More Pokemon Ranger worldbuilding: Union Ranger vs Contract Ranger
So a prevalent part of the Pokemon Ranger games is the fact that Pokemon battles aren't really the solution in those regions, and that the rangers tend to be deployed to areas where there's no real Pokemon League presence and are much more about people and Pokemon living without battling.
However, we have seen Pokemon Rangers in regions like Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova and Kalos where there are in fact Pokemon Leagues, sooo what's the deal there?
So, I had the idea in the title; Union Rangers, and Contract Rangers.
Union Rangers are the Pokemon Rangers seen in the Pokemon Ranger series: These guys report directly to the Ranger Union, have their own base of operations with the Ranger Bases, and are usually the ones stationed in places without Pokemon Leagues or significant battle scenes.
Their jobs are paid for directly by the Ranger Union and they adhere to the rules of not catching and battling Pokemon. This is because, with the areas they're stationed in not containing significant battle scenes, the Pokemon of these regions aren't typically aggressive and have a more delicate ecosystem, hence the use of Capture Stylers to temporarily recruit their aid so they can eventually return to their habitat.
In addition, these Rangers only have a single Partner Pokemon permitted to be with them, with that Pokemon trained in aiding capture as opposed to battles. They can battle if the situation is dire enough, but it is highly discouraged and serves mostly as a last resort.
Contract Rangers report directly to the Pokemon League that hires them through the Ranger Union, and as such are deployed within that region. These are the rangers you see in R/S/E, D/P, B/W and X/Y.
Unlike their Union counterparts, Contract Rangers work for the Pokemon League which acts as a sort of third party between them and the Ranger Union, with the League being the ones to check over and file the paperwork associated with these rangers. Furthermore, the Pokemon League is expected to pay these rangers, basically making them their boss.
Contract Rangers are allowed and encouraged to catch, train and battle Pokemon, since the ecosystem in these regions are less fragile and Pokemon are built for it. And since potential threats will likely have caught Pokemon of their own, it's rare to see Contract Rangers utilise their Capture Stylers.
Naturally, in order to be a Contract Ranger, said Ranger must undertake and pass a course to serve as a Trainer.
I hope you enjoyed this concept for the two different types of Pokemon Rangers, it was really fun to come up with a reason why these regions have Rangers in them. It makes me wish we got more in both the Ranger games and the main series...
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