nidorino
Generation I · #0033 — Poison Pin Pokémon
Nidorino, known as the Poison Pin Pokémon, is a Poison-type Pokémon introduced in Generation I and occupies the National Pokédex slot #0033. As the middle evolution of the Nidoran♂ line, Nidorino represents a crucial stage of development, evolving from Nidoran♂ at level 16 and serving as a bridge to the powerful final form, Nidoking. With a base stat total of 365, Nidorino demonstrates balanced offensive capabilities with an Attack stat of 72, making it a viable Poison-type option in early-game scenarios and for trainers seeking a steadily improving team member. This male-only species features a catch rate of 120 and maintains a base friendship of 70, making it reasonably receptive to trainers who treat it well. Nidorino's presence in the Pokédex has remained consistent since the franchise's inception, establishing it as an iconic member of the original 151 Pokémon and a staple of Poison-type representation.
Base Stats
Height
0.9m
Weight
19.5kg
Category
Poison Pin Pokémon
Gender
100% Male
Color
purple
Shape
quadruped
Habitat
grassland
Abilities
Has a 30% chance of poisoning attacking Pokémon on contact.
Increases damage inflicted to 1.25× against Pokémon of the same gender, but decreases damage to 0.75× against the opposite gender.
Strengthens physical moves to inflict 1.5× damage, but decreases their accuracy to 0.8×.
Nidorino Biology & Physical Characteristics
Nidorino is a light-purple, quadrupedal mammalian Pokémon with a distinctive appearance that emphasizes its aggressive nature and potent weaponry. Its body features darker purple patches distributed across its form, with particularly notable spiny protrusions running along its back in a ridge formation. The Pokémon possesses large, spiky ears with striking teal-colored insides that serve both aesthetic and functional purposes, used to detect disturbances in its environment. Most prominently, Nidorino bears a long, pointed horn protruding from its forehead—a biological marvel harder than a diamond according to Pokédex entries. This extraordinary horn can secrete powerful venom upon impact, with the toxicity level directly correlating to the adrenaline coursing through Nidorino's body at the time of contact. Its facial structure includes narrow black eyes and a distinctive long snout with two pointed teeth protruding from the upper jaw. Supporting its body are short, sturdy legs ending in three claws per foot, providing adequate mobility for traversing its native terrain. The overall biological design prioritizes offense and defense simultaneously, making Nidorino an intimidating presence despite its relatively compact 0.9-meter height and modest 19.5-kilogram weight.
Pokedex Numbers
Training
Breeding
Nidorino Breeding, Gender Ratio & Egg Groups
Nidorino exists as a exclusively male species, maintaining a 100% male to 0% female gender ratio that makes reproduction dependent upon cross-breeding with other Pokémon species or with members of the female Nidoran line through specific breeding mechanics. This male-only classification is consistent with the original Pokédex design philosophy and creates interesting breeding dynamics for trainers seeking to obtain Nidoran♂ offspring. When Nidorino is bred with Ditto, it can produce eggs that contain either Nidoran♂ or Nidoran♀, a unique feature introduced in Generation V that allows trainers to obtain female Nidoran specimens despite Nidorino itself being entirely male. Nidorino belongs to both the Monster and Field egg groups, providing breeding compatibility with a wide range of Pokémon species, which increases its versatility in breeding programs. The species hatches from eggs requiring 20 cycles to develop, equivalent to approximately 4,884 to 5,140 steps of travel depending on specific conditions. This gender dynamic creates an interesting parallel with real-world sexual dimorphism found in animals with prominent male-specific features like horns and manes, emphasizing Nidorino's role as an aggressive, testosterone-driven male representative of its species.
