View source for Nidoran's New Friend

{{BookInfobox|
title=Nidoran's New Friend|
image=Nidorino New Friend.png |
image_size=250px|
published=September 2000 |
ISBN=0439200962 |
publisher=[[Scholastic]]|
author=[[Gregg Sacon]]|
previous=[[Raichu Shows Off]] |
next=[[A Pokémon Snow-Down]] |
}}

'''Nidorino's New Friend''' by [[Gregg Sacon]] is the seventh book in the "[[Pokémon Junior]]" series, which is designed as a chapter book for beginners. It takes place in the Kanto Region. It was published by [[Scholastic]] and is 47 pages in length.

==Synopsis==
{{spoilers}}

This book follows the plot of the anime episode ''[[Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?]]''.

{{Ash}}, [[Misty]] and {{Tracey}}, along with Ash's Pokémon {{AP|Pikachu}} are traveling the [[Orange Archipelago]]. While they are walking through a quiet town, They are approached by a girl named {{oi|Emily}} who has lost her {{p|Nidoran♀}} named Maria. Ash and his friends decide to help Emily out and look for Maria. While they are searching, they meet a boy named {{oi|Ralph}} who is also looking for his Nidoran, though his is a {{p|Nidoran♂|male}} one named Tony. When Ralph and Emily see each other, they begin fighting and each accuse the other of stealing their Pokémon. Tracey's Pokémon {{TP|Tracey|Marill}} used its excellent hearing to track the two Nidoran. The group finds them in a garden, playing together. Emily and Ralph take the Nidoran away from each other and storm off. Later, Ash, Misty and Tracey are eating in a diner. They find out from the cook that Emily and Ralph have been enemies since they were children, and were both constantly competing in contests to see who has the best Pokémon. This year, they had both entered their Nidoran, only for the contest to end in a tie. When Tony and Maria met, they fell in love, but their trainers refuse to let them see each other. Later that night, as Ash and his friends are walking down the street, they spot Tony crossing the street. They follow him to a house, and watch him call to Maria who is on the balcony of the house. Just then, Emily comes outside and throws a pail of water over Tony. She takes Maria back inside the house. Ralph appears to finds his soaking Pokémon, and helps dry him off. He takes him back home, which happens to be the house next door to Emily and Maria. Meanwhile, [[Jessie]], [[James]] and {{MTR}} of [[Team Rocket]] had been spying on the two Nidoran. They decide they will try to bring back to two Pokémon to [[Giovanni|their boss]]. Later, Misty, Ash and Tracey are resting at a [[Pokémon Center]]. Misty writes letters to Emily and Ralph to trick them into liking each other. Meanwhile, Team Rocket had come up with a plan to steal the Nidoran. Meowth tries to Maria into coming with it by telling her that it knows a way for her and Tony to be together. However, this plan fails and Team Rocket talk about taking the Pokémon by force. The next morning, the group find out that Misty's plan had failed when they see Emily and Ralph arguing over the letters they each received. Just then, Team Rocket appear in wedding costumes, and announce that they would be taking the two Nidoran as their wedding presents. They out the Pokémon in metal cages, and disappear. Pikachu notices them escaping in their hot air balloon. The group set off to get the Nidoran back by following a trail of tin cans left by Team Rocket's balloon. When they reach Team Rocket, Ash confronts them and Tony and Maria leap from their cages. Jessie sends out her {{TP|Jessie|Arbok}}, but the two Nidoran come at it together. James then calls on his {{TP|James|Victreebel}}, but it attacks Jessie instead of the Nidoran. Tony and Maria take on Team Rocket's two Pokémon, and defeat them in battle. Team Rocket retreat to their balloon, but use a vacuum to try and suck up Tony and Maria. Ash commands Pikachu to use an electric attack on the balloon. The blast causes Team Rocket to drop the vacuum. Misty then calls on her {{TP|Misty|Staryu}} to use its sharp points to burst the balloon, which causes Team Rocket to blast off. Emily and Ralph decide to make peace for their Pokémon's sake, and decide to let them be together. Tony and Maria are so happy to finally be together, and they each evolve into {{p|Nidorino}} and {{p|Nidorina}}. Ash and his friends say their goodbyes to Ralph, Emily and their Pokémon, and head off towards their next adventure. 

===Blurb===
<ab>
'''''WANTED: Two Nidoran Pokémon'''''

''Pikachu, Ash, and Misty are hot on the trail of two missing Nidoran Pokémon- one girl, one boy. The Nidoran are not easy to find. And- uh-oh- Team Rocket wants both Nidoran for their collection! Can Pikachu, Ash, and Misty find the two Pokémon... before the Nidoran go missing for good?''
</ab>

== Major events ==
*Tony and Maria [[Evolution|evolve]].

=== Debuts ===
* {{oi|Ralph}}
* {{oi|Emily}}
====Pokémon debuts====
* {{p|Nidoran♀}} ({{oi|Emily}}'s)
* {{p|Nidoran♂}} ({{oi|Ralph}}'s)

== Characters ==
===Humans===
* {{Ash}}
* {{an|Misty}}
* {{Tracey}}
* [[Jessie]]
* [[James]]
* {{oi|Ralph}}
* {{oi|Emily}}

===Pokémon===
* {{p|Pikachu}} ({{OP|Ash|Pikachu}})
* {{p|Staryu}} ({{OP|Misty|Staryu}})
* {{p|Meowth}} ({{TRM}})
* {{p|Arbok}} ({{OP|Jessie|Arbok}})
* {{p|Victreebel}} ({{OP|James|Victreebel}})
* {{p|Nidoran♀}} ({{oi|Emily}}'s)
* {{p|Nidoran♂}} ({{oi|Ralph}}'s)

==Trivia==

===Errors===

{{PkmnJr}}
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{{Project Merchandise notice|book}}