Percy: The Summerland Ranger Nobody Believes

A capable Ranger disarmed by self-doubt. Percy patrols for the Summerland base in Pokémon Ranger, under Cameron's orders. The day the Go-Rock Squad takes his Politoed, he stops believing in himself; and when he later spots Mew deep in the Olive Jungle, part of the island stops taking his word seriously. Two of the game's missions grow out of those two wounds.

Contents

• Summerland: A Small Team and an Uneventful Post
• The Go-Rock Squad Steals Politoed
• Mew in the Olive Jungle, and a Word Called into Question
• A Supporting Role Built on Self-Confidence
• Percy at a Glance
• Frequently Asked Questions

Summerland: A Small Team and an Uneventful Post

The Summerland base runs on a skeleton crew. Percy serves there with Leilani and two Rangers the game never names, under the authority of Cameron, the local Ranger Leader.

It's a quiet posting, and he makes no secret of it: he describes a light workload and days with plenty of free time. When the player arrives, sent by the Ringtown Ranger Leader, Percy goes to fetch his boss and asks the player to wait — the Leader headed off to the Capture Challenge first thing in the morning.

He knows his base and the people in it. He credits the records for the Jungle Relic challenges to Spenser and Joel, praises his Leader for getting the townspeople to safety during the earthquake, and keeps a fairly close eye on the base mechanic's work on the Aquamole — a craftsman he considers clumsy but effective.

The Go-Rock Squad Steals Politoed

It all starts with an outright attack. Rangers nobody on the island recognizes seize his Politoed with a Styler model Percy had never seen before, then vanish into the Olive Jungle. He says he called out to his partner with all his might, but it never responded.

Cameron doesn't assign the recovery to his own people. He hands it to the player instead, on the grounds that the player was trained by Spenser, and has Spenser officially confirm the mission. Meanwhile, Percy paces around the base, repeating that he wants his Politoed back.

He ends up going into the jungle himself, even though the place terrifies him, and apologizes to the player for leaving them with all the work. His partner comes back as if nothing had happened: the Politoed leaps into his arms, Percy bursts into tears in front of everyone and swears they'll never be separated again.

Mew in the Olive Jungle, and a Word Called into Question

While on patrol in the Olive Jungle, Percy comes across Mew. He comes back to report it, and his fellow Rangers don't believe a word of it, with two exceptions: Professor Hastings and his Leader, Cameron.

The rumor mill does the rest. He imagines people in town are talking about him, taking him for a liar who makes up his discoveries, and he takes it all back in front of his Leader, claiming he must have mistaken the creature for a Skitty. Cameron reminds him that he was saying the exact opposite the day before.

The mission that follows has two motives, and the second carries more weight than the first. The professor wants Mew's data, but the stated goal is to restore Percy's credibility: the point is to prove to the whole island that the Ranger didn't lie.

🔍 The mirage Pokémon has its own section: see the collection devoted to Mew.

A Supporting Role Built on Self-Confidence

The game makes a point of specifying that Percy was considered a very competent Ranger before his partner was stolen: it isn't incompetence eating away at him, it's what happened to him. The two missions the player takes on the island each repair one of the injuries, first the kidnapped partner, then the disputed word.

His exit from the story, however, isn't clear-cut. One line shows him thanking everyone, promising to finally believe in himself and taking the player as his role model; another has him deny what he just saw, advise his rescuer to keep quiet and head home to bed, afraid the player will be called a liar too.

Politoed, for its part, comes out of the episode bursting with energy, for a reason that has nothing to do with the Go-Rock Squad. Murph's visit with his Slowpoke turned into a race between the two partners, Politoed got cocky and lost, and Percy reports that the defeat was a real wake-up call. No other Pokémon is credited to him: he almost always travels with this one partner, which he's very protective of.

Percy at a Glance

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who is Percy in Pokémon Ranger?
  A Ranger assigned to the Summerland base, under Ranger Leader Cameron. He works there alongside Leilani and two other Rangers the game doesn't name.
• What is Percy's Pokémon?
  A Politoed, his partner, which he's very protective of. The Go-Rock Squad takes it from him using an unknown Styler, and it's the player who goes to get it back in the Olive Jungle.
• Why does Percy lack self-confidence?
  The game presents him as a very competent Ranger until his partner is stolen. From then on he doubts his abilities, and not being believed about Mew sinks him a little deeper into that doubt.
• Did Percy really see Mew?
  He spots it during a patrol in the Olive Jungle, but only Professor Hastings believes him. The professor tasks the player with capturing Mew to obtain its data and restore Percy's credibility.
• Where is Percy stationed?
  At the Summerland Ranger Base. The place is known for being quiet: he himself describes a light workload and plenty of free time between patrols.

In short

Percy has no Gym, no organization and no special power: he holds a quiet post and gets his partner stolen. Yet two of Summerland's missions rest on him, and the game uses them to paint a portrait of a Ranger worn down by doubt. It took the capture of a mirage Pokémon and a Leader who refused to let him be called a liar for him to finally promise to trust himself.