Sprites
TMs & HMs
tm01
black white
tm01
black 2 white 2
tm01
lets go pikachu lets go eevee
tm01
omega ruby alpha sapphire
tm01
x y
tm02
crystal
tm02
gold silver
tm03
crystal
tm03
gold silver
tm03
ruby sapphire
tm03
platinum
tm03
firered leafgreen
tm03
heartgold soulsilver
tm03
diamond pearl
tm03
emerald
tm03
xd
tm03
colosseum
tm03
lets go pikachu lets go eevee
tm05
lets go pikachu lets go eevee
tm06
yellow
+649 more TMs/HMs
nidorino's Evolution Chain
Nidorino Evolution, Mega Evolution & Special Forms
Nidorino occupies a pivotal position within the three-stage Nidoran♂ evolution line, representing the intermediate evolutionary stage that emerges when Nidoran♂ reaches level 16. At this point, Nidorino gains increased physical bulk and offensive capability, with notable improvements to its Attack stat and overall combat readiness. The evolution process continues when Nidorino is exposed to a Moon Stone, triggering its final transformation into Nidoking, a significantly more powerful Pokémon that gains Ground-type coverage and substantial stat increases across the board. This evolution method—requiring a Moon Stone rather than simple level progression—makes Nidorino a temporary but important stepping stone for trainers committed to completing the full evolutionary line. The transition from Nidoran♂ to Nidorino is relatively straightforward in most games, occurring early enough in typical playthroughs to allow trainers to experience the fully evolved Nidoking before endgame content. Nidorino also maintains an interesting relationship with the female-only Nidoran♀ line, serving as a direct male counterpart to Nidorina, with the two lines eventually converging into their respective final forms that share more pronounced Ground-type characteristics.
Where to Find
kanto safari zone
kanto
+17 more
kanto route 23
kanto
+1 more
kanto route 9
kanto
kanto route 15
kanto
+9 more
kanto route 13
kanto
+9 more
kanto route 14
kanto
+9 more
sinnoh route 221
sinnoh
+3 more
valor lakefront
sinnoh
+3 more
johto safari zone
johto
+3 more
kalos route 11
kalos
kanto route 10
kanto
Nidorino Behaviour and Natural Habitat
Nidorino exhibits an aggressive, quick-to-anger temperament that defines much of its behavioral profile. According to multiple Pokédex entries across generations, Nidorino is easily agitated and uses its horn for offensive purposes as soon as it detects any potential threat. The Pokémon relies heavily on its oversized ears to monitor its surroundings, and upon sensing hostile presence, all the barbs on its back bristle up simultaneously as a warning display before engaging in combat with full force. Its independent and fierce nature makes it a volatile but determined opponent, willing to use its extraordinarily hard horn to punch through obstacles—even diamonds—during its search for Moon Stones in the wild. Nidorino inhabits hot savannas and plains environments, where it roams as a solitary creature adapted to these arid landscapes. The species demonstrates notable intelligence in its resource-seeking behavior, actively pursuing the specific items necessary for its evolution, suggesting a level of self-awareness regarding its life cycle and development stages.
Pokedex Entries
An aggressive POKéMON that is quick to attack. The horn on its head secretes a powerful venom.
Its horns contain venom. If they are stabbed into an enemy, the impact makes the poison leak out.
It raises its big ears to check its surroundings. If it senses any thing, it attacks immediately.
Quick to anger, it stabs enemies with its horn to inject a powerful poison when it becomes agitated.
It is easily agitated and uses its horn for offense as soon as it notices an attacker.
NIDORINO has a horn that is harder than a diamond. If it senses a hostile presence, all the barbs on its back bristle up at once, and it challenges the foe with all its might.
Its horn is harder than a diamond. If it senses a hostile presence, all the barbs on its back bristle up at once, and it challenges the foe with all its might.
It is easily angered. By swinging its well- developed horn wildly, it can even punch through diamond.
An aggressive POKéMON that is quick to attack. The horn on its head secretes a powerful venom.
It has a violent disposition and stabs foes with its horn, which oozes poison upon impact.
It raises its big ears to check its surroundings. If it senses anything, it attacks immediately.
Quick to anger, it stabs enemies with its horn to inject a powerful poison when it becomes agitated.
It has a violent disposition and stabs foes with its horn, which oozes poison upon impact.
It has a violent disposition and stabs foes with its horn, which oozes poison upon impact.
It raises its big ears to check its surroundings. If it senses anything, it attacks immediately.
An aggressive Pokémon that is quick to attack. The horn on its head secretes a powerful venom.
Nidorino has a horn that is harder than a diamond. If it senses a hostile presence, all the barbs on its back bristle up at once, and it challenges the foe with all its might.
Its horn contains venom. If it stabs an enemy with the horn, the impact makes the poison leak out.
With a horn that’s harder than diamond, this Pokémon goes around shattering boulders as it searches for a moon stone.
It’s nervous and quick to act aggressively. The potency of its poison increases along with the level of adrenaline present in its body.
