Is Tentacool Good in Platinum Playthrough?
Surf encounters across every waterway in Sinnoh. The Zubat of the seas. AbilityLiquid Ooze punishes drain moves. Tentacruel at level 30 offers solid special bulk and useful Water/Poison coverage.
Tentacool resists most of Roark's coverage and hits back hard.
Tentacool trades roughly evenly with Gardenia's team.
Fantina's team hits Tentacool's weaknesses hard.
Tentacruel trades roughly evenly with Maylene's team.
Tentacruel trades roughly evenly with Crasher Wake's team.
Tentacruel trades roughly evenly with Byron's team.
Tentacruel trades roughly evenly with Candice's team.
Tentacruel trades roughly evenly with Volkner's team.
Tentacruel trades roughly evenly with 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 Jupiter'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 Saturn's team.
Tentacruel trades roughly evenly with Cynthia's team.
Catchable
Catch Tentacool in Valley Windworks (Surf, Lv 20-30, common).
Recommended Moves
- LV 33PoisonPoison JabPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Crasher Wake
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15From Cynthia's grandmother inside the ruins
- TM55WaterBrinePower 98Accuracy 100%PP 10Prize for defeating Crasher Wake
- LV 40WaterHydro PumpPower 180Accuracy 80%PP 5
- After Candice
- TM36PoisonSludge BombPower 135Accuracy 100%PP 10Item ball on B2F of the Team Galactic HQ in Veilstone City
- After Volkner
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15From Jasmine in Sunyshore 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 Maylene, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- After Fantina
- TM68NormalGiga ImpactPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Game Corner
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Department Store
- After Maylene
- TUTORWaterDivePower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10Route 212
- LV 36PoisonPoison JabPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Crasher Wake
- HM03WaterSurfPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15From Cynthia's grandmother inside the ruins
- After Candice
- TM36PoisonSludge BombPower 135Accuracy 100%PP 10Item ball on B2F of the Team Galactic HQ in Veilstone City
- LV 49WaterHydro PumpPower 180Accuracy 80%PP 5
- After Volkner
- HM07WaterWaterfallPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15From Jasmine in Sunyshore City
- Post-Game
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
How to Get Tentacool in Platinum
Pure surf territory. Fourteen encounters spread across fourteen separate water areas, common everywhere you paddle, levels 20 to 40. Tentacool floats in nearly every stretch of sea in Sinnoh.
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.14 locations to catch Tentacool
Encountered via Surfing
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Badge 8Where To Catch Tentacool in Pt
The line opens with Tentacool at Lv. 20-40 via surfing encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
- Step 1Tentacool ✓Canalave CityLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Fuego IronworksLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 60%Pastoria CityLv.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.30-40Surfing on waterRate 60%Sunyshore CityLv.30-40Surfing on waterRate 60%Iron Island - OutsideLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 30%Route 205 - SouthLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 30%Route 212 - SouthLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 30%Valley WindworksLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 30%
- Step 2Catch or Evolve into TentacruelRoute 223Lv.30-50Surfing on waterRate 60%Canalave CityLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 9%Fuego IronworksLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 9%Route 218Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 9%Route 219Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 9%Route 220Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 9%Route 221Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 9%Route 222Lv.30-50Surfing on waterRate 9%Sunyshore CityLv.30-50Surfing on waterRate 9%Pastoria CityLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Route 213Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Pokémon LeagueLv.30-50Surfing on waterRate 5%Iron Island - OutsideLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 1%Route 205 - SouthLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 1%Route 212 - SouthLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 1%Valley WindworksLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 1%Route 224Lv.35-55Surfing on waterRate 30%Route 226Lv.35-55Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 230Lv.35-55Surfing on waterRate 10%or evolve from Tentacool (Step 1)
Not landing the catch? Calculate Tentacool catch rates for Platinum by ball, status, and HP.
How to Get Shiny Tentacool in Platinum
Tentacool drifts through nearly every Sinnoh sea on Surf, so the cleaner shiny route is breeding one with a foreign Ditto. Compare Shiny Tentacool odds across every game
Platinum 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 Platinum 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 | |
 Gardevoir Psychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Gardevoir builds →Dream Eater 2x116-136%KO Thunderbolt 2x73-86% | ||
 Exeggutor GrassPsychic | C | |
 Torterra GrassGround | C | |
 Gastrodon WaterGround | C | |
Obtain MethodCanalave City Surfing | ||
 Quagsire WaterGround | C | |
Obtain MethodGreat Marsh Surfing | ||
 Jolteon Electric | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Hearthome City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Jolteon builds →Thunderbolt 2x98-116%KO Dig 2x78-93% | ||
 Gliscor Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Gliscor builds →Earthquake 2x193-228%KO Thunder Fang 2x84-100%KO | ||
 Sandslash Ground | B | |
 Hypno Psychic | C | |
 Kadabra Psychic | A | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Kadabra builds →Dream Eater 2x113-133%KO Shock Wave 2x45-55% | ||
 Grumpig Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Grumpig builds →Dream Eater 2x90-106%KO Shock Wave 2x36-43% | ||
 Manectric Electric | C | |
 Hippowdon Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Tentacool View Hippowdon builds →Earthquake 2x223-263%KO Thunder Fang 2x98-116%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.
Pt Tentacool Best Moveset
Water/Poison with 100 Sp. Def that most fully evolved Pokemon envy. The moveset can't contribute offensively at 40 Attack and 50 Sp. Atk, but the defensive typing handles some matchups. 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
Base Stats
Because its body is almost entirely composed of water, it shrivels up if it is washed ashore.
Tentacool Platinum Guide
Yes. Wild Tentacool in Platinum 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 Platinum, 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 · PlatinumPlatinum Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Platinum Tier List