Mixed
Balanced
DTier
70Speed · Below Avg

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.

Base Stats
Avg
HP40
D
Attack40
D
Defense35
F
Sp. Atk50
D
Sp. Def100
B
Speed70
C
Total335
Details
Catch Rate
Easy190 / 255
Growth Rate
Slow1.25M XP
Height0.9 m
2'11"Small
Weight45.5 kg
100.3 lbsLight
Base XP67
Low Yield
Abilities
Clear Body
Prevents stats from being lowered by other Pokémon.
Liquid Ooze
Damages opponents using leeching moves for as much as they would heal.
Rain DishHANot in game
Heals for 1/16 max HP after each turn during rain.
EV Yield
HPAtkDefSpASpD+1Spe
Special Defense training source
Pokedex Entries

Its body is almost entirely composed of water. It ensnares its foe with its two long tentacles, then stabs with the poison stingers at their tips.

Emerald

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.

Tentacool Weakness and Resistance Chart
DamageTypes
2x (Weak)Electric, Ground, Psychic
0.5x (Resist)Fire, Water, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Bug, Steel
Type ChartGood
3Weak
7Resist
0Immune
Score+1
Gen III Type Chart
  • Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
  • Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
4xCritical
None
2xWeak
ElectricGroundPsychic
½xResist
FireWaterIceFightingPoisonBugSteel
¼xResist
None
0xImmune
None
STAB (4)
FireGroundRockGrass
How to Beat Tentacool in Emerald (Best Counters)
Magneton
Magneton
ElectricSteel
A
Available Moves
Moves
  • ThunderboltTM24
  • SparkLv. 26
  • Shock WaveTM34
  • Thunder ShockLv. 6
Damage vs Tentacool
Thunderbolt 2x
106-125%KO
Spark 2x
77-91%
Shock Wave 2x
71-84%
Thunder Shock 2x
48-57%
View Magneton builds →

Emerald Evolution

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

2 Forms
Tentacool
#072Tentacool
30
Level 30
Tentacruel
#073Tentacruel
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Tentacool
WaterPoison
Tentacruel
WaterPoison
HP
40
80+40
ATK
40
70+30
DEF
35
65+30
SP.ATK
50
80+30
SP.DEF
100
120+20
SPE
70
100+30
BST
335C-Tier
515B-Tier+180
ROLE
Balanced
Pivot
TYPE
Utility
Mixed

Breeding

Very Easy

Breed Tentacool easily with 19 breeding partners from the Water3 egg group. Pass egg moves like Aurora Beam, Confuse Ray, Haze and 3 more to offspring.

Egg Groups
Water3
Gender
♂50.0%♀50.0%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Egg Moves
6moves
Breed With (best first)
crawdauntcorsolacorphishomastarkabutopsomanytekabutotentacruelcloysterstarmiekinglerstaryu
12 of 19·

Emerald Tentacool Best Moveset

Best Build

No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 3.

Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.

Moves

Breeding opens up real options for Tentacool. Aurora Beam and Confuse Ray 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.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Poison Sting
—1510035Poison
Lv 6
Supersonic
——5520Normal
Lv 12
Constrict
—1010035Normal
Lv 19
Acid
—4010030Poison
Lv 25
Bubble Beam
—6510020Water
Lv 30
Wrap
D158520Normal
Lv 36
Barrier
D——30Psychic
Lv 43
Screech
D—8540Normal
Lv 49
Hydro Pump
C120805Water

TM Moves

TM
TM45
Attract
——10015Normal
TM14
Blizzard
D120705Ice
HM01
Cut
—509530Normal
HM08
Dive
—6010010Water
TM32
Double Team
———15Normal
TM42
Facade
D7010020Normal
TM21
Frustration
——10020Normal
TM19
Giga Drain
D751005Grass
TM07
Hail
———10Ice
TM10
Hidden Power
—6010015Normal
TM13
Ice Beam
D9510010Ice
TM17
Protect+4
C——10Normal
TM18
Rain Dance
C——5Water
TM44
Rest
C——10Psychic
TM27
Return
D—10020Normal
TM43
Secret Power
—7010020Normal
TM36
Sludge Bomb
C9010010Poison
HM03
Surf
C9510015Water
TM46
Thief
D6010025Dark
TM06
Toxic
C—8510Poison
TM03
Water Pulse
—6010020Water
HM07
Waterfall
D8010015Water

Egg Moves

Egg
Egg
Aurora Beam
—6510020Ice
Egg
Confuse Ray
D—10010Ghost
Egg
Haze
D——30Ice
Egg
Mirror Coat-5
——10020Psychic
Egg
Rapid Spin
D5010040Normal
Egg
Safeguard
D——25Normal

