Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀ are Pokémon that are naturally paired. Although Nidoran♂ belongs to the Monster and Field Egg Groups, there are many other Pokémon it can mate with.
But Nidoran♂ naturally prefers Nidoran♀, as if it were destiny.
It could have endured the darkness, but once it saw the light, everything changed.
If Nidoran♂ had never met Nidoran♀, perhaps it could have endured loneliness—but after meeting her, it became too difficult to accept any other female Pokémon.
"Ni...do..."
Nidoran♂ suddenly deflated like a popped balloon, looking listless and downhearted.
Seeing Nidoran♂ so depressed, Gary tried to comfort him. "Don't be sad. Maybe you can't win over that Nidoran♀, but I'm sure that once you evolve into a Nidoking, you'll definitely get the favor of a Nidoqueen."
"Nido?"
Nidoran♂ tilted his head in confusion, clearly not understanding who Nidoking and Nidoqueen were.
"Ah, that's right," Gary said with a smile. "You've lived on this island your whole life. It's normal not to know."
The island wasn't very large, and both Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀ required Moon Stones to evolve into their final forms. There were definitely no Moon Stones here on this isolated island.
"Let me show you."
Gary pulled out his Pokédex and displayed an image of a powerful Nidoking for Nidoran♂ to see.
"Nido!!"
Nidoran♂'s eyes went wide with shock. It was the first time it had seen such a strong Pokémon since it was born—far stronger than its father, Nidorino.
"This is your final evolved form," Gary explained. "But you can't evolve here. If you're willing to come with me, I can make sure you evolve into this form someday."
"Nido…"
Nidoran♂ looked hesitant. Having lived on the island for so long, it wasn't sure whether leaving was the right choice.
Seeing its hesitation, Gary brought up another picture—this time of Nidoqueen.
"Nido!!!"
The little Pokémon froze. Its eyes widened, and its jaw nearly dropped. Nidoqueen looked even more beautiful than his mother, Nidorina.
Her smooth blue skin, sleek spines along her back, and powerful yet graceful figure nearly made Nidoran♂'s soul fly out of its body.
"Nido! Nido!!"
The little Nidoran♂ jumped excitedly and shouted, clearly expressing its desire to follow Gary. It wanted to evolve into a mighty Nidoking and one day find a Nidoqueen as its mate.
Gary sweatdropped. He'd only shown the image to tease it a little—he hadn't expected Nidoran♂ to be this motivated.
Looking at the small, stubby Pokémon so eager to chase after a towering Nidoqueen, Gary couldn't help but think: Isn't this like a Ponyta trying to pull a Rapidash's carriage?
Still, a Shiny Pokémon was a Shiny Pokémon. Capturing it meant he was one step closer to completing his mission.
"Do you want to tell your parents first?" Gary asked.
Both Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀ were social Pokémon. A young Nidoran♂ wouldn't be forced to leave home until it evolved into Nidorino. If it suddenly disappeared, its parents would be heartbroken.
"Nido!"
Nidoran♂ nodded quickly and led Gary back home.
Its home wasn't far—just a small cave about a hundred meters away. As soon as they arrived, a Nidorino and a Nidorina stepped out to greet them.
[Lv. 30 Nidorino ♂ / Gym Level]
[Lv. 28 Nidorina ♀ / Quasi-Gym Level]
Judging by their levels, they were clearly Nidoran♂'s parents.
"Nido!"
Nidoran♂ ran up to them and began explaining everything—that Gary wasn't a bad human, and that he wanted to leave with him to become stronger.
Nidorina looked worried at first. She didn't want her child to leave, but she also knew that one day, Nidoran♂ would have to set out on its own after evolving. Leaving with a strong trainer like Gary was, in truth, a good opportunity.
"Nido…"
Nidorino, on the other hand, wasn't so easily convinced. He snorted and let out a defiant cry toward Gary, clearly challenging him. He wanted to see for himself whether this human had the strength to protect his son.
Gary understood at once. "So you want to test me first, huh?" he said with a small grin. "Alright, let me show you one of my Pokémon before we start."
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a Poké Ball.
"Charrr!!"
Charizard burst out in a flash of light, spreading his massive orange wings and letting out a roar that shook the trees.
Nidorino's eyes widened in awe. It was the first time he'd seen a Charizard up close—and he could instantly tell this one was incredibly powerful. He didn't even need to fight to know he'd be outmatched.
"Nido…"
Still, Nidorino stood firm and took a fighting stance. He had his mate and child watching—he couldn't afford to lose face, no matter how strong the opponent.
Gary smiled gently. "You don't need to fight. If you got hurt, you wouldn't be able to protect your family. There's no shame in backing down from a stronger opponent."
"Char…" Charizard rumbled softly, nodding in agreement.
"Nido…"
After a moment's pause, Nidorino exhaled and relaxed his stance. He nodded, acknowledging Gary's strength and giving his silent approval.
"Alright, Nidoran♂," Gary said kindly. "Say goodbye to your parents."
"Nido!"
Nidoran♂ ran forward and nuzzled both of them affectionately before turning back toward Gary, eyes full of determination.
"Here," Gary said, holding out an empty Poké Ball. "This is your new home. Come on in."
"Nido!"
Gary crouched down and gently touched the Poké Ball to Nidoran♂'s head. The ball opened with a flash of red light, drawing the little Pokémon inside.
It shook once... twice... then clicked.
Capture complete.
Gary smiled, holding the Poké Ball in his hand. "Great! That's my eighth Shiny Pokémon. Just two more to go."
He checked Nidoran♂'s information on his Pokédex:
[Pokémon: Nidoran♂ (Shiny)]
[Type: Poison]
[Level: 12]
[Potential: Gym Level]
[Ability: Rivalry – When the opponent is the same gender, attack power increases by 25%; if the opponent is of the opposite gender, attack power decreases by 25%.]
[Moves: Leer, Poison Sting, Peck, Focus Energy]
[Friendship: 120 / 255]
"Rivalry, huh? Not bad," Gary murmured thoughtfully. "It's just a pity Nidoran♂ is from the Sinnoh region line—I can't really expand its abilities here."
Nidoking has three possible abilities: Rivalry, Poison Point, and the Hidden Ability Sheer Force.
Poison Point gives physical attackers a 30% chance of being poisoned when they make contact—similar to Breloom's Effect Spore. If enhanced, that probability could rise to 60%.
Sheer Force, on the other hand, removes secondary effects from moves but boosts their power by 30%. Strengthened further, that boost could reach 50% or even 60%.
Compared to those, Rivalry was situational. Whether it was useful depended entirely on the opponent's gender.
Against male Pokémon, it was a clear advantage.
Against genderless Pokémon, it had no effect.
And against female Pokémon—it actually lowered his power.
Gary smirked slightly. "Well, most Trainers I face use male Pokémon anyway. So, Rivalry should still work in our favor."