Let's Protect Nature! Pokémon Ranger
(Japanese: 自然を守れ！ポケモンレンジャー Let's Protect Nature! Pokémon Ranger) is a standalone Pokémon manga written by Hidenori Kusaka (日下秀憲)[1] and illustrated by Satoshi Yamamoto (山本サトシ). It was first released to promote the opening of Oshawott Park in Japan's Mie Prefecture on July 14, 2025. It is 16 pages long.
The manga was printed as the reverse side of Let's Learn with the Rangers! (レンジャーと学ぼう！), a series of double-sided booklets containing information about each park produced and published by the Pokémon with You Foundation as part of the National Park Official Partnership Program.[2] These booklets were given away for free at visitor centers around Ise-Shima National Park[1], Shiretoko National Park[3], and Setonaikai National Park[4].
The plot follows two Pokémon Rangers as they work to protect a forest's sacred trees from a group determined to cut them down to sell as Pokémon sculptures for profit.
Summary
In a certain nature-rich forest, Kou leads Sonoko to a cliff where they find a Pachirisu worried for its hurt Piplup friend lying atop a tree. Sonoko uses her rope to rescue it. She muses that it must have gotten lost and wandered here, noting that it is not from around here. After Kou applies a Potion, they escort the two down the mountain.
Sonoko compliments Kou for his keen sense of smell, even being able to find the Piplup and could tell it was injured. Suddenly they get a call from Eiji for something urgent and to come back. At the Pokémon Ranger HQ, Eiji shows surveillance footage from another jurisdiction of trees that were violently cut down and dug up. Eiji adds that these were just collateral and that the actual target was a sacred tree, rare trees that only grow under certain conditions. A smuggling ring is going around illegally cutting them down and selling them to rich sponsors. Some sponsors even buy them after the trees have been carved into Pokémon sculptures. Eiji informs them that they have intel that this group is going after their forest's sacred tree next and have likely infiltrated by now. He orders them to go and investigate immediately.
Kou and Sonoko head out, the latter lists the smugglers that were picked up on the surveillance cameras. One who uses a Diglett who can tell the type and age of a tree, likely the one who digs up the trees too. One who has a Scyther to cut down the trees. Lastly one who has Doublade who makes the sculptures. Sonoko also mentions a leader, but they do not know what Pokémon they have. Soon enough they reach the sacred tree.
Kou suggests they assume a formation to protect it, but Sonoko asks if something smells weird. Kou does not smell anything, but realizes that he can not smell the sacred tree either. Suddenly, a Doublade ambushes him, but he sends out his Rampardos to defend himself. The leader shows herself, now that they have been found. The Diglett Smuggler tells her that this sacred tree is 500 years old. She remarks how their sponsor wants an Arceus sculpture, which would be 50 million at the lowest price. Kou calls out on them for their heartlessness, but they mock him.
Standing his ground, Kou declares that the entire forest is under their protection and will not forgive anyone who would damage it for greed. The smuggler leader applauds his bravery and taunts him to try and stop them. The smugglers' Pokémon surrounds them. The Scyther tries to get to the tree, Sonoko orders her Drapion to use Toxic Spikes, poisoning the Mantis Pokémon. The Diglett smuggler creates a dust cloud with Sand Attack, blinding the Pokémon Rangers. Sonoko asks her partner if he can find them with his nose, but Kou tells her that it has not been working ever since they got there. The leader remarks that their method of clearing away people and Pokémon had an added bonus.
The leader reveals her Pokémon, a Skuntank, who sprays its noxious fluid at Kou's faces, making him fall in disgust. She used some liquid from its tail as a deterrent, but it became ineffective to Kou because his nose picked it up from a distance. Drapion is taken down, but the smugglers are blasted with Bubbles and electrocuted, thanks to Piplup and Pachirisu. The smugglers try to escape, but Kou sends out his Vespiquen. The smugglers spread out, thinking that one Pokémon cannot catch them all. However, Kou reveals that he had Vespiquen use Defend Order as soon as they got there to protect the sacred tree. Now with a swarm of Combee, Vespiquen uses Attack Order to round the smugglers up.
Once the smugglers are apprehended, Kou reports to Eiji their success and to send the police here. The pair of Pokémon Rangers thanks Pachirisu and Piplup for their help, wondering if they followed them out of gratitude or that they wanted to join them. Kou notices the vivid smell of new buds growing from the sacred tree, sensing its life force, making Sonoko remark that his sense of smell is back. Kou notes that it still has a ton of years left and that they cannot let anyone cut it short for their selfish reasons. The two rangers and their Pokémon run off to continue their duty to protect nature together.
Characters
Humans
- Kou
- Sonoko
- Eiji
- Smugglers
Pokémon
- Rampardos (Kou's)
- Vespiquen (Kou's)
- Drapion (Sonoko's)
- Diglett (Smuggler's)
- Scyther (Smuggler's)
- Doublade (Smuggler's)
- Skuntank (Smuggler's)
- Pachirisu
- Piplup
- Combee (multiple)
- Shaymin (Sky Forme; fantasy, wood sculpture)
- Arceus (fantasy, wood sculpture)
References
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This article is part of Project Manga, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each series of Pokémon manga. |