Tutor Moves

Tut
Tutor
Double-Edge
D12010015Normal
Tutor
Endure+4
D——10Normal
Tutor
Icy Wind
—559515Ice
Tutor
Mimic
———10Normal
Tutor
Sleep Talk
D——10Normal
Tutor
Snore
—4010015Normal
Tutor
Substitute
C——10Normal
Tutor
Swagger
——9015Normal
Tutor
Swords Dance
C——30Normal

Emerald Tentacool Locations

Tentacool's scattered across 109 spots in early-game fishing spots with high spawn rates. Check the list below for the closest location to wherever you are in the game. This one's quick.

Best Locations to Catch Tentacool in Emerald

Tentacool shows up in 109 fishing and surfing spots from Lv. 5-35. Plenty of options, and the list is sorted so the highest-rate locations at each progression stage come first.

Abandoned Ship - B1F
Surfing on water Lv.5-35
99%Early
Abandoned Ship - B2F
Surfing on water Lv.5-35
99%Early
Ever Grande City
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 City
60%Early
Lilycove City
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 City
60%Early
Mossdeep City
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 City
60%Early
Pacifidlog Town
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 City
60%Early
Route 103
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 105 - Outside
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 106
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 107
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 108
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 109
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 110
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 115
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 118
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 119
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 121
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 122
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 123
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 124
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 125
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 126
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 127
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 128
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 129
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 130
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 131
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 132
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 133
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Route 134
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Route
60%Early
Seafloor Cavern - Entrance
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Cave
60%Early
Seafloor Cavern - Room 6
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Cave
60%Early
Seafloor Cavern - Room 7
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Cave
60%Early
Shoal Cave - 1F Room 1, High Tide
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Cave
60%Early
Shoal Cave - 1F Room 2, High Tide
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 Cave
60%Early
Slateport City
Surfing on water Lv.5-35 City
60%Early
Abandoned Ship - B1F
Good Rod Lv.10-30
40%Early
Abandoned Ship - B2F
Good Rod Lv.10-30
40%Early
Abandoned Ship - B1F
Old Rod Lv.5-10
30%Early
Abandoned Ship - B2F
Old Rod Lv.5-10
30%Early
Dewford Town
Old Rod Lv.5-10 City
30%Early
Ever Grande City
Old Rod Lv.5-10 City
30%Early
Lilycove City
Old Rod Lv.5-10 City
30%Early
Mossdeep City
Old Rod Lv.5-10 City
30%Early
Pacifidlog Town
Old Rod Lv.5-10 City
30%Early
Route 103
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 105 - Outside
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 106
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 107
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 108
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 109
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 110
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 115
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 121
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 122
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 123
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 124
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 125
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 126
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 127
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 128
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 129
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 130
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 131
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 132
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 133
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Route 134
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Route
30%Early
Seafloor Cavern - Entrance
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Cave
30%Early
Seafloor Cavern - Room 6
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Cave
30%Early
Seafloor Cavern - Room 7
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Cave
30%Early
Shoal Cave - 1F Room 1, High Tide
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Cave
30%Early
Shoal Cave - 1F Room 2, High Tide
Old Rod Lv.5-10 Cave
30%Early
Slateport City
Old Rod Lv.5-10 City
30%Early
Sootopolis City
Old Rod Lv.5-10 City
30%Early
Dewford Town
Good Rod Lv.10-30 City
20%Early
Lilycove City
Good Rod Lv.10-30 City
20%Early
Mossdeep City
Good Rod Lv.10-30 City
20%Early
Pacifidlog Town
Good Rod Lv.10-30 City
20%Early
Route 103
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 105 - Outside
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 106
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 107
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 108
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 109
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 110
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 115
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 118
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 119
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 121
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 122
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 123
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 124
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 125
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 126
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 127
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 129
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 130
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 131
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 132
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 133
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Route 134
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Route
20%Early
Seafloor Cavern - Entrance
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Cave
20%Early
Seafloor Cavern - Room 6
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Cave
20%Early
Seafloor Cavern - Room 7
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Cave
20%Early
Shoal Cave - 1F Room 1, High Tide
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Cave
20%Early
Shoal Cave - 1F Room 2, High Tide
Good Rod Lv.10-30 Cave
20%Early
Slateport City
Good Rod Lv.10-30 City
20%Early
Abandoned Ship - B1F
Super Rod Lv.25-35
80%Mid
Abandoned Ship - B2F
Super Rod Lv.25-35
80%Mid

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 Emerald, 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 Emerald. 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

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