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Nincada ツチニン Tutinin
Artwork from R/S/E
National Dex	#290
Johto Dex	#—
Hoenn Dex	#042
Sinnoh Dex	#—
Fiore Browser	R-031
Almia Browser	R—
Type	Bug / Ground
Species	Trainee Pokémon
Height	1′08″ (0.5m)
Weight	12.1 lbs. (5.5kg)
Ability	Compoundeyes
Egg group	Bug
Time to hatch	3,840 steps
Effort yield	1 Def
Exp. yield	65 base exp.
Lv100 at	600,000 exp.
Gender	50% ♀ / 50% ♂
Pokédex color	Gray
Catch rate	255
On Legendary Pokémon Pokédex: Generation III Generation IV On Pokémon Palace Network Pokédex (Gen. III) On Smogon Pokédex: Generation III Generation IV On Eevee's Pokédex (Gen. III-IV) On Psypoke Pokédex On Pokecharms Pokédex (Gen. III-IV) On Marriland Pokédex (Gen. IV) On Serebii's Pokédex: Generation III Generation IV On Ultimate Pokémon Center Pokédex (Gen. I-IV) Artwork on Bulbagarden Archives

Nincada (Japanese: ツチニン Tutinin) is a Bug/Ground-type Pokémon.

Contents 1 Biology 1.1 Physiology 1.1.1 Gender differences 1.1.2 Special abilities 1.2 Behavior 1.3 Habitat 1.4 Diet 2 In the anime 3 In the manga 4 In the TCG 5 Game data 5.1 Pokédex entries 5.2 Game locations 5.2.1 In side games 5.3 Base stats 5.4 Type effectiveness 5.5 Learnset 5.5.1 By leveling up 5.5.2 By TM/HM 5.5.3 By breeding 5.5.4 By tutoring 5.6 Side game data 5.7 Evolution 5.8 Sprites 5.9 Trivia 5.9.1 Origin 5.9.1.1 Name origin 5.10 In other languages 6 External links

Biology

Physiology

Nincada is a small, whitish insect Pokémon. Nincada's hind legs are white and the forelegs are brown. Nincada has small, green wings on its back and whisker-like antenna on its face.

Gender differences

None.

Special abilities

Behavior

Habitat

Nincada live buried in soil and will usually remain underground until they evolve.

Diet

Main article: Pokémon food

Nincada sustain themselves by drinking nutrients from tree roots.

In the anime

Nincada first appeared in A Three Team Scheme. It belonged to a boy named Keanu, who lived in his Secret Base in solitude.

In DP071, Hajime used his Capture Styler on a Nincada and had it Dig a pit trap for J's Henchmen to fall in.

In the manga

In the TCG

Main article: Nincada (TCG)

Game data

Pokédex entries

Gen	Game	Pokédex entry
III	Ruby	Nincada lives underground for many years in complete darkness. This Pokémon absorbs nutrients from the roots of trees. It stays motionless as it waits for evolution.
	Sapphire	Nincada lives underground. It uses its sharp claws to carve the roots of trees and absorb moisture and nutrients. This Pokémon can't withstand bright sunlight so avoids it.
	Emerald	It makes its nest at the roots of a mighty tree. Using its whiskerlike antennae, it probes its surroundings in the pitch-black darkness of soil.
	FireRed	Because it lived almost entirely underground, it is nearly blind. It uses its antennae instead.
	LeafGreen	Because it lived almost entirely underground, it is nearly blind. It uses its antennae instead.
IV	Diamond	It grows underground, sensing its surroundings using antennae instead of its virtually blind eyes.
	Pearl	It grows underground, sensing its surroundings using antennae instead of its virtually blind eyes.

Game locations

Gen	Game	Rarity	Location
III	Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire	Uncommon	Route 116
	Pokémon Emerald	Uncommon	Route 116
	Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen	None	Trade
	Pokémon Colosseum	None	Trade
	Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness	None	Trade
IV	Pokémon Diamond and Pearl	Rare	Eterna Forest (Poké Radar)
	Pokémon Platinum		Unknown
	Pal Park		Forest

In side games

Game	Location
Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire	Forest
Pokémon Trozei!	Secret Storage 13 Endless Level 20 Forever Level 6 Mr. Who's Den
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon	Lapis Cave (1F-4F) Wish Cave (44F-49F) Joyous Tower (45F-49F)
Pokémon Ranger	Lyra Forest

Base stats

HP:	31
Attack:	45
Defense:	90
SpAtk:	30
SpDef:	30
Speed:	40

Type effectiveness

Weakness	Resistance
Flying: 2× Fire: 2× Water: 2× Ice: 2×	Fighting: ½× Poison: ½× Ground: ½× Electric: 0×	Normal: 1× Rock: 1× Bug: 1× Ghost: 1× Steel: 1× Grass: 1× Psychic: 1× Dragon: 1× Dark: 1×

Learnset

Nincada is capable of learning the following moves.
Moves in bold are damage moves to which STAB apply. Moves in Italics aren't STAB for Nincada, but are for some/all evolutions.

