Lucario Guide for Pokémon Infinite Fusion — Stats, Best Fusions & How to Get It

Few Pokémon earn their reputation on every possible front. Lucario is fast enough to outspeed most of the story, hits hard from both the physical and special sides, has one of the best defensive typings in the game, and — crucially for Pokémon Infinite Fusion — inherits its moves and abilities onto any fusion that uses it as material. It is the closest thing the game has to a “do everything” Pokémon, and in version 6.7.2 it is just as dominant as it has always been.

This guide covers everything you need: Lucario’s base stats and abilities, how to catch Riolu in Infinite Fusion, how Riolu evolves (it works differently here than in the official games), how to train and use Lucario on your team, its best fusion combinations as both head and body, how to get Mega Lucario, and answers to the most common questions. This is a fan-written guide, not an official resource.

Lucario at a Glance

• National Dex: #448
• Type: Fighting / Steel
• HP: 70
• Attack: 110
• Defense: 70
• Sp. Attack: 115
• Sp. Defense: 70
• Speed: 90
• Total: 525
• Abilities: Steadfast, Inner Focus — Hidden: Justified

That stat spread is the headline: 110 Attack and 115 Special Attack on the same Pokémon, with 90 Speed backing both. Most sweepers commit to one attacking stat. Lucario doesn’t have to, and that makes it unpredictable for opponents and extremely flexible for fusions. The Fighting/Steel typing is one of the best in the game — it resists nine types and is only weak to Fighting, Fire, and Ground. If you haven’t installed the game yet, you can download Pokémon Infinite Fusion from our download page and start hunting Riolu yourself.

Why Lucario Is One of the Best Pokémon in Infinite Fusion

Lucario has three things going for it at once. First, raw power: 110 physical Attack with Close Combat, Meteor Mash, and Extreme Speed, plus 115 Special Attack with Aura Sphere, Shadow Ball, and Flash Cannon. Second, typing: Fighting/Steel walls huge portions of the Kanto and Johto gym leaders, taking neutral or resisted damage from almost everything while hitting back super-effectively. Third, and most important for this game, it is a premium fusion material. Its moves, abilities, and mixed attacking stats pass cleanly into fusions, and its body donates Fighting/Steel typing plus excellent coverage to anything you splice onto it.

Its abilities deserve attention too. Inner Focus prevents flinching, which matters against Fake Out users and flinch-heavy bosses. Steadfast raises Speed when flinched — a nice consolation. The hidden ability Justified raises Attack when hit by a Dark-type move, which turns Knock Off spammers into setup fodder. When you fuse Lucario, the fused Pokémon’s ability comes from one of the parents, so an ability check on the Riolu you catch is worth doing — use the Infinite Fusion Dex to preview which ability a fusion will end up with.

How to Get Riolu in Pokémon Infinite Fusion

Lucario itself does not appear in the wild reliably, so you catch its pre-evolution Riolu and evolve it. In version 6.7.2 there are two solid ways to find Riolu, both on the late-Kanto/early-Johto stretch of the map:

Poké Radar on Route 23

The most reliable method is the Poké Radar on Route 23. Riolu appears here at level 25, and a “long rustle” radar patch can give you up to a 50% encounter rate — dramatically better than random grass. If you already have the Poké Radar from the earlier questline, head to Route 23, walk through the grass, and target the long rustling patches. Bring plenty of Ultra Balls: Riolu’s catch rate of 75 is decent but not generous, and you want a good nature.

Wild grass encounters

Riolu also appears as a rare wild encounter in the Route 23/Route 26 area, at roughly levels 20–31, with higher encounter rates at dusk (roughly 8 PM to 5 AM in-game time). It is not a common spawn — around a 5% rate during the day — so the Poké Radar method is strongly recommended over blind grass grinding. For more on radar mechanics and shiny chaining while you hunt, see our Shiny Hunting Guide.

One practical tip: catch two or three Riolus. One will become your Lucario, but extras are valuable fusion material later — a spare Riolu can be spliced with anything to give the fusion Fighting-type STAB without sacrificing your main Lucario. For strategy advice on which partners pair best, our Best Fusion Combinations guide covers the theory.

