Greatest Methods For Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Elite 4

Defeating the Elite 4 and the regional champion in battle is a ceremony of passage in most Pokémon video games, and that features Scarlet and Violet. These are supposed the most-powerful Pokémon trainers within the Paldea area, and overcoming them and their groups is the one option to develop into the regional champion your self.

However what ought to your staff appear like should you’re going to tackle these trainers? Earlier than we go coach by coach and speak about what weaknesses you’ll want to take advantage of to develop into Paldea’s champion, let’s contact on some normal suggestions.

Stage up earlier than you go-go

Between all of the trainers you’ll combat within the Paldea Pokémon League, you’ll face Pokémon whose ranges vary from 57 to 62. Because you’ll have already overwhelmed all eight regional health club leaders, you’ll discover Scarlet and Violet have a large hole between essentially the most {powerful} health club chief and the primary of the Elite 4. Grusha, the Glaseado health club chief, had his Pokémon within the late 40s, and the Elite 4 begins out 10 ranges greater. So undoubtedly do some coaching beforehand to get your staff leveled as much as at the least the mid-50s.

“You want therapeutic!”

Pokémon veterans will inform you that earlier than you problem the Elite 4, it’s good to fill up on therapeutic gadgets. These fights all occur in sequence, and also you received’t be capable to go away to heal your staff and are available again between them. Nonetheless, you’ll have an opportunity to make use of therapeutic gadgets earlier than every combat to your coronary heart’s content material. The PokéMart proper exterior the Pokémon League constructing may have loads of Hyper Potions and Revives so that you can purchase. These might be useful each between battles and through them, because it’s seemingly you’ll must heal up if one of many Elite 4 manages to take out a few of your staff.

Jack of all trades is healthier than a grasp of 1

Over time, I’ve seen a handful of Pokémon gamers who wish to play with groups that double up on strikes of the identical kind, somewhat than having a pleasant unfold of assaults that lend themselves to extra various scenario. I favor better versatility. For instance, throughout the primary recreation, my Raichu had Thunderbolt (Electrical), Play Tough (Fairy), Iron Tail (Metal), and Focus Blast (Combating). Between these 4 strikes, he may moderately deal harm to 9 out of Pokémon’s 18 creature sorts by himself. That is the type of moveset I attempt to have with my complete staff, which supplies me extra choices for no matter scenario the sport throws at me.

If Raichu may use a super-effective Iron Tail on a rock/ground-type Pokémon, however would nonetheless be in peril of being one-shot by a devastating Earthquake, I may change to my Quaquaval and use a water or combating transfer with out having to fret about him succumbing to the identical weaknesses Raichu would. Versatility is an efficient rule of thumb to remember once you’re constructing a staff, as a result of a staff of six Pokémon can’t cowl this many weaknesses with out studying strikes exterior its base typing. Whereas it’s vital to remember what strikes your Pokémon will get a bonus for because of their base typing or tera typing, don’t put all of your Poké eggs in a single Poké basket: You’ll simply restrict your self and make fights more durable than they have to be.

Save between fights

It may really feel tacky, however you need to all the time be saving between fights on the Elite 4. If you happen to lose a battle, all you’ve gotta do is shut the sport and reopen it to begin the place you left off. Do that earlier than you’re transported again to the Pokémon Heart with the intention to circumvent the autosave (or flip it off within the choices menu), and also you’ll be capable to simply attempt every combat once more with new data. It’s also possible to use this time to vary your staff’s movesets round if you end up missing a super-effective response to one in all your opponents’ Pokémon.

With out additional ado, let’s discuss in regards to the Elite 4 and the champion of Paldea.

Rika, the ground-type grasp

She is magnificence, she is grace, however Rika’s staff of ground-type Pokémon is stuffed with a bunch of doofuses. Between Whiscash, Dugtrio, and Clodsire, half her staff has large “not a thought behind these eyes” power. However they’ve nonetheless bought some hard-hitting strikes and efficient defenses that may take you abruptly should you’re not ready.

Whiscash (Water/Floor), Stage 57
Camerupt (Hearth/Floor), Stage 57
Donphan (Floor), Stage 57
Dugtrio (Floor), Stage 57
Clodsire (Terastalized Floor), Stage 57

Dugtrio and Donphan are essentially the most easy of Rika’s staff, as they’re customary ground-type Pokémon weak to all of floor’s weaknesses: grass, ice, and water. Having a mixture of a majority of these assaults might be vital, nevertheless, as the opposite three Pokémon she makes use of have inherent counters to every of those sorts.

