DP116

The Drifting Snorunt! (Japanese: 吹雪の中のユキメノコ ！ in a Snowstorm!) is the 116th episode of Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl, and the 582nd episode of the Pokémon animated series. It first aired in Japan on February 26, 2009 and in the United States on July 25, 2009.
==Blurb==
Team Rocket is lost in a blizzard when a Froslass comes to their rescue. Our heroes are stranded in that same blizzard, trying to reach Snowpoint City, when Froslass invites them into a warm, cozy cabin. But when Froslass prepares a hot bath for Piplup, it turns out to be an icy trap, and the cabin is revealed to be an illusion! Froslass has trapped Piplup in ice, and it already kidnapped Meowth by using the same trick on Team Rocket. But why? Froslass wants Team Rocket and our heroes to go look for its friend, a missing Snorunt. A human betrayed its trust once, and now it doesn't trust people at all—so it's holding Meowth and Piplup hostage, just in case!
To help Froslass and restore its faith in people, Ash promises to help find Snorunt no matter what. And after our heroes and Team Rocket collide in the forest while searching for Snorunt, they decide to work together. But just as they find Snorunt, a Glalie hits them with a surprise attack. It uses Leer to stun Snorunt so it can take it and fly away. Ash and Dawn try to battle Glalie with Chimchar and Buneary, but Glalie is just too strong. Then its Trainer, a poacher, drives up on a snowmobile and tells them he's hunting Snorunt to sell on the black market!
Those are fighting words, but Glalie is a tough match for Chimchar, Buneary, and even Team Rocket's Carnivine and Yanmega. Ash won't give up; Chimchar, the group's only Fire-type, puts up a brave fight against Glalie, yet it just can't seem to win. When Froslass sees the battle and how hard Ash and Chimchar are fighting for Snorunt, it leaps into the battle and helps Chimchar take down Glalie and its Trainer. Now that Snorunt and Froslass are together, Froslass releases Meowth and Piplup, then apologizes. No apologies needed, though; Ash and his friends wave a friendly farewell as they continue on to Snowpoint City.
==Plot==
While tailing and through Sinnoh's mountains, becomes lost and disorientated in a blizzard. Suddenly, a appears and James checks his deck of cards to find out what Pokémon she is. The Froslass beckons to them and Team Rocket follows her.
Meanwhile, Ash's group is caught in the same blizzard. They find a row of large rocks to sit on, sheltered by a small overhang of stone and seek refuge underneath. brings forth and hugs her to gain warmth. gets a brainwave as well and calls . Ash tells it to use to make a fire, but just as the fire is up, some snow from above falls on it, extinguishing the flame. Suddenly, a Froslass appears out of the blizzard. Dawn looks up the Pokémon her Pokédex and within moments the blizzard seems to die down. A cabin appears behind Froslass, and she beckons for the three Trainers to join her inside. While a warm fire makes for a homely atmosphere, Froslass prepares some bowls of hot soup for the group and runs a hot bath for the Pokémon. gets permission from Dawn to get in the hot bath.
Suddenly, as Piplup splashes in the tub, he becomes frozen in a block of ice. Froslass ends its illusion, and the group finds themselves sitting in an ice cave, eating shaved ice on leaves. deduces that Froslass must have been causing them to hallucinate. Ash commands Chimchar to use Flamethrower to free Piplup, but Froslass uses to cut at the ice freezing Piplup. Dawn deduces that Froslass must be threatening them not to attack her. Her eyes glow blue and is brought forth, frozen in a block of ice just like Piplup. Meowth explains that Team Rocket had also fallen into Froslass's trap. He reveals that he is being held hostage while his teammates brave the cold conditions to find Froslass's lost friend . Similarly, Froslass intends on keeping Piplup until Snorunt is found. Ash surprises Froslass by telling her she had no need to capture Piplup and that they would go and find Snorunt all the same. However, Froslass refuses to give Piplup back. Meowth translates that the last human she trusted took off and tried to steal her Snorunt friend. Ash reassures Froslass that they will bring back Snorunt and they set off. 
During the search, spots Snorunt as does who flies back to inform Ash. The group and Team Rocket run after Snorunt from opposite directions. At a bend in the road, the two groups bump into each other. Brock talks the two parties into working together, and they split up to find Snorunt. They soon corner Snorunt, who is running down the road. The try to convince Snorunt to come with them just as a strikes them all down. Out of the smoke comes a . Dawn checks it out on her Pokédex. Glalie attacks them with another Hyper Beam. It then uses on the defenseless Snorunt, then pick it up and goes off. The group and Team Rocket follow. James then tells to use , which hits Glalie. Chimchar uses which hits as well, causing Glalie to drop Snorunt. Buneary then tries to use Ice Beam, but Glalie dodges and uses Hyper Beam which hits both Chimchar and Buneary.
