In Crystal, 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.

What is Nidorino weak to?

In Crystal, 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.

How do you evolve Nidorino?

In Crystal, 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.

What role does Nidorino play in battle?

In Crystal, 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.

Should I use Nidorino?

In Crystal, Nidorino does the job early-game if you need a Poison type on your team. Evolve it into Nidoking before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.

Nidorino - Weakness, Evolution, Moveset, EVs & Stats

Physical

Balanced

DTier

65Speed · Below Avg

Stats & Training

Nidorino's stats barely vary. None sit in respectable range with no real gaps. It's a blank slate for EV investment. Worth 2 Attack stat exp, 1.06M XP medium-slow curve to max.

Base Stats

Avg

HP61

Attack72

Defense57

Sp. Atk55

Sp. Def55

Speed65

Total365

Details

Catch Rate

Moderate120 / 255

Growth Rate

Medium Slow1.06M XP

Height0.9 m

Weight19.5 kg

Base XP128

Abilities

Abilities were introduced in Generation III. Shown below for reference.

Poison Point

Has a 30% chance of poisoning attacking Pokémon on contact.

Rivalry

Increases damage inflicted to 1.25× against Pokémon of the same gender, but decreases damage to 0.75× against the opposite gender.

HustleHA

Strengthens physical moves to inflict 1.5× damage, but decreases their accuracy to 0.8×.

EV Yield

HPAtk+2DefSpASpDSpe

Attack training target

Pokedex Entries

It is easily agitated and uses its horn for offense as soon as it notices an attacker.

Crystal

Nidorino Weakness

Ground and Psychic moves hit Nidorino for super-effective damage. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Only 2 weaknesses makes it relatively easy to build around defensively.

Nidorino Weakness and Resistance Chart
Damage	Types
2x (Weak)	Ground, Psychic
0.5x (Resist)	Grass, Fighting, Poison, Bug

Type ChartAvg

2Weak

4Resist

0Immune

Score0

Gen II Type Chart

Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
Special stat split into Sp.Atk and Sp.Def

4xCritical

None

2xWeak

Ground Psychic

½xResist

Grass Fighting Poison Bug

¼xResist

None

0xImmune

None

STAB (1)

Grass

How to Beat Nidorino in Crystal (Best Counters)

Donphan Ground	B
TM Move Moves Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Mud-Slap 2x 31-37% View Donphan builds →
Quagsire WaterGround	C
Available Moves Moves DigTM28 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Dig 2x 90-107%KO Mud-Slap 2x 24-30% View Quagsire builds →
Graveler RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves DigTM28 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Dig 2x 96-113%KO Mud-Slap 2x 28-33% View Graveler builds →
Onix RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves DigTM28 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Dig 2x 57-67% Mud-Slap 2x 17-20% View Onix builds →
Cubone Ground	C
Obtain MethodGoldenrod City Gift Available Moves Moves DigTM28 Bone ClubLv. 9 BonemerangLv. 25 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Dig 2x 62-73% Bone Club 2x 50-60% Bonemerang 2x 39-47% Mud-Slap 2x 19-23% View Cubone builds →

Crystal Evolution

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. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.

How to Evolve

3 Forms

#032Nidoran♂ (male)

Level 16

#033Nidorino

Moon Stone

#034Nidoking

Stat Comparison 3 Stages

Nidoran♂ (male)

Poison

Nidorino

Poison

Nidoking

PoisonGround

61+15

81+20

ATK

72+15

102+30

DEF

57+17

77+20

SP.ATK

55+15

85+30

SP.DEF

55+15

75+20

SPE

65+15

85+20

BST

273D-Tier

365D-Tier+92

505C-Tier+140

ROLE

Balanced

Attacker

TYPE

Utility

Physical

Mixed

Breeding

Moderate

Breed with Nidorino to get Nidoran M eggs using 66 partners from the Ground and Monster egg groups. Notable egg moves include Amnesia, Beat Up, Confusion and 4 more.

