In Gold and Silver, Nidoran♀ can be found on Routes 35 and 36. In Crystal, it can be found on Route 35 and in the National Park.
A Moon Stone will be given by the player's mom to the player if the player lets her save money. Another Moon Stone is available in the Tohjo Falls or, only in Crystal, in the Ruins of Alph, after solving one of the puzzles. Further Moon Stones may be obtained by visiting Mt. Moon Square on Mondays, and are also held by wild Clefairy.
While harder to get and train than in the Kanto games, Nidoqueen and Nidoking are both still amazing in Johto, as in many other generations. Moon Stones are much scarcer, but by having the in-game mother save up money, getting one by the time the player reaches Mahogany Town is relatively easy, which is a fair point to evolve Nidorina into Nidoqueen. By depositing more money, a Moon Stone can be obtained even as early as Ecruteak City.
Right after evolution, Nidoqueen has amazing options to work with: the three elemental punches, Surf, and Shadow Ball are all readily available for it to achieve mad coverage, and with good damage output. Nidoqueen is also sturdy and will almost never fall to a single hit, even if critical; in addition to that, very few of the game matchups feature type specialists sporting a team of Pokémon with STAB that is super effective against Poison- or Ground-types. These factors combined make Nidoqueen a very solid and reliable Pokémon, perfect for beginners and useful even for experienced nuzlockers.
Gym #3 - Whitney (Goldenrod City, Normal-type): Nidorina's Double Kick KOs Clefairy in two or three turns; Clefairy's Metronome is only deadly if it pulls Explosion, as Nidorina may be able to take a Selfdestruct from full health, and can take up to two strong super effective moves, such as Psychic or Earthquake. Winning against Miltank is more difficult, but possible if Nidorina knows Mud-Slap: the move can lower Miltank's accuracy to the point where Rollout will almost never stack, and Nidorina's job is facilitated by its gender, which grants it immunity from Miltank's Attract. After Miltank's accuracy is low enough, preferably at its minimum, Nidorina can hit it with Double Kick until the KO occurs. Nidorina will need to be healed in the process, since Miltank's Stomp is stronger than its Double Kick.
Rival (Burned Tower): Nidorina should not attempt to fight Haunter under any conditions, as Mud-Slap will not do much damage, and Mean Look + Curse can easily turn into a deadly trap. On the other hand, Zubat can be averagely 3HKOed with Return, and Magnemite falls to Double Kick in two to three turns. Nidorina's Return also easily outpowers Bayleef's Razor Leaf, although its Reflect may lengthen the battle; Nidorina can also eventually win against Croconaw, though both its Return and Croconaw's Water Gun take several turns to KO the opponent. Lastly, Return is an average 4HKO against Quilava, though Nidorina may need to bypass its SmokeScreen spam in order to win.
Gym #4 - Morty (Ecruteak City, Ghost-type): Nidorina's Mud-Slap is only enough to beat Gastly, as it 4-5HKOs; it will take Nidorina a lesser amount of turns only if Gastly uses Curse. The level 21 Haunter can be attempted as well, as it knows Curse but not Mean Look, unlike Gastly; by switching in and out as needed, Nidorina can eventually KO it. The level 23 Haunter, however, is likely to trap Nidorina with Mean Look and then Spite out its few remaining Mud-Slap PPs, leaving it without a single offensive move to hit with, until Night Shade scores the kill. Gengar outdamages by far even just with Shadow Ball, and can do even worse with Dream Eater; avoid it at all costs.
Eusine (Cianwood City, Crystal only): Return 3HKOs Drowzee, but Nidorina should be kept awake from its Hypnosis, in order to avoid getting hit by Dream Eater. Both Haunter and Electrode should be avoided; the former knows Mean Look and Curse and cannot be KOed swiftly enough to prevent the combination from being used, whereas the second severely outpowers Nidorina with Thunder.
