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.
It’s exceedingly energetic, with enough stamina to keep running all through the night. Taking it for walks can be a challenging experience.
It can use waves called auras to gauge how others are feeling. These same waves can also tell this Pokémon about the state of the environment.
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 max Defense and Speed EVs creates a defensive profile that punches above its stage. Prankster adds passive value.
Best Build
Best Riolu Moveset
- Unknown
- Copycat
- Roar
Recommended Teammates
Breadth over depth defines this movepool. Riolu won't stack one type's damage ceiling, but coverage across 11 types means it always has an effective option. High Jump Kick and Focus Blast anchor the STAB core.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Finding Riolu at moderate rates takes patience. 8 spots are available in mid-game routes, but the rate difference between them matters. Lock in the top one from the sorted list below.
Best Locations
8 walking encounters at Lv. 28-65 for Riolu across Shield and Sword. A few locations are version-exclusive, so your copy of the game affects what's available.
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