Pokémon Ranger (ポケモンレンジャー, Pokemon Renjā) is an action and role-playing video game created by HAL Laboratory and Creatures Inc. It was published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo DS console. The game was first released in Japan, North America, and Australia in 2006. It later came out in Europe in 2007.

In 2016, the game was made available on the Wii U Virtual Console. It was released in Europe on February 25, 2016; in Australia on February 26, 2016; in Japan on April 13, 2016; and in North America on July 21, 2016. This version is no longer available because the Wii U Nintendo eShop stopped working on March 27, 2023.

This game is a different type of game in the same series. It is set in the Fiore region and has a new way to play and a new story. The way players battle and catch Pokémon is different from other games in the series. Instead of fighting in gyms, the Elite Four, and the Champion, players complete missions to move the story forward.

The game works with Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, HeartGold and SoulSilver, and Platinum. It allows players to transfer the mythical Pokémon Manaphy’s egg to those games.

When the game was first released, it received mixed reviews. Some people liked its long story with many missions, but others criticized the use of sounds made by players as part of the game.

Gameplay

In Pokémon Ranger, players do not use traditional turn-based fighting or Pokéballs. Instead, they use a device called a Capture Styler, controlled with the stylus on the Nintendo DS. To catch a wild Pokémon, the player draws circles around it on the touchscreen. Opposing Pokémon may try to escape or attack the Capture Styler. When a Pokémon is captured, it joins the player’s team temporarily. Team members can use special moves called Field Moves to help solve puzzles outside of battles, such as moving rocks, blowing fire, or tackling obstacles. During battles, team members can also use short attacks called Poké Assists. If a team member uses a Field Move or is hit by an enemy attack during a battle, it leaves the team.

The Capture Styler has an energy bar, similar to a health points (HP) counter. If the energy bar loses points during a battle, players can visit a base resembling a Pokémon Center to "heal" or recharge the Capture Styler. If the energy bar runs out completely, the game ends, and the player must return to the last save point.

Save Terminals are located throughout the game map and let players save their progress. If a Save Terminal is not nearby, players can use a quicksave option to save the game instead.

Plot

The story begins with the player starting as a new Pokémon Ranger and working to become the best. After saving and capturing a wild Pokémon, the player is taken to the ranger’s base in Ringtown. There, they must complete missions, such as rescuing Pokémon and helping others. Once the player proves their skills, they are sent on a patrol mission through the Krokka Tunnel. There, they meet the Go-Rock Squad, the main group of villains in the Fiore region.

The player travels to Fall City and reports the Go-Rock Squad to the Ranger Leader there. They are then sent on a mission to learn more about the group. During their journey, they encounter a member of the Go-Rock Squad whose Pokémon causes damage to buildings in Fall City.

As the player completes missions, they earn higher ranks and are eventually sent to Summerland. There, they help the Ranger Leader of Summerland find his lost Pokémon. While exploring the Olive Jungle, the player meets the Go-Rock Quads, a mysterious group who warn them about the Go-Rock Squad’s plan to build a Super Styler. This device could control all Pokémon, and the Go-Rock Squad wants to use it to harm Pokémon Rangers.

After returning the lost Pokémon to Summerland’s Ranger Leader, the player returns to Fall City. There, they work to clear the Krokka Tunnel and meet the Go-Rock Quads again. The player fights a leader of the Go-Rock Squad, captures their Pokémon, and earns another rank.

Next, the player returns to Summerland and is encouraged to challenge the Jungle Relic. There, they complete four challenges: the Challenge of Wind, the Challenge of Destruction, the Challenge of Water, and a hidden fourth challenge they are told not to finish. The Go-Rock Quads urge the player to calm a frenzied Pokémon, which accidentally completes the fourth challenge and causes an earthquake. The Jungle Relic becomes a volcano, and a Go-Rock Squad member battles the player. After winning, the player captures a legendary Pokémon.

The player returns to the ranger base and teams up with a Pokémon Professor to investigate a factory. There, they rescue Pokémon being used for labor by the Go-Rock Squad.

The player then travels to Wintown, where they calm a frenzied Pokémon causing earthquakes. They find the Go-Rock Squad’s base and infiltrate it. The leaders of the group attack the player but are defeated. They trigger a self-destruct button, forcing the player to escape back to the mountains.

In the mountains, the player finds the leader of the Go-Rock Squad in the Fiore Temple. The leader reveals the Super Styler is complete and sends three legendary Pokémon to attack the player. The player calms the Pokémon, leading to celebrations and earning the highest rank. This ends the main story.

After the main story, the player can explore further, catch new Pokémon, and unlock a special mission involving Manaphy. Completing this mission gives the player a Manaphy egg that can be used in other games. A final mission requires stopping the Go-Rock Squad after they anger another legendary Pokémon, completing the game’s plot.