Gym #5 - Chuck (Cianwood City, Fighting-type): Nidorina's Return is an average 3-4HKO against Primeape; its Leer will take several turns more to actually become dangerous paired with Karate Chop, which Nidorina resists, so the battle should not cause problems. It cannot fight Poliwrath, however, as its Surf is too strong for Nidorina. Nidoqueen's Return is a 3HKO against Primeape instead, but it also gets 2HKOed by Poliwrath's Surf due to the newly acquired Water weakness.
Gym #6 - Jasmine (Olivine City, Steel-type): This battle should not be fought without a fully evolved Nidoqueen. Nidoqueen's Fire Punch easily 2HKOs both of the Magnemite and 3HKOs Steelix, whose Iron Tail deals even less damage.
Rocket Executive battle #1 (Team Rocket HQ): Nidorina 2-3HKOs Zubat and 3HKOs Koffing with Return, and can also KO Raticate in three turns with Double Kick; its bulk is good from the late twenties upwards, as it can take even Koffing's Selfdestruct. Nidoqueen averagely accomplishes the same with one less turn; notably, it can potentially OHKO Zubat with Ice Punch.
Rocket Executive battle #2 (Team Rocket HQ): Nidorina's Return 3HKOs all of the enemy Pokémon. Nidoqueen also 3HKOs Arbok with it, but can 2HKO Gloom and Murkrow with Ice Punch, instead.
Gym #7 - Pryce (Mahogany Town, Ice-type): Neither Nidorina nor Nidoqueen can take on more than Seel. Seel is averagely KOed in three turns with Nidorina's Return, or 2-3HKOed by Nidoqueen's ThunderPunch, but both Dewgong's Aurora Beam and Piloswine's Blizzard are quick to KO.
Rocket Executive battle #3 (Goldenrod Radio Tower): Nidoqueen's elemental punches all 3HKO each Koffing, but Nidoqueen can only take up to two Selfdestructs, and should not attempt to take the second if one has already been used, because several damage roll combinations can KO Nidoqueen in two Selfdestruct hits. It is also highly unlikely to win against Weezing, whose Explosion nearly kills from full health; Nidoqueen's moves struggle to even score a 4HKO.
Rival (Goldenrod Underground): Nidoqueen's Ice Punch 3HKOs Golbat, while Fire Punch 2HKOs Magnemite and 2-3HKOs Sneasel. Haunter can be 3-4HKOed with any elemental punch, or 1-2HKOed if Nidoqueen knows Shadow Ball. Quilava is either 2HKOed by Surf or 3HKOed by Return, and both options carry no risk whatsoever due to its best move being Flame Wheel; ThunderPunch 3HKOs Feraligatr, whose strongest STAB is still the relatively weak Water Gun, which deals about half the damage ThunderPunch does. Meganium is also easily 3-4HKOed, either with Ice Punch or Fire Punch.
Rocket Executive battle #4 (Goldenrod Radio Tower): Nidoqueen's Return 3HKOs Arbok, and Ice Punch can 3HKO Vileplume and 2HKO Murkrow.
Rocket Executive battle #5 (Goldenrod Radio Tower): Houndour can be 2-3HKOed with Return or 2HKOed with Surf; Houndoom is a 3-4HKO or a 3HKO, respectively. Koffing is best disposed of with a strong special move, so Surf should be used if available, but any elemental punch will also do the job in at most four hits. None of the enemy Pokémon can threaten Nidoqueen, and Koffing notably lacks explosive moves.
Suicune (Bell Tower, Crystal only): No. Suicune easily 2-3HKOs Nidoqueen with BubbleBeam, and Rain Dance only makes matters worse.
Gym #8 - Clair (Blackthorn City, Dragon-type): Nidoqueen outspeeds and 2-3HKOs all three of the Dragonair with Ice Punch, even the ones carrying Surf and Ice Beam respectively; the moves have near-impossible odds of 3HKOing Nidoqueen in return. Nidoqueen will, however, need paralysis healing if DragonBreath causes the status condition, which cripples its battling capabilities. It should also stay well away from Kingdra and its Surf, which 2HKOs.
