Lucario

Lucario
File:448-Lucario.jpg National Pokédex Riolu - Lucario (#448) - Hippopotas Sinnoh Pokédex Riolu - Lucario (#116) - Wooper
Japanese name	Lucario
Evolves from	Riolu
Evolves into	None
Generation	Fourth
Species	Aura Pokémon
Type	Fighting / Steel
Height	3 ft 11 in (1.2 m)
Weight	119.0 pounds (54.0 kg)
Ability	Inner Focus / Steadfast

Lucario (ルカリオ, Rukario) is one of the Template:Pokenum species of Pokémon creatures from the multi-billion-dollar Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. The main purpose of Lucario in the games, anime, and manga, as with all other Pokémon, is to battle both wild Pokémon, untamed creatures encountered while the player passes through various environments, and tamed Pokémon owned by Pokémon trainers.

Its name, when spelled out in katakana, is believed to be a corrupted anagram of the word oracle (オラクル, orakuru). It may also be an altered form of the Latin word 'Lupus', meaning 'Wolf', or other words in different languages derived from the same root (eg. 'Loup' in French). Lucario has the appearance of a anthropomorphic canine bearing some resemblance to the ancient Egyptian deity Anubis; or a jackal, coyote, wolf, fox in the Canidae family.

In the video games

Lucario is a Pokémon that appears in the Nintendo DS versions of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl; this Pokemon can only be obtained through evolution. It evolves by leveling Riolu up at a high happiness level during the day time(between 4:00 am and 8:00pm). Its type combination is Steel and Fighting, a new type combination as of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Oddly enough, because Steel is weak to fighting, Fighting attacks are super effective against Lucario. Lucario has two possible Pokémon abilities: "Inner Focus", a trait that prevents flinching (this does not work with the "flinching" effect of Focus Punch), or "Steadfast", which causes Lucario's speed to be raised if it flinches. Its Attack and Special Attack statistics are very high, along with an above average Speed stat. This makes Lucario a very formidable opponent, seeing as it can usually attack first and deal large amounts of damage (often referred to as "sweeping"). On the other hand, its Defense and Special Defense are average. Lucario is the only Pokémon able to learn a "Bone" move, Bone Rush, other than Cubone, Marowak (and Smeargle by the move Sketch).

Lucario is used by Maylene, the third Sinnoh Gym Leader, a tag-team partner known as Riley, and by Cynthia, Sinnoh's Elite Four Champion.

Lucario is mentioned in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. If a player gains 15,000 Rescue Points, they will reach "Lucario Rank", and a Lucario statue will be placed next to the player's rescue base. Alakazam also refers to Lucario after the initial story is cleared, saying that his exploits as a rescue team leader are legendary. He says that he wants to be like Lucario because he is so heroic.

Many people mistook Lucario for a legendary Pokémon before Diamond and Pearl were released, because of its mysterious role in the movie Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew and because it can talk using telepathic powers, use a powerful bomb attack called Aura Sphere (which can be learned by other Legendary Pokémon like Giratina, Mew, and Mewtwo ), and it has a similar body structure to the legendary Pokémon Mewtwo.

Following an accidental leak in a recent trailer, it is believed that Lucario will be appearing as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

In the anime

In the opening sequence to the American dub of Pokémon: Advanced Battle, Lucario is seen resting against a tree with Mew flying around. Lucario has also made several cameo appearances, one of which was in the 9th season, Pokémon Battle Frontier.

Lucario appears in the eighth Pokémon movie, Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. In the movie, Lucario is a servant to a nobleman named Sir Aaron in a Renaissance-themed city called Cameron Palace. Aaron had trained this Lucario to manipulate aura (it should be noted that according to the games, this is an innate ability of the entire species). Lucario thinks of Sir Aaron as both his master and close friend. After Aaron traps him in a magic staff at the film's outset, Lucario begins questioning any Pokémon-human relationship (a theme explored before with Mewtwo in Pokémon: The First Movie). Lucario demonstrates an adeptness to Aura. The Lucario in the movie, voiced by Sean Schemmel can also speak human languages without telepathy, the fifth speaking non-legendary Pokémon after Team Rocket's Meowth. Even though according to the movie Lucario sacrificed himself in order to save the Tree of Beginning, whether he truly died is unknown, since at the end of the movie, he appears with Sir Aaron eating a chocolate bar. It is widely thought that it is the second official Pokémon death, the first one to be Latios in Pokémon Heroes.

A poster has been released showing the Sinnoh Gym Leaders and some of their Pokémon; one such Pokémon pictured being Lucario. (The others include Roserade and Floatzel), and it appears in Maylene's possession at the Veilstone City Gym to correspond with the games.

Lucario is seen standing with Palkia and Dialga in the current opening sequence of the American version of the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl television show.

In the Trading Card Game

Currently, one Lucario card is available outside of Japan. There is also a Lucario Lv. X card that has been released in the card set Diamond and Pearl: Mysterious Treasures.

Relationships

Sir Aaron

Sir Aaron was Lucario's friend and master, or until the day that the Queen's kingdom was under attack. Lucario couldn't see, but knew Aaron sealed him in his staff. Lucario had thought Sir Aaron betrayed him and thought all humans are terrible. When helping Mew and the Tree of Beginning, Lucario realized that humans aren't half bad and Aaron never betrayed him. Aaron died just to save the kingdom, as did Lucario. He realized the real reason Aaron imprisoned him in the staff was to proptect him from dying in the same, deadly state as he did.

Ash

Ash and Lucario had a rocky road with their relationship. First of all, Lucario sensed Ash's aura was like Aaron's and accused him for what Aaron did: abandoned the Queen and betraying him. Then, when Lucario thought Ash was someone else, he put him in a headlock and told him had no friends or wanted any. The next night, Lucario accused all humans the same: we couldn't be trusted! Ash confronted him about saying if he couldn't be trusted by Lucario. Then, Ash accused Lucario that he abandoned Aaron and the Queen. Lucario was shocked that Ash would accuse him to do such a horrible deed. He began talking about maybe Pikachu ran off because it didn't want Ash as its trainer. Ash couldn't hold in his anger and sprang at Lucario. The two of them fought in the river until Lucario tossed Ash to the other side and walked off. The next day, Ash realized that Lucario was right about Aaron betraying him and apologized for what happened and the things he said the previous night. Lucario told Ash to promise him never to desert Pikachu and Ash did. When Lucario sensed the Regirock, he leapt at Ash to get them both out of Regirock's way.

When Regice attacked Ash, Lucario protected him at all costs. When they were in the Tree of Beginning, Lucario decided to help Ash find Pikachu and comented that Ash would do the same thing for him. At the same time Pikachu called for Ash, he ran through the tunnel left of where he and Lucario were going through. Lucario tried to stop Ash, but he had already up through the tunnel. Later, when the Regirock, -steel, and -ice caught up to Kidd, Lucario, and Ash, Lucario failed to protect Ash and Kidd from the Tree of Beginning's white blood cells from gobbling them up. After Mew saved Ash and his friends, it became sick. Ash and Lucario used their auras to save Mew and the Tree of Beginning, but Lucario shoved Ash out of the way to save his life one more time before Lucario sacrificed his to save everyone.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Lucario was recently confirmed to be a character in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Nintendo made a mistake in a Japanese commercial for the game by showing what stickers go to whom, and Lucario's icon appeared with a Groudon sticker.

External links

• Official Pokémon website
• Lucario as a species on Bulbapedia (a Pokémon-centric wiki)
• Template:Serebiidex
• PsyPoke Pokédex entry