Rika’s Whiscash units a precedent for a way you need to strategy her celebration: You possibly can’t simply keep on with one in all floor’s typical weaknesses for the whole combat. As a water/ground-type Pokémon, Whiscash is just weak to grass-type strikes, however it’s double weakened by them, as they overpower water and ground-type Pokémon. So a grass-type transfer is greatest to begin with, however be conscious of its Blizzard assault, as that can knock most grass-type Pokémon out actual fast. Fortunately, Whiscash is pretty gradual, so if you will get a fairly robust, risk-free assault like Power Ball—or Meowscarada’s signature assault Flower Trick for individuals who selected Sprigatito as their starter—Whiscash’s double weak point to grass ought to do numerous the heavy lifting for you.

Camerupt additionally requires a little bit of forethought, as its hearth/floor typing makes it extra immune to grass and ice assaults. Nonetheless, water assaults will do 4 occasions as a lot harm towards it, as each hearth and floor are weakened by it. Not like Whiscash, who may severely harm a grass-type Pokémon who weakened it, Camerupt doesn’t have a robust offensive possibility for the common water-type Pokémon. Its strikes lean exhausting into its hearth and floor typing, but it surely does have a steel-type transfer in Flash Cannon, which might be tough on any rock Pokémon in your roster should you resolve to focus on its floor weak point somewhat than water. So the most secure plan of action is to make use of a water transfer like Aqua Tail or Quaquavel’s signature Aqua Step to make the most of its decrease bodily protection stat.

Clodsire is Rika’s last Pokémon, and one in all her trickiest. She’s going to use her tera orb on it to overwrite its poison/floor typing and make it merely floor, so should you have been planning on utilizing a psychic assault to take advantage of its poison base typing, you’ll have to regulate. On prime of this, Clodsire additionally has Water Soak up as its skill, which negates water assaults and in addition heals its HP by 1 / 4 of its well being. So it’s not only a wasted flip to try to use a water assault, it’s actively useful to Rika’s large oaf. Clodsire’s weaknesses on this state of affairs are grass, water, and ice.

Usually, I might advise towards utilizing a grass-type Pokémon towards it due to its base poison typing, however Clodsire doesn’t have any damaging poison strikes that might weaken a grass-type Pokémon. It does have Poisonous, however that can solely inflict the poison standing, somewhat than do poison harm. The largest wrestle with Rika’s Clodsire is that, should you go in anticipating to make use of sure strikes, its tera typing or skill can journey you up. However as soon as you understand its precise unfold of weaknesses, it’s a bit extra easy.

Clodsire has a cumbersome particular protection, however its bodily protection is way decrease. So should you can hit it with a bodily ice or water transfer (similar to Ice Spinner, Ice Hammer, or Aqua Tail), or fall again on the Aqua Step (should you’ve bought it), Clodsire ought to go down fairly rapidly.

Poppy, the steel-using youngster labor legislation violation

The second of the Elite 4 is a case examine in juxtaposition between coach and Pokémon, as Poppy might be the youngest coach within the Paldea area, however has some hefty steel-type brawlers on her staff. All that being mentioned, combating her staff requires the identical flexibility as Rika’s, as her Pokémon ebb and circulate between the metal kind’s strengths and weaknesses. As good as it will be to choose your strongest hearth kind and set all of them ablaze, Poppy’s staff has just a few notable counters for the categories that weaken metal.

Copperajah (Metal), Stage 58
Magnezone (Electrical/Metal), Stage 58
Bronzong (Psychic/Metal), Stage 58
Corviknight (Flying/Metal), Stage 58
Tinkaton (Terastalized Metal), Stage 59

Poppy leads together with her Copperajah, and it’s a right away counter to fireplace sorts. It simply has a easy metal typing, however with strikes like Excessive Horsepower, it will possibly go toe-to-toe with a fire-type Pokémon with little situation. It additionally acts as a setup Pokémon as a result of it has Stealth Rock, which can scatter stones round your staff, dealing rock harm to any Pokémon you ship out all through the battle. That is particularly unhealthy for fire-type Pokémon, as they’re weakened by rock assaults.

