Water as an element represents so much. For every calm and serene lake, there is a terrifying tempest raging over the ocean. Water is all around us, and Pokemon represents that perfectly with its different monsters and its trainers.
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Water-type Pokemon are the most common in the series, so it makes sense that it'd be the same with the trainers. There are eleven different trainers in total and they are some of the most difficult to face in their individual games. So, let's take a look at every main Water-type trainer to see which will come crashing down on you, and which will be sucked away with the tide!
Updated December 6, 2022, by Jeremy Hanna: The world of Pokemon changes like the tide, with new creatures and trainers coming in and out as time goes on. Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are no different, and while most people will be drawn in by the new Pokemon and adapted forms of beloved favorites, powerful new trainers have emerged flaunting individual types the way a Klefki shows off its keys.
The newest Water-type specialist from the Paldea region is the Gym Leader Kofu, who seeks to make an impression on players by way of his absurd facial hair as well as forcing them to do a fetch quest. Let's see how he ranks amongst the other Water masters!
11 Cress
Cress is the first gym leader in Pokemon Black and White, along with his brothers Chili and Cilan. Their main gimmick is that they'll use the elemental monkey that has a type advantage against your starter. However, this can easily be worked around by catching the elemental monkey that does the same, in the Dreamyard near the Gym.
Cress is probably the weakest of the three. Cilan's Pansage has a bit more power with Vine Whip, and Chili's Pansear has a bit more strategy since it uses Incinerate to get rid of any held berries. Meanwhile, Cress' Panpour has Water Gun, which is weaker than Vine Whip but has no additional benefits. At least it's not Bubble.
10 Siebold
It feels strange putting an Elite Four member so low on this list, especially since there are some trainers who are technically weaker, but Siebold is incredibly underwhelming. A trained chef, Siebold believes that Pokemon battles are an art form. This is odd because his team is incredibly straightforward.
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Siebold has four Pokemon that can hit hard, but that's about it. Starmie and Gyarados can always be dangerous, and his Clawitzer takes advantage of its Mega Launcher ability. However, his Barbaracle leaves a lot to be desired. All of them can easily be destroyed with Electric attacks, which you should definitely have by this point in the game. Siebold might be a master chef, but his battling style is bland and simple.
9 Kofu
The second chef on our list, Kofu is a friendly and forgetful man who handily wins the award for most ridiculous facial hair in all of Pokemon. Seriously, is it supposed to look like sea foam? Because it looks more like smog encircling his face.
When it comes to his battling he's... fine. His Gym team is all about physical attack, with his ace being a Crabominable that terastallizes into a Water-type. This means its powerful Crabhammer also gets a STAB boost. And even though his rematch team gains two Special Attackers, the whole team faces a massive weakness to Electric-type attacks. So, while Kofu isn't terrible, battling him still leaves a lot to be desired.
8 Lana
Lana is a trial master from the Alola region who is always calm and kind. She takes care of her younger siblings, and hates to see any Pokemon treated cruelly. Although she can seem shy, her disposition hides a trainer who is surprisingly difficult to battle.
Even though she only has three Pokemon, each of them can perfectly counter the two main weaknesses of Water-type Pokemon: Electric and Grass. Her Chinchou (or Lanturn) has Volt Absorb, Shellder (or Cloyster) hits Grass-types with Ice moves, and her ace Araquanid can destroy Grass-types and has great bulk. Her team can be a real hassle if you aren't ready for it.
7 Juan
Juan is one of the few gym leaders who only appear in a single game, replacing Wallace as the Sootopolis Gym Leader in Emerald after he left to be the champion of the Hoenn region. While this may make him seem forgettable compared to other characters, his team is frustrating enough to stick around in everyone's memories.
Juan's main gimmick is to use status moves like Attract, Water Pulse, and Encore. While this is just slightly irritating at first, it gets worse — his Kingdra uses a combination of Double Team and Rest to last forever. This gets even worse with subsequent rematches, when his team mostly runs Double Team and one-hit KO moves. The major flaw of this strategy is that it all depends on luck. If Juan had stronger Pokemon, he'd easily be higher on this list.
6 Nessa
Nessa is one of the more interesting characters introduced in Sword and Shield. A popular model in the Galar region, she is also a renowned gym leader. However, she has difficulty trying to find the balance between the two, and is often unsure of herself because of it. Who can't relate to that?
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Nessa's split focus is represented within her team, which utilizes a good amount of strategy but isn't cohesive. Many of her Pokemon have the Swift Swim ability, making them faster in Rain, but her Drednaw has Shell Armor in rematches instead. Despite this, her team can still be tough, especially since it has lots of options to handle Electric and Grass-types in the Champion tournament.
5 Archie
One of the main villains of the Hoenn games, Archie leads Team Aqua in their quest to summon Kyogre and flood the world with water, so that creatures may live better. This is clearly misguided, and it goes wrong, but such is the way of the sea. Things could be perfectly peaceful, and then a storm can come and ruin your day. That sense of chaos can also be seen in Archie's team.
While it contains the usual evil team Pokemon, like Muk, Crobat, and Mightyena, it is rounded out with the speedy attacker Sharpedo. In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, he joins Team Rainbow Rocket with an additional Kyogre. This is one of the strongest legendary Pokemon ever, and it has a perfectly balanced moveset. Archie's plan to flood the world may seem ludicrous, but he's able to eventually back it up with a team that is surprisingly effective.
4 Crasher Wake
Crasher Wake has many facets. A gym leader, professional wrestler, and singer, Crasher Wake believes firmly in choosing the moves and Pokemon that are the most fun for him. Clearly, he thinks that having fun is winning, because his teams are great!
Normally boasting a combo of Gyarados, Quagsire, and Floatzel, Crasher Wake covers his type disadvantages while also hitting hard. His team's true power comes in rematches, where he takes advantage of Rain and sports a ton of type coverage. The highlight of this is his rematch team in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, where every single Pokemon can hit fast and hard. Despite his bombastic and jovial nature, Crasher Wake is clearly a trainer who knows what he's doing.
3 Wallace
Wallace is one of the rare monotype trainers who has achieved the title of Champion. A showman who is just as good in Pokemon battles as he is in Pokemon Contests, Wallace's team features lots of great coverage and some truly powerful Pokemon.
While he is able to utilize powerful Water-types like Gyarados, Ludicolo, and Tentacruel, his highlight is his ace Milotic. It has incredibly high Special Attack and Special Defense, along with the ability Marvel Scale — which will double its Defense if it is statused. Along with Recover, it means that Milotic will stick around for ages while taking you down with moves like Surf, Ice Beam, and Hydro Pump. He's strong, but this team is a bit easier to plan for, and his Gym team leaves a bit to be desired.
2 Marlon
Surprisingly, Marlon is the only trainer on this list who is a pure swimmer. Add this to his relaxed and carefree personality and you have the perfect beach bro! But don't let that "Whatever, dude" attitude fool you. Marlon is easily one of the toughest trainers out there.
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Marlon's team boasts a bevy of bulky Pokemon that can slowly whittle down opponents while keeping themselves alive. Each of his Pokemon knows Scald, a Water-type move that deals good damage and can also burn the target, as well as the likes of Confuse Ray, Recover, and Water Veil paired with Rain Dance. While most Water-type trainers are all about defeating opponents as quickly as possible, Marlon is smart enough to wait for his victory.
