
Is Riolu Good in X & Y Playthrough?
Fighting with AbilitySteadfast. Wild in Kalos. Friendship during the day for Lucario. If you don't want to wait for Korrina's gift Lucario, you can raise your own, but the gift comes with Lucarionite.
Riolu trades roughly evenly with Viola's team.
Riolu resists most of Grant's coverage and hits back hard.
Riolu trades roughly evenly with Korrina's team.
Riolu trades roughly evenly with Ramos's team.
Riolu trades roughly evenly with Clemont's team.
Riolu trades roughly evenly with Valerie's team.
Olympia's team hits Riolu's weaknesses hard.
Riolu has the type edge here and should clean up Wulfric's team.
Malva's team hits Lucario's weaknesses hard.
Lucario has the type edge here and should clean up Wikstrom's team.
Lucario trades roughly evenly with Drasna's team.
Lucario trades roughly evenly with Siebold's team.
Lucario has the type edge here and should clean up Diantha's team.
Catch Riolu on Route 22 (walking, Lv 6-7, rare).
Friendship is usually high enough before you reach Malva.
How to Get Riolu in X & Y
Finding Riolu at moderate rates takes patience. 4 spots are available in early-game routes, but the rate difference between them matters. Lock in the top one from the sorted list below.
Where To Catch Riolu in XY
Riolu is your first catch on the way to Riolu. You'll find walking and gift encounters from Lv. 6-32 across 6 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Riolu ✓Route 22Lv.6-7GrassRate 5%Route 22Lv.25-26GrassRate 5%Yellow Flower
Step 2Catch or Evolve into LucarioTower of MasteryLv.32Gift from NPCLimitedGift from Korrinaor evolve from Riolu (Step 1)
Riolu Weakness
Riolu's Fighting typing leaves it vulnerable to Flying, Psychic, and Fairy. 3 weaknesses is about average, nothing too hard to play around.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Flying, Psychic, Fairy |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Bug, Rock, Dark |
What is Riolu Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Riolu
Flabébé Fairy | D | |
Ralts PsychicFairy | C | |
Combee Bug | D | |
Fletchling Normal | D | |
Pidgey Normal | D | |
Ninjask Bug | B | |
Gallade PsychicFighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Gallade builds →Aerial Ace 2x94-112%KO Confusion 2x73-87% | ||
Aerodactyl Rock | B | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift | ||
Archen Rock | C | |
Obtain MethodAmbrette Town Gift | ||
Kadabra Psychic | A | |
Duosion Psychic | B | |
Sigilyph Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Sigilyph builds →Synchronoise 2x227-269%KO Air Cutter 2x116-136%KO | ||
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Gardevoir builds →Moonblast 2x212-249%KO Confusion 2x112-132%KO | ||
Drifblim Ghost | C | |
Hawlucha Fighting | B | |
Drifblim Ghost | C | |
Exeggutor GrassPsychic | C | |
Duosion Psychic | B | |
Sigilyph Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Sigilyph builds →Synchronoise 2x227-269%KO Air Cutter 2x116-136%KO | ||
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Gardevoir builds →Moonblast 2x212-249%KO Confusion 2x112-132%KO | ||
Drifblim Ghost | C | |
Exeggutor GrassPsychic | C | |
Duosion Psychic | B | |
Sigilyph Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Sigilyph builds →Synchronoise 2x227-269%KO Air Cutter 2x116-136%KO | ||
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Gardevoir builds →Moonblast 2x212-249%KO Confusion 2x112-132%KO | ||
Kadabra Psychic | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Kadabra builds →Future Sight 2x277-326%KO Dazzling Gleam 2x123-146%KO | ||
Drifblim Ghost | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Drifblim builds →Fly 2x150-177%KO Psychic 2x109-129%KO | ||
Reuniclus Psychic | B | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Reuniclus builds →Future Sight 2x285-337%KO | ||
Sigilyph Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Sigilyph builds →Synchronoise 2x243-287%KO Air Slash 2x152-180%KO Dazzling Gleam 2x109-129%KO | ||
Hawlucha Fighting | B | |
Mewtwo Psychic | S | |
Obtain MethodUnknown Dungeon Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Mewtwo builds →Future Sight 2x347-409%KO Aerial Ace 2x87-103%KO | ||
Drifblim Ghost | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Drifblim builds →Fly 2x149-176%KO Dream Eater 2x122-144%KO | ||
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Gardevoir builds →Future Sight 2x289-340%KO Moonblast 2x229-269%KO | ||
Kadabra Psychic | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Kadabra builds →Future Sight 2x279-329%KO Dazzling Gleam 2x124-146%KO | ||
Delphox FirePsychic | B | |
In X & Y, Clefable's Moonblast hits Riolu for 84-99%. Salamence threatens a KO with Outrage (158-186%). Alakazam's Psychic also KOs at 129-152%.
Clefable Fairy | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Guard ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Clefable builds →Moonblast 2x84-99% | ||
Salamence Dragon | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityMoxie ItemLum Berry NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Salamence builds →Earthquake88-104%KO Outrage158-186%KO | ||
Alakazam Psychic | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Guard ItemFocus Sash NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Riolu View Alakazam builds →Psychic 2x129-152%KO Focus Blast57-67% Shadow Ball38-45% Dazzling Gleam 2x76-90% | ||
Riolu Evolutions
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. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
XY Riolu Best Moveset
Fighting at 70 Attack with AbilityPrankster giving priority status moves. Fairy resists Fighting this generation. The moveset fires at pre-evolution levels with new obstacles. Lucario gained a Mega form this generation.
Best Build
Riolu best EVs are HP and Sp. Def
Bulky Support Moveset
- Copycat
- Protect
- Swords Dance
- Reversal
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
The natural movepool does the job, but Agility and Bite from the egg pool give Riolu something extra. Pair those with High Jump Kick and Focus Blast for STAB and coverage across 8 types for reach, and the kit fills out nicely.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
It uses the shapes of auras, which change according to emotion, to communicate with others.
The aura that emanates from its body intensifies to alert others if it is afraid or sad.
Riolu X & Y Guide
In X & Y, Riolu does the job early-game if you need a Fighting type on your team. Evolve it into Lucario before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.
Game Availability
Riolu first appeared in Diamond & Pearl and has been available in 14 games across 7 generations. Obtainable through catching or hatching as a base form in most titles where it appears.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB

Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS

Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS

Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG

FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DPDebut

Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS

HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW

Black & White - Gen 5B2W2

Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY

X & Y - Gen 6ORAS

Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM

Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM

Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE

Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh

Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP

Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV

Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW

Winds & Waves