So, you're trying to evolve your Riolu in Pokemon Black 2, huh? It's not as simple as just leveling up, guys. Riolu is one of those special Pokemon that needs a little bit of love and care to reach its full potential and evolve into the awesome Lucario. Let's dive into exactly what you need to do to make that happen. This comprehensive guide will cover everything from understanding the evolution mechanism to practical tips for maximizing your Riolu's happiness. Understanding these nuances will not only help you evolve Riolu but also deepen your understanding of Pokemon mechanics overall. This detailed approach ensures that you're well-equipped to tackle similar evolution challenges in other Pokemon games as well.

Understanding Riolu's Evolution

Riolu doesn't evolve by level alone. The key to evolving Riolu into Lucario is its happiness, or more accurately, its friendship stat. In Pokemon Black 2, friendship is a hidden value that ranges from 0 to 255. Riolu needs a friendship of at least 220 to evolve. But here's the catch: it only evolves when it levels up during the day. This means you can't just grind levels at night and expect it to evolve. Time of day matters, and that adds a layer of complexity to the process. Several factors influence friendship, and understanding these is crucial for efficient evolution. These include battling with Riolu, giving it certain items, and avoiding actions that decrease its happiness, such as letting it faint frequently. Each of these actions contributes differently to the friendship stat, making a balanced approach necessary.

Time of Day Matters

As mentioned earlier, Riolu will only evolve when leveled up during the daytime. In Pokemon Black 2, daytime is generally considered to be between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM, but it's best to check your in-game clock to be sure. Make sure your Nintendo DS or 3DS system is set to the correct time to ensure this works correctly! This time-sensitive aspect means you need to plan your training sessions accordingly. If you're playing late at night, you'll need to wait until morning before attempting to level up Riolu for evolution. This restriction adds a strategic element to the game, encouraging players to be mindful of the in-game environment and its impact on Pokemon evolution. Furthermore, understanding the day-night cycle is important for other aspects of the game, such as encountering specific Pokemon or triggering certain events.

Increasing Riolu's Friendship

Okay, so how do you actually make Riolu love you enough to evolve? There are several methods, and combining them is the most effective way to boost its friendship quickly.

Battling With Riolu

Keeping Riolu in your party and battling with it is one of the easiest ways to increase its friendship. The more it participates in battles, the more it will like you. Try to use Riolu in important battles, like against Gym Leaders or challenging trainers, as these seem to give a bigger boost than random wild encounters. Also, avoid letting Riolu faint in battle, as this will decrease its friendship. A strategic approach to battling, focusing on type matchups and move effectiveness, can ensure that Riolu gains experience and friendship without frequently fainting. Additionally, using items like X Attack or X Defense during battles can help Riolu survive tough encounters, further preventing it from fainting and maintaining its high friendship level.

Giving Riolu Items

Certain items can significantly boost Riolu's friendship. Here’s a list of items that you can give to Riolu to increase friendship:

• Vitamins: Items like Protein, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, and HP Up will give a significant boost to friendship, especially if Riolu's stats are low enough to benefit from them. These vitamins not only improve Riolu's stats but also its affection towards you. However, their effect diminishes as Riolu's stats increase, so it's best to use them early on.
• Berries: Certain berries, like Pomeg, Kelpsy, Qualot, Hondew, Grepa, and Tamato Berries, can increase friendship. These berries also lower specific EVs (Effort Values), so use them strategically if you're EV training. Berries are a great way to manage both friendship and EV training simultaneously.
• Luxury Ball: Catching Riolu in a Luxury Ball from the start will give it a small, passive boost to friendship gains. This ball is designed to make Pokemon more friendly, so it's a great choice for Pokemon like Riolu that require high friendship to evolve. The Luxury Ball provides a constant, albeit small, increase in friendship, making it a worthwhile investment.

Walking With Riolu

Just having Riolu in your party as you walk around the Unova region can also increase its friendship, although the effect is smaller compared to battling and giving items. The more steps you take, the more Riolu will appreciate being with you. This method is passive but effective over time. Exploring different areas of the Unova region while keeping Riolu in your party can make the process more enjoyable.

Avoiding Actions That Decrease Friendship

Just as important as increasing friendship is avoiding actions that decrease it. Here’s what to avoid:

• Letting Riolu Faint: As mentioned earlier, letting Riolu faint in battle significantly decreases its friendship. Always heal it when its HP is low and consider using items like Potions or Super Potions to keep it healthy.
• Using Bitter Medicine: Avoid using bitter medicine like Energy Powder, Heal Powder, Energy Root, and Revival Herb. While they heal Riolu, they also drastically reduce its friendship. Stick to Potions and other less bitter healing items.
• Trading Riolu: Trading Riolu to another game and then trading it back can reset its friendship. Avoid trading it unless absolutely necessary.

Checking Riolu's Friendship

So, how do you know if Riolu is happy enough to evolve? Pokemon Black 2 doesn't give you a direct numerical value for friendship, but there's a Friendship Checker who can give you an estimate. This NPC is located in the Pokemon Fan Club in Icirrus City. Talk to her with Riolu in your party, and she'll give you a phrase that indicates its friendship level.

Here's what the phrases mean:

• "It's quite cute" or similar: Low friendship.
• "It's friendly towards you" or similar: Medium friendship.
• "It likes you a lot. I can tell!" or similar: High friendship, but not quite enough to evolve.
• "It adores you! It can't possibly love you more!" or similar: Maximum friendship, ready to evolve!

Keep checking back with the Friendship Checker as you raise Riolu's friendship to monitor your progress. This feedback is essential for knowing when you're on the right track and when you need to adjust your approach. The Friendship Checker's dialogue provides valuable insights into Riolu's emotional state, helping you fine-tune your training strategy.

Evolving Riolu: The Final Step

Once the Friendship Checker tells you that Riolu adores you and can't possibly love you more, you're ready to evolve it! Make sure it's daytime in the game, then level it up by battling or using a Rare Candy. If its friendship is high enough and it's daytime, Riolu will evolve into the magnificent Lucario! If it doesn't evolve, double-check that it's daytime and that the Friendship Checker gave you the highest friendship rating.

Using Rare Candies

While battling is a good way to level up Riolu and gain additional experience, using a Rare Candy can be a quick way to trigger the evolution once you've maxed out its friendship. Rare Candies instantly level up a Pokemon, so they're perfect for this purpose. You can find Rare Candies throughout the game or obtain them through certain events or methods. However, some players prefer to level up through battles to gain additional stat boosts, so the choice is yours.

Troubleshooting

If Riolu isn't evolving, here are some common issues and solutions:

• Incorrect Time: Make sure your DS or 3DS system's clock is set correctly and that it's daytime in the game.
• Insufficient Friendship: Keep working on raising Riolu's friendship by battling, giving it items, and avoiding actions that decrease friendship.
• Wrong Level: While friendship is the primary factor, Riolu still needs to level up to trigger the evolution. Ensure you're leveling it up after reaching high friendship.
• Game Glitches: In rare cases, there might be a glitch. Try restarting your game or system.

Conclusion

Evolving Riolu into Lucario in Pokemon Black 2 requires a bit of effort and attention to detail, but it's well worth it. By understanding the friendship mechanic, using the right methods to increase friendship, and avoiding actions that decrease it, you'll have your own Lucario in no time. Good luck, and happy training!