Ask a Pokemon Ranger

Just a field agent who's here to answer the public's questions whenever I have the time.So ask me anything about the law, wild pokemon, or just about the Ranger Union in general.

[ask-a-pokemon-ranger]

How are partner pokemon identified? Do they have to wear a collar or tag?

It's a very similar process to how trainer and a lot of pet Pokemon are identified actually. Whereas most Pokeballs do this automatically, once a Pokemon decides to become your partner, you can get a microchip implanted in them that registers them to you, and also prevents Pokeballs from capturing them.

[the-trainer-life]

Help! I was walking through the woods, when i spot a couple eggs on the side of the road. I stop for a moment, just to see if i could figure out why, when they hatch, and now i've got a pair of Eon chicks i think Imprinted on me! I called the local Jenny and Joy and the local Ranger number, but I'm at a loss of what to do if they can't find the parents and since the chicks imprints. Non emergency as Joy currently has my waiting for a verdict

Oh boy, anon, that's a serious issue, and I don't even know if I can really help with it. The Eon Pokémon are so rare that there are very few studies on them and how to care for them.

It's good that you contacted the Rangers - they specialize in this sort of thing. Maybe the chicks should be brought to the city of Alto Mare, as a Latios and Latias used to guard the city together until Latios sadly passed away. But yea, I'd discuss this with the local Rangers.

I'd love to help more, but I don't think I have anything useful to add, so I'm going to redirect you to my friend @ask-a-pokemon-ranger

Good luck, anon!

[ask-a-pokemon-ranger]

You did a good thing contacting the Rangers, keeping track of the population of Latios and Latias is one of the Hoenn Ranger’s top priorities.

Thankfully (and with some help from Champion Stone) we’ve been able to find some of islands in Hoenns vast archipelago where we know they like to nest, and even satellite tag a few individuals.

Once the infants are given a clean bill of health, Aerial Mounted Rangers will comb the area for any signs of the (probably very distressed) parents, if that doesn’t work... well, the good news is, both Eon Pokemon are naturally very friendly and empathic, we should, with any amount of luck, be able to find a foster parent for them on one of the islands.

Imprinting isn’t nearly as big of an issue as some tv shows make it out to be, and in most cases imprinted infant Pokemon can be safely introduced to a foster mother or father.

Bonus: fluffy tumble babies

https://shining-latios.tumblr.com/post/103962047844/apathetic-papa-meep-loaf-watches-over-his-fluffy

[ask-a-pokemon-ranger]

So I noticed that rangers tend to date each other, like, as in serious, we're getting married someday, dating each other. How does the Union handle things like when they want to take time off, or if they need to go on maternity leave or the like?

It’s not too different from any other job I suppose, they’d put in requests for time off, maybe take some vacation days. Since the job is pretty physical, expectant mothers can end up doing clerical work for a while but uh... lemme check.

Okay, maternity leave covers like, from 8 weeks before the expected due date, to 10-12 weeks after the baby’s born. Paternity leave is a bit shorter.

[ask-a-pokemon-ranger]

Hi! Im a ranger in training in almia and I've recently had my 1day internship at Pueltown. While there I found a Litwick. He took a liking to me and I to him but he isn't supposed to be in this region. I want him to be safe but I also want him as my partner Pokemon. What do you think i should do?

I don’t think Almia has a ban on any Pokemon, but you’re right, Litwick aren’t natives, he probably tagged along on a boat or a plane from another region. 

Unfortunately, until your a Ranger in full, you can’t keep a Partner Pokemon, but since he’s non-native, I’d talk to someone at the Ranger School about seeing if he can stay nearby until you graduate (If I recall, the basement there would be a good space for him.)

[ask-a-pokemon-ranger]

How do rangers enforce capturing of endangered and protected Pokemon

When it comes to poaching, we monitor populations of endangered Pokemon to ensure no one is going after them. 

It’s actually a little easier with trainers, as all Pokemon captured are registered, including whenever an endangered species is caught, which makes it easier to track down and look into it. 

