DP169

Pokémon Ranger: Heatran Rescue! (Japanese: ポケモンレンジャー！ヒードラン救出作戦！！ Pokémon Ranger! Heatran Rescue Mission!!) is the 169th episode of Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl, and the 635th episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan as a 1-hour special on March 18, 2010, along with DP168 and in the United States on October 16, 2010.
==Blurb==
Lake Valor is the site of the Grand Festival, and the next stop for Ash and the gang. But on the way, they meet a Pokémon Ranger named Ben, who’s trying his hardest to capture a rare Heatran. The members of Team Rocket want in on the action, too, and vow to catch Heatran for themselves. Shortly after all the commotion, Ben is found. He has crashed into a river, only to be rescued by a Feraligatr.
Ben asks our heroes for help in capturing Heatran. They agree, and they all set off in anxious search of the special Pokémon. But soon after they discover Heatran in a lava-filled cave, the cave begins to crumble, compelling Ben, Ash, and the gang to jump into action! When the Team Rocket baddies realize they are in over their heads, they hightail it out of the cave. After moves from Piplup, Buneary, and Buizel cool down the lava, a final Ice Beam from Feraligatr chills the lava enough for Ben to rescue Heatran and begin transporting it to the National Park.
Thanking our heroes for their assistance, Ben and Heatran board a helicopter for their destination, and once again the journey toward Lake Valor and the Grand Festival continues!
==Plot==
Looking into a volcanic crater, is trying to capture a that knows . Just before he can capture it, a small earthquake takes place, making Heatran flee. Ben then captures a passing and uses it to chase after Heatran. However, as he finds Heatran, so does , who uses their RoboDiglett to break some boulders in order to stop Heatran in its tracks. Heatran quickly escapes, though Pidgeot gets struck instead, leading Ben to plummet into the river below. Using a Ranger Sign, he calls upon a to rescue him and take him downstream, which it successfully does.
Ben and Feraligatr take a dive down a waterfall, and the resulting splash alerts and , who are preparing lunch nearby. They rush over to the river, where Feraligatr tosses Ben onto the rocky banks. Ben makes a swift recovery and introduces himself as a Pokémon Ranger. He then panics after noticing that his Capture Styler is missing. Ben asks the group if they have seen Heatran, explaining to them that the Heatran he's looking for is special, as it can use Eruption, which a normal Heatran is unable to learn. He plans to take it to a National Park and requests the group's help, to which they gladly agree. Meanwhile, Team Rocket locates Ben's Capture Styler downstream and plans to use it to capture Heatran for .
Ben leads Ash and his friends up a mountain in his search for Heatran. He pauses to feel the ground several times to check the temperature for warmth, as Heatran only live near volcanoes. The field technique leads them directly to a cave where the ground is especially warm. Without them noticing, Team Rocket also follows them inside. As the group ventures deeper, they spot a lake of magma and Heatran, whose Ability is absorbing the heat from below. Ben is frustrated as he doesn’t have his Styler on him, and he cannot use a Poké Ball to complete his mission.
Team Rocket appears again with their RoboDiglett and recites their . James then tries to use the Capture Styler, but fails. Ben explains that he's the only one who can use it. uses the RoboDiglett to try to capture Heatran with a net, but Heatran stops it with Eruption. However, the blow causes some of the cavern wall to collapse. Sensing Heatran is in trouble, Ben bravely heads down towards the magma, and he is already beginning to suffer pain from the intense conditions. suggests they cool things down, so Ash and send out , , and for the task. Ben takes the Capture Styler back from James, but the floor under him crumbles and he almost falls into the magma below. uses on Team Rocket, causing Meowth to drop the RoboDiglett remote into the lava, causing the mecha to go out of control. Heatran subsequently destroys the RoboDiglett with Eruption. When Heatran is about to fall into the magma, Ben summons Feraligatr to use on it, solidifying it. Thanks to this, Heatran survives the fall mostly unscathed. As more rocks descend, Team Rocket promptly exits the cave to safety.