Egg Groups

GroundMonster

Gender

♂100.0%

Hatch Time

20 cycles·5,140 steps

Quick~5 min with Flame Body

Egg Moves

7moves

Breed With (best first)

Crystal Nidorino Best Moveset

Best Build

Gen 2 build content has limited support (no abilities).

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

Moves

Don't skip the egg moves. Nidorino picks up Amnesia and Beat Up only through breeding, and both fill gaps the natural movepool can't. STAB runs through Poison Sting while coverage across 8 types adds range.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1

Leer

——10030Normal

Lv 1

Tackle

D3510035Normal

Lv 8

Horn Attack

—6510025Normal

Lv 12

Double Kick

—3010030Fighting

Lv 19

Poison Sting

—1510035Poison

Lv 27

Focus Energy

———30Normal

Lv 36

Fury Attack

—158520Normal

Lv 46

Horn Drill

——305Normal

TM Moves

TM45

Attract

D—10015Normal

TM14

Blizzard

D120705Ice

TM03

Curse

C——10Ghost

TM40

Defense Curl

D——40Normal

TM43

Detect+4

D——5Fighting

TM32

Double Team

———15Normal

TM20

Endure+4

D——10Normal

TM21

Frustration

D—10020Normal

TM02

Headbutt

D7010015Normal

TM10

Hidden Power

—6010015Normal

TM23

Iron Tail

D1007515Steel

TM31

Mud-Slap

D2010010Ground

TM17

Protect+4

C——10Normal

TM18

Rain Dance

C——5Water

TM44

Rest

C——10Psychic

TM27

Return

D—10020Normal

TM08

Rock Smash

—2010015Fighting

TM35

Sleep Talk

C——10Normal

TM13

Snore

—4010015Normal

HM04

Strength

D8010015Normal

TM11

Sunny Day

C——5Fire

TM34

Swagger

C—8515Normal

TM46

Thief

D6010025Dark

TM25

Thunder

D1207010Electric

TM06

Toxic

C—8510Poison

Egg Moves

Egg

Amnesia

D——20Psychic

Egg

Beat Up

——10010Dark

Egg

Confusion

D5010025Psychic

Egg

Counter-5

D—10020Fighting

Egg

Disable

D—5520Normal

Egg

Supersonic

——5520Normal

Egg

Take Down

D908520Normal

Tutor Moves

Tut

Tutor

Ice Beam

D9510010Ice

Tutor

Thunderbolt

D9510015Electric

How to Get Nidorino in Crystal

Nidorino appears at high spawn rates across 3 spots in mid-game routes. Sort by Best below if you want the highest rate, or Earliest if you want the quickest access point in your playthrough.

Where To Catch Nidorino in Crystal

Nidoran♂ (male) is your first catch on the way to Nidorino. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 12-23 across 5 total spots in the chain.

Step 1Catch Nidoran♂ (male)
National Park
Grass Lv.12 Facility
30%Early
Morning/day
Route 35
Grass Lv.12 Route
30%Early
Swarm active
Train until Level 16
Step 2Nidorino ✓
Route 13
Grass Lv.23 Route
30%Mid
Route 14
Grass Lv.23 Route
30%Mid
Route 15
Grass Lv.23 Route
30%Mid
or evolve from Nidoran♂ (male) (Step 1)

Nidorino Guide

In Crystal, 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.
In Crystal, 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.
In Crystal, 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.
In Crystal, 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.
In Crystal, Nidorino does the job early-game if you need a Poison type on your team. Evolve it into Nidoking before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.

Game Availability

Nidorino has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 19 titles across all 10 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.

Click a game to view version-specific details

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Want to tell us more?

What was most useful?

About:

What could be improved?

