Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Best Water Types [Top 10]

Much like every other game before them, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet also feature multiple Water-type Pokemon. To be more specific, there are 54 Water types in Scarlet and Violet, with 12 new Water-type Pokemon.

Water-type moves are strong against Fire, Rock, and Ground-type Pokemon. But Water-type Pokemon are weak against Electric and Grass-type moves. Due to its great offensive and defensive capabilities, the Water type is considered one of the best in the games.

With that being said, what are the top 10 best Water-type Pomeon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet? And what is the type effectiveness of Water-type Pokemon in general?

Here’s your ultimate guide to the 10 best Water-type Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Comparison Table For The Best Water Types

No.	Name	Type	Abilities	Hidden Ability	Base Stat Total
1	Slowking	Water/Psychic	Oblivious, Own Tempo	Regenerator	490
2	Gastrodon	Water/Ground	Storm Drain, Sticky Hold	Sand Force	475
3	Floatzel	Water	Swift Swim	Water Veil	495
4	Dondozo	Water	Oblivious, Unaware	Water Veil	530
5	Golduck	Water	Cloud Nine, Damp	Swift Swim	500
6	Cloyster	Water/Ice	Skill Link, Shell Armor	Overcoat	525
7	Vaporeon	Water	Water Absorb	Hydration	525
8	Barraskewda	Water	Swift Swim	Propeller Tail	490
9	Quaquaval	Water/Fighting	Torrent	Moxie	530
10	Palafin	Water	Zero to Hero	None	457 (Zero Form), 650 (Hero Form)
11	Gyarados	Water/Flying	Intimidate	Moxie	540

These are the 10 of the best Water types in Scarlet and Violet:

Slowking

• Type: Water/Psychic
• Abilities: Oblivious, Own Tempo
• Hidden Ability: Regenerator
• Base Stat Total: 490

Slowking is a Water/Psychic type with exceptional Special Defense and HP, boasting a Base HP of 95 and a Base Special Defense of 110. Despite its slow speed, its strong defensive capabilities make up for it.

Slowking’s Oblivious Ability prevents it from being affected by Intimidation, Taunt, Infatuation, or Confusion, adding to its resilience. It’s also capable of learning various Status Moves and HP-recovering moves, making it a versatile and durable choice in battles.

How To Acquire Slowking

First, purchase the King’s Rock and catch a Slowpoke. Then, equip the King’s Rock on the Slowpoke and trade it for any other Pokemon. It will evolve into this Pokemon once it reaches the other player. Then, you can simply trade it back.

Offensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Fire, Ground, Rock, Fighting, Poison
• Not very effective: Water, Grass, Dragon, Psychic, Steel
• No effect: Dark

Defensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Electric, Grass, Ghost, Dark, Bug
• Not very effective: Fire, Water, Ice, Steel, Psychic, Fighting
• No effect: None

Abilities

• Oblivious: Slowking cannot be infatuated, taunted, or affected by Intimidate..
• Own Tempo: Slowking cannot be confused or affected by Intimidate..
• Regenerator (Hidden): The Pokemon regenerates some of its HP when it is withdrawn.

Gastrodon

• Type: Water/Ground
• Abilities: Storm Drain, Sticky Hold
• Hidden Ability: Sand Force
• Base Stat Total: 475

Another strong Water-type Pokemon that you should use in battle is Gastrodon. It has the dual Water/Ground-typing that makes it an extremely hard Pokemon to counter in fights.

And that’s not all. Gastroodn has relatively higher Defense than other Water-type Pokemon. Given its higher HP base stat, you can guess that this Pokemon is pretty much unstoppable. The only type that can deal super-effective damage against this Pokemon is the Grass Type.

How To Acquire Gastrodon

You can easily acquire a Gastorodon by leveling a Shellos until it reaches level 30. It will evolve into Gastrodon.

Offensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Fire, Ground, Rock, Electric, Poison, Steel
• Not very effective: Water, Grass, Dragon, Bug
• No effect: Flying

Defensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Grass,
• Not very effective: Fire, Steel, Poison, Rock
• No effect: Electric, Water (due to Storm Drain)

Abilities

• Storm Drain: Gastrodon becomes the target for all Water-type moves. Water-type moves do no damage to Gastrodon, instead boosting its Special Attack.
• Sticky Hold: Items held by Gastrodon cannot be stolen or removed by other Pokemon.
• Sand Force (Hidden): Gastrodon’s Ground, Steel, and Rock-type attacks get a boost during a sandstorm.

Floatzel

• Type: Water
• Abilities: Swift Swim
• Hidden Ability: Water Veil
• Base Stat Total: 495

Floatzel offers a Water-type option with balanced stats. It boasts remarkable Speed, surpassing even Gengar, and an impressive Attack stat compared to other fully-evolved Pokemon.

Its Swift Swim Ability doubles its Speed during rainy conditions, making it exceptionally fast in battle when paired with the Rain Dance TM.

However, Floatzel has two downsides to consider: its defensive capabilities are lacking, with exceptionally low Defense and Special Defense stats, and its total base stat is generally lower than other fully-evolved Water types.

How To Acquire Floatzel

You can easily find Floatzel in the wild in Beach, River, and Ocean Biomes. Additionally, you can evolve one from Buizel at level 26.

Offensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Fire, Ground, Rock
• Not very effective: Water, Grass, Dragon
• No effect: None

Defensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Electric, Grass
• Not very effective: Fire, Water, Ice, Steel
• No effect: None

Abilities

• Swift Swim: Pokemon with this ability have boosted Speed during rainfall.
• Water Veil (Hidden): Floatzel cannot be burned.

Dondozo

• Type: Water
• Abilities: Oblivious, Unaware
• Hidden Ability: Water Veil
• Base Stat Total: 530

Dondozo, encountered as a Titan, is a formidable Water-type in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. It’s esteemed for its high total base stats and remarkable resilience.

Dondozo boasts a base Defense of 115 and a base HP of 150, allowing it to withstand various attacks unless they’re super-effective. Its base Attack of 100 also makes it a capable offensive Pokemon. However, its Special Attack and Defense are low, and its Speed is even lower, so it should be used carefully in battle.

How To Acquire Dondozo

You can find Dondoz as a Titan in the middle of Casseroya Lake. To find out more about how to defeat the Titan Dondozo, check out our Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Titan order guide.

If you didn’t catch the Pokemon the first time you fought it, you can go back to the location and catch it again.

Offensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Fire, Ground, Rock
• Not very effective: Water, Grass, Dragon
• No effect: None

Defensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Electric, Grass
• Not very effective: Fire, Water, Ice, Steel
• No effect: None

Abilities

• Oblivious: Dondozo cannot be infatuated, taunted, or affected by Intimidate.
• Unaware: Dondozo will ignore any changes in the stats of an opponent when attacking.
• Water Veil (Hidden): The Pokemon cannot be burned.

Golduck

• Type: Water
• Abilities: Cloud Nine, Damp
• Hidden Ability: Swift Swim
• Base Stat Total: 500

Golduck, a classic choice from the first generation games, remains a solid option in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. With a high Special Attack, its Water-type attacks pack a punch. The Cloud Nine Ability negates all weather effects, and when paired with the Swift Swim Hidden Ability, it becomes formidable.

However, Golduck is more balanced than specialized, making it a versatile but not necessarily a masterful choice in various aspects of battle.

How To Acquire Golduck

You can find a bunch of Golduck in the crater that’s right next to Fury Falls. They appear only when you eat a Chocolate Banana Crepe at Mesagoza. Then, you’ll need to fly northwest of the South Province in Area Two.

The crater is ripe with Golduck as well as some Dratini and they keep appearing even when you catch them. You can also evolve a Psyduck by leveling it up to level 33.

Offensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Fire, Ground, Rock
• Not very effective: Water, Grass, Dragon
• No effect: None

Defensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Electric, Grass
• Not very effective: Fire, Water, Ice, Steel
• No effect: None

Abilities

• Cloud Nine: Removes all weather effects from the battlefield.
• Damp: Prevents opponents from using any explosive attacks like Self-Destruct.
• Swift Swim (Hidden): Golduck’s Speed becomes doubled when it rains.