How Riolu Evolves Into Lucario (Infinite Fusion Changes This)

In the official Pokémon games, Riolu evolves through high friendship during the day. Pokémon Infinite Fusion changes this: Riolu evolves into Lucario at level 20, plain and simple. No friendship grinding, no Soothe Bell, no daytime requirement.

This is one of several evolution simplifications in Infinite Fusion — friendship evolutions in particular were converted to level thresholds, since tracking friendship across hundreds of potential fusions would be impractical. If you’re checking evolution methods for other Pokémon, the Infinite Fusion Dex lists each species’ method. Just level your Riolu to 20 (Exp. Share or grinding against Route 23 trainers does it quickly) and you get Lucario.

A note on timing: don’t rush the evolution if Riolu learns a move you want early that Lucario learns later or never. Check both learnsets in the Dex first — in practice, though, most players evolve immediately since Lucario’s movepool is broader and stronger.

Training Lucario: Natures, EVs, and Movesets

Lucario’s dual attacking stats mean you choose a lane: physical, special, or mixed. Each has a clear best nature and EV spread.

Physical attacker

Nature: Adamant (best for pure power) or Jolly (to outspeed base-100 threats). EVs: 252 Attack / 252 Speed / 4 HP. Moves: Close Combat, Meteor Mash (or Iron Head for accuracy), Extreme Speed for priority, and Swords Dance for setup. This is Lucario’s classic role — it OHKOs huge portions of the story content after a single Swords Dance, and Extreme Speed picks off faster weakened threats.

Special attacker

Nature: Modest or Timid. EVs: 252 Sp. Attack / 252 Speed / 4 HP. Moves: Aura Sphere (never misses, Fighting STAB), Shadow Ball, Flash Cannon, and Nasty Plot. The special set surprises opponents who switch in physical walls expecting Close Combat, and Nasty Plot + Aura Sphere sweeps teams that lack special bulk.

Mixed attacker

Nature: Naive or Hasty. EVs: 252 Attack / 128 Sp. Attack / 128 Speed (or a full speed split). Moves: Close Combat, Aura Sphere, Extreme Speed, and a coverage move like Shadow Ball or Ice Punch. The mixed set is the least predictable — opponents can’t safely switch a wall into you because you threaten both sides. This is also the set most players end up with naturally before committing to a nature with mints.

Defensively, Lucario wants its HP and one defense stat patched if you’re using it as a fusion body — its base 70/70 physical bulk is its weakest point. Hold items: Life Orb for sweeping, Choice Scarf to fix the 90 Speed tier, or Focus Sash for guaranteed setup turns. If you’re planning a full team around Lucario, test compositions in the Team Builder first.

Best Fusions With Lucario

Lucario is one of the few Pokémon that works brilliantly as both the head and the body in a fusion. The rule of thumb: as the head, the fusion keeps Lucario’s movepool and offensive identity; as the body, it donates the Fighting/Steel typing and stat spread to a partner’s movepool. Preview every combination with the Fusion Tool and check the exact stats with the Fusion Calculator before committing your DNA Splicers — remember, unfusing is free, so experimentation is cheap.

Lucario as the head

• Lucario head + fast physical body (e.g. Weavile, Aerodactyl): keeps Lucario’s coverage while borrowing a blazing Speed stat and sometimes a better defensive typing. Weavile’s body adds Ice/Dark STAB options and priority synergy.
• Lucario head + bulky body (e.g. Snorlax, Hippowdon): trades some Speed for real bulk, letting Lucario set up Swords Dance or Nasty Plot safely. Snorlax’s HP stat fixes Lucario’s frailty problem almost completely.
• Lucario head + Gengar body: absurd special attacking stats with Ghost/Fighting coverage and Levitate-style immunity potential. One of the most popular offensive fusions in the game — see our Gengar Guide for the other half of this pairing.

Lucario as the body

• Special sweeper head + Lucario body: gives frail special attackers like Alakazam or Gengar Fighting/Steel defensive typing and Extreme Speed priority. The body donates 90 base Speed and strong mixed offenses to any head.
• Dragonite head + Lucario body: Dragon/Fighting coverage with Steel resistances — extremely few safe switch-ins, and Multiscale-style bulk from the head pairing. Our Dragonite Guide covers the head side in detail.
• Mewtwo head + Lucario body: a post-game monster — Psychic/Fighting coverage with genuine bulk and priority. Check our Mewtwo Guide if you’re building toward this.

