Nidorina picks up a few Poison moves on the way to Nidoqueen. Use the Moon Stone early since Nidoqueen runs TMs anyway.
365HP70Attack62Defense67Speed56Sp.Def55Sp.Atk55
Nidoran♀ (female)
Nidorina
Nidoqueen
Weak to
Physical
Balanced
56Speed · Slow

Is Nidorina Good in Yellow Playthrough?

Moon Stone Nidorina the moment it evolves from Nidoran. Nidoqueen is the reason you're here, and there's no benefit to waiting.

StrongGoodEvenToughBadTEEGGEGEEGEEGNidoran♀ (female)CatchBrockGym 1NidorinaEvolveMistyGym 2NidoqueenEvolveSurgeGym 3ErikaGym 4KogaGym 5SabrinaGym 6BlaineGym 7GiovanniGym 8LoreleiE4BrunoE4AgathaE4LanceE4BlueChamp*
Brock
Gym 1
Tough

Brock's typing presses Nidoran♀ (female)'s defenses.

Risky
Geodude
Lv 10
RockGround
Rock Head
Tackle
Avoid
Onix
Lv 12
RockGround
Rock Head
TackleScreechBindBide
Misty
Gym 2
Even

Nidorina trades roughly evenly with Misty's team.

Even
Staryu
Lv 18
Water
Illuminate
TackleWater Gun
Risky
Starmie
Lv 21
WaterPsychic
Illuminate
TackleWater GunHardenBubble Beam
Lt. Surge
Gym 3
Even

Nidoqueen trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.

Even
Raichu
Lv 28
Electric
Static
ThunderboltMega PunchMega KickGrowl
Erika
Gym 4
Good

Nidoqueen has the type edge here and should clean up Erika's team.

You Win
Tangela
Lv 30
Grass
Chlorophyll
ConstrictBindMega DrainVine Whip
Even
Weepinbell
Lv 32
GrassPoison
Chlorophyll
Razor LeafSleep PowderStun SporeAcid
You Win
Gloom
Lv 32
GrassPoison
Chlorophyll
Petal DanceStun SporeSleep PowderAcid
Koga
Gym 5
Good

Nidoqueen has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.

You Win
Venonat
Lv 44
BugPoison
Compound Eyes
ToxicTackleSleep PowderPsychic
You Win
Venonat
Lv 46
BugPoison
Compound Eyes
ToxicPsybeamSupersonicPsychic
You Win
Venonat
Lv 48
BugPoison
Compound Eyes
ToxicDouble EdgeSleep PowderPsychic
Even
Venomoth
Lv 50
BugPoison
Shield Dust
Leech LifeDouble TeamPsychicToxic
Sabrina
Gym 6
Even

Nidoqueen trades roughly evenly with Sabrina's team.

You Win
Abra
Lv 50
Psychic
Synchronize
Flash
Even
Kadabra
Lv 50
Psychic
Synchronize
KinesisRecoverPsychicPsywave
Even
Alakazam
Lv 50
Psychic
Synchronize
PsywaveRecoverPsychicReflect
Blaine
Gym 7
Good

Nidoqueen has the type edge here and should clean up Blaine's team.

You Win
Ninetales
Lv 48
Fire
Flash Fire
FlamethrowerTail WhipQuick AttackConfuse Ray
You Win
Rapidash
Lv 50
Fire
Run Away
StompGrowlFire SpinTake Down
You Win
Arcanine
Lv 54
Fire
Intimidate
FlamethrowerFire BlastReflectTake Down
Giovanni
Gym 8
Even

Nidoqueen trades roughly evenly with Giovanni's team.

Even
Dugtrio
Lv 50
Ground
Sand Veil
DigSand AttackFissureEarthquake
You Win
Persian
Lv 53
Normal
Limber
ScreechDouble TeamFury SwipesSlash
Even
Nidoqueen
Lv 53
PoisonGround
Poison Point
EarthquakeTail WhipThunderDouble Kick
Even
Nidoking
Lv 55
PoisonGround
Poison Point
EarthquakeLeerThunderDouble Kick
You Win
Rhydon
Lv 55
GroundRock
Lightning Rod
Rock SlideFury AttackHorn DrillEarthquake
Lorelei
Elite Four
Even

Nidoqueen trades roughly evenly with Lorelei's team.

Even
Dewgong
Lv 54
WaterIce
Thick Fat
Bubble BeamAurora BeamRestTake Down
Even
Cloyster
Lv 53
WaterIce
Shell Armor
SupersonicClampIce BeamSpike Cannon
You Win
Slowbro
Lv 54
WaterPsychic
Oblivious
PsychicSurfWithdrawAmnesia
Even
Jynx
Lv 56
IcePsychic
Oblivious
Double SlapIce PunchLovely KissThrash
Even
Lapras
Lv 56
WaterIce
Water Absorb
Body SlamConfuse RayBlizzardHydro Pump
Bruno
Elite Four
Good

Nidoqueen has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.