By leveling up

Level	Generation III	Generation IV
Start	Scratch Harden	Scratch Harden
5	Leech Life	Leech Life
9	Sand-Attack	Sand-Attack
14	Fury Swipes	Fury Swipes
19	Mind Reader	Mind Reader
25	False Swipe	False Swipe
31	Mud-Slap	Mud-Slap
38	Metal Claw	Metal Claw
45	Dig	Dig

By TM/HM

#	Generation III	Generation IV
TM06	Toxic	Toxic
TM10	Hidden Power	Hidden Power
TM11	Sunny Day	Sunny Day
TM17	Protect	Protect
TM19	Giga Drain	Giga Drain
TM21	Frustration	Frustration
TM22	SolarBeam	SolarBeam
TM27	Return	Return
TM28	Dig	Dig
TM30	Shadow Ball	Shadow Ball
TM32	Double Team	Double Team
TM37	Sandstorm	Sandstorm
TM40	Aerial Ace	Aerial Ace
TM42	Facade	Facade
TM43	Secret Power	Secret Power
TM44	Rest	Rest
TM58		Endure
TM70		Flash
TM81		X-Scissor
TM82		Sleep Talk
TM83		Natural Gift
TM87		Swagger
TM90		Substitute
HM01	Cut	Cut
HM05	Flash

By breeding

Move	Father
Bug Bite	Ariados Ninjask Yanmega
Bug Buzz	Butterfree Venomoth Ledyba, Ledian Yanma, Yanmega Beautifly, Dustox Masquerain Volbeat, Illumise Kricketune Mothim
Faint Attack	Gligar, Gliscor Trapinch, Vibrava, Flygon
Gust	Butterfree Venomoth Beautifly, Dustox Masquerain Mothim Combee
Night Slash	Scyther, Scizor Yanmega Heracross
*Indicates moves only available through chain breeding.

By tutoring

FRLG	Emerald
Double-Edge	Endure
Mimic	Fury Cutter
Substitute	Mud-Slap
	Sleep Talk
	Snore
	Swagger

Side game data

Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire
	Acquisition: Catch
Pokémon Trozei!
	Rarity: Common
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
Body size: 1	Recruit Rate: 7.4%	Friend Area: Secretive Forest
Phrases
51%-100% HP	My antennae serve as my eyes.
26%-50% HP	Oh, what's up? How could my HP be down by half so soon?
1%-25% HP	I think I've had it... I can't get any strength...
Level Up	OK! I leveled up! I'll try harder!
Pokémon Ranger
Group:	Loops: 3	Minimum Experience: 25
Poké Assist:	Field Move: Cut	Maximum Experience: 45
Nincada burrows underground. It can cut things with its claws.

Evolution

Basic Nincada	Level 20 Ninjask
	Level 20 (with Poké Ball and extra party space) Shedinja

• Note: In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon 2, the Luminous Spring will only mention Ninjask when evolving Nincada, however, after evolution, Shedinja will subsequently appear in Chimecho's Assembly.

Sprites

Gen	Game
I	Red	Blue	Yellow	Red (Ja)	Green	Back
	This Pokémon did not appear during Generation I.
II	Gold	Silver	Crystal			Back
	This Pokémon did not appear during Generation II.
III	Ruby	Sapphire	Emerald	FireRed	LeafGreen	Back
	Image:Spr 3r 290.png			Image:Spr 3f 290.png
	Image:Spr 3r 290 s.png		Image:Spr 3e 290 s.gif	Image:Spr 3f 290 s.png		Image:Spr b g3 290 s.png
IV	Diamond	Pearl	Platinum			Back
	Image:Spr 4d 290.png		Image:Spr 4p 290.png
			Image:Spr 4p 290 s.png			Image:Spr b g4 290 s.png

For other sprites and images, please see Nincada images on Bulbagarden Archives.

Trivia

• Nincada is the only Pokémon that evolves into two Pokémon at once.
• Nincada is the only Pokémon that loses its gender when it evolves.

Origin

It appears to be based on a cicada larva.

Name origin

Nincada's name is a combination of ninja and cicada. Its Japanese name is a combination of 土に埋める tsuchiniumeru, to bury in the ground, and ninja.

In other languages

• German: Nincada
• French: Ningale - From ninja and cigale.
• Korean: 토중몬 Tojungmon

External links

• Article on Wikipedia

This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon as a species.