Ash's Lycanroc

Ash's Rockruff サトシのイワンコ Satoshi's Iwanko

Ash's Rockruff

Debuts in The Guardian's Challenge! Caught in Rocking Clawmark Hill! Caught at Melemele Island Gender Unknown Ability Unknown Current location With Ash

This Pokémon has not evolved.

Voice actor Japanese English As Rockruff Megumi Hayashibara Haven Paschall

Ash's Rockruff (Japanese: サトシのイワンコ Satoshi's Iwanko) is the second Pokémon that Ash obtained in the Alola region, and his forty-eighth overall. Before being caught by Ash, it lived together with Professor Kukui, although it was never officially Kukui's Pokémon.

History

Under Professor Kukui's care

Rockruff and Ash

Rockruff was a wild Pokémon that one day stumbled across Professor Kukui's house. It was starving and left confused from another Pokémon's Teeter Dance. Professor Kukui gave it some Pokémon food, which made Rockruff decide to stay at Kukui's house. From then on, Rockruff lived with Kukui, although he never caught it in a Poké Ball.

Rockruff first appeared in The Guardian's Challenge!, where it had dinner and played with Ash and Pikachu. It was later seen the following day with Professor Kukui, watching the welcoming party Ash's classmates had prepared for him. Kukui had planned to battle Ash and Pikachu with Rockruff, but the party was interrupted by Tapu Koko, who challenged Ash to a battle instead.

In Rocking Clawmark Hill!, Rockruff came home injured, causing Ash and Professor Kukui to investigate the reason behind its injuries. This led them to Clawmark Hill, where they discovered that Rockruff had been fighting with other wild Pokémon, including a Magmar. With Ash's help, Rockruff was able to master Rock Throw, which helped it defeat Magmar. At the end of the episode, Professor Kukui encouraged Ash to catch Rockruff after seeing the bond the two had developed.

With Ash

In A Guardian Rematch!, Rockruff was used in its first official battle, in which it faced Hiroki and his Mudbray. During the battle, Rockruff performed Breakneck Blitz for the first time, which was able to defeat Mudbray.

In A Glaring Rivalry!, Rockruff was seen training with Ash's Rowlet and Litten. Later, it witnessed its evolved form Lycanroc winning a battle against a Blastoise, which greatly impressed it. Ash later used Rockruff in his battle against Gladion in which it battled Lycanroc. Rockruff got quickly overwhelmed by Lycanroc's great speed and fierce moves, but was still able to battle. The battle was then interrupted by Team Rocket, who captured Pikachu and Lycanroc.

In SM036, Rockruff was used in the Akala Island grand trial alongside Rowlet, battling Olivia's Lycanroc and Probopass. Despite their opponents giving them tough times with their combination tactics, Rowlet eventually managed to defeat Probopass with Bloom Doom. Unfortunately, Rockruff, who was acting aggressively, was so desperate to battle Lycanroc by itself that it impulsively used Bite against Rowlet, accidentally knocking it out. Despite this setback, Ash encouraged Rockruff to use its fighting spirit, allowing it to outspeed and defeat Lycanroc, earning Ash a Rockium Z. Professor Kukui and Olivia then revealed to Ash that Rockruff's behavior was a sign that it was going to evolve soon.

In SM037, it will evolve into a Dusk Form Lycanroc after watching the sunset.

Personality and characteristics

Rockruff is a playful, affectionate Pokémon that gets along well with both Ash and its previous caretaker, Professor Kukui. The first night Ash stayed with the Professor, Rockruff, Pikachu, and Ash were quickly able to befriend each other. Like other members of its species, Rockruff likes to greet and show affection to others by rubbing up against them with the rocks on its neck, although it doesn't seem to be aware that it stings the recipient.

Although Rockruff lived with Professor Kukui before being caught by Ash, it was actually a wild Pokémon that Professor Kukui was taking care of. When Ash revealed this to his classmates at the Pokémon School, his Rotom Pokédex added that Rockruff readily bond with humans even if they are not captured by a Trainer.

Rockruff has been shown to have a strong sense of smell which has been used to help find Rowlet and Popplio, Ash's missing Electrium Z and DJ Leo's Dugtrio.

Though generally friendly, Rockruff is prone to becoming hotheaded when faced with a challenge it wishes to overcome despite what risks it might project itself to. During Olivia's Grand Trial, Rockruff was uncharacteristically aggressive towards others, doing things like biting Ash multiple times, trying to rile up Olivia's Lycanroc and knocking out Rowlet when it attempted to lift it up into the air. The latter incident caused Rockruff to snap back into reality after noticing what it had done and become remorseful. Following her defeat, Olivia pointed out to Ash that Rockruff's temperament was a sign that it was about to evolve.

Moves used

Using Rock Throw	Move First Used In Tackle Rocking Clawmark Hill! Bite Rocking Clawmark Hill! Rock Throw Rocking Clawmark Hill!
A † shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves.