Easy KO
Onix
Lv 53
RockGround
Rock Head
Rock SlideScreechSlamDig
Even
Hitmonchan
Lv 55
Fighting
Keen Eye
Ice PunchThunder PunchFire PunchDouble Team
Even
Hitmonlee
Lv 55
Fighting
Limber
Double KickMega KickHigh Jump KickDouble Team
Easy KO
Onix
Lv 56
RockGround
Rock Head
Rock SlideScreechSlamEarthquake
Even
Machamp
Lv 58
Fighting
Guts
LeerKarate ChopStrengthSubmission
Agatha
Elite Four
Even

Nidoqueen trades roughly evenly with Agatha's team.

You Win
Gengar
Lv 56
GhostPoison
Cursed Body
Confuse RaySubstituteLickMega Drain
Even
Golbat
Lv 56
PoisonFlying
Inner Focus
SupersonicToxicWing AttackLeech Life
You Win
Haunter
Lv 55
GhostPoison
Levitate
Confuse RayLickHypnosisDream Eater
You Win
Arbok
Lv 58
Poison
Intimidate
WrapGlareScreechAcid
Even
Gengar
Lv 60
GhostPoison
Cursed Body
Confuse RayPsychicHypnosisDream Eater
Lance
Elite Four
Even

Nidoqueen trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.

Even
Gyarados
Lv 58
WaterFlying
Intimidate
Dragon RageLeerHydro PumpHyper Beam
You Win
Dragonair
Lv 56
Dragon
Shed Skin
Thunder WaveSlamThunderboltHyper Beam
You Win
Dragonair
Lv 56
Dragon
Shed Skin
Bubble BeamWrapIce BeamHyper Beam
Risky
Aerodactyl
Lv 60
RockFlying
Rock Head
Wing AttackSwiftFlyHyper Beam
Even
Dragonite
Lv 62
DragonFlying
Inner Focus
BlizzardFire BlastThunderHyper Beam
Blue
Champion
Good

Nidoqueen has the type edge here and should clean up Blue's team.

Even
Sandslash
Lv 61
Ground
Sand Veil
SlashPoison StingEarthquakeFury Swipes
Even
Alakazam
Lv 59
Psychic
Synchronize
PsybeamRecoverPsychicKinesis
You Win
Exeggutor
Lv 61
GrassPsychic
Chlorophyll
BarrageHypnosisStompLeech Seed
You Win
Ninetales
Lv 61
Fire
Flash Fire
Confuse RayTail WhipQuick AttackFire Spin
You Win
Magneton
Lv 63
Electric
Magnet Pull
ThunderboltThunder WaveSwiftScreech
Even
Vaporeon
Lv 65
Water
Water Absorb
Aurora BeamMistQuick AttackHydro Pump

Catch Nidoran♀ (female)

Available before Badge 1
Type
Poison
Tier
E

Catch Nidoran F on Route 2 (walking, Lv 4-6, uncommon).

View Nidoran F locations

Evolve Nidoran♀ (female) to Nidorina

Level 16
Type
Poison
Tier
E

Nidoran♀ (female) evolves into Nidorina at Level 16. Your Nidoran♀ (female) should hit Level 16 before you reach Misty, at typical leveling pace.

View Nidorina locations

Recommended Moves

Evolve Nidorina to Nidoqueen

Use Moon Stone
Type
PoisonGround
Tier
D

Nidorina evolves into Nidoqueen with a Moon Stone. You can pick up the Moon Stone in Mt. Moon. 3 other locations are also available.

Recommended Moves

How to Get Nidorina in Yellow

A few mid routes hold wild Nidorina, though it's rare at most of them. Catching a route Nidoran and leveling to 16 is the simpler way to one.

3 locations to catch Nidorina

Encountered via tall grass encounters

Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8

Where To Catch Nidorina in Y

Nidoran♀ (female) gets you Nidorina sooner: catch it at the very start and evolve it at Lv 16. Wild Nidorina first appears at Route 9 (after Badge 3).

  1. Nidoqueen
    Step 3Evolve into Nidoqueen

Not landing the catch? Calculate Nidorina catch rates for Yellow by ball, status, and HP.

Nidorina Weakness

Type-wise, Nidorina takes extra damage from Ground, Psychic, and Bug. 3 weaknesses is about average, nothing too hard to play around.

