Indigo Plateau is once again the final “town” in a Pokemon generation. It is still not much of a town however, as the “town” is still just one building, containing a Pokecenter, a Pokemart, and the Elite Four. The area really hasn’t changed much since the first Generation; however, the Elite Four members themselves have changed a great deal. One encouraging fact is that, unlike the Generation 1 Elite Four, the Generation 2 Elite Four members really aren’t that difficult. Their Pokemon’s levels are significantly lower, and their teams are a bit more predictable (except for Karen, more on that below). This time, Indigo Plateau’s motto is “The Ultimate Goal for Trainers!”
As previously stated, the interior of the building contains a Pokecenter and Pokemart right as the trainer enters. The Pokemart now stocks Full Restores, which fully heal the hit points of a Pokemon as well as removing any status effects they have. Among the few NPCs in here is one rather important one. There is a trainer here who’s Abra will Teleport the trainer back to New Bark Town if they want to return to Johto. This is because in Generation 2, Indigo Plateau is on the Kanto map. Because of this, if the trainer tries to leave the building and use Fly, they cannot go to any of the Johto towns, due likely to system limitations at the time. Thus, the fastest way to return to Johto is by using the NPC’s Teleport. In the top right corner of the room is the entrance to the Elite Four.
One thing that should be noted is that after the trainer defeats their rival in Mt. Moon in Kanto, they can battle the rival again here. He will appear here on Mondays and Wednesdays, and will approach the trainer as they try to enter the stairs to the Elite Four.
In Generation 1, the Elite Four began with Lorelei. This time, the Elite Four begins with Will, who specializes in Psychic-type Pokemon. He has 2 Xatu, a Jynx, a Slowbro, and an Exeggutor. One good Dark-type Pokemon, such as Umbreon or Houndoom, will make short work of most of his team. A good Electric-type can help with the Xatu and Slowbro too. Overall, he is not too difficult, though his Slowbro can take quite a few hits.
The next opponent is Koga. He has been promoted since Generation 1, where he was the gym leader of Fuchsia City. This slot was originally Bruno’s place, but he is actually now the third opponent (see below). Koga has an Ariados, a Forretress, a Muk, a Venomoth, and a Crobat. A good Psychic-type and a good Fire-type (mainly for Forretress) will be able to take care of Koga. Koga, like Will, is not too difficult unless the trainer is not prepared for the Forretress, which can take a lot of hits and deal decent damage too.
The third opponent is now Bruno. Agatha from Generation 1 is no longer in the Elite Four, just like Lorelei. Bruno is still a specialist in Fighting-type Pokemon, and this time he does not have to rely on so many Onix to fill out his team. He still does have 1 Onix though. The rest of his team includes a Hitmonchan, a Hitmonlee, a Hitmontop, and a Machamp. Again, a Psychic-type Pokemon will make quick work of his team. The Onix can easily be defeated by a Water or Grass-type. Bruno is probably the easiest of all the Elite Four members, especially if the trainer has a relatively fast Psychic-type Pokemon.
The fourth opponent is Karen. Lance has stepped down from the Elite Four in the three years since the first Generation. Karen specializes in Dark-type Pokemon. However, due to the limited number of Dark-type Pokemon in Generation 2, she actually only has 3 Dark-types. Her team consists of an Umbreon, a Vileplume, a Murkrow, a Houndoom, and a Gengar. She can be somewhat difficult to defeat, mainly because of the variety of types on her team. A Lapras can defeat 3 of her Pokemon (as long as it can take out the Vileplume quickly), while a Fighting-type and Psychic-type can take care of the other two (Umbreon and Gengar respectively). A Ground-type Pokemon can help here too.
Finally, as all trainers likely suspected (especially if they played the first Generation), the Champion is next. The Champion this time is Lance and not the rival (in fact the first Generation is the only Generation where the rival is the champion). Lance has helped the trainer a few times during the journey, and he is now the final roadblock on the trainer’s path to becoming Champion. He can be quite difficult if the trainer is not prepared. He has a Gyarados, a Charizard, an Aerodactyl, and 3 Dragonite. A good Electric-type will be able to defeat the 3 Pokemon that are not Dragonite. As for the Dragonite, a good Ice-type will be able to defeat them, as long as it can hit them hard and fast. Overall, Lance is a lot easier than his Generation 1 counterpart, but he is still quite difficult in this Generation.
Indigo Plateau is the final chapter in a Johto trainer’s journey. All the hardships they have faced, and all the triumphs they have experienced culminate here, where they face the toughest trainers in the land. The Elite Four is the trial of trials, and the true test of a Pokemon Champion.
This article focuses primarily on the aspects of Indigo Plateau in Pokemon Gold and Silver. To learn more about Indigo Plateau, visit the following website:
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