Squirtle Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Rapid Spin is Squirtle's niche that enables it to clear away opposing entry hazards. Fake Out is important for free chip damage while Waterfall is the STAB move of choice. Ice Punch can be used to hit the majority of Grass-types in the tier, particularly Pumpkaboo, which blocks Rapid Spin. Ice Punch is very weak, however, so Squirtle can forgo it for additional priority in Aqua Jet, which lets Squirtle revenge kill and deal additional chip damage before fainting. Foresight allows Rapid Spin to hit Ghost-types. Set Details Torrent is the ability of choice, which boosts Squirtle's power when at low HP. The shown EV spread reaches even numbers, which are the optimal numbers to use with an Eviolite. The Speed EVs also allow Squirtle to outspeed many Ghost-types in the tier, especially Honedge and Pumpkaboo-XL, which would want to block Rapid Spin. Squirtle has great bulk and will often have to take a Knock Off to Rapid Spin, so Eviolite is preferred; however, Squirtle does lack recovery, so Berry Juice could potentially be useful. Usage Tips Squirtle has no recovery, so it's easily worn down. You can avoid this by only switching in when necessary. The most important times to switch Squirtle in are when you need to clear entry hazards or revenge kill with priority. Additionally, using Fake Out on a burned or poisoned target allows for more free damage. Team Options Anything that appreciates the removal of entry hazards loves having Squirtle as a teammate. Fire- and Flying-types such as Larvesta and Doduo also cover Squirtle's Grass-type weakness, while Squirtle can beat the Ground- or Rock-types that threaten them. Squirtle also works well with Toxic Spikes because you can rack up a lot of free damage after Fake Out and poison damage. If you're not using Toxic Spikes, Staryu will almost always be the better choice. Grass-types cover Squirtle's weaknesses to Grass and Electric. Cottonee is a particularly good teammate because it also dissuades sweepers that would want to set up on Squirtle.

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. 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. 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.

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. 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.

Double Priority is not uncommon in Little Cup, but there are few users who can do it well offensively while retaining decent bulk. The 0 HP IV allows Squirtle to sit at 19 HP, so Life Orb only takes one HP for each attack instead of two. Fake Out and Aqua Jet make this a suitable lead for breaking the Focus Sash of a multitude of Stealth Rockers, many of whom are weak to Water. This set is also good for hit-and-run tactics and revenge killing. As long as Squirtle is not KOed, it can threaten a priority one-two punch at any time during a match. Aqua Jet even gets boosted at low HP, a useful trait in a clutch situation. Return offers coverage resisted by none in Little Cup, while Zen Headbutt allows Squirtle to OHKO Croagunk, who otherwise poses a formidable threat, with Dry Skin and, often, priority attacks of its own. Ice Punch can put a large dent in Grass-types but be warned that the superior defenses of the pure Grass-types mean Ice Punch will not OHKO (Zen Headbutt does more damage to Grass/Poison Pokemon). A bulkier alternative exists with Oran Berry that allows you to come in more often. The EVs for that build are 244 HP / 212 Atk / 4 SpD / 12 Spe. Bronzor is one of the few Stealth Rock leads this Squirtle cannot handle, and so it pairs well with a Magnet Rise Magnemite. Protect Leads can stop Fake Out and then usually set up their rocks, although they take quite a bit of damage and can be finished off with Aqua Jet. Lead Turtwig in particular causes problems, with a threatening Seed Bomb in addition to thwarting Fake Out. Ice Punch also fails to KO. Ghost-types are immune to Fake Out and often carry Electric-type moves. Munchlax is a fitting partner to deal with these threats, as it can also weaken opponents with its notable staying power Lickitung is also capable of this and provides Wish support.