You could have just a few choices to counter this. One is to only knock Copperajah out so rapidly it doesn’t have the prospect to make use of Stealth Rock, which is greatest completed by utilizing a strong hearth, combating, or floor assault. Copperajah has numerous HP and may pack a punch, however its defenses are fairly center of the highway, and it’s exceptionally gradual. So should you can handle to outspeed it (pretty simple) and knock it out in a single hit (difficult, however doable) you’ll be able to circumvent the hazard of Stealth Rock altogether.

I usually keep away from educating my Pokémon essentially the most {powerful} strikes of their respective typings as a result of they usually include drawbacks to accuracy or recharge time, however if you wish to be thorough right here, a Hearth Blast or Excessive Bounce Kick can wipe Copperajah out earlier than it has an opportunity to arrange. These are sometimes overkill in typical play, however once you’re dealing with a match-long menace like Stealth Rock, higher protected than sorry.

If you happen to’re not so fortunate to take Copperajah out rapidly, having a Pokémon who can clear enemy hazards is all the time good. Pokémon like Donphan, Forretress, or Coalossal can be taught Fast Spin, which can filter the Stealth Rock with out being in an excessive amount of hazard from Poppy’s metal Pokémon.

Magnezone is pretty easy, as its double weak point to ground-type strikes makes it a straightforward one-hit knockout. Corviknight can be fairly easy, because it doesn’t have a lot to counter its hearth and electrical weaknesses.

Bronzong is a bit trickier, because it has loads of counters for fire-type Pokémon with Rock Blast and Earthquake. It additionally has the Levitate skill, which makes it resistant to ground-type strikes most metal Pokémon could be vulnerable to. As such, it’s higher to give attention to its psychic typing, somewhat than metal. dark-type Pokémon could be a super counter because of its immunity to Bronzong’s psychic assaults, and one which has excessive bodily protection would be capable to face up to all of its strikes. Umbreon could be a superb match, because it has robust bodily protection, and its base darkish typing would give it immunity to Bronzong’s psychic strikes, in addition to strengthen its dark-type assaults like Darkish Pulse or Crunch.

Poppy’s final Pokémon is its Tinkaton, which she is going to terastalize right into a full steel-type. Even with out the tera kind, Tinkaton’s bodily moveset packs a punch, so it’s a pressure to be reckoned with should you’re not cautious. Fortunately, its weaknesses don’t actually change an excessive amount of with this typing past including combating. So, you probably have fire-, fighting-, or ground-type strikes (which you’ll most likely have wanted to get this far within the combat), you ought to be good to take out Tinkaton.

I’d suggest choosing floor, as Poppy will seemingly exploit both of the opposite two with Play Tough and Stone Edge, which weaken combating and hearth, respectively. Tinkaton has a hefty particular protection, so utilizing a physical-based floor transfer like Earthquake is your greatest guess.

Larry returns to fly to new heights

I can’t lie, he made such a constructive impression on me as a health club chief earlier in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet that I misplaced my thoughts when Larry, Pokémon’s embodiment of the Dolly Parton tune “9 to five,” confirmed up as a member of the Elite 4. However whereas his normal-type staff required one technique, his flying-type celebration within the Pokémon League requires one other.

Tropius (Grass/Flying), Stage 59
Oricorio (Electrical/Flying), Stage 59
Altaria (Dragon/Flying), Stage 59
Staraptor (Regular/Flying), Stage 59
Flamigo (Terastalized Flying), Stage 60

Not like Rika and Poppy, most of Larry’s trickiest Pokémon lead his staff. Whereas most flying-type trainers on this collection will be simply dealt with with a superb electric-type Pokémon like Raichu or Jolteon, Larry’s Tropius, Oricorio, and Altaria all require you to search for alternate weaknesses.

Tropius is a grass/flying kind, which suggests it’s double weak to ice. Traditionally, I don’t sometimes make house for an ice-type Pokémon on my staff as a result of most water-type Pokémon can reliably be taught ice strikes, however Tropius is kitted out with Sunny Day and Photo voltaic Beam, which is a combo that may make quick work of any water-type that dares to enter the sphere. So should you don’t have an ice-type Pokémon to throw out a fast Ice Beam or a water-type that’s each quick and robust sufficient to interrupt this setup, it may be greatest to decide to focus on one in all its different weaknesses.

