Part 3: Public Service Sucks

Music: Ringtown


*Lunick approaches*



I think it'll be fun, so I'll tag along! *goes ahead*

We dawdled enough. Let's get this errand over with.

New Music: Mission Start!


Each area has their own brief description. We're not going to see the giant tree this update.

New Music: Lyra Forest
OK, ready to begin your rookie mission? Your mission is to capture Larry's Pokemon, which has fled to somewhere inside the Lyra Forest. You are also required to return the captured Pokemon to Larry, who will be waiting here. This really shouldn't be an especially challenging mission.
*To Larry* Larry, by the way, what was the Pokemon that fled?
It was my, uh... You know, um... It's on the tip of my tongue... You know, it's a... I'm just too upset right now! I can't remember what you call it! It's powerful and yet classy. It might appear to have a slinky look to it, but it's also clunky... What I'm trying to say is...it's a Pokemon! That's what it is!

Oh boy.

That's not much of a hint to go on... Well, Circe? Did you get what kind of Pokemon Larry means? I'll go with you, so if there's anything you don't understand, you can always ask me.
I wouldn't put too much stock in Larry's description if I were you.

Right. So our rookie mission is to grab random Pokemon we see and hope it's the right one. Before we do that, let's chat with everyone here.

Oh, that's right! Do you see the Browser icon in the Styler's menu? It's a very convenient feature, so you should learn about it. The Browser automatically registers data on Pokemon whenever they are captured. The registered Pokemon are classified using numbers that are assigned specifically for Rangers. You see, those classification numbers are arranged conveniently for Rangers to serve the Fiore region.
Please! I'm begging you! Find my precious Pokemon!
First, if you want to capture a wild Pokemon, you need to get up close to it. Instead of touching it with your stylus, walk right into it. That's how you start the capture process.

And we're off!



Just above where we start, we find our first Pokemon here.

Music: Wild Pokemon Capture


...It's not particularly interesting. These earlygame Pokemon are pushovers.



Required Loops: 3
Possible EXP: 10/13/16

We filled our first Browser entry!



Wild Pokemon we capture will become our friend Pokemon, which we can see on the Top Screen. They will follow us around on the Bottom Screen. It's very .

I could tell that the Pokemon came to accept your friendly feelings.



There's also a Zigzagoon here. The only special thing about it is that it moves in a zigzag pattern.



Required Loops: 2
Possible EXP: 9

Music: Lyra Forest


This game takes cues from Gen 2 in that there's Pokemon in trees. Most of them can be found more easily elsewhere, though.

Oh, hello, Ranger! I've never seen you before. The Styler on your belt looks shiny and new, too!
Capture on! That is so cool!

I know



We can't move to the next area. At least this means we only have to search this small area.

...Which we just did. It only has Chikoritas and a Zigzagoon.



That's a wild Pokemon. Mine is a lot more smooth and yet craggy, too. I don't care how you do it...get my precious darling back to me. It won't be a second too soon!

What about Zigzagoon?

That's not it! Mine is a lot more lumpy and far more flamboyant! You have to hurry and capture my darling! It's almost time for lunch!





This Taillow wasn't here before.

Music: Wild Pokemon Capture


"Someone's" Taillow, huh? Looks like we've hit the jackpot!



Taillow, like all the Pokmeon in this mission, doesn't attack. It does move much quicker than the others, though.

Music: Capture Complete


The blue number above the Pokemon shows the number of loops required to capture it. The orange number after it shows the amount of EXP we'll get once we capture it. It'll raise as we create extra loops.

Don't get too greedy, though. If the line is destroyed, we'll have to start all over again. (This is mentioned in the glossary entry that I skipped.)



