As a baby Pokemon, Riolu is mostly a stepping stone. It eventually becomes Lucario, and that's where you want to end up. The Emanation Pokémon — cute, but not battle-ready. Only weak to Flying, Psychic, and Fairy.
Riolu's spread isn't flashy. Attack leads, Sp. Atk trails, 0 stats clear the bar. Moderately hard to find and worth 1 Attack EV, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
They communicate with one another using their auras. They are able to run all through the night.
It has the peculiar power of being able to see emotions, such as joy and rage, in the form of waves.
Riolu Weakness
AvgRiolu's Fighting typing leaves it vulnerable to Flying, Psychic, and Fairy moves. 3 weaknesses is about average, nothing too hard to play around.
Riolu is the baby form here. It evolves into Lucario by leveling up, but you can't breed it directly. Hatch one by breeding the evolved forms instead. The evolved forms gain up to 240 total stats over Riolu.
How to Evolve
Still unevolved, still relevant. Riolu's Eviolite bulk with a spread EV build EVs creates a defensive profile that punches above its stage. Prankster adds passive value. Copycat gives it offensive presence.
Best Build
Best Riolu Moveset
- Copycat
- Earthquake
- Drain Punch
- High Jump Kick
Recommended Teammates
Breadth over depth defines this movepool. Riolu won't stack one type's damage ceiling, but coverage across 12 types means it always has an effective option. Focus Punch and Close Combat anchor the STAB core.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Breadth over depth defines this movepool. Riolu won't stack one type's damage ceiling, but coverage across 12 types means it always has an effective option. Close Combat and Focus Blast anchor the STAB core.
Riolu's movepool balances level-up moves with TM options. Consistent STAB comes from Close Combat and Aura Sphere, and coverage across 10 types keeps opponents from switching in for free. No major gaps here.
The natural movepool does the job, but Agility and Bite from the egg pool give Riolu something extra. Pair those with Focus Punch and High Jump Kick for STAB and coverage across 8 types for reach, and the kit fills out nicely.
Riolu sits at low spawn rates across 16 spots in early-game routes. Pick one from the sorted list and commit to it. Jumping between areas wastes more time than waiting in the right location.
Best Locations
16 walking encounters at Lv. 12-65 for Riolu across Scarlet and Violet. A few locations are version-exclusive, so your copy of the game affects what's available.
Riolu doesn't appear in Legends: Z-A. Transfer it from Diamond, Platinum, or Scarlet to add it to your collection. Check the source games below for encounter details.
Riolu appears at decent spawn rates across 2 spots in mid-game routes. Sort by Best below if you want the highest rate, or Earliest if you want the quickest access point in your playthrough.
Best Locations
No wild encounters for Riolu in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. It's available in Diamond, Platinum, or Scarlet and can be transferred over. The details below show where to find it.
Riolu is not available as a wild encounter in this game.
Catch in the wild in:
Then trade to Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl.
Also found in:
Riolu isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Lucario to unlock its full potential. At 285 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
Riolu evolves into Lucario by leveling up. Riolu is the base form of this evolutionary line.
Run Prankster on Riolu. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Riolu also gets Steadfast and Inner Focus, but they don't compare.
Riolu fills the balanced role. It's leaning toward the physical side (base 70 Attack). At base 60 Speed, it won't be moving first often. And it's fragile — can't afford to take many hits.
Riolu appears in 14 games, including Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver, and Diamond & Pearl.
Riolu first appeared in Diamond & Pearl and has been available in 14 games across 6 generations. Obtainable through catching or hatching as a base form in most titles where it appears.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDPDebut
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A