Overview
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Blastoise, having gained a Mega Evolution, is arguably the best bulky spinner for offensive teams. Blastoise sports great bulk backed by a good mono-Water typing, and it has great Special Attack after it Mega Evolves. It also gets great coverage in Aura Sphere, Dark Pulse, and Ice Beam alongside its Water STAB moves. Being able to hit Ghost-types that block its Rapid Spin with Dark Pulse is a huge advantage for a spinner. Blastoise does, however, use a Mega slot. Blastoise also lacks reliable recovery, meaning it can be easily worn down with repeated hits. Even so, if your team needs a reliable spinner, Blastoise is the way to go.
Rapid Spin
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name: Rapid Spin
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Scald / Water Pulse / Hydro Pump
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Aura Sphere / Ice Beam
ability: Rain Dish
item: Blastoisenite
evs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
nature: Modest
Moves
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The choice between Scald, Water Pulse, and Hydro Pump as a Water STAB move is mainly down to personal preference. Scald allows Blastoise to punish physical attackers that try to switch into it with a potential burn. With a boost from Mega Launcher, Water Pulse is a 90 Base Power move with a nifty 20% chance of confusing the opponent. Hydro Pump is another option as it hits harder than both Scald and Water Pulse, but is less reliable due to its lower accuracy. Dark Pulse is mandatory, as it removes unwanted Ghost-types, such as Jellicent and Trevenant, that block Rapid Spin. The last moveslot is dedicated to specific threats and should be chosen based on your team's specific troubles. Aura Sphere, which is boosted by Mega Launcher, hits Tyranitar and Ferrothorn harder than any other move. Another option is Ice Beam, which hits Dragon-types such as Dragonite while still being able to hit Grass-types, such as Tangrowth and Breloom, hard.
Set Details
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The given EV spread is standard for a tank, allowing Blastoise to take a few hits while still hitting hard. For normal Blastoise, Rain Dish is the preferred ability, as Blastoise should Mega Evolve as soon as possible, making the boost from Torrent largely useless. Rain Dish also provides Blastoise with some recovery under the odd Drizzle. An alternative EV spread is 188 HP / 252 SpA / 68 Spe, which allows Blastoise to outspeed defensive Rotom-W. This EV spread does detract from Blastoise's good bulk, however.
Usage Tips
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Blastoise should be used on offensive teams that need a sturdy tank. Teams with Pokemon that are weak to entry hazards and rely on entry hazards themselves really appreciate Blastoise as a spinner. Blastoise should Mega Evolve as soon as possible to take advantage of the power of Mega Launcher. It shouldn't be played recklessly however, as it lacks recovery and can easily be worn down with entry hazards and repeated hits.
Team Options
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Teammates that can handle annoying Electric- and Grass-types are appreciated. Dragon-types such as Latios have nice synergy with Blastoise, as they resist both Electric- and Grass-type moves. In return, Blastoise can tank Ice Beams and remove Stealth Rock for them. Grass-types such as Venusaur can easily take multiple hits from the annoying Rotom-W, other Electric-types, and Grass-types. Tornadus-T is a valuable partner as it can beat Mega Venusaur. It can also beat Toxicroak with a Flying-type move, while Blastoise can remove Stealth Rock for Tornadus-T in return. Another excellent partner is Talonflame. Talonflame resists the Grass-type moves that Blastoise hates and can easily dispose of Mega Venusaur. In return, Blastoise can switch into Heatran, a common switch-in for Talonflame, as well as removing Stealth Rock. Ground-types such as Gastrodon do a pretty good job against Electric-types due to their immunity.
Other Options
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Roar and Dragon Tail are cool options for phazing, but Blastoise already struggles with four-moveslot syndrome. Dragon Pulse can be used as it is boosted by Mega Launcher. It has great neutral coverage and hits Dragon-types for super effective damage, but Ice Beam does the same while also hitting Grass-types. Foresight is an option to guarantee a successful Rapid Spin, but Mega Blastoise can already beat most spinblockers. RestTalk can also be used if you desperately need Blastoise to stay healthy for most of the match.
Checks & Counters
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**Grass-types**: Mega Venusaur is probably the best counter out there as it can take multiple assaults from Blastoise, does not fear Ice Beam thanks to Thick Fat, and can retaliate with a Grass STAB move. Other Grass-types such as Tangrowth and Breloom can also threaten Blastoise with a Grass STAB move. They must be wary of Ice Beam, however. If Blastoise lacks Aura Sphere, Ferrothorn becomes a menace, as it can either damage Blastoise with Power Whip or even proceed to set up entry hazards.
**Electric-types**: The likes of Rotom-W and Thundurus can easily come in and threaten Blastoise with an Electric STAB, though the latter does face the risk of getting hit by Ice Beam on the switch. Other Electric-types, such as Galvantula and Mega Manectric, can force Blastoise out and gain momentum with Volt Switch.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Pokemon such as Chansey and Florges can easily tank multiple hits due to their massive special bulk and proceed to either status Blastoise or attack it with Seismic Toss and Moonblast, respectively. As Blastoise lacks reliable recovery, they can easily wear it down with repeated hits.
**Dragon-types**: If Blastoise lacks Ice Beam, Dragon-types such as Goodra and Dragonite can tank any hit and proceed to retaliate. The latter can also use Blastoise as setup bait. Kyurem-B can also threaten Blastoise with Fusion Bolt, but it does face the risk of switching into Aura Sphere.
**Water Immunities**: Pokemon such as Gastrodon and Toxicroak are immune to Blastoise's Water STAB due to their respective abilities. The former can either cripple Blastoise with Toxic or use Earth Power. The latter can set up with Swords Dance and proceed to do some serious damage to the team.
**Water-types**: Other Water-types, such as Manaphy, can easily set up on Blastoise as they resist its Water STAB. In Manaphy's case, it can also hit Blastoise with Energy Ball. Other Water-types, such as Keldeo, can also easily switch in and attack. Another example is Gyarados, as it can set up a couple of Dragon Dances and sweep.