The game takes place in the Fiore region, named after the Italian word for “flower.” Fiore has no unique Pokémon, only those from earlier generations. Instead of traditional trainers, the region uses Pokémon Rangers who do not train Pokémon and keep them outside of Poké Balls.

Fiore is a small island with four major towns: Ringtown, Fall City, Wintown, and Summerland. These towns represent spring, fall, winter, and summer. Ringtown is a small town near forests and grasslands, connected to Fall City by the Krokka Tunnel. Fall City is a coastal port larger than Ringtown. Wintown is a cold northern town near the Sekra Range, a mountain range with a powerful waterfall. The Sekra Range holds the Go-Rock Squad’s base and the Fiore Temple. Summerland is a southern island with the Olive Jungle, where the Jungle Relic is located.

Depending on the player’s choice, they play as Lunick (male) or Solana (female). Their partner Pokémon is Minun if playing as Lunick or Plusle if playing as Solana. The player can choose a name for their character, and the other character becomes an NPC helper.

Each town has a team of rangers and a Ranger Leader. The leaders are Spenser (Ringtown), Joel (Fall City), Elita (Wintown), and Cameron (Summerland). They work with Professor Hastings, the head of technology for the Ranger Union.

The Go-Rock Squad has unnamed grunts and commanders. The group’s leaders, called the Go-Rock Quads, are Tiffany, Clyde, Garret, and Billy. They are the children of Gordor, the squad’s leader.

Several legendary Pokémon play important roles in the story, including Entei, Raikou, Suicune, Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza.

Development

Information about Pokémon Ranger was first shared in the July 2005 issue of CoroCoro Comic magazine. At that time, only a few details were given, but it was suggested that Pokémon Ranger would include a game and a movie. An announcement about Pokémon Ranger appeared as a short preview at the end of the 8th Pokémon film, Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.

A few episodes of the Pokémon animated series feature Pokémon Rangers. These characters go on special missions to help protect Pokémon, maintain good relationships between humans and Pokémon, care for wild Pokémon, and protect the environment. Solana, the main female character, has appeared in three episodes of the Pokémon animated series. In one episode, she must stop a troubled legendary Pokémon named Deoxys.

In the mainline Pokémon games, players can battle several Pokémon Rangers. These rangers come from different regions and keep their Pokémon in Poké Balls. They are shown as working to protect wild Pokémon and the environment.

A direct-to-DVD animated movie, Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, was first shown on Cartoon Network on March 23, 2007. It was released on DVD the following month. The movie introduces a new Pokémon Ranger named Jack Walker, or Jackie, whose job is to protect a Manaphy egg. Throughout the movie, Ash and his friends help Jackie complete his mission.

Many products related to Pokémon Ranger have been released. These include a toy called the Capture Styler, a watch modeled after the Capture Styler, handbooks, pins, and other items.

Reception

Pokémon Ranger sold 193,337 copies in Japan during its first week of release. Game reviews for Pokémon Ranger were mostly positive, with a 70% score from GameRankings. IGN gave the game a score of 7.1 out of 10. They praised the game's presentation, gameplay, and graphics but noted that the use of sound was a major weakness. For example, the game used sounds similar to those from older Game Boy Pokémon games for Pokémon cries. IGN also mentioned that the game did not include a multiplayer mode, which was a negative point.

GameSpot gave a similar review, scoring the game 7.5 out of 10. They highlighted the game's "unique capturing system," "well-designed quest," and "attractive 2D graphics and animation" as strengths. However, they pointed out that the Nintendo DS touch screen could scratch during battles and that some exploration sequences were simple and not very engaging.

Retronauts podcaster Jeremy Parish criticized Pokémon Ranger, calling it "poor quality." He said the game's dialogue and story were weak, even though Pokémon is usually seen as a game for younger players. Retronauts contributor Justin Haywald criticized HAL Laboratory, a company known for making good games, for creating Pokémon Ranger.

As of January 2025, Pokémon Ranger has sold more than 2,930,000 copies worldwide.

Sequels

Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia is the follow-up game to Pokémon Ranger, created by Creatures Inc. for the Nintendo DS. It was first mentioned in the January 2008 issue of CoroCoro Comic and released in Japan on March 20, 2008. At E3 2008, it was announced that the game would be released in the United States as Shadows of Almia on November 10, 2008, and later in Europe on November 21, 2008. This game continues the mission-based story from the first game, but now players can download new missions using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. It includes 270 new Pokémon that were not in the first Pokémon Ranger game.

Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs is an action role-playing video game made by Creatures Inc., published by The Pokémon Company, and sold by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It is the third and last game in the Pokémon Ranger series and was released worldwide in 2010. The main character travels to a new region called Oblivia, continuing the mission-based story from the earlier games.