I have to wonder if two of the major factors that decided what Pokemon received a Mega Evolution so far were the generation they came out in and their popularity among the fans. Chances are I’m wrong about that, but if I am indeed right, then it’s no wonder that the Pokemon I’m about to cover in this post was one of the first revealed to have a Mega Evolution.
This is Mega Factor!
Our next Pokemon is one from the Generation 4 games that quickly became a favorite of mine, and one that I should add has had a regular role in a lot of my major Pokemon fanfics. Presenting one of the most noble and heroic Fighting Pokemon out there, Lucario.
Ah Lucario, the Jedi Pokemon… I’ve wanted to do a post about this Pokemon for a long time and have now finally found the perfect excuse. Okay, I know that Lucario is actually known as the Aura Pomemon, but the whole Aura thing is pretty similar to the Force from Star Wars. In fact the Bulbapedia page on Aura once sited that similarity. It doesn’t anymore, I’m guessing because someone decided that the comparison to the Force was merely fan speculation. Even so, the similarities are pretty obvious when you stop to think about it.
Anyway, Lucario was the second Pokemon after Mewtwo revealed to have a Mega Evolution when the concept was unveiled to the public. In fact in the world of the Pokemon games and the anime, Lucario was the very first Pokemon known to the people of the Kalos Region to be able to Mega Evolve. It’s because of this that a giant statue of Lucario resides in the Kalos Region landmark known as the Tower of Mastery. Of course Lucario was not the very first Pokemon to ever Mega Evolve. That honor goes to a Legendary Pokemon that I plan to talk about in a much later post.
Normal Evolution: In most of the games, players first receive their Lucario as the adorable Baby Pokemon known as Riolu. Riolu’s evolution into Lucario only happens when its happiness with its trainer reaches the maximum level. It also needs to be the daytime in order for Riolu to evolve. Why Riolu can only evolve into Lucario during the daytime, I do not know. After going through evolution, Lucario becomes a Fighting and Steel-Type Pokemon, which is just kind of an awesome type combination.
Mega Evolution: Lucario’s Mega Evolution not only makes it look even cooler, it also gives a boost to its speed as well as both its physical and special attack stats. In addition, Lucario’s ability changes to Adaptability, giving a major boost to all its Fighting and Steel-Type moves. In other words, Mega Lucario is able to hit the opponent fast and very hard. The anime has also shown that some Lucario tend to go berserk after going through Mega Evolution and attack friend and foe alike, which was the case with the Lucario used by the Shalour City Gym Leader, Korrina. This apparently happens when the bond between a Lucario and its trainer isn’t as strong as it should be.
Signature Move: I should probably end this post by talking about the attack most often associated with Lucario, the Fighting-Type move known as Aura Sphere. In a nutshell, Aura Sphere is a fairly powerful ball of concentrated Aura that usually hits the opposing Pokemon without fail. While this attack is primarily associated with Lucario, the fact is that there are several Pokemon out there that can wield this ball of blue light. Some of the most notable Pokemon capable of using Aura Sphere are Mewtwo, Mew, and all three members of the Sinnoh Region’s Creation Trio if I’m remembering right. I know that Palkia and Giratina can use Aura Sphere, but can’t remember for sure if Dialga can too. Anyways, these days even Squirtle can learn Aura Sphere as an egg move. In fact Squirtle can probably make better use of Aura Sphere than Lucario can, but that’s a matter I’ll discuss in another post.
That does it for this edition of Mega Factor. The next edition is going to be something of a special event, and will be happening much sooner than you think. As for what Pokemon I’m going to be covering, I’m going to leave that as a surprise. So until next time, stay tuned.
