Pokemon Ranger: Savior

Chapter One: The Letters

   "Your desire to help Pokemon in need...You have the qualifications to become a Pokemon Ranger..."

             

              <Invitation>
              "Your strong motivation to become a Pokemon Ranger...How you live in harmony with Pokemon and strive to protect nature every day...How you selflessly go to the help of those in need...How you've trained and built your body to become a Ranger...All this I've 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 really are worthy of becoming a Ranger. I will be waiting for you in Fall City next Sunday. You will find enclosed a ticket for the ferry to Fall City and an official Pokemon Ranger uniform. Wear it and wait for me in the harbor. With that uniform on, I won't have any trouble spotting you.
I look forward to meeting you.
Best Regards
Spenser
Ringtown Base Leader

~*~

              "Boooooooooooohh" The sound of the ferry booms out loud, signaling my arrival. A child motions for his father to hurry up.
              "Papa! Papa! Hurry! It's Fall City! Fall City!"
              "Now, hold on. Fall City isn't going to go anywhere on us," the father replies. As I step off the S.S. Fiore II, I take in the wonderful sea breeze flowing over me from the harbor. I have arrived. My excitement can barely be contained as I clamber up the port stairs. I notice a few tourists, and to my right, a giant sleeping Pokemon. That would be a Snorlax, if I remember correctly. I explore a little, as I have some time before Spenser should be arriving. I step inside the tourist center. The receptionist greets me almost immediately.
              "Welcome to Fall City! Fall City is known as the largest city in the Fiore region. The city's best-known landmark is the Joy Clock Tower, which is located at the north end. Would you like to ask me any questions?" I look at her with a quizzical smile. "...That's how I have to be for work. And now, I'll chat normally. So, I want to know, what is with the way you are dressed? You're not really a Ranger are you? It's obvious you've never worn that outfit before!"
     I explain that I have just arrived and am about to become a Ranger. I hear a Charmander behind me with a couple. "Gyaooh."
      After chatting with some tourists for a while, I go back outside to wait for Spenser. There are some Wingull floating around on updrafts. I follow one, when I notice a small boy looking at...is that a bouncing crate?
      "Oh, hi! HI Ranger! There's something hiding behind this crate! If it's an Ekans, I'm going to faint! Long, squirmy things scare me silly!" I laugh as I approach the crate. When I do so, a little Plusle hops out from behind the crate. The poor thing was startled, and it ran away.
              "Oh wow! It was Plusle hiding behind the crate!" the little boy exclaimed. I decide to follow it, when Spenser appears before me! My heart instantly beats faster as I step before the person I've been dying to meet for so long, my idol, the guy I've looked up to. He sees me, and his eyes light up as he speaks.
       "HI! Sorry to keep you waiting!" He's just like I saw him in the magazines and newspapers. He is a man of experience and nobility, with sharp eyes, long, spiky greenish grey hair, and clad in a uniform worn through his deeds. He is a very revered man, and it's an honor to finally be standing before him. He continues, "You're the letter writer, right?" I nod my head as he walks side to side, looking at me from head to toe. "The uniform I sent you...It's a little on the big side?" I examine  myself, realizing for the first time it is a little large. I was too excited when I put it on to notice. I just shrug. "Well, I guess it's not that big a concern?" Spenser asks. I just shake my head. I'm totally at a loss for words.
      "Oh, anyway, I'm Spenser. Ringtown's Ranger Leader. It's good to see you finally. I enjoyed exchanging letters with you. It brought back memories of the burning ambition I had when I was working on becoming a Ranger. Thanks for that!" My eyes feel as though they may start to well up. I hope I don't cry!
      Spenser looks back for a second, then turns to me and says, "Let me show you to my Ranger Base. Like the name suggests, a Ranger Base is a base of operations for Rangers. The Fiore region-that'd be here-has four cities: Fall City, Ringtown, Summerland, and Wintown. In each of the four cities is a Ranger Base. And, as you already know, I'm the Ranger Leader of Ringtown. Ringtown is a fair distance to the west, and..."Spenser was cut off as we heard a loud noise coming from behind him. "Did you hear that cry?" He turned around. "It came from over there!" He exclaimed. He took off in that direction and I followed close behind him.
      We arrived in a sort of square with a big, beautiful fountain smack in the middle. The place around here looked like a market, what with all the stores littered to the sides of the fountain. As I caught up to Spenser, I followed his gaze to a Houndoom chasing after a smaller Pokemon. I didn't notice what it was at first, but then it came running towards me and hid behind my leg! It was the Plusle from earlier. I heard Spenser say, "This doesn't look good." I looked torwards him. The Houndoom was facing Spenser, looking like it was set to attack. "That Houndoom appears to be highly agitated. That Plusle must have angered it. I bet it pulled some harmless prank that didn't go over well." My heart beating faster, I nodded as I felt sorry for the Pokemon. Spenser turned to me. "I know that this is a sudden thing...But I need your help to calm down these Pokemon!"
