are used in Adventures
Language Name Origin
Japanese フトマキ Futomaki
あしあと博士* / 足跡はかせ* Ashiato-hakase
From footmark
From 足跡 ashiato (footprint)
English Dr. Footstep
Futomaki*
From footstep
Same as Japanese name
German Dr. Schrittritt From Schritt (footstep) and Tritt (step)
Spanish Dr. Pisada From pisada (footstep, footprint)
French Dr Petitpas From petit pas (small step)
Italian Dott. Impronta From impronta (footprint)
Korean 발도장박사 Baldojang-baksa
발자국박사 Baljaguk-baksa
From 발도장 baldojang (footprint)
From 발자국 baljaguk (footstep)
Chinese (Mandarin) 步邁 / 步迈 Bùmài*
足跡博士 / 足迹博士 Zújī-bóshì / Zújì-bóshì
From 邁步 / 迈步 màibù (to take a step forward)
From 足跡 / 足迹 zújī / zújì (footprint)
布德馬奇 / 布德马奇 Bùdémǎqí* Transcription of his Japanese name
Chinese (Cantonese) 步邁 Bouhmaaih*
足跡博士 Jūkjīk-boksih
From 邁步 maaihbouh (to take a step forward)
From 足跡 jūkjīk (footprint)
布德馬奇 Boudākmáhkèih* Mandarin-based transcription of his Japanese name
Brazilian Portuguese Futomaki
Doutor Pegadas
Same as his Japanese name
From pegadas (footprints)
Vietnamese Futomaki
Tiến sĩ dấu chân
Transcription of his Japanese name
From dấu chân (footprint)

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Team GalacticGym guideGym LeadersElite FourFrontier BrainsName RaterDay-Care CoupleProfessor's assistantsStats judge
Project CharacterDex logo.png This game character article is part of Project CharacterDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in the Pokémon games.