Fortunately Tropius has many with its grass/flying typing, so we will decide from hearth, flying, rock, or poison, as properly. Presumably, you will have a fire-type Pokémon out of your combat with Poppy, in order that’s a superb Pokémon to steer with and get a superb Flamethrower out earlier than Tropius has an opportunity to arrange its Photo voltaic Beam.

Oricorio’s electrical/flying typing is attention-grabbing, as a result of individually, these two components have easy weaknesses to take advantage of. However collectively they restrict your choices as a result of it will likely be resistant to floor strikes and comparatively immune to electrical ones. Its remaining weaknesses are rock and ice, Both possibility is as efficient, however be conscious that it additionally is aware of Icy Wind, which will be tremendous efficient on some rock-type Pokémon if they’ve a secondary floor affinity.

Larry’s Altaria is among the Pokémon you’ll face that feels straight spec’d to counter its ordinary weaknesses. The dragon/flying Pokémon is aware of Moonblast (Fairy), Flamethrower (Hearth), Ice Beam (Ice), and Dragon Pulse (Dragon), which is a tough counter for nearly something you’ll be able to throw at it…virtually.

Altaria can counter dragon and ice fairly handily, but it surely doesn’t have a lot to take out fairy Pokémon, or defend towards fairy-type strikes. It has fairly respectable bodily and particular protection, however its bodily protection is a tad decrease. So should you’ve bought somebody in your staff that is aware of Play Tough, it’s a stable counter that exists within the gaps of Altaria’s moveset.

Then all that’s left is Starapator and a terastalized flying-type Flamigo. You possibly can take out each of those handily with robust electrical assaults. It’s greatest to keep away from ice-type Pokémon for these final two, as each of them have combating assaults that might do vital harm.

Hassel teaches one last lesson

The ultimate combat earlier than the champion is towards Hassel, the artwork instructor in Paldea’s academy. He makes a speciality of dragon-type Pokémon, and his staff features a few ‘mons you seemingly received’t have seen by this level in your playthrough. So it’s good to be ready for the twists and turns of this battle.

Noivern (Flying/Dragon), Stage 60
Haxorus (Dragon), Stage 60
Dragalge (Poison/Dragon), Stage 60
Flapple (Grass/Dragon), Stage 60
Baxcalibur (Terastalized Dragon), Stage 61

Noivern leads Hassel’s staff, and it’s one of many easiest within the group. It’s weak to all of dragon-type’s ordinary weaknesses, however its flying/dragon typing makes it twice as weak to ice-type strikes. So blow a delicate, chilly breeze in its course (Ice Beam) and it ought to fall fairly rapidly. Flapple can be fairly easy, as its grass/dragon typing makes it extraordinarily vulnerable to ice assaults, which it doesn’t have any actual counters for.

Haxorus can be only a dragon-type, but it surely has a wider kind protection with its assaults. With Dragon Claw, Crunch, Iron Head, and Rock Tomb, it will possibly reliably counter each ice and dragon Pokémon, so your greatest guess is to take advantage of the fairy-sized hole in its offensive capabilities as you probably did with Larry’s Altaria. Its bodily protection is notably stronger than its particular protection, so you probably have Pokémon like Sylveon with an assault like Moonblast in your bag, you can also make quick work of Haxorus.

Dragalge is difficult as a result of it will possibly simply take down dragon and fairy Pokémon with its poison-type Sludge Bomb and dragon-type Dragon Pulse. So the most secure weak point to take advantage of is probably going psychic. You might additionally attempt floor, however do consider Hassel’s Dragalge is aware of Hydro Pump, which may drop ground-type Pokémon in a single flip. In the meantime, it doesn’t have any actual counters for a psychic Pokémon, making it the poison/dragon-type’s greatest vulnerability.

Lastly, we’ve Baxcalibur, Hassel’s ace and Scarlet and Violet’s pseudo-legendary. Hassel’s technique with this Pokémon is fairly easy: Terastalize right into a full dragon-type, after which use its signature transfer Glaive Rush till it wipes your staff. When you’ve got a fairy-type Pokémon you’ll be resistant to this assault, so that can take the best menace off the desk. However, oddly sufficient, Hassel’s Baxcalibur solely is aware of two different strikes, the ice-type Icicle Crash and fighting-type Brick Break. Fairy Pokémon are immune to combating assaults, and broken usually by ice. So should you’ve bought a fairy with first rate particular assault just like the aforementioned Sylveon, you’ll be able to carve your manner via this Pokémon.