      "What?!" was the first thing that came out of my mouth that day. I was shocked, yet honored and happy that Spenser was asking me for help. I was about to do my first Ranger activity, and even though it was on such short notice, I was ecstatic.
      "I'm going to entrust you with this Capture Styler. The Capture Styler is a device Rangers can use to communicate their feelings to Pokemon to befriend them. Only certified Rangers are permitted to possess a Styler, but this is an emergency. Capture the Plusle for me! I'll capture the Houndoom! Here, take this!" Spenser stepped forward and handed me a small red device that looked similar to a flip phone. The minute I received it, I did a little dance and pose, as if I've been doing it all my life.
      "It's like a dream come true!" I exclaimed. "I can't believe this! I'll get right on it!....?.........??..........??? It's fantastic that I received this Styler, but I don't have any idea how to use it..." I turned to Spenser, pleading for answers with my eyes.
      He understood. "I'll capture the Houndoom first!" he told me. With that he ran towards the angry Pokemon, and initiated a capture. "Capture on!" I guess that's what Rangers say whenever they do this. I watched intently as he began to explain the capture to me. " Just pay attention to me." He went on to explain how, using my Styler, I can draw a Capture Line with the Capture Disc. With this line, he drew loops around the Houndoom to convey his feelings of friendship, and eventually the capture was a success. He turned back to me. "Alright, your turn! First, you need to get close to that Plusle." I turned towards the adorable little Pokemon and stepped towards it, initiating my first capture ever!
      My emotions were overflowing, and with my heart beating ever faster, I shouted, "Capture On!"
      As I started my capture, a small disc popped out of the Styler. Controlling it, I drew loops around the Plusle about three times and the capture was a success!
      "Good job! That's excellent for your first-ever capture!" Spenser says. I blush a shade of red and beam widely. Spenser walks towards me again. "Well that was a bit of excitement I didn't count on. Still, I think it's lucky for me since I got to see your potential as a Ranger firsthand." My eyes light up as he says this. I hope that means a good thing. He turns and walks to the Houndoom. He says, "The Houndoom's settled down enough, I guess. Ok, big guy, off you go. Back to where you came from." With that, the Houndoom calls his cry and runs off.
      "What I did was 'release' that Pokemon," Spenser explains. "'Release' literally means to turn loose captured Pokemon back into their natural habitats. After all, Rangers can't take captured Pokemon with them unless they have a compelling reason."
      I nod. "Understood," I say.
      The Plusle cries and jumps up and down. Before I know it, Spenser is standing next to me and the Plusle.
      "Well, it looks like this Plusle has taken a liking to you. That said you can't really bring it with us...You see, Rangers aren't allowed to take Pokemon out of their natural habitats. You'd better release that Plusle." Sadly, I did as he said and watched the little Plusle run off.
      "Bye-bye Plusle!" That Pokemon is so adorable, I think to myself. Maybe we'll meet again someday. I get a little lost in my thoughts for a bit, when I hear Spenser, bringing me back to reality.
      "Whoops! I almost forgot! I've got to confer this certificate on you. It's official proof that you're a Ranger. Normally, you would have to take a proper certification test. It's only when you pass the test that you should receive this certificate...but forget the test! When you were faced with this real-life situation, you resolved it admirably. There's no reason at all why you shouldn't be certified as a Ranger. Read this certificate thoroughly and sign here, please." He steps up and hands me a piece of paper with my picture attached to it. Staring back at me is a happy girl proudly wearing the uniform of a Ranger, with her pretty blue hair up in a ponytail. There is so much emotion boiling inside of me now, I actually do begin to cry. As tears are falling slowly down my cheeks, I read:
                                                                                 <Ranger's Pledge>
I hereby pledge to come to the aid of those in need and to safeguard nature to the best of my ability as a Pokemon Ranger, always with pride and courage in my heart.

              I proudly and confidently sign my name at the bottom of the certificate. "Serena" Handing it back to Spenser, he says, "Congratulations, Serena! You are now a genuine, full-fledged Pokemon Ranger!" I jump for joy, overflowing with emotion. "...Having said that, you're also a complete rookie Ranger who doesn't know left from right yet. You need to gain experience above all. There's no time to waste! First, we need to wing across the deep blue sky to Ringtown! Step this way.."
      I come close to Spenser, and holding on, he says, "Sorry I kept you waiting, Fearow! Do your thing!" With that, a Fearow flies down to us, picks us up, and whisks us up into the sky.
      And so my new journey begins.