Is Tentacool Good in Diamond & Pearl Playthrough?
Surf encounters across Sinnoh's waterways. Tentacool is everywhere once you have Surf. AbilityLiquid Ooze punishes drain moves. Tentacruel at 30 is the goal. Decent special bulk for a mid-game Water pickup.
Tentacool resists most of Roark's coverage and hits back hard.
Tentacool trades roughly evenly with Gardenia's team.
Tentacool trades roughly evenly with Maylene's team.
Crasher Wake's team hits Tentacool's weaknesses hard.
Tentacruel trades roughly evenly with Fantina's team.
Tentacruel has the type edge here and should clean up Byron's team.
Tentacruel has the type edge here and should clean up Candice's team.
Tentacruel trades roughly evenly with Volkner's team.
Tentacruel has the type edge here and should clean up Aaron's team.
Tentacruel has the type edge here and should clean up Bertha's team.
Tentacruel has the type edge here and should clean up Flint's team.
Tentacruel trades roughly evenly with Lucian's team.
Tentacruel has the type edge here and should clean up Mars's team.
Tentacruel has the type edge here and should clean up Jupiter's team.
Tentacruel has the type edge here and should clean up Saturn's team.
Tentacruel trades roughly evenly with Cynthia's team.
Catchable
Catch Tentacool on Route 205 (Surf, Lv 20-30, common).
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 20)
- LV 20WaterBubble BeamPower 98Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Gardenia
- TM06PoisonToxicPower —Accuracy 85%PP 10Route 212
- After Crasher Wake
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Celestic Town
- TM55WaterBrinePower 98Accuracy 100%PP 10Prize for defeating Crasher Wake
- LV 33PoisonPoison JabPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 20
- LV 40WaterHydro PumpPower 180Accuracy 80%PP 5
- After Candice
- TM36PoisonSludge BombPower 135Accuracy 100%PP 10Galactic HQ B2F in Veilstone City
- After Volkner
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Sunyshore City
- Post-Game
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
Evolve Tentacool to Tentacruel
Tentacool evolves into Tentacruel at Level 30. Your Tentacool should hit Level 30 before you reach Fantina, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- After Gardenia
- TM68NormalGiga ImpactPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Game Corner
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Department Store
- After Crasher Wake
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Celestic Town
- TM55WaterBrinePower 98Accuracy 100%PP 10Prize for defeating Crasher Wake
- LV 36PoisonPoison JabPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Candice
- TM36PoisonSludge BombPower 135Accuracy 100%PP 10Galactic HQ B2F in Veilstone City
- LV 49WaterHydro PumpPower 180Accuracy 80%PP 5
- After Volkner
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Sunyshore City
- Post-Game
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
How to Get Tentacool in Diamond & Pearl
Tentacool blankets the sea. Surfing turns it up at 12 different coastal spots, common in every one, level 20 to 30. Anywhere you put a foot on the water, it is the first thing you bump into.
Wild Tentacool may be holding when caught:
Poison Barb (5% chance) An item to be held by a Pokemon. It is a small, poisonous barb that ups the power of Poison-type moves.12 locations to catch Tentacool
Encountered via Surfing
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Badge 7Where To Catch Tentacool in DP
Tentacool is where the line starts, caught through surfing encounters at Lv. 20-30. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
- Step 1Tentacool ✓Canalave CityLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Fuego IronworksLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Iron Island - OutsideLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Pastoria CityLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Route 205 - SouthLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Route 213Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Route 218Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Route 219Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Route 220Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Route 221Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Route 222Lv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Valley WindworksLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%
- Step 2Catch or Evolve into TentacruelCanalave CityLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Fuego IronworksLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Iron Island - OutsideLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Pastoria CityLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 205 - SouthLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 213Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 218Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 219Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 220Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 221Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 222Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Valley WindworksLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 223Lv.35-45Surfing on waterRate 60%Sunyshore CityLv.35-45Surfing on waterRate 60%Pokémon LeagueLv.35-45Surfing on waterRate 35%Route 224Lv.40-55Surfing on waterRate 35%Route 226Lv.40-55Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 230Lv.40-55Surfing on waterRate 5%or evolve from Tentacool (Step 1)
Not landing the catch? Calculate Tentacool catch rates for Diamond & Pearl by ball, status, and HP.
How to Get Shiny Tentacool in Diamond & Pearl
Tentacool mixes a foreign-language parent into the Day Care, so its Masuda eggs shine far more often than usual. Compare Shiny Tentacool odds across every game
Diamond & Pearl Shiny Tentacool Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Want exact numbers for your session? Calculate your shiny odds in Diamond & Pearl with Tentacool preloaded.
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
 Marowak Ground | C | |
 Exeggutor GrassPsychic | C | |
 Gastrodon WaterGround | C | |
 Gliscor Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Gliscor builds →Earthquake 2x201-238%KO Thunder Fang 2x88-104%KO | ||
 Sandslash Ground | B | |
 Quagsire WaterGround | C | |
Obtain MethodGreat Marsh Surfing | ||
 Kadabra Psychic | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Kadabra builds →Dream Eater 2x118-140%KO Shock Wave 2x48-58% | ||
 Manectric Electric | C | |
 Mr. Mime Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Mr. Mime builds →Dream Eater 2x104-123%KO Thunderbolt 2x64-77% | ||
 Electabuzz Electric | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Electabuzz builds →Thunderbolt 2x93-111%KO Psychic 2x60-71% | ||
 Hypno Psychic | C | |
 Donphan Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Donphan builds →Earthquake 2x244-288%KO Thunder Fang 2x107-126%KO | ||
 Luxray Electric | C | |
 Girafarig NormalPsychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Girafarig builds →Dream Eater 2x93-111%KO Thunderbolt 2x60-71% Earthquake 2x118-140%KO | ||
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 take an average time to hatch. Evolving adds up to 180 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Tentacool easily with 21 breeding partners from the Water 3 egg group. Pass egg moves like Acupressure, Aurora Beam, Confuse Ray and 5 more to offspring.
DP Tentacool Best Moveset
100 Sp. Def is remarkable for an unevolved Pokemon, but everything else sits at 35-70. The moveset has Water and Poison attacks without the offensive stats to back them. Evolve to Tentacruel.
Best Build
Tentacool best EVs are HP and Speed
Bulky Support Moveset
- Rapid Spin
- Toxic
- Knock Off
- Ice Beam
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Breeding opens up real options for Tentacool. Acupressure and Aurora Beam come exclusively from egg moves, and they're worth the effort. The rest of the kit covers basics through Hydro Pump and Sludge Bomb and Normal and Ice 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
30 of 31 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Base Stats
Its body is virtually composed of water. It shoots strange beams from its crystal-like eyes.
It drifts in sea currents. Countless fishermen are hurt by its poison stingers.
Tentacool Diamond & Pearl Guide
Yes. Wild Tentacool in Diamond & Pearl can hold Poison Barb (5%). Use Thief (TM46) or Covet to swipe the held item without affecting your catch chance. Quickest way to farm rare items like Poison Barb.
In Diamond & Pearl, 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 9 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 7Let's Go
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
Explore
Where to go next after Tentacool.
Keep playing · Diamond & PearlDiamond & Pearl Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Diamond & Pearl Tier List