[ask-a-pokemon-ranger]

Do people ever quit being rangers? Like they pursue it for a few years before quitting and becoming a professor or something.

Of course, some get into the field and realize the job is too much for them. Other don’t make it through training for one reason or another. 

[ask-a-pokemon-ranger]

If a pokemon becomes very attached to a Ranger, even after they are no longer under the influence of the styler, are you allowed to catch them?

Regardless of if you use Pokeballs or not, yes, you're allowed to take on more than one partner Pokemon if they decide they want to stay with you.

[ask-a-pokemon-ranger]

Would you recommend Pokémon ranger as a good thing to do? I always enjoyed the idea of having a purely mutual relationship with Pokémon, no battles, no catching-just they go with you cuz they like you

I mean, I might be a little biased since I am a Ranger, but if you want to help people and Pokemon, then yeah, I think it's a good thing to do.

[ask-a-pokemon-ranger]

Are Slowking used for any jobs relating to rangers because of there intelligence?

Aside from some Rangers having them as partner Pokemon, not really, there are more common psychics that can still function as translators. 

[mossdeepmedium]

When excited, the Houndoom line have been known to throw themselves onto their backs and beg for tummy rubs

It becomes very hard to maintain their “terrifying” reputation when theyre looking at you with puppy eyes and a tongue hanging out of their mouths.

[ask-a-pokemon-ranger]

What are the things you think are most useful to have on you for a mission or patrol? I am graduating ranger school soon and want to be prepared.

Well you have to have your Styler with you at all times, and your partner Pokemon. But aside from the obvious, I always carry a canteen with water, plus a couple of those little mini water bottles. 

Protein bars are also good, I get the kind that are safe for Pokemon in case Houndoom gets munchy. a flashlight of some kind is also good if you don’t have a Pokemon that can produce natural light, and most Rangers I know carry some kind of first-aid kit. 

I remember one Ranger back in Almia carried around a grappling hook, but I’m not sure where she even got that.

[ask-a-pokemon-ranger]

Rangers have to be out in all elements, right? Which season or type of weather is the most frustrating for you, and how do you deal with it?

Well, I never did get used to working in sandstorms. But since I grew up in Hoenn, learning to work in the snow was pretty frustrating… and cold. Houndoom was, and is, actually a big help there. He’s like a big radiator who loves to snuggle. 

[ask-a-pokemon-ranger]

What pokemon or types would you say is the most useful? Like a jack of all trades or something where thier ability can help in multiple situations?

Well probably Normal Type, overall they tend to have a diverse moveset, and even more diverse field abilities which differ from species to species. 

[ask-pokemon-ranger-kara]

How does Ranger work in your home region differ from working in regions like Johto or Kalos where trainers are? Like.. do the pokemon act differently to being captured with your styler, and can you stay at a pokemon center? Do teams like Rocket leave you alone more??

I actually haven’t been able to get out of my home regions much for various reasons, but I have heard some pokemon get confused when they challenge the ranger for a friendly battle but get captured instead, especially if that ranger isnt one of the Trainer Class ones that are more common overseas. Other than that, Im not sure I can help you much. Maybe Pip at @pkmnrangerfiles or David at @ask-a-pokemon-ranger could give more info?

[ask-a-pokemon-ranger]

It’s sort of a toss-up, some Pokemon react confused to being captured by a Ranger, though it doesn’t usually last too long, since it usually doesn’t take too long to capture a Pokemon. 

Since we are law enforcement, and we specifically deal with Pokemon, we probably end up involved with Team Rocket more often than most trainers do. Though since they’re mostly based in Kanto and Johto I can’t say for sure. Just going off what I know from my interactions with the remnants of Team Galactic.

An interesting thing is when you try to capture a trainer’s Pokemon. Don’t do it. It interferes with something in the Pokeballs software, nothing serious from what I’ve been told. But the main issue is it stresses the Pokemon out as they’re torn between helping us and listening to their trainer. 

