There are certainly a lot of options, but our goal with this list is to rank the best-of-the-best when it comes to adding a little H2O onto your team. And while choosing these Pokémon I considered a handful of factors, most notably each Pokémon’s strength, usability, and accessibility in HG/SS.
5. Vaporeon
Vaporeon is probably the most adorable evolution of Eevee, but don’t let its cuteness fool you. This thing can take Thunderbolts from the best of the best – and it can dish out Hydro Pumps that really do pack a punch. Vaporeon was my favorite Eevee-loution as a kid. And that still hasn’t changed to this day. And you can get Water Stones fairly early (some before Kanto) so you aren’t stuck just grinding up an Eevee the whole time. How to get: Receive Eevee from Bill in Goldenrod City and evolve it with a Water Stone.
4. Feraligatr
Starter Pokémon naturally have good base stat totals compared to other non-Legendary Pokémon. And Feraligatr is no different. The only massive downfall of Feraligatr is when you look at its stat allocation. Having a high Attack stat and lower Special Attack stat is usually fine, but it can be a bit awkward for Water-type. The best physical Water-type move of Generation IV was Waterfall, and that can’t be obtained until relatively late in the game. And let’s be honest: in battle, it’s not actually that good a move! Still, if you’ve ever played HG/SS (or any of the gen 2 games) then you know Feraligatr is a beast. How to get: Choose Totodile at the beginning of the game.
3. Kingdra
There’s a good reason the 8th Gym Leader of the Johto Region (Claire) chose Kingdra as her ace. It’s fast, hits hard, and has one of the best typings in the game with the combination of Water and Dragon. I always wished it wasn’t a trade evolution, since that makes it a hassle to get into your party. But if you’re lucky enough to find someone willing to trade & trade back, Kingdra is absolutely a Pokémon you should consider adding to your team. How to get: Catch a Horsea (earliest location is Whirl Islands) and then evolve into Seadra at level 32. Then trade Seadra with it holding a Dragon Scale.
2. Lapras
If you didn’t have access to the Internet or a guidebook as a kid, you likely didn’t ever find a Lapras while going through the Johto Region. Which is funny because it’s actually fairly easy to get! Since Generation I, Lapras has been one of the most popular Pokémon in the entire Pokédex. It looks brilliant, it’s powerful in both bulk and damage output, and it was the mascot of surfing Pokémon in the overworld. If you ran into this elusive Pokémon, you better catch it and add it to your team immediately. How to get: Find it by surfing in the basement of Union Cave on any Friday.
1. Gyarados
If we’re talking about fishing early in your game, Magikarp is probably the easiest Pokémon to obtain. Whether that’s broken or not is for you to decide. Because Gyarados has been one of, if not the most consistently reliable Pokémon since the early days of the franchise back in the Gen 1 titles. It’s a Water/Flying-type that can also learn Dragon-type moves, and it’s obtainable very early on in the game – meaning your Gyarados can carry you through the tough early-game Gyms and beyond. Gyarados also benefited massively from the Physical/Special split of Generation IV, which is why it jumps to the top of this ranking. How to get: Obtain the Old Rod under Violet City (on Route 32) and catch a Magikarp from almost any body of water. It evolves into Gyarados at level 20.