About:

Thanks for your feedback

Donphan Ground	B
Available Moves Moves EarthquakeLv. 49 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Earthquake 2x 154-181%KO Mud-Slap 2x 33-40% View Donphan builds →
Nidoking PoisonGround	B
TM Move Moves Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Mud-Slap 2x 28-33% View Nidoking builds →
Quagsire WaterGround	C
Available Moves Moves EarthquakeLv. 35 DigTM28 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Earthquake 2x 116-137%KO Dig 2x 93-110%KO Mud-Slap 2x 26-31% View Quagsire builds →
Sandslash Ground	C
Available Moves Moves DigTM28 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Dig 2x 104-124%KO Mud-Slap 2x 28-33% View Sandslash builds →
Nidoqueen PoisonGround	C
TM Move Moves Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Mud-Slap 2x 26-31% View Nidoqueen builds →

Celebi PsychicGrass	A
Obtain MethodIlex Forest Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves ConfusionLv. 1 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Confusion 2x 70-84% Mud-Slap 2x 20-24% View Celebi builds →
Quagsire WaterGround	C
TM Move Moves Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Mud-Slap 2x 30-36% View Quagsire builds →
Onix RockGround	C
TM Move Moves Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Mud-Slap 2x 20-24% View Onix builds →
Geodude RockGround	C
TM Move Moves Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Mud-Slap 2x 30-36% View Geodude builds →
Sandshrew Ground	D
TM Move Moves Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Mud-Slap 2x 24-30% View Sandshrew builds →

Quagsire WaterGround	C
TM Move Moves Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Mud-Slap 2x 28-35% View Quagsire builds →
Onix RockGround	C
TM Move Moves Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Mud-Slap 2x 20-25% View Onix builds →
Cubone Ground	C
Obtain MethodGoldenrod City Gift Available Moves Moves Bone ClubLv. 9 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Bone Club 2x 55-65% Mud-Slap 2x 20-25% View Cubone builds →
Geodude RockGround	C
TM Move Moves Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Mud-Slap 2x 28-35% View Geodude builds →
Sandshrew Ground	D
TM Move Moves Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Mud-Slap 2x 25-30% View Sandshrew builds →

Quagsire WaterGround	C
Available Moves Moves DigTM28 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Dig 2x 93-111%KO Mud-Slap 2x 27-33% View Quagsire builds →
Onix RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves DigTM28 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Dig 2x 62-74% Mud-Slap 2x 21-25% View Onix builds →
Cubone Ground	C
Obtain MethodGoldenrod City Gift Available Moves Moves DigTM28 Bone ClubLv. 9 BonemerangLv. 25 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Dig 2x 66-78% Bone Club 2x 55-66% Bonemerang 2x 41-49% Mud-Slap 2x 21-25% View Cubone builds →
Geodude RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves DigTM28 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Dig 2x 90-107%KO Mud-Slap 2x 27-33% View Geodude builds →
Sandshrew Ground	D
Available Moves Moves DigTM28 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Dig 2x 86-103%KO Mud-Slap 2x 23-29% View Sandshrew builds →

Quagsire WaterGround	C
Available Moves Moves DigTM28 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Dig 2x 92-109%KO Mud-Slap 2x 25-31% View Quagsire builds →
Graveler RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves DigTM28 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Dig 2x 101-119%KO Mud-Slap 2x 28-34% View Graveler builds →
Onix RockGround	C
Available Moves Moves DigTM28 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Dig 2x 60-72% Mud-Slap 2x 17-20% View Onix builds →
Cubone Ground	C
Obtain MethodGoldenrod City Gift Available Moves Moves DigTM28 Bone ClubLv. 9 BonemerangLv. 25 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Dig 2x 64-75% Bone Club 2x 51-61% Bonemerang 2x 40-48% Mud-Slap 2x 19-24% View Cubone builds →
Sandshrew Ground	D
Available Moves Moves DigTM28 Mud-SlapTM31 Damage vs Nidorino Dig 2x 83-99% Mud-Slap 2x 23-27% View Sandshrew builds →