Rhydon is a large, gray, bipedal Pokémon with an amalgam of features from dinosaurs and rhinoceroses. Rhydon's most famous feature is the cream-colored, drill-like horn on its snout, although there are other protrusions on the head as well. These include the front-pointing crest extending from the middle of its head, two triangular, ear-like features to the sides of the crest, a wavy-shaped, also ear-like extension further down its head, and the spiky ridges on the sides of its mouth. It has a long tail with skinny, black stripes. Rhydon has a cream-colored stomach and a ridged back.
Gender differences
The female's drill-horn is smaller than the male's.
Special abilities
Rhydon surfing
Rhydon's drill-horn is capable of crushing uncut diamonds, and Rhydon can knock down a building with one strike of its tail. Rhydon's rocky hide is strong enough to withstand direct cannonball fire, and serves as such effective protection that it makes Rhydon capable of living in molten lava. However, its rugged hide also makes it insensitive. Despite its typing, Rhydon can be taught Template:Type2 moves such as Rain Dance, Whirlpool, and Aqua Tail, with some Rhydon capable of surfing in the water.
Behavior
Rhydon are apparently much smarter than their pre-evolution, evidenced by their ability to stand on its hind-legs. Despite this, they are still very forgetful.
Rhydon are mainly found in cavernous areas, although its rugged hide also enables it to live in lava. One is likely to encounter a wild one in Kanto or Sinnoh.
Rhydon's first major role was in Riddle Me This, being one of Blaine's Pokémon. Blaine used a Rhydon against Ash during the first battle for Ash's Volcano Badge. While normally tough against electric attacks, Rhydon was defeated when Ash's Pikachu struck Rhydon's horn, which acted like a lightning rod.
Brock's dad, Flint, has a Rhydon, but was just mentioned. Flint mostly used his Rhydon for helping him decorate the Pewter Gym's battlefield with rocks from mountaintops.
Rhydon debuts in the Red, Green & Blue arc in its own round, Raging Rhydon, as Koga's Pokémon that is forced to evolve by its trainer with a mysterious injection, being the first evolution shown in the manga due to Red's Poliwhirl and Blue's Charmeleon evolving off-screen at the time.
Rhydon is later seen as one of Giovanni's Pokémon, but is not seen battling.
In Volume 9, Blue captures a Rhydon outside the Viridian Gym. He uses it to defeat Chuck in Volume 13, as well as Orm in Volume 23. Near the end of the FireRed and LeafGreen saga, Blue remarks on a footnote Giovanni included in his handbook: Rhydon possibly possessed a stronger form. This is a reference to Rhydon's new evolution, Rhyperior, an evolution that succeeded in occurring thanks to Silver's knowledge of Pokémon trading, resulting in the same Rhydon, as Rhyperior, on hand with him.
Earlier in the same volume, Gold encounters a wild Rhydon during his race with Whitney. The Rhydon in question was hunting down a Sudowoodo hiding from it, and kidnapped Whitney when she interfered with her Miltank, breaking her arm in the process. Gold tells Sudowoodo to stand up for itself and, with assistance from his billiard cue, helps Sudowoodo defeat the Rhydon with a strong punch to the gut. The Sudowoodo happily joined his team afterwards.
Rhydon's horn can crush even uncut diamonds. One sweeping blow of its tail can topple a building. This Pokémon's hide is extremely tough. Even direct cannon hits don't leave a scratch.
Rhydon has a horn that serves as a drill. It is used for destroying rocks and boulders. This Pokémon occasionally rams into streams of magma, but the armor-like hide prevents it from feeling the heat.
Ash's Pikachu fought Blaine's Rhydon in the anime and defeated it, despite it being a Template:Type2 immune to Electric attacks. Rhydon's horn also serves as a lightning rod which negates electric attacks as of the rules for the Pokémon effect. Since then, that battle has been brought up frequently in comparisons between the games and anime and has spawned the popular Pokémon Internet meme, "Pikachu! Aim for the horn!"
Rhydon's evolution line are the only Pokémon with the Rock/Ground combination to have Ground as its primary type.
Rhydon and its pre-evolution's Chinese name state it as being "Steel-Covered." However, neither are Steel-type nor learn any Steel-type moves by level up.
Rhydon has the highest base Attack stat of any Pokémon that is not fully evolved.
It appears to draw much of its inspiration from a rhinoceros and some aspects of various dinosaurs, such as the triceratops.
Name origin
Rhydon may be a reference to rhinoceros. The "rhy" part of Rhydon's name may also allude to the igneous rock known as rhyolite, hence its Ground/Rock typing. The don may have been intended to mean "lord." However, it is also used as a suffix, meaning "tooth", in various dinosaur names, so it could be a reference to those prehistoric creatures as well.
Sidon is a combination of 犀 sai, rhinoceros, and the aforementioned don.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
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For other sprites and images, please see Rhydon images on Bulbagarden Archives.