Rival (Victory Road): Earthquake 2HKOs Sneasel and OHKOs Magneton and Haunter. Golbat is once again 3HKOed by Ice Punch. Nidoqueen can take on Kadabra as well, since its Psybeam is only a 3HKO and Earthquake can 2HKO, with a small OHKO chance. Typhlosion is 2HKOed by Earthquake, Feraligatr can be either 3-4HKOed with it or 3HKOed with ThunderPunch; Meganium is 3-4HKOed with either Fire Punch or Ice Punch.
Elite Four Will (Indigo Plateau, Psychic-type): Nidoqueen can take on either or both of the Xatu, 2HKOing them with one of Ice Punch, ThunderPunch or Shadow Ball, before they can 3HKO with Psychic. ThunderPunch or Shadow Ball can also be used to 3HKO Slowbro after Nidoqueen is healed, as its Psychic only 3HKOs, as well; however, Slowbro knows both Curse and Amnesia, and can easily force Nidoqueen to switch out unless it knows both moves and can bypass either stat boost. Jynx can be 2HKOed with Earthquake, but it can 2HKO back with Psychic, although the chance is small; Nidoqueen might outspeed it, however, due to its likely level advantage, and if that is the case the battle will be won. Exeggutor is the only Pokémon on Will's team that Nidoqueen cannot win against.
Elite Four Koga (Indigo Plateau, Poison-type): Ariados and Venomoth are 2HKOed by either Earthquake or Fire Punch; Earthquake is more likely to 2HKO Venomoth, but Fire Punch is also highly likely to do so. Forretress is a highly likely Fire Punch OHKO, but even if it survives a hit, Nidoqueen can take an Explosion if its health is full or almost full. Earthquake also 2HKOs Muk even after an Acid Armor, if it does use the move, and Ice Punch will 3HKO Crobat after its Double Team spam is over.
Elite Four Bruno (Indigo Plateau, Fighting-type): Hitmontop is averagely 2-3HKOed by Earthquake, with a relatively high OHKO chance if it uses Dig. Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee are both 2HKOed; Hitmonchan's Ice Punch is pitifully weak, while Hitmonlee is somewhat of a threat with Swagger, but healing confusion as needed will fix the problem. Onix's Earthquake is a weak 3HKO, whilst Nidoqueen's is a 2HKO; Ice Punch can also 2HKO it. Nidoqueen is also the perfect counter for Machamp, as it resists all of its moves and can 3HKO with Earthquake without a risk, as even a critical Cross Chop deals less than half in damage.
Elite Four Karen (Indigo Plateau, Dark-type): Umbreon can be 3HKOed with Earthquake, after getting past its painful Sand-Attack shenanigans. If Nidoqueen's accuracy is lowered, it is advised to switch out and then back in or use an X Accuracy, before continuing the fight. Vileplume is 3HKOed by either Earthquake or a super effective elemental punch; Murkrow can be 2HKOed with Ice Punch or ThunderPunch. Gengar can be OHKOed with Earthquake, but this is not recommended unless it is paralysed, as it can otherwise take Nidoqueen down with it with Destiny Bond; Nidoqueen can attempt to paralyse it with ThunderPunch before dealing the finishing blow. Houndoom is 1-2HKOed with Earthquake; its Flamethrower only 3HKOs at best.
Champion Lance (Indigo Plateau, Flying-type): ThunderPunch can 2HKO Gyarados even if it outspeeds Nidoqueen, as its Surf is only a 3HKO and merely 2HKOs even after Rain Dance; ThunderPunch also deals just enough damage to 2HKO, leaving Gyarados well away from high-damage Flail range. Ice Punch also 2HKOs all three of the Dragonite; only the first one is risky, as it can 2HKO Nidoqueen with Blizzard in return, but this is only a problem if Nidoqueen cannot outspeed it. Nidoqueen's ThunderPunch even outdamages Charizard's Flamethrower, resulting in a winning 3HKO over Charizard's 4HKO; it also easily 3HKOs Aerodactyl with either Ice Punch or ThunderPunch.
