Physical
Balanced
365Low
65Moderate
DTier

Mid-stage Pokemon like Nidorino rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Nidoking, which is where the real potential kicks in. Only weak to Ground and Psychic. Known as the Poison Pin Pokemon.

Nidorino's stats barely vary. 0 sit in respectable range with no real gaps. It's a blank slate for EV investment. Worth 2 Attack EVs, 1.06M XP medium-slow curve to max.

Base Stats
365Avg
HP61
C
Attack72
C
Defense57
D
Sp. Atk55
D
Sp. Def55
D
Speed65
C
Total365
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Nidorino yields +2 Atk
HPAtk+2DefSpASpDSpe
Details
Catch120ModerateMedium Slow1.06M XP0.9m / 2'11"19.5kg / 43 lbs128Base XP
Pokedex Entries

It has a violent disposition and stabs foes with its horn, which oozes venom upon impact.

Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl

Nidorino Weakness

Good

Ground and Psychic-type moves hit Nidorino for super-effective damage. It resists 5 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Only 2 weaknesses makes it relatively easy to build around defensively.

4xCriticali
None
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
None
STAB (2)i
2Weak
5Resist
0Immune
Scorei+1
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesAbsorbs on switch
Abilities
Poison PointHas a 30% chance of poisoning attacking Pokémon on contact.
RivalryIncreases damage inflicted to 1.25× against Pokémon of the same gender, but decreases damage to 0.75× against the opposite gender.
HustleHAStrengthens physical moves to inflict 1.5× damage, but decreases their accuracy to 0.8×.

Nidorino is partway through a three-stage line between Nidoran♂ (male) and Nidoking. The chain involves an evolution item, so it's not a straightforward grind. So far, Defense got the biggest boost (+17 from Nidoran M). The final form adds another 140 stats on top.

How to Evolve

3 Forms
Stat Comparison 3 Stages
Nidorino
Poison
Nidoking
PoisonGround
HP
46
61+15
81+20
ATK
57
72+15
102+30
DEF
40
57+17
77+20
SP.ATK
40
55+15
85+30
SP.DEF
40
55+15
75+20
SPE
50
65+15
85+20
BST
273D-Tier
365D-Tier+92
505C-Tier+140
ROLE
Balanced
Balanced
Attacker
TYPE
Utility
Physical
Mixed
Breeding
Moderate

Breed with Nidorino to get Nidoran M eggs from the Ground and Monster egg groups. Notable egg moves include Amnesia, Beat Up, Chip Away and 11 more.

Egg Groups
GroundMonster
Gender
100.0%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
14moves

Best Build

No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 7.

Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.

Coverage runs deep. Nidorino can hit 12 types beyond STAB, including Flying and Fighting. The offense anchors on Sludge Bomb and Poison Jab while TMs handle everything else.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Leer
10030Normal
Lv 1
Peck
3510035Flying
Lv 7
Focus Energy
30Normal
Lv 9
Double Kick
3010030Fighting
Lv 13
Poison Sting
1510035Poison
Lv 20
Fury Attack
158520Normal
Lv 23
Horn Attack
6510025Normal
Lv 28
Helping Hand+5
20Normal
Lv 35
Toxic Spikes
20Poison
Lv 38
Flatter
10015Dark
Lv 43
Poison Jab
8010020Poison
Lv 50
Captivate
10020Normal
Lv 58
Horn Drill
305Normal