Required Loops: 4
Possible EXP: 14/15/16/18

Music: Lyra Forest


This Taillow is Larry's missing Pokemon! I'm sorry, I actually knew, but I kept quiet about it. I wanted to see how you would deal with the situation. I wanted to see if you had the drive and tenacity to solve a problem even though you had very little information. You've passed with flying colors! All right. Let's take that Pokemon back to Larry.
*When talked to* Your capture of the Taillow was excellent. Let's get that Pokemon back to Larry now.

So basically Spenser wants to see if we're patient enough to work in a public service industry. That's fair, I guess.



Oh-oh-oh! My darling Taillow!

Taillow: Pii hyoooh!

I'm not going to make any sprite for any Pokemon

...Well, I'll be darned! Good going, Ranger! It just goes to show your Leader knows talent when he sees it! I'm real sorry for giving you grief earlier. Thank you so much!

*Larry and Taillow leave*

Well, at least Larry appreciates our efforts

You did it! Congratulations! Actually, do you want to know about my rookie mission? I had to go look for Larry's missing Taillow too!
Congratulations! You've cleared your rookie mission! You have now joined the ranks of Pokemon Rangers in name and in deed!

We did it! Mission Cl...

New Music: Trouble


...welp.

*Everyone goes to the burning trees*



Target Clearing is the process of solving a problem using the abilities of captured Pokemon. I'll explain, using these burning trees.

Spenser's explanation is too long, so I'll show the relevant bits.



The information there will display the Field Move required to do something to it.



Some Pokemon don't have any Field Move, like Chikorita and Zigzagoon earlier.



When the Pokemon has the required Field Move, we can drag it to the object to initiate a Target Clear.



After using a Pokemon's Field Move, it'll automatically be released. So sometimes we need multiple Pokemon with the same Field Move.

See? That's how you clear a target! Circe, now you try it. Extinguish the other burning tree.

Before that, let's see what everyone has to say.

If you don't put that fire out soon, the tree's going to burn down. Or do you need me to explain how to clear a target again?
Hurry! Put out this fire! Mudkip should be near the river!
Please, Ranger! Please hurry and put that fire out! I was pretending to be a Ranger and trying to catch a Pokemon... I startled it, and it breathed fire, and the trees caught fire, and... I'm sorry!

In order: NO, thanks, how did you manage to get Chikorita/Zigzagoon/Mudkip breathe fire?



I didn't mention it before, but there's bushes here. You can see the Pokemon's shadows, but you can't see what they are until you encounter them.



In this case, it's a Mudkip. When we engage in an encounter, all the Pokemon near it (in this case another Mudkip) will also be involved. Ideally you'd want to avoid this.



I'm VERY sure all Pokemon here are coded not to attack right now. I swear they actually have attacks.

Anyway, I'm going to use this opportunity to talk about fleeing. We can only flee when we made a loop. More specifically, it's when there's a ball around a Pokemon. When the ball breaks, the flee button will disappear.

The flee button will be there as long as there's a ball around a Pokemon. This means we can circle any Pokemon to flee instead of all of them. It's still kinda annoying not being able to flee directly, though.



With multiple Pokemon, we can flee even with a successful capture. However, that Pokemon won't be registered as captured. So in this case if we flee now we won't get the Mudkip.

This won't work when there's only one Pokemon left. In that case we're forced to catch a Pokemon. It doesn't matter except in speedruns, really.



Required Loops: 4
Possible EXP: 12/14/16/19

The trick with multiple Pokemon is to focus on one at a time.



We use the Mudkip on the other burning tree.



New Music: Mission Clear!


We did it!

Thank you, Pokemon Ranger! I'm going to learn more about the feelings of Pokemon so I can be a Ranger one day, too!

If we didn't talk to him earlier, he will tell his story now.

Well said, little guy. That took guts to say. Don't ever forget what you said!
*To Circe* All right! Let's head back to our Ranger Base.

New Music: Saving


That's quite an eventful first mission, huh?

After every mission, we're given a chance to save. Saving in this game kinda sucks because for whatever reason it takes 8 seconds. That also applies when playing in an actual DS.