The Importance of Pokémon’s Elite Four
The series is making a mistake by removing an essential part of its formula
Narratives in video games are more prominent than they have ever been before. Yet, as anyone who has ever played one could tell you, Pokémon games are not about the story. This is why it is no surprise that the franchise, beloved by millions, has had to make some changes to its key formula, especially in recent years.
Sun & Moon saw the replacement of the tired Gym system with “trials.” Pokémon GO and Let’s Go brought in new audiences with their simplistic catching method. Of course, every change made, no matter how purely aesthetic, has come with its controversy, whether it is rage over the omission of the National Pokédex or fury over low-quality tree renders. I have never been one to take a side in any of the debates regarding the quality of these games, but it does concern me that there is hardly any discussion over one particular subject: the Elite Four are gradually being phased out.
Elite, Elusive, and Engaging
The Elite Four are perhaps the most interesting narrative element of the games, despite their intended formulaic purpose as a sort of “boss-rush” before battling the Champion. Think about it: they are the four strongest trainers in any region, yet have the least amount of screen-time. The mystery of their identities and how they became a part of the Elite Four has been fascinating to me for as long as I have played the franchise. In earlier generations, the games would drop tidbits of information about the power they hold in the Pokémon League. Perhaps the earliest example of this was Elite Four Lance assuming the Champion title in Gold, Silver & Crystal after it had been abandoned by Red three years prior in Red, Blue & Yellow.
As players of these Game Boy titles might remember, Lance was not the only Elite Four member affected; Lorelei and Agatha were replaced without any explanation as to where they might have gone. Does this mean Lance had a say in who he wanted as part of his new Elite Four or did those two simply move on? Did their replacements Will and Karen beat them out for their spots? Why and how did Koga get promoted from previously being a Gym Leader? Perhaps these are questions players don’t think about when they’re grossly under-leveled in the homestretch of the games, but they enrich the experience of the world regardless.
Enriching a Linear World
Generations 4 and 5 of the series played around with some Elite Four members even further. Elite Four Flint from Diamond & Pearl is friends with the Sunyshore Gym Leader, Volkner, and shows up to tell the player his pal has been feeling run-down lately. This sets up for a congratulatory reunion when you finally face him at the Pokémon League instead of the generic “I like Fire-types” dialogue that appears all too often for these static characters.
Platinum improves this a step further by implementing a double battle with the player and their rival against Volkner and Flint in the post-game, an unexpected match that fleshes them out a little more. Flint’s brother, Buck, also appears in the post-game to help expel the remnants of Team Galactic from Stark Mountain and run the Battleground, an area where the player can rematch trainers they’ve met along their journey.
The fifth-generation games Black & White reintroduced Caitlin, a minor character from Platinum, as part of the Unova Elite Four. In these games, Caitlin is shown to be friends with the Sinnoh Champion Cynthia, allowing her to stay at her villa. When speaking to Caitlin at the villa, she’ll occasionally reference Darach and her role in the fourth generation games as a Frontier Brain. There are plenty more examples of Elite Four members acting outside of their technical purpose in the games, such as Lucian enjoying a book on Sinnoh mythos at the Canalave Library. These are all minor details that could easily slip past someone who is quickly clicking through the dialogue, yet are more narratively compelling than any linear storyline the games have ever offered.
Dwindling Elite Status
The relationships of the Elite Four all contribute to a referential, universal type of world-building in the sense that they have no impact on the story of the game, but make the player feel smart by being able to remember them and their stories. This, in itself, would also motivate the player to rematch the League in the post-game, where members of the Elite Four are out for their revenge with a full team of six Pokémon instead of the four or five in their initial match. From the sixth generation onwards, however, I have noticed that the prestige of being an Elite Four member has somewhat faded.
The Kalos League’s Elite Four do not become stronger upon beating the game and have nothing of substance to make the player interested in who they are. The only exception in this group is Malva, who casually speaks of being a member of Team Flare but doesn’t mention anything specific about the people in the group she associates with.
In the seventh generation, Elite Four rematches thankfully return, but the group itself is mostly comprised of trainers that were already fought earlier on. This causes the referential threshold to become saturated, as players do not feel as intelligent for remembering characters they’ve met in the same game. Almost nothing is known about the outlier of this group, Kahili, except for the fact that she once completed the island challenge as well. On a side note, Grimsley of the Unova Elite Four appears in these games briefly, with a new design and no rhyme or reason for being there.
Sword, Shield, and the Line that Was Broken
The concept of the Elite Four was completely removed in Sword & Shield and replaced with a tournament against a few previously-established characters vying for a match against the Champion. It proved to be a disappointing moment in my playthrough, as I realized this meant that there would be no opportunity to gain insight into the lives of the strongest trainers in the region. The hint-dropping and clue-finding was over.
Giving Galar an Elite Four would have at least partially supplemented the already scarce narrative that the eighth generation games offer. To add insult to injury, the Championship matches in Sword & Shield take place in the same generic stadium setting as all of its gym battles did. The intimidation that comes with arriving at a grand faraway league after an enduring battle against the elements on Victory Road is just not there. The thrill of carefully approaching and conquering each room is gone. With the number of other issues that fans have with Sword & Shield, it seems that the lack of an intriguing Elite Four is low on the list of things to complain about.
Pokémon games are not about the story — but it doesn’t mean they can’t have a decent narrative. The Elite Four can give them that. Even though they’re a part of the same old formula we’ve always known, they’re a good part that can keep players interested. So Pokémon, don’t get rid of them — work on them.
