9. Tentacruel
Tentacruel is another Water type with a helpful secondary offering. Tentacruel's second type is Poison, meaning it is able to nullify a type that would usually be effective against Water types; Grass. Poison is doubly effective against a Grass type meaning that not only is Tentacruel able to hold its own against them, it is actually able to turn the tables and gain advantage. Tentacruel's Poison type moves also mean it is a fantastic Pokemon for causing lasting damage to a rival's team. Many Poison attacks can leave foes poisoned, meaning that they take consistent damage to their health after every turn in battle. The most effective of these moves, though, is one that is used by battlers all across the competitive circuit and also one that Tentacruel learns very early. 'Toxic Spikes' is a move that poisons your foe's Pokemon as soon as they enter the field of battle. Though these spikes can be removed from the field, very few battlers actually have a Pokemon with a move to do so and so Tentacruel's impact can be lasting and deadly. Tentacruel can have the ability 'Liquid Ooze', which means that any player attempting to use a HP stealing move will actually see their Pokemon's health damaged instead. Many trainers like to employ HP stealing moves in competitive battles due to their dual benefit, but Tentacruel's 'Liquid Ooze' offers an excellent counter to this. Tentacruel has an excellent Special Defence stat so it is able to withstand many distance attacks, making it a solid 'tank' Pokemon to have in your team. If employed early on, it can have a devastating impact even after being removed from battle.