Lucario VS Renamon

Lucario VS Renamon is the 80th episode of Death Battle, featuring a Lucario from the Pokémon series and a Renamon from the Digimon series in a battle between anthropomorphic canine monsters. Renamon was voiced by Marissa Lenti.
==Interlude==
Boomstick: Monsters come in many shapes and sizes, but the best ones know kung-fu!
Wiz: Lucario, the steely canine from the world of Pokémon.
Boomstick: And Renamon, the razor-sharp and literally foxy Digimon.
Wiz: For this match, we'll be analyzing the species as they are. Therefore, no Trainers or Tamers will be permitted, nor any moves or forms achieved unnaturally.
Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.
Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.
==Lucario==
Boomstick: Pokémon are known for showing off crazy skills in battle, but not many can match the martial arts prowess of a Lucario.
Wiz: The Lucario is a Fighting and Steel-type Pokémon well known for its fondness of combat. Standing at an average height of three feet and 11 inches, Lucario are usually found training high atop mountains, honing their fighting skills on a daily basis. Compared to other Pokémon, Lucario are very well-rounded offensive fighters, with high attack, great speed, and moderate defensive stats.
Boomstick: Even though they tend to keep away from people, Lucario are actually extremely loyal to close friends and family. Some are so devoted to Trainers, they even figured out how to talk with their minds.
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Lucario: Why did you abandon the queen?
Ash Ketchum: Telepathy...
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Boomstick: Wait, wouldn't it have to be a Psychic-type to do that?
Wiz: No, it just has to star in its own movie.
Boomstick: (laughs) Well, who wouldn't wanna see a movie starring one of these guys? Lucario is awesome looking! Especially those big spikes there. Perfect for a killer backhand.
Wiz: I suppose that may improve a Metal Claw attack, one of the many techniques in Lucario's intimidating arsenal.
Boomstick: My favorite is Bone Rush. It doesn't just sound cool, it's when Lucario literally creates bone-shaped laser weapons out of thin air, and then beats people down with them.
Wiz: Impressive, yes, though the wild Lucario's most powerful physical move is Close Combat, a full out offensive blitz at the expense of defense.
Boomstick: And Lucario can use Dragon Pulse, AKA it can shoot a giant energy beam from its mouth. It's like he's throwing up lasers!
Wiz: While Lucario does have a variety of more useful moves, such as Heal Pulse, Swords Dance, and Extreme Speed, all of which many other Pokémon have as well. However, Lucario does possess a unique trait: the ability to sense and manipulate Aura. Aura is a spiritual energy, described as the essence of every living thing. A Lucario can harness its own aura to create brand new attacks.
Boomstick: Like Aura Sphere, a projectile so powerful, it can destroy stone bridges.
Wiz: But Aura has many other uses; by sensing the aura of those nearby, Lucario can predict incoming attacks, find hidden people, or even examine environments in a literal out of body experience.
Boomstick: I guess it's sorta like ki from Dragon Ball. Actually, this karate dog is really starting to remind me of someone... hmm...
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Lucario is seen charging his Aura Sphere, then Goku doing his Kamehameha.
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Wiz: Lucario's power is something to behold. A single Aura Sphere can even overcome attacks from Legendary Pokémon.
Boomstick: Physically, Lucario is strong enough to mangle the steel claws of a crane with a single smack. Talk about metal! Even more, it can move in short bursts of speed so fast it disappears.
Wiz: I should note that the fastest feat a human eye can perceive is approximately 9,000 miles per hour.
Boomstick: And to top it off, Lucario can take a bunch of really bad blows back-to-back and still stand up. He can survive falling dozens of feet or explosions powerful enough to obliterate whole rooftops. Hey, that's how I remodel, too!
Wiz: A typical Lucario can even survive some brutal beatings from Fire-type Pokémon like Blaziken and Magmar. This is impressive for two reasons. One, Magmar's body temperature measures a ridiculous 2,200°F.
