Card of the Day: Base Set Nidoking

Nidoking #11 (Base Set)

HP:  90   Retreat Cost:  3   Weakness:  Psychic   Resistance:  None

Nidoking has average stats.  Nidoking has average stats.  Nidoking has average stats.  Nidoking has average stats.

Thrash (1G2C):  30+

Nidoking has an average attack that could possibly do extra damage to the opponent or it can hit him instead.  So the extra effects cancel each other out and this is another average moment.  At least it isn't like the games where Thrash confuses the user, because that would be devastating in the TCG.

Toxic (3G):  20

Hey, here's a good attack!  Poison is already a good status ailment, but double Poison is a much quicker killer.  After two turns, most Pokémon will be out of commission.  Only the other Stage 2 Pokémon can last longer.  So, Toxic probably won't be the most reliable attack during the endgame, but it can pick off a lot of weaklings during the middle of the battle.

Strategies Against Nidoking

Since Grass Pokémon are usually weak to Fire, Nidoking can be a little surprising if you're unprepared.  Fortunately, a lot of Fire Pokémon hit hard and could take down Nidoking in one or two hits, but usually you'll want Haunter or Jynx to get your hits in.  Chansey can also withstand a lot of Toxic's effects.

Nidorino Overview

HP:  60   Retreat Cost:  1   Weakness:  Psychic   Resistance:  None

Nidorino is relatively better than Nidoking, and if it weren't for its average HP, it could carry a deck on its own.  Double Kick is pretty standard with a chance of 60 damage at the flip of two coins, but Horn Drill is where Nidorino shines.  With a well-timed Double Colorless Energy, Nidorino could be stomping down opponents left and right.  It's similar to fellow uncommon Stage 1 cards like Dewgong and Arcanine and is able to support any full or half-Grass deck.  B-

Nidoran Overview

HP:  40   Retreat Cost:  1   Weakness:  Psychic   Resistance:  None

If you're lucky, Nidoran can be an early beast.  It can KO several Basic Pokémon on the first turn, and cause significant damage to the rest.  Of course you run the risk of Horn Hazard not working, but it's not as if Nidoran will be your only Pokémon.  Obviously, you should evolve him quickly, but maybe you'll luck out on those early turns.  D+

Sample Nidoking Deck

I went with Grass/Psychic this time around.  Haunter is a great ally to Nidoking. Not only can it defend against other Psychic types, it can keep your opponents asleep while you poison them with Toxic. Poison is special in that it can be used in conjunction with any other Special Conditions. Paralysis only lasts one turn, but Confusion and Sleep can last for multiple turns. Confusion and Poison is another nice combination, but with 20 points of Damage every turn, Toxic will be fine slowly draining a sleeping opponent. Also, Haunter has a small Retreat Cost, so it can get in and out quickly.

2 - Nidoking

3 - Nidorino

4 - Nidoran

3 - Haunter

4 - Gastly

4 - Tangela

2 - Computer Search

3 - Super Potion

4 - Energy Retrieval

2 - Professor Oak

2 - Pokémon Trader

4 - Bill

11 - Grass Energy

8 - Psychic Energy

4 - Double Colorless Energy

Final Grade: B+

Venusaur may overshadow Nidoking, but it is still a strong Grass contender. His deadly Toxic attack is a force to be reckoned with.  If you want to use it for support or as a main, it shall do just fine.

Kanto Route 22

Bulbapedia Article

We're at the second Route and we've suddenly jumped to number 22?  No, that's not a mistake, but this area is practically optional for the moment, meaning you could head to Route north of Viridian if you wanted to.  But there are a few items of interest over here that make it worth a visit.

First, over in the west is the gate to the Pokemon League.  A guard tells you that you'll need the Boulder Badge to pass through, meaning there is no point in trying to get through at the moment (and even once you have that badge, you'd might as well collect the rest before coming back here).

Second, there are a couple patches of grass that contain some very helpful Pokemon, some of whom are strong candidates for permanent team members.  So why not catch a few before trying to proceed north?

 Spearow - Lv. 2-6 - Red/Green/Blue/Yellow

Spearow is a much, much better bird than Pidgey.  It automatically comes with Peck, meaning it can take out all the bugs in Viridian Forest.  Plus, it evolves into its final stage earlier at Level 20, which is just about the time you'll be needing a strong bird Pokemon on your team.  Fearow will help you Fly around and Drill Peck those that stand in your way in the middle of the game.  If you have a Pidgeot by that point, great, but Fearow will get the job done.

