10 Best Water Type Pokémon

10 Best Water Type Pokémon https://ift.tt/S0sgRyF

No matter what game you decide to play, you'll always encounter a staggering number of Water types. Every game requires you to navigate some type of water, and that leads to a large variety of Water type Pokémon being added to the Pokédex year after year. While this is terrific for your goal to catch 'em all, it can also lead to some questions about which Pokémon are best among all those other Water types.

Today, we've taken it upon ourselves to rank the top 10 Water Pokémon to use during a regular playthrough of the mainline games. Since we want these Pokémon to be accessible, there will be no legendary or mythical Pokémon mentioned, as well as no Ultra Beasts. Including those categories would severely limit the list, so instead, we're opting for standard Pokémon. Also, we'll be trying to include Pokémon from most regions as well as showcasing Pokémon with unique dual typings or abilities.

This list is ranked in ascending order, with the last being the best Water Pokémon.

Starmie

• Original game: Red and Blue
• Type: Water and Psychic

If you've been playing Pokémon for some time, then chances are you've used a Starmie on one of your Kanto teams. Starmie became an extremely popular Pokémon thanks to its appearances as Misty's ace in the anime, but it's also a terrific Water type. Boasting a 520 base stat total, Starmie has the fantastic Psychic dual typing, which does wonders in a Kanto playthrough. However, the Psychic typing also allows Starmie to learn a variety of coverage moves, including Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Dazzling Gleam in newer games.

Blastoise

• Original game: Red and Blue
• Type: Water

We're doubling up on Kanto Water types, but this list simply wouldn't be complete with Blastoise. An evolution of the original Water starter Pokémon, Blastoise is a force to be reckoned with in any game it's available. Whether you're doing a Kanto playthrough or choosing Squirtle in the middle of X/Y, Blastoise will often be the best Water type on your team. It has a 530 base stat total, access to a ton of coverage and setup moves, and doesn't have any true weaknesses aside from the normal super-effective damage from Electric and Grass.

Seismitoad

• Original game: Black and White
• Type: Water and Ground

Seismitoad came out of nowhere when Generation 5 was released. Many players saw its early stage evolutions, being a small tadpole, and wrote off Seismitoad as an ineffective Swampert clone due to its Water/Ground dual typing and color scheme. However, Seismitoad can stand on its own as a fantastic Water type. While it's true that Seismitoad does share a lot of similarities with Swampert, who we'll talk about later, it's still incredibly powerful for a Black/White playthrough. It has a 509 base stat total, only one weakness (Grass), and plenty of access to Poison type coverage moves.

Milotic

• Original game: Ruby and Sapphire
• Type: Water

Milotic has become infamous in the Pokémon community because so few players actually get to use one in their playthroughs. The mermaid fish Pokémon is incredibly difficult to evolve in the Hoenn games, as you need to get Feebas' beauty stat to the max. In later games, Feebas' evolution was changed to make it easier to trigger--you can evolve Feebar into Milotic when you trade it holding the Prism Scale. This was great news for all players, as more fans got to see the true power of this pure Water type. Milotic has an impressive 540 base stat total and can be a true tank for your team with its massive 125 special defense stat.

Dondozo

• Original game: Scarlet and Violet
• Type: Water

This spot was going to go to either Wailord or Dondozo. Both Pokémon are large Water type whales that are meant to be the true definition of tanks. However, we're opting to go with Dondozo, as it has a higher base stat total (530) and a larger move pool than Wailord. Dondozo famously boasts a 150 HP stat along with a 115 defense stat, making it nearly impossible to take down in a single hit if you're properly leveled. While you'll still want to avoid special Grass or Electric attacks, Dondozo is always a great Pokémon to have in your back pocket in Scarlet and Violet.

Lapras

• Original game: Red and Blue
• Type: Water and Ice

There have been plenty of Water/Ice dual types throughout Pokémon, but none hit quite like Lapras. While Generation 3's Walrein does have a close base stat total, Lapras still edges it out (535 compared to 530). Lapras can also learn several Electric type attacks along with some Psychic, Ground, Fairy, and Dragon moves. It's a versatile Pokémon regardless of what generation you're playing, but few moments are as iconic as receiving the free Lapras inside of Silph Co. in Kanto.

Kingdra

• Original game: Gold and Silver
• Type: Water and Dragon

Once again, we had a decision to make with this spot. Kingdra and Dracovish are both fantastic Water/Dragon dual types with base stat totals above 500. However, Kingdra has a 540 total while Dracovish only has 505. While you can make great use out of Dracovish's Strong Jaw ability, Kingdra's Swift Swim ability is too good to pass up. This doubles Kingdra's speed when it's raining, allowing you to get even more use out of the Rain Dance move. Pair this with Double Team, Surf, and some kind of Dragon move, and you have an absolutely lethal Kingdra on your hands that might not ever lose a battle.

Empoleon

• Original game: Diamond and Pearl
• Type: Water and Steel

We haven't mentioned too many Water starter Pokémon yet, and that's because we're saving the best ones for last. This begins with Empoleon, who is still the only Water/Steel dual type in all of Pokémon. This typing is devastatingly powerful, removing the Grass weakness and adding a weakness to Fighting and Ground. However, Fighting types aren't too common, especially in Sinnoh, and Empoleon can use Water attacks that are super effective against Ground. The Steel type makes Empoleon even tankier than it was and opens up its move pool significantly.

Gyarados

• Original game: Red and Blue
• Type: Water and Flying

Gyarados has remained one of the most popular Pokémon in the entire franchise since it was introduced with the Generation 1 games over 25 years ago. The design of Gyarados made every player want one on their team, and fortunately, it's always extremely easy to obtain thanks to the abundance of Magikarp. In its base form, Gyarados is a Water/Flying dual type while its Mega form is a Water/Dark dual type. Why Game Freak never gave Gyarados the Dragon typing it's always deserved is unknown, but it can still learn a flurry of Dragon moves. Even without that dual typing, though, Gyarados is a powerhouse through and through that just needs to avoid Electric types.

Swampert

• Original game: Ruby and Sapphire
• Type: Water and Ground

If you're a die hard Pokémon fan, then you had to have seen this entry coming from a mile away. Swampert is far and away the strongest starter in the Hoenn games and it might be the best starter in Pokémon history. It gains the Ground dual typing with its second evolution, Marshtomp, and this allows you to steamroll through any Hoenn game. There are very few strong Grass types in Hoenn, which is Swampert's only weakness, and plenty of Pokémon weak to Water or Ground. All of this doesn't even include Swampert's Mega form, which is simply unfair in most situations. Swampert is hands down the best Water type in Pokémon outside of legendaries and mythicals.