TM Moves

Src
TM45
Attract
10015Normal
TM14
Blizzard
110705Ice
TM100
Confide
20Normal
TM32
Double Team
15Normal
TM49
Echoed Voice
4010015Normal
TM42
Facade
7010020Normal
TM21
Frustration
10020Normal
TM10
Hidden Power
6010015Normal
TM13
Ice Beam
9010010Ice
TM84
Poison Jab
8010020Poison
TM17
Protect+4
10Normal
TM18
Rain Dance
5Water
TM44
Rest
10Psychic
TM27
Return
10020Normal
TM48
Round
6010015Normal
TM65
Shadow Claw
7010015Ghost
TM88
Sleep Talk
10Normal
TM36
Sludge Bomb
9010010Poison
TM67
Smart Strike
7010Steel
TM90
Substitute
10Normal
TM11
Sunny Day
5Fire
TM87
Swagger
8515Normal
TM46
Thief
6010025Dark
TM25
Thunder
1107010Electric
TM24
Thunderbolt
9010015Electric
TM06
Toxic
9010Poison
TM09
Venoshock
6510010Poison

Egg Moves

Src
Egg
Amnesia
20Psychic
Egg
Beat Up
10010Dark
Egg
Chip Away
7010020Normal
Egg
Confusion
5010025Psychic
Egg
Counter-5
10020Fighting
Egg
Disable
10020Normal
Egg
Endure+4
10Normal
Egg
Head Smash
150805Rock
Egg
Iron Tail
1007515Steel
Egg
Poison Tail
5010025Poison
Egg
Sucker Punch+1
701005Dark
Egg
Supersonic
5520Normal
Egg
Take Down
908520Normal
Egg
Venom Drench
10020Poison

Tutor Moves

Src
Tutor
Drill Run
809510Ground
Tutor
Helping Hand+5
20Normal
Tutor
Iron Tail
1007515Steel
Tutor
Shock Wave
6020Electric
Tutor
Snore
5010015Normal
Tutor
Stomping Tantrum
7510010Ground
Tutor
Super Fang
9010Normal
Tutor
Water Pulse
6010020Water

Transfer Moves

Src
Gen 1
Bide+1
10Normal
Gen 3
Body Slam
8510015Normal
Gen 1
Bubble Beam
6510020Water
Gen 2
Curse
10Ghost
Gen 6
Cut
509530Normal
Gen 3
Defense Curl
40Normal
Gen 2
Detect+4
5Fighting
Gen 6
Dig
8010010Ground
Gen 3
Double-Edge
12010015Normal
Gen 4
Headbutt
7010015Normal
Gen 6
Hone Claws
15Dark
Gen 3
Mimic
10Normal
Gen 4
Mud-Slap
2010010Ground
Gen 4
Natural Gift
10015Normal
Gen 1
Rage
2010020Normal
Gen 1
Reflect
20Psychic
Gen 6
Rock Smash
4010015Fighting
Gen 6
Secret Power
7010020Normal
Gen 1
Skull Bash
13010010Normal
Gen 6
Strength
8010015Normal
Gen 1
Tackle
4010035Normal
Gen 1
Water Gun
4010025Water

No wild encounters for Nidorino in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. Bring Nidoran♂ (male) over from Red, Yellow, or Let's Go Pikachu, then level through the stages. Each step in the chain is laid out below.

How to Obtain Nidorino in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon

  1. Nidoran♂ (male)
    Step 1Obtain Nidoran♂ (male)

    Catch in the wild in:

    Then trade to Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon to continue the evolution chain.

    Also found in:

  2. Nidorino
    Step 2Nidorino
  • Nidorino isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Nidoking to unlock its full potential. At 365 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.

  • Watch for Rhydon (Ground) and Alakazam (Psychic) when using Nidorino. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Only 2 weaknesses means fewer dedicated counters to worry about.

  • Nidoran M evolves into Nidorino at level 16. Nidorino evolves into Nidoking using a Moon Stone. Nidorino is a middle-stage evolution in the Nidoran M line.

  • Poison Point has a 30% chance of poisoning attacking Pokémon on contact — that's the one you want on Nidorino. Hustle is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses. Rivalry works too if your team needs something different.

  • Nidorino fills the balanced role. It's a physical attacker with base 72 Attack. At base 65 Speed, it won't be moving first often.

  • Nidorino appears in 19 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.

Nidorino 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.