Nidorina Weakness and Resistance Chart
DamageTypes
2x (Weak)Ground, Psychic, Bug
0.5x (Resist)Grass, Fighting, Poison
Gen I Type Chart
  • Only 15 types exist — Dark, Steel, and Fairy are absent
  • Ghost has no effect on Psychic (a known bug, fixed in Gen II)
  • Special stat governs both offense and defense — no Sp.Atk / Sp.Def split

What is Nidorina Weak Against

Vulnerable
3Weak
3Resist
0Immune
Score-3
4xCritical
None
¼xResist
None
0xImmune
None

What is Nidorina Strong Against

2Strong
4Resisted
0Immune
Score-2
2xStrong
0xImmune
None

Best Pokemon Against Nidorina

Graveler
Graveler
RockGround
C
Sandslash
Sandslash
Ground
C
Hypno
Hypno
Psychic
C
Marowak
Marowak
Ground
C
Onix
Onix
RockGround
C

Nidorina Evolutions

This Poison-type links Nidoran♀ (female) to Nidoqueen. Nidorina has 365 stats but sits in the Undiscovered egg group. HP has grown the most so far (+15), but there's still another 140 stats to gain in the final evolution. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.

How to Evolve

3 Forms
Stat Comparison 3 Stages
Nidorina
Poison
Nidoqueen
PoisonGround
HP
55
70+15
90+20
ATK
47
62+15
92+30
DEF
52
67+15
87+20
SP.ATK
40
55+15
75+20
SP.DEF
40
55+15
85+30
SPE
41
56+15
76+20
BST
275E-Tier
365E-Tier+90
505D-Tier+140
ROLE
Balanced
Balanced
Balanced
TYPE
Utility
Utility
Mixed
Breeding not available · Introduced in Gen 2

Y Nidorina Best Moveset

Statistically better than Nidoran-F and strictly worse than Nidoqueen at every job. Poison typing still offers nothing offensive. Evolve and move on.

Best Build

Experimental
Utility
Ability
Unknown
Item
None
Best Nature for Nidorina
HardyNEUTRAL

Utility Moveset

  • BlizzardCoverage
  • Body Slam
  • Poison StingSTAB
  • Ice Beam

Moves List

TMs define Nidorina's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Poison Sting, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it Normal and Fighting coverage and more. That's where the options open up.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Growl
D—10040Normal
Lv 1
Scratch
—4010035Normal
Lv 1
Tackle
D3510035Normal
Lv 8
Scratch
—4010035Normal
Lv 12
Double Kick
D3010030Fighting
Lv 19
Poison Sting
S2210035Poison
Lv 27
Tail Whip
——10030Normal
Lv 36
Bite
D6010025Normal
Lv 46
Fury Swipes
—188015Normal

TM Moves

All 19 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four

TM
TM34D——10Normal
TM14
BlizzardPokémon Mansionbadge 6
S110905Ice
TM08
Body SlamS.S. Annebadge 2
S8510015Normal
TM11D6510020Water
TM32
Double TeamSafari Zonebadge 3
———15Normal
TM10
Double-EdgeRocket Hideoutbadge 3
C12010015Normal
TM13S9510010Ice
TM31
MimicSaffron Citybadge 5
D——10Normal
TM20
RageRoute 15badge 3
D2010020Normal
TM33
ReflectKanto Power Plantbadge 3
C——20Psychic
TM44
RestS.S. Annebadge 2
C——10Psychic
TM40
Skull BashSafari Zonebadge 4
C10010010Normal
TM50
SubstituteRocket Game Cornerbadge 3
C——10Normal
TM09
Take DownSilph Co.badge 3
D908520Normal
TM25
ThunderKanto Power Plantbadge 5
D1107010Electric
TM24D9510015Electric
TM06C—9010Poison
TM12
Water GunMt. Moonbadge 1
D4010025Water

Tutor Moves

Nidorina can't learn any Tutor moves

Base Stats

Base Stats
Avg
HP70
C
Attack62
C
Defense67
C
Sp. Atk55
D
Sp. Def55
D
Speed56
D
Total365
Details
Catch Rate
Moderate120 / 255
Growth Rate
Medium Slow1.06M XP
Height0.8 m
Weight20.0 kg
Base XP128
EV Yield
HP+2AtkDefSpASpDSpe
HP training target
Pokedex Entry

When resting deep in its burrow, its thorns always retract. This is proof that it is relaxed.

Pokemon Yellow

Nidorina Yellow Guide

  • How do I catch Nidorina in the Yellow Safari Zone?

    See the Locations section above for where to find Nidorina in Yellow.

    Safari rules: You can only use Safari Balls. No battling. Two tactical items shift the catch/flee trade-off:

    • Throw bait to keep Nidorina from fleeing (flee rate cut to 1/4) but it becomes harder to catch (catch factor halved).
    • Throw a rock to make Nidorina easier to catch (catch factor doubled) but it flees twice as often.
    • Each effect lasts 2-6 random turns; throwing one cancels the other.
  • In Yellow, Nidorina does the job early-game if you need a Poison type on your team. Evolve it into Nidoqueen before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.

Game Availability

Nidorina has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 19 titles across all 9 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.

Explore

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