The Water-type Pokémon are frequently seen all over Pokémon Go. There are several of them, and only a handful make it to the top of this elite bracket. Here are some of the best Water-type Pokémon you can use in the game, and where you can expect to see them in the Battle League competitions.
Blastoise
Blastoise is among one of the better Water-type Pokémon for you to use in Pokémon Go. It’s not one you’re going to see in the Master League regularly, but a Blastoise powered up with XL candy in the Ultra League is a viable strategy. You have to make sure you don’t exceed 2,500 CP, though. So long as you meet that requirement, you’re typically fine, and Blastoise becomes an excellent Water-type to fight against any Fire or Rock-type Pokémon in this category. You also have the option to evolve it into Mega Blastoise to use in any Pokémon Go five-star raids, giving your entire team a sizeable attack boost.
- Maximum CP (PvP / PvE): 2,466 / 2788Attack: 146 / 171Defense: 175 / 207Stamina: 160 / 188
Gyarados
Gyarados is among the best Water-type Pokémon, and it’s considered one of the best Pokémon for the competitive Battle League competitions. You won’t see it too often in the Great League, but plenty of trainers use it in the Ultra and Master competitions. In the Master League, you typically want to power it up using XL candy to give it the best advantage against many legendary Pokémon. Outside of the PvP scene, you can also evolve Gyarados into Mega Gyarados, making it the strongest Pokémon in the game. The big downside it is a Flying and Water-type Pokéon, making it extremely weak to Electric-type attacks.
- Maximum CP (PvP / PvE): 3,391 / 3,834Attack: 199 / 237Defense: 158 / 186Stamina: 182 / 216
Jellicent
Jellicent was introduced in the middle of the Battle League’s sixth season, and players had the chance to catch it if they reached a certain rank. It was a Pokémon that came out of the blue for most trainers, but when it was around, it came to stay. It’s an option for both the Great and Ultra league competitions. If you receive enough candy to power it up, you can give it XL candy to compete in the Ultra League. However, you’ll get far more out of it by keeping it in the Great League.
- Maximum CP (PvP / PvE): 2,338 / 2,644Attack: 137 / 159Defense: 152 / 178Stamina: 189 / 225
Kyogre
For those who have the opportunity to catch this legendary Water-type Pokémon, you’re in luck, and you should expect to use it all the time. You’ll want to receive as much Kyogre candy as you can and power it up to its highest level. Kyogre is among one of the best Master League Pokémon, and you can bet you’ll be able to use it multiple five-star raids throughout the game. Kyogre is a beast, and we highly recommend using this Pokémon in the Master League competitions. A handful of Pokémon best it, and most of them require XL candy.
- Maximum CP (PvP / PvE): 4,115 / 4,652Attack: 225 / 270Defense: 192 / 228Stamina: 173 / 205
Lapras
Lapras is another Water-type Pokémon you’re going to see fairly frequently in the Ultra and Master League competitions. In both categories, you can use one that has XL candy. The base Lapras is decent, but with XL candy becoming far more common among Battle League competitors, a Lapras without XL candy doesn’t hold up as well as it previously did. Of the Ultra and Master League, we highly recommend sticking it to the Ultra League.
- Maximum CP (PvP / PvE): 2,641 / 2,985Attack: 142 / 165Defense: 149 / 174Stamina: 230 / 277
Palkia
This is a legendary Pokémon that has only appeared in five-star raids for a limited time. Players had an entire month to catch Palkia, but after that, it disappeared again. Outside of mythical Pokémon you can only catch in special research projects, Palkia is incredibly difficult to catch. It’s a Dragon and Water-type Pokémon that dominates the Master League, and only a handful of trainers have access to it since it’s rarely appeared in five-star raids. When this Pokémon appears, make sure you go out of your way to catch it.
- Maximum CP (PvP / PvE): 3,991 / 4,512Attack: 233 / 280Defense: 181 / 215Stamina: 161 / 189
Politoed
Politoed has increased in reputation because it can now use weather ball (Water-type) as a charged move. That, and XL candy. Both of these factors turned it into a powerful Ground and Water-type Pokémon. It’s similar to Swampert in that it’s only weak to Grass-type Pokémon, meaning you need those type of attacks to counter it in the Ultra League. You’ll want to have a Fire or Flying-type Pokémon on your team to protect against these with Politoed. You can expect to use it in the Great, Ultra, and Master League.
- Maximum CP (PvP / PvE): 2,449 / 2,769Attack: 149 / 174 Defense: 153 / 179Stamina: 175 / 207
Poliwrath
Poliwarth is one of the final evolution choices you can pick when you catch enough Poliwags. It’s a Fighting and Water-type Pokémon, and before Politoed learned how to use weather ball (Water-type), it was the superior choice. But things have dramatically changed. While Poliwrath is still a viable choice, you won’t see it as often as you would Politoed. You primarily want to use Poliwrath in the Ultra League, and not the Great League. If you have enough XL candy, you can use it in the Master League.
- Maximum CP (PvP / PvE): 2,586 / 2,923Attack: 155 / 182Defense: 157 / 184Stamina: 175 / 207
Suicune
Suicune is not the best legendary Pokémon, but as far as Water-types go, it’s a solid choice if you need a Pokémon to compete in the Ultra or Master League battles. It’s far better used in the Ultra League as it considerably lower stats than most of the other Water-type Pokémon in the Master League. There are better choices for you to go with, so Suicune is a primary choice in the Ultra League. It has a shadow version, but of the two, we highly recommend the regular one.
- Maximum CP (PvP / PvE): 2,983 / 3,372Attack: 154 / 180Defense: 197 / 235Stamina: 189 / 225
Swampert
This is a Water-type Pokémon you can use in the Great, Ultra, and Master League. It’s extremely flexible, and while the moveset might slightly change based on how you’re using Swampert to counter certain Pokémon each of those leagues, being able to use it across the board is extremely useful. It’s not a legendary Pokémon, so you’ll have to catch it in the wild, and that makes it far easier. You can also grind candy to power it up by walking around. Swampert is an excellent Pokémon in all three Battle League competitions.
- Maximum CP (PvP / PvE): 2,974 / 3,362Attack: 176 / 208Defense: 150 / 175Stamina: 189 / 225