Boomstick: Jesus, it's like Smokey the Bear's worst nightmare! All this guy needs to do is touch a tree and that whole forest is gone! But not Lucario. No sir, its fur isn't even singed.
Wiz: Made even more impressive by my second reason: Lucario is weak to Fire-type Pokémon.
Boomstick: Well, Lucario is also weak to Fighting-types, and it is a Fighting-type, so does that mean it hurts itself?
Wiz: Uh, in a way? But nothing like that. Lucario aren't endurance fighters and yet often employ hyper-aggressive techniques. So they frequently overtax themselves in combat and even become confused when tracking too many Auras.
Boomstick: This Pokémon rarely backs down from a good fight, even when up against overwhelming odds. But that's what makes this Kung Fu puppy so friggin' badass.
Wiz: With an imposing arsenal and the fighting spirit to match, the Lucario are certainly frightening warriors.
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Lucario jumps from a wall and pins Ash Ketchum to the ground before letting him go.
Ash Ketchum: Why'd you do that!?
Lucario: You snuck up behind me. That is always a mistake.
Lucario proceeds to walk away.
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==Renamon==
Wiz: On the other side of reality, an alternate universe exists. A Digital World full of wonders and monsters. And of the Digimon which inhabit that world, few are as respected as the mighty Renamon.
Boomstick: Renamon are Rookie Digimon, which basically means they're like Digi-teenagers. So that explains why they're always so moody!
Wiz: Compared to other Rookie-level Digimon, Renamon possesses exceptional speed and attack stats, at the expense of fairly low defense. Renamon's appearance resembles that of a Japanese Yōkai called the Kitsune, a fox spirit. These spirits are often described as being very mischievous, which is ironic, given that the typical Renamon is very stoic and earnest.
Boomstick: Plus, some of them really don't care for humanity, and just think of them as a tool for their own evolution.
Wiz: Digivolution.
Boomstick: Whatever. Still, Renamon are super smart, and always keep their cool. In fact, it may be too cool. I don't like the look in its eyes, Wiz. It's like it thinks it's better than me.
Wiz: It is better than you, Boomstick. Not only is Renamon rational and composed, it always shows exceptional prowess in battle, mainly relying on hand-to-hand combat.
Boomstick: More like paw-to-paw combat! Ah-ha.
Boomstick: Its got a wicked roundhouse kick, among several other dangerous martial arts skills. It can use its amazing speed to surprise attack its enemies with its Swift Strike. Then there's the Super Chop, which is an even swifter Swift Strike.
Wiz: There's also Rapid Kick, and Spin Kick. Hmm, Digimon may be effective fighters, but their attack names could sure use a little work.
Boomstick: Aw, don't worry, we're getting to the good ones. Renamon can enhance its attacks with an internal energy that makes ghost fire!
Wiz: This is likely Renamon embracing its Yōkai inspiration, as it's similar to the folklore of a magical light emitted by Kitsune tails which lead wanderers astray.
Boomstick: Okay, but this one is used to destroy people. When a Renamon comes at you with a burning foot, it's using Power Paw, its strongest physical move. Some Renamon can even create ghost clones of themselves for additional strikes.
Wiz: But Renamon isn't just kicks and punches. Its signature attack is called Diamond Storm, which summons a furious gust of wind and a terrifying amount of razor-sharp—
Boomstick: Diamonds?
Wiz: No, leaves.
Boomstick: Wha? The one time they try a creative name and it totally doesn't make any sense. Who comes up with this shit?
Wiz: It would certainly make more sense to use diamonds, the hardest naturally occurring substance in the world.
Boomstick: Uh, Wiz? Why would you just throw away diamonds? If I were Renamon, I'd just scoop those puppies up and sell 'em to make bank. Do you know how many Bigfoot traps I could buy with that kind of money? I would definitely have caught that guy by now.
Wiz: But don't underestimate Renamon's Diamond Storm; it can shatter a wall of ice created by a Champion Level Digimon, which is a higher, stronger rank than Renamon. The wall here appears to be about eight inches thick. Assuming this ice is comparable to blue ice, the strongest most compact form ice can naturally take, this could support approximately 6,000 pounds per square inch before cracking.
Boomstick: So, Diamond Storm is basically hundreds of tiny little leaves hitting you like a truck with a bunch of razor blades stuck to its front.
Wiz: Pretty much.
Boomstick: I just found my next truck upgrade!
Wiz: Moving on, some Renamon are also fast enough to effortlessly fool the human eye, consistently reaching speeds over 9,000 miles per hour.
Boomstick: Pretty damn fast for a fox. The Renamon who partnered with Tamer Rika does this all the time, ninja vanishing into thin air is like her preferred method of getting around.
Wiz: Not only that, but a Renamon is just as capable of taking big hits without concern. That includes surviving a strike from Harpymon's Windseeker, a powerful blade of air which can easily cut through concrete.
Boomstick: But Renamon does have its weaknesses. While it can hit hard and likes wearing opponents out, it doesn't really have any good tricks to help out with defense.
Wiz: A sort of "glass cannon" fighting style, if you will, which seems to work well enough.
Boomstick: Oh yeah, this is still one of the deadliest rookie-level mons out there. All in all, Renamon is one stone-cold fox.
Wiz: I... don't think that means what you think it means.
Boomstick: Oh come on, like anyone's gonna sexualize a Digi—
Boomstick looks up Renamon on Google Images and finds a picture of Renamon with large breasts in a bikini. The supporting images are censored likely due to even more risky content.
Boomstick: —OH MY GOD, moving on!
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Renamon: I must rely on the power within me. I am alone in this world.
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==Prelude==
==Death Battle==
Renamon enters some ancient ruins in a forest and is surprised to come across Lucario, who is meditating in the middle of the area. Lucario is surrounded by his Aura.
Renamon: Hey! Who are you?
Lucario awakens from his meditation and leaps onto the ground.
Renamon: You don't belong here. Leave, or I'll make you leave.
Renamon readies her stance as Lucario charges his aura for battle.
Opening the fight with Extreme Speed, Lucario evades Renamon and easily lands the first strike, sending the Digimon flying into the air. She lands on her feet, but Lucario keeps up the pressure: Renamon is unable to counter the speedy Pokémon's blows, allowing Lucario to land a stunning hit. It attempts to follow the attack with Force Palm, but Renamon recovers faster than it expected and leaps over Lucario entirely, causing it to miss her and hit a nearby pillar instead, shattering it. Renamon moves to attack Lucario from behind. Lucario turns around to try to catch its opponent.
Renamon: Palm Strike!
But it's too late, as Renamon lands a signature attack that sends it flying towards a distant pillar. Lucario recovers and springs off of the pillar to get back into the fight. It leaps toward Renamon, hopping on two pieces of architecture, and throws an Aura Sphere. Renamon clearly sees it, but is unable to avoid it and is knocked into the air by the large blast. She regains her footing quickly and leaps above Lucario.
Renamon: Power Paw!
She lands a meteor kick on the Pokémon and follows up with a combo of punches and kicks, knocking Lucario around before kicking it high into the air. She activates her Diamond Storm attack.
Renamon: Diamond Storm!
Lucario recovers - floating in midair - and uses Bone Rush: it forms the energy bone in its paw and spins it to deflect all the incoming leaves, then reabsorbs it. Still floating, it fires Dragon Pulse at the Rookie Digimon. Renamon avoids the enormous blast as it shatters the base of a tall pillar. Renamon runs up the collapsing structure, using it to get above Lucario and land her counterattack.
Renamon: Rapid Kick!
Renamon leaps off of the pillar towards Lucario, and launches a flurry of high-speed kicks that knocks him to the ground. Renamon descends after him, landing a fair distance away. Lucario sits up, holding his head in pain.
Renamon: Don't bother getting up. Diamond Storm!
Renamon unleashes her signature move once again. Unable to dodge, Lucario is pelted by the deadly blades and begins to shed blood. However, this seems to anger it more than anything else. After healing itself with Heal Pulse, Lucario uses Bone Rush again and charges forward with the energy bone in hand... through the storm of leaves. Renamon is shocked by its resiliency.
Renamon: Are you kidding me!?
Using the energy bone, Lucario pummels Renamon with a devastating combo of strikes that carries the stunned Digimon into the air. Landing on its feet, Lucario then tosses it: the bone flies away spinning, carrying Renamon with it as it continues damaging her, and comes back in an arc-like a boomerang. Lucario catches the returning bone, using it to knock Renamon up into the air before she can recover. Lucario takes a moment to aim - bone in hand - and spears her through the throat with it before she even hits the ground. Dangling with her feet above the floor, Renamon struggles in shock as she slides down the bone, choking on her own blood... until she finally bleeds out and goes limp. Lucario withdraws the bone, causing her corpse to fall onto the ground. After a brief moment, Lucario leaps away.
Lucario continues his meditation without interruption this time as a confused Guilmon comes across Renamon's corpse.
==Results==
Boomstick: Well, this version of The Fox and The Hound ended up with a not-so-happy ending.
Wiz: Not without an extremely close battle, though. Lucario held a lot of advantages throughout the fight, but so did Renamon. While both combatants could move faster than eyesight, Renamon did so far more consistently, whereas Lucario could only reach those speeds in short bursts.
Boomstick: No big deal though; Lucario wasn't totally outpaced, so his Aura let him sense and predict Renamon's moves to make up for the lower speed.
Wiz: Especially since Lucario's much wider arsenal helped it adapt as the fight went on, unlike Renamon's limited options.
Boomstick: And while their durability was pretty similar, Lucario was the only one with self-healing and stat-boosting abilities. But most of all, Lucario was way more powerful.
Wiz: Lucario broke these metal claws with a Bone Rush attack. They were likely made of construction grade steel, which means in order to fracture it, Lucario must have hit with a force of at least 56,000 pounds per square inch. Comparing this to Renamon's 6,000 psi for breaking an ice wall paints a very clear difference.
Boomstick: And as a glass cannon, it's unlikely Renamon could've dragged the fight out until Lucario became overexerted.
Wiz: Ultimately, it was a well-matched battle, but Lucario's superior strength and arsenal gave a much-needed edge.
Boomstick: Renamon got Lucari-owned.
We cut to the "Winner" card.
Wiz: The winner is Lucario.
==Trivia==
===Production===
*The core connections between Lucario and Renamon are that they are both anthropomorphic canine monsters with ninja-like abilities and close combat skills.
*According to the commentary for this episode, Renamon's death was going to be much more gruesome, with Lucario using Bone Rush to take out her top jaw, then her bottom jaw, before finally killing her by shoving the bone down her throat. It is implied the reason this was cut was to avoid the sexual puns likely to come out of it.Lucario VS Renamon w/Commentary
*The YouTube thumbnail for this episode uses uncredited fan art of Renamon by Emiridian on DeviantArt. The thumbnail was changed on both YouTube and Rooster Teeth in mid-2021 due to complaints raised by the artist for using their artwork without their permission,https://x.com/Emiridian/status/1402609214422503434 with Ben Singer issuing an apology.https://x.com/BenBSinger/status/1403476729662955530 However, Emiridian stated that there was no point in changing the thumbnail, since the thumbnail including their art was already used in lots of other reaction videos, and instead requested to simply be credited for the art in the episode's description.https://x.com/Emiridian/status/1403478237418827787 As a result, the thumbnail was soon changed back on YouTube with credits for Emiridian being added to the credits of the description, though the thumbnail without their fan art remained on Rooster Teeth until the site's closure.
**This makes it the 11th episode where at least one of its thumbnails uses fan art, after Zitz VS Leonardo, Kratos VS Spawn, Bomberman VS Dig Dug, Vegeta VS Shadow, Chun-Li VS Mai Shiranui, Ivy VS Orchid, Fulgore VS Sektor, Godzilla VS Gamera, Deadpool VS Pinkie Pie, and Metal Sonic VS Zero, and with the next 12 being Raven VS Twilight Sparkle, Leon Kennedy VS Frank West, Nightwing VS Daredevil, All Might VS Might Guy, Black Canary VS Sindel, Beerus VS Sailor Galaxia, Zuko VS Shoto Todoroki, Blake VS Mikasa, Steven Universe VS Star Butterfly, Sauron VS Lich King, Frieza VS Megatron, and Rick Sanchez VS The Doctor.
***Due to Emiridian preferring credit over its removal, this is the second episode whose thumbnail keeps its fan art after 2024, after Deadpool VS Pinkie Pie, and with the next one being Zuko VS Shoto Todoroki.
===Errors===
*Despite analyzing Lucario as a species rather than a specific character, it is sometimes referred to inconsistently with male pronouns, even though female Riolu and Lucario exist in the wild.
*In Lucario's "Feats" slide, "Hyper Beam" is uncapitalized.
*In Renamon's "Feats" slide, Allomon is incorrectly stated to be a Champion, while it's actually an Armor Level Digimon, albeit with Champion-level capabilities.
===Other===
*This is the third Anime-themed episode, after Zoro VS Erza and Natsu VS Ace, and with the next 18 being Naruto VS Ichigo, Jotaro VS Kenshiro, Roshi VS Jiraiya, Sasuke VS Hiei, Mob VS Tatsumaki, All Might VS Might Guy, Gray VS Esdeath, Beerus VS Sailor Galaxia, Sanji VS Rock Lee, DIO VS Alucard, Madara VS Aizen, Tanjiro VS Jonathan Joestar, Deku VS Asta, Gogeta VS Vegito, Killua VS Misaka, Gojo VS Makima, Mahito VS Shigaraki, and Ash VS Yugi.
*This is the ninth Anime/Manga VS Video Game-themed episode, after Vegeta VS Shadow, Pikachu VS Blanka, Ryu Hayabusa VS Strider Hiryu, Kirby VS Majin Buu, Guts VS Nightmare, Hercule Satan VS Dan Hibiki, Mega Man VS Astro Boy, and Pokémon VS Digimon, and with the next three being Shadow VS Ryuko, Guts VS Dimitri, and Joker VS Giorno.
**This is the third time that the Video Game character wins, after Pikachu VS Blanka and Kirby VS Majin Buu, and with the next three being Shadow VS Ryuko, Guts VS Dimitri, and Joker VS Giorno.
*This is the second Pokémon VS Digimon-themed episode, after Pokémon VS Digimon.
**This is the first time Pokémon wins.
*This is the fifth episode in which only one combatant received a voice actor, after Mario VS Sonic (2011), Luke Skywalker VS Harry Potter, Eggman VS Wily, and Hulk VS Doomsday, and with the next five being Crash VS Spyro, Blake VS Mikasa, Link VS Cloud (2021), Boba Fett VS Predator, and Skyrim VS Dark Souls.
==References==
Category:Death Battles
Category:Season 4 Episodes
Category:Pokémon episodes
Category:Animated Sprite battles
Category:Fights Animated by Aquila
Category:Death Battles with cameo appearances
Category:'Animals' themed Death Battles
Category:'Heroes' themed Death Battles
Category:'Anime' themed Death Battles
Category:'Pokémon VS Digimon' themed Death Battles
Category:Fights with voice actors
Category:'Protagonists' themed Death Battles
Category:'2000s' themed Death Battles
Category:'Video Game VS Anime' themed Death Battles
Category:'Earth VS Aliens' themed Death Battles