Overview
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Despite Mega Lucario's terrible bulk, it makes up for it with its nice offensive typing, decent Speed, and high Attack and Special Attack stats coupled with the ability Adaptability ,which allows Mega Lucario to deal a ton of damage, even against Pokemon that resist its STAB moves, and OHKO a lot of common Pokemon in the metagame such as Heatran, Bisharp, Terrakion, and Mega Kangaskhan. Lucario is also a really great check to Mega Kangaskhan thanks to Lucario having Inner Focus, which makes it, pre-Mega Evolution, "immune" to Mega Kangaskhan's Fake Outs. Lucario, however, is easily walled by common Pokemon such as Aegislash and Thundurus, and it faces competition from Terrakion and Virizion. Unlike Terrakion and Virizion, though, Lucario can run a mixed or special set which makes it less crippled by Intimidate.
Mixed Mega Attacker
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name: Mixed Mega Attacker
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Flash Cannon
move 3: Substitute / Bullet Punch / Extreme Speed
move 4: Detect
ability: Inner Focus
item: Lucarionite
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Naive
Moves
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Close Combat is Mega Lucario's strongest STAB move, which hits really hard in conjunction with Adaptability and should be its go-to move against Pokemon that don't resist Fighting. The Defense and Special Defense drops from Close Combat don't affect Mega Lucario too much considering its bulk isn't the best to begin with. Flash Cannon is Mega Lucario's secondary STAB move and hits Fairy-types as well as other Pokemon that resist Close Combat. Substitute allows Mega Lucario to take a hit or block status, such as burn and paralysis, both of which will cripple Mega Lucario immensely. Bullet Punch is a STAB priority move that can help Mega Lucario pick off weakened Pokemon that are faster than it, while Extreme Speed is another priority move that helps Mega Lucario pick off weakened Talonflame. Detect shields Lucario from a potential OHKO and allows it to gain the Speed boost of its Mega forme. Detect is used over Protect just in case it encounters a Pokemon with Imprison, which would shut down Mega Lucario's ability to use Protect and can easily give the foe an opportunity to capitalize on Mega Lucario's low bulk. The low PP isn't an issue, as both Mega Lucario and most VGC games won't last long enough to use it all up.
Set Details
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Maximum Speed EVs are used so that Mega Lucario can take advantage of its base 112 Speed and because investing in bulk isn't needed at all for it. Maximum Attack EVs increase Mega Lucario's damage output for Close Combat. A Naive nature is the best, as it boosts Mega Lucario's Speed without affecting any of its offensive stats. Lucarionite is the best item, as it gives Lucario a boost in offense and Speed while giving it Adaptability. Lucario's ability should be Inner Focus as that makes it "immune" to Fake Out, which can allow it to check and pressure Mega Kangaskhan leads.
Usage Tips
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Thanks to Lucario's powerful STAB moves and immunity to Fake Out, it isn't a bad lead, as it can put pressure on your opponent right from the get-go as well as threaten Mega Kangaskhan leads. Because Mega Lucario's bulk is bad, it isn't recommended to switch it into attacks. Close Combat should be Mega Lucario's go-to move against Pokemon that don't resist Fighting-type moves, as it hits really hard when boosted by Adaptability. Mega Lucario also doesn't mind the defense drops that much because its defenses are bad to begin with.
Team Options
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Clefable or Togekiss can redirect super effective Fighting-type moves as well as status conditions. Both Clefable and Togekiss can offer speed control, which also benefits Mega Lucario. Also, Clefable and Cresselia have access to Helping Hand, which further increases Mega Lucario's damage output and lets it pick up KOs against Pokemon that it wouldn't normally get, such as against Sylveon. Pokemon that can check Aegislash and Talonflame generally are good partners for Lucario. Rotom-H is a nice partner, as it is able to support Mega Lucario with Will-O-Wisp as well as threaten out Talonflame and Aegislash while Mega Lucario can check Rock-types that threaten Rotom-H. Another great partner for Lucario is Landorus-T, as it provides Intimidate support, which can bolster Mega Lucario's poor Defense a bit. It can also check Talonflame with Rock Slide and Aegislash with Earthquake, although Mega Lucario has to use Detect on that turn. Mega Lucario, in return, checks Ice-types that threaten Landorus-T. Finally, Sylveon is another great partner for Mega Lucario. Although they are both walled by Aegislash, they can wreak havoc against other Pokemon and put a lot of pressure on the opponent with Sylveon's powerful Hyper Voice combined with Mega Lucario's Adaptability-boosted STAB moves. Sylveon can also check Fighting-types, while Mega Lucario checks Steel-types not named Aegislash.
Other Options
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A full physical set works for Mega Lucario; however, Lucario lacks a strong and reliable physical Steel-type move and running a physical set will make it more susceptible to Intimidate. A full special set works too, with Aura Sphere over Close Combat. Stone Edge is another option to hit Mega Charizard Y and Thundurus. Both Vacuum Wave and Feint are alternate priority moves, with the latter being able to nullify Protect. Nasty Plot or Swords Dance could be used should you want to increase Mega Lucario's damage output further. A Follow Me set with a Focus Sash is an option for regular Lucario; however, that set is very niche.
Checks & Counters
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**STAB Type Resistance**: Pokemon that resist both of Mega Lucario's STAB attacks, such as Aegislash, can effortlessly wall it and set up on it. Mega Lucario's powerful Adaptability-boosted STAB moves make it stand out from its competitors.
**Typing Advantage**: Most super effective attacks will OHKO Mega Lucario pretty easily due to its low bulk. Mach Punch and Talonflame's Brave Bird are both moves that Mega Lucario should watch out for.
**Status**: Burn and paralysis are the main statuses that will cripple Mega Lucario immensely. Burn will lower Mega Lucario's damage output while paralysis will lower its nice Speed. Both Mega Lucario's power and Speed are its main selling points against other similar Pokemon.
**Speed Control**: Mega Lucario's Speed is one of its selling points. If that is taken away, it's a sitting duck, as the foe can easily take advantage of Mega Lucario's bad defenses and OHKO it.
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