Fans Discover That Female Nidoran Is the Only One That Can Reproduce

The very first Pokémon game I ever played was Gold on a friend’s Game Boy. One day, he brought it to school to show everyone what Pokémon looked like on a real Game Boy. At that time, I only had a TV at home—no cell phone, no PC, nothing else.

Over the years, I grew up, got a PC and consoles, and played through several titles: Gold (to finally finish it), FireRed, HeartGold, White 2, Ultra Sun, and eventually Legends Arceus. I never played these games at launch—I would pick up one game per generation.

I tried playing Platinum, but I just can’t get into it. Every time I start, I end up dropping it. As for Sword/Shield and Scarlet/Violet, I have no motivation to play them. Soon, however, I’ll start Pokémon Y because I’m interested in Legends Z-A.

Why this long introduction? To explain which games I’ve played and also to point out that I never cared about breeding Pokémon. I’ve always been the type of player who just catches Pokémon and goes through the story, so I’m far from being an expert in Pokémon breeding.

However, I always assumed that to get a new Nidoran, you needed to breed a Nidoking with a Nidoqueen. But that’s not true!

There is a Pokémon line called Nidoran, which has both male and female versions. Female Nidoran evolves into Nidorina, and then into Nidoqueen. Meanwhile, Male Nidoran evolves into Nidorino, and finally into Nidoking.

Recently, some Japanese fans shared an old Pokémon guide that clearly states that female Nidoran is the only one capable of laying eggs

I had no idea! I looked it up to confirm, and it’s true: you cannot get an egg by breeding a Nidoqueen (female) with a Nidoking (male). It has to be a female Nidoran with a Nidoking… or even with a Nidorino! I found this so bizarre, but as someone commented 11 years ago: “That’s just how it is.”

Japanese fans’ reactions:

• Even in modern Pokémon, Nidorina or Nidoqueen won’t lay eggs if left at the daycare.
• Seriously? I played up to Sword and never knew this…
• I didn’t know.
• Is it only Nidoran like this?
• In Gen 1, gender didn’t even matter. Only Nidoran existed as separate male and female species. Probably to show that Pokémon had sexual dimorphism.
• But isn’t that the same as in dogs, cats, and the natural world?
• Many species have larger females who are the hunters.
• The kids who grew up with that book are now in their late 30s.
• I used to think Nidoran was the child and Nidorina the adult.
• The no-eggs rule should’ve applied only to Nidoqueen. Nidorina seems to be in prime age for laying eggs.
• Female Nidoran being bred by Nidoking…
• To protect her offspring, she sacrificed her ability to reproduce and gained strength to fight, which is why she can’t lay eggs. In other words, Nidoran♀ gives birth, then evolves into Nidorina to protect her young.
• Ah, so the idea is that after having kids, she evolves to guard them.
• First time I learned they can’t lay eggs. Mind blown.
• Don’t worry—Ditto handles surrogate births anyway.

I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who had no idea about this!