Summary
Within thePokemonworld, some of the most powerful trainers of a region are the members of theElite 4. They’re the final challenge, whose job is to test the players to verify if they are worthy of facing theChampion, who is even stronger than them. This is one of the most important trainer types in the entire series.
But even if these four masters are meant to be of equal strength, there’s always an inevitability: one of them always has to be the strongest. Whether it’s because of their teams, thePokemon typethey chose to master, or the specific mechanics of that game, here’s the strongest Elite 4 member of each generation.
There are many reasons whyLanceis the strongest Elite 4 member inKanto’sIndigo Plateau. Firstly, he specializes inthe Dragon-type, which was completely overpowered in Generation One. He uses twoDragonairand oneDragonite, which are always very powerful Pokemon, regardless of generation. And his other Pokemon,Gyarados,andAerodactyl, are also a force to be reckoned with.
But there’s also another important factor that shows how powerful Lance truly is, and it’s the fact that he used to be theChampionof the Kanto Region until Rival Blue defeated him just a few moments before the trainer faced him. This is even rectified one generation later when Lance gets back his title of Champion.
While it may be difficult to believe nowadays,the Dark-typewas one of two new types added to the games during Generation Two. The developers at Game Freak were clever enough to add a brand-new Elite 4 member to the Indigo Plateau to test the player’s ability to adapt to it. And this powerful trainer wasKaren.
This is not a simple encounter, since most players may not be entirely familiar with the Dark-type’s strengths and weaknesses. Not to mention that Karen is the final Elite 4 member the player faces in Generation Two, meaning she has some of the highest-leveled Pokemon in the entire game. HerUmbreon, Gengar,andHoundoomcan be particularly tricky to beat.
Drakefrom the Hoenn Region shares some similarities with Lance since he’s also a Dragon-Type trainer and the final Elite 4 member that trainers have to face in his respective generation. But what’s especially interesting is that, even though the mechanics of the Dragon-type were way better balanced during Generation Three, Drake still manages to be one of the strongest trainers in those games.
Anyone who goes in blind to face this Pokemon League unprepared to face Drake with a powerful Ice or Dragon-Type is going to face an inevitable defeat. He even uses 2Flygon, aKingdra, and aSalamencein some versions of his fight, some of the most powerful Dragon-type Pokemon ever created, especially back when theFairy-type didn’t exist.
TheSinnohPokemon League is often considered to be one of the most challenging in the franchise, and every single one of its members is responsible for some frustrating Pokemon battles. However, the final trainer before the Champion will inevitably be the strongest one in the league. And that would beLucian, the Psychic-type master.
Psychic Pokemon are usually some of the strongest in the games, but can usually be dealt with if the player has some solid Dark, Ghost, or Bug-type moves. But Lucian is different because he’s prepared with some of the trickiest Pokemon of his type. Like a bulkyBronzong, a fast but powerfulAlakazam, or a mightyGallade.
This was the first time that the Elite 4 members were not challenged linearly, but could be faced in any order the player wanted. So, while it may be hard to pick the strongest one at first, there’s no doubt thatMarshal, the Fighting-type trainer, is the Elite 4 member who has given players the most trouble.
Most of Marshal’s teams are comprised of4 or 5 pure Fighting Type Pokemonthat can only be defeated with Psychic or Flying-type moves. Not only that, but they also hit extremely hard with moves like Hammer Arm or Hi Jump Kick. Some of them, likeThrohorConkeldurr, even have solid defenses.
Kalos is often considered to be the home of the easiest Pokemon League in the franchise and, since they can also be faced in any order, it’s not always easy to pick the strongest trainer in this group. But there’s an argument to be made forWikstromto be the most powerful one. This is mainly due to his choice to master the Steel-type, which is infamously one of the toughest ones in the game.
Steel-type Pokemon are infamous for usually having the best Defense stat, making Wikstrom an almost impenetrable wall. Aside from that, he uses aMega Scizorthat can be deadly for any player if they don’t have a powerful Fire-type in their team. Finally, his ace is anAegislash, which is one of thebest Pokemon introduced in Generation Six, mostly thanks to the abilityKing’s Shield.
Just like Marshal in Unova,Halais a Fighting-type trainer with a team composed entirely of very strong Pokemon. But what’s even worse is that he favors more bulky creatures with good defenses that are extremely tough to knock down. Like hisHariyamaor hisBewearwith the ability Fluffy.
Even though hisCrabominablehas a lot of weaknesses, one hit of the Z-Move All-Out Pummeling can be enough to defeat any Pokemon. And hisPrimeapecan also be a pain to deal with. What’s especially interesting is that Hala is alsothe first Kahunain the game that the player had to defeat, so he turned from one of the weakest trainers to one of the strongest ones in the Alola Region.
After skipping Generation Eight (which didn’t have an Elite 4 at all), it is interesting to take a look at Generation Nine, which went back to basics and featured anElite 4 that must be faced in a specific order. Of these trainers,Hasselis the toughest one, seeing as he’s the final one in the league, and he specializes in the always-threatening Dragon-type.
Hassel takes after Lance and Drake in the sense that he uses some of the most powerful Dragon-type Pokemon in this game, likeNoivern,Haxorus,orDragonite. But the strongest weapon in his arsenal is hisBaxcalibur, the Pseudo Legendary of the region and his only Pokemon who can Terastalize, which gives it a power boost and eliminates the weaknesses of its Ice-type. Hassel and his Pokemon are worthy of being the penultimate challenge in the Paldea Region.
