Poliwrath

Poliwrath is a well-rounded Pokemon that offers unique advantages over Slowking as a bulky Water-type in DPP NU. Its secondary Fighting typing gives it resistances to Rock- and Dark-type moves from Regirock, Skuntank, and Sharpedo, which is a notable trait over Slowking, as these Pokemon are some of the best progress-makers in the tier. Poliwrath's defensive profile is backed up with a solid base 70 Speed that lets it outpace a majority of defensive Pokemon, allowing it to effectively use Encore to disrupt defensive teams and capitalizing on its entry with Substitute. Poliwrath's good abilities also back up its defensive presence, letting it pivot around Water-types with Water Absorb or being immune to Explosion and Aftermath from Regirock and Skuntank with Damp.

Despite this, Slowking remains as the premier Water-type by virtue of having a much better defensive profile versus the metagame at large, bolstered by instant recovery in Slack Off to check metagame staples such as Charizard, Medicham, and Gardevoir, whereas Poliwrath is a more specific pick against certain offensive threats. On top of Slowking's omnipresence in the tier, it is also one of Poliwrath's best checks, being one of the only Pokemon alongside Vileplume to resist Poliwrath's STAB combination. While Poliwrath has good all-around base stats, it can be underwhelming in power and Speed compared to other offensive Water- and Fighting-types like Floatzel, Sharpedo, Hitmonchan, and Medicham.