A man then drives up on a snowmobile, identifying himself as Glalie’s Trainer and says that Snorunt are very valuable on the Pokémon Black Market. Brock says that he must be a poacher and the human that had betrayed Froslass's trust. The confirms Brock's suspicions as he stows Snorunt into a cage towed behind his snowmobile. Ash tells the poacher that he will win Snorunt back, and even Team Rocket side with him since without Snorunt, they won't get Meowth back. The poacher commands Glalie to use Hyper Beam. Ash has Chimchar counter with Flamethrower resulting in an explosion. Glalie emerges from the smoke and uses Leer to immobilize Chimchar. Buneary then approaches and at Dawn's command, uses . Glalie s itself and counters with Hyper Beam. James then tells Carnivine to use while Jessie calls out to use . Glalie dodges both attacks and replies with Hyper Beam. It hits, but James tells Carnivine to use Bullet Seed. However, Glalie uses Protect, and counters with . It knocks both Yanmega and Carnivine into their Trainers while Snorunt watches on. Ash tells Chimchar to use Scratch and Dawn orders a from Buneary. Both attacks hit in succession. Glalie then uses Hyper Beam, which both dodge. Glalie follows with Gyro Ball which Chimchar manages to dodge but hits Buneary, knocking her out. As Dawn tends to Buneary, Ash has Chimchar underground and land a sneaky . It uses Dig and follows up with Flame Wheel again. Meanwhile, Froslass is looking for Snorunt, and she sees some flames in the distance. When Chimchar tries to use Dig for the third time, Glalie stops it and blasts it into the air with a Hyper Beam.
Having seen the flash of fire, Froslass appears behind a tree and watches the battle unfold. Ash commands a Scratch, but Glalie uses Protect and strikes back with Gyro Ball. Chimchar takes a direct hit. Chimchar gets to its feet again, but is knocked down by another Gyro Ball. Froslass, touched by this display of courage, emerges and rushes right up to Glalie to attack with . Snorunt cheers up at the sight of Froslass. Ash asks if Froslass wants to help Chimchar, and she nods. Ash tells Chimchar to use Flame Wheel, while Froslass uses . Both attacks hit, knocking the poacher and his Glalie into the side of Snorunt's cage, which unlatches. Snorunt climbs out and runs directly into Froslass's embrace. They lock the poacher and Glalie in the cage after saying that Officer Jenny would come soon.
Froslass also keeps her side of the deal. Returning to the ice cave, Froslass thaws the ice around Meowth and Piplup. As translated by Meowth, Froslass says that although her intentions to find Snorunt were good, she apologizes and admits that she should never have kidnapped Meowth and Piplup. She continues to say that as a token of her appreciation, she would give them directions to town. With Ash and his friends’ backs turned, Team Rocket decides now is the perfect chance to grab . As they approach to do so, they slip on the snow and fall backwards, rolling down the slope in a large snowball. The group are none the wiser before bidding Froslass and Snorunt farewell.
==Major events==
===Debuts===
====Pokémon debuts====
=====TV episode debuts=====
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==Characters==
===Humans===
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* Jessie
* James
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===Pokémon===
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* ('s)
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==Trivia==
* Professor Oak's Big Pokémon Examination: 
* A Small Thing and music from Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea are used as background music.
* When this episode's script was revealed by 's Japanese voice actor Rica Matsumoto, it was labeled as episode 114 of Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl. The "official" episode count used by Shogakukan differs from the count used by TV Tokyo and Bulbapedia, likely due to DP048 not being counted (as it is a clip show), and Pokémon Ranger and the Kidnapped Riolu! Parts 1 and 2 being counted as one continuous episode by the production crew.
* doesn't recite their in this episode.
* Every time appeared from the blizzard, a sound effect was used, which is somewhat similar to her in-game cry.
* This episode draws inspiration from Japanese folklore— is based on a yukinko, said to be the child of a , the spirit is based on. In many versions of the story, yuki-onna are said to lure children away to make them freeze to death.
===Errors===
* Froslass uses in this episode, a move that she cannot legally learn.
* When is explaining what happened to , Froslass speaks, but her mouth doesn't move.
* In the and dubs, Froslass is referred to as a male multiple times, even though it can only be female.
===Dub edits===
* The dub referred to Froslass and as friends rather than mother and child.
==In other languages==
116
Category:Episodes written by Yukiyoshi Ōhashi
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Masamitsu Hidaka
Category:Episodes storyboarded by Tamayo Yamamoto
Category:Episodes by multiple storyboarders
Category:Episodes directed by Akio Hosoya
Category:Episodes animated by Yūsaku Takeda
Category:Episodes focusing on Meowth
Category:Episodes focusing on Piplup
de:Schneppke vermisst!
es:EP585
fr:DP116
it:DP116
ja:DP編第116話
zh:宝可梦 钻石＆珍珠 第115集