Nidoran: really damn rare or version specific?

[Pokemaster Ash]

Okay, I'm doing now what I've put off for a while: catching all the Pokémon you need the stupid PokéRadar for. However right away I've come across an annoying problem.

I'm looking for Nidoran on Route 201. In Diamond, I can find Nidoran F fairly well. In Pearl, I found Nidoran M almost right away. However there is NO TRACE of the other in those versions. Are their counterparts just that badly rare or are they actually version specific (I can't consult the Dex on this one, since I lack the necessary data)?

I fear I'm in for a similar annoying time with Tauros and Miltank, since they're also supposed to share a route.

[Crystalmaster Mike]

I can calm your fear on the last part: I caught Tauros and Miltank with relative little effort. Only thing is, you need to be careful in what part of the route you're using the PokéRadar for them. Sometimes, the southern/eastern part of a route gives other Pokémon than the western/northern one.

As for the Nidoran question: I fear it might be true, since I've had similar experiences.

[Negrek]

In Diamond nidoran F have an encounter rate of 10% with the radar and nidoran M have an encounter rate of 2%; flip it for Pearl.

[Pokemaster Ash]

I seem to be having similar issues with Tauros and Miltank than I was having with the Nidorans. Must just be my luck, eh?

[Negrek]

Those share the same version/appearance ratios, yes.

[Pokemaster Ash]

Okay, so is there anything that can be done to improve those odds? (Like using Cute Charm to attract the other gender or something?)

[Negrek]

A cute charm pokémon in the front of your party will increase your chances of running into pokémon of the opposite gender. That's the only recourse you have, sorry.

[rinku]

Tried the Cute Charm trick, but it doesn't help.

As far as I can see it works like this:

1. Roll encounter.
2. Cute Charm affects the gender value of the pokémon encountered, however that works.

Having a male Skitty with Cute Charm out front increased the numbers of females encountered for everything but Nidoran. Still ran into 10% Nidoran male and have yet to hit a female (on Pearl).

In the end I got sick of it and just imported one from Emerald. Breeding Nidoran male with Ditto didn't seem to help, although maybe I just got a bad run (only bred about 6).

[Pokemaster Ash]

Oh I remember all too well the hazards of trying to breed Nidoran. Nidoran is one of those breeding anomalies. Breeding them could get you either Nidoran M or F from the egg (normal 50/50 chance, despite technically being two different species). Volbeat and Illumise are the same. Not sure about Tauros and Miltank. Of course, the Nidoran family also has the curious problem of Nidorina and Nidoqueen being unbreedable (which makes no sense at all).

EDIT: And I jinxed myself. Trying to breed for Nidoran F in Pearl and I'm getting nothing but males... Oh well, just gotta keep trying...

EDITv2: ...Talk about stupid luck. After letting all those Nidoran Ms I was hatching go, including the spare I was using as a breeder, I went back to Route 201 to get another one (I wasn't going to use the one I caught to evolve as a breeder). I actually found a Nidoran F! Thank you, PokéRadar, for doing something right...

[rinku]

Heh. Well done! At least you've proved the 2% is no myth :)

Actually... the breeding oddities of that line aren't so weird if you look at the animal kingdom. I just assume that Nidoran-ettes have an early fertile phase beyond which they cease breeding.

Has ANYONE ever bred a Nidoran-boy with a Ditto to get a Nidoran-F, though? It's entirely possible the Ditto breeding rule may be different to the Nidoran-F one (i.e. Ditto only produces the same species, with no override).

[DarkestLight]

Yes. I have, because I was utterly tired of looking for a Nidoran F. I think it's a 50% chance of the gender being either or, but I did have to hatch like 12 males before the Females began rolling in.

So yes, it can be done. Now, do YOU have what it takes!?..

.Yeah..cheezy..::Slinks off::