I’ve personally never stayed at a Pokemon Center, I know you usually need a Trainer Card but I wonder if Ranger ID would work...

[ask-a-pokemon-ranger]

What are your thoughts on those Rangers -- I think their names were Ben and Summer -- who took care of the situation with the Pokémon Pinchers in the Oblivia region?

I have nothing but respect for my fellow Rangers, especially Top Rangers like Ben and Summer. Not to mention the fact that they stopped an attempt to use an ancient superweapon that probably could’ve been used to destroy the world. So that definitely gets a lot of respect. I’ve never met them, so I can ’t say more, Ranger Kara might have more to say personally, I think they have Top Ranger meetings or something. 

[ask-a-pokemon-ranger]

How does one become a Ranger? Are Rangers allowed to have full Pokemon teams or catch wild Pokemon? Are there restrictions on types or species you can use?

To become a Ranger, you have to apply and be accepted to a Ranger Academy, it’s a similar process to Police Academy, albeit with more emphasis on relationships with Pokemon and de-escalation. Rangers are allowed to have full teams of Pokemon, though we’re not really supposed to go out and catch wild Pokemon, your Pokemon, no matter how many you have, are considered your Partner Pokemon, and it’s their choice whether to join you or not. (Trainers who later decide to apply and are accepted have their teams grandfathered in, though Partner Pokemon are allowed to leave should they chose to.)

Not types of Pokemon are restricted, only endangered species, and all Legendary Pokemon. 

[ask-pokemon-ranger-kara]

Different Ranger Styles

This will be an introductory post of the different ways Rangers use capture assists, which utilizes a pokemon’s type in order to aid in capture, via means of immobilizing, boosting the rate our feelings of friendship get across, or slowing a pokemon down so that we have an easier time making them good loopy loops around a moving pokemon. I will go over each type, its pros and cons, and the variable ways that Rangers from each region tend to favor. Fairy is excluded because it’s typing was identified fairly recently, and our capture systems haven’t fully been upgraded to suit.  So then. Anyone who travels to the different Ranger regions may notice that the pokemon rangers have different ways and methods they use when using assists. For example, Fiore Rangers utilize the bug, water, and psychic differently than Almia rangers and Oblivia rangers do. For Fiore rangers, the assist will completely immobilize the target pokemon, where for Almia and Oblivia rangers, these assists will slow the pokemon while making them calmer and easier to befriend.  Almia and Oblivia rangers are better equipped at using Normal type assists, where they are lest used by Fiore Rangers. And finally…. Oblivia itself has a new method that is in the works. 

With using an assist for Fiore and Almia rangers, a pokemon they have befriended will pour their energy into the device used to control the capture disc, which then converts the energy into the assist that the disc uses. This energy conversion can tire a pokemon out quickly, which is why most pokemon are released to go back to their homes after they help out just once, so an unprepared ranger may find themselves with no friend pokemon to help if they didn’t manage to capture their target pokemon in time because ethically, they have to release a pokemon who is too tired to help. 

The rangers in Oblivia are testing a new system, where both rangers and pokemon are less used to the older system.  In this new method, a pokemon will go into the area that the target pokemon is in, and use their powers directly to help with an assist. No energy transfer needed. The Ranger will direct the pokemon where the assist goes. This cuts down considerably on how much energy a pokemon uses when helping, allowing a ranger to get their help again after they have gotten a breather, within the same capture. The downside is that the pokemon assisting is often within range of the target pokemon’s attacks, and if they are hit with an attack, they will panic and flee, or be unwilling to help again, so the ranger will have to heal their wounds, if any, and let them return home.  The ability to retain a pokemon in your party of friend pokemon, and get their aid repeatedly is a huge improvement on what is the norm, but it is still being researched and only recently been added to the various Ranger School’s curriculum, so it isn’t too wildly practiced outside of Oblivia. 

That is all for now, but I hope you enjoy the new set of info posts that I will be posting soon.