Although some of the newerPokemongames such asSword & Shieldgot rid of the Elite Four and the Pokemon League, earlierPokemontitles 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.
RELATED:Pokemon: Pro Tips For What To Do If You Get Stuck On A Gym Leader
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 June 09, 2025, by Rhenn Taguiam:All aspiringPokemontrainers 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 ofPokemon 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.
15Rely On The Chosen Starter
Regardless of thePokemongame, 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 tankfor the rest of the team.
14Get 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 andfarm 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.
13Have 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 adiverse-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.
12Grab That Expert Belt
MostPokemongames 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 areweak against their Type. Save forHeart Gold/Soul Silver,X/Y, and the originalSword/Shield, otherPokemongames offer repeatable ways of grabbing multiple copies of the Expert Belt, which can be a big help.
11Gamble 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 tostock up on as many potions and status potions as possibleto prepare for the next battle.
RELATED:Tips For Levelling Up Your Pokemon Fast
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.
10Stock 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!
9Don’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.
8Have 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.
7Save 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.
6Check 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.
