Is Tentacool Good in Black 2 & White 2 Playthrough?
Transfer only. Water/Poison with AbilityLiquid Ooze punishing HP-draining moves. Tentacruel at 30 is a decent special wall if imported. BW2's surf routes don't feature it wild.
Tentacool trades roughly evenly with Cheren's team.
Tentacool trades roughly evenly with Roxie's team.
Tentacool trades roughly evenly with Burgh's team.
Tentacool trades roughly evenly with Elesa's team.
Tentacool trades roughly evenly with Clay's team.
Tentacool trades roughly evenly with Skyla's team.
Drayden's team hits Tentacool's weaknesses hard.
Tentacool trades roughly evenly with Marlon's team.
Tentacool trades roughly evenly with Shauntal's team.
Grimsley's team hits Tentacool's weaknesses hard.
Tentacool trades roughly evenly with Caitlin's team.
Marshal's team hits Tentacool's weaknesses hard.
Iris's team hits Tentacool's weaknesses hard.
Tentacool cannot be caught in this game. It must be traded in from a compatible game where it appears in the wild. Cross-region trading typically becomes available after defeating the Elite Four.
How to Get Tentacool in Black 2 & White 2
Tentacool can't be caught in Black 2 & White 2. Transfer Tentacool from Red & Blue, Yellow, or Gold & Silver and evolve through the 2-stage line to get it. The step cards below map the full chain.
How to Obtain Tentacool in B2W2
Step 1Tentacool ✓LATER APPEARANCEfrom Red & BlueNot TradeableAppears in Red & Blue via Surfing · Route 19. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom YellowNot TradeableAppears in Yellow via Surfing · Route 19. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Gold & SilverNot TradeableAppears in Gold & Silver via Surfing · Route 26. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.
Step 2Evolve into Tentacruel
Tentacool Weakness
Tentacool is weak to Electric, Ground, and Psychic. 7 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that. Tentacool's special bulk (base 100 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Ground, Psychic |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Bug, Steel |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Tentacool Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Tentacool
 Flaaffy Electric | C | |
 Magnemite ElectricSteel | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Magnemite builds →Thunder Shock 2x43-51% | ||
Flaaffy Electric | C | |
Magnemite ElectricSteel | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Magnemite builds →Thunder Shock 2x42-50% | ||
 Sigilyph Psychic | C | |
 Ampharos Electric | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Ampharos builds →Thunder Punch 2x129-152%KO | ||
 Sandslash Ground | C | |
 Magnezone ElectricSteel | A | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Magnezone builds →Thunder Shock 2x52-62% | ||
 Trapinch Ground | C | |
Sandslash Ground | C | |
Sigilyph Psychic | C | |
 Solosis Psychic | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Solosis builds →Future Sight 2x104-122%KO | ||
Ampharos Electric | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Ampharos builds →Thunder Punch 2x126-148%KO Bulldoze 2x67-79% | ||
Magnezone ElectricSteel | A | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Magnezone builds →Thunder Shock 2x49-59% | ||
 Excadrill GroundSteel | A | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x265-313%KO | ||
 Jolteon Electric | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Jolteon builds →Discharge 2x86-101%KO Dig 2x79-93% | ||
 Duosion Psychic | B | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Duosion builds →Future Sight 2x116-137%KO | ||
Ampharos Electric | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Ampharos builds →Thunder Punch 2x124-147%KO Bulldoze 2x66-78% | ||
Sigilyph Psychic | C | |
 Beheeyem Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Beheeyem builds →Psychic 2x107-127%KO Charge Beam 2x41-49% | ||
Excadrill GroundSteel | A | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x276-324%KO | ||
 Reuniclus Psychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Reuniclus builds →Future Sight 2x119-141%KO Thunder 2x95-112%KO | ||
Ampharos Electric | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Ampharos builds →Thunder 2x132-157%KO Bulldoze 2x68-81% | ||
 Gothitelle Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Gothitelle builds →Future Sight 2x96-114%KO Charge Beam 2x33-40% | ||
Beheeyem Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Beheeyem builds →Psychic 2x109-128%KO Charge Beam 2x40-48% | ||
Excadrill GroundSteel | A | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x274-323%KO | ||
Reuniclus Psychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Reuniclus builds →Future Sight 2x120-141%KO Thunder 2x96-113%KO | ||
Ampharos Electric | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Ampharos builds →Thunder 2x132-156%KO Bulldoze 2x68-80% | ||
Gothitelle Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Gothitelle builds →Future Sight 2x96-113%KO Charge Beam 2x33-39% | ||
Reuniclus Psychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Reuniclus builds →Future Sight 2x119-140%KO Thunder 2x95-112%KO | ||
 Azelf Psychic | B | |
Obtain MethodRoute 23 Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Azelf builds →Future Sight 2x119-140%KO Thunderbolt 2x75-89% | ||
Excadrill GroundSteel | A | |
Beheeyem Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Beheeyem builds →Dream Eater 2x119-140%KO Thunderbolt 2x75-89% | ||
 Mesprit Psychic | C | |
Obtain MethodCelestial Tower Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Mesprit builds →Future Sight 2x102-121%KO Thunderbolt 2x65-77% | ||
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityIronfist ItemEviolite NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Monferno builds →Close Combat24-28% Mach Punch8-10% Flare Blitz24-28% U Turn14-17% | ||
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityLiquidooze ItemEviolite NatureCalm Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Tentacool builds →Rapid Spin8-10% Scald3-4% Knock Off11-13% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityGluttony ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Simisear builds →Flamethrower9-11% Focus Blast12-14% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySapsipper ItemLife Orb NatureNaive Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Zebstrika builds →Volt Switch 2x25-29% Wild Charge 2x87-103%KO Overheat11-13% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityAnalytic ItemLeftovers NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Beheeyem builds →Thunderbolt 2x27-32% Psyshock 2x24-29% Psychic 2x27-32% | ||
Tentacool Evolutions
Tentacool evolves into Tentacruel. It's a two-stage chain with the method shown below. A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. Evolving adds up to 180 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Tentacool easily with 25 breeding partners from the Water3 egg group. Pass egg moves like Acupressure, Aqua Ring, Aurora Beam and 8 more to offspring.
B2W2 Tentacool Best Moveset
100 Sp. Def absorbs special attacks at a level most pre-evolutions can't match, and Water/Poison typing handles Fire and Fighting coverage. The moveset fires 50 Sp. Atk back at negligible power, but Held ItemEviolite turns the special bulk into genuine sponge duty. Tentacruel one evolution away adds Speed.
Best Build
Tentacool best EVs are Sp. Def and HP
Hazard Setter Moveset
- Rapid Spin
- Scald
- Toxic Spikes
- Knock Off
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Breeding opens up real options for Tentacool. Acupressure and Aqua Ring come exclusively from egg moves, and they're worth the effort. The rest of the kit covers basics through Hydro Pump and Sludge Wave and Normal and Ghost coverage and more.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Base Stats
Because its body is almost entirely composed of water, it shrivels up if it is washed ashore.
Tentacool Black 2 & White 2 Guide
In Black 2 & White 2, Tentacool does the job early-game if you need a Water/Poison type on your team. Evolve it into Tentacruel before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.
Game Availability
Tentacool has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 21 titles across all 10 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves