Rye: The Hisui Farmer Whose Lucario Sets Him on the Road

A farmer, a Lucario, and a battle that convinces him to set out. Rye serves in the Agriculture Corps, a division of the Galaxy Team, and appears only for the length of a single request in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Beaten by the player, he nonetheless chooses to hit the road with his Pokémon to train: a complete character arc in a few lines of dialogue.

Contents

• A Galaxy Team Farmer Met at Galaxy Hall
• A Battle His Lucario Fights Alone
• Riley's Look-Alike, Right Down to the Hat
• A Silent Appearance in Animation
• Rye at a Glance
• Frequently Asked Questions

A Galaxy Team Farmer Met at Galaxy Hall

Rye serves in the Agriculture Corps, one of the divisions of the Galaxy Team based in Hisui. No rank, no storyline, no threat: the game brings him to life for the length of one request, "Steely Lucario."

The encounter doesn't even start with him. It's his Lucario that the player meets first, at Galaxy Hall, and it's the attention the Pokémon pays to this newcomer that sets everything in motion.

Rye notices this interest and immediately suggests a battle at the Training Grounds. The motive isn't rivalry but curiosity: his Lucario senses a powerful aura coming from the player, and he wants to see that aura in action.

A Battle His Lucario Fights Alone

The most concrete detail about him is a gameplay one. Rye doesn't use Poké Balls, and the game doesn't even show him during the battle: you fight his Lucario, never the Trainer behind it.

Once beaten, he doesn't look for excuses. He credits the player's strength to the encounters they've had with Pokémon, a reading that says a lot about him: as he sees it, nobody gets strong alone.

Defeat gets him moving. He decides to go traveling with his Lucario to put their strength to the test, and the exchange ends on the hope of meeting again. A minor character, but one who leaves with a plan he didn't have when he arrived.

🔥 His partner has its own section: check out the collection Lucario.

Riley's Look-Alike, Right Down to the Hat

Players who know the Sinnoh region will recognize a familiar figure. Rye looks a lot like Riley, the Trainer from Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, seen again since in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

The coincidence doesn't stop at the face: both men have the same signature Pokémon, Lucario. And the game takes the nod one step further with the reward.

Completing Rye's request makes a new item available for purchase: a hat similar to Riley's, at the Clothier. The resemblance is underlined without ever being explained — no relationship between the two characters has been officially confirmed.

A Silent Appearance in Animation

Rye gets an animated cameo in the episode titled "Fiery Reflections in Snow." He can be spotted in the foreground, on the pier at Prelude Beach, as new arrivals come ashore on their way to Jubilife Village.

Among those arrivals is Alec, the episode's protagonist. Rye himself has neither lines nor a role: he serves as a nod to players who completed his request, a subtle way of anchoring the animation to the game's setting.

Rye at a Glance

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who is Rye in Pokémon Legends: Arceus?
  A member of the Agriculture Corps, one of the Galaxy Team's divisions. You meet him during the request "Steely Lucario," and he battles the player at the Training Grounds.
• Which Pokémon does Rye have?
  Only one is documented: Lucario, which is also his signature Pokémon. Unusually, Rye doesn't use Poké Balls and isn't shown on screen during the battle.
• What happens after you beat Rye?
  He says he's inspired by the player's strength and decides to go traveling with his Lucario to train. Completing his request also puts a hat similar to Riley's on sale at the Clothier.
• Are Rye and Riley the same character?
  Nothing confirms it. They look alike, share Lucario as their signature Pokémon, and the request's reward plays on that resemblance, but no official relationship has been established between them.
• Does Rye appear in the anime?
  Only in a cameo. He can be seen in the foreground on the pier at Prelude Beach, in the episode "Fiery Reflections in Snow," as new arrivals make their way to Jubilife Village.

In short

Rye comes down to one request and one battle, and that's exactly what makes him interesting: Pokémon Legends: Arceus gives its extras a before and an after. He arrives at Galaxy Hall a farmer and leaves a traveling Trainer, and the only thing that changed his mind is a defeat. The rest comes down to a hat put on sale and a silhouette on a pier.