Pokémon Ranger

Pokémon Ranger, also known in Japan as Pokémon Ranger: The Road to Diamond and Pearl (ポケモンレンジャー　ダイヤモンド・パールへの道) in some preliminary materials, is an action/role-playing video game developed by HAL Laboratory, Inc. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS video game console. It was released in Japan on March 22, 2006, and was released in North America on October 30, 2006, in Nintendo World two days in advance. It was released in Australia on December 7, 2006, and was released in Europe on April 13, 2007. It is compatible with Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, also for the Nintendo DS, allowing players to transfer the egg of the legendary Pokémon Manaphy to a Pokémon Diamond or Pokémon Pearl game. This game is set in the Fiore region.

Gameplay
Pokémon Ranger is a role-playing game which is designed in a format radically different than that of traditional Pokémon RPGs. The player controls a Pokémon Ranger in the Fiore region. Rangers are often older than the trainers of the conventional Pokémon role-playing games. The player uses an object called the Capture Styler to capture Pokémon by using the stylus to circle the Pokémon a pre-determined number of times while also avoiding the Pokémon's attacks. When certain Pokémon are caught, players can use their powers, called Poké Assists, to help them. For example, if Torchic is caught, its Fire type Poké Assist can be used. Each Assist gives a unique advantage. Torchic's assist, for example, creates flames to prevent the target from moving. You can also use the Pokémon in the field, such as using Hariyama to smash a large boulder or using Tangela to cross a chasm. The Pokémon Assist or field ability of captured Pokémon can only be used once before they are automatically released. Additionally, each Pokémon captured is automatically registered in the Ranger Browser, which is the Pokédex for this game. There is a total of 213 Pokémon available in Ranger, including three Pokémon that can only be in obtained in Ranger Net missions, and they are also three of the 12 legendary Pokemon. There is only one fossil Pokemon, Aerodactyl.

There are 3 towns and 1 city in this game. The names resemble the four seasons; for example, the town in which the story begins is called Ring Town; the next town is Summerland, after which is Fall City; the last is Wintown. The weather in each of these towns matches the season the respective towns stand for. No towns have wild Pokemon in it, but Fall City does.

The Ranger Net is available after completion of the game. This feature allows players to face legendary Pokémon and is used in the obtainment of the Pokémon Manaphy, which can be traded to the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl games. Players are unable to save during Ranger Net missions, and captures are more difficult than those of regular missions.

Capture Styler
The Capture Styler is seen only in Pokémon Ranger, Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea and the Pokémon anime. The device is established as a remote-controlled machine that circles the Pokémon, creating beams that, when formed into a loop, transmit one's feelings, sense of justice, and other comforting feelings to the Pokémon being captured, in order to make it more willing to be caught. This replaces the standard battle and capture systems of other Pokémon games. This device is seen as a more humane way to capture Pokémon than the Poké Ball system, as Pokémon join by choice rather than force, and walk around freely rather than being locked away in a Poké Ball. The Styler does nothing to hurt the Pokémon, and is also able to calm them down should they be angered or hurt.

Capturing Pokémon with the Styler requires skill and speed, as the beams can be broken by a Pokémon attack, or even by the Pokémon themselves. Energy is drained from the styler if it is attacked by a Pokémon, as well as if Steel-type Pokémon disrupt the beam. Once the Styler's energy is depleted, it breaks and causes the player to start from the last place saved. The Styler can be recharged by using Electric Pokémon, or by leveling up the Styler, which will also raises the Styler's energy capacity. The maximum level of the Styler is twenty, and it will have sixty energy points.

Characters
The storyline revolves around a single Pokémon Ranger &mdash; Lunick (カヅキ) or Solana (ヒナタ), depending on the player's choice. In addition to the male, female and professor protagonist characters in the game, several other Pokémon Rangers are part of the Ranger Union. Each ranger leader holds domain over that town's rangers. These rangers are named Cameron (カムリ), Elita (エリダ), Joel (ジョウ), and Spenser (ハヤテ). A professor named Professor Hastings (シンバラ教授) also plays a significant role in the game, as the Chief of Technology for the Ranger Union.

