Pokémon Ranger Journal Pt.1: Taken By Storm! The Great Fiore Calamity

[MechaGladiator]

Hey there, Mecha here!
This is part one of a three part series for Pokémon Rangers. It follows the game series in chronological order, so that means it's starting in the Fiore Region. The story features a young boy by the name of Tatsuya who pursues his dream of becoming a Pokémon Ranger. Since this is based on the actual game play of the Pokémon Ranger game, the plot remains largely the same, with some differences. These changes come in the form how the characters act, especially in the form of swearing and violence. Therefore, this story will have a T rating to be on the safe side.


Disclaimer: Since this is based off of the actual plot used in the games, credit goes to the owners. Outside of any changes made to character personalities I own nothing.

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Journal Entry #1: Reporting for Duty! (Rookie Mistakes Were Made)
Name: Tatsuya
Ranger Rank: 0
Partner Pokémon: None
*Groans miserably* "Ugh, when is the boat ride going to be over? It's been what, 4-5 hours since we set sail?" A young, dark blue haired boy moans from inside his cabin, as the rolling waves cause his stomach to act disagreeably with him. Most likely, the culprit was the large meal he had consumed, despite his family warning him, before departing. It took every ounce of willpower to not go running off to the restroom... To distract his mind, the boy sat down on his bed after grabbing a letter enclosed in an envelope from off the desk. Once removing the letter from the envelope, he began to read its contents in the hope it would distract him from the boat's rocking...​

["Your desire to help people in need... You have the qualifications to become a Pokémon Ranger.​

<Invitation>
Your strong motivation to become a Pokémon Ranger...​

How you live in harmony with Pokémon and strive to protect nature everyday...​

How you selflessly go to the help of those in need...​

How you've trained and built your body to become a Ranger...​

All of this I have come to understand and appreciate from the seven letters you've sent me.​

I would like to meet you.​

I want to see for myself if you are really worthy of becoming a Ranger.​

I will be waiting for you in Fall City next Sunday.​

You'll find enclosed a ticket for the ferry to Fall City and an official Pokémon Ranger uniform.​

Wear it, and wait for me in the harbor.​

With that uniform on, I won't have anytrouble spotting you.​

I look forward to seeing you.​

Best Regards,

Spencer
Ringtown RangerLeader"] ​

The letter never failed to get his heart pounding with excitement. He just couldn't wait to finally meet Spencer and become a Pokémon Ranger! A wide grin appeared on the young man's face as he realized that being on this ferry was the first step to realizing his dream. But.... Would Spencer think he was worthy? Now that he thought about it, Tatsuya started to worry whether or not he'd be able to meet the Ringtown Ranger Leader's expectations. Was Spencer going to be disappointed with the preteen after realizing the person from the letter was someone totally different after meeting face to face? No! He couldn't think like this, he had to stay positive! He'd become the best Ranger there ever was and nothing was going to stand in his way! After giving his cheeks a rough smack and shaking himself out of his anxious thoughts, he gave himself a firm nod to further cement his resolve. "I'm going to blow them all out of the water! Ringtown won't even see me coming! Watch out Spencer, 'cause here I come!" The young man declared with his eyes burning with the blaze of his passionate resolve.... Which was temporarily, yet promptly as the ferry finally made its stop at Fall City and the announcement of their arrival sounded through the halls. Reduced to a bundle to jittery and anxious nerves yet again, Tatsuya began to pack his belongings and make his way off the boat. Sweat trickled down his face and a nervous smile was plastered there as well as he tried to reassure himself there was nothing to worry about. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a boy younger than him calling out to his father, excitedly shouting Fall City. The father merely laughed at his son's enthusiasm and tried to get the young boy to settle down. Even if it was random, it still helped to finally calm Tatsuya's nerves and rid him of his worries. With his courage restored, Tatsuya finally made his way up the stairs.​

