Nosepass

Using Nosepass in a Playthrough

Nosepass begins as an extremely slow pure Rock Pokemon whose base 135 Defense and 90 Special Defense make it sturdier than its tiny base 30 HP initially suggests, but poor offenses and base 30 Speed can make ordinary battles slow. In Generation III Nosepass has no evolution and is primarily a defensive novelty, while Generation IV introduces Probopass, obtained historically by leveling Nosepass in a special magnetic field; from Pokemon Legends: Arceus onward a Thunder Stone can also trigger the evolution in supported games. Probopass becomes Rock/Steel and reaches base 145 Defense and 150 Special Defense, gaining numerous resistances and a Poison immunity but also acquiring quadruple weaknesses to both Fighting and Ground plus a Water weakness. Its offense remains modest, yet Power Gem or Flash Cannon, Earth Power, Thunderbolt, Volt Switch, Stealth Rock, Thunder Wave, and other support moves can make it a useful defensive utility Pokemon in later games. Sturdy provides valuable emergency insurance from full HP in modern generations, while Magnet Pull can trap opposing Steel-types, but Probopass is best used only when its severe Fighting and Ground weaknesses are safely accounted for.

Nosepass in Competitive Pokémon

Probopass has generally remained a lower-tier competitive Pokemon, but its extreme mixed defenses and Magnet Pull give it a genuine niche that goes beyond simply setting Stealth Rock. Magnet Pull prevents opposing Steel-types from switching, allowing Probopass to trap selected targets and eliminate or weaken them with Earth Power, Hidden Power in older generations, or other coverage so that teammates no longer have to break through those Steel-type walls. Its low base 40 Speed also makes Volt Switch useful because Probopass can absorb an attack and then bring a frailer teammate into battle safely after the opponent has already moved. Sturdy provides an alternative utility role by helping guarantee Stealth Rock or another crucial action from full HP, and the 145 Defense and 150 Special Defense stats allow it to check selected Normal-, Flying-, Psychic-, Fairy-, Ice-, Rock-, and Dragon-type attackers. The drawbacks are severe: quadruple Fighting and Ground weaknesses, a Water weakness, low HP, weak offensive stats, and no reliable recovery make Probopass easy to exploit when the opponent carries the correct coverage.

Nosepass in Nuzlockes

Nosepass and Probopass can be useful defensive Nuzlocke specialists, but their safety depends much more on typing than their enormous Defense numbers might suggest. Nosepass is slow and weak offensively, yet pure Rock typing and high defenses can make known Normal-, Flying-, Poison-, and Fire-related physical matchups manageable while Sturdy in later generations may provide emergency protection. Probopass dramatically increases both defenses and gains many Steel-type resistances, but the new quadruple Fighting and Ground weaknesses are dangerous enough that an unexpected Brick Break, Low Kick, Earthquake, or similar coverage move can cause an immediate loss. Its slow Volt Switch can be an excellent safety tool in games where available, allowing Probopass to take the incoming attack before bringing a teammate into battle without exposing that teammate on the switch. The evolution method can also restrict usefulness in specific games, so a Nuzlocke player should confirm whether a magnetic evolution area or later Thunder Stone method is actually available before planning around Probopass.

Nosepass is a living piece of extremely durable volcanic-like rock whose bright red nose functions as a powerful electromagnet and naturally points toward magnetic north. Its orientation is so dependable that travelers historically used wild Nosepass as living compasses when navigating caves and remote terrain. The Pokemon normally moves almost unbelievably slowly - Pokedex accounts describe displacement of only a little more than three-eighths of an inch in an entire year - but in an emergency it can spin its body into the ground like a drill. Its magnetism becomes stronger during colder seasons and can be increased deliberately to pull iron objects toward its body for defense or to capture prey, although doing so may also attract natural enemies such as Metang. Strong magnetic repulsion makes it difficult for Nosepass to approach others of its own kind closely, giving an otherwise nearly motionless cave species an unusual social limitation created directly by its own anatomy.