Kanto[]
From this point onwards, you can fight the gyms in any order, though you will need to retrieve the Machine Parts from the Cerulean City gym before you have access to the earlier portion of Kanto. Feel free to anticipate or postpone any battles as needed.
Gym #9 - Brock (Pewter City, Rock-type): Nidoqueen can opt to OHKO Graveler, Rhyhorn and Onix with Surf, or 2HKO them with Earthquake; all three Pokémon only 3HKO Nidoqueen with their Earthquake, so Nidoqueen can make it with healing. Earthquake also 2HKOs Omastar and Kabutops; their Surf is a 2-3HKO and 3HKO respectively, so once again Nidoqueen is not at a risk, if its health is high enough.
Rival (Mt. Moon, optional): Earthquake remains a 2HKO against Sneasel, as well as an OHKO against Magneton and the newly evolved Gengar; Golbat is 2-3HKOed by Ice Punch or ThunderPunch, or their stronger equivalents. Alakazam can be 2HKOed with Earthquake if Nidoqueen manages to outspeed, but this is highly unlikely to happen, and using another Pokémon is recommended. Typhlosion still falls to two Earthquakes, and Feraligatr can be 3HKOed with ThunderPunch or Thunderbolt as it is still stuck with Water Gun; Meganium can get in the way of an Ice Punch/Beam or Fire Punch/Flamethrower sweep, normally a 3HKO, as it now knows Light Screen, but even with the screen up Nidoqueen can still outdamage it.
Gym #10 - Misty (Cerulean City, Water-type): Nidoqueen can 2HKO Golduck with Thunderbolt, but Thunder Punch only 3HKOs and so does Golduck's Surf; the faster Pokémon will have the upper hand over the other. Nidoqueen's Earthquake can 3HKO Quagsire as well, and its Earthquake is also a 3HKO; this matchup is safer than the one against Golduck, as Nidoqueen is guaranteed to outspeed. Neither Lapras nor Starmie can be battled, as they both 2HKO Nidoqueen with their strongest STABs.
Gym #11 - Lt. Surge (Vermilion City, Electric-type): Nidoqueen OHKOs everything by spamming Earthquake. It only needs to heal or switch out if it takes an Explosion from Electrode, as it is unlikely to tank two.
Gym #12 - Erika (Celadon City, Grass-type): Nidoqueen can 2HKO Tangela, 1-2HKO Jumpluff, and 3HKO Victreebel and Bellossom with Ice Punch; Ice Beam does the same, except it guarantees the OHKO against Jumpluff and 2HKOs Victreebel instead.
Gym #13 - Janine (Fuchsia City, Poison-type): Crobat is 2HKOed by both Ice Punch/ThunderPunch and Ice Beam/Thunderbolt. Earthquake OHKOs both Weezing and can 2HKO Ariados and Venomoth; Ariados may be OHKOed with Flamethrower instead, if Nidoqueen knows the move.
Gym #14 - Sabrina (Saffron City, Psychic-type): Both Espeon and Alakazam 2HKO Nidoqueen with Psychic; only Mr. Mime does not, but Nidoqueen can only 2HKO it with Earthquake if it does not use Barrier or Reflect, otherwise it will need to switch out.
Gym #15 - Blaine (Seafoam Islands, Fire-type): Earthquake OHKOs Magcargo and Magmar and 2HKOs Rapidash. As Rapidash is likely to outspeed Nidoqueen, and Magmar also might, it is likely Magmar will put up Sunny Day before Rapidash enters the battlefield; if that happens, Nidoqueen will find itself at a disadvantage due to being 2HKOed by Fire Blast, and should switch out until Sunny Day wears off.
