Stats & Training
Tentacool's spread isn't flashy. Sp. Def leads, Defense trails, 1 stats clear the bar. Common in the wild and worth 1 Sp. Def EV, on a slow 1.25M XP grind.
They fire beams from the glassy, magenta orbs that resemble eyes atop their heads, and they drift in shallow seas. During low tide, they can sometimes be found on beaches, desiccated.
Tentacool Weakness
Tentacool is weak to Electric, Ground, and Psychic. 8 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 |
 Garchomp DragonGround | S | |
Ground is super effective against TentacoolView Garchomp → | ||
 Jolteon Electric | A | |
Electric is super effective against TentacoolView Jolteon → | ||
 Espeon Psychic | A | |
Psychic is super effective against TentacoolView Espeon → | ||
 Krookodile GroundDark | A | |
Ground is super effective against TentacoolView Krookodile → | ||
In Scarlet & Violet, Garchomp can KO Tentacool with Earthquake (155-183%). Jolteon threatens a KO with Thunderbolt (115-136%). Espeon deals 77-91% with Psyshock.
Garchomp DragonGround | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityRough Skin ItemRocky Helmet NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 2x155-183%KO | ||
Jolteon Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityVoltabsorb ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Jolteon builds →Thunderbolt 2x115-136%KO Volt Switch 2x90-106%KO Shadow Ball34-40% | ||
Espeon Psychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Bounce ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Espeon builds →Psyshock 2x77-91% | ||
Krookodile GroundDark | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMoxie ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Krookodile builds →Earthquake 2x144-170%KO Knock Off47-55% Close Combat29-34% | ||
Scarlet & Violet Evolution
Tentacool evolves into Tentacruel. It's a two-stage chain with the method shown below. A small 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 13 breeding partners from the Water3 egg group. Pass egg moves like Acupressure, Aqua Ring, Aurora Beam and 6 more to offspring.
Scarlet & Violet Tentacool Best Moveset
Don't let the NFE status fool you. Tentacool with Eviolite hits bulk numbers that compete with final forms. Spread EVs and Jolly nature maximize that, and Clearbody handles the rest.
Best Build
Tentacool best EVs are Speed and Defense
Utility Moveset
- Rapid Spin
- Flip Turn
- Knock Off
- Gunk Shot
Recommended Teammates
Wall Moveset
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic
- Flip Turn
- Surf
Recommended Teammates
Hazard Setter Moveset
- Rapid Spin
- Hydro Pump
- Toxic Spikes
- Sludge Bomb
Recommended Teammates
Moves
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 Gunk Shot and Hydro Pump and coverage across 9 types.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Tentacool in Scarlet & Violet
Tentacool Guide
Tentacool evolves into Tentacruel at level 30. One evolution, no branching. Solid jump from 335 BST.
Tentacool evolves into Tentacruel at level 30. Takes some grinding. Plan your team around the mid-game wait.
In Scarlet & Violet, 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.
Tentacool is catchable in Scarlet & Violet. Check the Locations section above for specific routes, encounter rates, and methods. It also appears in 20 other games across the series.
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 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves