You’ve spent dozens of hours wandering across the grassy plains of Paldea, picking up shiny objects, and probably getting chased by a Veluza you didn't see coming. Now, you’re standing in front of the Pokemon League building near Mesagoza. It’s intimidating. Honestly, it should be. The Pokemon Scarlet Elite Four isn't just a boss rush; it’s a technical gatekeeper that tests whether you actually understand the Terastal mechanic or if you’ve just been brute-forcing your way through the game with a high-level starter.
Most people think they can just walk in with a level 70 Meowscarada and call it a day. You can't. Well, you can, but you’ll probably get swept by a random Ice-type move or a poorly timed Tera Shift. Paldea’s League is weirdly structured compared to Kanto or Sinnoh. It starts with an interview. Yeah, a literal job interview. If you fail the questions asked by Rika, you get kicked out. No battle. No glory. Just a walk of shame back to the Pokémon Center.
The Interview: Where Careers Go to Die
Rika sits there with her sunglasses and her cool demeanor, asking you things like how you got here and which gym was the hardest. It feels simple. It’s not. If you stay inconsistent with your answers—like saying you chose Fuecoco but then later saying your favorite type is Water—she’ll fail you.
She's looking for consistency. It’s a personality test. Most players trip up because they try to guess what she wants to hear instead of just being honest about their journey. Just remember which Gym Leader gave you the most trouble and stick to that story. Once you pass, the real stress begins.
Rika’s Ground-Type Gauntlet
Rika is the first member of the Pokemon Scarlet Elite Four, and she’s a specialist in Ground-types. This is a classic "wall" fight. Ground types are notoriously bulky. If you’re relying on Electric moves, you’re done. Don't even try it. Her Whiscash is a nightmare because of its dual Water/Ground typing, making it immune to Electric and neutral to Fire.
The real threat, though, is her Clodsire.
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It looks silly. It looks like a giant, muddy loaf of bread. But it has the Water Absorb ability. If you try to Surf it into oblivion, you’ll actually heal it. I’ve seen so many players lose their momentum here because they didn't check the ability. You need a strong Grass or Ice-type attacker. Meowscarada’s Flower Trick is a godsend here because it never misses and always crits, bypassing any defensive buffs Rika tries to stack.
Poppy: Don't Let the Toddler Fool You
Next up is Poppy. She’s... a child. A literal small child who uses Steel-types. It’s a bit of a tonal shift from Rika’s professional vibe, but Poppy is arguably more dangerous. Steel is the best defensive typing in the game. Period.
Her team includes heavy hitters like Copperajah and Corviknight. If you don't have a reliable Fire or Fighting-type, this fight will take an hour. Her ace is Tinkaton. That pink hammer-wielding gremlin is a Fairy/Steel type, which is a ridiculous defensive combo. When Poppy Terastallizes it into a pure Steel-type, its Gigaton Hammer becomes a delete button for your team. You have to outspeed it. If you let Tinkaton get more than two swings off, your potions won't save you.
Larry’s Second Act
Then there’s Larry. Everyone’s favorite overworked salaryman. You already fought him at the Medali Gym where he used Normal-types, but here, he’s moonlighting for the Pokemon Scarlet Elite Four as a Flying-type specialist. It’s such a great bit of character writing—he’s just doing his second job.
Larry’s Flying team is surprisingly aggressive. His Staraptor has Intimidate, which drops your Attack stat immediately. Then there’s Altaria and Tropius. But the real curveball is his Flamigo. It hits incredibly hard and fast. Most people bring a Rock-type to a Flying fight, but Larry’s Flamigo has Fighting-type moves that will 4x effective-damage your Sudowoodo or Garganacl into the dirt.
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Hassel and the Dragon Problem
Hassel is the final hurdle. He’s the art teacher from the Academy, and he’s very emotional. He will literally cry while he beats you. He uses Dragon-types, which have been the "end game" type since 1996.
Dragon-types are resistant to almost all elemental starters. If you’re still leaning on Fire, Water, or Grass, you’re going to struggle. His Baxcalibur is the big one. It’s a Dragon/Ice type with a signature move called Glaive Rush. It deals massive damage, but it makes Baxcalibur vulnerable on the next turn. This is the moment to strike. If you have a Fairy-type like Gardevoir or Sylveon, use them. Fairy-types are immune to Dragon moves. It’s the only way to make this fight feel fair.
The Top Champion: Geeta’s Strategic Flaws
After you beat the Pokemon Scarlet Elite Four, you face Geeta. She’s the Top Champion. Honestly? She’s a bit controversial among fans.
Geeta’s team composition is actually kind of a mess. Her lead Pokémon is Espathra, which is fine, but her "ace" is Glimmora. Glimmora has an ability called Toxic Debris that scatters spikes on your side of the field whenever it's hit by a physical move. The problem is, Geeta sends Glimmora out last. By the time it enters the field, the spikes don't matter because there are no more Pokémon for you to switch to.
If she used Glimmora first, she’d be ten times harder to beat. Since she doesn't, you can usually sweep her with a well-rounded team. Kingambit is her biggest threat, but a fast Fighting-type will OHKO it easily.
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Essential Preparation Steps
If you’re struggling, you need to stop grinding levels and start looking at your items.
- Held Items: Give your lead Pokémon a Choice Band or Choice Specs if you want to end fights early.
- Tera Types: Don't just Terastallize for the sake of it. Save your Tera for when you need to change your typing defensively. If Hassel is about to hit you with a Dragon Pulse, Terastallize into a Fairy-type to negate the damage entirely.
- The Revive Strategy: It's "cheap," but Max Revives are your best friend. Paldea is generous with money. Buy 30 Full Restores and 20 Revives before you enter.
- Nature Mints: If your Pokémon feels weak, its Nature might be hurting its stats. Go to a Chansey Supply store and buy a Mint to fix it. A Modest mint on a Special Attacker changes everything.
What to Do Next
Once you've cleared the Pokemon Scarlet Elite Four, the game doesn't actually end. It just opens up the real challenge. You should immediately head back to the Academy to unlock the Ace Academy Tournament. This is the best way to farm money and experience in the post-game.
Also, check your map for 5-star and 6-star Tera Raids. These are significantly harder than anything the Elite Four threw at you. You’ll need to build specific "Raid Ready" Pokémon—usually high HP and high Attack builds like Iron Hands or Azumarill—to survive them.
Finally, go find the remaining Legendaries. The four "Ruinous" Pokémon (Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, Ting-Lu, and Chi-Yu) are hidden behind colored stakes across the map. They are level 60+, and catching them is the true test of a Champion. You’ve conquered the League; now go conquer the lore.
The most important thing is to stop treating the Elite Four like a standard RPG boss. It’s a puzzle. Once you see the patterns in their typing and their Tera usage, the path to becoming a Champion becomes a lot clearer.