Ash and Dawn quickly recall their Pokémon, and order Ben to get out. Ben pleads with Heatran to listen to him and reassures it of its safety. Using his Capture Styler, Ben soon captures it. After making a successful escape, Ben contacts his waiting helicopter to be picked up. Ben thanks the group for their help before leaving to escort Heatran to the National Park.
==Major events==
* and meet , a .
===Debuts===
====Humans====
=====Main series debuts=====
* 
====Pokémon debuts====
=====TV episode debuts=====
* 
==Characters==
===Humans===
* 
* 
* 
* Jessie
* James
* (fantasy)
* 
* Ben's grandfather (flashback)
* Helicopter pilot
===Pokémon===
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* ()
* 
* 
* 
==Trivia==
* There is no Professor Oak's Big Pokémon Examination following this episode, instead being replaced by a trailer for the thirteenth movie.
* Despite having being made a by in the Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs specials, Ukulele Pichu does not appear in this episode.
* Music from Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias, Destiny Deoxys, and Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea is used as background music.
* This episode marks one of the rare occasions in which a member of refers to one of the main protagonists by name. In this case, Jessie refers to .
* This is the only main series episode featuring Pokémon Rangers to not feature Solana.
* Similar to the previous two specials (Pokémon Ranger - Deoxys' Crisis! Parts 1 and 2, and Pokémon Ranger and the Kidnapped Riolu! Parts 1 and 2), the English dub of this episode followed a different order than that of the Japanese version when first aired. Specifically, it aired between A Grand Fight for Winning! and For The Love Of Meowth!, so as to be closer to the release of its respective Ranger game, in this case Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs.
* In the standard original order this episode was first broadcast in Japan, this episode comes after Keeping In Top Forme!. In reruns and digital home video releases in Japan and elsewhere, as well as all international dubs including the 13th season of the English dub, this episode is considered to be DP168 with Keeping In Top Forme! being considered as DP169.
** Unlike Pokémon Ranger and the Kidnapped Riolu! Parts 1 and 2, this episode was returned to its original position in the English dub's season (as seen on Pokémon.com) after the first airing.
* Unlike the previous Pokémon Rangers specials, this was a standalone episode instead of a two-parter.
===Errors===
* In the dub, Ben calls "".
===Dub edits===
* In the original Japanese version, the narrator mentions during the opening and closing monologues that the gang are on their way to Valor Lakefront for the Grand Festival. However, due to the dubbed episode being postponed so it could air nearer the release of Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs (at which point was now on the way to Sunyshore City), both speeches are changed so that the group's destination isn't mentioned.
* In the English dub, when he is talking about his grandfather, Ben says that he told him that it was better to try than cry, which means that someone can either try and get things done, or sit around and complain, and that if they don't succeed, they could try again. In the original Japanese version, his grandfather told him that if he comes across a problem that makes him not know whether to leap forward or break down and cry, he should choose the former, which means that he should live without regrets.
* In the English dub, Ash tells Ben that Team Rocket is only there for one job, and Ben asks if they protect peace and justice for people and Pokémon. Ash responds by saying that they steal people's Pokémon. In the original Japanese version, Ash says that Team Rocket uses Pokémon for the sake of the world. Ben misconstrues that as meaning they fight for the sake of the world, and he says that would make him and Team Rocket rivals.
* In the English dub, Ben calls James a thief for taking his Capture Styler. In the original Japanese version, James calls Ben a thief instead.
==In other languages==
169
Category:Episodes written by Junki Takegami
Category:Episodes storyboarded and directed by Masaru Koyama
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Masaru Koyama
Category:Episodes directed by Masaru Koyama
Category:Episodes animated by Tomohiro Koyama
Category:Episodes in which a Legendary Pokémon appears
de:Heiß, heißer, Heatran!
es:EP638
fr:DP169
it:DP169
ja:DP編第169話
zh:宝可梦 钻石＆珍珠 第166集