Cloyster

• Type: Water/Ice
• Abilities: Skill Link, Shell Armor
• Hidden Ability: Overcoat
• Base Stat Total: 525

Cloyster is a top defensive Water-type in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, boasting a base Defense of 180, ideal for countering super-effective types. It also has respectable Attack and Special Attack stats, making it versatile offensively. However, its base HP and Special Defense are quite low, so it’s advisable to boost these stats. Cloyster excels in battling late-game Dragon-type Pokemon found in the games.

How To Acquire Cloyster

Unfortunately, you can not find this Pokemon in the wild. You’ll need to evolve it from a Shellder. First, catch a Shellder. You can easily find one in seawater. But you can’t find them in bodies of freshwater.

Then, get a Water Stone and expose your Shellder to it. It will evolve into a Cloyster. The best part is that you don’t need to waste time training to level up your Shelder.

Offensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Ground, Rock, Flying
• Not very effective: Water, Dragon, Steel
• No effect: None

Defensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Electric, Grass, Fighting, Rock
• Not very effective: Water, Ice
• No effect: None

Abilities

• Skill Link: Makes multi-strike moves always hit 5 times.
• Shell Armor: Cloysters cannot receive any critical hits.
• Overcoat (Hidden): Cloyster is immune to sandstorms, spores, and powders.

Vaporeon

• Type: Water
• Abilities: Water Absorb
• Hidden Ability: Hydration
• Base Stat Total: 525

Vaporeon offers a balanced blend of offense and defense. It boasts high base HP, Special Defense, and Special Attack, making it proficient against Special damage. While its Attack, Defense, and Speed are lower, you can enhance those stats to improve its battle performance. Vaporeon’s Water Absorb Ability grants immunity to Water-type attacks and restores HP from them.

How To Acquire Vaporeon

To acquire a Vaporeon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, you must use a Water Stone on an Eevee. Eevees are not very easy to find. You can only find them in specific locations. These include South Province (Area 2), West Province (Area 3), and the route that leads to the Pokemon League.

Offensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Fire, Ground, Rock
• Not very effective: Water, Grass, Dragon
• No effect: None

Defensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Electric, Grass
• Not very effective: Fire, Water, Ice, Steel
• No effect: None

Abilities

• Water Absorb: Vaporeon will restore a quarter of its max HP when it is hit by Water-type attacks.
• Hydration (Hidden): Cures all status conditions of Vaporeon when it is raining.

Barraskewda

• Type: Water
• Abilities: Swift Swim
• Hidden Ability: Propeller Tail
• Base Stat Total: 490

Barraskewda excels in offense with a high base Attack of 123 and exceptional Speed at 136. Its Special Defense and HP are relatively low, making it ideal for quick eliminations. The Swift Swim Ability doubles its Speed in rainy conditions, giving it a significant advantage when combined with Rain Dance.

How To Acquire Barraskewda

You can find Barraskewda in abundance in the Paldea region. They are found in the Ocean and River Biomes, though the spawn rate is quite low. Alternatively, you can evolve an Arrokuda by leveling it up to level 26.

Offensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Fire, Ground, Rock
• Not very effective: Water, Grass, Dragon
• No effect: None

Defensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Electric, Grass
• Not very effective: Fire, Water, Ice, Steel
• No effect: None

Abilities

• Swift Swim: Barraskewda’s Speed doubles when it rains.
• Propeller Tail (Hidden): Rejects the opponent’s Abilities’ effects and also ignores moves that draw in other moves.

Quaquaval

• Type: Water/Fighting
• Abilities: Torrent
• Hidden Ability: Moxie
• Base Stat Total: 530

If you chose Quaxly as your Starter Pokemon, then you’re in luck. Quaquaval is an extremely powerful Pokemon and even has dual Water/Fighting typing. Its stats are all balanced with exceptional Attack and Speed.

Additionally, since it has dual typing, it can learn both water and Fighting-type moves. This completely changes the game as it opens up your options to strong attacks like Wave Crash, Close Combat, and Swords Dance.