 Nidoran - Lv. 2-4 - Red/Green/Blue/Yellow 

The blue female Nidoran has some weak attacks early on, but it is capable of learning Body Slam naturally by evolving into Nidoqueen before Lv. 23.  On the other hand, the purple male Nidoran has stronger moves, but learns its best move (Horn Drill) much later delaying his inevitable evolution into Nidoking.  Still, whether you want the more defensive Nidoqueen or the more offensive Nidoking, both learn a great variety of TMs, which makes getting through the game a breeze with either one.  Also, in Yellow, it's worth noting that they can learn Double Kick by Level 12, which comes in handy when fighting Brock.  They are too good to pass up.

 Mankey - Lv. 3-5 - Yellow 

As if the Nidorans weren't good enough, Yellow players can also get an early Mankey which is seemingly only present to help aid against Brock.  Pikachu can't do anything, and the other Normal, Flying, Bug, and Poison types can hardly do any damage.  Only Fighting moves will be super effective.  Outside of that first Gym battle (and probably Mt. Moon), Mankey/Primeape probably won't be a strong powerhouse on your team.  It can help with Normal Pokemon in standard trainer battles, but it will eventually be outclassed by Machoke or Hitmonlee.

After you've caught all of those Pokemon, there is one last attraction to Route 22:  your first real trainer battle!  Unless you skipped this part, of course.

 Rival Blue 

Yes, you fought him earlier in Pallet Town, but that was more like a mandatory tutorial rather than an actual battle (as there was no difference if you one or lost...except in Yellow).  He has already caught his first Pokemon, a Pidgey in Red/Green/Blue or a Spearow in Yellow.  They are strong at Level 9 each, so unless your Pikachu can handle it, you might want to bulk up your Pokemon in Viridian Forest for a while.  His Starter will be even harder, as it will now have a move that is super-effective against your own in Red/Green/Blue.  In Yellow, his Eevee will be slightly easier if you have a Mankey or high-leveled Nidoran.  Be careful though.  The results of these battles determine his team later on in the game.  Winning both this and the Pallet Town battle will result in a Jolteon, losing both will result in a Vaporeon, and winning only one will result in a Flareon.  So, if you don't want to see a Jolteon later, you'd might as well skip this battle.  You'll later fight him in this exact same spot before taking on the Indigo Plateau.  But we'll save that for later.

Other Thoughts

- There is one thing that always bugged me that I wish had been implemented in the Yellow version: Misty should be here.  It always seemed like this is where Ash met her in the show, so why not put her here?  But that's not the biggest change I'd make....

- Since this area is optional anyway, you should be able to receive the Old Rod here (and the Old Rod should at least let you have a small chance at catching something other than Magikarp).  Think about it...having a Rod this early would let players catch Magikarp (who would still be too weak to help out), Poliwag (who can help Pikachu or Charmander owners fight Brock) or Goldeen (whose Peck can help with Viridian Forest).  Yes, it might make things a little easier, hence, make it an optional, hidden discovery.  The Rod distribution is terrible in these games.  Vermilion City is where you should receive the Good Rod since it's a town based on fishing and offers a large variety of Pokemon!  The Old Rod is a waste in that city.  Plus, if Misty were here, it would make sense that she'd give you one of her old rods.  Better than a fishing master who can only catch Magikarp.

Pokemon 4Koma Gag Battle

I've been trying my hardest to find information on one of the earliest pieces of Pokémon merchandise, but, due to a Japanese-only release and no signs of republishing the work, the full content of the Pokémon 4Koma series may never be completely unearthed.

"4Koma" is the term for a 4-panel comic, usually arranged vertically (as opposed to the 2-panel 2Koma comics).  A large collection of Pokémon-themed 4Koma comics have been made by various creators, but each serves the purpose of telling simple gags with the characters (both human and monster).

The creatures are put into familiar scenarios in order to get the joke across and rarely have recurring storylines.  However, consistent personalities develop over time, as with any long running series.  The earliest collection dates back to 1996, but they are still being produced today.

However, without access to these books, I cannot accurately review their worth (Although they seem creative and funny to me).  Fortunately, a dedicated Nidoran fan has his own website that has found many 4Koma comics related to his favorite Pokémon family.

I highly suggest you read his analysis and review of his favorite 4Koma author Takahiro Yamashita, as it provides the most analysis of the genre as a whole that I have found thus far.

Aqua Bunny's 4Koma Fansite

Although this is just a slice of the Pokémon 4Koma culture, it is a great look into a world that is completely isolated to American audiences.  Perhaps one day, we'll see some full translations of these collections.