Nidorino Name Origin & Design Inspiration
The name Nidorino derives from a combination of linguistic elements reflecting its species characteristics and evolutionary position. 'Nido' appears to reference the Latin word 'nidus,' meaning nest, though in the context of the Nidoran line, it more likely emphasizes the 'needle' or 'thorn' aspect of the Pokémon's appearance. The suffix '-rino' serves as a diminutive or intermediate marker, linguistically positioning Nidorino between the smaller Nidoran♂ and the larger, more imposing Nidoking. The Japanese name ニドリーノ (Nidorīno) follows similar phonetic patterns, maintaining the 'nido' root while using Japanese morphological conventions to indicate its middling evolutionary stage. The English designation 'Poison Pin Pokémon' perfectly encapsulates Nidorino's functional identity, emphasizing its primary weapon—the horn—and its Poison typing as defining characteristics. The design itself draws inspiration from rhinoceros and porcupine aesthetics, combining the singular forward-facing horn of a rhino with the defensive spines reminiscent of a porcupine. This hybrid approach creates a Pokémon that appears both offensively and defensively equipped, establishing visual consistency with the Nidoran line's theme of weaponized biology adapted for survival in harsh environments.
Learnable Moves
Nidorino can learn 76 moves:
Move | Type | Cat. | Power | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| amnesia | psychic | Status | — | — | 20 |
| attract | normal | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| beat up | dark | Physical | — | 100 | 10 |
| bide | normal | Physical | — | — | 10 |
| blizzard | ice | Special | 110 | 70 | 5 |
| body slam | normal | Physical | 85 | 100 | 15 |
| bubble beam | water | Special | 65 | 100 | 20 |
| captivate | normal | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| confide | normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| counter | fighting | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| curse | ghost | Status | — | — | 10 |
| cut | normal | Physical | 50 | 95 | 30 |
| defense curl | normal | Status | — | — | 40 |
| detect | fighting | Status | — | — | 5 |
| dig | ground | Physical | 80 | 100 | 10 |
| double kick | fighting | Physical | 30 | 100 | 30 |
| double team | normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| double edge | normal | Physical | 120 | 100 | 15 |
| drill run | ground | Physical | 80 | 95 | 10 |
| earth power | ground | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| echoed voice | normal | Special | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| endure | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| facade | normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| flatter | dark | Status | — | 100 | 15 |
| focus energy | normal | Status | — | — | 30 |
| frustration | normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| fury attack | normal | Physical | 15 | 85 | 20 |
| headbutt | normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| helping hand | normal | Status | — | — | 20 |
| hidden power | normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| hone claws | dark | Status | — | — | 15 |
| horn attack | normal | Physical | 65 | 100 | 25 |
| horn drill | normal | Physical | — | 30 | 5 |
| ice beam | ice | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| iron tail | steel | Physical | 100 | 75 | 15 |
| leer | normal | Status | — | 100 | 30 |
| mimic | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| mud slap | ground | Special | 20 | 100 | 10 |
| natural gift | normal | Physical | — | 100 | 15 |
| peck | flying | Physical | 35 | 100 | 35 |
| poison jab | poison | Physical | 80 | 100 | 20 |
| poison sting | poison | Physical | 15 | 100 | 35 |
| protect | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| rage | normal | Physical | 20 | 100 | 20 |
| rain dance | water | Status | — | — | 5 |
| reflect | psychic | Status | — | — | 20 |
| rest | psychic | Status | — | — | 5 |
| return | normal | Physical | — | 100 | 20 |
| rock smash | fighting | Physical | 40 | 100 | 15 |
| round | normal | Special | 60 | 100 | 15 |
| secret power | normal | Physical | 70 | 100 | 20 |
| shadow claw | ghost | Physical | 70 | 100 | 15 |
| shock wave | electric | Special | 60 | — | 20 |
| skull bash | normal | Physical | 130 | 100 | 10 |
| sleep talk | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| sludge bomb | poison | Special | 90 | 100 | 10 |
| smart strike | steel | Physical | 70 | — | 10 |
| snore | normal | Special | 50 | 100 | 15 |
| stomping tantrum | ground | Physical | 75 | 100 | 10 |
| strength | normal | Physical | 80 | 100 | 15 |
| substitute | normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| sucker punch | dark | Physical | 70 | 100 | 5 |
| sunny day | fire | Status | — | — | 5 |
| super fang | normal | Physical | — | 90 | 10 |
| swagger | normal | Status | — | 85 | 15 |
| tackle | normal | Physical | 40 | 100 | 35 |
| take down | normal | Physical | 90 | 85 | 20 |
| thief | dark | Physical | 60 | 100 | 25 |
| thunder | electric | Special | 110 | 70 | 10 |
| thunderbolt | electric | Special | 90 | 100 | 15 |
