Whiscash Weakness: Complete Guide to Countering This Water/Ground Pokémon

The numbers here come from Bulbapedia and Pokémon Database. Where a rule needs proof, we link the source.

Whiscash Weakness at a Glance

• Weak to: Grass (4×)
• Immune to: Electric (0×)
• Resists (½×): Fire, Poison, Rock, Steel
• Evolves from: Barboach at level 30
• Best counter: a strong Grass-type attacker

Why Whiscash Is Weak to Grass

Whiscash mixes Water and Ground. Both types fear Grass, so the damage doubles twice. That's your 4×.

Bulbapedia's type chart page confirms that dual-type multipliers multiply together.

Whiscash Weakness and Strength

The weakness is easy to spot. The strengths take a bit more digging.

Strengths

• Base HP of 110 lets it soak up plenty of neutral hits.
• It resists Fire, Poison, Rock and Steel, and ignores Electric.
• Earthquake (level 40) and Muddy Water (level 33) both get STAB in Scarlet and Violet.
• It learns Dragon Dance through TM100 in Scarlet and Violet.
• Ground moves hit Electric, Fire, Poison, Rock and Steel for 2×. Those are the same types Whiscash shrugs off.

Weaknesses

• Grass moves deal 4× damage.
• Its base Speed of 60 means many opponents move first.
• A base stat total of 468 sits in the middle of the pack.

Abilities

Can an ability fix the Grass problem? Sadly, no.

• Oblivious: blocks infatuation, Captivate and Taunt.
• Anticipation: Whiscash shudders when a foe carries a super-effective move. It senses your Grass attack and still can't dodge it.
• Hydration (hidden): cures status conditions each turn in rain.

Sources: Bulbapedia (Whiscash), Pokémon Database, Bulbapedia (Ground type), Marriland (abilities).

Whiscash Resistance

Resistances make Whiscash tougher than its stats suggest. Each one comes from a single half of its typing.

Whiscash Weakness Electric: It's a Myth

Electric moves do zero damage to Whiscash. Ground typing blocks them completely.

• The exception: a Whiscash holding Ring Target takes 2× from Electric, according to Bulbapedia.
• The joke: it can still learn Spark as an egg move in Scarlet and Violet. Immune to it, yet armed with it.

Whiscash Weakness Other Than Grass

Grass is the only weakness on the standard chart. Three tricks still bend the rules.

• Freeze-Dry: This Ice move always hits Water types super effectively. Ground is weak to Ice too, so the multipliers stack to 4×. See Bulbapedia's Freeze-Dry entry.
• Soak: This move turns its target into a pure Water type. Whiscash then loses its Ground typing and takes 2× from Electric and Grass. Bulbapedia has the details.
• Terastallization: A Tera Pokémon swaps its defensive typing for its Tera Type (official guide). A Tera Grass Whiscash loses the Grass weakness. It gains five new ones: Bug, Fire, Flying, Ice and Poison.

Whiscash Weakness by Game

The type chart stays the same across these games. Availability, abilities and mechanics change.

Whiscash Weakness Platinum

• Same 4× Grass weakness and Electric immunity.
• Abilities: Oblivious or Anticipation. Hidden Abilities arrived later, so Hydration isn't available (RankedBoost).
• Bulbapedia lists Whiscash on several Sinnoh routes, including Route 228, and in the Great Marsh.

Whiscash Weakness Brilliant Diamond

• Same chart again: Grass hits for 4×, Electric does nothing.
• You can find it on Routes 205 and 208, among others.
• The Grand Underground also holds it, including Swampy Cave.

Whiscash Weakness Violet

• Same chart, plus Terastallization. Check the Tera Type before you pick your team.
• Whiscash sits at #169 in the Paldea Pokédex and appears in 4★ Tera Raids.
• It learns Ice Beam and Blizzard by TM, which helps it hit Grass-type challengers.
• In Violet's Pokédex entry, people take a leaping Whiscash as a sign of an earthquake.

Locations, Pokédex numbers and raid data: Bulbapedia. Learnsets: Pokémon Database.

Whiscash Evolution

Whiscash evolution is simple. It is the final stage, and it evolves from Barboach at level 30.

• Whiscash learns Thrash when it evolves in Scarlet and Violet.
• In FireRed and LeafGreen, Bulbapedia lists trade as the only way to get one.

Whiscash Moves to Watch in Scarlet and Violet

Knowing its best attacks helps you plan your switch-ins.

Data: Pokémon Database.

Whiscash FAQ

What's super effective to Whiscash?

Grass-type moves are super effective and deal 4× damage. Giga Drain and Energy Ball both do the job.

• Freeze-Dry also deals 4×, as covered above.
• Electric moves do nothing without Ring Target.

How to defeat Whiscash?

1. Lead with a Grass-type attacker. One clean hit often settles it.
2. Skip Fire, Poison, Rock and Steel. Each deals only ½×.
3. Skip Electric unless Ring Target is in play.
4. Move first when you can, since Whiscash has a base Speed of 60.
5. Expect Ice Beam or Blizzard from Whiscash. Grass Pokémon are weak to Ice, and they resist its Water and Ground STAB.
6. Check the Tera Type in Violet before you commit.

Grass resistances: Beebom. Grass weaknesses: Bulbapedia.

Which is better, Gastrodon or Whiscash?

Gastrodon wins for most players. Both share the Water/Ground typing and the same lone Grass weakness.

• Gastrodon wins on bulk and utility: stronger special stats, Recover, and Storm Drain, which soaks up Water moves.
• Whiscash wins on tempo: 60 Speed against 39, plus Dragon Dance access.
• More detail: Smogon's Gastrodon write-up and Pokémon Database.

Is Whiscash a good Pokémon to use?

In a story run, yes. It's bulky, resists five types, and has one weakness. In competitive play, it struggles.

• Pros: big HP, Earthquake and Muddy Water STAB, a single weakness.
• Cons: low Speed and modest attacks. Smogon's Sword and Shield analysis calls it a poor mixed attacker for those reasons (Smogon).
• Verdict: RankedBoost rates it the weakest Water/Ground Pokémon in Generation IX (RankedBoost). Harsh, but you'll still enjoy the catfish.

Final Thoughts

Whiscash's weakness list is short, so your game plan can be too.

• Bring a strong Grass-type attacker.
• Skip Electric moves.
• Check the Tera Type in Violet.

Do that, and this swamp boss becomes lunch.

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Sources

• Bulbapedia: Whiscash (Pokémon)
• Pokémon Database: Whiscash
• Pokémon Database: Gastrodon
• Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: The Terastal Phenomenon
• Smogon: Gastrodon
• Smogon: Whiscash (Sword and Shield)
• Bulbapedia: Freeze-Dry
• Bulbapedia: Soak
• Bulbapedia: Ground type
• Bulbapedia: Grass type
• Bulbapedia: Type
• Marriland: Whiscash Pokédex
• RankedBoost: Whiscash
• Beebom: Grass Pokémon strengths and weaknesses