Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Best Gen 9 Water Types

Highlights

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet introduce unique additions to the Pokedex, including Water-type Pokemon like Quaxly and Wiglett.
Despite some performance issues, players have received the new species well, especially water Pokemon fans.
The new Pokemon have different abilities and stats, offering diverse options for players to choose from in battles.

There are some unique additions to the Pokedex in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. While the game has some performance issues, the new species have been well-received by players. Water Pokemon fans will enjoy several new Pokemon this time around, including the adorable, sassy Quaxly as a starter Pokemon.

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From mechanical sharks to transforming dolphins to Diglett's watery cousin, there are some excellent Water Pokemon to choose from in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, some of which have powerful stats and abilities.

Updated January 3, 2024, by Ben Painter: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet brought a new wave of Pokemon as part of gen 9, and the always common Water-type is abundant across Paldea. Continuing the trend from Pokemon Sword & Shield, the latest Nintendo Switch Pokemon title received two sets of DLC, Hidden Treasures of Area Zero: The Teal Mask & The Indigo Disc. Both DLCs included some new Pokemon for trainers to catch and battle, including some strong Water-type Pokemon.

12 Wiglett

Water-Type

It's kind of easy to dunk on Wiglett for being, essentially, water-Diglett. However, Wiglett has a certain charm, and while it's similar to Diglett in appearance, it's actually pretty different in terms of abilities.

Wiglett isn't the strongest Water Pokemon on this list, but it's worth having around. It has two possible abilities: Gooey, which lowers the Speed of any enemies that come into contact with it, and Rattled, which raises Wiglett's speed when it's hit with a Bug, Dark, or Ghost-type move. Wiglett evolves into Wugtrio (sound familiar?) from level 26. Catching a Wiglett can be tricky: approaching it head-on will cause it to hide, burrowing into the ground. Players should sneak up behind it, target it with ZL, and then start a battle with ZR.

Wiglett's Base Stats:

HP:	10
Attack:	55
Defense:	25
Sp. Atk:	35
Sp. Def:	25
Speed:	95
Total:	245

11 Finizen

Water-Type

Finizen's Pokedex entry Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Arguably one of the cuter new Pokemon for Gen 9, Finizen is a dolphin Pokemon. They don't tend to travel alone, so players will find it along any coastline in Paldea in clusters. Finizen has the ability Water Veil, which prevents it from becoming Burned by Fire attacks.

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Finizen is a lovely addition to any players' team. It has some interesting attacks at later levels, including Acrobatics (which does massive damage if the user isn't holding an item) and the classic Hydro Pump. Finizen evolves into Palafin and is the only Pokemon in the game to evolve when the user joins a Union Circle.

Finizen's Base Stats:

HP:	70
Attack:	45
Defense:	40
Sp. Atk:	45
Sp. Def:	40
Speed:	75
Total:	315

10 Wugtrio

Water-Type

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Wiglett evolves into Wugtrio

One can't have Wiglett without Wugtrio. Wugtrio isn't the best Water Pokemon in Gen 9: it has fairly average stats, so players will be choosing it initially for looks alone. However, it does have a very high speed of 120, which is interesting.

Wugtrio can learn the move Triple Dive. Triple Dive is a water-type multi-strike attack, hitting the target three times. This is a potentially powerful move as Wugtrio levels up, so this may make up for the less-than-stellar stats.

Wugtrio Base Stats:

HP:	35
Attack:	100
Defense:	50
Sp. Atk:	50
Sp. Def:	70
Speed:	120
Total:	425

9 Veluza

Water/Psychic-Type

The pokedex cover image for Veluza in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Veluza is a kind of mechanical shark Pokemon. Arguably, it's kind of ugly. It's also kind of cool at the same time. Putting looks aside for a moment, it's a pretty decent addition to the Pokedex. Stats-wise, it's above-average: it's an aggressive Pokemon with some strong attacks, including Aqua Cutter, Liquidation, and Fillet Away.

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Veluza is a single-stage Pokemon, and it actually has two types (Water and Psychic). It can be found in any coastal area in Paldea, and it's pretty straightforward to catch. Using a Net Ball can increase the players' chances of success.

Veluza's Base Stats:

HP:	90
Attack:	102
Defense:	73
Sp. Atk:	78
Sp. Def:	65
Speed:	70
Total:	478

8 Quaxly

Water-Type

Meeting Quaxly in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

How can anyone ignore Quaxly? One of the three starter Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, Quaxly is an adorable little duck with a quiff. Excellent stuff. It's fairly typical for a starter Pokemon in terms of stats, but it has some excellent abilities later on, including Aqua Cutter and Acrobatics.

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Quaxly's evolutions (Quaxwell and Quaquaval) are divisive, to say the least. However, Quaquaval is a decent Pokemon to head up a team later in the game, and the Quaxly line is arguably one of the quirkiest starter Pokemon players have had for some time.

Quaxly's Base Stats:

HP:	55
Attack:	65
Defense:	45
Sp. Atk:	50
Sp. Def:	45
Speed:	50
Total:	310

7 Palafin

Water-Type

pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-palafin-dex-picture

Palafin evolves from Finizen, but not without effort: players must join a Union Circle to evolve Palafin, the only Pokemon with this requirement in the game (Palafin must be at least level 38 to do this).