Gym #16 - Blue (Viridian City): Pidgeot should be attacked with ThunderPunch or Thunderbolt, to avoid Nidoqueen's likely Ice coverage being mirrored by Mirror Move. Nidoqueen can only win against Rhydon with Surf, which is a highly likely OHKO; if Surf does not OHKO, a fully healthy Nidoqueen will still live an Earthquake. By contrast, Nidoqueen should not fight Alakazam, which holds a decisive advantage with its higher Speed, Reflect, and STAB Psychic. Thunderbolt 2HKOs Gyarados for certain, but ThunderPunch is only a highly likely 2HKO, and Gyarados' Hydro Pump also always 2HKOs; Gyarados may also be faster than Nidoqueen, so this risk should be taken only in absence of better options and if Nidoqueen does know Thunderbolt. Likewise, Ice Beam or Fire Punch/Flamethrower are needed to 3HKO Exeggutor before it puts up Sunny Day and 2-3HKOs with SolarBeam; Ice Punch is not sufficient, as it oscillates between a 3HKO and a 4HKO. Arcanine is easily 2HKOed with Earthquake, but only if Sunny Day is no longer up, else it will likely outspeed and has a 2HKO chance with Flamethrower.
Rival (Indigo Plateau, optional): Earthquake still 2HKOs Sneasel and OHKOs Magneton and Gengar. The now-evolved Crobat is 3-4HKOed by Ice Punch or ThunderPunch, whilst their more powerful alternatives both 3HKO, but also likely to pull a Confuse Ray that will make Nidoqueen's job more difficult; having a switch-out for unlucky successions of consecutive hits in confusion is recommended. Alakazam will 2HKO Nidoqueen if it attempts to put up a fight. Typhlosion is 2HKOed by Earthquake, and Nidoqueen can be worn down with Ice Punch/Beam or Fire Punch/Flamethrower until it falls (even if it uses Light Screen), while Feraligatr must be avoided as it now knows Surf.
Red (Mt. Silver): Pikachu is easily OHKOed by Earthquake, whereas Espeon will win by 2HKOing with Psychic. Nidoqueen can manage to win against Snorlax only if it knows Curse, or its physical stats are otherwise boosted; Earthquake deals roughly the same damage as Body Slam, resulting in a 4HKO, but Snorlax knows Rest. At +2 Curses or more, Nidoqueen's Earthquake becomes a 2HKO instead, and Snorlax's Body Slam deals little damage. Winning against Venusaur is possible if Nidoqueen is carrying its prior Curse setup, which allows a certain 2HKO starting at +2; alternatively, Flamethrower will 2HKO after Venusaur puts up Sunny Day, whereas Fire Punch remains close to 2HKO range but still a certain 3HKO, which still does dispose of Venusaur after an Earthquake, as Venusaur requires the first turn to set up. Charizard will win, instead, unless Nidoqueen knows Thunderbolt and Sunny Day is not up; Charizard's Flamethrower is an average 3-4HKO without the sun, and only Thunderbolt guarantees Nidoqueen the 3HKO. There is no way for Nidoqueen to beat Blastoise, whose Surf is a 2HKO; Nidoqueen's Earthquake is an OHKO only at full health and +6 in Attack granted by Curse, a setup that it is unlikely to maintain for long enough to win against it.
Moves[]
Nidoran starts off with just Growl, Tackle, Scratch, and also Double Kick if at level 12 or higher. Of all these moves, the last one is the only one worth keeping for any length of time. The others can be replaced with Headbutt right away; the TM can be rebought in any quantity in the Goldenrod City Department Store. The next move it learns is after evolution, at level 19, which is the useless Poison Sting, only worth considering for catching purposes. At level 27, Nidorina also learns the even more useless Tail Whip, while at 36, it gets the somewhat decent Bite which is still severely outclassed by Shadow Ball. At level 46, it learns Fury Swipes, but Nidorina will likely not survive for long if taken to that level without evolving. Nidoqueen, instead, learns Body Slam at 23, but it will likely have to be passed up on, as the Moon Stone comes later during the game on average; unless Nidoqueen is being trained up as a replacement for another Pokémon, it is unlikely to get access to this move.
