Skip To...
This week, players got access to the newest Pokémon game. Well, in this case, a remake of an older one: Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shing Pearl. As with the release of any Pokémon game, this is a time when players are diving into the world of magical creatures, anxiously anticipating finding their old favorites. Players whose favorites are Riolu or Lucario may find it a bit difficult as they can only be found in a very specific location of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shing Pearl.
The new game represents generation 4 of the Pokémon franchise, meaning when the game was first released on Nintendo DS in 2006, it added 107 new Pokémon to the mix, bringing the grand total to 493. These days, many games later, there are 893 Pokémon. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl originally introduced fan favorites Scizor and Tyranitar, and legendaries Palkia and Dialga. It was the addition of Pokémon Lucario and its pre-evolution Riolu which have become some of the most popular and recognizable Pokémon from that generation though.
How to Find Riolu in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
As the Pokémon Lucario is not prevalent in the wild, catching Riolu is the first job. This requires obtaining the move Surf which provides access to Canalave City. Naturally progressing through the story will give you Surf via Cynthia’s grandmother in Celestic Town. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean you can use it right away to travel. Initially, you can only use Surf in battle until the Pastoria City Gym Leader Crasher Wake is defeated. Once that is done, head to Route 218 and use Surf to travel west to Canalave City.
Southwest of the city, there is a sailor who helps players travel to Iron Island. On the second floor of a cave, you meet the NPC, Riley. Helping him beat Team Galactic in a series of double battles will grant you a Riolu Pokémon egg. Riley will hand it to you outside the cave once the teams are defeated. This is the only way to obtain a Riolu egg in Pokémon Brillant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
The egg will hatch by adding it to your party and either walking a certain distance or to quicken the process, simply riding around on the bike will do the trick.
Evolving Lucario in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
Riolu and Lucario are not your average Pokémon and therefore don’t hatch like many others. Players will need to raise their friendship level with Rioulu in order for it to evolve. This can be done by walking it outside of its Pokéball or feeding it berries. Achieving the first level of friendship and then having Riolu level up during the day (Switch clock 10 AM-7:59 PM), will trigger the evolution.
Related:
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl: Unlock Mystery Gifts Early
It may take a bit of effort, but as this is the only way to find Lucario or Riolu in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, as well as the fact that the Pokémon is a great opponent against the Elite 4 and Sinnoh Champion, it may just be worth it.
