Picking the best Water-type Pokemon can be quite a hassle when making your team in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. The game has a decent number of Water Pokemon to choose from but not all of them are suited for battle. Especially if you plan on playing the game competitively. So in this guide check out the 10 best Water Pokemon to add to your team in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Also learn about their base stats and the best moves for them.
Table of Contents
10 Best Water-Type Pokemon In Scarlet And Violet
- 10. Gastrodon (Water/Ground)
- 9. Bruxish or Veluza (Water/Psychic)
- 8. Tatsugiri (Water/Dragon)
- 7. Floatzel (Water)
- 6. Palafin (Water)
- 5. Golduck (Water)
- 4. Cloyster (Water/Ice)
- 3. Dondozo (Water)
- 2. Quaquaval (Water/Fighting)
- 1. Gyarados (Water/Flying)
10. Gastrodon
Starting with Gastrodon, it is quite a solid choice. No, I mean it quite literally, when I call it solid because of its high HP and decent Special Defense stats. If you need a tank on your team then this is a good option. Its typing is also good thanks to it being water and ground type. So as long as you aren’t against a Grass Pokemon you are good. And since it has a good Special Attack you are also covered on the offensive side, just remember that this Pokemon is slow. So you will be going second in most turns. Gastrodon’s total base stats are 475. Some of its best moves are:
- Water Pulse (learned at level 15)
- Muddy Water (learned at level 33)
- Earth Power (learned at level 39)
- Earthquake (can teach it using a TM)
9. Bruxish or Veluza
Here I have given two Pokemon options based on your playstyle. Bruxish has a total base stat of 475, while Veluza that has a total base stat of 478. Here is why you might want to pick one Pokemon over the other. Bruxish is good if you are looking for a good offensive Pokemon, it has high Attack and Speed stats. Veluza is good if you are looking for a more stat-balanced Pokemon. Don’t worry if you aren’t able to catch one or the other. As long as you can catch either of them you should be good. The best part is both of them are Water and Psychic types Pokemon.
- Bruxish best Moves:
- Aqua Tail (learned at level 33)
- Psychic Fangs (learned at level 41)
- Wave Crash (learned at level 44)
- Liquidation (can teach it using a TM)
- Veluza best Moves:
- Aqua Cutter (learned at level 25)
- Psycho Cut (learned at level 40)
- Liquidation (learned at level 45)
- Waterfall (can teach it using a TM)
8. Tatsugiri
One of the strongest dual types in the game is a Water Dragon type combo. And Tatsugiri has both of these types which makes it very strong. Tatsugiri doesn’t evolve into any Pokemon in this game. But considering how strong its base form already is, we can only imagine how stronger it will get in future games when they release its evolution. Tatsugiri has very high Special Attack and Special Defense. Its total base stats are 475. Here are the best moves for it.
- Muddy Water (learned at level 39)
- Dragon Pulse (learned at level 52)
- Surf (can teach it using a TM)
- Draco Meteor (can teach it using a TM)
7. Floatzel
Another Pokemon from the Gen 4 games is back and on this list. If you are looking for a pure Water type Pokemon then Floatzel is an easy recommendation. Its total base stats are 495. This Pokemon also has very high Attack and speed. So if you are looking to finish your enemies fast Floatzel can be very helpful for it. Here are the best moves to use with it:
- Liquidation (learned at level 41)
- Aqua Tail (learned at level 46)
- Hydro Pump (learned at level 57)
- Wave Crash (learned at level 62)
6. Palafin
Palafin becomes a very strong Pokemon in its second form. In its zero form, it only has a total base stat of 457 which you might think should place it last on this list. But the catch is, in its hero form its total base stats increase from 475 to 650. This makes Palafin a really strong pick. The catch here is that you need to switch it in battle for it to transform. So considering how weak and strong it can get, I decided to place it in the middle of this list. Palafin too, like Floatzel is a only Water-type Pokemon, and has no other types. Here are the best moves for it:
- Aqua Tail (learned at level 39)
- Hydro Pump (learned at level 50)
- Wave Crash (learned at level 61)
- Outrage (can teach it using a TM)
5. Golduck
Now coming back to regular Pokemon that are strong without having to switch their place in battle. For number 5 we have Golduck. Just like the previous two Pokemon on this list it too is a pure Water type Pokemon. It has some of the most balanced stats in the game and a total base stats of 500. But it has high stats where it matters and that stat is its Special Attack. You can find a Psyduck almost at the beginning of the game so getting it also isn’t a pain. Here are the best moves for it:
- Water Pulse (learned at level 12)
- Aqua Tail (learned at level 24)
- Surf (can teach it using a TM)
- Hydro Pump (learned at level 40)
4. Cloyster
Defense is quite an overlooked stat at times in Pokemon games. But if you are looking to add a strong water Pokemon that has excellent Defense in your team. Then Cloyster is the Pokemon for you. Not only is it a dual-type Pokemon having the types Water and Ice. But it also has very high total base stats of 525. Here are the best moves that you should teach it:
- Icicle Crash (learned at level 1)
- Waterfall (can teach it using a TM)
- Liquidation (can teach it using a TM)
- Ice Spinner (can teach it using a TM)
3. Dondozo
Speaking of Defense and tanks Dondozo is another option if you are looking for such Pokemon. Dondozo is a pure Water Pokemon with a total base stat of 530. It has a very large HP pool. And excellent Attack and Defense stats. But these stats come at the cost of its low speed. Which shouldn’t be much of an issue for this Pokemon. These are the best moves that you should teach it.
- Dive (learned at level 20)
- Aqua Tail (learned at level 40)
- Wave Crash (learned at level 65)
- Outrage (can teach it using a TM)
2. Quaquaval
This list couldn’t be complete without having the games’ starter evolution on this list. And that is why we have Quaquaval the final form of Quaxly at the second position. It is a dual-type Pokemon having the types Water and Fighting. Similar to Golduck on this list, Quaquaval too has almost balanced stats for the most part. But its Attack stat is where it shines. Its overall total base stats are 530. Don’t worry if you didn’t pick this Pokemon as your starter, you can still get it from a friend by trading. These are the best moves for it.
- Brick Break (can teach it using a TM)
- Liquidation (learned at level 47)
- Close Combat (learned at level 58)
- Wave Crash (learned at level 64)
1. Gyarados – Best Water Pokemon In Scarlet And Violet
Finally, for the best Water-type Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet, we have Gyarados. This Pokemon has been in the series since Gen 1 and still maintains its position as one of the strongest Water Pokemon of all time. Gyarados is a dual-type Pokemon of types Water and Flying. This Pokemon has a total base stat of 540. With a very high Attack and good HP & Special Defense stats. The best part is you can get it quite easily as it evolves from Magikarp to Gyarados at level 20. Here are the best moves for it.
- Waterfall (learned at level 21)
- Aqua Tail (learned at level 32)
- Thrash (learned at level 48)
- Outrage (can teach it using a TM)
That covers this list of the best Water-type Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. I suggest you check out our dedicated section of Pokemon SV guides to get more help on other topics of this game.