Elite Four

Artwork of the Kanto Elite Four in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!

The Elite Four is a high-level Trainer Class and title given to four certain Pokémon Trainers that qualify as being the best Trainers in their respective regions, stronger than Gym Leaders and with only the Pokémon Champion above their skill level, therefore serving as the penultimate

bosses

of the games. There are currently 9 sets of Elite Four members and 1 Champion (3 in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet), corresponding to the number of Generations that the main series games have been throughout the franchise (although Kanto and Johto share their respective Elite Four location, the Indigo Plateau, which, technically, is in the Kanto region).

In order to challenge the Elite Four, a Trainer must first acquire a total of 8 Gym Badges (16 in Pokémon Gold Version and Pokémon Silver Version and Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version, but can be fought at 8) upon defeating the Gym Leaders in a specific region. Upon battling these elite Trainers, the challenger must face all of them consecutively. In Generations I-IV, the members of the Elite Four are battled in a set order (including the remakes like Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire in Generation VI, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl in Generation VIII). Since Generation V, they can be fought in any order, having a fixed level in their teams. Once all four are defeated, the Trainer can now battle the regional Pokémon Champion for their title. However, in every region, if the player character is defeated at any point, including by the Champion, then they must re-battle all members of the Elite Four. In Generation IX, members of Paldea Elite Four are battled in set order, however members of BB League Elite Four can be fought in any order.

Apart from the official Elite Four, the Blueberry Academy also has their own unofficial version of the Elite Four in the form of the BB League. Rather than needing Gym Badges, a Trainer needs to complete a pre-trial in a manner similar to some Gym Leaders' before they can challenge them.

Quick Answers

Who are the members of the Elite Four in the Kanto region?

The Kanto region's Elite Four are top-tier trainers, surpassed only by the Pokémon Champion. They convene when a challenger, possessing eight badges, approaches for a challenge. A notable encounter involved a challenger's Rhydon overcoming Agatha's Arbok.

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What is the role of the Elite Four in the Pokémon games?

In Pokémon games, the Elite Four are top-tier Trainers in their respective regions, surpassed only by the Pokémon Champion. As representatives of the Pokémon League, they are deemed the region's best Trainers. Players aspiring to become Pokémon Champions must defeat each member of the Elite Four in battle. Additionally, they challenge trainers at the Pokémon League and Pokéathlon Dome, also serving as sponsors for these events.

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How does the Elite Four compare to Gym Leaders in terms of skill level?

Both the Elite Four and Gym Leaders specialize in specific Pokémon types and utilize various moves, including Flying-, Grass-, and Fire-type. Each group has members with a Signature Move. However, the Elite Four's higher Regional League rankings, some achieved independently, suggest superior skill compared to Gym Leaders.

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How many sets of Elite Four members are there in the Pokémon series?

The Pokémon series features 9 sets of Elite Four members, each corresponding to a different Generation in the main series games. Certain regions, such as Kanto and Johto, have shared Elite Four divisions.

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Who is the Champion that ranks above the Elite Four?

In the Pokémon universe, the Champion holds a rank above the Elite Four. This title is earned by defeating the region's Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and the preceding Champion. Notable Champions include Ash Ketchum, Red, Green, Trace, Lance, Steven Stone, Wallace, Cynthia, Alder, Iris, Diantha, the Sun/Moon protagonists, Mustard, and Leon. These Champions possess the strongest team in their region before entering the Hall of Fame.

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List of Elite Four Members

Main Games

Indigo Plateau

Generation I/III/VII

Lorelei	Bruno	Agatha	Lance
Ice	Fighting	Ghost	Dragon
Champion Blue RBFRLG		Champion Trace PE
Mix

Generation II/IV

Will	Koga	Bruno	Karen
Psychic	Poison	Fighting	Dark
Champion Lance
Dragon

Hoenn

Sidney	Phoebe	Glacia	Drake
Dark	Ghost	Ice	Dragon
Champion Steven RSORAS		Champion Wallace E
Steel		Water