| toxic | poison | Status | — | 90 | 10 |
| toxic spikes | poison | Status | — | — | 20 |
| venom drench | poison | Status | — | 100 | 20 |
| venoshock | poison | Special | 65 | 100 | 10 |
| water gun | water | Special | 40 | 100 | 25 |
| water pulse | water | Special | 60 | 100 | 20 |
Nidorino Competitive Battle Guide
In competitive Pokémon battles, Nidorino occupies a modest niche primarily within early-game or lower-tier competitive formats due to its moderate base stat total of 365. Its Attack stat of 72 provides reasonable physical attacking power, supported by a Speed stat of 65 that offers reasonable turn order control in early-game scenarios. Nidorino's ability selection provides distinct strategic options: Poison Point grants a 30% chance of poisoning attacking Pokémon on contact, enabling passive status infliction; Rivalry increases damage to same-gender opponents by 1.25× while decreasing damage to opposite-gender opponents by 0.75×, creating dynamic matchup-dependent gameplay; and its hidden ability Hustle amplifies physical move power to 1.5× at the cost of 0.8× accuracy reduction, offering an aggressive gamble. Most competitive trainers bypass Nidorino entirely in favor of its superior final evolution, Nidoking, which gains significantly better stats and valuable Ground-type coverage. However, in formats specifically restricting Pokémon to earlier evolutionary stages or in casual competitive environments, Nidorino's physical movepool and status-application potential provide legitimate strategic value. Its dual egg group membership—Monster and Field—allows access to diverse move tutoring options across different game generations, potentially enabling coverage moves unavailable to other similarly-tiered Pokémon.
Commonly Asked Questions About Nidorino
What type is Nidorino?
Nidorino is a poison type Pokemon.
What does Nidorino evolve into?
Nidorino evolves into nidoking.
What are Nidorino's weaknesses?
Nidorino is weak to ground and psychic type moves.
Where can I find Nidorino?
Nidorino can be found in kanto safari zone (kanto), kanto route 23 (kanto) and kanto route 9 (kanto) and 8 other locations.
Nidorino Cultural Impact & Franchise History
Nidorino maintains significant cultural prominence as a member of the original 151 Pokémon, appearing across numerous anime episodes, trading card game sets, and merchandise throughout the franchise's history. The species has featured in various Pokémon anime appearances, most notably as a recurring wild Pokémon encountered in the early seasons and as a Pokémon belonging to various trainer characters throughout the series. In the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Nidorino received multiple card iterations across different set releases, often featuring artwork emphasizing its horn and aggressive posture. The character's design influenced broader perceptions of Poison-type Pokémon as offensively-oriented creatures, establishing a template for aggressive physical attackers within the type. Nidorino's iconic status as the male counterpart to Nidorina has generated ongoing fan interest in the gender dynamics of the Pokémon world, sparking discussions about sexual dimorphism in Pokémon design philosophy. The species has also appeared in spin-off games, mobile applications, and collaborative media, maintaining continuous representation in the franchise's expanding universe. Its position as an accessible mid-stage evolution makes it particularly memorable for players experiencing early Pokémon games, often serving as trainers' first introduction to the concept of evolutionary branching and type-based strategic consideration.
Where to Find Nidorino in Every Pokémon Game
Nidorino's availability varies significantly across different Pokémon game generations and regional releases. In the original Red, Blue, and Yellow versions, Nidorino appears in the Kanto region with the Pokédex number #0033, available in various wild grass encounters and through evolution of Nidoran♂. In the Generation II remakes (HeartGold and SoulSilver), Nidorino receives the regional Pokédex number #0099 in the Johto region, maintaining accessibility through similar wild encounters and evolution methods. The species remains available in FireRed and LeafGreen remakes with its original Pokédex designation, with subsequent game generations maintaining consistent availability through either wild encounters or breeding chains. In Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, Nidorino appears with Pokédex number #0033 and maintains straightforward catchability. The Sword and Shield expansion Pokédex designates Nidorino as #0069 in the Crown Tundra region, indicating its inclusion in the Galar regional expansion. Across most modern games, Nidorino remains relatively common with a catch rate of 120 and base friendship of 70, making it accessible even to casual players without specialized equipment or techniques. The species' consistent presence across generations and regions reflects its iconic status within Pokémon franchise biology, ensuring that trainers exploring any major generation can obtain Nidorino through straightforward level-based evolution or by encountering wild populations in appropriate biomes.