Appendix:Pokémon Ranger 3 walkthrough/Section 2

The Pokémon Pincher's Attack

You'll see the so-called Z.Z. Flyer Squad head for their next target: Dolce Island, an uninhabited island where there seems to be something hiding. On Dolce Island, there's a cute little Pichu playing a tune on its ukulele for the other Pokémon of the island. However, the enemies you encountered previously have now arrived at the island, interrupting the Pokémon's fun, and are now using what they refer to as Control Gauntlets to capture, or as they refer to it, "pinch" the nearby Pokémon. You'll see various scenes of the captures of different Pokémon, though the Gauntlets the people use seem to be different from your Capture Styler. It is revealed they are looking for a specific Pokémon, which they are unable to find. The Pichu playing the Ukulele seems to have escaped from the pinchers, though it is now concerned about its friends.

During a flashback, you learn from Professor Hastings that the enemies are refered to as the Pokémon Pinchers. Using their Control Gauntlets, they've been terrorizing the region by taking control of native Pokémon and stealing them from their homes. It seems that though until recently they had been working independently, they are now becoming an organized unit. Your mission (and the reason why you're in Oblivia) is to figure out their plans and stop them. You are also introduced to Murph, an airhead who gives you a brief explanation of the Oblivia region, describing it as a "peaceful paradise", which is the reason why only one Area Ranger is stationed in the region.

Dolce Island

After the flashback ends, you'll see that you've washed up on some kind of beach, and your Styler is malfunctioning due to too much water intake. After restarting the Styler, you find that you've washed up on the shore of the South Beach area of Dolce Island, and after entering your name as confirmation, you will learn about the GUI and menu.

GUI and Menu

On the top screen, you can see a map of Oblivia, to the left, aswell as a map of the current screen you're on, to the right. The map to the right often is better for guiding yourself to the next screen and marks where you must go next during a mission.

At the bottom of the bottom screen, you will see a button with a symbol that looks like a lightning bolt to the left, a bar that reads 10/10 in the middle and another button with a symbol that looks somewhat like a pixelated galaxy. The latter is actually an important symbol in the Ranger series, and is representative of the series as a whole.

The leftmost button is currently locked. You are not able to access it at this point, but it will be important for later. Once you unlock it, you will be able to use it by pressing the button using your stylus or with the L button.

The bar in the middle shows your Stylus Energy. Currently the max you can have is 10, however as you go through the game this number will increase with levelups.

The button on the right is the Styler Menu. By pressing it with the stylus or using the R key, it allows you to access a menu where you can see a few different options. There are a few options currently locked to you, we will see those later in the game.

Status

Here you can see, on the top screen, your Styler Level at the top (currently 01), your Styler Energy, your Styler Power (the amount of Friendship transferred to a Pokémon when you perform a loop around it), Charge Level, a mechanic to be introduced later, and the amount of experience needed to reach the next level. You can also see, at the bottom screen, a summary of recent events in the story.

Release

Using this menu you will be able to release Pokémon you capture if you want space, as you only have 7 slots at any given time during the game.

Browser

The Browser works much like the Pokédex does in main-series Pokémon games. It records data of Pokémon you capture during your adventure. You can also see each Pokémon's Group (their typing), their Poké Assist and their Field Move, both mechanics we will later be introduced to. There is also a rank next to each Pokémon. Depending on how well you capture that Pokémon, you will earn different ranks, with S being the best and awarding you a Ranger Point, used for upgrades to your Styler.

Map

Simply shows you a map of the Oblivia region. Most areas are currently darkened out and present no information.

Glossary

Here you can find various tips about multiple mechanics and other plotpoints in the game. Works much like a tutorial.

Quicksave

Quicksaving allows you to save your progress and stop whenever you want. However, once you start playing the game again, your quicksave will be deleted, unlike regular saves.

Exploring Dolce Island

After taking your time to learn about the menu, proceed west to find and learn about Save Machines, the device that you'll have to use if you want to save, and then head north to the next screen, into the Heights area of Dolce Island.

