|
-
Torrent
- Boosts power of Water-type moves by 50% when at 1/3 HP or less.
-
Rain Dish
- Heals 1/16 maximum HP in rain.
|
Level 5 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
44
|
- |
20 |
24 |
- |
| Atk |
48
|
9 |
11 |
14 |
15 |
| Def |
65
|
11 |
13 |
16 |
17 |
| SpA |
50
|
9 |
11 |
14 |
15 |
| SpD |
64
|
10 |
12 |
16 |
17 |
| Spe |
43
|
9 |
10 |
14 |
15 |
Overview
Squirtle comes into the fifth generation as a Pokemon that has been mostly left behind, being overshadowed by the many other Water-types in Little Cup. However, not all is bad for Squirtle, as it does have a few niches to fill. It is one of two Pokemon in the tier that has access to Fake Out and Aqua Jet, making it a good priority user. The only other Pokemon that has access to these two moves, Seel, has a much smaller movepool to work with, meaning Squirtle does this a bit better. Squirtle also learns Rapid Spin, and can take hits on both sides, unlike other Water-types who learn Rapid Spin, such as Tentacool and Shellder. Lastly, Squirtle is one of only a few Pokemon to learn Water Spout, and unlike Frillish, it is not weak to Pursuit. As long as you take advantage of what it has over other Water-types, Squirtle can be a useful member of a Little Cup team.
Squirtle reaches a respectable 15 Attack, which is enough to make use of its priority on less bulky Pokemon trying to sweep. Fake Out is free damage when Squirtle comes in after a KO, making it a great asset. Aqua Jet isn't free, but is a priority move that gets STAB and can be used at any time, so it is a staple of this set as well. If a more powerful move is needed, or if the opposing Pokemon is slower than Squirtle's 13 Speed, Waterfall is a more powerful STAB move to use. In the last slot, Brick Break is usually desired for a super effective hit on Ferroseed, which has a resistance to Water-type moves. Ice Punch, however, hits other Grass- and Dragon-types, though these are much less common than the targets Brick Break hits, making it a lesser option.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
An IV of 0 is best for the HP stat, as Squirtle can get down to 19 HP, therefore taking the minimum amount of damage from Life Orb. Due to the lowered HP, Squirtle invests in Speed instead of defenses, which can help against slower Pokemon trying to set up. This allows it to use the more powerful Waterfall against more opponents, which makes a difference in some situations.
Despite the priority, multiple Pokemon can still sweep through Squirtle. Chinchou, Clamperl, and Shellder can all survive Fake Out quite easily and resist Aqua Jet, meaning they can keep going despite Squirtle getting some free damage. Ferroseed can be a good teammate for Squirtle, as it is able to stop these Pokemon if they lack Hidden Power Fire. If Clamperl and Shellder decide against using Hidden Power Grass, a Chinchou of your own can stop them as well. Munchlax is a more reliable stop to Chinchou, as it can easily tank its special moves with high HP and Special Defense. Dragon Dance Dratini can also go through this set for similar reasons, and the aforementioned Ferroseed can switch in on Outrage and handle it. Snover is another Pokemon that wins if Squirtle lacks Brick Break, as it can use a multitude of Grass-type moves to overwhelm the turtle. Timburr with Mach Punch is a good teammate for Squirtle, as it can deal massive damage to Snover.
Squirtle reaches 24 HP, 24 Defense, and 21 Special Defense while holding an Eviolite, meaning it can run an effective support set in conjunction with its movepool. Surf lets Squirtle do decent damage with its high Base Power, and is used over Scald since Scald's burn chance would clash with Toxic and Yawn's effects, making the burns undesirable. Rapid Spin is one of Squirtle's best assets, as certain Pokemon work much more effectively without entry hazards. In the third slot, Toxic is the more desired option to hit other Water-types, which are common switch-ins to Squirtle. Another option is Yawn, which can work as a phazing or sleep-inducing move, depending on the opponent's reaction to it. In the last slot, Hidden Power Fire is used to get a super effective hit on Ferroseed, which easily handles every move on the moveset other than a possible Yawn.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Due to the support that Rapid Spin provides, Squirtle pairs well with Pokemon that are weak to Stealth Rock. Houndour is one common example, as it survives much more easily without entry hazards taking their toll on its HP. Cyndaquil and Archen are used less often, but require being at high HP to be effective, meaning that they can benefit greatly from Squirtle's presence. Ghost-types can block Rapid Spin, meaning having a Pursuit user to KO them is a great help. Stunky is a good example of a Pursuit user, and it deals very well with the most common Ghost-type, Gastly. Dratini can set up easily on this set thanks to Shed Skin and Dragon Dance, meaning Ferroseed makes a good teammate for Squirtle as well.
