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At 145 Pokemon, Water is the most common type in the Pokedex. It's not surprising, both the Earth and the Pokemon world are covered by more water than land, so there are bound to be tonnes of aquatic creatures out there. Even on Earth, there are vast swathes of the ocean that are unexplored. There could very well be hundreds of species of aquatic life humans don't know about.
With such a wide range of creatures, Water Pokemon aren't united by a lore theme like Dark-type is. Some Water-types are friendly & playful; others are ruthless & deadly. This also means they are quite varied in terms of quality too.
8 Generation 1 - Vaporeon
Generation I is one of the best for Water-types. There are 16 different evolution lines for the type, and all of them have big fanbases. Squirtle is the classic Water-type Starter, and it was the cover star of Pokemon Blue, one of the very first Pokemon games to launch outside of Japan. Outside of that, great Water-types like Gyarados, Starmie & Lapras span as far as the eye can see.
Vaporeon gets the crown, though, as many Eeveelutions do. There are very few other Pokemon that have such a strong sense of identity through all of their forms. Like all its siblings, Vaporeon takes the fundamental cute & lovable design of Eevee and gives it an undeniably Water-based flavor.
7 Generation 2 - Suicune
While not quite as stuffed as Generation I, the Johto games added plenty more Water-types to choose from. As always, Totodile is a beloved Starter Pokemon, Politoed & Kingdra are great additions to existing evolution lines, with Pokemon like Azumarill, Quagsire & Lanturn to round things out.
To find the best, the realm of Legendaries must be found. Here, there is Lugia, who isn't a Water-type but should be. However, even Lugia would struggle to compete with Suicune. The cover star of Pokemon Crystal, Suicune holds an incredible elegance & caring with its design, while still feeling as powerful as the other two Legendary Beasts.
6 Generation 3 - Milotic
Generation III has one of the most diverse sets of Water Pokemon. Mudkip is the first Starter to have dual Water/Ground typing, and the secondary types of the rest of the Hoenn-dex are interesting too. Surskit is Water/Bug, Ludicolo is Water/Grass, Pelliper is Water/Flying, and Sharpedo is Water/Dark. This is a great Generation for those who want both types of their Pokemon to matter.
Milotic is not one of those, but their distinction comes visually. Evolving from Feebas, it has beauty as a fundamental part of its lore, and it delivers. The sharp & distinctive face, the quiet but properly shaped body, and the burst of color on its tail make for one of the most visually pleasing Pokemon out there.
5 Generation 4 - Empoleon
Generation IV has fewer new Water Pokemon than average, but the lineup is still very strong. Buizel is a fan-favorite and essential for teams who didn't pick the Water starter. Gastrodon is bulky and comes in different colors. Lumineon is a calming & beautiful fish. Even the box-art Legendary Palkia is a fantastic Water-type, although there's nothing "watery" about it.
The Emperor penguin known as Empoleon comes out on top for this one, though. While it is quite a large step away from Piplup, Empoleon has a cool & strong design that fits in perfectly with the other Sinnoh Starters. Its secondary Steel typing remains a unique type combination to this day for an extra selling point.
4 Generation 5 - Oshawott
Generation V is fairly middling when it comes to Water-types. Few of them are outright bad, but none of them really stand out as fantastic either. Alomamola is a simple but elegant design. Carracosta is bulky & threatening. However, at the same time, there are Pokemon like Jellicent, who looks goofy & Basculin, who is a bit boring (although Pokemon Legends revealing Basculegion may have saved it).
This makes Oshawott the clear winner for Unova. Oshawott has all the cuteness and simplicity that the base-stage Starter Pokemon needs. Samurott takes a big step away from this design and doesn't have enough interesting features to beat out its pre-evolved forms.
3 Generation 6 - Greninja
Unsurprisingly, Generation VI added the least new Water Pokemon, with just 5 new evolution lines. Of those, not many are worth writing home about. Skrelp & Barbaracle both look quite weird and slightly unnerving, and Volcanion is one of the most forgettable Mythical Pokemon. Clawitzer manages to redeem this lineup a bit with a small but cool and detailed design.
Greninja is the best, though, and it's not even close. Multiple polls from The Pokemon Company have shown Greninja to be one of the most popular Pokemon of all time, and it's not hard to see why. Its sleek, dark & interesting design balances both the "water" and "ninja" aspects to perfection. Combine that with a prominent role in one of the best series of the Pokemon anime, and it's cemented as an all-time great.
2 Generation 7 - Tapu Fini
Given that Alola is made up of four islands, there's plenty of Water for Pokemon to be lurking, and this Generation's lineup of Water-types represents that. Bruxish is a weird but colorful fish; Pyukumuku is tiny but packs a punch; Wishiwashi is similarly tiny but can become massive when schooled together.
The Tapu Pokemon rule the islands of Alola, and it's only natural that the Water-type Tapu Fini takes the crown for this Generation. Like its siblings, it has such a strong thematic design, the patterns on its shell feel uniquely Alolan, while its long hair and off-blue coloring are perfect representations of the ocean.
1 Generation 8 - Cramorant
Galar is not a region with much Water to speak of, but it still did a bang-up job of including great Water Pokemon. Barraskweda manages to feel unique in a large lineup of fish Pokemon, Dreadnaw feels like a strong & reliable companion, and Urshifu can hit hard & fast with guaranteed critical hits.
Cramorant is the best because of its endlessly entertaining gimmick. It's got a great design that's just the right amount of derpy to be cute, but it really shines when it dives beneath the water. Most of the time, it'll come up with an Arrokuda to spit at the opponent, but if it's lucky, it inexplicably comes up holding a Pikachu in its mouth, a concept that no other Pokemon can compete with.