Heading west, you'll run into the Pichu you saw earlier during the cutscene, and it seems a bit upset. In its fit of rage, it runs toward you, thinking you are a Pincher. This works as an actual tutorial for captures.

Capture Tutorial

In short, just as you did with Pidgey, draw loops around the Pokémon to fill up the Friendship Gauge, while avoiding its attacks. If the Capture Disk or Capture Line are hit by a Pokémon's attacks, your Styler Energy will be reduced. However, if the Pokémon's hitbox simply touches it, the line will simply break without damage. Note that, after a while without drawing loops around a Pokémon, the progress you made on the Friendship Gauge will start to deplete. On the top screen, you will also notice a few things. The Pokémon you are currently capturing will be displayed, as well as the Capture Time, the time you've taken to finish the capture, the Loop Speed, how fast you draw loops, and Max Loops, the max amount of loops you drew in a row during this capture without taking damage. A picture of the Capture Disk is also shown, it will have a red X over it if you've taken damage during the capture.

Booker and the Wooden Boat

After you successfully complete the capture, Pichu will play around for a little bit, and a local old man named Booker will come and introduce himself to you, explaining that the Pinchers took away all of Ukulele Pichu's friends, a certainly traumatizing experience. Booker invites you to Renbow Island, telling you that he has a boat that can travel to it further up north.

After your meeting with Booker, you will be free to capture Pokémon around Dolce Island. Take this opportunity to befriend new Pokémon and thus fill up your Browser and gain some experience to level up your Styler. When you capture a Pokémon, it will follow you, and you can hide friend Pokémon by tapping on your character with the stylus.

Available Pokémon
Pokémon Poké Assist Field Bulbasaur Grass Sentret Normal Pichu Electric Mareep Recharge Sunkern Grass Teddiursa Normal Ursaring Normal Marill Water Wingull Flying

Heading west, then north and east, and making sure to capture either a Bulbasaur or a Sunkern, you will find a Small Log is blocking the path. This is your introduction to Field Moves, with which Pokémon that you befriend can help you clear a path when an obstacle is in your way. Therefore, you must now perform what is known as a Target Clear. By clicking on the Small Log with your stylus, you will see that it requires a Field Move of "Cut 1". Capture a Pokémon with this Field Move (the ones available to you at the moment would be Sunkern and Bulbasaur) and drag a line from the Pokémon to the Small Log to perform a Target Clear. After using Field Moves, unlike Poké Assists, the Pokémon will instantly be released. After the Small Log has been cut, you will be able to proceed north.

Not much to do in this screen. Booker shows you where Renbow Island is located, and talks about the Wireless Tower. You may also notice a plate with 4 holes on its side, which reads "Words in Oblivia's ancient script meaning 'and pierces' are written here. Amun.". We will leave this for now. You are free to capture any of the Pokémon available if you'd like, but make sure to capture an Ursaring. As you will need it very soon. Head east to the next screen.

After finally making it to the Eastern Beach, you'll notice Booker's boat is not at the dock, where it's supposed to be. Your goal is now to push Booker's boat, which is on top of a small cliff, into the water. Clicking on the Wooden Boat, you will see that it requires a Field Move of Tackle 2. On Dolce Island, the only Pokémon with this Field Move is Ursaring, so utilize the one you captured earlier to push the boat.

After capturing a couple more Pokémon in this area, go to the north end of the beach and speak to Booker. Answering yes, you will begin to depart for Renbow Island, but not before the Pichu from before is able to join you.

With an extra shot of the title screen to symbolize the beginning of a new adventure, you are now off to Renbow Island!

← Part 1 Stopping the Pinchers, Catching up to Mantine

Pokémon Ranger 3 walkthrough

Cocona Village, Mission 1: Drive the Pinchers out of the Woods Part 3 →

This article is part of Project Walkthroughs, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive step-by-step guides on each Pokémon game.