With many of the Pokemon available in the Hisui Dex overlapping with the original Sinnoh Dex from Diamond & Pearl, Riolu and its evolved form Lucario are among the fan-favorites from Gen IV that trainers can get in the newly released Pokemon Legends Arceus. Not only that, but players also have the chance to catch the giant-sized Alpha Lucario directly in the Hisui wilderness. Here's a guide on where to find Riolu, how to evolve it into Lucario, and how to catch Alpha Lucario in PLA.
Where to find Riolu in Legends Arceus
If you want to spot Riolu for Dex research purposes or have a strong Pokemon in Lucario as part of your team, you'll have to wait until you unlock the fifth area, Alabaster Icelands—a chilly mountain landscape filled with snow and darkness. To do that, you first have to take down the fourth Frenzied Noble Pokemon, the extremely strong versions of ‘mons (or essentially boss battles) that Legends Arceus has added to make the Hisui adventure much different from past titles in the franchise.
Moreover, you need Hisuian Sneasler (the new evolved form of Sneasel) on your team to climb up the mountain, as the ‘mon carries you around in a basket. (For a guide on how to unlock this new rideable Pokemon, follow the steps here!)
Follow the steps below to find and catch Riolu in Alabaster Icelands. Do note though that the wild Pokemon will probably be at around level 45 or higher, so make sure your own Pokemon are quite decently leveled. If not, it's a good idea to have Berry or other food items on hand as a more strategic way to try and “tame” Riolu rather than trying to battle it head on.
How to catch Riolu without battling it
- Head over to Alabaster Icelands once you have access to the wintery tundra. Move west and climb up the mountain using Hisuian Sneasler.
- Move forward until you reach Icebound Falls and follow the valley path.
- Watch out for other wild Pokemon because they can alert Riolu to your presence, making it much harder for you to use a stealth strategy to catch the Fighting-type.
- Crouch or sneak your way through the snow-covered grass until you spot Riolu.
- Be extremely stealthy and careful as you inch your way closer to Riolu, making sure that you're using the patches of grass available in the area.
- Throw a Berry a safe distance away so that Riolu moves over to the food. Keep crouching and try to position yourself behind the ‘mon while it is distracted by the food.
- While Riolu has its back facing you, throw a Pokeball of your choice (perhaps a Great Ball or Ultra Ball to increase your chances). Make sure to aim at Riolu's back and then immediately sneak back into the grass.
- In case Riolu breaks free from the Pokeball, the good thing is you'll still be hidden in the grass, so you can repeat the above steps, hopefully without triggering a battle if you're not ready for it.
- If you do have a Pokemon on your team that is at a comparable level to the wild Riolu, you can be a little less stealthy. Instead, try to whittle the ‘mon down in battle and catch it that way.
Evolve Riolu into Lucario in Legends Arceus
The method for evolving Riolu into Lucario has always been a unique one, requiring a high friendship level. That hasn't changed in Legends Arceus, but in fact the new game makes it a bit more challenging for trainers to try and boost their friendship status with their Pokemon, especially for higher-level ‘mons. You can check your friendship status by talking to an NPC at the entrance to the Pastures in Jubilife Village.
Trainers will have to be patient with this one. Make sure you always keep Riolu as part of your team as you continue your adventure around Hisui, catching and battling wild Pokemon. You might find that the best way involves just grinding and encountering many Pokemon while keeping Riolu in your party so that you accumulate friendship points. Once you reach a high enough level of friendship, you can only evolve Riolu in the daytime to transform it into Lucario.
How to catch Alpha Lucario in Legends Arceus
If you want two Lucarios—a “normal” one and a gigantic, enraged version—or you want to skip the trouble of boosting your friendship, you won't have to look far to find Alpha Lucario in Legends Arceus. Trainers can encounter the evolved form at Icebound Falls in Alabaster Icelands.
- Once you reach Icebound Falls (after using Sneasler to go up the mountain), don't go down the valley path. Instead, turn left and then use Sneasler again to climb a frozen waterfall.
- This part of the mountain has a more icy appearance than the snowy grass where you found Riolu.
- At the mountain top, keep following the path eastward until you spot Alpha Lucario.
- Just like with Riolu, you have to be extra sneaky when approaching Alpha Lucario to avoid alerting it and triggering a fight. So, keep your distance and crouch your way to Lucario.
- Throw an Oran Berry to distract Lucario.
- Be strategic about where you throw the food, so that the Alpha Pokemon has its back turned to you when it goes to pick up the berry.
- Approach Lucario from behind and throw a Gigaton Ball at its back.
- Make sure not to get too close because you still want to be able to dash away to a safe area or find a patch of grass to hide in case Lucario breaks free from the ball.
- A new addition to PLA, Gigaton Balls give you a higher chance of catching Alpha Pokemon specifically.
- Repeat the above steps until you catch Alpha Lucario.
That's how you can get Riolu and Lucario in Legends Arceus. Do you plan to add this Pokemon to your team? If you're trying to find a Shiny variant instead, check out our guide to Shiny hunting in PLA.
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