How to Evolve Riolu into Lucario in Pokémon Brick Bronze: A Comprehensive Guide

Evolving Riolu into Lucario in Pokémon Brick Bronze, a fan-made Pokémon game on Roblox, requires a bit of dedication and understanding of the game’s mechanics. Unlike some Pokémon that evolve simply by leveling up, Riolu’s evolution depends on its friendship (also known as happiness) level. This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough on how to maximize Riolu’s friendship and successfully evolve it into the powerful Lucario.

## Understanding Friendship (Happiness) in Pokémon Brick Bronze

Friendship, or happiness, is a hidden stat in Pokémon games that determines how fond your Pokémon is of you. A Pokémon with high friendship will perform better in battle, occasionally landing critical hits, enduring attacks that would otherwise knock it out, or shaking off status conditions. For Riolu, high friendship is the *only* way to trigger its evolution into Lucario.

Before you start your evolution journey, it’s crucial to understand the mechanics that influence friendship. Several actions can increase or decrease a Pokémon’s friendship:

* **Positive Actions:**
* **Leveling Up:** Each level gained increases friendship slightly.
* **Using Vitamins:** Giving your Pokémon vitamins like HP Up, Protein, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, and Carbos significantly boosts friendship. These items can be purchased at department stores.
* **Walking/Traveling with the Pokémon:** Simply having Riolu in your party while you travel around the world increases its friendship gradually.
* **Winning Battles:** Participating in and winning battles with Riolu in your party boosts its friendship.
* **Using Soothe Bell:** Holding the Soothe Bell increases the friendship gained from all actions by 50%.

* **Negative Actions:**
* **Fainting in Battle:** Letting Riolu faint in battle significantly decreases friendship.
* **Using Bitter Items:** Giving your Pokémon bitter items like Energy Powder, Energy Root, Heal Powder, and Revival Herb drastically lowers friendship. Avoid these at all costs when trying to evolve Riolu.
* **Storing in the PC:** While the impact is minimal, frequently storing Riolu in the PC can slightly reduce its friendship over time.

## Step-by-Step Guide to Evolving Riolu into Lucario

Follow these steps to efficiently raise Riolu’s friendship and evolve it into Lucario:

### 1. Obtain a Riolu

First and foremost, you’ll need a Riolu. Riolu is found in specific locations within the game. In Pokémon Brick Bronze, Riolu is found at:

* **Obsidian Cave**: Riolu is found as a rare spawn in Obsidian Cave, so be prepared to spend some time to find it. It’s located on Route 7.

### 2. Obtain the Soothe Bell (Optional but Highly Recommended)

The Soothe Bell is an item that increases the rate at which your Pokémon gains friendship. Obtaining it will significantly speed up the evolution process. Here’s how to get the Soothe Bell:

* **Seaport City**: In Seaport City, there is a house with a lady who will give you the Soothe Bell. This city can be accessed after defeating the second gym in the game.

Equip the Soothe Bell to Riolu by going into your inventory, selecting the Soothe Bell, and then selecting “Give” and choosing Riolu.

### 3. Add Riolu to Your Party

Make sure Riolu is in your active party. It doesn’t need to be the first Pokémon, but it must be in your party to gain friendship.

### 4. Avoid Negative Actions

This is crucial! Make sure to avoid any actions that decrease friendship:

* **Do not let Riolu faint in battle.** Always heal it before it’s knocked out. If it’s about to faint, switch it out for another Pokémon.
* **Do not use bitter items** like Energy Powder, Energy Root, Heal Powder, or Revival Herb on Riolu. Use potions, super potions, hyper potions, or max potions instead.
* **Minimize storing Riolu in the PC.** Only store it when absolutely necessary.

### 5. Maximize Positive Actions

Focus on actions that increase Riolu’s friendship:

* **Level Up Riolu:** Train Riolu by battling wild Pokémon and trainers. The more levels it gains, the higher its friendship will become. Focus on battling weaker Pokémon to avoid fainting.
* **Use Vitamins:** Give Riolu vitamins like HP Up, Protein, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, and Carbos. These can be purchased at department stores in major cities. Each vitamin significantly boosts friendship.
* **Walk/Travel with Riolu:** Simply keep Riolu in your party while exploring the world. The more steps you take, the more its friendship will increase.
* **Win Battles with Riolu:** Use Riolu in battles against trainers and wild Pokémon. Winning battles with Riolu participating boosts its friendship. Again, prioritize battles that are less likely to cause Riolu to faint.

