#111+ #112 + #464: Rhyhorn, Rhydon and Rhyperior

Ok, so we're on the 50th family, and that features the first Pokemon ever unveiled. Also, just before writing this, the blog passed 400 views, which was quite nice, so thank you.

Rhydon has stats that would be great if special didn't exist and speed wasn't an issue. Aside from 25 speed, the 80 HP, 85 attack and 95 defence would make it rather fearsome, even with just 30 special attack. The issue arises in that there may be special attacks coming in your way, hitting your awful special defence of 30. Since you're ground/rock-type, the ability lightning rod is slightly diminished, but it does drag electric attacks towards you, and if it wasn't for the immunity, you would get boosted special attack. Rock head prevents damage from the recoil on moves like double-edge. Reckless, the hidden ability, boosts the power of moves with recoil, which are things I personally don't like.

It looks like it's hiding after eating your toilet roll and shredding a cushion...

You start off with the base 65 normal physical move horn attack, along with tail whip that lowers the foe's defence by a stage. Fury attack carries a mere base 15 as a physical normal move, but it does hit up to 5 times in a turn, so potential 75 base as a sash breaker. Scary face lowers the foe's speed by two stages, and smack down hits as a base 50 rock physical that also removes the ground immunity of Pokemon that are flying, have levitate or have magnet risen, as well as hitting Pokemon that are mid-fly, bounce or sky drop for double damage. Stomp hits as a base 65 normal physical move with the chance to flinch, and also doubles in power against foes that have used minimize, yet that's actually quite rare. Bulldoze is a base 60 ground physical move that can lower the foe's speed, and chip away is a base 70 normal physical move that ignores stat changes. Rock blast is another multi-hitting attack like fury attack, but is rock-type and is base 25, leading to a maximum of base 125. Drill run hits at base 80 as a ground physical with 95 accuracy and an increased critical hit ratio, and take down is the first recoil move that's affected by both rock head and reckless, hitting as a base 90 normal physical with 85 accuracy. Stone edge is a base 100 rock physical move that can flinch and has 80 accuracy.

You'll probably evolve there, but otherwise you can take earthquake, megahorn (base 120 physical bug, 85 accuracy) and horn drill (normal physical OHKO move that gains greater accuracy from the initial 30 the higher level you are than the foe).

Take the standard TM list, and then throw in ice beam and blizzard, thunder/bolt, dig, earthquake, smack down, flamethrower, fire blast, rock tomb, rock polish (boosts your speed), rock slide, poison jab, strength and rock smash. Ignore ice beam, blizzard, thunder/bolt, flamethrower and fire blast as they are useless special attacks and won't hurt the enemy at all, but poison jab is a decent shout, and so is strength, in a way.

You can breed in counter, crunch (I would sorely recommend), crush claw (base 75 and 50% chance of lowering the foe's defence), curse (since you won't miss the loss of speed, this could be good), dragon rush (base 100, 75 accuracy, decent flinch chance and never misses a minimized foe, also hitting them for double damage). Further to these, you can take the elemental fangs, iron tail, metal burst (basically counter, but doesn't work only with physical attacks, it hits for 1.5x the damage you sustained from the last special or physical attack), skull bash is a very heavy hitting recoil move (base 130), and rock climb hits at base 90 with 85 accuracy and can confuse the foe.

For a nice change, the tutor offers an enormous list, featuring aqua tail, dragon pulse, drill run (in case you missed it), earth power, endeavour, icy wind, iron tail, shockwave, snore, spite, stealth rock (which adds a niche), uproar and superpower, which hits hard as a base 120 physical fighting move that lowers your physical stats by a stage.

If you choose to evolve, you get Rhydon (ha, like in the Mafia), which features air bags as standard... I mean upgrades to speed and both specials of 15 (so speed is now 40 and the specials reach the dizzying highs of 45), along with 105 HP, 130 attack and 120 defence. You keep the same types and abilities, so...

FREE HUGS!!!

The level list is the same as above, and of course so is the breeding list, but there are some moves added to the TM pool, such as brick break, focus blast, giga impact, dragon tail, cut, and for some unknown reason, surf. The tutor also adds some move moves to the repertoire, featuring the elemental punches, focus punch, block and outrage (basically the dragon move that hits hard for a few turns and leaves you confused).

If you trade a Rhydon with a protector, it will evolve again to Rhyperior (as of generation four), and now comes with a three CD changer, smart glass sunroof, 115 HP, 140 attack, 130 defence, 55 in the specials, 40 speed and a three year warranty. You lose rock head as an ability and replace it with solid rock, which reduces the damage sustained from super-effective hits by 25%. It's a shame that reckless didn't get replaced.

Captain of the Pokemon darts team...

What's new in the level moves? Well, at level 42 (I've included the level so you don't miss out on this treat), you get the fighting move hammer arm, hitting base 100 physical and lowering your speed by a stage. You can also get rock wrecker, which is basically a rock giga impact spin-off that is neutralised by bullet proof. TM moves: you now get hyper beam, flash cannon, shadow claw, payback, and power-up punch. The tutor disappoints.

Being the first Pokemon drawn does actually raise this a little in my estimation. The massive attack and defence, along with the HP means you can physically wall and do some heavy damage, but you're too susceptible to special attacks, dropping you from a serious contender to just a physical wall or a stealth rocker. Still, that attack is great, and you get good mileage.

(All artwork presented by Ken Sugimori, taken from the Bulbapedia image archives)