As he walked around the harbor, he noticed things like Wingull flying around and the Fall City Tourist Center. Locals and fellow tourists alike chatted with him as he wandered the harbor. But, there was still no sign of the person he was supposed to meet... He wasn't able to dwell on that for long as a little boy called out to him. Apparently, he had mistaken Tatsuya for an actual Ranger, and dragged him over to a moving crate. The little boy was obviously frightened, trembling and panicking, hoping the culprit moving the crate was not a dangerous wild Pokémon like an Ekans. With no other choice, Tatsuya approached the crate, his hand shaking from nervousness as well. What would he do if the Pokémon was hostile or more than he could handle? Fortunately for both of the boys, the Pokémon was nothing of the sort. In fact, it was only a tiny Minun, which upon being discovered, promptly fled. With both parties sighing in relief, the would-be Ranger set off once more after biding the boy goodbye. After wandering around for a good 20 minutes, he final spotted Spencer, who apologized for being late. Tatsuya quickly came to realize Spencer wasn't actually all that scary like he first imagined. In fact, the Ranger Leader seemed to have a relaxed and somewhat goofy air about him. There was no doubting Spencer was a top-notch Ranger though, it showed in his eyes beyond the relaxed exterior. That was Tatsuya's impression of the man. However, it seemed the preteen was not the only one doing an evaluation of the other. Spencer had seemed rather pleased by what he saw after observing Tatsuya. After getting the light talk out the way, Spencer suggested they finally head back to the Ringtown Ranger Base. But, a sudden cry from a Pokémon, which sounded familiar to Tatsuya, was heard by the duo. Not wasting a second, the Leader and Rookie raced off to investigate. And what they saw was worrying, a Houndoom was acting aggressively towards the Minun from earlier, chasing and trying to attack it. The Minun, on the other hand, took advantage of the Rangers arriving on scene to hide behind them in its attempts to get away. In yet another surprising turn of events, Spencer decides to use the situation to test Tatsuya's mettle and gives him a Capture Styler. After a brief rundown of what the Styler does, Tatsuya is tasked with capturing the Minun. Something which secretly brought him relief as this meant Spencer would handle the Houndoom. But, that still didn't mean he knew how to use it...! Sensing the rookie's confusion, Spencer took the initiative and captured the Houndoom for a live demonstration. Having witnessed his mentor's technique, Tatsuya felt he was ready to attempt his first capture! In his excitement, he fumbled with the Styler and looked embarrassed for a few moments. Then, he focused on capturing the Minun. "Capture On!" He cried and thus, Tatsuya officially entered the world Pokémon Rangers.​

The capture of the Minun was not anything spectacular. The little Electric Type was too frightened to properly fight back, but still Tatsuya couldn't help the smile on his face. It was his first capture after all! Spencer too was pleased by his apprentice's performance, despite having to fight back a grin at the numerous slip ups he witnessed. The Ranger Leader released the wild Houndoom once certain it no longer posed a threat. Releasing the Minun did not come as easy, since it appeared the two had connected. Still, Tatsuya had no other alternative but to release the Pokémon due to reasons Spencer explained to him. Sensing Tatsuya's sadness, Spencer tried to change the subject by present a certificate to the younger Ranger. Spencer also told him that he was foregoing proper procedure to making Tatsuya a Ranger, a decision based on how Tatsuya handled himself in a an actual emergency. Eagerly, Tatsuya signed the document after reading the certificate and had finally become a Ranger. The certificate was then stamped and Spencer then proceeded to take the duo back to Ringtown, courtesy of his partner Pokémon Fearow. "W-w-wait!" Tatsuya cried out startled out of his wits. Having not noticed that the Minun from earlier had raced over and clung to his leg until they were airborne. ​

"Hahaha, hold on tight!" Spencer called back cheerfully, enjoying the exhilarating flight. He had spotted the Minun earlier as it ran over, but there was nothing he could do. His Fearow had already grabbed hold and he was holding onto the squirming Tatsuya with his other arm. Thus, the little hitch-hiker was brought back to Ringtown with the two Rangers. Not that it stuck with the pair very long, as it ran off due to being somewhere unfamiliar. Deciding to let it go for the time being, Spencer introduced his newest apprentice to Solana, a girl around Tatsuya's age, though she was considered a senior apprentice. She had quickly taken a shine to the new Ranger and just as quickly introduced her partner Pokémon Plusle. This caused Tatsuya to feel a little jealous as he wanted a partner of his own, having been reminded of the Minun which ran off earlier. Before he had the chance to sulk, Solana brought him inside the Ranger Base, where he was then introduced to the eldest apprentice Murph and his slowpoke. Murph was a humorous character, obviously trying to act cool in front of the Ringtown Base's newest Ranger. He boasted about being a Ranger for three years, but was quickly deflated when Solana urged him to talk about his Ranger Rank. Murph then bashfully admitted that it wasn't all that high. Soon after, Spencer called a meeting, merely for formalities sake more than anything. After concluding the meeting, Solana and Tatsuya shouted enthusiastically and then showed their Ranger poses off to each other. Not wanting to be left behind, Murph attempted to join in with his own pose, only to promptly drop his Styler and hold it clumsly in the after picking it up. The light laughter Murph's actions provoked was squashed as Larry barged into the base. The man's theatrics did not impress Spencer, but they took Tatsuya off guard. The preteen was then assigned the duty of capturing Larry's run away Pokémon, something which left Larry even more upset. He took one look at the nervous boy, and scoffed in contempt after voicing his complaints. Spencer and Solana could only laugh while Murph patted Tatsuya on the back trying to reassure him. Spencer then left the Ranger Base to head out to Lyra Forest after informing the others that he would meet them there. Larry on the other hand....​

