Pokemon Legends: Arceus is considered to be one of the best Pokemon games for the Nintendo Switch. It strays from the usual elements of Pokemon mainline games but maintains a lot of the familiar mechanics we used to love.
The game takes place in Hisui, Sinnoh Region’s old name in ancient times. However, a lot of people wonder: how to evolve Riolu in Pokemon Legends: Arceus?
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Riolu is a Fighting-type Pokemon introduced in Generation IV. While it’s not a mythical or legendary Pokemon, many trainers prefer adding a Riolu to their team.
Riolu’s evolution form Lucario is a Fighting/Steel-type Pokemon with an excellent movepool and can mega evolve into a more powerful brawler.
Additionally, Riolu has a rather unconventional way of evolving — there’s no way you can turn it into a Lucario by leveling up or using an evolution stone.
Editor’s Note (February 6, 2024): Every trainer would agree that the first thing to do if you encountered a wild Riolu is to capture it. With it’s evolved form, you easily have one of the most versatile sweepers in the game. In Legends Arceus, evolving it won’t be a difficult task, especially if you understand how its evolution works.
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Table of Contents
Where to Find Riolu in Pokemon Legends Arceus?
Riolu has an uncommon encounter rate for most games and it’s going to be the same for Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
Riolu can be found in Alabaster Icelands, specifically in Icebound Falls and Snowfall Hot Spring. A bunch of Riolu may also spawn in those locations during mass outbreaks.
Riolu will spawn at any time of day, in all types of weather, and will have a level from 24 to 56.
How to evolve Riolu in Pokemon Legends Arceus
Prior to Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Riolu will evolve upon reaching a specific Friendship rate or level.
From Gen IV to VIII, the required Friendship level for Riolu is just around 220. The Max Friendship for those games is 255 but Riolu doesn’t need that much Friendship to evolve.
All you have to do is reach the said amount of Friendship. An icon (see image below) with the text “Can Evolve” is an indication that Riolu will evolve the next time it levels up.
How to Increase Friendship in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Now that you know how to evolve Riolu in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, it’s time to learn how to increase Riolu’s Friendship in order for it to evolve.
The level doesn’t matter as long as you get the sign that your Riolu is ready to evolve when it has the right level of Friendship.
There is a friendship checker NPC named Bellamy located in Jubilife Village. You can unlock this feature by doing Bellamy’s requests and you can check how much Friendship your Pokemon needs to evolve.
Here are several ways to increase Riolu’s Friendship:
1. Keep It in the Party
Keeping Riolu at your party will increase its Friendship level. Even if you don’t use it, it will increase, but not a lot compared to other methods. However, having it in your party can do the job in case your Riolu is not yet strong enough to win battles.
2. Let It Battle
If it’s already in the party, letting Riolu fight and win increases its friendship level. There’s a belief that you should just keep your Pokemon alive during the battle and keep it healthy.
3. Give it Some EXP Candies
While the level doesn’t matter, giving your Riolu some EXP candies can make it happy.
Just to be clear, EXP candies only give a specific amount of EXP. It doesn’t instantly level up a Pokemon like the Rare Candy from the previous games.
There are also different sizes of Candies. The bigger the candy, the more EXP the Pokemon can get.
These EXP candies can be bought from the Jubilife Village Candy Stand. They can also be found in some places or obtained through quest rewards. An EXP Candy isn’t that rare to find anyway.
Editor’s Note: Friendship in Pokemon is formerly known as ‘Happiness.’
Frequently Asked Questions
What level does Riolu evolve in Legends: Arceus?
Evolving Riolu doesn’t require any level, all you have to do is raise its Friendship until it’s ready to evolve.
How do I check my friendship level in Legends: Arceus?
Unlock Bellamy the NPC from Jubilife Village and you can have him check the Friendship level of your Pokemon.
In Closing
Now that you know how to evolve Riolu in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and do the muscle work to turn it into a mighty Lucario! It all boils down to your patience and effort if you really want to evolve your Riolu.
The other thing is that there might be other Pokemon in Legends: Arceus that you may want to improve the Friendship for. Use the same tips we mentioned above so you can raise their Friendships as well.
Getting a Riolu remains a good investment, so even if you just get one, you’ll be good for the rest of the game much as how it was back in Generation IV.