Z-Moves used

Picture	Z-Move	First Used in	Base Move
	Breakneck Blitz	A Guardian Rematch!	Tackle
	Description: Rockruff strikes a series of synchronized poses with its Trainer to build Z-Power. It then charges at the target with a full-speed tackle.

In the games

Rockruff is used by Professor Kukui in Pokémon Sun and Moon to help with the capture, Z-Move, and Battle Royal tutorials.

Pokémon Sun and Moon
Capture tutorial Route 1	Z-Move tutorial Route 2	Battle Royal tutorial Battle Royal Dome
Type: Rock Unknown Ability: Unknown Held item: None Rockruff♂ Lv.7 Tackle Normal Physical   --       Leer Normal Status   --       Sand Attack Ground Status   --       Bite Dark Physical   --	Type: Rock Unknown Ability: Unknown Held item: Normalium Z Rockruff♂ Lv.19 Tackle Normal Physical   --       Leer Normal Status   --       Sand Attack Ground Status   --       Bite Dark Physical   --	Type: Rock Unknown Ability: Vital Spirit Held item: None Rockruff♂ Lv.19 Rock Throw Rock Physical   --       Bite Dark Physical   --       Protect Normal Status   --       Curse Unknown Status   --

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Rockruff in Pokémon Adventures

Rockruff first appeared in PASM04 under the ownership of Professor Kukui. It was first used to battle Sun's En at the Iki Town festival tournament. Initially, Rockruff had the advantage over En due to Sun lacking the motivation to battle. Once Sun was given the proper motivation, he and En easily defeated Rockruff, forcing Kukui to switch for Munchlax.

Moves used

Using Rock Throw	Move First Used In Rock Throw PASM04
A † shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves.

In the TCG

Ash's Rockruff is featured in the TCG as of one Ash's Pokémon. The following is a list of cards featuring Rockruff.

Rockruff Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Card	Type	English Expansion	Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion	Rarity	#
Rockruff					Ash vs Team Rocket Deck Kit		011/026

Related articles

• For more information on this Pokémon's species, see Rockruff.

Ash's Pokémon
On hand:	Pikachu
Traveling with:	Rotom Phone
At Oak's/In rotation:	Pidgeot	Bulbasaur	Charizard	Kingler	Muk	Tauros (×30)
	Snorlax	Heracross	Bayleef	Quilava	Totodile	Noctowl
	Donphan	Swellow	Sceptile	Corphish	Torkoal	Glalie
	Staraptor	Torterra	Infernape	Buizel	Gliscor	Gible
	Unfezant	Oshawott	Pignite	Snivy	Scraggy	Leavanny
	Palpitoad	Boldore	Krookodile	Talonflame	Hawlucha	Noivern
	Dragonite	Gengar	Lucario	Sirfetch'd	Dracovish
With Kukui/In rotation:	Rowlet	Lycanroc	Incineroar	Melmetal
At home:	Mr. Mime
In training:	Squirtle	Primeape
Released:	Butterfree	Lapras	Larvitar	Greninja	Goodra	Nebby
	Naganadel
Temporarily owned:	Seaking	Buzzwole	Stakataka	Pheromosa	Rowlet
Traded away:	Raticate	Aipom
Given away:	Beedrill
Traveled with:	Haunter	Azelf	Meowth	Meloetta	Rotom Pokédex	Latias
The Power of Us only:	Ekans	Sentret
EToP only:	Fearow	Oddish	Mankey	Slowpoke
Newspaper Strip only:	Starmie	Clefairy
For a list of Pokémon Ash has temporarily owned, used, or commanded, see here

Recurring wild Pokémon in the animated series
Fearow	Ho-Oh	Pink Butterfree	Haunter	Jigglypuff	Clefairy
Mewtwo	Slowking (M02)	Lapras	Suicune	Pichu Posse	Articuno (OS)
Lugia (OS)	Silver	Wynaut	Larvitar	Loudred	Spoink
Kyogre and Groudon (RS)	Articuno (RS)	Deoxys	Lake guardians	Marill	Hippopotas
Zekrom	Forces of nature	Carracosta	Meloetta	Reshiram	Malamar
Super-ancient Pokémon (XY)	Wooper	Florges	Squishy	Z2	Guardian deities
Bewear	Toucannon's flock	Stoutland	Exeggutor	Oranguru	Nebby
Lunala	Necrozma	Stufful	Ultra Beasts	Grandpa Forest	Melemele Greens
Mantine	Zeraora	Meltan	Shaymin	Magearna	Celebi
Wingull	Mew	Lugia (JN)	Thievul trio	Drednaw	Slowking (JN)
Legendary heroes	Mewtwo's friends	Cresselia	Darkrai	Dialga	Palkia
Heatran	Latias	Terapagos
Recurring wild Pokémon that have been caught
Caterpie	Gyarados	Aipom	Gible	Krokorok	Dedenne
Goodra	Litten	Rockruff	Mimikyu	Mareanie	Poipole
Eevee	Greedy Rapooh	Meltan	Scorbunny	Gengar	Sobble
Eternatus	Morpeko	Fuecoco	Wattrel	Quaxly

This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.