After repeated defeats and subtle anime clues, fans believe Roy’s Lucario is being set up for a massive transformation with the help of Ash that could change Pokémon Horizons forever.
After repeated defeats and subtle anime clues, fans believe Roy’s Lucario is being set up for a massive transformation with the help of Ash that could change Pokémon Horizons forever.
Roy’s Lucario seems to be involved in something big in Pokémon Horizons, and strangely, a lot of fans haven’t noticed. At first glance, Lucario’s current path doesn’t seem very interesting. The Aura Pokémon was once given a lot of attention and a fun little tale arc, but now it’s just kind of faded into the background.
His personality seems quiet, and his part seems smaller. Most importantly, his battle record has gone downhill very quickly. Roy’s Lucario has lost over and over again in the last twenty shows. It was the Six Heroes who beat him. Nemona beat him.
The grunts of the Explorers beat him. After that, he lost again to Nemona. The trend is very clear for a Pokémon that was once seen as strong and important to the story. Some fans have even started calling him a “fraud,” which was once used to describe Ash’s Lucario in some parts of Pokémon Journeys. It’s real that you’re angry, but what if they mean it?
There are more and more signs that the writers of Pokémon Horizons are planning this slump.
Instead of making Lucario less important, they may be building him up to a major turning point that restores his importance and makes him much stronger in the story.
The turning point seems to happen during Lucario’s most recent fight with Nemona. That’s the second time in a row that Lucario loses to Nemona’s Pawmot, an opponent he had already beaten before. Lucario should have been ahead based on the facts. Instead, he looks shocked when he knows he is going to lose.
The next part is even more telling. Nemona tells Roy and Lucario they are wrong to rely too much on force rather than strategy. Roy is always a good sport, so he takes the criticism with a smile and promises to work harder.
But Lucario behaves differently. He sits in silence, deep in thought. The camera stays on his face for a few seconds, which is an extremely deliberate choice by the director that makes it clear that this moment is important to the story.
Nemona’s criticism could help us figure out what will happen next.
Roy’s Lucario has always been portrayed as a brave fighter who charges into battle, delivers heavy blows, and strives to beat his opponents. In the games, Mega Lucario is frequently represented this way, with Attack as his highest stat and a battle style that relies on pure attacking might.
If Lucario is supposed to change over the course of the story, then just getting stronger won’t do. He needs to try something new.
His current approach would be very different if he were more agile, able to avoid attacks, outsmart opponents, and hit with greater accuracy. At the same time, using his aura powers more deeply could open up whole new strategy options. Like the Yellow Blast, Roy’s Lucario has already shown off its special aura-based power. If you add to this, it could be a big turning point.
Interestingly, this mix of faster speed and stronger aura focus looks a lot like a form that was presented in Pokémon Legends: Z-A: Mega Lucario Z.
Mega Lucario Z is very different from the regular Mega Lucario. Its stats are more evenly split between Speed and Special Attack than between Physical Attack and everything else. This suggests that it fights with more skill than strength.
Official descriptions emphasize how well it controls aura, stating that it wraps its body in it to make it stronger, more flexible, and faster. Aura can be shaped into shields and focused on certain body parts. It can also move so quickly and gracefully that opponents get lost. This is very much in line with the changes Lucario seems to need after Nemona’s criticism.
Roy’s Lucario might not be focusing more on getting stronger, but instead may be moving toward a more focused, aura-based development. If the anime is really building up to Mega Lucario Z, it would neatly resolve his current problems and make him stand out from other Lucario characters in the series.
There is a part in Pokémon Horizons’ finishing theme that shows how some of the main characters’ Pokémon change during this story arc. As changes occur in episodes, the images at the end are updated to reflect them. Hatenna changes into Hatterene in Liko. Dot’s Gimmighoul changes to Gholdengo. The Charcadet that Liko has changes into an Armarouge.
But Roy’s Lucario also shows up in this makeover part, even though it hasn’t changed at all so far in the story.
If the only goal was to show a regular Mega Lucario, there would be no reason to hide it. Mega Evolution isn’t a secret idea in the show. The fact that it wasn’t shown highly suggests that Lucario’s change is something new that will be shown in the future.
Another interesting clue is the opening tune. Roy’s base form Lucario fights a Hawlucha that doesn’t seem to be connected to anything. Viewers have been confused by this scene for the whole arc. Unlike the other scenes at the beginning, which clearly foreshadow the story’s direction, this fight between Lucario and Hawlucha lacks immediate meaning.
One strong theory is that the scene represents future training. Hawlucha’s fast, aggressive fighting style makes it a great partner for a Lucario looking to get faster and more accurate. The fact that Lucario shows up in base form could mean that he is getting ready for a different Mega Evolution than the one he is currently in.
If the opening later changes to show Mega Lucario Z fighting Hawlucha, it would follow the pattern set by the changing graphics for the closing theme. The idea gets stronger with rumors about Hawlucha’s trainer.
Two major characters in the series who fit the bill are Ash Ketchum, who is known for his Aura Powers, and Korrina, who is the master of Mega Evolution.
Mega Lucario and Hawlucha are both theirs. Korrina is the most likely choice because she is linked to Mega Evolution and the Pokémon Legends: Z-A storyline. This is especially true if cross-promotion is a factor. But since the series is 30 years old, Ash could make a surprise appearance.
Ash’s ability to control auras would have a direct effect on Lucario’s growth.
Some fans were upset when Roy got a Lucario because they thought the series was relying too much on a popular mascot so soon after Ash’s Lucario was a big part of Pokémon Journeys. But if the end goal is for Roy to bring Mega Lucario Z into the anime, then that choice has a different meaning.
It would not only get people excited about Pokémon Legends: Z-A, but it would also give Roy’s Lucario a unique look that sets it apart from the others. A Mega Evolution that focused on speed and auras would be very different from Ash’s simpler powerhouse style.
There are small questions about how things look, like how a shiny Mega Lucario Z might fit in with Roy’s color scheme, but these are easy to change within the series canon. When you look at Lucario’s repeated losses, Nemona’s sharp criticism, the ending theme’s hint at a transformation, and the opening theme’s mysterious Hawlucha fight, they all point to something big happening soon.
Roy’s Lucario appears like it’s going to come back, with or without Korrina, Ash, or someone else.
If Mega Lucario Z is actually the aim, then the fights we’re seeing now could be the start of one of the most fascinating power-ups in Pokémon Horizons so far. Fans will have to wait for now, but there are many signs that things will change in ways that could alter Roy’s journey and put Lucario back at the center of the story.