Right here comes the ultimate challenger, Geeta

After you defeat all of the members of the Elite 4, you’ll be given a complementary celebration heal earlier than you face Geeta, the champion of the Paldea area.

Espathra (Psychic), Stage 61
Gogoat (Grass), Stage 61
Veluza (Water/Psychic), Stage 61
Avalugg (Ice), Stage 161
Kingambit (Darkish/Metal), Stage 61
Glimmora (Terastalized Rock), Stage 62

As followers have famous since Scarlet and Violet launched, Geeta’s staff is a bit underwhelming for a champion, even in comparison with the Elite 4 who’re supposedly underneath her. She doesn’t focus on anyone typing, so there’s not the identical subversion and adaptation you see within the different coach fights. Nobody on her staff is especially {powerful} like Hassel’s Baxcalibur or Poppy’s Tinkaton. The weirdest a part of all of it’s that Glimmora, which is handled as her signature Pokémon, is a setup Pokémon by design, however she makes use of it final and wastes its Poisonous Particles skill. As such, the one actual technique together with her is solely having Pokémon who know assaults that weaken hers.

Greater than half of her staff has a one-type elemental affinity, with psychic-type Espathra, grass-type Gogoat, and ice-type Avalugg all beginning out as such, and Glimmora changing into one by terastalizing right into a rock-type.

Espathra and Gogoat are principally missing in exhausting counters to their weaknesses. A ghost, darkish, or bug assault will take Espathra out, although be cautious of its Dazzling Gleam should you select to go the darkish route. Gogoat has mainly nothing to fight a fireplace, bug, or flying Pokémon. Avalugg fares a bit higher—Earthquake provides it one thing to combat off any hearth or rock Pokémon—however its remaining strikes really feel like they’re there to fill areas somewhat than assist it overcome something you throw at it. So be at liberty to securely use a metal or combating assault.

Veluza and Kingambit have twin typings, which makes them somewhat extra difficult, however their movesets are nonetheless fairly easy. Veluza is a water/psychic kind, however these sorts collectively don’t create any kind of attention-grabbing resistances or immunities to pay attention to. It’s weak to every part these sorts are weak to, so a bug, ghost, grass, electrical, or darkish transfer might be tremendous efficient. Geeta additionally hasn’t taught it any strikes that weaken its ordinary vulnerabilities, with the closest factor to a subversion in its equipment being Ice Fang, and ice strikes are pretty predictable for a water-type Pokémon to have. As such, there’s not a lot to fret about right here.

Kingambit has one saving grace, in that the darkish/metal Pokémon is aware of Zen Headbutt, a psychic transfer that may make quick work of a fighting-type Pokémon who would in any other case be capable to exploit its double weak point to combating. However the Pokémon can be terribly gradual, so should you can outspeed it, you will have an opportunity to keep away from the assault altogether.

Then there’s Glimmora, whose puzzling placement simply actually underlines how suboptimal Geeta’s staff is. The rock/poison Pokémon will terastalize right into a rock kind, which does halve its regular double weak point to floor into simply a regular one, however it’s nonetheless very a lot weak to combating, metal, and water. This transformation additionally opens itself up right into a grass weak point it didn’t have earlier than.

In terms of attacking these weaknesses it has Dazzling Gleam to deal with fighting-type Pokémon and Sludge Wave to deal with any grass-type Pokémon with out a secondary kind to withstand it. So the most secure kind to make use of is water, however Glimmora can be gradual sufficient you could most likely get these assaults out quick sufficient to defeat it anyway.

There are hints in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s endgame that Geeta and Glimmora are tied into story components which have but to be explored. As such, it makes some sense that narratively Geeta would use Glimmora as her associate Pokémon and ace in battle. However the best way the Pokémon is constructed as a setup Pokémon via its Poisonous Particles skill, which lays out Poisonous Spikes on the battlefield after it’s hit with a bodily assault, means it doesn’t make sense for it to be utilized this manner in battle. All of Geeta’s staff simply feels prefer it lacks the identical forethought of the remainder of the Elite 4. What an odd combat.

After you defeat Geeta, that’s the final time you’ll be able to face the Elite 4 on this sequential construction. It is a departure from earlier video games, which allow you to problem the Pokémon League a number of occasions. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to nonetheless face all of those trainers within the postgame Academy Ace Event, the place their groups might be barely stronger and have completely different movesets. Geeta’s staff nonetheless sucks, although!