Although some of the newer Pokemon games such as Sword & Shield got rid of the Elite Four and the Pokemon League, earlier Pokemon titles had players face off against the region's four toughest Trainers to earn the right to face the reigning Pokemon Champion. What's worse is that there's no healing in between each battle, which can make these already challenging trainers considerably tougher for players.
The Elite Four are very deliberately tough and are usually intended to be the final test of a Trainer's skill — to the point where often, the champion is actually a little easier to beat. Some trainers seriously struggle against the Pokemon League, but it's always doable, especially with these helpful tips.
Updated March 21, 2022, by Rhenn Taguiam: All aspiring Pokemon trainers dream of one day defeating the Elite Four and claiming the right to challenge the Pokemon Champion. That said though, just the thought of facing these four tough foes one after the other with no breaks can be a little overwhelming. With the recent release of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, fans might be surprised with the absence of both Trainers and the Elite Four in its sprawling open world. As such, those who miss the Elite Four experience may find themselves booting up an older game in order to get their fill. For those people, these tips for fighting the Elite Four should prove to be useful.
15 Rely On The Chosen Starter
Regardless of the Pokemon game, one of the best tips when dealing with the Elite Four is to rely on one's Starter Pokemon. This is due to the fact that every Starter Pokemon tends to have above-average stats when compared to Normal Pokemon, and so will usually have stats much higher than their peers by the time they reach their final form.
It’s also important to consider how a Starter’s final evolution could fare against different members of the Elite Four, as, chances are they’re either strong or weak against several of each member’s Pokemon. If needed, a Starter that won’t be as useful in a match could tank for the rest of the team.
14 Get On A Level Threshold First
Players who have a tough time fighting the Elite Four might soon realize that it’s not their Pokemon of choice that are the problem, but rather their overall progression. If a player realizes that they’re getting wrecked by the Elite Four too often, it might be time to get out of the area and farm for some more levels.
Before facing the Elite Four, it’s usually recommended that players reach a level threshold for all their Pokemon. It’s best to have all Pokemon at least Level 60 or higher before facing the Elite Four, as their Pokemon tend to be in this level range. Of course, the higher the levels of the player’s Pokemon are, the more potent their attacks will be.
13 Have Pokemon Prepared As Type Counters
Since it’s a common trend for Elite Four Members to have one or two particular Type preferences, players should have a diverse-enough roster of Pokemon to match their opponent’s Types. Despite how basic this tip may seem, Pokemon Typing could be one of the best saving graces a player could get when facing a tough foe.
Since fighting the Elite Four won’t allow players to exchange their Pokemon on the PC, it helps to ensure that the player’s chosen team has enough unique Pokemon types as possible to best deal with the Elite Four. As such, a player should start routinely practicing their switch-outs to fully optimize their strategy.
12 Grab That Expert Belt
Most Pokemon games after Generation IV have the Expert Belt, which is a type of Held Item that Pokemon can use. It’s generally recommended that players snag this item as soon as possible, as the Expert Belt will boost its holder’s Super Effective moves by a whopping 20-percent.
With the Expert Belt, a Pokemon could theoretically dish out more punishment than expected against Elite Four Pokemon that are weak against their Type. Save for Heart Gold/Soul Silver, X/Y, and the original Sword/Shield, other Pokemon games offer repeatable ways of grabbing multiple copies of the Expert Belt, which can be a big help.
11 Gamble With Heals In Between Matches
It can help if players earn a lot of money and grab as many healing items as possible before taking on the Elite Four, particularly if they're under-leveled. Since players aren't able to return to a Pokemon Center after they finish fighting an Elite Four Member, it helps to stock up on as many potions and status potions as possible to prepare for the next battle.
Despite the rather expensive nature of this advice, it will greatly help players to get their Pokemon in tip-top shape before they face off against another tough Elite Four Member, who will likely use a lot of items themselves throughout the duration of the match.
