Though Pokémon is a series that has gotten easier over the years, some of the older games’ Elite Four members offer plenty of challenge for players. The series doesn’t seem to be getting more difficult any time soon either, with the ninth generation of Pokémon games, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet revealing co-op, a feature that is sure to make the game easier for players. In particular, Kanto and Sinnoh have had some pretty difficult Elite Four members, and dragon trainers across all regions are usually quite difficult.
Since the sixth generation of Pokémon games, Pokémon X and Y, players have felt like the games have gotten much easier. Players have taken to self-imposed challenges to make the games more difficult, including the Nuzlocke challenge, which has risen in popularity over the years. In a Nuzlocke challenge, players have rules like not being able to use a Pokémon after it’s been knocked out once, and only being able to catch the first encounter in an area. They have also been playing Pokemon challenge runs that aren’t Nuzlockes, like a monotype challenge, where they use only one type. With newer Pokémon games getting easier, these challenges help players introduce difficulty when the games are becoming easier. However, some fans believe that these challenges don’t replace the difficulty of former Pokémon League challenges.
Related: What Pokémon Difficulty Settings Could Learn From Nuzlocke Challenges
Even without a challenge run, though, these Elite Four members are sure to give players a run for their money. Whether it’s tricky types, tanky teams, or smart tactics, these trainers all have facets that can be quite frustrating for players to deal with, especially newcomers. These are, excluding champions, some of the hardest Elite Four members in the Pokémon series.
Lorelei Poses A Tough Initial Challenge In Pokémon Gen 1
As the first Elite Four member in the first-gen games of Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Yellow, which could be Pokémon games heading to Nintendo Switch Online, Lorelei poses the greatest challenge for players on their Pokémon journey so far. Her Pokémon’s typings are one factor that can be a challenge. Being an Ice-type trainer makes it easy to think that Fighting-types could be the way to go, but with two Psychic-types on her team, it might not be an effective strategy. Electric-type team members can help dispose of some of Lorelei’s team members, like the Water- and Ice-type Dewgong, but won’t be quite as effective against her Ice- and Psychic-type Jynx.
Another factor that makes Lorelei such a tough trainer in Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue is just how hard her team is to knock out. Two of her team members, in particular, seem to never be knocked out: Slowbro and Lapras. Slowbro can be tough to knock out because it has the moves Withdraw and Amnesia. Withdraw raises defense, making physical attacks weak, and Amnesia, which, in the first-generation games, raised a Pokémon’s special attack and special defense, making it not only harder for electric-type moves to quickly knock Slowbro out, but also raises its own power. While Lorelei’s Lapras doesn’t have any particular moves, its high HP can extend its life quite a long time. Combine that with its Confuse Ray making it hard for players’ team members to even connect with a move, and it’s a formula for one of Pokémon’s hardest Elite Four members.
Lance & Drake Are Two Of Pokémon’s Most Difficult Elite Four Members
In nearly every Pokémon game, but especially Pokémon games before adding the powerful Fairy-type, Dragon trainers are always a big challenge. With powerful stats and many type resistances, Dragon-type Pokémon are tough to take down. Coming at the end of the Elite Four for Kanto and Hoenn respectively, Lance and Drake were challenging trainers that were the last roadblock between players and the region’s Champion.
Related: Pokémon Prequels Would Be Better Than More Sequels
The Kanto region’s Lance was a formidable challenge; so formidablethat he became the Johto region’s Champion in Pokémon Gold and Silver. With only three members of his five-member team being actual Dragon-types, Lance also comes with a Gyarados and Aerodactyl. While Gyarados can easily be taken down with an Electric-type move, its Hydro Pump and Hyper Beam can be devastating to any Pokémon the player throws at it if not dealt with quickly enough. Lance’s ace is his Dragonite, one of the most popular Pokémon in the U.S. and Canada. Armed with powerful Slam and Hyper Beam attacks, and only one weakness to the rare ice-type, Lance is a tough nut to crack in Kanto’s Pokémon League.
In the Hoenn region, the Elite Four’s Drake can be a tough challenge as well. Unlike Lance, this dragon tamer has an all Dragon-type team, with 4 of his 5 team members in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire being 4x weak to Ice-type attacks. However, try to send in a Pokémon that’s too slow and his Flygon will outspeed and finish it off with an Earthquake before it gets hit with any Ice-typed move. In Pokémon Emerald, Drake’s team gets even tougher, with a Kingdra added to the mix to throw off any Trainers relying on an Ice-type attack sweep. While the Exp. Share and easier-to-use TMs made Drake much easier in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, perhaps Drake would’ve shined again in a never-released Pokémon Delta Emerald remake.
Lucian Is A Worthy Test Before The Infamous Cynthia In Pokémon Gen 4
While paling in comparison to Sinnoh’s champion, Cynthia, the region’s final Elite Four member, Lucian, is no joke. With a focus on Psychic-types, he uses different typings and tricky moves to outsmart trainers. Using some dual-type Psychic Pokémon, he counters the few weaknesses his team would otherwise be swept by, making players really think about which of their own team members to use. In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, he uses a Girafarig, a Normal and Psychic-type unaffected by Ghost-type moves, and a Medicham (or Gallade, in Pokémon Platinum), a Fighting- and Psychic-type that resists Dark-type moves. These typings help Lucian’s team shed some of their only weaknesses, bringing Psychic-type Pokémon close to their Gen 1 dominance.
In addition to unique typings, Lucian utilizes unique moves and strategies that the player hasn’t had to think about until facing him. Lucian’s Mr. Mime and Girafarig both use screen moves, Light Screen and Reflect, to set up defenses against both physical and special attacks from the player. In Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Lucian’s Mr. Mime even has the hold item Light Clay, which makes these defensive moves last for eight turns instead of the usual five. These can help Lucian’s sweeper, Alakazam, switch in without much threat of being taken down. To top it all off, Lucian is one of the few trainers in the entire Pokémon series to utilize Trick Room, which inverses speed, making slower Pokémon take their turn first. While the Pokémon BDSP remakes got some things wrong, the games did adapt this fight well, using Lucian’s tough movesets and typings to offer one of the few challenges in the remakes.
Overall, even though Pokémon games have gotten easier, older entries still offer a lot of challenges in the Elite Four. Even in newer remakes, like Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Elite Four member Lucian still offers quite a challenge. Whether it’s typings, movesets, or stats, Elite Four members are formidable foes for trainers to face before the League Champion in Pokémon games.
Next: Games Like Pokemon To Play While Waiting On Scarlet And Violet’s Release
