Lucas (Pokemon)

Lucas as seen in Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl Versions
Lucas
Species	Human
Hair color	Black
Relatives	Player Character Johanna (Mother) Rival Character Rowan's Assistant (father) Grandfather, Mother, Sister
Debut	Pokémon: Diamond Version/Pokemon: Pearl Version

Lucas is the main male character of Pokémon: Diamond, Pearl and Platinum Versions. Depending on the gender chosen by the player at the beginning of the game, Lucas will assume the rule of either the player character or the secondary rival character (although calling this character a rival is somewhat of a misnomer as he/she is never battled throughout the game), with the female character filling the other role. Dawn is the alternate female lead.

Background

Playable Character

Lucas lived in Twinleaf Town with his mother. He had an energetic best friend, Pearl, whom he often engaged in shenanigans with. At the beginning of Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, Pearl coerces him into coming up to Lake Verity in search of rare Pokémon. While there, they overhear Professor Rowan and his assistant Dawn. After they leave, they notice Rowan had accidentally left behind his suitcase. No sooner do Lucas and Pearl retrieve the suitcase, they are attacked by wild Pokémon and forced to "borrow" a Pokémon (either Turtwig, Chimchar or Piplup) from Rowan's briefcase to defend themselves with.

Dawn promptly returned and retrieved the suitcase, before leaving to report Lucas and Pearl's actions to the professor. The professor confronted them shortly afterwards and then left after simply inviting them to visit his lab. Returning home, his mother gave him some Running Shoes and told him who the professor was. Lucas then visited Rowan's laboratory in Sandgem Town. There, Professor Rowan not only forgave Lucas and Pearl for using his Pokémon but let them keep the Pokémon. However, he also appointed a special task for Lucas by giving him a Pokédex and asking him to record data on all of the Pokémon found in Sinnoh.

After telling his mother about this and receiving a journal as a present, Lucas set out to begin his Pokémon journey. He traveled across Sinnoh, challenging and defeating the eight Pokémon gym leaders while collecting various Pokémon. He met up with Pearl multiple times and they battled often to measure each other's progress. Lucas met a variety of other trainers along the way, such as the helpful veteran trainer Cynthia. He also had a variety of run-ins with Team Galactic, the mysterious criminal organization that was terrorizing Sinnoh, and he often had Dawn or Pearl's help in fending them off. This all culminated in the Galactic Boss Cyrus summoning Dialga, Palkia or Giratina (depending on the version) from atop Mt. Coronet using the three mirage Pokémon. In the first two instances, it was over when Lucas defeated or caught the legendary Pokémon that was summoned. In the latter instance, Lucas then entered the Distortion World with Cynthia, where he eventually defeated Cyrus again and defeated or captured Giratina.

After having collected all eight gym badges and defeated Team Galactic, Lucas traveled to the Pokémon League and battled Sinnoh's Elite Four. He defeated them and their champion, Cynthia, at which point she registered him and his Pokémon in the Hall of Fame. Afterwards, he received an updated Pokédex and several new items such as a Pokéradar for use in catching more Pokémon. He also gained access to the Battle Zone, where he could embark on further adventures and continue to build up his Pokémon team.

Rival Character

Lucas's Platinum costume.

Lucas lived in Sandgem Town with his family. His father was an aide to Professor Rowan, so Lucas naturally came up to also serve as an assistant to Rowan. At the beginning of the game, Lucas helps Professor Rowan with his research at Lake Verity and retrieves the briefcase when he leaves it behind, while noticing Dawn and Pearl's "borrowing" of Professor Rowan's Pokémon. After Professor Rowan enlisted them into helping with the Pokédex, Lucas gave Dawn a tour around town and suggested that she tell her mother before leaving on the journey. He also demonstrated how to catch Pokémon and gave Dawn several Pokéballs.

At Jubilife City, Lucas showed Dawn to the Trainer's School. Later on, Lucas and Professor Rowan were attacked by Team Galactic members at the city's northern entrance, and Dawn teamed up with Lucas in fending them off. Lucas then came to Dawn by the Cycling Road with more gifts, in the form of Vs. Seeker and Dowsing Machine applications for her Pokétech. In Veilstone City, Lucas's Pokédex was stolen by Team Galactic grunts. He called for Dawn's help and together they defeated the grunts. Professor Rowan later assembled Dawn, Lucas and Pearl together at Canalave City's library to discuss the mysteries of Pokémon evolution. However, at that moment there was an explosion reported at Lake Valor. Everyone split up to investigate, with Lucas going with Rowan to examine Lake Verity. There they managed to fend of the Team Galactic members with some help from Dawn.

After Dawn defeated Team Galactic's boss Cyrus, Lucas and Rowan encouraged her in her battle with the legendary Pokémon, congratulating her afterwards. Afterwards, Lucas stayed in Sandgem Town where he continued to give advice to Dawn when she visited. In Platinum he also visits Dawn's villa either on random days or after she buys the sofa, at which point he will exclaim jealousy of her and say they have similar tastes.

Pokémon Roster

As the rival character, Lucas utilizes the following Pokémon:

• Turtwig/Grotle, Chimchar/Monferno, Piplup/Prinplup - Lucas's starter Pokémon is whichever one was not chosen by Dawn or Pearl. This Pokémon will have a type disadvantage to the player character's starter Pokémon. Lucas first uses this Pokémon in the Pokémon catching tutorial, and it evolves by the Veilstone City double battle.
• Clefairy
• Kadabra

The latter two Pokémon are only used in the Veilstone City double battle.

Other Appearances

• Lucas makes a cameo appearance in the opening for one of the Pokémon movies, where he is seen battling with Brendan.
• In the Pokémon Adventures manga, the character of Diamond (known as Dia for short), a main character in the Diamond/Pearl arc, was based off of Lucas. In this version Diamond and Pearl are a pair of comedians who wind up acting as bodyguards to Miss Platinum Berlitz after a mix-up. His starter Pokémon is a Turtwig.

Trivia

• When he acts as the rival character, he is automatically named Lucas, so this is assumed as his official name.
• Seemingly in homage to previous generations, Ash is included as one of the default names in the games (as well as his Japanese name, Satoshi, in the Japanese version). Similarly, Gary/Shigeru appears as a default name for Pearl.
• It is mentioned that his (as the player character) father was a great trainer and shared a relationship with Pearl's father Palmer similar to that which the player character had with Pearl (complete with starting their journeys being attacked by wild Pokémon at a lake with the implications of a professor being involved).