10 Stock Up On Potions
The most important and obvious tip is to stock up on Potions. Players shouldn't run into an Elite Four match without first making sure they have plenty of Potions, and normal ones won't do it.
Players need Hyper Potions at least, preferably Max Potions. Those Super Potions might have been seriously useful when players started their Pokemon journey, but 50 HP isn't going to do them much good in the big leagues. There are no PokéCenter stops here!
9 Don't Forget Stat Medicines
The Elite Four will battle mercilessly and will do anything to incapacitate a player's Pokemon. It helps to make sure to have stat medicines — preferably a bunch of Full Heals, but Burn Heal, Paralyze Heal, etc. are handy too.
Sadly, there's nothing that will heal conditions such as Confusion, but most of them can be gotten rid of with items, so it's important to have a bunch of these. Especially as conditions like Poison won't go away until the Pokemon has fainted.
8 Have A Ton Of Revives
More important than Potions: Revives. Trainers need to make sure to have a ton of these, preferably Max Revives (since the average Revive will only restore one Pokemon to half HP and waste a Potion getting them back to full health).
These can be used in battle — though they will take up a turn — or between the Elite Four when players are taking a breather.
7 Save Before The Elite Four Member Who's A Struggle
One of the lesser-known tips is one that some trainers might consider cheating — save before the Elite Four member that's giving players a hassle. There are pros and cons to this.
The player's Pokemon won't have the EXP points they gained while losing if they reset to save, but if it's coming down to those last few HP... save before they fight, and restart the game if they lose. Because if they die, players have to start from the very beginning of the Elite Four. Not a big deal if they're on the first; a huge if they're on the fourth.
6 Check Out Their Pokémon Types Beforehand
Most Elite Four members will stick to one Pokemon Type, so it's a good idea to check out what Types they're using before entering the Pokemon League. This can be done online fairly easily, which is highly advised.
For example, if there's a Psychic Elite Four and most of the player's Pokemon are Fighting-types... whelp. Players are dead meat before they even start. With this in mind, it's vital that they use Type advantages to their advantage.
5 Use All The Rare Candies First
Rare candies are... well, rare, in the Pokemon games, but they should be able to pick up a couple on their journey. These candies allow Pokemon to level up immediately, without the need to grind EXP.
Before the Pokemon League is the perfect time for players to use them on their Pokemon if they've forgotten they were there. A Trainer should level up their powerhouse Pokemon and give them that extra boost.
4 Check Out Their HM/TM Pocket If Necessary
Sometimes, players need a Type advantage move that their Pokemon just don't have — this is where it's a great idea to check out their TM/HM pockets. Sometimes, a Pokemon can learn a Type move that isn't even within their own Type's capabilities — they'd be surprised!
For example, Charmeleon's Metal Claw is great against Rock-types, but they wouldn't expect a Fire-Type to have a good advantage against Rock. The same thing works for other moves later in the games as well.
3 Don't Be Afraid To Use A Turn To Switch Out
The Elite Four won't use Type advantages — they'll just keep burning through their Pokemon, for the most part. Therefore, players should switch out their own where they need to. Up against a Water-type? Send out Raichu, don't stick with Charizard.
Do this, and even though it sacrifices a turn, they should win pretty quickly. The advantages of fighting a computerized opponent that can't tell when they just gained a huge advantage and are about to obliterate them!
2 Sell What Isn't Needed
Before players even get to the League, they should sell every item that they don't need and use the money to buy as many Revives, Potions, and Full Restores as possible.
This means emptying out that Nugget stash, those TMs they're never going to want — all of it. They can never have enough of the useful items. And remember, players can always buy and farm for these items after the Elite Four!
1 Don't Use All The Items Unless It's Looking Dire
Players shouldn't use all their items in battle, if possible. They should wait until they're between Elite Four members to bring their party back to full health unless they're about to lose the battle because they'll waste fewer items this way.
Moreover, players should make sure they aren't using Hyper Potions on a Pokemon that still has 80% of its HP left. No point flexing on the computer characters! And above all else... have patience. Players will definitely need it.