The new group, the Go-Rock Squad (ゴーゴー団), has four sub-leaders called the Go-Rock Quads. Similar to Jessie and James of Team Rocket, the Quads have a motto they repeat every time they are encountered. Their names are Billy (ヤライ), Garret (ユウキ), Clyde (ヨウジ) and Tiffany (ミライ). Tiffany plays the violin, Clyde plays the bongos, Garret plays the bass guitar, and Billy plays the electric guitar. The supreme leader is called Gordor (ラゴウ), who is Billy, Garret, Clyde, and Tiffany's father.

Additionally, the Manaphy Egg from Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea makes an appearance in a special mission.

Fiore
Fiore (フィオレ地方) is a region in the fictional universe of Pokémon. It is the setting for the Pokémon Ranger video game. Its name is Italian for "flower". Although Fiore does not appear in the Pokémon anime, the female protagonist of Pokémon Ranger, Solana, has made an appearance. The Go-Rock Squad is the resident crime syndicate of this region.

Fiore doesn't have any native Pokémon, but has many Pokémon from other regions. It also does not have any Pokémon Trainers. All people who live with Pokémon keep them outside of Poké Balls, much like pets, as Pokémon are never trained here.

Fiore is located quite some distance from the other regions of the Pokémon world. It is a relatively small island region that is quite mountainous. There are four known areas in Fiore, each named after the season it constantly experiences — Ringtown (spring), Fall City (fall), Wintown (winter) and Summerland (summer). Ringtown is nestled in woods to the west, Fall City to the east, Summerland on an island to the south, and Wintown at the foot of mountains to the north.

On the same island where Summerland is located on is a big jungle called the Olive Jungle. Numerous Bug- and Grass-type Pokémon live here, and in the center is a ruin, with the same symbols on Kyogre, called the Jungle Relic. In the past, Rangers came to the Relic to test themselves. There are four Challenges involving Dragon Pokémon, each representing one of the four classical elements: the Challenge of Destruction (Earth), the Challenge of Wind, the Challenge of Fire, and the Challenge of Water. It is said that should all four be cleared, a catastrophe will befall Fiore.

The Krokka Tunnel connects Fall City and Ringtown. From there, one can also get to the Panulla Cave (also accessible from Summerland's harbor via water vehicle), which is the coldest spot of Fiore. It leads to Wintown, located on the foot of the Sekra Range. The Sekra Range is a 6500-foot-high mountain range that is notable for having a waterfall that can "fill the Capture Arena 23 times in one minute"; the Go-Rock Squad's base; a house high up where the residents inside will recharge the player's Styler; "Shiftree", a tree where five Shiftry live in and will attack the player all at the same time; and the Fiore Temple, an ancient temple mountain currently home to a lot of wild Pokémon, where the game's climax takes place, located at the very summit of the Sekra Range.

Development
Information regarding Pokémon Ranger was first published in the July 2005 issue of CoroCoro Comic Magazine. As expected, vague details were told, which mostly hinted that it was a game and a movie. The “official” Pokémon Ranger announcement came on as a short teaser at the end of the 8th Pokémon movie. Little information was known beyond the fact that it was a game and a movie. This game's development was confused for being the same game as Pokémon Mystery Dungeon.

Promotion in the Pokémon anime and games
A few episodes of the Pokémon animated series have included Pokémon Rangers. They seem to go on special missions to help preserve Pokémon and human relations, and they are closely related to Pokémon breeders. They also have a device that allows them to temporarily control wild Pokémon; this device also allows them to scan Pokémon, check how healthy they are, and make sure that they are not being interfered with by outside forces. Solana herself has appeared in three episodes of the Pokémon anime. Several Pokémon Rangers can also be battled in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald, and are depicted as protecting the environment and wild Pokémon. These Rangers own pokémon which they keep in pokéballs, and act very much like Pokémon Trainers.

Merchandise
A game watch has been manufactured in the theme of Pokémon Ranger. The watch is designed to look like the Pokémon Rangers' Capture Styler used for capturing Pokémon. 

Sales information
Pokémon Ranger sold 193,337 copies in Japan on its release week.