Polterpup

"Criminy! Where did that ghostly dog come from?"

- Professor Elvin Gadd

Polterpup (known as ??? in E. Gadd's Vault) is a ghost dog who appears throughout Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon and Luigi's Mansion 3. Polterpup is notably the only ghost that Luigi does not show any fear of in Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. Instead, Luigi will either be friendly toward him or view him as a mere nuisance, the latter of which is evident when he says, "Bad doggie!" whenever Polterpup ends up stealing important keys.

Multiple Polterpups have been shown in the multiplayer Scarescraper mode in Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. These Polterpups wear blue collars instead of red collars. Big Polterpups additionally appear in the mode.

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
Polterpup first appears in the Gloomy Manor, where he is playing in the Mudroom Exterior and discovers an amethyst after digging around the ground. While briefly playing with it, Polterpup winds up getting the amethyst stuck in a tree, after which he leaves the Gloomy Manor.

Later, Polterpup appears in the Haunted Towers during the mission Pool Party. After Luigi finds the special key in the pool, Polterpup runs up and playfully takes away the key. However, unlike with his fellow ghosts, the absence of the Dark Moon's pacifying effects renders Polterpup nonviolent and mischievous, rather than hostile and aggressive. This is evident when Luigi briefly plays with him, and in the event Luigi loses all of his Heart Points, Polterpup will even lick him back to health as long as Luigi has a Gold Bone.

After Polterpup steals the special key, Luigi has no choice but to chase after him in the mission Doggone Key to retrieve the key. Luigi finally catches him, but before he can store him in the Ghost Container, Polterpup manages to escape from the Poltergust 5000 and flees yet again. It is at this point that Professor E. Gadd surmises that Polterpup is lonely and is looking for someone to play with, even if his attempts to do so unintentionally cause trouble for Luigi.

Polterpup returns in the Old Clockworks during the mission Play Catch, where he steals the second clock hand from a group of Greenies and swallows it whole. Luigi has to chase after him yet again before finally catching him in the Poltergust 5000. Despite this, Polterpup manages to escape yet again before he can be stored away. Polterpup returns yet again in the Treacherous Mansion during the mission Front-Door Key. Just before Luigi can go through the front door, Polterpup jumps out of the keyhole and knocks the key out of Luigi's hand. He flees to the mansion's basement, forcing Luigi to track him down again. This time, Polterpup is able to be properly kept within the Ghost Container thanks to E. Gadd's repairs.

Following King Boo's defeat and the restoration of the Dark Moon, Polterpup and his fellow ghosts are finally released from the Ghost Container. Upon being released, he unhappily approaches Luigi in acknowledgement of having caused his fair share of trouble during the absence of the Dark Moon. However, Luigi nevertheless cheers Polterpup up, much to his delight. After Polterpup takes a celebratory photograph alongside Luigi, Mario, E. Gadd, the Toad assistants, and a few of his fellow ghosts, he is adopted by Luigi and accompanies him back to his home as his new pet.

Polterpups as a species appear only in the ScareScraper in their own mode: Polterpup Mode. In Polterpup Mode, the Luigis must cooperate and capture all Polterpups on the floor by using their Dark-Light Devices to see the footprints. Once a Polterpup has been located, it must be flashed with the Strobulb and vacuumed up. Each Polterpup has 50 HP, but Luigi can find a Big Polterpup, which has 100 HP. Regular and Big Polterpups in the ScareScraper mode always drop a Gold Bar when captured, even if the Poltergust 5000 is at minimal power. This means that they will drop an additional Gold Bar on top of whatever Power Surge a Luigi uses to drain its health, from two Gold Bars from a Blue Surge up to four from a Red Surge. A Polterpup drops five Gold Bars if it is captured with another ghost from a Red Surge.

Luigi's Mansion (Nintendo 3DS)
Despite not appearing in the original Luigi's Mansion, Polterpup appears in the Nintendo 3DS remake. When Luigi's amiibo is scanned, Polterpup appears when Luigi has lost all of his health and eats a Gold Bone to recover Luigi.

Luigi's Mansion 3
Polterpup returns in Luigi's Mansion 3, this time as a tutorial guide. He remains as Luigi's pet and accompanies him and the others to The Last Resort hotel. After Luigi falls down the shaft, Polterpup wakes him up by licking his face. He then shows Luigi where the new Poltergust G-00 is and teaches him how to use it. Later, when the ghost Clem floods a room in the Boilerworks and Luigi can hardly swim with the Poltergust weighing him down, Polterpup pulls him out of the water. Later, Polterpup searches together with Luigi for Polterkitty after she swallows an elevator button for the second time, and will assist him in reaching two of the trapped Toads after the respective boss fights. At the end, Polterpup unintentionally saves Luigi from King Boo by pushing him aside before he is caught in a painting with Mario and Princess Peach (he was chasing a bat when he jumped onto Luigi). When the hotel collapses, Polterpup saves Luigi for the second time by catching him before he crashes to the ground. In the end, he goes back with Luigi to the Mushroom Kingdom.

At the end of Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Polterpup gains pupils like the other restored ghosts and retains them when he goes to live with Luigi. However, in Luigi's Mansion 3, despite still being friendly, Polterpup no longer has pupils. In the FAQ section of the guide in Luigi's Mansion 3, Professor E. Gadd states that he is researching what breed of dog Polterpup is and guesses that he is "...something like a silver retriever!"

Super Smash Bros. series
Polterpup appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and as an Advanced-level, support spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Personality
Polterpup typically acts like a normal dog and is playful, loyal, and energetic. Unlike the other ghosts in Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Polterpup is friendly and harmless and acts more like a nuisance than a threat to Luigi during his quest to retrieve the pieces of the Dark Moon. By the end of the game, Polterpup is remorseful of his actions and is quick to recover from his sadness, especially after befriending Luigi. E. Gadd speculates Polterpup is lonely, and his interactions with Luigi could have been a desire to gain the attention he craves. After Luigi adopts him, he develops a strong sense of loyalty towards Luigi.

This loyalty is expanded upon in Luigi's Mansion 3, where Polterpup acts like a guide to Luigi in the beginning of the game and occasionally comes to Luigi's rescue when he is in true danger, including saving him from drowning and falling to his death. Polterpup's mischievous and hyperactive behavior still is intact as shown when he eats Mario's cake and appears randomly, unintentionally, spooking his owner. Other than his master, Polterpup is extremely friendly and loving towards those around Luigi, perking up and smiling around them, and was willing to befriend Polterkitty, only to be rejected by her, which saddened him.

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon

 * Ghost Container description: "I haven't come up with a name for this mischievous and adorable Polterpup yet. He's caused us a whole mess of trouble, but I think the playful tyke just wants someone to take him in."
 * Ghost Container description: "Normally playful and kind, these Polterpups started misbehaving after the Dark Moon shattered."

Luigi's Mansion 3

 * In-game bio: "A ghost dog who loves Luigi and is always by his side. He'll come to Luigi's aid when he's in truly dire situations!"
 * North American website bio: "Polterpup helps track down important items for Luigi. This adorable, ghostly pup will also give Luigi hints on where to go."

Trivia

 * According to a Swapnote message sent by Shigeru Miyamoto, the Polterpup is his favorite ghost.
 * Polterpups leave invisible imprints when they jump through walls, floors, or ceilings, similarly to Slimer from Ghostbusters.