How To Acquire Quaquaval

There is only one method for obtaining Quaquaval in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and that’s to level your Quaxly. Quaxly can be acquired right at the very start of the game as your Starter Pokemon.

Quaxly will first evolve into Quaxwell at level 16. Then, Quaxwell will evolve into Quaquaval at level 36. You can also trade for Quaxly and its evolutionary line if you have a friend who chose Quaxly as a starter.

Offensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Fire, Ground, Rock, Normal, Ice, Dark, Steel
• Not very effective: Water, Grass, Dragon, Poison, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Fairy
• No effect: Ghost

Defensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Electric, Grass, Flying, Psychic, Fairy
• Not very effective: Fire, Water, Ice, Steel, Bug, Rock, Dark
• No effect: None

Abilities

• Torrent: If Quaquaval has less than or equal to a third of its max HP, its Water-type attacks will deal 50% more damage.
• Moxie (Hidden): When Quaquaval makes a Pokemon faint via a damaging move, its Attack will increase. If its Attack has already been increased by 6 stages, Moxie has no effect.

Palafin

• Type: Water
• Abilities: Zero to Hero
• Hidden Ability: None
• Base Stat Total: 457 (Zero Form), 650 (Hero Form)

The most powerful Water-type in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is Palafin. Its flexibility is evident through its impressive base stats in its Zero Form, with high HP and Speed. When it transforms into the Hero Form, it retains these stats and gains extra high Defense, Special Attack, Attack, and Special Defense. Palafin excels in both offense and defense.

To activate the Hero Form, you must switch Palafin out during battle, as it triggers the transformation upon switching.

How To Acquire Palafin

You must evolve a Finizen into a Palafin. The good news is that Finizens can be found in almost every single ocean present in Paldea.

The bad news is that evolving is going to be tough. You’ll need to go to the Pokemon Center and join a Union Circle. For this, you’ll need a friend to play with you. You must level up your Finizen to level 38 while in the Union Circle with at least one other player.

Offensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Fire, Ground, Rock
• Not very effective: Water, Grass, Dragon
• No effect: None

Defensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Electric, Grass
• Not very effective: Fire, Water, Ice, Steel
• No effect: None

Abilities

• Zero to Hero: The signature ability of Palafin. If you switch out your Zero Form Palafin for the first time during a fight, it will switch into its Hero form.

Bonus Entry: Gyarados

• Type: Water/Flying
• Abilities: Intimidate
• Hidden Ability: Moxie
• Base Stat Total: 540

Gyarados is a powerful Water-type in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. It boasts a base Attack of 125 and a base Special Defense of 100, making it versatile for both offense and defense. Its Speed, Defense, and HP are also high, but it lacks in Special Attack. Gyarados can learn Hyper Beam and benefits from the ability Intimidate. Note that Mega Evolutions aren’t available in these games at the moment.

How To Acquire Gyarados

You can catch Gyarados in the wild by traveling to the Secluded Beach, East and South Paldean Seas, and even Casseroya Lake. You can also catch a Magikarp in the same locations and evolve it at level 20.

Offensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Fire, Ground, Fighting, Bug
• Not very effective: Water, Dragon, Electric, Steel
• No effect: None

Defensive Type Effectiveness

• Super-effective: Electric, Rock
• Not very effective: Fire, Water, Steel, Flying, Bug
• No effect: Ground

Abilities

• Intimidate: Gyarados lowers the Attack stats of all adjacent opponents in battle.
• Moxie (Hidden): If Gyarados makes another Pokemon faint via a damaging move, its Attack rises. If its Attack has already risen by 6 stages, Moxie will have no effect.

Final Thoughts

The Water type is an extremely powerful type in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. It features exceptional offense with splendid defense and an amazing move pool.

Of all the Water types in Scarlet and Violet, Palafin and Gyarados have got to be the best. They have the most useful Abilities in battle paired with great all-round stats. You can also opt for Quaquaval or Barraskewda, both of which have great offensive capabilities.

Now that you know the best Water types in Scarlet and Violet, it’s time to catch your own Pokemon.

Are lag and jitter slowing you down? Check out our Pokemon Scarlet and Violet performance issues guide for troubleshooting technical problems.