So, you've got a Riolu in your Emerald Rogue playthrough and you're ready to evolve it into the powerful Lucario? Excellent! This guide will walk you through the simple, yet often misunderstood, process of evolving this Fighting-type Pokémon. Unlike some Pokémon that evolve through level-ups or trading, Riolu's evolution requires a specific condition to be met.
Understanding Riolu's Evolution Requirements
Riolu evolves into Lucario only when it's exposed to high friendship (Happiness). That's it! No special items, no specific moves, just a strong bond between you and your Riolu. This can be a bit tricky as there is no in-game happiness meter in Emerald Rogue (or many ROM hacks). Instead, we need to rely on methods known to increase friendship.
Proven Methods to Boost Friendship
- Consistent Battle Usage: This is the most reliable method. Use your Riolu in every battle you can. Winning battles while Riolu is actively participating boosts friendship significantly. Even if it faints, it still earns friendship points.
- Using Vitamins: While not as efficient as battle experience, vitamins like Carbos, Protein, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, and PP Up will steadily increase your Riolu's happiness. These can be purchased at various Poké Marts throughout the game.
- Avoid Letting Riolu Faint: While Riolu still gains happiness from fainting, it's substantially less compared to winning battles. Try to protect your Riolu as much as possible.
- Walking with Riolu: Keep Riolu in your party as often as possible, even outside of battles. The more steps you take together, the greater your bond will grow.
Checking for Evolution Readiness
Since there's no visual indicator of happiness in Emerald Rogue, the only way to know if your Riolu is ready to evolve is to attempt to level it up. If the evolution occurs, congratulations! You've successfully raised your Riolu's friendship. If not, continue using the methods above and try again after more battles and bonding.
Troubleshooting: My Riolu Isn't Evolving!
If you've been using the above methods consistently and your Riolu still isn't evolving, consider these points:
- Are you using a legitimate Emerald Rogue ROM? Corrupted ROMs can sometimes interfere with evolution mechanics.
- Have you leveled it up sufficiently? Riolu needs to be at a certain level before it can evolve. Be sure to check the level requirements for Riolu's evolution in your specific version of Emerald Rogue (it may vary slightly across versions).
Maximizing Your Lucario
Once you have successfully evolved your Riolu into Lucario, remember to train it effectively. Lucario is a powerful Pokémon with a great movepool, so make sure you're taking advantage of its strengths!
This guide provides a solid foundation for evolving your Riolu. Remember, patience and consistent effort are key! Happy training!
