Japanese Title: Pokémon Ranger! The Wave-Guiding Riolu (Part One)
Original Airdate: March 20, 2008
US Airdate: November 1, 2008
Things are getting pretty heated for Ash.
On their way to Pastoria City and Ash's 4th Gym Battle, Ash and friends meet a mysterious Riolu who is not only injured but can use Aura Sphere without evolving. Soon they meet a Pokémon Ranger named Kellyn who has been tasked to help return Riolu to its kingdom after it was kidnapped a while back. Can Ash and co. successfully escort Riolu even when they have to fight the likes of Pokémon Hunter J?
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Aura Vision: Both Ash and Riolu can use Aura to communicate with each other and its how Ash learns more about Riolu and helps Riolu trust Ash more.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: The group of people who went to rescue Riolu presented themselves as people from Riolu's kingdom by placing the insignia on their clothes but in reality they were nothing more than thieves who were trying to take Riolu for themselves. But unfortunately for them Riolu overheard them and unsurprisingly left as soon as it knew the truth.
- The Bus Came Back:
- Solana returns after previously appearing during Advanced Generation.
- Hunter J once again returns for a new mission to capture Riolu for a new client.
- Call-Back: When J corners Ash at the end, she reminds him that she previously warned him to stay out of her way.
- Cliffhanger: The episode ends with Ash, Riolu, Pikachu, and Buizel barely escaping J's Salamence's flames.
- Continuity Nod: This episode once again brings up the fact that Ash can use Aura which was first established in Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.
- Darker and Edgier: Not that Hunter J wasn't nasty before but here in this special cements how she'd be willing to kill to get her target. She not only burned down the forest Ash and Riolu was hiding in, but launched a Flamethrower from her Salamence directly at them.
- Even Evil Has Standards: J's henchmen only want to capture Ash, not kill him. They look rather frightened when J tells them she has a better idea to smoke out Ash and Riolu, before she sets the forest ablaze.
- For Science!: Apparently why Riolu was abducted from the Lucario Kingdom; its kidnappers refer to it as a "priceless research tool."
- Guest-Star Party Member: Kellyn joins the group temporarily to help a Riolu return to his kingdom.
- Kick the Dog: J does it big time when she burns down a whole forest (with many Pokémon living in it) just to capture Riolu.
- It Was a Gift: Riolu's main reason of why he considers his wooden doll so important is because he received it from the man who raised it.
- Memento MacGuffin: Riolu carries around a little wooden doll, a gift from its caretaker. Ash retrieving the doll after it gets lost in the stream helps him to gain Riolu's trust.
- MacGuffin Escort Mission: Ash and his friends find Riolu early on in the episode and must bring him to the randevu point with Officer Jenny and Solana. Of course Hunter J and her henchman won't make this easy.
- Merchandise-Driven: This two part special is clearly meant to promote Riolu the preveolved form of Lucario who appeared previously appeared earlier in the anime as well as Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew and Kellyn the male protagonist Pokémon Ranger Shadows of Almia.
- Mood Whiplash: A comical scene of Team Rocket discussing their pit trap is interrupted by a massive forest fire erupting around them.
- Multi-Part Episode: This is a two part special focusing on Ash and Riolu.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: While it's understandable why Riolu goes after his wooden doll, it ultimately leads to him getting separated from most of the trainers who were protecting him as Ash is the only one left.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Due to those thugs bragging about tricking Riolu, unknown to them it overheard and learned the truth and later escaped.
- Psychotic Smirk: Hunter J makes a terrifying one right before setting the forest on fire.
- Reflexive Response: While Ash had good intentions when approaching an injured Riolu, his first instinct is to attack him and it takes a while before it grows to trust him. This is because he recently escaped after being helped by people who claimed to be nice only to reveal their true nature causing him to be weary of trusting other people outside his kingdom.
- Sentimental Homemade Toy: Riolu's most precious (and only) possession is a little wooden Riolu doll that its human caretaker carved for it. It only begins to trust Ash after he saves the doll from being swept away in a river.
- Super-Persistent Predator: J doesn't hesitate to burn down an entire forest with her Salamence's Flamethrower to smoke out Riolu.
- Threatening Shark: Hunter J's henchmen command a bunch of Sharpedo to attack Ash and friends while they are trying to escape with Riolu down a river.
- There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Even though they thought hiding in the forest would be a great way to hide from J and her men, they fail to account that J would be willing to do what ever it takes to get Riolu. That includes burning down a whole forest with the sole intent on finding them and as well as attempting to murder anyone who gets in her way.
- Trauma Conga Line: First, Riolu is kidnapped from his kingdom and locked up by people who want to use him for scientific purposes. Then, he's "freed" by a rival group, only to find out that they were going to keep him for themselves. And now that he's free, Hunter J is after him. Brock lampshades this, saying that it's not too surprising Riolu is slow to trust others.
- Would Hurt a Child: J does it multiple times. First, she has her Salamence send a hail of rocks at Ash's group when they're in the water, then she starts a massive forest fire around Ash and orders Flamethrower to be used directly on him.
- You Are Number 6: Riolu's kidnappers refer to it as "RX1."
