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Pokémon Ranger is a Nintendo DS video game released in 2006. It was developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo. It is a RPG game, but is way different from the classic Pokémon games. In order to 'capture' Pokémon, the player must use their stylus to constantly spin without lifting their stylus. The Stylus sends the Ranger's feelings to the Pokémon each time you spin. Each Pokémon has their own number of times to spin; usually bosses have over ten, while weaker Pokémon like Pichu require the player to spin once. Pokémon that have a large # to spin include Metagross and Meganium, both requiring twenty or more. Over time, you will gain EXP. Points, which will help level up your Styler. You will have to do many missions, and for most missions, they will level up your Ranger Rank. Higher Ranger Ranks means that you can use more Poké Assists from Pokémon. It also removes caps from the Partner Gauge, and allows the player to take more Pokémon with him/her. This game includes a Browser, which is similar to a Pokédex.
Story
Pokémon Ranger starts out in Fall City. The player will start out as a rookie Ranger. After a little bit, he/she find a Minun or a Plusle in a box, depending on the gender. The Minun/Plusle will run off ahead, and suddenly Spencer, the Ringtown leader will appear. All of a sudden, there will be a Houndoom cry, and the player will see that the Minun/Plusle has been bugging the Houndoom. Spencer will entrust the player with a Styler, the device that allows the player to catch Pokémon. He will go on to teach him/her how to catch a Pokémon, and then he/she must catch the Minun/Plusle that he/she encountered. After that, the player and Spencer will release the captured Pokémon, and Spencer will give the player a certificate saying that you are a full-fledged Ranger and this part is when the player enters his/her name. Then, Spencer will call his Fearow and will take him and the player back. At the last second Minun/Plusle will come back and grab the player's leg, and will come with him/her to Ringtown.
After arriving at Ringtown, the Minun/Plusle will run off, probably intimidated by unfamiliar environments. From the Ranger Base, the player will see a girl named Solana or a boy named Lunick that will come out, with their respective partner. Solana gets Plusle and Lunick gets Minun. They will greet Spencer and the player and both and they will go into the Ranger Base. Here, a man named Larry will call for help, and that's the player's first mission: catching Larry's Pokémon. He/she will eventually encounter Larry's Pokémon: a Taillow, because on the bottom it says It's Larry's Taillow!. After catching it, and giving it back to Larry, the plyaer will see that a young boy accidentally caused a tree fire. Spencer will go get a Mudkip and put out the fire, and says its your job to find another Mudkip to put out the other trees' fire. After finishing that, the player will be upgraded to Ranger Rank 2! After going outside, the player will notice that the Plusle/Minun is bugging Taillow and the player will have to capture both of them, but once it starts, Plusle/Minun will shock Taillow, allowing him/her to catch it with ease. Plusle/Minun will become the player's Partner Pokémon, and Solana/Lunick will teach the player about Plusle/Minun's Poké Assists.
Professor Hastings will arrive at the Ranger Base. He will begin a conversation with Spencer about something, and when Spencer notices the player, he will ask him/her to check up on his Fearow. After that, Spencer will explain about the Super Styler, a enhanced version that can capture a Pokémon with ease. The player's mission is to take Professor Hastings back to Fall City. The player will have to go through many obstacles, like a Hay Bundle and a Fallen Log. Soon the player will enter a cave. In the cave, Hastings will see a rare Dugtrio, but it would flee immediately. But then a Rockfall would appear out of nowhere, dividing the player and the Professor. After the player gets back to him, he/she will find that the two grunts are robbing him. They steal his Super Styler and then run off. Both of the player and Hastings follow the grunts, and one grunts attempts to block you again with Rockfalls, but fails. Both Professor Hastings and the player exits the cave, and there is a Rhydon rampaging around. The Professor asks the player to capture the Rhydon. The Rhydon is fairly easy, because after attacking once, it won't attack for a while, meaning that the player will have just enough time to do seven loops. After arriving at the Ranger Base, the player's mission is complete, and he/she will be upgraded to Ranger Rank 3.