### 6. Check Riolu’s Friendship Level

Unfortunately, Pokémon Brick Bronze doesn’t have a dedicated friendship checker like some other Pokémon games. However, you can get a general idea of Riolu’s friendship level based on its behavior and performance in battle.

* **Battle Performance:** As Riolu’s friendship increases, it will start exhibiting behaviors like landing critical hits more often, enduring attacks that would normally knock it out, and shaking off status conditions (like paralysis or poison) more easily. These are good indicators that its friendship is rising.
* **Affection Messages (In other Pokemon games, but helpful to keep in mind):** While not present in Brick Bronze, in many core series games, talking to certain NPCs will give you hints about your Pokemon’s friendship. The absence of this feature in Brick Bronze makes the process more about consistent positive reinforcement.

### 7. Level Up Riolu During the Day

Riolu only evolves into Lucario when leveled up *during the daytime*. Pokémon Brick Bronze uses a real-time clock, so the game’s day and night cycle correspond to the actual time of day where you are. The daytime usually lasts from around 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, but this may vary slightly depending on your location and the game’s internal clock.

Once you believe Riolu has reached maximum friendship and it’s daytime in the game, level it up by battling a Pokémon or using a Rare Candy. If its friendship is high enough, it will evolve into Lucario!

**Important Note:** If Riolu does not evolve when leveled up during the day, it means its friendship is not yet high enough. Continue increasing its friendship by following the steps above and try again.

## Additional Tips and Tricks

* **Patience is Key:** Evolving Riolu into Lucario takes time and effort. Don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t evolve immediately. Just keep following the steps and be patient.
* **Rare Candies:** If you have access to Rare Candies, they can be a quick way to level up Riolu without risking it fainting in battle. However, obtaining Rare Candies can be challenging.
* **Utilize Healing Items:** Always carry a good supply of potions, super potions, and hyper potions to heal Riolu during battles. This will prevent it from fainting and decreasing its friendship.
* **Focus on Weaker Opponents:** When training Riolu, choose weaker opponents that are less likely to knock it out. This will allow you to level it up safely and consistently increase its friendship.
* **Monitor the Clock:** Pay attention to the in-game clock to ensure you are leveling up Riolu during the daytime. If you level it up at night, it will not evolve, even if its friendship is high enough.

## Troubleshooting Common Issues

* **Riolu Not Evolving:** If Riolu is not evolving even after you’ve followed all the steps, the most likely reason is that its friendship is not high enough. Continue increasing its friendship and try again during the daytime.
* **Unsure About Friendship Level:** Since there is no friendship checker in Pokémon Brick Bronze, it can be difficult to know for sure when Riolu’s friendship is high enough. Look for signs of increased battle performance, such as landing critical hits more often or enduring attacks that would normally knock it out.
* **Accidentally Used a Bitter Item:** If you accidentally gave Riolu a bitter item, its friendship will decrease significantly. You will need to work extra hard to raise its friendship back up. Avoid bitter items at all costs.
* **Day/Night Cycle Issues:** Make sure your game’s clock is properly synced. If the game thinks it’s night when it’s actually daytime, Riolu will not evolve. Check your system settings to ensure the time is correct.

## Lucario: A Powerful Addition to Your Team

Once you’ve successfully evolved Riolu into Lucario, you’ll have a powerful and versatile Pokémon on your team. Lucario is a Fighting/Steel-type Pokémon with high attack and special attack stats. It is capable of learning a wide variety of moves, making it effective against many different types of opponents.

Some of Lucario’s best moves include:

* **Aura Sphere:** A powerful Fighting-type special attack that never misses.
* **Close Combat:** A high-damage Fighting-type physical attack, but it lowers Lucario’s defense and special defense.
* **Metal Claw:** A Steel-type physical attack with a chance to raise Lucario’s attack.
* **Dragon Pulse:** A Dragon-type special attack that provides coverage against Dragon-type Pokémon.
* **Psychic:** A Psychic-type special attack for coverage against Fighting and Poison-type Pokemon

Lucario is a valuable asset in battles against gyms, trainers, and wild Pokémon. Its dual typing provides resistance to many common types, and its high attack stats allow it to deal significant damage. With the right moveset, Lucario can be a key member of your team.

## Conclusion

Evolving Riolu into Lucario in Pokémon Brick Bronze requires dedication and a good understanding of the friendship mechanic. By following this comprehensive guide, avoiding negative actions, maximizing positive actions, and leveling up Riolu during the day, you’ll be well on your way to obtaining this powerful and beloved Pokémon. Good luck, and happy training!