At any rate, Nidoqueen's coverage is great, and will definitely not suffer from learning one less possible Normal-type move. The line's TM pool is fantastic: Ice Punch, ThunderPunch and Fire Punch are all readily available from Goldenrod right when Nidoqueen evolves, and all of them are very good for coverage purposes, especially the first two. Nidoqueen can also learn Surf if needed to progress in the game, or even just as a generic good move to have. On the physical side, its most remarkable options are Shadow Ball, also available fairly early - after Morty - and the later Earthquake, which comes right on time for the final Johto gauntlet. During the postgame, instead, there is Curse which is worth considering for Nidoqueen that are more on the bulky side, and want to make the most of their offensive power.
Players who are nuzlocking Crystal will get even more out of Nidoqueen, as it gains access to the upgrades of the elemental punches in this game: Flamethrower, Thunderbolt and Ice Beam.
Water-types: Water is one of the best types to pair Nidoqueen with; its STAB is great against Ground-types, and its Water and Ice resistances are also very helpful. A specially bulky Water-type is the best choice, as it can stand up against Psychic-types too.
Good Pokémon that fit this description include, among others:Feraligatr, Politoed, Gyarados, Slowbro, Slowking, Golduck, Starmie (Crystal only), Dewgong, Vaporeon (Crystal only), Kingdra
Dark- or Steel-types: Hard Psychic-type counters are difficult to find, but both Dark and Steel provide good defensive and (in the first case) offensive coverage. Steel-types should preferably be among the ones not weak to Ground, to avoid overlapping with Nidoqueen's own Ground weakness.
Good Pokémon that fit this description include, among others:Forretress, Scizor, Umbreon, Skarmory, Houndoom
Other[]
Nidoran♀'s stats[]
Stat
Range
At Lv. 50
At Lv. 100
HP:
55
115 - 162
220 - 314
Attack:
47
46 - 108
89 - 212
Defense:
52
51 - 114
98 - 223
Sp.Atk:
40
40 - 101
76 - 196
Sp.Def:
40
40 - 101
76 - 196
Speed:
41
41 - 102
78 - 199
Total:
275
Other Pokémon with this total
Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and a hindering nature, if applicable.
Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and a helpful nature, if applicable.
Nidorina's stats[]
Stat
Range
At Lv. 50
At Lv. 100
HP:
70
130 - 177
250 - 344
Attack:
62
60 - 125
116 - 245
Defense:
67
64 - 130
125 - 256
Sp.Atk:
55
54 - 117
103 - 229
Sp.Def:
55
54 - 117
103 - 229
Speed:
56
54 - 118
105 - 232
Total:
365
Other Pokémon with this total
Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and a hindering nature, if applicable.
Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and a helpful nature, if applicable.
Nidoqueen's stats[]
Stat
Range
At Lv. 50
At Lv. 100
HP:
90
150 - 197
290 - 384
Attack:
82
78 - 147
152 - 289
Defense:
87
82 - 152
161 - 300
Sp.Atk:
75
72 - 139
139 - 273
Sp.Def:
85
81 - 150
157 - 295
Speed:
76
72 - 140
141 - 276
Total:
495
Other Pokémon with this total
Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and a hindering nature, if applicable.
Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and a helpful nature, if applicable.
Nidoran♀ Line Ratings
Availability
Matchups
Movepool
Survivability
Type Usefulness
Team Role
Offensive Utility
Defensive Utility
Tankiness
Fun Factor
Overall
At what point in the game should I be evolved? Nidorina is very much needed before Whitney, and Nidoqueen should come around Pryce at the latest. The sooner a Moon Stone is obtained, the better: almost all of the good moves can be learned only after evolving fully.
How good is the Nidoran♀ line in a Nuzlocke? Simply put: excellent. It takes a little while to get to Nidoqueen status, but it is almost as amazing as it was in the previous generation after that. Immediate access to the three elemental punches, as well as Shadow Ball and - later down the road - Earthquake make Nidoqueen a nearly unstoppable force of nature.
