Most Pokémon Red and Blue players likely did not bat an eye at the first male Nidoran they came across on Route 22. After all, with their party full and leveled after defeating Brock in Pewter City, why would they bother wasting a Pokéball on a Level 3 rabbit? Even Nidoran’s first evolution, Nidorino, proved only a minor upgrade over its base form. However, with the help of a Moon Stone, Nidorino could become one of the most powerful Pokémon in the game: Nidoking.
A rhinoceros-like bipedal with an explosive temper, Nidoking is known for its great strength. Some trainers claim that one swing of the Pokémon’s tail can snap a telephone pole like a matchstick, and its horn is so powerful it can crush diamonds. Thanks to its power and fearsome appearance, Nidoking quickly became a fan favorite upon the Pokémon TCG’s English Base Set release in 1999.
One of the expansion’s 16 holofoil Rares, Nidokings often suffered significant playwear at the hands of young collectors, leading high-grade examples to become incredibly scarce. Even more rare are top-condition 1st Edition Shadowless Nidokings such as this.
This is one of just 90 copies of the card to land a Gem Mint PSA 10 grade.
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 05/14/2026.
