As well as being great in battle, Water-types also let you surf across water – a feature that got all the more important in the FR/LG remakes. And if you’re looking for some recommendations then here’s our picks for the best aquatic team-mates to help you battle across Kanto.
5. Tentacruel
Suggested Moves:
Toxic Barrier Surf Hydro Pump
Tentacruel is a Water/Poison-type that specializes in poisoning opponents and stalling them out until the poison wears them down. The central move to this strategy is Toxic, a TM move that inflicts an ever-worsening poisoning. You’ll get the TM as a reward for beating the Fuchsia City Gym. At level 38, Tentacruel will learn Barrier, a move that sharply raises Defense. You can use Barrier up to 3 times per battle to increase Tentacruel’s Defense to an incredible 3x its normal level. And Tentacruel may focus on defense, but that doesn’t mean that it should miss out on the classic Water-type move lineup. Surf and Hydro Pump are two of the strongest Water-type moves in the game. So you’ll definitely want these. HM03 for Surf is found in Area 3 of the Safari Zone, while Hydro Pump is learned at level 55. How to catch: Tentacool can be caught by surfing on most patches of water. Once you’ve caught a Tentacool, raise it to level 30 to evolve it into Tentacruel.
4. Vaporeon
Suggested Moves:
Surf Dig Hydro Beam Aurora Beam
Note: if you leveled your Eevee too fast and your Vaporeon missed any good moves, head over to the Two Island Move Reminder to re-teach them. Vaporeon’s main STAB moves will of course be Surf and Hydro Beam. Thankfully, Hydro Beam is learned at level 52. So you won’t have to visit Two Island to pick it up. There are lots of directions you can go when filling Vaporeon’s final two move slots – my picks are Aurora Beam and Dig. Aurora Beam is an Ice-type move learned at level 36 that will do huge damage against Elite Four Lance’s team. Dig is Vaporeon’s best coverage move against its Electric-type weakness, and you’ll get that first as a TM (TM28) after clearing the Rocket Grunt in Cerulean City. But you can also buy another TM for Dig in the Celadon Department Store. How to catch: You can find an Eevee in a Poke ball in the Celadon Mansion. Then save some money and hit the Department Store in Celadon City (4th floor) to buy a water stone. Use it on Eevee to evolve it into Vaporeon.
3. Gyarados
Suggested Moves:
Surf Hydro Pump Earthquake Dragon Dance
Gyarados is an immensely powerful Water/Flying-type that would top the list in most other regions. So as far as a moveset, of course Gyarados will be using Surf and Hydro Pump as its main offensive moves. It’ll learn Hydro Pump naturally at level 40. But Gyarados can also learn Earthquake, the best coverage for its x4 weakness to Electric-type attacks. This move is also a great way to sweep Agatha’s entire team. Earthquake (TM26) is given as a reward for beating the Vermillion City Gym. And then for its final move, teach Gyarados Dragon Dance, a status move that buffs both Attack and Speed. Gyarados learns Dragon Dance at level 50, just in time for the Pokémon League. How to catch: You can catch a Magikarp anywhere that you can fish, or you can buy one from the Poke Center just before Mt. Moon. For fishing, the Old Rod is the earliest rod to use here – and you can get it by speaking to the Vermillion City Fishing Guru. Raise your Magikarp to level 20 to evolve it into Gyarados.
2. Lapras
Suggested Moves:
Ice Beam Surf Confuse Ray Perish Song
Given to you as a gift, Lapras is guaranteed to make an appearance in your FR/LG playthrough. If you give it a spot on your team, it’s also guaranteed to become your ace. It offers:
A great typing Varied move pool And huge bulk for stats
All of which makes it a near-unsinkable ship that can carve through a huge amount of the Pokémon League. Ice Beam will be Lapras’ main STAB move, and also its ticket to one-shotting Elite Four Lance’s entire Dragon-type team. Surf will be Lapras’ other STAB move, giving it the ability to defeat Bruno’s Onixs and the Champion’s Rhydon. Lapras also has a decent selection of support moves. My picks here are Confuse Ray and Perish Song, both of which Lapras will already know when you’re given it. Confuse Ray will, of course, confuse the opponent. While Perish Song dooms the enemy to faint in 3 turns, regardless of whether or not Lapras is still on the battlefield. How to catch: You’ll be given a Lapras as a gift after defeating your rival in the Silph Co. building in Saffron City.
1. Blastoise
Suggested Moves:
Surf Rain Dance Earthquake Ice Beam
Blastoise is the best Water-type in Kanto, but it’s available only at the very start of the game (naturally) or via trade. Choosing Squirtle sets you up for a smooth playthrough with a nice set of ever-strengthening Water moves to see you through the game’s Gym battles. For its final moveset, Blastoise will do best with Surf as its STAB move. It does learn Hydro Pump, but unless you’re overpowering your starter and neglecting your other Pokémon (we’ve all been there), it won’t reach a high enough level to learn it by the end of the game. Instead, teach Blastoise Rain Dance at level 42 to buff Surf for the next 5 turns. Blastoise’s most dangerous weakness is Electric Pokémon, so teach it Earthquake as soon as you get the TM. Finally, you can cover Blastoise’s Grass-type weakness by teaching it Ice Beam via the TM in the Celadon Game Corner. How to catch: Choose Squirtle as your starter in Professor Oak’s Lab, then raise it to level 16 to evolve it into Wartortle. Wartortle will evolve again into Blastoise at level 36.
