Nidoking · Aquapolis, what to know.
About the Nidoking card
Nidoking is card H18 of 182 in Aquapolis, released in January 2003, a Rare Holo. It is a Stage 2 Fighting-type with 110 HP.
As a Stage 2, it evolves from Nidorino, which places Nidoking deeper in its line and means most collectors hold it alongside the cards it evolves from.
Illustrated by Naoyo Kimura.
About Nidoking in the Pokémon world
The Ground-Poison final form of the Nidoran♂ line. Tall bipedal silhouette with a long horn. Considered one of the strongest Ground types in Gen 1. Base Set holo Nidoking is a steady five-figure card in PSA 10 1st Edition. Quieter than the marquee starters but consistently in demand.
What is Nidoking worth?
Nidoking is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Aquapolis's value. The print variant decides most of it: a 1st Edition copy in high grade commands a large premium over a Shadowless or Unlimited one. In top-grade 1st Edition, Aquapolis holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to the set's marquee chase; raw and Unlimited copies trade for a fraction of that. The live market price above shows the current figure by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Confirm the print and finish on Nidoking before pricing it, since variant and rarity set the market more than the card name alone.
Grading and condition
For graded buyers, the holo window on Nidoking is where most points are won or lost. Surface scratches and foil misregistration are common on Wizards-era cards, and centering was inconsistent enough that clean PSA 10s stay scarce. Read the fighting foil at a 45-degree angle under strong light before committing.
If you are collecting Nidoking
If you are buying Nidoking, work in order: confirm the print variant first, then the grade, then price against recent sales for that exact variant and grade. For a raw Nidoking above a few hundred dollars, insist on angled-light photos of the holo so you can spot hairlines.