Squirtle just barely reaches 21 Speed with a Choice Scarf, meaning it outspeeds all unboosted Pokemon not carrying a Choice Scarf of their own. In many situations this means it can use Water Spout before being attacked, resulting in an incredibly powerful hit. Hydro Pump becomes the better option when at 16 HP or lower due to Water Spout getting weakened, making it an important second move. Later on, Torrent can kick in, making Hydro Pump even more powerful than Water Spout is at full health, though being at high HP for reliability is better. Ice Beam hits Pokemon such as Cottonee and Dratini, making it a useful third option. There are two options for the last slot, both for hitting Pokemon that can take the first three moves. Hidden Power Grass is preferred for hitting the many Water-types in the tier, but Hidden Power Fire is viable to hit Ferroseed and Croagunk—which takes double damage from Fire due to Dry Skin—super effectively.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Rapid Spin support is extremely important for this set, as Squirtle works best when at full HP. Tentacool and Baltoy are examples of Rapid Spin users that pair well with Squirtle. Natu is another choice which can use Magic Bounce to help keep hazards off the field. Frillish can come in on Water Spout or Hydro Pump thanks to Water Absorb, making it a major issue to deal with. Chinchou shares a Grass-type weakness with Squirtle, but checks Frillish nicely, making it a useful option. Houndour can help with Grass-types as well, especially the common Ferroseed. Magnemite can trap Ferroseed and OHKO it with Hidden Power Fire.
Other Options
Squirtle has a few other options to consider. Scald is an alternative STAB move and has a useful burn chance if not being used alongside another status move. Bite is a physical option, but it would only KO weakened Frillish switching in to absorb Squirtle's Water-type attacks. Zen Headbutt is an OHKO on Croagunk and hits Fighting-types harder than any other physical move that Squirtle has, making it a viable option as well.
Squirtle has quite a few support options to consider as well. RestTalk limits Squirtle's move options but is the only option for reliable healing, making it usable. Counter and Mirror Coat could get a surprise KO, but Squirtle can't easily heal off the damage taken by doing so. Haze could work to get rid of stat changes, which could be used to stop something such as Dratini from trying to set up on the support set. Lastly, Squirtle can set up Rain Dance, and works well alongside a teammate such as Omanyte which can take advantage of the rain.
Checks and Counters
Ferroseed easily takes on any Squirtle set lacking Hidden Power Fire or Brick Break, being able to either hit hard with Bullet Seed or just set up entry hazards. Iron Barbs means that Squirtle takes damage when trying to Rapid Spin the hazards away as well, making them useful. Chinchou only fears Hidden Power Grass, setting up an Agility easily and having the possibility to sweep Squirtle's team. Croagunk can take everything but the rare Zen Headbutt thanks to Dry Skin, and can set up as well with an immunity to Toxic. Frillish can burn the priority set easily, while it can come into a predicted Water Spout or Hydro Pump on the Choice Scarf set to heal itself. Clamperl and Shellder have Shell Smash, and can easily set one up if not faced with Hidden Power Grass, allowing them to begin a sweep. Snover beats sets without Brick Break or Hidden Power Fire easily.
Unreleased
Squirtle gets Rain Dish as a Dream World ability, which seems nice in theory on a Rain Dance set. Sadly, it is illegal in Little Cup, due to the only released Squirtle from the Dream World being level 10 and male.
