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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. Ash and the others jump in the river, and take out their water Pokémon. Kellyn uses his Capture Styler on a Floatzel, and they swim away.

Major events

• Dawn meets Solana, learns about Pokémon Rangers, and learns that Ash can use Aura.
• Ash and co. meet Kellyn.

Debuts

• Kellyn

Pokémon debuts

• Riolu
• Floatzel

Characters

Humans

• Ash
• Brock
• Dawn
• Jessie
• James
• Kellyn
• Solana
• Officer Jenny
• J
• J's henchmen
• Client
• Client's henchmen
• Scientist

Pokémon

Japanese DVD art

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Buizel (Ash's)
• Piplup (Dawn's)
• Croagunk (Brock's)
• Salamence (J's)
• Crobat (J's henchmen's)
• Sharpedo (J's henchmen's)
• Golem (Client's henchman's)
• Floatzel
• Riolu (Seiyū: 西村ちなみ Chinami Nishimura)
• Nincada
• Ariados
• Vileplume
• Hoppip (2)
• Skiploom (4)
• Yanma (2)
• Oddish
• Gloom
• Budew
• Rattata
• Butterfree
• Pidgey (3)
• Pidgeotto
• Spearow
• Doduo (2)
• Mankey
• Bellsprout (2)
• Sunkern
• Nidorino
• Nidoran♀
• Nidoran♂
• Sandshrew
• Vibrava
• Drowzee (Scientist's; flashback)

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.
• Riolu uses Aura Sphere in this episode, an attack that Riolu are not normally able to learn, a fact which is realized by almost everyone in the episode.
• This is also 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).

Errors

• Prior to the TO BE CONTINUED... scene, Pikachu's right cheek is left uncolored.

Dub edits

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This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime.