DP071

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Pokémon Ranger and the Kidnapped Riolu!

Part 1

DP071

EP537

ポケモンレンジャー！波導のリオル！！(前編)
Pokémon Ranger! The Wave-Guiding Riolu!! (Part 1)

First broadcast

Japan	March 20, 2008
United States	November 1, 2008

English themes

Opening	We Will Be Heroes
Ending

Japanese themes

Opening	Together
Ending	風のメッセージ

Credits

Additional credits
Animation	Team Iguchi
Screenplay	藤田伸三 Shinzō Fujita
Storyboard	浅田裕二 Yūji Asada
Assistant director	古賀一臣 Kazuomi Koga
Animation director	玉川明洋 Akihiro Tamagawa

Screenshots on Filb.de

Pokémon Ranger and the Kidnapped Riolu! (Part 1) (Japanese: ポケモンレンジャー！波導のリオル！！(前編) Pokémon Ranger! The Wave-Guiding Riolu!! (Part 1)) is the 71st episode of the Diamond & Pearl series, and the 537th episode of the Pokémon anime. It aired in Japan in a one-hour special on March 20, 2008, the day that Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia was released. It and Pokémon Ranger and the Kidnapped Riolu! (Part 2) were released on DVD in Japan on June 20, 2008. It aired in the United States on November 1, 2008.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Synopsis

Template:Incomplete synopsis As the episode begins, an explosion is seen at a research facility. Several men are seen fleeing the premises with a Riolu. Building workers come out, saying the Riolu is a priceless research tool, and must be recovered. The kidnappers' Golem fires a blast at the building, and they escape on a passing truck with their boss inside. Riolu is put in the back. As the truck is moving, Riolu uses its aura abilities to hear the words spoken by the henchmen and a man with sunglasses, their boss. They say that they tricked Riolu into thinking they would bring it home. Upon hearing it, Riolu uses Aura Sphere on the truck's back door. The truck skids to a halt and Riolu escapes. The henchmen are ordered to find Riolu and bring it back. The man with sunglasses sees the might of Riolu's power, having broken through reinforced metal on the door, and says he wants its power for himself. Ash finds Riolu, and finds out it is hurt. Soon after, they meet Kellyn, a Pokémon ranger. Kellyn tells them his mission is to bring Riolu home. Pokémon hunter J's thugs find them, and attempt to steal Riolu. Hunter J uses her bracelet to attempt to freeze Riolu. Ash and the others jump in the river, and take out their Water-type Pokémon. Kellyn uses his Vatonage Capture Styler on a Floatzel, and they swim away. Riolu's little doll falls in the water. Riolu chases after it, but falls down into the river. Ash quickly rescues Riolu. Ash hears Hunter J near by, and runs away. J's Salamence fires Flamethrower everywhere in the forest surrounding Ash, Pikachu and Riolu. The episode then ends.

Major events

Ash and friends meet Kellyn.
Dawn meets Solana, learns about Pokémon Rangers, and learns that Ash can use Aura.
Ash and friends meet a special Riolu that can use Aura Sphere.

For a list of all major events in the animated series, please see the history page.

Debuts

Kellyn

Pokémon debuts

Characters

Humans

Ash
Brock
Dawn
Jessie
James
Kellyn
Solana
Officer Jenny
J
J's henchmen
Client
Client's henchmen
Scientist
Riolu's Trainer (flashback)

Pokémon

Japanese DVD art

Trivia

This episode, along with Pokémon Ranger and the Kidnapped Riolu! (Part 2), was based on the mission Rescue Kidnapped Riolu! in Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia, explained by the appearance of the special Aura Sphere Riolu and Kellyn.
This is only the third time blood has been seen in the anime, seen when Riolu blasts out the back of the truck and hurts its arm in the process.
Music from Pokémon Heroes and Lucario and the Mystery of Mew can be heard.
The Japanese name is a reference to an alternate translation of the Japanese name of Lucario and the Mystery of Mew: Mew and the Wave Guiding Hero: Lucario.
When the title Crossing Paths was revealed, several sources incorrectly believed it to be the dub title for this episode.
Details of the North American airing were made known by Nintendo Power.
This episode was preceded by Chim - Charred! in the dub due to it being held off until the release of Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia.
This is the first dubbed TV episode to not only retain all of its Japanese background music, but also use no American-made music (unless one counts The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon as a dubbed TV episode).
Professor Oak's Pokémon lecture: Pokémon Ranger

Errors

In the English dub when Ash chases after Kellyn and Riolu, Brock and Dawn tell Ash to wait, but only Brock's voice is heard.
When Ash is confronting J, J's left sleeve is colored the same as her jacket.

Dub edits

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		神奇寶貝保育家！波導的利歐路！！(前篇)
Czech		Pokémonový Ranger a unesený Riolu, první část
Dutch		Pokémon Ranger en de ontvoering van Riolu! Deel 1
Finnish		Pokémon Ranger ja kaapattu Riolu! Osa 1
European French		Pokémon Ranger : L'enlèvement de Riolu! Partie 1
German		Pokémon Ranger: Die Entführung von Riolu - Teil 1
Italian		Pokémon Ranger e il rapimento di Riolu (part 1)
Polish		Pokémon Ranger i porwany Riolu. Część 1
Portuguese	Brazil	O Patrulheiro Pokémon e o Riolu sequestrado! Primeira Parte
Portuguese	Portugal	O Ranger Pokémon e o Riolu Raptado! 1ª Parte
Spanish	Latin America	¡El Policia Pokémon y el rapto de Riolu! Primera Parte
Spanish	Spain	¡Pokémon Ranger, el Secuestro de Riolu! Primera Parte