General principle: because Lucario’s stats are so balanced, it rarely ruins a fusion. That makes it the safest “first experiment” material for players learning the fusion system — fuse it, check the result, and reverse it for free if you don’t like it. Our Triple Fusions guide explains how to take strong two-way fusions like these even further in the late game.

Mega Lucario

Lucario has a Mega Evolution — Mega Lucario, triggered with the Lucarionite. Mega Lucario jumps to 145 Attack and 140 Special Attack with 112 Speed, and its ability becomes Adaptability, which boosts same-type moves to devastating levels. In Infinite Fusion, Mega Evolution works the same way it does for other species: obtain the mega stone, give your Lucario (or Lucario fusion) the ability to mega evolve in battle, and activate it once per battle.

Mega stones are a post-game/advanced-progression feature, so don’t plan your main story team around Mega Lucario — plan it around regular Lucario, and treat the mega as a late-game upgrade. A Mega Lucario fusion with Adaptability Close Combat is one of the hardest-hitting things in the game, full stop. For the money you’ll need to fund stone hunts and competitive training, our Money Farming Guide has the fastest methods.

Lucario in Nuzlocke and Challenge Runs

Lucario is an S-tier Nuzlocke Pokémon. The Fighting/Steel typing resists or is neutral to the vast majority of what the AI throws at you, Inner Focus blocks Fake Out cheese, Extreme Speed gives you a panic button against faster threats, and the mixed attacking stats mean you can adapt to whatever your run gives you. The main risk is the encounter itself — a rare Riolu on Route 23/26 is a gamble as a Nuzlocke encounter, and losing your one shot at it hurts. If you land it, though, it can solo entire gyms. Our Best Fusions for Nuzlocke Challenge guide lists more safe picks for challenge runs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Riolu evolve into Lucario in Pokémon Infinite Fusion?

Riolu evolves at level 20 — no friendship or daytime requirement, unlike the official games. Just level it up and it evolves automatically.

Where is the best place to catch Riolu?

Use the Poké Radar on Route 23 and target “long rustle” patches, where Riolu appears at level 25 with up to a 50% encounter rate. Wild grass encounters in the same area work too but are much rarer (around 5% during the day).

Is Lucario good as fusion material?

Excellent — one of the best in the game. As a head it donates Close Combat, Aura Sphere, Extreme Speed, and setup moves; as a body it donates Fighting/Steel typing and balanced 110/115 offenses. Preview results in the Fusion Tool before splicing.

Which is better: physical or special Lucario?

Both are viable. Physical (Adamant/Jolly) has the stronger signature moves in Close Combat and Extreme Speed; special (Modest/Timid) with Nasty Plot and Aura Sphere punishes physical walls. Mixed sets are the hardest to wall. Pick based on what your team lacks.

Can Lucario Mega Evolve in Infinite Fusion?

Yes. Mega Lucario uses the Lucarionite, gains Adaptability as its ability, and reaches 145 Attack / 140 Special Attack. It’s a late-game upgrade — mega stones become available in advanced/post-game progression.

Is Justified or Inner Focus the better ability?

Inner Focus is the safer general pick — flinch immunity protects your setup turns. Justified is situational but punishes Dark-type attackers like Knock Off users with a free Attack boost. For fusions, check which ability the result inherits using the Dex before you commit.

Conclusion

Lucario earns its fan-favorite status the hard way: by being genuinely excellent at almost everything. It sweeps the story, anchors challenge runs, donates premium material to fusions in both slots, and scales into the post-game with one of the strongest Mega Evolutions available. The only real cost is the hunt — Riolu is rare, and you should plan your Route 23 trip with the Poké Radar ready and balls stocked.

Catch your Riolu, evolve it at 20, pick a lane (physical, special, or mixed), and then start experimenting: splice it onto your favorite partners with the Fusion Tool, check the numbers on the Fusion Calculator, and slot the result into your squad with the Team Builder. And if you want a shiny one to flex, our Shiny Hunting Guide has you covered. Happy fusing.