Sinnoh

Aaron	Bertha	Flint	Lucian
Bug	Ground	Fire	Psychic
Champion Cynthia
Mix

Unova

Shauntal	Marshal	Grimsley	Caitlin
Ghost	Fighting	Dark	Psychic
Champion Alder BW		Champion Iris B2W2
Mix		Dragon

Kalos

Malva	Siebold	Wikstrom	Drasna
Fire	Water	Steel	Dragon
Champion Diantha
Mix

Alola

Hala SM/Molayne USUM	Olivia	Acerola	Kahili
Fighting/Steel	Rock	Ghost	Flying
Champion Elio/Selene
Mix

Galar

In Galar, there are no Elite Four. Because of this, the Pokémon League (Galar) only has the Champion Cup, where the player character only battles the rivals, three of the eight Gym leaders, in the Semi-Finals and Finals receptively and battle the Champion in championship match.

Paldea

Rika	Poppy	Larry	Hassel
Ground	Steel	Flying	Dragon
Champion Geeta
Mix

Blueberry Academy

Crispin	Amarys	Lacey	Drayton
Fire	Steel	Fairy	Dragon
Champion Kieran
Mix

Side Games

Puzzle League

Giovanni	Ritchie	Prima	Bruno
Ground	Mix	Ice	Fighting
Champion Gary Oak		Master Mewtwo
Mix		Mix

In the anime

Main series

In the Pokémon anime, Ash and his friends infrequently meet Elite Four members, who then impart them with battle strategies.

In Kanto, Ash has met the entire original Elite Four roster:

• Bruno was the first Elite Four member to appear in the anime (excluding Koga, who was later promoted to be one in Generation II), in To Master the Onixpected.
• Lorelei appeared in The Mandarin Island Miss Match, but she is named "Prima" in the English dub.
• Lance debuted in Talkin' 'Bout an Evolution, where he was mentioned to be the Champion rather than a regular member of the Elite Four. He is referred to as a member of the Elite Four in Flash of the Titans!.
• Agatha appeared in The Scheme Team, where she was acting as a temporary Gym Leader for the Viridian Gym.
  • Koga, though not an Elite Four member, debuted in The Ninja Poké-Showdown, where he had a Gym battle against Ash.

In Hoenn, Ash has met only one Elite Four member:

• Drake appeared in Vanity Affair, where he invited Ash and his friends to his boat, where he had a battle with Ash.

In Sinnoh, Ash has also met the entire Elite Four roster:

• Lucian debuted in An Elite Meet and Greet!, where he had a battle with Dawn, using his Bronzong against her Buizel.
• Aaron debuted in A Trainer and Child Reunion!, where he was seen training to challenge Cynthia.
• Flint debuted in Flint Sparks the Fire!, where he had a battle with Ash, using his Infernape against his Buizel, Infernape, and Pikachu.
• Bertha appeared in An Elite Coverup!, where she taught Ash and Dawn how observation skills can be useful in battles and Pokémon Contests.

In Unova, Ash has also met only one Elite Four member:

• Caitlin debuted in Jostling for the Junior Cup!, where she faced off against Cynthia during an exhibition match of the Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup.

In Kalos, Ash has met Malva, Wikstrom and Drasna. Another member made an appearance but had not met with Ash:

• Siebold appeared in Mega Evolution Special I, where he used his Mega Blastoise to battle Alain and his Mega Charizard X.
• Wikstrom first appeared in a cameo in Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, in which he was seen battling Diantha, using his Mega Scizor against her Mega Gardevoir. He made his main series debut in Searching for Chivalry!, in which Ash met him for the first time when he visited the Castle of Chivalry.
• Malva debuted in Cloudy Fate, Bright Future! in a video transmission. Ash didn't meet her until A League of His Own!, where he was interviewed by her.
• Drasna debuted in The Future is Now, Thanks to Strategy!. Ash didn't meet her until Taking Two For The Team! as part of an Ultra Class match as part of the World Coronation Series.