"Well, isn't this just dandy. I asked the Leader because he's the most trustworthy Ranger here. But look at this child. A rookie and a less trustworthy face I've yet to see!" The man said angrily before taking his leave as well. Solana's words of comfort managed to soothe the sting of their irate guest's words, but they still smarted. She also showed him even more Ranger basics and then the two headed out to Lyra Forest. Upon entering the forest, Spencer gave Tatsuya the run down of the mission before turning to address Larry. The man was unable to provide any helpful clues to the identity of his missing Pokémon. In fact, the words powerful, classy, slinky, and clunky only served to further confuse Tatsuya much to the amusement of Spencer. However, he did take pity on the rookie an offered to help. Thus began Tatsuya's wild goose chase for the poorly described run away... His first target was a Chikorita. "Is this it?" He asked.​

"Haha, great job with the Capture. But, it's not what we're looking for." Came Spencer's mirthful reply. Tatsuya gave an exasperated sigh and just aimed for whatever Pokémon he could spot. All the while complaining under his breath about Larry's less than helpful hints. Next was Zigzagoon, another successful capture, but still no dice. He searched everywhere, the grass, the river, even the open field, but still nothing! Larry's additional hints of the missing Pokémon being smooth yet craggy only served to further annoy the young Tatsuya. Just when he was ready to beg Spencer to give him a more descriptive hint, a new Pokémon had appeared before his very eyes. It was the only one that flew and unlike the others in the forest. With his hope restored, Tatsuya raced off and proceeded to capture the target. This time, it was the right one! "Yes! I got it!" He cried joyfully, relieved at having completed the task. So great was his excitement, he temporarily forgot to ask why Spencer hadn't told him it was a Tailow in the first place. Which worked out fine, since Spencer explained it was a test to see how he would perform with so little information to go by. Deeming the explanation to be good enough, Tatsuya nodded and then returned the Tailow to Larry. Apparently, this was enough to impress Larry who then exclaimed "It just goes to show your Leader knows talent when he sees it!" After the man had departed, Solana revealed she too had to retrieve the Tailow for her Rookie Mission. This caused the two young Rangers to both laugh light heartedly which was broken up for the second time. The responsible party was a boy who informed the Rangers trees had caught on fire, prompting the Rangers to take action...​

Wasting no time, the three Rangers captured Water Type Pokémon and then Spencer showed Tatsuya how to use Field Moves. Copying the actions of the other two, the newest Ranger helped douse the fire, resulting in a job well done. The Mudkip who assisted the Rangers in Target Clearing were then released after being thanked for their help. It was then revealed the boy who called for help was actually the one who caused the fire. In a childish attempt to mimic the Rangers he admired, the boy had startled a wild Pokémon who then set the trees on fire. Spencer praised the boy for being honest and then gave the orders to return to Base. Thus ending Tatsuya's hectic and tiring first day...or so he thought. His mentor had decided to assign both Solana and Tatsuya to patrol their territory until the next mission. The two groaned, but their complaints were quickly hushed. "Uh-uh, Solana you should be setting the example for how Rangers should behave! And Tatsuya, I know you're worn out, but a Ranger's job is never finished. You have to be prepared to work for long periods at a time with little room for rest. You'll become used to the work schedule soon enough."​

"Sorry Spencer..." Solana replied after being scolded.​

"Aww, alright." Tatsuya sighed, tired and wanting nothing more than to nap. Murph snickered before being silenced by a glare the two younger Rangers sent his way. He emphasized his silence by pulling an invisible zipper across his lips, locking it and then throwing away the key. Solana sighed before trying to pep herself and her new friend up before leading the way out the Base. ​

Next Time: Patrol's Are Easy? Ha! Think Again! (Ringtown's Electrifying Day)​