Where to Find & Catch Riolu in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Riolu has always been a popular fan-favorite in the Pokemon community and a viable Fighting-type choice to add to your team. However, finding Riolu in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is more challenging than you’d hope. Luckily, we know exactly where to do so, so follow along to learn where to find and catch Riolu in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet.

Where Riolu Is in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Explained

Riolu can be found roaming in South Province (Area Four). This is the only location in the game where you can discover it. On top of this, Riolu is a rare Pokemon with a low spawn rate, meaning it may take a while until you stumble across one, but when you do, it’ll be more than worth it! Once Riolu spawns on the map, you should be able to spot one reasonably easily as you explore by looking out for its blue body color. You can check out the map below for the specific areas of South Province (Area Four) that Riolu inhabits, with your best bet being the grass and mountain biomes across this highlighted location.

How to Evolve Riolu in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Once you catch your Riolu, you can start looking to train it up and evolve into Lucario for a powerful asset to your team. Riolu will evolve into Lucario through the friendship system during the daytime, meaning trainers will have to take the time to bond with their Riolu.

Here are all the methods of increasing friendship in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet:

• Use Picnic Mode to bathe, play and feast on sandwiches with your Riolu.
• Use the Let’s Go mechanic and have Riolu travel on foot alongside you
• Feed your Riolu berries that increase the friendship bond between you (Tamato, Qualot. Pomeg, Kelpsy, Hondew and Grepa Berries work great here!)

However, if you’d prefer to skip raising Riolu and jump straight into catching Lucario at a higher level, you can also attempt to seek one out in South Province (Area 4). Alongside this, you can also find Lucario in South Province (Area Six) and North Province (Area 1 & 2). Lucario tends to spawn around the rocky and mountain biomes, so you should focus your search within these areas of the listed locations.

That’s everything you need to know about where to find and catch Riolu in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. For more tips, guides, and helpful information on the game, be sure to check out our other content, such as how to connect to Pokemon home, how to get the EXP Share, and where to find and catch Shroodle.