In Alola, Ash has met the entire Elite Four rosters from both Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon and Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon paired versions, though none of them presented themselves as such, because the Alola League was not established until "The Dealer of Destruction!":

• Hala debuted in To Top a Totem!, where he led Ash to Verdant Cavern so he could start his island challenge.
• Olivia debuted in The Island Whisperer!, where she took Ash and his classmates to Akala Island and began hosting them during their stay there.
• Acerola debuted in Why Not Give Me a Z-Ring Sometime?, though Ash didn't meet her until the next episode, where she assisted him in his first battle against Nanu.
• Molayne debuted in Showering the World with Love!, where he showed Ash and his classmates around the Hokulani Observatory.
• Kahili debuted in Keeping Your Eyes on the Ball!, where she took Ash and his classmates to a Pokémon Golf course and taught them the sport.

It has been stated by Lucian in An Elite Meet and Greet! that when a Trainer wins their respective region's League Conference, they can participate in the Champion League, fighting the members of that region's Elite Four, and then the Champion as well. It has also been shown that an Elite Four member, like Gym Leaders, are allowed to directly challenge the Pokémon Champion and obtain the title from them in battle.

Trivia

• With Ritchie currently being the only exception, members of a region's Elite Four typically only specialize in one specific type of Pokémon (much like Gym Leaders).
• The Kanto, Hoenn, and Unova Elite Four are similar, however, at least one type needs to be changed in order for them to be the same.
• Usually, the levels of the Elite Four's teams are only slightly lower than that of the Pokemon Champion's, including rematches, which can prove challenging to an unprepared player.
• Lance is the only Elite Four member to become a Champion in a subsequent game.
• The Unova Elite Four is the first one that allows the player to choose the order in which the Elite Four is battled. The Kalos and Alola Elite Four also shares this trait.
• The Kalos Elite Four are the first Elite Four in the series whose Pokémon do not go up in levels when the player returns to the Pokémon league for their first rematch; In fact they stay at the same levels as the first time the player fought them for all rematches. This includes the Champion, Diantha.
• In the Kanto and Johto-based games, the Elite Four share the same battle theme as the Gym Leaders (only Lance in the Generation I titles, where the others use the regular Trainer theme). However, since Generation III, each region has their own unique theme.
• So far, there has never been a Champion or Elite Four-member specializing Normal, Electric or Grass Pokémon.
  • While Larry does specialize in Normal-type Pokémon as a Gym Leader, he specializes in Flying-type Pokémon as an Elite Four member so he does not count.
• Bruno has the most Elite Four appearances - Kanto's second and Johto's third places.
• Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! are the only games to date in which the player can change their Pokémon party between Elite Four matches, due to the presence of the Pokémon Box Link in the player's Bag.
• Galar is the only region that does not have the Elite Four. Instead, the player has to complete the Champions Cup in order to earn the right to face the Champion, Leon.
• The Dragon-type currently has the most specialist Elite Four members, with 5.
  • The Ghost-type and Steel-type have the second most specialist members, with 4.
  • While Fighting-type also has the second most specialist members with 4, technically it only has 3 members as both Kanto and Johto share the same person.
• Koga is currently the only Elite Four member that specializes in Poison-type Pokémon.
• Aaron is currently the only Elite Four member that specializes in Bug-type Pokémon.
• Siebold is currently the only Elite Four member that specializes in Water-type Pokémon.
• Olivia is currently the only Elite Four member that specializes in Rock-type Pokémon.
• Lacey is currently the only Elite Four member that specializes in Fairy-type Pokémon.
• Poppy is the youngest Elite Four member, being just nine years old. Formerly, it was Acerola. This implies that age is not a factor for skillful Pokemon training, much like how the player characters, Iris, and Trace can become the Pokemon Champion.
• According to designer Yusuke Ohmura, the Unova Elite Four was designed based on the theme of "black and white". This explains why Shauntal and Grimsley sport black clothing, whereas Caitlin and Marshal wear white garments.
  • This concept is also accentuated through the types these two different pairs use; Ghost and Dark-types are considered as vague and mysterious, while Psychic and Fighting-types are heralded as straight and enlightened.
• All members of the Paldea Elite Four (and Geeta) wear gloves. Since Larry and Hassel have known jobs outside of the Pokémon League, they have designs without gloves.

Gallery

The Kanto Elite Four in Origins.

The Sinnoh Elite Four in the anime.