Finizen is a great upgrade. In its regular form, it looks almost exactly like Finizen, but with the addition of a small red heart. However, if the player switches out Palafin, it will transform into Hero Form and stay that way for the rest of the battle. The Hero Form is pretty imposing: it has excellent stats, with a huge attack stat that makes Palafin an excellent fighter.

Palafin's Base Stats (Zero Form/Hero Form):

HP:	100/100
Attack:	70/160
Defense:	72/97
Sp. Atk:	53/106
Sp. Def:	62/87
Speed:	100/100
Total:	457/650

6 Quaquaval

Water/Fighting-Type

Quaquaval is Quaxly's final evolution. It's a stylish Pokemon, and it has some gorgeous animations. Having said that, it's also a strong Pokemon with some excellent stats, with its highest stat in Attack. This makes it a powerful choice to head up a Pokemon team in the later stages of the game.

Quaquaval has some interesting moves, too, including the extremely apt move Feather Dance. Quaquaval is based on carnival dancers, so this is the perfect move. This move harshly reduces the opponent's Attack stat, which is incredibly useful.

Quaquaval's Base Stats:

HP:	82
Attack:	120
Defense:	80
Sp. Atk:	85
Sp. Def:	75
Speed:	85
Total:	530

5 Dondozo

Water-Type

This is a single-stage Water Pokemon. It's not the prettiest species, but it's a big one! With a high HP, but a low Speed stat, it's an excellent defensive Pokemon. Dondozo makes a great pair with another Pokemon, Tatsugiri. Dondozo's signature ability (Order Up) works well in tandem with Tatsugiri's signature ability (Commander).

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If Dondozo has Tatsugiri in its mouth, it boosts one of the user's stats based on Tatsugiri's form. Meanwhile, Tatsugiri won't be able to switch out, but it will have all of its stats boosted. A fair deal and an interesting pair to use in competitive battles.

Dondozo's Base Stats:

HP:	150
Attack:	100
Defense:	115
Sp. Atk:	65
Sp. Def:	65
Speed:	35
Total:	530

4 Tatsugiri

Dragon/Water-Type

Tatugiri Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Pokedex Entry

Appearances may be deceiving with this Sushi Pokemon as the little Water Dragon is a powerful Pokemon in the game with a staggering 120 Sp. Atk stat.

Tatsugiri can be found in three forms, curly form (orange), droopy form (red), and stretchy form (yellow). The forms are purely aesthetic, so it is up to the gamer which one they prefer. Partnering Tatsugiri with Dondozo is a match made in heaven as both of their abilities complement each other well, perfect for use in the double battles found in Blueberry Academy as part of the Indigo Disc DLC.

Tatsugiri's Base Stats:

HP:	68
Attack:	50
Defense:	60
Sp. Atk:	120
Sp. Def:	95
Speed:	82
Total:	475

3 Iron Bundle

Ice/Water-Type

Iron Bundle Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Pokedex Entry

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet brought fans a new category of Pokemon, Paradox Pokemon. In Scarlet, these 'mons are Ancient Pokemon, and in Violet, they are Future Pokemon. Iron Bundle is the latter -- a version of Delibird from the faraway future.

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Iron Bundle is a big improvement over Delibird as surprisingly, Iron Bundle is one of the quickest beasts in the game with an impressive 136 speed stat. Combining this with 124 Sp. At least it can obliterate opponents with a STAB Hydro Pump or Blizzard; there is no stopping this, as chances are it will out-speed any Pokemon.

Iron Bundle's Base Stats:

HP:	56
Attack:	80
Defense:	114
Sp. Atk:	124
Sp. Def:	60
Speed:	136
Total:	570

2 Walking Wake

Water/Dragon-Type

Released as part of the Teal Mask DLC, Walking Wake is an ancient form of Suicune that gains the Dragon-type, boosting its move capabilities. Despite being related to Suicune, Walking Wake isn't considered a Legendary Pokemon but rather just a Paradox Pokemon. However, it does have a higher stat total.

Walking Wake is a fantastic battler; it can run a Sunny Day and Flamethrower set but also boosts its stats with Hone Claws and then strikes hard with Dragon Pulse or Hydro Pump.

Walking Wake's Base Stats:

HP:	99
Attack:	83
Defense:	91
Sp. Atk:	125
Sp. Def:	83
Speed:	109
Total:	590

1 Ogrepon (Wellspring Mask)

Grass/Water-Type

Ogrepon Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Teal Mask DLC

Ogrepon has the unique ability to change its typing depending on which mask it is wearing. In this case, the Wellspring Mask makes it the Water-type. When it is Terastallized, it becomes pure Water-type with a Special Terastallized state that shows the mask instead of the usual icon.

Its signature move, Ivy Cudgel, changes its type with the chosen mask as well, so gamers will not need to change the moves around to gain a STAB move advantage. As it is a Legendary Pokemon, it is really powerful and can hit hard with great attack and speed.